Stories from Monday, March 26, 2018

The Safe House for Women in Cape Girardeau has raised half of its $2.2 million goal and will host a special groundbreaking ceremony next month to celebrate the beginning of construction of a new women’s shelter. “It’s a $2.2 million project, and we have raised $1.1 million. So we’re continuing on with our fundraising efforts,” executive director Jessica Hill said, “But in the meantime, the need for the new shelter is so great that we are making progress for construction.” ...

All three candidates for the Oak Ridge School Board support the school district’s no-tax-increase bond issue on the April 3 ballot. Board members Robert Grayhek and Jeff Hahs are running for re-election. They face a challenge from Job Corps heavy-equipment instructor George Below. Voters will choose among the three candidates to fill two seats on the board...

Scott City School Board candidates rank school safety as the top priority for the district. Incumbent Justin Braun, a sprinkler fitter with Scott City-based Hi-Tech Fire Protection, is among three candidates seeking the two positions on the board in the April 3 election. The others are funeral director Scott C. Amick, who previously served 16 years on the school board, and Ron “Ronnie” Gray, case manager for Crown Hospice in Cape Girardeau...

For the first time, Homebrew Supply of Southeast Missouri hosted the annual Brew Movement Against Multiple Sclerosis in Fruitland on Saturday — the previous eight had been held in Memphis, Tennessee. Joseph Barnes, originally from Tennessee, founded the event in 2010 and is a multiple sclerosis advocate and homebrewer. When he moved to Southeast Missouri, the annual event followed him...

Benny Arends, 6, is a kid on a mission: to help entertain sick children. How? By fundraising to collect toys, games and art supplies for patients at children’s hospitals. “I don’t want kids to be bored and I want to follow God,” he said by phone Wednesday...

Today is Monday, March 26, the 85th day of 2018. There are 280 days left in the year. Today's Highlights in History: On March 26, 1945, during World War II, Iwo Jima was fully secured by U.S. forces following a final, desperate attack by Japanese soldiers. Former British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, 82, died in Ty Newydd, Llanystumdwy, Wales...

O Lord Jesus, thank you that we can come to you, our refuge. Amen.

Unmanned aircraft systems and drones continue to develop across many industries. From farming to media to first-responder missions, these systems can provide a valuable service. Southeast Missouri State University recently announced a partnership with Sinclair Community College. Jim Peterson, assistant professor in Southeast’s department of polytechnic studies, called the Dayton, Ohio-based community college “a leader” in aircraft systems initiatives...

I grew up in a local church and it was my teachers, both in school and in Sunday school, that I credit for teaching me to respect others who may not respect me; it was my responsibility to win my enemy over. I owe much to those who struggled to teach me...

Opioid abuse and addiction impacts all corners of Missouri. Every day it seems we see news reports of another life taken by this epidemic. Nationwide, this epidemic has claimed more than 42,000 victims in 2016, which amounts to 115 lives per day. According to Missouri Health and Senior Services, 1 out of every 66 deaths in our state was due to an opioid or heroin overdose. ...

NEW YORK -- It took six weeks but "Black Panther" has been unseated as the top film at the North American box office. The monsters vs. robots science-fiction sequel "Pacific Rim: Uprising" dethroned the superhero sensation with $28 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday...

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — A Florida man has been reunited with a cat he lost 14 years ago. TCPalm.com reported Perry Martin of Fort Pierce said he had assumed his orange tabby named Thomas Jr., or T2 for short, had died in traffic. Martin moved in with a friend after Hurricane Jeanne clobbered the state in 2004. ...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Yemen's Shiite rebels fired a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting Saudi Arabia late Sunday on the third anniversary of a kingdom-led war in Yemen, with fragments of one missile over Riyadh killing one person and wounding two...

BARCELONA, Spain -- Five months after going on the run from Spanish authorities, Catalonia's former president was detained in Germany on an international warrant Sunday by highway police after the ardent separatist crossed the border with Denmark. Carles Puigdemont's capture, aided by Spanish intelligence services, sparked protests of tens of thousands in Catalonia's main city of Barcelona and other towns in the wealthy northeastern corner of Spain. ...

WASHINGTON — Adult film star Stormy Daniels says she was threatened to keep silent about an alleged sexual encounter with Donald Trump in 2006, telling her story in a highly anticipated interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes” broadcast Sunday. Daniels said she was threatened by an unidentified man in Las Vegas to keep quiet about her alleged relationship with Trump, an incident she said happened while she was with her young daughter. ...

Charlie Goodman looked at the massive crowd around him, the largest youth-led protest in Washington since the Vietnam War era. He listened to people speak about toughening gun laws. They included some of his peers at the Florida high school who've sparked this movement, as well as the 9-year-old granddaughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King...

CHERRY HILL, N.J. -- The federal government will spend a record $4.6 billion this year to fight the nation's deepening opioid crisis, which killed 42,000 Americans in 2016. But some advocates say the funding included in the spending plan the president signed Friday is not nearly enough to establish the kind of treatment system needed to reverse the crisis. A White House report last fall put the cost to the country of the overdose epidemic at more than $500 billion a year...

Blogger John Schmoll's father left a financial mess when he died: a house worth far less than the mortgage, credit card bills in excess of $20,000, and debt collectors who insisted the son was legally obligated to pay what his father owed. Fortunately, Schmoll knew better...

