Stories from Tuesday, August 14, 2018

The Jackson Police Department investigated reports of suspicious activity in the City Park over the weekend but concluded the incident was not predatory behavior but rather was a misunderstanding, authorities said. Contacted by phone Monday, a Jackson police public-information officer referred all media questions to a statement posted by the department Monday afternoon on Facebook...

A group of pro-life demonstrators call for the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh as Sue Liebel, center, speaks Monday in front of the Rush Hudson Limbaugh Sr. Federal Courthouse, which houses U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill's Cape Girardeau office. ...

Cape Girardeau’s assistant public works director, Stan Polivick, has been promoted to director of the department, city officials said Monday. He will take over the position after the current director, Steve Cook, retires Sept. 1. Cook has worked for the city for more than four decades...

An outbreak of salmonella in Perry County has sickened 34 people so far, authorities said Monday. Sheila Hahs, RN, communicable-disease coordinator for Perry County Health Department, said the outbreak’s cause has not been determined. “Right now, we are just gathering information,” she said...

Ruth Ann Dickerson took over as Cape Girardeau County sheriff Monday, becoming the first woman to serve in that position in the 218-year history of the department. The county commission appointed Dickerson as interim sheriff after John Jordan formally tendered his resignation Monday morning...

Today is Tuesday, Aug. 14, the 226th day of 2018. There are 139 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On August 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. On this date: In 1848, the Oregon Territory was created...

Congratulations to Cape Girardeau Public Schools for securing a USDA grant to provide free breakfast and lunch to all school children for the next four years. Using federal government dollars to feed children who would not receive nourishing meals is a win for everyone. ...

Our community has found a lot of different ways to raise money while having fun. Whether its local women dressed up and strutting their vintage clothing down a runway, a cast of generous bravehearts in costumes dashing into nearly frozen lakes, singing contests, home tours or pub crawls, our local people know how to put the fun in fundraisers...

Normally, this week would be the first day of school for the Jackson R-2 School District and I would be reminding everyone to drive extra carefully in the Jackson area as traffic increases with buses, parents, and students traveling to and from classes. ...

STARK, Minn. — It was not a fairy tale, but a rescue on a Minnesota lake did involve a rainbow unicorn. A sheriff’s deputy and a reserve deputy from the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office spotted a group of five women on a large, inflatable rainbow unicorn floating on Fish Lake on Saturday. ...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Google wants to know where you go so badly it records your movements even when you explicitly tell it not to. An Associated Press investigation found many Google services on Android devices and iPhones store your location data even if you've used a privacy setting that says it will prevent Google from doing so...

ST. LOUIS -- A new audit found Ferguson, Missouri, has made significant progress in addressing problems in its municipal court, which drew scrutiny for its treatment of poor and minority people after the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown in 2014...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri taxpayers may be covering $884,000 in legal fees for a Columbia church's U.S. Supreme Court case after a state agency denied its playground resurfacing. Attorney General Josh Hawley praised the high court ruling in favor of Trinity Lutheran Church but questioned the fees and expenses, the Columbia Daily Tribune reported...

ST. LOUIS -- A new state law aims to reduce the number of Missouri residents driving vehicles with expired temporary license tags. The measure taking effect Aug. 28 will require drivers to turn in temporary tags to a state license office when obtaining permanent plates and paying sales tax on newly purchased vehicles. The legislation attempts to keep the temporary paper tags from showing up illegally on another vehicle, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported...

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump and former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman faced off Monday in a messy clash involving an explosive tell-all book, secret recordings and plenty of insults -- reviving their roles as reality show boss and villain. Trump accused Manigault Newman, the former White House liaison to black voters, as "wacky" and "not smart" after his former co-star revealed her recording of a phone conversation with the president during a media blitz for her new book...

WASHINGTON -- You know your cholesterol, your blood pressure ... your heart gene score? Researchers say a new way of analyzing genetic test data may one day help identify people at high risk of a youthful heart attack in time to help. Today, gene testing mostly focuses on rare mutations in one or a few genes, like those causing cystic fibrosis or sickle cell disease, or the BRCA gene responsible for a small fraction of breast cancer. ...

WASHINGTON -- Peter Strzok, a longtime FBI agent who was removed from the Russia investigation over anti-Trump text messages, has been fired by the agency, his lawyer said Monday. The FBI had been reviewing Strzok's employment after the politically charged text messages were discovered last year. President Donald Trump's allies have seized on the texts, saying they show the investigation into possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia is tainted by political bias...

