Stories from February 2013

Leopold defeated Meadow Heights 74-39 to improve to 19-2

NEW YORK -- The Dow logged its best start to the year in almost two decades. Stocks rallied in the first week of the year after U.S. lawmakers reached a deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff," and then pushed higher toward record levels as optimism about the housing market recovery grew. Decent company earnings for the fourth quarter and an improving job market also helped lift markets...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- As Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon called for an end to big political donations in his State of the State address, the Democratic governor's campaign committee received a five-figure contribution from a technology firm whose multimillion-dollar state contract is up for renewal. State records show Nixon received $10,000 from St. Louis-based World Wide Technology Inc. on Monday, the same day that Nixon proclaimed in a televised address that large political donations were eroding the public's trust in elected officials. .

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments in a Cape Girardeau County case on Thursday, a lawsuit filed by a local nurse after she was fired, she said, for speaking out against unwanted sexual advances from a doctor she worked with and a hospital administration that retaliated against her for two years...

For more than a year, the group known as Keep Cape Safe has preached its message of the dangers of urban deer hunting. With 61 days remaining until voters are to weigh in, those in attendance at a Thursday night meeting arrived at a surprising consensus: If they hadn't convinced the voters by now, they probably won't be able to do so in two months...

CHICAGO (AP) -- Authorities in Illinois and Indiana searched Friday for a convicted murderer who was mistakenly released from custody in Chicago, with the two sides differing over whether a paperwork error could be to blame. Steven L. Robbins, 44, was released Wednesday evening from a jail in Chicago, where he had been taken to answer to drug and armed violence charges in Cook County Circuit Court. ...

The Cape Girardeau Partnership for Higher Education was created between Southeast Missouri State University, Mineral Area College and Three Rivers College to provide general education and associate's degrees for a minimum of three years. That was in 2010, and the end of the 2012-2013 academic year will mark the partnership's third year of existence. Officials at the partnership's member institutions are optimistic about prospects of keeping the effort intact.

Doniphan firm receives statewide recognition JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., -- C&M Contractors, Inc., Doniphan, is the winner of a statewide award for business excellence. The general contracting business received a 2013 Excellence in Business Award from the Missouri Small Business & Technology Development Centers (MO SBTDC) and Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (MO PTAC) at a gala banquet in Jefferson City, Mo., on Jan. ...

The Southeast Missouri District Work Team will be going to the Henderson Settlement in Frakes, Ky., on a work Mission Trip April 21-27, 2013. To help pay for the project(s) material expenses and as a community service, Gordonville Grill will donate 10% of its sales on Tuesday, February 19, 2013, to the Southeast Missouri Work Team's project. ...

The Republican choice for Congress in Missouri's 8th District may be nominated, if all goes according to plan, by secret ballot. Whether a secret ballot is legal under Missouri's open-meetings laws is up for debate. The 8th District Republican Committee has taken the position that any interpretation of the secret ballot's legality is moot. The committee argues it is not defined as a public body and therefore immune to the Sunshine Law...

Blues musician Ivas John moved to Cape Girardeau from Carbondale, Ill., looking for a change of scenery in a town that was growing, as opposed to one that seemed to be dwindling. "After playing so many gigs and playing all the bars in Carbondale and the surrounding area so many times, I kind of felt like, you know, I got such a good grip on this kind of scene that I'd like to do something with that," John said...

Art created by area students will be the focus of art displays in Cape Girardeau during the months of February and March. The Arts Council of Southeast Missouri will hold a reception from 4 to 8 p.m. today for the 13th annual Children's Arts Festival, and the opening of the 35th annual High School Art Exhibition will be at 3 p.m. Feb. 10 in the Rosemary Berkel and Harry L. Crisp II Museum at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus...

The Southeast Missouri University Foundation has a new endowment for entrepreneurial programs, according to a release sent by the university. The Leonard R. Ruzicka Sr. Program in Entrepreneurial Excellence was established through an endowment from Ruzicka's wife, Ludeane "Lu" Ruzicka of Savannah, Ga. ...

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Momentum is growing for naming a new Mississippi River bridge at St. Louis after Stan Musial. The Cardinals great died Jan. 19 at age 92. Almost immediately after his death, fans, lawmakers and others began pushing for naming the new Interstate 70 bridge the Stan Musial Memorial Bridge. The span is expected to open next year...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. employers added 157,000 jobs in January, and hiring was much stronger at the end of 2012 than previously thought, providing reassurance that the job market held steady even as economic growth stalled. The Labor Department report Friday showed a jump in hiring in the final two months of last year, just when the economy was sputtering and facing the threat of deep spending cuts and tax increases from the fiscal cliff. ...

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A monthly economic index for nine Midwest and Plains states rose above a growth neutral level last month, pointing to slow growth for the region over the next three to six months. The Mid-America Business Conditions index hit 53.2 in January, up from 49.5 in December and 48.0 in November...

Today is Friday, Feb. 1, the 32nd day of 2013. There are 333 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia broke up during re-entry, killing all seven of its crew members. On this date:...

Last month the United Way of Southeast Missouri released statistics that show encouraging news for Cape Girardeau's public schools. The organization's "mobilization plan" was started in 2009 in partnership with the school district. In all but two areas improvement was realized...

If you have followed these weekly ramblings, you know that my wife and I are grandchild-less. We no longer make pointed comments to our two bachelor sons. Anyone in our situation knows that's pointless. But being without grandkids can produce certain emotions and behaviors. Here is a story about how a normal grandfather-aged man can find himself in something of a pickle -- and a sour one at that. But, then, there's a happy ending...

MOUNT CARMEL, Pa. -- A 5-year-old kindergartner is headed back to class in central Pennsylvania after being suspended for comments she made to another girl about a pink toy gun that blows soapy bubbles. Officials said the girl, whose name has not been released, told a classmate in the Mount Carmel Area School District she was going to shoot her with a pink Hello Kitty bubble gun machine earlier this month. She was suspended 10 days, but the discipline was reduced to two days...

BEIRUT -- Syria on Thursday threatened to retaliate for an Israeli airstrike and its ally Iran said the Jewish state will regret the attack. Syria sent a letter to the U.N. Secretary-General stressing the country's "right to defend itself, its territory and sovereignty" and holding Israel and its supporters accountable...

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is considering more assertive action against Beijing to combat a persistent cyber-espionage campaign it believes Chinese hackers are waging against U.S. companies and government agencies. As The New York Times and Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, their computer systems had been infiltrated by China-based hackers, cybersecurity experts said the U.S. government is eyeing more pointed diplomatic and trade measures...

Laura F. Nagel, 87, of Cape Girardeau passed away Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013, at her home. She was born May 26, 1925, in Tilsit, daughter of Alvin M. and Amanda A. Lange Birk. She and Ervin W. Nagel were married Feb. 1, 1948. Laura was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Wilma C. Mueller, 88, of Perryville passed away Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, at Independence Care Center of Perry County. She was born Feb. 27, 1924, in Menfro, Mo., daughter of Henry F. and Bertha Roth Lohmann. She and Erwin T. Mueller were married Oct. 19, 1947. He preceded her in death Sept. 5, 2003...

Albert W. Kamp Jr., 88, of Jackson passed away Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013 at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 26, 1925, in Burfordville, son of Albert W. Kamp Sr. and Nora Bodenstein Kamp. He and Dena Siebert were married April 3, 1948, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. ...

James Emil Harper, 61, of Cape Girardeau went to be with the Lord Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013. He was born June 27, 1951, in Cape Girardeau to the late Raymond Glenburn and Virginia Bertrand Harper. He and Brenda Gail Brant were married June 11, 1976. Jim served in Vietnam as a Specialist 4th Class with the 215th Support Battalion, 524th Quartermaster Company, stationed in Cam Ranh Bay...

Dale Wesley "Frog" Fronabarger, 66, of Jackson died Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson, with an American Legion service at 7:30 p.m...

ANNA, Ill. -- Margo Ferrara, 65, of Anna died Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, at Anna Rehab and Nursing Care Center. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until time of service at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Anna. The funeral will be at 11:30 a.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Cremation will follow the service...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Harry J. "Frenchie" Chappius, 92, of Perryville died Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until time of service Monday in the Gathering Space at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church...

John E. Armstrong, 81, of Marietta, Ga., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, in Marietta. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Eighth District Congressman Bill Emerson endorses Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole, citing the Kansas senator's leadership ability as the key factor in his decision. Heeding last-minute pleas from restaurant owners in one case and a developer in another, the Cape Girardeau City Council votes down restaurant tax-extension and stormwater measures...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

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

Local Christian artists will perform at a "Jammin' for Jesus" concert at La Croix Church in The Porch, 3102 Lexington Ave., tonight. Doors will open at 5 p.m., and the concert will run from 6 to 9 p.m. The concert, presented by Love in the Name of Christ, will feature Andy Cutrell, Renovate, Praisers of Soulful Harvest and Barefoot on Sunday. ...

The 13th annual Children's Arts Festival will feature work from 21 area schools through Feb. 23. Reception 4 to 8 p.m. 32 N Main St.; 334-9233 Cateye Glasses Studio "Winter Wonderland" will showcase the artwork of Cape Christian School students grades K-2, students of Cateye Glasses Studio and Sierra Russow of Cape Girardeau...

NEW YORK -- Gasoline prices are moving higher. The average U.S. retail price rose 13 cents during the past two weeks to $3.42 per gallon, and within a few days it likely will set a record for this time of year. Culprits include: These are the kinds of things that push gasoline prices higher every spring after what normally in a lull in gasoline prices in the late fall and early winter...

NEW YORK -- Despite having a big year in music, Nicki Minaj didn't receive any Grammy nominations. Not a problem, she said. "I've gotten tons of awards and I believe when it's my time to get a Grammy, I'll get a Grammy," she said with a laugh. The 30-year-old had one of last year's biggest hits with the multiplatinum dance-pop anthem "Starships." Her sophomore album, "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded," has reached gold status and launched other hits on the rap and R&B charts...

The Jackson girls basketball team saved its best for last. Host Jackson, which trailed most of the way, used a big fourth quarter to surge past district and SEMO Conference rival Poplar Bluff 42-34 on Thursday night. "We just started executing," senior guard Danielle Daume said of the final period that saw the Indians outscore the Mules 15-4. "We got a few of our bigger players in there and we started getting more rebounds."...

Oak Ridge coach Adam Stoneking had a little chat with junior guard Andrew Puchbauer before practice Wednesday afternoon. Stoneking wanted his guard to be more aggressive and to become the scorer he was a year ago for the Blue Jays' junior varsity team...

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

From the moment Neal Boyd, the 2008 "America's Got Talent" winner, belted out the first strains of "The Star-Spangled Banner," fans at the Show Me Center knew something special was about to happen. The boys basketball teams from Charleston and Sikeston treated an announced crowd of 3,669 to a late-January party Thursday night on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. And if early indications are correct, the contest dubbed "The Rivalry" may have found a permanent home...

Eastern Kentucky will enter Saturday's game with a 16-6 record

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team will try break its season-long five-game losing streak Saturday in the friendly confines of the Show Me Center. But it's not like the Redhawks are catching a break when Eastern Kentucky visits for a 3 p.m. tipoff...

KAUFMAN, Texas -- An assistant district attorney was shot and killed Thursday morning near the North Texas courthouse where he worked. Authorities were searching through his cases for clues about why he was targeted. Mark Hasse, 57, had exited his vehicle in the parking lot behind the Kaufman County Courthouse annex and was walking toward the building when a masked gunman shot him multiple times just before 9 a.m...

PHOENIX -- A man who shot and killed a call-center CEO and critically wounded a lawyer at a Phoenix office building where they were meeting to discuss a contract dispute was found dead early Thursday, ending a nearly 24-hour manhunt that had residents on edge...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The St. Louis Blues take pride in the fact they're a band of players without a real superstar. They don't win individual awards. All they do is win games. Barret Jackman, Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Tarasenko each scored in the opening 14 minutes, Brian Elliott made 24 saves and the Blues won their fourth straight game with a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night...

ATLANTA -- A student opened fire at his middle school Thursday afternoon, wounding a 14-year-old in the neck before an armed officer working at the school was able to get the gun away, police said. Multiple shots were fired in the courtyard of Price Middle School south of downtown around 1:50 p.m. and the one boy was hit, Atlanta Police Chief George Turner said. In the aftermath, a teacher received minor cuts, he said...

MIDLAND CITY, Ala. -- Speaking into a 4-inch-wide ventilation pipe, hostage negotiators tried Thursday to talk a man into releasing a kindergartner and ending a standoff in an underground bunker that stretched into its third day. The man, identified as 65-year-old retired truck driver Jimmy Lee Dykes, was accused of pulling the boy from a school bus Tuesday after killing the driver. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- University of Missouri undergraduates who are state residents will pay 1.7 percent more in tuition next year as the four-campus system holds its annual increase to the rate of inflation. The Board of Curators for the system unanimously approved the tuition increase Thursday at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Room and board also will increase. The increase for the 2013-14 academic year is slightly less than earlier estimates of a 2 percent boost...

ST. LOUIS -- A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed by the Archdiocese of St. Louis and Catholic Charities over the government's health insurance mandate to fund contraception, calling the suit premature. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that U.S. District Judge John Ross in St. Louis dismissed the suit Tuesday. Ross cited the government's intent to make changes in the law, and he cited the fact that religious and not-for-profit groups were given until August to comply...

WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department filed a lawsuit Thursday to stop Anheuser-Busch InBev's proposed $20.1 billion purchase of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo, which would unite the ownership of popular beers like Budweiser and Corona. The government said the deal could lead to higher beer prices in the U.S. ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City police are investigating the death of a woman shot and killed during an apparent road rage incident. Police said the woman was driving Wednesday during rush hour in midtown Kansas City when a car pulled beside her and fired shots into her car. The victim was 32-year-old Jennifer Jones of Kansas City, who was pronounced dead at the scene...

ST. LOUIS -- After many delays and almost seven years after the new Busch Stadium opened, construction is about to begin on Ballpark Village. The St. Louis Cardinals said a formal groundbreaking will be Feb. 8 for the $100 million first phase. Ballpark Village was part of the development agreement between the city and the Cardinals, but the project has been delayed by the weak economy and redesigns...

The East Missouri Action Agency will prepare tax returns free for low-income people through its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Married couples earing less than $40,000, and single filers earning less than $29,000 can get the help through the IRS-sponsored program. Community volunteers have receive IRS training to help prepare the returns.

This weekend will be the last that Buckner Brewing Co. and Ragsdales Pub will be open. The businesses at 130 N. Main St. are closing after Sunday and the current owners are trying to sell the building. They will celebrate with live music. Mid-Life Crisis will play at 9 p.m. Friday and Us Instead will play at 9 p.m. Saturday. Look for our photographers...

Son to Melvin Dewayne Anderson III and Shyla Ann Croney of Poplar Bluff, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 8:45 a.m. Monday, Dec. 17, 2012. Name, Austen Michael. Weight, 3 pounds, 15 ounces. Third son. Ms. Croney is the daughter of Johnny Croney of Poplar Bluff and Angela Davis of Bloomfield, Mo. Anderson is the son of Donna Hendershott of Advance, Mo., and Melvin Anderson Jr. of Williamsville, Mo...

A Cape Girardeau teenager was looking at the possibility of a lifetime in prison Thursday, after a juvenile courts judge ordered the 17-year-old suspect be prosecuted as an adult on first-degree robbery and weapons charges. Nashae T. Antonia, who turned 17 on Thursday, is one of five individuals -- four women and two men -- suspected in the Jan. ...

WASHINGTON -- Republican senators hammered former GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel at his confirmation hearing Thursday on issues ranging from Israel and Iran to his support for a group that advocates the elimination of nuclear weapons. With most Democrats in his corner, an unflustered Hagel seems headed for approval as defense secretary...

MEXICO CITY -- An explosion at the main headquarters of Mexico's state-owned oil company in the capital killed 14 people and injured 100 on Thursday as it heavily damaged three floors of a building, sending hundreds into the streets and a large plume of smoke over the skyline...

