Stories from July 2010

The Arc of the United States, a national organization that advocates for people with developmental disabilities, is demanding that the Cape Girardeau County Association of Retarded Citizens change its name because of trademark issues. The local organization is one of four major not-for-profit groups affiliated with VIP Industries. ...

KENNETT, Mo. -- A Kennett girl who was reportedly kidnapped by her mother earlier this week has been found by authorities in Washington state, the girl's father told the Daily Dunklin Democrat newspaper. Donny Cross, father of 10-year-old Miranda Cross, told the newspaper Wednesday afternoon that his daughter was in the custody of authorities in Washington and that her mother, Violet Martindale, had been arrested...

Cape Girardeau County Commissioner Jay Purcell is being sued by a former buyer of his bed and breakfast, Lincoln House, on South Louisiana Avenue in Cape Girardeau. In a petition filed in circuit court June 21, Patricia Kerrigan of Hawaii claims Purcell did not disclose the property had been condemned by the city following a February 2009 fire and alleges fraudulent misrepresentation and breach of contract...

The former mayor of Rolla, Mo., has filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission claiming that Congressional candidate Tommy Sowers violated fundraising laws by combining a Washington, D.C., campaign event with a product launch. Sowers, a Democrat challenging seven-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, raised money at a June 8 event headlined by former Gen. Wesley Clark, former Democratic national chairman Howard Dean and Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter...

Have you read a book lately that just comes alive in your hands? I was recently reading this new book, I found that it wasn't just informing but it was transforming in my heart. These words on a flat page have become a passageway into a living encounter with saints and sinners and with a God who is , was and will ever be...

The Cape Girardeau City Council's denial of a liquor license to the owner of Margarita Mama's has the support of other establishments that serve alcohol as well as some of the community's young adults. Mississippi Mud House owner Galinda Seabaugh, who recently applied for a city liquor license, said the council's June 21 decision sets a precedent for what many cities should be doing...

What's happening this weekend

Parents: Tony McKuin and Tammy McKuin What is your favorite school activity and why? Color guard because it gave me a chance to get closer with my best friends and learn a new skill. What is your favorite high school memory? All the good times I had hanging out with friends and my boyfriend, David Nettles...

Parents: Terry and Cindy Seyer What is your most notable academic achievement? Receiving the Presidential Scholarship from Missouri State University. What is your favorite school activity and why? Softball because it is my favorite sport...

Parents: Larry Gene and Marsha Strobel What is your most notable academic achievement? Being named Student of the Month for my school and Dexter Elks. What is your favorite school activity and why? Volleyball, because though it was a serious program we always had so much fun ... and we had the most amazing coach that I will miss dearly as well as the game...

MATAMOROS, Mexico -- The first Atlantic hurricane of the year grew to a powerful Category 2 storm as it neared Mexico's Gulf coast and south Texas on Wednesday, whipping up high waves that frustrated oil-spill cleanup efforts and delivering tar balls and globs of crude onto already soiled beaches...

AMSTERDAM -- Archaeologists have uncovered a mass grave with the complete skeletons of 51 horses buried side by side, probably the long-forgotten equine victims of a 17th-century battle over a strategic Dutch river. It was the largest known equine burial ground in Europe, although chief archaeologist Angela Simons said Wednesday that many such sites have probably existed and have been plowed up over the centuries by unwitting farmers...

WASHINGTON -- Cruising toward confirmation, Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan completed Senate questioning Wednesday, unscathed by Republican challenges on abortion, gays in the military and gun rights while sidestepping partisan debate about GOP-named judges pulling the court to the right...

Wilma L. Walker, 92, of Jackson died Tuesday, June 29, 2010, at Jackson Manor. She was born Nov. 20, 1917, in Oak Ridge, daughter of James Shelton and Daisy Cowan Godwin. Wilma was married to Dean L. Walker Dec. 23, 1948. He preceded her in death March 14, 2005...

Glenda M. McCoy, 76, of Randles died Monday, June 28, 2010, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 22, 1933, in St. Louis, to Earl and Lydia Abernathy Hamlyn. She and Robert McCoy Sr. were married May 28, 1949, in LeMay, Mo. He preceded her in death...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Melvin T. "Moe" Wood, 87, of Perryville died Tuesday, June 29, 2010, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 25, 1922, in Perryville, son of Prince Edward and Marcillia Richardet Wood. He and Nora "Sis" Laurentius were married Oct. 12, 1976, in Perryville...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Sarah Jane Clarke, 78, of Olive Branch, formerly of Cairo, Ill., a longtime leader in economic development and community affairs in Southern Illinois, died Monday, June 28, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Jean S. DelFavero, 74, of Jonesboro died Wednesday, June 30, 2010, at her home. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Anna, Ill. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at First Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Anna, with the Rev. Randy Carstens officiating. Burial will be in Anna Cemetery...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Becky K. Bohnert, 56, of Perryville died Wednesday, June 30, 2010, at her home. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to service time Tuesday at Immanuel Lutheran Church. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the church, with the Rev. Thomas Handrick officiating...

ANNA, Ill. -- Jerry D. Sikon, 74, of Anna died Monday, June 28, 2010, at Union County Hospital. Graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at St. John's Cemetery near Dongola, Ill., with Jeff Starr officiating. Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Anna is in charge of arrangements...

Geraldine Love, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, June 29, 2010, at the Lutheran Home. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Daughter to Eli and Sarah E. Flowers of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 9:39 a.m. Friday, May 28, 2010. Name, Cora Renae. Weight, 5 pounds, 9 ounces. First child. Mrs. Flowers is the former Sarah Riley, daughter of Don and Marty Riley of Cape Girardeau. She is a speech language pathologist. Flowers is the son of Randy Flowers and Karen Fieser of Millersville, and Mary and Bobby Hebblethwaite of Houston, Mo. He is employed at Sure Decisions...

According to Cape Girardeau County Sheriff Dwight Thomas, the man who escaped from the county jail in Jackson Saturday was spotted yesterday driving an older model car at the Kentucky Oaks Mall in Paducah. As it is being razed with a backhoe, the building at 418 Broadway collapses, part of the debris landing on the hood of a car; the building, owned by Union Electric and the law firm of Oliver, Oliver, Waltz and Cook, is being demolished in preparation for construction of a parking lot on the site, adjacent to the H.-H. ...

Recently a grassroots citizen group, the Rolla Tea Party, went to a lot of effort to place congressional candidates before the people in an open forum. Republican Bob Parker, Libertarian Rick Vandeven and I (independent) participated in the event. Surprisingly, Jo Ann Emerson and Tommy Sowers, though invited, were not present...

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

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

MARINA DEL REY, Calif. -- Abby Sunderland faced down moments of terror on the high seas after her boat was rolled over by a huge wave as she tried to become the youngest person to sail around the world. Still, the 16-year-old said Tuesday she was proud of her effort, hoped it might inspire others and wasn't ready to abandon sailing...

ST. LOUIS -- Abuse of alcohol and drugs has killed too many rock stars to mention, but at 61, Ozzy Osbourne is still going strong. DNA researchers in St. Louis are part of a team that will try to determine how he does it. Osbourne approached a Massachusetts human genomics company called Knome (pronounced Nome) and asked it to map his DNA. Knome oversees the project, and St. Louis-based Cofactor Genomics will do the actual lab work...

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis VA medical center has urged nearly 2,000 veterans to return for blood tests because inadequately sterilized equipment may have exposed them to viral infections such as hepatitis C and HIV during dental procedures. The Department of Veterans Affairs sent out letters Monday to 1,812 people who had dental procedures at the John Cochran VA facility from Feb. ...

Interest rates in the U.S. are at or below levels not seen since the middle of the last century. This means home buyers are able to obtain mortgages at record low rates, saving them tens of thousands of dollars over the life of a standard 30-year home loan. For frugal Americans who depend on interest income from savings invested in certificates of deposit and the like, however, this period of low interest means their revenue stream has dwindled almost to nothing...

REGARDING the turtles killing the bluegills at North County Park: Some animals eat other animals. It is called the food chain. IN a seemingly angry reprimand directed at Missouri teachers, state Sen. Jason Crowell recently wrote in part on his blog in reference to teachers, "I think your time would be much better spent dealing with teacher issues rather than trying to keep the state from responsibly addressing our problems." I imagine Missouri teachers might be a bit upset themselves at being accused of irresponsibility by Crowell and might respond with something like, "I think Senator Crowell's time would be much better spent dealing with Missouri's many problems rather than indulging in shameless self-promotion in an online blog.". ...

For summer programs that offer learning and fun, we pray to you, O God. Amen.

July 1, 2010 Dear Leslie, A few weeks ago, a talented young golfer known for being unflappable entered the final day of the U.S. Open with a 3-shot lead and foozled it away in the first few holes. Dustin Johnson eventually shot 11 over par that day. Eleven over par is what I shoot on a good day. Professional golfers leading tournaments on the final day don't shoot 11 over par unless they give in to the fear everyone must face. They choke...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Dexter man charged with child abuse and neglect has filed a motion in a Stoddard County court requesting that bond be set in his case, the Daily Statesman newspaper reported. Vabian Allen Webb, 18, of Dexter, was arrested in early June on Stoddard County warrants for the Class C felony of endangering the welfare of a child and the Class C felony of child abuse...

Democratic Congressional candidate Tommy Sowers will hold a town hall meeting next week in Cape Girardeau as part of his second campaign swing intended to put him in every 8th District county for a day. The meeting, at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Indian Room of the University Center on the Southeast Missouri State University campus, will be a chance for the public to ask questions on any topic, Sowers' campaign manager said...

WASHINGTON -- For the first time in six months, the federal unemployment report to be released Friday will likely show a net loss of jobs. But hold off on the panic button. It's true that employers are expected to have cut more than 100,000 jobs in June. But that figure, if accurate, will be deceptive. It will reflect the end of up to 250,000 temporary census jobs. The real focus Friday will be on how many net jobs private employers created...

WASHINGTON -- Nearly two years after a Wall Street meltdown left the economy reeling, the House on Wednesday passed a massive overhaul of financial regulations that would extend the government's reach from storefront thrifts to the executive suites of Manhattan...

After Truman orientation last Friday, I am now an enrolled college student. It's so exciting to say that, even if scheduling classes was an otherworldly experience. Before we walked into the computer lab, the English adviser told us that classes would be filling up as we were scheduling them, so it was a race against our peers to get into the classes we wanted. ...

Did you know an explosive sneeze can shoot millions of droplets out of your nose and mouth at more than 100 mph? These droplets mainly consist of water, salt and protein. Using a few ingredients from around the house, you can make a batch of snot. STEP 1: Dissolve the borax into one quart of warm water...

Scholarships Honors, Achievements -- From staff reports...

Scott City's Kevin Hammes won the Safe House for Women's 5K race by finishing the course in 17 minutes, 51 seconds. Jackson's Taylor Dickerson was the top female finisher, crossing the line in 20:15. Top finishers 5K run Female 14 and under --Alexa Kelpe, Cape Girardeau, 29:21...

Basketball Football n Central Junior High camp: A free football camp for boys entering grades 7 and 8 will be conducted at the Central Junior High School. The camp will be 9 to 11 a.m. July 26 to 29. Info: 334-2923. Golf Miscellaneous Running/Track...

Jacob Wente allowed four runs, two earned, over three innings to suffer the loss for the Plaza Tire Capahas on Wednesday. The St. Louis Golden Spikes struck for two in the second and two in the third and never looked back, posting the 5-2 home win. Brad LaBruyere went the next three innings and allowed one run on three hits and struck out three. Jason Chavez pitched the final two innings. He struck out one and walked one...

ST. LOUIS -- The Arizona Diamondbacks started and ended a six-game trip with victory celebrations in the clubhouse. Not bad for a team that set a franchise record with 14 straight road losses earlier in the season. Rookie Barry Enright was the recipient Wednesday, after providing five solid innings in his major league debut as the fill-in for Edwin Jackson in a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals...

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. -- Missouri's Highway Patrol and Water Patrol have become one. Gov. Jay Nixon signed legislation Wednesday that makes the state Water Patrol a division of the Highway Patrol. The governor said combining the two agencies will improve law enforcement coverage and is expected eventually to save the state about $3 million per year. He said the number of patrol officers in either agency would not be reduced...

ANNA, Ill. -- James B. Blessing, 79, of Anna died Wednesday, June 30, 2010, at his home. Crain Funeral Home in Anna is in charge of arrangements.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A dozen Missouri school districts will share in bonds totaling $15.9 million to pay for renovations and repairs. Richland School District will receive $430,561 of the bonds. Voters of the Stoddard County school district approved a $750,000 bond proposal in November...

Since Cape Girardeau was designated a Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistance for Missouri community in 2006, it has received more than $2.6 million in federal and state grants to help with local improvement projects, according to a report recently presented to the city council. The funds helped pay for community programs, like Tunes at Twilight and the Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival, and helped with construction projects including additional riverfront parking and public restroom facilities and converting the former Schultz School into affordable senior housing.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Cairo police are investigating a homicide that occurred early Thursday morning outside Mary J's Lounge in the 400 block of Commercial Street. Jeserick Pilgram, 19, of Mounds, Ill., was shot to death after 2 a.m....

A northern Illinois man was arrested Thursday in last week's fatal shooting in Cape Girardeau. Thomas D. Evans Jr., 20, of Bellwood, Ill., was charged with one count of second-degree murder in the death of Matthew "Woody" Ervin, 44, according to the Cape Girardeau/Bollinger County Major Case Squad. Bond for Evans was set at $2 million, and he is being held at the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

In its first full month of operation, Cape Splash Family Aquatic Center saw more people than anyone expected. Penny Williams, recreation division manager for Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation, said the department used the water park in Farmington, Mo., as a model for estimating daily attendance, but those estimates fell short by 500 people a day...

While there is no admission fee to come to Arena Park for the Fourth of July celebration this weekend, the group organizing it is depending on the proceeds raised from ticket sales at various shows throughout the event. "This is an expensive undertaking, and we need help paying the bills," said Rodger Brown, U.S.A. Veterans commander. "There is a misconception that the city pays for this. They do not."...

The Southeast Missouri Modelers Association (SEMMA Club) recently held a charity fun fly event at there club in Cape Girardeau June 12th and 13th. The club was successful in raising a $2000.00 donation for the St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. 40 pilots were on hand performing aerobatics, warbird flights, aerial combat, and also helicopters. ...

Thrill-seeking riders from Southeast Missouri and the Midwest will be pushing the limits with their dirt bikes as they go the distance at the arenacross event Saturday at Arena Park. Local rider Tucker Thrower is working to make his name in the sport of arenacross. Thrower, who turns 20 this month, said he's been doing arenacross racing since he was 7...

Recently Missouri Right to Life issued their endorsement of Congresswoman JoAnn Emerson for the 8th Congressional District Republican Primary on August 3rd in Missouri. There are two candidates for the Republican nomination in the 8th District, the veteran of DC, Rep. JoAnn Emerson, and opponent Bob Parker of Raymondville , Missouri . www.electbobparker.com...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Three Rivers Community College officials made good on their promise to balance the budget, which meant carrying out 45 layoffs, a salary freeze and the elimination of child care services. The Daily American Republic newspaper reported the board of trustees unanimously approved the $18.8 million budget for fiscal year 2011 in the absence of trustee Darren Garrison during just a 20-minute deliberation Wednesday, after administrators spent weeks implementing a zero-based budgeting process.. ...

