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Friday, Jan. 30, 2015

Local News

Rust Communications teams with university, KFVS to create student media lab (01/30/15)
Rust Communications, which owns the Southeast Missourian, has teamed up with Southeast Missouri State University and KFVS12 to create a hands-on laboratory for students in the university's media programs. The 12,000-square-foot Center for Excellence in Mass Media at 325 Broadway will house the university's student newspaper, The Arrow, and its television and video production program...
Local counselor pays $25,000 to settle Medicaid fraud suit (01/30/15) 1
A Cape Girardeau counselor has paid $25,000 to settle a 2014 Medicaid fraud suit, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced Friday. In February, Koster filed a 15-count lawsuit alleging Jennifer Kirchhoff engaged in improper billing practices that netted her $8,062 more than she was entitled to receive for family and individual therapy sessions...
Cape could help garner award for 'Gone Girl' location (01/30/15)
While not for an Oscar or a Golden Globe, Cape Girardeau is in the running for another Hollywood trophy. The Location Managers Guild of America on Thursday named Rick Schuler and Steve Mapel, location managers for "Gone Girl," among five nominees for its outstanding locations in a contemporary film award, which will be announced March 7 in Beverly Hills, California...
Tractor stolen from Glenallen man (01/30/15)
The Bollinger County, Missouri, Sheriff's Department is seeking the public's help to find a stolen tractor. The owner of the 1956 International 200 tractor reported it stolen Wednesday from a barn on his property on Route ZZ near Glenallen, Missouri, according to a bulletin posted Friday on the department's Facebook page...
Courthouses' shortcomings cited in county's consolidation plan (01/30/15) 7
Plans to consolidate court services in Cape Girardeau County have given court employees like Patti Wibbenmeyer a chance to talk about the issues they see every day at the historic Common Pleas Courthouse in Cape Girardeau and courthouse in Jackson. County commissioners have discussed the consolidation of services into a new courthouse for more than a year and have turned to court employees to help them explain why they believe this is necessary for the county...
Scott City names new school superintendent (01/30/15) 3
At the Scott City Chamber of Commerce meeting Wednesday, Scott City School Board president Beth Cox couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice when speaking about the district's new superintendent. Beginning July 1, Brian Lee, high school principal at Diamond School District in Diamond, Missouri, will be taking over as superintendent of the Scott City School District...
Bids for Scott City turn lane begin in March (01/30/15)
Come March, long-anticipated plans of adding a center turn lane to Main Street in Scott City will become reality. David Wyman, an engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation, said the engineering plans are under final review. After a bidding process, he said they will be available for the winning contractor to begin construction...
Schweich discusses gubernatorial aspirations during Cape visit (01/30/15) 2
Missouri's State Auditor Tom Schweich has plans to hold a higher office soon. He announced Wednesday his campaign for the Republican nomination for governor in 2016, and stopped by the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport Thursday morning to discuss his decision...
Annual chamber dinner set at Show Me Center (01/30/15)
The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce annual dinner is today at the Show Me Center. The event begins at 6 p.m. with a social hour, followed by dinner at 7 and an awards presentation at 8. More information is available by calling 335-3312. Pertinent address:...
Man accused of beating amputee's face with hammer (01/29/15) 4
A Scott City man is set for arraignment next month on charges he beat an amputee in the face with a hammer and stole his prescription medications. Dustin T. Smith, 27, faces charges of first-degree assault, armed criminal action, burglary and robbery in connection with the Dec. 28 confrontation...
Governor touts workforce training designation during visit (01/29/15) 3
A Wednesday visit from Gov. Jay Nixon to a Jackson company brought Cape Girardeau County an official designation as a Certified Work Ready Community, or one that successfully matches workforce training with economic development needs. While speaking to a group of local businesspeople, elected officials and community organization representatives at Mondi, a packaging company, Nixon said the county is one of only 12 in the state that has received the designation through an initiative led by American College Testing, or ACT.. ...
Adrian Eftink hired as Oak Ridge superintendent (01/29/15) 3
Adrian Eftink probably won't make any sweeping changes the minute he takes the reins of the Oak Ridge School District. The Oak Ridge school board Wednesday announced it had appointed Eftink, who has been the district's elementary principal for the past 12 years, to replace current superintendent Gerald Landewee when he retires at the end of June...
