Stories from March 2015

__William R. Blake__ Perryville, Missouri Craigslist expert __If you could instantly transport yourself to a warmer climate, where would you go?__ Jamaica. You can just relax and have a good time. No harassment from anybody; just a good time. __What sight, song, sound or person makes you feel sentimental?__ The sight of someone suffering makes me feel sentimental. __Tell me about your earliest childhood memory.__ I was 5 years old; it's when I got my crooked teeth. My father wrecked the car. __How often do you sit down and eat at a restaurant?__ Two or three times a month. A lot of times it's Mexican. __Brittney Turner__ Sikeston cashier __If you could instantly transport yourself to a warmer climate, where would you go?__ Africa, because I've seen it in the movies. It looks really fun, and I've never been there before. __What sight, song, sound or person makes you feel sentimental?__ My kids give me a happy, warm, loving feeling. __Tell me about your earliest childhood memory.__ My fifth birthday party. It was a big party at my grandma's house, and I had lots of friends. __How often do you sit down and eat at a restaurant?__ Maybe twice a month. Nachos or anything appetizer-like. __Laura Boos__ Cape Girardeau Program director at Discovery Playhouse __If you could instantly transport yourself to a warmer climate, where would you go?__ On the beach somewhere. Obviously, I don't care where it's at. __What sight, song, sound or person makes you feel sentimental?__ My college roommates and I used to sing "Fancy" by Reba McEntire at the top of our lungs, and that always makes me laugh and takes me back. __Tell me about your earliest childhood memory.__ Every Christmas going to visit Santa Claus with my grandparents. __How often do you sit down and eat at a restaurant?__ Typically Friday nights; either Italian or Mexican. \__Brenda Smith__ Cape Girardeau Stay at home mom __If you could instantly transport yourself to a warmer climate, where would you go?__ I guess Florida, for the beach. __What sight, song, sound or person makes you feel sentimental?__ Probably music from the '70s. It kind of brings back my younger years. __Tell me about your earliest childhood memory.__ I guess it would be when I was about 3 years old, and I would go out to the farm with my dad and being on the tractor. __How often do you sit down and eat at a restaurant?__ Once every few weeks. ... sushi places.

Cleanup is mostly complete at Jackson City Hall after last week's winter weather caused minor water damage, confirmed Jackson Public Works director Rodney Bollinger. Bollinger said in an email a small section of the gutter drain froze on the roof, affecting a couple rooms in the west wing of the building...

Union County State's Attorney Tyler Edmonds has been appointed to the board of governors of the Illinois State's Attorneys Appellate Prosecutor. Edmonds was appointed during a special board meeting Thursday in Springfield, Illinois, according to a news release...

Southeast Missouri State University staff, students and community members Friday celebrated the official naming of the Kenneth & Jeanine Dobbins River Campus Center. "There really are no words that can capture how I feel," Jeanine Dobbins said during a dedication ceremony at the River Campus. "Some people will say, 'It's so well-deserved.' And I say, 'So many people deserve so very much.' I look at it as grace."...

EDITOR'S NOTE: Each year in Missouri, about 20,000 felons are released, having served their time. But they face roadblocks in re-entering society, particularly the workforce. "Raise your hand if you don't have anyone in your family -- or any friends or if you're not impacted in any way -- by someone who has been to prison or been convicted of a felony."...

A home is a total loss after a fire Friday night in Pocahontas. The Fruitland Area Fire Protection District responded to a fire about 7 p.m. at 649 Jackson Road, where light flames and heavy smoke were showing from a two-story home, assistant chief Gene Kerns said...

A woman and a child escaped a fire that started Friday afternoon on North Benton Street. The situation was contained shortly after firefighters arrived on the scene at 1:09 p.m. Capt. Ray Warner of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department said the blaze was under control by 1:15...

A Cape Girardeau woman received four citations for not yielding to an emergency vehicle and causing an accident. Jacqueline Parker, 30, was driving north on Kingshighway near the North Cape Rock Drive intersection at 12:28 a.m. Friday when she struck the patrol vehicle of Cape Girardeau police officer James Zeidler...

The Cape Girardeau County Commission announced Friday the purchase of a building in Cape Girardeau to provide office and court space for juvenile department employees of the 32nd Judicial Circuit. The building at 2137 Rust Ave., off South Kingshighway and near the Shawnee Parkway intersection, allows the department to provide services and court proceedings in one location. It has been operating out of county-provided space in two locations since 1990, according to a news release from the county...

Southeast Missouri State University has used its logo of the Academic Hall dome since 1988. But on Saturday, the board of regents approved a new design as part of a rebranding initiative. The current logo has too many variations and is difficult to place in some materials because of intricately drawn details, the university's communications and marketing staff said...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Residents of a small southern Missouri town struggled to come to grips with the knowledge that one of their own had killed seven people in a spasm of violence that ended when the gunman shot himself to death on a rural county road...

An aggravated assault suspect was seriously injured in a police-involved shooting Saturday morning. James Wilkins, 28, was taken to a hospital with serious injuries after the shooting, which occurred about 10:50 a.m. Saturday at Town House Inn, 505 N. Kingshighway...

An idea to create a housing option specifically for Greek students at Southeast Missouri State University was advanced by the board of regents Saturday but is drawing fire from residents who worry Greystone Estate and the Shivelbine House will be demolished...

Today is Sunday, March 1, the 60th day of 2015. There are 305 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 1, 1565, the city of Rio de Janeiro was founded by Portuguese knight Estacio de Sa. On this date: In 1790, President George Washington signed a measure authorizing the first U.S. Census...

Cane is a 2 year old malamute mix. He is already neutered. Cane is available for adoption at the Humane Society 334-5837.

Southeast Hospice is seeking volunteers to help terminal patients and their families. Southeast Hospice provides 12 to 15 hours of training for volunteers; topics include communication skills, family dynamics, grief and patient and family rights. Activities are varied. ...

Pinballing around his workshop between benders, welding outfits and other machinery, Dr. Andrew Walker likens himself to Dick Van Dyke's character in "Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang." "Some crackpot goes into his shed, and out comes something wonderful," Walker said...

In the 1989 movie "Road House" is an otherwise forgettable scene in which the main character, Dalton, played by the late Patrick Swayze, arrives to manage a rowdy bar in an unnamed Missouri town. Dalton, who has bought a junker car in anticipation of future vandalism in the parking lot, encounters a swaggering bouncer who tells him, "You don't look like much to me." With no trace of anger or irritation, Dalton simply replies, "Opinions vary."...

It's nighttime in Bern, Switzerland, and we're riding the escalator up and out of the train station. It's just Lauren, one of my soul sisters in the world, and me. She lives here as of recently, and I'm visiting from Athens, holding a lot of questions in my head and heart, and also living. We stumble upon answers in the living...

By modern measures the recession is over. Unfortunately, some segments of our economy are still feeling the effects. Unemployment is still an issue, especially among lower-skilled jobs. And, growth in the manufacturing sector lags well behind the ideal...

NEW YORK -- What if cauliflower got the same type of marketing firepower as candy bars and potato chips? A campaign plans to put that premise to the test by enlisting celebrities including actress Jessica Alba and NBA star Stephen Curry to shill for fruits and vegetables...

The Nancy Hunter Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution recognized DAR Good Citizen recipients from three area high schools at a reception Wednesday at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. Shown from left are Chelsea Seyer, Oak Ridge High School; John Fennewald, Notre Dame High School; Christian Retter, Cape Central High School; and Carolyn Webb, DAR Good Citizen chairwoman. Each student was presented with a certificate, a recognition pin, and a monetary gift from the chapter.

The last few weeks have certainly been disruptive in the Heartland. Traffic and commerce have been hampered by ice and snow, schools have been closed, events have been canceled, and weather forecasters have been working overtime. All of the weather conditions we have been experiencing have caused concern about possible traffic accidents, falling on ice at home or work, frostbite and frozen water pipes. ...

While strolling, I wondered whatever happened to Jimmie Smith. Happy birthday this week to Jeff Glasscock, Mark Dragoni, Karen Rice, Barbara Owens, David Jirik, Jacob Heeb, Bonnie Rister, Margaret Poinsett, Joyce Loucks, Jordan Duncan, Amy Sanders, David Gladwell, Clair Abernathy, Travis McGuire, Dortha Halter, Regina Spier, Karen Whitaker, Stefanie Hall, Rob Horman, Nancy Hampton, Ashlee Glastetter, Lorene Kinsey, Andy Obermann, Sarah Gordon, Vickie Taylor, Reggie Seyer, Pam Wilson, Charles Hemingway, Jaimie Ralph, Marty Moore, Rosemary Ross, Sheila Richardson, Taylor Friga, Danny Lindy, Susan Hampton, Whitney Horrell and Sam Burnett.. ...

Father God, may we seek unity with one another through you our Savior. Amen.

Last Friday, I flew from St. Louis to Kansas City for Reagan-Lincoln Days. This event is the Missouri Republican Party's statewide annual gathering. Lost in thought at the security line, I heard the familiar voice of Tom Schweich call out from behind me. He was with his lovely wife Kathy. We walked together to the plane, chatting about nothing in particular...

Naomi Tutu, the daughter of Nobel Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu, told an audience in Academic Auditorium on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University last evening the pressure against South Africa must continue and even intensify to bring an end to apartheid...

ROLLA, Mo. -- Police say a tractor-trailer crashed into the rear of a Greyhound bus in snowy weather on Interstate 44 in Missouri, setting off a chain of accidents involving dozens of vehicles. At least 11 people were sent to a hospital with minor to moderate injuries...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday appointed one of his senior advisers to temporarily serve as state auditor after the death of Republican Auditor Tom Schweich, who police say died of an apparent suicide. John Watson will serve as auditor until a permanent replacement is found, at which point he will resign, according to a news release from Nixon's office...

WASHINGTON -- Democrats are losing some skirmishes over the Department of Homeland Security, but many feel they are winning a political war that will haunt Republicans in 2016 and beyond. Democrats lacked the votes Friday to force Republicans to fund the department for a year with no strings...

TULALIP, Wash. -- The Justice Department's announcement in December it would allow the nation's Indian tribes to legalize and regulate marijuana on their reservations brought notes of caution -- if not silence or opposition -- from many tribes. They were reluctant given the substance-abuse problems that already plague many reservations...

The latest census by China's State Forestry Administration shows the panda population has grown by 268 to a total of 1,864 since the last survey in 2003. Nearly three quarters of the pandas live in the southwestern province of Sichuan. The remaining pandas have been found in the neighboring Shaanxi and Gansu provinces...

PITTSBURGH -- Firefighters have been called to a downtown public square at least twice by people who reported smoke when they saw machine-generated fog that's part of a new art installation. "A Winter Landscape Cradling Bits of Sparkle" by Jennifer Wen Ma is a small oasis of mulched trees enveloping a small, boardwalk path. The fog machine belches every 10 minutes to simulate a cloudy mountaintop. The Office of Public Art says the intensity of the fog bursts may be toned down...

CAPE LEGOUPIL, Antarctica -- From the ground in this extreme northern part of Antarctica, white and blinding ice seems to extend forever. What can't be seen is the battle raging thousands of feet below to re-shape Earth. Water is eating away at the Antarctic ice, melting it where it hits the oceans. ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A butterfly being considered for federal protection is emblematic of the plight pollinating insects face in part because farmers, enticed by ethanol mandates, are growing more herbicide-resistant crops that have stripped millions of acres of crucial plant habitat...

Planes are parked after flying in on frozen Lake Winnipesaukee on Saturday in Alton, New Hampshire. Dozens of pilots flew in to the the only ice runway in the lower 48 states approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.

MOSCOW -- Maybe it was Islamic extremists who killed Boris Nemtsov. Or someone offended by his love life. Or agents of a Western power that will stop at nothing to disfigure President Vladimir Putin's image and drive him from power. Russian investigators, politicians and political commentators on state television Saturday covered much ground in looking for the reason Nemtsov was gunned down in the heart of Moscow, but they sidestepped one possibility -- he was murdered for his relentless opposition to Putin.. ...

CAIRO -- An Egyptian court declared Hamas a "terrorist organization" Saturday, further isolating the blockaded rulers of the Gaza Strip once openly welcomed by the country's toppled Islamist-dominated government. The ruling is unlikely to have any immediate effect on Hamas, still reeling from last summer's war with Israel and choked by an Israeli-Egyptian blockade set up in 2007. ...

Clinton Martin Wunderlich, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Good Shepard Lutheran Chapel, with the Rev. Weston Wildauer officiating. Burial will be at Cape County Memorial Park Cemetery with full military honors by the Missouri Honors Team...

Floyd C. Weber, 74, of Cape Girardeau was called to heaven Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, at his home. He was born March 14, 1940, in Wittenberg, Missouri, son of Gerhard and Josephine Weber. Floyd and Betty Aubuchon were married July 22, 1967. He is survived by his wife, Betty; daughter, Jill Rayburn of Cape Girardeau; son Nathan (Jennifer) Weber of Carrollton, Georgia; and grandchildren, Kennedy Rayburn and Trenton and Lucas Weber. ...

Erma Jean Vaughan, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Sunday, Feb. 15, 1931, in Cottonwood Point, Missouri, to the late Guffrie W. and Gertrude McGee Malugen. She and William M. Vaughan Jr. were married Friday, March 31, 1967, at Sikeston, Missouri. He preceded her in death June 2, 2012...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Robert Terry Pearman, 50, of Advance, formerly of Olive Branch, Illinois, died suddenly at 8:23 a.m. Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 22, 1964, in Cairo, Illinois, to Terry and Beulah Bigham Pearman. He married Mitzi Goins on Nov. 22, 1985. She survives...

Marian Earline Moore, 64, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 20, 1950, in Cape Girardeau County, to Otis Earl and Hazel Marie Rumfelt Terry. She first married Edward Lee Mungle. He preceded her in death in 1993. She then married Everett Moore, who preceded her in 2000...

Shirley June McLain, 79, of Jackson died Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, at the Heartland Care and Rehab Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, 3075 Cape LaCroix Road in Cape Girardeau...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Carol Lynn McGraw, 65, of Perryville passed away Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, at Des Peres Hospital in St. Louis. She was born July 3, 1947, to Jill and Dora Winchester Hopson. She married Larry McGraw on July 18, 1964, at Sedgewickville, Missouri. He preceded her in death May 6, 2008...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Carrie Herwig, 81, of Olive Branch died at 12:35 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, at Ratliff Care Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 6, 1933, in Green County, Tennessee, to Jesse Lynn and Bessie Blanche Bowman Richards. She married James Stewart, and he preceded her in death...

Wyatt Joel Glastetter, 3, of Jackson found Heaven on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, after a long, courageous battle with neuroblastoma, pediatric sympathetic nervous system cancer. He was born April 12, 2011, in Cape Girardeau, to Ray and Stacy Slinkard Glastetter...

ORAN, Mo. -- James Andrew Gill, 32, of Oran passed away Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 6, 1983, in Cape Girardeau, to Brian Keith and Deborah Ann Held Gill. James was a tire technician at Crader Tire in Jackson. ...

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- Vincent Dirnberger, 88, of New Hamburg died Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, at home. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Benton, Missouri

Lila Sue "Wiggles" Dickinson, 72, of Pilot Knob, Missouri, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, in Farmington, Missouri. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at Cole Family Funeral Home in Ironton, Missouri. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Interment will be in the Arcadia Valley Memorial Park...

Georgia L. Bierschwal, 92, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015, at Fountainbleau Lodge. She was born May 10, 1922, in Cape Girardeau, to George and Pauline Held Schwab. She married Leslie Bierschwal on May 10, 1940. He preceded her in death Feb. 26, 1973...

* Citizens assist on Old Cape Road. n A hazmat call on West Independence Street. n Fire alarm sounded on St. Andrews Court. n Life alert on East Main...

* Medical assist calls were made to: North Sprigg Street at 6:31 a.m., Napa Circle at 7:28 a.m., Good Hope Street at 9:12 a.m., South Kingshighway at 9:37 a.m., North Sprigg Street at 2:29 p.m., Marvin Street at 3:48 p.m., Greek Drive at 5 p.m. and Towers Circle at 11:21 p.m...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Jasimane D. Flennoy, no age given, of Lilbourn, Missouri, was issued a summons for driving while intoxicated. n Isaiah M. Lane, 24, of St. Louis was arrested on a warrant...

