Stories from Friday, February 8, 2019

The weather has been weird lately, which in my opinion can sometimes lead to higher levels of stress because of all the uncertainty of how to dress. And I may have revealed too much about myself with that hypothesis. I'd honestly be fine if Mother Nature would just decide to stick with spring and then happily continue on into higher, summer-like temperatures. I've been counting down the days until my pool reopens since the day after it closed on Labor Day...

Jecala Amos started off her dancing career in Cairo, Illinois, at the age of 8. After moving several times -- and learning some moves of her own -- she has initiated her latest career venture as artistic director at Dance City in Cape Girardeau. Amos graduated in 2012 with a general studies degree from Southeast Missouri State University after a time of indecisiveness on her career goal -- which involved a brief interest in majoring in dance and psychology...

Recognized by students as she makes her way through the halls of East Elementary School in Jackson, school counselor Jenny Moyers leaves a kindergarten classroom to head to a second-grade classroom. As the counselor for the school, Moyers has the unique opportunity to spend time in each individual classroom and get to know the students filling the seats...

Members of the National Weather Service are expected to be in Southeast Missouri today after a squall line produced severe winds and damage across at least three region counties. Buildings were impacted in Doniphan at about 8:15 a.m. in Ripley County, while a grain bin was taken down later in the Broseley area of Butler County. By approximately 9 a.m., a train had derailed in Dexter, and other damage was done in Stoddard County...

Cape Girardeau County Recorder Drew Blattner turns pages in a thick book longer than his forearm: a deed index book. Its pages are curled and worn away at the edges, some ink is blurred from countless fingers riffling through for information. The leather and canvas binding is cracking, and the simple thread the book is sewn together with? It's fraying...

Today is Friday, Feb. 8, the 39th day of 2019. There are 326 days left in the year. Today's Highlights in History: On Feb. 8, 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle in England after she was implicated in a plot to murder her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I...

Several local organizations make it their business to help small business. One that may not get as much attention as some of the others is The Small Business Technology Development Center, or SBTDC, which has an office at 920 Broadway, where Jakob Pallesen works as the director...

WASHINGTON -- Democrats launched a sweeping plan Thursday to transform the U.S. economy to combat climate change and create thousands of jobs in renewable energy, signaling its likely elevation as a central campaign issue in 2020 despite President Donald Trump's failure to mention climate change in his State of the Union address...

BRUSSELS -- British Prime Minister Theresa May and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker sparred on Thursday during "robust" talks on the U.K.'s Brexit plans, and agreed to hold more negotiations that could push the sealing of any deal to within a month of Britain's scheduled departure...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Iran appears to have attempted a second satellite launch despite U.S. criticism that its space program helps the country develop ballistic missiles, satellite images released Thursday suggest. Iran did not immediately acknowledge conducting such a launch...

NEW YORK -- "Can I get you some Ralph's Roast?" Immaculately dressed young waiters offered coffee and pastries as soon as you sat down at Ralph Lauren's scaled-down fashion show Thursday, a stark contrast with last season's lavish anniversary extravaganza in Central Park...

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump told attendees at the annual National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday he stands behind them, even as speakers bemoaned the level of division in the country and what one described as a "fracturing of the American family."...

WASHINGTON -- The new Democratic-controlled House is looking at proposals to compel presidents and presidential candidates to make public years of their tax returns. But the burning question is what Democrats might do more immediately to get such files from President Donald Trump...

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump threw his weight behind his daughter's latest White House effort Thursday, backing her initiative to provide an economic boost to women in the developing world. The president on Thursday launched the Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, a governmentwide project led by senior adviser Ivanka Trump. ...

WASHINGTON -- Scientists figured out how to hide a shot inside a pea-sized pill -- creating a swallowable gadget, inspired by a tortoise shell, that can inject medicines such as insulin from inside the stomach. Patients usually prefer oral treatment, and comply with it better, but many compounds, including insulin for diabetes, can't survive the harsh trip through the digestive system...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A bill one lawmaker said would mean "the most radical undermining of open records and transparency law in state history" passed the Missouri House on Thursday. But the bill's sponsor said he'll work to tamp down the most contested part of the bill, which also imposes campaign contribution caps on local candidates and applies other ethics restrictions to local officeholders...

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia's Democrats struggled to find their way out of three interlocking political crises Thursday that could bring down the party's top elected officials and put a Republican in the governor's chair. With Gov. Ralph Northam's career in peril over a racist photo in his 1984 medical school yearbook, the state attorney general acknowledged Wednesday that he put on blackface when he was in college, and a woman publicly accused the lieutenant governor of sexually assaulting her 15 years ago.. ...

