Stories from Friday, April 29, 2011

Intentionally breaching a levee on the Mississippi River, opening the Birds Point-New Madrid floodway, could lower water levels along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers as much as four feet, Jim Pogue, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public information officer, said Thursday...

Flood fighting on the Mississippi River and its swollen tributaries these days has come down to a war of inches -- and now it's a race against the clock. Col. Vernie L. Reichling, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Memphis District, on Thursday said the corps was doing everything it could to avoid blowing holes in the Birds Point levee -- an act that would submerge an estimated tens of millions of dollars' worth of property in the agriculture-rich floodway, destroying its 100 homes and the livelihood of hundreds more.. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. - The Missouri Department of Transportation has opened U.S. 60 from Sikeston to Dexter, Mo. Due to flooding issues on the westbound lanes, motorists can expect two-lane traffic on the eastbound lanes from Route E to Route AH. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution near the area...

Work continues to strengthen the emergency levee at Dutchtown in preparation for the Mississippi River's predicted crest of 46 feet at Cape Girardeau Sunday. That crest is just one foot less than the 1995 flood and about three feet below the record crest of 1993.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) -- A federal judge is giving the go-ahead to the Army Corps of Engineers' plan to intentionally break a Mississippi River levee in southeastern Missouri. The break could happen as early as this weekend to spare a flood-threatened Illinois town just upriver...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Electricity customers of Ameren Missouri will be getting a $17 million refund. The Missouri Public Service Commission ordered the refund after determining that revenues from Ameren's sale of electricity to two entities should have resulted in a reduction in charges to regular Ameren customers...

The Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center on Friday urged anyone helping out with the flood fight to receive a tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccination and announced the opening of an emergency animal shelter. According to a health center news release, the center has received extra doses of the vaccine, which should be administered to "individuals who are filling sand bags, removing debris or cleaning up after flooding." These people are more prone to puncture wounds and hence possible infection.. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri officials are appealing a federal judge's ruling that says the Army Corps of Engineers can break a levee and flood Missouri farmland if necessary to spare an Illinois town upstream. U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr. ...

Mississippi County Sheriff Keith Moore has asked the Missouri Army National Guard to activate a mandatory evacuation for residents of the spillway beneath the Birds Point New Madrid levee, according to a spokeswoman for the Mississippi County Sheriff's Department...

McDonald's on Williams Street recently hosted a American Red Cross Night where 25% of all proceeds between 4-8pm were donated to The Southeast Missouri Chapter Red Cross. The Red Cross, is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers and guided by its Congressional Chapter, they provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO- April 28, 2011- Spring Showers is designed to complement Southeast Missouri Food Bank's BackPacks For Friday program that sends home a backpack full of nutritious food each weekend to over 300 students in Southeast Missouri who need additional food for their families. "Spring Showers" is a new community wide campaign to collect personal hygiene products that will be provided to children participating in the Backpack feeding program...

Cape Girardeau, Missouri, April 4, 2011 Elizabeth Shelton of Write Results Marketing and Alex Seyer of Element 74 will offer a lunchtime workshop to help local businesses learn how to improve their website's position in search engine results. The workshop will be held Thursday, May 12th, at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m...

The Southeast Hospital Board of Trustees honored longtime civic leader Pete Poe with the Special Service Award at the Southeast Hospital Association dinner on Thursday, April 28, at the Show Me Center. Pictured from left: Al Spradling III, Chairman of the Southeast Hospital Board of Trustees; Poe; Debbie Linnes, SoutheastHEALTH President and CEO; Wayne Smith, Vice President Human Resources and Development; and Jim Limbaugh, Executive Vice President of Planning and Business Development...

Showers and storms forecast Sunday and Monday are likely to bring an additional 1 to 3 inches of rainfall to Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, said David Humphries, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in Paducah. The area could see a total of 2 to 4 inches of rain through Tuesday, he said, but this rainfall isn't likely to bring higher crests along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers...

My GSD ready to weather the rain :)

This is a photo of the railroad tracks and outbuilding right below Cape Rock in Cape Girardeau on Friday, April 29th, 2011. (See the before picture that was taken on Monday.)

This is a photo of the railroad tracks and outbuilding right below Cape Rock in Cape Girardeau on April 25th, 2011.

This is a photo of the railroad tracks and outbuilding right below Cape Rock in Cape Girardeau on Friday, April 29th, 2011.

