Out of the past: March 8

1997

Speaking to about 100 people at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee at the Show Me Center, three Republicans -- state Sen. Peter Kinder and state Rep. Mary Kasten, both of Cape Girardeau, and state Rep. Patrick Naeger of Perryville, Missouri -- said the Cape Girardeau School District still stands a good chance of securing $3.15 million to fund half the cost of a new vocational-technical school; a House subcommittee has proposed to allocate two-thirds of the $3.15 million for the school in fiscal 1998, which begins July 1; the remaining $1 million could be allocated in fiscal 1999, the lawmakers say.

The Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau should be below flood stage by Tuesday, predicts the National Weather Service; however, the Ohio River didn't crest at Cairo, Illinois, as expected Thursday; a new crest of 55.8 on the Cairo gauge is expected tomorrow, putting it 15.8 feet above flood stage.

1972

Herbert L. Annis, territorial manager for the Agricultural Division of the Olin Corp., has become the fifth aspirant for the open one-year Cape Girardeau City Council seat, while the only woman candidate for the three-year post on the council dropped out of the race; Roxanne Huckstep, a State College student, decided not to seek office because of the illness of her mother, who is a patient at a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

Radio station KGMO, 901 S. Kingshighway, has been sold to Withers Broadcasting Co., subject to Federal Communications Commission approval; the sale was announced yesterday by William M. Byran, president of KGMO Radio-Television Inc., the present owner.

1947

Petitions are being prepared to be presented to the Cape Girardeau City Council asking that the city not trade off the site in the Courthouse Park for a new federal building; J.W. Gerhardt, who recently outlined a plan whereby the old Common Pleas Courthouse could be preserved at the expense of the state, says 15 petitions will be completed before tonight and that 10 others will be drawn next week; under an agreement made several years ago, the city was to swap a site in the park for the present post office building, which it would use as a city hall.

Influenza, which closed a number of schools in the lower part of the district the past two weeks, appears to be waning in that section, but is working northward; among schools which closed for a few days when the ailment was at its height were Senath, Cardwell, Arbyrd, Kennett and Malden, all of which have since reopened.

1922

Mr. and Mrs. C.V. Ransom of Cape Girardeau are enjoying a visit from S.H. Ransom and wife of Alton, Illinois, this being the first time the brothers have met in 15 years; the Ransom brothers were born in Michigan, their mother dying when they were small; their father married again and, being reared by a stepmother wasn't to their liking, so early in life both ran away from home to made their way in the world.

Several sticks of dynamite were stolen from the powder house at the Hely rock crusher overnight; the foreman reports to police that thieves pried off several boards on the powder house and made away with the explosive; police believe yeggs stole the dynamite to be used in their safe-blowing activities.

-- Sharon K. Sanders