Out of the past: May 2

1996

A new Mississippi River crest forecast for Friday at Cape Girardeau has put city officials at ease; the river had been expected to crest Thursday at 41.5 feet, 9.5 feet above flood stage; but the National Weather Service in St. Louis said Wednesday the river should crest at Cape Girardeau Friday at 37.5 feet, 4 feet below the prediction.

Cape Girardeau raked in more transportation sales-tax money than expected during the first quarter of this year, allowing progress on road paving and widening projects; the half-cent sales tax was passed in August 1995 and began Jan. 1; first-quarter income was $457,000; the total showed a steady 4.7% growth rate in Cape Girardeau's taxable sales, while the city forecasted only a 3% rate.

1971

A concelebrated Pontifical Mass, including 10 high-ranking officials of the Catholic Church in the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese, was held yesterday morning on the grounds of St. Vincent's College, marking the diamond jubilee event at the school; the jubilee celebrates 60 years of service of the college as a preparatory seminary for high school age boys entering the Vincentian priesthood; besides the Very Rev. Robert E. Lamy, president of the college, the principal concelebrant was the Most Rev. William W. Baum, bishop of the diocese.

Fred R. Ritter has been named the new pastor of Iona Baptist Church, eight miles north of Cape Girardeau on Route L; James L. Seabaugh will serve as music director.

1946

Cape Girardeau and surrounding towns are fully supplied with electric power, and operations are back to normal; but it appears it will probably be late in the day before a crew of 20 workers completes its check of each of more than 1,800 gas users to return cooking and heating facilities to normal after a two-day break.

Engineers of the Veterans Administration are making an inspection of suggested local sites for the government's proposed 1,000-bed neuropsychiatric hospital to be erected in southern Missouri; an acreage of from 200 to 250 acres will be required, as the site will include a large administration unit and 10 or 12 other structures, all of brick and reinforced concrete construction.

1921

The Cape Girardeau City Commissioners vote to aid the Cape Girardeau Baseball Association in providing a modern playing field at Fairground Park; on a motion of Mayor H.H. Haas, it is decided to move the judges' stand from the field, it having been an obstruction for those viewing games from the south half of the grandstand; it is also agreed to remove the fence between the grandstand and diamond, which will allow the field to be scraped and the infield raised for better drainage.

Mrs. J.W. Rieck of Cape Girardeau leaves in the morning for Rochester, Minnesota, where she will enter the Mayo Bros. Sanitarium for treatment; she is accompanied by her daughter, Frieda, who will remain with her mother during her stay there.

-- Sharon K. Sanders