Stories from January 2011

GRANDPA AND LAYTON RESTING AFTER LAYTON OPENED ALL OF HIS PRESENTS. LAYTON BROUGHT HIS ROCKER OVER, SO HE COULD SIT BY HIS GREAT GRANDPA.

Jordan Wayne Sides, son of Mark and Crystal Sides of Jackson, takes the honors as the first baby born in 1986 at Southeast Missouri Hospital; he is born at 1:54 a.m. Jim Beattie, Ward 4 alderman for the Jackson City Council, is the first incumbent to seek re-election April 1; he filed his candidacy yesterday...

As a former dental assistant, Mary Prince of Jackson has always been interested in oral hygiene. When she noticed declining oral health among her nursing home patients, she invented the Plak-Vac, a suction toothbrush designed for long-term care patients who can no longer brush their own teeth...

G.D. Fronabarger poses for a photograph as a member of the Brothers of the Brush during the Cape Girardeau Sesquicentennial Celebration in 1956.

Local businesses and cities looking to make an environmental New Year's resolution could qualify for grant funding from the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The planning commission has $70,000 available for projects that promote fuel efficiency and reduce emissions from diesel engines...

Otto Porter used his lean, always-moving arms to swipe an intended pass away on the defensive end. The 6-foot-9 Scott County Central standout didn't look for a guard to bring the ball up the court. He took off at full speed with the ball and attacked the basket...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder has received a $300,000 gift from former governor Matt Blunt -- just in time for the new political year.

Two Cape Girardeau men face weapons charges after a car and building were struck by bullets Wednesday night on Sheridan Drive. Christopher M. Johnston, 25, and Terrelle D. Hobbs, 20, were both arrested Thursday by Cape Girardeau Police and charged with unlawful use of a weapon and being felons in possession of firearms. Hobbs was previously convicted of possession of a controlled substance and Johnston was previously convicted of receiving stolen property, according to police reports...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Samuel Hughes had just seen Ryan Patterson, gun in hand, standing over a dying 15-year-old boy. Now, Hughes was sitting in a car with Patterson, who was pointing the silver revolver at him. "Loose lips sink ships," Patterson allegedly told him. "Tell anyone and I will kill you."...

Shaken residents spent New Year's Day sifting through the wreckage wrought by tornadoes that touched down in several states on the last day of 2010, killing seven people and injuring dozens of others. Six people -- three in Missouri and three in Arkansas -- died Friday as tornadoes fueled by unusually warm air pummeled the South and Midwest. ...

After a record-breaking cold December, we caught a break on New Year's Day when we went to Lake Worth Beach to catch the sunrise. It was spectacular. You can see more photos of the morning at http://www.capecentralhigh.com/florida/sunrise-on-lake-worth-beach/...

We spent Christmas in the smoky mountains where we were gifted with the most beautiful white Christmas! In this photo, our three-year-old son, Mark, peers out the window on Christmas morning with wonder and awe.

On Christmas Eve families of patients in the various intensive care units at Saint Francis Medical Center were treated to a bit of Christmas cheer. The Olive Garden Italian Restaurant, along with volunteers who are staff members of the restaurant, brought and...

A Cape Girardeau County man was charged Saturday with property damage following a complaint from a homeowner in the Hillcrest subdivision on Route K outside Cape Girardeau. Darrel Nice, 49, who lives in the subdivision, was arrested following an investigation into allegations he painted the house with racial slurs, according to a news release issued Saturday by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department. ...

A Gordonville teen has been arrested on suspicion of sodomizing a 7-year-old boy Friday. According to a news release from the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department, Benjamin Bartholomew Harrison II, 17, was charged Saturday with first-degree statutory sodomy, a felony. Harrison's bond was set at $50,000. He remains at the Cape Girardeau County Justice Center...

A teenager has been arrested and charged in connection with a series of burglaries last week, Chaffee police chief Jim Chambers said in a new release Friday. Ricky B. Stephens, 17, of Chaffee, Mo., was arrested on suspicion of two counts of attempted burglary, two counts of second-degree burglary, one count of first-degree burglary and two counts of stealing...

The Northern cardinal is a beautiful red songbird native to most of the eastern half of the U.S. and much of Mexico and Central America. The male northern cardinal may be North America's most easily recognized songbird. Sporting a crest of red feathers and a black face mask around a prominent yellow/red beak, the male cardinal is a pleasant sight...

Volunteer to help others hangs among the top New Year's resolutions according to USA.gov. Southeast Missourians with this new pledge for 2011 will have ample opportunities. Organizations in the area consistently need volunteers to help with daily duties and special events...

A Southeast Missouri man is doing his best to spread awareness of mental illness. Thirty-seven-year-old Marvin Kirkland of Dexter, Mo., embarked on a cross-country walk recently from Oceanside, Calif., and he hopes to conclude it in June in Washington, D.C...

Pink Tree Raises Money for Breast Cancer Program Participants at the local Cape Girardeau County Area Medical Society Alliance recently took time out of their day to decorate the Turning Point tree at the Southeast HealthPoint Fitness in Cape Girardeau. ...

Recently the Rubbermaid company donated some Gatorade coolers to the City of Jackson once they became aware that the coolers currently the City of Jackson building were using were worn out. A Rubbermaid employee orginally made the suggestion to donate some coolers. City of Jackson representative Terry Venable is pictured accepting the Gatorade Coolers from Rubbermaid...

Countless activities compete for time on the family calendar -- soccer practice, piano lessons, friends, school. With thoughtful planning, you can be sure that fun family time gets penciled in, too. Karen Deerwester, author of "The Entitlement-Free Child: Raising Confident and Responsible Kids in a 'Me, Mine, Now!' Culture," highlights the importance of scheduling family time...

Nicole Fadler and Nicholas Fenton were married Sept. 19, 2009, at St. John Lutheran Church in Ellisville, Mo. The Rev. Charles Spomer performed the ceremony. Music was by the Chesterfield Quartet. Readings were given by Angela Moore and Genevieve Batson of St. Louis...

Mallory Wilson and Ryan Gibson were married May 29, 2010, at First Presbyterian Church. The Rev. Ron Watts performed the ceremony. Pianist was Chris Nall, and violinists were Liesl Schoenberger and Ron Brown, all of Cape Girardeau. Parents of the couple are Windall and Dee Dee Wilson of Cape Girardeau, and Rodney and Emily Gibson of Sikeston, Mo...

BENTON, Mo. -- Regina Rae Durham and Michael Brent Merrell were united in marriage in a private ceremony Dec. 10, 2010. The bride is the daughter of Charles and Brenda Durham of Elco, Ill. The groom is the son of Mike and Annie Merrell of Lewistown, Mo...

Mindy Lee Ruch and Justin Todd Petzoldt exchanged vows Aug. 21, 2010, at St. Maurus Catholic Church in Biehle, Mo. The Rev. Tony Dattilo performed the ceremony. Pam Horrell, aunt of the bride, provided music. Vocalists were Ashley Schott, cousin of the bride, and Shelly Meier...

KELSO, Mo. -- Frank and Margie Bucher of Kelso announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer Lynn Bucher, to Ernesto Rey Segura, both of St. Louis. He is the son of Ernesto and Patricia Segura of Austin, Texas. Bucher is a graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau. She received a master's degree in accountancy from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2005. She is employed at Scottrade in St. Louis...

BENTON, Mo. -- Barry and Tina Greenlee of Dyersburg, Tenn., announce the engagement of their daughter, Sara Greenlee, to Zachary Hamm. He is the son of David and Niki Hamm of Benton. Greenlee received a bachelor of science degree in biology from Union University in Jackson, Tenn., in 2010. She is pursuing a master's degree in health science at Duke University in Durham, N.C...

Early Cape Girardeau baseball team, probably from the 1920s. Only the first player in the front row is identified. He is is Paul Finney, the son of Dr. John M. and Mary Finney, founder of Finney's Drug Store in Cape Girardeau. The photo is owned by Sue Vogelsanger, daughter of Paul Finney. Anyone with information about this photo may contact Sharon Sanders at ssanders@semissourian.com or call 388-3653...

Recently the SoutheastHEALTH College of Nursing & Health Sciences department donated a skelton to the science classes at Delta R-V High School once they had acquired a new skeleton for instructional purposes. Representatives of SoutheastHEALTH recently presented the skeleton and shared information about their healthcare careers with students. ...

Sikeston, Mo., High School teacher Brandie Maddox and her students recently donated short- and long-term items for families with infants in Saint Francis Medical Center's Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The gifts included toiletries, 20 handmade blankets, infant socks, snacks and other items useful to NICU families. ...

Holiday shoppers were spreading much Christmas cheer last week -- at least according to recent holiday sales figures. A recent report from the National Retail Federation projected a 3.3 percent increase in holiday sales this year. The organization also estimated that the average shopper planned to spend $689 on gifts this Christmas season and $107.50 on items for themselves...

David Limbaugh recently wrote that President Obama "laments that we are still a superpower." There's no other way to put it. That is a lie. What President Obama realizes and what Limbaugh and many others can't cope with is the fact that the day will come when the U.S. will be one among many superpowers...

By Chris Kelly Proposition B passed in the November election with a 51.6 percent vote. It amended Missouri law to require large-scale dog breeding operations to provide each dog under their care with sufficient food, clean water, housing and space; necessary veterinary care; regular exercise and adequate rest between breeding cycles. ...

The 10th year of the 21st century certainly provided many storylines. Who would have expected on Jan. 1 a year ago that Cape Girardeau would be set to have a downtown casino? Who would've placed a wager that the Southeast Missouri State University Redhawks would be OVC champs and be tied with the No. ...

O God, may our eyes not be haughty but full of love. Amen.

Harvey Benjamin Sanford, 86, of Cahokia, Ill., was born March 20, 1924, at Ancell, Mo., and died Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010, at his residence. Mr. Sanford was retired from General Motors-Fisher Body in St. Louis. He was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church in Cahokia, and UAW Local 25 of St. Louis. He was a World War II U.S. Army veteran...

Lyman E. Crites Jr., 84, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Dec. 31, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 16, 1926, in Parma, Mo., to Lyman E. and Valle Brown Crites Sr. He and Marlene Marberry were married March 6, 1970, at Crenshaw, Miss. They have been residents of Cape Girardeau for more than 20 years...

Doris B. Baker-Amos, age 87, of Jackson passed away Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 26, 1923, in Jackson, daughter of Charles H. and Doris C. Blake Peel. She and John R. Baker were married Nov. 24, 1943. He passed away March 15, 1985. She and Max Amos were married June 12, 1997. He survives...

Charles "Mack" Baker, 55, of Jackson passed away Friday, Dec. 24, 2010, at the Jefferson Barracks VA Hospice Facility in St. Louis after a long battle with cancer. He was born Sept. 23, 1955, in Jackson, son of John R. and Doris Peel Baker. He was an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Army...

Betty Ann Housman, 54, of Cape Girardeau died at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010, at home. She was born Oct. 30, 1956, to Joel and Wilma Branch McCrary Sr. in Cardwell, Mo. Betty lived in Cape Girardeau most of her life and was self-employed. She will be greatly missed by family and friends...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Franklin Leonard Clay, 80, of Marble Hill passed away Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 17, 1930, in Hollister, Wis., son of Leonard Dee and Edith Mae Meeks Clay. He and Eathel Maurine Vaughn were married June 27, 1963. She passed away Nov. 6, 2006...

UNIONTOWN, Mo. -- Michael E. Frentzel, 62, of Uniontown died Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 23, 1948, in Cape Girardeau, son of the late Theodosius J. and Erna Meinz Frentzel. He and Lavern Weber were married Oct. 18, 1969...

Guy "Allen" Houston, 82, of Marble Hill, Mo., passed away Dec. 31, 2010, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 16, 1928, in Marble Hill, the son of Guy and Bertha Locke Houston. He married Shirley B. Moore on Sept. 27, 1954, in Perryville, Mo. She survives...

Dallas Ray Owens, 74, died Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010, at his residence in the Eastside Hunting Lodge in Villa Ridge, Ill. Born April 27, 1936, at Malden, Mo., to the late A.E. and Pauline Qualls Owens, he was a member of the Coast Guard Reserve. He was owner and operator of the Dallas Owens farm and had farmed his entire life, first in Mississippi County, Mo., and then in Villa Ridge until his retirement. ...

Raymond L. "Ray" Sanders, 70, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010, at home with his loving family by his side. He was born Jan. 20, 1940, in Yarbro, Ark., to Doyle and Hollice Maxwell Sanders. He and Anna Bassett were married May 3, 1958, at Dexter, Mo...

Debra Lynn Sides, 56, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010, at her home. She was born Dec. 27, 1954, in St. Louis, to Tom and Beverly Adler Klinkhardt. She and Donald Sides were married April 21, 1973, at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau...

George Shelton, 86, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010, at the Missouri Veterans Home. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Dorothy Merriman Schaefer, 85, of Jonesboro died Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010, at Jonesboro Rehab and Health Care Center. The funeral was held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Jonesboro, with the Revs. Joe Aldridge and Todd Plunkett officiating. Burial was in Jonesboro Cemetery...

Patricia A. Chitwood, 76, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. A graveside service will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Fairmount Cemetery in Cape Girardeau. Burial will follow in Fairmount Cemetery. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Lillian M. Becker, 94, of Cairo died Friday, Dec. 31, 2010, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo. Visitation will be from 8 to service time Tuesday at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Interment will follow in Green Lawn Memorial Gardens at Villa Ridge, Ill...

ANNA, Ill. -- Fred L. Chamness, 74, of Davenport, Fla., formerly of Anna, passed away Friday, Dec. 31, 2010, at Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center in Haines City, Fla. Arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Anna-Jonesboro, Ill...

Douglas A. Gross, 29, formerly of Gordonville, died Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010, at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. Arrangements are pending at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

The Southeast Missourian has learned that Puxico, Mo., activist farmer Wayne Cryts has decided to seek the 8th District congressional seat now held by Cape Girardeau Republican Bill Emerson. Confusion over a boundary description in East Cape County Volunteer Fire District's plan to incorporate forces the district to withdraw its court petition seeking incorporation; the fire district's attorney will file another petition for incorporation within a week in Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Several thousand children will become eligible for insurance coverage of their autism therapies as a Missouri law takes effect Saturday. For thousands of others, their parents will continue to have to pay out of pocket or simply forgo the costly treatments...

The Cape Girardeau Public Library will host Family Fun Night for families with children 5 years and older from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 14. Wii and Xbox 360 game consoles and board games will be available for families. This event is free and open to the public...

The Cape Girardeau County Central Committee Democrats met Dec. 14, at Delmonico's Restaurant for their annual Christmas party. We enjoyed a great meal and the company of like-minded people. The guest, Major Ben Stillwell with the Salvation Army and his wife, Beth, received the wrapped Christmas gifts plus numerous stuffed animals and dolls for their Christmas toy recipients...

MONDAY--Krispy chicken fingers or ham & cheese on bun, broccoli & cheese, mixed fruit cup, sugar cookie with sprinkles. TUESDAY--Crispito with nacho cheese sauce or turkey & cheese on bun, corn, banana. WEDNESDAY--Breaded pork chop & brown gravy or turkey & cheese on bun, whipped potatoes & brown gravy, roll, cinnamon applesauce...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday:...

