Editorials

Despite heavy rain on opening day, the SEMO District Fair welcomed 93,000 people over eight days, according to numbers released by the fair recently. That was about the same turnout as last year. This year's fair had new rides and entertainment, but mostly it was a repeat of what we love about the fair: Great food, a close look at the farm animals and the overall ambiance of the lights and sounds...

Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Metheny has fought in battle, he's learned the ropes and now he faces a very difficult task in his military career. Metheny is a graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School. The U.S. Army veteran was back home visiting family and friends before heading out on another two-year deployment. ...

Jim Eddleman had a big idea. And his big idea is becoming reality. The Vietnam veteran promised himself in 1968 that if he made it home, he’d find a way to honor the people he fought with. What’s spawned from that promise is The Missouri National Veterans Memorial in Perryville. ...

Missouri's governor celebrated Southeast Missouri State's accreditation recently in the university's computer science department. Parson was on hand as the university recognized its cybersecurity program, one of only four in the United States to receive the accreditation this month from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, or ABET, in a pilot program that originated last fall, according to a story reported by Marybeth Niederkorn...

One of the best park amenities in all of Cape Girardeau County is Melaina's Magical Playland. It's not great just because it's an impressive place for kids to play, but because it was designed for every child, especially for those who have physical limitations. They can play, too, alongside their peers...

She's about the size of Missouri, spinning violently toward the East Coast, packing sustained winds of 140 mph with gusts strong enough to Make America Flood Again. Hurricane Florence is a serious weather event. It's also having a ripple effect for Missouri with the cancellation of a major political event...

Today we remember the horrific attack on Sept. 11, 2001. The terrorists who hijacked passenger jets and flew them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon jarred us, individually and collectively as a nation. We honor the passengers who prevented a fourth plane from hitting another landmark, instead crashing in a Pennsylvania field...

The United Way recently kicked off its annual campaign with a bit of fun and a bit of seriousness. Decked out in boxing gloves, several United Way supporters kicked off the campaign with the motto, “United We Fight, United We Win.” The phrase captures the essence of many in our community who are fighting against poverty. There are children fighting educational difficulties. Seniors fighting ailments to retain their independence...

It's a big weekend for local football. The big Cape Girardeau Central vs. Jackson football game is tonight. It will be the 112th meeting between the two schools. Jackson has had the upper hand the last couple of years, but this rival tends to go in cycles, and games are usually competitive. The game, usually the highest attended football game in the area each year, will be played at central. Kickoff is at 7 p.m...

It's Fair Week, which means it's time to start planning your annual outings for rides, fairway food, entertainment and a visit to see the farm animals and livestock. The SEMO District Fair is the largest fair in the region. The livestock exhibit entries begin Friday, but the fair's kickoff is the Saturday parade that begins at 9:30 Saturday morning and runs from Capaha Park to the fairgrounds...

This Saturday marks the 31st annual Charles L. Hutson Auction, the sole Old Town Cape fundraiser each year. Coordinator Emily Vines said the event drew 320 attendees last year, and is aiming to draw a younger crowd this year. According to a story by Joshua Hartwig, Vines said donations for bid include items from businesses inside and outside of Cape Girardeau, and also include “experiences” such as date nights at restaurants and tours, rather than gift cards...

Discovery Playhouse offers a unique opportunity for children to play and learn, particularly when the weather outside isn't cooperative. The museum has many interactive exhibits for children to use their imaginations for pretend play. On Sept. 7, Discovery Playhouse will host its first back-to-school carnival. It will include face painting, clowns, balloon animals, a photo booth, a fortuneteller and a dunking booth, Sydnee Woodruff told Southeast Missourian reporter Josh Hartwig...

The Cape Girardeau SportsPlex keeps churning out events and tournaments, and improving the competition, too. As recently reported in B Magazine by Jon K. Rust, the SportsPlex closed out its first full fiscal year ahead of plan by $123,807, according to city data. The original budget called for the facility to lose $377,247 in year one, but actual loss came in at $253,440...

It's probably too small of a sample to officially call it a trend, but the crime numbers shared at a recent city council meeting by Cape Girardeau police chief Wes Blair are encouraging. As reported by Mark Bliss, Blair told the council the city has seen a decline in serious crimes overall. Blair said total serious crimes in Cape Girardeau dropped nearly 11 percent for the first six months of this year compared to the same period in 2017...

Some of the most meaningful work that no one knows about happens at the Safe House for Women. This is a refuge for battered women, desperately seeking safety. This is where women land, after escaping from their abusive partners. They go there out of sheer desperation, having exhausted other options and enduring physical and emotional torture. It's a desperate step toward a new life...

Two major events are happening this weekend at Arena Park. One is being put on by Cape First Church and includes a demolition derby. The other involves a family that raises money for scholarships or assistance for those with disabilities. On Friday, Cape First will hold its annual Family Day, which starts at 5:30; it's simply a fun, community outreach event. ...

If you've been reading the Southeast Missourian the last few days, you've seen that our sports sections have previewed our local football teams. It's the time of year when fall sports get in full swing; and not just football. (Though there is something special about fall Friday nights or Saturday afternoons at a football stadium.)...

