Stories from February 2015

Feb. 2 is Ground Hog Day. What is your feeling about the remaining winter weather? I hate the winter. I'm ready for the springtime. I'm a spring baby. Spring break 2015, here we come! What is the craziest thing you ever ate for breakfast? Cookies and eating sweets for breakfast. I need to stop that and eat healthy. How would you characterize your general outlook? I am very cheerful, very happy, very outgoing. I love to learn and get ahead. It really bothers me when ... ... when it's super cold outside and I have to walk between classes. I know we have the shuttles, but I wish they could take us closer. Feb. 2 is Ground Hog Day. What is your feeling about the remaining winter weather? I would rather go knock on his door and invite him outside so the winter would just go away. What is the craziest thing you ever ate for breakfast? Oatmeal and eggs. It's all about what you make of it. How would you characterize your general outlook? I am very observant and laid back. I like to relax a lot. It really bothers me when ... ... when you try to give someone advice and wisdom, and they don't listen. Feb. 2 is Ground Hog Day. What is your feeling about the remaining winter weather? It's pretty crazy, not good. I'm not a cold-weather person. What is the craziest thing you ever ate for breakfast? Anything for dinner. I was treated once like that, but I don't like eating dinner for breakfast. How would you characterize your general outlook? "I'm very cheerful. I like talking with people, especially where I work." It really bothers me when .... ... when people tell me I have an accent. I'm a California girl, a city girl. They think I'm from Mexico, but I'm not. Feb. 2 is Ground Hog Day. What is your feeling about the remaining winter weather? I'm ready for the winter to get over. It's summer one day, and winter the next. What is the craziest thing you ever ate for breakfast? Ribs. When I was doing some military business, we had ribs and potatoes for breakfast. But it was good. How would you characterize your general outlook? Cheerful. The day goes by quicker when you're cheerful. It really bothers me when ... ... when you're trying to help someone and to explain why to do this, and they don't have both sides of the story.

Rust Communications, which owns the Southeast Missourian, has teamed up with Southeast Missouri State University and KFVS12 to create a hands-on laboratory for students in the university's media programs. The 12,000-square-foot Center for Excellence in Mass Media at 325 Broadway will house the university's student newspaper, The Arrow, and its television and video production program...

While not for an Oscar or a Golden Globe, Cape Girardeau is in the running for another Hollywood trophy. The Location Managers Guild of America on Thursday named Rick Schuler and Steve Mapel, location managers for "Gone Girl," among five nominees for its outstanding locations in a contemporary film award, which will be announced March 7 in Beverly Hills, California...

Advocates for Missouri Medicaid expansion took to the streets Saturday morning to spread awareness of the situation and offer ways for residents to encourage change among their local lawmakers. "[We are] asking [legislators] to close the coverage gap so the other hundreds of thousands of Missourians can be covered and have access to medical care as well," said Cheryl Garrett, president of the local Cape Girardeau chapter of Empower Missouri. ...

An honor that brought a tear to his eye and a long hug for his son went to local banker and former Cape Girardeau mayor Jay Knudtson on Friday night at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's annual banquet at the Show Me Center. Knudtson was presented with the Rush H. Limbaugh Award, which is presented annually by the chamber to an individual who has distinguished him or herself through community service for a significant period of time...

A Cape Girardeau counselor has paid $25,000 to settle a 2014 Medicaid fraud suit, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced Friday. In February, Koster filed a 15-count lawsuit alleging Jennifer Kirchhoff engaged in improper billing practices that netted her $8,062 more than she was entitled to receive for family and individual therapy sessions...

Lions and tigers and bears? Oh, no! Ferrets and geckos and pigs? Well, why not? Whether in the backyard, the bathtub, basement or our beds, pets considered exotic are living in harmony in homes with their human owners. "When people say 'exotic' pet, they usually think of reptiles," Shane Goodwin, manager at Petco in Cape Girardeau, said...

Believe it or not, there was a time before the Super Bowl became supreme overlord of the sporting universe. Vicki Litzelfelner Abernathy remembers it fondly. Back when the Super Bowl was merely the biggest football game of the year, she performed during the halftime show...

More than 150 high school athletes from across Southeast Missouri were recognized last summer at the Show Me Center as part of the inaugural Semoball Awards. Now for Round 2.

Today is Sunday, Feb. 1, the 32nd day of 2015. There are 333 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 1, 1865, during the Civil War, Union forces led by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman began the Carolinas Campaign as they invaded South Carolina. Abolitionist John S. Rock became the first black lawyer admitted to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court...

Generosity photos

Richard and Lana Green of Benton, Missouri, announce the engagement of their daughter, Brenna Justine Green, to Jordan Christopher Buchheit, both of Maumelle, Arkansas. He is the son of Jon and Marsha Buchheit of Jackson. Brenna received a bachelor of science degree in business administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2010. She is unit manager at Altria, owner of Golden Key Properties...

Lindsay Marie Broussard and Robert Joseph Randolph were married June 7, 2014, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Rayne, Louisiana. The Rev. Gary Schexnayder performed the ceremony. Scripture readers were Andrea Pinac and Mallory Miller Gaspard of Crowley, Louisiana. Kip Faulk was organist and trumpeter, and Jace Fogelman was vocalist...

BENTON, Mo. -- Carissa Renee Klipfel and Amos Logan Helms were married Oct. 18, 2014, at St. Denis Catholic Church. The Rev. Michael Casteel performed the ceremony. Organist was Angela Klueppel of Benton. Vocalists were Jim Simmons of Benton and Kari Bickings of Oran, Missouri...

The Oran Jaycees will host a four-course dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Feb. 14 at Oran Jaycee Hall, 200 Haw St. Reservations are required and mus be made before Feb. 10. They can accommodate a maximum of five couples per hour, with seatings on the hour. The menu includes French onion soup dumpling, mixed green salad, lamb rib chop, sauteed Burssess sprouts, baked potato salad, and lemon custard. More information is available by contacting Travis Bickings at 573-270-2578...

Employees of Rent One donated $4,335 to United Way of Southeast Missouri's 2014 campaign. (Submitted photo)

The Sigma Phi Epsilon Founders Scholarship has been endowed through the Southeast Missouri University Foundation. The Missouri Zeta Chapter's 1999 Founding Fathers at Southeast made contributions totaling more than $5,000, which were matched as part of the Honoring Tradition -- Inspiring Success Comprehensive Campaign. ...

The Tau Kappa Epsilon, Delta Zeta Chapter Alumni Memorial Scholarship has been established through the Southeast Missouri University Foundation. Alumni of the Delta Zeta Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon made gifts totaling more than $5,000, which were matched through a foundation program to establish the scholarship, the Honoring Tradition -- Inspiring Success Comprehensive Campaign. ...

For years now a good friend of mine, Don Sanders at Sanders Insurance, has gotten me an Almanac Calendar. It is kind of like a Farmer's Almanac, only in calendar form. It looks like a normal calendar but if you look a little closer you will find a wealth of information. The interesting part has to deal with when to plant your garden seeds and plants and such...

It's cold outside, and the forecast suggests it will get even colder. But if you are a gardener, you are looking past the immediate forecast and thinking about spring gardening. If you want to keep yourself thinking spring, get with the program by starting cole crop (cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli) seed inside now, so that it will be ready for transplant when the weather breaks...

My husband eats sandwiches most days at his work, so he does not want a sandwich at home. I'm sure there are many people who have this same routine. Once in awhile, the rest of our family enjoys a sandwich, so they have to be different from what is in the lunchbox for work...

This column is about the Super Bowl but it isn't. It's really about our collective embrace of the trivial. We embrace it because we have to talk to each other about something, don't we? The only explanation that makes sense to me to account for why "Deflategate" has endured in the public mind for two solid weeks is that we're bored. And when we're bored, we cleave to the nonessential, to trivia...

A copy of the Nicene Creed hangs on the wall above my bed. I've hung it in whatever room I've lived in away from home ever since I read somewhere during my junior year of college the quote by St. Augustine: "Let the Creed be like a mirror for you. Look at yourself in it to see whether you really believe all that you claim to believe. And rejoice everyday in your faith."...

Fred Burgard and his wife, Sharon, know the demands of the ministry and the need for spiritual leaders to get away, be still and rest. They founded Shadow Rest Ministries with the goal of offering that place of rest to those who need it most. In 2004, Fred resigned from pastoring after fulfilling that role in two churches between 1993 and 2004. ...

The American bald eagle has a mostly black beak for the first two years. As a 3-year-old, its beak will turn yellow. Most all feathers on a 1-year-old bald eagle are dark brown. A 2-year-old will show mostly white feathers on its chest and the feathers on its head will begin to show white at the tips. ...

The Nancy Hunter Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution met Jan. 28 at Cape Girardeau Public Library. Charlotte Slinkard, regent, opened the meeting. Carolyn Webb, vice regent, read the January 2015 NSSDAR President General's message and Slinkard read the National Defense Committee report, "Homeless Veterans Need Our Support."...

Betty is a 2-year-old beagle mix. She is available for adoption at the Humane Society, 334-5837.

Submitted by Katie Geis James and Sophie defy all those rumors about cats and dogs.

While strolling, I wondered whatever happened to Rex Smith. Happy birthday this week to Sandy Bollinger, Geoffrey Mirly, Cody Payne, Pam Eichhorn, Steve Benton Todd Chapman, Jim Arteme, Mike Crowden, Norma Evans, Josh Pobst, Jessica Nunnally, Kathy Enderle, Richard Nation, Justin Wilson, Kevin Ancell, Keith Ancell, CB Stidham, Darren McIntosh, Derrick Uhrhan, Tom Leible, Correy Chapman, Danny Walter, Brenda Bryant, Chris Siebert, Wade Cannon, Butch Baker, Rocky Rainey, Jr., and Missy Ikerman...

Vince Lombardi, former Green Bay Packer football coach, was quoted as saying, "Winning isn't everything; it's the only thing." Leo Durocher, the old Dodger baseball coach, said, "Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser." Gen. George Patten said, "Americans love a winner and they hate a loser."...

Suicide rates are climbing in Missouri and across the nation. As reported last week in the Southeast Missourian, 17 people intentionally ended their lives in 2014 in Cape Girardeau County, according to numbers provided by the coroner. That is a jump from 12 in 2011...

Lord Jesus, we give you praise and honor for through you we have victory. Amen.

A presidential search committee at Southeast Missouri State University is expected to present a list of finalists to the school's board of regents Tuesday; also at that meeting, the board will consider a proposal that the university enter into a cooperative agreement with the Missouri Division of Youth Services to construct a group home for youths...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- The search for a missing woman continues as law enforcement officers rule out the most recent lead in the 18-month-old case. A car spotted in the depths of the Mississippi River last fall is not Barbara Stoffer's, said New Madrid Police Chief Joey Higgerson...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Former Riverways chief ranger Larry Johnson has been selected to serve as acting superintendent at Ozark National Scenic Riverways after Bill Black retired Jan. 3. Johnson returned to the Riverways on Jan. 16 and will serve as the acting superintendent for up to 120 days while a new permanent superintendent is sought...

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Mitt Romney's exit from the presidential campaign has unleashed a frenzy of fresh fundraising and set off a new race for the backing of donors who had remained loyal to the 2012 Republican nominee. Big dollars were said to flow immediately Friday to former Florida Gov. ...

NEW YORK -- Weeks removed from an open revolt from his police force that had officers turning their backs on him, Mayor Bill de Blasio declares he has moved past the rift, striking a tenuous truce with a strategy to stay above the fray and public opinion that soured on the cops' behavior...

VATICAN CITY -- A new Vatican outreach initiative to listen to women hit a sour note before it got off the ground: The sexy blonde on its Internet promo video came under such ridicule, it was quickly taken down. But the program is going ahead, and an inaugural meeting this week will study women's issues in ways that are new for the Holy See...

NEW YORK -- More than 2 million Toyota, Chrysler and Honda vehicles are being recalled for a second fix for faulty air bags that may inadvertently inflate while the car is running. The recall includes some Acura MDX, Dodge Viper, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Honda Odyssey, Pontiac Vibe, Toyota Corolla and Toyota Avalon models made from 2002 to 2004. ...

PHILADELPHIA -- Professional wrestler Mick Foley was ejected from the Wing Bowl eating contest Friday after stuffing uneaten chicken wings into a fanny pack. Chicago's Patrick Bertoletti won with a Wing Bowl record 444 wings in 26 minutes. He edged 2014 champion Molly Schuyler, of Bellevue, Nebraska, who eclipsed her record 363-wing mark with 440 wings. Fan-favorite Foley, known in the ring as Mankind, said after his ouster he didn't want to overstuff himself and get sick...

ATLANTA -- The daughter of late singer and entertainer Whitney Houston was found unresponsive in a bathtub Saturday and taken to a hospital in the north Atlanta suburbs, police said. Bobbi Kristina Brown was found by her husband, Nick Gordon, and a friend. Her husband and the friend called 911 and performed CPR on Brown because they did not believe she was breathing nor had a pulse, said officer Lisa Holland, a spokeswoman for the Roswell Police Department...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- An audacious, nearly 7,000-mile-long trip across the Pacific Ocean came to an end Saturday as two accomplished pilots safely touched down in the water just off the coast of Mexico in their helium-filled balloon after shattering two long-standing records...

TOKYO -- Japan condemned with outrage and horror today an online video that purported to show an Islamic State group militant beheading Japanese journalist Kenji Goto. The video posted on militant websites late Saturday ended days of negotiations to save the man and heightened fears for the life of a Jordanian fighter pilot also held hostage...

The Scott City Fire Department responded to the following calls. January 17 n At 10:45 p.m., structure fire on James Street. January 18 n At 4:06 a.m., move up, South Mount Auburn Road, Cape Girardeau. n At 3:53 p.m., emergency medical service on East Main Street...

The Fruitland Fire Department responded to the following calls. January 25 n Vehicle fire on U.S. 61. January 26 n Medical assist on U.S. 61. n Medical assist on County Road 442. January 27 n Mutual aid on County Road 467. n Medical assist on U.S. 61...

* At 12:19 a.m., a call on North Fountain Street. n At 1:33 a.m., a call on North Henderson Avenue. n At 1:41 a.m., a call on Broadway. n At 6:05 a.m., a call on Albert Street. n At 6:18 a.m., a call on Haddock Street. n At 7:33 a.m., a service call on Linden Street...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Anthony L. Stallings, 30, of Cape Girardeau was arrested on a Jackson warrant for failure to appear on a charge of failure to register a motor vehicle. n Jeanette C. Beck, 53, of Chaffee, Missouri, was issued a summons for failure to register a motor vehicle...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Dante Lamar Criddle, 23, of Cape Girardeau was arrested on Cape Girardeau warrants for failure to appear for property damage, walking in the road when sidewalk available, resisting arrest and possession of controlled substance...

Son to Christopher Michael and Ashley Elizabeth Cole of Thebes, Illinois, Southeast Hospital, 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015. Name, Christopher Michael Jr. Weight, 8 pounds, 12 ounces. Second child, first son. Mrs. Cole is the former Ashley Mangels, daughter of Michael and Kim Mangels of Millersville. Cole is the son of Michael and Grace Cole of Thebes...

LOS ANGELES -- As Marion "Suge" Knight sat jailed on suspicion of murder, dueling narratives cast him as attacker and victim in the hip-hop music mogul's latest and most serious run-in with the law. Sheriff's deputies said he hit and killed a man with his pickup truck, injured another and fled. His lawyer said he was a victim who accidentally ran over his friend and the other man as he tried to escape an attack...

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- Joseph F. Westrich, 77, of New Hamburg passed away Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015, at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 7, 1937, in Chaffee, Missouri, to the late William "Bill" and Blandine Clara Blattel Westrich. He and Theresa Bucher were married May 25, 1957...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Lillard B. "X" Warden, 82, of Mounds, formerly of Mound City, Illinois, passed away suddenly Friday, Jan. 30, 2015, at his home. He was born Dec. 12, 1932, in Cairo, Illinois, son of Lillard B. Warden Sr. X served in the National Guard...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Elsie Marie Van Meter, 86, of Cairo died Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015, at Life Care Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 16, 1928, in Cairo, daughter of Arthur and Grace Bracken Denton. She was married to Walter Van Meter, who preceded her in death...

KELSO, Mo. -- William Owen "Bill" Rogers, 91, of Kelso died Friday, Jan. 30, 2015, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

Denza Zenobia Mitchell, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015, at the home of a daughter in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Monday at St. James AME Church in Cape Girardeau...

Emily Madge Limbaugh, 94, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Jan. 30, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Dec. 13, 1920, in Bernie, Missouri, to Hillary Q. and Emily Ethel Hopkins Limbaugh. Madge was co-owner of Plaza Beauty Salon in Cape Girardeau for several years. She retired from Janet's Beauty Shop...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- An aggravated-assault case against George Zimmerman that was opened when his ex-girlfriend said he threw a wine bottle at her has been dropped because she recanted her story and stopped cooperating with investigators, according to a prosecutor...

