Stories from Sunday, February 1, 2009

Practical. No-nonsense. To the point. These are some of the ways to describe Marybelle Mueller, a woman who raised a family, pursued a career reserved mostly for men more than half a century ago and excelled as a judge while taking an active role in community and church projects...

PERRYVILLE -- Junior Emily Hanquist looked impressive in her first ever start against rival St. Vincent on Saturday evening. Hanquist, a first-year starter for the Pirates who had played off the bench against the Indians the past two years, netted a game-high 19 points...

At the regular Rotary lunch last week, the group at the early table -- ready to eat and nearest the door -- was catching up on the latest news and solving the world's problems. One of the club's most stalwart members announced that the recession had hit close to home: Two of his grandchildren, in Baltimore and St. Louis, were losing their jobs due to cutbacks...

Old Town Cape has planned a new Valentine's Day event in downtown Cape Girardeau. Stores will stay open late Friday for the first "Love is in the Air" event to be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Merchants have planned a variety of romantic activities including wine and chocolate samples at Patricia Ann's and refreshments, hand massages and moments of wellness at eDen Spa and Salon. ...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Mary Beth Bohnsack and Bradley Morris Adams were married June 14, 2008, at St. John's Catholic Church in Leopold. The Rev. Bob Landewee performed the ceremony. Organist was Kelly Irvin and soloist was Stan Seiler. A choir also sang...

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Heuring of New Hamburg recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. The couple received a blessing by the Rev. Normand Varone during Mass celebrated Jan. 11, 2009, at St. Lawrence Catholic Church. A dinner and dance followed at the church parish center...

MAYFIELD, Ky. -- Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear called up his entire Army National Guard on Saturday, tripling his troops with his state still reeling from a deadly ice storm that knocked out power from the Midwest to the East Coast. More than half a million homes and businesses, most of them in Kentucky, remained without electricity from the Ozarks through Appalachia, though temperatures creeping into the 40s helped a swarm of utility workers make headway...

Raw fun at the Show Me Center The wrestlers of WWE RAW will be at the Show Me Center for an afternoon of challenges, championship fights and sheer chaos for their "Pre-Game Pandemonium" match on Super Bowl Sunday. CM Punk takes on Kane in an intercontinental championship match and Rey Mysterio goes after Chris Jericho. The show starts at 2 p.m...

Mitsubishi's smallest sport utility vehicle in the United States is still called a compact. But there's not much that's small about the 2009 Outlander. Stretching more than 15 feet in length, the second-generation Outlander is longer overall than many more popular compact SUVs, such as the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Its 73 cubic feet of cargo area behind the front seats is bigger than those found in the Hyundai Tucson and Nissan Rogue...

Samuel Boyd Samuel A. Boyd, 73, of Jackson died Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009, at the Life Care Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 16, 1935, at Potosi, Mo., son of William A. and Leona M. Byrd Boyd Sr. Boyd was a retired auto mechanic. Survivors include two sons, Samuel Boyd of Chicago, Aaron Boyd of Jackson; two daughters, Kimberly Klein of Carrington, Va., Phyllis Bridges of Calumet City, Ill.; four brothers, William Boyd and Danny Boyd, both of Ironton, Mo., Nathan Boyd and Ollie Boyd of St. ...

People can still enjoy Peanut Butter Patties and Peanut Butter Sandwiches Girl Scout cookies ordered from local Girl Scouts, according to the Girl Scout Council. ABC Interbake, the licensed cookie baker for Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland, which serves 21,000 girls in southern and central Missouri, southeast Kansas, and northeast Oklahoma, does not source its peanut butter from the supplier involved in the current peanut butter warning, the council said...

Editor's note: The names of the people featured in this article who are considering bankruptcy have been changed to protect their privacy. By Rudi Keller Southeast Missourian Bankruptcy is a debtor's last resort for relief from the stress of dealing with creditors who can't be paid...

Black and white are timeless, elegant and, in this case, fun. The third annual Penguin Party benefit gala to raise money for Cape Girardeau Public School Foundation will be Saturday. Most people wear tuxes and gowns or suits and cocktail dresses, but some guests take the penguin theme to heart...

Jimmy Crader MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Jimmy Clark Crader, 69, of Marble Hill died Friday, Jan. 30, 2009, in Marble Hill. He was born Sept. 29, 1939, at Burfordville, son of Milton E. and Clarine West Crader. He and Alice Marie Keaveny were married Sept. 29, 2008, at their home in Marble Hill...

