Local News

Cape Girardeau/Bollinger County Major Case Squad identified Brent Shonta Johnson, 30, of Cape Girardeau as the victim of a fatal shooting about 2 a.m. in the 1200 block of South Ellis Street. Johnson was found dead at the scene when police arrived, according to a news release...

Fronabarger Concreters will close the Independence Street and East Rodney Drive intersection to traffic for the next two months, starting early Tuesday morning, for construction of a roundabout.

A new partnership between two longstanding Cape Girardeau businesses is expected to create a variety of new senior-housing options in the region. Chateau Girardeau has announced an agreement with Dalhousie LLC on an option to acquire real estate and develop a new senior living campus. With the proposed name The Chateau Girardeau at Ramsay's Run, the multi-acre site will be on Bloomfield Road, just north of Dalhousie Golf Club...

A Perryville, Missouri, couple was arrested Wednesday by U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents when they agreed to buy a kilogram of methamphetamine, Perry County sheriff’s deputies said. Perry County Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Hoeh charged Trevor Scott Park, 41, and Rachel Sarah Record, 41, with first-degree trafficking in drugs, five felony counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia...

CThe Cape Girardeau Public Works Department will begin its annual leaf collection program Monday, although the bulk of the work will be done by zones in November and December. During the past fiscal year, the city hauled away 778 tons of leaves piled along the streets, solid-waste supervisor Mike Tripp said."...

Jackson’s endeavor to connect the city park and civic center via the Hubble Creek Recreation Trail has hit the halfway point and is on track for completion. Contractors Lappe Cement Finishing Inc. began work on the 4,600-foot section in August. Jackson Public Works director Rodney Bollinger said via email a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation is funding 80 percent of the project...

The Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney’s office filed an arrest warrant for the man accused of running from police during a driving-while-intoxicated checkpoint Sept. 18. Marko Tyron Sawyer, 31, of Sikeston, Missouri, has been charged with felony resisting lawful detention...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — The U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited an Indiana-based landscaping company for what it called a serious safety violation that contributed to a Dexter, Missouri, man’s July heat-related death near Poplar Bluff...

Approval of minutes n Minutes of the Sept. 26 meeting Communications/reports -- other elected officials n Approve purchase order for Land Tax Sale over-surplus, treasurer Roger Hudson...

Keith Lars Monia, 55, of Cape Girardeau, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to nine counts of financial exploitation of the elderly and stealing by deceit. There were nine victims represented in those charges who trusted Monia to invest amounts from $10,000 to $120,000 from 2007 through 2013. Monia pleaded guilty to stealing $517,500 total.

The principal of Perryville High School has been on administrative leave since Thursday, but why remains unclear. In a statement, the school district cited personnel matters in its refusal to elaborate, saying only that Rich Thomas would be replaced for an indefinite period by athletic director and assistant principal Jeff Steffens...

Stoddard County Circuit Judge Stephen Mitchell has denied a motion by the state of Missouri seeking to be dismissed from a personal-injury lawsuit stemming from a fall down stairs at the Common Pleas Courthouse in Cape Girardeau. Mitchell ruled Monday on the motion in a case that was moved from Cape Girardeau County to Stoddard County on a change of venue...

The Cape Girardeau / Bollinger County Major Case Squad has been activated following a shooting in Cape Girardeau that resulted in the death of one man. According to a news release from the Cape Girardeau Police Department, on Wednesday morning at 1:54 a.m., officers received a report of shot fired and a subject struck at the 1200 block of South Ellis. Upon arrival, police located the victim, an unnamed 30-year-old Cape Girardeau resident...

Payton Weisbrod, left, and Abby Slattery consider the used books for sale Tuesday at Jackson High School. The school library has collected donated books from the community since May to raise funds for library programming. Remaining books will be offered again from 3:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday...

A local animal-rescue organization’s efforts to control the pet population can continue with the help of a generous donation from a famous face. The Bollinger County Stray Project (BCSP), a not-for-profit animal rescue near Zalma, Missouri, recently received a $20,000 grant from the Sidewalk Angels Foundation (SWAF) that was founded by Matchbox Twenty lead singer Rob Thomas and his wife, Marisol Thomas, to provide assistance to animal rescue and advocacy organizations...

Cape Girardeau’s municipal court meets most minimum standards issued last week for city courts by the Missouri Supreme Court, local judge Teresa Bright-Pearson said Tuesday. Bright-Pearson said the minimum standards follow in the footsteps of two recent state laws...

The gazebo outside the Cape Girardeau County courthouse is a bit more photogenic, thanks to the efforts of the Uptown Jackson Revitalization Organization and a local painter. Saundra Flanagan was chosen by the organization several weeks ago to produce the first of what it hopes will be a series of community art pieces where drab electrical boxes stood...

