Stories from Monday, April 4, 2022

SIKESTON, Mo. — The Sikeston Department of Public Safety has set up a new, anonymous tip line to help get more information from the public. DPS is now maintaining a tip line at (573) 475-3774 where citizens can easily submit information such as suspicious activity or possible criminal activity. The information will be anonymous...

Retiring U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt said he will not vote in the affirmative for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, while acknowledging her confirmation is all but assured. Blunt, 72, has represented Missouri in Congress's upper chamber since 2011 and will leave office in January...

For the second year in a row, Southeast Missouri State University has been honored with a "Military Friendly" distinction. Of all the schools surveyed by militaryfriendly.com, less than 37% were awarded the Military Friendly designation and less than 16% received the highest "Gold" level distinction, which Southeast also received again this year...

Fresh Healthy Cafe, a fast-casual restaurant, will open a second location later this spring at 1707 N. Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau, part of the Rhodes Group development known as Mount Auburn Center. The original cafe, inside Saint Francis Medical Center, opened in January 2019...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — Retired U.S. Air Force Col. John Clark, a six-year prisoner of war in North Vietnam who lives in Columbia, Missouri, will be recognized during a reception in his honor at 4 p.m. Friday at the Stars and Stripes Museum in Bloomfield...

In the 1960s television series "I Dream of Jeannie," an astronaut found a bottle in the sand. Removing the bottle's stopper, smoke emerged along with a genie with incredible powers — changing the space voyager's life forever. The show was entertaining fiction...

Two people are seeking a one-year term on the Scott County school board. In Tuesday's general election, Kindel Ward is facing Todd Hall. Superintendent Bradley Kolwyck said Sunday the district's bond issue proposal, also on the ballot, would fund several projects, including "a safe and secure middle school entrance; a building with classroom, locker rooms, weight room and storage space; HVAC replacement in high school gym and other locations throughout; high school gym bleachers; baseball and softball field lighting; other repairs and maintenance as funds are available.". ...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — A Poplar Bluff School District teacher who was on administrative leave and under investigation by law enforcement was found dead Wednesday morning. Joel McDuffey, 37, softball head coach and baseball assistant coach, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Butler County Coroner Jim Akers...

Thank you, Lord Jesus, that through your sacrifice on the cross we can have eternal life. Amen.

Many people still blame today's inflation on snags in globe-spanning supply chains. The chief proposed solution is to dismantle decades of globalization and bring production home. Some are also pushing for measures to offset inflation, including robust child subsidies and tax rebates for gas and food...

After two years of caution, groceries being delivered, mask-wearing and vaccinations, COVID-19 finally caught up with me. I've been dreading this. Prior to vaccine availability, I was terrified of it, even. I have an autoimmune disease and am on immunosuppressant medication. ...

Over the last several weeks, students in several classes at Southeast Missouri State University have been watching the film "Georgia, Georgia." The screenplay was written by famed author, poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. Last week, a public screening was held on campus for the community with a panel discussion that followed. ...

The City of Cape Girardeau's community development department has issued two business licenses. n Gershman Mortgage, a residential mortgage loan origination company, will open a branch April 28 at 1733 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. n Danielle Nicole Boyd of Cape Girardeau for Seven 7, a nightclub, at 731 Broadway...

Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon-cutting for the Green Bear exhibit at 9 a.m. Friday at Discovery Playhouse Children's Museum, 502 Broadway, in Cape Girardeau.

Matt Underwood is the new manager of facilities management with Saint Francis Healthcare System. Underwood's association with the hospital system began in 2009.

Cassy Coleman, RN, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, has accepted a nurse practitioner role at Saint Francis Health Plans Wellness Center. Coleman specializes in family medicine and has nearly 10 years of nursing experience. She earned her Master of Science in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University...

Gordon Powers has been promoted to director of environmental services for Saint Francis Healthcare System. He began his career with the hospital system in 2012.

Samantha Hendrix, MHA, JD, has been named director of legal services and general counsel for Saint Francis Healthcare System.

Charles Parsons has joined Digital Foundry, 13 S. Spanish St. in Cape Girardeau, a marketing and advertising agency, as director of content. Parsons has 11 years experience in Cape Girardeau working in the industry and has worked to produce content for Case IH, Make-A-Wish International, Tech Data and others...

Dana French-Shirrell and Pam Dannenmueller of Edge Realty recently passed the licensing test in St. Louis and have become real estate brokers.

Peggy Kelley is retiring as an Alliance Bank mortgage loan originator. A reception for Kelley will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the bank's Cape Girardeau branch, 217 N. Kingshighway. "Peggy has been a big asset to Alliance Bank for the past 15 years. We will certainly miss her and wish her all the best in retirement," said Wade Bartels, Alliance Bank president and CEO...

Aaron Panton, regional bank president for The Bank of Missouri, has been elected to serve on the Bank Education Committee of Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA). In a statement, ICBA said it was the nation's voice for community banks, saying it "is committed to its 92-year mission of creating and promoting an environment where community banks flourish."...