Storm help offered to pet owners in region ST. LOUIS -- Pet owners in storm-stricken parts of Southeast Missouri are getting some relief from the Humane Society of Missouri in St. Louis. The group's Disaster Response Team set up animal rescue operations Friday in New Madrid, Mo. ...

Several struggling men's basketball teams have gotten well at Southeast Missouri State's expense this season. Tennessee Tech was the latest to join the list. The Eagles also became the latest squad to pile on the reeling Redhawks. Tech blew open a close game in the first five minutes of the second half and rolled to a 91-75 victory Saturday night at the Show Me Center...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Burglary n A burglary was reported at 1301 Gina Drive. Jewelry was reported stolen. Miscellaneous n A request for service was reported at 353 S. Kingshighway. n A 54-year-old woman was placed in protective custody...

BAGHDAD — Passing through razor-wire cordons and police checkpoints, Iraqi voters Saturday took another step in the nation's quest for stability in provincial elections that were carried off without major violence but tarnished by claims of flaws and threats of challenges...

TORONTO -- Canada, America's top trading partner, is cautiously optimistic it will be exempted from protectionist provisions in the U.S. economic stimulus bill that call on major public works projects to favor U.S. iron, steel and manufactured goods over imports...

Billy Blackwell Sr. Billy G. Blackwell Sr., 79, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Jan. 30, 2009, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 12, 1930, in Cape Girardeau, son of Thomas G. and Mary Craig Blackwell. He and Beatrice Wallace Blackwell were married April 13, 1952, in Forrest City, Ark...

LOS ANGELES -- The woman who gave birth to octuplets this week conceived all 14 of her children through in vitro fertilization, is not married and has been obsessed with having children since she was a teenager, her mother said. Angela Suleman said she was not supportive when her daughter, Nadya Suleman, decided to have more embryos implanted last year...

Lester M. and Patricia A. Wells of Cape Girardeau are observing their 40th wedding anniversary today. They were married Feb. 1, 1969, in St. Louis. The couple has two children, Jason of North Canton, Ohio, and Leslie of St. Louis. They have two grandchildren, Stasia and Adeline...

Pied pipers PRESIDENT Obama has put in charge of the IRS a guy who cheats on his own taxes but will prosecute and persecute any of you middle-class taxpayers if you dare do what he did. Corrupt bankers got bailouts as their reward, and middle-class America gets the shaft. ...

PERRYVILLE -- Perryville didn't put on an impressive performance from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter against rival St. Vincent on Saturday night. But the Pirates made enough free throws while playing strong defense down the stretch and throughout the entire contest to hold off the Indians...

LONDON -- In the face of growing protests and rising unemployment, the British government said Saturday it understands the frustration of energy workers who have walked out over the hiring of foreign citizens. But it warned against protectionism, saying isolating the British economy would only make the downturn worse...

Larry Schwepker Larry Don Schwepker, 69, of Delta died Friday, Jan. 30, 2009, at home. He was born Oct. 19, 1939, at Delta, son of Earnest H. and Adath Amos Schwepker. He and Nelda Jean Sparkman were married in 1959. He later married Sharon Ann Braun...

Jeffrey and Christie Tinsley of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Megan Elizabeth Tinsley, to Kyle Joseph Rees. He is the son of Sandy and Doug Kasten of Jackson and Danny and Colleen Rees of Gordonville. Tinsley is a 2006 graduate of Jackson High School. She is majoring in business at Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed at Commerce Bank in Cape Girardeau...

TAMPA, Fla. -- NBC said on the eve of today's Super Bowl that it has sold the last two of the 69 advertising spots for the game, pushing total ad revenue for the event to a record $206 million. The network said its total of $261 million in ad revenue for all of Super Bowl day also is a record, calling it an especially impressive feat in the middle of the economy's steep downturn...

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team picked up its second win of the season over Tennessee Tech in familiar fashion Saturday night. Just as in the earlier meeting on the road, the Redhawks pulled away late for a 61-55 victory at the Show Me Center...

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach John Ishee compares sophomore Tore Fite to former Detroit Pistons guard Vinny Johnson, who was known as "The Microwave" for his ability to heat up in a hurry. Fite was hot Saturday night with 14 points, missing just one shot while tying for the team-high in scoring in the Redhawks' 61-55 victory against Tennessee Tech...

The Southeast Missourian won a dozen first-, second- and third-place awards in the Suburban Newspapers of America's recent 2008 Editorial Contest among daily newspapers. This year's contest included 36 editorial categories. "Congratulations to the newsroom," Southeast Missourian publisher Jon Rust said. ...

WASHINGTON -- President Obama promised Saturday to lower mortgage costs, offer job-creating loans for small businesses, get credit flowing and rein in free-spending executives as he readies a new road map for spending billions from the second installment of the financial rescue plan...

