Stories from July 2014

ST. LOUIS -- A third suburban St. Louis County school district says it will no longer accept transfer students from the Normandy system now that a state law has changed that struggling district's accreditation status. The Ferguson-Florissant School Board said it voted unanimously to uphold a district policy prohibiting nonresident students from enrolling in the district. The vote follows similar decisions in University City and the Francis Howell system in St. Charles County...

WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. -- A 60-year-old nurse faces a first-degree murder charge after a weekend domestic dispute with her brother-in-law in south St. Louis County. Police say Denise J. Hein of Webster Groves was charged Monday with murder and armed criminal action and is being held without bond...

FESTUS, Mo. -- A Jefferson County cave home remains for sale as its owners hope for a higher purchase price than the $220,000 bid offered at a weekend auction. Curt Sleeper and his wife Deborah have renovated the Festus sandstone mining cave into a three-bedroom, one-bathroom home with 2,240 square feet of living space. Sleeper said he paid $170,000 for the cave when he bought it a decade ago on eBay but has since added another $150,000 worth of renovations...

FENTON, Mo. -- A fifth municipality in St. Louis County is voicing its formal opposition to a proposed county merger with the city of St. Louis. Elected leaders in Fenton last week voted to oppose the merger, which supporters say would save money and end duplication of services in the city and county. Ellisville, Ballwin, Green Park and Valley Park have also gone on record opposing the move...

ST. LOUIS -- A dormant St. Louis theater slated to soon reopen is being considered for a festival celebrating playwright Tennessee Williams, who spent much of his childhood in the city. Williams was born in Mississippi but moved to St. Louis as an 8-year-old when his father had a job transfer. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Supreme Court has set an Aug. 6 execution for a St. Louis-area man convicted of raping and killing a neighbor nearly two decades ago. Michael Shane Worthington was sentenced to death for the September 1995 slaying of 24-year-old college student Melinda Griffin at her Lake St. Louis condominium. According to court records, Worthington took drugs before cutting through a screen window at Griffin's home and attacking her...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Results of recent tests for black mold at the New Madrid County Jail have come back negative. Early in June, an environmental survey company conducted tests for black mold and air quality at the jail, according to a news release from the New Madrid County Sheriff's Department...

KENNETT, Mo. -- There is a new judge in the case against a former Kennett police officer. Jeremy Crawford appeared in Dunklin County Circuit Court on Wednesday. A motion for a change of judge was granted, and Stephen Sharp will now hear the case. Prosecuting Attorney Stephen Sokoloff said he would be meeting with Sharp in the next few days on a new hearing date...

DEXTER, Mo. -- A vacant home burned late Sunday evening in Dexter. The home at 909 N. Sassafras was vacant at the time of the blaze. Dexter fire chief Don Seymore said a neighbor reported the fire at 10:09 p.m. Sunday. Firefighters remained on the scene for two hours before returning to the station. They were called back to the scene later for a flare-up...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Doug Bagby, the former Poplar Bluff city manager, has objected to interim city attorney Robert Smith's attempt to move the city's contract dispute case against him to Wayne County. Smith filed an amended petition for declaratory judgment and a motion for a change of venue Wednesday...

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby in the company's lawsuit against the government Monday by a 5-4 margin. Here's what some people had to say about the ruling:Adam Norris "I think the verdict was good for [Hobby Lobby]. The Affordable Care Act is just more money."...

Sarah Orf and Melissa Hemmann have hit the ground running in the just-formed Perry County School District transportation department -- made up of the two women and bus drivers. Starting this fall, the district will begin a lease agreement with Midwest Bus Sales, based in Tonganoxie, Kansas, that could save the district an estimated $600,000 to $700,000, superintendent Scott Ireland has said...

Missourians who wish to share their thoughts about a draft list of regional transportation projects have only a few more days to do so. The list was released June 13 by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission and was created with the help of local planning agencies and transportation groups. It is a requirement of Constitutional Amendment 7, a three-quarter-cent transportation tax that awaits voter approval in the Aug. 5 election...

Despite the chance of flooding this Fourth of July, the fireworks by the river front are continuing as scheduled. According to parks and recreation director Julia Thompson, if the weather does take a turn for the worse, the latest the city will decide to move the fireworks is Wednesday...

In 2004, local legislators rallied with the community to keep Cottonwood Residential Treatment Center open after the governor threatened to close it for the sake of a balanced budget. Ten years later, they're doing the same thing. Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon announced last week his decision to cut more than $1 billion from the state's budget, citing concern the Republican-led Legislature will override his vetoes of 10 tax-cutting bills in the fall and throw the state's budget into economic disarray. ...

WASHINGTON -- A divided Supreme Court ruled Monday that some companies with religious objections can avoid the contraceptives requirement in President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul, the first time the high court has declared that businesses can hold religious views under federal law...

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the last in a series about local farms and farmers. Jimmy Ward swore up and down that after he retired, he wouldn't have any more animals. Then he married his wife, Jan, and the couple now has 15 goats, 10 alpacas, five dogs and one orange cat named Pumpy living on their 12-acre property in Marble Hill, Missouri...

June 30, 2014 (Cape Girardeau, MO) -- IsleŽ Casino Cape Girardeau recently presented the American Cancer Society a $3000 check from funds raised by employees for Relay for Life. "Our Community Aces volunteer program encourages employees to be active in the communities where we operate," said Lyle Randolph, Isle Casino's general manager. "As part of the program our employees raised funds for Relay and took part in the event held on June 14."...

There is no substitute for experience, especially when it comes to the specialized field of neurosurgery. The doctors at Regional Brain & Spine (RBS) recognize this and have created a unique summer internship program that gives talented high school students a hands-on experience and introduction to neurosurgery...

First storm of July. It hit fast & hard. But watching the clouds swirling around was awesome.

Today is Tuesday, July 1, the 182nd day of 2014. There are 183 days left in the year. This is Canada Day. Today's Highlight in History: On July 1, 1944, delegates from 44 countries began meeting at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, where they agreed to establish the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank...

Recently while Obama tried to defend his unlawful prisoner exchange when he side-stepped Congress, he referred to the individuals he was dealing with as "folks." Mr President, these are not "folks" you are negotiating with. Call them for what they are, terrorists. But you are so afraid to "offend" them and use the "T" word...

On Friday this nation will celebrate its Independence Day. It's a day to remember our country's founding and the men and women who have fought to preserve freedom. There is no more patriotic day than July 4. To help celebrate the holiday, there are several local events lined up...

It's an organization that assists citizens to recover after natural disasters, helped Missourians set up the first rural electric cooperatives, works with farmers to promote the best farming practices and helps citizens start up small businesses. It trains thousands of Missouri firefighters, provides guidance on proper nutrition for families, and promotes youth development through a variety of 4-H programs...

Mosquito bites can be more than just itchy and annoying. They can cause people to get sick. The most effective way to avoid West Nile virus disease is to prevent mosquito bites. Be aware of the West Nile virus activity in the area and take action to protect yourself and your family...

WASHINGTON -- No more dreaded pelvic exam? New guidelines say most healthy women can skip the yearly ritual. Routine pelvic exams don't benefit women who have no symptoms of disease and who aren't pregnant, and they can cause harm, the American College of Physicians said Monday as it recommended that doctors quit using them as a screening tool...

Lifestyle changes are the newest craze sweeping the nation when it comes to health and fitness. At least that's what Janet Anders, a registered dietitian at Saint Francis Medical Center thinks. "They're not called fad diets anymore or even diets, they're seen as lifestyle changes, they're advertised as lifestyle changes, so people kind of maybe think about them a little bit differently," she said...

JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military found the bodies of three missing teenagers Monday, just more than two weeks after they were abducted in the West Bank -- a grim discovery that ended a frantic search that led to Israel's largest ground operation in the Palestinian territory in nearly a decade and drew Israeli threats of retaliation...

TOKYO -- North Korea said Monday it is preparing to try two Americans who entered the country as tourists for carrying out what it says were hostile acts against it. Investigations into Americans Matthew Todd Miller and Jeffrey Edward Fowle concluded that suspicions about their hostile acts have been confirmed by evidence and their testimonies, Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said in a short report...

KIEV, Ukraine -- Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he is halting a unilateral cease-fire in the conflict with pro-Russian separatists and says Ukrainian forces will go on the offensive against the rebels. A statement from Poroshenko on his website early Tuesday said the cease-fire is being halted and that "we will attack and we will free our country."...

ST. LOUIS -- An evacuation slide inflated inside a United Airlines plane as it flew from Chicago to Southern California, filling part of the cabin and prompting the pilot to make an emergency landing in Kansas. Passenger Mike Schroeder said he was sitting in the front row of the plane bound for Orange County, California, late Sunday when he heard a hiss and pop behind him...

EDINBURG, Texas -- When authorities found an 11-year-old Guatemalan boy's body just about a mile from Texas' southern border, they also discovered his brother's Chicago phone number scribbled on the inside of his belt buckle. The boy, wearing "Angry Birds" jeans, black leather boots and a white rosary around his neck, had apparently gotten lost on his way north from his native country and was found earlier this month, alone in the brush less than a mile from the nearest U.S. ...

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court dealt a blow to public sector unions Monday, ruling that thousands of home health care workers in Illinois cannot be required to pay fees that help cover a union's costs of collective bargaining. In a 5-4 split along ideological lines, the justices said the practice violates the First Amendment rights of nonmembers who disagree with the positions unions take...

Son to Mark Allen and Tia Moniet Rademaker of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 10:09 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, 2014. Name, Jagger Timothy. Weight, 6 pounds, 15 ounces. Second child, first son. Mrs. Rademaker is the former Tia Meyer, daughter of Dr. Roy and Sandi Meyer of Cape Girardeau. Rademaker is the son of Dr. Timothy Rademaker of Cape Girardeau. He is director of sales and operations with Sanctuary Belize...

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

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

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Eugene Paul Layton, 83, of Perryville died June 29, 2014, at Perry Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Perryville. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at Young and Sons Funeral Home in Perryville. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. The Rev. Milton Ryan will officiate...

Joe David Frank, 61, of Jackson died Saturday, June 28, 2014, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. Parish prayers will be at 7 p.m. with a Knights of Columbus rosary immediately following...

Arthur "Art" Bodenstein, 70, of Gordonville passed away Sunday, June 29, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 9, 1944, in Cape Girardeau, son of Leo A. and Alma D. Nagel Bodenstein. He and Ann M. Buchheit were married Sept. 2, 1967, in Perryville, Missouri. ...

Happy Independence Day! As we celebrate the occasion, take a moment to remember our forefathers who sacrificed so much to make us an independent nation some 238 years ago. Also remember those people who through the years have made sacrifices to keep us free...

At a banquet recognizing donors to the Southeast Missouri University Foundation last night, around 450 people heard keynote speaker C. William Pollard, president and chief executive officer of The ServiceMaster Co. Stage of Life, a new theater group, was formed about a month ago to provide youths, ages 10 to 20, a chance to perform; one of the founders of the new group is Ann Abbott...

O Lord Jesus, may you give us a discerning heart and wisdom. Amen.

Charleston Fighting Squirrels coach Michael Minner recalled his team's first trip to a regional after their first of six state championships as one of the program's greatest memories before rattling off several other major moments in the organization's 10-year history -- the first trip to the Senior Babe Ruth World Series and hosting their first regional game to name a few...

Local legislators, city officials and business leaders gathered Tuesday morning to discuss a common concern: air-quality standards. U.S. Rep. Jason Smith hosted the meeting at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce to better understand how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's plans to tighten National Ambient Air Quality Standards will affect businesses...

A Cape Girardeau man was in custody Tuesday evening in connection with a shooting that left another man in serious condition, Cape Girardeau police announced. Deion Miguel Phillips, 18, faces charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action...

WASHINGTON -- Gridlock in Washington will lead to gridlock across the country if lawmakers can't quickly agree on how to pay for highway and transit programs, President Barack Obama and his top officials warned Tuesday. States will begin to feel the pain of cutbacks in federal aid as soon as the first week in August -- peak summer driving time -- if Congress doesn't act, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a letter to states. ...

But in Cape Girardeau, any flooding problems on the Mississippi River aren't expected for days.

On the job since February, University of Missouri Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin is trying to visit as many spots around the state as possible. On Tuesday, he visited the University of Missouri Extension Office in Jackson, where he spoke about his new post, university enrollment and programs that touch people's lives, such as extension and the Missouri College Advising Corps...

Today was an exciting and fun filled day at the Bollinger County Museum of Natural History in Marble Hill! The Bollinger County Library Summer Reading group visited and created a Lego dinosaur creation. A great time was had by all! Want to try your hand at creating a big Lego dinosaur? Join us on Friday, July 11 when Ms. ...

Storm in Benton Mo 7/1/2014

Today is Wednesday, July 2, the 183rd day of 2014. There are 182 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law a sweeping civil rights bill passed by Congress. On this date:...

After reading Mike Jensen's withering critique of John Kerry, I am convinced we need to replace Kerry with Jensen. Water need If there was a water or electric company that would move in and supply the residents of Cape Girardeau with at least a one percent discount in the rates that we pay now, our pockets would feel much heavier...

The importance of good character cannot be overstated. It's critical to doing anything well. Alma Schrader Elementary School has taken this idea and put it into action with Tigers Across the Ages and Courtyard Crashers. The programs recently were recognized nationally by Character Education Partnership as Promising Practices...

When Richard Nixon was running for president, his handlers sensed voters thought he was out of touch with the common man. And history would prove them right. So to give the always-stiff Nixon a more common touch, he was scheduled to appear on the highly-popular "Laugh-In" comedy program using the now-famous line, "Sock it to me!"...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Throughout California's desperately dry Central Valley, those with water to spare are cashing in. As a third parched summer forces farmers to fallow fields and lay off workers, two water districts and a pair of landowners in the heart of the state's farmland are making millions of dollars by auctioning their private caches...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A federal judge in Kentucky struck down the state's ban on gay marriage Tuesday, though the ruling was put on hold and it was not immediately clear when same-sex couples could be issued marriage licenses. U.S. District Judge John G. ...

SHILOH, Ohio -- Visitors from around the world to two upcoming events in Ohio's Amish country could come away with more than they bargained for, health officials fear -- a case of measles from the nation's largest outbreak in two decades. The outbreak, with more than 360 cases, started after Amish travelers to the Philippines contracted measles this year and returned home to rural Knox County. ...

WASHINGTON -- Supreme Court justices found more common ground than usual this year, and nowhere was their unanimity more surprising than in a ruling that police must get a judge's approval before searching the cellphones of people they've arrested...

NEW YORK -- A former New York Police Department officer left jail Tuesday after a judge stunned prosecutors and overturned his conviction in a case accusing him of plotting on the Internet to kidnap, kill and eat young women, including his wife...

LOS ANGELES -- Robin Williams is reconnecting with the 12-step program during a brief stay at a Minnesota facility. A spokeswoman for the 62-year-old actor-comedian says Williams planned the visit as a respite to recharge after more than 18 straight months of work...

JERUSALEM -- Tens of thousands of mourners converged Tuesday in central Israel for a funeral for three teenagers found dead in the West Bank after a two-week search and crackdown on the Hamas militant group, which Israeli leaders have accused of abducting and killing the young men...

DONETSK, Ukraine -- Rifle shots rang out Tuesday in the streets of the largest city in eastern Ukraine and panicked residents fled gunbattles as fighting flared with new intensity after the president ended a cease-fire. Hopes for peace in eastern Ukraine appeared to sink, as separatist rebels fought to gain ground and disorganized government troops did not seem capable of crushing the mutiny...

BAGHDAD -- The leader of the extremist group that has overrun parts of Iraq and Syria has called on Muslims around the world to flock to territories under his control to fight and build an Islamic state. In a recording posted online Tuesday, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared he wants to turn the enclave his fighters have carved out in the heart of the Middle East into a magnet for militants. ...

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is struggling to resolve widespread data discrepancies that could call into question coverage for millions under the health overhaul, the government's health care fraud watchdog reported Tuesday. In a pair of reports, the Health and Human Services inspector general found key personal details submitted by many consumers do not match up with records the government has on file...

ST. LOUIS -- A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction to the Archdiocese of St. Louis in its legal challenge to mandatory birth control coverage under the federal government's health insurance mandate. The archdiocese and Catholic Charities of St. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri judge rejected legal challenges Tuesday to a pair of proposed constitutional amendments dealing with gun rights and transportation taxes that are to appear on the ballot next month. In two rulings, Cole County Circuit Judge Jon Beetem dismissed the lawsuits as moot because less than six weeks remain before the Aug. 5 election. He also upheld the ballot summaries approved by the Republican-led Legislature as sufficient and fair...