I read in the paper about the pay increases of some of the county offices, which are totally unjustified. But an interesting fact was the person making the Speak Out comment said they only received a 1.7 percent Social Security raise. I have worked for seven years and have not received any raise at all, and my insurance has gone up over 16 percent in the past two years, along with all the other increases in taxes. I would welcome any pay raise...

Lord God, we declare your praises, for you have called us into your wonderful light. Amen.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Ed Koch's favorite moment as mayor of New York City, fittingly, involved yelling. Suddenly inspired to do something brash about the rare transit strike that crippled the city in 1980, he strode down to the Brooklyn Bridge to encourage commuters who were forced to walk to work instead of jumping aboard subway trains and buses...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Senate has passed a pair of bills authorizing incentives for big-time time sports events and reinstating tax credits for certain charitable organizations.

Cape Girardeau firefighters were called Friday night to battle a blaze that started in a couch. A call came in just after 9 p.m. of a house fire at 1535 N. Water St. One woman was inside the house at the time of the fire, and she escaped after trying to put out the fire with an extinguisher, battalion chief Brad Dillow said. ...

Today is Saturday, Feb. 2, the 33rd day of 2013. There are 332 days left in the year. This is Groundhog Day. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 2, 1913, New York City's rebuilt Grand Central Terminal officially opened to the public at one minute past midnight...

Dennis Marchi, manager of Schnucks Food and Drug, was given the 47th Distinguished Service Award last night by the Cape Girardeau Jacycees for his significant contributions to the community in a variety of areas; the annual Boss of the Year recognition went to Dan Stetina, manager of Bonanza Restaurant...

Miss Muffin's Cafe at 2480 E. Main Street in Jackson graciously hosted the Friends of Fruitland, Inc. Gun Raffle drawing Friday, Feb. 1st. Russell Brandes name was drawn for the Remington 12 gauge shotgun by the live entertainer at the Cafe. Miss Muffins has live entertainment or kareoke every Friday night...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Police were searching Friday for a Poplar Bluff man after two early morning home invasions in Butler County, Mo., left two people shot by what is believed to be an SKS rifle and a third person assaulted. Two children who live in the residence east of Rombauer, Mo., were unharmed, according to authorities...

The city of Cape Girardeau is participating in the annual "The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut" earthquake drill. Participants are encouraged to drop, cover and hold on for 60 seconds at 10:15 a.m. Thursday. According to organizers, "participating is a great way for families and organizations to be prepared to survive and recover quickly from big earthquakes."...

EMINENCE, Mo. -- A Doniphan, Mo., woman was convicted Thursday in two 2010 murders. A Shannon County jury deliberated nearly five hours and found Melissa "Lisa" Youngblood, 35, guilty of two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the July 10, 2010, deaths of Edgar Atkinson, 81, and Bonnie Chase, 69, who were found dead inside their burned home...

The Cape Girardeau Municipal Court office at city hall, 401 Indepedence St., will be closed for software updates this week: From 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, and From 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday. The office will operate during regular hours, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday...

A boil-water order has been issued for the Egypt Mills area because of low pressure in the water supply. According to Judy Foeste, president of Public Water District No. 5, the boil-water order was issued Thursday afternoon when the low pressure was discovered. ..

Ex-offenders who are employed are much less likely to return to prison than those who can't find jobs, according to a presentation by representatives for state and federal probation and parole at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee....

More than 70 juniors and seniors from 10 area high schools competed Friday in Cape Girardeau to see whose business model could bring in the biggest profit. The students were part of the 20th annual Camp Enterprise at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center organized by the Rotary Club. The goal of the camp was to introduce students to real-world business issues through a computer simulation....

Students who rely on shuttle transportation at Southeast Missouri State University will benefit from a "transportation nexus" planned for the 2013-2104 academic year. The enclosed, climate-controlled facility for students to use while waiting for shuttle service will take the place of the existing open-air shelter located in the student-parking lot near the Student Recreation Center. It will cover a bit more than 1,000 square feet and will be able to accommodate more than 100 students at a time.

Several steps related to general improvements, the expansion of facilities and adding amenities will be considered by the Cape Girardeau City Council during Monday's meeting. Up for final consideration by the council is a round of projects that will be funded from revenue to be gathered from Isle Casino Cape Girardeau...

The Cape Girardeau Historic Preservation Commission is accepting nominations for its endangered buildings list through March 1. Anyone submitting a nomination must include a statement explaining a building's historic significance, why it is endangered and suggest what measures could be made to save it. ...

Get your boots on, cuz it's nearly time to party Nashville style! February 16, 2013 marks the date for the 23rd St Mary Cathedral School Home and School Dinner Auction "NASHVILLE NITES"! To be held at Ray's Plaza Conference Center, the evening will feature food, fun, music and folly with a country music inspired Nashville flare! Doors open at 4:30 pm. ...

Sam's owner passed away leaving Sam and the rest of his kitty family without a home. Sam is a 2-year-old male kitty that has been neutered and is up-to-date on shots. Sam has three orange kittens (10 weeks old and adorable), mother kitty Crescent (Siamese mix). ...

On Wednesday, February 6th, the two Optimist Clubs of Jackson will provide Jackson area youth and adults with a program. The program features SEMO Redhawks Men's Basketball Coach Dickey Nutt. Optimist Youth Basketball players and their coaches will be recognized. Coach Dickey Nutt will then address the crowd with his thoughts. Coach Nutt's presentations are always entertaining and inspiring...

Two tornadoes hit Cape Girardeau County during the storms that swept across the area Tuesday night. According to the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., the tornadoes were classified as EF-1 and had originated at about the same time, 9:15 p.m.

WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- Missouri Department of Conservation officials are investigating the deadly shooting of a bald eagle in Wayne County. The department reported a landowner found the injured eagle Wednesday on County Road 417, just south of Highway 49. The eagle was taken for treatment but died later that night....

The Notre Dame wrestling team won two out of three duals during its final home meet of the season on Friday. Notre Dame rolled over Farmington 42-31 on the strength of six pins, then defeated Hillsboro 52-28. The Bulldogs dropped the first dual of the day against Ste. Genevieve 72-6. The Dragons swept all but the 106-pound weight class, which Notre Dame's Noah Huff won by forfeit. Huff also won his other two duals of the evening...

Freshman guard Al Young scored a game-high 25 points as host Central defeated St. Louis Northwest Academy of Law 67-51. Central trailed 15-11 after one period, but outscored their opponents 36-24 over the next two quarters to take control of the game...

Trailing 23-6 midway through the second quarter, Notre Dame girls basketball coach Renee Peters turned to an unlikely source for a needed spark. The result resembled an explosion. Senior reserve forward Kelsey Luster's spark ignited the host Bulldogs to a heart-stopping 67-61 overtime victory Saturday against Ursuline Academy...

The woes continued for the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team Saturday night. But this time, unlike following some recent losses, coach Dickey Nutt had no complaints with the Redhawks' effort and passion. Southeast simply couldn't keep up with hot-shooting Eastern Kentucky, especially in the second half, as the visiting Colonels posted an 81-72 victory...

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team saw its season-long losing streak reach six games in excruciating fashion. Southeast had a golden opportunity to get back into the win column against one of the Ohio Valley Conference's top squads...

Three Southeast Missouri State gymnastics team won or shared three individual titles but the Redhawks lost suffered a narrow 192.875 to 192.775 loss at Northern Illinois Saturday night. The Redhawks dropped to 2-1 in dual competition with their second-highest score of the year...

It's been a banner start to the indoor season for the Southeast Missouri State track and field program, which had already set four school records entering Friday's rare dual meet against Ohio Valley Conference rival SIU Edwardsville. That total increased to five after junior Courtney Gapelu broke the women's shot put mark in front of a nice crowd at Southeast's Student Recreation Center...

NEW ORLEANS -- The journey to this Super Bowl wound through bounties and replacement refs, eventually bringing the big game back to the Big Easy -- with a replacement quarterback, a sibling rivalry and a grand exit for one of the NFL's greatest players, clouded by the obscure healing powers of deer-antler spray...

NEW ORLEANS -- A knowing grin spread across Sean Tuohy's face as he considered the uncanny connections between the hit film that changed his family's life and the fact that Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Michael Oher will play in his first Super Bowl in the Big Easy...

Today is Sunday, Feb. 3, the 34th day of 2013. There are 331 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 3, 1913, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, providing for a federal income tax, was ratified. On this date:...

Meredith Leigh 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...

Kelley Renae Marcum and Scott Michael Wittenborn were married Aug. 4, 2012, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Columbia, Mo. Monsignor Michael Flanagan performed the ceremony. Readings were given by Jill Uhrhan, cousin of the groom, and Jordon Furnell. Vocalist was Kelsey Lock...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Sarah Marie Cook and Jared Bannister Sugden were married Aug. 4, 2012, at St. Ambrose Catholic Church. The Rev. Randolph Tochtrop performed the ceremony. Lectors were Rebecca Cook of Chaffee, sister of the bride, and Carla Hancock of Jefferson City, Mo., cousin and godmother of the bride. Offertory gift bearers were John C. and Sharon Brucker of Chaffee, uncle and aunt of the bride, and Kevin Brucker of Sullivan, Mo., uncle and godfather of the bride...

Nicole Ann Blechle and Chad Michael Schlosser were married Sept. 1, 2012, at St. Augustine Church. The Rev. Oliver Clavin performed the ceremony. Music was by Mimi, Jessie and Natalie Kinnison. The bride is the daughter of Dale and Kimberly Blechle and Dante and Beverly Duvall of Perryville, Mo. The groom is the son of Dale Schlosser and DeRhonda Gosche of Scott City...

John and Sebrina Crossett of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Kimberly Anne Crossett, to Brandon Ryan Blaylock. He is the son of Mark and Pam Blaylock of Cape Girardeau. Crossett is pursuing a degree in nursing at Southeast Missouri State University. She works with United Way...

BENTON, Mo. -- Lenny and Jane Burford of Benton announce the engagement of their daughter, Janessa Lynne Burford, to Charlie Buhler, both of Cocoa Beach, Fla. He is the son of Charles Buhler of Cape Canaveral, Fla., and Maureen McNeil of New Port Richey, Fla...

David and Ana Haynes of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Mariana Higuera-Haynes, to Jack Brooks Connell Jr. He is the son of Jack Connell Sr. and Cathy Connell of Cape Girardeau. Haynes is a 2009 graduate of Jackson High School. She expects to receive a bachelor of science degree in communication science disorders from Southeast Missouri State University May 11. She plans to pursue a master's degree in speech/language pathology this fall...

Alan and Dixie Crites of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Kacie Crites, to Peyton Sims, both of Denver, Colo. He is the son of Pat and Gayle Gorham of Jackson and Ronnie Sims of Caruthersville, Mo. Crites is a 2002 graduate of Jackson High School. ...

Allen Zoellner of Friedheim and Cheryl Grimsley of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Ashley Renea Zoellner, to Tyler Raye Steffens. He is the son of Randall and Emily Steffens of Frohna, Mo. Zoellner is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School. She is manager at Provider Plus...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Scott and Nancy Anthony of Advance announce the engagement of their daughter, Whitney Paige Anthony, to Eric Joseph Meyer. He is the son of Robert and Mary Meyer of Ste. Genevieve, Mo. Anthony received an associate of science degree from Mineral Area College with a certificate in radiology. She is employed at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

Mike and Sandy Bolen of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Hana M. Bolen, to Logan T. Lawson. He is the son of Sammy and Cindy Lawson of Jackson. Bolen expects to receive certification as a radiologic technologist in May 2013 from SoutheastHEALTH College of Nursing and Health Sciences. She is an EKG technician at Southeast...

The cute face you see here looking out of the water is a North American river otter. The other photo shows the remains of a large mouth bass that an otter left on a log after eating the meat of the fish. An adult river otter can weigh nearly 30 pounds and is a fast underwater swimmer. It has large webbed hind feet that can vigorously stir the water when it breaks surface as this one did. It grunted and huffed at me before quickly swimming away...

The Special Olympics of Missouri recognized the following Southeast Missouri residents for their leadership and contributions at a Special Olympics leadership conference: For more information about Special Olympics Missouri, call 573-635-8233 or email Schatsiek@somo.org...

The SoutheastHEALTH Auxiliary and the Southeast Health Foundation raised $10,245 for the Southeast Cancer Center in the annual Drop it "Fore" a Cause event. The proceeds will go toward cancer screening programs. Presenting were Judy Aslin, Judy Brown, Kevin Rush, Pat Robert, Mary Burton-Hitt and Don Fisher...

I have had several gardeners tell me that their cool season lawn (bluegrass, fescue or rye) is not looking very good. There are lots of areas where the turf is sparse. They want to know when in the spring is the best time to reseed the lawn. Most gardeners are shocked when I tell them to reseed their lawn now and not wait till spring. They think that seed will freeze and not germinate, or the birds will eat all of it...

My mother-in-law, Barbara McClanahan, and her friend Cheryl Gilges are out to showing everyone up by sending in recipes two weeks in a row. This week it is all cake recipes from the Gulf Coast. Cheryl lives in Gulf Shores and all of these recipes are ones she has shared with Barb, and I am sure they are delicious. Give them a try, or clip them out and file away for your next special occasion...

Chica is a delightful 1-year-old long-haired tortoiseshell cat. She is a beautiful cat and has the most amazing purr. Chica has a ladylike disposition and loves to be petted. For more information, contact Safe Harbor at 243-9823. ...

Pickles is a 5-year-old male terrier mix. For more information, contact the Humane Society at 334-5837. Pickles is a 5 year old male terrier mix....

Pet Name: Israel or "Izzy" Owner: Laura Holmburg Favorite activity: Making funny expressions and being a silly cat. ...

NEW YORK -- Hostess Brands is close to announcing that it has picked two investment firms -- C. Dean Metropoulos & Co. and Apollo Global Management -- as the lead bidders for its Twinkies and other snack cakes, according to a source close to the situation who was not authorized to comment publicly on the talks...

I want to apologize to any woman who has had an abortion, and any man who has been part of a decision for abortion, who has been hurt by anti-abortion signs or flags or T-shirts or comments. I am sorry for anything done in a spirit of judgment instead of a spirit of love. I am sorry that out of anger at policymakers' and laws' injustices, zealousness for the truth of life, and fear for our country we have forgotten the truth that you are a person, too. I am sorry for throwing stones at you...

The other day, while sitting in a midday meeting comprised of folk of both genders, an articulate, well-dressed speaker let loose of a profanity that literally led me to choke a bit on my water. Without further elaboration, I'd describe the word as a midrange epithet. Not garden variety swearing but not heavy duty cursing either. If the purpose was to revive us from drowsy attention spans brought on by an excellent repast, the method brought the desired response...

MONDAY--Corn dog, broccoli & cheese or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, pears. TUESDAY--Taco salad, refried beans or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, cinnamon applesauce. WEDNESDAY--Beef steak with or without gravy, whipped potatoes & gravy or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots...

The "Puppy Bowl" will be at 3 p.m. today.

Standard Democrat ~ SIKESTON -- From red sparkly boots to bluejeans and white shirts, students at Sikeston's St. Francis Xavier dressed to salute America Wednesday. They saved their biggest salute, however, for the nation's veterans. Each student created a handmade valentine which will go to one of the residents of the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau...

The Nancy Hunter Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution met on Jan. 23 at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. Regent Charlotte Slinkard opened the meeting with the DAR Ritual, which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and the American's Creed...

Southeast Missourian Ted Cunningham doesn't pastor a typical church. The founder of Woodland Hills Family Church in Branson, Mo., Cunningham preaches in a facility that looks like a castle. Services are contemporary and the dress is casual, according to the church's website...

The local chapter of Free the Slaves will hold a fundraiser Thursday

BOONVILLE, Mo. -- For decades, Anheuser-Busch has used its famous Clydesdales in Super Bowl ads for Budweiser. The latest star is barely two weeks old. A foal born Jan. 16 at Anheuser-Busch's Warm Springs Ranch near the mid-Missouri town of Boonville is featured in an ad that will appear in Sunday's game between the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers and AFC champion Baltimore Ravens...

