Stories from December 2012

The Heartland Down Syndrome Association hosted its Sixth Annual Family Christmas Party on Saturday December 1 in Cape Girardeau. Families enjoyed lunch; children played Christmas Limbo; and then came the much-anticipated visit by Santa. Santa distributed gifts to the children before exiting to the sound of sleigh bells...

Anyone needing a spiritual boost for the Christmas season is invited to attend the Hanging of the Greens at the 10:15 a.m. worship service at Maple United Methodist Church, 2441 Jean Ann, this Sunday, Dec. 2. Expect a Christmas miracle for your heart as you share in the beginning of Advent. Convenient parking for visitors and handicapped. Please join us...

Sixteen firms submit proposals to a committee studying a proposed 8,000-acre recreation lake in Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties to conduct a feasibility study on the lake project. WASHINGTON -- Legislation to designate a 1,200-mile, nine-state "Trail of Tears" as a national historic trail is approved by the full House; the measure commemorates the forced removal of the Cherokees from their homeland in the Great Smokey Mountains to Oklahoma...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A Perry County taxidermist was charged with felony stealing Wednesday for allegedly taking customers' money and not filling their taxidermy orders. Eric E. Smith, 29, of Perryville, was charged with felony stealing and stealing by deceit, according to the Perry County Sheriff's Department. ...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Two downtown Dexter businesses were destroyed and a third was damaged by smoke in a fire that was first seen just after midnight Friday and sent flames in the air that were visible for miles. The initial call came into the Dexter Fire Department at 12:15 a.m., according to Capt. Dave Rowe...

A series of burglaries along Independence Street have business owners planning to beef up their security. Three local businesses, Whiskey River at 1444 Independence St., Trish's Place at 2023 Independence St. and Rhymer's on The Plaza, located just off Independence Street at 10 Plaza Way, have been the sites of recent early morning burglaries that have involved property damage and the taking of undisclosed amounts of money...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- A Marble Hill man who police say slashed his girlfriend's leg with a kitchen knife during a dispute Thursday night has been charged with five felonies. Christopher Nanney, 32, was arrested in St. Louis early Friday morning after he allegedly beat and cut his 28-year-old girlfriend in their Marble Hill home and then fled north on Interstate 55, where he was arrested after being located by authorities who tracked his cellphone signal...

The considerable improvement in this year's Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team has been apparent during two games in particular. Those contests have seen the Redhawks beat squads they lost to by at least 15 points last season. Southeast's latest revenge victory came Saturday afternoon, 67-52 over Illinois Chicago in front of more than 500 fans at the Show Me Center...

Lights, elves and Christmas carols filled the streets of Jackson on Saturday afternoon in celebration of the 2012 Jackson Jaycee Foundation Christmas Parade. The parade route began at Jackson Frozen Food and continued down High Street before turning down Main Street and coming to an end at Capaha Bank. It had nearly 70 entries...

Up to 20 percent of sales-tax revenue lost by a local government is not an easy situation for its leaders to face. Neither is asking voters to approve paying a tax to make up for a budget shortfall when they could be getting a tax break as a result -- depending on where they buy a car, truck, RV or boat...

The eyesore of a structure covering the sidewalk at the corner of Main and Themis streets in downtown Cape Girardeau for more than a year soon will be coming down. A structural engineer has examined the once-condemned former Wiggery building and determined it is structurally sound, said Nicolette Brennan, public information manager for the city of Cape Girardeau..

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Crews from East County, Cape Girardeau and Fruitland fire departments battle a house fire at 2294 Highway V just east of Oriole Friday afternoon, Nov. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Sikeston man sustained moderate injuries Friday when his pick up truck ran off the road and overturned several times on Route N, north of Delta, Mo. Justin L. Glass, 24, was driving his 2005 Chevrolet 2500 pickup truck southbound on Route N, three miles north of Delta when the single-vehicle accident occurred about 8:45 a.m., according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. ...

ANNA, Ill. -- An Illinois man was indicted Friday on felony charges of child sexual assault. Benson T. Poirier, 33, of Anna was indicted by a grand jury on five felony counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and three felony counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to a news release from Union County State's Attorney Tyler R. Edmonds. Poirier is suspected of abusing children under 13 years old between 2005 and 2012...

More than 60 people gathered at the First Assembly of God on Friday night to welcome best-selling author Wm. Paul Young during a Scott City stop on the signing tour for his new best-seller "Cross Roads."   Young's first book, "The Shack," sold more than 18 million copies and has been translated into 41 languages. 'Cross Roads', his second book, came out on Nov. 13 and currently sits at No. 10 on The New York Times Best Seller list. It has been translated into 20 languages...

Today is Sunday, Dec. 2, the 337th day of 2012. There are 29 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 2, 1942, an artificially created, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction was demonstrated for the first time at the University of Chicago...

As lightning racing among raindrops Autumn flashed through my hand, Brilliant in its moment Now taking a seat in my stand. A week ago I absorbed her balms. I fell in with the maple's alms, Grand before old oaks and elms. Oranges, yellows, reds and browns...

Gene Heisserer of Poplar Bluff, Mo., and Butch and Cathy Dirnberger of Oran, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Sara Elizabeth Heisserer, to Elliot Thomas Maschmann, both of Paragould, Ark. He is the son of Darryl and Betty Maschmann of Cape Girardeau...

Tim and Karen Sutterer of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Amanda Lorene Sutterer, to Timothy Stephen Root, both of Baton Rouge, La. He is the son of James and Alice Root of Port Clinton, Ohio. Sutterer is a 2005 graduate of Jackson High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering with biochemical emphasis, from Missouri University of Science and Technology in 2009. She is an engineer with ExxonMobil Chemical in Baton Rouge...

Sherry Lynne Brown and Kenneth Sean Pecord, of Miller City, Ill., announce their engagement. She is the daughter of Charles and Carolyn Thomas of Thebes, Ill. He is the son of Lorrie and Lynn Hesselrode, of Cairo, Ill., and Jerry and Cacey Pecord, of Miller City...

Thomas and Sharon Hoeh, of Perryville, announce the engagement of daughter, Caitlin McDermott Hoeh, to Arthur Dominick Pistorio. He is the son of Paul and Georgia Pistorio, of Geneva, Ill., and Barbara Pistorio of Bloomingdale, Ill. Hoeh is a graduate of Saint Vincent High School in Perryville. ...

Mr. and Mrs. Merlin McConnell of Scott City celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a family dinner Nov. 24, 2012. Hosts were their children. McConnell and Johnetta Diebold were married Nov. 24, 1962, at Oran, Mo. They have two sons, Lance (Cindy) McConnell of Jackson and Tim (Lisa) McConnell of Scott City. They have six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren...

Maurice and Beatrice Stauffer of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary Dec. 11, 2012. The couple was married Dec. 11, 1942, in Detroit, Mich., where he was in training for Coast Guard duties, which also took them to Cincinnati. After training he was stationed in New York and then at Pearl Harbor...

Terry and Mary Ellen Rollins, of Cape Girardeau, celebrated their 60th anniversary on Nov. 30, 2012. Terry and Mary Ellen (Spain) Rollins were married Nov. 30, 1952 at First Baptist Church of Holcomb, Mo., Rev. J.A. Anderson, Terry's grandfather, officiated...

Mr. and Mrs. Donald W. Brown of Jackson celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary with a family dinner Oct. 28. Brown and Aletha Grant were married Oct. 26, 1947, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson, by the Rev. Walter Keisker. The Browns have two children; Don (Marilyn) Brown of Jackson, and Tina (Bill) Presser of Cape Girardeau. ...

The annual Sounds of the Season Christmas Concert will be at 2 p.m. today at Cape Bible Chapel, 2911 Kage Road in Cape Girardeau. The concert will feature master of ceremonies Mike Dumey and top vocal and dance talent. Proceeds from the concert will support the Patient Experience Fund at the Southeast Cancer Center. Cape Girardeau orthodontist and cancer survivor Dr. David Crowe is the honorary chairman. Ticket cost is a suggested $5 donation per person. Tickets can be purchased at the door...

Troop 16 honored five new Eagle Scouts at its Court of Honor Nov. 8 at the Elks Lodge in Cape Girardeau. The scouts are, from left, Michael Peters, Ryan May, Alex Johnson, Stephen Hoffmeister and Jacob Cieslewicz. ...

Modern Woodmen Financial donated $4,882 to the Community Counseling Center Foundation. Modern Woodmen matched funds of $1,000 from the Community Counseling Center Foundation's recent golf tournament. ...

NEW YORK -- With a little planning, a little help and a lot of resolve, holiday entertaining doesn't have to mean you're too stressed out to enjoy your own party. Sometimes, said Michelle Morton, a professional organizer and busy mom of three in Raleigh, N.C., it's all about attitude...

I recently had a conversation with a friend about au gratin potatoes and scalloped potatoes, but I have never used a recipe for them. I just make them like mom always did. So I went looking and found Jodi Thompson of Jackson had one in her myriad of emailed recipes. I like the variations the recipe lists and you can experiment with different cheeses, as well...

Pet Name: Chigger Owner: Doug and Sandy Glaus Favorite activity: Helping in the kitchen. ...

Lila is a 7-month-old German shepherd. She is very sweet and has two brothers and one sister. For more information, contact the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri at 334-5837. ...

Silva is a 1-year-old blue heeler mix. She is trained in the basic commands: sit, stay, down and come. Silva has a sister, Missy, also available for adoption. For more information, contact Safe Harbor Animal Shelter at 243-9823. ...

Travis Schroeder committed his life to God at age of eight. His parents didn't go to church, but he attended with a friend's family. At age 20, he recommitted his life to Christ, and later began a journey that has led him to now serve as a bi-vocational pastor for Cornerstone Church in Cape Girardeau...

"Oh daddy," the little girl, Jackie, wailed. "I wanted to win so badly but I did horrible." Jackie was sorely disappointed because she felt she had performed so poorly that day. Jackie had begun horseback riding lessons about a year ago and dearly loved the sport. Now she entered competitions within her range of ability...

The saying goes "it's not the gift but the thought that counts." But I say the gift reveals the thought. One year for Christmas my son gave me a St. Louis Cardinals wallet. It was blue with the Cardinal bird on the bat logo on the front and it was held together with the worlds strongest Velcro. ...

MONDAY -- Rock N' Burger on Bun, sweet potato gem tots, cherry tomatoes, fresh baby carrots, chilled pears. TUESDAY -- Super Nachos, Mexican black beans, cherry tomatoes, fresh baby carrots, orange sections. WEDNESDAY -- Breaded beef steak, whole grain roll, w/brown gravy, broccoli w/cheese, cherry tomatoes, fresh baby carrots, mixed fruit cup...

The Nancy Hunter Chapter DAR met Oct. 24, at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. The program, "Fifty Years of Looking Through a Lens," was presented by Ken Steinhoff. The chapter met Nov. 14 at the library. Dr. Frank Nickell presented a program "Nancy Hunter Distinguished Women" including Marie Watkins Oliver who designed the Missouri state flag; Sadie Kent, the librarian for whom Kent Library at Southeast Missouri State University is named; and Mrs. ...

James and Debbie Deneke of Gordonville, announce the engagement of their daughter, Julie Eileen Deneke to Michael Aaron Matthews, of Burfordville. He is the son of Harold and Wanda Matthews of Burfordville. Deneke is a 2004 graduate of Jackson High School. ...

The Flood of 2011 taught us that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates a complicated system. The decision to detonate the Birds Point Levee -- destroying many homes, 130,000 acres of crop land and the local economy in many places -- came at a steep price to a few for the benefit of the many...

I wish to thank those members of the community who donated to the Toys For Tots program during the Parade of Lights last Sunday evening. What an awesome display of generosity. During the parade route, the Marine Corps League received 505 toys, getting our wish of "A Truck Full of Toys." This was the largest single donation to the Toys For Tots campaign so far this year, and it will enable our local program to bring the joy of Christmas, and send a message of hope, to this community's less fortunate children.. ...

MIAMI -- A charter bus carrying 32 members of a church group hit a concrete overpass at Miami International Airport after the driver got lost Saturday, killing two elderly people on board and leaving three others critically injured, officials said...

NEW YORK -- A month after Sandy's floodwaters swept up his block, punched a hole in the foundation of his house and drowned his furnace, John Frawley still has no electricity or heat in his dilapidated home on the Rockaway seashore. The 57-year-old, who also lost his car and all his winter clothes in the flood, now spends his nights shivering in a pair of donated snow pants, worrying whether the cold might make his chronic heart condition worse...

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea announced Saturday that it would attempt to launch a long-range rocket in mid-December, a defiant move just eight months after a failed April bid was widely condemned as a violation of a U.N. ban against developing its nuclear and missile programs...

MEXICO CITY -- Enrique Pena Nieto took the oath of office as Mexico's president Saturday vowing to restore peace and security and take on the vested interests that have hindered economic prosperity. As several hundred protesters threw fire bombs at police and smashed plate glass windows, Pena Nieto marked the return of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, with a 13-point plan heavy on old-party populist handouts but with reforms designed to boost the economy and modernize the education and justice systems.. ...

Two Missouri men, including one from Cape Girardeau, are facing felony drug-trafficking charges after police found more than an ounce of crystal methamphetamine in their hotel room. Jesus R. Aguirre, 43, of Cape Girardeau, and Ulises Santana, 18, of Kansas City, Mo., each are facing felony counts of second-degree drug trafficking and two misdemeanors for marijuana possession and paraphernalia. The felony carries a possible punishment of up to 15 years in prison...

MARQUETTE, Mich. -- An 18-year-old freshman on Northern Michigan University's varsity women's soccer team drowned during a team workout in a school swimming pool. Arianna Alioto of Columbia, Mo., drowned shortly before 6 p.m. Friday at the Physical Education Instructional Facility in Marquette, The Mining Journal reported Saturday...

401 Independence St. Study session, 5 p.m. Monday Meeting, 7 p.m. Monday Items for discussion Communications/reports Public hearings Appearances Consent agenda New ordinances...

Son to Ejaz Alam and Urooj Mansoor of Ellisville, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 5:02 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012. Name, Yaseen. Third child, second son. Weight, 6 pounds, 6 ounces. Mansoor is employed with Saint Francis Medical Center as a physician. Ejaz is employed with St. John's Mercy Hospital as a physician...

Illinois highway officials have expressed interest in conducting a feasibility study for a proposed highway across Southern Illinois; Illinois Transportation Secretary Gregory Baise says he'll recommend to Illinois Gov. James Thompson that the state participate in the study, provided the states of Missouri and Kentucky assist in financing it...

Olwen Margaret Riehn, 95, of Jackson, joined her beloved husband in heaven, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. She passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by family and friends. Olwen was born Sept. 15, 1917, daughter of Richard Roberts and Margaret Ann Aiken Roberts in Swansea, South Wales, United Kingdom. ...

Ann E. Ostroski Rayhill, 92, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Nov. 30, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Ford & Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. Parish prayers will be at 7:30 p.m...

Walter Dean Peetz, 73, of Scott City died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

James Edward McCrite, 56, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. A memorial service will be at noon Tuesday at Ford & Sons Sprigg Street Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau with the Rev. Donny Ford officiating...

Hallie Hughey, 92, of Chaffee, died Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012 at Chaffee Nursing Center. Funeral service will be held at Young & Sons Funeral Home at 11:30 a.m., Monday. Friends may call on Monday at the funeral home from 10 a.m. until time of service at 11:30 a.m. with Rev. Dennis Cebulak officiating. Burial in Home Cemetery...

