Stories from February 2012

Make and model: 2005 Honda VTX 1300 Owner(s): George and Teri Reed Owner's hometown: Glenallen/Philadelphia, Mo Our ride I've had bikes since I was 15, a 1947 Indian Brave. I have probably owned every make of motorcycle on the market, but his one has been the best by far...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A judge plans to hear a challenge this week to a new map of Missouri's 163 House districts. Cole County Circuit Judge Pat Joyce has scheduled a hearing Friday on a lawsuit claiming the map violates requirements that districts have similar populations and be contiguous and compact. The lawsuit also alleges open meetings violations by a judicial commission that drew the map after a citizens' commission deadlocked...

MOSCOW MILLS, Mo. (AP) -- Firefighters in eastern Missouri's Lincoln County are credited with rescuing a man who fell into a near-freezing river. The man's name was not released. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the man tried to sit down at the top of a river bank along the Cuivre River in Moscow Mills when he slipped and fell about 25 feet, landing in the water...

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- Charlie Spoonhour, the popular, homespun coach who took Saint Louis to three NCAA tournaments behind a prolific offense, has died after battling a lung disease. He was 72. Spoonhour, who also coached at Missouri State and UNLV, died Wednesday, said Chuck Harker, the funeral director at Walker's Funeral Home in Chapel Hill. ...

NEW YORK -- Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg turns up at business conventions in a hoodie. "Cocky" is the word used to describe him most often, after "billionaire." He was Time's person of the year at 26. So when he takes Facebook public, why would he follow the Wall Street rules?...

Weekend searches produced no new leads concerning the whereabouts of a Cape Girardeau man who went missing Jan. 15, his family says.

Jackson Junior High School held an elective course fair for eighth-graders Tuesday to help them plan their schedules for next year -- but there is a little more to the event that students might not yet realize, according to the school's principal and counselors...

The reactions after Tuesday night's boys basketball game between Notre Dame and Central were as varied as one would expect given what happened in the final seconds. The scoreboard declared Notre Dame a 55-53 victor, and the Bulldogs did plenty to put themselves in a position to win in the final minute or so, but that's not likely to be the thing most people who saw the game's ending remember...

Crashed out after a long day of playing.

Nurse practitioners say existing Missouri laws are preventing them from providing the best possible care to their patients, and lawmakers seem to agree. Comprehensive reform bills revising the regulations that govern advanced-practice nurses have been introduced in the Missouri Legislature this session...

Our miniature Yorkshire Terrier, Dobby, loves to ride in the car. Sometimes we give him a special treat by going through Andy's and getting him a mini vanilla ice cream cone. He's sitting on my daughter Elizabeth's lap in this photo.

A Cape Girardeau Central High School teacher has been charged with assaulting one of his students. According to a news release and probable cause statement sent by the Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, 32-year-old Roman D. Smith was charged with misdemeanor third-degree assault for an incident that happened Jan. 21...

The Cape Girardeau Public Schools Board of Education honored several outstanding students for their leadership, scholarship and service to others during the January board meeting. The recipients of the Terrific Tiger Award are pictured above with School Board President Stacy Kinder and Superintendent of Schools Dr. ...

More than 30 people attended a meeting Tuesday night at the Cape Girardeau Public Library to express their concerns and disapproval of allowing bow hunting in the city limits. The inaugural meeting Monday of the Cape Friends of Wildlife called for attendees to show their disdain for the proposal at next week's meeting of the city's committee formed in November to examine ways of controlling the city's deer population. The Friends of Wildlife are opposed to an urban deer hunting program...

Thie redheaded woodpecker is enjoying the suet cake on our back deck.

The Jackson man charged with felony stealing for allegedly swindling $500,000 from a Sikeston, Mo.-based company will stand trial this summer.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- Groups representing states and cities in the Great Lakes region Tuesday proposed spending up to $9.5 billion on a massive engineering project to separate the lakes from the Mississippi River watershed in the Chicago area, describing it as the only sure way to protect both aquatic systems from invasions by destructive species such as Asian carp...

LAPORTE, Pa. -- A pipeline operator assured federal regulators it would minimize using eminent domain against private landowners if given approval to lay a 39-mile natural gas pipeline in northern Pennsylvania's pristine Endless Mountains. Yet the company was readying condemnation papers against dozens of landowners even as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was considering its application for the $250 million MARC 1 pipeline. ...

CHICAGO -- A failed electrical insulator blamed for a power loss to a nuclear reactor in northern Illinois was replaced Tuesday, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission began a special inspection into how some equipment responded to the outage, officials said...

LOS ANGELES -- Detectives say the elementary school teacher told the children it was a game. Once inside his third-grade classroom, he blindfolded them, gagged them and set cockroaches crawling on their faces. And then, Mark Berndt photographed them, creating hundreds of images that would eventually lead to his arrest...

TAMPA, Fla. -- Mitt Romney routed Newt Gingrich in the Florida primary Tuesday night, rebounding smartly from an earlier defeat and taking a major step toward the Republican presidential nomination. Gingrich vowed to press on despite the one-sided setback...

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 1, the 32nd day of 2012. There are 334 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 1, 1862, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," a poem by Julia Ward Howe, was published in the Atlantic Monthly. On this date:...

In August 2011, Hurricane Irene was barreling toward the East Coast. So was local Red Cross volunteer Jennifer Kubinak. Kubinak was deployed with an emergency response vehicle (ERV) to aid relief efforts in the wake of the hurricane. It wasn't the first time she had been to a disaster zone...

When my oldest daughter, Eva, turned 9 last May, I took her to the pediatrician for her annual birthday check-up. As Dr. Brown was finishing the exam, she was asking me some routine developmental questions about Eva's school performance and sleeping habits. ...

Would the idea of never having to apply an eyeliner, brow powder or lipstick again be a dream come true? Well, wake up, Sleeping Beauty, because that dream can easily become a reality. The secret is a procedure called micropigmentation, otherwise known as permanent makeup, and it is offered right here in Southeast Missouri...

Claire Bruce lives downtown. She also works and plays downtown. She's the embodiment of Old Town Cape, a not-for-profit organization that, according to its website, "works toward revitalizing downtown Cape Girardeau." "I'm not a suburban person," Claire says. ...

By Heather Collier Claire Bruce says when she was growing up in Kennett, Mo., Cape Girardeau was the place to come when you needed to get out of a small town. After living in big cities -- Nashville, Dallas and Chicago -- Claire decided to move back to Cape Girardeau...

It wasn't all that long ago that taking pictures consisted of snapping photos on a roll of film and then taking the film to an area drug store or photo lab to be developed. Developing time could take as little as an hour or as long as a week. With the digital age came a whole new way to develop pictures. Film is not totally obsolete, but its use has rapidly declined...

Alma Schader Elementary is taking a stand against bullying with its Anti-Bullying Club (ABC), formed by five second-graders in fall 2010. "We saw a lot of bullying outside and we wanted to stop it," says Grace Sanders, an original member who's now in third grade. ...

It's not easy to watch a child cry over something said or done to him at school. It's not any easier knowing your child has intentionally hurt another child. How does a child become a bully? And what can parents do about it? "The playground is the key spot where bullying is going to happen," says Julia Unnerstall, a guidance counselor at Alma Schrader Elementary School. ...

Full name: Addison Lorraine Craig Birthday and age: July 7, 2007 -- she is 4 years old The fam: Parents Damian and Jennifer Craig Lives in: Cape Girardeau Addison's favorite thing to do is... play with her cousin, her friends, toys and dancing on the Kinect...

Katie Reitman is used to receiving blank stares when she tells someone she's a doula. So she's perfected a quick "elevator speech" to explain her profession: "I'm there for hands-on physical, emotional and educational support before, during and after childbirth. I'm kind of like a paid labor coach," she says. "I explain the process more than the doctor has time for and remind (moms) what they learned in childbirth class."...

Until a few months ago, I could not fathom the extreme poverty, despair and hurt that separate my world from a Third World country. Then I went to Haiti. I thought I knew what poverty was. I was raised with a passion for helping those around me. In high school, I went to Tijuana, Mexico, with my church youth group, where we built a small but sturdy house for a family. ...

ABOUT SUSAN Job title: Clinical resource nurse with the Saint Francis Vein and Laser Center Hometown and city of residence: Cape Girardeau Education: I have an associate of arts degree in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University. Give us an overview of what you do at the Vein and Laser Center. What do you enjoy about the job?...

A bad hair day can happen to the best of us. No matter what you do, you just can't get your hair to look right or don't have the time to try. On those days, a ponytail is often the solution. But just because it's easy, doesn't mean it has to be boring. With just a few extra steps you can add some style to an otherwise simple look...

It can be easy to get stuck in a rut when it comes to working out. Run on the treadmill. Lift weights. Take an aerobics class. Repeat. The solution to getting out of that rut is simple: Get in the groove, instead. Dance-inspired workouts are increasingly popular, especially among women, as a way to combine fun and fitness...

The direct sales, or network marketing, industry is big business. Need proof? Just look at Tupperware -- 65 years after debuting and carving out a place in pop culture history, the company still rakes in more than $2 billion in sales each year...

Roy Croft knows a lot about relationships. The American poet who is credited to the well-known poem entitled "Love," is most celebrated for its famous opening line. "I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you." These sweet words are often recited at joyous occasions such as wedding ceremonies...

WASHINGTON -- Global warming is hitting not just home, but garden. The government's colorful map of planting zones, most often seen on the back of seed packets, is changing, illustrating a hotter 21st century. An update of the official guide for 80 million gardeners reflects a new reality: The coldest day of the year isn't as cold as it used to be. So some plants and trees that once seemed too vulnerable to cold can now survive farther north...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Strategic Planning and LCRA board members will meet to discuss whether property owned by the city should be given away. A Strategic Plan Implementation Commission housing proposal to foster growth in the city by giving lots to house builders was presented to the Sikeston City Council during a special meeting Monday...

LOS ANGELES -- Paula Abdul joined the exodus from Fox's disappointing "The X Factor," attributing her departure to business trumping all else. Abdul said Tuesday she won't return to "dear friend" Simon Cowell's singing contest when it begins its second season later this year. Her announcement followed Monday's exits of fellow judge Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones...

SANAA, Yemen -- U.S. airstrikes targeting leaders from Yemen's active al-Qaida branch killed four suspected militants, including a man suspected of involvement in the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, officials said Tuesday. Missiles struck a school and a car late Monday in the southern Abyan province, Yemeni security and military officials said. ...

ANKARA, Turkey -- Turkish Coast Guard boats were searching for nine crew members after a Cambodia-flagged freighter ship sank in stormy seas off Turkey's Black Sea coast on Tuesday, officials said. Two other crew members were rescued. The ship, Vera, was sailing to Turkey's Aliaga port from Russia when it sank off the coast of Eregli during a storm, Gov. Erol Ayyildiz said. He said police were also searching the shore for the missing crewmen...

KIEV, Ukraine -- Dozens of homeless people have died in an Eastern Europe cold snap, and some analysts blame a Soviet-era legacy of viewing the homeless as those who need to be punished instead of helped. Temperatures have plunged to minus 17 degrees in some areas. At least 58 people have died overall in the past week, while hundreds have sought medical help for hypothermia and frostbite. Snow and ice have disrupted traffic and power in some parts...

Friday night members of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce gathered at the Show Me Center for the organization's annual dinner. The event is an opportunity for business leaders to socialize, recall major milestones, look forward to year ahead, and recognize individuals who have made a difference in the community. ...

Approximately four years ago, my wife and I moved back to Jackson after being away 45 years. Our dream was always to return as residents after we retired. The city logo -- "Jackson the city of beauty homes, parks, schools and churches" -- has always been a source of pride. This image of Jackson has been marred by the sudden events of quarries wanting Jackson to give them legal protection from local control by the residents of Fruitland, who have the most to lose by the city's action...

I'D like to thank the three people that stopped to help me as I was approaching William Street on Mount Auburn Road recently. I became ill and had to pull off on a lot. The first lady was from Pop's Pizza, and she stayed with me until my daughter came. ...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- It took a New Madrid County jury less than an hour to convict a Sikeston teen of sodomizing a 21-month-old child. Jonathan Ervin, 17, was found guilty of first-degree statutory sodomy following a trial heard in New Madrid on a change of venue. Sentencing for Ervin is set for March 13...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Recreation at Clearwater and Wappapello lakes will change this season as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers faces budget cuts across its projects. Clearwater expects to shorten the operating season at two of its parks. The flood-impacted Wappapello project anticipates stronger cutbacks, pushing back the opening dates for the Bill Emerson Memorial Visitors Center, two of the three beaches and many campgrounds, as well as eliminating student and summer hires who help with special events.. ...

O God, may we be completely humble, gentle and patient, bearing with one another in love. Amen.

Marilyn Steck, 70, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, at her home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Jim Sanderson officiating. Burial will be in Cape County Memorial Park...

Daughter to Christopher Alan Palmer and Jessica Ariele Aden of Jackson, Southeast Hospital, 6:27 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. Name, Rylee Anne. Weight, 6 pounds. Ms. Aden is the daughter of Kim and Rob Keller of Oak Ridge and Bruce and Jeni Aden of Cape Girardeau. She is a reservation agent with the Drury National Call Center. Palmer is the son of Cliff and Jeri Palmer of Jackson. He is a patient sitter at Southeast...

Cape Girardeau's new riverfront amphitheater is almost finished; only sealing of cracks remains to be done. BENTON, Mo. -- Voters in north Scott County will go to the polls Tuesday to decide on two school bond issues, the future of the Illmo Special Road District and elect a six-member board to operate the North Scott County Ambulance District; in the Oran, Mo., School District, voters will be asked to approve a $1.2 million bond issue that would construct a new gym, 10 new classrooms and a vocational agricultural shop area; at Chaffee, Mo., school patrons will vote on an $830,000 bond issue to replace the Chaffee High School building.. ...

A proposed $221.1 million capital improvements program for Cape Girardeau should culminate in master plans being developed for area's such as facilities, the vehicle fleet and information technology, city manager Scott Meyer said Tuesday. Additionally, he said, a strategic funding plan should be developed to pay for some of the program's projects -- and additional taxes shouldn't be the only source considered...

TEHRAN, Iran -- Visiting U.N. inspectors did not visit any of the country's nuclear sites, Iran's official news agency reported Tuesday, concentrating instead on talks with officials. IRNA quoted an unnamed Iranian official as saying the team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency conducted negotiations with Iranians and did not visit the sites where uranium is being enriched. ...

I have had a couple of people share recipes with me this week, which is great. I enjoy getting recipes from readers because I think it makes it interesting to see who submitted recipes and where they are from. Also, we are in the middle of basketball season and I find myself in a gym somewhere quite often and it is nice to have these recipes to share with you. For those of you who have thought you might send something in, now is the time. Send in your family favorites today...

Perryville sophomore Allison Moldenhauer helped the Pirates girls basketball team earn a pair of victories last week. Moldenhauer came up with three steals in the fourth quarter to help the Pirates upset Woodland 46-31 on Thursday. She also dished out five assists and scored nine points in the win...

All the local high school events reported Tuesday to the Southeast Missourian.

The Notre Dame girls basketball team used a fourth-quarter run to defeat Central 53-39 on Tuesday at the Show Me Center.

