Stories from March 2013

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- As Republican state lawmakers consider increased access to firearms, a new study claims Missouri's gun-friendly policies have increased gun violence. The study's author says homicides involving firearms have increased in Missouri by 25 percent between 2008 and 2010. Daniel Webster, a professor and gun policy analyst at Johns Hopkins University, cites the repeal of the state's "permit to acquire law" in 2007 as the turning point...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Gridlocked once more, President Barack Obama and Republican congressional leaders refused to budge in their budget standoff Friday as $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts bore down on individual Americans and the nation's still-recovering economy. "None of this is necessary," said the president after a sterile White House meeting that portended a long standoff...

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy -- Benedict XVI left the Catholic Church in unprecedented limbo Thursday as he became the first pope in 600 years to resign, capping a tearful day of farewells that included an extraordinary pledge of obedience to his successor. ...

Timothy Conrad, the Jackson man who police say tried to convince them he wasn't the driver in a December accident that injured his friends, was ordered by a judge on Thursday to stand trial. Judge Gary Kamp bound Conrad over to circuit court after Conrad waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday morning. Conrad is set to appear before Judge William Syler on March 11.

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee this week at the Show Me Center will feature a presentation called "Public Education: Positioning for Continuing Excellence." ...

Satellite subscribers will not lose access to Fox 23 KBSI today after an agreement reached Thursday evening between the station's owners and satellite provider DIRECTV. According to a news release issued by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns KBSI, a retransmission consent agreement was reached. The companies have entered into a short-term extension of its existing agreement to allow the parties to enter into a formal agreement. As a result, DIRECTV will continue to carry KBSI. ..

Students of Southeast Missouri State University remain skeptical after the first forum held by outside vendors bidding to operate the university's bookstore and textbook rental services. The Follet Higher Education Group laid out plans to students and faculty within an audiovisual presentation Thursday afternoon at Glenn Auditorium in Dempster Hall...

Legislation to allow Missouri public electric utilities to charge customers for improvements as needed instead of waiting for rate change approvals from the Public Service Commission [PSC] was approved by a state Senate committee and is being heard in the House of Representatives...

Old Town Cape honored Roger and Judith Anne Lang with the Charles L. Hutson Visionary Award for their commitment to Cape Girardeau's historic downtown during the organization's annual banquet and awards ceremony Thursday night at the Isle Casino Cape Girardeau...

The family of the late Southeast Missouri State University student Meg Herndon, who tragically lost her life in a scooter accident in September, hopes to raise $10,000 for an endowed scholarship at Southeast that has been established in Herndon's name...

Until two weeks ago, Argentry Marshall didn't really care about the national debate about gun regulations. The 45-year-old Cape Girardeau resident hadn't paid much attention last year when two of the deadliest shootings in U.S. history took place in a Colorado theater and at a Connecticut elementary school...

The Gateway Area Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society would like to invite the public to take part in creating a world free of MS during MS Awareness Week, March 10-16, 2013. Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, is a chronic disease that attacks the central nervous system consisting of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. ...

WASHINGTON -- The Homeland Security Department released from its jails more than 2,000 illegal immigrants facing deportation in recent weeks due to looming budget cuts and planned to release 3,000 more this month. The newly disclosed figures, cited in internal budget documents reviewed by the Associated Press, are significantly higher than the "few hundred" illegal immigrants the Obama administration acknowledged this week had been released under the budget-savings process...

KITTERY, Maine (AP) -- They don't care which side caused Washington's latest crisis. Five hundred miles from Capitol Hill, the men and women of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard are worrying about paying rent, searching for new jobs and caring for sick loved ones...

Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska , October 2012

Don Fisher, director of SoutheastHEALTH's Volunteer Services, congratulates Bob Matthews (left) of Cape Girardeau for his service as SoutheastHEALTH Auxiliary treasurer for 2011 and 2012. Matthews was recognized for his contributions at the Auxiliary luncheon on Tuesday, Feb. ...

Today is Friday, March 1, the 60th day of 2013. There are 305 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 1, 1790, President George Washington signed a measure authorizing the first U.S. Census. On this date: In 1565, the city of Rio de Janeiro was founded by Portuguese knight Estacio de Sa...

Every Republican wants to know: Why is President Obama campaigning and not "wheeling and dealing" with them in the Senate and Congress? Well, the answer is simple: He has given up on them. He has concluded that as far as Republicans are concerned, it is all about "him," and nothing to do with whatever he stands for. ...

There's good news coming out of Washington, D.C. No, it's not about politics. It's about college basketball. Former Scott County Central standout Otto Porter is gaining national attention as his Georgetown Hoyas continue their impressive season. After scoring a career-high 33-points in a recent game against Syracuse, Porter led the Hoyas to a 79-78 win over Connecticut with a game-winning layup in double overtime Wednesday night...

Daughter to Daniel Louis Water and Chelsea Dawn Braun of Scott City, Southeast Hospital, 12:38 a.m. Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. Name, Paisley Grace. Weight, 7 pounds, 10 ounces. First child. Mrs. Braun is the former Chelsea Olson, daughter of David and Pam Olson of Jackson. She is a teacher with the Jackson School District. Braun is the son of John and Donna Braun of Scott City. He is installation manager at Tri-State Power...

Beth Ann Amos, 52, of Wickliffe, Ky., formerly of Scott City, passed away with dignity after losing her courageous battle with cancer Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, surrounded by family and friends at Morley, Mo. She was born April 12, 1960, in Cape Girardeau to Dicky Joe and Vera Cathryn Webb Riley. She and Ronnie Amos were married April 17, 1982, in Scott City...

Don't touch that dial. Stay tuned for "Retro Radio," starting tonight when the River City Players community theater kicks off its 2013 season with a dinner theater production that is a tribute to the golden age of radio. Directed by Tana Howard, "Retro Radio" includes iconic radio skits -- "The Return of Butch Cavendish" from "The Lone Ranger," "The Hands of Death" from "The Shadow" and "The Tax Refund" from "The Bickersons," as well as the classic routine "Who's on First?" that was made famous by the comedy team of Abbott and Costello.. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Norvell J. "Bud" Becker, 93, of Perryville died Thursday, Feb. 28, 2013, at Jackson Manor in Jackson. He was born July 5, 1919, in St. Louis, son of Louis F. and Emma Octrerbeck Becker. He and Mary V. Short were married in September 1941. She preceded him in death Feb. 7, 1979...

Betty Sue Chitwood-Annis, 72, of Jackson died Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 22, 1940, in Lilbourn, Mo., to Henry Otto and Rhoda Flannigan Roberts. Betty first married Vernon Chitwood, who died in February 1993. She then married Harold Annis Jan. 23, 2000, in Jackson...

BELL CITY, Mo. -- Warren Marshall Eaves, 35, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, in Bell City. He was born March 18, 1977, in Poplar Bluff, Mo., son of Larry W. and Pattie Fields Eaves. Warren was a member of St. Vincent's Catholic Church in Cape Girardeau and was a drywall contractor...

What James Thurman creates certainly isn't what most experts would label as "fine art." It's whimsical, cartoonish, and doesn't even pretend to take itself too seriously [much like the artist himself]. Those are some of the reasons Thurman's work has won over many fans in Cape Girardeau, where he studied at Southeast Missouri State University and was an active member of a youthful art scene movement in the mid-2000s...

Jane Fox, 64, of Commerce, Texas, loving wife, friend and mother, passed away Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. She was born April 1, 1948, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Samuel and Norma Bass. Left to celebrate her life is her husband of 30 years, Haydn "Chip" Fox; three daughters, Charle Blackburn, Noeve Warren and Lyla Warren; two grandchildren, Sarah Jane Bolin and Gage Blackburn; a sister, Joyce Ballard; three nieces, Susan Elliott, Vicky Garrison and Tina Cannon; and a nephew, John Cannon...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- John Henry "Jack" Yount Jr., 97, of Sikeston died Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. He was born July 13, 1915, in Cairo, Ill., to Dr. John Henry and Minnie Jane Marshall Yount Sr. He and Lilly Elizabeth Heyde were married June 24, 1940, in Jackson. She preceded him in death Feb. 6, 2002...

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuela's vice president on Thursday said Hugo Chavez is still fighting for his life, yet a recent poll said three in five Venezuelans believe the president will return to power. Nicolas Maduro, Chavez's self-appointed successor, said on television that his boss "is battling there for his health, for his life, and we're accompanying him."...

"Vaquero" will be presented by the Southeast Wind Symphony and Concert Band at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Bedell Performance Hall at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus. The concert, under the direction of Martin Reynolds, Southeast assistant professor of music, will feature a collection of Americana selections. ...

Steve Hornbeak is helping young talent showcase their skills with a First Friday Music Variety Show By Heather Collier Southeast Missourian Steve Hornbeak, a native of Southern Illinois, always knew he wanted music to be his career. What he couldn't have known is where it would take him -- all over the world touring with Lee Greenwood, Faith Hill and Richard Marx, among others...

WASHINGTON -- Squabbling away the hours, the Senate moved toward certain defeat of last-minute plans to avoid $85 billion in broad-based spending reductions Thursday as the two political parties blamed each other for the latest outbreak of gridlock and the Obama administration readied plans to put the cuts into effect...

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to overturn California's ban on gay marriage and take a skeptical view of similar bans, according to a person familiar with the government's legal filing in the case. The brief in the California Proposition 8 case does not call for marriage equality across the United States, but it does point the court in that direction...

WASHINGTON -- The House on Thursday passed and sent to President Barack Obama a far-reaching extension of the Violence Against Women Act. The vote came after House Republican leaders, cognizant of divisions in their ranks and the need to improve their faltering image among women voters, accepted a bill that cleared the Senate two weeks ago on a strong bipartisan vote...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Michelle Obama visited a Walmart in Springfield to promote her campaign to fight childhood obesity. The first lady made the stop Thursday during a two-day tour celebrating her "Let's Move" campaign. She praised Walmart for giving customers what she called "healthy products at a price they can afford" and for opening stores in underserved communities...

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is citing a St. Louis County company for 14 safety violations in response to the death of a worker. OSHA announced the citations Thursday against Coatings Unlimited Inc. of Bridgeton. An employee, 53-year-old Steve Webb, died in August while working inside an 18-foot-deep vault manhole during construction of a sanitary sewer lift station in St. Charles. Webb was overcome by exposure to methyl ethyl ketone...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon praised legislation passed Thursday by the Senate for making "long-overdue reforms" to Missouri's tax credit programs. Yet the bill may be in line for its own reformation from House leaders who don't like its limit on development incentives...

WASHINGTON -- The American bumblebee seems to be missing in the Midwest. Two studies in Thursday's journal Science conclude that wild bees, such as the American bumblebee, are increasingly important in pollinating our plants. In the Midwest, it seems to be dwindling in an alarming manner...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A former southwest Missouri lawmaker has been chosen as executive director of the Missouri Republican Party. Former state Rep. Shane Schoeller, of Willard, Mo., was selected Thursday to oversee the daily operations of the Republican Party...

The top-seeded Jackson girls basketball team brought its defense to the semifinals of the Class 5 District 1 tournament Thursday night at Oakville High School. The Indians held fourth-seeded Fox to single-digit points in each quarter on its way to a comfortable 39-24 victory...

DEXTER, Mo. -- The Notre Dame girls were right where they wanted to be: tied 41-41 with Dexter in the final moments of their Class 4 District 1 championship game, an opportunity to upset the state's fifth-ranked team within their grasp. It just wasn't to be...

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team will look to cap off its improved season with a win Saturday. Southeast visits Murray State at 4:45 p.m. in the regular-season finale for both squads. While MSU (16-11, 8-7 Ohio Valley Conference) has qualified for next week's OVC tournament, Southeast (10-18, 4-11) failed to make the eight-team event for the fourth straight year...

JUPITER, Fla. -- Carlos Beltran and Jake Westbrook limped to the St. Louis Cardinals' clubhouse moments apart Thursday, which made manager Mike Matheny glad it was still only February. Beltran bruised the little toe on his right foot when he was hit by a pitch in the first inning of the Cardinals' 8-2 victory over the Miami Marlins. Westbrook bruised his left leg below the knee on a grounder hit by Casey Kotchman in the second inning...

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Keion Bell scored 24 points and Jabari Brown added 23 to lead Missouri to a 90-68 win over South Carolina on Thursday night. Missouri shot 69.6 percent (32 of 46) for the game, and plenty of those baskets were easy. The Tigers (20-8, 9-6 Southeastern) had 10 dunks and 46 points in the paint to pick up just their second win on the road this season. Missouri shot just nine 3-pointers, making six of them...

ST. LOUIS -- The wins keep coming for the Chicago Blackhawks. Still, goalie Ray Emery is taking a realistic approach to their record-setting start. "I know we're not going to go unbeaten," he said. The way the Blackhawks are going, Emery may be selling his team short...

The Cape native continues to rise up the pro ranks on AMA Supercross circuit

Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday: Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

In the many years The Intention has been expanding its sizable Southeast Missouri fan base, the band hasn't played in Scott City. That will change tonight, when The Intention headlines a concert to benefit the North Scott County Relay for Life team. There will be raffles and giveaways, in addition to the live music. Doors to Schock's Pub will open at 6 p.m. with the music starting at 9 p.m...

WASHINGTON -- Four major universities are joining theater companies in Boston, Baltimore, Washington and Atlanta in a project to commission new plays, music and dance compositions about the Civil War and its lasting legacy 150 years later. The National Civil War Project is being announced Thursday in Washington and will involve programming over the next two years to mark the 150th anniversary of the war between the North and the South. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri House voted Thursday to allow additional hydroelectric power to be used toward meeting the state's renewable energy requirement -- an effort criticized by sponsors of the original initiative approved by voters...

Route F in Stoddard Co. closed for bridge repairs SIKESTON, Mo. -- Route F in Stoddard County, between County Road 420 and Route J, will be closed as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform bridge maintenance. The work will be done from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, daily...

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

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. Arrests do not imply guilt. Assault...

Kent Bratton, assistant director with the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission, has been hired as the Cape Girardeau city planner, a newly created position; he'll begin his job March 21 at a salary of $32,500. City Community Development officials are seeking to use residual funds from one economic development to help finance work on another project; Community Development Director Gary Worth has requested the state's economic development department allow the city to utilize economic development funds, originally earmarked for the Tri-Con project, to help pay the cost of constructing a railroad spur to serve the Resin Exchange plant being constructed at the Nash Road industrial park.. ...

On the same day that President Obama cried wolf over the sequester, he had his secretary of state announce $60 million in aid to the Syrian rebels. We will borrow this money and continue adding to the debt. Let the sequester happen because it's the only way we can avoid bankrupting our country...

Father God, we praise you, for you give us a spirit of power, love and self-discipline. Amen.

DEXTER, Mo. -- The Central boys basketball team looked across the court as Sikeston players celebrated with their eighth consecutive district championship and saw what it wanted to become: a capable, confident team able to win any time it steps on the floor...

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team earned its first win at Austin Peay since the 1998-99 season with a record-setting performance...

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The mayor of a California city struggling with a spike in burglaries and other crimes is apologizing for promoting a class about how to pick locks in her newsletter. Oakland Mayor Jean Quan on Wednesday said she understood the reaction of people who were upset about a listing for the class. She said she will do a better job reviewing listings...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The International Space Station is about to receive another commercial shipment. The California company known as SpaceX is set to launch its unmanned Falcon rocket this morning, hoisting a Dragon capsule containing more than a ton of food, tools, computer hardware and science experiments...

JACKSON, Miss. -- A 22-year-old man was charged with murder Thursday in the death of a mayoral candidate in the Mississippi Delta. The Coahoma County Sheriff's Department said in a news release that Lawrence Reed of Shelby was charged in the death of Marco McMillian, 34, who was a candidate for mayor of Clarksdale...

LAS VEGAS -- A self-described pimp was arrested Thursday in Los Angeles, ending a manhunt that began after a vehicle-to-vehicle shooting and fiery crash that killed three people on the Las Vegas Strip a week ago, police said. Ammar Harris, 26, surrendered to a team of police and federal agents who found him inside a North Hollywood apartment after a woman answered the door, authorities said...

DENVER -- A state panel set up to regulate marijuana in Colorado is recommending lawmakers enact a 15 percent excise tax, with the profits going to school construction. State regulators are working out the details of exactly how to tax marijuana now that Colorado residents have voted to legalize it...

