Stories from December 2013

1 - When driving, what do you generally listen to? Why? 2 - How often do you use a drive-thru for a beverage snack or meal? 3 - If you could invite three people to dinner, who would they be and why? 4 - Do you have a favorite Christmas movie? What is it and why?...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon wants state lawmakers back at the Capitol this week in hopes of persuading the Boeing Co. to land its new 777X jet plant in Missouri. Nixon on Friday called a special legislative session to begin Monday to approve an economic incentives package of up to $150 million annually he said must be completed quickly before Boeing decides where to the build the new commercial airplane...

West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau was crowded with people of all ages, their hands full of colorful shopping bags stuffed with merchandise, as they made their way in and out of stores for the annual -- if unofficial -- day-after-Thanksgiving shopping holiday...

An Allenville woman died in a Friday morning house fire. According to deputy coroner Jerry Goin, Angela Schlimme, 43, who lived at 466 Penny St., died. Her cat also perished in the fire. No one else was injured in the blaze, which occurred at about 8 a.m...

Robert "Bob" A. Drury, seen as a pioneer in the hotel, land development and contracting industries, died Thursday at his home in San Antonio. He was 81. Drury was CEO of Drury Southwest, which includes hotels, a bowling alley, real estate development and outdoor advertising, according to the firm's website and Walter Ford of Ford & Sons Funeral Home, which is handling arrangements...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Henry Josey watched helplessly from the sideline last fall, rehabbing from a serious knee injury, while Missouri was getting pushed around in its first SEC season. The senior running back's legs produced the go-ahead score in a win that put the fifth-ranked Tigers in the SEC championship game...

By MICHELLE FRIEDRICH ~ The Daily Statesman A former First Midwest Bank employee in Poplar Bluff, Mo., recently pleaded guilty in federal court in Cape Girardeau to embezzling nearly $400,000 from the institution. Leslie Ann Eastwood Kirby, who had been the bank's teller supervisor, pleaded guilty as charged Thursday to the felony of theft or embezzlement/misapplication by a bank officer before U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr., according to a clerk for the U.S. District Court...

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. -- A publicist for actor Paul Walker says the star of the "Fast & Furious" movie series has died in a car crash north of Los Angeles. He was 40. Ame Van Iden says Walker died Saturday afternoon. A statement on Walker's Facebook page said Walker was a passenger in a friend's car, and that the crash happened while he was attending a charity event...

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- The family of a Southeast Missouri mother killed by her estranged husband is trying to move forward after a June plea deal that landed the killer in prison while allowing police to recover her body. Thirty-nine-year-old Jacque Waller, a mother of 5-year-old triplets, was missing for almost two years before her body was found on a Mississippi River island near Cape Girardeau. ...

Cape Girardeau's city council will give feedback on future police station options Monday during a discussion of a design study recently presented by hired consultants. The discussion is set for the council's 5 p.m. Monday study session at city hall. On Nov. 4, representatives of FGM Architects Inc. presented three options to the council, public and several members of the city's police department, which included two plans for renovations and additions and one plan to build a new police station...

A shooting outside of a Cape Girardeau fast-food restaurant late Saturday afternoon sent one woman to the hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening. Cape Girardeau Police spokesman Jason Selzer said in a release the shooting happened at 4:53 p.m. at KFC at 2101 William St...

Today is Sunday, Dec. 1, the 335th day of 2013. There are 30 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a black seamstress, refused to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Ala., city bus. Mrs. Parks was arrested, sparking a year-long boycott of the buses by blacks...

Freeman and Shirley Sebastian of Jackson celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a family reception Sept. 1, 2013, at their home. The couple was married Aug. 23, 1953, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Jackson, by the Rev. O.H. Pooker. They have three children, Randy and Mary Sebastian of Wichita, Kan., Sherry Sebastian and Tony Jesse of Jefferson City, Mo., and Patty Sebastian and Jeff Sherman of St. ...

The spotted salamander is a native nocturnal animal that spends most of its life underground, but can sometimes be found above ground on rainy days. It is sometimes called the yellow-spotted salamander because of bright yellow spots that run the length of both sides of its body...

Lazy L Safari Park in Cape Girardeau will hold Christmas at the Zoo from 5 to 8 p.m. 10 nights through Dec. 31, featuring holiday activities, and a few holiday activities will take place when the park is open on weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 573-243-7862 or visit lazylsafari.com...

U.S. Bank recently donated $1,500 to Notre Dame Regional High School. From left are Jo Ann Barrett, finance officer of Notre Dame Regional High School; Steve Green, market president of U.S. Bank; and Tony Buehrle, development director of Notre Dame Regional High School...

U.S. Bank recently donated $1,200 to Habitat for Humanity to help support continuing building costs. From left are Nick Burger, commercial relationship manager for U.S. Bank; Justin Kertz, executive director of Habitat for Humanity; and Jim Ham, vice president of U.S. Bank...

What does the word refuge mean? Various dictionaries and thesauruses offer such descriptions as sanctuary, shelter, retreat and safe place. There are others. Whatever the word refuge means, it sounds inviting. As I drove through town recently I passed a house that said House of Refuge. It was a small church. Its name had a comfortable ring to it. I could see how many who felt lost and were seeking a sanctuary might be drawn to a worship destination such as this...

This is my favorite time of year. For months my kids have been asking me, "When is it Christmas?" Now I can say, "Soon." There are so many activities to be a part of, things to see and places to go. You can almost miss Christmas in the chaos. Throughout towns and cites in the yards of churches and homes you'll find peaceful manger scenes cut out of plywood and in some cases with live actors each telling of a peaceful birth of baby Jesus in the small and insignificant town of Bethlehem. ...

By ROB TATE Daily American Republic Some NFL fans just might have assumed that Ray Lewis was also the team chaplain during his 17-year career with the Baltimore Ravens. The hulking, emotional linebacker who helped lead the Ravens to two Super Bowls in his career was front and center about his religious beliefs. The cameras always seemed to pick up Lewis as he rallied his teammates, often with high-strung enthusiasm mixed in with some Scripture and testimony before kickoff...

MONDAY--Corn dog, broccoli & cheese or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, pears, cookie. TUESDAY--Chili nachos, corn or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, orange sections. WEDNESDAY--Vegetable soup & toasted cheese sandwich, potato smiles or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, mixed fruit cup...

The trouble with the holiday season is the baking guilt. The issue is that I don't like baking. It's too precise a practice for me to enjoy. I prefer the little-of-this-little-of-that approach to cooking, which works fine for pasta dinners, but generally is a disagreeable way to bake...

Milo is like a teddy bear and might make a good lap cat. He is white with patches of Tabby. Milo is affectionate and would probably spend a lot of time with you. For more information, call Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary at 243-9823. ...

Roscoe is 10 months old and is a super snuggler. He is available for adoption at The Humane Society. For more information, call 334-5837. ...

Pet Name: Spencer Owner: Abbey Renee Holder Favorite activity: Lying around on the front porch. Name: Spencer...

Lamplighters FCE met in the home of Teresa Hinkebein for their September meeting. There were nine members in attendance. The hostess gave two devotional thoughts: "Book Me a Room" and "Mothers Were Once Daughters." Roll call was answered with "an old-fashioned remedy I use."...

Bridget and Tim Hecht of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Lindsey Marie Kielas, to Tyler Charles Strubbe, both of Jackson. He is the son of Mary Strubbe of Fenton, Mo., and Gary Strubbe of Lonedell, Mo. Lindsey is a 2002 graduate of Jackson High School, and a 2004 graduate of Trendsetters School of Cosmetology. She is a nail technician at Belladona Salon and Spa...

Ameren Missouri presented a check for $2,000 to the Discovery Playhouse in Cape Girardeau. The donation will be used to help fund exhibits and programs that support the developmental milestones of children at the Discovery Playhouse. From left are Pansy Glenn, executive director of the Discovery Playhouse, and Bob Dixon, Ameren Missouri SEMO Division director...

Whenever local government officials try to plan for growth, often they find themselves in a Catch-22. If they try to consider growth, they may be criticized for building facilities that are too grand for the moment. If they don't consider it, then there's the possibility needs quickly outgrow the resources, such as is the case with Cape Girardeau's police station, where for decades officers have shoehorned operations into a building that was too small almost from the beginning...

Lord God, today we celebrate with expectation and hope and know Jesus will return one day. Amen.

Thanksgiving Day is no longer all about turkey: It's eating away at Black Friday shopping. U.S. shoppers spent $9.74 billion on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. That's a drop of 13.2 percent compared with last year, according to data released Saturday by research firm ShopperTrak...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A mother on board a plane that crashed in remote southwest Alaska made a frantic phone call for help resuscitating her 5-month-old baby, then left the fatally injured boy to lead searchers hampered by cold and fog to the crash site...

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The weekly meetings of Mouthing Off!, a group for students at Mills College in Oakland, Calif., who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, always start the same way. Members take turns going around the room saying their names and the personal pronouns they want others to use when referring to them -- she, he or something else...

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Federal officials say Americans are joining the bloody civil war in Syria, raising the chances they could become radicalized by al-Qaida-linked militant groups and return to the U.S. as battle-hardened security risks. The State Department says it has no estimates of how many Americans have taken up weapons to fight military units loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad in the conflict that has killed more than 100,000 people over 21/2 years. ...

GLASGOW, Scotland -- Scotland's official holiday was transformed into a day of mourning Saturday as emergency crews searched the wreckage of a riverside pub smashed by a falling police helicopter. At least eight people died and more than a dozen remained hospitalized with serious injuries...

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea state media claimed Saturday an elderly U.S. tourist detained for more than a month has apologized for alleged crimes during the Korean War and for "hostile acts" against the state during a recent trip. North Korean authorities released video showing 85-year-old Merrill Newman, wearing glasses, a blue button-down shirt and tan trousers, reading his alleged apology, which was dated Nov. 9 and couldn't be independently confirmed...

HERNANDO, Miss. -- Lauren Beth Czekala-Chatham wants to force Mississippi, one of the America's most conservative states, to recognize her same-sex marriage. She hopes to do so by getting a divorce. She and Dana Ann Melancon traveled from Mississippi to San Francisco to get married in 2008. The wedding was all Czekala-Chatham hoped it would be, the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, dreams for a promising future. She wrote the vows herself...

HONOLULU -- Some same-sex couples plan to get married as soon as they're able to do so legally in Hawaii on Monday. A ceremony for six couples at the Sheraton Waikiki is one of several wedding events planned soon after 12:01 a.m., when a new law allows gay couples to marry in the state...

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration says it will meet its self-imposed deadline of fixing the troubled health care website so that 50,000 people can log in at the same time starting late Saturday. Yet questions remain about the stability of the site, the volume of traffic it can handle and the quality of the data it delivers to insurers...

Jeff Harmon, director of marketing and communications at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, has been named executive director of university communications and marketing at Southeast Missouri State University, according to a university news release...

Dr. Kevin Hampton has studied, performed and taught piano all over the Midwest and South, but Cape Girardeau is where he said he's found the perfect blend of students, colleagues and culture. For 18 years, Hampton taught studio piano, piano literature, piano pedagogy, group keyboard classes and music theory at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Ga. ...

William Thomas Doherty Jr., 90, of Silver Spring, Md., died Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013, at his home, of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and cardiac disease. He is the son of Professor William T. Doherty and Kittie Baird Doherty of Cape Girardeau. He was professor emeritus and university historian at West Virginia University in Morgantown...

Gloria Jean Brooks Sexton, 67, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Sept. 20, 1946, in Beckley, W.Va., daughter of CMS retired Roy Dee and Ruth Louise Sanson Brooks. She was married 30 years to the late CSM Robert C. Sexton, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y...

PATTON, Mo. -- Caselynn Renee Reagan, 6 months old, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, at her home, surrounded by her loving family. She was born May 3, 2013, to Trenton James and Blair Cassie Tonjun Reagan. Survivors include her parents, Trenton and Blair Reagan of Patton; a brother, Hayden Lindsey of Patton; two sisters, Cheyenne Tonjun and Eleanor Reagan of Patton; grandparents Julia Cofer and Jack Mull of Fredericktown, Mo., and Mike and Cathy Reagan of Patton...

Rose V. Jarvis, 97, a loving wife, mother, volunteer and past longtime resident of Huntleigh Woods in St. Louis County, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013, in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 24, 1916, in Norwich, Conn., to Thomas and Mary Brown...

Sister Shirley Ann Greaser, 76, died Friday, Nov. 22, 2013, at Veronica House/Sarah Community in St. Louis. She was born Aug. 13, 1937, in Gordonville, daughter of Leo and Lillie Thomure Greaser. Shirley attended St. Mary Grade School in Cape Girardeau and high school and college in St. Louis...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Dimples C. Swoboda, 93, of Cairo died at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013, at her residence. She was born Nov. 28, 1920, in Sikeston, Mo., the daughter of Lawson and Mabel Patterson. She married Gilbert Roy "Rags" Swoboda on Nov. 18, 1941. He survives. They were married for 72 years...

Saverio "Sam" Ruggiero, 76, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, at Southeast Hospital. He was born Oct. 26, 1937 in Fontanarosa, Italy, to Roberto and Filomena Biancardo Ruggiero. He and Josephine Maria Vitiello were married Dec. 17, 1960, in Bronx, N.Y...

Lt. Col. Jerry W. Twaddell, (ret.) 73, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013, at Jackson Manor. He was born March 10, 1940, in Fordyce, Ark., to Clinton O. and Georgia Moseley Twaddell. He was the salutatorian of his high school graduating class in 1958...

Harold William McDowell, 68, passed from this life into life eternal Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis after an extended illness. Harold was born Nov. 4, 1945, the youngest child of Paul William and Blanche Irene Morton McDowell...

Wanda Mae Baker, 86, of Jackson died Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home in Jackson. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial in Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson...

Robert A. Drury, 81, of San Antonio and Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

As many as 1,000 applicants are expected to crowd into the Missouri Job Service office next week in hopes of being selected for up to 120 positions that will become available next year with the opening of the new Central Hardware store here. Archaeologists with the University of Missouri-St. Louis are making test excavations at the Bollinger Mill Historical Site; scientists are hoping to find evidence of American Indian villages along the banks of the Whitewater River at the site...

Melvin Ray Dockins, 71, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Nov. 29, 2013, at his home. He was born Jan. 2, 1942, in Sikeston, Mo., to Chalmer A. and Evelyn McClellan Dockins. He and Ruth A. Link were married Nov. 17, 1962, in Sikeston. Melvin was a graduate of Sikeston High School. He was a self-employed contractor and member of La Croix United Methodist Church...

