Out of the past: May 15

1997

The Environmental Protection Agency is conducting interviews with people in Cape Girardeau concerning the handling of the Missouri Electric Works Superfund site and other EPA concerns; the interviews will involve city and chamber of commerce officials and a number of residents.

A Southeast Missouri State University committee is recommending the school adopt a sun figure as its mascot and scrap its war-beat-sounding pep song; the mascot would be called Bernie or Burnie; the suggested mascot also fits in with the school's Sundancers group that performs at Southeast's athletic events; the committee's second and third choices for a mascot are a hawk or an eagle.

1972

Sheriff Ivan E. McLain is given the go-ahead by Cape County Court to install two showers in the cell blocks on the first floor of the Cape Girardeau County Jail; the project, long under discussion, was among recommendations made by the County Board of Visitors.

Delmar A. Cobble, Missouri's deputy commissioner of education, and Dr. Hope S. Daugherty of Arlington, Virginia, youth leader with the Department of Agriculture, will receive this year's State College Alumni Merit Awards; the awards will be presented at the spring commencement exercises Sunday at Houck Stadium.

1947

Historic Courthouse Park, including the Common Pleas Courthouse, will pass into the hands of the United State government May 26 by action of the Federal Court in St. Louis; at the same time, the city of Cape Girardeau will be deeded the present post office building at Broadway and Fountain Street,

Considerable public interest has been aroused by the removal of a large quantity of dirt from a lot at the northeast corner of Broadway and Lorimier Street; the 130-by-70-foot lot was recently purchased by Charles N. Harris, son of Thomas G. Harris, head of the adjacent Harris Motor Car Co.

1922

A posse of armed citizens headed by Scott County Sheriff William Kirkendall and his deputy, Tom Scott, is scouring the woods and fields between Cape Girardeau and Illmo, searching for a man who escaped from the county jail at Benton, Missouri, several weeks ago; he is said to have been seen last night in Illmo, headed for Cape Girardeau; the escapee had confessed to a string of robberies and burglaries in both Cape Girardeau and Scott counties.

Approximately 500 persons were present yesterday at the celebration commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Salem Evangelical Church, six miles west of Cape Girardeau; an old-fashioned dinner was served on the church grounds; in the afternoon, addresses were made by the Revs. C. Benkendoerfer and Titus Lehman; a male quartet then performed, followed by a talk by the Rev. Ed. Bleibtreu; several historical sketches of the church were also given.

-- Sharon K. Sanders