Out of the past: June 3

1995

COMMERCE, Mo. -- Roy Jones says he's probably the most powerful mayor in America, certainly the most powerful along the Mississippi River; Jones, mayor of Commerce, refuses to give the U.S. Coast Guard permission to resume river traffic past his town of 173 persons 16 miles south of Cape Girardeau; Jones wants assurances townspeople and their homes won't be hurt by the wake of passing boats or that a buyout offer is in the works.

Cape Girardeau County wasn't among the 12 Missouri counties designated yesterday to receive federal disaster assistance, but county and city officials aren't too worried, saying that was just the first announcement of counties by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; FEMA hasn't evaluated any counties south of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.

1970

The possibility of bus transportation for parochial school children next year is being discussed by the various non-public schools in Cape Girardeau; Cape Transit Co. has been contacted as to the cost, limitations and extent of services it could offer the schools; it will be up to the parents and the school administrations to decide whether the project is feasible.

John G. Adney, former managing editor of the Savanna, Illinois, Times-Journal, has joined The Missourian news staff as city editor; he fills the vacancy left by Don Gordon, who has taken a position on the copy desk of the Morning Star at Rockford, Illinois.

1945

Maple Avenue Methodist Church last week completely liquidated the debt on the church property; the final payment of $1,650 was made Friday, wiping out an original debt of $6,500; the church property is valued at $30,000; the church will be dedicated some time this summer, depending on when Bishop Ivan Lee Holt can come here to speak.

The Rev. J.E. Smith, who spent two years as pastor of the local Nazarene Church in the early 1930s, is guest speaker at his old church in the morning; he is now pastor of First Church of the Nazarene in Ontario, California.

1920

Officers and delegates for the 28th annual session of the Missouri grand council of the United Commercial Travelers begin arriving for the two-day meeting, which will kick off tomorrow; general headquarters and registration place for the drummers will be in the Chamber of Commerce offices.

One of the heaviest rains that has visited this section in a long period fell last evening; during the night, 2.20 inches of rain fell in Cape Girardeau, according to the government gauge; much damage is reported to have been done to growing crops, while many roads throughout the county were badly damaged by washouts.

-- Sharon K. Sanders