Stories from August 2014

The Cape Girardeau County recorder of deeds race is among the only contested county races that will appear on Tuesday's ballot. Local archivist Drew Blattner faces incumbent Scott R. Clark in the primary election. Both candidates are Republicans. Clark said when he took over the office in 2011, he did an assessment of what was working in the office and what needed to be improved. Some of the needs were obvious, he said...

It's almost time for area students to begin a new school year, so efforts are under way to make sure they're equipped and ready to learn. Wal-Mart stores around Missouri, including those in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Perryville, are hosting "Stuff the Bus" events in which shoppers can donate district-specific school supplies for underprivileged children...

CAIRO, Ill. -- The only survivor of a deadly bank robbery attempt told authorities her assailant was communicating with someone via walkie-talkie when he forced her and two other women into an employee lounge and attacked them with a knife, according to federal search warrants unsealed earlier this week...

St. Louis acquired a veteran pitcher for two slumping players

The March sisters -- Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy -- of the classic American novel "Little Women" will come to life next week, when the Jackson-based theater company Acting Out! will perform "Little Women: The Musical."...

Two riverboats stopped to live music and fanfare from spectators Thursday as they pulled into Cape Girardeau. The Queen of the Mississippi riverboat, which can carry about 150 passengers, pulled in to Cape Girardeau on Thursday morning and left about noon. The boat is traveling from Cincinnati to St. Louis...

The American Queen makes its way up river to stop at Cape Girardeau Mo.

The Cape Girardeau School Board approved proposed changes to the dress code during its meeting Thursday night. New provisions allow crew-neck T-shirts in any solid color to be worn in addition to collared shirts and turtlenecks already permitted. A separate provision added gray slacks to the range of solid-color bottoms that may be worn in the classroom...

A near-perfect morning with temperatures hovering in the high 70's ended with a perfect throw from quarterback Kyle Snyder to receiver Paul McRoberts on Friday.

The Queen of the Mississippi steamboat making its way up the river for a stop in downtown Cape Girardeau.

Today is Friday, August 1, the 213th day of 2014. There are 152 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On August 1, 1944, an uprising broke out in Warsaw, Poland, against Nazi occupation; the revolt lasted two months before collapsing...

I applaud the editorial position taken by this newspaper on July 27 in opposition to Amendment 7. In addition to being the largest tax increase in Missouri history, I feel that a sales tax is not the appropriate form of funding our transportation system...

O Lord Jesus, thank you that by your stripes we were healed. Amen.

I read Tuesday's article about the 10-year-old who was held hostage with a knife during a domestic dispute with a heavy heart. That little boy will bear the emotional scars of that experience (as well as many others that I'm sure haven't made the papers) for years to come...

Looking out one of our bedroom windows, I have a good view of the tomato patch in the raised bed where the old elm tree used to stand. Since the tree's demise during a wind storm, sunlight now reaches patches of our yard that used to be perpetually shaded...

Regarding Amendment 1, the Right to Farm ballot issue: It is perfectly described by this definition from the Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary: "Frivolous, Adjective, [Latin Frivolous, meaning brittle, crumbling (cf. Friable), hence silly]. 1. Of little value or importance, trifling; trivial; paltry. 2. Not properly serious or sensible; silly and light-minded; giddy."...

If you like rodeo action plus country and rock music, you may want to consider heading to Sikeston next week for the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo. The annual festivities bring out many locals and folks from around Southeast Missouri. The action begins Wednesday with Day 1 of the rodeo and musical performance by Josh Thompson. Thursday night's music entertainment is Thompson Square. Dustin Lynch will hit the stage on Friday. And Bret Michaels rounds out the week on Saturday night...

Editor's note: The following letter to the editor was submitted in response to the letter "Other options to fund roads" that appeared July 25. Responding to Art Wallhausen: Our roads are important, but higher education is a personal expense. Higher education affects the child...

LOS ANGELES -- Immigration courts are speeding up hearings for the tens of thousands of Central American children caught on the U.S. border after criticism that the backlogged system is letting immigrants stay in the country for years while waiting for their cases to be heard...

NEW YORK -- Target is bringing in an outsider as its CEO for the first time as the retailer fights to redefine itself to American shoppers. The Minneapolis-based company said Thursday that it named PepsiCo executive Brian Cornell to the top spot, replacing Chief Financial Officer John Mulligan, who had been keeping the seat warm since May...

NEW YORK -- T-Mobile US Inc., the most eligible company in the U.S. wireless industry, has another suitor on its hands. Upstart French telecom company Iliad SA on Thursday said it has offered $15 billion for a majority stake. Iliad is injecting itself into the courtship of T-Mobile, the fourth-largest U.S. ...

NEW YORK -- Twitter said government requests for user data grew in the past six months as more countries asked for a greater amount of information about users. More than half the requests came from the United States, as has been the case since Twitter began issuing its "transparency report" in 2012. ...

WASHINGTON -- The fees that banks charge debit-card users who overdraw their accounts usually cost more than the items being bought. That's the result of a study that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released Thursday. Large banks have generally charged a $34 penalty when people overdraw their debit-card accounts, even though most of the purchases involved were for less than $24. ...

WASHINGTON -- The State Department has endorsed the broad conclusions of a critical Senate report on the CIA's interrogation and detention practices after the 9/11 attacks, a report that accuses the agency of brutally treating terror suspects and misleading Congress, according to a White House document...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Kenneth Wayne Huey, 64, of Marble Hill passed away Wednesday, July 30, 2014, at the family home following an illness. He was born Aug. 9, 1949, at Cape Girardeau, son of Joel and Avis L. Mansker Huey. Kenneth served his country proudly in the United States Marine Corps during Vietnam...

BENTON, Mo. -- Betty Sue Moit, 67, of Benton died Wednesday, July 30, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 16, 1947, in Rockview, Missouri, to George B. and Betty Jane Lape Moit Sr. She and Robert Franklin "Bobby" Randolph were married Nov. 19, 1966, at Rockview...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Wade Edward Nelson, 23, of Perryville died Monday, July 28, 2014, in Perryville. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. today and from 6:30 a.m. until time of service Saturday at Young and Sons Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Kevin Coffee officiating. Burial will be in Home Cemetery...

BENTON, Mo. — Carlos W. Chitty, 101, of Scott City died Thursday, July 31, 2014, at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

Son to Scott Allen and Kristen Woods Ray of Daisy, Southeast Hospital, 11:28 a.m. Saturday, June 28, 2014. Name, Paul Randall. Weight, 7 pounds, 10 ounces. Mrs. Ray is the daughter of Paul and Laura Woods of Newton, Illinois. She is a financial services consultant with The Bank of Missouri. Ray is the son of Randy and Mary Beth Ray of Paris, Missouri. He is integrated solutions manager with William Nobbe and Co. Inc...

A committee of local, state and federal officials has been organized to try to preserve the jobs threatened by the filing of bankruptcy by Lenco Inc. of Jackson. The city of Cape Girardeau has issued a permit for redevelopment of the old Saint Francis Hospital, an indication work on turning it into a senior citizens housing complex and day-care center is in the offing...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Summonses Theft Burglary Miscellaneous CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt...

Breanna Bright, a candidate for a master's degree in English at Southeast Missouri State University, has published her first novel, "In the End," with the internationally acclaimed Permuted Press. Bright, born and raised in Sedgewickville, Missouri, has been writing since she was 13 and is enrolled in the Department of English, seeking her masters in professional writing. She received a bachelor's degree in English with a writing option from Southeast in 2012...

Heartland Talent Showcase is hosting a day of family fun and entertainment from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Jackson City Park. Activities include a bouncy house, face painting, games, a photo booth contest and local vendors. Throughout the day showcase contestants and local musicians will perform and raffle prizes will be awarded; the grand prize is two tickets to Busch Stadium on Aug. 17 when the Cardinals take on the San Diego Padres. More information is available by calling 200-0089...

NEW YORK -- U.S. health officials on Thursday warned Americans not to travel to the three West African countries hit by an outbreak of Ebola. The travel advisory applies to nonessential travel to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, where the deadly disease has killed more than 700 people this year...

NEW YORK -- There's an odd believability you find inside "Outlander" that somehow makes it feel true-to-life. Never mind it's a rip-roaring fantasy. Claire, a lovely British Army nurse on a second honeymoon in Scotland, is mysteriously swept from 1945 back to 1743, plopped into a strange and alien existence, including marriage to a dashing Scottish warrior, even as she struggles to return to "modern" times and the husband she left behind...

CHICAGO -- Once the vagabond of the music festival and touring circuit, Lollapalooza marks its 10th anniversary in Chicago when it opens for three days starting today with a lineup including Eminem, Outkast and Kings of Leon. "We are very into the idea of being an international music event," Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell said in a recent interview. ...

NEW YORK -- Prolific TV producer Robert Halmi Sr. has died. Halmi died Wednesday in his New York City home at 90, said spokesman Russ Patrick. The Hungarian-born Halmi found success as a magazine photographer after arriving in America in 1951, shooting pictures for such publications such as Life and Sports Illustrated...

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- A series of underground gas explosions killed 20 people and injured 270 late Thursday in Taiwan's second-largest city, authorities said. The National Fire Agency said five firefighters were among the dead. Taiwan's Central News Agency reported firefighters had been at the scene investigating reports of a gas leak when the explosions occurred...

JERUSALEM -- Israel and Hamas have agreed to a 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire beginning today, during which time there will be negotiations on a more durable truce in the 24-day Gaza war, the United States and United Nations announced Thursday...

WASHINGTON -- Congress ran full-tilt into election-year gridlock over immigration Thursday and staggered toward a five-week summer break after failing to agree on legislation to cope with the influx of young immigrants flocking illegally to the United States...

Making a difference in the community will be the theme of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee. Dr. Jim Welker of Cape Girardeau School District, Randy Sparkman of MedAssets and John M. Thompson of The Bank of Missouri will lead a panel discussion on volunteerism in the workplace. Representatives from not-for-profit agencies also plan to attend...

Judge William Syler has presided over the 32nd Judicial Circuit for more than two decades. But on Tuesday, voters will be tasked with selecting his replacement. Trae Bertrand, Michael Gardner and Allen Moss are the Republicans running to fill the retiring judge's seat, and all agree on one thing: It's important the next circuit judge have the right experience...

Voters in Delta will elect precinct committeeman Tuesday. Chris Blattel will face incumbent Mark Reitzel for the position to represent voters. Reitzel, 45, is a self-employed farmer in Whitewater and said he enjoys being an active committeeman and strives to make sure people are educated on the candidates and issues...

KENNETT, Mo. -- Dunklin County voters will notice a big change when they head to the polls next week for the Aug. 5 statewide primary race. The County Clerk's office is installing $97,000 worth of new voting machines at all polling stations in the county...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Michigan man accepted the position of Poplar Bluff city manager Tuesday night during a special meeting of the city council. Heath Kaplan is a finance and management services director and interim county administrator for Muskegon County, Michigan...

SAN DIEGO -- At least the St. Louis Cardinals didn't get shut out. Little else went right for the Cardinals on Wednesday night. Rookie Jesse Hahn held St. Louis to one run and four hits in seven innings and Jedd Gyorko and Will Venable each homered and drove in four runs to lead the San Diego Padres to a 12-1 victory Wednesday night...

SAN DIEGO -- It was an emotional day for Shelby Miller, who said goodbye to friend and teammate Joe Kelly and then went out and helped the St. Louis Cardinals rebound from their ugliest loss of the season. Miller and three relievers combined on a three-hitter, and Oscar Taveras hit a two-run homer for the St. Louis Cardinals, who beat the San Diego Padres 6-2 on Thursday to avoid a three-game series sweep...

Post 158 debuted at the tourney with a 12-5 win over South Dakota

Missouri state champion Post 158 defeated the Kansas state champion 5-2 on Friday afternoon.

On Monday, a judge ordered a Neelyville, Missouri, man to stand trial for allegedly abusing his 2-year-old daughter. Accompanied by his attorney, Ted Liszewski of the public defender's office, Thomas Leeroy Moore again appeared before Associate Circuit Judge John Bloodworth for a preliminary hearing...

Post 158 eased into the championship with a 9-3 victory in the winner's bracket final.

Today is Saturday, August 2, the 214th day of 2014. There are 151 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On August 2, 1964, the destroyer USS Maddox suffered light damage during a skirmish with North Vietnamese patrol torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. (This and an alleged second incident two days later led to congressional approval of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution that propelled America deep into war.)...

Secret Service agents in St. Louis are investigating an estimated 60 percent increase in counterfeit bills in Southeast Missouri; the investigation is targeting the cities and surrounding areas of Cape Girardeau, Sikeston and Poplar Bluff. GALE, Ill. -- Federal and state environmental officials announce work has started on the removal of more than one million gallons of PCB-contaminated oil and water from the former Illada Energy Co. site, near here...

The Cardinals lost to Milwaukee 7-4 in a series opener Friday night.

David DeRoush Sikeston, Missouri Technician at Barnett Plumbing, Heating & Air How often do you travel to St. Louis? Quite a bit. We like baseball. We just love the city. St. Louis is the best of all the cities I've been to. The first Sunday in August is National Friendship Day. Tell me about one of your friendships...

Local county clerks say they expect to see a few more voters turn out for the primary election Tuesday, but not many. Cape Girardeau County Clerk Kara Clark Summers said she based her estimate on numbers from the 2010 and 2012 primaries, where voter turnout was 29 percent and 30 percent, respectively...

Former Perryville, Missouri, police chief Keith Tarrillion and his wife have filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Documents filed Thursday in federal court say the city's former top cop now works as a car salesman in Perryville. Tarrillion -- who on July 23 pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of making a false report -- resigned from the Perryville Police Department in March 2013 amid allegations of professional misconduct ranging from sexual harassment to threatening employees...

CAIRO, Ill. -- On a sunny July afternoon, artist Willie Woods sat in front of a huge, once-stately house built in 1860, rebuilding one of the wooden columns that more or less supported the front porch. The concrete figure of a woman lay in a side yard -- struck down by vandals, Woods said. Next to her stood a similar, unfinished sculpture...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Procter & Gamble is about to shrink. The world's largest consumer products maker said it will jettison more than half its brands around the globe over the next year or two, leaving it with about 70 to 80 of its top performers when the nips and tucks are complete. The maker of CoverGirl, Pampers and Tide declined to specify what exactly it will shed but noted they're smaller brands that collectively account for less than 10 percent of sales...

Local school policy isn't the only driving force behind a possible one-year suspension for two boys involved in a fatal shooting accident at Kelly High School. The Missouri Safe School Act regulates school policy on suspensions. The law, in laying out a one-year suspension for certain violations, also could make it difficult for the boys to enroll at another district in Missouri. ...

Photo taken late July.

After looking through the barn they chose to take a walk to the pond. How sweet they looked!

Today is Sunday, August 3, the 215th day of 2014. There are 150 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On August 3, 1914, Germany declared war on France at the onset of World War I. On this date: In 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, on a voyage that took him to the present-day Americas...

Dave and Lisa Gerlach and Jerrie and John Heisserer of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Erin Randol Gerlach, to Brandon Wilson Holzum, both of St. Louis. He is the son of Jeff and Mary Holzum of Cape Girardeau. Erin is a 2008 graduate of Central High School. She received a bachelor's degree in hospitality management with emphasis in event planning from the University of Missouri in 2012. She is employed at St. Louis Children's Hospital...

David Davis of Chester, Illinois, and Sally and Steve Ramsey of Jonesboro, Illinois, announce the engagement of their daughter, Maria Nicole Davis, to Dr. Cody Wayne Bell, both of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Mike and Donna Bell of Cape Girardeau...

Mr. and Mrs. Harry William Rust of Cape Girardeau will observe their 60th wedding anniversary Aug. 8. Harry and the former Barbara Lee Rose were married Aug. 8, 1954, at Centenary United Methodist Church, by Dr. Robert C. Holliday. Harry is the son of Wayne and Eva Rust, founders of Rust and Martin. He is an A.S.I.D. interior designer. Barbara is the daughter of Dr. Forrest H. and Ruth Rose. Her father was dean at Southeast Missouri State University 25 years...

