Stories from January 2016

The Mississippi River broke an all-time record in Cape Girardeau on New Year's Day, passing the previous crest established in the Great Flood of 1993. According to the latest river statement by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the river reached 48.61 feet at about 3 p.m. on the holiday...

Today is Friday, Jan. 1, the first day of leap year 2016. There are 365 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that slaves in rebel states shall be "forever free."...

Authorities are investigating a "fire of suspicious origin" that destroys an apartment building in the 300 block of South Pacific Street; the fire is discovered around 6:19 a.m. by one of the tenants of the one-and-one-half story frame structure that had been converted into a five-unit apartment house; all tenants escape safely into the frigid early-morning darkness...

ALEXANDER COUNTY, Ill. -- The Len Small levee in Alexander County was overrun by Mississippi flood waters Friday afternoon, meeting the predictions from Alexander County officials that ordered evacuations. People began evacuating from Olive Branch, Unity, Hodges Park, Sandusky, East Cape Girardeau and McClure on Thursday. ...

The intersection of Old Sprigg and Old Highway 61 is closed to northbound travel. Local traffic only is available for businesses in the area. Intersection of Johnson/Hill streets Off-ramp of Interstate 55 northbound to Highway 74 - mile marker 93 Off-ramp only of Interstate 55 southbound to Highway 74...

Ashton Luttrull scored a career-high 17 points to help the Redhawks to a 75-65 victory over Tennessee State and a 2-0 record in the Ohio Valley Conference.

The Cape County Tea Party would like to take this opportunity to say CONGRATULATIONS to Pat Steger, the winner of the AR-15, Christmas Gun Raffle. This gun was purchased at our local gun shop, Liberty Teeth Armory, (573) 334-3364. Located at 610 Commercial Street, Cape Girardeau, MO...

Taken from the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge on January 1, 2016.

In the town of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, the Mississippi River is cresting after a week of flooding upriver. the town is protected by a 50-year-old 20 ft. floodwall. This is the highest flood in Cape's recorded history. This 2016 flood height of 48.8 ft. tops the previous record flood height...

The Redhawks dropped to 0-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 72-66 loss to Tennessee State.

Today is Saturday, Jan. 2, the second day of 2016. There are 364 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 2, 1900, U.S. Secretary of State John Hay announced the "Open Door Policy" to facilitate trade with China. On this date: In 1788, Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution...

A new pay classification plan took effect with the new year for about 120 Cape Girardeau County employees; for some, the plan will result in pay raises of up to about 25 percent phased in over the next two years; for others it will be 5 percent or somewhere in between; the ultimate goal is to provide an equitable compensation and benefits program for county workers...

The Mississippi River crested late Friday at Cape Girardeau and was slowly coming down from record levels Saturday, according to reports from the National Weather Service. The river gauge at Cape Girardeau reached 48.86 feet about 10 p.m. Friday -- above the 1993 record of 48.49 feet...

Missouri begins SEC play Wednesday against Georgia.

It could be the team's final game as a member of the St. Louis sports scene.

Toronto beat St. Louis for the second time this season.

ST. LOUIS -- A long-planned federal highway across Southern Illinois connecting Cape Girardeau to Paducah, Kentucky, is no more -- at least for now. Federal transportation officials quietly pulled the plug on the 66 Corridor project this past summer after Kentucky withdrew its support for what was once envisioned as a coast-to-coast interstate that would invoke the iconic cross-country Route 66...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- With same-sex marriage now legal nationwide, lawmakers in numerous states are preparing for a new round of battles in 2016 over whether to grant discrimination protections to LGBT people or religious exemptions to not-for-profits and businesses that object to gay marriage...

The Cape Girardeau City Council may eliminate the gross-receipts tax on small- and medium-sized businesses and replace it with a flat fee if voters approve a use tax in April. The council will discuss possible spending uses when it meets Monday night...

As the Mississippi River and its tributaries retreated Saturday from historic levels that flooded towns, forced evacuations and killed two dozen people, residents in the St. Louis area were facing a massive cleanup and recovery effort that likely will last weeks...

Delta Senior Citizens Meeting The Delta Senior Citizens will meet Wednesday, January 13, at 11 a.m., at the Delta Community Center. The program will be presented by Bruce Turner with Jones and Associates on the topic of an "Overview of Life Insurance." Musical entertainment will be provided by Leroy Eftink. Lunch will be served at 12:00 noon. For more information, call 794-2259 or 794-2874...

The Mississippi River crested in Cape Girardeau late Friday, marking the highest crest for a flood event in the city's history. Reports from the National Weather Service showed the river cresting at 48.86 feet about 10 p.m. Friday. The previous high-water mark was 48.49 feet, set in 1993...

Today in History Today is Sunday, Jan. 3, the third day of 2016. There are 363 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 3, 1946, William Joyce, the pro-Nazi radio propagandist known as "Lord Haw-Haw," was hanged at Wandsworth Prison in London for high treason...

Robert "Bob" and Shirley White of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on Dec. 30, 2015. The couple has four children, Sonya White; Sheila and Butch Noble of McKinney, Texas; Bob and Tina White of Pasadena, Texas; and Judy White...

James Tomik of Naples, Florida, and Rhonda Shedron of St. Louis announce the engagement of their daughter, Rachael Tomik, to Matthew Unverferth, both of St. Louis. Matthew is the son of Michael and Gayle Unverferth of Cape Girardeau. Rachael graduated from Parkway North High School in 2002. ...

Dr. Hank and Becky Pernicka of Rolla, Missouri, announce the engagement of their daughter, Samantha Elizabeth Pernicka, to Keith Allen LeGrand, both of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Keith is the son of Bill and Bonnie LeGrand of Kelso, Missouri. Samantha received a Bachelor of Science degree in English from Truman State University in 2013 and a Master of Science degree in library and information science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2015. ...

Jeff and Melanie Bond of Advance, Missouri, announce the engagement of their daughter, Amber Bond, to Jonathan French. He is the son of Joe and Cynthia French of Painton, Missouri. Amber is a graduate of Missouri State University. She is a teacher at Puxico Junior High School and owner of 2nd Story Design, a handmade jewelry company...

Rain the day after Christmas gave me an opportunity to photograph small waterfalls cascading down a gully in the woods. The woodland ditch where I took this photo has a watershed of about three acres. Only during times of heavy or prolonged rain will enough water come quickly enough to make waterfalls in this gully; most of the year this gully is dry...

Every Wednesday, rain or shine, the Missouri Running Co. hosts a free social run followed by food and beverage specials at Cup 'n Cork, 11 S. Spanish St., in Cape Girardeau. Sign-up starts at 6 p.m. and the run begins at 6:30 p.m. Call (573) 651-5282 for more information...

In the past few weeks I have seen and heard a lot of discussion about herbs in the various forms of media. These discussions gave great information about herbs that enhance the taste of prepared foods, promote health and how you grow them outdoors in containers or in gardens...

A winter column must always include a soup recipe or two, so to kick off the new year, that is exactly what today will include: a couple of soup recipes. Many of us enjoy soups year round, but others only enjoy soups during the winter months. I also have included a couple recipes that jumped out at me when I went looking. I am always willing to give new recipes a try, and what better way to start a new year?...

One of the all-time favorite garden crops has to be tomatoes. When gardeners start talking about their gardens, invariably, they will begin comparing how their tomatoes did that summer. Some will comment how good their crop was, while others will comment how bad theirs was...

I'm not going to resolve to lose a certain number of pounds in 2016, although I should. I'm not going to resolve to whittle down the items on my bucket list, the things I'd like to do before I die -- laudable, but not worthy of a lot of attention right now. I'm not going to resolve to become more organized, but that's a great goal...

It's a new year -- a day when we realize, remember and celebrate that a whole year has passed, and now we get more days. Thank you, God. Amid the hope for the future and gratitude for the past, time remains a mystery, one that amazes and frustrates me, leaves me powerless and has something deep to teach me...

LOS ANGELES -- Elias Weiss Friedman has photographed thousands of dogs for his blog and book "The Dogist." What sets his pictures apart is how human he makes his canines seem. He achieves the look by getting down on their level before shooting, making eye contact and creating a connection...

Sewing -- by machine and by hand -- was prominently featured among this year's craft books. Many titles were geared toward quilters, and others were for children who want to sew clothes, gifts and quilts. Some notable titles from 2015: "All Points Patchwork" (Storey Publishing) helps quilters rediscover English paper piecing, a process that dates to the late 1700s. ...

NEW YORK -- Plaids are having a fashion moment as retailers and designers play with the classic pattern. But the apparel and footwear industries are sharing the love: Fresh takes on plaid have made headway in housewares and home decor, too. "The great thing about plaid is that you can take it in so many different directions," said Kristen Chalupa, a kitchen and tabletop product manager at Crate & Barrel...

A news reporter once told me, "If 350 airplanes land at Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport, that is not news. On the other hand," he continued, "if one plane slips off the end of the runway, that is news." The point is that our news media is loaded with bad news and not too much good news to balance it. That is especially true in an election year, when those on the outside know they can't get elected by telling us how well everything is going...

While strolling, I wondered whatever happened to Norma Sue Garner. Happy birthday to Ian Eichhorn, Pat Jackson, Ray Motes, Bonney Haney, Kathryn Miller, Mallory Siebert, Danny Lee Finley, Sue Ann Lynn, Kristen Wessel, Tina Jones, Annie Ralph, John Hampton, Larry Kirn, Sue Wessel, Sara Hemingway, Danny Rains, Terra Owens, Kodi Ballard, Alissa Swindell, Sonny Leible, Cathy Graham, Brooke McFerron, Wilma McGuire, Rachel Reischman, Stephen Bentley, Kimberly Hester, Rose Kern, Carolyn Schott, Amanda Proctor, Larry Mott, Randy Coy, Sid Atkins, Kade Atkins, Marlene Powers and Brennan Robinson.. ...

Three people filed for seats on the Cape Girardeau Board of Education yesterday, the first day of filing; seeking a three-year term on the board are Patrick R. Ruopp and Gwen Bennett; seeking a one-year, unexpired seat is Lyle A. Davis. With the new year, longtime Associate Circuit Judge William S. ...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A Bismarck, Missouri, man faces charges after being accused of forcing his way into a day-care center, pulling blankets off sleeping children and taking his child to another county in apparent violation of a custody agreement, reported the Daily American Republic. ...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n William C. Jaquin, 20, of Cape Girardeau was arrested on a Jackson warrant for failure to appear on an original charge of operating a motor vehicle while operator's license revoked...

O Lord Jesus, give us courage to change the things we should. Amen.

Some say if Donald Trump wins the republican nomination, that will be the end of the Republican party. So be it! The Republicans have been misleading people for years. They run on a conservative platform but tax and spend like the others. For evidence look at the City of Cape, Cape Girardeau County, and of course the federal government. (In fairness, the Republican controlled state Legislature has held the line on spending at the state level.)...

Congratulations to the Tigers from Cape Girardeau Central. The orange and black won Wednesday night in the championship game of the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament, edging out top-seeded and arch rival Jackson in the process. It was a highly competitive game, with neither team gaining more than a six-point advantage. Central ended up on the better end of a 46-44 score...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do no imply guilt. n Maxwell L. Abbott, 19, 11 S. Spanish St., was arrested on a Cape Girardeau County warrant for failure to appear in court for a traffic offense. n Samuel Garten, 26, of Thebes, Illinois, was arrested on suspicion of theft at Wal-Mart, 3439 William St...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- On the first day of this New Year 2016, Lendy W. Wiggins, 74, of Chaffee passed away at the home of his daughter Tina. He was surrounded by his loving family. He was born June 21, 1941, in Wayne County, Illinois, to the late Chester and Margie Shaw Wiggins. He married Elizabeth Jane Murray on Jan. 21, 1961, and she preceded him in death with him right by her side, after 51 years of marriage, on Aug. 10, 2012...

Dorothy Virginia Slagle Busche Roth, 93, formerly of Cape Girardeau, was called to be with her Lord on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015, from the Breese Nursing Home in Breese, Illinois. She was born July 22, 1922, in Floydada, Texas, to Lee and Mable White Slagle. ...

Don Reder, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Dec. 21, 2015, at his home of natural causes. He was born July 7, 1927, baptized and educated at St. Luke Lutheran in Chicago. After discharge from wartime service in the U.S. Navy in 1948, he served as a teacher, musician, pastor and chaplain for the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod in parishes in Maryland, North Carolina, Illinois and Missouri. He enjoyed sharing his toy train hobby with others in the area during retirement...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Sammie Laine Garner Poe, 86, of Chaffee passed away Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born June 17, 1929, in Promise Land, Arkansas, to the late Marion Harlan and Fannie Montez Marchbanks. She married J.W. Poe on Nov. 6, 1946, and he preceded her in death April 10, 2011...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Lucille Miller, 87, of Olive Branch died Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, at Chateau Girardeau in Cape Girardeau. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Tamms, Illinois.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Dorothy L. Meyer, 82, of Perryville died Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, at Holiday Residential in Perryville. She was born Jan. 18, 1933, in Crosstown, Missouri, daughter of Martin and Mary Corinne Petot Bohnert. She and Frederick J. Meyer were married Oct. 18, 1957. He preceded her in death May 22, 1998...

Mariesa C. Lesch, 59, of Jackson went to be with our Heavenly Father on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, surrounded by her loving family. She was born June 26, 1956, daughter of Jack and Nelda Crader. She and Tim Lesch were married Oct. 20, 1990. Survivors include her mother, Nelda; her husband, Tim; a daughter, Kia Abernathy; a brother, Kevin Crader; and two sisters, Kim Begley and Brandi Farris. She was the loving Nana of Daphne Warren, Luke Warren and Kilie Cook...

Donald Lee Kuntze, 78, of Jackson passed away Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 14, 1937, in Jackson, the son of Albert and Lydia F. Wedekind Kuntze. Don married Dorothy Margrabe on May 12, 1956. Don was a graduate of Jackson High School. ...

CAIRO, Ill. -- George Henry Johnson, 72, of Cairo died Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015, at Mount Juliet Healthcare in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. Visitation and funeral service were Saturday at Massie Funeral Home in Mounds, Illinois. Interment will be at 11:30 a.m. Monday in Mound City National Cemetery in Mounds, with military honors provided by members of the Illinois National Guard and area veterans...

William "Bill" Charles Duty, 80, died Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 21, 1935, in Piggott, Arkansas, to William and Ida Mae Stewart Duty. He and Wanda Daugherty Duty were married May 3, 1957, in Commerce, Texas. Duty was an Air Force retired master sergeant of 26 years...

MORLEY, Mo. -- Virgil Dean Dollins, 76, of Morley passed away Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, at the family home in Morley. He was born Nov. 17, 1939, in Bertrand, Missouri, to the late James Herschel and Mary Ellen Connelley Dollins. Virgil was a veteran of the United States Army. He worked on an assembly line for Carter Carburetor in St. Louis and for Rowe Furniture in Morehouse, Missouri. He was of the Pentecostal faith...

OLMSTED, Ill. -- Brenda Joyce Clark, 72, of Olmsted passed away at 2:43 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015, at her home. Brenda was born June 8, 1943, in Union City, Tennessee, daughter of the late Thomas Pannell and Alva Mae Edwards Pannell. Brenda was a 40-year resident of the Olmsted community and had worked and held several jobs in her lifetime...

Frank C. Bertrand, 84, of Cape Girardeau passed away Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

ST. LOUIS -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday ordered installation of an isolation barrier to make sure an underground fire does not reach buried nuclear waste at a suburban St. Louis landfill. Mark Hague, EPA regional administrator, said the plan for West Lake Landfill in Bridgeton also calls for additional engineering steps such as cooling loops. The barrier will consist of an underground wall...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A program to expand prenatal health coverage was set to begin Friday. Gov. Jay Nixon on Thursday announced the program would begin accepting applications Friday. The "Show-Me Healthy Babies Program" was created to provide insurance for pregnant women who earn too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid but don't have affordable private-sector insurance...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri conservation officials say hunters using muzzleloaders and other alternative weapons killed 11,061 deer during a special season. The Columbia Missourian reported the special hunting season ended Tuesday. The season allows the use of centerfire pistols, muzzleloading firearms, air-powered guns, bows, crossbows and atlatls. There are other seasons for archery and regular firearms...

City hall 401 Independence St. n December 2015 flood event update n Public hearing to consider a request to rezone property at 2930 Hawthorne Road from R-1, single family suburban residential district, to PD, planned development district, and for approval of preliminary development plan for a proposed residential community...