The last-minute shuffling of last year's Semoball Awards keynote speaker provided a valuable lesson for the organizers of this year's event. Ozzie Smith was originally scheduled to provide the event's first-ever keynote speech, but Smith had to miss the event to attend the funeral of friend and fellow Hall of Fame baseball player Tony Gwynn...

A Sikeston, Missouri-area man was arrested by Scott County sheriff's deputies on a charge of unlawful use of a weapon after he allegedly shot a gun at the ground near a boy in Oran, Missouri. Timothy Jarvis, 37, of County Highway 529 near Sikeston, was charged Saturday, according to a news release from the sheriff's office. ...

JUPITER, Fla. -- Adam Wainwright won't pitch in exhibition games until mid-March because of his abdominal strain, a delay that could prevent the St. Louis Cardinals ace from starting the major league season opener at the Chicago Cubs on April 5.' Wainwright was hurt Monday while putting a 45-pound weight back on a rack. He returned to St. Louis for an examination by Dr. Michael Brunt, who said the injury was minor...

A Scott County sheriff's deputy received more recognition Friday for his role in the aftermath of the May 2013 train collision near Rockview, Missouri. State Sen. Wayne Wallingford and state Rep. Tila Hubrecht presented Sgt. Justin Wooten resolutions from the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives, a news release from the Scott County Sheriff's Office said. The resolutions were in reference to Wooten's Medal of Valor presentation by Gov. Jay Nixon in December...

A man from Oran, Missouri, and a woman from Benton, Missouri, are in the Scott County Jail after various drug and weapons charges. Glen Adams, 56, of rural Oran was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of a firearm silencer...

LOS ANGELES -- In 1975, Leonard Nimoy published an autobiography with the defiant title, "I Am Not Spock" -- an attempt to show the world he had many more facets than the pointy-eared character that had come to define him. Two decades later, after proving that with a career that became a blend of roles beyond "Star Trek" along with directing, writing and photography, he bowed to fate with "I Am Spock," a revisionist sequel...

Cape Girardeau had a violent month last summer. You might remember it. There were headlines of homicide; four people had died within just a couple of weeks of each other. It was a scary time in Cape Girardeau, and many wondered what spurred the violence and if the city was coming unglued...

Just a week ago, I had an opportunity to spend time with a family in Brownwood, Missouri. As we were visiting, I noticed a number of cast iron skillets hanging from a rack in the kitchen. I remarked to the owner that I thought they were neat. The owner, well over 65 years old, remarked that she "just loves her cast-iron cookware."...

Freezing rain is a term to describe the phenomenon of rain falling through air that is above the freezing point and lands on objects that are below the freezing point. Freezing rain can be one of nature's most devastating occurrences, leading to major power outages during cold weather and making automobile travel impossible...

Freezing rain is a term to describe the phenomenon of rain falling through air that is above the freezing point and lands on objects that are below the freezing point. Freezing rain can be one of nature's most devastating occurrences, leading to major power outages during cold weather and making automobile travel impossible...

Jackson again is reaching beyond its borders. For more years than Mary Klaproth can recall, churches in the area have joined with churches across the world to participate in World Day of Prayer. This year, New McKendree United Methodist Church will host the observance...

Nick and Joan Mayberry of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, April Nicole Mayberry, to Dustin Wayne Faught. He is the son of Don and Jeana Faught of Blodgett, Missouri. April is a 2010 graduate of Jackson High School. She expects to receive a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University in May. She is employed at SoutheastHEALTH...

LEOPOPLD, Mo. -- Tom and Jan Hustedde of Breese, Illinois, announce the engagement of their daughter, Andrea Marie Hustedde, to Darren Joseph VanGennip. He is the son of the late Steve and Mary VanGennip of Leopold. Andrea is pursuing a second degree at Southeast Missouri State University in pre-veterinary medicine...

David and Joan Hooker of Chaffee, Missouri, announce the engagement of their daughter, Ashley Renae Hooker, to Kurt Matthew Sutterer, both of Jackson. He is the son of Jim and Velma Sutterer of Perryville, Missouri. Ashley attended Southeast Missouri State University and Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center. She is a project analyst/client manager with MedAssets...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Les and Denise Lingle Acey of Chaffee announce the engagement of their daughter, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Claire Miller, to Daniel Paul Dooley. He is the son of Mitchell and Lisa Dooley of Chaffee. Kaitlyn received a medical specialist associate of applied science degree from Metro Business College. She is employed at Cape Gastroenterology Specialists...

Christopher Palmer, 14, completed a service project for the Recreation Complex in Sikeston to help earn his Eagle Scout award. Palmer is a member of Troop 41 chartered by the Kiwanis Club of Sikeston and First United Methodist Church of Sikeston. Palmer constructed 10 benches for the complex, a project that took just over a week to complete. ...

Recipe ingredients can be very unpredictable, and these recipes are no exception. Each of the recipes I am sharing today contains soda pop as an ingredient. There are hundreds of recipes on the Internet that incorporate soda. It is used in entree and savory dishes, breads and desserts. In the dessert category alone is every possible combination imaginable...

The next and final Transportation Trust Fund 5 public meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Osage Centre, 1625 N. Kingshighway. Cape Girardeau voters will be asked in August to renew the half-cent, pay-as-you go sales tax dedicated to transportation projects. A committee has proposed a list of eight projects to be funded by TTF 5, but the city is asking for public input before finalizing and formally approving the list...

Dexter pulled out a 55-50 victory over Sikeston in a barnburner last week, providing a glimpse at what the top two teams in this week's Class 4 District 1 girls basketball tournament might have to offer.

It's become more of a spectacle than anything else. The Class 4 District 1 boys basketball tournament is notoriously one of the most competitive district tournaments in the state.

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Having his story featured on "The Rachael Ray Show" was a memorable experience, but that isn't why New Madrid County Central High School's band director lost 370 pounds. "I did it for myself and for my band students so I wouldn't keel over," said Ryan Blocker, a Farmington, Missouri, native...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Republican lawmakers in Missouri's Capitol often bristle at rules and requirements handed down from the federal government, saying they favor local authority in most matters. However, several GOP-supported proposals this year aim to hand down similar mandates to cities and counties across the state...

The cancellation of the Cape Girardeau City Council's previous meeting has left a full docket of items to consider Monday night. February's final meeting was supposed to focus on a discussion about the city's 2015-2020 Capital Improvements Program, but inclement winter weather caused the conversation to be delayed. To allow enough time to consider the matter and hear public input, tonight's study session will begin at 4:30 p.m...

A regional commission of business and government representatives wants air-quality standards left alone. Last week, the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission approved sending a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency indicating its position on proposed new standards for ground-level ozone in Perry and Ste. Genevieve counties. The EPA proposed Nov. 25 the levels be reduced to a range of 65 to 70 parts per billion from the current 75 ppb...

On the Scott County ballot for the April 7 general municipal election, county residents will decide whether to renew a countywide half-cent sales tax in exchange for no county-imposed property taxes. Scott County Clerk Rita Milam said when this sales tax was approved for fiscal year 2008, it initially was to help maintain the Scott County Jail...

Heartland Advanced Practice Nurses Network collected and donated $658 to the Southeast Missouri Food Bank. From left: Susan Jackson, MSN CNOR, APRN, FNP-BC, member of H.A.P.N.N.; Karen Green, chief executive officer, Southeast Missouri Food Bank; and Kim Keser, DNP, APRN, FNP-BE, President of H.A.P.N.N...

Today is Monday, March 2, the 61st day of 2015. There are 304 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 2, 1965, the movie version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway musical "The Sound of Music," starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, had its world premiere at New York's Rivoli Theater...

Carl Patterson has always done his own taxes, so after he retired from his job at the University of Missouri Extension Office in 1992, he decided to help others do their taxes, free of charge. Patterson volunteers for AARP-TCE, which stands for the Association of American Retired Persons -- Tax Consulting for the Elderly...

Tyler H. Cuba is a certified wealth strategist at Cuba Financial Group in Cape Girardeau, creating comprehensive financial plans for clients to help them protect their wealth. Cuba essentially serves as chief financial officer for his clients, and through a five-step consultative process, develops for them appropriate wealth-management solutions, including the significant component of estate planning. He holds a degree in finance from St. Louis University. We asked him to share his expertise...

For some, estate planning goes beyond saving cash to live well in retirement or deciding who in the family might be willed a prized heirloom. For an individual with legal custody of a minor or, perhaps, an adult child or other person with a disability, the planning becomes crucial to ensure the person is well cared for and has access to needed help and services, and that adequate financial resources are available for housing, medical costs and general living expenses...

For some individuals, their estate plan extends beyond close family to include charities or other not-for-profit organizations. TBY spoke with Cheryl Mothes, a financial adviser at Edward Jones in Jackson; Alexa C. Hart-Lorenz, an attorney at Lorenz & Lorenz LLC; and Lucas M. Haley, an attorney at The Limbaugh Firm, for an introductory lesson in charitable giving plans...

Think you're too young, too healthy or too cool to suffer from bunions? Think again. Bunions are the most common type of foot woes podiatrists treat every day, and if you're a woman, you are as much as nine times more likely to get a bunion than any man you know -- including your grandfather...

A cook is only good as her inspiration. I'd found myself in a cooking rut, the same meal rotation for weeks, when I picked up Mario Batali's "America -- Farm to Table: Simple, Delicious Recipes Celebrating Local Farmers." This beautifully bound cookbook filled with delicious recipes is sure to become a classic...

Baskets and baskets of eggs, some painted with dazzling patterns, others still white, are heaped on Barb Duncan's studio table. There are chicken eggs, goose eggs, quail eggs, emu eggs and a single giant ostrich egg perched in the center of the table like a smooth creamy coconut...

Chad Beck returns a volley as teammate Hannah Wight looks on during a power pool match Sunday at the Osage Invitational Co-ed Volleyball Tournament at the Osage Centre. More photos from the tournament are in a gallery at semissourian.com.

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff city manager Heath Kaplan has offered the creation of a finance committee to serve as a "litmus test" for city spending policies. The committee is his attempt to respond to residents' concerns over city spending, he said...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The city of Poplar Bluff may need to put its fire departments up as collateral after failing the first two times it attempted to secure financing for $3 million in technology and equipment purchases, according to documents secured through an open meetings request...

Corine L. Boettcher, 92, of Frohna, Missouri, died Feb. 28, 2015, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 26, 1922 in Frohna, daughter of Ernst and Cora J. (Mueller) Palisch. She and Hugo S. G. Boettcher were married on Sept. 15, 1946. He preceded her in death on Jan. 26, 2008...

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- Vincent Cyril Dirnberger, 88, of New Hamburg, Missouri, went peacefully into God's hands Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, while surrounded by his loving family. Although it is with heavy hearts that Vincent leaves this world, it is very comforting to his family that they were able to grant Vincent his final wish -- that he be able to take his final breath at the home place where both he and his father were born and raised...

Jeffery Lee Taylor, 56, of Villa Ridge, Missouri, formerly of Mounds, Illinois, died Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, at his residence. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today at the Jones Funeral Home Villa Ridge with a memorial service at 7 p.m. with the Rev. Larry Buckles officiating...

Grace Marie Smith, 87, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral Home with the Pastor Frank Burgess officiating...

Marjory Laura Kramer, 82, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, March 1, 2015, at her home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel in Cape Girardeau and again from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...

A homicide in Cairo, Illinois, is being investigated, according to Alexander County Coroner Willie Bingham. Gloria Faye Wiggins, 25 was found dead in Cairo early Friday morning. Bingham completed an autopsy Saturday and said the results are pending until after the investigation is complete...

The Scott City Police Department announced Sunday it is joining with statewide law enforcement March 15 through March 31 to increase awareness about seat-belt safety in young adults. The police hope these efforts will decrease the number of seat-belt violations issued and reduce highway fatalities...

Cape Girardeau County Commission 1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Communications/reports -- other elected officials n None at this time Public comments n Items listed on agenda Routine business n Purchase orders n Payroll change forms n 2014 Railroad & Utilities tax distribution...

Cape Girardeau City Council City hall 401 Independence St. Study session, 4:30 p.m. today n No action will be taken during the study session. Items for discussion n Capital Improvement Program discussion n Dean Lynn retirement presentation n Annual audit report for fiscal year ending June 30, 2014...

A man was arrested for an assault with a baseball bat after his alleged victim near Oran, Missouri, tied him up until police arrived. Thomas Rust Brown, 31, of Bell City, Missouri, is charged with first-degree assault and two felony counts of armed criminal action, all felonies...

NEW YORK -- Samsung has unveiled a stylish new flagship phone that ditches its signature plastic design for more stylish metal and glass. The South Korean phone manufacturer also unveiled a premium model with a display that curves around the left and right edges so information can be glanced at quickly on the side. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will include technology for mobile payments, though Samsung isn't unveiling a service to rival the iPhone's Apple Pay until summer...

BOISE, Idaho -- Ten-year-old Alexis Carey has a rare but intractable form of epilepsy, Dravet Syndrome. The genetic disease causes severe seizures, which often leave parents guessing whether the terror of watching their child seize up will pass or turn fatal...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Spacewalking astronauts successfully completed a three-day cable job outside the International Space Station on Sunday, routing several hundred feet of power and data lines for new crew capsules commissioned by NASA. It was the third spacewalk in just over a week for Americans Terry Virts and Butch Wilmore and the quickest succession of spacewalks since NASA's former shuttle days...

WASHINGTON -- For President Barack Obama, it's a week to invoke America's civil-rights struggles from past to present. The nation's first black president plans a speech Saturday from the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, the site of one of the movement's stirring moments, and will refocus on last year's fatal shooting by a white police officer of a black 18-year-old in Ferguson, Missouri...

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone -- Sierra Leone's vice president has put himself in quarantine after the death from Ebola of one of his security guards. Vice President Samuel Sam-Sumana became acting president Sunday when President Ernest Bai Koroma left Sierra Leone to attend a European Union conference on Ebola in Belgium. Sam-Sumana will carry out his presidential duties from his home...

The U.S. Department of Commerce reported Thursday that exports of merchandise from Missouri reached $14.1 billion in 2014, an increase of $1.2 billion over the previous year. The United States overall also hit a record high for good and services exports with $2.35 trillion, according to a news release from the department of commerce...

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. -- At a taco shop in Southern California, milkshakes are served in Mason jars, and a chalkboard menu lists "The 1%er" made with lobster meat. The logo is a pink skull, and instead of buzzers, customers are given license plates so servers can identify them when bringing out orders...

MOSCOW -- For the tens of thousands bearing flowers and tying black ribbons to railings in honor of slain Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, the solemn march through the Moscow drizzle Sunday was a time for silence, not slogans. The marchers occasionally broke into chants of "Russia without Putin" or "Say no to war," but often the only sound was the steady thwack of police helicopters overhead or the hum of police boats patrolling the shores of the Moscow River...

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- When Wal-Mart CEO Doug McMillon took the top job at the world's largest retailer last year, he inherited some big problems. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which has more than 11,000 stores in 27 countries, has struggled with two years of mostly sluggish sales, due in large part to a challenging global economy and major changes in how people shop...

LONDON -- As "Jihadi John," he was a terrifying figure, his identity concealed by a black mask, his threatening tone backed by his oversized knife and his willingness to use it in the name of Islamic State and its self-declared caliphate. His professional-looking videos began with a political rant and ended with his victims lying dead at his feet, severed heads cupped in the sands of Syria. He seemed judge and executioner, savoring each fresh kill...

The producer and author of an award-winning film and children's novel about bringing an end to bullying will visit West Lane Elementary School in Jackson on Monday along with the star of the film -- her dog named Marshall. Marshall is a three-legged, scar-faced rescue dog from Marshall, Missouri. He was rescued by producer and author Cynthia Willenbrock, who now tells his story all across the state...

WASHINGTON -- In a reversal of the usual worries about political influence on electoral mapmaking, the Supreme Court is being asked to let raw politics play an even bigger role in the drawing of congressional district boundaries. The court hears argument today in an appeal by Republican lawmakers in Arizona against the state's voter-approved independent redistricting commission for creating the districts of U.S. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis judge has tossed a gun possession charge after ruling that a convicted felon had the right to be armed under a newly enacted amendment to the state constitution. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Judge Robert Dierker ruled Friday in the case of Raymond Robinson. The 55-year-old has a prior conviction on a felony charge of unlawful use of a weapon, for carrying a concealed weapon in 2003, and served time in prison...

