Stories from March 2011

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation has approved a state agency's request for $35,000 to implement an elk restoration plan. The Missouri Department of Conservation will use the grant to help pay for elk trapping, holding, disease testing, research, monitoring and transportation...

The Mississippi River is in flood stage in some Southeast Missouri counties, prompting a river flood warning and the closure of the ferry between Dorena, Mo., and Hickman, Ky. Flooding the National Weather Service attributes to recent strong storms is minor. But Cape Girardeau, Scott and Perry counties in Missouri, as well as some Illinois counties, are under a flood warning. The river at Cape Girardeau stood at 32.75 feet at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday. Flood stage is 32 feet...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- State Rep. John J. Diehl Jr., R-Town and Country, has outlined his schedule for receiving public testimony to help with redrawing Missouri's congressional districts. Diehl, who chairs the House Special Standing Committee on Redistricting, released the schedule for his committee's public hearings to discuss redistricting. State Rep. Todd Richardson of Poplar Bluff, a Republican, is a member of this committee...

CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) - A retired southern Illinois investigator of a man linked to the killings of nine women in four states in the late 1970s and early 1980s is sharing his chronicle of the case in a new book. WSIL-TV in Harrisburg reports that one-time Carbondale police Lt. Paul Echols' "In Cold Pursuit: My Hunt for Timothy Krajcir - The Notorious Serial Killer" was due out in bookstores Tuesday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Missouri House voted Monday to repeal over five years a state tax on businesses' assets in an effort to boost economic development. The House legislation would reduce Missouri's franchise tax rate and repeal the levy for the 2016 tax year. ...

Patience and a personality suited to working directly with the public are what Pat Smith, a blood drive team supervisor for the American Red Cross, uses in her job to keep donors coming back to give again. Smith oversees 10 staff members during drives at high schools, colleges and other public venues...

A strong line of thunderstorms that came through the area early Monday morning left most of Jackson without power for about an hour. According to a representative at the city's power plant, about three-quarters of the city's electric customers lost power for 50 minutes while crews repaired a transformer damaged by a lightning strike. The outage occurred shortly before 2 a.m...

Cape Girardeau residents will have a chance to sound off to city hall this summer through a customer satisfaction survey that will seek opinions on how well -- or poorly -- respondents rate city services. The city council recently appropriated $20,000 to pay for the survey, which is still in the preliminary planning stage, city manager Scott Meyer said Monday. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- With Missouri again poised to top the list of meth-lab seizures in the U.S., lawmakers have proposed a bill that they think will help the state do away with that dubious distinction -- requiring a doctor's prescription for products containing pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in the manufacture of the illegal and highly addictive drug...

The Associated Press MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- He didn't seek the spotlight, but when Frank Buckles outlived every other American who'd served in World War I, he became what his biographer called "the humble patriot" and final torchbearer for the memory of that fading conflict...

A Southeast Missouri State University student's jury trial was canceled Monday after he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault charges at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse. In exchange for Antonio Garritano's guilty plea, Cape Girardeau County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Angel Woodruff agreed to drop a felony burglary charge originally filed against the defendant...

With much of the Cape Girardeau School District's $40 million schools improvement plan taking shape on paper, project leaders provided school board members with the "road map" to completion Monday evening. During a work session before its February meeting, the Cape Girardeau School Board received an update on what is expected to soon be a burst of building activity -- with bids coming in on a number of major projects...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- With legislation that would make Missouri a "right-to-work" state on the fast track in the Missouri Senate, Speaker of the House Steven Tilley, R-Perryville, is in no hurry to proceed with the legislation should it pass the Senate and come to the House. ...

The Marlins whipped the Cards 6-3 in the Spring Training opener in Jupiter, FL, Monday. Here are photos: http://www.capecentralhigh.com/sports/cardinal-spring-training-opening-game/ The most important numbers were 36-82. That's the afternoon temperatures in St. Louis and Jupiter...

March 8th this year marks a significant anniversary: It is the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day! It also marks the achievements of many women, and the efforts, struggles and sacrifices that have brought us so far in this 100 years. As a part of Zonta International, the Zonta Club of Cape Girardeau seeks to advance the status of women worldwide and has made great strides helping women economically, educationally, and professionally. ...

The Immaculate Conception Church of Jackson Choristers will be part of the church's annual spring concert on Sunday, May 15 at 2:00P.M. in the church sanctuary. This year's concert, "Another Old Time Gospel Hour" will also feature the adult choir, Bells of Joy Ringers, and musicians. Joining the choir and choristers will be The Heartland Pops Chorus. Special guests will be the folk group of Abbey Road Church of Cape Girardeau, now known as "Barefoot On Sunday"...

Cape Girardeau County commissioners approved a contract that would allow an engineering firm to perform a structural analysis on the county's two courthouses. Commissioner Paul Koeper said at a meeting last week that the county wants ASDG, LLC, to identify major concerns with the Common Pleas Courthouse in Cape Girardeau and the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson, and to suggest any repairs and updates that may prolong the life of the structures. ...

Jackson, MO -- Monday, January 10, 2011-- "The End of the Beginning", a new book release by local Author Mark H. Culbertson, is now available at BarnesandNoble.com and Amazon.com as a digital download. The book, described as a Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Novel, finds its lead character "Steven Ray" stranded on a space station as Nuclear War erupts between Israel and Iran on the earth spinning below him. ...

Editor's note: This is the second in an occasional series exploring a legislative agenda of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and other business groups known as the Fix the Six campaign. The effort launched in January and addresses six areas where these groups feel Missouri can improve in order to attract and assist businesses....

(This is a better picture of the squirrel) I took this outside our kitchen window eating something.

This picture of this squirrel was taken outside our kitchen window as the snow was melting. He was so cute and played around eating something, I couldn't tell what.

This was taken of our grandson David and his wife Kyndra on the wedding day, by an old barn in Waukesah, Wi.

I took this of our grandson David and his new bride Kyndra by an old barn, in Waukesha , WI

Every town is some ones hometown, this is mine.

First Place Team in the high school division of the Boys' Church League Basketball Tournament -- February 27, 2011

Second Place Team in the high school division of the Boys' Church League Basketball Tournament -- February 27, 2011

First Place Team in the Fifth Grade Division of the Boys' Church League Basketball Tournament -- February 27, 2011

Second Place Team in the Fifth Grade Division of the Boys' Church League Basketball Tournament -- February 27, 2011

First Place Team in the Cape Evening Optimist Club Boys' Church League Basketball Tournament -- February 27, 2011

The Oak Ridge boys basketball team crushed McKinley Classical Leadership 105-31 in a Class 1 District 2 opening-round game.

While most teenagers would probably rather spend their days off from school in any other number of ways, 25 students from three Catholic schools in the New York City-area recently used their time off from school to join seniors from Notre Dame Regional High School in constructing a Habitat for Humanity home...

I voted for Prop B to require puppy mills to provide clean water and food for dogs. I am appalled that our Missouri Legislature thinks the voters are so stupid they do not understand this bill. The U.S. is not a monarchy. Our elected representatives are not smarter than we are. They claim this bill is trying to prevent Missourians from eating meat...

THE teachers' unions have helped bankrupt half the states in the nation. They enjoy benefits that those in the private sector can only dream about, and yet when asked to pay just a small share of those benefits, they protest. Why do they feel that they deserve so much more than the rest of us, particularly at a time when our schools are obviously failing?...

NEW YORK -- Leave it to Charlie Sheen to upstage the Oscars. A day after Hollywood's biggest show, the troubled actor dominated the headlines with threats of a lawsuit, two riveting morning show interviews, a rambling live stream on an Internet website. And by midday Monday, his veteran publicist had quit...

TRIPOLI, Libya -- International pressure on Moammar Gadhafi to end a crackdown on opponents escalated Monday as his loyalists fought rebels holding the two cities closest to the capital and his warplanes bombed an ammunition depot in the east. The U.S. moved naval and air forces closer to Libya and said all options were open, including patrols of the North African nation's skies to protect its citizens from their ruler...

WASHINGTON -- Easy for them to say: Cut spending, no matter what. Don't let the government borrow any more. Shut it down if you have to. While the cast of potential White House contenders tells Congress to get tough, drawing lines in the sand is risky for lawmakers who have to live with the consequences...

WASHINGTON -- Anxious to ease deepening political tensions with the states, President Barack Obama on Monday told governors he wants to speed up their ability to enforce his signature health care law on their own terms. But his concession goes only so far: He warned he won't allow states to weaken the law...

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

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday:...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Mathel Musgraves, 100, of Brighton, Ill., passed away Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011, at Robings Manor. She was born Jan. 24, 1911, near Advance, daughter of Arthur and Bessie Edward Redman. She and Charles Franklin Musgraves were married June 9, 1930. He preceded her in death in February 1987...

BRANSON, Mo. -- Memorial services for Terry Lee Jones, 61, of Branson, will be held at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Bonhomme Presbyterian Church in Chesterfield, Mo., with the Rev. Tom Pfizenmaier officiating. Graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Troy Cemetery in Troy, Mo., under the direction of Greenlawn Funeral Home in Branson...

John W. Eggimann, 90, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011, at Southeast Hospital. He was born Feb. 20, 1921, near Whitewater, son of Fred and Lena Scholz Eggimann. He and Irene Nischwitz were married Nov. 5, 1948, at Zion Lutheran Church in Gordonville...

James Lohmeier, 69, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011, at the Lutheran Home. He was born Aug. 7, 1941, in Cape Girardeau, to Herman Carl and Helen Marie Hanf Lohmeier. Survivors include two brothers, Robert and David Lohmeier of Cape Girardeau; a sister, Nancy Brasher of Southeast Missouri; nieces, nephews and other relatives...

Robert E. Gore, 70, of Cape Girardeau passed away Friday, Feb. 25, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born March 1, 1940, in Rossville, Ill., to Robert M. and Nellie Kennedy Gore. He and Kathleen Grondfeldt were married April 1, 1965, in Illinois...

Jay K. Rose, 74, of Whitewater died Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011, at his home. Visitation will be after 4 p.m. today at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Mo. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the chapel, with Mark Claunch officiating. Burial will be in Missouri State Veterans Cemetery at Bloomfield, with military rites conducted by Missouri Honors...

Son to B.J. Bowlin and Elizabeth Agnes Trankle of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 1:02 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, 2011. Name, Jaxon Matthew. Weight, 7 pounds, 4 ounces. Ms. Trankle is the daughter of Robert and Marilyn Trankle of Chaffee, Mo. She is a key manager, bartender and server at Texas Roadhouse. Bowlin is the son of Chester and Tonya Bowlin of Elwood, Ind. He is a bartender, disc jockey and maintenance worker...

A 12-person committee was selected Thursday night as more than 125 sportsmen gathered at the VFW hall in Scott City to discuss the possibility of obtaining a large Department of Conservation lake. Cpl. Ronald W. Jones, a Cape Girardeau County native who has been with the Missouri Highway Patrol for 20 years, has assumed public safety education duties for Southeast Missouri; Jones became assistant safety education officer in September after Sgt. Joe G. Matthews became ill...

Thank you, O God, for not giving us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love. Amen.

In a bold new approach ultimately aimed at trying to cure AIDS, scientists used genetic engineering in six patients to develop blood cells that are resistant to HIV, the virus that causes the disease. It's far too early to know if this scientific first will prove to be a cure, or even a new treatment. The research was only meant to show that, so far, it seems feasible and safe...

Centro Properties Group, which owns West Park Mall among its 588 shopping centers in the U.S., has agreed to sell its properties to Blackstone Group LP for $9.4 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. A spokeswoman for Centro would not confirm the sale, however, the Melbourne, Australia-based company on Monday requested the Australian Stock Exchange Limited grant a trading halt of its securities effective immediately, pending an announcement of a potential transaction. ...

GREENBRIER, Ark. (AP) -- The central Arkansas town of Greenbrier has been plagued for months by hundreds of small earthquakes, and after being woken up by the largest quake to hit the state in 35 years, residents said Monday they're unsettled by the increasing severity and lack of warning...

A Cape Girardeau man originally accused of setting a fire in his ex-girlfriend's apartment in August pleaded guilty Monday to a reduced misdemeanor charge of property damage. With his plea, Clayton Anderson, 21, admitted to kicking in a window to the apartment at 807 N. ...

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team has posted a 5-2 record this season.

JUPITER, Fla. -- Albert Pujols swung at the first pitch he saw in a spring training game, his job with the St. Louis Cardinals in absolutely no jeopardy. Matt Dominguez doesn't have that luxury with the Florida Marlins. Dominguez, trying to win a spot on the Marlins' major league roster, hit a two-run homer in his first plate appearance as Florida opened its formal spring training schedule Monday with a 6-3 win over the Cardinals...

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Terry Pegula's influence and deep pockets as the Buffalo Sabres new owner quickly paid off for the team at the NHL's trading deadline. With Pegula's blessing, the Sabres added forward Brad Boyes -- and what's left of the player's hefty salary -- to a lineup in need of offensive punch in a bid to make one final push for the playoffs...

The Bell City boys basketball lost to Richland 78-60 in their Class 1 District 2 quarterfinal Monday.

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

The Woodland girls basketball team beat West County 38-30 in a Class 3 District 3 semifinal Monday.

The Scott City girls basketball team defeated Saxony Lutheran 54-37 in a Class 3 District 3 semifinal Monday.

The Scott County Central girls basketball team beat McKinley Classical Leadership 75-33 in a Class 1 District 2 semifinal Monday.

The Delta boys basketball team beat The Fulton School at St. Albans 98-26 in a Class 1 District 2 opener Monday.

The Leopold boys basketball team defeated Zalma 69-58 in a Class 1 District 3 semifinal Monday.

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center on Friday filed its formal proposal to the state of Missouri to build a $170 million, 250-bed medical campus, making it one of the biggest single corporate investments in Poplar Bluff's history...

Both lanes of traffic on William Street, between Sprigg and Frederick streets, will be closed today through Friday, or until sewer repair work is completed. Barricades and signs will be in place to direct traffic...

JUPITER, Fla. -- St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright had Tommy John surgery on his right arm Monday and the team said he would be out 12 to 15 months. General manager John Mozeliak said the surgery went "very well" and that Wainwright is expected to return to the Cardinals spring training facility in a couple of weeks. The surgery was performed by team physician, George Paletta...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues have made another trade in a late-season sell-off, sending forward Brad Winchester to the Anaheim Ducks for a third-round pick in 2012. The Blues were 13th in the Western Conference with 65 points, seven points out of the final playoff spot. Before Monday's deal, St. Louis unloaded forward Brad Boyes to Buffalo, and defensemen Eric Brewer and Erik Johnson to Tampa Bay and Colorado, respectively. Brewer had been team captain...

