Stories from Sunday, June 23, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Justice Department has charged former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden with espionage and theft of government property in the NSA surveillance case. Snowden, believed to be holed up in Hong Kong, has admitted providing information to the news media about two highly classified NSA surveillance programs...

Above: A member of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department runs a hose to a fire hydrant Friday, June 21, while responding to a house fire on the 1200 block of North Spanish Street in Cape Girardeau. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis alderwoman wants people to pull up their pants. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Alderwoman Marlene Davis is proposing legislation making it a violation to wear pants below the waist if it exposes skin or undergarments...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The state of Missouri is looking for experts in access to college to serve on a new panel. The Missouri Department of Higher Education is taking nominations for the new College Access Advisory Committee. The panel will help the state agency try to boost Missouri's college-attainment rates, including among minorities and those with financial struggles. ...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Downtown Springfield has five newly decorated parking meters that are intended to benefit the homeless and cut down on panhandling The "giving meters" are repurposed parking meters decorated by local artists. Nine more meters will be added in the downtown area in coming weeks, bringing the total to 14. ...

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- A third suspect has been charged with stealing a 6-foot bronze statue from outside the National Frontier Trails Museum in suburban Kansas City, Mo., and trying to sell it as scrap. The Examiner newspaper in Independence reported 29-year-old Randy V. ...

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson wants to add drones to his crime-fighting arsenal. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Dotson wrote a letter this spring to the Federal Aviation Administration making the case for unmanned aerial vehicles. ...

LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. -- Another Kansas City suburb has signed on to receive Google Fiber, the search giant's high-speed Internet service. Lee's Summit is the ninth Kansas City area city to reach an agreement with Google Fiber since the service was first introduced to the area in 2012. Google Fiber plans to construct a high-speed broadband network that can transmit up to one gigabit of data per second, which is almost 100 times faster than conventional home broadband...

TWIN OAKS, Mo. -- Another St. Louis-area town has adopted an ordinance aimed at keeping funeral protesters at a distance. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Twin Oaks in west St. Louis County is following the format established by nearby Manchester and since adopted by other communities...

A 21-year-old Cape Girardeau woman has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon after allegedly displaying a pistol in a threatening manner Thursday night. According to Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesman Darin Hickey, about 10 p.m., officers responded to a call from the 1100 block of Cousin Street after the caller said a woman had stepped out of a vehicle and displayed a pistol in a threatening manner to several people. Officers pulled over the vehicle and found a pistol...

A man suspected of robbing a Cape Girardeau convenience store last weekend has been arrested, police said Friday. Dustin W. Durbin, 20, of Cape Girardeau was in custody in Poplar Bluff, Mo., and was to be transported back to Cape Girardeau County, according to Darin Hickey, Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesman. ...

The biggest item on the agenda for the Cape Girardeau School Board meeting Monday night is the approval of its 2013-2014 budget, which includes an increase in the teacher salary schedule and funding to put computers in the hands of high school students...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri is facing a shortage of the primary care doctors to whom patients turn for antibiotics to cure strep throat and for answers to make health decisions. The strain could grow as more Missourians soon gain health insurance under the federal health-care law...

CHICAGO -- Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks have that look again, and another Stanley Cup is within reach. Kane scored two goals, Corey Crawford made 24 saves and the Blackhawks beat the Boston Bruins 3-1 on Saturday night to take a 3-2 lead in the finals...

Mark Hagedorn is developing quite a reputation as a clutch player for the Plaza Tire Capahas. Hagedorn delivered his second game-winning hit in a span of three games, a two-run walk-off double in the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday. That blow lifted the Capahas to a thrilling 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Raging Bulls in the opener of an afternoon doubleheader at Capaha Field...

ST. LOUIS -- After rookie Martin Perez silenced the St. Louis Cardinals, his manager was non-stop with praise. "I've always seen the stuff, but tonight was the first time I think he showed he's a big-league pitcher," Ron Washington said after the Texas Rangers' 4-2 victory Saturday night. "It can be a huge step, he just beat a pretty good team...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Imagine the scenario: A federal agent attempts to arrest someone for illegally selling a machine gun. Instead, the federal agent is arrested -- charged in a state court with the crime of enforcing federal gun laws....

