Stories from May 2010

SCOTLAND, Ark. (AP) -- Leveled homes, overturned vehicles and uprooted trees were scattered across central Arkansas on Saturday after several tornadoes ripped through the state, killing a woman and injuring two dozen others, authorities said. The woman was among three people in one of many homes destroyed by the Friday night storms in the small community of Scotland, about 75 miles north of Little Rock, said Van Buren County Sheriff Scott Bradley. ...

Job's Daughters Bethel 60 of Jackson, MO is under the leadership of Miss Michelle Maevers as the Honored Queen and have been busy this spring with many activities. There are currently 24 members of Bethel 60 and is one of the largest Bethels in the state of Missouri. ...

A new anti-drug and alcohol abuse group, composed of the remnants of Jackson and Cape Girardeau's Chemical People, announces it is seeking 30 area volunteers to undergo training as instructors to implement a program called Project Charlie, aimed at curbing student drug and alcohol abuse...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Olivia M. Williams, 94, of Chaffee died Friday, April 30, 2010, at Monticello House in Jackson. She was born Sept. 28, 1915, at Dutchtown, daughter of Martin and Nellie Miller Fredrick. She and Ralph C. Williams were married Aug. 27, 1949. He preceded her in death Jan. 28, 1988...

Ella Dee Crow, 83, of Jefferson City, Mo., died Thursday, April 29, 2010, at Capital Region Medical Center. Dee was born Jan. 30, 1927, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of James Luther and Gertrude Pearl Borneman Green. She and Alfred Glen Crow were married Feb. 16, 1945, in Cape Girardeau. He preceded her in death May 21, 1981...

Briella Rachelle Bailey, infant daughter of Robert A. and Ramona S. Robinson Bailey of Cape Girardeau, died Tuesday, April 27, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to service time Tuesday at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Addie Allene Umfleet, 93, of Sacramento, Calif., passed away Thursday, April 29, 2010, in Sacramento. Addie is survived by two daughters, Ada Wright and Carol Umfleet; two grandsons, David Lee Wright and Aaron Umfleet; two great-grandsons, Skylar Wright and Aydin Umfleet; and many close and loving nieces, nephews and extended family...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Barbara Ann Verble, 78, of Cairo passed away Thursday, April 29, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, after a long illness. She was born May 23, 1931, in Cairo, daughter of Charles and Minnie Grable of Mounds, Ill. She and Raymond Leo Verble were married Dec. 19, 1953...

Dennis Scivally Park at Cape Rock Drive and Brookwood Drive in Cape Girardeau was named for the chief engineer of the Cape Special Road District in 1935.

Dennis M. Scivally, the man for whom Dennis Scivally Park is named, had a varied professional life.

Cape Girardeau's first municipal swimming pool at Capaha Park is just a memory. The pool was opened in 1919 and was closed in 1955.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- More rain and storms loomed as emergency officials in Tennessee on Sunday coped with evacuations and closed roads from heavy flooding that claimed five lives, covered city streets and left cars stranded on interstate highways turned into rivers...

More than 200 people turned out to support downtown revitalization Friday night at the 23rd annual Charles L. Hutson Auction benefiting Old Town Cape at Buckner Brewing Co. "It was a very successful event," said Marla Mills, executive director of Old Town Cape. "We had a lot of generous people, and a good cross-section of the community came out to support us."...

Park to take part in this year's annual March of Dimes March for Babies walk. "This walk will not end today, because it's a marathon," said Cape Girardeau Mayor Harry Rediger as he welcomed the crowd of supporters. Rediger later said he would like to see people gain more awareness of how important the March of Dimes is in funding life-saving research to prevent premature births.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- For those who have seen the advertisements for The Temptations in concert and were wondering: It's really them. "There's a lot of people wondering if it's the real Temptations," said the show's promoter, Carlos Nelson of SBL Entertainment of Atlanta. "This is the legendary Temptations featuring Otis Williams, the founder. He was there from the beginning and he's still there."

A city rental inspection program shouldn't be a burden for landlords who do their jobs, according to former Cape Girardeau police chief Rick Hetzel, who has a new book out titled "So You Want to be a Better Landlord." In the book, Hetzel relates the lessons he's learned as a property owner, including a "Landlord's Code of Conduct" that emphasizes respect for tenants, prompt repairs and keeping property maintained to attract quality tenants...

When Marilyn Cox took her son, Brian, for his kindergarten screening decades ago, the doctor asked her if she knew about autism. She did not recognize the word. At the time, Brian could already read, do math and speak Spanish. The doctor told her to get a book and start reading about the disorder...

Comic book collectors, gamers, costumers and fans filled the Osage Community Centre on Saturday for the start of the fifth annual Cape Comic Con. Founder Ken Murphy said the show, which features vendors, workshops and gaming, continues to become more popular...

Courthouse Museum Dedication and Naturalization Ceremony Cape Girardeau April 30, 2010 I was able to attend the dedication of the Judicial Education and History Center at the US Courthouse in Cape Girardeau on April 30, 2010. The ceremony included a celebration of Law Day and a Naturalization Ceremony. ...

This is a 8lb., 24in. bass caught in Ballard Co. Ky. He was big enough that he was pulling crappie off my hook and eating them before I could get them in.

Pictures from Sunday's Doubleheader against Murray State.

Pictures from Sunday's Doubleheader against Murray State.

Pictures from Sunday's Doubleheader against Murray State.

When we were leaving Notre Dame tonight after the Class of 2010 Senior Class Banquet, this is the beautiful sunset that we were blessed with

Local observation of Church Women United's May Friendship Day will be Friday evening, May 7th, at the First Presbyterian Church of Jackson (206 E. Washington - NE of the Courthouse). After a covered dish supper at 6:00 pm (bread and drinks provided), the program will include award of the 2010 Nursing Scholarship by committee chairman Roberta Brown. ...

Felicitas Raquel's present for her 64th birthday came early Friday. After trying to earn U.S. citizenship since she arrived from the Philippines 15 years ago, Raquel received it during a naturalization ceremony in Cape Girardeau.

Otto Porter said the attention from college coaches increased significantly over the last month. Snaring 35 rebounds in the state title game will do that.

Clayton and Sherri Shirrell of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Kristin Brooke Shirrell, to Jared Franklin Roop. He is the son of the Rev. Phillip and Denise Roop of Cape Girardeau. Shirrell is a 2007 graduate of Central High School. She expects to receive a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Missouri State University in Springfield in December. She is employed in the university's admissions office...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Rodney and Gail Baker of Marble Hill announce the engagement of their daughter, Jodi Lynn Baker, to Devon Joshua James. He is the son of Josh and Lottie James of Marble Hill. Baker is a 2009 graduate of Woodland High School. She is majoring in elementary special education at Mineral Area College. She is employed by Dr. Mark Milde in Marble Hill...

Terry and Patricia Bartley of Iuka, Ill., announce the engagement of their daughter, Kasey Alaine Bartley, to Jordan Lee Cox. He is the son of Robert and Janie Cox of Jackson. Bartley is a 2005 graduate of Salem Community High School in Salem, Ill. She received a bachelor's degree in music from Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis in April...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Dave and Sandy McBride of Chaffee announce the engagement of their daughter, Shaunna Beth McBride, to Nathan Dale Yount, both of Marble Hill, Mo. He is the son of Rodger and Glenda Yount of Marble Hill and Sheila Underwood of Fredericktown, Mo...

Jeff and Beverly Johnston of Pocahontas announce the engagement of their daughter, Lauren B. Johnston, to F. Raymond LaBelle. He is the son of Forrest LaBelle of Great Falls, Mont., and Connie Litzelfelner of Jackson. Johnston is a 2007 graduate of Jackson High School. She is employed at Midwest Sterilization Corp. in Jackson...

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Noah Mills of Farmington recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a family dinner at 12 West in Farmington. Hosts were their children and spouses, Sue and Ted Stephens of Perryville, Mo., and Rodney and Rebecca Mills of Fredericktown, Mo...

MONDAY--Chicken bites & bread or turkey & cheese on bun, broccoli & cheese sauce, mixed fruit cup, wafer cookie. TUESDAY--Crispito with nacho cheese sauce or ham & cheese on bun, corn, pears. WEDNESDAY--Cheesy beef & macaroni or turkey & cheese on bun, green beans, garlic breadstick, cinnamon applesauce...

A potluck meal was served at the recent April meeting of the Oak Ridge Homemakers FCE Club held in the Elks Lodge in Jackson. Mariesa Lesch gave a devotion using Proverbs 31 from the Bible and concluding with prayer. Announcements were made that Meb Floyd would again make dolls for the Literacy Program in 2010, and that another "work day" making autistic blankets by county members would be held May 10...

There are signs that the economy is improving, and the Cape Girardeau area appears to be benefiting from the turnaround. A recent front-page centerpiece story in USA Today was headlined: "Signs of a turnaround: A bumpy recovery with hope in Midwest, South."...

Give mom both sides of the taste chart with a French toast recipe that's both sweet and savory. This easy-to-assemble casserole can be put together the night before, refrigerated and baked just before serving on Mother's Day. This also is an easy recipe for the kids to help with. Let them whisk the eggs, layer the bread and pour the egg mixture...

Found in most clear waters of the eastern half of the United States, the spotted gar can grow to about three feet long. It may weigh up to eight pounds and live as long as 15 years or more in the wild. Like other kinds of gars, the spotted gar can often be observed basking on warm sunny days just below the surface of the water. There they lie in wait to prey upon almost any living thing that may pass by either on the surface or in the water. Mostly their prey is small fish...

Several Cape Girardeau residents will open their doors to the public Saturday for the first Downtown Historic Home and Garden Tour. The tour is being sponsored by Old Town Cape, and proceeds from ticket sales will go into a fund to cover advertising and materials printed for the tour. ...

The Young Musicians' Scholarship Fund received a $1,600 donation recently from the City of Roses Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans supplementing donations from a "Messiah" concert held earlier this year. The total raised for the new scholarship fund was $4,500. ...

Cristina Bles has been a volunteer with Southeast Hospice since 2005. After dealing with her younger brother's illness and death while in hospice, Tina decided to give back. Tina's excitement in volunteering for hospice shows through in all she does. ...

When I was growing up, when Mom had enough of me she would say, "Go outside. Come home when the street lights are on." She said with a strain in her voice that I didn't understand until I became a parent. Come to think of it, "go outside" was a phrase I heard a lot. Whenever we stumbled upon a dirt pile, the game of the day would be King of the Hill; a game that favored the larger and stronger children, of which I was not. I hated that game...

I am an 80-year-old Marine Corps veteran, and I would like to address health care and my experience with it. The VA clinic in Cape Girardeau and the the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff have been outstanding about meeting my health needs...

Almighty God not only blessed America with spacious skies and fruited plains, but with dedicated and determined Founders who sought God's wisdom and direction as they put together the world's greatest human document, the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution is a pathway and guarantee for all citizens to enjoy personal freedom and the right to honor our creator...

THANK you, Arizona, for doing what the federal government is failing to do. I will spend my vacation money in your state this summer. NOVEMBER 2010 and 2012 can't get here soon enough. Hope and change had their chance. It's time to get back to reality...

By Michael Aide Southeast Missouri has the resource base to become the center of the most productive agricultural region in the world. Just let this sentence flow in one's mind for a moment. Consider the transportation networks with interstates, paved secondary roads and the rail, river and air-transport systems. ...

By Stan Crader I bid farewell to a friend today. After spending 10 years trying to become an American, Hiro Inoue will return to Japan. "America is a great country," he told me today, "but there's something wrong with your immigration laws." I couldn't agree more...

Buddy is a male Siamese cat. He has been neutered and is about 3 years old. He loves his pillows and being lazy. For more information, contact the Humane Society at 334-5837. ...

Dutch is a 1-year-old cat who lost her right eye because of an injury. She is a funny little girl. Dutch is up-to-date on shots and spayed. For more information, contact Safe Harbor at 243-9823. ...

"As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep." (Genesis 15:12) Mother's Day is fast approaching. I've got some time to think about what to do for my mother and mother-in-law back in Pennsylvania. But knowing what my wife wants for this special occasion is never a problem. For years now, Lois has wanted the same thing on the second Sunday in May. But I'll get to that shortly...

Pet name: Lucy Owner: Cissy Williams Favorite activity: Digging in the mud for mice. ...

The C.W. Rushing Charitable Trust made a $1,000 donation to Court Appointed Special Advocates earlier this month. The money for the donation was raised during the 2009 Captain Woody Rushing Golf Tournament Kimbeland Country Club in Jackson. Pictured are Todd Rushing of the charitable trust and Linda Nash with CASA...

When the Rev. Tony Kobak came to Hanover Luther Church in July, he vowed that the one thing that he would always strive to be and illustrate is a servant. Kobak lives by Ephesians 6:6b-7, to "do the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men." So in his free time, Kobak likes to be interactive with the people around him as much as possible. ...

The Lutesville Odd Fellows will be hosting an all-day, all-you-can-eat pancake day Saturday at the Lutesville IOOF Lodge No. 385 at 105 Second St. in Marble Hill, Mo. Lodge members will be serving pancakes, homemade sausage, juice and coffee. The price is $5 per plate; children 5 and younger eat for free. A portion of all proceeds goes to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital...

For gardeners and tillers of the soil, we pray for your special blessings, O God. Amen.

VENICE, La. -- A massive oil slick spewing from a ruptured well kept growing Saturday, and experts warned that an uncontrolled gusher could create a nightmare scenario if the Gulf Stream carries it toward the Atlantic. President Barack Obama planned to visit the region today to assess the situation amid growing criticism that the government and oil company BP PLC should have done more to stave off the disaster. ...

CHICAGO -- Angered by a controversial Arizona immigration law, tens of thousands of protesters -- including 50,000 alone in Los Angeles -- rallied in cities nationwide demanding President Barack Obama tackle immigration reform immediately...

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- In a caution to political friend and foe, President Barack Obama said Saturday that partisan rants and name-calling under the guise of legitimate discourse pose a serious danger to America's democracy and may incite "extreme elements" to violence...

LOS ANGELES -- A computer system that the Census Bureau needs to manage its door-to-door count of the U.S. population remained buggy and prone to crash a day before enumerators were set to begin their work, government officials said Friday. The bureau's Paper Based Operations Control System did not function reliably in tests and, despite hardware and software upgrades, "may not be able to perform as needed under full operational loads," the U.S. ...

SCOTLAND, Ark. -- Leveled homes, overturned vehicles and uprooted trees were scattered across central Arkansas on Saturday after several tornadoes ripped through the state, killing a woman and injuring two dozen others, authorities said. At least one person drowned after heavy rain fell in western Arkansas, said Renee Preslar, spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Cape Girardeau County The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI...