The quantity of methamphetamine laboratories seized in 2010 isn't what some Missouri law enforcement agencies expected and the statistics aren't impressive either, drug task force officials and narcotics investigators agreed Monday. The Missouri State Highway Patrol released the data Friday, revealing that the state ranks No. ...

Australia-based Centro Properties Group confirmed Tuesday that it will sell its 588 U.S. shopping malls, including West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau, to BRE Retail Holdings Inc., an affiliate of Blackstone Real Estate Partners VI, LP, for $9.4 billion...

Dan Muser thinks his successor should be a lot of things -- thick-skinned, a long-range thinker and a multitasker, just to name a few. What the current head of the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation department does not think the next one should be, however, is a micromanager...

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce has thrown its support behind the city's $72 million plan to pay for a new wastewater treatment plant. But the 1,200-member business organization did so Tuesday with four caveats -- that the city should make sure to address concerns about plant odor, give local businesses a shot at construction contracts, keep the lines of communication open with the public and make sure rates are the same for business and residential customers...

Advance defeated Chaffee 61-53 to reach the championship game in Class 2 District 3

Southeast Missouri State University's women's basketball coach John Ishee was able to survive an injury-plagued 2009-2010 campaign that marked one of the worst seasons in program history.

ST. LOUIS -- Missouri is not leading the nation in methamphetamine lab busts and seizures for the first time since 2003, according to figures released Tuesday.

Those fighting a proposed smoking ban gained an influential ally Tuesday when the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce voted to oppose the ban, which it called "overly restrictive" and an "issue of individual rights and government intervention." The chamber's board voted 16-2 to oppose the ban, which would prohibit smoking in all public workplaces, including bars, restaurants, private clubs and casinos. The election is April 5...

Timothy, Hazel and Millie are 8 week old Husky mix puppies. These little bundles of fur are available for adoption at The Humane Society, 573-334-5837. See more pets available at www.semopets.org

Missouri Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Committee Member Matt Jenkins honored Frank Jones of CPU Inc., of Cape Girardeau with the Patriot Award, in recognition of their extraordinary support of employees who serve in the Reserve and National Guard...

Chaffee Nursing Center has announced a collaborative agreement with RehabCare Group, Inc., effective February 1, 2011, to provide physical rehabilitation services to its patients and residents. RehabCare has been contracted to deliver rehabilitation services to those who have experienced an injury or illness, such as stroke, amputation, orthopedic impairment, neurological disorder, cardiopulmonary dysfunction, and other general medical problems. ...

Charles Phillip Jestus worked, ate and slept in the stench and horror of war, somewhere between Khe Sanh and hell. The Vietnam vet spent 13 months in 1968 and 1969 supplying helicopters and troops at a landing strip in the valley village of Ca Lu. He would see things -- death, dying, suffering, fear, degradations and debasements -- unimaginable to all but those who have lived in the carnage of war...

I was first introduced to mycorrhizae in a plant physiology class at the University of Missouri more than 45 years ago. It took me several tries before I could even spell the word. Since it was only mentioned in passing, I soon forgot about it. Now I see this word a lot in print because of the buzz about how it encourages plants to thrive...

For almost four decades, teacher Nan Beussink has dedicated her life to Catholic education. Last week she received one of two Distinguished Teacher awards from the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau for excellence in teaching. Beussink, a third-grade teacher at Immaculate Conception School in Jackson, plans to retire at the end of the school year, and said the award was a nice way to end her career...

A Delta teenager is set to be sentenced later this month after pleading guilty Monday to felony arson, burglary and stealing charges in connection to a fire at Delta High School that heavily damaged the institution's main office space in August. Jeriel M. Brooks, 19, will be sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Benjamin Lewis March 28. Lewis ordered a sentencing assessment report after Brooks' plea Monday...

CAIRO, Ill. -- The cause of a fire that destroyed one Cairo home and damaged another is still undetermined, Cairo Fire Department Capt. Brandon Manker said Tuesday. Cairo, Mounds and Mound City crews responded to the blaze at 414 and 416 George St. around 1 a.m. The fire began at 414 George St., Manker said, but spread to a neighboring home through a car port...

For about a year now I've been trying to find a good way to infuse my basic baked "fried" haddock with the taste of Thai red curry paste. And the solution has repeatedly escaped me. Until now. 2 eggs 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs...

Recently I purchased a copy of "The FFA Cookbook: Favorite Recipes from FFA Members & Alumni Across America." It really is a good book. Many of the recipes are unusual and different, but not so much so that you have to go out and buy a lot of ingredients. I have really enjoyed reading this book from cover to cover and am glad I added it to my collection. I hope you enjoy these recipes and have a chance to add this book to your own collection...

MADISON, Wis. -- After focusing for weeks on his proposal to strip public employees of collective bargaining rights, Gov. Scott Walker on Tuesday presented his full budget -- a plan that cuts $1.5 billion in aid to public schools and local government but avoids any tax or fee increases, furloughs or widespread layoffs...

NEW YORK -- Nearly everything is going according to the plan Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke hatched six months ago. During a speech in Jackson Hole, Wyo., on Aug. 27, Bernanke outlined an effort to spur economic growth, prevent prices from falling and push markets higher through the purchase of government bonds...

BEIJING -- China appears to be tightening restrictions on international media again, barring foreign journalists from working near a popular Shanghai park and along a major Beijing shopping street after calls for protests in those spots appeared online...

SANAA, Yemen -- Yemen's embattled president on Tuesday accused the U.S., his closest ally, of instigating the mounting protests against him, but the gambit failed to slow the momentum for his ouster. Hundreds of thousands rallied in cities across Yemen in the largest anti-government protests of the past month, including a gathering addressed by an influential firebrand cleric whom the U.S. has linked to al-Qaida...

WASHINGTON -- The House passed emergency short-term legislation Tuesday to cut federal spending by $4 billion and avert a government shutdown. Senate Democrats agreed to follow suit, handing Republicans an early victory in their drive to rein in government...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Anna K. Hedge, 74, of Perryville died Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011, at Missouri Baptist Hospital in St. Louis. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. today at Miller Family Funeral Home in Perryville, with the Rev. John Chamness officiating. Burial will be private...

Kenneth G. Mehrle, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at the Missouri Veterans Home. Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Daughter to Frank Charles and Rachel Lauren Bertrand III of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 5:36 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011. Name, Stella Chesley. Weight, 6 pounds, 14 ounces. Third daughter. Mrs. Bertrand is the former Rachel Hessenkemper, daughter of Richard and Gail Hessenkemper of Cape Girardeau. She is health promotions specialist at Saint Francis. Bertrand is the son of Frank and Evelyn Bertrand of Cape Girardeau. He is a lawyer with Bradshaw, Steele, Cochrane and Berens...

Bethel Assembly of God Church recently named two new staff members; Michael Givens is the new youth pastor, and Arvin Haynes is associate pastor. Scottish evangelist John Clunas begins a five-day crusade at Cape Bible Chapel; for the past 25 years, Clunas has conducted large, citywide evangelistic meetings throughout Great Britain and Ireland; his mission has extended to the United States and Canada during the past few years...

In November Missouri voters were faced with several ballot initiatives, including one which continues to be contentious today. Proposition B, also known as the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act, was approved statewide by just over 51 percent of voters...

You've heard of the teacher who is in hot water over blogging about her students -- though she named neither the students nor the school district. In essence, the young teacher was alarmed at the cavalier attitude of many students, their lack of effort and their abundant lack of respect...

O God, may we never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

TRENTON, N.J. -- Turns out all it took to top Watson, the "Jeopardy"-winning computer, was a rocket scientist. U.S. Rep. Rush Holt of New Jersey is just such a scientist. The success of Holt -- a five-time champion during the trivia show's original run 35 years ago -- topped the IBM computer Monday night in a "Jeopardy" exhibition match of congressmen vs. machine held at a Washington hotel...

BENTON, Mo. -- A Sikeston, Mo. man accused of causing the death of his 17-month-old daughter in January had his preliminary hearing reset by Circuit Court Judge Scott Horman Tuesday at the Scott County Courthouse. A pathologist set to testify at the hearing was unavailable for the court date, so the prosecution requested a continuance, according to Patrick McMenamin, the defendant's attorney...

FORT JACKSON, S.C. -- The Army plans to toughen its fitness tests for the first time in 30 years to make sure all soldiers have the strength, endurance and mobility for battle, adding exercises like running an obstacle course in full combat gear and dragging a body's weight...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrest Firefighters responded to the following call Tuesday:...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests The Southeast Missouri State University Department of Public Safety reported the following item. Theft...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday:...

Vancouver posted a 6-0 road victory

Carpenter, Boggs sustain minor injuries in 7-1 exhibition win against the Marlins

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Lance Jeter scored 16 points and Nebraska used a 17-2 second-half run to pull away from No. 22 Missouri for a 69-58 victory Tuesday night. It was the last regular-season Big 12 home game for Nebraska (19-10, 7-8), which moves to the Big Ten next season...

The Rams reached the title game in Class 3 District 3

The Scott County Central boys basketball team defeated No. 4 seed Richland 102-32 in the semifinal round of the Class 1 District 2 tournament

Blake Slattery didn't expect to play Tuesday. He instead drove in the winning run, helping the Southeast Missouri State baseball team notch a comeback victory. Slattery's bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 11th inning lifted Southeast past visiting Central Arkansas 6-5. It was the Redhawks' only lead...

The junior also was selected to the OVC all-newcomer team

The Eagles routed Lesterville in the Class 2 District 3 semifinals

There is an old sports adage that it's tough to beat a team three times in one season. Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt hopes that is the case tonight when the Redhawks make the program's first Ohio Valley Conference tournament appearance since the 2006-07 campaign...

ST. LOUIS -- The Labor Department has fined three movie theater companies a total of $277,000 for allowing workers under 16 to perform dangerous jobs and work long hours in violation of child labor laws. The theaters have paid the fines and agreed to set up compliance programs...

Route UU between county roads 336 and 354 in Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties will be closed today while Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a pipe under the road. Weather permitting, the work will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near the area. For more information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Highway 72 in Bollinger County from Highway 51 to the Madison County line will be reduced to one lane today through Friday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews seal the cracks in the road. Weather permitting, the work will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. The work zone will be marked with signs. For more information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636...

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- A Danish couple on a round-the-world journey with their three children knew they were sailing in the world's most pirate-infested waters off East Africa. But they seemed to be brimming with confidence. On a blog on which they chronicled their voyage, they reported that they had drawn up a "pirate plan" in case of attack. ...

TRIPOLI, Libya -- Moammar Gadhafi's forces battled poorly armed rebels Tuesday for control of towns near the capital trying to create a buffer zone around his seat of power. The increasingly violent clashes threatened to transform the 15-day popular rebellion in Libya into a drawn-out civil war...

If I told you that a particular public policy would lead to increases in unemployment among the least skilled workers, and do nothing to alleviate poverty, you'd probably call that policy "anti-worker," and for good reason. Yet these facts have been ignored in Missouri when it comes to the minimum wage. ...

The Poplar Bluff native has led the Irish to No. 8 in the rankings

JUPITER, Fla. -- Adam Wainwright says he has a "sense of peace" with the elbow injury that will cost him the entire season and believes he will be back full strength in one year. The St. Louis Cardinals' ace spoke on a conference call Tuesday, a day after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right arm. He is recovering in St. Louis and expects to begin rehab in 13 days at the team's spring training facility...

Saxony lutheran held off upset-minded West County to win 44-41 in semifinals

The Oak Ridge boys basketball team defeated Delta 55-46 in a Class 1 District 2 semifinal

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. A Republican filibuster of a Republican sponsored bill in the Senate on Tuesday delayed passage of a bill that would extend federal unemployment benefits for workers who've been out of work up to 99 weeks. Sen. Jim Lembke, R-St. Charles, said that Missouri should send a message about fiscal responsibility to the federal government by rejecting an $81 million extension, and led an hour and a half long filibuster of the bill along with Sen. ...

The 6-5 junior post player scored a game-high 18 points in his team's 46-32 victory over Jackson in the Class 5 District 1 championship game Friday.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A four-hour filibuster in the Senate over proposed changes to workers compensation laws ended Wednesday night when senators choose to delay a vote while a compromise is sought. In a debate pitting Republicans against members of their own party, Sen. ...

William Street between Sprigg and Frederick streets reopened Thursday at 1:30 p.m., after the city of Cape Girardeau's sewer division completed sewer repairs. The street had been shut down since Tuesday.

Perhaps it's true what they say: Great minds do think alike. Case in point, identical twin sisters Tayla and Logan Meyr. On Wednesday, the seventh-graders at St. Paul Lutheran School in Jackson were putting the finishing touches on their science experiment titled "Do Identical Twins Have the Same Opinions?"...

Recent Ameren Missouri rate increases could be repealed as early as next week, returning rates to 2007 levels. Lewis Mills of the Office of the Public Counsel, which represents Missouri's residential utility customers, filed a motion last month asking the Missouri Public Service Commission to undo a $161.7 million rate increase it granted to Ameren in 2009 and a $226.3 million increase approved last year...

Rep. Wayne Wallingford of Cape Girardeau said despite representing a city that requested peripheral zoning late last year, he feels the state statute allowing the measure needs to be repealed. Wallingford's HB 498 moved one step closer to that end Wednesday with a public hearing, although no one spoke in support or opposition of the legislation...

Daffodils reach for the sky.

Four FBLA members qualified and will be advancing to FBLA state competition April 17-19 in Columbia, MO. To qualify for state, a member must place 1st in a performance event or 1st or 2nd in a written event; except in Jacob Light's situation, the 2nd place competitor stepped down, so the achievement gets passed on to the next placed competitor. ...

Hoover Center participants model Mardi Gras masks. Southeast Missouri State University Communications Disorders Class entertain Hoover Center Participants twice a week with fun activities. On March 3, they hosted a Mardi Gras celebration with the participants making and modeling their Mardi Gras Masks along with Gerontology Practicuum Students observing. Pictured in the celebration picture above are:...

Following a successful Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival last year, organizers will take this year off with plans to host the event again in 2012. Difficulty booking the performers event planners wanted is the main reason there will be no air show in Cape Girardeau this summer, said airport manager Bruce Loy...

Red Cross Asks People to Join During Red Cross Month Organization Helping Those in Need for 130 Years Cape Girardeau, MO -- March is Red Cross Month, and the American Red Cross is asking people to join them in helping those in need by volunteering their time, making a donation, taking a class, or giving blood. ...

As the protests over the collective bargaining priveledges of union workers continue, Wisconsin's State Senate approved a measure ordering the arrest and return of the 14 Democratic Senators who have gone AWOL in lieu of the potential, and likely, passing of the measure. However, the Republicans, numbering 19 in the Senate, have failed to see the breadth of the situation...