TYRONE, Mo. -- Relatives will begin burying victims of a southern Missouri shooting spree this week. Thirty-six-year-old Joseph Jesse Aldridge killed seven people late Thursday in four homes in the unincorporated town of Tyrone before killing himself...

The overarching sentiment from those not politically charged over the Keystone Pipeline veto is that it was another overly-dramatized political battle. Indeed, that seems to be the case. For a president who has rarely used his veto power, we're left scratching our heads as to why Obama would use it here...

The Southeast Missouri State softball team struck for two early runs but saw Arkansas counter with five unanswered runs as it closed the Lion Classic Scramble with a 5-2 loss Sunday in Hammond, Louisiana. The Redhawks went 1-3 in the tournament, the third hosted by Southeastern Louisiana in a weather-plagued season thus far, and fell to 3-6 on the season...

Chaffee, Missouri, City Council City hall 222 W. Yoakum Ave. 7 p.m. today Tentative agenda n Minutes n Building permits n Police department n Fire department n Judge's report n Emergency preparedness n Collector's report n Monthly bills n City clerk: New business -- bills...

WELLSTON, Mo. (AP) -- A suburban St. Louis police officer has fatally wounded a 34-year-old man during a traffic stop. Shawn McGuire of the St. Louis County Police Department said in a news release that Thomas Allen Jr. died Sunday. The shooting happened around 10:15 a.m. Saturday after an officer for the Wellston Police Department pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation...

LEBANON, Mo. (AP) -- Two people are dead after a driver lost control on a snow-covered highway in southern Missouri. The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the out-of-control car skidded into a tractor-trailer that was stopped Saturday afternoon because of an earlier crash on Interstate 44...

FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- A blind dog who wandered away from her home during a cold snap has been reunited with her owner. The 11-year-old Labrador retriever named Madera ventured away from home Feb. 6, when the temperature dipped to 40 degrees below zero. Her owner, Ed Davis, said he didn't expect to find her alive. A man riding a bike found Madera in the woods last week, about a half-mile from the Davis' home. Davis said his dog lost 14 pounds but was healthy...

Kristi Embry has joined the United Way of Southeast Missouri as its director of education initiatives. Her position will include coordination of the organization's LIFE and Success By 6 initiatives, according to a news release, while furthering the United Way's effect in its education focus area...

DELTA, Mo. -- Terri R. Collins, 48, of Delta, Missouri, died Sunday, March 1, 2015, at her home in Delta. Friends may call the Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Missouri after 4 p.m. on Tuesday. The funeral will take place at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee...

Arrests n Daniel Carver, no age given, of Puxico, Missouri, was arrested on two warrants. DWI n A male suspect was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Theft n Identity theft was reported at 3610 Old Hopper Road. n Identity theft was reported at 40 S. Sprigg Street...

n Medical assist calls were made to: Jefferson Avenue at 1:58 a.m., S. Sprigg Street at 5:35 a.m., Cape Meadows Circle at 7:47 a.m., N. Kingshighway at 10:52 a.m., Broadway at 12:21 p.m., N. Main Street at 12:53 p.m., William Street at 3:13 p.m., Revlon Drive at 4:02 p.m., Kage Road at 7:24 p.m., Green Acres Drive at 8:51 p.m., and S. Mt. Auburn Road at 10:51 p.m...

The Jackson Fire Department responded to the following calls Friday: n An alarm sounding on Kland Drive. n Mutual aid on Jackson Road. The Jackson Fire Department responded to the following calls Saturday: n Medical assist calls were made to: Florence Street, West Adams Street, East Jackson Boulevard and West Mary Street...

Arrests n Vanessa Oliphant, 22, of Cape Girardeau, was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear for an original charge of minor in possession. n Jessica Colyer, 22, of Scott City, was arrested on suspicion of driving while revoked/suspended and having defective equipment...

CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n Jitwan K. Mims, 21, of Cape Girardeau was arrested on suspicion of marijuana - distribution, delivery, manufacture, produce or attempt to or possess with intent to possess controlled substance - marijuana and receiving stolen property...

Union Pacific Railroad officials say the railroad will continue to serve the Cape Girardeau area despite the loss of the only train that is regularly using the UP tracks into Cape Girardeau; the coal train, which operated from Cape Girardeau to the Union Electric Co. power plant in Jefferson City, Missouri, made its last run yesterday...

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

Velma "Juanita" Carlton, 100, of Scott City, died Sunday, March 1, 2015, at the Ratliff Care Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 6, 1914, in Illmo, Missouri, to Alfred Amzie and Nora Lena Etter Lambert. She married William "Ralph" Carlton on June 5, 1931, in Cairo, Illinois...

The city of Jackson has issued a snow route proclamation in anticipation of tonight's weather event. Residents whose vehicles are parked along designated snow routes will have from 8p.m. today to 8 a.m. tomorrow morning to move their vehicles elsewhere. Any vehicles impeding city crews' ability to plow designated streets will be subject to tickets or towing...

ARNOLD, Mo. -- Cassidi Tomsu saved Jackson's season. The senior sank a game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime and hit the go-ahead basket with 23 seconds left, lifting the Indians to a 53-49 win over Poplar Bluff.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama said Monday the deaths of unarmed black men in Missouri and New York show law enforcement needs to change practices to build trust in minority communities, as a White House task force called for independent, outside investigations when police use deadly force...

A Southeast Missouri State University student faces charges after he allegedly threatened to rape and kill his roommates. Sinuo Li, 25, of Cape Girardeau has been charged with third-degree assault in the Saturday incident. Li's roommates, Yuangianzi Yan and Qiu Zinn, said Li got angry about 5 p.m. Saturday at their home on South Park Avenue in Cape Girardeau and threatened multiple times to rape Yan and kill Zinn, according to a probable-cause statement filed in the case...

The Cape Girardeau City Council unanimously voted Monday night to approve a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute an agreement with Koehler Engineering and Land Surveying for the design of a single-lane roundabout at Independence Street and Gordonville Road...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri state senator, his voice cracking with emotion, on Monday challenged his political colleagues to clean up their campaign tactics following the death of gubernatorial candidate and State Auditor Tom Schweich in an apparent suicide...

The 18th president of Southeast Missouri State University will be announced Wednesday at a news conference, university officials said. Jay Knudtson, president of the university's board of regents, and Doyle Privett, chairman of the presidential search and screening advisory committee, will announce the university's selection at 4 p.m. in Glenn Auditorium of Robert A. Dempster Hall...

No. 8 seed Southeast will face the No. 5 Morehead State at 6 p.m. Wednesday night at Nashville Municipal Auditorium to start the eight-team conference tournament.

Rainy & Foggy Day at North Cape County Park

Rainy & Foggy Day at South Cape County Park

Everything for the Advance boys basketball team has built up to this moment. Hornets coach Bubba Wheetley wants his team back in the state quarterfinals.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Heading in to a Class 4 District 1 quarterfinal against Kennett, things looked all too familiar for the Perryville boys basketball team.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- In a season full of ups and downs, the Central girls basketball team picked a perfect time to put everything together.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Coming together after a season of struggles, the Notre Dame girls basketball team that demolished Perryville on Monday looked dangerously like the Bulldogs teams of the past few seasons.

A man faces drug and assault charges after a Saturday incident in Perry County. Joshua Buza, 31, of Perryville, Missouri, is charged with second-degree domestic assault, a felony, and possession of up to 35 grams of marijuana and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors...

The city of Jackson is one step closer to finalizing plans to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Lacey and East Main streets after Monday night's board of aldermen meeting. After reviewing four bids from independent contractors, the board accepted one from Lappe Cement Finishing of Perryville, Missouri...

The National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky, has issued a winter storm watch for Wednesday and Thursday, with four to six inches of snow possible. Heavy rain and a few storms are possible today. Today's high will reach 50 degrees, but temperatures will plummet into the 20s. Rain will change to sleet and snow early Wednesday morning...

There is one question no Ohio Valley Conference team has been able to answer this season: How do you beat Murray State?

Today is Tuesday, March 3, the 62nd day of 2015. There are 303 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 3, 1945, the Allies fully secured the Philippine capital of Manila from Japanese forces during World War II. On this date: In 1845, Florida became the 27th state...

** Thank you; ** Obama's patriotism; ** Global warming; ** Road repair; ** Obama, Clinton, Bush; ** Crader's critique; ** Veteran support; ** Train tracks; ** Generosity thanks

Road maintenance and new construction are not cheap, and officials face the vital task of allocating dollars and determining the best and most cost-efficient plan. Good roads are a priority in Cape Girardeau, and voters have consistently approved a half-cent and pay-as-you-go Transportation Trust Fund to maintain roadways. TTF 5 will appear on the August ballot...

Grace Marie Smith, 87, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, at Southeast Hospital. She was born July 25, 1927, at Marquand, Missouri, to Leonard and Zettie Starkey Edwards. She and the Rev. Robert D. Smith were married Dec. 7, 1947, at Glenallen, Missouri. He preceded her in death in 1973...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Sybil Gertrude Lutes, 89, of Marble Hill died Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, at Woodland Hills Nursing Home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Liley Funeral Home in Marble Hill. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Fred Ritter officiating. Burial will be in Baker Cemetery near Marble Hill...

Laverne "Vern" Hopkins, 92, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, March 2, 2015, at Brookdale Beckett Lake in Clearwater, Florida. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Marjory L. "Marge" Kramer, 82, of Cape Girardeau passed away Sunday, March 1, 2015, at home of natural causes. She was born July 20, 1932, in Durand, Michigan, daughter of Louis J. and Laura B. Conrad Kunkel. She was the youngest of four children. Marge graduated from Durand High School in 1950 and then worked at Dean Bros. Chevrolet two years before moving to California, where she met her future husband, Jack O. Kramer. They were married Feb. 6, 1954, in Nestor, California...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Chris Bradley Oliver, 49, of Jonesboro died Monday, March 2, 2015, at home. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at Crain Funeral Home in Anna, Illinois. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Darryl Williams officiating. Burial will be in Anna City Cemetery...

Terri Renee Collins, 48, of Delta passed away Sunday, March 1, 2015, at the family home. She was born July 17, 1966, in Cape Girardeau to Alvin Ray and Maebell Bradshaw Schearf. She married Tab Collins on June 25, 1983. Terri was a member of First Baptist Church at Whitewater. She had been a registration technician at Saint Francis Medical Center...

Dr. George W. Pendergrass Jr., 87, of Scott City passed away in the presence of family Monday, March 2, 2015. He was born in Beattyville, Kentucky, son of George W. and Alma McDonald Pendergrass Sr. Upon completing high school in his hometown, he joined the United States Navy during the end of World War II and was given an honorable discharge...

McCLURE, Ill. -- Patricia Jean Simmons, 58, of McClure died at 2:40 p.m. Sunday, March 1, 2015, at the Anna Rehab and Nursing Center in Anna, Illinois. She was born July 26, 1956, in France, the daughter of Francis and Lillian Daucour Flynn. She married William "Bro" Simmons on Sept. 7, 2002, in McClure...

Sean Fego, right, and Owen Ullrich pick up litter along Broadway in Cape Girardeau on Monday afternoon. The duo, with Teen Challenge International of Mid-America, were among several people who helped clean the sidewalks from downtown to Southeast Missouri State University...

WASHINGTON -- Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted Monday his plans to address Congress are not aimed at disrespecting President Barack Obama, even as he assailed the U.S. leader's bid for a nuclear deal with Iran as a threat to his country's survival...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- A woman who blogged for years about her son's constant health woes was convicted Monday of poisoning him to death by force-feeding heavy concentrations of sodium through his stomach tube. A jury in the New York suburbs found Lacey Spears of Scottsville, Kentucky, guilty of second-degree murder in the death last year of 5-year-old Garnett-Paul Spears...

PASADENA, Calif. -- A NASA spacecraft is about to reach the end of a nearly eight-year journey and make the first rendezvous with a dwarf planet. The Dawn craft will slip into orbit Friday around Ceres, a dwarf planet the size of Texas. Unlike robotic landings or other orbit captures, the arrival won't be a nailbiter. Still, Dawn had to travel 3 billion miles to reach the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter...

The search for a new president of Southeast Missouri State University ends with the announcement that Dr. Kala M. Stroup, 52, will assume that post in July; Stroup, a consultant with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C., formerly was president of Murray State University at Murray, Kentucky...

WASHINGTON -- Speaker John Boehner left open the possibility Monday the House might pass long-term funding for the Homeland Security Department without immigration provisions attached, as Republican options dwindled for avoiding a capitulation to the White House and Democrats...

LOS ANGELES -- Maxee Maxwell, a member of the 1990s girl group Brownstone -- best known for the hit "If You Love Me" -- has died after cutting herself in a fall at home, a representative said Monday. Courtney Barnes said Maxwell, 46, was at her home in Los Angeles on Friday when she fell and cut her neck on a drinking glass. Her husband, producer Carsten "Soulshock" Schack, found her sometime later and called 911. She was rushed to a hospital, where she died, Barnes said...

NEW YORK -- Daytime television's most popular personality, "Judge Judy" Sheindlin, has extended her contract for three years and plans to keep her court in session into 2020. CBS Television Distribution didn't discuss terms of the deal Monday. TV Guide has reported her current salary at $47 million a year -- making her by far the highest-paid personality on television. Sheindlin is 72...

OLATHE, Kan. -- A man accused of fatally shooting three people at Jewish sites in Kansas declared, "Heil Hitler!" and asked how many Jews he had killed after the attacks, a police officer testified Monday during a hearing in which the man's apology to some survivors was rejected...

Brandon Henderson runs away with the ball from Vercorea Cooper, left, Alyssa Brown and Meah Henderson as they enjoyed outdoor play in 40-degree temperatures Monday afternoon at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau. More snow and cold, however, are on the way this week. Story on Page 3A...

Students at the Scott City School District have raised nearly $100,000 over the years to benefit the patients of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital by participating in the annual Math-A-Thon fundraiser. And during the next few weeks, elementary students will be doing their part to make sure that amount keeps climbing...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues made three trades before Monday's deadline, acquiring forward Olli Jokinen from the Toronto Maple Leafs and defensemen Zbynek Michalek from Arizona and Robert Bortuzzo from Pittsburgh. Jokinen was acuired in exchange for forward Joakim Lindstrom and a conditional sixth-round draft pick in 2016...

The fourth annual "Power of Women" luncheon and expo is set for March 11 at Southeast Missouri State University. Sponsored by the University Foundation, Department of Athletics and Student Government, the event connects female students with opportunities, women mentors and community resources...

The John J. Pershing VA Medical Center plans to hold a meeting about veterans affairs' services and benefits to gather feedback from patients, family members and the community. The meeting will take place at 5 p.m. on March 10 at the VFW Post 3174 in Sikeston (709 Smith St.). The meeting will begin with refreshments, until the actual meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. It is expected to last an hour...

Broussard Daughter to Brittany Marie Broussard of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 3:38 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015. Name, Jada Lea Rose. Weight, 6 pounds, 11 ounces. First child. Ms. Broussard is the daughter of Christina Broussard of Cape Girardeau...

Betty S. Rampley, 76, of Jackson passed away Sunday, March 1, 2015, at Monticello House. One of six children, she was born Nov. 30, 1938, to Othel L. and Mary A. Reed Eakin. She and Raymond L. Rampley were married June 8, 1956, at Garden Ridge General Baptist Church in Bell City, Missouri. They had been married 45 years when Raymond passed away Oct. 29, 2001...

Sammy Clinton Van Arsdale, 73, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, at his home. The family is rejoicing that he is out of pain and with his heavenly family. He was born June 13, 1941, in Exie, Kentucky, son of Carl and Eula Ennis Van Arsdale. He married Linda Wiggs Evans Nov. 17, 1974, in Bloomington, Illinois...

Dick N. Gregory, 73, of Whitewater passed away Sunday, March 1, 2015, at his home with his family nearby. He was born July 8, 1941, in Patterson, Missouri, son of Raymond and Lora Cline Gregory. He and Mary King Pettigrew were married July 30, 1994, in Jackson...

