Stories from Wednesday, April 20, 2011

A night maintenance worker discovered late Tuesday night that about 30 percent of the roof was damaged allowing water to leak into building's fine arts wing

Citizens Electric is reporting that more than 1,300 customers were still without power as of 6:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. Most customers, according to a news release, should have their power restored today. But some isolated areas may not get power restored for a couple of days...

In January, Southeast Missouri State University administrators were thrilled with Gov. Jay Nixon's proposal to limit budget cuts to higher education to 7 percent. On Wednesday, they were ecstatic with a state Senate plan to trim a little less. It's a sign of the troubled economic times -- be they improving ever so slightly -- in which state institutions are operating...

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- A Wappapello, Mo., man was charged Monday afternoon with murdering another man who was shot during an apparent altercation following a day of drinking together. Arthur E. Strahorn, 61, was charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action by Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Bob Ramshur...

The Oran baseball team defeated visiting Saxony Lutheran 12-2 in six innings Tuesday.

High winds associated with a storm that sparked numerous tornado warnings have reportedly caused damage around the area. Damage reports include a destroyed barn and downed trees blocking Route B near Daisy in Cape Girardeau County.

The National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., confirmed Tuesday that a tornado touched down in Chaffee, Mo., Friday, damaging a mobile home and a shed in its path. It was a brief touchdown, according to meteorologist Robin Smith, who called it an EF-0, when winds are less than 90 miles an hour. The weather service initially got reports of a funnel cloud sighted just before 5 p.m. Friday, but photographs and video confirmed the tornado touched down...

Damage along Highway Y near Arrowhead Campground along the Castor River.

Damage along Highway Y near Arrowhead Campground along the Castor River.

The 23rd annual Cancer Symposium was held on Saturday, April 16, at the Drury Lodge in Cape Girardeau. Participants later attended a reception at the Southeast Cancer Center. Participants, shown at the Cancer Center, included from left: Joseph P. Miller, MD, Medical Director of Radiation Oncology at the Southeast Cancer Center; Jean M. ...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- The Woodland High School principal accused of assaulting his girlfriend at a March principals' conference is no longer employed by the district. Superintendent Jennings Wilkinson confirmed Tuesday morning that Hershel Delane Beckwith is no longer principal. He said he could not elaborate on how the resignation came about...

This pine tree was uprooted during Tuesday's storms, taking out a section of chain-link fence. A small shrub directly in front of it snapped at the base.

Tuesday night's storms knocked town this tree branch, which fell where my car normally would be parked.

Dawson Crooks of Jackson, son of Jason and Holly Crooks, killed his first turkey on Sunday, April 10, 2011. Congratulations Dawson, Mom and Dad are proud of you!!

Fiona is 1 year old. She is spayed and declawed. Fiona is available for adoption at The Humane Society, 573-334-5837. See more pets available at www.semopets.org

This week, two area agencies each received $5,000 from State Farm toward their disaster education programs to students throughout southeast Missouri. Bootheel Youth Museum -- Malden, Mo. State Farm Agent Matt Steward presented a $5,000 grant that will help fund a traveling earthquake program in which students will create hands-on models and exhibits. ...

After nearly three years at the helm of Cape Girardeau's public school system, superintendent Jim Welker is planning to retire. But Welker wouldn't be out of the job long, under a proposal that would allow him to pull out a partial lump sum payment from his state retirement account and then return to his post with a new contract.

before picture, heading to prom

Emily Brumitt who played last season for Mineral Area College in Park Hills, MO. has signed a Letter of Intent to play for UMSL (University of Missouri St. Louis) for next season. Emily played her high school basketball at Cape-Notre Dame.

State Rep. Ellen Brandom, R-Sikeston, is mulling a run for Jason Crowell's seat in the Missouri Senate next year, when term limits will force the Cape Girardeau Republican from office. "I am strongly considering at this time running for the Senate and I will make an official announcement sometime this summer," Brandom said...

A recent course in culinary skills taught six developmentally disabled adults more than just how to cook. The students walked away with a new sense of self-confidence, a new meaning to the word teamwork, and an eagerness to try new things in the kitchen...

On March 25 and 26, Mixing 10 in downtown Cape Girardeau held a fundraiser for the Gateway Chapter Multiple Sclerosis Society. Mixing 10 raised $760 from weekend sales. Pictured above are David Creech from Mixing 10 and MS Rep. Catherine Buchanan.

SENTENCED The following defendant appeared in federal court Tuesday before U.S. District Judg Henry E. Autrey. Name: John Anthony Greenlee Age: 29 Residence: Scott City Charge: One felony count of conspiracyto commit theft from interstate shipment and six felony counts of theft from interstate shipment...

NEW ORLEANS -- It was the catastrophe that seemed to crush a way of life, an oil rig exploding in the darkness and plunging the Gulf Coast and its people into months of chaos. One year after the nation's worst offshore oil spill began, ceremonies will mark the disaster today and underscore the healing that is only now taking shape. Oil still occasionally rolls up on beaches in the form of tar balls, and fishermen face an uncertain future...

