Stories from Friday, November 29, 2013

REO Speedwagon and Styx, two of the most successful and durable groups in the history of rock, will deliver a night of their classic hits when they take the stage Thursday at the Show Me Center. REO Speedwagon, which has sold more than 40 million records and has put 13 singles on the Top 40 charts, became popular with concertgoers in the 1970s with the songs "157 Riverside Avenue" "Ridin' the Storm Out" and "Keep Pushin'." The band achieved their greatest success in 1980 with the release of "Hi Infidelity," which spawned the No. ...

Between the shopping frenzy associated with Black Friday and Cyber Monday falls Small Business Saturday, an initiative started by American Express in 2010 that encourages people to shop locally the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Retail tax revenue earned from buying local products and services helps fund city services and keeps more money in the community...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- How do biologists know whether a species is endangered if they don't know that species' population? That's the question facing U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials as Perry County moves forward with a countywide plan to protect the grotto sculpin, a small fish believed to exist exclusively in five caves under the county...

The Three Rivers Endowment Trust has received a $1.5 million contribution from an anonymous donor for the proposed activity center on Poplar Bluff, Mo., campus of Three Rivers College, according to a news release from the college. The proposed 60,000-square-foot Three Rivers Activity Center will replace the Bess Activity Center as the home of Raiders and Lady Raiders basketball, the release said...

ST. LOUIS -- Annmarie Klein knows she's blessed to have survived the tornado that leveled her family's central Illinois home, and she understands most of the things they lost -- the Jacuzzi, 60-inch TVs, diamond jewelry, the convertible and other vehicles -- can be replaced...

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team's trip to Mexico is all business according to coach Dickey Nutt. "I know when people hear the words 'Mexico' and 'on the beach' and 'Hard Rock Café' and things like that it certainly sounds goods. And it is, it's a great trip," Nutt said. "But we're here for business and we're here to win games, and I hope that we'll be able to improve and get better every time we step out on the floor and learn how to win...

Brynnleigh Jones is only 8. But according to her father, she's already an old hand at cooking for a crowd. Bill Jones said he and his daughter made between 16 and 20 gallons of chicken and dumplings for the Salvation Army's annual community Thanksgiving dinner...

With a proposal of $5,000 a year added to Missouri's Bright Flight scholarships if students agree to work full time in the Show Me State after graduation, Cape Girardeau County educators expressed varying opinions on whether the option will create more interest in the program...

Deanna Schafer, 15, of East Prairie, Mo., won the Build-a-Bear at the SEMO District Fair. Elizabeth Schott met up with Deanna at the Cape Girardeau Public Library where the Brain Injury and Stroke Resource Group meets on the first Monday of each month...

Kole Gross, left, and his brother Kamerin watch a toy train moves along the tracks in the annual Hutson's Fine Furniture holiday display, Thursday in downtown Cape Girardeau. The brothers and their grandparents check out the window display each year before heading to the holiday display at Cape County Park North. BELOW: A close-up of one of the toy rail yards in a Hutson's window display...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The University of Missouri is looking for a building in Springfield between Cox South and Mercy hospitals as part of a plan to establish a clinical campus in the city that would expand the medical school. The 5,000- to 6,000-square-foot building would house about a dozen full-time employees and would be relatively small because medical students coming to Springfield would be spending most of their time in the city's two major hospitals, the Springfield News-Leader reported.. ...

CARTERVILLE, Mo. -- A southwest Missouri man dying of brain cancer has received his Star Wars wish. Todd Humbard, 42, has terminal brain cancer. So a group of people who know he's a huge Star Wars fan got together this week to fulfill one of his small wishes -- to buy some Star Wars collectibles, The Joplin (Mo.) Globe reported...

LAS VEGAS -- Jordan Clarkson scored 13 of his 21 points in the second half to lead Missouri to a 78-67 win over Northwestern in Thursday night's opening round of the Las Vegas Invitational. The Tigers (6-0) scored the first 14 points of the second half to erase a five-point halftime deficit and take a 48-39 lead at the 15:10 mark and never looked back...

Today is Friday, Nov. 29, the 333rd day of 2013. There are 32 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Nov. 29, 1961, Enos the chimp was launched from Cape Canaveral aboard the Mercury-Atlas 5 spacecraft, which orbited earth twice before returning...

NEW YORK -- Revelers at this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade gave thanks for the giant balloons that flew above the city streets Thursday after a blustery storm accompanied by high winds nearly grounded them for only the second time in the parade's 87-year history...

STOCKHOLM -- Once billed as the comet of the century, Comet ISON apparently was no match for the sun. Scientists said images from NASA spacecraft showed the comet approaching for a slingshot around the sun Thursday, but just a trail of dust coming out the other end...

BEIJING -- China said it sent warplanes into its newly declared maritime air defense zone Thursday, days after the U.S., South Korea and Japan all sent flights through the airspace in defiance of rules Beijing says it has imposed in the East China Sea...

VATICAN CITY -- When he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, Pope Francis was known to sneak out at night and break bread with the homeless, sit with them on the street and eat with them, as part of his aim to share the plight of the poor and let them know someone cared...

RAMOS ARIZPE, Mexico -- In Mexico's booming auto industry, the cars rolling off assembly lines may look identical, but how safe they are depends on where they're headed. Vehicles destined to stay in Mexico or go south to the rest of Latin America carry a code signifying there's no need for anti-lock braking systems, electronic stability control, or more than two air bags, if any, in its basic models...

TACLOBAN, Philippines -- The teenager with unruly hair in a ponytail wipes tears from her eyes as she holds her feverish 3-year-old brother, who clings to her and lets out a sob. They have been inseparable ever since they lost their parents to Typhoon Haiyan's tsunami-like storm surge...

