Stories from July 2013

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A central Missouri judge has scheduled a bond hearing this week for a Saudi national who continues to be held on a first-degree murder charge, even after the Saudi government paid the $2 million bond set by a previous judge...

INDIANAPOLIS -- An Indianapolis summer camp was back on its normal schedule Sunday one day after a lightning strike injured three children, including one critically. A message posted on the Facebook page of Goldman Union Camp Institute, a Reform Jewish summer camp, said the camp had resumed its normal schedule...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- Federal officials cleared the way Friday for a return to domestic horse slaughter, granting a southeastern New Mexico company's application to convert its cattle facility into a horse processing plant. In approving Valley Meat Co. plans to produce horse meat, USDA officials also indicated that they would grant similar permits to companies in Iowa and Missouri as early as next week...

RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Hospitals have fretted for years over how to make sure doctors, nurses and staff keep their hands clean with only limited success. Now, some are turning to technology -- beepers, buzzers, lights and tracking systems that remind workers to sanitize, and chart those who don't...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Amid a public backlash, several conservation groups and state agencies no longer want the White River to be part of a new federal program that recognizes conservation and recreation efforts along waterways. They say concerns that the National Blueway designation for the 700-plus-mile river that flows through southern Missouri and parts of Arkansas could lead to new regulations are unfounded, but still plan to send letters this week to the Interior Department asking that it be taken away.. ...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- An Illinois swimmer drowned in the Current River in southern Missouri. The Missouri State Highway Patrol identified the victim as Lucas E. Melhler of Hutsonville, Ill. The victim's age was listed as unknown. The patrol said Melhler was floating on a stretch of the Current River in Carter County on Saturday afternoon when he became tangled in a branch. The victim then was unable to get out of the water...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Shifts for workers at Missouri mental health facilities will be capped under a state law taking effect. The law prevents employees at a maximum- or intermediate-security mental health facility from being required to work more than 12 hours during a 24-hour period unless an emergency workforce shortage is declared. ...

A Marble Hill, Mo., woman was killed Saturday afternoon in a single-vehicle rollover crash in Bollinger County, police reported. According to a report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Alba Dye, 74, was driving a 2000 Toyota Tundra north on Highway 51 five miles north of Zalma, Mo., about 3:50 p.m. Saturday when the vehicle ran off the road to the right, overturned several times and came to rest on its top...

The Plaza Tire Capahas continued to roll Sunday as they extended their lengthy home winning streak. This time the Capahas, whose strength so far this season has undeniably been pitching, might even have outdone themselves. Plaza Tire pulled off a rare doubleheader shutout, sweeping the I-70 Thunder from Flora, Ill., 2-0 and 7-0. Both wood-bat games were seven innings...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Every day on average last year, someone younger than 21 was turned away while trying to enter a Missouri casino. Often, it wasn't just one youth, but two or three. For those who did slip in -- and were caught -- the casinos bore the brunt of the punishment, with fines of thousands of dollars...

When Ashleigh Heath flies, adults stop and take notice. Heath, 14, is a rarity among radio-controlled airplane pilots, most of whom are male and much older than the ninth-grader who stood next to a small asphalt runway Sunday morning at Galaxy Park, putting a plane through its paces at the second annual Mid-America 3D Hobby Shop Fly-Low-In...

The Cape Girardeau City Council will discuss the future of taxes on hotels, motels and restaurants' gross receipts and hear about proposed changes to nuisance rules at a 5 p.m. study session preceding today's council meeting at city hall. The study session agenda includes a discussion of a 30-year-old license tax on hotels, motels and restaurants' gross receipts that council members have been considering for renewal. ...

Teague Walters of Boy Scout Troop 5 of Cape Girardeau recently earned his Welding Merit Badge at the Sikeston CTC along with four other scouts, Dylan Hackler, Garrett Auer, Max Dale and Sean Murphy. The Welding Merit Badge had its debut to the BSA in 2012, these scouts are the first from Troop 5 to receive the Welding Merit Badge. ...

The Jackson Junior Indians youth tackle football team placed second at the Missouri State Show Me Games held June 14-16 in Columbia, MO. The team is comprised of area 11 year olds who compete in youth tackle football from April - December. The team will compete in several more tournaments this year including two competions in St. Louis, one in Southest Missouri, and one in Knoxville, TN...

It's that time of year, when tents are popping up throughout the area, selling firecrackers and bottle rockets to buyers preparing for Fourth of July festivities. Last year, the tents saw only a trickle of customers as severe drought led to fireworks bans and discouraged use in many cities across the state. ...

June will go down as one of the wettest ever recorded in Cape Girardeau, just a year after one of the driest. The Paducah, Ky., National Weather Service office reported on its website Monday that the 7.76 inches of rain recorded in June at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport is the second-wettest on record. The total is 4.19 inches above the normal for the month...

Rainbow Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. More water than ususal because if the spring rains.

Low clouds and fog burn off by mid morning in the Smokies.

Editor's note: The following story has been edited to clarify the number of students who participated in the program. The United Way has identified solid reading and literacy skills as key components for success in school and life. To help children achieve this success, the United Way of Southeast Missouri offered its Read to Succeed program to more than 200 kindergarten and first-grade students in the Cape Girardeau School District...

Today is Monday, July 1, the 182nd day of 2013. There are 183 days left in the year. This is Canada Day. Today's Highlight in History: On July 1, 1863, the pivotal, three-day Civil War Battle of Gettysburg, resulting in a Union victory, began in Pennsylvania...

Paula Deen's publisher has canceled a deal with her for multiple books, including an upcoming cookbook that was the No. 1 seller on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com, following her admission she used a racial slur. Ballantine Books announced Friday it would not release "Paula Deen's New Testament: 250 Favorite Recipes, All Lightened Up," which was scheduled for October and was the first of a five-book deal announced early last year. ...

WASHINGTON -- U.S. mortgage rates suddenly have jumped from near-record lows and are adding thousands of dollars to the cost of buying a home. The average rate on the 30-year fixed loan soared last week to 4.46 percent, according to a report from mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. That's the highest average in two years and a full point more than a month ago...

NEW YORK -- Given the wild trading of late, it was a calm close to the month of June. After flitting between tiny gains and losses most of Friday, the stock market closed mostly lower, a peaceful end to the most volatile month in nearly two years...

Wes Blair, a 16-year law enforcement veteran who is interim chief at Lancaster, Texas, near Dallas, was hired last week as Cape Girardeau's new police chief. Blair was found to replace Carl Kinnison, who left last August to serve as director of the Law Enforcement Academy at Southeast Missouri State University...

Wow, Southeast Missourian, way to reach an all-time low with the "ban dogs not guns" Speak Out comment you ran. This just shows the peak of ignorance in Missouri. You must not have to do your research when you submit something so stupid to Speak Out. ...

Randy Volkerding, 54, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, June 30, 2013, at Heartland Care and Rehabilitation Center. Visitation will be from noon until time of service Wednesday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel. The funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the the chapel, with the Rev. Nathan Burgell officiating...

Mary C. Schwieger, 82, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Olmsted, Ill., died Sunday, June 30, 2013, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Jones Funeral Home in Villa Ridge, Mo.

ANNA, Ill. -- The Rev. Herman C. "H.C." Lawrence, 84, of Anna died Saturday, June 29, 2013, at the Illinois Veterans Home in Anna. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Crain Funeral Home in Anna-Jonesboro. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Crain Funeral Home in Anna-Jonesboro. Burial will be in McCrite Cemetery...

Mildred Sarah Foster, 92, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, June 28, 2013, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 20, 1921, in Bismarck, Mo., to Daniel Miller and Nora Jane Martin Ringer. She graduated from Cape Girardeau Central High School...

PORTOVIEJO, Ecuador -- Edward Snowden is "under the care of the Russian authorities" and can't leave Moscow's international airport without their consent, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa said Sunday in an interview telegraphing the slim and diminishing possibility that the National Security Agency leaker will end up in Ecuador...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do no imply guilt. Arrests...

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Saturday:...

Otto Porter, as expected, didn't have to wait long to hear his name called during Thursday night's NBA draft in Brooklyn. The Scott County Central High School graduate widely was considered a consensus top-three selection. That was right on the money as Porter went third to the Washington Wizards, which he couldn't have minded because the 6-foot-8 small forward played his college basketball in the city...

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Josh Donaldson is pushing for a spot on the American League All-Star team with his bat and glove. Donaldson homered, reached base safely four times and made a pair of stellar defensive plays, including a tumbling catch while crashing over a roll of infield tarp in foul territory, to help preserve Oakland's 7-5 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday...

TEL AVIV, Israel -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry completed a new round of shuttle diplomacy Sunday without a hoped-for breakthrough in relaunching Mideast peace talks, but optimistically said he had narrowed the gaps between Israel and the Palestinians and vowed to return to the region soon to complete his mission...

CAIRO -- Hundreds of thousands thronged the streets of Cairo and cities around the country Sunday and marched on the presidential palace, filling a broad avenue for blocks, in an attempt to force out the Islamist president with the most massive protests Egypt has seen in 21/2 years of turmoil...

BERLIN -- Senior European officials expressed concern Sunday at reports U.S. intelligence agents bugged EU offices on both sides of the Atlantic, with some leftist lawmakers calling for sanctions against Washington. The president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, said he was "deeply worried and shocked about the allegations of U.S. authorities spying on EU offices" made in a report published Sunday by German news weekly Der Spiegel...

CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- Challenging African youth to seize a "moment of great promise," President Barack Obama declared Sunday the future of the young and growing continent rests in ailing South African leader Nelson Mandela's vision for equality and opportunity. Seeking to carve out his own piece of that legacy, Obama unveiled an initiative to double electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa, vowing to bring "light where there is darkness."...

LONDON -- Young children and certain other people with the AIDS virus should be started on medicines as soon as they are diagnosed, the World Health Organization said in new guidelines that also recommend earlier treatment for adults. The advice will have the most impact in Africa, where nearly 70 percent of people with HIV live. Many rich countries already advocate early treatment. WHO's guidelines were released Sunday at the International AIDS Society meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Gay rights supporters crowded parade routes in San Francisco, New York and other major U.S. cities Sunday to celebrate what once was unimaginable -- two Supreme Court victories on same-sex marriage. The high court gave celebrants one more reason to cheer Sunday when Justice Anthony Kennedy rejected a last-ditch effort by opponents to stop gay marriages in California...

The Jackson Post 158 Senior American Legion baseball team beat Poplar Bluff Senior Babe Ruth 11-1 in six innings Sunday to finish third in the Paragould 7Up Classic in Paragould, Ark. Jackson, which went 2-1 in the eight-team event, is now 26-5 on the season...

Office Building 1 Barton Square Jackson 9 a.m. today Open session Action items Pertinent address: 1 Barton Square, Jackson, Mo...

YARNELL, Ariz. -- A fast-moving wildfire killed 19 firefighters Sunday afternoon after the blaze raced through an Arizona community, a state forestry official said. Forestry spokesman Art Morrison said the firefighters were caught by the fire near the central Arizona town of Yarnell about 85 miles northwest of Phoenix. He said the firefighters were forced to deploy their fire shelters, tent-like structures meant to shield firefighters from flames and heat...

The Cape Girardeau City Council is considering initiating a plan for the widening of a section of Mount Auburn Road; under the plan, an approximately 1,600-foot stretch of Mount Auburn Road, running north from Bloomfield Road, would be widened from the current 24 feet to 44 feet...

Lord Jesus, comfort those who mourn. May they experience your tender mercy. Amen.

GETTYSBURG, Pa. (AP) -- An opening volley of musket fire ushered in the start of the milestone commemoration of the Battle of Gettysburg on Friday, 150 years after the Union Army turned away a Confederate advance in the pivotal conflict of the American Civil War...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Gray dust blankets everything in the subterranean halls of the unfinished National September 11 Memorial & Museum. But while the powder may look ominously like the ash that covered lower Manhattan after the terrorist attacks, this time it is a product of rebirth, not destruction...

n First Midwest Bank of Dexter, Mo., one of the oldest locally owned banks in Southeast Missouri, has received approval from the Missouri Division of Finance and the FDIC to locate a full-service bank at 1820 N. Kingshighway. According to Joey McLane, president of First Midwest Bank of Dexter, a temporary modular bank with a drive-thru will provide full-service operations during construction of a new facility. ...

For Ken Swearengin, working for a veterans' cemetery is "a time-honored tradition" and a rare opportunity to serve those who serve our country. Swearengin is director for the Missouri Veterans Cemetery at Bloomfield, Mo., where he oversees general operations and services and determines eligibility for internment at the cemetery. One of the most important aspects of his job, he said, is to see that everything is conducted "in a dignified and honorable manner."...

All dogs need three things: Exercise, walks and mental stimulation, says Stacy Busch-Heisserer, owner of Busch Pet Products in Cape Girardeau. The same could be said for humans -- and that's why the Cape Canine Cruisers meet on Saturday mornings to socialize and walk their dogs as a group...

Cataracts are something we all go through sooner or later - here's a breakdown of what they are and how they're treated. What exactly are cataracts? Cataracts are when the intraocular lens -- normally clear -- becomes cloudy or opaque. "The (intraocular) lenses serve to filter light rays as they pass through the eye. After time, these lenses become cloudy and non-translucent, which we then call cataracts," explains Dr. Kory P. Thoma of Leet EyeCare in Cape Girardeau...

Roseanna Whitlow-Greenwood has been involved with the River City Players, Cape Girardeau's community theater group, for more than 10 years. When the players take the stage for their next performance at the end of the month, Whitlow-Greenwood will have played a major role (offstage): She wrote the play and is serving as the production's director. Here, she talks about "Strawberry Ridge" and taking it from her head to the stage:...

MOSCOW (AP) -- NSA leaker Edward Snowden's best chance of finding refuge outside the United States may hinge on the president of Venezuela, who was in Moscow on Tuesday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela told Russian reporters on Tuesday that his country has not received an application for asylum from Snowden and dodged the question of whether he would take Snowden with him when he left. ...

LONDON -- Serena Williams joined a growing list of marquee names eliminated early at this wild and unpredictable Wimbledon. The defending champion and five-time Wimbledon winner failed to close out a see-saw third set Monday, dropping the last four games to Sabine Lisicki of Germany and losing 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 in the fourth round. The result ended Williams' career-best 34-match winning streak...

In observance of Independence Day, the Cape Girardeau County Commission will not be in session Thursday. The county commission is scheduled to meet again at 9 a.m. Monday. Pertinent address: 1 Barton Square, Jackson, Mo.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed a pair of bills Monday that he said targeted imaginary problems pertaining to federal holidays and United Nation's policies, but which he said could have been costly to local communities. One of the vetoed bills would have banned public entities from restricting celebrations or discussions of federal holidays...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon enacted a law Monday putting an immediate halt to a controversial policy under which his administration had been making electronic copies of birth certificates and other personal documents of people applying for driver's licenses...

Southeast Missouri State University students may begin registering for 2013-2014 parking permits beginning Monday, according to a news release from the university. Registration for 2013-2014 parking permits begins at 8 a.m., the news release said. At that time, students may apply online at portal.semo.edu, or they may complete a paper application that is included in the University's billing packet. The packet will be mailed to students early this month...

An Oran, Mo., man was badly hurt when his Corvette rear-ended a semi-truck on South Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau on Monday, a police spokesman said. Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesman Darin Hickey said police were still working to determine why the Corvette driver slammed into the back of the semitrailer at a stoplight at South Kingshighway and Southern Expressway about 11:20 a.m. Hickey declined to release the names of those involved...

Thursday trash collection in Cape Girardeau and Jackson will be altered in observance of the Fourth of July holiday. In Cape Girardeau, trash normally scheduled to be collected Thursday will instead be picked up Wednesday. The transfer station and recycling center at 2007 Southern Expressway will be closed during the holiday...

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department is investigating the cause of a fire that damaged a house early Monday morning. About 3:15 a.m., the fire department responded to a report of a house fire at 1005 S. Sprigg St., according to a news release issued by battalion chief Fred Vincel. ...

ROCKVIEW, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Transportation awarded a contract for an emergency bridge replacement on Route M in Scott County. The bridge collapsed May 25 after the collision of a Union Pacific train and Burlington Northern Santa Fe train...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed legislation Monday that would have altered Missouri's penalties for underage youths trying to sneak into casinos with fake identifications. Nixon said the bill would have weakened laws that keep minors out of casinos, though the industry had promoted the measure as a greater deterrent to underage gambling. Missouri has barred people younger than 21 from the gambling floor since its first casinos opened in 1994...

Name almost any community, civic or veterans organization known in Cape Girardeau, and there's a good chance Kenneth Bender at one time was a member, if he isn't still. Since the 1950s, he has been among the ranks of the chamber of commerce and the country club, the public library and historical museums and societies. He led the formation of a local bank and a retirement community. He stayed dedicated to community involvement...

A late spring and the second-wettest June in Cape Girardeau history have slowed planting this year, but most Southeast Missouri farmers have their crops in the ground at this point, a Farm Service Agency spokesman said. "The plantings across the state certainly have been slowed down, but the reports that the National Agriculture Statistics [Service] put out today show that in the southeast portion of the state ... planting is almost complete," said Mark Cadle, FSA's state executive director...

WASHINGTON -- Nearly 2 in 3 uninsured low-income people who would qualify for subsidized coverage under President Barack Obama's health-care law may be out of luck next year because their states -- including Missouri -- have not expanded Medicaid...

Editor's note: The following story has been edited to correct the spelling of Frank Nickell's last name. The Cape Girardeau City Council made progress on the future of a restaurant tax, leaning toward placing it on a ballot whether to fund the building of a police station...

Mau smiling away at the camera.

Bella Mae being cute for a treat!!!!!