Angela Marie Kennedy Schlimme, 43, of Allenville passed away Friday, Nov. 29, 2013, during a fire at her home. She was born Aug. 28, 1970, in San Gabriel, Calif., to Michael Sanchez and Judith Staggs. She was raised by her mother and stepfather, Ronald McGuire...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Shirley J. Callow, 77, died Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, at the family home. Friends may call after 4 p.m. Sunday at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran, Mo. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the chapel, with the Rev. Ed Stoner officiating. Burial will be in Pleasant Grove Cemetery near Advance...

Ricky L. Brant, 59, of Oldfield, Mo., formerly of Scott City, died Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013, at Cox Medical Center South in Springfield, Mo. A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Dec. 7 at Father's Arms Fellowship Church in Scott City.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Kacey M. Berkbuegler, 18, of Perryville passed away Friday, Nov. 29, 2013, at St. Louis Children's Hospital after a battle with Hodgkin's. She was born Nov. 29, 1995, in Perryville, daughter of Duane and Mary Kirn Berkbuegler of Perryville...

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

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

The Redhawks routed Tulane 102-72 a day after beating Northern Kentucky by 14 points

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach Ty Margenthaler is using the New Mexico tournament as a learning experience for his team. The Redhawks finished 0-2 in the tournament and lost their fifth consecutive game. "We're going to leave this tournament learning something about our basketball team and unfortunately we didn't win a game, but we're going to be alright when it's all said and done," Margenthaler said...

The Meadow Heights boys basketball team recorded its first win of the season in the Current River Shootout on Saturday. Senior Kyle Baremore led the way for the Panthers (1-2) with 19 points in a 54-28 victory over Koshkonong. Jacob Douglas added 11 points in the win...

Team's leading rusher, two others will play after sustaining head injuries last week

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Brent Burns had a thought Friday's game was going to be a little different. He just never imagined how much. Burns got his first NHL hat trick and the Sharks ended a five-game home losing streak to St. Louis with a 6-3 victory over the Blues on Friday...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Any fear the New Madrid County Central Eagles had about inexperience or lack of size was quickly alleviated Friday against the Central Tigers. The Eagles grabbed a one-point halftime lead against the Tigers before holding on for a 63-55 win in the opener of the 19th annual Riverbend Classic...

I just moved to Cape Girardeau. And I've just got a little beef. I think if you have an opening inside your store where these people ringing the bells can walk into the store to keep warm, it would be great. I left Schnucks. Their person was inside the building. ...

By Amity Shedd Southeast Missourian 5 songs you hate to love 1. "The Cha-cha Slide" by DJ Casper: Every high school dance, every wedding, every get-together involving more than 10 people -- this song is probably played. And EVERYBODY makes their way to the dance floor, because EVERYONE is a "good" dancer when they dance to the song. Why? Because DJ Casper tells you what to do. "Now, everybody, clap your hands."...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A newly opened railroad bridge east of Missouri's capital city is clearing the last major bottleneck for trains traveling between St. Louis and Jefferson City. Officials expect the 1,200-foot-long Osage River rail bridge, which officially opened Monday in Osage City, to help improve on-time performance for Amtrak passenger trains and Union Pacific freight trains. ...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A southwest Missouri zoo is evaluating its elephant program after the death of a zookeeper and nationwide changes in how the industry is caring for the animals. The Springfield News-Leader reported that a 41-year-old female named Patience remains out of the view of visitors to the Dickerson Park Zoo more than a month after she knocked elephant manager John Bradford to the ground as he leaned in between the bars. He was killed immediately...

ST. LOUIS -- Christi Winter always tried to give her dog Josie the very best in life, so when it was time to say goodbye, Winter didn't want to do anything less. "She was the best dog in the world," Winter said. "It's still hard to talk about it."...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Galena, Mo., hunter Jerry Burk couldn't believe his luck. In mid-September, deep in the mountains of northwest Colorado, the biggest bull elk he had ever seen slowly worked its way to a small stream only 100 yards from where Burk stood ready with his compound bow...

KELSO, Mo. -- Heightened by 21st century technology, the sparkle of Christmas creativity is again brightening the night near Kelso. Brooks and Brandon Clark started planning their holiday lights display in 2008 and first plugged it in for the 2009 season. It ran again in 2010 and 2011, raising $23,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., two years ago, and after a one-year hiatus, the brothers have added power and 20,000 lights for a total of 100,000...

Walking into Jim Niswonger's garage is like going on a trip back in time. It houses a variety of items: vintage pressed-steel trucks, Grisold cast-iron skillets of all sizes, pedal airplanes, cars, boats and tractors, plus fishing rods and bobble corks...

A now-retired longtime deputy in the Cape Girardeau County Clerk's office is attempting to sue her former employer, alleging she was shorted benefits by being forced to change her retirement date. Judy Beussink of Jackson had worked for the county more than 46 years when she retired on the last day of December 2011...

Hundreds of spectators lined Broadway on Sunday evening to view the 22nd annual Downtown Christmas Parade of Lights, which has taken on an iconic air over the years, according to one official. Even as procession participants readied their floats, balmy weather meant people arrived early to stake out prime viewing spots well in advance of the dusk starting time...

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team is returning from its trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in a good frame of mind. And it's not because the Redhawks have been relaxing in leisure. Quite the contrary. Southeast has been there on business, and they took care of it for the third consecutive day Sunday to win the four-team Cure UCD Classic with a 82-74 victory over Texas State...

Levi's Adventure Crew and friends at the Christmas in Lights Parade. We had an outstanding time!

Berklee & Wyatt were super excited to buy a few toys and then donate them to Toybox!

Today is Monday, Dec. 2, the 336th day of 2013. There are 29 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 2, 1859, militant abolitionist John Brown was hanged for his raid on Harpers Ferry the previous October. Artist Georges-Pierre Seurat was born in Paris...

Once again we've been reminded that while every tragedy takes a toll, it also reveals character. The violent storms that ripped through Southeast Missouri and several parts of Illinois a couple of weeks ago destroyed several homes and in some areas in Illinois shredded towns and took lives...

This is the kind of comic relief I need. A Republican Missouri legislator has called for the impeachment of Gov. Nixon. If you're going to be effective in trashing President Obama, you're going to have to do better than publish a reprint from disgraced Arab "scholar," Fouad Ajami. Among other things, Ajami once assured us that once the U.S. liberated Iraq, the Iraqis would rise in a united sense of undying gratitude and establish a democracy that would be the envy of the Mideast...

LOS ANGELES -- Fans of "Fast & Furious" star Paul Walker created a makeshift memorial Sunday at the site where a car in which he was riding crashed, killing the actor and a friend. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says speed was a factor in the one-car crash in the community of Valencia, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Deputies found a 2005 red Porsche Carrera GT engulfed in flames when they arrived Saturday afternoon...

O Lord Jesus, blessed be your name, the name above all. Amen.

OLMSTED, Ill. -- Timothy Lynn Crecelius, 52, of Olmsted died Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013, at his home. Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Jones Funeral Home Villa Ridge. A funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Brian Lingle officiating. Interment will be in Concord Cemetery in Olmsted...

Wanda Mae Baker, 86, of Jackson died Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home in Jackson. She was born July 28, 1927, in Jackson to Ben Andrew and Stella Mae Mouser Roberts. She was married Dec. 16, 1944, to J.W. Baker. Wanda graduated from Jackson High School. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Jackson...

WASHINGTON -- It's a big question for marketers: What kind of a buyer are you? And, as important, what are you willing to pay? In the search for answers this shopping season, consumer behavior online and off is being tracked aggressively with help from advances in technology...

Union County is the next in line to offer a program that will develop the talents of future entrepreneurs. What makes the program different is that it involves high-school students taking the course outside the school building and in the business community for two course credits...

MEXICO CITY -- Mexican drug cartels looking to diversify their businesses long ago moved into oil theft, pirated goods, extortion and kidnapping, consuming an ever larger swath of the country's economy. Federal officials confirmed the cartels have even entered the country's lucrative mining industry, exporting iron ore to Chinese mills...

Gardner named to board of law examiners Michael Gardner of Cape Girardeau has been appointed by the Missouri Supreme Court to the state board of law examiners. The board is responsible for administering the bar exam and evaluating applicants' character and fitness for admission to the practice of law. Gardner practices with Osburn, Hine, Yates and Murphy LLC in Cape Girardeau...

ashedd@semissourian.com 388-3632 Pertinent addresses: 57 S. Plaza Way, Cape Girardeau, MO 465 S. Mount Auburn Road, Suite 103, Cape Girardeau, MO 125 S. Broadview, Suite 11, Cape Girardeau, MO 1527 S. Perryville Blvd., Perryville, MO...

Southeast Missouri State University is studying the idea of developing a "technology park" that would attract new business and industry to the community; the park would be in a 13.5-acre site in the Greater Cape Girardeau Commercial Subdivision off South Kingshighway...

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's nuclear chief said Sunday that the Islamic Republic needs more nuclear power plants, the country's official news agency reported, just after it struck a deal regarding its contested nuclear program with world powers. Ali Akbar Salehi said the additional nuclear power would help the country reduce its carbon emissions and its consumption of oil, IRNA reported. He said Iran should produce 150 tons of nuclear fuel to supply five nuclear power plants...

KIEV, Ukraine -- A protest by about 300,000 Ukrainians angered by their government's decision to freeze integration with the West turned violent Sunday, when a group of demonstrators besieged the president's office and police drove them back with truncheons, tear gas and flash grenades. Dozens of people were injured...

HELENA, Mont. -- The Montana attorney general's office on Friday asked the state Supreme Court to throw out a 30-day sentence given to a teacher who raped a 14-year-old girl, saying the punishment was illegally lenient. The state formally filed its arguments in the appeal of the highly criticized sentence for Stacey Rambold, who was released from Montana State Prison in September...

WASHINGTON -- Since the end of World War II, more than a dozen high-profile bipartisan panels have been convened to tackle the nation's thorniest fiscal problems. Seldom have their recommendations spurred congressional action. Their ambitious, high-octane reports and recommendations are mostly gathering dust on government shelves...

MIDDLETOWN, Del. -- Remembering the plot of a short story is no longer good enough in teacher Amy Lawson's fifth-grade classroom. Today's students are being asked to think more critically. For example, what might a character say in an email to a friend?...

WEST HAVEN, Conn. -- The microscope at the University of New Haven, set at 10-times magnification, shows a marijuana leaf covered with dozens of tiny bumps. It's mold, and someone, somewhere could be smoking similarly contaminated pot and not have a clue...

NEW YORK -- A New York City commuter train rounding a riverside curve derailed Sunday, killing four people and injuring more than 60 in a crash that threw some riders from toppling cars and swiftly raised questions about whether excessive speed, mechanical problems or human error could have played a role...

WASHINGTON -- You can take our word for it. Americans don't trust each other anymore. We're not talking about the loss of faith in big institutions such as the government, the church or Wall Street, which fluctuates with events. For four decades, a gut-level ingredient of democracy -- trust in the other fellow -- has been quietly draining away...

WASHINGTON -- The worst of the online glitches, crashes and delays may be over for the problem-plagued government health-care website, the Department of Health and Human Services said Sunday. But that doesn't mean HealthCare.gov is ready for a clean bill of health...

NEW YORK -- Did stores shoot themselves in the foot? Target, Macy's and other retailers offered holiday discounts in early November and opened stores on Thanksgiving Day. It was an effort to attract shoppers before Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that traditionally kicks off the holiday shopping season...

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

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

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

Florida State and Ohio State are in position to play for the BCS national championship, though Auburn and Missouri are close enough behind in the BCS standings to put pressure on the Buckeyes. The Seminoles grabbed the top spot in the BCS standings released Sunday after Alabama relinquished it for the first time this season...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Gary Pinkel wanted Missouri players to celebrate the SEC East title, representing a great leap forward for a school that didn't look ready for the new league a year ago. Pinkel has a coaching milestone to relish, too, with his 101st victory tying legendary Don Faurot for most at the school...

San Francisco had little trouble in ending St. Louis' two-game winning streak

As we close in on the end of 2013, it's hard to image that only 100 years ago, women did not yet have the right to vote. The zipper, the moving assembly line and the crossword puzzle were bright new inventions, but not every home had running water or electricity. ...

Bill and Sharon Hopkins of Marble Hill, Mo., are a happily married couple with busy careers and a variety of interests and pastimes. But a passion they both share is a love of writing murder mysteries. "Bill has always been a writer and has written short stories, horror and science fiction," says Sharon. "But he wanted to try writing a mystery novel. I decided that I wanted to try doing that as well."...

HOLIDAY OF LIGHTS DISPLAY Load up the car, crank up the carols and cruise through Cape County Park North to enjoy the Holiday of Lights Display. A Christmas tradition since 1987, Cape County Park North transforms into a dazzling light display each holiday season. ...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Seeking to move past its website woes, the Obama administration is launching a two-pronged health care strategy this month aimed at avoiding enrollment snafus come January while also trying to refocus the public's attention on broader benefits of the sweeping law...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It could take four to six weeks before authorities can determine how a man died after an altercation in the parking lot of Arrowhead Stadium during Kansas City's game against Denver, police said Monday. The man was identified as Kyle A. Vanwinkle, 30, of Smithville, Mo. An examination of Vanwinkle's body did not show obvious signs of trauma, Kansas City police spokesman Darin Snapp said in an emailed statement...

Police executed a search warrant Monday afternoon at a residence in the 1500 block of Themis Street and arrested a suspect in connection with a drug investigation, a Cape Girardeau police spokesman said. The search, which stemmed from an ongoing drug investigation by the SEMO Drug Task Force and the Cape Girardeau Police Department, occurred about 2:30 p.m. Monday, said Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

Thanks to a sharp-eyed caller, police arrested a man Monday in connection with an apparent attempt to pry open an ATM last month. Last week, Cape Girardeau police released photographs of the suspect, who they said caused extensive damage during an unsuccessful attempt to open an automated teller machine Nov. 21 at US Bank, 3060 William St...

A Monday morning arson is under investigation. About 1 a.m., a resident of the 2000 block of Brink Street called police to report hearing an explosion at the back of a house, said Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to halt traffic on the Ohio River Bridge between Wickliffe, Ky., and Cairo, Ill., starting at 10:30 a.m. today, according to a news release issued by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. An electrical crew plans to halt traffic for about 30 to 45 minutes to replace the aviation light on top of the bridge superstructure, the release said. This work requires use of a man-lift that takes up both lanes of travel on the bridge deck...

ST. LOUIS -- The number of people on food stamp rolls in Missouri has dropped since the state switched to a centralized processing system and slashed most in-person help for people seeking public assistance. State officials say the new system is designed to make the application process more efficient but social service advocates said the process makes it harder to sign up and easier to get thrown off food stamp rolls, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported...

