Out of the past: May 27

1998

The Missouri Supreme Court has rejected the appeal of a Cape Girardeau man's 1997 conviction for first-degree murder, kidnapping, burglary, rape and armed criminal action; in a unanimous decision, the state's highest court upheld the conviction of Russell Earl Bucklew, 29, who was convicted of first-degree murder in the March 1996 shooting death of Michael Sanders at Sanders' mobile home in Cape Girardeau; Bucklew is on death row.

John Bennett hopes he won't get any more surprises as work progresses this summer on Cape Girardeau's sewer segregation program; Bennett, the engineer overseeing the work, says work is past the halfway mark on the $25 million project to install separate sewer and storm-water lines in the older sections of the city; "Out of the 12 contracts, we have completed six," he said. "The seventh project, which is the West Side relief project, is better than 95% complete"; the College-Henderson project, which includes parts of West End Boulevard and Park Street now closed to traffic, is about 60% complete, Bennett said; West End Boulevard should reopen to traffic in mid-June and Park Street by the end of June.

1973

At least 10 persons are killed in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois overnight and this morning from devastating flash floods which strike residents by surprise; the first drownings to be reported are those of a rural Lutesville man, his wife and their two children, when their pickup truck was washed off the road near Leopold Saturday night; three members of a St. Louis family drowned, but three others in their car are rescued, when their vehicle is swept into the southern branch of Ramsey Creek by floodwaters early today near Scott City.

The General Board for Home Missions of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod Churches has announced that exploratory worship services will begin soon in Cape Girardeau in preparation for establishing a new mission congregation here; the synod was started in the 1850s and is the fourth largest of the Lutheran church bodies.

1948

The children's swings at Capaha Park are empty; vandals, with no thought for the pleasure of others, particularly the tiny tots, made off with the wooden seats on the swings sometime during the night; Commissioner Charles Schweer, who is considerably upset over the theft, hints that the vandals are known and that action will soon follow.

Fifty-five members are present for opening ceremonies in the morning of the 52nd annual convention of the Southeast Missouri Drummers Association at Hotel Marquette; the convention of traveling salesmen will continue through Saturday morning.

1923

Evening worship services are suspended in a number of Cape Girardeau churches so that members may attend the baccalaureate program for the graduating class of Central High School in the auditorium; the sermon is delivered by the Rev. J.H. Taylor, rector of Christ Episcopal Church.

The revival meeting, which has been in progress at the Baptist Tabernacle on West Broadway for two weeks, has been extended at least one more week, according to the Rev. A.B. Carson, pastor; while the tabernacle has been nearly filled every night and unusual interest has been manifested in the preaching of Dr. Edward B. Griffith, evangelist, and the music of singer Walter Scolfield, the weather has been such on at least five nights that larger crowds have been kept away.

-- Sharon K. Sanders