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO -- (July, 1, 2013) -- John's Pharmacy has become one of the first pharmacies in the nation to reinforce safe medication use by providing its patients with on-demand access to prescription-specific videos through MedsOnCue. Solidifying its position as a care innovator, the new MedsOnCue service strengthens the close relationship between pharmacists and patients by adding a unique digital component to the education experience...

the combination of the sun & the cloud made a reflection of the cloud

Today is Tuesday, July 2, the 183rd day of 2013. There are 182 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 2, 1963, President John F. Kennedy met Pope Paul VI at the Vatican, the first meeting between a Catholic U.S. chief executive and the head of the Roman Catholic Church...

Son to Jennifer R. Rhymer and Michael W. French of McClure, Ill., Saint Francis Medical Center, 3:12 a.m. Tuesday, June 18, 2013. Name, Ryland Michael. Weight, 6 pounds, 10 ounces. Second child, first son. Ms. Rhymer is the daughter of Patricia Rhymer of McClure. French is the son of Dixie Bevel of Olive Branch, Ill...

Randy Volkerding, 54, of Cape Girardeau, died Sunday, June 30, 2013, at Heartland Care and Rehabilitation Center. He was born July 25, 1958, in Cape Girardeau, to Nelson and Dorothy Reisenbichler Volkerding. Randy graduated from Parkview School in Cape Girardeau and worked at V.I.P. Industries in Cape Girardeau more than 20 years. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church...

Ida Lorene Talley, 81, of Cape Girardeau passed away Monday, July 1, 2013, at her home. She was born Nov. 11, 1931, in Millersville, daughter of Steve W. and Meta Peters Sawyer. She and Donald W. Talley were married June 4, 1949. Lorene was employed by W.T. ...

Mary Catherine Edwards Schwieger, 82, of Cape Girardeau passed away Sunday, June 30, 2013, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. She was born Jan. 31, 1931, at Olmsted, Ill., daughter of Charles Owen and Jacoba Knupp Edwards. Mary Catherine was an active member of Maple United Methodist Church and the adult Sunday school class. Her hobby was growing potted plants on her deck...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Glen Alford Probst, 75, of Advance passed away Saturday, June 29, 2013, at his home. He was born March 2, 1938, in Cape Girardeau, son of Pearl and Alma Riley Probst. Glen and Helen Shirley were married March 17, 1959, in Lincoln, Neb. She preceded him in death Jan. 3, 2000...

ULLIN, Ill. -- Carol Jean Jones Miller, 71, of Ullin, formerly of Cairo, Ill., died Sunday, June 30, 2013, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo. Graveside service will be at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at Green Lawn Memorial Gardens in Villa Ridge, Ill., with the Rev. Matt Graham officiating...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Cathy LeMaster, 55, of Dexter died Saturday, June 29, 2013, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 20, 1958, in Peoria, Ill., to Donald and Aloha LeMaster. Survivors include her mother, Aloha LeMaster of Iberia, Mo.; a son, Eric Lamb of High Ridge, Mo.; a daughter, Vanessa McNeely of Fenton, Mo.; two brothers, Ken LeMaster of Olean, Mo., and Steve LeMaster of Midwest City, Okla.; three sisters, Evelyn Tabor of Iberia, Christine LeMaster of Doniphan, Mo., and Sherri Johnson of Otego, N.Y.; and two grandchildren, Skyler and Autumn McNeely of Fenton.. ...

ANNA, Ill. -- The Rev. Herman C. "H.C." Lawrence, 84, of Anna died Saturday, June 29, 2013, at the Illinois Veterans Home in Anna. He was born May 14, 1929, in Pocahontas, Ark., son of Jack and Marie Rogers Lawrence. He married Elizabeth Abernathy on July 23, 1954...

Ivan Leo Johnson Sr., 87, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Marble Hill, Mo., passed away Sunday, June 30, 2013, at the home of a daughter in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 10, 1925, in Gravelton, Mo., son of Clarence Leo and Beulah Oleta Whitener Johnson. He first married Wilma Marie Abernathy. Later he married Jo Miinch...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Alba "Shorty" Dye, 74, of Marble Hill died Saturday, June 29, 2013, in a vehicle accident near Marble Hill. Visitation will be at 6 p.m. today at St. John Catholic Church in Leopold, Mo. A memorial Mass will be at 7 p.m. today at the church. Burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday in Hillcrest Cemetery at Fulton, Mo...

After 35 years in the education field, Vince Raddle is retiring from his post as director of elementary education for the Cape Girardeau Public Schools; all but three of those years have been spent with the Cape system. Robert A. Boudreau tells music fans to imagine they are aboard the Count Counterpoint II barge on the Mississippi River, as his American Waterways Wind Orchestra presents a concert at the Capaha Park band shell in the evening; low water in the Mississippi River grounded the group's tour just north of Mound City, Ill.. ...

PRETORIA, South Africa -- The spelling and grammar need work, but the message has its own eloquence. A 10-year-old's note to Nelson Mandela, the prisoner who fought South African apartheid, or white racist rule, and became a global emblem of unity and humility, addresses him as "the greates president are land has ever had it is realy bad that you are in the hospital. But realy cool that you stopt apartit. you maid are land A beter place"...

Nominated by the Cape River Heritage Museum board of directors Marjorie was born June 13, 1925, in her ancestral home "Longview" in Cape Girardeau. She was the great-granddaughter of Col. G.C. Thilenius, who served in the Civil War in Cape Girardeau. ...

Nominated by Success By 6, United Way of Southeast Missouri Lillian Martin has served the Head Start program in the south part of Cape Girardeau for the last 29 years. She has been a home-based educator, classroom teacher and site manager for the Cape Girardeau program...

Nominated by Southeast Missouri Pachyderm Club I believe that Mary exemplifies exactly what servitude is, while presenting herself with the utmost dignity and humility. Mary has dedicated her life to serving those in need; from creating a preschool program and a baby wellness clinic in Cape Girardeau in the 1960s to leading the campaign to build a new chapel and multiuse facility at Mid American Teen Challenge in the 1990s. ...

Nominated by Jackson Rotary Club If you would ask Ross what he is most proud of, he would say his wife and children. Ross was a graduate of Central High School with a patriotic heart. He joined the military wanting to serve his country. Well, he got his wish...

Nominated by Cape Girardeau Noon Lions Club The Lions Club is proud to nominate Mr. Kenneth Bender for the prestigious "Spirit of America Award." Mr. Bender is a true war hero and we believe his love of community and country make him an excellent nominee for this award...

Nominated by Cape Girardeau SALT (Seniors and Lawmen Together) Council The cornerstone of the Spirit of America is "volunteer." Throughout history you will find volunteers who truly made the difference. This is the guiding principal for Doug Austin. ...

What a few days it was last week. First the Great Race, then the air show. For Cape Girardeau, this was a banner week that showcased the area. Chuck Martin, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau, on Monday told us more than 5,000 people attended the Great Race. He said the turnout exceeded expectations...

To the parents of the teenage girls who white-shoe-polished our daughter's car windows: Be advised that we have photos and are aggressively pursing charges with the police for trespassing and destruction of property. This is a crime and will be prosecuted. We have leads and will determine who your daughter is. Kids are already talking. This is not a simple high-school prank, but one that destroys property and costs parents hundreds in the cost of the attempt to remove this substance...

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

CAIRO -- Egypt's military issued a "last-chance" ultimatum Monday to President Mohammed Morsi, giving him 48 hours to meet the demands of millions of protesters in the streets seeking the ouster of the Islamist leader or the generals will intervene and impose their own plan for the country...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama brushed aside sharp European criticism Monday, suggesting that all nations spy on each other as the French and Germans expressed outrage over alleged U.S. eavesdropping on European Union diplomats. American analyst-turned-leaker Edward Snowden, believed to still be at Moscow's international airport, applied for political asylum to remain in Russia...

WASHINGTON -- Spending on residential housing rose in May to the highest level in 4 1/2 years, helping to send overall construction spending higher despite a big drop in nonresidential activity. Construction spending rose 0.5 percent in May compared with April when spending was up 0.1 percent, the Commerce Department said Monday...

PRESCOTT, Ariz. -- In the firefighting world, "Hotshot" is the word given to those willing to risk their lives to go to the hottest part of a blaze. They are the best of the best, crews filled with adventure-seekers whose years of hard training ready them for the worst...

LAS VEGAS -- A heat wave smothering the West is rewriting the record books, likely tying a more than century-old record for the U.S. while putting Las Vegas through its hottest June ever. The National Weather Service said California's Death Valley National Park tentatively recorded a high temperature of 129 degrees on Sunday, which would tie the all-time June record high for the United States. ...

Lord Jesus, thank you that in you we find strength, for you are our fortress. Amen.

Diana Kantchev, a member of the Central golf team, placed first in the recent women's division at the Macedonian Open Golf Championship at St. Sofia Golf Course in Sofia, Bulgaria. Kantchev, 16, shot an 83 to win the individual stroke play event. She plans to play in the Bulgarian national golf championship in Pravets July 12-14 and in two more international girls' tournaments in The Netherlands and England...

In a major concession to business groups, the Obama administration Tuesday unexpectedly announced a one-year delay, until after the 2014 elections, in a central requirement of the new health-care law that many companies provide coverage for their workers or face fines...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Just a year after Congress imposed significant changes in the government's oft-criticized flood insurance program, howls of protest from homeowners facing higher premiums have coastal lawmakers pressing for delays that would preserve below-cost rates for hundreds of thousands of people in flood-risk areas...

BENTON, Mo. - A Southeast Missouri woman has been sentenced to seven years in prison in the death of her 2-year-old daughter. Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster's office handled the prosecution of Joanie Fowler, 25, of Pemiscot County. Fowler was sentenced June 27, but Koster announced the sentence Wednesday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Gov. Jay Nixon has vetoed legislation aimed at keeping the names of people who committed offenses as juveniles off Missouri's public sex offender registry. The governor said Wednesday the legislation is too broad and would apply to anyone regardless of the crime that was committed. Nixon says crime victims would have been deprived the chance to be heard before someone's name is removed from the public websites, which are aimed at protecting the public...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Gasoline prices are on a summer slide, giving U.S. drivers a break as they set out for the beach and other vacation spots for the Fourth of July. The national average for a gallon has fallen for 21 days straight and is now below $3.50 for the first time since February. The reason: Oil prices have been relatively stable, and refineries are turning out more gasoline after completing springtime maintenance...

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Cape Girardeau police investigate a downed power line Tuesday near the corner of South Frederick and Morgan Oak streets that involved a semitrailer....

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Reaction from local lawmakers was swift Tuesday after Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn's amendatory veto to the concealed-carry bill. Quinn changed the bill approved by the Legislature to cap the number of guns and amount of ammunition that can be carried, and to ban guns from establishments that serve alcohol...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon on Tuesday vetoed agriculture legislation that would have ended a decades-old state ban on foreign ownership of Missouri farmland. The provision lifting the ban was included in two broad agricultural bills. The Democratic governor said the provision was added to the legislation relatively late in the process. It would have capped foreign ownership at 1 percent...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- An interim fire chief was appointed Monday night to serve the Clearwater Fire Protection District after its chief resigned amid allegations of misuse of a department truck. Josh Allen resigned as chief of both the Clearwater Fire Protection District and Piedmont City Fire Department before the protection district's regular monthly board meeting Monday, according to Shane Babb, a fire protection board member...

AT&T announced Tuesday that 4G LTE is now available to its Cape Girardeau customers. In a news release, John Sondag, president of AT&T Missouri, said the company has seen the demand for mobile Internet "skyrocket, and our 4G LTE network in ...

Two Cape Girardeau men were arrested Monday after a drive-by shooting, police reported Tuesday. No one was injured in the shooting, police reported. Joshua L. Faulkner Jr., 18, was charged with unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, both class B felonies...

An Illinois woman was appointed a public defender Tuesday and scheduled for a July 30 arraignment on charges she kidnapped a newborn boy last week in rural Union County. Karen Nichols, 44, faces charges of aggravated kidnapping of a child younger than 13 and armed robbery, both Class X felonies, and aggravated unlawful restraint, a Class 3 felony, online court records show....

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The saga of the grotto sculpin will begin a new chapter come September when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will publish its decision on whether to add the fish to the endangered species list. The species is believed to be found exclusively in Perry County, Mo. The fish can be found in five caves and one stream. They have small eyes, a pale color and other features adapted to cave living. ...

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Jered Weaver earned his second win of an injury-plagued season with help from a five-run second inning, and the Los Angeles Angels extended their winning streak to seven games Tuesday night with a 5-1 victory over St. Louis in the Cardinals' first game at Angel Stadium...

This is a photo of Cape Bridge. I took this a couple weeks ago.

A small, empty plot of land on William Street soon could be the home of a new cellphone tower. The property, owned by John Heuer, lies near some historic downtown properties, which leaves some residents concerned. According to Marsha Haskell, regional director for AT&T Missouri, the network wants to place a 140-foot-tall "stealth communication tower" at 418 William St., which would be targeted at improving coverage in the downtown area....

A pretty day in the yard.

Jesse is a 7 year old Shih-tzu mix. He is neutered and ready for adoption at the Humane Society 573-334-5837. See more pets available at semopets.org.

Gotta Move! Keepin' In Step With The Spirit: A Vacation Bible School Experience, will be happening at Mount Auburn Christian Church located at 930 N. Mt. Auburn Rd in Cape on Monday, July 22 - Friday, July 26 from 5:30pm - 8:30pm for ages 3 - 6th grade. ...

Fourth of July activities ranging from nighttime fireworks to all-day festivals are planned in the region to celebrate the nation's 237th birthday. Observances in Cape Girardeau will begin at 9 a.m. with the "Fourth at Fort D" gathering to recognize the holiday and the local Civil War monument. Opening ceremonies for the fireworks display in Arena Park are set for 9 p.m., followed by the presentation of the Spirit of America award to Kenneth Bender and the fireworks display...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Brent Boren isn't sure exactly how it will happen, but Meridian Elementary students will start classes on time and in a safe place this fall after officials from the Illinois Department of Labor on Tuesday confirmed the presence of a potentially dangerous strain of mold in the school...

Today is Wednesday, July 3, the 184th day of 2013. There are 181 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 3, 1863, the three-day Civil War Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania ended in a major victory for the North as Confederate troops failed to breach Union positions during an assault known as Pickett's Charge...

On Thursday we will celebrate Independence Day, the day 56 men signed a declaration establishing America's independence from Great Britain. We salute the sacrifice and bravery of these men and celebrate the genius of our country's founders. The Fourth of July is more than an anniversary of a document-signing. ...

I would like to publicly recognize and thank Craig Raney and the volunteers from Jackson's Rubbermaid Home Products for providing the equipment and the labor to clean the tombstones in our old city cemetery. They were able to participate in this community service project as part of Newell-Rubbermaid Corporation's sponsorship of a Global Day of Service...

It's easy today to focus on fireworks, food, friends and family. But take just a moment to focus on the freedoms that form the basis for this special time in our great nation. Despite political winds that blow our ship of state off course from time to time, we still enjoy freedoms that others only dream about...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon pointed to privacy concerns Tuesday in vetoing an online database that businesses could use to check a prospective employee's workers' compensation claims. Nixon said such a database is "an affront to the privacy of our citizens and does not receive my approval."...

CAIRO -- The fate of Egypt's first democratically elected president hung in the balance Tuesday, hours before a deadline to yield to the demands of millions of protesters or see the military suspend the constitution, disband parliament and install a new leadership...

WASHINGTON -- Several times every day at airports across the country, passengers are trying to walk through security with loaded guns in their carry-on bags, purses or pockets, even in a boot. And, more than a decade after 9/11 raised consciousness about airline security, it's happening a lot more often...

Son to Christopher John and Deborah Nicole O'Neill of Marble Hill, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 3:44 p.m. Friday, June 21, 2013. Name, Aiden Michael. Weight, 7 pounds, 4 ounces. Second child, first son. Mrs. O'Neill is the former Deborah Miller, daughter of Lee and Tammy Miller of Grassy, Mo. She is a home health aide with Comfort Care In Home Services. O'Neill is the son of Lee Anne Craft of Marble Hill. He is a construction worker...

The congregation of Westminster Presbyterian Church will conduct a 24-hour prayer vigil for rain; the event will be held at the church, beginning at 9 p.m. tomorrow. Up to 90 percent of area farmers may not have enough hay available to carry their livestock through the winter due to grazing pastures being harmed by the drought of 1988; with no way to feed their animals, many farmers are wanting to sell heifers and cows...

The Jackson Fire Department responded to the following calls Sunday:...

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

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Sunday:...

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

Shirley M. Statler, 86, of Jackson died Monday, July 1, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Sam Roethemeyer officiating. Interment will be in Cape County Memorial Park in Cape Girardeau...

Benny Joe Felton, 71, of Cape Girardeau passed away Monday, July 1, 2013, at Missouri Baptist Hospital in Sullivan, Mo. He was born July 22, 1941, in Orient, Ill., to William Vincent and Marcella Tabor Felton. He married Margaret Imhoff Felton on Aug. 24, 1997...

Patsy Jean Collier, 71, of Jackson passed away Monday, July 1, 2013, at her home. She was born Oct. 2, 1941, in Sikeston, Mo., daughter of William T. and Dorothy E. Gillespie Medcalf. She and Ronald L. Collier were married Jan. 10, 1959. Patsy and her husband owned and operated Sikeston Sanitation Service from 1958 to 1968. ...

Joe Thomas Ayers Sr., 75, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, June 27, 2013, at Southeast Hospital. He was born May 18, 1938, in Essex, Mo., to Lee and Odell Williams Ayers. He and Etta Louise Perkins were married May 22, 1961, in Parma, Mo. Joe worked for Cape Vault Co. five years and then for the city of Cape Girardeau 35 years, retiring as a foreman. He attended Greater Dimension Church and was a member of the Masonic Lodge...