Bobby Gene Henry, 82, of Perryville, Mo., died Thursday, April 29, 2010, at Mineral Area Regional Medical Center in Farmington, Mo. He was born Oct. 28, 1927, in Cape Girardeau, the son of Harley and Jessie Finley Henry. He and Alice Hitt Henry were married Nov. 25, 1948, in Cape Girardeau...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Addie Allene Umfleet, 93, of Sacramento, Calif., passed away Thursday, April 29, 2010, in Sacramento. Addie is survived by two daughters, Ada Wright and Carol Umfleet; two grandsons, David Lee Wright and Aaron Umfleet; two great-grandsons, Skylar Wright and Aydin Umfleet; and many close and loving nieces, nephews and extended family...

Ella Dee Crow, 83, of Jefferson City, Mo., died Thursday, April 29, 2010, at Capital Region Medical Center. Dee was born Jan. 30, 1927, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of James Luther and Gertrude Pearl Borneman Green. She and Alfred Glen Crow were married Feb. 16, 1945, in Cape Girardeau. He preceded her in death May 21, 1981...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Barbara Ann Verble, 78, of Cairo passed away Thursday, April 29, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, after a long illness. She was born May 23, 1931, in Cairo, daughter of Charles and Minnie Grable of Mounds, Ill. She and Raymond Leo Verble were married Dec. 19, 1953...

Sharon Lynn Kennedy, 56, of Sedgewickville, Mo., died Thursday, April 29, 2010, at Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville, Mo. Memorial services will be held at a later date. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

MOUND CITY, Ill. -- Maria E. Davis, 96, of Mound City died Thursday April 29, 2010, at St. Mary's Medical Center in Clayton, Mo. Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. today at Zion Travelers Missionary Baptist Church in Mound City. The funeral will be at 9:30 a.m. Monday at the church...

Mattie Bessie Gordon, 71, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, April 29, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

MOUNDS, Ill. --Zelphia Olivia Poindexter Turner, 64, of Mounds died Tuesday, April 27, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call from 10 a.m. until the funeral begins at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the First Missionary Baptist Church in Mound City, Ill., with the Rev. James R. Dowell officiating...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Abel Swan, 93, of Marble Hill died Saturday, May 1, 2010, at his home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home, with burial in Grassy Friendship Cemetery near Glenallen, Mo...

Briella Rachelle Bailey, infant daughter of Robert A. and Ramona S. Robinson Bailey of Cape Girardeau, died Tuesday, April 27, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to service time Tuesday at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau...

A delegation of Japanese bankers and industrial representatives, participating in a weeklong trade mission aimed at finding new business investments in Missouri, is in Cape Girardeau to see what the area has to offer; the group tours the Japanese-owned BioKyowa plant in the Nash Road industrial complex, as well as other sites in the city...

Firefighters responded to the following call Thursday:...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrest...

An early morning fight in downtown Cape Girardeau resulted in summonses being issued to four people, including one who was sent to the hospital. Cpl. Adam Glueck of the Cape Girardeau Police Department said officers received a call at 1:40 a.m. today of a fight along Broadway...

ATHENS, Greece -- Hundreds of youths rioted in Athens on Saturday, throwing Molotov cocktails and stones at police who responded with tear gas at a May Day rally against austerity measures being enacted by the cash-strapped government to secure foreign loans to stave off bankruptcy...

BERLIN -- German police said a couple of hungry pigs digging for food came nose-to-nose with a long-buried World War II anti-tank weapon. Police said Friday the two pigs found the single-shot "panzerfaust" on private land southwest of Dresden. The pigs' owner secured the animals in their stall then called police, who were able to remove the weapon and destroy it...

CAIRO -- Arab nations gave the Palestinians the green light Saturday to enter indirect peace talks with Israel, likely opening the way for the start of long-stalled U.S.-brokered negotiations. The decision, made by foreign ministers from several top Arab League member nations, comes after a first attempt to get indirect talks going collapsed in March when Israel announced a new Jewish housing project in east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians claim as a future capital. ...

7 p.m. Monday City hall 401 Independence St. Action items Public hearing Consent ordinances Liquor licenses Original package liquor: Pajco Inc., d/b/a Rhodes 101 Stop, 1620 N. Kingshighway Original package liquor and Sunday sales:...

About 220 homes in the Hillcrest Subdivision, west of Cape Girardeau, remain without water as the result of a broken well pump. It could be Tuesday before water service is available again. Bobby Brandon of Brandco Investments, LLC, which owns the water utility serving the neighborhood, said he's contacted Grantham Drilling Company of Perryville to come repair the pump...

An 18-year-old man was arrested Friday after an apparent drive-by shooting just before 10 a.m. at 827 N. Spanish St. Willie Harvey IV, 109 Centennial Drive, was the driver of the vehicle from which shots were allegedly fired. He is now charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in connection with the shooting, according the Cape Girardeau County prosecutor's office. Harvey's bond was set by Judge Gary A. Kamp at $250,000 cash only.

BENTON, Mo. -- Some of the park board members in the community of Perkins want to turn about five acres, known as Perkins Hill, into a park. However, Scott County, which was deeded the land by F.S. and Della H. Bice in 1924, must first find out what it is legally allowed to do.

Southeast Missouri State will play an abbreviated Ohio Valley Conference baseball series for the second weekend in a row. Due to wet field conditions and the threat of more rain, Saturday's scheduled doubleheader against Murray State at Capaha Field was canceled...

The Southeast Missouri State track and field program garnered three of the Ohio Valley Conference's individual awards for the outdoor season. Southeast then won seven titles at the OVC outdoor meet held Friday and Saturday in Cookeville, Tenn., although the Redhawks fell a bit short of team championships as the men and women both finished second...

ST. LOUIS -- Skip Schumaker gave the St. Louis Cardinals the clutch hit they lacked the previous game. Schumaker singled to snap an eighth-inning tie after the Cincinnati Reds twice rallied to even the score in a 6-3 victory Saturday. The Cardinals bounced back after stranding five runners over the final three innings of a one-run loss Friday night, which was elongated by a rain delay of 2 hours, 32 minutes...

ST. LOUIS -- Following a rough plane ride to St. Louis early Friday morning, Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker was hoping for a quiet, peaceful game. Instead, he got a roller-coaster of emotions as the Reds beat the Cardinals 3-2 on Friday night for their season-high fifth win in a row...

News from around the Southeast Missouri State athletics scene.

All the scores from Friday that were reported to the Southeast Missourian.

Central executed its bunts in its 6-4 tournament win

OAK RIDGE, Mo. -- It's safe to say the Perryville baseball team's previous six victories had little resemblance to its seventh victory of the season Friday. Playing in a full-moon phase and strong winds from an approaching weather front, the Pirates took a detour through the Twilight Zone in an 8-2 victory over Oak Ridge...

All the scores from Saturday that were reported to the Southeast Missourian.

Angie Best-Boss has tried changing litter boxes, types of litter, brands of litter. But something has gone terribly wrong with Tiger. "I loathe my cat," said the freelance writer in New Palestine, Ind. "Actually, loathe might be too weak of a word. I hate it. The stupid, stupid cat pees. On clothes. Only on clean clothes. And beds. Regardless of what spray I buy, what medicine she takes, she just really, really likes to pee."...

Gladys Dalton, 73, of Jackson died Saturday, May 1, 2010, at her home in Jackson. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Olivia M. Williams, 94, of Chaffee died Friday, April 30, 2010, at Monticello House in Jackson. She was born Sept. 28, 1915, at Dutchtown, daughter of Martin and Nellie Miller Fredrick. She and Ralph C. Williams were married Aug. 27, 1949. He preceded her in death Jan. 28, 1988...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Pam Brown, 53, of Marble Hil passed away Friday, April 30, 2010, at her home in Marble Hill, after a tough fight with pancreatic cancer that started in December 2002. She was born Oct. 25, 1956, at St. Louis, the daughter of Harold L. and M. Louise Riddle Brown...

Ruth Anne Bartels, 63, of Chesterfield, Mo., having suffered a chronic illness, passed away Friday, April 30, 2010, at Fountain Bleu Lodge in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 2, 1946, at Cape Girardeau, the daughter of Linus W. and Inez Huston Bartels...

Murray State rallied for a 5-3 victory in the first game and won 13-9 in the nightcap

The Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra will wrap up its 2009-2010 season with a special guest and a works by two master composers. The Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra will perform two works, Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" and Mozart's "Symphony No. 40 in G Minor" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Bedell Performance Hall at Southeast's River Campus...

Efforts to raise money for an all-ages, handicap accessible playground in Cape Girardeau County Park continued with a fundraiser at Abbey Road Christian Church on Sunday, where four folk bands entertained a small crowd pleased to donate to the cause...

Another United Way of Southeast Missouri fundraising campaign has come to an end and now the process of determining which community programs will receive funding begins. The United Way's 2009 drive raised an estimated $1,142,858, with pledges still trickling in...

The Cumberland River is threatening residents and private property in Nashville, Tenn., including the city's downtown area. To view this site, you need to have Flash Player 8.0 or later installed. ...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A devastating and deadly line of thunderstorms rocked Tennessee and northern Mississippi over the weekend, killing at least 11 people, closing scores of highways and leaving weeks of cleanup for thousands of people whose homes were damaged...

The singing trio, "Replica" has been added to the line-up of the Heartland Pops' Patriotic Concert on May 23 at 2:15P.M. at Crossroads Fellowship Church in Jackson. The group will take you down memory lane with such hits as "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and "Beer Barrel Polka". ...

However Cape Girardeau approaches the need to update its sewage treatment, it will be expensive. The experiences of two central Missouri cities, one growing rapidly and one nearly identical in size to Cape Girardeau, show that ratepayers will likely be hit with significant increases. And if Cape Girardeau decides to ask voters for a tax measure to help finance the project, everyone will pay more...

Kim Simon, Personal Banker with Montgomery Bank, presented information to Mrs. McClintock's 4th grade class at Alma Schrader as part of the American Bankers Association's National Teach Children To Save Day.

The Perryville High School Elks Student of the Month for May is Andrew Martin, son of Tom and Donna Martin. Pictured with Andrew is Elks Representative Paul Turner (left) and PHS Assistant Principal Craig Hayden. While in high school, Andrew has been involved in the following clubs and organizations:...

Try as I might, I'm unable to freeze those wings.

A spectacular crow-sized black woodpecker with a flaming red crest, and has a red mustache. Found in my backyard.

The Elks Student of the Month for April is Mia Pohlman, daughter of Paul and Jane Pohlman. Pictured above with Mia is Elks Representative Paul Turner (left) and Senior High Assistant Principal Craig Hayden. During her high school years, Mia has been involved in the following organizations:...

Kim Simon, Personal Banker with Montgomery Bank, presented information to Mr. Martin's 6th grade class at Jackson Middle School as part of the American Banker's Association's National Teach Children To Save Day.

The Jackson Community Outreach Board wants to make sure new residents receive an official welcome to its city. This summer the board plans to launch a program called Jackson Outreach that provides new residents with a church directory, an Inside Jackson magazine, coupons from area businesses and other information about the city. Residents will receive the bag of items when they sign up for electrical services at city hall...

When Frank Welter joined the Missouri National Guard at age 21, he thought it would be a good part-time job and a way to help his country during the Vietnam War, all while following in the footsteps of his big brother, who was also in the National Guard. He didn't think he'd stay in the Guard more than six years, but he enjoyed it so much that he continued to re-enlist until his retirement in 2007...

Wind, rain, thunder and lightning describe the fifth day of this adventure on the river. At 0640 we were ready to push away from the bank and the protection of the rock wing dike when I decided to shed my t-shirt and put on my Gore-Tex all-weather running jacket instead. ...

I am writing about Missouri HB 1747 that will encourage, sanction and promote the building of horse slaughter plants in our state. This bill benefits only the greedy interests of slaughter-plant operators and foreign specialty food markets. We do not eat horse meat in the U.S. There is no reason to subject any horses to this slaughter process, which is cruel and unnecessary...

LIMIT smoking in drive-throughs? What would smoking in someone's own car have to do with someone working at a drive-through window? I don't smoke, but I sure get tired of everyone butting into everyone else's life. I just got back from my child's DARE graduation and was appalled by the song choice. ...

O God, give all who regulate a sense of fairness and justices. Amen.

The Discovery Playhouse, a hands-on museum for children, is adding a shine to Broadway. After a couple of years of planning, fundraising, labor and support, the playhouse has opened. If the early crowds of young explorers are any indication, the playhouse will amuse, entertain and educate a large number of young visitors -- and their parents -- in the months ahead...

Dutch hybridizers are gilding the lily, upgrading the cut flower favorite that also brings such long-lasting beauty to gardens. New varieties with deeper tints, stronger stems and softer fragrances are entering the market, prompting retailers to frequently update their websites and catalogs. ...

For the third consecutive year, Commerce Bank has ranked highest among retail banks in the Midwest region in J.D. Power and Associates' 2010 Retail Banking Satisfaction Study. Commerce Bank's score of 809 increased significantly over last year's score of 768. ...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Arrests Thefts Burglary Miscellaneous...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday: Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday:...

Betty Lee Cox, 69, of St. Charles, Mo., died April 30, 2010, at St. Joseph Hospital in St. Charles. She was born Dec. 8, 1940, daughter of William and Mary Rose. She and John E. Cox were united in marriage in 1955 in Dexter, Mo. He preceded her in death on Feb. 25, 2006...

Members of a newly formed Committee for Community Improvement, which is working for passage of the city's proposed $1.9 million sewer bond issue, deliver a pep talk on the subject at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee; the Cape Girardeau Public Schools tax transfer proposal is also discussed...

7:30 p.m. today Jackson City Hall, 101 Court St. Agenda items...

POLICE Jackson The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Assault Property damage Miscellaneous FIRE Jackson Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday: ...

Culinary Arts Specialties LLC has purchased the former Royal N'Orleans building at 300 Broadway in downtown Cape Girardeau. The new buyers closed on the sale of the property Thursday, according to Cynthia Austin of Realty Executives Commercial Realty...

NEW YORK -- Police investigating a terror attack that could have set off a deadly fireball in Times Square focused Sunday on finding a man who was videotaped shedding his shirt near the sport utility vehicle where the bomb was found. Police said the gasoline-and-propane bomb was crude but could have sprayed shrapnel and metal parts with enough force to kill pedestrians and knock out windows on one of America's busiest streets, full of Broadway theaters and restaurants on a Saturday night...

VENICE, La. -- Federal officials shut down fishing from the Mississippi River to the Florida Panhandle on Sunday because of the uncontrolled gusher spewing massive amounts of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, and the environmental disaster is still expected to take at least a week to cut off...

CAIRO -- The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility in a video posted on the Internet Sunday for the attempted car bomb attack in New York City's Times Square, according to the SITE Intelligence Group. In the 1 minute, 11 second video allegedly released by the Pakistani Taliban, the militant group says the attack is revenge for the death of its leader, Baitullah Mehsud, and the recent slaying of al-Qaida in Iraq leaders Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayyub al-Masri, who were killed by U.S. ...

