Stories from Saturday, November 12, 2022

A Missouri man sentenced to death for killing a police officer in a fit of rage over his brother's death is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the execution planned for later this month, in part because the man was a teenager at the time of the killing...

Route V in Cape Girardeau County between Route Y and Highway 177 will be closed as Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a culvert under the road. According to a MoDOT news release, the work will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21...

A small fire broke out in the new construction portion of Jefferson Elementary School on Thursday morning, Nov. 10, in Cape Girardeau. There were no injuries. The fire was in a wall and was a result of construction activites, according to a Facebook post from the Cape Girardeau Fire Department...

FLORISSANT, Mo. — Testing by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers found no radioactive contamination at a Missouri school that was shut down last month amid fears nuclear material from a contaminated creek nearby had made its way into the school, Corps officials said Wednesday...

Southeast Missouri State University's Board of Governors, formerly called Regents, took the following actions at a meeting Wednesday, Nov. 9. n Andrew Moore, MD, of SoutheastHEALTH, was installed as the newest member of the Board of Governors, for a term expiring Jan. 1, 2029. Moore succeeds Ed Gargas. Moore was sworn in by retired U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Limbaugh Sr...

The first steps to connect Southeast Missourians to broadband internet service were laid out in a videoconference call Monday, Nov. 7. Representatives from the state's Office of Broadband Development (OBD) said they are in an information-gathering stage with two main avenues of focus. ...

Dance numbers from Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker Suite" will be featured in this year's Fall for Dance performance beginning Thursday, Nov. 17, at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus. Running through Sunday, Nov. 20, the annual event will also feature pieces choreographed by SEMO students as well as two professional guest artists...

This Thursday, Nov. 17, more than 300 Southeast Missouri area high school students will have their bridge-building skills judged by representatives of the state's Department of Transportation (MoDOT). The competition will be held at Southeast Missouri State University's Academic Hall in Cape Girardeau...

Trevor Pulley has been named the next assistant city manager and community development director for the City of Cape Girardeau. Pulley will officially begin Dec. 5. “Trevor brings skill, experience, and a heart for public service that will serve Cape Girardeau well,” city manager Kenneth Haskin said in a news release on Pulley’s appointment...

Veterans from American Legion Altenthal-Joerns Post 158 carry the colors as they lead the Friday, Nov. 11, Veterans Day Parade in Jackson. ...

With the November midterm elections now over, the eyes of the political world are turning to Donald Trump and rumors of a third presidential campaign in 2024. The leaders of the two major political parties in Cape Girardeau County are weighing in on the possibility of the nation's 45th president making another run for the White House...

As technology evolves, so does business, and so does the way businesses market themselves. Digital marketing is expanding rapidly with consumers spending more time online or browsing social media each day.

Cape Girardeau School District finances are stressed to the point that significant changes in spending will be required; school superintendent Dr. Dan Tallent and business manager Dr. Steve Del Vecchio informed the board yesterday of extremely low fund balances during a special meeting to finalize work on the current budget; they said the district is solvent and operational, but available funds are significantly low and spending will need to be corrected as soon as possible...

As a young lad, William Wilson was reared in the vicinity of Old Appleton, the son of carpenter Benjamin Wilson and his wife Jenne. Education for him was the rural schools until a friend of the family, Dr. Moses S. Harris of Perry County, Missouri, suggested he could tutor William in preparation for medical school. Eager to enter medicine, William attended and graduated from Bellevue College Medical School in New York...

We've had a dry summer this year. Some streams have run dry because of it. Small ponds have also been affected by the drought. On Oct. 26, I took this photo of a crawdad chimney. Crawdads at ponds will often dig a hole on land near the water and push out balls of mud, one ball at a time, building what is called a crawdad chimney. ...

Monday: Scrambled eggs and sausage patty or chicken tenders, pancakes with syrup, baked hash browns, bran muffin, hot baked apples and orange juice. Tuesday: Chicken pot pie or country fried steak with potatoes, Lima beans, whole-grain biscuit and Mandarin oranges or iced orange cake...

River Heritage Quilters' Build will hold its annual Quilts of Valor presentation at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14, at LaCroix United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau. Eight veterans will be presented with quilts that have been hand made in their honor to show respect and thanks for the many years of service in the military...

Life is filled with storms. No one or nothing escapes their bitter sting, and it's how we deal with the storms we face, that makes the difference. As I sat in a local restaurant, about to lift the forkful of Chinese food to my lips, I heard an awesome statement coming from a neighboring table. ...