FORT MEADE, Md. -- Bradley Manning, the Army private arrested in the biggest leak of classified material in U.S. history, pleaded guilty Thursday to charges that could send him to prison for 20 years. He said he was trying to expose the American military's "bloodlust" and disregard for human life in Iraq and Afghanistan...

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, the no-nonsense Desert Storm commander famously nicknamed "Stormin' Norman," graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, soaking up its values: "Duty, Honor, Country." He married here. He taught here. And on Thursday he was buried here...

Solo art shows by Juanita Wyman and Diane Wilson will be on display through March 30. Reception from 4 to 8 p.m. 32 N. Main St.; 334-9233 Artwork from the Annual Student Juried Exhibition and juror Russell Nelson will be on display through April 3. Reception from 5 to 7 p.m...

Several folks have taken the time and trouble this past week to suggest things I could write about in this column. I like that. These suggestions indicate some of you still care -- about something, about anything, about what's good and decent instead of what is expected from the in-crowd...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri schools would start receiving letter grades based upon how well they perform on state standards under legislation approved Thursday in the House. The measure calls for education officials to produce a simplified report card for public schools and for charter schools that have classes beyond second grade. ...

WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel lamented $46 billion in automatic defense budget cuts as "abrupt and arbitrary" but expressed confidence Friday that the Obama administration will find ways to manage them without jeopardizing national security...

Jake is a 1 1/2 year old Beagle mix. This cute dog will need a fenced in yard. Jake has a nice disposition! He has been trained in the basic commands: sit, stay, down and walking on a leash. Please call Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary at 243-9823 to find out more information about Jake. You may also view PetFinder.com and/or AdoptAPet.com to view other adoptable cats and dogs from Safe Harbor...

Today is Saturday, March 2, the 61st day of 2013. There are 304 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 2, 1943, the three-day Battle of the Bismarck Sea began in the southwest Pacific during World War II; U.S. and Australian warplanes were able to inflict heavy damage on an Imperial Japanese convoy...

1988 The wife of Sen. Robert Dole declared yesterday that the race for the Republican presidential nomination was "clearly a two-man race" between her husband and Vice President George Bush; Elizabeth Dole spoke at a news conference at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport...

The River Campus Board of Managers is scheduled to meet at noon Friday in the conference room of the seminary building of the River Campus. City representatives and university leaders will be in attendance. Ruth Knote, Dennis Vollink and Jerry Ford will represent the city. University representatives will be Rhonda Weller-Stilson, Thomas Swayne Byrd, Bill Holland and Dr. Ron Rosati...

A rescheduled meeting of the Southeast Missouri Pachyderm Club, which will include a forum on gun-control, is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at Dexter Bar-B-Que in Cape Girardeau. The previously scheduled meeting set for Feb. 21 was canceled because of weather conditions...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Two men being held for a Feb. 19 shooting death of 34-year-old Sean Crow of Bernie, Mo., made their initial court appearance Thursday before Judge Joe Z. Satterfield. Security was heightened as Matthew Brandon Cook, 29, and Scott Evans, 46, both of Dexter, Mo., were led from the Stoddard County Jail to the Justice Center and back...

Contractors will begin road work on Perry Avenue and Perryville Road on Monday from Bertling Street to New Madrid Street. Work will consist of concrete-slab repair and replacement and will last approximately three weeks, according to a news release from the city of Cape Girardeau. ...

A woman found dead in southwest Missouri with her two children used to live in Cape Girardeau. Jassez Biancia Sager, 27, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Feb. 23. Sager and her children, who appeared to be stabbed and strangled, were found dead in a Springfield, Mo., home, The Associated Press reported. ...

Big changes in bookstore and textbook rental services were promised to Southeast Missouri State University students attending the final forum held by two bidding outside vendors. Barnes & Noble College, a subsidiary of the book retailer Barnes & Noble, revealed plans to update textbook services during a presentation Friday in Glenn Auditorium...

Red Letter Communications of Cape Girardeau and The Wright Group of Perryville, Mo., won the Tri-State Advertising and Marketing Professionals highest honors Friday during the annual ADDY Awards banquet. The Plaza by Ray's was festooned with circus-inspired decorations for the event. The 2013 ADDYs entries represented the "best advertising show on earth" and the awards celebrate advertising's "art of illusion," said Richard Proffer, Tri-State secretary and emcee...

Missouri's public schools are losing control of their educational curriculums, according to a representative of a group opposed to federal standards in education. "Who is deciding curriculums and assessment testing in Missouri schools?" Gretchen Logue of the Missouri Coalition Against Common Core asked members of the Cape Girardeau County Republican Women's Club during a Friday luncheon. ...

Monday's meeting of the Cape Girardeau City Council will feature new information about three issues that have at times been fodder for much public debate. Though no action is expected, reports will be heard about the following: The council's regular session at 7 p.m. ...

DEXTER, Mo. -- The Scott County Central boys basketball team is at its best playing at an up-tempo pace. Unfortunately, Eminence refused to oblige The result was a 65-55 loss to the Redwings Saturday afternoon in a Class 1 state quarterfinal. With the loss came the end of an impressive run for the Braves, who came into the season as four-time defending Class 1 state champions. ...

ST. LOUIS -- The Jackson boys basketball team entered the fourth quarter of Friday night's Class 5 District 1 championship with a 14-point lead over host Oakville. But junior Karson King and his teammates had a feeling the Tigers would make a run...

Redhawks stun Racers in regular-season finale; OVC tourney up next

win over Murray State leaves program with 11 wins, the most in three years By MARTY MISHOW Southeast Missourian MURRAY, Ky. -- The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team entered its final game of the season having already been eliminated from contention for an Ohio Valley Conference tournament berth...

Southeast Missourian ~ A strong Oral Roberts baseball team from Tulsa, Okla., used a two-run homer and stout pitching to slip past Southeast Missouri State 3-1 Saturday afternoon in the opener of a three-game weekend series at Capaha Field. The squads were scheduled to play single games Friday, Saturday and today but Friday's inclement weather forced a change in plans...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Even with Missouri coach Frank Haith sitting next to him on the podium, Alex Oriakhi could not stifle himself. The memory fresh from struggles in the first meeting against LSU, the senior forward said the rematch was more than just a game...

JUPITER, Fla. -- Adam Wainwright was unhappy with his location and his mechanics. The St. Louis Cardinals' ace struggled in his second spring-training start, giving up five runs and eight hits over three innings Saturday in a 6-2 loss to the Washington Nationals...

The top-seeded Indians used a 13-0 run that spanned the third and fourth quarters to help them win 47-40 over host Oakville.

Junior Seth Ressel made a jumper with 2.3 seconds to go to help Oran beat Winona 63-61 in a Class 2 quarterfinal.

A federal judge ordered Cape Girardeau police officer Matthew Peters and the state of Missouri to pay more than $62,000 in attorneys' fees and costs in connection to an arrest he made in 2009 for flag desecration. U.S. District Judge Carol E. Jackson rendered her written opinion Thursday: a mandate for Peters and the state to pay "reasonable attorneys' fees" the American Civil Liberties Union said it is owed. The ACLU brought the case in 2010 on behalf of Frank L. Snider III, who slashed a United States flag in front of his Cape Girardeau home the previous year. He was charged with violating Missouri's flag-desecration statute. ...

Notre Dame's Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) will be sponsoring a dance for area senior citizen on Friday, March 22 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm in the school cafetorium. Music will be provided by the "All Stars". This free event is open to all senior citizens of the area and will include refreshments. For more information, email tanyadavis@notredamecape.org or call 573-576-2129...

New Shoes, Used Shoes, Old Shoes, Your Shoes!!!

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A program that helps blind people learn to use walking canes and computers has been placed on the chopping block at the Missouri Capitol, marking the second time in as many years that blind services have come in the crosshairs of potential budget cuts...

Today is Sunday, March 3, the 62nd day of 2013. There are 303 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 3, 1931, "The Star-Spangled Banner" became the national anthem of the United States as President Herbert Hoover signed a congressional resolution...

Nicole Blattel and Skye Hill were married Sept. 8, 2012, at St. Augustine Church in Kelso, Mo. The Rev. Oliver Clavin performed the ceremony. Organist was Betty Ressel and vocalist was Renee Reinagel, both of Kelso. The bride is the daughter of Larry and Tina Blattel of Scott City. The groom is the son of Christy Hewes of Maryland Heights, Mo., and Chris Hill of Cape Girardeau...

Hallie Anne Fieser and David Eastman Hearnes were married April 14, 2012, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jackson. The Rev. John Harth performed the ceremony. Pianist was Jerry Ganiel of Marble Hill, Mo. Soloists were Geri McKellar of Wickliffe, Ohio, Laura Higgerson of Sikeston, Mo., and Abbie Fieser of Tilsit, sister of the bride...

Douglas and Lee Ann McDaniel of Portland, Ind., announce the engagement of their daughter, Elizabeth Ann Maldonado of Scott City, to Todd Gerard Brucker of New Hamburg, Mo. He is the son of Gary and Beverly Brucker of New Hamburg. Maldonado received a bachelor of science in business administration degree in human resource management from Southeast Missouri State University, and is pursuing a master's degree in business administration at the university. ...

Ricky and Rhonda Horne of Demopolis, Ala., announce the engagement of their daughter, Stephanie Renae Horne, to Patrick David Slattery. He is the son of Terry and Annette Slattery of Cape Girardeau. Horne is a 2005 graduate of West Alabama Preparatory School in Demopolis. She received a bachelor of science degree in biological sciences from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2010. She is an emergency room technician at Huntsville Hospital...

Jim and Shelia Reynolds of Kennett, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Jamie Michelle Reynolds, to Jonathan Scott Blattel, both of Jackson. He is the son of Thomas and Patricia Blattel of Cape Girardeau. Reynolds is a 2001 graduate of Kennett High School. ...

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Russell Jr. of Jackson celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary Thursday. Russell and Lisa Kay Jones were married Feb. 27, 1988, at Faith Baptist Temple, by the Rev. J.C. Maddox. The couple has two sons, Lance and Lane Russell...

By Gary Clothier Question: I watched a documentary several years ago about a group of desert inhabitants who wore traditional veils. Their name incorporated the word "veil," as I recall. I would like to read more about these people, but I can't remember what they're called. ...

The effects of freezing rain can be very destructive, taking down big trees and causing traffic accidents. But freezing rain also can sculpt mundane things, such as the weed I have photographed here, into surprising little short-lived works of wonder...

International Crisis Aid of the Heartland will host a Winter Evening With Friends at 6:30 p.m. March 14 at the Venue. There will be vendor host tables, door prizes, drawings, a cash bar, complimentary appetizers and more. Proceeds will benefit ICA's safe house for victims of sex trafficking. The cost is $15 in advance or $20 at the door. For more information, email marshavedward@gmail.com or call 576-0014...

The Southeast Health Auxiliary donated $30,000 to Southeast Health to help fund health care services. Presenting were Don Fisher, Jim Limbaugh, Julia Cook, Wayne Smith and Judy Brown. ...

It might be a little early in the season to write about planting trees and shrubs, but I am getting the fever [along with a lot of other gardeners]. Although I am getting the fever, I also am thinking about the stress plants have had to endure because of the weather over the last few years...

Bullet is a 1-year-old Great Dane mix. He has been trained and knows how to sit and stay. Bullet is a very large and energetic dog, so he will need room to run. For more information, call Safe Harbor at 243-9823. ...

Sully is a pit bull terrier. He is 11 months old and very fun with his happy-go-lucky demeanor. For more information, call The Humane Society at 334-5837. ...

Pet Names: Maggie and Maya Owner: Chris and Brandy Schaefer Favorite activity: Lounging around on the couch. ...

Brad Pitt is an actor, hailing from Springfield, Mo. Most Americans, I suspect, recognize his name. The late Viktor Frankl was a psychiatrist; his hometown was Vienna. Frankl's name, I'll wager, is somewhat less familiar. One man enjoys a life of great financial wealth and his exploits are often in the news. ...

MONDAY--Corn dog, broccoli & cheese or cherry tomaotes 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 or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, strawberry fruit cup...

PHILADELPHIA -- It sounds more like a restaurant order than a school lunch menu: baked ziti with a side of roasted fennel salad and, for dessert, cinnamon apple rice pudding. But that's one of the meals offered in the cafeteria at People For People Charter School in Philadelphia. And it's served family-style. Students pass serving dishes around circular tables, where they eat off plates, not cafeteria trays, and use silverware instead of plastic utensils...

George and Judy Soest of Bland, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Kelly Ann Soest, to James Robert Williams. He is the son of Daniel and Marsha Williams of Cape Girardeau. Soest is a 2007 graduate of Owensville High School. She received a bachelor of arts degree in music from Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., in 2012. She is a graduate student studying special education at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz...

Milk, eggs, cheese, tomatoes, transglutaminase, sodium citrate... It may not sound like the last grocery list you wrote, but the growing appeal of so-called modernist cooking -- a science-tastic take on haute cuisine -- has more home cooks adding laboratory-worthy ingredients and gizmos to their shopping. And that, of course, has spawned a mini-niche of online companies selling everything you need to play culinary alchemist at home...

Verna Downen was hostess when the Kage FCE met at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center for their regular monthly meeting. President Dortha Strack presided. Tip of the day: Carrots are a good nutritional snack. Judie Herbst reported that the club cookbook is being compiled. Inez Statler compiled the history of the Kage Club that will be included in the cookbook. This year begins the clubs 69th year...

The USA Veterans group that organized the Fourth of July fireworks displays the last four years recently announced it will not have the resources to do so again this year. This is disappointing, not just to the thousands of people who enjoyed the Fourth festivities at Arena Park, but to those with the USA Veterans as well...

WASHINGTON -- A new State Department report issued Friday about the long-delayed Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada suggests there would be no significant environmental impact to most resources along the proposed route from western Canada to refineries in Texas...

SEFFNER, Fla. -- The effort to find the body of a Florida man who was swallowed by sinkhole under his Florida home was called off Saturday while crews tried to learn how far the underground cavity reaches and whether more homes are at risk. Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill said rescuers were ending the effort to find Jeff Bush's body and they planned to bring in heavy equipment Sunday to begin demolishing the four-bedroom home...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- The capital city of Arkansas will follow the example of high-security cities by expanding electronic surveillance. A police car with a device that photographs license plates moves through the city and scans traffic on streets, relaying data it collects to a computer for sifting. Police say the surveillance helps identify stolen cars and drivers with outstanding arrest warrants...

By Eric. G. Morton I must say that I was concerned, as well as amused, while reading Mr. Bjelich's recent column regarding the impact of Medicaid expansion. While expanding the Medicaid program would indeed increase the number of insured patients throughout the state of Missouri, there is still a significant amount of disagreement about how this expansion would help, if not indirectly hurt, the people of Missouri...

O Lord Jesus, we sing your praises, for in you we find strength. Amen.

Does anyone believe how much danger these undercover narcotics officers are in? Their lives are in danger every day. You might kiss your wife and children goodbye forever. They're doing a wonderful job, but they couldn't pay me enough to do it. I think Cape Girardeau needs a Spanish restaurant. As much as I like Mexican food, I can see myself getting burned out on it. We have Mexican, Italian, Oriental and American but I think it will be nice to have something of a Spanish influence...

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

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

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...

TRIPOLI, Libya -- A Libyan security official said 50 Egyptians, who were arrested in Benghazi last week for allegedly spreading Christianity, are being charged with illegally entering and working in the country and will be deported. A video circulated last week on social networking sites purportedly showing a group of Christian Egyptians with shaved heads and a bearded young man in a military jacket who said nearly 100 Coptic Egyptians were being held for allegedly spreading Christianity. ...

DAMASCUS, Syria -- Iran and Syria condemned a U.S. plan to assist rebels fighting to topple President Bashar Assad on Saturday and signaled the Syrian leader intends to stay in power at least until 2014 presidential elections. The remarks came against the backdrop of a strategic victory for the regime as the military regained control over a string of villages along a key highway to open a potential supply route in Syria's heavily contested north...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The advance of gay rights across the United States is spreading into Puerto Rico, making the island a relatively gay-friendly outpost in a Caribbean region where sodomy laws and harassment of gays are still common. The governing Popular Democratic Party is pushing a bill through the legislature that would outlaw discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation, a step taken by about half of U.S. ...

