Stories from March 2014

First Presbyterian Church in Jackson will host the 2014 World Day of Prayer at 1:00pm on Friday March 7th. A program prepared by Egyptian Christian women, applies the meaning of the Samaritan woman's contact with Jesus at the well to cooperation between young people of different faiths during Arab Spring...

Today is Saturday, March 1, the 60th day of 2014. There are 305 days left in the year. Today's Highlights in History: On March 1, 1954, four Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire from the spectators' gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives, wounding five members of Congress. ...

With the help of motorists-turned-cowboys, the Jackson police herd about 50 head of cattle owned by Myron Lang of rural Jackson; part of a fence around their pasture east of the Lee-Rowan plant was down due to the construction of a new sewer main, which the cattle used to make their escape...

Screenwriters generally don't garner as much red-carpet attention as actors and actresses, but without them, the Meryl Streeps and Christoph Waltzes of the world would be as silent as Mary Pickford, and every now and then, their words have a way of slipping into our collective consciousness and staying there. Below are five movie lines that have become part of my everyday conversation...

1-March is National Craft Month. Tell me about crafts you've pursued. 2-What is the last thing you did to treat yourself? 3-What are the advantages when you 'pay it forward?' 4-What do you look forward to when it eventually warms up? Amanda Smith...

Discovery Playhouse could soon feature "double the fun" after receiving more than $242,000 in Neighborhood Assistance Program tax credits to help renovate the building's second floor. The tax credits were awarded to the Cape Girardeau children's museum by the Missouri Department of Economic Development in mid-January. ...

Dr. Erin R. Fluegge-Woolf, a professor of management at Southeast Missouri State University, was crowned Mrs. Missouri on Saturday after competing for the title in Kansas City, Mo., joining one of more than a dozen who hold the title in Southeast Missouri...

The Redhawks won 118-115 and denied the Racers a share of the Ohio Valley Conference title.

Weather officials said a "significant" winter storm of freezing rain, sleet and snow will occur today, and state officials are discouraging travel. Because of "expected hazardous conditions," the Missouri Department of Transportation on Saturday afternoon issued a "no travel advisory" extending through today...

My crazy cat keeping an eye on the family from the top of the refrigerator.

I went for a 50/50 shot....and got it. The pond near my house rendered this photo. I got really cold taking it!!

The Tigers set up a semfinal rematch with Notre Dame with a 51-35 win over the Pirates

Today is Sunday, March 2, the 61st day of 2014. There are 304 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 2, 1939, Roman Catholic Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli was elected pope on his 63rd birthday; he took the name Pius XII...

Ted and Margaret Yates of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Meg Yates, to Michael Strom. He is the son of Mike and Anna Strom of St. Louis. Meg is a graduate of Central High School and Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed by Cape Girardeau School District at Alma Schrader Elementary...

Britton Azalee Williams and Daniel Stephen Robert were married Oct. 26, 2013, at St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church in Huntsville, Ala. The Rev. Patrick Nwokoye of Cape Girardeau performed the ceremony. Lectors were Amy Williams and Linda Robert, mothers of the couple, and Jessica Robert, sister-in-law of the groom. Organist and vocalist was Marcia Bouska of Huntsville...

This little bird is called a red fox sparrow. It is a bit larger than most other kinds of sparrows such as the song sparrow or the house sparrow. The red fox sparrow is one of a group of four kinds of fox sparrows native to North America, but is the only one to show up in Southeast Missouri...

Fitness Plus will host an indoor triathlon at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Saint Francis Health and Wellness Center, 150 S. Mount Auburn Road. Included are a 300-yard swim, five-mile ride on a stationary bike and a two-mile run on the indoor track. The goal is to finish all three events with the fastest time, with both individual and team competitions offered...

Charlene Linn of Cape Girardeau has endowed two scholarships through the Southeast Missouri University Foundation. She has established the Robert Craig Jones Memorial Scholarship in memory of her son and the Dr. Frank J. Linn Education Scholarship in honor of her husband...

The Rushing Family Trust made a $2,650 donation to Hope Children's Home in Jackson, a transitional home for area children when they are taken into protective custody. Children receive care, meals, clothing and medical, dental and psychological screenings while arrangements for foster care are made. ...

Drs. Mary Ann And Bert Kellerman of Cape Girardeau and the Kellerman Foundation for Historic Preservation will be honored Thursday at the 2014 Statewide Historic Preservation Honor Awards Ceremony in Jefferson City, Mo., according to a news release from the Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation...

I don't know about you, but I would really like to see spring. The day I wrote this column the temps were in the 50s and 60s and the bluebirds were flitting about looking for lunch. When I looked at the forecast for the day this column was to be published I thought winter will be back. Bah!...

During the last 19 years I have become pretty close to the employees of the accounting firm we use where I work at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. We have used the same firm the entire time, and they know our business inside and out. Recently while at their office, the conversation turned to food and eating, which is what happens quite frequently with me...

Pet Name: Zac Owner: Carolyn Davis "We think he's only looking at the pictures, but we're not certain." ...

Izzy is a young and beautiful tortoiseshell kitty. Her disposition is sweet and she would make a wonderful companion. For more information, call Safe Harbor Animal Shelter at 243-9823. ...

christian singer-songwriter returns to Cape Girardeau tonight with Third Day and Skillet after performing here with TobyMac in December. By BOB CAMPBELL Southeast Missourian Telephoning from her hometown of Atlanta, Christian singer-songwriter Jamie Grace said Tuesday touring with Third Day and Skillet for the last two months has been a graduate course in the music business...

A website recently invited me to answer a bunch of questions about myself. The goal was to find out which one of Jesus' original band of disciples I most resembled. Can't resist stuff like this -- so we gave it a try in the hopes it might be revealing...

I recently went roller skating with friends. Unless we're counting the time my cousins tried to teach me how to roller skate when I was six -- let's not, though, because that didn't go so well, either -- I had never been roller skating. I don't know what I was thinking, but I assumed that once we got to the rink I would just strap the roller skates on and be a pro. ...

This past summer I fell in love with a kitchen gadget that has been relatively slow to catch on in the U.S. -- the mandoline. I've had several of these kicking around my kitchen for a while now, but I never quite saw the need for them. For those not in the know, a mandoline is shaped like a plank with a very thin, very sharp blade at the far end. To use it, you slide a firm vegetable back and forth along the plank. Each time you slide over the blade, it shaves a slice off the vegetable...

MONDAY--Chicken bites & garlic breadstick, broccoli & cheese or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, pears. TUESDAY--Beef taco salad, mixed beans or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, cinnamon applesauce. WEDNESDAY--Chili, 1/2 toasted cheese or 1/2 pbj sandwich, candied carrots or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, apricot cup...

Since its inception, the 18 Fore Life Charity banquet held annually on the first Friday in June, has enlisted a keynote speaker in the sports arena. On June 7 this year, attendees will have an opportunity to hear perhaps the most noted sports figure to ever address the charity affair...

Until I moved to Chicago, St. Patrick's Day wasn't a big event for me. But that first year, I was stunned by the site of what locals took for granted -- a boat slowly traveling the Chicago River depositing a rich green dye into the water. It was amazing to see the water turn emerald...

Approximately 20 members of the Southeast Missouri County Division of the Family, Community, and Education organization associated with the University of Missouri Extension Service met at the extension office in Jackson to participate in one of several workshops to produce weighted blankets, lap pads, and neck "snakes" for autistic children in the Southeast Missouri area...

The city of Cape Girardeau is the latest of many public and private entities that have made training for a live mass shooting incident a priority. Recently 56 city employees took part in ALICE training, which is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate...

So the U.S. Postal Service postponed closure of the Cape Girardeau regional mail-processing center. What does that mean? Since it (partially?) closed, mail to my home is delivered in the morning instead of afternoon. That's good. But all outgoing mail from my home mailbox or a blue postal drop box must be sent to St. Louis for sorting, even if I would live in a small town and send to my next-door neighbor. But this still should allow next-day delivery...

Lord Jesus, we worship you for you are the way, the truth and the life. Amen.

A concert Sunday at the Show Me Center featuring Third Day, Skillet and other Christian music acts has been postponed because of the winter storm headed toward the region.

One man died and another was seriously injured after a Saturday morning traffic accident on Highway 25. According to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report, the crash happened at 7:20 a.m., half a mile north of Gordonville. The accident occurred as a northbound 2010 Chrysler, driven by Jimmy L. Tankersley, 67, of Jackson crossed the center lane and collided with Christopher W. Chastain's southbound 2010 Ford...

Pat Wissman has entered the race for Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner. Wissman, the first Democrat to file for any Cape Girardeau County office since filing began Tuesday, is a retired over-the-road truck owner and operator. He ran against Clint Tracy, who is running for another term as presiding commissioner, in 2010 and was a candidate for Jackson School Board in 2009 and 2012...

The Cape Girardeau City Council will decide on an ordinance for a project from 2008 that would build new sidewalks to give children safe paths to and from school. The Safe Routes to School program, created by the Federal Highway Administration in 2005, is designed to enable and encourage children to walk or bicycle to school safely from traffic by building and expanding sidewalks...

Circuit Judge Benjamin Lewis took up a litany of motions Friday in the murder case against a Cape Girardeau man, granting most and leaving open the possibility of considering others should they become relevant in the future. Kenneth Bell, 23, faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count of armed criminal action in connection with the Feb. 7, 2013, shooting deaths of Misty Cole and Shannon James...

When Staci Glass steps in front of her third-grade class at West Lane Elementary School in Jackson, she's ready to get her students involved on every level using a technique called whole brain teaching that involves movement, hand gestures, peer teaching and a chance to beat the teacher...

A virtual who's who of Southeast Missouri lawyers and judges filled the federal courthouse atrium Friday afternoon in Cape Girardeau to celebrate the career of retiring U.S. Magistrate Judge Lewis M. Blanton. Blanton served as an associate judge in Scott County before being named the first sitting U.S. magistrate judge for the southeastern division of the Eastern District of Missouri in 1991...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Carl "Eddie" Todt Jr., 55, of Sikeston passed away Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2014, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Feb. 19, 1959, in Cape Girardeau to Carl Edward and Kathryn Ann Dumey Todt Sr. He married Angela Plafcan on July 21, 2002...

Dr. Theodore J. Glenn, 86, of San Antonio, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014, in San Antonio. He was born March 31, 1927, in Alto, Texas, to Eugene Roosevelt Glenn and Jessie Mary Hamilton. After graduating from Alto High School, he proudly served in the U.S. Navy Reserves from May 1945 to December 1946 as a medical corpsman...

Joan Catherine Lipps, 71, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born July 21, 1942, in London, England, to Robert and Margaret Smith Clyne. Joan worked as office manager at Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. She was an avid gardener and loved watching QVC...

LOS ANGELES -- Saturated mountainsides loomed over foothill communities Saturday as a storm centered off California rotated bands of rain into a state that sorely needs the moisture but not at such dangerously high rates. Evacuation orders remained in effect for hundreds of homes in Los Angeles County foothill communities where fires have burned away vegetation that holds soil in place, and bursts of rain caused the mountains to belch occasional debris flows...

SPOKANE, Wash. -- While one of the newer double-walled nuclear waste storage tanks at a Washington state complex has leaked, six others have "significant construction flaws" that could lead to additional leaks, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press...

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- "12 Years a Slave" rolled at the Spirit Awards, winning five awards including best feature at the annual independent film celebration. On the eve of the Academy Awards, the slavery tale won awards for director Steve McQueen, actress Lupita Nyong'o, screenwriter John Ridley and cinematographer Sean Bobbitt. In a more laid-back, beachside ceremony in Santa Monica, just west of Los Angeles, "12 Years a Slave" was applauded as the clear favorite of the indie circuit...

LOS ANGELES -- Many of the winners who will take home an Oscar today have long been forecast, their triumph made seemingly self-evident after months of anticipation. That is, except for one little category: best picture. Even in a lengthy awards season (the Academy Awards were pushed back slightly for the Olympics), and despite the tireless analysis of a swelling Oscar blogosphere, no one really knows which film is going to take the night's biggest award...

NEW YORK -- After two months of trading, the stock market is back where it started. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 4.3 percent in February, the biggest gain since October 2013, helped by strong corporate earnings and a Federal Reserve that seems to have Wall Street's back at every turn. But the rise in February must be taken in the context that investors spent the month making up the ground they lost in January...

SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine -- Russian troops took over Crimea as the parliament in Moscow gave President Vladimir Putin a green light Saturday to use the military to protect Russian interests in Ukraine. The newly installed government in Kiev was powerless to react to the action by Russian troops based in the strategic region and more flown in, aided by pro-Russian Ukrainian groups...

BEIJING -- Knife-wielding assailants attacked people at a train station in southwestern China on Saturday in what authorities called a terrorist attack and police fatally shot five of the assailants, leaving 28 people dead and 113 injured, state media said...

BEIRUT -- In one besieged neighborhood after another, weary rebels have turned over their weapons to the Syrian government in exchange for an easing of suffocating blockades that have prevented food, medicine and other staples from reaching civilians trapped inside...

ST. LOUIS -- The number of missing or destroyed military records at a federal government warehouse in St. Louis is larger than initially believed. A 2012 audit found that a file clerk at the National Personnel Records Center wrongly filed nearly three-fourths of 1,200 files assigned to him over a three-month period. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Some Missouri lawmakers want exercise to be taxing -- not taxed. The state charges sales tax on admission and fees for places of entertainment and recreation, which has been determined to include fitness centers and other athletic and exercise facilities. Some business owners say they are uncertain whether they owe tax and warn that a large bill for back taxes could ruin them...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The budget cuts legislators imposed last year on the Missouri Department of Revenue likely will remain in place, even though the drivers' license controversy that sparked them has been resolved through a new law. Gov. Jay Nixon isn't asking lawmakers to restore the funding for the remainder of this budget year, nor is he asking for the funding to be placed in the state budget that begins in July...

WASHINGTON -- Tea partyers insist they're not to blame for Republican election losses in congressional and presidential elections, faulting the GOP establishment for showing little fight. This election year, the establishment is fighting -- against the tea party insurgents challenging incumbents who the Republican Party is convinced stand a better chance in November...

WASHINGTON -- Hillary Rodham Clinton's advisers sought to "humanize" what they saw as her stern, defensive public image during her husband's White House days and as she embarked on her groundbreaking Senate campaign in New York. "Be real," wrote adviser Mandy Grunwald in a July 1999 memo as Clinton prepared for a Senate campaign. ...

Lewis Petzoldt, 81, of Frohna, Mo., died Feb. 28, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 11, 1933, in Altenburg, Mo., son of Oscar and Concordia Lohmann Petzoldt. He and Louise L. Weber were married June 21, 1958. She preceded him in death Oct. 31, 2012...

Pauline Cross Smith, 94, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Feb. 28, 2014 at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 20, 1919 in Advance, Mo., to William and Amy Kennedy Musgraves. She married Johnie W. Smith on Dec. 21, 1940. He died Aug. 19, 1985. She later married Fred Cross Jr. in 1987 and he died April 10, 1995...

TAMMS, Ill. — Lucille Mayberry, 96, of Tamms died Saturday at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Tamms.

Jimmy Lee Tankersley, 67, of Jackson died Saturday, March 1, 2014, as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Virginia Bernice Hudson, 74, of Perryville died Feb. 27, 2014 at her daughter's residence in Perryville. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at Young and Sons Funeral Home in Perryville and from 6:30 to 10 a.m. Tuesday...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Viola Theiss, 90, of Perryville, formerly of Wittenberg, Mo., died Saturday, March 1, 2014, at Independence Care Center of Perry County in Perryville. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Young and Sons East Perry Chapel in Altenburg, Mo...

