Stories from Saturday, April 24, 2021

U.S. District Judge Matthew Schelp sentenced Bobby Black to 77 months in prison Friday. The 46-year-old Caruthersville, Missouri, resident pleaded guilty in November to six counts of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one of the counts being conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of the drug...

COVID-19 numbers in Cape Girardeau County continue to hold fairly steady, but hospitalizations for the virus ticked up a bit Friday morning. Officials with the county's public health center said six virus-related hospitalizations were reported in the county. They noted the number included residents from other counties...

Schnucks is recalling a variety of bakery items because the grocer's container manufacturer, Genpak, has notified the company that loose particles of plastic may be included in the packaging, which could result in the plastic particles being embedded in the baked goods...

While some people may have a man cave in which they go to seclude themselves, a few men from Southeast Missouri use theirs to show off collections and share the space with others. Mark Ruark of Cape Girardeau uses his cave to display his collection of University of Kentucky basketball memorabilia and bourbon whiskey bottles, specifically Maker's Mark. ...

An old barn located behind Wal-Mart burned down Friday morning in Cape Girardeau. According to battalion chief Norman Baker, the Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded at approximately 11:13 a.m. to a report of black smoke from behind Wal-Mart. Upon arrival, crews discovered an old barn on Robin Lane used for machine storage was on fire. Since the incident occurred just outside city limits, the Gordonville Fire Protection District was also requested...

After the year we’ve been through with the COVID-19 pandemic, how do you define progress? Most years when we publish the Progress edition of B Magazine, our thoughts go to new construction projects and areas of growth. We have had some exciting projects — a new behavioral health hospital finished, a veterans hospital on the way, new county courthouse in Jackson and construction of the new Cape Girardeau City Hall to name a few...

Ella and Kingsley Lathum went to St. Paul Lutheran School on Friday thinking they would finally see their father, Sgt. Carl Lathum, return from military service in Kuwait after the school day was over. Little did they know, he was waiting in the chapel to surprise them...

Progress is often measured by the activity of its local or regional airport. It is often, literally, the gateway to the world. Nowhere is this more evident than in the growth of the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport with its $17 million renovation plan, which will include a new terminal. There is a lot to like about why this airport is set to take off.

State Sen. Holly Rehder said Friday she is not in favor of funding Medicaid expansion. "I was elected to represent the people of Southeast Missouri (who) rejected expansion soundly," the first-term Republican senator said, adding, "under the current circumstances, I will be standing with them and voting 'no' if given the opportunity."...

Ken Jackson, of Dexter, knows high school students and their educators in Southeast Missouri. He served as state supervisor of instruction with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Jackson is also a pilot.

Today is Saturday, April 24, the 114th day of 2021. There are 251 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On April 24, 1980, the United States launched an unsuccessful attempt to free the American hostages in Iran, a mission that resulted in the deaths of eight U.S. servicemen...

Most who know of Col. William L. Jeffers remember him as the commanding officer of the Confederate 8th Missouri Calvary Regiment and its predecessors, which recruited many Southeast Missouri men during the Civil War. This regiment fought numerous battles in Arkansas and Missouri and participated in Price's 1864 raid into Missouri. Union forces captured Jeffers at the Battle of Mine Creek, and he spent time at the Johnson's Island, Ohio, prison until the war's end...

Submitted by Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary This pretty girl is Sylvia. She is 7 years old and needs a loving, forever home. If you are ready for a rewarding experience, come see us at Safe Harbor. Call (573) 243-9823.

Submitted Emily Peters, right, Jackson FFA chapter president, accepts a donation from Jay Stafford, Buchheit of Jackson store manager. Buchheit of Jackson held its annual fundraiser for the local Future Farmers of America chapters Feb. 10 through 22. Each year, customers are asked to donate $1 to $5 to their local chapter. All money raised supports the FFA chapter in their agricultural education. This year, Buchheit has donated nearly $3,000. All funds raised at Buchheit of Jackson went to Jackson High School’s FFA chapter.

Senior centers are open for carryout and delivery only. Monday: Barbecued riblet with mashed potatoes or beef burrito and rice, seasoned broccoli, warm corn salad, whole-grain bun or bread and chilled plums or applesauce cake. Tuesday: Scrambled eggs and sausage patty or chicken tenders, baked hash browns with onions, biscuit and gravy, chilled creamed fruit, orange juice and bran muffin...

This is a wildflower called Columbine. Its flower is said to resemble an eagle's claw, but I think it resembles a jester's cap. The Columbine plant is toxic to animals, and deer will not eat it. Usually a single plant will grow about 2 feet tall, but it can be taller. It can be found growing in shade or semi-shade in forested areas or glades. I have found Columbine plants hanging from cracks in limestone cliffs, where many other plants can't grow...

