Stories from Saturday, January 6, 2018

An overturned vehicle rests on the shoulder of Big Bend Road near Mechaw Drive after an accident Friday in Cape Girardeau. The vehicle flipped in an attempt to avoid a line of cars that had stopped for a school bus. ...

Old Town Cape is one of six nationally accredited Main Street organizations in Missouri. The organization has been accredited through the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Main Street Center since 2005. “We have become known as the ‘If you don’t know who to ask, ask Old Town Cape’ organization for downtown,” executive director Marla Mills said during the First Friday Coffee breakfast meeting at Isle Casino Cape Girardeau...

A Cape Girardeau mystery began to unfold earlier this week when a vehicle turned up in the Mississippi River. At the time of its discovery, the water in and around the car was frozen, making its identification nearly impossible Cape Girardeau Sgt. Rick Schmidt said...

Rising tall from the icy waters of the Mississippi River, Tower Rock has stood for centuries as a nautical landmark. And with water levels at their lowest in years, it serves as a destination for local adventurers. Perry County, Missouri, conservation agent Chris Doran, who heads the Tower Rock Conservation area in Altenburg, Missouri, said when the water line gets low enough, visitors are able to walk across the dry riverbed to reach the massive limestone formation...

Maryann Robertson would tell you it's never too late for a new beginning. And she'd say it from the "cozy" setup of her mental health counseling practice called "A Step At A Time Mental Health Counseling" located in the Indie House in downtown Cape Girardeau, a place she once called home...

Longtime Cape Girardeau councilwoman Loretta Schneider, the first woman to have served in that role, has died. She was 81. Schneider served three times on the council. She first was elected to the council in April 1981. She served on the council for the next five years, then returned to the council in April 2005...

Today is Saturday, Jan. 6, the sixth day of 2018. There are 359 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 6, 1968, a surgical team at Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California, led by Dr. Norman Shumway performed the first U.S. adult heart transplant, placing the heart of a 43-year-old man in a 54-year-old patient (the recipient died 15 days later)...

Two incumbent members of the Cape Girardeau Board of Education and a university professor filed for election yesterday; board members Kathy Swan and John Campbell are seeking re-election; marketing professor Jack Sterrett is making his first run for public office...

A wind-chill temperature in the teens greeted me the evening of Dec. 30 as I went outdoors with my camera. I slowly walked the shoreline of a pond frozen over with a thin layer of ice. Under American bald cypress trees near the bank, small, fanciful ice formations had formed on recently fallen leaf litter. Some of the cypress leaves were only partly submerged, making identification easy...

Are you one who says, "I've stopped making New Year's resolutions because I never keep them anyway?" I thought about that attitude and reflected on the outcome. Making promises to myself was at least a start. It was certainly better than feeling like the celebration of a new year was nothing but a custom, having no meaning...

One of the last classes I had to take in college was an astronomy course. I was excited because I thought it was going to consist of engaging in some actual star-gazing. Instead, it was just about calculating the density of Jupiter and the average number of days in a year on Neptune. It was just a stupid old math class!...

Each New Year many of us determine to make changes in our lives by making resolutions. Researchers have observed that around 40 percent of Americans set New Year's resolutions. And studies continually show, year and year, only a small percentage of people keep their resolutions. Making resolutions does not seem to bring the change we want. What we need, then, are not more resolutions, but a revolution from resolutions...

Happy New Year! Happy birthday to Laverne (Greer) Keller, Sara Hemingway, Danny Rains, Terra Owens, Kodi Ballard, Alissa Swindell, Sonny Leible, Barbara Little, Cathy Graham, Brooke McFerron, Wilma McGuire, Rachel Reischman, Stephen Bentley, Kimberly Hester, Jimmy Blue, Rose Kern, Amanda Proctor, Larry Mott, Randy Coy, Sid Atkins, Kade Atkins, Marlene Powers, Brennan Robinson, Theodore Westrich, Edward Renaud, Mark Schultz, Linda Wessel, Marc Sadler, Corrie Montgomery, Tina Horton, Angela Holland, Clay Moore, Becky Smith, Karen Griffin, Margaret Heuring, Sara Stagoski, Marilyn Lindy, Sheila Ottman, Carl Estes Jr., Victoria Wall, Sue Campbell, Helen Bigman, Mildred Chapman, Robert Driskell, Debbie Cook, Jordan White, Christy Seyer, Tripp Dacus, Laura Halter, Becky Hahn, Michael Nation and Clifford Barlow Jr.. ...