Sherry Lynn McSwain, 57, of Scott City died Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, at her home. She was born Nov. 30, 1957, in Cape Girardeau to Willard Lemons and Delores Rhyne. She and Danny McSwain were married Sept. 29, 1979. Survivors include her husband; a son, Christopher (Chrystie) White; three grandchildren, Karie, Paige and Aiden; her father; three brothers; and three sisters...

Snow was a main topic of concern during Scott City's city council meeting Monday night. The city has three snowplows and a sand spreader. But with the spreader being repaired, city employees will be underequipped if Scott City gets the four to six inches of snow the National Weather Forecast in Paducah, Kentucky, is forecasting for Wednesday...

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt's staff will host a mobile office from 8 to 9 a.m. March 12 at the Scott County Courthouse, 131 S. Winchester St., in Benton. The mobile office allows members of the public to discuss their questions or concerns about the federal government directly with members of the senator's staff. Blunt's Columbia office also extends one-on-one service to Missourians who have an issue with a federal agency or need additional assistance...

The next and final Transportation Trust Fund 5 public meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. today at the Osage Centre, 1625 N. Kingshighway. Cape Girardeau voters will be asked in August to renew the half-cent, pay-as-you go sales tax dedicated to transportation projects. A committee has proposed a list of eight projects to be funded by TTF 5, but the city is asking for public input before finalizing and formally approving the list...

JUPITER, Fla. -- Adam Wainwright bumped fists and smiled following a short bullpen session on Monday, the first since straining his abdominal muscle a week ago. Wainwright didn't use maximum effort for most of the 30-plus pitch session, but did turn it up for the final five pitches -- one of which had bullpen catcher Jamie Pogue hooting and hollering behind the plate...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- A man in has been cited for possessing pot inside a container slapped with a label reading: "Not Weed." Lancaster County deputies stopped the man's vehicle about 9 p.m. Saturday. Officers found the plastic sour-cream container during a search of his car, and the driver acknowledged the pot belonged to him. He was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and cited for having less than an ounce of marijuana...

DALLAS -- A 26-year-old nurse who contracted Ebola while caring for the first person in the U.S. diagnosed with the deadly disease has filed a lawsuit against the parent company of the Dallas hospital where she worked. Nina Pham filed the lawsuit Monday in Dallas County against Texas Health Resources. ...

OMAHA, Neb. -- Nebraska's same-sex marriage ban was thrown into question Monday alongside those in three other upper Midwestern states that are set for a hearing together before a federal appeals court. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Bataillon struck down Nebraska's constitutional amendment, triggering a quick appeal by the state attorney general's office. ...

CHICAGO -- Parents increasingly have pressured doctors to delay vaccines for young children, making their children and others vulnerable to preventable diseases, a study suggests. The findings are in a national survey of 534 pediatricians and family doctors asked about parents wanting to postpone some of the shots recommended for children younger than 2. ...

WASHINGTON -- Studies of baby animals long have suggested going under anesthesia can harm a developing brain. Now scientists want to find out whether the drugs pose risks for human babies. Questions began years ago, when experiments in newborn rats showed such drugs could kill brain cells. ...

Lord Jesus, we humbly ask for wisdom that we may honor you always. Amen.

Years from now, when historians write about the defeat of the Islamic State, and its welcome disappearance from the world, they will have much to say. After describing their surprise rise in Iraq and Syria, they will narrate the horrors perpetuated by this group: massacres of civilians, conscription of child soldiers, brutal enslavement of women and girls, and destruction of entire religious communities...

Southeast Missouri State University's main campus in Cape Girardeau will close at 11 a.m. Wednesday because of an approaching snowstorm. The university's regional campuses in Kennett, Malden and Sikeston, Missouri, also will close at that time.

It was a small group that gathered Tuesday night at the Red Star Baptist Church Activity Center for the Red Star Neighborhood Revival meeting, but many ideas were presented to begin community improvements. The neighborhood association was formed as part of the city of Cape Girardeau's Neighborhood Development Initiative. ...

During the past decade, lung cancer has surpassed breast cancer as the deadliest cancer among women. Dr. Olivia Aranha, an oncologist at Saint Francis Medical Center-affiliated Cape Medical Oncology, said in 2015, almost twice as many women are expected to die from lung cancer as from breast cancer...

The Cape Girardeau campus of Southeast Missouri State University will cancel all classes Thursday and Friday because of today's winter storm. Southeast and its regional campuses closed early today because of the storm. The region is under a winter storm warning through Thursday morning, with up to eight inches of snow expected...

WASHINGTON -- In a direct challenge to the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood before Congress on Tuesday and bluntly warned the U.S. an emerging nuclear agreement with Iran "paves Iran's path to the bomb." President Barack Obama pushed back sternly, saying the U.S. would never sign such a deal and Netanyahu was offering no useful alternative...

CLAYTON, Mo. -- Former U.S. senator John Danforth denounced the ugly nature of American politics Tuesday while eulogizing Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich, suggesting political bullying and an anti-Semitic whisper campaign led his friend to kill himself...

WASHINGTON -- A Justice Department investigation found sweeping patterns of racial bias within the Ferguson, Missouri, police department -- with officers routinely discriminating against blacks by using excessive force, issuing petty citations and making baseless traffic stops, according to law enforcement officials familiar with the report...

Principal Mike Cowan is known for a warm personality and a contagious smile that lights up the hallways of Cape Girardeau Central High School. But that smile faded into tears for a moment Tuesday as Cowan described what he'll miss most after his retirement this year: the students...

Preston Wuebker scored the go-ahead basket with 31 seconds left, and the Hornets defeated Gideon 53-45 in a Class 1 sectional on Tuesday at Bloomfield High School.

The Jackson boys basketball team arranged a rematch with the top-seeded Poplar Bluff Mules with a 71-36 victory over host Fox in the semifinals of the Class 5 District 1 tournament Tuesday in Arnold, Missouri. Senior Blake Reynolds scored a game-high 21 points for the second-seeded Indians, who improved to 22-6 and will face Poplar Bluff in the championship game at 7 p.m. Thursday...

Led by a group of eight juniors, the Saxony Lutheran girls basketball team heads into its Class 3 sectional with three consecutive district crowns.

Oran committed 11 of its 35 turnovers in the second quarter, during which Naylor outscored Oran 18-10 before cruising to a 59-31 win.

Dexter, the top-seeded team in the district, jumped out to a 26-9 lead after one period and methodically eliminated the fourth-seeded Tigers 66-30 at the Sikeston Field House.

Today is Wednesday, March 4, the 63rd day of 2015. There are 302 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 4, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated for a second term of office; with the end of the Civil War in sight, Lincoln declared, "With malice toward none, with charity for all."...

CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) -- Former U.S. Sen. John Danforth denounced the mean-spirited nature of American politics Tuesday while eulogizing Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich, who he suggested was led to fatally shoot himself by political bullying from a negative radio ad and a perceived anti-Semitic whisper campaign...

Being an educator or administrator is a tough job, and you can tell when a teacher or principal loves education. If smiles and friendliness are any indications, it's clear that Dr. Mike Cowan enjoys being principal at Cape Girardeau Central High School. The affable Cowan, who has be at Central High School for 14 years as principal and in Missouri public schools for 40 years, is set to retire at the end of the school year...

** Obama, employment; ** Presidential rank; ** Trivia team; ** Congratulations; ** Big Dance?; ** Scott City schools; ** Schweich death; ** SEMO logo; ** Leadership; ** Bag ban?

Like many of you, I am sorely disappointed with the leadership in Washington, D.C., that has plunged this great nation into a fiscal and international mess of historic proportions. But the lack of leadership that disappoints me the most is the miserable failure and continued incompetence of the Republican leadership -- and I use that term loosely...

Fog hovers over Tywappity Community Lake in Chaffee, Missouri, on Tuesday.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Taser International, the stun-gun maker emerging as a leading supplier of body cameras for police, has cultivated financial ties to police chiefs whose departments have bought the recording devices, raising conflict-of-interest questions...

WASHINGTON -- Two major U.S. airlines say they no longer will accept rechargeable battery shipments as new government tests confirm explosions and violent fires are likely to occur when large numbers of batteries enclosed in cargo containers overheat...

WASHINGTON -- Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson has created an exploratory committee to run for president, becoming the first high-profile Republican candidate to formally enter the 2016 presidential contest. Carson, the only African-American expected to enter the race, rose to national prominence after criticizing President Barack Obama's health-care law at the 2013 National Prayer breakfast. He developed a loyal following among the GOP's most conservative voters...

WASHINGTON -- Hillary Rodham Clinton is facing a new set of questions about ethics and transparency -- the sort that have dogged her and husband Bill for decades. The latest disclosure, that Clinton used a personal email account while serving as secretary of state, comes on the cusp of her likely second bid for president. ...

LOS ANGELES -- A homeless man killed on Skid Row by Los Angeles police had been released in May from a federal prison after serving 14 years for bank robbery, a law enforcement official said Tuesday. The man was identified as Charley Saturmin Robinet by the official, who had been briefed but was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity...

KATHMANDU, Nepal -- Human waste left by climbers on Mount Everest has become a problem that is causing pollution and threatening to spread disease on the world's highest peak, the chief of Nepal's mountaineering association said Tuesday. The more than 700 climbers and guides who spend nearly two months on Everest's slopes each climbing season leave large amounts of feces and urine, and the issue has not been addressed, Ang Tshering said. ...

NEW YORK -- The U.S. has so much crude, it is running out of places to put it, and that could drive oil and gasoline prices even lower in the coming months. For the past seven weeks, the United States has been producing and importing an average of 1 million more barrels of oil every day than it is consuming. ...

WASHINGTON -- Admitting defeat, House Republicans on Tuesday abandoned attempts to use the Homeland Security Department's spending bill to force concessions from President Barack Obama on immigration and sent him legislation to fund the agency through the end of the budget year with no strings attached...

NEW YORK -- Chrissie Hynde will tell the story of her life, with all its ups and downs. Penguin Random House announced Tuesday the Pretenders singer was working on an "an incredibly frank" memoir that will come out Sept. 8. The book is untitled. According to Doubleday, Hynde will write about her childhood in Akron, Ohio, and offer a "strikingly intimate portrayal" of the punk rock scene of the 1970s and a "bittersweet" look back at the Pretenders, who had such hits as "Brass in Pocket" and "Talk of the Town" but lost two band members to drug-related deaths.. ...

PUCON, Chile -- One of South America's most active volcanoes erupted early Tuesday in southern Chile, spewing smoke into the air as lava surged down its slopes, prompting authorities to evacuate thousands of people. The Villarrica volcano erupted about 3 a.m. ...

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Former CIA director David Petraeus, whose career was destroyed by an affair with his biographer, has agreed to plead guilty to charges he gave her classified material -- including information on war strategy and identities of covert operatives -- as she worked on the book...

Son to Todd Allen and Rhonda Nichole Cunningham of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 12:32 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, 2014. Name, Jayce Blaine. Weight, 5 pounds, 6 ounces. Third son. Mrs. Cunningham is the former Rhonda Gray, daughter of Larry and Sheila Gray of Jackson and Rick and Vicki Winchester of Cape Girardeau. Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham are self-employed. He is the son of Robert and Lucy Cunningham of Ottawa, Illinois, and Linda Cunningham of Marseilles, Illinois...

Dr. Robert W. Foster, interim president at Southeast Missouri State University, is guest speaker in the evening at the first Lenten dinner at Centenary United Methodist Church. A ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday marked the official opening of Cape Girardeau's not-for-profit Teen Activity Center, at the corner of East Plaza Way and Sheridan Drive; director of the center is Les Lindy...

WASHINGTON -- Saying every girl "has value," President Barack Obama announced a more focused government effort Tuesday to help tens of millions of girls around the world attend and stay in school. Michelle Obama said she's heading to Japan and Cambodia later this month to promote it...

WASHINGTON -- The world's central banks are injecting a new complication into the Federal Reserve's decision on when to raise interest rates from record lows: They're cutting their own rates. Last weekend, China's central bank slashed key rates for a second time in three months to try to stimulate the slowing Chinese economy. That move followed the European Central Bank's decision in January to begin buying bonds to try to revive a flatlining economy, a step the Bank of Japan is also pursuing...

BOSTON -- In the two years since twin bombs tore through crowds at the Boston Marathon finish line, the case against suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has focused on arguments over where his trial should be held, who should sit on the jury and what evidence prosecutors should be allowed to use...

CAIRO, Ill. -- A suspect has been taken into custody in connection to a Feb. 26 homicide in Cairo. Christopher H. Simpkins, 43, of Cairo has been arrested, according to a Tuesday news release from Illinois State Police. Officials have been investigating the homicide with the Cairo Police Department...

A new date has been set for the launch of Cape Girardeau's second public art outdoor exhibition. The seven new sculptures replacing those that have been on display along Broadway for nearly a year will be unveiled at a special reception and kickoff event at 6 p.m. April 10 at the Vasterling Suites Courtyard at the southwest corner of Broadway and Fountain Street. The reception is open to the public...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- One suspect in an Anna, Illinois, homicide appeared in court Tuesday in Union County for a pretrial hearing before Judge Mark Boie. Travis Turner, 26, of Dongola, Illinois, faces first-degree murder charges in the April beating death of James H. "Jimmy" Morrison, 46, of Anna. Turner has pleaded not guilty...

Interstate 55 near the 96 mile marker has reopened.

The Jackson Police Department reported the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Norman Ertman, 72, of Jackson was arrested on suspicion of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. n Damien A. McElhaney, 26, 824 E. Jackson Blvd., was arrested on a Jackson warrant for failure to appear on original charges of operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, failure to maintain insurance, a seat-belt violation and failure to register a motor vehicle...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Andrew C. Finck of Washington, Missouri, was issued a summons for driving while intoxicated. n Brittany Pagano, no age given, 144 Tomahawk Lane, was arrested on a warrant...

Lynn Matthew Stamp, 53, of Jackson passed away Monday, Feb. 23, 2015. He was born Nov. 6, 1961, in Cape Girardeau, to Homer M. and Theda F. Lambert Stamp. He and Willie Maag were married July 3, 1987, at Scott City. Lynn was a "Mr. fix-it." He could fix anything and spent a lot of his time taking care of projects around the house. ...

Herman "Bud" Edwards, 83, of Champaign, Illinois, formerly of Mound City, Illinois, died Tuesday, March 3, 2015, at the Heartland Healthcare Center in Champaign. Friends may call from 9 a.m. until service time Saturday at Jones Funeral Home in Villa Ridge, Illinois...

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. -- Vincent Cyril Dirnberger, 88, of New Hamburg went peacefully into God's hands Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, while surrounded by his loving family. Funeral Mass has been changed to 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in New Hamburg. Interment will be in the church cemetery...

Due to expected weather conditions, the funeral of Terri Collins of Delta will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Missouri. Burial will be in Kenyon Cemetery. Collins, 48, died Sunday, March 1, 2015, at her home.

Robert W. Cashon, 52, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, March 3, 2015, at Monticello House in Jackson. A memorial service will be at a later date. Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements.

No. 2 Sikeston defeated No. 3 Notre Dame 58-49 to advance to the Class 4 District 1 championship.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- An ecstatic New Mexico couple who got engaged on top of Sandia Peak had to curtail their celebrations after getting stuck for hours because of high winds. KOB-TV in Albuquerque reports Arthur Edelhoff and Lindsay Duncan of Corrales took the tram up the mountaintop early Sunday evening. ...

Lord Jesus, may we tell the world about the gift of eternal life through you. Amen.

WASHINGTON -- A House committee investigating the Benghazi, Libya, attacks issued subpoenas Wednesday for the emails of Hillary Rodham Clinton, who used a private account exclusively for official business when she was secretary of state -- and used a computer email server now traced back to her family's New York home...

A Hunger Banquet scheduled for 6 p.m. today at Southeast Missouri State University has been postponed because of inclement weather. Rebekah Lawson, a senior at Southeast who co-organized the banquet, said the event will be rescheduled for early April, but an exact date has not yet been decided. Tickets purchased for the event can be redeemed at the April banquet...