It saddens me to see so much divisiveness in our country. Much of the division has to do with economic factors as well as immutable traits. As a Christian, I believe God created all men and women in the image of God. Life is not fair, and no one owes us anything. ...

The other week at youth group, we were talking about fear and reading Matthew 14:22-32, the story of Jesus and Peter walking on water. One of the students observed the apostles are at first "terrified" because they have mistaken the identity of the figure walking toward them; they think it is a ghost. Once they realize it is the Lord, however, they are no longer afraid...

We see God move in our lives, not when we try to do more and be more. We see God move in our lives when we surrender to him. One of the most outstanding examples of a surrendered life is Abraham. In Genesis 12:1 -- 3, Abraham, Abram at the time, demonstrated a heart of surrender. His demeanor illustrates how God uses men and women today. I want to highlight some traits of a surrendered life...

Marge and I've been working in our garden putting in plastic mulch. We have been putting ours in with a labor-intensive process. One can buy a machine that fits on the tractor, and it lays down a dripper line, digs two trenches about 32 inches apart, lays down a 36-inch wide piece of plastic with the edges in the trenches and then covers up the edges of the plastic. ...

The Brazeau Historical Society is hosting once again the scenic tour 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 24 and 25. Brazeau, Missouri, is a community in east Perry County that is more than 200 years old. Ham and beans will be served on April 24 and stew on April 25 from 10 a.m. ...

Nothing is more vital to serious thinking than the ability to make distinctions between superficially similar things. The gas pedal and the brake pedal look awfully similar, but if you can't distinguish between them, good luck getting out of the driveway safely...

We praise you, O Lord Jesus Christ, for you are our deliverance. Amen.

Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin, questioned the need for widespread COVID-19 vaccinations, saying in a radio interview "what do you care if your neighbor has one or not?" Johnson made the comments Thursday during an interview with conservative talk radio host Vicki McKenna. ...

NEW DELHI -- India put oxygen tankers on special express trains as major hospitals in New Delhi begged on social media on Friday for more supplies to save COVID-19 patients who are struggling to breathe. More than a dozen people died when an oxygen-fed fire ripped through a coronavirus ward in a populous western state...

MOSCOW -- Russian troops began pulling back to their permanent bases Friday after a massive buildup that caused Ukrainian and Western concerns. On Thursday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu declared the sweeping maneuvers in Crimea and wide swaths of western Russia over, and ordered the military to bring the troops that took part in them back to their permanent bases by May 1...

The Biden administration has taken the first step toward ending an emergency exception that allowed hospitals to ration and reuse N95 medical masks, the first line of defense between frontline workers and the deadly coronavirus. Thousands of medical providers have died in the COVID-19 pandemic, many exposed and infected while caring for patients without adequate protection...

WASHINGTON -- World leaders joined President Joe Biden Friday to close his virtual climate summit with stories of their own national drives to break free of climate-wrecking fossil fuels -- Kenyans leapfrogging from kerosene stoves to geothermal power and Israeli start-ups scrambling to improve battery storage...

The president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Alexis McGill Johnson, has used The New York Times as a confessional to fess up to the racist history of Planned Parenthood's founder, Margaret Sanger. "We must reckon with Margaret Sanger's association with white supremacist groups and eugenics," she writes...

As Americans know from their own illustrious history, any nation's well-being hinges on only a few factors. Its prosperity, freedom and overall stability depend on its constitutional and political stability. A secure currency and financial order are also essential, as is a strong military...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls. April 21 n Medical assists were made at 2:08 a.m. on South West End Boulevard; 7:14 a.m. on South Pacific Street; 9:30 a.m. on William Street; 3:17 p.m. on Grant Street; 4:44 p.m. on South Farrar Drive; 5:55 p.m. on Cape LaCroix Road;...

CAPE GIRARDEAU Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Assaults n Assault was reported in the 2800 block of Whitener Street. n Assault was reported in the 600 block of Jefferson Avenue. Thefts n Burglary was reported in the 500 block of North Middle Street...

Mark Richard "Moose" Venable, 55, of Jackson passed away unexpectedly Thursday, April 22, 2021, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 1, 1965, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Charles and Linda Hilborn Venable. He and Janet Payne were married April 30, 2011...

Joseph "Joe" Schram, 79, of Scott City passed away at 6:13 p.m. Tuesday, April 20, 2021, at his home. He was born April 8, 1942, in Oran, Missouri, the son of Albert Adam and Clara Theresa Ziegler Schram. Joe was a brakeman and conductor for Frisco-Santa Fe and later Burlington Northern Railroad in Chaffee, Missouri, retiring after 30 years of service. He also farmed his whole life...