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

Colonel John T. Coffee Camp #1934 Missouri Sons of Confederate Veterans Osceola, Mo. For Immediate Release Contact: Clint E. Lacy Email: clintlacy2@yahoo.com ELEVENTH ANNUAL CONFEDERATE HERITAGE DINNER Featuring Guest Speaker Paul R. Pertersen...

Two years after burying her son, a Perryville, Mo., woman is hoping a Cape Girardeau County jury will review the circumstances of her son's death, which in a lawsuit filed Feb. 24 she alleges was due to negligence on the part of three Jackson police officers...

Carter had a great first birthday and even shared a cup cake with his sister Bailey.

Fresh from hosting a championship football season, Houck Stadium is about to get a facelift -- or at least a tummy tuck. Southeast Missouri State University's $59 million-plus campuswide renovation plan includes an estimated $2 million in renovations to the stadium complex, with more than a half-million dollars of the improvement budget marked for artificial turf replacement...

Their coach calls them "small and mighty." That's as apt a description as any to describe the six-member Scott County Central High School varsity cheerleading squad. It's one of the smallest squads in the school's history. But coach Stacey Russell said these cheerleaders know how to compete and how to keep a crowd pumped up. ...

Jackson building and planning superintendent Janet Sanders said the city needs more input from uptown merchants for the city's DREAM Initiative project. While about 15 people attended Tuesday's first public meeting, held at the Jackson Chamber of Commerce, she said there was no representation from the area's business owners...

The Central boys basketball team lost to McCluer North 63-51 in a Class 5 sectional.

Three men in their mid-20s were injured Wednesday morning when they fell from a scaffold and construction materials landed on them. The men were constructing a pole barn on Angelica Lane in northern Cape Girardeau County near New Wells.

What's happening this weekend

The weather has been acting a little funny lately and tricking students who are anticipating spring. Just as the weather begins to warm up a little bit, students are busting out the shorts and T-shirts, but then a cold snap comes and brings a return of jeans and sweatshirts...

While data released last week by the U.S. Census Bureau confirmed that Missouri would lose a congressional seat, for Southeast Missouri there are some positives to take away from the results. Seeing population gains in Southeast Missouri were Cape Girardeau County, Bollinger County and Perry County. The city of Cape Girardeau saw a 7 percent increase while Jackson's population increased 15 percent...

In response to the Southeast Missourian's Feb. 23 editorial titled "Domestic violence": I read this editorial online. I applaud the attempt to better protect those being domestically abused. What I missed were links to the proposals themselves to better educate myself. Not having read them, my only concern is that once codified, enforcers may feel constrained without the ability to take into account individual circumstances...

IN 1955 when I was hired for my first job, I asked my employer what the Social Security deduction on my paycheck was for. I was told that it was for when I retired at 65, that there would be money for me to retire on. So for the next 50 years, money was deducted from my check as well as my husband's for retirement. Now all I hear is "let's stop paying Social Security to these old people." I paid for it. I deserve it...

March 3, 2011 Dear Leslie, Our family had a Boston bull terrier named Butch. One day my mother took a roast out of the oven and set it on the table to cool before we left the house on an errand. When we returned the roast was gone and Butch was lying on his back on the floor, motionless, his belly protruding. He looked pregnant with roast beef...

Almighty God, we love you, for you have heard our cry. Amen.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The International Space Station got a sorely needed storage room Tuesday, a 21-foot-long supply closet packed with goods and a humanoid robot that will remain boxed up for another two months. The space station and space shuttle crews teamed up to attach the newest module, using a hefty robot arm to anchor it down. It became the 13th room at the sprawling outpost, and the only one devoted entirely to storage...

Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Communication Studies will host a regional high school speech, debate and theater tournament Friday and Saturday. The event is a state-qualifying competition in accordance with Missouri State High School Activities Association guidelines. The top regional winners will move on to the statewide competition in April in Columbia, Mo...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Members of the Stoddard County Commission came out in opposition to joining a proposed regional 911 district at the commission's Monday meeting. Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis said he attended a meeting in Sikeston, Mo., at the request of the Sikeston City Council. ...

KENNETT, Mo. -- A fire ripped through the Cotton Boll Sheltered Workshop in Kennett on Monday, destroying the building and shutting down a section of a major road to traffic. A section of the South Bypass was temporarily shut down as the Kennett Fire Department responded to the fire...

Did you know if the Earth was the size of a basketball, all of its water would fit into a pingpong ball? Only 1 percent of this water is readily accessible and most of it has to be filtered in order to drink. Using a few ingredients from around the house, you can create your own water filtering system...

Honors, achievements Three Cape Girardeau Central High School students have joined the rare ranks of National Merit Scholars. Lessley Dennington, Blake Kidd and Noor Wadi recently were selected as scholars by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. The students were selected as National Merit Semifinalists last fall...

WASHINGTON -- Republicans won an early round Wednesday in their fight to shrink the government, pushing $4 billion in spending cuts through Congress in a bill that puts off the possibility of a government shutdown for two weeks. Largely a spectator so far, President Barack Obama dispatched his vice president to initiate negotiations on a broader, longer-term spending bill and find "common ground" with GOP leaders determined to cut tens of billions of dollars more and undo much of his agenda.. ...

Kenneth G. Mehrle, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at Missouri Veterans Home. He was born Aug. 19, 1925, in Cape Girardeau, to Arthur J. and Anita Schwab Mehrle Sr. He and Bettie Fulbright were married Aug. 30, 1946, in Kansas City, Kan...

George T. "Mr. Jiggs" Reeves, 82, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Feb. 28, 2011. He was born Dec. 6, 1928. Survivors include Mattie Mae Walker Reeves; two sons, Willard (Nancy) Smith and John (Amy) Ireland; two daughters, Georgia Jo Reeves and Stephanie Guthrie; two grandsons, four granddaughters, two great-grandsons and two great-granddaughters...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Ollie M. Streiler, 84, of Perryville died Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at Perry Oaks Nursing and Rehab Center. She was born Sept. 15, 1926, in Perry County, daughter of Prince Edward and Mary Marcella Richardet Wood. She and Harry Streiler were married May 3, 1947, at Perryville. He preceded her in death June 12, 2002...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Billy Hugh Blackburn, 81, of Cairo died Wednesday, March 2, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was a Korean War veteran of the U.S. Navy. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to service time Tuesday at First Southern Baptist Church in Cairo...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Alta Mae Price, 86, of Truxton, Mo., formerly of Perryville, died Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at St. Joseph Hospital West in Lake St. Louis, Mo. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Young and Sons Funeral Home in Perryville. Burial will be in Brazeau Presbyterian Church Cemetery...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Marcella T. Wills, 80, of Perryville died Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at Perry Oaks Nursing and Rehab Center. Visitation is from 5 to 9 p.m. today, and from 6:30 to 9:50 a.m. Friday at Miller Family Funeral Home. Funeral Mass is at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Perryville. Burial will be in St. Boniface Cemetery...

ANNA, Ill. -- Virginia Rose Darnell, 89, of Anna died Thursday, Feb. 17, 2011, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Graveside service will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Anna City Cemetery, with the Rev. Clifford Heil officiating. Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Anna is in charge of arrangements...

The Pilot House at Perryville and Oriole roads, has been purchased by Jim and Jean Byrd from Bill Parker, who operated the establishment three years. It was announced yesterday that the Southeast Missouri State University Indians will host this weekend's NCAA Division II South Central men's basketball tournament at Houck Field House; meanwhile, Southeast's women basketball players will have to pack warm clothes, as the Otahkians play in the postseason tournament at the University of Alaska at Anchorage.. ...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

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

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff businessman and community leader Jeff Shawan stood in front of the Butler County Courthouse Tuesday morning to announce his candidacy for the senator of the 25th District. Shortly after his declaration, Shawan, a Republican, hopped in a car to begin an ambitious tour that would see him make a similar announcement in each of the seven counties covered by the district...

MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin's budget stalemate over union bargaining rights shows no sign of resolution -- and it could be a long wait. The governor isn't budging. AWOL Democrats aren't planning to come back. And, despite talk of deadlines and threats of mass layoffs, the state doesn't really have to pass a budget to pay its bills until at least May. Even then, there may be other options that could extend the standoff for months...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Saying that texting while driving constitutes a bigger public safety threat on Missouri roads than drinking and driving, supporters of a statewide texting-while-driving ban came out Wednesday to testify before the House committee hearing three bills on the matter...

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration on Wednesday tried to rein in "loose talk" about military options in Libya, including a "no-fly zone" that the Pentagon chief said would first require attacking Moammar Gadhafi's government. At the same time, U.S. officials said the North African country risked descending into chaos...

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a grieving father's pain over mocking protests at his Marine son's funeral must yield to First Amendment protections for free speech. All but one justice sided with a fundamentalist church that has stirred outrage with raucous demonstrations contending God is punishing the military for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality...

JUPITER, Fla. -- New York Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey wasn't sure how he would react to having a spot secured in the rotation entering spring training. He found out Wednesday in his first Grapefruit League outing. "There was no sense of entitlement, no different from what I felt in the past, which is good," Dickey said. "I really didn't know how the security or having a spot in the rotation would affect me. When I got out there, I was very competitive."...

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Cardinals expect Chris Carpenter to miss at least one spring start even though the right-hander's strained left hamstring is feeling better. "It's better than it was [Tuesday]," Carpenter said. "It's still there a little bit. They will treat it and see what happens."...

The Leopold boys basketball team lost to South Iron 46-39 in the Class 1 District 3 title game.

Two days of rest proved plenty for right-hander Brad LaBruyere. The senior allowed two runs over five innings to pick up the win in Southeast Missouri State's 10-3 nonconference victory over Central Arkansas on Wednesday at Capaha Field. It was the Redhawks' third consecutive victory...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Teachers would no longer have tenure and student test scores would play a larger role in teacher evaluations under legislation considered Wednesday by a House committee. The bill would require half of a teacher's evaluation to be based on students' scores on state tests. ...

In loving memory of Ermadell Powers Dickey, 85, better known as "Erma" in Cape Girardeau. She passed away Tuesday, March 1, 2011, at Chateau Girar- deau Health Center. She was born April 2, 1925, in Greene County, Ark., and raised as a dirt farmer's daughter. Erma's mother and father were Vadie and Allen Powers. Erma's late husband, James Dickey, preceded her in death in 1979...

FRANKFURT, Germany -- Two U.S. airmen were killed and two others were wounded at Frankfurt airport Wednesday when a man opened fire on them at close range with a handgun, the first such attack on American forces in Germany in a quarter century...

BREGA, Libya (AP) -- Rebel forces routed troops loyal to Moammar Gadhafi in a fierce battle over an oil port Wednesday, scrambling over the dunes of a Mediterranean beach through shelling and an airstrike to corner their attackers. While they thwarted the regime's first counteroffensive in eastern Libya, opposition leaders still pleaded for outside airstrikes to help them oust the longtime leader...

ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Militants gunned down the only Christian in Pakistan's government outside his widowed mother's home Wednesday, the second assassination in two months of a high-profile opponent of laws that impose the death penalty for insulting Islam...

MANTECA, Calif. -- The woman desperately gripped a windshield wiper blade, her body splayed across the hood of the minivan as it raced down a Northern California freeway in the middle of the night, reaching 100 mph, witnesses said. With the temperature hovering in the low 30s, Christopher Michael Carroll drove 35 miles from Manteca to nearby Pleasanton on Saturday with his wife clinging to the hood, prompting 911 calls from at least two alarmed witnesses, police said...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A ramp on southbound Interstate 55 in Pemiscot County will be reduced to one lane with a 12-foot width restriction while Missouri Department of Transportation crews make pavement repairs. The ramp is from southbound I-55 to Highway 164, exit 8. Weather permitting, work will begin at 8 a.m. March 21 and will reopen at 3 p.m. March 25. The work zone will be marked with signs. ...

North- and southbound Interstate 55 in Scott County will be reduced to one lane with a 16-foot restriction later this month while Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform routine bridge maintenance. Traffic will be reduced to one lane from Highway 62 at Sikeston, Mo., to Highway 77 at Benton, Mo. Weather permitting, the work will begin at 8 a.m. March 14 and will end at 5 p.m. March 25. The work zone will be marked with signs...

Route UU between county roads 336 and 354 in Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties will be closed today while Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a pipe under the road. Weather permitting, the work will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The work zone will be marked with signs. For more information, contact the Missouri Department of Transportation's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Route C from County Road 614 to Route V in Bollinger County will be closed today while Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a pipe beneath the road. Weather permitting, work will be done from 9 a.m. to noon. The work zone will be marked with signs...

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team clobbered Eastern Kentucky 65-49 in an Ohio Valley Conference tournament opener.

Missouri senators are at odds over whether occupational disease victims should be allowed to sue their employers in civil courts. Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, led a four-hour filibuster Wednesday night in the Missouri Senate during debate on a bill by Sen. Jack Goodman, R-Mt. Vernon, that would make the workers' compensation system the exclusive remedy for occupational disease claims, including mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos exposure...

The working day of the average guidance counselor is a day filled with questions. Questions about career path, college preparation, testing, class scheduling. Those arguably are the easy ones compared to the social and emotional disorders in today's students. Problems like self-injury or mutilation, cyberbullying, teen pregnancy, socioeconomic issues in a challenging economy...

The Meadow Heights girls basketball team beat Lesterville 84-50 in the Class 2 District 3 championship game

About 500 junior high and high school students from Southeast Missouri will compete next week in the National History Day in Missouri district contest. Judging begins at 9 a.m. March 11 at Southeast Missouri State University's University Center. The awards ceremony will be at 2 p.m. in Rose Theatre in the Grauel Building...

Tickets are now on sale for the fourth annual Heart to Heart Luncheon, sponsored by Saint Francis Medical Center and the Heart to Heart Committee. Nationally recognized nutrition and fitness expert Mitzi Dulan, RD, CSSD, will be the keynote speaker at the event April 1 at Drury Lodge, 104 S. Vantage Drive...

For more photos from a pledge drive bulletin, go to http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/trinity-lutheran-church-pledge-drive/

Cypress knees set against a frozen lake in Burfordville.

A January sunset in Burfordville.

Plowed mounds of snow from road with a dusting of new snow.

Early snowfall on a country road in Cape Girardeau County.

Looking East at Cypress Lake, Hidden Valley, near Burfordville.

A frozen thicket in Bollinger County.

Commissioners approved the construction of a $22,000 park shelter at Cape Girardeau County Park North to replace an existing facility that is old and in disrepair. As part of his increased duties with the county parks department, Commissioner Jay Purcell proposed constructing a low-maintenance, larger shelter to replace the 36-year-old shelter three at Cape Girardeau County Park North. ...