MUNICH -- The United States is prepared to hold direct talks with Iran in the standoff about its nuclear ambitions, Vice President Joe Biden said Saturday. Biden insisted Tehran's leaders must show they are serious and Washington won't engage in such talks merely "for the exercise."...

ISTANBUL -- A New York City woman who went missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul was found dead Saturday. Police detained nine people for questioning, Turkey's state-run news agency said. Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, was last heard from Jan. 21, the day she was to fly home. Her disappearance attracted plenty of interest in Turkey, where the disappearance of tourists is rare. Istanbul police had set up a special unit to find her...

BEIJING -- Chinese authorities have detained four people, state media said Saturday, a day after at least 11 people died when a truck loaded with fireworks for a Lunar New Year celebration exploded, collapsing an elevated portion of highway in central China...

PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Taliban militants wearing suicide vests fired automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades at an army post in northwestern Pakistan in a pre-dawn raid Saturday, killing 23 people, including 10 civilians, officials said...

A five-year, $26.8 million capital improvements program is being considered by the Cape Girardeau City Council; many of the 63 projects would be financed with a proposed capital improvements sales tax. Howard G. Bock, a retired Cape Girardeau schoolteacher, has filed for the Cape Girardeau Board of Education, completing a slate of six candidates; the other hopefuls are Dr. Patrick Ruopp, Jacklyn Clark, Dr. Robert G. Fox, John Eck and Harold Haas...

401 Independence St. Study session, 5 p.m. Monday Items for discussion Closed session Items for discussion Regular session, 7 p.m. Presentations Communications/reports Public hearings Consent agenda Items removed from consent agenda New ordinances...

CONCORD, N.H. -- An immigration debate is raging and a budget crisis looms in Congress, but the conservative activists gathered outside the New Hampshire Statehouse had just one thing on their minds: guns. "The Second Amendment is there to protect us from losing the rest of them," said Adam Brisebois, 34, of Hudson, who cradled his 3-year-old daughter on his right shoulder and a rifle on the left. "If we don't fight, we'll lose our rights."...

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. -- An end to winter's bitter cold will come soon, according to Pennsylvania's famous groundhog. Following a recent stretch of weather that's included temperatures well below freezing as well as record warmth, tornadoes in the South and Midwest and torrential rains in the mid-Atlantic, Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his lair Saturday in front of thousands but didn't see his shadow...

Mother Nature went on a wild mood swing last week. In the course of just a few days, we saw high temperatures in the 70s and the 20s. On Tuesday night, we saw severe weather that spawned tornadoes that ripped roofs off houses and knocked trains off tracks. Tractor-trailers were whipped sideways, causing accidents on highways...

Ruth Wulfers, 94, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, at Ratliff Care Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 16, 1918, in Cape Girardeau to Otto and Leona Haas Wulfers. Ruth was a member of St. Vincent DePaul Parish in Cape Girardeau. She is survived by a sister, Anita Wulfers Williams of Cape Girardeau; 10 nieces and nephews; great nieces and nephews; and cousins and many friends...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Gilbert "Gib" Villhard, 94, of Perryville died Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday and 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at Young and Sons Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Immanuel Lutheran Church, with the Rev. Thomas Handrick officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery...

U.S. 60 in Butler County reduced for bridge repairs Westbound U.S. 60 in Butler County will be reduced to one lane Monday as Missouri Department of Transportation crews complete routine repairs to the overpass over U.S. 67. This is the U.S. 60 overpass north of Poplar Bluff, Mo. Weather permitting, work will be performed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m...

MURRIETA, Calif. -- Jari Annette Simpson VandenBerg, 51, of Murrieta passed away Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. She was born Aug. 6, 1961, in St. Louis County. She grew up in Mount Carmel, Ill., and was baptized in the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Mount Carmel. Jari graduated from Mount Carmel High School in 1978 and the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in 1982. She married David M. VandenBerg on July 2, 2000, in Temecula, Calif...

Arnold Theodore Strickert, 88, of Jackson died Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, at Chateau Girardeau in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home in Jackson.

WHITTIER, Calif. -- Brandon R. Mehrle, 89, of Whittier, a longtime assistant dean of Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, passed away peacefully at his home Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013. He was born Oct. 17, 1923, in Cape Girardeau to Erwin and Neva Mehrle...

BELL CITY, Mo. -- Rick W. Massey, 57, of Bell City passed away Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 5, 1955, son of Archie E. and Lora E. Hendrix Massey. Rick retired as a heavy-equipment operator with Allied Waste. He was a member of Advance Eagles. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy. Rick and Sandy Smith were married June 26, 1999, in Zalma, Mo...

There are bigger debates to be had in these days and times. Fiscal responsibility. Immigration. Gun control. Gay marriage. Global warming. The future role of running quarterbacks in the NFL ... . With all of these debates, there is scarce thought or discussion on radio waves, talk shows or at the water cooler about the subtleties of transparent government...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Arline Koenig, 93, of Perryville, formerly of Frohna, Mo., died Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today and 6:30 to 8:15 a.m. Monday at Young and Sons East Perry Chapel in Altenburg, Mo...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Jerry L. Cannon, 74, of Lucedale, Miss., formerly of Chaffee, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2103. He was born March 2, 1938, in Chaffee to Louie and Nora Lee Pryor Cannon. Survivors include a daughter, Tina Cannon of Lucedale; a son, John Cannon of Ocean Springs, Miss.; six grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and a brother, Joe Cannon of Gonzales, La...

WIMBERLEY, Texas -- Karen Sue Kerr Burris, 67, of Wimberley passed away Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, at her home, surrounded by family and friends. She was born Nov. 21, 1945, in Cape Girardeau to William Doyle and Sarah Melinda Cook Kerr. Karen grew up in Southern Illinois. She graduated from Shawnee High School in Wolf Lake, Ill., in 1963. After high school she attended Cape Girardeau Office Training School...

Theresa Lee "Terri" Boone, 57, of Cape Girardeau passed from this life surrounded by her husband, family and friends into the arms of her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, at Southeast Hospital after a brief illness. She was born Sept. 23, 1955, in West Point, N.Y., to John Thomas and Dorothy Glazebrook Jenkins...

MARIETTA, Ga. -- John E. Armstrong, 81, formerly of Cape Girardeau, passed away Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, at Autumn Breeze Health Care Center in Marietta after declining health since May 2012. He was born Aug. 1, 1931, to John T. and Esther Armstrong in Chicago. The family then lived in Iowa and moved on to Wappapello, Mo. He married Arlette Marie Chrisophe in 1965. She preceded him in death in September 1988...

The NRA is not about moderation or about protecting our teens. It's time to say no to them. Its time for some sensible gun laws. It's time to get back to sensibility. Every time I read about where they want to cut something in the budget, it's always the Social Security or veterans' benefits. I have never seen where they cut the salaries of the Congress and Senate and president. What's going to happen? Are they not counted as part of cutting back on anything?...

O Lord God, we lift up your name and thank you for your blessings. Amen.

Son to Joseph Vincent and Sonya Renee Kinder of Sedgewickville, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 2:27 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013. Name, Joseph Vincent II. Weight, 6 pounds, 13 ounces. Second child, first son. Mrs. Kinder is the former Sonya Ezell, daughter of Sharon Lindsay of Sedgewickville and Leon Ezell of Frohna, Mo. Kinder is the son of Yvonne Kinder and John Carter of Jackson. He is employed by Blue Chip Midwest...

The City of Cape Girardeau recently acquired 247 acres for $6 million to be used as a business park. Faced with the need to create infrastructure and attract industry to the park, a subcommittee will market the property to potential investors. City manager Scott Meyer said a lift station -- a mechanism that pushes waste through gravity-driven sewer systems -- already is on the property, although it does not yet have all the pumps it will need. ...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Summonses Assault Burglaries Thefts...

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Cape Girardeau firefighters respond to a fire Sunday night at a duplex at 2741 Hawthorne Road. ...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A former East Prairie, Mo., church pastor was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to child molestation charges. Kenneth Neal Allen, 36, former pastor of Grace Apostolic Church in East Prairie, pleaded guilty Jan. 10 to two counts of first-degree child molestation in Scott County, where he had been given a change of venue, according to a news release from Mississippi County Sheriff Keith Moore...

Beginning Tuesday, local dairy producers can file for federal reimbursements for losses caused by market fluctuations. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency announced it will begin issuing payments to dairy farmers enrolled in the Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program for September 2012 marketings. MILC payments are calculated monthly and are triggered when the Boston Class I milk price falls below $16.94 per hundredweight after adjusting for the cost of feed...

Cape Girardeau County soon will have to engage in regulation of stormwater runoff because parts of the county now lie within urbanized area boundaries determined by a 2010 U.S. Census count. The county is in the first steps of developing a stormwater-runoff management program similar to those seen in many other Missouri municipalities -- but as plans move along, county officials are raising questions about the program the federal government oversees to protect water quality...

The 2013 edition of United We Read, a program urging people to read the same book during February, began Friday at Cape Girardeau Central High School. "We're looking forward to getting students and also people in the community reading the book we've chosen," said Sara Kiplinger, librarian at the high school and program coordinator...

Feb 23, 2013, Mid-Life Crisis will be kicking up a fund raiser for cancer, as they join DSW/Drury Hotels Employees Relay for Life Team, Dinner, Auction and Dance, at The Bavarian Hall in Jackson, MO. The Drury Southwest and Drury Hotel Employees raised in excess of $18,000.00 last year and decided to kick the goal up to $25,000.00 this year...

Cape Girardeau police officers took 46 burglary reports in January, a 37 percent jump over the same period last year, as personal electronics devices such as cellphones and tablet computers continue to be a popular target for thieves. And, with February just three days old, the worrisome trend didn't seem to be slowing Sunday, when the total for residential and commercial burglaries hit 51 for the year. ...

Pictured standing from the left: Terri Baker, Tracy Blattner, Barb Ward, Robert Ward, Cathy Willen, Roberta Patterson. Seated from the left: Judy Nordman, Carla Bittle and Nancy Hess. The event, "Run-Ride for Ragan," was held in October and is set to become an annual event. ...

Randy Sparkman, Senior Vice President of Product Management for MedAssets of Cape Girardeau has pledged to support his employees who are members of the National Guard and Army Reserve by signing a Department of Defense Employer Statement of Support...

National Girl Scout Cookie Day Celebrates World's Largest Girl-Led Business Girl Scouts are giving their cookie boxes an overhaul to highlight the real purpose of the cookie program, which is to teach girls five essential life skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, business ethics, and people skills. To celebrate such a monumental program, this year Girl Scouts has named February 8 National Girl Scout Cookie Day...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A team of scientists led by a University of Missouri researcher believes it has found a new "soft spot" in the structure of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. "If we know what the lock looks like, we can make the key," said Stefan Sarafianos, who conducts research at the Bond Life Sciences Center...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- In the American health-care system, some patients are worth more money than others. As cold and clinical as that may sound, it long has been the reality under a government-run Medicaid system that pays doctors less money to treat the poor than those same physicians receive for treating the elderly covered by Medicare or middle- and upper-income individuals who have private insurance...

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- When Matt Tabor walks the halls of Benton High School, he could pass for a student. He's not much taller than a freshman. Kids pull him aside and joke with him like he's their BFF. And he smiles a lot. "He's a great guy, strict but fair," said Colton Brown, one of Tabor's charges...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is proposing to spend $10 million to help have mental health care sooner for those who need it. The funding is included in the state budget released last week by the governor's office and is part of Nixon's response to recent gun violence. Mental health services have gained attention nationwide after several high-profile shootings, including one at an elementary school in Connecticut...

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Nick Blankenship, left, and Roger Ziegler chat while watching the Super Bowl on Sunday at the Trail of Tears Bar & Grill, 519 Good Hope St. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Lofty ambitions for one dog, but very achievable, says Ron Harder, her handler. Her name is Madison and she's the Rock Community Fire Protection District's specially trained therapy dog. She wears a blue vest and is a badged member of the department...

Today is Monday, Feb. 4, the 35th day of 2013. There are 330 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 4, 1913, Rosa Parks, a black woman whose 1955 refusal to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., city bus to a white man sparked a civil rights revolution, was born Rosa Louise McCauley in Tuskegee, Ala...

Selma "Sally" Welker, 95, of Jackson passed away Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013, at the Monticello House in Jackson, where she had been a resident for nine years. She was born April 4, 1917, in Scopus, Mo., daughter of Ira S. and LaVada Killian Dockins. She and Columbus "Clum" Welker were married Sept. 8, 1934, in Marble Hill, Mo. He passed away Dec. 20, 1973...

Arnold Theodore Strickert, 88, of Jackson passed away Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, at Chateau Girardeau in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 7, 1925, in Shady Bend, Kan., to the Rev. H.J. and Minna Laura Rook Strickert. The Strickert family moved to Tilsit when Arnold was 1 year old. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Marie R. Sandler, 97, of Perryville died Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, at Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville. She was born Jan. 1, 1916, in Perryville, the daughter of Andrew and Louise Pannier Emmendorfer. She married Edgar Sandler on Nov. ...

MUNICH -- Israel's defense minister strongly signaled Sunday that his country was behind an airstrike in Syria last week, telling a high profile security conference that Israeli threats to take pre-emptive action against its enemies are not empty. "We mean it," Ehud Barak declared...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Afghan peace effort is floundering, fraught with mistrust and confusion among key players even though the hard-line Taliban militants show signs of softening and their reclusive, one-eyed leader made a surprise offer to share power in a post-war Afghanistan...

BAGHDAD -- An Iraqi telecom company raised nearly $1.3 billion Sunday on Baghdad's small stock exchange in one of the region's biggest share offers in years -- a sign of investor confidence in the fledgling private sector despite violence that still plagues the country...

A pair of events is coming Saturday that will allow you and your better half to enjoy a nice date while simultaneously raising money for local schools. The seventh annual Penguin Party Dinner and Auction for Cape Girardeau schools, and the fourth annual Red and Black Affair both will be held Saturday night. The Penguin Party will run from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Cape Girardeau Country Club, and the Red and Black Affair will be from 6:30 p.m. to midnight at the Arena Building...

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team played a much better game Saturday night than during some of its recent disappointing performances. But the Redhawks couldn't overcome a hot-shooting Eastern Kentucky squad, which clamped down on the Redhawks defensively in the second half and surprisingly outrebounded Southeast in the final period to take control...

Leon Eugene Pratt, 80, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013, at Heartland Care and Rehab in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Bobby Eskew, 45, of Benton, Mo., died Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013, at Saint Elizabeth Hospital in Belleville, Ill. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Benton.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Lorna E. Aurich, 84, of Perryville died Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, at Independence Care Center of Perry County. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until time of service Wednesday at Immanuel Lutheran Church, with the Rev. Matthew Marks officiating...

WASHINGTON -- Faced with substantial industry opposition, federal regulators are struggling to implement a sweeping aviation safety law enacted after the last fatal U.S. airline crash nearly four years ago, according to a report by a government watchdog...

NEW YORK -- The stock market may have packed much of its fun for the year into one exhilarating January. The market charged to its best start in decades even though the U.S. economy and corporate profits haven't broken out of a three-year pattern of slow, steady improvement despite record-low interest rates and billions of dollars of stimulus and tax cuts...

WASHINGTON -- A proposed agreement on fresh tomatoes imported from Mexico would strengthen anti-dumping enforcement and reset minimum wholesale prices, the Commerce Department said. The agreement with Mexico's tomato industry would suspend an investigation initiated after Florida tomato growers complained that Mexican producers were selling fresh tomatoes for less than the production cost...

STEPHENVILLE, Texas -- An Iraq War veteran charged with murdering former Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle and a friend turned a gun on the pair while they were at a Texas shooting range, authorities said Sunday. Eddie Ray Routh of Lancaster was arraigned early Sunday in the deaths of Kyle, who wrote the best-selling book "American Sniper," and Chad Littlefield, 35. They were killed at a shooting range at Rough Creek Lodge, about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth...

