Driving down Broadway the other night (operative word: night) the trees along the road looked wonderful. Full and green. In fact, the whole streetscape popped: soft, clean, welcoming. That's when it dawned on me: the new lights are in and actually making a difference. Kudos to the City of Cape Girardeau for making the change!...

This past Monday was another ordinary Monday. And it wasn't. My Monday schedule is pretty consistent: Coffee with a couple of friends at 6:45 a.m. at Sands Pancake House. If we have any unanswered questions about -- well, anything -- we can always ask the fellows at the long table in the middle of the dining room, who will gladly provide several versions of responses to our inquiries...

If you have children in Clippard Elementary or live in west-side subdivisions near Hopper Road, please take notice of rezoning decisions that will be considered by the Cape Girardeau City Council at their Monday, July 2 meeting. On June 13, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the council approve a request to rezone land that is surrounded by R-1, single-family residences south of Hopper Road. ...

The proposed rule change to the Title X family planning program -- also known as a "gag rule" -- is both offensive and hazardous to women's health. East Missouri Action Agency (located in Cape Girardeau, Park Hills, and Fredericktown) has been a Title X provider for decades, and in 2017 served over 1,100 individuals. EMAA prides itself on providing high-quality, affordable family planning services, including birth control, STD testing and treatment, and cancer screenings...

Democrats said Trump didn't understand the economy, yet we have two-decade low unemployment and rising wages. Democrats said Trump didn't understand foreign affairs, yet he's sitting down with the North Korean leader. Democrats said Trump couldn't negotiate with world leaders, yet Canada and Mexico are renegotiating NAFTA...

O Lord Jesus, our Savior, thank you for your unfailing love. Amen.

In response to Jon K. Rust's column, June 20, "The collateral damage of Mizzou's past failures," which referenced an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, a University of Missouri spokesman requested the following letter be published. The Wall Street Journal's recent editorial "More Misery in Missouri" misses the story about what's really happening at Mizzou and perpetuates a narrative designed to erode higher education...

Dan Overbey has been talking about retirement for a number of years now. It's finally going to stick. Overbey has been the executive director of the Southeast Missouri Regional Port for the last quarter century. And he's finally walking away. June 30 will be his final day...

Illegal immigrants, separating children from parents, and cross border crime are some of the issues raised by our porous southern border. Immigrants from Honduras and other Central American nations are bringing their families through Mexico to attempt entry into the United States. ...

At the current time, inflation is running at a rate of 2.5 percent per year. This means that if a person was making $50,000 a year at the beginning of 2018, the individual would need to be making $51,250 per year at the beginning in 2019 in order to keep the same amount of purchasing power. Therefore, if the person's salary remains the same, they have effectively been given a cut in pay...

What is happening at the border is a disgrace on a par with the internment of Japanese citizens during World War II. Seizing small children, or any age child, and isolating them from their parents is simply immoral. When Jesus said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me" this was not the picture He envisioned...

The editorial board of the Wall Street Journal slammed the University of Missouri last week for its "ambiguous" commitment to free speech, declining enrollment and expensive marketing campaign, writing: "Apparently, fewer parents want to send their kids to a school where activism eclipses academics." The editorial points out, "In May 2017, the university signed a $1.3 million contract for three years of outside PR help. ...

I am starting to seriously worry about my friends on the progressive left. It's abundantly clear the Dems have adopted one unified message as their party policy and that message is anti-Trump today and forever. Nothing more, nothing less. With an arrogance that borders on insanity, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi actually mocked record employment figures released last week...

It is not comforting to know that the Jackson Board of Aldermen thinks it knows better than the police department, public school, fire department and thousands of residents that live and drive through the dangerous curve on West Route D, where the board is allowing the largest apartment complex to be jammed into the curve which makes it a dangerous public safety hazard by the middle school plus two nearby grade schools...

Neal Boyd lived an amazing life, an amazing life filled with challenges and obstacles. We will remember him for many moments, the biggest of which is winning the "America's Got Talent" competition in 2008. But we will remember him for many smaller moments as well...

I have always been an old-school kind of a girl. I've been called an old soul even when I was a young 'un. And, lately, I think the evidence is piling up. I miss the days when people spoke in complete sentences, said, "Good morning" and asked, "How are you?" Now, I know it's been years -- if it ever happened -- since people who asked how someone is doing actually waited for a reply. ...

I have just two sentences I need to write to all the Trump supporters in Washington and elsewhere who have been wailing at the top of their voices that the Mueller investigation of all of Trump’s wrongdoing has gone on too long and needs to be stopped, after only 13 months. ...

Again, thank you for the lovely opinion piece written in the Missourian about me and my tenure at Alma Schrader. It was beautifully written and totally unexpected. It has always been an honor and a privilege to partner with the Missourian. You have been gracious and kind to cover Schrader over the years. ...

