Stories from Wednesday, October 24, 2012

BRANSON, Mo. (AP) -- Some deer hunting will be allowed inside Branson city limits. The Branson Board of Aldermen Deer voted Tuesday to approve bow hunting of deer inside the city, with several stipulations. The amendment to city code requires bow hunters to have the required state licensing and safety training. They can hunt on land of at least 2 acres, at least 150 yards from a structure or property line, and only from a tree stand...

NEW YORK (AP) -- A paid informant for the New York Police Department's intelligence unit was under orders to "bait" Muslims into saying incriminating things as he lived a double life, snapping pictures inside mosques and collecting the names of innocent people attending study groups on Islam, he told The Associated Press...

Cape Girardeau lawyer Diane C. Howard has been appointed to the Missouri Gaming Commission by Gov. Jay Nixon. She was appointed Tuesday for a term that expires April 29, 2015. The appointment will be subject to confirmation by the Missouri Senate. Howard is a partner with The Limbaugh Firm, where she has worked since 1984. ...

Members of Missouri's Interim Commission on Agriculture Innovation and Economic Recovery listened intently Tuesday as Mississippi County farmers described how homes, churches and crops washed away after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intentionally breached the Birds Point levee last spring...

A Cape Girardeau County traffic stop that began Monday night with a report of a possible drunken driver ended a short time later with the arrest of an Illinois man who at one point was listed among his state's most wanted fugitives. John E. Beck, 52, of Quincy, Ill., was arrested by the Missouri State Highway Patrol about 8:30 p.m. ...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- The city of Chaffee will be improving its aging water and sewer-system infrastructure through low-interest loans funded by the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Rural Development. The loans, together worth $9 million, will be used to replace existing water mains in the Chaffee water district and for building an up-to-date water treatment facility. The cash also will go toward repairing and treating the city's sewer collection lines and improving the lift station...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Aimie Simmers said she didn't think she could do what she did Tuesday night. But the Advance senior was certain about what she could not do. "I don't know," Simmers said. "I just could not lose. I could not lose. This is my last year, and I could not lose [the] district championship. And if all it helped was to block, I would do it."...

Two years from now, less paper could be changing hands between city department heads and staff. Residents paying bills in the nick of time could avoid shutoffs. An owner of a new restaurant seeking a liquor license may not need to set foot in city hall. Reports requested by the city council on the number of ordinance violations could be compiled within hours instead of a week...

From the time they recruited Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis until the day they transferred his paperwork, Southeast Missouri State University officials said Tuesday they never broke protocol or procedures in their brief affiliation with the former international student charged last week with trying to blow up the Federal Reserve building in New York...

Wyatt Hinton (age 2) and his Father, Matt Hinton, painting his pumpkin at the Born Learning event this past Saturday at the Riverside Regional Library in Jackson. Born Learning is sponsored by United Way Success By 6.

US Bank donated $2000 to the Southeast HEALTH Foundation. The money will assist low income and at-risk students in the Healthcare Professional Educational Program with educational expenses. Pictured are Steve Green, Market President for US Bank, and Mary Burton-Hitt, Executive Director for Southeast HEALTH Foundation...

Flags at half staff at Dad's Honor Ceremony.

My nephew Noah's first trip to "Baseball Heaven"!!

Two ribbon cuttings Friday, October 19, 2012, at Franklin Elementary and Central Middle School marked the completion of two more projects of the 2010 bond issue. Franklin Principal Dr. Rhonda Dunham is pictured seconds before she cut the ribbon in front of the new Franklin Elementary, a state-of-the art, 50,000-square-foot facility. ...

The American Red Cross in Cape Girardeau is hosting a Halloween Open House at the Chapter office, 2430 Myra Dr., on October 28, 2012 from 2:00 -- 4:00 pm. Everyone is invited to come by to learn about ways to get involved with the Red Cross and information about staying safe this holiday season from home fires to zombie home invasions!...

The Cape Girardeau Parks & Recreation Department, along with the Southeast Missouri Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, are proud to offer the second Annual Fall Family Festival at the Shawnee Park Center. This exciting event will take place on Friday, Nov. 16 from 6 to 8 p.m. This is an all ages event, providing an opportunity for families and friends to celebrate the fall season together with plenty of outside activities, as well as indoor games for the kids...

The Osage Centre is hosting Gobbles of Fun on Wednesday, Nov. 14 from 10 to 11:15 a.m. This is a one-day class for children, ages 2 to 4, that gears parents and toddlers up for Thanksgiving with games, books and crafts. The registration deadline is Nov. 9, and pricing is as follows: $8 for residents and $10 for non-residents. For more information on Gobbles of Fun, call the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department 573-339-6340...

