Stories from August 2011

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Route N in Scott County is reduced to one lane today, allowing Missouri Department of Transportation crews to replace a pipe under the roadway. This section of road is from Route E to County Road 332. Weather permitting, work will be completed by 5 p.m. The work zone is marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near the area. For additional information, contact the MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636...

The National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., was again issued a heat advisory for the entire area, covering all of Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois and parts of other states. The advisory is in effect until 8 p.m. tonight. Across the advisory area the heat index should push up to 100 degrees or higher...

A candlelight prayer vigil will be held tonight to mark two months since the day Jacque Sue Waller disappeared. The ceremony will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Jacque Waller's employer, Blue Cross Blue Shield, located at 471 Siemers Drive in Cape Girardeau...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Nearly six years ago, the city of Poplar Bluff started a cleanup program to remove dilapidated houses from neighborhoods. Property owners were notified to appear before the Poplar Bluff Building Standards Board and were given time to make improvements to the houses or have them removed. Structures declared to be dangerous have been ordered to be demolished following compliance hearings. They were taken down by the city or the owners...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Cape Girardeau County Board for Developmental Disabilities has come up with an answer to a lawsuit filed by VIP Industries: a lawsuit of its own against VIP. The countersuit was filed July 12 in Stoddard County. It asks that the accounting records of VIP be released; that VIP relinquish property housing the sheltered workshop funded by the county and pay rent owed since the end of the two entities' last contract; that the board be awarded more than $1.5 million for money that VIP was reimbursed for ancillary items; and that the board be awarded the value of any financial gain VIP may have made from board-funded reimbursements associated with training, teaching, activities, and workshop or residential facilities.. ...

The Redhawks baseball standout has reached base in 45 straight games

Parking spaces near Southeast Missouri State University are likely to start disappearing soon. In response to complaints from neighbors that students take up too many spots, the Cape Girardeau City Council is poised to limit and restrict daytime parking in the Boulevard Local Historic District...

Brenda Driggers from Mesquite Texas rides the bumper boats at the Jackson Homecomers ,Wednesday evening July 27th.

Beacon Health Center, 6468 State Highway 77 in Benton, will host a back to school fair Friday, August 5, 2011 from 2pm -8pm. School and sports physicals will be conducted for $20 or $15 if a school supply is donated for area needy children. Beacon Health Center medical staff will conduct the physicals and other area organizations and volunteers will be on site to provide fingerprinting for child safety, face painting, and offer snacks at the event. ...

The Art Academy Summer Workshop Exhibit will be held at the Art Council of Southeast Missouri August 5-27. The exhibit is a culmination of student artworks from the workshops. An opening reception will be Friday, August 5th from 5-9 p.m. The Art Council is located on 32 Main Street in Cape Girardeau. Regular hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m...

Cape Girardeau police chief Carl Kinnison calls it a "hammer-and-nail" situation: If the city's rising number of traffic accidents are nails, there's really only one thing law enforcement can use to hammer those numbers back down to more acceptable levels...

On June 16th of 2010 while working at Show Me Rental's in Sikeston Brandie's right leg went out from under her, she remembers the pain in her right hip began before she fell to the ground. This pain has continued with her every day and hour since...

August 1, 2011- Pursley Chiropractic is happy to announce the addition of Dr. Seth Hudson, where he will be joining Dr. Greg Pursley, in serving the Cape Girardeau area community. Dr. Hudson is eager to provide family chiropractic wellness care while maintaining his passion for sport injuries and rehabilitation...

Standing in the midway at Jackson Homecomers

Every day, Bill Dunn looks forward to returning home and working in the small garden built on a section of the parking lot behind his house. It's a small plot, but the garden produces enough vegetables to supply the restaurant Celebrations with fresh produce...

Clay Waller is scheduled to appear in court in front of Judge Gary Kamp at 3 p.m. today, according to Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle. Waller, 40, is set for a court appearance on felony stealing by deceit and for an arraignment for a misdemeanor harassment charge, Swingle said. ...

Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009 Today was our wettest day yet! It started out looking pretty promising, with a starry sky before daybreak and a blue sky in the west as the sun rose. After about an hour of paddling, we watched the tall white cumulus clouds start stacking up in the west. ...

Carl and Connie Armstrong live in a log cabin built by some of the first settlers in Cape Girardeau

More boomers are staying active with joint replacements

Volunteering on vacation is one way to teach valuable life lessons and learn about another culture

The FDA has established new, easier-to-understand sunscreen labels starting next summer

Behind every great project is a person, or group of people, who help make it successful. For the Cape River Heritage Museum one of those individuals was Marjorie Thompson. Thompson, 86, passed away last week after her battle with cancer, but she will be remembered for years to come thanks in part to her 25 years of volunteering with the museum, her service on its board of directors from 1999 to 2008 and as president of the board...

I saw in the paper and on the TV news that Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder is talking about seeing that the veterans homes in Missouri are well-staffed. I hope he's including the home here in Cape Girardeau. I have several friends working there and visit there quite often, and people there are working four and five days, 12 and 16 hours straight. Do you call that a well-staffed home?...

Now to you, O Lord, our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Fred Graper, 89, died peacefully in his home at Chateau Girardeau in Cape Girardeau on Thursday, July 21, 2011. He was born Jan. 11, 1922, in Princeton, Ind., son of Frederick Eric Graper and Eva Land Graper Sr. After attending Franklin College in Franklin, Ind., Mr. Graper joined the Army and was assigned to duty in the Southeast Asia Command. While stationed at SEAC headquarters in Kandy, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), he met the love of his life, Agnes Huth. They were happily married for over 60 years...

Max G. Stovall, 87, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, July 30, 2011, at Southeast Hospital. He was born, May 2, 1924, in Cape Girardeau, son of James H. and Elizabeth Randol Stovall. He and Evelyn Pletcher Stovall were married March 29, 1947, at Cape Girardeau...

City officials and state legislators turn out in the morning at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport for the ribbon-cutting ceremony and inaugural flight of Republic Express Airlines, a new local air carrier. The Scott City Council is expected to decide Monday where and how it will build a new police station; if the council approves the purchase of a one-half block tract, Mayor Alvie Modglin will present a detailed report on how construction of the $100,000 building will be financed...

Willard L. Thiele, 63, of Delta died Sunday, July 31, 2011, at his family home in Delta. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Mo.

ANNA, Ill. -- Richard D. Hase, 78, of Anna died Saturday, July 30, 2011, at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Anna. The funeral will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home, with Pastor Kathy Montria officiating. Interment will be in Anna City Cemetery...

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

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday:...

OSLO, Norway -- It's unlikely that the right-wing extremist who admitted killing dozens in Norway last week will be declared legally insane because he appears to have been in control of his actions, the head of the panel that will review his psychiatric evaluation told The Associated Press...

TEHRAN, Iran -- The lawyer for two Americans jailed in Iran on charges of espionage said Sunday the court will announce its verdict within a week, dashing hopes for their immediate release after a final hearing in the case. Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, both 29, have been held in Iran's Evin Prison since shortly after their arrest along the border with Iraq exactly two years ago Sunday. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The city of Columbia recovered more than $15,000 in late fines recently after the local newspaper published a list of unpaid parking tickets. The Columbia Daily Tribune, which published the list in June, reported Sunday that drivers have since paid back $14,130 in fines, and $3,085 worth of tickets were returned as undeliverable. That leaves 170 tickets totaling about $21,315 in fines left...

Seth Hudson will be joining Pursley Chiropractic, 5 Doctors' Park Drive. in Cape Girardeau. Hudson will provide family chiropractic wellness care and also has a passion for treating sports injuries and rehabilitation. Hudson grew up in Cape Girardeau and graduated from Central High School. ...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama and congressional leaders announced a historic agreement Sunday night on emergency legislation to avert the nation's first financial default.

MULHALL, Okla. -- The air is cool inside Ray Knight's makeshift coffee shop on the main strip in this tiny northern Oklahoma farming community, but there aren't many customers. With temperatures topping 100 degrees, the elderly farmers and retirees who Knight says like to gather and "swap lies" are nowhere to be seen. They're also probably not at their doctor's appointments, shopping at the store or at their club meetings. Many are afraid to go outside...

Some people might say the Southeast Missouri State football team was slighted in the Ohio Valley Conference's preseason poll released last week. Others might say the Redhawks were afforded a measure of respect. The bottom line is that it really doesn't matter because the prognosticators -- the league's coaches and sports information directors -- rarely have been accurate in predicting what's actually going to happen...

ST. LOUIS -- Rafael Furcal will be the St. Louis Cardinals' regular shortstop the rest of the way. Even if he wasn't in the lineup for his first game. The 33-year-old Furcal arrived at Busch Stadium about five hours ahead of Sunday night's game against the Chicago Cubs and looking a bit bleary-eyed, so Daniel Descalso got the start at shortstop instead. ...

Cubs rebel against perfect Westbrook, beat St. Louis 6-3 to avoid three-game sweep

COMMERCE, Mo. -- Michael Urhahn, 38, of Commerce died Sunday, July 31, 2011, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Benton, Mo.

ST. LOUIS -- Robert Quinn had quite the eventful weekend. St. Louis' first-round draft pick agreed to a contract on Saturday, but missed the first day of training camp so he could celebrate the birth of his first son. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound defensive end then was placed on the non-football injury list Sunday, sidelined by right knee injury stemming from a workout in North Carolina two months ago...

The SEMO North 14-year-old Babe Ruth baseball team was eliminated from the Babe Ruth state tournament Sunday with an 18-7 loss to Mineral Area. Mineral Area scored 10 runs in the first inning and eight in the second. All 18 runs were unearned. Devin Cummins took the loss for SEMO North, which finished 1-2 in the double-elimination tournament in Boonville, Mo...

After a 30-year law enforcement career and his development of a successful property management business, entrepreneur Rick Hetzel is shifting his focus to a sport he's loved since childhood -- golf. He's developed Insta Golf Shoes and is now marketing the product to golfers and sporting goods retailers across the nation...

The medical profession's growing demands for sanitary, reusable linens and uniforms is the driving force behind an expansion at Tipton Linen in Cape Girardeau. Tipton is adding a 6,000 square feet to its existing 24,000-square-foot facility, said owner Tom Tipton...

RE: High-Tech Communications, Inc. Awards $5000 in scholarships to 10 area high school graduates". For immediate release: August 1, 2011 Hi-Tech Communication, Inc. gives back to our local communities by pledging $75,000 over a five year period to sponsor scholarships for qualifying graduates of select area high schools...

On June 16th of 2010 while working at Show Me Rental's in Sikeston Brandie's right leg went out from under her, she remembers the pain in her right hip began before she fell to the ground. This pain has continued with her every day and hour since...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate emphatically passed emergency legislation Tuesday to avoid a first-ever government default, rushing the legislation to President Barack Obama for his signature just hours before the deadline. The vote was 74-26. Obama signed the bill little more than an hour later...

WASHINGTON -- Emergency legislation to scrape past an economy-rattling national financial default sped through the House a day before the deadline for action.

Students returning to class this fall at Southeast Missouri State University could be surprised to find they are no longer allowed to park on side streets near campus. At Monday night's meeting, the Cape Girardeau City Council took a first step in approving an ordinance that will prohibit weekday parking from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on West End Boulevard and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on other streets in the Boulevard Local Historic District, including Normal Avenue, Park Avenue and Highland Drive...

Shoppers loading up on school supplies will find additional savings this weekend as part of Missouri's back-to-school sales tax holiday. Beginning 12:01 a.m. Friday and ending midnight Sunday, the state's 4.225 percent sales tax won't be assessed on school supplies, computer items or clothing...

While children and their parents are looking toward the start of a new school year, teachers and administrators are looking back at the last school year as they review the Missouri Assessment Program test scores released recently by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education...

DEXTER, Mo. -- A Dexter teenager faces 10 charges after a high-speed chase through the city Monday. Police said Zachary Truett, 17, was driving recklessly just before 1 a.m. Monday as he was southbound on One Mile Road. When local police tried to stop Truett's pickup truck, he sped away, clocked traveling as fast as 85 mph...

Following a car crash on Labor Day weekend in 2009, John Lawrence recalled a heated exchange he had with his estranged wife, Michelle. "I almost died in a truck wreck," he said he told her. "You would have been rich." In the first day of the murder trial of Ryan Patterson on Monday...

The Plaza Tire Capahas didn't last long during their 30th consecutive appearance at the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kan. Manager Jess Bolen's squad lost its first two games at the 77th annual tournament. The defeats came within a span of about 15 hours...

A harmless smoke will be pumped through sanitary sewer lines near the Southeast Missouri State University campus to identify leaks and defects beginning Friday. Work will be completed in 10 to 14 days. Smoke will not enter buildings if sewer piping is properly connected and in good, working condition. ...

MILWAUKEE -- Chris Carpenter's brilliant start against the Milwaukee Brewers turned into a big mess in a hurry. Nyjer Morgan hit a go-ahead, three-run double and the Brewers scored five times in the fifth off Carpenter to rally for a 6-2 win over St. Louis on Monday night...

Clay Waller's appearance and arraignment in front of Judge Gary Kamp this afternoon at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson has been canceled after Waller's lawyer submitted a change of judge motion to the court Monday morning. Reynolds said the decision to file the motion was made by Waller and himself after consulting with his client at the Cape Girardeau County jail Saturday morning following Waller's arrest on charges of felony stealing by deceit and misdemeanor harassment. ...

Nearly two weeks ago the crew on board space shuttle Atlantis safely returned after NASA's final mission to the International Space Station. Trips to the space station will now be outsourced by NASA to private companies, but until these companies send individuals into space, NASA will send astronauts along on Russian carriers...

Strokes have spiked in the U.S. among pregnant women and new mothers, probably because more of them are obese and suffering from high blood pressure and heart disease, researchers report. Hospitalizations for pregnancy-related strokes and "mini strokes" jumped from about 4,100 in 1994 to 1995 to around 6,300 in 2006 to 2007, a 54 percent increase, researchers said, extrapolating from figures in a large federal database...

When's the last time you were guiltily scraping your way to the bottom of an ice cream carton and noticed this message: "150 calories per pint"? Yes, per pint. Foods aimed at helping you slim down have been around for decades, but a recent wave of ultralow-calorie products -- such as the 150-calorie per pint dessert Arctic Zero -- is making a direct appeal to our national sense of gluttony...

I am so glad to know that we still have honest people that live in Cape Girardeau. My birthday was July 23 and as a birthday present to myself, I took myself to see a movie. When I got out of the movie, I got all the way home and I realized my wallet wasn't there and it scared me. ...

O Lord, thank you that no matter when I cry out in distress, you hear my voice. Amen.

Homecomers week is over. A good time was had by all. My three youngest grandchildren had a good time trying all the rides. I had a good time waving to them as they were riding. Entertainment director Linda Penzel did a great job providing this year's entertainment. ...

WASHINGTON -- Manufacturers had their weakest growth in two years in July, a sign that the economy could weaken this summer. The Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing executives, said Monday that its index of manufacturing activity fell to 50.9 percent in July from 55.3 percent in June. The reading was the lowest since July 2009 -- one month after the recession officially ended...

