Editorials

Municipal jurisdictions with planning and zoning rules are grappling with how to handle Missouri's voter-approved medical marijuana law. Local governments are trying to decide how they'll regulate the dispensaries. Some want to prevent these entities from being close to schools, day cares and churches, presuming that the sale and purchasing of marijuana, still illegal at the federal level, may have detrimental effects to places where children will be. ...

The hockey fans of Missouri are celebrating the Blues, not singing them. Thousands upon thousands of fans filled the streets of St. Louis on Saturday as Blues players, coaches and fans lifted the Stanley Cup in celebration. The championship, won with a 4-1 victory in Game 7 over the Boston Bruins, was the first in the franchise’s 52-year history, a history that has brought many heartbreaks to loyal fans...

Editor's note: The following is our annual Father's Day editorial. The best fathers are the best teachers. They teach us how to throw a fastball, set a hook, tie our shoes, ride a bike. They teach us right from wrong, good from bad. They teach us humor and humility, discipline and decency...

The River Campus will host its arts festival this weekend, headlined by this year's production of "Newsies." The student production will be the largest one of the summer. It's a good time to enjoy the talent of a collaboration of high school and students as well as professional actors. ...

Congratulations to the Notre Dame girls soccer team. The Bulldogs were the last team standing. Notre Dame's girls won their second state title in three years with a 4-0 win over Visitation Academy in the title game. The team was led by eight seniors, and several players who lost in last year's state title game. The group capped off a brilliant high school athletic career...

Our area communities provide many opportunities to hear live, outdoor music concerts. Whether its Tunes at Twilight, every Friday night at Ivers Square, or municipal bands, there are plenty of opportunities to take time to slow things down and take in some music...

Any time you give to a charity, you’d like to know the organization is well run and your donations are being put to good use. The local Southeast Missouri Food Bank seems to fit that bill. The food bank was named one of the “40 best food banks in America” in an article recently published by www.msn.com...

Local treasured landmark Fort D is closer to being added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is good news for those who value culture and history. The Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation has approved the application, meaning the increased likelihood of national registry status...

Today is the 75th anniversary of D-Day in World War II, a day in 1944 that began to turn the tide for freedom against persecution by the hands of Adolph Hitler and the Nazis that were threatening world domination. On this day 75 years ago, 160,000 Allied troops poured onto a French coastline to fight the Nazis on the beaches of Normandy. ...

Ruby Tuesday's and O'Charley's restaurants had become dining staples in Cape Girardeau, before their closings were announced last week. The chain restaurants were closed after lease terms and agreements expired and were not renewed with Drury Southwest...

Over the course of two weeks to end May, more than 280 tornadoes were confirmed in the United States. The tornadoes ranged from Ohio to Oklahoma, Kansas and even Maryland. While none of the tornadoes were EF5 tornadoes that can kill scores or even hundreds of people, several were killed across the country, and the damage was widespread. The U.S. saw 13 straight days with at least one reported tornado. Last week, a small, EF1 tornado was reported in Miner, Missouri, in Scott County...

A new statue is in place at Ivers Square, and now the scenery of the park seems to better match the name. On Saturday, there will be an official unveiling and dedication ceremony from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Common Pleas Courthouse park, now known as Ivers Square...

Has it really been a decade? Cape Splash has kicked off its 10th year of fun, having opened on Saturday, and reaching capacity at times over the weekend. It's been an extremely popular addition to Cape Girardeau's park system. The water park has averaged about 80,000 patrons per summer over the last nine years, and the revenue taken in has done more than just pay for operations. It has also allowed the water park to expand its offerings with big slides and a pirate ship feature...

The Cape Girardeau Public Library celebrated its 10th anniversary at its new building this month. The milestone marks a major step forward for the library, and the place looks as fresh and clean as it did when it opened a decade ago. Have you been to the library lately?...

The Shipyard Music Festival returns for its sophomore season this year, with an additional day of music. Shipyard, coordinated by rustmedia (the full-service marketing agency that also produces regional magazines and The Scout email publication) will bring 11 nationally touring bands to Ivers Square on Sept. 27 and 28...

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend, and as we think about plans and events, first things first: Set aside some time to remember all those who lost their life defending our country. There are plenty of ways to honor our troops, and places where you can pay your respects...

Every year, an organization called S.A.L.T., short for Seniors and Lawmen Together, holds a ceremony to honor the 49 local or regional law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. These officers are from 13 counties in Southeast Missouri...

Five Jefferson Elementary students have been selected to attend and present ideas at an international conference on science and technology. The five will attend the International Society for Technology in Education on June 26 in Philadelphia. This opportunity is a spinoff of the school's Emerging Engineers program, one of the ways the school is trying to implement science and technology into its culture as a STREAM school...

The Semoball Awards Show is just a couple of months away, and we’re gearing up for another awesome event. The finalists for the winter sports were recently announced ...

