Stories from Friday, May 10, 2013

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri is continuing to block confirmation of the nominee for Environmental Protection Agency administrator, part of his effort to speed up work on the St. Johns Bayou/New Madrid Floodway project in southeast Missouri...

Southeast Missouri State University's Board of Regents will meet to consider student fee changes following the university's graduation ceremony Saturday. The board will consider an incidental fee schedule, special course fees and a transcript fee to take effect with the fall 2013 semester in a 4:30 p.m. meeting at the Student Recreation Center Dance Studio, next to the Show Me Center...

The River City Players, Cape Girardeau's long-time community theater group, will present Neil Simon's"Rumors," a fast-paced, entertaining farce Thursday through Saturday at Port Cape Girardeau. "We're always excited when a new production is put together," said Debbie Barnhouse, president of the River City Players' board of directors. "We're getting close to the time when people can see the end result. 'Rumors' is not only a great farce, it's darn funny."...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri lawmakers have prepared a budget that could force Gov. Jay Nixon to choose between funding for developmentally disabled children and low-income seniors. The politically difficult decision is embedded in a $24.8 billion operating budget that was being considered by lawmakers on Thursday, a day ahead of a constitutional deadline to send the governor a spending plan for the 2014 fiscal year. ...

More than 100 vintage cars participating in a precision driving contest from St. Paul, Minn., to Mobile, Ala., will stop in Cape Girardeau June 25. Local businesses along the route will host events for rally drivers and spectators, which are expected to number in the thousands...

Isle Casino Cape Girardeau general manager Chet Koch was replaced Tuesday with a temporary senior administrator, Barron Fuller. Details regarding the decision were not revealed. A brief statement was issued Thursday by Jill Alexander, senior director of corporate communications for Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. Koch has been the general manager since the casino opened in October. ...

A proposal for a new Scott City interchange will be discussed at a public hearing May 23 at city hall in Kelso, Mo. After the Missouri Department of Transportation completed environmental and architectural evaluations to determine the best location for the construction of an interchange, which would help alleviate the traffic congestion in Scott City by diverting traffic from the city's primary Interstate 55 interchange, the agency determined the best option was to use the ....

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri House rejected tougher evaluation standards for school principals and administrators early Thursday morning despite it being one of the top education priorities of the Republican House speaker. The 82-76 defeat marks the second time the Republican-controlled House has rebuked Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, and his efforts to evaluate education officials based largely on student achievement...

The Cape Girardeau County Sherriff's Department on Thursday announced that prosecutors have filed formal charges against two men in connection to a March burglary at the Bayou Bar and Grill in Pocahontas and a Friday armed robbery of the Amerimart Convenience Store in Old Appleton....

A favorite summer activity in downtown Cape Girardeau returns next week. The Common Pleas Courthouse Gazebo will host the first half of the concert series Tunes at Twilight at 7 p.m. every Friday beginning May 17 continuing through June 21. Tunes at Twilight takes a summer break before returning Aug. 16. The lineup varies, with folk, blues and county acts performing free, hourlong concerts. The concerts are organized by Old Town Cape with sponsorship by SoutheastHEALTH, Fox 23 KBSI and Cape Air...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Battling back against tax cuts in neighboring Kansas, Missouri lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to an income tax cut for businesses and individuals that could reduce state revenues by about $700 million annually when fully phased in...

The longtime coach has led the Eagles to nine final fours

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) -- A seamstress buried in the wreckage of a collapsed garment factory building for 17 days was rescued Friday, a miraculous moment set against a scene of unimaginable horror, where the death toll shot past 1,000. Reshma survived, in remarkably good shape, by eating dried food that was in her area and drinking spare amounts of water with her. ...

Stroke survivor Ron Greaser of Cape Girardeau throws out the first pitch at the Jackson High School baseball game at Herzog Field in Jackson on Wednesday, May 8. The event was part of "Strike Out Stroke" activities sponsored by SoutheastHEALTH and Southeast SportsCare...

It was a time to recognize teacher excellence Thursday evening during the 2013 Educator Appreciation Banquet in Jackson. The banquet, held at the Knights of Columbus Hall and sponsored by the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce, saw Cindy Rodgers, Steve Wachter, Casey Brennan, Paul Fliege and Renee Deken be named as the 2013 Educators of the Year....

Today is Friday, May 10, the 130th day of 2013. There are 235 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On May 10, 1863, during the Civil War, Confederate Lt. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson died of pneumonia, a complication resulting from being hit by friendly fire eight days earlier during the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia...

The Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest will present its ninth annual showcase and dance Thursday to May 18 at the VFW Post 3838 hall, 1049 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. Opening night, the hours will be 2 to 11 p.m., while the other two days of the showcase will run from 11 a.m. ...

NEW YORK -- There's no business like small business. Mix the high stakes of running a small business with a dash of family drama and throw in a camera crew and you get hit reality television shows such as "Pawn Stars," "Welcome to Sweetie Pie's" and "Duck Dynasty."...

