Stories from Monday, April 16, 2012

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missourians will get a fresh look at how candidates are faring financially as the 2012 election season ramps up. Candidates for state offices face a 5 p.m. Monday deadline to file quarterly finance reports with the Missouri Ethics Commission. Those reports list how much a candidate has raised and spent from January through the end of March. They also detail how much a candidate still has in the bank...

THURMAN, Iowa (AP) -- Concerned that Midwesterners might be complacent after repeated tornado warnings came to nothing, forecasters issued a sternly worded alert, well in advance, that weekend storms could prove fatal. The warnings caught Larry Hill's attention...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- St. Louis businessman John Brunner says he poured an additional $1.2 million into his U.S. Senate campaign during the past three months. Brunner is one of several Republican competing to challenge Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in the November election...

The Jackson farmers market will kick off May 1 and is working to attract new vendors and visitors. Sharon Penrod and her husband, Monte, sell baked goods and jellies she makes on their farm northwest of Neelys Landing, and she has been active in helping think of ways to grow Jackson's market. There are fewer fresh produce vendors than organizers would like to see alongside the stalls selling handmade soaps, fresh jams, homemade baked items and plants, she said...

Funding provided by the Department of Economic Development for programs of the Tailor Institute inside Southeast Missouri State University's Autism Center is again in question this year. Around $200,000 that goes to the Tailor Institute through the department's workforce development program was among cuts in a version of the state's annual budget approved by a Senate committee Thursday. The legislature is working toward balancing a $500 million shortfall in the budget projected for next year...

More than 30 student dancers took to the stage of the Bedell Performance Hall at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus for this year's "Spring Into Dance 2012" productions. The group showcased their dancing skills in four performances, Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, and a Sunday matinee. Around 1,000 people attended the performances during the four-show run...

Carrie Warfield, a long time resident of Cape Giradeau, will become a Centenarian, a person who lives to or beyond the age of 100 years. She is second of fourteen children and was born on April 19, 1912 to Jacob and Donettia Murray. She attended Brumfield High School in Natchez, Ms. ...

Our next monthly meeting (Third Tuesday Tea Time) will be held this coming Tuesday at 6:30pm at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. More information at www.CapeCountyTeaParty.org/tttt. Our speaker will be Ray Cunio who will update us on the United Nations' attempt to take over and control property rights, land rights, water rights, electrical consumption, food, education, air conditioning, communication, ad fossil fuel consumption within the U.S. ...

Very proud of my son Dawson for getting this 27 lb turkey during youth hunt weekend on 4/1/12 with his grandpa L.R. Green.

AT&T is honored to help America's children Aspire to success. One in four students -- more than 1 million students a year -- fails to graduate with their class. Over the last four years, our Aspire program has worked with organizations across the country to help reverse this trend to reach the national goal of a 90% graduation rate by 2020. ...

The Missouri State Poetry Society recently announced winners of the society's annual Winter Contest 2012 Youth Division. Cape Central High School Senior Veronica Ely received an honorable-mention award, which qualifies her work for national consideration in the Manningham Trust Student Poetry Contest, sponsored by the National Federation of State Poetry Societies. ...

Lower than anticipated attendance numbers at this year's Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival has the promoters scratching their heads. Although final numbers for the weekend event were not available Sunday, Chuck Martin, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the numbers were down significantly with around half of last year's crowd attending Friday and Saturday...

Our daughter Madison gets face to face with a deer at Lazy L Safari.

World Heritage Student Exchange Programs has qualified Jeremy and Tyree Chapman of Chaffee, MO as a host family for Sigrid Jenssveen, a student from Norway. Sigrid will be attending Chaffee High School for the upcoming school year. Sigrid has met all of the academic and character qualifications necessary to be accepted as an exchange student by World Heritage and the Chapman Family is eagerly awaiting her arrival in August...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri lawmakers have proposed allowing advertising on school buses to help cash-strapped school districts. The ads would be allowed on the inside and outside of school buses but could not feature gambling, alcohol, tobacco or political issues. School districts would need to use half the revenue they generate for transportation costs...