When snow falls, it can be a bittersweet feeling to watch plows coming down the road. While everyone wants their roads cleared, shoveling the mounds of snow pushed off the road and on your driveway can be an unpleasant experience, to say the least. There's no way to prevent the snow plowed from the road from pushing over onto roadway shoulders, sidewalks and driveways, but the city of Cape Girardeau and the Missouri Department of Transportation are promoting a driveway shoveling technique that could save residents some grief.. ...

Some may find it difficult to think of spring in the midst of persistent winter weather, but the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department already is looking forward to planting its newest community garden at the Shawnee Park Center. The demonstration garden is one of about four community gardens in the city. ...

Finch was announced as the speaker for the second annual event on Wednesday morning at HealthPoint Fitness in Cape Girardeau. The Semoball Awards will be held July 11 at the Southeast Missouri State River Campus.

The Southeast Missouri State University board of regents announced Wednesday the appointment of Carlos Vargas-Aburto as the 18th president of Southeast. Vargas, acting president at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, will succeed president Kenneth Dobbins on July 1...

Winter weather on Wednesday dealt a second blow in just a few weeks to Southeast Missouri, causing slick and snow-covered roads and forcing closings and cancellations across a large area. At 10 a.m. Wednesday, rain had changed into freezing rain in Cape Girardeau as the temperature dropped, the National Weather Service reported, and sleet fell quickly in downtown. Large snowflakes began to come down by 1 p.m., and the ground became covered...

WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department cleared a white former Ferguson, Missouri, police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black 18-year-old on Wednesday, but issued a scathing report calling for sweeping changes in city law enforcement practices it called discriminatory and unconstitutional...

While winning the program's first title remains the ultimate goal for Saxony, there are many driving factors that have helped make that goal a very real possibility, including one that will keep the Crusaders both focused and laughing right up until they hoist the state trophy.

From the moment he first set foot in the gym at Chaffee High School, all Darrin Pruitt wanted was to bring success to a girls basketball program that hadn't seen it in more than 30 years.

Wednesday's winter storm continues to slow down the high school basketball postseason, but Missouri State High School Athletics Association communications director Jason West said Saturday's quarterfinals are still scheduled to resume as planned.

Our Good Samaritan on Ford Drive. He just showed up and starts working! Bless him!

looked outside after the snow & seen this snow drift on the side of the yard. It had several waves in it.

Our city is one that has its own unique charm: a scenic river town with rolling hills and limestone bluffs; amidst the landscape are fine, distinguished buildings from a wide range of historical eras and architectural styles. Greystone, c. 1921, built and once owned by J. W. Gerhardt, is one such building, and is on the verge of--or perhaps already is--being demolished by SEMO University (the other being the Ochs-Shivelbine home, built by Theodore Ochs--the man who started Pioneer Orchards)...

The Southeast Missouri State University board of regents recently elected Jay Knudtson, former mayor of Cape Girardeau, as its new president. Knudtson's appointment became effective March 1. He succeeds Doyle Privett, whose term on the board of regents officially expired Jan. 1...

It was those 17 turnovers that made all the difference in No. 8 Southeast's 79-74 loss to No. 5 Morehead State on Wednesday at Municipal Auditorium.

Today is Thursday, March 5, the 64th day of 2015. There are 301 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 5, 1770, the Boston Massacre took place as British soldiers who'd been taunted by a crowd of colonists opened fire, killing five people...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri House panel has added money for K-12 schools and higher education to next year's budget, including restoring $12 million for colleges and universities that Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon had recommended but that had been left out of previous proposals...

ST. LOUIS -- A popular resident of the St. Louis Zoo has died. Zoo officials say the grizzly bear "Bert" was euthanized Tuesday at age 25. He had been in ill health with age-related problems. His brother, "Ernie," died at age 21 in 2011. The two bears were rescued by zoo officials in 1991 after being orphaned in Alaska. Their mother had been shot by a state wildlife agent after raiding homes in suburban Anchorage...

PIERCE CITY, Mo. -- Students in two southwest Missouri school districts will no longer attend school on Mondays starting next school year. Students in Miller and Pierce City will have four-day school weeks and Stockton also is considering a Tuesday through Friday schedule...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- While the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on whether premium health-care insurance subsidies could be used in states that did not set up their own exchange, one Republican lawmaker told a Missouri Senate panel Wednesday the state should bar such subsidies on its own...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri House gave initial approval Wednesday to a bill to reinstate limits on how much juries can award in noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases against health care providers. Supporters said the limits, approved 101-53, are needed to make sure doctors do not leave the state because of increasing insurance costs. ...

LOS ANGELES -- People aren't the only ones suffering from a seemingly endless winter of bone-rattling cold, record-busting snow and ice-slick sidewalks. Pooches' paws feel the pain, too. While millions of residents from the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast shovel snow deep into the season and hunker down awaiting relief, their dogs are either missing out on walks or left vulnerable to injury with each salt-coated step...

WASHINGTON -- Transcripts of Federal Reserve meetings in 2009 showed central bank officials struggling to contain the worst financial crisis in seven decades and searching for the right policies to halt a deepening economic downturn. The transcripts released Wednesday revealed officials were worried about the precedents being set by providing billions of dollars of government support to the nation's largest banks. ...

NEW YORK -- Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson expects the price of oil to remain low over the next two years because of ample global supplies and relatively weak economic growth. "People need to kinda settle in for a while," Tillerson said at the company's annual investor conference in New York...

Son to Mark Douglas Kilhafner and Jessica LeahAnn Cox of Whitewater, Saint Francis Medical Center, 5:03 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015. Name, Jackson Michael. Weight, 7 pounds, 1 ounce. Fourth child, first son. Ms. Cox is the daughter of Lola Cox of Whitewater and Russell Cox of Crocker, Missouri. Kilhafner is the son of Mike and Michele Kilhafner of Marble Hill, Missouri. He is employed by Security Alarms of America...

How high can you bounce a tennis ball? How about a pingpong ball? Find out the science secret behind making both balls shoot high through the air. n Basket ball n Tennis ball n Pingpong ball STEP 1: Hold the pingpong ball directly above the tennis ball and the tennis ball directly above the basketball, so that the balls are touching...

NEW YORK -- McDonald's says it plans to require chicken suppliers to stop using antibiotics important to human medicine within two years. The company says its suppliers still will be able to use a type of antibiotic called ionophores that keeps chickens healthy and isn't used in humans. Later this year, McDonald's also said it no longer will serve milk from cows treated with a particular artificial growth hormone...

WASHINGTON -- The Senate on Wednesday failed to override President Barack Obama's veto of a bill to construct the Keystone XL pipeline, the first of many confrontations between the Republican-controlled Congress and the White House this year over energy policy...

Members of the City Council view plans developed for a new recreational pool in Capaha Park, which have been recommended by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board; the complex, which would replace the aging municipal pool, would include a serpentine-shaped area featuring a main pool and a children's pool, a new bath house, water slides, sandy beach, and volleyball courts...

Laverne H. "Vern" Hopkins, 92, of Clearwater, Florida died Monday, March 2, 2015 at Brookdale at Beckett Lake in Clearwater. He was born Jan. 31, 1923, in Herrin, Illinois, to Hersel and Maggie Bird Hopkins. He and Grace Allene "Cherry" Hopkins were married July 24, 1947, at Mayfield, Kentucky. She preceded him in death May 8, 2006...

Lonnie Hughes, 73, of Cedar Hill, Texas, formerly of Mounds, Illinois, died Thursday. Feb. 26, 2015, at the Crestview Court Nursing Home in Cedar Hill. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday at St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Mounds...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Gloria Wiggins, 25, of Cairo died Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, at her home. Arrangements are in complete at Massie Funeral Home in Mounds, Illinois.

Ricky "Rick" Dee Brown, 60, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, March 3, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau, with the Revs. Jack Faries and William Faries officiating...

Clinton Martin Wunderlich, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Feb. 27, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Jan. 14, 1930, in St. Louis to Herbert Martin and Esther Emilie Mangels Wunderlich. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, serving during the Korean War. He was a member of the American Legion Post 63...

VILLA RIDGE, Ill. -- Bertha Curry, 93, of Villa Ridge died Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at Ratliff Care Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 6, 1921, in Olmsted, Illinois, to Werner and Josephine Holhubner Schnaare. She married John Curry on Oct. 5, 1940. He preceded her in death Feb. 9, 2004...

Harold J. "Mac" McDowell, 63, of Jackson died Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Alabama's stand against same-sex marriage regained ground Wednesday after the state's highest court ruled its ban remains legal, despite federal court pressure to begin issuing licenses to gays and lesbians. But advocates said they're not giving up, either -- and that the justices in Montgomery will find themselves on history's losing side...

SAN FRANCISCO -- While 72 passengers have settled their personal-injury claims stemming from the crash of an Asiana Airlines flight in San Francisco two years ago, other people are continuing their legal fight with the airliner and others involved in the accident that killed three Chinese teenagers and injured nearly 200 people...

ROME -- In dramatic sea rescues north of Libya, a flotilla of ships saved more than 1,000 migrants and refugees, while 10 migrants perished in the southern Mediterranean, Italian officials said Wednesday. Rescue vessels, including from Italy's coast guard and navy, and three cargo ships saved 941 people in seven separate operations that began Tuesday, Italy's coast guard said. ...

DONETSK, Ukraine -- A rebel-held city scarred by months of conflict in eastern Ukraine suffered more tragedy Wednesday when a methane gas explosion in a coal mine killed at least 24 workers and left nine missing. As rescue efforts stretched well past sundown, separatist authorities were accused by Ukraine's government of failing to do enough to save the lives of the miners...

BOSTON -- The question, for all practical purposes, is no longer whether Dzhokhar Tsarnaev took part in the Boston Marathon bombing. It's whether he deserves to die for it. In a blunt opening statement at the nation's biggest terrorism trial in nearly 20 years, Tsarnaev's lawyer told a jury the 21-year-old former college student committed the crime...

MOSCOW -- A Moscow court refused Wednesday to release a Ukrainian military officer who has been on hunger strike in a Russian prison since mid-December and has become a national hero in Ukraine. The case of 33-year-old Nadezhda Savchenko has attracted global attention in recent weeks as concerns rise about her health. ...

SEOUL, South Korea -- U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert was slashed on the face and wrist by a man wielding a weapon with a 10-inch blade and screaming the rival Koreas should be unified, South Korean police said today. Media images showed a stunned-looking Lippert staring at his blood-covered left hand and holding his right hand over a cut on the right side of his face, his pink tie splattered with blood...

MONTREUX, Switzerland -- U.S. officials sought Wednesday to tamp down expectations of a substantial preliminary nuclear deal with Iran by the March deadline while working to move past the political dust kicked up by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's criticism of an emerging agreement's contours...

LOS ANGELES -- And you thought Hollywood's award season was over. A teenage tearjerker, a foul-mouthed coed comedy and a raucous space adventure featuring a talking tree lead the nominees for the 2015 MTV Movie Awards, airing live April 12 from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Supreme Court justices peppered opponents of President Barack Obama's health care law with skeptical questions during oral arguments Wednesday on the latest challenge to the sweeping legislation. Justice Anthony Kennedy, whose vote is seen as pivotal, suggested that the plaintiffs' argument raises a "serious" constitutional problem affecting the relationship between states and the federal government...

Firefighters from three area departments battled a Cape Girardeau house fire early Wednesday morning. The fire, at 213 S. Middle St., was reported shortly after 1 a.m., according to information from battalion chief Brad Dillow of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department. On arrival, firefighters saw heavy smoke and fire from the roof on the north side of the building...

Cape Girardeau County government offices in Jackson and Cape Girardeau will remain closed today because of inclement weather, according to a news release. The County Commission meeting scheduled for today also has been canceled, the release stated. Pertinent address:...

A winter storm moved through the area Wednesday, forcing schedule and location changes for several high school basketball sectional games.

JUPITER, Fla. -- Jason Heyward can provide both a veteran presence and youth to the St. Louis Cardinals. Going into the Cardinals' first Grapefruit League game, manager Mike Matheny had already made up his mind on what Heyward brings to the team. "I see him as a veteran player," Matheny said. "He's accomplished quite a bit in a short amount of time. He's still a young guy, but I see him with leadership qualities."...

NEW YORK -- A fragment of jawbone found in Ethiopia is the oldest known fossil from an evolutionary tree branch that eventually led to modern humans, scientists reported Wednesday. The fossil comes from close to the time our branch split away from more apelike ancestors best known for the fossil skeleton Lucy, so it gives a rare glimpse of what early members of our branch looked like...

SEATTLE -- It's a job that might make you flush: Find easily accessible restrooms for Seattle-area bus drivers and get paid nearly $100,000 a year. King County Metro Transit is looking to hire a "comfort station coordinator," which comes with an annual salary as high as $97,000, depending on experience. The state Department of Labor and Industries cited Metro Transit last November after an audit found drivers were not provided unrestricted access to restrooms, and some wore diapers...

TOKYO -- Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Paul Allen and his research team have found the wreckage of a massive Japanese World War II battleship off the Philippines near where it sank more than 70 years ago, he said Wednesday. The apparent discovery of the Musashi, one of the largest battleships in history, comes as the world marks the 70th anniversary of the war's end...

Scott County Central's Jeffery Porter scored a game-high 39 points to lead the top-seeded Braves to a 73-63 win over the second-seeded Bernie Mules in the Class 2 District 1 championship Friday in Bloomfield, Missouri. "He's our playmaker," SCC senior forward Matthew Blissett said about Porter. "He's the guy we look to when we need some buckets."...

Kathy M. Crader, 65, of Delta died Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at home. Arrangements are imcomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Missouri.

The road to the Semoball Awards continued Wednesday as the keynote speaker for the 2nd annual show was announced at HealthPoint Fitness in Cape Girardeau. Olympic softball player Jennie Finch will speak in Cape Girardeau on July 11 at the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus as the Semoball Awards recognizes many of the best high school athletes from the area...

On Wednesday Dr. Carlos Vargas-Aburto was announced by the Board of Regents to succeed Dr. Ken Dobbins as president of Southeast Missouri State University. Vargas is acting president of Kutztown University, a regional university (like Southeast) of around 9,500 students located in rural Pennsylvania. He has a distinguished record in higher education, both as an educator and as an administrator...

Who's boots on the ground? Successful warfare is a team effort with the team consisting of air and naval forces in support of ground operations. In World War II heavy destruction by bombing did not end the fighting. In Europe it took multiple invasions and heavy fighting across Europe to defeat Germany. ...

Lord Jesus, our hope is in you for you are our Savior and Redeemer. Amen.

John Lee Mills Jr., 77, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. March 14 at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home, with the Rev. Donny Ford officiating. Entombment with full military honors will follow at Cape County Memorial Park Mausoleum...

Southeast Missouri State University students can view pieces of art from an established professor from outside the Cape Girardeau area. Eastern Illinois University professor Chris Kahler's exhibit "Emanations" in the River Campus Art Gallery in the Seminary Building will focus on artistic ability and expression...

ST. LOUIS -- The Missouri health department is investigating whether a staph bacteria caused the deaths of two St. Charles County residents. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported officials confirmed Wednesday they are looking into whether methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is linked to the February deaths of a 48-year-old woman and her 19-year-old son...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Senate bill intended to fix issues with Missouri's law allowing students in struggling schools to transfer to better-performing ones could cost more than $200 million next fiscal year, according to an estimate from legislative researchers...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The parents of a young girl with leukemia want to build their daughter a playhouse, but they've been blocked by their homeowners association. Pete and Jennifer Schultz, who live in the Kansas City suburb of Raymore, Missouri, say their 6-year-old daughter, Ella Joe, can't play with other children because of her health...

A pair of bills -- one in the House and one in the Senate -- seeking to reduce business filing fees are making their way through the Missouri Legislature, and supporters are hopeful these efforts will make the state's fees the lowest in the nation. Sen. ...

Statement provides details about the moments before his death JEFERSON CITY, Mo. -- An aide to former U.S. senator John Danforth said Thursday she was on the phone with Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich -- discussing his angst over perceived rumors about his religion -- just moments before he killed himself...

A bill sponsored by a local state representative to implement a prescription drug monitoring program has been approved by the Missouri House of Representatives and is making its way through the Senate. Rep. Holly Rehder, R-Sikeston, has been pushing for the program for a few years and went into this year's legislative session calling the bill one of her top priorities...