This is a native wildflower I found blooming on July 19. I did not remember seeing this very pretty pink flower. Noting that it was growing near a pond well away from any yard or garden, I still suspected that it may be a non-native species that somehow found its way into the wilds of southeast Missouri. I drove nearby roads looking from my vehicle into the yards of the surrounding area, but saw no such pink flower...

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Area Chairman Matt Jenkins honored Lynn Spriggs, CEO and administrator of Chateau Girardeau, with the Department of Defense ESGR Patriot and ESGR Above-And-Beyond awards in recognition of the support of employees who serve in the guard. From left are Wendy Boren, assistant nursing director; Sgt. Andrew Lane, LPN; Cheryl Rice, nursing director; Spriggs; and Jenkins...

Vendors are being sought for Downtown Daze, a two-day community festival to be held Aug. 22 and 23 in Oran, Missouri. Sellers of food, crafts, jewelry, cosmetics, canned or fresh produce, baked goods and other items are sought. Information is available by calling Mike Frederick at 573-625-3303...

Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer John Brian Renaud, son of Theresa Renaud of Sikeston, and John and Shirley Renaud of Cape Girardeau, recently was promoted to his current rank while serving at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. Renaud received the promotion for sustained performance and upholding the Navy's core values of honor, courage and commitment. A 1998 graduate of Cape Central High School, he is the grandson of Catherine Renaud and Cordelia Conn both of Charleston, Missouri...

Lt. Co. Brian Lynch, a native of Cape Girardeau, recently retired after a 27-year career in the U.S. Army. At a ceremony he was awarded the Legion of Merit Medal, a U.S. flag that had flown over the Capitol building, a plaque from the Joint Task Force Civil Support unit and letters of appreciation from U.S. presidents and secretaries of defense and the army...

Pet Name: Alice Owner: Katie Jo About Alice: She's very loyal and gentle, my big baby. ...

Fluffy Nacho, 4 months old, loves cuddles and petting and would like a forever home. For more information, contact Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary at 243-9823. ...

Until lately I would never have been caught dead drinking rosé wine. Sure, I slurped my share of Lancer's and Mateus in college, but that was before I knew better and required what wine blogger Leah Odze Epstein calls wine with training wheels...

[Genesis is a product of] ... "Bronze Age desert tribesmen." -- Richard Dawkins, author, "The Greatest Show on Earth," 2009. On my way home from work, as I -- as do so many others -- try to unwind, I frequently turn on the sports radio station in my car. It's relaxing for me to hear men who make their living talking about the achievement of athletes become so passionate about truly unimportant matters...

It seems to me that our world is becoming increasingly more violent. I'm not sure if this is actually true, or if the world has always been this way and we are just more aware of it now because of global connectedness and the media's focus on it. Either way, there is a lot of un-love in this world, a lot of pain and hard-heartedness and holes in people crying out to be healed and made whole and just wanting to feel OK, trying to fill their emptiness in all the wrong ways. ...

A very pregnant Juliana Berger took a five-day trip with her husband and didn't speak to him once. They weren't fighting. They were attending a silent retreat. Berger, 33, a web developer, had attended a number of silent retreats over the past decade. Her husband, Jonathan Mann, a 32-year-old songwriter, had never been...

Patricia Fuson Strom, left, received a 65-year membership certificate from regent, Charlotte Slinkard, at the Nancy Hunter Chapter of National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution awards luncheon. Strom served as regent from 1974 to 1976 during the celebration of the bicentennial of the United States. ...

It's amazing to see what goodness animals can impart on humans. And it goes well beyond viral videos of cute cats and dogs that can be found in your Facebook feeds. The latest example is demonstrated by the EPIC Pals program, which pairs troubled youths and shelter dogs...

Your editorial about sales tax holidays -- "State, counties, wise to offer sales tax holiday" (July 30) -- encourages consumers to participate in the upcoming sales tax holiday, but your readers should know that holidays aren't really worth celebrating. These holidays are poorly targeted, costly and represent a lost opportunity to get tax fairness right...

There are lots of free give-aways for food, backpacks, clothes, etc. I would like to see the various food banks give their customers some hoes, rakes, seeds, young plants, etc., so they could put out a little garden and have some free food with a little effort. ...

Heavenly Father, thank you that through your son Jesus we can have eternal life. Amen.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- New Missouri coach Kim Anderson has added a consensus top 50 recruit with 6-foot-6 small forward Montaque "Teki" Gill-Caesar of Vaughan, Ontario. Gill-Caesar, who signed a financial aid agreement, was the 2014 Gatorade Player of the Year in West Virginia. He will be eligible next season...

The St. LOUIS QB is still questionable for Friday’s preseason opener

AKRON, Ohio -- Sergio Garcia still had a three-shot lead when the third round finally ended Saturday at the Bridgestone Invitational. British Open champion Rory McIlroy made it feel a little smaller. Garcia, who stretched his lead to as many as six shots before thunderstorms halted play for just over three hours, closed with three good pars for a 3-under 67. Playing in the group ahead of him, McIlroy finished with two big birdies for a 66 to get into the final group...

Questions about De’Anthony Thomas’ size have quieted at Kansas City’s training camp

LONG POND, Pa. -- Jeff Gordon turned a nostalgic weekend at the Brickyard into a powerful reminder that he can still win NASCAR's biggest races. Oh, and a fifth championship. But for all the proof that Gordon is still a driver to contend with in a championship push, he realizes he's not in the same physical condition when he won his first Brickyard in 1994. Gordon turns 43 on Monday with an achy back that he feels when settling behind the wheel of the No. 24 Chevrolet...

The teams will face off tonight in the annual Hall of Fame game

INDIANAPOLIS -- Doctors say Paul George's biggest battle is yet to come, and it may take a year or more before he returns to the Pacers lineup. One day after the two-time All-Star suffered a gruesome open tibia-fibula fracture on his right leg during a USA Basketball intrasquad scrimmage in Las Vegas, the questions began in earnest about George's recovery -- and whether he'd ever regain the form a that made him one of NBA's most complete players...

Aeneas Williams split his 14-year career between the Arizona Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams

DENVER -- Marijuana joined roses and dahlias Friday in blue-ribbon events at the nation's first county fair to allow pot competitions. This weekend's Denver County Fair includes a 21-and-over "Pot Pavilion," where winning entries for plants, bongs, edible treats and clothes made from hemp are on display...

NEW YORK -- The gasoline price roller coaster is running a strange course this summer. August began with the lowest average gasoline price for this time of year since 2010. Just a few weeks ago, drivers were paying the highest July Fourth gasoline price in six years...

ATLANTA -- The first Ebola victim to be brought to the United States from Africa was safely escorted into a specialized isolation unit Saturday at one of the nation's best hospitals, where doctors said they are confident the deadly virus won't escape...

JERUSALEM -- An Israeli soldier the military feared had been abducted by Palestinian gunmen in a firefight that shattered a temporary ceasefire in Gaza has been declared dead, ending what could have been a nightmare scenario for Israel hours after it signaled it plans to scale back its operation against Hamas militants...

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- A 51-year-old St. Charles man who was seriously injured when he picked up a firework in his yard after Fourth of July festivities has died. Family members say Mike Keen died Monday at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Keen was working in his yard July 5 when he grabbed what appeared to be a spent mortar. The shell exploded when he picked it up, causing internal bleeding, chest and facial injuries, shrapnel wounds and the loss of several fingers...

WASHINGTON -- What can President Barack Obama actually do without Congress to change U.S. immigration policies? A lot, it turns out. There are some limits under federal law, and anything the White House decides to do may be challenged in court as unconstitutional. ...

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

Nelda R. Palisch, 90, of Altenburg, Missouri, died Aug. 1, 2014, at Independence Care Center of Perry County in Perryville, Missouri. She was born Jan. 14, 1924, in New Wells, Missouri, daughter of Edward G. and Margaret Tiedeman Perr. She and Edgar O. Palisch were married June 16, 1946. He preceded her in death on Nov. 9, 1993...

Charles Walter Ficker, 47, of Cape Girardeau died Aug. 2, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Graveside service will be held at Crossroads Methodist Cemetery at 2 p.m. today with the Rev. David Duncan officiating. Young and Sons Funeral Home, Inc. in Perryville, Missouri, provided the arrangements...

GRASSY, Mo. -- Cassie Hatch, 84, of Grassy, Missouri passed away in her home on Friday, Aug 1, 2014. Her visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at Hutchings Funeral Chapel. The funeral will take place at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Hutchings Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Fred Ritter will officiate. Burial will take place at Bollinger County Memorial Park Cemetery...

Carol Marie Hesse, 73, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Aug. 1, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Memorial service will be at a later date. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Construction work on Kingshighway improvements is about 20 percent complete and should be finished by October; the project involves construction of dual, left-turn lanes at Kingshighway and Broadway and revision of traffic signals. J. Michael McGannon, the president of financially troubled First Federal Savings and Loan Association, has resigned; he is returning to Mexico, Missouri, to work with a Japanese company he helped bring to that town several years ago...

The Missouri Safe Schools Act, passed in 1996, was designed to regulate district policy and disciplinary measures on school safety. Three of the areas addressed may influence the Kelly school board on whether to suspend two students for their roles in the accidental shooting death of a classmate, 15-year-old Kaden Robert, in June...

Bill G. Blackwell Jr., 56, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Aug. 1, 2014, at Woodland Hills Nursing Home in Marble Hill, Missouri. He was born Nov. 14, 1957, in Cape Girardeau to Billy G. and Beatrice L. Wallace Blackwell Sr. He graduated from Cape Central High School and attended Southeast Missouri State University...

Dixie Adele Dunning, 91, of Cape Girardeau passed away Friday, Aug. 1, 2014, at Southeast Hospital. She was born April 15, 1923, in Greenbrier, Missouri, to Frank and Yvetta Hunt Reed. Dixie was of the Baptist belief. Her family was her world, and she enjoyed being a mother and grandmother...

Deborah Kay Blankenship, 59, of Jackson passed away Thursday, July 31, 2014, at her home. She was born Dec. 29, 1954, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Melvin H. and Lorene M. Fluegge Biester. She and Randy Blankenship were married Sept. 1, 1984. Deborah was a 1973 graduate of Jackson High School. ...

Carlos Ward Chitty, 101, of Scott City passed away Thursday, July 31, 2014, at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 27, 1913, in Fornfelt (Scott City) to Walter and Emma Foster Chitty. He and Ruby Imogene Lynn were married April 4, 1936, at Dexter, Missouri. She preceded him in death Oct. 19, 2006...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Dorothy Mae Baxter, 82, of Perryville died Thursday, July 31, 2014, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. She was born April 30, 1932, at Robertsville, Missouri, to Everett and Mae Warren Boyd. She and Leo W. Baxter were married April 7, 1951, at Owensville, Missouri. He preceded her in death July 4, 2014...

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. -- Dolores Iona Todd, 88, of Mountain Home passed away Thursday, July 31, 2014, in Mountain Home. She was born Dec. 31, 1925, in Plainville, Indiana, daughter of Delbert and Mary Frances Harbaugh Slatton. She married Charles Calvin Todd June 15, 1943, in Columbus, Georgia...

Dr. Jerry C. McNeely, 86, of Tarzana, California, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Monday, July 14, 2014, in Tarzana. A graveside memorial service with military honors will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Pleasant Hill Cemetery near Fruitland. The Rev. Grant Gillard will officiate...

Barbara Ann Price, 44, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, July 31, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center. There is no service. Crain Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri reported two dogs stolen from its facility Friday night. The not-for-profit organization closes at 5 p.m. Friday. When employees reopened at 8 a.m. Saturday, they discovered two pit bulls had been taken. One is a 7-year-old male chocolate pit bull terrier named Hazard and the other is a 7-month-old female blue American Staffordshire terrier named Silvey...

KENNETT, Mo. -- The city's lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is slowly moving ahead. The city filed suit against the EPA in March, protesting the agency's treatment standards for its wastewater lagoon. The EPA filed its response to the lawsuit in late June, and a meeting is scheduled later this month with the judge hearing the case...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis manager Mike Matheny decided at the last minute against giving slumping infielder Kolten Wong the day off on Saturday. It proved to be a smart move. Wong homered and had three RBIs and Justin Masterson won his St. Louis debut as the Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers 9-7 on Saturday night...

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

Summer brings an amazing abundance of produce that lasts such a short time. During this time, I try to use all I can in recipes to enjoy the fresh fruits and vegetables of the season. Today I am sharing with you just a few recipes that might have you thinking about ways you, too, can enjoy the season's bounty...

The First Church of God at 500 Emerald St. has historically been closely tied to the community east of the Show Me Center, and the Rev. Robert Hendrix wants to re-establish that identity now that the church has celebrated its 90th anniversary. Cape Girardeau Mayor Harry Rediger attended that July 19 observance to commend the membership for its "commitment and endurance" as numerous former members returned to increase attendance to 93, Hendrix said...

Donna Maurine Tullis (nee Kampen), 71, of Grand Junction, Colorado, died from numerous challenging medical conditions on Wednesday, July 30, 2014, at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction. Beloved daughter of the late Herbert and Neoma Kampen; devoted mother of Melissa (Dennis) Corsi of Grand Junction and Jeffrey (Tonya) Tullis of Ballwin, Missouri; dear sister of June (Jack) Hayes of Kansas City, Missouri; Myra (Sam) Gentry of Birmingham, Alabama; Carolyn (Dara) Wakefield of Rome, Georgia, and Paul (Martha) Kampen of St. ...

Two Cape Girardeau men were shot to death Sunday night on South Middle Street, police confirmed early Monday morning. Detavian L. Richardson, 20, and Zatrun R. Twiggs, 28, were taken to a hospital, where Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton pronounced them dead, Cape Girardeau police confirmed in a news release sent to local media outlets about 3:15 a.m...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- James Brady, the affable, witty press secretary who survived a devastating head wound in the 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan and undertook a personal crusade for gun control, died Monday. He was 73. "We are heartbroken to share the news that our beloved Jim "Bear" Brady has passed away after a series of health issues," Brady's family said in a statement. ...

MOKANE, Mo. -- "Lookers welcome." Those were Mokane resident Harold Lehman's parting words after giving a tour of the collection of antique tractors that line his driveway. Lehman restored all the tractors -- 15 in total -- back to working order himself, and he has two more that are awaiting his attention...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The city council in Kansas City has voted unanimously to ban the open carry of firearms, but the law could be stripped by a measure state lawmakers have approved to limit cities' abilities to craft such rules. The council voted 9-0 Thursday for the new law, which bans open carry and takes effect in less than two weeks, The Kansas City Star reported...

ST. LOUIS -- An insurance company has agreed to return nearly $8 million to St. Louis-area consumers as part of an agreement reached with state officials to settle allegations that the insurer didn't tell customers about a cheaper, identical plan...

FAIR GROVE, Mo. -- The board of governors of Missouri State University has extended the university president's contract. The 10-member board of governors awarded Clif Smart, president of Missouri State University, a four-year contract extension after meeting Thursday...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Four years ago, Bob Coulston's 6-year-old son, Bobby, asked him to make a rubber band gun. But not just any rubber band gun. It had to be the "awesomest rubber band gun" in the world. It took several dozen attempts before the Sheriff Shotgun -- a wooden, semi-automatic rubber band gun -- was born...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Millions of dollars in federal funds intended for drinking-water projects in Missouri and four other states have languished unspent, according to a federal report. The Office of Inspector General for the Environmental Protection Agency said it found that five states reviewed -- Missouri, California, Connecticut, Hawaii and New Mexico -- have $231 million in unspent balances above the goal level in the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which provides low-interest loans for cities, towns and local water districts to make drinking water infrastructure improvements.. ...

