Stories from Sunday, November 29, 2015

The Jackson Holiday Extravaganza's organizers said, "rain or shine," and scores of people attended the first-ever lighting ceremony in Jackson City Park despite the soggy weather. "The lights are shining, no matter what the weather's doing," organizer Angelia Thomas said. "I think we have a great turnout, considering [the rain]."...

Local shoppers headed downtown Saturday to partake in deals and giveaways during the second official Cape Girardeau Small Business Saturday. Thanks to a popular promotion from credit-card company American Express, the Saturday after Thanksgiving has been designated the mom-and-pop business version of Black Friday...

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The man who police say staged a deadly shooting attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic that offers abortion services said "no more baby parts" after his arrest, a law-enforcement official said Saturday. The official could not elaborate about the comment by the 57-year-old suspect, Robert Lewis Dear. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly about the ongoing investigation...

Missouri is facing a prescription drug abuse epidemic, with dealers who sell to addicts from their own doctor-prescribed bottles. There's no way for doctors in Missouri to know a patient already has a prescription, because the state does not have a prescription-drug database...

Handbells have been a measure of the musical landscape of Beth St. John for much of her life. The Jackson Senior High School choir director was introduced to handbells when she, herself, was a student at Jackson High in the 1990s.

Experiencing their first November snow of the season while visiting family in Milan, Illinois, recently.

Delta Senior Citizens Meeting The Delta Senior Citizens will meet Wednesday, December 9, at 11 a.m., at the Delta Community Center. The theme of the meeting will be the Annual Christmas Party for fun and fellowship, featuring a Christmas Card exchange. Musical entertainment will be provided by John Schott. Lunch will be served at 12:00 noon. For more information, call 794-2259 or 794-2874...

What is your approach to the Christmas shopping season? I go Black Friday shopping. I will probably be up all night for that. I've been doing it since I was young with my grandma. Have you gotten or will you get a flu shot? I will not get a flu shot. I don't like needles, and I would rather not get flu-like symptoms like some people do from the shot...

St. Louis lost its fourth straight game, losing 31-7 to the Bengals.

Today in History Today is Sunday, Nov. 29, the 333rd day of 2015. There are 32 days left in the year. Today's Highlights in History: On Nov. 29, 1890, the first Army-Navy football game was played at West Point, New York; Navy defeated Army, 24-0. The Imperial Diet, forerunner of Japan's current national legislature, opened its first session...

Roger and Cecilia Ng of St. Louis announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer Ng, to Derek Helderman, both of St. Louis. He is the son of Marybeth and Aaron Helderman Jr. of Whitewater. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Michigan-Dearborn with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering and a master of science degree in industrial engineering with an emphasis in human factors and ergonomics. She is a test engineer at The Boeing Company in St. Louis...

I recently made a short trip to Arkansas, hoping to photograph an elk. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission records from 2011 state 112 Rocky Mountain elk were released in Arkansas in an extended restoration effort between 1981 and 1985. These elk were brought from Colorado and Nebraska...

Cape Central High School will host its annual Splash Out Cancer swim meet to help raise money for Dig for Life at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Cape Central High School Tiger Dome. St. Joseph Home and School will host a Christmas craft fair from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ...

Today, on the traditional Christian calendar, is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is a Latin term used to describe the coming of Christ. Some, but not all, Christian churches and families will light a candle over the next four Sundays, and some light one on Christmas Eve, to celebrate and anticipate the coming of Christ...

Ever been let down by a friend? Or have you been disappointed by a spouse? Has your boss or workplace simply dropped the ball and disappointed you? Most of us have. It's not something new because it's been happening since the beginning of time in the Bible...

Everyone has his or her own way to cope with grief. When a loved one passes, people accept it, become angry and disillusioned or become depressed, but almost everyone is saddened by it. Often you've been through weeks, months and years of caretaking with the person...

Oscar, 2 years old, is neutered and crate-trained. Oscar is available for adoption at the Humane Society, 334-5837.