The 32nd Judicial Circuit has been recognized again for its efficiency in managing its caseload. Presiding Judge Benjamin Lewis accepted the Daniel O'Toole Award on Feb. 27 on be half of the circuit, which includes Cape Girardeau, Bollinger and Perry counties, according to a news release from the Missouri Supreme Court...

Police are seeking a suspect in a Wednesday evening robbery in Cape Girardeau. About 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, a victim reported being at home in the 600 block of North Street about 5:30 a.m. when a subject came to the door asking to speak to someone, Cape Girardeau Police Department public information officer Cpl. Darin Hickey said in an email. The victim told the person no one by that name lived there...

Eight online payday loan sites have been ordered to shut down operations in Missouri, pay $270,000 in restitution and erase loan balances for Missouri consumers. Martin A. "Butch" Webb acted through several business entities operating from a Native American reservation in South Dakota, none of which was licensed to do business in Missouri, Attorney General Chris Koster said in a news release...

Included in the eight recommended projects to be funded by Transportation Trust Fund 5 revenue is the replacement of the Sloan Creek bridge on Big Bend Road. It's one of the lowest priced projects on the list at $1 million but is among the city's biggest infrastructure update needs. Voter renewal of the half-cent transportation tax in August is required to fund the projects, which await formal approval from the city council...

WASHINGTON -- In the late 1980s, support for gay marriage was essentially unheard of in America. Just a quarter-century later, it's favored by clear majority of Americans. That dramatic shift in opinion is among the fastest changes ever measured by the General Social Survey, a comprehensive and widely respected survey that has measured trends on a huge array of American attitudes for more than four decades...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri House passed a measure Thursday that would waive penalties for those who agree to pay overdue state taxes -- a move estimated to generate $20 million for the proposed state budget. The House is to consider a 2016 budget plan next week that assumes passage of the tax amnesty legislation, even though similar proposals have stalled in the Senate in previous years...

For almost five years, Chaffee, Missouri, city employees have been planning to tear the town apart in an effort to make it better. Some serious piping issues ran through the town, and with old iron pipes, the water was "notoriously bad," city administrator Lee Horton said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A measure to set higher weight limits on trucks carrying livestock on most Missouri roads has won Senate approval. Senators on Thursday voted 33-0 in favor of the legislation, which expands current exemptions for milk trucks. Livestock trucks could carry as much as 85,500 pounds, up from the current 80,000-pound limit...

A second winter storm brought 9 inches of snow to the Cape Girardeau area Wednesday, as well as three-tenths of an inch of sleet, according to the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky. But meteorologist Robin Smith said there is good news: "We should be done with snow like this."...

After a second winter storm at Dennis Scivally Park , Cape Girardeau

ST. LOUIS -- Attorneys for the parents of Michael Brown on Thursday announced plans to sue the city of Ferguson, Missouri, and the officer who shot their son to death in August. The Justice Department on Wednesday cleared Darren Wilson, a white former Ferguson police officer, of federal civil-rights charges in the Aug. 9 shooting death of the 18-year-old, who was black and unarmed...

A peaceful winter scene of a small log cabin and a simpler time in Makanda, IL next to the Village Hall.

DEXTER, Mo. -- The Twin Rivers Royals found out first hand why the Saxony Lutheran girls basketball team is ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 3. The Crusaders used a 23-0 second quarter run to turn a close game into a rout, beating the Royals 70-36 in a Class 3 sectional at the Bearcat Event Center in Dexter and earning their second straight trip to the state quarterfinals...

Today is Friday, March 6, the 65th day of 2015. There are 300 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 6, 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Dred Scott v. Sandford that Scott, a slave, was not an American citizen and could not sue for his freedom in federal court...

Recently, higher education celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act, the visionary legislation of the 19th century that set the nation on the path to the American Century. Through Morrill, it was our land-grant universities that provided broad access to needed higher education for people of all backgrounds, playing a significant role in advancing the state of agriculture and industry in the United States. ...

Except for the citizens of Iran and their allies, no one wants that country to acquire nuclear weapons. In simplest terms, there are two approaches in dealing with the government in Tehran. First, the administration position calls for a long-term agreement with Iran that limits enrichment to low levels, allows for intrusive inspections and would gradually ease some sanctions if Iran sticks with the program...

Today is World Day of Prayer, a time set aside for churches around the globe to come together in prayer. Locally a World Day of Prayer service was scheduled to take place today at New McKendree United Methodist Church in Jackson. The winter weather has forced the gathering to be rescheduled to March 13...

Training cats and putting toothpaste back in the tube have much in common. To wit, they are nearly impossible. Maybe you have tried this at home. Let's say you have a cat. Let's say you want to train your cat to do something. Cats like treats, so you think you will use treats as an incentive for your cat to do something special...

PHILADELPHIA -- The Flyers gave away hot dogs, pretzels, even tickets to those adventurous enough to brave a winter storm. The die-hards left with a few extra bucks in their pockets -- some cash they might need to pay for tickets for an unexpected playoff run...

A lot has been in flux for the Southeast Missouri State baseball team so far this season. The Redhawks have had to reschedule 10 home games due to inclement weather, leading to lengthy last-minute road trips. They haven't had the same lineup throughout any of their first 10 games of the season, in part because they have two middle infielders out with injuries...

NEW YORK -- For television science correspondent Miles O'Brien, seeing on film the aftermath of the fluke injury that resulted in the amputation of his left arm above the elbow proved more difficult than he had anticipated. He had an early look at the documentary, "Miles O'Brien: A Life Lost and Found," narrated by his friend, Dr. Sanjay Gupta. It premieres on CNN at 8 p.m. Tuesday...

The city is buying a commercial building at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport at a cost of $40,000 and plans to lease out space for various business ventures; the city council authorized the purchase last night from John Farquhar, who operates an airplane repair business...

* Drug lab on South Hope Street. n Medical assist on East Main Street. The Jackson Fire Department responded to the following calls Wednesday: n Mutual aid in Cape Girardeau. n Medical assist on East Jackson Boulevard and North Missouri Street...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n A suspect was in custody pending formal charges of driving while intoxicated. n Kyle D. Sprague, no age given, 900 Perry Ave., was issued a summons for striking a legally parked car, no insurance and driving while intoxicated...

NEW YORK -- You're a bit late to bid on the chance to join John Oliver in robbing a wine store. You're also too late to bid on taking a bow onstage with the cast of the Broadway hit "It's Only a Play" while Louis C.K. presents you with flowers in front of the bemused theater patrons...

A dinner and silent auction to benefit the Southeast Missouri State University Redhawks baseball program will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the Isle Casino Cape Girardeau Event Center. On hand will be former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher and Fox Sports Midwest personality Al Hrabosky. ...

Because of recent inclement weather, the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri and other arts galleries and businesses in downtown Cape have postponed the First Friday with the Arts events to March 13 from 5 to 9 p.m. The VSA Poetry Workshop, scheduled for Saturday, has been postponed and will take place from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. March 28. A list of gallery closings and First Friday exhibit information are available at capearts.org...

Stephen Limbaugh's "Pants" is on fire. His most recent album -- titled "Pants" -- hit No. 16 on Billboard's classical charts last month, a feat he says was thrilling. In 2004, the Cape Girardeau native moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music, and he says the album's success is especially sweet after the years of labor that went into it...

Christopher Webb, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at the Missouri Veterans Home. A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Missouri Veterans Home, 2400 Veterans Memorial Drive, Cape Girardeau. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is handling arrangements...

Tanner Lee Thorne, 27, of Cape Girardeau passed away Wednesday, March 4, 2015. He was born April 4, 1987, in Cape Girardeau to Dennis Thorne and Barbara Kitchen Trickey. Tanner attended Cape Girardeau Central High School and was raised in the Church of God. He worked at Kmart, was an avid fisherman and hunter and loved to watch his sons play baseball...

Stacy Olivia Stulgin, 38, of Scott City died Tuesday, March 3, 2015, in St. Louis. She was born June 11, 1976, in Stuart, Florida, to Dennis and Sue Vaughn Stulgin. She was a massage therapist and attended La Croix United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau...

Carroll Snead, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

Anna Mae Rigdon, 93, of Jackson died Thursday, March 5, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

John Lee Mills Jr., 77, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at the Lutheran Home. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. March 14 at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home, with the Rev. Donny Ford officiating. Entombment with full military honors will be at Cape County Memorial Park Mausoleum...

Donna Jeane Mealey, 61, of Raymond, New Hampshire, passed away Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015. She was born Jan. 20, 1954, in Washington, D.C., daughter of Francis Allen and Elizabeth Rachael Boltz Self. She and John G. "Jack" Mealey were married Aug. 2, 1997...

Harold "Mac" McDowell, 63, of Jackson went to the arms of his heavenly father Wednesday, March 4, 2015. He was born Oct. 2, 1951, to James and Vivian Ellis McDowell in Oroville, California. He was the beloved husband of Dolores McDowell. They were married Jan. 19, 1991, in Modesto, California...

Charlotte Braun McCrate, 94, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home. Parish prayers and rosary will be at 7 p.m. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Old St. Vincent Catholic Church, with the Rev. Allan Saunders officiating. Burial will be at St. Mary Cemetery in Cape Girardeau...

Juanita Kathryn Jordan, 89, of Purcell, Oklahoma, passed away Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 12, 1925, in Los Angeles. She was one of eight children born to Lee Alsup and Iva Lucille Burton Alsup. Kathryn moved to Oklahoma when she was six weeks old. She grew up a farm girl, learning how to work hard in the cotton and broomcorn fields. She attended Dibble schools and graduated with the class of 1943...

Virginia M. Johnson, 90, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at the Lutheran Home. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home.

Ralph H. Hinkebein Sr., 82, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, March 5, 2015, at the Lutheran Home. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Kathy Marie Crader, 65, of Delta passed away Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at the family home in Delta. She was born Jan. 21, 1950, in Randles, to the late Martin Joseph and Mildred Marie McCormick Menz. Kathy was a member of Fairview Baptist Church in Arbor. She was a nurse aide at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Wanda G. Chappell, 69, of Sikeston died Tuesday, March 3, 2015, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call from 10 a.m. to service time Saturday at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Missouri. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the chapel, with the Rev. Marty Hasz officiating. Burial will be at a later date in Garden of Memories cemetery in Sikeston...

Rick Dee Brown, 60, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, March 3, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born July 17, 1954, in Ogallala, Nebraska, to Glen H. and Celia "Maxine" Railsback Brown. He and Kathy Faries Brown were married Dec. 3, 2001, at Cape Girardeau...

PHOENIX -- It took just one juror to spare the life of convicted murderer Jodi Arias on Thursday. In the end, the jury voted 11-1 in favor of death -- not enough to send Arias to death row in the case that became a global sensation with its tawdry revelations about her sexual relationship with the victim and that she had slit his throat so deeply that he nearly was decapitated...

LOS ANGELES -- Harrison Ford crash-landed his vintage plane Thursday after losing engine power, suffering serious but not life-threatening injuries after using his extensive piloting skills to bring down the plane on a golf course and avoid nearby homes...

WASHINGTON -- The government will review a huge cache of Hillary Rodham Clinton's emails for possible release after revelations she conducted official business as secretary of state in the shadows of a private account. The disclosure has raised questions about whether she adhered to the letter or spirit of accountability laws...

NEW YORK -- A Delta jetliner landing at LaGuardia Airport in a driving snowstorm Thursday skidded off a runway and crashed through a chain-link fence, its nose coming to rest just feet from the roiling waters of an icy bay. Six people were hurt in the midday accident, which authorities say came just minutes after the runway had been plowed. ...

POLK CITY, Fla. -- The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus says the "Greatest Show on Earth" will go on without elephants. Animal-rights groups took credit for generating the public concern that forced the company to announce its pachyderm retirement plan Thursday. But Ringling Bros.' owners described it as the bittersweet result of years of internal family discussions...

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Authorities suspect a Portland man accused of stealing two bicycles also took a dwarf goat. Police say the 18-year-old, Oleg Stepanovich Plyushchev, tried to sell bikes on Craigslist that had been stolen from a backyard and garage. ...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Karam Mashour scored 10 of his 25 points in the first nine minutes and 13 in the final eight as fifth-seeded Morehead State upset cold-shooting No. 4 seed Tennessee-Martin, 76-65 in an Ohio Valley Conference quarterfinal Thursday night...

Lord Jesus, thank you for the forgiveness of sins and gift of eternal life. Amen.

The Indians defeated Poplar Bluff 73-59 on Friday night and will face Vianney in a state sectional on Wednesday.

The Crusaders finished the season 29-1 after a 67-61 overtime loss to Park Hills Central.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Notre Dame deployed its sharpshooters in the first quarter of Friday night's Class 4 District 1 semifinal at the Sikeston Field House. Five different players knocked down 3-pointers for the top-seeded Bulldogs, who were 5 of 8 (63 percent) from beyond the arc in the opening period and cruised to a 75-58 victory over fifth-seeded Kennett...

The Indians claimed their third district championship in four years with a 57-27 rout of Northwest on Friday.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Mo. -- For most of the first quarter, it looked like Thayer would at least threaten to put an end to Scott County Central's seven-year state sectional winning streak. However, the Braves used a strong second quarter finish and a dominant second half led by Javonta Daniel, who scored a game-high 29 points, to secure their eighth-straight trip to the quarterfinals with a 67-61 victory over Thayer in a Class 2 sectional Friday at Liberty High School...

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Mo. -- The Chaffee girls basketball team knew it had a tough challenge ahead when it stepped onto the court for Friday's Class 2 sectional against Neelyville, but the Red Devils were never able to handle the pressure applied by the Tigers...

Today is Saturday, March 7, the 66th day of 2015. There are 299 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 7, 1965, a march by civil rights demonstrators was violently broken up at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, by state troopers and a sheriff's posse in what came to be known as "Bloody Sunday."...

Two Missouri representatives whose districts contain most of the land that would be flooded by a recreational lake in Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties plan to offer amendments to a Senate-passed bill; Rep. David Schwab, R-Jackson, and Rep. Frank Ellis, D-Sedgewickville, will offer amendments to alleviate some concerns expressed by landowners and others who live where the lake would be built...

The Tigers had beaten Sikeston twice this season before Friday night's Class 4 District 1 semifinal, but the No. 3 Bulldogs found victory the third time around and cruised to a 75-43 rout.

One of my favorite hobbies is knitting. I can knit hats and scarves and things like that. Arts and crafts. Making things beautiful and unique. I like to exercise and read my Bible. It would be dual enrollment in high school so I could graduate college sooner...

A man was in jail Sunday after fleeing from officers after a traffic stop, the Scott County Sheriff's Department reported. Gary Ellison Kyle, 36, fled on foot after Scott City police officer Brooks Brockmire stopped a pickup truck in which he was a passenger about 11 a.m. Sunday near the intersection of Bridge and Daugherty streets in Scott City, according to a news release from the sheriff's department...

PATTON, Mo. -- A embroidery company in business in Bollinger County since 1988 burned early Friday. About 25 firefighters from seven departments responded just after 2 a.m. to Stitch It International on Highway 72 near Patton, Marble Hill fire chief James Bollinger said...

A Cape Girardeau man died and two teens were seriously injured in an accident near Scott City on Friday evening. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported at 9:19 p.m. Friday on Interstate 55 at the 88.6-mile marker that Winston O. Williford, 56, was driving north when his vehicle ran off the right side of the roadway. The vehicle struck a guardrail and overturned down an embankment...

SELMA, Ala. -- America's racial history "still casts its long shadow upon us," President Barack Obama said Saturday as he stood in solidarity and remembrance with civil-rights activists whose beatings by police a half-century ago galvanized much of the nation against racial oppression and hastened passage of historic voting rights for minorities...

On a cold Friday in February the heat coming out of the Oran Jaycee's kitchen is almost as enticing as the smell of frying catfish. During the Lenten season, this is an average Friday at the hall, where volunteers begin their weekend by frying hundreds of pounds of fish for the dedicated customers who visit every week...

Proponents of a $20 million bond proposal for the Cape Girardeau School District hosted a kickoff event for the Yes Cape Schools campaign Saturday to answer questions and provide more information to voters before the April 7 election. District officials also presented the details of the proposal Friday morning at the chamber of commerce's monthly First Friday Coffee...