Rosemary is a hearty herb that grows year-round. Place a pot of it in your kitchen, or plant several bushes in your yard (added bonus: it helps repel mosquitoes). Here are just some of the ways it comes in handy -- and we limited ourselves to culinary uses...

As a college instructor, I know the tell-tale signs of substance abuse in my students. Sure, there's the blood-shot eyes of the guy who smoked a joint before class or the sleepy gal in sunglasses nursing a hangover. But the No. 1 sign of an abuser is an empty seat in my classroom. ...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A St. Louis man is facing charges for allegedly arranging a meeting through Facebook with a grade school friend -- then robbing the woman and her boyfriend. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that 20-year-old Joseph Kovich is charged with two counts each of kidnapping, first-degree robbery and armed criminal action. He is jailed on $150,000 cash-only bond and does not yet have an attorney...

WASHINGTON -- Hardbound textbooks could go the way of slide rules and typewriters in schools. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Federal Communications Commission chairman Julius Genachowski on Wednesday challenged schools and companies to get digital textbooks in students' hands within five years. The Obama administration's push comes two weeks after Apple Inc. announced it would start to sell electronic versions of a few standard high-school books for use on its iPad tablet...

NEW YORK -- They've bitten their handlers, refused to budge from their beds and lost their shadow-casting jobs to potbellied pigs. And it turns out, not all groundhogs are really that good at predicting the weather. Not even Bill Murray as a movie weatherman escaped a couple of nips from the furry rodents on the set of his popular "Groundhog Day" that put the annual shadow or no shadow ritual on a loop in 1993...

The mother of the Cape Girardeau Central High School student who was allegedly choked by one of the school's physics teachers said Wednesday that she is mulling whether to take her child out of the school. Roman D. Smith, 32, is charged with misdemeanor third-degree assault stemming from a "play fight" with the student in a downtown parking lot last month, according to a news release sent out Tuesday by Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle...

As Isle of Capri prepares to hire nearly 500 people to staff its new Cape Girardeau casino, the company is meeting with local groups to educate the community about its hiring process.

Southeast Missouri State University president Dr. Ken Dobbins' testimony before the House Education Appropriations Committee on Wednesday morning in Jefferson City identified the university's early plans for dealing with a possible $5.2 million reduction in fiscal 2013...

A search for a new alumni services director is underway at Southeast Missouri State University. The application period ended Friday and resume reviews will begin soon, said Bill Holland, director of the Southeast Missouri State University Foundation, who oversees the position...

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County's interim emergency management director will take care of any pressing business that comes up but will not be able to man the office during February. "I hate to leave you guys in a bind, but I can't be here in February," interim emergency management director Amber Scudder said during the regular county commission meeting Tuesday. "If something comes up, you know I'll be here."...

Jared Thieret had a put back with two seconds remaining to lift the Pirates to a 52-51 boys basketball victory and set off a raucous home crowd Wednesday night.

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) -- Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his lair to "see" his shadow this morning, in the process predicting six more weeks of winter. But, at this rate, that might not be so bad. The groundhog made his "prediction" on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill in the town for which he's named about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh...

These two are inseparable. They always sleep side by side. Macy is my blue pitbull and Izzy is my rescued brindle pitbull. Both have their own unique personalities and are so sweet and fun!

SoutheastHEALTH's annual essay contest chronicles stories of nursing care that inspire and educate. The contest is sponsored by the Heartland Advanced Practice Nursing Network or HAPNN. The group donated $1,000 to the project. The 2011 contest essays focused on technology in nursing. ...

Rep. Donna Lichtenegger doesn't want to leave the House. While the Jackson Republican had been mulling a run at the state Senate, she announced on Wednesday that will instead seek a second House term. "I love doing the hands-on things for my constituents," she said. "I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do that in the Senate because the districts are so much bigger you'd have twice the number of constituents."...

The American Cancer Society is seeking dedicated dodge ball teams for the upcoming "Grab Your Balls" dodge ball tournament put on by Colleges Against Cancer of Southeast Missouri State University. They are hosting a dodge ball tournament Sunday, February 26th at 2pm in the Student Recreational center...

Notre Dame third baseman Jessica Menz and shortstop Summer Burger turned in terrific senior seasons for the Bulldogs.

O'Reilly Auto Parts manager John Gaskins has received the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Patriot Award, in recognition of his extraordinary support of employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserves. He was recommended for the award by Kayla Vaughn, who is an Airman 1st Class in the 121st Air Control Squadron, Missouri Air National Guard...

Watching Viola Medley drive up Perryville Road in her Ford Model A, a few of her students riding shotgun in the rumble seat. The potbelly wood-burning stove. The bell Mrs. Medley would clang to drag them from a makeshift baseball field back to the classroom...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Election officials are projecting that 23 percent of Missouri voters will turnout for next week's presidential primary. Secretary of State Robin Carnahan is encouraging people to vote in the primary -- even though the results won't count for awarding delegates to the Republican National Convention...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri senator is again delaying a vote on legislation to change the state's workplace discrimination laws. The measure would require workers who fight firings or other adverse decisions to prove in court that discrimination was a "motivating factor" -- not simply a contributing factor -- in the employer's action. It would also tie the maximum amount of punitive damages in such cases to the size of an employer...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's Republican U.S. Senate candidates are having trouble raising enough money to keep up with Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill. Campaign finance summaries show that Republicans Todd Akin, Sarah Steelman and John Brunner raised a combined total of about $520,000 in individual donations during the last three months of 2011. That's barely half of the $923,000 that McCaskill raised from individuals...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (AP) - Police in Poplar Bluff are warning residents about two scams in the Southeast Missouri town. Authorities say several residents have received calls from scammers claiming that people can be arrested and sent to jail if they don't settle bad debts. The scammers insist that victims send money to settle debts. Police note that you cannot be arrested for a bad debt...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Republican expert on political reapportionment is defending Missouri's newly redrawn U.S. House districts in court. Thomas Hofeller testified Wednesday in Cole County Circuit Court, where a judge is weighing two lawsuits that challenge the new congressional map. The plaintiffs argue that the eight districts fail to meet a requirement to be geographically compact...

Workers with Brennon Todt Roofing replace the roof of the home at the corner of Themis and Lorimier streets Wednesday in Cape Girardeau. The roof was damaged during a hailstorm last year.

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission unveiled a plan Wednesday that calls for $124 million in improvements to the Edward Jones Dome in hopes of making sure the city doesn't lose another NFL team.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The Perry County sheriff said Wednesday that two car thefts Monday led to the arrests of several teenagers. The Perryville teens were hit with charges of tampering with a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident. Two vehicles were reported stolen early Monday, according to a news release from the sheriff's department. ...

The Cape Girardeau mother whose infant daughter tested positive for cocaine Jan. 1 waived her formal arraignment Wednesday and will be back in court next month. Brooke Whitener, 31, was arrested on New Year's Day when hospital personnel said her 18-month-old daughter tested positive for cocaine after being rushed to Southeast Hospital with seizures and a high fever. ...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- The Union County state's attorney wants a hair sample from the Ware, Ill., woman accused of killing a child in December. Sacha Brown, 29, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery and concealment of a homicidal death in connection with the Dec. 11 death of 4-year-old Justin Hepburn. She pleaded not guilty Jan. 11...

Today is Thursday, Feb. 2, the 33rd day of 2012. There are 333 days left in the year. This is Groundhog Day. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 2, 1912, Frederick R. Law parachuted from the torch of the Statue of Liberty in a stunt filmed by Pathe News...

We've all heard that time is money. But when it comes to strokes, it's not just money that's an issue. In a story that appeared in Tuesday's Southeast Missourian, a local doctor said that brain cells start to die in minutes without blood or oxygen. If you think that you are someone near you has suffered from a stroke, symptoms to watch for can be summarized through the FAST acronym. ...

On quarry annexation, Jackson residents have a choice to make. You can vote with the Jackson Board of Aldermen, which is only looking at money and not the well-being of a school and numerous people living near the quarries, or you can vote no on the annexation and let people living next to the quarries have some say in how this affects them...

SO now some people are thinking that the voting district changes are a Republican plot to affect voter turnout. At first I just laughed at this paranoid comment, but upon consideration I came to the conclusion that it might be true. After all, they've got to do something to offset all the dead Democrats who vote every election...

O Lord Jesus, our great provider, thank you for your many blessings. Amen.

"Big Miracle," rated PG @Cape West 14 Cine "Chronicle," rated PG-13 @Cape West 14 Cine "Iron Lady," rated PG-13 @Cape West 14 Cine "The Woman in Black," rated PG-13 @Cape West 14 Cine SATURDAY Sunday NEXT WEEK "Resident Evil: Revelations" 3DS...

FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- Conceding his earlier housing programs have fallen short, President Barack Obama on Wednesday proposed a vast expansion of government assistance to homeowners, aiming to make lower lending rates a possibility for millions of borrowers who have not been able to get out from under burdensome mortgages...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Birth control pills are known to be nearly 100 percent effective when taken properly, but a recall of the drugs could send a shudder through women of childbearing age. A manufacturing mix-up by Pfizer Inc., the world's largest drug maker, led to some packets being distributed with the pills out of order. That means a patient could have unknowingly skipped a dose and raised her risk of an accidental pregnancy...

CAIRO -- At least 74 people were killed and hundreds injured after soccer fans rushed the field in the seaside city of Port Said on Wednesday following an upset victory by the home team over Egypt's top club, setting off clashes and a stampede as riot police largely failed to intervene...

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Nobel Peace Prize officials were facing a formal inquiry over accusations they have drifted away from the prize's original selection criteria by choosing such winners as President Barack Obama, as the nomination deadline for the 2012 awards closed Wednesday...

Ruby Gribler Wilke, 93, of Jackson passed away Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, in Coronado, Calif., surrounded by her loving family. She was born May 10, 1918, in Harrisburg, Ark., daughter of Ben and Grace Slinkard Gribler. She and Ola Wilke were married Dec. 10, 1936. He passed away Feb. 23, 1999...

Etta Marie McLean, 93, of Fredericktown, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, at Chateau Girardeau Gardens Care Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 21, 1918, in Bollinger County, daughter of George and Elsie Mills Rolens. She was united in marriage to C.R. "Jim" McLean in 1934 at Farmington, Mo. He preceded her in death Dec. 3, 1997...

Marilyn Steck, 70, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, at her home. She was born May 13, 1941, near Advance, Mo., to Hobert and Oleta Irwin Kight Sr. She was first married to Sam Below, and from that union came her daughter, Scarlett. She later married Frank Steck on Jan. 29, 1985, in Cape Girardeau. He preceded her in death May 22, 1992...

Charles M. "Bud" Lough Jr., 95, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012, at the Lutheran Home. He was born Oct. 8, 1916, in Charleston, Mo., to Charles M. and Grace Gant Lough Sr. He and Margaret Ellen Brown were married Nov. 21, 1945, at Charleston...

Don Schearf, 67, of Delta passed away Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, at the family home after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born April 24, 1944, in Delta, to Phillip Ludwig and Myrtle Amelia Stoffregen Schearf. Don was a pole barn builder with Golden Rule Construction in Jackson and had many other skills in construction. He loved to fish, play pool and hang around with his buddies...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Jewell Hunter, 100, of Jonesboro died Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, at Union County Hospital in Anna, Ill. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Jonesboro. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, with David Eidson officiating. Burial will be in St. John's Cemetery near Dongola, Ill...

Daughter to Jonathan Eric and Dayna Sue Northington of Scott City, Saint Francis Medical Center, 11:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, 2011. Name, Kendyl Victoria. Weight, 2 pounds, 4 ounces. Second daughter. Mrs. Northington is the former Dayna Killian, daughter of Arnold Killian and Connie Killian of Scott City. She is an administrative assistant at Southeast Missouri State University. Northington is the son of Martha Northington of Sikeston, Mo...

BRAGGADOCIO, Mo. -- A $20 million thoroughbred horse-racing track has been proposed for this area; developers say Bootheel Downs could be an economic winner for Pemiscot County. About 75 union employees return to work following a two-week strike at West Lake Quarry at Scott City; employees from the Teamsters Local 574, Laborers International Local 1104, accepted a new three-year contract...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWIs Southeast Missouri State University The Department of Public Safety released the following. Arrests do not imply guilt. Summonses...

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

Create your own snowstorm using toilet paper and just a few other materials from around the house. STEP 2: Place the toilet paper on the dowel rod and unroll a few pieces of tissue. STEP 3: Hold the dowel rod horizontally so the roll will unroll away from you...

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team hung with powerhouse Eastern Illinois most of the first half. But the Ohio Valley Conference's first-place squad eventually ran away from the Redhawks for the second time this season. EIU posted a 74-48 victory Wednesday night in Charleston, Ill., as the Panthers improved to 18-4 overall and 9-0 in OVC play...

All the local high school events reported Wednesday to the Southeast Missourian.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The southbound ramp from Interstate 55 to Highway 77 at Benton, Mo., is reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews make pavement repairs. Weather permitting, the work is expected to be completed by 3 p.m. Wednesday. Signs mark the work zone. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near the area...

Route OO in Cape Girardeau County between Hidden Valley Lane and County Road 382 will be reduced to one lane today as Missouri Department of Transportation crews make bridge repairs. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near the area...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission has awarded a contract to replace two westbound U.S. 60 bridges in Stoddard and New Madrid counties. The first bridge is over railroad tracks west of U.S. 61 in Sikeston. The second bridge is over railroad tracks east of Highway 25 near Dexter, Mo...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Route Z in Scott County will be closed at various locations next week as Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace culvert pipes beneath the roadway. Weather permitting, work will be done between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday between County Road 480 and County Road 481; Tuesday between Route Y and County Road 476; and Wednesday between County Road 476 and Route ZZ. The work zones will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near the area...

First-year Murray State men's basketball coach Steve Prohm thought he was inheriting a solid team. But never in Prohm's wildest imagination did he envision the Racers carrying the nation's only perfect record and a top-10 ranking into the latter stages of the regular season...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission has awarded a $956,288 contract to replace the Route T bridge over Saline Creek, near Route N, in Perry County to Widel Inc. of Blackwater, Mo. Weather permitting, construction is expected to begin in the spring, with completion anticipated in October. ...

A pretty good quarterback battle should be in the works at Southeast Missouri State after Wednesday's opening of the NCAA signing period. Southeast coach Tony Samuel announced the signing of 17 players to letters of intent, including Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) transfer quarterback Kyle Snyder...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The northbound ramp from Interstate 55 to Interstate 57 at Sikeston will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs. Weather permitting, work will begin at 8 a.m. Monday and will be completed by 3 p.m. Wednesday. The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near the area...

Southeast Missouri State junior Jill Schnurbusch and sophomore Blake Carter were named Ohio Valley Conference indoor field athletes of the week Tuesday. Schnurbusch, a Notre Dame Regional High School graduate, was honored for the second straight week as she broke her own school indoor pole vault record during Saturday's Indiana Relays...

Hillcrest receiver Dorial Green-Beckham will wear black and gold

Models at Own the Night fashion show displayed this year's best looks. The show was put on by the Andrew Jackson Bridal & Tuxedo at Plaza by Ray's on Jan. 22. ...

