Out of the past: May 17

1998

It was standing room only at the Show Me Center yesterday as degrees were conferred on 921 graduates of Southeast Missouri State University; friends and families of the graduates filled every available seat, and some found seats on the steps and in the aisles; commencement speaker was Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon.

Southern University put up a strong challenge, but there was simply no denying Southeast Missouri State University's baseball Indians in their quest to pull off a feat that no other men's athletic team in school has ever accomplished; breaking open a close game over the final three innings, the Indians knocked off the Jaguars 10-3 yesterday afternoon in front of more than 1,000 fans at Capaha Park, claiming the best-of-three NCAA play-in series; as a result, Southeast earned a berth in the NCAA Division I Tournament for the first time ever.

1973

JEFFERSON CITY -- Despite opposition from a Southeast Missouri delegation, the Senate Gubernatorial Appointments Committee last night unanimously approved the appointment of C.A. Juden of Cape Girardeau to his second term on the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents; however, another Southeast Missouri nominee of Gov. Christopher "Kit" Bond -- Lt. Col. Charles M. Kiefner of Perryville as adjutant general -- ran into a snag; seven witnesses appeared before the committee opposing Juden; they didn't question his ability, but objected to there being three Girardeans on the six-member board.

A strike by Laborers Local 282 of Cape Girardeau has shut down several construction jobs, including the $13.5 million Saint Francis Hospital project at William Street and Mount Auburn Road; pickets appear at several sites at mid-morning; Paul P. Menz, business representative of Local 282, says the strike is over a renewed contract with the Southeast Missouri Building Trades Council.

1948

Marking the completion of the installation of new equipment in the base at Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport, an open house to which the public is invited will be held Sunday afternoon, hosted by the Naval Reserve Division; installation of the equipment by trained Navy crews was started in January, after alterations had been made to the former hangar building.

Approximately 250 farmers of Southeast Missouri are present for Dairy Day at Arena Park, an annual event sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce; 10 cattle breeders have 55 animals entered in the show for judging by Homer Cloninger of Columbia, Missouri, extension dairy specialist; the breeders are Sunny Hill Farms, F.J. Armstrong of Silver Springs Farm, State College Farm, Schonhoff Dairy, Albert Siemers, Arthur Kelpe, Arthur Keller, George Koerber, Joe A. Grant and R.P. Schuhart.

1923

The big track and field meet for the Cape Girardeau grade schools, scheduled for this afternoon at Fairgrounds Park, is postponed to May 31, the day before classes end; recent rains have made the clay race track and field at the park unfit for use; there would have been no delay, if there had been a cinder track at the park, organizers say.

Jackson is to have an up-to-date hotel soon, according to cashier W.O. Stacy of the People's National Bank; the management of the bank, which owns the Central Hotel, has resolved to remodel the hostelry and put in first-class equipment; the entire ground floor, formerly occupied by the Miltenberger Mercantile establishment, will be used for office, sample room, parlors, lobby dining room and kitchen, while the other three floors will be used for guest rooms.

-- Sharon K. Sanders