HOUSTON -- Rushing into a Houston home, police officer Austin Huckabee encountered a drunken, combative man bleeding profusely on the kitchen floor. He quickly realized the blood was spurting in rhythm with the man's heart and cardiac arrest was just moments away...

Daughter to Trae Clifford Huey and Briana Lynn McDowell of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 4:41 a.m. Monday, March 17, 2014. Name, Ila Judith. Weight, 1 pound, 8 ounces. Ms. McDowell is the daughter of Rebecca Heuring of Morley, Missouri, and Thomas McDowell and Edna McDowell of Cape Girardeau. Huey is the son of Chuck Huey and Lisa Huey of Cape Girardeau. He is employed by Pizza Hut...

The Rev. James R. Davis, pastor of Grace United Methodist Church, is presented his doctoral hood during morning worship services; making the presentation is Dr. Doug Wingeier of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois; Davis received the doctorate of ministry degree at the seminary May 26...

The inclement weather Tuesday afternoon and evening caused a few problems throughout Southeast Missouri. In Perry County, thunderstorms overturned three tractor-trailers along Interstate 55. In Stoddard County, trained spotters were reporting wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour, the National Weather Service reported...

A Jackson teenager is in jail on $15,000 bond after officers caught him with four bags of marijuana, the Jackson Police Department reported Tuesday. Tyler W. Glydewell, 19, was arrested Sunday at the Jackson City Park, Jackson police reported in a news release Tuesday...

Union County, Illinois, State's Attorney Tyler Edmonds is warning residents about a telephone scam in which a caller pretends to represent his office in an attempt to trick them out of money. A person identified as Justin Cobb, who claims to be affiliated with Edmonds' office, calls residents, tells them they owe money for failure to appear for jury duty and instructs them to wire money or obtain a money card and send payment for the fine, Edmonds reported in a news release Tuesday...

Eighteen defendants were given prison sentences by 35th Circuit Court Judge Robert Mayer during Law Day proceedings last week at the Dunklin County Courthouse in Kennett, Missouri. They included:n Jeremy L. Reed, eight years for being a felon in possession of a firearm...

BENTON, Mo. -- A Benton man is in custody for domestic assault, after reportedly choking a woman. Travis Huckabay, 41, was arrested by Cpl. Justin Wooten of the Scott County Sheriff's Office at 6 a.m. Monday. Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said Wooten was called to a residence shortly after 5:30 a.m. During an interview, the victim showed the deputy injuries that were sustained when she allegedly was choked by Huckabay...

KENNETT, Mo. -- The charge against a Kennett man accused of killing his wife has been amended to first-degree murder. Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen Sokoloff said the amended charge against Allan Branum was based on additional reports received by his office after the original charge was filed. Branum initially had been charged with second-degree murder...

The Missouri Department of Economic Development announced Tuesday it is making available $7.5 million in low-interest loans to public schools, public or private colleges and universities, local governments, public water and wastewater treatment facilities, and public/private not-for-profit hospitals to complete energy-efficiency and renewable energy projects throughout Missouri...

Rocky Kingree's name will be on the Republican primary election ballot in Butler County, but more litigation is expected. "He may win this battle, but he will not win the war," Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Barbour said Friday in Butler County Circuit Court...

MURPHYSBORO, Ill. -- Brandon Banks has a public defender, but it will be a while before the murder case against him can move forward. Banks, 28, is accused of killing 40-year-old Marsha Ann Brown of Cape Girardeau in January and dumping her body in a ditch in rural Makanda, Illinois...

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

Una Joyce Worth, 75, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, formerly of Bell City, Missouri, passed away Monday, June 30, 2014, at The Medical Center. Joyce was born Dec. 14, 1938, in Manila, Arkansas. She was a retired Realtor with Re-Max Real Estate Executives of Bowling Green. She was a member of State Street United Methodist Church, an active member of the Women's Circle and an avid animal lover. She was an accomplished pianist, loving wife, mother, sister and grandmother...

ANNA, Ill. -- Raymond E. Sills, 76, of Anna died Monday, June 30, 2014, at Kindred Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Nov. 18, 1937, son of Walter and Margie Watkins Sills. Raymond served his country honorably in the United States Army during the Korean War...

Charlene Markland, 80, of Scott City died Tuesday, July 1, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 9, 1933, in Winn, Arkansas. She married Charles Edward Markland on April 17, 1959. Survivors include her husband, Charles of Scott City; two sons, Chuck (Becky) Markland of Scott City and Chris (Kim) Markland of Cape Girardeau; a daughter, Cheryl (Mike) Cut-right of Scott City; a sister, Mary Lou Phipps of Scott City; eight grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.. ...

Harold Ray "Lee" Livingston Jr., 67, passed away peacefully Friday, June 27, 2014, at his home in Overland, Missouri, surrounded by family and friends. Lee was born April 29, 1947, in Cape Girardeau, to Jueldeen and Harold Livingston, longtime residents of Scott City...

William Rudolph Jenkins, 82, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, June 30, 2014, at Heartland Care and Rehab in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 28, 1932, in Cape Girardeau to Fred and Annie Runnels Jenkins. William was a veteran of the United States Army, receiving a Purple Heart and two Bronze Medals...

Willard Earl Hubbard, 73, of Jackson died Tuesday, July 1, 2014, at his home. He was born Oct. 11, 1940, in Schuyler County, Missouri, son of Wilbur Edwin and Wilma Woods Hubbard. He and Marjorie Bragg were married June 1, 1958. Five children were born to this marriage. He and Lazana "Zane" Nelson Jenkinson were married Jan 4, 1975, in Maryville, Missouri, and one daughter was born to this marriage...

Joe David Frank, 61, of Jackson died Saturday, June 28, 2014, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Oct. 17, 1952, in Cape Girardeau, to Alvin Martin and Adella Catherine Kirchdoerfer Frank. He and Kay Grantham were married Feb. 8, 1975, in Chaffee, Missouri...

Harumi Sasaki Bounds, 63, of Cape Girardeau passed away Sunday, June 29, 2014, at her home, surrounded by family. She was born Sept. 6, 1950, in Nagasaki, Japan, to the late Mitsuo and Masayo Sasaki. She and Emmett "Butch" Bounds Jr. were married March 27, 1974, in Sasebo, Japan...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Tim Lincecum followed his second career no-hitter with another vintage performance, pitching eight sharp innings to lead the San Francisco Giants past the St. Louis Cardinals 5-0 on Tuesday night. Lincecum (7-5) allowed four hits, struck out six and walked two. He worked out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the fourth and stayed out of trouble the rest of the way, helping San Francisco snap a four-game losing streak since his latest gem against San Diego...

Summer Classic will be held July 11 to 13 at Arena Park

TOKYO -- Since Japan's defeat in World War II, its military has been shackled by restrictions imposed by a victorious U.S. and that, over time, a majority of Japanese adopted as their own. Now, the shackles are being loosened. Japan's Cabinet on Tuesday approved a reinterpretation of the country's pacifist postwar constitution that will allow the military to defend allies and others "in a close relationship" with Japan under what is known as "collective self-defense."...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues have lured Paul Stastny away from division rival Colorado, signing the veteran center to a four-year, $28 million deal Tuesday. Stastny has spent his entire career with the Avalanche after being picked in the second round of the 2005 draft...

SALVADOR, Brazil -- They captured the hearts of America -- from coast to coast, big towns and small, all the way to the White House. Capturing the World Cup will have to wait. Belgium scored twice in extra time and then held on for a 2-1 win Tuesday...

Ten years ago last winter, while I was president pro tem of the Missouri Senate, then-Gov. Bob Holden announced budget cuts that signaled the imminent closure of the Cottonwood Treatment Center in Cape Girardeau. Jason Crowell, who was then the House Majority Floor Leader, joined me in a public meeting at the Cape Girardeau Public Library, where we heard from concerned citizens and pledged to keep Cottonwood open...

Lord Jesus, we pray for our leaders; may they seek you. Amen.

The Scott County Sheriff's Department is asking for the public's help in bringing a suspect into custody. Don Chappell, 45, is wanted by the State of Missouri for violating his parole from the St. Louis Community Release Center, according to information provided by the department. Chappell had been serving a sentence for two counts of felony burglary...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri ended its annual budget year with revenue falling significantly short of what had been expected, meaning the state may soon have to dip into reserves to pay its bills. Figures released Wednesday show net general revenue declined 1 percent for the 2014 fiscal year when compared with the previous year. That translates to $308 million short of what Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon projected and $241 million short of the forecast by Republican legislative leaders...

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- A Williamsville, Missouri, man is back behind bars after allegedly escaping early Wednesday morning from the Wayne County Jail. Donald Wayne Sanders had been "causing problems in the jail," explained Wayne County Sheriff Dean Finch...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- The case against a Bell City, Missouri, man charged with molesting a child has been pushed to September. Shawn Al Green, who was arrested in April, is charged with two counts of statutory sodomy with a person younger than 14 and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- With the final Carter County residents accounted for following Sunday's flash flooding, recovery efforts are underway to help the numerous residents whose homes were damaged. "What we're doing is brainstorming and strategizing," as well as scheduling volunteers and setting tasks, said Carter County Sheriff Rick Stephens from a command post set up at the First Baptist Church in Van Buren...

BERNIE, Mo. -- Three of four men who allegedly fled first from Bernie police and later from Malden, Missouri, police Sunday night are in custody at the Dunklin County Jail. At 11:30 p.m. Sunday, Bernie police attempted to stop a red Dodge Ram pickup truck believed to have been stolen from Cape Girardeau. ...

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Children toss rocks and drift wood into the Mississippi River alongside the Queen of the Mississippi, Wednesday, July 2, 2014, in downtown Cape Girardeau....

Notre Dame Regional High School's mission trip to Montgomery, Alabama, held an added bonus for the 15 participants -- a chance to meet the Rev. Bernice King, youngest daughter of Coretta Scott King and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. During the June 16-through-21 trip, the group of seven students and eight adults worked with Resurrection Catholic Missions in Montgomery to do outreach work for the parish's grade school, cleaning apartments for elderly residents in the community, doing some painting and delivering Meals on Wheels, among other tasks.. ...

Those who thought the roads were crowded during Memorial Day weekend might want to celebrate Independence Day weekend at home. AAA Travel projected 41 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more from home this weekend, a 14 percent increase compared to the Memorial Day holiday. It's also a slight increase from the number of travelers from last year's Fourth of July weekend...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed legislation Wednesday that would have required a 72-hour wait for women seeking abortions, asserting that legislators showed a "callous disregard for women" by granting no exception for rape and incest victims...

The Cape Girardeau/Bollinger County Major Case Squad is investigating a pair of homicides and several other recent shootings in the area. The squad was reactivated Wednesday to investigate possible similarities among several recent shootings, according to a news release from the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

Fireworks and the Fourth just go hand in hand. It's a 230-years-plus tradition, started in Philadelphia when it was the capital of the nascent United States. Now, almost all municipalities have an official fireworks display to commemorate Independence Day, and area cities and towns are no exception...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- While Three Rivers College has seen a change in leadership and budget numbers in recent days, no change is anticipated for the institution's Eastern Campus in Sikeston. TRC officials say budget withholdings for higher education by Missouri Gov. ...

When Mary Kasten decided to leave the Missouri State Legislature in 2001, then-U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson addressed the assembly to recognize Kasten's service, even referring to her as the "Grandmother of the Missouri House of Representatives." But Kasten's public achievements go beyond a reputation in the Legislature. Before and after her 18 years of service in the House, she worked tirelessly to improve Cape Girardeau, where she has lived since 1954...

The note -- written on torn, now-yellowed paper in a traditional, slightly shaky cursive -- arrived in a postage-paid business reply envelope marked, "Please give to man who wrote articles on Huffman case." It implored a reporter to visit its author at her home north of Benton, Missouri, "and please keep plans quiet."...

Over the past two years, the Charleston Bluejays girls basketball team raised $2,962 for Dig for Life at its annual Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout. The team recently donated the funds to Saint Francis Medical Center to provide free mammograms to local women who otherwise could not afford them...

Thank you to all of the great CUPC folks who put on an amazing patriotic block party for our community on Wednesday, July 2. We also thank all of those who attended and helped make this a success. Some of the most popular activities included the dunking booth, the inflatable castle bounce house slide, hockey, bean bag toss, sack races, and face painting. ...

Billie is a rescue cat that loves lots of attention and can roll over 20+times in a row!

Members of Anthony Hempstead's family gathered in Koreena Woodson's house Wednesday afternoon, passing around pictures of Hempstead and remembering his quirks. "Did you see those ears?" Moniqwa Hunt cooed, holding a photo from Hempstead's basketball days. In it he's skinny and young, wearing a too-big Central Tigers jersey...

Southeast Cancer Center's Warriors of Hope team for Relay for Life raised $17,000 this year for the fight against cancer. Half of the proceeds went to the American Cancer Society and the other half to Southeast's We Can Weekend annual retreat for cancer patients and their families...

Today is Thursday, July 3, the 184th day of 2014. There are 181 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 3, 1863, the three-day Civil War Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania ended in a major victory for the North as Confederate troops failed to breach Union positions during an assault known as Pickett's Charge...

June 21 marked the inaugural Semoball Awards banquet. I have attended many events at the Show Me Center over its 27-year history. I cannot, however, remember witnessing a finer, more professional and inspirational event than occurred that evening. On behalf of SoutheastHEALTH, we congratulate the Rust Communications family and event chair Lucas Presson for organizing, producing and executing such a memorable evening...

The city of Cape Girardeau will be hosting the celebration of our nation's independence with fireworks at the riverfront and at the Common Pleas Courthouse steps with the Southeast Missourian's Spirit of America Award. How fitting to bring back this important moment in our past to our own city's history and relationship with the mighty Mississippi!...

Mary Kasten is a former Missouri legislator, education advocate and active member of this community. Her passion for the community and nation is well chronicled. On Friday night, at the Cape Girardeau Fourth of July program held at the foot of the Common Please Courthouse, Kasten will be recognized as the 12th recipient of the Southeast Missourian's Spirit of America Award...

Today we celebrate our nation's many freedoms. But are we truly, totally free? Of course not. Certainly we have escaped, as a model for the world, so many of the bonds that enslave too many people around the globe. But we still can't open a package of AAA batteries without uttering a few choice words...

Members of the River Region Photography Association will be in charge of the Saturday Social from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 19 at the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri, 34 N. Main St. in Cape Girardeau. They will present Photography 101, a photography workshop. Association president Dan Buckenmeyer invites participants to bring digital cameras to the social, where useful tips will be given on capturing the best image. The work of association members is on display at the Arts Council this month...

The excitement was infectious in the upstairs dining hall theater at Port Cape Girardeau on a Tuesday night. There were still 30 minutes before rehearsal, but members of the River City Players already were in costume and trying out their new bench for the first time. It was two weeks before opening night, and the actors were getting the full experience for the first time...

Daughter to Cody Raymond and Christina Louise Pearl of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 9:29 a.m. Saturday, June 21, 2014. Name, Gaia Leilana. Weight, 7 pounds, 7 ounces. Fourth child, third daughter. Mrs. Pearl is the former Christina Poole, daughter of Donna and James Russell of Cape Girardeau. Pearl is the son of Mary Karraker of Cape Girardeau and Raymond and Teresa Pearl of Vienna, Illinois. He is employed by Save-A-Lot...

The venerable Delta Queen races by Cape Girardeau about 2 a.m., far ahead of the newer and larger Mississippi Queen, on the final leg of the 1989 Great Steamboat Race from New Orleans to St. Louis; the race will end tomorrow, when the steamboats arrive at the finish line in front of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis...

I've never met anyone who is comfortable with abortions. Everyone I've talked to is personally opposed to abortion as a means of birth control. I feel the same way. But abortions are legal. Like it or not, the Supreme Court decided that women have a right to have an abortion if they choose...

Nominated by Eisleben Lutheran Church Eisleben Lutheran Church is proud to nominate Shirley Young for the prestigious Spirit of America award. Shirley was wife of Army Lt. Col. and pilot Lloyd Young. In 50-plus years of marriage, Shirley was the "wind beneath Lloyd's wings," caring for their family and enabling him to serve. ...