LONDON -- Amy Winehouse seemed to live in public, but her fans never knew the private person. An exhibition at London's Jewish Museum aims to reveal an intimate side to a troubled star who was also, in the words of her older brother Alex, "simply a little Jewish kid from North London with a big talent."...

Have you ever played with the "Black Snake?" It's a firework, when lit, it smokes and creates ash resembling a snake. You can create your own by using a few ingredients from around the house. Materials Instructions STEP 1: Mix 4 tablespoons of sugar with 1 tablespoon of baking soda...

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

James Michael Jansen, a graduate of Leopold High School, has won a $2,000 MFA Foundation scholarship that was awarded during the school's recent graduation ceremonies. Jansen, son of Mary and Ambrose Jansen, plans to attend Southeast Missouri State University. The scholarship was sponsored by SEMO MFA Agri Services in Advance, Mo...

There are some really tight races going on in the all-men and coed adult softball divisions at Shawnee Park. At the time I called in this comment, 618 was leading in men's Division 1. However, in my view, the red hot Muckty Mucks will come on and take it all. ...

Eagle Ridge Christian School's highest-achieving senior, Hannah Hess, has a good idea of what she wants to do with her life. Hess plans to attend Southeast Missouri State University this fall for a degree in early childhood development, an area in which she already has years of firsthand experience...

North- and southbound Interstate 55 in New Madrid County, between mile markers 38.8 and 40.4, will be reduced to one lane with a 16-foot width restriction as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs. The work will be done from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through July 19...

Father God, thank you for our freedoms, including the freedom to worship you. Amen.

Jack Litzelfelner shot a 71 to win the boys 16-19 Tour division at the Gateway Junior Series event Monday at Kimbeland Country Club. Adam Way finished second with a 76, while Gabe Wheeler was third at 77. Jonathan Bell won the boys 14-15 Tour division with an 87, while Sara Bell won girls Tour with an 84...

SENATH, Mo. -- The fourth inning proved to be the difference in Tuesday night's district game between Dunklin County Legion and the Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons American Legion Post 63 baseball team...

CINCINNATI -- Another hard-throwin' Texan has developed a knack for no-hitters. Homer Bailey threw his second in 10 months and the first in the majors this season, pitching the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night...

CLAYTON, Mo. -- St. Louis County police issued an Amber Alert Wednesday for a 10-month-old girl. The girl went missing from Clayton at about 8:45 a.m. Demi Grant, a black 10-month-old girl last seen wearing a sleeper of unknown color was taken from her mother by her father, Brian Grant, 23, according to police. He was driving a tan Ford Explorer, but it's unknown where he might be going...

Josh Moore believes his tenure as Southeast Missouri State's women's tennis coach would not have ended after just one season had he towed the company line. Moore thinks the hammer fell on him because he not only filed formal complaints against Southeast director of athletics Mark Alnutt and senior associate director of athletics Cindy Gannon but also because he contested the accuracy of his year-end evaluation...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Gov. Jay Nixon is requesting a federal major disaster declaration for severe storms that struck Missouri from May 29 to June 10. The storms included one that spawned a tornado in the St. Louis area and others that caused widespread flooding...

On July 4th, I finally captured a picture of a wren bringing twigs to the new birdhouse. We have been hoping it would attract an occupant this season.

Today is Thursday, July 4, the 185th day of 2013. There are 180 days left in the year. This is Independence Day. Today's Highlight in History: On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by delegates to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia...

Cape Girardeans celebrate Independence Day with a roar and a bang at Arena Park, where the Jaycees' demolition derby is staged prior to the annual fireworks display. A Cape Girardeau veteran of the Korean War has been chosen commander-in-chief of the American Legion's Southeast Missouri 10-county district; Homer Dickman was elected to the post during the recent 14th District meeting of the American Legion, held at Jackson...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones says he wants to try to override Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of a gun-rights bill passed by the Legislature. Nixon announced Friday that he had vetoed the bill. It sought to nullify various federal gun laws and would have allowed federal agents to be charged with misdemeanor crimes for trying to enforce federal gun control laws in Missouri. Journalists also could have faced charges for publishing the names of gun owners...

KENNETT, Mo. -- The Kennett Police Department is asking for help identifying a man they suspect exposed himself to a store employee. According to Lt. Tim Trowbridge, Kennett police were called to a Fred's store about 10:30 a.m. Saturday, where a female store employee said a man exposed himself to her. The suspect was seen on security cameras and identified as a black man, bald, with facial hair, wearing urban camouflage pants and a black T-shirt...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder is accepting nominations for the 2013 Missouri Veterans Service Award, created to recognize veterans who provide volunteer service to their communities. According to a news release issued by Kinder's office, the deadline to submit nominations is Oct. ...

The Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau is expected to rise above flood stage again this week, but this time it won't go up much. According to a flood warning issued Wednesday, the National Weather Service expects the river to reach about 32.5 feet by Sunday morning -- 0.5 feet higher than flood stage at Cape ...

More than 83,500 pounds of appliances and other electronic waste were collected from Cape Girardeau County as part of Jackson's e-cycle event on June 29, according to a news release from the city. The release said 147 televisions, 168 computer monitors and other ...

The National Weather Service confirmed Wednesday the high temperature of 70 degrees in Cape Girardeau on Tuesday was the lowest high recorded for June 2, at least since 1984. Dave Purdy, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., said an unusual low-pressure system in the area Tuesday was responsible for the low temperature. ...

LONDON -- One semifinalist is rebounding from a taxing five-set comeback. Another was so overwhelmed to reach the final four, he sat on the court and wept. One more has a knee that's being kept in action through the miracles of ice baths, athletic tape and painkillers...

LONDON -- Sabine Lisicki advanced to her first Wimbledon final a couple of hours after Marion Bartoli reached her second. Lisicki, a 2011 semifinalist at the All England Club, beat fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 2-6, 9-7 Thursday on Centre Court, overpowering her opponent at the start and then hanging on despite trailing 3-0 at the end...

Gov. Jay Nixon on Wednesday requested a major disaster declaration from the federal government for 30 Missouri counties, including three local counties, for damage from storms and flooding since the end of May. State Emergency Management Agency teams have conducted damage assessments in 30 counties because of severe weather and flooding around ...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- William O. Chasteen of Marble Hill, who pleaded not guilty in April to five counts against him for an assault against a 7-year-old boy, changed his plea Friday to guilty in an arrangement worked out between his defense attorney and the state. Bollinger County Prosecuting Attorney Steven Gray said this week that ...

While most cities look forward to fireworks shows on the Fourth of July, Jackson residents look forward to something else. The mud volleyball tournament at Jackson City Park has drawn hundreds of participants and spectators each year it has been offered....

Mason Washam never met his maternal grandmother, but the energetic 4-year-old is enthusiastic about putting flowers on her grave. Deborah Manning's best friend, Sharon Rucker, chokes back tears as the dark-eyed boy scampers through dappled sunlight at Cape County Memorial Park, clutching a handful of baby's breath...

Deborah Manning, whose body was found July 5, 1983, along a county road between Chaffee and Delta, Mo., isn't the only Southeast Missouri woman whose family is marking a tragic -- and mysterious -- anniversary today. Bonnie Huffman, a pretty, bespectacled 20-year-old schoolteacher, disappeared the evening of July 2, 1954...

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Edward Mujica's season-opening save streak ended in dramatic fashion with one powerful swing by Josh Hamilton. Hamilton greeted the St. Louis Cardinals' right-hander with a tying two-run homer in the ninth inning and Erick Aybar delivered an RBI single against Mujica five batters later, sending the Cards to a stunning 6-5 loss Thursday night in the rubber game of their first series at Angel Stadium.

Ford Mustang at Great Race 2013 Car show

Hot rod at Great Race 2013 car show

Fireworks over Arena Park 2013.

A green snake hanging off a tree hanger in our backyard.

Hundreds of people took advantage of mild, sunny weather to participate in Fourth of July festivities from morning till night. In Cape Girardeau, residents packed Arena Park in anticipation of the fireworks display that began at 9:15 p.m. Thursday. Jeff Harms was among a group that came early to pick out the perfect seat to watch the show...

BONNE TERRE -- Only one thing has been missing at Big River Sand Drags in 2013: Racers. The result has left the man in charge, Jason Harris, stunned and disappointed. "If we can't get enough racers back out to the track (on July 5th and 6th), I will have no choice but to close the gates. ...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Charleston police are investigating a shooting that injured two people, including a child, on Thursday. The shooting took place near Ironbanks and Swank streets in Charleston about 5 p.m. Thursday. According to a news release from Charleston police, an argument over the use of fireworks erupted, and one of the parties involved began shooting...

Aircraft of the Aerostar Acrobatic Team on static display at the Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival on Saturday, June 29, 2013.

Happy 4th of July!

Randy Ball and the MIG-17F ready to taxi out for takeoff at the Cape Girardeau Air Festival on June 29, 2013.

Randy Ball and the MIG-17F in the hanger awaiting the start of his demo at the Cape Girardeau Air Festival on June 29, 2013.

Randy Ball and the MIG-17F in the hanger at the Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival on June 29, 2013.

Bill Leff's AT-6 Texan taxiing out for takeoff at the Cape Girardeau Air Festival on June 29, 2013.

Bill Leff's AT-6 Texan in the Hanger at the Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival on June 29, 2013.

One of the aircraft of used by the Aerostar Acrobatic Team on static display at the Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival on June 29, 2013.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The University of Missouri's first year as the SEC's northernmost outpost cost the school an extra $1 million in unanticipated travel expenses. The Columbia Daily Tribune reported this week that Mizzou spent $7.1 million on travel in the 2012-13 academic year. That's $1 million more than what athletics officials expected and nearly $2 million more than travel costs during the school's final season in the Big 12 Conference...

Today is Friday, July 5, the 186th day of 2013. There are 179 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 5, 1943, the Battle of Kursk began during World War II as German forces attacked a Soviet salient (or bulge) around the Russian city of Kursk; in the weeks that followed, the Soviets were able to repeatedly repel the Germans, who eventually withdrew in defeat...

Shirley M. Statler, 86, of Jackson passed away Monday, July 1, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 20, 1926, in Jackson, daughter of Roy Bryan Smith and Rika Loos Smith Mabrey. She and E. Hirschel Statler were married Aug. 29, 1948. He passed away May 12, 2009...

Dorothy L. Ponder, 80, of Jackson, passed away Thursday, July 4, 2013, at the home of a daughter in Jackson. She was born August 2, 1932, near Perryville, Mo., to Maurus and Irma Lawrence Berkbigler. She and Raymond Ponder were married April 21, 1951. They had been married 59 years when he passed away Oct. 5, 2010...

Joyce A. Long, 75, of Jackson died Thursday, July 4, 2013, at Monticello House in Jackson. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

Marie Josephine Keller Cunningham, 101, of Lake Zurich, Ill., died Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013, at Lexington Health Care in Lake Zurich. She was born Jan. 5, 1912, near Cape Girardeau, daughter of Robert and Veronica Schwab Keller. She married Robert Smith Cunningham on Dec. 24, 1931. He preceded her in death Dec. 29, 1989...

When the steamboat Delta Queen docks early in the morning at Cape Girardeau, it's sporting the prized antlers on its pilot house, symbolizing yesterday's victory over the Mississippi Queen in this year's New Orleans to St. Louis Great Steamboat Race...

Son to Rodreguiz Turson Frazier and Mercedes Lavette Jackson of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 7:37 a.m. Monday, June 24, 2013. Name, Kaleb. Weight, 8 pounds, 5 ounces. Second child, first son. Ms. Jackson is the daughter of Avon Hill of Lilbourn, Mo., and Donald Jackson of New Madrid, Mo. Frazier is the son of Vannessa Frazier and Jessie Newson Jr. of Howardville, Mo...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri wrapped up its 2013 fiscal year with additional revenue, but that alone does not appear enough to thaw several hundred million dollars frozen in the current year's budget. The state reported on Wednesday that nearly $8.1 billion in general revenue during the 2013 fiscal year that ended Sunday. That was 10.1 percent higher compared with the 2012 budget year and greater than the 4.8 percent growth rate upon which the budget had been based...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis' police chief has reversed course and will allow a veteran officer to moonlight as a lobbyist for a pro-marijuana organization, the attorney for the officer said Wednesday. Police Chief Sam Dotson wrote to police Sgt. Gary Wiegert on Tuesday, informing him that his request for "secondary employment" will be allowed...

WASHINGTON -- Nothing's ever easy with President Barack Obama's health-care law. The latest hitch gives employers an additional year before they must offer medical coverage to their workers or pay a fine. What does the delay mean for workers and struggling businesses? Is it a significant setback for a law already beset by court challenges, repeal votes and a rush of deadlines for making health insurance available to nearly all Americans next year?...

WASHINGTON -- In noisy, energetic New York City, the pilots of a spindly plane that looks more toy than jet hope to grab attention in a surprising way: By being silent and consuming little energy. This revolutionary solar-powered plane is about to end a slow and symbolic journey across America by quietly buzzing by the Statue of Liberty and landing in a city whose buildings often obscure the power-giving sun. ...

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

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

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

DAMASCUS, Syria -- Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview published Thursday his government had fended off everything his enemies had thrown at him and the only remaining threat to his rule was a far-off -- and improbable -- foreign intervention...

MEXICO CITY -- At least six U.S. airlines canceled more than 40 flights into and out of Mexico City and Toluca airports Thursday after the Popocatepetl volcano spewed out ash, steam and glowing rocks, airport officials said. Mexico City airport spokesman Jorge Gomez said U.S. ...

CAIRO -- A senior judge was sworn in as Egypt's interim president Thursday to replace ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi as the military launched a major crackdown against the Muslim Brotherhood. Reeling from what it called a military coup against democracy, the group said it would not work with the new political system...

An artist directory has been created for the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri website. Listing in the directory is open to all Arts Council members. To check membership status or to become a member, call the council at 334-9233. Members will be walked through the type of information needed to make a listing useful to website visitors. View the directory at the Arts Council website capearts.org/Directory.aspx...

With lots of people out of town for the July 4 holiday, tonight's First Friday gallery receptions might be the best bet for locals wishing to take in the art scene without having to fight large crowds. Despite the holiday on Thursday, galleries around Cape Girardeau will open their doors tonight for their monthly First Friday art receptions. ...

Stories of haunted houses and things that go bump in the night are part of the lore of many towns in America, from apparitions in windows to unexplainable noises in long-abandoned houses. Cape Girardeau is not without its share of spooky legends that have survived through the ages. Whether they are to be believed or not, ghost stories passed from one generation to the next include stories of haunted houses, graveyards and even Southeast Missouri State University...

The Lorimier Gallery and Gallery 100 of the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri will feature a solo exhibit by Herb Wickham through July 27. Wickham's exhibit will display his two-dimensional oil and watercolor paintings featuring countryside scenes and dilapidated barns...

NEW YORK -- Three lawsuits brought by men who said former Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash sexually abused them when they were underage were tossed out by a judge who said in a decision published Monday the men waited too long to sue. U.S. District Judge John G. ...

NEW YORK -- The Statue of Liberty reopened on the Fourth of July, eight months after Hurricane Sandy shuttered the national symbol of freedom. Hundreds lined up Thursday to be among the first to board boats destined for Lady Liberty, including New Yorker Heather Leykam and her family...

Voting continues for the Southeast Missourian People's Choice Awards 2013. The annual contest is a good opportunity for readers to vote for their favorite business -- a distinction many establishments take seriously. For proof, just look at the number of storefront windows that proudly display their blue ribbon stickers from past years...

It appears now that the politically correct want to once more use the U.S. military for a social experiment. I am, of course, talking about letting women join the combat arms. We are not just talking about infantry, armor and artillery, but Rangers and SEALS. ...

In the book "Take Back America" by John Fahn, it states:"We've become immoral, fat, lazy and stupid." This is the truth, I'm afraid. Our Constitution has been shredded. Spending is outrageous. Individual rights and group rights are stolen. Trust in government -- its people -- has dissipated. ...

I appreciate the city of Cape Girardeau Public Works Department Water Division sending me the 2012 Water Quality Report. But why didn't the report simply state in the first sentence: Dear customer, your water quality in Cape Girardeau is great. Our drinking water meets or surpasses all federal and state drinking water standards. While the report may excite a water treatment engineer, all I want to know is that the water quality in Cape Girardeau is OK, or if it is not, why not?...

My wife and I have just returned from a trip to Rapid City, S.D., which is a great central location for Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse memorial, Badlands National Park, Grasslands National Park, Custer State Park, Needles Highway, the Black Hills and many other interesting things to see and do...

Steven Dooley struck out 13 batters while hurling a complete game as the Plaza Tire Capahas won their first game of the Valmeyer (Ill.) 4th of July Baseball Tournament, defeating Belleville (Ill.) 5-3. Christian Cavaness was 2 for 4 with two RBIs, including a solo home run leading off the bottom of the fourth inning for the Capahas. ...

ST. LOUIS -- The owner of a now-defunct prearranged funerals company in pleaded guilty Wednesday to operating what authorities say was a giant Ponzi scheme that bilked customers out of as much as $600 million. Clayton, Mo., resident James Douglas Cassity, 67, who owned National Prearranged Funerals Inc., faces up to nine years and seven months in prison when he's sentenced Nov. 7 for fraud, money laundering and misappropriation of funds...

JOHANNESBURG -- Nelson Mandela is being kept alive by a breathing machine and faces "impending death," court documents show, as his family gravesite was restored Thursday. Mandela's health is "perilous" and he is being kept alive by life support, according to documents filed in the court case that resulted in the remains of the former president's three deceased children being reburied Thursday in their original graves...

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The items arrive by the thousands, borne on furniture dollies, in Radio Flyer wagons or nestled carefully in owners' arms. The hodge-podge parade consists of paintings, teapots, firearms, mannequins decked out in military uniforms and more. Much more...

