Local News

The satellite offices of the Cape Girardeau County assessor, collector and clerk will move this week from their current location in the Common Pleas Courthouse Annex in downtown Cape Girardeau to new offices on Bloomfield Street, county officials announced Tuesday...

Local transit drivers are encouraged to report suspicious activities as part of Watch on Wheels (WOW), a new rolling crime watch partnership between the Cape Girardeau Police Department and the transit authority. The WOW program officially kicks off today, police said...

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) will hold a public meeting Tuesday to discuss plans to replace Interstate 55 bridges over U.S. 61 between Cape Girardeau and Jackson and construct a diverging diamond interchange. Such an interchange would shift traffic patterns to eliminate left-hand turns, increasing safety, state highway officials said...

Kristin Ham, a horticulturist with facilities management at Southeast Missouri State University, weeds and deadheads geraniums Tuesday at the university's "front door" at Broadway and Normal Avenue in Cape Girardeau. The fall semester begins Monday.

Ruth Ann Dickerson took over as Cape Girardeau County sheriff Monday, becoming the first woman to serve in that position in the 218-year history of the department. The county commission appointed Dickerson as interim sheriff after John Jordan formally tendered his resignation Monday morning...

An outbreak of salmonella in Perry County has sickened 34 people so far, authorities said Monday. Sheila Hahs, RN, communicable-disease coordinator for Perry County Health Department, said the outbreak’s cause has not been determined. “Right now, we are just gathering information,” she said...

Cape Girardeau’s assistant public works director, Stan Polivick, has been promoted to director of the department, city officials said Monday. He will take over the position after the current director, Steve Cook, retires Sept. 1. Cook has worked for the city for more than four decades...

A group of pro-life demonstrators call for the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh as Sue Liebel, center, speaks Monday in front of the Rush Hudson Limbaugh Sr. Federal Courthouse, which houses U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill's Cape Girardeau office. ...

The Jackson Police Department investigated reports of suspicious activity in the City Park over the weekend but concluded the incident was not predatory behavior but rather was a misunderstanding, authorities said. Contacted by phone Monday, a Jackson police public-information officer referred all media questions to a statement posted by the department Monday afternoon on Facebook...

Many Southeast Missouri Republicans voted “no” on Proposition A, the right-to-work measure that had the backing of GOP state lawmakers and business leaders. Statewide, 67 percent of the more than 1.38 million Missourians who cast ballots in Tuesday’s primary voted against the measure, according to election officials...

After completing an autopsy about 1 p.m. Sunday, the Cape Girardeau County Coroner’s Office ruled hyperthermia as the cause of death of a 10-week-old girl who was left in a car seat Saturday in a vehicle at Parkwood Lake Estates trailer park in Cape Girardeau...

State requirements for schools to screen for dyslexia are changing with the new school year, and the Cape Girardeau School District is getting ready. Mandy Keys, assistant superintendent for special services, said she, deputy superintendent over elementary schools Christa Turner and director of school improvement Rae Ann Alpers collaborated to create the plan...

An event five years in the making will officially attain its community-driven fruition at 6 p.m. Aug. 24 at Shawnee Park Center in Cape Girardeau, with six performance groups, multiple food trucks and a “rap battle.” Authentic Voices co-chairwoman Koreena Woodson said the Multicultural Dance Festival isn’t new for this area, but it is “the first one of its kind, for us.”...

Nearly 1,000 attendees flooded the Osage Centre early Saturday to snag deals of all shapes, sizes and prices from more than 70 vendor booths during the Summer Garage Sale. Osage Centre facility manager Chad Unterreiner said proceeds from the day benefit the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department, which include the $1 entrance fee and $15 booth fee...

Corben Irving, 8, throws a wadded up piece of bread to an approaching gaggle of geese Sunday at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau.

BENTON, Mo. -- A Perryville, Missouri, man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison after being found guilty of felony kidnapping, burglary and weapons charges. Clint E. Arrington, 49, was sentenced Thursday by Judge David Dolan following a jury trial June 14 in Scott County, according to a news release from the office of Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd...

Approval of minutes n Minutes of Aug. 9 meetings Communications/reports -- other elected officials n None at this time Public comments n Items listed on the agenda Routine business...

Missing surveillance video evidence in a Sikeston, Missouri, murder case has been found by a Missouri State Highway Patrol investigator and turned over to defense counsel less than two weeks before the scheduled trial. The evidence was discovered on a computer hard drive that was found not in the police station but at a different undisclosed location, defense attorney Thomas Peterson said...

