Out of the past: March 7

1991

The Show Me Center Board of Managers has voted unanimously to retain the center's current alcohol sales policy, which gives the center's director discretion of deciding whether alcohol should be sold at an event, but the board amended the policy to prohibit beer sales at concerts.

Faculty members at Southeast Missouri State University are pushing for a 4 percent across-the-board pay raise for the 1991-1992 fiscal year; in addition, they want the university to absorb an anticipated 25 percent increase in the cost of family medical/tax sheltered annuity benefits.

1966

Twenty-seven railroad cars -- boxcars, hopper type and oil carriers -- squash together in a massive pileup in a train derailment near Neelys Landing; two crew members are hurt, and two workers are injured during the clean-up operation.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Farrow, who opened one of the first drive-in groceries in the state, will retire from business because of his health. The Snappy Sak-It, Highway 61 North which has been closed since Feb. 14, will reopen Wednesday under the ownership of Quick Shops Inc. The Farrows' first drive-in was the Pack-A-Snack, 1606 Independence St., now operated by Porter Stubbs.

1941

COMMERCE, Mo. -- Eleven members of the crew of the diesel-powered towboat Irvin S. Cobb had a narrow escape yesterday, when the craft, moored to the Mississippi River shoreline two miles south of here, was destroyed by fire; the men, asleep at the time, had barely time to hurriedly put on some clothing and flee from the boat before it was enveloped in flames.

Renewing its demand supporters of the proposal present the court with petitions signed by 9,000 citizens, the County Court virtually kills any chance of establishing the Federal Food Stamp Plan in Cape Girardeau County.

1916

About three hours after the birth of a baby girl to Mr. and Mrs. Claude Speak, 324 S. Spanish St., a fire breaks out in the basement of the Speak house; the blaze would have done much damage, but for the heroic work of Alma Summers, the Speak's servant girl, who puts out the flames by throwing water on them.

The Cape Girardeau City Council last night unanimously passed an ordinance forbidding fortune tellers, palmists, clairvoyants and all other fakers from practicing in Cape Girardeau.

-- Sharon K. Sanders