While strolling, I wondered whatever happened to Ralph Melton. Happy birthday to Amy Burnett, Lee Cook, Raymond Ourth, Darren Lincoln, Jonell Overfield, Alan Seabaugh, Kenny Lee, Bill Rauch, Annie Fort, Ryan Glastetter, Joseph Campbell, Autumn Gilmer, Loraine Reischman, Billy Newton, Debbie Sadler, Lisa Parker, Kathy Moyers, Shelly Burnett, Jim Bollinger, Christina Smith, Yolanda Schlosser, Jim Emerson, Travis Dumey, Virginia Bohnsack, Lauren Bader, Gary Kelley, Jeanette Wachter, Monica Senciboy and Joyce McCullough.. ...

The Xi Nu Phi Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi met Nov. 17 at the home of Kathy Kiefner. Susan Benton, president, conducted the meeting with eight members present. The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as read. Two members went to the fall dinner hosted by Torchbearer Iota. They reported having a wonderful time...

We apologize if you are a huge fan of green beans. We apologize if you are the sort of person who longs for the green beans at holiday get-togethers. We think it's a little strange, but we still apologize. It's not that green beans aren't perfectly delightful. ...

Leadership is never an easy thing. The administration and members of the school board at the Cape Girardeau School District are living proof. Last week, the district's leaders received an earful about a proposal to eliminate a class period at the junior high and high school...

O Lord Jesus, may we strive to be a blessing to others every day. Amen.

Some leading Republican presidential candidates seem to view Muslims as fair game for harsh words they might use with more caution against any other group for fear of the political cost. So far, that strategy is winning support from conservatives influential in picking the nominee...

DALLAS -- A slow-moving wintry storm system that has been blamed for more than a dozen deaths began moving eastward out of Texas on Saturday but kept coating some states to the north in ice, making driving dangerous. The band of storms that moved through parts of the Plains and the Midwest since Thursday has been blamed for at least 14 deaths, including eight in Texas and six in Kansas. ...

HONOLULU -- A glitch meant some First Hawaiian Bank customers logged on to accounts to find they appeared to be billions of dollars in the red. Bank officials say the glitch was visible to customers who logged on to accounts during a 20-minute window Wednesday. Customers saw outstanding balances of at least $710 billion. Kauai resident George White said when he saw it all he could think was, "Well, my wife is going to kill me." First Hawaii Bank stated it apologized...

MIAMI -- Diabetes, arthritis and open-heart surgery have kept Sherice Bennett from working, but she can't afford her medicine and became homeless while waiting for more than two years for a chance to convince a judge she qualifies for federal disability benefits...

PARIS -- French President Francois Hollande met with environmental groups Saturday, pushing for a global deal to reduce man-made emissions blamed for global warming -- with emphasis on helping developing countries adapt to a changing world. The talks in the Elysee Palace came as President Barack Obama, the leaders of China, Russia and more than 140 other countries prepare to converge on Paris to launch two weeks of high-stakes talks...

WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson is in the Middle East this weekend to meet with Syrian refugees. The retired neurosurgeon has been facing questions about his command of foreign policy. Carson planned to tour one of Jordan's major refugee camps Friday and Saturday, campaign manager Barry Bennett said...

CAIRO -- Egypt on Saturday said there is a 90 percent chance hidden chambers will be found within King Tutankhamun's tomb, based on preliminary results of a new exploration of the 3,300-year-old mausoleum. Researchers say the discovery of a new chamber could shine new light on one of ancient Egypt's most turbulent times. One researcher has theorized the remains of Queen Nefertiti might be inside...

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Federal officials want landowners in Indiana and nine other states, including Missouri, to grow milkweed to boost the population of monarch butterflies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is due to spend $4 million in 2016 to help farmers and others plant milkweed and other nectar-producing plants. Milkweed is essential for monarchs because it is the only plant on which the butterfly will lay its eggs. The monarch's journey to and from Mexico takes three to four generations...

ST. LOUIS -- The $380-million Gateway Arch grounds overhaul in St. Louis has opened its first renovated park. The Arch and its grounds are undergoing a $380-million renovation, which includes a planned 46,000-square-foot expansion of the visitor center and a redesigned Museum of Westward Expansion, both underneath the monument. The makeover also includes creating a park atop a concrete-and-steel lid being built over an interstate highway between the Arch and downtown...

