Stories from Monday, April 29, 2013

SHREWSBURY, Mo. -- On a rainy Saturday in March, about 125 Catholics packed the Fleur de Lis Room in the basement of the St. Louis Archdiocese headquarters here. Most of those in the room were older. Most were lay people. Many were representing their parishes...

POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. -- April Gregory spends part of each week in a warm, sometimes stuffy laundry on the campus of College of the Ozarks, washing, drying and pressing clothes and linens. The Joplin Globe reported the college sophomore from Harrison, Ark., also maintains an off-campus job and has held summer jobs, but she's not complaining. Her jobs -- plus a new no-debt policy at her school -- will ensure that she graduates in a few years without any debt to her name...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Senate is considering a bill to toughen attendance requirements for students receiving state-sponsored college scholarships in an effort to encourage them to graduate on time. Students would have to be continuously enrolled for a certain number of credit hours per semester in order to continue receiving state aid. ...

Jacksonville State finished a three-game sweep of Southeast with two more narrow wins

The body of an apparent drowning victim was recovered Sunday morning from the Mississippi River. Cape Girardeau County Coroner John Clifton said workers on a tow boat found the body of a male of unknown age about 9 a.m. among debris around a barge south of the Missouri Dry Dock & Repair Co. near the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge in Cape Girardeau...

A completed sewer-rate study recently ordered by the city of Cape Girardeau indicates rates could be reduced slightly and not affect funding capabilities for ongoing construction and later operation of a new wastewater treatment plant. "We can lower the [sewer] rate by $1 per month," city manager Scott Meyer told the council during its annual retreat Friday at the Osage Centre...

A concert that will feature the collaboration of two area symphony orchestras and the world premiere of a Civil War-themed composition will be presented tonight at the River Campus of Southeast Missouri State University. "It's going to be a memorable concert," said Dr. Sara Edgerton, professor of music at Southeast and director of the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra...

More than 100 dentists and 1,000 volunteers will gather Friday and Saturday in the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau to provide free dental care to underserved patients in the Southeast Missouri area. The event is Missouri Mission of Mercy and it is hosted by the Missouri Dental Association and the Missouri Dental Association Foundation. This is only the second time the event has been held but expectations are pretty high, said Jan Ruopp, local co-chairwoman of Missouri Mission of Mercy...

Rain and chilly temperatures dampened attendance at some venues along the Mississippi River Valley Scenic Drive this weekend, but the drizzly weather may have boosted interest in others, participants said. "Mother Nature didn't help us out too much with the rain yesterday," drive coordinator Estellee Wood said Sunday afternoon...

Today is Monday, April 29, the 119th day of 2013. There are 246 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On April 29, 1913, Swedish-born engineer Gideon Sundback of Hoboken, N.J., received a U.S. patent for a "separable fastener" -- later known as the zipper...

MILWAUKEE -- Dozens of air shows that draw tens of thousands of people and generate millions of dollars for local economies have been canceled this year after the military grounded its jet and demonstration teams because of automatic federal budget cuts...

Ribbon cuttings, relocations and expansions Shawnee Community College's Illinois Small Business Development Center will host four "Social Media for Small Business" workshops:   Thursday at SCC Metro Center in Metropolis, Ill.; May 7 at the Pulaski County Business Center in Mounds, Ill.; and May 9 at the SCC Extension Center in Anna, Ill. ...

LOS ANGELES -- For one night only, the Rolling Stones were an up-and-coming band again. The legendary group rocked a small club in Los Angeles on Saturday night for a minuscule crowd compared to the thousands set to see them launch their "50 and Counting" anniversary tour Friday at the Staples Center...

One desire of the Southeast Missourian editorial board is to lift up the good things going on in the community. In this space several times a week, we point out worthy causes and individuals who deserve a pat on the back. Today, we're going to boast on ourselves just a bit...