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- At 37 pounds, Biscuit is about the right weight for a 4-year-old -- human, that is. A St. Louis-area animal shelter is trying to find a new home for the sweet tabby with a sweet tooth. Biscuit's salad days were spent pigging out, and now at roughly three times the weight of a healthy adult cat, he's restricted to about a cup of diet food per day...

TROY, Mo. -- A bank robber who was caught at gunpoint by the president of the eastern Missouri bank has been sentenced to six years in prison. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the sentence was handed down Friday for 58-year-old Donald Ray Lee. He pleaded guilty last month to second-degree robbery...

CHICAGO -- Michelle Obama said it was "absolutely not surprising" to her that her satellite appearance at the Academy Awards ceremony provoked a national conversation about whether it was appropriate, after some conservative critics accused her of selfishly crashing the event in an attempt to upstage it...

CHAFFEE, Mo. — Mitchell Shell, 75, of Chaffee died Friday, March 1, 2013, at the family home in Chaffee. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee.

Jassez Biancia Sager, 27, of Springfield, Mo., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, in Springfield. She was born Aug. 28, 1985, in Sikeston, Mo., to Jesse Flack and Billie Jo Sager. Jassez moved to Springfield to attend school. Survivors include her father, Jesse Flack of Charleston, Mo.; mother, Billie Jo Sager of Cape Girardeau; significant other, Shawn Michael Adams of Cape Girardeau; a brother, Saul Sager of Charleston; and a sister, Afraica Sager of Cape Girardeau...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Juanita Francis Lynch, 88, of Advance passed away Saturday, March 2, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Juanita was born Feb. 25, 1925, at Painton, Mo., the daughter of Ollie and Duie Huff Francis. Juanita was a schoolteacher for more than 40 years at many schools in Missouri. She was a member of the First General Baptist Church in Advance...

Louis Anthony "Butch" Heisserer, 85, of Scott City passed away Friday, March 1, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 26, 1928, in Fornfelt, Mo., the son of Louis William and Carolina Mary Heuring Heisserer. He and Alene Viola Raines were married Oct. 6, 1951, in Scott City...

Harry Blank, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, March 2, 2013, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Jerry Dee Allen, 78, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Sikeston, Mo., passed away Friday, March 1, 2013, at Chateau Girardeau. He was born Sept. 5, 1934, in Jackson to Joe M. and Grace L. VanAmburg Allen. Jerry was an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving from July 29, 1952, to Jan. 13, 1956. He and Bonnie Sue Newman were married Dec. 25, 1958. Theirs was a true lifelong love affair. Jerry was quite proud of his Bonnie Sue, and thoroughly enjoyed spoiling her...

Noah Jacob Adams, 4, and Lily Noelle Adams, 2, of Springfield, Mo., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, in Springfield. Noah was born Nov. 11, 2008, in Cape Girardeau, and Lily was born Feb. 24, 2010, in Cape Girardeau, to Shawn Michael Adams and Jassez Biancia Sager...

Hanks Son to Andrew Tomas Hanks and Kendra Nickelle Kennedy of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 8:31 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. Name, Chandler James. Weight, 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Ms. Kennedy is the daughter of Lisa Kirchhoff of Advance, Mo., and Kevin Dudley of Hannibal, Mo. She is a student at Delta High School. Hanks is the son of Denise Stickel of Cape Girardeau...

DETROIT -- It appears the appointment of an emergency manager to take over Detroit's failing finances is all but a done deal. One question remains: Who will get the difficult, thankless job? Gov. Rick Snyder is being coy about his selection, saying only the person is "top notch." Michigan's Emergency Loan Board will do the official hiring of the candidate, who will provide state oversight on spending and restructuring...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- GOP strategist Karl Rove on Saturday said rebuilding the Republican brand in California will be a tough task that will require Republicans to diversify and create a strategy to spread their message to a wider audience. Referring to the state party's deep losses in recent years, Rove said it needs to focus on larger themes of restoring jobs and reducing government spending...

Plans have been initiated for a new, championship golf course in Jackson; Hale Irwin Service Inc. has been retained by Litz Brothers Inc. to develop a design for a course, which will be located over a 400-acre-plus stretch of ground adjoining Greensferry Road on the north and Interstate 55 on the east...

401 Independence St. Study session, 5 p.m. Monday Items for discussion No action will be taken during the study session. Closed Session Items for discussion Presentations Communications/reports Public Hearings Appearances Consent agenda New ordinances...

Heart for Africa, a not-for-profit relief aid organization, will host its fourth annual Celebrate Hope fundraiser Saturday at The Venue, 80 S. Plaza Way in Cape Girardeau. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Jimmy Wilferth, the organization's executive director, described the evening as "a celebration of new life, the children, crops and Christ."...

I'll admit it: I've been running from who I am out of fear of mediocrity. I've been so afraid of living an average life, of having a future no one looks at and says, "Wow, that is so cool. I want my life to be like that." My fixation on making big, crazy plans in my life to ensure I don't live a "normal" life has left me discontent, distracted from the very thing I've been longing to do: serve and love others...

Communities are coming together for fellowship, faith and fish fries for the Lenten season. Beginning with Ash Wednesday -- which fell on Feb 13 this year -- Lent is the 40 day season in which participants practice self-reflection and fasting. On Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and the six Fridays that fall between, fasting, for many, is practiced by abstaining from eating meat other than fish...

WASHINGTON -- With severe spending cuts the law of the land, President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans refused Saturday to concede any culpability for failing to stave off what both parties acknowledged was a foolhardy way to slash $85 billion in federal spending...

RICHMOND, Va. -- A century and a half after USS Monitor sank, the interment of two unknown crewmen found in the Civil War ironclad's turret is bringing together people from across the country with distant but powerful ties to those who died aboard...

The wide world of sandwiches stretches from cold meats to hot, grilled, or even desserts. The possibilities are endless. In the book "The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches" by Susan Russo, you can quickly see that if you can dream it up, it can be done. I like the way the book is indexed by ingredients and not sandwich names. If I want to use raspberry preserves, I look under that ingredient and it lists all the sandwiches in the book that call for that ingredient...

Today's Cape Girardeau County Commission meeting has been canceled due to a lack of a quorum, according to a news release issued by the commission's administrative assistant. No reasons for the absences were given in the release. There are three county commissioners; two are needed for a quorum...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House said Monday the automatic spending cuts starting to take place across the federal government, with no end in sight, represent an "empty victory" for Republicans at odds with the party's priorities. White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters it's remarkable some Republicans are calling the so-called "sequester" a win for the conservative tea party, or because Republicans stood up to the president, because the cuts go against usual GOP goals to increase defense spending and border security. ...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Eight passengers safely walked off a small aircraft Monday afternoon at St. Louis-Lambert International Airport after the pilot reported landing gear troubles. The plane was poised for an emergency landing on Monday afternoon. But St. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri power companies would track costs for operations and maintenance for their next rate case under proposed state legislation. The new tracker would be used to compare the difference between the costs factored into electric rates and the expenses the power company actually incurs. The differences would be included in the calculation for electric rates when the utility files its next case with the Public Service Commission...

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team spends its share of time working on bunting during practice, including squeeze bunts. Branden Boggetto executed the latter play to perfection Sunday, capping a two-run ninth-inning as the Redhawks avoided a three-game series sweep at home...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- An effort to ban public employee unions from automatically deducting dues from a member's paycheck has been gaining momentum across the country, but Missouri Democrats were able to stall it -- at least for now. Missouri is just the latest of a long list of states to consider what supporters call "paycheck protection" but that opponents say is an attack on the power of collective bargaining...

ST. LOUIS -- The crows are back. The big black birds, known for their evil looks and loud cawing, were devastated by West Nile virus a dozen years ago, and the population remained depressed until late in the last decade. Now, they seem to be beating the bug...

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com A doll in a high chair, both from the early 1900s, is part of a display by Jan McKernan at the spring antique and collectible show sponsored by VFW Post 3838 and the Ladies Auxiliary held Sunday in Cape Girardeau. ...

When admitted burglar William Artadi faces a Cape Girardeau County judge today, he basically will be answering the following questions: Does the 20-year-old Jackson man want his fate decided by a judge who is on the record for favoring at least 10 years in prison?...

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Shannon Aldridge, center, trains with SEMO Tri-Team members Sunday as they run through Arena Park in Cape Girardeau. The group is preparing for the annual Howard Aslinger Foundation Endurance Run, a 24/12-hour run/relay on March 15 and 16 at Arena Park....

When most students think about going to prom, their thoughts may turn to getting the right tuxedo or dress and deciding who they want to go with. But when Stacy Dawson, an openly gay senior at Scott County Central High School near Sikeston, Mo., told a school administrator in September who he wanted to take to the prom, he set off a controversy at a school better known for its basketball prowess than being a site for social change...

Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) experts held a community forum in Cape Girardeau on February 25 to discuss and provide non-partisan insight on key issues surrounding Medicaid expansion in Missouri. The U.S. Supreme Court's June 2012 ruling on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also commonly called Obamacare, left the decision of whether or not to expand the Medicaid program to the states. ...

I recieved the following information by email: From the Constitution Party of Missouri: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 27, 2013 Constitution Party Nominates Doug Enyart for Congressional Seat There IS Another Choice ~ U.S. Marine and professional forester, Doug Enyart, was elected from a pool of candidates to campaign for the 8th Congressional District seat vacated by Joann Emerson...

Today is Monday, March 4, the 63rd day of 2013. There are 302 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 4, 1913, Woodrow Wilson was inaugurated as the 28th president of the United States, succeeding President William Howard Taft...

When big emergencies such as natural disasters happen, there are all kinds of responses. There are responses on the individual level -- obtaining care for injuries, having adequate plans for lodging and food and communicating with your family. There are responses on the community level -- churches and organizations respond with help in the way of food or chain-saw teams, for example...

Harry Jake Blank, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, March 1, 2013, at his home. He was born Feb, 14, 1932, in Cape Girardeau County to Edwin John and Freda Margaret Will Blank. He and Hazel Annette Starkey were married June 23, 1960, in Cape Girardeau...

Larry Beakley, 81, of Jackson passed away Saturday, March 2, 2013, at his residence. He was born Feb. 24, 1932, in Piggott, Ark., son of Ulmon and PollyChisolm Beakley. He and Margie Payne were united in marriage Sep. 28, 1950. Mr. Beakley was an over-the-road truck driver and member of the Teamsters union and a lifetime member of the Union Light Church; after his retirement he was an avid veterans home supporter. ...

LOS ANGELES -- It wasn't exactly a mighty victory, but "Jack the Giant Slayer" won the weekend at the box office. The Warner Bros. 3-D action extravaganza, based on the Jack and the Beanstalk legend, made just $28 million to debut at No. 1, according to Sunday studio estimates. It had a reported budget of just under $200 million...

*** Administrative Office Building 1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Routine business * Cape Girardeau Common Pleas Courthouse gazebo contract * Copy machine contract for sheriff's office

Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday:...

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

With the federal government looking at turning the May Green Garden, at the northeast corner of Fountain and Themis streets, into a parking lot, a move is underway by the city's park board to save and restore the historic site. A process to determine which vacant faculty slots will be filled at Southeast Missouri State University next fall is continuing after an administrative decision to reduce the teaching staff; the reductions are necessary because it appears the university's 1988-89 budget will be below the amount recommended by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education, and enrollments have declined.. ...

VATICAN CITY -- Benedict XVI stunned the world when he announced Feb. 11 he would resign as pope. But in retrospect, all the signs were there, and they even accelerated in recent months. Here's a look at the hints Benedict dropped starting in 2005, his first year as pope, indicating that unlike his predecessors over 600 years, his papacy would end in retirement, not death...

SAO PAULO -- Faithful attending Sunday Mass on five continents for the first time since Pope Benedict XVI's retirement had different ideas about who should next lead the Roman Catholic Church, with people suggesting everything from a Latin American pope to one more like the conservative, Polish-born John Paul II. What most agreed on, however, was the church is in dire need of a comeback...

LUOTUOWAN VILLAGE, China -- China's fawning state media, jaded social media commentators and even poor corn and cabbage farmers agree: New Communist Party chief Xi Jinping is off to a good start. "General Secretary Xi doesn't put on any airs. He talks like an ordinary person," said 69-year-old farmer Tang Rongbin. The new leader visited Tang's sparse, dimly lit farmhouse in Luotuowan village in December, bearing gifts of cooking oil, flour and a blanket...

ATLANTA -- As the cost of building a new nuclear plant soars, there are signs of buyer's remorse. The second-guessing from officials in Georgia and Florida is a sign that maybe the nation is not quite ready for a nuclear renaissance. On top of construction costs running much higher than expected, the price of natural gas has plummeted, making it tough for nuclear plants to compete in the energy market...

It hasn't always been smooth sailing for Southeast Missouri State's men this year. But the Redhawks are without a doubt playing by far their best basketball of the season entering the Ohio Valley Conference tournament. The Redhawks are in the postseason event for the third consecutive year for just the second time in program history after previously not making the field since the 2006-07 campaign...

NEW YORK -- The young couple, married just a year, were looking forward to welcoming their first child into their tight-knit community of Orthodox Jews. Now relatives and neighbors are left to raise their infant after the two were killed early Sunday when a hit-and-run driver struck their car but doctors managed to save the unborn baby...

CHICAGO -- Technology is supposed to make us easier to reach, and often does. But the same modes of communication that have hooked us on the instant reply also can leave us feeling forgotten. We send an email, a text or an instant chat message. We wait -- and nothing happens. Or we make a phone call. Leave a voicemail message. Wait. Again, nothing...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A private Earth-to-orbit delivery service made good on its latest shipment to the International Space Station on Sunday, overcoming mechanical difficulty and delivering a ton of supplies with highflying finesse. To NASA's relief, the SpaceX company's Dragon capsule pulled up to the orbiting lab with all of its systems in perfect order. Station astronauts used a hefty robot arm to snare the unmanned Dragon, and three hours later, it was bolted into place...

The Redhawks scored a season-high 194.775 to edge Eastern Michigan

The Southeast Missouri State women's tennis team split a pair of road matches over the weekend, losing to Jackson State 4-3 on Friday and beating Alabama A&M 7-0 on Saturday. No. 1 Heather Robinson, No. 3 Nikole Novikova and No. 4 Jessica Courtnell all won both their singles matches for the Redhawks (2-2)...

VIERA, Fla. -- Ryan Zimmerman won't test his surgically repaired right shoulder defensively in a game until later this month. He got his offense going Sunday. Zimmerman went 1 for 3 with a RBI single in his spring training debut as the Nationals defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6...

HILLSBORO, Mo. -- Residents in some Jefferson County towns along the Mississippi River have been dealing with water shortages and bad-tasting water because of the low levels along the river. The Jefferson County Water Authority is supposed to provide water for Festus, Mo., and Herculaneum, Mo. But since Jan. 8, it has only supplied Herculaneum because there's not enough water for both towns...

The house at 611 S. Sprigg St., now the Rose Bed Inn, was condemned when James Coley and partner Eldon Nattier acquired it. The two now operate a five-building block that includes the Rose Bed Inn bed and breakfast, Rosewater Spa and Aartful Rose event center. Co-owner Coley serves as chef and described the Rose Bed Inn as "the hardest work I've ever loved." He sat down to answer some of our questions...

WASHINGTON -- The spending cuts are here to stay if you believe the public posturing Sunday. The Senate's Republican leader Mitch McConnell called them modest. House Speaker John Boehner isn't sure the cuts will hurt the economy. The White House's top economic adviser, Gene Sperling, said the pain isn't that bad right now...

Greg Unger of Frohna, Mo., was appointed to the Perry County Memorial Hospital board of trustees. Unger is the co-owner of US Electric. As a board member his primary duties include overseeing quality and financial aspects of the hospital. Unger previously worked as a first-responder and is involved with the Jaycees and the East Perry Community Fair Board. ...

Son to Collin Mosley and Brittany Newell of Sikeston, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 1:06 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013. Name, King Jahlil. Weight, 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Fourth child, third son. Ms. Newell is the daughter of Tommy Newell and Michelle Newell of Morley, Mo. She is employed by Break Time. Mosley is the son of Herbert Mosley and Venita Mosley of Sikeston. He is employed by Unilever...

