Stories from Thursday, November 21, 2013

The story of a small-town girl who comes to New York City to "make it big" in 1922, "Thoroughly Modern Millie," will be the first musical staged in the new Richard D. Kinder Performance Hall today through Saturday at Central High School in Cape Girardeau...

ST. LOUIS -- A section of the street that runs along the Mississippi River in downtown St. Louis is closing for 10 months. Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard is shutting down as part of the work to upgrade the area around the Gateway Arch. The closed section is between Chouteau Avenue and the grand staircase at the Arch...

Twice in the past week, Southeast Missouri State University's online programs have been recognized for their affordability and quality by two groups -- OnlineU.org and AC Online, a news release from the university said. Southeast is featured on OnlineU.org for offering two of the nation's most affordable online degree programs. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones has announced membership for a committee tasked with investigating allegations of a hostile work environment in the Department of Agriculture. The 15-member committee will have 10 Republicans and five Democrats. It is led by Republican Casey Guernsey of Bethany, Mo., and the vice chairman will be Stanley Cox of Sedalia, Mo...

A Stoddard County, Mo., man accused of a 2012 rape and abduction near Advance, Mo., has pleaded guilty to some of the charges. Steven Clark Rendleman, 52, will face a jury trial Dec. 3 to 5 in a Franklin County, Mo., courtroom before Judge Gael D. Wood...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Once one of the most active death penalty states in the U.S., Missouri carried out its first execution in nearly three years Wednesday after turning to a compounding pharmacy to make the drug it needs for lethal injections...

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Cape Girardeau Salvation Army captains Ronnie and Bridgette Amick announce the Red Kettle campaign goal of $384,000 with Maj. Phil Aho, right, of the St. Louis office Wednesday at Cape West 14 Cine. The theater then showed a free movie, "Silver Bells."...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- When federal officials review the status of the grotto sculpin five years from now, the biggest factor in whether it remains on the endangered species list will be water quality, not how many fish live in the caves under Perry County, a biologist said Wednesday night...

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County officials are encouraged by the quick responses to the storm damage -- and by the volunteers lined up to help get things back to normal. After touching base with commissioners at the Tuesday County Commission meeting, county emergency management director Tom Beardslee coordinated cleanup and recovery efforts for the day...

Hunters did not bring home as many deer this past weekend during Missouri's opening weekend of firearms deer season compared to last year, but the season isn't over yet. Hunters tagged 61,446 deer throughout the state during opening weekend, according to a Missouri Department of Conservation news release...

With approval from the school board Wednesday night, the Scott City School District will have a new teacher evaluation system starting next fall. The Network for Educator Effectiveness system, as it is called, is a collaborative effort of two auxiliary units of the College of Education at the University of Missouri -- the Heart of Missouri Regional Professional Development Center and the Assessment Resource Center, according to the MU website...

seen this deer one afternoon in Cape

Missouri Baptist Children's Home has named the Board Room in the Blake Administration Building the "Carpenter/Cox Board Room" in memory of Kathy Carpenter and in honor of Betty Cox. These ladies have continued the long history of female leadership of Missouri Baptist Children's Home. A dedication service for the Carpenter/Cox Board Room was held on October 7...

US Bank supported Notre Dame Regional High School with a donation of $1500.00 this past week. Pictured left to right: Jo Ann Barrett-Finance Officer, Notre Dame Regional High School; Steve Green- Market President; Tony Buehrle- Development Director, Notre Dame Regional High School...

US Bank donated $1200.00 to the Habitat for Humanity this fall to help support continuing building costs. Pictured left to right: Nick Burger- Commercial Relationship Manager, US Bank; Justin Kertz- Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity; Jim Ham- Vice President, US Bank...

Today is Thursday, Nov. 21, the 325th day of 2013. There are 40 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Nov. 21, 1973, President Richard Nixon's attorney, J. Fred Buzhardt, revealed the existence of an 18-1/2-minute gap in one of the White House tape recordings related to Watergate...

