1999

JEFFERSON CITY — In a stinging rebuke to Gov. Mel Carnahan yesterday, the Missouri House of Representatives set aside his veto of a bill declaring a late-term abortion to be infanticide; representatives from Southeast Missouri unanimously voted to override the governor’s veto; next stop for the override of House Bill 427 is the Senate, which joined in slapping Carnahan on Wednesday by overriding his veto of a separate crime bill.

Attendance at the SEMO District Fair is on track to top that of last year; this year’s fair has drawn larger crowds in each of its first three days than in 1998; at the Arena Park fairgrounds this evening will be will be country music singer Terri Clark.

1974

After playing havoc with the SEMO District Fair last week, rain today throws a block in front of Cape Girardeau’s street overlay program scheduled to start on William Street, from Sprigg to Spanish; this area of William is barricaded, and a prime coating has been applied in preparation for the 1 1/2-inch wearing surface of hot-mix asphaltic concrete with asbestos add-mix.

A joint agreement between Cape Girardeau and Scott counties establishing a Southeast Missouri Regional Port District and Authority is adopted by advisory port authority committees of both counties; the unanimous committee adoption will enable the agreement to be submitted to both Cape and Scott County Courts, which must pass identical resolutions approving execution of the contract.

1949

The first of three nightly horse shows was held last night at the SEMO District Fair, bringing to a close Cape Girardeau Day; A.E. Kies, president of the fair board, estimates there were between 12,000 and 15,000 persons on the fairgrounds yesterday, including children who were admitted to Arena Park free.

Hampered by the rising Mississippi River, repairs crews working on construction of a new trestle north of Seventy-Six to replace that destroyed in a train wreck Monday night, estimate the work won’t be completed until midnight tonight; this is a 12-hour delay over the previously estimated time that service could be restored to normal on the main St. Louis-Memphis line of the Frisco Railroad.

1924

The Matteson quarry property, which, according to terms of a published advertisement, includes 28 handsome residences in Cape Girardeau, will be sold at public auction at the Common Pleas Courthouse at 1 p.m. tomorrow, but the residential property won’t be offered for sale; although the residences are included in a deed of trust, under which the sale is to be held, these property owners have been assured their homes won’t be offered for sale; George H. Willis of Phoenix, Arizona, holder of the $37,000 deed of trust against the Matteson property, arrived here Monday and has assured property owners their residences won’t be sold.

Cape Girardeau officials clear the way for the opening of the Cape Girardeau Fair on Thursday, with drastic regulations for handling automobile traffic; parking on West Broadway, between West End Boulevard and Perry Avenue, will be forbidden, keeping those streets open for traffic; Police Chief Arthur S. Whitener has been instructed to add three men to his force to help with traffic enforcement; 20 officers will be on duty at Fairground Park and vicinity during the event.

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 www.semissourian.com/history.