Father God, we lift up your name, the King of Kings. Amen.

VIERA, Fla. -- Rafael Furcal had hoped to make his spring training debut Sunday. Instead, the 35-year-old shortstop was told to stop baseball activities. Trying to come back from a torn ligament in his right elbow, the three-time All-Star has been told he must have additional medical tests...

Midnight Munchies, a late-night food-delivery service, began operations Jan. 25. Owner Lance Fleming runs the business out of Bel Air Grill, where he is a bartender. Bel Air takes a small percentage for use of their facilities. Food items such as chili cheese nachos, fried pickles, fried Oreos, cheeseburgers, soda, bottled water and tobacco products -- with proper ID -- can be delivered from midnight until 3:30 a.m. ...

SEFFNER, Fla. -- Crews on Sunday razed more than half of the Tampa-area home perched over a huge sinkhole that swallowed a man three days ago, managing to salvage some keepsakes for family members who lived there. Jeremy Bush, 35, tried to save his brother, Jeff, when the earth opened up and swallowed him Thursday night. ...

The New Madrid earthquake happened more than 200 years ago, but its effects can still be seen on the physical landscape around New Madrid, Mo. This month, Dr. Frank Nickell and Julie Grueneberg will lead a tour, "Looking for the New Madrid Fault," focusing on the area...

Steve Hornbeak, a native of Southern Illinois, always knew he wanted music to be his career. What he couldn't have known is where it would take him -- all over the world touring with Lee Greenwood, Faith Hill and Richard Marx, among others. Though he still tours with Marx, doing about 40 shows a year, Hornbeak has returned to his Southern Illinois roots, opening a studio in Anna, Ill., and helping young, local talent pursue their own music dreams...

SELMA, Ala. -- The vice president and black leaders commemorating a famous civil rights march on Sunday said efforts to diminish the impact of African-Americans' votes haven't stopped in the years since the 1965 Voting Rights Act added millions to Southern voter rolls...

Barb Bailey and her husband, Tony, both grew up on farms in Missouri -- she in Cape Girardeau County and he in Texas County. Though they lived in Cape Girardeau for awhile, they always planned to move back to the country someday. They settled in Bollinger County in 1998 and soon took up a number of new pursuits. First came the rabbits. Then the chickens. Then the goats. And, of course, the cats and dogs...

By BrandPoint Content About one out of every five American adults has been diagnosed with arthritis, and it is the most common cause of disability in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, the CDC estimates that the number of people with arthritis will increase to 67 million by 2030. The pain and stiffness caused by arthritis -- and the high cost of arthritis medications -- prompt many people to seek effective home therapies...

By Nanette Wiser ~ CTW Features Don't let economic bad news and dwindling assets prevent you from adopting a smart financial strategy. Make a plan, investment professionals advise, and stick with it. Start fresh, no guilt: If you've made mistakes with money in the past, put it behind you. Focus on a secure financial future by embracing these ideas:...

No question is a dumb question when it comes to your estate, but if these queries are on your mind, you may be ahead of the curve. We talked to the experts to find out what you should ask to avoid common pitfalls in estate planning. 1. What are the limitations of my will? Do I need a trust?...

By Lindsey Romain ~ CTW Features Retirement is idealized as a time of relaxation, reserved for fun and loved ones after all the hard work is done. And many seniors embrace the sunny notion. According to a survey done by the National Council on Aging, UnitedHealthcare and USA Today, most older Americans expect better times ahead...

Oran basketball coach Joe Shoemaker said getting a good last-second shot was something his team would "work on a little bit" after the Eagles'64-52 overtime win against Elsberry in a Class 2 sectional Wednesday night. Oran had a chance to win that game in regulation, but couldn't get a shot off before the buzzer after inbounding with 11.5 seconds left...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A lawsuit challenging a new system that makes a digital record of driver's license applicants' birth certificates and other documents has the backing Missouri's lieutenant governor, who said the case raises "serious privacy concerns" particularly for residents seeking concealed weapons permits...

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- One bill would make it a felony to enforce the new federal health care law, punishable by up to five years in prison. Another prohibits a physician from asking a patient about firearms. Yet another is designed to curb the possible influence of the United Nations in local government...

ADAM VOGLER ~ avogler@semissourian.com Spotlights illuminate geese sculptures Monday in the fishing pond at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau....

William Artadi, the 20-year-old Jackson man who last year pleaded guilty to 13 counts of burglary, saw his sentencing date rescheduled for a fifth time Monday as his new lawyer acclimates herself to the intricacies of the criminal case. Judge William Syler continued the hearing until March 18, meaning the judge will expect an answer from Artadi at that time as to whether he intends to withdraw his guilty plea. ...

Two members of Congress and a hopeful for Missouri's 8th Congressional District will headline this year's Lincoln Day dinner presented by the Cape Girardeau County Republican Women's Club. U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo. and Jason Smith, a Republican candidate who is running for a vacant congressional seat, will speak during Saturday's dinner at 6 p.m. at Ray's Plaza Conference Center in Cape Girardeau...

WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- An increase in the number of rabies cases has area veterinarians and health officials on alert. Between 2008 and 2012, four skunks tested positive for rabies during January and February, according to a health advisory from Dr. Howard Pue, state public health veterinarian for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services...

A survey of Cape Girardeau's whitetail deer population presented to the city council Monday night found an average density of 37 deer per square mile -- an amount the Missouri Department of Conservation said is similar to densities seen elsewhere in the state where communities have taken action to reduce the herd...

THEBES, Ill. -- The historic Thebes Courthouse will reopen March 16 after being closed during winter. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. The courthouse is available for tours. The annual Memorial Day weekend celebration is planned for 10 a.m. ...

Paul Bollinger of Jackson was being treated for cancer in August 2007 when he gave $80,000 to his insurance agent, Keith L. Monia. Bollinger said he intended for the money to be invested in an annuity plan that Monia suggested. He told the state of Missouri in a December 2010 complaint against Monia that he never saw the annuity or his money, again...

A world-class champion whose performances have been called the gold standard for future generations of figure skaters is coming to Cape Girardeau. Olympian and world figure-skating champion Michelle Kwan will present a speech, "Aspiring to Greatness: What it Takes to Win," at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Show Me Center...

Procter & Gamble and employees donated $278,280.00 to the 2012 United Way Campaign. Pictured L to R: Kim Voelker, United Way of Southeast Missouri and Darrick Johnson, Matt Miller, Josh Clark, Elia Lopez with Procter & Gamble.

Scott City firefighters worked for hours to knock down flames that were ravaging the home of Zach and Sarah Evans. By the time the fire was extinguished, so was much of what the couple had accumulated during their first five years of marriage. The house at 429 E. ...

A 73-year-old jail inmate collapsed and died in a Cape Girardeau County courtroom Monday afternoon while awaiting arraignment on felony charges he violated his probation by writing a bad check. Daniel E. Stroder of Wappapello, Mo., was pronounced dead at Saint Francis Medical Center after emergency crews rushed him from the courthouse in Jackson by ambulance. ...

March 4, 2013 Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry 428 East Capitol Avenue Jefferson City, MO 65101 CONTACT: (573) 634-3511 Daniel P. Mehan, Missouri Chamber President and CEO Karen Buschmann, Missouri Chamber Director of Communications Ann Kleffner, Missouri Chamber Director of Leadership Missouri...

The first Saturday of each month the Cape Girardeau Public Library and United Way Success By 6 sponsor a Born Learning Event for parents and children birth through 6 years old. The March program was about Wind. Sharon Anderson, children's librarian read books about wind and families heard poems and joined in for songs and fingerplays about the wind...

KANSAS CITY, MO -- An exciting six-week free walking program to help people of all ages keep moving while learning ways to "strike a balance" in life will kick-off on March 14, 2013 at 10 a.m. in Cape Girardeau. The walking program, called "Striking a Balance," will be held on Thursdays from 10 -- 11:15 a.m. at the St. Francis Medical Center-Fitness Plus, Conference Rooms 1 and 2, 150 S. Mt. Auburn Road...

The City of Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department will be hosting an eight-week 5K training course for all age levels and abilities from April 1 to May 22. The class will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays at the Cape Central Junior High track and on Wednesdays at Arena Park shelter one...

Looking across the channel to the Coast Range, near the end of the road north of Juneau, AK

Local Boy Scout Troop 5 recently held an Eagle Scout Court of Honor at the VFW Hall in Cape Girardeau to recognize Alex Huggins in earning and being awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. Pictured are Alex Huggins and Freeman Fouts. Mr. Fouts participated in the ceremony as the Voice of the Eagle...

Here at T-N-T Fitness we know it's hard to find time to go to the gym with work, running ear ins, and getting the kids where they need to be. Also we understand that going to the gym can be very intimidating with all the bulky equipment and people who are above your fitness level. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Two Missouri senators are reaching across the aisle in order to stop low-income people from spending welfare benefits on alcohol and entertainment. Sens. Will Kraus and Maria Chappelle-Nadal outlined their measure at a news conference Monday. It would prevent welfare recipients from spending their electronic benefits at liquor stores, casinos and adult entertainment establishments...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Many long-held events in Ozark National Scenic Riverways have been canceled because of across-the-board mandated federal spending cuts. The Heritage Day, Alley Spring Independence Day Celebration, Ozark Dinner Theater and Haunting in the Hills events are canceled, pending action on budget cuts, according to a news release from the National Park Service...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Constitution already enshrines the right to bear arms, but a state senator wants to expand that protection. The Senate General Laws Committee voted 7-0 Monday in favor of a proposal by Republican Sen. Kurt Schaefer, of Columbia...

Today is Tuesday, March 5, the 64th day of 2013. There are 301 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 5, 1963, country music performers Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins died in the crash of their plane, a Piper Comanche, near Camden, Tenn., along with pilot Randy Hughes (Cline's manager)...

Editor's note: The following letter to the editor was sent in response to the letter "GOP vs. Obama" that appeared in the March 1 Southeast Missourian. Campaigning is all Obama knows; he's never run a business. He was and is a community agitator. How do you compromise with ideology the opposite of yours? You don't...

Editor's note: The following letter to the editor is in response to the letter "GOP vs. Obama" that appeared in the March 1 Southeast Missourian. A recent letter to the editor reflected once again a theme by many Obama supporters to paint Republicans with a racial bias toward our first African-American president, rather than debating the issues of debts, deficits, taxing and spending...

The Southeast Missouri State University Speakers Series continues Wednesday with Michelle Kwan, an Olympian and World Figure Skating champion, set to speak at the Show Me Center. Kwan's speech is called "Aspiring to Greatness: What It Takes to Win." Many remember Kwan for her success in the Olympics, where she earned two medals. Her figure skating career also includes 43 championships. In 2012 she was honored with an induction into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame...

Even though it was a short month, February was very busy. Besides routine meetings and day-to-day tasks, there were quite a few special events. The month started with a retirement ceremony and reception on Feb. 1 at city hall for our longtime library director Sally Pierce...

Marilyn Gay Welty, 73, of Scott City passed away Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, in Advance, Mo., surrounded by family. She was born Feb. 4, 1940, in St. Louis to the late Russel and Gail Swan Papenberg. Marilyn was a dedicated member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Scott City. ...

Nancy M. Mangrum, 74, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, March 2, 2013, at Heartland Care and Rehab. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Patty Verline Lynn, 75, of Jackson passed away Monday, March 4, 2013, at her home. She was born March 10, 1937, in Pittsburg, Fayette County, Ill., to Ernest Verlin and Lois Tedrick Kern. She was raised by her father and stepmother Agnes Mize Kern. She and William Hector Lynn were married Oct. 26, 1957, in Corinth, Miss. He died March 15, 2002...

KELSO, Mo. -- George Patrick Jansen, 76, of Kelso passed from this life Sunday, March 3, 2013, at home, while in the arms of his wife and surrounded by his loving family. The seventh child and sixth son of Bernard and Christine Brockmeyer Jansen was born March 17, 1936, in Cape Girardeau. He was baptized at St. Mary's Catholic Church. He and Margaret Louise Sobba, the love of his life, were married April 27, 1957, at Guardian Angel Catholic Church in Oran, Mo...

ORAN, Mo. -- Lillie Mae Hogan, 91, of Oran passed away Sunday, March 3, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born in Carry Mills, Mo., Jan. 3, 1922, to Ralph and Pearl Rollins Cummins. Lillie married Oshal Thomas Hogan on March 22, 1943. He preceded her in death Jan. 26, 1986...

Robert Emerson Bunn, 77, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, March 2, 2013, at the Missouri Veterans Home. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to time of service Thursday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Cape County Memorial Park...

Harry Jake Blank, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, March 1, 2013, at his home. He was born Feb. 14, 1932, in Cape Girardeau County, to Edwin John and Freda Margaret Will Blank. He and Hazel Annette Starkey were married June 23, 1960, in Cape Girardeau...

CROSSTOWN, Mo. -- Orville E. Bachmann, 86, of Crosstown died Saturday, March 2, 2013, at Independence Care Center of Perry County in Perryville, Mo. He was born Oct. 16, 1926, in Farrar, Mo., son of Ernst and Emma Hadler Bachmann. He and Esther Mueller were married May 21, 1949. She preceded him in death Sept. 20, 2010...

Former Scott County Central star Otto Porter extended his run of Big East player of the week awards to three straight Monday. The Georgetown forward averaged 23.5 points in wins over Connecticut and Rutgers last week that elevated the Hoyas to No. 5 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll...

The southeast baseball team will play two games against Arkansas-Little Rock

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team claimed two of the Ohio Valley Conference's three weekly awards Monday. Senior guard Corey Wilford was named OVC player of the week and junior college transfer guard A.J. Jones is the OVC newcomer of the week...

The southeast long jumper's top performance ranks 10th nationally

JUPITER, Fla. -- Lance Lynn allowed four hits in a three-run first inning and Jason Motte gave up a two-run homer in his second straight outing as the St. Louis Cardinals lost to the Minnesota Twins 7-0 on Monday. Working on his slider instead of throwing fastballs and trying to induce fly balls into the wind, Lynn gave up three runs -- two earned -- and five hits in 2 1/3 innings...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri is one win away from a perfect home record in the regular season. The Tigers want to give a big send-off to three seniors, two of whom fans are just getting to know. Fifth-year senior Laurence Bowers is Missouri's leading scorer with a 14.2-point average heading into the finale against Arkansas and former Tigers coach Mike Anderson on Tuesday...

PHILADELPHIA -- Blaine Anderson and Kevin Keller? Betty Cooper and Noah Puckerman? Things are not as they usually are in the halls of William McKinley and Riverdale high schools. That's just the way it should be, said Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who writes for "Glee" and penned the four-issue story arc, "Archie Meets Glee," that sees Riverdale and McKinley's famous -- and vocally talented -- students come together in a crossover crash that blends the snark of the television show and the long-standing wholesomeness of Archie, Jughead and Betty, among others.. ...

NEW YORK -- A close-knit ultraorthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn was plunged into a new round of mourning Monday by the death of a baby who was delivered by cesarean section after his parents were killed in a hit-and-run crash a day earlier. Police hunted for the suspected driver, identified as Julio Acevedo, saying he was barreling down a residential street in a BMW at 60 mph early Sunday when he collided with a car hired to take the couple to a hospital...

If Florida Gov. Rick Scott can do an about-face and wisely accept Medicaid expansion in his state, surely the nation's Republican gubernatorial holdouts can summon up the courage to do the same. County fees I can't understand why the county will charge us $15 for a shelter at the parks that we pay taxes for. ...

Handbell choirs from 16 churches perform at the Missouri Handbell Festival at First Baptist Church here; it marks the first time a handbell choir festival has been held in Southeast Missouri. BENTON, Mo. -- Michael L. Johnson was selected as the new superintendent of schools for the Kelly School District, effective July 1; Johnson is currently superintendent of the Oak Ridge School District in Cape Girardeau County...

MOMBASA, Kenya -- Kenya's presidential election drew millions of voters who endured long lines to cast ballots Monday, but the vote was marred by violence that left 19 people dead, including four policemen hacked to death by machete-wielding separatists...

