Stories from Thursday, April 3, 2014

UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. (AP) - A tornado touched down briefly in the St. Louis suburb of University City, damaging some homes and bringing down trees and power lines. No injuries were immediately reported. Jim Sieveking, of the National Weather Service in St. Louis, says the tornado touched down at 5:23 a.m. Thursday as a strong storm system with intense lightning and heavy rain moved through the St. Louis region...

"The purpose is to give the team a voice and to identify the leaders and also empower the leaders," first-year Southeast coach Tom Matukewicz said.

ST. LOUIS -- A videotaped police confrontation with a violent suspect whose family said suffers from psychological problems is under review by the city. Mario Crump, 47, was charged March 22 with three misdemeanors: resisting arrest and two counts of third-degree assault on a law enforcement officer. Court records indicate Crump has multiple assault convictions among more than 20 previous arrests...

ST. LOUIS -- A suburban St. Louis man collected thousands of dollars in donations purportedly for a charity that provides aid for wounded veterans, but kept all the money for himself, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster said Wednesday. Koster and St. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A new report shows Missouri revenue was up slightly as the state heads toward the last few months of its fiscal year. State figures released Wednesday show the state's net general revenue increased 1.7 percent through March compared with the same point last year...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A bill revamping the management of Missouri's Medicaid program was set aside Wednesday after debate turned tense between two Republican senators who are at odds over whether to accept billions of federal dollars to expand health coverage for low-income adults...

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee will feature a program by the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau. A continental breakfast will be available at 7 a.m., and the program will begin at 7:40 a.m. Friday at Isle Casino Cape Girardeau's Event Center...

NORMAN, Okla. -- Forecasters say residents of the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee valleys should be on alert for severe weather today and be prepared to take shelter if it approaches. The Storm Prediction Center says a severe weather outbreak is possible this afternoon and evening in an area from Arkansas to Indiana. Storms could also be severe from Texas to Ohio...

Making a jump from last year, Southeast Missouri State University cybersecurity students took second place at the 2014 Midwest Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition on Friday and Saturday at Moraine Valley Community College in Chicago. Northern Kentucky University took first place at this year's Midwest Regional CCDC, in which teams representing Missouri, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa and Kentucky participated, a university news release said...

Central High School teacher Andy Tilmon will get a firsthand look at geopolitics when he travels to Seoul, South Korea, in June. Selected by Joseph Stoltman, professor of geography and science education at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich., the trip runs from June 25 to July 2, and is hosted by the Northeast Asian History Foundation in Seoul. Fourteen people from around the nation will be going, including 12 Advanced Placement human geography teachers, a map librarian and Stoltman...

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court ruling Wednesday erasing a long-standing limit on campaign donations will allow a small number of wealthy donors to give even more than is currently the case, according to students of the complex campaign finance system, and could strengthen the establishment in both parties...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gamblers willing to put up at least $10,000 could get a special perk at Missouri casinos that could make their experience a little more like going to Las Vegas. The Missouri Senate passed legislation Wednesday that would allow casinos to extend a line of credit to high-stakes gamblers who don't want to carry wads of cash around with them. ...

If they haven't already, Southeast Missouri farmers are about to get their hands dirty as they begin planting this year's crops. But many are waiting until the soil warms up and the April showers go away. April is the traditional month for planting corn, cotton and rice, and May is better to plant soybeans, said Dr. Michael Aide, professor and chairman of the Department of Agriculture at Southeast Missouri State University...

FORT HOOD, Texas -- A soldier opened fire Wednesday on fellow service members at the Fort Hood military base, killing three people and wounding 16 before committing suicide at the same post where more than a dozen people were slain in a 2009 attack, authorities said...

Chris Wubbena stands near his sculpture "Victoria", after it's installation at the Vasterling Suites Courtyard Wednesday afternoon, April 2, 2014, in Cape Girardeau. ...

The Jackson Community Outreach Board in conjunction with River City Rodders is pleased to announce the fifth edition of Cruisin' Uptown Jackson. Cruisin' Uptown Jackson is a monthly cruise in, held on Barton Street in Uptown Jackson, on the second Saturday of the month. April through October from 6-9pm. Open to Muscle Cars, Street Rods, Antique Cars, Classic and special interest Cars and Custom Motor Cycles...

Scott City Student in BFA Exhibition at Memphis College of Art Scott City student Olivia Miles will participate in the Memphis College of Art Spring 2014 BFA Exhibition, which will take place in the Main Gallery of Rust Hall, 1930 Poplar Ave., Overton Park...

EASTER WEEK SERVICES Palm Sunday: April 13, 2014 We start our Easter week with themed Bible studies for all ages at 10 am on Sunday, April 13. The 11 o'clock service begins with an exciting 'Palm Waving Celebration' and a parade from the Bible Discovery Kids. Adults will enjoy a very special Palm Sunday message while children 5-11 will meet for Bible Discovery to take part in Bible Stories, music, puppetry and games, all planned to tell the wondrous story of Jesus...

Tia is a 1 year old husky/lab mix. She is already spayed. Tia is available for adoption at the Humane Society 573-334-5837. See more pets available at www.semopets.org.

