Stories from Monday, December 21, 2015

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Police found a man mortally wounded after a shooting in front of a liquor store Saturday, and a Sikeston man charged with murder remained at large Sunday. Antoine A. Harris-Applewhite, 33, of Sikeston was charged Sunday with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the Saturday killing of Samuel L. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri lawmaker is proposing an amendment to the state constitution that would make daylight saving time permanent, but at least two neighboring states would have to adopt similar measures before the change could go into effect...

The Cape Girardeau City Council will look to place two tax issues on the April 5 ballot when it meets tonight. The first ballot measure would allow the city to retain the current vehicle sales tax, and the second would enact a use tax to items bought out of state, primarily by businesses. The use tax would be levied at the same 2.75 percent rate as the vehicle tax...

Jackson first responders have a better idea of what to expect from a proposed facility expansion, now that city officials largely have settled on a floor plan. The Jackson Board of Aldermen will vote tonight on whether to accept a plan for a new police station and renovated fire station...

The idea for Coin Op Cantina was born at Ragsdale's. Coin Op co-owner Jeff Mungle said he noticed there always were people waiting in line to play the limited selection of games offered by the bar, such as Buck Hunter, Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga and Family Guy pinball...

Today in History Today is Monday, Dec. 21, the 355th day of 2015. There are 10 days left in the year. Winter arrives at 11:48 p.m. Eastern time. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 21, 1945, U.S. Army Gen. George S. Patton, 60, died in Heidelberg, Germany, 12 days after being seriously injured in a car accident...

SIKESTON REALTORS AWARDED DESIGINATIONS SIKESTON, Mo. -- Guy Preston, Kelly Brown and Karen Buchheit of Coldwell Banker Professional Associates were awarded the Seller Representative Specialist designation from the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Mangers. ...

Cape Girardeau County Tax liens and lien discharges recorded at the office of Drew Blattner, recorder of deeds, during November are filed by the Missouri Department of Revenue, except as indicated by IRS designation. For more information, contact the recorder's office at (573) 243-8123...

LUTHERAN HOME EARNS 4-STAR RATING The Lutheran Home of Cape Girardeau was recognized with an overall 4-Star Rating by the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid, according to a news release. The Centers for Medicare/Medicaid rates nursing homes on three categories: results from on-site inspections by trained surveyors, performance on quality measures and levels of staffing, the release stated...

Business licenses issued in Cape Girardeau during November include the following: CP Capital Ventures Real Estate & Auctions, 121 S. Broadview St., Suite 13 True North Management Services LLC, out of town Daniels Roofing & Construction, out of town...

JACKSON CHAMBER HOLDS RIBBON CUTTINGS The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting Nov. 3 for Bahama Tan, 2370 N. High St., Suite 6, in Jackson. On Nov. 18, the chamber held a ribbon cutting for Alex Elfrink State Farm, 117 E. Main St. in Jackson...

Bankruptcies filed through November for the Southeastern Division of the Eastern District of Missouri's U.S. Bankruptcy Court are listed below with their corresponding case numbers. The Southeast Division includes the counties of Bollinger, Butler, Carter, Dunklin, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Shannon, Stoddard and Wayne. Court is held in Cape Girardeau...

Janet Coleman has been executive director of the Dexter Chamber of Commerce for the past 23 years. She has worn many hats throughout her life, from doing clerical work at a hospital to being a manager at an animal feed manufacturer to being a full-time student, and eventually transitioned to a position with the chamber. Coleman will retire on Dec. 31 and plans to take more time to explore the area she has worked in the past to help grow and flourish...

As a new year approaches, Southeast Missouri business face new challenges, ranging from decreasing agricultural commodity prices to the 2016 election cycle. AGRICULTURE The 2015 agricultural season was marked by heavy rains in May and June, which forced farmers in Southeast Missouri and statewide to plant fewer crops early in the cycle...

IN 2015, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI SAID 'HELLO' TO... Flurry of activity in downtown Cape Girardeau A number of new businesses opened in downtown Cape Girardeau in 2015, including Stevie's Steakburger, Namaskar Indian restaurant and Chocolate Works on Broadway; 36 Restaurant and Bar and Coin-Op Cantina on Main Street; and Paddlewheel Pizza & Subs on Water Street. ...

Hospitals make headlines Saint Francis Medical Center and SoutheastHEALTH each made headlines this year, Saint Francis with the opening of its new patient tower and Southeast by maintaining its revenue bond rating. Some financial troubles at SoutheastHEALTH came to light in 2014, and consequently the health system's bond rating was lowered. Through a number of measures intended to stop the downgrades, Southeast was able to maintain its B grade this fall...