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- Ford Motor Co. is recalling 1.1 million pickup trucks because the gas tanks can fall off and cause fires. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday on its website that the metal straps holding the tanks can rust, allowing them to fall, rupture and catch fire...

STEWARTSTOWN, N.H. -- The body of an 11-year-old New Hampshire girl who disappeared almost a week ago was discovered Monday in a river less than half a mile from her home, authorities said. The death was being considered suspicious. Celina Cass was reported missing July 26. ...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Marty Wayne Rodgers, 53, of Advance passed away Sunday, July 31, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 13, 1957, in Eugene, Ore., son of Alva and Wanda Wills Rodgers. Marty was a 1976 graduate of Advance High School. He worked for Drury Family Construction Companies more than 30 years...

Anne Smith of Scott City passed away Wednesday, July 13, 2011. A celebration of her life will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church, 206 E. Washington in Jackson.

Willard Lee Thiele, 63, of Delta left this world to be with his heavenly father Sunday, July 31, 2011, at his home, with his family at his bedside. He was born May 6, 1948, to August and Alma Leggett Thiele. He and Ruth Ann Shumpert were married Nov. 16, 1969...

Claire Jones, 94, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, July 30, 2011, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Mabel Claire Peets Nov. 2, 1916, in Cleveland, Ohio. In her early adulthood she trained and worked as a stenographer. She joined the Red Cross during World War II and was stationed in Hawaii. There she met Lee Jones, and they were married in 1944. Lee was a boat lover, and together they enjoyed sailing the waters of the area...

Lois Edna Wittrock Oelschlager, 82, passed away Sunday, July 31, 2011, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home in Jackson. She was born Jan. 16, 1929, in Philadelphia, to Howard and Mildred McGee Wittrock. Lois grew up with her two sisters, Irma and Joan, in Roxborough, Pa...

The Rev. Doug Sparks, associate pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Cape Girardeau the past two years, will leave tomorrow for Cortez, Colo., and the Diocese of Pueblo; his new parish is larger than Rhode Island. An increased number of building permits issued during the first six months of 1986 reflects a growth in new construction in Cape Girardeau; during the first half of the year, the city issued 214 building permits, 45 more than was issued in the same period last year...

Michael T. Guffrey, 56, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Aug. 1, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements.

Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday:...

Son to Andrew Seth and Brittany Dawn Abernathy of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 8:12 a.m. Thursday, July 14, 2011. Name, Matthew Seth. Weight, 8 pounds, 14 ounces. Mrs. Abernathy is the former Brittany Shoemake, daughter of Elaine Shoemake and Kevin Shoemake of Sedgewickville, Mo. She is a kitchen cabinet specialist at Lowe's. Abernathy is the son of Carole Abernathy and Stephen Abernathy of Sedgewickville. He is employed by Koehler Engineering...

LONDON -- As the surgeons cut into her neck, Marianne Marquis was thinking of the beach. As she heard the doctors' voices, she was imagining her toes in the sand, the water lapping. Marquis had been hypnotized before surgery to have her thyroid removed. She's among a growing number of surgical patients at the Belgian hospital, Cliniques Universitaires St. Luc in Brussels, who choose hypnosis and a local anesthetic to avoid the groggy knockout effect of general anesthesia...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. -- Two people died in a house fire Saturday evening in Portageville. Wayne Myracle, 82, and his wife Libby Myracle, 83, were killed when their house caught fire. Fire personnel were paged out to the blaze at 11:11 p.m Saturday. Also responding to the scene were the Portageville Police Department and the Pemiscot County Sheriff's Department...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Sheriffs' Association has reportedly become the target of deliberate cyberattack that compromised the personal information of officers across the state. Representatives for the sheriffs' association would not comment Monday, but a number of news outlets report that the association was one of 77 law enforcement groups that had their websites and severs hacked...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Another week of hot, mostly dry, weather is beginning to stress the state's corn and soybean crops. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports crop conditions are worst in southwest Missouri where 84 percent of the corn crop is now listed in the 'very poor" category which signals heavy yield reduction or even crop failure. Soybeans in the southwestern portion of the state are also fairing poorly with 91 percent of the crop listed as "poor" with yield reductions expected...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon said Monday that the state will pay Joplin's share of a multimillion-dollar tab for cleaning up rubble on residential property after a devastating tornado tore through the city in May.

WASHINGTON -- Health insurance plans must cover birth control as preventive care for women, with no copays, the Obama administration said Monday in a decision with far-reaching implications for health care as well as social mores. The requirement is part of a broad expansion of coverage for women's preventive care under President Barack Obama's health care law. ...

CAIRO -- Egyptian forces swinging electrified batons and shouting the battle cry "God is great" swiftly chased off dozens of activists Monday who had refused to end four weeks of renewed protests at Tahrir Square to pressure the country's transitional military rulers...

Jude Thomas Williams, 64, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., died Sunday, July 31, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born May 22, 1947, in De Soto, Mo., to the late John Donald and Alta Lucille Christopher Williams. Williams was a self-employed biomedical engineer. ...

UNIONTOWN, Mo. -- Elmer Walter Kasten, 98, of Kennewick, Wash., passed away peacefully from this earth Thursday, July 21, 2011. A life well served. He was born Nov. 6, 1912, in Uniontown, son of Arthur C. and Agnes Telle Kasten. He spent his formative years working the family farm with his siblings in Perry County...

Tina Hitt and Blye Galemore, right, hold candles Monday in honor of Jacque Sue Waller during a prayer vigil at Blue Cross Blue Shield in Cape Girardeau marking two months since her June 1 disappearance.

A fleet of Plaza Tire Service trucks leads the funeral procession for Vernon "Pee Wee" Rhodes on North Kingshighway toward Memorial Park Monday, Aug. 1, 2011. Rhodes, who founded Plaza Tire, died Friday.

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

COMMERCE, Mo. -- Michael Van Urhahn, 38, died peacefully and unexpectedly in his sleep, Sunday, July 31, 2011, at his home near Commerce. He was born Dec. 12, 1972, in Cape Girardeau to Larry and Judy Scherer Urhahn of Benton, Mo. Michael was a 1991 graduate of Thomas W. Kelly High School...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A father and son who have teamed up to play lottery games for a quarter of a century have struck it rich. The Missouri Lottery says 84-year-old Jack Sullivan of Wentzville, Mo., purchased a Missouri Lotto ticket at a Schnucks Market. It was a $1.6 million winner in the July 20 drawing. Rather than receiving the prize in 25 annual payments, Sullivan opted for the $800,000 cash option...

Bettie M. Johnson, 86, of Jackson, formerly of Cairo, Ill., died Sunday, July 31, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Bar- kett Funeral Home in Cairo.

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

ST. LOUIS -- Former St. Louis Rams great Isaac Bruce is in camp for two days to help tutor wide receivers. At this point in his life he has no interest in a full-time gig. Bruce's words carry weight following a career that could lead to the Hall of Fame, ranking third in yards receiving and seventh in receptions. He holds every major franchise receiving record and his No. 80 jersey was retired last fall...

The local golf course is hosting a two-day qualifier for the U.S. Amateur

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Work to replace two bridges on U.S. 60 in Stoddard County is expected to begin Monday, weather permitting. Eastbound traffic will be shifted to the westbound lanes from Highway 51 to Highway 25, and traffic will run head-to-head. ...

Highway 25 in Stoddard and Cape Girardeau counties will be reduced to one lane with a 12-foot width restriction while contractor crews perform milling and asphalt paving. The section of road is between Highway 91 and the Diversion Channel bridge north of Highway 77. ...

In 1942 I was an aviation cadet at Santa Ana Army Air Basein Calif., but I separated from my unit.I recently ran across an old picture, turned it over and found written the names of Almon Suedecum, Cape Girardeau, Joe Koch, Benton, and Wilburn Mathis, Hayti, Mo. There was another cadet named Dale Walker, who took the picture, but I didn't gethis hometown. I was from Poplar Bluff. I would like to get information about any of them...

In the weeks before the killings, Ryan Patterson and Michelle Lawrence talked about living the "high life." They only they saw that happening, Lawrence testified Tuesday, was if her estranged husband was out of the picture. "I wouldn't have to worry about John fighting for custody of my kids, and we wouldn't be hurting for money anymore," she said during the second day of Patterson's murder trial...

Contact: Robert Stehlin FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Founder and President RASCALS Foundation 636-464-6704 stl.rascals@yahoo.org Momentum Building for RASCALS Foundation Scholarship Awards ST. LOUIS, August 4, 2011 -- The Robert A. Stehlin Campaign for ALS (RASCALS) has issued a friendly reminder to the community that it is...

When you hear the word "Swiss" what do you think of? Watches and army knives, perhaps? For me, not surprisingly, it's food. There are at least three Swiss foods about which I am decidedly not neutral, and you can probably guess what two of them are: Swiss chocolate and Swiss cheese. But during the hot summer months, when it's in its prime, there's another Swiss food toward which I am not impartial: Swiss chard, a leafy green vegetable not unlike spinach but with an earthier flavor...

The online auction of the former federal building in Cape Girardeau was set to end at 2 p.m. Tuesday, but a last-minute bid extended the sale for another 24 hours. The new closing time is 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

In years past, the rooms and hallways at Blanchard Elementary School would be mostly empty during this time in the summer, apart from a few teachers preparing their space to welcome a class or an occasional parent enrolling a new student. Instead, kindergarten teacher Joanie Edmundson can be heard leading a group of students in "Going on a Bear Hunt."...

Five bogeys in the first seven holes coupled with searing temperatures on a difficult course makes for a combustible situation for many golfers. For Brevin Giebler of Cape Girardeau, the combination served as a springboard to great golf. Giebler used five birdies to overcome a slow start to shoot an even-par 71 in the first round of the U.S. Amateur Championship qualifier tournament Tuesday at Dalhousie Golf Club...

The state was ready to rest, but there was one more voice prosecutors wanted the jury to hear first -- defendant Ryan Patterson. In a darkened courtroom Tuesday, jurors watched an hourlong video of Patterson's interview with police from the night following the 2009 murders of Jamie Lynn Orman and her teenage son, Derrick. ...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The nation's bills are being paid and Congress has bolted the hothouse of Washington, one debt limit deadline beaten and another ahead for a dozen yet-to-be-named lawmakers. They might want to hold off making Thanksgiving and Christmas plans...

WASHINGTON -- In a spectacle that might have beguiled poets, lovers and songwriters if only they had been around to see it, Earth once had two moons, astronomers now think. But the smaller one smashed into the other in what is being called the "big splat."

The stock market is on its longest losing streak since the financial meltdown of 2008, confronted almost every day by fresh evidence that the economy is in trouble again. The Dow Jones industrials declined more than 265 points Tuesday, their worst day in more than two months, and closed below 12,000 for the first time since June 24...

JENNINGS, Mo. -- The Social Security Administration confirms that a woman whose mummified remains were found earlier this year in her St. Louis County home had been receiving Social Security benefits. The remains of Glady Stansbury were discovered in her Jennings home in February, wrapped in plastic and a curtain. Authorities have said it is unclear when she died, but she was last seen alive in 1994...

WASHINGTON -- With scant time to spare, President Barack Obama signed legislation Tuesday to avoid an unprecedented national default that he said would have devastated the U.S. economy. But the truce with Republicans that defused the crisis seemed to be fading already...

A Cape Girardeau woman has pleaded guilty to two felony charges of filing false tax returns. According to a news release from the Department of Justice, Patricia Stahly, 54, who worked as a business manager for her husband Randall L. Stahly's Cape Girardeau medical practice, Neurological Consultants of Cape, submitted Schedule C documents with federal income tax returns in 2005 and 2006 to the Internal Revenue Service that contained substantial understatements of the gross receipts for the medical practice, and claimed inflated business expenses.. ...

Our family has just returned home from a trip to Colorado for vacation. We enjoyed the spectacular scenery and the breathtaking surprise views around every corner. We also enjoyed some great food while there. We ate fresh trout nearly every evening -- prepared many ways -- and also enjoyed great Colorado beef...

If you're looking for an opportunity to hone your leadership skills, learning from some of the brightest minds in the country, you'll have an opportunity to do so close to home next Thursday and Friday, Aug. 11 and 12, at La Croix Church in Cape Girardeau...

It appears Congress is going to raise the debt ceiling emphasizing spending cuts with no increase in taxes for even the wealthiest individuals. The deal crafted seems, at first glance, to yield entirely to the noisy minority and disregard the vast middle. ...

O Lord Jesus, how excellent is they name in all the earth. Amen.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A newspaper is asking a Florida judge to make public most of the sealed documents from the trial of Casey Anthony, who left jail last month after being acquitted of a murder charge in the death of her 2-year-old daughter. The Orlando Sentinel filed a request Tuesday for all sealed documents except the jurors' list...

WASHINGTON -- A partisan stalemate that has partially shut down the Federal Aviation Administration will continue into September, stopping airport construction projects and depriving federal coffers of potentially more than $1 billion in uncollected ticket taxes, after congressional attempts to reach deal fell through on Tuesday...

WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. -- Jeweldine Bess Lindy, 86, of Webster Groves, formerly of Chaffee, Mo., passed away Saturday, July 30, 2011. Beloved wife of the late Charles J. Lindy Jr.; dear mother of Judy (Richard) Janis and the late Charles J. Lindy III; loving grandmother of Laura Sachs, David Sachs and Carl Lindy; dear great-grandmother of Charlie Lindy; dear sister of Madline (Robert) Hente of Cape Girardeau and Mary Holland of St. Louis; dear sister-in-law, aunt and friend...

Bettie M. Johnson, 86, of Jackson, formerly of Cairo, Ill., died Sunday, July 31, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 1, 1925, in Cairo, daughter of Robert and Kathryn Stewart Curtsinger. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Ernest E. Johnson, in 1979, and a sister, Lillian Howell...

Cora A. Fee, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011, at her home. She was born Dec. 13, 1926, in Kewanee, Mo., to Otis L. and Estell Stallings Bizzell. She and Lawrence Lowell Fee were married March 28, 1946, in Piggott, Ark. He died July 12, 2000...

Roy Eugene Kinder, 77, of Jackson died Monday, Aug. 1, 2011, at Monticello House in Jackson. He was born June 24, 1934, in Cape Girardeau, to Roy Jack and Mayme Bell Bess Kinder. Gene graduated from Jackson High School. He was a wholesale tire salesman 33 years with Plaza Tire in Cape Girardeau...

Eugene Russel Ulrich II, 66, of Winnsboro, Texas, passed away Sunday, July 31, 2011. He was born Sept. 17, 1944, in El Paso, Texas, to Eugene R. and Jane Ulrich. Ulrich was retired from the U.S. Navy after 30 years of service on submarines. He was a member of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Honolulu, Winnsboro VFW, an Eagle Scout and a trainer of Scout leaders...

Violet Rose Wooden, 74, of Jackson died Sunday, July 31, 2011, at Monticello House in Jackson. She was born July 31, 1937, in Cape Girardeau, to Carlos and Rose Elsie Stitch Nanna. She and Daniel W. Wooden were married Jan. 13, 1975. He died in 1993...