BRUSSELS -- Defense Secretary Leon Panetta laid out the administration's most explicit portrayal of the U.S. drawdown in Afghanistan, saying Wednesday that U.S. and other international forces in Afghanistan expect to end their combat role in 2013 and continue a training and advisory role with Afghan forces through 2014...

St. Vincent DePaul School A Honor Roll 4th Grade: Jackson Andrews, Elijah Bratton, Bryce Bruenderman, Maria Enderle, Mia Gates, Paige Gershuny, Colin Higgins, Matthew Higgins, Trey James, Sydney King, Marissa Lanzotti, Savannah LaValle, Spencer Little, Emma Loken, Hudson McVay, Gigi Merideth, Blake Morris, Andrew Mueller, Deven Mueller, Casey Patterson, Avery Perez, Tanner Peters, Parker Pfeiffer, Elisabeth Seabaugh, Griffin Stewart, Justice Thoma, Lillie Tung...

Ed Martin, who announced his intentions last month to run for Missouri attorney general, made a stop in Cape Girardeau on Thursday to host an hourlong discussion with fellow Republicans that largely centered on President Obama's health care law. Martin, the St. Louis lawyer who dropped a congressional campaign to run against Democrat Chris Koster, said Thursday that Koster has not led the fight against what Republicans popularly deride as ObamaCare...

The Cape Girardeau Central High School teacher accused of choking a student in a downtown parking lot last month asserted his innocence for the first time Thursday via a statement from his attorney. Roman D. Smith, 32, is charged with misdemeanor third-degree assault stemming from what court documents called a "play fight" with the student in a downtown parking lot...

Statistics kept by the Missouri State Highway Patrol indicate that methamphetamine-related incidents have gone down in some parts of Southeast Missouri since many cities began requiring a prescription to purchase pseudoephedrine. Nearly 60 Missouri communities have adopted laws that require prescriptions to get pseudoephedrine, a primary ingredient in meth. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A state senator has introduced legislation clarifying that anyone in Missouri may kill a mountain lion. Republican Sen. Bill Stouffer, of Napton, offered the proposal Thursday. His bill would require anyone who kills a mountain lion to report immediately to a state conservation agent and surrender the body within 24 hours. Missouri statutes are currently silent on the killing of mountain lions...

In the Tot Lot, more than a few children horsed around in short sleeves. Families strolled around the lagoon. A laughing toddler -- sans coat -- chased after a disinterested dog.

Southeast led by six points at halftime, but the unbeaten Racers stormed back for an 81-73 victory

13 week old lab mix Kahlua wins a wrestling match against her year old sister, Snooki.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A Missouri judge could rule in mid-February on a lawsuit challenging new boundaries for state House districts. The case was scheduled for a Friday hearing before Cole County Circuit Judge Pat Joyce. Instead, the judge gave attorneys on both sides a Feb. 10 deadline for submitting written arguments. Joyce could rule the following week. Candidates currently can start filing Feb. 28 for this year's elections...

Jackson Art Group holds February Workshop Jackson's second Saturday Gallery opening features a hands on opportunity for novice through experienced artists to discover and explore their creativity. Art group members will facilitate classes from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, February 11 at the Steck House Gallery, 210 Washington St., Jackson (next door to the First Presbyterian Church)...

For the first time in 31 years, the 8th-grade-boy's-basketball team of Cape Central Junior High School had a perfect, undefeated season of 14-0. The last time a CJHS 8th-grade-boys team was undefeated was during the 1980-81 school year. "We are thrilled with these athletes and coaches," said CJHS Athletic Director Terry Kitchen. ...

Throughout the U.S. over 36 million Americans are classified as disabled. Disabilities in adults include speech, hearing and vision impairments, physical, cognitive and brain disorders. Although disability levels may differ, these individuals can require certain accommodations for their needs...

The City of Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department and the Southeast Missouri State University volleyball team are accepting registrations for Fundamentals of Volleyball. This one-day, introductory clinic is designed to teach the fundamentals of volleyball and have fun at the same time...

The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department is proud to announce they will be offering the third annual Girls Softball League for ages 5 -- 15 this summer. There will be five separate age divisions, beginning with Instructional (t-ball) for 5-6 year-olds, Rookie (coach pitch) for 7-8 year-olds, AA for 9-10 year-olds, AAA for 11-12 year-olds, and Majors for 13-15 year-olds. The cost for the league is $50 per player...

"Red in the morning, sailors warning..." Old saying that's true today. A beautiful sunrise before the dreary day of rain began.

Sunrise with reflection in our windows, a double blessing.

A committee of parents plans to highlight details of its own proposal for changing the dress code in Cape Girardeau public schools before the school board votes on a proposed policy Feb. 27. The Dress Code Enforcement Committee sent the school board a request last week to speak during the portion of the meeting reserved for public comment. So far, the committee is the only group to reserve time...

Former Cape Girardeau County Sheriff Herman F. "Bob" Gribler, 69, of Jackson passed away Feb. 2, 2012 at his home. Gribler served as sheriff from 1981 to 1985 and was a lieutenant for the Jackson Police Department before being elected sheriff. He was also on the original board of directors for the Cape Girardeau County-Bollinger County Major Case Squad, which formed in 1983...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Minutes after reaching an agreement to end a filibuster effort that lasted nearly 15 hours, the Missouri Senate endorsed legislation early Thursday that would change the state's workplace discrimination laws. Fearful of reversing decades of hard-fought civil rights gains, Democrats held the Senate floor for hours Wednesday and into early Thursday morning, vowing to block a preliminary Senate vote on the bill...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri conservation officials say a new ban on some waders worn by freshwater anglers takes effect next month. The state Department of Conservation says the ban on porous waders is an effort to control a type of invasive algae. The ban takes effect March 1 when the state's catch-and-keep trout season opens...

Dr. Jon Hagler, director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, will speak to business leaders at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee tomorrow at the Show Me Center. Hagler is Missouri's 21st Director of Agriculture, appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon in 2009. Hagler was raised in rural Dent County and today raises horses and cattle. Before becoming director of agriculture, he worked at the University of Missouri-Rolla...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Dexter, Mo., man was sentenced to 14 years in prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to molesting a girl in 2010. Raymond Henson, 33, pleaded guilty as charged to first-degree child molestation, according to Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver. Henson entered his plea before Presiding Circuit Judge Stephen Sharp during his arraignment...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In the most impressive surge for the job market since early last year, the United States added 243,000 jobs in January, far more than economists expected. The unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 percent, the lowest in three years. Hiring accelerated across the economy and up and down the pay scale. The high-salary professional services industry added 70,000 jobs, the most in 10 months. Manufacturing added 50,000, the most in a year...

Today is Friday, Feb. 3, the 34th day of 2012. There are 332 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 3, 1959, rock-and-roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson died in a small plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa...

Cape Girardeau might not boast the big lights of New York and Los Angeles, but there's still plenty of talent in the area. Tomorrow the Heartland Talent Showcase will host its first talent competition in the area. The show will include three age groups: Junior, ages 6 to 11; Senior B, ages 12 to 16; and Senior A, ages 17 to 22. Sikeston native and 2008 winner of "America's Got Talent" Neal E. Boyd will serve as the master of ceremonies and perform as a guest singer...

Sincere thanks to each and every one who supported the second annual St. Jude New Year's Eve Benefit. It was a sold out event with close to 600 people in attendance. We were blown away by the generosity of our community and are proud to announce we raised $50,194.94 in honor of the children at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis...

KUDOS to area coaches who have the patience of Job in putting up with otherwise-sane parents who slip into sanity-challenged rants when they think their child is being victimized by unjust coaching decisions and that this will harm the parental plan to have the child pursue a career in professional sports...

O Heavenly Father, in you, and you alone, do we place our hope. Amen.

LOS ANGELES -- Prosecutors declined to file attempted fondling charges 18 years ago against an elementary schoolteacher now suspected of taking bondage-style photographs of children in his class, saying that they didn't have enough evidence. The investigation came after a 10-year-old girl claimed elementary schoolteacher Mark Berndt reached toward her genitals during class and she pushed his hand away, sheriff's Sgt. Dan Scott said Thursday...

MONTPELIER, Vt. -- A prison inmate who makes stationery and license plates pulled a fast one on state police by adding the image of a pig to the state decal on their cruisers. On the 16-inch car door decals, made by prisoners in Windsor, one of the spots on a cow in a scene with mountains and a pine tree has been changed to the shape of a pig, a derogatory term for police...

FORT HOOD, Texas -- The Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people during the Fort Hood shooting rampage will go on trial in June, a military judge ruled Thursday after agreeing to a three-month delay. Attorneys for Maj. Nidal Hasan argued during a hearing at the Army post in Texas that they still lacked key evidence needed to prepare for the March trial. ...

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. -- Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil told people Thursday to prepare for six more weeks of winter, making him the minority opinion among his groundhog brethren, who seem to think that spring is coming early. But with such a mild and relatively snowless winter so far, who can tell the difference?...

SAN FRANCISCO -- For all the huge numbers in Facebook's IPO papers, a surprisingly small figure stands out: $4.39, the amount the site generated per user last year. It's one of the company's major challenges because the total is paltry compared with competing Internet companies. Google makes more than $30 a year from each registered user. Even struggling Yahoo and AOL make $7 and $10, respectively...

NEW YORK -- The renowned breast cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure faced an escalating backlash Thursday over its decision to cut breast screening grants to Planned Parenthood. Some of Komen's local affiliates are openly upset, including all seven in California, and at least one top official has quit, reportedly in protest...

CHICAGO -- An Illinois Supreme Court ruling that gave one inmate new hope for freedom Thursday also could revive appeals by more than a dozen others who claim they confessed to crimes under torture by Chicago police officers, defense attorneys said...

ATLANTA -- Fifteen teenage girls report a mysterious outbreak of spasms, tics and seizures in upstate New York. But tests find nothing physically wrong. Scores of adults in Northern California report crawling skin sensations and other bizarre symptoms. Government doctors find no physical cause after an extensive study...

LAS VEGAS -- With his trademark flair for spectacle, Donald Trump endorsed Mitt Romney for president Thursday on the famed Las Vegas Strip -- just hours after Newt Gingrich's advisers were spreading the word that The Donald would be anointing him instead...

BRUSSELS -- Greece needs about an extra 15 billion euros to get its debt down to manageable levels -- and the rest of 17-country eurozone is being asked to help foot the bill. Debt-ridden Greece is close to a deal with private investors to reduce its debt burden by about 100 billion euros and that -- plus an agreement to enact deep spending cuts -- could pave the way for a 130 billion-euro bailout from its European partners and the International Monetary Fund. ...

NAIROBI, Kenya -- Roy Hallums was enduring his 311th day of captivity, blindfolded, his hands and feet bound, stuffed into a hole under the floor of a farm building outside Baghdad. He heard a commotion upstairs and managed to get the blindfold off. Delta Force troops broke open the hatch. An American soldier jumped down...

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea -- Rescuers have plucked more than 200 survivors from the sea off Papua New Guinea's east coast after a ferry sank Thursday with as many as 350 people on board, officials said. An airplane from Australia, three helicopters and eight ships were scouring the search area after the MV Rabaul Queen went down while traveling from Kimbe on the island of New Britain to coastal town of Lae on the main island, Australian Maritime Safety Authority said in a statement...

ISTANBUL -- Ties between Turkey, NATO's biggest Muslim member, and Hamas, the Islamic militant group that says Israel should not exist, are blossoming. Last month, the Hamas premier visited the Turkish prime minister at his Istanbul home. Today, Turkish and Palestinian flags fly side by side at a building site in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip...

ROME -- In the chaotic evacuation of the Costa Concordia, passengers and crew abandoned almost everything on board the cruise ship: jewels, cash, Champagne, antiques, 19th-century Bohemian crystal glassware, thousands of art objects including 300-year-old woodblock prints by a Japanese master...

WASHINGTON -- Roseanne Barr said Thursday she's running for the Green Party's presidential nomination -- and it's no joke. The actress-comedian said in a statement that she's a longtime supporter of the party and looks forward to working with people who share her values. She said the two major parties aren't serving the American people...

Darrel Ray Worley, 66, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, at Southeast Hospital. He was born May 24, 1945, in Poplar Bluff, Mo., to William "Seward" and Esther M. Wilkerson Worley. He and Edna "Ruth" McLard were married March 30, 1968, at Second Baptist Church in Dexter, Mo...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Charles W. Malaney, 68, Springfield passed away Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, at home. He was retired from the Missouri State Highway Patrol as a field engineer with 33 years of service. Survivors include his wife, Sabra; daughters, Dawna Barnhart and Carmen Wieher; grandchildren, Adam, Paige, Camille, Jacob and Josie; and sister, Margo Bender...

Harold R. Pruitt Jr., 64, of Cape Girardeau passed away Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, at Southeast Hospital. He was born Feb. 19, 1947, in Cape Girardeau, to the late Harold Sr. and Betty Jean Chancellor Pruitt. Harold was a supervisor for Fru-Con, where he worked for 28 years. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Egypt Mills...

Luella Alma Brase, 97, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Gordonville, died Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, at Monticello House in Jackson. Visitation will be from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson, and from 9:30 a.m. until service time Monday at Zion United Methodist Church in Gordonville...

Malita Alvarene Stubblefield, 103, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, at Southeast Hospital. A graveside committal service will be held at Rose Hill Cemetery in Marion, Ill., at a later date. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements...

EAST CAPE GIRARDEAU, Ill. — Martha Jordan Kaufman, 91, of Tulsa, Okla., formerly of East Cape Girardeau, died Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Tulsa. Crain Funeral Home in Tamms, Ill., is in charge of arrangements.

Earl E. Dalton, 91, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, at Heartland Care and Rehab in Cape Girardeau. There is no service. Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements.

Daughter to Jeffrey Dale and Stephanie Rena Lucas of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 10:58 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012. Name, Avery Gabriella. Weight, 7 pounds, 10 ounces. Second child, first daughter. Mrs. Lucas is the former Stephanie Ridenour, daughter of Mike and Renee Ridenour of Imperial, Mo. ...

The Minneapolis firm of Seitz, Yamamoto and Moss Inc., which specializes in designing marketable names, has been hired to work with a special committee that will select a name for Cape Girardeau's multipurpose building; members of the committee are David Barklage, Peter HIlty, Anne Bradshaw and Pat Tlapek...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources issued a construction permit for a solid waste processing facility in Scott County. The department issued the permit to RFJ Real Estate Holding LLC to construct the I-55 Disposal & Recycling Transfer Station...

The Missouri Humanities Council has awarded a $250 grant to the Cape Girardeau Public Library in support of a project featuring Chautauqua scholar Dianne Moran as Mary Surratt in "The Unquiet Death of Mary Surratt." Moran's program will be held at 2 p.m. Feb. 12 in the Hirsch Rooms of the library. She will portray Surratt, who was the only woman tried as a conspirator in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. The program is free and open to the public. No registration is required...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- At one point or another, almost everyone in Bloomfield has heard Rebekah Northern sing. Whether at a concert or singing the national anthem, her voice is one of Bloomfield's secret talents. If she has her way, that talent won't remain a secret for much longer...