It twists, it turns and you become confused. You never know where your chosen route will lead you. That's life. You think you've figured out which direction will take you where you want to go, but it doesn't. You start to turn but another obstacle gets in the way. ...

This is the time of year for resolutions, examining the life that you are living now compared to your ideal life and taking steps toward harmonizing the two. The majority of health clubs will be crowded, the shelves of the health food aisle will be close to empty and all of a sudden classic books will be checked out of the library. That is, unless failing to keep resolutions made in years past has made you so disillusioned that you refuse to create them this year...

SEATTLE -- Congratulations, you are the best of the worst. Sounds like quite the prize, huh? That'll be the honor bestowed upon either St. Louis or Seattle come tonight after the two meet to decide the NFC West division title, a primetime showcase of two teams fighting for one final playoff spot...

The Chaffee Red Devils emerged as the darlings of this season's Southeast Missourian Christmas tournament. Alex Crowe and Co. survived a couple of nail-biters, including one against archrival Scott City, to win on the fourth day of the tournament for the first time since 2000...

Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy and six other Cape Girardeau County officials elected in November were sworn in Thursday by County Clerk Kara Clark Summers. Tracy replaces Gerald Jones, who is retiring after 16 years of service. Tracy said he is excited to be taking office and working for the county. He said financial and real estate matters will most likely dominate his first weeks in office...

Pet name: Mickey Owners: Chris and Brandy Schaefer FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Hanging out in the bathroom sink. ...

JINAN, China -- Service with a smile also comes with an electronic voice at the Dalu Robot restaurant, where the hotpot meals are not as famous yet as the staff who never lose their patience and never take tips. The restaurant, which opened this month in Jinan in northern Shandong province, is touted as China's first robot hotpot eatery where robots resembling Star Wars droids circle the room carrying trays of food in a conveyor belt-like system...

Many people take time at New Year's to evaluate what they've done in the past year and plan out what they hope to do in the coming year. From health initiatives to a more positive outlook on life, new habits and goals abound. Starting today, the Southeast Missourian feature pages will help you plan for the new year. ...

Youth pastor Andrew Callis of the Cape Bible Chapel in Cape Girardeau said one of his main reasons for teaching is because students need counsel in today's world. He admits that creating ways to get them excited about their faith and convicted about their choices is sometimes strenuous, but he has been able to find ways to do so. Callis encourages his students to be active...

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

Seattle is the first division champion to enter the NFL playoffs with a losing record

For many Missouri children who live with hunger, the one meal they can count on every weekday is the free lunch they receive in the school cafeteria. But when summer arrives, that guarantee goes away. While service organizations in communities like Cape Girardeau help to fill the gap in the summer, scores of children in Southeast Missouri don't make it to the lunch table...

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- A soldier assigned to the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell has died after an explosion in Afghanistan. The Army said 25-year-old Sgt. Michael J. Beckerman of Ste. Genevieve, Mo., died Friday in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device...

Maj. Doug Welter, by his own admission, is low-key. The Chaffee, Mo., native says he's not one for the spotlight. During his latest tour in Iraq, Welter was ultimately responsible for securing a busy air operations base. Despite periodic rocket attacks and the constant threat of ground assaults and suicide bombers, the mission was accomplished...

KAISER, Mo. -- At state parks across the nation, this is the toll of the deepening budget crisis and years of financial neglect: crumbling roads, faltering roofs, deteriorating restrooms. Electrical and sewer systems are beginning to give out, too, as are scores of park buildings, some of them built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression. In a few places, aging bridges have been detoured and tunnels blocked off because of falling debris...

O.J. and Christa L. Turner of Jackson are the proud parents of Kadence Leanne. She was the first baby to be born at Southeast Hospital this year. Kadence was born at 12:09 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 2. She weighed 7 pounds, two ounces, and was 19 ½ inches long. "We're happy to have a healthy baby," says Christa. She and O.J. have two other children, an 8-year-old daughter and a 17-month-old son. "We just went from man-to-man to zone defense," a smiling O.J. observed about now parenting three children...

Southeast Hospital embraces "going green" as a standard practice, not a slogan. The Hospital recycles everything from batteries and printer cartridges to cardboard and disposable surgery instruments. "Going green makes sense because it allows us to live and work in a healthier environment," says Debbie Goodhart, Southeast's Environmental Services director...

Morgan Keenan seemed the stereotypical all-American boy. But Keenan was living a double life. It would crash with an uncomfortable question. His mother asked if he was gay. He decided to tell the truth. "I never thought I would come out to her," Keenan said...

CAPE COUNTY BOARD FOR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES HOLDS HOLIDAY GATHERING CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO, January 3, 2011 -- The Cape County Board for Developmental Disabilities held its first ever holiday gathering at Main Street Lanes in Jackson on December 18, 2010. The event was open to any resident of Cape Girardeau County who has a disability and their families. More than 145 adults and children enjoyed an evening of food, drinks, bowling, and a gift exchange...

Taken at the I55 North Bound Rest Stop just north of Ste Genevieve on Christmas Day

When Susie Pekios thinks of her last moments on earth, she envisions herself looking out the French doors of her condo with her massage therapist on call, brownies baking in the oven, and a cold glass of Pepsi -- real, not diet -- in her hand. ...

Dave Hardesty continues a day-by-day account of his Mississippi River kayaking trip, an adventure shared with his friend Danny Rees.

All indications point to a strong start for the newly formed Cape Girardeau Partnership for Higher Education. The partnership, which is made up of Mineral Area College, Southeast Missouri State University and Three Rivers College, offers community college-type services for students in the Cape Girardeau County region at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center...

O Lord, may the desires of our heart be founded in your will for our lives. Amen.

THE side effects of secondhand smoke are not exaggerated. My parents never smoked, my siblings never smoked, my husband never smoked, my children never smoked, I never smoked. Yet when I hiccup, belch or cough, I taste smoke in my mouth and lungs. I have worked in restaurants for 50 years. ...

HURON BEACH, Mich. -- In the never-ending battle to prevent blood-sucking sea lamprey from wiping out some of the most popular fish species in the Great Lakes, biologists are developing new weapons that exploit three certainties in the eel-like parasites' lives: birth, sex and death...

LOS ANGELES -- The odometer on the Mars rover Spirit has been stuck at 4.8 miles for more than 1 1/2 years and has been incommunicado since March. This double dose of bad luck hangs over the scrappy spacecraft, which marks its seventh year on Mars today...

BEEBE, Ark. -- Wildlife officials are trying to determine what caused more than 1,000 blackbirds to die and fall from the sky over an Arkansas town. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said Saturday it began receiving reports about the dead birds about 11:30 p.m. Friday. The birds fell over a 1-mile area of Beebe, and an aerial survey indicated that no other dead birds were found outside of that area...

WASHINGTON -- The Republican agenda for the new Congress that convenes Wednesday may have a greater effect on the 2012 elections than on the lives of Americans in the next two years. Republicans promise to cut spending, roll back President Barack Obama's health care overhaul and prevent unelected bureaucrats from expanding the government's role in society through regulations that tell people what they must or can't do...

Judy Aslin has been named executive director of the Southeast Cancer Center, and Nick Schupp has been named director of radiation therapy at Southeast Hospital. Aslin was most currently director of patient care services. Since 1983 Aslin has served in the positions of nurse assistant, staff nurse, assistant nurse manager and nurse manager of the oncology unit, Southeast Hospice nurse manager and administrator and home care services administrator. ...

Vonna June Reynolds, 61, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011, at Current River Nursing Center in Doniphan, Mo. She was born March 30, 1949, in Manila, Ark., to Troy and Sarah Kathleen Barrett Blackwood. She and Daniel Joseph Reynolds Sr. were married July 14, 1984, at Cape Girardeau. Vonna was a graduate of Central High School...

William E. "Slug" Taylor, 87, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home...

Orville F. Temke, 84 of Ullin, Ill., died Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Jones Funeral Home in Villa Ridge, Ill. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home with the Rev Paul H. Donner officiating...

ULLIN, Ill. -- Kenneth Benjamin Dexter, 88 of Ullin died Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011, at the Illinois Veterans Home in Anna, Ill. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday between at the Crossroads United Methodist Church. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Crossroads United Methodist Church in Ullin, with the Rev. Cecil R. Atchison officiating...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Durby Mayfield, 79, of Cairo died Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010, at his home. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the First Missionary Baptist Church in Cairo. Visitation will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday until the time of the funeral. Burial will be at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Mound City, Ill. National Cemetery with the Rev. Jimmy Ellis officiating. Military honors will be provided by the Illinois National Guard and area veterans...

Son to Todd Lamar Lee and Shantel Marie Harris of Cairo, Ill., Saint Francis Medical Center, midnight Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010. Name, Todd Lamar. Weight, 7 pounds, 4 ounces. Second child, first son. Ms. Harris is the daughter of Donna Harris of Cairo. She is a CNA at Life Care Center. Lee is the son of Carla Wells and Paul Lee of Cairo...

The need for congressional reform and the shortcomings of the House-passed tax reform bill are stressed by U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson, who speaks at the Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee; he also discusses the new farm bill, the deficit reduction act and Wayne Cryts...

Jackson Jackson firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday: Jackson firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday: Jackson firefighters responded to the following calls Friday: Jackson firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday: ...

In Thursday's Southeast Missourian we published the top news stories of 2010, several of which were business stories. Isle of Capri's new $125 million casino development topped our list of 2010's general news stories and tops the list of business stories in Southeast Missouri, too...

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

BRISBANE, Australia -- Military planes were flying food and other supplies toward a major city being slowly swamped in Australia's flood emergency today, and police were increasing patrols in evacuated regions amid reports of looting. Floodwaters that cover an area the size of France and Germany combined are draining slowly toward Australia's northeast coast, filling bulging rivers to overflowing and inundating at least 22 towns and cities in the cattle and fruit and vegetable farming region.. ...

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

SANTIAGO, Chile -- A magnitude-7.1 earthquake shook southern Chile on Sunday, frightening hundreds of people who fled for higher ground fearing it could generate a tsunami like the one that ravaged the coastline last year. There were no immediate reports of deaths or damage, and Vicente Nunez, head of the National Emergency Office, said no tsunami alert was issued...

BAGHDAD -- Insurgents killed four members of Iraq's security forces and a city engineer in separate incidents across the Iraqi capital Sunday evening, officials said. Iraqi police and hospital officials said gunmen killed an off-duty traffic policeman in a drive-by shooting in eastern Baghdad around 8 p.m., and shot dead an Iraqi army colonel in his car downtown...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The National World War I Museum in Kansas City is looking to enhance its profile so it can raise more money as the centennial of the fighting approaches. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., and others with prestige have been recruited for the board of trustees, while actor Kevin Costner is among those who have agreed to be part of a separate, honorary board...

7:30 p.m. today City hall Pertinent Address: 1 Barton Square, Jackson, MO...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Jay Nixon made lots of promises while running for Missouri governor. Many remain unfulfilled at the midpoint of his term -- supplanted by economic realities that have led Nixon to define success as abiding by the spirit of his campaign theme...

Cape Girardeau businessman David Knight is half of Dream Big LLC, the company that brought Isle of Capri to Cape Girardeau and owned much of the property that makes up the new casino site. Before courting a casino, he got his start in the barbecue business by first opening Port Cape Girardeau and later translating his barbecue know-how into barbecue oven manufacturer Ole Hickory Pits. Throughout his career, he's been committed to revitalizing downtown Cape Girardeau...

Last week's Southeast Missourian Christmas tournament went pretty much like I -- and most people -- expected, at least at the top. Entering the 66th annual event at the Show Me Center, I didn't talk to anybody who thought Scott County Central would not three-peat -- and probably by some lopsided margins...

ST. LOUIS -- Slumping Dallas goalie Kari Lehtonen took advantage of a timely visit to St. Louis. Lehtonen stopped 28 shots and Brad Richards scored the go-ahead goal at 6:32 of the third period to lead the Stars to a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday...

MADRID -- Tapas bars -- the noisy and bustling Spanish success story that combined delicious morsels with good wine and often a cloud of cigarette smoke -- are now smoke-free. So are restaurants, discos, casinos, airports and even some outdoor spaces...

The Jackson wrestling team finished sixth in the 24-team Granite City (Ill.) tournament last week. Levi Rayburn and Michael Riney led the Indians with second-place finishes as Jackson collected 411 points. Neosho, the defending Missouri Class 3 state champions, won the team title with 616 points, and Minooka (Ill.), the defending Class 3 champions in Illinois, placed second with 585...

Notre Dame scored the game's first 36 points on its way to a 97-21 victory

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team revived its hopes of a solid Ohio Valley Conference finish with two recent road wins. Southeast will look to start making some OVC noise at the Show Me Center when the Redhawks begin a four-game conference homestand at 8 p.m. today against Tennessee-Martin...

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea's president compared a deadly North Korean artillery barrage to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, saying today that the South must strengthen defenses and cannot let the North "covet even an inch of our territory."...

COBDEN, Ill. -- Robert Mazzei, 63, of Cobden died Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011, at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, Ill. Arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Anna-Jonesboro, Ill.

Neurologist Dr. Robert Gardner has one patient with minor hand and foot weakness. He has another patient with shortness of breath who needs a scooter for mobility and has a number of needs at home, too. Both have been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, but they're at different stages and need different levels of treatment...

Dan William Peek, a Columbia, Mo., resident, wrote about the long-running Ozark Opry where many local musicians performed.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The new Three Rivers Community College Sikeston campus has taken another small step toward becoming a reality. A public hearing for the annexation of property located on the southeast corner of the U.S. 60/61 intersection south of Sikeston was held during the regular Sikeston City Council meeting Monday...

In a mostly quiet neighborhood behind Arena Park, a Rottweiler has lived most of his eight-plus years tied to a chain wrapped around an old tree, neighbors say. The dog was "rescued" Sunday and brought Donna McCarty, whose daughter lives in the area. McCarty, who said the dog was "skin and bones," took the animal to a Cape Girardeau veternarian...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Pvt. Christopher Lawson, of Ellsinore, recently completed his military training to become a military policeman for Missouri National Guard's Detachment 2, 1137th Military Police Company in Doniphan. "I joined the Guard because believe this is an opportunity to better myself and further my education," said Lawson. "My grandfather also served in the military, and I think my service is something he would have wanted and been proud of."...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Pfc. Cedric Wilbourn, of Kennett, recently completed his military training to become a military policeman for Missouri National Guard's 1137th Military Police Company in Kennett. "I joined the Guard because I start a career and build a good life for my son," said Wilbourn...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Pfc. Mitchell Burchell, of Jackson, recently completed his military training to become a military policeman for Missouri National Guard's Detachment 1, 1137th Military Police Company in Jackson. "I joined the Guard because I wanted to serve my country and state," said Burchell. He also joined to follow in his father's footsteps...

The Redhawks improved to 3-2 in the OVC.

Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder expects his lawsuit challenging the new health care law to be "knocking on the door" of the U.S. Supreme Court as early as next year.

While Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy's first Cape Girardeau County Commission meeting did not include any agenda items, new Recorder of Deeds Scott R. Clark approached commissioners with two requests. Clark asked the locks on the recorder's office be changed for his protection, as well as for the safety of the documents housed in the office...