ST. LOUIS -- James Welborn, a recent Webb City High School graduate, has reached the halfway point of his solo canoe trip down the Mississippi River -- just in time to celebrate his 19th birthday with family. When Welborn arrived in St. Louis on July 25, he was greeted by familiar faces...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis political and civic leaders on Friday said they're prepared to join dozens of other major U.S. cities to provide temporary housing for displaced child refugees from Central America. Mayor Francis Slay and St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley joined civic, faith and humanitarian group leaders at city hall to announce the bid for a federal grant from the U.S. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A new program in St. Louis places homeless veterans into furnished apartments, an effort to help them get off the street and turn their lives around. The program launched Wednesday will serve as a pilot program for possible use in other cities, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. It is mainly funded by a one-year $750,000 Department of Housing and Urban Development "rapid housing" grant...

ORAN, Mo. -- An Oran man is in custody after being charged with domestic assault. Scott County sheriff's deputies responded to a call about 3:15 a.m. today after receiving a call about a domestic assault occurring at a home in Morley, Missouri...

Voters in the 147th District will have a decision to make among two Democratic candidates running for the state House seat. The position is held by Republican incumbent Kathy Swan. Gary L. Gaines and Blake Hopper both hope to see their name on the November ballot, where they will go up against Swan and Libertarian candidate Greg Tlapek...

JOPLIN, Mo. -- Officials at Missouri Southern State University are assessing a recent trove of African art found in a small room under a stairwell. Christine Bentley said after she was named to head the art department at Missouri Southern, she wanted to assess the university's African art holdings and found a 320-piece collection tucked away in the small room that had been enclosed below a basement stairwell...

While the mild summer temperatures have been ideal for visiting parks, trails and other outdoor amenities, they've taken a toll on aquatics facilities. Locally, visitors might have found the water a bit too chilly to dive in at Cape Splash or Central Municipal Pool...

Perry County, Missouri, is about to see a significant changing of the guard as five longtime elected officials retire, taking with them 114 years of combined experience. County Clerk Randy Taylor, Treasurer Veronica Hershey, Recorder of Deeds Susan Oster, Associate Circuit Judge Michael Bullerdieck and Circuit Judge William Syler all are stepping down after long careers...

Post 158 rebounded from a loss to beat South Dakota to win the championship behind Zach Elfrink's five-hit shutout.

Monday marked the first day of practice for fall sports teams under the Missouri State High School Activities Association guidelines.

Water lily in Forest Park St. Louis,

Purple water lily in Forest Park St. Louis.

This is the 2014 ASA State Champion Team; the game took place in Cape Girardeau Mo, 8-2-14.

Sarah Burgfeld, of Jackson, MO, has been selected as the new Agriculture Education instructor for Meadow Heights RII Schools and new advisor for Meadow Heights FFA Chapter. Burgfeld is a 2011 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, with a bachelor's of science degree in High School Education - Agriculture Education and a member of the Missouri Vocational Agricultural Teacher's Association (MVATA). ...

Jazzy is a feisty Hava-poo who loves shoe laces and tennis balls but hates when her mom makes her wear dresses.

Procter and Gamble plant managers Elia Lopez and Darrick Johnson present a $5,000 check to Nancy Jernigan of the United Way to support the Read to Succeed Program during the 2014-2015 school year.

Thousands of years ago as lava was forced to the surface it cooled in mostly hexagonal shapes forming columns. This is a view showing various heights of the columns. The Giant's Causeway is on the northern shore of Northern Ireland and is steeped in local mythology regarding its formation.

A close-up photograph of the lava formations that formed in columns in the Giant's Causeway on the coast of Northern Ireland.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A Springfield teenager has been hospitalized after she was injured by a propeller in a boating accident on Pomme De Terre Lake. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says the accident occurred Saturday afternoon when the canoe the teen was in collided with a pontoon boat. The patrol says the 15-year-old girl jumped out of the canoe to avoid the collision, but was run over by the pontoon and hit by the pontoon boat's propeller...

Today is Monday, August 4, the 216th day of 2014. There are 149 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On August 4, 1944, 15-year-old diarist Anne Frank was arrested with her sister, parents and four others by the Gestapo after hiding for two years inside a building in Amsterdam. (Anne and her sister, Margot, died the following year at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.)...

Liz Schott was only 15 when she was diagnosed with an arteriovenous malformation. She had two successful surgeries to shrink the mass in her brain, but during the third surgery, she suffered a stroke. She survived and learned to walk, talk, feed and dress herself all over again. Now 28, Liz still has some paralysis on her left side and short-term memory loss, but she's striving to improve...

The 1959 Cadillac sitting in Jerry Beck's garage is a long, silver, broad-fendered beauty. Vintage Americana with tailfins. Of his 31-car collection, it's Beck's favorite; as far as cars go, she's the total package. But Beck envisions something more ... a retro minibike, or maybe some antique bowling shoes. The cherry on top...

While David Warren has always had in interest in photography, his first photos were ones that, for some, would be hard to take. After graduating from Southeast Missouri State University, Warren, who is originally from Granite City, Illinois, became a police officer in 1978. Then, in 1979, he was asked to become a crime scene photographer for the force...

Processed and convenience foods and shortcut cooking methods have become so entrenched in our culinary culture, it's easy to forget just how much we have forgotten about real cooking. But cooking instructor Darina Allen knows all too well. ...

For many of us, our pets are our best friends, and have been for years. Unfortunately, some circumstances demand that we part ways with our furry pals sooner than expected. Roberta Beach of Silverwalk Hounds Sanctuary has helped many a pet owner through this situation. Here, she explains how to make sure your pet will always have a home...

It's becoming increasingly apparent that mental health services are badly needed in today's society. A new group in Cape Girardeau has been established to help families deal with mental health issues of a loved one. The National Alliance on Mental Illness in Jefferson City, Missouri, is spinning off a new group in Cape Girardeau. Called NAMI for short, the group offers support to the families of people dealing with depression and bi-polar disorder...

We are one set of the three captains who will be leading the 2014 National Corvette Caravan into Cape Girardeau, and we couldn't be more excited about our visit. Cape Girardeau is the last stop before we drive into Bowling Green, Kentucky, home of the National Corvette Museum. What better way to enjoy our last night on the road than a party on the banks of the Mississippi! Everyone at Cape Girardeau, from the CVB to the local car clubs, have made us feel welcome. Can't wait to see you all...

DES MOINES, Iowa -- A judge says the widow of Slipknot bassist Paul Gray waited too long to file a lawsuit against Gray's former doctor. The Des Moines Register said Polk County District Judge Dennis Stovall ruled last week to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Brenna Gray against Dr. Daniel Baldi. Stovall said plaintiffs have up to two years to file...

HYANNIS, Mass. -- Robert Kennedy Jr. and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" actress Cheryl Hines are now husband and wife. The couple married Saturday before family and friends gathered at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port on Cape Cod. The 60-year-old Robert Kennedy is an environmental lawyer and activist who lives in New York. He is son of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy and the late Sen. Edward Kennedy. It is his third marriage...

Daughter to Dustin Alan and Kyla Sue Estes of Sedgewickville, Missouri, Southeast Hospital, 11:38 p.m. Tuesday, July 22, 2014. Name, Amya Sue. Weight, 10 pounds. First child. Mrs. Estes is the former Kyla Mouser, daughter of Dennis and Angie Mouser of Marquand, Missouri. She is employed by Mouser Steel Supply. Estes is the son of Alan and Linda Estes and Nancy Estes, all of Jackson. He is employed by Co-op Service Center...

Mark Seesing, who literally grew up in the aviation business, has been named Cape Girardeau's first full-time airport manager; Seesing, 30, is assistant general manager at Cape Central Airways, which operates a charter service based at the municipal airport...

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

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Georgia "Louise" Pruett, 83, of Perryville died Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday and from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. Thursday at Young and Sons Funeral Home...

SHELL KNOB, Mo. -- Kathleen M. Shrum Husk, 65, of Shell Knob, Missouri, died Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014, in Springfield, Missouri. Kathy was born Aug. 24, 1948, the daughter of P.L. Leo Shrum and Marie A. Conrad Shrum. She attended Bollinger County schools and graduated from Woodland High School in 1966. ...

Rocky Dale Hannah, 61, of Cape Girardeau passed away Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014, at Life Care Center of Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 19, 1952, in East Prairie, Missouri, to the late William David and Pearlene Mae Davis Hannah. Rocky attended Northside Gospel Assembly in Cape Girardeau. He enjoyed woodworking...

BEIJING -- Already China's biggest restaurant operator with 4,600 outlets, KFC is pursuing Chinese consumers so avidly, it opens two more every day. That dramatic growth comes with a big catch: KFC's quality control is struggling to keep up. The Louisville, Kentucky-based chain is reeling after a Chinese supplier was accused of selling expired beef and chicken to it, McDonald's and possibly other restaurant chains...

WASHINGTON -- For millions of workers, happy days aren't quite here again. Though the U.S. unemployment rate has plunged since the start of last year to a five-year low of 6.1 percent, the Gallup Organization has found consumers' view of the economy is the glummest it's been in seven months...

The Cape Girardeau branch of U.S. Bank has named Cassy Dameron branch manager of its office at 3060 William St. Dameron, before joining the financial services industry in 2007, was a small-business owner. She lives in Jackson and enjoys staying active and traveling with her family...

The 2014 Corporate Games will be hosted Sept. 14 to 26 in Cape Girardeau. The event, sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department, promotes healthier lifestyles, teamwork, participation and fun for Cape Girardeau-area businesses, employee-based organizations and not-for-profit organizations...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- For Amanda Winschel, networking with people has always been something she's enjoyed. Whether it was for the United Way, the Southeast Missouri Food Bank, or most recently, the Perryville Chamber of Commerce, making connections in the community is a large part of what she does...

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands -- Tropical Storm Bertha drifted away from the Turks & Caicos Islands and the southeastern Bahamas on Sunday afternoon, prompting officials to discontinue all storm warnings and coastal watches. The storm had buffeted parts of the two Caribbean archipelagoes with rain and gusty winds after crossing over the Dominican Republic, where overflowing rivers from downpours led to the temporary evacuation of dozens of families...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Israel withdrew most of its ground troops from the Gaza Strip on Sunday in an apparent winding down of the nearly monthlong operation against Hamas that has left more than 1,800 Palestinians and more than 60 Israelis dead...

DONETSK, Ukraine -- Fighting raged Sunday on the western outskirts of Donetsk as the advancing Ukrainian army tried to seize control of the rebel stronghold. In danger of being encircled, the separatists renewed their calls for Russia to send troops to their aid...

BEIJING -- Rescuers dug through shattered homes Monday looking for survivors of a strong earthquake in southern China's Yunnan province that killed at least 381 people and injured more than 1,800. About 12,000 homes collapsed in Ludian, a densely populated county about 277 miles northeast of Yunnan's capital, Kunming, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported...

WASHINGTON -- U.S. employers extended their solid hiring into July by adding 209,000 jobs. It was the sixth straight month of job growth above 200,000, evidence that businesses are gradually shedding the caution that had marked the 5-year-old recovery...

GROVELAND, Calif. -- Nearly a year since a historic wildfire charred a huge swath of California's High Sierra, debate rages over what to do with millions of dead trees left in its wake: truck them to lumber mills or let nature to take its course?...

BURNEY, Calif. -- A pair of wildfires burning without restraint about 8 miles apart in northeast California became the focus of state and federal firefighters Sunday as authorities reported one of the blazes had destroyed eight homes and prompted the precautionary evacuation of a small long-term-care hospital...

When a man opened fire at a hospital outside Philadelphia, fatally shooting his caseworker and wounding his psychiatrist, the doctor saved his own life and probably the lives of others by pulling out a gun and shooting the patient. If Dr. Lee Silverman's decision to arm himself at the office was unusual, the violence that erupted at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital served as yet another illustration of the hazards mental-health professionals face on the job -- and, experts say, the need for hospitals to do more to protect them.. ...

William Kistler views retirement like someone tied to the tracks and watching a train coming. It's looming and threatening, but there's little he can do. Kistler, a 63-year-old resident of Golden, Colorado, has been unable to build up a nest egg for himself and his wife with his modest salary at a not-for-profit. He has saved little in a 401(k) over the past decade, after spending most of his working life self-employed. That puts him far behind many wealthier Americans approaching retirement...

TOLEDO, Ohio -- The toxins that contaminated the drinking water supply of 400,000 people in northwest Ohio didn't just suddenly appear. Water plant operators along western Lake Erie have long been worried about this very scenario as a growing number of algae blooms have turned the water into a pea soup color in recent summers, leaving behind toxins that can sicken people and kill pets...

ATLANTA -- The Ebola virus has killed more than 700 people in Africa and could have catastrophic consequences if allowed to spread, world health officials say. So why would anyone allow infected Americans to come to Atlanta? The answer, experts say, is because Emory University Hospital is one of the safest places in the world to treat someone with Ebola. There's virtually no chance the virus can spread from the hospital's super-secure isolation unit...

WASHINGTON -- No one on the Supreme Court objected publicly when the justices voted to let Arizona proceed with the execution of Joseph Wood, who unsuccessfully sought information about the drugs that would be used to kill him. Inmates in Florida and Missouri went to their deaths by lethal injection in the preceding weeks after the high court refused to block their executions. Again, no justice said the executions should be stopped...

NEW YORK -- Batman creator Bob Kane's own copies of the Caped Crusader's earliest appearances are going up for auction. ComicConnect is selling Kane's file copies of Detective Comics Nos. 27 through 45 and Batman Nos. 1 through 3. The auction house declined to put an estimate on their value, saying such items rarely come up for sale...

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

ST. LOUIS -- John Lackey was as advertised, and the St. Louis Cardinals rewarded their new pitcher with a late rally. "It worked out good, got a win," Lackey said after the Cardinals rallied for three runs in the seventh inning to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 on Sunday. "You obviously want to do well in a new place, for sure...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff High School sophomore is in stable condition after collapsing during Monday's football practice. Superintendent Chris Hon said the student was running a drill in the first half-hour of practice when coaches noticed him starting to stumble. Officials were not releasing the young man's name at press time...

No suspects have been identified in a fatal shooting on South Middle Street, and city officials are asking anyone with information to come forward. Detavian L. Richardson, 20, and Zatrun R. Twiggs, 28, were pronounced dead early Monday morning after being gunned down inside a car by what police suspect were multiple occupants of a white SUV, said Sgt. Jason Selzer of the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

During the past year, SoutheastHEALTH has expanded in several different areas, with more plans to come. The hospital opened an extended-stay outpatient recovery unit June 30, and on July 7, babies began being admitted to the new neonatal intensive care unit in Cape Girardeau...

Offensive coordinator Sherard Poteete said up to five backs will get snaps this season.

Drew Blattner was voted Cape Girardeau County's next recorder of deeds in one of the county's most contentious August races. The local archivist, who garnered about 60 percent of the vote, will take the seat from his opponent, Scott R. Clark, who will complete his first term in the office this year...

Tuesday's voter turnout fell just short of the expectations that called for slightly higher turnout. County clerks cited races for judge and county office positions, as well as five constitutional amendments as possible incentives for more voters to cast their ballots...

Bike donations were from UCT Council 534, VFW Post 3838, VFW Post 3838 Ladies Auxiliary and the Friends of the Library Foundation. Back Row: Diane Jamieson, Sandy Prichard, Joe Wolsey, Ronnie Cunningham, Bert and Jobyna Daume. Front Row: Maggie Graham, Luke Horrell, Kylie Creech, Justice Burton, Jaylynn Terry and Vincent Strohmeyer...

This photo was taken of the lighthouse at sunset at Tybee Island, Georgia.

Today is Tuesday, August 5, the 217th day of 2014. There are 148 days left in the year. Today's Highlights in History: On August 5, 1914, what's believed to be the first electric traffic light system was installed in Cleveland, Ohio, at the intersection of East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue. Montenegro declared war on Austria-Hungary at the start of World War I...

