Editorials

Near the corner of Lexington Avenue and Abbey Road in Cape Girardeau stands a single bicycle, painted white, and chained to a city sign that cautions drivers to share the road with cyclists. The memorial is a painful reminder of a crash that took place July 7 when local tattoo and mural artist John "Johnny" Thurman, 41, was riding a Takara Horizon bicycle and was struck by a 2007 Lexus ES250. ...

Each town has their own defining event, providing their community a time to shine. For Sikeston, Missouri, one of those events is the Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo. This year marks the 70th annual gathering, which includes a full slate of professional rodeo activities and some big names in musical entertainment...

There's a unique event that will be held Tuesday evening in Cape Girardeau at the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri. Here. literary magazine will host its second annual launch party, featuring the work of students from 13 area schools. Here. provides high school students an opportunity to hone their craft, giving them a real-world experience to work toward their dreams of becoming a writer or artist...

Local schools will be back in session later this month, and the United Way of Southeast Missouri is gearing up to help students in need with supplies as they had back to the classroom. On Saturday, donations will be accepted at participating Walmart stores. Volunteers will be on hand to pass out a list of needed supplies to shoppers, and donations will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and online at unitedwayofsemo.org...

Following Independence Day, retailers start promoting the next big sale: Back to school. Though there are still a couple weeks to go before area students and teachers return to the classroom, the state of Missouri will again offer consumers an opportunity this weekend to save a few dollars on certain purchases...

Tuesday is Election Day in Missouri. Headlining the ballot is a primary for U.S. Senate with a full slate of candidates looking to replace U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, who will retire at the end of the year. There are 21 candidates in the GOP primary. Polls indicate Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, U.S. ...

There are certain events that are a staple of a community. For Jackson, few are more significant than one held this time of year during the heat of summer: Homecomers. This week, the annual outdoor festival returned to Uptown for a week of food, rides, music and fun with friends. ...

On Saturday night, the Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri will host a fundraiser with local stars who will put on their dancing shoes for a good cause. The event, called Dancing with the Show Me Stars, is a nod to the hit ABC show. This year's theme is "Dancing in the Rain" and performances will feature songs with the word "rain" in the lyrics...

Sports teach us many lessons in life. Grit, teamwork and work ethic are just a few. They can also be a gateway to help athletes grow in their faith. One of the leading organizations helping athletes do just that is Fellowship of Christian Athletes. FCA will host its annual Power Camp from Aug. 2 to 4 at the Cape Girardeau SportsPlex. The camp will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. daily and is open to youth entering grades five through eight. Cost is $25...

The Aug. 2 primary is a little more than one week away, and voters have an important decision to make in the race for U.S. Senate. There are 21 Republicans on the ballot, 11 Democrats and two minor party candidates. Polling indicates the election for Democrats is between military veteran Lucas Kunce and Anheuser-Busch heir Trudy Busch Valentine. ...

In 2018, the Southeast Missourian's business publication, B Magazine, profiled the new Cape Girardeau Sportsplex, referring to it as "The New Economic Warrior." Four years later, those words ring particularly true as the 121,000-square-foot facility regularly stays busy, attracting teams from multiple states 40 weekends a year for tournaments along with a variety of events throughout the week...

If you have a family member with a cognitive or developmental disability, there's a program being implemented by the Cape Girardeau Police Department you may want to consider. Called "Take Me Home," the program allows individuals to enroll those with autism, Down syndrome, dementia and/or other medical conditions who need special assistance so that if they go missing, their photo will be part of a registry including a photo and basic information...

Last week the Semoball Awards returned to its traditional format following two years in which the COVID-19 pandemic forced the event to take on a different look. This year, however, the event was back to its original glory: Red carpet. Ice sculpture. Delicious food. Athletes dressed up and enjoying the evening with friends, family and coaches. And, of course, there was the show, awards and keynote by comedian Mike Goodwin — an experience unlike anything else in Southeast Missouri...