CHAFFEE, Mo. — Patricia Hampton, 59, of Chaffee died Friday, Feb. 28, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee.

Son to Robert Joseph Cureton and Casey Marie Tooman of Sikeston, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 1:17 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014. Name, Randy Paul Franklin. Weight, 6 pounds, 2 ounces. Fourth child, second son. Ms. Tooman is the daughter of Lonnie and Lana Tooman of Marquand, Mo. Cureton is the son of Paul Cureton of Advance, Mo., and Patty Westmoreland of Jackson...

The Southeast Missouri State men's track and field team won the Ohio Valley Conference indoor championship for just the second time in school history on Saturday at Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tenn. The Redhawks finished with 161 points ahead of perennial power Eastern Illinois (144 points) and host Tennessee State (118) to win their first indoor title since 1996...

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team was swept in a three-game series at the University of Memphis that concluded Saturday. The Redhawks lost 8-4 on Friday night before dropping both games of a doubleheader on Saturday. Southeast lost 9-5 in the first game on Saturday and 3-2 in the nightcap to fall to 6-6 overall on the season...

The Pirates fell to Sikeston 36-24 in the Class 4 District 1 tournament

The Central boys basketball team closed out its regular-season schedule with a 57-39 victory at Dexter on Friday night. Senior Jamal Cox led the Tigers with a game-high 31 points while Al Young added 16. CAPE CENTRAL (57) -- Al Young 16, Jamal Cox 31, Chase Hagerty 2, Mikey Jones 6, Andre Statam 2. FG 23, FT 10-13, F 10. (3-pointers: Young 1. Fouled out: none)...

The Tigers' season ended with a 46-43 loss in the first round of district play

City hall 401 Independence St. Study session, 5 p.m. Monday No action will be taken during the study session. Closed session Items for discussion...

The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Office released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests...

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

The Redhawks beat Murray State 65-57 in season finale

The Southeast Missouri State softball team dropped a pair of games in its All-Missouri Cancer Classic tournament on Saturday. Southeast (4-8) started Saturday's action against Missouri State where they failed to plate a run in an 8-0 loss to the Bears. The Redhawks dropped their second game against Saint Louis 7-4...

A group of about 40 black Southeast Missouri State University students met with university officials yesterday to discuss a number of concerns, both on and off campus, which relate to black students; the meeting stems from concerns raised earlier during a Black History Month event...

By Alaina Hinze Because I value open communication, I feel it is imperative I address concerns that have arisen around a vote I made at the last Jackson School Board meeting. This vote has been taken out of context as the many factors that determined my vote have not been revealed...

Although 6 inches was forecast, Cape Girardeau got 2 to 3 inches of snow overnight, according to the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky. Lead forecaster Greg Meffert said the predicted 4 to 6 inches was difficult to pin down because of when the sleet changed to snow. "It's very tough to call when you have mixed precipitation. I don't think we did too bad given the variable situation with the freezing rain, sleet and snow we had to deal with everywhere," Meffert said...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Although conditions on major roads seem to have improved, connecting roads are still an issue, according to a news release issued today by the Sikeston Department of Public Safety. Snow plows have pushed the snow off toward the side of the road, but the release said this is contributing to the snow at intersections. Many vehicles are bottoming out and becoming stuck just before they reach the main road -- Malone or Main, the release said...

JOPLIN, Mo. -- A southwest Missouri woman is facing seven felony counts accusing her of offering to give two Joplin men a car in exchange for helping her kidnap her 1-year-old daughter from the girl's father. Elise D. Deboutez, 27, of Nevada, Mo., was bound over for trial at a preliminary hearing in Jasper County Circuit Court on Thursday on single counts of attempted child kidnapping and burglary, two counts of first-degree assault and three counts of armed criminal action, The Joplin Globe reported.. ...

ASBURY, Mo. -- It's Saturday night in a town whose population wouldn't even fill a small elementary school most nights. But on this night, stand by either of the two city limit signs and you'll see a line of car headlights approaching on Missouri Highway 171, dotting the darkness as they pass farm fields to the north and the south of town...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Members of the Springfield Shriners are trying to recruit new members to help keep a longtime band and other traditions alive. Declining membership numbers are especially affecting the Abou Ben Adhem Shriners Band, which has only about half of its 50 members show up for rehearsal, The Springfield News-Leader reported...

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- A Missouri felon who intentionally got himself arrested late last year so he would have someplace to stay after an ice storm said he is having second thoughts about the decision that landed him a four-year stay with the state Department of Corrections...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri motorists could be able to buy a higher blend of ethanol gasoline as early as this summer because of a new policy pushed by Gov. Jay Nixon over the unsuccessful objections of some lawmakers. The state has long been a leading promoter of ethanol, a corn-based fuel that is blended with regular petroleum gasoline. Missouri was among the first states in 2006 to mandate that most fuel contain 10 percent ethanol...

WASHINGTON -- Tourists flocked to the monuments in the nation's capital Sunday to enjoy 50-degree temperatures before yet another winter storm was expected to dump up to a foot of snow on parts of the East Coast. In the latest blast of a harsh winter, forecasters said a layer of ice and 8 to 12 inches of snow was possible by the end of today in Washington and the Mid-Atlantic region, while 6 to 8 inches of snow was predicted across parts of southern Pennsylvania. ...

Aiming to bolster its Project Canaan home for abandoned children in central Swaziland, the Cape Girardeau-based U.S. Heart for Africa group will hold its fifth annual Celebrate Hope fundraiser Saturday. Group president Jimmy Wilferth expects 400 to 500 people to help meet the group's $100,000 goal...

Cape Girardeau residents will likely wake up this morning to "right at" 6 inches of snow, and that may be conservative, according to Dan Spaeth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky. The white stuff is expected to fall on top of a layer of a freezing rain-sleet combination, he said...

Inclement winter weather has led to several problems around Cape Girardeau. Perhaps one of the most obvious is the delay it's caused in work along the 200 block of Merriwether Street, which is part of the Broadway Stormwater Relief project. During heavy downpours, water backs up along the sides of Broadway, creating shallow pools as it slowly enters the drainage system. The stormwater relief project will install new pipes underground to convey that water to the Merriwether storm tunnel...

ST. LOUIS -- In a first-floor gallery at the St. Louis Art Museum hangs a life-size portrait of three bathing women and a small red turtle. The painting, by Henri Matisse, changed the course of art, and is considered one of the most influential 20th-century paintings in the United States...

The Missouri Department of Economic Development announced Select Plastics LLC, a custom plastic sheet extrusion manufacturer of Fort Worth, Texas, is expanding to Scott City. The facility will be the company's first expansion outside the Fort Worth area and will create 28 jobs, according to a news release from the agency...

Students who attend the Alternative Education Center usually wind up there because of several factors -- attendance, behavior and academic performance. But once they're there, principal Scott McMullen says, they want to stay. So far this year, McMullen said the school has served 170 students in grades six through 12, many of whom have "not had a lot of success in the main schools." Smaller class sizes and more individual attention helps students get their grades up and start experiencing success.. ...

Today (March 3) State Farm is launching a program in which: o Dog park in Mississippi o Art therapy for children in Missouri o Teen-run program to help war veterans in New York o Financial literacy program for high school students in Idaho...

Madison built her first snowman...of course we named it Olaf!!

Madison poses with Kacie, Lucky, Molly and Max ALL Grandma Dotty's Grandbabies!

Spring is near! The antlers have begun to fall.

Cape Girardeau -- Seven students from Keyboards & Kindermusik Conservatory, a piano, keyboard and Kindermusik teaching studio in Cape Girardeau, recently earned Gold Cup awards from the National Federation of Junior Music Clubs. The Junior Music Festival was held on Feb. 15. To receive a Gold Cup, students must compete at a minimum of three years earning the top rating. A student can earn up to five Gold Cup awards...

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release CONTACT INFORMATION: Name: Andrea Quiroz-Jira Address: 2101 West Broadway #322 Columbia, MO 65203 Phone 866-699-2664 E-mail: director@bestofmissourihands.org One of nation's top ten art fair directors to speak in Springfield...

THE GOOD NEWS We were elated to be taking another Princess Cruise, our third. It was Thanksgiving 2013 and St. Louis was bitter cold. We couldn't wait to get to warm weather and blue water. We had previously taken this cruise (Caribbean Princess to Mexico, Honduras and Belize leaving from Florida and had loved it. We especially couldn't wait to get back to Honduras and Belize and hoped to recreate our memories of two years ago...

Thomas Parks was sworn in as the new postmaster of Jackson on Thursday. Nicholas Burger, commercial banking relationship manager for U.S. Bank at 325 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, was named a Leader of Tomorrow by the bank. Leaders of Tomorrow is a 12-month program that recognizes up-and-coming leaders within U.S. Bank. The class of 2014 was made up of 10 individuals, one representing each community banking division within U.S. Bank's 25-state region...

Today is Monday, March 3, the 62nd day of 2014. There are 303 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 3, 1974, a Turkish Airlines DC-10 crashed shortly after takeoff from Orly Airport in Paris, killing all 346 people on board. A faulty cargo door had blown open, resulting in sudden decompression that caused part of the jetliner's floor to collapse, severely damaging the plane's control cables...

TBY: First, let's talk about you: Where did you grow up? What's your educational and career background? Charley Tinsley: I grew up in Charleston, Mo., and lived there until June 2012. I graduated from Charleston High School and worked on our family farm until I went to work for an insurance company as an agent in Charleston. ...

There are plenty of big decisions involved in creating a will and estate plan, ranging from how to distribute your assets to providing instructions for your legal guardian. Susan Layton, an attorney with Layton & Southard LLC in Cape Girardeau, says a will is usually planned between a husband wife with assistance from an estate planning attorney. ...

It was a love for children and experiences in her own background that called Lillian Martin Rush to begin a career at Head Start that ended up lasting 29 years. Head Start is a program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families...

Bill Guth didn't expect basketball to become a lifetime sport for him. When he was in his 40s, he hoped he'd still be playing in his 50s. When he reached his 50s, he thought it would be great if he could play until he was in his 60s. Now in his early 70s, Bill says he just hopes to play again next week...

Several media companies and marketing businesses were represented in this year's ADDY awards, put on by the Tri-State Advertising and Marketing Professionals group. More than 120 print, interactive, broadcast and multimedia projects were considered, including those from organizations in Kentucky and Illinois...

State Sen. Wallingford:Having spent my 25 years as a Missourian, I must express my disappointment over the introduction of SB 916. While you may not represent my district, you represent the state I call home. I support everyone's right to practice religion. ...

Last Wednesday, the Southeast Missourian published an op-ed column by Rich Lowry criticizing Secretary Hagel's proposed budget for the Department of Defense (DOD). Mr. Lowry contended the size of the armed forces should not be reduced. In our present situation, it is possible that the United States may get involved in a conventional war, counterinsurgency, cyber warfare, and/or small unit operations against terrorists. ...

LOS ANGELES -- Liam Neeson has grounded the "The Lego Movie." The action star's airliner thriller "Non-Stop" arrived in first place at the weekend box office, effectively ending the Warner Bros. animated film's three-week blockade at the top spot. The Universal film stars Neeson as a federal air marshal on a doomed flight. "Non-Stop" ascended in its first weekend with $30 million, according to studio estimates Sunday...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A federal judge has ruled that Moberly, Mo., and its industrial development authority are not responsible for bonds involved in a failed artificial sweetener plant project. Moberly and the agency issued $39 million in bonds in July 2010 to finance construction of a Mamtek plant, which was expected to create 600 jobs. The project never materialized and Mamtek is now in bankruptcy...

Son to Gary Lee and Michelle Ann Brown of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 12:26 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014. Name, Colton Samuel. Weight, 8 pounds, 2 ounces. Third child, first son. Mrs. Brown is the former Michelle Carlton, daughter of Roger and Debbie Carlton of Jackson. She is employed by Saint Francis. Brown is the son of Jeff and Karen Roth of Jackson and Scott and Debbie Brown of Shawneetown. He is employed by B&B Custom Homes...

City officials are moving ahead with plans for construction of Lexington Street as an arterial road; the city staff is recommending the city council proceed with construction of a 1,700-feet-long section of Lexington from Carolina Lane to the proposed Haystack Lane, just east of Kent Drive...

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

Kay Wolak, 57, of Jackson died Sunday, March 2, 2014, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Carl "Eddie" Todt Jr., 55, of Sikeston died Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2014, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Visitation will be after 4 p.m. today at Amick-Burnett Funeral Home in Chaffee. Parish prayers will be at 5 p.m. today, followed by Knights of Columbus prayers...

ORAN, Mo. — The Rev. Lewis Todd, 64, of Ste. Genevieve, Mo., formerly of Oran, died Saturday, March 1, 2014, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Ethel Steakley Rowell, 88, of Chaffee died Sunday, March 2, 2014, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Jan. 18, 1926, in Perkins, Mo., to the late George Samuel and Florence Russell Steakley. She and Raymond B. Rowell were married Dec. 6, 1947...

Evelyn Porter, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, March 1, 2014, at Southeast Hospital. Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Fairmount Cemetery...

Kevin J. Jansen, 58, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, March 1, 2014, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

CAIRO, Ill. — Linda Clarke Jackson, 52, of Cairo died Sunday, March 2, 2014, at her parents' home near Olive Branch, Ill. Arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Cairo.

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Patricia Lou Hampton, 69, of Chaffee passed away Friday, Feb. 28, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 23, 1945, to the late Orville and Marie Curry Burns. Pat married Jerry Hampton in 1970...

THEBES, Ill. -- Finley "Doc" Caldwell, 90, of Murphysboro, Ill., formerly of Thebes, died Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, at his home. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Crain Pleasant Grove-Murdale Funeral home in Murphysboro. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Pleasant Grove Memorial Park...

LOS ANGELES -- Perhaps atoning for past sins, Hollywood named the brutal, unshrinking historical drama "12 Years a Slave" best picture at the 86th annual Academy Awards. Steve McQueen's slavery odyssey, based on Solomon Northup's 1853 memoir, has been hailed as a landmark corrective to the movie industry's long omission of slavery stories and years of whiter tales like 1940 best-picture winner "Gone With the Wind."...

LORETTO, Ky. -- The producers of Maker's Mark bourbon announced a distillery expansion Thursday to pump up production and keep pace with growing demand for the Kentucky whiskey, known by its bottles sealed in red wax. The $67 million expansion comes barely a year after the brand created a backlash by saying it was cutting the amount of alcohol in each bottle to stretch its whiskey supplies. Producers quickly scrapped the idea...

GILLSBURG, Miss. -- Residents living above an oil-rich shale formation that stretches across southwest Mississippi and Louisiana have been waiting on a boom for years. A steady trickle of drilling is already boosting the rural region's economy, and spending by two oil companies could make 2014 the year many other locals finally cash in on the oil far beneath their feet...

WASHINGTON -- Pregnant women, mothers and children who get federal assistance with their grocery bills will now be able to buy more whole-grain foods, yogurt, fish, fruits and vegetables. The changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, will go into place by next year...

Shannon Frauenholtz of Chicago has had it with winter. Barely able to stomach the television news with its images of snowbound cars, she heads to the tanning salon, closes her eyes and imagines she's back in Mexico, where she's already vacationed once this winter...

JERUSALEM -- Israel's prime minister headed to Washington on Sunday for a high-stakes meeting with President Barack Obama about U.S.-led Mideast peace efforts, vowing to maintain a tough line in the face of heavy international pressure to begin making concessions to the Palestinians...