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- At some point this season, likely within the first couple of games, Jamaal Charles will slide past Larry Johnson and breeze past Priest Holmes to become the Chiefs' career rushing leader. It's a goal, sure. But it's only a rest-stop on the way to loftier expectations...

Michael Phelps’ return to competition will continue with the U.S. championships this week

ST. LOUIS -- Trevor Rosenthal's fastball tickles the triple digits, he has developed a nasty change-up and he keeps his cool. The 24-year-old right-hander, who leads the major leagues with 34 saves in his first season as a closer, is a perfect fit for the St. Louis Cardinals...

The Southeastern Conference finally got knocked off the mountaintop. Now, Alabama and other aspiring national contenders are trying to begin the climb back in a league that suddenly has a fresh feel. Gone are marquee names like Jadeveon Clowney and Johnny Manziel and Heisman Trophy finalists AJ McCarron and Tre Mason...

ST. LOUIS -- Wide receiver Tavon Austin expects to make more of an impact in his second season with the St. Louis Rams. Former West Virginia teammate Stedman Bailey will be part of the plan, too, after serving a four-game suspension at the start of the season...

As everyone is surely aware, Jackson is celebrating its bicentennial year. We have had some type of bicentennial event each month, with two in July -- Independence Day and Homecomers. With all this emphasis on Jackson's history, I have had the opportunity to do a lot of research and have thoroughly enjoyed it...

People of Cape, if you're trying to turn left on a very busy street and there's lots and lots of traffic coming, please don't stick the nose of your car or truck way out to the end of the line, almost into the line of oncoming traffic so that people trying to turn right can't even see what's coming until they're also out past you into the oncoming traffic. It's very dangerous, and it really doesn't get you to where you're going any sooner than you would have otherwise...

I want to thank the Southeast Missourian for the story they ran on our 20th reunion of our 1994 American Legion baseball state championship team at Capaha Park. I also want to thank KFVS television and ESPN radio 1220 for their coverage; Jess Bolen, who allowed us to introduce our players during his Capaha game; and River Eagle Distributing for providing their hospitality room for our banquet...

Voting should not be taken for granted. This country has its share of problems. But unlike some countries, we have the right to vote. It's an opportunity to make our voice heard, to cast our ballots for the candidates we believe best represent our values...

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

Ann A. Yount, 91, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014, at Monticello House in Jackson. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until time of service Thursday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Tom Sullenger officiating. Interment will be in Cape County Memorial Park in Cape Girardeau. ...

NEW HAMBURG, Mo -- Sylvia E. Steimle, 94, of New Hamburg passed away Monday, Aug. 4, 2014, at the family home in New Hamburg. She was born Dec. 10, 1919, in New Hamburg to the late William Weinbert and Bertha Schlitt Kern. She married Barney F. Steimle on April 30, 1949, and he preceded her in death Dec. 23, 1967...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Roy F. Steger Jr., 74, of Chaffee passed away Sunday, Aug. 3, 2014, at the family home. He was born Dec. 27, 1939, in St. Louis, to Roy Francis and Myrtle Elizabeth Chapel Steger Sr. He and Stella Irene Sadler were married Sept. 23, 1978. She preceded him in death Oct. 15, 2012...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- William "Beck" Smith, 72, a lifelong resident of Sikeston, died Sunday, Aug. 3, 2014, at his home. He was born Jan. 11, 1942, in New Madrid County, to the late Roland Webster and Motel Beck Smith. He and Bonnie Jean Barnes were married May 26, 1961, at Canalou, Missouri...

John W. Scholz, 87 of Whitewater, died Monday, Aug. 4, 2014 at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson and from 9 a.m. until time of service time at Bethlehem General Baptist Church in Crump...

Troy Dale Pruett, 66, of Cape Girardeau passed away Monday, Aug. 4, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 29, 1948, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, to the late Troy O. and Pearl E. Gentzen Pruett. Troy was a graduate of Poplar Bluff High School and attended Memphis State University. He was bar manager at Port Cape Girardeau Restaurant, where he was employed 40 years. He was a former manager of Pruett's Pit Barbeque in Poplar Bluff...

Shirley Kay McRoberts, 59, of Pocahontas, Arkansas, passed away Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014. She was born Dec. 18, 1954, in Cape Girardeau, to Joe Eldon and Zelma Shorty Loenneke of Jackson. She and Clyde McRoberts were married in June 1995, and were married 17 years...

THEBES, Ill. -- Patricia Ann Knapp, 67, of Thebes, died Monday, Aug. 4, 2014 at her home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Crain Funeral Home in Tamms, Illinois, and from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Neal Funeral Home in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee...

GRASSY, Mo. -- Cassie L. Hatch, beloved mother and grandmother, passed into eternal life Friday, Aug. 1, 2014, from her home in Grassy. Born on July 23, 1930, in Senath, Missouri, she was the daughter of Montie and Louelly Moore Binkley. Cassie married Alvin Mack Hatch on Dec. 2, 1946. Together they raised four children, Alvin Gene (Brenda) Hatch of Jackson, Mackey G. Hatch, Pamela J. (Chuck) Elledge and Donna K. Jackson, all of Grassy...

Dayton R. Green, 76, of Jackson passed away Monday, Aug. 4, 2014, at Heartland Care and Rehab in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 21, 1938, in Jackson, son of Robert G. and Maggie Grindstaff Green. He and Katie Runnels were married Jan. 25, 1964, in Marble Hill, Missouri...

Harold Michael "Mike" Davis, 69, of Cape Girardeau joined his parents and beloved daughter, Brandy, in heaven Sunday, Aug. 3, 2014, surrounded by his family. He was born Sept. 7, 1944, in Cape Girardeau, to Harold R. and Freeda Wright Davis. He eloped and married the love of his life, Jean Penick, Dec. 17, 1965, in Dresden, Tennessee...

ORAN, Mo. -- Florence A. Baiter, 92, of St. Elmo, Illinois, formerly of Chester, Illinois, and Oran, passed away peacefully Friday, Aug. 1, 2014, at Aperion Care in St. Elmo. She was born Feb. 20, 1922, at Perkins, Missouri, to William and Esther Kelso Friedrich. She and Irvin M. Baiter were married Feb. 14, 1942, in Augusta, Georgia. He preceded her in death May 4, 2005...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A new Alabama law restricting doctors who perform abortions would force several women's clinics to shut down, placing unconstitutional restrictions on a woman's right to obtain one, a federal judge ruled Monday. Several doctors live outside the state and would be unable to gain the privileges to admit patients to local hospitals required by the law, U.S. ...

DONETSK, Ukraine -- Residents say the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk is dying. The power grid was completely down Monday, the city government said, and fuel is running dry. Store shelves are emptying fast, and those who haven't managed to flee must drink untreated tap water. With little medicine left, doctors are sending patients home...

KUNMING, China -- Rescuers found scores of survivors Monday as they dug through homes shattered by an earthquake in southern China that killed at least 398 people and injured more than 1,800. Rainstorms were expected to continue to hinder rescue efforts in the coming days...

WASHINGTON -- A U.S. program in Cuba that secretly used an HIV-prevention workshop for political activism was assailed Monday by international public health officials and members of Congress who declared that such clandestine efforts put health programs at risk around the world...

The Cape Girardeau City Council approved an ordinance establishing property tax rates for the city, which remained mostly the same. Before taking any action on the issue, the council first opened the floor for a public meeting on the matter, an annual statutory requirement. When no one stepped up to speak, the council unanimously approved the ordinance, minus the vote of absent council member Wayne Bowen...

More than 500 "Star Trek" fans from around the country are attending CONtinuum, a three-day "Star Trek" convention at the Holiday Inn; part of the convention's program includes appearances by Harve Bennett, producer of four "Star Trek" movies, and Jean Lorrah, a "Star Trek" novelist...

BROWNVILLE, Neb. -- Nearby residents received an alert telling them of problems at Cooper Nuclear Station in southeast Nebraska, but once again it was a false alarm. Nebraska Public Power District said the National Weather Service sent the warning at 3:48 p.m. Sunday to Nebraska, Missouri and other cellphone users who have requested the service. A correction was sent at 4:01 p.m. assuring people that there was no emergency at the power plant alongside the Missouri River near Brownville...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City is considering an ambitious plan to create a unified cultural district around the museum that would include lawns, public art installations, bike trails and connecting bridges. Supporters stress the plan offered by New York design firm Weiss/Manfredi, which was paid for by the Hall Family Foundation and the Kauffman Foundation, is only in its preliminary stages. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Despite a shortage of lethal-injection drugs, two of the nation's most active death-penalty states have quietly carried on with executions by turning to pentobarbital, a powerful sedative that generally puts inmates to death swiftly and without complications...

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. -- The U.S. Army is seeking public comment on possible future cuts at Missouri's Fort Leonard Wood and other installations nationwide. The Army estimates the southern Missouri installation could lose more than 5,000 civilian and military positions by 2020 after a round of much smaller cuts last year. The Army anticipates trimming its overall forces by more than 140,000 in that time period after 13 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Three Illinois residents are in jail following a continuing investigation into fuel and farm supply thefts from several Mississippi County businesses. Rusty Don Baker, 35, of Brookport, Illinois, is charged with theft/stealing of property valued at more than $500, receiving stolen property and possession of a controlled substance, all of which are felonies; and a misdemeanor charge of unlawful use of drug paraphernalia...

The Perryville Police Department has suspended a patrol officer without pay while the Perry County Sherriff's Department conducts a full investigation into an off-duty domestic incident at the officer's home. The sheriff's department was contacted following a 911 call...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Bloomfield residents will go the polls today to vote on a $10 million revenue bond issue for improving the city's water and wastewater systems. The city plans to replace all its water lines -- nearly 80,000 linear feet -- and to install new hydrants, gate valves and meters at an estimated cost of $5 million. Work on the wastewater lagoon includes upgrades to the treatment plant and is expected to cost $3.5 million...

More than 100 educators from Southeast Missouri will gather today in Cape Girardeau to share and learn new ideas about using technology in the classroom. The Southeast Educational Technology Conference, sponsored by the Southeast Regional Professional Development Center on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University, will feature guest speakers, breakout sessions and opportunities for teachers to share lesson plans using technologies that have been successful in their classrooms...

SCARSDALE, N.Y. -- One twin uses an iPad, plays video games and dances to Michael Jackson tunes. The other has significant, possibly permanent, problems walking and talking. The delicate separation 10 years ago of conjoined twins from the Philippines wasn't perfect, but the boys' mother says their very survival is reason enough to celebrate the anniversary...

GLENN LANDBERG ~ glandberg@semissourian.com Lucus Stephens, 9, uses newly installed exercise equipment Monday, Aug. 4, 2014, in Arena Park. The equipment is part of the "Fit Zone" along the Cape LaCroix Trail. ...

Two serious accidents occurred in Southeast Missouri over the weekend. The first was Saturday at 9:47 p.m. along Highway 25 in Clarkton, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A southbound vehicle driven by Cheil W. Cardenas, 44, of Piggott, Arkansas, ran off the road and overturned. Cardenas was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene at 10:10 p.m. by Dunklin County Coroner James Powell...

WASHINGTON -- The price is sky-high, but so is demand. A new $1,000-per-pill drug has become the treatment of choice for Americans with hepatitis C, a liver-wasting disease that affects more than 3 million. Even with insurers reluctant to pay, Sovaldi prescriptions have eclipsed those for all other hepatitis C pills combined in a matter of months, new data from IMS Health indicate. The promise of a real cure, with fewer nasty side effects, has prompted thousands to be treated...

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is overhauling poultry plant inspections for the first time in more than 50 years, a move it says could result in 5,000 fewer foodborne illnesses each year. Final rules announced Thursday would reduce the number of government poultry inspectors. ...

O Lord Jesus, thank you that in you we find strength. Amen.

Two American aid workers infected with Ebola are receiving an experimental drug so novel it has never been tested for safety in humans and was only identified as a potential treatment earlier this year, thanks to a longstanding research program by the U.S. government and the military...

ABUJA, Nigeria -- The doctor who treated a man who flew to Nigeria and died of Ebola now has contracted the disease, authorities said Monday, presenting a dire challenge to Africa's most populous nation as the regional toll for the outbreak grew to 887 dead...

NEW YORK -- Travelers, prepare to pay more for your flight. The average round-trip ticket within the U.S., including taxes, reached $509.15 in the first six months of this year, up nearly $14 from the same period last year. Domestic airfare continues to outpace inflation, rising 2.7 percent compared to the 2.1 percent gain in the Consumer Price Index...

Angie Davis wasn't so sure she wanted to be wearing braces at age 40, but when her teenage daughter began seeing an orthodontist, Davis decided she might as well get her own teeth taken care of, too. She'd always had crooked lower teeth and an underbite that caused her teeth to grind together, but when she was a teenager herself, she didn't want to go through the painful, complicated process to correct her underbite...

Even if you can make your favorite eyeliner last a year or more, it doesn't mean you should. Makeup has a shelf life, and time and temperature cause the ingredients to break down and lose effectiveness. Makeup also can be a breeding ground for bacteria...

Knit, purl. Knit, purl. It's a mantra of sorts for knitters like Dawn Flickinger. They knit for the diligent repetition, the patient creativity and the soothing rhythm that emerges as the yarn slowly caterpillars from one needle to the other and back...

No one is too young or too old to create interesting works of art at Open Window Studio in Jackson. "I teach all ages, from preschool through adult," says Kelly Hughes, business owner and teaching artist. She remembers vividly when her passion for art began...

The symptoms of ovarian cancer, if they exist at all, are so subtle the disease has its own slogan: "It whispers, so listen." Regina Randolph listened, but it was too late. After being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007, she endured a full hysterectomy and a few rounds of chemotherapy. She entered remission, and everyone thought she had the cancer beat. But the cancer came back, and she died on July 29, 2010. She was 58...

Rocio Romero's vacation home is far from any exotic island with palm trees and turquoise water. It's in rural Perry County, tucked in a lush wooded area and surrounded by a symphony of chirping birds and crickets...

The right rug can really tie a room together. The wrong one could permanently stain your floors. Knowing what to look for is key to landing the right rug for your space. The first thing to do is decide how much money you're comfortable laying down for a rug. High-end rugs can run as much as several thousand dollars...

For most adults who have ever been parents, the first 18 years or so of their child's life were spent nurturing and caring for their child, and usually becoming involved in their child's activities and interests. But once their child is grown and heads off to college or moves away from home, what's next?...

Where do you turn after a bad breakup or stressful day at work -- a pint of Ben & Jerry's? A giant order of french fries? It's called emotional eating or stress eating, and Whitney Gaffari has been there. It's what inspired her new business, Soul Nutrition, and led her to help others form a healthier relationship with food...

All the results and links to stories in one place.

Architect Rebecca Ward has earned the right to boast about her part in the complete transformation of the A.C. Vasterling building, a previously abandoned and foreclosed structure built in 1903 on the corner of Broadway and Fountain Street in Cape Girardeau. Still, she remains humble and is not a fan of the attention...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri voters have said they don't want to hike sales taxes to pay for roads and other transportation projects. But there appears to be no immediate Plan B for plugging a looming gap between the state's available highway funding and its anticipated needs...

A Cape Girardeau man has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in connection with a 2012 shooting at a local nightclub. Alexander Harris, 25, pleaded guilty Tuesday to the Dec. 16, 2012, shooting death of Nicholas Gilbert, 32, of Sikeston, Missouri...

Incumbent Holly Rehder will keep her state House seat in the 148th District after receiving 64 percent of the vote in Tuesday's primary. Rehder, of Sikeston, faced Illmo Special Road District board member Duston Stone of Scott City on the Republican ballot...

Judge Gary Kamp narrowly held on to his seat in the Cape Girardeau County Division III court against local lawyer Jeffrey Dix. Kamp won by about 1 percent. The incumbent, who has held the position of associate circuit judge for 20 years, received 6,732 votes, or 50.57 percent. Dix received 6,579 votes which equalled 49.43 percent...