The state's quarantine regulating the movement of ash wood products has been expanded after an invasive insect was found in two more Missouri counties, according to a new release from the Missouri Department of Agriculture. The quarantine, an effort to reduce the spread of the emerald ash borer, a half-inch long emerald green-colored beetle, now includes two additional counties -- Bollinger and Pulaski...

The beginning of a new year also will be the beginning of new Affordable Care Act mandates, designed to increase the number of Americans who have access to health insurance. This influx of newly insured patients has the possibility to overload the system, especially in areas that have a shortage of primary-care physicians. ...

This time last year, dust and the sound of jackhammers filled the air. Groups of men in hard hats and neon green shirts worked their way along each block, laying brick, building flower beds and running lines to lights above the street. Things since have quieted down. There are no more detours, no more blocked entrances to downtown businesses, and Broadway is noticeably changing, sometimes by the day. It's much better than it was, some say...

WASHINGTON -- The criminal case against Edward Snowden could turn into a prolonged legal battle before the former contractor, who says he revealed two highly classified surveillance programs, appears in a U.S. courtroom to answer espionage charges...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Getting face time with the family doctor could soon become even harder. A shortage of primary care physicians in some parts of the country is expected to worsen as millions of newly insured Americans gain coverage under the federal health care law next year. Doctors could face a backlog, and patients could find it difficult to get quick appointments...

Please come to Chrome on the Creek Rally July 18th and support our Vets at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape. Food, Fun, Cooling off in Clark Creek and just getting together with old friends and new. Bands include Third Wheel and Powdermill. Come on Thursday and spend the weekend...

My name is Panhead, I am staying with my Aunt Rhonda in Jackson Missouri while my owner is going through cancer treatment. This is a picture sent to my owner, Johnny showing I am being a very good boy while he is away.

Today is Sunday, June 23, the 174th day of 2013. There are 191 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On June 23, 1888, abolitionist Frederick Douglass received one vote from the Kentucky delegation at the Republican convention in Chicago, effectively making him the first black candidate to have his name placed in nomination for U.S. president. (The nomination went to Benjamin Harrison.)...

New Beginning Church of Deliverance got a core group of men volunteers to help restore the plumbing at the House of Refuge homeless shelter, owned by Pastor Dorothy Wilson. The estimated cost for repairs would have been in the thousands of dollars. Not only did volunteers help with repairs, but volunteers also donated their time...

WILLIAMSVILLE, Mo. -- Visitors to Lake Wappapello State Park this summer will find the familiar quiet coves for crappie fishing amid many park facilities that are brand new. "The park looks better than ever," said Wanda Doolen, natural resource manager of the park in Southeast Missouri. "There were a lot of silver linings to what happened."...

Items for national/world trivia, week of June 23-29 June 23: 1812, Britain, unaware that America had declared war against it five days earlier, rescinded its policy on neutral shipping, a major issue of contention between the two countries. 1931, aviators Wiley Post and Harold Gatty took off from New York on a round-the-world flight that lasted eight days and 15 hours...

Earl Ludwig, 75, of Jackson. Harold Basham, 85, of Mounds, Ill. Lonnie Williamson, 75, of Carbondale, Ill. Sharon Collier, 69, of Cape Girardeau. Kathryne Cossairt, 91, of Lubbock, Texas. Robert Fee, 81, of Cape Girardeau. Mildred Held, 76, of Olive Branch, Ill...

@GT list_no_indent_colon:Donald "Joey" Brooks and Deann Kennedy: son Dominick Kayel, 6 pounds, 12 ounces. Dustin and Heather Benson: son Drew Robin, 7 pounds, 2 ounces. Dustin and Jennifer Schroeder: son Colin Anthony, 8 pounds, 3 ounces. Dustin and Ashley Sievers: daughter Savannah Rose, 7 pounds, 7 ounces...

This insect looks like a big mosquito, but it isn't. It doesn't bite like a mosquito either. In fact it will not bite you at all. This is a crane fly. A crane fly is a poor flier and is pretty easy to catch. Even a slight breeze may force it to land. Its gangly legs and lack of strength makes it an easy target for orb weaver spiders. Once a leg is snared in the web, the crane fly is doomed, seldom being able to free itself...