A local man is in custody pending formal charges in connection with a Monday morning robbery at a Cape Girardeau drugstore, police reported. About 8 a.m., police received a report that a man had come into Walgreens, 1 S. Kingshighway, and presented a note to someone at the pharmacy counter, demanding prescription drugs, said Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

Cape Girardeau police are looking for a vandal they say has broken into common areas of several apartment buildings, defecated in hallways and stolen money from coin machines in laundry rooms. Cape Girardeau police public information officer Darin Hickey said the vandalism has occurred at apartment buildings on Watkins Drive, North Frederick Street and another location...

LAURA SIMON ~ lsmon@semissourian.com ABOVE: Ronald Davis, a horticulture student at Southeast Missouri State University, checks over a poinsettia for an order he and his classmate, Michael Wyrsch, are filling for the Jackson Optimists on Monday at the university's greenhouse. ...

Police are investigating two cases involving armed intruders forcing their way into Cape Girardeau homes over the weekend. In the first case, two men came to the Cape Girardeau Police Department on Saturday morning to report that about midnight the previous night, they had been inside their home in the 600 block of South Henderson Avenue when they heard a knock at the door, public information officer Darin Hickey said...

A judge sentenced a Poplar Bluff, Mo., man to 15 years in prison Monday for the 2011 shooting death of 29-year-old Marcus McFarland. Paris Thomas originally faced charges of first-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm, but in September, prosecutors reduced the charges to voluntary manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm in exchange for Thomas' guilty plea...

Cape Girardeau city officials have many ideas regarding a possible new police station, but Monday came to one conclusion: There is still much to consider as planning moves forward. The city council's discussion during its study session of recently presented options for a new or renovated station saw officials recognize that a needs study conducted by a hired architecture firm made a justifiable case for the current and future city police force's needs, but all the council members want to see more exploration.. ...

The Jackson Board of Aldermen on Monday unanimously passed an ordinance authorizing a contractual agreement with United Healthcare to provide health insurance for the close to 130 city of Jackson employees. Jim Roach, Jackson city administrator, said Monday the board chose to switch health insurance providers from Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield to United Healthcare of Maryland Heights, Mo., and in turn, switch to a narrower network...

All of Southeast Missouri and the surrounding region could be in for a winter weather event late this week if forecast models being examined Monday by the National Weather Service hold true in the coming days. Forecasters are not yet sure what type or how much precipitation will fall Thursday and Friday when a winter storm is expected to move through the area, but Dan Spaeth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., said he is fairly confident there will be some accumulation.. ...

Michael Hanf is the new man holding the baton, leading the Central High School and Central Junior High orchestras. Moving here in June, Hanf replaced longtime orchestra leader Steve Schaffner, who retired last spring after 22 years in the spot. A Springfield, Mo., native Hanf taught three years in Rogers, Ark., and five years in St. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri lawmakers were seeking additional information as they started work Monday on an incentives package aimed at winning production of Boeing's new 777X commercial airplane. A special legislative session called by Gov. ...

Santa greets Laikyn Williams, 2, of Jackson, at the SoutheastHEALTH Foundation's 18th annual Sounds of the Season holiday concert on Sunday, Dec. 1, at the Cape Bible Chapel. About 500 people attended the Christmas show. Orchestrated by local musician and band leader Jerry Ford, the show featured some of the area's top vocal and dance talent. Proceeds benefited the Southeast Cancer Patient Experience Fund...

Russell Leek is the assistant superintendent of District 32. This time of year, he's also a part-time meteorologist. "I do spend quite a bit of time monitoring the weather when the word 'snow' is mentioned," Leek said. This week's forecast is for a period of mixed wintry precipitation Thursday and Friday. "I started monitoring immediately Monday morning," he said. "I touch base with Brad Moll of Meyer Bus Line, and I keep Superintendent Scott Ireland posted on what we can anticipate."...

Murphy passed out on the couch after his first Thanksgiving.

Woodland rallied to beat Scott City 66-53 in the first round of its own tournament

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 3, the 337th day of 2013. There are 28 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 3, 1984, thousands of people died after a cloud of methyl isocyanate gas escaped from a pesticide plant operated by a Union Carbide subsidiary in Bhopal, India...

Southeast Missouri State University announced Nov. 26 its decision on who will be the next provost at the university. Dr. Bill Eddleman, a 19-year university faculty member, was chosen to succeed Dr. Ron Rosati. Dr. Gerald McDougall served as interim provost...

I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving and a bountiful feast that included sharing with family and friends. In the rush to get to the Christmas season, we sometimes forget how thankful we should be to live in America -- and especially the heartland...

NEW YORK -- Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. said Monday it could raise as much as $2.37 billion, making it one of the year's biggest IPOs. The hotel operator said in a regulatory filing that the offering of 112.8 million shares is expected to price between $18 and $21 each. Hilton is offering about 64.1 million shares, and selling shareholders are offering 48.7 million shares. Selling additional shares to banks could put the IPO's proceeds at as much as $2.72 billion...

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce board of directors approves a three-year contract for chamber president Robert Hendrix and agrees to review the organization's committee structure. The fourth annual Festival of Trees raised $8,000 for WISER Inc., which operates the women's safe house in Cape Girardeau; more than 100 people last night bid on the 20 decorated trees as well as many wreaths and centerpieces during the fundraiser...

Daughter to Victor McDuff Miller and Lana Kristine Koeppel of Jackson, Southeast Hospital, 7:16 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013. Name, Emma Rose Kristine. Weight, 7 pounds, 13 ounces. Third child, first daughter. Ms. Koeppel is the daughter of Charleen and Larry Biester of Jackson and Alan Koeppel of Cape Girardeau. Miller is the son of Duane Renfro of Dexter, Mo., and Mary Davis of Gainesville, Fla. He is employed by C&C Construction...

O Lord God, we lift our eyes to you, our loving Father. Amen.

Many area schools have undertaken the task of establishing safe rooms for students in case a tornado hits. Some are struggling to do so, largely because of prohibitive costs, something I hope can be rectified. Some have, incomprehensibly, done nothing. And, even worse than that, some schools, apparently resting their hopes on a gullible public, are claiming they have safe rooms when they don't...

Firefighters responded to the following call Saturday:...

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday:...

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

Southeast Missouri State senior point guard Lucas Nutt was selected the OVC co-player of the week Monday after helping the Redhawks to the Cure UCD Classic title in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, over the weekend. Nutt, who was among three Redhawks honored in the OVC weekly awards, averaged 15.3 points, five assists and two rebounds in the three-game tournament. ...

BEIJING -- China launched its first rover mission to the moon Monday, sending a robotic craft named Jade Rabbit to trundle across the lunar landscape, examine its geology and beam images back to Earth. A rocket carrying the rover aboard an unmanned Chang'e 3 spaceship successfully blasted off early Monday from a launch center in southwestern China and was scheduled to arrive on the moon in mid-December, the official Xinhua News Agency said...

CAIRO -- Extensive amendments of the constitution adopted under Egypt's ousted Islamist president give the military more privileges, enshrining its place as the nation's most powerful institution and the source of real power, while removing parts that liberals feared set the stage for the creation of an Islamic state...

TRIPOLI, Lebanon -- The government authorized the army Monday to take charge of security in Lebanon's second-largest city of Tripoli for six months after deadly sectarian clashes by rival sides stemming from the civil war in neighboring Syria. Many fear that the violence in Tripoli -- only 18 miles from the Syrian border -- could tip the rest of Lebanon back toward chaos. At least 12 people were killed and more than 100 wounded in the latest fighting that broke out Saturday...

The top three seeds advanced forcefully through the opening round of the Oran Invitational on Monday night. Top-seeded Oran cruised to a 94-36 victory over No. 8 Bell City; No. 2 Chaffee rolled to a 90-41 win over No. 7 Richland; and No. 3 Scott County Central posted a 74-29 victory over No. 6 Kelly...

HONOLULU -- Hawaii issued 40 licenses for same-sex marriages Monday as gay marriages began in the state with six couples at a Waikiki resort exchanging vows side-by-side in front of a few hundred guests. The state began accepting applications for licenses on its website at midnight. Almost all of the licenses were for couples on Oahu, said state Department of Health spokeswoman Janice Okubo. One license was for a couple on Maui...

YONKERS, N.Y. -- The National Transportation Safety Board says a train that derailed in New York City was traveling 82 mph as it approached 30 mph zone. The Metro-North Railroad commuter train jumped the tracks Sunday morning along a sharp curve where the speed limit drops from 70 mph to 30 mph. Four passengers died...

NEW YORK -- Amazon is working on a way to get packages to customers in 30 minutes or less -- via self-guided drone. Consider it the modern version of a pizza delivery boy, minus the awkward teenager. Amazon.com Inc. says it's working on the so-called Prime Air unmanned aircraft project but it will take years to advance the technology and for the Federal Aviation Administration to create the necessary rules and regulations...

WASHINGTON -- On perhaps the busiest online shopping day of the year, the Supreme Court refused to wade into a dispute over state sales taxes for purchases on websites such as Amazon.com, an outcome likely to prompt more states to attempt to collect taxes on Internet sales...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's new and improved health care website faces yet another test in just a couple of weeks, its biggest yet. If HealthCare.gov becomes overwhelmed by an expected year-end crunch, many Americans will be left facing a break in their insurance coverage...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Leon C. Winkler, 78, of Festus, Mo., formerly of Perryville, died Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013, at the home of a son in Ellisville, Mo. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today and from 6:30 a.m. until time of service Wednesday at Young and Sons Funeral Home...

Carrie Ann Wendersky, 45, of Friedheim died Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013, at her home. A private family graveside service was at Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson. A memorial service will be at a later date. McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson was in charge of arrangements...

Edith Ivadell Lewis, 85, of Baton Rouge, La., passed away Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013, at her home, surrounded by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was born in Collinwood, Tenn., was a native of Southeast Missouri, and was a 24-year resident of Baton Rouge...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Anna Mae Kirkpatrick, 95, of Marble Hill passed away Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 1, 1918, in St. Louis County, to William and Clara Sieland Amelung. She and Joe Kirkpatrick were married May 27, 1972. He passed away May 27, 1990...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- James Franklin got the better of Johnny Football while helping No. 5 Missouri reach the SEC championship game. He's having an outstanding senior season, going 8-0 as the starting quarterback for one of the nation's best offenses...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Mary Lou Besand Kephart, 86, of Kearney, Mo., formerly of Perryville, died Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013. A memorial gathering will be from 8 a.m. until time of service Saturday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. A memorial Mass will be at 9 a.m. at the church, with the Rev. Milton Ryan officiating...

Charles Phillip Jestus, 65, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013, at his home. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to service time Thursday at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel. The funeral will be at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Fairmount Cemetery with full military honors...

Doris Ethel Friese Hartle, 90, of St. Peters, Mo., died peacefully Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013, at Spencer Place Assisted Living in St. Peters. She is survived by a daughter, Carole Schwab; a grandson, Todd Cowell; a brother, Norval Friese; two sisters-in-law, Madge and Ella Friese; and many nieces and nephews...

Gena L. Hart, 91, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of West Frankfort, Ill., passed away Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013, at Ratliff Care Center. She was born June 6, 1922, in West Frankfort, to Joseph and Maria Spagnoli Tedeschi. She married Patrick Hart in 1946. He preceded her in death Jan. 4, 1988...

The Rev. Ralph Joseph Jacob Duffner, 83, of Jackson died Monday, Dec. 2, 2013, at Jackson Manor. Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

ST. LOUIS -- Coach Jeff Fisher is willing to forget about the season-high 11 penalties the Rams took on Sunday in a 23-13 loss at San Francisco. As long as it doesn't happen again. "We're not [normally] a penalty-plagued football team," he said Monday...

HONG KONG -- Bruce Lee fans who covet the original yellow jumpsuit that the martial arts legend wore onscreen will get a chance to bid for it at a Hong Kong auction this week. It's part of a collection of 14 items including clothing and props going on the block Thursday...

Around the world, people with disabilities face physical, social, economic and attitudinal barriers that exclude them from participating fully and effectively as equal members of society. Today is International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This year's theme is "break barriers, open doors: for an inclusive society for all." The commemoration of this year's International Day of Persons with Disabilities provides an opportunity to further raise awareness of disability and accessibility as a cross cutting development issue. ...

BOSTON -- In the five years since the "Octomom" case, big multiple births have gone way down but the twin rate has barely budged. Now fertility experts are pushing a new goal: One. A growing number of couples are attempting pregnancy with just a single embryo, helped by new ways to pick the ones most likely to succeed. New guidelines urge doctors to stress this approach...

WASHINGTON -- An experimental device is letting paralyzed people drive wheelchairs simply by flicking their tongue in the right direction. The key to this wireless system: Users get their tongue pierced with a magnetic stud that resembles jewelry and acts like a joystick, in hopes of offering them more mobility and independence...

Top-seeded Perryville and second-seeded Oak Ridge both won by more than 30 points in reaching the semifinals of the Woodland Tournament on Monday night. Perryville's Colin Schirmer scored a game-high 27 points in a 68-43 win over No. 8 Zalma. Grant Dix added 16 points, including four 3-pointers, for the Pirates (1-0)...

The fifth-seeded Hornets scored 11 unanswered points to start the fourth quarter, which was enough to give them a 20 point lead with six minutes left in the game and led to a 93-68 victory over fourth-seeded Malden.

ST. LOUIS -- Sen. Roy Blunt and U.S. Rep. Jason Smith raised concerns Tuesday that controlled burns in the Mark Twain National Forest are destroying trees that could be used for Missouri's timber industry. Blunt and Smith, both Republicans, met Monday to express their concerns with Kathleen Atkinson, the eastern regional forester for the U.S. ...

JOPLIN, Mo. -- It's the end of the road for the Mother Road Marathon. Citing increased costs and declining participation, the Joplin City Council on Monday voted to end the marathon, whose route included a stretch of Route 66. Only 572 people participated in the event this October, with most running the half-marathon and 5k run. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis street ministry is being forced to stop providing hot meals to the homeless, at least for now. The city Health Department on Monday told organizers of the ministry known as Churches on the Streets that it doesn't have a permit to serve hot food, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Like many humans, the orangutans at the Kansas City Zoo are spending time playing games, watching videos and listening to music on their iPads. The project, called Apps for Apes, involves orangutans in 20 zoos in North America and New Zealand and is designed to stimulate the animals' brains and enrich their lives, The Kansas City Star reported Tuesday...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- No injuries were reported Tuesday night after a fire broke out at a Perryville nursing home. Details were sketchy Tuesday night, but the Perryville Fire Department reported a worker at Perry Oaks Nursing and Rehab, 430 N. West St., used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire, which started about 8:30 p.m...

A Cape Girardeau man is in jail on $100,000 bond on charges he was running a hallucinogenic mushroom-growing operation near an elementary school on Themis Street. Christopher J. Campbell, 35, faces charges of attempt to produce a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and unlawful possession of a firearm...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Work to improve Highway 34 in Bollinger County to add shoulders and curve corrections is nearing completion, according to a Missouri Department of Transportation news release. A ribbon cutting to celebrate safety improvements in this area will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17 at Woodland School...