NAPA, Calif. -- St. Louis rookie running back Todd Gurley missed his third straight practice Friday because of a right foot injury and is likely to be held out of the Rams' final regular-season game. The 10th overall pick in the 2015 draft, Gurley has spent the past week getting treatment on his foot after being hurt late in the second half of St. Louis' win over Seattle...

A Cape Girardeau man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of domestic assault against a woman who reportedly stabbed him two months earlier. Anthony Jerome Mackins, 30, was charged with one count of second-degree domestic assault, and his bond was set at $10,000 cash only...

A Sikeston, Missouri, woman is accused of beating her son with a baseball bat and threatening to kill herself with a shotgun on New Year's Eve. Jerry L. Summers, 39, of Sikeston was arrested Thursday by Scott County sheriff's deputies and was charged with second-degree domestic assault and resisting arrest, both felonies...

SAN DIEGO -- Twins are getting attention because, though born minutes apart, one has a birthday in 2015 and one in 2016. Jaelyn Valenica was born New Year's Eve at 11:59 p.m. Her twin brother, Luis Valencia Jr., arrived at 12:01 a.m. New Year's Day. The babies were due in late January, but doctors called the mother in because one was in a breech position. The father, Luis Valencia, called it a New Year's blessing to have two healthy children...

LAS VEGAS -- A man fatally shot by Las Vegas police while holding a cellphone mistaken for a gun recently was convicted of several crimes in Arizona, his attorney said Saturday. Brad Reinhart last had contact with his client, Keith Childress Jr., 23, last month when a jury was set to issue a verdict in his trial for stealing marijuana and guns from a Phoenix home in 2013. ...

PATHANKOT, India -- Suspected militants infiltrated an Indian air force base near the border with Pakistan on Saturday and exchanged fire with security forces for hours, leaving at least four gunmen and two Indian troops dead, officials and news reports said...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's execution Saturday of 47 prisoners, including an influential Shiite cleric, threatened to further damage Sunni-Shiite relations in a regional struggle playing out across the Middle East between the kingdom and its regional foe, Iran...

What do you think was the most remarkable news story of 2015?

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri lawmakers in 2016 again will try to rein in state ethics laws that are some of the loosest in the nation, this year against a backdrop of allegations of inappropriate actions toward interns by former legislators some say added to public mistrust of the Legislature...

KINCAID, Ill. -- The Mississippi River and many of its tributaries continued their retreat Sunday from historic and deadly winter flooding, leaving the silt amid a massive cleanup and recovery effort likely to take weeks, if not months. The flood, fueled by more than 10 inches of rain over a three-day period that began Christmas Day, is blamed for 25 deaths in Illinois and Missouri, reflecting Sunday's discovery of the body of a second teenager who drowned in central Illinois' Christian County...

People in Southeast Missouri resolving to get into shape in 2016 have a variety of options when looking for a gym to join. From fitness centers with pools to smaller gyms that are open 24 hours, at least one thing remains a constant: an uptick in memberships at the beginning of the new year...

With only three weeks left before the Jackson Civic Center's grand opening, fundraising efforts have kicked into high gear to obtain extra equipment for the facility. The facility's grand opening will be at 2 p.m. Jan. 24. By the end of 2015, $141,000 had been donated, Kathy Johnson, chairwoman of the Civic Center fundraising committee, said Friday...

SOTO Property Solutions Acquires Metroplex Management LLC in Fenton, MO: Expanding St Louis Influence Cape Girardeau, MO, January 4, 2016 -- SOTO Property Solutions is acquiring a St Louis property management company, Metroplex Management in Fenton, MO. SOTO Property Solutions is excited to grow their impact in the St Louis market...

Dolphin H-65 helicopters of the U.S. Coast Guard fly from Cape Sunday afternoon, providing surveillance and rescue support of the flood-stricken areas around Cape and into neighboring states.

Patrick Brown is on an improbable mission: Make a burger Americans love, minus the meat. Veggie patties have been around for decades, but Brown and others want to make foods without animal products that look, cook and taste like the real thing -- and can appeal to the masses, the Associated Press reported...

Today in History Today is Monday, Jan. 4, the fourth day of 2016. There are 362 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 4, 1896, Utah was admitted as the 45th state. On this date: In 1821, the first native-born American saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton, died in Emmitsburg, Maryland...

Doris Dace didn't have a library in her community, so she built her own. It houses a variety of materials and genres, it's open 24/7, and users don't even need a library card. It's a Little Free Library, and it's part of a growing movement to build small, free-standing bookshelves in communities, where residents are encouraged to "Take a book. Return a book."...

The new year is here, and many people are looking back and evaluating things they could have done differently in the past. Some people decide to change physical things about themselves. For others, the new year represents a chance to change their financial landscapes, and make changes in that area...

When Harry Schumer says it takes a certain type of person to walk into a burning building, it's not bravado -- there's just no better way to describe the essential truth of firefighting. Schumer doesn't seem too sure why he enjoyed fighting fires so much for 28 years...

The baby boom generation has put its own stamp on many traditions, so why should 25th wedding anniversaries be different? Many couples are ditching convention when it comes to marking the milestone. "When they get to these more dramatic occasions, so many couples want to do something exciting and different. ...

I once heard that if you misplace your car keys occasionally, that's normal. However, if you forget what they are used for, that could be dementia. There are times when a person's name escapes me or I forget what I am doing, and I immediately panic and think, "Is this it? Is it Alzheimer's?" Then when I remember, I breathe a sigh of relief. I'm safe. For now...

If your morning simply doesn't begin until you've had that first cup of coffee, you're not alone. Americans everywhere love their joe, and research shows 37 percent of American workers can't even get dressed for work without their first cup of coffee. Nearly half of American workers consume at least three cups of coffee each day...

Stories about holiday generosity refuel us, which is much needed in a world that tends to deplete. Stooges restaurant in Jackson and Student Santas in Cape Girardeau made Christmas special for many in our community. It's difficult enough finding an open restaurant or store on Christmas Day, as business owners are generally home with their families, allowing their employees the same opportunity. ...

WASHINGTON -- Hawaiian vacation over, President Barack Obama said he is energized for his final year in office and ready to tackle unfinished business, turning immediate attention to the issue of gun violence. Obama scheduled a meeting today with Attorney General Loretta Lynch to discuss a three-month review of what steps he could take to help reduce gun violence. The president is expected to use executive action to strengthen background checks required for gun purchases...

BURNS, Ore. -- The remote high desert of eastern Oregon became the latest flashpoint for anti-government sentiment as armed protesters occupied a national wildlife refuge to object to a prison sentence for local ranchers for burning federal land. Ammon Bundy -- son of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who was involved in a 2014 standoff with the government over grazing rights -- is among the people at the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. ...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Federal accident investigators are considering launching another search of the wreckage of a freighter that sank in October in an attempt to find the ship's "black box." Tom Roth-Roffy, the lead investigator for National Transportation Safety Board, said a weekslong search found one of El Faro's missing decks, but not the mast where the ship's voyage data recorder was attached. The agency on Sunday released the first images of the ship in its final resting place...

PATHANKOT, India -- Indian troops still were battling at least two gunmen Sunday night at an air-force base near the border with Pakistan, more than a day and a half after the compound came under attack, a top government official said. At least seven troops and four gunmen have been killed in the fighting so far...

MEXICO CITY -- Three people, including a minor, were being held Sunday in the slaying of a newly inaugurated mayor in a gang-troubled central Mexican city. Morelos Gov. Graco Ramirez ordered flags on state buildings flown at half-mast and called for three days of mourning after the murder of Temixco Mayor Gisela Mota...

TEHRAN, Iran -- Saudi Arabia announced Sunday it was severing diplomatic relations with Shiite powerhouse Iran amid escalating tensions over the Sunni kingdom's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric. The move came hours after protesters stormed and set fire to the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and followed criticism by Iran's top leader of the Saudis' execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's social safety net shrank this month as new laws forced an end to welfare payments for some families and reduced how long the unemployed can receive benefits. Additional tax breaks took effect Friday for military retirees and some businesses. Cities will be subject to stricter limits on how much money they can reap from traffic tickets. And dogs will get more spacious living quarters at commercial breeding facilities...

NEW YORK -- Freeze your credit reports before you get burned. That's the message from security experts, consumer advocates and some state attorneys general. They said more people should consider a credit freeze as a way to block identity thieves from opening new credit cards and other accounts in your name. They recommend a freeze even if your identity hasn't been stolen...

The U.S. stock market took investors for a wild ride in 2015, but in the end it was a trip to nowhere. Despite veering between record highs and the steepest dive in four years, the stock market ended the year essentially flat, delivering the weakest performance since 2008. That means if you invested in a fund that tracks the Standard & Poor's 500 index, you have little to show for the past 12 months...

WASHINGTON -- It's now harder to find where your beef or pork was born, raised and slaughtered. After more than a decade of wrangling, Congress repealed a labeling law last month that required retailers to include the animal's country of origin on packages of red meat. It was a victory for the meat industry, which had fought the law in Congress and the courts since the early 2000s...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Barbara K. Khourie, 62, of Mounds passed away at 1:15 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, at her residence. Barbara was born May 27, 1953, in Cairo, Illinois, daughter of Lloyd Bosecker Sr. and Lillian Bosecker. Barbara was a member of the Christian Community Church in Villa Ridge, Illinois...

FENTON, Mo. -- Linnie L. Denning of Fenton, formerly of Cape Girardeau, passed away Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. She was born Feb. 7, 1926, in Hickman, Kentucky, to Henry J. and Susie Ann (Maxey) Morgan. Linnie and J.W. Denning were married Aug. 16, 1943, in Charleston, Missouri...

Frank C. Bertrand, 84, of Cape Girardeau, beloved husband of Martha Hopper Bertrand, entered into eternal rest Jan. 2, 2016. Frank was born March 24, 1931, in Jackson to Frank C. and Zetta Essner Bertrand. He served in the United States Army from Jan. ...

Russell E. Hagler, 87, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Mounds and Tamms, Illinois, passed away at 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016, at the Chaffee Nursing Home in Chaffee, Missouri. Russell was born March 10, 1928, in Unity, Illinois, son of the late Russell E. Hagler and Izola (Martin) Hagler...

A large yellow ribbon was tied around Southeast Hospital's flagpole yesterday, as the institution bid farewell to employees who have been or are being called to active military duty in the Persian Gulf; they are Vincent Glueck, Richard Kinsey, Norman Anderson, H. Charles Mosebach and Brenda Taul...

LOS ANGELES -- "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" marched confidently into the new year, raking in an additional $88.3 million over the New Year's weekend and topping the box office for a third week, according to studio estimates Sunday. In addition to setting a new high mark in New Year's box office history, the record-busting film blew past the domestic grosses of "Jurassic World" ($652.3 million) and "Titanic" ($658.7 million) to become the second-highest earner of all time with $740.3 million in just 19 days of release.. ...

BOSTON -- America's marquee marathon is ready for its close-up. "Boston," the first feature-length documentary film about the Boston Marathon, is in the works. Its creators say the movie will go well beyond the 2013 bombings to retrace the iconic footrace's first steps in 1897...

Cape Girardeau officials closed South Sprigg Street at Old Highway 61 on Sunday afternoon when flooding made the area hazardous. The flooding also will affect city services, as the transfer station will be closed until at least Wednesday. Leaf and Christmas-tree pickup are suspended, but there has been an area designated for Christmas tree drop-off in Arena Park...

The 49ers fired their coach after their 19-16 victory.

PHOENIX -- Firefighters rescued a 13-year-old boy who got stuck in a chimney while playing with his friends on a roof. The boy's friends called 911 and their parents after he fell into the chimney Wednesday night, Capt. Ardell Deliz said. The boy tumbled about 5 feet into the opening, and the parents had no luck pulling him out. Shortly afterward, the fire department arrived, and crews lowered a rope to him and got him to wrap it around his arms, Deliz said...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Stephen P. "Puggy" Favier, 69, of Perryville died Jan. 3, 2016, at his home. Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Young and Sons Funeral Home, with parish wake at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue from 6:30 to 10 a.m. Wednesday...

Thomas E. "Gene" Brockett, 81, of Jackson died Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n Kasey Marie Neal, no age given, 1304 Bertling St., was arrested on suspicion of assault at 43 S. Main St. n A suspect was in custody pending formal charges of unlawful use of drug paraphernalia at Lombardo Drive and Cape Rock Drive...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Wednesday. n Medical assists were made at 4:10 a.m. on Mill Drive; 6:50 p.m. on Themis Street; and 7:22 p.m. on South Henderson Avenue. n At 8:32 a.m., a water and ice-related rescue on North Fountain Street...

JACKSON The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Miscellaneous n An assist was requested in the 1100 block of West Independence Street. n An assist was requested in the 100 block of Tracy Street. n An assist was requested in the 200 block of West Vale Drive...

O Lord Jesus, may we live self-controlled, upright and godly lives for your glory. Amen.

DETROIT (AP) -- Joe Minerva has been driving since 1946. He's a skilled and disciplined driver and he's never been in an accident. So Minerva was surprised how much he learned when he recently took his first-ever driving class. During the six-hour AARP course at his local senior center, he learned the places in his city where the most accidents occur. ...

When rumors swirl around a topic for decades, eventually, someone starts investigating. In the case of the alleged UFO sighting in Cape Girardeau in April 1941, it was Springfield, Missouri, resident Paul Smith who decided to research the rumors. "I heard more and more about it, and I began to see references to it in a book or two here and there," he says...

I watched a lot of basketball during the last week. A lot. So much that I may or may not have tried to subdue my rambunctious kids on Thursday by stepping in front of them and trying to draw a charge. It may or may not have worked. Twenty-eight games in four days. That's what the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament was for me...

Hunt indicated the Raiders would be a likely candidate.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama moved Monday to expand background checks to cover more firearms sold at gun shows, online and anywhere else, aiming to curb a scourge of gun violence despite unyielding opposition to new laws in Congress. Obama's plan to broaden background checks forms the centerpiece of a broader package of gun-control measures the president plans to take on his own in his final year in office...

DELTA, Mo. -- With less than 10 seconds left and in possession of the basketball, Woodland girls basketball coach Robert Stein called a timeout and tried to take the pressure off his girls. Worst case scenario, he told them, this is going to overtime...

CAMPBELL, Mo. -- A man drowned in floodwaters Thursday morning near the Dunklin-Butler County border while attempting to escape from police after a high-speed chase. Rickey G. Lerma, 40, of Risco, Missouri, was pronounced dead at 11 a.m. by Dunklin County Coroner James Powell after Lerma's body was recovered from the St. Francis River near Route DD...

Residents of Jackson will vote in April on whether the city imposes a local use tax. After a public hearing in which two residents spoke in favor of the proposed use tax, the Jackson Board of Aldermen approved a measure that would put the use tax on the April 5 ballot and an initiative continuing the existing motor vehicle use tax...

The Cape Girardeau City Council agreed to fund public-safety improvements and eliminate gross-receipts tax paid by some businesses if voters approve a use tax. The use tax would generate an estimated $1.25 million annually to fund public safety improvements and eliminate a gross receipts tax paid by some businesses, Cape Girardeau city officials announced Monday night...

He watched the parade of airplanes, tractors, combines and trucks filled with grain, and Perry County emergency management director Hank Voelker was never so happy to be inconvenienced. "When the airplanes started coming over the levee, that was pretty awesome," Voelker said of the Sabreliner Aviation aircraft. "I almost got choked up."...

The Annual Bootheel Bluegrass Festival returns to the Bavarian Halle by Drury Inn in Fruitland on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Jan 28th -30th, 2016. Thursday nights show will start at 7 PM in the Halle and will be Gospel Night. Tickets are $8 at the door. ...

Today in History Today is Tuesday, Jan. 5, the fifth day of 2016. There are 361 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 5, 1066, Edward the Confessor, King of England since 1042, died after a reign of nearly 24 years. On this date:...

CARTHAGE, Texas -- Funeral services for Anna Lou Rebert, 90, of Carthage will be held at 2 p.m. today at the Hawthorn Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Freddy Mason officiating. Burial will follow in the Six Mile Cemetery. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service at the funeral home...

TROY, Mo. -- Wanda Durham, 91, of Troy passed away peacefully Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015, at the Elsberry Health Care Center. She was born on Sept. 30, 1924, in Hiram, Missouri, a daughter of the late Ulus Edger and Maude (Shetley) Haynes. Wanda married the love of her life, Edward Durham, on Nov. 20, 1942, and shared 71 years of marriage until his passing Dec. 24, 2013...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Lucille (Willis) Miller, 87, of Olive Branch passed away Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, at Chateau Girardeau in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 14, 1928, at Miller City, Illinois, the daughter of Roy Arnold and Georgia Ersa (Morningstar) Willis. She was married on Oct. 5, 1947, to Lloyd "Jack" Miller. He preceded her in death on April 13, 2013...