Country music fans will have the opportunity to see Taria perform at Pink Galleon Billiards & Games on Saturday. Taria is no stranger to the country music scene. She began her career at 15 at the Grand Ole Opry. Her resume includes performing with Vern Gosdin, opening for Lorrie Morgan and performing in the show "Memories of Conway." However, she decided it was time to form a band of her own and began playing clubs and casinos from Las Vegas to Florida. ...

FIRST FRIDAY RECEPTIONS The Artist Studio The studio will feature new work by Judy Barks-Westrich. Also schedules will be available for February's painting with acrylics workshops. 38A N. Main St.; 651-4464 Arts Council of Southeast Missouri...

While most things float south from Cape Girardeau to end in New Orleans, sometimes a gem travels upstream. Exhibit A: Will Page, a New Orleans artist with a show at the Aartful Rose this month. Page doesn't paint scenery from New Orleans. His works are more abstract. But to me his color palette evokes unmistakable NOLA emotion and energy. It's not the typical purple, green and gold, but it works...

For Emily Booth, art is a tool for understanding -- be that social institutions or owning a home. The latter came into play when she was creating the work for her current exhibition at the River Campus Art Gallery, which will hold a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. today...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Southeast Missouri State University The Department of Public Safety released the following. Arrests do not imply guilt. Summonses...

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

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is sponsoring nearly 50 mercury drop-off locations throughout the state in an effort to rid homes of mercury. The mercury roundup will end May 31. Local drop-off sites are the Cape Girardeau Health Department, the Scott County Health Department and the Perry County Health Department, according to a department news release...

Whether you love or loathe Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister deserves a better movie treatment of her life than "The Iron Lady." But both sides will agree that Meryl Streep really nails the impersonation. Those who admire Thatcher and her right-wing politics will be offended that much of the film depicts her as a doddering old lady. ...

The former Southeast lineman will play in his first Super Bowl as a member of the Patriots

All the local high school events reported Thursday to the Southeast Missourian.

There's a new set of players in the ongoing discussions about how to handle Cape Girardeau's growing deer population. Good. It's about time someone saw the light. The Deerslayer Seven, the committee appointed by the city to make a recommendation regarding the deer, has appeared to be leaning toward managed deer hunting in the city. Not all seven members concur, apparently, but, still, you can't take any chances...

HERZLIYA, Israel -- U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon warned Thursday that time is running out for a Mideast peace deal and urged Israel to make goodwill gestures, including easing its blockade of Gaza, to help lure the Palestinians back to negotiations. Ban attended a security conference in Israel just hours after visiting Gaza, where dozens of Palestinians pelted his armored convoy with shoes and sticks, accusing him of being unfairly biased toward Israel...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Highway 51 from County Road 832 to Highway 34 in Bollinger County will be reduced to one lane today as Missouri Department of Transportation crews make edge rut repairs. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. 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 or visit www.modot.org/southeast...

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan's top court vowed Thursday to charge the prime minister with contempt for failing to reopen an old corruption case against the president, escalating a crisis that could oust the premier from office. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told his parliament that he would appear before the Supreme Court as ordered to hear the charges against him Feb. 13...

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine military said it killed three of Southeast Asia's most-wanted terrorist leaders in a U.S.-backed airstrike that significantly weakens an al-Qaida-linked network that had used islands in the southern Philippines as a hideout and training base...

BRUSSELS -- Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday that NATO allies have agreed broadly to step back from the lead combat role in Afghanistan and let local forces take their place as early as next year, a shortened timetable that startled officials and members of Congress...

The Indians led by 10 points in the first quarter but fell 44-33 to Poplar Bluff POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Jackson girls basketball team ran out of gas after a fast start. The Indians scored 12 consecutive points in the first quarter to take a double-digit lead, but Poplar Bluff answered with a 15-0 run and didn't take its foot off the gas...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Southbound Interstate 55 in Scott County will be reduced to one lane Monday and Tuesday as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform routine bridge repairs. The bridge is over Interstate 57 and between U.S. 62 and Route AA. ...

PORTLAND, Maine -- A treasure hunter said Wednesday he has located the wreck of a British merchant ship that was torpedoed by a German U-boat off Cape Cod during World War II while carrying what he claims was a load of platinum bars now worth more than $3 billion...

MINER, Mo. -- After a success the first year since its return in the Sikeston community, the Sikeston Board of Realtors Home and Garden show is back this weekend, with some new vendors and several returning. "We had such a great turnout last year," said Sharon Medlin, president of the Board of Realtors. It was the first time in many years Sikeston had such a show...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's economic development director resigned after failing to win Senate confirmation, and lawmakers Thursday blocked several more of Gov. Jay Nixon's appointments to university, transportation, utility and health insurance boards.

Make and model: 1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle Convertible Owner(s): Kathy Kraemer Owner's hometown: Cape Girardeau MO Triple White Convertible with factory air. My car's name: Snowflake Owning a Bug as your only vehicle isn't much fun (hot & cold!); I know, I had one 25 years ago. When a friend & I won big on a scratch off, I bought Snowflake. Good thing she has a windshield or I'd have bugs in my teeth from smiling!...

NEW YORK (AP) -- A drop in the unemployment rate to its lowest level in three years propelled the Dow Jones industrial average Friday to its highest close since May 2008, before the financial meltdown later that year. The Nasdaq composite index hit an 11-year high...

This was taken out my front door at 6:30 on Feb. 3, 2012 on Annwood street in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- MVP quarterbacks on marquee franchises. A rematch of a nail-biter from four years ago, featuring many of the same key characters. Madonna and plenty of Manning -- Eli, and Peyton, too. This Super Bowl certainly has all the makings of another thriller, the perfect finish to a season that began in turmoil and wound up the most successful in league history...

Today is Saturday, Feb. 4, the 35th day of 2012. There are 331 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 4, 1962, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was founded in Memphis, Tenn., by entertainer Danny Thomas. On this date:...

The Cape Girardeau City Council is considering adopting a $24.9 million, five-year capital improvements budget which is $2 million more than last year's improvements budget; one of the new projects in this year's tentative budget is replacement of the existing terminal building at the municipal airport...

Make and model: 1975 corvette stingray Owner(s): Bobby Golden Owner's hometown: Marble Hill,mo this old vette has a 350 eng bored out 40 over about 375-400 H.P. My car's name: my hot 75 i bought this from a man at a car show 2 years i redone the motor...

Southeast dropped into fourth place in the OVC with a 75-72 loss at home to Tennessee State

HANNIBAL, Mo. -- Conservative Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum says Tuesday's Missouri primary will show how he could do in a primary race with no Newt. Speaking to a news conference in Hannibal on Friday morning, Santorum said he can beat Mitt Romney one-on-one if Newt Gingrich is out of the picture...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The motto of the Missouri State Highway Patrol is "Service and Protection." On Thursday, the Patrol honored not their own but three citizens for the service they rendered. Capt. George E. Ridens, commanding officer of Troop E, presented Larry Thresher of East Prairie, Mo., with an Honorary Trooper certificate and Bill E. ...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Two Marble Hill men have been charged with misdemeanor offenses related to the death and disposal of a pit bull. Levi Snider, 24, is charged with animal abuse for having allegedly killed the dog under circumstances not allowed by law. Travis Reed, 28, is charged with littering for having improperly disposed of the carcass by allegedly placing it upon premises that were not his own...

More than 300 people took a dip in Trail of Tears State Park's Lake Boutin on Saturday to help raise money for a good cause. The sixth annual Cape Girardeau Polar Plunge was part of a statewide fundraising effort for the Special Olympics. Before Saturday nights' Post Plunge Party, which included dinner and a silent auction, $39,265 had been raised toward the goal of $50,000. ...

Many people underestimate the reach of agriculture, according to Dr. Jon Hagler, the director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, who spoke to the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce on Friday morning at the Show Me Center. "Everything that feeds, fuels or clothes the world -- that's agriculture. We impact every single thing in your life in almost every way," Hagler said...

With the election set for Tuesday, a new lawsuit has been filed with the blessing of Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster to contest Jackson's annexation of a strip of land along Interstate 55 and U.S. 61. If it is eventually successful, whatever voters say about the proposed Fruitland annexation Tuesday won't matter...

A new apartment complex in Cape Girardeau will provide affordable housing for people struggling with mental illness. The Cape Girardeau Community Counseling Center will break ground at 1 p.m. Friday at 549 N. Silver Springs Road on the $1.4 million project funded by a U.S. Housing and Urban Development grant...

Coaches and team members, from the Cape Central High School football team, gave up their Saturday to lend a hand to Discovery Playhouse. The children's museum was in need of help packing up the "Alice's Wonderland" traveling exhibit. "These crates were massive and so was the truck that they were being transported in," said Jennifer Mullix, Executive Director of Discovery Playhouse. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Customers of Ameren Missouri would see their average monthly electric bills rise about $14 under a rate increase proposal filed Friday with the Missouri Public Service Commission. Ameren Missouri asked regulators to raise electric rates by $376 million, or 14.6 percent. ...

"You can drown downtown, when the water is high It's been happening here, since I was a child There ain't nothing you can do to stop it Just hope for the best, and mop up the rest." -- "Get Down, River," by the Bottle Rockets...

our Boston Terriers, Max (2 years) and Molly (4 years)

Max, Molly, Kacie and Madison all pose for a picture for grandma and grandpa....all the grand "kids"!

Dr. T. Wayne Lewis, right, guides players' work on a business game Friday during Camp Enterprise at the Career and Technology Center in Cape Girardeau. From left are Bethany Miget from Eagle Ridge Christian School, Haley Reed from Ste. Genevieve High School and Kyle Tenkhoff from Oran High School. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri's revenues continue to lag behind what's needed to balance the budget. Figures from January show that net state revenues grew 2 percent over the same month last year. For the first seven months of the 2012 fiscal year, which began last July, Missouri's general revenues were up 1.3 percent...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Missouri senators have approved a measure that would require approval from lawmakers or voters before the state makes efforts to set up health insurance exchanges. Health insurance exchanges allow consumers to shop online for health insurance. The federal health care law gives states until 2014 to establish their own exchanges or have one operated by the federal government...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis parade welcoming home Iraq War and other post-Sept. 11 veterans is spurring talk of similar parades in at least 10 other cities. Organizers of the parade that drew an estimated 100,000 observers and 20,000 participants in St. Louis on Jan. 28 say they have been approached by officials in Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Seattle, Tucson, Ariz., Nashville, Tenn., Greensboro, N.C., and Clinton, Iowa...

They don't know exactly when or how much was taken, but Naval Reserve Center officials have reported a money bag stolen from their offices at 2530 Maria Louise Lane in Cape Girardeau. The burglary and stealing report was made to the Cape Girardeau Police Department at 8:20 a.m. Tuesday, said department spokesman Darin Hickey. The center's commander told police he had arrived at the center Monday and found that a money bag that contained an undetermined amount of money was missing...

Today is Sunday, Feb. 5, the 36th day of 2012. There are 330 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 5, 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed increasing the number of U.S. Supreme Court justices; critics accused Roosevelt of attempting to "pack" the nation's highest court. (The proposal failed in Congress.)...

Dan and Mary Jane Fieser of Tilsit announce the engagement of their daughter, Hallie Anne Fieser, to David Eastman Hearnes, both of Knoxville, Tenn. He is the son of Jo Ann Hearnes of Cape Girardeau and Walter Hearnes of Elkton, Md. Fieser is a 2005 graduate of Jackson High School. ...

Alma Schader Elementary is taking a stand against bullying with its Anti-Bullying Club, formed by five second-graders in fall 2010. "We saw a lot of bullying outside, and we wanted to stop it," said Grace Sanders, an original member who's now in third grade...

During Advent, students at Deer Creek Christian Academy in Cape Girardeau collected nonperishable food items, creating a "wall of giving" in the school hallway. On Jan. 24, the students delivered the food to the SEMO Food Bank. They toured the facility and learned about how the food bank network operates. ...

The Franklin County Honor Flight benefit fundraiser was held at the Perryville American Legion on Oct. 22. The event raised $3,135 in donations and ticket sales. The Modern Woodmen of America from Perryville, Mo., donated $2,500 bringing the total amount raised to $5,635. ...

A close look at nature will reveal its ever-changing character. While investigating thin ice on water that had pooled in an old woodland truck track, I noticed this image. With my camera braced securely on a bean bag and the lens about two inches above this nature-made caricature of a dog's head, I snapped the picture...

Ziggy is a 4 month old heeler mix. He is available for adoption at the Humane Society, 573-334-5837. Ziggy is a 4 month old heeler mix. He is available for adoption at the Humane Society, 573-334-5837....

LOS ANGELES -- Six dogs will make history this year as the newest breeds eligible to compete at Westminster. If they have visions of winning, though, history is against them. The names of some of these rookie breeds competing in this year's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on Feb. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- It is a trip back in time to ensure the future of the arts at Sikeston High School. Proceeds from the second annual Ye Olde Madrigal Dinner, scheduled for Feb. 11 at the First Christian Church Fellowship Hall, will benefit the Sikeston Public Schools Foundation and in particular the Collins Foundation, which supports arts programs throughout the school district...

Imagine what these children must think. Some have watched their parents abuse drugs. Some have been abused. They have seen and endured things that no child should. Two Jackson residents, Kevin and Lisa Moore, and a handful of other generous people are helping these children in a special way...

ON Jan. 23 our country recognized the 39th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade which legalized abortion. Approximately 500,000 people marched in protest of this court decision on the streets of Washington, D.C. Not one major news network covered this event. ...

O Lord Jesus, we sing to you, for you are highly exalted. Amen.

St. Mary Council of Catholic Women held their meeting on Jan. 19 in the Huels Room. Dr. K.S. Andrews and Wanda Leimer presented the program on arthritis. Thank-you notes were read from the Rev. Patrick Nwokoye for the Christmas gift and invitation to the dinner; from Mary Meyer for the quilt; Lucille Zerr for the expressions of sympathy on the death of her sister and for the Christmas gift. ...

LAS VEGAS -- Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney cruised to victory in the Nevada caucuses Saturday night, notching a second straight triumph over a field of rivals suddenly struggling to keep pace. "Thank you NV!," his campaign tweeted as the results were announced. "Our message of restoring America's greatness continues to resonate through the west & across the country."...

OMAHA, Neb. -- A powerful winter storm that covered parts of Colorado with up to 6 feet of snow crept east across the Plains on Saturday, knocking out electricity to thousands in Nebraska as the blanket of heavy, wet precipitation downed power lines and made travel treacherous...

NEW YORK -- When Dorothy Twinney first saw a Race for the Cure walk for breast cancer -- "a sea of pink" traveling through her hometown of Plymouth, Mich. -- she was so moved she sat in her car and wept. Last week, after watching The Susan G. ...

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. Security Council failed again Saturday to take decisive action to stop the escalating violence in Syria as Russia and China blocked a resolution backing an Arab League plan that calls for President Bashar Assad to step down. The double-veto outraged the U.S. and European council members who feared it would embolden the Assad regime...

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina -- Bosnia's government declared a state of emergency in its capital Saturday after Sarajevo was paralyzed by snow, and hundreds of people remained trapped in their homes and vehicles throughout the country. After a weeklong cold snap that has killed scores of people across Eastern Europe, more than three feet of snow fell in Sarajevo on Saturday, closing roads and public transportation...