Elnora H. "Ellie" Breckenridge, 70, of Jackson died Monday, Aug. 1, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home, with the Rev. John Rhodes officiating. Burial will be in New Bethel Cemetery near Pocahontas...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Shelby June Harvel, 74, of Jonesboro died Monday, Aug. 1, 2011, at her home. Friends may call from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Jonesboro, and from 10 a.m. to service time at Salem Lutheran Church...

Michael T. Guffey, 56, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Aug. 1, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center. A memorial service will be at 5 p.m. today at Southside Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau. Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Ruth C. Myers, 98, of Perryville died Monday, Aug. 1, 2011, at Independence Care Center of Perry County. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to service time Saturday at Immanuel Lutheran Church. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the church, with the Rev. Thomas Handrick officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery...

Daughter to Erik Scott and Candice Michelle Schnurbusch of Perryville, Mo., Southeast Hospital, 11:29 p.m. Wednesday, July 13, 2011. Name, Jenna Michelle. Weight, 6 pounds, 5 ounces. Second child, first daughter. Mrs. Schnurbusch is the former Candice Wideman, daughter of Deborah Wideman and Frank Wideman of Perryville. ...

The Rev. Ronald R. Feuerhahn, assistant professor of historical theology at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, speaks at both St. Paul Lutheran Church in Chaffee, Mo., and Zion Lutheran Church at Gordonville in the morning; he also gives a special presentation following dinner at the Zion Parish Hall...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Extra seating was brought in to Council Chambers at City Hall to accommodate citizens attending the public hearing for a proposed theater project. It remains to be seen if Sikeston will ever see more theater seats brought in. The public hearing on the proposal to establish a Community Improvement District in the Midtowner Village shopping center was held during the regular Sikeston City Council meeting Monday...

Highway 25 in Cape Girardeau County will be reduced to one lane next week while Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform routine bridge maintenance.

Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday:...

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

WASHINGTON -- The government is scrambling to find the source of a salmonella outbreak likely linked to ground turkey that has killed one and sickened dozens more. Finding the source of an outbreak hasn't been easy; the government has been chasing the illnesses for months. The Agriculture Department, which oversees meat safety, said it is still investigating who produced the meat, and the department hasn't initiated a recall...

CAIRO -- Hosni Mubarak, 83 years old and ailing, goes on trial today on charges of corruption and ordering the killing of protesters during the 18-day uprising that toppled him, and many Egyptians are celebrating the chance at retribution against a longtime authoritarian ruler...

The Indianapolis Zoo's new African elephant calf, born on July 20, plays in her exhibit on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011 in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Olivia Corya) ...

DELAWARE, Ohio -- Loose cash found along a highway has made a central Ohio community nearly $21,000 richer. Delaware city officials have revealed that's how much money police collected on a day in early March, when one officer said it looked as though the median on U.S. 23 was growing money...

St. Louis broke Milwaukee's seven-game win streak with an 8-7 victory in 11 innings

The Tigers will honor four individuals and one team this fall

The Southeast Missouri State women's tennis program has added three players to its roster. Transfers Jess Courtnell and Heather Robinson and freshman Melissa Martin -- all natives of England -- will join the Redhawks for the 2012 season. Courtnell posted a 4-14 singles record and 9-8 doubles mark at South Alabama last year. She recorded three of her singles victories at the No. 4 position. Seven of her doubles wins came at the No. 2 spot...

ST. LOUIS -- Inspectors are checking Busch Stadium in St. Louis after a 100-pound piece of metal trim fell to the ground. No one was hurt, but the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that an inspection was underway Tuesday to look at the rest of the 5-year-old ballpark's trim. Parts of the sidewalk around the stadium were blocked off for the inspection...

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

ISLAMABAD -- The American ambassador to Islamabad phoned Washington with an urgent plea: Stop an imminent CIA drone strike against militants on the Pakistani side of the Afghan border. He feared the timing of the attack would further damage ties with Islamabad, coming only a day after the government grudgingly freed a CIA contractor held for weeks for killing two Pakistanis...

You can learn a great deal by listening carefully to your opponents. As the "grand bargain" makes its way into the law of the land, the debt ceiling compromise offers something for everyone to oppose. I have listened carefully to the progressive caucus members of Congress. And with their outspoken disdain of this credit deal, I tend to think it may be something I could embrace...

LONGTIME residents in and around Normal Avenue are taking justifiably peaceful action to preserve their rightful places to park. Yellow power. JUST look at our government representatives. They use our Social Security money to pay for their projects, then tell us because they have no money, we won't get the benefits of Social Security unless we let them borrow even more money. ...

Kendall Burger placed 1st during the kiddie tractor pull during the New Hamburg Picnic on August 17th.

Abel is 3 years old. He is already neutered. Abel is available for adoption at The Humane Society, 573-334-5837. See more pets available at www.semopets.org

Wednesday's official high at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport was 103 degrees, while the low was a sweltering 80. That's the first time this year Cape Girardeau cracked the century mark. It was also the first three-digit reading here since Aug. 4, 2010, when the high at the airport was 101. (It reached 100 degrees on Aug. 3, 2010 also.)...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon wants federal farm officials to assess damage from recent heat and dry weather to crops and livestock. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says about three-quarters of Missouri is considered to be abnormally dry, in moderate drought or in severe drought. The state's far southwestern corner has been the driest...

ST. LOUIS -- More than 100 decorative black steel plates will be removed from Busch Stadium after one of the 170-pound plates fell from the ballpark. Vice president of stadium operations Joe Abernathy told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that inspectors believe rusted anchor bolts holding the panel eroded. It fell about 80 feet to the sidewalk Monday. No one was hurt...

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson will be a guest speaker at the First Friday Coffee at 7:30 a.m. Friday at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau. Emerson will discuss the latest political developments in Washington, including the long-term effects of linking spending cuts in government to future borrowing...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri is about halfway done with a decade-old plan to reduce its number of highway rest stops and improve those that remain. But it's unclear when the state will have enough money to finish the job. The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission heard an update Wednesday on the rest-stop renovation plan, which was developed in 2000 as a way to reduce annual operating costs, spruce up the facilities for tourists and expand the number of parking spots available to commercial truck drivers.. ...

T.J. Vogel says he feels right at home at Dalhousie Golf Club. Vogel, who has area ties, made that familiarity pay off during Wednesday's second and final round of the U.S. Amateur Championship qualifier tournament. Vogel's 2-under-par 69 gave him a 36-hole total of 1-under 141 and sends him to the U.S. Amateur Aug. 22 to 28 at Erin Hills, a public course in Wisconsin...

Sammy is my new "baby", he is 8 mths. old and weighs less than 2 lbs. When I got him, app. 1 mth. ago, the previous owner had not been taking good care of him, so, he was dirty and skinny. Not anymore. This is just after his first grooming. Is he a "cutie" or what...

This summer many deer have been attracted to the bird feeder in the back yard. Almost every evening up to five deer will show up for the freebies.

Summer is a tougher time to try to keep up the rail yard on U.S. 61 in Jackson. Over the years, city officials have fielded complaints about the area housing railroad engines, cars, ties and heavy equipment as it becomes overgrown with weeds. Adjacent property owners say the rail yard is an eyesore. Others find the yard and its contents pique their interest. Rail yard owners say low funds and hot weather hamper upkeep efforts...

E-Book story. Available on Kindle and Nook web sites. Two young sweethearts, John Henry and Christine, travel different routes down life's highway, only to find each others love in an old bar. The romance of these sweethearts, plus the group of unforgettable characters in the bar, makes this a story that will make you laugh out loud...

WHITNEY POINT, N.Y. -- A tour bus carrying more than 30 passengers flipped over on an upstate highway Wednesday night and landed upside-down in a ditch, injuring several people and trapping at least one woman underneath it. Four people were seriously injured and 36 others suffered minor injuries, a dispatcher for the Broome County Sheriff's Department said...

NEW YORK -- The number of Americans newly infected with the AIDS virus each year has been holding steady at about 50,000, according to a government report released Wednesday. But a U.S. health official said just keeping the number stable was unacceptable, noting a dramatic increase in new HIV cases among young gay and bisexual black men...

AUBURN, Ala. -- When Kay Burdette's 17-year-old son became sick with flu-like symptoms, the faithful mother chose the same prescription she has used for years: prayer. This time, though, her son Jesse did not recover and Burdette was charged with manslaughter. ...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Casey Anthony can continue her undercover life for now, after a judge ruled Wednesday she does not have to immediately return to Florida to start serving her probation for check fraud. A hearing on her probation was set for Friday, Judge Belvin Perry said. Anthony won't have to show up for that either...

SAN ANGELO, Texas -- Prosecutors rested their case against polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs on Wednesday, after playing an audiotape of what they said was him sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl he took as a "spiritual wife." Jeffs, 55, is ecclesiastical head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which believes polygamy brings exaltation in heaven. The church's 10,000 members see Jeffs as a prophet who speaks for God on Earth...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon released $1.2 million for domestic violence shelters, crisis care services for children and Area Agencies on Aging on Wednesday. Cuts to those programs were part of $172 million Nixon trimmed while approving the 2012 budget that took effect in July. ...

Ola Dell Watkins, 92, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2011, in Columbia, Ill. She was born Dec. 15, 1918, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Era and S. Elizabeth Doggett Helderman. Survivors include three children, Dr. Eugene (Gisela) Watkins, Saundra Voll, Lois (Dr. ...

Bettie M. Johnson, 86, of Jackson, formerly of Cairo, Ill., died Sunday, July 31, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 1, 1925, in Cairo, daughter of Robert and Kathryn Stewart Curtsinger. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Ernest E. Johnson, in 1979, and a sister, Lillian Howell...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Bernadine Woods Peters, 95, of Poplar Bluff, formerly of Portageville, Mo., died Monday, Aug. 1, 2011, in Poplar Bluff. She was born Aug. 5, 1915, at Hunter, Mo., daughter of Otto and May Lambert Woods. In 1951 the family moved to Portageville where her father and brothers founded Woods Lumber Co. She was employed at Barkovitz's Store, then at Farmers Bank in Portageville until retiring in 1985. She was a member of United Methodist Church in Portageville...

PATTON, Mo. -- Sherry Ackman, 60, of Patton died Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011, at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Liley Funeral Home in Patton. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will follow in Post Oak Cemetery at Patton...

McCLURE, Ill. — Charles "Bull" Croy, 75, of McClure died Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements.

Karen L. Illers, 58, of Jackson died Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Jimmie Corbin officiating. Burial will be in Russell Heights Cemetery...

Kriston Anne Peterman-Dunya, 32, of Bellingham, Wash., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Tuesday, July 5, 2011, in Bellingham. A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Fairmount Cemetery in Cape Girardeau. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements...

Son to Ross Nathaniel Friese and Aimee Elizabeth Cook of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 5:59 p.m. Wednesday, July 13, 2011. Name, Marshall Herbert. Weight, 6 pounds, 9 ounces. Ms. Cook is the daughter of Marsha Cook of Killeen, Texas, and James Cook of Lufkin, Texas. She is an Avon representative. Friese is the son of Sherry Friese and Mark Friese of Jackson...

Members of the Cape LaCroix-Walker Creek Levee District are more than halfway to their $1 million goal, with an announcement that $655,000 has been pledged toward the flood-control project. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation is holding its summer meeting in Cape Girardeau this week to consider 14 historic sites for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places; Hanover Lutheran Church is one of the sites being considered...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

Air. It's invisible, and it's all around us. Learn more about it by using a piece of a vacuum hose and a few other things from around the house. STEP 2: Spin the vacuum cleaner hose above your head while placing the other end of the hose close to the Styrofoam packing peanuts...

WASHINGTON -- Seventy-two people have been charged with participating in an international child pornography network that prosecutors say used an online bulletin board called Dreamboard to trade tens of thousands of images and videos of sexually abused children...

NEW YORK -- A peacock with a sense of adventure -- and a good sense of direction -- has flown back home to New York's Central Park Zoo. On Tuesday, humans flocked and tweeted as the peacock left the zoo for a perch on a Fifth Avenue window ledge. It had good taste: A condo there reportedly sold for $22.5 million in 2009...

NEW YORK -- A computer security firm says cybercriminals have spent at least the past five years targeting more than 70 government entities, not-for-profit groups and corporations to steal data. McAfee Inc. said in a report Wednesday that the attacks have targeted a range of companies and organizations, mostly in the United States, including the United Nations. McAfee did not say who may be behind the attacks but said the culprit is likely a nation-state...

NEW YORK -- The Dow ended a volatile day with small gains Wednesday to avoid a losing streak not seen since Jimmy Carter was president. The Dow Jones industrial average rose 29.82 points and broke an eight-day losing streak. The Dow was down as much as 166 points in the morning. A ninth day of losses would have been the longest for the blue-chip index since February 1978...

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. Security Council condemned Syrian authorities Wednesday for attacking civilians and committing widespread human rights violations. After more than three months of deadlock over the escalating violence in Syria, the council adopted a presidential statement criticizing the crackdown by Syrian President Bashar Assad's military forces...

CAIRO -- An ailing, 83-year-old Hosni Mubarak, lying ashen-faced on a hospital bed inside a metal defendants cage with his two sons standing beside him in white prison uniforms, denied charges of corruption and complicity in the killing of protesters at the start of his historic trial Wednesday...

LONDON -- Model Heather Mills on Wednesday accused a senior newspaper journalist of boasting that his colleagues had intercepted her voice-mail messages, an allegation that could widen the scope of Britain's phone hacking scandal. In an interview with BBC's "Newsnight" program, the ex-wife of former Beatle Paul McCartney claimed that in 2001 she was called by a senior editorial figure with the Trinity Mirror group of newspapers about a fight she'd had with McCartney, her then-boyfriend...

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Joceline Alcide stashed her two children's birth certificates and school papers in little plastic bags that aid groups handed out. It was the only precaution she could take as Tropical Storm Emily headed toward the Dominican Republic and Haiti...

MOGADISHU, Somalia -- The former al-Shabab foot soldiers assigned to a drab cement housing bloc are young. One is only 9, yet they were enforcers of harsh edicts from Islamist militants who are preventing thousands of Somalis from escaping famine...

Justin Stotts School: Zalma High School Hometown: Zalma, Mo. Parents: Larry and Missy Stotts Post-graduation plans: Attend Three Rivers College for a construction technology degree. High school activities: Basketball, Beta, FCCLA, choir, yearbook, student council, CTA...

STEFANIE SLEMMER School: Zalma High School Hometown: Zalma, Mo. Parents: Sheri Slemmer and Steve and Faye Slemmer Post-graduation plans: To get my bachelor's in math High school activities: Beta Club, FCCLA, softball, yearbook, student council, academic team, FBLA, speech and debate...

"The Change Up," rated R @ Cape West 14 Cine "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," rated PG-13 @ AMC Town Plaza 5 "The Mysterious Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," NintendoDS, PC "Paul," R "Mars Needs Moms," PG "Super," R...

If you like saving money, you will want to visit local retailers this weekend to take advantage of Missouri's back-to-school sales tax holiday. Starting at 12:01 a.m. Friday and ending at midnight Sunday, shoppers will be exempt from paying the state's 4.225 percent sales tax when purchasing school supplies, computer items and clothing. Additionally, those shopping in Cape Girardeau County will save on the county's 1 percent sales tax...

