Out of the past: March 17

1997

The worst flooding in Southern Illinois in 60 years is on the way out, with the Ohio River having crested at 56.1 feet at Cairo yesterday morning, 16.1 feet over flood stage; even with an expected smattering of rain tomorrow, river levels should continue falling, says meteorologist David Humphrey of the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky.

At a meeting of the Mississippi River Commission at the SEMO Port Authority, area officials tell the commission the federal government should pay the entire cost of improving the 35-mile levee that protects much of Scott and Mississippi counties from Mississippi River flooding; but Corps of Engineers officials say the agency doesn't have the funding to foot the entire bill.

1972

Research projects in plant reactions and in conditioning of mice win for Arcadia Valley, Missouri, and Jackson high school pupils all-expense trips to New Orleans in May to compete in science with other young people from around the world; Mary Frentzel of Arcadia Valley and William G. Goehman f Jackson, both seniors, are announced in evening ceremonies as the major winners of the annual Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair, which comes to a close after awards are presented.

Filer-Hoxworth Plymouth, Inc., is now Filer-Hoxworth Chrysler-Plymouth, Inc.; the automobile outlet at William and Sprigg streets has taken on the Chrysler agency here, relinquished recently by Harris Motor Car Co.; Buford Filer was for four years a Chrysler dealer at Marble Hill-Lutesville, Missouri; the firm has been in business here as a Plymouth agency since October 1970.

1947

Winter retains its icy grip on Cape Girardeau and district; snow fell here part of Friday night, and a heavy snowstorm breaks over the district shortly after midnight today, blanketing the landscape; snow continues to fall moderately throughout the morning.

State College President W.W. Parker says immediate steps will be taken to appoint a football and track coach at the college to succeed Coach Abe Stuber, who after 15 years here, resigned Saturday to accept the position of head football coach at Iowa State College at Ames; Parker has already received a number of applications for the position by letter and telephone.

1922

Professor A.C. Magill, head of the chemistry department at the Teachers College, is frequently called upon to analyze the liquor captured by peace officers in raids; Magill says out of the nearly 50 samples he has tested since the beginning of this year, not one has been found that didn't contain some deadly poison.

St. Patrick's Day isn't observed in Jackson as it used to be, although the colors are worn as usual; one feature of the day in time gone by was that the late Hugh R. Quinn each year received a package of real shamrock plants from the Emerald Isle; these he distributed to friends,

-- Sharon K. Sanders