Stories from Wednesday, December 3, 2014

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- American Airlines plans to start using larger jets next year at Columbia Regional Airport to carry more passengers to Chicago and Dallas. The airline service will provide bigger planes for Chicago flights starting in January and Dallas flights in February, The Columbia Daily Tribune reported. The increase in aircraft size is seen as a successful milestone for the central Missouri airport, which has rebounded from not providing commercial service at all in 2008...

ST. LOUIS -- Police are investigating Michael Brown's stepfather, Louis Head, for angry comments on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, after a grand jury decided not to indict the police officer who fatally shot his stepson, a spokesman said Tuesday...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A member of a group working on revisions to Missouri's Common Core education standards said Tuesday he won't resign, bucking the direction of House Speaker Tim Jones, who appointed him. Nick Kremer, a language arts coordinator in the Columbia School District, has been a supporter of the national standards, which Jones and other Republicans are seeking to revamp. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A recent hammer attack that killed a 32-year-old immigrant has members of St. Louis' sizable Bosnian community embracing some of the same tactics as Ferguson protesters -- albeit in hopes of attracting a stronger police presence rather than opposing it...

(Fred Lynch)

A farm worker died Tuesday afternoon after being buried in a grain bin on property north of Idalia in Stoddard County. Kenneth Wayne Hurley, 54, of Bloomfield was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Kenny Pope at 1:32 p.m. The death was ruled an accident...

A Cape Girardeau man's apartment was invaded by three people who robbed him at gunpoint Monday evening, police say. Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesman Darin Hickey said the robbery, in the 100 block of North Park Avenue, was reported to police around 7:45 p.m. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Attorneys for several St. Louis-area cities sought to defend the use of traffic cameras to spot speeding and stoplight violations Tuesday as the Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments on whether the local ordinances should be struck down...

After inclement weather forced a last-minute cancellation of the 2013 event, volunteers for Help-Portrait hope to serve a record number of people this year. But reaching that goal of 450 or more people can only be made possible if enough volunteers show up Saturday...

A day after he joined a group of U.S. senators in sending a letter to the postmaster general, U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt said he believes more time and consideration are needed before the U.S. Postal Service moves forward with its consolidation plan for mail processing facilities...

They'd all seen it plenty of times before -- but never like this. Jerry Kinnaman and a handful of fellow hunters stood staring in the cold, captivated by the strange beauty. "Son of a buck," Don Palmer said. "He is incredible." "Look at those notches in his ear there," James Faught pointed out, squatting to snap photos of the deer's scarred ear and its 10-point rack...

The Redhawks never trailed in the first 36 minutes of Tuesday's game, but the Tigers clawed back for a 65-61 win at Mizzou Arena

Virginia Summers Felty of Millersville celebrated her 95th birthday with her family on Nov. 23. A five-generation picture was taken with her daughter, Saundra Felty Sawyer Crader of Marble Hill, grandson Dean Sawyer of Whitewater, great-granddaughter Amber Sawyer Driskill of Knob Lick, MO and great-great-granddaughter Lilly Kay Driskill...

The Redhawks fell to 2-5 on the season with their loss to the Leathernecks in Southeast's annual Classroom on the Court game.

POPLAR BLUFF -- The Jackson Indians swept the two biggest awards Wednesday night during the 69th Annual Poplar Bluff Letter Club Gridiron Banquet at the Black River Coliseum. Dante Vandeven was awarded the SEMO Conference's highest honor with the Carr Award as best high school football player in Southeast Missouri...

Ava, Millie and Sophie like being under the Christmas tree.

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 3, the 337th day of 2014. There are 28 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 3, 1984, thousands of people died after a cloud of methyl isocyanate gas escaped from a pesticide plant operated by a Union Carbide subsidiary in Bhopal, India...

BEIRUT -- Lebanese authorities detained a suspected wife and young son of the Islamic State group's leader, and were questioning the woman and conducting DNA tests on the boy, two senior Lebanese officials said Tuesday. Both officials refused to give further details about the woman believed to be a wife of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the IS group's reclusive leader. ...

NAIROBI, Kenya -- The heavily armed men roused the sleeping quarry workers in the dead of night. As in previous such attacks, the gunmen singled out the non-Muslims by asking them to recite the Islamic creed. Then they killed 36 of them -- most with a gunshot to the back of the head, according to a survivor who hid nearby during the slaughter...

WASHINGTON -- Dramatic U.S. government test results raise new concern that bulk shipments of rechargeable lithium batteries carried as cargo on passenger planes are susceptible to fires or explosions that could destroy the airliners. Yet U.S. and international officials have been slow to adopt safety restrictions that might affect the powerful industries that depend on the batteries and the airlines that profit from shipping them. ...

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- A towing company owner killed his ex-girlfriend, two men she had romantic trysts with and the owner of a rival tow truck firm, police said Tuesday. The shooter, Jody Lee Hunt, killed himself inside a pickup truck in the woods after about a 12-hour manhunt Monday, state police Lt. Michael Baylous and Monongalia County Sheriff Kenneth "Al" Kisner said during a radio interview on West Virginia MetroNews...

DETROIT -- Japan's Takata Corp. refused to comply with a U.S. government demand for an expanded recall of its air bags that can explode and shoot out shrapnel, and instead passed along the crucial decision to automakers. The response, which the U.S. immediately criticized as inadequate, sets the stage for a showdown between the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the company, when they appear before U.S. Congress on Wednesday...

SHAMOKIN, Pa. -- A Pennsylvania prisoner is free -- relatively speaking -- after spending part of the weekend with his arm stuck in a toilet. The News Item in Shamokin reported maintenance and emergency teams at the State Correctional Institution-Coal Township worked for several hours and wound up removing the toilet from its moorings to free the trapped limb...

