Murder trial scheduled for Van Buren man

The murder trial for a man charged with fatally shooting a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper was scheduled for next year. On Friday, Circuit Judge William Syler scheduled the jury trial of Lance Shockley for Jan. 17 in Cape Girardeau County, according to court records. Shockley, 29, of Van Buren, Mo., is charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident. He is accused of shooting Sgt. Carl Graham Jr., 37, on March 20. Graham, slain in uniform outside his home near Van Buren, was shot multiple times by a rifle and shotgun. Investigators alleged the shooting occurred because the officer had focused on Shockley as a suspect in a fatal hit-and-run accident.

New program aims to reduce roadway deaths

A new law enforcement and education program aimed at reducing roadway deaths and injuries to teenagers will begin Monday. The Cape Girardeau Police Department received a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation's Highway Safety Division to conduct the enforcement and programs between Monday and March 17. As part of the statewide "Operation Safe Teen," checkpoints will be set up to ensure teen drivers are operating within their license restrictions, have proof of insurance and are wearing safety belts, a release from the police department stated. For additional information on the program, contact Cape Girardeau police Sgt. Jack Wimp at 335-6621, extension 1087.

-- From staff reports