The second-round pick wants to wear the No. 76 that belonged to Orlando Pace

ST. LOUIS -- Familiarity with Chris Carpenter's stuff from opening day was no advantage for the Cincinnati Reds. Carpenter pitched seven innings of two-hit ball to beat the Reds for the second time and Albert Pujols broke the game open with a three-run double in the seventh as the St. Louis Cardinals won 6-0 on Sunday to wrap up a 6-1 homestand...

Former Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Scott Edgar is back in the coaching profession. Edgar, whose two-year tenure at Southeast ended with his firing amid allegations of NCAA rules violations, recently was hired as coach at Eastern Oklahoma State Junior College...

Tennessee-Martin completed a three-game series sweep of host Southeast Missouri State on Sunday to clinch the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season softball championship. The Redhawks finished their home schedule by losing both ends of a doubleheader 5-1 and 2-0. The Skyhawks won Saturday's series opener 4-3 in eight innings...

BRUSSELS -- European governments and the International Monetary Fund on Sunday committed to pull Greece back from the brink of default, agreeing on $145 billion in emergency loans on the condition Athens make painful budget cuts and tax increases...

When Virginia Ford retired from her job as a registered nurse in 2006, it was not long before she had a second career: volunteer. The Cape Girardeau woman keeps her weeks full with different volunteer activities scheduled every day. ...

Many seniors interested in "really going places" are not only looking to their travel agent for vacation planning, but to their bank. More and more financial institutions are now providing travel opportunities to their senior customers...

Gerry and Shelbia Lee Fulton of Farmington, Mo., have been married 50 years. Their wedding ceremony took place at Crossroads Church of God in St. Francois County. Jim and Mary Jane Yamnitz Fulton have been married 54 years; Bill and Lena Mae Hahn Fulton 56 years, and Bob and Maxine Heitman Fulton 57 years. ...

The Shelter of Hope at 320 S. Sprigg St. in Cape Girardeau is struggling to open. Many questions have been asked as to The Shelter of Hope's mission. We feel it is very simple and strive to open our doors to the homeless. We need the community's support and call on the residents of Cape Girardeau to accept the challenge. Our mailing address: The Shelter of Hope, P.O. Box 676, Cape Girardeau, MO 63703. Chaplain Terry Wildman and many volunteers need your help...

Vicki Long was medalist at the ladies golf event Thursday at Kimbeland Country Club. Karen Heisel and Margaret Sanders tied for first in championship flight, while Dixice Jones placed first in A flight, Dorothy Holland finished atop B flight, and Carolyn Barks and Martha Fenney tied for the top honor in C flight...

Gladys O. Dalton, 73, of Jackson died Saturday, May 1, 2010, at her home. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. J. D. Smith officiating...

Automated trash pickup begins today in Cape Girardeau and the city Public Works Department has a few tips for residents to make sure it goes smoothly. The most important thing to remember is the difference between the tan trash bins and the green recycling bins, said Mike Tripp, solid waste supervisor for the city. ...

A brain tumor survivor, who received a trip to Disney World from the Make-A-Wish Foundation and loves to read the "39 Clues" books, went on a recent scavenger hunt arranged by National Honor Society members at Poplar Bluff High School. Dustin Cook of Poplar Bluff was 12 when a brain tumor was detected on May 19, 2009...

Editor's note: This is the first 'Answering the call' article to appear in the Southeast Missourian. It will appear each Monday, helping to establish a relationship between the community and the people who keep its residents safe. 'Answering the call" will feature police officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel. ...

BIEHLE, Mo. - An infant and two Jackson women were among those injured when a car overturned Sunday night. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Kellie E. Middleton, 18, of Jackson was driving a 1997 Pontiac Grand Am when the vehicle left the right side of Route B, just south of Interstate 55. Middleton then over corrected and the Grand Am traveled off the left side of the roadway before overturning...

Former Cape Girardeau businessman David Barklage is now a major player in Missouri politics. In the mid-1990s, after managing a radio station and chain of convenience stores, he got tired of selling air time and Twinkies. He approached the Missouri Republican Party about representing it and founded his own political consulting firm. ...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Three Rivers Community College will collaborate with the Stoddard County Learning Center beginning this fall, with a long-range plan of converting the Dexter facility into a feeder site that will serve to relieve congestion at the Poplar Bluff campus...

Notre Dame decided to wait out the Kennett pitchers with the bases loaded Monday. The strategy resulted in three free passes to plate runs. Notre Dame padded its lead with three bases-loaded walks in the fourth inning then held on for a 7-4 victory in the SEMO Conference baseball tournament title game at Capaha Field...

A single-vehicle accident on Highway 34 east of Burfordville sent a Marble Hill, Mo., woman to the hospital with serious injuries Monday night. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said that around 4:50 p.m. a 2008 Dodge driven by Brittany D. Henson, 20, was traveling westbound on the highway when the vehicle crossed the center line and ran off the roadway...

WAPPAPELLO LAKE, Mo. -- As a Poplar Bluff, Mo., man recovers from serious facial injuries at an area hospital, Missouri State Water Patrol officers were back on Wappapello Lake this morning to investigate the crash that put him there. At about 7:20 p.m. Sunday, Jimmy Rayburn, 58, suffered severe facial lacerations when his 17-foot 1988 Cajun bassboat impaled the side of a duck blind in Duck Blind Cove near Rockwood Point, explained Water Patrolman David Nelson...

Former Cape Girardeau and Jackson lawyer Joe T. Buerkle, charged with felony theft in December 2009, will wait another four months before his case will proceed in court. Associate Circuit Court Judge Stephen R. Mitchell, assigned to preside over the case Jan. 29, ordered Buerkle's jury trial be reset and begin Sept. 1 at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse. It was originally scheduled for May 25 at the Common Pleas Courthouse...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Republican state senator wants Missouri's attorney general to take legal action against Gov. Jay Nixon over the governor's actions in a school funding matter. Sen. Jason Crowell of Cape Girardeau said Nixon violated the constitutional separation of powers last month when he ordered education officials to ignore part of a bill making midyear budget cuts to school districts...

A disagreement between Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones and a grant writer turned emotional before the start of Monday's Cape Girardeau County Commission meeting. However, the situation was resolved shortly after the meeting concluded, when Jones apologized to Regina Tucker, who is helping write the grant for $75,000 funding for Melaina's Magical Playland, a proposed all-accessible playground...

The Cape Girardeau City Council politely but forcefully said Monday evening that any new vote on whether to bring gambling to town would have to be put on the ballot with petitions. In rejecting the call for the council to put the measure on the ballot, members sought to find out what a casino deal would have to include for a group seeking a vote to back down. ...

On Thursday, May 6 at Noon, the community is invited to a noon-time gathering at Good Shepherd Lutheran Chapel, 1904 West Cape Rock Drive for a time of prayer for our country on this 59th Annual National Day of Prayer.

The first day of automated trash pickup for Cape Girardeau wasn't exactly automatic. City solid waste supervisor Mike Tripp knew what problems he could expect. People using the wrong color bins, putting both bins out or just not using the new bins at all. But overall, Tripp said, the system seems like it will work well and ironing out the bugs will be fairly easy...

DE SOTO, Mo. -- Military officers, elected officials and members of the public turned out to participate in a ceremony officially presenting the Missouri National Guard's 735th Quartermaster Force Provider Company with the prestigious Meritorious Unit Commendation for its support of Operation Iraqi Freedom...

Senator Crowell Announces Confirmation of Joel Rhodes to the State Historical Records Advisory Board JEFFERSON CITY -- Senator Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, recently sponsored the nomination of Joel Rhodes to the State Historical Records Advisory Board. The board is the central advisory board for historical records planning and for projects relating to historic records that are developed and carried out within the state of Missouri...

Sadie Pittman, center, a point-guard on the Cape Central High School (CHS) Women's Basketball Team, will be shooting hoops for North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC), in Mason City, Iowa this fall. Observing a recent contract signing are, left to right, NIACC Women's Basketball Coach John Oestel, CHS Athletic Director Lance Tollison, Pittman, CHS Women's Basketball Coach Sherri Shirrell, and Pittman's mother, Linda Alford-Taylor. ...

A personality familiar to millions will take to the stage Wednesday night at the Bedell Performance Hall at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus. Garrison Keillor, known for his stories from Lake Wobegon and other tales of Americana told on his radio program "A Prairie Home Companion," will perform his one-man act for a sold-out house...

Area Girl Scouts from the Cape Girardeau Service Unit were recognized for numerous awards at the monthly Service Unit Leader meeting on May 3rd. The Top 3 Sellers for the 2009-10 Fall Product Sales were Samantha McLemore Top Seller for Cape Girardeau with $511 in sales. Second place was achieved by Claudia Price with $402 of sales and third place went to Kiara Parka with $350 in sales...

This coming Saturday, May 8th, another tiny model airplane named "Little Traveler" will take to the skys on a perilous journey to raise funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee! Last October, "Little Traveler I" flew 15.2 miles non-stop from Olmsted, Illinois to Boaz, Illinois, guided by it's pilot from the back of a pursuing pickup truck. That flight raised more than $1600 for the hospital...

On April 30, a special Awards Ceremony was held at Old St. Vincent's Church in Cape Girardeau. Bishop James Vann Johnston, Jr. Sixth Bishop of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese officiated the ceremony. He presented Religious Award Medals to a number of Girl Scouts who completed their official religious recognition program of the Roman Catholic Church...

At the 51st Annual Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Conference in Columbia, Trenton Sanders of Cape Central High School took 7th place in the Cyber security competition, while Courtney Marquis earned 9th place in the Business Communication category. Over 2,700 Missouri high school students and teachers attended the Conference, including fourteen students from Cape Central and their three advisors, Pam Pensel, Veronica Hull and Theresa Taylor...

Inspired by a recent Time Magazine cover story using people to spell out "JOBS," the entire staff and student population of Nell Holcomb School celebrated the end of MAP testing and a beautiful spring day with a little school spirit of their own! Photo was taken by the brave yearbook sponsor from the roof of the new gym...

NEW YORK -- Lynn Redgrave, an introspective and independent player in her family's acting dynasty who became a 1960s sensation as the unconventional title character of "Georgy Girl" and later dramatized her troubled past in such one-woman stage performances as "Shakespeare for My Father" and "Nightingale," has died. She was 67...

When Seniors and Lawmen Together, an organization that promotes interaction between senior citizens and law enforcement officer, holds its annual memorial service at 10 a.m. May 14 at Cape County Park North, several hundred individuals are expected to be on hand as SALT unveils its new black granite memorial to 48 officers with ties to Southeast Missouri who have died in the line of duty...

The Missouri Senate has passed a resolution that, if approved by voters, would merge Missouri's Coordinating Board of Higher Education and the state's Board of Education into one six-member board. Senators were told such a merger will save Missouri between $1 million and $3 million, a minuscule amount compared to a state budget in the billions...

A few lessons from history would be in order for today. Nearly 134 years ago, on the battlefield of Little Big Horn, Sioux women went about stripping the bodies of dead troopers, and when they came to the body of Gen. George Custer, they poked wooden skewers through his ears. Since he had not heard their cries on earth, perhaps he could hear them in the afterlife...

WHILE e-mail may compete, there is a need for the postal service. I mail letters almost daily. The problem with the postal service is how to get labor costs under control. I don't know if postal employees realize the value of having jobs and how lucky they are...

Bless all students and teachers who are nearing the end of another year. Amen.

A couple of months ago I received a phone call. The lady's voice stated, "Honey, this is your lucky day. You're going on the World War II veterans Honor Tour." I had waited for that call for almost two years, but the wait was well worth it...

Gladys O. Dalton, 73, of Jackson passed away Saturday, May 1, 2010, at her home. One of eight children, Gladys was born May 6, 1936, in Harrisburg, Ark., to Bruce Thomas "B.T." and Lollie R. Kyle Davis. She and James "Jim" Dalton were married March 16, 1968...

BROWNWOOD, Mo. -- Mary A. Davis, 91, of Brownwood passed away Sunday, May 2, 2010, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 28, 1919, at Senath, Mo., daughter of Bailey Simpson and Lena Katy Parker Edwards. Mary and Arthur Zeno Green were married Sept. 14, 1935, at Kennett, Mo. He preceded her in death March 9, 1968. She later married Roy Woodrow Davis March 27, 1970, at Zalma, Mo. He preceded her in death Feb. 9, 1982...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Edward Smith, 82, of Marble Hill died Sunday, May 2, 2010, at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to service time Thursday at Hutchings Funeral Chapel. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the chapel. Burial will be in Baker Cemetery...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Rita M. Blanton, 83, of Advance died Sunday, May 2, 2010, at Ratliff Care Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Morgan Funeral Chapel. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the chapel, with the Rev. Eric Shrum officiating. Burial will be in Morgan Memorial Park...

Kenneth James Pieper, 45, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, May 3, 2010, at his home. There will be no service. Crain Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Daughter to Marc Anthony Smolak and Crystal Gail Bartusch of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 1:41 p.m. Thursday, April 22, 2010. Name, Avery Elizabeth. Weight, 8 pounds, 10 ounces. Third child, second daughter. Ms. Bartusch is the former Crystal Helm, daughter of Barbara Osborne of Cape Girardeau and Robert and Katheryn Helm of Salem, Ill. ...

The $13.2 million Cape Girardeau multipurpose building project, faced with the loss of local funding because of a recent court ruling, could be financed entirely with state money, said Sen. Edwin L. Dirck, chairman of the Missouri Senate Appropriations Committee; Dirck notes he favors such a move...

DETROIT -- Car shoppers took a wait-and-see approach in April, easing up on purchases as the lure of big incentives faded and hoping summer brings a new flurry of deals. Automakers will have to match incentives from Toyota Motor Corp. at least through Memorial Day. Toyota said Monday it will continue to offer zero percent financing and two years of free maintenance on certain vehicles through June 1. It is also offering unprecedented deals on its Lexus brand...

NEW YORK -- Investors sent stocks soaring Monday after getting a boost of confidence from the latest economic reports and Warren Buffett's defense of Goldman Sachs. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 143 points to extend a series of sharp swings over the past week. The Dow and broader indexes all climbed more than 1 percent...

PHILADELPHIA -- A federal judge on Monday delayed the trial of two American women charged in a global terror plot, and a defense lawyer held out the possibility of a plea deal. The judge declared the case complex and indefinitely postponed the trial of to give lawyers time to prepare...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWIs...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday:...

DETROIT -- Nine members of a Michigan militia will be released from jail pending trial after a federal judge Monday criticized the government's claim they had conspired to overthrow the U.S. government. The decision is a defeat for federal authorities who arrested members of a southern Michigan group called the Hutaree in March and charged them with conspiracy to commit sedition and attempted use of weapons of mass destruction...