Nominated by Noon Optimist Club of Cape Girardeau The Noon Optimist Club of Cape Girardeau is proud to nominate Dr. Charles Wiles for the prestigious Spirit of America award. Dr. Wiles of Cape Girardeau has been involved in major projects that have greatly enhanced the community where he lives and works while devoting himself to the state, national and worldwide reach of Optimist International, the fourth-largest service organization in the world with over 4,000 clubs...

Nominated by Drury Southwest Inc. Drury Southwest Inc. is proud to nominate Dennis Vollink for the prestigious Spirit of America award. Dennis is deserving of the Spirit of America Award because of his service to our country, dedication to education, and the betterment of the Cape Girardeau community...

Nominated by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3838 Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3838 is proud to nominate Glenneta Vogelsang for the prestigious Spirit of America award. Glenneta joined the VFW Ladies Auxiliary on the eligibility of her husband, Calvin Vogelsang (deceased), a World War II veteran. She has been an active member for more than 50 years, dedicating her life to assisting veterans and their families, while raising her own four children...

Nominated by Steve Mosley Steve Mosley is proud to nominate Viney Mosley for the prestigious Spirit of America award. Since her (our) 3-year-old grandson, Levi Collom, died suddenly more than two years ago, Viney has channeled much of her ongoing grief into keeping Levi's legacy alive...

Nominated by Dianne Meyr Doloris embodies the spirit of our great nation by staying active in many different ways. She was instrumental in the organization of her husband's business, Harold Meyr Accounting Services, PC, and Good Shepherd Lutheran Chapel in Cape Girardeau...

The Republican Women's Club is proud to nominate Mary Kasten for the prestigious Spirit of America Award. When not helping someone get a hand up, Mary can be found adorned in red, white and blue passing out copies of our nation's Constitution (which she buys herself). ...

Nominated by Noon Optimist Club of Cape Girardeau The Noon Optimist Club of Cape Girardeau is proud to nominate one of its own members, Billy Humphries, for the prestigious Spirit of America award. Billy's professional career, his military background, and his years of volunteer service are remarkable evidence of the attributes fostered by the Spirit of America award...

Nominated by Cape River Heritage Museum The Cape River Heritage Museum is proud to nominate Dr. John K. Holcomb for the prestigious Spirit of America award. Dr. John K. Holcomb demonstrates the Spirit of America as a family man, a veteran of the United States Navy during the Korean War, a beloved physician, and a lifetime booster of his hometown of Cape Girardeau...

Nominated by Old Town Cape Inc. Old Town Cape Inc. is proud to nominate Tom Higgins for the prestigious Spirit of America award. Tom Higgins is deserving of the Spirit of America Award because of his gentle, quiet but solid leadership and service toward improving our community...

Nominated by Tom Eftink of Eftink Auto Sales Tom Eftink is proud to nominate Eva Marie Dunn for the prestigious Spirit of America award. Eva was born in Marble Hill, Missouri, the second of 11 children. She graduated valedictorian from Leopold High School, and then graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau with a bachelor of arts degree in speech communication, minoring in music...

Nominated by Lisa Stewart Nancy Caldwell spent most of her life showing how much she loves her country and community. She was born in 1938, married Larry (a veteran) in 1962, and retired after 34 years of teaching physical education. She has a master's degree in education with a major in physical education and minor in biological science and social studies...

Nominated by Mayor Harry Rediger Mayor Harry Rediger is proud to nominate Jess Bolen for the prestigious Spirit of America award. Bolen has served the youth of our community 47 years through his leadership and management of the Cape Girardeau Capahas. His dedication to this effort is unprecedented. This will be a signature year for Jess and the Capahas and possibly its final year...

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

Mark Scherer, 87, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, July 1, 2014, at his home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Glen Junior Seabaugh, 68, of Golden, Missouri, passed away Tuesday, June 17, 2014, at Cox Hospital in Springfield, Missouri. He was born Dec. 29, 1945, in Perryville, Missouri, son of Glen and Elsie Smith Seabaugh. He graduated from high school in Cape Girardeau. He and Leslie Wood of Felton, California, were married April 22, 1967...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Clinton H. Rabold, 90, of Perryville died Tuesday, July 1, 2014, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 24, 1923, in New Wells, son of Fred F. and Hilda Koenig Rabold. He and Rose M. Perr were married July 22, 1950...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Joseph Earl Cobb, 52, of Harrisburg, Illinois, passed away Monday, June 30, 2014, at Harrisburg Medical Center. He was born May 27, 1962, in Chaffee, to James Earl and Doris Mae Keller Cobb. He and Mary Lynn Brown were married June 6, 2011...

Harumi Sasaki Bounds, 63, of Cape Girardeau passed away Sunday, June 29, 2014, at her home surrounded by family. She was born Sept. 6, 1950, in Nagasaki, Japan, to the late Mitsuo and Masayo Sasaki. She and Emmett "Butch" Bounds Jr. were married March 27, 1974, in Sasebo, Japan...

BERNIE, Mo. -- A Bernie man is in the Stoddard County Jail on $50,000 cash-only bond after police were summoned to his home Saturday on West David Street. A caller told police the man was brandishing a samurai-type sword and was threatening to blow up the home...

New Madrid starter Jashawn McDaniel recorded the shutout in a 6-0 victory.

East- and westbound U.S. 60 in Stoddard County, from Route AH to County Road 789, will be reduced to one lane with a 16-foot width restriction as contractor crews make pavement repairs. The work will be performed from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily Tuesday through Sept. 2, according to a Missouri Department of Transportation news release...

Look! Up in the sky! It' a bird! It's a plane! No, it's fireworks! Jackson's display is at 9:30 p.m. Friday in City Park. Cape Girardeau blasts off at 9:15 p.m. Friday on the riverfront. Perryville will also have a display Friday night. See Page 2A for other July Fourth activities...

O Father God, we ask that you would keep your hand on our country. Amen.

LOS ANGELES -- Paul Mazursky, an innovative and versatile director who showed the absurdity of modern life in such movies as "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" and "An Unmarried Woman," has died. He was 84. The filmmaker died of pulmonary cardiac arrest Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said Mazursky's spokeswoman Nancy Willen...

NEW YORK -- The Hallmark TV channels are beginning a week's worth of holiday programming on the Fourth of July -- but think ornaments and egg nog instead of fireworks and hot dogs. The stunt on the Hallmark and Hallmark Movie channels begins Friday afternoon and continues into the early morning hours of July 15. Mostly, it will be repeats of the holiday movies that Hallmark traditionally airs during the last two months of the year...

LOS ANGELES -- An actor best known from the 1960s sitcom "McHale's Navy," has died. Bob Hastings was 89. Allison Knowles says her grandfather died Monday in his Burbank, California, home after a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. Hastings won fans on "McHale's Navy" as Lt. Carpenter, a bumbling yes-man. Other memorable roles were on "All in the Family" and "General Hospital."...

NEW YORK -- Singer Jewel and her husband are divorcing after a 16-year relationship. The 40-year-old writes in a letter posted on her website that she and Ty Murray want their separation "to be nothing less loving than the way we came together."...

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Louis Zamperini, an Olympic distance runner and World War II veteran who survived 47 days on a raft in the Pacific after his bomber crashed, then endured two years in Japanese prison camps, has died. He was 97. Zamperini's death was confirmed by Universal Pictures studio spokesman Michael Moses. A family statement released early Thursday said Zamperini had been suffering from pneumonia...

Today is Friday, July 4, the 185th day of 2014. There are 180 days left in the year. This is Independence Day. Today's Highlight in History: On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by delegates to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia...

The city of Jackson combines its 175th anniversary observance with Fourth of July festivities; activities include a parade through the city's business district, with astronaut Linda Godwin as grand marshal, as well as a variety of contests and entertainment at the Jackson City Park...

Grant Skelton enjoying his sparklers on the 4th of July

Name: Miss Frannie Fine Owner: Lisa Volkerding Favorite activities: After being orphaned at birth and bottle fed, Frannie thinks she's human. Her distinctive voice led her to be named after the main character on "The Nanny." Her favorite holiday is Cinco de Mayo when she gets to wear her sombrero...

Today is Saturday, July 5, the 186th day of 2014. There are 179 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 5, 1954, Elvis Presley's first commercial recording session took place at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee; the song he recorded was "That's All Right."...

In response to a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that burning the American flag is a legal form of political expression, several petitions are being circulated in Southeast Missouri calling on Congress to ban desecration of the flag. The Mississippi Queen steamboat makes its first stop of the season at the Cape Girardeau riverfront, after winning the Great Mississippi Steamboat Race which ended in St. Louis yesterday; the Delta Queen will stop here Saturday...

Avery Whiteside allowed just two hits in Jackson Post 158's 7-1 victory.

Carol McCarthy Cape Girardeau Assistant medical staff coordinator If you won a TV games show what would your ideal prize be? A trip anywhere. I love to travel. A trip anywhere would be the best prize; it wouldn't matter where it is...

In the early 1970s -- at a time when some young American men left their homeland to avoid being drafted into the military -- one young Mexican man was leaving his homeland to volunteer for service. Sergio Martinez wanted to join the Marines, his daughter said...

Discussions still are planned for a name change and stronger brand for the Cape Girardeau Partnership for Higher Education, despite a pending change in leadership at one of the institutions involved. Discussions and recommendations to change the name of the Cape Girardeau Partnership for Higher Education, made up of Southeast Missouri State University, Three Rivers College and Mineral Area College, date back four years...

A group of residents spoke with Cape Girardeau County Commissioners on Thursday morning at the group's regular meeting to express concern over a state water management plan. Missouri's Nonpoint Source Management Program was designed as part of the Clean Water Act to address pollution from stormwater runoff. ...

It was a patriotic occasion as former Missouri state Rep. Mary Kasten received the 2014 Spirit of America award at a Friday ceremony in Cape Girardeau amid a slew of festivities in Southeast Missouri commemorating the Fourth of July holiday. "I'm just exceedingly grateful" to receive the award, Kasten said. "I receive this for all those who have served. All of us receive this award."...

A former school administrator and historian from Cape Girardeau died in an accidental drowning in the Castor River about 6 p.m. Friday in Wayne County, Missouri, according to Wayne County Sheriff Dean Finch. Gary "Sonny" Gilbert, 81, had been celebrating at an annual Independence Day gathering with his family at their cabin on the river when, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, he lost his balance with a canoe and fell. ...

Attention all patriots: No doubt many of you have noticed the great progress and good work that the folks on the Bollinger County Veterans Memorial have accomplished over the past year but in order to complete the next phase of the project $18,000 is needed...

President, Shirley Grebe called the July 2, 2014 meeting to order in the home of Goldie Hobeck by all repeating the UMW Pledge. Thirteen members answered roll call by telling their ages. Eight Shut-In and Sick calls were reported for the month of June ...

Today is Sunday, July 6, the 187th day of 2014. There are 178 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 6, 1944, an estimated 168 people died in a fire that broke out during a performance in the main tent of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Hartford, Connecticut. (Among the survivors was future actor Charles Nelson Reilly, then age 13.)...

Bill and Judy Aloisio of St. Charles, Missouri, announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer Aloisio, to Seth McDowell, both of St. Charles. He is the son of Tom and Denise McDowell of Jackson. Jennifer is a graduate of St. Charles West High School. ...

Charles and Sandy Bostic of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Allison Elizabeth Bostic, to Robert Lance DeBrock. He is the son of Shannon Shell of Marble Hill, Missouri, and the late Robert "Big Bob" DeBrock. Allison received a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from Southeast Missouri State University. She is an elementary teacher at Kelly Schools in Benton, Missouri...

Grace Keller of Jackson announces the engagement of her daughter, Laura Suzanne Keller, to Benjamin William Meyr, both of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Rodney and Teresa Meyr of Cape Girardeau. Laura is the daughter of the late Don Keller. Laura is a 2009 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School. ...

Jerry Oliver of Patton, Missouri, and Rhonda and Mike Williams of Advance, Missouri, announce the engagement of their daughter, Brittany Lynn Oliver, to Alex Kendall Austin, both of Jackson. He is the son of Kenneth and Martha Austin of Jackson. Brittany is a 2010 graduate of Jackson High School, and is attending Southeast Missouri State University. She is employed at CP McGinty Jewelers...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Mike and Ann Hinkebein of Chaffee announce the engagement of their daughter, Samantha Imogene Bentley, to Brant Joseph Heuring, both of Chaffee. He is the son of Boyd and Michelle Pattengill of Sikeston, Missouri. Samantha received a degree as a dental assistant from Arkansas Northeastern College...

BENTON, Mo. -- Albert and Cindy Arnzen of Leopold, Missouri, announce the engagement of their daughter, Desiree Nicole Arnzen, to Levi Jacob Felter, both of Benton. He is the son of David and Beverly Felter of Benton. Desiree is a 2008 graduate of Leopold High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University in 2013. She is a registered nurse in the Cardiac Progressive Care Unit at Saint Francis Medical Center...

Danny and Carolyn Monroe of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary while on a trip to Colorado. They were married July 5, 1974, in Cape Girardeau. The couple has four children, Robert (Kelly) Monroe, Missy Ehlers, Adam (Ashley) Monroe, and Laura Monroe, all of Cape Girardeau County. They have 10 grandchildren and one on the way...

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hinton of Jackson celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception June 28, 2014, at the Osage Center in Cape Girardeau. Hosts were their children. Henry and the former Jean Koester were married June 27, 1964, at St. Mary's Cathedral, by the Rev. A.J. Boland. Their attendants were Sue Uhrhan, Georgia Helderman, Dolores LeGrand, Bob Vasquez, Benny Hinton and Michael Hinton...

The other week at a conference I attended, one of the speakers said something that has been transforming my life. He said that every desire we have masks a deeper hunger, a hunger that is for God and that can only be fulfilled by him. Desires as simple as hunger pains, to desires for the latest clothes or technology, to desires that run as deep within us as sexual desires, beneath them all is our one true desire: God. He is for whom we are created...

Tickets are on sale for a July 20 bus trip to St. Louis, hosted by the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department, where the St. Louis Cardinals will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Discounted game tickets are $25 each and a bus trip ticket is $20. The chartered bus will leave the Osage Centre parking lot at 4 p.m...

Isle Casino Cape Girardeau recently presented the American Cancer Society a $3,000 check from funds raised by employees for Relay for Life. The society also acknowledged Isle's $2,500 sponsorship of Relay for Life and its $15,000 in-kind donation toward the American Cancer Society Gala to be held Aug. ...

Oreo is 3 years old. She is spayed and available for adoption at the Humane Society, 334-5837. Oreo is 3 years old. She is spayed and available for adoption at the Humane Society 334-5837...

This 7-year-old ragdoll mix is declawed and looking for a new home because her owner passed away. Tazzie's personality is gentle and she would make a good companion. For more information, contact Safe Harbor at 243-9823. ...

It's not often that one receives a service or a meal or an item free of charge, but that's what happened last weekend when about a hundred people took part in the three-day free-of-charge event sponsored by Mount Auburn Christian Church. The goal was to have parishoners step outside the church walls and serve the Cape Girardeau community...

Due to a source error, these names were omitted from the fifth grade fourth-quarter honor roll that was published June 24. 5th grade: Paige Beussink, Claire Bruenderman, Evan Bruenderman, Emily Bruns, Chase Logel, Andrew Noel, Allyson Ochs. B Honor Roll...

On a recent trip to Hawaii, I fell in love with the sweet grace, the sensuous beauty, and the rich symbolism of the hula. Mind you, I'm not referring to the famous native dance, but to Hula Pie. Hula Pie is the signature dessert of Hawaii's TS Restaurant chain and originated at the company's first restaurant, Kimo's in Old Lahaina Town in Maui, which is where I was introduced to it...

The John Guild Chapter, National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, held a lunch meeting June 18 at the home of Adelaide Parsons. Mary Meyer was co-hostess. Those attending were asked to donate $15 for veterans. It was noted that $375 was collected...

"I wasn't bad but the bad boys didn't mess with me." -- Cecil Long I hope the reader will indulge my continued use of epigrams to begin this column. On this particular occasion, my thoughts turn to something my late father used to say about his toughness as a kid...

Mr. and Mrs. Edward "Bud" Fellows of Jackson celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a dinner and reception July 5, 2014, at the Osage Center in Cape Girardeau. Hosts were their children. Bud and the former Maxine Loberg were married July 3, 1954, at Sedgewickville Methodist Church in Sedgewickville, Missouri...

