Out of the past: March 26

1999

Motorists are facing an economic pinch at the pumps as fuel prices continue to climb near the dollar mark for regular unleaded gasoline; the increase follows an agreement among the world’s top oil producers to curtail production and end a global oil glut; prices in the area range from 86.9 cents a gallon at Jackson Basic Fuel to 95.9 cents at Scott City Citgo and Cape Girardeau BP.

After eight seasons as head basketball coach at Notre Dame High School, athletic director Chris Janet is stepping down to concentrate his efforts on the overall athletic program; Janet, 106-98 as head coach, led the Bulldogs to a district championship in 1995 with an 18-10 record; the following year, Notre Dame compiled a 22-6 record, Janet’s best season at the school.

1974

Installation of traffic signals at the hazardous Bloomfield Road-South Kingshighway intersection has been approved by the State Highway Commission, and they should be in operation within the next two years, says Robert N. Hunter, chief engineer; despite the findings of the latest traffic survey made March 5-12, which showed traffic volume didn’t warrant signalization of the intersection, the commission approved the signals; part of the credit for the approval is due the Cape Girardeau Jaycees, who spearheaded a petition drive requesting the signals.

Another contest develops in the upcoming November general election when Ervin Hobbs, a Democrat, files as a candidate for presiding judge of Cape Girardeau County Court; he opposes the incumbent Republican officeholder, Clarence W. Suedekum of Cape Girardeau, who is seeking his fourth term as presiding judge.

1949

Jackson Mayor J.R. Bowman withdrew as a candidate for the nomination for mayor yesterday, after having filed for the post five days earlier; Bowman has served as mayor 19 or 20 years, his last tenure being a three-year term to fill out the unexpired term of C.H. Sander, who resigned; Bowman withdrew from the race in favor of John R. Mabrey, whose name was filed Wednesday.

Chief of Police William A. Mills says the Cape Girardeau Police Department is in a precarious situation; the state Highway Patrol will be switching from AM type of radio communications to FM within 60 days at the Troop E Headquarter Station at Poplar Bluff; local police rely solely upon the Poplar Bluff station for radio contact outside the city limits; if the Cape Girardeau department isn’t successful in replacing its AM radio system with FM, local police will be virtually isolated from the rest of the state.

1924

Jack J. Gilmore, representative of the Dunnegan Construction Co., arrives in Cape Girardeau at noon and will take immediate steps to repair the sanitary line of the West End sewer, which broke yesterday at a point more than a mile south of Bloomfield Street, at the foot of the Houck hill; city engineer J.B. Heagler believes the break was caused by the collapse of the sewer pipe at the foot of the hill and that it quickly filled with sand, preventing sewage from passing farther on down the line and causing it to back up and pour out through a manhole.

A proposition to bond the Fornfelt School District for $22,000 to erect an addition to a school and make repairs on another carried by a heavy majority in a special school election yesterday; the vote was 170 for the issue and 12 against.

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.