Stories from Wednesday, May 27, 2015

WASHINGTON -- Sticky plaque gets the most attention, but now healthy seniors at risk of Alzheimer's disease are letting scientists peek into their brains to see whether another culprit is lurking. No one knows what actually causes Alzheimer's, but the suspects are its two hallmarks -- the gunky amyloid in those brain plaques or tangles of a protein named tau that clog dying brain cells...

HOUSTON -- Floodwaters deepened across much of Texas on Tuesday as storms dumped almost another foot of rain on the Houston area, stranding hundreds of motorists and inundating the famously congested highways that serve the nation's fourth-largest city...

The Indians played toe-to-toe with Cor Jesu Academy out of St. Louis in Tuesday's Class 4 sectional on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. But despite matching the Chargers shot for shot, the Indians found themselves on the losing end of a 3-0 score, ending their season with a record of 20-3-1.

Notre Dame starting pitcher Graham Ruopp responded to a bases-loaded jam with a strikeout and a ground-ball double play to end the threat, and the Bulldogs combined for 10 runs in the final two innings to come away with an 11-0 victory over Potosi.

NEW YORK -- As TV watchers increasingly look online for their fix, cable companies are bulking up. In the latest round, Charter Communications is buying Time Warner Cable for $55.33 billion. And executives say they're confident regulators will allow the creation of another U.S. TV and Internet giant...

Cats are leaving a no-kill shelter in Cape Girardeau County as part of an agreement signed earlier this month. More than 40 cats were taken from the Safe Harbor facilties near Jackson on Saturday to be sent to licensed shelter and rescue facilities, as a consent judgment approved Friday by Circuit Judge Michael Gardner stipulates...

To keep the city of Cape Girardeau's plan for a new South Sprigg Street bridge on track, securing timely funding is a key element -- including possibly taking out a loan. A section of the road, including the bridge over Cape LaCroix Creek, has been closed since 2013 because of sinkholes in the area...

Southeast will participate in the NCAA West Region prelims on May 28-30 at the University of Texas in Austin. Representing the Redhawks are Blake Smith, Blake Carter,Reggie Miller,Chris Martin,Shon Kyle, Jessica Brown, and Sarah Hall. Whole story can be found on gosoutheast.com...

Today is Wednesday, May 27, the 147th day of 2015. There are 218 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On May 27, 1935, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Schechter Poultry Corp. v. United States, unanimously struck down the National Industrial Recovery Act, a key component of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" legislative program...

As you would expect at this point in his presidency, Barack Obama has started to discuss his legacy. With the clock ticking down on his second term, Obama is doing what he should do -- planning for the future. He has announced the location of his Presidential Library -- south Chicago -- and reportedly has been house hunting...

As cancer has affected so many lives, organizations and individuals have done their part to combat the daunting disease. Some have gone to greater lengths than others. Beautiful Lengths, for example, a partnership between the American Cancer Society and Pantene, is one program through which people have gone so far as to give a piece of themselves to help those battling cancer. Scott City students and teachers have given selflessly...

** No monument; That's rich; Non-union cars

NEW YORK -- Taco Bell and Pizza Hut say they're getting rid of artificial colors and flavors, making them the latest big food companies scrambling to distance themselves from ingredients people might find unappetizing. Instead of "black pepper flavor," for instance, Taco Bell will start using actual black pepper in its seasoned beef, says Liz Matthews, the chain's chief food innovation officer...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama called on the Senate Tuesday to extend key Patriot Act provisions before they expire five days from now, including the government's ability to search Americans' phone records. "This needs to get done," he told reporters in the Oval Office. "It's necessary to keep the American people safe and secure."...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Zita B. Winkler, 83, of Perryville died Tuesday, May 26, 2015, at Holiday Residential Care Center in Perryville. She was born June 26, 1931, at Apple Creek, Missouri, to Louis and Dorothy Buchheit Hennemann. She and Walter J. Winkler were married Oct. 16, 1954, at Apple Creek. He preceded her in death Dec. 30, 2013...

Thelma Treece, 92, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, May 22, 2015, at her home. She was born March 10, 1923, in Deering, Missouri, to William and Lula Foster Barksdale. She and Hyder Treece were married Oct. 18, 1947, at Sikeston, Missouri. He preceded her in death in November 1966...

James Otto Hahs Jr., 89, of Jackson passed away Monday, May 25, 2015, at his home. He was born Sept. 8, 1925, in Sikeston, Missouri, son of James Otto and Lena Marie Smith Hahs. He and Anita June Calhoun were married June 21, 1959. James graduated from Sikeston High School...