For more than 43 years readers of this newspaper have enjoyed the work of photographer Fred Lynch. There were local high school sports and coverage of the Southeast Missouri State University Indians-turned-Redhawks sports programs. Major events like a blizzard or presidential visit. And countless other scenes that have become part of the first draft of history for Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois...

Our region has said goodbye to three key figures recently: Sheriff John Jordan, Cape Girardeau library director Betty Martin and Cape Girardeau public works director Steve Cook. All three served the public well and move off to greener pastures. Martin and Cook are retiring, and Jordan moves to a bigger position with the U.S. Marshals Service. ...

Thousands of young adults will populate our city once again this week as they move into dorms and apartments to attend Southeast Missouri State University. The students bring a lot of energy to our city. We welcome them, as well as their optimism as they continue their educational journey here in Cape Girardeau. They also help our local economy by shopping at our stores, eating at our restaurants and filling up at our gas stations...

If someone approached you and told you someone's life was at stake and you could save it with just a few minutes of your time, would you do it? Giving blood saves lives, and the American Red Cross needs more donors. For the rest of this month, the Red Cross is offering a $5 Amazon.com gift card as an incentive to give. But the real incentive should be to help others who need it...

Our community has found a lot of different ways to raise money while having fun. Whether its local women dressed up and strutting their vintage clothing down a runway, a cast of generous bravehearts in costumes dashing into nearly frozen lakes, singing contests, home tours or pub crawls, our local people know how to put the fun in fundraisers...

Every election deserves a fair amount of gratitude. We are thankful, first for the freedom to vote our conscience. Thankful to live in country where the people get to decide who represents them in government. Thankful we are not beholden to dictators but live by rules established by people of our choosing...

The fall season of Tunes at Twilight begins this evening at Ivers Square on Lorimier Street in Cape Girardeau. The weekly event is, as we've stated before, a cultural favorite. It's a reflection of our casually cool and creative city, an evening of live music, lawn chairs, blankets and music lovers of all ages...

One of the better charities going is Habitat for Humanity. The organization helps impoverished people move into home ownership. Applicants who are approved for a loan put up some money to start an escrow account, and Habitat is the loan holder, according to a recent article by Marybeth Niederkorn...

Today is Election Day. Make it a point to vote. It's a primary election with a good amount of local races on county ballots and an important statewide initiative. Throughout the four-county area of Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry and Scott counties, there are races for judges, prosecutors, presiding commissioners, state representatives and ballot initiatives. ...

The last time Cape Girardeau hosted a large music fest downtown, there was no casino. There was no Marquette Tech; no Minglewood; no Broadway streetscape with heavy foot traffic. Downtown Cape is a different place, and a different demographic works here...

This weekend will be a huge shopping weekend in the state of Missouri. It's back-to-school sales tax holiday season in the state, the time when many school-related items can be purchased without having to pay sales tax. There is always a bit of confusion as to what this means for consumers when they hear that local jursidictions "opt out." When that happens, shoppers still have their Missouri sales tax removed from their purchase, but they may not receive the break on their local taxes...

The Marquette Tech District is hosting its third Tech Fest Aug. 9 and 10. The event has grown each year, and because of the popularity, will move to the Isle Casino Cape Girardeau's event center to accommodate the crowd. One of the more popular aspects of the Tech Fest is the 1st50K competition that invites startup companies to vie for $50,000 in cash and pro bono services. ...

While much of the baseball fandom in Southeast Missouri is watching the St. Louis Cardinals tread water near the .500 mark, and obsessed with roster moves, potential trades and Matt Carpenter's salsa, a couple of local summer teams in the area are proving to be serious contenders...

On Aug. 7, Missouri voters will be asked to decide the fate of so-called right-to-work in Missouri. Proposition A, as it will be listed on the ballot, aims to eliminate union dues as a requirement for employment in any workplace, effectively certifying a law passed by our elected representatives in the 2017 general assembly. ...

A few days ago in this space, we encouraged readers to take advantage of available weather alert platforms and pay attention when the forecasters call for severe weather. The failure to acknowledge and heed these type of warnings led to 17 deaths on a Duck boat in Branson...

If you haven't been yet, here's your reminder that Jackson's Homecomers is this week. It's the 111th annual celebration, a little festival that has something for everyone. Located in Uptown Jackson on the courthouse lawn and along the uptown streets, the event promises a good time. For the kids there's rides and games; for the adults, there's music and entertainment. For all, there's food. Ten vendors are on hand with fair-food indulgence...

In the aftermath of the horrible tragedy at Table Rock Lake, media outlets quoted a number of people saying the storm came out of nowhere, the weather changed from not a cloud in the sky to gale-force winds in mere minutes. While it's true the storm moved through the area rapidly, it's not true to say there was no warning...

Sometimes innovation isn’t about the newest technology. Sometimes its about who you can connect with and relationships you can establish. Southeast Missouri State University has taken an innovative approach by reaching an agreement with Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York City, allowing the transfer of BMCC associate of science in theater graduates into its Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre. ...