Parents appreciate safe, wholesome places to take their children, places where they interact with others, have fun and learn at the same time. Discovery Playhouse in downtown Cape Girardeau is one such place, and it is now close to taking the not-for-profit children's museum to the next level -- literally...

Vera Jean Hall, 79, of Cape Girardeau passed away Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Sept. 23, 1936, in Egypt Mills to Edward C. and Alma V. (Huey) Foeste. Vera and John E. Hall were married March 5, 1955, in Cape Girardeau...

Robert Louis Johnson, 75, of Jackson died Friday, Dec. 18, 2015, at Southeast Hospital. He was born Jan. 2, 1940, in Columbia, Missouri, to James Leonard and Mildred Marie (Cook) Johnson. He and Judith Leslie were married Sept. 30, 1966, at Jackson...

Son to Dr. Douglas Marvin and Katherine Suzanne Overbey of Denver, University of Colorado Hospital, 12:17 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015. Name, Mattox Leon. Weight, 5 pounds, 7 ounces. First child. Mrs. Overbey is the former Katherine Brown, daughter of John and Melissa Strickert of Jackson. ...

Here's a look at how area members of Congress voted over the last week. Along with roll call votes last week, the Senate also passed the Higher Education Extension Act (H.R. 3594), to temporarily extend the Federal Perkins Loan program; passed a resolution (H.J. Res. 78), to provide further continuing appropriations for the government, through Dec. 22; and passed a resolution (S. Res. 310), condemning ongoing sexual violence against women and children by members of the Islamic State group...

WASHINGTON -- A shake-up of the nation's kidney transplant system means more organs are getting to patients once thought nearly impossible to match, according to early tracking of the new rules. It's been a year since the United Network for Organ Sharing changed rules for the transplant waiting list, aiming to decrease disparities and squeeze the most benefit from a scarce resource: kidneys from deceased donors...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n Michaela L. Bell, 17, 428 N. Pacific St., was arrested on Cape Girardeau County warrants for larceny and burglary. n Kevin D. Daniel, 38, of Parma, Missouri, was arrested on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia and stealing cellphones and razor blades at Wal-Mart, 3439 William St...

Circuit Court judges A.J. Seier and Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. began handling a court docket in Perry County, Missouri, this week under a six-week assignment from Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Blackmar. The move was made to take the pressure off the 24th district circuit judges, who have struggled with a rapidly growing caseload...

JACKSON The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrest n Marcus M. Broughton, 25, of Cape Girardeau was arrested on suspicion of property damage and trespassing. n A 12-year-old boy was referred to juvenile authorities on suspicion of assault...

Cape Girardeau City Council City hall 401 Independence St. Study session, 5 p.m. today Discussion items n Planning and Zoning n Building/structure condemnation process Regular session, 7 p.m. Consent agenda n Ordinance rezoning property at 2450 Fairview Drive...

Cape Girardeau County Commission 1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Approval of minutes n Minutes of the Dec. 17 meeting Communications/reports -- other elected officials n None at this time Public comments n Items listed on the agenda Routine business...

NEW YORK -- There were times by the end of his shift firefighter Joseph Nardone's head would be pounding, his eyes crossing from the noise of the siren on his truck. "The siren was so loud inside the cab that it actually physically hurt," the former New York City fire battalion chief said...

LOS ANGELES -- To say the Force is strong with this one is an understatement. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" brought in a galactic $238 million over the weekend, making it the biggest North American debut of all time, according to studio estimates Sunday...

ARLINGTON, Texas -- A woman died Sunday morning after the vehicle she was traveling in stalled on a North Texas interstate after crashing into a barrier and was hit by a Greyhound bus. More than a dozen people on the bus and the other occupant of the vehicle were injured, authorities said...

LAS VEGAS -- The Miss Universe contestant from the Philippines is this year's winner, but for one brief moment Sunday evening, it appeared as if it might be a repeat win for Colombia. Colombia contestant Ariadna Gutierrez Arevalo was wearing the crown as this year's Miss Universe winner when host Steve Harvey returned to apologize...

BEIRUT -- A Lebanese man convicted of one of the most notorious attacks in Israel's history and who spent nearly three decades in an Israeli prison was killed by an Israeli airstrike near the Syrian capital, the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah group said Sunday...

BRUSSELS -- Brahim Abdeslam seemed no different from his peers in Molenbeek, one of Belgium's poorest districts, where drug use is rife and many of the young men are unemployed. One November evening, he passed the time smoking pot in a parked car with two of his friends...

MADRID -- A strong showing Sunday by a pair of upstart parties in Spain's general election upended the country's traditional two-party system, with the ruling Popular Party winning the most votes but falling short of a parliamentary majority and at risk of being booted from power...

NAIROBI, Kenya -- A fake explosive rigged with cardboard, sheets of paper and a household timer forced an Air France flight into an emergency landing Sunday in Kenya, sending hundreds of passengers down emergency slides in what the airline's CEO said was the fourth bomb hoax against the airline in recent weeks...