Cape Girardeau Post 63 Ford & Sons Senior American Legion baseball pitcher Andrew Williams was a bit shell-shocked early in Thursday night's game. Visiting Poplar Bluff hammered Williams for two home runs, a double and three singles over the first two innings to score five runs...

NEW YORK -- Larry King, who has interviewed statesmen and stars from a prime-time perch at CNN for 25 years but has seen his ratings sag recently, said Tuesday he will step down this fall from his nightly show. "It's time to hang up my nightly suspenders," King said in a message sent to fans via Twitter...

The Pink Galleon in Cape Girardeau's Town Plaza is bringing in some talented comedians to tickle the funny bone in July. The club has invited comedians from St. Louis and elsewhere to perform weekly starting Thursday. Pink Galleon owner Chris Seib said he is excited about the acts coming in, including the first comedian, The Fryman. The Fryman, whose real name is Emil Fry, has been entertaining crowds for 18 years with his high-energy act...

Jeanie Eddleman was born and raised in Southeast Missouri and has spent a good portion of her adult life attempting to preserve the memory of buildings she grew up around through her pictorial history books. She has two books that each feature drawings and history of buildings and places in Bollinger and Cape Girardeau counties, respectively...

This month's art openings

PHOENIX -- Arizona police officials warned officers not to use race or ethnicity when enforcing the state's new immigration law, saying that the country is watching their every move. In a new training video released Thursday, the officials said opponents of the law may secretly videotape officers making traffic stops, trying to ensnare them and prove that they're racially profiling Hispanics...

ATLANTA -- About a quarter of the swine flu vaccine produced for the U.S. public has expired -- meaning that 40 million doses worth about $260 million are being written off as trash. "It's a lot, by historical standards," said Jerry Weir, who oversees vaccine research and review for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration...

WASHINGTON -- The oldest among us seem to have chosen their parents well. Researchers closing in on the effect of family versus lifestyle find most people who live to 100 or older share some helpful genes. But don't give up on diet and exercise just yet...

ST. LOUIS -- The Veterans Administration said Thursday that the chief of dental services at a St. Louis VA Medical Center has been placed on administrative leave after the hospital urged nearly 2,000 veterans to return for blood tests because inadequately sterilized equipment may have exposed them to viral infections during dental procedures...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- People will need to go online to read the latest information on Missouri's official state symbols, the roster of government employees and the state's laws. Gov. Jay Nixon signed legislation Thursday that ends the mandatory printing of the official state manual every two years and state statute books. Both the official manual -- called the Blue Book -- and the state's laws already are available on the Internet...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Three East Prairie residents were injured after the vehicle they were riding in struck a house Wednesday in Mississippi County.

The Cape Girardeau Post 63 Plaza Tire Junior American Legion baseball team lost to Lone Oak 5-0 in its first game at the Fourth of July tournament in Paducah, Ky. Ethan Dambach went five innings and allowed three runs to suffer the loss. Christian Cavaness went 2 for 3 for Post 63 (15-12)...

ST. LOUIS -- The smallest of adjustments made the biggest difference for Milwaukee left-hander Randy Wolf on Thursday night. Wolf, who tinkered with his windup between starts, allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings and Prince Fielder hit one of three Milwaukee home runs to lead the Brewers to a 4-1 victory over St. Louis...

Former Southeast Missouri State baseball standout Jim Klocke picked up another major honor. Klocke was among five players named to the 2010 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award All-American first team earlier this week. The award, chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I baseball coaches, national media and fans, goes to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in NCAA Division I baseball each year. ...

The 34th Annual All Female Air Race Classic finished in Maryland last Friday. Beverly Cleair of Cape Girardeau (who might be the best female pilot/instructor in Missouri) completed the 2,400-mile race along with 51 other pilot teams. Speed achieved by airplane horsepower handicaps was the criteria for winning. The four-day race started in Fort Myers, Fla...

MATAMOROS, Mexico -- The sprawling remains of Hurricane Alex drenched much of northern Mexico on Thursday, paralyzing the major city of Monterrey. At least two people were killed when dry rivers roared to life and highways turned into rushing streams...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- U.S. and Afghan troops seized a key Taliban figure after a four-hour gunbattle, part of a strategy that NATO officials said Thursday had eliminated more than 100 insurgent leaders in the past four months. The campaign to disrupt the Taliban's midlevel command structure is moving into high gear just as a new Afghan government is poised to offer economic incentives to lure low-level foot soldiers off the battlefield, an approach to pressure the Taliban's top echelon into seeking peace.. ...

LAHORE, Pakistan -- Two suicide bombers struck a popular Muslim shrine in Pakistan's second largest city late Thursday night, killing 35 people and wounding 175 others in the second major attack in Lahore in a month, the city's top official said...

Fireworks are a big part of the Fourth of July celebrations in Southeast Missouri. There are fireworks that are sold to the public by authorized vendors who can sell only for a limited time and are also limited by local ordinances to certain allowable fireworks. ...

Recent coverage of the SB40 Board mentioned a group that refers to itself as the ARC of Cape Girardeau that is, in collaboration with VIP Industries Inc., operating in Cape Girardeau. The Arc of the United States, along with The Arc of Missouri, needs to set the record straight that this organization, although calling itself ARC, is not an affiliate of The Arc, the nation's largest and oldest human rights and services organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. ...

SELF-described conservatives like me can go on for hours bashing President Obama and his administration, but when asked who is their favorite for the GOP (many don't believe this is a conservative party, but there's no other game in town) presidential nomination in 2012, they balk, cough, begin expressing indecisiveness, talk at length about why they don't like this or that particular GOP presidential aspirant I suggest and finally walk away, eyes glazed over in apparent recognition of the strong probability that President Obama will be a two-term president.. ...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff woman was arrested Wednesday for allegedly soliciting donations in the name of Central Missionary Baptist Church without authorization. The Daily American Republic newspaper reported Stephanie Yvonne Jackson is accused of going to Hopper's Auto Service this week and asking for a monetary donation for the church, according to Poplar Bluff Police Detective Bryce Colvin...

WASHINGTON -- The Senate bid farewell Thursday to Robert C. Byrd, the homespun West Virginian who for half a century held sway with his oratory and advocacy of his state. Byrd, who died Monday at age 92, lay in repose on the Senate floor for six hours while senators, both past and present, and Capitol Hill staffers lined up to pay their final respects to the late senator and his family...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Viola E. Schilling, 78, of Perryville died Thursday, July 1, 2010, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. She was born July 2, 1931, in Sylvan Groves, Kan., daughter of the late Edwin Paul and Eleanore Dohl Stelling. She and Herbert Schilling were married June 22, 1952. He preceded her in death Nov. 7, 1986...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Ernest Paul "Pea-Dad" Crump, 85, of Chaffee died Thursday, July 1, 2010, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 1, 1924, at Chaffee, son of Ernest Kirby and Ida Mae Williams Crump. He and Dorothy Marie Mills were married Dec. 4, 1951...

Bruce Allen Kiplinger, 56, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, June 28, 2010, at Cox Hospital in Springfield, Mo. He was born Jan. 17, 1954, in Benton Harbor, Mich., son of the late Mitchell Garland Kiplinger and Edna Wanda Kiplinger McCulley. Kiplinger was a carpenter...

ANNA, Ill. -- Alice Marie Blessing, 89, of Anna died Wednesday, June 30, 2010, at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, Ill. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to service time Saturday at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Anna. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Paul Sadler officiating. Burial will be in Jonesboro Cemetery...

Protect us from our enemies, O God, and guide our leaders in times of war. Amen.

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Carolyn Jean Middleton Doughty, 52, of Jonesboro died Wednesday, June 30, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. to service time Saturday at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Jonesboro...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Rachel Elizabeth Elfrink, 84, of Leopold died Monday, June 28, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. A memorial Mass will be held at 10 a.m. today at St. John Catholic Church. Inurnment will be in the church cemetery...

Lillian Reisenbichler, 95, of Pocahontas died Thursday, July 1, 2010, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson is in charge of arrangements.

Jimmy R. Warder, 72, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, July 1, 2010, at his home. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

I'm confident that the Fourth of July activities today, Saturday and Sunday have been covered extensively. I debated devoting this column to the three-day event for fear of overkill, but after careful consideration I realized the U.S.A. Veterans Independence Day celebration really is the most exciting thing going on this weekend. It's got racing, music and "Redneck Games." What's more American than that?...

I am afraid of most of the fireworks sold in tents. I think it's healthy to fear something that can blind you, remove fingers or leave lifelong scars on your body. People who are afraid of fireworks, I contend, use them more safely than some daredevils who profess to have no fear of exploding gunpowder...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Agreement among Missouri lawmakers appears to be fracturing over plans to offer tax incentives to automakers and overhaul the state employee retirement system. A Senate committee refused to vote on the automotive tax incentives Thursday...

NEW YORK -- Stocks began the third quarter with another loss after reports on jobs, housing and manufacturing raised investors' economic worries. The Dow Jones industrial average fell almost 42 points Thursday for its sixth straight loss, although it ended well off its lows ahead of the government's June jobs report. The report is critical because a rebound in jobs is needed for the economy to recover. The numbers are due before the start of trading Friday...

WASHINGTON -- Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday about 270,000 cars sold worldwide, including luxury Lexus sedans, have potentially faulty engines, in the latest quality issue to confront the Japanese automaker after a string of massive recalls. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the U.S. ...

WASHINGTON -- A raft of weak new reports Thursday provided the strongest evidence yet that the recovery is slowing and added to concerns that the nation could be on its way back into recession. Most notable was a rise in the number of people filing for unemployment benefits for the first time. The four-week average for jobless claims now stands at its highest point since March...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- As part of his plan to shrink government, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon ordered state employees to travel less, and he sliced their per-mile payment. How did Nixon break the news? By flying to Kansas City. To drive home his point, Nixon repeated the announcement the next day by traveling to Columbia and St. Louis...

At Thursday morning's Cape Girardeau County Commission meeting, commissioners received bids for publication of the 2010 Cape Girardeau County Delinquent Land Tax Listings. The Cashbook Journal in Jackson submitted a bid to run the listings at $5.89 per listing, per week. The Southeast Missourian in Cape Girardeau submitted a bid to run the listings at $6.80 per listing, per week...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Briney Welborn said Thursday afternoon in a court hearing that the case against accused murderer Allen McCoy may be a death penalty case.

A five-band concert featuring Drivin' Rain (pictured), Rockface Barband, Surtsey, What We Call Sanity and Distorted Perfection will be Saturday as part of the U.S.A. Veterans Fourth of July celebration. All the acts, whose sounds range from heavy metal to folksy acoustic, come from Southeast Missouri. The show is free of admission and open to all ages. It will be hosted by comedian Richard Cason. Doors open at 4 p.m. and bands take the stage at 7. Saturday 3 at the Arena Building...

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

ANNA, Ill. -- James B. Blessing, 79, of Anna died Wednesday, June 30, 2010, at his home. Service and burial will be private at Evergreen Cemetery in Makanda, Ill. Crain Funeral Home in Anna is in charge of arrangements.

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- William "Bill" Cannon, 72, of Chaffee died Thursday, July 1, 2010, at his home. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee is in charge of arrangements.

NEW ORLEANS -- BP's oil spill became the largest ever in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday based on the highest of the federal government's estimates. The oil that's spewed for two and a half months from a blown-out well a mile under the sea hit the 140.6 million-gallon mark, eclipsing the record-setting, 140 million-gallon Ixtoc I spill off Mexico's coast from 1979 to 1980. Even by the lower end of the government's estimates, at least 71.7 million gallons are in the Gulf...

NICOSIA, Cyprus -- Russian money and influence have long made a splash on this Mediterranean resort island where a suspected Russian spy paymaster vanished after being allowed to walk free on bail. The ties go right to the top: Russian energy giant Lukoil has a big presence, and the Greek Cypriot president, a communist who studied in Moscow, is expecting an illustrious visitor in October -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev...

City manager Gary A. Eide says Cape Girardeau city employees will receive an across-the-board 5.6 percent increase in salaries for the 1985-1986 fiscal year, which began yesterday. Christmas is coming early for the Scott City Police Department; the board of aldermen last night voted to pay officers for their unused compensation time they had built up over a period of several months; the board's action will cost the city's general revenue fund about $3,200...

The judge in a Cape Girardeau murder case ruled on a motion to suppress statements made by the defendant shortly after the Oct. 27 murders of Jamie Lynn Orman, her unborn child and her 15-year-old son, Derrick.

It's a conglomeration of switches, outlets and meters, but it will help faculty at Southeast Missouri State University train the next generation of green-minded employees. In a lab in the Polytechnic Building at Southeast Missouri State University, faculty are assembling training stations that will get their students versed in solar and wind energy sources. Each station includes a wind turbine and a solar panel...

Pretty Dragonfly, looks like it's smiling for me!

A group of manacled anti-abortionists, some preferring to be dragged or carried, are escorted in the morning by police from the Women's Health Center of Cape Girardeau, 891 N. Kingshighway, after the protesters stage a 40-minute "sit-in" at the abortion clinic...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Ardell D. Baughman, 77, of Perryville died Thursday, July 1, 2010, at his home. He was a veteran of the Korean War, serving in the U.S. Army. Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday and 6:30 a.m. to time of service Tuesday at Young and Sons Funeral Home...

Rachael Underwood Tiffany, 89, of St. Louis, formerly of Scott City, died Monday, June 28, 2010, at Baish Nursing Home in De Soto, Mo. The funeral was held Friday at Kutis Funeral Home in St. Louis.

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- William "Bill" Cannon, 72, of Chaffee died peacefully at his home Thursday, July 1, 2010. He was born Oct. 9, 1937, in Chaffee, son of Elmer A. and Ethel L. Jeffries Cannon. He and Carolyn Ryan were married Nov. 7, 1959. He later married Donna Ivester Jan. 26, 1981. She died Jan. 5, 2007...

ST. LOUIS -- Doric C. Estes-Whitener Collier, 84, of St. Louis died Wednesday, June 30, 2010, in a St. Louis nursing home. Beloved wife of the late Robert R. Collier; dear aunt of Judy (John) Gipson of Ballwin, Mo., Janet (Don) Jenkins of Houston; dear great-aunt of Catherine (Scott) Wiebe, Andrew Russell and Michael (Brittany) Russell; dear great-great-aunt of Taylor, Rachel, Danielle and Matthew; dear friend to many...

Evelyn E. Davis, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 2, 2010, at Ratliff Care Center. She was born April 22, 1926, in Cape Girardeau, to Ray and Eliza JoAnna Unger Sachse. She and John Edward Davis were married Dec. 24, 1943, in Cape Girardeau. He preceded Aug. 2, 2005...

Jimmy Ray Warder, 72, of Cape Girardeau went home to be with his Lord and savior Thursday, July 1, 2010, after a 5 1/2-year battle with cancer. During that time, he encouraged everyone he met to live for Jesus and to make heaven their goal...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Marie Katheryn Greer, 89, of Marble Hill passed away Thursday, July 1, 2010, at her home. She was born April 20, 1921, at Flat River, Mo., daughter of Rhonie "Totts" and Edna Mabuce Hansen. She and Russell V. Greer were married Aug. 6, 1943. He passed away July 5, 1993...

