1999

Voters in the Kelly School District want their school board to consider a smaller construction project to relieve crowding in the growing district; that was the preferred choice selected on a questionnaire sent to patrons last month; superintendent Don Abner presented the results of the questionnaire during a school board meeting yesterday.

Houck Stadium could become more than just a football field; it may become the permanent home of Southeast Missouri State University’s women’s soccer team, if the school replaces the stadium’s natural grass with synthetic turf; school officials are exploring that option.

1974

Ben Knight, treasurer-statistician off the SEMO District Fair Association, calls last night’s start of the 1974 SEMO District Fair a “very good opening night”; this year, admission fee is $1 for everyone 12 years or older; for that fee, fairgoers may attend free grandstand attractions and some other entertainment, including a high-wire act, the diving mules act and a comedy chimps performance; tonight, in front of the grandstand will be a demolition derby.

The fate of Cape Girardeau Fire Department’s 1,000-gallon pumper that was damaged in shipment from New York has finally been decided; Fire Chief Charles Mills says he is satisfied with the performance of the truck in a test run yesterday afternoon at Capaha Park and has accepted it from Richard Abrisz, delivery engineer for American-LaFrance Fire Truck Co.; as the fire truck was being shipped, the floor of the Frisco Railroad car it was in buckled, allowing the truck to bounce around.

1949

The new church building of the Church of God in Marble City Heights is dedicated in all-day services, three and a half months after the original church was razed by the May 21 tornado; the red granite edifice has been completed and is exactly as it was before the storm, except for white stripes between the stones which were black on the old building; also, the interior, while it looks like that of the original church, has been modernized; pastor of the church is the Rev. J.H. Shirrell.

The 55th anniversary of the congregation of Christ Evangelical Church is observed at a service of praise and thanksgiving in the morning; the pastor, the Rev. Arno H. Franke, preaches on the theme “Man and Divine Grace”.

1924

William B. Langdon of Carrollton is elected principal of Lincoln School by the Cape Girardeau Board of Education; he will succeed O.O. Nance, who has resigned to accept a position as field representative of the Lincoln Institute at Jefferson City, a state institution; Nance has been here several years.

Ashbury Roberts, a graduate of the University of Missouri and former Missouri county farm agent, is selected by the Cape Girardeau Board of Education as head of the vocational agriculture department of Central High School; Roberts fills the vacancy caused by the resignation of M.G. Drumm and is here to take up his work; his salary will be $225 per month.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a blog called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper. Check out her blog at semissourian.com/history.