Antonio Tyler, 32, was charged with first-degree domestic assault for allegedly punching, kicking and throwing framed photographs at his girlfriend after having an argument. The victim was transported to a Cape Girardeau hospital and treated for fractures to her jaw and cuts and bruises, according to a news release from the Scott County Sheriff's Department...

After postponing the vote at its last meeting, the Jackson Board of Aldermen approved no parking zones along North High Street and Lacey Street on Monday night. On North High Street there will be no parking from Mary Street to West Park Street. The North Lacey Street zone would be between Ridge Road and East Main Street and East Main Street to Ridgeway Drive...

A Cape Girardeau County teenager accused of having inappropriate conduct with a 7-year-old had his preliminary hearing set Monday by Associate Circuit Court Judge Gary A. Kamp. Benjamin B. Harrison II, 17, is charged with felony statutory sodomy for allegedly forcing a 7-year-old to have oral sex...

A Stoddard County judge's motion filed Wednesday recusing himself from presiding over Joe T. Buerkle's felony stealing case has postponed the former lawyer's sentencing, which was set for Monday in Bloomfield, Mo. Buerkle, 67, who pleaded guilty to the felony charges in August 2010, stole $325,000 from a trust fund account he was managing. The trust was opened for Donald Thomasson, who died in 2002...

BENTON, Mo. -- Three Mississippi County residents arrested on drug-related offenses remained in custody of the Scott County Sheriff's Department Monday after felony charges were filed Sunday. Margo Wilkerson, 21, and Leo Hale, 39, both of Charleston, Mo., and Adam Hodges, 29, of East Prairie, Mo., are charged with manufacturing methamphetamine and possession of chemicals with the intent to distribute a controlled substance...

A 49-year-old Cape Girardeau man arrested on suspicion of damaging a local couple's home with spray paint and vehicle with sandpaper was arrested Saturday after police matched the sole of his shoe with a footprint in the victim's flower bed, according to court documents...

LOS ANGELES -- Actress Anne Francis, who was the love interest in the 1950s science-fiction classic "Forbidden Planet" and later was sexy private eye in "Honey West" on TV, has died at age 80. Francis died Sunday at a Santa Barbara, Calif., nursing home, said Bill Guntle, an area funeral director...

These men were exemplary heroes in a time when people were calling them by other derogatory names, yet they put on their uniforms and performed their duty. Most were drafted and many volunteered for a monthly pay of less than $100 per month, and there were no lucrative enlistment bonuses. ...

THE Scott City School Board passed a school uniform requirement to begin next school year. Where is the debate over uniforms in the news? I am OK with the uniforms as long as all teachers and staff have to abide by this code as well. WHEN I was a young man growing up in the 1940s, pretty well everyone stepped into the gutter on occasion. ...

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast -- West African leaders gave persuasion another chance Monday, trying to get Laurent Gbagbo to surrender the presidency to the internationally recognized election winner before resorting to military intervention. The presidents of Benin, Sierra Leone and Cape Verde also visited last week without result, and this time they were being joined by Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga. No developments were immediately announced...

ISLAMABAD -- The collapse of Pakistan's ruling coalition after a key party's defection complicates efforts to tackle problems facing this nuclear-armed nation already grappling with widespread poverty and insurgent attacks. The renewed political turmoil bodes ill for military action against Muslim extremists that the U.S. believes is key to success in neighboring Afghanistan, analysts said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Employees at the Missouri Department of Mental Health have racked up excessive amounts of overtime -- sometimes working weeks of double shifts without days off -- because the department lacked policies to limit overtime hours, a state audit found...

WASHINGTON -- Eager to show who's now in charge, the House's new Republican majority plans to vote to repeal President Barack Obama's landmark health care overhaul before he even shows up in their chamber to give his State of the Union address...

O God, may we live our lives by principle and not by preference. Amen.

Lillis Rosely Bechel, 90, of Ellisville, Mo., passed peacefully into the arms of God Monday, Jan. 3, 2011. She had resided at Gambrill Gardens the past four years, after moving from her home on Camellia Drive in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 22, 1920, in Egypt Mills, daughter of Lewis Sherman and Christine Elizabeth Baker Kistner. She and Willard Marion Bechel were married Jan. 7, 1937, in Poplar Bluff, Mo...

Derrell Chapman, 64, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., and Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011, at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Ind. He was born May 8, 1946, in Vanduser, Mo., to the late Eugene and Ruby Mills Chapman. Chapman was a veteran of the U.S. Army...

Georgia Klasing, 96, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Dec. 31, 2010, at the family home, following an illness. She was born June 28, 1914, at Marquand, Mo., daughter of George and Ella Cornman Hargis. She and August Klasing were married Dec. 22, 1933. He passed away June 27, 1997...

William E. "Slug" Taylor, 87, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Dec. 9, 1923, in McClure, Ill., to Clifton L. and Cora Wilcher Taylor. He and Kathryn A. Mainer were married June 18, 1948, in Piggott, Ark...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Verna H. Werner, 84, of Perryville died Monday, Jan. 3, 2011, at Independence Care Center in Perryville. She was born Sept. 25, 1926, at Frohna, Mo., daughter of Arthur and Magdalana Oberndorfer Kassel. She and Rudi Werner were married Aug. 10, 1946. He preceded her in death Aug. 30, 2000...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Ruth M. Williams, 92, of Cairo died Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2010, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo. There is no visitation. A memorial Mass will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Cairo, with the Rev. Jerome Fortenberry and the Rev. John Agbasiera as celebrants. Burial will be in Green Lawn Memorial Gardens in Villa Ridge, Ill...

ANNA, Ill. -- Patricia "Pat" Haire, 71, of Anna died Monday, Jan. 3, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Anna. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Bill Minor officiating. Entombment will be in Anna Cemetery at a later date...

June J. Allmon, 73, of Jackson died Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

Complete computerization of Kent Library and acquisition of computer equipment in two other areas top a list of projects approved by the Southeast Missouri State University Foundation Board of Directors; the three projects, which total $179,000, are among a dozen projects included in a $250,000-funding package adopted by the board...

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

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

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The waterways of Southeast Missouri led the state with the highest number drownings, as well as the drug arrests, for 2010. "This year in District 4, we've had 15 drownings; statewide there were 46," said Missouri State Water Patrolman David Nelson, District 4's public information officer. "The most we've had previously was 44. ... Last year, there were 27 drownings statewide."...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Already facing similar charges in Dunklin County, a former Poplar Bluff doctor made his first appearance in a Butler County courtroom Thursday morning after being charged with inappropriately touching three female patients...

Poplar Bluff authorities arrested a local man and woman wanted in connection to a child abuse investigation Friday night at a Cape Girardeau motel. Officers with the Poplar Bluff Police Department had been searching for Donnisha Nelson, 22, and Sterling Marshall, 28, as persons of interest as they investigated the alleged abuse of Nelson's young sons...

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

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri junior quarterback Blaine Gabbert has chosen to make himself available for the NFL draft. Gabbert has started the past two years and is coming off a standout performance in the Insight Bowl, when he was 41 of 57 for 434 yards and a touchdown in a loss to Iowa...

ST. LOUIS -- Steven Jackson anticipated the usual heavy load in the game that decided the NFC West. It just never came. Jackson led the NFL in carries and total touches after 15 games but had a season-low 11 attempts as the St. Louis offense fizzled with a season-worst 184 yards in Sunday's 16-6 loss at Seattle. The Rams' lone Pro Bowl representative took the high road Monday, saying all he could control was what he did with his opportunities...

Semoball.com, a collaboration of the Rust Communications newspapers in Southeast Missouri, earned honorable mention in the Associated Press Sports Editors annual website contest. Semoball.com competed in the C class, which was websites with less than 500,000 monthly unique visitors. Semoball.com, which includes stories, photos, commentary and schedules for 58 high schools in the region as well as coverage of regional colleges, averages 65,000 unique visitors a month...

WASHINGTON -- Uh-oh, the new year's just begun and already you're finding it hard to keep those resolutions to junk the junk food, get off the couch or kick smoking. There's a biological reason a lot of our bad habits are so hard to break: They get wired into our brains...

Oftentimes New Year's resolutions focus on being more active, but the calories you put in your body can be as important as the ones you burn. To get more bang for your nutritional buck, resolve to add these items -- recommended by HealthPoint Fitness dietitian Raina Childers and Fitness Plus dietitian Janet Anders -- to your diet.

The Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament wrapped up Thursday with a strong performance from Scott County Central. The Braves defeated Jackson in the championship game of the tournament 75-34, marking the third consecutive Christmas tournament championship for the school...

Cairo Store Reinvents Itself Patches is a small retail shop in what is left of downtown Cairo. The business began ten years ago as a Seeley Doll Studio and antique shop. There are still some antiques in the shop, and the owner, Pat Brey, still makes porcelain dolls. But the focus of the shop has changed...

BEEBE, Ark. -- New Year's revelers in a small Arkansas town were enjoying midnight fireworks when they noticed something other than sparks falling from the sky: thousands of dead blackbirds. The red-winged blackbirds rained out of the darkness onto rooftops and sidewalks and into fields. One struck a woman walking her dog. Another hit a police cruiser...

T.J. Tisdell has gone from seeing limited varsity action to being among the area's leading scorers. That's how much the Central High School junior has improved since last season. "He's really come a long way," Central coach Drew Church said. Tisdell, a 6-foot-5 forward, continued his strong play Tuesday night during Central's 75-42 rout of visiting Northwest-House Springs in the Tigers' home opener...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Damage assessment reports on the two EF-2 tornadoes in Carter and Butler counties Friday afternoon have been released by the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky. Meteorologist Rick Shanklin said the peak wind at both locations was estimated at 120 mph...

Measures to improve Missouri's business climate were announced Tuesday by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry in hopes the 2011 legislature will adopt the proposed reforms.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Death penalty opponents and the attorney for a southeast Missouri man convicted and sentenced to death in a 1994 murder-for-hire plot are asking Gov. Jay Nixon to stop what would be the state's first execution in nearly two years...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's top two legislators are calling for more government oversight into the way the state administers state business incentives, with one saying the Department of Economic Development "clearly dropped the ball" when it authorized $2 million in state aid for a Cape Girardeau project headed by a man on probation for a felony...

Thirty one Cape Central Orchestra members earned a spot in the 2010 Southeast Missouri District Honor Orchestra. Cape Central High School hosted the clinic and performed a concert on Saturday, November 6.

"I'm holding an $11,000 check!" exclaimed Mrs. Jalon Lies, principal of Cape Christian School (CCS), after receiving an $11,250 Ronald McDonald House Charities grant check from local McDonald's restaurant owner Shannon Davis. Davis, who has three children enrolled at CCS, presented the check to Lies in the school's computer lab in mid-December. Grant monies will be used to upgrade the lab with the purchase of new computers...

With the goal of wanting to help their peers in the case of an emergency, three VIP Industries employees recently took part in Community Emergency Response Team training. These developmentally disabled adults now feel better prepared to handle an emergency after their involvement with the CERT training program, which is designed to prepare community members for a major disaster. ...

More than 60 Fruitland residents signed a petition for annexation into the city of Jackson last month. According to the document, the group's goal is to incorporate as the Village of Fruitland, but petitioning for annexation is the first step. According to Missouri revised statute 72.130, any area wishing to incorporate must first approach any city within two miles of its proposed borders for annexation...

Tessa Long, age 13, with the 9-point buck she shot on Saturday, January 1st during the youth hunting season.

Two of Cape Girardeau's largest pharmacies -- Walgreens and Walmart -- continue to lead Missouri in pseudoephedrine sales, although the number of boxes sold dropped at the stores in December, according to the statewide database that tracks purchases of the cold and sinus medication...

Last month a $10 million development for a dental and vision cooperative in downtown Cape Girardeau was announced. The center, called Watch Me Smile and developed by Weaver Dickerson, was to bring 135 jobs to Cape Girardeau. City and state leaders were excited about the development, and the state pledged its support announcing $2.05 million in state economic development incentives for the medical center. However, plans for the development took a different turn over the past few weeks...

IN some ways, al-Qaida has beaten us. The United States is terribly in debt. We're going to have to quit sending our troops over to defend Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Canada, South Korea and Japan. We're going to have to bring our troops back home and let these other countries defend themselves...

FESTUS, Mo. -- Alfred Lum Oliver, 81, of Festus entered into rest Monday, Jan. 3, 2011, at his home. He was born April 9, 1929, in Arkansas, to James and Lillie Lee Latham Oliver. He was a retired truck driver with Consolidated Freight. Oliver was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean conflict...

Jacqueline Brand, 44, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Jan. 3, 2011, at her home. She was born Feb. 3, 1966, in St. Louis. Survivors include seven sons, Joe Brand, Kevin Cole, Maximilian Smith, Mark Brand, Alexander Parrow, Abraham Parrow, Kenneth Parrow, all of Cape Girardeau; a daughter, Sabrina Cambell of Cape Girardeau; seven sisters; two brothers; numerous nieces and nephews; and other relatives...

Dorothy O. Cole, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Jan. 3, 2011, at the Lutheran Home. She was born July 4, 1926, in Wood River, Ill., to Theodore and Edna Steinheimer Ruester. She and Samuel Cole were married Oct. 21, 1967, at Marissa, Ill. He died Oct. 2, 2000...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Genevieve Theresa "Gen" Griffin, 87, of Hazelwood, Mo., formerly of Chaffee, died Monday, Jan. 3, 2011, at Chaffee Nursing Center. She was born March 3, 1923, in Chaffee, daughter of Charles Vincent and Igenia Theresa Strack Griffin...

Grand Tower, Ill. -- Willis A. Hughes Sr., 90, of Grand Tower passed away Monday, Jan. 3, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Willis was born May 6, 1920, in Eldorado, Ill., to Elmer and Lorene (Bramlet) Hughes. He and Velma Gladys Estel were married March 22, 1941, at Perryville, Mo. She died Dec. 9, 2004...

Pearl N. Mongreig, 90, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Jan. 3, 2011, at Southeast Hospital. She was a resident of Ratliff Care Center. She was born March 24, 1920, in Shannon County, Mo., to Elmer and Lucy Conway Camden. She and Robert J. Mongreig were married April 22, 1950, at Hinsdale, Ill. He died May 28, 2007...

June Janet Allmon, 73, of Jackson passed away Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 25, 1937, in Fieldon, Ill., daughter of Charles and Virginia Christian Karaushaar. June was the first female licensed by the Coast Guard to pilot a ferryboat. She operated Tower Rock Ferry in Wittenberg, Mo., many years. She had an avid love for quilting...

Mabel Clara Albrecht, 82, of Scott City died Monday, Jan. 3, 2011, at Memorial Hospital in Carbondale, Ill. She was born March 19, 1928, in Jackson, daughter of August F.W. and Clara Nagel Meier. She and Robert John Albrecht were married Sept. 3, 1950, in Cape Girardeau. He preceded her in death Nov. 28, 1999...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- H.C. "Hank" Cloninger, 79, of Marble Hill died Monday, Jan. 3, 2011, at Levering Regional Health Care in Hannibal, Mo. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until time of service Saturday at Liley Funeral Home in Marble Hill. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Bobby Robbins officiating. Burial will be in Bollinger County Memorial Park Cemetery at Marble Hill...

Dessie Gaines, 94, of Delta died Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Mo., is in charge of arrangements.