VIP Industries recently celebrated Valentine's Day with their annual dinner and dance on Friday, February 25th. The party was held at the Fruitland facility located on US Highway 61 in Jackson, Missouri. Over 175 employees with developmental disabilities and staff from the Cape Girardeau, Fruitland, and Marble Hill plants attended the daytime celebration...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- First Lt. Carter Roberts, of Jefferson City, has been appointed the new commander for the 1140th Forward Support Company in Cape Girardeau. During the ceremony, the unit guidon was passed to Roberts to symbolize the transfer of authority and responsibility...

Definition of contentment

An East Cape Girardeau, Ill., man has been arrested on weapons and drug charges following a string of thefts in Missouri and Illinois, law enforcement officials said Thursday afternoon.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A 14-year-old girl was injured in a vehicle accident on the Sikeston Walmart parking lot Tuesday night. The Sikeston Department of Public Safety received a call at 8:39 p.m. regarding a girl being pinned between two cars. According to the report a motorist, who is not being named at this time, was backing up and pressed on the gas pedal and the brake, pushing two cars together and trapping the girl. She was taken to a hospital with minor injuries and released...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A town hall meeting will be held today in Dexter to discuss a proposed senate bill related to the closure of Missouri's six habilitation centers. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Dexter Inn, 1807 Business 60 West...

Since opening his own online shop to sell paintings at the popular arts and crafts website Etsy.com in 2009, James Thurman has found an investment of his time can equal sales. Thurman, a watercolor painter and ceramic sculptor from Sullivan, Mo., had only sold his work at art shows or galleries until he began using the site...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Delinquent Missouri taxpayers would get a chance to pay off their debts without owing penalties or interest under legislation approved by the House. Taxpayers would need to pay their bills between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31 to qualify for the amnesty. They also would need to comply with state tax laws for the next eight years, or they would owe the penalties and interest that have been pardoned...

Becoming a home owner is a lifelong dream for many. However, for some this dream has been put on hold due to past legal problems. And this is where a program called Project Home steps in. Project Home, which was started by the U.S. Probation Office in the Eastern District of Missouri, is a program designed to provide information to ex-offenders on owning a home. ...

I wanted to let the Southeast Missourian know how very much I appreciate the text alert service. Because of your alert, I was awakened during our recent storm for the tornado warning. Thankfully, nothing became of it, but I have really begun to rely on this service to alert me to news and weather at all times of the day...

Like most veterans, I value the personal freedoms we enjoy in this great country. I also appreciate the sentiments of residents who feel they cannot support the proposed smoke-free ordinance since it will apply to "private clubs" such as the VFW. Despite the good intentions, those sentiments are misguided. Personal freedom has never been defined as allowing one person's behavior to harm or risk harm to another's. That is exactly what secondhand smoke does...

We would like to extend a very appreciative thank you for the fantastic article written by the Southeast Missourian's Erin Ragan. We received compliments on her Feb. 4 featured piece on our guest artist, Malcolm McCrae. Great job, Erin. LYNDIE KEMPFER, O'Tenem Gallery members, Cape Girardeau...

WHEN I read about neglect to our veterans, I was shocked to see what percentage of the budget that goes to foreign countries and how much will be deducted from programs here. The Bible says those who don't take care of their families first are worse than idiots. We are the family of America. Don't take our Social Security money and give it to foreign countries...

By the time you read this, Libya may be rid of its ruler -- a man described as a despot and madman by his friends and even worse by his enemies. A man who, according to some sources, has skimmed $35 billion from the Libyan economy during his regime but forgot to promote himself to a rank higher than colonel...

We give thanks to you, O God, for your love endures forever. Amen.

NEW YORK -- An odd but hopeful picture book about a lovable lost creature has a new life in the United States to go with its Oscar-winning, 15-minute movie. The Academy Award victory in the short animated film category for Australian Shaun Tan's "The Lost Thing" coincides with its release this month in "Lost & Found," a collection of three stories primarily by Tan from the Scholastic imprint Arthur A. Levine Books...

FIRST FRIDAY RECEPTIONS The Artist Studio Gallery owner Judy Barks Westrich celebrates her six-year anniversary in the downtown gallery with a solo showing of her new pieces. 38A N. Main St.; 651-4464 Black Door Gallery Sonya Miller will be showing her art sculpture installations...

Arts and entertainment briefs

More opera is coming to Cape Girardeau, and this time the performances can be seen at Cape West 14 Cine in Cape Girardeau. George Bizet's "Carmen" will be shown in 3-D at 1 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday. This production of "Carmen" is from the Royal Opera House, London. Francesca Zambello's version of "Carmen" is set in modern times. Christine Rice is Carmen, Bryan Hymel is Don Jose and Aris Argiris is Escamillo...

Most people know Creative Edge in Jackson as a marketing one-stop shop, but the business also promotes music. The space, with a stage and room for tables on one level and a U-shaped balcony above, lends itself perfectly to musical acts. Tuesday and Wednesday will host Jimmy Needham, a Texas-based singer/songwriter whose faith-focused pop songs incorporate blues and roots rock to liven the contemporary Christian genre he represents. ...

RICHMOND, Va. -- The nation's largest cigarette manufacturers on Thursday said the Justice Department's proposed corrective statements about smoking's dangers are inflammatory and inaccurate and violate guidelines set by the court overseeing the lawsuit...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- While much of the nation's attention remains focused on a stalled proposal in Wisconsin to restrict collective bargaining rights for public workers, an Ohio measure that in some ways is tougher and broader is speeding toward reality...

COALINGA, Calif. -- Parole officials have refused to give Sirhan Sirhan a date with freedom, saying he hasn't shown sufficient remorse for Sen. Robert F. Kennedy's death and doesn't understand the enormity of the assassination that changed U.S. history more than 40 years ago...

PENSACOLA, Fla. -- A federal judge who declared President Barack Obama's health care overhaul unconstitutional ruled Thursday that states must continue implementing it while the case makes its way through the courts. U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson was responding to a request from Obama administration attorneys who sought to ensure Florida and 25 other states follow the law until their challenge to it is resolved...

BREGA, Libya -- Rebels reinforced a key oil port Thursday while facing new regime airstrikes in eastern Libya, and thousands of angry mourners buried victims of a counteroffensive by Moammar Gadhafi's forces, shooting guns in the air, shouting "Down with Gadhafi!" and swearing to take vengeance...

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani Christians burned tires and rallied for justice Thursday, a day after Islamist militants assassinated a Catholic government minister who had braved death threats to speak out in their defense. The government, which has been accused of appeasing hard-liners, vowed to tackle the threat, but officials routinely make such promises after high-profile attacks and questions remain over its will to counter militants once supported by the state...

JERUSALEM -- Israel has concluded that a final peace deal with the Palestinians cannot be reached at this time and is weighing alternatives to try to prove that it is interested in keeping peacemaking with the Palestinians alive, officials said Thursday...

CAIRO -- Egypt's military rulers appointed the first post-Hosni Mubarak prime minister Thursday, replacing an air force pilot close to the ousted leader in a bid to appease thousands of protesters who had threatened to renew the occupation of a central Cairo square...

WASHINGTON -- Four years after a retired FBI agent mysteriously vanished inside Iran, U.S. officials have received irrefutable proof he is alive, a development that has intensified secret negotiations to bring him home, The Associated Press has learned...

Marilyn Wilson Ritter of Kennett, Mo., departed this life on earth to join her heavenly father Wednesday, March 2, 2011, at the age of 88. She was born June 13, 1922, in Desloge, Mo., to the late Luther and Bessie Wilson. She and James A. Ritter were married July 5, 1955. James preceded her in death...

James D. Melvin Ash passed away Wednesday, March 2, 2011, at Monticello House in Jackson at the age of 94. He was born Nov. 21, 1916, in Kenton, Tenn., to the late Sam and Minnie Fausett Ash. He was married 68 years to Martha Jeanette Williams, who preceded him in death...

Raymond C. "Ray" Gibson, 40, of Jackson died Monday, Feb. 28, 2011, in Laredo, Texas. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center, with the Rev. James Green officiating.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Wilbert "Wib" Hacker, 74, of Perryville died Wednesday, March 2, 2011, at his home. He served in the Air Force during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. today, and 6:30 to 8:15 a.m. Saturday at Young and Sons Funeral Home...

Dorothy Lee Niswonger, 84, of Jackson died Thursday, March 3, 2011, at Monticello House. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Daughter to Jeffrey Charles and Nicole Ann Wendel of Sedgewickville, Mo., Southeast Hospital, 8:11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011. Name, Charley Ann. Weight, 8 pounds, 3 ounces. Mrs. Wendel is the former Nicole Whitener, daughter of Larry and Lois Patrick of Frohna, Mo., and Len and Jane Whitener of Cape Girardeau. She is a rural carrier with the Jackson post office. Wendel is the son of Charles and Diane Wendel. He is a clerk at the Jackson post office...

Cape Girardeau city and Chamber of Commerce officials are working on a transportation tax proposal that could be placed before voters later this year; voters may be asked to approve not only a half-cent sales tax to finance street improvements and other transportation projects, but also a bond issue which would be retired with the proceeds of the new sales tax...

PHOENIX -- Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has been showing emotion, good memory skills and a grasp of everything from legislative business to song lyrics as she recovers in a Houston hospital from a gunshot wound to the head. The Democratic congresswoman has been undergoing extensive therapy in the nearly two months since she was shot at a political event in Tucson, and has been receiving frequent visits from her astronaut husband Mark Kelly as he trains to be the commander of the next shuttle mission.. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri House pressed forward Thursday to put new restrictions on funeral protests, despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this week affirming the First Amendment right of groups such as Westboro Baptist Church to hold demonstrations...

The Jackson Police Department will join other Missouri law enforcement agencies to crack down on drunken driving March 16-20. The department will participate in statewide sobriety checkpoints and DWI saturation patrols in an effort to keep impaired drivers off the road...

BENTON, Mo. -- Recording documents in Scott County just got easier. County recorders from New Madrid, Mississippi, Stoddard, Dunklin and Pemiscot counties, as well as representatives from title companies, gathered at the Scott County Recorder of Deeds Tom Dirnberger's office Tuesday to watch the office's first e-recording take place...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Assault Firefighters responded to the following call Tuesday:...

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

Aronka Schultz has published her first children's book, "A Dinosaur on the Loose." Schultz grew up in Cape Girardeau and, after a few years in Las Vegas, now lives in St. Louis. "A Dinosaur on the Loose" is a silly story about a 4-year-old named Luke who's haunted by the threat of a dinosaur attack if he doesn't listen to his parents. ...

NEW YORK -- Strong February sales at stores up and down the price spectrum, from J.C. Penney to Saks, show that a broad range of shoppers are feeling more comfortable about the economy. The question is whether rising gas, food and clothing prices will reverse the trend this spring...

WASHINGTON -- The job market suddenly looks brighter. The number of people filing for unemployment benefits sank last week to its lowest point in nearly three years, and retailers and other service companies posted strong results Thursday for last month...

WASHINGTON -- Newcomer Jason Arnott scored the tiebreaking goal with 5 minutes, 19 seconds and the Washington Capitals beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2 on Thursday night for their third straight victory. Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth stopped 25 shots to set a franchise record for wins by a rookie with 21...

JUPITER, Fla. -- Jordan Zimmermann knows exactly what Washington Nationals teammate Stephen Strasburg is going through. Zimmermann made just seven starts last year after returning from elbow reconstruction surgery in August of 2009. Strasburg had the procedure last September...

It didn't take Southeast Missouri State long to find a new volleyball coach. Julie Yankus was named to fill the position Thursday, barely three weeks after Renata Heard announced her resignation. Yankus spent the past five years as associate head coach at Southern Illinois-Carbondale. She coached the outside hitters and oversaw recruiting, scouting and equipment...

Austin Peay defeated Southeast Missouri State 76-60 in the OVC tournament quarterfinals.

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team plays its second road series of the season against another tough opponent from the Sun Belt Conference. Southeast (7-2) visits Troy (6-2) for a three-game set beginning at 6 p.m. today in Troy, Ala. There also will be contests at 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday...

The Scott City girls basketball team defeated Woodland 58-45 in the Class 3 District 3 title game

Scott County Central defeated Oak Ridge 67-30 in the Class 1 District 2 final

Saxony Lutheran rallied from a five-point deficit in the fourth quarter and beat Scott City 59-54 in the Class 3 District 3 final

Delta defeated Scott County Central 60-47 in the Class 1 District 2 title game

The Oran boys basketball team defeated Advance 72-55 in the Class 2 District 3 final

In addition to the new galleries joining the First Friday festivities, comes a service to help people enjoy the receptions on that opening night each month: the First Friday Art Shuttle. This shuttle bus, borrowed from Southeast Missouri State University and organized by the ARound Town group of galleries, runs from the River Campu, through downtown to catch people filing out of places like the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri or the Bilderbach Art Plaza and takes them to Garden Gallery and Aartful Rose.. ...

FRANKFURT, Germany -- Arid Uka grew up in a well-kept immigrant neighborhood in Frankfurt as the son of a relatively prosperous, not all that religious family of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo -- a group notable more for their pro-American outlook than for mosque attendance...

KELSO, Mo. -- Martin "Marty" Wuesthoff, 57, of Kelso died Thursday, March 3, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

ATLANTA -- Fewer teens and young adults are having sex, a government survey shows, and theories abound as to why. Experts say this generation may be more cautious than their predecessors, more aware of sexually spread diseases. Or perhaps emphasis on abstinence in the past decade has had some influence...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Eastbound Malone Avenue from Selma Street to Missouri Street in Sikeston will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday while Atmos Energy repairs a gas line. The work will be done from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Signs will mark the work zone, and motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near the area. For more information, contact the Missouri Department of Transportation's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636...

The St. Vincent girls basketball team knocked off Viburnun 46-35 in a Class 2 District 4 semifinal.

While Mardi Gras technically falls on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday -- hence the Fat Tuesday references -- most people start celebrating the weekend before, enjoying a nice long jaunt of revelry before Lent begins. Fun-lovers in Southeast Missouri are no different. The fun starts today and reappears at various bars and venues until deep into the night Tuesday. Gather friends, don feathers and a mask and head out to the local taverns to catch some beads and make some memories...

Two days after the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce announced its support of two April ballot issues to fund a new wastewater treatment plant and its opposition to a proposed smoking ban, Old Town Cape has followed suit. The downtown business group's board of directors met Thursday and voted to support passage of an extension of a quarter-cent sales tax and a separate $72 million bond issue to pay for a new wastewater treatment plant. ...

Cape Central Middle School fifth grade Students of the Month for February are (front row from left) Rebekah Ropp and Megan Golden; (second row) Noah Umbeck, Rose Hall, Timara Wiley and Courtney Serrano; (third row) Anthony Miller, Demetrius Rayford, Shaniyah Carter and Chloe Hampton. SoutheastHEALTH recognizes these students in its role as Central Middle School's Partner in Education...

