Stories from Sunday, January 22, 2017

Tucked back on a one-lane county road just outside of Gordonville, there's a bright red barn with a handwritten sign taped to the door: "Fat Chance General Store -- Not Open to the Public." Step inside and there's a collection. At first glance it overwhelms, but a closer look reveals intriguing pieces that tell a story of how our region was settled and grew...

WASHINGTON -- Pledging emphatically to empower America's "forgotten men and women," Donald Trump was sworn in Friday as the 45th president of the United States, taking command of a riven nation facing an unpredictable era under his assertive but untested leadership...

The inauguration of Donald J. Trump drew cheers and jeers in Washington, D.C. Thousands of Americans from all walks of life, including some from Southeast Missouri, descended on the capital. Jackson resident Scott R. Clark and his friend, Shane Galeski of Perryville, Missouri, attended the inauguration of the nation's 45th president Friday. They were among those who had seats for the outdoor ceremony in front of the Capitol...

When comedian Tom Green was diagnosed with testicular cancer 15 years ago, he did what anyone would do in his position: He made a documentary film about his battle and eventual remission. "I'm glad I made that documentary," Green said. "Today, I get young guys who tell me they've gone to the doctor because of that documentary, and that's really meaningful to me."...

Today in History Today is Sunday, Jan. 22, the 22nd day of 2017. There are 343 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 22, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson, in an address to Congress, pleaded for an end to the war in Europe, calling for "peace without victory." (By April, however, America also was at war.)...

Randy Valleroy and Lori Schopp, both of Cape Girardeau, announce the engagement of their daughter Kyla Nicole Valleroy to Cody Weston Dirnberger of Benton, Missouri. He is the son of Gerard and Shari Dirnberger of Oran, Missouri, and Elmer and Renee Vandermierden of Advance, Missouri...

Mary Lowry of Jackson announces the engagement of her daughter Rachel Lowry to Jarett Seiler, both of Jackson. He is the son of Bill Seiler of Benton, Missouri, and the late Karen Seiler. Rachel is a 2005 graduate of Jackson High School and a 2011 graduate of St. Louis College of Pharmacy. She works at Wal-Mart Pharmacy in Cape Girardeau...

Gary and Debbie Newcomb of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter Amber Newcomb to Todd Wessel. He is the son of Jack and Sue Wessel of Gordonville. Amber is a graduate of the University of Missouri -- Kansas City Dental School and is pursuing her master's degree. She is the office manager at Fox Family Dental...

Danny and Tammy Rains of Chaffee, Missouri, announce the engagement of their daughter Bridget Rains to Geoff Mirly, both of Chaffee. He is the son of Mike and Debbie Mirly of Chaffee. Bridget is a 2000 graduate of Chaffee High School. She received her cosmetology license from Stage One Hair School in 2001. She is a licensed cosmetologist at First Impression/Techniques in Cape Girardeau...

What is your favorite thing to do on a snow day?

The Town and Country FCE club met on Dec. 8 in the home of Sue Jones. Members were served a catered meal to celebrate the Christmas holiday before the business meeting. The meeting was opened by Mary Klaproth, president. A devotion was read by Jones. ...

Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to save, rescue, deliver, protect, preserve and heal us. Amen.

On Friday, Donald J. Trump became the 45th president of the United States. He became our president. Trump offers a new and provocative way to approach government. Some see this as a thrilling opportunity to disrupt and break the norms of the governance that have tended to make our public sector grow too much, too strong and too invasive. Others see Trump as a tyrant and fear his policies and temperament will be detrimental...

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Rain poured down in the predawn darkness and the wind picked up as Darryl McMorris ran for his daughters' bedroom. The windows began blowing out as he dove on top of his girls, grabbing one under each arm as he tried to protect them...

LANGLEY, Va. -- On his first full day in office, President Donald Trump on Saturday berated the media over its coverage of his inauguration, and turned a bridge-building first visit to CIA headquarters into an airing of grievances about "dishonest" journalists...

EL PASO, Texas -- A state district judge is accused of shaking his middle finger at another judge in a fit of anger. Judge Patrick Garcia is scheduled for trial in April. A county court judge filed a complaint after he said Garcia gave him the finger in November outside the county courthouse. Garcia was angry because he believed the lower-court judge had undermined a plea agreement being arranged in Garcia's court. The other judge said in his complaint he found the incident "humiliating."...

HOUSTON -- Former president George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, continued to improve Saturday as they recover from illnesses at Houston Methodist Hospital, a family spokesman said. "President Bush is breathing well without any mechanical assistance, his spirits are high, and he is looking forward to getting back to a regular schedule," spokesman Jim McGrath said...

WASHINGTON -- In a global exclamation of defiance and solidarity, more than 1 million people rallied at women's marches in the nation's capital and cities around the world Saturday to send President Donald Trump a message on his first full day in office they won't let his agenda go unchallenged...

WEST LIBERTY, Ohio -- A school shooting that left one student hospitalized and others scrambling out classroom windows could have been far worse if not for the heroics of staff members who stopped the shooter and had him pinned when police arrived, authorities said...