Burdetta Aline Frazier, 94, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center. She was born Jan. 20, 1921, in Cape Girardeau, to Archie Leo and Opal Marie Shafer Garner. She and Everett V. Frazier were married Feb. 2, 1938, in Cape Girardeau. He passed away Aug. 19, 2001...

Sharon Kay Dreyer, 70, of Jackson, died Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home in Jackson. She was born Aug. 16, 1944, in Cape Girardeau to Charles William and Catheryn Lucille Macke Sander. Sharon and Leonard Gene Dreyer were married Nov. 1, 1964, in Jackson at the First Presbyterian Church...

All scores were reported to the Southeast Missourian on Saturday.

The Bollinger County, Missouri, Sheriff's Department is seeking the public's help to find a stolen tractor. The owner of the 1956 International 200 tractor reported it stolen Wednesday from a barn on his property on Route ZZ near Glenallen, Missouri, according to a bulletin posted Friday on the department's Facebook page...

The Southeast Missouri State track and field team competed at the Indiana Relays on Friday and Saturday. Blake Smith placed third in the 60-meter final with a time of 6.77, while Chris Navarro finished third in the 60-meter hurdles in 8.20. Smith also took second in the long jump...

PHOENIX -- Domestic violence. Questionable discipline. Player safety. Confusing officiating. Deflated footballs. The disturbing headlines that began last February never slowed down for the NFL this season. The problems -- most of them made worse by the ineffectual handling -- mushroomed into an imperfect storm that hurt the league's credibility and turned the lead-up to today's Super Bowl into a time for damage control, not celebration...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- At times overcome by rare displays of emotion, Missouri athletic director Mike Alden said Friday he has reached "the perfect time" to step down after 17 years. Speaking to students, staff and fans on campus, the 56-year-old Alden said he's thought about resigning for years and made the decision after consulting his family and faith. He issued an open letter through the school Thursday initially announcing his plans, which take effect Aug. 31...

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Shootouts have become Shattenkirk time for the St. Louis Blues. Kevin Shattenkirk scored the winner in the tiebreaker for the second straight night, and the Blues beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on Friday night for their fourth straight win...

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Serena Williams won her 19th Grand Slam title and continued her unbeaten run in six Australian Open finals by extending her decade-long domination of Maria Sharapova. She struggled with a hacking cough, she was sick, and she twice celebrated too early, but she held her composure in a 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory on Saturday...

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Martin Laird watched the ball disappear into the cup on the par-3 16th hole and put some elbow grease into his fist pump. It certainly wasn't the most exciting moment on golf's most raucous hole. That belonged to Francesco Molinari, who made the first hole-in-one at the 16th on Saturday at the Phoenix Open since Tiger Woods in 1997...

An emergency horse trailer is brought from the scene of an accident Friday near Maysville, Kentucky. A small snowstorm made hazardous driving conditions, causing an accident involving a horse trailer. Emergency personnel freed the horse from the trailer and moved a truck from a ditch. The horse was not injured...

Make and model: 1990 Chevy 454 SS Owner(s): Wayne & Mika Held Owner's hometown: Chaffee 454 Cubic inches in a half ton pickup. Produced from 1990-93. I am the second owner. I have owned this truck for 13 years and it currently has 26,200 miles on the odometer...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A new center that hopes to eventually provide resources for science and engineering students throughout the Kansas City region is now open. The KC Engineering Zone workspace, a 4,200-square-foot center on the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus, was officially dedicated last week, although it's already being used by robotics teams from Paseo Academy and Lincoln College Preparatory Academy in Kansas City, The Kansas City Star reported...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Kimberling City hiker Tim Canchola was surprised to see this on his trek to the famous Arkansas "Glory Hole." Despite sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 50s on a recent January weekend, Canchola said he and a group of fellow hikers discovered glistening icicles hanging from the edge of a hole in the rock above their heads...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Several dozen flights have been canceled or delayed at the largest airports in Kansas and Missouri as a winter storm blankets a large swath of the country. At Kansas City International Airport in Missouri, 11 departing flights were listed as canceled Sunday afternoon, while two others were delayed. Among the arriving flights, eight had been canceled...

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The printing press that for nearly a half century has churned out the student newspaper at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale is no more. The Southern Illinoisan reported the press was retired Thursday after printing its final copies of the 99-year-old Daily Egyptian...

ST. LOUIS -- Last year, as Congregation Temple Israel was renovating its sanctuary, one of the bigger challenges was what to do with the old pews -- the largest ones 28 feet long. At the same time, Karen Kalish, a St. Louis philanthropist who focuses on improving public education, stumbled upon an article online stating that students who live in homes with bookcases do better academically. She previously founded a teacher home visit program now in 27 schools...

BENTON, Mo. -- The Scott County Democratic Central Committee will meet at 6 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Scott County Courthouse to interview candidates for Scott County public administrator, which has opened because of a retirement. Interested people may contact committee chairman Larry Tetley at 573-471-8268 and plan to attend the meeting. Candidates are asked to bring a resume to the interview...

Arron Olivas and Rachel Diederich, both of Jackson, watch a Super Bowl commercial from last year on a tablet device, comparing it to this year's version they saw on television, while the two waited for halftime and a buffet at a Super Bowl party Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015 at Stooges in Jackson. (Fred Lynch)...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The family of a man missing since 2011 with ties to Missouri and Oklahoma believes he may be in the Poplar Bluff area and is asking the community for help. Richard Thomas McArthur, 37, also known as "Rick" and "Stone" was last seen Oct. 15, 2011, near Boley, Oklahoma, but once lived in the Poplar Bluff area and told family members he planned to return someday and "live off the grid."...

A home was destroyed in a fire on County Road 238 in Perry County Saturday night. A call came in at 8:03 p.m., said Bill Jones, assistant chief of the Perryville Fire Department and Perry County Rural Fire Protection District. Members of the Perry County Rural Fire Protection District happened to be at a belated Christmas party with members of the Chester Fire Department in Illinois when the report came in...

For people who want to hear an update or ask a question of local officials, a coming event could provide that opportunity. The League of Women Voters of Southeast Missouri and the Cape Girardeau and Jackson chambers of commerce will present a town-hall meeting, with three guest speakers lined up to talk about some of the major events happening in the area. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon has repeatedly described high quality preschool programs as a great investment for the state while proposing millions in additional funding for early childhood efforts. But Nixon has shortchanged his own proposals by cutting funding approved by the Legislature for such programs, because he says the state doesn't have enough revenue to do what he would like...

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Ten years removed from his last Super Bowl win, Tom Brady wasn't letting this one slip away. Sure, the brilliant Brady needed a huge play by an undrafted rookie to preserve New England's 28-24 Super Bowl victory over Seattle on Sunday night. But Brady's imprint was all over the Patriots' sensational fourth-quarter rally for their fourth NFL championship of the Brady-Bill Belichick era...

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) -- The handlers of Pennsylvania's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, said Monday the furry rodent has forecast six more weeks of winter. Members of the top hat-wearing Inner Circle announced the "prediction" Monday morning...

As the city of Cape Girardeau is gearing up for the fifth installment of the Transportation Trust Fund, the remaining projects from TTF 4 still are in progress. The city council will vote tonight to enter into a contract with Fronabarger Concreters Inc. for the Walnut Street and South West End Boulevard projects. The company offered the lowest bid of the five the city received, putting combined construction costs for the projects just under $2 million...

Stalkers use technology to track their targets' movements A shadowy figure drives up and down the street in front of her ex-husband's house. A man sends his former girlfriend a series of threatening text messages. A college student receives multiple letters and gifts from an unwanted admirer...

The Notre Dame girls basketball team got a taste of something it hadn't in a while Monday night at home -- consistent scoring from the post.

Each year, the Southeast Mission Team, which includes United Methodist Churches and Sargent's Chapel (ELCA), sends a work team to Henderson Settlement in Southeast Kentucky, on the Kentucky/Tennessee border. Over the years, we have worked on homes building porches, adding rooms, painting, and assisting with basic home repairs. ...

Employees of KFVS12 donated $18,320.74 to United Way of Southeast Missouri's 2014 campaign.

Employees of Regions Bank donated $9,697.27 to United Way of Southeast Missouri's 2014 campaign.

Today is Monday, Feb. 2, the 33rd day of 2015. There are 332 days left in the year. This is Groundhog Day. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 2, 1925, the legendary Alaska Serum Run ended as the last of a series of dog mushers brought a life-saving treatment to Nome, the scene of a diphtheria epidemic, six days after the drug left Nenana...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- You've downsized to an apartment, the kids are long gone and you're no longer eligible for some of the deductions and exemptions that had helped you lower your tax bill. But for those 65 years or older, there are other tax breaks that might benefit you come tax time...

Editor's note: This story originally appeared in the Dexter Daily Statesman newspaper. DEXTER, Mo. -- If experience translates into quality, then the Dexter Fire Department is one quality outfit. The local fire department has 28 members, only three of whom are full-time employees. ...

Caring for elderly parents from afar? Some tips Just a generation ago, aging family members typically had at least one relative living nearby. These days, many are being cared for by baby boomer children who live far away. Balancing careers and kids of their own, these grown children may find it difficult to move closer to parents who have begun to need daily help...

Looking to take your reading experience to the next level? E-readers and tablets may have an edge over traditional books for those who like to travel, adjust text size or access new books without even changing out of their pajamas. "We see more and more (e-readers) all the time," says Elizabeth Phillips, adult services coordinator at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. ...

Schutzhund is the German word for "protection dog." It's also the name of a sport in which different breeds of dogs compete, and it's growing in popularity. Schutzhund originally was developed in Germany in the early 1900s as a way to test the suitability of a German shepherd dog to do police and security work and search and rescue...

In what sounded like good news, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced at the end of 2014 that stroke, or cerebral hemorrhage, had dropped from the nation's fourth-leading cause of death to No. 5. Stroke swapped positions with unintentional injuries, which killed 1,579 more people than stroke in 2013...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The University of Missouri-Kansas City's business school knowingly submitted false data when applying for rankings, although there's no reason to believe the misinformation led to undeserved accolades, a new report and analysis have found...

CAIRO -- A reporter for Al-Jazeera English was released from an Egyptian prison and deported Sunday after more than a year behind bars, but his two Egyptian colleagues remained jailed in a case widely condemned as a sham by human-rights groups. Australian Peter Greste was whisked away on a flight to Cyprus. His release came as a welcome surprise to fellow reporters and activists who spent months pressing for his freedom...

AMMAN, Jordan -- Jordan renewed an offer Sunday to swap an al-Qaida prisoner for a fighter pilot held captive by the Islamic State group, a day after a video purportedly showed the militants beheading a Japanese hostage. The fates of the pilot, Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, and Japanese journalist Kenji Goto previously had been linked. The video of the beheading made no mention of the pilot, raising fears for the lieutenant's life...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Troy Bradley might have been exhausted and a bit dehydrated, but the words printed on his T-shirt said it all: "Failure is not an option." The accomplished Albuquerque pilot had set his sights long ago on flying farther and longer in a gas balloon than anyone in history. He and co-pilot Leonid Tiukhtyaev of Russia staked their claim to those records during a nearly seven-day trip across the Pacific Ocean in a helium-filled balloon...

SAN ANTONIO -- Thousands of immigrants seeking legalization through the U.S. court system have had their hearings canceled and are being told by the government that it may be 2019 or later before their futures are resolved. Some immigration lawyers fear the delay will leave their clients at risk of deportation as evidence becomes dated, witnesses disappear, sponsoring relatives die and dependent children become adults...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's budget will propose an ambitious six-year, $478 billion public works program of highway, bridge and transit upgrades, half of it financed with a one-time mandatory tax on profits that U.S. companies have amassed overseas, White House officials said...

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama authorities say a tractor-trailer crashed on Interstate 20 because the driver lost control while he was pulling one of his teeth. The Alabama Highway Patrol says the truck driver told troopers he had taken his hands off the wheel to pull a loose tooth when he wrecked near Tuscaloosa. The crash report states: "He had the tooth in his shirt pocket as proof."...

BOSTON -- The best chance to save the life of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev might be to put his dead brother on trial. When Tsarnaev's case begins, his lawyers are likely to pin their hopes -- and the bombings themselves -- on his older brother, Tamerlan: a Golden Gloves boxer, college student, husband and father who also followed radical Islam was named by a friend as a participant in a grisly 2011 triple slaying...

WASHINGTON -- Government and aviation industry officials from dozens of countries are meeting in Montreal this week to try to find consensus on how to keep from losing airliners like the one that vanished without a trace in Asia and another shot down in Eastern Europe...

Cape Girardeau will proceed with a recycling project this spring, but it will be run on a limited basis because of the inability of the city and Southeast Missouri State University to obtain a state grant. PERRYVILLE, MO. -- Tension runs high in the evening at a meeting between those who are trying to justify the closing of St. Vincent High School and those who are opposed to its closing; financial struggles have caused officials of the parish to begin a discussion about closing the school...

Southeast Missouri State University continues to nurture its status as an attractive institution for students. Once again, the university announced an increase in its student enrollment for the spring semester, which stood at 10,858, up from 10,656 last spring...

The week of Jan. 25-31 was proclaimed School Board Member Appreciation Week, and on behalf of the administration, faculty and staff, students and parents of the Nell Holcomb R-IV School District, I would like to sincerely thank the following school board members for their dedication, support and work:...

If every employee and every business were as friendly and run as well as the Jackson Post Office, the world would be a better place! Thank you to the very nice person who turned in my purse at the Wal-Mart service desk today. I appreciate it very much...

* At 12:48 a.m., medical assist on Northwoods Court. n At 1:09 a.m., alarm activation, no fire, on Towers Circle. n At 1:43 a.m., malicious, mischievous false call on Towers Circle. n At 2:42 a.m., emergency medical service, excluding vehicle accident, on Lacey Street...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department reported the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Sara Lanham, no age given, of Scott City was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and failure to drive on the right half of the roadway. n Amanda Labryer, no age given, of Doniphan, Missouri, was arrested on suspicion of stealing at Wal-Mart, 3439 William St., and on two warrants...

KELSO, Mo. -- William Owen "Bill" Rogers, 91 of Kelso died Friday, Jan. 30, 2015, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 3, 1923, in Scott City to Owen J. and Anna Welter Rogers. He married LaVerne Elizabeth Corvick on May 29, 1948, in Kelso. She preceded him in death July 24, 2009...

KELSO, Mo. -- Pius Frank Robert, 96, of Kelso died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

Nancy M. Littleton, 78, of Cape Girardeau passed away Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, at Southeast Hospital. She was born Dec. 31, 1936, in Cape Girardeau, to Pearl C. and Manna P. Windeknecht Kent. She and Robert L. "Bob" Littleton were married June 15, 1954, in Cape Girardeau. Ten children were born to their union. They had been married 48 years when Bob passed away Aug. 18, 2002...

Dora L. Koehler, 92, of Jackson died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

Kenneth Bauer Griffin, 87, of Jackson died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015 at Life Care Center of Cape Girardeau. A memorial service will be at a later date. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

NEW YORK -- "American Sniper" shot down another box-office record: Its $31.9 million is the biggest Super Bowl weekend gross ever. According to studio estimates Sunday, the Clint Eastwood film narrowly surpassed the previous top Super Bowl weekend draw. The concert film "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" earned $31.1 million earned in 2008...

GILBERT, W.Va. -- After generations of bootlegging, direct descendants of the Hatfields have teamed with the McCoy name to produce legal moonshine in southern West Virginia with the state's blessing -- the start of a new legacy for the families made famous for their 19th-century feud...

WASHINGTON -- The St. Louis Blues are rolling. Against the Washington Capitals, an injury, an ejection and Alex Ovechkin's two goals weren't enough to stop them. Alexander Steen had two goals and an assist, Brian Elliot stopped 33 shots and the Blues beat the Capitals 4-3 on Sunday...

Ford and Sons Funeral Home announced Friday it has purchased Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home in Jackson, effective at the end of January. "We have great respect for the Cracraft-Miller tradition of service and feel it's a good fit for the way we do business," Kevin Ford, president of Ford and Sons, said in a news release...

There's a good reason the U.S. economy is impressing the world despite a slowdown in the final three months of 2014: In a word, steadiness. Companies have hired at healthy rates for the past year. Layoffs hover near historic lows. Auto sales are strong. Gas prices have sunk. Congressional budget fights have faded. Americans are increasingly confident...