FESTUS, Mo. -- Administrators of a thrift store in suburban St. Louis are trying to reunite someone with $1,200 in cash officials say appears to have been accidentally included in donated items. As the interim president and CEO of the regional MERS/Goodwill, David Kutchback said the money was found Nov. 17 but likely was among items dropped off two days earlier at a MERS/Goodwill store in Festus, south of St. Louis...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon last week called on a state agency to use settlement funds to restore areas of Southeast Missouri that were damaged by lead contamination, a move praised by local officials and state lawmakers who for months questioned why money was going to projects in places untouched by lead...

A group of Cape Girardeau residents has formed SEA (Southeast Area) Cape Cleanup Committee, with a goal of making neighborhoods in the southeast section of the city better places to live; members hope to clean up blighted neighborhoods. In contrast to mass closings by the region's public and parochial schools Dec. ...

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Gary Pinkel held his tears in check this time, even doing his best to show a sense of humor following Missouri's regular season-ending 28-3 loss to Arkansas on Friday. Losing for a sixth time in seven games wasn't how the all-time winningest coach in school history saw his end coming...

CINCINNATI -- The four-game lead in the loss column has been trimmed in half. Consecutive losses in prime time have fans wondering about the Bengals all over again. Is this the start of another second-half slide? Cincinnati (8-2) has a chance to calm them down today...

Jeffery Porter scored a game-high 17 points for the Scott County Central boys basketball team, but West Memphis pulled away in the fourth quarter to secure a 51-44 win Saturday in the Riverbend Classic at New Madrid County Central High School. Glenn Ward had 12 points to lead the Blue Devils while Zachary Boyd added 10 points...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt n A suspect was in custody pending formal charges of driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest. n Wayne Heckrotte, no age given, 45 N. Henderson Ave., was arrested on suspicion of property damage at Whiskey River, 1444 Independence St...

Roy Wesley Wendel, 82, of Whitewater passed away Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 1, 1933, in Whitewater, son of Joseph W. and Edna D. Cook Wendel. He and Mary Lou Kasten were married Sept. 11, 1960, at Zion Methodist Church in Gordonville. She passed away Nov. 27, 2010...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Richard W. Vermillion, 55, of Advance died Wednesday, Nov 25, 2015, at his home. A memorial service will begin at 6 p.m. Monday at First Pentecostal Church in Advance. Arrangements by McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson...

PADUCAH, Ky. -- Jesse Daniel Stoffel, 72, of Paducah died Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, at his home from complications of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dan was born Nov. 15, 1943, in St. Louis to the late Jesse Patrick Stoffel and Letha French Stoffel...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Emma R. Dunn Spane-Pettit, 73, died Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015, at Chaffee Nursing Center in Chaffee. A celebration of life service may be at a later date. McCombs Funeral Home Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson is in charge of arrangements...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Jane Eleanor Smith, 83, of Perryville died Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, at her home. Jane was born May 14, 1932, at Cape Girardeau to William C. Ellzey and Juanita Chastner Ellzey. She was previously married to Thomas S. Abnerathy on Aug. 17, 1951, at Cape Girardeau. She married Gordon R. Smith on May 14, 1994, at Jackson. He survives...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Oleen A. Saffell, 84, of Perryville peacefully departed Friday, Nov. 27, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 4, 1931 in Farrar, Missouri, daughter of Martin and Mary Verseman Steffens-Hemmann. She and Edward A. Saffell were married Aug. 5, 1950. He preceded her in death March 29, 2002...

Paula Rae Myers, 72, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Nov. 27, 2015 at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Nov. 3, 1943, in Cape Girardeau to Paul H. and Melba M. Moore Job. She and Frank Myers were married Friday, Sept. 3, 1993, at Cape Girardeau...

GLENALLEN, Mo. -- Virginia Ruth Marshall, 80, of Glenallen died Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015, at the Woodland Hills Nursing Home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Liley Funeral Home in Marble Hill, Missouri. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Junior Davis officiating. Burial will be in McGee Chapel Cemetery near Glenallen...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Sunny Michelle Shelton Maginnis of Merritt Island, Florida, formerly of Chaffee, died Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015. A celebration of her life will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at 3772 County Road 231, near Dutchtown. Island Cremations and Funeral Home in Merritt Island is in charge of arrangements...