All the people who collect government entitlements will start squirming, because the government, in every case, doesn't give enough money to live on. Price control We need price controls on health care. Mail complaint I do not know what that postmaster general is thinking. ...

Thank you to everyone who assisted in a very successful Veterans Day Parade and Patriotic Ceremony in Jackson. On behalf of the American Legion Post 158 and VFW Post 10495 of Jackson, we appreciate the community efforts and participation in this parade. The Veterans Day parade is a very special event in our community to honor veterans and their great dedication to our country...

Cape Girardeau continues to be an innovation center for helping students succeed in school and life. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri recently announced that Jefferson Elementary School in Cape Girardeau has been named an ABC Today school, the inaugural school to receive the designation...

Herman J. "Chick" Vetter was born Feb. 26, 1920, in Bell City, Mo., son of Albert John Vetter and Dora Margrett Dirnberger. He passed from this life Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013. Herman Vetter lived on the family farm in Painton, Mo., for the majority of his life and recently lived in the Missouri Veterans Home at Cape Girardeau...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Wanda L. Wilbert, 71, of Jonesboro Rehab and Health Care Center in Jonesboro died Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday at Massie Funeral Home in Mounds, Ill...

Lovina O. "Bonnie" Brown, 95, of St. Louis, formerly of Bloomfield, Mo., passed away Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013, at National Healthcare Center in St. Charles, Mo. She was born Sept. 28, 1918, in Bloomfield, daughter of Leroy and Ethel Wright Hyslop. She and Fred W. Brown were married May 22, 1937. He passed away Feb. 18, 1972...

Daughter to David Wayne and Kristi Anne Templeton of Jackson, Southeast Hospital, 2:17 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013. Name, Emma Anne. Weight, 5 pound, 8 ounces. First child. Mrs. Templeton is the former Kristi Reed, daughter of Donald and Barbara Reed of Huntsville, Ala. She is a resource specialist at United Way. Templeton is the son of Bob and Loretta Templeton of Cape Girardeau. He is a police officer with the city of Cape Girardeau...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Gloristen Knowles Simpson, 71, of Cairo died Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mighty Rivers Worship Center in Cairo, with the Rev. M.L. Smith officiating. Interment will be in Spencer Heights Memorial Park in Mounds, Ill...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Rose Marie Herron, 74, of Cairo died Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013, at Rock Island Rehab in Rock Island, Ill. Friends may call from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Christ Temple Church of God in Christ in Cairo. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the church, with the Rev. Dr. J.L. Posey officiating...

NEW YORK -- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is awash in animal-related protests over its floats, with controversies involving the unlikely pairing of rocker Joan Jett and Shamu the killer whale. Activists plan to line the route of next week's parade to protest a SeaWorld float over accusations in a new documentary that the theme parks treat whales badly. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's education commissioner provided advice to a group crafting a ballot proposal that would end tenure protections for public school teachers and instead make their employment contingent on student achievement. State email records show commissioner Chris Nicastro met with an advocate of the ballot initiative more than a year ago, suggested specific wording and reviewed a final draft of the initiative before it was filed this March with the secretary of state's office.. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A U.S. Army veteran who lost a leg and sustained severe brain damage when a routine surgical procedure at the John Cochran VA Medical Center went wrong has been awarded $8.3 million in a medical negligence lawsuit Postal worker Dirk Askew had a cardiac stent inserted at the veterans' hospital in February 2009 after complaining of chest pain. ...

1 Barton Square Jackson 9 a.m. today Open session Pertinent address: 1 Barton Square, Jackson, MO...

Firefighters responded to the following call Tuesday: Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday:...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Arrests Summons Assault Burglaries Thefts Property damage Miscellaneous...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Summonses Miscellaneous...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Back when Yahoo was something hollered at a rodeo and no one could conceive of Googling anything, President Ronald Reagan signed an executive order that extended the power of U.S. intelligence agencies overseas, allowing broader surveillance of non-U.S. suspects...

