Local News

The ties that link the Cape Girardeau city hall project and the county's justice center project are rooted in Jackson contractor Phil Penzel's German heritage. Penzel's firm is building the new courthouse in Jackson and his design-build team was recently hired to transform the Common Pleas Courthouse and Annex into a new city hall...

A design-build team plans to preserve the beauty of the historic Common Pleas Courthouse and Annex and construct an addition that will blend in with the existing architecture. Contractor Phil Penzel's design-build team was recently chosen by the Cape Girardeau City Council for the $12 million project to repurpose the old buildings as a new city hall...

By Jay Wolz Saying they want to keep the momentum going on a number of current and upcoming projects, two members of the Cape Girardeau County Commission say they will seek re-election in 2020. Associate commissioners Paul Koeper and Charlie Herbst, who represent the county's first and second districts, respectively, told the Missourian Thursday they plan to file for re-election during the filing period that begins in late February...

Public health officials on Thursday reported a second Missourian's death has been associated with the use of e-cigarettes or vaping. According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the death occurred this week and the deceased Missourian was a woman in her mid-50s...

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $150,145 to Southeast Missouri State University to help provide affordable child care services through the University School for Young Children. The "Child Care Access Means Parents in School" (CCAMPIS) grant, announced by the university this week, will be used to establish the "Redhawk Flight Program" as part of an effort to support Southeast Missouri families by expanding access to affordable child care services while they pursue higher education goals.. ...

The following is a list of Cape Girardeau County Commission accomplishments since January 1, 2009, prepared by associate commissioners Paul Koeper and Charlie Herbst and provided to the Missourian as they announced their plans to seek re-election in 2020:...

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday later this month, Jackson's Sanitation Department will not operate Nov. 28 or 29. Jackson residents whose garbage is normally collected on a Thursday or Friday will instead have their trash picked up Dec. 2. Trash pickups that would have been picked up Dec. 2 will instead be collected on the following day, along with the trash that would normally be collected on that day...

The Cape Girardeau Regional Airport has drawn more than 10,000 passenger boardings this calendar year, opening the door to another $850,000 in federal funding for the airport, city officials said Wednesday. The 10,000-boardings threshold was reached last week for the first time in more than two decades, airport manager Bruce Loy said...

Ten-week-old golden retriever Narwhal the Little Magical Furry Unicorn has no idea he has become an internet sensation after being rescued by Mac’s Mission in Jackson — and he doesn’t seem bothered by the extra tail between his eyes, either. Rochelle Steffen, founder of Mac’s Mission, said her volunteers picked up Narwhal and his “dad” — a 2-year-old wiener dog — after the organization was tagged in a social media post Saturday near Kansas City, Missouri. ...

The Salvation Army in Cape Girardeau has been dealing with dwindling funds for the past three years. And with this year’s shortened shopping season approaching, the organization has decided to try something new during this year’s bell-ringing campaign...

As Democratic lawmakers in the House pushed forward with televised impeachment hearings Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Jason Smith decried what he called “true chaos in government.” In a phone interview, Smith said, “In my time serving in public office, I have never seen such chaos.”...

A proposal to cut into the Common Pleas Courthouse hillside to provide added parking on Spanish Street may not be worth the cost, Cape Girardeau Mayor Bob Fox said Wednesday. Fox recently suggested improvements should be made to Spanish Street in conjunction with plans to renovate the courthouse as part of the new city hall project...

The Cape Girardeau City Council has revamped the liquor-license review board, giving itself the power to appoint all three members of the board and eliminating the need for the council to handle appeals. Under the measure given first-round approval last week, the city manager would no longer appoint any review board members and city employees no longer would serve on the board...

Approval of minutes n Minutes for Nov. 7 meeting Communications/reports -- other elected officials n None at this time Public comments n Items listed on the agenda Routine business...

Competitive gaming students at Southeast Missouri State University now have a place all their own — a 1,500-square-foot eSports Arena at Towers Complex dormitory. Previously occupied by a computer lab, the space contains 12 liquid-cooled desktop computers equipped for gaming. It also features an area dedicated to Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo consoles coupled with a 70-inch wall-mounted television for a “bird’s-eye view.”...

Televised impeachment hearings, which begin today, will be more “political theater” than a fact-finding effort into alleged actions of President Donald Trump, a political science professor said Tuesday. The hearings by the intelligence committee of the U.S. House of Representatives will focus mostly on grandstanding by its members rather than hearing from witnesses, said Jeremy Walling, political science professor at Southeast Missouri State University...