GETTYSBURG, Pa. -- The Battle of Gettysburg is underway for the second time in a week and tourists are converging in droves even if the outcome of the Civil War's pivotal encounter has been known for 150 years. Soldiers back in 1863 never experienced conditions like the ones re-enactors did Thursday...

O Lord Jesus, we praise you for you are our strength, our strong tower. Amen.

Josh Moore believes his tenure as Southeast Missouri State's women's tennis coach would not have ended after just one season had he towed the company line. Moore thinks the hammer fell on him because he not only filed formal complaints against Southeast director of athletics Mark Alnutt and senior associate director of athletics Cindy Gannon but also because he contested the accuracy of his year-end evaluation...

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee will be July 12 and feature a program called "Trends in Social Entrepreneurship." The presentation will be given by Dr. James Stapleton, executive director of the Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Southeast Missouri State University....

@names:West Lane Elementary 5th grade: Chayton Bass, Kailey Bell, Larissa Bell, Hunter Bilek, Kaitlyn Bohnsack, Elijah Bratton, Gaven Brooks, Aaron Brown, Mary Calvin, Carson Childers, Parker Clements, Morgan Conklin, AJ Cook, Dustin Cook, Colby Davis, Jonna Davis, Trevor Denton, Jenny Duncan, Michaela Dyer, Hillary Eckley, Aspen Emmons, Libby Ezzell, Drey Farmer, Jacob Farrar, Austen Gambill, Jackson Gerau, Mara Golden, Taylor Govero, Autumn Gragg, Wyatt Griffin, Maya Grojean, Ray Hamm, Neal Harrison, Zavier Heinley, Megan Hoffmeister, Hunter Hostalek, Hunter Hoxworth, Erin Huff, Kristen Johns, Alexis Johnson, Ali Keillor, Dylan Koehler, Jessica Kucera, Austin LaFave, Tristyne Lape, Bretten Lichtenegger, Patrick Malone, Whitney Mauk, Haley McElvoy, Bret Meyer, Rylee Mills, Destinee Monighan, Lauren Moore, Michael Newman, Sam Niswonger, Lara Oliver, Joe Panagos, Tabitha Patrick, Ben Petzoldt, LoriAnn Petzoldt, Katherine Phillips, Riley Pike, Kylie Reisenbichler, Luke Reynolds, Cade Rodgers, Liza Schell, Kaitlyn Scott, Kyle Seabaugh, Melody Sievers, Macy Slinkard, Allison Smith, Jake Smith, Zach Smith, Ryan Speakman, Deacon Tapley, Maggie Todd, Micayla Tripp, Stone Vandeven, Carly Welch, Michaela Whitaker, Hannah Woodard, Katie Yancey, Jesse Yount, Hannah Zeilenga.. ...

@names:Trinity Lutheran School A Honor Roll 5th grade: Justin Buerck, Annabella Donaldson-Michael, Kalani Gill, Justin Samanta, Sam Varnon, Sarah Ward. 6th grade: Matthew Babcock, Maggie Grimm, Luke Richmond, Etienne Soto, Austin Widner. 7th grade: Anna Al-Sayed, Sam Hahs, Amanda Mabry, Jade Samanta, Ireland Smith, Sofia Voss...

@names:St. Paul Lutheran School Scholastic Honor Roll 5th Grade: Piper Guilliams, Claire Hadler, Matt Hartmann, Caleb Hitt, Sydney Macke, Bryn Meyr, Meredith Perez, Alisha Reisenbichler, Sydney Turner. High Honor Roll 5th Grade: Sierra Binnie, Ian Bohnert, Alexa Clark, Bailey Green, Cara Jansen, Emma Johnson, Cassidy Klein, Christopher Krewson, Parker Lipke, Riley Lynch, Makayla Mueller, Landry Pewitt, Deanna Rubach, Alex Scott, Audra Steffens, Seth Waters, Luke Wendel, Josh Wydra...

@names:St. Mary Cathedral School A Honor Roll 4th Grade: Elizabeth Anderson, Liam Arnzen, Kalie Compas, Mary Dirnberger, Taylor Emmendorfer, Andrew Jedlinski, Hailey Kutz, Lauren Landewee, Lindsey Landewee, Maha Majeed, Elizabeth Roy, Audrey Salter, Carissa Schloss...

@names:St. Denis School 3rd grade: Tori Burger, Carolyne Cork, Nicholas Dirnberger, Camden Essner, Tyler Green, Audrey LeGrand, Laurel Mack, Drew Silman, Kendyl Stuckey, Jasmine Lee, Blake Scherer. 4th grade: Gabbie Enos, Baylee Kern, Gavin Kilburn, Bryce Morgan, Molly Shively, Evan Urhahn, Luke Lovett...

@names:St. Augustine School A Honor Roll 4th grade: Owen Beussink, Ty Collier, Taylor Evans, Ellie Fennewald, Carolina Heisserer, Garner Horman, Taylor Kluesner, Caleb LeGrand, Dawson Menz. 5th grade: Riley Burger, John Essner, Madeline Hulshof, Grace Landawee, Paul Scherer...

@names:St. Ambrose School A Honor Roll 4th grade: Allie Burnett, Nate Sullivan, Ethan Thomason, Phillip Spies, Graham Charleston, Peyton Atkins, Abby Glastetter. 5th grade: Taylor Pobst, Mason Cook. 6th grade: Grace Knutson, Brock Lange, Joanna Glueck, Kailey Kilburn, Austin Sullivan...

@names:Scott City Middle School High Honor Roll 5th grade: Zoe Lee, Alexys Littlepage, Landon O'Brien, Logan Oleson, Desiree Smith. 6th grade: Chloe Clayton, Paige Cummins, Kaileigh Dirden, Samuel Jordan. 7th grade: Camryn Daniels, Katherine Friese, Makayla Job, Gracelyn Kern, Balilee Lathum, David Smith, Madison Thompson...

@names:Scott City High School High Honor Roll 9th grade: Isabella Bowers, Paige McNeely, Hannah Shemonia. 10th grade: Lauren Bollinger, Levi Buckner, Jacob Elders, Elizabeth Hensley, Carly Howell, Kylie Jackson, Michaela Kiefer, Nathaniel Klipfel, Lyndsie Robert...

@names:Scott City Elementary High Honor Roll 3rd grade: Collin Braun, Kacie Daigger, Abigail Umfleet. Honor Roll 3rd grade: Jayden Bilderback, Brett Boswell, Brandon Brock, Micha Carter, Peyton Cave, Sydney Cobb, Blaine Daniels, Satine Donahue, Madison Duck, Christian Elbrecht, Aubrie Ellinger, Paige Ellison, Brianna Freeman, Dayton Gentry, Devon Ham, David Hamm, Trace Handshew, Brianna Huckstep, Kaleb Karrenbrock, Clayton Kirchhofer, Ashlyn Lacey, Keaton Lacey, Daniel Leyerle, Tyler Leyerle, Elizabeth Lloyd, Alexandra Miller, Natalie Morrison, Taumas Nichols, Trenton Pruden, Diamond Redmon, Cheyenne Rhodes, Havynne Riley, Heaven Rogers, Hannah Sadler, Abigail Sansoucie, Christopher Sansoucie, Cole Sansoucie, Hunter Senn, Dalton Smith, Logan Speakman, Daci Tillman, Britney Wright, Kaleb Ziegler, Kyler Ziegler.. ...

@names:Saxony Lutheran High School Honor Roll with High Distinction GPA of 4.0 12th grade: Lauren Barr, Benjamin Dordoni, Clayton Fritsche, AJ Garms, Rachael Gruenwald, Carly Lorenz, Elizabeth Miesner, Collin Sprandel, Logan Sprandel, Zachary Vogel, Kristy Winter...

@names:Oran Jr. and Sr. High 7th grade: Tori Akin, Alexis Davis, Ashlonn Flanigan, Klayton Gosche, Kamryn Graviett, Mackenzie Graviett, Madison Graviett, Allison Holt, Layne Johnson, Malia LeGrand, Cole Priggel, Madison Robertson, Skyler Whitmore, Madison Williams...

@names:Oran Elementary School 3rd Grade: Devin Amelunke, Hannah Boshell, Rylee Boshell, Shelby Bryant, Seth Cauble, Alexis Childers, Breyden Harless, Irelyn Kelley, Nicholas Romas, Lukas Sadler, Adrianna Schlosser, Samuel Shoemaker, Ainsley Streeter, Clayton Sullivan, Hope Woodfin...

@names:Oak Ridge Middle 6th grade: Caroline Abner, Connor Bock, Austin Gilliland, Magdelena Howe, Mark Johnson, Drew Kranawetter, Taylor Seyer, Rheabeckah Thompson. 7th grade: Brianna Amschler, Jordan Barker, Kaitlyn Carter, Brianna Harrison, Jordan Layton, Amanda Meyer, Travis Sides, Kayla Simon, Turk Smith, Cody Strop...

@names:Oak Ridge High School 9th grade: Jessica Hahs, Madison Hunt, Madison LeGrand, Ashley Lemonds, Tessa Mangels, Abigale Matthews, Kaitlyn Shallow 10th grade: Cody Kinder, Jacob Seabaugh, Chelsea Seyer, Alexis Simon, Rebecca Slinkard, Kaylen Woods...

@names:Notre Dame Regional High School A Honor Roll 9th grade: Sarene Allen, Emelia Baer, Jaden Barnes, Alex Bradshaw, Hannah Camarato, Andrea Charleston, Bailey Dame, Jacob Edwards, Madeline Essner, Ross Essner, Tyler Essner, Samantha Feeney, Abigail Floyd, Rylie Gant, Clinton Gaskill, Megan Gates, Elizabeth Gibbs, Robert Hearnes III, Shelby Heckert, Madison Heisserer, Ira Holcomb, Lisanne Holterman, Carly Hopkins, Taylor Ivy, Stephanie Jansen, Devin Johnson, Olivia Jordan, William Kapp, Chloe Kasten, Shiloh Kirn, Claire Landewee, Andrew LeGrand, Mackenzie Lynch, Addison McGill, Emily McKee, Jordan Meadors, Garret Menz, Madeline Morris, Renee Peters, Grant Powderly, Noah Raines, Lexis Reed, Tanner Robert, Devin Ross, Angelica Rubi, Cheyenne Sander, Haylie Santos, Gwynneth Schaefer, Christina Scherer, Anne Schlegel, Caroline Schott, Tyler Schumacker, Dayton Seabaugh, Joshua Seabaugh, Jordan Seyer, Megan Smith, Megan Sprengel, Kaitlyn Stone, Grant Strange, Clayton Stull, Rachel Thompson, Emily Timpe, Julia Todt, Alecia Totton, Alexa Turnbow, Evan Unterreiner, Madeline Urhahn, Amber Vandeven, Grace Vangilder, Addison Vaugier, Lauren Vowels, Paige Westrich, Anne Ziegler.. ...

@names:New Holcomb School A Honor Roll 6th Grade: Matthew Haupt, Caleb Oswald, Molly Phegley, Devon Tiemann. 7th Grade: Landon Byrum, Lainey Conklin, Anna Juhlin, Devin Lincoln, Sean Murphy, Zach Randolph, Kalli Yarbro. 8th Grade: Zach Brock, Katherine Morton, Emery Naeter, Brad Orenstein, Alexis Oswald, Austin Seyer, Brent Tiemann, Jessica Weibrecht...

@names:Meridian High School High Honor Roll 11th grade: Alexxus Blake. 12th grade: Brittany Johnson. Honor Roll 9th grade: Kalee Crossno. 10th grade: Kierra Barnett, Lyric Blake, Jacy Johnson, Mitchell Maborn, Ryan Moore, Tiarra Morris, Autumn Robinson, Tiffany Sartore, Conner Schaal, D.J. Weldon, Aaron Woods, Jordan Wyatt...

@names:Meridian Elementary and Middle School High Honors 3rd grade: Jemaria Blake, Quinlan Denson, Amareya McClain. 4th grade: Zander Kaufman, Alize Smith, Omarion Edwards. 5th grade: Virginia Crecelius, Alyda Hite, Katerra Karrett, Mackenzie Kern, Orlando Matthews, Kaycee Nichols, Clayton Spaulding, Iiesha Williams, Sandi Woods...

@names:Meadow Heights Jr. & Sr. High School Superintendent's Honor Roll 7th grade: Clayton E. Basinger, Eve K. Brewer, Sarah K. Bristow, Kayla C. Clark, Hope L. Dietiker, Tate M. Kiefer, Scott W. Pohlman, Alexander D. Thompson, Tierney G. Toombs, Mollie G. Welker, Jaycee C. Whitener...

@names:Kelso C-7 A Honor Roll 2nd Grade: Jaxon Barnes, Sierra Brown, Kaydi Debrock, Dillon Donley, Will Klipfel, Emma Steimle. 3rd Grade: Kara Milam, Owen Spane. 4th Grade: Christopher Arnold, Carter Heuring, Alaney Moore, Wes Wilburn. 5th Grade: Allison Colbert...

@names:Kelly Middle School 6th grade: Kaylee Backfisch, Kamryn Bryant, Syndey Dittlinger, Taylor Ferrell, Anna Goering, Tyler Green, Landon Hahs, Alison Hise, Dylan Hopkins, Abigail Hubb, Nathan Kiehl, Kenzi Koepp, Lauren Lambert, jaycee Loomis, Ashton Matlock, Lacey McBride, Emily Medlock, RJ Miller, Andrew Morison, Mallory Poat, Hunter Ramsey, Reagan Swain, Matthew Tackett, Alyssa Tidwell, Katherine Wade, Levi Watkins, Christian Worley...

@names:Kelly Junior & Senior High School A Honor Roll 9th grade: Darrien Boden, Matthew Burford, Kama Collier, Alexis Dock, Victoria Duenne, Whitney Dawn Gaines, Allisyn Holifield, Lilian Hudgens, McKenzie Hutson, Makenzie Ikerman, Carrie Keen, Layla Nicole Moody, McKynlee Neumeyer, Adison Shoaf, Cassidy Stone, Abagail Anne Sutton, Alisha Williams...

@names:Jefferson Elementary School A Honor Roll 3rd grade: Ziontraz Brown, Jalee Brumbaugh, Lindsey Cleek, Wynter Graham, Breiana Harris, Payton Maxfield, Mykesiah Maxwell, Leigha Surface, Tambria Wilson, Stella Wright. 4th grade: Madison Carrell, Colton Emmons, Jamourion Grimsley, Malissa Hall, Takhia Jones, Anna Bell Lucas, Adrian Magee, Keristane Monahan, Trentin Sisson, Elizabeth Turk, Kayleigh Turk, Jaci Wakin, Hailee Warner, Elijah Wigfall, Morgan Wiliams...

@names:South Elementary School 4th grade: Ava Borgfield, Grace Crowden, Isaac Donley, Lacey Drury, LeBrea Franklin, Zoe Freeman, Tate Friedrich, Erin Hecht, Anna Lister, Gio Mayfield-Wubbena, Katelyn Miller, Madilyn Mirgeaux, Jaxson Morrow, Dakkota Ogle, Cora Robey, Jake Sauerbrunn, Hayden Scott, Noah Sparks, Matthew Stroder, Abbi Winkler, Daniel Lawrence, Elle McCadams, Sophie McCadams, Macie McDaniel, J.R. ...

@names:Jackson Middle School Scholastic Honor Roll 7th Grade: Jordan Asmus, MaKayla Brown, Allison Carnell, Madison Dowdy, Stephanie Elefson, Lucas Farrow, Stephanie Holterman, Jasmine Jones, Amanda Justis, Warren Kelley, Julia Kidwell, Jordan Livingston, Margo Motes, Paige Paullus, Colin Schumer, Katherine Schumer, Alissa Wiggins, Jalen Williams...

@names:Junior High School Second Semester A Honor Roll 8th Grade 8th grade: Audrey Allen, Hannah Aufdenberg, Riley Ballard, Megan Barnum, Mackenzie Bartels, Audrey Beggs, Holden Bequette, Emma Bishop, Katie Black, Carlie Bollinger, Glen Boyd, Kyle Bryant, Malary Burger, Trevor Chaffin, Kaitlin Christian, Garrott Clark, Anastasia Compton, Caleb Croft, Hunter Crowden, Jenna Davidson, Bryce Dickerson, Camille Dovin, Jaredan Durbin, Elise Eastin, Brayden Emmons, Evan Fetterhoff, Zachary Flath, Samantha Followell, Nicholas Freeman, Sarah Gammon, Jack Gard, Caleb Gilbert, Liam Gray, Asriel Grow, Mark "Gus" Guilliams, Payne Guilliams, Courtney Hahs, Andrea Hamm, Summer Hanks, Matthew Harrison, Charles Hartle, Cheyenne Hendershott, Abigail Hermann, Morgan Hoffmeister, Skyler Hornbeak, Macey Huff, Nicole Humphreys, Hannah Hunt, Braden Johnston, Joshua Jones, Allison Karleskint, Levi Kempf, Timber Kimbel, Abigail King, Jeffrey Kirkley, Olivia Koch, Jared Koehler, Emily Ladd, Thomas Landewee, Katlyn Lawrence, Andrew Lillibridge, Ryan Lipps, Tyler Macke, Ryan Malone, Krista Martin, Rudy McClellan, Emily McRoberts, Hailey Meyr, Deanna Mirly, Elauna Moll, Thomas Moss, Chase Mueller, Collin Nicks, Allison Nispel, Jonna Niswonger, Randa Norman, Zebediah Parris, Landen Pehle, Lydia Pensel, Salena Perez, Addison Puls, Alyse Randol, Katelyn Rinehart, Jezalyn Roose, Alexis Ruch, Lillian Schell, Samantha Schnicker, Courtney Schoenberg, Mary Scott, Weston Sherrill, Aslee Shovan, Lynden Sides, Alexander Skrob, Theran Slinkard, Emily Sue Smith, Michael Smith, Matthew Snyder, Nicole Sotak, Rylee Stafford, Morgan Stone, Makayla Tarpley, Shelby Tays, Samantha Tilley, Aubrey Todd, Spencer Toft, Aleni Tsikhlakis, Aaron Tyler, Cameron Tyler, Brittany Ussery, Eion Vaughn, James Ward, Savannah Watson, Casey Webb, Colten Weber, Olivia Wendel, Jenna Wiggins, Corie Williams, Summer Williams, Easton Wyatt, Maria Zuccarini.. ...