Son to Gary Shane Kitchen and Cammi Crystal Corbin/Kitchen of Jackson, Saint Francis Medical Center, 5:38 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015. Name, Garrison Scott. Weight, 9 pounds. Third child, second son. Corbin/Kitchen is the daughter of Christi Corbin of Cape Girardeau. She is employed by the Lutheran Home. Kitchen is the son of Gary Kitchen. He is employed by Ross Furniture...

A dramatic drop in December boardings at the Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport was nearly enough to drop enplanements below 10,000 for the year, but despite inclement weather in late December, the airport managed to show 10,016 for the year. That's enough for the port to maintain its primary airport designation and receive $300,000 in annual federal entitlement money...

DETROIT -- The automotive industry is placing its biggest bet yet that using a device to hail a ride -- with or without a driver -- is the future of transportation. General Motors Co. said Monday it is investing $500 million in ride-hailing company Lyft Inc. and forming an unprecedented partnership that could eventually lead to on-demand, self-driving cars...

PONCA CITY, Okla. -- The body of a country singer was recovered Monday at an Oklahoma lake, one week after he disappeared while going duck hunting with a companion who had sent an ominous tweet about threatening weather. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Craig M. Strickland, 29, of Springdale, Arkansas, had died at Kaw Lake, near the Kansas-Oklahoma state line...

NEW YORK -- The new year got off to an inauspicious start on Wall Street as stocks tumbled Monday in a global sell-off triggered by new fears of a slowdown in China and rising tensions in the Middle East. Less than an hour before the closing bell, the Dow Jones industrial average was down more than 2 percent, its biggest drop since September, after sharper declines in Asia and Europe...

WASHINGTON -- The children of service members are sexually assaulted hundreds of times each year, according to data the Defense Department provided exclusively to The Associated Press. The abuse of military dependents is committed most often by male enlisted troops, the data show, followed by family members...

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- Behind a chain-link fence and under heavy security, workers Monday returned to their offices at the San Bernardino campus where 14 people died last month in a massacre. Inland Regional Center employees flashed identification badges to security guards, who ushered them into a parking lot surrounded by a mesh-wrapped fence as dozens of reporters stood outside...

WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department sued Volkswagen on Monday over emissions-cheating software found in nearly 600,000 vehicles sold in the United States, potentially exposing the company to billions of dollars in penalties for clean-air violations...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A recently fired caricature artist at Universal Orlando Resort tried to kill his manager by stabbing him in the neck with scissors on New Year's Day, according to a police report released Monday. Frederick Torres, 33, was charged with attempted first-degree murder for his attack on Glenn Ferguson at the Islands of Adventure park. Both artists draw caricatures at Universal's parks but work for an outside firm, Orlando-based Fasen Artists, Inc...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Republican-led Missouri legislative panel has recommended the leader of a Planned Parenthood chapter should be held in contempt for refusing to share abortion-related documents with lawmakers. The request targeting Mary Kogut, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. ...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Missouri State University's top black official announced his resignation Monday, less than a week after the school said an investigation by outside attorneys found "no credible evidence" the university discriminated against him. The school released a statement saying Ken Coopwood, vice president of diversity and inclusion since October 2011, will be on leave until his resignation takes effect April 30. ...

LOS ANGELES -- It started June 11, 2002, with a couple of unfamiliar hosts posing in an empty theater and making an overblown declaration to TV viewers. "Live on this stage, an unknown talent will be launched into superstardom," said Brian Dunkleman...

BOONE, Iowa -- The sprint to the Iowa caucuses opened Monday with nearly a dozen presidential candidates in motion, a restrained Bill Clinton stepping up for his wife and a pledge by the only billionaire in the race to start spending serious money. From Iowa to New Hampshire -- on the air, on the bus and on the stump -- candidates vying to become America's next president roared out of the holidays in full force with less than a month to go before voting begins...

BURNS, Ore. -- Father-and-son ranchers convicted of setting fire to federal grazing land reported to prison Monday as the armed anti-government activists who have taken up their cause maintained the occupation of a remote Oregon wildlife preserve. Federal authorities made no attempt to retake the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in the remote high desert of eastern Oregon, which about two dozen activists seized over the weekend as part of a decades-long fight over public lands in the West...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- By executing a senior Shiite cleric, Saudi Arabia effectively lit a match to set off regional sectarian tensions and its rivalry with Iran, threatening to derail already-shaky peace efforts over the wars in Syria and Yemen...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Allies of Saudi Arabia followed the kingdom's lead Monday and scaled back diplomatic ties to Iran after the ransacking of Saudi diplomatic missions in the Islamic Republic, violence sparked by the Saudi execution of a prominent Shiite cleric...

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Denmark and Sweden tightened border checks Monday to stem the flow of migrants coming in from Germany, dealing fresh blows to the vision of a Europe without national boundaries. As of midnight Sunday, Sweden demanded all passengers traveling by train from Denmark show ID -- something that hasn't been required since the 1950s...

GAUHATI, India -- A strong earthquake damaged buildings, killed at least eight people and injured more than 100 in India's remote northeast region early Monday. Deaths and injuries were caused by falling debris. Manipur state's home minister, G. Gaikhangam, said several areas suffered extensive damage, especially the capital, Imphal. He did not give details but said the situation was still being assessed...

All scores were reported to the Southeast Missourian on Monday.

ST. LOUIS -- Todd Gurley hopes to play in the Pro Bowl. "Heck, yeah," the St. Louis Rams rookie running back said Monday while cleaning out his locker. "Everything's been going good and just got to keep treating it and rehabbing." Rams coach Jeff Fisher was more circumspect, saying the Rams wouldn't alter the rehab plan to speed Gurley's return...

Top-seeded Saxony Lutheran launched its bid for a fourth consecutive Delta New Year's Tournament title with a 73-20 victory over eighth-seeded Meadow Heights on Monday night. Brianna Mueller led the way with 14 points for the Crusaders, who improved to 8-2. Grace Mirly, who had six assists, and Tess Daniel, who had four steals, each added 12 points. Maddie Brune led the way on the boards with 10 rebounds...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams have filed an application to relocate to the Los Angeles area after 21 seasons in the Midwest. The franchise currently has a year-to-year lease with the Edward Jones Dome. Owner Stan Kroenke is part of a group planning a $1.8 billion stadium in Inglewood, California, and the team said on its web site that it sought to relocate to the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, where the team played from 1946-94...

ST. LOUIS -- Bobby Ryan scored twice, including the game-winner at 2:33 of overtime, to lift the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Monday night. Mike Hoffman also scored and Andrew Hammond made 36 saves for the Senators, who had lost three straight and been shut out in back-to-back games against the Chicago Blackhawks and New Jersey Devils...

Now that asbestos has been removed from Cape Girardeau Central Junior High School, the next leg of improvements is poised to begin there and elsewhere in the school district. "We're on target to start demolition (of the junior high's gymnasium) in late winter and start the remodeling projects the first of the summer," said Neil Glass, assistant superintendent for administrative services of Cape Girardeau Schools...

A Cape Girardeau man is accused of stabbing his father in back four times on New Year's Eve. What supposedly sparked the attacker's ire was his mother asking him to wear a different shirt. Cape Girardeau police went to the 2500 block of Saddlegate Court about 6:15 p.m. and saw Michael D. Croyle, 26, on his stomach with his father lying on top of him, according to a probable-cause statement from officer Brett Hellmann...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Dr. Patricia L. Ten Haaf was named director of the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced. It's anticipated she will begin her duties by Sunday, the Daily American Republic reported. Ten Haaf was associate director for patient care services at VA medical centers in Tomah, Wisconsin, and Kansas City, Missouri, and acting director of the St. ...

ST. LOUIS -- The Mississippi River floods more often than it used to, and at higher levels. Richard Knaup thinks he knows why. The veteran emergency management director for Cape Girardeau County is fighting floods again, just as he did last year, and the year before that, and the year before that...

MOSCOW -- Kyrgyzstan's Interior Ministry said a British citizen who made rude remarks about the country on social media will be deported. A statement Monday on the ministry's website did not specify what Michael McFeat said, but media reports said his offending post likened a local sausage called chukchuk to the genitals of a horse. According to the ministry, McFeat's comment sparked labor unrest at a gold mine, where he is an employee...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Andrea D. Jones, 58, of rural Cairo died Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Services are incomplete at Massie Funeral Home in Mounds, Illinois.

Martin Wilhelm "Marty" Wachter, 74, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Old Appleton, died Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson and from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday at Grace Lutheran Church in Uniontown, Missouri. An American Legion service will be at 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n Timothy L. Mize, 23, 1927 N. Kingshighway, No. 21, was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest at Peach Tree Drive and Kingsway Drive...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Sunday: n Medical assists were made at midnight on South Sprigg Street; 1:15 a.m. on Washington Street; 1:48 a.m. on North Mount Auburn Road; 2:03 a.m. on Cape Meadow Drive; 9:25 a.m. on Lexington Avenue; 2:57 p.m. on South Sprigg Street; 5:44 p.m. on Linden Street; and 7:52 p.m. on North Frederick Street...

The revelation of Planned Parenthood's horrible travesties against the most innocent of us has awakened a contingent of Americans. Missourians for the Unborn was created to address this generational genocide. MFTU is a coalition of individuals and organizations united to be the voice of the unborn, proclaiming "All Lives Matter" and working diligently to protect the life of every Missourian. ...

Thomas E. "Gene" Brockett, 81, of Jackson passed away Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 25, 1934, in Oran, Missouri, to Thomas M. and Nona Hughes Brockett. He and Barbara Schmidt were married July 28, 1956. They were married nearly 40 years when she passed away June 10, 1996...

As we begin 2016, I would like to review some of the key goals of the City of Jackson. The goals center around three areas: road projects, infrastructure improvement plans and financial planning. The Missouri Department of Transportation's major project will be the improvements to the Main and Hope intersection with the building of a roundabout. ...

The United Way of Southeast Missouri is holding meetings with the public to collect information to steer future programming. The next of these Community Conversations will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today at the Shawnee Park Center, and will focus on the topic of health...

Tax code Am I naive in believing very few if anyone knows about this? After an arduous study of the U.S. tax code, I have shockingly discovered that over the past number of years the ultra wealthy have paid less and less in federal income taxes. I am beyond shocked to learn that what was supposed to be a progressive income tax (the higher your income, the higher the rate) has been turned on its head, with the burden of taxation falling on the beleaguered middle class. ...

O God, may we walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us. Amen.

As the waters recede, those displaced by the flood are returning home, ready to assess the damage and begin the cleaning process.

WASHINGTON -- Tears streaking his cheeks, President Barack Obama launched a final-year push Tuesday to tighten sales of firearms in the U.S., using his presidential powers in the absence of tougher gun restrictions Congress has refused to pass. The president struck a combative tone as he came out with plans for expanded background checks and other modest measures that have drawn consternation from gun-rights groups Obama accused of making Congress their hostage...

Although the Mississippi River crested on Friday, homes affected by the high waters may have to wait to clean up what the rains left behind. Local restoration companies are ready to provide their services, but in some cases, it's a waiting game. "We're busy, but not as busy as the media thinks we are," said Sandy Hastings, co-owner of Servpro, a company that offers cleaning and restoration services after fire and water emergencies...

Dilapidated and damaged buildings often take on a life of their own, creating an unsafe environment in Cape Girardeau neighborhoods and a public-safety nightmare. The condemnation process is lengthy, sometimes taking more than 300 days to conclude in some cases. Cape Councilman Joseph Uzoaru suggests the city take steps to fence off such properties while efforts are made to have the property owner repair the building, tear it down or ultimately have the city condemn and raze the structure...

Cape Girardeau officials have reached a consensus: The city needs more police officers. "It's a consensus that's been growing over the past couple of years," Ward 6 Councilman Wayne Bowen said. "We have 100,000 people here in the day. We always need to look ahead. It's the whole council moving this direction."...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- The Advance boys basketball team remembered how Scott City jumped ahead early a year ago and rode that fast start to a victory. This time around, it decided to do something about it. The Hornets found themselves in a 17-11 hole after one quarter, but pummeled the Rams with their signature press defense in the second quarter to spark a 21-1 run and vault to a 61-40 victory for a little revenge Tuesday night...

The Tigers assisted with the sandbagging in the Red Star District.

The Crusaders advanced with a dominating 61-20 victory.

The second-seeded Eagles improved to 9-0 with a 70-49 victory over the Bravettes.

Federal marshals arrested Cape Girardeau convenience store co-owner Patrick Buck, 45, on Tuesday on five felony charges of unauthorized use of food-stamp benefits. The Cape Girardeau man, who co-owned the now-closed B&H Convenience Store at 1021 Bloomfield Road, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Cape Girardeau on Dec. 17, but the charges were not publicly disclosed until he was arrested, federal officials said...

Schnucks' employees donated $17,725 to United Way of Southeast Missouri's 2015 campaign.

First State Community Bank employees donated $5,167.20 to United Way of Southeast Missouri's 2015 campaign.

Isle Casino Cape Girardeau employees donated $12,167 to United Way of Southeast Missouri's 2015 campaign.

Old Town Cape employees donated $1,000 to United Way of Southeast Missouri's 2015 campaign.

Employees and students of Clippard Elementary donated $2,380.90 to United Way of Southeast Missouri's 2015 campaign.

Today in History Today is Wednesday, Jan. 6, the sixth day of 2016. There are 360 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 6, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his State of the Union address, outlined a goal of "Four Freedoms": Freedom of speech and expression; the freedom of people to worship God in their own way; freedom from want; freedom from fear...

It's 2016 -- let the games begin! What a perfect political storm we have brewing in this pivotal year. First, we have a lame-duck president determined to seal whatever legacy remains and push through with executive orders the wish list of progressive causes he has championed since his community organizing days...

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- A former South Carolina policeman charged with murder in the shooting death of an unarmed black motorist will remain under house arrest until his trial begins in the fall. About two dozen civil-rights activists gathered outside the jail Tuesday in North Charleston to protest his release on bond...

LAS VEGAS -- For years, TV makers have focused on making pictures sharper by squeezing more pixels onto screens. Now their attention is shifting to improving the way sets display color, with a newish technology called HDR taking center stage. HDR, or high dynamic range, promises brighter whites, darker blacks, and a richer range of colors -- at least when you're watching the few select movie titles released in the format. ...

HOOKSETT, N.H. -- Republican presidential hopefuls called for a more compassionate discussion around drug addiction Tuesday, with emphasis on substance abuse as a curable disease, not a moral failing. "This is a national calling," former Florida governor Jeb Bush said at the New Hampshire Forum on Addiction and the Heroin Epidemic. "We should be able to talk about this without all the stigma attached to it. We need to eliminate the stigma."...

BURNS, Ore. -- A leader of the small, armed group that is occupying a remote national wildlife preserve in Oregon said Tuesday they will go home when a plan is in place to turn over management of federal lands to locals. Ammon Bundy said at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge that ranchers, loggers and farmers should have control of federal land -- a common refrain in a decades-long fight over public lands in the West...

BEIRUT -- Pro-government fighters recently evacuated from two besieged villages in northern Syria described harsh conditions there with scarce food and medicine, saying some residents are eating grass to survive and undergoing surgery without anesthesia...

BAGHDAD -- While many Iraqi Shiites took to the streets in outrage over Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric, the country's prime minister walked a more cautious line, trying to contain Iraq's own sectarian tensions. The execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr has inflamed the sectarian divide across the region. Shiite-led Iran has been the most vocal in its condemnation, and protesters stormed Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran over the weekend...

LONDON -- Robert Stigwood, the impresario who managed the Bee Gees and produced 1970s blockbusters "Grease" and "Saturday Night Fever," has died. He was 81. Stigwood's office said he died Monday. The cause of death was not announced. Born in Adelaide, Australia in 1934, Stigwood moved to Britain in the 1950s and soon became an astute player in Britain's rock-music industry...

INDIO, Calif. -- L.A. rockers Guns N' Roses will headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, along with Calvin Harris and LCD Soundsystem. Passes for the two-weekend festival in Indio on April 15 to 17 and April 22 to 24 go on sale today...