Luella Alma Brase, 97, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Gordonville, passed away Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, at Monticello House in Jackson.

MOSCOW -- Tens of thousands of protesters marched through downtown Moscow on Saturday to keep up the pressure on Prime Minister Vladimir Putin one month before a presidential election that could extend his rule for six more years. The protesters have few illusions that they can drive Putin from power now, but for the first time in years Russians are challenging his control and demanding that their voices be heard...

ATHENS, Greece -- Greece is under heavy pressure from its creditors to implement further austerity and structural measures if it wants to get a second, $171 billion bailout and avoid bankruptcy. Representatives of Greece's public creditors -- the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund -- have concluded a meeting with Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, who, in turn, will meet the leaders of the three parties backing his three-month-old coalition government this afternoon.. ...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Virginia "Jenny" Loucks, 82, of Chaffee passed away Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, at Chateau Girardeau in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 20, 1930, in Brownwood, Mo., to the late William and Mildred Speer Sparkman. Jenny married John "Jack" Loucks on June 6, 1947, and he preceded her in death Jan. 23, 1988...

Britt Airways Inc. has been forced to halt commuter service from a hub in St. Louis that served Cape Girardeau and 12 other cities because the company was losing money on the operation. Postal ledgers dating back to the days when mail was delivered by train and on horseback are going to be part of a permanent display at the River Heritage Museum, thanks to the Cape Girardeau post office; about 23 ledgers dating from 1870 to 1909 are being donated to the museum...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Faye Heath, 80, of Chaffee passed away Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, at the home of a son in Cape Girardeau, due to an illness.

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Donald B. Frymire, 87, of Marble Hill passed away Friday, Feb. 3, 2012, at Woodland Hills in Marble Hill.

Willa Rhea Robb Stanford, 79, of Acton, Mass., formerly of Cape Girardeau, went to be with the Lord Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, after a brief illness and suffering heart failure. Survivors include two sons, Dan Stanford of Acton, Price A. Stanford of Nicholasville, Ky.; a daughter, Denise Stanford Faith of Clinton, Miss.; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; a brother, Terry Robb of Carbondale, Ill.; many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends...

Former Cape Girardeau County sheriff Herman F. "Bob" Gribler, 69, of Jackson died Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, at his home.

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Lotta Mae Robins, 82, of Advance passed away Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

EAST CAPE GIRARDEAU, Ill. -- Martha Jordan Kaufman, 91, of Tulsa, Okla., formerly of East Cape Girardeau, died Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa.

Daughter to Trevor Scott Kirn and Jessica Marie Trost of Chaffee, Mo., Southeast Hospital, 4:06 a.m. Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. Name, Aria Michelle. Weight, 6 pounds, 9 ounces. Ms. Trost is the former Jessica Coomer, daughter of Mary Coomer and Kenny Coomer of Delta. She is a licensed practical nurse with White and Associates. Kirn is the son of Kathy Kirn and Larry Kirn of Chaffee. He is employed at Alan Wire...

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

Cape Girardeau Elementary MONDAY--Corn dog or turkey & cheese on bun, corn, pears, vanilla wafers. TUESDAY--Cheeseburger or ham & cheese on bun, fries, apple sections. WEDNESDAY--Ravioli or turkey & cheese on bun, peas & carrots, roll, pineapple...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:...

Dr. John Yeats, executive director of the Missouri Baptist Convention, will be leading Bethany Baptist Church at the 8:30 a.m. and the 11 a.m. services today. Yeats was elected with 92 percent of the vote by the MBC Executive Board on Oct. 13, and was officially installed during special ceremonies on the convention's Oct. ...

Name: Max Owner: Melissa Miller Favority activity: Max loves playing fetch with his toy squirrel. Name: Max Owner: Melissa Miller...

Jack is a lovable 2-year-old large size black cat with a long body After giving him a moment to warm up to you, he would appreciate attention and being in a home.

WASHINGTON -- Dozens of U.S. Park Police officers in riot gear and on horseback converged before dawn Saturday on one of the nation's last remaining Occupy sites, with police clearing away tents they said were banned under park rules. At least seven people were arrested. ...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Pekka Rinne made 41 saves, and Martin Erat had a goal and two assists to lead the Nashville Predators to a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night. The Predators have won six of seven, while the Blues have dropped three of four...

"It is here now, the supreme folly. This is its hour." The aforementioned was the reputed final declaration (possibly apocryphal) of Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury. Becket was said to have spoken the words just before his assassination by barons loyal to English King Henry II in the year 1170...

"Jesus replied: 'The most important one is this: Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'" -- Mark 12:29-30 This is what we are created for...

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

Patsy Johnson and Laverne Nothdurft were honored with the Thatcher award and pin signed by the president general and the National Chairman of the Junior American Citizen Committee. The theme was "Preserving America's Past." Fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students were involved. Members who remembered Pearl Harbor shared their stories, which were compiled...

Patience on the football field seemed like a waste to Tyson Estes. His coach preached it, but he wasn't buying it. "He would tell me, ‘Be patient. Trust in your speed. The holes are going to come,'" Estes said about Chaffee coach Charlie Vickery. ...

All the local high school events reported Friday to the Southeast Missourian.

All the local high school events reported Saturday to the Southeast Missourian.

L.G. Patterson ~ Associated Press Missouri's Marcus Denmon celebrates in front of Kansas' Elijah Johnson after making a basket during the first half Saturday in Columbia, Mo. Denmon finished with 29 points....

Southeast held its visitors to 22.4 percent shooting in a 50-39 win By MARTY MISHOW Southeast Missourian Strong defense has helped the offensively challenged Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team stay competitive in a lot of games this season...

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Because Cyrano weighs more than 20 pounds, amputating his cancer-weakened leg was out of the question. So the tubby tabby's owners turned to doctors and engineers at North Carolina State University to get him back into mice-catching trim...

The Jackson High School boys basketball team picked up a much-needed win thanks to a big comeback Friday. Jackson celebrated Senior Night with a stirring 73-66 victory over Farmington. The Knights led by 10 points with a little more than four minutes remaining...

The Jackson High School girls basketball team had hit a rough patch after a sizzling start to its season. Jackson took out its frustrations Friday on a rebuilding Farmington squad that the Indians dominated for the third time this year. The Indians led wire to wire and romped to a 49-25 victory on Senior Night...

The Bulldogs forced 41 turnovers in a 74-26 victory

Southeast Missouri is rich with church heritage. One of the churches with a good deal of history is Eisleben Lutheran Church of Scott City. The church recently celebrated its 160th anniversary and is looking to reach future generations. According to Vicar Marty Hasz, pastor of Eisleben, the church is "rooted in Christ and branching out in love."...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Only a few people alive in the United States today can say their father was a Civil War soldier. David Demmy Sr., executive director of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, said he is aware of only 13 men still living whose fathers fought for the Union during the Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865. They range in age from 84 to 101...

For the first time, 21st-century audiences are able to hear the voice of Otto von Bismarck, one of the 19th century's most important figures. The National Park Service announced last week that the German chancellor's voice has been identified among those found on a dozen recorded wax cylinders, each more than 120 years old, that were once stored near Thomas Edison's cot in his West Orange, N.J., lab. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Highway 51 in Bollinger County will be reduced to one lane today, as Missouri Department of Transportation crews make edge rut repairs. This section of road is from Route C to Highway 34. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m...

Dee Cookson was excited about the presidential primary in 2008. Four years later, not so much. Cookson, the chairwoman of the Scott County Republican Committee, says the GOP's move to a caucus system this year has rendered Tuesday's primary irrelevant...

The Giants put the finishing touch on their comeback season with the winning touchdown in the final minute

With his trademark cowboy hat on, Dr. Jon Hagler, the director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture, travels the state working with farms and agribusinesses. After the Birds Point levee breach last May, Hagler was one of the first state officials on the scene meeting with Mississippi County farmers. Friday he was back in Southeast Missouri, discussing the effect of Missouri's No. 1 industry and the challenges facing it with members of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce...

Until two weeks ago, the Cape Girardeau police station was a staple in Officer Cary Dunavan's route no matter where he was patrolling. For every report Dunavan had to file, he had to make a trip back to the station, sit at a desk, log into a computer, type and print the report. Reports typically took Dunavan -- who has been on the force for about five years -- 45 minutes to complete, and he would write at least three during a shift...

PHS Sweetheart Court announced The Perryville High School 2012 Sweetheart Court includes (from left) seniors Morgan Mueller, daughter of Rick and Kristi Mueller, and Matt Galeski, son of Tony and Donna Galeski; juniors Tiara Sparkman, daughter of Wes and Tammy Sparkman, and Danny Rue, son of Danny Rue and Pebble Zimmerly; sophomores Jacy Lukefahr, daughter of Wayne and Sandy Lukefahr, and Christian Gray, son of Tim and Shelly Gray; and freshmen Sara Hampson, daughter of Rick and Mary Hampson, and Harley Taylor, son of Harley and Beth Taylor. ...

Caleb Craft of Jackson is learning at an early age what it means to give back. For the past 4 years, Caleb has asked that his family and friends celebrate his birthday by giving donations for the Veterans living at the local Missouri Veterans Home instead of giving him a gift. ...

Tuesday's voting could bring a resolution to an issue that has divided Jackson for months. But neither side of the campaign over an annexation ballot measure expressed confidence that they'd win. On Tuesday, Jackson voters will be asked to decide whether to allow the city to annex a Fruitland quarry owned by Heartland Materials. ...

This is a photo of my Granddaughter, Ellie Brown. She has tied her pink blanket, Fuzzdown, around my dog, Max. The look on his face seems to say, "I know I am getting attention, but how much longer do I have to endure this?"

This little "Officer" couldn't wait to get in the water! Polar Bear Plunge 2012

Polar Bear Plunge 2012

KFVS Polar Bear Plunge 2012

Winner of the Golden Plunger Polar Bear Plunge 2012

Cape Roller Girls Polar Bear Plunge 2012

KFVS Polar Bear Plunge 2012

Cape Girardeau Fire Department Polar Bear Plunge 2012

Cheers Polar Bear Plunge 2012

Mascot Polar Bear Plunge 2012

Rubber Duckies Polar Bear Plunge 2012

K-9 Plunger

We are surprised at the amount of deer that we have around our home, now the turkeys are running around in our yard.

RACHEL M BAILEY -- US ARMY PV2 Rachel M. Bailey joined the US Army on the delayed entry program in January 2011. She left for basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina in October 2011 and graduated January 2012. Rachel is currently attending Advanced Individual Training in Ft. Lee, Virginia and will be stationed at Ft Hood, Texas when she completes her current training in March...

Cape Central High School art students returned home with numerous awards from the 37th Annual Regional High School Art Show in Sikeston. Pictured above are Dale Hoover, winner of the second-place award in Sculpture; Ashley Cusick, honorable mention, Mixed Media; Blake Wilson, third-place, Drawing; Ally Hebert, second-place, drawing; and Savannah Moore, honorable mention, Painting. ...

Bringing home trophies is one of the many routines at which Cape Central Junior High School Cheerleaders excel. At this year's Jamfest National Competition in Nashville, TN, last month, the team walked away with the 2nd place trophy in their division. Last year the team finished fourth, only three-quarters of a point out of first-place...

WINONA, Minn. -- A Catholic school in Minnesota has suspended a 9-year-old boy for performing a crotch-grabbing Michael Jackson dance move during a fundraiser Thursday night. Mindy Boberg told the Winona Daily News the principal at St. Stanislaus in Winona informed her that her son was being suspended because his performance of "Billie Jean" constituted gross misconduct...

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran will target any country where an attack against it is staged, a senior Guard commander warned Sunday, the latest Iranian threat tied to growing tensions over its nuclear program and Western sanctions. Gen. Hossein Salami, deputy commander of the elite Revolutionary Guard, Iran's most powerful military force, did not elaborate. His comments appeared to be a warning to Iran's neighbors not to let their territory or airspace be used as a base for an attack...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri lawmaker has proposed legislation that would require members of the General Assembly to be subjected to random drug testing during the session. The Kansas City Star reported that Rep. Rick Brattin, a Republican from Harrisonville, thinks lawmakers should abide by the same standard as welfare recipients. Missouri lawmakers last year overwhelmingly approved legislation that mandated drug testing for some federal welfare recipients...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Sen. Claire McCaskill plans to announce proposals today to keep rural post offices open and maintain six-day mail delivery for at least the next four years. McCaskill wants the proposals added to the 21st Century Postal Service Act, which addresses the U.S. Postal Service's massive revenue problems. She provided details of her plan in an interview ahead of an appearance today in Kansas City...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A state trial judge upheld Missouri's congressional redistricting map Friday, rejecting arguments that the districts failed to meet state constitutional requirements. Two separate lawsuits challenged the state's new U.S. House map, asserting the districts are not sufficiently compact. ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The recording was forgotten, and so, too, was the odd twist of history that brought together Malcolm X and a bespectacled Ivy Leaguer fated to become one of America's top diplomats. The audiotape of Malcolm X's 1961 address in Providence might never have surfaced at all if 22-year-old Brown University student Malcolm Burnley hadn't stumbled across a reference to it in an old student newspaper. ...

Today is Monday, Feb. 6, the 37th day of 2012. There are 329 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 6, 1952, Britain's King George VI died at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England; he was succeeded as monarch by his daughter, who became Queen Elizabeth II...

Life expectancy is rising in the U.S., meaning financial planning is taking on even more importance. For a reasonably healthy 65-year-old couple, chances are 63 percent that one of them will live until age 90 and 14 percent that one will make it to 100, according to the Society of Actuaries. They need to ensure that their money doesn't run out before then...

Those Valentine's Day chocolates may be a tasty treat for you, and even contain healthy antioxidants -- but they're toxic to your pet's red blood cells and may even cause neurological damage. "With dogs ... one of the most common things I hear is that 'I turned my back and he jumped on the table and got the chocolate,'" says Dr. ...

Verla Carr of Jackson liked gardening and wanted to do more for the community. So, in 2003, she joined the Master Gardener program. "I heard it was a great program," says Carr, who is president of the Cape County Master Gardeners. "I am so passionate about gardening. And I met a whole other group of people who have become dearest friends. It was really a win-win situation for me."...

Cindy Durbin says her weight has been an issue since childhood. She grew up on a farm where each meal included meat, potatoes and bread, and she was expected to clean her plate every time. Durbin ate every bite, then hid more food in her bedroom because she got hungry later -- and she didn't want her parents to know how much she was really eating...

Brenda Moyers had a birthday party Jan. 14, but she didn't receive any gifts. Instead, she asked her friends to bring baby gifts to donate to Birthright in Cape Girardeau. "The girls wanted to do something for my birthday and I said, 'I don't mind doing something, but there will be absolutely no gifts,'" says Moyers, who turned 65 on Jan. 10. "We're to the point in our lives where we really don't need anything else. We're very blessed. To exchange gifts for the unborn is just a wonderful thing."...

Now that we've made it into the New Year, most of us are hoping to lose the excess weight that we gained over the holidays and get in overall better physical condition. Did you know that there are ways to burn calories and build strength while you are doing routine daily chores and activities?...

