Stories from Friday, November 18, 2011

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- Suspended Missouri football coach Gary Pinkel pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of drunken driving Friday and received a 30-day suspended sentence along with two years' probation. Two hours after he was formally charged, Pinkel and his attorney were in Boone County court. His plea renders a scheduled December court date moot...

The Cape Girardeau County Commission heard a medical benefits proposal Thursday that would pay employees to compare medical procedure costs. County Clerk Kara Clark Summers outlined premiums from four possible providers of 2012 employee group medical plans and recommended a change from Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to Group Health Plan, part of Coventry Health Care of Missouri, Inc...

"There's a certain 'it' some people have," Southeast coach Tony Samuel said of quarterback Matt Scheible. "I thought he had that. I was convinced."

Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, will be in Cape Girardeau on Sunday morning at Christ Episcopal Church. Jefferts Schori is in St. Louis for the state's Diocesan Convention, and Cape Girardeau was selected as the location for her to lead a Sunday service while in the state...

Justin D. Roach, 26, of Jackson was charged with first-degree burglary and felony stealing in connection with a Cape Girardeau burglary. Roach allegedly broke into a home at 1918 Dunklin St. in Cape Girardeau on Tuesday around 12:09 p.m., according to a Cape Girardeau Police Department news release. ...

Wyatt with his seven pointer that he harvested on his property near Commerce. He also bagged 4 does and a buck on a recent trip to Tennessee. Wyatt was hunting with his Grandpa LeDure.

Construction crews began raising and installing steel beams earlier this week for the Isle of Capri casino building. The steel building frame construction is expected to be completed sometime in February, according to Isle of Capri spokeswoman Jill Alexander...

Cape Girardeau area Manpower Associates recently held Halloween Bake Sales to raise money for the Manpower Associate Peer Assistance Committee (MAPAC) Christmas Fund. The 4 teams raised a combined total of $1225.00 that will be used to help families of local Manpower Associates that are in need this Christmas. D-Team, pictured here, was the winner of the challenge, having raised an amazing $560.50. D-Team is led by Chauncy Hilliard, Shift Manager...

Van Hitt announced that he will step down as Jackson's football coach at a team banquet Thursday night.

Will's first deer was a buck that he bagged during the youth season. Will is the 8 year old son of Brad and Denae LeDure, and the grandson of Edwin and Lois LeDure, and Dennis and Patsy Holland.

As a result of campaign pledges coming in below expectations, the United Way of Southeast Missouri has had to re-evaluate its operating costs and make some changes. The local not-for-profit has eliminated one member of its four-person staff. John McGowan, who served as director of community impact for the United Way for the past five years, was let go Nov. 11 in an effort to cut administrative costs at the agency...

The Oran Lady Eagles volleyball team poses with their Breast Cancer Awareness bulletin board. Pictured on the left side (front to back): Chrissy Sauceda, Angela Schrum, Addie Kielhofner, and Lera Rose. Middle section (left to right): Allie Cummins, Kali Mills, Molly Cook, and Brooke Schlitt. Right side (front to back): Molly Webb, Stephanie Markham, Taylor Nenninger, and Toni Hency...

The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), Girardot Chapter of Cape Girardeau met on November 15, 2011. The program "Computer Internet Safety" was presented by Patrolman Darin Hickey of the Cape Girardeau Police Department. ...

BROWNWOOD, Mo. -- A soldier from Brownwood, in northern Stoddard County, has been confirmed killed in Afghanistan. James and Cheri Burnett, of Brownwood, were notified Wednesday night by U.S. Army officials, of the death of their son, James Burnett, Jr...

Cape Girardeau City Council candidate Trent Summers twice pleaded guilty to driving-while-intoxicated charges over an eight-month span in 2003 and 2004 while the then-24-year-old worked as an elections specialist with the Missouri secretary of state's office...

AFFTON, Mo. (AP) -- Services are set for early next week for a 13-month-old suburban St. Louis boy who authorities say was fatally beaten by his mother. A St. Louis County judge on Thursday entered a not guilty plea on behalf of 20-year-old Shelby Dasher of Affton, a day after she was charged with second-degree murder in the death of son Tyler...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) -- About two dozen homeless people who were camping in downtown Springfield are taking down the camp after a deal was reached with the city. The Rev. Larry Rice began allowing camping in a parking lot of his New Life Evangelistic Center more than a week ago. The city had gone to court to evict the campers and a hearing was scheduled for Friday morning...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Barge traffic on the Mississippi River was at a standstill for a second day Friday in both directions near St. Louis as crews scrambled to clear sediment crimping navigation along a stretch of the waterway. Several barges were lined up, at times side by side, in a holding pattern near downtown St. ...