A headline about the Jackson Community Outreach Board in Monday's edition should have said it plans to welcome new Jackson residents. Also, the article should have stated that 31 new residents have signed up for electrical services this year. The Southeast Missouri regrets the error...

LOS ANGELES -- People with a common, obesity-related liver disease that has no known treatment got a surprising benefit from vitamin E pills, researchers reported last week. It appears to be the first time that a vitamin supplement has been shown to help treat a major ailment not caused by a nutrient deficiency. However, doctors warned that this does not mean people should automatically take vitamin E since some research suggests it might raise the risk of other problems...

Action items Public hearing Consent ordinances Liquor licenses Original package liquor: Pajco Inc., d/b/a Rhodes 101 Stop, 1620 N. Kingshighway Original package liquor and Sunday sales: Pajco Inc., d/b/a Rhodes 101 Stop, 449 S. Kingshighway...

Route U in Cape County will be reduced to one lane while MoDOT crews perform routine bridge repairs between Copperhead Lane and County Road 371. Weather permitting, the work, which began on Monday, should conclude at 3 p.m. today.

North and southbound Interstate 55 in Ste. Genevieve County remains one lane with a 12-foot width restriction while Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs. This section of road is between Highway 32 and the Jefferson County line. Weather permitting, the work, which began Monday, will continue until 5 p.m. Friday. Also, the southbound I-55 Bloomsdale rest area will be closed for repairs until further notice...

The last thing you need when you're traveling is to get sick. Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to reduce your risk of picking up a bug along with your souvenirs. Frequent hand washing can significantly reduce your risk of getting ill. ...

Route T in Bollinger County will be closed today while MoDOT crews replace pipes between Route F and County Road 435. Weather permitting, the work will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma's attorney general agreed Monday to temporarily block enforcement of a controversial new state law that requires pregnant women to get an ultrasound and hear a detailed description of the fetus before they get an abortion...

NEW ORLEANS -- The calamitous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico isn't just a mess for the people who live or work on the coast. If you drink coffee, eat shrimp, like bananas or plan to buy a new set of tires, you could end up paying more because of the disaster...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday withdrew his support of a plan to expand oil drilling off the California coast, citing the massive oil spill that resulted from a drilling rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. The announcement assures that no new drilling will take place off the state's coastline in the foreseeable future because Schwarzenegger would have to include the drilling proposal in his May revision of the state budget...

DUBLIN -- All flights in and out of Ireland have been canceled this morning because of the renewed risk of volcanic ash drifting south from Iceland, the Irish Aviation Authority announced Monday. But experts said they couldn't tell whether the shifting winds would lead to wider European airspace shutdowns, mirroring last month's crisis, when more than 100,000 flights were canceled and airlines estimated they lost more than $2 billion in business...

LONDON -- David Cameron's uppercrust background is well-suited for traditional British politics -- he's white, Eton-educated, married to an aristocrat's daughter and speaks as if he still had the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth. But being considered posh may prove to be a significant disadvantage in Thursday's election -- Britain's closest contest in decades...

UNITED NATIONS -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton engaged in a verbal nuclear exchange Monday on the U.N. stage, where nations gathered for a monthlong debate over the world's ultimate weapons...

ST. LOUIS -- A division of the St. Louis-based utility Ameren Corp. is reducing its staff by 75 full-time positions. Ameren Energy Resources Co. LLC is the merchant generation business segment of Ameren Corp. It said Monday it will cut staff at several power plants and support service facilities in Illinois and Missouri...

WASHINGTON -- The United States has 5,113 nuclear warheads in its stockpile and "several thousand" more retired warheads awaiting the junkpile, the Pentagon said Monday in an unprecedented accounting of a secretive arsenal born in the Cold War and now shrinking rapidly...

Freese drove in three runs and Garcia picked up the victory

Central managed just three hits in a 7-1 loss to Sikeston in the third-place game

Terry, Egbuka win conference titles for Southeast

The Notre Dame boys walked away conference champions at Monday's SEMO Central Conference meet at Charleston. The Bulldogs collected eight first-place finishes, led by Wynn McClellan's victories in the 1,600 and 3,200 and helping the 3,200 relay to the win...

NEW YORK -- The registered owner of a sport utility vehicle that was parked in Times Square and rigged with a crude propane-and-gasoline bomb told investigators he sold the vehicle to a stranger for cash three weeks ago, a law enforcement official said Monday...

United Airlines has agreed to buy Continental in a $3 billion-plus deal that would create the world's largest carrier with a commanding position in several top U.S. cities. The new United would surpass Delta Air Lines in size, which should help it attract more high-fare business travelers. It will fly to 370 destinations in 59 countries...

The foursome of Dan Hotop, Gabe Hotop, Mike Flaker and Mike Zahner shot 55 to win the SEMO Network Against Sexual Violence golf scramble Monday at Dalhousie Golf Club Sam McCune, Pate Hogan, Gary Daniel and Nick Hogan carded 64 to win A flight; Roger Tolliver, Jeff Hotop, Bob Garner and Rick Kennard won B flight at 66; and Paul Boyd, Mike Blechle, Carol Blechle and Thurman Durwood finished first in C flight at 71...

When the next phases of Pioneer Orchard subdivision are constructed, the development likely won't include duplexes as originally planned. The subdivision, off Pioneer Orchard Road in Jackson, already includes 109 lots since it was established six years ago. The next four phases were to consist of 52 lots zoned for single-family residential district and 14 lots for duplexes...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Muddy waters poured over the banks of Nashville's swollen Cumberland River on Monday, spilling into Music City's historic downtown streets while rescuers using boats and Jet Skis plucked stranded residents away from their flooded homes as the death toll from the weekend storms climbed to 28 people in three states...

This fall, high school students will get a chance to pitch their best business ideas and possibly win money to fund them. The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Southeast Missouri State University recently announced it will host a business plan competition to coincide with the university's Global Entrepreneurship Week in November...

The Indians struck early and cruised to a 3-0 win against Notre Dame

A man accused of being the gunman in a drive-by shooting Friday on North Spanish Street has two weeks to find a lawyer. In appearance Monday before Associate Circuit Judge Gary A. Kamp, Willie Harvey IV, 18, of 109 Centennial Drive, asked for and was given until May 17 to hire a lawyer to represent him on assault and armed criminal action charges. Both charges are felonies, and Harvey faces a potential life sentence if convicted...

This summer Katie Rodriguez Banister will be one of 29 women on wheels competing for the title of Ms. Wheelchair America. As the current Ms. Wheelchair Missouri, Banister gave the first of two inspirational talks at the SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence Tuesday morning in Cape Girardeau, using humor to help empower others to learn from the challenges of life...

This is a photo of a young soldier showing honor and respect for a country he daily defends. When I look at this picture I see the freedom that our service men and women fight for everyday. God bless our soldiers.

Burfordville Baptist Church 201 Highway OO Burfordville, MO 63739 243-5602 Burfordville Baptist Church hosted a Block Party Saturday, May 1st from 11:00 am -- 3:00 pm. Despite the forecast of 80% chance of thunderstorms the church believed God still controls the weather. It was like God put an umbrella over Burfordville. We heard reports of rain and storms all around us, at most we may have had twenty minutes of sprinkles all day...

If you have ever paid a water bill in Cape Girardeau, chances are you have Karen to thank for excellent service! Karen has worked all over the City for over 30 years. She will be missed when she retires!

Johnny is a 1 year old male cat. He loves to play with toys and people. He has lots of love to give! Johnny is available for adoption at HSSEMO (573)334-5837. If you would like to see more pets please visit them at semopets.org

Three development companies have told the Missouri Gaming Commission they are interested in obtaining a gambling license for Cape Girardeau, the commission announced Tuesday.

This truck used to be parked on a lot in Benton Mo, however I noticed recently that it has disappeared.

R.A.M. Club Community Service The Scott City Elementary R.A.M. Club put in a full day of giving back to the community. The R.A.M. Club is made up of 3rd and 4th graders who went through an application and approval process to become members of the club. ...

In April, 25 members of the Jackson High School chapter of Future Business Leaders of America attended the Missouri State Leadership Conference in Columbia, Missouri. Students attended campaigning, workshops, general sessions, and participated in competitive events...

In March, Metro Business College Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) members traveled to Jefferson City, MO to compete at the State Leadership Conference (SLC). Members attending the conference were: Bonnie Black, Marie Deffendall, Beth Stacy, Carol Williams, Sally Wallace, Christina Massey, Amanda McGraw, Monett Kerr, Danielle Cope, Susan Stephens, and Tammy Rodgers...

The Clippard Marathon Club ran their 26th mile on Wednesday, May 5th. The 3rd and 4th grade students completing 26 good deeds, reading 26 books and running 26 miles this year received a medal and t-shirt to commemorate the day. The parents and Clippard staff are very proud of them for their commitment...

The town of Benton may be small in size, but it knows how to throw a great party. In celebration of the sesquicentennial of Benton's founding on April 26, 1860, the town is holding several special events this year. On April 24, the sesquicentennial festivities kicked off with a ceremony attended by more than 300 people. The population is less than 800. Period costumes and pledges by men to forgo shaving for the duration were in abundance...

Exhilarating! Incredible! Sublime! And just plain "Wow!" There are not enough superlatives in the English language to adequately describe the vocal treat that many area residents had the opportunity to witness Sunday afternoon in the recital given by Paige Kiefner. ...

ABOUT a week ago I went to a bookstore to exchange some books. When I went to the counter to pay for my purchases, a woman told the clerk she wanted to pay for my books. I tried to pay and refuse her offer. She insisted. I thanked her then and would like to tell the people in Cape Girardeau that this elderly veteran thanks her again for being so thoughtful...

Give us the strength, O God, to overcome our earthly weaknesses. Amen.

For many in this area -- and around the country -- May is graduation month. It's a special time when high school and college students end their formal education and enter the "real world." And right now, it's a truly scary time. We all want to be optimistic about the prospects for graduating classes. ...

Across the country, the bursting of a real estate housing bubble in 2006 and the related financial crisis begun in 2007 are forcing government officials to make difficult decisions on how to allocate their shrinking budgets. Although Missouri Gov. ...

LOS ANGELES -- Actor Corey Haim died from pneumonia complicated by an enlarged heart, bad lungs and narrowed blood vessels, while drugs found in his system played no role in his death, the Los Angeles County coroner said Tuesday. Haim, 38, died of natural causes from "community-acquired pneumonia" along with lung, heart and blood vessel problems, according to an autopsy report...

BAGHDAD -- Iraq's two largest Shiite electoral blocs announced Tuesday they have formed an alliance that gives them a strong chance of setting up the next government, though they have yet to work out the contentious question of who would become prime minister...

NEW YORK -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that his country won't be deterred by the threat of new U.N. economic sanctions over its nuclear program. Ahmadinejad spoke at a New York news conference Tuesday as the U.S. and its allies were negotiating for U.N. Security Council approval of further sanctions to pressure Tehran to suspend its uranium enrichment program, which Western powers allege is aimed at building atomic bombs...

Most school projects only last a semester. A short 3-D film by a Southeast Missouri State University assistant professor and five students took a year and a half. "Death to the Different," about a 13-year-old boy who must kill a dragon to become a man, will be screened at 7:30 p.m. today at the Rose Theatre on Southeast's campus...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday:...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Summonses Thefts Property damage Burglary Miscellaneous...

Mattie Gordon, 71, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, April 29, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Jan. 27, 1939, in Blakely, Ga., to the late Fred and Bessie Mae Jewell. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to service time Saturday at New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, 1029 S. Benton St...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Charles V. McIntyre, 85, of Perryville died Monday, May 3, 2010, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. A veteran of World War II, he was a sergeant in the U.S. Army. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today, and Thursday from 6:30 a.m. until time of service at Young and Sons Funeral Home in Perryville. An American Legion wake will be held at 6:30 p.m. today...

*** William Ramsey William E. Ramsey, 58, of Friedheim died Monday, May 3, 2010, at his home. There is no service. McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson is in charge of arrangements.

The first phase of restoration at St. Mary's Cathedral got underway recently; the church hopes to restore the 119-year-old building to reflect the architectural period in which it was built. Carl Gene Penzel, president of Penzel Construction Co. Inc., was recently inducted into the Academy of Civil Engineers at a ceremony at the University of Missouri at Rolla...

Jackson Firefighters responded to the following call Monday: * Emergency medical service on Ridge Road. Firefighters responded to the following call Tuesday: * Emergency medical service on Luetje Street.

LOS ANGELES -- A woman accused of stabbing four people at a Target store had mental health issues that worsened after she lost custody of her child, a relative said Tuesday. Layla Trawick was arrested by an off-duty sheriff's deputy at the West Hollywood store on Monday. Authorities say she ran along aisles slashing customers at random, including stabbing in the neck a woman who was carrying a baby. All were expected to survive...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Cumberland River finally began receding Tuesday, exposing mud-caked homes and submerged cars as officials searched door to door for more victims of a record-busting flash flood and weekend storm already blamed for nearly 30 deaths...

NEW YORK -- Seized from a plane about to fly to the Middle East, a Pakistan-born man admitted training to make bombs at a terrorism camp in his native land before he rigged a sport utility vehicle with a homemade device to explode in Times Square, authorities said Tuesday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri officials fear the state may be overpaying in-home care providers millions of dollars to help disabled residents bathe, cook, clean and perform other daily activities. Legislation recently passed by the Senate -- and now pending in the House -- could impose a pair of cost-cutting curbs on the more than 300 businesses and not-for-profit organizations that provide in-home services to about 50,000 low-income Missourians...

NEW YORK -- Stocks plunged around the world Tuesday as fears spread that Europe's attempt to contain Greece's debt crisis would fail. The euro fell to its lowest point against the dollar in a year. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 225 points, its biggest drop in three months. The slide erased a 143-point gain from Monday. The Dow and broader indexes each fell more than 2 percent. Meanwhile, Treasury prices rose on increased demand for safe investments...

MOREHOUSE, Mo. -- A Bernie, Mo., motorist and his Morehouse passenger were seriously injured after their vehicle went into a pond Monday in New Madrid County.

ST. LOUIS -- A county prosecutor has abandoned murder-for-hire charges against an Illinois sheriff who had been accused of plotting to kill witnesses in his federal drug trial, deferring to the U.S. government to bring the law officer to trial on similar charges...

GRAND ISLE, La. -- People along the Gulf Coast have spent weeks living with uncertainty, wondering where and when a huge slick of oil might come ashore, ruining their beaches -- and their livelihoods. The anxiety is so acute that some are seeing and smelling oil where there is none. ...

Jackson The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Miscellaneous * A peace disturbance was reported in the 900 block of Shady Lane.

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, named in a trade newspaper as a potential candidate to become president of the Credit Union National Association, said Tuesday she decided long ago not to pursue the opening.