Thursday is the last day to submit a nomination for the Southeast Missourian Spirit of America Award. The award recognizes an individual who serves his or her community while standing for the values that embody the American spirit. The Spirit of America Award includes a $1,000 cash prize to the nominating organization of the recipient...

Kids need a mom and dad actively involved in their lives. Years ago that would have been a given. But in today's culture, it's an important reminder. The role each parent plays in child rearing not only affects youngsters in their formative years, but it makes a difference in our culture for generations...

Last September, after being appointed by President Donald J. Trump, I was sworn in as alternate federal co-chair of the Delta Regional Authority, a federal-state partnership focused on economic development throughout the Lower Mississippi Valley. I will always be immensely grateful to the President for this opportunity and to Missouri Sen. ...

High school graduations have come and gone, but we're still having a good time learning about our area valedictorians. For the past couple of weeks the newspaper has profiled and photographed several of the area's brightest students. We enjoy learning about their favorite moments and future plans. When asked where they see themselves in 10 years, some have said a doctor or a veterinarian. When answering her survey, Morgan Kluge of Central High School simply said "In debt."...

Editor's note: Pete Poe was recognized in 2017 as the Southeast Missourian Spirit of America award. Nominations for the 2018 Spirit of America Award continue through Thursday, June 21. We are so honored to have received the gift of $500 from the Southeast Missourian as the designated charity for the Spirit of America award to Mr. Pete Poe. [Editor's note: Another $500 was donated to Saint Francis Foundation on behalf of Poe through the Spirit of American Award.]...

As you already know, if you have been reading these scribblings for a while, I don't often comment on current events. Today I will. One reason I don't do much commentating (is that really a word?) is because the "current" in current events is so slippery. ...

As I began to write this column I realized that a word has made a drastic change from what it meant earlier in my life to what it means today. In the 1960s and when I was assigned to Berlin in 1970 "the Wall" referred to the Berlin Wall which cut the city of Berlin in half. The western half of the city contained the U.S., the British, and the French sectors while the eastern half of the city was the Soviet sector. Construction of the wall was begun August 31, 1961 and it stood until 1989...

Since 2014, the Southeast Missourian, in coordination with our business publication, now called B Magazine, has recognized area Newsmakers. We profile a number of movers, shakers, do-gooders and local people of interest, and honor them with a plaque at a casual ceremony at First Midwest Bank...

"Government of the people" is a challenge. There are differences of opinions on many, if not most subjects. This is why we discuss, debate, deliberate, hold public hearings, and the public votes directly on some issues. During my time as mayor, the board of aldermen has made many decisions in which there were different opinions and views. ...

If you have kids or grandkids or are simply young at heart, you don't want to miss the 2018 Summer Arts Festival at the River Campus on Saturday, June 16. Activities are free! If you've been before -- this is the fifth annual event, and it gets bigger every year -- you already know how much fun the day is...

Sports and politics are a large part of American culture; I understand that, but I'm fed up with the marriage of the two. Wasn't there a time when we tuned into athletics to enjoy healthy competition, cheer for our favorite teams, and get away from the seriousness of life we're forced to confront every day? Not that we don't take our sports seriously. We do. But it's a different kind of serious...

I could dunk a basketball if they lowered the goal to 6 feet. So, come on, Kathy Swan. You know as well as I do the reason you could say the public school foundation formula (provides state tax revenue for public schools) was fully funded is that the amount required to fund the formula was cut...

One of our favorite aspects of the Semoball Awards show, now in its fifth year, is connecting a speaker with the audience of local high school athletes. The show is dedicated to the area's best athletes, who all are up for consideration for several different categories, including male and female athletes of the year as well as the best in several different sports...

Why do so many places where you pay with a credit card now have a line on the receipt for a tip? Since when are we supposed to tip for someone who basically just runs a cash register? Where does the money go anyway? If you tip at a coffee place, is it shared with everyone working?...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department will roll out body-worn cameras in full effect this summer. The department has been testing the devices for some time, and all the patrol and traffic officers will wear the cameras beginning in August, if all goes as planned...

Governor Mike Parson is only a week into his new role after the resignation of Eric Greitens. Parson so far has retained Greitens' cabinet members. He has made hires of several staff members, including naming Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney Christopher K. Limbaugh as his general counsel...

Southeast Missouri was well represented at the state Final Four last week. Oran's baseball team and St. Vincent's girls soccer teams both took home state titles. Oran beat St. Elisabeth 4-1, making the fifth time in the last six season that a team from District 2 has taken the state crown, according to a story by Phillip Suitts. Before this season, Bell City had won the title three years in a row...