Joe David "Dave" Hale, 75, passed away Friday, Nov. 30, 2012, at the family home at 5-H Ranch near Cape Girardeau. He was surrounded by his wife of 52 years and the rest of his loving family. He was born July 6, 1937, on the family farm in Cape Girardeau County, to Joe Wilson and Hazel Williams Hale. He graduated from College High School...

GLENALLEN, Mo. -- Doris Yvonne Eldridge of Glenallen died Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, at her home. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time at 1 p.m. Monday at Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill, Mo. Services will be conducted by the Rev. Lloyd Ray Green. Burial will be in the Grassy Friendship Cemetery...

Ruby Estes, 97 of Jackson, passed away Friday, Nov. 30, 2012 at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 16, 1915, in Jackson, daughter of William and Lizzy Haman Mason. She and Owen M. Estes were married Aug. 5, 1933 in Benton, Mo. He preceded her in death in 1993...

Dorothy Jean Brown, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, at The Lutheran Home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Ford & Sons Mount Auburn Chapel. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau, with the Rev. Michael S. Malone officiating. Burial will be at Lorimier Cemetery...

Robert D. Bonney, 82 of Jackson, died Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012 at his home.  Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m., Monday at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The funeral will be 10 a.m., Tuesday, at the funeral home with the Rev. Jimmie Corbin officiating. Burial will be at McLain Chapel Cemetery near Oriole...

The Wildcats cruised to a 55-37 victory over Scott City

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- The scorebook says Corvin Schoen scored four points. But what the scorebook doesn't say speaks volumes. Schoen, a senior forward, was a key contributor defensively for Oak Ridge on Friday night as the Blue Jays downed Perryville 61-50 in the third-place game of the Woodland Invitational Basketball Tournament...

The WWE Road to WrestleMania tour is coming to the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau at 5 p.m. Feb. 10. Tickets go on sale 10 a.m., Dec. 14. C.M. Punk, John Cena, Dolph Ziggler, the Miz and other RAW stars are scheduled to make appearances, but the card is subject to change...

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

Notre Dame coach Kevin Roberts didn't know what to expect from a starting lineup that featured four sophomores and one junior against a talented and experienced Duchesne squad, What he saw was a lot of hustle, tenacity, and relentless pressure from his young Bulldogs, but ultimately a 63-48 season-opening loss...

The parent company of The Bank of Missouri, Reliable Community Bancshares Inc., has completed its acquisition of The First Southeast Missouri Bancorporation Inc., the holding company for Security Bank and Trust Company. Security Bank and Trust, headquartered in Scott City, had $80 million in assets. Under the terms of the agreement, The Bank of Missouri purchased the assets and assumed the liabilities of the Scott City, Patton, Mo., Marble Hill, Mo., and Cape Girardeau locations...

ORAN, Mo -- It didn't take the Oran boys basketball team long to bounce back from Thursday's disappointing loss. Oran blitzed Malden 26-4 during the first quarter and rolled 82-63 in Friday night's third-place game of the 57th annual Oran Invitational...

Scott County Central claimed its fifth consecutive Oran Invitational title

Low water on the Mississippi River has forced the Dorena-Hickman Ferry to reduce operating hours in the afternoon. The ferry will now make the last run from the Missouri landing at 4:30 p.m. and the last run from the Kentucky landing at 4:15 p.m., according to a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet news release. This reduced operating schedule will remain in effect until further notice...

ST. LOUIS -- A second quicker on this play, another body on the line of scrimmage in that play, and the St. Louis Rams would have upset powerful San Francisco, a signature win in Year 1 of Jeff Fisher's rebuilding program. Instead, earlier this month the teams played to the NFL's first tie in four seasons...

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team had to sweat out what looked like a likely routine win. That didn't matter to coach Dickey Nutt, who was elated following the Redhawks' second straight road victory, 61-58 over Southeastern Lousiana on Saturday afternoon...

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It began like any other Saturday for the Kansas City Chiefs during the NFL season, their general manager and coach at work early to put final touches on this weekend's gameplan. Then they got a call to hurry to the parking lot. The two men rushed through the glass doors of Chiefs headquarters and came face-to-face with linebacker Jovan Belcher, holding a handgun to his head...

Scott McQuay was at a point in his life where he needed to make some choices. He felt he had lost focus. Having a passion for running, the Cape Girardeau man decided he wanted to find a way to combine running and focusing on God. McQuay was asked in a divorce care class at his church what he always wanted to do. His answer: run a marathon...

O Lord Jesus, our Messiah, in you alone do we place our hope. Amen.

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

Make and model: 1965 Chevrolet Owner(s): Norma and Herb Holder Owner's hometown: Scott City Mo. The thing that is special about this truck, is that it was bought new and has been in the family for 47 years. My car's name: Blue...

WASHINGTON -- It's health-care brinkmanship, with hundreds of billions of dollars and the well-being of millions of people at stake. President Barack Obama's health-care law expands Medicaid, the federal-state health program for low-income people, but cost-wary states must decide whether to take the deal...

A Cape Girardeau man charged in the September shooting death of 38-year-old Darcus Purl will be in court today for the first time since he told a circuit court judge he wasn't guilty. Steven Lee Williams, 34, has a case review scheduled before Judge William Lewis at 9 a.m. in Jackson...

*** Administrative Office Building 1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Routine business * Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority river update

Individuals interested in being Jackson's next mayor, or serving on its board of aldermen, will have a chance to file for office in less than two weeks. The filing period for April municipal elections in area cities will open Dec. 11. Jackson Mayor Barbara Lohr will end her second two-year term in April and is eligible to run again. A board of alderman seat in each of Jackson's four wards will also be on the ballot. Term length for alderman is two years...

Pat McMenamin doesn't believe Verndist Poindexter did anything wrong. But the Cape Girardeau lawyer doesn't believe his client has any real choice but to say that he did. Poindexter, the Cape Girardeau juror charged with perjury for comments that resulted in a mistrial in January, has accepted a deal that calls for him to plead guilty to a misdemeanor misconduct charge in exchange for the dismissal of the felony, McMineman said Sunday...

Jefferson Elementary School's innovative Backpack Program received a big boost recently when Sharon Polito of United Commercial Travelers (UTC), center right, presented a check for $500 to Jamie Jones, Jefferson parent liaison, center left, and Jefferson Principal Christa Turner, right. Also present for the donation was Amanda Winschel, left, children's program manager, Southeast Missouri Food Bank...

Christmas stories tour with Jason Gray

The Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts at Southeast Missouri State University, better known as the River Campus, has been a popular addition to the university and the community since 2007, when it opened at a cost of more than $50 million. ...

Superintendent candidates to tour District 32 campus, meet staff on Tuesday, Dec. 4 The Perry County School District 32 Board of Education will welcome three candidates for the superintendent's position to campus on Tuesday. The finalists were selected by board members from 15 candidates. ...

With a record of 6 wins and 0 losses, Cape Central Junior High School Tigers Football Team moved into the history books. "The last time this happened was in 1987," noted CJHS Athletic Director Terry Kitchen. "This is the same team that was undefeated last year as 7th graders!"...

Jason Gray performing at the Christmas stories tour at Crossroads Fellowship

Christmas stories tour With Jason Gray at Crossroads Fellowship on November 30

Christmas stories tour With Jason Gray at Crossroads Fellowship on November 30

WASHINGTON -- Republicans are proposing a "fiscal cliff" plan that revives ideas from failed budget talks with President Barack Obama last year, calling for raising the eligibility age for Medicare, lowering cost-of-living hikes for Social Security benefits and bringing in $800 billion in higher tax revenue....

Sully enjoying the nice, but surprising weather of this December!

As the year winds down, local Realtors are pleased to see that for the second consecutive year the number of homes sold in the Cape Girardeau County area has increased. "That's a trend we needed to see return," said Bill Cole, president of the local Multiple Listing Service and broker/owner of Realty Executives in Cape Girardeau...

WASHINGTON -- School for thousands of public school students is about to get quite a bit longer. Five states were to announce today that they will add at least 300 hours of learning time to the calendar in some schools starting in 2013. Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Tennessee will take part in the initiative, which is intended to boost student achievement and make U.S. schools more competitive on a global level...

Dan Overbey, executive director of the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority, is no stranger to the shipping industry or to Scott County. Overbey grew up in Sikeston, Mo., and worked through school at his parents' Shell service station. After high school he received a degree from Southeast Missouri State University, where he met his future wife, Gail Ann Urhahn, from Benton, Mo., whose parents owned a Sinclair station. ...

Today is Monday, Dec. 3, the 338th day of 2012. There are 28 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 3, 1992, the first telephone text message was sent by British engineer Neil Papworth, who transmitted the greeting "Merry Christmas" from his work computer in Newbury, Berkshire, to Vodafone executive Richard Jarvis' mobile phone...

CAIRO -- Egypt's rebellion of the judges against President Mohammed Morsi became complete Sunday with the country's highest court declaring an open-ended strike on the day it was supposed to rule on the legitimacy of two key assemblies controlled by allies of the Islamist leader...

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Anne Danaher is largely responsible for freeing two Omaha, Neb., men wrongly convicted in a 1977 murder and now seeking $100 million from the police officers they claim framed them for the crime. She wonders why she's never been compensated for years of work on their behalf...

WASHINGTON -- Republicans have to stop using "political math" and say how much they are willing to raise tax rates on the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans, and then specify the spending cuts they want, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said Sunday...

WASHINGTON -- David Letterman's "stupid human tricks" and Top 10 lists are being vaulted into the ranks of cultural acclaim as the late-night comedian receives this year's Kennedy Center Honors with rock band Led Zeppelin and three other artists...

WASHINGTON -- The amount of heat-trapping pollution the world spewed rose again last year by 3 percent. So scientists say it's now unlikely that global warming can be limited to a couple degrees, which is an international goal. The overwhelming majority of the increase was from China, the world's biggest carbon dioxide polluter. Of the planet's top 10 polluters, the United States and Germany were the only countries that reduced their carbon dioxide emissions...

LOS ANGELES -- The bodies of four people who had been shot to death were found facedown Sunday outside a suburban Southern California home that apparently served as an unlicensed boardinghouse, authorities said. Los Angeles police were seeking a motive for the attacks at the house in Northridge, in the San Fernando Valley...

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

Chalk up another major and well-deserved honor for longtime Plaza Tire Capahas manager Jess Bolen. Bolen recently was selected for induction into the 2013 class of the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame. The ceremony, featuring 18 new inductees, will be held April 18 in St. Louis...

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

Cape Electrical Supply Company named Ali Fartaj interim CEO, and Kyle Thoma was appointed president. Fartaj has served as a consultant for Cape Electrical Supply Company for the last four months. Thoma has worked with Cape Electrical Supply Company for the last 17 years, most recently serving as senior vice president of sales and marketing...

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt offered his condolences Sunday to the families affected by the murder-suicide involving one of his players, calling it "an incredibly difficult 24 hours for our family and for our organization." Hunt spoke on the field before the Chiefs' game against the Carolina Panthers. He said the Chiefs consulted with the league about whether to play the game as scheduled, but ultimately left it up to coach Romeo Crennel and the team captains to decide...

ST. LOUIS -- Knees bent and arms moving in rhythm, defensive end Chris Long shimmied around the St. Louis Rams locker room, imitating John Travolta's dance moves from "Pulp Fiction" as Rams owner Stan Kroenke made the rounds shaking hands. After 10 hard quarters proving Jeff Fisher's rebuilding project belonged against the class of the NFC West, and more, they deserved a little celebration...

By Lori Trepasso Working hard just comes naturally to Donald Robison. Whether he's on the job at Schnucks or at home with his wife, Dorothy, Robison always has some sort of project going. "I'm always working on something," says Robison, who is 76 years old...

Glen and Martha Harmon of Puxico, Mo., have seen their share of natural disasters. Since becoming Red Cross volunteers in 2005, they have been through hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, Rita and Isaac. They also helped out during the Missouri flooding in 2011...

If you don't already receive your Social Security checks electronically, now is the time to make the change. The federal government is phasing out paper checks, and anyone who receives Social Security, veterans benefits, railroad pensions and federal disability payments will need to switch to direct deposit by March 1. The only exceptions are for beneficiaries ages 90 and older, and for some people living in extremely remote areas...

This year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began recommending that baby boomers be tested for hepatitis C. The disease has few, if any, symptoms, and those infected can live with hepatitis C for decades without even knowing it. "Not just seniors, but for any individual, it can be very serious disease to have," says Jane Wernsman, director of the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center. ...

Ingredients: • 2 tablespoons reduced-calorie margarine • 1/2 cup egg substitute • 1 can (12-ounce) evaporated skim milk • 1 can (15-ounce) pumpkin • 1/2 cup low-fat Bisquick baking mix • 3/4 cup Splenda • 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice...

Philip T. Cantoni, 74, of Cape Girardeau, died Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012 at Southeast Missouri Hospital. He was born on June 10, 1938, in St. Louis to Joseph and Mary Cantoni. Phil was married to Antoinette (Ann) C. Cantoni on April 15, 1961. He worked with H & R Block as a regional manager in the late 1970's, which brought him and his family to Cape Girardeau from St. ...

Robert D. Bonney, 82, passed away Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, at his home in Jackson. He was born Dec. 25, 1929, in Cape Girardeau, to Duree V. and Grace V. Minton Bonney. Robert enlisted in the U.S. Army on March 23, 1948, at Fort Knox, Ky. His career spanned 21 years and included two tours during the Korean War when he was an M-1 Tank Commander with the Armored Calvary. ...

Walter Dean Peetz, 73, of Scott City, Mo., died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Aug. 4, 1939, in Scott County, Mo., to the late Otto and Augusta "Lady" Walter Peetz. Walter and Wanda Jones were married Aug. 4, 1966, and she preceded him in death on April 29, 2009...

Ann E. Ostroski Rayhill, 92, of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, November 30, 2012, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born November 23, 1920 in Wathena, Kan. to Edward Jules and Mary Magelene Franzen Boeh. She and Ralph R. Rayhill were married June 19, 2001 at Cape Girardeau, Mo...

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Women have come a long way since the women's suffrage movement, the equal rights era and Title IX. Women now make up the majority of students at most colleges, and they continue to take on higher level careers, working side by side with their male counterparts. And for a town of Cape Girardeau's size, we are impressed by the number of women in careers still primarily male-dominated such as finance, technology, law enforcement and politics. We interviewed three women about their work in industries where women are still few and far between.

Three women share how they turned their hobbies and interests into successful business ventures.

The Cape Girardeau City Council decided Nov. 19 to not act on a new ordinance aimed at preventing underage drinking. The ordinance would have disallowed those younger than 21 from being present in a restaurant or bar after 10 p.m. -- if the establishment has 35 percent or more of its annual gross sales coming from alcohol...

Dredging of the John L. Wescoat Marina at Trail of Tears State Park, which began last week along the Mississippi River, should be completed by the end of December; an estimated 350,000 to 360,000 cubic yards of sand and silt that has inundated the marina since it was built in 1975 is being removed...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri Lottery officials say they will announce a $4.2 million winner at the same southeast Missouri truck stop where the lucky ticket was purchased three weeks ago. The Lottery has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday afternoon at Pilot Travel Centers in Marston to present a ceremonial check to the winner...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Things looked bleak for the Notre Dame boys basketball team at halftime Monday night. The fifth-seeded Bulldogs trailed fourth-seeded Jackson by 19 points in the opening round of the SEMO Conference tournament -- yet junior guard Jordan Williamson professed to be confident of a comeback...

The contest to become the next member of Cape Girardeau's city council could begin setting up as early as Wednesday now that the council has set a special election. The council passed a resolution during its regular session Monday that will place the election for April 2, although the event could be only a primary depending on the number of candidates who file.