Your article titled "Area retailers expecting big weekend because of sales tax holiday" helps readers participate in the sales tax holiday when it should be warning them about the long-term consequences of this boondoggle. A three-day sales tax holiday for selected items does nothing to provide relief to low-income taxpayers during the other 362 days of the year. ...

I got a laugh out of a Speak Out comment that said tax the wealthy, don't blame President Obama for policies that he cannot make into law. And then it says it's Bush's fault, that he's the Republican president that got us into this financial mess. Are they saying that he was able to get us in this financial mess, but Obama does not have any responsibility because he cannot make the laws? It's either Congress' fault for doing it under both presidents or both presidents' fault. ...

Thank you, O God, for loving us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Amen.

Summer is the time to relax, hang out with friends and family, and have fun adventures to tell about when school starts 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...

-- From staff reports...

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

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Miscellaneous...

ST. LOUIS -- Budweiser is getting a new look as its parent company tries to revive weak sales in the U.S. Anheuser Busch unveiled a bolder, sleeker design for its cans Wednesday that puts a heavy emphasis on the "bow tie" design it has made a focus in recent marketing...

The second-round pick may be a versatile player in the offense

Southeast Missouri State junior free safety Tylor Brock and junior offensive tackle Evan Conrad have earned more preseason honors. Brock and Conrad were named to the 2011 College Sporting News Preseason Football Championship Subdivision All-America teams announced Wednesday...

MILWAUKEE -- Edwin Jackson kept laboring on the mound. The new Cardinals starter knew relief would not be coming. Jackson allowed three home runs to Casey McGehee and gave up all 10 runs -- eight earned -- in St. Louis' 10-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday to fall further behind in the NL Central race...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues will be without winger David Perron for training camp and the start of the regular season due to lingering effects of a concussion. Blues general manager Doug Armstrong made the announcement Wednesday. The Blues open training camp Sept. 16 and the regular season begins Oct. 8...

SANTIAGO, Chile -- One of the myths surrounding the 33 miners who were so dramatically rescued after being trapped for 69 days deep inside a Chilean copper mine is that they're all millionaires and no longer need to work. The truth: nearly half the men have been unemployed since their mine collapsed one year ago Friday, and just one, the flamboyant Mario Sepulveda, has managed to live well off the fame. ...

OKLAHOMA CITY -- An Oklahoma woman claims an uncle who planned something "very mischievous" over the holidays in 1971 was D.B. Cooper, the never-captured hijacker who jumped out of a plane with $200,000. Marla Cooper of Oklahoma City -- who was 8 years old at the time of the hijacking -- told ABC News in an interview broadcast Wednesday that she is certain her uncle Lynn Doyle Cooper leaped from a Northwest Orient plane not far from her grandmother's home in Sisters, Ore. ...

After nearly three hours of deliberations and listening to another full day of courtroom drama Wednesday, the jury sent out a handwritten note.

A handful of late bids in the online auction of the former federal building in Cape Girardeau have again extended the sale of the building on Broadway.

Missouri teachers are looking closely through their social media connections to comply with a law signed July 14 by Gov. Jay Nixon that prohibits the connection of students younger than 18 with school employees online. Senate Bill 54, or the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act, is quickly gaining the nickname "Facebook Law." Missouri is the first state to pass such legislation. The bill will go into effect Aug. 28...

Grant Ressel admits that his ascent from unheralded walk-on fighting for a roster spot to one of college football's elite kickers sometimes is hard to believe. But the fact the former Jackson High School standout never stopped believing and kept working is a big part of what has made this real-life fairy tale come true...

SPECIAL OLYMPICS MISSOURI YOUNG ATHLETES KICK OFF EVENT Hosted By: Sarah Mittrucker, Special Olympics volunteer, as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award Project Who: Families with children ages 3-7 years old with intellectual disabilities interested in learning about the Special Olympics Young Athletes program...

The Cape Girardeau Kiwanis club and various members of the club presented checks totalling $2100.00 to Jeff Cunningham to be used toward the new playground.

The rain forecast for this weekend comes too little, too late for Southeast Missouri corn farmers. Some estimate July's hot, dry weather may have cut their yields in half. At Roger Schwab's farm outside Jackson, he's measured just four-tenths of an inch of rain since June 18...

After brief deliberation, the jurors in the Ryan Patterson capital murder case have decided whether he should live or die. They chose life.

Dozer always looking for trouble

When Jamie Orman was buried, her sister stood over her grave and made a promise. She would make sure Jamie's killer was brought to justice and put to death for his crimes. With Thursday's jury recommendation for Ryan Patterson of life in prison, Kelly Hoffman said that promise will never come true...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri students scored higher this year on the state's annual English and math exams, but relatively few school districts met rising federal targets for annual progress.

CAIRO, Ill. -- A trial date has been set for one man charged in connection with arsons in and near Cairo while the other awaits a preliminary hearing. Alexander County authorities have accused Richard Scott Pitcher, 18, of Cairo, and David Patrick, 22, of Arlington, Ky., of setting January fires on 33rd Street in Cairo and others near the Mississippi River levee. Both face two counts of arson...

Two undocumented immigrants accused of falsifying paperwork to gain employment at a Cape Girardeau restaurant pleaded guilty to charges of misdemeanor identity theft and were ordered to pay a $500 fine plus court costs during a hearing Monday at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse...

Hours remain to bid on the old federal building in Cape Girardeau -- again. A bid of $450,003 was submitted in the U.S. General Services Administration's online auction of the building Thursday afternoon, extending the auction until 1:07 p.m. today...

A Millersville woman charged with six counts of fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance waived her preliminary hearing on Friday and was bound over to circuit court. Tara Farrow, 37, was arrested by Cape Girardeau police last month on suspicion of attempting to fraudulently purchase Adderall, prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, at John's Pharmacy...

The auction of the former federal building in Cape Girardeau had less than an hour left on Friday when a new high bid extended the sale until Saturday. A bid of $470,003 was submitted in the U.S. General Services Administration's online auction of the building Friday afternoon, adding another 24-hour extension to the auction...

Forecasters expect the mid to upper 90s to return this weekend, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a heat advisory for Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois. The advisory goes into effect at 11 a.m. Saturday and expires at 7 p.m. Sunday. Temperatures combined with high humidity are expected to produce heat indexes of 105 degrees or higher...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Union County State's Attorney Tyler R. Edmonds announced Friday in a news release that Jeffery R. Flemming, 40, of 495 Wagon Wheel Road in rural Wolf Lake, Ill., has been charged with one count of unlawful production of marijuana plants, a class three felony. ...

The hard-rocking roller girls are back at it; this time for a doubleheader Saturday. The Cape Girardeau Roller Girls will compete against the West Kentucky Rockin' Rollers and then take on the Red River Sirens. Tickets for this double-the-fun bout are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. ...

If it truly is a man's world, they've taken it back this month at Black Door Gallery. Last month, the gallery held Feminine Perspectives, an all-woman art show organized to highlight women in the visual arts. The show started in 2008. This year, the gallery will follow Feminine Perspectives with ManArt, an all-male art show to give them their time in the studio light...

NEW YORK -- Harry Shum Jr.'s character on "Glee" may be a member of the glee club but that doesn't mean he's gotten the chance to sing. There's a running joke on the show that his character, Mike Chang, is tone-deaf and his dancing ability makes him valuable to the New Directions show choir...

BLACKSBURG, Va. -- A report of a possible gunman at Virginia Tech on Thursday set off the longest, most extensive lockdown and search on campus since the bloodbath four years ago that led the university to overhaul its emergency procedures. No gunman was found, and the school gave the all-clear just before 3 p.m., about five hours after sirens began wailing and students and staff members started receiving warnings by phone, email and text message to lock themselves indoors. ...

SAN ANGELO, Texas -- A Texas jury convicted polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs of child sexual assault Thursday in a case stemming from two young followers he took as brides in what his church calls "spiritual marriages." The 55-year-old head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stood stone-faced as the verdict was read...

BEIRUT -- The flashpoint Syrian city of Hama endured a fifth day under military siege Thursday, with a resident saying people were being "slaughtered like sheep" in the streets and families were burying their dead in home gardens or roadsides rather than risk a trip to a cemetery...

LONDON -- Former Beatle Paul McCartney said Thursday he would contact police over his ex-wife's claim that the couple had been spied upon by a British newspaper. In comments to U.S. television journalists delivered via videolink from Cincinnati, Ohio, McCartney said that he would be in touch with law enforcement as soon as he was finished with his summer tour...

L'ESTERE, Haiti -- Rivers rose to dangerous levels in Haiti's rural center Thursday even as Tropical Storm Emily broke apart and became a wet low pressure system after dumping rains over Haiti and the southwestern corner of the Dominican Republic...

JERUSALEM -- Israel's military says Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired a Grad rocket at southern Israel, and Israel retaliated with an airstrike. The military said the rocket exploded in an open area. No one was hurt. Israeli aircraft targeted the militants who fired the rocket late Thursday from eastern Gaza City. Palestinian hospital officials said two people were wounded...

CAIRO -- A day after the start of Hosni Mubarak's historic trial, seven of his co-defendants were back in the courtroom Thursday on charges of complicity in the killing of protesters during the uprising that toppled Egypt's longtime president. The hearing of former interior minister Habib el-Adly and six top police officials was broadcast live on Egyptian state television...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Geraldine Lauck, 90, of Perryville died Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2011, at Independence Care Center in Perryville. She was born Dec. 5, 1920, in Perry County, daughter of Ben and Ida Leible Schnurbusch. Geraldine was born and raised in Apple Creek, Mo. She married August Lauck on June 3, 1941, at Apple Creek. He preceded her in death...

THEBES, Ill. -- Charles William Smithey, 66, of Thebes passed away Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2011, at his home. He was born May 3, 1945, in Cairo, Ill., son of the late Virgil and Clara J. Dover Smithey. Charles was a retired construction laborer. He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War...

McCLURE, Ill. -- Charles E. "Bull" Croy, 75, of McClure died Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 30, 1936, in Clarksville, Tenn., to Charles and Grace Howell Croy. He and Maxine Prater were married 39 years...

Karen Lynnette Illers, 58, of Jackson passed away Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 21, 1952, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Hurshel and Jean Richardson Camren. She and Mark Illers were married April 19, 1975, at New McKendree United Methodist Church in Jackson...

Mary Jane Woolridge Kirk, 87, formerly of New Madrid, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She had been a resident of Jackson Manor Nursing Home since January. She was born Sept. 30, 1923, at Fontmell Magna, Shaftesbury, Dorset, England, daughter of Harold Arthur and Mary Jane Edwards Woolridge...

ANNA, Ill. -- Roy Nathaniel King, 86, of Anna died Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2011, at Union County Hospital in Anna. He served in the U.S. Army and Air Force during World War II. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Jonesboro, Ill...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Lenora R. Richey, 68, of Cairo, formerly of Springfield, Ill., died Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2011, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo. Private service and burial will be at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield. Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo is in charge of arrangements...

Beginning next month, the Cape Girardeau School Board will move its monthly meeting from the central administrative offices and into the various buildings of the school district; the first meeting will be at Alma Schrader School. The Jackson Board of Aldermen last night announced plans to put a $750,000 bond issue on the November ballot to improve the city's water and sewer systems...

Firefighters responded to the following call Tuesday:...

This month marks the 11th birthday of Tracker, the beagle mascot of the Southeast Missourian Jr. In addition to celebrating the beloved mascot, this month is also the 11th anniversary of the Southeast Missourian Jr., a publication of this newspaper written for and by young readers. So it's fitting that it was through a contest among children that Tracker received his name...

Thank you for your recent in-depth coverage of former Republican politician Rod Jetton. I have watched in awe and sadness over the last few years of his political and personal demise. I am elated that he seemingly now has his life back on track. For you see, when I was a 10 year-old little girl, he came and led a backyard Bible club in my neighborhood. Even at 16 he made quite the first impression and was just as charming and charismatic as I'm sure he was in his political career...

SUGGESTION to the senior citizens: Don't worry because they're not going to cut your Social Security. I'll tell you programs I would like see cut, the food stamps program and the welfare program. You have people who have never worked. I got into a discussion today with a guy about salaries for professional athletes. ...

The Washington wolves have finished their huffing and puffing for now. And as best I can tell, our straw houses of massive debt are intact. The plan approved by Congress is supposed to reduce the national debt by about $2 trillion over the next 10 years, and spending increases over the same period will be ... well, look at that. Spending will only increase by about $2 trillion!...

May we prove ourselves doers of the word, O God, and not merely hearers. Amen.

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff high school coach who faced termination for swearing during practices will keep his teaching job, but not as a tenured employee. The school board voted 4-3 to terminate Lance Bell, who held a tenured position as health teacher after five years in the district. Bell also served as head track coach and assistant football coach...

VANDUSER, Mo. -- Vanduser voters approved becoming a part of the Scott County Rural Fire Protection District. All 29 ballots cast in the election were in favor of the measure, according to Scott County Clerk Rita Milam. "I thought it would pass, but getting a vote of 29 to 0, that's amazing. ...

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday...

FIRST FRIDAY RECEPTIONS Black Door Gallery ManArt, an all-male answer to the previous all-female show, will feature sculptures, paintings and drawings by men and men only. 124 S. Spanish St.; 225-7734 Aartful Rose Cape Girardeau native Travis Williams will display his celestial paintings. Williams will be at the gallery to paint live with his medium of choice: spray paint...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Ameren Corp. posted lower second-quarter earnings on higher revenue as electric rates rose but customers used less power. The utility on Thursday reported net income of $138 million on $1.78 billion in sales during the second quarter. That's down from net income of $152 million on $1.73 billion in revenue during the same period last year...

NEW YORK -- Gripped by fear of a new recession, the stock market suffered its worst day Thursday since the financial crisis in the fall of 2008. The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 500 points, its ninth-steepest decline. The sell-off wiped out the Dow's remaining gains for 2011. It put the Dow and broader stock indexes into what investors call a correction -- down 10 percent from their highs in the spring...

Now in his third decade playing music, Pat Green writes the songs he wants to play. Green spent almost 10 years with corporate labels, playing the songs they wanted him to record. The country singer and songwriter has more than 20 years playing and eight records behind him but has left the big label and is looking to the future...

Most artists take weeks or months to finish a painting, but for Travis Williams, the process takes only five minutes. The Aartful Rose will host local artist Travis Williams at its First Friday gallery reception from 5 to 10 p.m. today. In addition to his art, the reception will feature painting demonstrations by the artist that will showcase Williams' unconventional technique...

The Southeast Missouri State women's soccer team has been picked to finish second in the Ohio Valley Conference. Southeast received one first-place vote and 134 total points in voting done by the league's coaches and sports information directors. Two-time defending OVC regular-season champion Morehead State is favored to repeat. The Eagles have not lost a conference game the past two years...

The Southeast Missouri State football team officially begins preparations to defend its Ohio Valley Conference title Saturday when the Redhawks hold their first practice. Southeast players reported to preseason camp Thursday. They'll have a conditioning test today followed by Saturday's first of 14 scheduled practice days prior to the start of classes Aug. 22...

