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Saturday, November 7, 2009

Local News

Cents and sensibility: Personal finance classes becoming bigger part of high school, college education (11/06/09)
When Natalie King decided to major in communication disorders at Southeast Missouri State University, she considered the prospects for jobs after graduation. King, a sophomore, said more of her peers are thinking more about majoring in a subject that will produce a job, an effect of the economic downturn...
Trash and recycling pickup days won't change for Cape residents (11/06/09)
With the Cape Girardeau City Council's decision to move ahead with automated trash and recycling pickup, the publicity campaign to educate residents about the change is underway. On Monday evening, the council approved spending $2.3 million to buy six trucks and 22,000 new trash bins for distribution to residents. The switch won't require a rate increase to pay the bonds that will finance the program...
Author Alex Flinn to address area students, conduct workshop (11/06/09)
As teens face increasingly complex issues, the voice of many of those struggles, author Alex Flinn, will be in the area to address students at two schools and the public. Libby Wilson, a librarian at Central Junior High School, said Flinn writes realistic fiction that many students at her school can relate to. This perspective and understanding makes her work popular among adolescents, even those who do not always enjoy reading...
Wednesday apartment fire now considered arson (11/06/09)
A Wednesday morning fire that damaged a Cape Girardeau apartment is now considered arson. Sgt. Jason Selzer of the Cape Girardeau Police Department said an investigation continues into a fire that moderately damaged a fourth floor apartment at 45 S. West End Boulevard around 6:15 a.m. No suspects are in custody...
Combine, truck collide (11/06/09)
KENNETT, Mo. -- A combine and a truck collided near Kennett Thursday night, igniting a fire inside the combine. The Kennett Fire Department received a call at 7:10 p.m. that a tractor had run over a pick-up truck and was on fire on County Road 553. The driver of the pick-up truck, Mike Faught, and the operator of the combine both escaped the incident unharmed, according to officials. ...
Rally set to support defendant in racially charged Bootheel case (11/06/09)
KENNETT, Mo. -- A rally Nov. 16 in Kennett is in support of a woman accused in a racially charged case with assaulting two police officers, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace. The now-24-year-old Heather Ellis has said she moved into a check-out lane at Walmart to join a cousin whose line was moving faster Jan. 6, 2007. Other customers said she cut ahead of them...
Cape Girardeau man appeals death sentence based on mental disability (11/06/09)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Cape Girardeau man on death row for a 1992 triple homicide is mentally disabled and should not be executed, his attorney told the Missouri Supreme Court. Andrew A. Lyons, 52, was sentenced to two death sentences in 1996 for the shooting deaths of Evelyn Sparks and Bridgette Harris, an ex-girlfriend. He also received a seven-year sentence for the shooting death of his 11-month old son Dontay Harris...
Cape Girardeau man accused of downloading child pornography (11/06/09)
A Cape Girardeau man faces child pornography charges after his girlfriend allegedly found explicit photos on his home computer.
Charges filed against man accused in Chaffee bomb threat (11/06/09)
CHAFFEE, Mo. -- An 18-year-old Chaffee man was charged Thursday with making a false bomb threat against the Rhodes 101 convenience store, Chaffee police chief Jim Chambers said in a news release.
More than 70,000 pounds of food raised for Southeast Missouri Food Bank (11/06/09)
Notre Dame student Robby Hinson, left, Food Bank staff member Danny Stotler, student Mollina Stallings, right, and Notre Dame teacher Daniel Strohmeyer unload a portion of the school's donation of more than 5,600 cans of food collected for the Southeast Missouri Food Bank on Thursday at the facility on Nash Road. In all, 70,834 pounds of food were donated, about 30,000 raised by schools and 41,000 donated by Tyson Foods. Notre Dame Regional High School won the Division A contest among schools with more than 250 students. Eagle Ridge Christian School won Division B, schools with 250 or fewer students. Read more about area schools at semissourian.com/schools.
County commission OKs firm to conduct audit (11/06/09)
Commission approves firm to conduct audit The Cape Girardeau County Commission has approved a Cape Girardeau accounting firm to conduct the county's annual audit. During its meeting Thursday the commission chose Stanley, Dirnberger, Hopper and Associates LLC to perform the audit from 2009 to 2011. The accounting firm was the low bidder, with a total not to exceed $47,900 for the years it will do the audit...