A Cape Girardeau woman pleaded guilty on Monday to peddling prescription pain pills from her day care, admitting to a drug-distribution charge that also will put her name on a registry intended to warn the state's child-care industry of her criminal past...

Former volunteer firefighter Gordon Schafer did more than plead guilty on Monday for his role in setting a house in Fruitland on fire while a resident slept inside. The 23-year-old Jackson man also promised, as part of a plea bargain with prosecutors, to testify against an unnamed accomplice who has yet to be charged...

A 20-year-old Cape Girardeau man will likely face criminal charges, police said Monday, after he allegedly drove his Honda SUV into a home on Good Hope Street while intoxicated. Residents of 1124 Good Hope St. were at home Sunday at about 9:50 p.m., when the car crashed through a wall, said Darin Hickey, a spokesman for the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

Even with a Black Friday boost, major retailers including Macy's, Target and Kohl's saw smaller sales this November compared to last year in a weak start to the holiday shopping season. Eighteen retailers reported November sales at stores open at least a year were up 1.7 percent compared with the same period a year ago, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. The organization had forecast a gain between 4.5 and 5.5 percent in holiday spending...

NEW YORK -- Flu season in the U.S. is off to its earliest start in nearly a decade -- and it could be a bad one. Health officials on Monday said suspected flu cases have jumped in five Southern states, and the primary strain circulating tends to make people sicker than other types. It is particularly hard on the elderly.

Cape Central Middle School fifth grade Students of the Month for November are (front row from left) Megan Smart, Brandon Rodriquez and Rodriqus Robinson; (second row) Trenton Berck, Gabe Spence, Asia Gilmer and Caedan Knepp; (third row) Randee Graham, Caden McBride, Grant Kluge and Bryce Kimberly. SoutheastHEALTH recognizes these students in its role as Central Middle School's Partner in Education...

Cape Central Middle School sixth grade Students of the Month for November are (front row from left) Sydnie Walker, Grace Goeckeler, Valyssa Webster and Weston Hopper; (second row) Dijion Clark, Elise Caldwell and Lynsey Powers; (third row) Brianna Cooper, Caylee Teague, Kaya Thatch and Alexis Richardson. SoutheastHEALTH recognizes these students in its role as Central Middle School's Partner in Education...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Bluster and hot rhetoric aside, the White House and House Republicans have identified areas of significant overlap that could form the basis for a final agreement after "fiscal cliff" posturing gives way to hard bargaining. Both sides now concede that tax revenue and reductions in entitlement spending are essential elements of any deal. ...

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson's announcement Monday that she's resigning from public service has conjured a slew of names as speculation begins about her replacement. But a special election will be needed to determine who will be Southeast Missouri's first member of Congress without the name Emerson in more than 30 years.

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt will deliver the address for Southeast Missouri State University's winter commencement, 2 p.m., Dec. 15, at the Show Me Center, the university said Monday. Blunt has served in the U.S. Senate since 2010. He is the vice chairman of the Senate Republican Conference and is a member of the Senate Republican Whip Team. The university said 739 students are expected to graduate...

A Jackson man was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges that he sexually abuse a 9-year-old girl. Gary K. Dupont, 37, will serve the bulk of that sentence under Missouri's truth-in-sentencing law, which requires defendants convicted of a so-called dangerous felony to serve a minimum 85 percent of the sentence...

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 4, the 339th day of 2012. There are 27 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 4, 1619, a group of settlers from Bristol, England, arrived at Berkeley Hundred in present-day Charles City County, Va., where they held a service thanking God for their safe arrival. (Some suggest this was the true first Thanksgiving in America, ahead of the Pilgrims' arrival in Massachusetts.)...

The United Way of Southeast Missouri recently announced that more than 600 students have been served through the LIFE Initiative so far this school year. LIFE, an acronym for Leading and Inspiring Families to Excel, has grown substantially since it started locally in 2007 with 150 students. ...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Barbara Kay Goforth, 74, of Jonesboro died Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012, at Jonesboro Rehab and Care Center. She was born Sept. 17, 1938, in Cairo, Ill., daughter of Byron L. and Laura Maude Brookins Connell Sr. Kay and Charles W. Goforth were married May 26, 1957, in Mounds, Ill...

Allen Ervin Starzinger, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born Dec. 20, 1933, in Shawneetown to Wilhelm Gustav and Ida Louise Koeberl Starzinger. Allen and Glenda Sue Singleton were married June 30, 1979. She died May 19, 2007...

WARE, Ill. -- Dorothy Mae Treece, 74, of Ware died Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, at Jonesboro Rehab and Healthcare in Jonesboro, Ill. She was born Aug. 23, 1938, in Anna, Ill., daughter of Clyde and Bertha Ayers Treece. Dorothy was owner and operator of Von Dot Restaurant for more than 20 years...

BENTON, Mo. -- Pauline Mack, 99, of Benton died Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 9, 1913, in Williamson County, Ill., to Grover and Clara Presley Hefflin. She and Chester Sylvester Mack were married April 21, 1932, at Benton. He preceded her in death on July 1, 1991...

SANDS TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Annalea "Ann" Burkett Teeters, 89, of Sands Township entered eternal life Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012, at the home of her daughter, Cheryl Teeters, with whom she made her home. She was born June 20, 1923, in Bowers Mill, Mo., daughter of Horace Evans and Clara Brinkmann Burkett...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- John Wesley Craft, 43, of Marble Hill died unexpectedly Monday, Dec. 3, 2012, at his home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the chapel. Burial will be in Mount Carmel Cemetery near Patton, Mo...

Son to Dr. John Stewart and Alejandra Maria Humphrey of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 10:39 a.m. Monday, Nov. 5, 2012. Name, John Stewart. Weight, 8 pounds, 11 ounces. First child. Mrs. Humphrey is the former Alejandra Maradiaga, daughter of Drs. Gerardo and Melana Maradiaga of Roanoke Rapids, N.C. Humphrey is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Humphrey of Lavonia, Ga. He is a surgeon with Heartland Plastic Surgery...

One thing we can do to help this economy is to bring clothing back to the states. All the clothing I have on now is made in South America or China. That is the big problem with the clothing industry. Take the tariff money and pay for unemployment. In Cape Girardeau, we have lost 400 jobs in the last five years that went to Mexico and South America. I got a pair of overalls that cost $40 that would cost the same if it was made in the states...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Israel Keyes, in jail for the killing of an Alaska barista, gradually began confessing to investigators that he had killed others: a couple in Vermont, four people in Washington state and someone in New York. But he was slow to come forward with details, warning investigators he would stop talking if his name were to be released publicly...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Northern California residents recovering Monday from a series of wet, windy storms likely won't get much of a break as another system is expected to drench the area. Up to 5 more inches of rain could fall in the region beginning Tuesday, the National Weather Service said...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Breaking their silence for the first time, the family of the woman shot and killed by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher said Monday their "hearts are truly broken" and asked for privacy while they grieve the loss of two loved ones...

Associated Press CHICAGO -- Detectives have long wondered what secrets serial killer John Wayne Gacy and other condemned murderers took to the grave when they were executed -- particularly whether they had other unknown victims. Now, the Cook County Sheriff's Department is trying to find out by entering killers' DNA profiles into a national database shared with other law-enforcement agencies. ...

DOYLINE, La. -- The cleanup of 3,000 tons of explosives haphazardly stored at a munitions plant has frayed the nerves of residents who evacuated, closed the high school and spawned a criminal investigation of the company that owns the materials...

LOS ANGELES -- NASA's Curiosity rover has indeed found something in the Martian dirt. But so far, there's no definitive sign of the chemical ingredients necessary to support life. A scoop of sandy soil analyzed by Curiosity's sophisticated chemistry laboratory contained water and a mix of chemicals, but not complex carbon-based molecules considered essential for life...

The top-seeded Cardinals defeated Oran in the first round of the eight-team girls tournament

In addition to roll call votes, the House this week passed the Mandatory Operational Control Reporting and Performance Measures Act of 2012 (H.R. 6025) to provide for annual reports on the status of operational control of the international land and maritime borders of the United States and unlawful entries...

Wow! Christmas activities have already begun. Both Cape Girardeau and Jackson have already had their Christmas parades. This week we will have a flurry of other Christmas activities in Jackson. On Thursday, we would like to have you join us in the Jackson City Park around 6 p.m. ...

ST. LOUIS -- The word "playoffs" isn't being mentioned often around the St. Louis Rams' training facility unless asked by an outsider. "This team is focused on Buffalo. It's our next opponent," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Monday at his weekly media gathering at Rams Park. "There's too much that could happen right now. I don't even know what the record is of some teams in the division. So, we just go play."...

BEIRUT -- Fighting between rebels and government forces raged near the Syrian capital Damascus on Monday, forcing an inbound commercial jet to turn back. The United Nations said it was withdrawing staff because of deteriorating security conditions...

JERUSALEM -- Israel rejected a wave of American and European condemnations Monday about plans to build thousands of new homes in West Bank settlements, vowing to press on with the construction in the face of widespread international opposition...

Southeast men's basketball team looks for first-ever victory against ranked Mizzou

A 19-year-old Jackson woman suffered moderate injuries Monday an early-morning accident in which her car veered off a Cape Girardeau County road and into a tree, police said. Vanessa K. Oliphant was driving her 2008 Toyota Corolla headed north on County Road 620 about a mile north of Cape Girardeau when the traffic accident took place, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol's online crash reports. ...

The following potential candidates for the Eighth Congressional District seat were all identified by the Southeast Missourian or The Associated Press as people who stated interest in the seat or who have been mentioned by members of either party as a potential candidate...

Southeast Missourian An apparent prank caller Monday night reported a shooting in south Cape Girardeau, and the call drew a large response of police, fire and medical personnel, authorities said. A call that came in about 9:15 p.m. alleged that someone had been shot in the 300 block of South Hanover, said Sgt. ...

CHICAGO -- The now familiar term "Asperger's disorder" is being dropped. And abnormally bad and frequent temper tantrums will be given a scientific-sounding diagnosis called DMDD. But "dyslexia" and other learning disorders remain. The revisions come in the first major rewrite in nearly 20 years of the diagnostic guide used by the nation's psychiatrists. Changes were approved Saturday by the psychiatric association's board of trustees...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Authorities in Southeast Missouri are looking for a white pickup truck with a white camper shell in connection with four sniper shootings last night along highways in Scott and Mississippi counties; the Highway Patrol recovered at least 18 spent, .22-caliber long rifle casings from overpasses in the area; no one was injured in the incidents...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The results of Missouri's general election are now official, though they could face challenges in three races. Secretary of State Robin Carnahan on Wednesday certified the results of the Nov. 6 election. But because the margin of victory was less than one percentage point, the losers could still ask for recounts in state House Districts 114 and 150 and in the 45th judicial circuit...

The second drug trial of Charles Anthony Robinson, set to take place on Wednesday, has been delayed again; this time because a witness was not available. Assistant prosecuting attorney Julie Koester said a continuance was granted by Judge William Syler at the request of Robinson and his lawyer, Steve Wilson. Wilson did not return calls seeking comment...

KENNETT, Mo. (AP) -- Some voters in the Bootheel will be voting a second time in a Missouri House race. The Daily Dunklin Democrat reports that a judge set a new election for Dec. 18 in two precincts of the 150th House District. Officials in Dunklin County had said it appears that some voters who live in the neighboring 152nd District were given ballots for the 150th District, and vice versa...

And the list goes on. The field of Republicans interested in being nominated to run in a special election next year that will determine a replacement for U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson grew quickly Tuesday, the day after the nine-term congresswoman announced she will leave Capitol Hill in February...

Another step was taken Tuesday by the Perry County School Board in its search to replace retiring superintendent Kevin Dunn. After narrowing down a list of 15 candidates, three finalists vying for the position appeared separately before a gathering of the school board and district staff members to introduce themselves and make the case for their hiring...

The Missouri public defender system is easing off caseload limits that have led to disagreements over whether state defense attorneys have the time and resources to represent some criminal defendants, the system's director said Tuesday. The decision to allow greater flexibility for public defenders to take on additional clients, even as their caseload limits are near the maximum, could temporarily lessen tensions among some defenders, prosecutors, judges and attorneys. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Southeast Missouri State threatened Missouri like few visiting nonconference teams have over the years. The Tigers answered every challenge -- and showed Southeast why they are ranked 11th and 12th in the two major national polls...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Several pharmacies in the St. Louis area are now selling the first-ever pseudoephedrine-based decongestant that apparently cannot be used to make methamphetamine. Highland Pharmaceuticals in suburban St. Louis is the maker of Zephrex-D, which has been rolled out over the past week or so, mostly in the St. Louis area. Company spokeswoman Emilie Dolan says Walmart, Walgreens and CVS are among the pharmacies selling the product...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- NASA is adrift without a coherent vision for where it should be going, an independent panel of space, science and engineering experts says. But the report by the National Academy of Sciences doesn't blame the space agency. It faults the president, Congress and the nation for not giving NASA clear direction. At the same time, the report said NASA is doing little to further the stated goal of the White House to send astronauts to a nearby asteroid...

Cape Central High School and Cape Central Junior High School band students auditioned November 6, for the Southeast Missouri Music Educator's Association's All-District Band. The audition included prepared selections as well as memorized scales. Students rehearsed at Jackson High School November 17th and performed in concert that evening in the Jackson High School Field House. ...

The Cape Central Orchestra will present their winter concert this Thursday, December 6, at 6:30 in the Cape Central Fieldhouse. They will festively rock out to arrangements from Bob Mathews, Chip Davis, Tim McCarrick, and Paul O'Neill. The event is free, and the public is invited to attend...

The Jackson High School Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, and Freshmen Band will perform a Christmas Concert on Monday, December 10th at 7:00 PM. The concert will be held in the Jackson High School Events Center and free to all who attend.

City inspectors hope to receive a detailed plan to get the condemned former Wiggery building into compliance from its owners this week. "They need to tell and show us how they are going to approach the issues," said Tim Morgan, inspection services director for the city of Cape Girardeau. "Then we can either grant them more time or move forward with condemnation. In most cases we do grant them more time if they have a solid plan."...

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 5, the 340th day of 2012. There are 26 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 5, 1962, the United States and the Soviet Union announced a bilateral space agreement on exchanging weather data from satellites, mapping Earth's geomagnetic field and cooperating in the experimental relay of communications...

Several local people from both political parties remarked about the life and character of Peter Myers last week after the former state representative died after a battle with cancer. Myers, 81, served in the state House from 1999 through 2006 representing the 160th District, which included Scott County and parts of Cape Girardeau and New Madrid counties...

An Internet photo went viral last week showing a New York police officer giving a $100 pair of boots to a supposedly homeless man on the streets of New York. The photo came just in time for the holiday season and provided a classic Christmas tale of helping those less fortunate...

I pass by the Saint Francis roundabout everyday on my way to work, and I'm amazed at how many people don't know what a yield sign is. It doesn't mean everyone gets to go; you yield to the next person. I hate it when five cars go through and I'm stuck yielding. It's one at a time and the police should enforce it. You can't get out when you're following the law. I don't know what the purpose of the roundabout is. I know it slows traffic, but it creates a serious traffic hazard...

O Lord Jesus, we praise you for you are the light of the world. Amen.

BRUSSELS -- NATO announced Tuesday it will deploy Patriot anti-missile systems near Turkey's southern border, shoring up defenses against the threat of cross-border attacks from Syria. The alliance's 28 members will limit use of Patriots solely to ward off mortar rounds and shells from Syria that have killed five Turks...