It's that time of year again where all of humanity vows to make personal change in some way. Already I've seen my friends and family post Facebook updates about how they vow to eat better, to exercise, to spend more time with a loved one, to not work so much, to find themselves, and to reach their untapped potential in 2018...

Well we have made it another year and we're starting a new one. Looking back on it, last year was pretty good. I had some good things happen, and there were some sad things as well. But that's life, isn't it? I made some new friends, but lost some as well. I had a couple gardening buddies pass away, which was a bummer. I miss them. But at the same time, I've been meeting some gardeners who want to learn some new ways of growing tomatoes, which is one of my favorite crops...

A few weeks back I wrote a column titled, "The Southern Border Wall: Another Boondoggle?" Many wrote to support my contention that such a border wall is a waste of money, time and effort. However, a few wanted a more thorough explanation. Here it is...

The Delta R-V school district invites all district employees, parents and citizens of communities served by Delta Schools to an open gathering to hear about a whole-school transformation model, "Leader in Me." Based on "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," the program helps build self-confidence and skills needed to succeed...

Submitted by Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary Flo is a sweet 3 1/2 year old female who loves belly rubs. She is available for adoption at Safe Harbor; call (573) 243-9823.

The Nancy Hunter Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution met Dec. 20 at the Cape Girardeau Public Library for their regular monthly meeting. Members brought short history information or stories about their patriots to be read to the other members. Members also brought books to be presented to Jefferson Elementary School library on Jan. 9...

Monday: Hamburger stroganoff or sweet and sour chicken over ride, hot buttered noodles, seasoned green beans, whole kernel corn, whole-grain bread slice and chilled apricots or red velvet cake. Tuesday: Ham and beans or chili dog, stewed tomatoes, seasoned spinach, cornbread or whole-grain crackers and tropical fruit dessert or mixed berry crisp...

Shelby Jean Rice and Charles Dixon Evans were married June 3, 2017, at First United Methodist Church in Chaffee, Missouri. The Rev. Gwenell Streeter performed the ceremony. Dan Fels of St. Louis was guitarist. The bride is the daughter of Howell and Kathy Rice of Chaffee. The groom is the son of Mike and Joan Evans of Jackson...

If you're planning ahead to spring and summer trips, and your family loves theme parks, you'll want to know about some of the new rides and attractions debuting in the new year. One of the most anticipated openings for 2018 is Toy Story Land, expected to open early next summer at Walt Disney World Resort's Hollywood Studios just outside Orlando, Florida...

Rob and Deb Reddick of Scott City announce the engagement of their daughter, Denae Jeanelle Reddick, to Brandon Lee Phillips, both of Oran, Missouri. He is the son of Rod Phillips and Jennifer Vogel, both of Oran. Denae is a 2009 graduate of Scott City High School. She works for the United States Postal Service...

When Heather Rhoades bought her first indoor orange tree nearly 20 years ago, she had to order it from a specialty online retailer. Now, it's not uncommon to find citrus trees at local gardening centers or big box stores, said Rhoades, owner of Gardening Know How, an online resource based in Bedford, Ohio...

NEW YORK -- Internet-connected lights, locks and laundry machines are close to becoming everyday household items, thanks in part to voice-activated speakers such as Amazon's Echo and Google Home. Market research groups are seeing increased sales of lights that turn off when you say "good night," smart locks that let in your friends before you get home and similar smart-home gadgets. ...

Winter has certainly put a chill in the air over the past couple of weeks, and I have found myself reaching for soup recipes. Most soups are quick and easy to put together, keep well and rewarm very well. They are nice to have on hand for a quick lunch or as a hearty supper...

With the nation gripped in an Opioid crisis, and more and more people desperately needing intervention and help overcoming their addictions, Adult and Teen Challenge Mid-America is expanding its services to be able to accept more people in need. As reported by Rachael Long, there has been an overcrowding problem at other Adult and Teen Challenge facilities in the Midwest. The Cape Girardeau facility will be able to handle more urgent cases and receive addicted people sooner...

