Stories from Sunday, November 13, 2011

It was a game that either football team would have come away from feeling like it squandered a golden opportunity. Southeast Missouri State was left with those thoughts following Saturday's 22-21 home loss to Jacksonville State. Southeast fell to 3-7 overall and 2-5 in Ohio Valley Conference play. JSU (6-4, 5-2) broke a three-game losing streak and moved back into a tie for first place in the OVC...

Despite the cold and breezy morning, the gathering room at the Missouri Veterans Home was entirely full of veterans, staff, volunteers and community members to pay tribute to those who have served the country.

The wild ride began like this: "How you guys doing? It's Taylor Swift." The on-air telephone call from the famous country music singer set off a crazy few weeks for Scott Cox, a Cape Girardeau native and longtime radio disc jockey. It culminated with Cox standing on the stage last week of the Country Music Awards in Nashville, Tenn., accepting a top award in country music radio...

Franklin Elementary School principal Dr. Rhonda Dunham has many memories in the building facing Louisiana Street. She was a student there years before she became the school's leader. "I will be very sad to see it torn down," she said. "It's not only my history, but the community's history."...

Johannes Auto Sales, Jackson MO, has been recycling automobiles for 48 years. To help celebrate America Recycles Day and raise peoples' awareness of the important benefits of buying Green Recycled Parts™ harvested from motor vehicles, Johannes Auto Sales will accept all types of vehicle batteries on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 15-16, Johannes will donate $15 for each battery collected on those two days to a local Christmas toy drive...

This year's fall harvest is winding down behind schedule, due to late planting and fall rains. During the past month, Southeast Missouri counties have had more than two inches of rain -- some, including New Madrid and Pemiscot counties, nearly three and a half inches -- keeping farmers out of the fields...

That's a lot of onesies. Eleven babies were born at Saint Francis Medical Center on Friday and they all will have the birthday of 11/11/11 -- a record-high single-day number of births for the Cape Girardeau hospital. The babies started arriving at 7:33 a.m. ...

Madison checks out Mommy's wild hair, while her own hair is even wilder, at the Magic House in St Louis with the static ball.

My 2 year old daughter Madison playing in the fall leaves with her pumpkin.

My son Dustin got the big one he has been watching for 3 years!!!!

More than 40 people gathered Saturday morning to hear a leading authority on the Cherokee discuss their movement along the Trail of Tears and through Southeast Missouri. Dr. Duane King, executive director of the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Okla., described the Trail of Tears as the forced removal of the Cherokee from their native lands in lower Appalachia to Indian Territory, what is now Oklahoma, in 1838 and 1839...

Today is Sunday, Nov. 13, the 317th day of 2011. There are 48 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Nov. 13, 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down laws calling for racial segregation on public city and state buses...

Ashley Dost and Christopher Stark were united in marriage Oct. 1, 2011, at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, Mo. The Rev. Kristopher Morris performed the ceremony. Readers were Shannon Groll of Kaiser, Mo., and Nicole Gamm of Ulman, Mo., sisters of the groom. Pianist was Matt Palisch of Jackson...

BENTON, Mo. -- Haley Annette Jennings and Allan Drew Silman were married Oct. 15, 2011, at St. Denis Catholic Church. The Rev. Michael Casteel performed the ceremony. Soloist was Brad Berry of Jackson. Parents of the couple are Randy and Jana Jennings of Bernie, Mo., and Mark and Cindy Silman of Benton...

Cassie Amanda Gross and Edgar Lloyd Myers IV were united in marriage Sept. 30, 2011, at Pere Marquette Lodge in Grafton, Ill. The Rev. Charles Mister and Bill Roussel performed the ceremony. Music was by Ben Harper. The bride is the daughter of Chris and Debbie Gross of Cape Girardeau. The groom is the son of Ed and Nancy Myers of Jackson...

Rachel Renee Ruopp and Timothy Adam Wencewicz were married May 14, 2011, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The Revs. David Hulshof and James Seyer performed the ceremony. Organist was Teresa Maurer of Cape Girardeau, and vocalists were Jackie Pollvogt of St. Louis and Mike Kohlfeld of Cape Girardeau. Music was by string quartet Landolfi of St. Louis...