PHILADELPHIA -- For a guy who hadn't gone deep this season, Carlos Ruiz took a couple powerful swings in the same at-bat. Fortunately for him, one of the balls he hit stayed fair. Ruiz hit a leadoff home run in the 10th inning and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 on Tuesday night after another fan ran onto the field at Citizens Bank Park...

The Perryville, Mo., FFA Alumni organization has a new cookbook for sale. The group was established for the purpose of supporting the Perryville FFA chapter, and it raises money to help send FFA students to leadership conferences. Most recently, the alumni group helped pay for the new building at the East Perry County Fairgrounds. ...

Today, the fifth of May, marks the improbable victory of the Mexican army over larger French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Outside the state of Puebla, in the rest of Mexico, the day is all but ignored, but here in the United States it has become a huge celebration of Mexican culture. Today, millions of Americans, regardless of their ethnic heritage, will make a point to dine on Mexican food, though the truth is there really is no one traditional food for Cinco de Mayo...

Central senior point guard Sadie Pittman recently signed to play basketball next year at North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City, Iowa. Pittman, a three-year starter for the Tigers, averaged 16.5 points, 2.4 assists and 4.2 steals as a senior...

The Southeast seniors had the top career GPAs among the school's athletes

All the area high school events reported Tuesday to the Southeast Missourian.

Passage of a proposal to regulate subdivisions in parts of Cape Girardeau County relies in part on the document being as easy to understand as possible, a committee considering the issue said Tuesday. Since Feb. 3, members of the Cape Girardeau-Jackson Joint Subdivision Advisory Committee have met once a month to develop a draft of recommended regulations it would present to the county commission. ...

Visitors look at a huge animated baby mannequin Monday in the Spain Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo in Shanghai, China. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)...

The Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra performed for a nearly sold-out crowd in its final concert of the season. The symphony performed two works, Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" and Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G Minor. The evening began with "The Four Seasons," which has a movement for each season: "Spring," "Summer," "Autumn" and "Winter." Each season was accompanied by sonnets believed to have been written by Vivaldi himself to go with the music...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Lionfish. It's what's for dinner. Fighting a losing battle against the invasive, candy-striped aquarium fish that is the Western Hemisphere's worst oceanic menace, conservationists, tour operators and chefs are out to slow their spread the only way they know how: finding and catching them fast, and then turning them into batter-fried, roasted and grilled delectables...

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce will host a presentation by Leadership Cape during its First Friday Coffee this week at the Plaza By Ray's, at 3257 William St. Continental breakfast is available at 7 a.m. The program will begin at 7:40 a.m...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A House committee has scuttled a plan to let sports and marching band count as graduation credits for Missouri high schools. Legislation passed previously by the Senate would have allowed schools to award one unit of physical education credit to students who participated in three years of marching band or interscholastic sports...

Southeast Missourians will join thousands of other communities Thursday to pray for the government, military, families and schools during the 59th annual National Day of Prayer.

Former Missouri House speaker Rod Jetton will learn next Tuesday when he will stand trial on charges he assaulted a Sikeston, Mo., woman.

When it comes to having an impact at school, five Cape Girardeau educators proved classroom experience is a small measure. Teachers with experience ranging from five to 40 years were recognized for their contributions to education Tuesday night at the 17th annual Educator of the Year Banquet. Some teachers brought their life experience to the classroom while others amassed it through long careers...

A Southeast Missouri State University shuttle bus and a van were involved in an accident around 2 p.m. in the 300 block of Broadway in Cape Girardeau. The bus had front-end damage, while the van was damaged in the back and front. People riding in the bus said a blue four-door car was also involved in the accident. It collided with the van and sped from the scene, they said...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A Perryville sexual assault case came to a close Monday when Circuit Court Judge William L. Syler sentenced a St. Louis man charged in the crime to 175 years in prison. James E. Mueller was charged in August 2008 with two counts of forcible rape, two counts of forcible sodomy, one attempted forcible sodomy charge and five counts of armed criminal action.

BENTON, Mo. -- If state officials really want to save money, maybe they should look into electronic monitoring bracelets for prisoners, Scott County commissioners say. Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter updated commissioners during their Tuesday meeting on the first Scott County inmate placed on house arrest using the technology, the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported...

i took this picture a couple years ago

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Missouri's Army and Air National Guard families are invited to attend a Youth Bash at the Poplar Bluff Armory on Saturday, May 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Bash, sponsored by the Missouri National Guard Youth Program, will feature a variety of activities for children ages 5 to 17 years old, including a bounce house, crafts and even the opportunity for kids to test their skills at a game of Guitar Hero. Snacks and lunch will also be provided...

One microphone, one stool, one man. Plenty of entertained people. A crowd ranging from teenagers to senior citizens filled the Bedell Performance Hall on Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus Wednesday night to take in the sold-out performance by Garrison Keillor.

Going through cancer treatment has its highs and lows. Wednesday, Sharlett Eftink had one of her highs.

Pat Fosse, Donna Litcheneggar, and Ronnie Maxwell at the serving table at the first annual Jackson Heritage Association's Wine Tasting event.

Kyle Mabuce, President of the Jackson Heritage Association, giving tours of the Oliver House Museum during the first annual wine tasting event.

Guests enjoying wine on the lawn of the Oliver House Museum at the first annual Jackson Heritage Association Wine Tasting.

Gadget is a tabby and white long-haired cat who is two years old. He is a very friendly guy. Gadget has been neutered and is up-to-date on shots. Gadget is available for adoption at Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary, 573-243-9823. Please view other adorable adoptables at safeharboranimalsanctuary.org...

The Redhawks overcame eight errors to beat Mid-Continent University 16-12.

What's happening this weekend

Cape Girardeau residents and city sanitation workers are adjusting to the new trash and recycling system that started Monday. New trucks and new trash containers were put to the test, as were residents who were learning how close to the curb to put their containers, which container to put out and why trash in old containers wasn't picked up...

When one uses the term "like ants after sugar," one realizes there's a racial bias. I would ask Tim Westrich ("No amnesty for illegal immigrants," April 30): How has an illegal immigrant hurt you? Perhaps they've even enhanced your life without you realizing it...

I loved the story about the Marine who saved the girl from the lion. Of course, this story can also be told making the Marine a Republican. I believe that would be more true in today's time. DID everyone see the picture and story about the homeless living in the tunnel in St. ...

We are dazzled by the glory of your creation, O God, and give thanks for it. Amen.

May 6, 2010 Dear Julie, Last weekend, some of the seniors graduating from the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Southeast Missouri State University volunteered to showcase the talents they honed at the university. To prepare them, the school imported from New York City a choreographer, an audition expert and an Emmy-winning casting director for nine hours of workshops...

NAIROBI, Kenya -- Somali pirates armed with automatic weapons boarded an oil tanker with $50 million of oil and 23 Russian crew onboard Wednesday, and a Russian warship was rushing to intervene, a European Union Naval spokesman said. The pirates launched the attack on the Liberian-flagged ship, the Moscow University, at dawn. Cmdr. John Harbour, the EU Naval Force spokesman, said the crew evaded the pirates for several hours while sending out distress calls...

UNITED NATIONS -- The Middle East, that timeless tinderbox at the core of so much in world affairs, looms as a battleground in the U.N.'s meeting halls this month, as 189 nations debate nuclear proliferation. The idea of establishing the region as a zone free of nuclear weapons, a notion on the back burner for 15 years, has emerged as a central issue at the twice-a-decade conference reviewing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT)...

BANGKOK -- Thais put aside their political animosity Wednesday to honor the country's ailing monarch on the 60th anniversary of his coronation, and his rare public appearance inspired thousands lining the streets to chant "Long live the king!" The highly revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej emerged in a wheelchair from a Bangkok hospital to preside over the ceremonies. ...

LAGOS, Nigeria -- Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua, long plagued by poor health, has died at age 58, almost three months after his vice president assumed control of Africa's most populous nation, Yar'Adua's spokesman said. Yar'Adua died at 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Aso Rock presidential villa with his wife Turai at his side, presidential spokesman Olusegun Adeniyi said. Adeniyi did not give a cause of death...

DUBLIN -- A new wave of dense volcanic ash from Iceland halted air traffic Wednesday in Ireland and Scotland, stranding tens of thousands of people but narrowly missing England and key London air hubs. Dublin Airport canceled all flights until 4 a.m. today, marooning more than 30,000 passengers in the process...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Gabriel Leslie Feltz, 47, youngest son of the late Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence W. Feltz, died Tuesday, May 4, 2010, at his home in Wichita, Kan. Gabe was born Sept. 3, 1962, in Perryville. He was a 1981 graduate of St. Vincent de Paul High School, graduated from Linn Technical School, and then completed a bachelor of arts from Southwestern University...

UNIONTOWN, Mo. -- Jason A. Sandlin, 35, of Uniontown died Tuesday, May 4, 2010, at his home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and 6:30 a.m. to service time Saturday at Young and Sons Funeral Home in Perryville, Mo. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Phil Keeton officiating. Burial will be in St. Rose of Lima Cemetery at Silver Lake, Mo...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Virginia Lee Jones, 59, of Perryville died Tuesday, May 4, 2010, at St. Louis University Medical Center. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday and 6:30 a.m. to time of service Monday at Miller Family Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 9 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Gregory Cemetery at Kennett, Mo...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Mary Keller, 90, of Perryville died Tuesday, May 4, 2010, at Independence Care Center. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and after 6:30 a.m. Saturday at Miller Family Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. Burial will be in Mount Hope Cemetery...

ANNA, Ill. -- Barbara Ferguson Wareing, 80, of Anna died Tuesday, May 4, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to service time Friday at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Anna. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Tony Foeller officiating. Burial will be in Jonesboro Cemetery...

The Salvation Army in Cape Girardeau is without a home; the Army's main building at 215 Broadway, which houses its office space, meal facilities, activities center and chapel, is literally falling down; Capt. Ralph Ashcraft, corps officer in charge of the Salvation Army here, says the building is uninhabitable...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Space shuttle Atlantis is set to blast off on its final flight next week. NASA's top managers agreed Wednesday to set May 14 as the launch date. Liftoff will be at 1:20 p.m. Atlantis will fly to the International Space Station, carrying up a crew of six and a load of supplies. ...

WASHINGTON -- Rep. David Obey, a leading liberal Democrat, said Wednesday he will retire at the end of his term this year. The decision by the powerful Appropriations Committee chairman dealt Democrats defending their majority another blow headed into a midterm election where they already confronted a significant loss of seats...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama said Wednesday he wants to begin work this year on legislation overhauling the nation's immigration system, firming up his commitment on a key priority for Latino voters and lawmakers. Obama's comments at a Cinco de Mayo celebration at the White House reaffirmed his long-held support for immigration reform. He went a step further than he has in the past by calling for the work to begin this year...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI...

ZALMA, Mo. -- Norman Earl Bennett, 71, of Zalma passed away Tuesday, May 4, 2010, at Puxico Nursing Home. He was born March 28, 1939, in Bollinger County, Mo., son of Willie and Cleta Lemons Bennett. He and Elizabeth Burkman were married March 22, 1962, at Arab, Mo...

Julianna Michelle Danels, infant daughter of Christopher George and Sarah Michelle Lowery Danels of Scott City, died Tuesday, May 4, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Survivors include her parents; a brother, Thomas Andrew Danels of Portageville, Mo.; paternal grandparents, Allen Danels of Sikeston, Mo., Deborah Danels of Portageville; maternal grandparents, Dwayne and Julie Lowery of Chaffee, Mo.; paternal great-grandfather, Eugene Benthal of New Madrid, Mo.; maternal great-grandparents, Ken and Linda Lowery of Chaffee, Pauline Strubberg of Otto, Mo.; and maternal great-great-grandfather, Owen Thomas of Chaffee.. ...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Elva Alice Lincoln, 89, of Marble Hill passed away Tuesday, May 4, 2010, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 5, 1921, at Millersville, daughter of Julius and Laura Lincoln Cook. She and Buford Lincoln were married June 18, 1968. He died Feb. 9, 1982...

Marion Tucker, 82, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, May 5, 2010, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born May 20, 1927, in Reynoldsville, Ill., to Lawrence H. and Esther Winn Tucker. He and Thelma Ruth Beggs were married Oct. 4, 1952, at Thebes, Ill...

Daughter to Shane Michael and Jamie Lynn Gibson of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 1:43 p.m. Tuesday, April 20, 2010. Name, Kinley Rae. Weight, 7 pounds, 1 ounce. Second daughter. Mrs. Gibson is the former Jamie Seabaugh, daughter of Jim Seabaugh and Susan Seabaugh of Jackson. She is a pharmacy technician at Medicenter Pharmacy. Gibson is the son of Cassy Gibson of Cape Girardeau, and the late Dennis Gibson. He is a self-employed contractor...

The Southeast Missouri State softball team split a Wednesday doubleheader at Saint Louis University in its final nonconference action of the season. Southeast won the opener 6-3 before dropping the nightcap 9-1 in five innings. The Redhawks are 16-29 and the Billikens 28-23-1...

PHILADELPHIA -- Kyle Kendrick and Placido Polanco gave Philadelphia fans reason to stand and cheer on a night when they all stayed in their seats. Kendrick threw seven impressive innings, Polanco hit a two-run homer and the Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 on Wednesday night...

POLICE The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Thefts Burglary Miscellaneous FIRE Jackson Firefighters responded to the folllowing calls Wednesday:...

n A Southeast Missouri Hospital first aid class was erroneously listed in the Page 2A calendar in the Wednesday edition of the Southeast Missourian. The class won't be hosted again until August. The First Friday Coffee event listed on 2A is actually taking place at Plaza by Ray's, 3257 William St. The Southeast Missourian regrets the errors...

The Southern Illinois Miners, an independent professional baseball team from Marion, Ill., will play an exhibition game in Cape Girardeau for the second year in a row. Southern Illinois and the River City Rascals from O'Fallon, Mo., will square off at 7 p.m. Saturday at Capaha Field...

Basketball Golf Running Softball Tennis Volleyball Submit items by mail, fax or e-mail to be included in the calendar....

U.S. 61/Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau will be reduced to one lane while MoDOT crews perform routine bridge repairs to a section one half mile south of Route K over Cape La Croix Creek bridge. Weather permitting, the work will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.

All the scores from Wednesday that were reported to the Southeast Missourian.

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Yolanda Weisenberger, right, assists Jalisa Handy in cooking Spanish rice for Cinco de Mayo on Wednesday at the Cape Girardeau Alternative Education Center. Weisenberger's Spanish II students, including La'Mya Williams, left, and Stephanie Farrar, prepared a Spanish meal which was served to faculty and board office employees.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Monthly bills could fall for some Missouri telephone customers but rise for others as a result of legislation given final approval Wednesday. The legislation now headed to Gov. Jay Nixon would gradually reduce the rates that telephone companies charge one another to connect callers from one region of Missouri with customers of a different phone company elsewhere in the state...