Mike Watkins, 38, of Scott City died Friday, July 2, 2010, in Scott City. He was born Nov. 30, 1971, in Dexter, Mo., son of Junior and Connie Watkins. He and Amy Uhrhan were married April 19, 1990. Survivors include his parents; his wife; a daughter, Amber Watkins of Scott City; a brother, Danny Watkins of Jackson; a sister, Anita Mulcahy of Jackson; two nephews, Austin Uhrhan, Ethan Watkins; three nieces, Eryn Uhrhan, Kaitlyn and Sara Mulcahy...

Big box stores may be fast and convenient, but anyone who frequents a farmers market knows you just can't bottle the taste of a homegrown tomato or made-from-scratch cookies. "You can see the person who grew the food or produced the jar of jelly you're going to eat in the morning. It's so important in today's world, and most people don't realize it," says Sharon Penrod of rural Jackson. "We also hope to educate our customers about eating what's local and fresh."...

After being mothballed for years, Jimmy Gockel's Strategic Air Command Elite Guard uniform now sits under museum lights. Gockel, of Cape Girardeau, joined the U.S. Air Force in 1978 and served in the guard unit from 1982 to 1984. He donated his uniform to the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland, Neb., for a display honoring the SAC Elite Guard's 50-year reunion in 2006...

A person of interest is being sought for questioning regarding the murder of Matthew "Woody" Ervin, who was found shot to death last week on a Cape Girardeau street.

It is an emotional three days, but the tears start well in advance with the notification process. "From the time we're calling them, I'll have paper towels on the table," said Rob Callahan, founder of the Honor Tour. Since 2007, the Poplar Bluff, Mo., man has been organizing all-expenses-paid trips to Washington, D.C., for World War II veterans. ...

A country singer crooned and tires kicked up dirt during he first two grandstand events at the U.S.A. Veterans Fourth of July celebration behind the Arena Building.

A Jackson man died Saturday morning in a motorcycle crash near Fruitland. Erik M. Marshall, 31, was traveling east on Highway 177 on a 2002 Suzuki Katana motorcycle when he failed to stop at a stop sign at Bella Vista Drive at 7:34 a.m. Saturday, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. He ran into the side of a 2002 Dodge Dakota pickup truck driven by Sandra K. Motley, 40, of Jackson...

This is Molly, Dusty, and Kenya. They are 3 of the K-9 members of the Scott County Search and Rescue. They want to wish everyone a wonderful 4th of July and to remind everyone to be safe.

My son, Justin, took this great shot of a beautiful coneflower located in the Jackson City Park Rock Garden!!

I took this shot of this old barn & shed in Fruitland.

Just outside of Benton on hwy E on a summer evening

Fishing on a holiday weekend

Meredith Conklin (5, daughter of Todd and Whitney Conklin, granddaughter of Dan and Lois Conklin and Bev Wiedefeld) outside her great-grandmother, Mary Nothdurft's house on Independence Day.

Flags fly over Jackson's Veteran's Park on the 4th of July.

A car-lover's dream these three classics sat amongst the trees at the annual Jackson 4th of July Car Show in Jackson Park.

Many people have questions about the effect of a casino on Cape Girardeau, but after many years of operation, gaming facilities in other small Missouri towns are seen as community partners, according to business leaders and residents interviewed by the Southeast Missourian...

CAIRO, Ill. -- A suspect has been arrested in connection to a Thursday homicide in Cairo. Melvin Hadley, 28, of Cairo was arrested by police and was housed in the Tri-County Detention Center as of Friday morning, according to a news release from Cairo Police Chief Timothy Brown. Charges were pending with the Alexander County State's Attorney's office...

ST. LOUIS -- Adam Wainwright abandoned his game face when St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa informed the right-hander he was a first-time All-Star. But not for long. "I was grinning. You can't not grin unless you're Albert Pujols and you do it every year," Wainwright said. "I knew I had to pitch, but I think it's all right to be excited about it."...

KELSO, Mo. -- Lori Michelle Bles and David Earl Blechle were married July 4, 2009, at St. Augustine Church in Kelso. The Rev. Oliver Clavin performed the ceremony. Organist was Betty Ressel, and vocalists were Renee Reinagel and Walt Seyer, all of Kelso...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Chelsey Nicole Scheeter and Christopher Lee Hanback exchanged vows Feb. 13, 2010, at Guardian Angel Catholic Church in Oran, Mo. The Rev. Randy Tochtrop performed the ceremony. Reader was John Scheeter, uncle of the bride. Organist was Betty Vandeven and vocalists were Renee and Holly Reinagel...

Mark and Kathy Langenfeld of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Lisa Melanie Langenfeld, to Darris Richard Gerlach. He is the son of Darris and Tina Gerlach of Cape Girardeau. Langenfeld is a 2006 graduate of Central High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Truman State University in 2010, and expects to receive a master's degree in chemistry from Truman in December. She will begin student teaching this fall in Rolla, Mo...

Steve and Carol Horst of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer Anne Horst, to Nicholas Robert Renz. He is the son of Robert and Susan Renz of St. Louis. Horst is a 1999 graduate of Jackson High School. She received bachelor of science and medical degrees from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is a resident physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis...

Mark and Debbie Mehner of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Katie Elizabeth Mehner, to Mark William Thenhaus, both of St. Louis. He is the son of Carl and Maureen Thenhaus of St. Louis. Mehner is a graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School. She expects to receive a doctorate in industrial-organizational psychology from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in December. She is employed at Express Scripts in St. Louis...

Edward and Susan Rohde of St. Louis announce the engagement of their daughter, Elaine Rohde, to Christopher Pobst. He is the son of Mark and Becky Pobst of Cape Girardeau. Rohde is a 2002 graduate of Mount Vernon Township High School in Mount Vernon, Ill. She is a 2006 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. She is owner of Elaine Rohde Photography...

SEDGEWICKVILLE, Mo. -- Frank L. and Donna K. Bollinger of Sedgewickville announce the engagement of their daughter, Mariah Kay Bollinger, to Shannon Leigh Bomar, both of Jackson. He is the son of Gary L. and D. Jeanine Bomar of Jackson. Bollinger is a graduate of Meadow Heights High School. She is employed at Procter & Gamble...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Victor and Rita Becker of Marble Hill announce the engagement of their daughter, Jessica Christine Becker, to Brandon Lynn Boyd. He is the son of Jim and Robin Boyd of Sedgewickville, Mo. Becker is a 1995 graduate of Woodland High School. She attended Olympic College in Bremerton, Wash., and Southeast Missouri State University. She is a medical assistant at Women First in Cape Girardeau...

Elden and Kim Wilson of Oak Ridge announce the engagement of their daughter, Kimberly Nicole Wilson, to Andrew James Martin. He is the son of Sheila Martin of Jackson. Wilson is employed by Dr. Robert L. Ward in Cape Girardeau. Martin is employed by Northrop Grumman in Knob Noster, Mo...

July 5-9 MONDAY--Chicken strips, potatoes, strawberry jello. TUESDAY--BLT sandwich, pickle, apple crisp. WEDNESDAY--Cheese quesadillas, corn, mixed fruit. THURSDAY--Spaghetti, green beans, peaches. FRIDAY--Corn dog, oven fries, mixed fruit...

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. ...

By LSchutte Submitted to semissourian.com Court Appointed Special Advocates will be holding informational meetings twice a month for prospective CASA volunteers. A CASA volunteer has to complete 30 hours of special training and background screenings before they are sworn in as a volunteer child advocate...

This column originally appeared as a Discover Nature blog on semissourian.com/blogs. The large carpenter bee rolled around inside a purple poppy mallow flower with intensity as I watched it outside my office. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him roll and turn and roll again, as he loosened the flower's pollen and bathed in it...

AFTER a day of working hard in the yard, we loaded our truck to take our trimmings to the dump. Upon arrival, we were told we would have to pay a city fine of $25 because we had failed to put a tarp over our load. We had never heard of this new law, which we were told went into effect in September. ...

Carol Guard of Cape Girardeau is no amateur when it comes to wine tasting. Although neither Guard nor her husband had a hobby of visiting wineries before they married, they now make sure to include it in their list of things to do. Guard's interest in wineries started after marrying her husband, Perry Guard, eight years ago. ...

Scott Tucker, a native of McClure, Ill., flew home recently from California with a special carry-on -- an Emmy statuette. Susan McClanahan, friend of Tucker for more than 40 years and a columnist for the Southeast Missourian, said she found out about his award through a text message...

For this great nation, and for all of its citizens, we pray to you, O God. Amen.

George Hutchings, a retired minister, is a "miracle worker" who changes shoes to water. He collects shoes, sells them and uses the money to buy hydraulic drilling rigs and ships them to Kenya where a charitable group hires Kenyans to drill for clean water. ...

Procter & Gamble donated $45,000 to Melaina's Magical Playland, a playground with equipment for children with disabilities so that they may enjoy and play outside with other children. Melaina's Magical Playland was inspired by Melaina Cunningham, who passed away in March 2009. With this donation, the project has raised $350,000 of the $750,000 needed for the park, planned for Cape County Park North. From left are Linda Greaser, Rep. Scott Lipke, Andrea Cunningham and Regina McElmurry...

Romie is a 4-year-old cat. He is friendly and enjoys being petted. Romie is neutered and up-to-date on shots. For more information, contact Safe Harbor at 243-9823. ...

Army National Guard Pvt. Jeffrey B. Mungle has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Leonard Wood in Waynesville, Mo. During the nine weeks of training, Mungle received instruction in drill and ceremony, weapons, rifle marksmanship qualification, bayonet combat, chemical warfare, field training and tactical exercises, marches, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, and Army history, traditions and core values. ...

Sparkles is a 5-month-old female German Shepherd. She is a happy puppy. For more information, contact the Humane Society at 334-5837. ...

The Rev. Dr. William Bird Sr. felt the call to be a pastor at a young age and set about earning several degrees that would help him better serve his parish. Bird has been a pastor for 29 years, 16 of them at Greater Dimensions Ministries in Cape Girardeau. He said his church is a melting pot...

PCI Roads LLC plans to begin striping on the Mississippi River bridge on Highway 51 in Perry County. Weather permitting, the work is scheduled to take place from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily beginning Monday and is expected to be completed by July 30. There will be a 10-foot width restriction during the striping operation...

Work to replace the Route PP bridge west of Goose Pond Ditch in Stoddard County will begin July 12. The work was originally set to start in spring of 2011 but was moved up because of safety concerns, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. The bridge will be closed to traffic and will be replaced with a precast box culvert. The road closure will be in place for about one week...

Route B from County Road 419 to County Road 422 in Cape Girardeau County will be closed while Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a drainage pipe beneath the roadway. Weather permitting, the work will be performed from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday...

Highway 25 County Road 325 to Route K in Cape Girardeau County will be reduced to one lane while Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform drainage repairs. Weather permitting, the work will be performed from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday...

Work to replace the Route ZZ bridge over Drainage Ditch No. 2 in Scott County is scheduled to begin July 12. During construction, the roadway will remain closed from Route Z to Route BB. Completion is anticipated in mid-September. The work is part of the design-build portion of the Safe and Sound Bridge Improvement Program. Through the program, more than 800 of the state's lowest-rated bridges will be improved by winter 2013...

During a Thursday meeting, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission rejected a contract for improvements to Highway 91 in Bollinger County. The commission received one bid for the project, and it was higher than anticipated, according to a release from the Missouri Department of Transportation. Project bids will be taken again later. The project will include replacing the rails of the bridge over Dry Creek south of Highway 51 near Dongola...

Lillian H. Reisenbichler, 95, formerly of Pocahontas, passed away Thursday, July 1, 2010, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 3, 1914, in New Wells, Mo., daughter of Theodore and Anna Fiedler Wachter. She and Elmer Reisenbichler were married May 23, 1943. He passed away Dec. 30, 2003...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- John Luttrell, 46, of Marble Hill died Friday, July 2, 2010, at his home. He was born Nov. 15, 1963, in East St. Louis, Ill., son of James and Bonnie Sue Schmidt Luttrell. John loved to fish, and he loved sports. Survivors include his mother, Bonnie Luttrell of Marble Hill; five brothers, Kenny (Denise) Luttrell of Jackson, Kevin (Stephanie) Luttrell of Marble Hill, Ronnie (Renee) Luttrell of Cape Girardeau, Eric (Leslie) Luttrell of Chaffee, Mo., Doug Luttrell of Marble Hill; a sister, Joyce (Tom) Innskeep of Marble Hill; 13 nieces and nephews; two great-nieces; and a special family friend, Greg McAllister.. ...

Geraldine Young Love passed away to eternal life Tuesday, June 29, 2010, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Geraldine was born in Belzoni, Miss., on March 16, 1927, to Joe and Bertha Young. She married Henry Love on Aug. 17, 1946. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; and three children, Henry Edward Love, Jennifer Elaine Lyons and Gail Annette Edwards...

Stella B. Adams McKee, 92, of Cape Girardeau left this world after an extended illness to be with Jesus in her heavenly home on Friday, July 2, 2010, at Monticello House. She was born Jan. 6, 1918, at Millersville daughter of Henry Zach and Zettie Estelle Hahs. ...

Roger Lee Walker, 76, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, July 3, 2010, at his home. He was born Sept. 20, 1933, at Collinsville, Texas, to James Bryan and Mae Graham Walker. He and Reba Barker were married March 15, 1958, at Colorado Springs, Colo. For more than 40 years he was a sheet metal mechanic and member and past president of Local 268 in Caseyville, Ill...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Jeserick Lowell Pilgram, 19, of Mounds died Thursday, July 1, 2010, in Cairo, Ill. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. John M.B. Church in Mounds. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the church, with the Rev. Garlin White officiating. Burial will be in the Spencer Heights Memorial Park in Mounds. Massie Funeral Home in Mounds is in charge of the arrangements...

With the holiday coming on a week day, Cape Girardeau police report few incidents; officers do break up two disputes. Cmdr. Earl F. Lewis, who was held captive by North Vietnamese for more than five years during the Vietnam War, has retired from the Navy...

On this Independence Day, it is important for us to realize the price of our freedom. I think most, if not all, of us realize freedom isn't free. A dear price has been paid for our freedom. As chaplain at the Missouri Veterans Home, it is my privilege to serve those who have helped pay the price for our freedom. Thanks to one of them, Robert "Bob" Bunn, I want to share some facts and a special letter he gave me to help us appreciate our freedom more...

While there are many Revolutionary War soldiers buried in Cape Girardeau County, only one is known to be a veteran of the Valley Forge encampment. Ron Beasley said his ancestor, Thomas English, served with George Washington near Philadelphia, before moving to Missouri after the war. A veteran of many Revolutionary War battles, English was wounded at Eutaw Springs, S.C., shortly before the war's end...

DEXTER, Mo. -- One man died in a fire that was called into the Dexter Fire Deptartment just before 7 a.m. Friday, the Dexter Daily Statesman reported. An RV parked at Gaslight Village Trailer Park just off Outer Road North on County Road 405 was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on the scene at 6:51 a.m...

Sara E. Hooper and L. Chris Snider exchanged wedding vows March 27, 2010, at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Kelso, Mo. The Rev. M. Oliver Clavin performed the ceremony. Organist was Betty Ressel of Scott City. Vocalists were Bill LeGrand of Scott City, Abby and Megan Moore of Cape Girardeau...

This insect is an elephant stag beetle. The stag part of its name is derived from the large mandibles at the front of the beetle, which mimic male stag deer antlers. The elephant part refers to the fact that other stag beetles exist, but this species is the largest...