Valentine's Day is a day for love and romance -- a notion only made more clear by the abundance of chocolate hearts, flowers, and red and pink paraphernalia filling store shelves this time of year. But for those without a partner, no matter their age, the day can lead to feelings of loneliness and sadness. The solution, tempting as it may be, isn't curling up on the couch with a sappy movie and a tub of Ben and Jerry's...

AARP Foundation/IRS Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) -- Tax assistance for low- to moderate-income taxpayers, with special attention to those ages 60 and up. CAPE GIRARDEAU Cape Girardeau Public Library 711 N. Clark St. 573-334-5279 Mondays from 1 to 4 p.m...

It's a time of transition at Jefferson Elementary School in Cape Girardeau. Mark Cook, who served 32 years as an educator in public schools here -- including 14 years as principal -- is retiring at the end of the school year. Cook won several recognition awards as principal, including the Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year award and the VFW Ladies Auxiliary Educator of the Year award in 2010...

IT doesn't matter what the students wear or don't wear if they aren't getting a good education and the drop out rate is still high. THE new stoplight on East Main Street in Jackson is a great idea but was most definitely put up at the wrong time. If there were actually businesses out there or a neighborhood, I could see putting the light up. ...

O Father God, you are our strength and our defense. Amen.

Dr. Scott A. Anderson has joined Saint Francis Medical Center as a new medical partner and oncologist at Cape Medical Oncology. Anderson spent 19 years in internal medicine academia before completing his oncology fellowship at the University of Missouri Hospital and Clinic in Columbia, Mo. ...

Southeast Hospital was among 247 hospitals included in U.S. News & World Report's nation's Best Regional Hospitals list for 2011-2012. Southeast was one of nine nonmetropolitan hospitals in Missouri named to the list. All Best Regional Hospitals, regardless of location, have met the same standard: Hospitals had to be high performing in at least one of the 16 adult specialties U.S. News evaluates. The magazine singled out Southeast Hospital for being "high performing" in urology...

Herman F. "Bob" Gribler, former Cape Girardeau County Sheriff, 69, of Jackson passed away Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, at his home. He was born Feb. 21, 1942, in McGee, Mo., son of William and Dolly McKnight Gribler. He married Genevieve Welker Niswonger on April 15, 1988, in Jackson...

OLMSTED, Ill. -- Betty Bierbaum, 79, of Olmsted died at 12:52 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Betty was born April 8, 1931, in Wolf Lake, Ill., to Claude and Velma Kinney Edwards. She married Walter Bierbaum on Nov. 13, 1957...

EAST CAPE GIRARDEAU, Ill. -- Martha Jordan Kaufman, 91, of Tulsa, Okla., formerly of East Cape Girardeau, died Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa. She was born April 24, 1920, in Elco, Ill., daughter of Eugene and Eulah Greer Jordan...

BENTON, Mo. -- The Scott County Commission is considering seeking voter approval of a quarter-cent capital improvement sales tax to help finance the operation of the county landfill. After several months of planning and packing, Cape Girardeau's Family Learning Center has opened the doors at a new location and is conducting business as usual; the center has moved to 805 S. Sprigg St., where 12 children are enrolled in day classes...

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team fell short of its upset bid at Murray State Thursday night, but the Redhawks' strong showing on national television netted plenty of positive publicity. Leading the way during the 81-73 loss was senior forward Leon Powell's monster one-handed follow dunk early in the second half...

Juniors Jill Schnurbusch and Jerika Lewis highlighted strong performances by Southeast Missouri State track and field athletes over the weekend. Schnurbusch, a Notre Dame Regional High School graduate, broke the school pole vault record for the fourth time this season...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Eli Manning is elite, for sure. A king of comebacks, too. And far, far more than Peyton's little brother now. Spot-on from beginning to end Sunday night, Eli Manning won his second NFL championship in a four-year span -- and second Super Bowl MVP award -- for coolly, calmly steering the New York Giants to a 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots with a last-minute touchdown drive...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Ahmad Bradshaw approached the goal line with the ball tucked tightly in his right arm and realized nobody was trying to strip it away or even stop him from scoring. Could it really be this easy to score the winning touchdown in a Super Bowl?...

Although we had a great campsite last night, neither of us got much sleep. Camping in a major city with people nosing around all night is not conducive to a good night's sleep. I had the same problem camping in St. Paul, Minn., on the first leg of this trip. We didn't have anymore visitors last night, but we heard people on the trail right up to daybreak...

At tonight's Cape Girardeau City Council meeting a city official will talk about options to address parking concerns in the Broadway corridor project. The city has plans to renovate Broadway from Pacific Street to Water Street to coincide with the opening of the Isle of Capri casino. However, some business owners have recently raised concerns about a lack of parking in the current Broadway corridor plan, which went through weeks of public hearings and review...

I've just read your article about Dr. Dobbins' testimony on additional funding cuts to Southeast Missouri State University. He, of course, was professional and polite. The time, however, has come for "plain speaking." 1) In a state with unlimited campaign contributions coming overwhelmingly from Clayton, LaDue, Town and Country and University City (Forsyth Avenue);...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri lawmakers could soon have more flexibility in deciding how many years they serve in each of the Legislature's chambers. Currently, state lawmakers generally are limited to eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate. A House committee endorsed a proposed constitutional amendment Tuesday that would allow lawmakers to serve 16 years in the state legislature, either the House or the Senate...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The political maxim "every vote counts" may ring pretty hollow in Missouri on Tuesday. A series of political squabbles has rendered the state's Republican vote merely symbolic, turning the $7 million primary into a glorified public opinion poll that will play little to no role in determining the party's nominee...

HICKMAN, Ky. (AP) -- A ferry that provides the only direct route between Kentucky and Missouri has reopened after being out of service nearly three months. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says the Dorena-Hickman Ferry resumed service Tuesday. It had been closed since Nov. 17 while the boat was taken to a St. Louis shipyard for installation of two new engines and other equipment upgrades...

In the Feb. 7, 2012 election voters within the Jackson city limits were asked if the city should accept the voluntary annexation of certain parcels in the Fruitland area of the county. Below are votes in each precinct? Yes -- xx No -- xx...

A Jackson man charged with murder in a fatal stabbing outside a downtown Cape Girardeau bar pleaded not guilty to the charge Monday. Ryan Harkey, 23, allegedly stabbed Jerry Conrad in the heart following an altercation that began inside Rumors, 36 N. Spanish St., in the early morning hours of Dec. 9...

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum has scheduled a trip to Cape Girardeau next month, where he is to be the featured speaker at the local GOP's Lincoln Day event. Santorum, a former senator from Pennsylvania, was invited by U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, who confirmed Monday that he had accepted...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff teenager coming to his mother's aid Sunday afternoon during what authorities describe as a domestic dispute soon found himself in need of aid when his stepfather allegedly turned the violence on him. The teen's mother protected her son by allegedly stabbing her husband, Jeremy Ellis, twice in the buttocks, sending him initially to the hospital and then to jail...

Students at Alma Schrader Elementary will be among those in 396 schools statewide who drop, cover and hold on during an earthquake drill today. The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut event is a day of earthquake safety awareness promotion for nine central U.S. states...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- One of the two Marble Hill men accused of killing a pit bull and disposing of its body in October admitted to trying to burn the body to shield the dog's owner from its death, court records say. Levi Snider, 24, is charged with animal abuse for having allegedly killed the dog under circumstances not allowed by law. Travis Reed, 28, is charged with littering for having improperly disposed of the carcass by allegedly placing it upon premises that were not his...

Scott City senior Katie Hogan provided the best volleyball players in Southeast Missouri with a mostly welcomed challenge. "I like competition a lot," Bell City senior Jasmine Johnson said. Hogan, the Southeast Missourian player of the year for the second consecutive season, was someone star players like Johnson said they looked forward to playing...

Don Caldwell has had a gun waved in his face and watched as the trigger was pulled. He mostly worked midnights, despite the fact that he owned the place. And, until recent years, he had to call the cops on a regular basis -- once even to clear his own store...

Leaders of local public and private preschools are happy to see a demand for early childhood education, due in large part to more parents being knowledgeable about benefits of early education, they say. Piles of research show children do better during the rest of their time in school, from kindergarten all the way through college...

Even on a chilly day, Franklin Elementary students are excited to have new playground toys donated by the Lanzotti & Rau Law Firm. Community involvement at it's best!

A surprise visit from Mark Lanzotti, of the Lanzotti & Rau Law Firm, brings new playground toys to the students at Franklin Elementary.

Mark Lanzotti, of the Lanzotti & Rau Law Firm, makes a surprise visit to Franklin Elementary to deliver some new playground toys.

Cape Girardeau officials are driving forward with the $3.85 million Broadway corridor plan that eliminates 64 parking spots on the north side of the street to make way for a 15-foot-wide "pedestrian promenade." But if plans discussed Monday night progress, the project's year-end completion date could come with more parking on Broadway, not less...

History sets foundation for Missouri Guard earthquake response training JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- In the early pre-dawn hours of Feb. 7, 1812, residents of southeast Missouri experienced the rocking and shaking of a 7.7 magnitude earthquake. It was the third and largest earthquake in less than two months, and would cause devastation that can still be seen 200 years later and are reminders of the need to be prepared today...

The Cape County Tea Party (CCTP) invites the Community of Cape Girardeau County to come together to Celebrate our local Men and Women of the Armed Forces on March 20th at 7:00pm, marking the Ninth Anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. CCTP is truly grassroots and not funded by any group or entity...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama levied tough new sanctions on Iran's Central Bank on Monday amid increased tensions over Tehran's nuclear program and the specter of an Israeli attack on the Islamic republic. In a letter to Congress, Obama said more sanctions were warranted, "particularly in light of the deceptive practices of the Central Bank of Iran and other Iranian banks." He said the problems included the hiding of transactions of sanctioned parties, the deficiencies of Iran's anti-money laundering regime and the unacceptably high risk posed to the entire international financial system posed by Iran's activities.. ...

WASHINGTON -- Alexis McKenzie's mother had mild dementia, but things sounded OK when she phoned home: Dad was with her, finishing his wife's sentences as they talked about puttering through the day and a drive to the store. Then their phone service was cut off. "I mailed that check," McKenzie's father insisted. No, he'd mailed the phone company a bank deposit slip instead. McKenzie visited and discovered spoiling food. Dad the caregiver was in trouble, too...

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- A woman is in serious condition after being hit by a man accused of drunken driving Saturday. At 11:50 p.m. Saturday, Caruthersville police responded to a report of a vehicle accident involving a pedestrian. According to a news release from the Caruthersville Police Department, at the scene they found Krissie Payne, 40, of Caruthersville lying in the street unresponsive...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Missouri lawmaker wants to let school districts lease advertising space on buses to help cover transportation costs. Legislation by House Republican Mike Kelley, of Lamar, would provide for advertisements on the interior and exterior of school buses, with certain restrictions. The state Board of Education would write the rules for advertising...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Democratic House member from southwestern Missouri plans to run for lieutenant governor. Sara Lampe, of Springfield, announced Sunday that she intends to enter the lieutenant governor campaign while citing her experience serving on the House Budget Committee, running a small business and working in public education. She has served in the Missouri House since 2005. Lampe plans to announce her candidacy officially Monday morning in Springfield...

NEW YORK -- Phone company Verizon Communications Inc. will challenge Netflix and start a video streaming service this year with Redbox and its DVD rental kiosks. Verizon and Coinstar Inc., Redbox's parent company, said Monday that the service will be national and available to non-Verizon customers as well. It adds another dimension to Verizon's quest to become a force in home entertainment, and it looks set to compete to some extent with the cable-TV services it already sells...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missourians who take out payday loans could get more time to pay them off under legislation proposed by a state senator. Payday loans are unsecured loans of $500 or less that must be paid off within 31 days. Sen. John Lamping, a St. Louis County Republican, told a Senate committee Monday that people should get at least 90 days to pay off those loans. The bill would also make it illegal for payday lenders to roll over or extend loans beyond 90 days...

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 7, the 38th day of 2012. There are 328 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 7, 1812, author Charles Dickens, widely regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, was born in Landport, Portsmouth, England...

Today is Missouri's primary election. Voters across the state, particularly Republican voters, will head to the polls to select their pick for president of the United States. Some may feel today's vote is an exercise in futility -- further supported by the fact that one major candidate on the Republican side will not appear on the ballot...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Stressed out by flying? Travelers in Northern California can now find their inner calm in the Yoga Room at San Francisco International Airport. The quiet, dimly lit studio officially opened last week in a former storage room just past the security checkpoint at SFO's Terminal 2...

May we bless our children, O Lord Jesus, teaching them to love you. Amen.

Religious freedom has a long and proud history in America. From the first pilgrims to cross the Atlantic, to the religious freedom established in colonial charters, to the Bill of Rights -- it is a basic premise that Americans have the right to worship as they wish. This is one of our most treasured liberties...

NEW YORK -- Stock indexes closed slightly lower Monday as talks dragged on between Greek political leaders over a fresh cost-cutting package required for the country to get more bailout loans. President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Greek leaders that they need to push through the measures or risk letting the country go bankrupt...

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- It's a puzzling phenomenon: On one street in St. Charles County, garage door openers have stopped working. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that no one knows what exactly is going on at Westhampton View Court. The garage door openers at all five homes on the court stopped working shortly after Christmas...

Paul D. Spears, 79, of Jackson passed away Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, at home, holding the hand of his love of 57 years. He was born June 4, 1932, in Bell City, Mo., to Irvin L. and Ida Mae Brown Spears. He and Shelby June Mann were married Dec. 24, 1954, at Bell City...

Anita R. Greer, 95, of Joliet, Ill., died Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, at Sunny Hill Nursing Home. She was born in Oran, Mo. Greer had been a Joliet resident since 1955. She was a former owner/operator of Anita's Dry Cleaning in St. Louis and formerly was a riverboat cook. Prior to retirement she was a nanny for Mr. and Mrs. Sam Andreano...

J.W. Denning, 88, of Fenton, Mo., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, at Delmar Gardens in Chesterfield, Mo. He was born Aug. 11, 1923, in East Prairie, Mo., to James Orbe and Hattie McClanahan Denning. He and Lennie Morgan were married Aug. 16, 1943, at Charleston, Mo...

Anton J. "Tony" Winkler, 94, of Jackson passed away Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 19, 1917, in Uniontown, Mo., son of Hugo and Anna M. Meyer Winkler. He and Kathryn Koehler were married Jan. 10, 1942. She passed away Oct. 26, 1980. He and Margaret Kave George were married Jan. 12, 1990...

Bettie L. Klob, 83, of Jackson died Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. Inurnment will be in the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery at Bloomfield at a later date. McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson is in charge of arrangements...

Donald C. Heuer, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, at the Lutheran Home. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at McCombs Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Jim Matthews officiating...

Kenneth Ray Brant, 54, of Scott City died Monday, Feb. 6, 2012, at his home. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

Daughter to David Gene Brown and Celeste Anni Holley of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 10:22 a.m. Friday, Jan. 27, 2012. Name, Isabella Victoria. Weight, 6 pounds, 5 ounces. Second daughter. Ms. Holley is the daughter of Celester and Anni Holley of Cape Girardeau. She is employed at Panera Bread Co. Brown is the son of Richard and Betty Braun of Dexter, Mo...