PEREVALNE, Ukraine -- Warning that it was "on the brink of disaster," Ukraine put its military on high alert Sunday and appealed for international help to avoid what it feared was the possibility of an invasion by Russia. Outrage over Russia's tactics mounted in world capitals, with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry calling on President Vladimir Putin to pull back from "an incredible act of aggression."...

LOS ANGELES -- Residents in three California foothill communities headed home Sunday after a powerful storm that threatened to unleash mud on neighborhoods beneath unstable hills scarred by recent wildfires. With the storm reduced to sprinkles, residents in the Los Angeles County cities of Glendora and Azusa were allowed back into their homes. Monrovia residents were allowed back late Saturday, officials said...

WASHINGTON -- The case of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, held by the Taliban since 2009, has arisen again as the U.S. and other countries engage in diplomatic efforts to free him. But if he is released, will America's only prisoner of the Afghan war be viewed as a hero or a deserter?...

WASHINGTON -- A Floridian with an IQ as high as 75 may be diagnosed as mentally disabled and be eligible for help getting a job. But on death row, the state says having an IQ higher than 70 categorically means an inmate is not mentally disabled and may be executed...

The veteran outfielder made his first spring appearance in the field

The semifinals of the Class 4 District 1 girls tournament at Central High School have been pushed back to Thursday due to icy road conditions. The rescheduling of tonight's games means the championship game will be played Friday. Top-seeded Dexter will face No. 4 Kennett in the first semifinal at 6 p.m. Thursday, followed by No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 3 Sikeston at 7:30...

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Ryan Miller's debut for the St. Louis Blues started with a tough break and ended with a victory. Miller made 23 saves and Patrik Berglund scored twice during St. Louis' four-goal, third-period rally and the Blues beat the Phoenix Coyotes 4-2 on Sunday night...

O Father God, we give you all glory and praise forevermore. Amen.

OMAHA, Neb. -- A monthly economic survey index dropped slightly last month but still suggests growth over the next three to six months for nine Midwestern and Plains states, according to a survey report released Monday. The overall Mid-America Business Conditions Index fell to 57.4 in February from 57.7 in January...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Senate Majority Leader says legislation to extend Missouri's abortion waiting period will be debated this week. Republican Sen. Ron Richard, of Joplin, said the chamber will resume debate on the measure, which would require 72 hours to pass before a woman can have an abortion after seeing a doctor. Current law requires women to wait one day before an abortion can occur...

ST. LOUIS -- The Wright County sheriff says a weekend drug raid in southern Missouri led to the discovery of 95 portable meth labs on a single property. Sheriff Glenn Adler told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the Mountain Grove seizure may be the largest ever in Missouri...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Every homeowner in Missouri could get a one-time tax refund under legislation pending in the state Senate. The proposal is estimated to cost the state $384 million. It would grant an income-tax cut to everyone who owned residential property as of Jan. 1, 2014...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- After a one-day weather delay, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is heading to Canada on a business trip. Nixon was leaving Missouri on Monday to travel to Canada. He originally had been scheduled to depart Sunday but postponed because of a winter storm that brought snow, sleet and ice to parts of the state...

BONNE TERRE, Mo. -- A Missouri community has come together to help a 7-year-old girl battling cancer fulfill her unique dream. Summer Warren, a first-grader at North County Primary School in Bonne Terre, has been undergoing treatment for an inoperable tumor wrapped around her brain stem, the Daily Journal reported...

ST. LOUIS -- A struggling Southeast Missouri town that once served as a summer getaway for wealthy St. Louis residents hopes its role in a new network TV show comes with an economic boost. The ABC series "Resurrection" is set in Arcadia, Mo., a small town where the dead return to life. No scenes from the show that debuts Sunday were filmed in Missouri, and the book on which the series is based was set in East Arcadia, N.C...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is in favor of the proposed oil pipeline route through the middle of the United States, joining other Midwestern governors who are urging President Barack Obama to approve its construction. The Democratic governor endorsed the Keystone XL pipeline in a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday...

BLODGETT, Mo. -- A rural Scott County home was destroyed by fire early Monday morning near Blodgett. "It was very difficult today," Scott County Rural Fire Protection District chief Jeremy Perrien said of battling the blaze in such extreme weather conditions...

The National Weather Service announced Monday it is postponing the Missouri Statewide Tornado Drill until 1:30 p.m. Thursday. The 40th annual statewide drill is part of Missouri 2014 Severe Weather Awareness Week, which runs through Friday, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Public Safety...

Motorists in Southeast Missouri have had plenty of practice driving on ice this winter. If reports from local law enforcement agencies are any indication, either that practice is paying off, or people have stopped trying to travel on slippery roads...

ST. LOUIS -- A small handful of donors account for the bulk of money raised for statewide candidates and ballot measures in Missouri, according to a newspaper analysis on Monday. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch analyzed money raised by Missouri campaign committees from 2011 through 2013. ...

At Monday night's Cape Girardeau City Council meeting, council members took a look at the past to prepare for the future. In the study session, city manager Scott Meyer gave a presentation on the city's economic development based on the numbers from 2013 and previous years. Then, in regular session, the council approved the first steps for a project that began in 2008...

The various winter weather that has visited the region during recent months is affecting more than the temperature and road conditions -- businesses are feeling the bite. Cape Girardeau received 2 to 3 inches of snow overnight, according to the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., on top of a layer of ice and sleet that accumulated throughout Saturday night and Sunday...

Although 6 inches was forecast, Cape Girardeau got 2 to 3 inches of snow overnight, according to the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky. Lead forecaster Greg Meffert said the predicted 4 to 6 inches was difficult to pin down because of when the sleet changed to snow. "It's very tough to call when you have mixed precipitation. I don't think we did too bad given the variable situation with the freezing rain, sleet and snow we had to deal with everywhere," Meffert said...

For the Scott County Central boys basketball team, making it to the Class 1 sectional game isn't something new. The Braves won the Class 1 District 2 title -- their 11th straight -- Thursday and will face Class 1 District 1 winner Clarkton tonight, with the winner advancing to the state quarterfinal round...

Elvis the camel invites you to come see him at the St Louis zoo. As the weather warms the animals get more active and it is a great time to visit them.

Beautiful sunrise and 11 degrees

Pigs wallow in it. People bathe in it. Mud is the new black...uh, brown. And mud runs are all the rage for thrill-seekers looking to test their fortitude. The Battlegrounds at Cedar Lake, the Midwest's only permanent mud run and obstacle course, is the perfect combination for those seeking a messy and invigorating challenge. ...

A female Cardinal waits in the bush by my door for me to put out some seed. If you put out seed at the same time everyday , the birds will learn this and arrive at that time everyday.

NEW YORK -- The harsh winter has been rough for some businesses, but for a lucky few, the frigid weather means more cold, hard cash. Ace Hardware is having its best winter in more than a decade for snowblower and shovel sales. Waterproof boots are on a long back-order at clothing maker L.L. Bean. And more people are staying home and ordering gooey grilled cheese sandwiches and booze from Delivery.com...

Today is Tuesday, March 4, the 63rd day of 2014. There are 302 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 4, 1789, the Constitution of the United States went into effect as the first Federal Congress met in New York. (The lawmakers then adjourned for lack of a quorum.)...

A Cape Girardeau business professor was recognized with an eye-catching honor Saturday night. Dr. Erin R. Fluegge-Woolf, a Southeast Missouri State University faculty member, was crowned Mrs. Missouri at the state contest held in Kansas City, Mo. Fluegge-Woolf is the latest in an impressive history of local women who have won the competition. A story in Sunday's Southeast Missourian said that more than a dozen women from the Southeast Missouri region have won the title...

Anybody worried about the weather lately? Maybe God's trying to get our attention. Beware of a scam. Twice I've gotten a card to call 1-855 number to be able to get a $100 reward card for Wal-Mart or Target and more. First time, they wanted me to send a dollar. Second card, they wanted me to send $4. I called a local police. They, too, said it was a scam. Beware...

At a recent visit with state Rep. Donna Lichtenegger during the Missouri Municipal League's (MML) recent Legislative Conference, she mentioned that the Republican Party stood for local control. This is a good platform since it is certainly true that local governments are closest to the people. ...

Honorable state Sen. Wayne Wallingford's bill would protect small business owners from being forced to deny their religious identity. Discrimination should not be legal, in any form. To mandate that a business person participate in something which is contrary to their religious beliefs denies their religious identity. For instance, would you force a kosher caterer to serve ham? If so, you would be denying the practice of his Jewish faith, which is discrimination against him...

LOS ANGELES -- Ellen DeGeneres' goal of setting a retweet record with her star-studded selfie was achieved before the Oscars telecast was even over. During a comic bit, the Oscars host prevailed upon actor Bradley Cooper to take a picture with her and several other stars crowding around, including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin Spacey, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt...

NEW YORK -- An estimated 43 million people watched the Academy Awards, the most-watched audience for the show in a decade and most popular entertainment event on television since the "Friends" finale in 2004. The Nielsen company said Monday that Oscar viewership was up for the third straight year and is considered yet another example of how social media is helping to drive up the ratings for big television events. The Oscars last year were seen by 40.4 million people...

Son to Will Hodges Woods and Clarice Renee Shannon of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 5:27 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, 2014. Name, Will Hodges. Weight, 7 pounds, 8 ounces. Fourth child, second son. Ms. Shannon is the daughter of Dimeta and Willie Shannon of Sikeston, Mo. Woods is the son of Kathleen Woods of Cape Girardeau and David Green of Denver. He is employed by Gilster-Mary Lee...

Cape Girardeau County Clerk Rodney E. Miller was recently sworn in by Sen. John Dennis of Benton, Mo., as president of the Missouri Association of Counties for 1989. CHESTER, Ill. -- Tolls again will be placed on Chester's Mississippi River bridge, if a measure proposed by U.S. Rep. Glenn W. Poshard becomes law; Poshard has introduced the same legislation his predecessor, Kenneth Gray, unsuccessfully tried to get through Congress before he retired last year...

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

The Cardinals' new shortstop exhibited to his former team what it will be missing this year

Kay Wolak, 57, of Jackson struggled with a complicated illness the past three years. She passed away Sunday, March 2, 2014, at her home. She was born June 28, 1956, in Cape Girardeau to Bob and Joan Proffer Scholz. She and Wayne J. Wolak were married July 21, 1979. ...

Jerry B. Wagner, 73, of Jackson passed away Friday, Feb. 28, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 12, 1940, in Gipsy, Mo., son of William Madison and Pearless Atlas Kerr Wagner. He and Darlene Schneider were united in marriage Oct. 30, 1964, at the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson...

Jimmy Lee Tankersley, 67, of Jackson passed away Saturday, March 1, 2014, as a result of injuries from an automobile accident. He was born Sept. 15, 1946, in Painton, Mo., son of Earnest A. and Mildred Jewell Lincoln Tankersley. He and Vickie S. Welker were married July 5, 1969...

Marilyn P. "Peggy" Laird, 87, of Valparaiso, Ind., formerly of Dolton, Ill., and Southeast Missouri, passed away Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the VNA Hospice Center. She was born April 6, 1926, in Mound City, Ill., to Lester and Florence Poe, and graduated from Charleston High School in Missouri...

CHAFFEE, Mo. — Alice Kiefer, 82, of Chaffee died Monday, March 3, 2014, at Chaffee Nursing Center. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee.

ST. LOUIS -- Paul Junker of St. Louis died Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 26, 1928, to Gertrude Kniermann and Antone Junker. He was married to Dorothy Brearly. He worked for the St. Louis Board of Election Commissioners and Christian Brothers High School...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Mary Anna Jansen, 88, of Leopold passed away Sunday, March 2, 2014, at her home surrounded by her family. She was born Nov. 29, 1925, in Leopold, daughter of George J. and Bernadine Vandeven Hinkebein. She and Walter Joseph Jansen were united in marriage Oct. 8, 1946, and he passed away Jan. 22, 1997...

Kevin J. Jansen, 58, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, March 1, 2014, at his home. He was born March 1, 1956, in Cape Girardeau, to Bonnie L. and Cletus L. Jansen. Kevin worked for Kelly Transportation Co. for many years in various capacities. He enjoyed Cardinals baseball, fishing, playing cards and spending time with his family and friends...

William A. Jackson, 40, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday at Apostolic Promise Church, 750 N. Mount Auburn Road. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the church, with the Rev. Derrick Beasley officiating. Burial will be in Fairmount Cemetery...

Buddy E. Allen, 70, of Jackson, formerly of Perryville, Mo., passed away Saturday, March 1, 2014, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 2, 1943, in Cape Girardeau, to Hubert and Emra Snider Allen. He and Kathryn Partington Schumacker were married April 1, 2004, in Chester, lll. ...

The risk of getting colorectal cancer increases with age. More than 90 percent of cases occur in people who are 50 years old or older. Colorectal cancer screening saves lives, but many people are not being screened according to national guidelines. If you're 50 years old or older, getting a screening test for colorectal cancer could save your life. Here's how:...

For decades, surgeons have traveled to far-off hospitals to remove organs from brain-dead donors and then rushed back to transplant them. Now an experiment in the Midwest suggests there may be a better way: Bring the donors to the doctors instead. A study out Tuesday reports on liver transplants from the nation's first free-standing organ retrieval center. ...

ATLANTA -- Toddler obesity shrank sharply in the past decade, a new study suggests. While promising, it's not proof that the nation has turned a corner in the battle against childhood obesity, some experts say. The finding comes from a government study considered a gold-standard gauge of trends in the public's health. The researchers found that obesity among children ages 2 to 5 decreased -- to 8 percent, from 14 percent a decade ago. That would represent a 43 percent drop...

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Croatia on Monday accused its Balkan neighbor Serbia of genocide in the early 1990s as the former Yugoslavia shattered in spasms of ethnic violence, in a case at the United Nations' highest court that highlights lingering animosities in the region...

WASHINGTON -- Seeking to salvage an elusive Middle East peace plan, President Barack Obama pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to make the "tough decisions" needed to move forward on talks with the Palestinians. But facing a U.S.-imposed April deadline, the Israeli leader declared pessimistically that, "Israel has been doing its part and, I regret to say, the Palestinians have not." Netanyahu's comments underscored the slim prospects of reaching an agreement on the long-running conflict, despite an effort led by Secretary of State John Kerry.. ...

ISLAMABAD -- Gunmen stormed Pakistan's main court complex in Islamabad on Monday, cutting down fleeing lawyers before blowing themselves up in a rampage that killed 11 people. It was the worst terror attack in years in the capital, which has largely been spared the violence raging in many parts of the country...

KIEV, Ukraine -- Russia called for a national unity deal in Ukraine even as it tightened its stranglehold over Crimea, a bold combination of diplomacy and escalating military pressure. The U.S. and European Union floundered for solutions -- while global markets panicked over the prospect of violent upheaval in the heart of Europe...

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court indicated Monday that states should look beyond an intelligence test score in borderline cases of mental disability to determine whether a death row inmate is eligible to be executed. Twelve years after the Supreme Court barred execution of the mentally disabled, the justices heard arguments about how states evaluate claims of mental disability that, if substantiated, protect inmates from being put to death...

WASHINGTON -- When Apple, Google, Microsoft and other tech giants united in outrage last summer over the National Security Agency's unfettered spying, telecommunications giants such as AT&T, Verizon and Sprint -- whose customers are also the targets of secret government spying -- remained noticeably mum...

