Local News

Most people may not know the name Tom Seematter, but many have seen his dot drawing of The Three Soldiers -- the bronze statue that is part of Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. -- hanging in a courthouse or school. Seematter, 74, who served 15 months himself, has dedicated his life to welcoming home Vietnam veterans with Project Homecoming. ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Saturday downed a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America and became the latest flashpoint in tensions between Washington and Beijing...

As the City of Cape Girardeau moves forward with efforts to demolish the historic -- and condemned -- former Broadway Theatre in downtown Cape Girardeau, one fundraiser said she has investors who can save it. The facility's board of directors have been working to fundraise to prevent the local landmark from being demolished in the aftermath of a fire at the building in March 2021. The blaze caused significant damage to the integrity, facade and roof of the structure...

A new book examining the injustice that sent Josh Kezer to prison for the 1992 murder of Angela "Mischelle" Lawless will be published in May. Kezer, who was charged with Lawless' murder in March of 1993, was exonerated in 2009 with a rare "actual innocence" ruling...

Three Southeast Missouri GOP state House members voted "yes" with the 108-50 majority Thursday, Feb. 2, to make it more difficult to amend the state constitution. In a party-line vote, Republicans in favor and Democrats opposed, the House raised the threshold from a simple majority to at least 60% to change the Missouri's charter, specifically referred to as "The Constitution of 1945"...

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education isn't wasting any time seeking a candidate to fill the soon-to-be-open superintendent position after Neil Glass announced his retirement Monday, Jan. 23. Matt Welker, board president, said they hope to name a new superintendent by the end of February. The position was listed at capegirardeau.tedk12.com/hire on Wednesday, Feb. 1, and the deadline for receiving resumes is Feb. 13...

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to a small fire Friday morning at 18 N. Sprigg St. in Cape Girardeau. Firefighters were able to extinguish the small blaze in the lower rear of the building -- that was being used for storage -- shortly after arriving on scene, a news release from the department said. No injuries were reported...

Cape Girardeau City Council 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6, City Hall Presentations Items for discussion Public Hearings Consent agenda n Approval of the January 23, 2023, City Council regular session minutes and the January 26, 2023, City Council closed session minutes...

City of Jackson mayor and Board of Aldermen Regular meeting 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6 Adoption of agenda n Motion adopting the Regular Meeting Agenda. Approval of minutes n Motion approving the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of Tuesday, Jan. 17. Financial affairs...

Cape Girardeau County Commission 9 a.m. Monday, Feb. 6 1 Barton Square, Jackson Approval of minutes n Approval of minutes of Thursday, Jan. 26, meeting n Approval of closed session minutes from Thursday, Jan. 26 meeting n Approval of closed session minutes from Monday, Jan. 30...

n The following students were named to the fall 2022 dean's list at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri: Advance, Missouri: Addie Lynn Nichols. Altenburg, Missouri: Dylan Anthony Holt. Cape Girardeau: Abigail P. Michael, Lucas David Moll, Tambria N. Wilson...

Fire fighters with the Sikeston (Missouri) Department of Public Safety rescued three dogs from a house fire late Friday morning. According to Sikeston DPS Capt. Derick Wheetley, officers responded to 403 Marion for a structure fire at 11:40 a.m. Friday. Fire crews extinguished a one-room content fire and in the process rescued the three dogs...

Cape Girardeau County's Prodigy Leadership Academy, founded in 2009 with a current enrollment of 151 students in kindergarten through grade 12, has launched a student-run magazine. Called 38 Acres, the immediate meaning of the title refers to the size of Prodigy's current campus in Cape Girardeau, to which the school moved in 2019...

One City will host its second annual Unity Prayer March at 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 4. The march will start at the organization's headquarters at 610 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau. The event is to pray for schools, churches, families, first responders and city officials...

According to studies, many preteen girls struggle with self confidence. BeTween Initiative is a local group with the goal of helping. BeTween Initiative was founded in 2018 by Heather Cugini, a local physician who found that, when she looked up tween self confidence, one of the first things to pop up was plastic surgery...

VFW Auxiliary is excited to announce scholarships for children in the area. The Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest is open to local students in grades nine through 12. They will have the opportunity to compete for $34,000 in national scholarships...

The recently remodeled Oliver House museum in Jackson will be open from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday for tours. There will be docents waiting to give tours of this historic house. The museum in named after Missouri State Sen. Robert Burett Oliver and his wife, Marie Watkins, who purchased the house in 1881. Marie Oliver designed the Missouri State flag that is still flying today...

A 31-page proposal by Cape Girardeau resident Carl D. Armstrong to extend Interstate 29 southeast to Cape Girardeau will be heard formally Wednesday, Feb. 15, by members of Southeast Metropolitan Planning organization. From its southern terminus, I-29 runs from north of St. Joseph, Missouri, to the Canada-U.S. border near Pembina, North Dakota...