City hall 401 Independence St. n No action will be taken during the study session. n Planning and Zoning Commission report n Appearances regarding items not on the agenda n Agenda review n Legal actions and litigation, confidential communications with legal counsel and property acquisition pursuant to RSMo. sections 610.021 (1) and (2)...

City hall 215 Chester Ave. 7 p.m. today n Approval of minutes of Jan. 20 n Approval of bills, $18,850.53 n Public forum, visitors may speak on city matters n Resolution No. 488 -- Lease with Kiwanis Club on old police building n Park director Phyllis Crump; Pat Brazel, Ward 2...

1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. Monday n None at this time n Items list on agenda n Purhcase orders n Payroll change forms n Mary Gosche with the University of Missouri Extension office will present the annual report. n None at this time n Speed limits on county roads 346 and 347...

CHICAGO -- A slow-moving winter storm blanketed a large swath of the Plains and Midwest in snow Sunday, forcing the cancellation of roughly 2,000 flights, making roads treacherous and forcing some people to rethink their plans to attend Super Bowl parties...

Father God, thank you for the gift of eternal life through Jesus your son. Amen.

A "Love is in the Air" Valentine's Party and Dance, sponsored by Schnucks, will be held at 9 a.m. at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau. The party is for couples who have been married for 50 or more years, and there is no cost to attend. There will be entertainment, refreshments, dancing and awards given to various couples in attendance...

Missouri Republican Party chairman Ed Martin announced Monday he will soon leave the position and serve as president of the Eagle Forum, a conservative, pro-family organization founded by Phyllis Schlafly. Martin was elected chairman in 2013 and will not seek re-election at the party's Reagan Lincoln Days meeting Feb. 20 in Kansas City, according to a news release from the Missouri Republican Party...

CRYSTAL CITY, Mo. -- Tom Kerr and his wife, Kathy, purchased a dormant sand mine in 2007 with visions of conventions, concerts, sporting events and underground offices in the climate-controlled cave just south of St. Louis. Crystal City Underground remains open for business but as a far more modest venture because some investors have been deterred by a long-simmering legal dispute with county officials who once embraced the plan. ...

KENNETT, Mo. -- A Kennett man charged with several felony counts has had his hearing continued to Feb. 10 after appearing in Circuit Court late last week. Glen D. Morgan is charged with second-degree murder, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance and an alternative count of second-degree and felony murder in the death of Autumn Medley, also of Kennett...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Local authorities are investigating a Sunday home invasion/robbery in which a man was shot in the neck as he struggled with one of the alleged suspects. At about 4:30 p.m., Poplar Bluff police were called to a home in the 1600 block of Sanders Avenue, chief Danny Whiteley said...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff's street department superintendent is free on bond after being charged with shooting a woman Saturday during what apparently began as a child custody dispute. Jeremy W. Grable, 37, of the 2200 block of Barron Road was charged with felony first-degree assault and felony armed criminal action by Butler County assistant prosecuting attorney Paul Oesterreicher...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff couple were hospitalized in St. Louis after an early morning house fire Sunday critically injured them and killed two of their grandchildren. Daniel Pierce, 46, and his 47-year-old wife, Erma, were in the burn unit at St. John's Mercy Hospital at press time...

A joint investigation by several law enforcement agencies has led to the arrests of Russell Dale Mayberry and his father, Roger Dale Mayberry, in connection with the death of Kenneth Willard. Both suspects are from Zalma, Missouri. Willard's body was recovered in the Black River in Wayne County on Jan. ...

This past week, the Scott City Parks Board chose a design for what a future amphitheater is going to look like in Scott City Park. At Monday night's Scott City City Council meeting, city administrator Ron Eskew showed council members the chosen design and said a construction date has not yet been set. The parks department is continuing to raise money...

The Jackson Board of Aldermen held a public hearing about a proposed residential development during their meeting Monday evening. The items on the agenda concerned the future of 33.22 acres on Old Cape Road East near Klaus Park, which is set to be annexed into Jackson...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Two Republican state legislators concerned about privacy issues are trying to restrict public access to videos from any police body cameras, as police departments in Missouri and across the country push to outfit officers with cameras following the fatal shooting of a black man by a white police officer in Ferguson...

WASHINGTON -- Promising to help America's middle class, President Barack Obama on Monday sent Congress a record $4 trillion budget that would hammer corporate profits overseas and raise taxes on the wealthy while boosting tax credits for families and the working poor...

The senior centers in Scott, Perry and Cape Girardeau counties all have one main goal: to keep the elderly fed. But with recent funding changes, some of these centers are struggling to maintain their operations. After $55,000 in planned cuts to the 2015 budget for the Perryville Senior Center in Perryville and the East Perry County Senior Center in Altenburg, Missouri, employee hours and meal prices are going to be affected at each facility...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis County municipal courts are considering several proposed changes to how they do business amid widespread calls for reform after the fatal Ferguson police shooting. KWMU-FM reported that a committee of judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys working in the county's 82 municipal courts recommends setting consistent fine amounts for identical violations in the local courts...

The Paducah, Kentucky, NBC affiliate that experienced broadcast interruptions during this year's Super Bowl apologized to viewers Monday and pointed to a faulty power supply as the reason the area missed much of the game's second half on Sunday. WPSD Local 6 vice president of news and operations Bill Evans said in a news release Monday afternoon that "dips and spikes" in electrical service that supplies the station's transmitter were found to have caused a series of outages that led to the interruption.. ...

The Cape Girardeau City Council approved Monday night a resolution to allow construction to begin on two Transportation Trust Fund 4 projects, while making announcements about public involvement in the program's fifth installment. The resolution approves a contract with Fronabarger Concreters Inc. ...

The kindergarten class of Guardian Angel School of Oran celebrated the 100th day of school on Monday, February 2. The students in the class each brought 100 pieces of food that they combined to make a trail mix and then ate. They made and colored a caterpillar by counting by 10 to 100 and also made groundhog pictures to commemorate Ground Hog Day. They read books about the 100 days of school and then played the counting to 100 game...

The Guardian Angel School 1st Grade class celebrated the 100th day of school on Monday, February 2. The students gave out 100th day stickers to 100 students, teachers, staff, etc. They made 100 link paper chains, wore hats with 100 stickers on them, and celebrated by eating a giant cookie decorated with "100" on it...

Ten years is a long time to go without beating a team in the regular season. For the Jackson boys basketball team, it was time to erase that statistic against a Charleston team it had not defeated in a regular season game since 2005. Jackson coach Darrin Scott challenged his team to do something about it Tuesday, and they responded...

Belladona Salon & Spa in Cape Girardeau, Missouri owned by Linda Springs and Becky Davidson recently was named to the SALON TODAY 200 by SALON TODAY magazine, the top business publication for salon and spa owners. The magazine's 18th annual SALON TODAY 200 issue profiled the selected salons in its January 2015 edition. ...

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 3, the 34th day of 2015. There are 331 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 3, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln and Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens held a shipboard peace conference off the Virginia coast; the talks deadlocked over the issue of Southern autonomy...

The tea party was formed near the end of the George W. Bush administration because many Republicans felt federal spending was excessive. They felt the Republican Party had strayed from its roots and they cited the Iraq War, Medicare Part D and the bank bailouts as examples. ...

Despite support from both parties, the House of Representatives failed to act on a comprehensive immigration reform bill that passed the Senate. President Obama took common-sense steps to fix our broken immigration system. 1) Our current system has no physical way to equitably address the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants living and working in the U.S...

The first annual Semoball Awards in June 2014 was an event rarely seen for high school athletes. A red carpet. An ice sculpture. A 30-foot screen. Inspiring keynote speaker. The list goes on. The event was an opportunity to recognize the best in sports from 57 schools in Southeast Missourian...

NEW YORK -- Exxon Mobil has been working for years on a fleet of enormous new oil and gas projects in places such as Abu Dhabi, Russia, Papua New Guinea, and the Gulf of Mexico designed to turn around what has been a consistent and alarming slide in oil and gas production...

WATFORD CITY, N.D. -- High crude prices catapulted North Dakota into the top tier of the global oil market and doubled or tripled the size of once-sleepy towns that suddenly had to accommodate a small army of petroleum workers. But now that those prices have tumbled, the shifting oil market threatens to put the industry and local governments on a collision course. ...

DEBALTSEVE, Ukraine -- As Ukrainian troops fought Monday to defend a strategic railway hub, Russian-backed separatists pledged to boost the size of their force and Washington pondered whether to expand its assistance to Ukraine to include lethal aid...

MONROVIA, Liberia -- Large-scale human testing of two potential Ebola vaccines got underway in Liberia's capital Monday, part of a global effort to prevent a repeat of the epidemic that has now claimed nearly 9,000 lives in West Africa. Yet even as Liberians volunteered to take part, it remains unclear whether either vaccine ultimately will work, and if so how quickly they could be mass produced. ...

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. -- The handlers of Pennsylvania's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, said Monday the furry rodent has forecast six more weeks of winter. Members of the top hat-wearing Inner Circle announced the "prediction" Monday morning. A German legend has it that if a furry rodent sees his shadow on Feb. 2, winter will last another six weeks. If not, spring comes early...

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said it was inappropriate for Boehner to invite Netanyahu to address Congress in the shadow of that election and give the appearance of endorsing the prime minister. Inappropriate. This coming from a person who pushed a health care system down the throats of the American people? Well, Nancy. If merely inviting someone to speak to Congress is inappropriate, that what you did should be equivalent to treason...

JACKSON The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests to not imply guilt. Arrest n Darrell M. Isaac, 30, of Cape Girardeau was arrested on suspicion of stealing and possession of drug paraphernalia. Summonses n Jeanette C. Beck, 53, of Chaffee, Missouri, was issued a summons for failure to register a motor vehicle...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI n Jessica M. Johnson, 52, of Cape Girardeau was issued a summons for driving while intoxicated. n Stephen W. Beydler, 23, of Cape Girardeau was issued a summons for driving while intoxicated...

LOS ANGELES -- Oprah Winfrey and the director of the Oscar-nominated movie "Selma" are creating a drama series for Winfrey's TV channel. The project from Winfrey and filmmaker Ava DuVernay is inspired by the Natalie Baszile novel "Queen Sugar," the OWN channel said Monday...

MILWAUKEE -- Once a month, baby-toting young women gather in a YMCA conference room to share tips, talk about and demonstrate breast-feeding -- an age-old yet sometimes shunned practice in their community. It's part of a grass-roots movement that breast-feeding advocates think just might yield profound benefits -- potentially helping diminish health gaps facing black Americans, from higher rates of infant mortality and childhood obesity, to more breast cancer deaths and heart disease in adults...

Dora L. "Johnny" Koehler, 92, of Jackson passed away Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 31, 1922, in Oran, Missouri, daughter of Lawrence and Matilda Bullinger Schaefer. She and Henry C. "Clem" Koehler were married Jan. 7, 1941. He preceded her in death March 10, 1989...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Hulda L. Wichern, 94, of Perryville died Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, at Independence Care Center of Perry County in Perryville. She was born June 27, 1920, in Jacob, Illinois, daughter of Herman and Rose Stueve Kranawetter. She and Leonard Wichern were married Dec. 26, 1948. He preceded her in death Oct. 8, 1972...

Emma Jane Henrichsen, 90, of Cape Girardeau passed away Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, in Sebring, Florida. She was born April 28, 1924, in Advance, Missouri, daughter of Franklin and Edith Irene Humphrey Farrar. She and Dr. Arthur Henrichsen were married April 29, 1978, in Carson City, Nevada. He preceded her in death Jan. 7, 1995...

BELLEFONTAINE NEIGHBORS, Mo. -- Doris Elizabeth Schaefer, 85, of Bellefontaine Neighbors died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015. She was born April 14, 1929, at Fisk, Missouri, daughter of Burette and Pearl Whitener. She and Harold E. Schaefer were married April 21, 1956. They were together 56 years before he preceded her in death...

KELSO, Mo. -- Pius Frank Robert, 96, of Kelso died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 5, 1919, in Kelso, son of Charles and Ida Hohmann Robert. He and Arvella Mary Ledure were married May 1, 1945, at Kelso...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Sunday: n At 1:10 a.m., a medical assist on North Clark Avenue. n At 2:40 a.m., a medical assist on North Frederick Street. n At 4:38 a.m., an alarm system activation, no fire, on North Silver Springs Road...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Police say a woman selling drugs mistakenly called an Albuquerque police detective. KOB-TV reported 30-year-old Renea Lucero was arrested recently when she called the detective at his department-issued cellphone and made the officer an unexpected offer. ...

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

BLUES HOCKEY The St. Louis Blues announced on their website Monday that defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk will undergo abdominal surgery after sustaining an injury in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Washington Capitals. The news release said Shattenkirk will have the procedure performed in the next seven to 10 days, and then he will be listed as week-to-week...

Mederith Holland, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, at the Lutheran Home. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Dannie Butler, 49, of Mounds died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, at his home. Visitation will be from 8:30 a.m. until service time Friday at Crain Funeral Home in Tamms, Illinois. The funeral will be at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with Lee Thompson officiating. Burial will be in Olive Branch Cemetery...

Jerome F. "Jerry" Hoffman Jr., 71, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. Parish prayers will be at 7 p.m., with a...

Father God, we seek and ask you to give us wisdom in all decisions. Amen.

ORAN, Mo. -- James G. DePriest, 79, of Mountain Home, Arkansas, died Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015, after a brief illness. He was born Jan. 21, 1936, in St. Louis, and raised in Southeast Missouri. He graduated from Oran High School in 1953 where he played on the varsity basketball team...

VALHALLA, N.Y. -- A packed commuter train slammed into a sport utility vehicle stuck on the tracks and erupted into flames Tuesday night, killing seven people, injuring at least a dozen and sending hundreds of passengers scrambling for safety, authorities said...

Supporters are hopeful a bill recently filed in the Missouri House of Representatives to address funding for 911 operations will make it to the governor's desk this year. Rep. Jeanie Lauer sponsored the House bill last year that would have allowed counties, with voter approval, to assess a monthly fee on wireless phones to help pay for improvements to emergency calling services. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Tuesday released about $21.5 million he withheld for state veterans homes, domestic violence shelters and other programs after a national settlement with credit rating agency Standard & Poor's. The release comes amid lawmaker criticism of the Democratic governor for keeping money from those programs, he says, because of lagging state revenue...

A new development in the midtown area of Cape Girardeau where traffic tends to back up has some local business owners wondering whether a new traffic signal would ease congestion. The recent opening of the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market store at 2021 Independence St. has especially increased traffic during the past week in the already-busy area where Clark Avenue and Plaza Way meet Independence Street...

The SEMO Conference boys basketball madness didn't end Tuesday night. It's only getting crazier. Notre Dame used a 16-0 run in the second quarter and coasted to a 64-42 win over host Central, adding even more intrigue for what's bound to be an exciting Class 4, District 1 tournament next month.

The father of a Zalma, Missouri, murder suspect told police his son shot Kenneth Willard because he feared Willard was setting him up to kill him, according to a probable-cause affidavit filed Monday in connection with the case. Russell Mayberry, 30, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Willard, 53, whose body was recovered Jan. 24 from the Black River in Wayne County, Missouri. Willard had been shot to death with a small-caliber gun...

A shot of the full snow moon taken last night.

The beginning of the sunrise this morning.

This morning's sunrise beginning to glow.

The River Heritage Quilt Guild presented a check for nearly $4,000 to Saint Francis Foundation for Pink Up Cape. Members collected donations at the biennial quilt show in the fall of 2014 and almost half was collected at the mini-quilt auction and buy-it-all table of donated handmade and quilted items from guild members...

Baseball's spring training may be two weeks away, but right now, winter is still running the show, and it isn't ready to let it go just yet. David Humphrey, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky, said Cape Girardeau could see some short-lived snow this week...

The seasonal Cape Farmers Market looks to have found a permanent home after a move last year from the location it used for 27 years. In 2014, the weekly market began operating behind West Park Mall instead of in the parking lot of the former Plaza Galleria retail center on Independence Street. The market moved to make way for construction of the new Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market store, which opened last week...

Jackson quarterback Dante Vandeven, Kennett linebacker Bud Hilburn and more than a dozen other players will make their commitment to the Southeast Missouri State football team official today. National Signing Day kicks off for Redhawks football coach Tom Matukewicz and his staff, who will sign their first true class after having about a month between Matukewicz being hired and signing day last year...

All scores were reported to the Southeast Missourian on Tuesday.

Live and continuously updating coverage of the Redhawks signing class, which includes Jackson quarterback Dante Vandeven.

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 4, the 35th day of 2015. There are 330 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 4, 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin began a wartime conference at Yalta...

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A Disney princess no longer needs a prince to experience true love. Sisterhood saves the day in "Frozen." Motherly love breaks an evil spell in "Maleficent." A little girl's love of her own life is a focus of Pixar's next film, "Inside Out."...