I recently had a discussion with a homeowner about some issues in her lawn. She had dead spots here and there and was wondering what was going on. I proceeded to ask her whether she was watering the lawn. Her comment was that they had an automatic sprinkler system, so watering could not possibly be an issue...

The Cape Special Road District managed the old Mississippi River bridge from 1946 to 1957. In those 11 years, tolls paid amounted to $3,952,129. The highest annual income was in 1953 with $427,141 collected on 885,733 crossings. When the bridge opened in 1928, the rates were published in the newspaper:...

Summer is a great time to sleep in late on Saturday and then make a delicious breakfast for the family. Each family has its own traditions and favorite breakfast foods that might include pancakes and waffles. As a gourmet improvement over the normal variety, try these recipes that include rich decadent toppings. I love hummingbird cake, so the hummingbird pancake may be one of my new favorite pancakes. Give these recipes a try and see which one your family enjoys the most...

The Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center has added a rare opportunity to view endangered pallid sturgeon and the unique Western lesser siren up close. Dave Herzog, Resource Science Supervisor at MDC's Big Rivers and Wetlands Field Station, said this is a very exciting development...

While Cape Girardeau's earliest religious roots were planted in the Catholic Church, the distinction of having built the first house of worship in our river town goes to Baptists. From the 1965 booklet, "History of the First Baptist Church, Cape Girardeau, Missouri," we learn that a congregation was organized here on Aug. ...

Dustin Lindgren of Patton, Mo., was named the Missouri Department of Conservation's Southeast Regional Logger of the Year for 2012. Lindgren received two protective kits for his crew valued at $160 each donated by Crader Distributing Company, headquartered in Marble Hill, Mo. ...

Teresa McCulloch, CEO of the Visiting Nurse Association of Southeast Missouri, was awarded the Pioneer in Leadership award at the annual conference of the Missouri Alliance for Home Care at the Lake of the Ozarks. The award recognizes an individual with extraordinary service to the Home Care industry. ...

Kim Mitchel took a different path to work in the church. A former advertising and marketing professional, Mitchel later felt a calling to join the ministry. Today she's on staff as a pastor at Glen Allen United Methodist Church. But serving is only part of the story...

Doctors are reporting a major step toward an "artificial pancreas" -- a device that would monitor blood sugar in people with diabetes and automatically supply insulin as needed. A key component of such a system -- an insulin pump programmed to shut down if blood-sugar dips too low while people are sleeping -- worked as intended in a three-month study of 247 patients...

DOHA, Qatar -- Unless the bloodshed in Syria stops, the region could descend into a chaotic sectarian conflict, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Saturday, as he called for a political resolution to the two-year war. The top U.S. diplomat and counterparts from 10 Arab and European nations agreed at a daylong meeting in Qatar to step up military and other assistance to the Syrian rebels...

Downtown Cape Girardeau will be buzzing on Tuesday as the participants in the Great Race will roll through. "The Great Race is billed as the premiere vintage car road rally in the world," said Danny Essner, who as a member of the River City Rodders helped bring the race to Cape Girardeau. "In its 30-year history, the Great Race has never passed through Cape -- and may never again. This might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the Great Race without leaving home."...

The military is having a problem with sexual assaults. Do you think that men and women serving together in these units could have something to do with this? Gender equality is a wonderful thing, but there are some things you just shouldn't mess with...

In a recent column, Mike Jensen criticized the nominee selection process in the 8th District special election. As vice-chair of the Scott County Republican Committee, I was involved in the process Mr. Jensen criticizes. The rules for this process were set up many years ago by the state. ...

O Lord Jesus, our Savior, thank you for your unfailing love. Amen.

SAO PAULO -- Tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators again took to streets in several Brazilian cities Saturday after the president broke a long silence to promise reforms, but the early protests were smaller and less violent than those of recent days...

CINCINNATI -- A plane carrying a wing walker crashed at an air show and exploded into flames Saturday, killing the pilot and stunt walker instantly, authorities said. The crash of the 450 HP Stearman happened about 12:45 p.m. at the Vectren Air Show at Dayton International Airport. No spectators were hurt...

DOHA, Qatar -- The Taliban signaled a willingness to meet demands to keep its flag lowered as the U.S. warned Saturday its newly opened political office in Qatar might have to be closed as talks aimed at ending nearly 12 years of war in Afghanistan remained in limbo...