Robert Satterfield CAIRO, Ill. -- Robert D. Satterfield, 78, of Cairo died Monday, Jan. 26, 2009, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo. He was born Feb. 4, 1930, in Cairo, son of Louis Lloyd and Ima Louise Atherton Satterfield. He married Mary Ruth McGinness...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday: n At 3:29 p.m., emergency medical service in the 600 block of Boxwood Drive. n At 4:32 p.m., emergency medical service in the 300 block of North Sprigg Street. n At 4:59 p.m., a line down in the 100 block of Cape Rock Drive...

Bethany Ann Brant and Michael Dale Stewart were united in marriage Dec. 20, 2008, at Shadow Rest Ministries in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Gary Hollis performed the ceremony. Music was provided by Andy Baker of London, England. The bride is the daughter of David and Robbie Brant of Scott City. The groom is the son of Mike and Carol Stewart of Scott City...

Wilma Sweitzer JONESBORO, Ill. -- Wilma Joan Sweitzer, 66, of Jonesboro died Monday, Jan. 26, 2009, at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, Ill. She was born July 11, 1942, in Alto Pass, Ill., daughter of Norman G. and Opal E. Martin Hickam. Sweitzer worked her entire nursing career as an LPN at Jackson County Rehab Center. She was a member of the VFW Post No. 3455 Ladies Auxiliary in Anna, Ill...

ORAN, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Robey LeGrand of Oran recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a dinner at Port Cape, hosted by their children. LeGrand and Etber Bernard were married Dec. 29, 1948, at Oran, by the Rev. Herman T. Macke. Their attendants were Irene LeGrand and Robert Schlitt...

Federal bankruptcy laws were changed in 2005 in an attempt to force more people seeking protection from creditors to pay at least a portion of the bills that pushed them into court. The two main types of bankruptcies filed by individuals are Chapter 7, which is a liquidation of assets and debts, and Chapter 13, which imposes a repayment plan lasting up to five years...

BENTON, Mo. -- In 42 years as a power company lineman, Gary Bickings has lived through a lot of storms. Just in the past year, the AmerenUE troubleshooter has endured the ice storm of Feb. 11 and the damage caused when the remnants of Hurricane Ike blew through in September. But the 36-hour winter storm that caked an area from Springfield, Mo., to the East Coast with ice and snow, leaving as many as 100,000 people in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois without power, is the new standard...

25 years ago: Feb. 1, 1984 A two-alarm fire heavily damages the interior of the historic Free Will Baptist Church at 200 Broadway in Cape Girardeau; it is believed to be the result of arson; the north side of the sanctuary of the church, built in 1893, is heavily damaged...

Johnnie Carter Johnnie Darroll Carter, 68, died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009, at the home of his daughter in Oak Ridge. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Southeast Missouri Hospital benefits from volunteers Southeast Missouri Hospital Auxiliary volunteers greet visitors and patients at hospital waiting rooms, lobbies and front desks; give directions to outpatients and visitors, operate the gift shop and deliver flowers, newspapers and email wishes to patient rooms...

Ill. road crews remove Blagojevich's name CHICAGO -- The blue and white signs touting former governor Rod Blagojevich and his open-road tolling project grace dozens of spots along the Illinois Tollway. But after this weekend the name of the ex-governor will be gone, covered up by new panels on the signs. Tollway officials said they're acting on their own, not at the request of Gov. Pat Quinn. Workers are adding aluminum panels to the signs marked with the plaza's name and number...

Organization seeks members of 82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division Association Inc. is looking for people who served in the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army in the past 66 years. The association is trying to document the service of the soldiers who have played a part in making the 82nd Airborne the most decorated division in today's military. Call 937-898-5977, e-mail srgabn@aol.com or mail to Airborne 2009, 5459 Northcutt Place, Dayton, Ohio, 45414...

Milder weather helped the region's utility crews Saturday as they continued to repair the damage from the ice storm that knocked out power to tens of thousands of customers. "We're making good progress because of the good melt," AmerenUE spokeswoman Susan Gallagher said...

CENTERVILLE, Utah -- John, a porcelain commode gunned down in an accidental shooting at a fast-food restaurant's bathroom, has died. His age was not immediately known. The toilet was shattered by a bullet Jan. 12 when a man's gun fell from its holster as he was pulling up his pants, police said. Police do not plan to file criminal charges in connection with the incident...