Cape school board puts $20 million bond issue on ballot (01/29/15) 14
A $20 million bond issue recently approved by the Cape Girardeau School Board will pay for much-needed renovations and expansion, school officials say. The board voted unanimously to place Proposition 1 on the April ballot. While the measure would help pay for a number of basic repair needs across the district, such as heating and cooling, it also will go toward more specific projects at Central Junior High School and the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center...
Southeast names new chairman of Educational Leadership (01/29/15)
Southeast Missouri State University has a new chairman in its Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling. Since Jan. 1, Dr. C.P. Gause has been leading the department that offers degree programs in educational administration, school and mental health counseling and higher education administration. He replaced Dr. Ruth Ann Roberts, who was serving as interim director before she retired, according to a news release...
Two men charged with armed robbery in Cape Girardeau (01/29/15) 10
Two men were in custody Wednesday after an armed robbery Tuesday night on South Sprigg Street, Cape Girardeau police reported. Aaron Drake, 29, and Laterrius Triplett, 20, were charged with one count each of first-degree robbery and armed criminal action in connection with the case, said Cpl. Darin Hickey of the Cape Girardeau Police Department...
Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market opens (01/29/15) 24
Cape Girardeau's newest grocery store looked about like the weekend before a major holiday as shoppers flocked to Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market on Wednesday. The new store on Independence Street celebrated with an early morning ribbon-cutting and opened for business, marking a fourth Wal-Mart store to operate in the Cape Girardeau/Jackson area...
Cape Girardeau County Commission agenda 1/29/15 (01/29/15)
1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. Monday n None at this time n Purchase orders n Payroll change forms n None at this time n Per recommendation -- Award bid for walk-in cooler for coroner's office and award bid for HVAC for coroner's office n None at this time...
Investigation into Southeast student's shooting yields two arrests (01/28/15) 19
The investigation into the shooting death of a Southeast Missouri State University student has yielded two arrests, Illinois law enforcement officials said Tuesday. It was not clear how or even whether the arrests were connected to the slaying of 19-year-old Southeast sophomore Bobby Christman during an attempted armed robbery early Jan. 11 in St. Louis...
Use tax question going back on election ballot (01/28/15) 25
Cape Girardeau County Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a 1 percent use tax subject to voter approval, after hearing little discussion and no opposition during a public hearing on the matter. The vote was held immediately after the public hearing, where only two people spoke -- both of whom noted the need for widespread education on the use-tax issue. ...
Poplar Bluff UFO sighting in 1950 included in online database (01/28/15) 5
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff UFO report was among previously classified documents released online recently, but the report does not dispel the mysteries of a bizarre 24-hour period in the fall of 1950. More than 130,000 files from U.S. Air Force "Project Blue Book" were added to the The Black Vault online database last week. The database is the work of UFO enthusiast John Greenewald, who spent years requesting the files through the Freedom of Information Act...
Body found in Black River identified; man was shot (01/28/15)
MARKHAM SPRINGS, Mo. -- Authorities are investigating the shooting death of a missing Bismarck, Missouri, man whose body was found over the weekend in Black River. "We got a call at 9:54 Saturday morning," Wayne County Sheriff Dean Finch said. "A couple of fishermen spotted a body in the water about a mile to a mile and a half south of Markham Springs in Black River."...
New historical marker added to U.S. Grant Trail (01/28/15) 2
Most people don't know about Ulysses S. Grant's brief stay in Cape Girardeau and the role his time here played in the outcome of the Civil War. But the spot where two downtown streets meet is well known by those familiar with Grant's journey, and how it influenced his transition as the Union Army's commanding general and later president of the United States...
Malden man charged in shovel assault (01/28/15)
MALDEN, Mo. -- A Malden man was charged Monday with critically injuring another man by allegedly striking him repeatedly in the head with a shovel. William Scott Laden, 23, of the 500 block of South Kimball Street was charged with first-degree assault, armed criminal action and resisting arrest by Dunklin County assistant prosecuting attorney Jonce Chidister. All of the charges are felonies...
Man charged with murder in Illinois set for trial April 20 (01/28/15)
A Cape Girardeau County man facing a murder charge in St. Clair County, Illinois, is set for trial in April. Anthony P. Allen, 22, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the Feb. 9 shooting death of 25-year-old Darrin B. Hayes of Belleville, Illinois...
As deadline looms for health plans, navigators help consumers sign up (01/27/15) 7
The newest deadline for Affordable Care Act plan enrollment is coming in just a little more than two weeks, so area agencies are upping their efforts to help people who need it in signing up for government marketplace insurance. East Missouri Action Agency navigator and certified application counselor Gina Harper said the agency can guide people through enrollment on the health insurance marketplace website or help them discover whether they may qualify for an exemption. ...