Ten years ago I was sitting in a dark room with a cardiologist when he said "You have viral cardiomyopathy." That sounded like a foreign language. Being somewhat astute, I knew viral had something to do with a virus and cardio had to do with my heart. Beyond that I didn't know...

New McKendree Church will be holding its " Galactic Blast" vacation Bible school from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday at the South Campus launch pad in Jackson. A light meal will be served daily at 5:30 p.m. The vacation Bible school is open to the community for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. ...

We've all heard the advice. "Take one day at a time." That's great counsel if you can recognize and implement its actual meaning. As I attempted to live one day at a time, I scrutinized that guidance and learned that it's much easier to say the words than to genuinely perform the action. What are the connotations and ramifications of truly taking one day at a time?...

Dortha's Day Camp for Clover Kids was held at the Cape County Park on June 6. This years theme for Camp was "Pirates of Cape County Park North." The camp began with the opening ceremony's of pledges, and songs. Campers made parrots and treasure chests for crafts. For gardening, they got to plant money tree plants and did a pirate word search game...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Even though no single day records were set, last month marked the hottest June in Poplar Bluff, breaking a 1952 record, the Daily American Republic newspaper reported. It also was the third driest. "The average June temperature at the airport was 82.4 degrees, which is 6.4 degrees above normal," said Mike York, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky. "The hottest and driest location in the Paducah NWS forecast area was the Poplar Bluff area."...

The fourth inning was all the Plaza Tire Capahas needed Saturday. The Capahas' offense pushed across eight runs and the pitching and defense made it stand up in the Capahas' opening game at the Valmeyer, Ill., tournament. The Capahas knocked off the St. Louis Golden Spikes for the third time this season, this one an 8-3 decision. The Capahas won the season series 3-2...

ST. LOUIS -- Chris Carpenter got clobbered. The St. Louis Cardinals' defense took a beating, too. Rickie Weeks hit a leadoff homer to begin Carpenter's miserable outing, and the Milwaukee Brewers capitalized on perhaps the Cardinals' shakiest defensive inning of the season in a 12-5 victory Saturday night...

ST. LOUIS -- Ryan Ludwick thought he was close to playing. Now it'll be after the All-Star break before he's back in the St. Louis Cardinals' lineup. Ludwick, whose .446 average with runners in scoring position leads the National League, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday because of a strained left calf. The Cardinals recalled outfielder Jon Jay from Class AAA Memphis to fill the roster spot...

A look at the area action on the baseball diamond.

Pet name: Chuy Owner: Kathy Reeves Favorite activity: Modeling his new coat. ...

A Cape Girardeau woman suffered moderate injuries Sunday following a motorcycle accident in Ste. Genevieve County. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Tammy R. Carpenter, 41, was transported to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis by medical helicopter after the motorcycle she was riding ran off the road at 7:20 p.m. on Route WW...

Thank you to the USA Veterans for putting on the fireworks show at Cape Girardeau's Arena Park.

Lately there have been a lot of attacks thrown at Tommy Sowers; I'd like to set the record straight. Mr. Sowers' opponent, Jo Ann Emerson, has tried her hardest to make sure Sowers' is tied in to the national Democratic Party, and painted as an outsider. ...

What is the purpose of these long poles with what appear to be cameras mounted on them that have slowly but surely been appearing at almost all stop light intersections in Cape Girardeau? This set of "cameras" is located at Pacific and Broadway. Inquiring minds want to know.....

Construction is underway on the remodeling of the Main and Themis streets intersection in preparation for the installation of an old-fashioned street clock later this year as part of the redevelopment of Cape Girardeau's downtown area. Cape Girardeau attorney John L. Oliver Jr., in a letter to the City Council, urges the city to "terminate" the franchise of the local cable television company because of the alleged lack of "even minimally satisfactory service to the public."...

It was fun watching 4th of July fireworks.

4th of July fireworks at Arena Park.

Josh 2nd 4th of July, His dad David T. Burckhardt with him with the fireworks.

Brian and Raynee, It is Raynee 1st. 4th of July!!!

Fireworks at Arena Park, Independence Day 2010

I had a blast trying to snap pictures of the fireworks it was quiet the show

Fireworks at Arena Park, Independence Day 2010

Fireworks at Arena Park, Independence Day 2010

Nashville recording artist Matt Steel performed Friday night July 2, 2010 at Roxy's Big Country Saloon. He was in Cape to premiere his new DVD "Mudbog" from his upcoming album "Keep Running". Former resident Bart Elfrink was Director/Editor and a Shooter of the DVD along with Shooter James Mauer. Portions of the video involve locations such as Schock's Pub and Sadler's farm. You can see the video at http://www.vimeo.com/12926215...

Fireworks at Arena Park, Independence Day 2010

Kaleb and Larissa Whitworth show off their patriotic colors while having fun with some sparklers.

Kaleb and Larissa Whitworth show off their patriotic colors.

Nathaniel and Brian (dad) playing with the fireworks.

Micheal holding the firework, with the help of his dad David T. Burckhardt

ST. LOUIS -- Adam Wainwright abandoned his game face when St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa informed the right-hander he was a first-time All-Star. But not for long. "I was grinning. You can't not grin unless you're Albert Pujols and you do it every year," Wainwright said. "I knew I had to pitch, but I think it's all right to be excited about it."...

When the city of Jackson completes the combined Elwanda and Old Toll Road sewer projects at the end of the summer, all of the construction projects approved under a 1998 bond issue will be complete. "It was about $11 million in water and sewer improvements. We've been making improvements annually to the water and sewer system, so we've been pecking away at the high priority projects and now we've finally got down to these," said Rodney Bollinger, public works director...

The Cape Girardeau Mudcats Baseball team participated in their first tournament, the Super Series Baseball 2010 Missouri/Illinois Bi-State Championships, in Bridgeton, MO on June 25-27. Teams from Missouri and Illinois battled both each other and the weather throughout the weekend. ...

Souped-up show cars and crashed derby cars were among the attractions at the Fourth of July festivities in Jackson and Cape Girardeau.

Fireworks at Arena Park, Independence Day 2010

LETTERKENNY ARMY DEPOT, Pa. -- A group of nearly 30 Missouri National Guard Soldiers descended on Letterkenny Army Depot recently to accomplish two vital missions -- to receive real-world training at a large, U.S. military installation and to help their fellow Soldiers deployed thousands of miles away in Iraq and Afghanistan...

Thanks for being our beloved boxer girl. We'll miss you.

The Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority has growing pains. It added a new bus route this year that increased ridership by 35 percent to 800 rides per week. Since Tom Mogelnicki took over as executive director in 2007, its fleet of vehicles has almost doubled, employment is up 60 percent and ridership for all services is up 76 percent...

The cousins having fun!

They filled out a 23-page application, outlined the experiments and modified their scientific equipment. Now, at the end of this month, five Jackson High School science teachers will work in a zero-gravity environment. "It's all mental preparation. You're talking to a guy who will hardly ride a roller coaster," said Bryan Doyen, a chemistry teacher. "We know our bodies will let us do it."...

For 21-year-old Areda Johnson, a Southeast Missouri State University student, the challenges leading up to becoming a lawyer is part of the fun. On Friday, Johnson completed a six-week internship with the Cape Girardeau County prosecuting attorney's office -- an experience she said has made her almost positive she wants to be a prosecutor. ...

SEDGEWICKVILLE, Mo. -- An attempted kidnapping in Bollinger County Sunday was a custody dispute between a separated husband and wife, according to Sheriff Leo McElrath...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- The Missouri State Water Patrol has identified the 14-year-old boy drowned Sunday morning in the Current River as Nicholas Bosecker of Mounds, Ill. According to the Water Patrol, the boy was camping and swimming with family members near Big Springs in Van Buren, Mo...

Watching our little avian neighbors enjoy the backyard birdbath and feeder is one of life's quiet pleasures. But when night falls, they too need a place to sleep. Designers and craftsmen have turned their creative talents to the task; some of the results might make you wish you could downsize yourself and grow some wings. ...

Memphis, Tenn., to Vicksburg, Miss. Day one Oct. 18, 2008 Today I dedicate this entire adventure to my Dad, Bud Milligan, who passed away this summer on July 23. Yesterday would have been his 79th birthday. I love you, Dad, and know you are still with me on this river tonight as you have been from the beginning...

Two months have passed since Cape Girardeau began its new trash and recycling system at the beginning of May, and statistics for the first full month contain some encouraging indications. In that first month, residents were encouraged to do a simple separating process by putting recyclable material -- papers, plastic, cardboard, tin cans, aluminum -- in one container and trash in another. ...

CAN someone please explain how cutting taxes would result in decreasing deficits? To relate this to the average person, how could you speed up the paying off your debts if I were to decrease the amount of your paycheck? This is the nonsense the GOP has been trying to get us to buy into for the past 40 years. ...

For those who volunteer to help others, we pray to you, O God. Amen.

DWI Burglary The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI The Southeast Missouri State University Department of Public Safety released the following items. Theft...

Dr. Janna R. Crosnoe, who has worked with Cape Physician Associates for more than 13 years, is starting Cape Primary Care, a new physician practice partner of Saint Francis Medical Center. Cape Primary Care opened Thursday at 3004 Gordonville Road in Cape Girardeau. ...

Billy Ray Chambers, 31, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, July 4, 2010, at his home. He was born Sept. 11, 1978, in Cape Girardeau to Devonda Casey and Dennis Chambers. He had worked in construction and was of the Christian faith. He enjoyed collecting basketball cards, loved to wrestle and loved being a father...

Geraldine Young Love, 83, passed away to eternal life on Tuesday, June 29, 2010, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Geraldine was born in Belzoni, Miss., on March 16, 1927 to Joe and Bertha White Young. She married Henry Love on Aug. 17, 1946. Geraldine, a longtime resident of Cape Girardeau, graduated from John S. ...

McCLURE, Ill. -- Donnie Trowbridge, 47, died July 2, 2010, at his home in Las Vegas. He was born Jan. 8, 1963, in Los Angeles, the son of Donald and Rachel Trowbridge. He is survived by his wife, Shirley, and two children, Jesse and Paige of Las Vegas...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Nicholas Lloyd Bosecker, 14, of Mounds, formerly of Big Sandy, Tenn., passed away Sunday, July 4, 2010, from a swimming accident at Current River in Van Buren, Mo. Nicholas was born July 15, 1995, at Carbondale, Ill., son of Lloyd A. "Bo" Bosecker and Linda Huey...

Hazel Monell Beitman, 89, formerly of Jackson, passed away Monday, July 5, 2010, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau, where she had lived the past 17 years. Monell was born Aug. 1, 1920, in Bessville, Mo., to Emil and Mary Murray Mabuce. She was a triplet to a sister, Audell, and a brother, Delwin. The triplets were the youngest of five children. The other two siblings were brothers, Estel and Benton. All of the siblings preceded Monell in death...

J.B. Seabaugh, 85, of Chattanooga, Tenn., formerly of Jackson, died Sunday, July 4, 2010, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Cracraft Miller Funeral Home.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Glenda Ilene Penrod Burris, 86, of Cairo died Sunday, July 4, 2010, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo. Visitation will be from noon until time of services Wednesday at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Terry Penix officiating. Burial will be in Friendship Cemetery in Dongola, Ill...

ANNA, Ill. -- Brian S. Tucker, 30 of Anna died Sunday, July 4, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Anna. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Mark Goins officiating. Burial will be in Anna Cemetery...

Stanley Friese, 52, of Jackson died Sunday, July 4, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Cracraft Miller Funeral Home.

Son to Brandon Jay and Heather Faye Smith of Advance, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 8:21 p.m. Thursday, June 24, 2010. Name, Andrew Jay. Weight, 7 pounds, 12 ounces. Second child, first son. Mrs. Smith is the former Heather Green, daughter of Joe and Kathy Brown of Bell City, Mo. Smith is the son of Bill and Brenda Smith of Campbell, Mo. He is employed at Nestle Purina...

A new engraving firm, the Cape Art Engraving Co. Inc., has been formed with Donald R. Strohmeyer as president; the firm is at 423 Broadview St. The Minton House, 444 Washington Ave., one of the oldest residences in Cape Girardeau, has reverted back to the financial institution holding the mortgage on it; Colonial Federal Savings and Loan Association is offering it for sale...

The Jackson police department released the following items. Arrests to not imply guilt. Arrests Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:...

WavBall tourism information service is now available at five local historic sites. Here's how it works: Signs are posted with a toll-free number visitors can call from their cell phones to hear audio descriptions of the places they're visiting. During the Independence Day weekend, WavBall provided audio tours at the Cape River Heritage Museum, Glenn House, Fort D, Old St. Vincent Church and the Red House Interpretive Center...

7 p.m. today City hall 401 Independence St.

Earl Norman founded the company now known as MedAssets and, since selling it in 2001, has focused his efforts on commercial real estate. He says he's partially retired now, but still comes to the office almost daily and stays busy volunteering with his church as well as the effort to bring a community college to Cape Girardeau...

BENTON, Mo. -- No one was injured in a Scott County structure fire that drew area fire departments to the scene around 2 a.m. Sunday.

The near collapse of the Big 12 did not scare off the Tigers' early recruits

Sean Bard took one for the team. The Plaza Tire Capahas captured third place Monday at the Valmeyer, Ill., tournament with a 7-6 victory over the hosts. Bard was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning to drive in the winning run. Bard finished 2 for 4 with four RBIs, including a two-run homer to dead center in the first...

People who follow high school basketball in this area know how good a player Scott County Central's Otto Porter is. Those across the nation are jumping on board. Porter, a 6-foot-8 forward who will be entering his senior season at SCC, recently was listed as No. 93 on the rivals.com top-150 prospect rankings for the class of 2011...

ARNOLD, Mo. (AP) -- Authorities say children playing with fireworks may have caused a huge mulch fire at a quarry south of St. Louis. Firefighters responded to the Simpson Quarry in Arnold on Sunday afternoon. They needed more than 12 hours to bring the fire under control, drawing water from the Meramec River...

The Cape Girardeau Post 63 Ford & Sons Senior American Legion baseball team defeated Jackson Post 158 11-3 on Sunday in the consolation bracket of the Paragould, Ark., tournament. Ronnie Scott allowed two earned run over four innings to grab the win. Mason Sander suffered the loss...

Rick and Joanne Roberts had been square dancing together for more than 20 years before they tried line dancing in 1993. Though Rick enjoys dancing now, he admits he was very self-conscious when he first started. His wife -- and his own "hard-headedness" -- kept him going despite his initial reservations...

A life complete, a work well done, a race happily ended, like the ending of a beautiful day, the sunset being the climax of the passing hours and bringing rest to the weary traveler who has journeyed along the way. No one knew her but to love her, no one mentioned her name only in praise. Loving mother, devoted grandmother...

DENVER -- Seth Smith's three-run homer off Ryan Franklin with two outs in the ninth capped a nine-run rally as the Colorado Rockies stunned the St. Louis Cardinals 12-9 on Tuesday night. It was the largest ninth-inning comeback in Rockies history. The previous best was four runs...

FENTON, Mo. (AP) -- A 4-year-old girl who had been missing for more than 24 hours was reunited with her family after she was found wandering around a car wash more than 70 miles from her home, authorities said. Alisa Maier was found late Tuesday in the St. Louis suburb of Fenton after police received a call about a child alone at the car wash, FBI spokeswoman Rebecca Wu said. She had been missing since 8 p.m. Monday, when she was snatched from her front yard in Louisiana, Mo...

