Editorials

There's a new exhibit on display through Tuesday at the Missouri's National Veterans Memorial in Perryville. An American flag made up of 7,000 replica dog tags, each one representing a U.S. military service member lost in the war on terror, was designed as a 28-foot-by-6-foot sculpture. In front of it is a mahogany battlefield cross sculpted by artist Alicia Dietz. The flag's 50 stars are in gold, representing Gold Star families...

We regularly report on philanthropic causes in this area. In recent weeks there have been two that have particularly caught our attention. It was another tremendous VintageNOW fashion show earlier this month at the Show Me Center. Along with the highly entertaining event and strong turnout came the big news: $115,000 in net proceeds raised for the Safe House of Southeast Missouri...

One of the really special organizations in this area is the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The organization does a great job at connecting like-minded, Christian athletes with each other outside the playing field. They also do a good job at inspiring other young people trying to find their own faith journey...

A familiar name from the local legal scene received a high honor recently. John Grimm, a Cape Girardeau attorney and former circuit court judge, was elected to a one-year term as president of The Missouri Bar. The state association represents about 30,000 Show Me State lawyers...

National events have indicated to Congress that social media can have detrimental effects on teenagers. Whistleblower Frances Haugen indicated in her Senate testimony that social media giant Facebook had internal studies showing oftentimes negative effects on young people...

PORCH, Cape Girardeau's south side redevelopment organization, recently announced that after months of searching for new leadership a hire has been made. And the new director is a familiar face. Tameka Randle was named executive director for PORCH, an acronym for People Organized to Revitalize Community Healing. She takes the reigns following the departure of Julian Watkins who left the organization in December...

There are two big events on the schedule this weekend that will raise much-needed funds for important organizations. The 11th annual VintageNOW fashion show is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Show Me Center. One of the area's marquee events, the show features an entertaining look at fashion through the years with local women walking the runway. This year's theme is "A Tale of Time: 1920 to 2021."...

A very special flight will depart Cape Girardeau Regional Airport for Washington, D.C., on Friday morning. The group of 30 veterans and 20 caretakers will participate in the Veterans Honor Tour, organized by the Wake Foundation. The three-day trip will allow participants to visit the World War II, Korean War and Vietnam Veterans memorials, along with visits to the Pentagon, White House and Arlington National Cemetery...

On Sept. 7, the St. Louis Cardinals had a 2.8% chance of making the playoffs, according to the website FanGraphs.com. The season was dominated by injuries and prolonged, mediocrity on the field. But as Yogi Berra is quoted as saying, "It ain't over till it's over."...

A popular event returns to Cape Girardeau this weekend with thousands expected to be on hand for three days of action packed, super hero-inspired fun. Cape Comic Con has been a passion project for Cape Girardeau resident Ken Murphy and his family. And it's grown significantly over the years, with the 2021 edition set to take place today through Sunday at Drury Conference Center...

An autumn staple returns this weekend with Oktoberfest on Main and High Streets in Uptown Jackson. The annual event, organized by the Uptown Jackson Revitalization Organization, will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. Festivities include a biergarten, German-style food, local vendors, games and even a Pet Parade. There will also be live music, including what's been billed as authentic Oktoberfest music by the 15-member band Die Fluss Katzen...

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport was heading in a good direction. Boardings hit the 10,000 mark, a benchmark for it to receive $1 million in Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement grant funds. The switch to SkyWest Airlines and its flights to Chicago led to more travelers choosing to fly out of Cape Girardeau...

There's a running joke each September that regardless of whether the area's experienced drought or downpours in recent days, rain is likely on the way during SEMO District Fair week. Of course, we know there's nothing to this prediction, but there certainly have been plenty of years where weather impacted turnout of this Southeast Missouri staple...

Students at Jackson Junior High School recently had an important learning experience while doing good for others. Eighth-grade students participated in a food-packing event through Feed My Starving Children. The Christian nonprofit sends meals around the globe to impoverished areas where food insecurity and malnutrition -- concepts the students learned about in their advisory class -- are a real life experience. ...

A Cape Girardeau fiddler and manager of local brewpub recently took home awards from the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. Steve Schaffner received the Otto F. Dingeldein Award. Schaffner is the director of the Southeast Music Academy but is probably more known for his musical stylings on the fiddle and as a former faculty member at Cape Girardeau Central High School, where he led the orchestra. ...

The Cape Girardeau City Council will take a second vote Monday evening on whether to spend $9,600 in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds for professional counseling benefiting those in public safety. If approved, $6,100 would be appropriated for the Cape Girardeau Police Department while the city's fire department would receive a $3,200 appropriation for such services...

Southeast Missouri's big outdoor music event of the year returns this weekend. Following a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Shipyard Music Festival will be held Friday and Saturday outside Century Casino in Cape Girardeau. The two-day music festival, produced by rustmedia, features 18 bands -- a mix of nationally touring acts and local talent. ...

The SEMO District Fair kicked off over the weekend in Arena Park and will continue through Saturday. Following the last year’s cancellation because of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers expect plenty of enthusiasm for this year’s installment of the annual eight-day festivities...

Many of us alive on Sept. 11, 2001, remember where we were and what we were doing when terror struck America's homeland. Much like the death of JFK or the attack on Pearl Harbor for earlier generations, 9/11 is a defining moment in America's history and our personal lives...

We've used this space on more than one occasion to advocate for COVID-19 vaccinations. It's the best way to move beyond the pandemic. But for those already infected, there is a treatment available that can help keep the most vulnerable out of the hospital and avoid serious complications. It's called a monoclonal antibodies (MAB) infusion...

There's no shortage of hard news in the world, but there are also individuals doing good work in their community, industry and schools worth celebrating. B Magazine, our regional business magazine, recently announced its list of Difference Makers for this year. It's an impressive group of 14 individuals, with some names you'll recognize and others you may not but who are quietly doing wonderful things in Southeast Missouri...

Safe House of Southeast Missouri recently made a bit of news during its annual luncheon with a name change and recognition of five community members. Formerly known as Safe House of Women, the organization changed its name effective Wednesday to be non-gender specific. Jessica Hill, the organization's executive director, noted that the nonprofit has seen a growing number of male victims due to domestic, sexual or dating violence. Stalking has also been an issue...

When it comes to the reasons for Monday's Labor Day holiday, the U.S. Department of Labor offers a good historical review. The first Labor Day celebration was in New York City in 1882 and organized by the Central Labor Union. ...

While much of rural Southeast Missouri lost population over the last 10 years, Cape Girardeau County grew by 8%. That's the general local takeaway from the 2020 Census data released recently. Propelling Cape County's growth was a 12% surge in Jackson. ...

Gwen Maloney is a nurse by training. But she's now using that care and empathy which so often goes with her profession to operate a free health clinic in downtown Cape Girardeau. Samaritan Regional Health Clinic is open two days per week, limited primarily because of when health care professionals are available...

Football season is upon us. Area high school teams will take the field Friday night to kick off the 2021 campaign, and college football is just around the corner. Whether your school is poised for a big year or in the process of rebuilding, there's something special about the Friday night lights. School pride. Marching bands. Cheer squads and fans. It's an entire experience. Above all, there's good football to be watched...