Out of the past: June 24

1996

Gov. Mel Carnahan will use his constitutional authority to call a special election to fill the unexpired term of 8th District U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson, who died Saturday; no date for the election has been picked, and it probably won't be for at least several days, says Carnahan spokesman Chris Sifford; under Missouri law, a special election must be held eight weeks after the governor calls it.

A hot, sunny afternoon at the lake turns deadly when a McClure, Illinois, man drowned while swimming in Boutin Lake at Trail of Tears State Park; Lonnie Anderson, 23, is swimming outside of a marked area when he drowns in the 20-acre lake.

1971

One of the more positive steps toward a solution of problems arising from the Idan-Ha Hotel fire of 1963 and the condemnation that followed is offered the City Council by an attorney for the owner, trustees of Montgomery Trust of Sikeston, Missouri; John L. Oliver Jr., tells the council his client is prepared to enter a plea of guilty to the violation of the city ordinance and to pay a reduced fine of $2,000 and costs in order to facilitate and expedite sale of the property at Broadway and Fountain Street to Burton J. Gerhardt of Cape Girardeau.

As promised, the Cape Girardeau City Council gives first reading to an ordinance setting the overall property tax levies for the 1971-72 fiscal year with a 46-cent reduction in the general revenue tax; the council had pledged to reduce the tax if voters approved a one-cent city sales tax as a means of bringing more money into the city treasury, which they did Tuesday.

1946

Work on lighting May Greene School playground is set to begin Wednesday, the May Greene district recreational council and executive committee having approved the plan Friday evening; the Red Cross recreational council will meet tomorrow to vote on lights for its playground,

Meeting in the evening, the Chamber of Commerce board of directors hears an industrial committee report covering eight separate industrial proposals, ranging from light to heavy industry, for Cape Girardeau and urges the committee to continue close contact with the firms with which negotiations are ongoing; in addition there is a brief discussion of the proposal to extend William Street to Highway 61, thus creating another entrance to and outlet from the city; most members voice their favor for the project.

1921

ORAN, Mo. -- Sixty telegraph poles, extending over two miles between here and Brooks Junction, Missouri, and three barns southwest of here were blown during yesterday's violent wind rain and hail storm; the barns blown over belonged to N.C. Dunn, Henry Halter and Charley Burris.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Wrecking crews from St. Louis are at work at Sikeston clearing away the rubbish of Wednesday's fire, which destroyed the power house and ice plant owned by the Missouri Public Utilities Co., making ready for construction of a new ice plant; although the fire occurred at noon Wednesday, electric service was restored by 4:30 p.m. and water was being pumped for the city.

-- Sharon K. Sanders