Out of the past: March 27

1993

Gene E. Huckstep, who transformed Cape Girardeau County government into one of the most financially stable local governments in the state, announces he won't seek re-election to a fifth term in 1994; Huckstep's decision to retire was sealed March 11, when he was elected chairman of the board of Cameron Insurance Cos., a position which will require him to do quite a bit of traveling.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Perry County voters will be deciding April 6 whether to repeal the county's "Blue Law" that prohibits the sale of "non-essential" items on Sunday.

1968

Saint Francis Hospital evacuates all of its employees and about 20 patients in the afternoon during a semiannual outside fire drill; the patients who can walk leave the hospital, along with employees on various shifts; however, the majority of patients remain in the hospital.

Trustees of Southeast Missouri Hospital have approved a replacement program for the hospital laundry involving all new equipment and structural work at a cost of approximately $53,000; the present laundry equipment was designed for a hospital of no more than 100 beds; growth has caused it to be overloaded and barely able to keep pace with demand.

1943

It is Irish potato-planting time at McClure, Illinois, across the river from Cape Girardeau; despite the weather, the spuds are going in, with growers planning to seed about 350 acres.

Charles Blattner has contributed two billiard tables for use in the USO center on Broadway; H.V. Beal, manager of the center, also reports the County Court has donated shower bath equipment, and this will be installed shortly.

1918

A contract for the building of a new mill to manufacture all kinds of products that can be made from corn, and which will cost between $40,000 and $50,000, has just been let by the Cape County Milling Co. of Jackson to Linus Penzel; work on the foundation of the new mill, which will be part of Mill "B" in West Jackson, has already begun.

The Cape Girardeau Commercial Club is trying to persuade J.M. Kurn, the new vice president of the Frisco Railroad, to attend the big Commercial Club dinner on the evening of April 11; Kurn, who succeeded E.D. Levy, will be in St. Louis about that time.

-- Sharon K. Sanders