ANNA, Ill. -- William Mark Hardwig, 53, of Anna, formerly of Murphysboro, Ill., died Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, at Union County Hospital in Anna. A memorial service and burial will be announced at a later date. Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Anna is in charge of arrangements...

The Rev. R. Douglas Corbett, Assemblies of God missionary to Sierra Leone, West Africa, speaks in the evening at Bethel Assembly of God. Mr. and Mrs. Ed Kohlfeld, who have owned and operated Al's Midtown Lounge, 627 Good Hope St., turned over management of the business to their son-in-law and daughter, John and Terri Cobb, last week...

Pres. Obama's supporters see a hope even in a dismal defeat The man who campaigned on a slogan of "Hope and Change" has delivered on half of that promise. To be certain, we've experienced our fair share of change over the past two years. To paraphrase an old commercial, "Where's the hope?"...

O Lord, we humbly ask that you give us wisdom. Amen.

KENNETT, Mo. -- Local police said they arrested a 45-year-old Kennett man after he apparently stole a car and crashed it twice during a police pursuit while under the influence of alcohol. According to official reports, on Monday a Kennett police officer saw William Scott Ferrell driving in a careless matter on College Street and attempted to stop him. ...

While your list of things to do in 2011 may consist of places to see, books to read or things to learn, my list, of course, is made up of places to eat that I'd like to visit or revisit in the coming year. It's an idiosyncratic inventory, to be sure, but I herewith offer it for your consideration. After all, you don't need me to suggest the famous places like Charlie Trotter's or The French Laundry. These are eateries that I think are well worth seeking out in the new year...

Cheryl Mothes of Cape Girardeau is trying to help us all start off the new year on a healthy note, after all the food we have eaten over the holidays. She has contributed a few vegetarian recipes for us to try. I have tried several of them, and they are all delicious. She always says they are so packed with flavor you won't even know they are vegetarian, and she's right. Give these recipes a try to kick your new year off right...

If by now you haven't hit turkey fatigue, consider going back to this all-American bird for easy, speedy and healthy weeknight meals. There's no need to mess with the whole bird. Turkey breast cutlets are thin slices of skinless meat that cook quickly and require almost no prep. Plus, they have only half a gram of fat per 4-ounce serving...

DALLAS -- A Texas man declared innocent Tuesday after 30 years in prison had at least two chances to make parole and be set free -- if only he would admit he was a sex offender. But Cornelius Dupree Jr. refused to do so, maintaining his innocence in a 1979 rape and robbery, in the process serving more time for a crime he didn't commit than any other Texas inmate exonerated by DNA evidence...

WILMINGTON, Del. -- Police trying to piece together the last days of a slain national defense consultant said Tuesday he was seen alive in downtown Wilmington less than 24 hours before he was found dead in a load of trash at a landfill. Sanitation workers spotted the body of 66-year-old John Wheeler III falling from a refuse truck as it dumped its load Friday at the Cherry Island landfill near Wilmington...

LOS ANGELES -- A choreographer who worked with Michael Jackson on his ill-fated concert tour told a judge Tuesday he let the superstar skip rehearsal six days before he died because he seemed sick and out of shape. Choreographer Kenny Ortega said he was summoned the next morning to Jackson's home and told by Dr. Conrad Murray to not try to be Jackson's doctor or psychiatrist...

White accepted the job as running backs coach at New Mexico

The Southeast senior lineman was bestowed the 2010 Rimington Award

Jacob Tolbert went over the 1,000-point mark for his career as the Notre Dame boys basketball team routed visiting Fredericktown 90-43 Tuesday night. Tolbert, a 6-foot-7 senior forward, had five 3-pointers and finished with 24 points as the Bulldogs improved to 7-4...

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- Bertha Dumey, 90, of New Hamburg died Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Mo., is in charge of arrangements.

Interstate 55 in Pemiscot County will be reduced to one lane Thursday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews make guardrail repairs. This section of road from is two miles south of Highway 84 to one mile south of Highway 84. Weather permitting, work will be performed from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near the area...

ST. LOUIS -- Retiring Missouri Sen. Kit Bond has a new job with a St. Louis-based law firm. Bond announced Tuesday he is joining the Thompson Coburn law firm as a partner and will work primarily out of its Washington, D.C., office. The 71-year-old Republican decided not to seek re-election this past November after 24 years in the Senate. ...

Chaffee Elementary School Second Quarter 3rd grade: Reece Felty, Nicole Graf, Allie Miller, Emilie Munoz, Ashtyn Rains, Emma Sigman, Braden Spies, Tristyn Nanna, Tyler Essner, Samantha Welter, Emily Wiseman, Grace Arnzen. 4th grade: Kaleb Ballard, Olivia Horrell, Collin Jackson, Douglas Lands, Julie Miller, Carlie Milz, Madison Perry, Trey Stevens, Kade Sullivan, Regan Swain, Bridgette Swinford, Brianna Whitlock, Bailey Wiseman, Mackenzie Barger, Cameron Eicchorn, Trenton Gramlisch, Alexis Hanback, Madeline Hendrix, Lei Lei Luttrell, Kari Pepple, Brooklyn Pobst, Sidney Schrum, Landon Tenkhoff, Sydney Walker, Abbigal Walter.. ...

Sgt. Douglas A. Gross, 29, of Bemidji, Minn., formerly of Gordonville, was injured in a pedestrian-vehicular accident Dec. 28, 2010, in Bemidji. He passed away Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010, at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. He was born Sept. 20, 1981, in Cape Girardeau, to Richard and Sheila King Gross. He was baptized and confirmed at Christ Lutheran Church in Gordonville, where his membership still remained. He and Christie Meulebroeck were married July 23, 2005, in Dubuque, Iowa...

A Zalma, Mo., woman was killed in a Bollinger County accident Tuesday. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the 2003 Chevrolet driven by 77-year-old Mary L. Baker ran off the road, struck a culvert and overturned on Highway 51 two miles north of Marble Hill, Mo. at 1:30 p.m...

Two Patton, Mo., residents suffered moderate injuries after hitting a deer in Bollinger County Tuesday evening. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the 1994 Pontiac Firebird driven by 19-year-old Edward E. Cureton ran off the road and struck a ditch after hitting the animal two miles west of Marble Hill, Mo. on County Road 502 at 7:19 p.m...

Porter led the Braves to a third consecutive Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament title at the Show Me Center.

Levi Rayburn appeared to make an odd transition from senior to senior citizen as he overlooked the Jackson wrestling room after practice Monday. Rayburn was observing the next few generations of Jackson wrestling as the Jackson USA Wrestling program overtook the room with wrestlers ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade...

BENTON, Mo. -- A local chamber of commerce director has a solution to Scott County not being able to afford an in-house economic developer: outsource. Missy Marshall, executive director for Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce, proposed during the regular county commission meeting Tuesday that she handle the county's economic development...

The new executive director of the Cape County Board for Developmentally Disabled has been in the position less than a week, but already has some lofty goals for the organization. Within two months Bob Dale would like to be able to offer Cape Girardeau County residents with disabilities targeted case management. This program would allow those with disabilities to meet regularly with a caseworker that can pinpoint their abilities and disabilities and help them get the specific help they need...

Southeast Missouri State football coach Tony Samuel is poised to receive the biggest honor of his five-year tenure at Southeast. Sources have confirmed that Samuel won the Eddie Robinson Award, which honors the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) national coach of the year...

Walk the halls of Scott City High School in late spring or early fall and you're bound to see students in short shorts and low-cut halter tops.

It's a much-anticipated time of year -- Girl Scout cookie time. Through mid-March, girls will go door-to-door and set up booths at local merchants to sell eight delicious varieties of Girl Scout cookies to eager customers. All proceeds from Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland's Girl Scout Cookie Program benefit girls in the area; girls earn troop proceeds and Girl Scout Cookie Credit that can be used to pay for Girl Scout camp, leadership programs, uniforms, and more. ...

American Red Cross- Southeast MO Chapter donates Computers to Cape Area Family Resource Center Cape Girardeau, MO- The American Red Cross Southeast MO Chapter recently made a donation of computers and other equipment to the Cape Area Family Resource Center...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Legislature convened its 2011 session Wednesday with many new faces, a looming budget shortfall and a pledge from the largest Republican majority in decades to make quick progress on a pro-business agenda. On opening day, the list of business priorities was long and varied: a cap on state franchise taxes affecting big businesses, a moratorium on new regulations and fees affecting small businesses; more restrictions on lawsuits by employees claiming injuries and discrimination; a tweak of business tax incentives; and a proposed ban on union-only workplaces.. ...

Nine outstanding students of Cape Public Schools were honored for their service to others, leadership and scholarship at the December school board meeting. The recipients of the Terrific Tiger Award are pictured above with Board President Paul Nenninger and Superintendent of Schools Dr. ...

Frank Ellis was getting ready for church early New Year's Day when he stepped outside. He looked at his Dodge Durango in the faint early morning light. The SUV's windshield wipers caught his attention. "They were twisted, like a tornado had come through," said Ellis, of 215 Alpine Drive...

A private message made public on YouTube has put Cape Girardeau County's prosecuting attorney on the defense, raising questions about whether a romantic relationship caused Morley Swingle to recuse himself from a case he worked on for 11 months. In a 60-second clip posted on the video website, Lane Thomasson, 28, and a victim in a $325,000 theft case that Swingle initially prosecuted, read a poem to a person she identified as Morley that describes a "most beautiful affair."...

James Baughn's blog on the Thebes Bridge sent me to looking for some of my photos of the 1905 structure. http://www.capecentralhigh.com/uncategorized/thebes-railroad-bridge/ See current photos, plus a shot from 1966, when Thebes actually had a downtown...

I. Ben Miller, the noted Cape Girardeau druggist, also started the I. Ben Miller ice cream plant, which was reported to be the largest between St. Louis and Memphis. Mr. Miller and his family moved into their new home on Bellevue Street 100 years ago in December of 1910. The anniversary was celebrated this December with a reception and a new bright red roof...

Some resolutions are easy. Giving up lima beans or world domination -- no sweat. Some are harder. Picking on your kid brother less or stepping away from the Nacho Cheesier Doritos, well, now that's just crazy talk. Taking in the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament at the Show Me Center last week, many area teens told us they are resolving to ditch resolutions altogether in the new year. But some remain in the resolution game. Here's what they resolve to do in 2011...

What's happening this weekend

Ahh, Christmas break. I'm not usually so happy for it to arrive, but this year was different. I'm usually the kid that would hate spending two weeks out of school, but being a sophomore, I now have homework nearly every day. That plus the stress that finals bring made me excited to see Christmas break arrive...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Lottery is moving its evening drawings back more than two hours so more people will have time to buy tickets. Sales currently end at 6:45 p.m. for the daily drawings for Pick 3, Pick 4, Show Me Cash, and for Missouri Lotto on Wednesdays and Saturdays...

What do you call it when you have 120,000 people and an elephant in the room? The International Consumer Electronics Show, which kicks off this week in Las Vegas. The elephant is Apple Inc. It won't be at the show this year, but its tablet computer, the iPad, is the most important new product for an industry that needs to once again excite consumers. Sales of the iPad have been strong since its April debut, and the whole industry is now trying to mimic Apple's success...

ZALMA, Mo. -- Mary Lynn Pape Baker, 77, of Zalma passed away Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, near Patton, Mo. She was born Sept. 20, 1933, at Zalma, daughter of August and Eula May Thomas Pape. She and William Baker were married June 25, 1955, in St. Louis. He preceded her in death Nov. 15, 2007...

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- Bertha Ann Dumey, 90, of New Hamburg died Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 27, 1920, at Commerce, Mo., daughter of Otto and Elizabeth LeDure Vetter. She and Elmer Frank Dumey were married Feb. 21, 1939, at New Hamburg. He died Nov. 22, 1995...

Dessie Ruth Foster Gaines, 94, of Delta died Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 25, 1916, in Bell City, Mo., daughter of Perry and Minnie Jones Chezem. She and Everett Foster were married July 31, 1937, at Benton, Mo. He died Oct. 1, 1989. She then married Theodore "Ted" Gaines Aug. 23, 1990, at Delta. He died Nov. 28, 2001...

Artie Mae Brewer Hillis, 89, died Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2011, at Ratliff Care Center. She was born Feb. 22, 1921, daughter of Richard "Dick" and Mary "May" Waggoner Brewer. She was the oldest of five children and the only daughter. She and Thomas Nelson Hillis were married Jan. 1, 1937, in Cash, Ark. He preceded her in death June 23, 1990...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Willie Lee Beckom, 71, of Cairo, formerly of Mounds, Ill., died Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010, at Daystar Care Center. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Massie Funeral Home in Mounds. Graveside service will be at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 12 at Mound City National Cemetery in Mound City, Ill...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Henry R. Sheppard Jr., 50, of Cairo died Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from noon until service time Saturday at Massie Funeral Home in Mounds, Ill. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with Lorenzo Nelson officiating. Burial will be in Spencer Heights Memorial Park in Mounds...

Daughter to Shawna Louisa Jackson of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 1:01 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010. Name, Shawna Louise Tashe. Weight, 5 pounds, 6 ounces. First child. Ms. Jackson is the former Shawna Wyatt, daughter of Tamara Wyatt of Cape Girardeau...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Making his plans official, Wayne Cryts, who drew national attention in 1981 when he removed his soybeans from a bankrupt grain elevator, announces he will seek the Democratic nomination for Congress from Southeast Missouri; the 8th District seat is held by Rep. Bill Emerson, R-Missouri...

Most of us boil water in a pan on the stove. Using a few ingredients from around the house and your science skills you can boil water in a paper cup. Adult supervision is recommended for this experiment. STEP 2: Using the butane lighter, create a flame. Carefully hold the flame under the cup of water for a few minutes. Make sure the flame is directly under the cup...

An Advance woman won a $100,000 prize in a Missouri Lottery Scratchers "10X the Cash" game, according to a Missouri Lottery news release. Donna Tidwell, 50, was given the ticket by her daughter for Christmas. It was purchased at MPC 25 in Perryville, Mo...

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- A wrong number proved costly Tuesday for a Caruthersville man who authorities say mistakenly called a police officer to sell drugs. About 8:20 p.m. Tuesday, a Caruthersville police officer received a phone call from a man who unknowingly dialed the wrong number and attempted to sell some hydrocodone pills, according to a news release from the police department. ...

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- A Clubb, Mo., man was charged earlier this week with causing the death of his wife, who, at the time, was riding in his car when he crashed it near Greenville, the Daily American Republic reported. Daniel J. White, 27, was charged Monday with felony first-degree involuntary manslaughter by Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Robert Ramshur. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Kim English picked a good time to rediscover his shooting stroke with Missouri set to kick off conference play this weekend. The junior guard scored a season-high 20 points, all in the first half, and No. 9 Missouri placed seven players in double figures in a 98-58 victory over Division II North Alabama on Wednesday night...

EPHRATA, Wash. -- The suspense over who bought the two winning tickets in the $380 million Mega Millions lottery focused Wednesday on two small towns nestled just 125 miles apart in the snow-covered Pacific Northwest. One was sold at a Safeway supermarket here in eastern Washington, and the other in Post Falls, Idaho. No one has come forward yet to claim the prize, with each ticket worth $190 million...