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis on Thursday named his top assistant to look into the work of two commissions of inquiry he set up last summer to investigate the finances of the troubled Vatican bank and Holy See administration. A Vatican statement said papal secretary Monsignor Alfred Xuereb will be Francis' delegate, "keeping his eye on the committees and keeping him informed in collaboration with the secretariat of state on their working procedures and possible initiatives."...

LEAWOOD, Kan. -- Farmers may not be able to change wild weather swings, but a data-crunching company says it can help them predict and adapt to them. Climate Corp., which recently was bought by St. Louis-based agricultural giant Monsanto for $1 billion, uses massive amounts of data to develop hyper-local weather forecasts to insure crops and advise farmers...

There are many ways to give. General volunteering and monetary support are at the forefront. But there also are other inspirational ways to help people in this area. A story in Monday's paper by reporter Emily Priddy highlighted the local chapter of MyTeam Triumph, an organization that helps disabled individuals participate in an endurance race. This is done as runners, also called "angels," push the captain, a disabled person who otherwise could not be involved, in a special chair...

It's a Christmas tradition worth keeping. The Sounds of the Season benefiting the Southeast Cancer Center patients is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at Cape Bible Chapel. The concert is 1 1/2 hours and will feature several local musicians and dancers. Tickets will be available for a $5 minimum donation. To learn more, call the SoutheastHEALTH Foundation at 986-6622...

This is in regard to the person who made a comment about incompetence in Speak Out, about the current president, the way he's running the country now. I think he really wasn't paying much attention when Bush was in office, because he would have found that Bush was leading the country to nothing, except downhill. We have made many growths since the new president has been in there, the last couple of terms. So I think he's looking at the wrong guy...

NEW YORK -- Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand songs. The supersized book "108 Rock Star Guitars" (Glitterati Inc.) demonstrates that six-stringed instruments owned by celebrities and virtuoso sidemen can look as good as they rock. The 17-year undertaking by photographer Lisa S. Johnson partly benefits the Les Paul Foundation. Paul, the Rock Hall musician-inventor, wrote the foreword before he died...

NEW YORK -- Maria, former would-be nun, is about to get married. Starring as Maria in NBC's new version of "The Sound of Music," Carrie Underwood is clad in her own T-shirt and leggings plus a wedding veil as she reverently steps through the bare-bones Manhattan rehearsal space while three dozen castmates, on their feet as if in church, sing "How do you solve a problem like Maria?"...

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

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Alice E. Vogel, 97, of Normal, Ill., formerly of Perryville, died Nov. 25, 2013, at McLean County Nursing Home in Normal. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until time of service Monday at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perryville. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the church, with the Rev. Matthew Marks officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery...

Jerry W. Twaddell, 73, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, at Jackson Manor in Jackson. Visitation will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. The funeral will be at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Ron Watts officiating. Burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Missouri Veterans Cemetery at Bloomfield with full military honors...

Lori A. Robinson Smith, 49, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013, at her home in Garland, Texas, after a long battle with cancer. She is survived by her parents; husband; two sons; one brother; maternal grandmother; aunts and uncles. Lori was preceded in death by a maternal grandfather, paternal grandparents and maternal uncle...

Saverio "Sam" Ruggiero, 76, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, at Southeast Hospital. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Alice Kelley, 82, of Jackson died Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, at her son David's home in Jackson. She was born Oct. 12, 1931, in Festus, Mo., to Homer and Helen Moore Ozment. She and Paul Kelley were married Nov. 12, 1948, at Piggott, Ark. Mr. Kelley preceded her in death Nov. 4, 1987...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- William H. Beck, 82, of Perryville died Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today and from 6:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday at Young and Sons Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Rod Benkendorf officiating. Burial will follow in Home Cemetery...

St. Louis posted a 4-1 victory over Colorado

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach Ty Margenthaler is taking it one game at a time as his team prepares for the New Mexico tournament. The Redhawks open the tournament against Arkansas at 6 p.m. today in Albuquerque, N.M., and will play either New Mexico or Binghamton at 6 or 8 p.m. Saturday...

NEW YORK -- Gobble down the turkey and save the pumpkin pie for later. As more than a dozen major retailers from Target to Toys R Us opened Thanksgiving Day, shoppers across the country got a jump-start on holiday shopping. The Thanksgiving openings come despite planned protests across the country from workers' groups that are against employees missing Thanksgiving meals at home...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- The sanctions relief offered to Iran by the U.S. and five world powers has begun to get the gears of commerce slowly turning again in an economy that remains in shambles. The Obama administration estimates relief from some sanctions in exchange for a temporary pause in Iran's nuclear enrichment program will amount to $7 billion. ...

The historic Glenn House, 325 S. Spanish St., is being decorated for Christmas and will be open for the start of their annual holiday tours from 1 to 4 p.m. today and Saturday. The halls also will be decked in the Carriage House, at which there will be Christmas cookies, coffee and cider. ...

Violinist David Halen, the concertmaster of the St. Louis Symphony, will perform at Southeast Missouri State University's Sundays at Three series at 3 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Shuck Music Recital Hall at Southeast's River Campus. Alla Voskoboynikova, an associate teaching professor of music and director of keyboard studies at the University of Missouri-St. ...

A committee of parents, teachers and educators met yesterday to begin a study of the best method of educating sixth-graders in Cape Girardeau; the Schultz Feasibility Study is examining the feasibility and desirability of a middle-school concept combining sixth- and seventh-grade students...

O Lord Jesus, may we always remember the reason for the Christmas season. Amen.

Albino deer in Cape Girardeau have touched off a wave of emotional discourse. Some participants in the discussion go so far as to suggest special protection for the animals. Given the fact not everyone is a deer lover, albino or not, there doesn't seem to be a quick fix for the Let's Save Everything With Pink Eyes Alliance...