WASHINGTON -- In his blueprint for a stronger Navy, the sea service's new top boss, Adm. John M. Richardson, is blunt about what he thinks matters most: nuclear punch. Battling terrorists is today's problem, but in looking toward a farther horizon, Richardson wants a Navy built to counter unpredictable future threats from other countries...

WASHINGTON -- One U.S. service member was killed, and two were wounded in hourslong fighting Tuesday in southern Afghanistan, where Taliban insurgents have made recent inroads. The fighting, which reflects efforts by the U.S. and its Afghan partners to push back against Taliban gains, was near the city of Marja, Helmand province, that shares a border with Pakistan. ...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's move to tighten controls on guns could curb the unregulated buying and selling of weapons over the Internet and at gun shows. But the overall effect on violence in the U.S. could prove to be modest. "It's not ever going to be difficult to get a firearm, just like it's not ever going to be difficult to get illegal drugs," said James Jacobs, a New York University law school professor. ...

James R. Brickler of Cape Girardeau has been presented the Lutheran Living Faith Emblem at St. Andrew Lutheran Church; Brickler, 13, is the son of James Brickler and Mr. and Mrs. Jack Mehner; he is a member of Boy Scout Troop 2. Christ Episcopal and St. Mark Lutheran churches hold a joint celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany at Christ Church in the morning; Craig L. Nessan, pastor of St. Mark, preaches, and the Rev. Charles F. Brumbaugh, rector of Christ Episcopal, celebrates Holy Communion...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri legislator has filed a bill to reverse the 2011 merger of the state's water patrol division and the highway patrol. State Rep. Diane Franklin argued separating the two divisions would restore the public's trust in the water patrol and improve public safety on Missouri waterways...

ST. LOUIS -- A Bosnian immigrant formerly from Illinois was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison for giving money in support of the Islamic State and al-Qaida, despite her attorney's plea she is by no means a terrorist. Jasminka Ramic pleaded guilty in September to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists. She was sentenced in U.S. District Court in St. Louis...

ST. LOUIS -- Proposed Missouri legislation announced Tuesday would seek to reduce policing bias against blacks by expanding police reporting requirements beyond vehicle stops to include ones involving pedestrians. The measure, sponsored by Democratic Sen. ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Veronica Tate knew from the stench sewage was among the 8 feet of water that swamped the basement of her ranch-style home after the nearby Meramec River overflowed. The larger concern for residents of her suburban St. Louis neighborhood is the unknown of what else the noxious blend might have contained...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said the state's temporary tax amnesty program will bring in $35 million this year. Nixon announced the revenue figures Tuesday, a day before lawmakers are to convene for their annual session. Last year, lawmakers had assumed giving taxpayers three months to pay delinquent taxes without penalties would bring in about twice that amount. ...

A Scott City woman was arrested Thursday after allegedly failing three field sobriety tests, and she also was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute when 249 pills were found in her possession. Morley, Missouri, police chief Austin Kight stopped Lisa Diane Walls, 49, for crossing the fog line several times as she was driving, Kight wrote in a probable-cause report...

As floodwaters slowly begin to recede, we again see how local investments in flood protection have shown their worth. Though the Mississippi River crested at a record 48.86 feet Friday night, beating the 1993 record of 48.49 feet, downtown Cape Girardeau was protected by its 51-year-old floodwall...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- An agriculture leadership group at the University of Missouri is made up of all female students for the first time, reflecting a slow but steady shift in the industry. Thirteen students were selected in December as the first all-female group of Dickinson Scholars, the Columbia Missourian reported. The university's College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources pairs the students with Kansas City agribusinesses to give them an immersive experience...

Eleanor Lorraine Roderick, 87, of Jackson died Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Friends may call from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with Dr. Brian Anderson and David Roderick officiating...

Daughter to Brett Michael and Heather Marie Lamont of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 6:36 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, 2015. Name, Alaina Kade. Weight, 7 pounds. Second daughter. Mrs. Lamont is the former Heather Owen, daughter of Amy Overbeck and Jeff Overbeck, both of Cape Girardeau. Lamont is the son of Wendy Lamont and Mark Lamont, both of Cape Girardeau...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Travis C. Rhodes, 21, 824 Strawberry Lane, was arrested on a Jackson warrant for failure to appear for operating a motor vehicle without a license, careless and imprudent driving and leaving the scene of an accident...

* Medical assists at 5:56 a.m. on South Park Street; 6:25 a.m. on North Sprigg Street; 8:13 a.m. on South Silver Springs Road; 8:16 a.m. on South West End Boulevard; 8:35 a.m. on South Hanover Street; 9:27 a.m. on Redbud Drive; 11:19 a.m. on North Kingshighway; 1:41 p.m. on Bertling Street; 2:46 p.m. on Gordonville Road; 2:59 p.m. on Jefferson Street; 3:43 p.m. on Independence Street; 4:58 p.m. on Whitener Street; 7:07 p.m. on North Main Street; and 8:15 p.m. on North Pind Wood Drive...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Stephanie N. Pirchard, 24, of Morehouse, Missouri, was arrested on a Cape Girardeau warrant for a probation violation. n A suspect was in custody pending formal charges of burglary and theft...

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea said today it had conducted a hydrogen bomb test, a defiant and surprising move, if confirmed, would put Pyongyang a big step closer to improving its still-limited nuclear arsenal. A television anchor read a typically propaganda-heavy statement on state TV that said North Korea had tested a "miniaturized" hydrogen bomb, elevating the country's "nuclear might to the next level" and providing it with a weapon to defend against the United States and its other enemies.. ...

Officials with the city of Cape Girardeau are warning of a scam where potential criminals are masking their phone number to appear to be calling from the city to obtain personal banking information. The alleged scam occurs when a person on the phone asks questions about a city utility account, according to a news release...

Police have accused a Marble Hill, Missouri, man of grooming a 4-year-old for sex. Timmy Ray James, 56, was charged with felony sexual misconduct with a child by indecent exposure. James was arrested Tuesday by the Bollinger County Sheriff's Department...

Hope Thompson, 49, of Sedgewickville, Missouri, was killed Monday when the car her daughter was driving struck a deer on Highway 72, three miles east of Patton, Missouri. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the deer crashed through the windshield of the 2012 Nissan Sentra driven by Rhiannon Thompson, 16, of Sedgewickville, striking both occupants. Hope Thompson was pronounced dead at the scene...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A convicted felon who allegedly broke the law in front of a Poplar Bluff police officer is in jail on charges that include child endangerment, the Daily American Republic reported. James O. Johnson, 49, of Poplar Bluff allegedly fired a rifle in the air at 12:01 a.m. ...

DETROIT -- A teen accused of robbing a bank didn't have a good getaway plan. Police said a teller at a Chase bank activated electronic locks Monday, trapping the 15-year-old boy between a set of doors on his way out. He was arrested when officers arrived. Officer Dan Donakowski said the teen had threatened to use a bomb if the teller didn't give him money. Police don't believe he had a weapon...

DETROIT -- Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency in Flint over problems with lead in the city's drinking water, the same day federal officials confirmed they're investigating the matter that prompted a local public-health emergency. ...

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

O Lord, may we be careful how we live -- not as unwise but as wise. Amen.

Kiley Wicker never expected her "five-minute poem" to be read by others, let alone be published in The America Library of Poetry's national student poetry collection, this year titled "Eloquence." Wicker, a 17-year-old junior at Delta High School, was writing in her free time during class one day when her teacher asked if she wanted to submit a piece to a national poetry contest...

ST. LOUIS -- Calling their hometown market economically stagnant and plans for a billion-dollar new stadium a recipe for financial disaster, the St. Louis Rams on Wednesday released a withering list of reasons they want to leave for Southern California that brought immediate condemnation from the governor and fans alike...

No one was injured in a house fire at 803 Themis St. reported at 8:55 p.m. Wednesday. Although there was heavy smoke in the attic, the three occupants of the large house were able to exit the residence before firefighters arrived. Battalion chief Mark Starnes said the fire started in the attic, and it did not seem suspicious...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Christopher H. Simpkins, 44, of Cairo pleaded guilty to a charge of first-degree murder Wednesday in Alexander County Circuit Court for the beating death of a woman in her apartment. Simpkins agreed to an open plea agreement with Alexander County state's attorney Zachary Gowin the state will cap its recommended sentence at 30 years. The other charges were dropped. Simpkins could face up 60 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections and a fine of $25,000...

A proposed residential development along Hawthorne Road in Cape Girardeau has sparked opposition from neighbors who worry stormwater runoff could flood their backyards. Developer Gary Arnold insists properties along Sharon Drive, which backs up to the development site, sit at a higher elevation...

Cheryl Reinagel of Kelso, Mo., along with some friends, sold homemade caramels to raise money for Pink Up at Saint Francis Medical Center, which provides mammograms for women who otherwise could not afford them. The group sold more than 4,200 caramels and raised $1,400 to help women detect breast cancer earlier!...

Dr. Matthew Karshner-Inpatient Rehabilitation/Physiatry will be speaking to the Brain Injury & Stroke Resource Group February 1, 2016 at 6:00 pm. at the Cape Girardeau Public Library in the Geraldine Room. Dr. Matthew Karshner will be speaking on Botox; and the benefits for spasticity. ...

High School students from around the region in grades 11 and 12 will be exhibiting their work in Sculpture, Ceramics, Printmaking, Mixed Media, Photography, Fibers, Drawing, and Painting at the Southeast Missouri State University 38th Annual High School Art Exhibition from Feb. ...

Art Educators throughout the region will be exhibiting their artwork in the Art Educators Exhibition from Feb. 7-25, 2016 at the Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus Art Gallery. An opening reception will be held Feb. 5 from 5-7 p.m. and Feb. 7 from 12-2 p.m...

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team has had its fair share of offensive outbursts during coach Rekha Patterson's first year at the helm, but no one in the Ohio Valley Conference has scored like the Redhawks' latest opponent. Southeast (9-6, 2-0 OVC) will face the conference's top scoring and stealing team in Morehead State. Tip-off is set for 7:15 p.m. at Johnson Arena in Morehead, Kentucky. Southeast remains on the road for a game at Eastern Kentucky at 3 p.m. Saturday...

Take the Tennessee State men's basketball team that defeated Southeast Missouri State on Saturday and kick the intensity up a few notches, and you'll get the Morehead State squad that hosts the Redhawks tonight, according to Southeast coach Rick Ray...

Today in History Today is Thursday, Jan. 7, the seventh day of 2016. There are 359 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 7, 1789, America held its first presidential election as voters chose electors who, a month later, selected George Washington to be the nation's first chief executive...

LANSING, Mich. -- Detroit needs more than a revitalized downtown with new office workers to spur its rebirth following the largest public bankruptcy in U.S. history. It needs to upgrade a public school system that's considered the worst of its size in the nation...

James Haltmar of the stormwater division of Cape Girardeau Public Works Department updates the river-gauge sign outside the Merriwether Street pumping station Wednesday in downtown Cape Girardeau. The Mississippi River continues to drop after cresting Friday at 48.86 feet...

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are fighting for the favor of many of the same undecided voters across Iowa, where even some of the most attentive Republicans said they can't make up their minds less than four weeks before voting begins...

Eleanor Lorraine Roderick, 87, of Jackson passed away Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 16, 1928, in Licking, Missouri, daughter of Louis and Lenora Elmore Slaughter. She and Lee Roderick were married July 30, 1948. He passed away Aug. 8, 2013...

Martin Wilhelm "Marty" Wachter, 74, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Old Appleton, passed away Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 1, 1941, in New Wells, the son of Otto O. "Chip" and Lillian Haertling Wachter. He and Agnes Thomas were married June 4, 1966, in Uniontown, Missouri...

Annie Inez Owen, 97, of Scott City died Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 15, 1918, in Berkley, Kentucky, to Orion Lendal and Laura Isabel Morland Brock. She married James Franklin Owen on Dec. 3, 1939. He preceded her in death Feb. 19, 1989...

After 53 years in business, "Miss Jane" Barnett is winding things down at the Co-op Drug and Sundry Shop in downtown Cape Girardeau. The late Elaine "Tommie" Davis opened the business Oct. 18, 1933, and Barnett joined the operation in 1938. Barnett, 82, will close this month...

Cape Girardeau County Commission 1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Approval of minutes n Minutes of the Jan. 4 meeting Communications/reports -- other elected officials n None at this time Public comments n Items listed on the agenda Routine business...

LAS VEGAS -- The top executive of the Volkswagen brand worldwide says he's optimistic U.S. environmental regulators will approve fixes within the coming weeks or months for diesel engines that cheat on emissions tests. Brand CEO Herbert Diess said Tuesday night at the CES gadget show in Las Vegas the company is having constructive discussions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board...

NEW YORK -- Chipotle reported a sales plunge of 30 percent for December after a series of food scares at its restaurants and disclosed that a federal criminal investigation tied to the sickening of customers has begun. The company said in a regulatory filing it was asked to produce a broad range of documents tied to a norovirus outbreak this summer at its restaurant in Simi Valley, California, but declined to provide further details...

McLEAN, Va. -- An Arizona congresswoman filed legislation Wednesday to ensure a group of female World War II pilots can have their ashes laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. The pilots known as Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs, flew military aircraft in noncombat roles during wartime to free up male pilots for combat...

LOS ANGELES -- The hillside above the California home of Wayne Socha had held firm against thunderstorms over the past three decades. But after a wildfire two years ago stripped away vegetation and loosened soil, he feared the strong El Nino storms pounding the state could bring it all down...

ST. LOUIS -- James Laurinaitis needs some time, well lots of time, to process the St. Louis Rams' latest underwhelming season. The recovery stages: First there's the Super Bowl, then free agency followed by the draft and OTAs. Finally, during the month or so gap prior to training camp, the veteran middle linebacker believes all of the shortcomings will cease bothering him...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams will not renew contracts of five assistant coaches including Jeff Garcia, who lasted one year as an offensive assistant. Others who won't be back are wide receivers coach Ray Sherman, running backs coach Ben Sirmans, assistant strength and conditioning coach Adam Bailey and assistant special teams coach Paul F. Boudreau...

Shortly after Southeast Missouri State hitting coach Dillon Lawson was offered the same position with the Tri-City Valleycats of the Houston Astros organization, he called up former Redhawks' pitcher Alex Winkelman. Winkelman, who was drafted by the Astros in the 21st round of last year's MLB Draft, was promoted to the Class-A Valleycats during his first professional season...

ATHENS, Ga. -- When Missouri shifted more defensive attention to Yante Maten, Georgia's outside shooters filled the scoring void. J.J. Frazier scored 16 points to lead Georgia's strong 3-point attack and the Bulldogs beat Missouri 77-59 on Wednesday night for their first Southeastern Conference win...

All scores were reported to the Southeast Missourian on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON -- Monsanto said Wednesday it will eliminate another 1,000 jobs as it expands a cost-cutting plan designed to deal with falling sales of biotech-corn seeds and other financial headwinds. The additional layoffs will bring the agriculture giant's total planned cuts to 3,600 jobs over the next two years, or about 16 percent of its global workforce. In October, the company first announced the restructuring plan, intended to streamline its sales, R&D and other operations...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- University of Missouri faculty members have come out in support of a University of Missouri assistant communications professor who drew criticism for trying to stop a photographer from taking pictures during campus protests in November...

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration has a vision for Syrian leader Bashar Assad's departure. Even if it works, the president won't be around to see the plan through. An internal U.S. timeline for a best-case Syrian political transition, obtained by The Associated Press, sets a date of March 2017 for Assad to "relinquish" his position as president and for his "inner circle" to depart...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri lawmakers arrived at the Capitol on Wednesday to start the 2016 session. Here are some of the top issues to watch: Proposals so far in the GOP-led Legislature include a ban on fetal tissue donation from abortions, which comes amid a backlash over undercover videos released last summer showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing the transfer of aborted fetal body parts...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri lawmakers opened the 2016 session under new leadership Wednesday and saw a relatively quiet start after a tumultuous end to last year's session. House Speaker Todd Richardson, who took the helm after John Diehl admitted to exchanging sexually suggestive texts with an intern and resigned on the last day of the 2015 session, said changes to the Legislature's ethics policies are a top priority...

WASHINGTON -- A major pesticide harms honeybees when used on cotton and citrus but not on other big crops such as corn, berries and tobacco, the Environmental Protection Agency found. It's the first scientific risk assessment of the much-debated class of pesticides called neonicotinoids and how they affect bees on a long-term basis. The EPA found in some cases, the chemical didn't harm bees or their hives. In other cases, it posed a significant risk...