Activity Week at Notre Dame Regional High School brought in its largest-ever total, with more than $286,000 raised. The money will be put toward the overall budget, tuition assistance, facility upgrades, the theater program and the grounds.

Voters who cast their absentee ballots in the Cape Girardeau County Clerk's offices in the November election will not be able to place their ballot in an automatic vote-counting machine. The ballots now will have to be sealed in special envelopes like ones that are mailed, said Clerk Kara Clark Summers...

Area residents have a week and a half to memorize the traditional German toast -- "Prost!" -- in advance of the annual Uptown Jackson Oktoberfest on Oct. 8. Event organizers have a bit more on their to-do lists. "Between getting our vendors lined up and getting our bands lined up and getting our beers lined up and getting our food lined up, there's a lot to be done," said Janey Foust, co-owner of Cobblestone Corner in uptown Jackson and volunteer organizer for the Oktoberfest...

Every dog has its day, and Southeast Missouri canines, it seems, have many. Events throughout the year give pet owners an opportunity to meet up and allow dogs a chance to interact with each other. Saturday will be one of those days. People and their pets are invited to Capaha Park for Bark at the Park, an annual fundraiser benefiting the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri...

Two Farmington, Missouri, residents were killed in a collision with a pickup truck Sunday near Patton, Missouri, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report. The driver of the pickup truck has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter...

Two people died in separate highway crashes since Friday in the region. A Cape Girardeau woman was killed in a single-vehicle accident Friday on Highway 34, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Debra J. Winters, 51, was driving her 1999 Chevrolet S-10 when she traveled off the right side of the roadway, overcorrected, drove off the left side of the roadway and struck a tree. Winters was pronounced dead by Cape Girardeau County deputy coroner David Taylor on scene about 7 p.m. Friday...

Police say a Thebes, Illinois, woman broke into the apartment Thursday of a relative by climbing through a window next to an air conditioner and once inside fought the resident when she was asked to leave. Jackson police arrested Mayrissa N. Brooks, 17, on Thursday. The Cape Girardeau County's prosecuting attorney's office charged Brooks with first-degree burglary and second-degree domestic assault...

The Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney charged a Cape Girardeau woman with robbery after police said pushed a Wal-Mart employee to get out of the store after a theft. Cape Girardeau police arrested Stephanie Lynn Farrar, 23, on Friday. Her charges include second-degree robbery for forcibly stealing a quantity of merchandise owned by Wal-Mart, according to the arrest warrant, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance...

It was April when a local investment group announced its plans for a new high-tech hub and downtown hotel. And while the Marquette Tower has been bustling with activity, the H-H building has remained relatively quiet. But that's to be expected, according to Jeffrey Maurer of Mayson Capital Partners of Cape Girardeau...

Local golfers putted, chipped and shanked their way through downtown Cape Girardeau on Sunday afternoon for the city's annual downtown golf tourney. The event, officially known as the 1st Ever 11th Annual Louis J. Lorimier World Famous Downtown Golf Tournament and hosted by the city's Parks and Recreation department, is a fundraiser for the maintenance of the Red House Interpretive Center, which offers a glimpse into the lives of early Cape Girardeau residents...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The population of deer in the local area has increased, which is good for hunters, but could be bad for drivers. Missouri ranks 17th in the country for the most potential deer collisions. From 2013 to 2014, there was a 6 percent increase in deer-related car collisions, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Police are searching for an inmate who escaped Saturday from the Mississippi County jail. About 6 p.m. Saturday, the Mississippi County Sheriff's Department received information that prisoner Edward Lusk, 49, of Bloomfield, Missouri, had gained access to a utility area within the detention center, according to a news release early Sunday from Marc Tragesser of Mississippi County Sheriff's Department...

Cape Girardeau County Commission 1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Approval of minutes n Minutes of the Sept. 22 meeting Communications/reports -- other elected officials n Approve purchase order for Land Tax Sale over-surplus, treasurer Roger Hudson...

Bus rides in the city of Cape Girardeau may soon be provided free of charge to all riders. Cape County Transit Authority (CTA) executive director Tom Mogelnicki wants the city to increase its subsidy for the fixed-route system by $15,000, which would allow the transit system to receive added federal funding and cover its costs...

The west side of Capaha Park smelled like barbecue Saturday as residents gathered to support Living in Recovery's addiction and recovery-awareness rally. With live music and children on the playground, a raffle and face-painting booths, the event felt more like a family reunion than an AA meeting, and that was the whole point, said Living in Recovery president Kristi Booth...

It's not so much what was visible in the dashboard footage from state trooper Donald Jason McBride's police car, but what was audible that validates the Missouri State Highway Patrol's narrative of the April 29 shooting in Cape Girardeau County of Jeffrey Darrell Hobbs, 48, of Neelys Landing...

