Stories from Wednesday, December 9, 2015

WASHINGTON -- Donald Trump's plan to ban Muslims from entering the United States is shoving the Republican Party to the edge of chaos, pitting GOP leaders against their own presidential front-runner and jeopardizing the party's drive to attract minorities...

Nearly 800 students will receive degrees at Southeast Missouri State University's winter commencement. The ceremony is set for 2 p.m. Dec. 19 at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, according to a news release from the university. An honors convocation is planned for 10:30 a.m. for 185 undergraduates...

Voters in Cape Girardeau could be asked to approve a use tax in April that would help fund public safety needs, city officials said Tuesday. City manager Scott Meyer and several city council members said the issue could come up for discussion at the next council meeting, scheduled for Dec. 21...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A former campaign aide to Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder was paid at least $60,000 more than originally reported, according to updated finance records filed by Kinder's gubernatorial campaign. The additional payments to former campaign manager Logan Thompson are among hundreds of changes Kinder's campaign made to reports dating to 2012. ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Attorneys for inmate Russell Bucklew, on death row for the 1996 killing of a man during a crime spree in Southeast Missouri, have suggested using a firing squad as one alternate mean of his execution in addition to the gas chamber...

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team concluded its six-game road trip the same way it started -- with a win. The Redhawks improved to 6-4 in coach Rekha Patterson's first season at the helm with an 84-69 defeat of Lipscomb University in Nashville on Tuesday night...

The Redhawks dropped to 0-8 with their 79-52 loss to the Falcons on Tuesday night.

Guardian Angel School varsity boys basketball team had finished their season with the Christian Youth League on Sunday, December 6. The tournament, which was held at St. Augustine, Kelso, took place on December 2, 4, & 6. The varsity boys took 2nd place in the tournament and the league. Their record was 7 wins and 1 loss for the league. We are proud of you Redwings!!...

Guardian Angel School cheerleaders had finished their season with the Christian Youth League on Sunday, December 6. The tournament, which was held at St. Augustine, Kelso, took place on December 2, 4, & 6. The cheerleaders took 1st place in the tournament and 3rd place in the league. We are proud of you Redwings!!...

Sam Herndon of Cape County Private Ambulance Service provides a check in the amount of $1000 to Valerie Wondrick, event coordinator of the local Shop with a Hero at the Cape Walmart Supercenter. "CCPA has always been one of the greatest supporter of our event both in monies and participation during the shopping to help needy children get toys they might not get otherwise. It's great to know we can always count on them to help in our fund raising effort," Wondrick says...

Depending upon which bench you were sitting on, the numbers were either beautiful or horrifying. Seventy-nine points on 55.2 percent shooting, including 10 of 18 from behind the 3-point line. That was Bowling Green's offensive night on Tuesday at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau. A great performance if you're a Falcon, but for the other bird of prey in the building -- the Redhawks -- there was plenty wrong with it...

Today in History Today is Wednesday, Dec. 9, the 343rd day of 2015. There are 22 days left in the year. Today's Highlights in History: On Dec. 9, 1965, Nikolai V. Podgorny replaced Anastas I. Mikoyan as chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, a job he would hold for almost 12 years. ...

Animal lovers will be glad to know that more of our furry friends will have an improved place to call home while they await their permanent homes. The Humane Society of Southeast Missouri will build another shelter to house cats and dogs. Memorial gifts and donations, along with an anonymous pledge to match each gift up to $50,000, are helping to make this long-awaited dream a reality...

What happens if ISIS wins? I know that seems absurd on countless levels. But we learned Sunday night that our military policy to address this growing threat apparently will not change. So, taken to the extreme, what if this cancer continues to grow and we continue to use kid gloves when a iron fist is what's required?...

NEW YORK -- As the Girl Scouts' membership continues a decline, its leaders are betting on technology to reverse the trend, including a major expansion of its year-old program enabling Girl Scout cookies to be sold via mobile apps and the girls' personalized websites...

NEW YORK -- Somebody has been burning down new homes in a New York City neighborhood populated by Bukharian Jews, and police aren't sure whether the victims are being targeted for their religion, their architectural taste or no reason at all. Over the past six weeks, an arsonist has torched six buildings in the same tight-knit section of eastern Queens, police say. Four of the fires hit new homes that still were under construction, including one house that was burned twice...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A Muslim student at the University of Missouri has filed a lawsuit alleging a biology professor directed a slew of sexually suggestive and religiously offensive remarks at her. Fatma El-Walid claims in the lawsuit filed Nov. 30 professor Michael Garcia asked El-Walid whether her parents had waterboarded her "as a child in preparation for the future." The lawsuit also claims he wanted to know whether her faith made her hate gay people and Jews. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A select group of sergeants will be the first St. Louis police officers to try body cameras. St. Louis police Chief Sam Dotson said he expects 90 of the department's roughly 200 sergeants to try out the body cameras in a pilot program starting Monday...