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesman Darin Hickey helps Lennon Shoemaker pick out toys, Tuesday, Dec. ...

A 23-year-old Cape Girardeau man admitted he was responsible for three Monday robberies, including one at a local Walgreens, according to a probable-cause statement filed Tuesday in Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court. Bryan D. Ward is in custody on $250,000 bond in connection with an armed robbery at Walgreens, 1 S. Kingshighway, and a pair of early morning armed robberies at convenience stores in Dexter, Mo., court records show...

ADAM VOGLER ~ avogler@semissourian.com ABOVE: Sara Edgerton conducts the Southeast Missouri State University Symphony Orchestra as it performs selections from Pyotr Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite" as part of "Many Moods of Christmas" on Tuesday at the Bedell Performance Hall on the River Campus. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- The Perryville board of aldermen on Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance establishing protocols for handling city employee complaints of harassment by elected officials. Under the new policy, employees must submit grievances in writing to the city's personnel clerk, who will forward them to the city attorney to present to the board of aldermen in closed session, shielding the complainant's identity as far as possible...

A Cape Girardeau insurance agent is the target of a cease-and-desist order accusing him of losing more than $241,000 of a Jackson woman's money in a fraudulent investment scheme after promising to make her "rich" so she could "retire in two years." Manzur Ahmed Mazumder is accused of persuading a colleague at a Cape Girardeau insurance agency to let him set up trading accounts in her name and make investments for her using more than $300,000 she pulled from her individual retirement accounts, credit cards, a home equity line of credit and her bank account, according to a cease-and-desist order filed Nov. ...

During his lifetime, James Harnes Sr. of Advance, Mo., was many things to his country and his community. He was a highly-decorated Army veteran, civic leader, a mayor for 17 years and a businessman. Harnes died Tuesday at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was 94...

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky ahead of an arctic cold front, and forecast freezing rain, sleet and snow for the area Thursday and Friday. The watch advisory, issued Tuesday afternoon, advised the storm's main effect will be accumulating ice, sleet and snow, which could make for dangerous road conditions and cause some power outages, especially if an area receives freezing rain. ...

This past July, a group of eleven riders and five support crew known as Biking for Babies bicycled 1,100 miles from New Orleans to Chicago in eight days for the pro-life cause. With a mission of renewing the culture of life and raising $50,000 for eight pregnancy resource centers, Biking for Babies was able to raise $67,000; $7,070 of which went to Birthright of Cape Girardeau...

Cape Girardeau Road Runners board members Steve Seyller and Kristie Milam donate a check in the amount of $1500.00 to the Cape Girardeau Police K9 unit. The proceeds are from the clubs CWE 5k (Cape Woods Extravaganza)that was held in August.

ST. LOUIS -- The owners of the Edward Jones Dome said Tuesday they are hopeful the St. Louis Rams won't leave after city leaders rejected $700 million in publicly funded upgrades sought by the team under a clause some officials now regret signing...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri senators hoping to land production of a new Boeing airplane were set to begin debate today on a package of incentives valued at up to $1.7 billion over two decades. The proposed incentives -- which are dependent on the creation of thousands of new jobs -- cleared their first test Tuesday evening by flying through a Senate committee that heard testimony from a large contingent of St. Louis area officials backing the plan...

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 4, the 338th day of 2013. There are 27 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 4, 1619, a group of settlers from Bristol, England, arrived at Berkeley Hundred in present-day Charles City County, Virginia, where they held a service thanking God for their safe arrival. (Some suggest this was the true first Thanksgiving in America, ahead of the Pilgrims' arrival in Massachusetts.)...

O Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your son, Jesus, to save us. Amen.

The city just picked up my leaves and they did a wonderful job. Thank you. Mail is late It's 6:30, and my mail carrier has not been here yet. I think we're going back to the Pony Express. I'm 89 years old, and I can't afford to fall down going out to see if my mail is there in the dark...

Social media continues to occupy the time of young and old alike. More and more options have developed for people to get the sound bite information they want, when they want it. Information can be shared with a small group of friends or the masses. Our newsroom uses these channels to link stories and photos and share breaking news, sports and weather information. Based on the trend we're seeing among those who follow us, it's clear people are paying attention and like this form of communication...

The current Congress is rated as one of the least productive in history because of a lack of new legislation. According to the rating service, this session of Congress has approved just 60 new laws and thus, the low rating. But why is this rating based on legislation passed?...

Charles Phillip Jestus, 65, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013, at his home. He was born Feb. 11, 1948, in Cairo, Ill., to Charles Lewis and Mary E. Moore Jestus. He graduated from Cairo High School. Charles was an Army veteran serving in Vietnam. He was awarded the Purple Heart, received the Silver Rose Award from Jo Ann Emerson and the National Guard Award for his service in Vietnam from the governor of Missouri. While in Vietnam he was exposed to Agent Orange...

Sarah Heuschober, 99, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013, at her home. She was born Dec. 22, 1913, at Uniontown, Mo., to Julius and Josephine Kasten Tanz. She and Clarence "C.J." Heuschober were married June 28, 1953, in Fort Worth, Texas. He preceded her in death in 1980...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- The Rev. Ralph J. Duffner, 83, of Chaffee died Monday, Dec. 2, 2013, at Jackson Manor in Jackson. He was born Aug. 4, 1930, in St. Louis, son of Ralph Joseph and Agnes Anna Stuesse Duffner. Duffner was ordained a priest March 17, 1956, in St. ...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- James John Harnes Sr., 94, of Advance passed away Monday, Dec. 2, 2013, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 23, 1919, in Advance, son of Leonard and Nellie Beard Harnes. James took over the family insurance agency in the 1950s. ...

James "J.W." Jones of Delta passed away Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born in Delta to Fangie Edward and Nellie Ann Borneman Jones. He married Joann Poinsett, who preceded him in death Nov. 11, 2000...

Rita Kuss, 70, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013, at Georgian Gardens Nursing Center in Potosi, Mo. Arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Delbert J. Bohnert, 95, of Perryville died Saturday, Nov. 30, 2013, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Miller Family Funeral Home. Parish prayers will be at 5:30 p.m., with a VFW service at 6 p.m...

Bessie Alice Eisenhauer, 94, of Jackson died Monday, Dec. 2, 2013, at Jackson Manor. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Zion United Methodist Church in Gordonville.

Daughter to Johnny Franklin and Katie Anne Ford of McClure, Ill., Southeast Hospital, 7:45 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013. Name, Mavis Aline. Weight, 9 pounds, 2 ounces. Fourth child, third daughter. Mrs. Ford is the former Katie Prater, daughter of Gary Prater of Thebes, Ill., and David and Teresa Bigham of Olive Branch, Ill. Ford is the son of Terry Ford of McClure and Bruce Ford and Amy Day of Olive Branch. He is employed by LeGrand Brothers Transmission...

The Rev. Robert Holmes, Assemblies of God missionary to Nigeria, West Africa, is the guest speaker at First Assembly of God Church in Jackson; in Nigeria, Holmes and his wife, Linda, will be conducting evangelism crusades, teaching in Bible school, establishing churches and working with children's ministries...

The Redhawks have lost five consecutive games, including four on the road

PARIS -- French scientists looking into the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat have dismissed poisoning by radioactive polonium, his widow announced Tuesday. The results contradict earlier findings by a Swiss lab, and mean it's still unclear how Arafat died nine years ago...

VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican on Tuesday dodged a series of questions posed by a U.N. committee about clerical sexual abuse by noting the Holy See doesn't control the actions of every Catholic in the world, much less regulate every Catholic priest, parish or school...

ZAATARI CAMP, Jordan -- Cranes are lifting trailers into place and tents are being packed away as international aid workers rush to winterize a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan -- trying to avoid a repeat of last year when three days of torrential rain turned the massive site into a muddy swamp...

KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukraine appeared mired in a political standoff Tuesday, as massive protest rallies showed no sign of letting up and the government warned of its capability for force after a failed attempt to take it down. The opposition lost its attempt to topple the government by parliamentary means when a vote of no-confidence failed by a sizable margin...

SEOUL, South Korea -- An 85-year-old U.S. veteran being held in North Korea spent his war years there in one of the Army's first special forces unit, helping a clandestine group of Korean partisans who were fighting and spying well behind enemy lines...

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court indicated Tuesday it won't offer much help to frequent fliers who want to sue when airlines revoke their miles or their memberships. The justices heard the case of a Minnesota rabbi who was stripped of his top-level "platinum elite" status in Northwest's WorldPerks program because the airline said he complained too much...

WASHINGTON -- More troubles for the health-care overhaul. Subsidies to help people buy insurance under the law may be vulnerable to fraud, a Treasury Department watchdog said Tuesday in a report suggesting that concerns about the law are far from over...

WASHINGTON -- With the advent of 3-D printers capable of producing plastic weapons, the House voted Tuesday to renew a 25-year-old prohibition against firearms that can evade metal detectors and X-ray machines. A bipartisan bill extending the Undetectable Firearms Act was passed on a voice vote, a first for gun legislation since last year's massacre at a Connecticut elementary school...

YONKERS, N.Y. -- The revelation that a New York City commuter train derailed while barreling around a sharp curve at nearly three times the speed limit is fueling questions about whether automated crash-avoidance technology could have prevented the carnage...

Cameron Davis collected a game-high 22 points to help the third-seeded Leopold boys basketball team debut its season with a 71-26 victory over No. 6 Meadow Heights on Tuesday to secure a spot in the semifinals of the Woodland Invitational Tournament...

WASHINGTON -- American students once again lag behind many of their Asian and European peers on a global exam, a continuing trend that often is blamed on child poverty and a diverse population in U.S. schools. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called the results a "picture of educational stagnation" as U.S. students showed little improvement over three years, failing to score in the top 20 on math, reading or science...

DETROIT -- A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Detroit can use bankruptcy to cut employee pensions and relieve itself of other crushing debts, handing a defeat to the city's unions and retirees and shifting the case into a delicate new phase. Judge Steven Rhodes, who wondered aloud why the bankruptcy had not happened years ago, said pensions can be altered just like any contract because the Michigan Constitution does not offer bulletproof protection for employee benefits. ...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- The Illinois Legislature approved a historic plan Tuesday to eliminate the state's $100 billion pension shortfall, a long-delayed decision proponents described as critical to repairing the state's deeply troubled finances but that faces the immediate threat of a legal challenge from labor unions...

NEW YORK -- Billy Joel will perform once a month at Madison Square Garden -- as long as the fans will have him. The Grammy Award-winning icon announced Tuesday he'll perform a residency at the famed NYC venue every month for as long as New Yorkers demand. He's set to perform sold-out shows Jan. 27, Feb. 3, March 21 and April 28. He will also perform on his 65th birthday, which is May 9. Tickets go on sale Saturday...

Robert A. "Bob" Drury, 81, passed away Thursday, Nov. 28, 2013, at his home in San Antonio. He was born April 3, 1932, in Kelso, Mo., to Lambert C. and Lorraine Dohogne Drury. He attended St. Augustine Grade School in Kelso, and graduated from St. Mary's High School (now Notre Dame Regional High School) in Cape Girardeau. Bob is best known as co-founder of Drury Hotels and his tireless dedication to his faith, community, family and business...

Southeast Missouri State University will close its main campus in Cape Girardeau at 1:45 p.m. today because of winter weather. Classes scheduled for the rest of the afternoon and evening are canceled, according to a university spokesperson. The university's satellite campuses in Sikeston, Malden and Kennett are also closing at 2 p.m. today...

Jackson city officials are advising residents to move their cars out of snow routes by 3 a.m. Friday. Vehicles left along designated snow routes after that time may be ticketed or towed to make way for snow plows, public works director Rodney Bollinger announced in a news release Thursday afternoon...

City hall, the Arena Building, Osage Centre and Shawnee Park Center in Cape Girardeau will close at 4 p.m. today, according the Cape Girardeau's public information office. The facilities are scheduled to open at their normal time Friday. Pertinent addresses:...

JOHANNESBURG -- Nelson Mandela, who became one of the world's most beloved statesmen and a colossus of the 20th century when he emerged from 27 years in prison to negotiate an end to white minority rule in South Africa, has died. He was 95. South African President Jacob Zuma made the announcement at a news conference late Thursday, saying: "We've lost our greatest son."...

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- With the fight over solving Illinois' worst-in-the-nation pension shortfall headed to the courts, the financially troubled state faces a grim possibility: The plan could be tossed, and Illinois could wind up in an even deeper fiscal hole than the one it's in now...

Starting Friday, thousands will gather at Osage Centre with one goal in mind: to help feed starving children across the globe. Volunteers will pack and label boxes with dry food ingredients that will be shipped and delivered to children by the Feed My Starving Children Organization...

Whether it's to keep up with relatives who live far away or stay connected with friends, students around Cape Girardeau County are fluent in social media. The Southeast Missourian asked students from Jackson High School, Scott City High School and Cape Girardeau Central High School what their favorite form of social media is and what appeals to them about it...

The driver in a fatal box-truck crash faces more legal troubles in connection with the accident. Bobby Joe Abernathy, 34, of Jackson was driving a Slumberland Furniture truck west on Missouri 34 when the truck crossed the centerline and collided with an eastbound sport-utility vehicle driven by Erin Cordell, then 18, of Marble Hill, Mo...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's enticement package for a new Boeing assembly plant cleared its most daunting obstacle Wednesday as state senators passed a plan that could offer up to $1.7 billion of incentives over two decades. The Senate's 23-8 vote in a special session sends the measure to the House, where final approval could come as soon as Friday...

A looming winter storm kept local road crews busy with preparations Wednesday while several community events were canceled or postponed because of the threat of ice and snow. As of Wednesday afternoon, National Weather Service forecast maps showed an area north of a line extending from Poplar Bluff, Mo., through Cape Girardeau as likely to receive four or more inches of sleet and snow during a winter storm expected to begin Thursday night and last into Friday. ...

Both players and coaches of the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team agreed that it was a much-needed win that the Redhawks picked up Wednesday at the Show Me Center. Southeast (3-6) never trailed and snapped its five-game losing streak with a 72-50 win against regional-rival SIU Carbondale...

got lucky one day on getting this shot of a 9 point albino buck in town.

winter sunrise

Taken at the parade of lights

Hagerman the Magician came to Orchard Dr Elementary in Jackson,MO and performed an Extreme Science Show for us.

The common pleas courthouse

Snowing in downtown Cape--a view of The Bar

Today is Thursday, Dec. 5, the 339th day of 2013. There are 26 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 5, 1933, national Prohibition came to an end as Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, repealing the 18th Amendment...