Most everybody reading this column will understand the sentence, "Stick in a toe to test the water." For those who take baths rather than showers to get clean, the phrase speaks to practicality. Gauging the heat of water before lowering yourself into a bathtub is a necessary step, and sticking in a toe is long accepted as a reasonable precaution...

It's hard to believe but we are close to the middle of November, but even as late as mid-November Marge and I went out a week ago or so and picked over 2/3 of an ice cream bucket of Stupice tomatoes. Then the past few days we picked another 2/3 a bucket again. ...

O Father God, may we spend time in prayer with you and read the Bible daily. Amen.

Turkey prices are soaring this Thanksgiving, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. With food prices helping to drive inflation to a 40-year high, Americans are feeling the heat at grocery stores and during family dinners. It's in this context that Congress is about to consider yet another farm bill, a massive piece of legislation that allegedly is key to ending hunger in America with farm subsidies and food stamps. ...

DeSantis, Kemp and Abbott. Those governors were not just the Republican Party's brightest stars in this week's disappointing midterms elections. With their smashing victories Tuesday night, they showed us they're the future of the GOP — and the party's best hope for retaking the White House in 2024...

If Republicans haven't noticed it already, their underperformance in the midterms offers yet another opportunity to realize what matters most to Donald Trump. What goal of the GOP was advanced by having candidates devoted to Trump's "Stop the Steal" gospel?...

Students, faculty and community members had a unique experience last month as the state's Eastern District Court of Appeals was in session at Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau. Michael Gardner, chief judge of the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District and a Notre Dame alum, said judges on the Court of Appeals have the opportunity to travel to high schools periodically and hold court. He said it's a wonderful learning experience...

Son to Robert Ray Mitchell II and Jennifer Monique Sharp-Mitchell of Sikeston, Missouri, Saint Francis Medical Center, 6:14 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. Name, Robert Ray III. Weight, 6 pounds, 6 ounces. Second child, first son. Sharp-Mitchell is the daughter of Crystal Sharp of Charleston, Missouri. Mitchell is the son of Betty Mitchell and Robert Mitchell of Sikeston...

CAPE GIRARDEAU Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls. Nov. 9 n Medical assists were made at 2:17 a.m. on Whitener Street; 4:14 a.m. on North Park Avenue; 9:10 a.m. on William Street; 10:43 a.m. on South Mount Auburn Road; 1:43 p.m. at Doctors Park...

CAPE GIRARDEAU Cape Girardeau Police Department responded to the following calls. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n A warrant arrest was reported on North Sprigg Street. n A warrant arrest was reported. Assaults n Second-degree domestic assault was reported on North Main Street...

Shirley Joann Sweet, 86, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, at her home. She was born Aug. 21, 1936, in Cape Girardeau to Jesse C. and Henrietta Nitsch Ford. She and William Ray Sweet were married Oct. 19, 1956, in Cape Girardeau. He preceded her in death Nov. 20, 1994...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Allen Edward Sauer, 63, of Perryville died Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. Ford and Young Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Daisy Belle McGee, 88, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, at Ratliff Care Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born in Caraway, Arkansas, the daughter of Bert and Emma Lee Byrn Pennington. Daisy and Claude E. McGee were united in marriage in January 1954. He preceded her in death Dec. 1, 1995...

Olivia Diane Maxwell, 77, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Dec. 29, 1944, in Benton, Missouri, the daughter of Roy Albert and Margie Helen Cannon Williams. Olivia was a 1962 graduate of Scott County Central High School. ...

Christopher Lynn Hutson, 59, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, at his home. Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, at First Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau. Celebration of life will follow at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, at the church...

Ronald Lee Garner, 79, of Cape Girardeau passed away Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, at his home. He was born Aug. 7, 1943, in Cape Girardeau, the son of Vernice and Mildred Moore Garner. At the age of 9 years old, Ronald began his farming career by driving a tractor for his dad on their family farm. He became a lifelong farmer and raised cattle and hogs. He served as an MFA board member...

Neta Joan England, 89, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, at Life Care Center of Cape Girardeau. Joan was born Sept. 24, 1933, in St. James, Missouri, to Frank and Stella Perry Johnson. She and Charles England were united in marriage Dec. 13, 1952, and he preceded her in death in 1967. Together, they had one son, Charles Steven England, born in 1953, and he preceded her in death in 2009...

Daniel Wayne Driskell, 62, died Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau, after a battle with esophageal cancer. A celebration of life will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20, at Rusted Route Farms, 5739 State Highway W in Jackson. There will be a eulogy by the Rev. Ron Watts at 2 p.m., followed by an open reception until 5 p.m...