KELSO, Mo. -- Rita Drury passed away peacefully surrounded by family at her home on the family farm outside of Kelso Wednesday, April 21, 2021, at the age of 89. She was born July 13, 1931, outside of Commerce, Missouri, to George and Alvina Compas Vetter...

Robert "Neil" Dougan, 75, of Jackson passed away Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021, at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau. The youngest of six children, Neil was born April 30, 1945, in St. Louis to Forrest and Lorraine Willis Dougan. Neil was a 1963 graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School. He was a Vietnam veteran, serving honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps from Aug. 12, 1966, to Aug. 9, 1968...

ST. LOUIS -- Donna Jean Vignovich Domian, 74, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, Monday, April 5, 2021. Donna was born in Des Moines, Iowa, to the late Eli and Lois Lark Vignovich. Donna graduated from Des Moines North High School and Truman State University and received her doctorate from the University of Iowa. ...

Robert "Bob" F. Cannon, 76, of Jackson died April 22, 2021. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Jackson. Funeral will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Donny Ford officiating. Interment will take place in the Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson...

LAGUNA WOODS, Calif. -- Paul Bukstein died peacefully in his home Monday, April 19, 2021, at the age of 96. He was born Oct. 13, 1924, in St. Louis to Oscar and Rose Bukstein. He attended Washington University for a year before serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. He finished college at University of Southern California in 1948...

Sandra Suzette Arnn, 62, of Cape Girardeau lost her long battle with cancer, surrounded by her loving family, Monday, April 19, 2021, at her home. She fought with a courage and grace that was amazing to witness. She will always be remembered for her strength, which was grounded in her deep spirituality and her love of God...

Cape Girardeau County Commission 9 a.m. today 1 Barton Square, Jackson Approval of minute n Minutes from April 22 meeting Communications/reports -- other elected officials n COVID-19 Update: In an effort to keep Cape Girardeau County residents safe and aware regarding the status of the virus, Emergency Management Agency (EMA) director Mark Winkler will be issuing an update at County Commission meetings. ...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Bloomfield, Missouri, woman has been charged in the death of a young child. According to a release from James D. Dew, director of Bloomfield Public Safety, officers were dispatched to the 700 block of N. Miller in Bloomfield on Tuesday with a report of a 17-month-old child found unresponsive in a bathtub full of water...

Forecasted inclement weather for Saturday forced several event cancellations: n Friends of the Parks Day and the Great Cape Clean Up. If you or your group would still like to help beautify our parks, contact Brock Davis at (573) 339.6340 or bdavis@cityofcape.org...

Cape Girardeau Fire Department personnel responded to a structure fire shortly after 11 a.m. Friday. The structure, located off Robin Lane, appeared to be agricultural in nature and was engulfed in flames as firefighters tried to contain the blaze.

I-55 in Perry, Ste. Genevieve counties reduced for core drilling Northbound and southbound Interstate 55 in Perry and Ste. Genevieve counties will be reduced to one lane with a 12-foot width restriction as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform core drilling operations...

This weekend was supposed to be an opportunity for volunteers to help clean up the parks in Cape Girardeau and Jackson. But anticipated rain on Saturday has led organizers of both events to cancel. Still, there are ways to help out when it stops raining...

Bollinger County authorities have identified human remains found in the county and arrested a man in connection with the case. The remains were identified as those of Jennifer Porzeinski, missing from Madison County, Missouri. Porzeinski had been reported as missing to the Madison County Sheriff's Office in Fredericktown, Missouri, on March 16. ...

If the first two days of the awareness campaign are any indication, Random Acts of Kindness Week is going to be quite popular in the Cape Girardeau region; about 60 businesses, organizations, churches and schools have already signed up to participate in the week, which is scheduled for May 12-18; the Southeast Missourian is sponsoring the week...

Rush H. Limbaugh's stature in Cape Girardeau could land his likeness in a statue, although his son, a federal judge, doesn't embrace the idea; Limbaugh, one of the city's favorite sons, was the nation's oldest practicing lawyer when he died at his home here April 8 at the age of 104; State Rep. Mary Kasten hopes to raise private funds to erect a life-size statue of Limbaugh; she has suggested that the statue be put in Common Pleas Courthouse Park...

CAMDEN, Tenn. -- David James Morris, 72, of Camden, formerly of Sikeston, Missouri, died Saturday, April 10, 2021, at his home. He was born June 3, 1948, in Brandenburg, Kentucky, to Robert Lee and Mildred Louise Mattingly Morris. David graduated from Meade County (Kentucky) High School. He then enlisted in the military and finished in the National Guard. Throughout his life, he worked full time and tinkered with race cars until his retirement...