Stories from Tuesday, October 26, 2021

A portion of Water Street between Broadway and Independence Street in downtown Cape Girardeau will close at 5 a.m. today. According to Nicolette Brennan, public information officer for the City of Cape Girardeau, the closure is because of repair work performed by Burlington Northern Sante DE (BSNF) Railway on railroad pedestrian crossings and rails...

When the Cape Girardeau School District's food supplier abruptly dropped the district at the start of the school year, nutritional services employees had to get creative, according to Josh Crowell, assistant superintendent of support services. Employees have had to outsource food supplies from Sam's, Aldi, Schnucks and Walmart to keep providing students with daily meals...

The Cape Girardeau County Commission has approved renewing a contract with Springfield, Missouri-based E.J. Rice Company to do a mandatory biennial canvass of the county's estimated 49,334 voters for the 2021-2022 election cycle. "We're always updating our records in-house as we go along but this canvass is part of our obligation under the National Voter Registration Act," said Kara Clark Summers, county clerk and election authority...

Author and former Southeast Missourian reporter Mark Bliss announced Monday his intent to file for the open Ward 6 seat on the Cape Girardeau City Council. Bliss is the second prospective candidate to publicly announce their bid for Ward 6's soon-to-be vacant seat; attorney Brandon Cooper will also run...

Local pastor Ron Watts recently traveled more than 350 miles to record a sermon in a corn field for La Croix Church in Cape Girardeau. But it wasn't just any corn field — Watts and a crew visited the farm where the 1989 movie "Field of Dreams" was made...

The annual number of cases caused by the most common strain of polio has declined by more than 99.9% worldwide since the Global Polio Eradication Initiative launched in 1988. Local Rotarians want to bring that percentage up to 100%. Rotary is a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a public-private partnership with a goal to end polio worldwide. ...

FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. — The National Weather Service confirmed it was a strong tornado that thrashed Fredericktown as strong storms swept the state and moved into Illinois overnight and damaged buildings and knocked out power, but left no serious injuries...

Growing up the son of two music teachers, I was bound to learn piano. Years later as an adult, I'm thankful that was the case. Part of my training as a youngster was participating in the National Federation of Junior Music Clubs Festival. Each year students perform two pieces of music by memory for judges and are rated based on their performance and musicality. ...

Over the past few years, we’ve experienced an influx of people relocating to the Southeast Missouri area. These are often extended family moving to be closer to a loved one or due to new job opportunities. There are a variety of reasons that bring new faces to the place that we call home...

O Father God, the Great I Am, we marvel at the beauty of your creation. Amen.

"Alta was alive and breathed on her own for 90 minutes after her breathing tube was removed," — Rabbi Elisha Greenbaum said, stating the key fact as clearly as can be. The United Kingdom wanted 2-year-old Alta Fixsler dead. The powers-that-be may not have put it that baldly, but they decided to end her life. ...

"Keeps me awake at night" Shortly after leaving the mayor's office in 2010 I was asked the following question: As you leave office, what will keep you awake at night regarding the future of Cape Girardeau? To which I quickly responded there were two things that I worried about for future leaders of Cape Girardeau:...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Emogene M. Wengert, 91, of Perryville passed away Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021, at the Independence Care Center in Perryville. She was born April 17, 1930, in Lithium, Missouri, to Edward and Marie A. Dallas Riney. She and Herbert A. 'Whitey' Wengert were married on Aug. 26, 1950, and he passed away Oct. 3, 2007...

LeRoy R. Steger, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, at Chaffee (Missouri) Nursing Center. He was born July 20, 1937, in Egypt Mills to Fred and Wilma Huber Steger. He and Gloria J. Hurt were married July 22, 1960, at Cape Girardeau. He was owner/operator, along with his wife, of Steger Upholstery Shop in Cape Girardeau for more than 20 years...

Dorothy Marie Schreiner Siebert, 94, formerly of Jackson, went to be with Jesus Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 5, 1927, to Walter and Edna Ruppel Schreiner in Old Appleton. She and Harlan Alvin Siebert were married Nov. 26, 1950. He survives...

John Stanley Shelton, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, after a brief battle with cancer. He was born Jan. 21, 1932, in Murray, Kentucky, to Cora Jones Boyd and James William Shelton. John's musical ability was apparent at a young age. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Betty Jane Schumer, 78, of Perryville died Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021 at Holiday Residential Care in Perryville. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday and 8 to 10 a.m. Friday at Ford and Young Funeral Home in Perryville. Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home with Deacon Derek Hunt officiating. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery in Perryville...

Janet M. Kester, 74, of Friedheim passed away Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 11, 1946, in Cape Girardeau to Lester H. and Artie V. Wills Berkbigler. She and Willie Kester were married Aug. 24, 1963, in Jackson. Three children were born to their union, Willie, Kenny and Angie...

Joanna Johannes, 76, of Jackson passed away Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, in St. Louis. She was born March 23, 1945, in Syracuse, New York, to Kenneth and Frances Diebert Dilling. She and John Johannes were married Aug. 19, 1967, in St. Louis. Two children were born to their union, Rachel and John "Jack."...

BENTON, Mo. -- Michael Stanley Houseman, 58, of Benton died Friday, Oct. 22, 2021, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 27, 1962, in Charleston, Missouri, to Claude and Evelyn Shoffner Housman Jr. He married Carolyn Barr on Jan. 27, 1989...

Patricia "Pat" Hart Carr, 83, formerly of Charleston, Missouri, passed away Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, surrounded by her loving family at her daughter's home in Jackson. She was born March 19, 1938, at Charleston, daughter of the late Thomas Henry and Ruth Shively Hart...

Son to Michael and Emily Montgomery of Jackson, Southeast Hospital, 2:33 p.m., Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. Name, Elliot Andrew. Weight, 7 pounds, 2 ounces. First child. Mrs. Montgomery is the daughter of Dr. Jim Welker of Cape Girardeau and Terri Welker of Cape Girardeau. She is an OB nurse at Southeast Hospital. Montgomery is the son of Dr. Claudia Preuschoff of Poplar Bluff, Missouri. He is an engineer with Horner and Shifrin, Inc...

JACKSON The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrest does not imply guilt.

The responsibility for setting Cape Girardeau's downtown clock has fallen to Charlie Hutson for the past decade; so either late tonight or early Sunday morning, he will stand at the intersection of Themis and Main streets, stopping time for an hour as daylight saving time ends; Hutson's temporal duties began in May 1986...

Lyman Boyd Simmons Jr., 78, of Scott City peacefully passed away Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau with his three proudest accomplishments by his side. Not being able to catch a break, Southeast is where he spent a lot of his time since January. ...

CAPE GIRARDEAU Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls. Oct. 24 n Medical assist was made at 6:49 p.m. on Veterans Memorial Drive. n At 8:49 a.m., fire alarm on South Ellis Street. n At 5:27 p.m., structure fire on Merriwether Street...