ISTANBUL -- Turkish police used water cannons to disperse thousands gathered in Istanbul's Taksim Square on Saturday to observe a memorial for four people killed during recent anti-government protests. The officers later fired tear gas and rubber bullets to scatter demonstrators who regrouped in side streets...

With sizzling temperatures and no rain, Girardeans are beginning to feel the heat of what could be a long summer; a record-high temperature was set at the municipal airport yesterday, when the thermometer hit 100 degrees at 3 p.m.. The federal Environmental Protection Agency has proposed adding the Illada Energy and Oil Reclamation plant in northern Alexander County, Ill., to the Superfund national priorities list for toxic waste cleanups...

Luther O. "Grizzly" Weibley Jr., 66, of Jackson died Thursday, June 20, 2013, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Liley Funeral Home in Marble Hill, Mo., and from 10 a.m. until time of service Monday at Hurricane Fork General Baptist Church...

OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Harold Thompson, 77, of Olive Branch died Friday, June 21, 2013, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 7, 1935, in Thebes, Ill., son of John Logan and Milbrey Dyer Thompson. He and LaVerne Wilson were married May 29, 1954...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Mary Ann Taylor, 90, of Perryville, died Friday, June 21, 2013, at Perry Oaks Nursing Center in Perryville. She was born Oct. 9, 1922 at Silver Lake, Mo., daughter of Robert and Mary Mabel Layton McDowell. She and Elmer F. Taylor were married Sept. 25, 1945. He preceded her in death Feb. 25, 2006...

Elvin "Russ" Renfro, 86, of Jackson died Saturday, June 22, 2013, at the Monticello House in Jackson. He was born Aug. 14, 1926, in Burkburnett, Texas, the son of William B. and Eva Tyre Renfro. He married Leila Jordan, and she survives. Russ served his country honorably in the U.S. ...

U.S. 60 in Stoddard County will be reduced to one lane from Highway 25 to One Mile Road as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs. The work will take place from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Monday through Thursday. All work is weather permitting. Work zones will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near those areas. For more information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636, or visit modot.org/southeast...

ST. LOUIS -- A day after working five scoreless innings in relief, Joe Kelly got promoted to the St. Louis Cardinals rotation. They're still figuring out when they'll need their new fifth starter. Manager Mike Matheny said Saturday that breaks in the schedule complicate the process. Among the variables, the Cardinals are off Monday and Thursday, the All-Star break is just a few weeks away and rookie Shelby Miller's work load is being monitored...

The Jackson Post 158 Senior American Legion baseball team has advanced to today's championship round of the rugged Washington (Mo.) wood-bat tournament. Jackson went 3-1 over the past three days to win its five-team pool, including Saturday's 4-0 victory over St. Charles...

*** JACKSON The Jackson Fire Department responded to the following calls Friday: * An EMS call on Primrose Lane. * An EMS call on West Jackson Boulevard. * An EMS call on South Hope Street. * An alarm on Pecan Street.

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

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Thursday:...

Steven Dooley was excited for his first home appearance with the Plaza Tire Capahas. The Oran High School graduate didn't disappoint his family members and friends who attended Friday night's game against the St. Louis Raging Bulls at Capaha Field. Dooley, who recently joined the Capahas after finishing a record-setting, All-American pitching career at Division III Webster University in St. Louis, continued his summer dominance...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI...

SIKESTON -- Coming off a two-game sweep of Poplar Bluff the day prior, Sikeston American Legion Post 114 entered Friday's District 14 game against Cape Girardeau Ford and Sons Post 63 looking to maintain some momentum. Unfortunately for Sikeston a late-inning hit barrage couldn't save them an early eight-run hole as Post 63 held on for a 12-9 win...

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- The Food Network said Friday it's dumping Paula Deen, barely an hour after the celebrity cook posted a videotaped apology online begging forgiveness from fans and critics troubled by her admission to having used racial slurs in the past...

Angela Whitmore and her family will be living in a new home at the beginning of August, thanks to the Cape Area Habitat for Humanity. But there's a twist to this story: The homesite was nothing but dirt a few weeks ago. A 1,600-square-foot home like the one the Whitmores will be living in would take four to five months to complete, according to Justin Kertz, executive director of the Cape Area Habitat for Humanity...