The gunshot-locating system ShotSpotter has been in place in Cape Girardeau since May, and early feedback from law enforcement indicates the tool is helping police respond to the right location -- and faster -- following shots-fired alerts. It's also leading to more arrests...

Each year, B Magazine produces an edition that profiles a dozen or so individuals who are doing important work in the region. Contributions range from business leadership to civic engagement to philanthropic efforts. We simply call these men and women Difference Makers...

Let there be no doubt: It's summer in Southeast Missouri. This week brought triple digit temperatures and even higher heat indexes to our area. Extreme heat warnings were issued. But you didn't need an alert from the National Weather Service to know it was dangerously hot...

James Naile must feel like he is living out the script of a Hollywood movie. A boy from a small town in Southeast Missouri grows up playing baseball. He roots for the St. Louis Cardinals. Goes on to play America's pastime in high school, summer ball and college. Then he's drafted in the 20th round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics, the 608th pick of the draft...

Each year on Independence Day, the Southeast Missourian recognizes an individual with the newspaper's Spirit of America Award. The honor goes to a person who embodies much that is good about this country -- patriotic, entrepreneurial, civic-mind, philanthropic and faithful, just to name a few qualities...

Americans will celebrate our country's 246th birthday this weekend, and there are several events on the schedule in Southeast Missouri. The Great American Fourth of July will be held at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau on Monday evening. The grandstand opens at 7:30 p.m. ...

Congratulations are in order to Southeast Missouri State University hammer thrower Logan Blomquist. The senior recently won his event in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon, throwing a personal best 73.37 meters. But his path to a championship didn't come easy. Blomquist's first three throws were less impressive -- 70.54 meters, scratch and 70.51 meters. But as the old saying goes: "It doesn't matter where you start but how you finish that matters!"...

Each year, the Southeast Missourian profiles the valedictorians from area high schools. These are impressive students who have excelled in the classroom for four years. Not only did they earn top GPAs and lead their graduating class, but many of these young men and women were successful in other areas such as sports, clubs and other activities...

We are only weeks away from Missouri's primary election, set for Aug. 2. The top race on the ballot is the primary for U.S. Senate where a number of candidates will be vying to replace retiring Sen. Roy Blunt. Several candidates have made appearances in Southeast Missouri over the last several months, speaking to local groups and making their case as to why voters should support them. We've covered these talks in the Southeast Missourian and you can find the stories at semissourian.com...

Comedian Mike Goodwin from "America's Got Talent" and "Dry Bar Comedy" will keynote the Semoball Awards July 8 at LaCroix Church. Goodwin is a veteran of the U.S. Army and former education professional. But he's most noted for his family friendly and engaging comedy routines, which have been featured on a number of national programs...

Construction is progressing on the new Catholic Social Ministries Food Pantry on South Sprigg Street in Cape Girardeau. Jim Keusenkothen, pastoral minister at St. Mary Cathedral, recently told the Southeast Missourian the new facility should be finished in the fall...

This weekend we celebrate Father's Day. The importance of dads in the lives of their children cannot be overstated. Statistics in recent years indicate that as many as 1 in 4 children in America live without their biological, step or adoptive father in the home. This is a contributing factor to many of the societal problems we face...

On Sunday, America will celebrate Juneteenth, marking the day in 1865 when federal officers arrived in Galveston, Texas, ensuring all slaves would be set free. If you recall the historical timeline of slavery in America, this was two and a half years following President Abraham Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation...

This area has a number of attractions that add to the quality of life. From our many parks, to recreational opportunities and excellent sports facilities, to arts and culture experiences, the list is long. These are important not only for those of us who have called this community home for years, but they also play a key role in recruiting new individuals and companies...

Joe Biden has rarely seemed as fully 79 years old as he did sitting down with Jimmy Kimmel for a late-night interview that was supposed to showcase his lighter side. The president rambled, occasionally mixed up words, trailed off awkwardly once or twice, and looked gaunt...