SoutheastHEALTH celebrated the past year at its annual meeting of the Southeast Hospital Association Thursday night at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau. The meeting, themed "A New Era," recognized excellence in employee service and medical achievement over the last year...

Partying for a good cause -- that is what Jennifer Mullix, executive director of Discovery Playhouse of Cape Girardeau, expects the atmosphere and mood to be during its second annual FUNdraiser on Saturday. The event, which has a Dr. Seuss theme, will be an opportunity for adults to be to tap into their inner child, she said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri auditor's office said Thursday it will review whether Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder properly calculated a $52,320 check he wrote to the state to cover potentially questionable travel reimbursements. Deputy auditor Harry Otto said the review will focus primarily on Kinder's math and method in determining his payment -- not on whether each reimbursement Kinder had received for lodging, meals or travel was appropriate based on the breakdown of official, political or personal functions he attended.. ...

Jackson qualified three and Central two for the Class 4 sectional meet.

With the rivers still swelling and more rain expected, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stayed in a "holding pattern" Friday as the mayor of Cairo, Ill., issued his strongest warning yet for residents of the Southern Illinois town to seek higher ground...

The Cape Girardeau County Commission approved $516.63 to be paid from general revenue to cover the cost of damages to two rental trucks used during the April election at its Thursday meeting. Cape Girardeau County Clerk Kara Clark Summers said her office rents trucks every election to haul voting booths, ballot boxes and other supplies to each voting location. The trucks were also used to move other materials during the rental period...

NEW YORK -- Although Fergie has a list of things she wants to tackle during her long-awaited hiatus from the Black Eyed Peas, being a judge on Simon Cowell's upcoming "X-Factor" show isn't one of them. Recently there were reports that Cowell was considering the powerhouse singer for the Fox talent competition, which is due to debut in September. But in a recent interview, Fergie eliminated herself from contention...

Candles, soaps, quilts and wood crafts are all examples of the kind of art to expect at the Jackson Art Group's Arts and Crafts Exhibit from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Members of the art group will display their works at the St. Louis Iron Mountain Railroad in Jackson. ...

NEW YORK -- Jennifer Lopez is teaming up with "American Idol" creator Simon Fuller for a new TV show -- and she's bringing husband Marc Anthony into the fold. The trio announced Wednesday that they are creating "Q'Viva! The Chosen." The show would feature the superstar couple as they travel 21 countries to find the best performers in Latin music, dance and other arts with the goal of creating a live extravaganza...

On Saturday the live HD broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera will be Giuseppe Verdi's "Il Trovatore." The performance begins at noon at the AMC Town Plaza 5 in Cape Girardeau. I can't remember how many times people have asked what my favorite opera is. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Missouri has been hit by storms, tornadoes and flooding just in the past week. If an earthquake is next, officials want people to be ready. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Gov. Jay Nixon were at Carnahan High School of the Future in St. Louis Thursday for the 11-state "Great Central U.S. ShakeOut." The goal of the drill was to educate students and others about how to protect themselves if an earthquake happens...

ST. LOUIS -- Army Cpl. James Stroup of St. Louis died in a North Korean prison camp 60 years ago. Now, finally, his remains have returned home. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that a military honor guard carried Stroup's remains to a waiting hearse Wednesday at Lambert Airport. It is part of an effort by the military to locate, identify and return the remains of those missing in action, no matter how long ago they died...

Cape Girardeau police arrested a 19-year-old Cape Girardeau man today who they suspect was involved in stealing and setting fire to Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder's campaign vehicle. The Ford Flex, registered to Friends of Peter Kinder, was found torched and abandoned north of the city limits on Highway 177 early Tuesday morning...

A 51-year-old Cape Girardeau man accused of molesting an underage family member for seven years was acquitted by a Cape Girardeau County jury Thursday of three counts of statutory sodomy. The jury deliberated for two and a half hours before presenting their not-guilty verdict to Circuit Court Judge William L. Syler...

Celtic Woman's latest record may be titled "Lullaby," but the the Irish supergroup's concert isn't likely to put anyone to sleep. "Celtic Woman: Songs From The Heart" will take the stage May 2 at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau. The Irish musicians, who have toured all over the world, are making their third trip through the U.S. After finishing up in the U.S. in early summer, Celtic Woman will travel to Germany and Austria to perform...

NEW YORK -- Exxon made almost $11 billion and practically apologized for it. Sensing public outrage over gasoline prices that have topped $4 in some states, the company struck a defensive posture Thursday after posting some of its best quarterly financial results ever...

