Out of the past: March 5

1993

The Marquette Hotel, scene of an arson fire Wednesday, took another beating last night; a car crashed into a corner of the old hotel at about 10:45 p.m.; police located the car's owner about 15 minutes later; he was on foot about three blocks north of the scene.

Wally Lage, general manager of the Paducah (Kentucky) Sun newspaper and vice president of newspaper operations for Paducah Newspapers Inc., has been hired as publisher of the Southeast Missourian newspaper, effective Monday; in addition, Perspective editor Jon K. Rust will become assistant to the editor.

1968

W.W. Norris, journalism instructor at State College, has been named chairman of a group in this area supporting Sen. Eugene J. McCarthy of Minnesota for the Democratic presidential nomination; the group will be known as "Citizens for McCarthy."

Installation of runway lighting, set by contract to be completed by Feb. 1, is now tentatively scheduled to be finished by April 1; workers with Bruner Electric Co. returned to the job about two weeks ago, after about a two-month delay caused by bad weather.

1943

Another indication teachers of this area will be scarce the coming year is reflected in the small number on hand at the Teachers College to take the county teacher examination; only four prospective teachers appear before the county superintendent to take the tests, seeking to qualify for teaching permits; normally, 12 to 20 men and women take the exam each spring.

With at least a temporary letup in the cold, work resumes at Fairground Park on preparation of facilities for the March 15 start of the St. Louis Browns' spring training camp; construction is nearly complete on a big center field screen, 18 feet high and 40 feet long; called a "courtesy" board by the baseball men, its function is to aid batters in following the ball from the pitcher's mound on its way across the home plate.

1918

The Cape Girardeau City Council last night decided to replace the wood block paving on Spanish and Main streets with concrete paving; according to the engineer's estimate, the Spanish repaving will cost $5,340.50, while the Main Street work will run $5,928.

Cape Township Special Road District chairman M.E. Leming, W.H. Stubblefield, Sam Carter and E.J. Deal went before the County Court in Jackson yesterday to urge that a proposition for a bond issue for roads in Cape Girardeau County be submitted to the voters at an early date.

-- Sharon K. Sanders