WASHINGTON -- Striving for unity among Democrats rather than compromise with Republicans, President Barack Obama will unveil an election-year budget today that drops earlier proposals to cut future Social Security benefits and seeks new money for infrastructure, education and job training...

DETROIT -- The author of a controversial study of adult children cited by opponents of gay marriage defended his work in court Monday but also said it's too early for social scientists to make far-reaching conclusions about families headed by same-sex couples...

ST. LOUIS -- A national conference on human trafficking is bringing together activists, law enforcement and business leaders in St. Louis this week. Ignite: Sparking Action Against Sex Trafficking began Sunday night and continues through today. Featured speakers include Republican congresswoman Ann Wagner of St. Louis County and Rep. Ted Poe of Texas. Both are sponsors of proposed federal legislation to enhance services for victims and increase penalties for such crimes...

Southeast Missouri State senior Tyler Stone and freshman Antonius Cleveland both earned Ohio Valley Conference honors in back-to-back weeks as they helped the Redhawks to a pair of victories that secured a spot in this week's eight-team basketball tournament...

Father God, may your guiding hand of protection be on us as we travel. Amen.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- When the snowplows run, expenses pile up along with the ice. "This last snowstorm we're still suffering through is about a $15,000 deal," city administrator Brent Buerck told the Perryville Board of Aldermen Tuesday night. Because the ice and snow fell on a weekend, the pile of expenses grew, thanks to the amount of overtime pay involved, Buerck said...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Perryville County School District No. 32 is considering driving a different direction for its bus service. For as long as anyone can remember, the district contracted for bus transportation with Meyer Bus Line Inc. of Perryville. Superintendent Scott Ireland said the district is in its last year of a three-year contract with Meyer and has put out a request for bids for service...

Drivers were stranded overnight behind jackknifed tractor-trailers and stalled passenger cars on icy roads in eastern Arkansas, and the slippery conditions made cleanup dangerous Tuesday. Missouri travel officials also warned of potential road closures...

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team has proven it can win four in a row. Now its next goal will be to do that over the next four days. The Redhawks are embracing the challenge of winning four basketball games in four days, which is something that hasn't been done since the tournament format changed in 2011 and is what they'll have to do if they want to win the Ohio Valley Conference tournament...

While the winter weather has created problems for people across Southeast Missouri, it's also been a burden on a few furry friends. Having a natural fur coat, no matter how thick, is not always enough protection, according to Kelly Goff, director of the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri...

When pop star and The Voice "coach" Usher turned his chair Monday night, a lifelong dream for two Southeast Missourians came one step closer to reality. Coty and Clinton Walker, twins known in the region as the Brothers Walker, walked on stage Monday night and lit into "Keep Me in Mind" by the Zac Brown Band...

Taking advantage of yesterday's sunny weather, three Apache Helicopters from Whiteman AFB dropped into Cape's Airport for fueling and a lunch break at Sandy's Place. At the time, the airport was still closed to fixed-wing aircraft, but was accepting helicopter traffic, and we fueled these guys when they arrived...

Perryville Elementary School is ushering in the much-anticipated spring season with a giant party! PES will hold its fourth annual Craft Fair & Car Show hosted by Parents Involved in Education (PIE), on Saturday, March 15. The craft fair will feature over 30 vendors and the car show will include emergency vehicles, Air Evac helicopter, antique roadsters plus emergency vehicles like patrol cars and ambulances. ...

Today is Ash Wednesday, March 5, the 64th day of 2014. There are 301 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 5, 1946, Winston Churchill delivered his "Iron Curtain" speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo. Churchill declared: "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent."...

The Lenten season begins today. This is a time leading up to Easter Sunday when many Christians pay extra attention to fasting, prayer and reading the Bible. It's a time of giving up something, all in the effort of growing in faith and one's relationship with God...

You have to give credit to the liberals -- which I hesitate to do. The liberals know that if you put a derogatory name or slur on your opposition, you demean their value to some. And that's why we have "birthers" or "teabaggers" or "climate deniers."...

On behalf of 'The Dr. Ben Carson Event Committee' I would like to say thank you to all who attended and supported the Dr. Ben Carson Event on Feb. 22 in Sikeston. Many prayers were offered up over the past year in planning, preparation and working through the maze to arrive at a fantastic and well-attended event featuring Dr. Carson. We saw the Lord's hand move in support of our efforts often, and a major roadblock would melt away after sincere prayer and one more attempt...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Two of Kentucky's top Democrats split Tuesday over same-sex marriage, with Gov. Steve Beshear saying outside lawyers will be hired to appeal a decision granting recognition to gay couples married in other states after the attorney general announced he would not pursue the case...

LOS ANGELES -- Dish Network and Disney have reached a landmark deal that envisions the day when Dish will offer a Netflix-like TV service to people who'd rather stream TV over the Internet than put a satellite receiver on their roof. The deal announced late Monday paves the way for Dish to offer live local broadcasts from ABC-TV stations and programming from ABC Family, Disney Channel, ESPN and ESPN2 over mobile devices, set-top boxes and other means, similar to how Netflix's video streams are delivered.. ...

FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- About a month before a U.S. Army general's trial on sexual assault charges, the lead prosecutor broke down in tears, appearing drunk and suicidal as he told a superior he didn't think the closely watched case should go forward, according to testimony Tuesday...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Arkansas' first-in-the-nation plan that uses Medicaid funds to buy private insurance for the poor survived an effort to defund it Tuesday, as lawmakers gave final approval to continue a program that has extended health coverage to nearly 94,000 people...

TORONTO -- Embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford laughed off Jimmy Kimmel's suggestion he get help for his drinking problem and was reported to be upset about his appearance on the late-night TV talk show. Ford's appearance Monday night on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in Los Angeles was the culmination of months of wooing by the talk-show host to get Ford to appear as a guest...

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Elaine da Silva Moraes clambers up mounds of abandoned fabric, foam and feathers that minutes earlier were the essence of Rio de Janeiro's glitzy, multimillion dollar Carnival parades. The creative costumes on display at the all-night Sambadrome parades that ended early Tuesday have made Rio's Carnival celebration the most famous in the world. But the handmade confections often have a short shelf life...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri has a backlog of about 22,000 parents and children waiting to learn whether they will be covered by Medicaid. The backlog developed after the Missouri Department of Social Services moved in January to a new computer system for some Medicaid participants...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Moving Missouri's primary election date from August to June would give candidates more time to campaign against their rival party's counterparts, but it would shorten the time they have to distinguish themselves from rivals within their own party before nominees are picked...

NEW YORK -- United Airlines is getting tough on passengers with oversized carry-on bags, even sending some of them back to the ticket counter to check their luggage for a fee. The Chicago-based airline has started a push to better enforce rules restricting the size of carry-on bags -- an effort that will include instructing workers at security checkpoint entrances to eyeball passengers for bags that are too big...

WASHINGTON -- Aided by video captured by dashboard cameras in police cruisers, Supreme Court justices Tuesday seemed poised to rule for police officers involved in a high-speed chase that ended with the deaths of the fleeing driver and his passenger...

KIEV, Ukraine -- In a show of U.S. support for Ukraine's new leadership, Secretary of State John Kerry walked the streets Tuesday where more than 80 anti-government protesters were killed last month, and promised crowds that American aid is on the way...

GLENALLEN, Mo. -- Norene Sutt, 79, of Glenallen and formerly of Silva, Mo., passed away Sunday, March 2, 2014, at her home, surrounded by her loving family. She was born Feb. 17, 1935, at Clubb, Mo., daughter of William Thomas and Amanda Revis Morris. She and Paul Dewayne Sutt were married Nov. 30, 1957. He passed away Jan. 6, 2011...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Mary Anna Jansen, 88, of Leopold passed away Sunday, March 2, 2014, at her home, surrounded by family. She was born Nov. 29, 1925, at Leopold, daughter of George J. and Bernadine Vandeven Hinkebein. She and Walter Joseph Jansen were married Oct. 8, 1946. He passed away Jan. 22, 1997...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Edward D. Pohlman, 73, of Perryville died Monday, March 3, 2014, at his home. He was born Dec. 11, 1940, in Hilderbrand, Mo., son of Henry Pohlman and Amelia Dambach Statler. He and Ruth Weber were married Sept. 21, 1963. Edward had been shop foreman with Davis Farm Supply. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- An angel, Alice Marie Horman Kiefer, 82, of Chaffee was called home to be with her heavenly father Monday, March 3, 2014, where she was finally reunited in the arms of her loving husband, Paul. When God made Alice, he broke the mold. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Clyde A. Brown, 85, of Perryville died Monday, March 3, 2014, at Perry Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation in Perryville. He was born Aug. 20, 1928, in Perry County, son of Moritz and Ellen Doll Brown. He and Irma Balsman were married April 19, 1952...

THEBES, Ill. -- William Woodrow Snell, 77, of Thebes passed from this world Sunday, March 2, 2014, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 15, 1936, to Woodrow Wilson and Ollie Marie Simmons Snell at their home on Bean Ridge Road. He and Doris Holshouser were married May 11, 1957...

Paul Ray Dow, 84, of Jackson died Sunday, March 2, 2014, at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Janet Hopkins officiating. Burial will be in Russell Heights Cemetery...

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

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrest Summonses Thefts SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY The Department of Public Safety released the following items: DWI...

The 58th annual Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair is set for March 11 at the Show Me Center at Southeast Missouri State University, according to information from the university. A total of 319 projects -- 278 Junior Division and 41 Senior Division -- will be available for public viewing beginning at 3:30 p.m., the information said. There will be 441 students from 27 area schools participating, the information said...

District and sectional basketball games continued their weeklong slide backward Tuesday from the ice storm that struck Southeast Missouri over the weekend. The Class 1 sectional games in Bloomfield, Mo., were the latest to lose their footing. Those games, involving the Scott County Central boys and girls, were canceled Tuesday but will be played tonight at Bloomfield High School...

Oran girls, Advance boys, Saxony Lutheran girls put their seasons on the line tonight

St. Louis defeated Tampa Bay 4-2 in its first home game since the Olympic break

The snow route proclamation in Jackson was lifted about noon Tuesday, according to an email from Rodney W. Bollinger, Jackson public works director, The email said major Jackson streets have been substantially cleared of snow by the streets department and indicated residents and businesses again could park vehicles on designated snow routes...

FARMINGTON, Mo. (AP) -- An investigation continues after a weekend fire damaged the Presbyterian Children's Home and Services in the southeast Missouri town of Farmington. The Daily Journal newspaper in Park Hills, Mo. (http://bit.ly/1hJ8uEg ) reports that residents of one building had to relocate to another on campus following the fire on Saturday. The fire was extinguished quickly, but the sprinkler system caused significant water damage...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Phil Allen and other Illinois gun enthusiasts eager for the right to publicly carry concealed handguns are celebrating as their long-awaited permits showing arrive in their mailboxes. As a licensed concealed-carry instructor in Mascoutah east of St. Louis, Allen says receiving his permit Monday made him "ready to do a happy dance."...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Lambert Airport has a new baggage system, and attention turns next to replacing the roof. Officials at the St. Louis airport on Tuesday unveiled the $51 million renovation to the baggage system that includes an upgraded screening system to detect explosives. Lambert is among 106 U.S. airports with the new luggage-screening devices...

NEW YORK -- There will soon be about 1,100 fewer places to buy batteries. RadioShack said Tuesday it plans to close up to 1,100 stores, or about a fifth of its U.S. locations. The news came as the retailer reported a wider quarterly loss after a disappointing holiday season. Its stock tumbled 16 percent in afternoon trading...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Police on Tuesday were investigating the physical and sexual assault of a transgender teen who said he was attacked in a bathroom at a suburban San Francisco public school where another transgender student had reported being the target of bullying...

PRETORIA, South Africa -- For two days, the witness in the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius kept her composure. Then, just as her testimony was about to finish, she broke down in tears at what she said was the memory of the screams she heard on the night that the double-amputee athlete fatally shot his girlfriend in his South African home...

MOSCOW -- Stepping back from the brink of war, Vladimir Putin talked tough but cooled tensions in the Ukraine crisis in his first comments since its president fled, saying Tuesday that Russia has no intention "to fight the Ukrainian people" but reserved the right to use force...

A service of the Associational Church Media Organization of the Cape Girardeau Baptist Association was implemented recently; a mobile book case containing about 60 new books was presented to Rolling Fields Baptist Church in Jackson on a loan basis for three months; at the end of that period, the unit will be loaned to another Baptist church in the association...

O Father God, thank you for safety and warmth this winter. Amen.

LOS ANGELES -- Word last week that a Northern California couple found $10 million in gold coins while walking their dog has set off a Gold Rush of theories over who left behind all that loot. One is that Jesse James' gang deposited it in hopes of someday financing a second Civil War. Another postulates that the gold originally belonged to gentleman robber Black Bart, who wrote poetry when he wasn't sticking up stagecoaches...

Southeast Missouri State senior Tyler Stone and junior Jarekious Bradley each earned a spot on the all-Ohio Valley Conference teams Tuesday. Stone was selected first-team all-OVC, while Bradley was named second-team all-OVC as well as being named to the all-Newcomer team...

As a way of accentuating the positive, Scott City Elementary and Middle schools have been using a program called The Leader in Me. As the name implies, the program cultivates leadership, communication, collaboration, problem-solving and being proactive...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- An engineering review of a fatal Columbia walkway collapse near the University of Missouri has found that a concrete failure was to blame. Twenty-three-year veteran city firefighter Bruce Britt died after he fell from the second-floor walkway at University Village apartments in late February. The lieutenant was going door to door looking for trapped residents in what was initially believed to be a roof collapse...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A state funding increase for public schools would be partly dependent upon a strong economy under a new spending plan outlined Wednesday by the top budget writer in the Missouri House. The proposal by House budget chairman Rick Stream seeks to bridge the gap between differing revenue projections embraced by the Republican-led Legislature and the Democratic governor...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A woman seeking an abortion would have to wait three days after seeing a doctor before she could get the procedure under legislation endorsed Wednesday by the Missouri House. The measure would extend the state's 24-hour waiting period to up to 72 hours. Republicans supported the bill, arguing that one day is too short for a woman to consider relevant medical information...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A new plan making potential income tax cuts contingent upon a variety of factors, including school funding, faced criticism Wednesday from both Republicans and Democrats as the Senate struggled to reach consensus on what GOP leaders have labeled as a top priority...

BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. -- A traffic backup on Interstate 55, which stretches south from the Missouri border past Turrell, Ark., persisted Wednesday and has stranded many travelers for more than 24 hours. Thousands of people remained stranded on I-55, many since Monday afternoon. Reports of the situation circulated through Blytheville, and local church and volunteer groups helped stranded motorists by bringing them food and drinks...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Sikeston man faces felony charges after allegedly cutting two roommates with a broken beer bottle. Marcalino Martinez, 22, was charged by the Scott County Prosecuting Attorney's Office with first-degree assault, which is a class A felony; a felony second-degree assault charge; and two felony counts of armed criminal action...

Five public hearings about changes to the Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation state plan have been scheduled this month throughout the state, including one in Cape Girardeau, according to a Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education news release...

Over the next week and a half, Secretary of State Jason Kander will tour seven business incubators and innovation centers and discuss the role of his office's Business Services Division in supporting small business, a news release said. He will also hear from successful businessmen and women about what the state can do to help spur economic development...

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee will feature an update on the Missouri Department of Transportation from speaker Dave Nichols, director of MoDOT. A continental breakfast will be available at 7 a.m., and the program will begin at 7:40 a.m. Friday at the Show Me Center...