Cape Central Middle School sixth grade Students of the Month for February are (front row from left) Dontay Hartfield, Tremayne Sutherland and Keira Harvey; (second row) Victoria Crisman, Katie Wikel and Kim Spinks; (third row) Makenzie Reeves, Rebekah Garner, Katie Kinder and Nia Johnson. SoutheastHEALTH recognizes these students in its role as Central Middle School's Partner in Education...

Highway 25 between Highway 74 at Dutchtown and Route K at Gordonville is closed due to an accident, the Missouri Department of Transportation reported in a news release shortly after 11 a.m. today. The section of road will be closed until further notice, the transportation agency reported...

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Missouri will close its Cape Girardeau office in May, transitioning 150 of its approximately 175 employees to home offices. Company officials made the announcement Thursday, less than a year after eliminating 125 workers at the Cape Girardeau office last April...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri House Speaker Steven Tilley is questioning whether the secretary of state is correctly verifying that candidates for public office qualify for the ballot. The Republican speaker released a letter this week asking how Secretary of State Robin Carnahan verifies a candidate's tax history. A state law bars candidates who owe back taxes from appearing on the ballot...

Butch Bailey of Shoals, Ind., says he attends an average of 10 auto auctions a year. While he is looking to buy at every auction, Bailey says he does all his selling at Sherm Smith's auctions, like the one held Saturday at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau...

This 8th grade team from Jackson competed in the Show Me States Games basketball tournament March 25-27, 2011. The Indians went 6-0 on their way to winning the Gold Medal. Pictured are : Kneeling L to R. Chase Urhahn, Jacob Stephens, Brendan Boswell and Terry Venable...

The sun was shining through the sky on a snow day

AnnaBelle watching it snow.

Cape Girardeau -- Sixteen students from Keyboards & Kindermusik Conservatory -- a piano, keyboard and Kindermusik teaching studio in Cape Girardeau -- recently received Gold Cup awards from the National Federation of Junior Music Clubs. The Junior Music Festival was held on February 19. ...

Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce officials have announced the chairmen of the various committees planning for the eighth annual Riverfest, set for June 20-21; coordinating the downtown celebration are chairmen Danny Essner, Sara Sommers and Diane Howard...

A patient arrives in a local emergency room after having made a serious attempt to take his own life by swallowing too many pills. Doctors rush to get the dangerous drugs out of the patient's system, preserving his physical health. But they know he clearly has a mental health problem that must be treated to truly save his life...

There were no injuries in an early morning robbery Saturday at a south Cape Girardeau convenience store. Cape Girardeau police officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at Don's Store 24, 341 South Sprigg St., at 5:28 a.m. Saturday. Officers were told that two black male subjects wearing ski masks entered the store demanding cash and cigarettes from the clerk. ...

This was taken as the sun was rising from our condo at Miramar Beach in Destin, Florida. It was my first time visiting the ocean.

Daughter's cat Oscar on the woodpile

This is a hole in my Grand kids " Pirate ship" (papa's utility trailer) and they were looking for sharks...Yikes..I love their imagination...To bad we loose it as we get older....

Brenda Shipman and Eldine Engelmann hold afgan made from leftover yarn from prayer shawls made by the Trinity Prayer Shawl Ministry. Silent bids were taken and donations were used to further the Ministry.

Rural home in Cape Girardeau County, before IPods, before Facebook, before Twitter before internet before NBA, NFL, MLB before TV people would sit out on the porch swing and watch

3rd Annual "Ballgowns for Babies" Prom Dress Resale to benefit the March of Dimes Sunday, March 13, 2011 Cape Central Jr. High School Gym 205 Caruthers, Cape Girardeau, MO Fashion Show at 1:00 p.m. Emcee is Tyler Profilet, KFVS 12 Heartland News Dresses available until 4:00 p.m...

Cape Christian School honors the 107th birthday of Dr. Seuss. Cape Christian School 7th grader, Stephen Lies, reads The Cat in the Hat to Mrs. Stevens' First Grade class. Stephen visited many of the elementary classes during this birthday week to grow interest in reading and appreciation for the many gifts that Theodor Geisel -- Dr. Seuss left us...

St. Andrew Lutheran Church, and Marcy's Planet Shoes are partnering to launch Soles4Souls shoe collection week for the region - April 10th - April 17th!!! We're hearing about churches,civic groups, schools, and businesses planning to participate and hope this includes you! We have a limited number of donated fiberglass barrels that will be great for collecting shoes at your location. Just let us know if you're interested, and we'll work out the details!...

The St. Vincent girls basketball team defeated New Haven 37-30 in the Class 2 District 4 title game

Katherine Suzanne Brown and Douglas Marvin Overbey were married May 29, 2010, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. David Hulshof performed the ceremony. Readers were Audrey Camren of Benton, Mo., and Danielle Rodriguez of Texas, cousins of the groom...

Laura Ashley Toon and Donald Lawrence May III were married Oct. 30, 2010, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hoffman, Ill. The bride is the daughter of Sandra Toon of Hoffman. The groom is the son of Donald and Mary Jo May of Centralia, Ill. Maid of honor was Alison Schmidt. Bridesmaids were Casie Brake, Kimberly Schomaker and Emily Donaldson...

Summer Nicole Smith and Keith Douglas Uelsmann were married Oct. 16, 2010, at Old Bethel Baptist Church. The Rev. Steven Vester performed the ceremony. Music and vocals were provided by Brent and Christy Horton. The bride is the daughter of Rick Sinclair of Morley, Mo., and Vicki Newell of Patton, Mo. The groom is the son of Marci Stone of Jackson and Herman Uelsmann of Cape Girardeau...

Brad and Brenda Hiett of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Brittney Dawn Hiett, to Lance Rhodes. He is the son of James and Debbie Rhodes of Sikeston, Mo. Hiett is a 2006 graduate of Central High School. She expects to receive a bachelor of science degree in early childhood education from Southeast Missouri State University in May. She plans to pursue a master's degree this fall...

David W. and Rebecca Huber of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Brooke Kimberly Huber, to Christopher Joseph Elfrink. He is the son of Nicholas J. and Geraldine Elfrink of Marble Hill, Mo. Huber is a 2006 graduate of Central High School. She is pursuing a degree in child development at Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed at Christian School for the Young Years in Cape Girardeau, and at The Andrew Jackson Bridal and Tuxedo in Jackson...

Sonny and Cindy Underwood of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Julie Ann Underwood of Mission, Kan., to Douglas Austin Hoberock of Prairie Village, Kan. He is the son of Greg Hoberock and Barb Hoberock of Washington, Mo. Underwood is a graduate of Central High School. She received a master of physical therapy degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is employed at the Athletic and Rehabilitation Center in Independence, Mo...

The Nancy Hunter Chapter NSDAR met Feb. 23 at the Cape Girardeau Public Library in the Geraldine Hirsch Community Room for their Good Citizens Awards Presentations. Regent Sheila Holloway welcomed the students participating in the essays, their parents and some principals of their school. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Catherine Allison, secretary. "The American's Creed" was led by Dorothy Points, chaplain, and the group sang the national anthem...

MONDAY--Chicken bites or ham & cheese on bun, broccoli with cheese sauce, mixed fruit, sugar cookie with sprinkles. TUESDAY--Crispito with nacho cheese sauce or turkey & cheese on bun, corn, pears. WEDNESDAY--Breaded mozzarella cheese sticks with marinara sauce or ham & cheese on bun, green beans, peaches...

DEXTER, Mo. -- A Dexter woman who isn't afraid to skip out on gym time to play "superheroes" with her son and jokes about being a "MacGyver pageant queen" will represent Missouri in next month's Mrs. America Pageant. Rachel Watson was crowned as Mrs. Missouri last month in Branson. Now the 25-year-old real estate agent will compete in the 35th Mrs. America Pageant on April 14 in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. The pageant will be televised Mother's Day weekend with a network to be named...

On Wednesday Christians will celebrate the beginning of the Easter season. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period that culminates in Easter, which is April 24. The 40 days of Lent, excluding Sundays, represents of the time Jesus spent in the desert before he started his public ministry, according to the Bible...

Joe Boxer is a 3-year-old cat who has a gentle personality. If given a chance, he would make a great companion. For more information, contact Safe Harbor at 243-9823. ...

Tara is 8 months old. She is already spayed. For more information, contact the Humane Society at 334-5837. ...

Pet names: Angel and Callie Owner: Pat Hill Favorite Activities: Chasing each other and cuddling for long winter naps. ...

Students from Cape Girardeau Central Junior High, Jackson Junior High and Jackson High School participated in Aeropostale's Teens for Jeans campaign and collected a combined total of 733 pairs of jeans. The jeans will be distributed to homeless teens and families across the United States and Canada. For more details on the campaign visit www.teensforjeans.com...

The New Salem United Methodist Church in Daisy will have a grilled sausage dinner at 3 p.m. today in the fellowship hall. The meal will include buttered potatoes, green beans, sauerkraut, apple sauce, homemade bread and pie for dessert. Price for adults is $7, $3.50 for children ages 6 to 12 and free for children 5 and younger...

Delta Elementary School students will benefit from a local farmer's good fortune. Charles Hinkebein of Chaffee, Mo., has been selected as a winner in the America's Farmers Grow Communities program, which gave farmers the opportunity to win $2,500 for their favorite local not-for-profit organizations. ...

The C.W. Rushing Charitable Trust made a $1,000 donation to Court Appointed Special Advocates on Feb. 14. The money for the donation was raised during 2010 Captain Woody Rushing Golf Tournament at Kimbeland Country Club in Jackson. ...

This picture shows where the landowner used a chain saw to cut three rings slightly deeper than a cull tree's bark into its trunk. The culled tree is a sweet gum that had been damaged by fire years ago and had become hollow. Nearby young poplar trees were trying to grow up under the canopy of the sweet gum. Left alone the poplars would likely have continued to grow and become deformed from the struggle to reach sunlight during the growing season...

Not many dogs get to go for a walk in the woods and call it a job. But when CJ the chocolate Lab sniffs at the ground and sits, he's doing some important work. CJ is a conservation detector dog, trained by PackLeader dog training in Gig Harbor, Wash. He has traveled the world helping researchers working on various species, including maned wolves in Brazil, bobcats and bats in New Mexico, and spider monkeys in Nicaragua...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- When Christi Ashley bought a new camera, she wanted to learn more about its operation and photography. She found the help she needed in her hometown when she joined the Hart-Stepp House Photo Arts Club. Formed a little more than a year ago, the group is a blend of area amateur and professional photographers along with those interested in creating their art on canvas with paints or pencils. Together they plan outings or organize workshops to improve their skills...

Some of what I read just seems fabricated to me. Which is to say, it's hard for me to believe some quotes have been attributed accurately. Maybe it is that I can't accept that people will say certain things. Case in point: USA Today, in its Feb. 28 edition, quotes a moderately well-known radio evangelist -- for whom one of my uncles used to work -- as saying environmentalists are mistaken in their efforts to save planet Earth. ...

The Rev. Bill Vincent, interim pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Cape Girardeau, served at churches in Ohio, Illinois and in Washington, Mo., before being led to interim ministry. Vincent said he has studied church transformation and transitional ministry the past several years. ...

"I'm only a cup bearer; what can I do? I spend my days standing in the gap between the king and those who wish him harm. Day after day, meal after meal, I receive the cup, then carry the cup to the king and sample the contents in his presence. Then we all wait with bated breath to see what harm happens. ...

The Ramblewood Garden Club and the Cape Girardeau Council of Garden Clubs presented Citation of Commendation to Dan Muser, director of Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation; Brock Davis, parks manager; and the employees of the Parks and Recreation Department. The citation recognizes the help Muser, Davis and the park employees have given to maintain the Capaha Park Rose Garden, the adjoining Butterfly Garden and Azalea Garden...

Early education is critical to the future development of children. However, in times when most states -- including Missouri -- are facing tight budgets, fully funding quality education programs is not always an option. As was pointed out in a recent story by the Southeast Missourian's M.D. Kittle, research shows that 85 percent of the brain's core structures are formed by the age of 3...

I think drive-through windows at most places of business could be closed. The vehicles sit in line with motors running, and the exhaust fumes fill the car as soon as the window is opened. Have we, as a country, gotten so lazy that we can't get out of our cars and walk through the front door to purchase our goods?...

The recently released 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data showed the city of St. Louis population declining from 856,796 in 1950 to 319,284. Reason enough for the city to continue its analysis to become part of St. Louis County. Note: Greater St. Louis' population is 2,845,298; Kansas City has a population of about 485,000 and a Greater Kansas City population of about two million...

Praise be to you, O God, for your love endures forever. Amen.

OKAWVILLE, Ill. --Nicholas Scott Bledsoe of Okawville departed this life at 10:05 p.m. Thursday, March 3, 2011, in the emergency room of the Washington County Hospital in Nashville, Ill., due to injuries sustained in a farming accident. He had attained the age of 19 years, 3 months and 5 days...

Geraldine "Gerry" Stroup, 90, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Benton, Mo., died Saturday, March 5, 2011, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Mo.

MARION, Ill. -- Billy Joe Farmer, 72, of Marion, formerly of Cairo and Villa Ridge, Ill., died Saturday, March 5, 2011, at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Marion. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by the Jones Funeral Home in Villa Ridge...

Daughter to Jason Lynn and Ashley Dawn Bowers of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 1:07 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011. Name, Daegan Claire. Weight, 7 pounds, 7 ounces. Second child, first daughter. Mrs. Bowers is the former Ashley Fitzgerald, daughter of Ron and Cathy Kahler of Dalton, Mo., and Larry Fitzgerald of Sunrise Beach, Mo. ...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:...

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

A sharply divided Cape Girardeau City Council narrowly gave final approval to a recommended increase in sewer rate charges following a series of tie votes yesterday that Councilman Peter Hilty said amounted to "quibbling over a few pennies"; the ordinance established a $2.40 monthly service charge and a volume charge of 47 cents per 100 cubic feet of water usage...

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

BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- Federal agents are barely able to slow the river of American guns flowing into Mexico. In two years, a new effort to increase inspections of travelers crossing the border has netted just 386 guns -- a small amount given that an estimated 2,000 slip across each day...

RACINE, Wis. -- There once was a time when Harry and Nancy Harrington -- their teenage children in tow -- walked the picket line outside the nursing home where she was a medical aide, protesting the lack of a pension plan for the unionized work force...

PHOENIX -- The suspect in the attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was hit with dozens of new charges as federal prosecutors formally accused him of killing six people and wounding 13 others during a Tucson shooting rampage. Jared Lee Loughner was charged in a 49-count grand jury indictment last week stemming from a Jan. 8 shooting at a political event held by Giffords outside a grocery store...