Honors, achievements The following students were honored at the 29th annual Southeast Missouri Writing Achievement Award program. During the event, 27 students from Southeast Missouri and St. Louis in fourth through 12th grade received awards. Scholarship...

WASHINGTON -- James Cayne, who led Bear Stearns for 15 years, and his successor defended the conduct of the Wall Street firm against members of a special panel who were skeptical that uncontrollable outside forces were to blame for its demise two years ago...

NEW YORK -- At a time when people don't want to wait a minute for information, let alone seven days, do newsweeklies have a future? If Newsweek does, it won't be with its current owner. The 77-year-old magazine, hobbled by sagging ad revenue and circulation, is being put up for sale by The Washington Post Co., which is bowing out of the struggle to keep the genre relevant...

NEW YORK -- The stock market extended its slide Wednesday after investors couldn't shake their concerns about European countries' big debt loads. The Dow Jones industrial average ended down about 59 points to put its two-day drop at 284. The Dow halved its loss by the close but finished off its high of the day. Treasury prices rose and pushed down interest rates in the bond market for a second day...

As I look back at my college hunt -- which actually seemed more like a safari -- the prominent lesson I learned is about bathing in a river. This has nothing to do with hygiene and making sure I clean behind my ears, but everything to do with the fact that I finally know where I am going to college...

The Jackson Police Department was still searching Wednesday for a suspect who broke into the city's power plant and stole an old police car around 4 a.m. Tuesday. The water distribution center in Jackson was also broken into, said Sgt. Scott Eakers, although nothing was stolen.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has recommended a proposed all-accessible playground in Cape Girardeau County as the recipient of a $75,000 grant. Proposed at Cape County Park North, Melaina's Magical Playland is one of 11 projects in the state recommended to receive more than $600,000 in federal grants to assist with parks and recreational needs. ...

Did you know the driving force behind Mother's Day was Anna Jarvis, who organized observances in Grafton, W.Va., and Philadelphia on May 10, 1908? Jarvis asked members of Congress to set aside a day to honor mothers. She finally succeeded in 1914, when Congress designated the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. Give mom an unforgettable gift by adding a little science to your Mother's Day celebration...

A woman charged in connection with a hotel robbery in Jackson and an apartment robbery in Cape Girardeau waived her preliminary hearing Tuesday before Associate Circuit Court Judge Gary A. Kamp. Julie S. Burns, who is also known to use the last name Lowe, is charged with two counts of felony first-degree robbery, for allegedly assaulting an employee at Comfort Suites in Jackson on March 25. ...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Raging torrents had shot furniture through walls and pushed houses into the street near Nashville's historically black Fisk and Tennessee State universities. Only a few tents tops poked above the floodwaters on Wednesday where dozens of homeless once lived along the still-swollen banks of the Cumberland River...

NEW YORK -- The Pakistani-American accused of a failed car bombing in Times Square is believed to have worked alone in the United States on the plot almost immediately after returning from a five-month visit to his native land, authorities said Wednesday...

KABUL -- Taliban suicide bombers disguised as police attacked a government compound Wednesday in southwestern Afghanistan in an assault that left 13 people dead, including a provincial council member and all nine attackers, authorities said. Eight of the bombers blew themselves up and police shot the ninth, President Hamid Karzai's office said...

BAGHDAD -- An agreement to form an alliance between Iranian-backed Shiite blocs gives the final say on political disputes to Iraq's top clerics, solidifying a role for the Shiite religious leadership in the country's likely new government. The agreement, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, is likely to alienate Iraq's other religious and ethnic sects from the potential new government -- especially minority Sunnis already wary of the Shiite-dominated leadership. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- A retiring U.S. senator and a University of Missouri alum with a long career as a TV journalist will be among the speakers at graduation ceremonies. Sen. Kit Bond will speak at the May 15 ceremony in the Hearnes Center for the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. Bill Geist of CBS News speaks to the journalism school that evening in Mizzou Arena...

Three high school students acting as Cape Girardeau County commissioners for a day approved the acquisition of the old federal building in Cape Girardeau, speed limit reductions and placement of the issue of charter government on the ballot. But the students stopped short of approving planning and zoning in the county...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- It looked like a creation from the world of "Alice in Wonderland." Chaffee High School senior Chelsie Welker stood in front of her woodworking project, a red oak grandfather clock of curving and slanting lines. The clock's face featured the painting of an angry-looking face...

Senior art students at Cape Girardeau Central High School will get one final lesson before they graduate in the coming weeks. Thirty-five seniors will showcase artwork from their high school career during a First Friday exhibit at the Crowe Gallery. The students will learn how to put together an art show by setting up the exhibit, which includes more than 200 pieces...

NEW ORLEANS -- The oil you can't see could be as bad as the oil you can. While people wait for the slick in the Gulf of Mexico to wash up along the coast, globules of oil are already falling to the bottom of the sea, where they threaten virtually every link in the ocean food chain, from plankton to fish that are on dinner tables everywhere...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Some health insurers would be required to cover up to $45,000 annually of intensive therapy for autistic children under legislation passed Thursday by the Missouri Senate. Some parents of autistic children, who have lobbied for several years for an insurance mandate, expressed hope that lawmakers finally have hit upon a version that can reach the governor's desk by the May 14 end of the legislative session...

Central Junior High students aren't singing the latest pop radio hits as they walk to class. They're belting out classic show tunes. Today about 200 students will take the stage in the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic "The Sound of Music." "I've always wanted to do it and figured there's no time like the present," said director Mike Dumey. The production's focus on family also appealed to him...

Routine bridge maintenance by Missouri Department of Transportation crews will reduce a section near Route W in Cape Girardeau to one lane next week. The work between Kingshighway and Kingsway Drive will take place between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday...

As our independent campaign for Congress continues, we plan to present solutions for problems it is in Congress's power to correct. One impending problem we will have is hyperinflation similar to what we experienced in the 1970s. While working my way through college in grocery stores in Jackson and Cape, I can remember every week pulling cans off the shelf and raising prices 3-4 cents per can. ...

Cardinals junior Neil Johnson struck out 13 batters in relief as Woodland won 6-4 in nine innings

BENTON, Mo. -- With the help of a federal grant, the Scott County Sheriff's Department hopes to begin putting more emphasis on stopping marijuana growing. The department, among others throughout Missouri, is now eligible for the grant after sending an agency representative to the 2010 Marijuana Eradication Conference in Osage Beach, Mo. Scott County Lt. Jerry Bledsoe, with Sgt. Branden Caid, attended the conference in mid-April...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Already facing exploitation and burglary charges in Stoddard County, an area couple now has been charged with stealing prescription medications from local residents by misrepresenting themselves to gain access to the drugs, the Daily American Republic newspaper reported...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Organizers of the Tour of Missouri said Thursday the international cycling race is in deep trouble and likely won't be held in a few months because of uncertainty over state funding.

Though the Cape Girardeau County Commission has no official stance yet on a possible casino in Cape Girardeau, the county should be included in discussions on the issue, Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones said Thursday.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- More than 50 people showed up for the National Day of Prayer service held at the Scott County Courthouse on Thursday morning, the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported. "We all know why we're here today," said Mark Hensley, county collector, who led the service. He said it is "so great" to live in a country where citizens have so many freedoms, such as prayer...

The effort to create a locally controlled and operated homeless shelter in Cape Girardeau got a boost Thursday when Shelter of Hope opened a thrift store at 733 Broadway.

Becki Nation thanked her bus driver, Tracy Welker, for making the ride to school a little more enjoyable Thursday. "She's funny and nice," said Nation, a junior at Jackson High School. Welker was one of six staff members in the Jackson School District recognized for helping students with disabilities. The district's Parent Partnership Council held a staff recognition banquet at the junior high...

Works from 14 graduating seniors in Southeast Missouri State University's bachelor of fine arts program are on display this month at the River Campus Art Gallery. Gallery coordinator and department of art instructor Emily Booth said while the exhibition is the final step for students at the collegiate level, it is their first "real world" experience...

A group of local artists wanted a showcase for their art and to be solely responsible for creating and manning an art gallery. Their mission led to the O'Tenem Gallery in Cape Girardeau, which will celebrate its grand opening today. The ceremony will give art patrons an opportunity to view and purchase paintings, jewelry, photography, woodwork, books and more created by the gallery's artists/owners...

Arts and entertainment briefs

We can't say if there'll be grilled cheese sandwiches in the parking lot, but there will be a nightly showing of "Phish 3D" at Cape West 14 Cine today through Thursday. The movie includes backstage footage of the jam band that reunited in 2009 after about five years off the scene. ...

First Friday art openings

Today is First Friday in Cape Girardeau. This means there are special events scheduled that happen every first Friday of the month. Early this morning, at the Plaza by Ray's (behind Holiday Inn Express) teams from this year's Leadership Cape class will present ideas for community projects at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee. Tonight, art venues throughout the city will have special displays...

Numerous surveys have questioned people about what percentage of their income would be fair for the federal government to tax. Had we been asked, we would have responded with a vigorous 0 percent. Instead of taxing our earnings and savings, tax our spending. Both the state and national versions of the FairTax do just that...

For many of us, a nursing home may very well be the place we receive needed long-term care. Fortunately, home care services have expanded in scope and availability in recent years so that fewer of us will have to live out our lives in a nursing home. Shame on the state for doing anything that makes it harder to stay home...

My wife had triple-bypass open-heart surgery in 2004, and she has lived a good life because of excellent health care. I had hernia surgery a year ago and was able to do anything I wanted to do after two weeks because of excellent health care. I had a stroke and fully recovered after 24 hours in the hospital because of excellent health care. If we would have had Obamacare, we would now be buried in potter's field...

Today's editorial, on the other side of this page, offers just a glimpse of the events, happenings, performances and celebrations on tap this weekend and the rest of May. It's great to know there are so many choices. One thing that may not be on your radar yet is strawberry season. Sweet, juicy strawberries are being picked by nearby growers, and this year's crop seems to be tastier than ever. Find your favorite patch and enjoy...

We appreciate the green grass, O God, but give us strength to keep it mowed. Amen.

A 2005 news release from the National Academy of Sciences opens with the words, "Climate change is real." The 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report dubbed warming of the climate system "unequivocal." Since then, the evidence for climate change continues to accumulate. ...

WASHINGTON -- Two contentious regulatory measures -- one to dilute consumer provisions and the other to break up large banks -- failed in the Senate on Thursday in separate defeats for Republicans and liberal Democrats. Prodded by President Barack Obama, the Senate rejected a Republican consumer protection plan that would have diluted a central element of the administration's financial regulation package...

WASHINGTON -- The head of the Federal Communications Commission thinks he has come up with a way to salvage his national broadband plans without running into legal obstacles that have threatened to derail him. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said Thursday his agency has found a compromise in how it regulates high-speed Internet access: It will apply only narrow regulations to broadband companies. ...

ABOARD THE CARLSKRONA -- A Russian warship hunted down an oil tanker hijacked by Somali pirates and special forces rappelled on board Thursday, surprising the outlaws, who surrendered after a 22-minute gunbattle. Twenty-three Russian sailors were freed...

MUMBAI, India -- An Indian court sentenced the only surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks to death Thursday, a punishment officials hoped would send a message to archrival Pakistan to stop future violence as fears about the global reach of militancy based on its soil grow...

ATHENS, Greece -- Greek lawmakers approved drastic austerity cuts Thursday needed to secure international rescue loans worth $140 billion and clashes briefly erupted in the streets outside parliament, forcing police to use tear gas. In New York, the Dow Jones industrials dropped plunged 1,000 points in less than half an hour on fears that Greece's debt problems could halt the global economic recovery. The Dow managed to recover two-thirds of its losses and close down 347 at 10,520...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday:...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI...

Mary V. Carlisle, 77, of Cassopolis, Mich., died Wednesday, May 5, 2010, at Elkhart General Hospital in Elkhart, Ind., after a brief illness. She was born Aug. 31, 1932, in Scott City, daughter of Raymond and Ruth Cummins Littlepage. She and Harold L. Carlisle were married Feb. 25, 1950, in Parma, Mo...

Harold "Wink" Crosno, 84, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, May 6, 2010, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau, where he had lived the past seven years. One of eight children, he was born July 10, 1925, in Lilbourn, Mo., to Fred and Katherine Tope Crosno. He and Glenda Faye Schaffer were married March 25, 1955, in Angola, Ind...

Janet Denise Kellick, 70, of Allenville passed away Thursday, May 6, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 10, 1940, in East St. Louis, Ill., daughter of Clarence and Geneva Cook Beahringer. Janet was a CNA at the Lutheran Home 10 years...

Jinny Schenimann, 64, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, May 6, 2010, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. She was born July 25, 1945, in Cape Girardeau, to Dale and Rosalie Buchheit Sachse. Survivors include four daughters, Kim Powers and husband Tim, Laurie Welter and husband Tim, all of Cape Girardeau, Kristin Swanson and husband Richard of Spring Hill, Fla., Brandi Moyers of St. ...

ZALMA, Mo. -- Norman Earl Bennett, 71, of Zalma passed away Tuesday, May 4, 2010, at Puxico Nursing Home. He was born March 28, 1939, in Bollinger County, Mo., son of Willie and Cleta Lemons Bennett. He and Elizabeth Burkman were married March 22, 1962, at Arab, Mo...

Thomas Dale Martin, 55, of St. Louis passed away Wednesday, May 5, 2010, at Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Crystal City, Mo. He was born June 20, 1954, in Cape Girardeau, son of the late Jack and Lorraine Creamer Martin. He and Kim Smith were married in November 1976...

Ralph A. Green, 89, of Wappapello, Mo., died Saturday, May 1, 2010, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Graveside service will be at 1 p.m. May 17 at Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield. Full military honors will be conducted by Missouri Honor Guard...

Son to Carlos R. Salas and Liliana O. Cuahutle of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 10:42 p.m. Saturday, April 24, 2010. Name, Carlos Dwayne. Weight, 4 pounds, 14 ounces. Ms. Cuahutle is the daughter of Osana Cuahutle of Cape Girardeau. Salas is the son of Rene Salas of Mexico and Isabel Avendano of Minnesota...

Jackson Mayor Carlton "Cotton" Meyer cast the tie-breaking vote at last night's board of aldermen meeting in favor of issuing a special use permit for a day care center sponsored by the First Assembly of God Church on Highway 72 West; the center is to be in the church parsonage...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrest The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI FIRE Jackson Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday:...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Fans of White Castle's oniony hamburgers have a new way to indulge without any calorie guilt: a scented candle infused with the burgers' aroma. The Columbus, Ohio-based fast-food chain this week introduced candles that smell like its Slider burgers in a promotion with Autism Speaks. Proceeds will benefit the New York-based charity...