Organizers hope for hundreds to attend Saturday’s inaugural Spirit of Democracy fundraising banquet at the Arena Building in Cape Girardeau to benefit the Stars and Stripes National Museum in Bloomfield, Missouri. With that hope in mind and through the donations of sponsors, the banquet will be free to attend for any member of the military or his or her family...

To the tune of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” snow and ice prompted Cape Girardeau School District superintendent Neil Glass to star as sheriff — alongside dancers in horse masks — in his third “No School Today” YouTube video. As of Tuesday night, the video spoof had reached more than 27,500 views...

Cape Girardeau city workers removed the “yield to pedestrian” signs along a four-block stretch of Broadway to accommodate a parade last month and will keep them down this winter to allow for snow plowing. The signs were installed in late April after some Broadway business owners complained of motorists speeding along the thoroughfare, posing a danger to pedestrians trying to cross the street...

Whitney Vines of Cape Girardeau and her daughter Natalie, 2, play with a pet toy made during a “Cool Crafts” session Tuesday at the Cape Girardeau Public Library

Construction of a new roundabout in Jackson is expected to begin today, city officials said. The nearly $739,000 project to construct a roundabout at East Main Street and Shawnee Boulevard will commence with relocation of underground utilities near the intersection, engineer Clint Brown said in a news release...

BOLLINGER COUNTY, Mo. — A little more than seven miles east of Zalma, Missouri, and a short distance off Highway 51, sits the rural Bollinger County church of Dongola Friendship Baptist. With its adjacent cemetery and church hall, the place of worship doesn't have quite the number of congregants as it has at times had in its more than 130 years of existence, but it still has a faithful few. ...

Plans are in place for the Salvation Army’s annual Thanksgiving Day dinner, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Lt. Matthew DeGonia said. Items on the menu will be the “traditional” Thanksgiving Day fare — turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce and green beans — but food donations help make it a reality, he said. ...

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, Mo., visited Catapult Creative House in Cape Girardeau for the first time Saturday to familiarize himself with entrepreneur projects created by high school and Southeast Missouri State University students. ...

The Cape Girardeau School District plans to boost playground safety with boulders at Clippard Elementary School. School officials have decided to install 16 boulders, 3-by-3-feet to 4-by-4-feet in size, along the outside of the fence running along the length of the playground bordering Hopper Road...

A winter storm, accompanied by arctic temperatures, prompted the cancellation Monday of several Veterans Day activities and other events in the area, and led to early closings of some schools. Monday night's open house at Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau has been rescheduled for 6:30 p.m. Nov. 18, school officials said...

A second allegation of sexual abuse of a minor has been made against a priest who spent time in Southeast Missouri. According to a news release from the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, a second allegation was made against William E. Donovan that occurred between 1968 and 1972. Donovan, who died Feb. 9, 1975, is already listed as a clergy against whom prior allegations of the abuse of a minor occurred...

MINER, Mo. -- A Sikeston, Missouri, woman was killed after exiting a moving vehicle Sunday evening. Ronnie L. Warning, 62, of Sikeston, was driving northbound on County Road 538, 2 miles east of Miner, at 5:30 p.m. Sunday when his passenger, Samantha Wilkinson, 33, exited the vehicle while it was in motion, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Not many Missourians know the U.S. military's daily newspaper, Stars and Stripes, was founded here Nov. 9, 1861. Union soldiers occupying the town commandeered the printing press of the Bloomfield Herald and issued a four-page newspaper with that title...

** Program scheduled at Cape Central Junior High The program begins at 9 a.m. Nov. 11 in the Central Junior High School auditorium and will include a presentation of colors by the Boy Scouts and a slideshow of area veterans.

The Avenue of Flags will not be on display Monday for Veterans Day at Cape County Park North because of the forecast for inclement weather. David Cantrell, chairman of the Avenue of Flags program, made the announcement in a Facebook post Sunday afternoon...

Cape Girardeau City Council members remain at odds over a proposal to prohibit anyone younger than 21 from buying tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes. Council members last month instructed city staff to research a possible city ordinance to impose such a restriction to combat nicotine addiction...

Cape Girardeau County government will spend about $3.5 million to renovate and replace the plumbing and electrical systems, and install a new heating and cooling system in the county jail. Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to proceed with the project...

Throughout its history, Southeast Missouri State University has had a strong veteran presence. From having one of the highest veteran populations in the state in the 1970s to establishing an Air Force ROTC program to creating a program that prepares National Guardsmen for Officer Candidate School, Southeast’s veteran support and involvement has been present for decades...