On Wednesday October 24, 2012 the entire student body and faculty at Nell Holcomb School District pledged together to live a drug free lifestyle by wearing red for Red Ribbon Week and saying NO! to Drugs in our schools!!!

Southeast Missouri State University says a charter schools it oversees can continue operating through 2018. The university's Board of Regents renewed the charter for the Lift for Life Academy in St. Louis last week. Charter schools must have a sponsor, which reviews the performance of the publicly funded but independently run schools. Sponsors determine if the schools can continue to operate...

DENVER -- Exasperated veterans who work part-time for the Veterans Affairs while attending college say their paychecks sometimes are weeks late, leaving them in trouble with bill collectors or having to borrow money to avoid eviction. The two-week paycheck typically is about $360, and can be vital to veterans raising families and juggling expenses...

Today is Wednesday, Oct. 24, the 298th day of 2012. There are 68 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Oct. 24, 1962, a naval quarantine of Cuba ordered by President John F. Kennedy went into effect during the missile crisis; the blockade was aimed at interdicting the delivery of offensive weapons to the island...

Two weeks to go and we political junkies are like kids in a candy store. Everywhere you look there's a political nugget that captures your attention. Then in the blink of an eye, another hidden morsel of news surfaces and your attention shifts to a new candy counter...

St. Louis Cardinals fans were prepared to celebrate on Friday night. The team, up three games to one in the National League Championship Series, was 27 outs away from securing the organization's 19th pennant. And if you watched the previous two games it looked like a return trip to the fall classic was eminent...

DALLAS -- Arminta Jones, the mother of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, has died. She was 90. The Cowboys said in a statement that Arminta Jones died Tuesday morning in Dallas after celebrating her birthday last week with her family. She lived in Rogersville, Mo...

Bernice Walton, 79, of Jackson, died Monday, October 22, 2012 at her home in Jackson. She was born October 15, 1933 in Randles, Mo., to Edward and Clora Dees Mouser. She and Bennie Walton were married October 17, 1951. He preceded her in death January 4, 1996...

Marguerite James, 90, of Kirkwood, Mo. and formerly of Jackson, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012 at Manor Grove in Kirkwood. She was born Sept. 29, 1922, in Bollinger County, daughter of Earnest and Della Limbaugh Mayfield. She was married Sept. 9, 1939, to Jake James, who preceded her in death on Feb. 23, 1989...

Linda Louise Minnie Petzoldt, 96, of Pocahontas, passed away Monday, October 22, 2012 at the Monticello House in Jackson. She was born September 19, 1916, near Pocahontas, to Edwin and Dora Tuschhoff Ludwig. She was baptized October 1, 1916, at the home of her parents, and confirmed March 29, 1929, at St. ...

Donald Ray Jones, 64, of Benton, Mo., died Monday, Oct. 22, 2012, at his home. He was born Oct. 10, 1948, in East Prairie, Mo., to Elbert "Preacher" and Lois Pinnion Jones. He and Glenda Joyce Ditto were married Nov. 3, 1967 in Rockford, Il. Donald was the maintenance supervisor at the Scott County Courthouse and a member of Unity Baptist Church in Benton, Mo...

Francis Ella Hutchcraft, 82, of Advance, Mo., formerly of Sedgewickville, Mo. passed away Monday, Oct. 22, 2012, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 28, 1930, in Malden, Mo. to Robert Earl and Grace Blades Green. She and Floyd Hutchcraft were married May 1950...

NEW YORK -- Oil output is surging so fast that the United States could soon overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's biggest producer. Driven by high prices and new drilling methods, U.S. production of crude and other liquid hydrocarbons is on track to rise 7 percent this year to an average of 10.9 million barrels per day. This will be the fourth consecutive year of crude increases and the biggest single-year gain since 1951...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- The emir of Qatar on Tuesday became the first head of state to visit the Gaza Strip since Hamas militants seized the territory five years ago, showering almost half a billion dollars and unprecedented political recognition on the Islamic militant group...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A Missouri pastor's speech about gay rights has gone viral, garnering about 2.5 million views on YouTube. In the comments to the Springfield City Council in late August, The Rev. Phil Snider initially appeared initially to oppose a Springfield ordinance that would have made it illegal for businesses and landlords to discriminate against gay, lesbian or transgender employees, customers and tenants...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- An electronic billboard in Kansas City calls for the resignation of the highest-ranking U.S. church official to be convicted of a crime related to the child sexual abuse scandal. The Kansas City Star reports that the sign located along Interstate 35 ... directs passers-by to an online petition that urges Bishop Robert Finn to step down. So far, more than 100,000 people have added their names...