Pujols, Holliday hit home runs in St. Louis' 7-4 victory

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Route V from U.S. 61 to County Road 914 in Perry County will be reduced to one lane Tuesday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews patch the roadway. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 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...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Route M from Outer Road 55 to Route H in Perry County will be reduced to one lane Monday and Tuesday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews patch the roadway. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near the area. For more information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Route CC from Highway 91 to Route W in Scott County will be reduced to one lane with a 12-foot width restriction Monday through Wednesday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews overlay the roadway. Weather permitting, work will be done from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 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...

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon got nearly everything it asked for during a decade of two wars shadowed by the Sept. 11 terror attacks and the rise of al-Qaida. No more. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Adm. Mike Mullen acknowledged that reality Thursday, saying the military is resigned to budget cuts of around $350 billion over a decade to meet the public clamor for reducing the nation's debt. ...

MIAMI -- St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina decided not to appeal a five-game suspension for bumping an umpire and spraying him with spittle, saying the punishment was fair. Molina received the suspension Thursday and began serving it hours later when St. Louis opened a four-game series at Florida. The Cardinals are chasing the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers and face them in a crucial three-game series beginning Tuesday...

Three bridges on Highway 34 near Burfordville are expected to be open by Aug. 17. To celebrate completion of the bridges over the Whitewater Overflow, Whitewater River and Byrd Creek, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. that day. The event will be held beneath the Whitewater Overflow bridge, with parking available at Bollinger Mill. ...

HANNIBAL, Mo. (AP) -- A northeast Missouri teenager is officially recognized as record-setting pilot. The Hannibal Courier-Post reports that Guinness World Records has officially recognized Dillon Barron of Hannibal for flying solo seven tail dragger aircraft to celebrate his 16th birthday on June 25, besting the previous mark of three...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United States has lost its sterling credit rating from Standard & Poor's. The credit rating agency on Friday lowered the nation's AAA rating for the first time since granting it in 1917. The move came less than a week after a gridlocked Congress finally agreed to spending cuts that would reduce the debt by more than $2 trillion -- a tumultuous process that contributed to convulsions in financial markets. The promised cuts were not enough to satisfy S&P...

The bid for the former federal building in Cape Girardeau now stands at more than half a million dollars. A bid of $510,003 was submitted in the U.S. General Services Administration's online auction of the building Sunday, adding another 24-hour extension to the auction...

City officials and civic leaders express disappointment in the aftermath of yesterday's election, in which two of three city issues were defeated; voters approved a measure establishing a residential trash fee of $4.85 a month and hiking commercial rates and the landfill fee; but a $3.3 million flood-control bond issue and a half-cent transportation sales tax measure failed...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Hazel C. Gilpin, 94, of Cairo died Friday, Aug. 5, 2011, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo. Visitation will be from noon to service time Sunday at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo. The funeral will be at 3 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home, with Dr. Larry L. Potts officiating. Burial will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Camp Butler National Cemetery in Springfield, Ill...

The majority of area school districts failed this year to meet the proficiency targets under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Missouri Assessment Program scores were released Thursday, and only five of 18 districts in Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry and Scott counties -- Advance, Bell City, Kelso, Leopold and Oran -- met all targets this year for adequate yearly progress in communication arts and math set by No Child Left Behind. ...

Local bankers and small-business owners shared their struggles and suggestions with staff of the Delta Regional Authority during a round-table discussion Friday.

TAMMS, Ill. -- A man who police say strangled his wife before being gunned down by a sheriff's deputy spent weeks saying farewell to relatives while displaying erratic behavior involving a sword and biblical hallucinations with his spouse, one of the man's sisters said Friday.

The auction of the former federal building in Cape Girardeau has been extended again with a new bid. A bid of $490,003 was submitted in the U.S. General Services Administration's online auction of the building Saturday, adding another 24-hour extension to the auction...

When Southeast Missouri State University students return to campus this month they will see a much different student-run newspaper. The Arrow, formerly known as the Capaha Arrow, is going through an overhaul, the result of a new partnership that has developed between the university and Rust Communications, the parent company of the Southeast Missourian. ...

A new partnership to give small businesses access to capital was announced during the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee by the Delta Regional Authority and Southeast Missouri State University.

The Louis K. Juden Post 63 American Legion baseball coaches were given special recognition at the District 14 quarterly meeting held at Louis K. Juden Post 63 in Cape Girardeau on Sunday, August 7. Cape Legion Post 63 Junior Coach Jacob May led his team to a district AA championship and played host to the AA Zone Tournament. ...

We had a great time learning about the cannons at the Fort D Celebration!

Scott City Firefighters and North Scott County Ambulance Personnel assist a dog rescued from house fire.

A Frito-Lay facility in Cape Girardeau was hit by burglars twice last week. Cape Girardeau police spokesman Darin Hickey said two trucks were broken into Monday. "The delivery driver got to work at 4:20 a.m. and found two trucks with their driver's side windows broken out," Hickey said. "She said she worked on July 31 at 12:30 p.m. and returned to work on Aug. 1 around 4:20 a.m., so the incident happened somewhere between those times."...

MOREHOUSE, Mo. -- Neither rain nor snow nor dark of night can keep the postman from his rounds, but high water can run him out of his post office. On Thursday, Morehouse officials gathered to mark the reopening of the local facility at 520 Beech St., after spring floods forced its closure...

The Southeast Missouri State football team held its first preseason practice as defending Ohio Valley Conference champions Saturday.

Thao Thu Nguyen and Luke Hodgson Balsamo were united in marriage May 28, 2011, at Eastern Shore Chapel Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach, Va. The Rev. Julia Ashby performed the ceremony. Organist was Molly Trask of Virginia Beach. Readers were Kathryn Puttroff and Joanne Staha...

Amanda Leigh Sanchez and Randy Eugene Smith II of Houston, Texas, announce their engagement. She is the daughter of Carlos Sanchez of Navasota, Texas, and the late Tammy Carrell of Shiro, Texas. Smith is the son of Randy Smith of Richmond, Calif., and Karen Smith of Cape Girardeau...

Steve and Debbie Reynolds and Mike and Tammy Hertenstein of Mt. Vernon, Ill., announce the engagement of their daughter, Casey Nicole Hertenstein, to Jason Glennon Crowell, both of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Terry and Terry Crowell of Cape Girardeau...

David and Julie Walker of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Hannah Gale Walker, to Brandon Garret Smith, both of St. Louis. He is the son of Mackal and Cynthia Smith of Ballwin, Mo. Walker is a 2007 graduate of Jackson High School. She received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Webster University in 2011, and plans to pursue a master's degree in art therapy at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville...

Mr. and Mrs. Randy Seabaugh of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Casey Seabaugh, to Jeremy Meystedt, both of Jackson. He is the son of Denise Meystedt of Cape Girardeau and Mr. and Mrs. David Meystedt of Jackson. Seabaugh is a 2009 graduate of Jackson High School. She is employed at Cape Care for Women...

Ted and Gail Guffey of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Shanna Strickland, to Michael Usher of Goreville, Ill. He is the son of Eddie and Janet Usher of Marion, Ill. Strickland received a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University. She is a registered nurse at Doctors Park Surgery Center in Cape Girardeau...

Dennis and Lois Shearrer of Poplar Bluff, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Kelly Jeanette Shearrer, to Albert Marion Spradling IV, both of Poplar Bluff. He is the son of Albert M. Spradling III and Pam Spradling of Cape Girardeau. Shearrer is a 1995 graduate of Bernie High School in Bernie, Mo. ...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Richard and Carol Hodge of Chaffee announce the engagement of their daughter, Jodi Hodge, to Andy Palisch, both of Scott City. He is the son of Clayton and Susan Palisch of Scott City. Hodge is a 2005 graduate of Chaffee High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from Southeast Missouri State University in 2009. She is a third grade teacher with Scott City School District...

Mr. and Mrs. Ed Sebaugh of Sedgewickville celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house July 24, 2011, at Zion United Methodist Church in Gordonville. Sebaugh and Joan Nothdurft were married July 23, 1961, at Zion Church, by the Rev. Tillman Nussbaum. Their attendants were Karen Nothdurft Kuehle, Wanda Sebaugh Hale, Sylvia Sebaugh Sander, Irv Berry, the late Dan Sebaugh, and Perry Sebaugh...

Mr. and Mrs. Fred Cheek of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary with a luncheon at Dalhousie, hosted by a son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Cathy Cheek. Cheek and Evelyn Ferguson were married Aug. 1, 1941, in Perryville, Mo. Their attendants were Bill and Beulah Gnann...

Steve and Geta Parker of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Angela Dawn Kimmich, to Daniel Milas Randol. He is the son of Patricia Randol of Jackson, and the late Richard "Dick" Randol. Kimmich is a 1993 graduate of Jackson High School. She is a nurse with Visiting Nurse Association...

Photographer Aaron Horrell spends most of his time outdoors. He hikes through forests to capture birds in the trees, crawls quietly on his belly to approach snakes and sneaks up to wildflowers to capture bees getting pollen -- all in the name of photography. ...

I recently happened upon this young whitetail buck resting in the sun on a hot evening. Sometimes a wild animal will "hide" in an unlikely place. This deer was in a shallow ditch out of sight until I peered in. It seemed strange to me that he would lie in the hot sun when trees and shade were nearby. But then I realized he might have left the woods for the same reason I had. Mosquitoes and gnats were thick in the shade but nonexistent out in the sun...

US Bank donated $1,750 to Southeast Hospital Foundation to go toward their Youth Healthcare Professional Education camp program. The camp provides underserved youths the first step toward a future in health care. Pictured are Steve Green, market president of US Bank, and Mary Burton-Hitt, executive director of the foundation...

US Bank donated $1,500 to the Southeast Missouri University Foundation for scholarships to students from underserved populations. US Bancorp Foundation donates to organizations that offer support to programs that improve the educational and economic opportunities of low- and moderate-income families and enhance the cultural and artistic life of the community. ...

I've been writing this column for about five years and have only used this space once to do a movie review. It's about to happen again. If you have roughly two hours free sometime and you enjoy popping a film into your DVD or Blu-ray player, allow me to recommend the 2011 film "The Adjustment Bureau," starring Matt Damon. It has done excellent in the box office for a fairly low-budget (by Hollywood standards) motion picture. It is out of theaters and is available to rent...

Last Thursday Gov. Jay Nixon visited Nordenia USA in Jackson, announcing the company's eligibility for more than $350,000 in state tax credits -- through the Missouri Quality Jobs program -- for creating 50 jobs at its facility off U.S. 61...

About two weeks ago I went to the annual FreedomFest -- "The great place to talk, argue, listen, celebrate the trimmings of liberty, assess the dangers to liberty, and provide that eternal vigilance that is the price of liberty." -- Milton Friedman...

O Lord, we seek your face and ask for your divine blessing on our lives. Amen.

The Special Olympics Missouri Outdoor State Championship Games will be Aug. 12 to 14 in Cape Girardeau. Hundreds of Special Olympic athletes and their families will be in Cape Girardeau for the games. The community is invited to sign a Wall of Well Wishes at the Southeast Missourian. ...

I read the Rod Jetton column in last Sunday's newspaper and was repulsed by his grandstanding. But his later columns and your story really put it all into context. Thank you for sharing his writing. I still have problems with what he did as a man, husband and politician, but God saves all of us if we open our eyes and look to him. My prayer is Jetton lives the way he now professes...

NEW ORLEANS -- A federal jury on Friday convicted five current or former New Orleans police officers of civil rights violations in one of the lowest moments for city police in the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: the shooting deaths of a teenager and a mentally disabled man as they crossed a bridge in search of food and help...

FULLERTON, Calif. -- Police should have been intimately familiar with Kelly Thomas and his history of mental illness. Thomas had symptoms of schizophrenia and a 16-year string of arrests for everything from assault with a deadly weapon to public urination to jaywalking. But somehow, things ended differently this time...

COVINGTON, La. -- Authorities in suburban New Orleans said Friday they uncovered a plot by three teenagers for "an incredible and devastating" attack at their high school during the first day of classes, with plans for two specific targets, indiscriminate shooting and suicide...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Two Sikeston children were airlifted to St. Louis Children's Hospital following an accident Thursday afternoon on U.S. 60 that also involved a Dexter, Mo., woman. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the children were riding in a vehicle driven by their mother, Kimberly D. ...

BIR AYAD, Libya -- Rebels launched a new offensive Saturday out of their stronghold in Libya's western mountains, battling regime forces in a drive toward the heartland of Moammar Gadhafi's rule on the Mediterranean coast. Opening a new front, the rebels are aiming to break a monthslong deadlock and eventually fight their way to the capital, Tripoli...

DADAAB, Kenya -- Only 10 days ago, Minhaj Gedi Farah was too weak to cry and his skin crumpled liked thin leather under the pressure of his mother's hands. Now doctors say the severely malnourished 7-month-old appears out of danger of joining the more than 29,000 children who already have died in the famine...

WASHINGTON -- Top officials of Standard & Poor's on Saturday defended their decision to downgrade the U.S. government's credit rating after the Obama administration called the move a hasty decision based on faulty math. The administration had tried to head off the downgrade announced late Friday. It told S&P that the agency had made wrong calculations about the federal budget...

Walter Copeland Jr., 79, of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011, at home. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Jane A. Wedekind Morrill, 56, of Kansas City, Kan., died Friday, Aug. 5, 2011, at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo. Arrangements are pending at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

Daughter to Louisea Jo Dietiker and Roger Dale Raines of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 9:32 a.m. Thursday, July 21, 2011. Name, Lydia Rhea. Weight, 8 pounds, 4 ounces. Ms. Dietiker is the daughter of Frank and Pat Dietiker of Cape Girardeau. She is a registered nurse in the PACU at Southeast. Dietiker is the son of Roger and Jane Raines and Joe and Terri Prost of Cape Girardeau. He is a partner with Stanley, Dirnberger, Hopper and Associates CPA firm...

A tentative decision has been made to cancel the Senior Fun Fest scheduled for Aug. 23; the decision is due to a combination of problems but primarily a lack of funding. The Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation holds its summer meeting at Port Cape Girardeau; the council is considering the nomination of Hanover Lutheran Church to the National Register of Historic Places...

WASHINGTON -- With tens of thousands of jobs, more than $1 billion and their reputations on the line, Senate Democrats gave way Friday to a power play by House Republicans in order to end a partial two-week shutdown of the Federal Aviation Administration...

*** Eagle Ridge Christian THURSDAY—Pizza, salad, fruit. FRIDAY—Barbecued chicken, tater tots, fruit.

Linda Farrow was hostess when the Kage FCE met at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center for their regular monthly meeting. President Dortha Strack presided. Dortha's tip of the day was "wrap onions and peppers in paper towels, put in a zip-lock bag and refrigerate."...

There is a lot of suffering in the world. God has been opening my eyes to this lately. People we love die, and it hurts. People are without a home and hope, passed by day after day. Elderly spouses who have loved each other all their lives are separated, and it hurts not only them but their children as well. Women in our country and other countries are abused. Drought. Loneliness. Not knowing how to comfort someone we love. It all hurts...

HOUSTON -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry asked Christians to turn to God for answers to the nation's troubles as he held court Saturday over a national prayer rally attended by thousands of evangelical conservatives, an important constituency should the Republican seek the GOP presidential nomination...