HICKMAN COUNTY, Ky. -- Authorities believe they found the body of a missing Sikeston, Mo., man Tuesday afternoon. According to Sikeston Department of Public Safety Capt. Jim McMillen, farmers on four-wheelers found the body of 84-year-old Jimmy Eugene Payne about 3 p.m. Tuesday in Hickman County, Ky., two miles south of the Fulton County line...

ADAM VOGLER ~ avogler@semissourian.com ABOVE: Father Bobby Manso makes a cross on the forehead of Chris Janet out of ash during an Ash Wednesday Mass on Wednesday at St. ...

OMAHA, Neb. -- A group of farmers and business owners sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday, saying the agency's decisions since 2006 have contributed to major flooding in five states. The federal lawsuit said landowners should be compensated for the extensive damage they experienced -- particularly during the extended 2011 flooding that devastated hundreds of thousands of acres of mostly farmland in Missouri, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas...

According to a new College Board report, more Missouri students took Advanced Placement exams in 2013 than in 2003, a Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education news release said. For the most part, this trend has held true at the high schools in Cape Girardeau and Jackson. But in Scott City, students prefer to take dual credit courses, which allow them to earn college credits...

Dominic "Dom" Hooper wouldn't let anyone walk by without flashing them a smile, said his mother, Sara Snider, and he wouldn't have thought twice of donating an organ to help someone. That's just how he was. "I know he'd do anything for anybody, wouldn't matter what it is," Snider said Wednesday. "He's just a good kid."...

It hasn't been often this season that the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team has been commended for its defensive efforts. But defense -- along with Southeast's usual successful scoring -- led the sixth-seeded Redhawks to a 79-61 victory over No. 7 Eastern Illinois in the first round of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament Wednesday night at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- U.S. Navy Seabee veterans are working throughout the nation to recognize fallen comrades. A monument serving that purpose will be unveiled Saturday at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery at Bloomfield. A Seabee is a member of the Navy's Construction Battalion; the word Seabee comes from the initials "CB." Seabees often built bases, airstrips and roads for their fellow soldiers...

A Cape Girardeau woman faces a charge of first-degree domestic assault in connection with an altercation during which she is accused of repeatedly hitting a man in the back of the head with a concrete block. Barbara Pinkston, 49, was arrested Tuesday after police responded to a report about a domestic disturbance in the 300 block of Mason Street, said Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Lab-coat clad physicians rallied at the Missouri Capitol while lawmakers endorsed a measure Wednesday seeking to reinstate limits on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits. The legislation attempts to reimpose a $350,000 cap on noneconomic damages for issues such as pain and suffering that was struck down by the Missouri Supreme Court in 2012. ...

The Cape Girardeau Roller Girls (CGRG) kicked off the 2014 season with a mashup scrimmage on Saturday, February 22nd at A.C. Brase Arena. After three months without a bout, the fans and skaters were ready to get back to the track with some hard-hitting action, and they definitely got what they wanted! CGRG went big for their opener and rostered 18 skaters per team, rather than the typical fourteen. ...

Cheezy Poof making a donation from the Cape Girardeau Roller Girls to Room for One More.

The Cape Girardeau Roller Girls (CGRG) kicked off the 2014 season with a mashup scrimmage on Saturday, February 22nd at A.C. Brase Arena. CGRG went big for their opener and rostered 18 skaters per team, rather than the typical fourteen. Skaters were mashed up between two teams; the "White Wolves" or the "Black Wolves"...

The Cape Girardeau Roller Girls (CGRG) kicked off the 2014 season with a mashup scrimmage on Saturday, February 22nd at A.C. Brase Arena. CGRG went big for their opener and rostered 18 skaters per team, rather than the typical fourteen. Skaters were mashed up between two teams; the "White Wolves" or the "Black Wolves"...

The Cape Girardeau Roller Girls (CGRG) kicked off the 2014 season with a mashup scrimmage on Saturday, February 22nd at A.C. Brase Arena. CGRG went big for their opener and rostered 18 skaters per team, rather than the typical fourteen. Skaters were mashed up between two teams; the "White Wolves" or the "Black Wolves"...

The Cape Girardeau Roller Girls (CGRG) kicked off the 2014 season with a mashup scrimmage on Saturday, February 22nd at A.C. Brase Arena. CGRG went big for their opener and rostered 18 skaters per team, rather than the typical fourteen. Skaters were mashed up between two teams; the "White Wolves" or the "Black Wolves"...

Ice still on the bushes outside Academic on March 5, 2014.

A fully fueled Apache breaks away from our ramp, on it's way back to Whiteman Airforce Base.

Owners Judy and Ron Ruppel of Oak Ridge.

What can a cookie do? Silly question you might say. However if you are a Girl Scout you know exactly what a cookie can do. It can pay for you to attend events that are both fun and educational. It can help you go to summer camp, buy your uniform and great scout merchandise. through the sale you learn skills such as marketing, merchandising, finance and communication skills. If you are a member of the Jackson Area Girl Scouts a cookie could do so much more if their Service Unit goal is met...

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an agency of the Department of Defense, announced that Ronnie Thurston and Larry Frazier of the Missouri Department of Conservation, Southeast Region, were honored with Patriot Awards in recognition of extraordinary support of their employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve...

It's one of the most highly anticipated times of the year, Girl Scout cookie time! Girl Scout supporters and the general public eagerly await the start of the Girl Scout Cookie program each January. But this year, winter weather has taken its toll...

Boy Scout Jesse Mahan was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout at the Feb. 16 Court of Honor at the VFW Hall in Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Gary and Gale Mahan of Cape Girardeau. Alicia Petzoldt of Frohna, Mo., was named to the dean's list during the fall 2013 semester at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis. Named to the list are students who achieve a 3.5 grade-point average while carrying at least 14 credit hours during a semester...

Today is Thursday, March 6, the 65th day of 2014. There are 300 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 6, 1836, the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, fell to Mexican forces after a 13-day siege. On this date: In 1834, the city of York in Upper Canada was incorporated as Toronto...

On Saturday, a group supporting efforts to help orphans in Swaziland, Africa, will hold a fundraising event in Cape Girardeau. Babies in Swaziland often are discarded as they are born into poverty, typically from teens who exchange sex for food. The event, in its fifth year, is called Celebrate HOPE, and it is held at The Venue at 80 S. ...

When the Founders wrote in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal," they were not ignoring the obvious differences that make people individuals -- differences in appearance, personality, aptitude, skills and character. All men are equal in the sense that, since we are all human, we are born with certain inherent, natural and unalienable rights. ...

NEW YORK -- Target Corp.'s executive ranks have suffered their first casualty since hackers stole credit card numbers and other personal data of millions of the retailer's shoppers last year. The nation's second-largest discounter said Beth Jacob, who has overseen everything from Target's website to its internal computer systems as chief information officer since 2008, has resigned. The company said it will search for an interim CIO...

Evelyn Porter, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, March 1, 2014, at Southeast Hospital. She was born March 4, 1928, at Neelys Landing, to Israel Paul and Lilly Raye Porter. She was married at an early age to William Harrison Whitner. He passed away in 2001...

Ricky Lee Stephens, 49, of Scott City died Tuesday, March 4, 2014, in St. John, Mo. He was born March 4, 1965, in St. Louis, to William Francis and Lois Ann Hasty Stephens. Ricky was a union roofer with Shay Roofing Inc. Survivors include his mother, Lois Stephens of Scott City; his father, Kenny Denson of Columbia, Mo.; a son, Andrew Stephens of Columbia; two brothers, Keith Denson and Kenny Wayne Denson of St. Louis; two sisters, Lisa Stephens of Florida and Sonya Denson of Sullivan, Mo...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Linda K. Clarke Jackson, 52, of Cairo died Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the home of her parents near Olive Branch, Ill. She was born March 28, 1961, in Cairo, daughter of Peter J. and Sarah Jane Travers Clarke. She grew up in Cairo and graduated from Cairo High School. She met her husband, Willis Jackson, while working at St. Mary's Hospital in Cairo. They were married July 28, 1984...

William A. Jackson, 40, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Nov. 20, 1973, in Cape Girardeau, to the late Hershel Campbell and Verida Lee Bell Jackson. William began his primary education in Cape Girardeau and graduated from Central High School in 1992...

Paul Ray Dow, 84, of Jackson passed away Sunday, March 2, 2014, at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. He was born July 12, 1929, in Jackson, son of Ezra Ray and Reba Overbeck Dow. He and Bettie Jane Godwin were married Aug. 20, 1949, at First Baptist Church in Jackson...

Rebecca Esther Mazzanti Buchheit, 30, of Jackson passed away Thursday, Feb. 27, 2014, at her home. She was born Oct. 13, 1983, in Greenville, Miss., daughter of Robert Anthony and Kathi Rayder Mazzanti. She and Matthew Lee Buchheit were married July 16, 2007...

Margaret Sue Mayfield, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, March 5, 2014, at Ratliff Care Center. She was born Sept. 12, 1932, in Illmo (Scott City), to Lowell L. and Grace Francis Rothrock McLane. She and Layton W. Mayfield were married Aug. 15, 1954. He preceded her in death May 31, 2011...

ROCKVIEW, Mo. -- Rocky Carroll, 54, of Rockview died Tuesday, March 4, 2014. Friends may call from 9:30 a.m. until time of service Saturday at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Mo. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the chapel. Burial will be in Belk Hill Cemetery at Rockview...

Son to Sheree Anntonette Wilkerson of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 3:09 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014. Name, Leon Solomon. Weight, 6 pounds, 15 ounces. Third son. Ms. Wilkerson is the daughter of Anntonette Wilkerson of Jackson. She is employed by Dairy Queen...

Authorities say unemployment and drug addiction have spurred an increase in the destructive practice of cutting off the knobby growths at the base of ancient redwood trees to make decorative pieces such as lacey-grained coffee tables and wall clocks...

*** JACKSON The Jackson Fire Department responded to the following call Tuesday: * Emergency medical service on Oakland Drive. *** The Jackson Fire Department responded to the following call Wednesday: * Emergency medical service on Court Street.

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

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

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri lawmakers have given final approval to a bill limiting the ability of Missouri cities and counties to restrict cellphone towers. The bill passed Wednesday by both the House and Senate seeks to reinstate a state law originally enacted last year that was struck down by a Cole County judge on procedural grounds...

Cape Girardeau County Commission Administrative Office Building 1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Open session Communications/reports, other elected official Public comments Routine business...

Advance stayed in the hunt for the Class 2 title with a 63-52 win over New Haven

Park Hills, Mo. -- After the Oran girls basketball team's season came to an end Wednesday night, second-year coach Ethan Evans spent some time in the locker room going over the highlights from the season and sharing some of the strengths of his players with them...

Scott County posted a 70-56 victory to reach the quarterfinals

NEW YORK -- Osama bin Laden's son-in-law went on trial Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan, where jurors heard him portrayed both as a murderous mouthpiece for al-Qaida and as a target of a prosecution designed to play on fears and resentments from the Sept. 11 attacks...

PARIS -- The United States and Western diplomats failed to bring Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers together Wednesday for face-to-face talks on the confrontation in Crimea, even as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry voiced optimism that an exit strategy was possible. "I'd rather be where we are today than where we were yesterday," he said...

Banks scored 38 points to lead the Braves to a 64-62 win over Leopold in the Class 1 District 2 championship game last week.

Southeast will play its OVC-opening weekend series against Belmont in Nashville, Tenn., due to the wet conditions at Capaha Field. The three-game series opens at 3 p.m. Friday at Rose Field, which has artificial grass. Games also are scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday...

JUPITER, Fla. -- Shelby Miller finally got a chance to pitch against the Boston Red Sox. The St. Louis Cardinals right-hander gave up a leadoff home run in his spring training debut Wednesday, then retired eight in a row to help beat Boston 8-6. The game was a relaxed rematch of last year's World Series, won by the Red Sox...

Baby diapers contain a special science ingredient that keeps babies dry. Dissect a baby diaper to discover how this material works. Diaper Zip-top bag Scissors Water 2 cups STEP 1: Using the scissors, cut open the center of the diaper. STEP 2: Remove the contents from the inside of the diaper and place the contents inside of the zip-top bag...

A major winter storm struck Missouri over the weekend, dumping up to 14 inches of snow in some sections; several thousand customers of Central Illinois Public Service were without power and heat when ice, wind and tree limbs downed power lines in extreme Southern Illinois; power was also off yesterday afternoon and evening in the Cape Girardeau area...

Lord God, may we share the good news of the Gospel to all. Amen.

NEW YORK -- John Travolta apologized to Tony Award winner Idina Menzel for mangling the pronunciation of her name during the Oscars telecast, saying he'd been "beating myself up" over it. On Sunday's Academy Awards show, Travolta took the stage and introduced Menzel, but seemed to say "Adele Dazeem" instead. About 43 million people were watching, and social media has mocked him relentlessly since, especially since he attended rehearsals...

Saxony Lutheran avenged last year's sectional loss with a 65-36 victory

Graphic design majors Krista Francis and Calla Harris didn't find jobs directly related to their field, but they came across some niches they could fit into at Southeast Missouri State University's Career and Internship Fair on Thursday. "Since this is my final semester, [I've] been really kind of looking for an internship program that I can get into, or possibly a job," Harris, a 24-year-old senior, said. ...

NEW YORK -- They say you can never be too rich or too thin. Surely you can't be too good-looking, either, right? Especially in Hollywood. But in the popular new film "Son of God," Jesus is so, well, easy on the eyes that some are revisiting an age-old question that has vexed scholars for centuries:...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri cancer patients who rely on oral chemotherapy pills could see lower costs under legislation sent to the governor's desk Thursday. The House gave final approval to the bill that would prohibit insurance companies from charging patients significantly more for oral cancer drugs than traditional intravenous treatments. Supporters said the measure would increase access to effective medication for cancer patients...

Nashville, Tenn. -- It was just too little too late for the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team. The Redhawks attempted a comeback in the final minutes of their quarterfinal game of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, but it wasn't enough...

The public will have three opportunities this month to get a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of the Cape Girardeau Police Department. The department will host a pair of open houses next week and a building overview later this month, a spokesman said...

Having won the Missouri Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition last month, Southeast Missouri State University's cybersecurity students are looking to build on the fledgling team's success at the Midwest Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition on March 28 and 29...

Tyra West is representing Cape Girardeau in the Beautiful Me Productions Midwest State Pageant, and will be competing as Miss Cape Girardeau. Please help Miss Cape Girardeau show support for her community by donating your gently used or new toys on Saturday March 29th from 8am-2pm at LaCroix Church, located at 3102 Lexington Ave in Cape Girardeau. The toy drive will benefit local non profit organization Safehouse for Women...

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that the U.S. 60/62 bridge over the Mississippi River at Cairo, Ill., will be closed for a required annual safety inspection. A news release from the Missouri Department of Transportation says the closure is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. March 21 and will extend through 5:30 p.m. March 28. The bridge will be open to traffic from 5:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. each day...

Today is Friday, March 7, the 66th day of 2014. There are 299 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 7, 1994, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc., unanimously ruled that a parody that pokes fun at an original work can be considered "fair use" that doesn't require permission from the copyright holder. (The ruling concerned a parody of the Roy Orbison song "Oh, Pretty Woman" by the rap group 2 Live Crew.)...

When I was growing up on a farm near my favorite hometown in the Ozarks over yonder, there was a prominently displayed sign posted on the wall of the Zephyr Cafe's dining room: "We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone." "Anyone" meant persons with dark-colored skin. There was no question about that. Similar signs were at many other businesses...

The U.S. Navy Seabees are not members of the armed forces we hear much about on a regular basis. Their importance, though, should not be overlooked. On Saturday, a new Seabee monument is scheduled to be unveiled at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery at Bloomfield, Mo. A 1:30 p.m. ceremony will be held Saturday at the cemetery. Veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam will be included...

It is especially heart-wrenching to read about young people who die from illness or a traumatic accident. The family and friends of Dominic "Dom" Hooper recently mourned the loss of a son, schoolmate and friend. Hooper, 17, died in an ATV accident in late February. He was a high school student at Scott City, active with school clubs and the Scott City basketball, baseball and football teams...

Registration for Southeast Serves began Thursday and runs until March 14. The event April 2 through 5 allows students to thank the Cape Girardeau community for their years of continuous support, a university news release said. Volunteer opportunities will be available in 90-minute to two-hour shifts both on and off campus for a variety of organizations. Prospective participants may register at semo.edu/campuslife/southeast_serves.htm...

The 2014 Missouri Chapter Percussive Arts Society presents a day of percussion masterpieces Saturday hosted by Shane Mizicko, associate professor of music and director of percussion studies at Southeast Missouri State University. The day culminates with a concert at 7:30 p.m. ...

The Annual Juried Student Exhibition, for which Kyle Triplett is juror, will be displayed beginning April 4 in the Crisp Museum on Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus. The exhibit, which showcases the creative talents of Southeast's Department of Art students, will remain on display through April 27...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Two people are in custody after police found evidence of a marijuana-manufacturing operation at their home, the Perry County Sheriff's Department reported. Jeffrey A. Baughman Jr. and Alexandria M. Nardulli, both 21, face multiple drug charges, including manufacturing more than five grams of marijuana within 2,000 feet of a school; distribution of a controlled substance; possession of a controlled substance other than marijuana; possession of up to 35 grams of marijuana; and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia, the sheriff's department reported.. ...

More seats will be available at the Show Me Center when the rescheduled Third Day and Skillet concert takes place March 17, according to a news release from the venue on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. Last weekend's winter storm forced postponement of show, which originally was scheduled Sunday night...

Daughter to Timmy Edward Donley Jr. and Brittany Nicole Dean of Marble Hill, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 2:27 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, 2014. Name, Charli Diane. Weight, 7 pounds, 2 ounces. Third child, first daughter. Ms. Dean is the daughter of David and Salina Dean of Chaffee, Mo. Donley is the son of Timmy Donley Sr. of Zalma, Mo., and Angela Donley of Chaffee. He is employed by Luke Swinford Construction...

A preliminary inspection by the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department indicates no apparent structural damage was done to the Cape Girardeau Mississippi River traffic bridge after a tractor-trailer skidded on ice Monday evening and tore out 80 to 100 feet of protective bridge railing...

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

Clara Miller Seabaugh, 87, of Jackson died Thursday, March 6, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Robert Henrichs officiating. Burial will be in Russell Heights Cemetery...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Linda K. Clarke Jackson, 52, of Cairo died Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the home of her parents near Olive Branch, Ill. She was born March 28, 1961, in Cairo, daughter of Peter J. and Sarah Jane Travers Clarke. She grew up in Cairo and graduated from Cairo High School. She met her husband, Willis Jackson, while working at St. Mary's Hospital in Cairo. They were married July 28, 1984...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- William M. "Bill" Craft, 85, of Jonesboro died Wednesday, March 5, 2014, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. He was born June 24, 1928, in America, Ill., son of Joseph Guy and Veva Walker Craft. Bill is survived by a son, James (Mary Jane) Craft of Pinckneyville, Ill.; three daughters, Jackie (Brian) Pritchett of Goreville, Ill., Jean (Jimmy) Pind of Great Bend, Kan., and Jolene (Jeff) Skambraks of New Melle, Mo.; six grandchildren, Joni Pind, Jessica (Lance) Merchant, Corey Craft Pritchett, Jame Craft, Madison Skambraks and Cooper Skambraks; two great-grandchildren, Brooklynn Ralls and Briley Merchant; other relatives and many friends.. ...

NEW YORK -- Tevye is coming back. Producers Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel said Thursday they will present a revival of "Fiddler on the Roof" -- one of the last great musicals of Broadway's Golden Age -- in the fall of 2015. It will represent the fifth revival of the show, which features lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, music by Jerry Bock and a story by Joseph Stein...

VIENNA, Ill. -- Robert L. Aaron, 82, of Vienna passed away Tuesday, March 4, 2014, at Autumn Ridge Supportive Living Center. He was born Nov. 11, 1931, in West Frankfort, Ill., to Carl Burl and Margaret Parrot Ramsay Aaron. He and Mary Sue Wardell were married June 7, 1953, in Mount Erie (Wayne County), Ill...

SAN FRANCISCO -- A new survey of the nation's college freshmen has found that the percentage attending their first-choice school has reached its lowest level in almost four decades, as cost and the availability of financial aid have come to play an influential role in decisions of where to enroll...

AUSTIN, Texas -- The last abortion clinic in the vast, impoverished Rio Grande Valley closed Thursday, along with the sole remaining clinic in the 100-mile stretch between Houston and the Louisiana border, posing an obstacle to women seeking to end pregnancies across a swath of the nation's second-largest state...

NEW YORK -- America's top doll, Barbie, finds herself in controversy once again, this time over a business partnership between her manufacturer, Mattel, and the Girl Scouts. On Thursday, two consumer advocacy groups often critical of corporate advertising tactics -- the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and the Center for a New American Dream -- criticized Barbie as a flawed role model for little girls and launched a petition drive urging the Girl Scouts of the USA to end the partnership. ...

WASHINGTON -- Relief may be on the way for a weather-weary United States with the predicted warming of the central Pacific Ocean brewing this year that will likely change weather worldwide. But it won't be for the better everywhere. The warming, called an El Nino, is expected to lead to fewer Atlantic hurricanes and more rain next winter for drought-stricken California and southern states, and even a milder winter for the nation's frigid northern tier next year, meteorologists say...

MADISON, Wis. -- Want to wake up to the sound of bacon sizzling on the stove with its aroma drawing you out of bed? There's an app for that. Oscar Mayer says it has created a bacon-scented app for the iPhone, developed by the Madison-based company's Institute for the Advancement of Bacon...

HARGEISA, Somalia -- An American volunteer gently brushes away dirt to reveal the bones of a Somali victim buried in a mass grave some 30 years ago. Tens of thousands of skeletons may lie in mass graves here, on the northern edge of Somalia, where many want to see justice prevail, even if delayed...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri House members approved a midyear spending bill Thursday that includes money to keep a St. Louis County school district afloat, to offset a drop in casino tax revenue for education and to help fund the state's Medicaid program...

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- A realistic school shooting drill at a Southeast Missouri high school prompted several teachers concerned about their safety to seek legal advice from the local prosecutor. The Daily Journal newspaper of Park Hills, Mo., reported that four Farmington High School teachers called the St. Francois County prosecuting attorney Tuesday about the drill, which was held on a professional development day...

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- A St. Louis-area man has been sentenced to six years in prison for breaking into a church freezer and stealing ice cream. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported 25-year-old Andrew Steven Jung of St. Charles was sentenced Wednesday...

WASHINGTON, Mo. -- After 18 years of searching for his family history, a Missouri man has found his half brother living just 80 miles away. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote late last year about Don Schroeder's nearly two-decade search for his birth father, James White. Schroeder's birth mother dated White just twice before White left for the Army and dropped out of sight. Schroeder, born in May 1955, was then adopted by parents who have since died...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri House members passed a variety of new tax breaks Thursday but held off on one awarding incentives to businesses that relocate to Missouri because it may have been drafted more broadly than intended. The proposed new tax breaks could aid computer data centers, international air cargo exporters and investors in high-tech new businesses. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A Southern Illinois retiree whose legal fight helped bring about an end to the state's last-in-the-nation ban on concealed carry has become among the state's first to get her permit to have a handgun in public. Mary Shepard, 74, considered the mail she received Tuesday from Illinois State Police a reward -- partly for slogging through ice and snow to her mailbox at the end of a long, rural driveway, and partly because of her legal push that followed a 2009 church attack that left her severely beaten while unarmed.. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Five other states on Thursday joined Missouri's effort to strike down a California law barring the sale of eggs produced by hens kept in cages that don't meet size and space requirements. Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster filed a lawsuit last month in California challenging the egg law that is set to take effect in 2015. ...

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- U.S. Sen. Rand Paul faces a potential quandary as he weighs whether to run for president in 2016 or focus on re-election to his Senate seat. Legislation introduced Thursday in his home state would allow him to run for both. The measure would clarify that current Kentucky law, which prevents someone from running for multiple offices, does not apply to federal elections, said state Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer...

It was refreshing to see all the pictures in the Southeast Missourian and all the opposite-sex couples. How refreshing. And these are senior citizens. They truly know how God intended it to be. Way to go! Support group I have a serious question. Is there any kind of organization in Cape for women, and I guess men, too, who have been unjustly abandoned by their spouse? My kids are grown, but they're hurting. ...

It took awhile for the Notre Dame girls basketball team to get its high-powered offense in gear. But once they did, the Bulldogs quickly took care of business. Notre Dame blitzed Sikeston 59-23 in a Class 4 District 1 semifinal Thursday before a full house at Central High School. The win lifted the second-seeded Bulldogs into a district championship rematch with powerful Dexter (23-3), the district's top seed, tonight at the same venue...

Central boys basketball coach Drew Church succinctly summed up his team's Class 4 District 1 semifinal against Notre Dame sitting in his office after the game Thursday night. "It was a good, old-fashioned physical district game between us and Notre Dame, and it was a fun," Church said. "It was a fun game to be in."...

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- While most of his Minnesota Twins teammates headed home for the day, right-hander Ricky Nolasco stayed at Hammond Stadium after Thursday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals was rained out and threw a simulated game. Signed to a four-year, $49 million contact this offseason, Nolasco was working on three days' rest...

The top-seeded Indians started slow but gained traction for a 71-39 win

Drs. Mary Ann and Bert Kellerman of Cape Girardeau were among four winners of the 2014 McReynolds Award, given annually by the Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation, to recognize individuals or groups that have demonstrated long-term commitment to preservation. ...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama ordered the West's first sanctions in response to Russia's military takeover of Crimea on Thursday, declaring his determination not to let the Kremlin carve up Ukraine. He said a hastily scheduled referendum on Crimea seceding and becoming part of Russia would violate international law...

FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- In his immaculate blue dress uniform, Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair stood straight before a judge Thursday and pleaded guilty to three charges that could send him to prison for up to 15 years. It was an admission sure to end the military career of a man once regarded as a rising star in the U.S. Army...

SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine -- Ukraine lurched toward breakup Thursday as lawmakers in Crimea unanimously declared they wanted to join Russia and would put the decision to voters in 10 days. President Barack Obama condemned the move and the West answered with the first real sanctions against Russia...

Naylor defeated the Bravettes 44-33 in a Class 1 sectional

Southeast will visit Belmont after Capaha Field was deemed unplayable

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- After guiding Missouri to a seven-win improvement and an appearance in the SEC championship game, coach Gary Pinkel signed a new contract that boosts his annual salary above $3 million and extends his previous deal by three years to the end of the 2020 season...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- After three games, Ryan Miller is fitting in just fine with the Blues. Ian Cole had a goal and an assist to lead St. Louis to its third straight win, 2-1 over the Nashville Predators on Thursday night. Magnus Paajarvi had the other goal for the Blues, who have won all four of their games against Nashville this season. They are 16-0-1 against fellow Central Division teams...

Local audiences will have two chances to see a performance by Valentina Igoshina, a critically acclaimed Russian piano virtuosa. Valentina will perform a special benefit concert at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Shuck Music Recital Hall to raise money to replace aging musical instruments used by university students...

After coming to Southeast Missouri State University to play football, Kyle Triplett never thought he would be holding a bachelor of fine arts degree in ceramics when he graduated in 2008. Triplett recalled the interest he had for a high-school ceramics class and enrolled for one at the collegiate level when an injury ended his football career...

O Lord Jesus, in all things may we glorify you, our precious Savior. Amen.

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

This was taken in Thebes at sunset.

Today is Saturday, March 8, the 67th day of 2014. There are 298 days left in the year. Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday at 2 a.m. locally. Clocks go forward one hour. Today's Highlight in History: On March 8, 1979, technology firm Philips demonstrated a prototype compact disc player during a press conference in Eindhoven, the Netherlands...

Cape Girardeau city officials are considering allowing the municipal golf course pro shop to be operated privately under a lease arrangement; at present, the city is directly handling the concessions business at the shop. The proposed Lexington Street project receives the endorsement of the Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission; the $3.4 million project would provide a badly needed arterial, east-west street from Kingshighway to Highway 177...

Gregory Ralph, 61, of Broken Arrow, Okla., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died unexpectedly Sunday, March 2, 2014, in Broken Arrow. He was born Jan. 7, 1953, in Memphis, Tenn., to James Anderson and Roberta J. Bradshaw Ralph. He and Karla Karcher were married Feb. 4, 1978, in St. Louis...

William Lee "Bill" Sander, 68, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, March 2, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Private burial was held Friday at Eisleben Lutheran Church Cemetery in Scott City. McCombs Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau was in charge of arrangements...

FROHNA, Mo. -- Raymond G. Hecht, 85, of Frohna died Tuesday, March 4, 2014, at Holiday Residential Care in Perryville, Mo. He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. Friends may call from 2:30 p.m. until time of service Saturday at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown, Mo...

Clara L. Miller Seabaugh, 87, of Jackson passed away Thursday, March 6, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 8, 1926, in Cape Girardeau County, daughter of Andrew and Anna Marie Stortz Biri. She and Otto L. Miller were married Oct. 30, 1943. He passed away Oct. 28, 1994. She married Lloyd E. Seabaugh on May 4, 1997. He passed away April 10, 2011...

Dr. David P. Crowe, 62, of Cape Girardeau passed away Friday, March 7, 2014, at his home. He was born Oct. 19, 1951, in Cape Girardeau to John T. and Margaret Ann Ellis Crowe. He and Melissa L. McKee were married April 26, 1996. David was a 1969 graduate of Central High School. ...

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- The Rev. Lewis Ivan Todd, 64, of Ste. Genevieve, formerly of Oran, Mo., died Saturday, March 1, 2014, at his home. He was born Dec. 7, 1949, in Lawrence, Kan., to James Archibald and Opal Marie Andress Todd. He was one of 12 children...

Dennis Wayne Sparks, 58, of LaPlata, Md., formerly of Sikeston, Mo., and Cape Girardeau, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, at Southeast Hospital. He was born Oct. 2, 1955, in Sikeston, to Edith and S.H. "Slim" Sparks Jr. He graduated from Sikeston High School, joined the United States Navy and later attended College of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Ark...

IMPERIAL, Mo. -- The Jackson girls basketball team didn't take advantage of a single turnover by the Poplar Bluff Mules in the first half Friday. That quickly changed. The Indians scored the first nine points of the second half -- all following Poplar Bluff turnovers -- to pull away for a 49-38 win in a Class 5 District 1 semifinal Friday night at Seckman High School...

1-Tell us about your first paying job 2-If you were a product that came with a warning label, what would it say? 3-Describe your ideal meal. 4-Finish this sentence: If I could be doing anything I wanted right now it would be ... Jalana Johnson Server...

I went to Disney World twice when I was a kid, but that was in the 1990s -- a lot has changed since then! In early February, I met up with a college friend and toured Disney all over again. And you know what? It was just as magical as it was when I was a kid. ...