From a swing set across the street from the Arena Building, Nathan Stearns watched the crowd gather for fight night. He said he wasn't nervous, and in fact seemed as calm as the Buddha he wore on a cord around his neck. He'd fought plenty before, but this night was different. This night, his bout with Brian Brooks was the main event. And this night, for the first time in his life, the 23-year-old would be fighting as a professional...

State Rep. Kathy Swan and state Sen. Wayne Wallingford are pushing legislation for shared parenting in custody cases. The two Republican, Cape Girardeau lawmakers met recently with shared-parenting advocates in Cape Girardeau. A documentary, “Erasing Family,” was shown Oct. 29 at The Concourse event center. ...

An interactive mobile bedroom containing more than 70 items associated with substance use is making its way to Cape Girardeau for an adult-only discussion focused on preventing teenagers from getting involved with risky behaviors. The free event is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Osage Centre...

With 16 20-player teams in Cape Girardeau for the Missouri State High School Activities Association Volleyball Championships, Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director Brenda Newbern said she expects $91,000 to funnel in -- and that doesn't factor in all the fans...

Stop Needless Acts of Violence Please (SNAP) will be planting “seeds of hope” within Cape Girardeau through GROW Afterschool Kids Club, a free creative program for children age 4 to 18. SNAP organization coordinator Felice Patton said the idea for an after-school program at 500 S. Frederick St. stemmed from seeing a need for students to “grow in arts and crafts, in character and in God.”...

Co-founder of Horizon Screen Printing and former Sears manager Glenn Reeves was remembered fondly by local leaders after news spread of the Cape Girardeau businessman’s death Wednesday at Southeast Hospital. Reeves’ business career began in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as a sewing-machine salesman and selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door for Sears. ...

Prosecutors called it murder. Ronald Clark called it self-defense. Now new evidence supports Clark’s claim and gives him hope the Missouri Supreme Court may free him after decades of incarceration. Clark has spent most of his adult life in jail, convicted of first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Alvin Ray Spence outside a Charleston, Missouri, community center. The shooting occurred on the evening of Nov. 8, 1994, 25 years ago today...

Ronald Clark never figured he would be charged with murder, much less convicted. After all, he had witnesses. But many of them never spoke up. “A lot of people, they didn’t want to get in between the two families. They stayed silent,” he said during a phone interview with the Southeast Missourian from the prison in Bonne Terre, Missouri, where he is serving a life sentence...

Cape Girardeau Mayor Bob Fox wants to see improvements made to Spanish Street in conjunction with plans to renovate the Common Pleas Courthouse as part of the new city hall project. “It needs to be discussed right now,” Fox said Wednesday. The City Council on Monday approved a design-build agreement with Penzel Construction Co., in partnership with architecture firm TreanorHL, to renovate the 165-year-old Common Pleas Courthouse and the adjacent Annex and construct a connecting addition. ...

Local fire departments responded to a two-alarm fire at Midwest Grain and Barge late Tuesday morning in Scott City, where a blaze began in an electrical building near a loading area and spread up grain elevators. Scott City fire chief Trent August said firefighters responded to a 10:46 a.m. call at 179 Rushing Road and discovered a large working fire, which was determined to have originated from an electrical control room behind a set of silos...

With a different take on the play “12 Angry Men,” the students and faculty at Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau are debuting a more “inclusive” version at 7 p.m. today: “12 Angry Jurors.” We talked with director Cynthia King to find out how this season’s performance — made up of 13 cast members and more than 30 crew members — stacks up among the rest...

In memory of a Perryville, Missouri, farmer who died at the age of 48 in December, a new beautification program has hit the streets of the city. The Lohmann family of Perry County has adopted Perry County Road 502 in honor of Todd Lohmann — making them the first family to participate in the Adopt-A-County-Road Program, according to a news release...

Area businesses are offering specials to veterans in observance of Veterans Day. ...

Alisa McFerron, associate director of admissions at Southeast Missouri State University, uses an umbrella to shield herself from rain while walking on the university's campus Wednesday in Cape Girardeau.

A Doniphan, Missouri, man was sentenced to 64 months in prison on a felony firearm conviction Wednesday, according to the United States Attorney’s Office. Terrance Malkowski, 28, was convicted on one count of felony possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon...

Approval of minutes n Minutes for Nov. 4 meeting Communications/reports -- other elected officials n Approve purchase order for payment to Penzel Construction -- application No. 14...