LONDON -- The heir to the heir to the heir to the British throne has taken a big step up the educational ladder. Kensington Palace said Prince George started nursery school Wednesday, a milestone for the young future king. Prince William and his wife, Kate, marked the occasion by releasing two photographs of 2 1/2-year-old George outside the school building. Kate took the photos showing George in a blue jacket with a backpack...

WASHINGTON -- The GOP-led Congress sent legislation to President Barack Obama on Wednesday repealing his signature health law, fulfilling a promise to Republican voters in a presidential election year but inviting a certain veto. The nearly party-line vote in the House was 240-181. The legislation passed the Senate last year under special rules protecting it from Democratic obstruction, so it goes straight to the White House...

SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea's declaration it had tested a hydrogen bomb for the first time was greeted with widespread condemnation -- and skepticism -- as world powers vowed Wednesday to punish the impoverished and defiant nation with new international sanctions...

HEMPSTEAD, Texas -- A Texas state trooper who arrested Sandra Bland after a contentious traffic stop last summer was fired Wednesday after being charged with perjury for allegedly lying about his confrontation with the black woman who died three days later in jail...

BURNS, Ore. -- The leader of an American Indian tribe that regards an Oregon nature preserve as sacred issued a rebuke Wednesday to the armed men who are occupying the property, saying they are not welcome at the snowy bird sanctuary and must leave...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- In an effort to increase revenue to better serve the community, the Leopold Fire Department has petitioned to become a fire-protection district. Voters will decide whether to create the district in the April 5 election. Alan Beussink, attorney for the fire department, said once the district is formed, it will be tax-supported. Currently, about 300 residents pay a yearly fee of $40 for fire protection, bringing from $10,000 to $14,000 a year, according to fire chief Chris Brown...

Martin Luther King Day is Jan. 18, and many events have been planned in Cape Girardeau to celebrate the civil-rights leader's legacy. The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Citywide Celebration Committee has scheduled several events Jan. 18, as well as events on the days leading up to it...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- The Marble Hill Board of Aldermen picked Don James of Marble Hill as its new city administrator. Mayor Nick Hendricks announced the choice Tuesday, stating James' appointment will be made official at the next meeting of the aldermen Jan. 11...

This will be a big year for politics. There will be plenty of opportunities to hear from local, state and national candidates on the issues. We encourage you to take time to sift through the noise, understand the issues and decide who should be elected to public office...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said he believes small increases in fuel taxes are the best way to raise money for roads and bridges. At a Jefferson City news conference Tuesday, Nixon said he favors a bill from Poplar Bluff Republican Sen. ...

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- The man who bought the rifles used in the San Bernardino attack pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges in a federal indictment accusing him of conspiring with one of the shooters and providing material support to terrorists. Enrique Marquez Jr., 24, appeared in federal court in Riverside with his hands and feet shackled. ...

ORANGE, Mass. -- It was a scene right out of an episode of "Lassie." Police said a dog approached an officer Tuesday barking frantically, then led the officer across a field and down an icy, 30-foot embankment, where the dog's canine companion had become entangled in undergrowth. Firefighters used a ladder to free the trapped dog. The two dogs had run off hours earlier when their owner suffered a medical emergency at her home and was taken to the hospital...

Madison LeGrand of Friedheim, Missouri, and Sarah Wichern and Joseph Jeffers of Jackson were awarded the Regents' Scholarship to assist with the cost of attendance at Southeast Missouri State University next fall. LeGrand will be a 2016 graduate of Oak Ridge Senior High School, Wichern will be a 2016 graduate of Saxony Lutheran High School, and Jeffers will be a 2016 graduate of Jackson High School. ...

n Neodymium magnet n U.S. dollar bill n STEP 1: Hold the dollar bill so it hangs freely from your fingers. n STEP 2: Search for a place on the dollar bill that has a lot of ink. Bring the neodymium magnet close to the dollar bill and observe. Explain how a neodymium magnet could be used to detect counterfeit money...

ULLIN, Ill. -- George Bell, 98, of Ullin died Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, at the Union County Hospital in Anna, Illinois. Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at Massie Funeral Home in Mounds, Illinois. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home...

Orville James Meyer, 71, of Scott City died Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Jan. 16 at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Chapel in Cape Girardeau.

Terrel Orlando Long, 95, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, at his home. Arrangements are pending at McCombs Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Andrea D. Jones, 58, of rural Cairo died Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be held from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday in the Meridian (Illinois) High School gymnasium. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in the gymnasium...

MCCLURE, Ill. -- Jimmie H. Baker, 61, of McClure died Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. There will be a graveside service at McCrite Cemetery in Tamms, Illinois, at a later date. Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements...

HIGHLAND, Ill. -- Charles G. "Charlie" Huffman of Highland died Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Highland. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Sprengel-Boulanger Funeral Home in Highland. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday...

Russel Milton Burden, 58, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, at his home. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Allenville Baptist Church in Allenville. Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill, Missouri, is in charge of arrangements...

Jeff Franklin Hale, 54, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of New Madrid, Sikeston and Dexter, Missouri, died Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016 at his home. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Blanchard Funeral Chapel in Sikeston. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. at the chapel...

Jackson The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrest n Robert D. Taylor, 32, of Cape Girardeau was arrested on a parole and probation warrant. Theft n Theft was reported in the 600 block of West Main Street...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n A 15-year-old girl was taken into custody on suspicion of assault and resisting arrest. n Patrick L. Buck Sr., 45, 1108 S. Sprigg St., was arrested on a federal warrant for transfer or unauthorized use of food stamps...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Tuesday: n Medical assists were made at 4:10 a.m. on Linden Street; 9:38 a.m. on Gordonville Road; 9:57 a.m. on Whitener Street; 1:40 p.m. on Sheridan Street; 2:48 p.m. on North Ellis Street; 2:59 p.m. on South Kingshighway; 3:27 p.m. on Dearmore Street; 3:38 p.m. on South Mount Auburn Road; 4:14 p.m. on Themis Street; and 5:16 p.m. on William Street...

On January 4, 2016, the Southeast Missourian reprinted a column by William A. Galston previously published in the Wall Street Journal. In the column, Galston asks the question, "Are We a Nation Driven by Fear or Courage." Galston gives examples of fear causing the acceptance of bad decisions in democracies, and he writes, "our society and our politics is increasingly decoupled from facts. We prefer to take our bearings from our sentiments -- often the least honorable ones."...

O Lord God, we praise you and lift your name on high. Amen.

Two members of the Southeast Missouri State football staff will not return next season. Sherard Poteete is out as the Redhawks' offensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach Melvin Rice Jr. is taking the same position at Southern Illinois. Poteete served as OC on coach Tom Matukewicz's staff for his first two seasons at the helm...

A veteran, top-seeded Crusaders squad went on a 17-0 first-half run, holding the second-seeded Eagles without a point for a stretch of seven and a half minutes, and controlled the title game nearly from the opening tip, defeating Oran 52-30.

WASHINGTON -- Some Americans may not have to cut back on eggs and salt as much as they once thought. And eating lean meat is still OK. But watch the added sugars -- especially the sugary drinks. The Obama administration's new dietary guidelines, released Thursday, back off the strictest sodium rules included in the last version while still asserting Americans consume too much salt. The guidelines reverse previous guidance on the dangers of dietary cholesterol and add strict new advice on sugars...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Linda Harris had lost hope of ever seeing her daughter out of prison. A life sentence without the possibility of parole is pretty definitive. But a U.S. Supreme Court decision -- one with which Missouri lawmakers are working to comply -- could mean new hope for prisoners like Harris' daughter who were convicted of first-degree murder as minors...

JONESBORO, Ark. -- Scott Ellington, prosecuting attorney for the Second Judicial District of Arkansas, announced Thursday his office is filing charges in the Arkansas State University active shooter case that gained national attention and shut down the campus during finals week...

A Cape Girardeau man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of threatening to kill multiple residents with a machete. Darrell G. Parrott, 54, was charged with felony unlawful use of a weapon, according to public-information officer Richard McCall of the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

Two suspects were arrested Wednesday after they returned to the scene of a recent burglary, the Scott County Sheriff's Department reported. James H. Daniels II, 31, of Bell City, Missouri, and Grant Daniels, 26, of Benton, Missouri, were charged with two counts each of second-degree burglary, theft and property damage...

Samuel McMahan cushions the harness around the model Tyrannosaurus rex before it is hoisted in the air to attach the legs to the base Thursday in preparation for the Jurassic Quest show at the Show Me Center. Jurassic Quest features over 50 life-size dinosaurs, some of which are animatronic. The show runs from 3 to 8 p.m. today, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday...

Alexander County, Illinois, Sheriff Tim Brown knocked on wood, thankful that so far, he had not received a single theft report due to flooding in his county. He's not out of the woods yet, with the Mississippi River receding and floodwaters still in many places in rural Alexander County. And there were reports of theft after the flood in 2011...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri bill proposed this week would require lobbyists to report sexual relationships they have with lawmakers or their staff, a change the sponsor said would promote transparency. The bill by Rep. Bart Korman, a High Hill Republican, would define those sexual relations as "gifts," which now include presents to lawmakers from lobbyists and must be regularly reported to the Missouri Ethics Commission...

Those affected by flooding in Cape Girardeau and north Scott counties will have a chance today to get in touch with resources that can help. Community partners will host a Multi-Agency Resource Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at the Salvation Army, 701 Good Hope St. in Cape Girardeau...

Missouri driver's licenses are scheduled to be made unusable for "official federal purposes" Monday, but the change may not be implemented immediately. Missouri is among several states that have made headlines in recent weeks regarding the legitimacy of their state-issued driver's licenses after provisions of certain anti-terrorism legislation threatened to nullify them for federal use...

The city of Cape Girardeau can move ahead with extension of an outer road now that court-appointed commissioners have settled on how much the city should pay for purchase of land from state Rep. Kathy Swan and her husband, Reg. The three commissioners determined the city should pay $67,200 for acquisition of just over three acres located in Ashland Hills Estates subdivision, west of Kage Road...

Mingle with the cast of "On the Town" and get a sneak peak of this upcoming musical while helping send Southeast Missouri State University senior theatre and dance students to New York City. The Department of Theatre and Dance's Extravaganza will be Thursday, Jan. 28, at the Isle Casino Cape Girardeau...

Madison county resident Jonathan Shell Has decided to run for Missouri's 8th District U.S. Representative on the Libertarian party ticket.Not taking any donations, and running an internet campaign based on and from the website www.shell4congress.com...

While driving an viewing the devastation of the 2016 flood in Cape Girardeau, we came across this sign on N. Water Street. So sorry for all those who had water damage and loss of personal property.

I took this at sundown at Pewaukee Lake, Wisconsin, this past week, when we went with our daughter Debbie and Carroll, to visit our daughter Karla and David, and family. There was about six inches of snow on the ground.

Laura Ernst of Perryville, Mo., has lost more than half her body weight since starting the HMR program with The Healthy Weigh at Saint Francis Medical Center in June 2014. She went from a size 32 to a size 4 and dropped 166 pounds through diet and exercise alone, no surgery!...

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The tone was set for the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team just four minutes into Thursday night's road game against Morehead State. The Redhawks scored the first basket of the game 41 seconds in and then didn't score again for the next 4 minutes, 15 seconds as they were stifled by the Eagles' defense...

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The thought crossed the mind of Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach Rekha Patterson in the closing seconds of her team's road game against Morehead State on Thursday night. Even 20 minutes later, as she stood courtside at Johnson Arena where her team had just come back to knock off the Eagles 89-79, the question was still in her head...

The game plan was simple for the Poplar Bluff girls basketball team. The Mules wanted to impose their will early and often, and that's exactly what they did to pick up a SEMO Conference road win on Thursday. Poplar Bluff's Megan Knuckles scored a game-high 25 points, Autumn Dodd added 21 points and the Mules withstood Cape Central's late comeback in a 61-49 win at Cape Central High School...

Today in History Today is Friday, Jan. 8, the eighth day of 2016. There are 358 days left in the year. Today's Highlights in History: On Jan. 8, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson outlined his Fourteen Points for lasting peace after World War I. Mississippi became the first state to ratify the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which established Prohibition...

PARIS -- A man wearing a fake explosives vest and wielding a butcher knife was shot to death by police outside a Paris police station Thursday, jolting an already anxious French capital with a new dose of fear as the nation grimly marked a year of terror that started with the newsroom massacre at the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine...

SEOUL, South Korea -- In response to North Korea's latest nuclear test, South Korea on Thursday announced it would resume cross-border propaganda broadcasts Pyongyang considers an act of war. Seoul also began talks with Washington that could see the arrival of nuclear-powered U.S. submarines and warplanes to the Korean Peninsula...

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran on Thursday accused a Saudi-led coalition of hitting its embassy in Yemen in an airstrike, and even though no damage was visible on the building from the outside, the allegation highlighted how the two countries' standoff could endanger the greater Middle East...

Fifty-two Naval reservists, members of a fleet hospital unit, left the Naval Reserve Center here for St. Louis by chartered bus yesterday; they are scheduled to catch a flight to Fort Dix, New Jersey, en route to deployment in the Persian Gulf; another 38 reservists, members of a Seabees group based at the reserve center here, are being activated for Operation Desert Shield...

Daughter to Jared and Sarah Sugden of Marthasville, Missouri, at Mercy Hospital, Washington, Missouri, 12:39 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015. Name, Yvette Rose. Weight, 6 pounds, 15 ounces. Second child, first daughter. Mrs. Sugden is the former Sarah Marie Cook, daughter of Kenneth and Diane Cook of Chaffee, Missouri. Sugden is the son of Brent and Teresa Sugden of Argenta, Illinois. He is employed by Fricke's Meats...

JACKSON The Jackson Fire Department responded to the following calls: Tuesday: * Emergency medical service on Highland Drive. Wednesday: * An alarm on North Shawnee Parkway. * A fire alarm on Travelers Way.

Good morning, and happy 2016. Yes, it's a brand-new year (minus one week), and this seems like a most appropriate time (emphasis on "time") to discuss one of my favorite topics: Daylight saving time. Currently, we are not observing DST. We call this winter. ...

Radio pioneer and Cape Girardeau native Jerome Zimmer, founder of Zimmer Broadcasting, will be honored later this year as an inductee to the Missouri Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Zimmer began his first station with a partner in 1956 in Dexter, Missouri. His career spanned many decades, and at the time of his death in 2003, the company owned 32 stations in Missouri, Illinois and Kansas...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Bobby J. Skaggs III, 19, 697 Eastview Court, was arrested on suspicion of being a minor in possession of alcohol. n Bobby J. Skaggs III, 19, of Jackson was issued summonses for operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, failure to maintain insurance and displaying plates of another vehicle...

* Medical assists at 6:41 a.m. on South Hanover Street; 10:40 a.m. on South Lorimier Street; 10:50 a.m. on Westwood Drive; 11:56 p.m. on North Kingshighway; 1:05 p.m. on North Street; 1:12 p.m. on Longview Street; 2:07 p.m. on Keller Street; and 4:02 p.m. on South Park Street...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Misty L. Robinson, 28, 426 N. Frederick St., was arrested on two Cape Girardeau warrants for property damage and assault. n Russell J. Morgan, 43, of Scott City was arrested on suspicion of theft at Wal-Mart, 3439 William St...

Even if Donald Trump or Ted Cruz don't win the presidency, Trumpism is here to stay and that, my friends, may some day soon spell the end of our republic. I hope there are enough eyebrows raised to cut this action off at the knees as Barack Obama gets ready to use his executive order to attack our right to bear arms. ...

We live in a home on a hill in a rural subdivision of Cape Girardeau. About two or three times in the last 10 years one of the exits from the subdivision was blocked by the rising Mississippi river flooding. In the first week of 2016 both of the exits were eventually blocked by historic flooding...

SEDGEWICKVILLE, Mo. -- Hope Angelina Thompson, 49, of Sedgewickville died Monday, Jan. 4, 2016. Friends may call from 11 a.m. until time of service Saturday at Liley Funeral Home in Patton, Missouri. The funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will follow in the Garden of Memories near Sedgewickville...

Morna Mildred Mills Jordan, 90, died peacefully Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016, at The Arbors at Auburn Creek in Cape Girardeau. Morna was born May 14, 1925, in Burrton, Kansas, with her twin brother, Merle. She was raised by her parents, Percy and Doris Vansickle Mills, on an acreage outside of Burrton, where she attended high school with her three brothers and one sister. While attending Phillips University, she met Robert Ray Jordan, whom she married Aug. 24, 1947...