By SCOTT ROSCOVIUS Special to the Missourian HILLSBORO, Mo. -- Maddie Brune stood at the free-throw line and assessed the situation. The Saxony Lutheran girls basketball team had seen its 17-point lead over Lutheran St. Charles whittled to two, 50-48, with two minutes, 30 seconds remaining in Saturday's Class 3 state quarterfinal at the Jefferson College Field House...

More than 250 men and women gathered at Ray's Plaza Banquet Center on Saturday evening for the Cape County Women's Club 45th annual Lincoln Day Dinner. The club hosts the event to allow the public to show their support for the Republican Party and to meet local and state Republican officeholders...

Friends and colleagues of David Crowe said his passing represents the loss of a creator, mentor and visionary. The local orthodontist and photographer died at his home in Cape Girardeau early Friday morning after battling brain cancer. Federal Judge Stephen Limbaugh Jr. and his brother Jim Limbaugh grew up together as neighbors with Crowe on Henderson Street, just across the street from Southeast Missouri State University. Stephen Limbaugh called his longtime friend a man of many talents...

IMPERIAL, Mo. -- The Jackson boys basketball team was suddenly clinging to a two-point lead as the clock ticked under three minutes to go in the Class 5 District 1 championship game Saturday at Seckman High School. Cue Jackson senior Branden Lueders' "out-of-body-experience."...

This year's winter weather isn't the only thing that's bitter. Amy De Rossett of Jackson is one of many people in the area who have seen their electricity bill double or more during the last few months. Rossett works a full-time job, and her husband is disabled. They have four children...

Sly is our 16 year old cat. Loves lazy Sunday's!

March 18th marks the 2nd anniversary of the death of our 3 year old grandson, Levi Collom. Levi died suddenly from what is medically termed Sudden Unexplained Death Syndrome or SUDC. Though the results are equally tragic, researchers think there are differences between SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and SUDC, due in part to age. Both of these still not understood tragedies are devastating in their outcome...

My Grandson Kai and his Great Dane Diesel, watching a little TV together! I believe they will be partners in crime as they both grow up! Well let's hope Diesel is done growing up in size! Just a lot of mental growing to do!

Aurelia fell asleep on the couch at home after staying at Grandma and Grandpas house for a couple of days! I really think her pets missed her! Sugar and Zeus, pitbulls, Twinkel, the mini chihuahua, and Shimmy, the cat All had to curl up with her!

A bullet was shot through a window of a home daycare in Cape Girardeau Friday, but no children were hurt. Reports of multiple shots in the area were reported to police at about 1 p.m. A bullet hole could be seen in a window on the north side of the house at 416 S. Benton St. The bullet lodged into an inside wall of the daycare, but police say they have no reason to believe that the home was a target...

The Southeast Missouri State baseball may have had to open its Ohio Valley Conference scheduled with a weather-forced road series, but the Redhawks couldn't have hoped to begin league play any better. Southeast, playing as the home team at Rose Field in Nashville, Tenn., defeated Belmont 6-3 on Saturday after an 11-1 win Friday...

The Indians dropped a 51-47 decision to the Warriors in the Class 5 District 1 final

Farmington, Mo. -- Advance boys basketball coach Bubba Wheetley had one answer for what he told his players following their Class 2 quarterfinal game against Thayer on Saturday night. "How much I love them," he said. There's not much that could be said, as the Advance Hornets saw their season come to a heartbreaking halt after losing 46-45 on a shot as the buzzer sounded...

The Braves routed Niangua 64-39 in the quarterfinals

Today is Sunday, March 9, the 68th day of 2014. There are 297 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 9, 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court, in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, raised the standard for proving libel, unanimously ruling that public officials who charged they'd been defamed by the press concerning their official duties had to demonstrate "actual malice" on the part of the news organization in order to recover damages...

Cheryl L. Farrow and Toby A. and Cindy A. Lynn of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Kayla Christine Lynn, to Joshua Lance Whitworth. He is the son of Steven M. and Dana M. Abel of Jackson. Kayla is also the daughter of the late Ronald G. Farrow...

Pauline Gilder of Delta and Adam Newell of Bloomfield, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Niomie Newell, to Keith Zoellner, both of Perryville, Mo. He is the son of Allen Zoellner of Friedheim. Niomie received an associate degree in child development through Educare. She is office manager at Cape Foot Clinic in Cape Girardeau...

Keith and Mary Boeller of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Lacy Renee Boeller, to Cory Joseph Cissell. He is the son of Mary and Phil Page of Fredericktown, Mo., and Mike and Terri Cissell of Farmington, Mo. Lacy is a 2010 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School. She expects to receive a degree in nursing from Southeast Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences in May...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Kevin and Lisa Martin of Perryville announce the engagement of their daughter, Lindsay Jane Martin, to Drew Conrad Palisch. He is the son of Ronald and Charlene Palisch of Altenburg, Mo. Lindsay is a 2008 graduate of Perryville High School. She is employed at Bank of Missouri in Perryville...

Sonny and Barb Minor of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Tina Minor, to Sam Naugler. He is the son of David Naugler of Cape Girardeau. Tina is a 1997 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, and received a master's degree from Washington State University in 2001. She was a presidential management fellow in 2001 with the Administration for Children and Families in Seattle, Wash. She has been employed there since...

Richard "Dick" Jaco of Whitewater announces the engagement of his daughter, Samantha Jo Jaco, to Scott Andrew Lang. He is the son of Roger and Lisa Lang of Jackson. Samantha is also the daughter of the late JoAnn Jaco. Samantha is a 2008 graduate of Jackson High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in public relations from Southeast Missouri State University in 2011. She is employed at Red Letter Communications...

Often called a controlled burn, a prescribed burn is a natural lands management tool involving fire. The picture here shows a prescribed burn recently executed by a Missouri Department of Conservation fire crew. What appears to be a road is actually a firebreak line made by disking down to bare soil. During the burn, this line must be manned to assure fire is contained within the prescribed area...

A team of doctors will defend its title in taking on a squad of lawyers at 5 p.m. March 22 at the DePaul Center (Old Notre Dame High School) on the St. Vincent's Catholic Church campus. Many area doctors and lawyers give their time to practice for and play in this competition. Any lawyer or doctor is welcome to practice each week and compete with their peers...

Bank of Missouri employees donated $22,205.60 to United Way of Southeast Missouri. Bank of Missouri employees donated $22,205.60 to United Way of Southeast Missouri...

Employees of Coca-Cola donated $1,053 to United Way of Southeast Missouri. Employees of Coca-Cola donated $1,053.00 to United Way of Southeast Missouri....

Exel employees donated $1,664 to United Way of Southeast Missouri. Exel employees donated $1,664.00 to United Way of Southeast Missouri...

Employees of PolyOne donated $7,608 to United Way of Southeast Missouri. Employees of PolyOne donated $7,608.00 to United Way of Southeast Missouri....

Target employees donated $5,669.98 to United Way of Southeast Missouri. Target employees donated $5,669.98 to United Way of Southeast Missouri....

USBank employees donated $10,670.62 to United Way of Southeast Missouri. US Bank employees donated $10,670.62 to United Way of Southeast Missouri....

Wood & Huston employees donated $6,363 to United Way of Southeast Missouri. Wood & Huston employees donated $6,363.00 to United Way of Southeast Missouri....

HAVCO Wood Products, LLC of Scott City raised $1,983 for Dig for Life, Saint Francis Medical Center's program that provides free mammograms for local women who otherwise could not afford them. Nearly 450 employees purchased pink T-shirts for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and selected Dig for Life as the recipient. ...

Students in Mrs. Amy Figge's fifth grade class at Perry County Middle School in Perryville, Mo., presented more than $1,000 in cash and gas gift cards to the family of Ryan Manche, a classmate who is battling a rare blood disorder., thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura or TTP. Teacher Figge and Rebecca Pingel are at left. Ryan is at Figge's left with his parents Bruce and Lara Manche and brother Derick...

Once again I am relying on my friends to supply recipes to share with you today. In looking at old recipes from friends in my files and looking at my friends' Facebook page, I came up with these to share with you today. St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner, and you will be bombarded with recipes from the grocery store advertisements to prepare corned beef and cabbage. ...

Mr. Carson, bring me my wine! And you, too, Mr. Spock. In what is perhaps the strongest evidence yet of wine's power to unite, fans of upper-crusty period drama "Downton Abbey," sci-fi classic "Star Trek" and the proudly down home show "Duck Dynasty" can all buy wines bottled under license to their favorite show...

Mistletoe is a very friendly brown tabby. Medium in size and cute, she would love to find a home where she can receive some attention. For more information, call Safe Harbor at 243-9823. ...

Pet Name: Goldie Owner: Cade McNeely Favorite activity: Keeping an eye on the family from the top of the refrigerator. ...

Sky is a 4-month-old terrier mix. Four puppies are in this litter and all are available for adoption at the Humane Society. For more information, call 334-5837. ...

Do you think you can attain your goals without exerting effort? Can you master any skill without practice? Will you settle for just doing enough to get by? Merely striving for the bare minimum is a formula for failure. My eyes recently were drawn toward an essay positioned on a kitchen refrigerator. The paper had been written by a junior ARMY ROTC cadet whose dad holds the rank of army colonel. DuSchuyler Shuck wrote "Why good enough is the enemy of great." It reads:...

I've never been a fan of horror movies. Of the few I've reluctantly watched typically I can pick out who is going to become the first and the next victim. Usually it's the person who's alone. They walk backward into a closet, alone. They go into the woods, alone. They walk down into the basement that has no lighting, alone. Their isolation lures harm upon them. Alone. Isolated...

inexperienced runners will begin by running for 60 seconds and walking for 90 By BOB CAMPBELL Southeast Missourian Acting on the belief that physical fitness enhances spiritual strength, a number of area people, perhaps more than 400, will be studying the Bible while training to run five- and 10-kilometer courses in this spring's annual Run for God program...

Editor's note: This article is reprinted from The Arrow, Southeast Missouri State University student newspaper. By Savannah Maue The Arrow Harry and Frances Rediger have been involved with different fundraising opportunities and membership boards in Cape Girardeau for many years...

MONDAY--Corn dog, broccoli & cheese or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, pineapple, frosty cream dessert. TUESDAY--Chili cheese nachos, corn or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, peach cup. WEDNESDAY--Beef steak with or without gravy, au gratin potatoes or cherry tomatoes or baby carrots, roll, mixed fruit cup...

By Mark Hopkins When my spouse and I were married in the late 1950s, one of our first purchases was a television. Someone had traded in their set on a brand new 1959 model, and the sign in the window advertised a used TV for the astounding price of $40. So, we put $10 down and paid it off over the next three months...

Members of Xi Nu Phi Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi met Feb. 18 at the home of Tammy Hahs. Kathy Kiefner, vice president, conducted the meeting. A thank-you note was received from Hahs. Scrapbook items were turned in to Sandy Ross. A discussion was held about the state convention to be held in Cape Girardeau in 2015...

Editor's note: The following guest column originally appeared on stancrader.com. Stan Crader is the son of the late Don Crader, who died Feb. 23. By Stan Crader A couple of weeks ago I bought a black suit -- it was the first suit I'd purchased in maybe two decades. ...

O Lord Jesus, our Messiah, thank you for loving and forgiving us. Amen.

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- The Rev. Lewis Ivan Todd, 64, of Ste. Genevieve, formerly of Oran, Mo., died Saturday, March 1, 2014, at his home. He was born Dec. 7, 1949, in Lawrence, Kan., to James Archibald and Opal Marie Andress Todd. He was one of 12 children...

Dennis Wayne Sparks, 58, of LaPlata, Md., formerly of Sikeston, Mo., and Cape Girardeau, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 2, 1955, in Sikeston, to Edith and S.H. "Slim" Sparks Jr. He graduated from Sikeston High School, joined the United States Navy and later attended College of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Ark...

Clara L. Miller Seabaugh, 87, of Jackson passed away Thursday, March 6, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 8, 1926, in Cape Girardeau County, daughter of Andrew and Anna Marie Stortz Biri. She and Otto L. Miller were married Oct. 30, 1943. He passed away Oct. 28, 1994. She married Lloyd E. Seabaugh on May 4, 1997. He passed away April 10, 2011...

William Lee "Bill" Sander, 68, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, March 2, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Private burial was Friday at Eisleben Lutheran Church Cemetery in Scott City. McCombs Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau was in charge of arrangements...

Beverly June Richmond, 81, of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, March 7, 2014 at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 17, 1932, in Columbia, Mo., to the Rev. Beverly Earl and Viva Fern St. Clair Lett. She and C.L. "Babe" Richmond, O.D., were married March 23, 1958, at Hernando, Miss...

Beverly June Richmond, 81, of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, March 7, 2014 at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 17, 1932, in Columbia, Mo., to the Rev. Beverly Earl and Viva Fern St. Clair Lett. She and C.L. "Babe" Richmond, O.D., were married March 23, 1958, at Hernando, Miss...

Gregory Ralph, 61, of Broken Arrow, Okla., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died unexpectedly Sunday, March 2, 2014, in Broken Arrow. He was born Jan. 7, 1953, in Memphis, Tenn., to James Anderson and Roberta J. Bradshaw Ralph. He and Karla Karcher were married Feb. 4, 1978, in St. Louis...

FROHNA, Mo. -- Raymond G. Hecht, 85, of Frohna died Tuesday, March 4, 2014, at Holiday Residential Care in Perryville, Mo. He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. The funeral was Saturday at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown, Mo., with the Rev. Paul Winningham officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery...

Robert V. Fortney, 84, of Cape Girardeau passed away Friday, March 7, 2014, at his home after a two-year battle with cancer. He was born Feb. 9, 1930, in Kirksville, Mo., the son of Virgil and Lucy Newcum Fortney. He and Patty A. Patterson were married Dec. 23, 1950, in Kirksville. She survives...

BENTON, Mo. -- Robert Gerard "Frog" Felter of Benton died Friday, March 7, 2014, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo. He was born June 15, 1957, in Benton, the son of Sylvester A. and Mildred C Schlitt Felter. He graduated from Thomas W. Kelly High School in 1975. He worked in shipping and receiving at Wetterau in Scott City and then worked in sales for Hertz Rent-a-Car. Later, he worked as a self-employed mechanic in Dallas...

Dr. David P. Crowe, 62, of Cape Girardeau passed away Friday, March 7, 2014, at his home. He was born Oct. 19, 1951, in Cape Girardeau to John T. and Margaret Ann Ellis Crowe. He and Melissa L. McKee were married April 26, 1996. David was a 1969 graduate of Central High School. ...

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...

I want to comment about the idea of raising minimum wage to over $10. You know, I don't think this is enough. I think it should be $25. But it should only be applied in the North -- the way the North applied the morale tariff to the south which got the Civil War started. ...

Southeast Missouri State University would get $30.4 million in state general revenue next year under a recommendation approved yesterday by the House Budget Committee; that amount is $1 million below Gov. John D. Ashcroft's recommendation for fiscal 1990 and $1.8 million under the $32.2 million recommended by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education...

Son to Timothy Allen Seders and Edelmira Patricia Osorio of Thebes, Ill., Saint Francis Medical Center, 7 p.m. Saturday, March 1, 2014. Name, Patrick James Dean. Weight, 7 pounds, 6 ounces. First child. Ms. Osorio is the daughter of Carlos Osorio of Thebes and the late Patricia Osorio. She is employed in quality control at Gilster-Mary Lee Corp. Seders is the son of Daniel Jones of Baldwin, Ill., and Loretta Presswood of Sparta, Ill. He is a forklift operator at Gilster-Mary Lee...

