Stories from Friday, January 15, 2016

Junior Rylee Stafford poured in a game-high 11 points, and the Indians held Cape Central to seven first-half points, cruising to a 47-27 victory at Cape Central High School.

ST. LOUIS -- An effort to reduce violent crime in the St. Louis metropolitan area led to the arrest of 14 people on drug or violent-crime charges. The arrests came after a 20-count indictment returned last week was unsealed Thursday. The indictment charged 18 people with various crimes, including murder, that occurred in the St. Louis area in the last 14 years...

ST. PETERS, Mo. -- Authorities investigating complaints a suspicious bag was left outside a suburban St. Louis dressing room have found images of nude and partially clothed women on a man's phone. KMOX-AM reported police began investigating after a woman became concerned about an oddly placed bag with a small hole in it while trying on clothes at Mid Rivers Mall in St. Peters. Police officer Melissa Doss said in a statement the woman provided a description of a man...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A member of the board of curators for the four-campus University of Missouri system has joined the call for an assistant professor at the Columbia campus to be fired over a videotaped clash with reporters. The Columbia Daily Tribune reported Curator David Steelman of Rolla, Missouri, described Melissa Click as "an embarrassment." But speaking before a meeting Wednesday, Steelman noted he's not chairman of the board and isn't able to put her continued employment on a future agenda.. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Rams owner Stan Kroenke and others violated Missouri law by lying about their desire to keep the NFL team in St. Louis, according to a lawsuit filed by fans that seeks class-action status and unspecified damages. The suit was filed Wednesday in St. Louis Circuit Court, one day after NFL owners voted to allow the Rams to relocate to suburban Los Angeles for next season...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Still reeling from the chaotic end of last session and the resignation of the chamber's leader, members of the Missouri House started anew Thursday by passing four measures to change loose ethics laws. The legislation would close the revolving door of lawmakers becoming lobbyists; require candidates, elected officials and others to report their personal finances more often; ban officials from also serving as paid political consultants; and require lawmakers disclose trips paid for by third parties more quickly.. ...

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- Big Spring Bridge has survived another flood, but its days are numbered. The bridge on Highway 103 reopened this week after it was found safe for traffic during a structural evaluation by engineers with the Federal Highway Administration...

White-tailed does congregate Thursday near the tree line off Old Sprigg Road in Cape Girardeau.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Recent violence in Sikeston has sparked citizen concerns that have led to discussions both in person and on social media and prompted a community meeting in search of solutions. The public is invited to a community forum at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Jubilee House of Prayer, 416 Greer St. in Sikeston...

Local business incubator Codefi has announced the third round of its startup competition, 1st50k, has begun. The winner of the competition receives a startup grant worth up to $50,000. The winning company also receives pro bono professional services, professional networking opportunities and the potential for additional fundraising...

Helen Wolters spends a moment with Rosie on Thursday afternoon at The Arbors at Auburn Creek by Americare in Cape Girardeau. Dogs dressed in their finest clothing visited with residents during National Dress Up Your Pet Day.

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Eric Paslay doesn't take his musical success for granted. "Everything's a miracle in this business," he said during a phone interview. "I'm grateful that God has let me stick around long enough to learn something and try to be good with my music."...

Unfair trade laws are to blame for Noranda Aluminum's recent layoffs, according to Doug Libla, state senator for the 25th District of Missouri. "Power rate is very important, but don't forget the selling price of the products that they're making," Libla said. "You can't sell products that you manufacture under your costs for very long. It's affecting not only Noranda, but all manufacturers and businesses all over America."...

Getting a traffic ticket can take a long time. People speeding to make it to an appointment can guarantee they will be late if they're pulled over. The Cape Girardeau Police Department is speeding up the process at least a little bit. The department's traffic division has been using four e-ticketing devices -- which are something between a Blackberry and tablet in appearance -- this past week...

Overcrowding at the Cape Girardeau County Jail is a daily reality. The jail's capacity is 220 inmates, and on Thursday there were 230 inmates in the jail. In 2015, the average daily occupancy at the jail was 225. "Are we overcrowded? Yes," said Capt. J.P. Mulcahy of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department. "But is it manageable? Yes."...

Area election officials favor legislation aimed at requiring government-issued photo identification to vote. But they maintain they already do a good job of policing voter-registration rolls under current state law. Perry County Clerk Jared Kutz pointed out, "People already have to present an acceptable form of ID."...

Cape Youth Tackle Football League Raises Funds to Benefit Cancer Patients During the month of October, Cape Youth Tackle Football League players wore pink in recognition of breast cancer awareness and raised money to benefit the SoutheastHEALTH Foundation Cancer Care Fund. ...