Land reimbursement rate cut for assessors (11/06/09)
Cape Girardeau County is among the state's 114 counties scheduled to receive thousands of dollars less annually from the state in payments to county assessors. The State Tax Commission has reduced the parcel reimbursement rate for county assessors from $5.99 to $4 for each parcel of land. The $6.117 million in payments for reassessment is part of $204 million in cuts announced Oct. 28 by Gov. Jay Nixon...
Missouri auditor to speak at First Friday Coffee (11/06/09)
Missouri Auditor Susan Montee will be the guest speaker Friday morning at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee. Montee will discuss the work of the auditor's office. The program will begin at 7:40 a.m. at the Show Me Center, and a continental breakfast will be available...
Longtime Stoddard County clerk to retire at end of year (11/05/09)
BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Don White, longtime Stoddard County Clerk, announced this week that he would retire following 23 years in office. After nearly six terms, and overseeing countless elections, White has decided it is time to hang up his vote counter...
Sikeston explores construction of city walking trail, authorizes improvements to Veterans Park (11/05/09)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- An enhancement to Veterans Park may be the first step toward a community walking trail. During Monday's regular City Council meeting, council members approved pursuing funding for a walking trail project with an estimated cost of $139,000...
Construction of Cape hospitals' new treatment centers on schedule (11/05/09)
Construction on new multimillion-dollar facilities to fight deadly diseases remains on schedule for Cape Girardeau's two largest health care providers. Once complete, patients seeking care no longer will have to travel far from home to receive the same level of treatment, hospital officials said...
Suspect sought in Thebes double shooting (11/05/09)
Officers with the Illinois State Police are seeking a suspect involved in a double shooting in Thebes, Ill., Tuesday night. Dion L. Meadows, 24, of Carbondale allegedly shot two people in the parking lot of Mary Alice Meadows Public Housing at about 9 p.m. The Alexander County State's Attorney issued a warrant for aggravated battery with a firearm...
Emergency responders find capsized boat on Diversion Channel (11/05/09)
Area emergency responders grouped at the Highway 25 bridge over the Diversion Channel this afternoon after a call of a capsized boat in the water, but found no sign that a human was actually in the boat when it overturned.
No injuries reported in Cape Girardeau County barn fire (11/05/09)
A Cape Girardeau County couple lost a barn to fire this afternoon, and their nearby mobile home was damaged by the heat from the blaze. The fire happened in a barn on property owned by Jay and Tammy Maloney on County Road 335. The barn was near their mobile home, and the heat of the fire melted some of the skirting on the home...
Kelly students honor former teacher (11/05/09)
BENTON -- Brianna Buchanan, a second grader at Kelly Elementary School in Benton, is happy about the newly installed wooden benches that sit in the corner of her school library. "You don't have to sit on the floor (to read) anymore," Brianna said. Trent Kelsey, also a second grader, said because the benches were added, students can see "more high up" when sitting and reading. ...
Cape Girardeau County health center gets more seasonal flu vaccine doses; all given out Tuesday (11/05/09)
Late Friday the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center received a shipment it never expected to receive again this year -- additional doses of the seasonal influenza vaccine.
Kennett Schools accepting applications for superintendent (11/05/09)
The Kennett Board of Education decided to start accepting letters of interest from superintendent applicants, during a closed session meeting on Oct. 28, the Daily Dunklin Democrat reported. Superintendent Jerry Noble will resign at the end of the 2009-2010 school year...
Cape school holding resource fair for parents to learn about housing assistance, counseling, transportation (11/05/09)
Getting families connected to the resources they need is a big part of what Kayleen Shaw does on a daily basis as the Cape Girardeau School District's social worker. Shaw is bringing social agencies together for an event Tuesday so families and members of the community can learn about opportunities for housing assistance, counseling and transportation...
History-writing seminar at Cape museum teaches people how to document the past (11/05/09)
Two months ago Jo Duff wrote a one-page letter to her nieces and nephews about her maternal grandfather. Soon afterward she heard back from two of the nephews, who are in their late 20s, that it was the first time they had ever received a letter from anybody...
Drivers warned of road work on Independence Street, Highway 177 today (11/05/09)
Work continues on Independence Street Fronabarger Concreters is finishing construction of new sidewalk, curbs and gutters on the south side of Independence Street between Sprigg and Spanish streets. The work is scheduled to take one to two weeks, weather permitting. Only westbound traffic will be allowed through the construction area. Eastbound traffic will be detoured to Merriwether Street...
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