Are you paying too little tax? Guess what. Politicians and Businesses in Cape County think you need to pay more. And, next Tuesday, April 8th, they're asking you to vote to increase your taxes to "level the playing" between local and out-of-state businesses...

The FBI is asking the public for help identifying a suspected child molester. In a news release Wednesday, the agency reported the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children had recorded images and video of the unidentified man engaging in "sexually explicit activities" with a child in November 2012...

Today is Thursday, April 3, the 93rd day of 2014. There are 272 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On April 3, 1974, deadly tornadoes began hitting wide parts of the South and Midwest before jumping across the border into Canada; within a 24-hour period, more than 300 fatalities resulted from what became known as the Super Outbreak...

I have to respond to the Speak Out comment about discrimination because literature is not printed in all foreign languages. I personally think it should never be printed in any other language other than English in this United States of America. English. That's it, please...

In reply to the Southeast Missourian guest column of March 27, "Use Tax will help support local business," I'd like to add another dimension to the discussion. Messrs. Mehner and Gerau stated that approving the use tax measure on the April ballot would "put our local businesses on the same competitive footing as out-of-state businesses."...

In a recent essay in the Economists' Voice, Edward Lazear and James Poterba of the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform wrote the following:"Given the political process that determines the tax code, special provisions are likely to depend more on an interest group's lobbying efforts than on careful estimates of social externalities or other considerations."...

High school sports competitions have a unique atmosphere. Crowds can be made up of parents cheering on children, alumni reveling in their playing days and students. Reporter Ruth Campbell wrote about several local student-led cheering sections for a story that appeared in the March 20 edition of the Southeast Missourian...

ERIE, Pa. -- A Pennsylvania township is asking residents to keep the change. Officials in Millcreek Township, along with its water and sewer authorities, have adopted a policy limiting how much change they'll accept from residents paying sewer bills and other fees...

Son to Jonathan Dale and Rachael Marie Bremer of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 5:54 p.m. Saturday, March 22, 2014. Name, Isaac Jonathan. Weight, 8 pounds, 2 ounces. First child. Mrs. Bremer is the former Rachael Weidenbenner, daughter of Curtis and Stephanie Weidenbenner of Cape Girardeau. She is employed by St. Francis Xavier School. Bremer is the son of Dale and Juanita Bremer of Jackson and Mark and Ann Winkler of Cape Girardeau. He is employed by Capaha Bank...

It's not a billion-dollar bracket contest, but fans will compete for school pride and special prizes this spring for the Semoball Awards Best Fans in Southeast Missouri Award. In addition to being recognized as the school with the best fans, voters will be entered into a drawing for several prizes, including two sets of four St. Louis Cardinals tickets. Each vote enters the fan for a chance to win...

The Jackson Fire Department responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

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

The Cape Girardeau Police Department responded to the following calls Monday: The Cape Girardeau Police Department responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Burglaries...

Nileen M. Thomure, 61, of Jackson died Monday, March 31, 2014, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. She was born Sept. 11, 1952, in Perryville, Mo., to Donald and Mary E. Winston Wilson. She and Larry J. Thomure were married Jan. 15, 1972. Survivors include two daughters, Miranda Thomure and DeAnn Thomure-Byrd of Jackson; a son, Aaron (Leigha) Thomure of Ste. ...

John Edward Mosier, 71, of Paducah, Ky., formerly of Scott City, died Tuesday, April 1, 2014, at Nexus Specialty Hospital in Shenandoah, Texas. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

THEBES, Ill. -- Paul Beatty, 62, of Thebes died Sunday, March 30, 2014, at his home. He was born Sept. 10, 1951, in Kalamazoo, Mich., to Floyd and Virginia Boyet Beatty. He and Ramonia Eve Johnston were married Feb. 14, 1995. Survivors include his wife, Eve of Thebes; two daughters, Cherie Wren (Charley) of Scott City and April Bryant of Jackson; six grandsons, Garrett Stevens (Jamie) of Advance, Mo., Cameron Stevens of Scott City, and Austin, Dakota, Joshua and Lancelot Bryant, all of Jackson; a sister, Pat Beel (Jim) of Leopold, Mo.; nieces, nephews and other relatives.. ...

Brittany Hastings of Jackson will present her senior voice recital at 3 p.m. April 13 in the recital hall of the Pillsbury Chapel and Dale Williams Fine Arts Center on Missouri Baptist University's main campus in St. Louis. Honor roll Nina Scheibe of Cape Girardeau earned honor roll distinction at the University of Kansas School of Music for the fall 2013 semester. She is the daughter of John and Erika Scheibe. The university is in Lawrence, Kansas...

Submitted photo Immaculate Conception School eighth-grade students Sarah Bell, left, and Megan Jansen placed at the Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics math competition held March 15 at Immaculate Conception in Jackson. Bell placed fourth in the Sprint round and Jansen placed third in the Sprint round and third overall....

Paper vs. plastic and what antibiotics work best against certain types of bacteria are two of the projects that won top honors at this year's Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair in March. Armed with their honors from the regional fair, Makayla Job, a Scott City Middle School student, and Austin Van de Ven, a freshman at Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau, are heading to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles -- all expenses paid -- from May 11 to 16.. ...