Today is Friday, Nov. 18, the 322nd day of 2011. There are 43 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Nov. 18, 1883, the United States and Canada adopted a system of Standard Time zones. On this date: In 1886, the 21st president of the United States, Chester A. Arthur, died in New York...

The Jackson Art Group celebrated its one-year anniversary this month with a veteran-themed gallery of works. Over the past year, the group has kept busy holding monthly openings from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every second Saturday. Openings are usually themed or feature the work of a local artist or group member and are held at the Steck House Gallery, which is owned by and next door to the First Presbyterian Church at 208 East Washington St...

Southeast Missouri State University emerging artists will be spotlighted at the annual Fall Bachelor of Fine Arts Graduating Seniors Exhibition Nov. 28 through Dec. 9 in the River Campus Art Gallery. The exhibition will have two parts, with the first half of the exhibition running from Nov. ...

Looking for a fun way to kick off the holiday season? Consider attending one or more of this weekend's local craft shows. The 41st annual Arts and Crafts Extravaganza is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at the Osage Centre and Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau. Saturday the show kicks off at 10 a.m. and goes until 5 p.m. Sunday hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Patrons may purchase one ticket for $5 that is good for both days and locations. Sunday-only tickets are $3...

The most recent production by Central High School's Red Dagger club is "Arsenic and Old Lace" by Joseph Kesselring. It is the story of two charming, innocent old women that spend their time not knitting but helping old lonely men along their way to the afterlife, whether the men want to or not. ...

Tonight the Cape River Heritage Museum will host the launch of "Heartland Heritage 2." The reception will feature readings from Southeast Missouri authors, and copies of the anthology will be available to purchase for $6. Fourteen writers contributed to the project. A memoir about Christmas during the Great Depression and a humorous poem about a "slumber party for the Golden Girls" are two examples of entries...

As the Christmas season approaches, the Central High School Choral Department offers the public of Cape Girardeau the opportunity to ring in the Yuletide season with the pomp and pageantry of Merrie Old England by presenting the annual Madrigal Feaste. ...

"The system is broken" is the common label describing Washington. But it isn't the system; it is one element of that system. As Congress considers issues confronting our nation, Republican Party leaders repeatedly identify their priority as limiting President Obama to one term; they display no interest in what is best for the nation. ...

THIS is to say a very grateful thank you to the kind gentleman at Saint Francis Medical Center who proved how kind and good people in Southeast Missouri are. During the downpour of rain one night recently when I got off duty, this gentleman offered to go after my car for me while I stayed dry under the canopy. Of course he got very wet. I called him George but did not get his real name. Thanks for being so kind to me, George...

Editor's note: This week's column is by a young writer making her debut in the Southeast Missourian. Please welcome our newest guest columnist, Missy Kitty. By Missy Kitty The other day, one of the two humans who live at my house said something that, well, put me off a bit...

O God, may we always strive to follow your teachings and will for our lives. Amen.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Wednesday morning fire destroyed a Sikeston home. The Sikeston Department of Public Safety received a call at 9:22 a.m. of a fire at 410 Prosperity St., according to Lt. Bill Mygatt. Firefighters had the blaze under control by 9:35 a.m. and extinguished shortly before 10 a.m...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Dexter, Mo., man was sentenced to more than a decade in prison Wednesday for sexually assaulting a young boy in 2008. Kyle L. Cantrell, 22, was sentenced to 12 years in prison by Presiding Circuit Judge Stephen Sharp, according to a news release from Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver...

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio -- Ohio troopers making a traffic stop say they found a pot present: a gift-wrapped package containing 25 individually wrapped packets of marijuana. The driver, from Washington state, has been charged with trafficking and possession of marijuana and possession of criminal tools, both felonies, and a misdemeanor count of driving under suspension...

LOS ANGELES -- California's attorney general has subpoenaed mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac looking into their lending practices in the state, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday. The subpoenas were issued to the two firms as part of a state investigation, the person said on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to talk about it publicly...

NEW YORK -- A pilot accidentally locked himself in the bathroom aboard a flight to New York City and touched off a brief hijacking terror scare that underscored the fears about air travel that still linger more than a decade after 9/11. The captain of Delta Flight 6132 got stuck in the lavatory Wednesday during the flight from Asheville, N.C., to La Guardia Airport...

BEIRUT -- Syria's allies in Russia called for urgent talks Thursday between Damascus and the opposition, saying an attack by Syrian renegade troops on a government building looks like the start of a civil war. President Bashar Assad is facing severe international isolation stemming from his crackdown on an 8-month-old uprising, which the U.N. estimates has killed 3,500 people. The Arab League suspended Damascus on Wednesday and threatened economic sanctions if the violence continues...

WASHINGTON -- Little by very little, the job market is getting better. A closely watched measure of the jobs crisis, the number of people filing for unemployment benefits for the first time each week, fell to 388,000 in a report released Thursday, its lowest point since April...

