Out of the past: March 9

1999

The likelihood of losing your wheels to a car thief is decreasing, especially if you live in Cape Girardeau; the Missouri State Highway Patrol reports that 23,163 vehicles were stolen statewide in 1998, a decrease of 4%; Cape Girardeau police say local auto theft is down from 102 in 1997 to 46 in 1998, a decrease of 55%.

Cape Girardeau school board hopefuls, speaking at a public voters forum at Southeast Missouri State University, express a desire for open lines of communication between the board and public and increased parental involvement in the school system; participating in the forum are the Rev. William Bird, Marty Clay, Debra Mitchell-Braxton, Sharon Mueller, Andrew Ostrowski and Tina Trickey; candidates absent are Bob Blank and Gary McIntyre.

1974

The Southeast Missourian has learned that the Cape Girardeau Board of Education -- over the opposition of the Central High School faculty -- plans next year to replace Eugene Sifford, who has maintained firm disciplinary policies during the past five years as principal of the high school; reports that the board was in agreement to offer Sifford another position in the school system prompted Central teachers March 1 to oppose the board's forthcoming action.

An attempt to unseat 10th District Rep. Bill D. Burlison, D-Cape Girardeau, is underway in his own Democratic party again this election year; but even more interesting, there appears to be an effort being geared up within the party to boot out of office the senior member of the Missouri Senate -- Albert M. Spradling Jr., D-Cape Girardeau -- when he runs for re-election two years from now.

1949

JEFFERSON CITY -- Cape Girardeau County's school district reorganization plan -- the first in the state -- is approved by the State Board of Education; the plan shuffles 75 separate school districts into three big administrative units; it is the first test of a 1947 law to modernize the hodge-podge of Missouri school districts.

Lester Hawn, assistant Cape Girardeau County farm agent since last June, has been transferred to Bollinger County where he will serve as county agent; Hawn succeeds James Goode, who, after more than three years as the Bollinger County agent, has gone to Carroll County as assistant agent in charge of a balanced farming unit.

1924

The Rev. Paul E. Kretzmann, professor at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, delivers the final talk of the Trinity Lutheran Walter League's educational lecture course in the evening; he speaks on "Books of the Bible".

More than 500 acres of cotton in Cape Girardeau County were pledged to be planted this season as a result of the two-day cotton schools held in Cape Girardeau County Friday and Saturday; more than 100 interested farmers of all sections attended the schools; the sessions covered all aspects of growing cotton, including what kind of seed to plant, the best methods of cultivation, preparation of the land and proper spacing of the plants.

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 semissourian.com/history.