Three-Time Detroit Blues Challenge winner, John Latini, will be stopping in Cape Girardeau on his way to Memphis, Tennessee, to compete at the annual International Blues Challenge event. John, a perennial favorite in the area, has appeared numerous times at Tunes At Twilight, Port Cape, Stooges, Stoogefest and Rock In The Rock Garden over the last five years. ...

Today in History Today is Friday, Jan. 15, the 15th day of 2016. There are 351 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 15, 1976, Sara Jane Moore was sentenced to life in prison for her attempt on the life of President Gerald R. Ford in San Francisco. (Moore was released on the last day of 2007.)...

ANKARA, Turkey --Turkish tanks and artillery attacked the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for the suicide bombing in Istanbul that killed 10 tourists, Turkey's prime minister said Thursday -- the country's first significant strike against the Islamic extremists in months...

GENEVA -- The World Health Organization declared an end to the deadliest Ebola outbreak ever Thursday after no new cases emerged in Liberia, though health officials warn it will be several more months before the world is considered free of the disease that claimed more than 11,300 lives over two years...

NEW DELHI -- India rescheduled high-level peace talks with Pakistan on Thursday while it evaluated actions taken by Islamabad against Pakistan-based insurgents it blames for an attack on an Indian air-force base earlier this month. Top diplomats were scheduled to meet today in the Pakistani capital to set out a roadmap for talks on settling the Kashmir dispute and other irritants in their ties...

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- The scene had echoes of the Paris attacks: A bustling shopping area shaken by the blasts of suicide bombers and gunfire as onlookers fled in terror. But when Thursday's assault in central Jakarta was over, the death toll was far lower. Of the seven killed, five were the attackers themselves, and only two were civilians -- a Canadian and an Indonesian. Another 20 people were wounded...

FLORENCE, Italy -- Italian prosecutors on Thursday laid out evidence collected against a key suspect in the death of an American woman who was strangled and suffered deadly head trauma in her Florence apartment: They said a Senegalese man she met at a disco had left "decisive" DNA traces on a condom and cigarette butt at her home and was using her cellphone...

CHICAGO -- Video released Thursday shows a 2013 fatal shooting of a 17-year-old black carjacking suspect by a white Chicago police officer, although footage of the moment the teenager is shot doesn't answer clearly whether the teen turned toward the pursuing officers or was holding anything, as the officer who opened fire has said...

MUNFORD, Tenn. -- If they're wise, the three mystery winners of the world-record $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot were preparing Thursday to talk seriously with experts in tax law, financial planning, privacy, security and other safeguards before they become known around the planet...

MIAMI -- Ten prisoners from Yemen who were held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been released and sent to the Middle Eastern nation of Oman for resettlement, officials said Thursday, portraying it as a significant milestone in the long-stalled effort to shutter the detention center...

LOS ANGELES -- The utility whose leaking natural-gas well has driven thousands of Los Angeles residents from their homes acknowledged Thursday it understated the number of times airborne levels of the cancer-causing chemical benzene have spiked during the crisis...

If you are reading this column, which you obviously are, you will know two things: First, I did not win a gazillon lottery dollars. Second, I didn't buy a lottery ticket. Does this mean I am the only person in America who didn't buy a ticket? Does this make me an oddball? Does this mean I can't vote? Possibly -- quite possibly -- yes, yes and yes...

On Jan. 5, Gov. Jay Nixon announced Missouri Medicaid will include adult dental benefits. Advocates are grateful to the Governor and the Legislature for moving this essential health-care policy! Adult dental benefits were cut from Missouri Medicaid in 2005. ...

Son to Aaron Michael and Rachael Marie Jenkins of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 10:06 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015. Name, Logan Michael. Weight, 6 pounds, 11.5 ounces. First child. Mrs. Jenkins is the former Rachael Unterreiner, daughter of Wayne Unterreiner and Jane Unterreiner of Cape Girardeau. She is a primary-care provider at SoutheastHEALTH. Jenkins is the son of Mark Jenkins and Sherri Jenkins of Kelso, Missouri. He is warehouse manager for Auto Tire and Parts...

A $5.4 million budget approved by the Cape Girardeau County Commission yesterday reflects a 4.4 percent increase in revenue and expenses for this year, but in his annual budget message, Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep warned flat sales-tax growth and increasing expenses in most areas of county government will make it necessary to keep a close eye on funds...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. n Theft was reported in the 300 block of North Shawnee Boulevard. n A domestic disturbance was reported in the 2000 block of Old Toll Road. n A peace disturbance was reported in the 100 block of Donald Street...