County commission approves plan to move courts to Jackson (01/27/15) 23
A citizen advisory committee formed to assess plans for the future of Cape Girardeau County facilities delivered its final report to county commissioners Monday, recommending a plan that would move all court operations to a new courthouse, tear down the administration building and build a parking garage near the courthouse...
Cape Girardeau police investigate early morning assault (01/27/15) 7
Early Sunday morning, a man reported being the victim of an armed assault near Washington Park in Cape Girardeau. Sgt. Jason Selzer of the Cape Girardeau Police Department said the man was walking by the park between 1:30 and 2:30 a.m. when an armed assailant stopped him and demanded his belongings...
Three charged in Hayti Heights fatal shooting (01/27/15)
CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- Three people will be arraigned Thursday in connection with a fatal shooting Sunday in Hayti Heights, Missouri. Samuel Carnell Jones Jr., 25, of Columbia, Missouri; Arthur W. Liddell, 29; and Demario M. Mitchell, 18, of Hayti are charged in connection with the death of Cedriceon Stewart, 20, of Hayti Heights. ...
Michigan contractor could get $280K more from Poplar Bluff (01/27/15) 3
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- More money soon will be headed to a Michigan company that already has received nearly $2 million in government contracts from the city of Poplar Bluff, without ever going through a competitive bidding process. The city expects to spend almost $280,000 more on software product licenses for a technology upgrade, servers and equipment for police vehicles, among other items, according to city council documents released late last week after an open meetings request by The Daily American Republic.. ...
Two arrested in connection with January murder (01/27/15)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Two men being sought in connection with the Jan. 11 murder of Christopher West are in custody. Capt. Jim McMillen, the Sikeston Department of Public Safety's public information officer, said in a news release that at 3 p.m. Thursday, officers learned that William Henry and Gailon Appelwhite were hiding in Sikeston...
Southeast Missouri State University enrollment climbs again (01/26/15) 13
Editor's Note: This story has been corrected to be more clear about dual credit coursework and an increase in enrollment. Enrollment has increased once again at Southeast Missouri State University, and it's because of a higher number of high school students taking dual-enrollment classes...
Advisory board to recommend plan for county facilities today (01/26/15) 9
The citizen advisory board formed to review plans for the future of Cape Girardeau County facilities has been given plenty of suggestions to consider before making its final recommendation to county commissioners today. At the two public meetings hosted this month in Cape Girardeau and Jackson, advisory board members said they favored Option C -- the final option of the three drawn up by...
Jackson Junior High band performs (01/26/15)
Peyton Strand plays trumpet with the Jackson Junior High Honor Band on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015 in Jackson. (Fred Lynch)
Two people wanted in Perry County (01/26/15)
On Friday afternoon the Perry County Sheriff's Office released the names of three individuals who are wanted for various crimes. Two of the three still had active warrants as of Sunday afternoon. The first, Christopher W. Heberlie, 38, of St. Mary, Missouri, was wanted and arrested on suspicion of felony possession of a controlled substance. Over the weekend he was incarcerated at the Missouri Department of Corrections, processed and released...
NTSB cites fatigue as a factor in Rockview train crash (01/25/15)
Erratic shifts and sleep deprivation may have led to a May 25, 2013, train collision near Chaffee, Missouri, the National Transportation Safety Board has reported. The 2:30 a.m. collision between a 60-car Union Pacific train and a 75-car Burlington Northern Santa Fe train at the Rockview Interlocking in Scott County injured seven people -- none seriously -- and forced the closure of Route M for more than three months while crews repaired an overpass that collapsed after derailed train cars crashed into it.. ...
City lays out criteria for sports-complex proposals (01/25/15) 10
The city of Cape Girardeau has laid out plans for choosing a partner to develop a sports complex with the rollout of its official request for proposals. The request outlines a need for a public-private partnership between the city and one or more developers, along with building and property specifications for the sports complex project...
State hosts Cape hearing Monday on Ameren rate request (01/25/15) 15
Missouri Public Service Commission public hearings for the Ameren Missouri rate-request case will come to the Southeast Missouri area Monday. Those living in and around Cape Girardeau will have a chance to attend a meeting at noon at the Osage Centre to offer their input on the utility's request to raise electric rates...
