Out of the past: Nov. 21

1996

Emergency management associations in 10 Southeast Missouri counties, including Cape Girardeau, will receive cellular phones, pagers and free air time to provide improved communications during disaster recoveries; Ameritech Cellular and Paging will provide 24 cellular phones and 20 pagers to emergency agencies surrounding the New Madrid fault line.

A recent high school graduate has the dubious honor of being the first man ever arrested for operating a methamphetamine lab in Cape Girardeau; the 18-year-old, who forgot his keys, was seen crawling through a window into his house at 1200 N. Main St. at about 8 p.m. Wednesday to retrieve them; a neighbor, not recognizing him, called the police; upon entering the home, they recognized the smell of cooking chemicals associated with the production of meth.

1971

Cape Girardeau City Council, determined to make the national flood insurance program available to owners of existing property and small businesses located within flood-prone areas of the city, have adopted a formal resolution expression interest in the program and set a Dec. 15 public hearing on the required land use ordinance; operating under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, the program allows citizens to purchase flood insurance at reduced rates; cost of flood insurance is now prohibitive from private firms, councilmen say.

CAIRO, Ill. -- James Walder, elected as city commissioner last spring, is the new mayor of Cairo; Walder, a native of Cairo and owner of a men's clothing store, was named to the position of mayor by the City Council Friday, filling the vacancy left by the resignation of Albert "Pete" Thomas Oct. 29.

1946

The coal situation in Cape Girardeau is tightening up, with only moderate supplies of the fuel in retail yards; with coal "frozen" by the government at mines, it can't be trucked here or brought in otherwise; however, coal dealers are hoping to get some orders through shortly, permitting release of coal at mines for use at hospitals, utilities, business firms, etc.

Washington dispatches say James V. Conran, prosecuting attorney of New Madrid County, has been recommended by Sen. Frank Briggs for appointment as United States district attorney for the eastern district of Missouri; the district includes Federal Courts in St. Louis, Hannibal and Cape Girardeau.

1921

Following the Rev. Burke Culpepper's last appeal, made last evening, 42 persons "hit the trail" at Centenary Methodist Church, making in all 307 during the evangelistic meeting who went forward as converts to be united with the church; of this number about 40 expressed an intention of joining the Baptist church, while a number will become members of other churches; the remainder will united with the Methodist Episcopal Church.

May Greene School, the finest public school building of its kind to found in this section, is formally dedicated in the evening with a fitting program; the school is named for May Greene, at present principal of Lorimier School and one of Cape Girardeau's oldest and best-loved teachers.

-- Sharon K. Sanders