Local News

Growing with grief: Family finds solace in charity after loss of toddler (Editor's note: If you or someone you know needs help navigating grief, visit griefresourcenetwork.com/crisis-center/hotlines/ to find a comprehensive list of hotlines and other resources.)...

In light of Cape Girardeau municipal government's ongoing information systems problems, city officials announced a work-around for some city services Friday evening. A text message sent on behalf of the city said residents may pay utility bills in person at City Hall and those involved with development issues before the city may do so as well...

Four medical marijuana dispensary licenses in Cape Girardeau and one in Jackson have been approved by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The five licenses were among 192 on a list of approved dispensary licenses statewide released by DHSS Friday afternoon...

Successes in 2019 and a forward-thinking membership model dominated discussion in the annual meeting for the Uptown Jackson Revitalization Organization, or UJRO, Thursday night at the Whistle Stop Cafe in Jackson. In 2019, the organization hired its first executive director, Steve Turner, whose office is housed within the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce building...

First-graders at Jefferson Elementary were given the opportunity to explore reading through a project involving quail eggs from birds being raised at the Cape Girardeau School. After a reading of "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," students worked to recreate the sunny side eggs that rained from the sky in Judi Barrett's short story. ...

A precautionary boil water advisory issued Tuesday has been lifted, Jackson city officials announced Friday. All addresses receiving water service from the city were affected, except a specific area that included subdivisions Cold Creek Estates, Terrace Park Estates, Nine Oaks, Glendale Unit II and Deerwood...

A Southeast Missouri tradition continues this weekend with the Bootheel Bluegrass Festival, tonight and Saturday at Bavarian Halle, 225 Drury Lane in Jackson (Fruitland). Vendors will be on site and Country Mart is catering dinner. Today's performances begin at 2 p.m. and go until 10 p.m., and Saturday has performances from 1 to 10 p.m., with a complete list at bootheelbluegrass.com...

For only the fourth time since 1979, Cape Girardeau County voters will be asked later this year to approve a countywide sales tax. The Cape Girardeau County Commission on Thursday unanimously approved a motion to put a half-cent public-safety sales tax on the April ballot. If approved by voters, funds generated by the tax will be used to help fund operating costs and salaries of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Department and the county jail...

Cape Girardeau officials announced Thursday evening the city’s information systems had been “victimized by a malicious cyber-attack.” The announcement came after city officials acknowledged earlier in the week issues with various components of the city’s computer network...

Cape Girardeau police officers are investigating two armed robberies that occurred within hours of one another Wednesday in Cape Girardeau. The first armed robbery occurred at about 4:30 p.m. near South Pacific Street and involved a group of suspects — two of which were reported to have been armed with handguns...

“Women in Action: Pursuing the Dream” is this year’s theme for Southeast Missouri State University’s annual event to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The keynote speaker will be Angela Davis, an American political activist, academic and author. The dinner — which is sold out — begins at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Show Me Center...

Tuesday night will be a busy one at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus, 518 S. Fountain St. in Cape Girardeau. New York-based musician Steven Cohen will perform a recital of works for horn from his 2018 album, "Cruise Control," and a series of hand-drumming classes begins that night as well...

The Jackson Board of Aldermen on Wednesday tabled discussion related to a grant application for soccer-field lighting until city staff can recalculate funding for the matching grant. A resolution in support of the grant application to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources was presented during the board’s business meeting, but was not acted on by the aldermen. Instead, they chose to discuss the project during their subsequent study session...

Southeast Missouri State University student and leader of the school's Black Student Union Ke-La Harris, standing, speaks during a roundtable discussion centered on the legacies of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Angela Davis on Thursday at the Cape Girardeau Public Library.

NEW YORK -- The 2020 Grammy Awards will air Sunday, and no one knows how things will really play out when the awards are handed out live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Here are some good guesses from Associated Press music writers Mesfin Fekadu and Nekesa Mumbi Moody...

A boil water advisory for portions of Jackson remains in place, officials said Thursday morning. According to a release: "This morning, officials took another round of water samples to check the chlorine level trends. The City has now received positive verification that the amount of chlorine in the system has increased to MDNR-approved levels at all test locations. ...

Former President Dwight Eisenhower is well known as a war hero and important political figure, but he has a lesser-known legacy: promoting and placing women in positions of authority in his administration, and that’s the subject of an upcoming lecture and forthcoming book by Pam Parry...