Route A in Perry County and Route E in Scott County have reopened after they were recently closed due to Mississippi River flooding, according to a MoDOT news release. The section of Route A that was closed was from County Road 460 to County Road 444 in Perry County. Route E in Scott County had been closed from Route N to Water Street in Commerce...

The group petitioning to force a vote on casino gambling in Cape Girardeau will deliver more than 3,000 signatures to city hall today, enough to put the question on the Nov. 2 ballot, a leader of the drive said Tuesday.

Developers hoping to win Cape Girardeau's endorsement to build a casino are busy making deals for properties along North Main Street and immediately south of Highway 74 near the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge. Along North Main Street, it's no secret that David Knight, owner of Ole Hickory Pits, and Jim Riley, owner of Red Letter Communications, are signing up enough ground for a major development. ...

MACON, Mo. -- A bridge-building exercise performed by the 1140th Engineer Battalion involved a Chinook helicopter, dozens of pieces of military equipment, several boats and more than a few heavy artillery simulations. But when the two-hour battalion-wide training exercise was over, the 1140th had constructed two bridges that were strong enough to drive a convoy of military vehicles and equipment across...

The construction of a new recreational trail was approved by the Jackson Board of Aldermen on Tuesday. The new construction will connect a trail on the north side of East Lane to a trail on Orchard Drive and will intersect a trail close to West Lane Elementary School on Oak Street. The contract for construction of the new trail went to Lappe Cement and Finishing of Perryville, Mo. The construction should start in late July and last about two months...

A 2003 Central High School graduate who was in the midst of an eight-week "externship" with the legal adviser to the president of Mongolia died on a hiking trip in one of the country's national parks, according to his father, Randy McLain of Cape Girardeau.

Flags under the St. Louis Arch on 4th of July.

Eugene, OR - Two southeast Missouri teens finished in the top 8 percent of runners at America's largest 4th of July 10k race. The 37th annual Aquafina Butte to Butte 10K (6.2 mile road race) featured nearly 2,600 runners from 31 states and the district of Columbia...

They love our butterfly bush

We sure enjoy these wonderful butterflys while they are here.

The First Friday Coffee sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce will actually be on the second Friday of the month due to the Fourth of July holiday. Scheduled from 7-9 a.m. July 9 in the ShowMe Center, the program topic is the Transportation Trust Fund 4 issue to be on the ballot August 3rd. The speakers will be Mayor Harry Rediger and City Manager Scott Meyer...

The Marlins of the 11-12 year old division of the 2010 Cape Youth Baseball League recently placed first in the regular season and won the tournament championship. The players in the picture are as follows: Back Row: Coach Steve Dirnberger, Sam Dohogne, Michael Rosenquist, Kobe Beasley, Noah Dillingham, Stephen Sugarbaker, Coach Scott Arnzen...

A boil water order is in effect for Gordonville water users from Hwy 25 and Route Z West due to a water main being cut. Repairs are under way and then the boil water order will be in effect until further notice. You may call the District Water office at 243-9767 and a recording will inform you of the expiration of the boil water order...

The Zalma Junior Beta Livinging Literature Team placed 5th out of 24 entries at the Junior Beta National Convention. Students chose a scene from "Little House On the Prarie" by Laura Ingalls Wilder. In a 10x12 area, Students used props and costumes to create the scene and then posed as "wax" figures in the scene...

More than 150 people attended Tuesday night's Cape Girardeau County Tea Party organizational event at the Osage Community Centre. Jeannie Hinck, committee board member for the group, said the objective of the tea party is restoring power to the American people, but each individual group can have varying ideas about how to achieve that goal...

Rob Callahan of Poplar Bluff has a mission: take as many World War II veterans from Southeast Missouri and nearby states to Washington, D.C., as possible -- and as often as donations allow. Callahan has taken seven groups of 30 veterans each to see the World War II Memorial and other sites in the nation's capital. Each trip costs $25,000. The next trip is scheduled for October. Callahan gets help from his wife Donna and from Tucker Davis, a vice president of the bank where Callahan works...

While America is a nation of immigrants, those who come here seeking opportunity and freedom must pursue a legal pathway to citizenship. Now this issue has the attention of the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court has agreed to hear an important immigration case out of Arizona -- a state that just passed a new immigration law designed to protect its borders...

SOMEONE called Nobel Prize-winning economist and journalist Paul Krugman a "bonehead" because Krugman promotes the Keynesian economic view that during a recession the government needs to spend money to stimulate the economy because consumers can't afford to. I started to respond by saying the Speak Out critic knows nothing about this indisputable insight. Then I changed my mind and decided that the Speak Out caller knows nothing about economics, period...

Send, O God, ample rain for the crops in our fields and gardens. Amen.

Last week I addressed the apparent disconnect between the current administration in Washington, D.C., and the issue of illegal immigration. Either this administration knows something we don't know, or it turns a blind eye to illegal immigration for other motives...

Every now and then I need to clean up some loose ends with mail and recipes that readers have passed along to me. There is no particular theme to today's column, which I like to do occasionally to mix things up. It is fun to see what people send in and where they come from. If you have a favorite recipe you would be willing to share, send it in so other readers can try it as well...

It's the bane of alley cats, de rigueur decoration for newlyweds' cars, and the primary device behind many children's first telephone. But, according to The Wiley Encyclopedia of Packaging Technology, it's also the greatest influence ever on the food habits of the civilized world. It's the tin can, and this year marks its 200th anniversary...

Action items Public hearings Consent agenda New ordinances...

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Jeannette Vogel Boehme, 99, passed away Friday, July 2, 2010, at home in Broomfield, Colo. She was the wife of the late Eugene Boehme of Altenburg. Born in Cape Girardeau County, Mo., in 1911, she devoted her life to her family and a long teaching career...

Stanley Lynn Friese, 52, of Jackson died Sunday, July 4, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 28, 1957, in Cape Girardeau, to Luther "Bud" and Nancy Alene Wilson Friese. He and Karen S. Hausman-Cougill were married Nov. 5, 1988...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Josephine A. Hunt, 94, of Greenville, S.C., formerly of Perryville, died Monday, July 5, 2010, at her home. She was born Sept. 30, 1915, in Perry County, Mo., daughter of William and Amelia Wingerter Buerck. She and William V. Hunt were married Sept. 3, 1938. He preceded her in death March 6, 2010...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Pauline Shrum Lincoln, 88, of Marble Hill died Monday, July 5, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 24, 1922, at Caruth, Mo., daughter of Charles J. and Elsie S. Shrum Rhodes. She married Omer Lincoln Dec. 13, 1941. He passed away Sept. 28, 1978...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Betty Jo Spitzmiller, 81, of Sikeston died Sunday, July 4, 2010, at her residence, following an extended illness. She was born Nov. 20, 1928, in Advance, Mo., to the late Thomas I. and Clarissa E. Zimmerman Cox. She was also preceded in death by a brother, Thomas J. Cox...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Dorothy Ann Traut, 75, of Perryville died Tuesday, July 6, 2010, at Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Crystal City, Mo. She was born in Granite City, Ill., on Oct. 23, 1934, daughter of Martin J. and Toleta Brown Schmidt. She and John J. Traut were married June 26, 1954. He preceded her in death May 16, 1999...

Tommy Seabaugh, 83, of Jackson died Monday, July 5, 2010, at his home. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the chapel, with the Rev. Darrell E. Faire Sr. officiating. Burial will be in Lorimier Cemetery, with full military honors...

Erik Michael Marshall, 31, of Jackson died Saturday, July 3, 2010. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Fruitland Community Church, with the Rev. Mike Parry officiating. Burial will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery at Fruitland. Announcement courtesy of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson...

Bessie Owen, 94, of Scott City died Tuesday, July 6, 2010, at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

Daughter to John William and Kristin Michelle Tucker of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 5:21 p.m. Monday, June 28, 2010. Name, Stella Ann. Weight, 6 pounds. Third daughter. Mrs. Tucker is the former Kristin Wills, daughter of Jim and Yvonne Wills of Cape Girardeau. She is a nurse at Saint Francis. Tucker is the son of Jack Tucker and Ginger Skelton of Orlando, Fla. He is employed by Rendrag Properties...

Cape Girardeau's newly organized Summertime Theatre for youth is rehearsing the musical "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," which will debut July 11 at First Christian Church. Workers have begun tearing down the old Landgraf Lumber Co. building in the 1400 block of Independence Street; the site will be used for a future expansion of the Thorngate Ltd. manufacturing facility...

Jackson The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday:...

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday:...

O'FALLON, Mo. -- It's known as fake pot or synthetic marijuana. Soon, it will be just as illegal in Missouri as the real thing. Gov. Jay Nixon appeared Tuesday at the St. Charles County Sheriff's Department to sign a bill criminalizing the product known as K2. The law, effective Aug. 28, makes K2 a controlled substance, with possession punishable by jail or fine...

The Cape County Board for Developmentally Disabled learned Tuesday that it is eligible to hire up to eight case managers that would be partially subsidized by the Missouri Department of Mental Health.

The Cape Girardeau City Council approved Tuesday a first reading of an ordinance granting a special-use permit to two Fredericktown, Mo., residents moving to the city who want to create a music and film venue at 260 N. Middle St. Tim and Kerry Smith, present at the meeting at city hall, plan to call the business The Parlor and offer coffee, beer and wine. Kerry Smith said they'd like to offer live music inside the establishment once per week and show movies other nights...

CAIRO, Ill. -- A Cairo man arrested Friday in connection to the shooting death of 19-year-old Jeserick Pilgram was charged Tuesday with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of aggravated battery with a firearm. Melvin Hadley, 28, is accused of shooting Pilgram, of Mounds, Ill., just before 2 a.m. Thursday outside Mary J's Lounge in Cairo...

DENVER -- Cardinals right-hander Brad Penny was sent back to St. Louis after experiencing tightness in his injured right arm during a bullpen session Tuesday. Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa said Penny experienced tightness in his triceps and lat muscle when he got on the mound to throw a simulated game. Penny was sent to St. Louis to be examined...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues have signed goaltender Jaroslav Halak to a four-year contract. Terms of the deal announced Tuesday were not disclosed. The 25-year-old Halak was acquired from Montreal on June 17 in a surprising trade after his stunning performance in the playoffs. He was 26-13-5 for the Canadiens last season, ranked fourth in the NHL with a .940 save percentage and ninth in goals against average (2.40)...

The Area high school baseball players were honored by the Missouri Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association

Police say an argument between a Jackson man and Cape Girardeau woman turned violent Sunday when the man beat and choked his longtime girlfriend and attempted to force sexual intercourse on the woman. Travis J. Moore, 37, was charged this week with domestic and sexual assault, forcible sodomy, attempt to manufacture methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine, unlawful use of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest in connection with the incident that occurred at 103 N. Henderson Ave.

BRANSON, Mo. -- Branson will expand its musical offerings when hip-hop artist and rapper Nelly performs at an open-air concert on Aug. 21. The concert will be part of the reopening of the Grand Palace, which has been closed for renovations. Nelly, a native of St. Louis, will perform in the music venue's rear parking lot because of continuing construction inside the building...

Route MM in Bollinger County will be reduced to one lane while Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs from Highway 34 to the end of state maintenance. The work will take place daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on today and Thursday...

The Cape Girardeau sales tax measure known as TTF-4 was endorsed Tuesday by the board of directors of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce. In an unanimous vote announced in a news release, the board asked voters to support the Aug. 3 proposal to extend the half-cent sales tax that pays for major road building and maintenance projects. ...

There will be a grand opening for Southeast Missouri State University's new Autism Center for Diagnosis and Treatment today. Gov. Jay Nixon, state Sen. Jason Crowell, Southeast president Dr. Ken Dobbins and other university officials are slated to speak at the 11 a.m. event...

The team of Tom Metheny, Bev Metheny, Jim Largent and Carol Largent shot a 62 to win a four-person, two-couples scramble Monday at Dalhousie Golf Club. The team of Gary Squires, Deanna Estes, Dickie Nutt and Ann Dombrowski finished two shots back. The closest-to-the-pin winners were Carol Largent (No. 8), Dick Swartz (No. 11) and Squires (No. 13)...

After raising funds and researching the federal legislation, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder will file a lawsuit challenging the new health care law in Cape Girardeau today. Kinder, other plaintiffs and his attorney, Washington D.C.-based Thor Hearne, will make a presentation at 9:15 a.m. on the front steps of the Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. U.S. Courthouse.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- June 2010 was the warmest June in decades, according to a University of Missouri climatologist.

The deadline is today for anyone who wants to register to vote in time to participate in the Aug. 3 primary elections. The deadline is for people who have never registered, have recently moved to Missouri or have moved to a new county, said Joey Keys, elections director for Cape Girardeau County.

ORAN, Mo. -- Large, fresh craters dot the landscape. Trees, blown in half, lay haphazardly across the ground. The shell of a tractor-trailer cab and overturned vehicles surround a compound that contains several rooms separated by narrow halls, a fuel dump and a command center. Smoke fills the air, and commands from an advancing infantry ring through the woods. It's a war zone, and it's in Oran...

There will be a new face to greet students coming to Southeast Missouri State University this fall. Dr. Theresa Haug-Belvin was recently named director of student transitions, according to a university news release. She replaces Dr. Leon Book, who retired from Southeast in May...

DEXTER, Mo. -- The effects of the Gulf oil spill are about to hit home in Stoddard County. The Daily Statesman newspaper reported the USDA's National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is starting a program offering farmers incentives to turn land into waterfowl habitat to accommodate migratory birds...

Citing an attempt to protect the Missouri and U.S. constitutions, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder filed a lawsuit in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday challenging the federal health care legislation.

Congress needs to lead a re-evaluation of war aims in Iraq and Afghanistan that would set realistic, achievable long-term goals, Democratic Congressional candidate Tommy Sowers said Wednesday. During a town hall meeting on the Southeast Missouri State University campus, Sowers said Congress has failed in its constitutional duty to control the military and keep the executive branch in check. ...

Sheriff, the German Shepherd, stands next to the 8 1/2 foot tall cucumber tree planted by Bob Hess, of Jackson, MO. Bob was tired of searching for cucumbers on the ground, so he planted them around an old tree stump with a trellis attached. Sure makes for easy picking!...

Although Cape County Private Ambulance Service Inc. hasn't seen an influx of patients weighing more than 350 or 400 pounds, the staff now has the capability to make such patients safer and more comfortable if there is an emergency. The bariatric transportation unit, which cost the ambulance $35,000, became available for service calls about a month ago. ...

Months after opening, Southeast Missouri State University's new Autism Center for Diagnosis and Treatment got its welcoming reception.

It didn't take Isabella, our yorkie, shih zhu, pekipoo mix, long to get one of the bows out of her hair after being groomed. She loves to look out the window and watch for company, of any kind!!

Parents: Brian and Tiffany Cato What is your most notable academic achievement? Staying on A honor roll for my entire high school career. What is your favorite school activity and why? Beta Club state meetings were always a lot of fun. We got out of school on Fridays and went to Branson, Mo., for three days...

The family of a local man who died on a hiking trip in Mongolia is still waiting on autopsy results through the U.S. Embassy there, the man's father said Wednesday. Colin McLain, a 2003 graduate of Central High School, left for Mongolia in May to begin an eight-week "externship" for the legal adviser to the country's leader. He was found dead in Bogdkhan National Park after he was reportedly missing for more than two days...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Four-year-old Alisa Maier clutched a teddy bear and smiled broadly at the crowd gathered Thursday in the yard where she was abducted three days earlier, then held captive before being abandoned alone in a faraway town.