Pet name: Chloe and Snooki Owner: Andy Weiss Favorite activity: Hanging out under the bed and hiding toys.

Grover is 7 years old. This big boy is neutered and declawed. For more information, contact the Humane Society at 334-5837.

Monte is a Mountain Cur mix. He is approximately 1 year old and is a friendly and playful dog. For more information, contact Safe Harbor at 243-9823.

On Tuesday, portions of Bainbridge Road and South Old Orchard Road in Jackson will be reduced to one lane to allow the city's contractor to perform asphalt rejuvenating maintenance on the roadways. On Bainbridge, the project area is between Donna Drive and South Oak Hill Road. ...

Weather permitting, Cape Girardeau Public Works Department crews will begin replacing a storm line at the intersection of Kingsway Drive and Kingsbury Road on Monday. Repairs should take about a week to complete, barring complications. Detours will be set up by the traffic division. For more information, contact storm-water supervisor Stacey Beasley at 339-6351 or sbeasley@cityofcapegirardeau.org...

Ahmad Sheikh, left, helps hand out backpacks and school supplies at the Islamic Center in Cape Girardeau on Friday, Aug. 5, 2011. The center worked with the ICNA Relief program to hand out 700 backpacks and school supplies to local families.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Work to replace the Route B bridge over Buzzard Creek in Ripley County has been delayed one week. Weather permitting, work will begin Aug. 15. Route B will remain closed as construction is underway. Completion is anticipated in late September. ...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Insurgents shot down a U.S. military helicopter during fighting in eastern Afghanistan, killing 30 Americans, most of them belonging to the same elite unit as the Navy SEALs who killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, U.S. officials said Saturday. It was the deadliest single loss for American forces in the decade-old war against the Taliban...

LONDON -- The group known as Anonymous said Saturday it has hacked into some 70 mostly rural law enforcement websites in the United States, a breach that one local police chief said had leaked information about an ongoing investigation. The loose-knit international hacking collective posted a cache of data to the Web early Saturday, including emails stolen from officers, tips which appeared to come from members of the public, credit card numbers and other sensitive information...

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:...

Alex Rhodes uses his love for the outdoors to help with the lawn care at his church, Christ Episcopal Church in Cape Girardeau. The son of Joel and Jeanie Rhodes, Alex will be a junior this year at Cape Girardeau Central High School. He participates in pole vaulting, wrestling and cross country. He also enjoys hunting and hanging out with friends. Here he shares about how he lives his faith through works of service...

MIAMI -- One-year-old Alice Di Giovanni asks for "banane," not banana, when she's in the mood for one. She'll bid you farewell with a "ciao." And if she wants more, she says "mas." The Miami toddler is one of an increasing number of Americans living in homes where a language other than English is spoken, and her parents want her to learn as many languages as she can. So her Polish-Canadian mother speaks to her in French, her father in Italian and her Honduran nanny in Spanish...

Mike Davault and Lachelle Cook claimed first place in a SEMO Horseshoe Association event last weekend that featured 12 teams at the Oran Jaycees. Larry Glastetter and Marvin Margrabe placed second, while Allan Moore and Melody Williams finished third...

MIAMI -- A disputed play involving the first batter of the game left Florida Marlins manager Jack McKeon suggesting Major League Baseball add more instant replay. Rafael Furcal led off with a single -- although replays seemed to show the ball was caught -- and Albert Pujols homered later in the inning, sending the St. Louis Cardinals to a 2-1 win over the Marlins on Saturday night...

CANTON, Ohio -- Prime Time has come to Canton -- with an extra touch of gold. And a black do-rag. Deion Sanders strutted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday night sporting a pair of gold shoes to go with the gold jacket emblematic of the special company he has become a part of...

ST. LOUIS -- Offensive lineman Adam Goldberg agreed to a contract with the St. Louis Rams on Friday night and was on the practice field the next afternoon. "It was miserable," said Goldberg, the Rams' player representative during the NFL lockout. "It was really an enjoyable time when you're checking your phone every two minutes."...

Wednesday marks 150 years since Nathaniel Lyon was killed by a bullet through the heart in a battle in southwest Missouri, becoming the first Union general to die in the Civil War.

BEIRUT -- The Syrian military tightened its siege on the city of Hama on Saturday in its drive to crush the main center of the anti-regime uprising in the country, even as the foreign minister promised that free parliamentary elections would be held by the end of the year in a gesture of reform...

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

Charges are pending against three people, two of whom were taken to the hospital, following a series of car accidents and gunshots in Cape Girardeau early Saturday. At about 1:35 a.m., Cape Girardeau police officers responded to a report of a fight at Rhodes 101, 1126 N. Sprigg. St. While they were en route, officers received a report of shots being fired at the same location...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A Republican state senator is criticizing a package of business incentives proposed by Missouri legislative leaders for an upcoming special session. Sen. Jason Crowell, of Cape Girardeau, says the plan is a backroom deal "that is short on economic development, short on tax credit reform but long on government handouts to campaign donors and special interests."...

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill will tour Missouri's manufacturing centers today to visit with workers and listen to managers about the support they need to create jobs and grow the economy. Included will be a stop at Alan Wire Co. in Sikeston, Sabreliner in Perryville and Procter & Gamble in Cape Girardeau...

MIAMI -- Pitching to the St. Louis Cardinals' big three didn't work. Walking them backfired, too. With another productive day by Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman, the Cardinals completed their first four-game series sweep on the road since 2004...

The premium paid off. The Missouri Department of Transportation will reopen three bridges on Highway 34 on Aug. 17 after a three-month closure. The bridges cross the Whitewater Overflow, the Whitewater River and Byrd Creek. Southeast regional field engineer Andy Meyer said MoDOT paid a premium to ensure bridges would be done quickly to reduce inconvenience for motorists...

Tuesday, August 23 2011 PITTER's CAFE & LOUNGE will present a night of Heavy Metal Madness. When MOTOGRATER slams in to town for one night. Hailing from Huntington Beach, California. Motograter is an American Nu-Metal band formed in 1995. They are best known for their homemade instrument the "motograter" - designed with industrial cable and guitar pieces that creates a very deep bass sound. The band is also known for painting themselves in a tribal style body paint for concerts...

One person remains hospitalized after being injured in a shooting early Saturday morning in Cape Girardeau, police say. Cape Girardeau police spokesman Darin Hickey said Sunday that no charges have been filed yet and police are still investigating the incident...

The Inventors Club of Kansas City hosted their sixth annual national Invention Contest on Tuesday, August 2nd. Inventors and entrepreneurs from all over North America arrived at the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center to present their US Patented or Patent Pending products for a chance to win cash prizes and the opportunity to have their consumer product licensed, marketed and sold...

Six-year-old Rallen Owens of Bloomfield, Mo., helped his mother push a cart full of clothes, shoes and other back-to-school essentials through Target Saturday. He was just tall enough to peer over the cart's handle and admire the Transformers backpack he'd just picked out...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Historic Downtown Sikeston has begun the petition process for a community improvement district by talking with property owners and business owners, according to Brandon Kuehn, the organization's executive director. Merchants seem to be in favor of the CID, Kuehn said...

After a long, hot summer the Plaza Tire Capahas season has come to a close after losing their first two games at the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, Kan. Losing the first game of the 32-team double-elimination tournament 7-3 to the St. Joseph (Mo.) Mustangs, a game that started at 10:28 p.m. last Sunday, the team exited the tournament 15 hours later losing to the Austin (Texas) Gold Sox in the bottom of the ninth inning 7-6...

O Jesus, may we never fall to temptation, but instead seek your will for our lives. Amen.

LAS VEGAS -- For decades, Jerry Lewis has played the key role in the Muscular Dystrophy Association's annual telethon, helping to raise more than $1 billion. Now the two sides are parting ways, but no one is explaining why. The 85-year-old comedian said last week that he plans to hold a news conference the day after this year's telethon to talk about what he thinks is important. When pressed by a reporter about his role with the telethon, Lewis said: "It's none of your business."...

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Dozens of women gathered in the St. Louis area over the weekend for the 66th national convention of the Gold Star Wives of America. Gold Star Wives is open to widows of military personnel who die on active duty or of confirmed service-related disabilities...

BEIRUT -- Syrian troops fired on mourners at a funeral and raided an eastern city Sunday, killing at least 59 people in an intensifying government crackdown on protesters. Outrage was intensifying as well: Syria's Arab neighbors forcefully joined the international chorus of condemnation against President Bashar Assad's regime for the first time...

Jacoby Anthony Keenan, died Friday, Aug. 5, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Survivors include parents, Shawn and Emily Schwarte Keenan of Bloomfield, Mo.; maternal grandparents, Darla and Dave McDonald of Cherokee, Iowa, and Wayne Schwarte of Harlan, Iowa; maternal great-grandparents, Martin Schwarte and Dennis Musich, both of Harlan; maternal great-great-grandmother, Helen Musich of Harlan; paternal grandparents, Mary Chapman and John Keenan, both of Bell City, Mo.; paternal great-grandparents, Martin and Mary Hircock of Perkins, Mo., and Jerry and Ann Chapman of Paige, Texas; paternal great-great-grandfather, Carl Hircock of Chaffee, Mo.; an aunt, Natasha Schwarte of Harlan; a great-aunt, Debra Wierschke of Marion, Iowa; three uncles, Jerry (Nicole) Chapman of Morley, Mo., and John and James Schwarte of Harlan; and two cousins, Christopher Chapman of Morley and Analia Wilke of Harlan.. ...

Walter Orr Copeland Jr., 79, of Cape Girardeau passed away peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011, at his home. He was born July 22, 1932, in Brentwood, Mo., son of the late Walter and Mildred Richardson Copeland. He and Linda Quinton were married Sept. 3, 1983...

Addie Lee Henley, 99, of Jackson, formerly of Oak Ridge, passed away Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011, at Monticello House in Jackson. She was born Sept. 8, 1911, in Somerville, Tenn., to John D. and Mamie Martin Parsons. She and the Rev. Melvin Brent Henley were married Nov. 27, 1935. He passed away April 6, 1976...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday:...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Mildred C. Kerr, 84, of Perryville died Saturday Aug. 6, 2011, at the Golden Living Center in Dexter, Mo. Graveside service will be at 2 p.m. today at Home Cemetery in Perryville. Young and Sons Funeral Home in Perryville provided the arrangements...

BRAZEAU, Mo. -- Merlin E. Schmidt, 69, of Brazeau died Saturday Aug. 6, 2011, at his residence. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at Young and Sons East Perry Chapel. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg, Mo. with the Rev. Steven Dressler officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with military graveside service provided by the American Legion Post 133 and the Missouri Delta Team...

The nearly century-old Hanover Lutheran Church has been approved for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places by the Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, which met in Cape Girardeau this week. Additional street marking and signs will be installed at Main and Independence streets Monday in hopes of helping to eliminate confusion of motorists who continue to park not only in a no-parking zone along Main but in the wrong direction as well...

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

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

Corrie Dudley has joined Dr. Michael J. Jessup at Elite Woman in Cape Girardeau as full-time nurse practitioner. Dudley, who has nine years of experience in labor, delivery and maternal and child nursing, received her undergraduate and master's degrees from Southeast Missouri State University. ...

Chick-fil-A's grand opening in Cape Girardeau is now set for Sept. 8, according to Brenda Morrow, of Chick-fil-A's corporate communications office. It was previously reported that the restaurant would open Aug. 25, according to a business license filed at city hall...

LAS VEGAS -- Hackers are out to stymie your smartphone. Last week, security researchers uncovered yet another strain of malicious software aimed at smartphones that run Google's popular Android operating system. The application not only logs details about incoming and outgoing phone calls, it also records those calls...

Twenty-four-year-old Adam Ross of Ross Furniture in Jackson manages the store his father and grandfather started in 1979. The Cape Girardeau native said his store's tradition of offering quality furniture has helped the business grow and made it a continuing success...

The Southeast Missouri State football team began preseason practice Saturday. A few hours to the north, the University of Missouri held its first practice Thursday. The St. Louis Rams are well under way with their training camp after that ridiculous NFL lockout finally ended...

The Rams scrimmaged in preparation for their preseason opener

Southeast Missouri State's Rachel Kahle and Ed Draper have been named to the United States Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic team. Kahle, a Jackson High School graduate, earned a 3.66 grade point average as a senior this year while majoring in biomedical science. The sprinter earned multiple Ohio Valley Conference honors and competed at the NCAA West Regional...

NEW YORK -- U.S. investors will have their first chance today to react to Standard & Poor's decision to strip the U.S. government of its top credit rating. But the bigger issues facing Wall Street and stock markets worldwide remain debt-ridden countries in Europe and concerns that the global economy is weakening...

BLODGETT, Mo. -- The Route H overpass over Interstate 55 south of Blodgett is now open to traffic. Lane restrictions will remain in place on I-55 as work is finalized on the guardrail and guard cable. Construction on the new bridge began June 19 and was completed ahead of schedule. ...

COPLEY, Ohio -- A northeast Ohio man ran through his small-town neighborhood Sunday killing seven people, including his girlfriend, before he was shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire with police, authorities said. Witnesses told reporters at least one of the victims was a child...

TO the caller who complained about the Jaycee Golf Course being dangerous, you played it one time in two years. I don't think you even deserve consideration to be able to complain. I have played more than 100 courses in about 150 miles of Cape Girardeau, and I have never played on a course that you couldn't be hit by a stray ball. ...

WASHINGTON -- When Congress gets back to work after Labor Day it will have the chance to achieve something that has largely eluded it for the entire year: passing legislation that might create jobs. With the debate over the debt ceiling over, the stage is set for Congress to approve and President Barack Obama to sign three big free-trade agreements and the most significant overhaul of the patent system in 60 years...

CRYSTAL CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Another Missouri city is requiring a prescription to purchase cold and allergy pills containing pseudoephedrine -- a key ingredient used to make methamphetamine. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the city council in Crystal City voted 5-2 Monday in favor of the measure...

SENATH, Mo. (AP) -- A total of $45,000 in reward money is being offered in the search for a 3-year-old Southeast Missouri girl missing since Saturday. The FBI is offering $25,000, and the Senath Marshal's office is offering $20,000 in the effort to find Breeann Rodriguez. She was riding a small bicycle with training wheels in front of her Senath home on Saturday when she went missing. Police say neighbors did not see anyone suspicious...

NEW YORK (AP) -- The Federal Reserve spoke -- and financial markets swung wildly before rallying. The Dow rose nearly 200 points about an hour after the Fed's statement was released.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Sikeston Public Safety Department is getting ready for the 59th annual Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo. Officers will attend all four nights of the rodeo, which begins Wednesday, and will assist with Saturday's rodeo parade...

The Southeast Missouri State football team lost talent at most positions from last season, linebacker included. But the way the Redhawks rotated their linebackers a year ago makes that group among their most experienced and well-stocked units for 2011...

Small area school districts attempting to meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act are seeing varying results this year as the Missouri Assessment Program proficiency targets are higher now than ever before. Even though the bar has been set higher, some districts that failed to make adequate yearly progress last year prevailed this year...

Six AM on a Monday morning, audacious skies over the Mississippi.

I'm trying to locate people I photographed in Smelterville in 1967 for a project I'm working on. http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/people/smelterville-1967-where-are-they/ Do you recognize any of these folks and / or know where they are today?...