NEW YORK -- Stocks dropped Friday after another spike in oil prices overshadowed a report that the unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in nearly two years. Crude oil rose 2.5 percent to $104.42 a barrel, the highest level since September 2008, after fighting in Libya escalated. Markets have been rattled over the past two weeks as higher oil prices threaten to undermine the economic recovery by increasing transportation and production costs...

TRIPOLI, Libya -- Moammar Gadhafi loyalists swept into the opposition-held city closest to Tripoli on Saturday, tightening security around the regime-held capital. To the east, rebel forces captured a key oil port as the country veered toward civil war...

MUSCAT, Oman -- Oman's ruler replaced three top government officials Saturday, a second major shakeup that was celebrated by some protesters but failed to quell more than a week of widening demonstrations calling for jobs and political reforms in this strategically important nation...

JEFFERSON CITY -- Changes to Missouri's employment discrimination law could make it harder for victims to win cases against their former employer and would limit the amount of damages that plaintiffs could take home if a jury found in their favor...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri conservation officials are bringing elk back to the state for the first time since the Civil War. Now, some state lawmakers want the agency to pay for damage the animals cause. The state Conservation Commission this past fall approved a plan to restore wild elk in a 346-squre-mile protected zone in parts of Shannon, Carter and Reynolds counties. Up to 150 animals could be introduced into a largely wooded area of southeastern Missouri later this spring...

WASHINGTON -- The United States is increasing pressure on Sri Lanka to investigate the deaths of thousands of civilians at the end of its civil war. Rights groups contend a Sri Lankan government commission has demonstrated no intent of doing it...

WASHINGTON -- Senate Democrats unveiled a detailed counteroffer Friday seeking to undo tens of billions of dollars in cuts Republicans would make to education, housing and other domestic programs. With the two parties maneuvering for advantage in their budget clash, the Democratic plan conforms to President Barack Obama's opening gambit to cut another $6.5 billion from domestic agencies. ...

401 Independence St. Study session, 5 p.m. Monday Meeting, 7 p.m. Monday Study session Public hearing...

KELSO, Mo. -- Martin Carl "Marty" Wuesthoff, 57, of Kelso died Thursday, March 3, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 22, 1953, in Detroit, to Robert Earl and Elizabeth DeWaelsche Wuesthoff. He married Carol Lynn Hrudicka on June 24, 2000, in Doniphan, Mo...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Southbound Interstate 55 in Pemiscot County will be reduced to one lane Tuesday, while Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform guardrail repairs. This section of road is from two miles north of Route O to Route O. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The work zone will be marked with signs...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Route U between Route H and County Road 651 in Stoddard County will be closed Monday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a pipe beneath the roadway. Weather permitting, work will be done from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The work zone will be marked with signs...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- James E. Favier, 68, of Perryville died Thursday, March 3, 2011, at St. Louis University Medical Center. Friends may call from 4 p.m. to time of service Sunday at Young and Sons Funeral Home. The service will be at 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Jim Matthews officiating...

Route UU between county roads 336 and 354 in Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties be closed Monday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a pipe under the road. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The work zone will be marked with signs...

Southbound Interstate 55 from U.S. 61 at Scott City to Highway 77 at Benton, Mo., in Scott County will be reduced to one lane with a 12-foot restriction while Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily March 14 to 18. The work zone will be marked with signs...

Dorothy Lee Niswonger, 84, of Jackson died Thursday, March 3, 2011, at Monticello House. She was born March 12, 1926, in Cape Girardeau County, to Claude and Laura Ward Farrow. She and Lester Lee Niswonger were married in September 1942 in Jackson...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Southbound Interstate 57 in Mississippi County will be reduced to one lane while Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement and bridge repairs. This section of road is between Highway 105 and County Road 401, two and a half miles south of Highway 105. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Anna Katherine Dippold Hedge, 74, of Perryville was called to her eternal home Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011. Anna Kay was born June 22, 1936, in Idaho Springs, Colo., fourth daughter of the late Victor and Margaret Edwards Johnson...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Nellie G. Bishop, 88, of rural Olive Branch died at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, March 3, 2011, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 3, 1922 in Thebes, the daughter of Gilbert "Gibby" and Milbry (Dyer) Thompson. She married Walter H. Bishop on Aug. 14, 1941. He preceded her in death Feb. 10, 2011...

Richard J. "Dick" Banville Jr., 79, formerly of Escondido, Calif., passed away Friday, March 4, 2011, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 25, 1931, in Everett, Mass., to Richard and Sadie King Banville Sr. He and Virginia Elliott were married March 12, 1955. She passed away Jan. 26, 1999...

AT&T has awarded United Way of Southeast Missouri $25,000 to support the agency's family engagement plan for families with students in grades eight through 12 in the Cape Girardeau School District. United Way of Southeast Missouri was one of 15 local United Ways in the U.S. ...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Preserve the rural nature of Missouri's 8th Congressional District -- that was the message area residents gave the House Special Standing Committee on Redistricting, which met Thursday at Three Rivers College. The Poplar Bluff stop marked the third hearing of four held across the state in recent weeks. ...

Two more parents face jail time and fines under the Cape Girardeau School District's tougher attendance policy. The Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney's Office has charged Yvonne Rachelle Garza, 33, of 439 S. Sprigg St., Apt. 16 C, with educational neglect for violating the compulsory school attendance law, a Class C misdemeanor. Her arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday in Cape Girardeau County court...

Cape Girardeau's city manager told local business leaders at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday breakfast the city will build a new wastewater treatment plant, but the upcoming vote will determine how much residents will pay...

While Old Town Cape has endorsed both wastewater issues on April's ballot, the group is opposing the proposed smoking ban in Cape Girardeau. Executive director Marla Mills said while the group's board doesn't disagree with the ban's intent, it had a problem with the execution...

A Cape Girardeau man charged with second-degree statutory rape Friday is accused by authorities of having sex with a Boone County, Mo., teenager missing since November. Authorities say they found the 15-year-old girl living with Michael J. Lee, 28, on Thursday, after receiving information about her possible whereabouts from the Boone County Sheriff's Department...

An Illinois motorist suffered minor injuries Friday after he lost control of his vehicle and overturned on Interstate 55. The 68-year-old man had to be extricated, according to Sgt. Jason Selzer, Cape Girardeau police department spokesman, after the accident occurred just after 5 p.m. at the 94-mile marker...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's first wild elk herd since before the Civil War is said to be in good shape and on schedule to be brought to what will be its new home range by mid-to-late April. That's the word given to the Missouri Conservation Commission Friday by Ron Dent, the elk restoration project coordinator. ...

The sunroom of a popular Cape Girardeau pizza place is in need of renovations after a motorist drove through its brick wall Friday morning. Josh Murray, of Anna, Ill., was driving north on Kingshighway, he said, and took a sharp left turn into the Pizza Hut parking lot...

Highway 25 between Highway 74 at Dutchtown and Route K at Gordonville is closed due to an accident, the Missouri Department of Transportation reported in a news release shortly after 11 a.m. today. The back end of a tractor-trailer appears to have slid off the road just north of the intersection of highways 25 and 74...

A look at the weekend's action in the world of Southeast Missouri State athletics

JUPITER, Fla. -- Kyle McClellan's first audition to join the starting rotation for the St. Louis Cardinals impressed manager Tony La Russa. McClellan, bidding to move from the bullpen to the fifth spot, pitched three scoreless innings and the Cardinals beat a Houston split squad 1-0 on Saturday in a brisk 1 hour, 52 minutes...

Missouri fell to the Jayhawks for its first home loss this season

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Not only did defenseman Andrew MacDonald have his first two-goal game of his NHL career, he nearly found the net a third time. Only a goal post prevented that unlikeliest of feats in the New York Islanders' 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. MacDonald, who entered his 100th NHL game with only three career goals, has three in two games. Both markers Saturday gave the Islanders a three-goal lead...

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team fell to host Troy University 2-1 in 10 innings Saturday. Logan Mahon took the loss, which dropped the Redhawks to 7-4 this season. Read more about the game in Sunday's Southeast Missourian.

Both sides have been gearing up for the April 5 election for months, the day local voters will end the debate about whether a smoking ban will pass in the city. One side gathered 1,200 signatures to get the ban on the ballot. The other side vowed to fight back, launching an oppositional website, forming a committee and lashing out at what it called "overly restrictive" ordinance language...

Busch Pet Products is hosting its first-ever "Paw"trick's Day Pet Photo Day Saturday, March 12 from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. at the store, 121 S. Broadview #5, Cape. Photos will be taken by the talented Elaine Rohde of Elaine Rohde Photography and no appointment is necessary. Rohde will offer a complimentary session for all types of small pets and photos will be available for purchase. Sizes vary and prices range from $5 to $10...

Everyone is invited to New McKendree United Methodist Church's fried catfish and chicken tenders dinner Saturday, March 19, 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!...

Contemporary Christian Artist, Dallas Holm will be in concert at First Baptist Church 1289 Lexington Ave Cape Girardeau, MO Friday, March 11th at 7:00 pm. Dallas Holm is a Dove awarded artist. DALLAS HOLM has garnered numerous awards such as DOVE AWARDS for SONG OF THE YEAR, SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR, MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR, GRAMMY NOMINATIONS, GOLD RECORD, and many number one songs like Rise Again, Here We Are, Face To Face, and To The Glory. ...

Just before the old Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape was torn down, I took this collection of photos in the bell tower in 1978. http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/old-trinity-lutheran-church-bell/

When professor Edwin Smith launched the first Southeast Missouri State University High School Art Exhibition in 1979, he didn't expect it to turn into the event it has become today. "Our major reason to start this high school show was to give recognition to high school students who were doing well in the visual arts and recognize them and give them a place to show their work," said Smith, who retired from the university as head of the art education department in 2007...

At a recent dealer reception at Harrah's Hotel & Casino in St. Louis, Missouri, Koch Air, LLC, a distributor of Bryant heating and cooling products, recognized Heise Heating & Cooling, Inc. of Cape Girardeau for their excellence within the industry. Koch Air, LLC awarded Heise Heating & Cooling, Inc. with the prestigious Top Gun Award in recognition of volume sales excellence...

Waterfall near the Bay of Fundi, Canada

It takes a committed team of probation officers, counselors and judges to make drug treatment court work in Missouri's circuit courts, but it's an approach the state's Supreme Court Chief Justice, William Ray Price Jr., has deemed successful. And with the increase in the state's prison population -- it has nearly doubled since 1994, from 7,461 to 14,204 -- it's an approach that could be used more, Price said in his recent judiciary address...

Marble blocks stacked along US 61 about one mile north of St Mary. I don't know the story behind these blocks, but they have been stacked here for as long as I can remember. I suppose they were quarried from a mine near Ozora and they were left here when the mine closed. The owner had a for sale sign up, in case your interested...

It may not be much in the grand scheme of a $120 million operational budget, but Southeast Missouri State University's contracts with cell phone providers generate in excess of $100,000 a year. It's revenue that helps fund technical operations on campus and other expenses, while helping cell phone users around Southeast Missouri stay connected. And it's part of a growing revenue stream for public and private entities...

Tim Arbeiter recently received the Charles L. Hutson Visionary Award from Old Town Cape Inc., in recognition of his commitment to revitalize downtown Cape Girardeau. He previously served as the organization's director and now works as vice president of community development with the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce...

BENTON, Mo. -- Backpedaling from a decision to move dispatching services by half of Miner's Board of Aldermen left the other half feeling "blindsided." During their meeting Thursday, Scott County Commissioners signed an agreement to provide dispatching services for the city. On Friday morning, the Miner Board of Alderman met to look over the agreement but tabled the matter until its April meeting for further study with a split vote...

You know that "pins and needles" feeling you get after your foot falls asleep? Imagine having that feeling all the time, along with a burning sensation, and possibly numbness and loss of balance -- and no way to relieve it. For some diabetics, this is the daily reality of living with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, an irreversible complication of diabetes...

Five years ago, Angela Martin of Cape Girardeau couldn't keep up in her daily life, and she didn't know why. "I had pain all over my body, and I had migraines and fatigue. I could take a two-hour nap in the afternoon and still go to sleep at night, but I never felt rested," says Martin, now 47. ...

Beneficiary on an IRA or 401k This is one of the simplest ways to create a charitable giving plan, says Tim Domian, financial adviser with Edward Jones in Cape Girardeau. With this option, you're simply naming a charity as the beneficiary on your IRA or 401k retirement plan. You can also change your mind at a later date...

It costs $74 per minute of research for muscular dystrophy, a severely disabling condition with no prevention and no cure, and affecting people of all ages. On March 19, the Muscular Dystrophy Association in Cape Girardeau will host its annual Heartland Muscle Walk to raise funds and awareness about the 40-plus types of muscular dystrophy...

Life insurance Most people, by the time they're ready to retire, have already paid off their cars, home and children's college tuition. For that reason, Mike Tomlin of Senior Healthcare Benefits Services in Jackson believes most seniors can pare down or eliminate their life insurance policies...

In the movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," as the children line up to sign a suspicious looking contract, little Mike Teavee comments, "Saw this in a movie once. Guy signed his wife's insurance policy. Then he bumped her off." Wonka responds, "Clever."...

Day eight -- Oct. 25, 2008 My foam rubber footies worked really well last night. I had warm feet all night for the first time this week! Why didn't I think of that seven days ago? The coyotes gave us quite a concert early this morning. ...

Few topics get folks as fired up as high gas prices. And with the current unrest in the Middle East, among other factors, driving oil to record highs, many are asking for answers. According to GasBuddy.com, gas prices in Missouri have increased about $0.36 over the past month and about $0.82 over the past year...

Today government touches everything in America and harms almost everything it touches. Federal, state and local governments together spend $42 out of every $100 a worker earns. Those who do the taxing and spending have long since ceased to work for the people who furnish them their good salaries and pampered benefits, which have filled them with condescension, arrogance and detachment from those of us who labor to fund their privileged lifestyle. ...

TO the person who wrote about the cars in Jackson on Greensferry Road, you ought to try going down a few blocks over on Georgia Street where cars are parked on both sides of the street and you have to weave in and out of traffic. They need to put a no-parking sign on one side the street...

O Lord, our help comes from you, the maker of heaven and earth. Amen.

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

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday:...

Jerry James Henley, 73, of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, March 5, 2011, at his home. He was born Dec. 25, 1937, at Avert, Mo., the son of James and Inez Duffey Henley. Jerry was united in marriage to Deloris Davis on Feb. 12, 1955, at Tunica, Miss. She preceded him in death on March 26, 1983. He then married Juanita Boone on Feb. 25, 1984, and she preceded him in death on April 19, 2008. He later married JoAnn Monroe on May 1, 2009...