This weekend is shaping up to be one of the more active weekends in some time, with the highlight and showcase event being the air show with the Blue Angels. There are a couple of other notable events happening as well. Today the "Over the Edge" fund raiser where local "celebrities" will rappel down 147 feet at Towers South on the Southeast Missouri State University campus to raise money for the United Way. ...

B Magazine is gearing up for its annual Newsmakers edition and event, and is looking for nominations. If you know of someone who is doing exciting things, making a big difference in the community, a nomination is a good way to show support for that individual...

The last time Southeast Missouri State University won the OVC Championship in softball, several of the current Redhawks players hadn't been born. But the softball team took the crown last week, with back-to-back wins over powerhouse Jacksonville State to cement the team's legacy, proving to themselves the results they had seen coming for quite some time...

Six members of the Glenn family were on hand earlier this month for special tours of the historic Glenn House. It was a special day, and also a reminder of this special jewel in Cape Girardeau's downtown landscape. The Glenn House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, built in 1883 for David A. Glenn, an influential figure in the city's history. It was renovated in 1900, and preserved by the Historical Association of Greater Cape Girardeau...

It’s not been a good year for horse racing. From several horse deaths to the controversial reversal of the Kentucky Derby outcome, horses have been in the national spotlight for bad reasons. Not so, locally. In the hours before the big race, the Mississippi Valley Therapeutic Horsemanship organization held a horse show, giving riders an opportunity to show off their riding skills for friends and families...

Editor's note: The following is our annual editorial for Mother's Day. Every year, we dutifully and thankfully acknowledge our mothers. We buy gifts. We select greeting cards that say the nicest things. We become part of the crowd at our favorite restaurant...

Thousands will gather Saturday to celebrate the accomplishments of Southeast Missouri State University students, when the school holds its graduation commencement ceremonies. One thousand, four hundred students are scheduled to graduate, including 1,105 undergraduates, 268 master's degree candidates and 28 specialist candidates. ...

Southeast Missouri State University will host the three-day Ohio Valley Conference Track and Field Outdoor Championships beginning today, and the Redhawks are hoping for hardware. The event will take place at the Abe Stuber Track and Field Complex, and will be broadcast on ESPN+...

Here’s a shoutout to all the women out there who squeeze every ounce out of life. Flourish Magazine, the regional publication for women, invites you to its Flourish Ladies Night Out on Thursday. This is a chance for you and your girlfriends to relax and enjoy an evening just for women...

The City of Cape Girardeau is having trouble finding lifeguards. Lifeguarding at swimming pools was once the go-to summer job for teenagers, but fewer teenagers today are signing up for the gig. The city has hired 70 lifeguards for next year, but ideally wants to hire another 30, city officials recently told government reporter Mark Bliss...

Come on out from 5 to 8 tonight to enjoy some food truck fare. The Scout, an email newsletter produced in partnership with rustmedia, is hosting the event in the parking lot behind the Rust Center for Media at 325 Broadway. One of the food trucks will be parked on Broadway to indicate the location...

The 2019 Cape Comic Con set attendance records. And it sure was a lot of fun. As is the case every year, super fans showed up with costumes to the Osage Centre, and visited the booths, but also got to visit with stars from some of their favorite universes, including the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, a voice actor from Pokemon, an actor from the Munsters, a comic book author and professional wrestler Road Warrior Animal...

Southeast Missouri State University students continue to rack up awards for their journalism. The Arrow student newspaper recently won 13 awards at the 2019 Missouri College Media Association Conference. The newspaper won five first-place awards, two second-place and three third-place and honorable mentions...

Thursday is the National Day of Prayer, a day that exists to “mobilize unified public prayer” for the country. It’s held the first Thursday of May ever year, a tradition that began in 1775. A special local ceremony will be held at noon on the second floor of Gateway Church at the Broadway Federal Building...

Those who struggle with a past of abuse and neglect have a free resource for help. Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Southeast Missouri is offering free counseling services for those seeking healing and help. The idea, according to reporting by Kassi Jackson, is to not just help the victim but help prevent the abuse cycle from continuing...

As the weather warms, fresh produce gets tastier and farmers markets set up shop. Our area has a handful of markets where you can buy fresh food, and other types of tasty treats. One of the markets, the one at West Park Mall, has already set up shop on Thursdays...

The period of time after school ends is a crucial time for children and adolescents. It's a time that unsupervised kids can get into a lot of trouble; but it's also a time period they can get their homework done or be creative. A new program on Cape Girardeau's Southside aims to help youth make good decisions and have positive interactions after the school bell rings...

Focusing on “an open door to hope” the Adult and Teen Challenge Mid-America hosted its spring banquet April 13, setting an all-time high for its banquet attendance. The organization helps teens and men recover from drug addiction. Jake Scott, a 2014 graduate of the program and now staff at ATCMA, told the audience his story is more common than what most are willing to believe. He turned to addictions in order to cope with a broken home...