WASHINGTON -- Claiming power beneath the Capitol dome, resurgent Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives on Wednesday as the 112th Congress convened in an era of economic uncertainty. Dozens of tea party-backed lawmakers took office in both houses, eager to cut spending and reduce government's reach...

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

A preview of the Redhawks' 2011 team.

While many families festively decorate their homes for the Christmas season, some in Southeast Missouri go above and beyond in their efforts. The Clark family of Kelso, Mo., is one such family. The family started a tradition last year of decorating their home with 50,000 Christmas lights and synchronizing them to Christmas carols. The lights were a hit, and this year the family expanded the display to 80,000 lights...

Cape Community Church of God Youth Group would like to thank the public for their support in our annual gift-wrapping fundraiser. We had a very successful event due to the public turnout. We are grateful to our returning customers who come year after year to support our group...

DON'T we all feel safer now that our president has rammed through another deal that will affect us for years to come? Ronald Reagan used strength and determination to shut down the USSR. Now our president has reversed the gains we have made and is now moving us back toward Mutual Assured Destruction...

O Lord, may we act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with you. Amen.

WASHINGTON -- Companies added nearly 300,000 jobs in December, according to an unofficial count by a private payroll firm -- more than in any month in the past decade. The news raised hopes that the government's official report Friday on last month's job creation could be a blockbuster...

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

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday:...

MOGOSOIA, Romania -- Everyone curses the tax man, but Romanian witches angry about having to pay up for the first time are planning to use cat excrement and dead dogs to cast spells on the president and government. Also among Romania's newest taxpayers are fortune tellers -- but they probably should have seen it coming...

Elected officials should respect the will of the people, and stop meddling with Proposition B ("Prop B needs a rational approach," Jan. 2). Subverting the judgment of voters is wrong and anti-democratic. Our system is built on majority rule, and a majority of Missouri citizens -- including majorities in most House and Senate legislative districts -- favored Prop B. ...

Jan. 6, 2011 Dear Patty, At the start of a new year, many people resolve to get fit. DC and I decided to get a head start by doing something healthier than usual on New Year's Eve. Instead of spending the night in a smoky nightclub, we proposed bowling our way into 2011...

A Marble Hill, Mo., man is in moderate condition following a Wednesday accident in Cape Girardeau County. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Tommy L. Nanney, 21, was a passenger in a car driven by Cheryl A. Seabaugh, 36, of Marquand, Mo., when the 2007 Ford ran off the road and struck a tree on County Road 450, one and a half miles west of Route D at 5:10 p.m...

This eagle was watching over a nest while enjoying the sunshine last Sunday afternoon.

Tony Samuel maintained his usual humble demeanor after capturing the biggest award ever by a Southeast Missouri State football coach. Samuel became the first Southeast coach to win the Eddie Robinson Award, which honors the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) national coach of the year...

From hair dye to flip-flops, a Scott City School District committee discussed the school system's planned dress code from head to toe Thursday night. More than 60 residents, including some 30 members of the 55-member Scott City Committee to Study Student Dress Codes, turned out for the brainstorming session that will eventually set the what-to-wear list for Scott City schools...

Dylan Glueck, 14 years old of Cape Girardeau, and Race Baker, 12 years old of Scott City recently attended the 2010 Tennessee Motocross Association Awards Banquet on December 11th in Dyersburg, TN. Dylan Glueck (pictured right), accepted his 3rd place trophy for the 85 Sr. class and a 1st place series championship trophy and a number plate for most points in the Supermini class for the 2010 series...

A state Court of Appeals judge was assigned by the Missouri Supreme Court Tuesday to preside over a Cape Girardeau County felony theft case. The Supreme Court assigned Hon. Gary D. Witt, a judge from the Missouri Court of Appeals Western District, the state's largest intermediate appellate court, to the case of Joe T. Buerkle. Buerkle stole $325,000 from a client's trust fund for approximately two years. Buerkle was managing the trust of the late Donald Thomasson...

The League of Women Voters of Southeast Missouri and The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce present Tony DeLong, County Council Coordinator, University of Missouri, who will speak on Missouri County Government> Date: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 Time: 12:00 noon...

Amid the buzz of a tattoo needle and the roar of heavy metal music, Mike King pulled up his shirt sleeve to reveal a crudely inked image, a jagged circle with the letters "LSD" etched across it. "It was done with a staple gun and some ashes," King said with an embarrassed laugh...

The newly formed Jackson Art Group is holding a logo contest open to anyone 18 and over. The Jackson Art Group features one member monthly at its Steck House Gallery located at 210 Washington, Jackson (next door to the First Presbyterian Church). To enter the contest please drop off(any Saturday from 10 a.m. ...

shagbark hickory tree near lake girardeau

A new version of the iconic "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" will purge the N-word from its pages, creating a national literary debate about whether Mark Twain's liberal use of the racial slur is too offensive today or an integral part of a scathing satire of racial attitudes in 19th-century America...

Why Missouri Proposition B must be repealed or Fixed By Joe Overlease President of the Professional Kennel Club of Missouri Proposition B was and still is a contested bill. Aside from the fact that it was one of the most masterfully managed campaigns designed to lie and fool the voting public of the State of Missouri. The following facts remain and must be attended to within the bill or repeal all of it, in its entirety...

DEXTER, Mo. -- After months of rumors about layoffs, employees of Stoddard County's largest industrial plant, Faurecia, learned Wednesday that the work force there will be halved.

Hide the good silverware. Morgan Strebler, a Las Vegas mentalist and personal celebrity entertainer known for bending steel, is performing his award-winning illusions at the Pink Galleon in Cape Girardeau. Strebler has been spending time back home in Sikeston, Mo., as he prepares a comeback show and reinvents his image in the world of magic...

In a different spin on higher education, a drug dealer's loss is Mineral Area College's gain. The Missouri State Highway Patrol Troop C at a news conference Thursday announced the donation of seized equipment from two drug cases to the college's horticulture program. Some 60 students will benefit from the addition of humidifiers, electronic scales, air growing buckets, CO2 regulators, growing lights and exhaust fan systems used to grow marijuana...

The Cape County Board for Developmentally Disabled has sent the attorney for VIP Industries a letter suggesting a state-certified mediator may be able to help the two feuding groups come to an agreement.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A dispute is escalating over tourist access to the dome of the Missouri Capitol. The dome is accessible to the public only through state officials who have access to a limited number of keys. Last year, Republican Sen. Jason Crowell, of Cape Girardeau, passed a law requiring the Office of Administration to provide a dome key to each lawmaker. That hasn't happened yet...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a death row inmate Richard Clay's appeal for a stay of execution. In a letter to prisoner Richard Clay's counsel, Supreme Court Clerk Thomas Simon broke the news that the court's order be "Appellant's motion of stay of execution overruled." Attorney Jennifer Herndon filed the motion Jan. 3...

The Rev. Larry Rice's lengthy legal battle to have the former federal building on Broadway in Cape Girardeau turned into a homeless shelter ended last week. Rice, the director of the New Life Evangelistic Center, announced in a news conference that he would not appeal the Dec. 1 ruling by a federal judge denying New Life's claim to the building...

When a rapidly moving arctic air mass invades a warm one, dramatic things can happen. The wedge of cold (denser) air moves under the warm air, forcing it upward. This causes cooling and loss of moisture (rain, snow, sleet, hail). A steep temperature gradient, abrupt wind changes and moist air moving vertically together trigger cumulonimbus and/or tornado development (which was present last Friday). ...

There was an article recently in the Southeast Missourian that highlighted the LIFE program, which stands for Leading and Inspiring Families to Excel. This is a program funded by the United Way to assist students who are at risk of failure. The Cape Girardeau and Jackson school districts are very fortunate to benefit from this program...

I believe the puppy mill legislation is terrific. Unfortunately some people don't think of the animals, only their bottom line. If people would use common sense, there wouldn't have to be a puppy mill law. My mother used to say a friend is a friend indeed if they help you out in a time of need. ...

On Saturday, the high-definition broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera will be Giacomo Puccini's "La Fanciulla del West." The performance begins at noon at AMC Town Plaza 5 in Cape Girardeau. The encore will be Jan. 26. Soprano Deborah Voight will sing the role of Minnie, and tenor Marcello Giordani will be Dick Johnson...

LOS ANGELES -- Concertgoers sick of ballooning ticket prices should have some extra pocket change to rattle with their rock 'n' roll in the new year. Last year was tough for the concert business as high prices kept many fans at home. Promoters now say they plan to make shows more affordable in 2011. But they'll also try to sell more T-shirts and other merchandise to make up for lost revenue...

Today marks the First Friday of the new year. While some galleries decided to stay closed for an extended holiday, many others will open their doors and show off their goods for art lovers from 5 to 9 p.m. today. Grab a coat and take a walk to one of these exhibitions for a bit of bright color and inspiring images during the cold, dark winter...

Pitter's Cafe and Lounge on Broadway is keeping its New Year's resolution to provide the people of Cape Girardeau with quality music on repeated occasions. On the bill for today is The Stockholm Robots with Cape Girardeau natives Legends Never Die. ...

Arts and entertainment briefs

O Lord Jesus, give us strength when we are weary. Amen.

After 45 years of newspapering, I now read newspapers like everyone else: mostly day-old (or older) news that is chosen mostly for its friction factor or its shock value. Two stories making national headlines this week gave me pause. Is this the best the news media can do in providing useful information?...

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. -- The will Elizabeth Edwards signed days before her death last month made no mention of her estranged husband and two-time presidential candidate John Edwards. The document Elizabeth Edwards signed Dec. 1, six days before her death, also named her eldest child, lawyer Cate Edwards, as the executor of her estate...

HANOVER, Md. -- Two packages ignited when they were opened Thursday at state government buildings 20 miles apart, slightly burning the fingers of two employees but not seriously injuring anyone, police said. Authorities were investigating a third suspicious package at a state office building in Baltimore, but it was not clear if it was related to the other two...

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast -- The internationally recognized winner of Ivory Coast's presidential election is asking for special forces to launch a commando operation to remove the country's defiant sitting president who has refused to cede power five weeks after losing the vote...

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iranian state television said Thursday that authorities did not arrest an American woman who tried to enter the country from Armenia, casting doubt on earlier media reports that she had been detained on spying charges. The state-run Arabic-language Al Alam TV quoted an informed source denying reports of her arrest and saying the woman was turned around at the border crossing because she did not have a visa. The report did not identify the source...

BRISBANE, Australia -- Australian officials on Friday urged residents of towns in the path of rising floodwaters to evacuate to higher ground as at least one river was forecast to peak higher than forecast due to heavy rain the night before. Residents of St. ...

WASHINGTON -- Republicans and Democrats took turns politely in a historic recitation of the Constitution from the House floor Thursday, but the decorum hardly meant they were in agreement. In a nod to the tea partiers who put the Republicans in power, GOP lawmakers took time out from their campaign to change the way government works to read the document upon which the government was founded. ...

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Human remains were found along the Mississippi River Tuesday just east of East Prairie. Mississippi County Coroner Terry A. Parker said a worker with the Fitzgerald Marine Service found bones along the riverbank at Belmont Landing around 1 p.m. Tuesday...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. A pair Poplar Bluff residents arrested in Cape Girardeau for alleged abusing their children have been charged with another count of endangering the welfare of a child for failing to seek medial treatment for their boys' injuries. The charges against Donnisha Marie Nelson, 22, and Sterling D. Marshall, 28, were amended Monday by Butler County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Bill Gresham from one felony of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child to two...

Cape Girardeau County commissioners approved two motions to make adjustments to the 2011 budgets for the highway department and the parks department at their Thursday meeting. Both adjustments stem from an excavator accident that occurred in fall of last year...

Missouri's top economic development official and the head of Isle of Capri Casinos will speak today at the Cape Girardeau Area Magnet annual luncheon. David Kerr, director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development and James B. Perry, chairman and CEO of Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc., will speak following Magnet executive director Mitch Robinson's summary of 2010's local economic development efforts...

ST. LOUIS -- A civil-rights group is raising concerns about Missouri's supply of a drug crucial to the execution process as the state prepares to execute its first convict in nearly two years. The American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri announced Thursday that the Missouri Department of Corrections has a dwindling supply of sodium thiopental, and that what is on hand is nearing its expiration date. The ACLU uncovered that information through a freedom of information request...

John Zelmer Smith, 71, of Scott City died Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 30, 1939, in Illmo, to John Henry and Mary Elizabeth Lynn Smith. He and Gladys Sue Raines were married April 7, 1963, in Illmo...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Clay White, 60, of Cairo died Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011, at Day Star Care Center. He was born Jan. 13, 1950, in Cairo, to William W. and Judith Chrestman White. White graduated from St. Mary's High School in Paducah, Ky., in 1967. He worked at the family-owned grocery store, Chrestman's Food Center in Cairo and later worked in maintenance at Delta Drug. ...

ANNA, Ill. -- Vernon Dale Boatright, 78, of Anna died Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011, at Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, Ill. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Anna. Masonic service will be at 7:30...

Son to Travis Lawrence and Tania Christine Statler of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 3:36 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010. Name, Preston Rhys. Weight, 7 pounds, 2 ounces. Mrs. Statler is the former Tania Morris, daughter of Howard and Michelle Morris of St. Peters, Mo. She is employed at HealthPoint Fitness. Statler is the son of Pete and Judy Statler of Jackson. He is a lawyer with the Statler Law Firm LC...

A truck containing 1,900 gallons of liquid propane gas burst into flames on Missouri Highway 34, five miles west of Jackson on Monday, injuring the driver; Jerry L. Miller, 22, driver for Co-op Service Center in Jackson, received second-degree burns on his face and head...

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

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

WASHINGTON -- Consumers spent a lot over the holidays and should keep it up this year. Economists say that will embolden companies to expand and hire. Americans spent more in the 50 days before Christmas than retail analysts expected. Spending grew at the fastest rate since 2006 -- the surest sign yet they're becoming less frugal as the economy rebounds...

ST. LOUIS -- Monsanto Co. on Thursday said higher seed sales helped it return to profitability in the first quarter compared with a loss in the same three-month period last year. The St. Louis company reported higher sales for corn, soybean, vegetable and cotton seeds. It also posted higher sales of its Roundup weedkiller despite tight competition from a variety of generic competitors...

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

Missouri Department of Transportation director Kevin Keith will be the featured speaker at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee today. Keith has been with MoDOT for more than 25 years and was named director in November of 2010...

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The man who bought one of the two winning tickets in the $380 million Mega Millions lottery claimed his half of the second-largest jackpot in history Thursday. Jim McCullar then promptly handed the oversized check to his wife, Carolyn, as their adult children looked on...

St. Louis scored three times in the third period to force overtime

An appearance by one of the nation's top players and the state's top-ranked team highlights Saturday's annual Tiger Shootout at Central High School. The eight-team event features four games matching Southeast Missouri squads against teams from the St. Louis area...

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

The Redhawks begin the homestand Saturday with a 4 p.m. tipoff against defending OVC regular-season champion and preseason favorite Eastern Illinois.

The Southeast men will look for their fourth straight conference win Saturday against Eastern Illinois

The wave of positive national attention continued Thursday when Redhawks coach Tony Samuel was named the winner of the Eddie Robinson Award, presented to the national coach of the year.

The Southeast Missouri State football coach's contract expires at the end of this month, and the university hasn't announced an extension.

