Mostly Cloudy ~ 62°F   River stage: 33.18 Rising Friday, November 20, 2009

Editorials Public smoking (11/20/09) Across the nation, city, county and state governments are imposing smoking restrictions of one kind or another. Many business owners also are making choices, with some going smoke-free, some offering designated smoking areas and others allowing smoking... Waiting for shots (11/19/09) Millions of Americans, considered prime candidates to receive H1N1 flu shots because of their age and risk factors, wonder when they will be able to get the vaccine. While some of the vaccine has been distributed around the country, the process hasn't been well-organized, resulting in shortages in some areas and surpluses in others... Flying Cape Air (11/18/09) Cape Air began service earlier this month as the new federally subsidized carrier between Cape Girardeau Regional Airport and Lambert Airport in St. Louis. So far, it looks like the right factors are in place to rebuild passenger numbers that have fallen dramatically for a variety of reasons... Finance lessons (11/17/09) Teaching students the fundamentals of personal finance has become a standard part of the curriculum at many high schools. By the time these young people enter college, they face a different kind of financial reality: student loans and other expenses related to getting a good education. These students also are looking to the future: Will the training they receive translate into a decent job?... History, honor (11/16/09) Most everyone who visits a military cemetery has a tremendously emotional experience. Walking among the rows and rows of graves of fallen soldiers gives visitors a sense of the sacrifice that has been made on behalf of American freedoms. At the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, Mo., that same feeling of respect leaves visitors with a sense of patriotism and pride... School funding (11/15/09) The budgeting process in the Cape Girardeau School District is getting an early start. Officials are looking for ways to balance next year's budget instead of relying, as they have in recent years, on reserves to cover growing expenses. In the past three years district expenditures have grown by more than $6 million to $42 million, but revenue increased only $2.8 million... County raises (11/13/09) In Missouri counties, state law controls how salaries are adjusted for elected officials. Salaries in counties like Cape Girardeau County are set through the annual budgeting process, but increases for elected officials must be recommended by the County Salary Commission made up of those same elected officeholders. ... Trash answers (11/12/09) As with any change, the new trash system that will be implemented in Cape Girardeau next spring is cause for concern by some residents. City officials say anyone with concerns could get answers to their questions by calling the public works department at 334-9151... In Flanders Fields (11/11/09) In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago... Jackson roundabout (11/10/09) To improve traffic flow around the courthouse square in Jackson, a St. Louis consultant has suggested the addition of stoplights, barriers and a roundabout. Around the world -- and in many parts of the U.S. -- roundabouts are commonplace. Cape Girardeau's first brush with a roundabout was at the intersection of Silver Springs Road and Gordonville Road several years ago. ... Costly jobs (11/09/09) Keeping track of federal stimulus programs is hard to do. Just ask the bureaucrats in Washington who are eager to point to results but have meager data. Monitoring how all those billions of stimulus dollars -- along with billions more of bailout dollars -- wasn't built into those programs, and now the government can't say for sure what it has been spent or how effective those programs have been... MoVIP funding (11/08/09) Missouri's revenue for the current fiscal year is far below budget projections, and the forecast for the next fiscal year shows the gap widening to well in excess of $1 billion. As a result, state funding is being held or withdrawn for many programs. In the process, funding for the second semester of this school year for the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program has been eliminated. This leaves hundreds of students in the lurch... Annexation rules (11/06/09) The planning commissions of Cape Girardeau and Jackson recently held a joint meeting to discuss issues of mutual concern. Among those issues was how subdivisions are developed outside each of the two cities. Jackson and Cape Girardeau both have subdivisions requirements. ... Arts awards (11/05/09) Two deserving individuals have been honored with awards from the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. Mike Dumey received the Otto Dingeldein Award for outstanding achievement in the arts, and Utahna Hancock received the Jeff Maguire Award for her special contributions to the arts council... Zonta honorees (11/04/09) Dealing with victims of sexual assault in a way that is compassionate while providing forensic evidence that will hold up in court is service provided by the Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence, based in Cape Girardeau and serving counties throughout the region. At the Zonta Club's recent Women of Achievement luncheon, the co-founder of the NASV, Kathy Blevins, was honored with this year's award. The special recognition is a tribute both to Blevins and NASV... City leadership (11/03/09) One of the most important decisions Cape Girardeau voters will make next April is their choice for mayor. The current mayor, Jay Knudtson, is nearing the end of this eight years as mayor, a term limited by the city charter. Individuals interest in becoming a candidate for mayor have until Nov. 17 to complete the filing process... Deer and driving (11/02/09) Fewer daylight hours means more of us will be driving after dark. And this is the mating season for the plentiful deer in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois. This combination means motorists needs to be on the lookout for deer darting onto highways... Getting together (11/01/09) One of the best things about living in Cape Girardeau is the connection many residents have with each other. They see each other at church, while volunteering, on their jobs and at the schools attended by their children. Organized events also bring neighbors together. Last month, several of these get-togethers occurred on the same weekend:... Avoiding the flu (10/30/09) Flu -- its various strains, its vaccines, its impact -- continues to be a major news topic. Of particular concern is the way the H1N1 variety seems to zero in on certain individuals, particularly children, causing serious illnesses that have resulted in more than 1,000 deaths... Holiday shopping (10/29/09) National and statewide forecasts see another dip in holiday sales this year, the second year in a row as the economy moves through a recession. But retailers in the Cape Girardeau area are more optimistic. Some early sales -- holiday merchandise goes on sale earlier than ever -- indicate more spending at the cash register... Health care Rx (10/28/09) Anyone interested in current efforts to "reform" health care in the U.S. has a special opportunity tonight to be informed. Howard Dean and Newt Gingrich are scheduled to debate the issue at 7:30 p.m. at the Show Me Center. The debate is part of Southeast Missouri State University's speaker series. A wellness fair will start at 6:15 p.m. prior to the debate... Empty Bowl 11/8, 11/11 (10/27/09) Due to a reporting error, the date for one of the Empty Bowl Project events was incorrect in Sunday's editorial. The Empty Bowls banquet will be from noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 8 at the Salvation Army. Another banquet for Southeast Missouri State University students, faculty and staff will be Nov. 11 at Dearmont Hall. This important project raises money for hunger-fighting organizations... River potential (10/27/09) The importance of the Mississippi River to the middle of the nation has existed since humans first settled here. The river was a source of food, water, trade goods and transportation. Now river tourism is seen as a market ready for expansion. Already, says Dr. ... Using the library (10/26/09) If you haven't been to the public library in a few years, you would be surprised. No longer is a library just for checking out books. The new Cape Girardeau Public Library, more than double the size of the old library on Clark Avenue, is a hub of diverse activities... Empty bowls (10/25/09) Once again, the Empty Bowls Project is raising awareness of hunger while raising money for local hunger-fighting organizations. More than 800 bowls have been created for this year's project. Last Sunday an Empty Bowls banquet was held at the Salvation Army. Participants purchased bowls for $12 and had a meal of soup. Another Empty Bowls banquet will be Nov. 11 for Southeast Missouri State University students, staff and faculty at Dearmont Hall... Cape PD: 150 (10/23/09) One hundred fifty years ago, city officials created the Cape Girardeau Police Department, several decades after the town was settled. Special events are marking the anniversary. Thursday night's celebration at the River Campus reviewed the department's history, honored officers killed in the line of duty, provided personal reflections from former and current police chiefs and reflected on the notorious serial killings committed by Timothy Kracjir... Avoiding rabies (10/22/09) With cold season, seasonal flu and H1N1 flu to worry about, there's no need to panic over the increase in rabies cases across Missouri. But an ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure. Missouri's public health veterinarian, Dr. Howard Pue, said there have been 55 cases of rabies in the state through September, a number that usually equals the total for an entire year...