Will the parents or guardians that insist on blocking Hopper Road at 3 o'clock every school day please stop? I live off Hopper and have no choice but to take that route home. Every single day there is a parking lot in the middle of the road with people parking on both sides of the road and then there is a line of cars waiting to pull into the parking lot. ...

O Lord Jesus, may we guard our words and glorify you in all we say. Amen.

Based on the weather forecast, Southeast Missouri will experience its first significant winter storm this season with a mixture of snow, sleet, rain and freezing rain all possible later today and Friday. A Winter Storm Warning has been issued until 6 p.m. Friday for Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Perry, Ripley, Scott, Stoddard and Wayne counties in Missouri and nine counties in Southern Illinois...

On Monday the Southeast Missourian printed an article by Phillip Elliott of The Associated Press, "Critical thinking hallmark of Common Core class," where he attempts to disguise his opinions as "news." He obviously supports the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI), referring to those who oppose them as "tea-party-aligned conservatives." If that's the case, I'll proudly wear that badge...

Well, the politicians are at it again in Jefferson City. On the heels of a General Session in 2013 that failed to improve the lives and opportunities for working women and men, one of the first bills filed seeks to further undermine the standard of living so many Missourians strive for. ...

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. -- The man charged with killing a Transportation Security Administration officer and wounding two other agents and a civilian during a shooting rampage at Los Angeles International Airport made his first court appearance Wednesday, still showing signs of the gunshot wounds suffered when he was arrested...

SALEM, Mass. -- A 14-year-old boy accused of killing his high school math teacher pleaded not guilty Wednesday to murder, aggravated rape and armed robbery charges. Philip Chism is charged in the Oct. 22 death of Colleen Ritzer, a popular teacher at Danvers High School. Ritzer's body was found in woods near the school with her throat slit and a note reading, "I hate you all."...

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, Fla. -- Wildlife workers in boats struggled unsuccessfully Wednesday to coax nearly four dozen pilot whales out of dangerous shallow waters in Florida's Everglades National Park, hoping to spare them the fate of 10 others that had died...

YONKERS, N.Y. -- An engineer whose speeding commuter train ran off the rails along a curve, killing four people, experienced a hypnosis-like "daze" and nodded at the controls just before the wreck, and by the time he caught himself it was too late, people representing him said Tuesday...

DETROIT -- A judge has given Detroit the green light to cut pensions as a way out of the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, a decision that puts the case in the laps of thousands of retirees who had hoped the Michigan Constitution would protect them from getting smaller checks in their golden years...

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Recordings released Wednesday of 911 calls from the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting show town dispatchers urged panicked callers to take cover, mobilized help and asked about the welfare of the children as the boom of gunfire could be heard at times in the background...

WASHINGTON -- The vast majority of feature-length silent films made in America have been lost due to decay and neglect over the past 100 years, allowing an original 20th-century art form to all but disappear, according to a study released Wednesday...

MEXICO CITY -- A missing shipment of radioactive cobalt-60 was found Wednesday near where the stolen truck transporting the material was abandoned in central Mexico, the country's nuclear safety director said. The highly radioactive material had been removed from its container, officials said, and one predicted anyone involved in opening the box could be in grave danger of dying within days...

BERLIN -- Hundreds of unsolved killings and attempted killings in Germany over the past two decades may have been committed by far-right extremists, officials said Wednesday. The admission comes two years after police acknowledged a series of murders they initially linked to immigrant criminal groups was likely the work of a secretive neo-Nazi group...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The death of a man in an Arrowhead Stadium parking lot during Kansas City's game this weekend was ruled a homicide Wednesday, but police said it could still take weeks before they know what killed him. Kyle Van Winkle, 30, of Smithville, Mo., was unconscious on the ground when police responded to a disturbance call around 5:20 p.m. in Lot A at Truman Sports Complex, where Arrowhead is...

REPUBLIC, Mo. -- A southwest Missouri company plans to build manufacturing and office space in Republic that could mean 77 new jobs for the town. Watson Metal Masters announced Wednesday that it will break ground on the $4.8 million project in mid-2014. The company designs and makes stainless steel storage tanks and other equipment for several industries...

UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. -- Investigators are blaming a space heater for a house fire that killed a St. Louis County man. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the victim was identified Wednesday as 51-year-old Wardie R. Neely Jr. Neely was taken from the single-family University City home Tuesday afternoon to a hospital, where he died a short time later. ...

CHICAGO -- Houston-based Dynegy Inc. took ownership of five Illinois coal-fired power plants as Ameren Corp. exited the merchant generation business to concentrate on its rate-regulated operations in Illinois and Missouri, the companies announced Monday...

PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. -- Police have recovered a stolen FedEx delivery truck after a low-speed pursuit that wound through Kansas City, Mo., and ended just over the state line in Prairie Village, Kan. KMBC-TV reported the truck was stolen around 8:45 a.m. ...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Gov. Robert Bentley said Alabama will be among the states submitting a proposal next week to build Boeing's new 777X aircraft, and the proposal will stress more than just the money the state is offering. "We are a right-to-work state and that is vitally important," Bentley told a county commissioners' convention Wednesday in Birmingham...

MOBERLY, Mo. -- MFA Oil Co. plans to buy the 33-acre site in Moberly where Mamtek U.S. had planned to build an artificial sweetener plant before that company collapsed, MFA officials said. MFA, a farmer-owned co-op based in Columbia, said Tuesday it had no specific plans for the land and the half-constructed buildings, which it bought from UMB Bank. The bank forced Mamtek into bankruptcy after the company defaulted on bonds for the sweetener plant...

DE SOTO, Mo. -- An eastern Missouri church where thieves took more than $4,000 worth of copper wire in June has been victimized again. KMOV-TV reported about 2,000 feet of copper wire was taken late Sunday from De Soto Christian Church in Jefferson County. ...

ST. LOUIS -- The world's largest furniture retailer is opening its first Missouri location in St. Louis. Ikea plans a Wednesday morning announcement of its new store on Forest Park Avenue near the city's Central West End. The store will have a prominent perch in the new CORTEX research park. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The University of Missouri has a new chancellor for its flagship campus in Columbia. University system president Tim Wolfe plans to announce the new hire at a Thursday morning news conference. The campus leader will replace Brady Deaton, who retired in November after nine years as chancellor. ...

ST. LOUIS -- The Missouri Court of Appeals Eastern District has returned two lawsuits arising from police officers' use of 2006 World Series tickets to a St. Louis court. The appeals court said Tuesday the trial court should resolve disputes over records concerning a 2006 investigation of police officers who allowed friends and family to use World Series tickets taken from scalpers...

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis-area lawyer who helped solve a 2008 bombing that nearly killed an attorney is missing. Friends and authorities say 39-year-old Jeffrey Witt hasn't been seen since late October. Witt recently lost an almost $1 million legal malpractice case and his law license is in jeopardy, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Wednesday...

The 23-8 vote Wednesday by which the Missouri Senate approved legislation offering up to $1.7 billion of incentives over two decades for Boeing to assemble a commercial airplane in St. Louis. Voting "yes" in the Senate were 15 Republicans and eight Democrats. Voting "no" were eight Republicans. Not voting were one Republican and two Democrats...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama prodded Congress to raise wages and secure the social safety net as he issued an overarching appeal Wednesday to correct inequalities that he said make it harder for a child in the United States to escape poverty...

WASHINGTON -- The National Security Agency tracks the locations of nearly 5 billion cellphones every day overseas, including those belonging to Americans abroad, The Washington Post reported Wednesday. The NSA inadvertently gathers the location records of "tens of millions of Americans who travel abroad" annually, along with the billions of other records it collects by tapping into worldwide mobile network cables, the newspaper said in a report on its website...

Daughter to Brandon and Julie Streiler of Webster Groves, Mo., Missouri Baptist Medical Center, 3:51 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, 2013. Name, Katherine Grace. Weight, 5 pounds, 9 ounces. Third child, second daughter. Mrs. Streiler is the former Julie Cole, daughter of Mike and Anne Cole of High Ridge, Mo., and Suzanne Cole of Shelbyville, Mo. ...

People wait in a long line outside the Missouri Job Service office for an early opportunity to apply for up to 120 full- and part-time positions at the new Central Hardware store, which is due to open here in March; more than 300 applications are handed out by noon; as many as 1,000 applicants are expected today through Wednesday...

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

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 following local students have been awarded scholarships to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 2014-2015 academic year: Katherine Harris of Jackson, who will be a 2014 graduate of Jackson Senior High School and is the daughter of Scott and Judy Harris has received the Regents' Scholarship; Ashlee Long of Sedgewickville, Mo., who will be a 2014 graduate of Meadow Heights High School in Patton, Mo., and his the daughter of Marcus Long and Julia Mollette, has received the Regents' Scholarship; Christopher Bollinger of Patton, Mo., who will be a 2014 graduate of Meadow Heights High School in Patton and is the son of Sam and Dana Bollinger, has received the University Scholarship; Ryan Foltz of Sedgewickville, Mo., who will be a 2014 graduate of Meadow Heights High School in Patton, Mo., and is the son of Jim and Traci Foltz, has received the Regents' Scholarship; Ari Zakroff of Cape Girardeau, who will be a 2014 graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School and is the son of Bert and Sandra Zakroff, has received the Regents' Scholarship; Logan Villagrana of Cape Girardeau, who will be a 2014 graduate of World Changers Academy in Cape Girardeau and is the son of Samuel and Dawn Villagrana, has received the University Scholarship and Residence Life Leadership Award.. ...

Have you ever tried to blow up a balloon inside a bottle? It's easy if you use science. STEP 2: Place your mouth over the opening of the empty water bottle and attempt to inflate the balloon. The air inside the bottle was trapped when you placed the balloon over the outside of the empty water bottle. ...

AMSTERDAM -- The European Commission has fined a group of major global banks a total of $2.3 billion for colluding to profit from the manipulation of key interest rates. The banks that received fines, which include JPMorgan, Citigroup and Deutsche Bank, are accused of manipulating for years European and Japanese benchmark interest rates that affect hundreds of billions of dollars in contracts globally, from mortgages to credit card bills...

Harold Staats, 89, of Cape Girardeau passed away Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013, at his home. He was born Sept. 8, 1924, near Zalma, Mo., son of Francis and Alma Shell Staats. He and Glodena Hendrix were married Oct. 1, 1946, in Cape Girardeau. Harold was a member of Bethel General Baptist Church near Advance, Mo., and had served as a deacon 40 years. ...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Sue Roper, 88, of Advance passed away Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013, at Golden Living Center in Bloomfield, Mo. She was born July 27, 1925, in Cullman, Ala., daughter of Clarence and Bertha Putman Howard. Sue and Bonnie Roper were married July 1, 1944, at Bloomfield. He preceded her in death Feb. 27, 2005...

VANDUSER, Mo. -- Harold Gene "Huly" Graviett, 68, of Vanduser died Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born Aug. 11, 1945, in Richmond, Calif., son of the late Raymond Harold and Imogene Pobst Graviett. He and Donna Hatley were married April 8, 1994...

Margaret "Marge" Papp De Lonais, 83, formerly of Cleveland, passed away at her home in Oak Ridge after a lengthy illness. She was preceded in death by four brothers and two sisters. Marge was the beloved mother of Anne De Lonais-Turner, MD (Dennis), Lawrence M. De Lonais (Linda) and Susan D. Cindric (Jason Doyle)...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- LeRoy J. "Topper" Brewer, 73, of Perryville died Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Aug. 19, 1940, in Perryville, to Wallace J. and Iris M. Rayoum Brewer. He and Lillian L. Keller were married Dec. 20, 1957, in Chicago...

A memorial service for Ricky Brant planned Saturday in Scott City has been postponed until further notice because of expected weather conditions. Brant, 59, of Oldfield, Mo., formerly of Scott City, died Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013, at Cox Medical Center South in Springfield, Mo...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded several contracts for Southeast District projects during a special session Tuesday, including two in the region, according to a Missouri Department of Transportation news release...

Help-Portrait is a charitable event all about photos, fellowship and smiles. The international event is held in more than 2,000 locations across 62 countries. This is the fourth year local photographers will come together in Cape Girardeau to provide free professional photos to those who might not otherwise be able to afford them...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) -- Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill will deliver the winter commencement address when 740 students graduate at Southeast Missouri State University on Dec. 21. Plans for the commencement were announced by the university on Tuesday. Degree recipients will include 574 undergraduate students, along with graduate, specialist and doctoral students. Ten undergraduate students will be honored for perfect 4.0 grade point averages...

Police on Wednesday arrested a teenager suspected of breaking into several apartment buildings, defecating in hallways and stealing money from coin machines in laundry rooms. Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department, said someone identified the suspect from surveillance images...

Scott County Central sank 11 3-pointers in a 93-86 win over Chaffee

By BRIAN ROSENER ~ Daily American Republic POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Darrell Monroe finally took home that elusive Carr Trophy as the most outstanding football player in the SEMO Conference. A finalist for a second straight year, Monroe picked up the honor Wednesday night at the 68th annual Poplar Bluff Letter Club Gridiron Banquet...

The third-seeded Wildcats upended No. 2 Oak Ridge 52-50

Top-seeded host Oran secured an 80-53 semifinal victory against fifth-seeded Advance Wednesday to earn a spot in the title game of the 58th annual Oran Invitational. Seth Ressel scored a game-high 27 points. Hunter Schlosser finished with 22, Chance Tenkhoff had 15 and Jacob Priggel added 10...

The Pirates advanced to tonight's final with a 65-60 win

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

Around 3,100 Ameren Missouri customers in Southeast Missouri's Bootheel counties were without power as of 11:35 a.m. Friday, the company reported on its website. Dunklin and New Madrid counties each had about 1,800 customers with no electricity, while Pemiscot County had 286...

The 127-20 vote Friday by which the Missouri House gave final approval to legislation authorizing tax incentives for Boeing Co. to build an assembly plant for commercial airplanes in Missouri. Voting "yes" were 84 Republicans and 43 Democrats. Voting "no" were 17 Republicans and three Democrats...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri lawmakers gave final approval Friday to a plan offering up to $1.7 billion in incentives over more than two decades if Boeing agrees to assemble a highly sought-after passenger plane in the St. Louis area. The incentives will be a key part of Missouri's bid for the Boeing 777X jetliner in a competition featuring more than a dozen states from coast to coast -- many of which, like Missouri, already have a sizable Boeing workforce...

Because of the weather forecast, some community organizations are canceling or postponing events. The Brazeau Christmas Walk has been postponed from Saturday until 3 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 14. The Lutheran Family and Children's Services Holiday Home Tour has been postponed from Saturday until Dec. 14...

If you love rock 'n' roll, the weather doesn't matter. It was like that for the estimated 4,500 people who braved an ice storm to attend a Thursday night concert by 1970s-'80s rock bands REO Speedwagon and Styx at the Show Me Center. Taking the stage first at 7:37 p.m., Styx kept much of the audience on their feet as they powered through familiar hits...