May means the return of a Perryville tradition. This is the 20th year the city will host a car, truck and bike show sponsored by the Hiway Rodders Car Club at the Knights of Columbus Hall during its Mayfest celebration. Registration is from 9 a.m. to noon, with judging from noon to 3 p.m. and awards following. There will be concessions and a sound system for those with appetites for food and dancing. The event happens rain or shine...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has irked Washington with his frequent criticism of American military operations in his country, said Thursday his government is now ready to let the U.S. have nine bases across Afghanistan after most foreign troops withdraw in 2014...

BEIRUT -- Syria will supply "game-changing" weapons to Hezbollah, the chief of the Lebanese militant group said Thursday, less than a week after Israeli airstrikes on Damascus targeted alleged shipments of advanced Iranian missiles bound for Hezbollah...

WASHINGTON -- The FBI did not initially share with Boston police the warnings it had received from Russia about one suspect in last month's marathon bombings, despite the work of four city police representatives on a federal terrorism task force, Boston's police commissioner told Congress on Thursday...

ST. LOUIS -- Two northwest Missouri residents are facing federal indictment for allegedly stealing $100,000 worth of merchandise from Sam's Club locations in seven states and selling the goods on eBay. The U.S. Attorney's office in St. Louis on Thursday announced indictments of 41-year-old James Baggio and 39-year-old Mary Sue Scott, both of St. Joseph, Mo...

Today a national leadership conference will have a connection with Cape Girardeau. The Chick-fil-A Leadercast, which draws some of the biggest names in business, sports, government and other sectors, will be broadcast from Atlanta, Ga. St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau will serve as one of the host sites...

Dear teachers, Thank you for being a teacher to the students in our community. One great teacher can make all the difference in the life of a child. Teachers may not always see the influence of their work on the kids and families, but good teaching is a powerful thing. Teachers give their students the power of knowledge they take with them for a lifetime. They devote their lives to giving the children in our community the tools to succeed and inspire them to do it...

I attended the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) presentation on Common Core State Standards (CCSS) on May 2 at the Career and Technology Center in Cape Girardeau. The sound system was nearly impossible to understand, but what was easy to understand was there was no relevant information being offered. ...

I wish the city would fix the big pothole in the alley street off Brown; it's about to break my axle every time I drive through there to the post office. Computers cost The community should realize that Cape public schools is getting ready to spend $1.4 million on computers for every child grades 8-12. ...

CLEVELAND -- Prosecutors on Thursday said they may seek the death penalty against Ariel Castro, the man accused of imprisoning three women in his home for a decade, as police charged that he impregnated one of his captives at least five times and made her miscarry by starving her and punching her in the belly...

About 100 members of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce attend a membership campaign kickoff breakfast at Drury Lodge; last year's one-day membership drive netted 125 new members; this year's goal is 126. The Cape Girardeau Board of Education selects two new principals for city elementary schools; David Giles will be principal at Alma Schrader and James R. Watkins at Washington...

Son to Richard Allen and Shanna Keel Surratt II of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 11:33 a.m. Tuesday, April 30, 2013. Name, Richard Allen III. Weight, 9 pounds, 3 ounces. Mrs. Surratt is the former Shanna Keel, daughter of Bruce and Cathy Keel of Piedmont, Mo. She is an attorney with Moss, Stillwell, Surratt Law Firm. Surratt is the son of Rick and Sue Surratt of Eureka, Mo. He is serving in the U.S. Army...

Doug Austin of Cape Girardeau was awarded the Senior Service Award by Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder. Austin was honored for his volunteer work in the community at a luncheon Wednesday in Jefferson City, Mo. He was nominated by Jackson police chief James Humphreys and Julia Thompson of the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department. ...

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- Ste. Genevieve County Jail inmates will receive newspapers again after a settlement was reached between the county and a former inmate. The American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri filed a suit Jan. 2 on behalf of Stanley Schell, a former detainee at the Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff's Office Detention Center, after he was told the sheriff was no longer allowing ...

Southeast Missouri State University will begin its summer operating hours Monday through Aug. 19. University offices will operate from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Executive offices will remain open until 5 p.m. through the summer.

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Sandra Kay Ziegler, 62, of Chaffee passed away Wednesday, May 8, 2013, at the family home. She was born Oct. 8, 1950, in Cape Girardeau, to the late Thomas M. and Arietta Faye Spurlock Hogan. She and Ronald Ziegler were married June 26, 1971...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Charles V. Van Doren, 90, of Perryville died Wednesday, May 8, 2013, in Perryville. He was born March 1, 1923, in Cape Girardeau, to Martin and Alma Clippard Van Doren. He and Leona Johnson were married March 9, 1943, and they enjoyed 50 years of marriage until her passing July 8, 1993. He and wife Dorothy were married Oct. 8, 1994...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Roger K. Reisenbichler, 59, of Chaffee passed away Wednesday, May 8, 2013, at Chaffee Nursing Center. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. until time of service today at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee. A graveside service will be at 1 p.m. today at Union Park Cemetery in Chaffee, with the Rev. Ron Morris officiating...