While driving a gravel road in the low-lying countryside of southern Scott County, I spotted up ahead a small bird sitting on a top limb of a dead bush. I slowed to a stop and noticed the bird was singing. He spooked and flew into the weedy ground cover as I killed the truck engine. Knowing that birds often have favored perches from which to sit and call, I readied my camera and waited. Within 15 minutes the bird flew back to the limb and began singing again...

Wave after wave of scent has filled the air since my garden awakened in spring. Most prominent have been the aromas from daffodil blossoms, plum, flowering currant, and now dame's rocket, pinks and roses. Of course, it's not for us that flowers waft those sometimes delectable aromas. Evolutionarily speaking, we don't return the favor with anything more than the carbon dioxide that we -- and all other animals -- breathe out, and that plants use for photosynthesis...

WASHINGTON -- The United States is still growing older, but the trend is reversing in the Great Plains, thanks to a liberal application of oil. The aging baby boom generation helped inch up the median age in the United States last year from 37.5 years to 37.6 years, according to data released Thursday by the Census Bureau. ...

It's fitting the Supreme Court decision in Hobby Lobby v. Sebelius came the week of July 4. The issue at hand, religious liberty, is one this country was founded on. Hobby Lobby is a family-owned crafts company that operates more than 600 stores in 41 states. ...

On Aug. 5, state and county voters will be asked to add two more taxes to the ever-increasing list. Proposition K is a new tax, giving control of up to $3 million to an unelected board to dole out to selected people -- many who made bad life choices. ...

It's sad to see women competing with each other today, trying to be the prettiest and the skinniest. Well, I'm not the smartest or the prettiest or the skinniest, but I am a child of God. I was made in His image. So, you know what? I can live with that...

O Lord Jesus, we lift up hands of praise to you, our King of kings. Amen.

LONDON -- Petra Kvitova plays so much better at the All England Club than anywhere else, and now she owns two championships to prove it. In one of the most dominant performances in a women's final at Wimbledon, the sixth-seeded Kvitova of the Czech Republic overpowered and overwhelmed 13th-seeded Eugenie Bouchard of Canada 6-3, 6-0 in only 55 minutes Saturday to add to her 2011 title at the grass-court Grand Slam...

ST. LOUIS -- Casey McGehee didn't have to wait long to get another shot against Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal with a game on the line. Just a few hours. The Miami Marlins cleanup hitter grounded into a game-ending double play in a one-run loss Friday night. He wasn't thinking about instant redemption before getting the key two-out hit in a ninth-inning rally of a 6-5 victory on Saturday...

St. Louis defeated Miami 3-2 behind Lance Lynn’s solid start

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. -- A 7-foot-long great white shark bit a man swimming off Southern California's Manhattan Beach on Saturday, officials said. The man was bitten on the upper right side about 9:30 a.m., suffering puncture wounds described as moderate injuries, said Rick Flores, a Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman. The man was taken to a hospital conscious and breathing on his own, Flores said...

MIAMI -- Three boats collided near a Miami marina around the end of a fireworks display, killing four and injuring a dozen others in a chaotic scene that left bodies and survivors tossed overboard. Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the crash Friday night near the Dinner Key Marina in Miami, with officers plucking several people out of the water...

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- An autopsy showed an Arab teenager who Palestinians say was killed in a revenge attack was burned to death, officials said Saturday, while Palestinian militants fired two rockets toward a major southern city deeper into Israel than any other attack in the current round of violence...

DENVER -- An obscure, chicken-sized bird best known for its mating dance could help determine whether Democrats or Republicans control the U.S. Senate in November. The federal government is considering listing the greater sage grouse as an endangered species next year. Doing so could limit development, energy exploration, hunting and ranching on the 165 million acres of the bird's habitat across 11 Western states...

EAU CLAIRE, Mich. -- When it comes to pit-spitting in southwestern Michigan, it's tough to beat the Krause family, who on Saturday maintained their dominance in the 41st International Cherry Pit-Spitting Championship. Brian Krause took top honors with a distance of 80 feet, 8 inches, said Monica Teichman, who runs the market at Tree-Mendus Fruit Farm in Eau Claire, just north of the Indiana state line...

KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. -- North Carolina's popular beach towns began returning to the business of recreation Saturday, after Arthur lashed the state's coast with forceful winds and heavy rain and churned northward without leaving a trail of significant damage...

SLOVYANSK, Ukraine -- Ukrainian troops forced pro-Russian insurgents out of a key stronghold in the country's embattled east on Saturday, a success that suggested the government finally may be making gains in a monthslong battle against a separatist insurgency...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Note to self: Don't hike with a backpack full of glazed doughnuts. The sweet treats are the bait of choice for luring Missouri black bears into portable traps for an ongoing research project to determine how the state's bear population is doing...

EMINENCE, Mo. -- A Southeast Missouri man awaiting trial for his wife's death is on the loose after escaping custody while watching a fireworks display. KYTV-TV reported 32-year-old Jason McClurg was with nine other inmates outside the Shannon County jail on Friday night when he broke free...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A 20-year-old Columbia woman has been charged with knowingly exposing people to HIV while working as a prostitute after being caught in an undercover sting last month. Antionette L. Clark was one of five people arrested in June as part of a joint effort between Columbia police and the FBI to crack down on prostitution...

Motorists who detour over Route N through Rockview, Missouri, between Chaffee, Missouri, and Scott City, are glad to know the Route N railroad overpass at Rockview will be opened early next month; meanwhile, work is now underway on widening the northbound Interstate 55 bridge over Ramsey Creek at Scott City, to extend the northbound Scott City I-55 on-ramp acceleration lane...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Leo Warren Baxter, 84, of Perryville died Friday, July 4, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Baxter was born Nov. 19, 1929, in St. Louis. Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday and 6:30 to 10 a.m. Tuesday at Miller Family Funeral Home in Perryville. A private burial will follow...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Dorothy Ann Jones, 61, of Marble Hill, died July 4, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday at Liley Funeral Home in Marble Hill. Funeral services will be at noon at the funeral home with the Rev. Fred Ritter officiating. Burial will be in the Mt. Carmel Cemetery...

Sylvia Delene Cox, 87, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 4, 2014 at Ratliff Care Center in Cape Girardeau. Cox was born August 7, 1926, in Leora, Missouri, to Marvin Mack and Blanche Wilborne Allen Senn. She married the Rev. Earl William Cox, who preceded her in death on Sept. 13, 1993, on Sept. 21, 1945, in Cape Girardeau. Cox and her husband pastored several churches, including Assembly of God Churches in Randles, Missouri; Bellview, Missouri; Potosi, Missouri; and Steele, Missouri...

All work is weather permitting. Work zones will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution while traveling near those areas. For more information about these projects, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636, or visit modot.org/southeast....

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

Jerry R. Simpkins Sr., 73, of Scott City passed away Friday, July 4, 2014, at his home. Simpkins was born October 14, 1940, in Ilmo, Missouri, to Lloyd and Mary Kerns Simpkins. Simpkins married Maureen Kooyer who survives of the home on July 6, 2003, in Scott City...

Ruth Lee George, 77, beloved wife, mother, sister, aunt and friend, was welcomed into the arms of her Savior, Jesus Christ, on July 4, 2014. George was born on October 9, 1936, to Woodrow Wilson and Norma Eastwood Snider in Puxico, Missouri. George attended elementary school and high school in Puxico. While in high school, she followed the basketball and volleyball teams of the 1950s and was a cheerleader for the basketball team...

Sharon Kay Slinkard, 59, of Cape Girardeau passed away Friday, July 4, 2014, at her home. Slinkard was born April 27, 1955, in Cape Girardeau to Weldon and Amelia Brucker Slinkard. A graduate of Jackson High School in 1973, Slinkard worked at the former Del Farm grocery store, Procter & Gamble and the Dress Barn. Slinkard attended the Cowboy Church...

Registration for Southeast Missouri State University's 2014-2015 parking permits begins at 8 a.m. Monday. Students may apply for preferred, perimeter or evening permits, which are distributed through a lottery system based on student seniority. Applications are available at portal.semo.edu and in a billing packet mailed to students. Paper applications can be mailed or delivered in person to the cashier's office in Academic Hall. Students should apply using only one method...

A Cape Girardeau teenager was among a half-dozen people arrested Wednesday when the Southeast Missouri Violent Crimes Task Force patrolled the city in search of wanted suspects. Elijah Burleson, 18, was charged with first-degree robbery and armed criminal action in connection with a robbery at the AM PM convenience store, 1101 William St., the Cape Girardeau Police Department reported Thursday evening...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Employment Security recently filed a judgment against the SEMO Times LLC for nearly $5,000 owed for unemployment taxes, interest and penalties. Documents filed in recent weeks with Butler County's Circuit Court indicate on March 18 the Division of Employment Security certified orders of assessment of contributions, interest and penalties against the SEMO Times...

A benefit for the family of Josh Dibert, who was killed last week, will be held Friday, July 11, at the Bayou Bar and Grill in Pocahontas, Missouri. It will include food, a raffle, live music by Old School Hype, and a silent auction will start at 5 p.m...

Mark Scherer, 87, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, July 1, 2014, at his home. He was born Feb. 24, 1927, in Benton, Missouri, to John and Bertha Enderle Scherer. He and Maggie Jo Myers were married Sept. 15, 1956. She preceded him in death Dec. 8, 1989...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Jody Richard Markham, 40, of Advance passed away Wednesday, July 2, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 5, 1973, son of Carol Kennedy and Jack Markham Jr. Jody worked at Rubbermaid in Jackson 21 years. He loved doing building projects with his daughter. He was talented at working on electronics and computers and was very mechanical...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Tuppence Walters, 58, of rural Chaffee died Monday, June 30, 2014, at her home. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements.

Tonya Bland, 41, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, June 28, 2014, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. She was born June 17, 1973, in St. Louis, to Clarence Brown Sr. and Marie Bland. Tonya was a custodian at Southeast Missouri State University and was house mother of Lambda Chi fraternity...

Arthur D. Herrmann, 73, of St. Louis died Saturday, June 28, 2014, at his home. He was a native of Cape Girardeau. Beloved husband of Sue Wood Herrmann; dear father and father-in-law of Matt (Heather) Herrmann and Ann (Ryan Craig) Herrmann; dear grandfather of Hannah and Abby Herrmann; dear son of the late Arthur A. and Elly Habermann Herrmann; dear brother of Joan (Pyrtle) Seabaugh; dear son-in-law of Dorothy and the late William Wood; dear brother-in-law, uncle, cousin and friend...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Frances G. Travers, 89, of Springfield, Illinois, formerly of Mounds, died Wednesday, July 2, 2014, in Springfield. She was the daughter of Eldon and Dovie Dyer Grant, and the wife of the late Dr. James J. Travers. Frances worked in the munitions plant in Cairo, Illinois, during World War II. ...

Harold Ray "Lee" Livingston Jr., 67, passed away peacefully Friday, June 27, 2014, at his home in Overland, Missouri, surrounded by family and friends. Lee was born April 29, 1947, in Cape Girardeau, to Jueldeen and Harold Livingston, longtime residents of Scott City...

Joseph Bailey Rutledge, 97, of Bragg City, Missouri, died Monday, June 30, 2014, in Cape Girardeau. He was born and raised in Itawamba County, Mississippi. Bailey graduated from Mississippi State University in 1938. He moved to Steele, Missouri, where he was employed as vocational agriculture teacher in the Steele schools. It was there that he met his future wife, Helen Vickrey. They were married more than 65 years...

PERRYVILLE, Mo.-- No one was injured, and one person was taken into custody after the Perryville Police Department responded to a bomb threat Thursday at the McDonald's restaurant in Perryville, according to police. Police responded to a call from a McDonald's employee at 7:55 a.m. Thursday, according to a news release from the department...

Jackson City Park was the site of a parade Saturday, but not in a manner one might expect. Instead of horsepower under the hood of a car, the parade used a different form of horsepower to move around. As part of the community's two-day bicentennial celebration, the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its Bicentennial Wagon Trail Parade starting in Jackson City Park Saturday morning...

A fugitive wanted by the state for parole violation is in custody after being arrested Friday in St. Louis, police reported. Don Chappell, 45, was wanted after absconding from the St. Louis Community Release Center, according to a release from the Scott County Sheriff's Department...

The Plaza Tire Capahas secured their spot in the championship game of the Valmeyer Tournament with wins on Friday and Saturday.

The former SEMO forward scored seven points before fouling out

We're already halfway through 2014. How are you doing on your new year's resolutions? 1 Losing that extra 10 pounds: If you drink full-fat, or 2 percent milk, try 1 percent. You should drop some weight from just that...

Hot summer days just seem to cry out for a cool summer salad for supper and some ice cream for dessert. Salads come in a variety of styles, so I decided to pass along a few recipes to you. You can serve as an entrée salad or small portions as a side salad with the entrée of your choice. Salads are so versatile, you can be creative, adding or deleting ingredients as you wish. Add ice cream from the recipes I am passing along to you, and you are set for a cool summer supper...

The front of the building at 633 Good Hope St. collapsed just after 1 P.M. Thursday as workers were repairing the brick exterior. The property was unoccupied, but the police and fire departments evacuated several occupants of the adjacent buildings and cordoned off the road between South Sprigg and South Frederick streets...

CENTERVILLE, Mo. -- The Doe Run Co. is working with several governmental agencies to address sinkhole problems at a mine site in Southeast Missouri. The Daily Journal newspaper in Park Hills, Missouri, reported that in addition to two sinkholes at the West Fork mine site in Reynolds County, Doe Run has acknowledged surface settling and surface cracking. The company also recently announced it had successfully filled in three other sinkholes that first appeared in April...

BRANSON, Mo. -- A Branson magician's decision to downsize his act has sent three tigers and two leopards into retirement and marked an end to big cats performing in the southwest Missouri tourism mecca. All five cats were born in captivity and trained to be an important part of illusionist Kirby VanBurch's show on the Branson strip, the Springfield News-Leader reported. Last week, they arrived at the National Tiger Sanctuary just off U.S. 65 between Springfield and Branson...

OSAGE BEACH, Mo. -- When Bob Bueltmann pulled his boat into a cove behind his condo unit at Lake of the Ozarks one day this spring, he used an unusual fish finder to locate bass. After cutting his motor, he was greeted by a worker leaning over the railing on the third floor. Studying the clear water below, the worker pointed and said, "There's a big bass hiding in those rocks. I've been watching him come in and out."...

ST. LOUIS -- The turtles are in trouble. A chemical found in Missouri's rivers and streams can influence the sex organs of developing turtles, making males more like females, researchers say. A pilot study conducted at the University of Missouri showed the synthetic chemical bisphenol A -- or BPA, which is known to mimic estrogen and disrupt hormone levels in animals -- can alter a turtle's reproductive system after exposure in the egg. ...

About 9:30 p.m. Saturday, a house fire was reported at 2026 Perryville Road in Cape Girardeau. The fire report stated firefighters at the scene found light to moderate smoke coming from the garage. The resident of the home, Bruce Blankenship, smelled smoke and called 911. It was reported the homeowner had already extinguished the bulk of the fire before firefighters arrived...

WICHITA, Kan. -- Several Kansas groups are pushing for a new level of dental provider they believe could help remedy a severe shortage of dentists across the state. A proposed bill in the last legislative session to create registered dental practitioners, who would rank somewhere between a hygienist and dentist, didn't receive a hearing. Advocates say they will try again, The Wichita Eagle reported...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Sikeston teenager is facing felony charges for allegedly stealing a handgun out of a vehicle. Tyler Blake McClinton, 17, was arrested last week by Sikeston Department of Public Safety officers after they learned one victim of a number of previous car break-ins had managed to get her item back...

BENTON, Mo. -- A man is in custody following a burglary that occurred Saturday night in Sikeston, Missouri. Jimmy Garrett, 26, of 213 Ruth St. in Sikeston, has been charged with burglary and possession of burglary tools, according to a Sunday news release...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's Aug. 5 elections could provide a case study for the ability of governors to affect proposed ballot measures, both politically and legally. Five proposed constitutional amendments will go before voters this summer, instead of during the November elections, because of a decision by Gov. Jay Nixon...

Southeast Missouri State University is looking at an early 2015 soft launch for its Creative Labs and Industries Incubator on Broadway. The board of regents recently approved the design concept and budget for the incubator and authorized the administration to proceed with construction documents...

The 97-mile drive from St. Louis to Murphysboro, Illinois, usually takes less than two hours. A murder suspect from Cape Girardeau needed 78 days to make the trip. Brandon Banks, 28, is accused of killing Marsha Ann Brown, 40, of Cape Girardeau. A passing motorist found Brown's body Jan. ...

NEVADA, Mo. -- A southwest Missouri sheriff says three bodies found in a rural Nevada home were family members who were killed in a murder-suicide. KOAM-TV reported Vernon County Sheriff Jason Mosher said all three people found Friday night died of gunshot wounds. ...

Jackson plans to begin its annual water flushing program today. The purpose of the flushing is to remove any mineral sediment buildup in pipes as well as improve water quality and maintain the valves and hydrants within the city. Erica Bogenpohl, staff engineer for Jackson, said that each year the city flushes a portion of the hydrants in Jackson. ...

Jeremie Nothdurft has farmed all his life. He still remembers his first farm job and sitting behind the wheel of a tractor at age 5. His daughter, Eve, isn't quite old enough to help harvest this year's winter wheat, but he said there will be plenty of room for her to join the family farm one day...

The Cape Girardeau City Council will take its first action toward calling an election for the fire sales tax at its regular meeting tonight. The question to extend the one-eighth-cent portion of the fire tax initially was planned to go before voters in August. ...

Nephew helping pick the cabbage

Independence Day Run on Friday, July 4, drew some 400 runners. Southeast HealthPoint Fitness in Jackson hosted the race.

After many weeks of rehearsals opening night is this coming Thursday, July 10 for River City Players second show of the season, "A Bench in the Sun." The play was written by Ron Clarke and is being directed by Brenda Ferguson. The stars of the production are Lloyd Williams, Claudette Hency, Larry Reiminger, and Susie Ryan. ...

Scouts from Boy Scout Troop 5 of Cape Girardeau distributed US Flags before the July 4th festivities at downtown Cape Girardeau. Pictured are Tanner Smith, Mayor Harry Rediger, T.K. Babers and Dylan Hackler.

Today is Monday, July 7, the 188th day of 2014. There are 177 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 7, 1865, four people were hanged in Washington, D.C., for conspiring with John Wilkes Booth to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln...

Professional baseball's All-Star game in scheduled for next week in Minnesota. The Midsummer Classic will feature many of the game's best, and the Home Run Derby is always fun. But there's another "classic" game coming up this week locally. The Summer Classic will be held Friday through Sunday at Arena Park. The Whiffle ball tournament will include good-natured fun, and on Saturday there will be a home run derby...

How very proud I am of the leadership from Ruth Ann Orr and Julie Unnerstall at Alma Schrader School. They continue to seek out new methods to involve their students in ways that will develop these young lives into responsible, contributing adults in our great city on the Cape. Two programs recently recognized were Tigers Across the Ages and Courtyard Crashers...

Thirty-one percent gas rate increase is being requested by Liberty Gas Co. The Public Service Commission held a hearing at noon Monday in Jackson for the public to have input as to the legitimacy of this rate hike. Five local consumers showed up to question a dozen or more state and Liberty personal upon the merit of this 31 percent rate increase. ...

NEW YORK -- The Fourth of July went off like a dud at the box office, as the Michael Bay sequel "Transformers: Age of Extinction" and the Melisa McCarthy comedy "Tammy" led the weakest summer holiday weekend in at least a decade. The North American box office was down a whopping 44 percent over the July Fourth weekend last year, when "Despicable Me 2" and "The Lone Ranger" opened...

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

Hey, what's going on with the mail service? I have got two late charges because of the mail being delivered late. It doesn't take 15 days for mail to reach that location. They need to do something about it. Cottonwood In regard to the closing of the Cottonwood, I think it's time. The taxpayers have been soaked long enough. Any time you have to have 95 employees to serve 24 patients, there's something wrong here. You know, get real. They need to close...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Anna Ruth Szabelski, 72, of Perryville died Sunday, July 6, 2014, at Perry Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Perryville. A private memorial service will be at a later date. Young and Sons Funeral Home in Perryville is in charge of arrangements...

Barbara I. Kaufmann Simon, 97, died Sunday, July 6, 2014. Barbara was the beloved wife of the late Lawrence T. Simon; dear mother of Larry (Carol) Simon and Karen Jones; dear grandmother of Gary Jones, Nick Simon and Laura Simon; loving sister of Frank Kaufmann and the late John, Anton and Charlie Kaufmann; and the dear sister-in-law of Evelyn Kaufmann...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Glenn G. Pruitt Sr., 68, of Perryville died Sunday, July 6, 2014, at his home after a brief illness. He was born April 28, 1946, in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, son of the late Glenn G. and Winona Kiefer Pruitt. He married Cardine M. Vernon Pruitt on May 11, 1963. She preceded him in death Nov. 21, 2003...

Anthony Lynn Hempstead, 26, of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, June 28, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. Friday at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Lorimier Cemetery in Cape Girardeau...

The Rev. Dr. James W. Hackney, 87, of Cape Girardeau passed away Wednesday, July 2, 2014, at the Lutheran Home. He was born Jan. 5, 1927, at Eldon, Missouri, to the late Clifford and Edith McKinley Hackney. He graduated from Eldon High School in 1944. ...

Gary Kenneth Gilbert, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 4, 2014. He was the son of Charles Wooten and Violet Markhart Gilbert, born in the family home on North Middle Street in Cape Girardeau on Feb. 3, 1933. Family and friends knew him as "Sonny," given to him as a young boy by his mother who exclaimed that, "he was so bright, we had to put a washtub on him to let the sun come up."...

WASHINGTON -- How does the U.S. economy do it? Europe is floundering. China faces slower growth. Japan is struggling to sustain tentative gains. Yet the U.S. job market is humming, and the pace of economic growth is steadily rising. Five full years after a devastating recession officially ended, the economy is finally showing the vigor that Americans have long awaited...

NEW YORK -- Stephen King, Nora Roberts and Donna Tartt are among the hundreds of authors who have added their names to an online letter criticizing Amazon.com for restricting access to works published by Hachette Book Group. The letter, initiated by Hachette author Douglas Preston, urged Amazon to resolve its standoff with Hachette over e-book prices and other issues. ...

JERUSALEM -- Israel arrested six Jewish suspects Sunday in the grisly slaying of a Palestinian teenager who was abducted and burned alive last week -- a crime that set off a wave of violent protests in Arab sections of the country. Leaders of the Jewish state appealed for calm amid signs the death was revenge for the recent killings of three Israeli teenagers...

HARTFORD, Conn. -- As state officials across the country grapple with how to prevent mass killings like the ones at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and near the University of California, Santa Barbara, some are turning to a gun-seizure law pioneered in Connecticut 15 years ago...

WASHINGTON -- The legal, humanitarian and political constraints facing the Obama administration as it copes with thousands of Central American children entering the country illegally came into focus in a series of interviews Sunday. A George W. ...

WASHINGTON -- How much distance from an immoral act is enough? That's the difficult question behind the next legal dispute over religion, birth control and the health law that is likely to be resolved by the Supreme Court. The issue in more than four dozen lawsuits from faith-affiliated charities, colleges and hospitals that oppose some or all contraception as immoral is how far the Obama administration must go to accommodate them...

WASHINGTON -- Passengers at some overseas airports that offer U.S.-bound flights will be required to power on their electronic devices in order to board their flights, the Transportation Security Administration said Sunday. The TSA said it is requiring some overseas airports to have passengers turn on devices such as cellphones before boarding. It says devices that won't power up won't be allowed on planes, and those travelers may have to undergo additional screening...

City hall 401 Independence St. Study session, 5 p.m. today Items for discussion...

WASHINGTON -- Does anyone in politics dare talk up the economy? Apparently not. After five months of steady job growth and with unemployment hitting a six-year low, the reaction Thursday in Washington was a collective "Yeah, but ..." Across the political spectrum, liberals and conservatives still found reason to despair and point fingers -- a function of election-year politics, been-there-before skepticism and honest perceptions by many Americans that the recovery has yet to improve their lives.. ...

~ Plaza Tire fell 6-2 in the championship game of the Valmeyer Tournament The St. Louis Golden Spikes proved to be a nemesis for the second time in eight days for the Plaza Tire Capahas on Sunday. After the Capahas plated 13 runs in the first two games of the Valmeyer Tournament, Plaza Tire could muster just a pair of runs on a Sean Bard home run in a 6-2 loss to the Golden Spikes in the championship game...

Wanda Verhines of Cape Girardeau carded her second career hole-in-one Saturday at Kimbeland Country Club. Verhines used a 9-iron to ace No. 12, a par 3 playing 77 yards. Gayle Gorham and Elaine Hayden witnessed the shot. Gene Garrison of Jackson recorded his second career hole-in-one June 30 at Kimbeland Country Club...

ST. LOUIS -- Matt Adams had a sweet swing against Henderson Alvarez, finishing the day with a career-best four hits. Kolten Wong homered in his return from the disabled list. The St. Louis Cardinals didn't get anything from the rest of the lineup, losing 8-4 to the Miami Marlins on Sunday and dropping two of three to their spring training partners...

O Jesus, may all come to know you as Lord and Savior. Amen.

Large dirt-moving equipment is being used to grade the 25-acre plot purchased by the Jackson School District for construction of $5 million worth of new facilities on Orchard Drive; after Potashnick Construction Co. completes dirt work at the site in about 20 days, construction of a new elementary school and gymnasium will begin...

According to Reuters news service, Isle of Capri is consolidating with Gaming and Leisure Properties, a Wyomissing, Pennsylvania-based owner of casino real estate properties. If Gaming and Leisure Properties makes a bid for the firm, Isle of Capri shares will be worth nearly $16 a share...

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) -- The last of the baby boomers turn 50 this year, and if they want to cry into their beer about getting older, at least they can now buy it at a discount. That's because the first of the so-called senior discounts kick in at age 50, generally along with an AARP card...

After teaching school for 38 years, Lavern Wachter is retiring from St. Paul Lutheran School in Jackson in a big way: She threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the St. Louis Cardinals baseball game on June 13 at Busch Stadium...

Marc Fulgham has had a motorcycle since he was 14. His wife, Becky, had never been on a motorcycle before she met him. "I was a bad influence," he teases. The pair were in college, and she was no match for his rakish allure. More than 37 years later, hopping on their Honda Gold Wing touring bike is still one of their favorite activities. They put in about 15,000 miles per summer in pursuit of their ultimate goal: ride in all 50 states...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- One of the first exhibits visitors see at the newly renovated National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis displays statues of shackled and branded black men, sitting in a line with knees near their chins, on the deck of a creaking slave ship headed across an ocean...

Burgers? Check. Brats? Check. Potato salad, baked beans and potato chips? Check, check, check. We're well into cookout season in Southeast Missouri, and every family has its favorite dishes. Just be sure your smorgasbord comes with a side of something healthy, too. Here are three ideas for nutritious -- and delicious! -- sides for your next get-together:...

1. Hang out at the bookstore or library. I don't know about you, but most times when I go to the bookstore or library, I'm in a hurry to find the specific book I'm looking for and be on my merry way. But when I have the chance, it's so relaxing to take my time to browse new titles, flip through the magazines, maybe even see what CDs and DVDs are available. ...

How high is the water? According to the National Weather Service, 32 feet and rising Tuesday evening, which is officially flood stage. "It is forecasted to continue to rise through Sunday," said Robin Smith, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky. "It's going to rise the whole time."...

Some changes may be in store for downtown Cape Girardeau. It was confirmed Tuesday the owner of Old Town Cape Dining LLC purchased The Bar, one of the Cape Girardeau locations used last fall during filming for the movie "Gone Girl." The Bar, at 117 Themis St., is set to open in early October to coincide with the movie's release Oct. 3. The owner also has unspecified plans for other downtown properties he has acquired...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon signed legislation directing Missouri regulators to develop their own standards for carbon dioxide pollution from power plants. The bill signing Monday comes as the federal Environmental Protection Agency has proposed rules that would require Missouri to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by more than one-fifth by 2030...

DONIPHAN, Mo. -- A pair of brothers were injured during the Fourth of July holiday when their Jet Skis collided on the Current River 4 miles south of Doniphan. At about 1:15 p.m. Friday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that Joey T. Githens was operating a 2008 Kawasaki personal watercraft westbound when he turned into the path of a southbound 1998 Seadoo personal watercraft, causing a collision...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- An East Prairie, Missouri, man faces felony charges in Mississippi County after he fled a traffic stop on an all-terrain vehicle last week. The incident took place July 1 evening, when deputy Cory Hutcheson observed a four-wheeler traveling on County Road 525, south of East Prairie...

WINONA, Mo. -- A murder suspect who escaped from a Southeast Missouri jail while watching a fireworks show is back in custody. Winona police chief Alonzo Bradwell says 35-year-old Jason McClurg of Winona was arrested without incident Sunday evening at a camper trailer near his hometown...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed legislation Monday that would have limited who could work in the state as a health insurance guide and blamed a national conservative group for injecting an error into the model legislation...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Two Mississippi County residents face murder charges and a third is jailed on drug charges after the body of a Poplar Bluff, Missouri, man was found floating in rural Mississippi County. Brent Christopher Naile, 33, Faye Ettie Myers, 44, and Sabrina Kay Lewis, 41, all of East Prairie, Missouri, have been charged in connection with the death...

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. -- Larry Bradford approached local mayors with an offer even he admits sounds too good to be true. His company, Southern Solar Systems, based in Huntsville, Alabama, offered to install solar panels, then lease them to cities. "They have no cash investment and no risk. We own and operate the system and lease it to them and we split the savings from the solar system 50-50 with them," Bradford said. "It's a win-win, we think."...

Safe House for Women will hold a banquet July 17 to recognize volunteers, partners, donors and staff. Taking place at Ray's Plaza Banquet Center, 3257 William St., the banquet will start with a cocktail reception at 5:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30...

To help international students better adjust to life in the United States -- and to Southeast Missouri State University and Cape Girardeau -- the university's office of International Education and Services this summer is piloting a program called Families Across Borders...

The Queen of the Mississippi is docked Monday morning at the Cape Girardeau riverfront. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Two Mississippi River bridges closed because of flooding, and with more storms in the forecast, there was growing concern Monday that conditions could worsen in parts of Missouri and Illinois. The Champ Clark Bridge at Louisiana, Missouri, closed at 5 p.m. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri officials have added money for streetcars in Kansas City and more highway projects around the state as part of a revised project list that would be funded if voters approve a three-quarter- cent sales tax next month...

A fire broke out at a residence at 622 Red Bud Circle on Monday night. Cape Girardeau Fire Department battalion chief Fred Vincel said the fire was called in at 9:26 p.m. and was under control by 9:43 p.m. According to neighbors, an older couple lives in the home, and neither were injured in the fire...

The Cape Girardeau City Council took its first step Monday in calling a November election for the fire sales tax. The question to extend the one-eighth-cent portion of the fire tax, initially planned to appear on the August ballot, was moved to November after Gov. Jay Nixon placed the three-quarter-cent state transportation tax question on the August election...

Five hits and five RBIs was enough for Cody Harris. The Jackson Senior American Legion Post 158 third baseman can wait another day for baseball's rare cycle. He had the first three phases covered in a 20-2 win over Cape Girardeau Ford & Sons Senior Legion on Monday at Capaha Field...

It's been more than a year since seven people were injured when two freight trains collided, partially collapsing the overpass on Route M near Rockview. The National Transportation Safety Board, which has been investigating the collision, said the probe would require up to a year to complete, but the NTSB has yet to issue a final report...

The Jackson Kiwanis Club unveiled its "Teetering for Tots" project at the July 4th Centennial Celebration in Jackson Park. Teen Challenge of Mid America crafted and donated a beautiful wooden Teeter-Totter that was used to draw attention to the Kiwanis International project, The Eliminate Project. ...

Near Sedgewickville.

Taken from the courthouse.

Games like horseshoe and washers played, food and desserts, waterslide, water balloon toss, attendance prizes. Great time for all members and family.

Adult Watermelon eating contest at the VFW Lakes

Austin Birk completed his Eagle Scout project and collected 580 pounds of food for Hope Children's Home. He built a canned goods dispenser and toy kitchen also. Thank you to the community for generously supporting the canned food drive. Thank you to Pocahontas Lumber for donating supplies. Thank you to Roy's Tire, Elite Travel, MedAssets and St Paul Lutheran Church for serving as collection sites...