The crew members aboard the USS Underwood could see through their night goggles what was happening on the fleeing go-fast boat: Someone was dumping bales. When the Navy guided-missile frigate later dropped anchor in Panamanian waters on that sunny August morning, Ensign Clarissa Carpio, a 23-year-old from San Francisco, climbed into the inflatable dinghy with four unarmed sailors and two Coast Guard officers like herself, carrying light submachine guns. ...

MIDLAND CITY, Ala. -- As an Alabama standoff and hostage drama marked a sixth day Sunday, more details emerged about the suspect at the center, with neighbors and officials painting a picture of an isolated man estranged from his family. Authorities say Jim Lee Dykes, 65 -- a decorated Vietnam-era veteran known as Jimmy to neighbors -- gunned down a school bus driver and abducted a 5-year-old boy from the bus, taking him to an underground bunker on his rural property. ...

This is regarding the food banks. I was the impoverished mother of a son raising him by myself. He got free lunches and he was ashamed. He said, "Mom, I'm not going to let everyone know I'm poor." You should consider these children family. Make a better effort than donating. Take a night a week and feed a family, it would be like Christmas...

A financial statement shows the Show Me Center was operating in black ink at the end of 1987, midway through its first 12-month budgetary period; the facility experienced a net profit of $21,846.92 during the first six months ending Dec. 31. A section of Independence Street may be widened to five lanes instead of four as a result of a recommendation by state highway officials; the move could add $8,000 to the estimated cost of $471,000 for the widening of Independence Street from Kingshighway to East Rodney Drive.. ...

Daughter to Kent Delain and Alisha Dawn McCormick of Marble Hill, Mo., Southeast Hospital, 9:15 a.m. Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. Name, Hattie Claire. Weight, 6 pounds, 4 ounces. Second child, first daughter. Mrs. McCormick is the former Alisha Hobeck, daughter of John and Diane Bolen of Oak Ridge and Randy and Tricia Hobeck of Friedheim. She is a cosmetologist at Che Rose Salon and Spa. McCormick is the son of Mark and Sherry McCormick of Marble Hill. He is a fabricator at Standley Batch Systems...

CHICAGO -- It really does get better for gay and bisexual teens when it comes to being bullied, although young gay men have it worse than their lesbian peers, according to the first long-term scientific evidence on how the problem changes over time...

Dr. Kenneth Dobbins, president of Southeast Missouri State University, was named an "Icon of Education" in the January edition of Ingram's magazine. Dobbins was recognized for his achievements, contributions and standards of excellence. According to Ingram's, Dobbins, has made, "deep, lasting contributions to the lives of the students." Dobbins began with Southeast in 1993 as executive vice president and was named president in 1999. ...

Coordinating paint on canvas while sipping wine with a small group of women is not how Michaelyn Ross first envisioned Tuesday nights at Bloom Studio and Gifts, 2121 Broadway, when she purchased the studio and boutique in February 2011. Since she began hosting "paint parties" with local paint party instructor Brandi Ritter, business has taken after the boutique's name and bloomed...

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday:...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Property damage Miscellaneous CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt...

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

NEW ORLEANS -- From blowout to blackout to shootout, Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens had just enough power to survive one of the most electric Super Bowls ever. The outage flipped the momentum to the San Francisco 49ers, but the Ravens used a last-gasp defensive stand to hold on Sunday night, 34-31...

WASHINGTON -- In the midst of talking black history with Grammy-winning singer Alicia Keys, Maya Angelou breaks out singing a hymn a cappella. The acclaimed poet and author wants to show Keys, a New Yorker, what "lining out," call-and-response singing that is popular in black churches down South, sounds like...

O Lord Jesus, we love you with all our heart, soul and strength. Amen.

~ The Redhawks look to snap six-game losing streak on the road The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team is riding a season-long six-game losing streak built primarily against some of the Ohio Valley Conference's top squads...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri coach Robin Pingeton said it's no secret her program hasn't had much success in recent years. So it's possible the Tigers' 80-63 win over No. 9 Tennessee may open some eyes around the Southeastern Conference. Morgan Eye scored 26 points and Bri Kulas added 20 to help Missouri win its first game against a ranked team in almost two years. ...

BrandPoint Content Deer are beautiful, graceful animals -- but when it comes to where deer decide to dine, most of us don't want them outside our windows foraging through our foliage. These creatures also come with the destruction our well-cared-for yards and gardens...

BrandPoint Content Winter is in full swing, and the cold, wet weather is no fun for your pets, either. Chicago veterinarian Dr. Shelly Rubin is well acquainted with the dramatic temperature swings of the Midwest, and how to help pets and owners cope with them. Here is his list of wintertime do's and don'ts for pet owners:...

Release date: Feb. 14 February may be a month associated with love, but it's hard to tell based on what Hollywood's offering. There's plenty of action (Bruce Willis returns for another "Die Hard" film), horror and teenager fare, but little romance. The lone exception is "Safe Haven," our movie of the month. It's based on a book by Nicholas Sparks, so you know it will tug on the heartstrings...

Many seniors eventually downsize from a large home to a low-maintenance apartment, condo or duplex. You may have fewer belongings after downsizing, but you still need to make sure they're insured. In fact, Angie Umfleet of Chap Arnold Insurance in Cape Girardeau says anyone who has personal belongings should also have a renters policy...

By Heather Collier The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said this could be the worst flu season since 2009, and we haven't even reached the typical peak of the season, which often comes in January or February. According to the CDC, by Jan. 11, flu activity was high across most of the United States. Based on past experience, it's likely that flu activity will continue for some time...

By Lori Trepasso Bob and Donna Davenport's love story sounds like the storyline from a good movie. They were classmates at East Alton/Wood River Community High School and graduated from a class of about 200 students in 1950. "I knew of Bob (in high school) but he ignored me," teases Donna...

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. You have two options for making the switch: direct deposit or a debit card. ...

By Robyn Gautschy ~ Treats! > Many banks, including First State Community Bank, give treats to pets at the drive-thru window. > Stop by Andy's Frozen Custard for dessert, and a free doggie cone, too. Pets welcome in outdoor seating areas: > Beef O'Brady's...

Ferguson Enterprises, ranked by trade publications as the nation's largest distributor of plumbing supplies and pipe, valves and fittings, will open a Cape Girardeau location March 4. Tom Kelsey of Lorimont Place Ltd. brokered the real estate for the location at 1329 Southern Expressway. ...

LEICESTER, England (AP) -- He was king of England, but for centuries he lay without shroud or coffin in an unknown grave, and his name became a byword for villainy. But on Monday, scientists announced they had rescued the remains of Richard III from anonymity -- and the monarch's fans hope a revival of his reputation will soon follow...

MIDLAND CITY, Ala. (AP) -- An Alabama family celebrated the rescue of a 5-year-old held hostage for a week in an underground bunker as authorities painstakingly checked for bombs on the abductor's property Tuesday, a day after a police raid left the man dead...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama will ask Congress to come up with tens of billions of dollars in short-term spending cuts and tax revenue to put off the automatic across the board cuts that are scheduled to kick in March 1. Obama will make his request afternoon in a public statement at the White House...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A car door purchased from an out-of-state salvage yard came with an unexpected surprise last week for a Poplar Bluff automotive repair shop -- more than 2 kilograms of pure cocaine with a street value of $150,000. Authorities believe the narcotics came to Missouri by mistake...

A Cape Girardeau man arrested Sunday night in connection to a holdup attempt at a local discount store saw formal charges filed against him Monday. Phil V. Mattingly, 44, was charged with first-degree attempted robbery and armed criminal action, felonies that carry a maximum sentence of 22 years in prison if he's convicted. ...

Another chapter in the ongoing dispute between a Fruitland limestone quarry and a neighboring high school will be written Thursday in the Missouri Eastern District Court of Appeals in St. Louis. Strack Excavating LLC and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Land Reclamation Commission (LRC) are appealing a September decision by Judge William L. ...

Some citywide improvement projects will move ahead in Cape Girardeau with revenue from Isle Casino Cape Girardeau, while a "pay-as-we-go" strategy will be used by the city council to deal with the rest of a planned list in the coming months. About half of the city council's initial list of projects to be funded with $2.2 million in anticipated revenue from the casino were approved unanimously by the council Monday night...

After a tough mid-season stretch that saw the Central girls basketball team lose 10 of 11 games, the Tigers suddenly are rounding back into form. The Tigers, led by Alayah Cooper-Johnson, held off a game group from Seckman to win 51-34 on Monday night, their second straight victory. Cooper-Johnson enjoyed her typical scoreline: 20 points, 13 rebounds, eight steals...

A family of five was left homeless but unhurt Monday, when a fire of unknown origin seared through the upper floor of their Cape Girardeau house. Firefighters responded at about 2 p.m. to 916 N. Fountain St., where a crew of 15 needed just a few minutes to beat down the flames. At one point, though, fire shot through the windows of the two-story building and sent smoke billowing out as neighbors ventured outside to check out the scene...

Nominations are being accepted for the Cape Central High School Athletic Hall-of-Fame. Deadline for submission of nominations is 5 P.M., March 31, 2013. "Nominations should include an accurate and complete resume of the nominee's athletic accomplishments," according to Central Junior High School Athletic Director Terry Kitchen, Hall of Fame Coordinator. ...

Children ages 3 to 5 can learn learn about dinosaurs while having fun at the Prehistoric Playday. The event will give participating children a chance to socialize with others. Games and other activities will be a part of the event. In addition to dinosaurs, children will learn about other prehistoric animals such as the saber-tooth tiger and wooly mammoth...

A bill that would allow school districts within most Missouri counties to exempt themselves from the state's prevailing-wage law is viewed by some as a common-sense measure, but others think it's a first step toward undermining the law entirely. The state's prevailing-wage law establishes a minimum rate that must be paid to workers on projects constructed by or on behalf of state and local public bodies. ...

Children, ages 6-14 years, can begin signing up for the Youth Track Club (formerly Cape Youth Roadrunners), sponsored by the City of Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department. The club will have practices and compete in meets in Cape Girardeau and surrounding area. Children will get to partake in exciting running and jumping track events including sprints and distance runs...

The City of Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department continue their Monthly Dances beginning in February, with music presented by "Country Generation". Participants can enjoy a night of dancing and socializing on Feb. 14 from 7-10 p.m. at the A. C Brase Arena. Mary Pensel will be teaching a new dance at 6 p.m. for those who wish to come early. The admission is $4 per person. Concessions will be available...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Both U.S. senators from Missouri are seeking a meeting with stakeholders in an effort to close a 1,500-foot gap in a Mississippi River levee in Southeast Missouri. Republican Roy Blunt and Democrat Claire McCaskill on Monday expressed dismay at the inability to fix a gap in the St. Johns Bayou and New Madrid Floodway levee. Construction to fix the gap was halted in 2007 due to technical problems with the project's Environmental Impact Statement...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon reversed an $8.5 million funding cut to Missouri public colleges and universities on Monday while citing improved state tax revenue. The funding for higher education institutions, which amounts to about 1 percent of their state allotments, had been blocked by Nixon since the state budget took effect last summer. ...

MIDLAND CITY, Ala. -- Authorities stormed an underground bunker Monday in Alabama, freeing a 5-year-old boy and leaving his increasingly agitated captor dead after a week of fruitless negotiations that left authorities convinced the child was in imminent danger...

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 5, the 36th day of 2013. There are 329 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 5, 1973, services were held at Arlington National Cemetery for U.S. Army Col. William B. Nolde, the last official American combat casualty before the Vietnam cease-fire took effect...

NEW YORK -- The FBI is playing a significant role in the investigation into the death of a New York City woman in Istanbul while on vacation alone, a U.S. congressman said Monday. Rep. Michael Grimm, a former FBI agent, said U.S. investigators were invited by Turkish authorities to assist as they try to find out what happened to Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two who disappeared Jan. ...

NEW YORK -- Add those cute little hedgehogs to the list of pets that can make you sick. In the last year, 20 people were infected by a rare but dangerous form of salmonella bacteria, and one person died in January. The illnesses were linked to contact with hedgehogs kept as pets, according to a report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

Many businesses have realized the benefits of health promotion, and to curb the costs of rising health care they have begun offering wellness programs to their employees. Ideally, the office should be a place that not only protects the safety and well-being of employees but also provides them opportunities for better long-term health...

James C. Roche of near Millersville has filed for first district associate commissioner in Cape Girardeau County; Roche is a leader in opposing a proposed recreational lake in Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties. Former county chief deputy Terri Dee Curtis is seeking $6 million in damages from city and county law-enforcement personnel, alleging they conspired to violate her constitutional rights after an auto accident two years ago...

Firefighters responded the following calls Sunday:...

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

Consent agenda Items removed from consent agenda New ordinances...

MINNEAPOLIS -- President Barack Obama declared Monday on his first trip outside Washington to promote gun control that a consensus is emerging for universal background checks for purchasers, though he conceded a tough road lay ahead to pass an assault weapons ban over formidable opposition in Congress...

The city of Jackson recently completed the Annual Accomplishments Report. The first report came out in 2001 and was initiated by Jim Roach in his first year as city administrator. His idea was that by putting a document in print, each department would take time to evaluate seriously the work accomplished in the previous year. The departments also were asked to state their goals for the upcoming year...

BENTON, Mo. — Velton L. Taylor, 68, of Benton died Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel of Benton.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Louise Sunderman, 85, of Springfield passed away Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. She was born Nov. 20, 1927, at Charleston, Mo., to Ben and Mary Stricker. She and Melvin Sunderman were married April 8, 1953. They moved to Springfield in 1970 from Cape Girardeau. She retired in 1988 with emeritus status from Southwest Missouri State University Health Center. She was an active member of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Church...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Bonnie Shell, 83, of Advance passed away Monday, Feb. 4, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 6, 1929, in Advance, daughter of Wiley Levi and Freeda J. Revelle Winchester. She and Glen Shell were married Feb. 22, 1952...

Kay Bloodworth Shaw, 71, of Shawneetown, formerly of Norfolk, Va., died Monday, Feb. 4, 2013, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 1, 1941, in Norfolk to Robah B. and Ernestine Spady Bloodworth. She married Raymond James Shaw and they had four sons...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Mary Alice Moyer, 80, of Advance passed away Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, at Chaffee Nursing Home. She was born Oct. 1, 1932, in Steele, Mo., daughter of James C. and Maggie Culbertson Cobb. Mary and Harley "Bud" Moyer were married April 12, 1950, in Pocahontas, Ark. Mary was a member of First Baptist Church...

Elizabeth McClary of Jackson, a longtime civic leader and humanitarian-award winner, died Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, after a brief illness, surrounded by her family. She was 97. Named Jackson's first "Leading Lady" in 1959 for her community leadership, she received the Cape County humanitarian award from the Heritage Foundation in 2010. ...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Robert Lee Fowler, 76, of Advance passed away Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, at his home. He was born Aug. 22, 1936, in Advance, son of George W. and Bertie D. Pohlman Fowler. Robert worked as a pipefitter with Local 597 in Chicago for 36 years. ...

BENTON, Mo. -- Bobby Eugene Eskew, 45, of Benton died Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Belleville, Ill. He was born Nov. 19, 1967, in Houston, Mo., to Jimmie Eugene and Tula Barbara Rains Eskew. He and Kathy Eskew were married June 10, 1989, in Winona, Mo...

It's exciting to see young people become involved with good causes, reaching beyond themselves to help others. Some students in Jackson are doing just that with their involvement in the Teens for Jeans drive, a national initiative run by retailer Aéropostale...

DENVER -- It was a startling assertion that seemed an about-face from church doctrine: A Catholic hospital arguing in a Colorado court that twin fetuses that died in its care were not, under state law, human beings. When the two-year-old court filing surfaced last month, it triggered a storm of criticism -- because the legal argument seemed to clash with the church's stance that life begins at conception...

ST. LOUIS -- An attorney for the agency that runs the home of the St. Louis Rams says it is unlikely it will implement the team's plan to upgrade the Edward Jones Dome. Already, there is speculation about a new stadium. Arbitrators ruled last week in favor of the team's plan for upgrading the dome to "top-tier" status as required by the lease agreement with the dome owner, the St. ...

