Out of the past: Sept. 1

1995

Scheduling school would be a lot simpler if the Cape Girardeau School District's classrooms had air conditioning; but air conditioning the city's public schools would cost $4.5 million or more; business manager Steve DelVecchio says any project costing several million dollars would have to be part of a long-range plan; this week, the lack of AC forced officials to dismiss school early when heat indexes in some classrooms topped 100 degrees.

It was a bad night all around for Southeast Missouri State University's football team yesterday; not only did the Indians lose their season opener 30-27 to Southern Illinois University, but standout defensive tackle Angel Rubio suffered a second-quarter knee injury that could keep him off the field for some time.

1970

Construction work at May Greene School created some difficulties yesterday, but for the most part, opening day of classes was the easiest ever, says Vince Raddle, director of elementary education for the Cape Girardeau School District; enrollment was below that anticipated with the head count this morning showing 5,443 pupils in kindergarten through the 12th grade.

Dry weather has been paying off for highway contractors in Cape Girardeau County, with Interstate 55 construction advancing rapidly; earth work on the McMenamy Construction Co. section of I-55 in the county is 75% complete, and culvert and bridge work is about 50% complete; McMenamy has a $6,750,000 contract for the 7.5 miles north from the present terminus south of Fruitland.

1945

Scores of buildings, both business and residential, are waiting to be constructed in Cape Girardeau; but two things -- materials and labor -- stand in the way; it is estimated it will be at least six months before there is any great flow of building materials back to the civilian construction industry.

Two drums of DDT are expected to arrive here today for use in spraying portions of Cape Girardeau's public schools before classes open Tuesday; a 5% solution will be sprayed by W.R. Withers, attendance officer, using a spraying machine secured locally; the spray, developed during the war, kills insects of all kinds and is particularly valuable in destroying the common house fly, which is known to be a carrier of the germ of infantile paralysis, and mosquitoes.

1920

The first race horses for the Cape Girardeau County Fair, opening Sept. 14, have arrived and are stabled at the fairgrounds; Frank E. McDonald, in charge of this part of the big fair's activities, is busy getting the fence around the race track repaired; he has contracted with Fred Groves for a Fordson tractor to put the track in shape.

Hettie Lilla Luce Harrison, wife of W.H. Harrison of 313 Themis St., and mother of Mrs. A.E. Strickler, Charles L., Arthur W. and Robert Harrison, dies at Saint Francis Hospital following an attack of malaria; she was 62 years old.

-- Sharon K. Sanders