Between the presentations on future Transportation Trust Fund projects and Capital Improvement Program needs, there's been much discussion recently about the best ways to improve Cape Girardeau. At Monday night's city council meeting, after a discussion on capital improvements, the topic turned to the Broadway Street corridor. ...

Those who attended either of the Transportation Trust Fund 5 public meetings may have noticed streetlights were given their own section, alongside posters advertising for specific projects or general road repair. The poster for streetlights asked people to part with $800,000 of the $20 million in "Cape Cash" they were given at the door. That may seem pricey, but public works director Tim Gramling said the purchase the city hopes to make would pay for itself in a few years...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Notre Dame entered the final period of the Class 4 District 1 championship with a 13-point advantage but watched its lead dwindle to five points with less than a minute remaining. Sikeston's Donnell Cobb knocked down a 3-pointer from the left corner before Notre Dame committed its eighth turnover of the quarter to give the ball right back to the host Bulldogs...

Jeffery Porter scored 46 points to lift the defending Class 1 state champion Braves to a 70-62 victory and a spot in the Class 2 final four.

The Hornets defeated South Iron 47-45 to advance to the final four for the first time since 2006.

SEATTLE ---- Felix Vargas read the Justice Department's report on Ferguson, Missouri, and thought some of it sounded awfully familiar: a mostly white police department overseeing a mostly minority town; questionable uses of force; officers ill-equipped to deal with mentally ill residents...

Before publishing her book, Gayle Harper spent a great deal of time measuring others at Barnes & Noble. Their size, how they were organized on the store shelf, their covers. She wanted her book to be perfect, "not just a book someone puts on their coffee table."...

Today is Sunday, March 8, the 67th day of 2015. There are 298 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 8, 1965, the United States landed its first combat troops in South Vietnam as 3,500 Marines arrived to defend the U.S. air base at Da Nang...

BENTON, Mo. -- Summer Renee Proctor and Cody Tyler Black were married June 21, 2014, in a garden setting at the home of her parents. Judge David Dolan performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Dwayne and Karla Proctor of Benton, and Philip and Sharon Black of Sikeston, Missouri...

Jennifer Lynne Ferrell and Samuel Howard Dye were married Oct. 25, 2014, at Emanuel United Church of Christ in Jackson. The Rev. Mindy Kiepe performed the ceremony. Organist was Christy Shinn of Jackson, and string music was played by Trio Girardeaux. Vocalist was Robyn Hosp of Jackson...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Ashley Nicole Seyer and Cody Alan Williams were married Oct. 25, 2014, at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in New Hamburg, Missouri. The Rev. Michael Casteel performed the ceremony. Organist was Cheryl Kern of New Hamburg, and vocalist was Kari Bickings of Oran, Missouri...

Kathryn Renfrow and Mason Bell were married July 26, 2014, at the Shrine of St. Joseph in St. Louis. The Rev. Michael May performed the ceremony. Parents of the bride are Lynn and Jim Hillin and Rick Renfrow of Cape Girardeau. The groom is the son of Steve and Kim Bell of Higginsville, Missouri...

Jim and Judy Beatty of Florissant, Missouri, announce the engagement of their daughter, Carolyn Rose Beatty, to Thomas Mykle Dodd. He is the son of Tim and Loretta Dodd of Cape Girardeau. Carolyn is a 2008 graduate of St. Joseph Academy in St. Louis. She received a bachelor of fine arts degree in dance with a minor in chemistry from Southeast Missouri State University in 2012. She is a lead certified pharmacy technician at CVS in St. Louis...

In the New Testament, the disciples asked Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray," and He did. Even today, spiritual leaders are taking the time to teach people how to pray effectively. The Rev. Matthew Flatley, coordinator of Contemplative Outreach of Central Missouri, is one of those leaders...

I am amazed at what young families have to do to keep order in a household and with family members. Juggling work, children and other responsibilities makes for a very busy life. I look at my niece, Tarah Battaglia, and her husband, Steve. They have two small children, and Tarah is completing her final semester of nursing school...

The trick to making a nutritious breakfast a daily habit is never being more than 60 seconds away from something healthy. Because in the morning rush, it's too easy to grab something unhealthy. Lately, my go-to quick and healthy choice has been oat pudding, mostly because my kids love it. ...

The best way to find your life is to lose it. That will not be the counsel received during daytime self-help programming. For generations our culture has embraced and propagated the mantra that, to have the best life possible, we must explore every option, maximize every emotion and continually elevate our status above everyone else no matter the costs. Greed is good and better is best...

The John Guild Chapter met on Feb 18, 2015, at the Riverside Regional Library in Jackson with Marti Strickland, regent, presiding. Hostesses were Bonnie Macke, Pamela Johnson and Beth Biri. State regent Morgan Lake was recognized as well as state corresponding secretary Lorilee Short...

The horned lark is a small bird about the size of a snowbird. It is a songbird native to North America. Several subspecies are native to several continents of the world. The horned lark thrives in areas most other birds avoid. This bird finds safety in open spaces such as cow pastures and areas where bare ground is exposed. It even will nest in such overly exposed places...

Community Counseling Center, a not-for-profit comprehensive behavioral health and prevention organization, recently announced Charles Holt has been selected to serve on its foundation board of directors. Holt retired in 2006 after an extensive career in education in the Bernie R-XIII School District as an educator and counselor. He has been involved in counseling organizations on the state and national levels. He lives in Jackson...

While strolling, I wondered whatever happened to Barbara Kay Woods. Happy birthday this week to Katie Pfefferkorn, Ken Schlitt, David Anthony, Charlene Johnson, Jim Haney, Freddie Wicker, Mayme Cobb, Ronnie Senciboy, Jeannie Chapman, Sheila Gilmer, Betty Sides, Brianna Hibdon, Melanie Clubb, GP Glueck, Johnny King, Chris Kirn, Ruth Anne Glency, Harry Imhoff, Ruth B. ...

You would think everybody would love himself, right? But when you look around and notice the many who commit suicide, that thought lessens its grip on reality. It seems that every day you hear of someone who finds life so insecure, purposeless, scary and loveless, he chooses to end it all. ...

With spring approaching, a good many fishermen and fisherwomen are thinking about crappie fishing. Most have cleaned their gear, changed the lines and resupplied all their tackle boxes. Some have probably worked on their boats and updated their electronics and such. Many are busy tying new jigs or dreaming up new jigs to tie. Many are planning on taking a few days off, traveling to distant water in search of some big slab crappie...

The annual Ruth A. Buckhannon Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a 2015 graduating senior of any public high school in Scott County who plans to become a registered nurse. The total amount of the scholarship is $4,000. This is the ninth year for the scholarship that Mrs. ...

Ernie is 1 year old. He is neutered and ready to go home! Ernie is available for adoption at the Humane Society 334-5837.

Southeast Missouri State University is important beyond measure to Cape Girardeau and the surrounding region. The institution doesn't just provide education, a good one, to generations of people; it provides jobs for educators. It equips people for the workforce. It provides intellectual and cultural diversity in its students and employees. All of these factors are big reasons why Cape Girardeau continues to thrive in the 21st century...

Tom Schweich, though he's gone to his eternal reward, he remains among us, as an exemplary man -- a model of the very best Missourians. Learned. Brilliant. Hardworking and supremely effective. Unwavering honesty and integrity. A true people's servant. I am proud of our friendship. Oh, my, how we miss him now, and will in Missouri's future...

O Lord Jesus, we praise you, our provider and precious Savior. Amen.

I'd like to comment on Dr. Cowan's retirement. He has been a wonderful principal. I work for Division of Family Services. Had several children who would attend Central, who came here from other places. He would always make them welcome. He would also let them understand what their obligation was, what they had to be responsible for. ...

A part of Cape Girardeau's heritage dies as fire sweeps through the Old Opera House, which was built in 1868; the building, which housed the Royal N'Orleans restaurant at Broadway and Lorimier Street, is termed a total loss. City officials have decided to close the Arena Park wading pool to comply with state health regulations; Parks and Recreation director Steve Bone would like to fill the 10-foot diameter pool with sand and turn it into a sandbox; the pool has no filter system...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Law enforcement officials across Southeast Missouri worked more than 75 crashes during last week's winter storm, including a 10-vehicle pileup in Butler County. The pileup, said Butler County Sheriff Mark Dobbs, occurred about 4:30 p.m. in the northbound lanes of Highway 67 at the bottom of a hill, just past Missouri State Highway Patrol's Troop E Headquarters...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Dale L. Koehler, 46, 2560 Lisa Drive, was arrested on a Cape Girardeau warrant for failure to appear for assault. n A suspect was in custody pending formal charges of domestic assault...

Albert Lawrence "Al" Zember, 88, of Jackson passed away Tuesday, March 3, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 7, 1926, in La Veta, Colorado, to George and Francis Cerbo Zember. He and Virginia "Ginny" Smith were married Dec. 3, 1977, in Gunnison, Colorado...

Carrie "Edna" Wolfenkoehler, 86, of Jackson passed away Friday, March 6, 2015, at Auburn Creek Assisted Living in Cape Girardeau. She will once again be with Dale, her beloved husband of 67 years, who passed away Jan. 24, 2015. She was born Sept. 1, 1928, in Millersville, daughter of David A. and Carrie A. Estes Lange. She and Dale K. Wolfenkoehler were married Dec. 25, 1947, at Millersville...

Carroll M. "Sam" Snead, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at his home. He was born Aug. 16, 1930, in St. Louis, to Grenville Hedrick and Edith Higgs Snead. He and Edna Nelson were married Sept. 25, 1954, in St. Louis. They celebrated 60 years of marriage in 2014...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Victor Eugene Price, 76, of Reno, Nevada, passed away Tuesday, March 3, 2015, at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno. He was born March 28, 1938, at Tule Lake, Oregon, son of Alva and Thelma Louise Moran Price. Victor grew up in the McGee area. He retired from the U.S. Postal Service...

Andrew E. "Andy" Perrin, 96, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Jackson, passed away Thursday, March 5, 2015, at Chateau Girardeau, where he had been a resident 14 years. He was born March 23, 1918, in Maplewood, Missouri, son of Peter J. and Emma Ettling Perrin. He and Beatrice Rieman were married May 23, 1942, in St. Louis. She passed away June 11, 2007...

Charlotte Braun McCrate, 94, lifelong resident of Cape Girardeau, died Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Born on July 12, 1920, Charlotte was the daughter of Frederick Ferdinand "F.F." and Delia Deevers Braun. She went to St. ...

BENTON, Mo. -- Jean McCourt, 73, of Benton died Thursday, March 5, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 31, 1941, in East Prairie, Missouri, to Milton Elbert and Lois Eva Pinnon Jones. She married Dana Dempsey McCourt on May 16, 1964, in Rockford, Illinois...

Jerry Lee Kent, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, March 6, 2015, at The Lutheran Home. He was born Oct. 11, 1933, in Cape Girardeau to Pearl C. and Manna P. Windeknecht Kent. He was a member of the former Third Street United Methodist. Survivors include a sister, Elaine Winder of Marquand, Missouri; and a number of nieces and nephews...

Virginia "Jen" Johnson, 90, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, March 4, 2015, at The Lutheran Home. Jen was born Nov. 13, 1924, in Cape Girardeau. She was the seventh of eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. William Heuschober. She graduated from Central High School in Cape Girardeau in 1941, plus a year of business college. ...

Mary L. Huber, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, March 5, 2015, at Life Care Center of Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home, with parish prayers at 7 p.m. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Mary Cathedral, with the Rev. Allan Saunders officiating. A graveside service will be at noon Wednesday at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield...

Ralph Henry Hinkebein Sr., 82, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, March 5, 2015, at The Lutheran Home. He was born Aug. 3, 1932, in Leopold, Missouri, to Theodore and Olivia Glastetter Hinkebein. He was a veteran of the Korean War, serving in the U.S. Army. He was honorably discharged March 22, 1954...

LITHIUM, Mo. -- Alta Sylvia Erwin Graff, 94, of Lithium died Thursday, March 5, 2015, at her home, surrounded by family and caregivers. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today and 6:30 a.m. until service time Monday at Young and Sons Funeral Home...

Maxine E. Cooke, 86, of Jackson died Thursday, March 5, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born July 3, 1928, in St. James, Missouri, to Charles and Clara Mathena Devoy. She and Charlie Cooke were married Oct. 18, 1945, at St. Louis. He died Oct. 24, 2008...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Elmer Eugene Bohnert, 76, of Perryville died Thursday, March 5, 2015, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He served in the National Guard. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday and from 6:30 a.m. until service time Tuesday at Young and Sons Funeral Home...

ST. LOUIS -- The pilot of a medical helicopter has died after crashing during a solo flight to St. Louis University Hospital to pick up a crew, authorities said. Fire Capt. Garon Mosby said the helicopter went down west of the hospital just after 11 p.m. Friday. Mosby said the cause of the crash was not known, but that the helicopter had just left the ARCH Air Medical Services base...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Opponents of Common Core have another tool to chip away at the embattled national education standards: a recent Missouri court ruling said the state's membership in a group that creates the curriculum's tests is unlawful. Lawmakers in Missouri and North Dakota are using a central Missouri county's circuit court ruling, which was issued last month and likely will be appealed, to push back. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Ferguson police chief Tom Jackson was still on the job Friday, two days after a government report blasted his beleaguered department for years of racial profiling, and the mayor refused to speculate about the chief's future, saying his role was not to "just chop heads."...

TORONTO -- Six St. Louis Blues players scored goals in a 6-1 rout of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night. Jori Lehtera and Alexander Steen each had three assists for the Blues (41-19-5), who snapped a two-game skid and moved to within two points of the Central Division-leading Nashville Predators...

STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Craig Sword had a game-high 15 points to lead Mississippi State to a 52-43 victory over Missouri in both team's regular-season finale. It was the Bulldogs' largest margin of victory in an SEC game this season.

The Southeast Missouri State gymnastics team finished with its lowest team score of the season but defeated visiting Centenary 191.050-187.600 on Friday night at Houck Field House on Senior Night. The Redhawks did record a season-high score of 49.000 on the uneven bars and sophomore Alexandria Stokes won the all-around with a 38.350 in just her second time competing as an all-arounder at Southeast...

WASHINGTON -- Once again, Hillary Rodham Clinton did it her way, and it could cost her. Clinton's decision to eschew government email and use a private server as secretary of state is raising questions about secrecy, security and the law -- including whether she might have deleted messages tapped into her BlackBerry instead of preserving them for public scrutiny and history...

RICHMOND, Va. -- When Virginia Sen. Donald McEachin made an offhand comment during dinner about his distant relation to Alexander Hamilton, it drew a shocked reply from a colleague who also claims to be a descendant of the Founding Father: "Hold on. You're kidding me."...

EUCLID, Ohio -- An 85-year-old man says his home has been pelted with eggs several times a week for a year, and police haven't been able to crack the case despite stakeouts, neighbors, a surveillance camera and even testing eggshells as evidence. The homeowner and police suspect the eggs are launched a block or two away. Albert Clemens Sr. said whoever is responsible has "phenomenal" accuracy, launching five or six at a time and often hitting the front door of the home...

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul took his first step toward running for president with state party leaders endorsing his plan Saturday for a presidential caucus in 2016. The move clears the way for Paul to run for president and for re-election to his Senate seat without breaking a state law that bans candidates from appearing on the ballot twice in the same election...

MOSCOW -- Russia's security service chief said Saturday two suspects in the killing of leading opposition figure Boris Nemtsov have been detained. Russian news reports later cited an official as saying one of them had served with police troops in Chechnya...

BANGKOK -- The towering Danish ship København set sail from Argentina one December day, bound for Australia with five dozen souls aboard. Eight days later, as it traversed the South Atlantic, it radioed a nearby ship. All seemed well. That was Dec. 22, 1928. The vessel was never heard from again. There were reports of a "phantom ship" spotted through the haze, but searches of the icy waters turned up nothing. A year passed...

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria -- Nigeria's home-grown Boko Haram group, newly weakened by a multinational force that has dislodged it from a score of northeastern towns, reportedly pledged formal allegiance to the Islamic State group. The pledge to IS came in an Arabic audio message with English subtitles alleged to have come from Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau and posted Saturday on Twitter, according to the SITE Intelligence monitoring service...