ST. LOUIS -- Three Missouri lawmakers are proposing measures that would forbid motorists from texting while driving, regardless of age. Current state law bans texting for drivers under the age of 21 and drivers of commercial motor vehicles. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported State Sen. Jill Schupp, a Creve Couer Democrat, is sponsoring one of the proposals...

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis police officer who fatally shot 18-year-old VonDerrit Myers Jr. last fall has resigned after being accused of driving his patrol car while intoxicated and crashing into a parked vehicle. Officer Jason Flanery was driving his squad car early Saturday morning when he struck a vehicle and left the scene before officers arrived, police spokeswoman Schron Jackson said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The American Civil Liberties Union said it plans to appeal a federal court ruling that upheld a technical college's plan to force every incoming student to be tested for drugs. Tony Rothert, legal director for the ACLU's Missouri chapter, told the Jefferson City News Tribune the 8th U.S. ...

HANNIBAL, Mo. -- A nature preserve planned in the northeast Missouri town of Hannibal will be more than a place to picnic or walk in the woods. It will serve as a protected area for tens of thousands of endangered bats. The Sodalis Nature Preserve will be built near the Mississippi River and won't cost the city anything. ...

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Security researcher Brian Wallace was on the trail of hackers who had snatched a California university's housing files when he stumbled into a larger nightmare: Cyberattackers had opened a pathway into the networks running the United States' power grid...

NEW YORK -- The unseasonably warm weather has left some people feeling cold about holiday shopping. Rosemarie Nowicki, who lives in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, finally spent some of her holiday budget last weekend buying coats online for her family because she hated the thought of being stuck in a store with such mild temperatures outside...

The Bulldogs defeated Cape Central 53-37 and will face Saxony Lutheran in the semifinals.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Sikeston teenager was in critical condition after being shot in front of his house. About 2:30 a.m. Saturday, the Sikeston Department of Public Safety received a call of a person shot in the 1500 block of East Kathleen Street, according to Capt. ...

ALBANY, N.Y. -- As Army Pvt. Pete Seeger eagerly waited for a chance to fight for his country during World War II, military investigators quietly built a case the young folk singer was "potentially subversive." In a security investigation triggered by a wartime letter he wrote denouncing a proposal to deport all Japanese Americans, the Army intercepted Seeger's mail to his fiancee, scoured his school records, talked to his father, interviewed an ex-landlord and questioned his pal Woody Guthrie, according to FBI files obtained by The Associated Press.. ...

FRESNO, Calif. -- Police said a waiter returned $32,000 in cash after diners accidentally left it behind. A mother and son forgot the cash in a bag at an Applebee's on Wednesday night. The money was from a family restaurant and rental income, and they were on their way to the bank when they stopped for dinner. When the waiter found the money, he told his boss, who called police. The money was returned. The server was not identified...

Paul H. Berens of Bradshaw, Steele, Cochrane, Berens & Billmeyer in Cape Girardeau has been named a "best lawyer" by the National Academy of Bankruptcy Attorneys. Survey results ranked Berens on the Best Lawyers in America, SuperLawyers, America's Most Honored Professionals and Top 10 Bankruptcy Attorneys, according to an email from the law firm. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Friday. n Medical-assist calls were made at 2:26 a.m. to Bernice Street; 8:25 a.m. to Linden Avenue; 9:37 a.m. to Doctor's Park; 9:40 a.m. to South Benton Street; 12:37 p.m. to South Kingshighway; 1:28 p.m. to William Street; 2:34 p.m. to Pear Tree Court; 3:13 p.m. to Good Hope Street; 4:05 p.m. to Broadway; 9:48 p.m. to North West End Boulevard; 9:55 p.m. to Vantage Drive; and 11:28 p.m. to Linden Avenue...

I just want to be the first to congratulate future President-elect Hillary Clinton. Mr. Jensen's latest criticism of the president covered both the battle against ISIS and climate change. I feel safe in saying he thinks any of the Republican candidates would do better fighting ISIS. ...

O Lord Jesus, Immanuel, thank you for coming to save us. Amen.

I just want to be the first to congratulate future President-elect Hillary Clinton. Mr. Jensen's latest criticism of the president covered both the battle against ISIS and climate change. I feel safe in saying he thinks any of the Republican candidates would do better fighting ISIS. ...

Rylann Leoni, 4, poses for a photo during a visit Saturday to a rising Mississippi River with her dad, Nathan Leoni, and aunt, Jordan Myer, at Riverfront Park in Cape Girardeau. The river stage that day was 34 feet, with flood stage at 32. The river is forecast to crest at 37 feet by Tuesday afternoon...