ST. LOUIS -- Notre Dame girls basketball coach Renee Peters did not know what to expect from her team at the Queen of Hearts Tournament. The Bulldogs, who were playing in the eight-team event for the first time, boasted the top seed. But they also came into the tournament after four days without practice because of the inclement weather...

Paul and Diane Kohm Jr. of Perryville, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Emily Dawn Kohm, to Jimmy Lynn Versemann. He is the son of Ronald and Joyce Versemann of Jackson. Kohm is a 2002 graduate of Perryville High School. She received an associate of science degree from Mineral Area College in 2005, and is a 2005 graduate of Mineral Area Regional Medical Center School of Radiologic Technology in 2005. She is a radiologic technologist at Orthopaedic Associates in Cape Girardeau...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Lindsay Yvonne Albright of St. Louis and Scott Matthew VanGennip of Leopold announce their engagement. She is the daughter of Robyn Seals of House Springs, Mo., and Patrick Albright of Wildwood, Mo. VanGennip is the son of the late Steve and Mary VanGennip of Leopold...

NEWARK, N.J. -- The father of three children who have names associated with Nazis is accusing the state Division of Youth and Family Services of taking his children under false pretenses and said one of the children appeared neglected when he saw them recently...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Sen. Claire McCaskill spoke out against Wall Street executives who gave out $18.4 billion in bonuses while accepting a federal bailout and proposed limits on some of their salaries. "They don't get it," McCaskill, D-Mo., said Friday on the U.S. Senate floor. "These people are idiots."...

Hear us, O God, when we call your name, and tend to our needs. Amen.

NEW YORK -- Olivia, the little girl pig with the big imagination, is stepping out of her picture book world into a bold, new and much more colorful life on Nickelodeon. The twirly drama queen and fashionista seems more mature at the ripe old age of 6 and 3/4 in the eye-popping animated series that preserves her can-do spirit and love of red stripes while broadening her social life...

There were 5 tom turkeys in the field next to our house this morning. They were big and beautiful!

The road in front of my house in Jackson, fog along the treeline makes for a beautiful picture.

My horse Smokey enjoying the snow

Our lab Ace was curious about the snowman that Lindsay Jo created.

SIKESTON — Sikeston’s Emergency Operational Command continues to receive reports of carbon monoxide poisoning around the city. Symptoms include dizziness, headaches, nausea, tiredness. "This is a very serious issue and could cause death to everyone in the home," said Sgt. Jim McMillen...

Hungry squirrel enjoying lunch

Cinnamon saying, "Follow me!"

I took this picture Wednesday afternoon. There were 6 deer in my back yard. I got this one as she was looking up.

My neighborhood in Cape

Foxy is playing & romping in the snow.

Power outage and downed trees.

Reesie & Cinnamon enjoying the snow

Outside my home in Cape

POPLAR BLUFF, MO — Administrators at Three Rivers Community College have announced that the college will be closed Monday through Friday in response to massive power outages throughout Southeast Missouri due to the recent ice and snow storm...

Out and about Cape Friday Jan 30th

My son, Jared Ritter, enjoying his day out of school.

Every season I take a pic of this tree because it has so much character whatever time of year. This pic even the background trees are covered in ice and I think it is so white due to the fog the night before. This pic was taken Saturday January 31st...

Oak Ridge R-VI School District will be in session on Monday, with buses using snow routes, according to an email from superintendent Gerald Landewee.

Cape Girardeau near New Lormier Cemetery

Out and about Cape Friday Jan 30th

Oak Ridge R-VI School District will be in session on Monday, with buses using snow routes, according to an email from superintendent Gerald Landewee.

Fallen trees and power lines have caused the following state roads to close:   Mississippi County · Route AB from Route N to Route J . Highway 77, between Highway 80 and Route DD; between Route D and the north end of Wayatt. . Route Y from Highway 60 to Alfalfa Center...

Southeast Missourian BENTON, Mo. — Repairs crews are taking advantage of the relatively mild temperatures to speed ahead with repairs of electric lines damaged during the ice storm. But in some areas, it could be more than two weeks before some get power restored. ...

Out and about Cape Friday Jan 30th

The Southeast Missouri Chapter of the American Red Cross continues to offer shelter and food. As of Sunday, more than 1,200 people had used the shelters and more than 5,000 meals had been provided through the Red Cross by the Salvation Army, Southern Baptist feeding units, other volunteers and businesses...

Southeast Missouri is defined by its special people and special places. One of the special people of our region is Mary Ann Smith of Charleston, Mo. Mary Ann is a model of how to age with dignity, intellect, strength and achievement. In June, Smith commemorated her 80th birthday by joining members of her family on a bicycle ride -- 80 miles in a single day. ...