Nora A. Neumeyer, 100, of Jackson passed away Sunday, March 6, 2011, at Ratliff Care Center. She was born Aug. 3, 1910, in Fruitland, daughter of Emil and Amelia Wilhelm Mantz. She and Charles William "Butch" Neumeyer were married Nov. 28, 1937. He preceded her in death Oct. 21, 1993...

MARION, Ill. -- Billy Joe Farmer, 72, of Marion, formerly of Cairo and Villa Ridge, Ill., died Saturday, March 5, 2011, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Marion. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until service hour Tuesday at the Jones Funeral Home in Villa Ridge...

Louise Bollinger, 98, of Cape Girardeau, died Sunday, March 6, 2011, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Republicans filled the Arena Building last night for the annual Lincoln Day celebration; keynote speaker was Richard McIntyre, who was involved in the controversial 1984 Indiana Congressional race in which the Democrat incumbent was seated after Indiana had declared McIntyre the winner...

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Five U.S. senators are calling for a federal crackdown on what they say are phony colleges handing out student visas to potential criminals and terrorists. Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Jon Tester of Montana, Bill Nelson of Florida and Charles Schumer of New York say the colleges are fronts for people who pay to illegally enter the United States...

ST. LOUIS -- Rarely have voters in Missouri's two big cities faced a tougher dilemma. When they go to the polls next month they can vote to save themselves a nice chunk of money -- but doing so could cripple their local governments. St. Louis and Kansas City each collect a third or more of their revenue from a 1 percent income tax on both residents and nonresidents who work in the city. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A bill in the state House would require some major changes for the Missouri Housing Development Commission. The measure, sponsored by Rules Committee Chairman Rep. John Diehl, R-Town and Country, would require the commission to close its offices in Kansas City and St. Louis and move its employees to Jefferson City. It would also require the commission's executive director to live within 40 miles of Jefferson City, according to The Columbia Daily Tribune...

A measure to eliminate Missouri's automatic minimum wage escalator was approved last week by the House of Representatives, in an effort to keep the state's minimum wage from exceeding its federal counterpart. This is one of six areas outlined in the Fix the Six campaign where the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry says the state can improve in order to attract and assist businesses. ...

West Lane Elementary School students and teachers know the two ingredients needed to make a playground. Cookie dough and haircuts, of course. You can add a lot of hard work to that list, too. Over the past nine months, the Jackson elementary school has raised $35,000 for new playground equipment, the first to be installed in about 15 years, according to third-grade teacher Kimber Parks...

St. Louis fell to 5-3 in exhibition play

Troy brought Southeast back to earth with a three-game sweep, capped by Sunday's 7-2 victory keyed by a five-run third inning.

The Redhawks celebrated Senior Day with Sunday's 193.925-191.825 win over Centenary College at Houck Field House.

The 2010-11 Southeast Missouri State men's basketball season is in the books following Thursday's 76-60 Ohio Valley Conference tournament loss to Austin Peay. You can't call the campaign a rousing success, but I think it's fair to say the Redhawks made decent progress, especially considering they were shorthanded all season and down to only eight players for the final few weeks...

Jan Rigdon, a registered nurse, has been named executive director of Perioperative Services and the Cardiovascular Service Line at SoutheastHEALTH. Southeast chief operating officer Sly Moore said in this new position Rigdon will have a direct line reporting relationship with invasive cardiology, including cath lab and cath prep; non-invasive cardiology; cardiac outreach director; heart failure/chest pain center; and perioperative services which include pre-surgical testing, anesthesia technicians, central sterile, perfusion and pre-anesthesia. ...

Son to Casandra Kay Hanshew of Chaffee, Mo., Southeast Hospital, 1:39 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, 2011. Name, Travis Ray. Weight, 7 pounds, 9 ounces. First child. Ms. Hanshew is the daughter of Bill and Sharon Hanshew of Perkins, Mo. She is employed at Walmart Supercenter in Cape Girardeau...

Dr. John R. Schoenberger, 62, of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, March 5, 2011, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel in Cape Girardeau. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Mary Cathedral in Cape Girardeau...

BIN JAWWAD, Libya -- Forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi, some in helicopter gunships, pounded opposition fighters with artillery, rockets and gunfire Sunday, dramatically escalating their counteroffensive to halt the rebels' rapid advance toward the capital...

Gene Galnore of Jackson recently carded his second career hole-in-one at Kimbeland Country Club. Galnore used a 4-iron to ace No. 12, a par 3 playing 160 yards. Witnesses were Don Norman and Jim Evans. Travis Simmons, a freshman on the Central golf team, recently recorded a hole-in-one at Cape Girardeau Country Club...

ST. LOUIS -- Indiana State was picked to finish seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference. The school earned its first NCAA tournament bid in a decade by knocking off a school that had risen from worst to first. Aaron Carter scored 15 points and the Sycamores held top-seeded Missouri State to 19 percent shooting in the second half of a 60-56 victory in the Valley tournament final Sunday...

Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke fielded the usual questions about inflation, tax cuts and government debt during a trip to Congress last week. Then a new question popped up: Is the Fed creating another bubble in stock prices? Bernanke told the Senate Banking Committee he saw "little evidence" that was happening. But he cautioned: "Of course, nobody can know for sure."...

A Sunday morning fire that damaged Esicar's Old Hickory Smokehouse in Cape Girardeau has been ruled accidental, according to the Cape Girardeau Fire Department. All Cape Girardeau crews were called to the scene around 4:30 a.m., after police responded to the scene for a burglar alarm. Light smoke was showing from the basement of the building upon arrival. The cause of the fire was determined to be electrical...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Two federal marshals and a police officer were wounded Tuesday in a gunfight with a suspect who died following a standoff at a St. Louis home, authorities said. One marshal is in critical condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

ATLANTA -- Ear infections, a scourge that has left countless tots screaming through the night, have fallen dramatically, and some researchers suggest a decline in smoking by parents might be part of the reason. Health officials report nearly a 30 percent drop over 15 years in young children's doctor visits for ear infections...

When Jay Ricker, owner of the BP gas station off Interstate 70 in Plainfield, Ind., set the price of unleaded gasoline at $3.44 per gallon on Feb. 28, it was 4 cents higher than Feb. 25. That alone might have been irritating to drivers paying the highest gas prices in more than two years. It was even more so because it happened on a day when the price of crude oil, which is used to make gasoline, fell almost $1 a barrel...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A 4.2 percent increase in food prices and record farm income are likely to occur during 2011, according to new data released to Congress by the University of Missouri. For more than a quarter century, economists with Missouri's Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute have delivered a baseline report for the agricultural economy to Congress...

With warm weather approaching, many people are getting ready for yard sales and youth sports leagues. Alderman Dale Rauh inquired about the city's policy regarding signs placed on city rights of way promoting those warm-weather activities. During Monday night's board of aldermen meeting, Rauh said every year more signs begin showing up along city roads, causing traffic concerns and cluttering intersections...

Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt saw his second season end with a 10-22 record, but he believes the Redhawks made significant progress under tough circumstances. He also believes the future is bright for the program. "No way are we satisfied with 10 wins," said Nutt, whose team was shorthanded all season and down to only eight players for the final half of the year. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- With two weeks to go until Missouri lawmakers go on spring break, Republican leaders are trying to bridge ideological differences within their own party to pass two major pieces of legislation. Attempts to extend unemployment benefits and reform the state's workers compensation system, both sponsored by Republican members of the Senate, were both held up last week by objections from fellow GOP senators...

Saxony Lutheran High School and Fruitland residents are appealing the Missouri Land Reclamation Commission's recent decisions regarding applications for quarries by two local developers. The school and Save Our Children's Health, Inc., filed a petition Monday in Cole County Circuit Court asking for judicial review of three decisions made by the Commission on Feb. 7. Those decisions are:...

Want to inconvenience yourself for a great cause? Sign up for the Howard Aslinger Foundation Endurance Weekend at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau. This 24 hour event starts at 7 pm Friday, March 18 and features a 24 - 12 - 1 hour walk - run, as well as a midnight 5-K...

Zach Boerboom, Cape Central High School senior, recently signed with the University of New Mexico to play football. Pictured above, standing left to right, are Coach Rich Payne, Brian and Stacy Boerboom, Zach's parents, and Athletic Director Lance Tollison. ...

The Cape Central Junior High School cheerleaders recently traveled to Nashville, TN, to compete in the Jamfest National Cheerleading competition where they placed 4th with a final score less than .75 out of first place. Pictured above, in the back row, are Hannah Elledge-Glueck, Morgan Murphy and Courterra Stevenson. ...

Weeks before it was even a certainty that a casino would be built in Cape Girardeau, city officials planned out how to spend $2 million in up-front money from Isle of Capri. They focused on major amenities to Broadway as well as 11 other projects, ranging from dog parks to trail-connecting sidewalks...

It has become a rite of passage at Alma Schrader Elementary School. Third- and fourth-grade students race down the hallways, bursting through banners to the cheers of their younger schoolmates. "It's like the running of the bulls in Pamplona, [Spain], but it's the running of the halls of Alma Schrader," principal Ruth Ann Orr said. "It gets them ready for the test, and it's something they really look forward to."...

ISEF Finalists who will attend the International Fair in Los Angeles, CA in May and their alternates.

This week, Ameren Missouri is sending out more than 1 million energy reports to its residential and small business customers, with the goal of helping them reduce energy usage by showing them just how much they use. This is the third year Personal Energy Reports have been sent out, but the first year small businesses will receive them, said Cara Dolly, Ameren Missouri energy efficiency expert. She said she hopes the reports will empower customers to take action to reduce their energy usage...

BENTON, Mo. -- Three Chaffee, Mo., men were in custody Monday following an investigation into a string of Scott County burglaries in recent weeks. Jay Anderson, 40, has been charged with five counts of second-degree burglary and five counts of stealing, Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said in a news release. Bond was set at $50,000...

Dick Knaup, Cape Girardeau County emergency management director, told county commissioners the state is asking the county to relinquish control of some of the county's radio frequencies in order to implement a radio system that would allow officials to communicate with each other, no matter their location in Missouri...

DALLAS -- Southwest Airlines Co. has joined a sweeping increase of $10 in the price of many domestic round-trip airfares, citing the need to offset high fuel prices. Southwest's action over the weekend may have ensured success for a price increase by major airlines that seemed to be faltering. Southwest carries more U.S. passengers than any airline and wields great influence over prices...

LOS ANGELES -- Charlie Sheen was fired Monday from "Two and a Half Men" by Warner Bros. Television following repeated misbehavior and weeks of the actor's angry, often-manic media campaign against his studio bosses. The action was taken after "careful consideration" and is effective immediately, the studio said in a statement. No decision has been made on the show's future without its star, said Paul McGuire, a Warner spokesman...

Authorization has been received by the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department to begin right-of-way acquisition for improvements at the Highway 25-U.S. 61 intersection at Jackson; the project will replace bridges over Goose Creek and construct additional lanes for all approaches to the intersection...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Its decades-long mission accomplished, space shuttle Discovery headed home to retirement after undocking from the International Space Station on Monday for the last time. The world's most-flown spaceship got a dramatic send-off by "Star Trek's" original Capt. Kirk...

Considering all the news about waste and inefficiency in government, it's good to hear stories of private/public partnerships that are making an impact on communities. Last February, the Missouri Department of Corrections implemented a program called Puppies for Parole. ...

If you did not attend any of the performances of Cole Porter's "Anything Goes" at the Bedell Performance Hall at the River Campus, you missed the best yet! I thought I was in New York seeing a professional musical. Kudos to all the theater staff involved in this outstanding production. Judith Farris brought the best projection of voices I've heard...

Missouri lawmakers are targeting three measures passed by voters in recent years for modification or repeal. The most talked about issue is the so-called puppy mill bill passed last year. But puppies, green energy and wages are only part of the issue. ...

The Foster Parent Association of Cape Girardeau, Perry and Bollinger Counties would like to thank everyone who made our annual Christmas party possible. Approximately 75 foster children and 50 foster parents were in attendance. Southeast Hospital donated two hams. The pizza parlors of Jackson each donated 10 pizzas. Mazzio's parlor donated pasta...

WHILE the government's cutting the budget, why don't they cut their salaries in half and go on Social Security like everybody else? That would definitely put a big chunk of change back into the system. They don't need to be paid what they're getting...

SCHERTZ, Texas -- Harvey Eugene Wingfield, 68, of Schertz was gathered into the everlasting arms of the Lord Thursday, March 3, 2011. He passed very peacefully with his wife, sons, and grandchildren at his side. He was born Jan. 2, 1943, in Cape Girardeau...

Jack N. "Ja-Ja" Wilson, 89, of Pine Island, Fla., passed away Friday, March 4, 2011, at Brasstown Manor in Hiawassee, Ga., where he had lived the last few months, after a brave battle with COPD and pneumonia. He was born Jan. 17, 1922. He grew up in Cape Girardeau and married the love of his life, Camille, before joining the U.S. Coast Guardduring World War II...

Mary Laverne Whitson, 64, of Jackson died Monday, March 7, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 19, 1947, at Chaffee, Mo., to Arnold and Barbara Riley Haddock. Mary and Norman Lee "Pete" Whitson were married Oct. 25, 1971...

Ramon Arthur "Ray" Tipsword, 80, of Jackson passed away Saturday, March 5, 2011, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 17, 1930, in St. Louis, son of Walter and Ester Beestrum Tipsword. He and Ginette Siry were married April 1, 1955, in Laon, France...

Rachel Palis, 80, of Columbia, Mo., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, March 5, 2011, at Boone Hospital Center in Columbia. She was born Sept. 8, 1930, in East St. Louis, Ill., to John E. and Helen Keller Wolfe. She and Charles A. Palis were married June 30, 1951, in East St. Louis. He preceded her Feb. 22, 1990...

Louise "Lou" Bollinger, 98, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, March 6, 2011, at the Lutheran Home Assisted Living. She was born Dec. 14, 1912, in Cape Girardeau, to Henry and Catherine Steimle Unnerstall. She was united in marriage to Floyd Bollinger Oct. 15, 1940. He preceded her in death Dec. 7, 1989...

John W. "Buss" Eldridge, 87, of Cape Girardeau, passed away Monday, March 7, 2011, at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 10, 1923, at Chaffee, Mo., son of John and Ethel Cornell Eldridge. He and Nola Faye Sample were married June 23, 1946, in Chicago, Ill. She passed away Oct. 25, 2006...

WASHINGTON -- Spine surgeon Anders Cohen puts a lot of stock in patients' expectations of pain relief. He prefers to operate only on those who "grab you by the collar and say, 'I can't take it anymore.'" New brain research proves doctors like Cohen are onto something: Pessimism can override the effectiveness of even powerful treatments...

NEW YORK -- Scientists in Europe report they were able to diagnose Down syndrome prenatally by giving a simple blood test to pregnant women, an approach that might one day help them avoid the more extensive procedure used now to detect the condition...