Both a braille-teaching tool and a social network for real-world culinary meetups were named 1st50K winners Friday night after the startup competition organizers announced an extra $50,000 endowment. The awards were presented during the Techfest Gala at Isle Casino Cape Girardeau, marking the finale of the Marquette Tech District Foundation's annual celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship...

After a nationwide search, the Cape Girardeau Public Library has hired librarian Katie Hill as executive director. Hill, who comes to Cape Girardeau from Coffeyville, Kansas, replaces Betty Martin, who retired earlier this year after directing the library for more than two decades...

River City Players Community Theatre is holding auditions at 1 p.m. Aug. 26 and 6:30 p.m. Aug. 28 for willing individuals to participate in its live radio performance of the classic Christmastime tale, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” set to debut Nov. 8 at Port Cape Girardeau...

Route CC in Scott County from Route U to Route C will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews make pavement repairs. A MoDOT news release said the work will take place from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, Monday through Friday...

Want a free-standing metal detector, a soda machine or a handful of high-mileage used police vehicles? They are all up for auction Saturday at Cape Girardeau's former police station. Police left behind everything from unwanted desks and chairs to lockers, paintings and file cabinets when they moved to the new police station in March...

Taking a show to the New York Musical Festival was already a big deal to the cast, crew and faculty behind Southeast Missouri State University's original musical "An American Hero." "This [festival] is an international thing," said Bart Williams, assistant professor of acting and stage combat at Southeast, who was fight director, faculty chaperone and cast member for the show...

Sikeston, Missouri-based Ferguson Medical Group will join Saint Francis Healthcare System, adding more than 40 medical providers to the hospital's system. The health care system and the medical group jointly made the announcement in an emailed news release Thursday...

The Women's Impact Network, or WIN, is an effort launched earlier this year by the Jackson Chamber of Commerce to reach out to women in the region who want to strengthen their professional networks and have some fun while they're at it. Jen Berti, membership director for the Chamber, is one of three women who worked together to build WIN, after the Chamber picked up some interest in the community...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Perryville, Missouri, native Chris Janson -- first country artist to perform during the 66th annual Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo -- stood before a crowd at Art Saunders Arena on Wednesday night and played his hits. One of four artists with Nashville roots making an appearance at the rodeo this week, Janson -- who also has Southeast Missouri roots -- kicked off the night's show with a "What's up, Missouri!" and one of his harmonica-laden singles, "Redneck Life Chose Me," followed by other hits including "Power of Positive Drinkin'," "Who's Your Farmer" and "Everybody.". ...

The seven finalists for the 2018 1ST50K competition were announced this week and will be at a meet-and-greet event at 4:30 p.m. today at 338 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. It is free and open to the public, part of the monthly Beer:30 events that allow Codefi members to meet and mingle with their coworking community, said Chris Carnell, co-director of the 1ST50K startup competition and program director for the Marquette Tech District Foundation...

Oran, Missouri, police chief Gregg Ourth spanked a child in 2015 while in his official capacity as a police officer, and was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The patrol indicated Ourth had committed a third-degree assault on the 10-year-old child, but Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd declined to charge the chief...

Highway 77 in Scott, Mississippi counties reduced for pavement improvements Highway 77 in Scott and Mississippi counties, between Interstate 55 and the Charleston, Missouri, city limits, will be reduced with a 10-foot width restriction as contractor crews overlay the road and widen the shoulders. A Missouri Department of Transportation news release indicates the work will take place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, Aug. 20 through Sept. 14...

Cape Girardeau County Commission 1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Approval of minutes n Minutes of Aug. 6 meetings Communications/reports -- other elected officials n None at this time Public comments n Items listed on the agenda Routine business...

The Southeast Missourian is implementing a new policy today that governs how archived crime reports and stories are made available to search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo and others. A draft of the policy was previously explained by publisher Jon K. Rust in a column on Wed., July 25. Rust invited feedback until Aug. 8 about the proposed changes, which came in unanimously positive...

Lawyer Mark Welker cruised to victory over fellow lawyer William Bryant for Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney in Tuesday's heavily watched Republican primary. Welker was the top vote-getter, garnering 8,572 votes to 2,691 for Bryant. The Cape Girardeau resident defeated Bryant of Jackson by a 76 percent to 24 percent margin, according to unofficial election returns...

Funding for a new sewage treatment plant in Perryville cleared a major hurdle Tuesday night. Three ballot measures will fund construction of a sewage plant to replace an aging facility that increasingly can’t meet environmental regulations. City administrator Brent Buerck had said “it is not a tax increase. It is a tax extension.”...

Circuit Judge David Dolan defeated Scott City lawyer Rebecca Reed in a Democratic primary contest in Scott and Mississippi counties Tuesday, collecting 3,184 -- nearly 68 percent -- of the combined votes. The victory assures Dolan of re-election in November where he will be running unopposed for a fourth, six-year term...