FLORISSANT, Mo. -- Testing by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has found possible radiological contamination at seven more properties near Coldwater Creek in north St. Louis County, further adding to concerns remnants of the nation's early nuclear-weapons program are causing health problems for some who lived near the waterway...

ROGERSVILLE, Mo. -- A southwest Missouri man has died from injuries he suffered in mid-November when he said he was attacked by a pack of dogs. The Springfield News- Leader reported 85-year-old Werner Vogt of Rogersville died Friday at a hospital. Vogt told officers he was attacked while bike riding Nov. 12 in a heavily wooded area southeast of Rogersville in Christian County. A grandson found him barely conscious on the road...

Longtime Cape Girardeau lawyer, civic leader and aviation pioneer Rush H. Limbaugh Jr., died here yesterday after a lengthy illness; he was 72. Members of the outgoing and incoming board of directors of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce met Friday and Saturday for an annual retreat to review the past year and look ahead to the new one; elected to serve as chairman of the board for 1991 was Harry Rust, succeeding Larry Payne...

WASHINGTON -- Castle Danger Brewery in Two Harbors, Minnesota, has been brewing what it calls "dangerously good ales" on the north shore of Lake Superior since 2011. The company outgrew its original home in tiny Castle Danger and now distributes beer to bars and restaurants throughout northern and central Minnesota...

BOSTON -- Boston College said the number of students reporting gastrointestinal symptoms after eating at a Chipotle this weekend has climbed to 80. On Monday, the school had said 30 students, including members of its men's basketball team, had been sickened...

NEW ORLEANS -- A judicial panel Tuesday decided to consolidate hundreds of lawsuits against Volkswagen over its emissions cheating scandal in California, a focal point of the carmaker's troubles. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation gave U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer in San Francisco oversight of more than 450 suits filed against the carmaker across the nation...

WASHINGTON -- The government on Tuesday announced plans to update its safety rating system for new cars and trucks to include whether the vehicle has technology to avoid crashes, in addition to how well it protects occupants in accidents. The five-star rating system now uses crash tests to assess how well people inside are shielded from injury or death in front, side and rollover crashes...

WASHINGTON -- Hair loss is one of the most despised side effects of chemotherapy, and now breast cancer patients are getting a new way to try to save their locks. The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday it would allow marketing of the DigniCap, a cooling system that chills patients' scalps to reduce the hair loss that is so common during breast cancer treatment...

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court is treading gingerly on a question of importance to the nation's growing Latino population: whether states must count all residents, or only eligible voters, in drawing electoral districts. The justices Tuesday displayed little of the aggressiveness that often marks Supreme Court arguments as they heard a case about the meaning of the principle of "one person, one vote."...

BALTIMORE -- The prosecution rested its case Tuesday after calling 16 witnesses in the manslaughter trial of a Baltimore police officer charged in the death of Freddie Gray. Gray was a 25-year-old black man who died April 19, a week after his neck was broken during a 45-minute ride in handcuffs and leg shackles in the back of a police van...

WASHINGTON -- A long-awaited rewrite of federal education law appears headed for final congressional approval. The Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to end debate on the makeover of the widely criticized No Child Left Behind Act, setting up a final vote today. The legislation would give the states greater control over the nation's public schools but maintain annual testing to gauge student progress...

WASHINGTON -- With his call for blocking Muslims from entering the United States, Donald Trump may be tapping into concern among Republican voters about allowing Middle Eastern immigrants into the country, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll...

DALLAS -- Syrian families have been settled in Texas and in Indiana, the groups helping them said Tuesday, defying efforts by the states' governors to stop their arrival. A family of six went to live Monday near relatives already living in the Dallas area, said Lucy Carrigan, a spokeswoman for the International Rescue Committee...

MADISON, Wis. -- Donald Trump's call to block all Muslims from entering the United States not only is unconstitutional but impossible to carry out, legal experts said Tuesday. Trump's proposed ban, announced to cheers at a rally in South Carolina Monday, would apply to immigrants and visitors alike, a sweeping prohibition affecting all adherents of a religion practiced by more than 1 billion people worldwide...

DOVER, Del. -- A white police officer who kicked a black suspect in the head and broke his jaw was acquitted of assault Tuesday by a Delaware jury. Jurors deliberated for about 16 hours over three days before acquitting Dover police Cpl. Thomas Webster IV of felony assault...

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Electoral authorities in Venezuela said the opposition coalition won a key two-thirds majority in the National Assembly in legislative voting. The National Electoral Council has published on its website the final tally of results from Sunday's elections showing two previously undecided races had broken in favor of the opposition, giving them 112 of 167 seats in the incoming National Assembly...

WASHINGTON -- Driven by the Paris terror attacks, the House voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to tighten controls on travel to the U.S. and require visas for anyone who's been in Iraq or Syria in the previous five years. The legislation takes aim at the "visa waiver" program that allows citizens of 38 countries to travel to the U.S. ...