NEW YORK -- Stocks fell Monday as higher oil prices weighed on the market. Oil hit a two-year high early in the day, nearing $107 a barrel, after forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi launched airstrikes against opposition fighters at an oil port...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The University of Missouri is creating a $1.3 million endowed lecture series named for retired U.S. Sen. Kit Bond. The Christopher S. "Kit" Bond Distinguished Lecture Series will bring nationally-known speakers to the four system campuses as well as other cities across the state. Bond joined a group of university leaders on Monday afternoon to announce the endowment in his name...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama approved Monday the resumption of military trials for detainees at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, ending a two-year ban. It was the latest acknowledgment that the detention facility Obama had vowed to shut down within a year of taking office will remain open for some time to come. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Andy McDonald scored two goals and added another in a shootout in the St. Louis Blues' 5-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night. Ben Bishop allowed one goal on 20 shots after relieving Ty Conklin midway through the first period with St. Louis trailing 3-1...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A three-game losing streak to end the regular season knocked Missouri out of the top 25. Coach Mike Anderson blames the swoon on porous defense. Dragged down by a 1-7 conference road record, the Tigers (22-9) have the sixth seed in the Big 12 tournament and play Texas Tech on Wednesday. A loss to Kansas on Saturday spoiled a perfect home record...

The St. Louis third baseman had two hits and three RBIs in an exhibition win against Minnesota

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Would you like to find out more about upcoming events in Poplar Bluff? Locate the closest restaurant to the place you're standing right now? Or maybe you need to connect to the website of a local hotel. Now there's an app for that...

Due to the weather forecast calling for precipitation Tuesday, the National Weather Service has postponed the scheduled annual statewide tornado drill. According to a news release issued Monday, the drill will now take place at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, when forecast calls for sunshine...

Jerry James Henley, 73, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, March 5, 2011, at his home. He was born Dec. 25, 1937, at Avert, Mo., the son of James and Inez Duffey Henley. Jerry was united in marriage to Deloris Davis Feb. 12, 1955, in Tunica, Miss. She preceded him in death March 26, 1983. He then married Juanita Boone on Feb. 25, 1984. She preceded him in death April 19, 2008. He later married JoAnn Monroe on May 1, 2009...

Mollie Marie Wheeler, 76, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, March 7, 2011, at Comfort Care Homes in Leawood, Kan. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Oneta B. Shell, 89, of Marble Hill died Sunday, March 6, 2011, at Woodland Hills Nursing Home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Liley Funeral Home in Marble Hill. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Baker Cemetery near Marble Hill...

James Lohmeier, 69, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011, at the Lutheran Home. A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Thursday at Scriptural Evangelical Lutheran Church. Crain Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Public hearing...

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team's third visit of the season to a Sun Belt Conference squad has been revised. Southeast (7-5) and Arkansas-Little Rock (6-6) were scheduled to play a two-game series featuring contests tonight and Wednesday...

RAS LANOUF, Libya -- Repeated airstrikes by Libyan warplanes on Monday illustrated the edge Moammar Gadhafi holds in his fight against rebel forces marching toward the capital: He controls the air. After pleading from the uprising's leaders, Britain and France began drafting a U.N. resolution for a no-fly zone in Libya that could balance the scales...

MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin Democrats who fled the state nearly three weeks ago asked Monday for a meeting with Gov. Scott Walker to talk about changes to his plan to eliminate most public workers' union rights, a request the governor dismissed as "ridiculous."...

WASHINGTON -- NASA and its top scientists are distancing themselves from a space agency researcher who concludes that he found alien bacterial life in meteorites that were collected many decades ago. Richard Hoover of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., claims he found fossils that look like the remnants of bacteria in at least two meteorites. His research paper, published online Friday in the Journal of Cosmology, concludes these must have come from outer space...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Southbound Highway 25 in Stoddard County will be reduced to one lane this week, while Missouri Department of Transportation crews make pavement repairs. This section of road is between U.S 60 and Business U.S 60. Weather permitting, work will begin at 8 a.m. today and will be completed by 3 p.m. Thursday. The work zone will be marked with signs. For more information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Highway 51 in Stoddard County will be closed today, while Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a drainage pipe beneath the roadway. This section of road is from Route J to Route AE. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The work zone will be marked with signs. For more information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636...

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government quietly green-lighted a $77 million deal to provide at least 50 refurbished armored troop carriers to Moammar Gadhafi's army, approving a license that signaled growing American business contacts with his regime in the months before Libya imploded in civil war...

O Lord, may the seeds we sow bring a great harvest for Your glory. Amen.

Shah Faisal thought he had done everything right. After Isle of Capri bought his Cape Mart convenience store at the corner of Mason and Main streets for land to build its new casino, he searched for a different location to build a business. He found one at 238 N. Fountain St. He shelled out $74,000 for the property and spent another $20,000 for a walk-in cooler, $2,000 for signs, paid the moving expenses and another $5,000 for some electrical work...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Charges that he made threats against the Sikeston Department of Public Safety have landed a St. Louis man in jail. Frank Boyd IV, 22, is charged with making terroristic threats after he called the Sikeston Communications Center at 1:20 p.m. Friday and began using profanity while threatening DPS officers, according to Sgt. Jim McMillen. "The man appeared to be serious in his threats and this prompted an immediate investigation," said McMillen in a news release...

Missouri legislators hope phasing out the state's corporate franchise tax will help businesses expand and employ more workers. Despite its name, the tax doesn't apply just to franchised businesses. It applies to all Missouri-based businesses, including banks, with more than $10 million in assets...

It's kind of like a shopping mall for summer fun in Cape Girardeau. Sign Up Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Osage Centre, will provide parents and young people the opportunity to learn about the lineup of summer leagues, classes and special events, and the forms to fill out to sign up...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Scott County Central senior Stewart Johnson wanted to make up for lost time Tuesday. The guard was forced to experience the Braves' run to the Class 1 state title from the bench last year after missing the second half of the season...

There were no suspects and no one in custody Tuesday following a report of a burglary at Patrick Furniture, 1140 N. Kingshighway. An employee arrived around 6:30 a.m. and found the business had been burglarized overnight, according to police. The employee told investigators the desk and safe had been rummaged through, and money was taken from the drawers. It appears entry was made from the roof, police said...

Police arrested a man following an armed robbery Tuesday night at KFC at 2101 William St. A man walked into the restaurant around 8:30 p.m., displayed a gun and demanded cash, Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jason Selzer said. Employees gave the man the cash, and he ran out of the restaurant, Selzer said. Police followed a vehicle the man reportedly was driving to a field, where it got stuck in mud. The suspect ran until officers caught him, Selzer said...

The "A" Girls Basketball Team from Trinity Lutheran School recently took 1st place in the Lutheran Basketball Association of Missouri Tournament in Jefferson City. They competed against teams from all over the state. This qualifies the girls to travel to Valparaiso, IN on March 24th to compete in the Lutheran Basketball Association of America National Tournament. ...

"Sweet Treat or Dangerous Drug?" If that provocative question sounds like a "Dateline NBC" report, it's not. It's the title of Emma Lundy's behavioral sciences project, entered in Tuesday's 55th annual Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair. Nearly 450 young scientists from 29 junior high and high schools throughout Southeast Missouri packed the Show Me Center to compete for the ultimate prize: An invitation and all-expenses paid trip to the 62nd International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles in May.. ...

The Meridian High School (Mounds, IL) Boys' Basketball team lost to Woodlawn Tuesday night in the IHSA Super Sectional Tournament game in Salem, Illinois by a score of 51-40. Coach Jeff Mandrell's 28-6 Bobcats return home having won the Sectional Title for the first time since their State Finals Runner-Up finish in 1972. The title brings hope for the future to a small school with few other sports to lean on. 13 of the 15 players on the roster will return next season...

Tri-State Advertising & Marketing Professionals (AMP) is accepting applications from non-profit organizations in southeast Missouri, southern Illinois and western Kentucky for the 2011 Advertising for a Cause grant. The grant will provide advertising assistance, production and media placement valued at $90,000 for one regional public service organization...

Cape Central High School senior Caleb Coots recently signed with the Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, swim team. Pictured above, left to right, are CHS Swim Coach Dayna Powell, Gators Head Coach Steven Franklin, Coots, and CHS Assistant Swim Coach Chad Sierman. ...

A $253,000 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health will pay for 30 to 40 miles of bike lanes along Cape Girardeau streets, which officials said will connect city parks, schools and other recreational areas. The three-year grant is intended to provide striping, bicycle racks, safety education and to promote the health benefits of cycling, said assistant city manager Heather Brooks...

Squirt is 10 months old. He is already neutered. Squirt is available for adoption at The Humane Society, 573-334-5837. See more pets available for adoption at semopets.org

Front row: Emily Todt, Ashley Stahman, and Jennifer Stahlman Middle Row: Tyler Lappe and Denise Yamnitz Back Row: Dustin Oehl, Clint Heuer, and B.J. Heuer These Cape Girardeau County 4-H members were among 150 youth and adults participating in the 2011 Youth Civic Leaders Summit at Windermere Conference Center near Camdenton, March 4 -- 6. ...

Cape Girardeau leaders, past and present, defended the city's decision Tuesday to spend most of the $2 million it received from Isle of Capri to pay off bonds that funded the construction of an airport manufacturing facility that has been a drain on taxpayers for nearly a decade...

Forty seven students from the Cape Career and Technology Center recently earned medals and 42 qualified for the State contest during the recent Missouri District SkillsUSA Competition at Arcadia Valley Area Career Center and Unitec Career Center. Several of the winners are pictured above. ...

Central Middle School, home of the Thinking Cap Quiz Bowl's champion team, and Shere Khan, the "Best Music Ensemble" in the State of Missouri, will host the "CMS Showcase" from 6:00 -- 7:00 pm Tuesday evening, March 15. "It's an open house for 4th graders and their parents," says Mr. ...

We wanted to show how our Pit Bull, Trinity is so sweet to anything. We picked her up from the vet and brought her to my Mom's and introduced her to my Mom's newest addition to the "family". Lucky is being bottle fed and is just a little over 4 pounds. ...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The nearly 80 soldiers of the Missouri Army National Guard's 205th Military Police Battalion will arrive in Poplar Bluff today after spending nearly a year in Afghanistan where they mentored Afghan police officers. Activated for federal duty in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in early 2010, the soldiers are returning to the Black River Coliseum, where a ceremony will be held in their honor at 10 a.m...

A steam engine will begin its journey on the winning route in Union Pacific's Great Excursion Adventure: You Route the Steam contest, the Little Rock Express, May 31 in Kansas City. The engine will travel through Cape Girardeau as it makes its way to Little Rock, Ark...

STEELE, Mo. -- A Pemiscot County man was listed in critical condition Tuesday morning after suffering severe burns police said he received when his brother doused him in gasoline. According to authorities involved in the investigation, on Saturday officers were dispatched to 504 S. Walnut St. in reference to Sandy Simmons, who was severely burned and subsequently flown to a hospital in Memphis, Tenn., for treatment of his injuries...

For Christmas my nephew gave me "The Pioneer Woman" cookbook. Its author, Ree Drummond, is all the rage right now, with the release of her new book, blogging on the Internet and numerous television appearances. She has a heartwarming story about how she became a "pioneer woman" and about her life on the ranch with her love, "the Marlboro Man." I have enjoyed her book so much and especially the fantastic photographs she has taken and included in the book. ...

When the people of Dublin, Ireland, elected their first Jewish mayor -- Robert Briscoe in 1956 -- baseball legend Yogi Berra allegedly exclaimed "Only in America!" This St. Patrick's Day recipe for corned beef and potato pancakes with pickled cabbage creme fraiche was created in that same spirit...

The quality of our students' education is important to their long-term success in life. And receiving a quality education means having dedicated parents, quality schools and top notch teachers -- teachers like Nan Beussink. Beussink, a third-grade teacher at Immaculate Conception School in Jackson, was recently honored with one of the two Distinguished Teacher Awards from the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau...

I believe eliminating Missouri's state income tax and raising the sales tax would finally level the playing field for all taxpayers. I'm sick and tired of those who have the means to buy high-ticket items before April 15, only to deduct them through a loophole...

I'm just a little confused. I was under the impression that our President was the one at long last to usher in a new era of postpartisan, postracial America. That was the gamble when we elected the most inexperienced person in history to the highest office in the land...

O God, may Your hand saves us in the midst of trouble. Amen.

CHICAGO -- As a historic bull market reaches its second birthday, everyday investors are piling back into stocks, finally ready for more risk and hoping the rally has further to go. The Standard & Poor's 500 index has almost doubled since March 9, 2009, when it hit a 12-year low after the financial crisis. And the Dow Jones industrials are back above 12,000, about 2,000 points shy of their all-time high...

Helen E. Niblack, a native of Jackson, died Sunday, March 6, 2011, in St. Louis. She was the daughter of the late William G. and Ethel Niblack, sister of the late Rev. Marvin E. Niblack and Ruby M. Harrison; sister-in-law of Marianna Niblack; aunt of William C. ...

Dorothy Marie Herbst, 95, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, March 7, 2011. She was born Nov. 16, 1915, in Cape Girardeau, to Lydia E. Schwab. She married Charles J. Herbst Jan. 26, 1935. He died Sept. 13, 1955. Dorothy worked many years as a legal secretary until her retirement. She was an avid volunteer and supporter for the restoration of Old St. Vincent's Church, having served on the board of directors from 1984 until 2003...

CALGARY, ALBERTA, Can. -- Christine Lutes Boesch, 37, of Calgary died Friday, Feb. 18, 2011, at her home. She was born March 19, 1973, in Cape Girardeau to David Lutes and Cynthia Wood Ahmed. Christine grew up in Cape Girardeau and was a graduate of Central High School and Southeast Missouri State University School of Nursing. She worked 10 years at Saint Francis Medical Center. She moved to Calgary a year ago...

Mollie Marie Wheeler, 76, of Leawood, Kan., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Monday, March 7, 2011, at Comfort Care Homes in Leawood. She was born to the late Clyde and Hazel Furrow Horner May 7, 1934, in Risco, Mo. Mollie attended Bell City High School. She married Clifford L. Wheeler Sr. in 1950 in Piggott, Ark. He preceded her in death March 1, 2007...

Emma Lee Goddard, 67, of Jackson left her earthly home to live with her heavenly father Monday, March 7, 2011. Born Oct. 17, 1943, she was the daughter of Henry Lusk and Eva Irene Amos Goddard. Emma graduated from Scott City High School and worked at Procter & Gamble 21 years before retiring...

Phyllis Mae Davidson, 75, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, March 7, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 6, 1935, at Holcomb, Mo., the daughter of Calyon Franklin Ham and Eula Agnes Mead Ham. Mrs. Davidson was a retired beautician. She was a member of First Freewill Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau...