Stories from July 2011

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Growing energy prices combined with weather-related supply problems has slowed economic growth in nine Midwestern and Plains states, according to a new monthly survey released Friday. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March, followed by flooding throughout the region hasn't helped business...

Recorder Scott R. Clark formally withdrew his June 6 proposal for restructuring his department at Thursday's Cape Girardeau County Commission meeting.

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials met Thursday to discuss whether further action would be needed to stop a continually rising river from overtopping the levee in the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway.

ULLIN, Ill. -- Illinois State Police arrested two men Thursday linked to arson fires in Alexander County, Ill. Richard Scott Pitcher, 18, of Cairo, Ill., and David Patrick, 22, of Arlington, Ky., have both been charged with two counts of arson...

The Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority won't be alone this year as it searches for funding to dredge its harbor. According to Dan Overbey, director of the port authority, seven of the nine ports in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Memphis district have recently found out they also will no longer receive the dredging services done by the corps in the past. ...

Call it a wish list -- one that hasn't been fulfilled in a long time. Given the state of the economy and the diminishing role state funding is playing in higher education, it could be a long time before Southeast Missouri State University's capital budget requests to the state come through...

When Cape Girardeau officials sent out an application for a low-interest government loan last year, public works director Tim Gramling said he would have been thrilled if they were approved for half of the $72 million needed to pay for a new sewer treatment plant and other systemwide improvements...

The Missouri Legislature's failure to approve a fix for the state's flailing Second Injury Fund this session leaves the lives of those who depend on it in limbo. "You don't do what you used to do. You can't. You can't afford it," says Gail Luttrull of Williamsville, Mo., who was awarded weekly payments from the Second Injury Fund in February but hasn't been paid because of the fund's financial problems...

The Fourth of July will be fun, but it will also disrupt public works service for some people in Cape Girardeau and Jackson. Cape Girardeau residents who normally have trash or recycling picked up Monday will need to set out the refuse Tuesday. Those who normally have Tuesday pickup for trash or recycling will have a Wednesday pickup. The rest of the week is unaffected...

BALTIMORE -- Playing in a ballpark known as a haven for hitters, Lance Berkman hit a couple of drives that would have cleared the wall in just about any stadium in the country. Berkman had his 29th career two-homer game, Jon Jay hit a three-run shot, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Baltimore Orioles 9-6 on Thursday night to complete a three-game sweep...

Looking forward from the rear cargo bay of the DC-4. The four large tanks can each hold three thousand gallons of liquid, which are pressurized by the two heavy pumps in the foreground. The oil dispersant is then pumped out to the wing boom couplings by the large black hoses. The narrow walkway provides access to the flight deck...

2011 Jackson Homecomers Salute to our Military Men, Women and Veterans all week The Jackson Homecomers Celebration will be July 26-July 30, 2011. At 6:30pm Mayor Barb Lohr and the Jackson Muny Band will kick off the beginning of 5 nights of entertainment. Also at 6:30pm the Homecomecomers 1 Mile Youth Run will take place and at 7pm the 5K Race will start at the city park...

Jackson Art Group members will participate in Art In The Park at Jackson City Park on July 4. There will be hands-on activities for children and artists will have their work for sale. Chris Pagano will be the featured artist at Steck House Gallery in July. ...

SoutheastHEALTH Board of Trustees member Narvol A. Randol Jr. congratulates Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer Karen Hendrickson, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, at a reception at Southeast Hospital on Thursday, June 30, in honor of her retirement. Hundreds of friends and co-workers attended the reception. Hendrickson retired on Friday, July 1, ending a career at SoutheastHEALTH which spanned more than 30 years...

Cars gobble up spaces along narrow side streets, wedged into tight parking spots and bumper to bumper. An errant Toyota blocks a driveway, trapping an irritated homeowner. Sometimes there's litter -- other times, trespassing. There have even been reports of vehicles being virtually abandoned, left for days or weeks at a time...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has pledged an additional $100 million in state disaster aid following the deadly tornado in Joplin and continued flooding across the state. Nixon's announcement Friday raises Missouri's total financial commitment to $150 million for a particularly devastating few months of natural disasters...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) -- Southeast Missouri State University is hunting for a new dean for its College of Education after the appointment of its old dean wasn't continued. The school announced Friday that its Board of Regents made the decision Wednesday after examining reviews of all university deans and associate deans...

James Thompson, a flute performance major at Truman State University and a native of Cape Girardeau, will perform a benefit recital for the Southeast Missouri Music Academy at 3 p.m. July 10 in Shuck Music Hall. The concert is free but donations to the scholarship program of the Southeast Missouri Music Academy will be accepted at the door. ...

Women will rule this First Friday as the work of 38 female artists is unveiled in the Feminine Perspective Show at the Black Door gallery. The exhibit has artists from Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and South Carolina, and will include work in multiple mediums...

I think that the tea party should sit down and try to recall what this country was like 80 years ago and what we have now. They seem to think things were as they are today and that we don't need taxes to improve our standard of living. Before the mid-1930s when Highway 25 was built (now U.S. ...

Until August of last year I was not aware of the prevalence of children who were battling cancer in our area. That was when my own grandgirl, age 4, was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a rare and deadly brain tumor. I quickly learned much more about cancer than I ever wanted to know, and somewhere along the line I realized there was no one locally to support the friends and families of these brave children. ...

THERE used to be a restaurant in Cape Girardeau, a drive-in restaurant on Broadway called Pfister's Drive In. They had a really great cheese sandwich. It was served open-faced on a long bun, and I would like to know if anyone remembers what kind of cheese they used on their cheese sandwiches. ...

For weeks after we lost our beloved Miss Kitty, my wife and I couldn't bear to think of having another cat. But time does heal, if you let it. And so the day came when we started noticing cute cats again. Our neighbor's newish cat took pity on us from time to time and showed up on our patio, always willing to drink a small dish of milk -- a token of affection from my wife...

LAS VEGAS -- Longtime Teamsters president James Hoffa, one of the most influential players in American labor, is facing a re-election fight from a former truck driver vying to become the first female leader in the union's 108-year history. Sandy Pope, a longtime steel hauler who heads a small New York City local, claims her groundbreaking candidacy is a nonissue. ...

LONDON -- Hundreds of thousands of British teachers and public sector workers swapped classrooms and offices for picket lines in what unions hope will be the first salvo in a summer of discontent against the Conservative-led government's austerity plans...

WASHINGTON -- Nearly every private employer in the U.S. will get a tax cut today. It won't affect workers' paychecks. But the expiration of a 35-year-old "temporary" unemployment tax -- about $14 a year per worker -- will mean real money for some big companies at a time when President Barack Obama is pushing Congress to raise taxes on businesses by closing some loopholes...

FLORA, Ill. -- Roberta R. Washburn, 81, of Flora died Wednesday, June 29, 2011, at Flora Gardens Healthcare Center in Flora. She was born March 15, 1930, in Eureka, Kan., daughter of William and Ida Ramsey Jones. She married Kenneth L. Washburn on Oct. 23, 1948, in Casey, Ill...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Dale G. "Bud" Huber, 79, of Perryville died Thursday, June 30, 2011, at Independence Care Center. He was born Aug. 27, 1931, in Perry County, son of Vallie and Elva Rabold Huber. He and Pat Hennemann were married April 7, 1956, at Crosstown, Mo...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Monsignor Richard Anton Buchheit, 74, of Florissant, Mo., died Wednesday, June 29, 2011, at St. Luke's Hospital in Chesterfield, Mo. He was born Jan. 29, 1937, in Perry County, son of Edwin and Barbara Unterreiner Buchheit. Survivors include two brothers, Lawrence (Shirley) Buchheit, Leo (Gwen) Buchheit; a sister, Jeanette (Daniel) Klobe, all of Perryville; 12 nieces and nephews; 31 great-nieces and nephews...

Patricia Anne Horrell, 70, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, June 30, 2011, at her home. She was born Aug. 2, 1940, in Jackson, Miss., to Thomas L. and Cora L. Gates. She and Fred J. Horrell were married Jan. 19, 1958, in Cairo, Ill. Pat was active in many things and was always glad to volunteer her time and talents to a good cause. ...

Linda Rose Warr, 68, of Scott City died Wednesday, June 29, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 17, 1942, in Cape Girardeau, to Farcy William and Pauline Roseline Koelzer Sides. Warr was a dietitian at Fountainbleau Lodge and previously worked at the Missouri Veterans Home...

Timothy L. Cook, 57, of Burfordville died Thursday, June 30, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Son to Joshua Caleb and Jennifer Lynn Shands of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 1:42 p.m. Thursday, June 23, 2011. Name, Corbyn Joshua. Weight, 7 pounds, 5 ounces. Second child, first son. Mrs. Shands is the former Jennifer Deshazier, daughter of Lynn Freeman and Robert Deshazier of Cape Girardeau. She is a licensed practical nurse at CrossTrails Medical Center. Shands is the son of Melissa Shands and Jay Shands of Glenallen, Mo. He is owner of Shands Roofing and Construction...

Cape Girardeau city attorney Fred Boeckmann has been named the new city attorney in Columbia, Mo., effective Aug. 25; he has served as city attorney here since October 1982. The city of Cape Girardeau will ask a federal appeals court for a rehearing in the aftermath of the court's ruling in the 7-year-old Westborough Mall case; the 8th U.S. ...

Mahalia Jackson is known as the "Queen of Gospel," and her music is treasured by generations. Her life saw struggle and success, from growing up in poverty in New Orleans and fighting for black equality, to multiple Grammy Awards, gold records and historic performances the world over...

O God, we praise you, for our help is through you, the creator of heaven and earth.

Cape Girardeau's historic preservation projects will be open and free this weekend during the River Heritage Passport Days, an opportunity to see historic sites in Cape Girardeau and enter to win one of three $25 Visa gift cards. Pick up a passport from any of the locations and get it stamped at at least three of the following: Cape River Heritage Museum, Ford D, The Glenn House, Old St. ...

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

A summer that looks a whole lot more like winter has travelers across the West scrambling to revise their Fourth of July itineraries -- or at least their packing lists. Ski poles are replacing fishing poles at popular hiking and camping spots where late-winter snowstorms blanketed Western mountains from the Rockies to the Sierra Nevada...

OTTAWA, Ontario -- Prince William and Kate tried out their French in public and put on their best British charm for screaming Canadians as the royal newlyweds began their first official overseas trip Thursday. Poised and confident, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they are formally known, thrilled the crowds with warm, unscripted gestures, wading into throngs of well-wishers to shake hands and accept flowers and other gifts...

WASHINGTON -- As many as 12,000 people in federal prison for crack-related crimes can get their sentences reduced as a result of a new law that brought the penalties for the drug more closely in line with those for powdered cocaine, a government commission decided Thursday...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday:...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Insurance companies already have paid out more than $500 million in claims for a deadly tornado that struck Joplin, Mo. But the final total could grow to three or four times that amount. The state insurance department said Thursday that insurance companies have reported receiving 14,910 claims on homeowners, commercial and vehicle insurance policies so far. They have paid out $509 million on those claims...

PERCIVAL, Iowa -- The Missouri River breached another levee in southwest Iowa on Thursday, inundating yet more farmland but not prompting any new evacuation orders or flash flood warnings. The breach, about a mile northwest of Percival in Fremont County, had grown to about 200 yards wide by 9 a.m., Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management spokesman John Benson said...

ORAN, Mo. -- The popular 4th of July picnic in Oran will celebrate its 100th year when the event kicks off Monday morning. The picnic was founded by the late Rev. Michael Helmbacher in 1908 as a way to get the members to work together and create parish unity...

CATRON, Mo. -- A woman was arrested after allegedly throwing a caustic chemical at another woman. New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens reported about 10 a.m. Wednesday his officers were called to a residence on Kell Street in Catron regarding an assault in progress...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- After a constitutional argument regarding the phrase "the sanctity of all human life" was defeated at the local and appellate levels, Allen McCoy's attorneys have taken the case to the next level.

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

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- In an echo of the debate unfolding in Washington, Minnesota hurtled toward a midnight government shutdown Thursday in a dispute over taxes and spending that could force thousands of layoffs, bring road projects to a standstill and close state parks just ahead of the Fourth of July weekend...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues and T.J. Oshie agreed Thursday to a one-year contract extension worth $2.35 million. He would have become a restricted free agent today. The 24-year-old center and the Blues avoided salary arbitration. Oshie was the team's No. 1 pick (24th overall) in the 2005 NHL entry draft. Oshie completed his third season, scoring 12 goals and adding 22 assists in 34 games...

Ross Moldenhauer went 5 for 5 and was the winning pitcher as Cape Girardeau Ford and Sons American Legion Post 63 defeated Sikeston 13-6 on Thursday at Capaha Field. Moldenhauer added three RBIs as Cape improved to 21-8 overall and 4-1 in District 14 play...

Fireworks, tournaments, car shows and live music -- no other holiday spells summer fun quite like the Fourth of July. Communities all over Southeast Missouri will celebrate Independence Day in their own ways. Some festivals start today, others over the weekend. Here's the rundown of events...

I sang happy birthday to a clock this week. I would have felt ridiculous, but the clock was wearing a giant birthday hat, so I'm fairly certain it had more to be embarrassed about than I did. It's not like I was singing alone, either. I was joined by a few dozen people who also attended the downtown clock's 25th birthday party Tuesday. Some were merely there for the 25-cent hot dogs and ice cream, but I like to believe most of them realized on some level just what we were celebrating...

FIRST FRIDAY RECEPTIONS Black Door Gallery The Feminine Perspective Show will be at Black Door Gallery in July. Works by about 40 female artists will be on exhibit. They will display a variety of art including sculptures, paintings, mixed media and fiber art. Opening reception from 5 to 9 p.m. today...

BEIRUT -- A high-ranking Hezbollah militant linked to the 1983 truck bombings at the U.S. and French embassies in Kuwait was among four people indicted Thursday by an international tribunal in the assassination of Lebanon's former prime minister Rafik Hariri...

Jackson Senior Babe Ruth swept a home doubleheader against Scott City on Thursday, a day after getting swept by the Charleston Squirrels. Jackson defeated Scott City 12-2 and 14-5 to improve to 17-11. Clay Roth threw a complete game in the opener, allowing five hits. He struck out three and walked two...

It's that time of the year when you get to vote for the best businesses in a variety of categories in Cape Girardeau County. And despite a misprint in an earlier advertisement in the Southeast Missourian, there is still time to vote. In addition to the personal satisfaction of supporting your local favorites, those who vote will be entered into a contest to potentially win $500 in prizes, including $100 cash, an annual subscription to the Southeast Missourian, four Missourian history books and four tickets to a Cardinals baseball game.. ...

Even after moving out of her parents' home as a teenager, Cheryl Brenneke didn't go too long without speaking to or seeing her younger sister. And up until Jacque Waller's disappearance one month ago, Brenneke saw her sibling, along with her two nieces and nephew, nearly every weekend...

The annual Grossheider family reunion will be held on Saturday, July 16, at 12:00 p.m., at Zion Lutheran Church Parish Hall, Highway 25, south of Gordonville. Attendees should bring two dishes (one should be a meat or main dish casserole). Table service and beverages will be provided. For more information contact LaVerne Levy at 314-846-4787...

Visit our nightly 9:00pm-11:00pm Patriotic Light Show at our Super Store Local at Exit 91 off of I-55. Starts Saturday, June 25, 2011 Over 20,000 computerized lights put to patriotic music. The 9:30pm and 10:00pm show concludes with several fireworks and on July 3rd and 4th we'll be shooting off fireworks with EVERY show! Best of all, it's FREE and a great way to get into the spirit of the season! Just park at the end of our lot by the flagged area. ...

Home grown tomatoes by 4th of July. Goliath variety, 2 plants pruned and tied to trellis. Planted mid April. Pruning- -succor that comes near first set of blooms grows faster than others and will grow rqual to main stem (called two stem method)prune all other succors...

Severe weather last evening contributed to the death of a Kelso, Mo., man who died when a partial roof of the house he was building was knocked over by a "mini-tornado"; as the storm traveled across Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, high winds injured a man and his infant son and destroyed their mobile home in Benton, Mo., and contributed to the death of a motorist and the injuries of four others in Williamston County, Illinois...

ANNA, Ill. — Amos Corzine, 86, of Anna died Friday, July 1, 2011, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Dongola, Ill.

Excuse the dust. Southeast Missouri State University is now in the opening phases of a massive campuswide renovation project.

When Lisa Beckerman McGregor learned in January that her son Michael had died in Afghanistan, her world collapsed into an array of agonizing attempts to cope. She cried, screamed and pleaded. She didn't sleep for days. She denied that it happened. McGregor refused to accept that her only child was dead...

Much of Arena Park was quiet early Saturday afternoon, but the washers tournament doubles competition at the USA Veterans Fourth of July celebration was well underway in the shady area on the north side of the Arena Building. During a celebration when traditions dominate, Justin Fornkohl of Cape Girardeau was one of several players who were breaking a particular tradition...

David Hitt of Jackson doesn't look at volunteerism as a civic obligation. "I've never thought of volunteering as giving back to the community," Hitt said. "I find something I want to do and that I'm interested in, and I get involved with an organization that allows me to do it. So because it's something I love to do, I don't look at it as giving back."...

The Plaza Tire Capahas showed the effects of a 15-day layoff Saturday in the first round of the Valmeyer tournament in Valmeyer, Ill. Millstadt (Ill.) ripped three Capahas pitchers for 20 hits and posted a 12-1 victory. The loss was just the second of the season for the Capahas (11-2), who dropped into the consolation bracket of the eight-team tournament...

Purple cone flower emerging from a bud.

Bryce had so much fun at the park with Daddy and Mommy!

Bryce enjoying a day at the park with Daddy and Mommy.

Bryce having fun at the waterpark on a hot summer day!

In observance of Independence Day, the Southeast Missourian will not print a newspaper Monday. We will resume printing Tuesday. Happy Fourth of July.

New rules coming from the Federal Reserve will limit the fees merchants pay for debit card transactions, but could end up costing customers more for other banking services. Local bankers say while lowering these fees is intended to help consumers, they will be forced to charge higher fees for other banking services in an attempt to offset lost revenue from debit card transactions...

This column originally appeared as a Discover Nature blog on semissourian.com/blogs. During the hot summer months we all want to be in a boat on a lake or river. But as we enjoy the sunshine and cool waters, it's important to keep in mind what we don't want to take home with us when we go...

Charlee Mae Denson and Matthew Jordan Kinsey were united in marriage April 30, 2011, at New Bethel Baptist Church in Jackson. The Rev. Jon French performed the ceremony. Pianist was Marvin Miller of Jackson. The bride is the daughter of Philip and Donna Denson of Jackson. The groom is the son of Daniel and Cynthia Kinsey of Jackson...

Brent Englehart of Jackson and Michele Anderson of Mishawaka, Ind., announce the engagement of their daughter, Paige Morgan Englehart, to Rusty Lee Statler. He is the son of Randy and Sherri Statler of Oak Ridge. Englehart is a 2005 graduate of Jackson High School. She received a bachelor of science in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University in 2010. She is a registered nurse in the Family Birthplace at Saint Francis Medical Center...

Thomas and Mary Froemsdorf of Kelso, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Katrina Elizabeth Sanderfer, to Joseph Paul Moore. He is the son of James and Katherine Moore of Cape Girardeau. Sanderfer is a graduate of Central High School. She received a bachelor of arts degree in English from Christendom College in Front Royal, Va., and a bachelor of science degree in psychology from Middle Tennessee State University at Murfreesboro...

Toni Scheeter and Vaughn Scheeter of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Kelsey Marie Scheeter, to Blake Garrett Ulrich. He is the son of Sandy Helwege of Cape Girardeau and Randy Ulrich of Perryville, Mo. Scheeter is a 2005 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School, and received a master's degree in occupational therapy. She is an occupational therapist at Saint Francis Medical Center...

Jeffery Bauer and Debra Ann Martin of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Julie Ann Martin, to Chester William Tarantino Jr., both of Hyde Park, N.Y. He is the son of Chester Tarantino Sr. and Dolores Bell of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Martin attended Sheboygan Area Lutheran High School in Sheboygan, Wis., and is a graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau. ...

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel D. Smith of Cape Girardeau will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house and reception July 30, 2011, at Lynwood Baptist Church. Hosts will be their children and grandchildren. Smith and Ermalee Eaker were married June 24, 1961, at Bethany Baptist Church, by the Rev. W.O. Liley, uncle of Mrs. Smith. Maid of honor was Myra Jean Kight of Arbor, Mo., and best man was James Gloth of Delta...

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Robinson of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a party June 18, 2011. Hosts were their son and daughter-in-law, Christopher and Christine Robinson of Scott City. Robinson and June Waldo were married June 17, 1961, at Vanduser, Mo., by Lloyd Boley. Their attendants were Katie Waldo and Kenneth Weisenborn...

Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Hutson Jr. of Jackson celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary June 26, 2011. Hutson and Linda Schlamer were married June 26, 1971, at First Baptist Church in Thebes, Ill., by the late Rev. Charles Shumate. Their attendants were Vicki Schlamer Hannan, Marcella Peters, the late Michael R. Cook, and Carl E. Peters...

Danny and Carolyn Monroe of Cape Girardeau will observe their 37th wedding anniversary at a July 4 celebration at their home. The couple was married July 5, 1974, in Cape Girardeau. Monroe is employed with Monroe Plumbing and Heating. The couple has four children, Robert (Kelly) Monroe, Missy Ehlers, Adam (Ashley) Monroe, and Laura Monroe, all of Cape Girardeau. They have nine grandchildren...

ORAN, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Jere Tenkhoff of Oran celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a Mass, dinner and dance May 7, 2011, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Oran. Tenkhoff and Carolyn Pobst were married May 6, 1961, at Guardian Angel Catholic Church in Oran, by the Rev. Robert Schumacher...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Lukefahr of Leopold celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception June 12, 2011, at Marble Hill United Methodist Church. Hosts were their children, Mike Lukefahr and Diane Dahl of Jackson, and Karen and George Yoffie of Cape Girardeau...

Recently I visited a wonderful place called the Cape County Conservation Nature Center. While there I photographed these two complacent frogs. The frog on top is a gray tree frog. The one it is sitting on is a green tree frog. The ranges of these two frogs overlap in Southeast Missouri. ...

On Tuesday, the American Red Cross Southeast Missouri Chapter presented seven Red Cross awards and recognized outstanding volunteers, supporters, partners and Heroes of the American Red Cross at its 94th annual meeting at Grace United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau. Rhett Hendrickson of Hendrickson Business Advisors served as master of ceremonies...

US Bank donated $1,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri. US Bank employees, from left, Amanda Nifong, Daryl Leine and Jim Ham presented the check to Ashley Beggs, executive director with Big Brothers Big Sisters. ...

ROMULUS, N.Y. -- Peter McDonald assigns his 9-year-old twin boys the tricky task of erecting a mesh fence in one part of the family farm, then tramps across lushly carpeted fields for a daily evaluation of his grass-chomping cows and sheep. But first, there's ... Hello! A hundred head-bobbing turkeys interrupt their foraging for bugs and clover-leaf morsels to hurtle across the pasture to greet him...

LOS ANGELES -- Hairballs are normal in cats, but they're a nuisance for cat-owners to deal with. There are a few things you can do, though, to reduce hairballs and other feline dietary upsets. Cats ingest a lot of hair because their tongues have tiny tentacles (papillae) that act like brushes when they clean, explained Dr. Karen Halligan, author, TV consultant and director of veterinary services for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles...

Tomorrow Americans will gather for parades, barbecues, horseshoes and washers games and, of course, fireworks. But as we celebrate, let us also take time to remember the sacrifice many have and are currently making to keep our country free. We often recite the Pledge of Allegiance, but its words are worth repeating:...

FOR Mitt Romney to be compared to John Kerry is an honor because it was a disgrace what the Republican Party did to John Kerry. The swift boating of that man was totally unjust. Romney will bring a reasonableness to government. I want to say a word about the city, how they're wanting to annex property and in some subdivisions they have taken in some new ones. ...

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

The Missouri Democratic 2011 Jefferson-Jackson Dinner was held June 17 in St. Louis, and Mary S. "Cindy" Jenks of Fairdealing, Mo., received the Outstanding Local Party Member Award. Jenks is the first recipient of this award, whicht was presented by Missouri Democratic Party chairwoman Susan Montee...

Sylvester is a 2-year-old cat with a mostly black coat plus white whiskers! He is a very friendly cat. For more information, contact Safe Harbor at 243-9823.

In an isolated African village, a drummer takes refuge under the shade of a tree and pounds out a beat on a well-worn animal-skin drum. As the pounding grows louder, people join the drummer. They dance. They laugh. They sing. The rhythm and words would be unrecognizable elsewhere, but the powerful sound of people joyfully singing praise to God is universal...

Fireworks, barbecue and parades are some of the makings of Fourth of July celebrations. This holiday weekend, friends and family will gather to celebrate the bravery of men and women who more than 200 years ago declared separation while embracing the sacrifices of freedom's cause...

"My dad and I had a bond," Luke said. He choked back tears as he spoke at the memorial service being held for his deceased father. His dad, Ken, had suffered long and hard with emphysema. Various family members recounted their memories of Ken as the photo presentation rolled at the front of the room. People kept arriving. Ken was an ordinary man who tried to make it through life the best way he knew how...

Pet's name: Cubbybear Owner: Bill Schaefer Favorite activity: Traveling to U.S. Navy Submarine reunions all over the country. ...

Grady is an 8 month old Basset/Lab. He is available for adoption at The Humane Society 334-5837.

The third annual Civil War Camp will be July 9 and 10 in Ste. Genevieve, Mo., with a living historical Civil War encampment set up in the Moses Austin Park at Main and Gabourni streets. There will be a re-enacting of the 150th anniversary of the removal of $58,313 from the Merchant's Bank by the Union Army at 1:30 p.m. ...

Dr. Ken White, a veterinarian at Perry County Veterinary Hospital in Perryville, Mo., just finished a volunteering stint at the Joplin Animal Shelter. During his time at the shelter, White assisted in the care of more than 800 dogs and cats displaced by the tornadoes that destroyed the city May 22. ...

*** Eagle Ridge Christian MONDAY—No classes. TUESDAY—Mini corn dogs, tater tots, fruit. WEDNESDAY—Chicken strips, corn, fruit. THURSDAY—Breaded beef patty, potatoes, fruit. FRIDAY—Pizza, salad, fruit.

Every week, 28-year-old Spc. Zachary Ivie, a soldier with the Army's 73rd Engineer Company, looks forward to mail call, knowing there will be something waiting for him. Whether it's a letter from a family member or a package from his wife, he knows there are people back home thinking about him...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- German conglomerate Bayer CropScience agreed Friday to pay up to $750 million to settle several lawsuits with U.S. farmers who claimed a strain of the company's unapproved genetically modified rice contaminated the food supply and hurt their crop prices...

WASHINGTON -- This is one anniversary few feel like celebrating. Two years after economists say the recession ended, the recovery has been the weakest and most lopsided of any since the 1930s. After previous recessions, people in all income groups tended to benefit. This time, ordinary Americans are struggling with job insecurity, too much debt and pay raises that haven't kept up with prices at the grocery store and gas station. The economy's meager gains are going mostly to the wealthiest...

WAPPAPELLO LAKE, Mo. -- Officials estimate the Wappapello Lake project area sustained between $20 million and $30 million in damage as a result of record flooding in April and May. A separate cost of $1.5 million to $2 million is projected to repair a more than 300 foot section of Route T ripped away when waters topped the emergency spillway...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- A roadside bomb ripped through a van carrying a family Saturday in southern Afghanistan, killing all on board -- the deadliest incident in a string of attacks that killed 18 civilians, according to officials. The Ministry of Interior said four women and two children were among 13 people killed in the van in Shamulzayi district of Zabul province...

SANAA, Yemen -- Dozens of Yemeni troops went missing after a battle with al-Qaida-linked militants at a sports stadium in the country's increasingly lawless south, a military official said Saturday, describing a new setback for a weakened regime already facing an array of opponents...

CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez's disclosure that he is being treated for cancer is raising questions about whether he will be able to run for re-election next year and how his illness may affect the future of his socialist movement in Latin America...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Members of the Missouri House of Representatives' Interim Committee on Disaster Recovery listened for over four hours Thursday in Sikeston as the public voiced their opinions on how the state can aid them in recovering from recent flooding...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- An altercation at Cleopatra's Night Club resulted in serious injuries to a patron at 2:35 a.m. Tuesday. Now the sheriff is asking that charges be filed against the manager. Responding to a 911 call of a fight in progress in the 800 block of Route T, a Butler County deputy sheriff found Benjamin Knuckles leaning against a car...

Reports of an orange light in local skies this week could be the result of the International Space Station passing by. According to the NASA Sky Watch website, the International Space Station has been in view in the Cape Girardeau and Jackson area for the past two nights. It's likely to be seen again tonight, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Wednesday nights as well...

School lunches will rise by a dime in the Jackson School District in the upcoming school year, driven by changes in federal nutrition guidelines. Standard lunch prices at the district's elementary schools will rise to $2.35, and $2.60 at the secondary schools. Adult lunch prices also will climb 10 cents, to $2.85. Elementary, secondary and adult breakfast prices will remain the same...

Cape Girardeau police received a report Thursday afternoon from the public works department that two manhole covers were stolen from an alleyway between South Hanover and South Henderson streets. Cape Girardeau police spokesman Darin Hickey said the covers were immediately replaced by the public works department due to a safety issue...

Cape Girardeau is getting $223,600 in state grant money to pay to build sidewalks, make American with Disabilities Act improvements and to pay for sign and crosswalk work. The Missouri Department of Transportation's "Safe Routes to School" advisory committee named the recipients of the 16 infrastructure Friday that total $3.4 million to communities across the state. ...

Fronabarger Concreters Inc. plans to start construction Tuesday on phase three of the South Old Orchard Road Improvement Project, according to a news release from the city of Jackson. Jackson officials held a conference with the contractor, engineers and utilities Thursday to finalize plans...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:...

ATHENS, Greece -- Greek authorities have arrested the captain of a boat that is part of a Gaza-bound flotilla trying to deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory, officials said Saturday. The 60-year-old captain, John Klusmire, was being held at Piraeus police headquarters and will remain there until a court hearing Tuesday...

JUBA, Sudan -- Only six years ago the Sudan People's Liberation Army was a ragtag group of guerrilla fighters battling a bloody civil war with Sudan's north. Next weekend, when the south breaks away and becomes the world's newest country, the SPLA becomes a national army...

BANGKOK -- He's not even in Thailand, let alone on the ballot. But five years after the military deposed Thaksin Shinawatra, the influential billionaire-in-exile is back by proxy: the dominant force in pivotal elections today that many fear could trigger a new era of upheaval...

MALABO, Equatorial Guinea -- The body representing nations in Africa called on its members to disregard the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Moammar Gadhafi, an official confirmed Saturday, in a move that seriously weakens the tribunal's ability to bring the Libyan leader to justice...

HAVANA -- A few dozen members of Cuba's small but growing Twitter community have met in real space for the first time. They got to put unfamiliar faces with familiar user names, and they commiserated about the woeful Internet access on an island that has the second-worst Web connectivity rate in the world...

Timothy L. Cook, 57, of Burfordville died Thursday, June 30, 2011, at Southeast Missouri Hospital He was born Feb. 17, 1954, in Cape Girardeau, to Raymond and Ella Mae Hutson Cook. He and Helen Sweet Morton were married Nov. 20, 1993, at Burfordville...

Gladys Aileen Frazier, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, June 30, 2011, surrounded by her family at home. She was born March 31, 1927, in Leopold, Mo., to Charles and Mary Caroline "Carrie" Gloth Hahn. She and Eugene Frazier Sr. were married Dec. 27, 1944, at Fort Riley, Kan., and they had a 55-year union with four children. He died April 4, 1999. They were the original "American Pickers" with a great passion for the old stuff...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Pauline Virginia Smith, 87, of Perryville died Friday, July 1, 2011, at Independence Care Center in Perryville. She was born Aug. 16, 1923 in Whitewater to William Charles and Ida L. Snider Birkman. She and Charles Clayton Smith were married Sept. 19, 1945, in Clay County, Ark. He died April 1, 2009...

Joseph Rhodes Davis, 86, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 1, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Aug. 3, 1924, in Wayne County, Mo., to Joseph C. and Lela Rhodes Davis. He first married Clara Wulfers, who preceded him in 1987. He then married Mary Lee Ford on May 3, 1990, at Piggott, Ark...

Lynn P. Sprenger, 59, of Jackson died Thursday, June 30, 2011, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born Feb. 26, 1952, in Cape Girardeau to Paul W. and Dorothy B. Schwab Sprenger. He and Linda S. Drury were married May 28, 1988, at Cape Girardeau...

Laura Lyn Little, 47, of Jackson died Friday, July 1, 2011, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. She was born April 17, 1964, at Cape Girardeau, the daughter of Travis R. and Judith A. Hargraves Riley. She married Dean Little II on Aug. 26, 1995, at Scott City...

GRANBURY, Texas -- Ellen Camille Caldwell Sitzes, 86, passed away due to an illness Friday, June 24, 2011, in Granbury. Camille was born March 8, 1925, in Dexter, Mo., to Elmer and Thelma Brooks Cardwell. She was a former resident of Cape Girardeau. ...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Lora Watson Austin McClain, 98, of Mounds, Ill., died Saturday, July 2, 2011, at the Fountains Nursing Home Care Facility in Marion, Ill. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at Jones Funeral Home in Villa Ridge, Ill. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. at the funeral home, with the Rev. Larry Buckles officiating. Burial will be in Green Lawn Memorial Gardens in Villa Ridge...

Reuben Alexander Fritzler, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 1, 2011, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Visitation will be from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. today at Good Shepherd Lutheran Chapel. Memorial services will be at 3 p.m. today at the chapel, with the Rev. Barry L. Pfanstiel officiating. Burial will be at a later date in Kimball, Neb...

CHAFFEE, Mo. — Brenda K. Dysinger, 69, of Chaffee passed away Saturday, July 2, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee.

At its First Friday Coffee -- moved to today because of Independence Day -- the Chamber of Commerce kicks off a campaign to raise awareness and prompt passage of three issues that will appear on the Aug. 5 ballot: solid waste fees, a flood bond issue and a one-half-cent sales tax; the latter would raise money to fund improvements and construction of streets and bridges...

GRANTSBURG, Wis. -- A fierce thunderstorm swept through a normally rural Wisconsin county that was packed with holiday campers, toppling trees that killed an 11-year-old girl, blowing boats ashore and injuring more than three dozen people, officials said Saturday...

SANTA CLARA PUEBLO, N.M. -- A wildfire that forced federal employees to flee the desert birthplace of the atomic bomb neared the sacred sites of several American Indian tribes on Saturday, raising fears that tribal lands passed down for generations would be destroyed...

FALL RIVER, Mass. -- A Massachusetts mayor says a public pool where a woman's body may have gone unnoticed by lifeguards for more than two days won't receive his permission to reopen without assurances from state officials it would be safe. A spokeswoman for Fall River Mayor William Flanagan's office said Friday the mayor wants assurances from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation proper safety procedures are in place...

LAUREL, Mont. -- An Exxon Mobil pipeline that runs under the Yellowstone River in Montana ruptured Saturday and leaked hundreds of barrels of oil into the waterway, causing a 25-mile plume that fouled the riverbank and forced municipalities and irrigation districts downstream to close intakes...

MARTINSBURG, W. Va. -- Brian Tolstyka stood at the edge of a giant American flag spread across several tables in the Veterans Affairs hospital gym. Wearing a leather vest with a flag patch and a hat with a flag pin, Tolstyka was about to stitch his place in history...

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Aviation Administration announced new steps Friday to help prevent air traffic controllers from falling asleep on the job, including allowing controllers to use sick or annual leave time if they are too tired to work. Controllers will also now be allowed to listen to the radio and read to help stay alert during overnight shifts when traffic is light under an agreement between the FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association...

WASHINGTON -- Democrats and liberals have a nightmare vision of the Supreme Court's future: President Barack Obama is defeated for re-election next year and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, at 78 the oldest justice, soon finds her health will not allow her to continue on the bench...

The Jackson American Legion baseball team advanced to the championship game of an eight-team tournament in Paragould, Ark., with a 7-6 victory against Dunklin County on Saturday. Alex Bolen, who broke a 6-6 tie in the top of the seventh inning with an RBI double, preserved the win by throwing out the potential tying run at the plate to end the game in the bottom of the seventh. Bolen fielded a single in left field and cut down the runner, who was trying to score from second...

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

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Albert Pujols is making progress toward returning to the St. Louis Cardinals' lineup from a broken left wrist. Pujols had a CT scan Friday. "He got the test and he's working," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said Saturday. "I'm just really pleased with a lot of good news on that front."...

Southeast Missouri State University is searching for a new dean for its College of Education after the appointment of its old dean wasn't continued. The school announced Friday that its board of regents made the decision Wednesday after examining reviews of all university deans and associate deans. ...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- One bad inning from Kyle McClellan and a lack of clutch hitting did in the St. Louis Cardinals. Casey Kotchman drove in three runs with a double and Justin Ruggiano hit a two-run homer during a five-run sixth inning against McClellan, helping the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cardinals 5-1 on Saturday night...

While the nation celebrates Independence Day with the re-lighting of Lady Liberty's torch in New York Harbor, no public celebrations of the holiday are held in the Cape Girardeau area. A vacant rental house is gutted by fire during the night; the two-story house at 1405 Broadway, which was being torn down, had been burning about 20 minutes before it was discovered by neighbors...

As relief efforts continue following the record-setting spring floods in Southern Illinois, residents of Alexander County are encouraged to attend a community meeting today to learn more about buyouts and flood mitigation options. Illinois Lt. Governor Sheila Simon announced the meeting in recent news release...

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Casey Anthony was found not guilty Tuesday of killing her 2-year-old daughter in a case that captivated the nation as it played out on national television from the moment the toddler was reported missing three years ago. Anthony, 25, wept as the judge read the verdict, which jurors reached after less than 11 hours of deliberation over two days. She was charged with first-degree murder, which could have brought the death penalty if she had been convicted...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The St. Louis Cardinals activated three-time NL MVP Albert Pujols off the disabled list Tuesday, a month ahead of schedule in his recovery from a broken left wrist. Pujols was not in the lineup Tuesday night against Cincinnati. But manager Tony La Russa planned to use him off the bench in some capacity ...

MOREHOUSE, Mo. -- Two people have died in Southeast Missouri after a 93-year-old driver pulled into the path of another vehicle. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the driver, Charlie S. Hammons, and his passenger, 87-year-old Essie P. Hammons, were killed. Both lived in Marston. A 13-year-old passenger in the other vehicle also was injured...

Southeast Missouri State University will dedicate the organ practice room at the River Campus to Gary Miller, who was vital in the development of Southeast's visual and performing arts program. Miller, who died in early May, was the associate dean and director of the Earl and Margie Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts -- otherwise known as the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus, where the university cultivates art, dance, theater and music...

While many Jackson residents will haul out their unwanted items during this year's Clean-Up/Fix-Up Week, at least some may be hauling things in -- into their truck beds or onto a trailer as they cruise city streets. Rodney Bollinger, Jackson's public works director, said the city doesn't necessarily have a problem with people rummaging through piles of trash set out for special pickup during the weeklong event, as long as they don't make a mess...

Cape Girardeau and Jackson fire and police officials prepared to respond to a high number of calls they say is typical for the Fourth of July, but many of the incidents were routine and unrelated to fireworks.

When you're in need of help with just about any task, you can call David Hitt, a Jackson man honored Monday for his service and dedication to volunteerism and his community. Hitt is the 2011 recipient of the Spirit of America Award, presented annually by the Southeast Missourian. "He is a model of who we all want to be," Marylin Neville, director of the Bollinger County Stray Project, said about Hitt in her nomination letter...

A firework that looks like a dandelion gone to seed.

A burst lights up the night sky over Jackson Park.

Brilliant Bursts at Jackson Park

Colorful Burst at the Jackson Fireworks Display

At the height of its popularity, the Marquette Hotel in downtown Cape Girardeau was described as "the gem of Southeast" and was considered one of the finest hotels in the Midwest. Costing more than $300,000 to build in 1928, the hotel was part of a civic plan to establish Cape Girardeau as an area tourist hub and convince travelers of the city's progressiveness and hospitality. ...

Over sixty members of the Vandivort Family Reunion, in town for their annual meeting of the third-generation family farming corporation, visited Old Lorimer Cemetery on July 2nd. Leading the tour was Dr. Frank Nickell, Director of the Center for Regional History...

Aug 20th Schock's Pub: DJ Boom's 1st annual facebook party Two Hottest things, Facebook and ProSound Dynamixx Entertainment LLC. I hear there's nothing to do! Here's a chance to Party with 836 of Boom's facebook friends. (and I have some great friends). Here's what's up. Dance Music and Karaoke By Boom. Great Drinks from Paul Schock, Door prizes, Food and One winner will win a very nice prize. Just for signing up. Let's do this! This is a Free Event...

The construction of a new gambling boat in Cape Girardeau has been called "a game changer" by casino proponents who continue to tout it as an economic windfall. But at least one member of the Cape Girardeau City Council, Ward 3 representative Deb Tracy, wonders if the game could change for the worse if the opening of the casino next year is followed by more liquor stores and bars...

Residents celebrating America's 235th birthday in Jackson City Park on Monday and at a celebration in Cape Girardeau put on by the USA Veterans organization agree -- the holiday is all about honoring tradition. Traditions that include time spent with family, playing games, barbecues and fireworks...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.-- More than five years after the catastrophic collapse of a utility's reservoir sent a billion gallons of water tumbling down a Southeast Missouri mountain, Ameren Missouri has built a new and better replacement. Now, the power company wants to recover from its electric customers some of the cost for building it, sparking criticism from consumer advocates...

A Jackson man died in a farming accident Sunday afternoon, according to the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department. Joshua Goodin, 32, was baling hay on a farm near Highway 74. A neighbor reportedly found Goodin inside the baler and called 911...

A Cape Girardeau County man is in critical condition at an area hospital after he was stabbed Sunday at his residence. Cape Girardeau County deputies responded to the home at 3809 Old Route V Sunday morning to investigate a disturbance, according to a news release from the sheriff's department...

It's our honor every summer to recognize one deserving individual, among those nominated by you, our readers, as the recipient of the Southeast Missourian Spirit of America Award. And last night before the demolition derby and fireworks at Arena Park, we recognized this year's recipient, David Hitt...

I was calling in about the mother that's missing. I feel so sorry for the family and friends of the missing mother. I would like them to know others are praying for them and we are hoping they will receive closure soon. While searches are going on in wooded and weeded areas, has anyone thought to search the waters? Search the flood areas. That was my first thought...

LOS ANGELES -- Search giant Google Inc. is one of about a dozen companies involved in talks to potentially buy online video site Hulu, a person familiar with the matter said Friday. As the owner of YouTube, it would be a strategic buy for the Silicon Valley technology company, which has had a rocky relationship with Hulu's Hollywood owners...

DETROIT -- Gas prices hit a sweet spot for automakers last month. They fell far enough to spur pickup truck sales, yet remained so high that small cars sold well, sometimes just hours after reaching dealers' lots. That made June a good month for General Motors and Ford, which have traditionally relied on truck sales and now have strong lineups of smaller, fuel-efficient models as well...

Dr. Ryne C. Wood has joined Leet EyeCare in Cape Girardeau as an associate doctor. Wood is a 2003 graduate from Oran High School in Oran, Mo., and graduated cum laude from Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., in 2007 with a bachelor of science degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. ...

Interest from companies considering locating in Cape Girardeau is picking up, a sign that, at least locally, the economy is moving in the right direction, said Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO John Mehner. The Chamber and Cape Girardeau Area Magnet received first-time inquiries from seven outside developers interested in bringing businesses to Cape Girardeau in the past few weeks, Mehner said...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Jurors did not reach a verdict Monday in the Casey Anthony murder trial after deliberating for almost six hours on the prosecution's claim that the woman killed her 2-year-old daughter Caylee because the toddler interrupted her carefree partying and love life...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The outgoing commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan said Monday that the focus of the war will shift in coming months from Taliban strongholds in the south to the eastern border with Pakistan where insurgents closest to al-Qaida and other militants hold sway...

Daughter to Marcus Leneir Johnson and Lena Mae Anderson of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 5:03 p.m. Tuesday, June 21, 2011. Name, Alaysha Joy. Weight, 7 pounds, 3 ounces. Third child, second daughter. Ms. Anderson is the daughter of Mable Mhoon of Cape Girardeau. Anderson and Johnson are employed at Gilster-Mary Lee...

Reuben Alexander Fritzler, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 1, 2011, at Southeast Hospital. Visitation will be from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Sunday at Good Shepherd Lutheran Chapel in Cape Girardeau. Memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Sunday at the chapel with the Rev. Barry L. Pfanstiel officiating. Burial will be at a later date in Kimball, Neb...

FROHNA, Mo. -- Rosella Turner Wilson, 86, of Frohna died Sunday, July 3, 2011, at Southeast Missouri Hospital. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until service time Thursday at Young and Sons East Perry Chapel in Altenburg, Mo. The funeral will be at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the chapel, with the Rev. Randy Morse officiating. Burial will be in Walker Hill Cemetery in Grand Tower, Ill...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Charles Franklin Young, 48, of Advance died Saturday, July 2, 2011, at his home. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Morgan Funeral Home in Advance. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the chapel, with the Rev. Tommy Miller officiating. Burial will be at Morgan Memorial Park in Advance...

Final approval of a $37,500 grant to study the feasibility of a plant that would burn solid waste and other materials to produce energy has been received by Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Environmental Improvement and Energy Resources Authority; the grant will finance a study to determine if a cogeneration plant, proposed for the Cape Girardeau, would be feasible...