Wesley R. DuPerier, 74, passed away peacefully Monday, Jan. 4, 2016. Wes retired as owner of Hearing Aid Centers in El Dorado, Kansas, after 38 years in the hearing-aid business. Wes was a natural at everything he loved, especially golf, and competed in tournaments all over the country...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- William Riley Caldwell, 93, died Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, at home in Albuquerque. He was born May 4, 1922, in Sikeston, Missouri, to Elmer R. Caldwell and Thelma Camille Brooks. He married Mary Lou Thomas in 1944, and they were blessed with 71 years together...

Johanna Broshuis, 94, of Jackson passed away Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016, at the Monticello House in Jackson. One of six children, she was born Nov. 29, 1921, in Leopold, Missouri, the daughter of Robert George and Hannah Lenderink Holzum. She and Bernard J. Broshuis were married Feb. 27, 1943, in Guardian Angel Catholic Church in St. Louis. They had been married nearly 61 years when he passed away Nov. 7, 2003...

LOS ANGELES -- "The Meredith Vieira Show" is ending after two seasons. In a statement Monday, Vieira said she was sorry to see her daytime talk show wrap and thanked her viewers. Vieira's syndicated program failed to get ratings traction in the competitive daytime arena ruled by shows including "Dr. Phil," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and "Live With Kelly and Michael."...

NEW YORK -- Those in Hollywood looking to broaden the red-carpet conversation beyond the inevitable "Who are you wearing?" have a powerful new ally: beauty giant L'Oreal Paris. The company is promoting use of the hashtag "WorthSaying" on Twitter during Sunday's Golden Globe Awards and will break out the best posts for use in digital advertising...

LOS ANGELES -- Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall" is being reissued with a new Spike Lee documentary about the hallmark 1979 album. Jackson's estate and publisher Sony Music are re-releasing the 36-year-old album Feb. 26 with a DVD of the film "Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to 'Off the Wall.'"...

Jurassic Quest will be at the Show Me Center this weekend. Open from 3 to 8 p.m. today, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, the dinosaur-themed adventure exhibit will feature more than 50 realistic, life-size animatronic dinosaurs. ...

(Submitted by Kelsey Lee Thompson) 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!

Southeast Missouri State gymnastics coach Kristi Ewasko answers with an emphatic, "Absolutely," when asked if the goal remains to have the Redhawks' team qualify for an NCAA regional rather than individuals. That goal hasn't changed, and Ewasko's confidence that her team can do it hasn't changed...

MEDFORD, Ore. -- This is a dirty job one Discovery Channel star wouldn't do. Fans of the TV show "Dirty Jobs" noticed photos of an Oregon bank robbery suspect resembled host Mike Rowe. The attention prompted a bemused Rowe to mention he was in Kansas at the time. The Rowe lookalike is accused of demanding cash from a Chase Bank branch Monday. Police still are looking for the real suspect...

Editor's note: A look at political claims that don't tell the full story. WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's proposals to tighten gun control rules may not accomplish his goal of keeping guns out of the hands of would-be criminals and those who aren't legally allowed to buy a weapon. In short, that's because the conditions he is changing are murkier than he made them out to be...

FAIRFAX, Va. -- President Barack Obama tore into the National Rifle Association on Thursday as he sought support for his actions on gun control, accusing the powerful lobby group of peddling an "imaginary fiction" he said has distorted the national debate about gun violence...

All scores were reported to the Southeast Missourian on Thursday.

The people of St. Louis are in a tizzy, and not just because the team they lifted from Los Angeles could soon be heading back home. Apparently it wasn't enough for the Rams to pack up their gear and leave behind a useless dome taxpayers built for them. They had to insult the local citizenry on the way out by calling them lousy fans who can't support multiple sports franchises...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Authorities said Thursday two people with ties to the Islamic State have been arrested on terrorism-related charges in California and Texas, including a refugee from Syria who is charged with lying to federal investigators about his travels to the civil war in that country...

The 73rd annual Golden Globes will hope its assemblage of Hollywood stars, from Jennifer Lawrence to Leonardo DiCaprio, will be enough to offset the absence of a different kind of star. Though "Star Wars" is packing movie theaters and smashing box office records again, J.J. ...

A Regional Poetry Out Loud Competition, hosted by the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri, will be from noon to 3 p.m. Jan. 16 in the Oscar C. Hirsch Room at the Cape Girardeau Public Library, 711 N. Clarke Ave. The event will determine who attends the state-wide competition of Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest as a representative of Southeast Missouri. The contest is open to high school students. For more information about the rules of the contest, visit poetryoutloud.org...

O God, may we stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around our waist. Amen.

ORAN, Mo. -- Respect was accorded an experienced and accomplished Saxony Lutheran girls basketball team before it ever stepped on a court this season, having been attained over the three previous three seasons. For a younger, less accomplished Saxony boys squad, respect has had to be accumulated one win and one small gym at a time...

Today in History Today is Saturday, Jan. 9, the ninth day of 2016. There are 357 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 9, 1916, the World War I Battle of Gallipoli ended after eight months with an Ottoman Empire victory as Allied forces withdrew...

Hoping to catch people's attention and keep them from breaking the law, Municipal Court Judge Ed Calvin has raised most city fines; changed most dramatically are the driving while intoxicated fines. Three vacancies will be filled in the April Jackson school board election; the third vacancy occurred yesterday, when board member Nancy Shafer resigned, effective today; she is moving this month to pastor a church in St. Louis; she has been pastor of Zion United Methodist Church in Gordonville...

All scores were reported to the Southeast Missourian on Friday.

What do you think of all the record-breaking flooding?

Two local artists were honored during the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri's third annual Otto F. Dingeldein Gala Friday night.

The floodwater in their Dutchtown yard was over their heads. Inside the house, it was up to their waist. Kristy and Justin Shoemaker lost everything in the span of two weeks. They doubt anything inside the house can be salvaged, and the house is probably beyond repair, too. Kristy believes the best course of action will be to burn everything inside so the house does not become a health hazard for their neighbors...

RICHMOND, Ky. -- The Eastern Kentucky men's basketball team entered Saturday's contest against Southeast Missouri State as the Ohio Valley Conference's top team in 3-point field goal percentage and had knocked down the second-most of any team in the league...

RICHMOND, Ky. -- The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team found itself in an unfamiliar situation on Saturday night at McBrayer Arena. Sure, the Redhawks' previous three Ohio Valley Conference games had been fairly close in the final quarter, but didn't have down-to-the-wire finishes, and definitely not finishes that saw them lose a lead, because most of the time they'd been the ones making a second-half comeback or a rally in the fourth quarter...

Parents, teachers, students, school-board members and administrators debated during a meeting in late November the merits of eliminating a school period at Cape Girardeau's public junior-high and high schools.

On a Wednesday night in December, Sky Smith is unfazed by the sharp chill of the wind coming off the Mississippi River as he rapidly spins two flaming, tethered balls the size of fists through the air to make the shape of a flower. Smith, a 21-year-old who has loved working with rope and tying knots since he was a Boy Scout, has since channeled that love into a new hobby: spinning poi...

Today in History Today is Sunday, Jan. 10, the 10th day of 2016. There are 356 days left in the year. Today's Highlights in History: On Jan. 10, 1946, the first General Assembly of the United Nations convened in London. The first manmade contact with the moon was made as radar signals transmitted by the U.S. Army Signal Corps were bounced off the lunar surface...

Byron "Bo" Bollinger of Cape Girardeau and Brenda Mudge of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Brittnie Leigh Bollinger, to Seth Aaron Hudson, both of Grand Tower, Illinois. He is the son of Troy and Sandi Hudson of Grand Tower. Brittnie is a graduate of Cape Central High School and Metro Business College. She is a phlebotomist at Memorial Hospital in Carbondale, Illinois...

Carolyn Rose Beatty of St. Louis and Thomas Mykle Dodd were married June 13, 2015, at Shrine of St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Louis. The Rev. Wally Sidney, S.J., performed the ceremony. Music was provided by Chris Goeke and Lori Schaffer, both of Cape Girardeau...

Glenn and Lee Ann Campbell of Cape Girardeau and Mary and Steve Young of Benton, Missouri, announce the engagement of their daughter, Maryssa Jo Campbell, to Tyler Joseph Essner, both of Advance, Missouri. Essner is the son of Terry and Shelly Essner of Jackson and David and Tammy VanGennip of Advance...

Larry and Paulette Hamm of Benton, Missouri, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Oct. 2, 2015. The entire family was home for the holidays and celebrated the anniversary during an evening mass at St. Lawrence Church in New Hamburg, Missouri, followed by dinner hosted by their children at Bella Italia Restaurant in Cape Girardeau...

Courtney Scheeter and Caleb Priggel, both of Oran, Missouri, were married Aug. 1, 2015, at Guardian Angel Catholic Church in Oran. The Rev. Randy Tochtrop performed the ceremony. Renee and Holly Reinagel of Kelso, Missouri, were vocalists and Betty Vandeven of Chaffee, Missouri, provided the music...

Pictured here are two small freshwater shrimp called "ghost shrimp." I dipped them up using a long-handled dip net with 1/16-inch mesh. I put them in a small jar with a couple sticks in order to photograph them. After photographing them, I put them back into the water...

Several events are planned this week and next in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 18. n The 14th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Extravaganza will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 14, at Franklin Elementary School, 1550 Themis St. in Cape Girardeau...

When January arrives, even Christmas-loving homeowners might be happy to put away Santa and his reindeer. But the post-holiday mantel and fireplace can look strangely bare. The days are still short and the weather chilly, so "the key word after the holidays is cozy," says Pittsburgh-based interior designer Cathy Davin...

Each year my family has an annual baking day with our friends Mike and Betsy Dumey and their children. This year, over the course of 10 hours, we made 16 different recipes of cookies and candy. Each year we fine tune our production of what needs to chill, how many pecans need to be chopped or what we can start with so the kids can start rolling cookies into balls or dropping no-bake items. ...

Probably my two favorite garden crops are tomatoes and cucumbers. I can eat either of them right in the garden, with or without salt. I do need to peel the hide off both of them if I can. If I had to choose which I like better, I'd have to say tomatoes by just a slight margin. I do like cucumbers. After tomatoes and cucumbers I like green beans and onions and new potatoes, but tomatoes and cucumbers are what I long for come spring...

The rising floodwater all along the Mississippi River has not only been a national headline, but use a great source of angst. While this is being written, the waters are still raging downstream, houses are underwater and the total damage left in the wake of the Mighty Mississippi has yet to be tallied...

It was nearing the Christmas holidays. Jackie had big plans. She, for sure, started on things in time. But it seemed every Christmas, something happened to one of the family automobiles or another inconvenience happened. Jackie couldn't understand why all these, seemingly, catastrophes happened when she already had a lot to do. "Why?" she asked herself. Jackie always believed everything occurs for a reason and God is at the helm. Still, she was puzzled...

Advance, Missouri: Ethan Barr, Curtis Gilliland, Haley Kennison, Kayla McCabe, Collin Ritter, Haley Seger, Lindsey Sullinger, Grant Woodfin Altenburg, Missouri: Shannon Hoff, Natalie Schlimpert Benton, Missouri: Ashley Butler, Kendra DeWitt, Sean Klipfel, Tessa Long, Andrew Moore, Jade Rampley, Austin Roth, Mikayla Westrich...

NEW YORK -- A hairless terrier and an ancient North African hound are ready to run with the pack of dog breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club. The organization announced Tuesday that the American hairless terrier and the sloughi have joined 187 other recognized breeds. The newcomers can now compete in most AKC shows and competitions, though not at the prominent Westminster Kennel Club show until next year...

The John Guild Chapter met Dec. 16 at Riverside Regional Library in Jackson. Regent Marti Strickland presided. Honored members in attendance were state regent Morgan Lake and state corresponding secretary Lorilee Short. A gift exchange of Christmas ornaments was enjoyed by everyone. Refreshments were provided by hostess Julie Robinson...

While strolling, I wondered whatever happened to Dean Covington. Happy birthday to Tina Horton, Mark Schultz, Bennie McClain, Ed Renaud, Linda Wessel, Marc Sadler, Corrie Montgomery, Angela Holland, Clay Moore, Becky Smith, Sara Stagoski, Marilyn Lindy, Karen Griffith, Carl Estes Jr., Victoria Viall, Sue Campbell, Debbie Cook, Jordan White, Mildred Chapman, Debbie Eichhorn, Jean Moss, Christy Seyer, Tripp Dacus, Laura Halter, Becky Hahn, Michael Nation, Clifford Barlow Jr., Dennis Miller, Amy Nordin, Jack Wessel, JoAnn Stovall, Brenda Miller, Mindy Hendrix, Amy Oberman, Ruth Sadler and Trenton Horman. ...

O God, may we guard our hearts with the breastplate of righteousness in place. Amen.

As the New Year approaches, each of us makes a decision on whether now is the time to make changes in our lives. Collectively, as a people, we rarely make such plans. Usually, it takes leadership or a movement of some kind to get us motivated as a group to work toward common goals...

Four Cape Girardeau teenagers were arrested and charged Tuesday for allegedly taking part in a burglary ring that carried out 17 burglaries here since mid-November; they also are suspected of being involved in burglaries in Cape Girardeau County and Scott City...

Son to Courtland Michael and Mary Catherine Kohlfeld of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 5:34 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015. Name, Courtland Wells. Weight, 8 pounds, 15 ounces. Second child, first son. Mrs. Kohlfeld is the former Mary Catrino, daughter of Bo Catrino and Linda Catrino, both of Sikeston, Missouri. Kohlfeld is the son of Michael Kohlfeld and Barbara Kohlfeld, both of Cape Girardeau. He is employed by Kohlfeld Distributing...

HOUSTON -- The former scouting director of the St. Louis Cardinals pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to hacking into the player database and email system of the Houston Astros in an unusual case of high-tech cheating involving two Major League Baseball clubs...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Arrests of aggressive Springfield panhandlers have ceased, and city leaders say there's little chance local restrictions on unwanted soliciting will survive after a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against enforcing the 2-year-old ordinance...

ST. LOUIS -- With NFL owners days away from potentially choosing which of three teams gets to move to suburban Los Angeles, St. Louis leaders are firing back after the Rams questioned fan support and the economic viability of the St. Louis market in pushing for relocation to California...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Ameren Missouri customers soon likely will pay about $7 less on their monthly bill. The Missouri Public Services Commission has approved a move by the largest electric utility in Missouri to lower its energy efficiency charge starting Jan. 27...

WASHINGTON -- Out of time to push a new legislative agenda, President Barack Obama will look past Congress and to the American people in his final State of the Union address, aiming to define his presidency and his legacy before others can do it for him...

Ralph "RJ" Williams, 72, of Clarkton, Missouri, formerly of Tamms, Illinois, died Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016, at home. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. until time of service Wednesday at Crain Funeral Home in Tamms. The funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Larry Buckles officiating. Interment will be at McCrite Cemetery in Tamms...

James Merlin VanOver, 73, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016, at the Missouri Veterans Home. There will be no visitation or funeral at this time Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

William Wesley Stover Sr., 82, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Jan. 8, 2016, at the Missouri Veterans Home. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the church, with the Rev. Dr. Kim Nelson officiating. A graveside service will be at 3 p.m. at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, with full military honors by the Missouri Honors Team...

Clyde "Lanny" Smith, 72, of Cape Girardeau passed away Friday, Jan. 8, 2016, at his home. He was born Nov. 6, 1943, in Oran, Missouri, to McGoy and Louise Abernathy Smith. He and Anna Schmitt Smith were married Oct. 26, 1962, at Oran. He was a member of the Elks Lodge...

Terrel "Terry" O. Long, 95, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, at his home. He was born Aug. 19, 1920, in Formosa, Kansas, to the late Orin O. and Pauline Merle Hooker Long. He and Lucille Zimmerman Kight were married Sept. 10, 1950, in Dexter, Missouri. She passed away March 28, 2004...

Jacquelyn Madge Givens, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016, at Life Care Center of Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. until time of service Tuesday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Janet Hopkins officiating. Burial will be at Cape County Memorial Park in Cape Girardeau...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- James Felton Dement, 93, of Poplar Bluff died Friday, Jan. 8, 2016, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Dement is survived by a son, James (Donna) Dement of Tulsa, Oklahoma; a daughter, Dawn (Dr. Kenneth) Detring of Jackson; and sisters, Verla Warmack and Cleo Boyce of St. ...

Mrs. Virginia L. Casper, 93, of Jackson died at 1 a.m. Friday, Jan. 8, 2016, after a long struggle with Alzheimer's. She was born Nov. 23, 1922, in Anna, Illinois, the daughter of Rolla and Edith Anderson Treece. She married Robert Casper on Nov. 25, 1947. He preceded her in death June 28, 1984...