The expert: Carolyn Sandgren (Kempf), president of Elite Travel Inc. Once you arrive at your destination, visit the local tourist board or visitors bureau. They'll have ideas on things to do and places to eat that the typical tourist wouldn't know about. They can also clue you in on what restaurants have dinner specials, for example, or when tourist attractions have lower ticket prices...

When our babies would give us big, open-mouthed kisses that sometimes led to biting or hair pulling, Bob and I would say, "Uh-oh ... scary love!" When they gave us surprisingly powerful toddler hug/knee tackles that could knock us backward? "Oh, no! Scary love strikes again!"...

How should parents promote healthy self-esteem development in their children? And how do you draw the line so your child doesn't develop an ultra-inflated ego fit for the Kardashian clan? There's definitely a delicate balance between developing a healthy self-esteem and going too far, only to have an entitled brat on your hands...

If you're a working parent of a young child, chances are you have needed or will need day care for that child at some point. What should you look for when choosing a day care? What questions should you ask? What are the red flags that should indicate a day care isn't for you?...

We all make New Year's resolutions to eat more healthily, but isn't it time we did the same thing for our pets? In this hustle and bustle world, we are sacrificing not only our own nutritional needs, but that of the family pet. Convenience very often wins out over nutrition for our dogs and cats, and it's time we got back to basics...

They come with names like Shark, Neato, Sunburst and AirRam. Color choices include black cherry fizz, purple passion and Bordeaux pearl. Before you buy, you may want to talk to an expert or do a test drive. And, before investing, you may want to take to the Internet for product reviews...

With Americans working longer hours than ever before, most homeowners yearn for a luxurious place to relax and unwind at the end of a hectic day. This is likely why the bathroom is the most requested home renovation project, according to the National Association of Homebuilders...

As a child in the 1950s, Brooke Clubbs' father was hospitalized frequently with asthma. Hearing her father recount his fearful and isolated bouts of illness made a lasting impression on her. "When he talked about it, he talked about being lonely," Clubbs says. "We've made so many medical advances since then, but (the loneliness of hospitals) is an area that still seems to be lacking."...

Q: Does makeup expire? A: This question is by far one of the most common questions I receive from my clients. There is no worse feeling (or at least for me) than buying a product only to find out that its shelf life is about as long as a carton of milk. So with that in mind, I wanted to focus solely on the care and expiration of your makeup so it can last as long as possible...

On a recent trip to Belgium, Kendra Harris, her sister, Regan Laiben, and mother, Jayne Ervin, inspected a few hundred diamonds, determining what stones to bring back to Cape Girardeau to please and delight customers. The October journey wasn't their first trip to Antwerp. ...

So you just had a baby -- you're supposed to feel exhausted, right? And feeling worn out is just part of the deal when you get older -- right? Wrong. No one is "supposed" to feel tired all the time, but if you are, local endocrinologists say a thyroid condition could be the culprit...

You know the scene: A co-worker hands you something to read, and you find yourself squinting, craning your neck and shifting the paper to read the text. "At some point, your arms don't extend far enough, and you need to get glasses," says Dr. John Kinder, an ophthalmologist at Eye Consultants in Cape Girardeau. As we get older, he explains, the lens of the eye becomes stiffer and loses the ability to shift and focus as well as it did in our younger years...

Daenel Vaughn-Tucker started her blog as a way to keep in touch with friends and family after she moved away. As it turned out, she didn't end up moving -- and neither did her blog. At www.livingoutsidethestacks.com, Daenel writes about fashion, faith, food, crafts, photography, product reviews and more. Her followers include friends, family and former students, as well as people she's never met, but who have become her friends all the same...

Finding that perfect job opportunity doesn't come around very often for many, and when it does, excitement can take over and cloud the ability to stay focused on the best version of your resume. "The main purpose of a resume is to get contacted," says Mary Kate Robinson, career services director at The Art Institute of Houston. "Be sure to have your key 'do's' first, including rank/order, your experience, appropriate duties and accomplishments, correct spelling and grammar and evidence of your knowledge, skills and abilities." Before you hit "send" on that application for your dream job, here are five not-so-obvious don'ts from career service directors: 1. Don't have conflicting information on your resume and your LinkedIn profile. Take the time to be certain that what is stated on your LinkedIn profile matches the resume you are sending. "Employers are doing their homework, and you don't want to waste valuable interview time correcting facts or explaining discrepancies," says Robinson...

Daenel "Dani" Vaughn-Tucker knows how fortunate she is to be a woman living in America, where she has access to all the education she could ever want. In many countries, it's not so simple. So when she discovered Sseko Designs, a Uganda-based fashion brand that provides jobs and scholarship opportunities for women in East Africa, she was thrilled not just to wear the signature sandals with fabric straps, but to become a member of the Sseko Brave Collective...

Unless something happens soon, the 2016 presidential election is shaping up to be a lackluster matchup that promises little change when what we need most is radical change from eight years of big government, runaway spending and racial politics that have brought this nation to its knees...

When you have an entrepreneur who identifies a problem or need in the market and provides a product or service to meet it, we generally call it a success. The same can be said elsewhere, including education. This school year Saxony Lutheran High School started an FFA program. Mark Ruark, principal at Saxony, said having an agriculture science program was something missing from the school that it believed would help meet the needs of students...

It's often been said that in times of emergency, police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other first responders are the ones running toward danger when everyone else is running away. Someone's got to do the job -- and many of those workers are men...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas Historical Society has removed an 1860s illustration depicting an election in the state's territorial period after receiving complaints that the image had been airbrushed to remove references to voter fraud. The original illustration, "Voting in Kickapoo" by Frank Beard, shows men waiting to vote and then lining up for whiskey after casting their ballots during the state's "Bleeding Kansas" period...

LOS ANGELES -- There is a growing divide between who earns a bachelor's degree by age 24, with the gap between the nation's richest and poorest students doubling during the last four decades, according to a report released Tuesday. The percentage of students from the lowest-income families -- those making $34,160 a year or less -- earning a bachelor's degree has inched up just 3 points since 1970, rising from 6 percent to 9 percent by 2013...

LONDON -- You can't call it a reunion -- the four surviving original Magna Cartas had never before been in the same place. So the British Library called it a "unification event" Monday when the priceless documents were put on display together for the first time...

BOSTON -- The questioning of potential jurors in the federal trial of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev could be wrapped up by the end of next week, despite weather-related delays, a court official said Tuesday. Tsarnaev, 21, is charged in the attack at the marathon April 15, 2013. Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured when two bombs exploded within seconds near the finish line. Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty and could face the death penalty if convicted...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Thanks to a rainy December, California's drought-suffering residents met Gov. Jerry Brown's call to slash water consumption by 20 percent for the first time last month, using 22 percent less water than in December 2013. But water officials are cautiously optimistic, noting in an otherwise dismal year for water, last month's rains made watering lawns less necessary. California's overall precipitation was 6 inches, compared to 0.5 inches in December 2013...

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Bottles of Wal-Mart-brand echinacea, an herb said to ward off colds, were found to contain no echinacea at all. GNC-brand bottles of St. John's wort, touted as a cure for depression, held rice, garlic and a tropical houseplant, but not a trace of the herb...

DENVER -- Marijuana use by pregnant or nursing women might seem like a no-brainer of a bad idea, but a proposal in Colorado to step up such warnings is raising concern because of limited or inconclusive research on the dangers. Pot users in Colorado and Washington already receive warnings the drug shouldn't be used by pregnant and nursing women. ...

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis decreed Tuesday that slain Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero was killed in 1980 out of hatred for his Catholic faith, approving a martyrdom declaration that sets the stage for his beatification. Francis, the first Latin American pope, approved the decree honoring one of the heroes of Latin American Christians at a meeting with the leader of the Vatican's saint-making office...

VIENNA -- With time for negotiations running short, the U.S. and Iran are discussing a compromise that would let Iran keep much of its uranium-enriching technology but reduce its potential to make nuclear weapons, two diplomats say. Such a compromise could break the decadelong deadlock on attempts to limit Iranian activities that could be used to make such arms: Tehran refuses to meet U.S.-led demands for cuts in the number of centrifuges it uses to enrich uranium, a process that can create material for anything from chemotherapy to the core of an atomic bomb.. ...

LONDON -- Alexander Litvinenko couldn't have poisoned himself accidentally with radioactive polonium, and received threats for years before his death, the former Russian spy's widow said Tuesday. Marina Litvinenko told an inquiry her husband couldn't have acquired nuclear materials because it was illegal and he would "not do any illegal things in this country."...

WASHINGTON -- For a pair of first-time presidential hopefuls, the sudden injection of the childhood vaccine debate into the 2016 campaign is a lesson in how unexpected issues can become stumbling blocks. Long-held positions can look different under the national spotlight...

WASHINGTON -- More than six years after the financial crisis began, credit-rating giant Standard & Poor's will be paying a $1.38 billion penalty for its role in fueling the subprime mortgage meltdown. But that doesn't mean it can't happen again. S&P's settlement announced Tuesday with the U.S. ...

NEW YORK -- Paul McCartney will perform at the Grammy Awards with Kanye West and Rihanna. The Recording Academy said Tuesday they will perform their new single, "FourFiveSeconds," for the first time at the awards show Sunday. The show marks West's return after six years. He's won 21 Grammys and is nominated for two awards, including best rap song and rap/sung collaboration for "Bound 2" with Charlie Wilson...

COMPTON, Calif. -- Former rap music mogul "Suge" Knight pleaded not guilty Tuesday to murder and attempted murder charges before complaining of chest pain and being rushed to a hospital. No further information about his condition was available, Los Angeles County sheriff's officer John Gardner said...

NEW YORK -- "To Kill a Mockingbird" will not be Harper Lee's only published book after all. Publisher Harper announced Tuesday that "Go Set a Watchman," a novel the Pulitzer Prize-winning author completed in the 1950s and put aside, will be released July 14...

AMMAN, Jordan -- A video released online Tuesday purportedly showed a Jordanian pilot captured by the Islamic State extremist group in Syria being burned to death by his captors after a weeklong drama over a possible prisoner exchange. The military confirmed the death of Lt. ...

LONDON -- Britain moved Tuesday toward allowing scientists to create humans from the DNA of three people. The technology aims to liberate future generations from inherited diseases, but critics say it crosses a fundamental scientific boundary and could lead to "designer babies."...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A key committee chairman expressed confidence Monday that Missouri legislators will finally vote to strengthen the state's ethics laws this session. Government Oversight and Accountability chairman Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, wants to limit the gifts lobbyists can accept and require lawmakers go through a "cooling off" period before entering the lobbying profession. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri State Highway Patrol has turned down a request for its troopers to help police in downtown St. Louis, the patrol's leader told a Senate committee Monday. Patrol Col. Ron Replogle said his agency doesn't have the funding to use its officers to help patrol the city streets. St. Louis police chief Sam Dotson had asked the patrol for 10 to 12 officers who could work alongside city police as part of a response to a recent increase in violent crime...

ST. LOUIS -- A southwestern Illinois police officer already accused of conducting burglaries while on duty faces new charges alleging he carried out more break-ins and set fire to a building that housed a state lawmaker's office. The nine new felonies filed Monday against Brian Barker, of Moro, Illinois, include an arson count linked to the November 2013 fire that damaged the Edwardsville office of Republican Illinois state Rep. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's representatives will no longer get to munch on free food from lobbyists during committee hearings. House Speaker John Diehl said Tuesday he has told committee chairs he is banning the practice of members eating lobbyist-provided meals when hearings are held during the lunch hour...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri paid $1.5 million for services for young children that were never provided and has insufficient oversight of several early childhood programs, according to an audit released Tuesday. A state fund designated to support services for young children is used for programs that are not properly monitored, are inefficient and waste taxpayers' money, Auditor Tom Schweich said. ...

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- A federal appeals court will consider the gay marriage bans of South Dakota, Arkansas and Missouri in a sped-up process that positions itself to weigh in before an expected U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could settle whether same-sex couples can marry nationwide...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri House voted Tuesday to revive proposed limits on jobless benefits in an effort to encourage people to search for work, a measure that fell one vote short of overriding Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's veto last year when Republicans had a smaller majority...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's revenue is up nearly 5 percent so far this year over last year's collections, and the state's budget chief says that's on pace with Gov. Jay Nixon's spending freezes. Revenue figures reported Tuesday show net general revenue for January is up 4.1 percent compared with the previous year...

A Hornersville, Missouri, man was airlifted to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis, Tennessee, on Monday after an accident on Route NN west of Kennett, Missouri. Terry L. Armstrong, 45, was driving south just before 7 a.m., when his 2007 Chevrolet pickup truck ran off the left side of the roadway, overturning several times. Armstrong, who wasn't wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the vehicle...

ST. LOUIS -- A man in his early 20s died in a hospital after being shot by one of two police officers after a chase and confrontation in south St. Louis, police chief Sam Dotson said Tuesday. The officers were patrolling the Dutchtown neighborhood about 3:35 p.m. when they said they saw a man grab at his waistband and start running down a gangway, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A 31-year-old woman accused of threatening and kidnapping a boy involved in a doorbell prank has waived her right to a jury trial. The Springfield News- Leader reported Ashley Crossland has instead opted for a bench trial, in which a judge will decide if she is or isn't guilty. She's been charged with several felonies, including kidnapping and armed criminal action...

A Benton, Missouri, man was taken to Saint Francis Medical Center with moderate injuries after a rollover crash Monday morning near Scott City, the Missouri State Highway Patrol has reported. About 10:20 a.m. Monday, Timothy A. Lanning, 38, was driving a 1998 Ford Explorer north on Route M two miles southwest of Scott City when the vehicle left the roadway and overturned, the patrol reported...

Jane Henrichsen, 90, of Cape Girardeau passed away Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, in Sebring, Florida. She was born April 28, 1924, in Advance, Missouri, daughter of Franklin and Edith Irene Humphrey Farrar. She and Dr. Arthur Henrichsen were married April 29, 1978, in Carson City, Nevada. He preceded her in death Jan. 7, 1995...

NEW YORK -- Oil soared again Tuesday as the low prices of the past few months force oil companies to slow down production in the U.S. and elsewhere. In the morning, BP became the latest major oil company to announce it will cut exploration spending this year. Oil seemed to get a further boost in the afternoon from a run-up in the U.S. stock market...

UPHAM, N.M. -- The only thing interrupting the creosote and mesquite that make up one of New Mexico's most remote stretches of desert is a pristine runway where Virgin Galactic plans one day to launch the world's first commercial space-line. In the four years since its completion, however, the runway has seen little use. No constant roar of jet engines. No screeches from landing gear. Just promises, year after year, that it would shuttle paying passengers to the edges of Earth...

DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. is moving several hundred U.S. hourly workers into a higher pay bracket after surpassing a cap on the number of lower-wage workers it can hire. Ford said Wednesday that up to 500 workers will transition from an entry-level wage of $19.28 per hour to a top-tier wage of $28.50 per hour over the next two months. The first workers will get word this week. The majority of the workers affected are at plants in Chicago; Kansas City, Missouri; and Louisville, Kentucky...

standalone_cutline1:An excavator is used to tear down two older duplexes off North Main Street on Tuesday in Cape Girardeau. The duplexes will be replaced by a new five-unit town-house complex, Riverview Court. Kenny Pincksten, owner of Prestige Development, is building the three-story town house row, which is the first part of a two-phase development on the west side of the street between Broadway and Isle Casino Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)...

Jerome Francis "Jerry" Hoffman Jr., 71, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Nov. 4, 1943, in Mayfield, Kentucky, to Jerome Francis and Orene Ballard Hoffman Sr. He and Jackie Atwood were married May 16, 1964, in Junction City, Kansas...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- John William Tucker, 60, of Marble Hill passed away Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 20, 1954, in Lutesville, son of Harry and Forest Owens Tucker. He and Brenda L. Stevens were married Sept. 1, 1990, in Marble Hill...

Mederith Gale "M.G." Holland, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, at the Lutheran Home. He was born Sept. 27, 1933, in Swinton, Missouri, son of Herman and Zelphia Pearl Lewis Holland. He and Derenda Foust were married June 20, 1965, at First Assembly of God Church in Sikeston, Missouri...

PONCA CITY, Okla. -- Betty Lucille Farrow, resident of Ponca City, formerly of Jefferson City, Missouri, passed away Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, at Ponca City Medical Center. She was 88. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the Ford and Sons Funeral Home Sprigg Street location. Burial will then follow at the Lindsey Cemetery in McClure, Illinois. Arrangements are under the direction of Trout Funeral Home and Crematory and Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau...