A Cape Girardeau man has been released from police custody as prosecutors weigh whether to file criminal charges after he allegedly drove his SUV into a local home while under the influence. The man was released late Monday said Cape Girardeau Police Deparment spokesman Darin Hickey. His name was still not being released, Hickey said, since no charges had been filed...

Another Cape Girardeau business reported a break-in and money taken on Sunday, becoming just the most recent area business to report a burglary. The operators of Pop's Pizza, 409 N. Clark St., told police they returned to work Monday morning to find that someone had forced entry to the business and taken money, said Darin Hickey, spokesman for the Cape Girardeau Police Department. ...

Jackson police plan to crack down on impaired drivers this month. The Jackson Police Department reported Tuesday it will participate in a holiday DWI enforcement campaign. Enforcement will be increased Monday through Dec. 16. Law enforcement will focus on reducing deaths and serious injuries caused by impaired drivers. For more information on the campaign go online to www.savemolives.com....

Organizers for the construction and funding for Melaina's Magical Playland, an all-inclusive playground, have announced the start of the "Pave the Way" fundraising campaign. Supporters will be able to purchase a customized brick paver near the entrance of the playground. ...

A 2-month-old girl and her 28-year-old mother, both of Patton, Mo., were taken to a hospital late Tuesday morning after they were involved in a one-vehicle rollover accident.

BENTON, Mo. -- A 25-year-old Scott City man sexually abused a 15-year-old girl twice in September, according to criminal charges filed Monday in Scott County Circuit Court. The charges claim the first incident took place on the floor of a room where other people were sleeping...

Muriel LaMadrid, 68, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, at her home. She was born Sept. 26, 1944, in Los Angeles, Calif., to Frances and Millicent Esper Woods. Survivors include two daughters, Laura Cox and Rachael Zazzetti; two siblings, Madeline Gieselman and Francis (Mark) Woods; two grandchildren, Macey Hardenbrook and Timmy Ray Jones Jr.; two great-granddaughters, Karina and Daisha Garcia; and a great number of nieces, nephews, and other relatives...

James Donald Revelle, 84, of Jackson died Monday, Dec. 3, 2012, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 5, 1928, in Delta, to Melvin E. and Chlora A. McNeely Revelle. He and Christine Brooks were married July 3, 1947. James was a truck driver for Milchem Mining Co., working at the Belgrade and Palmer Mines more than 26 years. He then worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Potosi, Mo., for seven years. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Millersville...

Regulators clear Disney purchase of Lucasfilm WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal antitrust regulators have cleared Disney's $4 billion deal to buy Lucasfilm, the filmmaking empire behind the "Star Wars" franchise. Notice of the clearance was issued Tuesday...

Dorothy Jean Brown, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Nov. 24, 1927, in Marston, Mo., to Carl and Marillian Ellis Richardson. She was adopted by Fred L. and Malinda Loos Whitson in 1932. She and Robert Charles Brown Sr. were married June 30, 1946, in Cape Girardeau. He died Aug. 10, 1998...

Ross Earl "Corky" Adams, 56, of Scott City died Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, at his home. He was born Oct. 24, 1956, in Bonne Terre, Mo., to Vernon Earl and Florence Naomi Surina Adams. Corky was a self-employed transportation broker. Survivors include his mother of High Ridge, Mo.; four brothers, Thomas Bradley of Jackson, Gordon Bradley Sr. ...

Jerry Wayne Jaeger, 70, of Jackson passed away Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. He was born Sept. 28, 1942, in Cape Girardeau, son of Louis and Mae Crites Jaeger. Jerry attended Daisy School. He and his family moved from Friedheim to Jackson in 1973. He was a self-employed farmer...

Marvin Charles "Shorty" Ruesler, 74, of Friedheim passed away Monday, Dec. 3, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 22, 1938, in Friedheim, son of Walter and Lillian Hobeck Ruesler. He and Viola Pohlman were married Sept. 27, 1958...

ANNA, Ill. -- Susie Isabel Earnhart Tripp Batson, 95, of Anna died Monday, Dec. 3, 2012, at her home. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Anna. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Les Sinks officiating. Burial will be in Jonesboro Cemetery...

ANNA, Ill. -- Thomas John Mighell Fassler, 73, of Anna died Monday, Dec. 3, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Anna. A Masonic service will be held at 7:30...

Keith Allen Gunther, 23, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, at his home. A celebration of Keith's spirit will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at Cape Bible Chapel. Crain Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Linda S. LaFentres, 45, of Scott City died Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, at Southeast Medical Plaza in Cape Girardeau. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City is in charge of arrangements.

ANNA, Ill. -- Jeannie Lynnette Hoyle, 69, of Anna died Monday, Dec. 3, 2012, at her home. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Anna. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Peggy Camp officiating. Burial will be in Jonesboro Cemetery...

"A Christmas Homecoming" is the theme for the Jackson Christmas parade. Coordinated by the Jackson Jaycees, this year's parade features floats, bands and a little bit of Christmas for all who attend. City Councilman Peter Hilty says he will seek re-election; the four-year terms of Hilty and Councilmen David Barklage and Curt Smith will expire this Spring; while Smith has said he won't run again, Barklage remains undecided...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Jackson firefighters responded to the following calls Monday: Jackson firefighters responded to the following call Tuesday:...

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday: Jackson firefighters responded to the following calls Monday: Jackson firefighters responded to the following call Tuesday:...

WESTPORT, Conn. -- This former colony has been riveted by the royal news that the former Kate Middleton is pregnant -- perhaps as much as Britain, where such regal developments are taken in stride. "We don't really have a princess here," said Kathy Gitlin, an elementary schoolteacher in Connecticut who was thrilled to hear that Kate is with child. ...

CAIRO -- A protest by at least 100,000 Egyptians at the presidential palace in Cairo turned violent Tuesday as tensions grew over Islamist President Mohammed Morsi's seizure of nearly unrestricted powers and a draft constitution hurriedly adopted by his allies...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- There were small mishaps along the way, but a young and inexperienced Central Tiger team found a way to escape with a win. The Tigers pulled out a narrow 59-54 win against New Madrid County Central during the SEMO Conference Tournament on Tuesday night...

Jackson wide receiver Brannon Wright saved one of his biggest catches for last. Wright, who was a dangerous weapon in a revitalized Jackson offense, hauled in Class 5 first-team all-state recognition by the Missouri Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association today for his performance on the football field during his senior season...

Class 1 First team Offense QB: Dylan Heitz, South Harrison, 6-3, 190, Jr. AP: Zane Jacoby, Westran, 6-4, 184, So. RB: Dallas Peoples, Tipton, 5-5, 185, Sr. RB: Zach Freeman, Polo, 5-9, 189, Sr. RB: Derrick Hughes, Hamilton, 5-10, 195 RB: Tyler Fallert, Valle Catholic, 6-0, 201, Jr...

The high school swimmers competing Tuesday at the Central Pool were doing more than just splashing around. They were splashing for a cure. The "Splash Out Cancer" Swim Meet, won by Jackson, opened the season for area girls swim teams. Hosted by Central, the event -- which attracted some 85 swimmers from Central, Jackson, Notre Dame, Saxony Lutheran, Perryville, St. Vincent and Poplar Bluff high schools -- also served as a fundraiser for "Dig for Life."...

Southeast Missouri State and SIU Carbondale haven't squared off in women's basketball since the 2005-06 season. That's way too long for second-year Southeast coach Ty Margenthaler. Margenthaler is excited about the Redhawks (4-4) and Salukis (0-6) renewing their rivalry today at 7:05 p.m. in Carbondale, Ill...

Oak Ridge built a 20-point lead by halftime and cruised to a 62-38 victory over host Delta in boys high school action Tuesday night. Ryan Below scored 23 points, grabbed five steals and blocked four shots to lead Oak Ridge (4-1), which led 41-21 at halftime. Andrew Puchbauer scored 10 points, including two three-pointers. Lance Rohde collected eight rebounds and five steals for the Blue Jays...

The Missouri Department of Transportation will reduce two sections of southbound Interstate 55 in Perry County to one lane for pavement repairs. Construction on the first section, from Route K to Route F, will begin 7 a.m., Tuesday with completion expected at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Work on the second section, from Route T to Highway 51, will begin 7 a.m., Thursday and be finished by 2:30 p.m., Friday. The work zone will be marked...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment aid fell sharply last week as a temporary spike caused by Superstorm Sandy has faded. Weekly applications have fallen back to a level consistent with modest hiring. The Labor Department said Thursday that applications dropped 25,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 370,000...

BENTON, Mo. -- A Scott City man entered pleas of not guilty Wednesday to six felony charges that allege he abused an underage girl twice in September. Darrion Crenshaw, 25, was arraigned before Judge Scott Horman at the Scott County Courthouse in Benton on two counts of statutory rape and four counts of statutory sodomy...

A 19-year-old Jackson woman, who police say drove her car into a tree on Monday, has been charged with driving drunk, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Vanessa K. Oliphant, 19, also faces criminal counts for possessing alcohol as a minor, reckless driving and operating a vehicle on a revoked license. ...

MARSTON, Mo. -- A Tennessee man had a winning $4.2 million Missouri Lotto ticket for more than a week without knowing he hit the jackpot, then waited nearly two more weeks before telling anyone about it.Missouri Lottery officials on Wednesday announced 51-year-old Bill Gano of Memphis is the 351st person to become a millionaire through the state's lottery. He matched all numbers in the Nov. 14 Lotto drawing....

The anniversary of the day that will live in infamy -- Dec. 7, 1941 -- remains a time to remember one of the most tragic and consequential events in American history. In keeping with the remembrance of that day 71 years ago, VFW Post 3838 of Cape Girardeau at 2 p.m. Friday will have a Pearl Harbor Day ceremony at the river wall at the intersection of Broadway and Water Street...

ST. LOUIS -- A 5-month-old pit bull dragged along an interstate highway in St. Louis is making progress in his recovery. And a reward for the capture of the person responsible for the crime has doubled Wednesday to $5,000. The puppy known as Trooper is eating and drinking normally. Veterinarians are confident they can save his badly injured right front leg...

ST. LOUIS -- A revised Mississippi River forecast offered a bit of a reprieve for shippers Wednesday, showing the water level isn't dropping as quickly as feared. Still, at least two large barge companies already are reducing their loads because of concerns about the river's depth....

ST. LOUIS -- A former Illinois sheriff illegally hoarded antidepressants as he awaited resentencing in a drug and foiled murder-for-hire case, demonstrating his continued disregard for the law and underlining the need for a harsh sentence, a federal prosecutor said...

The Church of God, 209 East Cape Rock Drive, will present The Nativity Story and The Passion of Christ Sunday December 16th in our morning and evening services. During the morning worship service at 10 a.m. "The Nativity Story" will be presented in celebration of Christmas. Under Herod's reign, families struggled to survive and in the middle of this turmoil a young woman's faith was put to the test. The movie is 126 minutes long...

These are the five lil blessings in my life.

Rewards for information often come with the disclaimer -- no questions asked. But those who hope to get their hands on John Michel's money are going to have to talk. Michel, who owns Moonwalker Rental, said Wednesday he'll need a few answers before he gives up the $1,000 he's offering in exchange for information that will help him recover $12,000 in equipment stolen during the weekend...

As a name synonymous with Southeast Missouri politics prepares to leave office, those who worked closely with U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson are left to wonder about the future representation of a district many say has been served well for more than 16 years...

Thursday December 6, 2012, members of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Cape Girardeau, Mo sponsored their annual Special Needs Christmas Party. Groups from area group homes and nursing homes attended. A meal was served and there were lots of goodies. They were excited to see Mr and Mrs Claus. Goodie bags given to each attendee by Santa as he visited with each one and heard their Christmas lists...

Byron Saputo receives his plaque with Missouri dinosaur cast from Eva Dunn, museum director. This photo courtesy of Linda Redeffer-Banner Press.

Guy Darrough speaks to the students. Everyone is anxious to know who submitted the winning name and what that name is! This photo courtesy of Linda Redeffer-Banner Press.

Museum Curator Guy Darrough with Eva Dunn, museum director, in background. Guy Darrough is speaking to the students at the ceremony.

The second floor main exhibit room was packed with students from Leopold, Zalma, and Woodland for the naming ceremony.

Museum Curator Guy Darrough talks to the students gathered at the naming ceremony about the importance of the Missouri dinosaur.

Dinosaur Naming Ceremony finalists. All received an award certificate for participating and sending in names that made it to the finals.

On Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012 the Bollinger County Museum of Natural History held a Naming Ceremony to bestow a personal name on our Missouri dinosaur. For years our Missouri State Dinosaur (Hypsibema missouriense), a large duckbill hadrosaur, has been known to scientists by its scientific name, Hypsibema missouriense; most of the time the public simply called it "The Missouri Dinosaur". ...

You don't have to be a jazz aficionado to recognize "Take Five," the smoky instrumental by the Dave Brubeck Quartet that instantly evokes swinging bachelor pads, hi-fi systems and cool nightclubs of the 1950s and `60s. "Take Five" was a musical milestone -- a deceptively complex jazz composition that managed to crack the Billboard singles chart and introduce a new, adventurous sound to millions of listeners...

TOWN AND COUNTRY, Mo. -- Officials are trying to determine what went wrong after seven patients receiving kidney dialysis treatment at a St. Louis County facility became seriously ill and had to be hospitalized. It happened Monday at U.S. Renal Care in Town and Country. The source of the illness has not been determined...

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team nearly posted its third major comeback victory of the season. Instead it was host SIU Carbondale that notched its first win after a controversial finish Wednesday night. The squads were tied 57-57 when Southeast was whistled for a foul about 60 feet away from the basket with 0.5 seconds left...

The goal of Hope Seeds is to help eliminate world hunger. It is a non-profit organization that produces seeds of plants that grow in particular parts of the world that lack agricultural resources. Students at Cape Christian School want to help: they recently gave to the organization's cause by sending packets of okra seeds to Haiti...

Described by an organizer as "amazing" and "heartwarming," local professional, fine-art photographers and hair and makeup professionals will offer free portraits to individuals and families in need at the annual Help-Portrait event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at House of Hope in Cape Girardeau...

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Mark Statler, left, and his son Dylan relay brick that is in bad shape on the parapet wall of the Wiggery building Wednesday in downtown Cape Girardeau. The parapet wall extends about 3 feet above the roof of the historic building. ...

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Three Victorian lady explorers, portrayed by Anna Watson as Mary, left, Kalena Schubert as Alexandra and Audra Novak as Fanny, cross a rope bridge as they advance through time with every step in "On the Verge, or the Geography of Yearning" by Eric Overmyer on Wednesday in the Rust Flexible Theatre at the River Campus. ...

Today is Thursday, Dec. 6, the 341st day of 2012. There are 25 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 6, 1922, the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which established the Irish Free State, came into force one year to the day after it was signed in London...

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce will host First Friday Coffee this Friday at the Show Me Center. The topic will be the benefits and opportunities of employing National Guard and Reserve members. A continental breakfast will begin at 7 a.m. Friday followed by the program led by Command Sgt-Maj. Matt Jenkins of the Missouri National Guard...

Cape Girardeau County Republican Women's Club will host pastor Gary Brothers of Cape First at a noon meeting Friday at Dexter Bar-B-Que in Cape Girardeau. Canned goods will be collected for those in need this holiday season. The meeting is the final one of the year. It is open to the public. For information, contact Holly Lintner at 200-4073 or holly.lintner@gmail.com...

The River Campus Board of Managers is scheduled to meet noon on Friday, in Conference Room 305 of the Seminary Building at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus. University and city representatives and others will be in attendance.