Chester Donald Lemonds, 82, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, May 9, 2013, at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 21, 1930, in St. Louis, to Chester Arthur and Addie Mae Watkins Lemonds. He and Marilyn Casebelt Halter were married in May 1956...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Kathryn Huey Kirsch, 86, of Columbia, known as Virginia to her friends and family, passed away Tuesday, May 7, 2013, at Columbia Manor in Columbia. She was born May 8, 1926, in Blodgett, Mo., to Harvey and Lillian Brumley Huey. She and Grover Kirsch were married May 15, 1949, in Fornfelt Mo...

James Adam Kaempfer, 42, of Jackson passed away Wednesday, May 8, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born March 16, 1971, in Cape Girardeau to James F. and Susan Johns Kaempfer. He was previously married to Melissa Smith and they had two sons...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- An aging hound hobbled into Steve and Linda Svehla's yard and changed their lives. "An old hound dog came up, and ice was on the ground, and it was about dead," Steve Svehla said. "We took the hound dog in, and here we go." That was in January. Today, the hound is a permanent resident at the new Rough Road Rescue, an animal rescue organization the Svehlas started at their home in rural Perryville...

An Ellsinore, Mo., man who was charged as part of an investigation into suspected illegal activities committed while Tommy Adams was Carter County sheriff now faces a federal indictment for a health care fraud scheme. Accused of distributing methamphetamine, as well as burning multiple homes, including the former sheriff's home, Gary Wayne Bender, aka "Goober," was indicted Feb. 28 by a federal grand jury...

It's 5:55 a.m. and already there are five trucks and a couple cars in the Jackson Junior High School parking lot. Before a minute goes by three more vehicles pull in, and eventually members of the Jackson baseball team exit their rides and head inside...

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

Catching a 12-pound boys shot or a discus is not recommended. Catching the fever for those events ... well, that's a different matter. It seems to be spreading among local athletes, and contraction can come in a multitude of ways. For Notre Dame all-state senior Seth Sievers, it started with being dropped on his head on a wrestling mat as a freshman. For Jackson senior Paden Wachter, it came at the urging of her dad, Jackson track and field coach Steve Wachter, as an 8-year-old...

Simmons grabbed his third tournament title of the season by winning the Class 4 District 1 individual title last week at Aberdeen Golf Club in Eureka, Mo.

Cape Girardeau isn't alone in hosting a summertime Friday concert series. During the month of June, the rock garden in Jackson's City Park also hosts musical talents. The Rock in the Garden outdoor concert series, sponsored by the Jackson Parks and Recreation Department, highlights local and touring acts at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays. Concerts are free and located at 800 Stoneyledge Drive...

ISLAMABAD -- An especially violent spate of killings, kidnappings and bombings marred the run-up to Pakistan's nationwide election, capped Thursday by the abduction of the son of a former prime minister as he was rallying supporters on the last day of campaigning before the historic vote...

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) -- A fire at a sweater manufacturer killed eight people -- including a senior police officer, a Bangladeshi politician and a top clothing industry official -- barely two weeks after the collapse of a building housing other garment factories where the death toll approached 1,000 on Thursday...

Father God, thank you that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Amen.

As far as the Ohio Valley Conference baseball standings are concerned, Southeast Missouri State has saved the best for last. At least the Redhawks will be facing what the standings say is the OVC's best squad during their final conference series of the season...

Which call should I make first? My banker? Financial adviser? Stockbroker? Lawyer? Friend with all the hot investing tips? Heirs who stand to get everything? My quandary is the result of the wonderful news that Our Fair City, the one that raided our checking accounts to pay for a sewage treatment plant that will cost millions and millions of dollars, may lower our sewer rate by a dollar a month...

Historians and doctors have debated for decades what medical complications caused the death of legendary Confederate fighter Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, felled by friendly fire from his troops during the Civil War. Shot three times while returning from scouting enemy lines in the Virginia wilderness, Jackson was badly wounded in the left arm by one of the large bullets the night of May 2, 1863. ...

The resurgent U.S. housing market has sent builders calling again for Richard Vap, who owns a drywall installation company. Vap would love to help -- if he could hire enough qualified people. "There is a shortage of manpower," says Vap, owner of South Valley Drywall in Littleton, Colo. "We're probably only hiring about 75 or 80 percent of what we actually need."...

Central baseball coach Steve Williams hopes the rollercoaster season that has been the 2013 Tigers is back on the incline. Central (10-19), which blanked Charleston 6-0 on Wednesday, enters Class 5 District 1 tournament play today having won seven of its past eight games. The Tigers, seeded fifth in the district, will play fourth-seeded Farmington at Hillsboro at 4:30 p.m...