ORAN, Mo. -- Robin and Mark Hill of Oran and Lindy and Sharyn Duncan of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Carmen Duncan, to Joshua Diebold. He is the son of Ronnie and Sandy Diebold of Oran. Duncan is a 2006 graduate of Oran High School. She received a degree in nursing from Southeast Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences. She is a registered nurse at Saint Francis Medical Center...

Johnny and Lori Vavak of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Jessie Lee Vavak, to Ryan David Eftink. He is the son of David and Doris Eftink of Oran, Mo. Vavak is a graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University. She is a registered nurse in NICU at Saint Francis Medical Center...

Pictured here is a strange insect I photographed Tuesday in Scott County. This wingless insect is called a meloe. It is one of about 7,500 species of blister beetles occurring worldwide. I saw this insect come out of a small hole in the ground. I watched it clumsily climbing on newly fallen leaves and other vegetation while always remaining close to the ground. It sometimes paused to eat green grass or green tender leaves of small plants...

Missouri's youngest deer hunters shattered a teens season harvest record set just two years ago, killing 16,380 deer during the Nov. 5 and 6 early segment of the season. The two-day total for this year's early teens season is 1,346 more than the previous full season record of 15,034, which was set during the second year of an extended, four day teens hunt. The previous record for the first two days of the teens season was 13,328, set in 2009...

The Ruopp and Ruopp Dentistry gathered 173 pounds of candy from the community to give to the troops in Afghanistan. The event ran from Oct. 31 to Nov. 10. They gave $1 for every pound of candy brought in as well as a flashing toothbrush. The candies will be sent to Operation Gratitude with the California National Guard. ...

LOS ANGELES -- You are spending Thanksgiving with Aunt Nellie in Kansas. Your dog will be staying in a hotel suite called Neiman Barcus with a flat-screen TV. There might be surf lessons, catered meals, a massage, pawdicure, spa bath and photo shoot...

Pet name: Bailey Owner: Wil Halter Favorite activity: Bailey loves getting all dressed up for fall.

Coal is a charming Lab mix puppy who is 5 months old. He has a sweet disposition and loves to play and be petted. For more information, contact Safe Harbor at 243-9823.

Jasmine is 7 months old. She is available for adoption at the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri, 334-5837.

Today's youths face tremendous challenges, particularly when the topic turns to relationships and abstinence. Patton, Mo., native Regina Tittel addresses these issues and more in The Ozark Durham Series. The five-book series is considered to be in the category of inspirational suspense romance. Tittel's first book, "Abandoned Hearts," deals with abstinence and scripture memory...

Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner, and while many of us will be busy enjoying festive activities and meals with family and friends, some in our community face more dire circumstances. However, thanks to churches and organizations like the Salvation Army, there is support for those less fortunate...

WE should never have allowed him to get away in the first place. For Cape Girardeau Middle School principal, bring back Frank Ellis. SOON shopping for Christmas gifts will begin and we will spend $500 billion on each other in our country. Somehow we link celebrating the birth of Christ with wastefulness that he would deplore. ...

By Ron L. Anderson Nov. 13 to 19 will mark the 90th annual observance of American Education Week -- a time for recognizing our public schools and the relationships between teachers, support staff, students, parents and the community. The theme of this year's celebration, "Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility," spotlights the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education. ...

Thank you, O Heavenly Father, that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Amen.

George E. Farrow Jr., 79, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 20, 1931, in Cape Girardeau County, to George and Emma R. Perry Farrow Sr. George worked as an engineer on a riverboat for 30 years. He was a member of Iona Baptist Church. George enjoyed wood working and being with his friends...

DWIs...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday:...

Mildred M. Melcher, 71, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Oct. 21, 1940, in Calvin, Okla., to John Franklin and Ruby Virginia Clemmons Sneed. Mrs. Melcher had worked for Duschell Furniture and later for Drury Hotels in Cape Girardeau...

WAYNESVILLE, Mo. -- Steven Matthew Huffman, 34, of Waynesville died Friday, Nov. 11, 2011, at his home. Friends may call at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Waynesville United Methodist Church. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the church. Burial will be in Waynesville Memorial Park Cemetery...

Son to Mark Anthony Guillen and Amanda Lynn Gaulding of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 10:04 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011. Name, Anthony. Weight, 7 pounds, 7 ounces. First child. Ms. Gaulding is the daughter of Marilyn Gaulding and William Gaulding of Perryville. Guillen is the son of Anthony Guillen of San Antonio, Texas, and Tonya Ann Dugan of Las Vegas...

The "Siberian Express" arrived last night in Cape Girardeau; the overnight low of 14 degrees at municipal airport smashed the old record of 18, set on this date in 1976; the overnight low at Jackson was 7. The Cape Girardeau County Commission has been advised that an increase in the sheet metal workers' prevailing wage determination will increase the costs of construction of a new administrative office building at Jackson by just over $10,000...

Cape Girardeau Elementary MONDAY--Chicken nuggets or turkey & cheese on bun, chicken & herb rice, peaches. TUESDAY--Chicken quesadilla or ham & cheese on bun, corn, apple sections. WEDNESDAY--Turkey & gravy or ham & cheese on bun, whipped potatoes, gravy, green beans, hot roll, Krispy Kreme wafer cookie...

Just as clothing styles come and go, and celebrities are often spotted with their knitting projects in hand, the domestic art of sewing is enjoying resurgence across the country. But whether this trend is the result of hard economic times, a reflection of green living or a bold political statement is debatable...

Southeast SportsCare partnered with the Jackson High School fall sports teams to create "Champions Against Cancer Week," which was held Sept. 26 to 30 to raise money for the fight against cancer and help fund the school's fall sports programs. Nearly $3,500 was raised from the sale of "Champions Against Cancer" T-shirts and other fundraisers. ...

The Southeast Black & Gold Chapter of the Missouri Alumni Association met Nov. 7 at the MU Extension Center in Jackson. Three board members, Tom Frasher, Roger Guyot and Larry Simon, were present. Guyot gave the treasurer's report. The account values are unchanged from last month...

Tim Tebow is the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos, and his Christianity is on open display at all times when he plays football. While leading the University of Florida to two national championships in three seasons (and winning the Heisman Trophy in 2007), Tebow put Bible verse citations -- most notably John 3:16 -- in his eye black on game days. ...

A support group for grandparents or other relatives who are raising children other than their own will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at the First Baptist Church in Whitewater, 180 W. Main St. These are educational sessions that include a program, discussions on location of resources and a time for sharing of ideas. Baby-sitting is available upon request, and a light supper will be served. Call Rita Berry at 573-382-1815 or 573-382-0430 to register and to let her know who is attending...

After their first four shows, the Southeast Missouri State University Redhawk Equestrian Team is placed sixth overall as a team in its region. They have two riders that qualified individually for regionals, which will be held at the end of the season...

I didn't always think that being God's love to my family members was a big way to serve him. Even though my family members are the people who mean the most to me, they were also the people I spent the most time with, and it didn't always seem particularly exciting or exotic to intentionally be God's love to them. ...

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland officials have twice issued eviction notices to an anti-Wall Street encampment and officials elsewhere urged an end to similar gatherings as pressures against Occupy protest sites mounted in the wake of three deaths in different cities, including two by gunfire...

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- Two Border Patrol agents walked by a patch of brush on a remote ranch and saw nothing. But 19,000 feet overhead in the night sky, a Predator unmanned aircraft kept its heat-sensing eye on the spot. In an operations center about 80 miles away, all eyes were on a suspicious dark cluster on a video screen. Moments later, the drone operators triggered the craft's infrared beam and pointed the agents directly to the undergrowth where two silent figures were hiding...

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Unsparing in their criticism of President Barack Obama, Republican presidential hopefuls disagreed in campaign debate Saturday night about the right course in Afghanistan, the use of waterboarding and the wisdom of a pre-emptive military strike to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon...

St. Louis blanked the Lightning 3-0 behind backup goalie

Missouri won 17-5 to end a six-game losing streak to the Longhorns

*** The Jackson Police Department released the following. Arrests do not imply guilt. Miscellaneous * A peace disturbance was reported in the 300 block of North Bast Street.