How many women did the U.S. House of Representatives choose to chair its many committees? None. Too young for movie We just got home from "Flight," an R-rated movie with Denzel Washington. It was a very good movie, but there were young children in the theater. We sat next to a pretty 6- or 7-year-old girl. I was embarrassed for her. Mom. Shouldn't she have been at "Wreck It Ralph?"...

KANSAS CITY -- Several players for the Kansas City Chiefs attended a memorial service for teammate Jovan Belcher, who killed his girlfriend and then fatally shot himself in the head. Belcher killed 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins on Saturday at the home they shared in Kansas City with their 3-month-old daughter. He drove to the Chiefs practice facility, where he killed himself in front of team officials, who were pleading for him to put down his gun...

BERLIN -- The countries worst hit by the European financial crisis are also perceived as being among the most corrupt in Western Europe, and those perceptions appear to be getting increasingly negative, an international watchdog group said in a report released Wednesday...

NEW BATAAN, Philippines -- Stunned parents searching for missing children examined a row of mud-stained bodies covered with banana leaves while survivors dried their soaked belongings on roadsides as the death toll from the southern Philippines' powerful typhoon climbed to about 350 people Thursday with nearly 400 missing...

WASHINGTON -- Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Wednesday that the Obama administration is "absolutely" ready for the U.S. economy to go over the "fiscal cliff," rather than accept a budget deal that doesn't include higher tax rates for top earners...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A man who confessed to killing an Alaska barista and multiple other people across the country died in his jail cell after slashing one of his wrists and using bedding material to strangle himself, Alaska State Troopers said Wednesday...

Father God, we worship you, for the joy of the Lord is our strength. Amen.

NEW YORK -- The daughter of a man pushed in front of a subway train and photographed a split-second before his death said Wednesday after a suspect was arrested that it "would have been great" if someone had helped her father up but "what's done is done."...

Skylar Jeramiah Weber, 13, of St. John's, Mo., joined the angels Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, at Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis. He is the son of Dale Rodney and N`acole Parker Weber of St. John, Mo.; grandson of James R. and Judith Ruebel of Cape Girardeau, Charles Parker and Mary Parker of St. Louis; brother of Alexis Alexandria and Cheyenne Raquel Weber of St. John's...

Chaffee turned the tables on Kelly less than a week after losing to the Hawks. The sixth-seeded Red Devils upset the third-seeded Hawks 59-36 Wednesday night in the final opening-round game of the 36th annual Lady Devils Invitational girls basketball tournament...

Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt was finally able to talk about his latest early signee after all the paperwork had been approved. Nutt is excited about landing one of the better guards in the St. Louis area. Southeast on Wednesday officially announced the signing of Martavian Payne, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior combo guard at Madison Prep High School...

Stephanie White of Cape Girardeau was named to the dean's list at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga., for the 2012 fall quarter. Blankenship awarded scholarships Madison Haley Blankenship of Jackson was awarded the James W. Davis scholarship in accountancy at the University of Mississippi. Blankenship also was on the dean's list for the 2012 spring semester...

Cassell Wiseman, 71, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, at the Lutheran Home. He was born Feb. 26, 1941, in Frazier, Tenn., to John Lee and Lillie Mae Lewis Wiseman. He and Percilla Pigue were married Dec. 5, 1975, in Holly Springs, Miss...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Landon James Wilson, 13, of Advance passed away Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 8, 1999, in Poplar Bluff, Mo., son of Joni Wilson. Landon was a student at Parkview State School in Cape Girardeau. He loved being in the pool, music and being read to. Landon touched everyone who ever met him...

Tracey G. Niederbrach, 41, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012, at his home. A celebration of life service will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday at Wescoat Shelter at Trail of Tears State Park. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Marita K. Nelson, 89, of Perryville died Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, at the Independence Care Center of Perry County. She was born Sept. 16, 1923, in Perryville, daughter of Louis Arthur and Cornelia Theresa "Nealy" Gieringer Loiseau. She and Loy Hudson Nelson were married May 7, 1949. He preceded her in death July 17, 2011...

JoAnn Lowes, 79, of Jackson, formerly of Dexter, Mo., died Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, at her home. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson, and from 10 a.m. to time of service Saturday at Hanover Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau...

Linda Sue LaFentres, 45, of Scott City died Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, at SoutheastHEALTH Medical Plaza in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 16, 1966, in Cape Girardeau to Paul J. and Nancy N. Mack Backfisch. She and Doug C. LaFentres were married Nov. 4, 1988, in Benton, Mo...

Margie Catherine Huber, 74, of Ellisville, Mo., died Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, at Bethesda Meadow in Ellisville. She was born Dec. 11, 1937, in Creve Coeur, Mo., to Thomas J. and Mabel Caroline Feltz Moore. She and Norbert Huber were married April 27, 1957, in Perryville, Mo. He preceded her in death March 24, 1977...

PAINTON, Mo. -- Ruby E. Burgess, 86, of Montrose, Mich., passed away Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012, at McLaren Hospital in Flint, Mich., with her loving family by her side. She was born Aug. 20, 1926, in Painton to James and Lydia Story Hogg. She and Gerald Robert Burgess were married July 9, 1945. He preceded her in death in 1982...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. — George Ivan Bidewell, 102, of Albuquerque, N.M., formerly of Marble Hill, died Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012, in Albuquerque. A private service was held. Direct Funeral Services in Albuquerque was in charge of arrangements.

Looking for a way to add a little science to the Christmas tree this year? Learn how to pop popcorn inside a transparent clear glass ornament. Transparent glass ball ornament Popcorn kernels Brown paper bag STEP 1: Remove the metal catch and hook. Place about two teaspoons of popcorn kernels into the transparent glass ball ornament...

Southeast box score SIU CARBONDALE 58, SOUTHEAST 57 Percentages: FG .328, FT .765. 3-point goals: 4-21, .190 (Bradshaw 2-11, Hunter 2-4, Roberts 0-2, Haertling 0-2, Mack 0-1, Hackmann 0-1). Team rebounds: 4. Blocked shots: 2 (Shiffer, Mack). Turnovers: 19 (Hunter 8, Bradshaw 4, Roberts 2, Hackmann 2, Mack, Wright, King)...

1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Routine business Action items Appointments and possible action items...

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

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

The annual hanging of the greens is held during the morning worship services at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The daughter of an 1898 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University has donated several works of art, valued at approximately $125,000, to the University Museum; George and Placide Schriever have presented the museum with oil paintings, etchings, watercolors, graphics and original drawings; Mrs. Schriever is the daughter of Charles M. Daues...

An attempted traffic stop escalated into a police pursuit early Wednesday morning, but the suspect managed to evade capture when he abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot, police said. The man was not in custody Wednesday afternoon, according to Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesman Darin Hickey. The department did not identify the suspect, but Hickey did say officers are investigating....

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Choose ready-made or create a custom basket for that special person on your holiday list. Prices vary Dee's Gifts and Gift Baskets 1743 North Kingshighway Cape Girardeau, MO 573-335-3633 www.Deesgiftsonline.com

Give a gift that has people talking! These serving trays made from wine bottles and are perfect for cheese and sushi. Starting at $20 Dee's Gifts and Gift Baskets 1743 North Kingshighway Cape Girardeau, MO 573-335-3633 www.Deesgiftsonline.com

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Decorate your tree this holiday season with something different from Dees! $5 Dee's Gifts and Gift Baskets 1743 North Kingshighway Cape Girardeau, MO 573-335-3633 www.Deesgiftsonline.com

It's a common theme, repeated in the media and by political figures, that since the end of the Cold War, the United States remains "the world's only superpower." Given the frequency of that statement, it is worth considering its significance and, more broadly, to identify the comparisons this term might imply when examining the rest of the world...

Editor's note: The following editorial has been corrected. Downtown Cape Girardeau is looking quite festive these days as several businesses have decorated their storefronts for Christmas. Many of the trees planted as part of the Broadway renovation now have lights...

Perfect for the hard to shop for men in your life, these lamps made from his favorite alcohol bottle are sure to please. $45 Dee's Gifts and Gift Baskets 1743 North Kingshighway Cape Girardeau, MO 573-335-3633 www.Deesgiftsonline.com

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A marble slab from the original tombstone of former President Thomas Jefferson, which has been stored for nearly 130 years at the University of Missouri-Columbia, will be sent to a laboratory that serves the Smithsonian Institution for restoration work, university officials said Wednesday...

When Dr. Charles Pewitt went with his family in May to Hawaii, he never expected to receive what he calls a once in a lifetime experience. "Talk about a surprise," Pewitt said. "Getting a flag raised and lowered at the USS Arizona Memorial hadn't even crossed my mind when we went to Pearl Harbor."...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. economy added 146,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent, the lowest since December 2008. The government said Superstorm Sandy had only a minimal effect on the figures. The Labor Department's report Friday offered a mixed picture of the economy...

A 50-year-old Chaffee, Mo., woman was taken to a hospital with moderate injuries Wednesday morning after the midsize pickup in which she was riding veered off the roadway and into an embankment. Charlotte P. Mann was in a 2011 Chevy Colorado driven by Natasha Holweg of Scott City when the wreck took place at about 11:40 a.m., according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol...

MINER, Mo. -- Police in Miner are investigating a robbery that allegedly took place in a hotel parking lot Monday. Miner police received a robbery report at 8:37 p.m. at the Drury Inn Hotel and found an alleged victim with moderate injuries from a physical confrontation. A suspect allegedly took the victim's wallet by force and fled in a vehicle after a struggle. The victim was treated and released...

DONIPHAN, Mo. -- A bomb threat at the Lone Star public school in Ripley County on Wednesday led to the detainment of a 13-year-old boy. "About 9 a.m. I received a call from the superintendent [Ligie Waddell], who was in Jefferson City," said Ripley County Sheriff Ron Barnett. "He told me someone had written on the bathroom wall they were going to blow up the school."...

Missouri's Speaker of the House Tim Jones, R-Eureka, will visit Cape Girardeau on Monday on a statewide tour to discuss the upcoming legislative session. Several stops Monday will begin the four-day tour, which will take Jones to 21 cities. Jones will be at My Daddy's Cheesecake in Cape Girardeau at 10:15 a.m. ...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- A judge sentenced a Patton, Mo., man to a decade in prison Thursday for stabbing a Bollinger County man in February after a night of heavy drinking. Lawrence P. Schanda, 38, will serve most of the 10-year term handed down by Judge Ben Lewis because Missouri's "truth-in-sentencing" law requires individuals convicted of a dangerous felony serve a minimum of 85 percent of the sentence...

La Croix United Methodist Church will host a special candle-lighting service at 7 p.m. Sunday to remember children who have passed away. "It's a way for us to remember the children and provide comfort for their parents," said the Rev. Ron Watts, pastor of La Croix...

Slow start dooms Tigers in 61-52 loss to Sikeston in Thursday's semifinals By Marty Mishow Southeast Missourian SIKESTON, Mo. -- Central coach Drew Church probably wishes his team could take away the first quarter. That, of course, isn't possible -- but it might have given the Tigers a chance to pull off a major upset...

Another early morning burglary has been reported by a business in Cape Girardeau. At about 12:30 a.m. Thursday, a brick was thrown through a window of KFC at 2101 William St., according to Sgt. Jason Selzer of the Cape Girardeau Police Department. The broken window served as an entrance as the alarm sounded. A safe in the manager's office was taken. Police aren't disclosing what was in the safe and had no suspects Thursday...

Cape Girardeau County commissioners on Thursday approved a 50 percent abatement in property taxes that will allow a local manufacturing company to receive state income tax credits. Spartech Corp., a plastics manufacturing company in Cape Girardeau, plans to build a new 4,000 square-foot addition that will contain a blending room and locker room upgrade to hold new equipment. ...

Before Dennis Stegall was pulled from sleep that morning by the sound of a policeman's pounding, the 30-year-old truck driver from Fruitland never had heard the name Gordon Schafer. Stegall learned a few things about Schafer over the next four months, but nothing that helped answer his biggest question -- how could Schafer, a volunteer firefighter, intentionally set fire to a house in which Stegall was soundly asleep?...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Water wars are raging in America's heartland, where drought-stricken states are pleading for the increasingly scarce water of the Missouri River -- to drink from their faucets, irrigate their crops and float the barges that carry billions of dollars of agricultural products to market....

Perryville High School senior Seth Noland has been selected as the November Student of the Month by Perryville Elks Lodge 2701. Noland is pictured with Eric Tucker of the Perryville Elks (left) and PHS Assistant Principal Jeff Steffens. He is the son of Paul and Nancy Noland of Perryville. ...

Telling Santa what she wants for Christmas.

SoutheastHEALTH employees donated hundreds of toys to the Marine Corps Reserve's Toys for Tots drive. From left: Pat Williamson of SoutheastHEALTH's Spirit Boosters group and Human Resources Vice President Lincoln Scott present three large boxes of toys to Richard Bollwerk, Jim Winder and Ralph Craig of the area's Marine Corps League detachment...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Despite publicly disavowing Todd Akin, the political committee for Republican senators quietly sent $760,000 to Missouri in a last-ditch attempt to aid Akin's unsuccessful challenge of Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill. The long-suspected money shuffling, which had never previously been confirmed, is detailed in a postelection campaign finance report filed this week by the Missouri Republican State Committee. ...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court will take up California's ban on same-sex marriage, a case that could give the justices the chance to rule on whether gay Americans have the same constitutional right to marry as heterosexuals. The justices said Friday they will review a federal appeals court ruling that struck down the state's gay marriage ban, though on narrow grounds. ...

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (AP) -- More than 2,000 people are gathering at Pearl Harbor on Friday to mark the 71st anniversary of the Japanese attack that killed thousands of people and launched the United States into World War II. Ceremonies get under way with a moment of silence at 7:55 a.m., the exact time the bombing began in 1941...

Cape Girardeau Public School District has received national recognition for a publication and a video. NSPRA (National School Public Relations Association) awarded the district an Award of Merit for its "Celebrating 100 Years" promotional video, and an Honorable Mention for its magazine ad, "You're on our turf now." The national contest was open to all public and private schools and educational service agencies and businesses. ...

This is my step-daughter Lauren visiting her MawMaw's house and nothing like socks and new carpet to create this much static electricity!!! Plus her PaPa had the wood stove going to, she went around shocking everyone, she thought it was hilarious.

The Cape Girardeau County Area Medical Society Alliance and the Health Careers Foundation annually award a $200 scholarship to a practical nursing student enrolled at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center (CTC). Rebecca Wheetley of Scott City is this year's recipient. ...

Don Call, a board of education member in the Cape Girardeau Public School District, has achieved Master Certification in the Missouri School Boards' Association Certified Board Member program. The program established by MSBA helps local school board members master the knowledge and skills they need to function as effective educational leaders in their communities...

ST. LOUIS -- The nation's worst drought in decades leveled off last week after a two-week spell in which overall conditions worsened slightly, but a persistent lack of rain in Midwest and Plains states has barge operators fearing Mississippi River traffic soon could slow to a crawl or stop altogether...

Today is Friday, Dec. 7, the 342nd day of 2012. There are 24 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii as part of its plan to conquer Southeast Asian territories; the raid, which claimed some 2,400 American lives, prompted the United States to declare war against Japan the next day...

The River Campus Board of Managers meeting, scheduled for noon today, has been postponed because of a scheduling conflict. The meeting will take place in January.

Missouri is doing a lousy job of stopping children from smoking. A coalition of anti-smoking groups, including the American Heart, Lung and Cancer associations, said the state ranks 46th out of 50 in the amount spent on tobacco prevention and cessation efforts...

The Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium will host a free mass fatality planning and response course from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Department. The course is certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and will feature classroom instruction and group activities. Participants will learn basics of mass fatality response and will collaborate on solutions in simulated emergencies...