BAGHDAD -- Dozens of Syrian soldiers who had crossed into Iraq for refuge were ambushed Monday with bombs, gunfire and rocket-propelled grenades in an attack that killed 48 of them and heightened concerns that the country could be drawn into Syria's civil war...

CAIRO -- Clashes between protesters and police in the restive Egyptian city of Port Said that entered their second day Monday have dragged in the military to a dramatic extent into the nation's turmoil. At times in the violence, frictions have risen between the police who were battling protesters and army forces that tried to break up the fighting. ...

VATICAN CITY -- Cardinals said Monday they want to talk to Vatican managers about allegations of corruption and cronyism within the top levels of the Catholic Church before they elect the next pope, evidence that a scandal over leaked papal documents is casting a shadow over the conclave and setting up one of the most unpredictable papal elections in recent times...

Colorectal cancer screening saves lives. If everyone who is 50 years old or older were screened regularly, as many as 60 percent of deaths from this cancer could be avoided. Among cancers that affect both men and women, colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon or rectum) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Every year, about 140,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and more than 50,000 people die from it...

WASHINGTON -- A baby born with the virus that causes AIDS appears to have been cured, scientists announced Sunday, describing the case of a child from Mississippi who's now 21/2 and has been off medication for about a year with no signs of infection...

CHICAGO -- Advanced breast cancer has increased slightly among young women, a 34-year analysis suggests. The disease is still uncommon among women younger than 40, and the small change has experts scratching their heads about possible reasons. The results are potentially worrisome because young women's tumors tend to be more aggressive than older women's, and they're much less likely to get routine screening for the disease...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Saturday:...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Summons Assaults Thefts Property damage Miscellaneous SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY The Southeast Missouri State University Department of Public Safety released the following item...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Twelve former Florida A&M University band members were charged Monday with manslaughter in the 2011 hazing death of a drum major. Ten of the band members were charged in May with third-degree felony hazing for the death of 26-year-old Robert Champion, but the state attorney's office said it is adding the charge of manslaughter for each defendant. They also charged two additional defendants with manslaughter, though they have yet to be arrested...

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- A nurse's refusal to perform CPR on a dying 87-year-old woman at a California independent living home despite desperate pleas from a 911 dispatcher has prompted outrage and spawned a criminal investigation. The 7-minute, 16-second call raised concerns that policies at senior living facilities could prevent staff from intervening in medical emergencies. ...

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Set on a gritty corner of Oakland's International Boulevard, the not-for-profit Street Level Health Project offers free checkups to patients who speak a total of 22 languages, from recent Mongolian immigrants seeking a doctor to Burmese refugees in need of a basic dental exam...

WASHINGTON -- Republicans controlling the House moved Monday to ease a crunch in Pentagon readiness while limiting the pain felt by such agencies as the FBI and the Border Patrol from across-the-board spending cuts that are just starting to take effect...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A follower in New Orleans built a public shrine in her honor. An actor in Albuquerque credits her with helping him land a role on the TV show "Breaking Bad." She turns up routinely along the U.S.-Mexico border at safe houses, and is sighted on dashboards of cars used to smuggle methamphetamine through the southwest desert...

O Lord God, we praise you, for your name is a strong tower. Amen.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A Missouri Senate panel is trying to prevent the enforcement in the state of President Barak Obama's executive orders on gun control. The committee voted Tuesday to adopt the measure sponsored by Sen. Brian Munzlinger, of Williamstown...

Southeast Missouri State junior forward Tyler Stone repeated as a second-team all-Ohio Valley Conference selection Tuesday. Southeast's women also received an OVC honor as freshman guard Kara Wright was named to the conference's all-newcomer team. The OVC's men's and women's postseason basketball awards, voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors, were announced on the eve of the OVC tournament in Nashville, Tenn...

It's understandable why the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team is so excited entering the Ohio Valley Conference tournament. The Redhawks are without a doubt playing their best basketball of the season as the eight-team event tips off today at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn...

Southeast Missourian ~ The Southeast Missouri State baseball team dug itself an early hole Tuesday night and couldn't quite climb out. Host Arkansas-Little Rock led 3-0 after two innings and that was all the Trojans needed during their 3-2 victory. Southeast (7-6) and UALR (9-3) conclude their two-game nonconference series at 3 p.m. today...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Frank Haith appeared even more fired-up than his players for Missouri's home finale, doing everything he could to make sure it was the perfect finish. Not to mention a rough night for the man he replaced. Haith's jacket came off early in the first half of the Tigers' 93-63 rout over Arkansas on Tuesday night. ...

A 73-year-old inmate who collapsed and died Monday in a Cape Girardeau County courtroom while awaiting arraignment died of natural causes, according to autopsy results. Coroner John Clifton said the autopsy of Daniel E. Stroder of Wappapello, Mo., revealed nothing unusual, although the final details will not be available for two to three weeks. Stroder was to be arraigned on felony charges of violating probation for writing a bad check...

State Auditor Tom Schweich has started an audit of Bollinger County, according to a news release from his office. The audit is routine, and wasn't prompted by complaints or allegations of wrongdoing, said Schweich spokesman Spence Jackson, and will focus on calendar year 2012, though other years' finances might be examined if needed...

The Constitution Party has nominated a candidate to run in a June 4 special election for Missouri's 8th Congressional District seat. Doug Enyart, a U.S. Marine and professional forester from Piedmont, Mo., was chosen by the party, according to a news release...

The Evans Family Benefit Fund has been established to help Zach and Sarah Evans, a Scott City couple who lost their home and most of their possessions Monday in a fire. The Alliance Bank in Oran, Mo., established the fund to gather donations for the family's short-term needs. Donations can be made at any Alliance Bank location...

A Southern Illinois man faces two felony weapons charges after police say he brandished a gun inside a Cape Girardeau restaurant Sunday morning and shot several windows at a bank. Corey B. Lasley, 27, of Olive Branch, Ill., is charged with two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, for carrying the gun concealed without a permit and shooting a firearm at a building, both felonies...

A fear of causing undue alarm was the reason for rescheduling Cape Girardeau County's participation in Tuesday's statewide tornado drill, according to a county official "The sky was overcast and the National Weather Service was predicting high-wind gusts," said Richard Knaup, director of the Cape Girardeau County Emergency Management Agency. ...

Residents of Delta will vote on a $1.5 million bond issue in the April election to combine and improve the city's waterworks and sewage systems. According to language on the sample ballot, the city would retire the bonds within 35 years. Delta officials also have considered taking out low-interest loans to pay back a portion of the debt, said city attorney Frank Siebert...

With 438 students from 33 schools submitting 321 projects, organizers of the 57th Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair said the Tuesday event at the Show Me Center was the biggest in the fair's history. "We always have good experiments," director Chris McGowan said. "There are students doing things that haven't been done before."...

Editor's note: The following story has been edited to reflect the correct date for the election. As the town slips near bankruptcy, Gordonville leaders have proposed raising the sales tax to provide revenue for their three-year-old wastewater system...

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's board of directors voted Tuesday to support Medicaid expansion in the state, "with strong recommendations," according to a chamber news release. The chamber released a statement with several conditions attached to its report. The statement appears below in its entirety...

The Eagles finished second at the 1969 final four in a game that has been talked about for decades.

Children ages 3 to 5 years-old are given the opportunity to learn the basics of several different sports with Pee Wee Sports, a program that is managed by the City of Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department. Classes take place on Thursdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at A.C Brase Arena, beginning on March 21 and ending on April 11...

Children ages 5-10 will get to decorate a festive tote for Easter egg hunting at the Create An Easter Egg Tote Bag event. All required materials will be provided. The City of Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department will host the event from 5:30-7 p.m. on March 20 at the Osage Centre. The deadline to register your child for the event is March 15. The registration fee is $13 for Cape Girardeau residents and $16 for non-Cape Girardeau residents...

The Chateau Girardeau Foundation awards scholarships, each fall and spring semester, to worthy employees of the Chateau who are furthering their education. For the Spring 2013 semester, the Foundation has awarded a scholarship to Chelsie Cardin of Cape Girardeau...

The Chateau Girardeau Foundation awards scholarships, each fall and spring semester, to worthy employees of the Chateau who are furthering their education. For the Spring 2013 semester, the Foundation has awarded a scholarship to Lacy Sanders of Jackson...

The Chateau Girardeau Foundation awards scholarships, each fall and spring semester, to worthy employees of the Chateau who are furthering their education. For the Spring 2013 semester, the Foundation has awarded a scholarship to Candi Hargrove of Chaffee...

Kita is 1 year old. She is spayed and housebroken. She has lots of energy and would enjoy an active home. Kita is available for adoption at The Humane Society 573-334-5837. See more pets available at www.semopets.org.

Does the thought of "going on a diet" make you cringe? For most, this means cutting out your favorite foods and battling cravings all day -- a less-than-exciting prospect for almost everyone. But new research points to a more effective, less drastic approach to adopting a healthier diet...

Capt. Cody Waters, of Fulton, has been appointed the new commander for the 1140th Forward Support Company in Cape Girardeau. During the ceremony, the unit guidon was passed to Waters to symbolize the transfer of authority and responsibility. Waters was grateful for his new command...

CARACAS, Venezuela -- President Hugo Chavez was a fighter. The former paratroop commander and fiery populist waged continual battle for his socialist ideals and outsmarted his rivals time and again, defeating a coup attempt, winning re-election three times and using his country's vast oil wealth to his political advantage...

Today is Wednesday, March 6, the 65th day of 2013. There are 300 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 6, 1933, a national bank holiday declared by President Franklin D. Roosevelt aimed at calming panicked depositors went into effect. (The holiday was supposed to last four days, but was extended until it was gradually lifted starting March 13.)...

Ressel averaged 19 points in two basketball victories last week that landed the Eagles in the Class 2 final four.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- One bill would make it a felony to enforce the new federal health-care law, punishable by up to five years in prison. Another prohibits a physician from asking a patient about firearms, and another is designed to curb the possible influence of the United Nations in local government...

WASHINGTON -- The U.S.-led military command in Afghanistan no longer will count and publish the number of Taliban attacks, a statistical measure it once touted as a gauge of U.S. and allied success but now dismisses as flawed. The move comes a week after the coalition, known as the International Security Assistance Force, acknowledged it had incorrectly reported a 7 percent drop in Taliban attacks in 2012 compared to 2011. In fact, there was no decline, ISAF officials now say...

An organ dedication is held in the evening at Lynwood Baptist Church; the dedication concert features the Rev. James. R. Thielker, minister of Music at Messiah Lutheran Church in St. Louis; he also is a composer and arranger. Youth Sunday is celebrated at Immanuel Lutheran Church near Jackson; speaker for the service is the Rev. Gary L. Pohl of St. Louis...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday:...

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

On Thursday, Old Town Cape held its annual dinner and awards ceremony. This event is an opportunity to recognize many who do important work in the downtown area. Receiving the Charles L. Hutson Visionary Award was Roger and Judith Anne Lang. The Lang family operated a jewelry store in downtown Cape Girardeau for 96 years, culminating last year with the Langs retirement...

Editor's note: The following letter to the editor is in response to the letter "GOP vs. Obama" that appeared in the March 1 Southeast Missourian. I was dismayed to see the pro-Obama letter to the editor in the paper last week. After this sequester episode, anyone paying attention should understand that Obama has no desire to fix our government spending problem. With all due respect, there are a lot of "low information voters" out there...

Medicare insurance gives you so much bang for the buck. It's bigger, can negotiate better deals for patients and has a proven track recorded of popularity. Instead of raising the age of eligibility for Medicare, we should be lowering it, so as to one day reach the ideal of Medicare for all...

I read an article in the Jan. 29 Southeast Missourian Jr. on school reports and was very impressed by the report on the Clippard Girl Scout Troop. It was very well written, informative and showed readers truly what Girl Scouting is about. Reagan Snider did an excellent job of reporting on her troop and should be commended. Kudos to you, Reagan...

OBERLIN, Ohio -- Scrawls of racially offensive graffiti and, more recently, a report of someone wearing what looked like a Ku Klux Klan-type hooded robe on campus have shaken students at historically liberal Oberlin College, one of the nation's first universities to admit blacks...

LONDON -- Justin Bieber apologized Tuesday to his young fans -- and their outraged, overtired parents -- after they accused him of taking the stage inconsiderately late for a concert in London. The singer insisted he had only been 40 minutes behind schedule, and blamed "technical issues."...

LOS ANGELES -- Voters in Los Angeles gave a collective shrug Tuesday to the contest to replace Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, turning out in small numbers after a low-profile campaign in which no issue or candidate galvanized the electorate. Only about 22 percent of 660,000 mail-in ballots had been returned by Tuesday morning, and campaign strategists figured when Election Day voters were added, only about a quarter of the city's 1.8 million voters would have cast ballots...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Marilyn Marcella Sparkman, 80, of Topeka, Kan., formerly of Chaffee, passed away Sunday, March 3, 2013, in Topeka. She was born March 12, 1932, in Chaffee to Earl and Mary Ann Malone Alvey. Marilyn and John L. Sparkman were married March 6, 1948. He preceded her in death Sept. 7, 2009...

James Cooper Kinder, 58, of Edwardsville, Ill., formerly of Jackson, died Monday, March 4, 2013, at Anderson Hospital in Maryville, Ill. He was born Aug. 23, 1954, to the late Oliver "Ink" and Lucille Kinder. Survivors include three children, Aliesha (Brenan) Graham, James Cortney Kinder and Morgan Brittney Kinder; a grandson, Braden Graham; seven sisters, Shirley Parsons, Mary Ann Lattin, Ethel Forman, Christina Terry, Vivian Sue Jones, Dora "Sissy" Kinder and Olive (Homer) White; and two brothers, Ronald (Christine) Kinder and M.B. ...

ORAN, Mo. -- Lillie Mae Hogan, 91, of Oran passed away Sunday, March 3, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born in Carry Mills, Mo., on Jan. 3, 1922, to Ralph and Pearl Rollins Cummins. Lillie married Oshal Thomas Hogan on March 22, 1943. He preceded her in death Jan. 26, 1986...

Irene Francis Fisher, 90, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Gordonville, passed away Monday, March 4, 2013, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Aug. 22, 1922, in Glennon, Mo., daughter of Henry and Mary Thele DeBrock. She and Elmer Joseph Fisher were married Nov. 27, 1946, at St. Anthony's Church in Glennon. He preceded her in death Sept. 3, 2003...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Dallas Dean Dinkins, 67, of Bell City, Mo., formerly of Advance, died Sunday, March 3, 2013, at the family home. Friends may call from 2 p.m. until time of service Saturday at Free Trinity Pentecostal Church in Randles. A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at the church, with the Rev. Don Leggett officiating...

Robert Emerson Bunn, 77, of Cape Girardeau entered eternal rest Saturday, March 2, 2013. He was born Dec. 31, 1935, in Tulsa, Okla., son of the late Earl N. and Audrey G. Bunn. He and Auna Lee Kissinger were married May 7, 1960, in Springfield, Mo. Robert received a bachelor's degree from Missouri State University (formerly Southwest Missouri State College) in 1958...

Jane Albrecht, 82, of Scott City died Tuesday, March 5, 2013, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

NEW YORK -- The suspected driver who fled the scene of a grisly crash that killed a pregnant woman, her husband and ultimately the child they were expecting said Tuesday that he planned to surrender, though police continued searching for him and said they would arrest him if they found him...

NEW YORK -- Martha Stewart, 71, took the stand in New York State Supreme Court on Tuesday morning. She is at the center of a bitter legal battle between two of the nation's largest retailers -- Macy's Inc. and J.C. Penney Co. Macy's sued the media and merchandising company Stewart founded for breaching an exclusive contract when she signed a deal with Penney in December 2011 to open shops at most of its stores this spring...

VATICAN CITY -- The two American cardinals sat on the stage, microphones in hand, fielding questions from the world's news media on everything from the delayed arrival of some of their colleagues to their own wardrobe choices if elected pope. Most experts doubt the upcoming conclave will select an American pope, but the U.S. ...

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Vice President Nicolas Maduro is taking over leadership of Hugo Chavez's political movement after the socialist leader died Tuesday at age 58 following a nearly two-year bout with cancer. Maduro now faces the daunting task of rallying support in a deeply divided country while maintaining unity within his party's ranks...