Sikeston murder suspects arrested after standoff (01/25/15) 4
SIKESTON, Mo. -- A three-hour standoff ended late Friday with the arrest of two men wanted in a Jan. 11 fatal shooting. Sikeston Department of Public Safety Director Drew Juden reported about midnight Friday the arrest of William Henry Applewhite III, 27, and Gailon Lamarous Applewhite, 29, on Davis Street in Sikeston. The brothers were taken to the Sikeston Jail...
Bluegrass festival (01/25/15)
Cheyenne Dalton sings with That Dalton Gang during the Bootheel Bluegrass Festival on Friday at Bavarian Halle in Fruitland. (Glenn Landberg)
Three Rivers College's spring enrollment drops (01/25/15)
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Three Rivers College recorded an enrollment of 3,601 students on the first day of the spring semester -- 175 students fewer than a year ago. "The number of students is down about 5 percent, but this is still 2 percent ahead of the national average decrease," said Dr. Wesley Payne during a Three Rivers College board meeting last week...
Suspect held for trial on Poplar Bluff shooting death (01/25/15)
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff man was ordered to stand trial Thursday afternoon for the shooting death of a man found submerged in the Black River. Bryce Davis appeared before Associate Circuit Judge John Bloodworth for a preliminary hearing in his case...
Former pastor charged with forgery (01/25/15)
A former Dexter, Missouri, pastor will not stand trial for stealing more than $112,000 from his church, but a judge found probable cause he forged a church document. In November, Marcus Crendale Geuin, 35, appeared before Associate Circuit Judge John Spielman of Dunklin County for a preliminary hearing...
Investigation continues into fatal shooting (01/25/15)
A Campbell, Missouri, man is dead after a shooting at a home off Highway DD on Thursday. The Dunklin County Sheriff's Office was called to a disturbance shortly after 5 a.m. at the home of Johnny Mallett, where they found Travis Phillip Bullock with gunshot wounds to the body. He was taken to the Campbell, Missouri, ambulance shed, where he was pronounced dead by Dunklin County Coroner James Powell...
Cape Girardeau County Commission agenda 1/25/15 (01/25/15)
1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. Monday n None at this time n Items listed on the agenda n Purchase orders n Payroll change forms n Statement of monthly collections n Juvenile office car log report n City of Delta Ordinance 1130 n 9 a.m. -- Industrial Development Board-Resolution No. 15-R1 for Gibson Recovery Project with revised certificate of approval -- Susan Layton...
Club news 1-25-15 (01/25/15)
The Torchbearer Iota Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi met Jan. 12 at the home of Marilyn Schwab, with Linda Belote as co-hostess. President Linda Belote conducted the meeting. It was reported that items for the chapter's "Operation Komando" project have been sent to military personnel. Additional items will be collected all year...
Locals provide fond memories of longtime Benton mayor (01/23/15)
It's a raw time for friends and family of Joe Stuckey, who served as mayor of Benton, Missouri, since 1991. Stuckey, 68, died suddenly Wednesday while at a local Subway restaurant. The cause of his death was not available Thursday. Some who knew and loved him, such as City Clerk Connie Barnett, declined to say much amid their grief. But others, such as longtime political colleague and Scott County Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger, waxed eloquent on the subject of their just-departed friend...
Money questions pepper meeting about county facility proposals (01/23/15) 11
Cape Girardeau County officials hosted their second public meeting to discuss and answer questions -- many of them about money -- on the future of county facilities Thursday night in Jackson. People filled a small room in the back of the Riverside Regional Library and posed questions that primarily focused on budgets and funding...
Bell convicted of murder, armed criminal action in 2013 shootings (01/23/15)
Jury convicts him of first-degree murder, armed criminal action in 2013 shootings After nearly three hours of deliberation, a Cape Girardeau County jury on Thursday convicted Kenneth Bell of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of armed criminal action for the Feb. 7, 2013, shooting deaths of Misty Cole and Shannon James in their apartment at 401 S. Pacific St...
Deaths by suicide appear to be increasing across Missouri (01/23/15) 10
More deaths are attributed to suicide in Missouri than homicides and DWI-related accidents combined. And the numbers are climbing. Yet mental health professionals say stigmas associated with mental illness and depression remain obstacles for people who struggle to find solutions they need...
Second person sought in St. Louis hotel murder case (01/23/15)
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Local authorities are asking the public for help in their search for a Poplar Bluff man wanted for questioning in connection with the recent killing of a St. Louis Drury Inn manager. Quinton J. Williams, 30, whose last known address was in the 1000 block of Franklin Street, has been identified as a person of interest in the death of Scott Knopfel, said Poplar Bluff Deputy Chief Jeff Rolland...

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