As a cold rain falls at the Cape County Park War Memorial, two members of the Missouri 3 Chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association unveil a plaque for the memorial; Paul Sherrard of Morehouse, Mo., and Howard Bretz of Jackson help mark the 46th anniversary of the attack at Pearl Harbor...

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Third-quarter sales of Missouri homes involved in foreclosure actions rose by 39 percent over the previous quarter amid concentrated efforts to unload distressed properties and strengthen the housing market. The Kansas City Star reported the Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac released a report Thursday showing 2,645 single-family homes in Missouri owned by banks or in some stage of foreclosure were sold in the third quarter...

Twin sons to Cory Shane and Loren Michelle Morrow of Marble Hill, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012. Raife Anderson was born at 10:40 p.m. and weighed 3 pounds, 3 ounces. Calix Brett was born at 10:41 p.m. and weighed 3 pounds, 7 ounces. Second and third son. Mrs. Morrow is the former Loren Hart, daughter of Brett and Susan Hart of Jackson. Morrow is the son of Robert Morrow of Prescott, Ark. He is an aviation inspector at Sabreliner Corp...

SEATTLE -- Hundreds of same-sex couples across Washington state began picking up marriage licenses Thursday as a voter-approved law legalizing gay marriage took effect. King County opened the doors to its auditor's office in Seattle just after midnight to begin distributing licenses. Hundreds of people had lined up hours earlier, snaking around the building on a chilly December night...

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Republican U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, a tea party favorite known for bucking party leaders to back challenges to centrist veterans he didn't view as conservative enough, said Thursday he was resigning to take the helm of a conservative think tank...

NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans' corruption-busting federal prosecutor resigned Thursday after two top deputies became embroiled in a scandal that threatens to undermine some of his biggest cases and damaged his standing as one of the most popular public officials in a city with a rich history of graft...

NEW BATAAN, Philippines -- Authorities said the death toll from a strong typhoon that hit the Philippines has risen to about 420 people and nearly 400 are missing. Most of the confirmed dead from Typhoon Bopha lived in a steep valley in the country's south, where flooding was so widespread that places people thought were safe, including two emergency shelters, became among the deadliest...

CAIRO -- An angry Mohammed Morsi refused Thursday to call off a referendum on a disputed constitution that has sparked Egypt's worst political crisis in two years. Protesters waved their shoes in contempt. Morsi accused some in the opposition of serving remnants of Hosni Mubarak's authoritarian regime and vowed he would never tolerate anyone working for the overthrow of his "legitimate" government...

DUBLIN -- Diplomatic efforts to end Syria's civil war moved forward Thursday with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton joining Russia's foreign minister and the U.N. peace envoy to the Arab country for extraordinary three-way talks, which suggested Washington and Moscow might unite behind a strategy as the Assad regime weakens...

GUATEMALA CITY -- Software company founder John McAfee was hospitalized Thursday after being denied political asylum in Guatemala. His lawyers said they were making a last-ditch effort to keep him from being flown back to Belize for questioning about the killing of a fellow American expatriate...

Many presidents have given speeches that have etched a memory in our hearts and minds forever. The fall of the Berlin Wall is often remembered with President Ronald Reagan's famous line, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." Days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, President George W. ...

Thank you to whoever raked our yard. That was kind. We were wondering who we could hire to do it, and we don't know who did it, but thank you for your help. We appreciate it greatly. Christ in Christmas For the next month we are going to be talking about Christmas. Please remember when you say Christmas, you are invoking the name of Jesus Christ. Thank you...

McCLURE, Ill. -- J.D. Pulley, 89, went to heaven Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012, at his family home in McClure surrounded by family members. He was born Jan. 6, 1923, in Salcedo, Mo., to Carrie Elizabeth Pack and William Pulley. He and Audrey James-Mayfield were married July 29, 1950, in Paragould, Ark. She preceded him in death July 23, 1998...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Dwight Russell McQuary, 79, of Dexter passed away Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012, at Missouri Southern Healthcare in Dexter. He was born July 31, 1933, in Dexter, son of Broyles Sumner and Ada Ray McQuary. Dwight was a graduate of Dexter High School and served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean conflict...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Lyman L. McGee, 85, of Advance passed away Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 17, 1927, in McGee, Mo., son of Hugh and Lucy Evilsizer Brisco McGee. He and Pansy Massey were married June 21, 1952, in Piggott, Ark...

JoAnn Lowes, 79, of Jackson, formerly of Dexter, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012, at her home. She was born Feb. 15, 1933, in Cape Girardeau to L.B. and Mary A. Hinton Crites. She and Norman H. Lowes were married Nov. 23, 1951, at Hanover Lutheran parsonage. They were married 59 years when Norman passed away March 31, 2011...

ANNA, Ill. -- Margaretha "Margaret" Jerolds, 81, of Anna died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012, at Anna Rehab and Nursing Center. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until time of service Saturday at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Anna. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with Dee Armes officiating. Burial will be in McGinnis Cemetery east of Anna...

ARNOLD, Mo. -- Bonnie Lee Butler, 70, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012, at her home in Arnold. She was born May 13, 1940, in Jackson, daughter of Russell and Virginia Crader Conley. She and David Butler were married May 4, 1962, at New McKendree United Methodist Church in Jackson...

All the local events reported Thursday to the Southeast Missourian.

The Southeast men will play five of their next six games at the Show Me Center

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Notre Dame hung right with heavily favored Charleston for almost the entire first half. But the Bluejays scored six straight points over the final 35 seconds of the second quarter to build momentum. Charleston turned the second half into a massive blowout and romped 69-35 in Thursday night's first semifinal at the SEMO Conference Tournament...

The Southeast women will host Western Illinois on Saturday

The Devils used a big fourth quarter to advance to Saturday's title game with a 51-44 win over East Prairie

ARTS COUNCIL OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI Regional Juried Exhibition will feature 20 local artists through Jan. 26. Reception from 5 to 9 p.m. 32 N. Main St.; 334-9233 The Crowe Gallery Local TV meteorologist Brian Alworth will show his landscape film photography...

Most people know Brian Alworth for his weather forecasts on KFVS, channel 12. But now he's sharing another of his talents. Alworth will be showing his landscape film photography from 4 to 7 p.m. today at the Crowe Gallery, 13 S. Spanish St. Alworth said he will be exhibiting some of his more interesting landscapes in both color and black and white...

Dance pieces by Southeast Missouri State University students will be featured in the Theater and Dance second stage series event, "Last Chance to Dance -- Fall," at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the Bedell Performance Hall at the River Campus. The performance may contain adult content...

On Thursday night eight bands will team up with eight downtown Cape Girardeau bars to help collect money and toys for needy families. The Happy Slapowitz's Toy Bash has for many years been a way for local bands and downtown bars to donate to Toys for Tots during the holidays...

The 2012 Jackson Chamber of Commerce Christmas ornament is available. This year's ornament depicts Old McKendree Chapel. It is made of pewter and cost $10. Ornaments can be reserved by contacting the chamber at 243-8131 or by email at assistant@jacksonmochamber.org...

Now in its 27th year, Mannheim Steamroller has garnered eight multiplatinum, four platinum and 19 gold albums. With more than 40 million albums sold, 28 million have been the group's Christmas recordings, most notably "Mannheim Steamroller Christmas."...

NEW YORK -- Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company will produce an existing line of Mac computers in the United States next year. Cook made the comments in part of an interview taped for NBC's "Rock Center." In a separate interview with Bloomberg Businessweek, he said that the company will spend $100 million in 2013 to move production of the line to the U.S. from China...

Southeast Missouri State track and field teams open their indoor season today at the Eastern Illinois Early Bird in Charleston, Ill. "It has been a great fall for us and the main thing is we need to keep getting better," Southeast coach Eric Crumpecker said in a release...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Thursday collision two miles south of Sikeston in New Madrid County is expected to cause delays for motorists on Interstate 55. At about 10:15 a.m., a 2011 Volvo tractor-trailer driven by Michael Rutland, 40, of Willis, Texas, crashed into a 2006 Ford F-250 driven by Randall Wehmeyer, 46, of Bland, Mo., in the southbound lane of I-55 near mile marker 64. ...

Cape West 14 Cine will show the entire Lord of the Rings film trilogy extended editions starting at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Guests will receive a souvenir lanyard valid for a 25 percent discount on all concession items during the marathon. Tickets are $25 for the 12-hour marathon...

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com TOP, LEFT: Robby Hengst backs up Skip Stroder as he secures safety netting around the chimney of Cape Girardeau City Hall on Thursday. ...

O Lord Jesus, may we lift one another up with words of encouragement. Amen.

I don't know who the six women and one man sitting at a nearby table in a local restaurant were. I could tell, however, that they had known each other a long, long time. There were clues. The soft ringlets of white hair still showing the effects of last week's visit to the beauty shop -- the church hair look. ...

TAMMS, Ill. — Carol Mitchell, 63, of Tamms, died 3:05 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at her residence. Arrangements are pending at Crain Funeral Home in Tamms. Memorials can be made to TIP Hospice, 25 Leigh Drive, Anna, Ill., 62906.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S. military has detained more than 200 Afghan teenagers who were captured in the war for about a year at a time at a military prison next to Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, the United States has told the United Nations. The U.S. State Department characterized the detainees held since 2008 as "enemy combatants" in a report sent every four years to the United Nations in Geneva updating U.S. compliance with the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child...

December 18th TTTT Meeting?!?! Bah Humbug!! This Month We're Partying! Instead of our regular monthly meeting, join us to celebrate The Season at the Trail of Tears Bar and Grill! Join us at for fun and fellowship... ...and maybe even a Christmas Carol!...

Today is Saturday, Dec. 8, the 343rd day of 2012. There are 23 days left in the year. The Jewish Festival of Lights, Hanukkah, begins at sunset. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 8, 1941, the United States entered World War II as Congress declared war against Japan, a day after the attack on Pearl Harbor...

Cape Girardeau County's sales tax growth for this year was 4.5 percent, about half as great an increase as the county experienced in 1986; during 1987, Cape County merchants collected $2,415,245.90 in sales taxes, up $106,427 from last year. Two incumbents seeking new terms are the first to file for seats on the Cape Girardeau City Council; David Barklage is seeking a second, four-year term, while Peter Hilty is hoping for a third term...

The Christmas season is a wonderful opportunity to thank those many people in our lives who often serve without asking for anything in return. Saint Francis is blessed with more than 350 hardworking, dedicated volunteers who lovingly give their time and talents to serve the patients and families at Saint Francis Medical Center. Just this week, we selected two to be recognized as Volunteer of the Year: Harold Schnurbusch and LaVerne Skinner...

"You make a life by what you give." Shirley Waterman believes in giving rather than receiving. Her gift: an amazing 9,000 hours of volunteer service at Southeast Hospital over more than three decades. This Cape Girardeau resident recently received the prestigious Ilena Aslin Service Award from the SoutheastHEALTH Auxiliary for helping to brighten the lives of patients, visitors and staff...

Firefighters from Jackson, Cape Girardeau and Millersville, responded to a house fire Thursday in Jackson. At 5:35 p.m., the Jackson Fire Department got a call on a house fire on North Russell Street. An older, two-story house caught fire. Mutual aid was called in from Cape Girardeau and Millersville Fire Departments, six trucks responded. ...

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Matthew Harrison, left, a member of Jackson Boy Scout Troop 210, helps Bill Stearns, right, and Ken Forester fill a Christmas basket at the Jackson Elks Lodge on Saturday, in Jackson. ...

A Cape Girardeau brother and sister were arrested Wednesday on second-degree robbery charges. Sierra L. Irions, 18, and Ryan G. Irions, 17, were in custody at the Cape Girardeau County Jail late Thursday. Each was being held on $30,000 bond. Both have arraignments scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday before Judge Gary Kamp...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- At a special Thursday meeting of the Perry County School Board, members voted to offer a three-year contract to Scott Ireland as superintendent of the Perry County School District. Ireland accepted the offer. Ireland is superintendent of the Pleasant Hope School District in Pleasant Hope, Mo., He was one of three finalists presented at the district staff meeting Tuesday. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers destroyed the town of Pinhook, Mo., when it blasted the Birds Point levee in 2011, knowingly sending the Mississippi River gushing into homes. But it did not destroy the community. Residents, about 40 mostly black women, plan to re-create their former lifestyle elsewhere, said Debra Tarver, a lifelong resident who has become a sort of community spokeswoman. ...

The last two times a special election has been called to replace a member of congress in Missouri offer insight into what the process of replacing Jo Ann Emerson in the 8th Congressional District will be like. It isn't often a member of congress leaves office before their term expires. ...

A Cape Girardeau pastor told members of the Cape Girardeau County Republican Women's Club during a Friday luncheon to trust in God's plan, even after their candidate had lost a presidential election. The Rev. Gary Brothers, senior pastor at Cape First, addressed nearly 25 people about overcoming despondency and depression that seems to be affecting the Republican Party in the wake of Mitt Romney losing the 2012 presidential election to Barack Obama...

Four people from Cape Girardeau were injured, two seriously, in a one-vehicle extrication accident early Saturday morning. Police said the car ran off a rural county road, overturned and slammed into a tree. The four occupants of the mangled 2004 BMW were transported to an area hospital after the 12:45 a.m. crash sent one occupant through the windshield and required two others to be extricated...

Robert Crawford had a career game, primarily from the outside. Tyler Stone had a career game, primarily from the inside. Outside won. Crawford, a senior guard, poured in 39 points Saturday night as Central Arkansas slipped past Southeast Missouri State 88-85...

A variety of players have taken turns providing key performances for the resurgent Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team. Freshman guard Olivia Hackmann gave the Redhawks their biggest boost Saturday, with a major assist from junior forward Patricia Mack...

NEW YORK -- Johnny Football just got himself a way cooler nickname: Johnny Heisman. Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, taking college football's top individual prize Saturday night after a record-breaking debut...

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Oh, that Jeff Fisher. What a comic. The St. Louis Rams' first-year coach delivered a funny line when asked about his players leaving the comforts of their climate-controlled dome and venturing to play at Buffalo this December weekend...

ST. LOUIS -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has turned back requests by federal lawmakers and barge operators to release more water from the Missouri River, believing the drought-starved Mississippi River it feeds still will remain open to shipping. The industry, however, warns the situation is growing increasingly dire...

Members of Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in Southeast Missouri and those wanting to pay tribute gathered Friday at the Cape Girardeau riverfront for a ceremony marking the 71st anniversary of the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The ceremony took place at the river wall at the intersection of Broadway and Water Street. It was organized by VFW Post 3838 of Cape Girardeau and its Ladies Auxiliary...

Today is Sunday, Dec. 9, the 344rd day of 2012. There are 22 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 9, 1942, the Aram Khachaturian ballet "Gayane," featuring the surging "Sabre Dance," was first performed by Russia's Kirov Ballet...

Ashley Jeanette Woodfin and Patrick Ryan VanGorkom were married June 9, 2012, at First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Bill Vincent performed the ceremony. Organist was Roger Craft, and vocalists were Dr. Peter Durow and Jodi Durow, all of Cape Girardeau...

Meredith Lee Tally and Brandon Heath Coffman were married Oct. 6, 2012, at Flower Mountain Weddings in Sevierville, Tenn. Phillip Franklin Roop performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Benjamin and Violet Tally of Cape Girardeau, and Mike and Tammy Coffman of Bradyville, Tenn...

Dr. August and Laura Ritter and Tracy and Cheryl Dietrich of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Kaitlen Ritter, to Caleb Stewart. He is the son of Ruth Stewart of Cape Girardeau and Kevin Stewart of Effingham, Ill. Ritter is a 2006 graduate of Central High School, and a 2012 graduate of SoutheastHEALTH College of Nursing and Health Sciences. She is a registered nurse at Saint Francis Medical Center Heart Hospital...