NEW YORK -- Don't blame Beyoncé for blowing the lights out at the Super Bowl. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Monday that the halftime show was not the cause of the power outage that darkened the Superdome for half an hour during Sunday's broadcast...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri education committee estimated Monday it would take about $388 million more to fully fund a proposed formula for distributing state aid to colleges and universities. The Joint Committee on Education is working to develop a higher education funding formula that is similar to that which exists for public school districts. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri Senate committee has conducted a review of the state's numerous tax credit programs and their impact on the state budget. The Senate Appropriations Committee looked at the economic performance and cost of the tax credits Monday before starting work on Gov. Jay Nixon's proposed budget for the 2014 fiscal year...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri senators are proposing to revive an insolvent fund for disabled workers by raising fees on businesses and restricting future claims. A bill debated Monday seeks to replenish the state's Second Injury Fund, which was created 70 years ago. The fund has a deficit of about $25 million that is expected to keep growing...

WASHINGTON -- Senate Democrats, bolstered by Republican support, on Monday launched a new attempt to broaden a law protecting women from domestic abuse by expanding its provisions to cover gays, lesbians and Native Americans. The legislation to renew the Violence Against Women Act appeared on a smooth path toward passage in the Senate, possibly by the end of this week. Monday's vote to make the bill the next order of business was 85-8...

It is sad when people can't separate Fast and Furious from what is happening in our country. There's simply no excuse for a gun that can fire more than 10 bullets automatically. At least that gives you a chance to get out of the theater if you're at one while the person has to reload. President Obama has presented some common sense propositions and any sensible Congress person would vote for it...

Route W in Cape County to close for pipe replacement Route W in Cape Girardeau County, between County Road 616 and Super Bowl, will be closed as Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a pipe under the roadway. Work will be done from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday...

A new study shows how important it is for men to carefully consider treatments for early-stage prostate cancer. Fifteen years after surgery or radiation treatment, nearly all of the older men in the study had some problems having sex. About one-fifth had bladder or bowel trouble, researchers found...

ADAM VOGLER ~ avogler@semissourian.com A towboat moves barges loaded with coal on the Mississippi River on Monday near Cape Girardeau. ...

Daughter to Scott Benjamin and Cassandra Kimberlee Nanney of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 3:44 a.m. Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. Name, Katelynn Ann. Weight, 9 pounds, 3 ounces. Third daughter. Mrs. Nanney is the former Cassandra Mick, daughter of Terry and Tracie Mick of Grand Tower, Ill. She is employed by Aldi. Nanney is the son of Donald and Kathy Nanney of Leopold, Mo. He is employed by Progressive Insurance...

FORT WORTH, Texas -- The Iraq War veteran charged with killing a former Navy SEAL sniper and his friend on a Texas shooting range had to be shocked with a stun gun and restrained in his jail cell overnight after becoming aggressive, a sheriff said Monday...

A Jackson man charged in a large number of burglaries last year has another month to decide whether to withdraw his guilty plea. William Artadi, who pleaded guilty to 13 counts of burglary in November, on Monday had his sentencing hearing continued until March 4 by Judge William Syler. Artadi is being asked whether he wants to withdraw the guilty plea to 13 charges in exchange for the dismissal of another seven...

A meeting for parents of students entering kindergarten in the Kelly School District is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. March 7 at the elementary school gym. Students must attend. The meeting will consist of a bus ride and school tour, and parents will be given an explanation of kindergarten expectations and a school-supply list. Parents will have the opportunity to schedule a screening appointment for March 19 or 20...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A pursuit by the Missouri State Highway Patrol led to the capture of a man wanted in connection with a home invasion and shooting. Highway patrol troopers spotted a vehicle being driven by Rodney Joe Green, 40, of Poplar Bluff, at 12:08 a.m. Sunday on Route AA, three miles east of Poplar Bluff. Green was wanted on two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of armed criminal action...

ZALMA, Mo. -- The Missouri Child Identification Program (MoCHIP) is hosting an ID event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Zalma High School cafeteria, 1 School St. The program is free of charge and provides parents and children with two laminated identification cards, digital photographs, digital fingerprints, child information, emergency contacts and dental bite impressions. The information is put on a disk that is compatible with the Amber Alert system...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff man now faces second-degree murder charges after a man he allegedly assaulted Jan. 15 died Wednesday afternoon. Matthew D. Jenkins, 27, was originally charged with two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of felony armed criminal action in an assault on his parents...

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team will host Ball State at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 in its annual BracketBusters game. All 61 matchups in the BracketBusters event were announced Monday. For the eighth straight year every Ohio Valley Conference squad is participating...

Southeast will honor its 1999-2000 men's basketball team this weekend

CHICAGO -- Any fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved "Little House" books knows how the author's sister Mary went blind: scarlet fever. But it turns out that probably wasn't the cause, medical experts say, upending one of the more dramatic elements in the classic stories...

O Lord God, we praise you, for you are our refuge in the storm. Amen.

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team used a big second half and a big performance from freshman guard Kara Wright to get back in the win column. Southeast pulled away from Monday night's two-point halftime lead to trounce host Austin Peay 69-51 in Clarksville, Tenn., behind Wright's career-high 23 points...

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

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Warning of possible lost jobs and declining revenue for cities and counties, Missouri lawmakers are making another run at reinstating local sales tax on vehicle purchases after Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed an attempt last year. A Senate transportation committee heard testimony Wednesday on the Legislature's most recent proposal that would allow cities and counties to impose a local sales tax on all sales of motor vehicles, trailers, boats and outboard motors but require voters to decide whether to continue levying it.. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The tenure of a University of Missouri curator has come to an end after barely a month. But J. Michael Ponder could get a second chance at serving. Gov. Jay Nixon withdrew his appointment of the Cape Girardeau lawyer to the governing board of the University of Missouri system on Wednesday night...

The public is invited to give feedback on ways to improve services for individuals with disabilities at a meeting next month. Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation is conducting a public hearing from 1 to 3 p.m. March 11 at SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence, 1913 Rusmar Ave. in Cape Girardeau. Input regarding the goals and priorities for Vocational Rehab's upcoming revised state plan is welcome...

Dredging operations by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers along the Mississippi River between Cairo, Ill., and St. Louis have stopped for the season. The dredges Hurley, based in Memphis, Tenn., and Potter, based in St. Louis, have been called home for seasonal maintenance and leave for their crews, the corps said in a news release Tuesday...

A man involved in a slow-speed police pursuit and fatal car crash in October was under the influence of alcohol, according to toxicology reports. The Missouri State Highway Patrol Crime Lab reported that James M. Pyles' blood alcohol level was at .202 of a percent -- more than twice the legal limit for driving -- when he drove his vehicle into a tree on Perryville Road after being pursued by two Cape Girardeau police cruisers Oct. 16, said Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesman Darin Hickey...

The Jackson High School basketball team picked a perfect night to play one of its more complete games this season. The Indians locked down defensively, shared the ball offensively, hit the boards and limited turnovers. It all added up to a resounding 57-43 home victory over arch rival Central...

Josh Vandergraph and his expectant wife returned to their south-side Cape Girardeau home that was in much different shape than when they left it. To use Vandergraph's words, it was trashed. Contents of every closet were spilled onto the floor. Papers rustled in some places wall to wall. Bedroom drawers had been sifted through and tossed into disarray...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A voter photo identification requirement endorsed by a Missouri House committee was derided Tuesday by the head of the Legislative Black Caucus as a "voter suppression" measure akin to a poll tax. The House Elections Committee approved a state constitutional amendment Tuesday that would ask voters whether to allow a photo ID requirement. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri lawmakers Tuesday proposed increasing the state sales tax by a penny for the next decade in order to raise money for transportation needs. Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, and Sen. Ryan McKenna, D-Crystal City, introduced a proposal that would require voter approval to enact and to renew after 10 years. Supporters estimate it would generate nearly $8 billion over a decade and could support more than 250,000 jobs...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A convicted sex offender was arrested for the second time in eight days Tuesday, after police say he moved too close to a Perryville, preschool and refused to move. Nathaniel G. McDorman, 31, was arrested Jan. 31 on two counts of failing to register as a sex offender and a third for moving within 1,000 feet of Caring Corner Preschool at 500 W. North St. in Perryville...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri proposal to ban spy-in-sky drones drew support from agricultural groups and civil liberties advocates Tuesday, though some lawmakers remained skeptical, calling it an overreaction to futuristic fears of snooping...

A study released Monday reported unemployment among people ages 18 to 29 at more than twice the national average. Local job resources are trying to find ways to train young people and connect them with skilled employment opportunities so they don't become another gloomy statistic...

The City of Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department began registration for boys baseball leagues on Feb. 4. Registration continues until Friday, March 15. The baseball leagues are designed for boys who are in between the ages of 5 and 12 years old. The entry fee is $55 for boys ages 5-8, and costs $65 for boys ages 9-12. The entry fee include a uniform shirt, 10 to 12 game season, Babe Ruth League Team registration, and playing equipment...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- Sgt. Jonathan Holt, of Anna, Ill., recently reenlisted in the Missouri National Guard's 1140th Forward Support Company in Cape Girardeau. Holt, who joined the Guard in 2006, said he was attracted to the service because of the discipline and structure it provides in his life...

Snowball which is a great pyrenees had puppys and then I had a goat have twins and snowball decided to help the goat out by keeping them warm.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Senate has endorsed a measure that could speed up state intervention in failing school districts. The bill given initial approval Tuesday night is aimed mainly at the Kansas City School District, which lost its accreditation in January 2012...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A new report shows that health insurance payments for autism-related treatments in Missouri rose by more than 50 percent last year. The Missouri Department of Insurance said more than 2,500 people received treatment covered by insurance for autism spectrum disorders in 2012. Insurance claims for the services increased to $6.6 million from $4.3 million the previous year...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri House advanced a bill Tuesday that would reinstate tax credits for donations to certain charitable organizations. Tax credits on donations to food pantries, pregnancy resource centers and child crisis nurseries have either expired or will expire during 2013, but the measure given first-round approval on a 153-3 vote would reinstate the credits until 2019...

WASHINGTON -- U.S. home prices jumped by the most in 6 1/2 years in December, spurred by a low supply of available homes and rising demand. Home prices rose 8.3 percent in December compared with a year earlier, according to a report Tuesday from CoreLogic, a real estate data provider. That is the biggest annual gain since May 2006. Prices rose last year in 46 of 50 states...

Dreaming youth goalkeeper Paige Brown wondered. SEMO Storm coach Dee Brown realized. And professional soccer instructor Brian Jones recognized. As for parents Rusty and Pam Brown, they drove and drove. The dreams, insight, expertise and dedication will come to fruition today when Jackson High School senior Paige Brown signs a letter of intent to play soccer at the University of Louisville...

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 6, the 37th day of 2013. There are 328 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 6, 1788, Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. On this date: In 1778, the United States won official recognition from France with the signing of a Treaty of Alliance in Paris...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Slumping personal computer maker Dell is bowing out of the stock market in a $24.4 billion buyout that represents the largest deal of its kind since the Great Recession dried up the financing for such risky maneuvers. A complex agreement announced Tuesday will allow Dell Inc.'s management, including eponymous founder Michael Dell, to attempt a company turnaround away from the glare and financial pressures of Wall Street...

AL-MUHARRAQ MONASTERY, Egypt -- Egypt's Coptic patriarch delivered a cautious but unusually sharp criticism of the nation's Islamist leadership Tuesday, dismissing the country's new constitution as discriminatory and rounds of national dialogues sponsored by the president as meaningless...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Flunked, retained, held back. Whatever you call it, increasing numbers of states are not promoting students who are struggling to read at the end of third grade. Thirty-two states have passed legislation designed to improve third-grade literacy, according to the Education Commission of the States. Retention is part of policies in 14 states, with some offering more leeway than others...

Dr. Harold O. Grauel, longtime educator and civic and fraternal leader, has been named the 25th recipient of the Golden Deeds Award from the Cape Girardeau Evening Exchange Club. Southeast Missouri State University English professor Nolan Porterfield has been nominated for a 1988 Grammy Award, to be presented March 2 at Radio City Music Hall in New York; Porterfield has been nominated for "Best Album Notes" for his work with a Smithsonian Recordings album, "Jimmie Rodgers on Record: America's Blue Yodeler.". ...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday:...

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

CAIRO -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Cairo on Tuesday, the first by an Iranian leader in more than three decades, highlights efforts by Egypt's Islamist leader to thaw long frigid ties between the two regional heavyweights. Although the official welcome was warm, there was unscripted discord from Sunni protesters angry about Iran's support for the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, as well as decades of sectarian animosity between Shiite-led Iran and the region's Sunni majority.. ...

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration Tuesday accused Standard & Poor's of refusing to warn investors the housing market was collapsing in 2006 because it would be bad for business. The civil charges against the credit rating agency were the administration's most aggressive action to date against those deemed responsible for contributing to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. They followed years of criticism the government had failed to do enough...

WASHINGTON -- Republicans' struggles to redefine their party are intensifying, as tea party insurgents and establishment Republicans vie to control congressional primaries, and GOP leaders try to expand their focus beyond the deficit. Grassroots conservatives are condemning a new bid by wealthy donors to vet future Senate and House nominees. The donors want to weed out weak and gaffe-prone candidates. But tea party activists fear the real target is uncompromising conservatives...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will go to Israel in the spring, the White House said Tuesday, marking his first visit to the U.S. ally since becoming president. While in the region, Obama will make stops in the West Bank and Jordan. Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the visit to Israel in late January, when Obama congratulated Netanyahu on his success in Israel's recent election. ...

WASHINGTON -- Unlikely allies, business and labor leaders joined in support of the White House's immigration overhaul efforts Tuesday while also launching high-stakes negotiations to overcome an issue that has split them before -- creating a guest-worker program to ensure future immigrants come to the U.S. legally...

Editor's note: The following two letters are in response to the Joyce Johns letter to the editor published Jan. 31. This also is in response to the Johns' response. I ask Johns: Do you ever read the Bible? Immorality does affect everyone sooner or later. ...

Just to let Ms. Johns know, abortion does affect me and has affected this country. Legalized abortion probably has been the main event that started the deterioration of our culture and morals in this country. We used to stand for life and freedom; now we stand for convenience and free stuff. With over 55 million abortions already performed, I consider abortion the ultimate assault weapon...

I am writing in regard to the upcoming decision of Southeast Missouri State University whether to bid out the ownership and operation of Southeast Bookstore to an outside vendor. Thus far, Southeast has maintained an in-house bookstore with a textbook-rental system that allows students to use textbooks for the duration of their classes at a fraction of the cost to purchase them...

With Valentine's Day approaching, many are making plans for the big day. There will be flowers, cards and chocolate. But if you're looking to enhance your marriage or build on your relationship, there's a fun event coming up worth considering. Pastor and author Ted Cunningham will give his Love and Laughter presentation at 7 p.m. Friday at New McKendree South Campus in Jackson. Tickets are $25 for individuals and $35 for couples...

WASHINGTON -- Uncomfortable with the Obama administration's use of deadly drones, a growing number in Congress is looking to limit America's authority to kill suspected terrorists, even U.S. citizens. The Democratic-led outcry was emboldened by the revelation in a newly surfaced Justice Department memo that shows drones can strike against a wider range of threats, with less evidence, than previously believed...

MIDLAND CITY, Ala. -- An Alabama man who held a 5-year-old boy captive for nearly a week engaged in a firefight with SWAT agents storming his underground bunker before he was killed during the rescue operation, the FBI said Tuesday night. Bomb technicians scouring his rural property found two explosive devices, one in the bunker, one in a plastic pipe that negotiators used to communicate with the man...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A quick glance at Larry James' packed resume suggests the retired Army colonel is eminently qualified for a top administrative job at the University of Missouri. He holds a doctorate in counseling psychology from the University of Iowa, is dean of professional psychology at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and coordinated mental health resources at the Pentagon after the Sept. 11 terror attacks as part of a 22-year military career...