The Scott City Fire Department responded to the following calls: n At 5:52 p.m., emergency medical service in the 200 block of Ramsey Creek. n At 12:05 p.m., emergency medical service in the 400 block of North Lincoln Avenue. n At 4:41 p.m., natural gas odor at 1606 Hilleman Drive...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. n Theft was reported in the 2300 block of Garrett Lane. n Theft was reported in the 300 block of East Jackson Boulevard. n Harassment was reported in the 300 block of South Ohio Street. n An assist was requested in the 2800 block of East Jackson Boulevard...

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls: n Medical assists at 6:43 a.m. on Sonnet Drive; 8:02 a.m. on Linden Street; 9:05 a.m. on Franks Drive; 10:30 a.m. on Highway 74; 12:47 p.m. on Linden Street; 2:29 p.m. on Bloomfield Road; 4:25 p.m. on Lynwood Drive; 6:57 p.m. on Koch Street; and 8:09 p.m. on Themis Street...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. n Jerry R. Stovall, 32, 843 N. Cape Rock Drive, Cape Girardeau was arrested on suspicion of leaving a motor vehicle accident at Main Street and Themis Street and driving while intoxicated...

Lottery players, take heart. Officials say it's increasingly likely someone will have won the $900 million Powerball jackpot. People across the country dreamed about what they'd do with the largest lottery prize in U.S. history -- vacationing in warm climates, sharing with family members -- and still could be thinking big in the coming days. If no one matched all the numbers Saturday night, the next drawing is expected to soar to $1.3 billion...

LOS ANGELES -- Laura Gideon and her family endured the sickening stench from an out-of-control natural gas leak for about a month before they could no longer tolerate the nausea, headaches and nosebleeds. After she went to the emergency room in November vomiting and with a severe migraine, Gideon, her husband and their two children abandoned the only home they'd known together in the upscale Los Angeles suburb of Porter Ranch...

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Weeks before "affluenza" teen fugitive Ethan Couch was arrested in Mexico with a cheap disguise of dyed hair and beard, his mother had pulled $30,000 from a bank account and told his father he'd never see them again, according to her arrest warrant...

PHILADELPHIA -- A man who investigators said claimed he shot and wounded a Philadelphia police officer in the name of Islam was charged Saturday with attempted murder. Edward Archer also was charged with aggravated assault, assault of a law-enforcement officer and several firearms crimes. ...

HESPERIA, Calif. -- Jesus Ibarra was arrested Thursday after authorities say they found his garage full of stolen sweets. Mars Candy Co. sweets that hadn't passed inspection were supposed to be taken to a location in San Bernardino County for destruction, but when the truck arrived, 7,500 pounds of candy were missing. Ads for candy started turning up online that led to Ibarra's home. Authorities said his garage had been turned into a candy store with 30 racks of boxed candy with prices...

Republican gubernatorial candidates Peter Kinder and Catherine Hanaway want to fund the Missouri State Highway Patrol from general revenue, freeing up $200 million annually in gas tax money that could go to repair the state's deteriorating roads and bridges...

A couple was on its way to Cape Girardeau -- they even had a doctor's appointment at 11 a.m. at Saint Francis Medical Center -- when they needed to stop at the Interstate 55 rest area just outside of Jackson. Then the woman went into labor. The Fruitland Fire Department and Cape Girardeau County Ambulance Service responded to the call about 8 a.m. Tuesday. The woman was going into labor, and her water broke with emergency personnel on scene, Fruitland Fire Department Lt. Ray Kerns said...

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico is willing to extradite drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the United States, a federal law-enforcement official said Saturday, a reversal from the official position after his last capture in 2014. "Mexico is ready. There are plans to cooperate with the U.S.," said the Mexican official, who spoke on condition anonymity because he wasn't authorized to comment...

The Southeast Missouri State gymnastics team opened its season with a loss to defending Midwest Independent Conference champion Lindenwood. The Lions edged out the Redhawks 192.675-191.975 on Friday night at Houck Field House. Junior Ashley Thomas won the all-around with a score of 38.650 to lead Southeast. ...

Southeast Missouri State star wide receiver Paul McRoberts will step onto a football field as a collegiate athlete one final time when he plays in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 23. On Thursday it was announced that McRoberts will play on the East team...

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Ryan Kesler tied the score on a power play with his second goal of the game early in the third period, Ryan Getzlaf got the deciding goal in the fourth round of the shootout, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the St. Louis Blues 4-3 Friday night...

All scores were reported to the Southeast Missourian on Saturday.

FRISCO, Texas -- Carson Wentz got one more game as North Dakota's quarterback before the NFL draft -- and another FCS title. A potential first-round pick, Carson threw for a touchdown and ran for two more scores in his first game since breaking his right wrist in mid-October, and the Bison won their unprecedented fifth consecutive FCS championship with a 37-10 victory Saturday over top-seeded Jacksonville State...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Kevin Puryear's first career double-double helped Missouri earn its first Southeastern Conference victory of the season, 76-61 over Auburn Saturday night. Puryear had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Missouri (8-7, 1-1). Auburn's Tyler Harris had a game-high 21 points with five rebounds and two blocks. He scored 13 in the second half and made 6 of 12 shots...

After one of the most destructive tornadoes in U.S. history carved a mile-wide scar through Joplin in 2011 and killed 161 people, some thought the southwest Missouri city would never regain its footing. But less than five years later, Joplin's population has never been higher. Major employers have moved into the former mining city near the Oklahoma and Kansas borders. About 250 new businesses have opened, and most of the roughly 500 damaged businesses have rebuilt...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Dennis "Joe" Crader, 66, of Chaffee passed away Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Dec. 7, 1949, to the late Buford and Violet C. Standley Crader. He was a truck driver for Kelso Supply Co. in Kelso, Missouri, for 23 years...

What goes up must come down. People living and working in towns along the Mississippi River know this all too well. And not since 1993 have they seen the Mighty Mississippi rise so high and so fast. Many concerns arise when a flood threatens, and not just for those who live and work along the banks. Those who should be protected by levees worry about a breach, or overtopping...

Cape Bible Chapel in Cape Girardeau is welcoming a new lead pastor. Eric Coher -- along with his wife, Jodie, their son, Caden, 8, and daughter, Aubrey, 7 -- has moved from Indiana to take on this new role. Coher has been in ministry since 2005, when he led a campus ministry called Campus Outreach at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville...

Many people dream of owning a private island, but perhaps not in the way it happened for Derek and Debbie Wilson. The Riverhouse is a restaurant normally found at the end of Route N in Scott City. But after the record flood on the Mississippi River, the restaurant with a wraparound porch also was surrounded by water...

OMAHA, Neb. -- Disappointed you didn't win the Powerball jackpot this weekend? Don't be. Lottery officials said the prize now has swelled to an estimated $1.3 billion -- the world's largest. Ever. "Biggest jackpot in the history of the world. Absolutely confirmed," Texas Lottery executive director Gary Grief said...

WASHINGTON -- American employers added a robust 292,000 jobs in December, suggesting the U.S. economy so far is defying global weakness and growing solidly. The strong figures underscore the resilience of the United States at a time of financial turmoil stemming from China's slowing economy and plummeting stock market. Most economists expect U.S. consumer spending to continue to offset overseas weakness, though many foresee only modest U.S. growth...

The construction of another roundabout in Cape Girardeau will cost significantly more than installing traffic signals, but will allow for better traffic flow and lead to fewer serious accidents, city officials say. The city plans to build a roundabout at the Independence Street and Gordonville Road/East Rodney Drive intersection to alleviate traffic congestion. The intersection currently is a four-way stop...

The Southeast Missouri State University Sundancers will be hosting their annual Sunbeams kids clinic on Saturday, Jan. 23. The fun day is for girls and boys ages 4-12. The students will learn to dance from the Southeast Sundancers and perform at the halftime of the men's basketball game that evening!...

VFW Post 3838 few of the scholarship winners, two absent from photo.

Adopt a Highway project, VFW Post 3838 Joe Wolsey, Kate Hampton and Matt Hampton (not pictured Sandy Prichard) Clean portion of Broadway fourth Saturday of the Month

During a band practice in the spring of 2015, when Evan Webb and Adam Hellman showed off to the rest of the Rural Route Ramblers one of their most polished original songs, they seemed proud. Their goal had been to do right by their small-town roots in Illinois river communities with "Dry Up or Drown."...

The Cape County Tea Party will have its monthly Third Tuesday Meeting on Jan. 19 at the Cape Public Library. The meeting starts at 6:30 PM and is finished by 8 p.m. This month we will welcome Cape County Clerk, Kara Clark. This will be a big election year and she is just the one to tell us about the process and for us to ask questions. Her office has a multitude of duties and is vital to a smooth running Republic. Please join us for this very informative meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- The Charleston girls basketball team played to its strengths, jumped out to a quick lead and sank Kelly 62-37 in a quarterfinal of the Scott-Mississippi Girls Basketball Conference Tournament on Monday evening at Chaffee High School...

Today in History Today is Monday, Jan. 11, the 11th day of 2016. There are 355 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 11, 1964, U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry issued "Smoking and Health," a report which concluded that "cigarette smoking contributes substantially to mortality from certain specific diseases and to the overall death rate."...

"Where there's a will, there's a way" may be cliche, but it is no less true and is clearly seen in Pocahontas with the opening of a Little Free Library. With the closest bricks-and-mortar library 10 miles away in Jackson, residents may now "take a book, return a book" from their own neighborhood. Doris Dace and Becky LaClair turned their love of books and magazines into a project that is sparking and fueling an appreciation for literature in their small community...

NEW ORLEANS -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened a major spillway Sunday near New Orleans for the first time in nearly five years, seeking to decrease the vast flow of the swollen Mississippi River as a safeguard to the low-lying city. Heavy Mississippi Valley rain has propelled the river to its highest levels since record flooding in 2011, the last time the Bonnet Carre spillway was opened as a key relief valve in south Louisiana...

Here's a look at how area members of Congress voted over the last week. The House returned from its holiday recess this week, but the Senate did not. The Senate is scheduled to reconvene on Monday the 11th. HOUSE VOTES CURBING HEALTH CARE REFORM: The House agreed to a motion sponsored by Rep. ...

Jacquelyn Madge Givens, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016, at Life Care Center of Cape Girardeau. She was born Friday, May 28, 1937, in Chicago to Homer Franklin "Jeff" and Erma Bertha Woll Boswell. She and Teddy D. Givens were married Aug. 25, 1955, at Cape Girardeau, having just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary...

William Wesley (Bill) Stover Sr., 82, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Jan. 8, 2016, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape. He was the son of Thomas W. and Bertha Honert Stover and was preceded in death by his parents and sister. Bill is survived by his wife, Evelyn, and his three sons, William Jr. (Lisa), Michael (Veronica) and Greg (Lianna). He also is survived by two grandchildren, Zachary (Ashley) and Jesse, and two great-granddaughters, Sadie and Poppy...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Randy Leon Langston, 48, of Advance passed away Jan. 9, 2016, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 12, 1967, at Rantoul, Illinois, the son of Harlan and Wilda "Jeanie" Welch Langston. Randy had worked for 14 years for Smith's Food Giant. He attended Alpine Church in Layton, Utah. He loved watching the Pittsburgh Steelers and NASCAR. He was a good basketball and baseball player in high school. He was friendly to everyone he met...

Cape Girardeau County Commission 1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Approval of minutes n Minutes of the Jan. 7 meeting Communications/reports -- other elected officials n None at this time Public comments n Items listed on the agenda Routine business...

STORM LAKE, Iowa -- Lisa Naslund clutched a photo of her son Dillion in his military fatigues as she waited about an hour for a chance to meet Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz in this northwestern Iowa town. The 25-year-old soldier suffered from post-traumatic stress after tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2012, it became too much to bear, and he took his own life...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama delivers his final State of the Union address Tuesday night to a nation whose economy is far sturdier than it was when he took office in 2009. Yet as 2016 begins, the stout job market is accompanied by tepid economic growth and stubbornly flat wages. More broadly, two things are on the rise: global temperatures and Americans' concerns about terrorism...

LOS ANGELES -- "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" stayed on top of the North American box office for the fourth straight weekend, beating out Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Revenant," and becoming the third-largest grossing movie in the world ever. According to studio estimates Sunday, the adventures of Rey, Finn and stalwarts from the previous "Star Wars" films raked in $41.6 million in the U.S. and Canada and $104.3 million overseas, led by a record-breaking opening in China...

DENVER -- Republicans have condemned the efforts by a group of armed ranchers to reclaim federal land in eastern Oregon, but the ranchers' goal of taking back some of Washington's vast holdings in the West has gained traction in the GOP. The decades-old idea could garner more momentum if the party recaptures the White House this year...

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Two star-led tales of frontier survival triumphed at the 73rd annual Golden Globes, where Alejandro Inarritu's bloody 1820s thriller "The Revenant" swept three of the top honors, and Ridley Scott's stranded astronaut tale "The Martian" answered with a pair of its own...

Kathleen L. Conklin, 86, of Jackson died Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016, at her home. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson...

OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea -- A powerful U.S. B-52 bomber flew low over South Korea on Sunday, a show of force from the United States as a Cold War-style standoff deepened between its ally Seoul and North Korea after Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test...

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis lays out his case for emphasizing the merciful face of the Catholic Church in his first book as pontiff, saying God never tires of forgiving and actually prefers the sinners who repent over self-righteous moralizers who don't...

PARIS -- French President Francois Hollande and other dignitaries held a special ceremony Sunday to honor all those killed in Islamic extremist violence around Paris in 2015 -- a year when the European way of life was targeted time and again with deadly consequences...

TEHRAN, Iran -- As a brutal winter set in across Iran, anonymous philanthropists throughout the country painted "Walls of Kindness" and installed rows of hooks, inviting passers-by to leave warm clothes if they could spare them or take clothes if they need them...

MEXICO CITY -- Mexican officials said Sean Penn's contacts with drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman helped them track the fugitive -- even if he slipped away from an initial raid on the hideout where the Hollywood actor apparently met him. Penn's article on Guzman was published late Saturday by Rolling Stone magazine, a day after Mexican marines captured the world's most wanted kingpin in a raid on the city of Los Mochis near the Gulf of California...

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Afghan forces are struggling to man the front lines against a resurgent Taliban, in part because of untold numbers of "ghost" troops who are paid salaries but exist only on paper. The nationwide problem has been severe in the southern Helmand province, where the Taliban have seized vast tracts of territory in the 12 months since the U.S. and NATO formally ended their combat mission and switched to training and support...

ST. LOUIS -- Problems with racial bias already have led to reforms of Ferguson's police department and municipal court. This week, attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union will argue in federal court a school district serving Ferguson, Missouri, students also needs an overhaul of the process for electing board members...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Within a half-hour of the start of Missouri's 2016 legislative session, Republican Sen. Kurt Schaefer launched into a criticism on the Senate floor of Democratic President Barack Obama's executive order imposing additional gun-control measures...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri's law-enforcement database should be updated within 24 hours after an outstanding warrant has been resolved to avoid unnecessary arrests, a state lawmaker who filed a bill establishing that requirement said. Rep. Chuck Basye, a Rocheport Republican, filed the bill after a constituent, Jim Wharton, approached him about the arrest of his wife...

WASHINGTON -- On Inauguration Day next January, the 45th president will parade past the new Trump Hotel Washington, which Donald Trump says soon will be among the world's finest. If the current Republican front-runner wins the White House, his hotel on ground leased from the federal government would represent just a small piece of the largest business empire to belong to a sitting president...

LAS VEGAS -- It's enough to make you want to drop everything and race for the nearest power outlet: Your workday isn't even done, and your smartphone or laptop battery already is in the red zone. If you hope techno-progress will dispel that depleted feeling, you may be in for a long wait. Battery life is constrained by limitations in chemistry, and improvements aren't keeping pace with demands from modern gadgets...

NEW YORK -- Campbell Soup said it supports mandatory national labeling for products containing genetically modified ingredients, and it will stop backing efforts opposing such disclosures. The change of heart by the maker of Pepperidge Farm cookies, Prego sauces and Spaghetti-Os marks a break from industry groups that have sought to make labeling voluntary...