The fact that Clay Waller works in construction has not been lost on law enforcement officers, who said Monday that his job sites have been a part of the investigation since his wife's disappearance more than two months ago.

The Southeast Missourian Jr.'s beloved mascot, Tracker, celebrated his 11th birthday at Discovery Playhouse on Friday, August 5th. Tracker would like to thank everyone who come out and brought a donation for "Treats for Tracker's Friends".

4-H members from Bollinger, Cape Girardeau and Perry Counties recently attended the 2011 4-H Citizenship Trip at the National 4-H Center in Washington, DC. This was the largest group ever to participate in this trip from the Southeast Region. Front row: Corvin Schoen, Bridgett Schumer, Amanda Lappe, Morgan Bangert, Faith Revelle, Ryan Schumer...

Autumn McMahn of Wolf Lake made bracelets and sold them to raise money for American Red Cross relief efforts for Joplin. Autumn you rock!

The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department is among the more than 70 law enforcement agencies that were cyberattacked over the weekend by an infamous global group of computer hackers known as Anonymous.

Jackson Art Group holds August "Second Saturday" Photographer Gila Todd will be the Jackson Art Group's featured artist for the month of August at the Steck House Gallery, 210 E. Washington St., Jackson. Visit Gila Todd's website and then see her work in person at the Steck House Gallery. The artist's reception is August 13th--the second Saturday in August, from 10 am to 5 pm...

A trial date has been set for a homeless 18-year-old man that Cape Girardeau police have connected to three June robberies, two of which took place at Cape Mart on North Fountain Street. Courtrel Walker was in court in front of Judge Benjamin Lewis on Monday, when a jury trial was set for Jan. ...

Two Cape Girardeau men suspected of stealing and setting fire to Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder's campaign car were in court again Monday, with both resulting in court appearances scheduled for later dates. Adam D. Cromer, 20, had an arraignment set for Oct. 11, said his lawyer, Stephen Wilson. The other defendant, Jacob Shephard, 18, was given a continuance until Aug. 29 because he has two unrelated probation violation cases pending in Scott County, according to his lawyer, Scott Reynolds...

Police said a drunken driver was the cause of a three-vehicle crash Monday morning at Highway 74 and Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. Jared D. Stone, 33, of Benton, Mo., failed to stop at a red light at the intersection just before 10 a.m. Monday morning, said Cape Girardeau Police Officer Darin Hickey. Stone was later arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and running a red light...

The Missouri Department of Public Safety has awarded a grant to the Southeast Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force to help protect local children from online predators. The Southeast Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force in Poplar Bluff will receive $105,206 to continue its fight against Internet crime. ...

The Southeast Missouri State University Department of Public Safety is working with the Cape Girardeau Police Department in seeking charges against a 20-year-old man who remains hospitalized after a shooting incident and car crash early Saturday morning...

SENATH, Mo. -- The search continued Monday for a 3-year-old Southeast Missouri girl has been missing for two days.

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill visited what she called "ground zero in terms of job creation" during a tour of three Southeast Missouri companies Monday. The Democratic senator visited Sabreliner in Perry County, Procter & Gamble in Cape Girardeau County and Alan Wire Co. in Sikeston...

Cape Girardeau County Clerk Kara Clark Summers is looking at restructuring her department and making changes to the county's payroll process. Clark Summers gave the county commission a letter at Monday's meeting concerning the retirement of Judy Beussink, the clerk's office chief deputy and payroll clerk, who has been a county employee for 46 years. Beussink will retire in December...

Last week 77 golfers from eight states and Canada participated in an U.S. Amateur qualifying tournament at Dalhousie Golf Club. The field of golfers, which included several from Southeast Missouri, were vying to finish in the top three positions to qualify for the U.S. Amateur taking place Aug. 22 to 28 at Erin Hills, a public course in Wisconsin...

Yes, the president and the Congress averted default this time, but next time they will not and next time will arrive sooner than you think. The reason for this calamitous situation is that the long-term debt problem has not been addressed. The problem addressed was the short-term deficit. It was addressed by providing more money that we don't have to get us to early 2013 and shortly thereafter. The real problems of lack of resources and excessive entitlements were not confronted...

THIS is about Esicar's meat store. It caught on fire in the spring and I was told it was going to reopen. Would someone please let me know if it's going to reopen, because I bought my mother and my father a $40 gift certificate for Christmas. We have tried several times to get a hold of the people, having called the number on the side of the building. ...

O Lord, may we devote ourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Amen.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Loretta Lynn has been sidelined by knee surgery. A statement said the country music icon will cancel dates through a Sept. 3 show at her ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. She is scheduled to undergo reconstructive knee surgery and needs time to recover. Lynn said in the statement she's "sad" to cancel the shows, "but they tell me I've just got to stay off this knee for a while."...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama on Monday dismissed an unprecedented downgrade in the nation's credit rating, insisting investors will stand by the United States even as stock markets plunged. Obama said Washington can fix its ills by showing more political will...

SEATTLE -- A healthy diet is expensive and could make it difficult for Americans to meet new U.S. nutritional guidelines, according to a study published Thursday that says the government should do more to help consumers eat healthier. An update of what used to be known as a food pyramid in 2010 had called on Americans to eat more foods containing potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin D and calcium. ...

Dave Cornthwaite stands on his paddleboard along the Cape Girardeau riverfront Monday. Cornthwaite is a British adventurer, motivational speaker and author who is traveling the entire length of the Mississippi River aboard his stand-up paddleboard. The trip is the fourth part of his Expedition1000 project, in which he aims to complete a series of 25 journeys of at least 1,000 miles, each using a different mode of nonmotorized transport...

CHICAGO -- Playing sports in hot, steamy weather is safe for healthy children and teen athletes, so long as precautions are taken and the drive to win doesn't trump common sense, the nation's largest pediatricians group says. New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics arrive just as school sports ramp up in sultry August temperatures. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A special commission drawing new boundaries of Missouri state Senate districts is struggling to reach agreement ahead of a deadline next week. The panel of five Democrats and five Republicans met Monday in Jefferson City and adjourned without reaching a deal on a new map for the 34-member Senate...

MOREHOUSE, Mo. -- Four people were injured in a three-car accident that led to one arrest on U.S. 60 on Saturday night. The accident occurred at 8:20 p.m. when a vehicle driven by Robert Stoner, 49, of Dexter, Mo., was traveling westbound in the eastbound lane of U.S. 60, one mile west of Morehouse. Stoner's vehicle struck a vehicle driven by Orpal Crowe, 63, of Caruthersville, Mo., before striking another vehicle driven by Heather Gatewood, 27, of Sikeston, Mo...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Wind gusts up to 64 mph during a severe thunderstorm Sunday night blew tree limbs onto power lines, causing outages to more than 6,000 customers in parts of Southeast Missouri five counties. Power was knocked out to 600 customers in Poplar Bluff, said Bill Bach, general manager of Municipal Utilities in Poplar Bluff...

Bidding on the former federal building in Cape Girardeau was extended again Monday.. An offer of $525,000 was posted on Monday and currently stands as the high bid. The bid was submitted in the U.S. General Services Administration's online auction of the building, adding another 24-hour extension to the auction...

The Redhawks' 3.91 GPA earned the 2011 academic national championship

Daughter to Frank J. and Louisea Jo Dietiker of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 9:32 a.m. Thursday, July 21, 2011. Name, Lydia Rhea. Weight, 8 pounds, 4 ounces. Mrs. Dietiker is the daughter of Roger and Jane Raines and Joe and Terri Prost of Cape Girardeau. She is a registered nurse in PACU at Southeast. Dietiker is the son of Frank and Pat Dietiker of Cape Girardeau. He is a partner with Stanley, Dirnberger, Hopper and Associates CPA firm...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Robert L. Zoellner, 69, of Perryville died Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 11, 1941, in Biehle, Mo., son of Henry and Emma Schumer Zoellner. He and Betty L. Behrle were married Aug. 5, 1967...

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Floyd Wagoner, 79, of Colorado Springs succumbed to his courageous nine-year battle with cancer Saturday, July 23, 2011. He was born Dec. 30, 1931, in Painton, Mo., to the late Louis and Viola McGuinnes Wagoner. Floyd served in the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict...

Jane A. Morrill, 56, passed away Friday, Aug. 5, 2011, at Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan. She was born March 3, 1955, at St. Joseph, Mo., to William K. and Gladys C. Hartmann Wedekind. Jane lived in numerous locations throughout Missouri, touching the lives of those around her wherever she went. ...

Elvera L. Campbell, 85, of Conroe, Texas, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Monday, July 25, 2011, at Good Day Assisted Living Home in Conroe. She was born Sept. 2, 1925, in Oran, Mo., to Frank J. and Anna Halter LeGrand. She and Walter Greaser were married Nov. 28, 1946, at Oran. He preceded her in death Sept. 2, 1965. She then married George Campbell April 24, 1986, in Cape Girardeau. He also preceded her in death...

ANNA, Ill. -- James L. Modglin, 88, of Anna died Thursday, Aug. 4, 2011, at St. Sophia Health and Rehab Center in Florissant, Mo. He served 27 years in the U.S. Navy. Graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at Jonesboro Cemetery, with the VFW chaplain officiating. Military honors will be conducted by Carroll P. Foster VFW Post 3455 of Anna and Illinois National Guard Funeral Honors Team of Marion...

Larry W. Mueller, 49, of Jackson died Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011, at his home. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Donny Ford officiating. Burial will be in Cape County Memorial Park...

Encouraging students to become actively involved in life following graduation, Dr. Joseph H. Low Jr. addressed graduates of the 1986 summer commencement at Southeast Missouri State University last night; Low is a professor of speech and theater at the university...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday:...

KENNEWICK, Wash. -- Cheri Schumann would like Kennewick High School's class of 1971 to know she is very much alive. A story in Saturday's Tri-City Herald about Kennewick High's reunion focused on seven classmates who were slain out of 80 who had died. Schumann -- now Cheri Taylor -- was included...

The stock market buckled Monday under the weight of a crisis in Europe and danger of recession at home. Reeling from a downgrade of American debt, the Dow Jones industrials plunged 634 points.

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

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

WASHINGTON -- Ben Barnhard finally had reason to be optimistic this summer: The 13-year-old shed more than 100 pounds at a rigorous weight-loss academy, a proud achievement for a boy who had endured classmates' taunts about his obesity and who had sought solace in the quiet of his bedroom, with his pet black cat and the intricate origami designs he created...

Just three months after the nation lauded the anonymous Navy SEALs who killed Osama bin Laden, it is getting to know in poignant detail about their colleagues who died aboard a downed helicopter in Afghanistan. They came to the special forces from far-flung corners of the country -- some of them motivated by the 9/11 attacks that bin Laden masterminded. They were intensely patriotic and talented young men with a love of physical challenges and a passion for the high-risk job they chose...

Jasten Pickel tries out his new bicycle, a gift from his parents, Jason and Jessica Pickel of Jonesboro, Ill., for his third birthday Monday, Aug. 8, 2011 at Arena Park. His father's work schedule was interrupted by rain earlier and with the forecast for more, the family decided to gather in Cape Girardeau for Jasten's first bike lesson...

LONDON -- A chaotic wave of violence and looting raged across London and spread to three other major British cities early today, as authorities struggled to contain the country's worst unrest since race riots set the capital ablaze in the 1980s...

BEIRUT -- Syrian President Bashar Assad replaced his defense minister Monday with the army chief of staff in the midst of a brutal military crackdown on a 5-month-old uprising, the state-run news agency said. Gen. Ali Habib, the country's defense minister since 2009, was removed from his post because of health problems, the SANA report said, but some analysts said the general was unhappy with the crackdown...

The Obama administration unveiled plans Monday to give school districts a break from the stringent testing mandates in the No Child Left Behind Law, as long as they pursue other reform efforts. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said that President Barack Obama has authorized him to grant the waivers because Congress has failed to act on a long-overdue rewrite of the widely criticized law...

Though relatively high in fat -- especially compared to most white fish -- salmon is a great choice for a healthy diet. That's because salmon's fats fall mostly in the good-for-your-heart unsaturated category. Which is a happy coincidence, because that fat happens to be key to salmon's moist texture and rich, indulgent flavor. It also makes it a breeze to cook. The oils in salmon make it hard to overcook and dry out...

COPLEY, Ohio -- Police on Monday identified the man responsible for shooting and killing seven people in a rampage over the weekend in this small Ohio town, and a woman who knew him said he was an unpleasant, disliked person who was involved in an estate dispute...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The loss of dozens of elite American troops to a Taliban rocket-propelled grenade is a window on the war to come -- focused increasingly on the type of special operations the troops were pursuing when their helicopter crashed...

WASHINGTON -- The S&P downgrade was more of a statement on the toxic political landscape in Washington than a comment on the nation's ability to pay its bills. But S&P has its own checkered history. Just a few years ago, the company gave its top triple-A rating to some of the mortgage-backed securities that helped cause the recession...

Finally I have found the time to sit down and try to write this column. I have put off the Missourian for several weeks and feel bad about doing so, but work, family and city business have not left me with much free time. It seems to me that a balanced budget and a controlled debt limit are achievable at any level of government. ...

KIRKWOOD, Mo. (AP) -- Lucy Nobbe was fed up with Congress, and she wanted the world to know. Or at least the nation's largest city. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the 51-year-old woman from the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood was angry about the historic U.S. credit downgrade. So she spent $895 to hire an airplane to fly around New York City on Tuesday pulling a banner that read: "THANKS FOR THE DOWNGRADE. YOU SHOULD ALL BE FIRED!"...

SENATH, Mo. (AP) -- Investigators in Southeast Missouri are hopeful that new evidence will help them find 3-year-old Breeann Rodriguez. The girl was last seen Saturday riding a bike with training wheels in front of her home in Senath. The Kennett Daily Dunklin Democrat reports that authorities aren't disclosing the new evidence, but are now focusing a search south of the town of 1,600 residents about 150 miles south of St. Louis...

After years of being ripped out and kicked to the curb, carpet is making a comeback. And not just the neutral-toned carpets of recent years, but ones that are boldly colored or patterned. The softer, cozier feel of wall-to-wall carpet is appealing to homeowners used to treading on tile and wood, said Emily Morrow, director of color, style and design for Shaw Floors, a company in Dalton, Ga., that specializes in carpet, laminate, tile and hard wood flooring...

Evan Conrad had his sights set on playing football at Missouri, his hometown university. The Columbia, Mo., native's lack of a scholarship offer from the Tigers has been Southeast Missouri State's gain. "He's been a great player for us. We're glad he's here," Southeast coach Tony Samuel said...

Patrolwoman A.C. Walker has used her own life experiences to positively affect Cape Girardeau school children during her two years as the city's DARE officer. Walker was recently rewarded for her work with the program. She received the Missouri DARE officer of the year award Aug. 4...

Dopey & Bashful are part of the 7 Dwarfs litter. All seven are adorable! They are available for adoption at The Humane Society, 573-334-5837. See more pets available at www.semopets.org.