Although not considered a permanent solution, Scott City Mayor Alvie Modglin and police chief Tom Eaton believe they have a way to reduce daily traffic tie-ups on Route M, at the Interstate 55 interchange; in a letter to the chairman of the Missouri Highway Commission, Modglin suggested that the section of east-west Route M (Main Street) in the vicinity of the interstate be widened from two to three lanes, the third lane being for left turns...

Firefighters responded to the following call Sunday:...

Johnny Ray Wyatt, 56, of Scott City died Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, at his home. He was born Feb. 2, 1956, in Sikeston, Mo., to the late Alvie D. and Maggie Ruth Tillman Wyatt. Wyatt had worked as a supervisor at Blair Industries and later as a self-employed mechanic and trader. He was of the Catholic belief...

Northbound U.S. 61 from South County Park Drive to Interstate 55 in Cape Girardeau County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs. Weather permitting, work will be from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ...

America's obesity epidemic is proving to be as stubborn as those maddening love handles and shows no sign of reversing course. More than one-third of adults and almost 17 percent of children were obese in 2009-2010, echoing results since 2003, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported recently...

Michael Wessel, a resident who owns land adjacent to the road, petitioned the commission in December for residents to take over jurisdiction of the road because he suspected there are illegal activities, including drug-related activities, happening in the area...

For all the finger pointing over M.I.A.'s obscene gesture during the Super Bowl halftime show, it may have happened so quickly that many viewers didn't notice or think much of it if they did. The gesture was the talk of Twitter for hours Sunday night and still was to some extent Monday. ...

All the local high school events reported Monday to the Southeast Missourian.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The focus of No. 4 Missouri was tested between an emotionally charged victory against archrival Kansas and a top 10 showdown with Baylor. The Tigers got a passing grade -- barely. Marcus Denmon scored 25 points, Ricardo Ratliffe added 15 points and 10 rebounds and No. 4 Mizzou claimed first place in the Big 12 by edging Oklahoma 71-68 on Monday night...

Associated Press LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (AP) -- For decades, tourists visiting this popular Adirondack village could gape at the skeletons of soldiers from nearby French and Indian War sites. Then in 1993, a somber reburial ceremony was held to finally put the remains to rest...

Since so much of Cape Girardeau County is considered rural, most of us surely are aware of the importance of our agricultural economy. Farmers and ranchers make up only 2 percent of the U.S. population. In Cape Girardeau County we have approximately 1,500 farms, up 20 percent from 2002...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Highway 51 in Bollinger County will be reduced to one lane today through Friday, as Missouri Department of Transportation crews make edge rut repairs. This section of road is from Highway 91 to Highway 34. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily...

Saying he still has some "fight left" in him, former Jackson football coach Van Hitt announced his intentions Tuesday to run for the Missouri House seat occupied by Rep. Donna Lichtenegger. Hitt's decision, which surprised his fellow House hopefuls, sets up a possible three-way Republican primary with Lichtenegger and Jackson School Board member Gerald Adams...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum won Missouri's nonbinding Republican presidential primary Tuesday, claiming momentum in his challenge against national frontrunner Mitt Romney even though the victory won't earn him any delegates.

Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich released an audit of Southeast Missouri State University today at 2 p.m. The audit covers certain operations of the university by using financial statements for years ended June 30, 2010, 2009 and 2008. According to a release from the auditor's office, various audits of state government offices, public school districts, municipal governments and other offices will also be released this year...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri lawmakers are trying again to require voters to show photo identification at the polls. House members Tuesday gave first-round approval to the photo-ID requirement by a 104-54 vote. The measure needs another vote before moving to the Senate...

Clay Waller has been granted three more weeks to file the appeal of his five-year sentence for his federal Internet threatening conviction.

Opponents of urban deer hunting crowded into the Cape Girardeau deer management committee meeting Tuesday night but weren't given much of an opportunity to express their concerns. Before the meeting began, assistant police chief Roger Fields, who is serving as the staff liaison to the committee, told the crowd that the meeting was not the time for debate...

A female Cardinal looking for a handout of sunflower seeds waits in the bush by my front door.

It looked like the Central boys basketball team could be headed toward another dramatic finish Tuesday night after losing games on back-to-back nights by a combined three points last week. The Tigers led rival Jackson by just two points entering the fourth quarter, but they scored the first five points of the period and never faltered on their way to a 60-51 win at the Show Me Center...

Doris Dumey of Scott City, Missouri makes 1000th skydive on December 28, 2011 in Sebastian, Florida! She is the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) Girardot Chapter President, the Cape Girardeau local chapter. She has also earned her certification of Certified Administrative Professional in Organizational Management (CAP-OM) and is a Member of Excellence...

Rocky is a 3 year old Husky/Lab mix. He is already neutered and housebroken. Rocky is available for adoption at The Humane Society 573-334-5837. See more pets available at www.semopets.org

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A federal appeals court on Tuesday declared California's same-sex marriage ban to be unconstitutional, putting the bitterly contested, voter-approved law on track for likely consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon said Tuesday that he wants to soften a proposed budget cut to the state's colleges and universities by tapping money from a possible legal settlement with some of the nation's largest mortgage lenders.

Rick Santorum should have a warm welcome when he comes to Cape Girardeau next month. The Republican presidential candidate swept aside front-runner Mitt Romney in the statewide presidential primary Tuesday, capturing zero delegates in the nonbinding election but perhaps a bit of momentum...

After four months that saw heated board of aldermen meetings, paid advertisements and two lawsuits, Jackson residents overwhelmingly voted against the annexation of a Fruitland quarry Tuesday.

WASHINGTON -- Arizona, Michigan and Florida, three of the states hit hardest by the housing crisis, will join a nationwide settlement over foreclosure abuses, officials with direct knowledge say. They will join more than 40 other states in approving a deal that would benefit many Americans who lost their homes or can't afford their mortgages...

LOS ANGELES -- When students return to the school where two teachers were jailed last week for alleged lewdness, they'll have new teachers in their classrooms, a new principal in the front office and new workers serving lunch. In a move that experts said was unprecedented, the entire 120-member staff at Miramonte Elementary School will be replaced as of Thursday after a two-day school shutdown as part of Los Angeles Unified School District's investigation into the two veteran teachers arrested last week.. ...

DAYTON, Ohio -- Political turmoil over abortion and birth control spread suddenly Tuesday. A high-ranking official resigned from the Komen breast-cancer charity after its backtracking treaty with Planned Parenthood, and Republican presidential candidates blistered the Obama administration for a recent ruling on Catholic hospitals and contraception...

BEIRUT -- Days after blocking a U.S.-backed peace plan at the U.N., senior Russian officials pushed for reforms Tuesday during an emergency meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad, promoting a settlement to end the uprising without removing him from power...

CAIRO -- Americans facing trial in Egypt over activities of their pro-democracy groups have been caught in a dispute between the U.S. government and Egypt over aid, a lawyer representing the Americans said Tuesday. In a measure of the depth of the tensions, an Egyptian government delegation abruptly canceled meetings in Washington with U.S. ...

JERUSALEM -- While Israeli leaders are increasingly sounding belligerent warnings of a potential military strike against Iran's nuclear installations, a group of Iranian-Israelis are transmitting a different message. Radio RADISIN, a private Farsi-language radio station based in Tel Aviv, airs Iranian music, poetry and current affairs shows aiming to spread peace between the Israeli and Iranian people -- regardless of who is in power in Tehran...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Missouri House has endorsed legislation that would change the state's workplace discrimination laws. House members gave first-round approval Tuesday to legislation that would require workers who fight firings or other adverse decisions to prove in court that discrimination was a "motivating factor" -- and not just a contributing factor. It needs another vote before moving to the Senate...

HAVANA -- When it started, American teenagers were doing "The Twist." The United States had yet to put a man into orbit around the Earth. And a first-class U.S. postage stamp cost 4 cents. The world is much changed since the early days of 1962, but one thing has remained constant: The U.S. economic embargo on communist-run Cuba, a near-total trade ban that turned 50 on Tuesday...

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 8, the 39th day of 2012. There are 327 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 8, 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle in England after she was implicated in a plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I...

Numerous individuals in Southeast Missouri volunteer for worthy causes, giving invaluable support locally and throughout the world. Now a local Aktion Club is providing an avenue for those with developmental disabilities to help others. Aktion Clubs are a service organization through Kiwanis International. Last year the local chapter started thanks to the Cape Girardeau and Jackson Kiwanis clubs and the SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence...

The deplorable rhetoric erroneously invoking Christianity to fit a takeover tax agenda is despicable. We are all created equal as spiritual beings with the same rights and value in God's eyes regardless of income or social status. That is the only way we are equal. ...

I would like to ask people on this post office deal what happens with senior citizens like me. We don't have computers. We depend on our mail service to our homes because a lot of us don't drive to get somewhere. What do we do if they take away our mail? Not everyone pays their bills on the computer. Please consider us...

I had to review a text of President Obama's State of the Union address to verify that I actually heard what I thought I heard. But there it was in black and white. And with those few words, I have at long last found some point of agreement with our president...

O God, may we confront evil, pursue justice and love mercy. Amen.

LONDON -- Former Beatle Paul McCartney will star in a musical tribute to Britain's queen to mark her Diamond Jubilee. The pop superstar will headline the concert to be held in front of Buckingham Palace. The concert will honor the monarch's 60 years on the throne...

ELLSINORE, Mo. -- Acting on a tip, Butler County authorities seized nearly 40 suspected marijuana plants from an indoor grow operation found at a rural home. The suspected grow operation was found inside Ronald Gayl Sheedy's mobile home on County Road 415...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Matthews, Mo., man is charged with five counts of child molestation following an investigation by the Sikeston Department of Public Safety. Jewel Gross, 65, is charged with five counts of first-degree child molestation. Charges were filed by Scott County prosecutor Paul Boyd...

MCCLURE, Ill. -- About 80 students at Shawnee Elementary School South in McClure were rushed outside after a fire began in a trash can in the building Tuesday morning. Shawnee school district superintendent Shelly Clover-Hill said smoke was reported in the building and school staff worked quickly to clear the building because there had been a gas leak in the school over the weekend. ...

Oralea P. Mathis, 76, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born June 11, 1935, in Zalma, Mo., to William McKinley and Ora Jane Moore Prater. She and Billie Gene Mathis were married Sept. 4, 1954, at Marble Hill, Mo. He died March 30, 1999...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Ramona K. Estep, 59, of Chaffee died Monday, Feb. 6, 2012, at Benchmark Health Care of Greenville, Mo. Mrs. Estep was born July 8, 1952, in St. Louis. She was a former secretary for the St. Louis school system. She was a member of Chaffee General Baptist Church. She enjoyed being a homemaker and taking care of her family, especially her grandchildren...

Vernedia Alvina Blattel, 92, of Scott City died Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, at the Chaffee Nursing Center in Chaffee, Mo. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

Son to Michael Gene and Alicia Renea Vandeven of Leopold, Mo., Southeast Hospital, 1:42 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011. Name, Hunter Michael. Weight, 8 pounds, 7 ounces. Second child, first son. Mrs. Vandeven is the former Alicia Halter, daughter of Mary and Gary Meyer of Leopold and Michael Halter of Cape Girardeau. Mr. and Mrs. Vandeven are owners of Beussink Transmission and Repair LLC. He is the son of Randy Mayfield of Sedgewickville, Mo., and the late Carol Mayfield...

Meadowlark Lemon and Betty Jean Robinson are guests at special meetings held at New Life World Outreach Center. Jim Starnes of Sikeston, Mo., has purchased the Last Chance building at the southwest corner of Broadway and Pacific Street; the building, built in the mid-1800s by F.C. Krueger, will be restored to its original appearance; it has housed a bar or tavern for more than 100 years...

OTTAWA -- Brian Elliott didn't have the success he would have liked with the Ottawa Senators. He almost was perfect against them Tuesday. David Perron scored twice, Elliott made 28 saves in his return to Ottawa and the St. Louis Blues handed the Senators their seventh consecutive loss, 3-1...

The annual Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland "Just Desserts" event was held recently in Cape Girardeau. The fundraiser is a dessert contest in which Girl Scouts team up with area distinguished chefs to make a dessert using Girl Scout cookies. Girl Scouts across the country are celebrating 100 years of service and leadership to girls, and carrying out their mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character, which makes the world a better place. ...

Kenneth Ray Brant, 54, of Scott City died Monday, Feb. 6, 2012, at his home. He was born Nov. 3, 1957, in Cape Girardeau to George Virgil "Smokey" and Ruby Joyce Kinder Brant. He and Vicki Ann Brawley were married June 4, 1977, in Cape Girardeau. Kenny was a self-employed equipment operator. He was a member of Local 513 Operators Union in Cape Girardeau and of Father's Arms Fellowship Church in Scott City...

All the local high school events reported Tuesday to the Southeast Missourian.

Defending OVC champion Austin Peay is picked to repeat

Southeast Missouri State junior Jerika Lewis was named the Ohio Valley Conference track athlete of the week Tuesday. Lewis had two first-place finishes at the SIU Saluki Invitational over the weekend. She won the 200 meters in 25.23 seconds and the 400 in 56.77 seconds...

Alma Schrader fourth-graders scoot under their desks to practice the proper drop, cover and hold on techniques that are vital during an earthquake as part of the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut event on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012.

The warm January weather has created quite a stir among gardeners. In conversation after conversation I hear about crocuses that are blooming, fruit trees that have swelling buds and daffodils that have leaves about four inches above the soil surface...

The Notre Dame boys prevailed 74-52 for their 11th consecutive win on senior night

The Indians held Central to two points in the second quarter in a 54-35 win

WASHINGTON -- A resurgent Rick Santorum won Minnesota's Republican presidential caucuses with ease Tuesday night and reached for victory in Colorado, raising fresh questions about front-runner Mitt Romney's appeal among the ardent conservatives at the core of the party's political base...

ANNA, Ill. -- A Union County, Ill., man was arrested Monday on child pornography charges stemming from an investigation that involved the FBI and Illinois State Police, according to a news release from Union County State's Attorney Tyler Edmonds. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- North- and southbound ramps on Interstate 57 in Mississippi County will be reduced to one lane with a 10-foot width restriction as Missouri Department of Transportation crews make pavement repairs. The work will be on all four ramps at Route B and I-57 at Bertrand, Mo. ...

I was somewhat saddened to read "Two bills would remove limits on nurses ability to practice," by Melissa Miller, in the Feb. 1 Southeast Missourian. I was saddened because it was obvious that advanced practice registered nurses Bell and Keser have never had the benefit of a true collaborative practice...

Blanchard Elementary School A Honor Roll 3rd grade: Michael Knapp, Takyra Williams, Jillian Majors, Kaylei Sterling, Abigail Green, Bailey Randol. 4th grade: Haley Brazel, Carlos Nunez, Zachary Martin, Blake Sides, Karley Thomas, Olivia Beasley, Yeniah Jackson, Madyson Knupp, Kara Stricker...