John and Zelma Bennett of Cape Girardeau recently sold their house here and have gone to Boston, where they will spend 18 months as missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Rev. Audie Long begins his duties as the new pastor at First General Baptist Church at Cape Girardeau; Long has been a chaplain with the Army the past six years...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI n Jeffrey M. Leas, 20, of St. Charles, Missouri, was issued a summons for driving while intoxicated, being a visibly intoxicated minor and careless and imprudent driving...

JACKSON The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Summonses n Gary W. Ashcraft, 68, of Jackson was issued a summons for a stop-sign violation. n Michael L. Chambers, 33, of Jackson was issued a summons for failure to register a motor vehicle...

ST. LOUIS -- Brian Elliott and the streaking St. Louis Blues found another way to win Tuesday night against one of the top teams in the NHL. Elliott stopped 30 shots, Vladimir Tarasenko tied the game late in the third period and then Jaden Schwartz scored in overtime to give the Blues a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning...

PITTSBURGH -- A man who sold fake urine and other products meant to help people pass workplace drug tests has pleaded guilty. David Neal, 61, of Middletown, Ohio, pleaded guilty Monday. A federal prosecutor said Neal sold illegal substances online beginning in 2006 through his company, ACS Herbal Tea. Some products, including "Magnum Unisex Synthetic Urine" and "Urine Luck," were designed to thwart tests by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration...

WASHINGTON -- Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus, reflected later on how it felt to be treated less than equal and once wrote of how tired she was of being "pushed around" -- parts of her history long hidden away. Beginning today at the Library of Congress, researchers and the public will have full access to Parks' archive of letters, writings, personal notes and photographs for the first time. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Vivian R. Hayden, 86, of Perryville died Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, at her home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday and 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. Friday at Young and Sons Funeral Home. The rosary will be at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Mass will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Sereno, Missouri, with the Rev. Milton Ryan officiating. Burial will be in Mount Hope Cemetery...

Vernon Floyd Raines, 82, of Scott City died Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Missouri. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Jonathan S. "Jon" Abernathy, 59, of Altenburg died Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, at his home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and 6:30 to 8 a.m. Saturday at Young and Sons East Perry Chapel in Altenburg. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Altenburg, with the Rev. Steven Dressler officiating. Burial will be at a later date...

MOUND CITY, Ill. -- Mary Ellen Johnson, 88, of Mound City died Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015, at her home. Friends may call from 10 a.m. until service time Saturday at First Missionary Baptist Church in Mound City. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the church, with Ernest Hamilton and Luther Butler officiating. Burial will be in Spencer Heights Memorial Park in Mounds, Illinois...

Erwin Andrew Johnson, 97, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He served in the Army Air Force during World War II. Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home. Parish prayers will be at 4 p.m...

Daughter to Thomas George and Kathy Jo Schreckenberg of Leopold, Missouri, Southeast Hospital, 7:27 a.m. Friday, Jan. 23, 2015. Name, Callie Sue. Weight, 8 pounds, 6 ounces. Fifth daughter. Mrs. Schreckenberg is the former Kathy Backfisch, daughter of Sylvester and Lorene Backfisch of Benton, Missouri. Schreckenberg is the son of Thomas and Becky Schreckenberg of Leopold. He is self-employed...

Lord Jesus, we fix our eyes on you, the author of our faith. Amen.

Has it been awhile since you've been on a "real" date? Does the thought of dating make you feel nervous, anxious or uneasy? If so, here are some tips to help ease you back into the dating game. Plus, we'll share some creative date ideas for you to try when you do meet that special someone!...

Route U in Cape Girardeau County, from Highway 34 to Route N, will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews make pavement repairs. The work will be performed today through Tuesday, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., according to a MoDOT news release...

In front of a handful of family, friends and coaches, senior offensive tackle Jaylen Flye-Sadler signed a National Letter of Intent at Central High School to continue his football career with Austin Peay.

It was only fitting for Jordan Nelson to sign a National Letter of Intent with Southeast Missouri State on Wednesday. The daughter of longtime Southeast soccer coach Heather Nelson and associate coach Paul Nelson, Jordan has always been a Redhawk.

"Well, first and foremost, he's got 'it,'" Matukewicz said of Vandeven at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to discuss he newest signing class.

An Illinois man was in custody Wednesday on charges he murdered a Southeast Missouri State University student during a failed robbery attempt last month in downtown St. Louis. Christopher Grant, 18, of Collinsville, Illinois, was charged with first-degree murder and several other felonies in connection with the Jan. 11 shooting death of 19-year-old Robert Christman III, who was a sophomore at Southeast Missouri State University...

After a rush to sign his first class, Matukewicz had a full year to collect commitments from the 26 players who signed to play at Southeast on Wednesday.

Members of the public had a chance to hear updates from area school and government officials Wednesday night at a town-hall meeting hosted by the League of Women Voters of Southeast Missouri and the Cape Girardeau and Jackson chambers of commerce. Cape Girardeau School District superintendent Dr. ...

A Cape Girardeau man was in custody late Wednesday night on charges he shot a man to death Sunday near Hiram, Missouri. Michael Burkman, 47, is accused of killing John C. Fowler, 57. Burkman was charged Monday with first-degree murder and armed criminal action by Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Jackson...

WASHINGTON -- Declaring the Internet critical for the nation, a top U.S. regulator Wednesday proposed an unprecedented expansion of federal power to ensure providers don't block or slow web traffic for America's countless users. The proposal by Federal Communications Commission chairman Tom Wheeler was a victory for advocates of "net neutrality," the idea that Internet providers must allow data to move across their networks without interference. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- State senators on Wednesday gave initial approval to strengthening ethics laws in Missouri -- the only state with the trio of unlimited campaign contributions, no limits on gifts from lobbyists and no restrictions against state lawmakers going into lobbying as soon as they leave public office...

Although Chaffee's Trevor Morehead had already made plans to play college football prior to the start of his final varsity season, everything could've changed when the 6-foot-2, 291-pound offensive and defensive lineman tore his ACL during a Week 4 game.

Today is Thursday, Feb. 5, the 36th day of 2015. There are 329 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 5, 1940, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra recorded "Tuxedo Junction" for RCA Victor's Bluebird label. On this date: In 1783, Sweden recognized the independence of the United States...

Downtown Cape Girardeau has another resource for learning history, thanks to a new Civil War informational plaque. The addition was unveiled at the base of the Common Pleas Courthouse steps on Jan. 27, the anniversary of the date Ulysses S. Grant received orders to leave Cairo, Illinois, and go to southwestern Tennessee...

** Fuel cost; ** Health care cost

Kathy Nenninger knew something wasn't right when she got an invoice for advertising her employer never ordered, demanding the Advance, Missouri, business pay the bill immediately or risk being turned over to a collection agency. "It's like, 'Huh?'" Nenninger said, laughing...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri drivers will see limited maintenance on some roads as the state's transportation department grapples with a budget shortfall. The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission approved a plan Tuesday that will focus its efforts on about one-fourth of the state's 32,000 miles of roads when the agency's annual construction budget drops to $325 million in 2017...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis County is hoping to breathe new life into property left damaged in the aftermath of the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown. County officials and residents are backing a new initiative that will raze and rehabilitate blighted areas in Ferguson and surrounding communities so people are not constantly reminded of the recent turmoil...

JACKSON -- The boyfriend of an Arkansas woman pleaded guilty Monday afternoon to a manslaughter charge in connection with her strangulation death at a downtown Poplar Bluff apartment building. Jeremy Allen Winkle, 29, pleaded guilty to an amended information filed with the court by Butler County Prosecuting Attorney Kevin Barbour...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- State senators on Wednesday gave initial approval to strengthening ethics laws in Missouri, the only state with the trio of unlimited campaign contributions, no limits on gifts from lobbyists and no restrictions against state lawmakers going into lobbying as soon as they leave public office...

Son to John Eric and Kelsie Lynn Hensel of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 5:39 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015. Name, Noah James. Weight, 6 pounds, 13 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Hensel is the former Kelsie Gilbreath, daughter of James Gilbreath and Pamela Gilbreath of St. Louis. She is employed by Merry Maids. Hensel is the son of Julia Schrum of Cape Girardeau and James Hensel Sr. of Ellington, Missouri. He is employed by Smokin Brothers...

As many as 75 to 100 workers from Perry County could be among those who will lose their jobs at a Fenton, Missouri, auto manufacturing plant this month or in September; Chrysler announced plans last week to close Plant No. 1 at Fenton. Final architectural plans for a new combination nature center and regional headquarters of the Missouri Department of Conservation in Cape Girardeau County are nearly finished; bids for the project will be sought later this month...

CAIRO -- The horrific fate of a captured Jordanian pilot, burned to death by the Islamic State group, unleashed a wave of grief and rage on Wednesday across the Middle East, a region long riven by upheavals and violence. Political and religious leaders united in outrage and condemnation, saying the slaying of the airman goes against Islam's teachings...

PITTSBURGH -- A former medical researcher was sentenced Wednesday to a mandatory life prison sentence without possibility of parole in the cyanide poisoning death of his neurologist wife. Robert Ferrante, 66, was convicted in November of first-degree murder, when a jury agreed with prosecutors that he laced 41-year-old Dr. ...

* Car fire at Bast Street and Jackson Boulevard. n Citizen assist at South Shawnee Boulevard...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Dustin E. Grissom, 30, of Chaffee, Missouri, was arrested on a Jackson warrant for failure to appear for a show-cause order. n Jenna L. Maynard, 39, of Cape Girardeau was issued a summons for a child-restraint violation...

* At 12:34 a.m., no incident found on arrival on North Kingshighway. n At 10:39 a.m., call canceled en route to North Henderson Avenue. n At 10:58 a.m., medical assist on Koch Avenue. n At 12:42 p.m., medical assist on Themis Street. n At 5:36 p.m., good intent call on Perryville Road...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Lawrence J. Moser, no age given, of Cape Girardeau was issued a summons for driving while intoxicated and following too closely. n Tershe N. Wilson, 19, of Springfield, Missouri, was arrested on a Cape Girardeau warrant for a probation violation...

Walter Martin Sewing, 92, of Jackson passed away Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home. He was born Dec. 8, 1922, in Gordonville, son of Fritz and Anna Grossheider Sewing. He and Norma Peetz were married July 28, 1946, in Gordonville...

Vernon Floyd Raines, 82, of Scott City died Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Missouri. He was born April 2, 1932, in Scott City, son of Jesse Joseph and Hattie Belle Cook Raines. He and Peggy Lorraine Leist were married Oct. 21, 1954, in Scott City. She preceded him in death Aug. 27, 2009...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Ronnie Lee Kirk, 72, of Marble Hill died Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, at the home of a son. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday at Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill. A memorial service will be at a later date...

BENTON, Mo. -- Donna Ruth Keen, 81, of Benton died Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Benton.

Austin W. Bagby, 91, of Jackson passed away Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, at his home. He was born June 8, 1923, in Villa Ridge, Illinois, to Richard M. and Flora I. Essex Bagby. He and Josie Viola Ervin were married July 26, 1946, in Villa Ridge. Austin was a staff sergeant in the U.S. ...

ONTARIO, Calif. -- Dogs aren't the only animals that vie for best in show. Hundreds of breeds of pigeons compete in their own version of the Westminster show, strutting on long, thick legs or fluttering curly, lacy feathers in their bid to be best bird...

There's an easy way to test if a battery is charged. n Charged AA alkaline battery n Uncharged AA alkaline battery STEP 1: Hold the charged AA alkaline battery so the positive end is pointing downward. Drop the battery about 4 inches from above a hard surface and observe...

If there were any doubts about the ubiquity of cellphone-app gaming, Liam Neeson's Super Bowl ad for "Clash of Clans" destroyed them faster than a raiding party of Hog riders. Inside jokes aside, games were the undisputed superstars of the app industry last year. Games accounted for the many of the most popular paid downloads, and despite being a free download, "Clash of Clans" was the highest-grossing app of the year for iPhone and iPad...

NEW YORK -- Evolving shopping habits have forced yet another retailer to think outside the box. Staples, the nation's largest "big box" office supply chain, announced Wednesday it's spending about $6 billion to buy its second-ranked rival, Office Depot...

1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today n None at this time n Items list on agenda n Purchase orders n Payroll change forms n Missouri State Tax Commission letter of approval for assessor reimbursement request dated Jan. 12. n Notification by Missouri State Tax Commission -- Consumer Price Index increase is eight tenths of one percent (0.8 percent) for the December 2013 to December 2014 period...

ST. LOUIS -- A man fatally shot this week during a confrontation with St. Louis police was wounded by officers in 2009 after he brandished a gun, police said Wednesday. Ledarius Williams, 23, of St. Louis County, died Tuesday afternoon after he was shot during a struggle with two officers in a gangway between two homes in the Dutchtown neighborhood of St. Louis...

WASHINGTON -- A small, influential group of Republicans, in search of a replacement health-care law, will propose tax credits to help lower-income individuals and families purchase insurance, officials said Wednesday. The GOP lawmakers would jettison the controversial coverage requirement in the current "Obamacare" law...

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Rescuers used a crane to hoist a wrecked TransAsia Airways plane from a shallow river in Taiwan's capital late Wednesday as they searched into the night for 18 people missing in a crash that killed at least 25 others. Flight 235 with 58 people aboard -- most of them travelers from China -- banked sharply on its side shortly after takeoff from Taipei, clipped a highway bridge and careened into the Keelung River...

NEW YORK -- Lawyers for victims of the Sept. 11 attacks say they have new evidence agents of Saudi Arabia "directly and knowingly" helped the hijackers, including sworn testimony from the so-called 20th hijacker and from three principals of the U.S. government's two primary probes of the attacks...

VALHALLA, N.Y. -- Federal investigators looking into a fiery commuter train wreck that killed six people zeroed in Wednesday on what they called the big question: Why was an SUV stopped on the tracks, between the crossing gates? A team from the National Transportation Safety Board arrived to examine the blackened and mangled wreckage and the Metro-North train's black-box-type data recorders the morning after the rush-hour collision with the sport utility vehicle about 20 miles north of New York City.. ...

NEW YORK -- Three E.B. White classics read by millions of parents to their children will soon be available on the digital screen. HarperCollins announced Wednesday that "Charlotte's Web," "Stuart Little" and "The Trumpet of the Swan" can be bought as e-books starting March 17. White's granddaughter, Martha White, said family members had worried e-books would hurt business for their preferred format, paper...

MONROEVILLE, Ala. -- Hometown friends and fans of "To Kill A Mockingbird" author Harper Lee are struggling to reconcile a publisher's announcement -- her decades-old manuscript for a sequel had been rediscovered and will be released -- with the image of the reclusive writer at her sister's recent funeral...

Tom Fornkohl walks through a field of repaired towboat propellers Wednesday at Missouri Dry Dock and Repair in Cape Girardeau. Propellers this size can weigh nearly 8,000 pounds.

Another dominant year in the Southeastern Conference helped Missouri land one of the top recruits in the nation. Defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. of East St. Louis, Illinois, chose the Tigers over national champion Ohio State, Florida State and Auburn.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Levi Randolph scored 20 points and made three 3-pointers to lead Alabama to a 62-49 victory over Missouri on Wednesday night. The Crimson Tide (14-8, 4-5 Southeastern Conference) bounced back from two straight losses to hand the Tigers (7-15, 1-8) their eighth consecutive defeat...

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team will face the Ohio Valley Conference's undisputed best when it faces the Murray State Racers tonight. The Racers bring a 17-game winning streak and a 9-0 conference mark into the contest, which is set to tipoff at 7 p.m. at the CFSB Center in Murray, Kentucky, following the women's game...

About three months ago it became clear to Southeast Missouri State coach Tom Matukewicz that Iowa Western Community College quarterback Tay Bender was within reach of the Redhawks, which was something he hadn't anticipated. The redshirt sophomore was nearing the end of the season, during which he led his team to an 11-1 record with its only loss coming in the National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship game, when running backs coach Matt Martin traveled to visit him during the Redhawks' bye week in the last week of October.. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A measure requiring women seeking an abortion to watch a video with information about the procedure and alternatives is moving forward in the Missouri House. It requires the state's health department to create a video containing state-mandated information about abortion. ...

SEATTLE -- Firefighters rescued a man who was trapped for about 18 hours upside down in a parked rail car. The fire department says the man apparently crawled into a chute on the car designed to carry dry bulk materials. Dispatchers received 911 calls about 8 a.m. Wednesday, where people heard someone yelling for help. Rescuers found the man with his feet sticking up. Firefighters pulled him out by his feet. He was stiff and cold and got taken to a hospital to be examined...

Chase Hagerty, Southeast Missouri State baseball Jaylen Flye-Sadler, Austin Peay State football Maggie Groshong, St. Charles CC softball Sarah Kitchen, Fontbonne softball Andre Statam, Jacksonville State basketball Trevor Morehead, Austin Peay State football...