Missouri voters said yes to three of five statewide ballot measures Tuesday, but a proposed transportation tax was not one of them. The Associated Press reported that voters rejected Amendment 7, which would have prompted a 0.75 percent increase in Missouri's sales and use tax to fund transportation projects such as state and local highways, roads and bridges...

A view of the American Queen while visiting Cape Girardeau, that shows local artists' rock art, and in the background, a view of the Bill Emerson bridge

The State Historical Society of Missouri President Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. announced today that the Society is creating a "Center for Missouri Studies" this fall. The Center, to be administered from the Society's headquarters in Columbia, will extend the Society's mission to promote and disseminate the study of Missouri's history and culture...

Boy Scout Dylan Hackler recently completed his Life Scout Project by landscaping and updating around the sign for the Scott City Senior Center. Hackler has successfully earned the rank of Life Scout with the completion of this project. He also received a donation of a cherub statue from Trees and Trends of Cape Girardeau. Dylan is the grandson of Howard and Debbie Perr of Scott City, MO and is in Boy Scout Troop 5 of Cape Girardeau...

Three little girls at the snow cone stand at the VFW Picnic at the VFW Lakes on July 4th.

Proposition K, the only local issue to appear on Tuesday's ballot, was soundly defeated by Cape Girardeau County voters. The measure proposed that a quarter-of-a-cent tax be levied across the county to fund a gap in children's mental health services. ...

Today is Wednesday, August 6, the 218th day of 2014. There are 147 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On August 6, 1914, Austria-Hungary declared war against Russia and Serbia declared war against Germany. On this date:...

The Republican weekly radio address this week summed up the prevailing national attitude in one short phrase: Something is wrong in Washington. Now the liberals are anxious to label the problem as a resistant GOP House, unwilling to embrace the Obama agenda...

In a couple of weeks we'll be able to see hundreds of Corvettes and hear that special purr of the engine. The Corvette Caravan will make its first visit to Cape Girardeau as the group travels to the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky...

The San Antonio Spurs hired WNBA star Becky Hammon on Tuesday, making her the first full-time, paid female assistant on an NBA coaching staff. Hammon, who plans to retire from the San Antonio Stars after this season, spent time working with coach Gregg Popovich and the Spurs last season and made a strong impression on an organization with a history of forward-thinking moves...

ST. LOUIS -- More than half of the roster was involved in the first St. Louis Rams special teams-only practice of training camp. That'll be the case again this week during preparations for the preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints on Friday night...

ST. LOUIS -- Jon Jay hit an RBI single with two outs in the eighth inning to break a tie and lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night. The Cardinals won their third in a row and fourth in the last five. Boston has lost three in a row...

ST. LOUIS -- The FBI and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office are offering a $20,000 reward for evidence in the continuing search for a Pevely woman who disappeared nearly a decade ago. Federal investigators on Tuesday unveiled a new missing-person poster of Amanda K. Jones, who was almost nine months' pregnant when she disappeared in August 2005 at age 26...

Members of the Scott County School Board convened Tuesday afternoon for a specially scheduled meeting in which they likely decided whether to suspend one or more students involved in the accidental shooting death of Kaden Robert in June. Although district officials would not confirm what they discussed at the meeting inside Kelly High School, according to the agenda published by the school district, the bulk of the meeting was a private executive session...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A Bertrand, Missouri, woman is in jail after allegedly attempting to steal a car and assaulting its owner. Holly Suzanne Parker, 32, is charged with theft/stealing of property valued at more than $500, second degree domestic assault and first-degree endangering the welfare of a child. All three charges are Class C felonies punishable upon conviction by up to seven years...

Victor R. Gunn will be the newest member of the Cape Girardeau City Council. He was elected the Ward 3 representative over challenger Evan Trump Tuesday. Trump is the former Cape Girardeau County Republican chairman and the district manager for Bi-State Southern Convenience Stores...

A trio of hotly contested races boosted turnout to nearly 45 percent Tuesday in Perry County, Missouri, as voters chose replacements for some longtime public servants who are retiring at the end of their terms. "We had some big races. ... It's been an interesting day, to say the least," said County Clerk Randy Taylor, who is one of the officeholders retiring this year in Perry County, where 44.84 percent of registered voters showed up at the polls Tuesday...

NEW YORK -- Russian hackers have stolen 1.2 billion user names and passwords in a series of Internet heists affecting 420,000 websites, according to a report published Tuesday. The thievery was described in a New York Times story based on the findings of Hold Security, a Milwaukee firm that has a history of uncovering online security breaches...

MIAMI -- To motivate a classroom packed with 87 aspiring real estate agents, instructor Keith Grandy started off his one-week, intensive course with the promise of big money: With hard work, fresh licensees in the Miami metro area could make $100,000 a year if they complete at least two transactions per month, according to current property prices and commissions...

LAGOS, Nigeria -- Nigerian health authorities acknowledged Tuesday that they did not immediately quarantine a sick airline passenger who later died of Ebola, announcing that eight health workers who had primary contact with him were now in isolation with symptoms of the disease...

LUDIAN, China -- About 10,000 troops used pickaxes and backhoes to clear roads and dig residents from collapsed homes Tuesday after an earthquake in southwest China that killed 410 people. Groups of volunteers, meanwhile, used their bare hands...

DONETSK, Ukraine -- Fighting in eastern Ukraine reached the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk on Tuesday as separatists and government troops exchanged rocket fire in neighborhoods on the edge of the city. In a western district of Donetsk, rockets apparently fired from a government position landed in the courtyard of a one-story house, killing an elderly resident...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's health-care law has become a tale of two Americas. States that fully embraced the law's coverage expansion are experiencing a significant drop in the number of uninsured residents, according to a major new survey released Tuesday. States whose leaders still object to "Obamacare" are seeing much less change...

WASHINGTON -- Economists have long argued that a rising wealth gap has complicated the U.S. rebound from the recession. Now, an analysis by the rating agency Standard & Poor's lends its weight to the argument: The widening gap between the wealthiest Americans and everyone else has made the economy more prone to boom-bust cycles and slowed the 5-year-old recovery from the recession...

Son to Robin Ashley Stagner and Maria Therese Green of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 7:33 p.m. Tuesday, July 22, 2014. Name, Nicholas Harold. Weight, 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Second child, first son. Ms. Green is the daughter of Mary Green and Harold Green of Cape Girardeau. ...

Twenty-six young people and five adults from Trinity Lutheran Church left Friday to attend the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod's National Lutheran Youth gathering in Denver; among those attending is Randy Whitticre, who was selected as a member of the National LC-MS Youth Honors Symphony Band and String Orchestra...

Bollinger County Prosecuting Attorney Steve Gray lost his bid for re-election Tuesday night. Newcomer Heath Robins of Southern Bollinger County unseated Gray by a vote of 1,548 to 883. "I worked hard," Robins said Tuesday night after the ballots were counted. "It's a vast county. There's a lot of area to cover."...

Glenda Enderle will hold her seat as the Scott County Treasurer after winning the primary election Tuesday night, according to unofficial election results provided by the Scott County Clerk's office. Enderle, of New Hamburg, received 59 percent of the vote, overtaking Joe Bill Davis of Benton, who received 41 percent...

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

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

Ann A. Yount, 91, of Cape Girardeau passed away Saturday, Aug. 2, 2014, at Monticello House in Jackson. She was born Dec. 25, 1922, in Parma, Missouri, daughter of Charles and Lillie Edwards Alexander. She and Homer Yount were married in 1950. He preceded her in death July 23, 1986...

John William Scholz, 87, of Whitewater passed away Monday, Aug. 4, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 30, 1927, in Whitewater, son of William "Bill" and Cora Edith Snell Scholz. He and Helen Haehnlein Welch were married July 1, 1978...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Katherine M. Markham, 81, of Advance passed away Monday, Aug. 4, 2014, at her home. She was born Jan. 13, 1933, at Zalma, Missouri, daughter of Earley Gilbert and Ester Mae Beshears Benfield. She and Jack R. Markham Sr. were married Feb. 13, 1951, in Piggott, Arkansas. He preceded her in death in 1993...

BENTON, Mo. -- Walter Leonard LeGrand, 64, of Benton died Monday, Aug. 4, 2014, at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. A memorial service will be at Commerce Baptist Church at a later date. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements...

THEBES, Ill. -- Patricia Ann Knapp, 67, of Thebes died Monday, Aug. 4, 2014, at her home. She was born Nov. 7, 1946, in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, to Mitchell and Agnes Durham Lanier. She spent her childhood residing in Summertown, Tennessee. Pat loved antiques. She collected, worked on and sold them for many years. She enjoyed spending time with her family and was an avid bird watcher. Her favorite times were spent at the beach and at her home on Wilson Lake in Alabama...

Cecil Kemp, 85, of Jackson passed away Monday, Aug. 4, 2014, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with Dr. Brian Anderson officiating. Burial will be in Russell Heights Cemetery with full military honors...

Lillian Rose English, 99, of Gordonville, formerly of Bell City, Missouri, died Monday, Aug. 4, 2014, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 10, 1914, in Illinois, to Louis and Grace Burris McAtee. She and Morgan English were married Aug. 26, 1933, at Jackson. He preceded her in death July 25, 1992...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Golf stories about Rory McIlroy are a lot more flattering than those a year ago. And if he reads too much into them, they can be a lot more dangerous. McIlroy went wire to wire at Hoylake to win the British Open. Then, he overpowered Firestone on the weekend to win his first World Golf Championship. Now he is the overwhelming favorite at the PGA Championship. He is looked on in some corners as a sure thing, a label once reserved only for Tiger Woods...

ATLANTA -- An American aid worker infected with Ebola arrived Tuesday in Atlanta, joining a second patient being given an experimental treatment that has never before been tested on humans. Nancy Writebol, 59, traveled from Monrovia, Liberia, to Emory University Hospital, just downhill from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She arrived two days after Kent Brantly, a doctor with whom she had worked in Liberia and who also contracted Ebola, showed up for treatment...

McALLEN, Texas -- Overwhelmed by the arrival of thousands of unaccompanied immigrant children, the state of Texas relaxed its standards for the shelters that house them, easing rules governing how much space each child needs and what kind of facilities they should have...

CINCINNATI -- Federal appeals courts soon will hear arguments in gay marriage fights from nine states, part of a slew of cases putting pressure on the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a final verdict. If the appeals judges continue the unbroken eight-month streak of rulings in favor of gay marriage, that could make it easier for the nation's highest court to come down on the side of supporters...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Over the past two years, inside the high-tech sanctuary of Industrial Light and Magic, the man who built a virtual virgin jungle for the last "Indiana Jones" movie and conjured 150-foot-tall aliens for "War of the Worlds" has been confronting his most difficult task yet: creating a digital version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that could interact on screen realistically with Megan Fox...

WASHINGTON -- A U.S. government database of known or suspected terrorists doubled in size in recent years, according to newly released government figures. The growth is the result of intelligence agencies submitting names more often after a near-miss attack in 2009...

YORBA LINDA, Calif. -- Almost a decade after Richard Nixon resigned, the disgraced former president sat down with his one-time aide and told the tale of his fall from grace in his own words. For three decades, that version of one of the nation's largest and most-dissected political scandals largely gathered dust -- until this week...

WASHINGTON -- A majority of Americans think the economic benefits of good transportation outweigh the cost to taxpayers, but they can't agree on how to pay for new highways or repairs of old ones, according to a new Associated Press-GfKpoll. Six in 10 people surveyed said the cost of good highways, railroads and airports is justified by their benefits. ...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- The outlines of a solution for battered, blockaded Gaza are emerging after Tuesday's tentative Israel-Hamas cease-fire: Norway is organizing a donor conference and Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas aims to oversee rebuilding and reassert his authority in the territory, lost to Hamas in 2007...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- An American major general was shot to death Tuesday in one of the bloodiest insider attacks of the long Afghanistan War when a gunman dressed as an Afghan soldier turned on allied troops, wounding about 15 including a German general and two Afghan generals...

MIAMI -- The former clinic owner accused of selling performance-enhancing drugs to Alex Rodriguez has agreed to plead guilty in what prosecutors called a wide-ranging conspiracy to distribute steroids to both major league ballplayers and high school athletes...

O Lord Jesus, blessed Messiah, thank you for your love and grace. Amen.

When Judge William Syler retires from his position in Circuit 32, Division I, Michael Gardner will take his place. The circuit covers Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Perry counties. The local lawyer won the position with 35.33 percent of the vote in one of the area's closest races...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Supreme Court canceled an impending execution for one man Thursday and instead scheduled a different inmate to die by lethal injection next month. The court did not say why it rescinded its Sept. 10 execution order for Leon Taylor, but its decision came a few days after Taylor's attorneys had indicated in a court document they wouldn't have enough time to work on his case before the execution...

The Redhawks were picked to finish fourth in the preseason Ohio Valley Conference poll released Wednesday.

ST. LOUIS -- A troubled St. Louis County school district that lost its state accreditation has partially regained that status in an apparent legal maneuver involving a lawsuit over Missouri school transfer rules. Missouri officials disbanded the unaccredited Normandy system in July and replaced it with a newly-named entity under state oversight...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- State education officials granted provisional accreditation Wednesday to Kansas City schools, citing improvements in standardized test scores but concerns that many students still aren't performing at high levels. The unanimous vote Wednesday by the State Board of Education means the Kansas City School District no longer will be labeled as unaccredited when classes start next week. ...

ST. LOUIS -- FBI director James Comey says a new Missouri constitutional amendment on digital privacy is an appropriate legal protection that won't hinder law enforcement. Comey visited the FBI's St. Louis field office Wednesday, the day after Missouri voters approved a constitutional safeguard that requires police to obtain warrants before searching or seizing cellphones, emails, computer flash drives and other electronic data...

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis County woman who was mistakenly arrested and jailed by city police in 2009 has filed a federal civil lawsuit against police and jail officials. Shannon Renee McNeal, 42, was arrested on a warrant intended for Shannon Raquel McNeal, who was 19 years younger and had died months earlier. ...

BONNE TERRE, Mo. -- A Missouri inmate was put to death Wednesday for raping and killing a college student in 1995, making him the first U.S. prisoner put to death since an Arizona lethal injection went awry last month. The Missouri Department of Corrections said Michael Worthington was executed by lethal injection at the state prison and was pronounced dead at 12:11 a.m. He is the seventh Missouri inmate executed this year...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- An East Prairie, Missouri, woman is facing felony charges following a forgery investigation by the Mississippi County Sheriff's Department, the Standard Democrat reported. Abigail Keri Funderburk, 19, is charged with two counts of forgery, a class C felony punishable upon conviction by up to seven years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. ...

The Perry County School District's phone menu and procedure have changed. People who call the district no longer have to dial an "8" before entering the three-digit extension number for the person they're trying to reach. All extensions may be dialed directly. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- A new road has been constructed on the Perry County School District campus to ease traffic and safety concerns along Schindler Road, which runs in front of Perryville Elementary School. On a typical school morning, traffic can be backed up for a quarter-mile or more in both directions as parents wait to drop off their children, according to a news release. The project cost $165,000 and Bauman Construction earned the bid...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- By a 5-2 vote Monday night, the Poplar Bluff City Council approved a one-year contract with Heath Kaplan, the new city manager. Kaplan, who will begin his job Aug. 18, will be paid an annual salary of $160,000, which is $41,000 more than Doug Bagby, the former city manager, was making when he was fired May 5...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- An Anniston, Missouri, man is accused of injuring an elderly woman when he attacked her with a pool cue. Troy Alexander Knupp, 48, of Anniston, was arraigned Wednesday on the felony charges of first- and second-degree domestic assault, and armed criminal action. Bond is set at $300,000 cash only and he was ordered to have no contact with the woman and her husband, according to online court records...

Should a recount be requested in the Circuit 32, Division I judge race, it would qualify under state statutes. Missouri statute allows a recount for candidates who filed with the secretary of state's office that were defeated by less than one-half of one percent, but only if they file a request with that office. ...