* Medical assists were made at 12:05 a.m. on Linden Street; 7:47 a.m. on South Sprigg Street; 8:31 a.m. on North Kingshighway; 9:35 a.m. on Broadway; 10:10 a.m. on Whitener Street; 12:50 p.m. on David Street; 2:56 p.m. on North Street; and 4:29 p.m. on Themis Street...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Beverly D. Haley, 35, 905 S. Benton St., was arrested at 1016 S. Benton St. on three Cape Girardeau warrants for failure to appear for escape from confinement, failure to appear for stealing and failure to appear for resisting arrest...

ODESSA, Mo. -- Irene Marie Ede Nanney, 88, of Odessa, formerly of Grassy, Missouri, passed away Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, at St. Mary's Nursing Home in Blue Springs, Missouri. She was born Dec. 4, 1927, in De Soto, Missouri, the daughter of Henry and Leona Couch Ede. She married Roy Henry Wann and then Arthur Smith. Later, she married Chester Nanney...

Joseph Leslee Myers Jr., 82, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016, at The Lutheran Home. He was born Dec. 15, 1933, in Randles to Joseph L. and Lorene Menz Myers Sr. He married Mary Ann Phelps in 1953; she passed away in 1983. He married Agnes L. Kiefer on April 7, 1978, at Jackson...

SEARCY, Ark. -- Alice Faye Geiser, 73, of Searcy, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, at Searcy Health and Rehab in Searcy. She was born Friday, April 3, 1942, in Chaffee, Missouri, to William E. and Mary Humphrey Edwards. She worked as an inspector for Coin Acceptors in St. Louis for several years...

Wilma Alleen Ervin, 91, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016. Visitation will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. The funeral will be at 3 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Cape County Memorial Park in Cape Girardeau...

The Mizzou Chamber Singers will perform at 7:30 p.m. today at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 223 W. Adams St. in Jackson. The group of singers comprises 55 undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Missouri and will be directed by R. Paul Crabb. The concert is free and open to the public...

Coming soon: "Oscars: The Sequel." A year after Alejandro Inarritu's "Birdman" swept top honors at last year's Academy Awards, Inarritu again will play a leading role at the Academy Awards with his 1820s revenge thriller "The Revenant," which landed a leading 12 nominations Thursday...

Southeast Missouri State University music professor Christopher Goeke said opera's emphasis on acting and expression essentially makes it an all-sung musical. "We express the ideas through singing, but we're committed to making sure the audience really gets the idea," Goeke said...

Little run with my knitting. This is a sign by an antique shop #knitandrun #knittingrun #runningknit #knitstagram #knitting #running #run #knit #instaknit #extremeknitting #semoselfie (Photo submitted by happay via Instagram) Going out this weekend? Be sure to tag your selfies on the scene with #semoselfie on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter -- you could see yourself in an upcoming SE Live!...

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz clashed Thursday night over the Texas senator's eligibility to serve as commander in chief and the businessman's "New York values," ending months of civility between fiery contenders seeking to tap into voter anger and frustration...

The third Monday of January is reserved to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It's an active holiday in Cape Girardeau for programs, celebrations and other events. Debra Mitchell-Braxton, director of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Citywide Celebration Committee, said this year's events will honor not only King's memory, but the memory of the other leaders and participants in the civil-rights movement...

Carolina players show off for their fathers.

The Scott City boys basketball team used steady output to stave off a comeback attempt and defeat Kelly 55-51 in a conference dual under the bright lights at FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, on Thursday afternoon. The Hawks had a 21-point fourth quarter to rally, but the Rams nine-point lead after three quarters was too much to overcome...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Former Southeast Missouri State defensive lineman Jon Robinson was hired as general manager of the Tennessee Titans, the team announced Thursday night. Robinson, who played three seasons for Southeast from 1995 to 1997, had been Tampa Bay's director of player personnel...

Featured at the February First Friday opening reception at the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri, 32 N. Main St., will be new art by the Visual Arts Cooperative. The reception will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Feb. 5. The artwork of Phil Nash and Juanita Wyman will be on display in the co-op window...

LONDON -- British actor Alan Rickman, a classically trained stage star and sensual screen villain in the "Harry Potter" saga and other films, has died. He was 69. Rickman's family said the actor died early Thursday in London after a battle with cancer...

O Lord Jesus, thank you that we are never too far from your grace. Amen.