Out of the past: June 16

1992

The Cape Girardeau County Commission will delay action on a proposed zoning ordinance until after the November general election. The commission had hoped to have the ordinance approved and in effect by this time, but earlier this year, a group of residents waged a petition drive because they didn't like certain provisions of the ordinance. The drive will put a question before voters in November, asking whether the county should have planning and zoning.

The trees of historic Wedekind Roadside Park on U.S. 61 North near Interstate 55 have been taken down in order to provide a new entrance for the Missouri Veterans Home and for future developments at that location. In addition, some site improvements will be done, including cutting down the hill in front of the veterans home to make it visible from U.S. 61.

1967

Bill Royce, news director of radio station KGMO, says he was ordered to leave the Cape Girardeau Police Department's firing range by Chief of Police Irvin E. Beard yesterday while trying to obtain a news account of the police firearms-training program.

Vandals did about $42 in damage at the municipal swimming pool at Capaha Park last night. They cut the pool's divider rope, broke an underwater light and also threw trash and scoreboard letters into the pool. The letters had been taken from the scoreboard at Capaha Park's baseball diamond.

1942

Farm work is piling up, and crops are being damaged by the continued rains, say Cape Girardeau County farmers. If the rain should cease, it will be days before field work can be done. The main harvest time is at hand, but nothing can be done to get wheat, oats and barley in the shock or get the crops combined, the joint cutting and threshing operation.

Rubber-conscious Cape Girardeau residents are turning to attic and basement in an effort to make the nationwide scrap-rubber drive a success. The Boy Scouts will help collect the rubber scraps during the June 22 to 24 drive, as will service stations.

1917

Four doctors of Cape Girardeau and the area probably will go to the front for medical service in the field behind the trenches. Dr. J.W. Berry yesterday received orders from the War Department to prepare to leave at once for the front; Dr. Paul Williams, who a month ago took the physical examination for service, expects any moment to get his papers ordering him to prepare; Dr. L.S. Mayfield of Illmo also has taken the exam and is awaiting orders; and it is said Dr. H.L. Cunningham is seriously considering going to the front.

The Mississippi River crests at noon at 34.3 feet. Many large farms south of Cape Girardeau have been flooded to a depth of three feet, and it is said the large crops of corn put out this spring will be lost.

-- Sharon K. Sanders