Joshua Marshall Goodin, 32, of Jackson died Sunday, July 3, 2011, in a farming accident near Highway 74 in Cape Girardeau County. He was born March 30, 1979, in Cape Girardeau, to Eddie and Tonya Carnell Goodin. He and Kea Scheffer were married on May 10, 2003, at Cape Girardeau...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Brenda K. Dysinger, 69, of Chaffee died Saturday, July 2, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 27, 1941, in Crump, to the late Claude Estes and Maude Elizabeth Brown Austin. She was a retired machine operator at Florsheim Shoe Co. and then at Thorngate Ltd., both of Chaffee...

Clarence Anthony Layton, 91, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, July 2, 2011, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. He was born June 15, 1920, in Bonne Terre, Mo., to William J. and Pearl Elizabeth Muellersman Layton. He and Lola O'Sullivan Layton were married April 23, 1951, at St. Joseph Church in Farmington, Mo...

FLORA, Ill. -- Roberta R. Washburn, 81, of Flora died Wednesday, June 29, 2011, at Flora Gardens Healthcare Center in Flora. She was born March 15, 1930, in Eureka, Kan., daughter of William and Ida Ramsey Jones. She married Kenneth L. Washburn on Oct. 23, 1948, in Casey, Ill...

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

NEW YORK -- The U.S. marked the 235th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence with parades, fireworks, barbecues -- plus presidential campaigning, a White House birthday and competitive eating. Thousands were showing up near the Washington Monument to eagerly await the annual fireworks show on the National Mall, while others were throwing on Hawaiian shirts and shorts to ski the still-snowy slopes at resorts from California to Colorado...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- In a season of flooding by some of the nation's biggest rivers, it's streams most Americans have never heard of that could cause some of the worst problems in the Midwest. Hundreds of tributaries that feed the congested Missouri River face a greater-than-normal flood risk this summer because of water levels that have kept them from draining. ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The space shuttle was sold to America as cheap, safe and reliable. It was none of those. It cost $196 billion over 40 years, ended the lives of 14 astronauts and managed to make less than half the flights promised. Yet despite all that, there were some big achievements that weren't promised: major scientific advances, stunning photos of the cosmos, a high-flying vehicle of diplomacy that helped bring Cold War enemies closer, and something to brag about...

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

The city of Jackson is still moving forward on the expansion of Nordenia in our north industrial park on U.S. 61. We are very excited about the project as it will include 50 additional manufacturing jobs, a large investment in equipment and a 175,000 plus square foot building and the possibility of a Community Development Block Grant for the building of infrastructure on the property...

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

Cape Girardeau's Susan Beth Scott touched the wall in 2 minutes, 42.47 seconds to win the paralympic division's 200-meter individual medley Saturday at the Canadian World Challenge in Montreal. "My times have been solid," Scott said in a release. "I'm kind of in the middle of training in preparation for Pan Pacs coming up next month in Edmonton. So overall I am pleased with what I am doing."...

The Jackson Senior American Legion baseball team captured the championship at the 7 UP Classic with a 9-4 victory over host Paragould, Ark., on Sunday. Jackson's offense was led by Chase Simmons, who recorded a solo home run in the second, and Logan Bartels, who connected for a two-run homer in the sixth...

ST. LOUIS -- Chris Carpenter hit another high note in his midseason surge. The St. Louis Cardinals pitcher insisted getting the better of Johnny Cueto provided no extra incentive. "I've said it all along," Carpenter said after working eight scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday night. "I mean, it's history and we're professionals. You move on."...

ST. LOUIS -- Albert Pujols could be back in the St. Louis Cardinals' lineup as early as tonight, beating the initial timetable for his return from a broken left wrist by a month. Pujols said there was no pain after taking indoor batting practice and fielding grounders outside Monday, and added that he felt great. He's scheduled to be examined by team physician Dr. George Paletta today...

THEBES, Ill. -- Allison Van Brooks, 28, of Thebes died Sunday, July 3, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Tamms, Ill.

As Fourth of July festivities heat up in Cape Girardeau and Jackson, fire and police officials are prepared to respond to a high number of calls they say is typical for the holiday weekend. "Eleven out of the 12 months, we don't have fireworks going. If it's dry like this, we can see more calls and of course, we'll possibly see some calls due to accidents from fireworks," said Cape Girardeau Fire Department batallion chief Mark Starnes...

Debbie Below got some good advice as a teen, the kind that changed her life. The Washington, Mo., native took her first trip to Cape Girardeau her senior year in high school after a Southeast Missouri State University student recommended she tour the campus...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Roger Clemens' perjury trial opened Wednesday with both sides raising the prospect of calling a roster of former baseball stars as witnesses and the judge angrily criticizing Congress for withholding an audiotape of Clemens' deposition at the heart of the case.

Missouri's attorney general has joined a federal lawsuit filed one year ago by a Cape Girardeau man challenging the state's flag desecration law. Attorney General Chris Koster's motion to intervene, filed in late April, postponed a trial date set for Aug. 1...

The Jackson Chamber of Commerce is searching for a new executive director after the resignation of Brian Gerau. Gerau, who became executive director in November 2008, has accepted a new position as a senior development officer with SoutheastHealth. "I speak for the entire board and its membership when I say we're very sad to see him go because he has done an outstanding job," said Jason Wray, chamber board president. "It's going to be difficult to replace him."...

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- A Caruthersville Police Department officer was injured by a firework during patrol Monday, and seven arrests were made in connection with the Fourth of July disturbance that brought out officers from several nearby law enforcement agencies.

Last month, John Voss had questions. On Monday night, he said he had his answer: Old Town Cape is worth it. The Cape Girardeau City Council member had raised concerns last month about an additional $20,000 the council has been giving in recent years to the not-for-profit organization that works toward revitalizing the city's downtown...

Jason Crowell will be forced out of office by term limits next year, but the Missouri state senator from Cape Girardeau appears to have his sights set on statewide office in 2014. Crowell, a Republican, has changed his campaign committee paperwork to Missourians for Crowell and to reflect a bid for an unspecified statewide office. ...

Attorneys representing both Saxony Lutheran High School and Strack Excavating questioned the state's top mining official during the first day of testimony in an administrative hearing to review an application by Strack Excavating for a 76-acre limestone mine near Fruitland...

Aspen & Allie are 3 month old Basset Hound mixes. They are available for adoption at The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri, 573-334-5837. See more available pets at www.semopets.org

A unanimous vote Tuesday night by the Jackson Board of Aldermen to enter into a 50/50 cost-sharing agreement with the Missouri Department of Transportation to improve U.S. 61 and intersecting streets in the uptown area has some worried already about parking for businesses...

Deb Tracy's interest in limiting the number of liquor licenses in Cape Girardeau drew zero support Monday night from her fellow city council members, who argued that it would stifle free enterprise or could even result in unintended economic consequences...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- The second inning of Tuesday night's opening game between the Chaffee and Jackson Senior Babe Ruth baseball teams brought a scoring opportunity for both teams. Jackson missed out on its chance in the top of the inning, while Chaffee got all the offense starter Connor Scott needed in the bottom half on its way to a 2-0 victory in the opening game of a doubleheader. Jackson won the nightcap 9-2 in 10 innings...

LONDON -- Britain's The News of the World was facing claims Tuesday that it hacked into a missing 13-year-old's phone messages, possibly hampering a police inquiry into her disappearance. Milly Dowler was found murdered months later and the report that her messages were tampered with has horrified Britons. Major advertisers -- including Ford UK -- have pulled their ads from the paper...

Following the Independence Day holiday I think of summer and the grilling season in full swing, which for us, usually involves hamburgers on the grill. Ralph and Martha Maxton of Cape Girardeau recently had family in town for a visit. They made this recipe for cherry burgers with cherry ketchup, which sounds absolutely wonderful. I have included one recipe for an indoor cooking process just in case rain puts a damper on your plans...

Last week Southeast Missouri State University athletic director John Shafer retired after about 2 1/2 years of leading the department. Shafer, making the announcement earlier in the month that his retirement would be effective June 30, said in a news release that he needed to "devote some quality time to my family" and that both he and his wife, Dianne, had parents in need of assistance...

IMAGINE how disappointed I was when I opened the paper as a parent to look at my child's honor roll in the Southeast Missourian and not one Jackson Elementary School other than West Lane, because they're in fourth or fifth, was listed. But no other elementary school was listed in the honor roll. ...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Casey Anthony was acquitted Tuesday of murdering her 2-year-old daughter in a case that became a national sensation on cable TV, with its CSI-style testimony about duct-tape marks on the child's face and the smell of death inside a car trunk...

LAUREL, Mont. -- Crews responsible for cleaning up an oil spill on the Yellowstone River faced difficult conditions Tuesday as the scenic waterway rose above flood stage and raised fears that surging currents will push crude into undamaged areas and back channels that are home to some of the best fish habitat in the world...

BAGHDAD -- The White House is offering to keep up to 10,000 troops in Iraq next year, U.S. officials say, despite opposition from many Iraqis and key Democratic Party allies who demand that President Barack Obama bring home the American military as promised...

SAN FELIPE, Mexico -- They are fathers, fiances and experienced fishermen. The seven U.S. tourists still missing two days after their boat capsized off Mexico's coast went to sea as they had for several years on the U.S. Independence Day holiday -- they wanted to fish and have a good time...

PARIS -- Dominique Strauss-Kahn faces a potential new sexual assault investigation Tuesday when a young French writer plans to formally accuse him of trying to rape her during a 2002 book interview -- a dizzying turn of events just as the former IMF chief's fortunes seemed to be growing brighter...

LOS ANGELES -- When Stephen Zawistowski got his first dog 50 years ago, she was the only dog in the neighborhood that was spayed. "She had an incision that must have been a foot long and was sewn up with what looked like piano wire," says Zawistowski, science adviser for the New York-based American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama prodded Congress on Tuesday to make a deal within the next two weeks on raising the nation's borrowing limit, and he said he was summoning leaders of both parties to the White House this week to try to get it done...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports eight people died on Missouri highways during the Fourth of July weekend counting period, two more than last year. The highway patrol worked 259 crashes with 130 injuries. On the state's waterways, there were no fatalities in boating accidents. The patrol reports 10 boating accidents with five injuries...

O Lord, may we always listen to you, the Voice of Truth. Amen.

Public hearings Consent agenda New ordinances...

Recognizing that cultural heritage is not restricted to material things, UNESCO has been assembling The List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Among the practices added this year are the Peruvian scissors dance, Azerbaijani carpet weaving and French gastronomy. I don't know about dancing or weaving, but French gastronomy surely belongs on this list...

A Cape Girardeau woman who allegedly kicked a city police officer Monday is now facing felony charges. Cape Girardeau police officers encountered Stephanie N. Cerny, 31, around 10:30 p.m., when they responded to the 400 block of Washington Avenue in reference to a fight in progress. ...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Black River Medical Center will start with three beds, but plans are being made to quickly expand to 100 or 150 beds. "We want to open the three-bed hospital by Dec. 31," said Mike Burcham, president and chief executive officer of Poplar Bluff Medical Partners, during a wall breaking ceremony in the area where contractors are making renovations. One of the three acute care rooms will be designed to use as an isolation room when necessary...

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sent letters to landowners in Missouri and Iowa asking if they wanted to sell land in the Missouri River basin, where flooding began in May. David Kolarik, a corps spokesman in Kansas City, said the timing of the letter was a coincidence, and a mistake. He also said most of the letters went out before the flooding started. But he said some of the letters were dated June 6, well after the flooding began...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has signed legislation designed to make it easier for adopted adults to get information about biological parents who died without agreeing to be identified. Nixon signed the measure Tuesday. It takes effect Aug. 28...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- In Joplin, a wounded beautician had a request for the busy intensive care nurse. Could someone wash her hair? Could a little bit of time be found for a little bit of mental healing? "Her scalp had been sandblasted by the tornado," remembers Dana Weber, a North Kansas City Hospital nurse who volunteered to go to the ripped-apart city. For nearly three hours, Weber picked out gravel and debris from the woman's hair and emptied buckets of muddied rinse water...

Pamela H. Fleming, 62, of Cape Girardeau passed away Friday, July 1, 2011, of heart failure. She was born Dec. 2, 1948, in Scranton, Pa., to Joseph and Beatrice Savulis. Pam received a fine arts degree from Metro State University in Denver. She was a licensed Realtor and an accomplished photographer...

FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. -- Emma Louise Morgan, 94, of Fredericktown died Thursday, June 30, 2011, in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 12, 1916, in Fredericktown, daughter of Walter H. and Margaret E. Jones. She and Charles C. Morgan were married Oct. 21, 1948, in Fredericktown...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Zelma M. Huber, 91, of Perryville died Monday, July 4, 2011, at her home. She was born Dec. 11, 1919, in Perry County, daughter of Herman and Mary Elona "Loni" Moore Schumer. She and Leonard J. Huber were married Nov. 25, 1939. He preceded her in death July 12, 1987...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Edna A. Meier, 89, of Perryville died Monday, July 4, 2011, at Independence Care Center of Perry County. She was born March 12, 1922, in Cape Girardeau County, daughter of August E. and Johanna Pauline Macke Biester. She and Raymond E. Meier were married Dec. 12, 1965. He preceded her in death April 26, 2002...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Nancy Jane Webb, 69, of Chaffee, formerly of Scott City, died Monday, July 4, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 19, 1942, in Illmo, to Robert and Mary Sturm Schoen. She and William Webb were married April 15, 1977. He preceded her in death Oct. 12, 1987...

A tanker truck filled with soybean oil overturns on LaCruz Street while attempting to find the Bunny Bread bakery; the driver is uninjured. MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Kohlfeld Capahas suffer their first defeat of the season, falling to the Memphis Tigers 4-2 in the nightcap of a baseball doubleheaders; the Caps' winning streak had reached 27 games this summer...

Son to Derek Wayne and Leah Danielle Hayman of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 1:32 a.m. Sunday, June 26, 2011. Name, Koby Daniel. Weight, 8 pounds, 4 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Hayman is the former Leah Reisenbichler, daughter of Daniel and Liz Reisenbichler and Myra Reisenbichler of Jackson. She is a registered nurse at Southeast. Hayman is the son of Ron and Vera Hayman of Farmington, Mo., and Danny and Tina Grogan of Jackson. He is employed by Drivestone Mechanical Paving...

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

...

Firefighters responded to the following call Wednesday: Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday: ...

Danny Williams and Amy Pobst combined to win the SEMO Horseshoe Association's nine-team tournament at the Scott City Knights of Columbus. The team of Tim Bryant and Lachelle Cook took second, while Glen Backfisch and Larry Glastetter were third. The team of Virgil Schreckenberg and Cook won the 12-team tournament at the Leopold Knights of Columbus...

ST. LOUIS -- Albert Pujols stayed on the bench in his first game off the disabled list. The St. Louis Cardinals had plenty without the three-time NL MVP. Matt Holliday homered twice hours after being picked to represent the National League in the Home Run Derby, and Jaime Garcia had another stingy home outing in an 8-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night...

When the star Sirius appears in the night sky it signifies the official start of the "dog days of summer" -- 40 of the hottest, stickiest days of the year (July 3 to Aug. 15). This year you can be cool -- without being indoors -- by installing a misting system like you see in hotels and restaurants. ...

THEBES, Ill. -- Allison Van Brooks Jr., 28, of Thebes died Sunday, July 3, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. The funeral will be private. Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements.