WASHINGTON -- U.S. coal production has fallen to its lowest level in nearly 30 years, as cheaper sources of power and stricter environmental regulations reduce demand, according to preliminary government figures. A report released Friday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates 900 million short tons of coal were produced last year, a drop from about 1 billion short tons in 2014. That's the lowest volume since 1986...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri is getting an initial $1 million in federal funding to help repair roads and bridges damaged by flooding. The Federal Highway Administration on Friday announced the emergency relief funding. Federal highway administrator Gregory Nadeau said the money is meant to help with the most critical repairs as the state continues to assess damage. Nadeau said more resources will become available...

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A federal judge has dismissed a nude protester's claim police violated his rights by arresting him while he played violin stark-naked outside the federal courthouse in Portland. Matthew T. Mglej, 26, of Hillsboro, Oregon, sued the Portland police and the county last January, seeking $1.1 million in damages. He was arrested for indecent exposure in May 2014. The judge said Mglej's nudity didn't advance a specific message, so it wasn't protected...

Michael Dodd, DO, has joined Saint Francis Healthcare System as a medical partner. Dodd served as a pharmacy and chemotherapy technician at Saint Francis Medical Center. He earned his medical degree from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences...

Joyce Ann "Mickey" Livingston, 73, of Scott City died Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016, at Hunter Acres Caring Center in Sikeston, Missouri. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n Taylor Ray Henson, 19, 609 Mason St., was arrested on suspicion of DWI, expired license plates and possession of alcohol by a minor...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Saturday: n Medical assists were made at 12:41 a.m. on Pine Hill Spur; 10:02 a.m. on Gordonville Road; 12:30 p.m. on North Silver Springs Road; 6:38 p.m. on South Hanover Street; and 9:20 p.m. on South Sprigg Street...

I would like to say a big thank you to the Drury family for placing the Nativity scene on their property near the Fruitland exit and U.S. 61. It is such a beautiful display. I look forward to it every year. Thank you very much. Fearing the worst, crotchety columnist Mike Jensen has already moved into "Anyone but Hillary" mode. Thus, the incredulous has happened. Michael Jensen, once a thoughtful man of common sense, has endorsed Donald Trump...

O God, may our feet be fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Amen.

LOS ANGELES -- The St. Louis Blues must be getting used to extra time. Saturday night, they finally put one in the win column after three frustrating losses in a row. Alex Pietrangelo tied it in the second period and Troy Brouwer got the deciding goal in the seventh round of the shootout, giving the Blues a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings...

The cost of mailing a letter is going up. It's uncertain whether it will be 4 cents or a nickel, but the price of first-class stamps is likely to jump to 29 cents, a penny less than the Postal Service requested. Upsetting a two-year trend of no homicides in the city of Cape Girardeau, 1990 saw three homicides. ...

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court appears ready to deliver a major setback to American unions as it considers scrapping a four-decade precedent that lets public-sector labor organizations collect fees from workers who decline to join. During more than an hour of oral arguments Monday, the high court's conservative justices seemed likely to side with a group of California teachers who say those mandatory fees violate the free-speech rights of workers who disagree with a union's positions...

U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., believes the federal government has too many, burdensome regulations. Smith has convinced a majority of his colleagues in the House something needs to be done about all those regulations. The House last week approved Smith's bill, the SCRUB Act, on a vote of 245-174. SCRUB stands for a much longer title: "Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome."...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Transportation said the worst-case scenario of being unable to maintain state infrastructure has been avoided, thanks to federal legislation and an unexpected bump in tax revenue. After Missouri voters rejected a transportation sales tax in 2014, the department warned its budget would drop too low to maintain much of the state's infrastructure: three-quarters of state roads couldn't be fully maintained starting in 2017, and about one in ten bridges would be in critical condition by 2020.. ...

Last week, Cape Girardeau firefighters broke down every door in one wing of the Drury Lodge that is being torn down this week. Firefighter Jamie Hann thought it was pretty fun, on top of being educational. "It's dynamic training we don't get to do on a regular basis," Hann said. "Not many businesses donate to us. It's fun to get out with the crew."...

It's the end of an era: Demolition of the Drury Lodge began this week. Workers have cleaned out the building. They have removed furniture and anything else that can continue to be used. The hotel was built as a Ramada Inn in 1969 and became the Drury Lodge in 1985. The two-story hotel had 140 guest rooms. It housed banquet halls, meeting rooms and, for a time, the Cedar Street Restaurant...

This picture was taken down at the Mississippi River on Dec. 7 during a ceremony on Pearl Harbor Day.

It's the tastiest time of the year -- Girl Scout cookie time! The Girl Scout Cookie Program has begun with local Girl Scouts going door-to-door to take your order. The Girl Scout Cookie Program runs through April 3 and includes nine delicious flavors: Thin Mints, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Shortbread, Thanks-A-Lot, Lemonades, Cranberry Citrus Crisps, and new this year, Gluten-free Trios. ...

Today in History Today is Tuesday, Jan. 12, the 12th day of 2016. There are 354 days left in the year. Today's Highlights in History: On Jan. 12, 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson said in his State of the Union address that the U.S. military should stay in Vietnam until Communist aggression there was stopped. The TV series "Batman," inspired by the comic book and starring Adam West and Burt Ward as the Dynamic Duo, premiered on ABC, airing twice a week on consecutive nights...

Have you ever punched through a windshield? Most people would probably answer "no." But Harry Schumer is not most people. The master firefighter recently retired after 28 years of service with the Cape Girardeau Fire Department. Schumer says he's not sure why he enjoyed fighting fires so much, but thinks it may have to do with the adrenaline...

HANNIBAL, Mo. -- A northeast Missouri man is charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action for allegedly killing his elderly father with a crossbow and hiding the body in a freezer. Charges were filed Monday against Carl Goldberg, 30, in the death of his father, 84-year-old Carl Maxwell. Goldberg is jailed on $1 million bond...

ST. LOUIS -- The Missouri State NAACP has new leadership for the first time in nearly three decades. The NAACP said Rod Chapel was elected president of the Missouri organization, replacing Mary Ratliff, who held the position for nearly 30 years. Chapel, who also leads the NACCP's Jefferson City branch, was announced as the new statewide leader Saturday...

PACIFIC, Mo. -- Flood victims in the St. Louis area will get some relief starting Monday as curbside pickup of debris gets underway as part of the state of Missouri's "Operation Recovery." Crews began picking up debris in Pacific, Eureka, Jefferson County in and around Byrnes Mill and the St. Peters area of St. Charles County...

MARYVILLE, Mo. -- One of the men accused of threatening violence during racial unrest at the University of Missouri has pleaded guilty. Conner Stottlemyre of Blue Springs, Missouri, admitted Monday in Nodaway County District Court to making a terrorist threat. The 19-year-old was attending Northwest Missouri State University in November when he was accused of posting a threat on Yik Yak that read, "I'm gonna shoot any black people tomorrow, so be ready." Sentencing is set for Feb. 22...

Joyce Ann "Mickey" Livingston, 73, of Scott City died Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016, with her sister by her side at Hunter Acres Care Center in Sikeston, Missouri. She was born Oct. 15, 1942, to Harold Lee and Jueldeen Kathleen Palmer Livingston. Joyce graduated from Illmo-Scott City High School. She retired from Thorngate in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. She spent her retirement enjoying her family and friends. She loved her life and her family. Her nieces and nephews became her children...

Robert Eugene Amschler, 79, of Cape Girardeau passed away Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born June 28, 1936, in Perryville, Missouri, to Gilbert and Olivia (Buchheit) Amschler. He and Viola Pingel were married Jan. 3, 1959, in Biehle, Missouri...

Kathleen L. Conklin, 86, of Jackson passed away Saturday, Jan. 9, 2016, at her home. She was born April 2, 1929, in Keokuk County, Iowa, daughter of Peter and Leona Kanke Heisdorffer. She and Paul Conklin were married Jan. 9, 1948. He passed away Jan. 22, 2007...

Thirty-eight Seabees, a construction unit that trains at the Cape Girardeau Naval Reserve Center, leave here as a step toward deployment in the Persian Gulf. The group leaves by chartered bus for St. Louis, where it will board a plane en route to Port Hueneme, California...

DETROIT -- After a few years of Detroit domination, two foreign automakers nabbed 2016 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year honors. A panel of about 55 independent automotive journalists selected the Honda Civic and Volvo XC90 on Monday...

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A snake thief smuggled a 2-foot-long python from a Portland pet store by stuffing it down his pants. Sgt. Greg Stewart said no arrests have been made in Friday's theft. But Christin Bjugan, an owner of A to Z pet store, said video surveillance has helped viewers and police detectives identify a suspect, and she expects to have the snake returned soon...

ST. LOUIS -- A Ferguson city council member and former mayor who was the driving force behind the "I Love Ferguson" campaign amid the turmoil that followed the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown has died. He was 56. City officials confirmed Brian Fletcher's death Sunday. City spokesman Jeff Small said Monday he didn't know the cause of death...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is ending its elephant acts a year and a half early and will retire all of its touring elephants in May. The move comes amid increasing scrutiny of circus elephant acts, with local governments passing "anti-circus" and "anti-elephant" ordinances in response to concerns over animal cruelty...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's final State of the Union address will attempt to frame the choice facing Americans as they select his successor, doling out an optimistic vision of the country's future in contrast with what he sees as pessimism that's pervasive in the Republican primary...

WATERLOO, Iowa -- Hillary Clinton has spent much of her presidential campaign looking past Democratic rival Bernie Sanders, focusing instead on Republicans and the November general election. No longer. Three weeks before the lead-off Iowa caucuses and with polls suggesting a tightening race, she is confronting the Vermont senator more directly, attempting to undermine his liberal credentials on gun control, health care and even the Wall Street regulations that have been the core of his insurgent campaign.. ...

DAMASCUS, Syria -- Aid convoys delivered food, medicine and other supplies to three besieged communities Monday, part of a U.N.-supported operation to help tens of thousands of civilians cut off for months by the war in Syria. Reports of starvation and images of emaciated children have raised concerns and underscored the urgency for new peace talks the U.N. hopes to host Jan. 25 in Geneva...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Country star Keith Urban hasn't finished his forthcoming album, "RipCORD," but he's planning a new arena and amphitheater tour this year. The first leg of the RipCORD World Tour will begin June 2 in Kansas City, Missouri, and run through Nov. 19 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Urban announced Monday...

MEXICO CITY -- Actor Sean Penn said he has "nothin' to hide," after images published Monday indicated he was under surveillance when he met with the Mexican actress who led him to Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. The pair apparently was followed and photographed as they set out for the supposedly secret meeting with the drug lord...

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and former technology executive Carly Fiorina will not appear on the primetime debate stage when the Republican Party's 2016 presidential class faces off later this week in South Carolina. Debate host Fox Business Network announced the debate lineup Monday evening, dealing a blow to both candidates three weeks before Iowa's leadoff presidential caucuses...

ATLANTA -- The FBI zeroed in on a woman suspected in jewelry-store robberies across the South after analyzing records from cellphone towers near the robberies, then checking social media and hearing from suspicious friends, newly filed court records reveal...

Area trash collection will be altered next week in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The city of Jackson's Sanitation Department will not operate Monday. Trash normally collected on that day will instead be collected Tuesday, along with regular Tuesday trash pickup. The recycling center in Jackson also will be closed Monday...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff school construction projects saw little, if any, setbacks after storms that resulted in widespread flooding across the area. School officials said the project still are set to be completed on schedule. Superintendent Chris Hon said all the district's projects have moved forward well in the past six months...

NEW MADRID, Mo. ­-- Production at Noranda's aluminum smelter remains reduced as officials assess the cause of an electrical circuit failure. Shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday, the electrical supply circuit failed, Noranda officials said. Although no serious injuries were reported, the failure reportedly idled two of the plant's three pot lines...

NFL owners will try again to settle the issue of relocation to Los Angeles, this time knowing that commissioner Roger Goodell has declared the stadiums inadequate in Oakland, St. Louis and San Diego. Two days of meetings in Houston start today, six weeks after owners delayed a vote because they wanted more information on possible moves involving the Raiders, Rams and Chargers. Any move would involve one or two teams...

Seung Hwan Oh has 357 saves in his professional career.

Jalen Williams scored a game-high 21 points to lead the top-seeded Saxony Lutheran boys basketball team to a 71-40 win over eighth-seeded New Athens in Monday's opening round of the Chester Tournament in Chester, Illinois. William Rogers sank 17 points and Corie Williams chipped in 16 points for Saxony Lutheran (14-1). ...

WASHINGTON -- The government of North Korea has detained a U.S. citizen on suspicion of spying, CNN reported Monday. It said a man identified as Kim Dong Chul was being held by the Pyongyang government and said authorities had accused him of engaging in spying and stealing state secrets. ...

HURRICANE, Utah -- A Vietnam War veteran went out with a bang Saturday. The son of Walter "Jim" Hosey of LaVerkin, Utah, loaded 50 shotgun shells with his father's ashes and fired them at the Southern Utah Shooting Sports Park in Hurricane with the help of relatives and friends. His son, Clint Hosey, said: "I think he got a kick out of that." Walter Hosey, who often visited the sports park, died Jan. 2...

The Cardinals likely will be penalized by MLB for the crime committed against the Astros.

It was hardly a coincidence David Bowie named his greatest hits collection "Changes." Bowie changed musical styles, fashion, even his name -- from David Jones -- in a relentless exploration of the artistic muse. More than any one sound or song, that shark-like ability to keep moving forward defined him...

NEW YORK -- David Bowie, the chameleon-like star who transformed the sound -- and the look -- of rock with his audacious creativity and his sexually ambiguous makeup and costumes, died of cancer Sunday. Bowie, whose hits included "Space Oddity," "Fame," "Heroes" and "Let's Dance," died surrounded by family, representative Steve Martin said early Monday. The singer, who was 69, had fought cancer for 18 months...

JACKSON The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n Gabrielle M. Murray, 23, of Cape Girardeau was arrested on a Jackson warrant for failure to appear on an original charge of operating a motor vehicle while operator's license suspended...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Summonses n William J. Smith, 35, of Cape Girardeau was issued summonses for animal leash law required and animal bite at 2769 Adeline Ave...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Sunday. n Medical assists were made at 1:38 a.m. on South Benton Street; 11:07 a.m. on Ritter Drive; and 4:14 p.m. on North Sprigg Street. n At 7:36 a.m., an EMS call on North Pindwood Lane...

Laura Simon's awesome airborne photo overlooking the Mississippi River when it was above its all time high for Cape Girardeau will forever be remembered as the "go-to" documentation of a significant historical event for Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area...

O Lord Jesus, may we daily take up the shield of faith. Amen.

On Tuesday, President Obama stood before the nation and wept. He wept for the children lost to gun violence. Those who, like the Sandy Hook Elementary School students, were innocent and precious and deserved to be nurtured and protected, not gunned down. He stood at the podium in the same room as people who have lost loved ones in the cruelest of ways and announced his executive actions on gun control...

Make and model: 2002 Road King Classic Owner(s): Mark VanMatre Owner's hometown: Cape Girardeau Names of people in photo: Kevin Schlegel (brother in law) Custom Chrome, Fat Wire Wheels, Vance and Hines exhaust, Big Bore Kit My car's name: Santa's Sled...

A Cape Girardeau woman allegedly used access to an elderly woman's debit and credit cards to steal more than $11,000 over a three-month period. Ulanda Kaye Smith, 38, was issued an arrest warrant Monday. She is charged with a felony count of financial exploitation of the elderly...

WASHINGTON -- Eyeing the end of his presidency, Barack Obama urged Americans on Tuesday night to rekindle their belief in the promise of change that first carried him to the White House, declaring the country must not allow election-year fear and division to put economic and security progress at risk...

State Rep. Kathy Swan and her husband, Reg, say the city of Cape Girardeau is taking their land unfairly, offering well below the appraised value for just over three acres of woods behind their home. "Kathy and I just want to be treated fairly," Reg Swan said Tuesday. "We expect to be paid at least the appraised value."...

Although the unemployment rate has dropped steadily over the last five years, there are certain positions in the region employers find difficult to fill. "We've seen a shortage of drivers with CDLs (commercial driver's licenses)," Shad Burner, business development specialist at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, said. ...

HOUSTON -- The Rams are moving back to Los Angeles, maybe with company. The San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders might end up staying put, although the leadership of both teams didn't come close to making that commitment Tuesday night. Or one of them could be headed to L.A., too...

Clinging to an eight-point lead, the third-seeded Red Devils knew that wasn't going to cut it, so they responded by shooting 67 percent (18 of 27) in the second half and cruised to a 75-45 win over No. 6 Delta in Tuesday's first-round game at Chaffee High School.