Cape Central Middle School A Honor Roll 6th grade: Mallory Bittner, Mary Boerboom, Maggie Boxdorfer, Zachary Brown, Jordyn Castillo, Julie Castle, Grace Cook, Brittany Coonts, Cooper Crosnoe, Bryar Daum, Brogan Davis, Dalton Drum, Liam Green, Reiss Groves, Alexis Gurley, Rose Hall, Meredith Ham, Chloe Hampton, Madalyn Henderson, Elijah Huey, Mitchell Humphrey, Hannah Jackson, Monique Johnson, Destiny Jones, Kathryn Keele, Brooke Kimberly, Griffin King, Destiny Kiser, Morgan Kluge, Tyler Lamb, Kylie Lane, John Lawrence, Savannah Lively, Jackson Manley, Kaitlyn Mayabb, Cierra McKinley, Matthew Nussbaum, Alexis Phillips, Carson Retter, Emilia Robison, Lexi Ruehling, Harley Sample, Zachary Sample, Shire Saney, William Sellers, Anthony Strack, Danica Thomas, Hannah Trautman, Justin Tuschhoff, Noah Umbeck, Ava Urhahn, Joshua Warner, Decortneyawna Willis, Mario Young.. ...

Kelso C-7 School A Honor Roll 2nd grade: Tristin Abernathy, Macy Enderle, Mitchell Halter, Connor Kern, Owen Spane, Anya Spurgeon. 3rd grade: Alaney Moore. 4th grade: Allison Colbert, Morgan Kern, Josh Schmitt. 6th grade: Drew Reischman. 7th grade: Anne Westrich...

St. Denis School 3rd grade: Gabbie Enos, Baylee Kern, Gavin Kilburn, Bryce Morgan, Molly Shively, Evan Urhahn. 4th grade: Krista Dirnberger, Britt Gage, Mallory Glastetter, Haleigh Halter, Devin Heuring, Macy Landeros, Andrea Richman. 5th grade: Landon Cureton, Sydney Dittlinger, Peyton Eftink, Andrew Halter, Ragan Schlosser, Allison Seiler, Grace Urhahn...

Scott City Elementary School A Honor Roll 3rd grade: Breahnna Choate, Camden Conner, Lucas Jordan. 4th grade: Alexys Littlepage. B Honor Roll 3rd grade: Jersey Black, Tyler Brashear, Isaiah Camp, Harmony Cash, Michael Crittenden, Jordan Fields, Barbara Flowers, Kaylee Hann, Kaden Hargroves, Isaiah Harless, Caleb Hasz, Taylor Haynes, Raegan Holder, Dylan Jenkins, Mercedis Jenkins, Kelsie Job, Thomas Lawler, Misty Mason, Zachary Merritt, Olivia Ourth, Ethan Pratt, Leah Pullen, Ada Rendleman, Hannah Salinas, Brayden Simms, Lucas Summers, McKenzie Sweet, Harlie Umfleet, Gage Underwood, Chloe Venable.. ...

Chaffee Junior & Senior High School 7th grade: Uzzian Beggs, Christian Beier, Kerri Cannon, Nadia Day, Brayden Glueck, Ryan Holderfield, Aaron Medlin, Cody Pepple, Anna Sadler, Cassidy Spane, James Wallace, Brandon Wiley, Ronnie Woods. 8th grade: Lauran Bedwell, Skyler Chiles, Brandon Ivester, Ryan Jobe, Bethany Koch, Maggie Penrose, Shayna Seyer, Julia Sutterfield, Jordan Wilburn...

Chaffee Elementary School 3rd grade: Hailey Cook, Connor Davenport, Kayla Foulk, Tristan Foulk, Bryce Horrell, Mackenzie Jackson, Anthony Ruble, Kiera Themm, Ashlee Bowman, Jayden Butcher, Landon Henson, Alex Kilburn, Sydney Lewis, JJ Maloney, Landon Rains, Paige Schafer, Jimmy Tankersley...

St. Joseph School A Honor Roll 4th grade: Kaitlin Campbell, Skyler Robert. 8th grade: Marisa Hall, Olivia Jordan. B Honor Roll 4th grade: C.J. Dickerson. 6th grade: Elijah Venable, Anthony Madalon. 7th grade: Ryne Enderle, Daylon Reed. 8th grade: Valerie Bahr...

St. Ambrose School A Honor Roll 4th grade: Mason Cook, Brooke Kilburn, Taylor Pobst. 5th grade: Joanna Glueck, Gracie Knutson, Brock Lange. 6th grade: Alex Eftink, Aaron Glastetter, Katie Glueck, Mary Beth Knutson, Shelby Pobst, Chris Trost, Jaxon VanPelt...

Guardian Angel School Super Students 1st grade: Dalaini Bryant, Logan Dame, Parker Diebold, Courtney Dirnberger, Kara Eftink, Kyle Eftink, Lawson Hahn, Taylor Hobbs, Kaitlyn Jolley, Drew Pobst, Sophie Priggel, Riley Schlosser, Daley Siebert, Connor Watkins, Haley Webb, Nathaniel Woods...

Brooke Bohnert has helped the Notre Dame girls basketball team get on a roll over the last week. The senior was the team's leading scorer in the Bulldogs' last three wins. She helped Notre Dame defeat crosstown rival Central 53-39 at the Show Me Center on Jan. 31. She scored 12 points in the win...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A central Missouri teenager who confessed to strangling, cutting and stabbing a 9-year-old girl because she wanted to know how it felt to kill someone was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison with the possibility of parole...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- The Ware, Ill., woman accused of killing her boyfriend's son will submit a hair sample to be examined by experts. Sacha Brown, 29, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery and concealment of a homicidal death in connection with the Dec. 11 death of 4-year-old Justin Hepburn. She pleaded not guilty Jan. 11...

Cape Girardeau police are looking for three men who allegedly assaulted and robbed a man Tuesday night on Hanover Street. Around 8 p.m. Tuesday, a man was in a parking lot at 210 S. Hanover St. when he was approached by three men. The men assaulted him and took his wallet, money and lottery tickets, police spokesman Darin Hickey said...

Scott City's Brandon Shemonia developed into one of the best cross country runners in the state and was named the Southeast Missourian cross country runner of the year for the second consecutive year.

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- A Piedmont, Mo., man pleaded guilty Tuesday to lesser assault charges and was sentenced to 14 years in prison for causing serious injuries to his then 3-month-old daughter by shaking her. Justin L. Rogers, 23, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault before Circuit Judge Kelly Parker, according to Wayne County Circuit Clerk Darren Garrison...

Cape Girardeau County officials are pleased with the electronic poll books and other new technology used during Tuesday's elections. The county accepted a bid last month from St. Louis-based Know.Ink to test two books at a precinct for free during Tuesday's elections...

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department is investigating an early morning fire in an apartment building on William Street that battalion chief Mark Hasheider described as "odd." Firefighters responded to a 911 call at 5:45 a.m. Wednesday from residents living in the upstairs of a four-unit apartment building at 921 William St...

Maryville University in St. Louis has released its Dean List for the Fall Semester of 2011. Chad Friend of rural Scott City was listed. He is a senior with a double major in Sport Business Management and Marketing. He is scheduled to graduate in Spring 2012 with a BS degree...

For ages 6-8 years Ready to learn what it takes to be a cheerleader? This clinic teaches the fundamentals of cheering, including voice dictation, sideline cheer techniques, proper hand and foot positioning and much more. Participants will learn several cheers and have lots of fun. Fee: $16 Resident/$20 Non-Resident...

Cape Central Middle School sixth grade Students of the Month for January are (front row from left) Bryar Daum, September Knupp, Kylie Lane and Haillie Dodds; (second row) Lexi Gurley and Takaisha Walker; (third row) Lydia Gentry, Tyler Hafford, Jared Courtney and Nathan Patterson. SoutheastHEALTH recognizes these students in its role as Central Middle School's Partner in Education...

Cape Central Middle School fifth grade Students of the Month for January are (front row from left) Matthew Diamond, Zachary Pullen, Jeffrey Bittle and Olivia Courtway-Riebling; (second row) Taylor VanAmburg and Nakyla Bird; (third row) Riley Jones and Roman Ketcherside; (fourth row) Alexis Richardson and Jacqui Lang. SoutheastHEALTH recognizes these students in its role as Central Middle School's Partner in Education...

There is a young songwritter on country musics horizon that has ties to our city. Maurryn Bingham, a fiery haired fourteen year old and daughter of local artist John Bingham has been comfortably sitting in the number one and two spots on Reverbnations local charts for a period of months now. ...

Gov. Jay Nixon joined the Delta Regional Authority's federal co-chair and Southeast Missouri State University's president Wednesday morning in Cape Girardeau to announce a new initiative the parties say will generate job growth in the region. The Delta Regional Authority will contribute $145,500 and the university will contribute $25,000 to Operation Jumpstart, a program through the university's Douglas C. ...

Motorists in Cape Girardeau will have another place to drive in circles next year. The Missouri Department of Transportation is planning Cape Girardeau's third roundabout at the Lexington Avenue-Route W intersection. The multilane roundabout will be the first of its type in Cape Girardeau, part of a $1.7 million project that also includes improvements to the intersection at Kingshighway and Mount Auburn Road...

The sun set between silos on a beautiful winter evening.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Senate has approved a measure that would change the state's workplace discrimination laws. The bill would require workers who fight firings or other adverse decisions to prove in court that discrimination was a "motivating factor" -- and not just a contributing factor. It passed on a party line 25-8 vote Wednesday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri senator has introduced legislation that would push back the state's time period for candidates to file for public office. The legislation introduced Wednesday would push the filing period back to begin on March 27. The filing period was originally scheduled to begin Feb. 28. The change will affect races for seats in the state legislature and the U.S. House...

Jackson's Sanitation Department will not operate Feb. 20 in observance of Presidents Day. Garbage that would normally be collected Feb. 20 will be picked up Feb. 21. The recycling center will also be closed Feb. 20. For more information, contact the Sanitation Department at 243-2333 or the Public Works Department at 243-2300...

The St. Louis District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is hosting an open house to provide background information and gather feedback on the scope of an environmental assessment of new river training structures on the middle Mississippi River. The event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. ...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Neelyville, Mo., man faces up to four years in prison after pleading guilty Tuesday in connection with a hit-and-run accident that left a local teenager dead. Cletis W. Powell Jr., 35, pleaded guilty to the felony of tampering with physical evidence, according to Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Barbour...

Today is Thursday, Feb. 9, the 40th day of 2012. There are 326 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 9, 1942, the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff held its first formal meeting to coordinate military strategy during World War II...

An education initiative that started in Cape Girardeau has proved to be a model program that communities across the country may soon adopt. The ABC Education Initiative, which started in 2006 in Cape Girardeau, is a mentoring partnership between Big Brothers Big Sisters and local school districts. ...

I have come to the boiling point and must respond. I have read numerous articles regarding the dog that met its demise in Marble Hill. I in no way condone any such action that allegedly brought on the death of the pit bull, but why do people not use some common sense in the lengths we go to and the money we spend in order to protect an animal's so-called "rights"?...

Thank you to the nice lady who paid for my groceries at Schnucks on the afternoon of Jan. 31. I had read before in Speak Out of something like this happening, but I never once thought it would happen to me. I will one day pay it forward. Thank you once again, and may God bless you...

O Lord Jesus, may we be intentional about sharing you with others. Amen.

Congress is an easy target; frustration with bipartisan failure is at an all-time high, with Capitol Hill's approval ratings lower than that of an Occupy Wall Streeter at a Chamber of Commerce dinner. Presidential candidates routinely rail against Congress, with President Obama's re-election campaign based on the (fortunate) refusal of Congress to impose even more spending, higher taxes and greater regulation...

"Star Wars 3D," rated PG @ Cape West 14 Cine. "Safe House," rated R @ Cape West 14 Cine. "The Vow," rated PG-13 @ Cape West 14 Cine. "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," rated PG @ Cape West 14 Cine. "This Means War," rated PG-13 @ Cape West 14 Cine...

A musical that hasn't been performed for many years by high school students in Cape Girardeau will return in March. Central High School's orchestra and Red Dagger theater club will perform "Fiddler on the Roof" on March 8, 9 and 10 in the junior high school's auditorium...

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Washington state lawmakers voted to approve gay marriage Wednesday, setting the stage for the state to become the seventh in the nation to allow same-sex couples to wed. The action comes a day after a federal appeals court declared California's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional, saying it was a violation of the civil rights of gay and lesbian couples...

ISLAMABAD -- The Pakistani army held talks with NATO and Afghan forces Wednesday in an effort to improve coordination along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, a sign of thawing relations after American airstrikes accidentally killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last year...

BEIRUT -- The European Union will impose harsher sanctions on Syria, a senior EU official said Wednesday, as Russia tried to broker talks between the vice president and the opposition to calm violence. Activists reported at least 50 killed in the regime's siege of the city of Homs...

WASHINGTON -- House Republicans put aside their usual antipathy toward President Barack Obama on Wednesday to give the president, and his successors, the line-item veto, a constitutionally questionable power over the purse that long has been sought by presidents of both parties...

Oralea P. Mathis, 76, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born June 11, 1935, in Zalma, Mo., to William McKinley and Ora Jane Moore Prater. She and Billie Gene Mathis were married Sept. 4, 1954, at Marble Hill, Mo. He died March 30, 1999...

Vernedia Alvina Blattel, 93, of Scott City died Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012, at Chaffee Nursing Center. She was born Nov. 14, 1918, at Kelso, Mo., to Franklin Riley and Anna Pauline Leible Raines. She married Paul Herbert "Butch" Blattel on Jan. 18, 1944, in Kelso. He preceded her in death March 25, 2004...

Malita Alvarene Stubblefield, 103, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012, at Southeast Hospital. She was born Oct. 10, 1908, in Marion, Ill., to John S. and Rosa Lee Cockrum Provart. She and Robert Paul Stubblefield were married Dec. 23, 1941, in Goldsboro, N.C. He preceded her in death July 11, 1992...

PATTON, Mo. -- Carmel N. Kirkpatrick, 80, of Patton passed away Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home in Jackson. She was born Aug. 15, 1931, in Patton, to Orville and Letta Pulliam Kirkpatrick. Carmel had been a resident of Jackson Manor 19 years. She enjoyed participating in the various activities there and always looked forward to visits from family and friends...

Donald C. Heuer, 81, of Cape Girardeau passed away peacefully Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, at the Lutheran Home. He was born Sept. 23, 1930, in Cape Girardeau, to John C. and Iska Arsta Heuer. He and Violet Jean Ann Lampe were married Dec. 30, 1950, and were together almost 61 years when she passed away Nov. 18, 2011...

Myrnita B. Grantham, 73, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012, at Southeast Hospital. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Construction is underway at the site of a new extended care facility at North Main Street and Park Drive; the 16-bed center, which will treat alcohol and drug addiction, will open by the end of April or start of May. BENTON, Mo. -- The Scott County Commission decides to place a quarter-cent capital improvement sales tax on the April 7 ballot; it would help fund the operation of the county landfill while county officials explore more long-term waste-disposal options...

WASHINGTON -- Trust your doctor? A survey finds that some doctors aren't always completely honest with their patients. More than half admitted describing someone's prognosis in a way they knew was too rosy. Nearly 20 percent said they hadn't fully disclosed a medical mistake for fear of being sued. And 1 in 10 of those surveyed said they'd told a patient something that wasn't true in the past year...