Zalma's Brent Overbey scored a game-high 39 points to lead the Bulldogs' boys basketball team to an 84-77 conference win over the Meadow Heights Panthers on Tuesday at Zalma High School. The junior knocked down seven 3-pointers in the contest. Clinging to a one-point lead at halftime, Zalma pulled away in the third quarter, during which it outscored Meadow Heights 24-15...

Father God, may your perfect peace fill our hearts. Amen.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- An Illinois man was arrested for kidnapping early Sunday after bringing a 13-year-old girl to a Sikeston hotel. Steven Larson, 60, of Altamont, Illinois, was arrested in Sikeston on a kidnapping warrant from the Illinois State Police...

It has never been a secret that members of Congress will negotiate and deal to get military purchasing contracts for businesses in their own districts. Even some who are ardent advocates of budget cuts will solicit votes in Congress for military contracts...

Make and model: 2003 Ford F150 Lightning Owner(s): Branton Reeves Owner's hometown: Cape Girardeau, MO 5.4L supercharged engine. 20" black powder coated replicas. Sonic Blue original paint.Production #3104 of 4270. My car's name: Elsa(From Frozen)...

WASHINGTON -- In a landmark event that could have many holding their breath, Pope Francis has agreed to address a joint meeting of Congress this fall. That sets the stage for an oration by an outspoken pontiff whose views on immigration and global warming clash with those of many Republicans who run the House and Senate...

Ceramic bricks are 9 inches long. Southeast Missouri State University ceramics professor Benjie Heu used those same parameters as the basis for his juried exhibition. "Monumental Ideas/Intimate Scale: A National Juried Exhibition" opened this week in the River Campus Art Gallery...

Human error, not technology, is to blame for a potentially "disastrous" data breach that compromised the Social Security numbers of up to 80 million health insurance customers, a cybersecurity expert said Thursday. Blue Cross Blue Shield insurer Anthem sent notices to its customers Thursday, notifying them a "very sophisticated external cyber attack" had given hackers access to current and former customers' personal information, including names, addresses, birthdays and Social Security numbers...

MURRAY, Ky. -- When a pair of Southeast Missouri State starters were sent to the bench with their fourth fouls before the midway point of the second half against Ohio Valley Conference leader Murray State on Thursday night, coach Dickey Nutt knew it could pose a problem.

An area man's true story of being stranded on a life raft with two other men in the South Pacific during World War II finally has been made into a film -- 73 years later. "Against the Sun," officially released last month in most of the U.S., is based on a 1942 book by Robert Trumbull titled "The Raft."...

After years of studies and discussion, Jackson city officials have decided to install a roundabout to remedy the notoriously congested intersection in uptown Jackson. Mayor Barbara Lohr said at a Wednesday night town-hall meeting that representatives from the Missouri Department of Transportation presented the findings of a traffic study, as well as their recommendation: that a roundabout would be a better solution than a traffic signal...

MURRAY, Ky. -- Members of the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team took consolation in battling back from a 19-point deficit against a Murray State team that entered the CFSB Center without a win in the Ohio Valley Conference on Thursday night.

Today is Friday, Feb. 6, the 37th day of 2015. There are 328 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 6, 1952, Britain's King George VI died at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England; he was succeeded as monarch by his elder daughter, who became Queen Elizabeth II...

Editor's note: The following letter to the editor was submitted in response to the obituary on B. Ray Owen: Your terrific storytelling makes me feel like I've known Ray Owen for years -- or makes me wish that I had. As a longtime ink-stained (now pixilated) wretch myself, I guess that I've known my share of Rays -- great, dedicated editors who give a newspaper its identity, its pulse; lovers of words, keepers of the faith...

Have you ever been downtown on the evening of a First Friday? Local galleries and studios started First Friday with the Arts in 2003 as a way to engage the community with the arts. As of Jan. 1, the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri is excited to announce that it has become the coordinator of First Friday with the Arts...

Cape Girardeau and Jackson High Schools are getting ready for their annual fundraising parties. Cape Girardeau Public School Foundation's Penguin Party and Jackson R-2 Foundation's Red and Black Affair both are scheduled Saturday evening in Cape Girardeau...

** Snow days; ** Influenza; ** Alternate route; ** Traffic help

OK. The most- watched event in television history has come and gone. More people watched last Sunday's Super Bowl than anything else that's ever been aired. That's what someone said. I wasn't actually counting. But I was watching. I rooted for Seattle. A lot of other football fans got their wish when the New England Patriots won. A lot of expert analysts have had their say about the fluke ending of the game. I imagine folks will be talking about this Super Bowl for a long, long time...

BENTON, Mo. -- Donna Ruth Keen, 81, of Benton passed away Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015, at her home. She was born July 27, 1933, in Flint, Michigan, daughter of Vern and Ruby LaRose Painter Ray. She and Joseph C. Keen were married Feb. 7, 1949. He died May 5, 2011...

Erwin Andrew "Erv" Johnson, 97, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Erwin was born May 19, 1917, in Deansville, Wisconsin, to Andrew and Mary Hamshire Johnson. He and Elinor Roesling of Janesville, Wisconsin, were married and shared 66 wonderful years together, golfing, playing cards, parenting and traveling to all 50 states with family. ...

Randy Lynn Bateman, 65, of Scott City passed away Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, at Southeast Hospital. He was born May 22, 1949, in Lewiston, Idaho, to Emery and Myrtea Cates Bateman. Randy was a chef in Alaska and also owned his own restaurant. He enjoyed spending time with his family and cooking for all occasions...

Doris Brennecke Davault, 94, of Jackson passed away Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home. She was born Oct. 25, 1920, in Allenville, to Joseph Henry "Joe" and Cora Chostner Brennecke. She and William Hughes Davault were married Nov. 20, 1941. They had been married 70 years when he passed away July 7, 2012...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Diane Louise Richardet, 61, of Perryville died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, at the Estates of Perryville. Visitation will be Monday from 4 p.m. until service time at Young & Sons Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Carla S. Schremp, 51, of Perryville died Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, at Perry County Memorial Hospital. Funeral Mass will be held privately for family. A celebration of life will be held at VFW Post 4282 Saturday at noon. Young & Sons Funeral Home provided the arrangements...

BELL CITY, Mo. -- Carol Ann Holder, 53, of Bell City passed away Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015, at her home. She was born July 14, 1960, in Advance, daughter of Jack and Joyce Holder. Carol had worked in home health care. Survivors include her mother, Joyce Holder; three brothers, Kendrick Holder, Kevin (Sue) Holder and Tim (Melissa) Holder, all of Advance...

A historic-preservation measure last night won initial approval of the Cape Girardeau City Council as some 40 supporters looked on at city hall; the city council voted unanimously to approve the first reading. The Cape Girardeau Police Department has purchased a Thunderbird Scare-away cannon in an effort to rid neighborhoods of large flocks of starlings; the department has received complaints since mid-December about the birds, which are overtaking trees and bushes in a northwest section of the city.. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI n Lisa G. Braswell, 31, of Cape Girardeau was issued a summons for driving while intoxicated and failure to maintain single lane. Arrests...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Wednesday: n At 7:15 a.m., a motor vehicle accident with injuries on Interstate 55. n At 7:53 a.m., a medical assist on Linden Street. n At 8:22 a.m., a medical assist on Whitener Street...

Daughter to Stephen Dale Green and Amber Nicole Garland of Marble Hill, Missouri, Saint Francis Medical Center, 2:31 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, 2015. Name, Kadence Marie. Weight, 5 pounds, 9 ounces. Second daughter. Ms. Garland is the daughter of Chris and Travis Crader and Robert Garland of Marble Hill. She is a CNA at Woodland Hills. Green is the son of Dale and Betty Green of Grassy, Missouri. He is employed by Fronabarger Concreters...

An Arkansas man convicted in 2011 on murder charges and facing related charges in Dunklin County is set to appear in court again next week. Devontae Rivers was 19 at the time of the abduction and murder of Dorian Long of Blytheville. Long was in Kennett, Missouri, on March 1, 2011, when he was robbed at gunpoint and forced into the trunk of his car, authorities say. Rivers drove the car, with Long in the trunk, back to Blytheville and killed him...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Jeremy Grable, superintendent of the Poplar Bluff Street Department, has been suspended without pay following his arrest on felony charges of first degree assault and armed criminal action. City Manager Heath Kaplan suspended Grable's employment with the city and appointed construction supervisor Dennis Kearbey as the interim superintendent for 30 days...

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis elected official active in the Ferguson, Missouri, protests wants to give more investigative power to a planned city police oversight board -- a change an aide to Mayor Francis Slay said would scuttle a compromise agreement nearly a decade in the making...

UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. -- A fire that killed an elderly woman and two children in University City was caused by a space heater, the town's fire chief said Thursday. The fire broke out Wednesday night in the St. Louis suburb, and the home was engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived. Firefighters pulled 78-year-old Mamie Williams, 4-year-old Trevion Dunger and 6-year-old Kaliyah Dunger from the home. All three were taken to hospitals where they died...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Inadequate information about a University of Missouri student housing complex, a lack of situational awareness and the deterioration of a concrete walkway contributed to the death last year of a Columbia firefighter, federal investigators said...

Artisan-made jewelry, ornaments, pottery and a variety of fine crafts will be featured. Porcelain jewelry made by Linda Bohnsack will be on display. 821A Broadway, 334-8530 The Arts Council and Old Town Cape will start a new tradition, a cookie spree, for visitors of the Art Walk. ...

More than 500 high school and junior high school students from all over the area will bring their music instruments to Cape Girardeau this weekend for the 17th annual Clark Terry/Phi Mu Alpha Jazz Festival. Twenty-six jazz ensembles will perform at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus before a board of jazz experts today and Saturday, and Grammy-Award-winning trombone player Michael Dease will perform with Southeast's University Jazz Band...

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Two people died Thursday in an apparent murder-suicide inside a building on the University of South Carolina's campus. The shooting happened about 1 p.m. Thursday as students changed classes. Even as police cars with sirens blaring rushed to the new School of Public Health and the university sent out an alert that everyone should stay inside, people walked around the sprawling campus...

FREDERICK, Md. -- More than a dozen police academy cadets searched a high-school athletic field Thursday, eyes trained on the frozen ground for signs of a getaway path possibly used by suspects who shot and wounded two students outside a gymnasium where two basketball games were in progress...

NEW YORK -- NBC News anchor Brian Williams found himself the story Thursday, his credibility threatened because he claimed -- falsely -- he had been in a helicopter hit by a grenade during the Iraq War. NBC News officials would not say whether their top on-air personality would face discipline. The "Nightly News" anchor for just over a decade, Williams had become an online punching bag overnight...

NEW YORK -- Get ready for a familiar mix of gentle, cornball jokes and country music when a stage version of "Hee Haw" lands in Texas this fall. "Moonshine: That Hee Haw Musical" will make its premiere at Dallas Theater Center in September, and its Grammy Award-nominated co-composer said it will be centered on a love story and feature all new characters...

A man from Bell City, Missouri, is in custody facing drug charges. Travis Johnson, 19, has been charged with possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia. Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter said in a news release that officers conducted an investigation Wednesday after learning about illegal narcotics activity at a home near Vanduser, Missouri, in Scott County...

For the ninth annual Southeast Missouri Polar Plunge on Saturday, organizers are hoping to raise $57,000 to benefit Special Olympics. By Thursday afternoon, $11,268 had been raised in online contributions. Special Olympics Regional development director Penny Williams said more than 220 teams have registered, and applications will be accepted until it begins. All that's required to participate is raising $75 in advance and being at least 10 years old...

As the city of Jackson continues to grow, so does its traffic problem. The city is working with the Missouri Department of Transportation to address the bottleneck at the intersection of Main Street and U.S. 61 near the courthouse, but isn't narrowing its focus solely to that area...

The Southeast Missouri State women's soccer team signed five high school seniors Wednesday, including Jackson High School's Jordan Nelson, the daughter of Redhawks coach Heather Nelson. The other freshmen included Lauren Kaempfe of Columbia High School (Columbia, Illinois), Madilin Karstens of Francis Howell (St. Charles, Missouri), Brooke Merseal of St. Pius X (De Soto, Missouri) and Siena Senatore of St. Clare's College (Canberra, Australia)...

Don't be fooled by the Poplar Bluff girls basketball team's 13 losses. Jackson found out the hard way Tuesday night. The Indians, who trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half, knocked down three straight 3-pointers to reclaim a one-point lead with 6:50 left in the game, but the Mules went on an 8-2 run in the final two minutes to secure a 57-52 SEMO Conference victory over host Jackson...

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- David Backes and the St. Louis Blues have goalie Jake Allen to thank for extending their point streak to a franchise-best 13 straight games. Though the Blues were far from perfect, Allen was unbeatable in stopping 23 shots in a 3-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The University of Missouri Board of Curators has approved funding for a new softball stadium in Columbia. The curators unanimously approved the $16 million stadium Thursday. The funding will include $13.5 million in private gifts and $2.5 million in debt financing...

Route U in Cape County reduced for pavement work Route U in Cape Girardeau County, from Highway 34 to Route N, will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews make pavement repairs. The work, which began Thursday, will continue from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily through Tuesday, according to a MoDOT news release...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- It was easy for authorities in central Florida to find a robbery suspect. They say he left his wallet at a convenience store he's accused of robbing. The Brevard County Sheriff's Office says 25-year-old Benjamin Alexander Shaw demanded money from a Circle K store clerk. An arrest report says Shaw got $40 and left the store. Police arrived and the clerk handed them Shaw's wallet with an ID inside. Shaw was found a few blocks away and arrested...

AMMAN, Jordan -- Dozens of Jordanian fighter jets bombed Islamic State targets Thursday, including training centers and weapons storage sites, the military said, pledging to keep up the attacks until the militants are defeated. Jordan has said it would respond harshly to the killing of a captive Jordanian fighter pilot by the militants. ...

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

The finalists for the Semoball Awards high school fall sports will be announced at a selection show at 10 a.m. Saturday at Dexter Bar-B-Que in Cape Girardeau. A nationally recognized speaker for the Semoball Awards, slated for July 11 at the Southeast Missouri State River Campus, will be revealed along with the finalists for football, volleyball, boys soccer, girls tennis, boys and girls cross country and boys swimming. ...

The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center will host Eagle Days from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge and Duck Creek Conservation Area for viewing bald eagles. No registration is required. The event is free and open to all ages. ...

Lord Jesus, may we love one another as you love us. Amen.

Richard "Hoppy" Jones, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at Ford & Sons Mt. Auburn Chapel. Parish prayers will be at 7. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mary Cathedral. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery...

One person was taken to a hospital after a two-vehicle accident Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 in the 2100 block of Independence in Cape Girardeau. According to Cape Girardeau police, an Oldsmobile Alero was leaving a parking lot on the north side of Independence when it collided with a Toyota RAV4 that was westbound in the center lane on Independence. (Fred Lynch)...

Southeast Missouri State walk-on JT Jones provided the spark the Redhawks needed as they came from behind to beat Eastern Illinois 68-64 on Saturday.

Mallards, Canadian geese, Trumpeter swan and Northern shoveler,

More than 50 fall sports high school athletes from Southeast Missouri were announced as finalists at the first Semoball Awards selection show on Saturday at Dexter Bar-B-Que in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Today is Saturday, Feb. 7, the 38th day of 2015. There are 327 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 7, 1965, during the Vietnam War, Viet Cong forces attacked Camp Holloway, a U.S. Army helicopter base near Pleiku, killing eight Americans and wounding more than 100 others; the United States retaliated with airstrikes against the North Vietnamese...

A presidential search committee at Southeast Missouri State University names four finalists for university president; the finalists are: William M. Fulkerson Jr., 49, of Alamosa, Colorado; J. Wade Gilley, 50, of Vienna, Virginia; Robert M. McChesney, 47, of Conway, Arkansas, and Kala M. Stroup, 52, of Murray, Kentucky...

The defending Ohio Valley Conference regular-season champion Southeast Missouri State baseball team was voted as the favorite to win the title this season in the preseason poll. The Redhawks, who were 23-7 in conference last year, received 12 of the 22 first-place votes and 187 points in the poll, which is voted on by the league's coaches and sports information directors...

The Redhawks scored the first nine points of the second half, built up a double-figure lead and held on for a 69-65 win to improve to 9-15 and 2-9 in the OVC.

The Advance Hornets led wire to wire as they secured a 64-53 homecoming victory against the Dexter Bearcats on Friday night.

Scott City sophomore Dylan Keller scored 27 points in the second half to help the Rams secure an 83-70 win.

Brent Overbey nailed a game-high 25 points -- 15 of which came from behind the arc -- to lead the second-seeded Zalma Bulldogs in a vengeful victory over the fourth-seeded Marquand-Zion Tigers to a 75-62 win for third place in the Mississippi Valley Conference boys basketball tournament on Friday at Greenville High School...