NEW YORK -- Wondering why Facebook seems to be taking baby steps to address the biggest scandal in its history? Stronger safeguards on user data might damage Facebook's core business of using what it knows about you to sell ads targeting your interests...

NEW YORK -- Toys R Us opened its doors Friday with a going-out-of-business sale, offering clearance discounts at all 735 U.S. stores, including Babies R Us. The company did not say how big the discounts will be or when it expects stores to shut down. Earlier this month, the company said it would close or sell all its stores after operating for months under bankruptcy protection...

NEW YORK -- When a young customer returned to Mary Arnold Toys a few days after an Easter-egg decorating event, store owner Judy Ishayik asked the child, "How is your egg?" The little girl responded with a big smile, and her mother thanked Ishayik, telling her, "That's so special."...

General Sign Co., 780 Nash Road, may be closing its doors within 30 to 60 days; the 53-year-old business is for sale, and while some people have expressed interest in purchasing it, they may run out of time; General Sign is owned by Lon Maxie. The City of Jackson is purchasing the two-story former Jackson Exchange Bank buildings at West Main and Court streets from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. ...

Jackie "Jack" Wilhite, 63, of Oak Ridge went to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday morning, March 24, 2018, with his wife and son by his side. Jack was born July 15, 1954, in New Madrid County, Missouri, the son of Zachariah and Annie Tharp Wilhite. He was the last of five children...

Theodore Kevin Priester, 59, of Cape Girardeau passed unexpectedly during emergency surgery Thursday, March 22, 2018, at Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Illinois. He was born Nov. 15, 1958, in St. Louis to Theodore and Virginia Priester. He married the love of his life, Dominique Tipsword, on Dec. 30, 1978. She survives...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Freeda Miller, 96, of Chaffee passed away Friday, March 23, 2018, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Feb. 19, 1922, in Tamms, Illinois, to the late George and Osee Crocker Harvell. She married James Talmadge Miller on Feb. 20, 1939, and he preceded her in death Jan. 10, 1987...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Betty Sue Laws, 60, of Perryville passed away peacefully Saturday, March 24, 2018, at her home, surrounded by her family and dogs. She was born Dec. 28, 1957, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Lemen H. and Virginia Schreiner Hahs. She and Michael Laws were married Jan. 18, 1980. He survives in Perryville...

Katherine D. Hency-Murphy, 53, of Kansas City, Missouri, formerly of Benton, Missouri, passed away Wednesday, March 21, 2018, at her home. She was born June 13, 1964, in Augsburg, Germany, to Donald L. and Katherine Fern Wissmann Hency. She and Kenneth Wayne Murphy were married Oct. 5, 2007, in Kansas City. He preceded her in death May 16, 2008...

Joseph Lee Childress, 72, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Sikeston, Missouri, died Saturday, March 24, 2018, at his home. Born April 9, 1945, in Cairo, Illinois, to the late Elmer and Mary Jane Stokley Childress, he had been employed by Universal Security in Cape Girardeau...

Paul J. Allee, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, March 24, 2018, at Southeast Hospital. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Friday at the funeral home...

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls: Friday n Medical assists were made at 12:39 a.m. on Tillaree Lane; 7:18 a.m. on Towers Circle; 7:55 a.m. on Lakewood Drive; 6:12 p.m. on North Middle Street; 7:19 p.m. on Broadway; and 8:43 p.m. on Belleridge Pike...

Approval of minutes n Minutes of March 22 meeting Communications/reports -- other elected officials n None at this time Public comments n Items listed on the agenda Routine business...

Catapult Creative House in Cape Girardeau hosted a midday seminar Wednesday featuring Microsoft's Chad Lich and Alex Zisser on the importance of a business's adaption to an ever-changing economy and the need for "digital transformation." Judy Wiles, director of the Douglas C. ...

DEXTER, Mo. -- Dexter's chief of police remains on paid administrative leave as city officials look into "personnel matters." Sammy Stone, who has been in the police department for more than 33 years, including the last seven as its chief of police, was placed on administrative leave earlier this month, according to Dexter city administrator Mark Stidham...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri lawmakers are returning to the capitol today for the second half of the 2018 legislative session in the shadow of legislative and criminal investigations into Republican Gov. Eric Greitens. Republican leaders, who control both chambers, downplayed the impact of the governor's legal problems on their work. ...

Good things still happen even if we don’t hear about them like we do the bad. I want to “thank” the nice couple who blessed me by giving me a ride to get help to fix my flat tire. Thank you and God bless you both. Upon returning to the scene of the flat tire, another blessing. ...

Daughter to Seth and Jenny McDowell of St. Charles, Missouri, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, 7:58 p.m. Tuesday, March 13, 2018. Name, Parker Gwen. Weight, 8 pounds, 12 ounces. Second daughter. Mrs. McDowell is the daughter of Bill and Judy Aloisio of St. ...

Temperatures in the 40s didn't stop Owen Sterling from hanging a sweet layup at the Indian Park basketball court Sunday in downtown Cape Girardeau. His sister, Hannah Sterling, and Christopher Wright watch and wait their turns to shoot.

This past weekend was the Moo Sul Kwan 2018 National Convention. At Saturday night's banquet several awards were given including Instructor of the Year. Jill Mills of Lee H. Park Hapkido was the recipient of this year's honor. She was chosen from a national network of Moo Sul Kwan instructors...