Clothing for a Cape Girardeau School District clothing exchange may be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Friday at the Alma Schrader gymnasium. The sale is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Friday. Pick up for items not sold is 8 p.m. Friday at the end of the sale...

In just five years of rodeoing, Erin Mantz has made rapid progress -- going from local events around Jackson to the National High School Finals Rodeo in July. The 17-year-old, who will be a senior at Jackson High School this year, is the daughter of Jim and Chris Mantz. Although they aren't a horse family, Erin always had an affinity for the animals and had wanted one since she was a little kid, her mother said...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Opponents of Missouri's right-to-farm constitutional amendment were weighing a recount request Wednesday, a day after the measure appeared to pass by the slimmest of margins. The unofficial tally from Tuesday's election showed that with nearly 1 million votes cast, Amendment 1 carried by just over 2,500 votes, a margin of 0.2 percent. ...

Local educators and school board members are voicing opposition to a proposed state constitutional amendment that would tie teacher evaluations to student performance. The initiative, known as Amendment 3, has been certified by the Secretary of State's office and is set to be on the Nov. 4 ballot...

The Cape County Republican Women's Club will host Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy at noon Friday at Dexter Bar-B-Que, 236 Broadview St. in Cape Girardeau. Tracy will provide an update on county government. The event is open to the public. For more information, contact Lisa Reitzel, vice president of programs at 576-6335...

Saint Louis Art Museum, Forest Park, St.Louis

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis

Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis inside

Some Cape Girardeau students will be heading back to class this year on new sidewalks. Weeks before schools were set to open for the first day, contractors completed construction for the city on sidewalks near four schools. The work was made possible by funds granted to the city by the Safe Routes to School program...

Jared Diekmann, who joined the Redhawks' staff in July, has cut a more than two-hour process of editing practice video down to 15 minutes.

The New Salem United Methodist Women met August 6, 2014 at the church fellowship hall. Shirley Grebe, President, called the meeting to order with 9 members repeating the UMW Purpose . Roll call was answered by telling about a teacher we had in school...

Two more grocery stores are coming closer to opening in Cape Girardeau's midtown area. Ruler Foods, a subsidiary of Kroger, and Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market are both in the middle of construction. Ruler Foods moved into the old Dushell's Furniture building at 2103 William St., and a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market is planned where the Plaza Galleria once stood at 2021 Independence St. Both are within a block of each other...

Dalhousie Golf Club hosted the Southern States Junior Cup this week.

Longtime Southeast Missouri State track & field coach Joey Haines will be inducted into the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the USTFCCCA announced Wednesday. Haines, who coached for 26 years at Southeast before retiring in 2008, will be honored in a induction ceremony Dec. ...

Today is Thursday, August 7, the 219th day of 2014. There are 146 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On August 7, 1964, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, giving President Lyndon B. Johnson broad powers in dealing with reported North Vietnamese attacks on U.S. forces...

Boy Scout Troop 4, sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau, celebrated its 90th birthday at a reception on Aug. 2 at the church. Troop 4 is one of the oldest scout troops in the area. What a patriotic and heartwarming occasion it was to see the scouts "Present Colors," to see the numerous exhibits of past Troop 4 achievements, and to remember the Troop 4 Scouts who have become leaders both locally and nationally in many fields of endeavor...

Trail of Tears is one of Southeast Missouri's special gems. Visiting Lake Boutin can be a nice way to spend a summer day, and in the fall the colorful leaves are fantastic. The state park recently held its annual information meeting. Projects for the park were discussed, including a new restroom, electrical and sewer lines, parking lot and maintenance items such as fixing campfire grills and lantern posts...

Thank you to our city workers, businesses and homeowners for fighting the war on litter in Cape. Your work is noticed and appreciated. We know all who care will do their share. This message is for the Cape County commissioners. Bloomfield Road now is in worse shape than a lot of the county roads you've paved down on farm land in the south part of the county, around Delta, Chaffee. ...

With 10 teams playing a round-robin schedule and no championship game, the Big 12 is emphasizing its unique standing in the new playoff era. The mantra "One True Champion" is part of the conference's new branding effort, complete with television ads and its own website...

DENVER -- When the Seattle Seahawks visit the Broncos for a preseason kickoff tonight, they'll see a Denver defense that was reshaped with them in mind -- along with a team still smarting over all that trash talk during and after the Super Bowl...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams left tackle Jake Long has sat around longer than he's wanted. He is going to have to wait a little more before he gets to play in a football game. Long had surgery in January to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered against Tampa Bay on Dec. 22...

GRAPEVINE, Texas -- Commissioner Bud Selig expects baseball owners to vote next week from a list of three candidates for his successor. "Yes, there will be a vote in Baltimore," Selig said Wednesday, referring to the owners' meeting next week. Selig said the seven-member panel appointed earlier this year, and led by St. Louis Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., worked independently to get to this point...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Barely able to tie his shoes three days ago, Tiger Woods is ready to tee it up in the PGA Championship. Woods caused the biggest sensation of the week Wednesday afternoon simply by driving his silver SUV into the parking lot at Valhalla. He has never arrived so late for a major championship and had so little time to prepare -- just nine holes at Valhalla, which he had not seen since winning the PGA Championship in 2000...

LAS VEGAS -- The hackers are a tight-knit group, 10 or 11. They live in a Russian town, and have real jobs. But in their down time, the cybercriminals have spent the past seven months gathering a hoard of personal data, stealing 1.2 billion user names and passwords in a series of Internet heists affecting 420,000 websites, according to Alex Holden, chief information security officer for Hold Security, whose firm uncovered the breach...

MIAMI -- Patient advocates say some insurance companies are making HIV and AIDS drugs unaffordable in plans issued through the Affordable Care Act by shifting much of the cost to customers. While the issue applies broadly to all patients with chronic illnesses that require expensive medication, HIV and AIDS advocates say they were the first to file a formal complaint with the government about pricing...

WASHINGTON -- The use of an experimental drug to treat two Americans diagnosed with Ebola is raising ethical questions about who gets first access to unproven new therapies for the deadly disease. But some health experts fear debate over extremely limited doses will distract from tried-and-true measures to curb the growing outbreak -- things like more rapidly identifying and isolating the sick...

WASHINGTON -- Nearly 10 million Americans decided they would be a different race or ethnicity in the early 2000s, with the largest movement coming from Hispanics deciding which racial category they should be in, a new census report showed Wednesday...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama and dozens of African leaders opened talks Wednesday on two key issues that threaten to disrupt economic progress on the continent: security and government corruption. The discussions capped an unprecedented three-day gathering of African leaders in Washington. Much of the conference has centered on boosting U.S. financial ties with Africa, a continent that is home to six of the world's 10 fastest-growing economies and a rapidly expanding middle class...

Cecil Kemp, 85, of Jackson passed away Monday, Aug. 4, 2014, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 17, 1928, in Fredericktown, Missouri, to Wiley and Audrey Cloninger Kemp. He and Winnie Davis were married April 27, 1963, in St. Louis...

Mary Kathryn "Ki" Rudesill, 91, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2014, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. She was born Aug. 11, 1922, in Cape Girardeau, to Edward and Mary Lorene Litzelfelner. After her first few years living on a farm at Neelys Landing in north Cape Girardeau County, her family moved to Cape Girardeau where she grew up surrounded by many aunts, uncles and cousins...

Carol Marie Hesse, 73, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Aug. 1, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Sept. 9, 1940, in St. Louis, to John and Catherine Reese Simon. She and Don C. Hesse were married in 1957. Carol was a graduate of Little Flower School (elementary) and Maplewood High School in 1958...

Detavian L. Richardson, 20, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Aug. 3, 2014, in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time Saturday at Malden United Pentecostal Church in Malden, Missouri. The funeral will be at noon Saturday at the church, with Jo Ann McCauley officiating. Burial will be in Macedonia Cemetery at Malden...

Daughter to Christopher J. Scott and Jennifer Lynn Wells of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 2:08 a.m. Thursday, July 17, 2014. Name, Christiaja Aunicca. Weight, 7 pounds, 4 ounces. Sixth child, third daughter. Ms. Wells is the former Jennifer Khamdeng, daughter of Joeanna Billington of Cape Girardeau...

Beginning tomorrow, there will be no free room and board at the Cape Girardeau City Jail; from now on, municipal prisoners will start paying for their own keep; the cost of keeping prisoners at the jail will be added to the municipal fine for the offense...

LOS ANGELES -- The British edition of "The X Factor" is coming to U.S. television. Music entertainment cable channel AXS TV said Wednesday it will begin airing the singing contest's 11th season on Labor Day weekend. "X Factor" creator Simon Cowell is on the judging panel, which includes ex-Spice Girl Mel B and pop singer Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, once known as Cheryl Cole...

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday hit back hard against countries that have imposed sanctions over the Ukraine crisis, ordering trade cuts that an official said would include a ban on all imports of agricultural products from the United States...

DARMSTADT, Germany -- Turning what seemed like a science fiction tale into reality, an unmanned probe swung alongside a comet Wednesday after a 4-billion mile chase through outer space over the course of a decade. Europe's Rosetta probe will orbit and study the giant lump of dust and ice as it hurtles toward the sun and, if all goes according to plan, drop a lander onto the comet in the coming months...

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The Afghan soldier who killed a U.S. two-star general and wounded 15 other people hid in a bathroom with a NATO assault rifle then opened fire when a group of officers from international forces passed by, an Afghan military official said Wednesday...

DONETSK, Ukraine -- The steadily advancing Ukrainian army is setting its sights on the largest rebel-held city in eastern Ukraine, while Western officials Wednesday warned that a Russian military buildup on Ukraine's border could herald a major incursion to protect the separatists...

WASHINGTON -- Congress has checked out, and the American people have noticed. Three-quarters of Americans doubt the federal government will address the important problems facing the country this year, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll...

ST. LOUIS -- Xander Bogaerts drove in both runs, including a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, as the Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 on Wednesday night. The matchup of Shelby Miller and Joe Kelly, former teammates who were each other's best man at their weddings, was a high-quality draw that brought out their best. Each allowed a run in seven innings...

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

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

NEW YORK -- In Todd Parr's world, it's OK to wear your undies on your head, spill your milk or eat mac and cheese in the bathtub. Most of all, it's OK to be yourself. Inclusion and acceptance are Parr's mainstays in more than 30 quirky picture books for young kids, including "It's Okay to Make Mistakes," out this month from Little, Brown and Co...

Did you think turkey basters could only be used on Thanksgiving Day to flavor the turkey? Think again. STEP 1: Remove the plastic piece of the turkey baster from the rubber piece of the baster. STEP 2: Place a pingpong ball into the open part of the rubber piece of the baster, squeeze and observe...

Perkins Ashley Bailey, magna cum laude with a bachelor of science with a major in criminal justice: corrections option. Sedgewickville Lynda Jones, cum laude with a bachelor of science in education with a major in agricultural education...

CINCINNATI -- Three federal judges weighing arguments in a landmark gay marriage hearing Wednesday peppered attorneys on both sides with tough questions, with one judge expressing deep skepticism about whether courts are the ideal setting for major social change and another saying the democratic process can be too slow...

WASHINGTON -- Bank of America is nearing a $16 billion to $17 billion settlement to resolve an investigation into its role in the sale of mortgage-backed securities before the 2008 financial crisis, a person directly familiar with the matter said Wednesday...

HONOLULU -- Hawaii residents were furiously stocking up on essentials as two hurricanes churned toward the islands Wednesday and weather officials asked the whole state to prepare for flash flooding. Julio gathered enough steam in the Pacific to be upgraded to hurricane status as it trailed Hurricane Iselle, which could hit as early as today...

LAGOS, Nigeria -- Nigerian authorities rushed to obtain isolation tents Wednesday in anticipation of more Ebola infections as they disclosed five more cases of the virus and a death in Africa's most populous nation, where officials were racing to keep the gruesome disease confined to a small group of patients...

CAIRO -- Indirect Israeli-Palestinian negotiations over extending a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and ending a blockade of the battered territory got underway in Cairo on Wednesday, with both sides taking hard-line positions and much jockeying expected ahead...

LAHAINA, Hawaii -- Arizona will face Missouri in the opening round of the Maui Invitational. The Wildcats bring back another strong team after just missing the Final Four last season. Purdue will meet Kansas State in the other game in that part of the bracket announced Wednesday...

The Cape Girardeau County Reorganized Common Sewer District held an informational public meeting on July 29 at the Fruitland Community Church. The district is working on a feasibility study to evaluate the cost of eliminating 20 small existing wastewater treatment systems and consolidating treatment at one new plant. ...

O Lord Jesus, may our words and deeds bring honor and glory to you. Amen.

One person was injured in a Friday morning motor vehicle accident at the McDonald's restaurant at 1925 Broadway St. in Cape Girardeau, according to police. An elderly woman was struck when a driver reversed out of the McDonald's parking lot, a Cape Girardeau Police Department officer at the scene said...

A bug can turn you into a vegetarian, or at least make you swear off red meat. Doctors across the nation are seeing a surge of sudden meat allergies in people bitten by a certain kind of tick. This bizarre problem was only discovered a few years ago but is growing as the ticks spread from the Southwest and the East to more parts of the United States. In some cases, eating a burger or a steak has landed people in the hospital with severe allergic reactions...

United Way of Southeast Missouri's Read to Succeed program is about to begin the school year with a new program director. Charla Myers, who has worked in the early childhood and early intervention fields since 1996, just came on board Monday. Still, she already is searching for about 200 volunteers for five Cape Girardeau elementary schools...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A federal judge will hear a lawsuit challenging Missouri's ban on gay marriage after state Attorney General Chris Koster intervened in the case and moved it out of state court. The switch could put the Missouri case on a more direct route through the federal appellate courts at a time when U.S. judges have been increasingly striking down other states' gay-marriage bans...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama authorized U.S. airstrikes in northern Iraq on Thursday night, warning they would be launched if needed to defend Americans from advancing Islamic militants and protect civilians under siege. His announcement threatened a renewal of U.S. military involvement in the country's sectarian war...

Jerry McNeely -- Cape Girardeau native, Emmy Award-nominted television writer and creator of the TV series "Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law" -- was remembered this week as modest, mild-mannered, intelligent and determined. McNeely, who died July 14 of Parkinson's disease in Tarzana, California, was buried Wednesday in Pleasant Hill Cemetery near Fruitland...

The 3rd annual Knights Of Columbus BBQ COOKOFF was held by Council 6420 in Scott City on July 25th/26th.Below is a list of winners and the sponsors of each contest. Pork Steak sponsored by K-103: Winner- From the Rooter to the Tooter. Bloody Mary sponsored by K-103:Winner-Smokin Butts and Kickin Ashes...

Girl Scout Troop 8231 in Chester, Ill., made blankets for babies in Saint Francis Medical Center's Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) as a service project. Several of the girls, along with their troop leaders, visited the Level III NICU to donate their baby quilts and learn more about how Saint Francis cares for its tiniest patients. ...

FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- Tens of thousands of military veterans who have been enduring long waits for medical care should be able to turn to private doctors almost immediately under a law signed Thursday by President Barack Obama. Other changes will take longer under the $16.3 billion law, which is the government's most sweeping response to the problems that have rocked the Veterans Affairs Department and led to the ouster of Eric Shinseki as VA secretary...

Today is Friday, August 8, the 220th day of 2014. There are 145 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon announced his resignation, effective the next day, following damaging new revelations in the Watergate scandal...

By the end of this month, pedestrians in Jackson should have a smoother hike along the Legion Field levee. Parks and recreation director Shane Anderson said workers are "about 50 percent done" paving a 200-yard section of the trail connecting Washington and Mary streets...

There are lots of things I don't understand. I'll bet there are lots of things you don't understand. Maybe the two things I don't understand right now are among the things you can't figure out either. Example 1: If I made a list of minor and major aggravations in my lifetime, this would be at or near the top of the "major" group. What is it? It's mail-in rebates...