Dan and Teri Summers-Minette of Grove, Okla., announce the engagement of their daughter, Elizabeth Summers-Minette, to Bradley Gerard Bohannon. He is the son of Jeffrey and Gale Bohannon of Scott City. Summers-Minette received a bachelor of music degree in choral and general education from Lawrence University in 2006, and a master of music, vocal performance from San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2009. She is a music teacher at the Convent of the Visitation in Minnesota...

If you feed songbirds, you may eventually see a hawk scaring them away from your bird feeder. A sharp-shinned hawk will likely be the culprit. This hawk will often fly up and land in a nearby tree, on top of a fencepost or some other lofty perch and watch small birds at a feeder...

There are things men like to talk about. Football games, hunting and fast cars are oftentimes subjects for discussion. Then there are things a lot of men would prefer not to discuss, testicular cancer among them. But there are men in the area who want to kick the disease where it hurts...

HealthPoint Fit-N-Fun Camp is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon Dec. 27 at HealthPoint Cape Girardeau. Children ages 5 to 12 can enjoy three hours of fun with games, activities, a snack and more. The cost is $20. For more information, call 986-4400. Maple Avenue United Methodist Church of Cape Girardeau will be hosting the following Advent services...

The Archer Daniels Midland Company donated $30,000 to support the Truck to the Table Mobile Food Pantry program of Southeast Missouri Food Bank. The Truck to The Table Mobile Food Pantry program began November of 2009. It has distributed food to more than 57,000 Southeast Missouri families. ...

I had a visit the other day from Piet Stuifbergen, a native Hollander. Piet is a Dutch bulb grower and importer who lives in the Kansas City area. I am glad he stopped by, because with all of the warm weather we have been having, I forgot that now is the time to put those tulip, hyacinth, daffodil and crocus bulbs in the ground...

Pet Name: Spencer Owner: Abbey Renee Holder Favorite activity: Taking baths. ...

Christmas came to Safe Harbor when her owner had to go into a nursing home. She is a 2-year-old gentle cat who likes attention and simply hopes to find a wonderful new home! For more information, contact Safe Harbor Animal Shleter at 243-9823. ...

Captain Jack is a 2-year-old flame point Siamese. He does only have one eye, but he is very sweet. For more information, conatct the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri at 334-5837. ...

The Rev. Bob Towner of Christ Episcopal Church in Cape Girardeau has spent 40 years working in ministry. Later this month he will retire. But for about the first year, retirement will mean serving as a cook at the MacLeod Center in Iona, Scotland. "It is difficult to leave a wonderful congregation and community, but I am very excited for where I'm going," Towner said...

In less than a month from now, the most famous Roman Catholic university in America, Notre Dame, will play Alabama for the FBS national football championship. The last time Notre Dame won such a title was in 1988 when Lou Holtz was the head coach. Holtz was said to have been a master motivator of players and a strict disciplinarian. ...

Joy. It's such a small word that carries within it the power to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, disappointments into delight, the mundane into a divine encounter with the God who gives us his breath to breathe. It's a level of peace, contentment and excitement deeper and more constant than happiness, and no matter how else you try to get it, it only comes from God alone...

MONDAY--Chicken chunks with breadstick, broccoli & cheese or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, pears. TUESDAY--Soft shell taco, green beans or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, pink applesauce. WEDNESDAY--Spaghetti & cheese breadstick, candied carrots or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, mixed fruit cup...

By Gary Clothier Question: Have you ever heard of an imaginary animal that has longer legs on one side of its body so it can easily walk on steep slopes? K.K.J., Malvern, Ark. Answer: In some areas of North America, the legendary creature is known as a sidehill gouger. ...

It's easy to have romantic visions of the holidays -- cozy fires, perfectly wrapped gifts, your house decorated like a magazine spread, all your friends gathered to celebrate, marveling at your culinary prowess. But let's be honest, parties take work. ...

Son to Brandon Jacob Amick and Whitney Elizabeth Horrell of Chaffee, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 3:05 a.m. Monday, Nov. 26, 2012. Name, Owen Jacob. Weight, 5 pounds, 3 ounces. First child. Ms. Horrell is the daughter of Randy and Mona Horrell of Chaffee. She is an administrative assistant at Gregory Construction Inc. Amick is the son of Scott Amick and Donna Amick of Scott City. He is employed at Glazers Midwest Distributors...

WASHINGTON -- The Agriculture Department is responding to criticism of new school lunch rules by allowing more grains and meat in the meals. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told members of Congress in a letter Friday that the department will do away with daily and weekly limits of meats and grains. Several lawmakers wrote to the department after the rules went into effect in September; they said students aren't getting enough to eat...

LONDON -- It started as a joke but ended in tragedy. The death of a nurse who unwittingly accepted a prank call to a London hospital about Prince William's pregnant wife Kate shocked Britain and Australia, and sparked an angry backlash Saturday from some who argue the DJs who carried out the hoax should be held responsible...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The president-elect of the Missouri State Board of Education is denying allegations that he had an inappropriate sexual relationship years ago with a former member of his Kansas City church. In the lawsuit, a woman alleges the Rev. Stan Archie, senior pastor at Christian Fellowship Baptist Church, began a sexual relationship with her while he was counseling her. The lawsuit names the church, saying officials failed to protect her and hid reports of impropriety by Archie...

After Nov. 6, most of us probably thought we'd see a reprieve from election politics -- at least for a few months. But with the announcement that U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson will step down in February to become president and CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, 2013 is shaping up to be a significant year for politics in this area...

When Gen. George Washington resigned his commission to the Continental Congress, he cited his pride in our nation, our independence and sovereignty, and the patronage of Heaven. This week, I announced my intention to retire from the U.S. Congress -- and I have come to understand a little bit better what Washington felt as he left the service of our nation not knowing how he might be called to serve in the future...

After church services recently my husband and I, along with another couple, went to Bob Evans for lunch. When we were ready to leave, our waitress, much to our surprise, said our lunch had been paid for by a young family at an adjoining table. I had bumped this young man trying to get my husband's wheelchair up to the table. ...

O Lord Jesus, precious Savior, our hope is in your unfailing love. Amen.

Incumbent Patrick Ruopp and two other Cape Girardeau residents file as candidates for the Cape Girardeau Board of Education; filing besides Ruopp are Jacklyn "Jackie" Clark and Dr. Robert G. Fox, a dentist. A petition signed by 2,160 people in protest of this Friday's rock concert by Alice Cooper, and any future similar shows at the Show Me Center, was presented to the building's manager yesterday; the petition effort was spearheaded by First Assembly of God Church...

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Miscellaneous The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests The Southeast Missouri State University Department of Public Safety released the following item. Arrests do not imply guilt...

The Notre Dame girls basketball team used a big third quarter Saturday to hand visiting Saxony Lutheran its first loss of the season 60-47. Notre Dame, ahead just 24-22 at the break, outscored the Crusaders 22-9 in the third quarter to open up a commanding 46-31 lead...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- It took 36 years, but the Chaffee girls basketball team made history on Saturday. The Red Devils won the championship game of their own tournament for the first time in school history, defeating top-seeded Woodland 53-43 in the final of the Lady Red Devils Invitational...

CAIRO, Ill. — Helen B. Winkler, 81, of Cairo, died Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time, and will be announced later by the Barkett Funeral Home of Cairo.

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Patricia Heady Welch, 75, of Vidalia, La., has gone to be with her Lord and Savior. She departed this world on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012, in Vidalia. She was born June 1, 1937, to Joseph and Josephine Heady of Parma, Mo. "Miss Pat" was known by many as a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend...

David E. "Gene" Thompson, 79, of Scott City died Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Second halves were not kind to the Jackson boys basketball team during the SEMO Conference tournament. Jackson, for the second time in three games, could not hold onto a halftime lead. Friday it cost the Indians a shot at the consolation title...

Clyde William Sams, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at Southeast Hospital. He was born May 27, 1924, in Cape Girardeau to Clyde and Dorena Hengst Sams. He and Lucille Thomason were married January 21, 1950, in Paragould, Ark. He was a member of Red Star Baptist Church. He served his country in the U.S. Navy during World War II at Pearl Harbor. Clyde was involved in automobile sales for 55 years. He and Lucille were married for 62 years...

Ronald Leondus Rose, 60, passed away Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at the Lutheran Home. He was born Dec. 1, 1952. He was provided extraordinary care and attention for the past 20 years at the Lutheran Home. He is survived by two children, Shannon Thompson of Scott City and Todd Rose of Jackson; two sisters, Sara Steger of Huntsville, Ala., and Rhonda Foster of Pocahontas, Ark.; his father, Leondus Rose of Malvern, Ark.; and seven grandchildren...

Stephan G. Rickard, 69, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Tuesday, April 27, 1943, at St. Louis to the late Thelvan F. and Dorothy Froeschle Rickard. Stephan was a 1965 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University and attended the University of Missouri in St. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- It has been a while since the Central and Notre Dame boys basketball teams have both been so inexperienced. That has been apparent through the early stages of the season as the Tigers and Bulldogs have experienced their share of growing pains...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- William "Bill" Paxton, 85, of Sikeston passed away Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Oct. 27, 1927, in Cardwell, Mo., to the late T.J. and Naomi Moore Paxton. Bill was a private first class in the Army Air Corps, which was later known as the Air Force. He married Lela Davidson Nov. 16, 1974. She survives of the home...

Sikeston captured its fourth SEMO Conference boys basketball tournament title in the past five years Friday night. The second-seeded Bulldogs held off top-seeded Charleston 71-61, avenging last year's championship-game loss to the Bluejays. A packed house at the Sikeston Field House saw an intense matchup between two of the state's top-ranked teams -- Sikeston in Class 4 and Charleston in Class 3...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Carol Croft Mitchell, 63, died Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at her home in Tamms. She was born March 6, 1949, in Cairo, Ill., the daughter of George and Mary Croft. They preceded her in death. She married Warren "Buddy" Mitchell on Jan. 6, 1969. He survives...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Geraldine B. Hughey, 85, of Perryville died Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012, at Independent Care Center of Perry County. She was born on April. 21, 1927 in Perryville, daughter of John F. and Anna Kayser Bangert. She and Fred C. Hughey married April 5, 1947. He preceded her in death on May 4, 2001...

CHAFFEE, Mo. — Della Brooks, 76, died Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012, at her residence in Chaffee. Arrangements are pending at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Kyle Stroder hit seven 3-pointers and scored 29 points to go along with five assists as Leopold remained undefeated with Friday night's 97-41 win over visiting Bell City. Cameron Davis added 13 points and seven steals for the Wildcats (4-0). Joe Elfrink scored 13 points and had seven rebounds for Leopold...

BENTON, Mo. -- Shawn Ean Bigham, Sr., 33, of Benton, died Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 28, 1979 in Blytheville, Ark., to Harold Eugene and Mary Elizabeth Bremser Bigham. He married Melissa J. Perry on June 16, 2001...

Southeast Missouri State track and field athletes broke two school records during Friday's season-opening indoor meet. Southeast captured seven titles, five by the men and two by the women, at the Eastern Illinois Early Bird in Charleston, Ill. "I was happy with the way we competed and the great efforts we had by everybody," Southeast coach Eric Crumpecker said in a release. "It was great to see us so competitive at this point in the season."...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Tennessee State was in a close game at halftime against No. 12 Missouri on Saturday. Despite missing 17 of its final 21 shots of the half, Tennessee State trailed 23-20 in part because of 11 Missouri turnovers. But while its opponent started making more shots, Tennessee State (4-6) remained mired in the slump...

Route Z and Route OO in Cape Girardeau County will be reduced as crews install guardrails. Crews will work 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday on the section of Route Z from Gordonville to Route OO in Burfordville. The work is scheduled to be completed Dec. 21. The area will be marked and motorists are asked to use caution. For more information, contact 243-0899 or visit www.modot.org/southeast...

An Arkansas woman, who Perry County authorities say was found in possession of nine bags of methamphetamine, was arrested last week and faces several charges. Kerri Sue Ellis, 34 of Pleasant Plains, Ark., was charged with felony distribution of a controlled substance and misdemeanor unlawful use of drug paraphernalia, according to a news release from the Perry County Sheriff's Department. She also is charged with speeding...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri sheriffs are seeking to address costs of housing inmates and looking to boost their own pay. An interim Missouri House committee is studying sheriffs' operations and plans to propose legislation to be considered when lawmakers return to the Capitol in January for the 2013 session...

Although citizen soldiers in the Missouri National Guard and Army Reserve have some work schedule interruptions because of their service, they can make great employees, Command Sgt. Maj. Matthew Jenkins told business leaders at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee...

BENTON, Mo. -- A Scott County man is looking at vehicular assault charges that allege he was driving under the influence at the time of a Saturday morning traffic accident that sent five people to a hospital with injuries. Terry E. Eftink, 45, of Chaffee, Mo., was charged with second-degree assault after he pulled his Toyota 4Runner into the path of an SUV on Highway 77, about four miles south of Chaffee, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol...

This time of year I am usually asked about quick, simple yet delicious appetizers and snacks that can be easily put together and served at parties with friends, coworkers or family. In anticipation of those questions, I decided to head to the bookcase and pull a few Christmas cookbooks off the shelves and find a few that fit the most often asked question this time of year...

If Southeast Missouri State basketball coach Dickey Nutt could have his way, his roster would be full of homegrown talent. That's what he told a room full of high school coaches at the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament seeding meeting Sunday evening at the Show Me Center...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- In April, Bollinger County voters will be asked to approve a bond issue to erect a building behind the Dollar General store. The building would triple the size of the current library, archive and extension center. Library director Eva Dunn said that she and Donna Aufdenberg of the University of Missouri extension and archive, as well as the county commissioners, tried to project at least 20 years into the future when they planned the proposed building. ...

New laws that could originate from Southeast Missouri during the upcoming state legislative session range from one that could allow county commissioners to fine those who don't abide by burn bans to another that would require judges to take a harder look at how to handle juvenile offenders who are tried as adults and found guilty...

Meg Herndon, a member of the Southeast Missouri State University soccer team, was hit by a truck while driving her scooter Sept. 9. She wasn't wearing a helmet and died Sept. 20 from brain injuries. Since the tragedy, her mother, Cindi Herndon, has supported the ordinance passed by the Cape Girardeau City Council on Nov. ...

SEATTLE (AP) -- Scores of same-sex couples crowded Seattle City Hall for a day of wedding ceremonies on Sunday, the first day they could marry after the state's voter-approved gay marriage law took effect. While numerous weddings were taking place across the state, both private and public, the city hall weddings were the largest public event, with more than 130 couples taking part. ...

For four months, Dean Riley has been a man consumed. Over sleepless hours, the Fruitland fire chief has analyzed the few short months the two men were under his command. He's puzzled over missed signs, changes in behavior or an ominous offhand remark -- anything that could have served to foreshadow those early morning hours of Aug. 18...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- There will be no Todd Akin scenario for Missouri Republican Party officials when they meet next year to select a replacement candidate for U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson. Akin, who was never the first choice of the party's top brass, emerged the victor in a contentious primary last August and two weeks later essentially doomed his campaign when he remarked that women's bodies have ways of avoiding pregnancy in cases of "legitimate rape." National Republican Party leaders winced, unsuccessfully pressured Akin to quit and then watched as he was trounced by Democratic Sen. ...

In October, U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson visited VIP Industries in Cape, taking a tour of the sheltered workshop and visiting with the employees. Upon entering the workshop, the employees immediately recognized the Congresswoman and began yelling their greetings across the room. Emerson visited with each employee, shaking hands, posing for photographs, and taking a genuine interest in the type of work the employees produced...