Mark Twain, a century after his death, continues to spur social and political discourse. The first volume of his autobiography became a best seller when it published in 2010. Twain himself put a hold on parts of the publication until it could be printed in full in a time when it wouldn't offend people...

NEW YORK -- Stocks slipped Thursday after the government reported an increase in applications for unemployment benefits last week. The Labor Department said Thursday that 409,000 people made claims for benefits for the first time. That's up 18,000 from the previous week, when applications fell to their lowest level in more than two years...

NEW ORLEANS -- Months of investigation by a presidential commission and other panels reinforce the likelihood that companies involved in the Gulf oil spill will be slapped with criminal charges that could add tens of billions of dollars to the huge fines they already face, legal experts said Thursday...

WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Thursday he will cut $78 billion from the Pentagon's budget in the next five years -- money that will come from shrinking the military's ground force, increasing health care premiums for troops and other politically unpopular cost-saving measures...

LUCKNOW, India -- A sightseeing bus overturned and plunged into a gorge, killing 22 Indian tourists and injuring 12 others who were visiting a town at the foot of the Himalayas, officials said Thursday. Among the 22 killed were 13 children, said Mahendra Singh Tamta, spokesman for Uttarakhand state in northern India. Four of 12 people hospitalized were in serious condition...

CAIRO -- Egypt's Christians packed churches Thursday for mournful Christmas Eve Masses, weeping and donning black in place of colorful holiday clothes, under a heavy security cordon by police out of fear of another attack like the New Year's suicide bombing of a church that killed 21 people...

Financial woes dominate any discussion of state or federal politics these days. In Washington, D.C., we are running a trillion-dollar budget deficit, and our national debt will soon exceed $14 trillion. How much is that? To pay back $14 trillion, you'd have to spend $1 every second for the next 443,000 years. That's not counting interest...

Saxony Lutheran High School Honor Roll with High Distinction 12th grade: Lucy Gage, Kristen Dippold, River King, Gus Klaus. 11th grade: Alicia Arnold, Sam Breite, Kaitlyn Harris, Nicole Hemmann, Elizabeth Koehler, Luke Mueller. 10th grade: Lauren Barr, Gabe Bohnert, Melanie Dippold, Clayton Fritsche, Rachael Gruenwald, Lauren Hecht, Carly Lorenz, Logan Sprandel, Zach Vogel...

Scott City Elementary School High Honor Roll 3rd grade: Daniel Biggs, Jacey Brant, Noah Braun, Zeth Burkholder, Gavin Crider, Carlie Estes, Alexys Littlepage, Landon O'Brien, Spencer Stratman, Jordanne Talley, Ashley Wilthong. 4th grade: Xavier Bollinger, Chloe Clayton, Paige Cummins, Samuel Jordan Ethan Palmer...

Aerial photo of Strack Quarry at Bloomfield Rd. and Hwy 74 with Dalhousie subdivision in foreground. For more photos, go to http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/strack-quarry-on-hwy-74/

Walking along Cape Train in warmer times

The Esquire Theater, which reopened in the 800 block of Broadway last spring offering second-run movies at discount prices, has gone out of business, according to the theater's owner, Ed Fairbank of McClure, Ill.; the closure leaves downtown Cape Girardeau without a movie house...

MORLEY, Mo. -- Linda Ann King, 66, of Morley died Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau, following an extended illness. She was born Sept. 6, 1944, in Cape Girardeau, to Harry Albert and Alice Pearl Dickinson Williams. She and Harold E. "Gene" King were married July 27, 1963, at Morley...

The soul of Francis Paul "Jim" Tlapek has moved on. His exceptionally kind and generous spirit animated his body 96 years. He will be missed, especially by his wife Helen and their children, who shared their love and support, perhaps never more than in the last years...

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- University of Missouri system President Gary Forsee is stepping down to care for his ill wife. School officials announced Friday that the former Sprint Nextel chairman and chief executive -- formerly of Cape Girardeau -- is resigning immediately. He has been on an extended leave of absence since early December following his wife Sherry's cancer diagnosis...

It's considered one of the most successful early child development programs around, touching the lives of tens of thousands of Missouri families over its quarter-century run. But the Parents as Teachers Program has been hit hard by deep budget cuts, and the future could be even bleaker for a family education initiative praised on both sides of the legislative aisle...

Citing pending legal action and his lack of involvement, Missouri's top economic development official did not comment Friday on the initial approval of more than $2 million in state incentives to a Cape Girardeau development led by a man who was later discovered to have written more than $100,000 in bad checks...

Isle of Capri Corp., CEO James B. Perry shared his vision for Cape Girardeau's future as local business leaders celebrated a year of economic development efforts Friday during Cape Area Magnet's annual luncheon. When Isle examined potential casino sites, the company wanted to make the whole area where it was located a regional destination, Perry said...

The St. Louis-area mother whose teenage daughter committed suicide following an Internet hoax is the featured speaker at a Cape Girardeau Central High School forum on cyberbullying this week. Tina Meier, founder of the Megan Meier Foundation, will address a parent and community event titled "How to Protect Our Children." The event, open to students in grades 5-12, parents and community members, begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the high school library...

The largest amount of public opposition it has ever seen wasn't enough to sway the Missouri Department of Natural Resources from announcing Friday it will recommend approval for a mining permit to allow a 161-acre quarry near Fruitland.

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team was staggered in the first half and still on the ropes with just less than 10 minutes remaining in the game. But it was a unanimous decision over the final nine minutes for the Redhawks, who staged a furious rally to notch their fourth consecutive Ohio Valley Conference win...

Missouri's top transportation official told Cape Girardeau business leaders Friday to expect higher taxes to cover the cost of maintaining Missouri's roads.

I have reviewed both the old bill and the new one. The new one is worded clearly and concisely and the old one is fragmented. If people are truly interested in reality and not the exaggerated propaganda from people who just do not want regulation on these kennels that are complaining please read the Bills. You can google them up...

My sweet babies Stuart & Bogey doing what they do best. Sleep & look cute doing it.

KELSO, Mo. -- Sara Nicole Blattel and Michael Lee Vandeven were united in marriage Aug. 28, 2010, at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Kelso. The Rev. Oliver Clavin performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Ken and Amy Blattel of Kelso. The groom is the son of John and Mary Vandeven of Leopold, Mo...

Jerry and Joyce Cooley of Cape Girardeau and Russell Hill of McClure, Ill., announce the engagement of their daughter, Leah Elizabeth Ann Hill, to Joshua David Booth, both of St. Louis. He is the son of David Booth of Taylorville, Ill., and Tiernay Swan of Virginia, Ill...

Jerry and Bonnie Stepenoff of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Hannah Evelyn Stepenoff, to Joseph Matthew Parent. He is the son of Bob and Bonnie Kilmer of Cape Girardeau. Stepenoff is a graduate of Central High School. She is majoring in history at Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed at Ruby Tuesday Restaurant...

Kenneth Mammel and Debra Mammel of San Antonio, Texas, announce the engagement of their daughter, Stacy Lorraine Mammel, to Keith Logan Brennecke, both of Minneapolis, Minn. He is the son of Keith Brennecke and Cheryl Brennecke of Cape Girardeau. Mammel is a 2008 graduate of a home-school program. She attended Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn. She is a full-time nanny...

BENTON, Mo. -- Jim and Cecilia Seiler of Benton announce the engagement of their daughter, Lisa Seiler, to Chevy Slusher. He is the son of Glenn and Jan Slusher of Benton. Seiler is a 2006 graduate of Kelly High School. She received an associate degree in nursing from Southeast Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences in 2010. She is a registered nurse at Southeast Hospital...

Mr. and Mrs. Howard H. "Butch" Boyd of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Jan. 1, 2011, with a family dinner party at Celebrations. Hosts were their children and grandchildren. Boyd and Patricia Rudert were married Jan. 1, 1961, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau, by the Rev. Wilbur Maring. Their attendants were Marcia Rudert and Robert L. McDowell...

Mr. and Mrs. R. Wayne Nesslein of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Jan. 7, 2011, with a dinner at Drury Lodge. Hosts were their daughters. Nesslein and Connie Weber were married Jan. 7, 1961, at Church of the Assumption in Perryville, Mo., by the Rev. George Brennan. Their attendants were the late Judith Thompson of McBride, Mo., maid of honor; Jan McCray of Bessemer, Ala., bridesmaid; Leroy Elder, best man, and Calvin Bey, groomsman, both of Perryville...

The bird I show here claims a distinction no other bird can match. It is a member of the most widely distributed species of bird on Earth, the house sparrow. This one is a male. It originated in the Middle East and has been introduced by man to most of the world's continents. This little bird is tenacious. At only about six inches long as an adult, it thrives almost anywhere man has taken it except for deep forests, dense jungles and the cold arctic tundra...

I grew up in Pittsburgh, where people like to boast that they were present when Bill Mazeroski hit his walk-off home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series to beat the heavily favored Yankees. If everyone who says he was there actually was in attendance, the ballpark must have held several million people that day...

Mitchell Burchell of Jackson recently completed his military training to become a military policeman for Missouri National Guard's Detachment 1, 1137th Military Police Company in Jackson. Burchell recently graduated from basic training and advanced individual training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. ...

The Cape Central High School boys basketball team in Cape Girardeau recently donated Christmas gifts to pediatric patients in the Saint Francis Medical Center Children's Center. The team purchased age- and gender-specific items to give to children unable to spend the holiday at home. ...

Kennett resident Cedric Wilbourn recently completed his military training to become a military policeman for Missouri National Guard's 1137th Military Police Company in Kennett, Mo. Wilbourn graduated from basic training and advanced individual training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., in December. ...

Several longstanding public servants who served Cape Girardeau County faithfully for many years stepped down from their positions at the end of 2010. Gerald Jones served as the county's presiding commissioner for 16 years. His work included encouraging growth and development through tax incentives and other programs. Indeed, the county has grown over Jones' tenure. When he took office in 1994, the county's assessed valuation was slightly more than $500 million. Now, it is more than $1 billion...

I would like to voice my support for the extension of the new bike trail. I was at the city council meeting Dec. 20, and heard about the plan. As a life scout with Troop 8, I was there to watch the city council for my merit badge in communications. My friends and family use the trail all the time, and I am glad it will be extended so more people can use it. It is a safe and quiet place to walk, ride a bike or skateboard (my favorite). I can't wait until it is extended...

Fashion trends always amaze and stupefy me. As my wife and I were shopping in Walmart the other day, I spied a woman walking through the store wearing Sponge Bob pajamas. I giggled like a third-grader and pulled my wife's shirt sleeve, pointing at the sight. She simply grinned and scolded me about staring and went about shopping...

An end of a legendary family happened in East Cape Girardeau with the passing of the town's first lady, Bobbie Pearce (2010), wife of Bud Pearce (1995) and mother of David Pearce (2010). If there ever was a first family of East Cape Girardeau, it was the Pearce family. They were first-class, loyal, helpful, cared about people and helped them far and away and never asked for any returns or favors...

We praise you, Lord Jesus, from whom all blessings flow. Amen.

BRISBANE, Australia -- Residents of two Australian towns waited anxiously behind levies and walls of sandbags today to find out if they would become the latest victims of the country's huge floods. About 20 buildings in low-lying areas of Maryborough, home to about 22,000 people, were expected to be inundated when the swollen river running through the town peaks later Sunday, though the threat was not major...

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- Somalis say Islamist insurgents have banned unrelated men and women from shaking hands, speaking or walking together. Residents of the southern Somali town of Jowhar said Saturday that the al-Shabab insurgents threatened to whip, imprison or execute anyone found breaking the recent edicts...

JUBA, Sudan -- Two rebel groups clashed with southern Sudan's military ahead of the region's historic independence referendum, leaving at least nine dead. A top security chief said Saturday he suspected the groups were trying to depress voter turnout in some areas, though most analysts expect a peaceful vote...

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast -- Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo made an unannounced visit to Ivory Coast late Saturday in an effort to help resolve the country's deepening political crisis after several other West African leaders have failed to persuade the incumbent to cede power...

LONDON -- U.S. investigators have gone to court to demand details about WikiLeaks' Twitter account, according to documents obtained Saturday -- the first revelation about the criminal case Washington is trying to build against those who leaked classified U.S. documents...

JERUSALEM -- Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian who tried to throw explosives at a West Bank checkpoint on Saturday, the military said. The Palestinian militant arrived at a checkpoint in the Jordan Valley and charged at the soldiers while wielding a pipe bomb and yelling "Allah akbar," or "God is great," in Arabic. The military said soldiers ordered the Palestinian to stop, then opened fire after he ignored them...

ACAPULCO, Mexico -- Police found the bodies of 15 slain men, 14 of them headless, on a street outside a shopping center in the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco on Saturday. The victims, all of whom appeared to be in their 20s, were discovered in an area not frequented by tourists...

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea reiterated Saturday a proposal for unconditional talks with South Korea to ease tensions on the divided peninsula. The latest offer comes days after South Korea dismissed earlier calls by the North for negotiations...

BERLIN -- German investigators have found excessive levels of cancer-causing dioxin in chicken -- the first such confirmation of tainted meat since the discovery that German farm animals had eaten contaminated feed, possibly for months. Three chickens -- out of 15 samples of chicken, turkey and pork sent to the EU Commission -- showed a dioxin concentration twice as high as legally allowed, an Agriculture Ministry spokesman said Saturday...

NAJAF, Iraq -- Muqtada al-Sadr lambasted the American "enemy" in Iraq during his first speech in the country since returning from exile, fiery rhetoric from a new power broker in the government that will make it difficult to extend the U.S. military deployment beyond the end of this year...

Daughter to J.T. Williams and Courtney M. Davis of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 5:57 p.m. Monday, Dec. 27, 2010. Name, Jaelynn Grace. Weight, 8 pounds, 7 ounces. Ms. Davis is the daughter of Jamie Davis and Greg Davis of Charleston, Mo. Williams is the son of Mae Helen Thomas of Cape Girardeau. He is employed by Ketterman Communications...

Northbound Interstate 55 in Scott County will be reduced to one lane from Route PP to U.S. 61 at Scott City while Missouri Department of Transportation crews make drainage repairs. Weather permitting, the work will take place from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. For additional information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636...

WEST PLAINS, Mo. -- Over the objections of a state prosecutor, a Howell County judge set a bond for convicted murderer Shawn Hanna as he awaits sentencing for killing his father in November 2003. It was in the early morning hours of Dec. 16, and after a total of about nine hours of deliberation, that a seven-woman and five-man Howell County jury convicted Shawn Curtis Hanna, 31, of first-degree murder in connection with the Nov. ...

DONIPHAN, Mo. -- A Doniphan man made his first court appearance Wednesday on charges he burned three Ripley County homes in 2010. Joshua D. Paisley, 26, appeared before Associate Circuit Judge Thomas Swindle on three felonies of second-degree arson...

A Scott City man and his co-defendant were sentenced to federal prison Tuesday for conspiring to commit identity theft. Crystal Weaver, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., and Greg Seegrist of Scott City, were each sentenced to 21 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr., according to the Federal prosecutor's office...