What are your thoughts on volunteering, on giving back to your community, on paying it forward? Do you think about it on a regular basis? Is a little voice inside you telling you that you need to help someone to improve their lives? CASA of Southeast Missouri Inc. ...

The Jackson-based theater group Acting Out! is set to present its latest musical this weekend, "Little Women." The Broadway musical was first performed in 2005, more than a century after the book by Louisa May Alcott was published. "Little Women" tells a story of four sisters and their mother from Massachusetts as their father served in the Civil War...

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Education said Thursday it will try to make it easier for students and parents with troubled credit histories to get college loans. New rules would ease restrictions on college students seeking loans from the government's direct loan program...

WASHINGTON -- North Dakotans, enriched by an oil boom, stepped up their spending at triple the national pace in the three years that followed the recession. In Nevada, smacked hard by the housing bust, consumers barely increased their spending...

WASHINGTON -- Fewer people sought U.S. unemployment benefits last week, as jobless claims remain at relatively low levels that point toward stronger economic growth. Weekly applications for unemployment aid fell 14,000 to a seasonally adjusted 289,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. The prior week's was revised up slightly to 303,000...

Zatrun Twiggs, 28, of Charleston, Missouri, died Monday, Aug. 4, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 21, 1985, in Cape Girardeau, to Christopher Arnel Payne and Pamela Suzette Twiggs. He and Shurita Williams were married April 6, 2010, in Jackson...

Justin Taylor Murphy, 8, of Oriole died Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2014, at St. Louis Children's Hospital. He was born Nov. 17, 2005, in Cape Girardeau, to Regina Ann Mize and James Murphy. Justin attended Nell Holcomb Elementary School. He is survived by his father, James Murphy of Perryville, Missouri; two brothers, Austin Murphy of Perryville, Drew Murphy of Anna, Illinois; maternal grandmother, Marie Mize of Oriole; maternal grandfather, Micheal Mize of Old Appleton; paternal grandmother, Mary Murphy-Kerr of Olive Branch, Illinois; maternal great-grandmother, Ethel Mize of Jackson; his mother's fiance, Gary Kelley, and his children, Nathan and Victoria Kelley, all of Oriole; numerous aunts, uncles, other relatives and many friends.. ...

Regina Ann Mize, 39, of Oriole died Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Oct. 23, 1974, in Portsmouth, Virginia, to Micheal and Marie Richardson Mize. Regina was a clerk at Fruitland Dressed Meats. She loved her family and everyone loved her...

Scott Wayne "Catfish" Baker, 56, of Lewisville, Texas, passed away Monday, July 28, 2014, following an optimistic and courageous struggle with kidney cancer. His greatest joys were his strong faith, family and friends. He enjoyed playing guitar, writing songs, watching baseball and NASCAR. His musical tastes were many, including his beloved Rolling Stones. He was most content when he was cooking for others or crappie fishing with his buddies...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Marvin T. Lukefahr, 87, of Perryville died Wednesday, July 30, 2014, at Independence Care Center of Perry County in Perryville. He was a Merchant Marine veteran of World War II and Army veteran of the Korean War. A memorial Mass will be held Aug. 14 at noon at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Highland, Missouri, with the Rev. Milton Ryan officiating...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Jack E. Hamper, 64, of Perryville died Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2014, in the Saint Francis Medical Center emergency room in Cape Girardeau. He was a Navy veteran of the Vietnam era. Visitation will be from 2 p.m. until service time Sunday at Young and Sons Funeral Home...

Cletus W. Hahs, 98, of Jackson died Thursday, Aug. 7, 2014, at Jackson Manor. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

Son to Matthew Gabriel and Stephanie Lynn Escamilla Rodden of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 10:50 p.m. Tuesday, July 22, 2014. Name, Kal-El Jordan. Weight, 8 pounds, 14 ounces. Fourth child, third son. Stephanie is the daughter of Joe Childress and Ginny Childress of Cape Girardeau. Matthew is the son of John Rodden of San Antonio. He is district manager with Banana Republic...

A request for funding for the proposed Interstate 66 project sparked a heated debate at last night's city council meeting, with the council finally tabling the matter over the objections of Mayor Gene Rhodes. City councilman Albert M. Spradling III announces he will seek the office of mayor in Cape Girardeau; Spradling was the top vote-getter in 1988, when he was first elected to a four-year council term...

Will Montgomery leans on a pool cue as Tommy Main racks up another game on a quiet weekday night at the Rude Dog Pub. They circle the table slowly in the narrow bar under stickers for their band, The Big Idea, mixed into decorations on the wall. Give them a guitar and a banjo, and Montgomery and Main are half of one of Cape Girardeau's most reliable local acts...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Summonses Thefts Property damage Miscellaneous...

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

With more than 100 arts and crafts booths, plus hands-on exhibits and special attractions, the annual Jour de Fete celebration takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in St. Genevieve, Missouri. As the first European settlement in Missouri, Ste. Genevieve long has been home to artisans and craftsmen, and its French Colonial atmosphere provides the setting for this annual event...

Highway 177 reduced for pavement repairs Highway 177 in Cape Girardeau County, from U.S. 61 to Route J, will be reduced to one lane as contractor crews make pavement repairs. A news release from the Missouri Department of Transportation says the work will take place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily Sept. 15 through Oct. 31...

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Melvin Gateley, left, supervises City of Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department employees Tim Maynard, center left, Gary Burke, Andrew Berghoff and Kevin Weber, as they lay brick pavers in the Melvin Gateley Vision 2000 Garden, Thursday, Aug. ...

Regina Mize and Justin Murphy have died as a result of a car accident Sunday afternoon. Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton said Mize, 39, of Jackson died in the hospital Wednesday shortly after the death of Justin Murphy, 8, at St. Louis Children's hospital...

St. Louis doctors have diagnosed a Poplar Bluff, Missouri, football player with a rare heart condition that nearly took his life. Caleb Morrow, a sophomore on the football team, has Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, said Tim Krakowiak, communications and marketing coordinator for the Poplar Bluff school district...

DETROIT -- A suburban Detroit man who insisted he killed an unarmed woman on his porch in self-defense was convicted of second-degree murder Thursday after the jury rejected his tearful claim he fired through a screen door in the wee hours because he feared his life was at risk...

McALLEN, Texas -- Fewer unaccompanied immigrant children are crossing the Texas-Mexico border, allowing the federal government to close the temporary shelters it hurriedly opened to handle the surge, authorities say. Arrests in South Texas have fallen in recent weeks to about 100 a day, down from 300 or more in June, according to the Border Patrol. ...

NEW YORK -- If you believe media reports, Richard Nixon suffered a stroke in 1994 and died days later at age 81. He is buried in his native Yorba Linda, California, silent as the country marks the 40th anniversary of his resignation. But the many obsessives among the 7,000-plus followers of @Dick_Nixon couldn't be blamed for sharing the president's suspicion of reporters. ...

Jackson High School is among a handful nationwide to receive the High Schools That Work Gold Achievement Award. To become one of the 11 schools to earn the award this year, at least 50 percent of its students had to earn the award based on their performance on the 2014 High Schools That Work Assessment. Winning schools also met the Adequate Yearly Progress criteria of the federal No Child Left Behind Act or had a graduation rate of at least 85 percent...

MOSCOW -- Russia retaliated Thursday for sanctions over the crisis in Ukraine by banning most food imports from the West, dealing a blow to Europe that takes aim at hurting the U.S., Canada and Australia. In choosing to make an economic move, President Vladimir Putin signaled he isn't ready at this point to send troops into Ukraine. He also showed he's willing to inflict pain on his own people to make a point...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- A Sikeston, Missouri, man is scheduled to be arraigned today in New Madrid County Circuit Court before Judge Joshua D. Underwood on assault, property damage and weapon charges. A probable-cause statement provided by New Madrid County Circuit Clerk Marsha Meatte Holiman states 26-year-old Parris M. Hill was arrested by the Sikeston Department of Public Safety after a disturbance July 31 at Bootheel Counseling Services...

ST. LOUIS -- Farmers and ranchers in southwest Missouri are being urged to monitor livestock after ergot, a fungus that can be deadly for cattle, was spotted in several hayfields and pastures. Ergot is an airborne fungus that affects seed heads of cereal grains such as rye, barley, oat and wheat. It is most prevalent in wet, humid years...

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Bryan Schutte runs to his truck during a downpour of rain Thursday in downtown Cape Girardeau. The Cape Girardeau Regional Airport reported more than an inch of rain fell Thursday....

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- For Rory McIlroy, the shockingly bad shot came out of nowhere. No worries. By the time he walked off the 18th green, there was little doubt he was still the man to beat at the PGA Championship. McIlroy ripped off four straight birdies on the back side and closed with another at the 18th hole, shooting a 5-under 66 at Valhalla that left him one shot off the lead Thursday...

Kevin Love isn't on his way to Cleveland just yet, but it won't be long before LeBron James has a new All-Star teammate with him on the Cavaliers. Minnesota and Cleveland have agreed in principle to a trade that will send Love to the Cavaliers for Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and a first-round draft pick, two people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Thursday. ...

CARSON, Calif. -- A year after Landon Donovan returned to soccer, he realized he had lost his passion for the sport again. This time, the best player in American history decided to walk away for good. The 32-year-old Donovan announced Thursday he will retire from professional soccer at the end of the MLS season, wrapping up the most prolific career in the league's history with one last run at a championship with the LA Galaxy...

The Leagues say they need more flexibility to enact change

ST. LOUIS -- Alec Ogletree ended fellow linebacker James Laurinaitis' four-year run as the St. Louis Rams' leading tackler in his rookie season. As with the rest of the defense, there's no resting on that accomplishment. Everybody is getting pushed and prodded to do more by new coordinator Gregg Williams. No doubt, many of them are hearing that distinctive barking from the sideline in their sleep...

Folk musicians Gary and Roberta Gordon will be the guests of KRCU Public Radio when it presents a concert at Cave Vineyard in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, on Aug. 22. The evening will begin with a social hour at 6, which will feature wine tastings provided by Cave Vineyard, as well as refreshments. ...

A law signed Thursday by President Barack Obama aims to alleviate delays many veterans have faced in getting treatment at Veterans Affairs hospitals and clinics and end the widespread practice of covering up long wait times for appointments. The legislation also makes it easier to fire hospital administrators and other senior VA executives...

HONOLULU -- Hawaii residents preparing for the first of two hurricanes swirling toward the islands got whacked by another natural hazard Thursday when a 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck, shaking people on the Big Island as they boarded up their homes...

BILLINGS, Mont. -- The remains of two missing airmen have been accounted for 70 years after they disappeared when their plane went down over Papua New Guinea during World War II, U.S. military officials said. The remains of 1st Lts. William Bernier and Bryant Poulsen were identified through DNA and other evidence collected from the crash site in a forest on the Pacific island nation, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Melinda Morgan with the Defense Prisoner of War-Missing Personnel Office...

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia -- They were leaders of Cambodia's infamous Khmer Rouge, the fanatical communist movement behind a 1970s reign of terror that transformed this entire Southeast Asian nation into a slave state -- a place where cities were emptied of inhabitants, religion and schools were banned, and anyone deemed a threat was executed...

BAGHDAD -- Militants from the Islamic State group seized Iraq's largest hydroelectric dam Thursday, giving them control of enormous power and water resources and leverage over the Tigris River that runs through the heart of Baghdad. The fighting has trapped tens of thousands of members of religious minorities on a mountaintop, and the Obama administration was weighing airstrikes or airdrops of food and medicine to help them, according to U.S. ...

Recently Rick Davis, mayor of the Bootheel community of Caruthersville, died of apparent smoke inhalation in his second-story bedroom, after his house caught fire late Wednesday night, July 23. The mayor's passing came just days after a Southwest Missouri woman died in a house fire in Seymour. Mr. ...

O Lord Jesus, may we love others as you love us. Amen.

The Charleston-based team is playing in its second straight Babe Ruth World Series

PINCKNEYVILLE, Ill. -- The 55th annual Steam, Gas and Threshing Show will take place Aug. 13 through 17 at the fairgrounds in Pinckneyville. Sponsored by the American Thresherman Association, the event begins at 6 p.m. Aug. 13 with horse pulls and mule relays...

Sky reflecting in Apple Creek

Today is Saturday, August 9, the 221st day of 2013. There are 144 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On August 9, 1974, Vice President Gerald R. Ford became the nation's 38th chief executive as President Richard Nixon's resignation took effect...

Voters yesterday approved two annexation proposals that will result in the first major expansion of the Cape Girardeau city limits in 22 years; as a result of the vote, the city has annexed both lanes of Interstate 55 from about 2,000 feet north of the I-55 and U.S. 61 interchange between Cape Girardeau and Jackson, south to the Cape Girardeau County line, as well as the southbound lane of I-55 from the county line south to the municipal airport in Scott County...

Joshua Peikert QPI Factory Worker Dutchtown, Missouri What's your favorite place to have lunch or dinner outdoors? I like a BBQ type environment -- frontyard/backyard type of deal. What's something you think you're really good at? Videogames, but she [Allison] is better...

For the final act of the Southeast Missouri State football team's scrimmage Saturday, the offense and defense were pitted off in a goal-line drill. The defense, which defensive coordinator Bryce Saia said struggles with consistency, was able to silence the offense and finish the day on a high note...

FERGUSON, Mo. -- Desiree Harris saw her grandson running near her home Saturday afternoon when she passed him in her car. Minutes later, she found his body on the street -- fatally shot by a police officer. The shooting of the black teenager, a recent high school graduate, sent hundreds of angry residents out of their apartments in the predominantly black St. ...

No charges will be filed against a Cape Girardeau police officer accused of getting into a fight with two other people outside a restaurant, police reported Friday. "An outside agency came in and investigated and found that no criminal charges would be filed against the officer," said Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

As parents prepare to send youngsters back to class, school districts are working with law enforcement agencies to ensure teachers are prepared for worst-case scenarios. Officials say teachers in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Perryville, Missouri, all have undergone active-shooter training to increase their students' chances of survival if someone comes into a classroom with gun in hand and murder in mind...

Despite a lackluster start to the year, sales tax revenue in Cape Girardeau County is outpacing 2013 figures by more than 4.5 percent -- thanks to robust numbers in recent months. Monthly revenue reports for July and August show the general sales tax and Proposition 1 sales tax together generated more than $1.2 million. ...

KHAZER CAMP, Iraq -- President Barack Obama justified the U.S. military's return to fighting in Iraq Saturday by saying America must act now to prevent genocide, protect its diplomats and provide humanitarian aid to refugees trapped by Islamic militants on a mountain ridge near the Syrian border...

The water was just right as we shoved off in our canoe, The sky was partly cloudy giving us relieve from the heat and the water was nice and cool. We started catching fish right off the bat with me landing a large mouth bass over 22" long. Wish we would have had a scale. ...

Uncle Sam (Leland Unterreiner)of Perryville, MO riding in the tractor parade on a beautiful Saturday morning (July 26th). I took this picture as the tractor parade was passing our home on U.S. Highway 61 south of Perryville.

Today is Sunday, August 10, the 222nd day of 2014. There are 143 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On August 10, 1944, during World War II, American forces overcame remaining Japanese resistance on Guam. On this date:...

Amanda Marie Wozniak and Anthony Travis Thrower were married May 3, 2014, in an outdoor ceremony at their home. Eric Grabel performed the ceremony. Music was by Chrissy Renick and Andrew Stephen of St. Louis. The bride is the daughter of Michael and Mary Ellen Wozniak of Cape Girardeau. The groom is the son of Tony and Teresa Thrower of Jackson...

Nicole Anna Sanders and Joshua David Tyler were married Dec. 7, 2013, at Bethel Assembly of God Church in Cape Girardeau. Danny Wilson and John Hawkins performed the ceremony. The groom's father played the saxophone. The bride is the daughter of Willie and Kathy Brown of Cape Girardeau, and George Galen Sanders. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Keith Tyler of Jackson...