MINER, Mo. -- A Sikeston man faces felony charges after failing to stop his vehicle when approached by law enforcement officers late Thursday in Miner. Danny Graham, 37, is charged with felony assault of a law enforcement officer, felony resisting arrest, driving while intoxicated and other traffic charges, according to a news release from Sgt. Darrin Skinner of the Miner Police Department...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A man arrested Wednesday on murder and drug charges related to a fatal shooting in Charleston is in the Mississippi County Detention Center, but officials are reportedly still seeking the shooter. Andra R. Phillips Jr. , 33, of Puyallup, Wash., is charged with felony second-degree murder and felony distribution of a controlled substance near public housing. He is being held on a $1 million cash-only bond...

Today is Monday, April 16, the 107th day of 2012. There are 259 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On April 16, 1912, American aviator Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly across the English Channel, traveling from Dover, England, to France in 59 minutes, an accomplishment that was overshadowed by the Titanic disaster the day before...

NORDENIA HONORS EMPLOYEES James Johnston of Scott City, a traffic coordinator at Nordenia USA Inc., was employee of the month for March. He has been with the company since Feb. 7, 2000. Nordenia also recognizes the following employment anniversaries: William O'Guin and Brent Bollinger, 15 years of service; and Daniel Herzog and Jerry Jackson, five years...

RESPIRATORY CARE PROGRAM RECOGNIZED Saint Francis Medical Center earned Quality Respiratory Care Recognition (QRCR) under a national program aimed at helping patients and families make informed decisions about respiratory care services available in hospitals. ...

Having a brand with a loyal customer base is critical to both immediate and long-term success of a small business. If you're looking to re-brand your business, there are a few extra things to consider in order to carry your customers with you, and to draw in new clients...

Born and raised in Ste. Genevieve, Mo., Joe Rozier attended Xavier University in Cincinnati, and his first job out of college was as an account sales representative with Haggar Apparel Co. in Dallas. He's also worked for a family business, Rozier Stores, and as director of marketing and merchandising at Washington University. ...

Smartphones are steadily becoming commonplace devices for everyone from professionals to busy moms. Users of these devices now instinctively turn to their phones for tasks that previously they would only have accomplished on a computer, over the phone or in person...

BRIEFS HI-TECH BUYS TRI STATE Hi-Tech Communications Inc. purchased its sixth technology company, Tri State Telephone in Cape Girardeau. This company was previously owned by James Crowell. Hi-Tech has been locally owned and operated since 1996, with offices in Cape Girardeau, Caruthersville and Sikeston, Mo. The company serves customers in Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky...

Networking may seem like a chore, but those who have used this business building tool say its value can't be matched. "Sometimes who you know is the most valuable asset you have, especially if you are trying to build a business or a reputation," said Sarah Summers, owner of Magenta Media. ...

These days it's no longer a question of if a businesses should use social media. Companies large and small are now reaching customers this way. We asked some local businesses with social media experience to share some of their social media strategies...

Missouri's jobless rate in February dropped to 7.4 percent -- its lowest mark since late 2008. And while that's good news, companies still seem to be moving cautiously when adding new staff. "We're seeing employers beginning to feel more comfortable to hire one or two people and see how that works out," says June O'Dell, president/chief operating officer of the Southeast Missouri Workforce Investment Board. "I think employers are being very cautious."...

Bankruptcies filed through March for the Southeastern Division of the Eastern District of Missouri's U.S. Bankruptcy Court are listed below with their corresponding case number. The Southeast Division includes the counties of Bollinger, Butler, Carter, Dunklin, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard and Wayne. Court is held in Cape Girardeau...

Business licenses issued in Cape Girardeau during March include the following:Automotive Circuits LLC, out of town Bear Communications LLC, out of town Broadway Gallery and Framing, 1606 Independence St. 3A Chico's Skate Shop, 2618 Melrose Ave. Deetails Wash and Wax, 709 William St...

Cape Girardeau County Tax liens and lien discharges recorded at the office of Scott R. Clark, recorder of deeds, during March are filed by the Missouri Department of Revenue, except as indicated by IRS designation. For more information, contact the recorder's office at (573) 243-8123...

A good number of great causes have their roots in Cape Girardeau. Count the Heroes Way project among them. For the last several years, Ross Gartman has begun a campaign to memorialize Missouri soldiers who have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by having road signs erected in their honor along Missouri highways near the soldiers' hometowns...

We know our manufacturing jobs have gone overseas, and we assume our corporations have plants producing our electronic computers, TVs, iPhones, iPads, etc. Not so. They work out a purchase contract with Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. LTD (operating as Foxconn) in Taiwan. ...