BAMAKO, Mali -- A masked gunman sprayed bullets in a restaurant popular with foreigners in Mali's capital early Saturday, killing five people including a French person and a Belgian national, officials and witnesses said. Al Mourabitoun, or The Sentinels, a northern Mali jihadist group allied with al-Qaida, claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the Mauritanian news website Al-Akhbar. It often receives messages from Malian extremists...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- No. 25 Murray State's winning streak is over, and coach Steve Prohm already is lobbying hard to make sure his Racers' hopes of an NCAA Tournament berth aren't gone, too. T.J. Sapp's last-gasp shot fell way short of the basket at the buzzer, and Murray State lost 88-87 to Belmont in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship. The loss snapped a 25-game winning streak that had been second only to Kentucky nationally...

BAGHDAD -- Islamic State militants continued their campaign targeting cultural heritage sites in territories they control in northern Iraq, looting and damaging the ancient city of Hatra just one day after bulldozing the historic city of Nimrud, according to Iraqi government officials and local residents...

Now that Carlos Vargas-Aburto has been chosen as the next president of Southeast Missouri State University, officials say transitioning into the new role will be his first challenge. It also will be a transition for Southeast's faculty, staff and students, said Jay Knudtson, president of the board of regents...

CAIRO, Ill. -- A new trial date is set for a Cairo man suspected of killing his wife. Chauncey Hughes, 31, will face a new jury April 28 on first-degree murder charges in the November 2013 shooting death of his wife, Heather Davis, 22, online court records show...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Smoke wafting from wood fires long has provided a familiar winter smell in many parts of the country -- and in some cases, a foggy haze that has filled people's lungs with fine particles that can cause coughing and wheezing. Citing health concerns, the Environmental Protection Agency is pressing ahead with regulations to limit the pollution from newly manufactured residential wood heaters. ...

Five years ago, Kermit "Moose" Meystedt helped our vision of Soles4Souls become a reality on our campus, and in our community. While he is known to many as a generous, faith walkin' man, and record-breaking basketball star, some may not realize his role to this mission project...

Ice trying to "hang on" a little longer on the Water fountain near Cape Rock Overlook in Cape Girardeau, MO

Today is Monday, March 9, the 68th day of 2015. There are 297 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 9, 1945, during World War II, U.S. B-29 bombers launched incendiary bomb attacks against Tokyo, resulting in an estimated 100,000 deaths...

Junior Ben Mulholland has been a part of the Student Activities Council at Southeast Missouri State University since soon after he enrolled by becoming a member when his brother, Trevor Mulholland, was president. He is now the president of SAC and has been for the entire 2014-2015 school year...

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- If it were possible for anything to be hot in Buffalo this winter, it was the "ice bikes" that debuted at an outdoor skating rink. The bicycles on ice skates were an immediate hit when they glided onto the Ice at Canalside the day the rink opened on the city's waterfront...

SAN FRANCISCO -- No one can argue Apple has changed the way people live their lives. The company's iPod, iTunes, iPhone and iPad have shaken up music, phone and computer markets worldwide. Is the Apple Watch going to be able to do the same? Here are three reasons the Apple Watch will finally move the needle in the smartwatch industry -- and three reasons it might not...

A Perryville, Missouri, manufacturer of automobile parts is looking for volunteers to help plant more than 20,000 trees in May. TG Missouri began a multistep project last year based on the method of a Japanese botanist and plant ecology expert who visited Perryville in August to meet with local business and civic leaders...

The Cape Girardeau County Republican Women's Club has postponed its annual Lincoln Day event. Originally scheduled for March 14, the event is planned for May 30. Additional details will be made available soon, according to a news release from the club...

It was an emotional moment when Robert Grogg received his award Saturday as the 2015 Lifestyle Change Award winner at Cape Girardeau's annual Heart Walk. Exactly a year ago, on March 7, 2014, Grogg was taken into a hospital and scheduled for heart surgery. Since then, his life has changed dramatically. He's lost more than 70 pounds, bicycles daily and dutifully attends his weekly cardiac rehab. He was nominated by his daughter, Ashley Grogg, to recognize his lifesaving practices...

JOPLIN, Mo. -- A new Joplin hospital that replaces one destroyed by a deadly tornado is preparing to open. The Joplin Globe reports hundreds turned out Saturday for an open house in advance of the March 22 opening of the new Mercy Hospital Joplin. It replaces St. John's Regional Medical Center, which was destroyed in the May 2011 tornado...

JACKSON The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n Kyle W. Hente, 29, of Cape Girardeau was arrested on suspicion of stealing. n Jason L. Vaughn, 31, 411 Kies Ave., was arrested on a Jackson warrant for failure to appear on an original charge of peace disturbance...

Cape Girardeau Police The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n Justin A. Hubbert, 33, of Cape Girardeau was arrested on a Cape Girardeau municipal warrant for failure to appear for improper registration...

CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY Sheriff's Department The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n Derek B. Farmer, 21, of Jackson was arrested on suspicion of driving while suspended and careless and imprudent driving...

Cape Girardeau County Commission 1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Communications/reports -- other elected officials n None at this time Public comments n Items listed on agenda Routine business n Purchase orders n Payroll change forms n City of Jackson ordinance 15-13...

SCOTT CITY The Scott City Fire Department responded to the following calls: February 27 n Emergency medical service on: Cape Street at 2:21 p.m., James Street at 5:18 p.m. and 8th Street East at 8:10 p.m. February 28 n Emergency medical service on: Highway 61 at 12:24 p.m. and Madison Street at 2:54 p.m...

The preliminary design of a new east-west highway and Mississippi River bridge in Cape Girardeau is approved by the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission. In reviewing a five year, $24.5 million capital improvements plan Thursday, city council members said they want to move ahead with construction of an addition to city hall, renovation of the airport terminal and possible replacement of a damaged bridge near Twin Trees Park; but members questioned a proposal to spend $400,000 in city funds to buy about 400 acres northwest of the airport for development as a business park.. ...

Eunice L. Myers, 92 of Jackson passed away Friday, March 6, 2015, at Madison Medical Center in Fredericktown, Missouri. She was born Jan. 17, 1923, daughter of August and Lula Kearns Eiler. She and Eugene Myers were married Sept. 15, 1949. She was of the United Methodist faith and served her country during World War II by riveting U.S. military war planes...

Mary Louise Huber, 83, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, March 5, 2015, at Life Care Center of Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 9, 1931, in Rolla, Missouri, to Fenlay and Helene Carrell Bruner. She and George Everett Huber were married Dec. 31, 1954, in St. Louis. He passed away Dec. 18, 2011...

James W. "Jim" Reynolds, 97, passed away Sunday, March 8, 2015, at the Jackson Manor Nursing Home. He resided many years on his farm south of Burfordville. He was born March 12, 1917, south of Burfordville to Alfred and Florence Jones Reynolds. He and Beula Cook were married April 25, 1943, at the former McGuire Church south of Burfordville. They had been married 56 years when she passed away on June 27, 1999...

We may never know the precise reason Missouri Auditor Tom Schweich ended his life. The publicly presumed reason is that it was a result of negative campaigning, specifically an alleged anti-semitic whisper campaign that was targeting the governor candidate as a person who practices the Jewish faith. Schweich was Episcopalian, though his grandfather is Jewish...

50 Shades

Buzz Thompson rides along with Tiffiney Smith as she trains for her next ultra run Sunday in downtown Cape Girardeau. An ultra -- short for ultramarathon -- is a run longer than 26.2 miles. Last week's snow continued melting, with temperatures reaching into the 40s Sunday...

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team began the defense of its Ohio Valley Conference regular-season championship with a loss to Eastern Kentucky on Sunday, but the Redhawks bounced back with a victory to split a doubleheader in Edwardsville, Illinois.

Heading into Saturday night's Class 4 District 1 championship, the Notre Dame boys basketball team had beaten all but one of the teams it played this season.

JUPITER, Fla. -- Right-hander Lance Lynn left the St. Louis Cardinals' spring training game in the second inning Sunday with a left hip flexor strain, and six relievers combined to allow only one run in a 5-2 victory over the Miami Marlins.

There were five key votes in the Senate last week, which held 10 roll call votes. There were eight key votes in the House, which held 13 roll call votes. The most important votes in both chambers were to approve funding of the Homeland Security Department in fiscal 2015...

NEW YORK -- Transportation Security Administration officers say a woman's 7-year-old Chihuahua sneaked into her suitcase and triggered a luggage screening alert last week at New York's LaGuardia Airport. A TSA spokeswoman said the owner had no idea her little dog had crawled inside her hard-sided suitcase and curled up while she was packing for a flight to Los Angeles. The woman's husband came to the airport and took the dog home...

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- The first comprehensive report into the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 revealed Sunday the battery of the locator beacon for the plane's data recorder had expired more than a year before the jet vanished March 8, 2014. ...

SELMA, Ala. -- Selma paid tribute Sunday to the late President Lyndon Johnson for the 1965 Voting Rights Act, recalling the clashes between police and marchers 50 years ago in this Alabama city that helped secure those equal voting protections. Police beat and tear-gassed marchers at the foot of the bridge in Selma on March 7, 1965, in a spasm of violence that shocked the nation. ...

Lord Jesus, Savior, may your peace rule in our hearts always. Amen.

MADISON, Wis. -- Within hours of a white officer shooting an unarmed black man, the police chief of Wisconsin's capital city was praying with the man's grandmother, hoping to strike a conciliatory tone and avoid the riots that rocked Ferguson, Missouri, last year...

The Hidden Attic, a furniture and consignment store, soon will open at the former location of Ross Furniture on South High Street in Jackson. Owner Daniel Glasco said in a news release the store will offer furniture from store closeouts, factory overruns and local consignments of home decor...

When 16-year-old Billy Flynn gunned down the husband of his high school instructor and lover, Pamela Smart, in 1990, the trial became an instant tabloid sensation. Its lurid details aired gavel-to-gavel on television years before the O.J. Simpson spectacle and spawned movies and books...

Unemployment in the U.S. has dropped to a seven-year low of 5.5 percent -- the level normally considered the mark of a healthy job market. Yet that number isn't as encouraging as it might sound. The jobless rate fell in February from 5.7 percent mainly because many people gave up looking for work and no longer were counted officially among the unemployed, the government reported Friday. What's more, wage gains remained sluggish last month...

Cheryl Mothes of Jackson has been honored for performance as a financial adviser. Mothes has been with Edward Jones in Jackson since 1999. She soon will attend the Edward Jones Managing Partners Conference in Arizona, which honors the top 350 of the nationwide firm's more than 14,000 financial advisers and gives them an opportunity to meet with Edward Jones' managing partner, according to a news release. This is the second time Mothes will attend the event...

A popular downtown Cape Girardeau boutique soon will move west. Philanthropy, which sells apparel, jewelry, home decor items and gifts, carries a Christian message and pledges percentages of all sales to charity, plans to relocate and reopen in a retail center at 201 S. Mount Auburn Road by May 1...

A hearing for a man accused of shooting to death Southeast Missouri State University sophomore Robert Christman III was continued Monday so his case can be heard by a grand jury. Christopher Grant, 18, of Collinsville, Illinois, was charged in early February with murdering Christman, 19, during a failed robbery attempt a month earlier in downtown St. Louis...

Kenneth Bell will live out the rest of his days in the custody of the Missouri Department of Corrections. Judge Benjamin Lewis on Monday overruled Bell's motion for a new trial and sentenced him to two life terms -- one for each of Bell's first-degree murder convictions -- without the possibility of probation or parole, plus an additional 30 years on one count of armed criminal action...

Some of the major obstacles have been overcome, but there still is plenty of work to be done before wheels are spinning at a new park in Cape Girardeau designed for skateboarding, rollerblading and BMX enthusiasts. Chris Hutson, a local father and skateboarder, has worked for about five years to create a place where children and teens can skate or bike, instead of turning to streets and parking lots...

Math enthusiasts and dessert lovers prepare to mark a once-in-a-century date Saturday An annual Pi Day celebration occurs March 14, but this year has math enthusiasts -- and pie lovers -- more excited than usual. The date will correspond not just to pi's repeating decimal number's first three digits -- 3.14 -- but two more decimal places: 3.1415...

Marilyn Gene enjoying some sun!

This is Mr. Kilo Moore he is going on 2 years old...He is a rescue dog me an my husband Deron Moore andy son Julius Mcintosh got him when.he just a baby..needing a good home...As u see he has his own pillow an.blanket..

Baxter is a 3 year old mini schnauzer and he only likes winter if there is no snow or ice so he is ready for some dry weather!

Our 11th child, Zeppelin, after a romp in the snow.

In the final hour of an Advance boys basketball team's practice, there isn't much noise coming from the gym.

For Southeast Missouri State junior safety Eriq Moore returning to Houck Stadium on Tuesday afternoon for the Redhawks' first spring practice felt like a homecoming. "When the coaches go out recruiting it's like we're kind of separated from our coaches for a while, and we really don't get to have any time where we can go in there and really talk to them or talk football, really," Moore said. "And we're away from the field, so it feels like you're kind of away from home."...

The Bulldogs rolled to a 72-49 victory over the Trojans at the Jackson Events Center, earning a berth in Saturday's state quarterfinals in Farmington.

Friends resting.

Willow is a domestic, gray and white short hair cat. She enjoys sleeping, eating and bird watching.

Our cat Lucky was tired of the cold winter so our daughter Madison made her a place in the "shade" to rest!

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The storied past of the Scott County Central boys basketball team has a wealth of history, including a systematic pressure defense that began years before many can remember. Perhaps the only thing missing is a patent. But don't be fooled. SCC obviously didn't invent its notorious 1-2-2 press, which has haunted opponents for decades and given way to the program's years of state championship experience...

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team saw its six-run lead steadily erased by Saint Louis University on Tuesday night but pulled off a 9-7 victory at the Billiken Sports Center in St. Louis to put together its first three-game winning streak of the season and improve to .500 at 7-7...

Today is Tuesday, March 10, the 69th day of 2015. There are 296 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 10, 1985, Konstantin U. Chernenko, who was the Soviet Union's leader for 13 months, died at age 73; he was succeeded by Mikhail Gorbachev...

Two people were seriously injured Monday morning in a one-car accident in Scott County. About 5 a.m., Elizabeth Phelps, 23, of Chaffee, Missouri, was driving a 2004 Jeep east on Route Z when she crossed the center line, overcorrected and slid off the right side of the road, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol crash report. The vehicle overturned, throwing the passenger, Dylan Hilburn, 18, of Caruthersville, Missouri, who suffered a serious injury...

Good food, fellowship and support for charities are what two events this month will provide. On Wednesday, the annual Pancake Day sponsored by the Lions Club for Community Service will be held at the Arena Building in Cape Girardeau. Each year the club serves thousands of pancakes, sausages and drinks to the community with proceeds to benefit charities...

** Israel's leader; ** Cape streets; ** Boehner kudos

Suicide of Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich brought back memories of another gubernatorial candidate who came close to meeting the same fate a few years ago due to merciless bullying by hateful party Old Guard. Some years ago a naive but decent doctor friend of mine decided to run for the office of the governor. ...

HARTFORD, Conn. -- A 17-year-old girl's cancer appears to be in remission after the state forced her to undergo chemotherapy because she refused treatment, her lawyer said Monday. A recent medical scan of the girl, identified in court documents only as Cassandra C., showed no signs of the Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosed in September, said assistant public defender Joshua Michtom. Cassandra's treatment is set to end next month after two more rounds of chemo, he said...

Rising price of heroin-overdose antidote worries advocates, who fear addicts who need it most may not be able to afford it CAMDEN, N.J. -- Just as officials across the country are agreeing it makes sense to hand out an easy-to-administer heroin-overdose antidote to police, families of addicts and drug users themselves, those buying it face a new obstacle. The price of one popular form has doubled in the past year...

HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- Texas' prison agency is scrambling to find a supplier to replenish its inventory of execution drugs, which will be used up if the state goes forward with two lethal injections scheduled for this week and next. Prison officials only have enough pentobarbital for the scheduled executions of Manuel Vasquez on Wednesday and Randall Mays on March 18, but they don't know how they will conduct lethal injections on four others set for April...