There’s a line I’ve loved since high school from the song “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” by The Postal Service. It goes like this: “I’m staring at the asphalt wondering what’s buried underneath where I am.” It’s a lyric situated in the middle of a breakup song, and I have always loved it because it takes us out of ourselves, asks us to consider what isn’t visible, to consider the history of what has been in a place before us, to consider the fact our existence and experience of a place isn’t necessarily the only way it’s been. ...

Up the catheter went through John Stenger's leg. It was the tool needed to reach his heart for an aortic valve replacement, and there was no time to waste. The sooner the valve was fixed, the sooner Stenger's heart could become, as he calls it, "one beat from perfect."...

Missouri's newest U.S. senator has named a Southeast Missouri resident as a "key" staffer to his office. Sen. Eric Schmitt named Marianna Deal, originally from Sikeston, Missouri, as his senior adviser for external communications, according to a news release from his office...

An officer with Charleston (Missouri) Department of Public Safety received serious injuries after a semi-truck struck the rear of the patrol car he was driving Tuesday, Jan. 31, in Mississippi County. According to the state Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at 7:18 p.m. ...

KENNETT, Mo. — A Kennett woman has been arrested following the discovery by Kennett police she was allegedly having a sexual relationship with a student at Kennett High School, where she is employed as a school nurse. Candice Elizabeth Johnson, 26, was arrested Wednesday, Feb.1, and faces two counts of second-degree statutory rape and two counts of sexual contact with a student...

Schnuck Markets said Wednesday, Feb. 1, that all customers who choose to "round up" their purchases at the Cape Girardeau store, 19 S. Kingshighway, through Valentine's Day will see their donations given to the National Urban League. It is the third consecutive year the privately-owned St. Louis-headquartered supermarket chain has hosted a February "round up at the register" campaign in support of Black History Month...

The annual King's Ball (renamed Queen's Ball in leap years) will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at the VFW in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. The annual French-inspired event is a celebration of music and dancing. Guests are encouraged, but not required, to dress in French Colonial period attire to add to the ambiance...

The Gibson Center for Behavioral Change will be opening a new Behavioral Health Crisis Center on Wednesday, March 1. Ryan Essex, the Gibson Center's chief operating officer, said the facility will have four overnight beds plus four medical chairs for short-term stabilization. It will be staffed by 10 full-time nurses and medical assistants, as well as two peer-support specialists...

Marilyn Gilmore remembers vividly when she and husband Joe Gilmore Jr. opened Hamburger Express 35 years ago. "On Sept. 14, 1988, [President] Ronald Reagan came to Cape Girardeau [and] that's the very month we opened," Marilyn said. "The president's motorcade drove right by Hamburger Express and Mr. Reagan saw Joe, and the president waved to him."...

A public hearing on a possible utility rate increase originally scheduled for Tuesday night, Jan. 31, in Cape Girardeau has been postponed due to inclement weather. Originally planned for the Osage Centre, the hearing from the Missouri Public Service Commission was to discuss a possible rate increase from Ameren Missouri that could affect customers in Southeast Missouri and across the state...

Night to Shine will return this year, but for the first time since 2020, it will be an in-person event. Night to Shine is a worldwide event started in 2015 by the Tim Tebow Foundation to celebrate those with special needs. It is a prom night experience that treats guests to limo rides, red carpet entrances, photography, meals and music...

Jackson Parks and Recreation will hold its first Family Glow Dance from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 24, at Jackson Civic Center. "There are a lot of father-daughter and mother-son activities out there but we were wanting to create something that got the whole family involved to enjoy a night of dancing," said Chris Eastridge, who became Jackson Civic Center manager one year ago. ...

Cape Girardeau Police Department officers rescued a missing person from a potentially fatal situation Friday, Jan. 27. Law enforcement were investigating a vehicle in a field near Interstate 55 when three officers found an elderly man who suffered from dementia, according to a department Facebook post...

Southeast Missouri Food bank distributed 13.6 million pounds of food, provided 12.8 million meals and served 80,000 residents each month during 2022, according to a news release from the organization. SEMO food bank in Sikeston is the Feeding America network food bank for the region, according to the organization's website. It serves 16 Missouri counties, and works with more than 140 organizations, including food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters...

Around 10 a.m. or 3 p.m. on any given day in Sweden, you might see people take a break. Wherever they are, in homes, workplaces and cafés, whether alone or with others, they stop what they’re doing to relax for 15 to 20 minutes over a cup of black coffee and a cookie, cinnamon bun or seasonal dessert...