Dee Kinnison, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Chaffee, Mo., died Friday, June 21, 2013, at her home in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee.

Jewell B. Friese, 98, of Friedheim died Friday, June 21, 2013, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 29, 1914, in Lixville, Mo., daughter of Julius and Willie Statler. She and Elmer W. Friese were married May 3, 1936. He preceded her in death Jan. 27, 1992...

ST. LOUIS -- William Anthony Culkin Sr., 65, of St. Louis, formerly of Thebes, Ill., passed away Friday, June 21, 2013, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. William was born June 8, 1948, at Thebes, son of the late Robert William Culkin and Ora Mae Bledsoe Culkin...

George "Leon" Cherry, 86, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, June 21, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 1, 1926, in Mason Hall, Tenn., son of R.C. and Mary Collins Cherry. He and Lola Barnett were married Oct. 3, 1948, in Piggott, Ark...

Editor's note: The following Q-and-A has been edited to correct the name of the speaker. Christian comedian Gordon Douglas will speak at the Vitae Foundation's Cape Girardeau Pro-Life Benefit Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Jackson. Davis is a father to 19 children and serves on the board for the Delaware County Pregnancy Center...

I've been thinking a lot about how to find meaning in life, especially when the things I do each day are redundant tasks that don't seem like anything special and aren't that exciting to do. I want my life to be full of meaning, and on days when it seems like it's not, I despair...

On this day, June 23, Jonas Salk died in the year 1995. Salk is probably the greatest man I've ever personally met. It was a chance encounter. Salk, who pioneered the polio vaccine at the University of Pittsburgh -- my hometown, had returned in the 1980s to the city of his greatest achievement to make a speech. ...

The Crisp Museum at the River Campus of Southeast Missouri State University will be the site of the 2013 Mississippian Archaeological Conference at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, July 20. The conference is open to the public with on-site registration available from 8 to 8:40 a.m. ...

Dr. Benjamin and Debbi Goodier of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Kylie Paige Goodier, to Anthony Ronald Watts. He is the son of the Rev. Ron and Linda Watts of Cape Girardeau. Goodier expects to receive a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Southeast Missouri State University in May 2014. She is a nurse extern at Southeast Hospital...

Terry and Sandy Holder of Scott City and Tamra Holder of Oak Ridge announce the engagement of their daughter, Rebecca Lynn Holder, to Wade Robert Keesee. He is the son of Monty and Michelle Keesee of Scott City. Holder is a 2008 graduate of Scott City High School, and received a degree in respiratory therapy from Mineral Area College in 2012. She is a registered respiratory therapist supervisor at Black River Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo...

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Ware of Whitewater celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a dinner June 21 in Cape Girardeau. Hosts were grandchildren. Ware and Violet Vance were married June 19, 1953, at Chaffee Methodist Church in Chaffee, Mo. They have two children, Floyd Ware of Whitewater and the late Vicky Keller. ...

David and Jane Shields of St. Louis announce the engagement of their daughter, Cassy Ann Shields, to James Andrew Coleman. He is the son of Tony and Penny Coleman of Jackson. Shields is a 2010 graduate of Francis Howell High School in St. Charles, Mo. She expects to receive a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing in December...

Rachael Mary Essner and Eric Christian Daume were married Nov. 10, 2012, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. The Rev. David Hulshof performed the ceremony. Concelebrant was the Rev. Thomas P. Kiefer, cousin of the bride. Soloist was Alan Bruns, accompanied by pianist Cheryl Oberhaus, both of Cape Girardeau. Flutists were Paul and Matthew Thompson and violinist was Elizabeth Ansberry, all of Cape Girardeau...

Angela Kay Holland and Christopher Dru Wright were married May 23, 2012, on the beach in Perdido Key, Fla. Charles E. Randle performed the ceremony. Acoustic guitar music was played. Parents of the couple are George and Jamie Holland of Delta, and Dru and Debbie Wright of Kelso, Mo...

Rochelle Lee Seal and Shawn Lenard Jackson were married May 11, 2013, in Destin, Fla. Patrice S. Terjak performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Jack and Pam Cook of Jackson and Larry Seal of Cape Girardeau. The groom is the son of Rick and Regina Jackson of Scott City...