Out of the past: Oct. 4

1996

Republican state Sen. Peter Kinder and Democratic challenger Rick Althaus sharply criticized each other in a debate last night; Kinder portrayed Althaus as a tax-and-spend liberal; Althaus depicted Kinder as a do-nothing legislator who hates government and bashes public education; about 250 people attended the debate in the University Center Ballroom.

At Thursday's open house on proposed Broadway improvements, the message came through time and time again: Make it a one-way street; about 40 people attended the event, conducted at the A.C. Brase Arena; City Engineer Mark Lester said the plans, designed by engineers at Black & Veach in St. Louis, would improve stormwater drainage immensely; they also would widen and improvement pavement from Clark Avenue to Perry Avenue, hopefully reducing accidents; another part of the project, signal system upgrades, would synchronize traffic lights on Broadway,.

1971

Former Cape Girardeau Mayor Raymond E. Beckman, 74, died Saturday night in a local hospital; in 1940, he was elected city commissioner and was appointed in charge of parks; during his term, he was chosen acting mayor when Hinkle Statler entered military service during World War II; Beckman was elected mayor April 4, 1944, and served until 1948.

Forty years of work as a committeewoman and 36 years as vice chairman of the GOP Central Committee for Cape Girardeau County earned Mrs. C.E. Stiver recognition at the Republican Family Day Picnic yesterday at Arena Park; approximately 450 people attended the event.

1946

Wilbur Meier, son of Judge and Mrs. W.F. Meier of Jackson, is home following his discharge at Camp Sheridan, Illinois; he was stationed in the Pacific area for most of his military service and served as an aide to Gen. Douglas MacArthur in his Manila and Tokyo homes.

Men students won all the important posts in the election Thursday at State College amid a round of campaigning not unlike that of the regular political run-offs; Wayne Thurman of Bonne Terre, Missouri, a war veteran, was elected student body president.

1921

Although there were a total of 15 cases of diphtheria reported in the public schools of Cape Girardeau at the close of classes Friday, the situation is improving, according to Martha Sander, school nurse; only four new cases were reported yesterday, and up to noon today, one new case; seven of the 15 cases reported Saturday were children in May Greene School.

Charles H. Gelven, former owner and manager of the greenhouse, but who sold it some time ago to John Knaup, has again purchased it and will have charge after June 1; Knaup will remain in the employ of Gelven as foreman.

-- Sharon K. Sanders