Looking west across hwy A in New Hamburg on a summer evening

Shadowlyn is a Siamese Mix kitten who is around 13 weeks old. She loves to be picked up and cuddled. Shadowlyn also has a wonderful purr. Shadowlyn is available for adoption at Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary, 573-243-9823. Please view other adorable adoptables at safeharboranimalsanctuary.org...

About 40 students from Notre Dame Regional High School got a taste of life on an American Indian reservation. The students and 11 adults worked with Navajo and Hopi tribes during a weeklong service trip to Northern Arizona in June. Students split into groups for activities ranging from moving sheep pens to working in a local senior center. Another group was dedicated to the cooking for everyone for the week...

What's happening this weekend

Trying to make ends meet following a recession is proving to be quite a challenge for local and state governments as well as the federal government. Unlike Washington, most local and state governments don't have the option of deficit spending. And as state and federal funding cuts are made, local entities are having a tougher time with their budgets...

Thank you very much for recognizing the generous donation made by Procter & Gamble to Melaina's Magical Playland. I did want to clarify, however, that this playground is being built to be used and enjoyed by people of all abilities and ages. It is not a "playground for children with disabilities." Rather, it will include components and features that allow persons with disabilities to be able to access the equipment, unlike so many of the playgrounds in our area. ...

Sunday we celebrated the 234th anniversary of our republic, a nation conceived by honorable, and for the most part, God-fearing Christians. For the first time in history a nation was built based on the equality of all men and the inherent worth and dignity of all its citizens. We rejected kings and the blooded aristocracy. We believed all men to be born free. Our only restriction was the fear of God and adherence to his law as prescribed in Holy Scripture...

I would like to remind everyone of Ronald Reagan's remarks made several years before he became president: "The dust bin of history is littered with the remains of those countries that relied on diplomacy to secure their freedom. We must never forget, in the final analysis, that it is our military, industrial and economic strength that offers the best guarantee for peace in America in times of danger." This is probably one of the truest statements made in the last 50 years...

For good friends who add something special to our lives, we give thanks, O God. Amen.

July 8, 2010, Dear Julie, Summer has brought flotillas of relatives to our burg on the Mississippi. DC's sister Danice's family delivered the two great-grandchildren here from San Diego for Father's Day. For four days at the cabin on the Castor River they ate, swam, slept, ate, fished, ate, watched a movie out at the amphitheater, blew up fireworks, slept and began again. ...

NEWTON, Mass. -- A custodian cleaning out lockers at a Massachusetts high school was so shocked when a 3-foot-long snake fell at his feet that he didn't even think it was real. Ed Reardon told The Daily News Tribune that at first he thought it was a change purse. Then he thought it was a rubber snake...

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

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

Scholarships The following students received scholarships from Southeast Missouri State University: Honors, Achievements Altenburg: Royce Bohnert and Jesse Eichhorn Burfordville: Matthew Hopkins Cape Girardeau: Garion Lovig, Kristen Hinton, Elizabeth Buchheit, Keara Pringle, Aaron Huey, Benjamin Medlin, Renee Moreland, Austin Johnson, Conrad Westrich, Jessie Hahn, Brittany Moreland, Cassandra Browne, Tyler Payne, Darris Gerlach Jr, Michael Sprengel and John Kiblinger...

Peggy Jean Tinsley, 67, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, July 6, 2010, at Ratliff Care Center. She was born Nov. 2, 1942, in Fornfelt, to Pearl H. and Georgia Applegate Klingeman. She first married Leo King in 1959 in Cape Girardeau. She then married Thomas Tinsley in 1984 in Las Vegas. They both survive...

Bessie Owen, 94, of Scott City died Tuesday, July 6, 2010, at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 28, 1915, in Drum, Mo., to William Henry and Mary Florence Moore Baker. She married Capt. Louis H. Owen Nov. 24, 1934, at Benton, Mo. He died Sept. 25, 1978...

Dr. Richard Philip Hernandez, 56, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, July 5, 2010, in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 3, 1954, in Barranquilla, Colombia, to Robert Cesar and Helen Louise Douglas Hernandez. Richard received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Dwain Rains, 68, of Chaffee died at his home Wednesday, July 7, 2010. He was born Jan. 22, 1942, at Watts, Ark., son of Blain and Junia Otta Barnes Rains. He and Sherrin Lancaster were married Feb. 4, 1961. Dwain was a carpenter with Drury Co. in Cape Girardeau. He was a member of First Assembly of God Church in Chaffee, Chaffee Elks Lodge 1810 and Carpenters Local 1795 of Farmington, Mo. He was an avid horseshoe pitcher and was elected to the SEMO Association Hall of Fame...

Tommy Seabaugh, 83, of Jackson died Monday, July 5, 2010, at his home. He was born Dec. 5, 1926, in Cape Girardeau, to Wiley Thomas and Rada Niswonger Seabaugh. He and Virginia L. Bolen were married March 7, 1947, in Cape Girardeau. She preceded him in death...

Vernon Nicholas Schlosser, 83, of Scott City died Tuesday, July 6, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 25, 1926, to Ed and Ida Westrich Schlosser in Illmo. He married Revella Welter on July 17, 1947, in Kelso, Mo...

Son to Darren Mitchell Riegert and Christna Marie Parmer of Dutchtown, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 7:32 a.m. Friday, June 18, 2010. Name, Dalton Michael Eugene. Weight, 7 pounds, 10 ounces. Third child, second son. Ms. Parmer is the daughter of Doyle and Julie Parmer of Dutchtown. She is employed by Dutch Clean. Riegert is the son of Mitchell and Gail Riegert of Cape Girardeau. He is employed by Cardinal Concrete...

The Mississippi Queen, the largest paddlewheeler floating on the Mississippi, docks here in the morning as the Water Street Six plays for passengers; the Queen is en route to New Orleans from St. Louis. Charles Stucker, who has prowled Cape Girardeau for two years as the city animal-control officer tracking skunks, deer and other wildlife, met a formidable challenge yesterday; a two-pound squirrel monkey held him off for more than two hours from a tree on North Spanish Street...

PHOENIX -- On paper, Arizona's controversial new immigration law is not that different from the federal version. But the key difference is this: Arizona wants every illegal immigrant caught and deported. The federal government says treating all 11 million of the nation's illegal immigrants as criminals would overwhelm the system...

FREMONT, Ohio -- Authorities say one worker has died in a roof collapse at a sauerkraut factory in northern Ohio. Fremont police chief Tim Wiersma says three others were injured in Wednesday's accident. One of them was trapped for about four hours...

MOSCOW -- The Cold War-style intrigue over a reputed spy ring nabbed in the United States deepened Wednesday as word emerged of a possible scheme to swap Russians who hid in American suburbia for an imprisoned arms-control researcher and others who passed secrets to the U.S...

LONDON -- An independent report into the leak of hundreds of e-mails from one of the world's leading climate research centers on Wednesday largely vindicated the scientists involved, saying they acted honestly and that their research was reliable...

HAVANA -- The Roman Catholic Church said Wednesday that Cuba's communist government has agreed to free 52 political prisoners and allow them to leave the country in what would be the island's largest mass liberation of dissidents in decades. Five would be released in a matter of hours and planned to head into exile in Spain, while the remaining 47 would be liberated in "a process that will take three or four months starting now," according to the statement by the office of Havana's Roman Catholic Archbishop, Cardinal Jaime Ortega.. ...

According to Investors Business Daily (June 15, 2010), Sen. Harry Reid is sponsoring legislation to federalize employment policies of local governments throughout the nation. Investors Business Daily states, "While a boon to unions, this law would seriously damage our federalist system by taking away a large measure of local control over police and firefighters unions and lead to higher costs to local governments and taxpayers, costs that neither will be able to affect at the ballot box."...

LOS ANGELES -- A former police mechanic suspected of killing 10 people and stumping detectives for more than two decades was finally arrested Wednesday after police used DNA from his son to track him down. Lonnie Franklin Jr., 57, was charged with 10 counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and special circumstance allegations of multiple murders that could make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted, District Attorney Steve Cooley said...

GENEVA -- An experimental solar-powered plane whose Swiss makers hope someday to fly around the globe soared into uncharted territory Wednesday -- the cold, dark night. The team of adventurers and engineers behind the Solar Impulse project are already celebrating an aviation milestone for the longest solar flight after keeping the single-seat prototype aloft for almost 15 hours...

NEW YORK -- The Dow Jones industrials climbed back above 10,000 Wednesday after investors had second thoughts about the heavy selling in the stock market during the last two weeks. Stocks soared and the Dow rose 275 points after a modest gain Tuesday. ...

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

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons Post 63 American Legion baseball team did not mind Wednesday night's sudden change of venue. Post 63 was eager to play Sikeston again regardless of the location. "As long as we got to play these guys again," Cape's Dustin Crowden said. "We were looking for some revenge."...

DENVER -- Chris Iannetta hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Colorado Rockies pulled off another late rally against St. Louis, beating the Cardinals 8-7 on Wednesday night. A day after the Rockies scored a remarkable nine runs in the ninth to stun St. Louis 12-9, Colorado came back this time after trailing 5-0 in the middle innings...

A look at what's happening in the world of Southeast Missouri State athletics.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon wants lawmakers to come to an agreement this week on new incentives for the automotive industry. But that does not appear likely. Nixon traveled Wednesday to an automotive supplier in Dexter, where he asserted that Ford Motor Co. will be making decisions "in the coming weeks" about where to build vehicles in future years...

Wednesday was the deadline for registering to vote in Missouri's primary, and Cape Girardeau County Clerk Kara Clark-Summers said the day brought seven new voter registration applications into the clerk's offices in Cape Girardeau and Jackson. Applications postmarked by 5 p.m. Wednesday are still accepted...

Democratic congressional candidate Tommy Sowers began his airwaves campaign against incumbent U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson this week, but Emerson's campaign questioned whether he's trying to make points with voters or out-of-state contributors. The ad, which will be broadcast six times on KFVS12 at a total cost of $1,340, mixes a bit of biography of Sowers with criticism of Emerson's votes on trade deals and the $700 billion bank rescue bill approved in 2008...

*** Noon today Board office, 301 N. Clark Ave. Business item * Approval of roofing bids for Alma Schrader and Clippard elementary schools *** Executive session

The Southeast Missouri Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk kickoff, in which individuals and teams will network and discuss fundraising campaigns, will be Saturday. Association leaders and participants will be preparing for the actual Memory Walk on Sept. 18...

BENTON, Mo. -- Despite offering decent wages and benefits in a time of high unemployment, Scott County is having problems keeping staff at its E-911 Communications Center, according to Scott County Commissioner Dennis Ziegenhorn. The Sikeston Standard Democrat reported Ziegenhorn contacted Debbie Glenn, branch manager of Manpower in Sikeston, during the regular County Commission meeting Tuesday for advice on retaining dispatchers...

KENNETT, Mo. -- Fire calls resulting from fireworks had the Kennett Fire Department busy over the weekend, costing the city more than $10,000 in personnel costs. According to Kennett Fire Chief John Mallott, there were approximately 25 fire calls on the July 4 holiday...

Corey Connell and Tyler Arpin both shot 76s to tie for first place in the boys 16 to 19 18 holes tour division at the Gateway Junior PGA Series event Wednesday at the Cape Girardeau Country Club. Alex Reid and Drew Hosp tied for third with 77s. Brady Dixon shot an 80 to win the boys 14 and 15 tour division by one stroke over Cody Cox and Travis Simmons...

Did you know your kidneys clean the waste from your blood? This waste is then deposited into your bladder and then washed away in the form of urine. Using a few items from around the house you can discover how much water your toilet uses in just a few days...

This Ruby Heirloom tomatoe was started as a seed in the house in a AeroGarden in April. The plant was moved out to a growing pot on the porch in May. Last count of tomatoes was 99 on one plant. July 2, twelve tomatoes were picked. Growers: Lyndell & LaVerne Bradshaw...

CARTHAGE, Mo. (AP) -- Carthage police Chief Greg Dagnan got the news via e-mail that he would be getting a new kidney. His donor, as it turns out, was one of his law enforcement students when he was teaching at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin. Dagnan said he remembers Tricia Waddell, 23, as a student, but that he didn't know her well when she was in school...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Harris-Stowe State University is planning a second residence hall. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the university will break ground July 20 for the $15 million building. The residence hall will provide room for 200 students. Funding comes from the Department of Education's HBCU Capital Financing Program...

Recently, Cape County Private Ambulance Service Inc. became one of two agencies in Missouri that is an Accredited Center of Excellence by the National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch. The academy, which started accrediting dispatch centers around the United States in the early 1990s, requires agencies to meet 20 standards...

A groundbreaking ceremony to kick off the extension of Route AB in Cape Girardeau County is scheduled for 4 p.m. today. The ceremony will be at the intersection of highways 25 and 77, south of Dutchtown. The extension of Route AB will include grading and paving. During the project the intersection of highways 25 and 77 at Blomeyer will be reconstructed to include a roundabout. Improvements will connect Highway 25 with Interstate 55...

The Cape Girardeau Public Library is bringing a mobile planetarium to this year's summer reading program. The Dome, for children from kindergarten to seventh grade and for families, will debut from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. Youth Services coordinator Sharon Anderson came across the planetarium during a fundraiser for the Discovery Playhouse Children's Museum in March. She said the library staff had been searching for something new to bring to the summer program and liked what they saw...

CLEVELAND -- See ya, Cleveland. Sorry, Chicago, New York and New Jersey. Maybe next time around, Clippers. LeBron James chose superstar help over the comforts of home and is heading for Miami because he wants to win a championship with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Probation for methamphetamine convictions in the 33rd Circuit Court is now likely to have a new restriction. The Sikeston Standard Democrat reported local judges and prosecutors for the circuit court have agreed to begin adding a new condition of probation for those pleading guilty to methamphetamine-related charges. The new condition prohibits these individuals from purchasing or possessing any substance containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine during their probation...

In a departure from the agenda at Thursday's Cape Girardeau County Commission meeting, Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones extended an olive branch to Commissioner Jay Purcell, literally.

Tenants of an apartment complex on South Lorimier Street were evacuated from their homes just before 7 p.m. Thursday, after a third-floor bedroom caught fire. The Cape Girardeau Fire Department sent four trucks, including its ladder truck, to 212 S. Lorimier St. to fight the blaze. Heavy smoke and flames were visible from a third-floor apartment window...

Some customers of Public Water Supply District No. 4 in Cape Girardeau County are under a boil-water order. The order affects users from Highway 25 and Route Z west. It was called earlier this week after a water main was cut. Call 243-9767 and a recording will give the latest updates on the boil order...

Former U.S. senator Jack Danforth took on overpromising politicians, news media that hype anger rather than educate and the expanding role of the federal government during a visit Thursday to Cape Girardeau County. Danforth, a Republican who was in the Senate from 1977 to 1995 and ambassador to the United Nations from 2004 to 2005, made two stops as part of a four-day swing through the 8th Congressional District. ...

FISH FRY & FUN NIGHT-July 31st Plan to attend the 1st ever Jackson County Farm Bureau Foundation Fundraiser! The event will be at the American Legion in Murphysboro Saturday, July 31st from 6-8pm. Fill up! The Big Muddy Fryers will be volunteering their service for the meal. The meal is fish, fried potatoes, baked beans, coleslaw, bread, cake, and tea or lemonade. The cash bar will also be open for the night...

