Out of the past: June 3

1998

The federal government continues to plan for construction of a new federal courthouse west of Cape Girardeau City Hall, but the project's future depends on securing funding from Congress, officials say; both U.S. Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo., and Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, want Congress to include more than $2 million in the fiscal 1999 budget to fund design work on the project.

Delta School District received the go-ahead from voters in a special election yesterday to purchase $200,000 in general obligation bonds and begin several immediate capital projects; the proposal received nearly 87% of the vote, about 20% more than the two-thirds majority needed to pass the bond issue; the bonds will fund repairing and replacing eight gymnasium heating units and purchasing a new bus and furniture for the elementary school; other repairs are the replacement of the bus garage and the gymnasium roof.

1973

This weekend marks the move from the inner city to the fast expanding west side of one of Cape Girardeau's oldest institutions; Farmers & Merchants Bank is completing its move from its old main bank building at Good Hope and Sprigg streets to its new, million-dollar-plus home at William and Sheridan; it will formally inaugurate business at the new location tomorrow morning.

After a year and a half of painting on the 38-by-20-foot wall in Kent Library, Jake K. Wells, head of the Southeast Missouri State University art department, foresees the completion of the centennial mural early this summer; dedication ceremonies for the mural, easily the largest in Missouri, has been set for Sept. 23 in the library.

1948

Based on the special pretest census taken in April, the population of Cape Girardeau is 20,307, according to the Bureau of Census; that's a gain of 881 over the 1940 population; Jackson saw an increase from 3,113 in 1940 to 3,451.

The State Highway Department announces the tentative location of new Route W will generally follow the Perryville Road from near Fruitland to Cape Girardeau; the road will be part of the farm-to market system in Cape Girardeau County and will be built and maintained by the state.

1923

Dr. G.W. Phipps, physician of Caruthersville, Missouri, is elected commander of the 140th Infantry, Missouri National Guard, with the rank of colonel, at a meeting of the officers of the regiment at Caruthersville; Phipps was formerly a major and was in charge of the medical division of the regiment; he succeeds Col. Warren L. Mabrey, who resigned in December.

Thirty conversions were obtained and more than $1,000 was raised to finance the revival during the three-week evangelistic campaign of the Baptist Church, which closes in the evening with an enthusiastic meeting in the tabernacle on West Broadway; the meeting was a great success in every way, members say.

-- Sharon K. Sanders