DETROIT -- A federal appeals court on Thursday intervened to block the release of nine members of a Michigan militia accused of plotting to overthrow the government, dealing a setback to the defendants as they gathered in a courtroom hoping to rejoin their families...

ON THE GULF OF MEXICO -- Workers late Thursday started lowering a giant concrete-and-steel box over the blown-out oil well at the bottom of the sea in a risky and untested bid to capture most of the gushing crude and avert a wider environmental disaster...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Students heading to Jefferson City High School's prom Saturday night will need more than just a ticket for admission. They'll also have to pass a blood-alcohol test. KMIZ-TV reports that this year's prom is being held off-campus for the first time, and everyone entering the event at the Capitol Plaza Hotel will have to submit to a breath test for alcohol...

WASHINGTON -- We have met Neanderthal and he is us -- at least a little. The most detailed look yet at the Neanderthal genome helps answer one of the most debated questions in anthropology: Did Neanderthals and modern humans mate? The answer is yes, there is at least some cave man biology in most of us. Between 1 percent and 4 percent of genes in people from Europe and Asia trace back to Neanderthals...

Jackson's E-cycle Day held April 24 resulted in the collection of more than 76,000 pounds of appliances and other non-degradable items. According to a news release from the City of Jackson, items collected included 58 televisions, 137 computer monitors, 12,000 pounds of white goods and 4,500 pounds of computer hardware. All material was diverted from landfills and will be recycled...

Seven people in the Cape Girardeau School District received $6,097 in funding to implement new programs at their schools. The Cape Girardeau Public Schools Foundation awarded six grants to educators during surprise visits to their classroom Thursday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Some health insurers would be required to cover up to $45,000 annually of intensive therapy for autistic children under legislation passed Thursday by the Missouri Senate. Some parents of autistic children, who have lobbied for several years for an insurance mandate, expressed hope that lawmakers finally have hit upon a version that can reach the governor's desk by the May 14 end of the legislative session...

A tea honoring women will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Christ Episcopal Church, 101 N. Fountain St. Former Missouri first lady Betty Hearnes will be on hand to sign copies of the limited-edition Missouri sesquicentennial cookbooks. A hat contest and tag sale also are planned...

Cape Girardeau County and Missouri state offices will be closed today in observance of Truman Day. Essential personnel such as highway patrolmen, corrections officers and medical personnel will work, according to Lori Simms, spokeswoman for the Missouri Office of Administration. The state holiday honors Missouri native and U.S. President Harry S. Truman...

WASHINGTON -- Homeowners could collect thousands of dollars in rebates for renovating their homes with better insulation and energy-saving windows and doors under a new economic stimulus bill the House passed Thursday. The Home Star bill passed 246-161 and now moves to the Senate, where it most likely will be attached to the next jobs bill. ...

NEW YORK -- A computerized selloff possibly caused by a simple typographical error triggered one of the most turbulent days in Wall Street history Thursday and sent the Dow Jones industrials to a loss of almost 1,000 points, nearly a tenth of their value, in less than half an hour. It was the biggest drop ever during a trading day...

DORENA, Mo. -- The Dorena-Hickman ferry that connects Kentucky and Missouri is closed due to high water on the Mississippi River, according to a news release from the Kentucky state government. The ferry connect the states between Hickman, Ky., and Dorena, and operates on a regular schedule during daylight hours...

A Cape Girardeau woman was arrested following two late night incidents involving reported street fights, with as many as 200 people gathered in the area at one time. According to Sgt. Dennis Horn of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, officers arrived at the corner of Hanover and Bloomfield streets around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday after receiving a report of fighting. When officers arrived people were shouting and Shanelle Johnson, 21, of 1006 Jefferson Ave. was arrested on suspicion of a noise violation...

PHILADELPHIA -- Roy Halladay had another impressive outing, Jayson Werth hit a three-run homer and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-2 on Thursday. There was a moment of silence before the game for former Phillies pitcher Robin Roberts, who died Thursday morning. The Hall of Famer's No. 36 jersey was hung in the Phillies' dugout and it will remain there the rest of the season...

Southeast will play three games this weekend against the Big 12 school

All the area high school events reported Thursday to the Southeast Missourian.

When something is new, it often gets used a lot. From a new toy to a new fashion trend to new technology, when people get a little, they often want a lot more -- as is the case with 3-D films right now. Last year, a few big ones hit, led by the record-setting "Avatar" and "Monsters vs. Aliens."...

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) -- A young black bear died in southwest Missouri after being struck by a hit-and-run driver as he tried to cross Interstate 44. Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Watson says the bear was hit Wednesday near Joplin and crawled to a median...

KARACHI, Pakistan -- The search for links between the suspected Times Square bomber and various Islamic militant groups in Pakistan led investigators to the sprawling, marble-floored Bathha Mosque and religious school in a northern suburb of Karachi...

LONDON -- The Conservatives captured the largest number of seats Thursday in Britain's national election but will fall short of a majority -- triggering uncertainty over who will form the next government, according to television projections based on exit polls...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri's school violence hot line is becoming tech savvy. The Department of Social Services has announced a website where students, parents and others can file anonymous reports of school violence, such as fights, bullying and vandalism...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The stagnant economy is pushing more prospective workers in Missouri into the kitchen. The state Department of Higher Education says enrollment in postsecondary culinary arts programs was up by more than 500 percent last year compared with 1999. Enrollment has grown by 62 percent in just two years...

Cleda Curtis-Neal with one of 18 Iris paintings being shown for the first time at the Sikeston Depot Museum. The exhibit will be on display through June with an opening reception Sunday, May 9, from 2:00 p.m - 4:00 p.m. The Museum is located at 116 W. Malone Avenue in Sikeston, Missouri...

Students from the Communications Disorders Dept. at Southeast Missouri State University as part of a Cognitive Therapy Session visited the Hoover Senior Alive Center and held a Cinco De Mayo celebration with refreshments, information, and games for the Hoover Center Participants on Wednesday, May 5. They also explained the purpose and significance of celebrating Cino De Mayo...

Judge Peter Statler swore in 8 new volunteers for CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocates for children. They join the CASA programs current 32 volunteers, bringing the total to 40 volunteers for the Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, and Perry counties. CASA volunteers are officers of the 32nd Judicial Court in Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, and Perry Counties...

Cape Girardeau, MO -- The Missouri Council on Economic Education (MCEE), a nonprofit organization that promotes economic and financial literacy in Missouri, has launched a new program intended to provide investor education and protection to Missouri's adults...

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- The University of Missouri has been awarded an $8.47 million grant to study cardiovascular health, one of the largest awards for medical research in MU's history. "This truly is a milestone," Chancellor Brady Deaton said today at the announcement of the National Institutes of Health grant at the MU School of Medicine...

Southeast Missouri Hospital Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Karen Hendrickson, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, shows off the bouquet of flowers she received on Thursday, May 6, from Hospital President & CEO Debbie Linnes in honor of Karen's 30 years of service to the Hospital and in celebration of National Nurses Day...

Nearly two centuries of experience will leave the halls of Dexter Schools in May as seven veteran teachers conclude their educational careers within the Dexter School System. The retirees gathered Thursday afternoon at the Bearcat Event Center as their families, fellow educators and the community paid tribute to their years of service...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo.--Poplar Bluff School District has cut its summer school enrollment from more than 2,000 students to fewer than 500 in response to state funding reductions. Letters are being sent today and early next week to parents explaining the situation, according to Assistant Superintendent Sarah Long. One letter to all parents will detail the changes to summer school. A second letter will be sent only to parents whose children are eligible for the program...

Hundreds are expected to gather at the Bavarian Halle in Jackson Saturday for a benefit honoring Cape Girardeau County deputy Ron Hobeck, 45, who suffered a hemorrhagic stroke in January while on duty. The benefit has been organized by a committee staffed with Hobeck's friends and coworkers...

The Gator Swim Team is now accepting swimmers interested in Southeast Missouri for their Summer League Program. The Gator Swim Team has experience coaches Steve Franklin/Head Gator Coach and Steffan Troxel/Head Summer League Coach, and other experience coaches with amazing achievements...

These little bluebirds will be ready to fly the coup in about a week or so. It is fun to watch the progess towards their flight day.

In Rural Scott County MO

Several Southeast Missouri investors have purchased a steam locomotive with passenger cars and plan to start a tourist railroad service in Jackson this summer; John Lorberg, a Gordonville farmer, heads the contingent, which also includes Jackson attorney John Lichtenegger, Shelby Brown, Gene Penzel, Bruce Miller, Bob Landgraf, B.W. Birk, Jim Drury, Brian Miller, Robert Adams, Ralph Edwards, Leo Kohlfeld, Gene Rhodes and Michael Tomlin...

ANNA, Ill. -- Phillip William Burd, 62, of Anna died Friday May 7, 2010 at his home. Graveside funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens at Villa Ridge, Ill. Crain Funeral Home in Anna-Jonesboro, Ill., is in charge of arrangements...

WASHINGTON, Mo. -- Ardith DeAnne Birkmann of Washington was born July 11, 1937, in Altenberg, Mo., daughter of the late Henry Krahn and wife, Adelma, nee Klaus. She passed away Tuesday, May 4, 2010, in Washington at the age of 72 years. She received her education at Trinity Lutheran School and Cape Girardeau Central High School. ...

GLENNON, Mo. -- Alfredia V. VanGennip, 85, of Glennon was born Dec. 16, 1924, in Mississippi County, Mo., the daughter of Clifton and Mamie Bond Blackwell, and passed away May 7, 2010, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Alfredia had been the center supervisor at the Arab and Marble Hill Headstarts...

Ronald L. Kelsey, 79, of Scott City died Friday, May 7, 2010, at the Monticello House Nursing Home in Jackson where he had been a resident for 31 days. He was born Sept. 19, 1930 in Dallas, to Harry E. and Dorothy Casey Kelsey. He and Patricia Ann Carlton were married Sept. 22, 1950, in Piggott, Ark...

A St. Louis man has been charged with second-degree assault and armed criminal action in connection with a stabbing at the Arena Building.

Two Cape Girardeau brothers were charged Friday with a hate crime for allegedly assaulting a black man at a convenience store on North Kingshighway late Thursday.

Backyard tulips in full bloom!

Backyard tulips in full bloom!!!

A stolen gravestone belonging to a Southeast Missouri man who died in 1906 was returned to its rightful resting place Saturday. About 13 people, including six descendants of Jesse J. Miller, gathered on the grounds of Chateau Girardeau to witness the gravestone's placement in the Miller-Nunn family cemetery...

Kate Marie Buchheit, a bouncy 3-year-old, sat in front of a tray full of wooden letters. "What letters do you know?" asked Stephanie Ellinger, a parent educator with the Cape Girardeau School District. "K-A-T-E," she responded in a sure, loud tone. With her mother, Betsy Buchheit, nearby, Kate used scissors and a glue stick to start an ABC book, an activity that measured the development of her motor skills and letter recognition...

Don't be surprised to see toilet seats flying through the air along with the fireworks at this year's Independence Day celebration in Cape Girardeau. A toilet seat toss is one of the "Redneck Games" planned as part of the the USA Veterans' Independence Day celebration planned for July 2 to 4 at Arena Park...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- An Oran, Mo., woman was killed after her car was struck by a train Friday evening.

Londyn Backfisch said she isn't quite back to full strength after having major knee surgery about one year ago. The Kelly senior looked plenty strong during Saturday's Class 2 District 1 track and field meet at Southeast Missouri State's Abe Stuber Complex...

Bobby and Lula McDonald of New Madrid, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, April Dawn McDonald, to Steven Anthony Corley. He is the son of Bill Corley of Gonzales, La., and Rhonda Clark of Columbia, La. McDonald is a 2004 graduate of Central High School in Cape Girardeau. She received an associate degree from River Parish Community College in Sorrento, La., and is attending Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond...

BENTON, Mo. -- JoAnn Easter of Benton and Alan Wright of Commerce, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Christina Jo Wright, to Brian Glen James, both of Benton. He is the son of LaVonne McKinnon of Union, Mo., and Junior James of Jackson...

Butch and Paulette Woodcock of Herrin, Ill., announce the engagement of their daughter, Shannon Michelle Edwards, to Shannon Lee Kutz, both of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Dan and Vickie Kutz of Cape Girardeau. Edwards is a paraoptometric technician at Leet Eyecare...

Mr. and Mrs. E.P. Kurre of Jackson celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary by attending church service with their family April 25 at Emanuel United Church of Christ in Jackson. A dinner followed at the home of a daughter, Dina Casey of Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau Elementary MONDAY--Corn dog or turkey & cheese on bun, corn, pears, cookies & cream frosty. TUESDAY--Chicken nuggets or ham & cheese on bun, au gratin potatoes, pink applesauce, chocolate chip cookie. WEDNESDAY--Spaghetti or turkey & cheese on bun, vegetable blend with cheese, french bread, peaches...

By Nicholas Gordon Mothers are the place where love Emerges from the earth, And happiness rings out like bells In honor of our birth. Mothers are the sun that lights For life our inner sky, So we may know that we are loved And need not question why...

I was just reading the story about the tanning tax of 10 percent. I think it's ridiculous. If we're going to tax tanning, why don't we tax everybody who works out in the sun? I hope you are happy with the president. I'M curious to know why the Missouri Department of Transportation decided to close U.S. 61 north of Shawneetown, route all the traffic over to Interstate 55, and then decided to close lanes on I-55, causing more problems...

Jennifer Cocchiara wants guests at her wedding to understand how she and her fiance fell in love, so she plans to present a slideshow with photos of them growing up and growing together as a couple. It also will include shots of the people who are important to the couple -- the people who will be viewing the photos...

For the love of mothers, and their smiles and hugs across the years, we give thanks. Amen.

The following students were honored by the Cape Girardeau Rotary Club at the 51st annual John Blue Academic Excellence Dinner. They are in the top 10 percent of their graduating class:Central High School Rachel Bagot, Lauren Bishop, Sonya Chaudhari, Brian Egbert, Marinda Faller, Margaret Goodman, Samuel Gramling, Lyndsey Keener, Julie Langenfeld, Sarah Lasky, Farrah Malik, Kaitlin McGrath, Emily Myers, Derek Parker, Jordan Pope, Chayli Richardson, Veda Riley, Rachel Rodgers, Mariah Sander, Trenton Sanders, Nina Scheibe, Erica Shirrell, Holly Teague, Janna Trautwein, Eric Walter, Josh Wen, Matthew Zlokovich. ...

Cargill AgHorizons locations in Sikeston, Mo., Charleston, Mo., and New Madrid, Mo., recently donated $2,000 to the Southeast Missouri Food Bank. The contribution will be used to support the food pantries in Southeast Missouri communities. Pictured from left Karen Green, John Anderson, Lisa Watkins, Angela Webb, Jean Robinson and Millie Dannenmueller...

