Out of the past: March 12

1996

The odds have doubled in favor of Cape Girardeau County securing a Missouri Division of Youth Services juvenile facility; instead of one facility for Southeast Missouri, the state plans to build two in the region.

Backed by petitions and applause, a standing-room-only crowd urges the Cape Girardeau City Council to endorse the old Saint Francis Hospital site on Good Hope Street for a new federal courthouse; about 100 people attend a 40-minute public hearing at City Hall; most said they wanted the federal government to tear down the vacant, vandalized hospital building and the five houses bordering it.

1971

Republicans must gain control of Missouri's government in 1972 to end the reign of what the GOP terms the corruption and do-nothing policies of the Democratic majority; pleas to make the state government responsive to the people were voiced repeatedly to the 900 persons attending the 10th Congressional District Republican rally last night in the Arena Building.

Bradshaw Smith, a Cape Girardeau attorney, files as the 11th City Council candidate as the deadline nears; Smith is associated with the law firm of Rader and Grimm.

1946

CAIRO, Ill. -- Engineers have reported to the Alexander County Board of Commissioners the traffic bridge at Cape Girardeau has a reproduction new value of $2,683,000, and asserted that purchase of the span at a price not to exceed $2,500,000 would be a sound investment; the survey by the engineers was made as part of the proposal the county buy the span and pay for it with revenue from tolls on the bridge.

In a move calculated to remedy the collection of water on West Broadway after each heavy rain, the city has completed deepening and cleaning an old ditch on the south side of the street in the 2000 block; using a dragline supplied by the Special Road District, the open ditch was cleaned for a distance of between 300 and 400 yards; its depth was increased by two feet to around five feet.

1921

A theater architect is expected to arrive here tomorrow to look over the proposed theater site, between the Ideal dance hall and the Telephone Company building on Broadway; the proposed theater will be 60 feet wide and 175 feet long, with a seating capacity of not less than 1,500; it will be built by a stock company and will be operated and equipped by Paramount Picture Corp.; local men interested in the project are John T. Sackman, C.O. Hobbs, Charles W. Boutin, Henry Sanders and Al Blattner.

Pupils of Jefferson School yesterday sold popcorn balls, candy and cookies during recess and the noon hour, the proceeds of which were turned over to the women in charge of the Carnegie Library Fund; the total raised was $12.68.

-- Sharon K. Sanders