Stories from Monday, January 9, 2023

SIKESTON, Mo. — A semi-truck fire has been ruled suspicious and is under investigation in Sikeston. According to Capt. Derick Wheetley, commander of Sikeston Department of Public Safety's fire division, at 8:21 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, officers responded to the 1300 block of McDougal Avenue where they battled a semi-truck fire located behind two structures...

The Scott County Commission and sheriff on Friday, Jan. 6, reached an agreement regarding the sheriff's office space following a monthslong disagreement between the two entities. A court hearing Dec. 30 and one early Friday resulted in the announcement of a consent judgment, which is a determination made by a judge with the consent of all the parties involved...

Fairfield Inn & Suites is being built in Cape Girardeau not far from Exit 96 of Interstate 55 and nearby to the former Zaxby's Restaurant. Heritage Hospitality Management LLC, owned by the Rhodes and Maurer families, will operate the mid-tier limited service 103-room, four-story hotel, with an expected opening date in late 2023 or early 2024...

The 2022 Christmas Bird Counts in Southeast Missouri recorded a dip in bird diversity and populations around Poplar Bluff, but robust numbers and new species at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge and Big Spring. ...

Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Music will open the comedic opera "The Bat's Revenge" by Johann Strauss on Friday, Jan. 20, in the Bedell Performance Hall at the River Campus, with a second performance Sunday, Jan. 22. Chris Goeke , professor of music at SEMO, said the production will be the collegiate premier of a new English translation and adaptation of the story by Pacific Opera Project director Josh Shaw...

In the 25-county Missouri Department of Transportation's Southeast District — which includes Cape Girardeau, Perry and Scott counties — 141 people died on roadways as of Dec. 25, compared to 131 for all of 2021, a 7.6% increase. In 59% of the 1,010 fatality cases statewide, the victim was unbuckled, compared to 65% the year before...

The seesaw ride of gasoline prices is swinging motorists upward in the early days of 2023 with extremely cold weather in recent weeks hampering refinery production, said analysts for auto club federation AAA. "I see no logical reason why gas prices are this high and why they're going up," said Fred Pullen of Cape Girardeau, who stopped Friday, Jan. 6, at Kidd's North Kingshighway location in Cape Girardeau to fill up...

For the first time in 20 years, fewer Americans are regularly drinking alcohol. Along with it, nonalcoholic beverages are becoming more available to help individuals who need time to transition away from the flavors and experience they’ve become accustomed to with alcohol, and the lower cost, lower calories and health benefits are great. ...

With the new year comes a focus on healing and becoming better, healthier versions of ourselves. Here, meet Carrera Williams, APRN at PC Medical Centers in Cape Girardeau, who shares her knowledge about the power of integrated medicine and the difference having a team of experts under one roof can make in a patient’s journey toward mobility. May her expertise usher in a year of health and movement for all...

Even in the dead of winter, if you look closely enough, you’ll still find touches of green. And in the most surprising places. All the surrounding trees and bushes, the glory of the other seasons, have given up the ghost in concession to severe cold...

We all have secrets, bits and pieces of ourselves we keep hidden from those around us, even those closest to us. Many readers would agree that is the point author Louise Penny tries to convey in the mystery novel “Still Life.” Every character — from murder victim Jane Neal to Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec — harbors secrets. Secrets that, by the way, slowly come to light in subsequent installments of the now 18-book series...

With the new year, there is a sense of change. It’s crazy to think that while this year’s events are unknown, we can rule out the possibility of them being the same as in 2022. Identical situations don’t exist, especially over an extended period of time like 365 days. In this change, it seems the world has assumed the fad we all know as “New Year’s Resolutions.”...

Today is Monday, Jan. 9, the ninth day of 2023. There are 356 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 9, 2015, French security forces shot and killed two al-Qaida-linked brothers suspected of carrying out the rampage at the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo that had claimed 12 lives...

O Lord God, we trust in you for you are the author of our faith. Amen.

Long after it has run its course on TV, the show "Yellowstone" will provide fodder for countless Ph.D. candidates in whiteness studies. In certain precincts, the verdict about the smash hit that has spawned a cottage industry of spin offs is in: The show is about whiteness, and particularly white grievance...

I'm wondering how many other people are having trouble with their mail deliveries? We used to get our mail delivered between 1 and 3 p.m. but now it's getting to us as late as 8:30 p.m. I think it's time the post master general was fired! Our street used to get plowed and stops treated when a councilperson lived on the block. Not so any more! Hope other neighborhoods had better luck!...

Local government bodies are taking steps to levy additional taxes on recreational marijuana sales following the November statewide vote to legalize the sale and use. Constitutional Amendment 3 narrowly passed Nov. 8 with 53% saying "yes", though Cape Girardeau County voters opposed the measure with 56% of the vote...