Bollinger County voters unseated incumbent Presiding Commissioner Travis Elfrink on Tuesday, choosing Leo Arnzen by a wide margin, 1,466 to 991, in the Republican primary. Arnzen will face no opposition in the general election. In another hotly contested race, Republican Dana Mayfield won over three other candidates in Tuesday's primary and will contend with Democrat Cindy Yount in November for the position of Bollinger County Circuit Clerk...

The Cape Girardeau County Commission and the local Republican Party’s central committee are preparing to act to replace Cape Girardeau County Sheriff John Jordan, who has announced he will resign Monday. The commission announced Tuesday anyone interested in serving as interim sheriff must submit an application by 4:30 p.m. Friday. An application may be requested by emailing the commission at commish@capecounty.us or by calling (573) 204-2494...

A recreational-vehicle camper and two homes were found engulfed in flames by a passing bicyclist early Tuesday morning. The fire in the 2900 block of La Mesa Drive was reported at 4:56 a.m. Tuesday, according to a report by the Cape Girardeau Fire Department...

This year marks Plaza Tire Services' 55th Anniversary, and as part of its celebration, the locally owned company has teamed up with the Southeast Missourian to send someone on a Super Road Trip with St. Louis Cardinals tickets and a set of new tires...

When Cape Girardeau Central students return to school Aug. 16, they’ll each be provided with free breakfasts and lunches, the district announced Monday. The Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP, a U. S. Department of Agriculture program, will provide the district with more than $1.5 million in assistance, said district spokeswoman Kristin Tallent. This will give the district a chance to meet students’ basic needs so they’re better able to learn...

Cape Girardeau County Sheriff John Jordan announced Monday he will resign at 1 p.m. Aug. 13 as he expects to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to a federal marshal post. In his resignation letter, Jordon wrote, “Some say the safe thing to do is wait for the final confirmation vote, but in my heart I know now is the right time and it’s also the right thing to do.” ...

The Cape Girardeau City Council selected a design-build team Monday to improve Capaha Field and approved tax-increment financing to aid in redevelopment of the vacant Esquire Theater. The council authorized the city manager to negotiate a design-build contract with the team of Penzel Construction Co. and Gray Design Group...

Former Jackson mayor and alderman Paul Sander was sworn in to fill the Ward 1 seat at Monday's regular board of aldermen meeting, and the board heard updates on projects and other action. “Paul, it's great to have you back," said Mayor Dwain Hahs to newly-sworn-in Alderman Sander. Hahs cited Sander's 14 years of mayoral experience in Jackson, and his previous seven years as Ward 1 alderman, as well as Sander's dedicated community service...

Peyton Dixon, 3, tosses rocks in a stream Monday with his mother, Alyssa Dixon, at Dennis Scivally Park in Cape Girardeau.

The 66th annual Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo festivities began Saturday with a parade in downtown Sikeston, Missouri, and musical entertainment will kick off Wednesday with a performance by Missouri native Chris Janson, followed by Bullfighters Only on Thursday and Friday...

An informational meeting set for Thursday will teach community members about opportunities to help foster children through Voices for Children/CASA, said Eva Hillis, who serves as a volunteer coordinator for the organization. The need is evident. Missouri has more than 19,000 children in the custody of its Children’s Division, and in Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Perry counties, about 400 children are in foster care...

Former Jackson Mayor Paul Sander is current Mayor Dwain Hahs’ pick to fill the Ward 1 board of aldermen seat vacated by Phil Penzel’s departure earlier this year, according to the agenda for Monday’s board meeting. Hahs said by phone Friday he thought Sander would be a great choice to fill the seat until April’s municipal election...

New professional golfer at the Cape Girardeau Country Club, Fred Lindstrom, watched his wife and fellow professional golfer, Murle, tee off March 27, 1962, in a practice round. The pair directed golf operations at the club and gave golf lessons there during that summer. Murle MacKenzie Lindstrom Breer went on to win the 1962 U.S. Women’s Open...

At least some of you reading this column remember watching the 1953 movie “The Wild Ones,” starring Marlon Brando as a badass motorcycle gang member. The movie’s plot involved rival motorcycle gangs teaming up to take over a town after one of their leaders is arrested. ...

One of my favorite one-liners comes from the 2002 movie “Sweet Home Alabama,” which is about an ambitious young designer who flies off to New York City seeking her fame and fortune. When she comes back to her hometown to marry someone else, she finds her true love and happiness right back where she started. He tells her, “You can have roots and wings, Mel.” I think we can all have roots and wings...