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Gene Crump, 83, of Chaffee died Tuesday, July 5, 2011, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Highway 51 in Bollinger County will be closed today while Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a pipe beneath the road. This section of road is from Route H to County Road 714. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The work zone will be marked with signs...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Highway 25 in Stoddard County will be reduced to one lane through Thursday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews make pavement repairs. This section of road is between U.S. 60 and Route E. Weather permitting, work will be done from 4 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The work zone will be marked with signs. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Albert Pujols is more than just one of the best players in baseball. He's also an incredibly rapid healer. The St. Louis Cardinals activated their three-time NL MVP off the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, a month ahead of schedule in his recovery from a broken left wrist...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri candidates for statewide office report raising about $2 million in a single recent week. Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's campaign says it took in roughly $900,000 in the final week of the latest campaign finance reporting period, which ended June 30. Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, who's expected to run for governor next year, reports raising about $435,000 in the same one-week period...

At Jackson Senior High School's commencement ceremony, the administration repeatedly referred to the graduates' parents and grandparents. This wasn't just a nice way to include the extended family attending the event; it was also a way to include the grandparents who had raised the young men and women about to march across the stage with diplomas...

Monday, Sept. 21, 2009 Our day started at 0500 this morning because Danny thought it was 0600. We were on the water by 0730. We think we missed seeing our first gator as we paddled away from camp this morning. We were joking about a passing log on our right looking so much like an alligator when we heard a loud splash at the edge of the water on our left. ...

Parkinson's disease has some worrisome symptoms, like tremors and stiffness, but doctors say this common neurological disease is easy to treat and far from the end of the world. Remember that actor Michael J. Fox has had the disease for 20 years and pro boxer Muhammad Ali has lived with Parkinson's since 1984 -- both have continued to be active and successful public figures...

In 1961, high school friends Shirley Beggs, Dorothy Penzel and Mary Talley started a club to learn all the things they'd need to know as young wives and mothers -- cooking and cleaning, decorating and sewing, and raising a family. Fifty years later, the three charter members of the Progressive Club have raised their children, retired and become proud grandmothers...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Opponents of a voter photo identification requirement have filed a lawsuit seeking to strike a proposed constitutional amendment from Missouri's 2012 ballot, contending that the wording of the summary that voters would see is misleading...

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Casey Anthony will be freed next week after spending nearly three years in jail on accusations she murdered her 2-year-old daughter, a case that captured the nation's attention and divided many over whether a killer had been acquitted.

The National Weather Service has placed all of Southeast Missouri and part of Southern Illinois under a severe thunderstorm watch until midnight. Local counties in the watch include Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry, Scott and Stoddard in Missouri and Alexander and Union counties in Illinois...

The Jackson Board of Aldermen heard a plea from Fruitland resident Tim Sutterer to make a speedy decision on a petition that would begin an attempt to annex Fruitland into Jackson at Tuesday night's meeting. In December, Fruitland residents signed the petition and sent it to Jackson and Cape Girardeau as required by state law because of the community's proximity to the two cities. ...

The dean of Southeast Missouri State University's College of Education will assume the role of tenured full-time faculty member, following evaluations of the university's deans and associate deans. Margaret Noe was the only dean among six not approved for continuance by Southeast's board of regents last week. ...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Chaffee firefighters rescued a man Wednesday from his burning home at 508 N. 3rd St.

While some Americans are paying $60 to fill their gas tanks every week, Jack Rickard and Brian Noto have found a way to keep their cars running for almost nothing. The two are organizing the first Electric Vehicle Conversion Convention, which will be Sept. ...

This firework reminds me of a sliced up onion!

I thought this pic looked like a big popcorn ball. This was at least a 15 second shot of the firework.

Kenny Pincksten calls it the ugliest building on Broadway. But he bought it anyway. And the Cape Girardeau developer hopes that once the 143-year-old structure at the corner of Broadway and Sprigg streets gets a makeover, it will encourage others to follow suit...

cooling off on the castor river with family and friends

Stephanie Byars presented a check for $9,176 to United Way on behalf of KFVS12/The Heartland CW. The funds are proceeds from the 3rd Annual 5KFVS Run/Walk held on May 14th.

On Saturday, July 16th, the kids from Cornerstone Wesleyan Church in Scott City will be holding a LemonAid Stand, and will be giving away free lemonade to raise money for a Nashville, TN charity. The LemonAid Stand will be accompanied by a yard sale and bake sale. All proceeds will be donated to Blood:Water Mission, for clean water and Aids clinics in sub-Saharan Africa...

Jackson, MO. -- Eight students and two advisers from Jackson Senior High School represented the state of Missouri at the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida June 28-July 1, 2011. The eight Jackson students that qualified to attend are Jordan Thomas, Michael Riney, Victoria Schweer, Emily Holloway, Kathy Scienski, Ray Hecht, Ashley Stahlman, and Rachel Smith. ...

Nearly $4,000 has been donated to the Jacque Sue Waller reward fund set up mid-June as incentive for someone with information on the woman's June 1 disappearance to come forward. Waller's parents, Stan and Ruby Rawson, confirmed the reward Wednesday after the information was posted Tuesday on the "Find Jacque S Waller" Facebook page. The family said they'll give the money to anyone with information that leads them directly to their daughter...

A story base on the author's Sergeant Wright experience in Vietnam, his two near death experiences and processed by a kind and gentle spirit of a man name Jacob Gibbar. Jacob died saving the life of his daughter Catherine during the great flood of 1927 in a little town called Claryville Missouri. ...

With a weak dollar and a shaky stock market, farmland is becoming an increasingly appealing investment. Agricultural real estate broker Ken Cantrell of Cape Girardeau has a long waiting list of potential buyers looking for farms in Southeast Missouri. They aren't put off by record land prices, either...

Due to the July 4 holiday, this month's Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee will be this Friday. Breakfast begins at 7 a.m. at the Show Me Center, followed by the program at 7:40 a.m. Marla Mills, executive director of Old Town Cape, will present this month's program...

Scores of bone fragments unearthed when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers blasted the Birds Point-New Madrid levee could fall prey to looters and morbid treasure collectors, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. But while securing and mitigating the 6.5-acre site of the potentially ancient remains could take months, there will be no delay in rebuilding the levee, a corps spokesman assures...

"The Zookeeper," rated PG @ Cape West 14 Cine "Horrible Bosses," rated R @ AMC Town Plaza 5 Saturday Sunday "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" Xbox 360, PC, PS3, Wii, DS "NCAA Football 12" Xbox 360, PS3 "UFC Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness System" Wii, PS3, Xbox 360...

Have you ever had a less-than-stellar day only to come home and see your favorite four-legged friend wagging its tail in excitement that you were home? If this unconditional love that animals provide can brighten our day, think of the way it affects those dealing with medical problems...

The Editorial Page of the June 10 Southeast Missourian carried an article titled "Want more jobs? The ideas are out there." This piece stated that the U.S. corporate tax rate of 34 percent is higher than the average 27 percent rate for other rich countries. It argued the United States should reduce its tax rate to 25 percent so our corporations can be competitive. However, it did not discuss in any form the tax credits or deductions which benefit corporations in the United States...

I live in another town and went to buy this paper from a vending machine on a Wednesday. I noticed all the papers were sold out and a handmade note in the window of machine stating "No coupons in today's paper." I drove to a nearby convenience store and bought a copy there and lo and behold there were plenty of coupons in that copy. ...

July 7, 2011 Dear Julie, While transferring her old reel-to-reel tapes onto CDs, my mother found a tape of my old friend David playing and singing three songs he'd written, including one we co-wrote for a creative writing class. It was about horses and Georgia, subjects we knew nothing about. That didn't matter to us then. Twenty-year-olds want to write about what they don't know, not what they do know...

O Heavenly Father, we're comforted by your promise that your words will not pass away. Amen.

Summer is the time to relax, hang out with friends and family, and have fun adventures to tell about when school starts up again in August. You don't have to leave Southeast Missouri to find adventure this summer. If you're yearning for adventure or looking for fun places to relax with friends while staying in the area, we've got you covered. Check this spot and check something off your summer bucket list every other week without having to stray too far from home, with tips from Mia Pohlman...

Scholarships ACCOMPLISHMENTS announcements -- From staff reports Cory Bunger...

Using a few materials from around the house, you can create a soda geyser. STEP 2: Open the 2-liter bottle of soda, place the soda on the ground, and put the index card over the opening. STEP 3: Load the candy into your launcher tube. STEP 4: Place the launcher tube directly above the opening of the bottle of soda. Keep the index card between the bottle and your launcher tube...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Gene Crump, 83, of Chaffee passed away Tuesday, July 5, 2011, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 2, 1927, in Cape Girardeau, son of Ollie Henry and Edith Sangwin Crump. He and Lurline N. Lambert were married April 19, 1985...

George F. Collins, 55, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, July 3, 2011, in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 30, 1955, in Cape Girardeau, to Ervin and Ollie Kesterson Collins. George was an avid fisherman and loved the outdoors. Survivors include a daughter, Jessica (Terry) Koch of Scott City; a sister, Ruby Collins of Delta; two grandchildren, Olivia Ourth and Jaxon Koch of Scott City...

Vernice V. Baumstark, 93, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, July 5, 2011, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Donald Wayne Witt, 64, of Hobe Sound, Fla., formerly of Scott City, died Tuesday, July 5, 2011, at Veterans Administration Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel of Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

James W. Wilson, 95, of Jackson died Wednesday, July 6, 2011, at his home. Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements.

Son to Deric Scott Dockins and Natasha Ann Ribble of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 3:35 p.m. Monday, June 27, 2011. Name, Matthew Scott. Weight, 8 pounds, 13 ounces. Fourth child, second son. Ms. Ribble is the daughter of Colleen Monighan of Cape Girardeau. She is owner of Photography by Natasha. Dockins is the son of Scott and Robin Jones of Perryvillle, Mo. He is a mechanic at Plaza Tire Service...

The Mingo Job Corps Center, scheduled to be closed as a Gramm-Rudman cost-saving measure, will remain open thanks to legislation signed recently by the president, says Rep. Bill Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau. A tentative 1986 tax rate of $2.35 per $100 assessed valuation -- a penny more than last year -- is set by the Cape Girardeau School Board following a public hearing at which no one appeared...

PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Hundreds of militants crossed from Afghanistan and attacked several border villages in Pakistan on Wednesday, triggering shootouts with local militias that killed at least five people, police said. It was the latest in a spate of such cross-border attacks, which have raised tensions between Kabul and Islamabad and undermined efforts on both sides to crack down on al-Qaida and the Taliban. ...

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Since Hugo Chavez became Venezuela's president more than 12 years ago, he's been a constant presence in the lives of Rosiri de Blanco and her family. The 41-year-old mother of four has loyally watched Chavez's weekly TV program "Hello, President" and received subsidized food from the popular markets his government set up...

WASHINGTON -- Airlines are being warned by the government that terrorists are considering surgically hiding bombs inside humans to evade airport security. And as a result, travelers may find themselves subjected to more scrutiny when flying in the heart of summer vacation season, especially to the U.S. from abroad...

LONDON -- Britain's phone hacking scandal intensified Wednesday as the scope of tabloid intrusion into private voice mails became clearer: Murder victims. Terror victims. Film stars. Sports figures. Politicians. The royal family and entourage. Almost no one, it seems, was safe from a tabloid determined to beat its rivals, whatever it takes...

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

*** Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following call Monday: * At 12:03 p.m., a building fire on North Spanish Street.

Reuben Alexander Fritz-ler, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 1, 2011, at Southeast Hospital. He was born Dec. 5, 1921, in Kimball, Neb., to Peter and Elizabeth Grauberger Frohm Fritz-ler. He and Emalyn T. Schmidt were married June 9, 1946, in White, S.D., and recently celebrated 65 years of marriage...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Brenda K. Dysinger, 69, of Chaffee died Saturday, July 2, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 27, 1941, in Crump, to the late Clyde Estes and Maude Elizabeth Brown Austin. Brenda was a retired machine operator at Florsheim Shoe Co. and then Thorngate Ltd., both of Chaffee...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A warrant has been issued charging the manager of Cleopatra's Night Club with assaulting a patron there last week. Jonathon B. Dawe, 35, was charged Friday with second-degree assault by Butler County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Paul Oesterreicher...

DETROIT -- Volkswagen opened a plant in Tennessee last month with 2,000 workers. Honda is hiring 1,000 in Indiana to meet demand for its best-selling Civic. General Motors is looking for 2,500 in Detroit to build the Chevy Volt. Two years after the end of the recession, the auto industry is hiring again -- and much faster than the rest of the economy. As an employer, it's growing faster than airplane manufacturers, shipbuilders, health care providers and the federal government...

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

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder has now repaid the state more than $54,000 to cover in-state hotel expenses, but an auditor's review released Wednesday concluded that inadequate records make it impossible to tell how much of Kinder's costs were for official business versus personal or political activities.

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- A weekend floating trip had a tragic ending for one group when a Dyersburg, Tenn., man drowned while trying to swim across Current River near Van Buren. At about 3:15 p.m. Saturday, a group, including 26-year-old Eugene Smith, had been floating when they stopped at the Sholte Hole gravel bar, north of Van Buren, said Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Dave Nelson...

The allure of traveling abroad to study and experience other cultures continues to grow for teens across the country. U.S. student participation in study abroad programs has more than doubled over the last decade, according to the Institute of International Education...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues signed veteran forwards Jamie Langenbrunner and Jason Arnott to one-year deals Wednesday. Each deal is worth $2.5 million, plus $300,000 in bonuses, and Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said the franchise isn't necessarily renting the players...

ST. LOUIS -- Pinch-hitter Ramon Hernandez doubled in the go-ahead run in the 13th inning to help the Cincinnati Reds survive blowing an eight-run lead and beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-8 on Wednesday night. The Red avoided a three-game sweep with the victory...

Kendall Fay's two-out single in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted the Jackson Senior American Legion baseball team to victory at a wood bat tournament in Independence, Mo. Jackson rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to force extra innings then won it in the eighth for the 6-5 victory over Independence...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- Atlantis and four astronauts rocketed into orbit Friday on NASA's last space shuttle voyage, dodging bad weather and delighting hundreds of thousands of spectators on hand to witness the end of an era. It will be at least three years -- possibly five or more -- before astronauts launch again from U.S. soil, and so this final journey of the shuttle era packed in crowds and roused emotions on a scale not seen since the Apollo moon shots...

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has taken the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to task for its handling of the Missouri River in a letter questioning its decision not to release more water from dams earlier in the spring to prevent prolonged flooding this summer...

A Cape Girardeau County man who was stabbed at his residence Sunday has died as a result of his injuries. Coroner John Clifton confirmed 37-year-old Walter Claar died at an area hospital around 11 p.m. Wednesday. Claar was stabbed at a home at 3809 Old Route V near Cape Girardeau...

Ten workers started cleaning up flood damage in Morehouse, Mo., Wednesday as part of a new state program to put unemployed Missourians to work.

Margaret Noe led Southeast Missouri State University's College of Education through an involved reaccreditation process. She has shepherded the college through a time of great transition, diversifying its staff and opening up its partnerships with area public K-12 schools. A university administrator heaps praise on Noe for a host of accomplishments, particularly in preparing the next generation of teachers for the classroom...

The head of the Cape Girardeau County Board for Developmental Disabilities wants to bring some order to her embattled organization. If she isn't ousted as board president first. At its monthly meeting Tuesday, Dory Johnson will ask her fellow members to adopt policy and procedures that she believes could have stemmed some of the board's recent problems, including ethical concerns that led to one board member's resignation and still-lingering questions about another's business practices...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A new report has found that more than 30 percent of Missouri residents are obese, placing the state just outside the top 10 in the nation. Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation issued their annual obesity report, which for the first time looks at how obesity rates have grown over the past two decades...