When it's completed this fall, the Route AB extension from highways 74 and 25 will provide more direct east and west access to and from the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority. Crews with Emery Sapp and Sons have worked through the summer on the $2.55 million construction project preparing the new roadway...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO -- August 2, 2011 -- With the Closing of the Family Resource Center, The Boys & Girls Club of Cape Girardeau and the City of Cape Girardeau Parks & Recreation Department has joined together to establish the Shawnee Center Rising Stars. The partnership, finalized on August 1, 2011, was initiated when the Family Resource Center made the decision to close their existing center on South Sprigg...

Wayne Boswell Central High School Class of 1958 Currently Living in Las Vegas, NV is organizing a Central High School Centennial Celebration. Central has just actuated their Centennial website, if you have not seen it yet, please check it out at: http://centennial.capetigers.com If you go to the Calendar of Events icon and click on October, you will see this Dinner and Golf Tournament listed on October 8, 2011 and there is not another similar event for Students and Graduates listed on the entire Centennial Calendar, so if you want to celebrate a Once in a Lifetime Event for Central, please sign up for the events below.. ...

Back in June after the Joplin tornado some members of our church here in Cape Girardeau got together and went to help with the disaster relief efforts. Several of the men and women that went had full time jobs in which they asked those they worked for if they could be sponsered. ...

Officials in the Cape Girardeau School District are hopeful for a September groundbreaking on the 1,000 seat performing arts center to be built at Central High School. Neil Glass, director of administrative services for the district, said bids have been received for the construction of the approximately 24,000-square-foot facility, but came in over the $6,868,446 budget. The center will be on the high school's east side...

ST. LOUIS -- Casey McGehee's double snapped a 10th-inning tie and the Milwaukee Brewers won for the 12th time in 13 games, dealing another blow to their closest pursuers in the NL Central with a 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The U.S. 61 bridge over Apple Creek in Perry County opened to traffic Tuesday. This is the 500th bridge completed through the Missouri Department of Transportation's Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program. Work to replace the bridge began June 13. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- An autopsy has been completed on a woman found dead in Perryville hotel room in late June, but the coroner said he is not releasing the details because the matter is still under investigation. Perry County Coroner Herb Miller said Tuesday that the autopsy of Nicole Jones has been concluded, including toxicology reports on her drug and alcohol levels...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mp. -- Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder kicked off a statewide "listening tour" Monday by speaking at the Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce's quarterly luncheon at the Black River Coliseum. Rep. Todd Richardson also recapped his first year in the Missouri House...

Occasionally, Kai Dunya will pick up one of his toys. "My dad got me this," he'll say. Or, "My mom bought me this." That's about the most the 7-year-old boy will say about his parents these days, according to his grandfather, Gene Peterman. Kai hasn't seen either of them in nearly a month and has been staying with his grandparents in Jackson for the past few weeks...

Paul E. Elliott Jr., 59, of Whitewater died Wednesday, July 27, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 14, 1952, in Senath, Mo., to Paul and Julie Jean Wommack Elliott Sr. He and Kathy Pyrtle were married Aug. 30, 2010, in Jackson...

Larry W. Mueller, 49, of Jackson died Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011, at his home after a hard battle with cancer. He was born Aug. 9, 1961, in St. Louis, to Karl and Elizabeth Kopp Mueller. He and Penny Howell were married Oct. 6, 1990, at Jackson. Larry was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force...

Joe Wilson, 43, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Festus, Mo., died Monday, Aug. 8, 2011. Visitation is from 4 p.m. to service time today at Wilson Funeral Home in Fredericktown, Mo. The service will be at 6 p.m. today at the funeral home, with Randy Sawyer officiating. Inurnment will be at a later date...

Son to Robert Grant Vazquez and Emily Marie Blattel of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 9:46 p.m. Wednesday, July 20, 2011. Name, Collin Joseph. Weight, 7 pounds, 11 ounces. First child. Ms. Blattel is the daughter of Mike and Teresa Blattel of Cape Girardeau. She is employed at Texas Roadhouse in Cape Girardeau. Vazquez is the son of Roberto and Amy Vazquez of Malden, Mo., and Sandra Hicks of Racine, Wis. He is employed at Buffalo Wild Wings in Cape Girardeau...

The congregation of Lighthouse Bible Baptist Church celebrates the 12th anniversary of the church and its pastor, Jack Strickland, during worship services; guest singer is Bill Pursley of Wichita Falls, Tex. ORAN, Mo. -- The Oran School Board will discuss rebuilding the collapsed roof of the Oran High School gymnasium; the center truss of the gymnasium roof gave way and is sagging about nine inches; the structure was built in 1951...

SEOUL, South Korea -- A powerful tropical storm destroyed houses, damaged crops and caused more than 10 deaths and injuries Tuesday in North Korea, already struggling after deadly flooding last month. Tropical Storm Muifa made landfall in the country late Monday and was lashing northeastern China with torrential rain and wind as a weaker tropical depression...

Chris Stein installs a plastic palm tree on top of one of the many entertainment tents Tuesday Aug 9, 2011 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill. The Illinois State Fair will run Aug. 12 through 21. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

PHOENIX -- Three African refugees were arrested after what police described as a fake bomb was found in one of their carry-on bags during security screening at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, police said Tuesday. Phoenix police didn't yet know what the motive was behind the Friday incident and weren't ruling out the possibility of a terrorism connection, Phoenix police Sgt. Steve Martos said Tuesday...

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- The fallen come home here with such dignity that every American flag on every case of remains is inspected for the tiniest smudge. The dead are treated with reverence by everyone. Including their commander in chief...

CHICAGO -- Boy or girl? A simple blood test in mothers-to-be can answer that question with surprising accuracy at about seven weeks, a research analysis has found. Though not widely offered by U.S. doctors, gender-detecting blood tests have been sold online to consumers for the past few years. Their promises of early and accurate results prompted genetics researchers to take a closer look...

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday:...

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

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Though he's not officially a candidate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry's visits this weekend to three important presidential nominating states threaten to overshadow any lift his would-be rivals hope to gain from a big week in Iowa. Perry's expected entrance into the Republican race looms large over Saturday's Iowa straw poll and a nationally televised debate two days earlier -- and he's not participating in either event. ...

WASHINGTON -- It's the last thing a nervous consumer and a fragile economy needed: a confidence-killing nosedive on Wall Street. Americans struggling with lean wages, job insecurity and high gasoline prices have seen a 15-percent plunge in stock prices shrink their 401(k) accounts over the past 2 1/2 weeks. When consumers feel less wealthy, they're less likely to buy new furniture, new appliances or new cars. And their spending drives about 70 percent of the economy...

CRYSTAL CITY, Mo. -- Another Missouri city is requiring a prescription to purchase cold and allergy pills containing pseudoephedrine -- a key ingredient used to make methamphetamine. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the city council in Crystal City voted 5-2 Monday in favor of the measure...

If you're a teacher in Missouri, you might want to filter through your Facebook friend list and delete any students younger than 18. Senate Bill 54 -- referred to by some as the "Facebook Law" -- was signed by Gov. Nixon last month. The law prohibits the private online connection between students under the age of 18 with school employees, and any work-related website must be available to school administrators and the child's legal custodian, physical custodian or legal guardian...

Speaking aloud that multiculturalism strengthens America is trendy, politically correct and shows a regard for the differences in people. At the risk of angering my liberal friends, I will say aloud "that multiculturalism is not presently making America stronger." When a population of people press their ethnic and cultural interests above the interests of a unified America, we are not moving forward. ...

I fully admit I don't know exactly what to make of the credit rating downgrade for our great nation. I know just enough to understand that it hurts our image around the world and that it has the potential for impacting interest rates for consumers. Beyond that, I know very little...

Frequently I am asked if I ever run out of recipes or ideas to write about. And always, my answer is no. The possibilities are endless, and the list of topics I could share is just as long. I receive dozens of recipes each week by email from different people, groups and magazines. ...

The Redhawks senior is hoping to expand on his special teams duties in 2011

O God, we praise you, for all your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal. Amen.

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson is scheduled to discuss the nation's debt crisis, fiscal condition and other recent Congressional issues Thursday night at the monthly meeting of the Cape Girardeau Kiwanis Club. The Cape Girardeau Republican is expected to speak at 7 p.m. after a 6:30 p.m. dinner...

LONDON -- London began nearly tripling the number of police on its streets Tuesday to try to end Britain's worst rioting in a generation -- three nights of looting and burning by poor, diverse and brazen crowds of young people. Meanwhile, however, the chaos spread to at least one more major city...

BEIRUT -- President Bashar Assad discussed "concrete steps" to end the violent crackdown on protesters during six hours of talks Tuesday with Turkey's foreign minister, even as the Syrian military unleashed a fresh assault on dissent that activists said killed more than 20 people...

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Reserve offered super-low interest rates for two more years Tuesday -- an unprecedented step to arrest an economic free fall that dragged down the stock market. Wall Street roared its approval and finished a wild day with a 429-point gain...

The July 4 fireworks display in the Cleveland suburb of Shaker Heights was anything but a family affair. As many as 1,000 teenagers, mobilized through social networking sites, turned out and soon started fighting and disrupting the event. Thanks to social networks like Twitter and Facebook, more and more so-called flash mobs are materializing across the globe, leaving police scrambling to keep tabs on the spontaneous assemblies...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Route W in Scott County will be closed Monday, while Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a pipe under the road. This section of road is between county roads 271 and 277. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The work zone will be marked with signs. For additional information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636...

LOGAN, Utah -- A northern Utah hospital is reporting an increase in snake sightings and bites this summer. Officials at Logan Regional Hospital report they've seen six snake bite victims so far in 2011, including two within the past week. The hospital usually sees just one or two snake bites during an entire year...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- A Cobden, Ill., man pleaded guilty in court Tuesday to one count of reckless homicide in the March traffic crash on Interstate 57 that resulted in the death of an Anna, Ill., man. Daniel J. Bible, 27, made the plea to the felony that could draw a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, according to a news release from Union County State's Attorney Tyler R. ...

IF the Republicans gain control of both houses of Congress and elect a president next November, the decimation of Medicare and Social Security will ensure that the status of seniors and many other citizens will be similar to that of the current condition of millions of Somalians...

Morgan Maguire of the Gator Swim Team won six gold medals and was voted the outstanding performance at the recent Junior Olympic Games in New Orleans. Caitlyn Palmer also won six gold medals as the Gators won 16 golds overall. Maguire won the 200, 400 and 1,500 freestyle, the 200 and 400 individual medley as well as the 200 butterfly...

B.J. Smith accepted the job at Highland Community College in Kansas

A new high bid submitted Tuesday has extended the auction for the former federal building in Cape Girardeau into today. Tuesday afternoon the high bid in the U.S. General Services Administration's online auction was $545,000. The bid was submitted late Tuesday morning, adding another 24-hour extension to the auction...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Columbia, Mo., man serving a 40-year prison sentence for the 2001 killing of a newspaper editor will get to present new evidence in court that his attorneys say proves his innocence. Ryan Ferguson, 26, was convicted in 2005 of second-degree murder in the strangling of Columbia Daily Tribune sports editor Kent Heitholt...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday pledged to give up to $1 million to help equip high school students in the tornado-ravaged city of Joplin, Mo., with laptop computers for the coming school year. When the new school year begins later this month, some students will attend classes in a converted big-box store, but they'll have new Apple notebooks to aid their studies...

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following guest column originally appeared on State Sen. Jason's Crowell's blog at semissourian.com. Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of discussion from Jefferson City politicians suggesting the General Assembly will be called back into a special legislative session focused on "economic development." In fact, Senate and House leadership have spent much of July in a backroom in St. ...

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) -- Eastbound lanes of a Mississippi River bridge linking Illinois to Missouri are back in business after being closed when a man's body was found on the span. East St. Louis police say the man may have been hit by a car near the east end of the Eads Bridge connecting St. Louis to East St. Louis...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture says June's floods and July's hot dry weather are causing the state's corn and soybean crops to come under stress. It appears the state's soybean crop is in the most danger at the moment. USDA estimates show that Missouri soybean farmer will harvest 20,000 acres less of the crop than last year. ...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A new program at a prison in Southeast Missouri is allowing inmates to clean and repair walkers, wheelchairs, crutches and canes for people in developing countries. Prisoners at the Southeast Correctional Center in Charleston are assisting in the Wheels for the World Ministry. ...

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County has a new emergency management director. The decision to hire Patrick Young of Oran, Mo., to the position was made Thursday, County Commissioners said during their regular meeting Tuesday. Commissioner Dennis Ziegenhorn said commissioners held off on announcing their choice as a courtesy to other applicants so they could inform them by letter that the position was filled...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Local veterans will join the many who benefit from the annual Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo this year. Tonight is Patriot Night, according to Cal Crader, general chairman for this year's event. "It is designed to raise awareness of the need for rehabilitation and other services for the veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan as they return with their units and get back to their families and regular careers," Crader said. ...

Scott City children can get a glimpse of what it was like for 15 others who participated in a community group's day program over the summer during a free event Friday at the Scott City Park. The Scott City Interactive Park Program, or SCIPP, will host the first SCIPP Anne Smith Day beginning at 8 a.m. ...

Hummingbird coming in to feed on sweet nectar on a hot summer afternoon.

My memoir will touch many hearts. I went through love, divorce, affair, and loss in just 90 days. Please let me share my story with you. 2011 Indie Excellence Award Memoir Finalist FINAL DRIVE BY SHELLY HESS New Release That Explores a Family's Response to Losing a Father and Husband...

Calling the company "trespassers" in court documents, Cape Girardeau officials are asking a bankruptcy judge in Texas to allow them to evict Commander Premier Aircraft Corp. from city-owned property at the airport. A hearing has been set for 9:30 a.m. Aug. 23 before Judge Bill Parker, who will consider the city's request...

Cape Girardeau will welcome 835 athletes and coaches to town this weekend as it hosts the Special Olympics State Outdoor Championships for the second year. In 2010, the city started a four-year run as the host for the summer games, which are golf, tennis and softball...

Cornerstone Church of Cape Girardeau will host a Southern Gospel Concert with the Old Timers Quartet on August 27, 2011 at 7:00pm. The concert will be held at the church at 922 Koch Ave in Cape Girardeau. Admission is free with a freewill ofering received. The concert will be followed by a reception with ice cream and cookies...

The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri hosted the Mid-America Juried Arts Exhibition and the 2011 Summer Arts Academy for its August First Friday activities. Nearly 400 people were in attendance. The Mid-America Juried Arts Exhibit, sponsored by Bank of Missouri, as well as private sponsors, features 40 works by local artists as well as artist from Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. ...

Sharing her love of local history with area families was Jane Randol Jackson's passion. The 64-year-old, who was co-founder of the Red House Interpretive Center and former director of the Cape Girardeau County Archive Center, died Monday at her home in The Villages, Fla...

Volunteers will continue their search for Jacque Waller on Saturday and are asking those interested in assisting in the search to show up at 8 a.m. at Cape County Cowboy Church, 2020 Orchid Lane in Oak Ridge. Organizers said in a news release that they are hoping this will be the largest search yet. ...

With less than a minute to go, the auction of the former federal building in Cape Girardeau was extended by a new bid on Wednesday. The high bid Wednesday afternoon stood at $565,000. Two of the four bidders have been battling for the top spot and extending the auction with last-minute offers since Friday...