Cape Girardeau Community Relations Department has received four applications for business licenses. n Tara Michelle Kelley of Anna, Illinois, for Leo's Sensory Gym, 827 Broadway, "geared toward individuals with sensory issues such as autism, ADD, ADHD, and more [and] created for individuals who may not enjoy a regular playground."...

Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its Annual Banquet at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13, at Jackson Civic Center. The Jackson Chamber will hold its Business After Hours event at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, at American Legion Upper Hall, 319 N. High St...

Life expectancy in Missouri fell to 74.6 years in 2021, down from pre-pandemic 77.4 years, according to statewide statistics released by the state Department of Health and Senior Services. COVID-19 deaths were the third leading cause of mortality in the Show Me State after heart disease and cancer in 2020...

Southeast Missouri Realtors inaugurated its 2023 president Keasha Drury, and Liz Lockhart was named Realtor of the Year during ceremonies Thursday, Jan. 5. The Realtor organization, formed 70 years ago, is headquartered at 78 S. Plaza Way in Cape Girardeau and is led by association executive Terry Baker...

Schnucks announced Monday, Jan. 2, it will expand its "Flexforce" employment option to 31 of its stores, including the Cape Girardeau grocery store at 19 S. Kingshighway. The St. Louis-based family-owned company explained the opportunity for its workforce...

Serving Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Perry and northern Scott counties, United Way of Southeast Missouri said it is supporting 34 programs by 30 partners in the organization's 2022-2025 funding cycle. Other details in the organization's 2021-2022 "Impact Report" include the following data points:...

The Gallup Organization released a poll last week showing 79% of Americans surveyed think 2023 will be full of economic difficulty, 66% expect the overall cost of goods and services will rise at a high rate, with 81% anticipating tax increases over the next 12 months...

U.S. unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a percentage point in December to 3.5%, with Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting 223,000 non-farm jobs were added in the last month of 2022. Wage growth slowed last month and stocks rallied Friday, Jan. 6, on the news since analysts say the slower gain in wages may aid the fight against inflation...

Shakers Bar, 2 N. Main St. in downtown Cape Girardeau, closed Monday, Jan. 2. The 4,108-square-foot building at the corner of Main and Independence streets is listed for sale.

The Green Lady's Hermitage, at 111 N. Main St. in Cape Girardeau, is the new name of Elyssa Glaus' shop, formerly known as Humble Origins Botanical Curiosities and Apothecary. Glaus, a Scott City native, was forced to change the name of her business, first established in 2018, because of receipt of a Dec. 16 letter from the state Board of Pharmacy, objecting to her use of the word "apothecary"...

Arylsse L. Popp, 91, of Jackson, formerly of Oak Ridge, died Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, at the Villas of Jackson Memory Care. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 14, at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The Rev. Jerry Bailey will conduct a memorial service at noon Saturday, Jan. 14, at the funeral home...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Dorothy M. Miller, 84, of Perryville died Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, at her home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10, and from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11, at Ford and Young Funeral Home in Perryville. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11, at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church, with the Rev. Ben Melaku C.M. officiating. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery in Perryville...

Marion Allen Markland, son of the late James Marion and Ella Lavetta Lane Markland, was born Dec. 23, 1938, in Dexter, Missouri, and departed his life Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau at the age of 84 years. He was a veteran of the United States Navy...

NEW YORK -- Without a TV show, starry red carpet, host, press or even a livestream, the Golden Globe Awards were in chaos last year after scandal broke over lack of diversity, accusations of sexism, and ethical and financial lapses among members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association...

NEW YORK -- The Blumhouse evil-doll horror film "M3gan" got off to a killer start, debuting with $30.2 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates, while "Avatar: The Way of Water" continued its box-office reign in the top spot. Universal Pictures' "M3gan," about a robot companion built for a young girl after her parents are killed in a car accident, rode strong buzz and viral dancing memes to an above-expectations debut. ...

Here's a collection curated by The Associated Press' entertainment journalists of what's arriving on TV, streaming services and music and video game platforms this week. n In "I Didn't See You There," filmmaker Reid Davenport captures his perspective navigating the world in a wheelchair as a disabled man with cerebral palsy. ...

MISSION, Kan. -- When Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked Texas colleges to disavow critical race theory, the University of Texas faculty approved a resolution defending their freedom to decide for themselves how to teach about race. Patrick said he took it as a message to "go to hell."...

NASSAU, Bahamas -- Dressed in a canary blue suit on a warm December night, sweat dripping from his brow, Bishop Lawrence Rolle belts out the lyrics to his latest hit song for the hundreds of children and adults gathered to celebrate Christmas. "FTX!," he sings, bent over and shaking his head for emphasis. "The money is gone!"...