A group of Jackson residents is working to boost interest in the city's DREAM Initiative status, which was granted in September. The Jackson Uptown Redevelopment Organization has been meeting once a month at the Jackson Chamber of Commerce to discuss options for promoting local involvement in the DREAM Initiative. The group's work will complement a comprehensive plan created by a research firm...

David Huffman,of Cape Girardeau, has been chosen to play in the Missouri Lions All Star Game set to take place on July 16, 2011 at 7:30pm in Warrensburg, MO at Walton Stadium-Kennedy Field. David is a 2011 graduate of Cape Central High School. David played defensive line for the Cape Central Tigers his entire high school football career. ...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Casey Anthony looked ready for freedom. For the first time since her trial began, she let her hair down, smiling and playing with it as she awaited the judge's decision on when she would be released. Then she turned stone-faced as the sentence was pronounced: Freedom won't come just yet. She'll have to spend six more days in jail for lying to investigators about the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee...

I am Larry Tidd, Vice-Chairman of the Cape County Board for Developmental Disabilities (CCBDD). First, I want to point out that the following is my personal opinion, not necessarily that of the other members of the (CCBDD). This board is a non-paid, all-volunteer board appointed by the County Commissioners per Missouri statute...

Living here for 48 years we have seen a lot of beautiful sunsets over the old Meystedt Place. This was just an unusually lovely evening.

I took this picture of the Corps of Engineers Boat down on the River front in Cape, one evening.

Flooded Mississippi River at Red Star Boat Landing taken this year, 2011 from the window of our truck.

My husband Carl and I drove over to Thebes, IL and went up the steps of the old court house where I took this picture of the flood on the Mississippi River.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri raked in a record $1 billion from lottery ticket sales in the fiscal year that just ended

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Scott County residents looking for assistance to recover from this spring's flooding will have one less resource at hand after Saturday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced the closing of the FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Center at 103 S. Kingshighway in Sikeston at 6 p.m. Saturday...

MOREHOUSE, Mo. (AP) -- Four people, including an infant, are dead following a house fire in a rural area of southeast Missouri. The fire was reported at 2:11 a.m. Friday in an area known as the Colony near Morehouse in New Madrid County.

So it was rare when law enforcement caught up with Demarquis Gill just days after he set fire to a car and a home at 1863 Big Bend Road in September 2009. The evidence was overwhelming, too, which is even rarer in an arson investigation.

Butterbeer is a favorite drink of wizards of all ages. This is how it's served at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Fla. Butterbeer 1 cup light or dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons water 6 tablespoon butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar...

This past weekend had just about everything you could ask for in a Fourth of July weekend: great weather, fun activities for the entire family, barbecues and, of course, fireworks. Organizers for both events in Jackson and Cape Girardeau did a tremendous job, and attendees were treated to some wonderful festivities...

I would like to comment about a comment in Speak Out about Obama being among the five best presidents. Where have you had your head in the sand the last two years he has been in office? Look at the facts: Gas is up, unemployment up, the national debt is the highest in all of history. The way I see it, when he leaves office he will hold a record no one will ever break. He will be rated as the worst president this great country has ever known...

America's politicians are wrangling over the nation's debt ceiling, which hovers around $14 trillion. First off, politicians know nothing about wise stewardship of the U.S Treasury. If they did, we wouldn't be in this mess. But here we are, in a money crisis so severe there is talk of defaulting on our country's debts...

TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Muscular Dystrophy Association and Clear Channel Radio will partner to combat muscle diseases with a radio campaign of public service announcements and the second annual "Get Discovered!" talent competition. The "Get Discovered!" online contest will solicit unsigned artists to enter via iHeartRadio.com, Clear Channel's digital radio service, or on any of Clear Channel Radio's participating stations' websites (www.mda.org/media/pdfs/MDAGetDiscovered2011_ParticipatingStationList_final.pdf) now through July 22. ...

LOS ANGELES -- Justin Timberlake's longtime manager Johnny Wright said last week that a talent show or some other way of developing new artists will be core to the revamp of MySpace. The kernel of an idea is what has emerged from a frenzied two weeks of deal-making that brought the former 'N Sync pop star into a partnership with new buyers of the ailing website...

Walking the walk takes a little more effort when you're doing it for Tyra Banks. Women in Southeast Missouri won't technically traverse the catwalk for the icon and host of "America's Next Top Model," but they will have a shot at it when KFVS12 hosts a casting call for 18th cycle of the modeling competition at The Venue in Cape Girardeau next week...

I will praise you, Lord Jesus, and I will bless your holy name forever. Amen.

HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- A Mexican national was executed Thursday for the rape-slaying of a San Antonio teenager after the U.S. Supreme Court turned down a White House-supported appeal to spare him in a death penalty case where Texas justice triumphed over international treaty concerns...

BEIJING -- China on Thursday dismissed as rumor reports that retired president Jiang Zemin, who led the country through massive changes after the crushing of the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy movement, has died. The official Xinhua News Agency quoted what it called authoritative sources as saying the reports were "pure rumor." The one-sentence dispatch in English wasn't carried by the Chinese-language service of the state-run agency, indicating it was meant for overseas audiences...

JERUSALEM -- Israel dispatched a beefed-up security force to its main international airport Thursday and asked foreign airlines to prevent blacklisted travelers from boarding Tel Aviv-bound flights, ahead of the anticipated arrival of hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists...

KARACHI, Pakistan -- Gunmen opened fire on two buses and waged street battles in Pakistan's largest city Thursday, killing at least 22 people as part of a spate of violence that has claimed 49 lives in three days, officials said. It was some of the worst strife so far this year in Karachi, a city of 18 million that has long been a hotbed of crime and clashes -- much of it linked to ethnic, sectarian and political divisions. ...

TRIPOLI, Libya -- NATO denied a Libyan government charge Thursday that the alliance is intentionally using its airstrikes to assist rebel advances, saying it is sticking to its mandate to protect civilians. Wing Cmdr. Mike Bracken, an alliance spokesman in Naples, Italy, said NATO is "not involved in the ground battles," although he acknowledged the alliance is tracking the fighting between rebels and forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi...

Walter "Wally" Claar, 37, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, July 6, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born April 25, 1974, in Centralia, Ill., to Edwin A. and Sharon Lowery Claar. He married Angela Goff. Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Kayci Claar of Ste. ...

Donald Wayne Witt, 64, of Hobe Sound, Fla., formerly of Scott City, died Tuesday, July 5, 2011, at Veterans Administration Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. He was born June 4, 1947, in St. Louis, to Delmar Wayne and Betty LaVerne Short Witt. Witt was an equipment operator and served in the U.S. Army...

Robert C. Bertrand, 87, of Harrisburg, Pa., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, July 2, 2011. He was born Sept. 6, 1925, at Chaffee, Mo., to Frank C. and Zetta Essner Bertrand. He and Betty Hoover were married May 19, 1946, in Harrisburg. Bertrand was employed 38 years as director of billing and receipts with Capital Blue Cross in Harrisburg...

Mary Lucy Hall, 88, of Fancy Farm, Ky., passed away Sunday, July 3, 2011, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was a member of St. Jerome Catholic Church in Fancy Farm. Survivors include two daughters, Ann Velthuis of Michigan, Judy Settle of Jackson; two sisters, Jane Toon and Marie Johnson of Fancy Farm; a brother, Louis Elmer Wilson of Fancy Farm; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren...

James Woodrow Wilson, 95, passed away at his Jackson home Wednesday, July 6, 2011. He was born June 26, 1916, in Burfordville, to Frank Harvey and Bessie Myrtle Hutson Wilson. He and Glenda C. Estes were married Dec. 24, 1931. To this union were born two children, Karen W. Dodson and James B. Wilson...

Son to Jeremy Lee and Kristen Ellen Limbaugh of Advance, Mo., Southeast Hospital, 6:07 a.m. Wednesday, June 29, 2011. Name, Rowan Lee. Weight, 6 pounds, 4 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Limbaugh is the former Kristen Nenninger, daughter of Michael and Lisa Nenninger of Advance. Limbaugh is the son of Kelly and Sharon Limbaugh of Advance. He is a physical therapist at Advance Nursing Center...

Headliners for this year's SEMO District Fair are announced: Merle Haggard on Thursday night, the mother-and-daughter team called The Judds on Friday, and country legend Tammy Wynette on Saturday. Members of the Paddlewheelers, Cape Girardeau's hospitality group, greets tourists from the Mississippi Queen riverboat in the morning as they begin a four-hour stop here; the boat is traveling south after docking in St. Louis over the weekend for the VP Fair...

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

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

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sikeston native Andrew Powell admits he hadn't taken an art class since junior high school when he decided to pursue a fine arts degree nearly two years ago at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Unlike junior high, art courses in college gave Powell some direction and helped him discover his niche -- digital photography...

For the past three years, The Big Idea has been a regular on the Cape Girardeau band circuit and gained popularity among locals, but with its new CD, the band hopes to reach beyond city limits to expand its fan base. The self-titled album includes 12 original songs and differs from last year's CD both in content and energy...

The makers of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" have admitted that they spend little time revisiting Harry's plight to remind viewers what has taken place and where they are in the story. When the last in the eight-movie franchise hits the silver screen July 15, don't be caught under the "obliviate" charm. ...

The Cape Area Family Resource Center has provided vital programming in the neighborhood of South Cape for 14 years and has recently closed its doors. The United Way of Southeast Missouri has been a proud sponsor of the center since its inception. We want the South Cape neighborhood to know that we will continue our support of youth in this neighborhood for many years to come...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Thunderstorms threatened to delay the last space shuttle launch, set for today, and a lightning strike near the pad prompted NASA to convene an engineering panel to discuss any possible damage. The lightning struck within a third of a mile from the spacecraft around midday Thursday. Technicians hurried out to check for any signs of electrical problems. A review board was quickly assembled; officials said early indications were that the shuttle and pad were fine...

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- A grizzly bear that mauled a 57-year-old hiker to death in Yellowstone National Park was only defending its cubs and had not threatened humans before. So park officials on Thursday decided to leave it alone to wander the backcountry...

Two weeks after the U.S. and other oil-importing nations took action that knocked down the price of oil to almost $90 a barrel, it's back around $100. And gas pump prices, which had dropped since May, are up about a nickel since Friday. Oil is rising again as investors bet that the economies of many countries, including the U.S., will improve in the second half of the year, and global demand for petroleum will rise...

WASHINGTON -- Two senators from ethanol-producing states proposed Thursday to immediately end a tax credit for the corn-based fuel and agreeing to support shifting some of that money to debt reduction. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and John Thune, R-S.D., along with ethanol opponent Sen. ...

From left, Gary Burke, Tim Maynard, Mike Evans and Moses Dickey of the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department remove algae Thursday from the pond at Capaha Park.

WASHINGTON -- Under an urgent deadline, President Barack Obama and congressional negotiators set their sights on the nation's tax system and benefit programs Thursday in hopes of striking a massive budget deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling. Obama said the two sides were still far apart and called everyone back to the White House on Sunday...

Thomas Crocetti only allowed two hits and struck out two in a complete-game effort for the Cape Girardeau Plaza Tire Junior American Legion baseball team Thursday. Aaron Grainger knocked in three runs to lead Cape past Sikeston 5-0 in the district tournament opener...

ST. LOUIS -- Justin Upton hit a two-run homer and Joe Saunders threw five scoreless innings to lead the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday. The Diamondbacks won for the fourth time in the last six games...

The Plaza Tire Capahas have not played at home in three weeks in this extremely strange season. That hopefully will change today. The Capahas are scheduled to open a five-game weekend homestand with a 7:30 p.m. contest against the St. Louis Printers...

Who would want to go see a movie when they already know everything that happens in it? Millions of people, apparently. And multiple times. Fans of J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" books have flocked to theaters to see the stories play out before them. Those fans and the thousands more the franchise has won over will head back to the cinema July 15 for the last chapter...

Route N in Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties will be reduced to one lane next week while Missouri Department of Transportation crews patch the roadway. The section of road is from Highway 25 to Highway 51. Weather permitting, work will be done from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. 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...

Highway 25 from Route P to County Road 267 in Cape Girardeau County will be reduced to one lane with a 10-foot width restriction next week while Missouri Department of Transportation crews make pavement repairs. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 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...

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A gunman opened fire in two Michigan homes Thursday, killing seven people before leading police on a high-speed chase through downtown Grand Rapids and taking three hostages. The standoff ended when he killed himself with a gunshot to the head, authorities said...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Route ZZ from U.S. 61 to Route BB in Scott County will be reduced to one lane Tuesday through Thursday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews patch the roadway. Weather permitting, work will done from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Signs will mark the work zone, and motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near the area. For more information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Canada formally ended its combat role in Afghanistan on Thursday, closing a mission that has cost 157 soldiers their lives since 2002 -- casualties that shocked Canadians unaccustomed to seeing their troops die in battle...

LONDON -- The Murdoch media empire unexpectedly killed off the muckraking News of the World tabloid Thursday after a public backlash over the illegal guerrilla tactics it used to expose the rich, the famous and the royal and remain Britain's best-selling weekly newspaper...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Two men died as a result of a two-vehicle accident on Highway 51 near Perryville Wednesday. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, two Poplar Bluff, Mo., men were killed when the Chrysler minivan they were traveling in ...

Construction continues Thursday, July 7, 2011, to replace the Route EE bridge over Little River Drainage Ditch No. 11 in Scott County, west of Chaffee, Mo. The roadway will remain closed from Route 25 to Route 77 during construction. Completion is anticipated in early August. ...

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Betty Ford, the former first lady whose triumph over drug and alcohol addiction became a beacon of hope for addicts and the inspiration for her Betty Ford Center in California, died at age 93, a family friend said late Friday. Her death Friday was confirmed to The Associated Press by Marty Allen, chairman emeritus of the Ford Foundation. ...

One of several shots I took at Bollinger Mill early Saturday morning.

One of several shots I took early Saturday morning at Bollinger Mill.

Arthur J. Rosser, the director of vocational education at Southeast Missouri State University, has been named the new dean of the College of Applied Science and Technology at Central Missouri State University at Warrensburg. Two Broadway locations tied as the top spot for motor vehicle accidents in Cape Girardeau during the second quarter of 1986; from April through June eight accidents were reported on Broadway between Perry Avenue and Whitelaw, and the same number on Broadway between Park and West End Boulevard.. ...

Clarence A. Myers, 80, of Sedgewickville passed away Saturday, July 2, 2011, at Woodland Hills Nursing Home in Marble Hill, Mo. He was born April 21, 1931, in Advance, Mo., son of Daniel and Dora Scott Myers. He and Della Mae Armstrong were married May 19, 1951, in Hernandez, Miss. She passed away April 21, 2005...

Vernice V. Baumstark, 93, of Chateau Girardeau passed away Tuesday, July 5, 2011. She was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and an altruistic woman to her community. Mrs. Baumstark was born near Gordonville, Aug. ...

DELTA, Mo. (AP) -- A white wooden cross appeared in the summer of 2007 where Bonnie Huffman's body was found more than five decades earlier. It stood out in the field of tall reeds off Highway N, less than a half mile from Delta High School. Nobody seemed to know who planted the marker, which was up for a year until weather battered it so badly that her relatives took it down. They never forgot the unsolved murder. Every so often, there were signs like this that others had not forgotten, either...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- David K. Holshouser, 55, of Perryville died Thursday, July 7, 2011, at his home. He was born Sept. 21, 1955, in McClure, Ill., son of Albert and Alberta Kaufman Holshouser. He and Daria Straussacher Bennett were married April 3, 1999, in Cape Girardeau...

