Out of the past: March 21

1999

The “Song of Mark”, a collection of stories from the gospel and set to music, is performed in the afternoon at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jackson; musicians and vocalists from Catholic churches in the area perform the musical by Marty Haugen.

Lindsay Sample of Cape Girardeau reeled in the biggest catch of the day yesterday — a 35-inch, 16-pound, 4-ounce flathead catfish — in the day-long CatMaster Classics fishing tournament at Cape Girardeau; Sample finished the day with $124 and two trophies, one for the biggest fish and the other for having the most total weight.

1974

Another step toward making the national flood insurance program available to property owners along the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau was taken last night by the City Council; it gave first readings to two resolutions that, if adopted, would delineate the floodplain of Cape Girardeau as along the Mississippi River from the north city limits to the south city limits, and along Cape LaCroix Creek from its junction with the river upstream to the Highway 74 bridge.

A $7.2 million capital improvements budget request for Southeast Missouri State University — with most of the money earmarked for a multipurpose building for huge public functions — is being reviewed by the Senate Appropriations Committee; the multipurpose building idea isn’t new; in fact, this is the 10th year the building has been brought before the Legislature.

1949

An intensive search is underway for a man who “left the country” following the shooting near midnight Friday of two Missouri conservation agents out to stop poaching wild geese in wheat fields in Mississippi County; Prosecuting Attorney Roderic R. Ashby says the man is sought for questioning, but that he has disappeared following the wounding of agents Edward A. Hartel of Jackson and Roger Reed of Charleston.

Rush H. Limbaugh Jr., head of the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport Board, announces the date for the dedication of the airport has been set for June 26 and that a spectacular program of events will be arranged.

1924

George A. Bell, for many years prominent as a business man in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, tendered his resignation as president of the First National Bank of Cape Girardeau at a meeting of the board of directors last night; he has been called from the management of the Illmo plant of the General Box Co. at Illmo to the company’s headquarters at Chicago; Clyde D. Harris, who has been vice president and business manger of the bank, was elevated to the presidency.

Four teams — Houston, Windsor, Maitland and Fornfelt — will participate in the State High School Basketball Tournament, which begins tonight in the gymnasium at the new Education Building of the State Teachers College; F.J. Courleaux, athletic director of the college, believes the team winning the tournament may justly lay claim to the title of state champions.

­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 www.semissourian.com/history.