McCLURE, Ill. -- Billie Jean Williams, 62, of McClure died Monday, April 18, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 12, 1948, in East St. Louis, Ill., to Barney and Etta Miller Lincoln. She married Marvin Brown Jr. on Nov. 18, 1968. He preceded her in death May 31, 1990. She married Ronald Williams June 3, 1991...

Robert Eugene Hooper, 60, of East Prairie, Mo., formerly of Scott City, passed away Monday April 18, 2011, at his home. He was born Aug. 30, 1950, in St. Louis to the late William Hooper and Pansy Farmer Hooper Weaver. Robert lived in East Prairie the past five years. He was a retired captain with Missouri Department of Corrections. He was of the Catholic belief, member of Fraternal Order of Eagles in Sikeston, Mo., and Knights of Columbus Council No. 6420 in Scott City...

Arson is suspected in a fire that destroys a storage building at Riverside Home Building Center; gasoline, hidden inside a cardboard water heater container surrounded by similar boxes, is the source of the blaze. Paul and Marilyn Schnare have purchased the property at 1110 Cape Rock Drive that was the location of Town and Country Gardens, and have opened a florist and garden business there; the new business is called Accu-Grow Gardens and Florist...

Raymond H. Vogel, 95, of North Bethesda, Md., died Saturday, April 16, 2011. He was born Oct. 6, 1915, in Pocahontas, son of Emma and J.A. Vogel. He moved to Cape Girardeau when he was 8 and graduated from Trinity Lutheran School and Central High School. He graduated from Southeast Missouri State Teachers College in 1937, and earned a juris doctor degree from the University of Iowa in 1940...

In Asian culture, 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit. You wouldn't know it given current events, but traditionally, years hallmarked by the animal are quiet and serene. You'll see lots of items commemorating the year in Asian markets. In Western culture, the bunny has found a home in the Easter basket, but it's also a token of spring's arrival -- of renewal, and of nature at her most benevolent...

My mother-in-law's dear friend Cheryl Gilges lives in Gulf Shores, Ala., and they email each other every day. Once in a while these emails include a recipe. Cheryl's lasagna soup with spicy sausage and melted cheese sounds inviting, and I look forward to giving it a try. When I got her recipe I thought about other foods we typically serve as an entree and found recipes where people had put those entree favorites into a soup. I decided to share those with you today...

Throwing a watching party for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton doesn't have to be a royal pain. But with the wedding scheduled for a 5 a.m. start here, you probably are going to find that plenty of coffee is, so to speak, your cup of tea...

TRIPOLI, Libya -- Britain is sending up to 20 military advisers to help Libya's ragtag rebel force break a military stalemate with Moammar Gadhafi's army, even as NATO acknowledged Tuesday that its airstrikes alone cannot stop the daily shelling of the besieged opposition-held city of Misrata...

WASHINGTON -- With America's global credit standing suddenly in question, President Barack Obama insisted Tuesday that Washington has the political will to slash the massive U.S. debt despite fierce, fundamental differences with Republicans about how to do it...

Recently Cape Air was award a four-year contract to continue its service at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. The contract, the longest ever for a provider at Cape Girardeau's airport, is good news for passengers and the city. "We've been extremely happy with their consistency and their on-time performance," airport manager Bruce Loy said. "Their customer service is top-notch. We're happy to get them back."...

THE trail that runs through Cape Girardeau was said to be for joggers and cyclists. Why do we need to waste more money that could be used to fix roads like Lexington Avenue (instead of patching and making them worse) to make a separate trail for cyclists? Whoever is in charge of making these decisions is wasting our tax money hand over fist with these backward projects...

Our nation has just survived the greatest crisis of recent decades by postponing a government shutdown attributable to the mushrooming public debt. This reader has argued for years that the solution is a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget. Since the beginning of our republic, this solution has appeared not politically feasible for our politicians...

As I quietly sat down and wrote a check to the Internal Revenue Service this week, I wondered about the 45 percent of Americans who pay no taxes. And I wondered about General Electric who paid no taxes on their $38 billion profits this past year. Sadly, I am not among the super-rich who get blamed for hoarding their riches and who, according to the Democrats, shelter way too much and unfairly avoid their "fair share" of taxes...

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday:...

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

McDonald's Corp. went on the offense Tuesday against critics who complain that it's a lousy place to work. The world's largest hamburger chain held its first National Hiring Day and was awarded with a strong response from job seekers. Thousands showed up at restaurants nationwide to apply for jobs mixing shakes and serving Happy Meals. The company planned to hire 50,000 new workers in one day, boosting its staff by about 7 percent...

AMMON, Idaho -- Stop me if you've heard this one: A goat walks into a music store. It sounds like the start of a bad joke, but that's exactly what happened at the Piano Gallery in the southeastern Idaho town of Ammon. KIFI-TV reports the goat followed a woman and her child into the store Monday. Maybe it was looking for some sheet music...