@names:Jackson High School 2nd Semester Scholastic Honor Roll 11th grade: Julie Bollinger, Miranda Craft, Amanda Krewson, Samuel Lowes, Wyatt Mansell, Ian Roberts. 12th grade: Hailey Callis, Melinna Craft, Danielle Daume, Nicole Glastetter, Gage Hahs, Paxton Lemmons, Cheyenne Lingle, Cody Macke, Lauren Mann, Kaitlyn McHughes, Jordan Myer, Corey Robertson, Madison Scheper, Shea Scholl, Alison Schreiner, Luke Stevens, Sara Thompson...

@names:Immaculate Conception School A Honor Roll 4th grade: Dylan Alexander, Lindsey Bauwens, Emma Brugger, Aaron Deken, Parker Elfrink, Ethan Engelen, Olivia Foltz, Ben Gibbs, Michael Gibbs, Cole Glastetter, Ivy Guilliams, Emma Higgins, Audrey Jaco, Hayden Jansen, Rachel Jennings, Henry Kennedy, Noel Keran, Logan Newell, Sydney Turner, Cael Welker...

@names:Guardian Angel A Honor Roll 4th grade: Kennedi McVay, Cooper Priggel, Langdon Scheeter. 5th grade: Sophia Geghardt, Dallas Kluesner. 6th grade: Thomas Crippen, Carter Dame, Jackson Diebold, Allison Lynch, Connor Overfield. 7th grade: Amanda Gosche, Olivia Hulshof, Olivia Schlosser...

@names:Franklin Elementary School A Honor Roll Damian Handy, Gage Moore, Kenneth McDonald, Paige Sides, Lynnica Harley, Adrean Barrientos, Alex Fair, Laniah Webster, Natalia Jones, Gracen Trickey, Kiayal Roberts, Antwan Benson, Alivia Capshaw, Bryonna Thomas, Matthew Hagler, Darrell Wiseman, Hailey Brown, Makayla Welker, Jeremy Mayhall, Sophia Jones, Eric Lewis, Bradyn Rawlins, Khamiya Reed, Emma Talley, Levi Tuschhoff, Alyssa Windisch...

@names:Eagle Ridge Christian School A Honor Roll Kindergarten: Joseph Akens, Madalyn Clark, Grace Kyle, Caleb Margrabe, Kaylee Mason, Jacob Orr, Lucas Skidmore, Cohen Thompson 1st grade: Lucas Stephens 2nd grade: Natalee Tribout, Kaelyn Woodall. 3rd grade: Sydney Gartman, Rachel Margrabe...

@names:Delta Junior and Senior High School A Honor Roll 7th grade: Robbie Adams, Cassandra Eichhorn, Adam Hodge, Raymond Jeffries, Joseph Landewee, Alexis Mitchell. 8th grade: Charlie Ledbetter, Will Lincoln, Logan McCoy, McKenna McRoberts, Triston Perry, Tucker Robinson, Cooper Simpson, Madison Sitzes, Krista Valentine, Carrie Waddle, Kiley Wicker...

@names:Delta Elementary School 1st grade: Landon Altenthal, Bailey Birk, Blake Gaebler, Presley Holweg, Brianna Hulvey, Shane Jansen, Rileigh Parker, TJ Rhodes, Cashae Schearf, Trinity Vandeven. 2nd grade: Sierra Berry, Gracie Branam, Teriana Crowden, Allie Hampton, Georgia Hanselman, Sadie Hornbuckle, Gwyneth Ikerman, Charity Jenkins, Gavin Lesch, Zachary Petersen, Alicen Rhodes, Carter Scherer, Trevor Stoffregen...

@names:Clippard Elementary A Honor Roll 4th grade: Hannah Bowman, Kiersten Bramlett, Ryan Carns, Mariyana Carter, Karsyn Connell, Tyler Gibbs, Brinna Gosche, Ethan Holley, Hannah Horrell, Criston Jennings, Darius Jones, Grayson Jones, Kalia Keith, Kannah Kelley, Jacy LeGrand, Rokerra Lewis, Shaiheim Neal, Landon Pearson, Hunter Rees, Alexandria Seabaugh, India Sisson, River Smith, Ricki Vaughan, Keagen Winkler...

@names:Chaffee Junior and Senior High 7th grade: Angel Bain, Hallie Bollinger, Kallie Brewer, Cheyenne Cathey, Mattison Cline, Jordyn Cook, Gabriel henson, Alyssa Lunsford, Benjamin McMullin, Austin Owens, Jace Russom, Brooklyn Sadler, Katie Scott, Seth Seyer, Jaxon, VanPelt, Brandon Wallace, Kylie Wilhite, Stephen Williams, Austin Winchester...

@names:Chaffee Elementary 3rd grade: Skylar Boese, Katelyn Bollinger, Zoe Calhoun, Kirsten Cook, Seth Fraser, Tharon Hampton, Madison Jarrett, Darius Johnson, Ella Leible, Alyssa McBride, Logan Menz, Connie Noble, Lillith Parsons, Adrianna Penrose, Nate Pfefferkorn, Caylee Schultz, Kolton Spies, Thomas Stidham, Lauren Wagoner, Jayden Welch, Lilly Wessel, Caden Wilson...

@names:Cape Central High School A Honor Roll 12th grade: Erin Bittle, Meredith Caldwell, Rebecca Condie, Rachel Diamond, Mallory Dickson, Claire Herbst, Cody House, Jacy Keller, Marie Kinder, Chleo LeGrand, Emily Majoros, Kaylen Martin, Madison Mohnsen, Joy Mueller, Makayla Newman, Tien Nguyen, Alex Owens, Luke Phillips, Bonnie Pickel, Caroline Retter, Samuel Rhodes, Joshua Sander, Emily Sheets, Ashley Thornton, Husam Wadi, Laura Waggener, Ryan Watts, Emily Weisenberger, Layne Wilson...

@names:Cape Christian School A Honor Roll Brayden Baker, Maddie Baker, Matthew Blunt, A.J. Branson, Noah Branson, Olivia Carlson, Clayton Deimund, Andrea Diamond, Kolton Estes, Landon Harris, Laura Harris, Calli House, Abigail Janota, Colton Jones, Rachael Koeler, Caitlyn Limbaugh, Molly McNabb, Danielle Meyers, Carsen Miles, Courtney Penzel, Jordan Powell, Audrie Seabaugh, Brent Shenberg, Katelyn Smith, Anna Grace Stroup...

@names:Cape Central Junior High School A Honor Roll 7th grade: Leanne Alpers, Jada Ayers, Jasmine Beard, Mary Boerboom, Maggie Boxdorfer, Mary Briner, Kirstin Buchheit, Jordyn Castillo, Julie Castle, Grace Cook, Brittany Coonts, Bryar Daum, Brogan Davis, Miles Frazier, Lydia Gentry, Megan Golden, Alexis Gurley, Rose Hall, Meredith Ham, Chloe Hampton, Madalyn Henderson, Hannah Jackson, Monique Johnson, Destiny Jones, Jacob Justus, Drew Kasten, Brooke Kimberly, Griffin King, Morgan Kluge, Kylie Lane, Savannah Lively, Nathan McCoy, Cierra McKinley, Matthew Nussbaum, Carson Retter, Emilia Robison, Zachary Sample, William Sellers, Hannah Thiele, Danica Thomas, Hannah Trautman, Justin Tuschhoff, Noah Umbeck, Ava Urhahn, Breanna White, Sophia Wojdylo.. ...

@names:Blanchard Elementary A Honor Roll 3rd grade: Ahmad Ennin, Cade McNeely, Elias Theall, Brandon Ivory, Julie Jinks, Logan Pruitt, Paris Schaper, JaShawn Sterling, Gracie Stricker, Matthew Concho, Azia Jones, Zion Ketcherside, Katy Moddy, Abbey Mosier, Cody Washer...

Alma Schrader School A Honor Roll 4th grade: Cecilia Aceves, Brendan Beasley, Nathan Boerboom, KeatonByars, Nathan Caldwell, Elizabeth Clubb, Lorelai Clubb, Mallory Cook, Brotey Crisman, Megan Davis, Sarah Mckinley Davis, Nicolas Hillman, Rachel Keele, Rian King, Jocelyn King, Tanner King, Natalie Le, Bronson Lively, Jack Maxton, Emma McDougal, Sonya Otero, Sammy Reazer, Peyton Redinger, Poulomi Rudrappa, A'Lexus Samonte, Grace Sanders, Tori Scott, Delaney Shaffer, Kareem Shaheen, Avery Sigmon, Adam Smith, Yuktee Srikant, Hope Stafford, Sandreya Straughter, Chetan Vanteddu, Connor Wallace, Olivia Wilke, McKensi Williams, Brooke Witvoet.. ...

5th grade: Lillian Abernathy, Olivia Amos, Jordan Arnn, Trece Ayers, Gabriel Bengtson, Zachary Benn, Trenton Berck, Alisha Bloom, Jhaiden Blue-Umfleet, Dade Bond, Abigail Boxdorfer, Haley Brazel, Caden Carter, Cameron Cox, Gunner Crosnoe, Christian Cruz-Marcial,Grayson Davis, Nikolaos Demopoulos, Sarah Fite, Lyvia-Monique Ford, Hailey Fraser, De'ajon Gaines, Lydia Garner, Joshua Glenn, JT Haggerty, Kyra Hamilton, Jacob Harris, Morgan Hessenkemper, Hunter Hiett, A'vani Holcomb, Macee Hoskins,Matthew Huey, Olivia Hukel, Tyra Jackson, Yeniah Jackson, Kennedy Keys, Jowairia Khalid, Bryce Kimberly, Caedan Knepp, Madyson Knupp, Brionna Lamburth, Nicholas Marston, Zachary Martin, Cambreigh Matlock, Julian McBride, Timothy Modglin, Ty'xaviia Moore, Brady Murphy, Carlos Nunez, Tre'von Pair, Anna Priest, Sebastian Prokop, Lee Sanders, Maria Seidu-Sofo, Nathan Shadron, Blake Sides, Sierra Skinner, Megan Smart, Tanner Smith, Audrey Snodgrass, Archna Sobti, Gabriel Spence, Kara Stricker, Caleb Taylor, Samemia Taylor, Karley Thomas, Zoe Thompson, Haley Ticer, Macey Vangilder, Emma Weller-Stilson, Joshua Westbrook, Anna Wilke.. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A fireworks display from the nearby riverfront began before closer Edward Mujica took the mound. After the final out, the St. Louis Cardinals had their own little display. "That's crazy," Mujica said after finishing off the Miami Marlins for a 4-1 victory Friday night. "I saw the people before the inning taking pictures and everything. I'd never seen that before."...

ST. LOUIS -- Matt Adams got a curtain call after the biggest swing of the game. Then the St. Louis Cardinals capitalized on the day's biggest mistake. Jon Jay scored from first on a single after right fielder Giancarlo Stanton's throwing error with two outs in the ninth for a 5-4 victory over the Florida Marlins on Saturday.

LONDON -- The Bryan brothers got big air at Wimbledon on Saturday. There was a little more room than usual between their feet and the ground for their latest version of the "Bryan Bump" -- the famed chest bump they use to celebrate their victories -- because of what that victory meant...

LONDON -- Ever since she was a kid, practicing until midnight with her father, Marion Bartoli went about playing tennis her own way. The two-handed strokes for backhands, forehands, even volleys. The hopping in place and practice swings between points, which help her focus. The unusual setup for serves -- no ball-bouncing, arms crossed, right wrist resting on her left thumb before the toss...

Cards land five on NL All-Star team St. Louis Cardinals leadoff hitter Matt Carpenter has parlayed his breakout season into an All-Star Game invitation. The Cardinals second baseman was one of five Cards to be named to the National League team on Saturday...

Patrick McAlee's Blue Demon biplane on static display at the Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival on June 29, 2013

Kent Pietsch lands the Jelly Belly aircraft on the top of this RV platform during various comedy acts at the Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival on June 29, 2013.

Kent Pietsch's Jelly Belly Interstate Cadet aircraft used in various comedy acts at the Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival on June 29, 2013

Kent Pietsch's Jelly Belly Interstate Cadet aircraft used in various comedy acts at the Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival on June 29, 2013

Acting Out! will be holding auditions for "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" on Saturday, July 13 at 2PM. Auditions will be held at Fruitland Community Church and will consist of songs from the musical and a short dance audition. For any questions, please email kaseyacox@gmail.com or call 573-382-0630...

I became my "Father's Daughter". In 2009 I submitted a story about my father Captain Glenn W. Volkerding a Cape Girardeau Police Officer, who while patrolling the streets would pick up dogs that were injured, abused, or neglected, and bring them home. ...

Today is Saturday, July 6, the 187th day of 2013. There are 178 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 6, 1933, the first All-Star baseball game was played at Chicago's Comiskey Park; the American League defeated the National League, 4-2...

A new monthly water use fee for customers who use Scott City water -- but live outside the city of Scott City and pay no taxes to the town -- has created a storm of protest from out-of-town property owners; the Scott City Council has shown little sympathy, even in the face of 20 irate residents who came before the board last night to berate the city for the $15 monthly water use fee; those residents say the fee is too high...

Molina sidelined by knee injury ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was sent for medical tests for a knee injury and did not play Saturday against the Marlins, but before leaving told teammates he didn't believe it was anything serious...

Nothing went right for the Plaza Tire Capahas on the second day of the Valmeyer (Ill.) 4th of July Baseball Tournament. Facing the St. Louis Printers on Saturday, the Capahas allowed 12 hits and walked nine batters. On the offensive side, the Capahas stranded 10 runners on base over the first four innings...

SAN FRANCISCO -- An Asiana Airlines flight packed with more than 300 people slammed into the runway while landing at San Francisco airport Saturday and caught fire, forcing many to escape by sliding down the emergency inflatable slides as flames tore through the plane...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Looking to reach its neighbors in a unique way, a Sikeston church last year created a garden to share with the community. Now in its second year, everyone -- from church members and other volunteers to the produce recipients -- is reaping the benefits of the community garden planted at Tanner Street Church of God in Sikeston...

The driver of a Corvette who was extricated from his car after rear-ending a tractor-trailer was issued three citations after the crash. Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesman Darin Hickey on Friday said Timothy Halter, 63, of Oran, ...

The sight of competitive driving on a dirt track is something that can be found in many locations nationwide on a summer Saturday night. Stock cars, sprints and open-wheeled modifieds are routinely put to the test by drivers who thrill the crowd in their quest for the checkered flag...

The Jackson School District has a new associate superintendent, but he's a familiar face to many. The school's Board of Education at a special meeting Tuesday night selected Jackson Middle School principal Matt Lacy to replace Dr. Rita Fisher, who recently retired after 18 years in the position. In his public education career, Lacy also has served as a high school history teacher and assistant principal at Jackson High School...

With a sunset fast approaching, Cape Girardeau's city council faces deciding an exact question to put before voters so a 1 percent gross receipts tax can keep building something new for the community. A new police station is high among most council members' priorities, meaning in November voters could choose whether to extend the restaurant tax to build one. ...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- After losing consecutive starts for the first time in his career, Lance Lynn resisted the temptation to alter his approach. He has 11 wins prior to the All-Star break both of his years in the rotation because he stayed with the plan. "That last one was all singles and bloops," manager Mike Matheny said after a 3-2 victory over the Miami Marlins wrapped up a three-game sweep Sunday. "The adjustment really is not to make too many adjustments. "He was a bulldog," Matheny added.

LONDON -- Andy Murray needed one more point, one solitary point, to win Wimbledon -- a title he yearned to earn for himself, of course, and also for his country. Britain had endured 77 years since one of its own claimed the men's trophy at the revered tournament referred to simply as The Championships, and now here was Murray, on the brink of triumph after 3 hours of grueling tennis against top-seeded Novak Djokovic under a vibrant sun at Centre Court...

Beautiful Lilly two different colors growing on same plant.

Hay bale bride and groom for the wedding of Julie Deneke and Michael Matthews at Zion United Methodist Church west of Gordonville.

Kota's Travel Journal- The Great Escape Hello world! My name is Kota and I am a baby Triceratops. I live at the Bollinger County Museum of Natural History in Marble Hill, Missouri. I spend my days talking to the children who visit the Children's Play and Discover area at the museum. ...

LaSalle Avenue work to begin Monday The City of Cape Girardeau Public Works Department will begin road work on LaSalle Avenue, midway between Interstate 55 and Route W, on Monday. According to a news release from the department, traffic will be channeled to one side of the road, and lanes will be narrow. Work will consist of concrete slab repair and replacement and will last approximately one week...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed legislation Friday that would have made it a crime for federal agents to attempt to enforce federal gun laws in Missouri and could have landed journalists in jail for publishing the names of gun owners in the state. The Democratic governor said the bill passed by the Republican-led Legislature violated the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, which gives ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's education system will be the focus of a newly formed state House committee that will consider ways to improve outcomes and better prepare students for college and adulthood. The House Interim Committee on Education has scheduled its first meeting for next Thursday at the state Capitol. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Some Missouri residents no longer can gain a tax break by buying a vehicle from an out-of-state dealer or an individual with a for-sale sign in the window. Gov. Jay Nixon enacted a law Friday that reinstates local vehicle taxes for numerous cities and counties that have been unable to tax cars, trucks and boats since a state Supreme Court ruling more than a year ago. ...

Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina believes a little rest is all he needs after an MRI exam on his right knee showed only inflammation. He's hopeful of being back in the lineup on Tuesday. "Everything came back negative and that's a relief," Molina said Sunday. "A couple days and I'll be ready to go."

Spotty pitching and a lack of hitting proved fatal to the Plaza Tire Capahas as they dropped a 10-0 decision to Fairview Heights (Ill.) in the third-place game of the Valmeyer (Ill.) 4th of July Baseball Tournament on Sunday afternoon. Capahas pitchers allowed 10 hits and walked 10 batters in the game, while Plaza Tire (21-3) could manage just three hits in the game shortened to seven innings by the mercy rule...

Today is Sunday, July 7, the 188th day of 2013. There are 177 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 7, 1846, U.S. annexation of California was proclaimed at Monterey after the surrender of a Mexican garrison. On this date:...

Julie Lorene Wunderlich and Dean Kyle Richardson were married Feb. 16, 2013, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson. The Rev. Ted Torreson performed the ceremony. Readers were Melissa Wunderlich, sister-in-law of the bride, and Lindsey Church. Pianist was Tyson Wunderlich, cousin of the bride, and trumpeter was Matt Martin...

Joe and Linda Stieffermann of Washington, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Brittany Anne Stieffermann, to Lance Olliver Amick. He is the son of Mark Amick of Scott City and Gail Amick of Chaffee, Mo. Stieffermann is a 2004 graduate of St. Francis Borgia Regional High School, and a 2007 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University. She is a kindergarten teacher with Jackson School District...

Charles and June Kohler of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Misty Gail Kohler, to Dennis James Lekki, both of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Dennis Lekki of New York and Josephine Klien of Jackson. Kohler is a 2013 graduate of Jackson High School. She received a certified nurse aide license from Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center. She is employed at Walmart...

THEBES, Ill. -- Jill Benefield of Thebes and Rich Hanneken of St. Peters, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Sarah Ann Hanneken, to Thomas James Lockhart, both of St. Louis. He is the son of Tom and Rebecca Lockhart of Sidney, Iowa...

Debbie Essner of Jackson and Gerald and Marilyn Essner of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Erica Renee Essner, to Kasey Eugene Koenegstein. He is the son of Connie Skiles of Odin, Mo., and stepson of the late Johnny D. Skiles Sr...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Rick and Carol Coffee of Advance announce the engagement of their daughter, Dawn Nicole Coffee, to Robert Andrew "Andy" Barnes, both of Sikeston, Mo. He is the son of Don and Marilyn Barnes and Donnie and Connie Reimann, all of Sikeston...

Mr. and Mrs. Harlen Weber of Jackson recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a dinner and dance. Family and friends attended from the Jackson area, Cape Girardeau, Scott City, St. Louis, DeSoto, Mo., and the states of North Carolina, Nebraska and Illinois...

Mr. and Mrs. John Quinn of Cape Girardeau are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with a dinner today at the home of their son on Kentucky Lake. Hosts are their children. Quinn and Glenda Hudson were married July 6, 1963, at St. Mary's Seminary in Perryville, Mo...

My photo shows the flower of a small lanky tree most of us refer to as the 'mimosa tree.'  Much like the term 'buffalo' has been mistakenly applied to the American bison, in the U. S., the silk tree has been labeled 'mimosa.' ...

Rita Walter of Cape Girardeau graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy during ceremonies held May 22. Walter received her Bachelor of Science degree in marine and environmental sciences. She will begin her service in the Coast Guard with the rank of ensign and will serve aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Aspen as a deck-watch officer. ...

Current River State Park will be hosting a series of kayak clinics during the month of July. The clinics will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Fridays and will be taught on the park's lower lake. Kayaks will be provided and visitors will learn more about kayak safety and skills. ...

New recipes from new cookbooks, from Facebook and off email all show up this week for you to try. I have had a lot of recipes sent to me in the past few weeks, so with no further ado, enjoy. My cousin, Camilla Dude from Oklahoma, shared this recipe on Facebook and it sounds irresistible. The picture of the dip was so bright and refreshing-looking, and with a husband who loves bacon, I know it will be an instant hit...

Pet Names: Jack and Gene Owner: Jodi Palisch Favorite activity: Snuggling at bedtime and chasing each other around the house during the day. ...

There are lessons to be learned from paying attention to the road. The other day, I was returning to the office after lunch with the newest member of our administrative team at Chateau Girardeau. My passenger noted a police car parked along Independence with its lights flashing. ...

I'm writing this on the way home from my family's vacation to the Grand Canyon, which truly is one of the grandest things I have ever seen. Standing on the rim of it and looking out, I was struck by how vast it is compared to how small I am. This difference is what made looking at the canyon and hiking down into it so amazing. Getting to be a part of its greatness filled me with gratitude and made me feel alive, reminding me of God's greatness and how much he treasures me being a part of him...

Members of Lamplighters FCE Club arrived at their May meeting dressed in pink to celebrate the theme of the meeting, "Pink is Pretty." Karen Eakers, hostess, gave a devotional entitled "Where is Daddy?" Roll call was answered by each member telling what foods they canned or preserved by freezing...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Charles and Lisa Lee of Nixa, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Danielle Elizabeth Lee, to Garrett Gerard Jansen. He is the son of Alphonse and Teresa Jansen of Advance. Lee received a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Rockhurst University in 2009, and a master of science degree in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University in 2013. She is pursuing employment as a family nurse practitioner...

Howard is 10 weeks old. He's an adorable and playful kitten! Howard is available for adoption at the Humane Society. For more information, call 334-5837. ...

This handsome gray kitten is 3 to 4 months old. He has a great disposition and is ready for adoption. Many other wonderful kittens also are available for adoption. For more information, call Safe Harbor at 243-9823. ...

Thanks to President Reagan, who in 1984 issued a proclamation (No. 5219 in the Federal Archives), the month of July is National Ice Cream Month. In his edict the President enjoined all Americans to celebrate the month with "appropriate ceremonies and activities."...

The forecast for the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau to fall below four feet by Aug. 3 is causing organizers of the Soviet Peace Cruise some concern; the Delta Queen, with 50 Soviet citizens and 125 Americans and Canadian citizens aboard, is scheduled to depart St. Louis Aug. 5 and stop here Aug. 6 on its journey to New Orleans...

Retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Lawrence M. Tucker, 82, of Ashburn, Va., passed away Saturday, June 29, 2013, at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Martinsburg, W.Va. A native of Southern Illinois, he was born Sept. 3, 1930, son of Lawrence H. and Esther A. Winn Tucker...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Marie Anna Theiss, 86, of Perryville died Thursday, July 4, 2013, at Independence Care Center of Perry County in Perryville. She was born Dec. 18, 1926, in Seventy-Six, Mo., daughter of August Henry and Emma Mathilda Mahnken Klaus. She and the Rev. Louis C. Theiss were married June 16, 1951. He preceded her in death April 3, 2011...

FROHNA, Mo. -- Oscar J. Schmidt, 94, of Frohna died Thursday, July 4, 2013, at Independence Care Center of Perry County in Perryville, Mo. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday and from 6:30 to 8:15 a.m. Monday at Young and Sons East Perry Chapel in Altenburg, Mo...

PAINTON, Mo. -- Shirley Faye Painton, 77, of Painton passed away Thursday, July 4, 2013, at her home. She was born June 13, 1936, in Sparksville, Ky., daughter of Milburn and Mildred Stotts Murphy. She and Don C. Painton were married April 27, 1957, in Chaffee, Mo. He preceded her in death in May 2000...

Wedel Daniel Nilsen, 90, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 5, 2013, at The Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 18, 1923, in Escanaba, Mich., to Gabriel and Inga Nilsen. Nilsen served his country in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After leaving the Navy, he attended Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minn. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor's degree and then from Columbia University in New York with a master's degree...

Joyce A. Long (Bonney), 75, of Jackson, passed away Thursday, July 4, 2013, at the Monticello House in Jackson. She was born Jan. 8, 1938, in St. Louis County, to Charles and Bessie Johns Long. She and Richard H. Bonney were married May 7, 1957. Joyce's family moved from Fredericktown, Mo., to Jackson in 1977. She was a former dispatcher for the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department and worked as a security guard at Procter & Gamble. In her spare time, she enjoyed gardening...

Robert E. Hedden Jr., 58, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 5, 2013, at his home. He was born Wednesday, Jan. 12, 1955, in De Funiak Springs, Fla., to Robert E. Sr. and Ruth Cox Hedden. Hedden spent more than 18 years as a learning disabilities and emotionally disabled secondary-school instructor with the Hillsboro, Licking RV-II and Plato R-V school districts. ...

Rosemary Anne Hatfield, 57, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, July 4, 2013, in Cape Girardeau. Service will be private. Crain Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Joyce E. Schemel Hale, 62, of Ava, Ill., formerly of Thebes, Ill., passed away at 2:45 p.m. Friday, July 5, 2013, at the Memorial Hospital of Carbondale, Ill. Joyce was born Aug. 15, 1950, at Muskogee, Okla., daughter of the late Lloyd Edward Schemel and Anna Mary Hafley Schemel...

ST. MARY, Mo. -- Ann M. Elder, 49, of St. Mary died Thursday, July 4, 2013, at her home. Visitation will be from 7 a.m. until funeral Mass at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The Rev. Charlie Prost will officiate. Entombment will be in Mary Mother of Heaven Mausoleum...

Sarah Almeda Dillon, 95, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of McClure, Ill., passed away Thursday, July 4, 2013, at The Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 9, 1917, in Alto Pass, Ill., to Charles and Edith Groves Batson, who passed away in February of 1922. She was raised by her Aunt Winnie and John Vancil since she was four...

SANFORD, Fla. -- Jurors in the George Zimmerman trial head into the weekend with a lot of courtroom drama and conflicting testimony to digest. Friday's action-packed session saw the prosecution rest its case, and the judge reject a defense request to acquit Zimmerman of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last year...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City officials are hoping to expand a new gunshot-detection system that pinpoints the location of gunfire. Police say the new ShotSpotter gunfire detection system that was implemented in October for a small area of the city has led to several arrests...

The nation is mourning the deaths of 19 firefighters, victims of a raging wildfire in Arizona. They were firefighters for the city of Prescott, members of an elite unit dubbed Granite Mountain Hot Shots who had been called into action to support a regional effort to battle the blaze, which spanned more than 8,000 acres. Early reports indicated a dramatic wind shift surprised the firemen and led to the fatal situation...

DOVER, N.H. -- Thirty months after she was shot through the head, former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords sits in a New Hampshire restaurant facing parents of children killed in the nation's latest school shooting. They are here to talk political strategy, but Giffords doesn't say much. She doesn't have to...

LOS ANGELES -- "The Lone Ranger" already seems to be riding off into the sunset on its debut weekend. The Disney Western starring Armie Hammer as the titular character and Johnny Depp as Tonto was outpaced 3 to 1 by Universal's "Despicable Me 2," which also opened Wednesday. The animated sequel collected $59.9 million in ticket sales so far, while "The Lone Ranger" earned a paltry $19.5 million...

MOSCOW -- Edward Snowden has found supporters in Latin America, including three countries who have offered him asylum. But many obstacles stand in the way of the fugitive NSA leaker from leaving a Russian airport -- chief among them the power and influence of the United States...

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court's landmark ruling on same-sex marriage has private employers around the country scrambling to make sure their employee benefit plans comply with the law. The impact of the decision striking down part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act is clear in the 13 states and the District of Columbia where gay marriage currently is legal or soon will be: Same-sex married couples must be treated the same as other spouses under federal laws governing tax, health care, pensions and other federal benefits.. ...

YARNELL, Ariz. -- Juliann Ashcraft had just put the kids down for a nap when her cellphone buzzed. It was a text from Andrew, her husband of seven years and, still, her best friend. "This is my lunch spot," he wrote beneath a photo of hard-hatted firefighters sitting on boulders, watching smoke rise on the horizon. "too bad lunch was an MRE," the text concluded...

CAIRO -- Egypt's new president moved to assert his authority Saturday by naming a chief rival of ousted leader Mohammed Morsi as interim prime minister and holding crisis talks with security officials on efforts to reclaim control of the streets...

O Lord Jesus, our Redeemer, we worship you and sing praises to your name. Amen.

By Danny Essner On June 25 Cape Girardeau had the opportunity to host a Welcome Party for the 2013 Great Race, which chose Cape Girardeau as its overnight stop for day four of this year's race. This may have been a one-time opportunity for our local citizens to experience the Great Race without leaving home, since it has never previously passed through Cape Girardeau in its 30-year history...

The Jackson Fire Department responded to the following call Tuesday:...

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

POTISKUM, Nigeria -- Islamic militants attacked a boarding school before dawn Saturday, dousing a dormitory in fuel and lighting it ablaze as students slept, survivors said. At least 30 people were killed in the deadliest attack yet on schools in Nigeria's embattled northeast...

ST. LOUIS -- Derek Roy has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the St. Louis Blues, pending a physical for the veteran forward. The Blues have been looking for a top center since before the trade deadline, and they hope they found one in Roy. The pending deal was announced by the team Saturday...

Elliott Swoboda has been connected with Young Life as a volunteer for several years. But next month he will start a new chapter with the organization as Southeast Missouri area director. Swoboda replaces Bill Reazer, who was promoted in April as associate regional directorof Southern Missouri...

Son to David and Tara Patterson of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 3:02 p.m. Wednesday, June 26, 2013. Name, Liam K. Weight, 6 pounds, 13 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Patterson is the former Tara Murakami, daughter of Robert Murakami and Christine Murakami of Cape Girardeau. Patterson is the son of Patrick Patterson and Edna Patterson of Cape Girardeau...

Three area freshmen American Legion baseball teams will converge on Capaha Field beginning today, each vying for one spot in next week's state tournament in Branson. The Jackson Post 158 freshmen and eighth grade teams will join the Cape Post 63 freshmen squad in the District 14 double-elimination tournament beginning today at 1:30 p.m. The tournament will conclude Tuesday at 4 p.m., or Wednesday at 3 p.m. if necessary. All games will be played at Capaha Field...

Two books rich with personal accounts of the passage of time in Southeast Missouri recently were published by the Center for Regional History at Southeast Missouri State University. The books focus on rural Missouri life throughout the 19th century...

A Veterans Administration clinic in Sikeston, Mo., is closed today due to a power outage, according to a VA news release. Clinic staff notified the VA medical center in Poplar Bluff, Mo., which oversees the Sikeston clinic, of the power outage at about 10 a.m. The clinic was closed at noon, according to the news release...

BRIDGETON, Mo. -- A 79-year-old driver died after crashing into a pedestrian at a St. Louis-area bus stop. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said Elizabeth Baylark of St. Louis suffered a "medical condition" Friday before losing control of her car. The vehicle then went off the right side of the road and struck a 21-year-old woman at a bus stop bench...

JAMESTOWN, Ill. -- A missing 86-year-old man was found dead in a flooded Clinton County field with his stalled vehicle nearby. Julius Esmon was reported missing Wednesday from Highland, Ill. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Esmon had last been seen at a bank...

KIRKWOOD, Mo. -- The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has re-elected its current leader. The church announced Saturday that the Rev. Matthew Harrison will serve a second three-year term as president. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Harrison is the synod's 13th president since 1847. His re-election was expected. He received 66 percent of the ballots cast...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Local governments will have less ability to restrict cellphone towers under legislation signed by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon. The bill signed Friday by Nixon includes a list of 18 things that cities, counties and state entities can no longer require or prohibit when regulating cellphone towers...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- More than 150 people made a beeline earlier this year to an Independence, Mo., workshop for beginning beekeepers. So many, in fact, that Cathy Misko tapped Craigslist to buy 71 extra chairs. And driving this heightened interest in the well-being of bees? Misko cited a mystery that has vexed scientists since 2006 -- a worsening crisis called colony collapse disorder, or CCD...

ST. LOUIS -- The suburban St. Louis-based supermarket chain Schnuck Markets Inc. wants a federal court to dismiss two lawsuits related to a security breach of customer credit and debit cards. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the two lawsuits seek class-action status. Schnucks said in dismissal motions the plaintiffs didn't have standing to sue and couldn't prove they suffered any harm...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- The suspect in a Thursday shooting that injured a father and son in Charleston has been arrested in North Carolina, police reported Sunday. Mark S. Mowery faces charges of first-degree assault, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon in connection with the shooting, which injured a 39-year-old Charleston man and his 10-year-old son, the Charleston Department of Public Safety reported Sunday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri has no budget shortfall and perhaps never will during the 2014 fiscal year that began this month. That hasn't stopped Gov. Jay Nixon from making budget cuts based on concerns that the Legislature might do something that could reduce future state tax revenue...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The Bloomfield Police Department moved to a new home last week. When an air conditioner recently failed, Mayor Donna Medlin and Bloomfield police chief Tim Zych assumed they would call in a repairman and go about business as usual. That's not how it worked out in the end...

It is a quiet Sunday in Cape Girardeau. Teenagers play basketball in a park; tourists stroll along the floodwall under a dazzling cobalt sky; cascades of vibrant pink and white petunias spill out of baskets hanging from apartment balconies and Victorian verandas. The entire city seems to be in bloom...

A city leader said the reason no one was tapped internally to be the new police chief in Cape Girardeau was simple: No one wanted the job. Cape Girardeau city manager Scott Meyer said to his knowledge, one internal candidate applied for the position but withdrew that application before a hiring decision was made...