WASHINGTON -- Builders have found a way to make money in a decrepit home market: Apartments. The number of permits to build apartments jumped to a three-year high last month. In 12 months, they've surged 63 percent. Blame the housing bust, which left many people without the means, the credit or the stomach to buy. More people need apartments. The demand has driven up monthly rents. And apartment-home builders are rushing to cash in...

WASHINGTON -- Republicans and Democrats exchanged barbs but little else Thursday as Congress' supercommittee limped toward a Nov. 23 deadline with no tangible evidence of progress on a deficit-reduction plan. "They've never really put paper on the table. It's very frustrating," House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said of Democrats...

Dora Lois Bollheimer, 95, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Jackson, died Tuesday Nov. 15, 2011, at Auburn Creek Assisted Living in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 27, 1916, in Doniphan, Mo., to Alphanso Green and Dora Elizabeth Hutton Paul. She and J.M. Bollheimer were married July 28, 1941. He died Feb. 12, 1994...

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. -- Barbara Ann Miller, 79, of Osage Beach, formerly of Commerce, Mo., died Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, at Lake Regional Hospital in Osage Beach. She was born May 24, 1932, at Sedalia, Mo., the daughter of George T. and Alvena A. Hassler Kincade. She married J. Robert Miller on June 4, 1949. He preceded her in death April 27, 1993...

WAYNESVILLE, Mo. -- Steven Matthew Huffman passed away in his sleep, after a long battle with sarcoidosis, at his home in Waynesville on Friday, Nov. 11, 2011. Steven was born Dec. 4, 1976, in Columbia, Mo., to Eddie Dean Huffman and Jacquelyn Cato Huffman...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Larry Gene Matthews, 80, died Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, at the Golden Living Center in Dexter. Friends may call from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday at the First United Methodist Church in Dexter The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the First United Methodist Church in Dexter, with the Rev. Mike Wood officiating. Interment will follow in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Fruitland...

Joann E. "Boby" Zoellner, 67, of Perryville, Mo., died Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday and 6:30 to 8:15 a.m. Tuesday at Young and Sons Funeral Home. Zoellner will then be taken to Immanuel Lutheran Church for a service at 10 a.m., with the Rev. Matthew Marks officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery...

James Marberry, 71, of East Cape Girardeau, Ill., died Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, at his son's home in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Twins to Brittany Donielle Newson of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, Monday, Nov. 7, 2011. Son, Ele Armani KaRaye at 6:02 p.m. Weight, 5 pounds 12 ounces. Daughter, KaNijae JyRique Logan, at 6:08 p.m. Weight, 6 pounds, 2 ounces. Second son, second daughter. Ms. Newson is the daughter of Donald Newson of New Madrid, Mo., and Lisa A. Hamilton of Cape Girardeau...

HIGHLAND, Mo. -- Oliver S. Zahner, 84, of Highland died Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011, at his home. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and from 6:30 to 9:20 a.m. Saturday at Young and Sons Funeral Home. Zahner will then be taken to St. Joseph Catholic Church in Highland for Mass at 10 a.m., with Rev. Robert Brockland officiating...

Sales of season tickets for what are considered prime seats for Southeast Missouri State University basketball games, which will be held in the university- and city-owned multipurpose building beginning next year, already have exceeded 1,300. C. Neal Davis, a member of the Rotary Club of Cape Girardeau, has been named associate secretary for programs and development of Rotary International...

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

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

They may not technically have lineage in the royal family, but the guys in We the Kings possess a certain musical majesty. The alt-rock foursome's self-titled album went to the top spot on Billboard's New Alternative Album sales chart. That album contained some of We the Kings' most popular songs like "Secret Valentine" and "Check Yes Juliet." Their newest record, "Sunshine State of Mind" features alternative pop rock songs that may not have you moshing, but will get you jumping and singing along. ...

When most people look out the window, they see the world. Dodie Eisenhauer just saw the screen. Eisenhauer turns pieces of wire, mesh and raw materials into angels, ornaments and jewelry. Her idea to make a bow out of wire mesh window screens has sustained her 20-year crafting career and has gained her recognition with the CBS Early Show, Universal Studios and Princess Cruises...

Crystal Kennedy, left, and Jennifer Campbell of Chaffee, Mo., play a round of UNO on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011, while waiting in line for the latest installment of the "Twilight" movie series to open at midnight at Wehrenberg Cape West 14 Cine in Cape Girardeau. ...