BERNIE, Mo. -- A 37-year-old Catron, Mo., man lost his life in an early morning wreck in Stoddard County Monday. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Jonithan L. Dodson was traveling northbound on Highway 153 five miles east of Bernie when he was struck by an eastbound vehicle turning onto the road from Route Z. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Work to replace the Route EE bridge over the Little River Drainage Ditch No. 1 in Scott County is expected to begin May 9, weather permitting. The road will remain closed from Highway 25 to Highway 77 as construction continues. ...

We give thanks to you, O Lord Jesus, for your steadfast love endures forever. Amen.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The tornado that carved through North Carolina's capital killed four children, shuttered a university for the rest of the spring semester and felled the signature trees in the metropolis known as the "City of Oaks." It was the most active system of tornadoes on record in the state's history, leading to 23 deaths. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Flood watchers in several Missouri towns are checking levees, gathering sandbags and keeping close tabs on weather forecasts as the already high Mississippi River verges on potentially significant flooding. The river has been above technical flood stage for weeks in northern Missouri. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri legislation to allow power companies to charge electric customers for some costs of developing a nuclear power plant hit a snag on the state Senate floor Tuesday. The measure had been added to a separate utility bill, but the nuclear power plant portion was determined Tuesday to go beyond the purpose of that original bill. The decision forced debate to end...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals have bumped Ryan Franklin out of the closer's role after four blown saves early in the season. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said Tuesday that changing Franklin's responsibilities might help the 38-year-old right-hander get back on track. He didn't say who might replace Franklin in the ninth, but the top candidate probably is Mitchell Boggs...

The shooting guard attends Connors State College in Oklahoma

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team provided plenty of lightning strikes before the real fireworks began. The Redhawks belted four home runs and five doubles among 18 hits, slugging their way to a weather-shortened 13-7 victory over visiting Arkansas State on Tuesday night...

The Southeast Missouri State softball team made the pitching staff with the nation's second-best ERA seem mortal. Host Southeast handed Ohio Valley Conference leader Eastern Illinois just its second league loss, 8-4 on Tuesday. The Redhawks, fifth in the 11-team OVC, improved to 20-24 overall and 14-10 in league play. EIU is 32-8 and 19-2...

All the local high school results reported Tuesday to the Southeast Missourian.

Natalie Bauwens has served as the Perryville girls soccer team's rock this season. The senior goalkeeper helped her team improve to 4-3 with three consecutive victories. The streak started when Bauwens helped the Pirates defeat crosstown rival St. Vincent 2-1...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Work replacing the Route BB bridge over Castor River in Stoddard County is expected to begin May 9, weather permitting. The road will remain closed from Route K to Route M during construction, and completion is anticipated in mid July. ...

Replacement of the U.S. 61 bridge over Ramsey Creek in Cape Girardeau County will begin Tuesday, weather permitting. Five 130-foot bridge beams will be transported to the construction site on southbound Kingshighway from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. that day. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- North- and 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 from U.S. 60 at Dexter, Mo., to Route AA, north of Bloomfield, Mo. Weather permitting, the work will begin at 7 a.m. today and will be completed at noon Friday. Signs will mark the work zone. For more information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636...

BOWLING GREEN, Mo. -- Tornadoes swept through eastern Missouri, damaging homes and yanking down power lines, but no injuries were reported. The Pike County Sheriff's Department said the storm hit the Bowling Green area late Tuesday afternoon, and that three tornadoes were seen in the county in a 45-minute period. Some homes in the Clarksville area had roof damage, and barns and outbuildings in rural Pike County also were damaged...

Southbound Interstate 55 will be reduced to one lane Thursday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews patch the roadway. This section of road is from U.S. 61 South in Cape County to U.S. 61 South in Scott County. Weather permitting, work will be done from 8 a.m. to noon. The work zone will be marked with signs...

NEW YORK -- For years, teenagers across the U.S. could call a toll-free hotline if they had embarrassing questions about AIDS and safe sex. Dial the same number now and you get a recording of giggling women offering to talk dirty to you. Those naughty misdials, and countless others like them, appear to be no accident...

ST. LOUIS -- The Washington Nationals at St. Louis Cardinals game scheduled for Tuesday night was postponed by a severe storm that set off a tornado siren. A day-night doubleheader was set for today with games at 1:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. The game was called after a delay of 2 hours and 21 minutes. Based on forecasts, the Cardinals announced 20 minutes before the scheduled first pitch that it would not begin on time...

Central Middle School fifth grade math and science teacher Scott McMullen has been selected to direct the Cape Girardeau Alternative Education Center (AEC), Assistant Superintendent Pat Fanger announced. "Scott McMullen brings to the AEC successful experience in classroom instruction, leadership and extensive work with the juvenile system. ...