Kriston Anne Peterman-Dunya's life revolved around books and her 7-year-old son. The former Cape Girardeau resident penned four novels with her father and worked for 15 years at bookseller Barnes & Noble. On Saturday, Peterman-Dunya's mother and brother were headed to the Seattle suburb of Bellingham, Wash., to claim her body as police continued to investigate the 32-year-old woman's homicide...

For Gail and Peter Tinsley, the flood of 2011 was personal. The Poplar Bluff, Mo., couple spent a frenzied week in late April helping more than 300 of their friends and fellow community members displaced when the Black River surged over its levee and deluged much of the city...

Dr. Byron Glenn of Cape Girardeau says he wants nothing to do with the people he sees as online crackpots trumpeting a "conspiracy wrapped in an enigma." He's not alone. The folks at NASA have fruitlessly tried to debunk what they say are wild conspiracies involving Comet Elenin -- a "wimpy" projectile expected to remain more than 20 million miles from Earth...

Months after the floodwaters receded, miles and miles of Southeast Missouri roads are still in need of repairs. The Missouri Department of Transportation has already shelled out $1.2 million in its Southeast District to fix flood-damaged roads. Damage to state and county roads as a result of this spring's severe flooding exceeds $81 million, according to estimates provided to the Southeast Missourian by MoDOT and individual counties...

Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy sees it this way: They appoint them, they don't manage them. Despite all the hubbub surrounding the Cape Girardeau County Board for Developmental Disabilities, the county commission won't be weighing in on conflict-of-interest allegations against board treasurer Jeff Baer, Tracy said...

Our daughter Madison, found a sweet surprise in her wading pool, her Aunt's golden retriever, Kacie! She leaned over and gave her a kiss!

The part of Big Bend Road Road that runs alongside Linda Shirrell's home was only supposed to be closed for about 30 days. That would give the contractor enough time to widen the two-block stretch near Sloan Creek Bridge before moving on to the next section...

There is a pine tree that stands in front of Brett Thomas' Oak Ridge home, not far from his idyllic tree-lined gravel driveway. He doesn't really see the beauty. He's the one who has to weed eat around the trees. l The pine tree was planted the same week he was born, and standing by it today he'll tell the story of how he saved it by tying a chain around it and using a truck to straighten it back out when a wind storm nearly turned it over. ...

MINE, Mo. -- A Miner man is in custody for several sex charges involving a child. Michael D. Webb, 41, is charged with three counts of first-degree statutory sodomy. On Wednesday, a warrant was issued for Webb's arrest, with a bond set at $100,000 cash only...

Old Town Cape executive director Marla Mills told business leaders to think of downtown as everybody's neighborhood during a presentation at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee at the Show Me Center.

CAIRO, Ill. -- FEMA's temporary Disaster Recovery Center in Cairo will reopen Monday through Saturday at Emerson Elementary School, 3101 Elm St. The DRC will be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) -- A Southeast Missouri State University biology professor says the mosquito population is exploding in flooded parts of the state, but they're not the kind that carry the West Nile virus. Christina Frazier says the St. Louis County Health Department already is collecting five times as many mosquitoes in traps each night as it normally would...

BENTON, Ill. (AP) -- A federal judge ordered prison sentences for two Missourians who admitted robbing a southern Illinois bank of more than $14,000 at gunpoint in 2008. Thirty-two-year-old Holli Wrice of Charleston, Mo., was sentenced to 30 years in prison, on top of the six-year term she's now serving in an unrelated case in Missouri. Twenty-one-year-old Richard Anderson of Miner, Mo., was sentenced to 10 years behind bars...

A 34-year old Caruthersville, Mo., man has been charged with possession of a controlled substance after the Cape Girardeau Police Department's Special Response Team executed a search warrant at a residence near the intersection of South West End Boulevard and William Street Friday morning.

People across the nation took to their keyboards and spouted outrage on social media sites about the not-guilty verdict in the Casey Anthony trial that ended Tuesday. The Florida jury concluded she was not guilty of murdering her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee...

Chelsea Ann Criddle and Anthony Wayne Riley were married Oct. 2, 2010, at St. Mary's Cathedral. Monsignor Ed Eftink and the Rev. Scott Sunnenberg performed the ceremony. Organist was Leann Hendrix of Cape Girardeau; violinists were Marie and Elizabeth Ansberry of Cape Girardeau, and vocalists were Marissa Huff of Jackson and Danny Strohmeyer of Cape Girardeau...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Don and Mary Franklin of Cairo announce the engagement of their daughter, Christy Irene Franklin, to Bradley Stephen Cookson. He is the son of Ronnie and Dee Cookson of Morley, Mo. Franklin is a 2003 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School, and a 2007 graduate of Eastern Illinois University. She is a representative payee at Delta Center Inc...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- John and Carol Stout of Mounds announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer Erin Stout, to Christopher John Schirding. He is the son of Hal and Jane Schirding of Petersburg, Ill. Stout is a 2001 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau. ...

The children of James L. Drury fulfilled their father's wishes by donating his plane to Wings of Hope. Diane Edwards and her brothers, Dan, John and Ken Drury donated the Piper 180 aircraft to help aid Wings of Hope's global efforts, including its U.S.-based Medical Relief Transport, the largest free medical referral and Air Ambulance system in America. The organization took ownership of the plane last week and will use it to aid the sometimes treacherous terrain served by Wings of Hope...

The immature oak acorn in this photo indicates the size of this hummingbird nest. The limb on which the nest is attached is about 3/4 of an inch in diameter. The nest itself is about the size of a green walnut with the hull still on. Building a nest will take a female hummingbird about one week. ...

Nine-year-old Jenny Duncan is making a splash on stage as a pink fish in the Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis production of Disney's "The Little Mermaid." Last summer she was in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." Performances of "The Little Mermaid" continue through Thursday at the outdoor musical amphitheater in St. Louis. The theater seats about 10,000 people, but Jenny is not nervous about performing in front of the large crowd...

When furnishing your first place together, Mike Young, co-owner of Patrick Furniture in Cape Girardeau, suggests starting with the living room and dining room, where you and your guests will spend most of your time. "A lot of couples start off with hand-me-down furniture or just take what they had when they left home," he says. "They typically start off shopping for new living room furniture -- a sofa with a matching chair and ottoman."...

Last weekend as most of us celebrated Independence Day with family and friends, delicious food and shot off or watched fireworks displays, many soldiers fighting to preserve our freedoms were far away from their families without some of the most basic comforts we too often take for granted. Among them: toothbrushes and good underwear...

CLOSING tax loopholes is not raising taxes. It's called paying your fair share. DID anyone see the fireworks in Jackson Ridge Subdivision? I would like to congratulate the people who did the display. It was wonderful. IF Joe Sullivan were to adopt a puppy some day, would he call him "Mr. Doggy?"...

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Amen.

MONDAY--Mini corn dogs, mac & cheese, fruit. TUESDAY--Spaghetti, green beans, garlic toast, fruit. WEDNESDAY--Cheeseburger, oven fries, fruit. THURSDAY--Quesadillas, spanish rice, fruit. FRIDAY--Barbecued chicken on bun, tater tots, fruit...

Students at Moo Sul Kwan will be doing push-ups and demonstrations from noon to 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Arena Park Shelter No. 1 to raise money for tornado victims in Joplin, Mo. To sponsor a student per push-up or for more information call Nick Slinkard at 382-4244...

Walter "Wally" Claar, 37, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, July 6, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Friends may call from 1 to 3 p.m. July 16 at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. A memorial service will follow at 3.

Griffin King, 11, of Cape Girardeau won the Voyageur of the Week award at Camp Lewallen in Silva, Mo. The Voyageur program is for first-year Boy Scouts. King is a Scout with Troop 2, which is sponsored by Grace United Methodist Church. Charlie Herbst is the troop's Scoutmaster...

Good enough. Sometimes these two words echo loudly in my mind. I have to be good enough to be noticed, good enough to make a difference in the world, good enough to matter. Even the pavement seems to whisper it with every step I take: be good enough, good enough, good enough...

More than 100 teenagers and their chaperons from Illinois and Missouri traveled to Little Rock, Ark., the first week of June for the annual Operation Overhaul Mission Trip. Preparations were made several months before their trip to the Little Rock area...

PET NAME: Lexie OWNERS: Jeff and Jeannie Anderson FAVORITE ACTIVITY: Saluting the flag ...

Trying to decide if it makes sense to fix something you own or buy new is one reason I'm paying a lot of attention to the current issue of Consumer Reports. I'm a subscriber to the magazine, and while most things inside are not terribly relevant to me, the "Repair or Replace?" article caught my eye...

Mixing 10 recently donated $500 to the United Way of Southeast Missouri to benefit flood and tornado victims. The money was raised during the bar's Party with a Purpose, a two-day event that included performances by Human Zoo and Horizn as well as raffles, live auctions and donations. A portion of the bar proceeds was also donated. David Creech, right, with Mixing 10 presented the check to Nancy Jernigan, executive director of the United Way of Southeast Missouri...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Donna L. Steele, 88, of Perryville died July 9, 2011, at the Independence Care Center in Perryville. She was born April 21, 1923, in Randolph County, Ill., the daughter of Raymond C. and Mary Oliver Jourdan. Donna was a homemaker and of the Protestant faith...

Fannie Rea Gosche, 92, of Scott City died Saturday, July 9, 2011, at The Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 27, 1919, in Atkins, Ark., daughter of Carl and Mary Etta Childress Estes. She first married Harry Thurston, who preceded her in death. She then married Zeno "Sam" Gosche, who also preceded her in death...

Wearing the name plates of both the Bulletin-Journal and the Southeast Missourian, the first edition of the merged publication is produced; Gary Rust, owner of the Bulletin-Journal, purchased the daily last month and combined it with his three-day-a-week newspaper...

Cornelius C. Thomas, 93, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, July 9, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Homes.

Cora Huter, 102, of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, July 9, 2011, at The Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until service time Tuesday at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson. The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the church, with the Rev. Robert Henrichs officiating. Burial will be at Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson. McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson is in charge of arrangements...

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- Zita M. Strattman, 88, of Ste. Genevieve, formerly of Perryville, Mo., died Friday, July 8, 2011, at Riverview at the Park in Ste. Genevieve. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until time of service Monday at Young and Sons Funeral Home in Perryville. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home, with the Rev. John Darin officiating. Burial will be in Mount Hope Cemetery...

William Clifford "Butch" Dalton, 62, of Gordonville died Friday, July 8, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Tony Kobak officiating. Burial will be in Morgan Memorial Park Cemetery at Advance, Mo...

ANNA, Ill. — Jack Wilson, 69, of Anna died at 1:29 p.m. Saturday, July 9, 2011, at Union County Hospital. Arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Anna-Jonesboro, Ill.

Dora Miget, 82, of Jackson died Saturday, July 9, 2011, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete at Cracraft Miller Funeral Home in Jackson.

WASHINGTON -- A debt-busting deal on the scale that President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner are seeking all but guarantees that people on Medicare would feel at least some of the pain. Low-income people on Medicaid wouldn't escape totally, either. If a deal ultimately leads to overhauling taxes, workers and their families could be on the hook also, facing potential limits on the tax-free status of job-based health insurance...

WASHINGTON -- Americans took on more debt in May and used their credit cards more for only the second time in nearly three years. Consumers stepped up their borrowing just as the economy began to slump and hiring slowed. The Federal Reserve said Friday that consumer borrowing rose $5.1 billion in May, the eighth straight monthly increase. ...

Daughter to Jimmy Lynn and Emily Dawn Versemann of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 2:27 p.m. Friday, May 6, 2011. Name, Hattie Diane. Weight, 2 pounds. First child. Mrs. Versemann is the former Emily Kohm, daughter of Paul and Diane Kohm Jr. of Perryville, Mo. She is a radiology technologist with Orthopaedic Associates. Versemann is the son of Ronald and Joyce Versemann of Jackson. He is a CNC machinist with Altenburg Machine...

ST. LOUIS -- Albert Pujols looks like himself again. So do the St. Louis Cardinals. Pujols hit a tying drive in the eighth inning for his first homer since returning from the disabled list, and rookie pinch-hitter Tony Cruz hit a game-ending RBI double in the ninth, capping the Cardinals' comeback from a four-run deficit in a 7-6 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night...

The Cape Girardeau Plaza Tire Junior American Legion baseball team defeated Jackson twice Saturday to capture the district tournament title. Marc Rivas knocked in Ramsey Scott and Thomas Crocetti with a double in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead Cape to the 4-3 win in the winner-take-all game...

SENATH, Mo. -- The Dunklin County Post 303 American Legion baseball team clinched the No. 1 seed in the upcoming district tournament and finished the regular season undefeated in the district after defeating Cape Girardeau Ford and Sons Post 63 4-0 on Saturday...

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- A San Francisco Bay-area man is calling on people to do some odd things on Saturday -- 7/9/11 -- one of only six dates this century that features three consecutive odd numbers. Ron Gordon, a retired Redwood City teacher, has set up a website to celebrate the date, which he has dubbed "Odd Day." Among his recommendations: doing odds and ends, rooting for the odds-on-favorite and watching the "Odd Couple."...

PITTSBURGH -- Bishops, nuns and rabbis are joining the environmental and social debate over natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale region, and many are seeking a balance that reflects their congregations. "We have people's lives who are being blessed or adversely affected by this," said Bishop Thomas Bickerton of Pittsburgh, who leads more than 800 United Methodist congregations and 187,000 members in western Pennsylvania, where major drilling is taking place...

LONDON -- Britain's best-selling Sunday tabloid the News of the World signed off with a simple front page message: "THANK YOU & GOODBYE," leaving the media establishment here reeling from the expanding phone-hacking scandal that brought down the muckraking newspaper after 168 years...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Al-Qaida's defeat is "within reach," U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Saturday during his first visit to Afghanistan as Pentagon chief. He said eliminating as few as 10 of the group's top figures could cripple its ability to strike the West...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- On a cold March morning last year, an Iranian diplomat was flown home nearly 15 months after being kidnapped by gunmen in an ambush on the Pakistani side of the Khyber Pass. Iran hailed the release as a victory for its intelligence agents, who they claimed staged a rescue mission into the tribal areas along the Afghan-Pakistan border. Western officials and others saw it differently: a turning point in Iran's dealings with al-Qaida...

JUBA, South Sudan -- South Sudan celebrated its first day as an independent nation Saturday, raising its flag before tens of thousands of cheering citizens elated to reach the end of a 50-year struggle. U.S. President Barack Obama called the day a new dawn after the darkness of war, while visiting dignitaries offered both congratulations and prodding for South Sudan and its former ruler, Sudan, to avoid a return to conflict over serious and unresolved disagreements...

KARACHI, Pakistan -- Pakistani forces regained control Saturday over trouble spots in the nation's largest city, where five days of political and ethnic violence killed at least 93 people and forced many to stay at home in fear, an official said...

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- At least 20,000 Malaysians defied government warnings by marching for electoral reforms Saturday, as police fired tear gas and detained more than 1,600 in the country's biggest political rally in four years. The crackdown on the opposition-backed demonstration in Malaysia's main city, Kuala Lumpur, triggered criticism that Prime Minister Najib Razak's long-ruling coalition was unwilling to allow public dissent or make election laws fairer ahead of national polls widely expected by mid-2012.. ...

ST. LOUIS -- The old Admiral, once a storied part of the St. Louis riverfront, is headed for the scrap yard, but it'll have to be decapitated first. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that persistent high water on the Mississippi River has prohibited the owners of the riverboat from moving it from either of two nearby scrap yards. Removing the top of the boat provides 10 feet of added clearance, which should allow the Admiral to pass beneath bridges and other structures...