NEW YORK -- Ashton Kutcher is handing over his Twitter account to his personal management after he tweeted several uninformed messages about Joe Paterno's exit from Penn State. On Wednesday night, Kutcher defended the football coach on Twitter before learning the details of the alleged sex-abuse scandal swirling around former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Kutcher then recanted and apologized on Twitter...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team put a scare into 25th-ranked Missouri for one half Friday night. But the explosive Tigers pulled away early in the second half for an 83-68 win in the season opener before an announced crowd of 9,612 at Mizzou Arena...

CLEVELAND -- Once reviled rivals, Colt McCoy and Sam Bradford are now fast friends. However, that doesn't mean they won't scuffle. "They would compete eating ice cream cones," said Browns coach Pat Shurmur, who has taught both young quarterbacks...

Jackson's Troxel also won a pair of medals

The former Jackson standout had 19 tackles Saturday to run his season total to 136

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team suffered a lopsided loss in its season opener, but first-year coach Ty Margenthaler was not discouraged after his debut. Margenthaler said he saw positives during Friday's 66-29 defeat at North Carolina State of the Atlantic Coast Conference...

MEXICO CITY -- He was the face of Mexico's federal government, the chief public servant carrying a message to stay tough and bringing new offensives to states beleaguered by drug violence. The death of Mexico's No. 2 official, Interior Secretary Francisco Blake Mora, in a helicopter crash Friday was a mishap too odd for some Mexicans to accept as an accident. ...

ROME -- Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi resigned Saturday after parliament's lower chamber passed European-demanded reforms, ending a 17-year political era and setting in motion a transition aimed at bringing the country back from the brink of economic crisis...

ST. LOUIS -- Sandra Bryant's life the past decade has been one of great escapes, the first coming with her fleeing the family's burning house unscathed as her teenage son died inside. Authorities later accused her of killing the boy by intentionally setting the blaze for the insurance money, but the mother walked free after a judge declared a mistrial, barring state prosecutors from going after her again...

ST. LOUIS -- A Southern Illinois Roman Catholic priest already on probation for shoplifting butter and a sofa cover now faces a felony theft charge linked to his alleged attempt to pilfer a $28 pipe-smoker's ashtray from an antique store. Prosecutors in Illinois' St. ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- For years John Murphy has spent about $12,000 annually to send his children to private Catholic schools in Kansas City, where dismal test scores have forced the state to yank the public district's status as an accredited school system...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Police have arrested eight Occupy Springfield protesters. The Springfield News Leader reported that the protesters were arrested at a vacant lot near the Springfield Expo Center on Friday. The eight people were arrested after they refused to leave the lot...

The Southeast Missouri State volleyball team split two home matches over the weekend to end the regular season. Southeast, as a result, qualified for the Ohio Valley Conference tournament for the first time since 2008. Friday's 16-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-15 win over Austin Peay punched the Redhawks' ticket to the OVC tournament that begins Thursday at regular-season champion Morehead State...

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Poetry chairs by Chris Pagano were part of the Second Saturday art show by the Jackson Art Group Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011 at the Steck House Gallery, 210 E. Washington St. in Jackson. The event marked the group's first anniversary. The next monthly show will be held Dec. 10....

TRIPOLI, Libya -- Libya won't turn into an extremist Islamic country, its interim leader assured the European Union's top diplomat on Saturday, adding that the formation of a new government of experts is to be completed in the coming week. Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, chairman of the National Transitional Council, caused a stir in the West last month when he said Islamic Shariah law would be the main source of legislation in the new Libya and that tenets violating it would be nullified...

HONOLULU -- Placing high hopes on the economic power of Pacific Rim nations, President Barack Obama on Saturday declared the Asia-Pacific region the heart of explosive growth for years to come. For businesses, he said, "this is where the action's going to be."...

ST. LOUIS -- Several Occupy St. Louis protesters arrested for defying an order to leave a park where they had been camped for weeks were released from jail Saturday, and demonstrators were expected to test the city's resolve for a second straight night...

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- The University of Missouri has unveiled a restored memorial to World War I veterans during a campus Veterans Day ceremony. The American War Mothers' Memorial honors the 117 MU students killed during World War I. It was originally dedicated in 1930 but removed in 1987 for a Rollins Street widening project...