While the victim was lying on the ground, police say a Cape Girardeau man hit him in the face and body with a shovel Thursday. Cape Girardeau police arrested Will Frazier, 41, and the Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney’s office charged him with first-degree assault and armed-criminal action. Frazier’s bond was set at $150,000 cash or surety...

A Jackson County, Illinois, jury found a Cape Girardeau man guilty Thursday of the first-degree murder of Marsha Brown, 40, also of Cape Girardeau, according to a news release from the Jackson County state’s attorney.

ALTENBURG, Mo. — Hundreds attended the annual East Perry Community Fair to enjoy the fair, the rides and the mule-jumping. But most of the myriad other animal events took place before the mules were jumped. Dan Jokisch, 72, of Illinois and his team of Haflinger horses took second place in their cart-and-buggy show...

The Louis K. Juden American Legion Unit 63 Auxiliary met on Sept. 14. Yearly dues are payable now. New members would be very welcome. Awards were presented to Linda Kern for her poppy report and to Shirley Young for her scrapbook. Cards and monetary gifts were announced for Gold Star members: Hester Gray, Mildred Varvell and Muriel Day...

Video and other evidence from the fatal shooting of Jeffrey Darrell Hobbs were released to the Southeast Missourian on Monday in response to a Sunshine Law request that was submitted in April just after the incident took place. Trooper Jason McBride’s claims are confirmed to a large degree by this video and evidence.

Recent cuts to the state budget are likely to be felt in local school districts, but to what extent is still unclear. Last week, Gov. Jay Nixon said he needed to slash more than $59 million to balance the budget after legislators overrode 13 vetoes, including two tax breaks...

Losing a pet can be terrifying for both the pet owner and the critter itself. A lost dog or cat can run into any number of dangers when wandering the streets. And owners, along with worry, can feel limited in the number of things they can do to help find their furry friends...

Get the shot. That is the message from the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, which offers the flu vaccine annually. The health center will hold five flu clinics in October, including two drive-through clinics at fire stations, center director Jane Wernsman said...

Investigators from the Southeast Missouri State University Department of Public Safety sent reports and evidence to the Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney’s office Thursday in a sexual-assault investigation that occurred on campus, interim DPS director Beth Glaus said...

Perryville, Missouri, police arrested a man Tuesday on charges he tried to convince juvenile victims to get into his vehicle to engage in sexual activity. The Perry County, Missouri, prosecuting attorney’s office charged Raymond L. Bohnert, 25, of Perryville with three counts of felony harassment, four counts of felony attempted kidnapping, misdemeanor patronizing prostitution and misdemeanor harassment...

CAMPBELL, Mo. — A Campbell man was seriously injured after he apparently was struck by a train, according to chief Tony Burke of the Campbell Police Department. Burke said officers were called to the railroad crossing at Morgan Street in Campbell in reference to a pedestrian vs. train crash. Officers found 39-year-old Jon M. Bevill Jr. 300 feet west of the crossing, suffering from a serious leg injury...

State budget cuts have left the Missouri Department of Transportation unable to continue with a project that would have installed LED lighting along a stretch of East Jackson Boulevard in Jackson. The Missouri Moves Cost Share Program was scheduled to use a $20 million budget to help local agencies invest in transportation projects, beginning in fiscal year 2017 that starts Oct. 1...

Southeast Missouri State University has nine fewer students enrolled this fall semester than a year ago, despite growing freshman enrollment. The school has 11,978 full- and part-time students enrolled in classes, down from 11,987 students in fall 2015...

Local growers, vendors, chefs and volunteers are joining forces to create a meal that promotes local agriculture, highlights locally sourced ingredients and benefits the Cape Riverfront Market. A farm-to-table dinner will be served Sunday, Oct. 2, beginning at 4 p.m. at the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus, overlooking the Mississippi River...

Cape Girardeau police stop traffic Wednesday for the funeral procession of former police chief Henry H. Gerecke on North Kingshighway at Lexington Avenue in Cape Girardeau. Police chief Wes Blair decided recently to discontinue most funeral escorts with the exception of funeral processions of 40 cars or more, as well as funerals for law-enforcement officials and firefighters killed in the line of duty and dignitaries.

A Cape Girardeau man is in custody after police said he assaulted his pregnant girlfriend Sunday night and Monday morning. The victim told police she and Cory R. Lacy, 31, had argued about midnight Sunday. According to a probable-cause statement filed in the case, Lacy poked the victim in the head during the argument and told her he “wanted to stab her to death.”...

Adrienne Poe and her redbone coonhound, Ruby, enjoy a quiet morning Wednesday at the Cape Girardeau riverfront. Poe lets her dog "hunt" underwater. "She's got webbed feet," Poe said.