Gracie & Santa 2012

Christmas lights at 3815 Hopper Road in Cape Girardeau.

Cape Public Schools Board of Education, at its November board meeting, recognized the accomplishments of the Cape Central High School Tiger Swimmers, who recently competed at the state swim meet at St. Peters, MO. Pictured with Board Vice President Kyle McDonald, left, and Superintendent of Schools Dr. ...

Slumberland Furniture loaded up 20 mattress & box spring sets, frames, sheets & homemade quilts on Monday, December 10th. These will be donated to local families in need. Love Inc. helped with finding those families in need. Mayor Harry Rediger, Slumberland owner Jack Ford, Love Inc. C.E.O. John McGowan & members of the Cape West Rotary are pictured here before the loading began...

This holiday season, Slumberland Furniture is working to provide families in need with new beds through its annual Making Homes for the Holidays program. On Monday, December 10th, Slumberland loaded up 20 mattress & box spring sets, frames, sheets & homemade quilts & distributed them to local families in need. Slumberland worked with Love Inc. in finding those families in need...

ST. LOUIS -- Hundreds of visitors showed up for the reopening of the Central Library in downtown St. Louis. The library was reopened Sunday after a two-year, $70 million renovation. KMOX reported that library director Waller McGuire opened the doors to the public for the first time since June 2010...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Students from Chicago and the rest of Illinois are increasingly calling the University of Missouri home. The Chicago Tribune reported that Illinois students now make up more than 20 percent of Mizzou's freshman class. That's up from just 6 percent in 2000...

CRESTWOOD, Mo. -- Marissa Friedmann's mom wanted to go all-out for her daughter's 9th birthday party -- and for good reason. Marissa and her siblings had a tough year coping with their parents' divorce. So last month, her mom, Dawn Friedmann, planned a party in Crestwood to Marissa's exacting specifications...

1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Action items Appointments and possible action items...

Both Southeast Missouri State basketball teams have a break from game competition this week during final exams. Each squad took its initial final of sorts -- on the court -- as Southeast hosted its first doubleheader of the season Saturday night...

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The St. Louis Rams, unbeaten in their division, are starting to show they can win anywhere -- including cold and wet Buffalo -- to stay in the playoff race. Rams quarterback Sam Bradford capped a 14-play, 84-yard drive with a 13-yard pass to Brandon Gibson with 48 seconds left in a 15-12 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday...

LOS ANGELES -- James Bond is in a box-office photo finish with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny over what looks to be the last slow weekend of the holidays. According to studio estimates Sunday, Sony's Bond tale "Skyfall" took in $11 million to move back to No. 1 in its fifth weekend...

Longtime auctioneer Joe David "Dave" Hale died late last month. Hale, 75, was an interesting character who had many interests, including auctioneering, horses and exotic animals. Hale's obituary, which ran in the Dec. 2 Southeast Missourian, listed many accomplishments, including his auctioneering career that began while in high school. ...

I was in downtown Cape Girardeau the other day taking a leisurely walk down the riverfront. By the time I parked, I had a panhandler ask for money. Within 10 minutes I had two more approach me. A couple years ago this was unheard of. I guess this was a welcome to Obama's America...

Attorney Joseph Russell has apparently scrapped plans, at least for now, for development of an office building on Broadway opposite Capaha Park; neighborhood residents had expressed concern about the proposed project. With Sam Hirsch as his new campaign manager, Democratic congressional candidate Wayne Cryts is making a county-by-county tour of the 8th District, designed to touch base with supporters in his 1986 campaign and to search out new support...

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday:...

JOHANNESBURG -- Inside a Catholic church that once served as a major rallying point for anti-apartheid activists, the image of a gray-suited Nelson Mandela appears in a stained-glass window that also features angels and the cross. Worshippers here prayed Sunday for the hospitalized 94-year-old former president, who remains almost a secular saint and a father figure to many in South Africa, a nation of 50 million people that has Africa's top economy...

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was heading back to Cuba on Sunday for a third cancer surgery after naming his vice president as his choice to lead the country if the illness cuts short his presidency. Chavez's Saturday night announcement cast a shadow of uncertainty over the country, and his supporters poured into city plazas across the nation to pray for his recovery from what appears to be an aggressive type of cancer...

CAIRO -- President Mohammed Morsi is unlikely to worry if Egypt's Islamist-leaning draft constitution passes by only a small margin in a referendum Saturday, since he and his backers tout his 51 percent election victory in June as a "popular mandate" that is beyond any challenge...

The third quarter brought good economic news to Southeast Missouri as unemployment in the region fell slightly and retail sales continued to hold their own. The Southeast Missouri State University quarterly Business Indicators report was released last week by the Southeast's Center for Economic & Business Research...

Bernadean Francis Tidwell, 80, of Jackson passed away Dec. 9, 2012, at the Monticello House in Jackson. She was born Oct. 18, 1932, in St. Louis, daughter of Andrew and Doshia Lollar Terry. Bernadean was a seamstress at Thorngate for 22 years. She was a member of Grace Full Gospel Tabernacle Church in Advance, Mo...

VIENNA, Mo. -- David W. Blackburn, 53, a resident of Vienna and a native of Sikeston, Mo., passed away Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at the Cancer Treatment Center of America in Zion, Ill. David was born Jan. 12, 1959, in Sikeston, Mo. He was the son of William Robert Blackburn and Doris Virginia Redden Blackburn. David was united in marriage to Angela Marie Persinger Large on July 31, 2010, at the First Baptist Church in Vienna. She survives...

NEW YORK -- Bankrupt battery maker A123 Systems Inc. on Sunday said it will sell most of its assets to the U.S. arm of Chinese auto parts conglomerate Wanxiang Group Corp. for $256.6 million. Wanxiang America Corp. won an auction conducted under the supervision of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner met Sunday at the White House to discuss the ongoing negotiations over the impending "fiscal cliff," the first meeting between just the two leaders since Election Day. Spokesmen for both Obama and Boehner said they agreed not to release details of the conversation, but emphasized that the lines of communication remain open...

MIAMI -- The door for travel to Cuba cracked open during President Barack Obama's first term. Cuban-Americans can now visit family on the island as often as they like. Americans can travel legally as part of an academic or religious trip. Perhaps it's for this reason that Obama's standing with the Cuban-American community in Florida stayed largely steady on Election Day, even though the modest openings with Cuba have riled some of South Florida's more conservative exiles. ...

WASHINGTON -- Gay marriage supporters see 41 reasons to fret over the Supreme Court's decision to take up the case of California's ban on same-sex unions. While nine states allow same-sex partners to marry, or will soon, 41 states do not. Of those, 30 have written gay marriage bans into their state constitutions...

WASHINGTON -- Just six blocks from the White House, the FBI's hulking headquarters overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue has long been the government building everyone loves to hate. The verdict: It's an ugly, crumbling concrete behemoth, an architectural mishap -- all 2.4 million square feet of it...

Michael Davis is a retired Methodist pastor whose love of music and guitar-making led him to start a business, Melo-Dee Guitars. Davis handcrafts guitars from scratch, and sees music as a way of sharing life with others. Q.: Tell us about yourself and your business....

Cape Girardeau County Board of Realtors installs new officers The Cape Girardeau County Board of Realtors installed new officers Nov. 30 at its 60th anniversary banquet. The following real estate agents were installed: board president Elizabeth McFerron of Exit Realty-Thomas Meyer Associates, vice president Tina McMahon of McClanahan Real Estate, secretary Katherine Devor of Coldwell Banker Abernathy Realty, treasurer Kenneth Kiefer of Realty Executives of Cape County, local directors Liz Lockhart of River Bend Realty and Wendy Marberry of Realty Executives of Cape County, state directors Wanda Duncan of Realty Executives of Cape County, Debbie Thurman of Coldwell Banker Abernathy Realty and David E. ...

Today is Monday, Dec. 10, the 345th day of 2012. There are 21 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 10, 1962, "Lawrence of Arabia," David Lean's epic film starring Peter O'Toole as British military officer T.E. Lawrence, had its royal gala premiere in London, with Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, in attendance...

O Heavenly Father, may daily speak of your faithfulness and gift of salvation. Amen.

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

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri legislative leaders said it would be difficult to follow the lead of Michigan lawmakers who approved a right-to-work plan Tuesday banning requirements that workers pay dues to unions for negotiating contracts and other services...

A judge placed three Cape Girardeau teenagers on probation Monday after all three pleaded guilty to their roles in the October burglary of a house on Briarwood Drive. Judge Benjamin Lewis suspended imposition of sentences for all three -- Ombreis D. Watson, Melvine Stuckey and Aaliyah B. Curry -- instead placing each on five years of supervised probation...

The Cape Mart convenience store in Cape Girardeau is the latest business in the city to be burglarized. Police responded to the store at 238 N. Fountain St. at about 2 a.m. Monday. A caller reported that a window on the building was busted. Police found no one inside, but discovered an undetermined amount of money was taken from a video game machine, said Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesman Darin Hickey. Nothing else was taken...

Rising water levels on the Mississippi River have allowed the Dorena-Hickman ferry to resume normal winter operating hours and transport commercial trucks. Because of widespread rainfall over the weekend, the water will be high enough for the ferry to maintain normal winter operations for at least a week, according to a news release from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet...

A Jackson man will be sentenced next month following his guilty plea Monday, admitting that he pulled a gun on a Cape Girardeau County deputy in June. John S. Davis, 52, pleaded guilty to one felony count of assaulting a law enforcement officer. Police say they responded to Davis' home when they got a 911 call of a possible suicidal man. ...

BENTON, Mo. -- It didn't happen the way East Prairie coach Steven Douglas drew it up, but he'll take the result just the same. Eagles guard Kaitlyn Shands hit a buzzer-beating, game-tying 3-pointer in regulation, then hit two free throws moments into overtime to lift East Prairie to a 51-48 victory over Kelly in girls basketball action Monday night...

DONIPHAN, Mo. -- The National Weather Service confirmed that a small tornado was responsible for destroying up to 200 trees and a few outbuildings in Southeast Missouri during the weekend. A survey team inspected the damage in Ripley County on Monday and concluded the area was hit Sunday afternoon by an EF-1 twister, with peak winds of 100 mph...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A plunge over the federal "fiscal cliff" may sound like a terrifying risk for many state officials anxiously watching as Washington struggles to avert automatic tax hikes and spending cuts set to start with the new year. Yet their greatest angst may stem not from the potential loss of billions of dollars, but the confusion surrounding it all...

A 43-year-old Friedheim woman was issued a court summons Oct. 27, 2008, after a sheriff's deputy came upon her nine dogs, diseased, emaciated and abandoned in a rural area of Cape Girardeau County. The summons was ignored for four years until Catherine Ann Lee finally made it to court Monday, in jailhouse garb and shackles, to plead guilty to a charge of animal abuse...

Petitions awaiting the signatures of at least 50 registered voters in Cape Girardeau's Ward 6 -- which will determine who is on the ballot in an upcoming election for city council -- haven't been in high demand since becoming available Wednesday. As of 3 p.m. Monday, only Wayne Bowen, chairman of the history department at Southeast Missouri State University, had picked up a petition...

Missouri's Speaker of the House, Tim Jones, R-Eureka, outlined a three-part priority plan for the upcoming legislative session Monday when he stopped at My Daddy's Cheesecake in Cape Girardeau to meet with local legislators and the public. Jones' appearance was part of a multiday tour this week through 21 Missouri cities where the representative is pitching his "Triple E Plan" of economic development, energy and education issues. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The new superintendent of the Perry County School District said he is taking the position with no reservations, and plans to implement his own style of management when he comes aboard next year. "I'm very straightforward," said Scott Ireland in a telephone interview Monday. "There's no flash when it comes to my approach. I'm the kind who just wants to get the job done."...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Ten percent of state funding for Missouri's colleges and universities would depend on whether they can meet performance goals such as improved graduation rates, according to a plan presented Monday to state lawmakers. It's part of an initiative, required by state law, to develop a funding formula for higher education institutions similar to what exists for public K-12 education. ...

The numbers are in from Isle Casino Cape Girardeau's first full month of operations, released Tuesday by the Missouri Gaming Commission. Isle Casino Cape Girardeau had gross receipts, minus winnings paid, of $5.37 million in November; it paid 21 percent of that, $1.12 million, to the state in taxes. The company also paid to the state $414,310 in admission fees during its first full month of operations...

CLAYTON, Mo. -- The former executive director of a taxpayer fund to help St. Louis County children is blaming a misunderstanding for an FBI investigation that led to her firing. Kate Tansey was head of the St. Louis County Children's Service Fund until she was let go in October. She told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that a $1,700 personal check to her from a consultant was at the heart of the FBI investigation...

Editor's note: The following story has been corrected. ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Even as drought-stricken Midwestern states squabble over diminishing water supplies in the region, a new federal-state study raises the idea of constructing a 670-mile pipeline to divert water from one of the Mississippi's major tributaries to help seven arid states in the West...

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 11, the 346th day of 2012. There are 20 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 11, 1972, Apollo 17's lunar module landed on the moon with astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt aboard; during three extravehicular activities (EVAs), they became the last two men to date to step onto the lunar surface...

Son to Timothy Scott and Tamra Elizabeth Noel of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 10:46 a.m. Friday, Nov. 30, 2012. Name, Tanner Scott. Weight, 7 pounds, 4 ounces. Fourth child, second son. Mrs. Noel is the former Tamra Steger, daughter of the late Malvin and Margaret Steger of Scott City. She is employed at MedAssets. Noel is the son of Larry and Bonnie Noel of St. Charles, Mo. He is a chiropractor...

PORTERVILLE, Calif. -- Gravediggers work the old-fashioned way on the Tule River Indian Reservation, chipping away at the hard ground by hand with pickaxes and shoveling the dirt aside. They say it's a sign of respect not to use machinery, but never has the crew had to dig so many graves at one time...

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

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

MILLER CITY, Ill. -- Fleecy G. Bauer Yates, 97, of Miller City passed away Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 3, 1915, in Miller City, daughter of Carl and Novella Simpson Bauer. She and Lawrence D. Yates were married May 14, 1934, in Miller City. He preceded her in death Dec. 3, 1978...

David Eugene "Gene" Thompson, 75, of Scott City went to be with the Lord on Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at his home, surrounded by loved ones. He was born Aug. 19, 1937, in Wittenberg, Mo., to Martin Rudolph "Rudy" and Ruie Evelyn Thompson. He and P. Faye McAlister were married Sept. 9, 1963, in Perkins, Mo...

ORAN, Mo. -- Elsie Glodean Streeter, 91, of Oran passed away Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012, at Bertrand Nursing Center. She was born March 26, 1921, in New Madrid County, daughter of James Fred and Nancy Louise Wilburn Calhoun. She and Kyrous Mabrey Streeter were married Dec. 19, 1940, in New Madrid County. He preceded her in death Jan. 11, 2004...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Vernon Leon Smith, 83, of Marble Hill, formerly of Advance, Mo., passed away Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, at Clara Deville Nursing Center in Fredericktown, Mo. He was born Nov. 16, 1929, in Jackson, son of John William and Hattie Alberta Crader Smith. He and Dortha E. Riegert were married July 3, 1948, in Piggott, Ark...

McCLURE, Ill. -- Virginia Lee Rudluff, 69, of McClure died Sunday, Dec. 9, 2012, at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 7, 1943, in Cairo, Ill., to Sidney Gerald and Ruby B. Farris Miller Sr. She and Roger Leon Rudluff were married April 30, 1965, in McClure...