Helen Louise Heisserer, 89 of Chaffee, Mo., died Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 16, 1921, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Adolph Henry and Clara Simpher Roloff. She married Andrew V. Heisserer on Jan. 15, 1949, at the St. Louis Cathedral in St. Louis. He preceded her in death Sept. 1, 2001...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Irma Catherine Stause, 78, of Leopold, Mo., died Jan. 7, 2011, at Woodland Hills in Marble Hill. Born Nov. 27, 1932, at Leopold, she was the daughter of Joseph and Catherine "Katie" Landewee Steinnerd. She married Clarence H. "Peck" Stause on April 29, 1952, at St. John Church in Leopold. He preceded her in death on March 10, 2008...

Ivan R. Heuer, 53, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Sept. 7, 1957, in Cape Girardeau, to Ervin and Eva Fornkohl Heuer. He was a 1976 graduate of Cape Central High School and traveled abroad for both business and enjoyment...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Sylvester "Bud" Vandeven, 83, of Marble Hill passed away Friday Jan. 7, 2011 at his residence. He was born July 16, 1927, at Glennon, Mo., the son of Frank and Frances Terbrock Vandeven. He married Mary Frances Tenholder at St. John's Catholic Church in Leopold on Sept. 17, 1949...

WASHINGTON -- Agriculture undersecretary Peter C. Myers, a Matthews, Mo., farmer, will be recommended by U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson to succeed John Block as secretary of agriculture. Local National Guard personnel are busy packing equipment for their departure tomorrow to join the first detachment of soldiers traveling to Honduras for annual training exercises there; six or seven members of the 1140th Engineer Battalion from Southeast Missouri will join 400 others from throughout the state traveling to the Central American country.. ...

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. —Eldan "Elbow" Collier, 53, of New Hamburg passed away Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, at his residence. Visitation is Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011 from 5 to 8 p.m. at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

Leon Dickerson, 74, of Jackson died Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Arlene E. Standke, 72, of Perryville died Jan. 7, 2011, at Perry Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Perryville, Mo. Visitation will be from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Monday at Miller Family Funeral Home in Perryville. Graveside service will follow at Immaculate Conception Cemetery on Kaskaskia Island at noon...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Arrests Burglary Thefts Property damage The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department released the following items. Arrest to not imply guilt...

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

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A team of divers say they've discovered the remains of the USS Revenge, a ship commanded by U.S. Navy hero Oliver Hazard Perry and wrecked off Rhode Island in 1811. Perry is known for defeating the British in the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie off the shores of Ohio, Michigan and Ontario in the War of 1812 and for the line "We have met the enemy and they are ours." His battle flag bore the phrase "Don't give up the ship," and to this day is a symbol of the Navy...

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. -- A New York cemetery has held a mass funeral for 20 military veterans whose remains were never claimed. They were buried Saturday with full military honors at Calverton National Cemetery on eastern Long Island. All of them died recently. No one claimed their remains...

WASHINGTON -- An American woman reportedly arrested in Iran for espionage has been located by U.S. officials and is safe and not in Iranian custody, the State Department said Saturday. "We have located the U.S. citizen who appears to have been the subject of the reports and confirmed that the individual is safe," spokesman Mark Toner said. "She is not in Iran."...

WASHINGTON -- Postal workers who returned to work Saturday said a package that ignited at a government mail facility conjured painful memories of the anthrax attacks that killed two of their colleagues in 2001. The fiery package found Friday, which was addressed to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, followed two packages that ignited Thursday in Maryland state government mailrooms. It halted government mail until bomb-sniffing dogs could sweep the D.C. facility...

The Southeast Black & Gold Chapter of University of Missouri Alumni Association met Monday at the MU Extension Center in Jackson. There were six board members, Tom Frasher, Roger Guyot, Melody Hagans, Melissa Miller, Larry Simon, and Mary Talbut, and a guest, Richard Proffer, present...

MONDAY--Chicken nuggets or ham & cheese on bun, au gratin potatoes, mixed fruit cup, cinnamon roll. TUESDAY--Rockinburger with cheese or turkey & cheese on bun, fries, grapes. WEDNESDAY--Ravioli or ham & cheese on bun, green beans, french bread, pineapple...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Varise Dean La Valle of Union, Mo., announces the engagement of his daughter, Felicia Monet-Regina La Valle, to Zack Lee Rodgers, both of Troy, Mo. He is the son of Rick and Karen Rodgers of Advance. La Valle is a 2003 graduate of Union High School. ...

Alex is a 5-month-old kitten who is very playful and likes to sneak up on you and pounce. Alex is also not afraid of dogs. For more information, contact Safe Harbor at 243-9823.

Sam is a 1-year-old standard poodle and giant schnauzer mix. He is good natured, loves to play and go for walks. For more information, contact the Humane Society at 334-5837.

WEST ALTON, Mo. -- Quinn Kellner had the frigid facts on bald eagle watching in winter in Missouri. "On the coldest, most miserable days, you see the most birds," said Kellner, who is natural resource manager of Edward "Ted" and Pat Jones-Confluence Point State Park, which sits at the meeting of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers at West Alton, just north of St. Louis...

Everyone likes a party. Well, maybe not everyone. People who like people tend to like parties. There is just something about gathering with friends and family to celebrate birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, great accomplishments or just because it is Tuesday. Parties unite us with others in a unique way...

National syndicated columnist, television commentator and author Roland Martin will be the keynote speaker for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Dinner, which will begin at 6 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Show Me Center. The theme of this year's dinner is "Living the Spirit of the Dream." Doors open at 5 p.m. and tickets are $15 each. Tickets can be purchased at the Show Me Center box office or by calling 651-2524 or sending an e-mail to equityissues@semo.edu...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- The moon turns blood red. The earth shakes. Soldiers die in wars. And the world keeps spinning, even though these events fit neatly into apocalyptic predictions. So why, when swarms of winged creatures hit the dirt in Arkansas and elsewhere, do some indulge their inner conspiracy theorists and believe more than ever that the end of days is near?...

NEW YORK -- The longtime secretary of financier Bernard Madoff made bail Friday and will await her New York trial on fraud charges while under house arrest. Annette Bongiorno, 62, of Boca Raton, Fla., was released so she could be taken to her second home in Manhasset, Long Island...

BOULDER, Colo. -- The Colorado Buffaloes broke Missouri's press and also the Tigers' stranglehold on their one-sided series. Super sophomore Alec Burks, from suburban Kansas City, Mo., scored a career-high 36 points, and the Buffaloes upset ninth-ranked Missouri 89-76 in their final Big 12 opener...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Standout Missouri defensive end Aldon Smith will enter the NFL draft. Smith, a redshirt sophomore from Raytown, Mo., set a school single-season record with 11 1/2 sacks his freshman season and was Big 12 Conference defensive freshman and newcomer of the year. He missed three games with a broken leg and had 5 1/2 sacks along with 48 tackles, 10 of them for loss, last season...

The Southeast Missouri State gymnastics team opened its season Saturday with a dual-meet loss at Illinois State. Southeast had a score of 190.275. The Redbirds finished with a 191.500. The Redhawks won three individual titles. Senior Christina Sundgren claimed the bars title with a score of 9.775, her ninth career title in that event...

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team gave defending Ohio Valley Conference regular-season champion and preseason favorite Eastern Illinois a battle much of the way. But the Panthers dominated the final 10 minutes to pull away for a 68-43 win at the Show Me Center on Saturday, sending Southeast to its fifth loss in six games...

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

Saxony Lutheran lacked an answer for Oran's Jon Morrow. When the Crusaders threw everything except the kitchen sink at Morrow, his Eagles teammates knocked down shots Friday night. "We did about three or four different things," Saxony Lutheran coach Sam Sides said about his team's defense on Morrow. ...

Heartland Advanced Practice Nurses Network in Cape Girardeau recently presented a $1,000 check to Saint Francis Medical Center in support of the Saint Francis Institute for Nursing Excellence, a program to strengthen the nursing practice, promote nursing importance and recognize professional nursing achievements. ...

There's something about being booted from a tournament by one's biggest rival that does not sit well with a team. Scott City had nine days to stew after its departure from the Southeast Missourian Christmas tournament, courtesy of a four-point loss to Chaffee in the consolation semifinals...

Notre Dame's Jacob Tolbert and other regulars in the Bulldogs' starting lineup began Saturday's game against Parkway South at a new position -- the bench. "It's a motivational tool because we haven't played hard in the last couple games," Notre Dame coach Kevin Roberts said. "We beat Fredericktown, we lost to Dexter, but we didn't play hard. So I put guys out there that were going to play hard, and I challenged us to get out there and play hard, and they did."...

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona was shot in the head Saturday by a gunman who opened fire outside a grocery store during a meeting with voters, killing a federal judge and five others.

The Jackson Indians got what they expected from McCluer North at Saturday's Tiger Shootout hosted by Central. "We were expecting a pretty big and athletic team -- that's really what we got," Jackson senior Bobby Clark said. "The first couple minutes we were playing pretty fast. We were playing really like they wanted us to. We needed to slow it down and get the shots we wanted. We started doing that in the second half and that's when we made a little run to come back."...

In his first game with the Central Tigers, Curtis Branch helped his team to a comfortable 62-42 win over Francis Howell North at Saturday's Central-hosted Tiger Shootout. The 5-foot-10 senior, who was not eligible to play during the first semester of the school year, scored 16 points, made three 3-pointers and was the clear director of the Central offense when he entered the game...

Meadow Heights downed St. Vincent to win the Delta tourney

WASHINGTON -- In her newest and perhaps most influential role yet, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson says she thinks of herself as an auditor. Albeit one with a scalpel. Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, was named Friday as chairwoman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services, a high-profile position that will give her financial jurisdiction over more than 30 federal agencies including the Department of the Treasury, the executive office of the president, the Internal Revenue Service, the District of Columbia and the Security and Exchange Commission. ...

Christ Church of the Heartland outreach director and ministry administrator Judy Nilsen is a woman of many talents. Before joining Christ Church of the Heartland in 1992, Mrs. Judy -- as she likes to be called -- worked and received training in school administration, which she believes has helped her in the various leadership roles that she serves at the church. ...

Five fire departments responded to a house fire on Route U in Cape Girardeau County Sunday night, a blaze that started while the family was away at church services. According to a news release issued by John Sachen, Hazmat officer/instructor with the Delta Fire Protection District, the house was 30 percent involved when the first fire units arrived. ...

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream of equality, empowerment and service will be honored during six community events in Cape Girardeau, beginning with a Thursday birthday celebration and continuing over several days with tributes, a memorial breakfast and a youth gala...

As of last week, all Jackson electric customers are on a common distribution voltage, completing a seven-month, multimillion-dollar project for the city. Don Schuette, director of electric utilities, said the move from 4 kV to 12.4 kV will help work crews not only manage the city's electric service but help them get power back up and running more quickly in the event of an outage, also called an anomaly...

The St. Vincent de Paul Student Council collected items for Maxine Shareable Wearables. The students and staff at the school donated many pairs of socks, gloves, undergarments, shirts, pants, and hats.

The concession stand at Cape Central Junior High School Lou Muegge Field was refurbished recently by the school's Booster Club. Pictured in front of the concession stand are, left to right, Karen Retter, Booster Club Treasurer; Jamie Jones, President; Stacy Kinder, school board member; and Tamilla House, substitute teacher. ...

When it comes to preparing students for college, Scott City School District is No. 1, at least by one important measurement. Scott City students posted the lowest incident rate in Missouri for having to take remedial college courses, according to data from the Missouri Coordinating Board of Higher Education. In 2009, 3.7 percent of Scott City graduates in the study had to take catch-up courses in math, English and other subjects, compared to a state average remediation rate of 37.3 percent...

Everyone is invited to New McKendree United Methodist Church's fried catfish and chicken tenders dinner this Saturday, January 15, from 4:00-7:00 PM. Meal includes catfish and/or chicken tenders, cole slaw, baked beans, spiral potatoes, dessert, and a drink. Adults eat for $8, ages 5-12 $5.00, and kids under 5 eat free. It will be a great night of food and fellowship. We hope to see you there!...

Jackson city officials will be traveling Tuesday to Jefferson City, Mo., to be presented a contract for planning work as part of the city's DREAM Initiative. In September, the city was named one of the state's DREAM cities by the Missouri Department of Economic Development, giving Jackson leaders higher access to state-supported programs, including technical and financial assistance for infrastructure improvements, historic preservation, affordable housing, community services, business development and job creation.. ...

Our service men and women are some of our country's best and brightest. Yet many of these great American heroes are also humble. You can include Chaffee, Mo., native Maj. Doug Welter in this category. While Welter says he is low-key, he was recently honored with the Bronze Star for meritorious service against an armed enemy...

I told my son that Central Middle School rewards students for perfect or near-perfect attendance. He asked why he doesn't get rewarded for making A honor roll. I informed him the Cape School District doesn't get money for good grades. It gets money for having the students in class...

O Lord, help us to be the peacemakers you would have us be. Amen.

Opal Laurentius-Scherer, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, with parish prayers at 7 at Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home in Jackson. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary's Cathedral in Cape Girardeau. Burial will be in Jackson City Cemetery...

George William Priest Jr., 62, of Jackson died Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

A $5 million 1986 budget covering 35 departments and the county road and bridge department was given tentative approval yesterday by the county commission. Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Ferrell announces at a news conference he will relinquish his post when his term expires Dec. 31; Morley Swingle, an assistant to Ferrell, is a likely candidate for the post...

Leon Franklin Dickerson, 74, of Jackson passed away Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 4, 1936, in Jackson, the son of Lawrence C. and Beulah M. Clingingsmith Dickerson. He and Margret Taylor were married July 4, 1954...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Pauline Barks, 86, of Grassy, Mo., passed away Saturday, Jan. 8, 2011, at the Life Care Center of Cape Girardeau. She was born April 12, 1924, at Chaffee, Mo., the daughter of William C. and Susan Elizabeth Richards Roberts. She married Melvin Barks Aug. 11, 1945. He preceded her in death Jan. 16, 1996...

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- Eldan "Elbow" Collier, 53, of New Hamburg passed away Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, at his residence. He was born March 28, 1957, in Cape Girardeau, the son of Daniel Collier of Shelbina, Mo., and Ella Stause Elfrink of Jackson. He and Valerie K. Hutchison were married March 1996 at Neely's Landing...

Ivan R. Heuer, 53, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Sept. 7, 1957, in Cape Girardeau, to Ervin and Eva Fornkohl Heuer. He was a 1976 graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School and traveled abroad for both business and enjoyment...

Cape Girardeau has made it to the third and final round of Union Pacific's Great Excursion Adventure "You Route the Steam" competition. Voting continues through Jan. 17 on four proposed railroad routes to be traveled this summer by Union Pacific's steam-powered locomotive. The route with the most online votes will be selected...

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

Jackson The Jackson 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 Friday: Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday: ...

Ann Douglass-Click has joined the Red Cross of Southeast Missouri as volunteer services coordinator. She will be working with volunteers in Perry, Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Scott, Stoddard, Mississippi, New Madrid, Dunklin, Butler, Wayne and Pemiscot counties. ...

City hall 401 Independence St. Study session, 5 p.m. today Meeting, 7 p.m. today Study session items Meeting Public hearings Consent agenda New ordinances Other business...

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- A 20-year-old Caruthersville man was arrested last week after driving his vehicle backward with no head lights on East 12th Street, police said. According to local authorities, upon conducting a traffic stop, officers saw the driver, Markus Young, drop a marijuana cigarette out of the vehicle window. Officers seized the marijuana and arrested Young. He was taken to the Pemiscot County Jail, where he was processed and later released after posting a $379.50 cash bond...