Ronald Mack Tuschhoff, 70, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Feb. 4, 2013, at Southeast Hospital. He was born May 6, 1942, in Cape Girardeau, to Edwin and Edna McLaughlin Tuschhoff. He and Janet Marie Green were married Aug. 14, 1965, in Cape Girardeau...

BENTON, Mo. -- Velton Loyd "Pap" Taylor, 68, of Benton died Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 14, 1944, in Morehouse, Mo., to Luner "Rass" and Nettie Pearl Sharkey Taylor. He and Nancy Allene Lemmink were married July 5, 1985...

Nell Rae Nolan, 84, of Pearl, Miss., formerly of Jackson, died Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, at her home. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson, and from 10 a.m. to service time Friday at Iona Baptist Church in Oriole...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Amelia Mary "Miji" Mattingly, 87, of Cairo passed away Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, surrounded by her loving family while on sojourn in Campbell, Calif. She is survived by two brothers, John and Nick, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by a brother, Bill; a sister, Constance; and parents William B. and Constance Dahm Mattingly...

Gene A. Loftis, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013, at Missouri Veterans Home. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

ADVANCE, Mo. — Dennis Jay Limbaugh, 50, of Advance died Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, at his home. A memorial service will be at 6 p.m. today at Full Gospel Tabernacle Church in Advance. Morgan Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

BELL CITY, Mo. -- James Wright DeLay, 90, of Bell City departed this life for his heavenly home Monday, Feb. 4, 2013. Jim was born July 14, 1922, in Tilman, Mo., son of Zelma W. and David C. DeLay. He is survived by one son, Darrell J. DeLay of Advance, Mo.; and three daughters, Avis Holloway and husband Wally of Springfield, Mo., Peggy Beck of Sikeston, Mo., and Diane Frank and husband Chaunce of Nixa, Mo. ...

MOUND CITY, Ill. -- Della M. Kerby, 101, of Charleston, Mo., formerly of Mound City, died Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time today at Massie Funeral Home in Mounds, Ill...

Paul Kenneth Beattie, 95, of Jackson died Monday, Feb. 4, 2013, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 3, 1917, in Jackson to John Albert and Eunice Lillian Hinkle Beattie. Paul graduated from Jackson High School where he was a member of the football team that was undefeated and unscored on in a single season...

NEW YORK -- Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" became the soundtrack for endless viral online fun last year. The song put 27-year-old Jepsen, who finished third on a season of "Canadian Idol," in the spotlight and on a path to potential Grammy gold. The monster hit is nominated for song of the year and best pop vocal performance at the Feb. 10 awards show...

David Axelrod, President's Obama's former senior adviser and patriarch of the Chicago connection with the White House, this week addressed the sad crime wave that engulfs the Windy City. And Axelrod said the words that Obama will not. Axelrod said there were upward of 150,000 active gang members in Chicago, and those gangs are responsible for the 500-plus murders in the city last year...

The real purpose of those pushing for a public, as opposed to a secret, ballot to choose a nominee to fill Jo Ann Emerson's seat is a plutocratic conspiracy to in all elections eliminate the secret ballot so middle and working-class voters can be intimidated by their employers as in the days before the adoption of the secret ballot...

Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Dickey Nutt said senior guard Nick Niemczyk is questionable for this week's two home games after suffering a foot injury during practice early in the week. Nutt said it was feared that Niemczyk broke the foot, but X-rays were negative...

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

MARYSVILLE, Ohio -- A central Ohio man's heart sank when he realized burglars had broken in and stolen a safe holding his most prized possession -- a 300-year-old family Bible. The Bible, written in German Gothic script and containing the handwritten dates of births, deaths and marriages for seven generations of Tim Shier's family, disappeared in the burglary in Marysville, near Columbus, Ohio, in December 2011...

O Lord Jesus, we praise you, for you are forever faithful. Amen.

A recurring nerve injury may cost the Cardinals' right-hander his career.

ST. LOUIS -- The three-week-old star of Budweiser's Super Bowl ad has a name: Hope. Anheuser-Busch on Tuesday said its contest to find a name for the foal born Jan. 16 at the company's Clydesdale ranch in mid-Missouri generated more than 60,000 tweets, Facebook comments and other messages. Hope was one of the more popular names generated through the social media effort...

Stroder averaged 27 points in a pair of victories that sent Leopold to the championship of the Mississippi Valley Conference Tournament last week.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- For a group bent on getting to Washington, the Missouri Republicans seeking to succeed resigned U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson don't have a very favorable impression of their desired destination. They describe Congress as a "dysfunctional" place, spewing a "red menace" of debt that is "crushing this generation" while spending money at an "out-of-control," ''alarming and destructive" rate...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A bipartisan Mississippi River Caucus is being launched in the U.S. Senate in an effort to encourage commerce and address issues such as flood mitigation and navigation concerns. Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri and Democrat Tom Harkin of Iowa announced plans for the caucus on Thursday. It will also seek to help communities along the nation's longest waterway...

Cape Girardeau police were looking for a bank robber Wednesday afternoon, after a local credit union reported that a man handed a note to a teller that said he had a gun. The man entered the Cape Girardeau Regional Credit Union at 2427 Cape Centre Drive at about 3:10 p.m. and demanded money.

A Cape Girardeau physician was indicted and arrested Wednesday on felony charges of mail fraud and passing fake money orders and checks. Byron Cornelius Glenn, 57, was arrested on a five-count indictment on felony counts of passing a fictitious instrument with intent to defraud, one felony count of making a fictitious instrument with intent to defraud, and one felony count of mail fraud, according to a release sent by the United States Attorney's Office Eastern District of Missouri. ...

Luck was certainly not on the side of the Southeast Missouri State softball team last year. Southeast suffered 14 of its 16 Ohio Valley Conference losses by one or two runs. Overall the Redhawks went 4-17 in one-run games. "You look back at all those one-run games. ... it was the difference in the season," said Southeast coach Lana Richmond, whose squad went 25-30 overall and a seventh-place 13-16 in OVC play to miss the six-team conference tournament. "But that was last year."...

Losing 23 seniors from last season means Southeast Missouri State football coach Tony Samuel has to somewhat replenish his roster for the 2013 campaign. Samuel took a major step toward that on Wednesday's opening of the NCAA signing period. Samuel announced the signing of 25 players to letters of intent, including five junior college transfers who are already enrolled at Southeast for the second semester and will participate in spring practice...

The struggling Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team suffered two of its more disappointing losses at SIU Edwardsville and Eastern Illinois during a recent road trip. This week the Redhawks have a chance to avenge those defeats while solidifying their hopes of making the Ohio Valley Conference tournament...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A year ago, Missouri coaches huddled around a television on signing day, listening intently on whether they would be able to nab Dorial Green-Beckham, one of the best recruits in the country. This year's class was much more of a ho-hum affair...

IRVING, Texas -- Caught in an ideological crossfire, the Boy Scouts of America is delaying until May a vote on whether to ease its policy of excluding gays as Scouts and adult leaders. Any eventual decision is likely to anger major constituencies and worsen schisms within Scouting....

BENTON, Mo. -- Appropriate dress will soon be a requirement for court appearances in Benton. Christy Hency, circuit court clerk for Scott County, advised the county commission during its regular meeting Tuesday that she is drafting a dress code for the 33rd Circuit Court in Benton...

WASHINGTON -- Saturday mail soon may go the way of the Pony Express and penny postcards. The Postal Service on Wednesday said that it plans to cut back to five-day-a-week deliveries for everything except packages to stem its financial losses in a world radically reordered by the Internet...

With his guilty plea Wednesday, a Southeast Missouri State University professor said he wasn't cheating -- only trying to. Roger Arpin, a longtime literature professor, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a misdemeanor that added "attempted to" to his original felony that alleged he was cheating at the blackjack tables during a visit to Isle Casino Cape Girardeau in December..

A completed foundation for Cape Girardeau's new $55 million wastewater treatment plant will set the wheels in motion for sewer rates to be re-evaluated in coming months. City engineer Casey Brunke said pilings for the plant's foundation are about 75 percent complete and should be finished by the end of the month...

Cape Central Middle School fifth grade Students of the Month for February are (front row from left) Brionna Lamburth, Kierra Wyatt, Maddy Ritrovato and Cody Henson; (second row) Macee Hoskins, Justin Berger and Kelandria Campbell; (third row) Yeniah Jackson, Tyler Centers, Zach Moore and Kobe Gantt. 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 February are (front row from left) Ayanni Smith, Dashana' Hudson and Mattie Huff; (second row) Darian Huffman, Jaywhun Pressberry, Allison McDonald and Keely Blankenship; (third row) Haylee Kilburn, Erin Nelson, Abigail Reazer and Hayden Smee. SoutheastHEALTH recognizes these students in its role as Central Middle School's Partner in Education...

After each of John Jordan's five election victories, the Cape Girardeau County sheriff has taken an oath he never has taken lightly -- to protect, defend and preserve the U.S. Constitution. That's why, Jordan on Wednesday said, he will refuse to enforce gun-control policies being pushed by President Barack Obama, and it won't be a breach of that promise...

Former bulldogs join forces for Southeast Redhawks softball program

The Notre Dame girls basketball team suffered its second loss in three days to a powerhouse squad. Host Westminster Christian Academy of suburban St. Louis defeated the Bulldogs 65-47 Wednesday night. That came after Dexter beat Notre Dame 74-42 Monday night...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A standing-room-only crowd spilled into Capitol hallways Wednesday to watch a Missouri House committee hearing on a bill that would bar payment of union dues as a condition of employment and make Missouri the nation's 25th "right-to-work" state....

Guns don't kill people, people kill people. It is our constitutional right to own a gun. Everyone should vote no for gun control. Ozone levels It was somewhat disheartening, but not surprising, to read a story that the ozone levels are out of control in Southeast Missouri, and that the establishment is fighting hard to, in my view, keep the EPA pacified so we won't be sanctioned by the EPA while doing nothing to lessen the polluting ozone levels...

A pile of rail cars still litters the field to the west of Highway M just outside of Chaffee, Mo. According to officials with Union Pacific, the cleanup could take up to 60 days to complete...

Today is Thursday, Feb. 7, the 38th day of 2013. There are 327 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 7, 1943, during World War II, the government abruptly announced that rationing of shoes made with leather would go into effect in two days, limiting consumers to buying three pairs per person per year. (Rationing was lifted in October 1945.)...

Do you think you will get a lot of candy for Valentine's Day? Science says you can use the candy to do an experiment that will teach you about density. Materials Instructions STEP 1: Fill half of the transparent container with water...

DENVER -- Two young children and a woman were killed and a third child was wounded in a shooting at a northeast Denver house, police said Wednesday. The shooting appeared to have been isolated and there was no indication a shooter was on the loose, said police Major Crimes Cmdr. Ron Saunier...

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon is cutting its aircraft carrier presence in the Persian Gulf region from two carriers to one, the Defense Department announced Wednesday, in a move that represents one of the most significant effects of budget cuts on the U.S. military presence overseas. The decision comes as Washington struggles to find a way to avoid sharp automatic spending cuts set to strike the Pentagon and domestic programs next month...

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- A massage therapist is facing allegations in three separate venues that he secretly videotaped women as they changed clothes. Kirk Jackson, 38, of St. Charles faces 19 charges of invasion of privacy. In St. Charles County, authorities allegedly found 140 videos of women in bathroom stalls, tanning beds and massage therapy rooms...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Amid warnings of possible lost jobs and declining revenue for cities and counties, Missouri lawmakers are making another run at reinstating local sales tax on vehicle purchases after Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed an attempt last year...

HOUSTON -- A federal appeals court has refused an appeal from a Missouri man condemned for the slayings of a Texas Tech University dean and an 18-year-old Lubbock woman 12 years ago. The ruling late Tuesday from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals moves 41-year-old Vaughn Ross a step closer to execution for the fatal shootings of 53-year-old Douglas Birdsall and Viola McVade...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Authorities found a frail 17-year-old boy handcuffed to a pole in his parents' Kansas City basement, where he said he'd been kept since his father withdrew him from school in September. Police said Wednesday they hadn't turned over any of their findings to prosecutors for consideration of possible charges. Police have not released the names of anyone involved in the case. The teen was placed in the custody of child services...

Son to Roger P. and Michelle A. Hastings of McClure, Ill., Southeast Hospital, 2:48 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012. Name, Michael Paul. Weight, 3 pounds 9 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Hastings is the former Michelle Buckingham, daughter of Judy Buckingham of Scott City. She is employed at Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. Hastings is the son of Sibra Glover of Jackson and Everett Hastings of Round Rock, Texas...

John and Evelyn Boardman have purchased three old brick buildings in the 100 block of Independence on the southeast corner of Independence and Spanish streets; the couple plans to renovate the buildings for use as their residence, as well as for John Boardman's architectural office and Evelyn Boardman's Madder Rose Antiques store...

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

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

Nell Rae Nolan, 84, of Pearl, Miss., formerly of Jackson, passed away Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013, at her home. She was born May 9, 1928, in New Hebron, Miss., daughter of James W. and Lessie Cliburn Netherland. She and Robert R. Nolan were married May 9, 1947, in Jackson, Miss. He passed away July 2, 1996...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Amelia Mary "Miji" Mattingly, 87, of Cairo passed away Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, surrounded by her loving family while on sojourn in Campbell, Calif. She is survived by two brothers, John and Nick, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by a brother, Bill; a sister, Constance; and parents William B. and Constance Dahm Mattingly...

Dr. Gene A. Loftis, 84, of Cape Girardeau passed from death to eternal life at Missouri Veterans Home Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013, after a long battle with lymphoma and Parkinson's disease. He was born Aug. 27, 1928, in Ada, Okla., to Marroll F. and Ruth Gladys Sterling Loftis. Gene graduated from Lorenzo High School in Lorenzo, Texas...

Lorraine Lucille Bagwell, 84, of Pilot Knob, Mo., formerly of Jackson, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013, in Crystal City, Mo. She was born Jan. 29, 1929, in St. Louis, daughter of Clifford and Dorothy Steimke Bonenberger. She and Joe Thomas Bagwell were married June 7, 1959. He preceded her in death Oct. 16, 1993...

Most competitions have a winner and a loser. And while we all love to win, for a group in Chaffee, Mo., the goal is to win by losing weight. A recent story in the Scott County Signal by Samantha Kluesner highlighted Chaffee's Biggest Loser group. (The story was reprinted Jan. 20 in the Southeast Missourian Good Times section.) The group is on a mission to collectively lose 1,000 pounds by May 1...

WASHINGTON -- A Senate hearing on John Brennan's nomination to head the CIA could lay bare some parts of the secret war against al-Qaida: lethal drone strikes from covert bases against even American terror suspects, harsh interrogation methods and long detention of suspects without due process...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Mathematicians at the University of Central Missouri have identified the largest prime number yet, but good luck remembering it. The university on Wednesday said that a group led by computer science and mathematics professor Curtis Cooper found the 17 million-digit prime number last month. It is the 48th known Mersenne prime and is the third discovered at the 11,800-student university in Warrensburg, about 50 miles east of Kansas City...

The following local students have been awarded scholarships to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 2013-2014 academic year: Tetley named good citizen Tana Tetley of Scott City was named a good citizen by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Tetely was recognized for her dependability, service, leadership and patriotism. She is the daughter of Danny and Belinda Tetley and attends Scott City High School...

TODAY NEW MOVIES EVENTS FRIDAY EVENTS Saturday Sunday Next week New Movies Games CDs DVDs...

The Cape Girardeau County Commission will not meet according to its normal schedule today because of a lack of a quorum. Vicki Ivy, the commission's assistant, said none of the three commissioners will be able to meet. The commission normally meets Monday and Thursday mornings at the Cape Girardeau County administrative offices in Jackson...

ESPN the Magazine senior editor Keith Reed will speak at Southeast Missouri State University's Michael Davis Lecture. The lecture is free and scheduled for noon, Feb. 20 at Rose Theatre on Southeast's campus. Reed edits and assigns articles in print and digital editions for the magazine. ...