WASHINGTON -- The government is pressuring food companies to cut back on marketing unhealthy foods to children, releasing guidelines Thursday that could phase out advertisements on television, in stores and on the Internet if companies agree to go along with them...

William Bryan "Bill" Blaylock, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, April 27, 2011, at his home. He was born June 17, 1929, in Cape Girardeau, to Mark and Elizabeth Jane Crockett Blaylock. He first married Shirley Ervin Nov. 20, 1955, in Cape Girardeau. She preceded him in death Oct. 1, 1998. He and Peggy Whittaker were married May 8, 1999, in Cape Girardeau...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Louise Hess, 68, of Chaffee died Saturday, April 23, 2011, at Chaffee Nursing Center. She was born Oct. 11, 1942, in Allenville, daughter of Harry Alexander and Dorothy Lee Davenport Thompson. She married James Hess on Feb. 3, 1964...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Marjorie Hopkins Bollinger, 97, of Marble Hill passed away Wednesday, April 27, 2011, at Woodland Hills Nursing Home. She was born Dec. 18, 1913, in Zalma, Mo., daughter of C.F. and Della Rowland Hopkins. She and Charley Gifford Bollinger were married March 2, 1933. He passed away Feb. 20, 2004...

ORAN, Mo. -- Reba Puckett Hazel, 90, of Oran died Thursday, April 28, 2011, at Advance Nursing Center. She was born March 21, 1921, in Lutherville, Ark., daughter of Dode and Laura Belling Johnson. She married J. Almon Puckett July 30, 1940. He died Dec. 23, 1971. She then married Wesley Hazel July 13, 1988. He died Oct. 29, 1991...

Dr. John Edward Schneider, 82, of Cape Girardeau, an athlete, coach, athletic director, teacher, university professor and administrator, found his peace Wednesday, April 27, 2011, after a short, courageous fight with cancer. He was born in St. Louis, son of Joseph Edward Schneider and Fern Elizabeth Wray...

Alice T. Manes, 91, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Jackson, died Wednesday, April 27, 2011, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Freddie Brown, 59, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, April 27, 2011, at Life Care Center. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Son to M. Ray and Stacy Renee Glastetter of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 12:08 p.m. Tuesday, April 12, 2011. Name, Wyatt Joel. Weight, 6 pounds, 11 ounces. Mrs. Glastetter is the former Stacy Slinkard, daughter of Cotton and Sally Slinkard of Oak Ridge. She is employed by CTG Health Systems. Glastetter is the son of Melvin and Cecilia Glastetter of New Hamburg, Mo. He is an independent construction adjustor...

Annie Margaret Whitfield, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, April 26, 2011, at her home. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses. Announcement by Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Acting public works director Guy A. Lowes says the city of Cape Girardeau will clean up the debris, such as old tires, that has ended up on private property adjacent to the city landfill; the city will also correct the problem of debris that has worked its way to the surface on the west side of the landfill near the property of J.E. Deevers...

BRANSON, Mo. -- Table Rock Lake in southwest Missouri is receding from record levels after absorbing more than a foot of rain in the last week. The Army Corps of Engineers says the lake crested Wednesday at 935.47 feet and then began to drop. The lake normally is kept at about 915 feet...

Sen. Claire McCaskill's recent editorial in the Southeast Missourian was an example of blatant hypocrisy. During the 2008 election McCaskill was candidate Obama's most enthusiastic cheerleader. Since President Obama was elected, McCaskill has been a faithful supporter of his agenda of tax and spend and an ever-increasing national debt. Under Obama and McCaskill the national debt has increased by $3.5 trillion...

Over the last couple weeks the Midwest has been hit with severe weather, bringing torrential rains, devastating winds and massive flooding. Southeast Missouri has been especially hard hit, with some areas receiving 15 inches of rain or more over the past week and tornado warnings becoming an almost daily occurrence...

ZALMA, Mo. -- Rescue teams from Zalma, Leopold and a couple of good Samaritans pulled a woman and three children from a pickup truck submerged in water Tuesday afternoon on Highway 91 near Zalma. Bollinger County Sheriff Leo McElrath said that Karen S. Clay, 45, of Advance, Mo., drove around a barrier in Highway 91 in a 1998 Chevrolet extended-cab pickup. She drove into the water on the road and her truck was swept away. With her were three daughters of her son's fianc?e...