The Cape Girardeau County Commission will hold a public hearing at 10 a.m. Monday to discuss the proposed 2011 budget. The auditor's office said this year's county revenue budget totals $11,674,637.57, a slight increase from the 2010 budget of $11,381,878.86...

A two-bedroom apartment complex in the 500 block of Boxwood Drive sustained moderate damage Sunday, after a fire started in the tenants' bathroom. Four Cape Girardeau fire crews responded to the four-unit apartment building Sunday afternoon and upon arrival saw light smoke coming from the lower level. ...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A couple from Bernie had their day in court Friday as newly seated Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russell Oliver worked to prove the case against them. Allen McCoy and Angela McCoy, both of Bernie, Mo., are both charged in the June stabbing death of 67-year-old Aubrey Lee Finch in his Bernie home...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Three Perryville men were arrested on Perry County warrants recently on suspicion of stealing scrap metal and selling it. The men, Dylan J. Paul, 21, Joshua J. Loucks, 18, and Joshuwa Alen Derousse, 25, were arrested by authorities after a victim and homeowner in western Perry County caught them stealing recycled metal and blocked the road until police arrived, according to Perry County Sheriff Gary Schaaf...

That 0-10 start to the season for the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team? Right now it seems like ages ago as the Redhawks have made an impressive turnaround. Saturday's thrilling 78-75 win over visiting Eastern Illinois was the Redhawks' fourth straight Ohio Valley Conference victory...

PHILADELPHIA -- Aaron Rodgers simply threw his hands in the air and pumped his fist. No, he doesn't celebrate like Brett Favre. Rodgers doesn't have to worry about the ghost of Favre anymore. He's made his own name with the Green Bay Packers, even moreso with his first playoff win...

The Notre Dame wrestling team finished third in a 12-team tournament with a dual-meet format Saturday in Park Hills, Mo. Notre Dame finished 3-2 in the duals. The Bulldogs defeated Hancock (57-21), Sullivan (48-28) and Brentwood (48-30). Notre Dame's losses came against St. Clair (54-15) and Hillsboro (67-9)...

The university is holding the basketball promotion for the second straight year

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Ray Lewis knows a championship defense when he sees one. Now the Kansas City Chiefs do, too. Lewis and Baltimore's tough and savvy defense overwhelmed the young Chiefs on Sunday, sacking Matt Cassel three times and forcing five turnovers in a 30-7 victory in the opening round of the playoffs...

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Federal prosecutors brought charges Sunday against the gunman accused of attempting to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killing six people at a political event in Arizona. Investigators said they carried out a search warrant at Jared Loughner's home and seized an envelope from a safe with messages such as "I planned ahead," "My assassination" and the name "Giffords" next to what appears to be the man's signature. ...

JUBA, Sudan -- Men and women walked to election stations in the middle of the night Sunday to create a new nation: Southern Sudan. Some broke out into spontaneous song in the long lines. And a veteran of Sudan's two-decade civil war, a conflict that left 2 million people dead, choked back tears...

Clippard Elementary School A Honor Roll 4th grade: Luke Batchelor, Gracen Craig, Max Dale, Madison Davie, Veronica Dean, Taylor Driver-Flores, Becky Holst, Thomas Hull, Reese Johnson, Matthew Kinder, Jacqui Lang, Rio May, Conner Moore, Hannah Moyers, Jared Niekirk, Lynsey Powers, Allison McDonald, Miller Ogburn, Morgan Proffer, Ayanni Smith, Shamanni Smith, Desean Sweazie, Sydnie Walker, Emily Webb, Grace Whitmore, Levi Wilson...

Kelly Middle School A Honor Roll 6th grade: Bryston Beggs, Natalie Groves, Anna Hughes, Austin Kerr, Kade Proctor, Melinda Scheffer, Maegan Walker, Johnathon Watkins 7th grade: Caitlyn Bambrough, Aaron Birk, Kama Collier, Dakota Harper, Allisyn Holifield, Amanda Hulshof, McKenzie Hutson, Ashley Jenkins, Jacob McClain, Layla Moody, McKynlee Neumeyer, Adison Shoaf, Cassidy Stone, Abigail Sutton, Alisha Williams...

Kevin Keith's career with the Missouri Department of Transportation spans more than 25 years. Since being appointed director of the department in November, he has been working to convince Missourians it's time to invest more in infrastructure. Most recently, Keith served as MoDOT's chief engineer, and engineering is something he says he's know he wanted to do from an early age. ...

The Manpower Employment outlook Survey recently reported the most optimistic hiring outlook in two years, with 14% of employers nationwide planning to add to their staffs in Quarter 1, 2011. The start of the new year is the best time for job seekers to take stock of their job search strategies and make resolutions that will help them land that perfect job...

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Steve Spurrier, the ball coach who knows a little about offense, said the game could wind up 60-55. Kirk Herbstreit, the TV analyst who knows a little about these teams, said defenses must bristle when they keep hearing about scores in the 55-53 range. The bookmakers in Las Vegas, who don't throw out their numbers just for fun, envision something more like 38-35...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Missouri House has passed a resolution urging state officials to join a multistate lawsuit challenging the federal health care overhaul and calling on Congress to repeal the law. The House approved the resolution Tuesday on a vote of 115-46...

County officials have taken the first step, though they caution that it's a preliminary one, that they believe would allow them to consider building a new centralized courthouse in Jackson instead of having government offices both there and in Cape Girardeau...

The Jackson School Board tonight is expected to consider a resolution authorizing the sale of bonds. It's a refinancing move, said Jackson superintendent Ron Anderson, a move that could save the district as much as $50,000 in interest on the $4.5 million remaining on the bonds. The bonds were issued for school construction in 2001...

ST. LOUIS -- Missouri's governor decided to spare a convicted murderer's life Monday, a little more than a day before the man was scheduled to die by injection for a 1994 killing.

ST. LOUIS -- Electronic systems that track sales of the cold medicine used to make methamphetamine have failed to curb the drug trade and instead created a vast, highly lucrative market for profiteers to buy over-the-counter pills and sell them to meth producers at a huge markup.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Firefighters from several departments struggled to contain an explosive fire Monday in Cairo, Ill., where another vacant historic building was destroyed. Crews from Cairo, Mounds City, and Mounds, Ill., responded to the fire around 6:30 p.m. ...

Eyes filled with wonder, excitement and love for trains fill the air everywhere-from car windows to street corners nearby...these are the thoughts of boys and girls near and far when a train rolls into town. You see, I have a special request from my fellow Cape Girardeau countians..I have two sons, one who is little, 7 years, and one, not so little, 15 years, who have a huge life-long love of trains. ...

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- A suspected armed robber was arrested Saturday but not before he caused major damage to the vehicle he allegedly stole and two police vehicles. Reginald Ricks, 24, of Caruthersville was being held Monday in the Pemiscot County Jail without bond following an early morning chase Saturday. ...

The Cape Girardeau City Council voted down an ordinance to put a citywide smoking ban on the April ballot, raising questions about what happens next. The council was expected to approve the ordinance to put the issue on the April 5 ballot, but three members -- Kathy Swan, John Voss and Meg Davis Proffer -- voted no, meaning it did not get the five votes required by charter for the council to put an initiative petition on the ballot...

Nothing like a nut for breakfast.

McDonald's on William Street hosted a Salvation Army Night on Dec. 21. McDonalds donated 25% of all proceeds between 4-8pm to The Salvation Army. The Salvation Army is about 93.39% of their goal of $320,000 for 2010. Last years goal of $311,000 was reached on Jan. ...

The Cape Girardeau County Commission is mulling a move that would end the peripheral zoning debate once and for all -- by asking that the statute be stricken from the books. The commission is considering a resolution, which they expect to vote on by the end of the month, to ask Missouri lawmakers to repeal the state statute that allows the creation of peripheral zones, which met huge opposition last year from county residents when such an attempt was made...

McDonald's of Marble Hill sponsored at Junior Acheivement Night in December where McDonald's donated 25% of all proceeds between 4-8pm to The Junior Acheivement Program for the Marble Hill area. Junior Acheivement provides FREE economic education to Woodland Schools. ...

Southeast SportsCare presented its first Sportsmanship Award to Notre Dame Regional High School basketball player Jonathan Lynch at the Southeast Missourian Christmas Basketball Tournament. Tournament coaches were invited to submit the name of a team member who exemplified good sportsmanship both on and off the court. ...

KENNETT, Mo. -- Prosecutors say it took only 25 minutes of deliberation among a jury of seven men and five women to find a local man guilty of robbing a bank in 2009, then fleeing on a bicycle. The robbery happened at Focus Bank in Cardwell, Mo...

Bootheel Harley Davidson gives back to the local community! The dealership sponsored a Polar Bear ridge in cooperation with the Patriot Guard Riders on January 1st at their 2100 E Outer Rd, Scott City location. Bootheel made a donation for every rider who braved the cold. ...

Farm in rural Scott County on a cold winter day

BENTON, Mo. -- A Scott County man is facing charges after allegedly backing up demands for fast food with a shotgun. Chris Brooks Heuring, 27, of rural Benton is charged with unlawful use of a weapon and driving while intoxicated. Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said his department received a call at about 11:40 p.m. Saturday regarding a man with a shotgun at the drive-through window of the McDonald's restaurant on Highway 77 at the Interstate 55 interchange at Benton...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Stoddard County sheriff's deputies are still in search of 31-year-old Don Murphy, who has eluded law enforcement since an Oct. 22 bust in rural Dexter that netted 240 pounds of marijuana. And charges have been dismissed against another suspect in the case...

On a split vote, the Cape Girardeau County Commission approved the 2011 budget Monday morning. At $11.6 million, the budget projects only a slight increase over last year. Commissioner Jay Purcell was the only dissenting vote, declining comment afterward except to say, "I'm for smaller, more efficient government."...

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Auburn running back Michael Dyer never heard any whistle, so he just kept running -- past the tackler who thought he had Dyer down -- deep into Oregon territory. Dyer broke stride, then took off on a once-in-a-lifetime run in the final minutes, setting up a field goal on the last play that led No. 1 Auburn over the No. 2 Ducks 22-19 in the BCS championship game Monday night...

LOS ANGELES -- A pharmacist testified Monday that the doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death bought 255 vials of a powerful anesthetic in the three months before the singer died from a lethal combination of the drug and other sedatives. Dr. Conrad Murray purchased four shipments of the anesthetic propofol between April 6 and June 10, 2009, said Tim Lopez, owner of Applied Pharmacy Services in Las Vegas, where Murray has a clinic...

For over three years Southeast Missouri residents have enjoyed a host of events made possible by having a state of the art facility in the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus. What's more, the city is ahead of schedule in paying off its financial obligation...

I'm writing in regard to comments posted on the Southeast Missourian website relating to Morley Swingle. For disclosure, I've only met Mr. Swingle a time or two and doubt he would know me if we passed on the street. The professional nature of his job is such that at times you're going to make someone mad no matter what you do, and comments about a public official's job performance go with the territory of the job...

It is almost refreshing to read a daily newspaper that makes very little effort to show political neutrality. The Southeast Missourian apparently feels it necessary to daily repeat the conservative appeals to fear and mistrust. Personally, I find the endless tirade against the health care reform act repulsive. The misinformation that you continue to publish is not a service to the community...

THOUGH Joe Sullivan made an attempt to rationalize away the Southeast Missourian's failure to publish on Dec. 31, the public is not in a forgiving mood. One articulate commentator said, "The Southeast Missourian sponsors the Christmas tournament and then decides not to publish anything about the final round until two days after it's over. That does not compute!"...

O Lord, may we not be prideful, but approach your throne with humility. Amen.

CHICAGO -- Close birth spacing may put a second-born child at higher risk for autism, suggests a preliminary study based on more than a half-million California children. Children born less than two years after their siblings were considerably more likely to have an autism diagnosis compared to those born after at least three years...

ATLANTA -- Temperatures plummeted late Monday, turning slushy streets into sheets of ice across Southern states that are more accustomed to sunshine than snow. The wintry blast has grounded flights, cut power to thousands of homes and even forced Auburn University to cancel viewing parties for the national championship bowl game...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Shandra Bird Costello, 41, of Advance passed away Monday, Jan. 10, 2011, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born Feb. 17, 1969, daughter of Michael and Shabie Proffer Bird. Shandra was a proud mother, a loving wife, a precious daughter, a protective sister, a loyal friend and a strong fighter...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Michael Shea, 56, of Bloomfield passed away Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011, at his home. He was born May 20, 1954, in Anchorage, Alaska, the son of Robert Francis and Pricilla Lord Shea. Shea had lived in the Southeast Missouri area the past 13 years...

The Dr. Robert W. Hamblin Lecture has been endowed through the Southeast Missouri University Foundation, thanks to the generosity of a Jackson couple. Scott and Dr. Stephanie Chamberlain donated $20,000 to establish the series. She is a professor of English at Southeast...

Annabelle Meyer, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011, at the Lutheran Home. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in St. Charles Memorial Gardens in St. Charles, Mo...

Son to Jerry Dale Linhart Jr. and Sarah Michelle Childers of Sikeston, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 5:41 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010. Name, Jordan Chase. Weight, 5 pounds, 1 ounce. First child. Ms. Childers is the daughter of Ron and Merry Childers of Sikeston. Linhart is the son of Jerry and Michele Linhart of Cape Girardeau...

Although spring is a long way off, the January air around here has been springlike; the pleasant weather has meant work on building projects has gone on with few interruptions. Cape Girardeau city officials have been asked to change the business licensing procedure to facilitate the establishment of a new venture here similar to the Sikeston Trade Fair, where merchants sell their wares in a large, warehouse-type building on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year; James E. ...

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

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

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Summons Miscellaneous Jackson Firefighters responded to the following call Friday: Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday: ...

Herbert Hugo Balsmann, 82, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Jan. 10, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Oct. 20, 1928, in Uniontown, Mo., to Edward and Josephine Schott Balsmann. He and Rosa Lee Teaford were married July 2, 1955, in Cape Girardeau...

SULLIVAN, Mo. -- Willard John Kassulke, 71, of Sullivan was born Aug. 8, 1939, the first child of Otto and Leona Freitag Kassulke residing in West Milwaukee, Wis. He was baptized and confirmed at Ebenezer Lutheran Church. A year after confirmation he began studying for the ministry at Concordia Academy and Junior College in Milwaukee. ...

Opal Marie Laurentius-Scherer, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011, at Southeast Hospital. She was born April 28, 1927, in Jackson, daughter of Henry Clemence and Mary Belle Baugh Koehler. She and Tony Laurentius were married Feb. 6, 1946. He died Aug. 19, 1988. She later married Cyril Scherer Oct. 8, 1994. He died May 3, 2007...

BENTON, Mo. -- Charles Stuckey, 75, of Union, Mo., formerly of Benton, passed away Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Oltmann Funeral Home in Union. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Union...

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- Shaquille O'Neal swears by them. The Power Balance bracelet, he says, gives him a competitive edge on the court. It's no gimmick, he says. It's for real. It may be for him, but Australian authorities say the California-based company behind the wildly popular wristbands and pendants has no business claiming that they improve balance, strength and flexibility...