Ordinances governing what are commonly tagged "nuisances" by the city of Cape Girardeau are being set up for an overhaul during the next few months. Some changes to the rules that cover problems such as graffiti, junk-filled porches and yards, buildings sitting vacant and unlicensed vehicles soon will be proposed to the city council...

Ninety-seven 4-H campers, 11 teen counselors, and 14 adult chaperones from Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Madison, St. Francois, and Washington County spent 3 days at Pinecrest Campground near Fredericktown. The 4-H Clover Cruise Line camp theme toke camprs to Ports of Call in Alaska, Hawaii, and Mexico...

After the first day of the Freshmen American Legion District 14 baseball tournament at Capaha Field, Jackson Post 158 finds itself in a good position to claim a berth in next week's state tournament in Branson, Mo. Cape Post 63 has a little bit of work to do. And the Jackson 8th grade Legion team may face the most daunting task of all...

Dr. Matt Uchtman is hosting an open health workshop to reveal the truth about children's health care in this country. This workshop will also outline the steps every parent can take to ensure a lifetime of health for their children. This one-of-a-kind workshop will take place at 1812 N Kingshighway on Monday, July 22nd 6:30 PM...

Few foods rival the satisfaction and joy that ice cream brings to our lives. Ice cream is a time-honored summertime tradition that brings back our earliest memories of baseball games, amusement parks and summer vacations. But the simple delights of these simpler times -- hot fudge sundaes and root beer floats -- have given way to a seemingly endless variety of cool summer treats. ...

Today is Monday, July 8, the 189th day of 2013. There are 176 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 8, 1776, Col. John Nixon gave the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, outside the State House (now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia...

Dealing with the emotional aftermath from the death of a child or teenager is something that cannot be understood until it faces someone personally. Of course, those who have never had to deal with that on a personal level consider themselves fortunate and pray it never happens. When it does happen, survivors often try to find ways to express their grief by doing something for a good cause in memory of their loved one...

I've been watching the lady representative in Texas complaining how the big, bad, mean Republicans are bullying women. My question is, why would a woman wait 20 weeks or more before having an abortion? That baby is viable, but yet they want to wait until the baby is close to being born before they have an abortion. ...

NORMAN, Okla. -- Some of country music's biggest stars, including Garth Brooks, Toby Keith and many others with ties to Oklahoma, played a sold-out show Saturday at the University of Oklahoma to raise money for the victims of the recent tornadoes that strafed the state...

WASHINGTON -- Republicans and Democrats will put good will to the test when Congress returns this week to potentially incendiary fights over nominations, unresolved disputes over student loans and the farm bill, and the uncertainty of whether lawmakers have the political will to rewrite the nation's immigration laws...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Perry County authorities and officers from the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Marijuana Eradication Program are busy cutting and burning approximately 2,500 marijuana plants found growing on Grandma's Island, located on the west side of the Mississippi River, near Menfro, Mo...

STURDIVANT, Mo. -- Kenny O. James Sr., 70, of Sturdivant, beloved husband, daddy, grandpa, brother and uncle, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, July 7, 2013. He was born April 22, 1943, at Zalma, Mo., the son of Virgil and Flossie Morlan Loughary...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Patricia M. Huber, 77, of Perryville, died Sunday, July 7, 2013, at Independence Care Center in Perryville. She was born May 18, 1936, in Perry County, Mo. Pat graduated from St. Vincent High School in Perryville, class of 1954. She entered a career in nursing...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Josephine M. Holweg, 87, of Leopold passed away Saturday, July 6, 2013, at Woodland Hills Nursing Home. She was born April 3, 1926, on the family farm near Leopold, daughter of Henry and Frances Seiler Wubker. She and Henry H. Holweg were married Nov. 7, 1945, in Leopold, and he passed away Aug. 13, 1985...

VESTAL, N.Y. -- Big energy companies have been trying for five years to tap the riches of the Marcellus Shale in southern New York, promising thousands of new jobs, economic salvation for a depressed region and a cheap, abundant, clean-burning source of fuel close to power-hungry cities. But for all its political clout and financial prowess, the industry hasn't been able to get its foot in the door...

WASHINGTON -- Hiring is exploding in the one corner of the U.S. economy where few want to be hired: Temporary work. From Wal-Mart to General Motors to PepsiCo, companies are increasingly turning to temps and to a much larger universe of freelancers, contract workers and consultants. Combined, these workers number nearly 17 million people who have only tenuous ties to the companies that pay them -- about 12 percent of everyone with a job...

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea's government said last week it has reached out to North Korea to discuss restarting a jointly run factory park after weeks of testy silence between the two sides. The industrial complex in the North Korean city of Kaesong, just north of the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas, has been shut since a political showdown in April...

A one-year delay in a central part of the health-care overhaul is likely to have its biggest impact on small and medium-sized businesses, not the number of people who will gain health insurance coverage. The Obama administration on Tuesday said it would postpone until Jan. ...

Daughter to Robert Lee and Nikki Dee Harper of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 4:50 p.m. Friday, June 28, 2013. Name, Hollyn Grace. Weight, 8 pounds, 3 ounces. First child. Mrs. Harper is the former Nikki Floyd, daughter of Doug and Susan Floyd of Millersville. She is a medical assistant at Regional Primary Care. Harper is the son of Leo and Jeanette Harper of Gordonville. He is a personal trainer at Saint Francis...

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

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Wednesday:...

LAC-MEGANTIC, Quebec -- About 40 people were still missing a day after a runaway train derailed in Quebec, igniting explosions and fires that destroyed a busy downtown district and killed five people. Police said a higher death toll was inevitable, and authorities feared the number might soar once they're able to reach the hardest-hit areas. Worries remained over the status of two oil-filled train cars...

BOSTON -- Teresa Heinz Kerry, the wife of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and heir to a ketchup company fortune, was hospitalized in critical condition Sunday while on Massachusetts' Nantucket Island. Heinz Kerry was flown to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on Sunday night after doctors at Nantucket Cottage Hospital stabilized her, a Kerry spokesman said. ...

WASHINGTON -- Republicans and Democrats will put good will to the test when Congress returns this week to potentially incendiary fights over nominations, unresolved disputes over student loans and the farm bill, and the uncertainty of whether lawmakers have the political will to rewrite the nation's immigration laws...

Passengers in plane crashes such as Saturday's in San Francisco are more likely to survive than in the past. There were plenty of injuries -- yet but two deaths among the 307 passengers and crew onboard. The nature of crashes has changed. Improvements in cockpit technology mean planes rarely crash into mountains or each other -- accidents that are much more deadly...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Pilots of Asiana Flight 214 were flying too slowly as they approached San Francisco airport, triggering a cockpit warning that the jetliner could stall, and they tried to abort the landing but crashed barely a second later, the head of the National Transportation Safety Board said Sunday...

Office Building 1 Barton Square Jackson 9 a.m. today Open session Pertinent address: 1 Barton Square, Jackson, Mo...

PRESCOTT, Ariz. -- Nineteen firefighters killed in a wildfire a week ago went home for the last time on Sunday, their bodies traveling in individual white hearses in a somber caravan for 125 miles through Arizona cities and towns. The nearly five-hour-long procession began near the state Capitol in Phoenix, went through the town where the Granite Mountain Hotshots were killed and ended in the mountain community of Prescott, where they lived and will be laid to rest this week...

Culver's also will introduce nationwide efforts including an online donation campaign on the Culvers.com homepage and a Facebook promotion that will launch July 15. The Facebook promotion will allow fans to write a brief thank-you note to a farmer and each thank-you note will result in a $1 donation made to the National FFA Foundation on behalf of Culver's, up to $50,000...

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon's effort to account for tens of thousands of Americans missing in action from foreign wars is so inept, mismanaged and wasteful that it risks descending from "dysfunction to total failure," according to an internal study suppressed by military officials...

O Lord Jesus, may we diligently spend time in your Word and in prayer. Amen.

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina believes a little rest is all he needs after an MRI exam on his right knee showed only inflammation. He's hopeful of being back in the lineup on Tuesday...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- An air taxi crashed Sunday at a small Alaska airport, killing all 10 people on board and leaving the aircraft fully engulfed in flames before firefighters could get to it, authorities said. The de Havilland DHC3 Otter air taxi crashed just after 11 a.m. at the airport in Soldotna, a community about 75 miles southwest of Anchorage and located on the Kenai Peninsula...

CHAFFEE -- Trent Pobst was 3 for 6 with two RBIs, but the Scott County American Legion team dropped a 10-4 decision to Sikeston on Monday. Peyton Maddox was 3 for 5, Logan Henson and Jordan Kinder each had two hits, and Andrew Hovis scored three runs for Scott County (4-14)...

Editor's note: The following story has been edited to correct the name of Dalton Hovis. Three area freshmen American Legion baseball teams will converge on Capaha Field beginning today, each vying for one spot in next week's state tournament in Branson...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- They huddle outside office buildings and they can't satisfy their nicotine cravings by lighting up on planes and trains, but now smokers could be getting a break from an unlikely source. A glitch involving President Barack Obama's health care law means smokers may get at least some relief next year from tobacco-use penalties that could have made their premiums unaffordable...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri House is creating a new committee of state lawmakers to review procedures for handling driver's licenses. House Speaker Tim Jones announced Monday the formation of the Special Interim Committee on Privacy Protection to be led by Republican Stanley Cox, of Sedalia. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon signed legislation patching a budget hole and renewing a Medicaid program for disabled workers. The budget fix took effect immediately upon Nixon' signature of the bill Monday. It will allow about $55 million to flow to early childhood programs and some health-care initiatives that lacked a funding source under the budget that took effect July 1...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Several dozen Missouri residents serving on a House Medicaid panel won't receive any compensation for traveling to meetings -- even though lawmakers on the panel will get paid. The 50-person committee is scheduled to hold its first meeting Wednesday in Independence, Mo. The chairman is Republican House member Noel Torpey of Independence...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The owner of a Missouri company seeking to open a horse slaughter facility said he has been working with federal food safety officials to modify equipment at its processing site so the facility can "humanely handle horses." Rains Natural Meats vice president David Rains said he and his brother, company president Steve Rains, have been working with an equine consultant and the U.S. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A section of unused land at Lambert Airport in St. Louis has new occupants -- honeybees. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the St. Louis Airport Authority approved a three-year lease with Robins Apiaries, with plans to keep bee hives on a 400-square-foot piece of land north of the third parallel runway. The airport will receive $75 a year in rent...

The University of Missouri Extension will offer a mental health first aid class next month in Jackson. The eight-hour class will teach participants how to provide first aid to individuals going through mental health crises or showing signs they are in the early stages of a mental health disorder...

The spirit and hospitality of people and businesses in Cape Girardeau during the 2013 Hemmings Motor News Great Race's June 25 stop here resulted in the city winning the Best Overnight Stop City award. "All of the overnight stops were fantastic," said race director Jeff Stumb in a news release issued Monday. "But Cape Girardeau was one of those stops that will be talked about for years to come by the participants."...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon signed legislation Monday prohibiting welfare recipients from using those funds at liquor stores, casinos and strip clubs. The newly signed law restricts the use of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families cash benefits at such businesses, as well as for items marketed solely for adults. Penalties for misusing public assistance funds also will increase. Nixon, a Democrat, said the restrictions will help protect taxpayers....

For the second time in as many months, the murder case against a Cape Girardeau man has been continued as a result of a change in attorneys. Kenneth Bell faces charges of armed criminal action and first-degree murder in connection with the Feb. 7 shooting deaths of Shannon James and Misty Cole. ...

Contractors will meet today for a mandatory pre-bid meeting related to the expansion of the River Campus of Southeast Missouri State University. The meeting, scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Show Me Center, is the second of two mandatory gatherings for contractors since the board of regents in February approved the issuing of bonds for the expansion....

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's top House official has withdrawn subpoenas attempting to compel members of Gov. Jay Nixon's administration to testify before a committee looking into changes in state driver's license procedures. Republican House Speaker Tim Jones on Monday said that although he dropped efforts to enforce the subpoenas, he still hopes Nixon's staff will voluntarily testify at a future committee hearing...

Missouri municipalities and counties with voter-approved permission to collect use taxes on out-of-state purchases of cars, trucks and boats won't see a change in the money coming in as the result of a law signed by Gov. Jay Nixon last week. The ones without that authority, though, are looking forward to putting some once-lost revenue back on the books, at least temporarily...

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Jeff Jamito, of Scott City, uses a metal detector Monday at the former Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau site, Broadway and Main Street in Cape Girardeau, before it becomes a parking lot. ...

A meeting between residents and AT&T representatives Monday night brought some changes to a proposed cellphone tower that could be built at 418 William Street, but a new location was not among them. A small group of residents representing historic downtown Cape Girardeau and homeowners living near the proposed site met with Marsha Haskell, regional director for AT&T Missouri, and Jeff Allen, an independent contractor with Network Real Estate, who will assist the company in constructing the tower. ...

At least two days of heat indexes higher than 100 degrees are expected today and Wednesday in Southeast Missouri, according to the National Weather Service. The weather service office in Paducah, Ky., on Monday issued a special weather statement for Southeast Missouri, Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois saying heat indexes are expected to reach the 100- to 105-degree range today and Wednesday. The time period of "greatest concern" each day is from 1 to 7 p.m., according to the statement...

Thousands of schools across the country have begun to with introduce students to technology on a more personal level. Dubbed the "1:1" initiative, each student is provided with some type of digital device, ranging from laptop computers to iPads to various types of tablet PCs...

DU QUOIN -- Is it possible that four major concerts will be free admission at this year's Du Quoin State Fair? With the Illinois Lottery and a handful of local sponsors, anything is possible, says John Rednour, Jr., manager of the Du Quoin State Fair...

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Wizards have signed No. 3 overall draft pick Otto Porter and second-round selection Glen Rice Jr. Under the NBA's scale for rookie salaries, Porter was expected to sign a deal that could pay him up to $19.4 million over four seasons, with the first two seasons guaranteed...

ST. LOUIS -- Adam Wainwright picked up his National League-tying 12th win with seven scoreless innings and Matt Holliday hit his team-high 13th home run to lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 9-5 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night. Matt Carpenter had three hits and drove in three runs for St. Louis, which has won four in a row and five of six...

Jackson Freshman American Legion Post 158 coach Josh Adams came into this week's District 14 tournament worried about his pitching holding up in a two-day, double-elimination tournament. His team's play the past couple days should put those fears to rest...

Today is Tuesday, July 9, the 190th day of 2013. There are 175 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 9, 1943, during World War II, the Allies launched Operation Husky, their invasion of Sicily, with nighttime landings of American and British troops; a full-scale incursion by sea began in the small hours of July 10. (More than a month later, the Allies secured the island from the Axis.)...

We've seen several disasters in recent years. Storms in Joplin, Mo., and Moore, Okla., come to mind when thinking of devastation caused by natural disasters. It's certainly important to know what to do when these events strike. Taking shelter during a storm is a given. What about after the storm? How do communities rally and coordinate efforts to help those affected? These are questions the Red Cross will help answer this week as part of its second annual American Red Cross Academy...

I just wanted to say thank you to Keith and Adam for the great story and wonderful pictures in this Sunday's Southeast Missourian about the lawn mower racing at the Patton Saddle Club. My phone has been ringing off the wall about the story. These events would not be possible without the dedicated support from everyone in the Patton Lions Club, Kenny Hoxworth and his wife Gloria, the many racers, our very special North County Bollinger Rescue Unit and, of course, all the people who come to the races to support us all.. ...

Most people are not born with three hands and arms. Several times I have seen drivers with a phone to their ear and the other hand working a cigarette and no hands on the wheel. That is spooky to see when they are in the middle of a left turn, but maybe they are using their feet to turn the steering wheel...

I am writing this column after enjoying and celebrating Independence Day and our freedom with family. I was out of town, but I understand our event at Arena Park drew a large crowd and the fireworks show was outstanding. My congratulations to Kenneth Bender for receiving the Spirit of America Award from the Southeast Missourian. ...

A large milking barn on the Southeast Missouri State University Farm was destroyed by fire late last night; by the time it was discovered, the building was engulfed in flames, and there was little firefighters could do except to protect other nearby buildings...

Son to Christopher Lee Ash and Stacy Louise Cole of Scott City, Saint Francis Medical Center, 7:18 p.m. Tuesday, June 25, 2013. Name, Hunter Lee. Weight, 6 pounds, 7 ounces. Ms. Cole is the daughter of Sarah and Allen Terhune of Advance, Mo. Ash is the son of Carolyn Grey of Florida and the late Lawdell Ash of Marston, Mo. He is employed by Affordable Roofing...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Marlin E. Schuessler, 74, of The Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau, formerly of Perryville, died Sunday, July 7, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and 6:30 a.m. until time of service Thursday at Young and Sons Funeral Home...

Rosalia M. Scherer, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, July 8, 2013, at Chateau Girardeau. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at McCombs Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. Parish prayers will be at 4 p.m., followed by the rosary. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary Cathedral. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery...

Allen Donald McDowell, 94, of Fruitland passed away Monday, July 8, 2013, at his home. He was born April 6, 1919, in Fruitland, son of William Henry and Hattie Noland McDowell. He and Lorene Crites were married Oct. 29, 1938, in Blytheville, Ark. Allen was a 1937 graduate of Fruitland High School. ...

LAC-MEGANTIC, Quebec -- Traumatized survivors of an oil train derailment that wiped out the heart of a small town braced for more bad news as inspectors finally were cleared to enter the charred site's epicenter and look for remains late Monday, more than two days after the disaster that killed at least 13 people. A total of 50 were missing, and the death toll was sure to rise...

Norman H. Matthews, 84, of Jackson passed away Sunday, July 7, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 6, 1928, in Mine La Motte, Mo., son of Oliver Dempsy and Grace Catherine Pitchford Matthews. He and Metta Mills were married March 20, 1951...