Phyllis Spence Sedgewickvile, Missouri Homemaker If I've learned anything at all it's ... ... how important family and friends are in my life. Feb. 21 is National Hug Day. What's your hugging style? Oh, I'm a hugger. I'm always happy to see you. A happy-to-see-you hugger. What was the last thing you did to treat yourself? I got a massage. What is a talent or skill you wish you had? I wish I could sing. Marsha Holloway St. Louis Business owner, Stone Mountain Carpet Outlet in Cape Girardeau If I've learned anything at all it's ... ... to have compassion for people. Feb. 21 is National Hug Day. What's your hugging style? I'm an Italian hugger. What was the last thing you did to treat yourself? When I turned 60 last year, I vacationed once a month for 10 months. What is a talent or skill you wish you had? Music. I wish I was better at playing instruments. Megan Andrews Cape Girardeau Lawyer at Layton and Southard If I've learned anything at all it's ... ... you are in charge of your own future. Feb. 21 is National Hug Day. What's your hugging style? I'm a side hugger. That's what my husband tells me. What was the last thing you did to treat yourself? I got my nails done last week. What is a talent or skill you wish you had? I think singing, because everyone always hates my singing. Darious Whitney Cape Girardeau Student If I've learned anything at all it's ... ... to make good timing. To plan ahead because I've got so much work, but somehow I get it all done. Feb. 21 is National Hug Day. What's your hugging style? The best. What was the last thing you did to treat yourself? I treat myself everyday. What is a talent or skill you wish you had? I'm pretty good at everything I do. Anything I put my mind to, I end up doing it.

The RadioShack store at West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau is among more than 1,700 slated for potential closure in the wake of the electronics retailer filing for bankruptcy Thursday. RadioShack on Friday posted a document called "potential store closures list." Its Cape Girardeau store at the mall was on the list...

A Cape Girardeau teenager was in jail Friday on charges he tried to sell a stolen handgun. Tavious L. Tipler, 17, faces charges of receiving stolen property, resisting arrest and unlawful use of a weapon in connection with the case, according to a news release from the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

Adding insult to injury, potential victims of the Anthem data breach may be the target of a new scam designed to exploit fears about the breach, the company warned customers Friday. In an email to its customers, Anthem described the so-called "phishing" scheme in which scam artists send email messages that appear to be from the company, with a "click here" link for customers to click to sign up for credit monitoring...

Cape Girardeau County aimed its message about the need for a new courthouse at the local business community Friday and shared information on an upcoming use-tax ballot question at the chamber of commerce's monthly First Friday Coffee event. During the past year, the county assigned a committee to look at its two aging courthouses -- in Cape Girardeau and Jackson -- and compare the ways those buildings are being used with current and future needs of the courts and county offices. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A "true patriot" killed by terrorists in Libya will be remembered in special services in Sikeston. A memorial service will honor former Marine combat veteran David Berry, who has ties to Southeast Missouri. Berry was killed by Islamic State terrorists Jan. 27 at the Corintha Hotel in Tripoli, Libya...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department's next Coffee with Cops will be from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Monday at Target, 202 Siemers Drive in Cape Girardeau. The event is open to the public. Those with questions may call 335-6621, extension 1263, for more information...

Garrett Broshuis' fastball may have been just a tad short on the radar gun for the Big Show, but he resides on the radar screen of Major League Baseball and the commissioner's office.

The Jackson School District will have a new superintendent July 1. John Link has been hired to replace superintendent Ron Anderson, who is retiring at the end of June, the school board announced Friday evening. Link has been superintendent in the Fair Grove School District, about 10 miles northeast of Springfield, Missouri, since 2006 and previously worked as superintendent and high school principal in the Hartville, Missouri, School District, according to a news release from the board...

By all expectations, the trust fund created under Sahara's Law shouldn't be boasting stellar numbers in its first year. The legislation allows Missouri taxpayers to donate $1 or more of their state income tax refunds to the Pediatric Cancer Research Trust Fund via a check-off box on individual and corporate income tax forms. It went into effect at the start of 2014...

Frances K. "Fran" Rediger, 76, wife of Cape Girardeau Mayor Harry Rediger, died suddenly Friday while on an oceanliner cruise with her husband. "Cape lost a real angel," said former Cape Girardeau mayor Jay Knudtson on Saturday. Jay Knudtson and his family have known the Redigers for about 25 years, from the time Knudtson moved to Cape Girardeau. He said family and friends of Fran are devastated over her death...

CHICAGO -- Six Bosnian immigrants -- including three from St. Louis -- accused of sending money and military equipment to extremist groups in Syria used Facebook, PayPal and other readily available services to communicate and transfer funds, according to a federal indictment...

It was the warmest year ever for the Cape Girardeau Polar Plunge. Celebrating its ninth year of raising money for Special Olympics Missouri, the weather was a 46 degrees, and 43 in the water. Waiting patiently for the event to begin, members of the Cape Girardeau Police Department stood proudly in various superhero masks, wool jackets, plaid kilts and even a blue painted face. ...

Today is Sunday, Feb. 8, the 39th day of 2015. There are 326 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 8, 1915, D.W. Griffith's groundbreaking as well as controversial silent movie epic about the Civil War, "The Birth of a Nation," premiered in Los Angeles...

Craig Ressel of Kelso, Missouri, and Tammy Noel of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Lindsey Elizabeth Ressel, to Cody Joseph Schlosser. He is the son of Randy and Tina Schlosser of Scott City. Lindsey is a 2011 graduate of Scott City High School. She is employed at Skyview Animal Clinic...

Jennifer Miller and David McNeely Jr. were married June 21, 2014, at Cape County Park. David McNeely Sr., father of the groom, performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Gary and Gail Miller and David and Lucita McNeely Sr., all of Scott City...

St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson will hold a rummage sale to help raise money for the church's mission outreach program. This year the mission team will travel to Guatemala to help with a construction project and local vacation Bible school. The fundraiser is co-sponsored by Thrivent Financial Chapter 30281. ...

The following students were named to the Fall 2014 dean'st list. Advance: Ashton Anderson, Ethan Barr, Kayla McCabe, Tyler Middleton, Collin Ritter, Joshua Robison, Annie Stephens, Lindsey Sullinger. Altenburg: Arielle Bohnert, Morgan Mueller, Whitnie Petzoldt...

Missouri is home to 65 species of freshwater mussels, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Freshwater mussels have two shells that hinge and protect the animal inside from danger. They live their whole lives beneath the surface of water, where they go unseen by most people...

The musical journey of Vince Wingo has taken him from Clippard Elementary School, where he learned to read sheet music in a "full European-style music program," to Saint John the Theologian Orthodox Church, where he serves as the congregation's chanter...

Do you wonder why particular things happen in life that are sad, horrible and make no sense? Regardless of how hard you pray, they don't seem to change. People ask, "How can a merciful God allow this to occur? He didn't deserve this. Why is she having to suffer so long?"...

Most of us are familiar with images of city skylines. We may even recognize certain buildings and know from sight if we are looking at images of New York, Chicago, San Francisco -- even London or Paris. When you travel to a city with skyscrapers dotting the landscape and walk among the streets it's very easy to be impressed and overwhelmed by the size and scale of these buildings. ...

Powdered peanut butter sounds, pardon the pun, a bit nuts. While fitness buffs sang its praises when it first hit the scene a few years ago, I scoffed. But after seeing it take up more and more space on the shelves of my local supermarket, I caved and bought it for the first time. At first I stayed fairly traditional in my usage: I added a scoop to my chocolate or banana morning smoothie, or added it to cookie dough to make a lower calorie peanut butter cookie...

Sweet treats for Valentine's Day just seemed to be the right recipes for today. With Valentine's Day later this week, many people will be planning dinner in or dinner out, and those plans may include a sweet treat to finish off the meal. Whatever your plans are, these recipes may be just the recipe you have been looking for. I hope you get to share it with someone very special...

When the days begin to get longer, my mind goes in two different directions -- both of which I enjoy. I start thinking about gardening, but also fishing. Today's topic will be on gardening. There are thousands of different kinds of plants or vegetables we can grow in our gardens. Most of them will come from some kind of seed. A few, like potatoes, will grow from the eyes of seed potatoes or from slips off sweet potatoes. But most come from seed...

While strolling, I wondered whatever happened to Lawanda Bentley. Happy birthday this week to Trevor Duncan, Ruth Ann Hailey, Sharon Maben, Betty McFerron, Becky Glastetter, Mike Dragoni, George Butler, Eddie Wagoner, Woodrow Proctor, Robert Penrose, Jerry Wolsey Jr., Susie Pobst, Linda Glastetter, Mildred Finney, Audrey Ing, Sharon Rogers, Joann Brucker, Estella Sharpo, Jimmy Dooley, Gary Sadler, Cindy Teegarden, Connie Hamilton, Jeff Graviett, Joe Swain and Troy and Tyler Collins...

Peanut is 1 year old. He is neutered and housebroken. Peanut is friendly and energetic! He is available for adoption at the Humane Society, 334-5837.

In recent days Missouri lawmakers decided they and statewide elected officials would not get a raise after all, after senators blocked a proposed pay increase. It was the right move, from political and practical perspectives. According to a story from The Associated Press, a proposal called for $4,000 more per year over two years for lawmakers and an 8 percent raise for statewide officials in fiscal years 2016 and 2017. ...

** Utility charges; ** Clothing; ** Food costs; ** AP test

Lord Jesus, we praise you, our strength and the rock of our eternal salvation. Amen.

PINE LAWN, Mo. -- Protesters are demanding changes in municipal courts in St. Louis County in the wake of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer. Municipal proceedings were disrupted Thursday when about 75 people gathered outside a Missouri courthouse to protest the 19,000 traffic tickets issued last year by police in the city of Pine Lawn...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis prosecutors have dropped purse-snatching charges against a man who had avoided prison for 13 years because of a clerical error after he was convicted of robbing a restaurant. Cornealious Anderson, 37, had been sentenced in 2000 for an armed robbery in St. Charles County but was never told when or where to report. He went about his life, starting his own business, coaching youth football in Webster Groves, Missouri, a St. Louis suburb...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Texas A&M guard Danuel House sensed his team held an advantage against Missouri long before the final buzzer Saturday. "When they started warming up for the second half," House said of the Tigers, "the guys didn't look into the game."...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Aaron Harrison scored 23 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 19 and top-ranked Kentucky remained unbeaten with a 68-61 victory over Florida on Saturday night. Willie Cauley-Stein chipped in 13 points, highlighted by a thunderous dunk over freshman Devin Robinson in the second half, and the Wildcats (23-0, 10-0 Southeastern Conference) snapped a three-game losing streak against the Gators (12-11, 5-5)...

SAN DIEGO -- Two poor chips wound up costing Harris English three shots. He battled just to get birdie chances on the South Course at Torrey Pines and only converted two of them. He wound up with a 1-over 73 and a share of the lead with J.B. Holmes on Saturday in the Farmers Insurance Open...

Wilda Mae Sprenger, 91, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, at Life Care Center of Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 17, 1923, in Cape Girardeau to Glenn and Josie Turner Smith. She and Harold L. Sprenger were married April 26, 1947, in Osceola, Arkansas. He passed away Oct. 24, 1992...

Imogene Foli, 86, of Jackson passed away Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, at the Monticello House in Jackson. She was born Oct. 8, 1928, in Fudgetown, Illinois, to the late Andrew and Edna Fairbanks Jackson. She and Marion O. Foli were married Sept. 3, 1946, at Johnston City, Illinois. He preceded her in death on March 1, 2008...

Nathan Moore was born sleeping Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Son of Steve J. and Marla A. Ives Moore of New Madrid, Missouri. Also surviving is a sister, Lydia D. Moore. Graveside service will be at a later date at Barks Chapel Cemetery in Crump, Missouri, where he will be surrounded by generations of Moore family members...

ORANGEVALE, Calif. -- Firefighters rescued a horse that got stuck in an outdoor bathtub. Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Capt. Michelle Eidam said the horse was dancing around in her stall near the bathtub used as her food trough when she fell in Wednesday. The horse, named Phantom, was stuck in the bathtub for about 25 minutes with her feet up in the air until firefighters and the owner's family were able to prop the bathtub on its side and pull Phantom forward onto her feet, uninjured...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's attorney general proposed Friday it be illegal for police to use deadly force unless a suspect committed a violent felony or poses a serious threat to others, as part of recommendations responding to the fatal shooting of a black 18-year-old in Ferguson, Missouri...

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. --The annual Running of the Gourds Festival, an event that celebrates the fruit's growing popularity, has taken over Pinal County this weekend. The Pinal Fairgrounds & Event Center has been a gourd-lover's paradise since Friday. Wuertz Gourd Farm has been putting on the festival for the past 12 years...

DALLAS -- The first nationwide strike at U.S. oil refineries since 1980 is spreading to two BP plants in the Midwest. The United Steelworkers union has notified BP Plc. that workers at refineries in Ohio and Indiana will strike late Saturday night, joining a walkout that began this week at nine other refineries...

ST. LOUIS -- A not-for-profit parks group that oversees Gateway Arch concession sales says that customer credit card information may have been stolen from the iconic attraction and two other St. Louis historic sites. The Jefferson National Parks Association said Friday that it was informed of the data breach by federal officials nearly two months ago. ...

ST. LOUIS -- For decades, Missouri executions have been scheduled to start at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesdays. But beginning with an execution scheduled for March, that will change. The Missouri Supreme Court on Friday set a March 17 execution date for Cecil Clayton, convicted of killing a southwest Missouri deputy in 1996. The execution is scheduled for a Tuesday, and is set to start at 6 p.m., though the court's execution order allows for it to occur anytime within a 24-hour period after that...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's practice of awarding private businesses contracts to run offices that issue vehicle and driver's licenses has come under fire by some lawmakers, who say choosing winning bids in part by how much money a business promises to return to the state is a "pay-to-play scheme."...

Rupert D. McAllister, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. Private graveside service will be at a later date...

Ruby Eileen Hollman, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

M. Sue Eatherton, 75, of St. Mary, Missouri, died Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Miller Family Funeral Home in Perryville, Missouri. The funeral will be at 8 p.m. at the funeral home...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n A suspect is in custody pending filing of formal charges of resisting arrest, possession of marijuana, unlawful use of drug paraphernalia and driving while revoked at Broadway and Lacey Street...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Korey W. King, 37, of Cape Girardeau was arrested on suspicion of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and possession of a controlled substance. n Sean E. Daly, 44, of Jackson was issued a summons for stop sign violation...

* Medical assist calls were made to: Jefferson Avenue at 9:03 a.m.; Farrar Drive at 11:09 a.m.; Perryville Road at 11:40 a.m.; Linden Street at 1:06 p.m.; Broadway at 1:23 p.m.; Whitener Street at 2:41 p.m.; Rand Street at 2:53 p.m.; South Kingshighway at 2:54 p.m.; South Spring Avenue at 3:13 p.m.; North Middle Street at 5:01 p.m.; Walnut Street at 5:24 p.m.; and Meyer Drive at 9:16 p.m...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Jean Duniphan, 83, of Chaffee passed away Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, at Advance Nursing Center. She was born Aug. 8, 1931, at Dongola, Missouri, daughter of Robert and Sadie Silcox Humphreys. Jean and Loman A. Duniphan were married July 2, 1946, in Piggott, Arkansas. He preceded her in death July 28, 1992...

Frances K. "Fran" Rediger, 76, of Cape Girardeau died suddenly Friday, Feb. 6, 2015. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Charles F. Shultz, 86, of Jackson passed away Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 12, 1928, in Cape Girardeau, son of Charles F. and Ruth Shultz. He and Fern Peetz were married Jan. 6, 1957, at St. James UCC in Tilsit...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Duane Randy End, 61, of Perryville died Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, at Independence Care Center in Perryville. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday in the Gathering Space of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Perryville. Funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the church. Burial will be in Mount Hope Cemetery...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Cynthia Kay Sinden, 49, of Dixon, Missouri, departed this life Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015, at Dixon Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She had been in failing health for some time. She was born in Perryville, a daughter of Vernon and Esther Oehlert Petzoldt. She and Paul James Sinden were married June 10, 2006, at New Wells...

Mary Lou Blattner, 73, of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, at Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 22, 1941, in Arcadia, Missouri, the daughter of Herbert and Pauline Helms Lotz. She and Louis Charles "Bud" Blattner were married Oct. 31, 1979. He preceded her in death on Oct. 8, 1990...

Richard "Hoppy" Jones, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 8, 1926, in Cape Girardeau to Lester and Gladys Mae McElreath Jones. He and Margaret Roberta Langston were married Sept. 8, 1945, at Cape Girardeau. She preceded him in death on July 23, 2000...