I'VE been reading in the paper and hearing on TV all of these people telling us how the economy is getting so much better. I don't know where they live, but here in Southeast Missouri it takes twice as much money to fill up our vehicles. It takes more money every time you go to the grocery store to buy food. Things that you buy have gone up since the last time that you bought them...

Thank you, O Father God, that through the blood of Jesus we are redeemed. Amen.

NEW YORK -- After seven years as a couple, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are finally engaged. Pitt's manager, Cynthia Pett-Dante, confirmed the news in an email Friday. There isn't a wedding date yet. The engagement "is a promise for the future," Pett-Dante said...

Canedy Sign & Graphics recently announced that Scott Boyer has been appointed as a regional sales consultant for the company. He has 15 years of account management experience. Boyer will serve Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois. Susan Matthews of Cape Girardeau was recently nominated for the University of Missouri Nursing Alumni Organization's Registered Nurse-Bachelor of Science in Nursing Student Award for Overall Excellence from the MU Sinclair School of Nursing. ...

A combination of warm weather and high demand for spring fashions boosted retail revenue for March. Analysts say there's much more than higher temperatures at play: Americans who cut back on spending in the slow economic recovery are spending again...

Son to Ryan Joseph Mercurio and Jaimie Renee Lynn of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 9:43 a.m. Monday, Feb. 6, 2012. Name, Roman James. Weight, 3 pounds, 6 ounces. Second child, first son. Ms. Lynn is the daughter of Diane Lynn of Cape Girardeau. She is employed at Tractors. Mercurio is the son of Sherry Elliot of Jackson. He is employed at Tractors...

The Southeast Missouri State University women's gymnastic team was honored at a special ceremony yesterday for winning the U.S. Gymnastics Federation Division II and III national titles. The high cost of malpractice insurance for doctors who deliver babies is causing many physicians to drop that part of their practice; currently, there are only five obstetrician-gynecologists remaining in practice here, and only nine doctors in town deliver babies...

401 Independence St. Study session, 5 p.m. today Meeting, 7 p.m. today Items for discussion...

Jo A. Riddick, 67, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, April 15, 2012, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Larry K. Childers, 46, of Cape Girardeau passed away Saturday, April 14, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 13, 1966, in Cape Girardeau, to Larry C. Childers and Judith Whitaker Young. He married the former Deborah Stephens, and later married Sabina Nash...

DWIs Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:...

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

RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- A new outdoor classroom in suburban St. Louis is helping children and families get closer to nature. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the Nature Explore Outdoor Classroom in Richmond Heights opened Friday. The outdoor classroom is free and open from dawn to dusk. ...

WOODWARD, Okla. -- The television was tuned to forecasters' dire warnings of an impending storm when Greg Tomlyanobich heard a short burst from a tornado siren blare after midnight Sunday. Then silence. Then rumbling. The 52-year-old quickly grabbed his wife and grandson, hurrying them into the emergency cellar as debris whirled around their heads at their mobile home park in northwest Oklahoma. ...

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team came the closest it has so far to its first Ohio Valley Conference series win of the season Sunday. But the Redhawks fell short after a wild 16-14 loss at Morehead State in a game that saw both squads stage late rallies...

The Southeast Missouri State softball team completed a three-game Ohio Valley Conference series sweep Sunday, beating host Austin Peay 6-2 in Clarksville, Tenn. The Redhawks (19-24, 10-12), who have a season-high five-game winning streak, remained eighth in the 11-team OVC. They are just a game out of sixth place. Austin Peay (12-25, 6-15) is in ninth place...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals' other Carpenter is fast making a name for himself. Rookie Matt Carpenter, no relation to injured pitcher Chris Carpenter, made his first opening day roster because of Skip Schumaker's spring training injury. He's getting a chance to play because Lance Berkman and David Freese have been nursing minor injuries...

Saturday's fifth annual Southeast Missouri State Walk for Women's Athletics will shoot for another record performance. Last year's walk raised a record $32,450, bringing the total for four years to nearly $100,000. All proceeds benefit the university's athletic scholarship fund...

West Side Camera is under new ownership and moving to 837 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. Three R's Plus educational supply store was previously at the site. A grand reopening is planned for Saturday. West Side Camera's new owners -- David Baird, Tim Bureck and Jeremy Griffin -- are expanding the store's offerings to include digital cameras and accessories as well as traditional film cameras. ...