ST. LOUIS -- The price of parking at Lambert Airport may soon be going up. The St. Louis Airport Commission on Wednesday is expected to double the minimum price to park at Lambert's two primary garages. The change would be effective next month. Daily parking fees would increase to $23 from $21...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri House gave first-round approval Tuesday to proposed changes to legislative term limits that would allow lawmakers more flexibility without lengthening how long they can work at the Capitol. Right now, lawmakers generally are limited to serving eight years in the state House and eight years in the state Senate. ...

WASHINGTON -- Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on Tuesday said he was open to immigration reform proposals that include a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, clarifying his approach amid questions from fellow Republicans. Bush, author of a new book on immigration, said he could support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, as long as it didn't create an incentive for people to come to the U.S. illegally...

WASHINGTON -- A massive House Republican measure to keep the government operating would ease some of the pain of automatic spending cuts slamming the Defense Department, the nation's senior military leaders told Congress on Tuesday. Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff painted a dire picture of construction projects on hold, limits on aircraft carriers patrolling the waters and even a delay in the expansion of Arlington National Cemetery because of the $43 billion in across-the-board cuts that kicked in Friday.. ...

WASHINGTON -- U.S. home prices jumped in January, a sign the housing market is gaining momentum as it nears the spring selling season. Home prices rose 9.7 percent in January from a year ago, according to data released Tuesday by CoreLogic. That's up from an 8.3 percent increase in December and the biggest annual gain since April 2006...

NEW YORK -- Five and a half years after the start of a frightening drop that erased $11 trillion from stock portfolios and made investors despair of ever getting their money back, the Dow Jones industrial average has regained all the losses suffered during a lengthy recession and reached a new high...

Highway 34 in Wayne County reduced for pipe replacement Highway 34 in Wayne County, between Route OO and the Bollinger County line, will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a pipe under the roadway. The work will be performed from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. today...

CHICAGO -- A late winter storm packing up to 10 inches of snow sent officials in weather-hardened Chicago into action Tuesday to prevent a repeat of scenes from two years ago, when hundreds of people in cars and buses were stranded on the city's marquee thoroughfare during a massive blizzard...

UNITED NATIONS -- A U.S.-China draft resolution aimed at reining in North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile program would impose some of the strongest sanctions ever ordered by the United Nations, in a move certain to infuriate the regime and inflame tensions on the Korean Peninsula...

WASHINGTON -- The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday voted to approve President Barack Obama's pick to lead the CIA after winning a behind-the-scenes battle with the White House about access to a series of top-secret legal opinions that justify the use of lethal drone strikes against terror suspects, including American citizens...

O Lord Jesus, may we be filled with the fruit of the Spirit. Amen.

-- Associated Press...

Top Senior Division winners:Corvin Schoen of Oak Ridge High School and Sierra Woods of Puxico R-8 Schools will travel to Phoenix to compete in the 64th International Science Fair in May. Ethan Seyer of Oak Ridge High School is an alternate...

Gary Rust, chairman of Rust Communications, the company that owns the Southeast Missourian, will appear today on the Cousin Carl radio show on C106.1 FM. Rust will be joined on the show, hosted by Bill Anderson, by KBSI general manager Mike Smythe and Southeast Missouri State University President Ken Dobbins at 10:15 a.m...

NAME: Clint E. Lacy AGE: 40 PLACE OF BIRTH: Cape Girardeau, Missouri SPOUSE, CHILDREN'S NAMES: Children: Alexandria and Jordan EDUCATION: Two years, Southeast Missouri State University OCCUPATION: Manufacturing. EMPLOYER: Procter and Gamble BUSINESSES OWNED, ALL OR PART:...

NAME: Raimus Yates AGE: 40 PLACE OF BIRTH: Florida SPOUSE, CHILDREN'S NAMES: Terrie Yates, Rachel Yates, Raimus Yates Jr., Robert Yates, Russell Yates and Rachana Yates EDUCATION: 12th OCCUPATION: Handy man EMPLOYER: selfemployed BUSINESSES OWNED, ALL OR PART:...

Back in the day, I fancied myself a fairly decent repository of trivial facts. When in college, we would while away study time by exchanging competing questions on trivial matters. Sports, music, current events, etc., all provided sources of unimportant minutia that would be debated over adult beverages...

The building at 107 S. Main St. in Chaffee, Mo., has collapsed causing further damage to a neighboring building. High winds on Tuesday night are the likely culprit to the front facade falling into the street. City leaders are unsure when demolition will take place but said it should take place soon as it is a huge safety issue. (Samantha Kluesner/Scott County Signal)...

DETROIT (AP) -- Ford is recalling 230,000 minivans in 20 cold-weather states and Washington, D.C., to fix rust problems that can cause the third-row seats to come loose. The company says the recall affects Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans from the 2004 through 2007 model years. They were sold mainly in Canada and U.S. states where salt is used to clear roads in the winter...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- Arkansas now has the nation's most restrictive abortion law -- a near-ban on the procedure from the 12th week of pregnancy -- unless a lawsuit or court action intervenes before it takes effect this summer. Lawmakers in the Republican-dominated Legislature defied Gov. Mike Beebe, overriding the Democrat's veto. The House voted 56-33 on Wednesday to override Beebe's veto, a day after the Senate voted to do the same...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Missouri Senate's only physician and its lone pharmacist are proposing creation of a database of prescription opiates and painkillers. But the physician wants voters to approve the measure, while the pharmacist wants the Legislature to do so...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones said Thursday he will be "fast-tracking" newly proposed legislation that would bar copying of birth certificates and other personal documents needed for a driver's license. Attention to the handling of such documents comes after a lawsuit was filed in southeastern Missouri by a man who sought to update his driver's license to include an endorsement to carry a concealed weapon. ...

From March 14-17, Missouri police will be on a campaign to increase enforcement of drunken-driving laws. Police also plan to crack down on young drivers not wearing seat belts...

Those who come to be on the wrong side of one of Missouri's 21 correctional centers often convince themselves they have come to be there by chance, fate or just bad luck, said George Lombardi. But Lombardi, who has been the director of the Missouri Department of Corrections since 2008, told a group of criminal justice students and professionals Wednesday in Cape Girardeau there are more constructive ways to see the consequences of one's actions...

State Rep. Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, Mo., wants stronger privacy laws to ensure Missourians do not have their trust violated by state government. Richardson filed House Bill 787 this week. If passed, the bill would prohibit the Missouri Department of Revenue from scanning and transferring personal documents to an out-of-state database....

People receiving federal Social Security, Supplemental Security Income and Veterans Affairs payments were required by law to have signed up by March 1 for electronic direct deposit. People who don't comply can expect continued urging to participate from the U.S. Treasury...

More than 300 people were at the Show Me Center on Thursday night to hear former skating champion Michelle Kwan deliver her thoughts about "Aspiring to Greatness: What it Takes to Win." "I'm curious about her message of what it takes to succeed," said Rui Li, a sophomore at Southeast Missouri State University from Beijing, China, before Kwan's appearance. "I think it will relate to her success as a skater and to what she does now."...

Construction of a multilane roundabout at a busy Lexington Avenue intersection is expected to get underway in April. The roundabout will cover Lexington's meeting point with Route W and Kingsway Drive. The addition of a turning lane at the intersection of Kingshighway and Lexington Avenue and widening of Lexington Avenue between Kingshighway and Abbey Lane, along with the roundabout, is expected to ease traffic congestion, said Tim Richmond, project manager for the Missouri Department of Transportation. ...

CEDAR HILL, Mo. -- With one chance to finally put the Jackson boys basketball team ahead of Chaminade, Karson King didn't fail. King buried a 3-pointer from the top of the key to lift the Indians past the Red Devils 60-59 in a Class 5 boys sectional Wednesday night...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The investigation into professional misconduct claims leveled against police chief Keith Tarrillion could be resolved as early as Monday, Perryville city officials said Wednesday. But the fate of the 20-year department veteran remains far from certain with a tight-lipped group of city leaders who won't speak publicly about the nature of the allegations...

High winds were responsible for thousands of Ameren Missouri customers in and around Cape Girardeau being in the dark Tuesday night. Ameren Missouri spokesman Bryan Daniels said a feeder line at the Glenwood substation in northeast Cape Girardeau, off Route W, lost power because of the wind. Power was restored at about 1:25 a.m., he said...

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County's closed landfill is back in compliance with DNR standards. County commissioners met with representatives of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Jefferson City office during their regular meeting Tuesday to discuss the old county landfill...

Today is Thursday, March 7, the 66th day of 2013. There are 299 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 7, 1965, a march by civil rights demonstrators was violently broken up at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., by state troopers and a sheriff's posse in what came to be known as "Bloody Sunday."...

The following students have been awarded scholarships to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 2013-2014 academic year: n Taylor Seyer of Scott City was awarded the University Scholarship and Residence Life Leadership Award. She is the daughter of Chris and Joni Seyer of Scott City, and she will graduate from Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau...

You may use it to play a popular sport, but did you know you can use a racquetball to create an awesome science toy? Materials Instructions STEP 1: Have an adult cut the racquetball in half. Turn one of the pieces inside out. STEP 2: Using scissors, remove a portion of one of the pieces. Once you have removed a portion, make sure you still can turn it inside out...

Son to Shawn Matthew and Janel Marie Wenzel of Perryville, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 11:03 a.m. Friday, Feb. 15, 2013. Name, Asher James. Weight, 6 pounds, 8 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Wenzel is the former Janel Boland, daughter of Richard and Diana Boland of St. Mary, Mo. Wenzel is the son of Sharon Williams of Perryville and Ron Wenzel of Bourbon, Mo. He is a tree trimmer...

Six Cape Girardeau County citizens seek a restraining order to prevent County Clerk Rodney Miller from having election judges place marks beside the names of registered voters who take Democratic ballots in Tuesday's presidential primary. Republican Bob Dole, who is polling slightly before Vice President George Bush on the eve of Missouri's presidential primary, addresses a campaign rally at the airport in Cape Girardeau in the evening...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

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

Daniel Eugene Stroder, 73, of Wappapello, Mo., formerly of Crump, passed away Monday, March 4, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 4, 1939, in Crump to Eugene P. and Thelma H. Strong Stroder. Daniel was a 1957 graduate of Delta High School...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Mitchell M. Shell, 75, of Chaffee lost his fight with cancer Saturday, March 2, 2013, at the family home. He was born Jan. 5, 1938, in Greenbrier, Mo., to Virgil C. and Hazel Cooper Shell. Mitchell and Delores "Dee" Hopkins were married Nov. 4, 1968...

Loretta May Halter, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, March 5, 2013, at the Lutheran Home. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until time of service Friday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. at the church, with the Rev. David Hulshof officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery...

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Reinhold A. "Dixie" Degenhardt, 97, of Altenburg died Tuesday, March 5, 2013, at Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville, Mo. He was born Sept. 25, 1915, at Wittenberg, Mo., son of August G. and Mathilde S. Poppitz Degenhardt. He and Thekla Koch were married April 21, 1940. She preceded him in death Oct. 31, 1975. He and Margie Engert Johnson were married in May 1978...

Jane Albrecht, 82, of Scott City passed away Tuesday, March 5, 2013, at her home. She was born Aug. 27, 1930, daughter of Clarence Anderson and Frieda Dillingham Jones. She and George Albrecht were married April 20, 1952. Jane grew up in Cape Girardeau and attended Trinity Lutheran School and the former College High School...

VATICAN CITY -- In the end, American-style transparency was no match for the Vatican's obsession with secrecy. Cardinals attending closed-door discussions before the conclave to elect the next pope imposed a media blackout Wednesday, forcing the cancellation of the popular daily press briefings by U.S. cardinals that had provided crucial insights into the deliberations...

NEW YORK -- A man suspected of fleeing the scene of a grisly crash in New York City that killed a pregnant woman and her husband was arrested at a convenience store in northeastern Pennsylvania on Wednesday after a friend arranged his surrender with New York authorities...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Relatives of an 87-year-old woman who died after a nurse at her retirement home refused a 911 dispatcher's pleas to perform CPR expressed satisfaction with the care she received, saying her wishes were to die naturally. Meanwhile, the company that owns the facility now says its worker failed to follow proper procedures...

NEW YORK -- Some family members of victims killed in the Sept. 11 terror attacks on Wednesday said they are outraged by the Transportation Security Administration's decision to let passengers carry pocketknives on planes. TSA Administrator John Pistole announced Tuesday that airline passengers will be able to carry pocketknives with blades less than 2.36 inches long and less than half an inch wide. ...

CHICAGO -- States with the most gun-control laws have the fewest gun-related deaths, according to a study that suggests sheer quantity of measures might make a difference. But the research leaves many questions unanswered and won't settle the debate over how policymakers should respond to recent high-profile acts of gun violence...

HAGERSTOWN, Md. -- A winter storm marched into the Mid-Atlantic region Wednesday and dumped more than a foot of snow in some places, knocking out power to nearly 200,000 homes and businesses. Virginia appeared to take the biggest punch from the storm, which pummeled the nation's midsection a day earlier. The weather largely spared the nation's capital, yet the typically bustling city had all but shut down before the storm...

MOSCOW -- A Russian ballet star who has danced the roles of violent and powerful historical figures at the Bolshoi Theater has confessed to organizing the acid attack on the theater's ballet chief, Moscow police said Wednesday. A masked man threw a jar of sulfuric acid in the face of artistic director Sergei Filin as he returned home late on Jan. 17, severely burning his eyes. The 42-year-old former dancer is undergoing treatment in Germany...

NEW YORK -- Valerie Harper, who played Rhoda Morgenstern on television's "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and its spinoff, "Rhoda," has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. People magazine reported on its website Wednesday that the 73-year-old actress received the news Jan. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri prosecutors could use evidence of past criminal behavior in child sex abuse prosecutions under a measure given preliminary approval Wednesday by the state House. The proposed state constitutional amendment would allow use of relevant evidence of past criminal acts to corroborate a victim's testimony or to demonstrate the defendant has a propensity to commit the crime with which he or she now is charged. ...

TODAY NEW MOVIES EVENTS FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY NEXT WEEK NEW MOVIES GAMES CDs DVDs...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay is on the verge of becoming St. Louis' first-ever four-term mayor after winning the Democratic primary Tuesday. Unofficial final results had Slay with 54 percent of votes and aldermanic president Lewis Reed with 44 percent. Former Alderman Jimmie Matthews got about 1 percent...

CARACAS, Venezuela -- By the hundreds of thousands, Hugo Chavez's tearful supporters carried their dead president through streets still plastered with his smiling image, an epic farewell to a larger-than-life leader remembered simply as "our commander."...

CAIRO -- An Egyptian court on Wednesday ordered the suspension of parliamentary elections scheduled to begin in April, opening a legal battle likely to delay the vote and deepening the political crisis between the Islamist president and his opponents that has polarized the nation for months...

DUNLAP, Calif. -- A female intern-volunteer was killed Wednesday by a lion at a private wild animal park in Central California. Cat Haven founder and executive director Dale Anderson was crying as he read a one-sentence statement about the fatal mauling at the exotic animal zoo he has operated since 1993...

AMSTERDAM -- The European Union has fined Microsoft $733 million for breaking a pledge to offer personal computer users a choice of Internet browsers when they install the company's flagship Windows operating system. The penalty imposed by the EU's executive arm, the Commission, is a first for Brussels: no company has ever failed to keep its end of a bargain with EU authorities before...

ST. LOUIS -- A federal judge has ordered a small library in southern Missouri to stop blocking access to websites related to Wicca and other minority religions, calling it a violation of patrons' First Amendment rights. U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber issued the ruling Tuesday in St. Louis in a case involving the Salem (Mo.) Public Library...

WASHINGTON -- Republicans pushed legislation through the House on Wednesday to prevent a government shutdown this month while easing the short-term impact of $85 billion in spending cuts -- at the same time previewing a longer-term plan to erase federal deficits without raising taxes...

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

It's easy to take things for granted. Electricity, for example. On Tuesday night more than 2,700 Ameren Missouri customers were in the dark. These things happen and can be an inconvenience. But imagine what it would be like to live not only without electricity, but clean water, too. This, along with a host of other problems, is a reality for many living in impoverished countries...