Competitor will become partner as SoutheastHEALTH president and chief executive officer Ken Bateman announced Monday, Jan. 30, the organization will merge with the Mercy system. According to a release, SoutheastHEALTH has signed a letter of intent with St. Louis-based Mercy, and officials expect the merger to be complete in the fall...

Local economist David Yaskewich, who noted Missouri's historic low in the unemployment rate last fall, does not expect a spike in unemployment when new U.S. jobless figures are released Friday, Feb. 3. Yaskewich, chairman of Southeast Missouri State University's Accounting, Economics and Finance Department, said the state hit a record low of 2.4% in the jobless figure in September...

The Jackson School District is looking for a new high school principal following the announcement Seth Harrell is leaving for the same position at Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, Missouri, near St. Louis. Harrell sent an announcement email to parents Tuesday, Jan. 24. In an interview Friday, Jan. 27, Harrell explained that the move will allow him to live closer to family...

A bald man in a blue shirt sits at the head of a conference table, surrounded by coworkers when a woman walks in. You hear her before you see her. "Excuse me, is there a Craig in here? Craig!? Is that YOU? CRAIG?!" the woman says. Well, she doesn't actually say it. She belts it...

SIKESTON, Mo. — A Georgia man was arrested and faces charges for the murder of a Sikeston couple last week. Cornelius M. David, 33, of Georgia is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to Sgt. Tyler Rowe, public information officer with Sikeston Department of Public Safety...

Life is often about competition. The notion is true not only in sports but when it comes to divvying up state revenues among Missouri's 114 counties. Lawmakers from Southeast Missouri say other parts of the Show Me State are getting greater slices of the fiscal pie...

Missouri is among the deadliest states for gun violence in the U.S. Cape Girardeau County is among the deadliest counties in Missouri for gun violence, per capita. According to a report from the Missouri Chamber of Commerce titled "Safer Missouri Stronger Missouri," the Show Me State was fourth in the nation in gun deaths per 100,000 people in 2020. ...

Some cows remained loose Thursday after the semi-truck trailer they were being hauled in caught fire late Wednesday, Jan. 25 in Scott County. Shortly after 7 p.m., Sikeston Department of Public Safety's fire and public safety divisions responded to the report of a livestock trailer on fire at exit 1B at the Interstate 57 and 55 interchange in Sikeston, according to Capt. Derick Wheetley, fire division commander for Sikeston DPS...

Cape Girardeau County Commission 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 30 1 Barton Square, Jackson Approval of minutes n Approval of minutes of Thursday, Jan. 26, meeting Communications/reports — other selected officials/department heads n Updates on new jail and 1908 courthouse project...

Incidences of flu "probably" will set a record in Missouri this season, Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center assistant director Autumn Grim told PHC's Board of Trustees on Tuesday, Jan. 24. A total of 100,863 influenza cases have been seen statewide since the start of the flu season Oct. 1, she said...

It has been more than 77 years since Allied forces liberated Nazi Germany's concentration and death camps in 1945, a genocide that cumulatively claimed the lives of untold so-called "enemies" of the Third Reich, including an estimated 6 million Jews...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. — Woodland High School is considering a change in its daily schedule for the 2023-2024 school year. Currently, high school students have seven classes per year, each meeting every day for approximately 45 minutes. The proposed change would transition to block scheduling, where students take eight classes, each meeting three times a week. ...

Cape Girardeau resident and local educator Joseph Moore has debuted his book, "The Call of Jeremiah McGill". The book was published by Gatekeeper Press on Jan. 11. Amazon is calling it the top new release of historical Christian children's fiction. The book is a coming-of-age novel that illustrates growing up as a Black child of faith in the transformative 1970s...

The journey through middle school can feel like walking through a mine field, and the students at Nell Holcomb Middle School had to do just that — metaphorically, at least. At the beginning of the current school year, Corey Campbell, the Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) specialist at Nell Holcomb, laid out several cones and beanbags to simulate land mines scattered across the practice field. ...

The fifth annual It's Cold Outside ... So Come on Inside craft fair is happening Feb. 4. Local vendors and crafters will be have there wares for sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau. Admission is free. Proceeds from the fair will go to support Show Me Care Bags, a not-for-profit organization that provides care bags to cancer patients of all ages receiving treatment for all types of cancers. ...

The Missouri Department of Conservation is celebrating the return of bald eagles to Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, Duck Creek Conservation Area and Lake Wappapello. Eagle Days will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 4 at Puxico Activity Center (FEMA building), 481 N. Bedford St. in Puxico, Missouri. The event will include live bald eagle shows from the World Bird Sanctuary at 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. The eagle shows have a capacity of 400 people...

Southeast Missouri State University held its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Dinner on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the Show Me Center. Kendra Neely-Gage, the event's keynote speaker and a SEMO alum, spoke on the evening's theme: "Coming Together: The Fierce Urgency of Now"...