Out of the past: March 16

1999

Southeast Missouri State University wants to hike tuition and general fees, and add a student health fee; combined, the fees would total $107.50 a credit-hour for in-state undergraduates, a $4 hike from the current rate; the university also wants to increase fees for out-of-state undergraduate and in-state graduate students by $7 a credit-hour; the Board of Regents will consider approving the fees at its March 24 meeting.

Instead of waiting 10 years to save all the money needed to make improvements to the A.C. Brase Arena Building, the city wants to borrow the money from a Sikeston bank through a lease-purchase agreement; the City Council last night approved an ordinance that would lease the Arena Building to the First National Bank of the Mid-South so that nearly $230,000 worth of renovations can be completed over a three-year period; the bank would then lease the building back to the city in exchange for payments on the loan; the renovations will be paid for by the A.C. Brase Foundation.

1974

Plant about four dozen trees and shrubs and hundreds of ivy in one location and you create what should become one of the most attractive parks in Cape Girardeau; the east terraces of historic Common Pleas Courthouse Park are earmarked for such a planting project that will take at least two years to complete; a total of 36 trees, 16 shrubs and an undetermined number of ivy plants will be place on the east terraces this spring; the Cape Girardeau Council of Garden Clubs, Missouri Conservation Department and the city are cooperating in the beautification project.

A veteran of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, Capt. Marshall F. Morton, who served the force in many capacities including five years as acting police chief, died yesterday at a local hospital; Morton, 73, joined the force in 1937 as a patrolman and rose through the ranks to captain; under the commission form of government, he was made acting police chief from 1941 to 1946; he retired in 1971 from full-time duty, but remained with the department on a part-time basis until his death.

1949

Two items, originally scheduled for inclusion in the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport improvement program, have been deleted and replaced by others; Rush H. Limbaugh Jr., secretary of the airport board, explains that original plans were for the construction of a fence around the property and for boundary markers; subsequent investigation revealed they aren't needed; consequently, Limbaugh said, to make full use of the government appropriation for construction, the board has approved plans to continue the two-lane blacktop road and to hard surface another section adjacent to the parking apron for transient aircraft.

Employees of the International Shoe factory in Cape Girardeau have been notified that the production at the plant has been shortened to a four-day week; officials say the 32-hour work week will continue indefinitely; one says the reason for the cut in production is that "shoes are not moving"; the plant was closed all last week.

1924

Revival services are being held at the new Methodist church in Delta, and interest in the meetings is favorable; services are in charge of evangelist J.A. Gowen and the church pastor, the Rev. H.M. Andrews.

Two firemen -- Lee Slagle and Jess Hays -- are injured and damage estimated at $15,000 is caused by a fire of undetermined origin which almost destroys one apartment house and guts the upper story of another in Cape Girardeau in the morning; a two-family apartment house owned by Mrs. L.F. Klosterman at 322 S. Spanish St. is almost destroyed and another, owned by the Osterloh heirs at 328 S. Spanish St., is badly damaged by the fire which starts in the Klosterman apartment; Slagle is hospitalized with internal injuries in the breast and abdomen, having been hurled down a 12-foot staircase by an uncontrolled hose; Hays, who was helping Slagle with the hose, is thrown partway down the steps and isn't seriously hurt.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a blog called "From the Morgue" that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper. Check out her blog at semissourian.com/history.