Shay Alderman's Feb. 18 story, "Affordable Care Act has changed the rules when it comes to insuring your child," brought up an important point regarding the role of brokers in Missouri's state exchange, which will open in 2014. Many of the brokers she quoted expressed concern that the exchange would cut brokers out of the process and do a disservice to small businesses and individuals utilizing them...

If he keeps progressing like this the day will come when we'll say, "Move over Larry Bird and Magic Johnson and make room for Otto Porter Jr." Campaign president I'm confused. Did the country just elect a president? Someone needs to tell him that the campaign is over. ...

Oran senior Kody Moore didn't know a thing about the Salisbury boys basketball team before his team's practice Tuesday evening. That's the way he prefers it. "Nothing," he answered, when asked what he'd heard about his team's Class 2 state semifinal opponent. "It's wonderful knowing nothing because there's nothing to be scared of."...

Southeast splits its two-game series against UALR with a 4-3 victory

Almighty God, we seek wisdom and discernment from you in all things. Amen.

CEDAR HILL, Mo. -- When it started to go downhill, it went downhill fast. The Jackson girls basketball saw a season of promise come to an end, 56-31, at the hands of St. Joseph's Academy Wednesday night...

Southeast Missouri State senior gymnast Emma Garrett was named the Midwest Independent Conference specialist of the week on Wednesday. Garrett recorded a career-high 9.925 on floor exercise in Sunday's win over Eastern Michigan, the sixth-best floor score in school history...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Southeast Missouri State entered the Ohio Valley Conference tournament playing its best basketball of the season. Little changed in that regard Wednesday night as the Redhawks started off the eight-team event with a bang. Sixth-seeded Southeast trailed a few times early but had little trouble disposing of seventh-seeded Eastern Illinois 78-68 in the opening round at Municipal Auditorium...

Oran High School has no fall sports for boys, which leaves plenty of time for athletes to fill. Some prepare for the upcoming winter basketball season, while others continue to work on their baseball skills with the spring season in mind. "I guess we just hang out and just wait for it. That's all you can do," Oran senior center Alex Heuring said. "We try to stay active with sports and open gyms and I guess spend time together as a team."...

JUPITER, Fla. -- Knee fine, Jake Westbrook got down to business. And he enjoyed it. Westbrook showed no ill effects of the bruised knee that forced him to leave his first spring start after one inning, limiting the Miami Marlins to a run and four hits over three innings of the St. Louis Cardinals' 7-2 win Wednesday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A proposal intended to keep pace with tax-cutting Kansas would shave Missouri's income tax rates for rich and poor residents, while also reducing taxes for businesses. But to partially offset the lost tax revenue, shoppers could be charged more at stores and online...

JUPITER, Fla. -- The St. Louis Cardinals have hired former great Willie McGee as a special assistant to the general manager focusing on the minor leagues. The 54-year-old McGee, added to the staff Wednesday, served as a special instructor at spring training this year. McGee is in the franchise top 10 in games played, triples, and stolen bases and was a career .295 hitter over 18 seasons...

NAME: Emitt Calvin Brown AGE: 74 PLACE OF BIRTH: East Prairie Missouri SPOUSE, CHILDREN'S NAMES: Barbara Ann Brown Donna Joy Nall Mark Freeman Tammy Staab EDUCATION: High School Hendrix College in Conway Arkansas St. Paul School of Theology Kansas City Mo...

NAME: Wilfred "Will" E Bucher AGE: 63 PLACE OF BIRTH: Cape Girardeau SPOUSE, CHILDREN'S NAMES: Wife: Alyce Children: Lesley Matthew Paul EDUCATION: B.S. in Business Administration from Southeast Missouri State University in 1971. Received my Certified Public Accountant certificate in July, 1976...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A burst of hiring last month added 236,000 U.S. jobs and reduced the unemployment rate to 7.7 percent from 7.9 percent in January. The robust gains suggested that the economy can strengthen further despite higher taxes and government spending cuts...

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon was in Cape Girardeau on Thursday to promote expansion of the state's Medicaid program, two days after the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's board of directors voted to support the expansion with conditions. Nixon spoke at the chamber's headquarters to local law enforcement personnel, education officials, hospital managers and officials and chamber members...

Smith's Spring Collector Car Auction returns to the Show Me Center from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday with approximately 200 cars on display or for sale. "We've got a little bit of everything from street rods to muscle cars," according to Sherm Smith, owner of Smith Auction Company in Dexter, Mo. ..

EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- A mother and daughter who have been playing the lottery together for years have claimed a $250,000 prize from a recent Mega Millions drawing. Odessa Chanley, 62, of East Prairie, Mo., and Tina Wrzesinski, 44, of Overland, Mo., will split the $250,000 prize. Chanley bought the winning Quick Pick ticket at Gas-A-Mat in East Prairie. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A Florida man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for a sweepstakes scam that cost an elderly Perryville couple more than $250,000. Patrick Percival Wilson pleaded guilty to two felony counts of exploitation of the elderly, one count of stealing by deceit and one count of unlawful merchandising practices.

The Southeast Missouri State softball team finally got to play their first home game of the season Thursday afternoon, hosting Missouri State in a doubleheader at the Southeast Softball Complex. The Redhawks made sure they seized the opportunity in the opener. Southeast rallied from down two runs to overtake Missouri State 3-2 in the opening game of the day before succumbing to the Bears 2-1 in the finale.

With money still rolling in, The United Way of Southeast Missouri on Thursday celebrated a successful 2012 campaign at the Cape West 14 Cine. The community service agency fell just short of its fundraising goal in 2011 and worked to revise strategies last year, said Darrick Johnson, 2012 campaign chair and plant manager at Procter & Gamble...

Panel members of a gun- control forum hosted Thursday night by the Southeast Missouri Pachyderm Club spoke of gun safety, legislation and Second Amendment rights at Dexter Bar-B-Que in Cape Girardeau. Featured on the panel were Lt. Barry Hovis of the Cape Girardeau Police Department and a longtime member of the National Rifle Association, Jeff Poole, owner of Absolute Arms and Ammo in Cape Girardeau, concealed carry instructor Jake Ruebel and local Wal-Mart sporting goods department manager Heidi Holland ...

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Patrick Berglund knew he was getting close to the net. Beyond that, his soon-to-be goal was a blur. Berglund scored twice in a span of 2:12 and the St. Louis Blues beat the Phoenix Coyotes 6-3 on Thursday night. Berglund gave the Blues a 3-2 lead at 7:59 of the second period with a nifty play, kicking a pass from David Perron from his skate to his stick and backhanding a shot that deflected off Derek Morris' stick into the top of the net...

JUPITER, Fla. -- Ivan Nova bolstered his bid to become a member of the New York Yankees' rotation this season. The St. Louis Cardinals, meanwhile, got a look at how their shortstop situation might play out. Nova allowed one run on three hits in three innings, and the Cardinals scored three times in the ninth to beat the Yankees 7-6 Thursday...

Salisbury made five of its seven 3-point attempts in the first half of Thursday's Class 2 semifinal.

Salisbury defeated Oran 81-65 in a Class 2 semifinal Thursday at Mizzou Arena.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Not a whole lot had gone wrong for the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team during its recent hot stretch. Not a whole lot went right for the Redhawks Thursday night as their season ended in the quarterfinals of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament for the third straight year. Third-seeded Eastern Kentucky took control late in the first half and rolled to a 84-69 victory over sixth-seeded Southeast at Municipal Auditorium.

JUPITER, Fla. -- St. Louis shortstop Rafael Furcal will undergo ligament replacement surgery in his right elbow and expects to miss the 2013 season. Furcal made the decision after visiting Dr. James Andrew's clinic in Pensacola, Fla., on Wednesday...

Cape Girardeau County courthouses will receive stepped-up security coverage from the county sheriff's department, commissioners decided Thursday. Two officers will be hired so the department's patrol division can keep watch over court facilities in Cape Girardeau and Jackson....

Pvt. Coty Wills, of Jackson, recently completed his military training to become a motor transport operator for Missouri National Guard's 1140th Forward Support Company in Cape Girardeau. The reason he joined the Missouri National Guard was for his Family and to get an education, he said...

CHICAGO -- After years of clashing over the drilling method known as hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," the oil industry and environmentalists have achieved something extraordinary in Illinois: They sat down together to draft regulations both sides could live with...

We are T-N-T Fitness a new traveling personal training service, serving the Cape Girardeau Area. T-N-T Fitness is looking for fitness enthusiast that does not have time to go to the gym, not comfortable enough exercising in a public area, having trouble motivating yourself to exercise, or just looking to amplify your current exercise program...

For the Family of a new Missouri National Guard recruit, the transition from civilian to Citizen-Soldier can be gratifying and difficult. The road to becoming a Guardsman can take time with paperwork, entrance processing, basic and advanced individual training...

Editor's note: The following story has been edited to correct Argentry Marshall's last name. Prosecutors portrayed Kenneth D. Bell Jr. as a coldblooded killer with a hair trigger, as witnesses and police investigators told a judge Thursday the 21-year-old defendant repeatedly shot two victims to retaliate for a largely verbal confrontation. Shannon James and Misty Cole were shot to death in Cape Girardeau on Feb. 7...

ANNA, Ill. -- A Cape Girardeau County man will spend time in an Illinois prison for attempted copper theft. Derek B. Reigert, 24, of Delta has been sentenced to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections on one felony count of attempted theft. Reigert was arrested in November by Union County Sheriff's Department deputies after he attempted to remove copper wire from an agriculture irrigation system located near Wolf Lake, Ill....

Head Start and Early Head Start, preschool programs for children ages up to 4, are accepting applications. Children must be age 3 or 4 by July 1 to be eligible for Head Start. To apply, contact Head Start or Early Head Start Center 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., or by calling the central office at 800-755-3841...

From March 14 to 17, Missouri police will be on a campaign to increase enforcement of drunken-driving laws. Police also plan to crack down on young drivers not wearing seat belts.

Editor's note: The following brief has been edited to reflect the correct counties in the district. The 32nd Judical District, which includes Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Perry counties, has been awarded the Daniel O'Toole Award for the ninth time from the Missouri Supreme Court. Judge William Syler accepted the award on behalf of the district. The award is given to circuits for efficiently managing and processing cases...

Today is Friday, March 8, the 67th day of 2013. There are 298 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 8, 1917, Russia's "February Revolution" (so called because of the Old Style calendar used by Russians at the time) began with rioting and strikes in Petrograd; the result was the abdication of the Russian monarchy in favor of a provisional government...

BOSTON -- A late-winter storm that buried parts of the Midwest and the mid-Atlantic swept into New England on Thursday, bringing snow, rain, strong winds, big waves and fears of coastal flooding. The region braced for the brunt of the storm overnight Thursday and into today. Powerful waves and high winds were expected to cause more trouble than snow from Rhode Island to Maine...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Not content with enacting the most restrictive abortion law in the country, Arkansas Republicans plan to press the legislative advantage their party hasn't enjoyed since Reconstruction by making it even more difficult for women to have abortions in the state...

WASHINGTON -- A senior al-Qaida leader and member of Osama bin Laden's inner circle was charged Thursday with conspiring to kill Americans in his role as the terror network's top propagandist who lauded the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 -- and warned there would be more...

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. Security Council responded to North Korea's latest nuclear test by punishing the reclusive regime Thursday with tough, new sanctions targeting its economy and leadership, despite Pyongyang's threat of a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the United States...

Charles E. Schlegel Sr., 93, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, March 7, 2013, at the Lutheran Home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Nelle Hemperley, 85, formerly of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, March 6, 2013, at the home of a son, John, in Vienna, Va. She was born July 30, 1927, in Pine Bluff, Ark., daughter of Homer and Pinniah Benson. She was married to her loving husband, Robert Franklin "Bob" Hemperley Jr., almost 55 years before his passing in 2007...

Kenneth Lee Harris Jr., 28, of Wood River, Ill., formerly of Jackson, died Tuesday, March 5, 2013, in Wood River. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Jackson City Park Rock Garden in Jackson. Gray Funeral Home in Wood River is in charge of arrangements...

DeAnna Mae Dunn, 71, of Cape Girardeau passed away Tuesday, March 5, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born July 30, 1941, in Casey, Ill., to Fenton and Maxine Ogles Bell. DeAnna was a graduate of Casey High School and attended a community college. She was employed by the state of Illinois as a data processing operator. She was a member of New McKendree United Methodist Church in Jackson and enjoyed volunteering at Jackson Senior Center...

ANNA, Ill. -- Rosetta Brown, 98, of Anna died Thursday, March 7, 2013, at Anna Rehab and Care Center. Friends may call from 12:30 p.m. until time of service Saturday at Salem Lutheran Church in Jonesboro, Ill. The funeral will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the church, with David Eidson officiating...

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- Facebook has redesigned its social network to address complaints that the News Feed on its website has turned into a jumble of monotonous musings and random photos. In an attempt to breathe new life into Facebook's News Feed, the company will introduce controls that allow people to sort streams of photos and other material into organized sections...

Perhaps there never was a time when politics was better than today. Maybe it was always screwy. Maybe we think the political process is worse today because we hear and see it functioning the instant something happens. Or doesn't happen. Our legislators on both the state and federal levels are such a disgrace that you have to wonder how they can look each other in the eye. You have to wonder if their mothers would be proud...

In our Thursday morning prayer group, we discussed the state of television. Most of us have learned to accept watching the news, the History Channel, EWTN, some old movie/show channels and even a few game shows as safe to watch. We would like to know if anyone in our area has TV shows that they would recommend as entertaining (not just spending time mindlessly with the television on) and also that you can watch with your children in the same room without becoming embarrassed?...

There were 321 projects on display Tuesday for the 57th Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair at the Show Me Center. The annual event -- this year was the largest yet -- is always impressive as area students showcase their work. There were 438 students, split among the junior and senior divisions, representing 33 schools. ...

DUNLAP, Calif. -- Authorities say the intern fatally attacked by a lion at a California exotic animal park was talking with a co-worker on the phone moments before she was killed. Fresno County coroner David Hadden said the co-worker was concerned when the conversation ended abruptly and Dianna Hanson failed to call back...

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

Cape Girardeau firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday:...

WASHINGTON -- The Senate confirmed John Brennan to be CIA director Thursday after the Obama administration bowed to demands from Republicans blocking the nomination and stated explicitly there are limits on the president's power to use drones against U.S. terror suspects on American soil...

Daughter to Jay Lee and Jennifer Claire Staniszewski of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 9:27 a.m. Monday, March 4, 2013. Name, Lucy Mae. Weight, 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Second daughter. Mrs. Staniszewski is the former Jennifer Bledsoe, daughter of David and Janet Sloan of Sikeston, Mo., and Jerry and Nancy Bledsoe of Kelso, Mo. ...

I-55 in New Madrid, Pemiscot counties reduced for guard cable work SIKESTON, Mo. -- Northbound and southbound Interstate 55 in New Madrid and Pemiscot counties, from U.S. 60 to the Arkansas state line, will be reduced to one lane as contractor crews begin installing guard cable and guard rails. ...

Shawnee National Forest will resume its prescribed burn schedule through April. The burns are carried out for land management and done in appropriate weather conditions when fire can benefit the land. For more information, call 618-253-7114. Pertinent address: Shawnee National Forest, Ill...

I would like to extend my thanks to the person who wrote a note concerning the Christmas lights in Cape County Park. I too am in disbelief that the county commissioners have decided to start charging those of us who set up displays. I was proud to have participated in this event for the past seven to eight years as I felt it was something that I could do for the entire community. ...

O Lord God, may we take time to be still and hear from you. Amen.

WASHINGTON -- Surging stock prices and steady home-price increases finally have allowed Americans to regain the $16 trillion in wealth they lost in the most recent recession. Gains are helping support the economy and could lead to further spending and growth...

Union Electric Co. has rejected provisions contained in recently enacted city ordinances regarding the issuance of operating permits to UE; however, Assistant Manager Al Stoverink says he is uncertain whether UE approval is even needed for implementation of the basic operating permits...

Opera isn't all death and tragedy. In fact, some of it is quite comical. This weekend, Southeast Missouri State University faculty members will highlight the art form's lighter side by portraying some of the most intriguing characters in an operatic review. "The Good, The Bad, The Opera" will be at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Shuck Music Recital Hall at Southeast's River Campus...