Kasie and Robert Craft's isn't a traditional love story. In a few short hours in 2007, they decided they wanted to be together and began planning their future -- even moving to Alaska together a short time later. At first, Kasie's parents didn't believe in her whirlwind romance and thought there was no way she would wait for her future husband through two deployments...

Few objections to a preliminary design for a new cross-city highway and Mississippi River bridge were voiced at a hearing last night at the A.C. Brase Arena Building; only one man, whose house on South Sprigg is in the path of the highway, suggested a different route to be followed; he contended that the recommended route would disrupt the lives of many people who must relocate...

Make and model: 2010 Camaro SS Owner(s): Wayne & Mika Held Owner's hometown: Chaffee 2010 was the return of the Camaro. I ordered mine on the first day that you could in 2008. It was built on my birthday in 2009 and delivered about a week later...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Even as the World Series and other events have drawn crowds and cash to Kansas City's Power & Light District, taxpayers continue to pay millions in subsidies for the entertainment area. Just-released state data show sales for the district were up 15 percent in October from the same month in 2013, translating into an additional $50,000 in sales tax revenue for the city to help pay down the massive debt on the district, The Kansas City Star reported...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Missouri transportation officials are testing an anti-skid surface treatment in Kansas City and several other sites after having positive results with it in Jefferson City. The Missouri Department of Transportation said it hopes to have the treatment installed this summer on the ramp from southbound Interstate 29 to southbound Interstate 635 in the northern part of the city, The Kansas City Star reported. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Megan Kennedy was born profoundly deaf, and is gradually going blind, too. Rather than fret about the future, she is embracing the present. "I can be in the moment and be really happy where I'm at," Kennedy said. "There are beautiful things that come out of that -- just learning how great it is right now."...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Effective safe-driving campaigns and increase in suicides have pushed firearm deaths ahead of car crashes as the leading nonmedical cause of deaths in Missouri. The Kansas City Star reported 880 people were killed by guns in Missouri in 2013, the most recent federal data available, while 781 died in car crashes...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri bill would give individuals more flexibility in burying dead family members. Republican state Sen. Jay Wasson of Nixa introduced legislation Thursday that would allow a cemetery owner to unearth a body and rebury it elsewhere with permission of relatives...

FULTON, Mo. -- Cassidy Jones, 16, held the gold-and-red velvet coronation crown over her grandfather's head. As she put it in place, Kenneth Jones, 75, beamed. He had just been crowned king of the Senior Citizen Prom. For the past 14 years, members of the North Callaway High School chapter of the National FFA Organization and senior citizens have gathered annually to dance...

When Laura Schumpert of Cape Girardeau lost her son, Lyndon, 2, and her husband, Jarred, 28, suddenly around Christmas, she asked for a special type of donation to be made in Lyndon's name. Instead of flowers or a monetary donation, she asked people to donate toys, specifically Spider-Man toys, that would be donated to Missouri First Steps of Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau HealthPoint Rehab and Southeast Missouri State University's Autism Center...

Law enforcement agencies use social media to communicate with wide audience Some people use social media sites to reconnect with old friends. Others use them to talk politics, tend imaginary farms, monitor breaking news stories or swap fad-diet recipes...

ELMIRA, N.Y. -- Police say a bronze plaque stolen from Mark Twain's gravesite in upstate New York has been recovered in good condition. In a statement to media, the Elmira Police Department said the 12-by-12-inch likeness of the American writer was recovered Saturday. The statement said details on how it was recovered and whether there will be any arrests won't be available until today...

The Cape Girardeau Historic Preservation Commission is now accepting nominations for its 2015 Endangered Buildings List. Created in 2012, the list helps the commission promote awareness of historic "at risk" buildings in the community. Vacancy, deterioration and likely demolition are threats typically facing buildings on the list. Last year's list featured more than a dozen buildings, including the Broadway Theater and Esquire Theater on Broadway and the Fort D Blockhouse, 920 Fort St...

Southeast Missouri State University's planning for a new Center for Excellence in Mass Media will begin this week with a meeting of the minds to determine what changes are required to transform the 51-year-old former First Federal Savings and Loan Building at 325 Broadway in Cape Girardeau into a state-of-the-art, hands-on media learning center...

The following story has been corrected. In the original version, The Associated Press incorrectly paraphrased Mike Louis, Missouri AFL-CIO president. Louis did not describe right-to-work proposals as creating a freeloader problem. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri labor groups are gearing up for another fight against right-to-work legislation, which some Republicans think has a better chance of passing this year because of their party's recent gains in the Legislature...

WHILE CHECKING HIS CATTLE HERD EARLY LAST WEEK A FARMER'S VALENTINE WAS AS PLAIN AS THE NOSE ON HIS FACE. HAROLD SANDERS OF VAN BUREN, MO SAW ONE OF HIS CALVES WITH A VERY IDENTIFYING MARK IN THE CENTER OF ITS TINY FOREHEAD, A PERFECTLY SHAPED VALENTINE...

Today is Monday, Feb. 9, the 40th day of 2015. There are 325 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 9, 1870, the U.S. Weather Bureau was established. On this date: In 1773, the ninth president of the United States, William Henry Harrison, was born in Charles City County, Virginia...

BOSTON -- Winter-weary New England braced Sunday for another round of snow that threatened to bear down on the region into the workweek and pile up to 2 feet in some areas. As light snow began falling by the afternoon, drivers were warned to stay off the roads and cancellations were posted for schools and court dockets today...

MONROEVILLE, Pa. -- A teenager who police say opened fire at a Pittsburgh-area mall, shooting his intended target as well as a couple, was arrested early Sunday after police used surveillance footage and an Instagram photo to link the suspect to the shooting...

BERLIN -- As Russian-backed separatists gain ground in eastern Ukraine, efforts to broker peace appeared to gain momentum Sunday, with leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine announcing plans for four-way talks this week. The proposed meeting Wednesday in the Belarusian capital of Minsk emerged from a phone call among German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko...

SANAA, Yemen -- Yemen will resume national talks over its future, the U.N. envoy to the country said Sunday, just days after Shiite rebels dissolved parliament and formally took power. Those talks today will include Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, whose Houthi rebels stormed into the capital, Sanaa, and elsewhere in September before besieging the president and seizing total control of the Arab world's poorest country Friday, envoy Jamal Benomar said...

PRESCOTT, Ariz. -- The parents of a 26-year-old American who has been held hostage for more than a year by Islamic State extremists were clinging to hope Sunday that their daughter is alive, having yet to receive information confirming otherwise. Family friend Todd Geiler said the parents of Kayla Jean Mueller of Prescott, Arizona, are in a very "fragile state."...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- SpaceX called off Sunday's planned launch of a deep-space observatory -- and a revolutionary rocket-landing attempt -- after a critical radar-tracking system failed. Former vice president Al Gore, who first envisioned the observatory two decades ago, was on hand for the attempt...

ALBANY, N.Y. -- DNA barcoding has exposed some infamous cases of food fraud, like cheap catfish sold as pricey grouper and expensive "sheep's milk" cheese that was really made from cow's milk. But can it tell if a pill touted as an energy-booster contains ginseng or is just a mix of rice powder and pine?...

Two of the finalists for president at Southeast Missouri State University also are among finalists for the presidency at Northeast Missouri State University in Kirksville; the two, Dr J. Wade Gilley and Dr. Kala M. Stroup, are among three presidential finalists at Northeast Missouri State and among four finalists at Southeast...

There's no telling how many hours Jay Knudtson sacrificed with his family for the sake of the city of Cape Girardeau. For eight years, Knudtson served as the city's mayor, and he was a hands-on leader. At times some may have questioned his leadership tactics, suggesting perhaps he was too hands-on, too involved in city operations or even too vocal. ...

In answer to the party that wondered where clothes could be donated and given to clients and not sold: Red Star Baptist church has a food pantry once a month where food and clothes are given away. They serve an average of 150 families each month. Clothes must be clean and in good condition. In addition they give away toys, household articles such as dishes, sheets, blankets, small kitchen appliances, decorating items and misc...

The Scott City Fire Department responded to the following calls: January 30 n At 10:01 a.m., emergency medical service on West Cherry Street. n At 11:20 p.m., emergency medical service on Main Street. n At 11:51 p.m., emergency medical service on Woodland Drive...

The Scott City Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Richard Martin, 55, of Scott City was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. n Darren McFall, 42, of Scott City was arrested on suspicion of property damage and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident...

* Medical assist calls were made to: Wisteria Street at 8:29 a.m.; Jefferson Avenue at 10:08 a.m.; Armstrong at 11:17 a.m.; West Lorimier Street at 4:07 p.m.; Ridge Road at 4:10 p.m.; and South Pacific Street at 5:13 p.m. n At 12:45 a.m., assist invalid on Rose Street...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Bradley J. Blase, 22, of Fenton Missouri, was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and speeding. n Gary D. Bucholtz, 45, of Marble Hill, Missouri, was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and speeding...

Charles Oliver Sims, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, at his home. A graveside service will be at noon Wednesday at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, with the Rev. Donny Ford officiating. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements...

Rupert Duane McAllister, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015. Duane was born May 5, 1925, in York, Nebraska, to Paul Rupert and Mary Frances Malone McAllister. He married his childhood friend and high-school sweetheart, Rosemary Conrad, on Sept. 14, 1944. This past summer they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary surrounded by four generations of family...

Ruby Eileen Hollman, 88, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Decatur, Illinois, died Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Monday, Feb. 8, 1926, in Piatt County, Illinois, to Leonard Dorsey and Orpha Blanche Mechling Nickell...

Cape Girardeau's co-working community, Codefi, will host the first-ever Google Startup Weekend in March. From March 13 to 15, Codefi is inviting budding entrepreneurs to pitch ideas to a panel and form groups that will compete for prizes, according to a news release...

1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today n None at this time n Items list on agenda n Purchase orders n Payroll change forms n None at this time n None at this time n Request from park superintendent Bryan Sander to put park shelter fees collected into park development fund for ongoing repairs and construction of new park shelters and playgrounds...

KINGSLEY, Mich. -- Authorities say a Michigan man confessed he was drunk and bored when he called 911 more than 100 times in the span of about a month. The Traverse City Record-Eagle reported the 25-year-old from the Grand Traverse County community of Kingsley in northern Michigan was arrested Thursday evening at his mobile home. Sheriff's deputies say they found about a half-dozen phones used to call 911 since January and a hand-held police scanner...

Mitch Wood has worn numerous hats over the last 23 years: teacher, baseball coach, basketball coach, principal, athletic director and superintendent.

ST. LOUIS -- A little more than a minute into the critical power play, the Chicago Blackhawks dispensed with setting up shop on offense and went for the quick hit.

Highway 51 in Bollinger County will be reduced as Missouri Department of Transportation crews make improvements to the intersection at the junction of Highway 51, Route C and Route P. The work will take place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily today through Feb. 20, according to a MoDOT news release...

Lord God, we place our hope in you for you are the Everlasting Father. Amen.

Hendrickson Business Advisors, a firm providing management and marketing consulting in Cape Girardeau, recently hired Alison Niermann as its new director of business development. Niermann is from Chesterfield, Missouri, and has experience in employee recruitment, training and business development, according to a release from the firm, and has worked as a radio account representative, with hospitals in recruitment marketing and strategy, training and succession planning and created a successful online parenting publication.. ...

DENVER -- When it comes to vaccinations, some states' approaches have been more successful than others. Although Missouri is below the national average for vaccination rates, the state has fared better than others in the face of a recent measles outbreak...

CHICAGO -- A prosecutor told a federal judge Monday that a suburban Chicago mother of four accused of sending money and military equipment to militant groups in Syria and Iraq poses a danger to the community and is a flight risk, so should remain in custody...

ST. LOUIS -- Federal lawsuits allege that jails in the St. Louis County towns of Ferguson and Jennings operate essentially as modern-day debtors' prisons, where minor traffic offenses can lead to extended periods behind bars. Two lawsuits were filed Sunday on behalf of people who have spent time in jail for failure to pay fines for traffic violations and minor offenses. ...

Cape Girardeau's RadioShack is closing its doors as the nationwide company recently filed for bankruptcy. The store is in West Park Mall's west wing. On Monday, the electronics retailer had a liquidation sale in progress at the mall with a sign out front indicating the store is in its last seven days of business...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Authorities say cuts in funding for the Southeast Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force are crippling the work it can do investigating online predators of Missouri children. The task force, based at the Poplar Bluff Police Department, was formed in 2007 as a means to fight online criminals who often seek to entice children and deal in child pornography...

The doctor arrested Friday in West Plains, Missouri, for soliciting sex with a 4-year-old girl had a strong presence in Southeast Missouri, including at clinics in Dexter and Bloomfield. Dr. Donald W. Lamoureaux, 68, was part of a team of medical personnel who operated from the SoutheastHEALTH clinic on Business 60 in Dexter...

The Jackson School Board will decide at its 7 p.m. meeting today whether to submit an application for a grant that would be used for updating equipment in the high school's business department. The Vocational-Technical Education Enhancement grant, which is administered through the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, is applied for annually by the department, said superintendent Ron Anderson...

The driver of a Ford Taurus was taken to a hospital Monday, Feb. 9, 2015 after a one-vehicle accident on Lexington Avenue just west of the roundabout in Cape Girardeau. According to Cape Girardeau police, the driver, who was westbound on Lexington, traveled through the roundabout before the car crashed into a guard rail on the bridge, east of the North Kingshighway intersection. (Fred Lynch)...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Poplar Bluff woman critically injured in a weekend house fire, which claimed the lives of two of her young grandsons, also has died of her injuries. Erma Pierce, 47, died Thursday in the burn unit at St. John's Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, where she, along with her 46-year-old husband, Daniel, were patients...

WASHINGTON -- Automakers are cramming cars with wireless technology, but they have failed to adequately protect those features against the real possibility that hackers could take control of vehicles or steal personal data, a member of the U.S. Senate is asserting...

A trial date has been set that could affect the future of Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary in Jackson. Safe Harbor's lawyer, Patrick Davis, and Missouri assistant attorney general Jacob Westen met with Cape Girardeau County Circuit Judge Michael Gardner at Common Pleas Courthouse on Monday to set the date for the trial, which will begin April 9 at the municipal court in Jackson...

Although a fire at a single-family home on Fountain Street on Monday morning didn't claim any human lives, it did prove fatal for a dog. Residents at 1113 N. Fountain St. in Cape Girardeau were able to get out of the home safely, but their dog did not survive. One cat was rescued and one was unaccounted for Monday afternoon...

The second Neighborhood Development Initiative meeting in the Red Star neighborhood of Cape Girardeau's Ward 1 will focus on structuring the neighborhood's identity and finding community leaders. The first meeting held in the neighborhood that stretches from Second Street to East Cape Rock Drive and spans east to west from Rand Street to Big Bend Road was held about a month ago and focused on identifying the key problems in the community...

PATTON, Mo. -- There wasn't much that could stop the Chaffee girls basketball team from scoring against Meadow Heights on Monday night.

Many motorists waited for over an hour Monday as emergency responders and road crews worked to clear a jackknifed semi-truck and a corn-covered southbound lane on Interstate 55. Around 1:25 p.m. Monday, an 18-wheeler carrying car parts apparently rear-ended another truck carrying a large load of corn near mile marker 97 in Cape Girardeau...

January Students of the Month at Oran High School

The sunset behind my house in Cape Girardeau

Colorectal cancer is deadly. Only lung cancer kills more Americans each year than this largely preventable disease. Colorectal cancer does not discriminate. This disease affects men and women equally. Those diagnosed with the disease often experience no noticeable symptoms...

Today is Tuesday, Feb. 10, the 41st day of 2015. There are 324 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 10, 1940, MGM released the animated short "Puss Gets the Boot," the debut of Tom and Jerry (although in this cartoon, the cat is called "Jasper" by its owner while the mouse was dubbed "Jinx" by creators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera)...

Technology can be a great thing, but it's also a vehicle some use for shady purposes -- including stalking. A recent story by reporter Emily Priddy highlighted the problem of stalking. According to a report from 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice estimated 3.3 million adults in this country had been stalked within the year...

NEW YORK -- Brian Williams took a pounding in the ratings for his final night on the air before stepping aside as NBC looks into misstatements he made, but it's unclear whether the drop in viewership was related to the controversy. The Nielsen company said ABC's "World News Tonight" had 8.46 million viewers on Friday, while NBC's "Nightly News" had just under 8 million. ...

Everyone worries about stolen credit cards or hacked bank accounts, but just visiting the doctor may put you at greater risk for identity fraud. Those medical forms you give the receptionist and send to your health insurer provide fertile ground for criminals looking to steal your identity, since health-care businesses can lag far behind banks and credit card companies in protecting sensitive information. ...