LOS ANGELES -- NBC says Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg and William Shatner are among those joining Kelly Clarkson's holiday special. The special, titled "Kelly Clarkson's Cautionary Christmas Music Tale," is also set to include country stars Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood, NBC said Wednesday...

CAIRO -- A suicide car bomb hit a bus convoy of off-duty Egyptian soldiers in the Sinai Peninsula on Wednesday, killing 11 and wounding 37, in the latest of a stepped-up wave of attacks blamed on Islamic militants sympathetic to ousted President Mohammed Morsi...

LONDON -- He's been turned down by planes, trains and even a cruise ship in his quest to return home -- and his family says it's because of he has been deemed too fat to travel. Now Frenchman Kevin Chenais' long and fitful journey is coming to an end...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- University of Missouri addiction researchers think a grape compound promoted as way to stave off Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases could also help methamphetamine addicts battle their cravings. The natural compound resveratrol is found in fruits and certain vegetables as well as grapes and red wine. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A Catholic middle school in St. Louis hopes to become the city's first to convert from a private school into a taxpayer-supported public charter. De La Salle Middle School had hoped to receive state approval to make the switch in 2014 but now plans a 2015-2016 school year conversion...

WASHINGTON -- An increase in shopping last month during the partial government shutdown suggests that the U.S. economy may be more resilient than some have feared. Retail sales rose 0.4 percent in October, the Commerce Department said Wednesday, after being flat the previous month. The increase showed that many consumers remain willing to spend as the all-important holiday shopping season nears...

WASHINGTON -- Trouble inside the Air Force's nuclear missile force runs deeper than officials have let on. An unpublished study for the Air Force cites "burnout" among launch officers with their fingers on the triggers of 450 weapons of mass destruction. Also, evidence of broader behavioral issues across the intercontinental ballistic missile force, including sexual assaults and domestic violence...

WASHINGTON -- Most young people say they aren't very offended about the slurs and mean-spirited videos mocking overweight people or gays or blacks they encounter on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. "You can't let those things get to you," said 15-year-old Vito Calli, an immigrant from Argentina whose online friends tease him with jokes about Hispanics...

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Steel work is nearly complete as workers finish the top of the elevator shaft Wednesday on the expansion of Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus in Cape Girardeau as the top of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge looms in the background. The three-story, L-shaped building will include academic and residential space. The project also includes a 125-space parking lot across the street...

WASHINGTON -- Honoring the legacy of John F. Kennedy, President Barack Obama laid a wreath at the assassinated president's gravesite as a nation remembers that day in Dallas a half-century ago Friday. Obama also recognized a group of distinguished Americans -- including Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey -- with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, an award created by Kennedy...

WASHINGTON -- After they get the website fixed, then what? Keeping your doctors and hospitals may be the next challenge for Americans in the new health plans created by President Barack Obama's law. Obama promised people could keep their doctors. But in many states the new plans appear to offer a narrow choice of hospitals and doctors...

GENEVA -- A new round of Iran nuclear talks began in fits and starts Wednesday, with the two sides ending a first session just minutes after it began amid warnings from Iran's leader of "red lines" which his country will not compromise. Still, both sides indicated a first-step agreement was possible on a deal to roll back Iran's nuclear program in exchange for limited sanctions relief, despite opposition from Israel and unease from Congress and Iranian hard-liners...

We know not to touch a hot pan right out of the oven. It's all about how the heat is transferred from the pan to your hand, causing a burn. Using a popular chocolate treat and few materials from around the house, you can discover how some metals conduct heat better than others...