Kids in Watermelon eating contest at VFW Lakes

Pictures from picnic out at the VFW Lakes- Post 3838 hosted a family event

Name: Brittany Hovis Age: 24 Place of birth: Marble Hill, Missouri Spouse, children's names: I am married to Jake Hovis and we have two children Tyson Hovis who is three years old and Lillie Hovis who is one. Occupation: Deputy Clerk Education: I graduated from Woodland High School...

Today is Tuesday, July 8, the 189th day of 2014. There are 176 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 8, 1889, The Wall Street Journal was first published. (Price of a copy: two cents.) On this date: In 1663, King Charles II of England granted a Royal Charter to Rhode Island...

Will you pull over before taking or making that call on your cell phone? I'm along for the ride today. But you make me very nervous. You're distracted. You're maneuvering a 12,000-pound weapon in and out of traffic, and I am scared. Please, save a life. It may be your own. It may be your friend...

Would you donate your organs? It's a question often posed when considering organ donation upon death. Because we have two kidneys, some may donate one while still living to a loved one. Both options are selfless acts. But would you donate your kidney to a co-worker, choosing to live with one of two important organs for a person who is of no blood relation?...

Sales tax is mostly a hidden tax and has been in the news lately. We will soon be asked to approve its increase for the well-recognized need of transportation infrastructure. Supporters point out that food, medicine and fuel will be exempt from the added tax. Recently a local radio station featured a segment about revising Missouri's current sales tax exemptions. A revision is surely needed...

The United States should be proud of its distinctive sporting tradition, with American football nearly ours alone, and only a handful of other nations serious about baseball, basketball and hockey. Even so, the World Cup provides us with an opportunity to consider reasons why the rest of the world, or at least most of it, is far more engaged with a sport that so far has not caught fire in the United States...

Friday night, July 4, the remarkable Mary Kasten was recognized with the Southeast Missourian Spirit of America Award just before the downtown fireworks in Cape Girardeau. In accepting the award, she eloquently gave tribute to all the great, patriotic men and women in this area, who have helped this nation prosper, and who make this area such a special place to live. ...

Anthony Riley "Tony" Schuch, 76, of Cape Girardeau was received into the loving arms of God on Monday, July 7, 2014, at Life Care Center of Cape Girardeau. He was born March 30, 1938, in Washington, D.C., to Edward A. and Nan Ellen Riley Schuch. He and Annette Wallace were married July 9, 1967, at Kennett, Missouri...

Ricky L. Brant, 59, of Oldfield, Missouri, formerly of Scott City, died Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013, at Cox Medical Center in Springfield, Missouri. A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. July 19 at Father's Arms Fellowship Hall in Scott City. He was born July 19, 1954, in Cape Girardeau, to Virgil "Smokey" and Ruby Kinder Brant. ...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Priscilla Ann Clippard, 78, of Advance passed away Saturday, July 5, 2014, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 29, 1935, in Ripley County, Missouri, daughter of Raymond and Judy Sawyer Crook. She and Charles Clippard were married May 20, 1956, in Ripley County...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Gerald "Archie" McCoy Jr., 43, of Marble Hill passed away Sunday, July 6, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 3, 1970, in Cape Girardeau, son of Gerald A. and Paula James McCoy Sr. He and Christy Brown were married July 2, 2005...

Joyce Barnett, 80, of Scott City died Monday, July 7, 2014, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

Daughter to Andrew William and Kristie Sue Breier of Perryville, Missouri, Southeast Hospital, 3:55 p.m. Friday, June 30, 2014. Name, Vivienne Grace. Weight, 4 pounds, 7 ounces. Third child, first daughter. Mrs. Breier is the former Kristie Detjen, daughter of Harold and Sally Detjen of Perryville. She is employed by Salon 51. Breier is the son of Terry and Sue Breier of Festus, Missouri. He is employed by Alton and Southern Railway...

A pot left unattended on a stove in a second-floor apartment triggered a three-alarm blaze that gutted the Broadway Park Apartments in downtown Cape Girardeau last night; the aging, five-story apartment building at 115 N. Fountain St., was once part of the historic Idan-ha Hotel, which was destroyed by fire in 1968...

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

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

Getting too hot can make people sick. People can become ill from the heat if their body can't compensate for it and properly cool off. Heat exposure can even kill: It caused 7,233 heat-related deaths in the United States from 1999 to 2009. Health Beat is a weekly spotlight on a wide range of health issues. The information contained here was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. View the CDC features online at www.cdc.gov/features...

CHICAGO -- First-day jitters come with any new job, but when the work involves pushing needles into strangers' bellies, stitching up gaping wounds or even delivering babies, that debut can be especially nerve-wracking -- for everyone involved...

As summer goes, the warm, wet weather is ideal for pests to invade people's daily lives. Among the most abundant pests this time of year are mosquitoes, ants, wasps, spiders, ticks and chiggers, but there are ways to keep them from infesting homes. Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association, said pests need three things for survival: food, water and shelter. ...

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria -- More than 60 Nigerian girls and women abducted by Islamic extremists two weeks ago have managed to escape, officials said Monday, though more than 200 girls who were kidnapped in April remain missing. Nigerian security forces and federal government officials had denied reports of the mass abduction from three villages in the northeast state of Borno on June 22...

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis begged forgiveness Monday in his first meeting with Catholics sexually abused by members of the clergy and went further than any of his predecessors by vowing to hold bishops accountable for their handling of pedophile priests...

DONETSK, Ukraine -- After Ukrainian forces' seizure of a key rebel stronghold in the east, the major cities of Donetsk and Luhansk could be the next focus of major fighting. Three bridges on roads leading to Donetsk were blown up Monday -- possibly to hinder military movements, though the rebels claim it was the work of pro-Kiev saboteurs...

GUATEMALA CITY -- A magnitude-6.9 earthquake on the Pacific Coast jolted a wide area of southern Mexico and Central America Monday, killing at least three people while damaging homes, hospitals and churches. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit at 6:23 a.m. on the Pacific Coast 1 mile north-northeast of Puerto Madero, near the Guatemala border. It initially calculated the magnitude at 7.1 but later lowered the figure to 6.9...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama brought forward a new administration effort Monday to place quality teachers in schools that need them the most. Obama said the U.S. education system has "a problem" in that students who would benefit the most from having skilled or experienced teachers in their classrooms are least likely to get them, including black and Hispanic students...

PHOENIX -- A federal appeals court has dealt a new blow to Arizona in its series of immigration-related crackdowns, ruling the state cannot deny driver's licenses to young immigrants who are allowed to stay in the U.S. under a 2012 Obama administration policy...

SEATTLE -- Washington state issued its first retail marijuana licenses Monday with a middle-of-the-night email alerting bleary-eyed pot-shop proprietors that they'll finally be able to open for business. "We're pretty stoked," said John Evich, an investor in Bellingham's Top Shelf Cannabis, in a 2:30 a.m. Pacific time interview. "We haven't had any sleep in a long time, but we're excited for the next step."...

ST. LOUIS -- After beating the team he grew up rooting for with his first career game-winning hit, Matt Adams couldn't resist a celebratory fist pump just a few steps out of the batter's box. "This is unbelievable," Adams said after his two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the St. ...

The right-hander will be examined again in two weeks

TBILISI, Georgia -- Eduard Shevardnadze was a key figure in revolutions abroad and the victim of one at home. As the Soviet Union's foreign minister, he helped topple the Berlin Wall and end the Cold War, but as the leader of post-Soviet Georgia his career in the public eye ended in humiliation when he was chased out of his parliament and forced into retirement...

The Cape Junior Legion baseball team built up confidence for its first-round district tournament game with a 12-1 victory over host Scott County Junior Legion on Monday. Cape banged out 15 hits in the win, including a 4-for-4 performance by Blake Klett...

O Lord, may we be still and know that you alone are God. Amen.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) -- Even after seven decades, Wilfred "Spike" Mailloux won't talk about surviving a bloody World War II battle unless longtime friend John Sidur is by his side. It was Sidur who found the severely wounded Mailloux hours after both survived Japan's largest mass suicide attack in the Pacific. ...

Name: Misty Stevens Age: 37 Place of birth: Chaffee, MO Spouse, children's names: Jerry Stevens - Spouse Jake Thele - Son Jordan Thele - Son Madison Stevens - Daughter Occupation: Office Administrator Education: 1995 Graduate of Woodland High School - Marble Hill, MO...

Name: Travis Elfrink Age: 29 Place of birth: Cape Girardeau Occupation: Presiding Commissioner Education: Graduated from Woodland High School in 2003 Graduated SEMO in 2008 with a BS in Mathematics and a minor in Business Administration Employer: Bollinger Counuty...

Name: Kenny Trentham Age: 59 Place of birth: Cape Girardeau MO Spouse, children's names: Cathy (Simmons) Trentham, spouse Kyle Trentham and Cory Trentham, sons Cassie (Lincoln) Trentham (Cory), daughter-in-law Faith and Jacob Trentham, grandchildren...

Name: Glenda K. Enderle Date of birth: 10/5/55 Place of birth: Wyatt, Mo. Spouse, children's names: Randy Enderle Tammy (Shannon) Haley & Landon Cureton Brian (Rhonda Medlin) Madison Enderle Occupation: Scott County Treasurer Education: High School Graduate...

Name: Ronald Reagan Age: 57 Place of birth: Southeast Missouri Hospital Spouse, children's names: Vickie Welker--fiancé Jason Reagan Jeff Reagan Occupation: farmer--business owner Education: Meadow Heights--1-12 Employer: Proctor and Gamble--retired...

Wong's ninth-inning home run came less than 24 hours after Adams' winning blast

With Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of two bills, captive deer will remain under the control of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Had the bills been approved, captive cervids (deer) would have been considered livestock, which would give the state's Department of Agriculture control of their care...

Southeast Hospital ushered in a new era in neonatal care on Tuesday, July 8, moving five babies into the new, family-centered Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The eight-suite unit replaces an older facility. The new unit consists of single-family suites, creating private areas for families to bond with their babies. The well-baby nursery and family waiting room also were renovated as part of the project...

Cape Girardeau's scofflaws might want to make sure they're ready for their close-ups before committing any crimes in the next few weeks. For the next four to six weeks, the Cape Girardeau Police Department will be testing body-worn cameras for patrol officers, said Darin Hickey, public information officer for the department...

The Chaffee Cardinals 8U team recently had an undefeated season with a final record of 15-0. This picture shows the team after they won the Chaffee Tournament in Chaffee, MO on June 30, 2014 and proudly wearing their hard-earned medals. Players were: Colin Menz, Drake Robertson, Connor Berry, Easton Fowler, Tanner Estep, Logan Menz, Kade Atkins, Aiden Kinder, Michael Foulk, Carter Cossou, Eli Glueck, Luke Seyer and Tyler Ramsey. ...

Today is Wednesday, July 9, the 190th day of 2014. There are 175 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 9, 1944, during World War II, American forces secured Saipan as the last Japanese defenses fell. On this date:...

Congratulations to Mary Kasten for winning the Southeast Missourian Spirit of America award. Like the energizer bunny, she keeps going in promoting things that are good for America, Missouri and Cape Girardeau. About 50 years ago, Mary and her husband Mel were part of a small group in which I participated in studying Americanism and the communist threat...

To keep a conspiracy, a lie or an illegal act in check, you must first have a code of silence. Participants in a conspiracy must abide by a spoken or unspoken understanding that the wayward deed will unravel if anyone breaks that bond of silence. And, it goes without saying, that the fewer involved, the less chance that someone will say the wrong words and the truth will begin to surface...

The weather this summer has been spectacular. The heat and humidity that typically greets us this time of year have been mild. This reprieve from heat has been perfect for enjoying outdoor activities. On Friday there will be plenty of activities taking place at the Osage Community Centre for the Southeast Missourian Jr. Park & Rec Day...

Your taxes will go up if you do not get out and vote Aug. 5. There are two tax increases: Proposition K, which is "for the kids." This is a tax with no oversight. There are social workers in every school to take care of kids and refer them to numerous social programs and church programs. ...

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. -- An entire tree fell onto a roller coaster's tracks in California, dislodging the front car and keeping nearly two dozen riders hanging 20 to 30 feet in the air for hours, according to the state agency that investigates workplace accidents...

SAN DIEGO -- Four U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration employees saw or heard a handcuffed college student who was kept in a San Diego cell for five days without food or water, but they did nothing because they assumed someone else was responsible, investigators said Tuesday in a report that faulted the workers and other officials for an incident that led to nationwide changes in the agency's detention policies...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Virginia Myrtle James, 93, of Marble Hill passed away Tuesday, July 8, 2014, at Jackson Manor in Jackson. She was born Aug. 24, 1920, in Knob Lick, Missouri, daughter of Patrick and Flora Marshall Acuff. She and Dale Randolph James were married May 16, 1946. He preceded her in death June 30, 1975...

Joyce Barnett, 80, of Scott City died Monday, July 7, 2014, at her home. She was born Sept. 13, 1933, in St. Louis, to Alvie Thomas and Oneita Faye Davis Mincher. She married Billy Gene Barnett Sr. Feb. 2, 1952. Joyce was a real estate agent. She is survived by her husband, Billy of Scott City; two sons, Billy (Mary) Barnett Jr. ...

Son to Shawn J. Wente and Shannon R. Brady of Jackson, Southeast Hospital, 9:42 p.m. Saturday, June 28, 2014. Name, Brantley James. Weight, 7 pounds. Fourth child, third son. Ms. Brady is the former Shannon Meyer, daughter of John and Ruth Ann Meyer of Cape Girardeau. She is employed at Southeast HealthPoint Rehab. Wente is the son of Jim and Rose Wente of Jackson. He is employed with SoutheastHEALTH Information Systems...

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

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

ATLANTA -- A government scientist cleaning an old storage room at a research center near Washington made a startling discovery last week -- decades-old vials of smallpox packed away and forgotten in a cardboard box. The six glass vials were intact and sealed, and scientists haven't establish whether the virus is dead or alive, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday...

NEW YORK -- A major hospital's former pharmacy chief stole nearly 200,000 oxycodone pills from the medical center over more than five years and has been charged under a state drug-kingpin law more often aimed at accused street dealers, narcotics prosecutors said Tuesday...

ST. LOUIS -- A woman who discovered her rental home was the likely site of several slayings by a suspected serial killer is moving out early after appealing to St. Louis public housing officials when her landlord wouldn't budge. KMOV-TV reported Tuesday that Catrina McGhaw rented a house in Ferguson, Missouri, that was once home to Maury Troy Travis...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed legislation that would have closed records of waste and fraud reported to the lieutenant governor's office. Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder does not generally investigate such allegations across state government but had wanted to start a website to take tips...

WARRENTON, Mo. -- A 64-year-old lawyer and businessman who already had admitted to robbing three banks pleaded guilty Tuesday another bank heist and to shooting a Missouri trooper. Warren Gladders of Wentzville pleaded guilty to five felony charges in Warren County Circuit Court in the September armed robbery at the First Bank of Marthasville. ...

ST. LOUIS -- The Coast Guard may have to wait another month for the rain-swollen Mississippi River to subside before attempting to salvage a towboat that inexplicably sunk with 10,000 gallons of diesel fuel aboard, a spokesman said Tuesday. The 70-foot, 140-ton Jim Marko went down July 1 on the Illinois side of the river near St. Louis, posing a potential environmental headache involving the diesel...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon said Tuesday he is leaning toward opposing an August ballot measure that would insert a right to farm in the Missouri Constitution, ending his silence on the subject. The farming amendment was referred to the ballot by Missouri's Republican-led Legislature, with the support of some Democrats, and has been officially endorsed by the Missouri Republican State Committee...

The voter registration deadline for the Aug. 5 primary election is today. To register to vote in Cape Girardeau County, residents must submit a voter registration application to the county clerk's office. Voters may register at: Online registration can be found at sos.mo.gov/votemissouri/request.php...

Representatives from a group of local agencies have been meeting to figure out how they can improve youths' futures in Cape Girardeau County. Melissa Stickel, director of community development at United Way of Southeast Missouri, told the Success By 6 Leadership Team on Tuesday that the group, with a working title of Collective Impact in Education, has met for six months. Facilitated by United Way, it includes large and small youth-service organizations...