Buzzi Unicem has given $25,000 to Southeast Missouri Food Bank, the Sikeston-headquartered not-for-profit has announced. "With rising food and gas prices, more people are needing our help. It is costing us more to acquire food and get it onto the plates of our neighbors facing hunger," said Joey Keys, food bank CEO, in a statement...

Red Letter Communications of Cape Girardeau, a full-service marketing communications agency in business for 41 years, has announced it opened a new office March 1 in Nashville, Tennessee. Additionally, agency founder Jim Riley is now chairman of the board of Red Letter...

Southeast Missouri State University president Carlos Vargas was asked to comment about the school's enrollment during remarks last week to the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce. According to a flyer the college distributed to First Friday Coffee attendees at Century Casino, 11,523 degree-seeking students attended SEMO in pre-pandemic fiscal year 2019-2020. ...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Astronomers have discovered the farthest star yet, a super-hot, super-bright giant that formed nearly 13 billion years ago at the dawn of the cosmos. But this luminous blue star is long gone, so massive it almost certainly exploded into bits just a few million years after emerging. ...

In her office at a not-for-profit in central Nebraska, Karen Rathke routinely encounters residents still stung by the pandemic and hoping to get help with their rent. Rathke, president of the Heartland United Way, was hoping to tap into an additional $120 million in federal Emergency Rental Assistance to help them. But that money, part of what's known as ERA2, is at risk after Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts said he doesn't want it...

Airlines canceled more than 3,500 U.S. flights over the weekend and delayed thousands more, citing weather in Florida and other issues. FlightAware, a website that tracks flights, noted major disruptions at several Florida airports, including in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando, as well as Baltimore, New York and other airports around the country. ...

CAIRO -- The Muslim holy month of Ramadan -- when the faithful fast from dawn to dusk -- began at sunrise Saturday in much of the Middle East, where Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sent energy and food prices soaring. The conflict cast a pall over Ramadan, when large gatherings over meals and family celebrations are a tradition. ...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- At least two shooters opened fire early Sunday in Sacramento in the city's second mass shooting in five weeks, killing six people and wounding 12 others as bars closed for the night and crowds emptied onto downtown streets, police said...

BUCHA, Ukraine -- Bodies with bound hands, close-range gunshot wounds and signs of torture lay scattered in a city on the outskirts of Kyiv after Russian soldiers withdrew from the area. Ukrainian authorities accused the departing forces on Sunday of committing war crimes and leaving behind a "scene from a horror movie."...

Harlan J. Weber, 65, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, April 1, 2022. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Ford and Young Funeral Home in Perryville, Missouri, and from 9 to 10 a.m. Tuesday at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Altenburg, Missouri. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the church, with the Rev. Frank Lucas officiating. Burial will be at Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Altenburg...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Ricky Joseph Favier, 61, of Perryville died Friday, April 1, 2022, at Southeast Hospital. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Ford and Young Funeral Home in Perryville. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Gerald McBride officiating...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A former city councilwoman alleges in a federal lawsuit Jefferson City officials violated her free speech rights when two paving stones with messages about a Confederate general were removed from city property. Edith Vogel filed the lawsuit Thursday against the city of Jefferson City and Mayor Carrie Tergin, The Jefferson City News-Tribune reported...

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — The newly restored Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum is quickly moving toward fully reopening after renovations and the pandemic caused disruptions. Starting this week, it will open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. The research room also is resuming operations for the first time since the pandemic started...

Maggie Drew's dad sent her to Circle of Hope Girls' Ranch in Missouri in 2007, hoping strict Christian teachings would stop his 14-year-old daughter's teenage rebellion. Instead, Drew said, she found herself in a nightmare, sexually abused by one of the boarding school's founders and left with permanent spinal injuries after a fall from a hay barn for which she received no medical attention...

LAS VEGAS — Jon Batiste won album of the year honors for "We Are" at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, giving him five trophies on a night that saw the '70s funk of Silk Sonic take record of the year and song of the year and newcomer Olivia Rodrigo take three awards...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- A Boone County jury deliberated for an hour and 40 minutes before finding Russell E. Bucklew guilty yesterday of first-degree murder; Bucklew was also found guilty of forcible rape, burglary, kidnapping and armed criminal action; he faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole; the charges stem from the March 21, 1996, shooting death of Michael L. Sanders...

For release immediately, with photo April 1, 2022 VOLKERDING RECEIVES LIFE LEADER AWARD Ken Volkerding of Jackson, a financial representative with Modern Woodmen of America, was Life Leader in the Missouri East Region for the month of March...

Southeast Missouri – United Way of Southeast Missouri is the grateful recipient of $25,000 generously donated by Buzzi Unicem. This is the cement manufacturer’s second donation of this size to United Way since the nonprofit began its COVID Relief efforts two years ago in March, 2020...