The following students have been awarded scholarships to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 2014-2015 academic year: Julie Aufdenberg of Cape Girardeau, who will be a 2014 graduate of Saxony Lutheran High School and is the daughter of Mark and Wanda Aufdenberg, received the Regents' Scholarship; Zachary Buchheit of Jackson, who will be a 2014 graduate of Jackson High School and is the son of John and Karen Buchheit of Cape Girardeau, received the Regents' Scholarship; Kylie Leimbach of Jackson, who will be a 2014 graduate of Jackson High School and is the daughter of Mark and Leslie Leimbach, received the University Scholarship; and Zachary Raines of Jackson, who will be a 2014 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau and is the son of Scott and Kathy Raines of Jackson, received the Governor's Scholarship; Michaila Noble of Cape Girardeau, who will be a 2014 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School and is the daughter of Anthony Noble and the late Regina Myers, received the Residence Life Leadership Scholarship; Taylor McClard of Jackson, who will be a 2014 graduate of Jackson High School and is the daughter of Lane and Donna McLard, received the University Scholarship and Residence Life Leadership Scholarship; Anna Miller of Jackson, who will be a 2014 graduate of Jackson High School and is the daughter of Marvin and Kelly Miller, received the Regents' Scholarship; Brittany Rogers of Jackson, who will be a 2014 graduate of Jackson High School and is the daughter of Will and Stephanie Rogers, received the Residence Life Leadership Scholarship; Austin Stone of Jackson, who will be a 2014 graduate of Saxony Lutheran High School and is the son of Tim and Becky Stone, received the Regents' Scholarship; Matthew Hayes of Cape Girardeau, who will be a 2014 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School and is the son of Rocky and Ann Hayes, received the Regents' Scholarship; Jordan Besher of Fredericktown, Mo., who will be a 2014 graduate of Fredericktown High School and is the daughter of Steve and Robin Besher, received the Residence Life Leadership Scholarship; Dora Brewington of Fredericktown, Mo., who will be a 2014 graduate of Fredericktown High School and is the daughter of Larry and Dana Brewington, received the Regents' Scholarship; Jade Rampley of Benton, Mo., who will be a 2014 graduate of Kelly High School and is the daughter of Brent and Ginger Rampley, received the Regents' Scholarship; Adam Goforth of Anna, Ill., who will be a 2014 graduate of Anna-Jonesboro High School and is the son of Chuck and Sherri Goforth, received the Regents' Scholarship.; and Kayla Nale of Tamms, Ill., who will be a 2014 graduate of Egyptian Community High School and is the daughter of William and Rebecca Nale, received the Residence Life Leadership Scholarship and Midwest Achievement Award.. ...

O Father God, thank you for the blessing of a loving family. Amen.

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals gave manager Mike Matheny a three-year contract extension through 2017 on Wednesday, rewarding him for deep postseason runs in his first two seasons in the job. The team also announced that 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter is retiring after missing this season with a recurring nerve issue in his shoulder...

ST. LOUIS -- Not long after rookie Zac Stacy made the St. Louis Rams' lineup, the running back became an indispensable part of the offense. The fifth-round pick regularly gets 20-plus touches on game day, followed by rest early in the practice week to help preserve him for another game...

Southeast Missouri State's Emily Coon was named to the All-Ohio Valley Conference volleyball team on Wednesday. Coons, a senior, was also named to the team in 2011 and 2012 as was a member of the conference's All-Newcomer team in 2010. Coon leads the Redhawks offense hitting .316 with 320 kills. She also has 115 blocks...

Plan to get out on January 14th and participate in the 2ND ANNUAL TRIVIA NIGHT MC'D BY THE FAMOUS TRIVIA CALLER AND ASSISTANT MATT AND TARA WORTMANN CAPE VFW HALL, 1049 N. KINGSHIGHWAY Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Questions will start at 6 p.m. Teams of 6-8 people...

Six-foot-eight senior tight end Bo Wilferth pulls in a pass in the back of the end zone on a play that started with four-tenths of a second left in the first half to record his first career touchdown and give Central a 24-20 lead over Hillsboro in the Class 4 District 1 championship game...

The Cape Girardeau County Commission's annual budget process is underway for 1989; Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep hopes to begin reviewing individual budget requests the first week of December. Despite a damp weekend in the Cape Girardeau area, it wasn't all that bad and could have been a lot worse; flash flooding occurred in the Bootheel on Friday night, and up to 7 inches of snow piled up Sunday morning at Rolla, Mo...