Travis Friga, front, and Corey Moore of the city of Cape Girardeau Street and Traffic Division place stop signs Tuesday on Pacific Street at its intersection with Independence Street. The stoplights at the intersection likely will be removed this week. The city also recently took out stoplights at Morgan Oak and South Sprigg streets...

WASHINGTON -- Sophisticated criminals used an online service run by the IRS to access personal tax information from more than 100,000 taxpayers, part of a scheme to steal identities and claim fraudulent tax refunds, the IRS said Tuesday. The thieves accessed a system called "Get Transcript," where taxpayers can get tax returns and other filings from previous years...

QUINCY, Ill. -- A western Illinois couple recently celebrated the birth of their 100th grandchild. Leo and Ruth Zanger of Quincy have 53 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. The birth of great-grandson Jaxton Leo on April 8 made the number 100...

WASHINGTON -- Global warming will bring more sneezing and wheezing to Europe by mid-century, a new study says. Ragweed pollen levels are likely to quadruple for much of Europe because warmer temperatures will let the plants take root more, and carbon dioxide will make them grow more, says a study published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change. Other factors not related to man-made climate change also will contribute...

When I went for my yearly mammogram in March 1999, I didn't know it would save my life as well as change my life as I had known it. Little did I know a cancerous lump would be detected in my right breast. After a lengthy discussion with my doctor, I opted for surgery, and seven lymph nodes were also found involved. I did eight chemotherapy treatments and 25 rounds of radiation...

CLEVELAND -- Cleveland agreed to sweeping changes in how its police officers use force, treat the community and deal with the mentally ill under a settlement announced Tuesday with the federal government that will put the 1,500-member department under an independent monitor...

FRANKLIN, N.C. -- The wreckage of a plane piloted by John E. Godwin Jr., formerly of Cape Girardeau, is found in a mountainous area about 10 miles out of Franklin; Godwin, 68, a Southeast Missouri native and founder of Atlantic Aero Inc. at Greensboro, North Carolina, was killed in the crash...

WASHINGTON -- Amtrak said Tuesday it will install video cameras inside locomotive cabs to record the actions of train engineers, a move that follows a deadly derailment earlier this month in which investigators are searching for clues to the train engineer's actions before the crash...

NEW YORK -- Ad executives looking for a celebrity to endorse their product can't do much better than actor Liam Neeson. That's the conclusion of the Nielsen company, which looked at celebrities who made commercials during the first three months of the year and ranked them with a calculation that takes into account likability, public awareness, influence and other factors. ...

BAGHDAD -- Iraq vowed Tuesday to retake Anbar province -- mostly held by the Islamic State -- by launching a large-scale military operation less than two weeks after suffering a defeat at the hands of the extremists in the provincial capital of Ramadi...

WASHINGTON -- Corporate documents show the newly released financial files on Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton's fortune omit a company with no apparent employees or assets the former president legally has used to provide consulting and other services...

GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- A U.S. airman "with no apparent motive" walked into a Wal-Mart Supercenter in North Dakota early Tuesday and opened fire with a handgun, killing one worker and injuring a second before turning the gun on himself, police said. Grand Forks police said the shooting a few minutes after 1 a.m. ...

LAGOS, Nigeria -- Nigeria's outgoing government has agreed to pay a debt of $800 million to resolve a months-long fuel crisis crippling the economy days before the inauguration of a new president in the country, oil suppliers said today. Chaos reigned Tuesday at Nigerian airports, where most flights were cancelled. ...

TEHRAN, Iran -- An Iranian security court on Tuesday began the closed-door espionage trial of an Iranian-American reporter for The Washington Post who has been detained for more than 10 months. Jason Rezaian, the Post's 39-year-old bureau chief in Tehran, is being tried in a Revolutionary Court on allegations of "espionage for the hostile government of the United States" and propaganda against the Islamic Republic, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported...

The city of Jackson will help residents with spring cleaning during the annual Clean-Up/Fix-Up program, scheduled to begin Monday. Jackson residents who qualify for solid waste pickup may place refuse at the curb by 8 a.m. during their normal trash collection day to be disposed of by city personnel...

Two Sikeston, Missouri, residents were injured Monday evening in a one-vehicle crash in Stoddard County. Kendra L. Plunk, 27, was driving a 2001 Dodge Caravan west on County Road 518 west of Sikeston when she lost control on the gravel, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol's online crash report...

Murder suspect Ricky Schweain waived formal arraignment Tuesday and entered a plea of not guilty. Schweain and his attorney, assistant public defender Leslie Hazel, appeared before Judge Benjamin Lewis in Division 1 Circuit Court in Jackson. Schweain, 54, is charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the March 26 shooting death of his stepdaughter, Melissa Luttrell, 27...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- A 21-year-old man is jailed without bond after being accused in the shooting death of a convenience-store clerk in his Southeast Missouri hometown. New Madrid County prosecutors have charged Deion Martin of Parma, Missouri, with one count each of first-degree murder and first-degree robbery and two counts of armed criminal action...