MARBLE Hill, Mo. -- Charles M. James, 98, of Marble Hill passed away Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015, at the Missouri Veterans Home. He was born Feb. 2, 1917, in Bollinger County, Missouri, son of Aaron Moses and Marganie Limbaugh James. He and Bonnie Jean Goad were united in marriage April 26, 1941...

Joe Franklin Holladay, 82, of Wright City, Missouri, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, Nov. 27, 2015. Martin Funeral Home in Warrenton, Missouri, is in charge of arrangements.

Steve Craddock, 61, of Jackson died Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. A graveside funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield, with the Rev. Mike Parry officiating. There will be full military rites at the cemetery...

Mark David Collier, 55, of Gordonville died Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015, at his home. He was born Sunday, Sept. 11, 1960, in St. Louis to Ernest Clinton and Dorothy Marie Williams Collier. He and Janice Gail Pfeiffer were married Friday, Jan. 9, 1981, at Zion Lutheran Church in Gordonville...

OLMSTED, Ill. -- Charles Grant Britt, 60, of Bardwell, Kentucky, formerly of Olmsted, passed away at 5:49 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, 2015, at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Kentucky. Charles was born Oct. 16, 1955, to the late Grant Charles Britt and Bertha Britt...

SCOPUS, Mo. -- Marion Ray Baker, 88, of Scopus passed away Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015, at The Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born Aug. 23, 1927, at Advance, Missouri, to Eddie and Reva Marie Bond Baker. He and Eugenia M. Pulliam were married Dec. 25, 1946...

Kathleen Maxine Barringer Fisher Adams, 96 years, 11 months and 20 days old, passed from this earth to be with her Lord and Savior on Friday, Nov. 20, 2015. She was born Nov. 29, 1918, in Centralia, Illinois, to Earnest and Mary Barringer, and moved to Cape Girardeau when she was 4 years old...

Judith L. "Judi" Abernathy, 75, of Jackson died Friday, Nov. 27, 2015, at her daughter's home in Bragg City, Missouri. She was born Sept. 21, 1940, in Fornfelt to Albert and Ethel Gettings Cook. She and Norman "Buck" Abernathy were married Feb. 11, 1962, at Scott City...

MARIONVILLE, Mo. -- A southwest Missouri school district has a new policy governing bathroom usage for transgender students some civil-rights advocates are calling discriminatory. The Marionville School District recently adopted a policy allowing students to either use a gender-neutral bathroom or a bathroom designated for their biological sex, The Springfield News-Leader reported...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri lawmakers are set to question officials in Gov. Jay Nixon's administration Monday on how the state spends money to help refugees amid concern about the resettling of Syrians in the United States after the deadly attacks in Paris...

Heavy rains in recent days have caused the Mississippi River to rise and is forecast to reach minor flood stage Tuesday. Hydrograph reports Saturday from the National Weather Service indicate the river will crest at 33 feet Wednesday morning. Flood stage in Cape Girardeau is 32 feet...

A Perryville, Missouri, man made two attempts of armed robbery the same night and was arrested the next morning, police reported. Danny Rue Sr., 51, of Perryville was arrested by Perryville police about 8 a.m. Wednesday and was charged with 11 counts, including attempted robbery, kidnapping, burglary, third-degree assault, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon. His bond is set at $50,000, cash only...

The 24th annual Cape Girardeau Christmas Parade of Lights will begin about 5 p.m. today to help begin the holiday season for the community with this year's theme, "Mistletoe Magic." With more than 100 entries consisting of businesses, organizations, churches, marching bands, scout troops and social groups, the parade promises to be festive...

Pete "Petenis" Garner, 49, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born March 15, 1966, in Cape Girardeau to Wayne and Therese Johnston Garner. He married Vicki Sander on May 29, 1993. Pete honorably served his country in the United States Navy from 1984 to 1993, where he actively participated in the Gulf War and the bombing of Libya. ...