FINALLY, REGION RECEIVES LONG-AWAITED RAIN

A weekend of rain probably won't be enough to make the drought go away, but it could make other things disappear.

The burning ban for Cape Girardeau County was rescinded Friday by the County Commission, and a request to residents of the city Cape Girardeau to conserve water also was dropped.

The actions came in response to what weather forecasters predict could be almost 3 inches of rain falling on the area through Sunday. But it still wouldn't be enough to take Southeast Missouri out of drought conditions, said David Blanchard, a forecaster for the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky.

"Whatever water falls now, it's soaked up quickly," Blanchard said. "It has been dry for so long the ground is dry for several inches down."

The rains will affect the degree of drought, Blanchard said. Considering the new moisture level in the soil and other factors, the drought probably will be downgraded from severe to moderate, he said.

From early Friday through the evening, Cape Girardeau received more than 2 inches of rain, the National Weather Service reported. Chances of rain remained today with skies expected to clear on Sunday.

But if rains are heavier than predicted this weekend, some events scheduled today and Sunday might not happen.

Puppet shows and other events planned for children at the River Campus at old St. Vincent's seminary could be washed out by a downpour, said Bill Shivelbine, an organizer of the City of Roses Music Festival. But on Friday afternoon Shivelbine and others were planning for the best.

"We're out here at the River Campus right now setting everything up for tomorrow," he said.

More than 75 musical groups are performing at the festival, which kicked off Friday evening.

All the concerts slated for the festival's main stage will go on regardless of rain, Shivelbine said.

"If we get five or 10 minutes of hard rain hitting and it passes, we can deal with it," he said. "For everything that's on the main stage, we will do whatever it takes."

Rain isn't a consideration for much of the festival, since several groups are playing at indoor venues downtown, Shivelbine said.

At the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, plans for more than 100 skydivers to make jumps today and Sunday are up in the air, Bruce Loy, airport manager, said late Friday.

"We just need some sort of clear sky," Loy said. "We'll just have to wait the weather out."

Loy had anticipated between 100 and 150 skydivers coming from various Midwest locations, but the rains might make some cancel, he said.

Plans for experienced skydivers jumping with willing beginners depend on clear skies up to 10,000 feet, Loy said. However, solo skydivers would be safe as long as clearing occurs up to 7,500 feet, he said.