A week of ferocious rain has affected nearly everyone in these parts, mostly in not a good way. I'll admit I tried to make the best of the situation. I bought grass seed to patch some bare spots in my lawn. As long as it was going to rain and rain and rain, why not get something out of it?...

I'd like to relay a new medical research article titled "Smoking and Perioperative Outcomes" on smoking and anesthesia from the April 2011 edition of Anesthesiology. One hundred sixty-four thousand patients were matched with never smokers and here are the results and conclusions from the researchers on this new data:The tobacco epidemic represents a significant preventable cause of death and is probably the greatest health disaster in human history, being associated with more than 5 million deaths worldwide annually, and in the 20th century killing more than 100 million people. ...

MY husband and I this year will have paid $20,000 in taxes. But the point is that we feel very blessed and fortunate that we make that kind of money and can help others if there's a need and that we can even build something for ourselves, a luxury item. I feel sorry for the Speak Out contributor who says that someone begrudges the rich. I know what it's like to travel in Europe. The flat tax is not the answer. If it were, we'd already be doing it...

Being a candidate or elected official today, whether local (school board, county official, mayor, city council, etc.), state or national unfortunately makes one a target for those who like to throw darts, second-guess, speculate or just plain play politics or sense some satisfaction in the negative...

O Heavenly Father, our most generous provider, we give thanks in all things. Amen.

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

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

PLEASANT GROVE, Ala. -- Firefighters searched one splintered pile after another for survivors Thursday, combing the remains of houses and neighborhoods pulverized by the nation's deadliest tornado outbreak in almost four decades. At least 290 people were killed across six states -- more than two-thirds of them in Alabama, where large cities bore the half-mile-wide scars the twisters left behind...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Black River is receding at Poplar Bluff and some 1,000 evacuees are now allowed to go home. Officials in the Southeast Missouri community of 17,000 residents on Thursday lifted a mandatory evacuation order for a large section of town, where river water has been pouring over the top of the levee. Residents in the impacted area can return home whenever they choose...

Softball and track news from Southeast Missouri State.

HOUSTON -- Lance Berkman homered and drove in four runs during a nine-run sixth inning then added a solo shot in the ninth against his former team to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Houston Astros 11-7 on Thursday night. Berkman's three-run shot off Fernando Abad (1-2) gave St. Louis a 5-4 lead as a mixture of cheers and boos rained down on the slugger who spent 12 seasons with the Astros...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams, stuck in the middle of the NFL draft for a change, have added pass rush help. The Rams selected North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn with the 14th pick of the NFL draft Thursday night. They're satisfied the mistake that kept Quinn off the field last year was out of character...

The Southeast Missouri State football team will play its spring game at noon Saturday at Houck Stadium.

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

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team will play a three-game series at Murray State beginning Saturday.

Kids do the darndest things. I received an email this week that stood out from the barrage of flood updates and political statements. The email promoted an art sale Saturday. The attachment gave the time and location of "The Joey Hazard Art Sale" and included a picture of a little boy with a paintbrush and a big smile, sans one front tooth. Under the picture, it read "He's seven years old. He does a lot of art. Please come buy some of it."...

John Schneider was an integral part of Southeast Missouri State from the time he started playing football for the university in 1949 to his retirement in 1990. "He did a lot of things for the school," said former Southeast director of athletics Marvin Rosengarten, who both played and coached football with Schneider at Southeast...

Because of recent flooding, the Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge is postponing Cache River Nature Fest and Movie Night. Cache River Nature Fest is rescheduled for June 4. The event will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will include hikes, canoe tours, exhibits and other activities. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Route NN from County Road 820 to County Road 829 in Perry County will be reduced to one lane Wednesday and Thursday, allowing Missouri Department of Transportation crews to make bridge repairs. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Signs will mark the work zone...

U.S. 61 in Scott County will be reduced to one lane Tuesday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform routine bridge maintenance. The bridge is between Route M at Scott City and County Road 208. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Signs will mark the work zone...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Route M between county roads 806 and 814 in Perry County will be reduced to one lane Tuesday and Wednesday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews make bridge repairs. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 7 a.m. to noon daily. The work zone will be marked with signs. For more information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- U.S. 60 from Interstate 57 to Route J in Mississippi County will be reduced to one lane Monday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews mill the road. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The work zone will be marked with signs...

U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. was mulling what he described as "esoteric, technical" legal questions Thursday night after listening to more than five hours of testimony from 10 witnesses regarding whether the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has the authority to blow Birds Point...