ST. LOUIS -- The parent company of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said Tuesday it is looking for a new home for the newspaper after 56 years in a six-story building downtown. Lee Enterprises -- the newspaper's owner since 2005 -- announced its plans to sell the building at 900 N. Tucker Blvd. that was completed in 1931 and has been the newspaper's base since 1959. That building has been the Post-Dispatch's sixth headquarters in its 137-year history...

HUNTSVILLE, Mo. -- Construction contractors who haven't been paid for work on a failed artificial sweetener plant in Moberly will be in court this week to try to enforce liens on almost $2 million in unpaid bills. The contractors did preliminary work for the Mamtek plant, a project state and Moberly officials promised in 2010 would bring 600 jobs to the central Missouri town...

WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. -- Several Webster University students studying abroad in London unexpectedly lost their federal financial aid this past school year because of the school's violation of Department of Education regulations. Webster spokesman Patrick Giblin said the school has contacted every student affected, offering face-to-face meetings to discuss options that include transfers to other overseas campuses, applying for private loans or taking online classes...

Heather Busch and her son Drake spend time feeding water fowl Tuesday at Capaha Park in Cape Girardeau. Weather conditions will be favorable for water-based birds, with storms or showers forecast in the next four days.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Senate has hired a lawyer in response to a "workplace harassment complaint." A document obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press shows the Senate hired the attorney May 7. The legal fee agreement didn't give additional details regarding the complaint, but Minority Leader Joe Keaveny said the Senate is conducting an internal investigation. He declined to comment further...

ST. LOUIS -- After careful deliberation, the St. Louis Blues are sticking with veteran coach Ken Hitchcock for another season. The Blues and Hitchcock on Tuesday announced a one-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed. "This is unfinished business for me," Hitchcock said. "I don't want to coach to coach, I want to coach to win. I couldn't find a better spot."...

ST. LOUIS -- Jaime Garcia won for the first time in nearly a year, working six solid innings, and Randal Grichuk homered for the St. Louis Cardinals, who beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-4 on Tuesday night. Grichuk and Jhonny Peralta had two RBIs each for the Cardinals, who are a major league-best 30-16. Garcia (1-1) hadn't won since June 15 at home against the Nationals...

Southeast Missouri State men's basketball coach Rick Ray has used his connections from his three seasons as the head coach at Mississippi State to compile his staff so far. Former Mississippi State men's basketball director of operations Adam Gordon will join Ray at Southeast as an assistant, the athletic department announced Tuesday. Nick Lagroone, who was a graduate assistant for two years under Ray, was announced as Southeast's director of operations last week...

ORANGE CITY, Fla. -- Twin brothers Michael and James Remelius, 52, were arguing in the front yard of a home last week when Michael first threatened to throw a brick at his brother. According to a police report, Michael Remelius followed through, striking his brother in the leg and causing a small cut. James Remelius retaliated with a brick that bloodied and bruised his brother's eye. Both were arrested and charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon...

Daughter to Johnny Richard McCree and Hayley Michele Staggs of Sikeston, Missouri, Southeast Hospital, 1:06 p.m. Thursday, May 14, 2015. Name, Madison Faye. Weight, 6 pounds, 4 ounces. Second child, first daughter. Ms. Staggs is the daughter of Betsy Fornkohl and Justin Fornkohl of Cape Girardeau and Terry Staggs of Sikeston. She is a licensed practical nurse at Missouri Delta Orthopaedics. McCree is the son of Patti McCree of Morehouse, Missouri. He is employed by Tag Truck Center...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls: Sunday n Medical assist calls were made to: Meyer Drive at 12:54 a.m.; North Spring Avenue at 4:12 a.m.; South Benton Street at 6:46 a.m.; Abbey Road at 8:18 a.m.; North Main Street at 4:16 p.m.; Penrod Place at 7:38 p.m.; North Middle Street at 8:35 p.m.; Themis Street at 10:02 p.m.; and South Sprigg Street at 11:04 p.m...

JACKSON The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Summonses n Danny R. Ivie II, 34, of Cape Girardeau was issued a summons for illegal parking. n London R. Dykes, 17, of Jackson was issued summonses for displaying the plates of another and failure to register motor vehicle...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrest n Joshua Berkbuegler, 22, of St. Mary, Missouri, was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear. Summons n Kathleen Gay Luster, 45, of O'Fallon, Missouri, was issued a summons for improper lane change...

O Heavenly Father, thank you for watching over us and drawing us close to you. Amen.