A large, stained-glass window depicting the Nativity is dedicated at the morning worship service at Centenary United Methodist Church; the window is a gift from Barbara Rose Rust in honor of her husband, Harry W. Rust. UNIONTOWN, Mo. -- The final observance of the East Perry County sesquicentennial celebration of the Saxon immigration is held in the afternoon at Grace Lutheran Church; guest speaker is Dr. Paul Spitz, president of the Missouri District of Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod...

As a society, it's essential to our nation's future that we learn lessons from the criminal upheaval in Ferguson last week. It's a sad but safe bet that there will be other Fergusons in other locations. And by learning lessons this time around, hopefully we can avoid the chaos and destruction that has left our neighbor to the north in shambles...

Throughout the year we use this space to applaud different organizations for their efforts. Many of these are not-for-profit groups that depend on donations to keep their doors open and help others. The Christmas season can bring out goodwill and generosity, and we look for this generosity to continue this holiday season...

Daughter to Patrick Ronald and Monica Rhea Collier of Bloomfield, Missouri, Southeast Hospital, 8:31 a.m. Friday, Nov. 21, 2014. Name, Abigail Jean. Weight, 8 pounds, 11 ounces. Third child, second daughter. Mrs. Collier is the former Monica Reeves, daughter of Earlene Gaines of Bloomfield. She is a high school math teacher with Oran schools. Collier is the son of Ronald Collier of Jackson, and the late Patsy Collier. He is a custom applicator with Southeast Co-op...

Father God, may we speak truth with grace to one another. Amen.

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Tonya R. McFall, 45, of Scott City was arrested on a Scott County warrant. n Christopher A. Wareing, 32, of Jackson was issued a summons for failure to register a motor vehicle...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Monday: n At 5:55 a.m., call on Northwoods Court. n At 6:41 a.m., false alarm or false call on William Street. n At 7:47 a.m., false alarm or false call on William Street...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Chad L. Post, 28, of Patton, Missouri, was arrested on a probation and parole warrant. n A wallet was reported stolen and fraudulent use of credit/debit device was reported at 11 S. Kingshighway...

Don Lance Weakly, 68, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014, at Southeast Hospital. He was born May 15, 1946, in Oran, Missouri, to the late Richard Lance and Morean Weakly. Don was assistant pastor at St. Matthew's Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He then became pastor of Union Baptist Church in Pinhook and was later elevated to the title of bishop...

Dr. Katherine E. Hornsby Parrish, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014, at Southeast Hospital, surrounded by her family. She was born March 5, 1930, in Roanoke, Alabama, daughter of Alma C. Philpott. She attended high school in Roanoke, Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. ...

Dolly E. Copman Land, 96, of Delta passed away Monday, Dec. 1, 2014, at Heartland Care and Rehab Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 30, 1918, at Brownwood, Missouri, daughter of Edward and Emma Magg Copman. Dolly was an election judge for state and presidential elections. She was elected to the Township Board, operated a home daycare, and worked at McLard's Restaurant in Delta. She attended the Church of God. She loved her kids and grandkids...

Delores Krauss, 75, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Dec. 13, 1938, in Advance, Missouri, to Pyrtle and Ruth Masters Seabaugh. She and Orville Krauss were married April 13, 1958, in Advance...

Kimberly Ann Pruitt Jones, 43, of Foley, Alabama, formerly of Jackson, died Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2014, at South Baldwin Regional Medical Center in Foley. She was born Oct. 31, 1971, in Cape Girardeau, to George Pruitt and Barbara Pruitt Bollinger. Kimberly worked for Manpower at Procter & Gamble more than 10 years in various supervisory positions...

MORLEY, Mo. -- Mildred Foster Hitt, 91, of Sebring, Florida, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014, at The Palms Retirement Center in Sebring. She was born in Brockett, Arkansas, daughter of Thomas and Rosie Uzzle Foster. Mildred grew up in Morley, Missouri, and attended Morley High School. She married Lonnie "Jake" Hitt in Morley. They moved to Florida in 1961. Jake passed away in 1966. She lived in West Palm Beach, where she worked at various entities until moving to Eustis, Florida, in 1989...

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team will have youth on its side as it takes on Western Illinois this morning at the Show Me Center. A crowd of more than 1,500 grade school students will be in attendance at the Redhawks' annual Classroom on the Court game as the Redhawks attempt to build their first win streak of the season in the 11 a.m. contest...

Wanda Ruth Kain Davidson, 81, a lifelong resident of Cape Girardeau, died Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014, at her home, surrounded by her family. She was born Aug. 21, 1933, in Cape Girardeau, to Erhardt and Edna Griffin Kain. She and Raymond Davidson were married Dec. 7, 1951, at Egypt Mills...

MORLEY, Mo. -- Karen "Carolyn" Coram, 63, of Lowndes, Missouri, formerly of Morley, died Saturday, Nov. 28, 2014, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Friends may call from 10 a.m. to noon today at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran, Missouri. A graveside service will be at 1 p.m. today at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield. The Rev. Jerry Stroup will officiate...

Marie Borchelt, 93, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Dec. 1, 2014, at the Lutheran Home. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time Thursday at Trinity Lutheran Church. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the church, with the Rev. Nathan Burgell officiating. Entombment will be in Cape County Memorial Park Mausoleum...

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

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- At the halfway point, Missouri's season was on the verge of ruin.

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- An extra day off without any basketball may have been just what the Meadow Heights Panthers needed.

All scores were reported to the Southeast Missourian on Wednesday.