Moxie is a 2-year-old tortoiseshell cat who is declawed, friendly and good with children. Moxie has been spayed and is up-to-date on shots. For more information, contact Safe Harbor at 243-9823. ...

Pet name: Avery Owner: Jessie Duenne Favorite activities: Getting belly rubs and chasing bugs. ...

Enu is a 2 1/2-year-old neutered male Peek-a-poo. He loves to cuddle and go for walks. For more information, contact the Humane Society at 334-5837. ...

Laurie Clippard of Jackson was recently crowned the 2010 Ms. Sikeston Outstanding Teen. The contest included a personal interview, physical fitness, talent, evening gown and an on-stage question during the competition. Her platform is raising awareness for the Special Olympics and individuals with disabilities. Clippard is the 17-year-old daughter of Tim and Carla Clippard and is a junior at Jackson High School. Clippard will compete for Ms. Missouri's Outstanding Teen in Mexico in June...

Today is Mother's Day. Of the two holidays honoring parenting, it seems that Mother's Day gets much more attention. Or perhaps I'm just a dad who is sulking in order to have more attention brought my way. Mother's Day was officially signed into a day of national observance by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914. ...

Isn't the biggest part of our lives spent trying to decide on something? When you're young, you certainly have a lot to figure out. Children are included in the circle. From infancy they must make decisions -- such as whether to cry to gain attention or coo and smile. When they're older, they're in a dither trying to choose what toys they want for Christmas or birthdays. Then parents have to agree on what school the children attend...

Southeast Missouri State University president Dr. Ken Dobbins will be honored June 5 when he will receive the Silver Beaver Award at the annual meeting of the Greater St. Louis Council, Boy Scouts of America. The Silver Beaver is the highest award a Scout volunteer can receive from a local council. ...

The Rev. Rodger Kiepe of Abbey Road Christian Church is not your typical pastor, but he is OK with that. In his free time, Kiepe likes to train and show Tennessee walking horses with his youngest son, Isaac. He also likes to ride his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. ...

The New McKendree United Methodist Women met May 4 in the fellowship hall. The meeting was opened by Mary Klaproth, president, leading the members in the reciting of the UMW Purpose. The minutes of the April meeting were read by Gale King, secretary, and approved. The treasurer's report was given by Marilyn Fronabarger and approved...

LONDON -- Within days, Britain may have something it hasn't seen since World War II -- a coalition government. The first-place Conservatives and third-place Liberal Democrats are negotiating in hopes of resolving an election that failed to produce a clear winner. ...

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan will investigate alleged links between the man accused of trying to detonate a car bomb in Times Square and militant groups operating in the country's northwest believed to have supported the botched attack, the interior minister said Saturday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The newest U.S. mail stamp features the work of a Missouri card-maker. The stamp features a watercolor painting of a white woven basket with purple pansies and is the best-selling and longest-running card sold by Hallmark Co. The Jefferson City News Tribune reported that the painting will be one of the Postal Service's 2010 love stamps...

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- Harry S. Truman's old stomping grounds are experiencing a revival thanks in large part to a personal-injury lawyer and his wife. Ken and Cindy McClain own 16 businesses on the Independence Square -- everything from a refurbished bowling alley to a soda fountain...

Route OO in Cape County will be closed Monday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace pipe under the road. The section of road between Dillard Creek and County Road 373 will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Members of the Leadership Cape class of 2010 shared their ideas to improve Cape Girardeau during today's Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee.

NEW YORK -- A Staten Island ferry with a history of accidents, including a fatal wreck in 2003, malfunctioned as it approached its terminal Saturday and smashed into a pier with a jolt that tossed passengers to the deck and hurt as many as 37 people...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Arrests Summonses Assaults Thefts Property damage Miscellaneous...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:...

*** Patsy Graviett Patsy Graviett, 82, of Morley, Mo., died Saturday, May 8, 2010, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at the Amick Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran, Mo.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Hilda B. Koch, 78, of Cairo died Thursday, May 6, 2010, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Cairo. Interment will be in Calvary Cemetery at Villa Ridge, Ill...

A construction crew may begin next week repairing a Trail of Tears State Park road leading to the Mississippi River campground, which campers haven't been allowed to use since the road was closed by park officials in October following flash flooding...

CLEVELAND -- A new analysis of a 40-year-old audio recording reveals that someone ordered National Guard troops to prepare to fire on students during a deadly Vietnam War protest at Kent State University in 1970, two forensics experts said. The recording was enhanced and evaluated by New Jersey-based audio experts Stuart Allen and Tom Owen at the request of The Plain Dealer newspaper. ...

SALT LAKE CITY -- Republican Sen. Bob Bennett was thrown out of office Saturday by delegates at the Utah GOP convention in a defeat for a once-popular three-term incumbent who fell victim to a growing conservative movement nationwide. Bennett's failure to make it into Utah's GOP primary -- let alone win his party's nomination -- makes him the first congressional incumbent to be ousted this year...

The seedpods of the American redbud tree look curiously similar to garden pea pods. However, the four to 12 seeds inside are small hard and brown when mature, and the pods are flat. These pods will turn brown in summer and remain hanging on the tree for several months keeping the seeds safe inside until falling during winter...

From skinned knees to shattered hearts, mothers are expected to fix it all. It is a job that never ends. Unfortunately, children do not come with an instruction manual. While there are hundreds of books with advice and suggestions about how to raise a child, it can still be a daunting task to find answers. Page after page of maternal philosophy and parenting perfection can overwhelm and intimidate new mothers...

Susie Miracle and Lindell Andrew Coleman were married in a candlelight, communion service April 17, 2010, at Gardener's Chapel in Eureka Springs, Ark. The Rev. Gary Andrews performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Jan Sparks of St. Peters, Mo...

WASHINGTON -- The failed bombing in New York's Times Square is a possible signal that militant leaders in Pakistan have shifted their focus to targets in the U.S. and other Western countries instead of sticking to their home base, according to U.S. counterterrorism officials...

POLICE Jackson The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Burglary Property damage Theft Assault Miscellaneous FIRE Jackson Firefighters responded to the following call Thursday:...

NEW YORK -- Regulators and Wall Street officials scoured millions of trades one by one Friday and canceled thousands as they sought to explain a record plunge in the stock market, undo the damage and keep it from happening again. It wasn't clear how long the laborious process would take or if it would even solve the mystery behind Thursday's trading session that saw the Dow Jones industrial average fall hundreds of points and then recover, all in a matter of minutes. ...

The Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Cemetery Association will be hosting its annual Pleasant Hill Day on May 23 in Fruitland. A worship service will begin at 11 a.m. and will be followed by a basket dinner at noon. The guest speaker will be former Cape Girardeau resident Lewis Block. Block is an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church. Music will be provided by local musician Gene King...

ON THE GULF OF MEXICO -- A novel but risky attempt to use a 100-ton steel-and-concrete box to cover a deep-sea oil well gushing toxic crude into the Gulf of Mexico was aborted Saturday after ice crystals encased it, an ominous development as thick blobs of tar began washing up on Alabama's white sand beaches...

WASHINGTON -- Your parents were right. Money can't buy you happiness. That was the message from the Federal Reserve chairman Saturday to graduates of the University of South Carolina. "We all know that getting a better-paying job is one of the main reasons to go to college. ... But if you are ever tempted to go into a field or take a job only because the pay is high and for no other reason, be careful," Ben Bernanke said in his commencement address...

DENVER -- Moms got tougher drunken-driving laws on the books and were directly responsible for passing and then repealing alcohol Prohibition. Now marijuana activists are trying to enlist the nation's mothers in legalization efforts with a sales pitch that pot is safer than booze...

PITTSBURGH -- Sometimes it's not the team that gets the most hits or throws the best pitches that wins. As the Cardinals proved against the Pirates, it also can be the team that knows the rules. Yadier Molina doubled in the go-ahead run in the ninth with his fourth hit, and his alert defensive play possibly prevented a big Pirates eighth inning. St. Louis took advantage of Molina's heady play and several Pittsburgh defensive lapses to beat the Pirates 4-3 on Friday night...

PITTSBURGH -- Jeff Karstens just made the Pittsburgh Pirates' next roster decision a little tougher. Karstens made a bid to keep his spot in the rotation with six innings of three-hit ball and Jason Jaramillo had three hits to lead the Pirates over the St. Louis Cardinals 2-0 on Saturday night...

A look at Friday's and Saturday's action from the world of Southeast Missouri State athletics.

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team got off to a strong start Saturday but could not avoid a second straight loss to Nebraska. Southeast scored four first-inning runs before seeing host Nebraska explode for a 20-6 romp. That came after the Cornhuskers won Friday's series opener 6-2...

Terhune smacked a double to drive in the go-ahead runs

All the scores from Saturday that were reported to the Southeast Missourian.

All the scores from Friday that were reported to the Southeast Missourian.

LOS ANGELES -- Husbands, if you end up in the doghouse, consider it a promotion. A third of pet-owning married women said their pets are better listeners than their husbands, according to an Associated Press-Petside.com poll released Wednesday. Eighteen percent of pet-owning married men said their pets are better listeners than their wives...

Kaye Hamblin, left, chats with former Missouri first lady Betty Hearnes, during a tea honoring women at Christ Episcopal Church in Cape Girardeau on Saturday, May 8, 2010. The event benefits the Cape River Heritage Museum's Celebrating Women of Cape Girardeau 2010 Exhibit. Hearnes was signing copies of the limited-edition Missouri sesquicentennial cookbooks. A hat contest and tag sale also took place at the event.

People arrive at the home of Dr. Jayne Scherrman at 129 S. Lorimier St. in Cape Girardeau during Saturday's Downtown Historic Home and Garden Tour.

Four members of the Cape Girardeau Police Department received promotions Friday, May 7, 2010. ...

Brooke Valleroy waited two years for a girls soccer program to form at Saxony Lutheran High School. A 55-minute rain delay during Friday's game against Central was a piece of cake for the junior forward. At least she made it look that way. Valleroy broke a deadlock just two minutes after second-half play was resumed and added an insurance goal 15 minutes later as Saxony Lutheran won 3-1 on its home field...

Irene King, 92, of Jackson passed away Saturday, May 8, 2010, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home. She was surrounded by her loving family at her passing. She was born May 21, 1917, at Neelys Landing, Mo., daughter of William E. and Jessie P. Drum Brown. She and Woodrow King were married Nov. 7, 1934. They had been married almost 67 years when he passed away Oct. 20, 2001...

Evelyn L. "Babe" Carnell, 72, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, May 7, 2010, at her home. She was born March 12, 1938, at Grayridge, Mo., to John and Mary Jones Bowers. She and Clarence Carnell were married Nov. 17, 1957, at Hernando, Miss. He died March 14, 2010...

Jackson High School student Zack Petot holds his Best in Show mixed-media piece titled "Harmony" on Friday at an award ceremony for Missouri's 8th Congressional District Student Art Competition at the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau.

The Cornhuskers capped the three-game series with a 10-3 victory

Two Cape Girardeau men were among those injured in separate motor vehicle accidents Friday afternoon. Around 1:30 p.m. a 1994 Chevrolet driven by Anita S. Harrison, 57, of Dexter, Mo., was traveling northbound on US 60 at County Road 371, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol...

BRATTLEBORO, Vt. -- While the other preschoolers were warming up to the vegetable pesto lasagna, 3-year-old Avery Bennett dived in with no hesitation. "Can I have some more lasagna?" Bennett said from her booster seat. "I love it." She moved on to her seconds, and the other children at the evening care program in Brattleboro were also chomping down the dish made of spinach, peppers, carrots, tomato, basil and cheese...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri House leaders have declared the $23.3 billion operating budget sent to Gov. Jay Nixon to be balanced. But it likely is not. In fact, the budget only comes close to being considered balanced by making a variety of assumptions that may not prove accurate...

The Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority could take legal action if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to refuse to dredge its harbor this summer. The St. Louis District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not receive funding for the dredging of the port's harbor this year, estimated to cost $360,000...

At age 18, Jackson native Chris Mouser was unsure about his career. Spending three years, from 1988 to 1991,in the U.S. Army as a military policeman helped him decide. He wanted to make a career out of protecting the community he grew up in. Mouser joined the Jackson Police Department in 1992, only to be promoted two years later to sergeant. ...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama on Monday nominated Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, declaring she would demonstrate the same independence, integrity and passion for the law exhibited by retiring Justice John Paul Stevens...

Birds' nest near the bottom of the Court House steps in Cape Girardeau.

Dan Muser has his eye on the sky. Weather, it seems, is the only thing that will delay the Memorial Day weekend opening of Cape Splash Family Aquatic Center, the city's $8.7 million recreation showpiece. "That is what we are shooting for," Muser said in a telephone interview from the construction side abutting the Osage Community Centre, 1625 N. Kingshighway. "Anything could happen, but at this point I have no reason to believe we won't make it."...

Ten kindergartners from Girl Scout troop 70027 earned patches by volunteering to help with the community garden at Broadway Books and Roasting Company (605 Broadway, Cape Girardeau). They learned how to garden and recycle with the help of Mary Maginel...

David Hahs, managing director of Northwestern Mutual Financial Network's Hahs Group, helps clients make financial decisions and uses his nearly 40 years of experience in the business to help develop new representatives at his company in Cape Girardeau...

The St. Joseph School's 7th & 8th grade students pictured in the attachment above placed at the State Junior Academy of Science competition. The students are from left to right: Rhett Simmons, Dominic Hooper, Shelby Rhymer, and Joseph Beggs. These students competed at the State Junior Academy of Science competition at Missouri State in Springfield, Mo on Friday, April 16, 2010...

What a fun day for us at Discovery Playhouse. Thanks to everyone for making it so much fun for the kids from St. Joseph School.

Five teachers were honored recently at the annual Educator of the Year banquet sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce. As with most occasions when teachers get the recognition they so richly deserve, each of the honored guests could point to colleagues who also were deserving of special mention...

For those who suffer or are in need, we pray to you, O God. Amen.

HAMPTON, Va. -- President Barack Obama, addressing graduates at historically black Hampton University on Sunday, said it is the responsibility of all Americans to offer every child the type of education that will make them competitive in an economy in which just a high school diploma is no longer enough...

ON THE GULF OF MEXICO -- A growing collection of crippled equipment littered the ocean floor Sunday near a ruptured oil well gushing crude into the Gulf of Mexico, the remnants of a massive rig that exploded weeks ago and the failed efforts since to cap the leak...

MOSCOW -- Rescue workers scrambled Sunday to save 83 people trapped in Russia's largest underground coal mine after two explosions killed at least 12 people and injured dozens more, officials said. Among those trapped were rescue workers who had entered the Siberian mine after the first blast...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will nominate Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, a person familiar with the president's thinking said Sunday night. The move positions the court to have three female justices for the first time in history...