The Bearcats stopped the Bulldogs for the third straight year with a 65-58 win

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Corey Walden scored 22 of his career-high 29 points in the second half to help Eastern Kentucky upset top-seeded Belmont 79-73 Saturday night for the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship and an NCAA tournament berth...

The Tigers upended the top-seeded Bulldogs 68-52 for the Class 4 District 1 title

Two young children were injured and one was killed after an early Friday morning vehicle accident. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report, Dewayne M. Phillips, 28, of Marion, Ark., was driving a 2004 Kia Spectra south on Interstate 55 when the vehicle traveled off the left side of the roadway, struck a cable barrier and returned to the roadway. The accident occurred just north of the 126 mile marker...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Four people face drug charges as the result of covert law enforcement operations, the Perry County Sheriff's Department reported Friday. Rebecca A. Bradley, 36, of Perryville was charged Thursday with three felonies -- one count of distribution of a controlled substance and two counts of possession of a controlled substance -- and misdemeanor unlawful use of drug paraphernalia after her arrest on an outstanding warrant, the department reported...

The Southeast Missouri State gymnasts turned in a strong performance in a 194.900-193.625 loss to Michigan State on Friday at Houck Field House. Southeast posted its second-highest score of the season in the balance beam, the first event of the meet, at 48.775. Megan Fosnow and Bailey Walker tied for second in the event...

JUPITER, Fla. -- Matt Carpenter called agreeing to a new $52 million, six-year deal with St. Louis a no-brainer. The Cardinals are hoping their third baseman sticks even longer than that. "He's the type of player you'd like to think could finish his career as a Cardinal," St. Louis chairman and CEO Bill DeWitt said Saturday...

JUPITER, Fla. -- Trevor Rosenthal had a pain-free spring training debut and Michael Wacha pitched three effective innings for the St. Louis Cardinals in a 4-4 tie with a Washington Nationals split squad that was called after 10 innings Saturday...

By PAT GRAHAM ~ Associated Press DENVER -- Ryan Miller used his head with the game on the line. No, really, his head. Late in the game, the St. Louis goalie craned his neck into the air to block a shot, taking a puck square in the mask. Anything for a win, especially this late in the season...

Tennessee rolled to a 72-45 win over the listless Tigers

Cape Girardeau will have an air show this year after all. In February, Cape Girardeau Regional Airport manager Bruce Loy announced the airport had canceled its annual air show after the headliner, the Canadian Snowbirds, pulled out, citing budget cuts...

TOPEKA, Kan. -- Kansas must spend more money on its public schools, the state Supreme Court ruled Friday in a decision that could jeopardize Republican Gov. Sam Brownback's desire to make his state a tax-cutting template for the nation. The high court's ruling, which found that Kansas' school funding isn't constitutional, came in a 2010 lawsuit filed by parents and school districts. ...

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Vietnamese air force planes spotted two large oil slicks Saturday in the region where a Malaysia Airlines jetliner disappeared, the first sign the Boeing 777 with 239 people aboard had crashed. The air force planes were part of a multinational search operation launched after Flight MH370 fell off radar screens less than an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing...

SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine -- Dozens of military trucks transporting armed soldiers rumbled over Crimea's roads Saturday as Russia reinforced its armed presence on the disputed peninsula in the Black Sea. Moscow's foreign minister ruled out dialogue with Ukraine's new authorities, whom he dismissed as the puppets of extremists...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A recent decline in Missouri's casino revenue has created funding shortfalls for public schools and state-run veterans' nursing homes, raising questions among lawmakers about the extent to which the state can continue to rely on gambling to fund some key programs...

OXON HILL, Md. -- She was not on the speaking program, but Hillary Rodham Clinton had presence at the nation's largest annual gathering of conservative activists Saturday, as high-profile Republicans launched a dual effort to attack the prospective Democratic presidential candidate and improve the GOP's struggle with women voters...

Gov. Jay Nixon has made nominations to seven state boards and commissions, which include two local nominees. Kyle E. Brost of Cape Girardeau was named to the State Board of Optometry. He has operated a family eye business in Cape Girardeau since 1989 and is a paramedical health professional with Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville, Mo. He is past president of the Missouri Optometric Association and is a graduate of the University of Missouri-St. Louis School of Optometry...

East Perry County is without question one of the most beautiful areas in Southeast Missouri. The land features rolling pasture and crop land, old farms and quaint small towns rich in history. The area is proud of its German and Lutheran heritage. The Lutheran Heritage Center & Museum is observing the 175th anniversary of the immigration of 700 Lutherans from Saxony, Germany...

ST. LOUIS -- A 28-foot-long mural that graced St. Louis Union Station starting in the 1940s was thought to be lost. It turns out it was just hiding. The mural "Commerce on the Landing" was painted by Chicago artist Louis Grell and mounted over the station's ticket counter in 1942. At some point it was taken away. No one was sure what happened to it...

Transportation may not be the first word to come to mind in ways to improve business, but Missouri Department of Transportation officials are attempting to rectify that. MoDOT director Dave Nichols spoke at First Friday Coffee in the Show Me Center about the ways well-maintained roads and improved transportation can benefit business and what changes the state could see in the future...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- University of Missouri records show a master plan for an apartment complex where a firefighter recently died recommended in 2008 that the complex be demolished because of its poor condition. Columbia fire department Lt. Bruce Britt died Feb. 22 at University Village as he was evacuating residents after part of a walkway collapsed. An engineering review released Tuesday said the second-floor walkway Britt was on collapsed because of a concrete failure...

CASSVILLE, Mo. -- Leo Steinbrecher didn't expect to blend into the crowd at the recent trout opener at Roaring River State Park. When you're almost 93 years old, you have a few wrinkles and you walk slowly ... well, let's just say it wasn't hard to tell which of the 1,600 fishermen who showed up early at the trout stream had seniority...

KIRKWOOD, Mo. -- The nephew of a suburban St. Louis man who opened fire at a city council meeting six years ago, killing five and severely wounding the mayor, is running for a seat on that same governing body. Jayson Thornton, whose uncle Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton stormed into Kirkwood's council chamber on Feb. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said an agreement for future trade and economic development has been reached with the Canadian province of Ontario. Nixon said the agreement calls for Missouri and Ontario to seek opportunities for collaboration, trade and investment. It was signed by Missouri Economic Development Department director Mike Downing...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Federal agents would be sent to jail for enforcing some federal gun control laws under legislation endorsed by a Missouri House panel. The House General Laws Committee advanced the measure Thursday. It passed the Missouri Senate last month...

ST. LOUIS -- The long-awaited Ballpark Village next to Busch Stadium in St. Louis will officially open March 27. Developers on Thursday announced plans for the grand opening of Phase 1 of Ballpark Village. It includes a Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum, the Budweiser Brew House, the rodeo-themed cowboy bar PBR St. Louis, the piano bar Howl at the Moon and a TV studio for Fox Sports Midwest...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Students living on college campuses could be required to be vaccinated against bacterial meningitis under legislation endorsed by a Missouri Senate committee. The legislation would require all students in on-campus housing to have the meningococcal vaccine starting in July 2015, unless they seek a religious or medical exemption...

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- The mountain snowpack in the Missouri River's upper basin is close to levels seen before devastating 2011 flooding along the river, but a repeat this year isn't likely, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official said. Drought in 2012 has resulted in a one-third increase in water storage capacity in the three Missouri River reservoirs in the Dakotas and Montana, according to Jody Farhat, chief of Missouri River water management for the corps. ...

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Russian pianist Valentina Igoshina performs "Andante Spianato et Grande Polonaise Brilliante" in E flat minor by Frederic Chopin for the Sundays at Three concert Sunday at Shuck Music Recital Hall on the River Campus. ...

Visitors to the Southeast Missouri State University website will notice what school officials believe is a cleaner, simpler design. Assistant director of web communications Brian Holdman said the new-look site, semo.edu, which launched at 4 p.m. Friday, has been in the works for about a year...

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Whitney Wilson and his daughter, Ilena, of Sikeston, Mo., look for sticks at Riverfront Park, their first stop on an outing to include Cape Rock Park and Trail of Tears State Park, on Sunday in Cape Girardeau. The river stage was 14 feet and falling....

If you ask 17-time New York Times No. 1 best-selling author Nicholas Sparks why he writes romance novels, he will answer you with, "I don't." "I write novels where the themes of love and family and loss are often explored," he said in a phone interview with the Southeast Missourian on Friday...

The Redhawks won 7-0 to improve to 3-0 in OVC play

The Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Southeast Missouri State University will offer a free six-week course for entrepreneurs interested in beginning a business or expanding an existing business. The program, Operation JumpStart, is a nationally recognized training model designed for such potential entrepreneurs that uses curriculum from the Kauffman Foundation, according to a news release from the university. ...

For maintaining his leadership and ability to multitask while keeping his cool, former Cape Girardeau resident Capt. Ernest Todd Nordman recently was awarded the 2013 1st Lt. Travis Manion Memorial Marine Corps Officer Logistician of the Year Award...

WASHINGTON -- The data breach at Target Corp. that exposed millions of credit card numbers has focused attention on the patchwork of state consumer notification laws and renewed a push for a single national standard. Most states have laws that require retailers to disclose data breaches, but the laws vary wildly. ...

It's travel season again for migrating birds! On this day, hundreds filled the sky in a river-like formation spanning as far as the eye could see. Here, they stop for a brief rest and to grab a bite to eat.

This was at Mingo

On Saturday, March 8, Relay for Life "Team Mabuce: Got Hope" raised $800 through its first ever Trivia Night. Relay for Life funds benefit the American Cancer Society and help to fight cancer of all types. Five teams competed in the 10-round, 100-question competition, which included questions about cancer. The "Steamboat Willies" team took top honors in the trivia competition...

Joshua Lix from the Fort Leonard Wood Construction Division has been selected as the US Army Corps of Engineers FY13 Engineering Journeyman of the Year! Joshua is a Project and Office Engineer on multiple construction contracts and serves as an advocate for tomorrow's engineers. ...

The Scott City R-1 School District will be hosting Kindergarten Registration and Screening at Eisleben Lutheran Church (located at 432 Lutheran Lane in Scott City) on April 3rd and 4th for all children who will be attending Kindergarten for the upcoming 2014-2015 school year. ...

Twenty six members of Cape Central High School's Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Chapter recently attended the 2014 District 15 FBLA Leadership Conference held on February 20, 2014 at the Southeast Missouri State University. FBLA is a career and technical student organization for all high school students participating in business programs. ...

Tom Kelsey, president and broker for Lorimont Place Ltd. in Cape Girardeau received an Award of Excellence designation for 2013 by the Cape Girardeau County Board of Realtors. The recognition is given to members who produce multimillion-dollar volume for property sold and leased during the year. Kelsey qualified for the pinnacle level, or highest volume, for the award. He has been a recipient of the top sales award for the last 18 years...

Today is Monday, March 10, the 69th day of 2014. There are 296 days left in the year. Today's Highlights in History: On March 10, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed an order assigning Ulysses S. Grant, who had just received his commission as lieutenant-general, to the command of the Armies of the United States (Grant assumed his new command two days later, relieving General-in-Chief Henry Halleck). ...

FROHNA, Mo. -- Donald Ruehling, 76, of Frohna died Saturday, March 8, 2014, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 19, 1937, in New Wells, son of Eldor and Mildred Hesse Ruehling. He and Elaine P. Mueller were married Nov. 28, 1959. She survives in Frohna...

Irene Borkowski, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, March 8, 2014, at Ratliff Care Center in Cape Girardeau. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Danny W. Biri, 43, of Jackson died Wednesday, March 5, 2014, at his home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

A new Southeast Missouri State University Center for Earthquake Studies will open here next month; its executive director, Dr. David Stewart, was executive director of the Central United States Earthquake Consortium. Efforts by the city of Cape Girardeau to annex Interstate 55 right of way have shifted into high gear with a favorable Cape Girardeau County Court ruling; on the heals of yesterday's declaratory judgment, City Attorney Warren Wells says the city plans to move quickly to seek a similar ruling in Scott County Circuit Court and, ultimately, a vote of the people on the issue.. ...

A local businessman remembered for his faith and love of people died Feb. 23. Donald "Don" Crader was the CEO of Crader Distributing Co. in Marble Hill, Mo., and Blue Mountain Equipment in McKinney, Texas. Continuing the family business, Crader's company works with more than 2,200 Stihl dealerships and is the exclusive Stihl outdoor power equipment distributor for Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Southern Illinois...

I think Mike Jensen has vision and the rest of you have been blinded by a global warming snowstorm. I would just like for somebody to tell me who gave Michelle Obama the authority to speak for everybody in this country. Every time she opens her mouth, it's something that's going to cost consumers money. We don't need new labels. We already have labels if anybody cares to read them...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Wal-Mart is seeking to intervene in a dispute about electric rates between Ameren Missouri and its largest electric customer. Noranda Aluminum Holding Corp. has sought about a 25 percent reduction in the rate Ameren charges at its aluminum smelter in the Southeast Missouri town of New Madrid...

FAIR OAKS, Ind. -- Pigs cluster around a food stall like Black Friday shoppers waiting for the store to open. One pushes impatiently against the locked door with her snout, waiting for the sow inside to finish eating so she can take her turn. After about 10 minutes, the sated sow sidles out the front gate and rejoins about 80 other pregnant pigs in a large pen surrounding the food stall. ...

Brutal winter weather snarled traffic, canceled flights and cut power to homes and factories in February. Yet it didn't faze U.S. employers, who added 175,000 jobs, far more than the two previous months. Modest but steady job growth has become a hallmark of a nearly 5-year-old economic rebound that remains sluggish yet resilient. The economy has been slowed by political gridlock, harsh weather and global crises. But those disruptions have not derailed growth...

BOSTON -- The ladies of Wellesley College will still be allowed to plant kisses on passing runners and crowds will still flock to the finish line at the 118th Boston Marathon. But a year after deadly twin explosions turned the race's festive final dash into a scene of devastation, police and organizers of the world's oldest annual marathon find themselves balancing security with its traditionally festive atmosphere...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Law and order may soon be coming to the Wild West of weed. A California lawmaker has introduced legislation to regulate the state's freewheeling medical marijuana industry -- the farmers that grow the drug, the hundreds of storefront shops that sell it and especially the doctors who write recommendations allowing people to use it...

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Vietnamese searchers on ships worked throughout the night but could not find a rectangle object spotted Sunday afternoon that was thought to be one of the doors of a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet that went missing more than two days ago...

KIEV, Ukraine -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday defended the separatist drive in the disputed Crimean Peninsula as in keeping with international law, but Ukraine's prime minister vowed not to relinquish "a single centimeter" of his country's territory...

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

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

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

Administrative Office Building 1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. Monday Open session Approval of minutes of March 6 meeting Communications/reports, other elected officials Public comments Routine business Action items Appointments and possible action item...

The team plans to hold a news conference today to offically announce the deal

VIERA, Fla. -- As he warmed up in the bullpen for his second spring training start, Stephen Strasburg felt strong. Perhaps a little too strong. The right-hander overcame a shaky first inning, and the Washington Nationals' offense came up big again in an 11-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday...

The Redhawks posted a season-high score to win on Senior Day

The Southeast women's tennis team snapped a three-match losing streak with a 7-0 win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sunday in Pine Bluff, Ark. The Redhawks improved to 5-5, while Arkansas-Pine Bluff fell to 4-3. Southeast's Valeriia Kashina picked up the win in the No. 1 spot, winning a 10-8 tiebreaker...