BENBAN, Egypt -- From a distance, the endless landscape of solar panels stretching toward the horizon can easily be mistaken for crops nearing harvest. But here in the desert in southern Egypt, workers have been cultivating another precious commodity: electricity...

WASHINGTON -- To Mona Cohen, a lifelong Philadelphia Democrat, democracy is under attack in the United States. In the midterm elections, she lists a woman's right to abortion as one of many fleeting freedoms she voted to defend. Cohen, 68, feared the Supreme Court's decision in June to eliminate women's constitutional protections for abortion was only the beginning of a broader erosion of rights. ...

President Joe Biden's plan to provide millions of borrowers with up to $20,000 apiece in federal student-loan forgiveness has been blocked by a second federal court, leaving millions of borrowers to wonder if they'll get debt relief at all. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman ruled that the program usurped Congress' power to make laws. The administration immediately filed a notice to appeal...

Twitter's relaunched premium service -- which grants blue-check "verification" labels to anyone willing to pay $8 a month -- was unavailable Friday after the social media platform was flooded by a wave of imposter accounts it itself had approved. It's the latest whiplash-inducing change to the service where uncertainty has become the norm since billionaire Elon Musk took control two weeks ago. ...

Jennifer Audrey Anderson, 80, of Jackson died Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. A graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14, at Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson. McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson is in charge of arrangements...

WASHINGTON -- The head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is being forced out of his job leading the nation's largest law enforcement agency as agents encounter record numbers of migrants entering the U.S. from Mexico, according to two people familiar with the matter...

NEW YORK -- Gallagher, the long-haired, smash-'em-up comedian who left a trail of laughter, anger and shattered watermelons over a decadeslong career, has died at age 76. Craig Marquardo, in a statement identifying himself as Gallagher's "longtime former manager," said that he died Friday at his home in Palm Springs, California, after a brief illness. Gallagher had numerous heart attacks over the years, including one right before a scheduled show in Texas in 2012...

WASHINGTON -- Former President Donald Trump is suing the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol to avoid cooperating with a subpoena requiring him to testify. The suit filed Friday evening contends that, while former presidents have voluntarily agreed to provide testimony or documents in response to congressional subpoenas in the past, "no president or former president has ever been compelled to do so."...

WASHINGTON -- Under gray clouds and pouring rain at Arlington National Cemetery, Vice President Kamala Harris told the nation's veterans Friday their work makes America stronger, as the administration announced new support for children who live with wounded service members...

NEW YORK -- Kevin Conroy, the prolific voice actor whose gravely delivery on "Batman: The Animated Series" was for many Batman fans the definitive sound of the Caped Crusader, has died at 66. Conroy died Thursday after a battle with cancer, series producer Warner Bros. announced Friday...

In the midterm elections, evangelical Christians across the nation reconfirmed their allegiance to conservative candidates and causes, while Catholic voters once again showed how closely divided they are -- even on abortion. On a successful, high-profile ballot measure in the battleground state of Michigan, proposing to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution, Catholic voters split about evenly, according to AP VoteCast, an expansive survey of more than 94,000 voters across the country.. ...

MYKOLAIV, Ukraine -- Ukraine's president said Friday that special military units have entered Kherson, a major regional capital that Russian forces had captured early in the war. Residents took to the streets to celebrate Russia's withdrawal, the latest pullback by Moscow as it faces intense resistance...

WILBUR-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. -- Heavy rain from the remnants of Hurricane Nicole covered the eastern United States from Georgia to the Canadian border Friday while hundreds of people on a hard-hit stretch of Florida's coast wondered when, or if, they could return to their homes...

Five cadet members of the local Civil Air Patrol Squadron, Trail of Tears Composite Squadron, completed the requirements for promotion during September or October 2022. Cadet E. Thiele completed requirements for Achievement 1 earning the Curry Award and the rank of Cadet Airman. ...

The eagle mascot won't fly, Southeast Missouri State University's mascot committee has discovered; the advisory committee last week had looked at the idea of an eagle character for a mascot, but Student Government shot down that idea Monday; the student senators acted after receiving a petition signed by 400 students opposing the idea; some students expressed support for returning to an Indian mascot; in recent years, Southeast hasn't had a mascot...

James Dewitte Myer passed away Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He is survived by his wife, Brenda Brown Myer; three stepchildren, Michael (Peace) Morie, Sarah (Stephen) Reed and Ashley (Paul) Smithey; four grandchildren; and three brothers, David (Dena), Gary and Mike Myer...