LE PECQ, France -- The question for France's president about his teenage romance with a teacher at his high school was so close to the bone, so eye-popping in a country where politicians largely keep their private lives to themselves, that the interviewer couldn't quite rustle up the courage to ask it...

LAS VEGAS -- The past year has been difficult for startups everywhere, but running a company in Ukraine during the Russian invasion comes with a whole different set of challenges. Clinical psychologist Ivan Osadchyy brought his medical device, called Knopka, to this year's CES show in Las Vegas in hopes of getting it into U.S. hospitals...

RICHMOND, Va. -- The Virginia teacher who authorities say was shot by a 6-year-old student is known as a hard-working educator who is devoted to her students and enthusiastic about the profession that runs in her family, according to fellow teachers and city officials...

BEIJING -- After years of separation from his wife in mainland China, Hong Kong resident Cheung Seng-bun made sure to be among the first in line following the reopening Sunday of border crossing points. The ability of residents of the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city to cross over is one of the most visible signs of China's easing of border restrictions imposed almost three years ago, with travelers arriving from abroad no longer required to undergo expensive and time-consuming quarantines...

BERLIN -- Two Iranian men have been detained in Germany following a tip from U.S. security officials that at least one of them could be planning an attack with deadly chemicals, officials said Sunday. Police and prosecutors said the brothers, aged 32 and 25, were detained overnight in the town of Castrop-Rauxel, northwest of Dortmund...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As Republican infighting debilitates Washington, lawmakers at some U.S. statehouses have managed to launch sessions complicated by similar GOP partisan divides or razor-thin margins of party control with a host of creative -- if yet untested -- solutions...

SAN FRANCISCO -- California was hit with more turbulent weather Sunday as thunderstorms, snow and damaging winds swept into the northern part the state, preceding another series of incoming storms and raising the potential for road flooding, rising rivers and mudslides on soils already saturated after days of rain...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A West Virginia journalist lost her job last month after she reported about alleged abuse of people with disabilities within the state agency that runs West Virginia's foster care and psychiatric facilities. Amelia Ferrell Knisely, a reporter at West Virginia Public Broadcasting, said she was told to stop reporting on the Department of Health and Human Resources after leaders of the embattled agency "threatened to discredit" the publicly funded television and radio network. ...

ROJ CAMP, Syria -- A woman who ran away from home in Alabama at the age of 20, joined the Islamic State group and had a child with one of its fighters says she still hopes to return to the United States, serve prison time if necessary, and advocate against the extremists...

KYIV, Ukraine -- The Russian military claimed Sunday to have carried out deadly missile strikes on barracks used by Ukrainian troops in retaliation for the deaths of dozens of Russian soldiers in a rocket attack a week ago. Ukrainian officials denied there were any casualties...

LAS VEGAS -- Is the metaverse closer than we think? It depends on who you ask at CES, where companies are showing off innovations that could immerse us deeper into virtual reality, otherwise known as VR. The metaverse -- essentially a buzzword for three-dimensional virtual communities where people can meet, work and play -- was a key theme during the four-day tech gathering in Las Vegas that ended Sunday...

Joan Cohrs missed her chance to grab a prescription at her usual drugstore by about 30 seconds. Cohrs walked up to the counter of an Indianapolis CVS pharmacy shortly after a metal curtain descended, closing it for lunch. She didn't mind. The 60-year-old said she feels compassion for people in health care...

WASHINGTON -- After an epic 15-ballot election to become House speaker, Republican Kevin McCarthy faces his next big test in governing a fractious, slim majority: passing a rules package to govern the House. The drafting and approval of a set of rules is normally a fairly routine legislative affair, but in these times, it's the next showdown for the embattled McCarthy...

EL PASO, Texas -- President Joe Biden walked a muddy stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border and inspected a busy port of entry Sunday on his first trip to the region after two years in office, a visit shadowed by the fraught politics of immigration as Republicans blame him for record numbers of migrants crossing into the country...

A Wal-Mart Stores Learjet 35 en route from Bentonville, Arkansas, to New York, made an emergency landing at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport yesterday morning, when smoke was reported in the plane's cabin; the plane landed safely and without incident at about 9:30 a.m...

Recipes tell the stories of communities and the people who shape them. Each recipe is more than a list of ingredients and steps; it is a written legacy of the individual who created the dish, their family and history. This monthly series highlights one of these legacies and gives readers the chance to create the recipe themselves...

VICKSBURG, Miss. – On October 5, 2022, the Honorable Mr. R.D. James of New Madrid, Mo., former Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works and long-serving member of the Mississippi River Commission, was inducted into the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division’s Gallery of Distinguished Civilians for his 36 years of service on the commission as well as his service to the nation as one of the staunchest advocates for flood control in the history of the Mississippi Valley...