JERUSALEM -- Israelis can now read Playboy ‘for the articles' as a Hebrew language edition came to the holy land Tuesday. Playboy has been widely available in Israel for years, but this marks the first local edition of the magazine. It features Israeli models and articles by Israeli writers...

The Southeast Missouri State University Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Shane Mizicko, will present its annual spring concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Bedell Performance Hall at Southeast's River Campus. From American composers Nathan Daughtrey, David Macbride and Michael Burritt to the work of Australian composer Nigel Westlake, the ensemble will perform compositions for xylophones, marimbas, multiple drums, cymbals and 50-plus other percussion instruments. ...

LOS ANGELES -- When Adele wants to make a vintage fashion statement, stylist Gaelle Paul has a go-to source: the cleverly named The Way We Wore shop. Now, TV viewers can peek inside Los Angeles store owner Doris Raymond's 19th- and 20th-century collection that's lured shoppers Anne Hathaway, Katie Holmes and Angelina Jolie, as well as top designers searching for inspiration from the past...

The Mississippi River Hills Wine Trail might be the best kept secret in Southeast Missouri, but the wineries that offer fine wine and food along the trail are looking to change that. "We're working on getting the word out," said Lea Anne Casteel, co-owner of the Hunter Valley Winery near Cape Girardeau. "By working together, the name of the wine trail and the wineries will become better known."...

The River Campus Board of Managers meeting, scheduled for noon today, has been canceled, according to a release sent by the university. The meeting will be rescheduled. Pertinent address: 518 S. Fountain St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Editor's note: The following death notice has been edited to reflect the correct location for the visitation. Andrew Eldridge Kinnison, 95, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, March 6, 2013, at Hunter Acres Caring Center in Sikeston, Mo. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. to time of service Monday at St. Mary's Cathedral...

NAME: Brad E. Noel AGE: 41 PLACE OF BIRTH: Springfield, MO SPOUSE, CHILDREN'S NAMES: Jill Gentry-Noel Lindsey Noel Jason Noel EDUCATION: Graduated from Central High School in Springfield, MO in 1990. Graduated from Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis, MO in 1996 with a B.S. in Business Administration...

Spring must be around the corner. It's time to set the clocks forward for daylight saving time. At 2 a.m. today, daylight saving time arrived with the promise of many months ahead with an extra hour of evening light. You lose an hour of sleep, but make sure to turn the clock ahead -- spring forward -- before heading to bed tonight to avoid the panic of a late rise...

The Eagles lost 65-63 to Iberia on Friday after a half-court shot rimmed out at the buzzer.

Don't I look good today!!!!

The 5K Challenge is a practical guide to running and a 12-week training plan aimed at running a 5K while maintaining a Christian focus. Although people run for many different reasons, this class is for those who make God the center of their lives--or for those who are seeking a closer relationship with Jesus...

Caught this cool picture outside in my dog's water bowl one freezing morning.

I love the colors of the moss on the rocks combined with the color of the water. Such a beautiful place to see!!

I took this from inside the cave behind where Big Springs flows out at Van Buren, MO.

Today is Saturday, March 9, the 68th day of 2013. There are 297 days left in the year. A reminder: Daylight-saving time begins Sunday at 2 a.m. Clocks go forward one hour. Today's Highlight in History: On March 9, 1963, two Los Angeles police officers, Ian Campbell and Karl Hettinger, were disarmed and abducted by ex-convicts Gregory Powell and Jimmy Lee Smith during a traffic stop in Hollywood; the officers were taken to an onion field near Bakersfield, Calif., where Campbell was shot to death while Hettinger managed to escape. ...

Sen. Bob Dole and Cong. Richard Gephardt were the big winners in Cape Girardeau County yesterday as the state held its first-ever presidential preference primary; Gephardt went on to carry his home state by a wide margin, while Dole won big in the 8th Congressional District but wound up a narrow loser to Vice President George Bush in the Republican primary...

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Patrick Berglund knew he was getting close to the net. Beyond that, his soon-to-be goal was a blur. Berglund scored twice in a span of 2:12 and the St. Louis Blues beat the Phoenix Coyotes 6-3 on Thursday night. Berglund gave the Blues a 3-2 lead at 7:59 of the second period with a nifty play, kicking a pass from David Perron from his skate to his stick and backhanding a shot that deflected off Derek Morris' stick into the top of the net...

JUPITER, Fla. -- Ivan Nova bolstered his bid to become a member of the New York Yankees' rotation this season. The St. Louis Cardinals, meanwhile, got a look at how their shortstop situation might play out. Nova allowed one run on three hits in three innings, and the Cardinals scored three times in the ninth to beat the Yankees 7-6 Thursday...

The Jackson Recycling Center, 508 Eastview Court, will expand operating hours for spring and summer. The recycling center will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, from April 6 through Oct. 26. The center accepts cardboard; newspaper; magazines; office paper; junk mail; Styrofoam; grocery bags; clear, green and brown glass; all plastic containers; aluminum, tin and steel cans; and electronic waste...

A call Thursday night to police about a person passed out in a vehicle led to drugged-driving, drug possession and endangering the welfare of a child charges. Cape Girardeau police and firefighters responded to a call just before 6 p.m. at the Amerimart convenience store, 1320 W. Cape Rock Drive, of an unresponsive person in a vehicle. A store clerk had contacted police saying a person was "passed out" in a vehicle for nearly 20 minutes, according to a probable-cause statement...

Dr. Ronald Rosati, who has been the Southeast Missouri State University provost since February 2010, has accepted a position as the dean of the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis, Neb...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Sabreliner Corp. will lay off at least 50 employees from its Perryville facility, according to the Workforce Investment Board of Southeast Missouri. June O'Dell, president of the local Workforce Investment Board, said the organization will be involved in helping displaced workers find new employment, train for new jobs and connect with employment security resources. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A $1 million grant to the Southeast Missouri Food Bank was made official Friday during a ceremony at the food bank's distribution center near Sikeston. "The food bank has served the region for 27 years," said Karen Green, executive director of the Southeast Missouri Food Bank. "This is definitely a highlight."..

Rolling quickly into the Missouri state capitol last week came accusations -- veiled as questions for the Department of Revenue -- from some legislators about efforts by the department to scan and save identification documents of applicants for driver's licenses and concealed weapons permits...

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- Sometimes results are easy to explain. "We just got beat by a really good basketball team," Jackson boys basketball coach Darrin Scott said. "They were good today." The Indians lost to De Smet 81-48 in a Class 5 quarterfinal Saturday afternoon at Lindenwood University...

About 250 people attended the 42nd annual Cape Girardeau County Lincoln Day celebration Saturday night at Ray's Plaza Conference Center to show their support for the Republican Party and to meet Republican officeholders. "The dinner is our annual celebration," said Holly Lintner, president of the Cape Girardeau County Republican Women's Club, which coordinated the event. "It's a celebration of all Republicans and a way for us to remember our history."...

Since 1998, voter-approved taxes from hotel stays and dining out in Cape Girardeau have gone toward retiring nearly $9 million in bonds for Southeast Missouri State University -- and to fund the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau. Revenue has fluctuated with the economy, but for the last several years it has increased from the year before. Estimates indicate by the end of this year, the River Campus debt will be paid in full...

Blaize is an 8-year-old cat that has been at Safe Harbor all of her life. She came in with kittens, was spayed, and sits on a shelf and is often overlooked by potential adopters. At the sanctuary she is easily picked up and likes attention. We brought her to an adoption day Saturday (the first time she's been out of the shelter in a looooong time). ...

Today is Sunday, March 10, the 69th day of 2013. There are 296 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 10, 1913, former slave, abolitionist and Underground Railroad "conductor" Harriet Tubman died in Auburn, N.Y.; she was in her 90s...

Water is essential for life, but access to clean drinking water is difficult for many throughout the world -- particularly in Africa. Blood: Water Mission is a grass-roots organization that builds wells in sub-Saharan Africa to help combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. ...

Introduced into the United States about 200 years ago, English ivy is a vigorous winter hardy vine in Southeast Missouri where it thrives and spreads on its own. English ivy was once believed to be a beautiful addition to the American landscape. It has been used to hide or "cover" unsightly areas such as ditch banks and trash dumps. ...

By Marissa Fawcett ~ The Arrow Ears begin to pop as the pressure gets higher. Thin, white wisps of clouds flash by in the blink of an eye. There's not a soul to see, just patches of land intersected with a never-ending maze of roads that fade off into the distance...

Junior Division Behavioral & Social Sciences First place: Grace Powderly, Jenna Winkler, Rina Hayashi and Alayna Layton, all of St. Vincent; second place: Kelsie Graham, Madison Hoehn, Hannah Gotto, Faith Kapp and Abby Rollet, all of St. Vincent; third place: Baylee Botkin and Taylor Tucker of Farmington Middle School, and Sarah Gremaud, Hannah Lukefahr and Payton Triller, all of St. Vincent...

The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri will receive a top-to-bottom makeover of its facility in Cape Girardeau, thanks to the Cape West Rotary Club. The Rotary Club donated $15,000 raised in its 2012 Radio Auction to the Humane Society, in addition to 400 community service hours to update the building, according to Tim Bryant, club chairman for the Radio Auction...

Run for God is holding an informational meeting at 6:30 p.m. March 25 at Lynwood Baptist Church, 2935 Lynwood Hills Drive in Cape Girardeau. The 12-week training course is designed for beginning runners. Run for God is a group of runners who seek to keep God as their focus. For more information, call Scott McQuay at 225-1781 or email rscottmcquay@gmail.com...

AUSTIN, Texas -- Plans to remake the 1981 cult horror film "Evil Dead" may have brought some initial skepticism, but with the original filmmakers behind the scenes and a fresh-faced director and cast to inject youthful enthusiasm, the South by Southwest festival crowd welcomed the reboot with open arms...

The United Way of Southeast Missouri announced some good news Thursday when it unveiled that it had exceeded its 2012 goal with $955,898 collected so far, beating the target of $950,000. Several contributions still are to be reported, with the final tally coming after the March 31 donation deadline...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- The water system in west Marble Hill is expected to be on again this afternoon after being shut off much of yesterday and this morning; the city had to drain its 155,000-gallon water tower last night to replace a malfunctioning valve between the tower and the well...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Mitchell M. Shell, 75, of Chaffee lost his fight with cancer Saturday, March 2, 2013, at the family home. He was born Jan. 5, 1938, in Greenbrier, Mo., to Virgil C. and Hazel Cooper Shell. Mitchell and Delores "Dee" Hopkins were married Nov. 4, 1968...

Wanda M. Seabaugh, 81, of Whitewater passed away Friday, March 8, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 7, 1931, in Delta, daughter of Daniel and Margaret Nix Gibbons. She and Donnie Seabaugh were married Sept. 16, 1950...

Charles E. Schlegel, 93, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, March 7, 2013. He will be greatly missed. He was born Jan. 29, 1920, in Gordonville, to Edwin and Vesta Slinkard Schlegel. He and Mary Frances Keller were married Aug. 16, 1940. She preceded him in death Nov. 12, 2012...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- James Ross, 80, of Chaffee died Thursday, March 7, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center. There will be a graveside service at 2 p.m. Monday in the Ross Cemetery near Chaffee. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel is in charge of the graveside service...

Kimberly J. Poole, 54, of Cape Girardeau, affectionately known as "Bird," died Saturday, March 2, 2013, at her home. She was born Aug. 14, 1958, at Cape Girardeau to Ernest Homer Poole and Judith M. Kothe. She graduated from Scott City High School and from Metro Business College. She and Roger Shavers were married Jan. 22, 1988. To this union two children were born: Travis W. Shavers Sr. and Toni Danielle Shavers...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Connie Myers, 65, of Marble Hill passed away Thursday, March 7, 2013, at her home. She was born May 25, 1947, to Walter and Hazel Eakins Hennecke. She and Lonnie Myers were married Nov. 26, 1966. Connie was confirmed May 21, 1961, at Zion Lutheran Church in Pocahontas. She graduated from Oak Ridge High School May 21, 1965. She was a bus driver for Woodland School District until she retired...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Sharon Monier, 56, of Perryville passed away Friday, March 8, 2013, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. She was born Jan. 30, 1957, in Perryville, daughter of the late Cletus Rollet and survived by Shirley Weinhold Rollet of Perryville. She and Roger L. Monier were married Sept. 22, 1977. He survives in Perryville...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Vicki Anne Verble Lingle, 49, of Jonesboro died Friday, March 8, 2013, at Helia Healthcare in Carbondale, Ill. Friends may call after 9 a.m. until time of service Monday at the Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Jonesboro...

ROCKVIEW, Mo. — Billy G. Lenand, 72, of Rockview died Saturday, March 9, 2013, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

Andrew Eldridge Kinnison, 95, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, March 6, 2013, at Hunter Acres Caring Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born Sept. 19, 1917, in Asherville, Mo., to William S. and Nancy E. Hedge Kinnison. He and Iola Marie Fischer Kinnison were married June 27, 1953, in Cape Girardeau. She preceded him in death March 21, 2000...

BELLEVILLE, Ill. -- James Cecil Green, 79, of Belleville, formerly of Granite City, Ill., passed away Wednesday, March 6, 2013, at Missouri Baptist Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Sept. 15, 1933, in Venice, Ill., son of Cecil Clay and Audney Lee Cole Green. In 1978, Jim married Catherine Moutell, the love of his life...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Anita E. "Neets" Ernst, 90, of Perryville died March 8, 2013, at her residence. She was born Nov. 5, 1922, in Biehle, Mo., daughter of Rudolph and Josephine Hotop Pingel. She and Wilfred N. Ernst were married Nov. 20, 1943. He preceded her in death Aug. 4, 2008...

Talley Daughter to Doug and Michelle Dean Talley of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 3:31 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. Name, Eliza Mercier. Weight, 4 pounds, 4 ounces. First child. Mrs. Talley is the former Michelle Wagner, daughter of Marcia Wagner of Cape Girardeau, and the late John Wagner. She is a licensed professional counselor and board certified professional counselor. Talley is the son of Carl and Mary Talley of Jackson. He is employed at Procter & Gamble...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:...

In Illinois, you can drive any speed you want on Highway 146 and Highway 3 without getting a ticket. There's never a highway patrol or a county sheriff car on that road. When I do see them, they're sitting in a parking lot talking to another police car and letting the speeders go by. Evening is the worst. People have plenty of time, but they speed out of habit...

The other night "60 Minutes" had a fascinating interview with a Chinese woman. She is a self-made billionaire who started with little but eventually earned enough to go to London. There, she learned about investments and returned to China where she and her husband made their billions in designing and constructing office buildings...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A convicted sex offender nabbed by federal agents in a Kansas City, Mo., community college library on suspicion of downloading child pornography told investigators he had been exchanging images of child porn for more than a decade, according to court documents...

WASHINGTON -- Understated. Self-effacing. Nonthreatening. Refreshingly old-fashioned. Don't let these cool descriptors from friends and colleagues fool you: As the vice president's chief of staff, Bruce Reed plays Mr. Fix-It, guiding Joe Biden's role as a driving force behind the Obama administration's agenda...

TROY, Mo. -- Snow geese have been turning up in eastern Missouri in record numbers recently. The snow geese apparently have been driven southeast to the St. Louis area by heavy snow in northern and western Missouri where they usually stop on the way back to their nesting grounds in the Arctic...

WASHINGTON -- Increased hiring, lower unemployment, stock market on the rise. Who gets the credit? It's a hotly debated point in Washington, where political scorekeeping amounts to who gets blame and who gets praise. After Friday's strong jobs report -- 236,000 new jobs and unemployment dropping to a four-year low of 7.7 percent -- partisans hurriedly staked out turf...

AMMAN, Jordan -- Jordan's parliament on Saturday voted for the monarchy's caretaker prime minister to form a new Cabinet, the first time in the country's history that the legislature, rather than the king, decided who will be head of government...

BEIRUT -- Rebels in southern Syria freed 21 U.N. peacekeepers Friday after holding them hostage for four days, driving them to the border with Jordan after accusations from Western officials that the little-known group had tarnished the image of those fighting to topple President Bashar Assad...

VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican on Saturday sought to quash speculation that divisions among cardinals could drag out the conclave to elect the new pope, while preparations for the vote plowed ahead with firefighters installing the Sistine Chapel chimney that will tell the world when a decision has been reached...