The Missouri Treasurer’s Office has canceled planned unclaimed property kiosks in Cape Girardeau due to potential inclement weather, his office announced Wednesday. The events were scheduled for today at West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau and Friday at the Cape Girardeau Public Library...

Police cruisers are seen in the parking lot of Family Video as police investigate a reported robbery Wednesday night at the business, 1330 Broadway in Cape Girardeau.

Members of the City of Cape Girardeau’s information technology division are investigating a malfunction in the city’s information systems that has rendered the city’s online systems inaccessible since early this week. Deputy city manager Molly Mehner said it is still unclear exactly what caused the outage or when the systems will be restored to functionality, but city personnel hope to have some services restored by the end of the week...

Growth and revenue were two themes the Jackson mayor and school superintendent say will impact the city and school district in 2020 and beyond. Jackson Mayor Dwain Hahs and Jackson School District superintendent John Link talked about 2019 accomplishment and the challenges the city and schools face this year during an hourlong discussion Wednesday as part of the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce’s Business Leadership Series...

Caitlyn Pearl of Cape Girardeau uses a pressure washer to remove graffiti as steam rises from the concrete Wednesday at the Cape Noon Optimist Club Wheel Park at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau. ...

A precautionary boil-water advisory for much of Jackson could be lifted tonight, according to a news release issued Wednesday by the city. The advisory was issued Tuesday because of low levels of chlorine in the water system, caused by a malfunction of a pump delivering chlorine to the system...

The Adult Education and Literacy Program will offer free preparatory courses for health science students who must take the Assessment Technologies Institute’s Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) exam. The TEAS is designed specifically to assess a student’s preparedness entering health science fields, according to the Assessment Technologies Institute website...

Approval of minutes n Minutes for Jan. 16 meeting Communications/reports n Discuss purchase orders -- Motorola Solutions, Zuercher Technologies Public comments n Items listed on agenda...

A project to preserve a vital piece of Cape Girardeau’s history may be completed as early as Memorial Day weekend, according to Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation director Julia Thompson. Fort D has been exposed to the elements since its roof collapsed years ago. The landmark is the State of Missouri’s only surviving V-shaped, Civil War-era earthworks, and the site was named to the National Register of Historic Places on Aug. 1...

People who prefer to shop in the middle of the night will no longer be able to do so at the Jackson Walmart as of Feb. 1 The store along East Jackson Boulevard between Jackson and Cape Girardeau is presently a 24-hour Walmart Supercenter, but starting next month, the store will close from 1 until 6 a.m. daily...

Free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes will soon be offered in the Missouri communities of Kennett and Sikeston to help improve literacy in the region. The classes will be offered by the Cape Girardeau-based Adult Education and Literacy Program, which serves Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Dunklin, North Stoddard, North Scott, Pemiscot and Perry counties...

A boil-water advisory has been issued in much of Jackson after the city discovered low levels of chlorine in the water system, according to a city news release. Tuesday morning, city officials learned of a low level of chlorine within the water system, caused by a malfunction of a pump delivering chlorine to the system...

A two-vehicle head-on collision Sunday on Route 34 near Herod, Illinois, resulted in three fatalities and eight injured parties. According to a preliminary report released by Illinois State Police, the crash occurred Sunday at 3:28 a.m., 3/4 of a mile north of Williams Hill Road in Pope County. Upon arrival, a Dodge Charger was fully engulfed in flames...

Tickets are still available for Saturday’s annual Notre Dame Winter Extravaganza, said Alex Jackson, development director at Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau. This year’s theme is XGAMES Aspen 2020, Jackson said, and will be held at the Drury Plaza Convention Center in Cape Girardeau. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the event will be an evening of heavy hors d’oeuvres, open bar and live music provided by Downtime from St. Louis...

Don Grossheider, center, discusses ideas for the redesign of the Interstate 55 Exit 93 interchange on the south end of Kingshighway with Steve Peterson of Delta Companies, right, and Benji Philpot, project engineer with the Missouri Department of Transportation, during a public briefing about the redesign and replacement of the interchange ...

Presentation n Presentation of a MIRMA Risk Management Grant award to the Jackson Police De-partment for a car camera and police training award for 2018. Public hearings n Hearing to consider a special-use permit request for a temporary mobile medical office, in a C-2 (general commercial) District, at 2130 E. Jackson Blvd., as submitted by Saint Francis Medical Center...

Two men are in police custody after shooting at officers and ramming a patrol vehicle during a chase across state lines Saturday night, according to Cape Girardeau police Sgt. Joey Hann. Hann stated via text message Sunday all officers are safe and no one was injured in the incident...

