Out of the past: Nov. 16

1997

The Cape Girardeau School District is experiencing its busiest period in recent memory; a $14 million bond issue was successfully passed earlier in the year to finance upgrading, construction and expansion of district facilities; conceptual drawings are being sketched, principals have been chosen and in some cases, dirt is being moved and foundations are being laid; and in the midst of it all, the district has had to seek credit to meet its financial obligations for the next two months; a tax anticipation note worth up to $1.2 million will be sought from NationsBank, because balances are down to about $962,000, which won't cover the nearly $1.2 million worth of payroll checks staff will receive next week.

Gianetta Baker of East Cape Girardeau, Illinois, earned the Salvation Army's highest award in the Sunbeam Program; Baker received the Commissioner's Sunbeam Award Friday during a Court of Honor at the Salvation Army from Rita Summit, divisional guard director from St. Louis; the Sunbeam Award is held only by 4,220 girls nationwide.

1972

The small number of Black persons taking the Civil Service Commission examinations two days this week illustrates the difficulty the City of Cape Girardeau is experiencing in obtaining qualified Blacks for its fire and police departments; there was only one Black among the 20 applicants for firefighter and one among the 21 police applicants who were tested in the Central Junior High School cafeteria.

Charles E. Knote, who came to Cape Girardeau 23 years ago to start a chemical business attacking insects at home, store and in the field, is Cape Girardeau County's 1972 Friend of Agriculture; Knote received the award last night from the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce at its annual Area Appreciation Night at the Arena Building.

1947

The Rev. V.R. Ledbetter, who recently became pastor of the Assembly of God Church in Cape Girardeau, initiates a two-week revival meeting at the church; the remainder of the nightly services will be conducted by the evangelist, the Rev. E.P. Wright, pastor of an Assembly of God Church in St. Louis and formerly a member of the local church.

Henry M. Tuschhoff, who is retiring as caretaker of Grace Methodist Church after 16 years of service, is honored during the evening service at the church; having started on the job Oct. 1, 1931, Tuschhoff and his wife plan to move to the home of their son, Edwin Tuschhoff, on a farm four miles north of Cape Girardeau.

1922

Cape Girardeau has seen 10 deaths by violence during the past six months, the latest being Otto L. Goehring, Cape Girardeau transfer man, who was shot and killed Tuesday night on Sprigg Street near Broadway; five of the 10 were shot to death; one other took his own life; three others were killed by automobiles and the other was hurt when his automobile was struck by a train; he later died.

Maj. Gen Lansing H. Beach, chief of the engineering corps of the U.S. Army, and Col. T.Q. Ashburn, assistant chief of the Inland and Coastwise Waterways Division of the War Department, join the seven members of the Mississippi River Commission headed by Col. C.C. Potter in St. Louis for a trip down the river to New Orleans to observe it under the unusually low water conditions that have prevailed for several months; channel obstructions recently completely tied up the operation of the Government River Service, the barge line between St. Louis and New Orleans; while these obstructions have been removed, the current inspection is to determine what can be done to forestall a repetition of the interruption.

-- Sharon K. Sanders