Out of the past: Oct. 20

1998

The Cape Girardeau City Council last night entered into a cooperative agreement with Southeast Missouri State University on management of a River Campus; the council unanimously approved the agreement, which spells out how the two would jointly finance and share control over the proposed improvements to the old St. Vincent's College property; the university Board of Regents approved the agreement Oct. 14.

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education has suspended action by an ad hoc committee while it reconsiders a policy regarding the naming of new buildings; an 11-member committee was seated earlier this month and charged with submitting three unranked recommendations to the school board for the naming of the district's newest elementary school under construction near the intersection of Sprigg and Bertling streets; but board members decided during a meeting Monday to suspend action of the committee until after a policy committee can present a new draft of the current board policy; that policy includes a restriction against naming any facility for a living person.

1973

Capt. Glenn W. Volkerding, 55, of Cape Girardeau, a 21-year veteran of the city police department, died suddenly yesterday while on vacation in Rison, Arkansas; Volkerding joined the force Aug. 23, 1952; he is survived by his wife, the former Lottie Bates; four sons, two of whom are also members of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, a daughter, his mother, two brothers, a sister and two grandchildren.

Evidence of a nation divided -- at least on when to celebrate its holidays -- can be seen in Cape Girardeau on Monday; all federal offices and some businesses will be closed in observance of Veterans Day, the fourth Monday in October; however, city, county and state offices, banks and other financial institutions will wait until Monday, Nov. 12, to close for the Veterans Day observance.

1948

A large increase in the county quotas of men sent to the office for pre-induction examination under the draft law is reported by the U.S. Army and Air Force Recruiting Station; where the station had previously been notified that the daily work load would be 20 men, three days a week, it has increased to 25 men a day the remainder of this week and to 30 men each day next week.

Despite the continued shortage of cement, building permits issued in the first half of October at the Cape Girardeau city engineer's office have been fairly heavy after a September that fell short of original expectations; in the first half of October, 15 permits -- their amounts aggregating $31,000 -- have been issued by the city for construction ranging through residences, business buildings, garages and additions; although this is a fairly good mark, those in the cement supply business are hard put to believe that all of it can be put under construction in view of the lack of cement.

1923

A meeting designed to test the strength of the opposing factions in the Pentecostal Church in Smelterville, which was to have been held Thursday night at the church, was postponed when members were unable to locate a key to open the door; the key was said to have been given to Dave Caraker, one of the "insurgents," but he wasn't present; it was decided to postpone the meeting until next week; 40 members of the congregation are said to be working to oust Cletus E. Barringer as pastor of the church.

Theo. Ochs, former president of the Union Lumber and Manufacturing Co., has purchased part of the old Leyhe property at the northwest corner of Themis and Lorimier streets from Fred A. Groves and will construct a handsome, modern apartment house on the site; the reported purchase price was $6,000.

-- Sharon K. Sanders