ST. LOUIS -- An oil leak near St. Louis prompted the closure of parts of two pipelines as crews work to determine the source, company officials and Missouri regulators said Thursday. The leak was discovered Wednesday near St. Charles, Missouri, about 30 miles northwest of St. Louis. TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone pipeline and Enbridge Inc.'s Platte pipeline are among several that run through the area. Crews on Thursday were preparing excavation work to figure out where the leak originated...

The Scott City Council yesterday approved a measure which will allow voters to decide whether or not they want riverboat gaming in the city; citizens will vote on the issue April 5. Yesterday was a kind of homecoming for John Ashcroft; Ashcroft, who has enjoyed strong support fro Cape Girardeau County during a political career that included two terms as attorney general and two terms as governor, came here Monday to announce he wants to return to public life as a U.S. senator...

LOS ANGELES -- The last "Young and the Restless" episode featuring Kristoff St. John aired Wednesday on CBS. The actor, who played the struggling alcoholic and ladies' man Neil Winters for 27 years, died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 52. The cause of death is under investigation by a medical examiner. St. John had played Neil Winters on the soap opera since 1991, earning nine daytime Emmy nominations. He won a Daytime Emmy in 1992 for outstanding younger actor in a drama series...

Kristen Ashleigh Wilson, 37, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019, at home, surrounded by her family. Visitation will be from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. A celebration of life will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Joe McCullough officiating...

Betty J. Strack, 87, of Jackson passed away Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019, at Monticello House. She was born Oct. 31, 1931, in Cape Girardeau to Linus C. and Marie F. Milde Morton. She and Vernon "Bud" Strack were married Aug. 27, 1947. They were members of St. Paul Lutheran Church. Two sons were born to their union, and they had been married 65 years when Bud passed away May 25, 2014...

David Lynn Hooks, 66, of Jackson passed away Wednesday, Feb. 6,2019, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at this time. McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson is in charge of arrangements...

Christine J. Davis, 96, passed away peacefully Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019. Daughter of James and Mona Jewell, Christine grew up on a tobacco farm in western Kentucky. She attended college in Murray, Kentucky, and later earned a Master's in Elementary Education from Southeast Missouri State University...

Sharon Jean Brown, 68, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019, at Southeast Hospital. Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. Funeral will follow at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Rick Crump officiating. Private burial will be at Hobbs Chapel Cemetery in Cape Girardeau...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Karen S. Bock, 53, of Perryville died Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, at her home. Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday at Immanuel Lutheran Church. Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the church, with the Rev. Matthew Marks officiating. Burial will be in the church Cemetery...

The narrative about girls joining Boy Scouts is that Girl Scout troops can't hike, camp, fish, etc. The truth is, Girl Scouts are what the troop wants to be. If they want to craft, craft. If they want to hike, hike. If parents and grandparents want the kids to have great scouting experiences, they should step up and volunteer!...

Lord God, we place our hope in you for you are the Everlasting Father. Amen.

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump appears to be taking a more positive view of Capitol Hill talks on border security, according to negotiators who struck a distinctly optimistic tone after a White House meeting with a top Republican on the broad parameters of a potential bipartisan agreement...

Mary Elizabeth Winchester, 82, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019, at her home in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, peacefully in her sleep. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Jackson County officials say the county courthouse in downtown Kansas City will remain closed until Feb. 19 because of extensive water damage from leaking water lines...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Supreme Court is considering the legality of former inmates facing more jail time when they can't pay back the cost of their room and board while behind bars...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- University of Missouri officials say they are confident they will be able to secure funding for the Columbia campus' first research facility since 2004...

Scott City Mayor Norman Brant, while serving as a councilman, orchestrated the resignation of then-city administrator Ron Eskew in March 2017, testimony in two civil suits shows. Eskew, who served as city administrator for 16 years, said in a deposition last month he resigned "under duress and blackmail."...

Son to Ethan and Ericka Schrock of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 7:22 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. Name, Cooper Hadley. Weight, 6 pounds, 13 ounces. First child. Mrs. Schrock is the daughter of Phil and Judy Cantoni of Cape Girardeau. She is a cosmetologist at Cape Cuts. Schrock is the son of Paul and Deborah Schrock of Cape Girardeau. He is operations supervisor at Southeast Missouri State University's Show Me Center...