In an effort more than three years in the making, representatives of a proposed Downtown Cape Girardeau Community Improvement District on Thursday morning filed a petition with the city clerk requesting the city council form a Community Improvement District in the areas of Broadway, Water, Main and Spanish and portions of adjoining streets...

Snowing

This is what it looked like in front of our door at 8:00 this morning!

The entrance to Isle Casino in downtown Cape Girardeau taken on the morning of Friday, December 6, 2013. In the background, crews work to clear the drive as snow continues to fall.

The Fountain on the Courthouse lawn in Cape Girardeau, MO

The Gazebo on the Courthouse lawn in Cape Girardeau

Flags flying at City Hall-Snow Day 2013

Main Street in Cape Girardeau-Snow Day 2013

A photo of Main Street in downtown Cape Girardeau on the morning of Friday, December 6, 2013. The clock at the corner of Main and Themis displays a holiday wreath as snow falls on the street.

Liam, 10, of Jackson, points out the local snow route.

Snow at my backyard

The search for Southeast Missouri State's next football coach will take a step forward today when the deadline for applications passes at noon. "A decision will be made of who are possibly three or four possible finalists," Southeast athletic director Mark Alnutt said Thursday. ...

A female cardinal coming to our make-shift bird feeder.

The snow piled up and the icicles hanging down on my deck railing.

An icicle on my oriental maple tree.

Night picture showing snow .

No rose's in the garden today!

Brock and his puppy, Buster, enjoyed the snow today!

Red berries and green leavers covered in ice and snow make for a pretty Christmas picture. December 6, 2013

squirrel on a snowy branch

Picture taken this morning of our car. engulfed in the snow :)

Dad(Rich Brandon) and 9month old pup Jonathan checking out the snow that made its way on the deck. Jonathan's first winter wonderland :)

Our first winter in our new home gave us this panoramic view from the back of our deck. Beautiful!

Today is Friday, Dec. 6, the 340th day of 2013. There are 25 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 6, 1957, America's first attempt at putting a satellite into orbit failed as Vanguard TV3 rose only about four feet off a Cape Canaveral launch pad before crashing back down and exploding...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama marked the end of Hanukkah with not one, but two receptions at the White House on Thursday. He noted a rare quirk in the calendar that overlapped Thanksgiving and the start of the eight-day Jewish holiday. At the first gathering, Obama recognized guests who are credited with coming up with some unusual names for the joint holiday, such as "Thanksgivukkah," a combination of Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, and "menurkey," a blend of the words menorah and turkey.. ...

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. economy is growing faster, corporate profits are rising and companies are laying off the fewest workers in six years. The latest government reports point to economic momentum in the midst of the critical holiday shopping season...

Gusta F. Koehler, 89, of Jackson passed away Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 1, 1924, in Jackson daughter of Gus and Leona Wohlgemuth Wedekind. She and Charles William "Bud" Koehler were married Jan. 22, 1942. He passed away Aug. 16, 1990...

Rita Kuss, 70, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013, at Georgian Gardens Nursing Center in Potosi, Mo. She was born March 12, 1943, in Oran, Mo., to Anthony and Geneva Wagner Hulshof. She married James Kuss March 3, 1962. Rita was a member of St. Mary Cathedral Parish...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Elizabeth Wing Matthews, 90, of Sikeston died Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013, at Sikeston Convalescent Center. She was born Jan. 7, 1923, in Elgin, Ill., daughter of Claude Pierce and Olive Bucklin Wing. In addition to her parents, She was preceded in death by a brother and a sister...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- William J. Myers, 87, of Chaffee died Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013, at home with his family. Friends may call after 4 p.m. Tuesday at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the chapel. Burial will be in Forest Hills Memorial Gardens near Morley, with full military honors presented by Missouri Honor Guard...

Daughter to Taylor C. and Bethanie Dinan of St. Louis, Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, 7:53 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, 2013. Name, Claire Elizabeth. Weight, 8 pounds, 1 ounce. Third child, second daughter. Mrs. Dinan is the former Bethanie Gosche, daughter of Larry C. and Bonnie Gosche of Benton, Mo. She is a physician assistant. Dinan is the son of Ed and Jane Dinan of St. Louis. He is an appraiser and analyst with Dinan Real Estate Advisors, Inc...

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

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Summons Assaults Burglaries Thefts Miscellaneous...

The Show Me Center will be the site of an evening of Christian hip-hop, rap and pop music when six-time Grammy winner TobyMac hits the stage Dec. 13 with his Hits Deep tour. The concert, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m., will feature TobyMac -- that's the stage name of Toby McKeehan -- and an array of Christian recording artists including Brandon Heath, Mandisa, Jamie Grace, Colton Dixon, Chris August and Capital Kings...

BISMARCK, N.D. -- With the wind chill falling to almost minus 40, Steve Hendershot's mind was elsewhere Thursday as he and his crew of roustabouts worked a well in North Dakota's booming oil patch. On palm trees and beaches, in fact. "Sometimes you just got to close your eyes and dream of a warm, happy place," said Hendershot, working near Souris. "I'm doing that today."...

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- People shopping for insurance on the federal marketplace may be informed they're eligible for Medicaid and their information is being sent to state officials to sign them up. However, states say they aren't able to enroll them because they're receiving incomplete data from the Obama administration...

NEW YORK -- Fast-food workers and labor organizers marched, waved signs and chanted in cities across the country Thursday in a push for higher wages. Organizers say employees planned to forgo work in 100 cities, with rallies set for another 100 cities. But by late afternoon, it was unclear what the turnout was or how many participants were workers. At targeted restaurants, disruptions seemed minimal or temporary...

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii -- Herb Weatherwax cruises the open-air grounds of the visitors center at Pearl Harbor on a motorized scooter dubbed "Herb's Hot Rod." When a woman notices his blue and white cap embroidered with the words "Pearl Harbor Survivor," he coaxes her over...

LONDON -- People attending the London premiere of a new film about Nelson Mandela were told of his death Thursday as the closing credits rolled. The news broke during the premiere. Stopping the screening of "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" was discussed, but Mandela's daughters asked the film continue, a spokesman with the production said Thursday night...

By RACHEL D'ORO ~ Associated Press ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A deadly epidemic had gripped a gold rush town in the impenetrable U.S. territory of Alaska nearly 90 years ago, transfixing the nation. A cure existed, but there was no way to deliver it. There were no roads available, and air supply drops weren't an option...

BRISTOL, Conn. -- Serious news has bumped fictional anchorman Ron Burgundy off "SportsCenter." Actor Will Ferrell was scheduled to reprise his role on a Thursday evening edition of the highlights show on ESPN. The network announced Wednesday night the appearance had been scrapped because of the "potential implications" of the news conference scheduled Thursday afternoon about the investigation into sexual assault allegations against Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston...

NEW YORK -- Tramps like us, baby we were born to bid. A handwritten, working lyric sheet for Bruce Springsteen's 1975 hit "Born to Run" sold for $197,000 on Thursday at Sotheby's. The document used to be in the collection of Springsteen's former manager, Mike Appel, according to Sotheby's. It did not reveal the identity of the seller or the buyer, a person bidding by telephone...

Feb. 11, 1990: Mandela walked out of South Africa's Victor Verster prison near Cape Town after 27 years in captivity, holding hands with his wife, Winnie. He held up his fist and smiled broadly. Mandela's release after so long was almost inconceivable for deliriously happy supporters who erupted in cheers as hundreds of journalists pressed forward. ...

BELLEVILLE, Ill. -- An East St. Louis man with a history of physically abusing his ex-girlfriend was accused Thursday of stabbing her to death five days after she ominously posted on Facebook that she feared her life was in danger. St. Clair County prosecutors charged Montrell Cooper, 25, with first-degree murder in last weekend's death of Michelle Rowling, the 25-year mother of Cooper's 3-year-old daughter...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- With Boeing the king of U.S. aircraft manufacturing, more than a dozen states are groveling before the throne for a share of the riches to be made from the next-generation 777 jetliner. From coast to coast, states are rushing to impress Boeing with lavish incentive packages that offer property, labor deals and billions of dollars in tax breaks. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A bow-tie wearing Texan who led one of the country's largest universities has been hired as the University of Missouri's new chancellor. R. Bowen Loftin, former president of Texas A&M, succeeds Brady Deaton, who retired in November after overseeing the flagship campus in Columbia since 2004. Missouri announced his hiring Thursday...

WASHINGTON -- A New Year's deadline that could send the price of milk skyward looms over congressional negotiators as they try to reach agreement on a five-year farm bill. They've been tripped up by differences over the nation's food stamp program and how to restructure farm subsidies...

As the summer heat gave way to fall's crisp air and college football fans rooted for their favorite teams, few could imagine the University of Missouri football team would be in the hunt for the SEC Championship. But that's where the Tigers find themselves this weekend as they face No. 3 Auburn in Atlanta...

Thank you for the article "Caregiver thankful for support of friends, Alzheimer's Assoc." Ms. Rinehart did a beautiful job depicting one family's Alzheimer's journey and also the importance of respite for the caregiver. Caregiving can be an arduous task, and without some time off, a caregiver's mental and physical health becomes affected. Please let your readers know they are not alone and that the Alzheimer's Association is available to help ease the burden of Alzheimer's...

I think we all should remember that Jesus is the reason the year-round, not only during the Christmas season. Christmas lights If you want to see a beautiful Christmas decorations and light display, go down about halfway on Capaha Trail, that is right off East Cape Rock Drive. It is spectacular, it is something you want to see. It is beautiful...

There are some puzzles that are best suited for coffee shops. This is where most of the world's problems are solved and where questions with no real answers are asked. I've been wrestling with a few topics of my own recently. Maybe you already know the answers. That happens sometimes, when we get bogged down on something and can't see a simple solution, but everyone around us can explain it to us...

O Father God, we pray that your hand of protection would cover those traveling. Amen.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A little more than two years ago, Henry Josey ripped his left knee to shreds making a cut. He tore the ACL, MCL and patellar tendon on a 2-yard gain against Texas at home, an injury so extensive Missouri coach Gary Pinkel thought it looked like his star tailback had been in an automobile accident...

The 2013 Southeast Missouri All-Region football teams as nominated and selected by a panel of sportswriters from eight publications: Class 4/5 First Team Offense QB -- Dante Vandeven, jr., 6-2, 190, Jackson RB -- Mikey Jones, sr., 6-2, 205, Cape Central...

The championship game of the Oran Invitational boys basketball tournament canceled Thursday night due to ice and snow has been tentatively rescheduled for tonight. Top-seeded Oran and third-seeded Scott County Central are scheduled to meet at 8 p.m. The third-place game between Advance and Chaffee is slated for 6:30 p.m., and the consolation final involving Malden and Kelly is scheduled for 5 p.m...

Missouri improved to 8-0 with an 80-71 win over West Virginia

Faculty of Southeast Missouri State University's School of Performing Arts and guest artists will hold a chamber music concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Shuck Music Recital Hall on the River Campus. The guitar and oboe duo Double Fret will premiere new holiday arrangements. ...

Cape Girardeau trash and recycling pickups that were postponed Friday will resume today, according to an email from the city.

Sean Brown got his first ever Mallard and got his limit thanks to the cold front that moved in!!!

Snow at Kiwanis Park, Cape Girardeau

Southeast Hospital had its share of blizzard babies during the recent winter storm. A total of 11 babies were born over the course of the storm on Thursday and Friday. Seven of the moms and their babies from left: Amanda Smith and Tripp, Megan S. Kutz-Hotop and baby Hotop, Julie Mahathath and Tayliahna, Jordan Abell and Jensen Daniel, Kimberly Christian and Addison, Kaiya Turner and Autumn, and JoElla Hartlein and Zoey...

Snow at Dennis Scivally Park, Cape Girardeau

Amish buggy in southern Illinois.

Today is Saturday, Dec. 7, the 341st day of 2013. There are 24 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii as part of its plan to conquer Southeast Asian territories; the raid, which claimed some 2,400 American lives, prompted the United States to declare war against Japan the next day...

The Ohio Valley Conference, to which Southeast Missouri State University hopes to gain admission as part of a move up in athletic affiliation, has decided not to expand; a league official, however, says expansion could be reconsidered in June. A hydraulic excavator tipped over yesterday morning, when the foundation of the house it was resting on slipped away; Eagle Excavations of Cape Girardeau was tearing down the house at Normal and Henderson avenues, when the incident occurred; no one was injured; the house is being removed to add parking and green space.. ...

By Saturday afternoon, a group of intrepid Cape Girardeau athletes will be able to tell their future grandchildren they ran 26.2 miles in the snow. Kim Kelpe, co-owner of Missouri Running Co., said some of her store's customers had planned to participate in the St. Jude Memphis Marathon on Saturday, but icy roads forced them to cancel their plans...

Officials are recommending that no one travel this morning in the weather conditions unless they must. Conditions at 6 a.m. were severe. Roads such as East Jackson Boulevard and Kingshighway were covered with ice and packed snow. Weather conditions are expected to worsen throughout the day...

Weather conditions continued to deteriorate into the afternoon as up to 10 inches of snow fell on top of communities trying to chisel out from under the ice and sleet that accumulated overnight. The National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., reported about a quarter-inch of sleet and freezing rain fell overnight in Cape Girardeau...

Icy roads kept first responders busy handling accidents Thursday across Southeast Missouri. Authorities temporarily closed the northbound lanes of Interstate 55 on Thursday afternoon after a passenger vehicle collided with a tractor-trailer just south of mile marker 101...

On an icy December evening, many of us may relish the prospect of curling up under an electric blanket, sipping a mug of homemade cocoa and listening to the fireplace crackle as the lights twinkle on the Christmas tree. But local firefighters advise taking a few precautions to make sure that cozy scene doesn't turn into an expensive and dangerous disaster...

The phrase "spinning their wheels" may hit a little too close to home in this weather, but that's essentially what road crews have been doing since the snow started falling early this morning. "Occasionally, we've started to catch up and make some progress, and then it started snowing again," said Tim Gramling, Cape Girardeau public works director...

By Adam Vogler Southeast Missourian 1. Other than a wedding or child's birth, what's your proudest moment? 2. How many magnets are on your fridge? What do they represent? 3. Describe your best road trip ever. 4. As we get closer to Christmas, what do you most look forward to? Dan Will Wheaton Ill. Southeast Student 1. I would say being accepted into college. It's the start of a new life, a new journey, and when I got the call to get here, I was real excited and proud to know that I was starting a new chapter in my life...

SAN FRANCISCO -- A tired but smiling 85-year-old U.S. veteran detained in North Korea for several weeks returned home Saturday to applause from supporters, yellow ribbons tied to trees outside his home and the warm embrace of his family. Merrill Newman arrived at the San Francisco airport after turning down a ride aboard Vice President Joe Biden's Air Force Two in favor of a direct flight from Beijing. ...