In regard to right-to-work (RTW) legislation, I feel it is appropriate to present labor's point of view. Our perspective respects individuals' rights and appreciates the positive qualities that a strong middle class brings to society. Union members coach Little League, pay taxes, help the needy, attend church and stimulate our economy. ...

Danny Lee Warren Jr., 49, of Scott City passed away Saturday, April 27, 2013, at his home. He was born Aug. 17, 1963, in San Diego, to Danny Lee and Nellie Ruth Williams Warren Sr. He was a truck driver for Delta Express and served six years in the National Guard...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Jace J. Thompson, 42, of Perryville died Saturday, April 27, 2013, at his home. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at Miller Family Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the Miller Family Chapel...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Anna L. Cruse Rodgers, 73, of Greenville, Ill., formerly of Mounds, died Sunday, April 28, 2013, at her home. Friends may call from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at Pulaski Christian Church in Pulaski, Ill. A funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the church. Cremation will follow with interment at a later date at Rose Hill Cemetery in Pulaski...

ORAN, Mo. — Larry V. Phillips, 65, of Oran died Sunday, April 28, 2013, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran.

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Mary Angela Jansen, 69, of Leopold crossed over to a new life Saturday, April 27, 2013. Born May 14, 1943, at Laflin, Mo., she was the daughter of the late Leo Herman and Minnie Johanna Nenninger Holzum Sr. On June 2, 1962, she married Ronald George Jansen at St. John's Catholic Church in Leopold. He preceded her in death Aug. 9, 2008...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis police are looking for three men who victimized a couple twice -- first robbing them on the street, then burglarizing their apartment. Police said the victims were walking to a convenience store about 1:15 a.m. Friday when a gunman and two accomplices confronted them, ordered them to the ground and rummaged through their pockets and took a cellphone, money and keys to the couple's car and apartment...

ST. LOUIS -- Todd Akin isn't ruling out a political comeback, nearly six months after losing Missouri's U.S. Senate race amid widespread criticism of his comments about "legitimate rape." Akin recently spoke to KSDK-TV in his first interview since losing the November election to Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill. He said he's ready for a comeback but hasn't decided if that will be in academia, public speaking, or even politics...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Stalactites are hanging from the ceiling, concrete on the wall is spalling and some rebar is exposed in part of the basement. Several floors above in the same building, Missouri lawmakers and Gov. Jay Nixon are working and school groups are visiting...

Former Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach B.J. Smith revived his career after leaving Cape Girardeau following NCAA sanctions that the Redhawks were hit with under his watch. It remains to be seen whether Smith's coaching career will be derailed by off-the-court problems he has encountered...

In regard to the person who didn't like the idea of Jefferson City getting older drivers off the road, I agree with getting all dangerous drivers off the road. For those who get a DWI, make it mandatory for a one-year revocation for the first offense. No loopholes, no plea bargains, period...

The Southeast Missouri State softball team saw its chances of making the Ohio Valley Conference tournament take a serious hit Sunday. Southeast was swept in a doubleheader at Austin Peay, losing 6-0 and 6-5. The squads conclude their three-game series in Clarksville, Tenn., at noon today...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:...

St. Louis lost 9-0 to drop consecutive games for just the second time this season

Cape County Bank of Cape Girardeau and its parent company, County Bancorporation Inc., have announced plans to tear down the C&A Building, formerly known as the Colonial Tavern, and build a four-story bank building on the site at Broadway and Kingshighway...

Former Scott City High School and Southeast Missouri State baseball standout Shae Simmons is off to a dazzling start in his second professional season. Simmons already has compiled seven saves as the closer for the Rome Braves, Atlanta's Class A affiliate in the South Atlantic League. He is tied for the league lead in saves...

1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Open session Communications/reports Public comments Routine business Action items Discussion and possible action items Discussion and possible action...

ROME -- An unemployed bricklayer shot two Italian policemen Sunday in a crowded square outside the premier's office just as Italy's new government was being sworn in, investigators said. The gunman's intended target was politicians but none were in the square so he shot at the Carabinieiri paramilitary police, Rome Prosecutor Pierfilippo Laviani told reporters, citing what he said were the suspect's own words...