HORSHAM, Pa. -- Lauren Woeher wonders whether her 16-month-old daughter has been harmed by tap water contaminated with toxic industrial compounds used in products such as nonstick cookware, carpets, firefighting foam and fast-food wrappers. Henry Betz, at 76, rattles around his house alone at night, thinking about the water his family unknowingly drank for years tainted by the same contaminants, and the pancreatic cancers that killed his wife, Betty Jean, and two others in his household...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A West Virginia Supreme Court justice facing a 23-count federal indictment was impeached Monday along with two other justices for spending issues -- part of an extraordinary move by lawmakers who are debating putting the entire court on trial in the Senate...

WASHINGTON -- A year after the Trump administration introduced its strategy for Afghanistan, the Taliban are asserting themselves on the battlefield even as U.S. officials talk up hopes for peace. That's raising questions about the viability of the American game plan for ending a war that began when some of the current U.S. troops there were in diapers...

NEW YORK -- The clothing company making Wrangler and Lee jeans is breaking off its denim division to focus on its fast-growing outdoor and active wear business. The major shift at VF Corp. is happening as Americans swap out jeans for yoga pants. That trend has fueled growth at Lululemon, Under Armour and Nike. Retailers such as The Gap and Target have hopped aboard. Even traditional jeans makers have added stretch to their denim to catch up...

Emergency services officials and volunteer flood workers aren't the only ones keeping an eye on the Mississippi River gauge at Cape Girardeau; on both sides of the river, school administrators have one eye on the calendar and the other on the gauge; they hope the river will drop low enough so school buses can travel over roads and highways that are now submerged; the river stage here is at 44.9 feet...

Lois Gladys Marie Wendel, 81, of Jackson died Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. Funeral will be a 1 p.m. at the funeral home, with the Rev. Roger Abernathy officiating. Burial will be in Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson...

Danny Gene Stratton, 60, of Oak Ridge died Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, at his home after a long-term illness. He was born Nov. 10, 1957, in Cape Girardeau, the son of Earl and Wilma Stephens Stratton. Danny grew up in Cape Girardeau and attended Cape Girardeau Central High School. ...

Betty "Joan" Cathcart Pickens passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau on Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, at the age of 77. Betty was born Sept. 10, 1940, in Neely's Landing to Ernest and Ava Rumfelt Cathcart. ...

Helen Lucille Hill, 93, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Aug. 12, 2018, at her home, surrounded by family. She was born Feb. 23, 1925, in Benton, Illinois, to Paul Wesley and Pauline True Pilson. She and Charles L. Hill were married Nov. 6, 1943, at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He preceded her in death May 14, 1999...

Beloved Colton Layton Ellis, 23, of Cape Girardeau was taken from his family Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, at Saint Francis Medical Center to be with God. The joy he brought to all who knew him has been silenced. Colton was born Oct. 13, 1994, in Cape Girardeau to Cheryl Layton Ellis...

Rhonda Sue Campbell, 59, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Aug. 10, 2018. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to noon Thursday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home. Funeral will be at noon Thursday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Jeff Estes officiating. Graveside service will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Woodlawn Cemetery in Poplar Bluff, Missouri...

ADVANCE, Mo.-- Alice Brown, daughter of the late Gilbert and Eva Galemore, was born Nov. 3, 1949, and departed this life Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. Alice was a resident of Advance, but spent most of her life working and raising her family in the Charleston, Missouri, and surrounding areas, where she still has many family members and friends...

Betty Jo Bailey, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Aug. 10, 2018, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Dec. 3, 1928, in Malden, Missouri, to Charles B. and Ethel M. Breedlove Patterson. She worked for Southwestern Bell as a telephone operator more than 20 years and later at the Kmart Store in Cape Girardeau for more than 20 years...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls: Sunday n Medical assists were made at 12:21 p.m. on Linden Street and 2:45 p.m. on North Sprigg Street. n At 1:45 a.m., smoke/odor investigation was performed on Louis Street...

Lord Jesus, we lift up our hands to you our Savior. Amen.

I like that President Trump is willing to fight. Fight the mayors' intent on maintaining so-called sanctuary cities. Fight the Chinese with tariffs for trying to take advantage of the United States economically. Fight Turkey for the release of Andrew Brunson, the American pastor held there since 2016. But please -- please! -- stop fighting LeBron James...

Daughter to Adam and Katrina Horton of Chaffee, Missouri, Southeast Hospital, 10:08 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018. Name, Maisyn Lynn. Weight, 7 pounds, 4 ounces. Third daughter. Mrs. Horton is the daughter of Angela and Will Bolt of Chaffee and John and Ronda Schiwitz of Cape Girardeau. Horton is the son of Julie Dalton of Chaffee and Dion Horton of Cape Girardeau County. He is the assistant manager at Plaza Tire Service in Scott City...

Nellie Warren, 74, of Scott City died Monday, Aug. 13, 2018, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran, Missouri.