Anyone with free time who would like to help feed starving children across the globe is being asked to volunteer at the Osage Centre today and Sunday. Volunteers are being requested to help pack and label boxes with dry food ingredients that will be shipped and delivered to children by the Feed My Starving Children organization...

Auburn claimed the conference championship with a 59-42 victory

When Rose Fox realized that the weather in Memphis might force the St. Jude Marathon to be cancelled she decided to post on the "Run Cape Girardeau" Facebook page that area runners should run in town on Saturday instead. "At that point in time I didn't know we were going to get this much snow," Fox said...

The road crews that worked to clear snow and ice from city streets and major highways today counted on an ally in Mother Nature. "We want to take advantage of the sun," Tim Gramling, Cape Girardeau public works director, said. "I think we can make some progress today."...

The ice and snow deposited by the winter-storm system that slammed into Southeast Missouri on Thursday and Friday won't leave anytime soon, a meteorologist said. "It could be that we'll keep having below-freezing temperatures until Thursday or Friday," said Deanna Lindstrom, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky...

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii -- About 50 survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor paused Saturday at the site to honor those killed and remember the moment that plunged the U.S. into World War II. Alvis Taylor, 90, was serving as an Army medic when the attack began. His superiors, who were doctors, rushed to hospitals to care for the wounded and left him in charge. He went to Pearl Harbor, about 18 miles south of his Army post at Schofield Barracks, with dozens of ambulances...

Found my Sunday paper today while shoveling out my front steps. Thought it was kinda ironic.

This is my Dachshund Buddy barking at me to throw him another snowball.

Max still doesn't understand the concept of a snowball fight.

By Samantha Kluesner Southeast Missourian Five things to know before owning a horse 1. The cheapest thing about owning a horse is buying one. Every six to eight weeks they need pedicures (new shoes or a trimming); every year they need vaccinations and a Coggins test. ...

Today is Sunday, Dec. 8, the 342nd day of 2013. There are 23 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 8, 1941, the United States entered World War II as Congress declared war against Japan, a day after the attack on Pearl Harbor...

Amanda Suzanne Abner and Robert Theodore Holzum were married Oct. 5, 2013, at Immaculate Conception Church in Jackson. The Rev. John Harth performed the ceremony. Vocalist was Mallory Brown of Bell City, Mo., cousin of the bride. Pianist was Jerry Daniel of Jackson...

Judith Nadyne Beussink and Donn Frederick Meyer were married Nov. 30, 2013, at the home of a friend, Rita Weidner of Jackson. Don Greenwood performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Cecilia Elder. Meyer is the son of Nadine Meyer of Topeka, Kan., and the late Augustine Meyer...

David and Teresa Carter of Williamsburg, Va., announce the engagement of their daughter, Melissa Carter, to Bradley Foster. He is the son of Sandy Zinz of Marble Hill, Mo., and Scott Foster of Williamsburg. Melissa is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University. She is an IT project coordinator with Amerigroup in Virginia Beach, Va...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Larry G. Clemens of Piedmont celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary Dec. 6, 2013. They were married Dec. 6, 1963, at First Christian Church in Kirksville, Mo. The couple has four children, Charles T. Clemens of Warrensburg, Mo., Christopher R. ...

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Petzoldt of Jackson recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary with a renewal of their vows, performed by the Rev. Grant Gillard of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson. A dinner followed at Delmonico's. Petzoldt and Darlene Koeberl were married Aug. 18, 1973, by the Rev. Dennis Heaney at St. John's Lutheran Church in Pocahontas. They reside on the family farm...

The bowfin is a fish whose existence dates back to the Jurassic Age when dinosaurs and reptiles ruled the world. It has found a way to survive across the ages while countless changes upon Earth have brought numerous other creatures to extinction. This is no small feat for a fresh water fish. They can grow to be about 40 inches long...

Metro Title Inc. of Cape Girardeau hosted a breast cancer awareness Halloween fundraiser Oct. 25. Guest speaker was Beth Brotherton, a three-year breast cancer survivor. Activities included door prizes, a costume contest and a sound system provided by Michael McConnell. Proceeds will go toward funding breast cancer awareness...

When Marilyn and I had our first Christmas together in our trailer, we got a fresh Christmas tree to celebrate with. After all, a forestry student wouldn't dream of having anything but a live Christmas tree to adorn the corner of the living area. We both were pretty excited about putting it up and decorating it...

Dessert anyone? When planning a menu for Christmas, it is nearly impossible for me to narrow down the dessert choices to just a few. I try to offer a variety that might include a pie (or two), a cake, cheesecake, a fruit choice, something chocolate and then fill in with bar cookies or homemade candy. ...

Pet Names: Ziggy and Zeus Owner: Pamela Grimes Favorite activity: Cuddling. ...

Lewis is 3 years old, is neutered and is up to date on his vaccinations. Lewis is available at The Humane Society by calling 334-5837. ...

Pumpkin is a 7-week-old kitten. She is very playful and also loves to be held and cuddle. For more information, contact Safe Harbor at 243-9823. ...

Prekindergarten students at Trinity Lutheran School in Cape Girardeau recently donated bedtime bags to the Safe House for Women. Each bag contained a book, blanket, stuffed animal and dental hygiene items. Nearly 20 bags were donated; the students participated in the project to help other children in the community...

U.S. Bank donated $2,000 to the Southeast Health Foundation to help fund the Healthcare Professional Education Program. From left are Steve Green, market president for U.S. Bank; Donna McLain, development specialist with the Southeast Health Foundation; and Pete Poe, Southeast Health Foundation board president...

U.S. Bank donated nearly $10,671 to the United Way of Southeast Missouri for the 2013 campaign year. From left are Cooper McKelvey, branch manager for U.S. Bank; Jeanne Muckerman, campaign chairwoman, United Way of Southeast Missouri; Shannon Daniels, bank senior financial adviser; Ryan Wiley, bank project specialist; and Nick Burger, bank commercial relationship manager...

U.S. Bank locations in Cape Girardeau donated $1,200 to help the Southeast Missouri Food Bank in its mission to feed the hungry in Southeast Missouri. ...

This weekend, despite my persistent and patient pleas for an alternative, our family will go out and cut down a live evergreen for our living room. Every year for the 32 Christmases we've spent together as a married couple, I've asked my wife to consider an artificial tree. Every year she tells me if I want a petroleum-based tree made of PVC or aluminum, I'll need a different spouse...

Lately I've been reading a book of Mother Teresa's quotes entitled "Everything Starts from Prayer." I was initially drawn to this book while browsing at the bookstore for two reasons: its title and the fact that it was on sale for half price. I've also been wanting to read Mother Teresa's writings because her life of radical service to the poor and acceptance of every person really resonates within me. ...

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- Cambodia will resume international adoptions in 2014, more than four years after suspending them over concerns about child exploitation, an official said. Deputy Social Affairs Minister Nim Thoth said foreigners interested in adopting Cambodian children would be able to make applications in the next year...

MONDAY--Chicken chunks, broccoli & cheese or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, breadstick, pears. TUESDAY--Pepperoni crispito with sauce, corn or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, applesauce. WEDNESDAY--Spaghetti with meat sauce, green beans or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, cheese breadstick, fruit cup...

A movement is underway by major media organizations to no longer use images of President Obama provided by White House photographers. Obama's administration has limited the availability of journalist photographers in many settings, igniting a strong reaction from media organizations that argue propaganda extends beyond the print and into the lens as well...

In response to Mr. Sullivan's Friday article regarding the elk reintroduction: This program was a cooperative one with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Much of the cost was born by this conservation organization, not just taxpayers. The Mission of the RMEF is to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage. ...

In news that should come as no surprise to Americans, who endured the 2013 partial government shutdown and fight over Obamacare, the 113th Congress has been declared the least productive in modern history, the Washington Post reports. Brazile column...

O Father God, we place our hope in Jesus, the Messiah, our Prince of Peace. Amen.

Staring at photographs of the Newton, Conn., children's freckled faces, hair tucked into barrettes and baseball caps, a country divided by politics, geography, race, class and belief was united in mourning. And as their deaths confronted Americans with vexing questions about guns and violence, there were calls to turn that shared grief into a collective search for answers...

NEW YORK -- The Metro-North Railroad has until Tuesday to identify places in its system with major speed changes under an order from federal transportation officials requiring an extra worker in the driver's cab on routes such as the one where a speeding commuter train derailed this week, killing four people...

MEXICO CITY -- A Mexico senate committee Saturday proposed the most dramatic oil reform in decades that would open the country's beleaguered, state-run sector to private companies and investment. The Senate proposal would allow the government to grant contracts and licenses for exploration and extraction of oil and gas to multinational giants such as Exxon or Chevron, something currently prohibited under Mexico's constitution...

Ronald E. Penrod, 60, of Millersville died Friday, Dec. 6, 2013, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Joyce Ann Luttrell Inskeep, 34, of Marble Hill died Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013, at her home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will follow in Rose Hill Cemetery in Thebes, Ill...

Hugo Haertling, 53, of Frohna, Mo., died Dec. 7, 2013, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until the time of service at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Young and Sons East Perry Chapel in Altenburg, Mo., with the Rev. Paul Winningham officiating. Burial will be in Grace Lutheran Cemetery in Uniontown, Mo...

John A. Behrens, 91, of Round Rock, Texas, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, Dec. 6, 2013, at his home in Round Rock. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Daughter to Anthony Lee and Rebecca Jo Miesner of Perryville, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 9:10 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013. Name, Heidi Jo. Weight, 7 pounds, 5 ounces. Second child, first daughter. Mrs. Miesner is the former Rebecca Bachmann, daughter of Kevin and JoAnn Bachman of Perryville. She is a registered nurse at Saint Francis Medical Center. Miesner is the son of Clifford and Eileen Miesner of Frohna, Mo. He is a farmer with Miesner Dairy Inc...

After six months of work, the Independence Street widening project has been completed, and the street reopens in the afternoon. City officials from Cape Girardeau and Jackson will meet in Perryville, Mo., Monday in an effort to reach an out-of-court settlement in their annexation dispute; Cape Girardeau is seeking to annex right of way on both sides of Interstate 55 from north of the I-55-U.S. ...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrest Assault Burglaries Thefts Miscellaneous...

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

The Department of Public Safety at Southeast Missouri State University released the following item: CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY The Cape Girardeau Sheriff's Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt...

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

Clyde Milton McCloud, 89, of Perryville, Mo., and formerly of Cahokia, Ill., died Nov. 26, 2013, at Perry Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Perryville. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. until the time of service today at the First Assembly of God Church in Perryville...

Everett Albert Hopper, 72, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013, at his home. There will be no services at this time. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Bessie Alice Eisenhauer, 94, of Jackson died Monday, Dec. 2, 2013, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home in Jackson. She was born Dec. 31, 1918, in Teresita, Mo., to John Nathan and Bessie M. Provow Bailey. Alice married Marshall O. Eisenhauer on Sept. 2, 1937. He died July 7, 1987...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- William J. Myers, 87, of Chaffee passed away Thursday, Dec. 5, 2013, at home with his family. He was born Oct. 8, 1926, in Hartzell, Mo., son of Daniel and Altha L. McClain Myers. He and Joetta Mae Proctor were married March 13, 1943. She preceded him in death March 22, 2004...

Rita Kuss, 70, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013, at Georgian Gardens Nursing Center in Potosi, Mo. She was born March 12, 1943, in Oran, Mo., to Anthony and Geneva Wagner Hulshof. She married James Kuss March 3, 1962. Rita was a member of St. Mary Cathedral Parish...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri guard Earnest Ross thinks it's "pretty cool" when he makes 3-pointers. His teammates agree, especially when they're dropping in big games. Ross scored 20 points and finished 5 of 11 from beyond the arc to help Missouri upset No. 18 UCLA 80-71 on Saturday...

All area high school events were postponed for the weekend due to unsafe road conditions. The Woodland and Oran boys basketball tournament finals will be made up this week, but officials at both schools said the announcement of when the games will be played will come at a later time...

Southeast has lost six of their last seven games, including five away from home

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams expected big things this season from free agent tight end Jared Cook. And for the most part, he has delivered. The 26-year-old Cook is leading the Rams this season in both catches (40) and yards receiving (557). The 6-foot-5, 254-pound Cook has plenty of speed. He's been timed at 4.49 in the 40 and he can leap like a hurdler. The versatile Cook can line up at tight end, in the slot, at wide receiver and in the backfield as an H-back...

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Cardinals have carved out a respectable record in Bruce Arians' first season as coach. Wins in the NFC West, though, remain elusive. The Cardinals (7-5) enter Sunday's game against St. Louis (5-7) on an eight-game losing streak against teams in their division. They haven't beaten an NFC West opponent since a victory over Seattle in the 2012 season opener and are 0-3 this year...

ST. LOUIS -- Corey Perry scored his team-high 18th goal and rookie Frederik Andersen made 26 saves to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night. Anaheim won its second in a row, after beating defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago 3-2 in a shootout Friday. St. Louis lost for the third time in four games and fell to 12-2-2 at home...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A late fall cold snap that has gripped much of the country is being blamed for a handful of deaths and has forced people to deal with frigid temperatures, power outages by the thousands and treacherous roads. Weather forecasters say the powerful weather system has Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic in its icy sights next...

SUNBURY, Pa. -- A couple married for three weeks lured a man to his death with a Craigslist ad because they wanted to kill someone together, police said. Elytte Barbour told officers before his arrest Friday night that he and his wife, Miranda, had planned to kill before, but their plans never worked out until last month when Troy LaFerrara responded to an online posting that promised companionship in return for money, authorities said...

Jay Z easily led Grammy Award nominations announced Friday with nine, but left-of-center rappers Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Kendrick Lamar were among a group of new stars who took many of the major nominations. Macklemore and Lewis' gay marriage anthem "Same Love" was among song of the year nominees and the Seattle rap crew joined Los Angeles rapper Lamar with seven nominations apiece, including best album and best new artist of the year. ...

JOHANNESBURG -- South Africa expects overwhelming crowds and a host of world leaders to attend services honoring late President Nelson Mandela, though with the ceremonies only days away officials acknowledged Saturday they couldn't offer any specifics...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The overturned conviction of a man who spent eight years in a Missouri prison for the death of a newspaper sports editor has given hope to supporters of a woman who has spent the last 27 years behind bars for the death of her husband...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A physician credited as the father of osteopathic medicine and a noted science fiction writer have won induction into the state Capitol's Hall of Famous Missourians. Joining them as the newest inductees are a suffragist and the catalyst of a citizens' initiative that limited state revenue and local taxes...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A state housing commission held off Friday on approving millions of dollars in tax credits to build apartments for low-income residents in what appears to be the first ripple effect of a separate incentive package for a Boeing airplane facility...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama said Saturday he believed the chances for a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran are 50-50 or worse, yet defended diplomacy as the best way to prevent Tehran from acquiring atomic weapons. During a question-and-answer session with a pro-Israel audience, Obama said he wasn't naive about the odds for a successful final agreement between world powers and Iran next year, building on the recent six-month interim deal...