IQUIQUE, Chile -- The U.S. Geological Survey says a powerful 7.8-magnitude aftershock has rocked Chile's northern coast, which was hit by a powerful magnitude-8.2 earthquake Tuesday night. It caused buildings to shake in the port of Iquique, which saw some damage from the big quake on Tuesday. There are no immediate reports of new damage or injuries...

ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia -- Defensive and at times tearful, Ukraine's ousted president conceded Wednesday that he made a mistake when he invited Russian troops into Crimea and vowed to try to negotiate with Vladimir Putin to get the coveted Black Sea peninsula back...

WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers on Capitol Hill accused General Motors of a potentially criminal cover-up of its defective ignition switches and fumed at the lack of answers from its new CEO during a second day of hearings Wednesday into why GM waited a decade to recall cars with the deadly flaw...

WASHINGTON -- All politics is local, the saying goes. But in some American cities, local politics has gone international, with city governments finding themselves caught in historical disputes between two close U.S. allies: Japan and South Korea...

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. objected Wednesday to Iran's anticipated selection of a former hostage-taker at the American Embassy in Tehran as its newest ambassador to the United Nations. But the Obama administration stopped short of saying it would refuse him a visa to enter the United States...

LOS ANGELES -- After insisting that space relations wouldn't be altered by earthly politics, NASA on Wednesday said it was severing ties with Russia except for the International Space Station. NASA employees can't travel to Russia or host visitors until further notice. They're also barred from emailing or holding teleconferences with their Russian counterparts because of Russia's actions in Ukraine, according to a memo sent to workers...

DENVER -- Three-fourths of Americans say it's inevitable that marijuana will be legal for recreational use across the nation, regardless of whether they support such policies, according to a public-opinion poll released Wednesday that highlights shifting attitudes following the drug war era and tough-on-crime legislation...

EVERETT, Wash. -- As medical examiners painstakingly piece together the identities and lives of the 29 people known killed when a mudslide wiped out a small Washington community, one mystery troubles them. One set of remains does not fit with the description on the missing persons list, which, as of Wednesday, was 18 people...

WASHINGTON -- A sense of belonging to the middle class occupies a cherished place in America. It conjures images of self-sufficient people with stable jobs and pleasant homes working toward prosperity. Yet nearly five years after the recession ended, more people are coming to the painful realization that they're no longer part of it...

HOUSTON -- A federal appeals court on Wednesday threw out a ruling requiring the Texas prison system to disclose more information about where it gets lethal-injection drugs, reversing a judge who had halted an upcoming execution. Only hours before the appellate decision, a lower-court judge issued a temporary injunction halting the execution of Tommy Lynn Sells, a convicted serial killer who was set to die today...

Using a few materials from around the house you can create the biggest bubbles. 6 cups of distilled water 1 cup of corn syrup 2 cups of dishwashing liquid STEP 1: Mix the ingredients together and allow the bubble solution to set for a few hours before using...

Highway 51 in Perry County reduced for pavement repairs Highway 51 in Perry County between County Road 936 and the Perryville city limits, will be reduced to one lane with an 11-foot width restriction as contractor crews resurface the road. The work will take place from 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily April 21 through May 8, according to a news release from the Missouri Department of Transportation...

Cape Girardeau County Commission Administrative Office Building 1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Open session Communications/reports, other elected officials Public comments Routine business...

The Central boys tennis lead built a 6-1 lead over Dexter before rain stopped doubles play on Wednesday afternoon at Central High School Alex Mailes, Derek Nunnery, Jonah Roop, Vikas Rudrappa and Caleb Strickland all earned singles victories for the Tigers...

Boyer continued a strong start to her senior soccer season by scoring the winning goal in double overtime to lift Notre Dame to a 2-1 victory over Jackson in the championship game of the Noon Optimist Club tournament last week.

~B.J. Smith pleaded guilty to six counts in federal court ST. LOUIS -- The women's basketball coach at Highland Community College in northeast Kansas, who once coached at Southeast Missouri State, pleaded guilty to being part of a car theft ring that prosecutors said staged accidents and filed false theft reports to pocket insurance money...

A line of severe thunderstorms causes widespread power outages as it moves through Southeast Missouri in the evening; heavy rain also causes some Cape Girardeau streets to be closed as water flows out of creek banks; approximately 3,500 Union Electric customers are affected by the storms, including 700 to 800 in Cape Girardeau...

It simply strikes me as wrong that the way to level the playing field for local business is to punish people whose shopping choices we don't like by raising their taxes. For background, I owned and operated a technology business in Cape Girardeau for 20 years before selling it in 2007. ...

O Lord Jesus, may the words we say glorify you, our King of kings. Amen.

NEW YORK -- NBC says 80-year-old Willard Scott has tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend. The veteran "Today" show personality and Paris Keena were wed Tuesday in Fort Myers, Fla. They have been together for about 11 years, "Today" host Matt Lauer said in sharing the news during Wednesday morning's telecast...