Out of the past: May 11

1995

Cape Girardeau's revenue from property taxes has nearly doubled over the past 10 years because of levy hikes and an ever-growing assessed valuation; property taxes brought in $685,000 in 1985-86; in 1993-94, they brought in $1.25 million; this fiscal year, property taxes will generate an estimated $1.3 million, a 6% increase.

G. Keith Deimund, a developer and retired Cape Girardeau dentist, bought a piece of local history yesterday as he closed the deal on the old Kage School; Deimund wants to preserve the 30-by-50-foot, one-room school, completed in 1880.

1970

Rainfall over the weekend caused some flooding in the eastern part of Cape Girardeau County, lightning destroyed a barn at Delta, and high winds raised fear of damage, but little was reported; most of the rain came in several hard showers Saturday night and Sunday morning that dumped 1 to 2 inches of rain generally, and as much as 3 inches in scattered spots.

An impressive naturalization ceremony is conducted in the afternoon in Federal District Court, with Judge Roy W. Harper presiding; becoming citizens of the United States are Elisabeth B. Martin and Hermine Wachter, both of Jackson and both natives of Germany, and Dorothy A. Adams of St. Marys, Missouri, a native of England.

1945

The War Department has advised Wanda Crites Middleton of the death of her husband, S-Sgt. Oscar W. Middleton, 24, a former employee of Roth Tobacco Co.; he lost his life in the fighting on Luzon Island in the Philippines on April 13.

Col. Walter F. Lawlor of the U.S. Engineers in St. Louis, met with property owners here yesterday regarding proposed flood-control projects; meeting with about 40 people at the public library, Lawlor told the group a local sponsor for the projects must come at once for the purpose of furnishing any needed right of way and to provide for the levee maintenance and general supervision once the projects are constructed.

1920

The newsprint shortage that has seen metropolitan newspapers reduce their size is forcing The Southeast Missourian to do the same; until conditions improve, six pages will be the average, with perhaps a larger paper on Fridays; The Missourian has a supply of paper sufficient to last until about June 15, providing the most rigid economy is practiced.

The first truck line freight service out of Jackson was established yesterday, when W. Hoffmeister put in operation a large truck to haul freight from Cape Girardeau to Jackson; merchants, unwilling to depend on the Jackson branch railroad or the Cape Girardeau Northern for service, have turned to this service.

-- Sharon K. Sanders