More than 500 people gathered Saturday for the fourth Journey Gala benefiting the SoutheastHEALTH Foundation, ready for a “soiree in Paris” with celebrity guest Joan Lunden, former “Good Morning America” co-host, bestselling author, and women’s health and wellness advocate...

Parents of nearly three dozen children are scrambling to find new child care providers after learning Monday the Cape Girardeau day care center their children were attending will close later this week. “In desperate search of child care for a two-year-old ASAP and an infant for mid-July,” one mother posted Monday morning on her Facebook account. “Seeing if anyone can work a miracle out there.”...

Award-winning journalist, bestselling author, motivational speaker and advocate for women’s health and wellness Joan Lunden took a few minutes before Saturday’s SoutheastHEALTH Journey Gala to talk with the Southeast Missourian. The gala benefits the SoutheastHEALTH Cancer Care fund, among other projects related to cancer patients’ care...

A 23-year-old man was taken into custody by the Cape Girardeau Police Department on Monday, following a carjacking and police pursuit that occurred in Mississippi and Scott counties Sunday. Kevin R. Jobe was arrested by Cape Girardeau officers for resisting arrest, driving while revoked and failure to stop at stop signs, according to a news release issued by the Sikeston (Missouri) Department of Public Safety...

Study session n No action will be taken during the study session Presentations n None at this time Communications/reports n City Council staff Items for discussion n Planning and Zoning Commission report...

(Editor's note: If you or someone you know needs help navigating grief, visit griefresourcenetwork.com/crisis-center/hotlines/ to find a comprehensive list of hotlines and other resources.) About five years ago, 40-year-old Anas Roumany was on his commute home from work in Syria when he was hit and killed by a grenade...

The countdown is on. The Great American Eclipse is only four years, two months and 24 days away, and Bollinger County will be at the center of it. "It will be here before we know it," Bollinger County Chamber of Commerce President Becky Wiginton said. ...

On Thursday and Friday the Missouri State Treasurer's Office will be opening two kiosks in Cape Girardeau to assist residents with determining if they have unclaimed property. Thursday, the kiosk will be located at West Park Mall from 3 p.m. ...

A section of West End Blvd between Linden St. and Brenda Kay Ct. closed beginning Friday morning for street repairs, according to a City of Cape Girardeau news release. The City of Cape anticipates the road to reopen on Monday, Jan. 26. Individuals are being asked to take an alternate route during this time...

The second phase of Jackson's roundabout project at the intersection of East Main Street and Shawnee Boulevard begins Monday, according to an update from the Jackson staff engineer Clint Brown. The first phase, which began in November and involved relocating and installing utilities at the intersection, has been completed...

Jackson hairstylist Chrissie Roché saw a need in her community. After time spent giving haircuts to her now 7-year-old son, Takoda Shay, who is on the autism spectrum, Roché realized as a hairstylist and parent of a special-needs child she could likely help other parents...

Two businesses owned by a local neurosurgeon, who was convicted in 2017 of submitting fraudulent insurance claims, have closed, at least temporarily. "For Lease" signs were hung last week above the entrance to The Bar, 117 Themis St., and in front of Chocolate Works, 411 Broadway...

Novelist Jeff Zentner didn't get where he is by following his dreams. "Sometimes the impossible is impossible," Zentner said, addressing students in the Jackson High School library Friday. Originally, he'd hoped to be a world-famous musician, he said, and moved to Nashville to pursue that ambition...

Cape Girardeau house fire claims life of dog A Friday morning house fire at 600 S. Louis St. in Cape Girardeau claimed the life of at least one dog, Cape Girardeau Fire Department fire chief Travis Hollis said. Hollis said the department received the call at 11:39 a.m. and responded uncertain if anyone was home at the time...

400,000 people. It’s the number of people who die annually due to preventable mistakes in hospitals, according to the “Journal of Patient Safety.” This number is a statistic Saint Francis Medical Center refuses to be a part of. Over the past three years, they have been working tirelessly to put processes in place that improve quality, value and safety for their patients. ...

Town & Country FCE club met at the home of Mary Klaproth on Jan. 9. Klaproth, president, opened the meeting by reading the devotion biscuits. A guest, Gina Michelin, was welcomed by the president. Darlene McCain led the club in singing "God Bless America" accompanied by Linda Thompson. Roll call was answered with club members telling their favorite salad dressing...