The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department knows how to celebrate National Parks and Recreation Month. With games and ice cream, of course. The department will host its annual Parks and Rec Day on Friday, when people of all ages can enjoy a petting zoo, obstacle courses, Nerf wars and ice cream. The best part, said recreation coordinator Cassie Essner, is it's all free...

Information from a tow-truck driver helped authorities arrest a suspected burglar and recover guns and electronics stolen from at least two homes in Butler County. "The homeowners returned home from vacation and found their house had been broken into," said Butler County sheriff's deputy Travis Huddleston. " ... Their truck had been stolen [along with] numerous electronics and firearms."...

NAYLOR, Mo. -- A Naylor man faces domestic assault charges after allegedly shooting his wife during an argument Saturday morning. Bobby S. Leonard, 59, was charged Saturday with first-degree domestic assault and armed criminal action or first-degree domestic assault...

MALDEN, Mo. -- A Fisk, Missouri, man is among two being held in the Dunklin County Jail on charges stemming from a Saturday afternoon robbery at the Sonic Drive-In in Malden. Jesse T. Sandage of Fisk and Davine S. Donnelly of Buffalo, Missouri, were charged Sunday with second-degree robbery and kidnapping by Dunklin County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Jonce Chidister...

Cape Girardeau police are looking for whoever was responsible for a residential burglary Monday night on Montgomery Street. A woman called police about 10:30 p.m. Monday to report she had just returned to her home in the 1700 block of Montgomery Street and was unlocking her front door when she heard two gunshots from inside, said Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A fourth person is in custody in connection with the murder of a Poplar Bluff, Missouri, man. The Mississippi County Sheriff's Department reported the arrest Monday afternoon of a Mississippi County man in connection with the murder of Derell Davis. Davis' body, which had multiple lacerations to the neck and abdomen, was discovered by fishermen Saturday evening in the Drinkwater Sewer in northern Mississippi County...

Southeast's new softball coach was officially introduced on campus Tuesday

ST. LOUIS -- The Mississippi River continued its slow rise Tuesday at several Missouri and Illinois towns, but there was reason for optimism after overnight rainfall wasn't as bad as predicted. Spurred by heavy recent rains to the north, the Mississippi rose quickly over the past two weeks, reaching major flood levels from central Iowa south to near St. Louis. Storms brought strong winds, hail and still more rain to northern Missouri and western Illinois Monday night and Tuesday morning...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama appealed to Congress on Tuesday for $3.7 billion in emergency spending to deal with the immigration crisis on the nation's southern border, where unaccompanied children have shown up by the thousands in a human drama that's causing a political storm in Washington and beyond...

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- In the mid-1950s, air travel was a shadow of the highly advanced operation of checks and rules seen today. The skies were largely uncontrolled, and pilots outside major U.S. cities relied on sight to avoid catastrophes. Then, two commercial airplanes crashed over the Grand Canyon in June 1956, killing all 128 people aboard in the deadliest aviation disaster of the time and helping spur an overhaul to flight safety. ...

JERUSALEM -- Israel on Tuesday launched its largest offensive in the Gaza Strip in nearly two years, carrying out an aerial assault on scores of targets and killing 25 people in what officials called an open-ended operation aimed at ending weeks of heavy rocket fire...

DONETSK, Ukraine -- Ukraine's government took an increasingly aggressive stance Tuesday toward pro-Russia separatists, vowing to expunge them from their reduced area of control and imposing new conditions before peace talks can restart. But as the military moves to encircle rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine, the government also said it would stop using air and artillery strikes that drove the rebels from other towns so as to avoid terrorizing civilians...

Ryan West shot an 80 to win the boys ages 16 to 19 Tour division at the Gateway PGA Junior Series event Monday at Bent Creek Golf Course. West finished four shots ahead of Derrick Garner. Conner McKiney (103) won the girls 16 to 19 Tour, while Brandon Wagner (84) won the boys 14 and 15 Tour...

The Jackson Junior American Legion baseball team closed its regular season with a 10-7 victory over Pemiscot Senior Legion on Tuesday in Caruthersville, Missouri. Jackson scored five times in the third inning and used 2 1/3 innings of two-hit relief by winning pitcher Ben Maudie in the nine-inning game...

LONDON -- They are rolling symbols of wealth and excess, starting at $263,000 a pop, with most buyers choosing custom options that can easily double the price. And they are more popular than ever before. Rolls-Royce reported a startling rise in demand for their distinctive cars Tuesday...

ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals left-hander Jaime Garcia will undergo thoracic outlet surgery Friday to relieve nerve issues in his pitching arm, shoulder and hand. Garcia and doctors believe the injury has dogged him for several years. Garcia referred to the procedure, which involved the removal of the first rib, as the "most logical and only option I have." He made the announcement on his 28th birthday...

NEW YORK -- Graham Nash feels optimistic young people will once again change America for the better. So while he's frustrated by political ideals surrounding issues like global warming and marriage equality, he realizes "those powers against progress" will naturally run their course...

The congregation of the New Testament Bible Baptist Church, 209 E. Cape Rock Dr., voted to disband on May 10; having acquired the property, the Calvary Road Chapel, a nondenominational church, is now holding services there; the pastor is the Rev. Alonzo Rhodes...

Father God, we glorify you for every good gift comes from you, our provider. Amen.

ST. LOUIS -- One of the nation's leading gun manufacturers has reached a settlement in a nationwide lawsuit claiming a popular hunting rifle has a defective trigger mechanism that can cause injury and death. Gun owner Ian Pollard sued Remington Arms Co. ...

NEW YORK -- Investors unloaded stocks for a second day ahead of a slew of corporate earnings that will help them determine whether a recent run-up in the market is justified. The selling Tuesday follows record closes last week. Internet companies bore the brunt of the declines. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A leading U.S. coal company is suing a rival with which it shared confidential business plans during a deal that later fizzled, saying the competitor used the proprietary details to buy up land in southern Illinois to thwart the accuser's expansion plans...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- People humiliated by online mugshots of their past arrests will soon have greater legal options in Missouri. Gov. Jay Nixon has signed legislation making it a misdemeanor to publish police booking photos on websites and then seek money to take the photos down. The new crime will be punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine...

PEVELY, Mo. -- The longtime mayor of the eastern Missouri town of Pevely has resigned. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported John Knobloch's resignation was approved by aldermen Monday. He had been mayor for more than 20 years. Alderman Ed Walters is serving as acting mayor...

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Halfway up the 264 stairs leading to the top of the world's tallest water slide, it was clear this was the most breathtaking ride I'd ever encountered. And that was before I ever stepped foot in the raft. Two-thirds of the way up the circular stairs is a sign that says I've reached the height of the Statue of Liberty. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Parents could gain a way to compare the quality of child-care providers under legislation signed by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon. The bill signed Wednesday requires the state to develop a "system of quality indicators" so people can know whether child-care centers are meeting certain criteria...

PLATTE CITY, Mo. -- A suburban Kansas City school district said it has warned more than 10,000 current and former employees and students that their personal information may have been compromised by a data security breach earlier this year. The Park Hill School District announced Tuesday that the compromised information included Social Security numbers, student records, personnel information and employee evaluations. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A woman is in custody after reportedly shooting her husband Monday afternoon. Around 5 p.m. Monday, the Sikeston Department of Public Safety received a call of a subject shot on Daniel Street. Officers found a man with a gunshot wound to his torso...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff's City Manager Search Committee is holding closed meetings this week to conduct electronic first interviews of eight more applicants. That will bring the number of interviews to 12 so far. To date, the committee has received 50 applications...

A Benton, Missouri, woman is in custody for drug charges stemming from a disturbance call at a home Tuesday. Amber Thomure, 28, of Benton was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia after Scott County Deputy Matt Scroggins responded to a disturbance call involving a verbal argument over money, according to the Scott County Sheriff's Department...

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee will feature a presentation by Rich Payne, director of the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center. Payne will discuss programming available at the facility. A continental breakfast will be available at 7 a.m., and the program will begin at 7:40 a.m. Friday at Isle Casino Cape Girardeau's Event Center...

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Aleks Nelson, left, and Josh Ploetz take off from the bank of the Mississippi River in downtown Cape Girardeau on Wednesday as they continue their journey to the Gulf of Mexico. ...

WASHINGTON -- Tax credits for families that don't qualify. Medicare payments for treatments that might not be necessary. Unemployment benefits for people who are secretly working. Federal agencies reported making $100 billion in payments last year to people who may not have been entitled to receive them...

Missourians can now view the finalized list of transportation projects to be funded by the Amendment 7 transportation sales tax, pending voter approval in August. The list was created as a joint effort between the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission and local planning agencies and transportation groups. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A robbery at a local check-cashing business is under investigation by the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, the Standard Democrat reported. About 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, officers responded to a panic alarm at the Check Into Cash store at 1305 S. Main St. When officers arrived, they spoke with an employee who said a man entered the store and demanded cash, according to a news release from Capt. Jim McMillen, Sikeston Department of Public Safety public information officer...

From teachers to coaches to food service workers to bus drivers, public and private schools are still advertising for help even as their August start date draws nearer. The first day of school is Aug. 14. Cape Girardeau School District communications director Dana Saverino said six positions are open right now, and seven that applications are being taken for, such as bus monitor, custodian and substitute teacher...

PANCAKE BREAKFAST FUNDRAISER No MO Tax Are You Paying Too Little In Taxes? Missouri legislators and another group in Cape Girardeau County believe you need to pay more. They want you to vote to give them more of your hard-earned money at the next election in August. Are you paying too little in taxes?...

A U.S. Senate subcommittee report released Wednesday blasts colleges and universities across the country for what U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., calls a "disturbing" failure to follow sound practices in their handling of sexual violence on campus...

Erin Mantz, a senior at Jackson High School has earned a position on the Illinois National High School rodeo team and will be traveling with fellow teammates to Rock Springs, Wyoming July 13-19 to compete at the 66th annual National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR) in the barrel racing competition...

Today is Thursday, July 10, the 191st day of 2014. There are 174 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 10, 1999, the United States women's soccer team won the World Cup, beating China 5-4 on penalty kicks after 120 minutes of scoreless play at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California...

A few weeks ago a Southeast Missourian story on the Tuesday health page caught our eye. More specifically, it was a comment from a local physican who said for every 70 women who receive a physical, only 30 men receive similar medical care. The story looked at the importance of having an annual physical and having appropriate tests for age and gender...

"Nunsense" at the River Campus was such a wonderful play. We all had a great time. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Congratulations to everyone involved. Gary Gilbert I was sorry to read of the tragic death of Gary Gilbert. I remember when he played basketball for SEMO. He was one of my heroes...

Loyal Obama Democrats will call this letter just another conservative rant, but our 44th president has publicly declared he has no need for the legislative branch, and no fear of the judicial system. The "separation of powers" is in dire straits. When House Speaker John Boehner recently threatened to sue our president for government overreach, Obama just shrugged it off with a smile and replied, "So, sue me."...

SAO PAULO -- Goalkeeper Sergio Romero saved two penalties Wednesday to send Argentina into the World Cup final with a 4-2 shootout win over the Netherlands after the game finished in a 0-0 stalemate. A day after Germany lit up the World Cup with its clinical 7-1 destruction of host Brazil, the Netherlands and Argentina could not manage a goal between them in 120 minutes before the shootout...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Joe Kelly is set to return to the rotation Friday from a hamstring injury that's sidelined him nearly three months. Kelly was injured running to first April 17. He's 1-1 with an 0.59 ERA in three starts heading into the start in Milwaukee and was 10-5 last year with a 2.69 ERA...

ST. LOUIS -- Lance Lynn reached double figures in wins before the All-Star break for the third straight year and Kolten Wong homered for the second game in a row, helping the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates for the third straight time, 5-2 on Wednesday night...

WASHINGTON -- NCAA President Mark Emmert told a Senate committee Wednesday he supports "scholarships for life" and other reforms in how athletes are treated, then did such a good job of casting himself as a powerless figurehead that one senator told him: "I can't tell whether you're in charge or whether you're a minion."...

The Missouri Valley Conference basketball tournament has been held in St. Louis for 24 years

Most of us agree that we need government, even if parts are flawed. But if given the choice, would we all pay our taxes? No! I think similar statements can be made about labor unions. Like parts of government, some unions have been flawed, but unions in general have served workers well. ...

LONDON -- The British website Mail Online apologized Wednesday to George Clooney for alleging his fiancee's mother opposed their marriage on religious grounds -- a story Clooney called wrong and irresponsible. Clooney is engaged to Beirut-born London lawyer Amal Alamuddin, whose father Ramzi belongs to a prominent Druse family. The Druse are adherents of a monotheistic religion based mainly in Lebanon, Syria and Israel...

Son to Jacob Arron Luttrull and Ellen Ruth Yount of Scott City, Saint Francis Medical Center, 7:57 a.m. Wednesday, June 25, 2014. Name, Brantley Jacob Leon. Weight, 7 pounds, 13 ounces. Second son. Ms. Yount is employed at Heartland Care and Rehab. Luttrull is employed by Scott City Public Works...

Fire rekindled yesterday afternoon in the gutted Broadway Park Apartment Building, 115 N. Fountain St., but was extinguished before causing any additional damage; five trucks and 10 city firefighters were dispatched to the complex. Temporary classrooms have been installed at three Cape Girardeau elementary schools in an effort to relieve crowded classes; the classroom mobile homes were delivered over the weekend to Jefferson and Hawthorn schools; another, which was at Jefferson, has been moved to Alma Schrader School.. ...

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

Brian C. Workman, 50, of Clearwater, Florida, formerly of Scott City, died Friday, July 4, 2014, at his home. He was born Sept. 23, 1963, in Cape Girardeau, son of Edwin R. Workman of Scott City and Janice Leiner Calhoun of Clearwater. Survivors include his parents; a brother, Craig Workman of Clearwater; two half brothers, Eric Workman of Cape Girardeau and Michael (Kyla) Workman of Scott City...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Tuppence Walters, 58, of Chaffee died Monday, June 30, 2014, at her home. She was born March 26, 1956, in Santa Rita, Guam, to Walter and Virginia Riddle Parry. She and Ronald Lee Walters were married Aug. 20, 1983, in Las Vegas. He preceded her in death Oct. 10, 1999...

Robert F. "Bob" Nenninger, 71, of Glen Carbon, Illinois, formerly of Cape Girardeau, passed away Saturday, June 28, 2014, at Anderson Hospital in Maryville, Illinois. He was born April 9, 1943, in Cape Girardeau, son of Charles F. and Bernadine Fox Nenninger. He married Jean Heim Nenninger on June 19, 1987, in Edwardsville, Illinois...

GLENALLEN, Mo. -- Juanita McCall, 69, of Glenallen died Tuesday, July 8, 2014, at Woodland Hills Nursing Center in Marble Hill, Missouri. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Bollinger County Memorial Park Cemetery...

BELL CITY, Mo. — Flora Mae Everley, 76, of Bell City died Sunday, July 6, 2014 in Dexter, Missouri. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran, Missouri

It's summer, which means it's hot, which means ice cream. Try your hand at making it at home. 1/2 cup of half and half 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla 1 zip-top sandwich bag 1 gallon zip-top bag 3 cups of crushed ice 1/3 cup rock salt...

Cape Girardeau: Kristen Begley, Anna Bowles, Jonathon Clements, Abby Crites, Matthew Davis, Kathryn Garner, Samuel Gerlach, Abby Hartmann, Eric Hayes, Kurt Heischmidt, Bob Howard, Kaci Howard, Laurel Kasten, Ryan Ladd, Liam Maher, Emily Majoros, Daniel Neff, Kenrick Niedbalski, Sarah Nussbaum, Kristen Oberlohr, Regan Obermann, Olivia Roth, Kristyn Sanders, Rebecca Schneider, Kathy Scienski, Kaylyn Sneathen, Sushil Sobti, Russell Sprengel, Samuel Stahly, Kayla Thompson, Katherine Walton and Ryan Watts.. ...

Birth date: Jan. 26, 1996 Birthplace: Cape Girardeau Future plans: To attend Southeast Missouri State University in Sikeston, Missouri, using my A+ program, then attend the Southeast Hospital College of Nursing to earn my RN. Hopefully, get married to the man of my dreams, move out into the country and start a family...

Administrative Office Building 1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Open session Communications/reports, other elected officials Public comments Routine business Appointments and possible action item Action items Discussion and possible action Discussion and possible action, county advisory boards...