Country singer Jason Aldean will perform at the Show Me Center at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 23, the venue announced Friday morning. Luke Bryan will open the concert. According to the Show Me Center website, Aldean's two albums have sold 2 million copies and he's charted five major hits...

City leaders pitched the proposed benefits of the Transportation Trust Fund 4 plan to business leaders at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee. On Aug. 3, voters will decide whether or not to approve the continuation of a half-cent sales tax to fund a total of $21,256,000 in road projects included in TTF-4...

Flags donated by church members decorate the west and south entrances to the church.

In grateful appreciation to the members of the Armed Forces and their families, who have sacrificed much to defend our freedom.

Lake Louise in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The water here changes with the slightest variation of light and is so beautiful.

I liked the red contrast of the canoe with the vivid blue water.

There is gold at the end of this rainbow for sure in Yellowstone National Park.

The prettiest girl at the Missouri casino dance got a good look at her suitors Thursday evening, with one making a specific proposal of marriage and the other offering to give details later if an engagement can be arranged.

An orchid that has personal qualities - from the Orchid show at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Early morning sun catches spider web creating the illusion that a CD is suspended in the air.

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Cleanup was underway Wednesday of an estimated 3,500 gallons of liquid asphalt released when a valve on the truck delivering the material malfunctioned Tuesday evening in Mississippi County, the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- A tip from an alert neighbor led to the arrest of a father and son from Climax Springs, Mo., in at least two burglaries that occurred in Bollinger County. Mark Allen Sousley, 49, and his son, Joseph Thomas Sousley, 27, were arrested Wednesday afternoon in Marble Hill after an eyewitness in Patton identified the two and the Chevrolet pickup they were in...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Donors have contributed $6,600 to pay for Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder's lawsuit challenging the new federal health care law. Kinder on Thursday released a list of 150 donors who sent money to help pay for the lawsuit. Most of the contributors live in Missouri, with one contribution each from Colorado, Illinois, South Dakota and New York. The largest contribution was for $300...

At Thursday's Cape Girardeau County Commission meeting, commissioners unanimously approved a motion to proceed with the process of placing the Cape Girardeau Common Pleas Courthouse on the National Register of Historic Places. Dr. Steven Hoffman, coordinator of Southeast Missouri State University's historic preservation program, discussed the process and answered questions from the commissioners...

After a summer trip to the Southeast Asian nation, Chris Wubbena came to believe many Americans think of Vietnam in terms of a war, not a country. Wubbena, assistant professor of art at Southeast Missouri State University, discovered this in his research on the Vietnam War to learn more about the conflict that haunted his father, a veteran who served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970...

Despite the heat that kept many area residents close to their air conditioners, Fourth of July events in Cape Girardeau and Jackson were well-attended this year. Overall, more than 5,000 people turned out for Sunday events in both cities, concluding with fireworks displays...

A Speak Out comment asked for an explanation of how cutting taxes would result in decreasing deficits. I learned the simple explanation while working with the chamber of commerce. Every new dollar that was brought to the community would be spent an average of seven times. ...

There are 11 million cancer survivors in this country today because of past investments in medical research. I am one of those fortunate individuals, thanks to those who championed cancer research in the past. However, 1,500 people still die from cancer in America each day because there are no effective detection and treatment tools for some of the deadliest cancers...

TO the four men who helped my disabled brother after he fell in his yard: Thank you so much, and may God bless you for your kindness. I called the Missouri Department of Transportation and can't get an answer. Perhaps the Southeast Missourian has a reporter who would like to check into this. ...

It takes a lot to get my wife riled up. She is loved and admired by all who know her. So it was rather startling to hear her focus some well-placed wrath on a forest creature rarely considered to be an enemy of civilization as we know it. This week my wife's tolerance was sorely tested. And what she had to say can be summed up in two words:...

Protect, O God, those who rely on others for daily assistance and guidance. Amen.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Lindsay Lohan's future includes a new fashion line, two new movies, some time in jail and another stint in rehab. The actress was sentenced Tuesday to 90 days in jail and 90 days in a residential substance-abuse program for violating her probation, stemming from two separate 2007 cases of driving under the influence of cocaine and alcohol. She is to surrender and begin her jail sentence July 20. Rehab will follow...

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. -- Singer Jimmy Buffett is just another mad Gulf Coast native when it comes to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but with an exception: He's got millions of fans and a way to help lift spirits over the seemingly endless crisis...

Arts and entertainment briefs

Tungsten Groove will play back-to-back shows in Cape Girardeau this weekend. The rock band from Perryville, Mo., plays "some really low-down, dirty rock 'n' roll, and some stories -- like real stories that happen to you," according to keyboardist and vocalist Stan Denninger. ...

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

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

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Sam McCoy, 77, of Olive Branch died Thursday, July 8, 2010, at his home. He was born July 21, 1932, in Tamms, Ill., to General Lee and Lena Crider McCoy. He and Willa Fern Haslauer were married Sept. 16, 1951. Sam served his country honorably in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict...

Jane Kathryn Garcia, 73, of Joliet, Ill., passed away Sunday, June 20, 2010, at Provena St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. She was born Nov. 21, 1936, in Cape Girardeau, to the late Roscoe and Georgia Huckstep. She married Roland Spencer then later married Salvadore Garcia, who died in 1999...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Herman L. Wibbenmeyer, 87, of Perryville died Wednesday, July 7, 2010, at Perry Oaks Manor. He was born Dec. 6, 1922, at Apple Creek, Mo., son of Joseph Henry and Clara Welker Wibbenmeyer. He and Lucille E. Zoellner were married Nov. 9, 1946, at Biehle, Mo. She preceded him in death Aug. 1, 2001...

J.B. Seabaugh, 85, of Chattanooga, Tenn., formerly of Jackson, died Sunday, July 4, 2010, at his home. He was born Sept. 22, 1924, in Cape Girardeau to J.O. and Sally Caroline Green Seabaugh. He and Odetta Mouser were married April 3, 1976. J.B. served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, stationed in San Diego...

BLOOMSDALE, Mo. -- Larry Rabold, 57, of Bloomsdale died Thursday, July 8, 2010, at his home. He was born Oct. 12, 1952, in Perryville, Mo., son of Clinton and Rose Perr Rabold of Perryville. He and Kathy Martin were married July 27, 1973. Survivors include his wife of Bloomsdale; a daughter, Stephanie Campbell of Perryville, a brother, Dennis Rabold of Iberia, Mo.; three grandchildren, Wade and Tyler Lawrence and Hunter Lane...

Belva Keller, 99, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Dongola, Ill., died Thursday, July 8, 2010, at the Lutheran Home. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to service time Monday at Crain Funeral Home in Dongola. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Monday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Paul Sadler officiating. Burial will be in American Legion Cemetery...

Despite 103 percent of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department's 1985 jail maintenance budget already having been spent, it appears even more money will be needed to prevent escapes like the one that occurred last month; installation of a wire mesh outside of windows on the north and south jail wings would cost around $150 per window...

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

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri is closing three swimming beaches because of high E. coli bacteria. The Department of Natural Resources reported Thursday that beaches at the Lake of the Ozarks, Pomme de Terre and Wakonda state parks had high bacteria levels. The beaches will remain closed until the bacteria level reaches acceptable levels...

Son to Thomas Wayne and Sandra Lynn Phillips of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 5:16 p.m. Tuesday, June 29, 2010. Name, Thomas Wayne Jr. Weight, 7 pounds, 7 1/2 ounces. Third child, first son. Mrs. Phillips is the former Sandra Thompson, daughter of Mike and Jackie Thompson of Hornlake, Miss. She is a sales associate at Best Buy Co. Inc. Phillips is the son of Greg and Linda Stafford of Millersville. He is a team leader/operator at Nordenia USA...

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson has been endorsed for re-election by the National Rifle Association. The 8th District Republican, who is seeking her eighth term, announced the endorsement in a news release. "I'm very honored to have the support of the NRA and of their many members in the Eighth Congressional District," Emerson said in the news release. ...

DENVER -- Ubaldo Jimenez had another dominating outing in his last start of the first half of the season. Now, he's ready to take on the American League's best. Jimenez became the first pitcher in 10 years to reach 15 wins before the All-Star break and the Colorado Rockies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Thursday to sweep the three game series...

The three-team tourney begins today at Capaha Field

SHANGHAI -- Factory workers demanding better wages and working conditions are hastening the eventual end of an era of cheap costs that helped make southern coastal China the world's factory floor. A series of strikes over the past two months have been a rude wake-up call for the many foreign companies that depend on China's low costs to compete overseas, from makers of Christmas trees to manufacturers of gadgets like the iPad...

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Swipe your driver's license, look into the camera, blow into the breath sensor and -- voila! -- you have permission to buy a bottle of wine from a vending machine. Pennsylvania, which has some of the most Byzantine liquor laws in the nation, recently introduced the country's first wine "kiosks." If the machines are successful in their test run inside two grocery stores, the state Liquor Control Board could place the high-tech alcohol automats in about 100 others.. ...

After 39 years of toying, tinkering, losing interest and renewing his love with photography, Thomas Ertman will be displaying his work Saturday at the Cadmium River Group's Summer Event. Ertman's photographs were shot with a combination of cameras -- some homemade and some plastic toys. He said most of his cameras cost less than $100...

Kathleen Hill, 82, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, July 8, 2010, at the Lutheran Home. Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Charlzene White of Cairo died Wednesday, July 7, 2010, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo is in charge of arrangements.

THEODORE, Ala. -- BP and the federal government are offering a ray of hope in a summer of setbacks for crews trying to stop the gulf oil spill: The first of two relief wells could be done by the end of this month, weeks ahead of schedule. But officials are quick to say that meeting such an optimistic timetable would require ideal conditions every step of the way, something that has rarely happened since the gusher began more than 2 1/2 months ago a mile below the water's surface...

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee, being held today because of the July 4 holiday, will feature a presentation on the city's Transportation Trust Fund vote on the Aug. 3 ballot. City manager Scott Meyer and Mayor Harry Rediger will deliver a PowerPoint slideshow on the proposal to extend a half-cent sales tax for five years to pay for major road construction and maintenance projects. The First Friday Coffee begins at 7 a.m. at the Show Me Center, 1333 N. Sprigg St...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting regarding improvements to Highway 34 from County Road 500 to the Marble Hill airport in Bollinger County. The meeting will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. July 19 in the Woodland Elementary School gym in Marble Hill. ...

Route C in Perry County will be reduced to one lane while the Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform routine bridge maintenance between County Road 352 and County Road 354 (bridge over Cinquehms Creek).Weather permitting, the work will be done from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday...

Route Y in Perry County will be reduced to one lane while the Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform routine bridge maintenance between Route A and County Road 450. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday...

Highway 91 in Scott and Stoddard Counties will be reduced to one lane while the Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform routine bridge maintenance between County Road 447 and County Road 385 (bridge over Little River). The work will take place from 7 a.m. to 3p.m. Monday. The second bridge is between County Road 447 and County Road 385 (bridge over Drain Ditch 35). Weather permitting, the work will take place from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily Monday through July 15...

Route B in Cape Girardeau County will be closed while crews replace a pipe under the roadway. Weather permitting, the work will take place from 7 a.m. to 4:30 on a different section of road over four days. On Monday, the closed section of road is between County Road 422 and County Road 415. ...

Route H in Scott County will be reduced to one lane with a 12-foot width restriction while Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform shoulder repairs from Route U to County Road 528. Weather permitting, work will be done from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. today...

Route U in Scott County will be reduced to one lane while Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform guardrail repairs from Route H to County Road 402. Weather permitting, work will be done 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. today.

The Jackson Post 158 Junior American Legion baseball team advanced to the championship game of the District 14 tournament Thursday night with a 6-4 victory over Cape Girardeau Post 63 in Sikeston, Mo. Steven Eddy pitched six innings to record the win, while Trevor Jaco threw the final frame for the save. Eddy struck out seven and allowed seven hits. Jaco yielded two hits...

A groundbreaking ceremony Thursday marked the official kick-off of the Route AB extension in Cape Girardeau County. This three-phase project has already begun and is estimated to cost $6 million. Once complete Highway 25 will be directly connected to Interstate 55...

The Cape Girardeau School Board approved bids for the first projects included in the district's overhaul of buildings during a lunchtime meeting Thursday. In April, voters approved a $40 million bond issue to replace Franklin Elementary, put in additions at Central High School and address deferred maintenance throughout the district...

If the key to real estate is location, the key to a winery is atmosphere. Anyone can buy a bottle of vino at the store, schlep home, pop it open and drink away. But the wineries in the area have built an atmosphere that enhances the wine and the way we experience it, like dark chocolate after deep reds...

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- Fire investigators in Columbia say last month's explosion in a University of Missouri chemistry lab was accidental. Four people were injured in the blast June 28 on the third floor of the university's Schweitzer Hall. Columbia Fire Department Battalion Chief Steve Sapp says the blast originated inside an anaerobic chamber into which hydrogen gas was allowed to seep. The chamber was used for research requiring an oxygen-free environment...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Kids can make a difference. Just ask Sydney Newell. Eleven-year-old Sydney began a project last year that has grown throughout her school and her St. Francis Xavier Parish. Now it has blossomed earning her recognition as a Kohl's Kids Who Care, a program honoring the volunteer initiatives of youngsters across the United States...

The Jackson R-2 Board of Education has approved a tentative tax rate of $2.27 per $100 assessed valuation for the 1985-86 school year; the rate is down from the 1984-85 rate of $2.84 per $100 assessed valuation. Due to the extreme heat and humidity, the Cape Girardeau city sanitation department will begin trash pick up one hour earlier at 5 a.m., beginning next week...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Margaret Bernice "Peggy" Gallup Joslyn, 98, died Saturday, July 3, 2010, at her home in Charleston. She was born Dec. 13, 1911, in Waterloo, Iowa, to William Wallace and Lottie Bernice Moody Gallup. In 1930 she graduated as co-valedictorian from West Waterloo High School. ...

Belva Keller, 99, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Dongola, Ill., died Thursday, July 8, 2010, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Oct. 7, 1910, in her home on the banks of the Ohio River, south of Golconda, Ill., daughter of Theodore and Daisy Dyer Hoffmann...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Sam McCoy, 77, of Olive Branch died Thursday, July 8, 2010, at his home. He was born July 21, 1932, in Tamms, Ill., to General Lee and Lena Crider McCoy. He and Willa Fern Haslauer were married Sept. 16, 1951. Sam served his country honorably in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict...

Kathleen "Kay" Selle Hill, 82, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, July 8, 2010, at the Lutheran Home. She was born April 21, 1928, in Fredericktown, Mo., daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Blair Selle. She and Hartford E. Hill Jr. were married Aug. 5, 1950. He preceded her in death Dec. 17, 2001...

Doyle L. Paine, 87, of Jackson died Thursday, July 8, 2010, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He served in the U.S. Army from Jan. 7, 1943, to March 23, 1949. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements by McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson...

Norma Elizabeth Ates, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 9, 2010, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Graveside service will be at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Fairmount Cemetery in Cape Girardeau. McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson is in charge of arrangements...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Charlzene M. White, 85, of Cairo died Wednesday, July 7, 2010, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation is from 11 a.m. until time of service Sunday at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Tom Hoskins officiating. Burial will be in Beechwood Cemetery in Mounds, Ill...