TUNIS, Tunisia -- Shaken by the assassination of a prominent leftist opposition leader that unleashed major protests, Tunisia's prime minister announced Wednesday he would form a new government of technocrats to guide the country to elections "as soon as possible."...

ACAPULCO, Mexico -- Armed, masked men who raped six Spanish tourists in the Mexican resort of Acapulco spared the lone Mexican woman in the group because of her nationality, adding yet another macabre twist to the case that has further hurt the resort's already battered reputation...

Lord Jesus, may we guard the words we say and honor you in all things. Amen.

PAWTUCKET, R.I. -- The Scottie dog has a nemesis in Monopoly after fans voted in an online contest to add a cat token to the property trading game, replacing the iron, toy maker Hasbro Inc. announced Wednesday. Results were announced after the shoe, wheelbarrow and iron were neck and neck for elimination in the final hours of voting that sparked passionate efforts by fans to save their favorite tokens, and by businesses eager to capitalize on publicity surrounding pieces that represent their products.. ...

After a lifetime of adversity, a local teen has managed to work his way through the Boy Scouts to attain Eagle Scout status in just four years. Seventeen-year-old Brian Bailey of Benton, Mo., did not start off with the typical Boy Scout experience. Bailey joined the group at 14, not long after his adoption, completely missing the early Cub Scout years typical of the road taken to Eagle Scout...

Associated Press TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- The organizers of Christian Fashion Week have a message: modest does not equal frumpy. "A lot of the designers we talked with looked at the challenge as a creative challenge," said Jose Gomez, who, along with his wife and another couple, is organizing the event. "How do we push the boundaries -- with boundaries?"...

Marland Smith got his record and Nino Johnson got back on track. More importantly for the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team, the Redhawks got back in the win column. "That was the main thing, getting that win," Smith said. Southeast snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the second time in its last nine games, beating SIU Edwardsville 76-67 to avenge a recent road defeat...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- According to police, Douglas Mitchell sped away from the traffic stop because he thought they had a warrant for his arrest. They didn't. But they obtained one Thursday after they say the Cape Girardeau man's decision resulted in a high-speed chase in two counties, made more worrisome by the 3-year-old girl riding in his back seat....

Sixteen months after its eviction from Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, Commander Premier Aircraft Corp. is still on the premises while tied up in bankruptcy court, blocking efforts to market the property to new tenants. John Mehner, president of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, which began providing regional economic development services though a contract with Magnet in December, said the organization has not been able to directly market the 52,000-square-foot hangar because it is not yet available. ...

NEW YORK -- A Bangladesh native accused of trying to blow up the Federal Reserve Bank in New York with what he thought was a 1,000-pound car bomb pleaded guilty Thursday to terrorism charges stemming from an FBI sting."I had intentions to commit a violent jihadist act," Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, a former student at Southeast Missouri State University, said in a soft voice while entering the plea in federal court in Brooklyn...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Spc. Dalton Toombs, of Marble Hill, took first place for the third time in the Welterweight Class of the recent 2013 Missouri National Guard Combatives Tournament at Lincoln University. "It felt really good to win again," said Toombs, who enjoyed the chance to fight in front of many Missouri Guard leaders in attendance. "Everyone is expecting you to win, and it feels good to know I didn't let them or myself down."...

A tractor-trailer that turned over on its side hindered traffic on northbound Interstate 55 in Cape Girardeau. The wreck was near the South Kingshighway exit from I-55. One northbound lane was blocked, and traffic was moving slowly, with cars backed up in a long line...

Police have arrested a suspect in an early Thursday morning stabbing on Lorimier Street. Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesman Darin Hickey said police received the call at about 1:40 a.m. They arrived at 324 S. Lorimier St. to discover a woman had been stabbed in the shoulder and the back of the neck. Hickey said the injuries were not life-threatening...

Today is Friday, Feb. 8, the 39th day of 2013. There are 326 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 8, 1973, Senate leaders named seven members of a select committee to investigate the Watergate scandal, including its chairman, Sen. Sam J. Ervin, D-N.C...

Elmer Ralph Stroud, 86, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Visitation will be from 2 p.m. until time of service Saturday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 6 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be at a later date in Sullivan, Mo...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Lydia C. Schubert, 94, of Perryville died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at her home. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until time of service Monday at Immanuel Lutheran Church. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the church, with the Rev. Thomas Handrick officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Charles Henry Jordan, 76, passed away Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at his homein Tamms. He was born June 23, 1936, in Elco, Ill., son of Omer and Avis Watkins Jordan. Charles was a retired truck driver and taught at Tamms Vocational School. He was a member of Goodwill Gospel Quartet. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Lee Michael Hogendobler, 27, of Waterloo, Ill., succumbed to the effects of adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), passing away peacefully Monday, Feb. 4, 2013, at Red Bud Regional Care in Red Bud, Ill. He was born June 6, 1985, in Sikeston, son of Charlotte Ivie and David Hogendobler...

Alphia Hoeh, 96, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at Southeast Hospital. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until time of service Monday at McCombs Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. at the funeral home, with the Rev. Mark Malone officiating. Burial will be in Cape County Memorial Park...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Buddy Hardin Dock, 73, died Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013, at his home near Sikeston. He was born May 7, 1939, at Malden, Mo., son of the late William A. and Audrey E. Hardin Dock. Buddy was a resident of the area most of his life and worked as a bricklayer; a route salesman for Swift Premium, Sealtest and Hart's Bakery; a truck driver for Reliable Freight; and most recently as a driver for Scott County Transit. ...

Nancy K. Cox, 58, of Crawfordsville, Ind., formerly of Cape Girardeau, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013, at Indiana University Health Arnett Hospital in Lafayette, Ind. She was born Sept. 21, 1954, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Clyde and Dorothy Fuller Dunn...

It's easy to create a conspiracy. All you need is Internet access and a fertile mind. This is why I am able to document the evolution of the conspiracy in New Orleans on Super Bowl Sunday that led to the now famous power outage -- the one officials were unable to explain days after the lights went out...

March Madness will be here soon. As we prepare for this year's tournament, those who have followed Southeast Missouri State basketball likely will recall the university's team from the 1999-2000 season. The team finished the regular season as co-champions of the Ohio Valley Conference, won the conference tournament and participated in the NCAA's premier college basketball tournament...

BOSTON -- A blizzard of potentially historic proportions threatened to strike the Northeast with a vengeance today, with 1 to 2 feet of snow feared along the densely populated Interstate 95 corridor from the New York City area to Boston and beyond...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A 150-foot-wide asteroid will come remarkably close to Earth next week, even closer than high-flying communication and weather satellites. It will be the nearest known flyby for an object of its size. But don't worry. Scientists promise the megarock will be at least 17,100 miles away when it zips past next Friday...

LOS ANGELES -- An ex-Los Angeles police officer who, authorities say, went on a killing spree to punish those he blamed for his firing, killed three people, set off a manhunt that stretched across three states and into Mexico and stirred fear throughout the region...

SYDNEY -- Aid workers struggled to reach remote, tsunami-ravaged villages in the Solomon Islands and the death toll rose to at least nine as more bodies were found in wrecked homes and debris in the South Pacific country. A strong aftershock rocked the islands Friday morning...

CAIRO -- One hardline Muslim cleric on an Egyptian TV station justified sexual assaults on women protesters. Others issued religious edicts saying opposition leaders must be killed. Television screeds by ultraconservative sheiks are raising fears of assassinations a day after a top anti-Islamist politician was gunned down in Tunisia...

TEHRAN, Iran -- American proposals for direct talks with Iran are pointless while Washington is "holding a gun" to the country through sanctions, Iran's supreme leader said Thursday, quashing a possible breakthrough in contacts with the West over the nuclear standoff...

ST. LOUIS -- The U.S. Senate is launching a bipartisan Mississippi River Caucus in an effort to encourage commerce and address issues like flood mitigation and navigation concerns, two senators said on Thursday. Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri and Democrat Tom Harkin of Iowa announced plans for the caucus that also will seek to help communities along the nation's longest waterway...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Legislation outlined Thursday by Democrats would charge people with a crime for possessing marijuana, but some offenders could have their convictions removed from their record by fulfilling the terms of softened sentences...

WASHINGTON -- Nominated to head the CIA, John Brennan told a protest-disrupted Senate confirmation hearing Thursday the United States employs drone strikes only as a deterrent against imminent terrorist threats, not as punishment for previous actions, firmly defending the controversial attacks that have killed three Americans and an unknown number of foreigners...

U.S. Sen. John Danforth, speaking to a group of 150 supporters at the Holiday Inn in Cape Girardeau, declares he will wage an aggressive re-election campaign focusing on the federal budget deficit, international trade and foreign policy. Raymond Pensel, coordinator of federal projects for the Cape Girardeau School District, has announced plans to retire at the end of this school year, paving the way for the district to hire a new director of elementary education...

STEELE, Mo. -- A 56-year-old Steele woman was killed in a mobile home fire Wednesday morning. The fire broke out just before noon, according to the Steele police chief Billy Joe Stanfield. When the firefighters and police arrived on the scene, the mobile home was engulfed in flames and thick smoke. ...

The Missouri Supreme Court has been asked to assign a new judge for an Arkansas man charged with stealing a car and then intentionally hitting a group of joggers in Cape Girardeau. Vincent Anderson, a 19-year-old from Little Rock, pleaded not guilty last month to felony charges of assault and vehicle tampering, which could send him to prison for up to 22 years. ...

A 19-year-old Cape Girardeau man has been arrested on burglary charges after police say his fingerprints were lifted from a crime scene Christmas Eve. Floyd M. Young was being held Thursday in connection to one break-in on South Hanover Street in December, but police spokesman Darin Hickey said on Thursday they haven't ruled out the possibility he may have been involved in a string of burglaries that have taken place since...

Cape Girardeau fire officials released details about house fire on Hawthorne Road near Arena Park, including that the flames were sparked by a child playing with matches. Firefighters responded to the fire just after 6 p.m. Sunday at a duplex at 2741 Hawthorne Road and determined later it had started in a closet, chief Rick Ennis said Tuesday. ...

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Fighter jets from the U.S. and two key allies roared into western Pacific skies Thursday in the combat phase of annual exercises that have gained importance as the region responds to the rise of China and other potential threats...

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

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

These are the candidates who will by vying for votes from the GOP 8th District Committee on Saturday in Van Buren, Mo. A former congressman from Willow Springs, Mo., Bailey repeatedly has said he wants the nomination only so that he may serve the remainder of Emerson's term, setting up a 2014 primary as a level playing field for all candidates...

Southeast Missouri State University choral alumni are hosting the first Choral Reunion Concert and Reception on March 16 at Southeast's River Campus. The concert is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the Bedell Performance Hall, and a reception will follow. ...

More than 500 area junior, middle and high school students will gather in Cape Girardeau this weekend to join Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Music in the 15th annual Clark Terry/Phi Mu Alpha Jazz Festival. The festival kicked off Thursday with the music department's second concert of the 2013 Jazz Series, featuring the Jazz Sultans -- a university faculty jazz combo -- and guest performer, jazz pianist Reggie Thomas...

n Notre Dame senior catcher Chase Simmons signed a letter of intent to play baseball at perennial junior college power Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Mo., on Wednesday. Simmons was all-conference his junior season. Jefferson College has made consecutive appearances in the Junior College World Series...

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

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team finally got back in the victory column during its most recent game. Saturday the Redhawks will shoot for a two-game winning streak against the Ohio Valley Conference's first-place squad that recently beat Southeast by 20 points...

Jackson State defeated the Redhawks 1-0 with a walk-off double in the seventh inning

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Fabyon Harris had 17 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer with 12 seconds left, to help Texas A&M to a 70-68 victory over No. 21 Missouri on Thursday night. The loss dropped the Tigers (16-6, 5-4 Southeastern Conference) to 0-5 in true road games. They have won three games at neutral sites this season...

ST. LOUIS -- Petr Mrazek made 26 saves in his NHL debut, leading the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night. Detroit halted a two-game skid with its second win in three tries against St. Louis this season...

WASHINGTON -- The government should reassess its safety approval of the Boeing 787 lithium ion batteries, the nation's top accident investigator said Thursday, casting doubt on whether the airliner's troubles can be quickly remedied. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating last month's battery fire in a Japan Airlines 787 "Dreamliner" while it was parked in Boston. ...

WASHINGTON -- The United States is at risk of becoming a second-rate power if automatic budget cuts go into effect, plunging U.S. armed forces into the most significant readiness crisis they've faced in more than a decade, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Thursday...

NEW YORK -- A New York exhibition of art inspired by superstorm Sandy is being included in a larger look at how artists respond creatively to natural disasters. The "After Affects" exhibition features works by more than 20 artists and is opening Friday at a gallery in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood...

This is just a suggestion, but something really needs to been done. Sometimes I have had to wait through two or three or more light changes before I can get through. Ozark trees It was reported that the EPA finds high levels of ozone in Southeast Missouri because of winds blowing from Chicago. ...

Cape Girardeau has French in its blood, from the city's name to its downtown architecture. Naturally, Mardi Gras has long been celebrated here. A new Mardi Gras tradition continues this year with the fourth annual Mardi Gras Bash at 7 p.m., today at The Venue. Shades of Soul and The Intention will perform. Call 651-6681 or visit capegirardeauvenue.com for information and tickets...

Lord God, may we always pursue righteousness and love others as you love us. Amen.

WASHINGTON -- New research pinpoints how the torch passed from one dominant creature on Earth to another, from the brutish dinosaur to the crafty mammal. Two studies published Thursday in the journal Science better explain the Earthshaking consequences of a catastrophic cosmic collision 66 million years ago when a comet or asteroid smashed into the Gulf of Mexico...

More than a dozen would-be candidates for Congress have traveled many miles to ensure their messages are heard. Since early December, they've talked in living rooms, coffee shops and auditoriums. They've garnered endorsements, sent video advertisements, assembled teams of supporters and stuffed mailboxes across the 8th Congressional District...

The Heartland Writers Guild (HWG) meets Sunday February 17 at The Steck House, next door to the Presbyterian Church in Jackson at 2 pm. Mary Rechenberg, president will introduce Carol Fisher, published author from Kennett, and Guest Editor for a coming issue of Missouri Folklore Journal who will lead a workshop on editing one's writing to make it more interesting. Bring three examples of your writing for your use...

Fox checking out the area near the bird feeder.

Today is Saturday, Feb. 9, the 40th day of 2013. There are 325 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 9, 1943, the World War II battle of Guadalcanal in the southwest Pacific ended with an Allied victory over Japanese forces...

With construction of a 1,800-foot slackwater harbor nearly finished, commissioners of the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority have finalized plans for a dock facility; the $2 million dock will be located in the middle of the harbor, rather than near the harbor's mouth...

HICKMAN, Ky. -- Kentucky transportation officials said the Dorena-Hickman ferry connecting Kentucky and Missouri is closed because of high winds and high water on the Mississippi River. According to a news release from the Kentucky Department of Transportation, the captain of the ferry reported southeast winds were at about 20 miles per hour Sunday, which is creating hazardous conditions...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- They stood and stated why their candidates should be chosen -- citing values, positions on issues, status and time in the party, their likability, or lack thereof. Ten Republicans each nominated a candidate Saturday, but only some could stand by their choice through the morning and afternoon...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- It's usually a sleepy place this time of year. The rolling Ozark hills of Carter County are sparsely populated, good for producing timber. Van Buren, the county seat, has a population listed at just north of 800. It comes to life every summer when the floaters enjoy themselves on the Current River and the Jolly Cone opens for business....

BENTON, Mo. -- Lacking the suspense of the GOP meeting, the Libertarian Party's meeting to nominate its candidate for the 8th Congressional District special election created an opportunity for the party's man to talk policy and politics. Bill Slantz was unanimously nominated Saturday to be his party's candidate in a June 4 special election to replace former U.S. representative Jo Ann Emerson....