JERUSALEM -- With rockets raining deep inside Israel, the military pummeled Palestinian targets Wednesday across the Gaza Strip and threatened a broad ground offensive, while the first diplomatic efforts to end two days of heavy fighting got underway...

HALBA, Lebanon -- Before she began working as a hairdresser, poverty forced Syrian Umm Mahmoud to seek donations for food and rent money to survive as a refugee in Lebanon. Often men suggested she have sex with them to show her gratitude, the 32-year-old said...

BERLIN -- German authorities are investigating a second spy case reportedly involving the United States, a week after the arrest of a German intelligence employee cast a new shadow over relations between the two countries. Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that police raided properties in the Berlin area on "initial suspicion of activity for an intelligence agency." They did not elaborate or specify what intelligence agency was involved, but said they had not made an arrest...

DENVER -- Colorado is smoking pot by the ton, and visitors are, too. Colorado's pot regulators issued what is believed to be the world's first post-legalization market study for the weed Wednesday. The study relied on sales data from Colorado's first three months of recreational marijuana sales, while previous pot market studies relied on survey responses because the drug is illegal...

NEW YORK -- In over three decades of studying ferns, Duke University professor Kathleen Pryer has received her share of grant money. But for her newest project, she's getting help from a retired nurse in Canada and a 17-year-old in Arkansas. It's her first foray into the modern-day world of crowdfunding, the practice of using the Internet to raise relatively small amounts of money from a lot of people to finance a project. ...

NEW YORK -- One private drone crash-landed in midtown Manhattan. Another caused alarm by hovering over Times Square amid tight security during Super Bowl week. Most recently, authorities say, another had a close brush with a police helicopter near the George Washington Bridge...

SAN DIEGO -- Investigators who spent weeks examining photos and tips from the public have identified a juvenile as a suspect for intentionally starting the most destructive of nearly a dozen wildfires that ripped through Southern California this spring, officials said Wednesday...

WASHINGTON -- In an increasingly global economy, just 1 in 10 teenagers around the world is able to make some key -- but complex -- financial decisions, including choosing among various loans or analyzing invoices and pay slips. The picture is no better in the United States, where only 9.4 percent of 15-year-olds were able to answer the most difficult questions on an international test of their financial knowledge and skills. ...

DALLAS -- President Barack Obama, resisting calls to visit the U.S.-Mexico border, met Wednesday with Texas Gov. Rick Perry and other officials to discuss the influx of unaccompanied minors from Central America that has become a political liability for the president and a test of his administration's competence...

In the intensifying debate over religious liberty, President Barack Obama faces pressure from opposite flanks as he prepares to issue an executive order barring federal contractors from discriminating against gay and transgender people in hiring. Many religious leaders and conservative groups want him to exempt religious organizations from the order. ...

SMITHFIELD, N.Y. -- Residents of this rural central New York town Wednesday picked through debris from homes battered by a deadly tornado, and utility crews worked to restore power in several Eastern states hit by severe storms. In all, five people died Tuesday as strong thunderstorms blew down buildings, trees and utility lines, and left hundreds of thousands without power into Wednesday...

The 14-team, double elimination event starts today in Charleston.

Highway 51 in Perry County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform sound testing on the Mississippi River bridge into Illinois. A MoDOT news release said the work will take place from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 22...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- All-Star catcher Yadier Molina has been removed from the St. Louis Cardinals' game against Pittsburgh in the third inning with a sprained right thumb...

Birth date: Feb. 17, 1996 Birthplace: Cape Girardeau Future plans: I plan to attend Murray State and major in either forensic chemistry or international business. Extracurricular activities: Pep Club for three years, having been voted Chaffee High School Spirit Leader for one year; Team Spirit for four years; Smokebusters for four years; Family, Career and Community Leaders of America for two years; and Varsity Club for four years. ...

O Lord Jesus, may we focus on what is good in your eyes. Amen.

CLEVELAND -- LeBron James is going back to the Cleveland Cavaliers. James told Sports Illustrated that he's decided to go home. It's a move that would have seemed unfathomable four years ago, after the venomous fallout that followed his decision to leave Cleveland for the Miami Heat...

BENTON, Mo. -- A few participants in June 27's Jim Hall Memorial Race at Benton Raceway Park mentioned the "adrenaline rush" they get, and one could see what they were talking about when more than 50 drivers of A-modified, late-model and sprint cars began warming up...

While U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill is taking universities to task for their handling of sexual assault claims, a Southeast Missouri State University administrator said Thursday she is proud of SEMO's efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence. "We're pretty proud of our efforts, frankly. ... We want people to report," said Debbie Below, dean of students and vice-president for enrollment management and student success...

ST. LOUIS -- A former Missouri Republican congressman whose "legitimate rape" comments during the 2012 U.S. Senate campaign were roundly criticized now says he was wrong to apologize. Todd Akin writes in a new political memoir his remarks on whether abortion should be legal in cases of rape were taken out of context and led to his "political assassination" and betrayal by GOP allies. ...

WASHINGTON -- The testimony of nine military officers undermines contentions by Republican lawmakers that a "stand-down order" held back military assets that could have saved the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans killed at a diplomatic outpost and CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya...

During a planning session Thursday, members of the Cape Girardeau School Board discussed the need for renovations at Central Junior High School. They also asked assistant superintendent for administrative services Neil Glass to explore the possibility of a new building, because they weren't sure how structurally sound the current one at 205 Caruthers Ave. is. Board vice president Jeff Glenn even referred to the junior high as an "eyesore."...

Today is Friday, July 11, the 192nd day of 2014. There are 173 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 11, 1914, Babe Ruth made his Major League baseball debut, pitching the Boston Red Sox to a 4-3 victory over Cleveland...

Back in the day, in the Ozark hills over yonder, the bounty of the wild yielded a good portion of what we ate. For example: In the spring we went looking for greens, which grew along the roads and fields around our farm. I had no idea we were eating weeds. My mother's family and her mother's family had always gathered greens. With enough bacon fat and vinegar, they were downright tasty...

What a wonderful Fourth of July celebration Cape Girardeau had downtown. It was great. Thank you to all who helped make it happen. Beautiful, beautiful program, fireworks. A great time to honor our country and our love of the country. We can't do that enough. Mary Kasten, congratulations. Well deserved. Thank you for being who you are in our country and others like you, as you said. Thank you for your message. Loved it...

There's a distinct difference between high school and summer baseball. The high school teams rally around a school. Teammates also are classmates. The focus is on learning, school spirit, carrying on a legacy and competing in post-season play. Summer teams also have a drive to win and advance in tournaments, however, there's a different culture. ...

NEW YORK -- Stocks fell Thursday as worries about the soundness of a European bank spooked U.S. investors, prompting them to sell stocks and snap up less risky assets like gold and governments bonds. Fears emerged overnight about the financial stability of Espirito Santo International, a holding company that is the largest shareholder in a group of firms, including the parent of Portugal's largest bank, Banco Espirito Santo...

BERLIN -- Germany on Thursday demanded Washington's top spy in Berlin leave the country as a new round of allegations of U.S. espionage worsened the friction between the two allies. The immediate trigger was the emergence of two new cases of alleged American spying. They inflamed a furor that erupted last year when it was learned the U.S. was intercepting Internet traffic in Germany and eavesdropping on Chancellor Angela Merkel's cellphone calls...

WASHINGTON -- House Republicans took the initial step Thursday to sue President Barack Obama over the administration's decision to delay the employer mandate of the health-care law. The office of Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, released a draft of the resolution that would authorize the House to file suit amid GOP criticism that the president has declined to faithfully execute the laws of the country...

WASHINGTON -- An accident involving asbestos work forced a temporary closure of the House side of the Capitol on Thursday and prompted House leaders to delay the day's session for two hours. No injuries were reported. The incident occurred around 2:30 or 3 a.m., Capitol Police said...

Andrew Joseph Dorman, 50, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, July 9, 2014, at his home. Born May 11, 1964, in Bristol, Pennsylvania, he was the son of Vincent Edward and Nora Mary Nolan Dorman. He is survived by two children, Paul and Lucy Dorman of Leopold, Missouri; a brother, Peter (Melanie) Dorman; and a nephew, Nicholas Roche of St. Louis...

Michael John Finnegan, 58, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Skaneateles, New York, passed away Sunday, July 6, 2014, in Cape Girardeau, surrounded by his children. He was born Sept. 15, 1955, in Utica, New York, to Eugene and the late Virginia "Gussie" Finnegan. He and Annie Frye Finnegan were married in 1996 in Cape Girardeau...

Daughter to Antonio Dominique Cooper and Sierra Danielle Thompson of Marble Hill, Missouri, Saint Francis Medical Center, 9:19 p.m. Tuesday, July 1, 2014. Name, Karmen Rayne. Weight, 6 pounds, 4 ounces. Second child, first daughter. Ms. Thompson is the daughter of Angela Buckner-Thompson of Marble Hill and Danny Thompson of Scott City. Cooper is the son of Sherry Hughes of Cape Girardeau...

Smith's Summer Collection Car Auction is returning to the Show Me Center this weekend. Check-in starts at 10 a.m. today, and the auction runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $8 for adults, and children 12 and younger are admitted free. Bidder, buyer and consignment information is available at smithsauctioncompany.com....

DENVER -- Gay couples can keep getting married in Colorado, even though the state's gay-marriage ban is still in effect, a judge ruled Thursday. The decision added to the national confusion over same-sex marriage, as the judge said a county clerk can continue giving marriage licenses to gay couples despite what the state's attorney general calls "legal chaos" as the issue makes its way to the U.S. Supreme Court...

LOWELL, Mass. -- A fast-moving fire ravaged a three-story apartment building before dawn Thursday, killing four adults and three children, forcing tenants to jump or hand their children to safety, and leading to rescues from upper floors. Authorities are looking into reports the sound of exploding fireworks preceded the blaze, as well as a man's claim a brother who died in the fire kept fireworks in his apartment...

No, the United States isn't trying to build a military force of centenarians. It just seems that way after the Selective Service System mistakenly sent notices to more than 14,000 Pennsylvania men born between 1893 and 1897, ordering them to register for the nation's military draft and warning that failure to do so is "punishable by a fine and imprisonment."...

A Mississippi girl born with the AIDS virus and in remission for more than two years despite stopping treatment now shows signs that she still harbors HIV -- and therefore is not cured. The news is a setback to hopes that very early treatment with powerful HIV drugs might reverse an infection that has seemed permanent once it takes hold...

LOS ANGELES -- Emmy voters may need to steel themselves to sort through this year's top nominees: a macabre, medieval-style tale; a meth kingpin and his violent downfall; a bleak mystery about detectives tracking a ritual killer, and a heartbreaking saga of the AIDS epidemic's roots...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Garth Brooks is finally embracing digital music, but he's doing it his own way. Brooks, one of the last holdout big-name musicians refusing to put his music on iTunes, said Thursday he will make his back catalog of hits and new music available for download, but only through his website. He said the digital downloads of previous music would be available in a few weeks to tide fans over until a new album comes out later this year...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed legislation rewriting Missouri's payday loan laws Thursday, describing the newly proposed limits as an industry-backed "sham" that fell short of "true reform." The Democratic governor said it was better to leave the law as it is, with the hopes of pushing for more stringent regulations in future years, than to enact a modest revision passed by the Republican-led Legislature...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- In the nation's agricultural heartland, farming is more than a multibillion-dollar industry that feeds the world. It could be on track to become a right, written into law alongside the freedom of speech and religion. Some powerful agriculture interests want to declare farming a right at the state level as part of a wider campaign to fortify the ag industry against crusades by animal-welfare activists and opponents of genetically modified crops...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Republican state Sen. Will Kraus touted his support for a voter photo identification requirement Thursday while announcing his candidacy for Missouri secretary of state in 2016. Kraus, of Lee's Summit, is the first to formally launch a challenge to Democratic Secretary of State Jason Kander. He said he plans to form a campaign committee for the statewide office after the November general election, where he is unopposed for second Senate term...

The Dunklin County Sheriff's Office has identified the victim of Wednesday's drowning at the Ben Cash Conservation Area as 53-year-old Darrell Lynn Batchelor of Kennett, Missouri. At 2:37 p.m. Wednesday, eyewitnesses called the Dunklin County Communications Center 911 line, requesting assistance...

A single-vehicle accident July 3 claimed the life of Nicholas Holt, 16, of Malden, Missouri. Holt was thrown from his 2005 GMC pickup when he veered off the left side of the roadway, striking an embankment and causing the vehicle to overturn. He was traveling north on Route WW, three miles north of Campbell, Missouri. He was not wearing a seat belt...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- City attorney Robert Smith on Monday filed a new motion for a summary judgment against former Poplar Bluff city manager Doug Bagby in Butler County Circuit Court. Smith alleges the contract agreement Bagby had with the city "was at all times illegal and void as a matter of law from its inception."...

A Gideon, Missouri, teenager was seriously injured Thursday afternoon when the vehicle she was driving pulled into the path of another. Traveling south toward Highway J two miles west of Malden, Missouri, a 1995 Buick driven by Sydney Hooten, 18, pulled into the path of a 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Jane McLeod of Malden, causing the Tahoe to strike the Buick on the driver's side. No passengers were in either vehicle...

Smith's Auction Co. will host its Summer Collector Car Auction on today and Saturday at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau. About 300 cars will be sold at the auction, with about 100 being sold Friday, said Sherm Smith, founder of Smith's Auction Co...

The Cape County Republican Women will host candidates for the 32nd Circuit Court at noon today at Dexter Bar-B-Que, 236 S. Broadview St. Trae Bertrand, Michael Gardner and Allen Moss are the candidates running for Circuit Court judge. The Republicans will face off in the Aug. 5 primary election...

Award-winning and top-selling Christian recording artist Chris Tomlin will perform in at 7:30 p.m. July 18 at the Show Me Center. "An Evening with Chris Tomlin" will include guest artist Brandon Heath. Tomlin, 42, boasts 10 No. 1 radio singles, a Grammy award, eight additional nominations, 21 Dove Awards, one platinum album and four gold discs. He said in an email that his first album was released in 2000, but he was traveling on his own about eight years before that...

Around Town, a coalition of galleries and arts agencies, is rewarding visitors to exhibits and displays. Patrons may pick up a card at a participating gallery and have it stamped at each gallery they visit. When the card is complete, it serves as a coupon for a free appetizer at The Library, 10 S. ...

In Cape Girardeau on Thursday night, the river rose to 33.2 feet -- about a foot above flood stage. It is forecast to crest at 36 feet by Monday.

It will feature new porcelain jewelry in a variety of colors by artist Linda Bohnsack. Reception from 5 to 9 p.m. 821A Broadway, 334-8530 It will feature an exhibit of works by members of the River Region Photography Association. Reception from 5 to 9 p.m....

What began as a routine traffic stop in Stoddard County on June 30 became a police chase that ended outside of Campbell, Missouri. That day, Matthew Robinson, 24, of Dexter, Missouri, tried to evade state troopers during a traffic stop. The chase continued into Dunklin County. ...

Last year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers took a draft environmental impact statement for the St. Johns Bayou and New Madrid Floodway Project to the public and asked for input, and officials say they received no shortage of it. Since the four-month public-comment period closed in November, project manager Danny Ward said a team of biologists and hydraulic engineers have been responding to more than 20,000 submitted emails and letters...

I'm troubled by the governor's cuts to the Missouri budget, particularly because his list includes programs I've watched help Southeast Missouri citizens live independent, healthy lives as contributing members of their community. For Cape Girardeau and the rest of Southeast Missouri, the governor's cuts mean the Cottonwood treatment center, the Cape Tax Assistance Office, and the nearby Poplar Bluff Regional center are all closing. ...

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com ABOVE: Chris Hartley, coordinator of education at the Butterfly House in Chesterfield, Missouri, shows children a Madagascar hissing cockroach crawling on his hand Thursday at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Sikeston woman is in custody after being arrested Wednesday in connection with an incident involving her children, according to police. Michelle Corbin, 34, has been charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to a release from the Scott County Sheriff's Department...

ST. LOUIS -- Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Edinson Volquez was expecting some pearls of wisdom from pitching coach Ray Searage before Thursday night's start at St. Louis. "He came up to me and I figured we were going to go over their lineup, do some scouting," Volquez said. "But all he said was, `Go out there and win."'...