UNIONTOWN, Mo. -- Yelena and Sergey Povoroznyuk of St. Louis announce the engagement of their daughter, Natalie Gelman, to James Bock, both of St. Louis. He is the son of Gene and Leola Bock of Uniontown. Natalie is a graduate of Ladue High School, and received a bachelor of science degree in business management from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She is an operations manager at Heartland Bank in Clayton, Missouri...

KELSO, Mo. -- James and Pamela Job of Kelso announce the engagement of their daughter, Alexandra Jo Job, to Christopher Ormin Cooper. He is the son of Ormin Cooper of Wichita, Kansas, and Cindy Lambert of Benton, Missouri. Alexandra is a 2009 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School, and received a bachelor of science degree in dietetics from Southeast Missouri State University in 2013. She is a registered dietitian at Southeast Missouri Mental Health Center...

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- Marvin and Karen Seyer of New Hamburg announce the engagement of their daughter, Ashley Seyer, to Cody Williams. He is the son of Jill Ortiz of Chaffee, Missouri, and Todd Williams of Miller City, Illinois. Ashley is a 2011 graduate of Kelly High School. She received certification in medical billing and coding from Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center. She is a physician coding specialist at Southeast Hospital...

Tammy Ahlvin of Cape Girardeau and Leif Thompson of Troy, Missouri, announce the engagement of their daughter, Briana Skye Thompson, to Justin Lee Sievers. He is the son of Darrell and Shannon Sievers of Altenburg, Missouri. Briana is a graduate of Central High School. She is a junior at Southeast Missouri State University pursuing a degree in social work. She is employed at Bank of Missouri...

The Baltimore oriole is a robin-sized songbird native to North America. It is widely distributed throughout the eastern half of the United States. Mated pairs are usually solitary during the summer breeding season, not found in small flocks like some other birds such as finches or sparrows. During our winter, Baltimore orioles can be found in Central America...

The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri will be host its 2 Feet, 4 Paws, One Cause Charity Run on Aug. 30. The event will include four- and eight-mile runs and a one-mile walk, with start and finish at the Osage Centre. Registration begins at 6:45 a.m. with the run to start at 8 a.m...

Lt. Col. Brian Lynch, a native of Cape Girardeau, recently retired after a 27-year career in the U.S. Army. At a ceremony he was awarded the Legion of Merit Medal, a U.S. flag that had flown over the Capitol building, a plaque from the Joint Task Force Civil Support unit and letters of appreciation from U.S. presidents and secretaries of defense and the army...

The Sigma Phi Epsilon Alumni Association Scholarship has been established through the Southeast Missouri University Foundation. Members of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Alumni Association made gifts of more than $10,000 to establish the award. Their gifts will be matched with an additional $10,000 through a University matching gift program, the Honoring Tradition-Inspiring Success Comprehensive Campaign...

Talk about an incident that brought tears to my eyes! I recently witnessed a story that was so sad, yet so beautiful, I couldn't fathom the depth of it. I was inspired beyond comprehension at what human beings can tolerate and still feel compassion for others in the same predicament...

Deep, meaningful, authentic friendships are something that most people are looking for. Most of us long for those friendships in which the conversation can stop and be picked up years later, right where it was left. God has demonstrated that level of friendships again and again centered on the gospel and built up in the church...

Bishop to visit area as part of 2,000-mile trip to introduce a five-year plan addressing aspects of ministry and ways to grow in faith.

We generally assume two things about salsa that we shouldn't. First, that it must involve tomatoes. Second, that the ingredients should be chopped. Because while chopped tomato salsas are delicious, you don't want those to be your only experience. There are so many other delicious ways to enjoy fresh salsa...

Bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches have to be one of the most popular, if not the most popular sandwich, in America. Well, maybe second only to the hamburger. We sure indulge in plenty of them during this time of year, when fresh tomatoes are ripe and delicious off the vine...

At the peak of ripeness, an in-season tomato is one of the things that makes life worth living. Happily, that season is upon us. And this recipe is my ode to that summer tomato. All kinds of tomatoes are at the best just now, big and small, beefsteak and cherry. At the base of this salad are sliced beefsteak tomatoes, which are topped with chopped small tomatoes and drizzled with a tomato-based vinaigrette...

Fancy, 3, is an American Stafforshire Terrier of medium size. She would need a home with no cats. She is available for adoption at the Humane Society, 334-5837. ...

Griselda, a fluffy gray cat with a short tail, enjoys petting and brushing and prefers one-on-one with people. She is available for adoption at Safe Harbor Animal Shelter, 243-9823. ...

Pet Name: Kandi Kai Owner: Linda Eakins Favorite activity: Kandi is a Lhasa Apso/Havanese mix and loves play dates with her boyfriend, a poodle named Teddy. ...

LOS ANGELES -- Any worried pet owner who has spent days hanging posters, making phone calls and knocking on neighbors' doors hopes there's a more scientific way to find a lost dog. That became a reality when facial recognition technology successfully reunited a pet at San Diego County Animal Services with its owners. ...

WEDNESDAY--Chicken nuggets with garlic toast; two choices from potato wedges, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots; mixed fruit. THURSDAY--Chicken chili crispito with cheese; two choices from Mexican black beans, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots; peaches and cookie...

NEW YORK -- To Scrabble fanatics, big gifts sometimes come in small packages. The word "te" as a variant of "ti," the seventh tone on the musical scale, is a hardworking little gem among 5,000 words added to "The Official Scrabble Players Dictionary," out Aug. 11 from Merriam-Webster...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff man is in serious condition after being run over by a van last week on Highland Drive near Poplar Bluff High School. Lew Tinker and his 53-year-old son, Lester Tinker, apparently had been mowing a yard at 1409 Highland Drive, according to Poplar Bluff Police patrolman Jamie Sample, who investigated the accident...

The Cape Girardeau region has a strong and deep religious heritage. Our part of the state is known for having some of the oldest churches on this side of the Mississippi. Churches were, and are, central to many of our communities. The First Church of God at 500 Emerald St. recently celebrated its 90th anniversary as a church...

Genesis 12:3. It says, "And I will bless him that bless thee, curse him that curses thee, and indeed all families of the earth shall be blessed." And I just want to say that God is with Israel. And I'd like to say, God bless Israel. Yes, I suggest that in November, instead of having all these taxes, why not have a special tax to bring an Amtrak train that comes in here that goes from here to St. Louis twice a day, or either here to Memphis?...

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

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

Elma L. Rhodes, 90, of Jackson died Saturday, August 9, 2014, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home in Jackson. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

Elzie O. Statler, 81, of Perryville, Missouri, died Aug. 8, 2014, at Independence Care Center of Perry County. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at Young and Sons Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Young and Sons Funeral Home, with the Rev. Jim Kiefer officiating. Burial will be in Lixville Cemetery...

Bill Drury, 57, of Old Appleton, formerly of Kelso, died Saturday, August 9, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

Pauline Collins, 74, of Scott City died Saturday, August 9, 2014, at the Monticello House in Jackson. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

Daughter to Justin Micheal and Neri Elizabet Warren of Blodgett, Missouri, Southeast Hospital, 11:42 a.m. Thursday, July 31, 2014. Name, Hadassah Isabella. Weight, 7 pounds, 7 ounces. Mrs. Warren is the former Neri Lopez, daughter of Ruth Lopez and Jose Lopez of Carterville, Illinois. Warren is the son of Kim Warren and Rodney Warren of Oran, Missouri. He is a business owner...

Cletus Wilburn Hahs, 98, of Jackson, passed on to his heavenly home on Thursday afternoon, August 7, 2014, at the Jackson Manor. He was born on Dec. 25, 1915 to Peter Kirby (P.K.) and Cora Caroline (nee Linebarger) Hahs on a farm near Daisy, Missouri...

ROMULUS, Mich. -- Authorities say a 78-year-old Florida woman tried to fly from Detroit Metropolitan Airport with almost $41,000 in cash hidden inside her girdle, bra and carry-on bag. A complaint filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Detroit says the woman was trying to board a flight April 2 to the Philippines when she said she had $200 in cash...

Bessie Ruth Simpson, daughter of the late Fred and Stella (Robinson) Melton, was born on Sept. 28, 1920. The eldest of 10 children and finished her life's journey on August 9, 2014, at the age 93 of years 10 months and 12 days. On July 1, 1938, she married Charles Lewis Simpson Sr. in Dexter, Missouri...

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. -- For the first time, U.S. public schools are projected this fall to have more minority students than non-Hispanic whites, a shift largely fueled by growth in the number of Hispanic children. The changing demographics of American education are apparent inside Jane Cornell's summer school classroom, where giggling grade-schoolers mostly come from homes where Spanish is the primary language. ...

HONOLULU -- The one-two hurricane punch that was supposed to hit Hawaii is looking more like a jab and a missed left hook. After Hawaii cleared Tropical Storm Iselle largely without deterring sunbathers and surfers, the state looked toward Hurricane Julio, which was expected to pass about 160 miles northeast of the islands at its closest point early today and linger near the state into Monday...

Army Staff Sgt. Travis Mills and his team from the 82nd Airborne were checking out reports of improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan when one detonated underneath him. His right arm and leg disintegrated. His other leg dangled, and his remaining wrist was shredded...

OMAHA, Neb. -- As state bans on same-sex marriages fall across the country, some Nebraska officials are holding strong to that state's status of having one of the nation's most restrictive laws, which affects some of the most basic aspects of gay couples' lives -- from driver's licenses to parenting rights...

DONETSK, Ukraine -- Ukraine's rebels are surrounded and ready to agree to a cease-fire to prevent a "humanitarian catastrophe," the insurgents' new leader said Saturday as conditions deteriorated in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, artillery thundering through deserted streets...

Annette Gail Farrar, beloved wife, mother, daughter, and friend passed Wednesday, August 6, 2014, at her home in Jackson. Annette was born Dec. 14, 1957, in Cape Girardeau to William and Wintress Carney Daugherty. She married Brad G. Farrar on Oct. 12, 2005, in St. Louis...

CAMP BAJID KANDALA, Iraq -- With shocked, sunburned faces, men, women and children in dirt-caked clothes limped into a camp for displaced Iraqis, finding safety after harsh days of hiding on a blazing mountaintop after fleeing from the extremist Islamic State group...

JERUSALEM -- Egyptian-brokered talks between Israel and Hamas on a new border deal for Gaza were thrown into doubt Saturday after senior officials said an Israeli team would not rejoin negotiations in Cairo unless rocket fire from Gaza stops. A day after the end of a temporary truce, cross-border attacks continued Saturday, though at a lower intensity than on most days in the past month of fighting...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis County police are searching for an armed man who entered a hospice and demanded narcotics before fleeing. Officer Brian Schellman said St. Anthony's Medical Center was placed on lockdown early Saturday after the hospital reported that a man armed with a handgun entered the de Greeff Hospice, confronted a nurse and told the nurse to take him to where the narcotics were located...

FERGUSON, Mo. -- A large crowd of angry residents confronted police officers Saturday afternoon, yelling such things as "kill the police" after an officer fatally shot a teen in a St. Louis-area neighborhood. Officer Brian Schellman, spokesman for the St. Louis County Police Department, said "a couple hundred" people came out of apartment buildings after an officer with the Ferguson Police Department shot and killed the male...

ST. LOUIS -- An investigation continues into a propane tank explosion that injured six workers at a St. Louis truck yard, leaving one of them with critical burns. The explosion happened about 8 p.m. Thursday at Saia LTL Freight's terminal near downtown. Fire Department Capt. Garon Mosby says workers were trying to switch out a propane tank on a forklift when a leak caused a flash explosion...

ST. LOUIS -- Some animal rights activists are criticizing St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay over his last-minute appeal to voters in support of the state's Right to Farm constitutional amendment. The amendment to the Missouri Constitution passed in Tuesday's election by just over 2,500 votes out of nearly 1 million ballots cast. Opponents are considering whether to seek a recount...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Linda Lucille Reinwald, 60, died Aug. 8, 2014 at her residence in Perryville, surrounded by family. She was born Feb. 5, 1954 in Marshall, Missouri, daughter of Edward E. and Ruth S. (Harre) Pratt. Linda was an elementary teacher for 33 years. ...

WASHINGTON -- Trying to bring a case against John Hinckley Jr. in the homicide of former White House Press Secretary James Brady could prove difficult for prosecutors, given the three decades that have passed since he was shot in an assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan and because a jury ruled Hinckley was insane when he opened fire, an attorney and law professor said...

Sikeston Standard Democrat STEELE, Mo. -- Steele police have arrested a 25-year-old woman for allegedly stabbing a victim in the head. Tonya Mayberry of Steele was arraigned Thursday on charges of first degree assault and armed criminal action in Division II of Pemiscot County Court before Judge Byron D. Luber...

Running for re-election, presiding Cape Girardeau County commissioner Clint Tracy on Friday highlighted some of the hot issues he's faced during his tenure during a presentation to the Cape County Republican Women. Self-insurance, taxes and a facilities study were among them. This past year, with the Affordable Care Act, Tracy said people have seen a lot of "turmoil" and "upheaval" in their ability to obtain coverage, and the county was no exception...

As of the end of July, the Cape Girardeau City Jail quit detaining federal prisoners for extended periods of time; the jail will still hold prisoners for a few days, a weekend, or during federal trials here. St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railway Co. has been given a $197,000 Mo-Bucks loan, which will enable the tourist railroad line to increase its marketing and promotional activities...

Grover "Glenn" Rhodes, 90, of Scott City died Saturday, August 9, 2014, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 26, 1924, in Cape Girardeau, the son of Grover Lee and Erma Jones Rhodes. He married Ercie Jane Henderson on Sept. 24, 1945, in Cape Girardeau. She preceded him in death on March 20, 2009...

A Sikeston, Missouri, woman accused of deliberately running down a man with her car lost a bid to have her bond reduced Thursday. Savannah R. Davis, 27, faces charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the July 11 death of John Sharber, 57, also of Sikeston...

An Arkansas man is in custody after a stabbing that left another man in stable condition with lacerations to his face, throat, shoulder and arm, Cape Girardeau police reported Friday. Robert L. Brewer, 40, of Jonesboro, Arkansas, is accused of attacking a colleague with a box cutter after a verbal altercation Thursday night at Drury Lodge, 104 Vantage Drive...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Donald Lafferty quietly entered a plea of not guilty last week at the Stoddard County Justice Center. Appearing with his attorney, Don Moore, Lafferty waived his right to an arraignment. He was scheduled to appear again Aug. 20 for case review...

The Cape Girardeau/Bollinger County Major Case Squad has concluded its investigation into a double homicide that occurred last Sunday. Zatrun R. Twiggs, 28, and Detavian L. Richardson, 20, were shot to death in a car early Monday morning, police reported...

BALTIMORE -- Justin Masterson may well end up contributing heavily to the St. Louis Cardinals in their bid to reach the postseason. At this point, however, the right-hander is not offering the kind of production the Cardinals envisioned when they got him from Cleveland the day before the nonwaiver trade deadline...

The St. Louis quarterback has not seen game action since injuring his knee in October

SIKESTON, Mo. -- He chose to work with the younger group who were just finishing up a hectic scrimmage game hurling basketballs at the rim like tomahawk missiles. When he spoke, Otto Porter Jr.'s young fans ceased fire and awed at what the 6-foot-8 NBA forward had to say...

Baltimore routed St. Louis for the second straight day with three HRs in a 10-3 victory

The Charleston Fighting Squirrels came up just short in its bid to secure its first victory at the Senior Babe Ruth World Series in Ephrata, Washington, on Saturday night. San Gabriel Valley, California, overcame a 2-1 deficit with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning on its way to a 3-2 victory against Charleston...

TIPTON FORD, Mo. -- A group of southwest Missouri residents has dedicated a stone marker commemorating the spot where a 1914 train crash killed 43 people. The accident occurred when Missouri and North Arkansas Train No. 209, which was actually a gasoline-powered vehicle similar to a street car, collided with a freight train on a Kansas City Southern line near Tipton Ford, an incorporated area in Newton County...