Out of the past: March 20

1991

A canceled flight for 11 area military personnel from the Persian Gulf War left family members, friends and co-workers waiting at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport last night; the welcoming party -- numbering about 80 -- remained, after receiving word the returning troops had rented a vehicle to drive to Cape Girardeau.

Gov. John Ashcroft has appointed Lyn Matthews Dempster of Sikeston, Missouri, and Mark J. Pelts of Kennett, Missouri, to six-year terms on the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents.

1966

The Rev. L.C. Lewis of Essendon, Victoria, Australia, is evangelist at a revival that begins this evening at Lynwood Baptist Chapel; along with nightly services, Lewis will appear on the Breakfast Show on KFVS-TV and will speak to sixth-grade pupils at Alma Schrader School about his native country.

A Cape Girardeau man arrested for peace disturbance escapes from the city jail in the evening; he is allowed to eat his dinner outside his cell and walks off some time during the meal.

1941

The Cairo Bridge Commission at Cairo, Illinois, is ready to make an effort to acquire the traffic bridge at Cape Girardeau; the negotiations haven't progressed far enough to consider a price on the river span, but there have been at least three conferences between a representative of bond houses and representatives of the commission, which operates the bridge over the Ohio River at Cairo.

For several days, forest fires have been raging in the hills along the Mississippi River in the northeastern corner of Cape Girardeau County, and large areas have been blackened and scorched; it has been the custom since time immemorial to "burn the woods" in the early spring, with the notion destructive pests would be destroyed.

1916

As a result of the big fire of last week, L.B. Houck sells his property at Main Street and Broadway to C.M. Buckner for $10,000; leasing the site, the Buckner-Ragsdale Co. will construct a two-story business and office building there just as rapidly as plans can be drawn and artisans hired.

C.E. Corbin, a timber man residing at Zalma, Missouri, is in Cape Girardeau looking for a house in preparation to moving here; Corbin travels throughout Southeast Missouri and sees Cape Girardeau as the center of his territory; he also has a little girl to educate and wants to take advantage of Cape Girardeau's excellent schools.

-- Sharon K. Sanders