DARIEN, N.Y. -- A U.S. Army veteran who lost both legs in Iraq and had been trying to rebuild his life was killed after he was thrown from a roller coaster at an upstate New York amusement park. Teams of inspectors on Saturday were examining the Ride of Steel coaster at the Darien Lake Theme Park Resort, about 30 miles east of Buffalo...

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Before hitting the streets, Oakland police officer Huy Nguyen's routine usually goes something like this:Gun ready? Check. Bulletproof vest strapped? Check. Body camera secured? Check. Wait, body camera? "It feels uncomfortable when I don't have it," Nguyen said of the video camera that is smaller than a smartphone and is worn on his chest. "You can never be too safe."...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Fewer than three weeks after being caught reportedly stealing radiators from a local business, a Poplar Bluff man again was caught Thursday allegedly stealing scrap metal from a rural home. Keith Robert Gillmer, 30, of the 2100 block of North Westwood Boulevard, was arrested at about 2:30 p.m. at The Bluff Inn, formerly the Guesthouse Inn, on suspicion of stealing and on a warrant for stealing by Butler County deputies...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Criminal charges against a Southeast Missouri deputy tied to the meth case against the sheriff have been dropped. Steffanie Kearbey was the Carter County chief deputy under Sheriff Tommy Adams. Both were arrested in April -- Adams on a methamphetamine distribution charge and Kearbey for receiving stolen property...

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) -- Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh is chipping in $100,000 to help Joplin recover from the deadly May tornado. The Missouri native brought the cash along with a tractor-trailer load of bottled tea to a Fourth of July event in the city. The donation will go the Joplin Tornado First Response Fund...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Poplar Bluff School Board must decide if accusations of profanity used during track and football team practices will cost a tenured teacher his job. A public termination hearing for high schoolteacher and coach Lance Bell was held Thursday at the central office. Bell, who has been with the district five years, has been on paid administrative leave since April. He taught health and served as head track coach, as well as assistant football coach...

Mikey is 8 months old. He is neutered and declawed. Mikey is a love bug! He is available for adoption at The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri, 334-5837.

T-Rex is a 2-year-old female tabby cat who is a fun kitty! She is very playful and loves attention.

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

It looks like Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, and Kraft says it tastes just like the original. But a new ingredient is lurking inside this version of the American family dinner staple -- cauliflower. Don't tell the kids! Kraft Foods Inc. is the latest large food manufacturer to try hiding additional veggies in packaged foods, an effort to ride a renewed interest in healthy eating to fatter profits. It's a slowly growing trend, and it's one that is dividing food industry experts...

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

OMAHA, Neb. -- Several hundred thousand acres of rich Midwestern farmland and even some urban areas near the Missouri River are at risk of flooding this summer during months of historically high water that experts fear will overwhelm some levees, especially older ones...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- As contractors work to set beams for the new Route H overpass south of Blodgett, Mo., Interstate 55 will be closed from exit 80 at Benton, Mo., to exit 69 at Miner, Mo., for one 24-hour period. Traffic will be detoured to U.S. 61 from 9 p.m. ...

The Plaza Tire Capahas fell behind early in both ends of Saturday's doubleheader. But the Capahas, despite less than stellar play, made up those deficits to sweep the seven-inning contests against the visiting St. Louis Printers 5-4 and 10-3. That capped a three-game series with the Printers, including Friday night's 3-2, 10-inning victory...

Kenton Parmley had an interesting and unusual three-game series against the visiting St. Louis Printers. Parmley, the Plaza Tire Capahas' shortstop, made five errors during Saturday's doubleheader, including four in the opener. But Parmley redeemed himself with home runs in the first and third contests, his first two long balls of the summer. Both served as game-winners to help the Capahas take all three matchups...

Cape Girardeau native Billy Roll, who spent one season with the Plaza Tire Capahas, has pitched some strong games against his hometown team over the years. What took place Friday night at Capaha Field probably tops the list, despite Roll coming out on the losing end after a walk-off home run by Kenton Parmley...

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- Rancho Mirage was just a dot in a desert valley east of Los Angeles until Betty Ford put it on the map with a rehab center that treated a stream of Hollywood high-rollers and spiraling stars that spanned generations, from Elizabeth Taylor to Lindsay Lohan...

The Rev. Phillip Trunzo moved to Missouri nine years ago to preach at the Commission Fellowship, 2711 Thomas Drive, Suite 209, from San Diego. Trunzo was initially asked to assist a group of pastors in planting a new church in the area, but the Miami native said he and his family settled in Missouri after falling in love with the community and its people. ...

The Salvation Army in Cape Girardeau opened its doors as a cooling center at 6 a.m. today, according to a news release from the organization. The facility, at 701 Good Hope St., will be open all week from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., the news release said. Maj. Ben Stillwell of the Salvation Army in Cape Girardeau said the organization is also giving away fans during the current heat wave. To donate new or used fans, bring them to the Salvation Army office. Those needing a fan should call 335-7000...

DUDLEY, Mo. -- A 53-year-old Fisk, Mo., man died in a rural plane crash Saturday morning Authorities said Richard Bowie died shortly before noon after his lightweight aircraft crashed in a field just southwest of Dudley. Bowie was a well-known flier from the area and, according to family members at the wreckage site, he built the small aircraft in which he perished...

The college classroom model for the future is being showcased now at Southeast Missouri State University. Southeast, working in collaboration with many of Missouri's 13 comprehensive universities, is expanding a pilot program of online and face-to-face instruction...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Insurance agents in states along the swollen Missouri River basin say federal officials are causing widespread confusion among property owners by pushing the sale of flood insurance policies that might not cover damage from the river flooding that began this month...

The Plaza Tire Capahas and Perryville played just one game Sunday instead of the scheduled doubleheader. The abbreviated day of baseball was due to concerns over the high temperatures and humidity. However, it didn't prevent the Capahas from keeping the heat on the Longhorns...

Julia Thompson has lived and worked almost all of her life in Florida, a state she has always adored. She speaks of the Sunshine State in glowing terms, talking of its beautiful mystique, gorgeous scenery and plentiful environmental gems. But some of Thompson's favorite childhood memories are of the many long, lazy summers she spent in Cape Girardeau...

Building a new courthouse and consolidating county services in Cape Girardeau County are becoming closer to reality with a bill signed by Gov. Jay Nixon on July 1. House Bill 340 revises language in Missouri statutes that required the county to hold court and maintain circuit clerk and probate division offices in Cape Girardeau and Jackson. ...

On June 25th, 2011 history was made--mouse history. The 3rd annual Mouse Races for MS hosted by Sandy Hoffman of MedAssets and Jeanne Churchill of Capaha Bank took place at the local VFW and gathered a record-breaking crowd raising over $5,500! Dave Weber, the Mouse Man from Cheese Hill Downs announced the races, while radio personality, Faune Riggin kept the night's events running smoothly...

August brings us the last full month of summer, and along with it, lots of heat and humidity. As the mercury outside continues to climb, it's a great time to keep the kitchen cool. Create a light snack by pairing slices or cubes of cheese with food that brings out its unique flavors, such as fresh seasonal fruits, vegetables, crusty bread or whole grain crackers. ...

For immediate release: July 11, 2011 American Red Cross Receives $10,000 from Unilever Foundation Cape Girardeau, MO -- The American Red Cross Southeast Missouri Chapter received a $10,000 donation from the Unilever Foundation. With this donation, the Unilever Foundation was recognized as a Hero for the American Red Cross, helping to ensure the Red Cross has the financial resources to help families and meet its commitments to the community...

BENTON, Mo. -- For years, farmer Don Scherer of rural Benton has been interested in bison. Last year, he had extra pasture space, so he purchased a small herd of the North American species of buffalo. The bull and nine cows have since added five calves, with another four expected...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Two days after Easter, Clinton and Susan Pecord watched as floodwaters rose about an inch per hour. They'd already moved most of their belongings out of their home in the old Alexander County town of Cache, Ill., about two miles from the Highway 127 and Highway 3 intersection. A few days later, they brought in a pontoon to haul out their furniture...

multiple exposures over time. Tywappity Conservation Area

Our daughter, Madison enjoying her first popsicle. Yum

City leaders are preparing a $3.85 million project to improve the Broadway corridor in downtown Cape Girardeau. The project, which will cover a 3,500-foot stretch from Pacific to Water streets, is an endeavor made possible by $2.85 million from the voter-approved Transportation Trust Fund and $1 million from the proceeds from the city's land sale to Isle of Capri Casinos. Construction is slated to start this fall...

Thank you, O Lord Jesus, for the peace that comes through your salvation. Amen.

RENO, Nev. -- Singer, songwriter Sheryl Crow said she'll donate part of the profits from an upcoming concert in Wyoming to a wild horse protection group that is suing the government to try to stop a big mustang roundup in Nevada. Crow said the Colorado-based Cloud Foundation will get a share of the gate from her show with Kid Rock at Cheyenne Frontier Days on July 22...

TO the people complaining about the time your mail comes, Cape Girardeau Post Office happens to have four routes without regular carriers on them. There is a hiring freeze on. We have carriers that have been out with serious illness. We have carriers out on vacation. ...

William Clifford "Butch" Dalton, 62, of Gordonville died Friday, July 8, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Oct. 19, 1948, in Cape Girardeau to Clifford A. and Imogene Dickison Bollinger. He graduated from Central High School and from Southeast Missouri State University with a bachelor's degree in agriculture and forestry...

Cora Anna Pauline Huter, 102, of Cape Girardeau passed away Saturday, July 9, 2011, at The Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 26, 1909, at Gordonville, to Henry and Anna Marie Kester Bodenstein. She and Walter Huter were married June 1, 1935. They were married 56 years when he passed away on Nov. 3, 1991...

Charles Compas, 86, of O'Fallon, Mo., formerly of Kelso, Mo., died Sunday, July 10, 2011, in O'Fallon. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

Roger Neil Allmon, 60 of Jackson died Saturday, July 9, 2011. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson, with a Masonic service at 7:30. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Bollinger County Memorial Park in Marble Hill, Mo...

A continuing problem with trash from Cape Girardeau's landfill washing onto private property and spilling into a nearby creek has prompted the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to issue a notice of violation to the city, which calls for municipal officials to take immediate steps to correct the problem...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- As the miles melted between Atlantis and the International Space Station, the emotions grew -- in orbit and on the ground. At Mission Control on Sunday, lead flight director Kwatsi Alibaruho declared "this is it" as he gave the OK for the final docking in space shuttle history. ...

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration's decision to suspend $800 million in aid to the Pakistan's military signals a tougher U.S. line with a critical but sometimes unreliable partner in the fight against terrorism. President Barack Obama's chief of staff, Bill Daley, said in a broadcast interview Sunday that the estranged relationship between the United States and Pakistan must be made "to work over time," but until it does, "we'll hold back some of the money that the American taxpayers are committed to give" to the country's powerful military forces.. ...

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday:...

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Ethics questions are being raised over a Missouri state senator's handling of a medical malpractice insurance bill. The Kansas City Star reported that Sen. Rob Schaaf, vice chairman of the committee where the bill died, has a business that would have faced stricter regulations had the legislation passed...

The Workforce Investment Board of Southeast Missouri elected Kathy Sanders of Flowers by Sanders in Hayti, Mo., as chairwoman effective July 1 to replace John Moorman of Versa Tech Inc. in Fredericktown, Mo. Moorman had been chairman for the past four years. He remains on the board as the Madison County representative. Sanders has been on the board since 1999. The Workforce Investment Board operates Missouri Career Centers in 13 Southeast Missouri counties...

For half a century, Dr. Edwin Noffel has made the smiles of local children and adults beautiful. The Portageville, Mo., native said the biggest thrill he gets from practicing orthodontics is seeing how his work affects the lives of his patients and forming lifelong friendships with them. ...

Miles Smith ranks on the short list among my all-time favorite Southeast Missouri State athletes I have covered. That's why I was excited when the former Southeast track and field standout recently made his second world team. Smith was picked to represent Team USA as a member of the 1,600-meter relay pool at the World Championships from Aug. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Fortified by a pregame pep talk from the St. Louis Cardinals' two hitting instructors, David Freese belted his first home run in almost three months. Freese hit a tie-breaking two-run shot in the third inning and Jaime Garcia won for the sixth time at home as the Cardinals beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 on Sunday for a four-game split heading into the All-Star break. ...

Unemployment is trending up, both nationally and locally. On Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its June jobs report showing that national unemployment has climbed three straight months and is now at 9.2 percent. This is the highest rate of the year so far...

WASHINGTON -- Grasping for a deal on the nation's debt, President Barack Obama and congressional leaders remained divided Sunday over the size and the components of a plan to reduce long term deficits. Saying "we need to" work out an agreement over the next 10 days, the president and lawmakers agreed to meet again today...

Brad Potts pitched a five-inning no-hitter as the Southeast Missouri Cobras defeated the Lids Missouri Bulls 11-0 on Sunday in the SIU Showcase. Potts struck out nine to help the Cobras finish 3-1 in the tournament. Calvin Lovig, Caleb Koehler, Travis Phillips and Potts all had two RBIs for the Cobras (18-7)...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Locals believe the beauty of drifting down the nation's first federally protected scenic river on a tube is unmatched and now voters of AAA's Best of the Midwest poll agree. The clear, spring-fed waters of the Current River were chosen Best Weekend Float over the Black River at Lesterville, Mo., Cache River in Southern Illinois and the Kaw River in Kansas...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has signed legislation requiring drug screens for some individuals receiving or applying for certain welfare benefits. The legislation, signed Tuesday, applies to the program called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Sikeston woman remained in custody Tuesday morning on charges of leaving the scene of a motor accident with injuries after police say she hit a toddler in a gas station parking lot Sunday. Alethea Sue Sutton, 49, is in the Scott County Jail under $10,000 bond after hitting a 2-year-old girl at a Sikeston business Sunday afternoon...

Post 63 prepared for its district tourney with a 13-3 victory against Charleston

Cape Girardeau sweated out one of the hottest days of the year Monday, and little relief is expected for Tuesday. The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory Sunday and then raised it to an excessive heat warning Monday afternoon. The warning is effective until 9 p.m. Tuesday...

MEXICO, Mo. -- On a hot summer day when most farmers would be moving hay up to the loft, Gov. Jay Nixon signed a comprehensive package of agriculture provisions into law. Toward the end of session, lawmakers attached a number of measures all related to agriculture. The act contains sales tax exemptions for farmers, establishes an animal protection fund and places tougher restrictions on grain dealers...

WASHINGTON -- Imploring both political parties to give ground, President Barack Obama declared Monday he would reject any stopgap extension of the nation's borrowing limit, adding fresh urgency for Republicans and fellow Democrats to resolve intense tax and spending disputes and head off economic calamity.

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle testified at his divorce proceedings Monday that he was involved in a romantic relationship with a victim in a 2009 embezzlement case several weeks before taking himself off the case...

Happy 90th Birthday to Anna Mae Rigdon and Happy Birthday to her daughter Cynthia Rigdon. Both pose from St. Francis Hospital Room where Anna Mae is a patient. Mrs. Rigdon's daughter Cynthia was born on her birthday. When asked the day Cynthia was born about being happy that she had a child born on her birthday, Mrs. ...

This is a firelily.

This was surprisingly looking out my back yard.

I believe this bird is nearly louder than any I've ever heard. And it is no bigger than someones pinky finger.