Leopold junior Caitlin Petty gets some confused looks when she responds to questions about what position she plays on the volleyball court. "I tell them that I'm a setter and a middle hitter, and people are like 'What?'"

The friction that may result when families stop getting along has comedic results in the Shakespeare-inspired musical "Rodeo and Juliet," with closing performances at 8:30 and 10 a.m. and 4 and 6 p.m. today at Crossroads Fellowship at 4400 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson...

The redhawks defeated Southeastern Louisiana 74-73 on Saturday

ST. LOUIS -- Selma Avdagic was only an infant when her Bosnian family fled from Sarajevo to St. Louis two decades ago as war ravaged the former Yugoslavia. The college student knows her parents' immigration story well. How her mother, a doctor back home, worked a succession of low-wage jobs in the St. Louis suburbs until she could obtain a U.S. medical license. How her father, who remained behind for another year, was nearly killed by a Serbian soldier...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) -- Joe Torre, Tony La Russa and Bobby Cox spent decades trying to beat each other, no holds barred. On this day, however, they were a mutual admiration society. And why not? They were going to the Hall of Fame together. With a combined eight World Series titles and more than 7,500 wins, the managerial trio made it to Cooperstown in results announced Monday. Each was unanimously selected when the 16 voters on the expansion era committee met a day earlier...

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Some needy children in the Farmington area of eastern Missouri are getting new shoes, thanks to the generosity of a little boy. The Daily Journal newspaper in Park Hills, Mo., reported that Braxton Krause had a unique idea for his recent ninth birthday party. Rather than have guests bring gifts for him, Braxton wanted them bring a pair of shoes for donation...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- It's a sunny fall day for boating on the Missouri River and a great day for catching fish. Fish biologist Jeff Finley is on the bank, ready to demonstrate fishing techniques for MU students taking the fisheries management and conservation class he helped start 10 years ago...

Public schools in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Scott City and Oak Ridge will be closed today because of continued wintry weather conditions, according to school officials, news releases and websites. However, as of late Sunday afternoon, classes were still on for today at Southeast Missouri State University, News Bureau director Ann Hayes said...

The Jackson boys basketball team has yet to play a game this season, but it's still been tabbed by coaches as the favorite to win the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament. The Indians were given the top seed in the 16-team tournament, which will take place Dec. 26, 27, 28 and 30 at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau. All coaches of teams participating in the tournament voted on the seeds at a meeting Sunday evening at the Show Me Center...

If the combination of snowy, freezing weather this weekend had you reaching for the phone instead of the oven mitts, you weren't alone. Chances are, you were dialing up one of the local pizza joints or other places that bring goodies to your door. Both Cape Girardeau Domino's pizza stores raked in the dough this weekend, despite only being available for pickup Friday. Deliveries started about 5 p.m. that day...

A night of food and music is planned for several downtown venues that are taking part Thursday in the annual Happy Slapowitz Toy Bash. The event, now in its 12th year, will feature nine bands at eight venues in an effort to provide new Christmas toys for children through the Marine Corps League's Toys For Tots program...

For educators, there's nothing quite as valuable as time spent teaching students in the classroom, but sometimes disruptive students make that difficult. In recent years, local school districts have adopted a program called Positive Behavior Intervention Support to help add those minutes back into the day -- and it works, officials say...

A technology tool used by the Cape Girardeau Police Department has taken about 18,000 pictures of license plates per month over a year of use. This has resulted in 50 warrant arrests and the recovery of stolen vehicles and license plates and has helped police investigate some major crimes...

Snow covered road

Horses in snow

Snow covered bridge

Snow coverd Pine

Snow really sets off my wagon wheels.

My 12 yr. old Foxy, who is 1/2 Alaskan Malamute & half Chow Chow, loves the snow!! She buries her face in it and then rolls back & forth. She then just lays there and looks at me. I have to practically drag her into the door to get her to come back inside!! She always makes me laugh!!...

Bella & Murphy having fun playing in the snow.

PRESS RELEASE CAPE COUNTY TEA PARTY ChrisTTTTmas ParTTTTy Instead of our regular monthly Third Tuesday Tea Time (TTTT) meeting at the Cape Public Library, the members of the Cape County Tea Party, Friends, and EVERYONE else are invited to join in fellowship and fun to celebrate Christmas and be thankful for all the gifts we continue to enjoy!...

Jackson High School Athletics and Southeast SportsCare teamed up for Champions Agianst Cancer this fall. The boy's soccer, tennis, softball, boy's swimming, and volleyball teams at JHS chose a cancer to raise awareness and hosted a game with fundraisers for the event. The teams raised over $5,000 this year! Proceeds from the event were split between Jackson Athletics and the SoutheastHEALTH Cancer Center patient experience fund...

My husband and friend Tracy having a good ole fashioned snowball fight in our back yard. i stayed out of the way and took pictures instead, safer that way!

Granddaughter Alyssa's first sled ride

This is a picture i captured off a county road in Bollinger county sunday. the ice cicles are hanging over a creek, just gorgeous.

Granddaughter Alyssa's first sled ride

Today is Monday, Dec. 9, the 343rd day of 2013. There are 22 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 9, 1987, the first Palestinian intefadeh, or uprising, began as riots broke out in Gaza and spread to the West Bank, triggering a strong Israeli response...

Robert "Bob" Drury was a visionary and business leader. His influence, though strong in Southeast Missouri, extended well beyond throughout the United States. On Thursday, Drury died at the age of 81. Those who have lived in this area for the past two decades remember west Cape Girardeau before its development. ...

On Thursday, the Missourian online edition carried a story about the death of Nelson Mandela. That story prompted a flurry of comments from the lowest racists in our community. It was sad. Very promptly, the Missourian moved that online story to an area where it could be accessed but further comments could not be made. Trampling on the First amendment rights of racists? I think not...

What does the county plan to do with the money they charge to put up light displays? If they are short on cash, why not have county commissioners drive their own cars to work instead of supplying them with one? There are still good people in the world, and we are especially to the good man in our neighborhood who took the time to look for us after finding our dog. ...

The Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at Southeast Missouri State University has been suspended indefinitely following an investigation into a female student's complaint she was sexually abused at the fraternity house on campus Nov. 10. After a lapse of nearly 20 years, there is once again a brightly lit "community Christmas tree" in Courthouse Park; the Douglas fir, located near the bandstand in the park, was presented as a gift to the city in 1970 by the Cape Girardeau Business and Professional Women's Club; it has been deemed large enough to decorate.. ...

CHAFFEE, Mo. — James "Jim" Poinsett, 66, died Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, in the emergency room of Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at the Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee.

Ronald Penrod, 60, of Millersville passed away Friday, Dec. 6, 2013, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Feb. 6, 1953, in Columbia, Mo., to Erlis J. and Virginia L. Macke Penrod. He and Betty A. Brink Grootens were married July 10, 1982, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Clyde Milton McCloud, 89, of Perryville, formerly of Cahokia, Ill., died Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013, at Perry Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Perryville. The family will receive friends from 11 a.m. until the time of service Saturday at the First Assembly of God Church in Perryville...

FROHNA, Mo. -- Hugo Alan Haertling, 53, of Frohna died Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until time of service Wednesday at Young & Sons East Perry Chapel in Altenburg, Mo., with the Rev. Paul Winningham officiating...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Charles E. Courtois Sr., 94, of Perryville died Saturday, Dec. 7, 2013, at Perry Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation in Perryville. He was born May 5, 1919, in Perryville, son of Albert and Gertrude Elder Courtois. He and Shirley Agne were married April 29, 1943. She survives in Perryville...

WASHINGTON -- The "Piano Man" who became one of the world's best-selling artists of all time with such hits as "Just the Way You Are," "Uptown Girl" and "Allentown" was awarded the nation's highest honor Sunday for influencing American culture through the arts...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Activist investor Carl Icahn is seeking the support of Apple shareholders as he tries to pressure the iPhone maker into spending more of its cash to buy back the company's stock. Icahn fired the latest volley in his two-month-old crusade with a Wednesday disclosure that he has submitted a proposal to Apple Inc. ...

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Needed to keep a school building running these days: Water, electricity -- and broadband. Interactive digital learning on laptops and tablets is replacing traditional textbooks in many cases. Students are taking computer-based tests instead of fill-in-the bubble exams. Teachers are accessing far-off resources for lessons...

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Bellman's Hardware Store has sat in its spot at 8515 Main St. in Altenburg for decades, and in recent years has switched owners and businesses. The store has been given a revamped look and new life by Nicole Moore and Sandy Oberndorfer as they begin to operate their two businesses under the same roof...

JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that any agreement to emerge from newly restarted talks with the Palestinians will likely initially result in a "cold peace," and therefore Israel must insist on "ironclad security arrangements" to protect itself in case the accord collapses...

KIEV, Ukraine -- Hundreds of thousands of protesters poured into the streets of Ukraine's capital on Sunday, toppling a statue of former Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin and blockading key government buildings in an escalating standoff with the president over the future of the country...

CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- In death, Nelson Mandela unified South Africans of all races and backgrounds Sunday on a day of prayer for the global statesman -- from a vaulted cathedral with hymns and incense to a rural, hilltop church with goatskin drums and barefoot dancing...

MIAMI -- When insurance agent Kelly Fristoe recently spent 30 minutes helping a client pick a midlevel health plan and the federal marketplace website froze, he called the government's hotline and tried to finish the application. But the operator refused to credit Fristoe as an agent on the application, meaning he wouldn't get the commission or be listed as the follow-up contact if his client needed help again later...

WASHINGTON -- Fresh from shackling the traditional blocking ability of the Senate's minority party, Democrats are ready to muscle through President Barack Obama's nominees for pivotal judgeships and other top jobs. Despite last month's Democratic power play, Senate Republicans retain the power to slow, though not derail, Obama's appointments...

CINCINNATI -- From Twitter and Facebook to Amazon and Google, the biggest names of the Internet are blasting a federal judge's decision allowing an Arizona-based gossip website to be sued for defamation by a former Cincinnati Bengals cheerleader convicted of having sex with a teenager...

SAN FRANCISCO -- The startup is housed in a garage-like space in San Francisco's tech-heavy South of Market neighborhood, but it isn't like most of its neighbors that develop software, websites and mobile-phone apps. Its mission is to find plant replacements for eggs...

CAPE GIRARDEAU

Missouri and Oklahoma State came so close to conference titles and being in the Bowl Championship Series. The No. 9 Tigers and No. 13 Cowboys, who in the past have been in two leagues together, will instead play each other Jan. 3 in the Cotton Bowl, a pretty nice consolation a day after both missed shots at conference championships...

PHILADELPHIA -- A powerful storm that crept across the country dropped snow, freezing rain and sleet on the Mid-Atlantic region and headed northeast Sunday, turning NFL playing fields in Pennsylvania into winter wonderlands, dumping a foot of snow in Delaware and threatening a messy commute today in the northeast corridor...

The SEMO Conference boys basketball tournament tentatively is scheduled to begin tonight at Sikeston High School despite the cancellation of classes for many of the participating schools due to icy road conditions. Jackson athletic director John Martin said he anticipated a decision on whether to play the games to be made by noon today...

~ Arizona qB Carson Palmer completed all but five of his pass attempts against St. Louis GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Carson Palmer didn't throw a pass in practice all last week, then completed practically every one he tried Sunday...

Dr. Ross Bennett, co-owner and managing partner of Bennett Family Dentistry, 1200 N. Cape Rock Drive in Cape Girardeau, was inducted as a fellow of the International College of Dentists at its 84th annual convocation in New Orleans. Bennett is one of the youngest dentists awarded the honor from the organization that recognizes outstanding and meritorious service to the professional community. ...

O Lord Jesus, may we share your hope and never-ending love with others. Amen.

Saint Francis Medical Center celebrated the completion of its expanded Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on Dec. 6 with an open house. The NICU will open Tuesday. The NICU features three rooms equipped for twins, two rooms for triplets and a family room with activities and videos for parents and siblings, according to a news release from the hospital...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Springfield School District is discussing how to make high school more challenging, with a goal of improving the students' chances of succeeding after graduation. Associate superintendent Justin Herrell, who is leading the effort, said too many Springfield graduates have to take remedial education classes when they enter college, The Springfield News-Leader reported...

NEOSHO, Mo. -- A 34-year-old southwest Missouri woman has been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty in the methadone overdose death of her 22-month-old son. Elizabeth Farnam, of Granby, Mo., pleaded guilty in September to second-degree involuntary manslaughter in the June 2012 death of Logan Crow...

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. -- A Pennsylvania-based real estate investment trust will buy the Casino Queen's real-estate assets in East St. Louis for $140 million, the two entities announced Monday. Properties being bought by Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. of Wyomissing, Pa., include the 38,000-square-foot, six-year-old casino, 157-room hotel and the park for recreational vehicles consuming much of a 78-acre tract...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A Columbia police detective is taking a fresh look at a journalist's 2001 slaying after one of two men originally convicted of murder was freed after his case was overturned. The Columbia Daily Tribune reported police are reviewing the sizable case file in the death of former Tribune sports editor Kent Heitholt, who was strangled and beaten to death in the newspaper's parking lot...

The College Database has named Southeast Missouri State University among its top colleges in the state for teacher education, a university news release said. The College Database is a not-for-profit organization that provides free information about education options locally and nationally to students, parents and other interested parties, the release said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A special legislative session to approve incentives for a Boeing airplane facility cost Missouri taxpayers a little less than $100,000. The Legislature wrapped up a five-day special session last week after passing a bill authorizing up to $1.7 billion of tax breaks over two decades if Boeing chooses to assemble a new passenger plane in the St. Louis area...

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. -- As U.S. military forces dug in for protracted conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Army instructors at Fort Leonard Wood modified their training programs to mimic the sorts of established encampments soldiers would encounter overseas...

FULTON, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced Monday he wants to issue bonds to pay for improvements to a state mental health facility, where the wards are "cramped, loud and deteriorating" and have led to injuries to patients and staff. Speaking at the Fulton State Hospital, Nixon said the budget he'll propose for next fiscal year will include a "strategic bond issuance" to build a new maximum and intermediate security facility at the hospital. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Supreme Court on Monday set a January execution date for an inmate convicted in the 1991 robbery and slaying of a St. Louis-area jeweler. Herbert Smulls, 55, is scheduled to die Jan. 29 for the fatal shooting of Chesterfield, Mo., jeweler Stephen Honickman while Smulls and an accomplice were robbing the store owned by Honickman and his wife, Florence Honickman...