Out of the past: May 2

1999

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Southeast Missouri State University wants to help Bootheel families get off the welfare rolls by launching the Bootheel Initiative; Southeast will assess the short-term needs of Bootheel families as a whole, and train and assist agencies and organizations on how best to provide services; also on the agenda is development of youth diversion programs to provide activities to keep youth out of trouble, school officials say; that includes after-school and college-bound programs.

The Southeast Missouri Press Association honored longtime newspaper publisher Barbara Hill of Dexter; she was recognized with the 1999 Mildred Wallhausen Friend of the Southeast Missouri Press Award; it was presented by Press Association president Judy Schaaf at a banquet Friday night at Dempster Hall on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University; the banquet capped a day of newspaper-oriented workshops that drew close to 100 newspaper people to the meeting.

1974

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Donald R. Horlacher, 29, who holds a master’s degree in public administration and was recently discharged from the Army with the rank of captain, has been named Cape Girardeau’s acting parks superintendent; he fills the vacancy created by the April 24 death of the previous director, Steve C. Propst.

The Cape Girardeau City Council last night delayed action on the request by Thomas L. Meyer for a variance from the city building code to permit a private school for children from 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 years old to be opened at 225 N. Sprigg St.; Meyer said the building is in a fire zone and doesn’t conform with fire zone regulations as to interior walls; the area, which is across the street from his real estate office, is properly zoned as to use, and the outside walls are of brick veneer; the school would use the Montessori system of teaching.

1949

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Cape Girardeans fortunate enough to have a $10 bill in their wallets are urged to take a good look at it; if it has the number K90739080A in the seal, it’s a counterfeit; that’s the word from First National Bank, where teller Quenton Keller catches one of the phony sawbucks, the second turned in at the bank in the last two weeks; cashier Henry Grossheider says the fake bill looks genuine enough, until placed against a real $10 note; then, the ink looks dim and blurred.

Work begins on an $11,000 remodeling job on the A & P store on Spanish Street; the work will include a complete revamping of the interior, installation of new fixtures, erection of a four-unit air conditioning system and placing of “magic-eye” doors that will open and close automatically for customers.

1924

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Hundreds of Southeast Missouri high school pupils are in Cape Girardeau for the opening events this afternoon at the Teachers College for the annual high school athletic and oratorical contests, in which more than 500 youngsters will participate.

Frieda Rieck, supervisor of music in Cape Girardeau’s public schools, whose condition at a local hospital the past few days has been critical, is reported to have successfully passed the crisis and is greatly improved; barring an unexpected relapse, she is expected to recover.

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 www.semissourian.com/history.