ATLANTA -- The economy may well be the best form of birth control. U.S. births dropped for the third straight year -- especially for young mothers -- and experts think money worries are the reason. A federal report released Thursday showed declines in the birth rate for all races and most age groups. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A Kansas City restaurant owner has filed suit over two proposed ballot measures to raise Missouri's minimum wage. Victor Allred owns a restaurant called Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen. His lawsuit in Cole County Circuit Court contends the cost estimates and ballot summaries for the proposals are insufficient and unfair...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Members of the House of Representatives' Committee on Disaster Recovery want more time to finish a report on the committee's findings. The committee spent about an hour-and-a-half Thursday looking over a draft of a report pulled together after several hearings in various parts of the state during the last six months...

CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) -- A St. Louis County judge has entered a not guilty plea on behalf of Shelby Dasher, the young mother accused of killing her 13-month-old son because he wouldn't stop crying. The 20-year-old Dasher made a brief court appearance Thursday during which the judge also assigned the public defender's office to represent her...

Murray State has the Ohio Valley Conference's top offense.

A win over Eastern Kentucky earned the Redhawks a date against No. 1 seed Morehead State.

Marcus Denmon scored 22 points to lead five Missouri players in double figures, and the No. 24 Tigers rolled to an easy 83-52 win.

Jaroslav Halak stopped 20 shots and the Blues beat the Florida Panthers 4-1 on Thursday.

In further efforts to highlight and preserve area heritage, a local organization has published a small collection of poems, essays and short stories by Southeast Missourians. The Cape River Heritage Museum has put together "Heartland Heritage Anthology 2: A Collection of Writings by Citizens of Southeast Missouri" and will celebrate the book's release with a launch party from 5 to 7 p.m. today at the museum on Independence Street...

BOISE, Idaho -- An Idaho man accused of firing an assault rifle at the White House believed he was Jesus and thought President Barack Obama was the Antichrist, according to court documents and those who knew him. At one point, he even suggested to an acquaintance the president was planning to implant computer tracking chips into children...

LEXINGTON, N.C. -- A day after deadly tornadoes struck the Southeast, survivors looked for what they could salvage, huddled in loved ones' hospital rooms and shared stories of how they made it through the furious storms. Some were also mourning. People in a hard-hit North Carolina neighborhood marked the spot where a 3-year-old girl's body was found with an American flag. The little girl and her grandmother were among six killed in three states Wednesday...

Jackson's Sanitation Department and recycling center will not operate Nov. 24 and 25 in observance of Thanksgiving. Garbage that would normally be picked up those days will be collected the following Monday. Customers whose usual collection day is Monday will have their refuse picked up Tuesday in addition to the regular Tuesday route. For more information, contact the Sanitation Department at 243-2333 or the Public Works Department at 243-2300...

Route A in Perry County, between county roads 422 and 424, will continue to be reduced to one lane with a 10-foot width restriction while Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform routine bridge maintenance over Indian Creek. The work will take place from 6:30 a.m. ...

South- and northbound Interstate 55 in Perry County will be reduced to one lane Monday through Wednesday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews have equipment on the shoulders to perform bridge maintenance on the overhead of Route K. The bridge is between County Road 600 and Route B. ...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The city of Springfield has filed a petition to stop a homeless advocate from housing homeless people at a property downtown. The city filed the petition Wednesday asking a judge to permanently bar the Rev. Larry Rice and his New Evangelistic Center from violating a city ordinance with the downtown housing, The Springfield News-Leader reported. The city also wants a temporary restraining order preventing Rice from using the property while the case is considered...

WASHINGTON -- Americans are more likely than ever to reach age 90, redefining in a way what it means to be old. People who are 90 or older have nearly tripled in number since 1980, to 1.9 million, according to Thursday's first-ever census numbers on the age group. The trend is posing new health challenges and adding to rising government costs for the strained Medicare and Social Security programs...

NEW YORK -- Occupy Wall Street protesters clogged streets and tied up traffic around the U.S. on Thursday to mark two months since the movement's birth and signal they aren't ready to quit, despite the breakup of many of their encampments by police. Hundreds of people were arrested, most of them in New York...

As two pianists sat on the stage and played "My Girl," they convinced four grown men up to sing and dance along as part of the Midwest Dueling Pianos show earlier this year. Dueling Pianos makes its return to the Venue on Saturday. The show is an all-request sing-along and clap-along show. ...

Ellen Dillon's nomination petition to earn her a spot on the Cape Girardeau City Council ballot next year was two signatures short of election requirements, the city clerk's office said Thursday. Dillon, who hopes to claim the Ward 3 seat being vacated by Debra Tracy, originally turned in 53 signatures, but five of those who signed were not registered voters...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder says he will not run for governor and instead will support Republican businessman Dave Spence. In a statement provided Friday to The Associated Press, Kinder said he has decided to seek a third-term as lieutenant governor in the 2012 elections...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri's Republican governor's race now has a candidate with lots of money. And it could soon have a candidate with statewide name recognition. But neither St. Louis businessman Dave Spence nor Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder has been running for the office as long as another man in the race...