LE BOURGET, France -- If international climate talks stall, don't be surprised if there might be an ever-so-slight intervention by Pope Francis. Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace who helped draft the pope's June encyclical on global warming, said the pontiff has "deep trust" negotiators in Paris will get the job done...

NEW YORK -- ABC is stepping out with a new production of "Dirty Dancing." The network said Tuesday it will film a three-hour adaptation of the 1987 film that starred Jennifer Grey. This time, actress-singer Abigail Breslin will play the lead role of Baby...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Allen L. Slatton, 44, 341 Daisy St., was arrested on suspicion of leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident and operating a motor vehicle with a revoked license...

Missouri Department of Corrections spokesman David Owen said Tuesday convicted murderer Clay Waller now is at the state prison in Fulton. The Southeast Missourian reported Monday he had been transferred from a federal prison in Florida, but local officials did not disclose the Missouri location...

* Medical assists at 12:10 a.m. on Country Club Drive; 1:06 a.m. on Dunklin Street; 8:44 a.m. on Independence Street; 11:13 a.m. on South Hanover Street; 11:51 a.m. on Whitener Street; 1:48 p.m. on Steven Drive; 6:23 p.m. on Lakeshore Drive; 7:07 p.m. on Aspen Drive; 7:39 p.m. on Bellevue Street; and 11:12 p.m. on North West End Boulevard...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department responded to the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Chancellor A. Elfrink, 20, of Jackson was arrested on suspicion of theft and trespassing at Wal-Mart, 3439 William St. n A 15-year-old juvenile was taken into custody on suspicion of stealing clothing and cosmetics at Wal-Mart, 3439 William St...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- An East Prairie, Missouri, man is accused of sexually abusing several children. Arlen "Russ" Lee Jones, 76, of East Prairie is charged with three felony counts each of first-degree statutory sodomy and first-degree child molestation...

A celebration of the life of Richard Beard Lamkin will be at 6 p.m. Dec. 19 at the Cape Girardeau Country Club. All Southeast Missouri friends and acquaintances are invited to share stories and drinks at the club founded in part by his grandfather. Dick, as he was known, was the son of John and Kathrine Lamkin and last of the family line of true merchants. ...

Marcella Mary Kapfer, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, at Life Care Center of Cape Girardeau. She was born Monday, July 5, 1926, in New Hamburg, Missouri, to Edward "Shorty" and Coletta Glaus Glastetter. She and Arnold J Kapfer were married Monday, June 3, 1946, at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in New Hamburg...

Debbie Lynn Haynes, 57, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Dec. 7, 2015, at her home. She was born Nov. 25, 1958, in Anna, Illinois, to Ira Lyndel and Joann Joplin Johnson. She and Mike R. Haynes were married Feb. 14, 2000, in Kentucky. He passed away Feb. 17, 2010...

Cape Girardeau's Public Works Department has picked up more than 460 tons of leaves in residential neighborhoods since October -- about 200 more tons than at the same time a year ago. Mike Tripp, the city's solid-waste superintendent, said, "This year, it seemed like the leaves fell a lot sooner."...

WASHINGTON PARK, Ill. -- A Sikeston, Missouri, man who says he was shocked with a stun-gun while handcuffed in jail has settled a federal civil-rights lawsuit against a small southwestern Illinois police force. Yancy Carden sued Washington Park over his April arrest after a dispute about a $200 bar tab at a St. Clair County strip club...

The Tigers were dealt a 70-62 setback in the quarterfinals.

Notre Dame faded in the second half against top-seeded Sikeston.

St. Louis ended its goal drought and a three-game winless streak.

Despite many complaints from residents about service issues, Poplar Bluff, Missouri, officials said Monday they have little choice but to settle a contract dispute with owners of NewWave Communications for almost $1.8 million. The city could face a far more costly court battle if a dispute over the accurate number of potential customers is not resolved, said city manager Mark Massingham. ...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Police said an Albuquerque man wanted his mother's traditional New Mexican stew so much, he broke into her home and stole it. Jonathan Ray, 23, was arrested recently after he ignored his mother's orders to stay away from her posole and ran off with the holiday dish. According to a criminal complaint, Ray sent his mom a text message saying he wanted some. She told him no but later found her gate and garage broken and a pot of the posole missing...

Second-seeded Jackson rebounded from its first-round loss on Tuesday with a 60-38 win over No. 9 Dexter in consolation play at the SEMO Conference Tournament on Tuesday in Sikeston, Missouri. Jacob Smith led the Indians (1-2) with 20 points while Garrett Walker added 11...

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

St. Louis obtained Jedd Gyorko in exchange for the center fielder.

Your love, O Lord, is a priceless gift we are eternally grateful for. Amen.

OLATHE, Kan. -- Lois Joan Hahs, 83, of Olathe, formerly of Cape Girardeau, went to heaven to be with her Savior Jesus Christ on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015. She was born Aug. 11, 1932, the third of five daughters to Louis and Elda Kaufmann. She married Dayton Hahs on Aug. 6, 1949, who preceded her in death...