WASHINGTON -- Mike Pence has returned to Washington. So has his closest political ally, Bill Smith. Smith spent a dozen years as Pence's chief of staff while the current vice president was a congressman and later Indiana governor. He's expanding his lobbying practice into the nation's capital now that Donald Trump and Pence hold the White House. In a photo on his firm's website, Smith and Pence are seen huddling in close consultation on an airplane. "It's a new world," the site declares...

VERONA, Italy -- The Hungarian students had just a week of skiing in France when their bus swerved right, left, hit a highway barrier and burst into flames. Sixteen people were killed and over two dozen injured in a tragedy that sparked a national day of mourning in Hungary...

KOBLENZ, Germany -- European nationalist leaders came together Saturday in a show of strength at the start of a year of big election tests, celebrating Donald Trump's inauguration as U.S. president and declaring themselves a realistic alternative to the continent's governments...

BANJUL, Gambia -- Gambia's defeated leader Yahya Jammeh and his family headed into political exile Saturday night, ending a 22-year reign of fear and a post-election political standoff that threatened to provoke a regional military intervention when he clung to power...

FARINDOLA, Italy -- The strain showed on Fabio Salzetta's face. The maintenance worker at the luxury Hotel Rigopiano who escaped being buried under the deadly avalanche because he had gone to check the boiler told Italian media Saturday he called for hours to find survivors, but no one responded...

Jack Earl Wyant, 87, of Cape Girardeau passed away Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, at his home. He was born Oct. 7, 1929, in Sao Paulo, son of Jesse and Barbara Steele Wyant. He and Juanita West were married May 24, 2006. Jack was a member and ordained elder of First Presbyterian Church in Cape Girardeau. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Norma L. Vernon, 82, of Perryville died Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, at Independence Care Center. Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. today, with a Catholic wake at 7:30 p.m., and from 6:30 to 9:15 a.m. Monday at Young and Sons Funeral Home in Perryville...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Clinton Kenneth “Clint” Steffens, 82, of Perryville passed away Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, at Estates of Perryville. He was born Jan. 15, 1935, in Wittenberg, Missouri, son of Ferdinand and Emma Koenig Steffens. Clinton attended school in Altenburg, Missouri. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from April 6, 1954, until being honorably discharged April 5, 1957...

The Rev. Monsignor William J. "Bill" Stanton, 85, died Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, in St. Louis, where he moved last year from Cape Girardeau. He served parishes throughout southern Missouri for six decades, starting with a group of young priests who drove winding Ozark highways to introduce themselves to the region's many non-Catholic communities. He later served at least 10 parishes from Joplin to Cape Girardeau, and will be remembered by the many parishioners whose lives he touched...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Irma L. Meyer, 95, of Perryville died Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, at Estates of Perryville. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, with a Catholic wake at 7:30 p.m., and from 6:30 to 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, with a rosary at 8:30 a.m., at Young and Sons Funeral Home in Perryville...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — Anna Faye Malone, 79, of Bloomfield died Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. There will be no services. Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements.

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Maxine Hinkle, 92, of Marble Hill died Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, at Woodland Hills Nursing Home. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Monday at the chapel. Burial will be in Berrong Cemetery near Zalma, Missouri...

Forest Gore, 94, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, at his home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Edward N. "Bud" Crites, 78, of Cape Girardeau passed away Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, at Heartland Care and Rehab. He was born Oct. 19, 1938, in Cape Girardeau to the late Loy and Gladys Ervin Crites. He and Ann Fuhrmann were married Feb. 14, 1960, in Cape Girardeau...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Nancy L. Amberger, 70, of Perryville died Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, at her home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday and from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at Young and Sons Funeral Home in Perryville. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Immanuel Lutheran Church, with the Rev. Thomas Handrick officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery...

After a lengthy debate, the Cape Girardeau City Council votes to further study the feasibility of building a Shawnee Park sports complex with city tourism dollars; the council directs the city staff to determine if tourism funds can finance the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau and construct a sports complex at Shawnee Park, while allowing a year's Show Me Center bond payment in reserve...

The Scott City Fire Department responded to the following calls: Jan. 13 n At 12:52 a.m., motor-vehicle collision on southbound Interstate 55, mile marker 90.4. n At 7:08 p.m., motor-vehicle collision in the 500 block of East Maple Street...

The Jackson Fire Department responded to the following calls: Thursday n Emergency medical service on Ann Street. n Emergency medical service on Main Street. Friday n A wash down on Oak Hill Road. n Emergency medical service on North Missouri Street...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Summonses n Timmy Lesch, 54, of Jackson was issued a summons for affray. n Kenneth Pair, 54, of Jackson was issued a summons for affray. n Randy Amelunke, 53, of Whitewater was issued summons for affray...

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls: Wednesday n Medical assists were made at 3:09 p.m. on South Benton Street; 9:35 p.m. on Madison Street; and 11:44 p.m. on William Street. n At 4:10 a.m., a call on North Kingshighway...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI n Derek McAllister, no age given, of Scott City, was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated on southbound Interstate 55, mile marker 91...