SIKESTON, Mo. — Shanda Fry, 35, of Sikeston, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Thursday, July 4, 2013, in Sikeston. There is no service. Crain Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

James Lee "Jimmy" Erlbacher, 72, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, July 8, 2013, at Heartland Care and Rehabilitation Center. There will be no service. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Euva Mae Brown, 71, of Marble Hill passed away Saturday, July 6, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 16, 1942, at Lutesville, Mo., daughter of Woodrow W. and Eleanora C. Shell. She and Jerry Wayne Brown were married March 4, 1961, in Marble Hill...

PATTON, Mo. -- Christine L. Agee, 49, of O'Fallon, Mo., passed away Sunday, July 7, 2013, at her home, surrounded by her family. She was born June 18, 1964, in St. Louis, daughter of Raymond F. and Carol Joan Davis Jones. Agee was vice president of Valley Insurance Alliance Association and a member of St. Louis Family Church...

DANBURY, Conn. -- Grammy-winning singer Lauryn Hill began serving a three-month prison sentence in Connecticut on Monday for failing to pay about $1 million in taxes over the last decade. Hill reported to federal prison in Danbury, said Ed Ross, a spokesman for the federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmates at the minimum security prison live in open dormitory-style living quarters and are expected to work jobs such as maintenance, food service or landscaping...

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration signaled Monday that U.S. national security interests will trump its promotion of Egypt's budding democracy, stressing the importance of continued aid to the Egyptian military, which overthrew the elected president last week...

ATLANTA -- Overdose deaths in the U.S. are rising fastest among middle-aged women, and their drug of choice is usually prescription painkillers, the government reported July 2. "Mothers, wives, sisters and daughters are dying at rates that we have never seen before," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which compiled the data...

An estimated 37.5 million people in the United States have a disability. If you have a disability and are considering international travel, a little advance planning, including a pre-travel visit with a travel medicine specialist, can enable you to see the world and return home safe and healthy...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Investigators trying to understand why Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash-landed focused Monday on the actions of an experienced pilot learning his way around a new aircraft, fellow pilots who were supposed to be monitoring him and why no one noticed that the plane was coming in too slowly...

EDITOR'S NOTE: Aging America is a joint AP-APME project examining the aging of the baby boomers and the impact they will have on society. By LAURAN NEERGAARD Associated Press BALTIMORE -- Alberta Hough struggles to feed herself a snack, her arms shaking badly from Parkinson's disease. Days earlier, the 84-year-old fell while eating, sliding off her kitchen chair...

CAIRO -- More than 50 supporters of Egypt's ousted president were killed by security forces Monday in one of the deadliest single episodes of violence in more than 2 1/2 years of turmoil. The toppled leader's Muslim Brotherhood called for an uprising, accusing troops of gunning down protesters, while the military blamed armed Islamists for provoking its forces...

The Jackson Fire Department responded to the following call Sunday:...

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

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Saturday:...

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

WASHINGTON -- The nation's top special operations commander ordered military files about the Navy SEAL raid on Osama bin Laden's hideout to be purged from Defense Department computers and sent to the CIA, where they could be more easily shielded from ever being made public...

Lord Jesus, we lift up your name, for you are the Good Shepherd. Amen.

The House Committee on Downsizing State Government will embark on a statewide listening tour that is scheduled to stop in Cape Girardeau on Tuesday. According to a news release issued by state Rep. Paul Curtman, committee chairman, the committee will seek input from the public to generate new ideas on making state government smaller and more efficient...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Meridian Elementary School students will return to school Aug. 13, but district officials still are trying to determine where classes will meet. Officials from the Illinois Department of Labor confirmed last week the presence of a potentially dangerous strain of mold in the 33-year-old building, said Brent Boren, principal of Meridian Elementary School...

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- As a child growing up in New Hamburg, Chris Grojean remembers getting excited every year as the town's annual picnic approached. The youngest of eight children, Grojean would help his dad, the late Charles Grojean Sr., who chaired the hamburger stand for many years...

The American Red Cross issued an emergency request for platelet and blood donations because fewer donations than expected were received in June and the first week of July, according to a news release. "We are counting on generous volunteer blood and platelet donors to step up and give now," Scott Caswell, CEO for the Red Cross Missouri-Illinois Blood Services Region, said in the news release. ...

Missourians with concealed-carry gun permits in their home state will now be able to carry in Illinois under a law finalized Tuesday, but the law states they will have to apply first. Illinois lawmakers and Gov. Pat Quinn struggled during the last month to agree on legislation that would allow the carrying of concealed weapons, and the ban finally was lifted Tuesday...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Illinois became the last state in the nation to allow public possession of concealed guns as lawmakers rushed Tuesday to finalize a proposal before a federal court's deadline. Both chambers of the Legislature voted to override changes Gov. ...

Cape Girardeau firefighters are participating in a science project of sorts this week as they ignite and extinguish fires in abandoned buildings. "We try to acquire vacant structures, because this is the best training," Cape Girardeau fire chief Rick Ennis said Tuesday morning as he supervised a live-burn exercise at an empty house near the corner of Spanish Street and Park Drive. "...This is the most realistic thing we can do."...

Cape Girardeau County's mining industry leaders on Tuesday said they don't know Dave Schatz, a state representative from Sullivan, Mo. It is beyond them why he apparently attempted to have them exempted from a 2011 law stating all mining operation boundaries must be 1,000 feet from schools...

The U.S. Geological Survey plans to begin conducting low-level flights across sections of Missouri, Arkansas and Tennessee this week, looking for additional information about the New Madrid earthquake fault zone. The USGS begins the flights today over a 1,400-square-mile area across southeastern Missouri, northeastern Arkansas and western Tennessee. The flights are expected to last for about a month, the USGS said Tuesday in a release...

Jackson Freshman American Legion Post 158 District Winners

It is with pleasure that we announce Dr. Christopher Scott Griffith, M.D. Chris recently graduated from the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine with a Doctor of Medicine Degree. He will be completing an internal medicine residency at the University of Colorado in Denver...

Today is Wednesday, July 10, the 191st day of 2013. There are 174 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 10, 1913, the highest recorded shade temperature was measured in Death Valley, Calif., at 134 degrees Fahrenheit (56.7 degrees Celsius). ...

Re-enactors celebrated the 150th year of the Civil War on July Fourth by giving demonstrations and talks about the Civil War at Fort D. Soldiers frequently fired rifles and a cannon after explanations of the procedure. Numerous displays were seen around the fort. This free event was attended by more than 400 individuals with people living as far away as the country of Poland...

Cape Girardeau is a wonderful place to live and work. However, a troubling shift is taking place in our city, which makes it more difficult to start and operate a small business. The nuisance ordinance overhaul is a perfect example of the growing municipal regulation of local business...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Country music singer Randy Travis was in critical condition Monday night at a Texas hospital, a day after he was hospitalized for heart problems. A news release from the singer's publicist said the 54-year-old Travis was admitted to the hospital Sunday in Dallas and was in critical condition Monday evening...

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Mike Chambers takes a break from grading a sidewalk along Sprigg Street in Cape Girardeau to rehydrate Tuesday afternoon. ...

Son to Derek Floyd and Kelley Renee Dobbelare of Perryville, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 6:22 p.m. Monday, July 1, 2013. Name, Korben Floyd. Weight, 8 pounds, 6 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Dobbelare is the former Kelley Hadler, daughter of Dave and Lisa Hadler of Perryville. She is a hairstylist at Styles by Dianne. Dobbelare is the son of Floyd and Christy Dobbelare of Perryville. He is a CNA at Saint Francis...

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- The Rev. Thomas P. Kiefer, a native of New Hamburg, has been appointed vice chancellor of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese, as well as pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Marshfield, Mo. The Rev. James E. Fandrey, coordinator of church relations at Concordia College in Seward, Neb., is guest speaker at Trinity Lutheran Church; he preaches on the theme "Teaching That Opens Eyes and Hearts."...

LAC-MEGANTIC, Quebec -- Canadian authorities said Tuesday they have opened a criminal investigation into the fiery wreck of a runaway oil train in this small town as the death toll climbed to 15, with dozens more bodies feared buried in the burned-out ruins...

Though it's a milestone that will appropriately go unnoticed, I started my first "real" job at this newspaper 50 years ago this week. I was a 15-year-old kid with absolutely no experience yet somehow survived through the sweltering heat and the "brotherhood" of a newspaper family...

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

WASHINGTON -- If the Obama administration tries for the death penalty against Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, it could face a long, difficult legal battle in a state that hasn't seen an execution in nearly 70 years. Attorney General Eric Holder will have to decide several months before the start of a trial -- if there is one -- whether to seek death for Tsarnaev. ...

CAIRO -- Egypt's military-backed interim leader named a new prime minister and won $8 billion in promises of aid from wealthy Arab allies in the Gulf on Tuesday in moves aimed at stabilizing a political transition less than a week after the army deposed the Islamist president. The armed forces warned political factions that "maneuvering" must not hold up its ambitious fast-track timetable for new elections next year. ...

During the last public session of a Jackson School Board meeting, newest board member Alaina Hinze asked Mr. Wade Bartels, chief financial officer, a question regarding six administrators who received a stipend of $675 each semester for reimbursement for mileage between buildings. ...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Cynthia Marie Willis, 82, of Cairo died Saturday, July 6, 2013, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from noon until time of service Thursday at Jesus Is Lord Church in Cairo. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the church, with Hubert Pirtle officiating. Burial will be in Spencer Heights Memorial Park in Mounds, Ill...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Matthew J. Schremp, 27, of Perryville died Sunday, July 7, 2013, at his home. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today and 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. Thursday at Young and Sons Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, with the Rev. Milton Ryan officiating. Burial will be in Mount Hope Cemetery with military graveside honors...

Rosalia M. Scherer, 89, of Cape Girardeau passed away Monday, July 8, 2013, at Chateau Girardeau, which had been her home the last six years. She was born Sept. 3, 1923, in Charleston, Mo., daughter of Henry B. and Catherine Bruenderman Duenne. She and Jerome J. Scherer were married Jan. 22, 1944, in Charleston. He passed away Nov. 30, 2007...

Leonard Samuel Minor, 69, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, July 8, 2013, at his home. There will be no service. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Travis E. LeSar, 91, of Florissant, Mo., formerly of Olive Branch, died Tuesday, June 25, 2013, at the Veterans Home of St. Louis. He was born Sept. 9, 1921, in Olive Branch, son of Charles H. and Clara B. Barnett LeSar. He and Mary Jane Allsup were married Sept. 15, 1947. She preceded him in death Oct. 13, 1992...

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Ralph C. Littge, 92, of Altenburg died Monday, July 8, 2013, at his home. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg, with the Rev. Steven Dressler officiating...

Wilma K. Kinder, 98, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, July 3, 2013, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. She was born March 31, 1915, in Marble Hill, Mo., to Sylvester and Leah Kinder Slinkard. She married Robert Wesley Kirkpatrick, who preceded her in death in 1957. She later married Paul B. Kinder. He preceded her in death in 2003...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Bessie L. Green, 76, of Mounds died Monday, July 1, 2013, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until time or service today at Massie Funeral Home in Mounds. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. today at the funeral home, with Freddie Green Sr. officiating. Burial will be in Mound City National Cemetery...

Ursie E. Black, 97, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, July 6, 2013, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home. Friends may call from noon until time of service Monday at Futrell Memorial Church of God In Christ in Jackson. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Monday at the church. Burial will be in Lorimier Cemetery in Cape Girardeau...

Emmet William "Bill" Baker, 88, of Scott City, our beloved husband, father and grandfather, went to his heavenly home Friday, May 10, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 26, 1924, in Randles, son of William Reece Baker and Edith Thiele Baker. He and Leola Ludeen "Lou" Arnold were married July 14, 1962. They were married 50 years at the time of his death...

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. -- On a day filled with speeches from dignitaries including the vice president, the words of the lone survivor of a fire crew overrun by flames resonated deepest in an arena packed with firefighters from around the nation...

Routes ZZ, HH in Scott Co. reduced for pavement repairs Routes ZZ and HH in Scott County will be reduced to one lane Monday and Tuesday as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs. The section of roadway is at the intersection of Route HH and U.S. 61 and the intersection of Route ZZ and U.S. 61. The work will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m...

O Heavenly Father, may the words we say be pleasing to you and honor your name. Amen.

Three decades after his home run and hysterics, George Brett laughs that he's still known as "the Pine Tar Guy." "I thought it was just going to be over with," the Hall of Famer said. "It's amazing how much play this has gotten." Brett recalled the episode Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium before Kansas City played New York. Now 60, Brett is the interim hitting coach for the Royals...

Editor's note: The following editorial has been edited to clarify the number of students who participated in the program. The 2012-2013 school year was another successful one for students participating in the United Way's Read to Succeed program. The program expanded to all five public elementary schools in Cape Girardeau and reached more than 200 kindergarten and first-grade students. ...

Associated Press ST. LOUIS -- Chris Carpenter is set to make his first minor league rehabilitation start next week, an outing that once seemed very much in doubt for the former St. Louis ace. Carpenter pitched a three-inning simulated game on Wednesday. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said Carpenter will start Monday for Double-A Springfield.

You know, I hesitate putting my name on this column. There's been so many great little stories coming across our newspaper wires the past few days, I had to find a way to present them to you, our readers. So, here you go, courtesy of the Associated Press...

A spokeswoman for Charter Communications said Thursday afternoon that the company is the client that's ending its contract with Integrity Solution Services, leading to a possible 400 layoffs at a Cape Girardeau call center. Charter Communications spokeswoman Debbie Johnson confirmed that Charter is the client in question...

Rep. Jason Smith's Cape Girardeau office will be the site of a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open-house reception Friday. The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce will host the 11 a.m. ribbon-cutting at the Republican congressman's office at 2502 Tanner Drive, Suite 205, followed by an open house until noon, according to a chamber of commerce news release....

JONESBORO, Ill. -- The Union County Sheriff's Department and Union County State's Attorney's office are providing informational sheets for the public regarding the recently passed Illinois concealed-carry law, according to a news release....

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri is naming its side of a new Mississippi River span the "Stan Musial Memorial Bridge" for the late St. Louis Cardinals great. But the state might not have the exclusive naming rights. Federal legislation approved by Congress and awaiting action by President Barack Obama names it the "Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge." The name represents a compromise between Missouri lawmakers who wanted to honor Musial and Illinois lawmakers who wanted to honor military veterans.. ...

KENNETT, Mo. -- A veterinarian hopes to save a dog that was found apparently shot last week in Kennett. The dog was found on the side of the road near Bayird Dodge Dealership and was taken to the Kennett Veterinary Clinic for treatment. Kennett humane officer Tena Petix said that when he arrived at the clinic, the dog had several deep cuts and was bleeding heavily...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed legislation that would have expanded an infrastructure surcharge for gas companies. Gas utilities have been allowed to seek approval from the Public Service Commission to levy a surcharge for infrastructure replacements. The charge is levied between formal rate cases, and the gas companies must file for a more involved rate case every three years...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Elk hunting could begin in Missouri in 2016 if the herd doubles from its current size of about 100, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. The department began reintroducing elk to the state in 2010, trapping about 50 each year in Kentucky and taking them to the Peck Ranch Conservation Area in ,,, The department began reintroducing elk to the state in 2010, trapping about 50 each year in Kentucky and taking them to the Peck Ranch Conservation Area

DENVER -- Pork prices may be on the rise in the next few months because of a new virus that has migrated to the U.S., killing piglets in 15 states at an alarming rate in facilities where it has been reported. Dr. Nick Striegel, assistant state veterinarian for the Colorado Department of Agriculture, on Wednesday said the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, also known as PED, was thought to exist only in Europe and China, but Colorado and 14 other states began reporting the virus in April, and officials confirmed its presence in May. ...

Workers with Zoellner Construction work on a new bridge on Cape Rock Drive at Dennis Scivally Park on Wednesday in Cape Girardeau. The new single-span bridge replaces the two-cell box culvert structure that had stood there previously. Motorists will be detoured around the construction zone, which lies between Brookwood Drive and Howell Street, until the project's completion in mid-August. The project is funded through the 2008 Parks and Stormwater Tax initiative. (Laura Simon)...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- People planning a picnic in any of Marble Hill's parks will be unable to rinse off dishes, wash children's hands and faces or use the parks' water hydrants for any reason. Thanks to vandalism and misuse, and the expenses associated with it, the hydrants have been locked down permanently. The board of aldermen on Monday night agreed to replace the hydrants with four drinking fountains. ...

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- Wayne County continues to be on alert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after a Wayne County dog tested positive for rabies last month. According to Wayne County Health Center administrator Rae Jean Crutchfield, the animal was taken to a veterinarian and later died. Suspicious animals are to be tested, so the dog's head was removed and sent to a state lab. The Health Center was notified of the positive test June 25...

ST. LOUIS -- Matt Carpenter welcomes it when teams bring in a left-handed reliever to face him. In fact, he almost thrives on it. The left-handed Carpenter hit a two-run home run off lefty Wesley Wright (0-3) and Matt Holliday drove in two with a two-out hit to help the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Houston Astros 5-4 Wednesday night...

BOSTON -- His arm in a cast and his face swollen, a blase-looking Dzhokhar Tsarnaev pleaded not guilty Wednesday in the Boston Marathon bombing in a seven-minute proceeding that marked his first appearance in public since his capture in mid-April. As survivors of the bombing looked on, Tsarnaev, 19, gave a small, lopsided smile to his two sisters upon arriving in the courtroom. He appeared to have a jaw injury and there was swelling around his left eye and cheek...

Missouri's governor was in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday to sign bills aimed at helping military service members and veterans. Gov. Jay Nixon was joined at the Missouri Veterans Home by state Treasurer Clint Zweifel, Missouri National Guard adjutant general Maj. Gen. Stephen Danner, several local members of the state legislature and representatives of local veterans' groups...