Cape Girardeau police fielded three more burglary calls Thursday, adding to an already high total for the year, now near 60. Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesman Darin Hickey said a man told police when he came home at 7:45 a.m. Thursday after being gone all night he found his door kicked in and a laptop computer stolen. Belongings were scattered about the apartment at 2427 Lexington Ave., Hickey said...

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to a call of a flue fire at 11:21 p.m. Thursday 2205 Cambridge Drive. Upon arrival, no evidence of fire was visible from the exterior, but firefighters observed smoke coming from the fireplace area, according to a news release by Mark Starnes, battalion chief. A fire in the wall between the basement and the first floor was discovered and extinguished after "extensive overhaul" to the interior of the house...

Southeast Missourian ~ The Cape Girardeau Public Works Department and the Jackson Sanitation Department will operate on holiday schedules in observance of Presidents Day. For Cape Girardeau, Feb. 18 trash and recycling routes will run Feb. 19; Feb. 19 routes will run Feb. 20; and there will be no special pickups Feb. 20. All other days will run on normal schedules. For more information, contact the department at 339-6351...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Bernie, Mo., man charged in connection with a 2010 murder has been declared mentally retarded and incompetent to stand trial. Allen McCoy, accused in the June 2010 murder of 67-year-old Aubrey Lee Finch of Bernie, appeared in court Wednesday as a result of the filing of three medical opinions regarding his mental state...

Marland Smith leads Southeast's 3-point barrage in 77-64 win over Eastern Illinois

By Julie Pace Associated Press WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will focus his State of the Union address on boosting job creation and economic growth at a time of high unemployment, underscoring the degree to which the economy could threaten his ability to pursue second-term priorities such as gun control, immigration policy and climate change...

Wayne Hoffman farms corn, beans, wheat and cattle in north Cape Girardeau County, "a little bit of everything" so that he can get by. Because of drought losses last year, he filed for reimbursement from the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program [NAP]...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- New Englanders and New Yorkers began the job of digging out from as much as 3 feet of snow Saturday, and emergency crews used snowmobiles to reach shivering motorists stranded overnight on New York's Long Island after a howling storm swept across the Northeast...

An argument between neighbors escalated into a shooting that left two dead Thursday night at a Cape Girardeau apartment building, police said Friday. Prosecutors charged Kenneth D. Bell Jr., 22, of Cape Girardeau, with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of armed criminal action Friday. Officers found Shannon D. James, 43, and Misty D. Cole, 39, dead from multiple gunshot wounds, Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton said. ..

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- He needed 50 votes. He received 55. Jason Smith described the range of emotions he endured through six rounds of voting. "It was like a roller coaster," Missouri's House speaker pro tem said minutes after he emerged the winner of the 8th Congressional District's Republican nomination as chosen by an 84-member committee Saturday in Van Buren. "It was like going through six elections in one day."

Our Goldendoodle Puppies hanging out on their favorite couch

ST. LOUIS -- Two veteran St. Louis police officers fatally shot a man who pointed a gun in their direction during the city's annual Mardi Gras celebration. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the officers were working secondary security jobs for the all-day street party at 2:30 p.m. Saturday when they responded to shots fired south of the Mardi Gras zone...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce and police chief Sam Dotson are pushing for establishment of a so-called gun court. The proposal, outlined in an op-ed piece in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, would funnel all gun crime cases through two judges. The city leaders are asking Missouri lawmakers to approve establishment of the "Armed Offender Docket."...

Following a slow start to the season, things are quickly rounding into shape for the Jackson boys basketball team. The Indians followed Friday night's thrilling 53-51 win at New Madrid County Central with another strong effort Saturday, defeating Poplar Bluff 71-58 behind Blake Reynolds' 25 points...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The state's largest bricks-and-mortar college wants to make it easier for students to earn degrees without leaving home. The University of Missouri's flagship campus in Columbia on Friday announced a $2.5 million expansion of its online degree programs, including master's degrees in public health and public affairs and a bachelor's degree in educational studies...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A bill introduced in the Missouri Senate would explicitly give women the right to breast-feed in public. State law requires that women breast-feed in public "with as much discretion as possible." The proposed bill would remove that phrase from the law. It emphasizes that breast-feeding is not sexual conduct or indecent exposure...

Today is Sunday, Feb. 10, the 41st day of 2013. There are 324 days left in the year. This is the Chinese New Year of the Snake. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 10, 1763, Britain, Spain and France signed the Treaty of Paris, ending the Seven Years' War (also known as the French and Indian War in North America)...

Amanda Michelle Catalano and Matthew Thomas Cuba were married Aug. 4, 2012, at Sanctuary on the River in Ruidoso, N.M. Marshall McKay and Sandy Adams performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Steve Catalano of Vancouver, Wash., and the late Sonda Catalano. The groom is the son of Richard and Rhonda Cuba of Cape Girardeau...

BENTON, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Margrabe of Benton will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary Thursday. Margrabe and Mary Heuring were married Feb. 14, 1953, at St. Denis Catholic Church, by the Rev. Schmalle. Their attendants were the late Ellen LaCroix, the late Mary Ann Curtis, the late Herman Joe Ressel, and Tom Enderle...

The brown recluse spider is a spider worth knowing. Its bite often is painless but venomous, and medical attention is advised as soon as a spider bite is suspected. At the location of the bite a red area may develop and wasting of tissue can ensue. The brown recluse is not an aggressive spider. It does not like to venture out into daylight, preferring to retreat to dark shadowy places. If harassed it can run quickly, but most often it will move slowly and cautiously...

The annual Run-Ride for Ragan raised $12,000 for the American Cancer Society. The event was done in honor of Ragan Ward Neilson. The funds will be used to help area cancer patients for necessary items and provide mammograms for patients in need. Presenting were Terri Baker, Tracy Blattner, Barb Ward, Robert Ward, Cathy Willen, Roberta Patterson, Judy Nordman, Carla Bittle and Nancy Hess...

It seems just about everyone with a Louisiana pedigree has a secret recipe for making the region's signature dish -- red beans and rice. Which makes it a bit like chili and barbecue. Any time you try to write a recipe for it, no matter how you make it, no matter what you put in it, folks will line up to tell you that you got it wrong. It's one of the things that makes tradition-rich recipes such as this so wonderful. People really care about what goes in the pot...

Angel is a 2-year-old domestic medium-length female cat who loves to sit on your lap. For more information, call The Humane Society at 334-5837. ...

Grace is a 10-year-old white cat. She is a very nice kitty, and and it would be amazing to Grace if she was given a chance at a second home. For more information, contact Safe Harbor at 243-9823. ...

Do you raise a child, or do you allow him to grow himself and make most decisions on his own? When he chooses to skip ball practice simply because he doesn't choose to appear, do you allow him to stay home because, "He doesn't want to go?" Are you bothered when your children say, "I hate you, everybody else is doing it," or "You are the worst parent alive?" Do you feel guilty when he says, "Everybody in my class has an iPhone except me," then find out he's wrong...

Love is in the air. Everywhere you look for the next several days will be an ad somewhere trying to convince you the product they are selling will be the best tool to convince your significant other to be in love with you. The Bible has much to say about love and expressing it. ...

Happy birthday, Lexie! Today is our daughter's 16th birthday. We have gone through a wild and exciting time of transition from a love of black and white cows, the Wizard of Oz, Wicked the musical, Glee and a myriad bands and musical groups, to now being able to drive a car. My goodness, I find myself wondering where all that time went. It has been an absolutely wonderful 16 years and our lives are greatly changed for the better because of her...

MONDAY--Chicken chunks & breadstick, broccoli & cheese or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, pears. TUESDAY--Mini tacos, southwest baked beans or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, pink applesauce. WEDNESDAY--Barbecued chicken drumsticks & sweet cornbread, au gratin potatoes or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, mixed fruit cup...

By Gary Clothier Question: Charlie Parker was one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time. His nickname was "Bird." What's with the nickname? K.J., Roswell, Ga. Answer: Charles Parker Jr. (1920-1955) picked up the nickname "Yardbird" early in his career. ...

Working to get a meal is something dogs were born to do. "If dogs were out in the wild they'd be spending most of their time hunting for food," says trainer Joan Mayer of Santa Barbara, Calif. But for many of our dogs, mealtime is over in a minute or two. Then what? They look for something else to do...

Looking for an easy way to impress this Valentine's Day? Consider a simple -- but still sensational -- chocolate bark. As treats go, it doesn't get much easier than this. And the best part is that there are infinite ways to personalize the bark. You know, so that you can show that you really do listen to your significant other and care enough to cater to his or her tastes...

My goal was simple -- a weeknight-friendly pork dish that was all about sticky-sweet-savory deliciousness. Neither take-out nor heavy lifting would be allowed, and versatility was a must. The solution called for something that could marinate all day -- or even all night and all day. ...

NEW YORK -- "Being Mandela," a new series premiering Sunday on COZI TV, invites U.S. audiences into the lives of Zaziwe Dlamini-Manaway and Swati Dlamini, the fashionable, 30-something granddaughters of Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. The 94-year-old former South African president does not appear in the series, but his controversial ex-wife -- "Big Mommy" to her grandchildren -- does, and seems to relish it...

Eva Hillis has a passion for helping others. As the executive director for Love In the Name of Christ, she's worked alongside volunteers from various churches to help those who have hit hard times. In this week's Ministry Focus, Hillis shares some of the organization's highlights from its first five years...

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. -- A law enforcement officer said authorities found weapons in the burned-out pickup truck of the former Los Angeles police officer who's wanted in three killings. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing...

Members of the Cape Girardeau Board of Education hope to reduce the district's costs for operation of the Cape Girardeau Central High School swimming pool; while public schools use the pool just 25 percent of the time during the school year, the city and district have a contract that specifies that neither party pay less than 40 percent of the operating costs...

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

CHICAGO -- Hundreds of mourners and dignitaries including first lady Michelle Obama packed a funeral Saturday for a Chicago honor student whose killing catapulted her into the nation's debate over gun violence. Yet one speaker after another remembered 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton not so much as a symbol but as a best friend, an excellent student with dreams of going to college and a sometimes goofy girl with a bright smile and big personality. ...

Much has been made recently about the U.S. Constitution and its amendments. Every day, people debating public policy on Facebook or in online forums and those who are raising their voices at bars or coffee shops -- they are practicing their right to free speech, as outlined in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. ...

By Steven C. Bjelich Lawmakers in Missouri have a rare opportunity in the coming months to positively affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of state residents when they discuss expanding the state's Medicaid program. Medicaid, which provides health insurance to low-income individuals and families, is a program of shared responsibility by the federal and state governments...

Ella Louise Woeltje, 91, of Jackson died Saturday, Feb 9, 2013, at the Monticello House in Jackson. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Connection Point General Baptist Church in Jackson. Burial will be in Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson...

Elmer Ralph Stroud, 86, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Sullivan, Mo., died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 6, 1927, in West Point, Miss., to Elmer Raleigh and Grace Irene Deckard Stroud. He graduated from Caruthersville High School in 1942. Stroud was a veteran of World War II, serving in the Army...

Alan Ruesler, 53, of Friedheim died Saturday, Feb. 9, 2012, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

COMMERCE, Mo. -- John Wayne Melton, 64, of Commerce died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at Hunter Acres Caring Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born Aug. 28, 1948, in Cape Girardeau, to John "Jay" and Justine T. Kuss Melton. Melton worked at Melton's 66 Service Station in Cape Girardeau, which was owned by his parents...

Joseph W. "Joey" Kilhafner, 33, of Jackson passed away in Poplar Bluff, Mo. He was born Aug. 31, 1979, in St. Petersburg, Fla., to William M. "Mike" and Michele A. Seely Kilhafner. Joey attended Immaculate Conception Grade School and was a 1997 graduate of Jackson High School. ...

Alphia Sophia Hoeh, 96, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at Southeast Hospital. She was born May 7, 1916, in Oak Ridge, daughter of Charles and Josephine Dambach Ludwig. She and Rudolph E. Hoeh were married Sept. 6, 1942, in Des Peres, Mo. He preceded her in death June 29, 1985...

ANNA, Ill. -- Charlene Wing Gates, 87, of Anna, formerly of Springfield, Ill., died Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, at the Anna Rehab and Care Center. Graveside funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at the Sunset Lawn Cemetery in Harrisburg, Ill., with Bill Littrell officiating. Interment will be in Sunset Lawn Cemetery...

Wanda L. Duty, 79, died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, at her home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Friday, May 12, 1933, in Oneida, Tenn., to the late Everett and Hessie Juanita Waters Daugherty. She and William Duty were married Friday, May 3, 1957, in Commerce, Texas. Duty was a member of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Nancy Hunter Chapter in Cape Girardeau...

Melanie Sue Stickel Cook, 23, of Scott City passed away Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 19, 1989, in Cape Girardeau, the daughter of Dale Edward and Heidi Lee Sturm Stickel. She married Christopher Cook on July 7, 2012, at Scott City, and he survives...

Clement Oscar Birk, 94, of Chesterfield, Mo., formerly of Cape Girardeau, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013, at St. Luke's Hospital in Chesterfield. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson...

Verna Bilek, 80, of Millersville died Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from noon until time of service Monday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Interment will be in Fairview Methodist Church Cemetery near Millersville...

NAME: Jason Smith AGE: 32. Born June 16, 1980, in St. Louis. HOME: Salem, Mo. POLITICAL PARTY: Republican. EDUCATION: Bachelor's degrees in business administration and agricultural economics, University of Missouri; law degree from Oklahoma City University...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The last time Missouri's criminal code received a makeover, Jimmy Carter was president and Missouri's Legislature was dominated by Democrats. Two 1,000-page bills introduced this year may help clear up the code. Republican Rep. ...

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

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- New Madrid County Central opened the game nearly lifeless and fell behind big because of it. They eventually made a run late in the fourth quarter with their season's hero, Willie Jimerson, who's been battling flu-like symptoms for the past few days no less, leading the charge...

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

Eastern Illinois rolled to a 64-46 victory over the Redhawks

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team was picked eighth out of 11 squads in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll released Friday. Two-time defending OVC regular-season and tournament champion Austin Peay is favored to three-peat based on voting by the league's coaches and sports information directors...

The beaming faces told the story for the people comprising Southeast Missouri State's 11th Athletic Hall of Fame class. They expressed tremendous pride and honor, thanking the university they still hold in such high regard for deeming them fit for induction into the exclusive club...

The 1999-2000 Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team ranks among the best in school history and certainly the best since the university moved up to Division I in 1991. That 1999-2000 group, more than a decade after its success, officially was recognized as one of Southeast's elite all-time squads Friday night at the Show Me Center during the university's Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony...

The Tigers improved to 14-0 at home with a 98-79 victory

ST. LOUIS -- Viktor Fasth stopped three of six shootout attempts to become the first NHL goalie in eight years to win his first five starts, and Bobby Ryan had two goals and two assists as the Anaheim Ducks beat the struggling St. Louis Blues 6-5 on Saturday night...

ST. PETERS, Mo. -- Red-light cameras are a hot topic again in the St. Louis area after the arrest of a St. Charles County councilman over a ticket from last summer. Republican Councilman Joe Brazil isn't disputing the ticket he received in St. Peters, but he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch it's overkill for a city to use police time on arrests for offenses that don't add penalty points to a driver's license under Missouri law. Red-light camera violations fall into that category...

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- The relationship between a U.S. senator from New Jersey and a wealthy political benefactor has highlighted gaps in port security in the Dominican Republic, which has become the top transit point for drugs in the Caribbean -- and the situation appears to be getting worse...

VATICAN CITY -- The Knights of Malta, one of the most peculiar organizations in the world, marked its 900th birthday Saturday with a colorful procession through St. Peter's Square, a Mass in the basilica and an audience with Pope Benedict XVI, himself a member of the onetime chivalrous order drawn from Europe's nobility...

CAIRO -- Watching the events in Tunisia, where a leading anti-Islamist politician was shot to death this past week, members of Egypt's liberal opposition are fearfully asking: Could it happen here, too? Their fears of a renegade Islamist attack on any of the top opposition leaders have been hiked by religious edicts issued by hardline clerics on TV saying they must be killed. ...