Daughter to Jonathan Christopher and Jamie Leigh Heuring of Perryville, Missouri, Saint Francis Medical Center, 5:24 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17, 2016. Name, Ava Rose. Weight, 1 pound, 5 ounces. Second child, first daughter. Mrs. Heuring is the former Jamie Talbert, daughter of Deanna Talbert of Perryville, Missouri, and the late Richard Talbert of Perryville. ...

NEW YORK -- More than a century after his death, Mark Twain's publishing life continues. Doubleday Books for Young Readers announced Friday it has acquired a fairy tale only recently discovered. The book is called "The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine" and is scheduled for Sept. 26. The work is based on 16 pages of notes written by Twain in 1879 that were spotted at the Mark Twain Papers & Project at the University of California at Berkeley...

JOPLIN, Mo. -- Gun sales in Missouri are seeing a spike while the number of permit applications fall, thanks to a new law that no longer requires residents to have a permit when carrying a concealed firearm. The number of permit applications in Jasper County has dropped a total of 94 percent after the Legislature moved to get rid of the concealed-carry permit requirement in May, The Joplin Globe reported. ...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A former Missouri State University student who said he was the victim of a so-called "knockout game" attack outside a 2012 fraternity party has been awarded $1.63 million in damages, though he likely will collect only $630,000. The lawyers representing Trevor Godfrey, 25, said in a news release the Omicron Kappa chapter of Omega Psi Phi didn't do enough to create a safe environment at the party before Godfrey was struck from behind and knocked unconscious, the Springfield News-Leader reported.. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens didn't explicitly mention school choice in his State of the State address, but he did call for education savings accounts for students with special needs -- a measure lawmakers and school-choice advocates say could open the door to broader choice measures...

There is no doubt that Gen. Seth McKee should be included on the Wall of Fame here in Cape Girardeau. The fact that he wasn't initially included is shameful, as is the waffling and posturing of various folks quoted in the recent article. It's simple -- stop all the jockeying for power and spewing out of excuses and soundbites, and make the decision to include him. Then allow those who support his inclusion to do the work necessary to make it happen...

A friend recently gave me the gift of a pound of coffee beans. This is a sure-fire way to win my exception, but this bag of beans was especially meaningful. They were beans brewed in Guatamala, and attached to the bag was a picture of the farmer who brewed my coffee beans. ...

Lucy couldn't wait to begin her new job, but she first had to gain training for it. She enrolled in the adequate classes and felt she was well on her way. She talked and talked about her plans to everyone who would listen. She then proceeded to obtain the education she needed. It was challenging to look forward to living her dream. She rehearsed what she thought was the reality of what her life would be like. It was so much fun living in her mind's perfect landscape...

Many at the beginning of the year make it a goal to read the Bible every day. Daily reading from the scripture is a good goal. It is a goal shared by kings. In Deuteronomy 17:18--20 some instruction is given to how the future king should conduct himself. ...

Happy birthday to Joy Moyers, Jon Nordin, Cindy Wibbenmeyer, Clifford Van Dover, Aria Kirn, Maggie Lancaster, Leo Schott, Richard Graviett, Zachary McDaniel, Teasha Totty, Caitlyn Randolph, Jason Mott, Dewayne McAlister, Michael Lee, Gaylord Spane, Gina King, Michelle Neal, Seth Barnhart, Dean Riley, Virginia Chronister, Bill Schwartz, Victor Powell, Bret Whitaker, Jennifer Siebert, Virginia Harris, Hailey Jo Enderle and Kimberlie Nothdurft...

Winter, especially early winter, is a good time of year for gardeners to travel. Houseplants now are most tolerant of neglect and, if we plan a little, they can even thrive in our absence. Lack of water is the major threat to neglected plants. But you know how long your plants can go between waterings. ...

Over the past couple of weeks, my computer inbox has been flooded with new recipes. I follow several food blogs and sites, and they have been busy with the start of the new year. I have saved many of the recipes and hope to get to them eventually, but for today, you will be the testers and guinea pigs for these recipes. Give them a try, and let me know what you think...

On a weekly basis, I write an article for the Southeast Missourian newspaper. Many of these articles deal with gardening, or more specifically, growing vegetables. I took the Master Gardener class a number of years ago, and we did a little studying on flowers and such, but I honestly know very, very little about flowers. I know more about vegetables...

A Cape Girardeau woman kicked two Cape Girardeau County sheriff’s deputies after she was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of domestic assault, deputies said. The Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Tabitha Ann Statler, 35, with third-degree felony assault on a special victim, felony third-degree domestic assault and misdemeanor fourth-degree assault...

By the time an 18-year-old Jackson man had finished his Thursday night, he had wrecked two vehicles belonging to relatives, punched two holes in the drywall in the basement of his relatives’ house, assaulted one of the relatives when he forcibly took keys for a truck away and had marijuana and prescription medication found on him and in a car after he was arrested, police said...

Many of us look upon winter as a time when nature is drab and unexciting. Of course, snow brings its own kind of beauty, but this winter in Southeast Missouri has brought very little snow so far. You can draw some winter color to your yard if you put out a bird feeder and keep it filled with sunflower seeds...