Kenneth Lamoine Kirk, 76, of Oak Ridge passed away Friday, July 9, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 11, 1933, in Rockwood, Ill., son of John L. and Emma Sauerhage Kirk. He and Ella Mae Korando were married Nov. 8, 1952, in Chester, Ill...

Dorothy Horman, 72, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Chaffee, Mo., died Friday, July 9, 2010, at Monticello House in Jackson. She was born Feb. 7, 1938, at Chaffee, daughter of Frederick Dewey and Mayme Christine Griffin Horman. Dorothy retired as a machine operator. She was a member of St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Chaffee...

Thomas, who will be a senior at Oak Ridge this fall, verbally committed to play baseball at the University of Missouri on Friday.

About 40 people showed up Saturday for the first Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk kickoff celebration at Lazy L Safari Park in Cape Girardeau. The kickoff, a new event in the Southeast region, served as a way to create awareness about Alzheimer's disease, which afflicts around 9,600 people in Southeast Missouri, said Teresa Birk, outreach coordinator for the Alzheimer's Association in the Southeast Missouri region...

The Cape Girardeau Police Officers Association's ads against a city road tax led to a swift crackdown on city employees opposing measures advanced by their bosses. Soon after the ads, which included a list of association members, appeared in the Southeast Missourian in May, the city discovered a policy against political activity by employees. ...

Colin McLain walked a path different from many, traveling in Asia and Europe. Although his most recent journey, an eight-week "externship" with the legal adviser to the president of Mongolia, ended with the Cape Girardeau native being found dead in a national park there, his father, Randy McLain, said the last time he spoke with his son, Colin was enjoying himself but also focused on his work...

On Aug. 3, Cape Girardeau is asking voters to approve the third extension of the half-cent sales tax for roads that initially passed in 1995. Over 15 years the tax, which raises a little more than $4 million a year, has paid for paving almost all the gravel roads in town as well as major reconstruction projects like Bloomfield Road, Independence Street and Broadway. ...

Starting Monday, Jackson residents will be able to get rid of some of their large, unwanted items during the city's annual Clean Up/Fix Up Week. During this week, residents that qualify for the city's solid waste pick-up program will be able to place items curbside for free removal...

Vendors at the fifth annual Mother Earth Wholistic Health Fair Saturday offered a natural approach to caring for the human body both inside and out. "Who were the healers before we had Walgreens? It was the moms and grandmothers who knew the healing gifts in herbs," said Joleene Unnerstall, a master herbalist at AAA Women Works Inc. of Washington, Mo...

MONDAY -- Chicken patty, mixed vegetables, mixed fruit. TUESDAY -- Noodles, green beans, apple slices. WEDNESDAY -- Fish patty, tater tots, banana. THURSDAY -- Chicken taco, applesauce. FRIDAY -- Mini corn dogs, salad, peach...

Cobb pitched a no-hitter during the regular season and a perfect game in district play but counts neither as his best performance in a season that has netted him three player of the year honors and a couple of all-state selections.

The Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority has been providing bus service along fixed routes in Cape Girardeau and around-the-clock taxi service for four years. There is every indication that the service is filling a need. Bus ridership is up to 800 riders a week, the authority's fleet has almost doubled and ridership for all services is up 76 percent...

Clooney is a 1-year-old cat. He is handsome and has a wonderful personality. Clooney has been neutered and is up-to-date on shots. For more information, contact Safe Harbor at 243-9823...

Stomach aches, headaches, poor concentration, moodiness, irritability. Getting married is supposed to be a happy time, right? So why are so many brides-to-be completely stressed out? Taking take care of endless details, manage vendors, handle family demands and meet the emotional needs of the groom -- all with an already busy schedule -- can turn any sweet-natured woman into either a blubbering mess or the dreaded bridezilla...

A baby raccoon is called a kit. Moments previous to this shot, a mother raccoon spotted me and hurried past followed by two kits. A third one fell into the duckweed-covered water in its attempt to catch up, allowing me time to prepare for this photo. Raccoons are good swimmers even at a young age...

The Cape River Heritage Museum will be holding a League of Women Voters exhibit through July. The exhibit celebrates the 90th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. The exhibit features a documentary video, articles and photographs. ...

Heathcliff is a 12-week-old male kitten. He loves to play with his brothers and sister. His siblings are also orange tabbies. For more information, contact the Humane Society at 334-5837...

I don't care what you say, but bingo is gambling. If we're going to shut one form of gambling out by voting not to have a casino, then we need to shut them all out. If the casino can't come to town, we need to get rid of bingo too. I would like to say a special thank you to the woman who found my billfold in the J.C. ...

Fill us, O God, with your divine serenity whenever tempers flare. Amen.

There is a convenience store in Cape Girardeau County with a roadside electronic sign flashing the words, "Amazing Bathrooms." Having a clean, secure place to freshen up is a real draw for motorists, particularly in the summer with so many of us traveling. Naturally, the proprietor's hope is that if you use the store's bathroom that you'll also make a purchase -- of fuel, soda, candy, et al...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sikeston Little Theatre is developing a new program geared to give local children and teens more opportunities to perform on stage. "Stage 2" is a division of the Little Theatre and will produce children and youth plays, events, talent showcases and workshops throughout the year...

Recently real estate agents at Realty Executives of Cape County donated $1,340 to Habitat for Humanity. Over the past year, real estate agents donated a portion of every house commission they earned to their local Habitat for Humanity. They did so to help a to-be-named working family achieve its dream of a home of its own. ...

If you take a brief moment to look over the course of your life, you could probably identify people who have influenced you. Influences can come from a tremendously deep well of possibilities:Maybe a teacher who inspired you to explore an interest that eventually became your career. ...

The Rev. David V. Dissen of University Lutheran Chapel of Hope has been involved with a church since birth. He credited his father, a pastor, who Dissen said served as a marvelous role model for him. Dissen said that ultimately the Holy Spirit is what guided and directed him into ministry. ...

Story time may bring childhood memories of padded floor mats and favorite blankies, but for the current generation of preschoolers "Storytime Live!" on July 18 at the Show Me Center will bring a world of adventures far more colorful than naptime. Nickelodeon and Broadway Across America will present "Storytime Live!" with a cast of 12 playing a variety of characters from four of Nickelodeon's top-rated preschool shows: "Dora the Explorer," "The Backyardigans," "Ni Hao, Kai-lan" and "Wonder Pets!" along with Nick Jr. ...

Pet name: Shaddow, a Weimaraner Owner's name: Larry and Reggy McElroy Favorite activity: Lazing around in the hammock or lawn chair....

NEW ORLEANS -- Robotic submarines removed the cap from the gushing well in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, beginning a period of at least two days when oil will flow freely into the sea. It's the first step in placing a tighter dome that is supposed to funnel more oil to collection ships on the surface a mile above. If all goes according to plan, the tandem of the tighter cap and the surface ships could keep all the oil from polluting the fragile Gulf as soon as Monday...

WASHINGTON -- In the rapid-fire spy swap, the United States and Russia worked together as only old enemies could. Less than two weeks after the FBI broke the spy ring in a counterintelligence operation cultivated for a decade, 10 Russian secret agents caught in the U.S. are back in Russia, four convicted of spying for the West have been pardoned and released by Moscow, and bilateral relations appear on track again...

Billy G. Long, 83, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Jackson, died Saturday, July 10, 2010, at the Lutheran Home. He was born Feb. 8, 1927, in Jackson to Frank and Lula Yoder Long. He and Evelyn Sewing were married on July 27, 1945. Mr. Long worked as a clerk in a hardware store. Later he was employed with the U.S. Postal Service in Jackson for 30 years as a mail carrier...

ORAN, Mo. -- Viola Elizabeth Menz Moroni, 90, of Oran passed away Saturday, July 10, 2010, at the Chaffee Nursing Center. She was born April 22, 1920, in Oran, to Martin T. and Magdalene Halter Menz. Viola was a machine operator for the International Hat Co. in Oran, Mo., and she later retired from Thorngate Ltd. in Chaffee, Mo...

Nick Huber, 57, of Jackson died Friday, July 9, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug, 5, 1952, at Cape Girardeau to Nicholas and Juanita Bader Huber. He and Patty Halter Huber were married Nov. 18, 1978, in Cape Girardeau...

Robert Ralph Jones, 71, of Delta died Friday, July 9, 2010, at his farm northwest of Delta. He was born Nov. 22, 1938, at Pollock, S.D., to John Paul and Amelia Schaefer Jones. He and Ruth McBreairty Jones were married March 12, 1983, at Bossier City, La...

*** Ricky Reams Ricky Keith Reams, 58, of Harker Heights, Texas, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, July 9, 2010, at Spartanburg, S.C. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel.

*** Jim Stafford Jim Stafford, 62, of Cape Girardeau passed away Saturday, July 10, 2010, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Son to Lee Erich and April Ann Miesner of Park Hills, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 9:04 p.m. Tuesday, June 8, 2010. Name, Lucas Erich. Weight, 9 pounds, 4 ounces. First child. Mrs. Miesner is the former April White, daughter of Michael Inman and Barbara Inman of Farmington, Mo. She is a student at Mineral Area College. Miesner is the son of Earl Miesner and Pam Miesner of Perryville, Mo...

Resin Exchange Co. has dropped its legal action before the Interstate Commerce Commission now that it has tentatively agreed to enter into a six-month lease agreement with Missouri Pacific Railroad for the use of a portion of a branch line that is being abandoned here...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A propane tank spewed 300 gallons into the wind at Orscheln Farm and Home in Perryville on Friday. Store manager Terry Danz said MFA Oil and Gas employees knocked a valve off a tank they were going to replace. "It took about an hour for the tank to empty," Danz said. "We had a good breeze, and it was blowing it away."...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Although the Kenny Rogers Children's Center has already gotten a major facelift with renovations over the past few months, more changes are on the horizon. The Sikeston Standard Democrat reported that on Thursday, there was a groundbreaking ceremony to commemorate the beginning of a 7,000 square-foot expansion...

Family members found a man dead after he did not return home as expected Friday afternoon. Robert Jones, 71, was electrocuted while working at a pond with an electric sump pump, according to a news release from the Cape Girardeau County coroner's office...

A blue 1995 Jeep Cherokee traveling south on Sprigg Street struck a building at 215 N. Sprigg St. The SUV hit a parked 2004 Pontiac Vibe before careening through the front yard into the white brick building. The driver was distracted by her radio, according Cape Girardeau Police Officer Joe Thomas...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Two men were in jail Friday after allegedly stealing a vehicle and crashing it into a house in Sikeston early Friday morning, the Sikeston Standard Democrat reported. According to the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, about 4 a.m. ...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Two Piedmont women were taken back to St. Louis early Thursday morning for questioning in connection with a fatal stabbing. "Information gathered by St. Louis detectives led them to a suspect(s) in rural Piedmont," explained Piedmont Police Chief Richard Sanders...

Construction on Highway 25, Highway 77 and Route AB in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties will begin Wednesday. Workers will lay a crossroad pipe under Highway 77 just south of the Highway 25 intersection in Blomeyer. Traffic will be reduced to one lane when construction starts at 6 p.m. ...

The Cape Partnership for Higher Education will hold its second of two open houses on Monday. The Partnership is the newest community college center in the area brought through an agreement primarily among Southeast Missouri State University, Three Rivers Community College and Mineral Area College...

HOUSTON -- Brett Myers has lasted at least six innings in each of his starts this season. He had much bigger goals Saturday night. Myers added another quality start to his strong season, pitching eight crisp innings to help the Houston Astros beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1...

The Cape Girardeau Post 63 Plaza Tire Junior American Legion baseball team defeated Sikeston 4-3 in eight innings in its first game Saturday at the district tournament. Aaron Wendell's single knocked in Steven Brennan for the winning run in the eighth inning. Post 63 played Jackson later Saturday, but the game ended too late to be included in today's edition...

Anthony Maupin's first pitch Friday night was deposited over the scoreboard beyond the left-field fence for a home run. Just about everything else went right for Maupin in the opener of the three-team, wood-bat National Baseball Congress Mid-South Regional at Capaha Field...

Brad LaBruyere has been among the Plaza Tire Capahas' top pitchers the past two seasons. But LaBruyere has taken his game to another level in the National Baseball Congress Mid-South Regional. LaBruyere fired a three-hit shutout in the regional for the second straight year as the Capahas beat the St. Louis Printers 4-0 on Saturday afternoon in the winners bracket final of the three-team, wood-bat event at Capaha Field...

A third straight dominant pitching performance led the Plaza Tire Capahas to their sixth consecutive National Baseball Congress Mid-South Regional title. The Capahas secured their 29th straight trip to next month's NBC World Series in Wichita, Kan., with Saturday night's 7-1 win over the Pine Bluff (Ark.) Braves...

LOS ANGELES -- When a vet told Nancy Gates that her dog Arabella had heart problems, needed surgery and it would cost $500, she had no choice but to put her pet down. "It was pretty straightforward because I had four young children to feed," she said. "The vet said surgery was my only option. I did not want my dog to suffer."...

Kathleen W. Kluesner, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, July 10, 2010, at her home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 11, 1924, at Comstock Park, Mich., to William and Veronica Schweitzer Scheidel. She and Rufus Kluesner were married Sept. 11, 1945, at Comstock Park, Ill. He preceded her in death on July 2, 1993...

Cape Girardeau resident Carol Steiner is trying to do her part to reach out to senior citizens in the area. Since 2008 Steiner has been volunteering for the Cape Girardeau Senior Center in Cape Girardeau. Steiner currently calls five homebound patients for the center to make sure they have everything they need and are still in good health. ...

A goal in extra time lifted Spain to a 1-0 victory against the Netherlands

John Lichtenegger is a Jackson lawyer whose practice of real estate law complements his second job, developer. Since starting in the development business in the late 1970s, he has developed subdivisions and other areas and has seen growth in the Jackson housing market. In 2004 he donated land for the Jackson Senior Center and continues to monitor the center's growth...

So far, $107,100 collected by the Missouri Fraternal Order of Eagles Aeries and Auxiliaries for prescription drug assistance has helped 33 seniors in Southeast Missouri and 200 statewide. Pam Boyd, then president of the Missouri Eagles auxiliary, worked together with Dennis DeLapp, president of the Missouri Eagles, to raise the funds between June 30, 2009, to July 1. Boyd said the money is being distributed to 10 Area Agencies on Aging in the state based on population and project need...

Comfort, O God, those who seek work but remain unemployed. Amen.

Attention Elvis Fans!!! Elvis on Tour: 75th Anniversary Celebration will be at AMC Town Plaza Theater on Williams Street,Cape Girardeau for ONE night only July 29th @ 7:00p.m. Don't miss this chance to see Elvis on the Big Screen again! Hope to see you at this ONE TIME only event!!!...

Raelenna Ferguson is looking forward to taking a bit of Cape Girardeau to Africa. On Friday, Ferguson and 48 people leave on a mission trip to Swaziland, Africa, where they will help local farmers, celebrate groundbreaking for an orphanage and spread the Gospel. Ferguson organized the trip through Heart for Africa, a not-for-profit based in Atlanta...

Tracker had a great time celebrating his 10th birthday with all the kids that attended Park & Rec Day!

It appears likely that the Missouri Gaming Commission will not select a community to develop Missouri's 13th casino until after Cape Girardeau voters render a verdict on gambling locally. The petition by Quality of Life for Cape Girardeau to force a vote on gambling is being checked this week by County Clerk Kara Clark Summers. Organizers are confident they have the 2,635 valid signatures needed to put the measure on the Nov. 2 ballot...