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Apple Inc.'s pencil-thin, smaller iPad will cost much more than its competitors, signaling the company isn't going to get into a mini-tablet price war. The company debuted the iPad Mini on Tuesday, with a screen two-thirds smaller than the full model, and half the weight. Customers can begin ordering the new model on Friday. In a surprise, Apple also revamped its flagship, full-sized iPad just six months after the launch of the latest model...

SEATTLE -- Michael Henrichsen has ideas about how he might celebrate his 26th birthday this week. First, Billy Idol rolls up in a limo and tells him to hop in. There are women everywhere. Later, the British rock icon takes the stage and rips into "Rebel Yell" as 1,800 of his closest friends go wild...

The reception and master classes with Annie Wersching, who starred in the TV series "24," at Southeast Missouri State University have been canceled "due to unexpected work commitments," according to a news release sent Tuesday by the university. Both events were scheduled for Thursday at the River Campus...

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

DEXTER, Mo. -- The Class 3 District 1 championship volleyball match between Perryville and Notre Dame was as exciting as the 2011 championship match between the two rivals. Turns out it was the same result as well. The defending champion Pirates downed the top-seeded Bulldogs 28-26, 26-24 to once again claim the district crown...

Kacie Ritter's goal when she took over the Woodland High School volleyball program two years ago was to re-establish the Cardinals as an area power. Ritter believes the Cardinals are on the right track after they reached Tuesday night's Class 2 District 2 tournament championship match...

The Southeast men's basketball team was ranked second in the West Division, while the women were last

The Southeast Missouri State volleyball team suffered its third straight loss Tuesday night, falling at Missouri-Kansas City 25-20, 25-19, 25-20 in a nonconference match. Southeast fell to 16-10, while UMKC improved to 15-10. It was the Kangaroos' first-ever victory over the Redhawks, who had won the previous seven meetings...

LONDON -- Things are moving quickly for Sam Bradford and the St. Louis Rams as they deal with a change of continents and time zones. Now their bodies just have to catch up in time for the annual NFL game in London on Sunday against the New England Patriots...

ST. LOUIS -- Kyle Lohse got to bed at 5:30 a.m. after the St. Louis Cardinals' flight following a most unpleasant end to the NL championship series against the San Francisco Giants. Fatigue only added to the aftershock of a spectacular nosedive as players cleaned out their lockers Tuesday at an empty stadium still adorned with bunting. The pitcher's mound and home plate area also were covered in anticipation of a World Series opener that won't take place in St. Louis...

DAYTON, Ohio -- The endgame at hand, President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney entered the final two weeks of a close race for the White House Tuesday with TV advertising nearing $1 billion as millions of Americans cast early ballots in all parts of the country...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Southbound Interstate 55 in Scott County will be reduced to one lane, from Route C to Route HH, with a 16-foot width restriction as Missouri Department of Transportation crews make pavement repairs. Weather permitting, the work will begin Nov. ...

LONDON -- William Walker, whose poem is part of a national monument to his comrades in the Battle of Britain, has died at age 99. The Battle of Britain Trust said Walker died Sunday at home in London. Walker, a Spitfire fighter pilot, was shot down and took a bullet in his right ankle on August 26, 1940, as British pilots engaged a German bomber force...

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday...

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

O Heavenly Father, may we always serve one another humbly in love. Amen.

The 1987 Otto F. Dingeldein Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts has been presented to local artist Mary Ann "Miki" Gudermuth. Elizabeth Dole, the wife of Republican presidential hopeful Bob Dole, was in the city yesterday to extol the work of 8th District Rep. Bill Emerson; she and Emerson held a joint news conference at Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport, and in the evening attended a fund raiser at the home of Dr. Clay and Donna Cundiff...

The sticker price of in-state tuition at four-year public universities climbed about $400 this fall -- an increase of nearly 5 percent that brought the average to $8,655. That's a modest increase compared to recent years but still painful for families with stagnant incomes amid a prolonged economic slump...

A motorboat passes a slower watercraft going down the Mississippi River along a sand bar on the Illinois side across from Cape Rock Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012 at Cape Girardeau. The river stage was 8.09 feet and rising. (Fred Lynch)