Out of the past: May 22

1995

COMMERCE, Mo. -- A levee south of Commerce breaks in the morning, sending the rampaging Mississippi River across thousands of acres of cropland, while holding rising floodwater in temporary abeyance in this flood-weary Scott County community.

Cape Girardeau is getting ready for its 18th annual Riverfest celebration, scheduled for June 9 and 10; a variety of musical entertainment will include the rock band Rare Earth, along with country luminaries Lynn White and Daron Norwood; organizers are watching the flooded Mississippi River, hoping the stream drops below flood level soon.

1970

With low bids running beneath the estimate, contracts have been awarded for the final phase of a renovation program at May Greene School and for air conditioning the administration and group activities areas at Cape Girardeau Junior High School; Kiefner Construction Co. of Perryville, Missouri, was awarded the contract for general work and Acme Electric Co. of Cape Girardeau for the May Greene project; Tate Distributing of this city was awarded the contract for air conditioning at the junior high.

The Rev. Oscar J. Lukefahr of Beaumont, Texas, will be the guest speaker at commencement exercises of St. Vincent's College here Saturday; members of the graduating class are George K. Billings Jr., William G. Cornwell, Robert J. Firman Jr., William G. Molitor, Ralph J. Mollica, Mark T. Piazza, James H. Porter, Robert W. Rhinehart, James J. Shanahan III, Mark W. Westhoff and Michael J. Zboyovski.

1945

The Cape Girardeau City Council yesterday approved a flood-control project, as suggested by the U.S. Engineers, for each of the three major reaches along the city's riverfront; Reach 1 is from Sloan's Creek to Broadway, Reach 2 is the Main-Water streets area to the traffic bridge and Reach 3 is from the bridge south to Cape LaCroix Creek.

Nearly 800 Boy Scouts and cubs of the Cape Girardeau district, Southeast Missouri Area Council, participate in the district Scout circus in the evening at Houck Field Stadium before a crowd of several hundred; the program features 11 events depicting leadership and training in the Boy Scout movement.

1920

With only two opposing votes, the advisory committee recently appointed to devise plans to better conditions on the county poor farm yesterday adopted a resolution asking the County Court not to sell off any of the farm's lands; the committee also voted to ask the court submit to voters of the county a proposition to issue bonds between $50,000 and $100,000 for the construction of adequate houses for the county's wards at the farm.

Five graduates from the three-year accredited course in Lincoln High School received their diplomas last night in the Common Pleas Court room; after an address by the Rev. Ivan Lee Holt, diplomas were presented by school superintendent J.N. Crocker to Bernard L. Gravett, Etha L. Martin, Marrice B. Lambert, Nettie L. Hughes and Myrtha A. Williams.

-- Sharon K. Sanders