BEIRUT -- The instances in which chemical weapons are alleged to have been used in Syria were purportedly small in scale: nothing along the lines of Saddam Hussein's 1988 attack in Kurdish Iraq that killed thousands. That raises the question of who would stand to gain as President Bashar Assad's regime and the opposition trade blame for the alleged attacks, and proof remains elusive...

WASHINGTON -- Built to dominate the enemy in combat, the Army's hulking Abrams tank is proving equally hard to beat in a budget battle. Lawmakers from both parties have devoted nearly half a billion dollars in taxpayer money over the past two years to build improved versions of the 70-ton Abrams...

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- After struggling to sway both state and federal lawmakers, proponents of expanding background checks for gun sales are now exploring whether they will have more success by taking the issue directly to voters. While advocates generally prefer new gun laws be passed through the legislative process, especially at the national level, they are also concerned about how much sway the National Rifle Association has with lawmakers...

WASHINGTON -- America's blacks voted at a higher rate than other minority groups in 2012 and by most measures surpassed the white turnout for the first time, reflecting a deeply polarized presidential election in which blacks strongly supported Barack Obama while many whites stayed home...

BOSTON -- In photos of her as a younger woman, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva wears a low-cut blouse and has her hair teased like a 1980s rock star. After she arrived in the U.S. from Russia in 2002, she went to beauty school and did facials at a suburban day spa...

Jory Rapps graduates in two weeks from Southeast Missouri State University. As the culmination of an independent study, he organized Fashion Friday, a fashion block party that's the first of its kind for Downtown Cape Girardeau. The event takes place Friday. Rapps is an interdisciplinary studies major with an emphasis in fashion merchandising, business and interior design...

Dr. Cody Bell of Cape Girardeau joined Jackson Dental. Bell graduated with honors the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry with a doctor of dental surgery degree. He is a member of the American Dental Society, Missouri Dental Association, Southeast Dental Society and the American Academy of General Dentists. Bell begins Wednesday and will join Dr. Rob Etherton and Dr. Ben Goodier...

XALAPA, Mexico -- Officials in Veracruz state say they know who killed Regina Martinez. The muckraking reporter, found beaten and suffocated in her house, was just the victim of a robbery, according to prosecutors and a local court. But many of her colleagues don't believe it. ...

Currently, Missouri Republicans are bent on passing so called "right-to work" legislation. Even though the president pro tem of the Senate said it isn't a priority of the Senate and it faces veto by the governor, they press on while they could be working to modernize our economy...

Lord Jesus, we place our hope and trust in you, our Savior. Amen.

ST. LOUIS -- Cardinals closer Jason Motte threw for the second straight day as a deadline neared for determining whether he could pitch with a partially torn ligament in his elbow. "I woke up this morning and didn't take a step back," Motte said Sunday. "It felt good. If it didn't feel good I don't think we'd have moved forward."...

Some years back, A.W. Birk carved this Union Soldier statue from a single tree. He used the Cape Court House statue as a model. I think it is one of his best works......

As we just observed the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Cape Girardeau, I thought this photo of a Union sentry statue fitting the occasion. 6:30 AM Monday morning fog gives it a different look.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center is bashing trash on the riverfront in downtown Cape from 9 -- 11 am on Saturday, May 4. Trash will be collected from the area near the floodwall, at Red Star Access, and at Cape Rock pending water levels and ease of access. Trash bags and gloves will be provided. Register your family or organization by calling (573)290-5218...

Chuck Crain, who appears on Presley's Branson and RFD TV, will be in concert at Maple United Methodist Church, Sunday, May 5, at 10 a.m. Crain, who has appeared at Maple numerous times, said "being able to sing of my Lord and Savior every night, and add a ray of hope to people has been a great joy." Maple UMC is located on the corner of Cape Rock and Jean Ann Drive. A free will offering will be taken...