BEIJING -- China's government promised Friday to "deal seriously" with violators of U.N. sanctions on North Korea after a South Korean newspaper said Chinese-owned ships registered abroad regularly delivered oil. Beijing has no information about operations of ships registered in other countries, said a foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang...

SAN FRANCISCO -- "Long-term and systemic failures" by California dam managers and regulators to recognize inherent construction and design flaws at the tallest U.S. dam caused last year's near-disaster there, an independent panel of dam safety experts said Friday, calling it a wake-up call for dam operators around the country...

WASHINGTON -- The Trump administration is working with key lawmakers on a legislative fix that could enable the United States to remain in the Iran nuclear deal, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday...

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump's effort to keep Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a vocal and loyal supporter of his election bid, in charge of an investigation into his campaign offers special counsel Robert Mueller yet another avenue to explore as his prosecutors work to untangle potential evidence of obstruction...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- A hard-line cleric leading Friday prayers in Iran's capital called on the Islamic Republic to build its own social media, blaming popular international messaging apps for the unrest that accompanied days of protests over the country's flagging economy...

WASHINGTON -- The FBI is investigating whether the Clinton Foundation accepted donations in exchange for political favors while Hillary Clinton was secretary of state, two people familiar with the probe confirmed Friday. The revelation comes as President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have been urging the Justice Department to look into corruption allegations involving the foundation...

WASHINGTON -- Already setting turnover records, President Donald Trump's White House is bracing for even more staff departures and an increasing struggle to fill vacancies, shadowed by the unrelenting Russia probe, political squabbling and Trump's own low poll numbers...

DENVER -- Whether to crack down on marijuana in states where it is legal is a decision that now will rest with those states' top federal prosecutors, many of whom are deeply rooted in their communities and may be reluctant to pursue cannabis businesses or their customers...

BOSTON -- Frigid temperatures, some that felt as cold as minus 30 degrees, moved across the East Coast on Friday as the region dug out from a massive winter storm that brought more than a foot of snow, hurricane-force winds and coastal flooding a day earlier...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Just over two months after winning his seat in the November general election, Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau was sworn in Wednesday as the new state senator for the 27th District. The newly formed Cape Girardeau Zone Election Committee -- composed of 22 residents interested in resolving legal and technical questions surrounding the charter-amendment initiative -- holds its first meeting at city hall; former Mayor Howard Tooke is chosen chairman of the group...

Jesse Williams Sr., 86, of Jackson passed away Friday, Jan. 5, 2018, at his home. He was born April 19, 1931, in Summersville, Missouri, son of Martin Luther and Eva Jane Barnett Williams. He and Minnie Marie Deimund were married July 7, 1950, in Piggott, Arkansas...

Loretta Ann Schneider, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

ORAN, Mo. -- Calvin John LeGrand, 79, of Oran passed away Friday, Jan. 5, 2018, at his daughter's home, surrounded by his loving family. He was born Feb. 9, 1938, in Oran to the late Zeno and Weldon Antonia Stike LeGrand. Calvin was a retired dispatcher and operator for ICG Railroad Co...

Cynthia Koerner, 35, of Oak Ridge died Friday, Jan. 5, 2018, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

THEBES, Ill. -- Jackie Lee Kaufman Sr., 78, of Thebes died Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, at his home. He was born Dec. 19, 1939, in McClure, Illinois, to Johnny E. and Ella Mae Burchyett Kaufman. He married Mary Jo Carner on June 2, 1961. He worked at Griffaw Furniture for 29 years and worked construction until retirement...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Marvin Eskild Jensen, 91, died Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, at Bertrand Nursing Facility in Bertrand, Missouri. Born Feb. 13, 1926, in Exira, Iowa, to the late Zeke and Theresa Jensen, he graduated from Sand Springs (Oklahoma) High School in 1943 and joined the U.S. ...

Karen Jeanette Hicks, 57, of Jackson died Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018, at her son's home in Frohna, Missouri. A memorial visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Ford and Sons Funeral Home-Jackson.

BREWER, Mo. -- Aldon "Ray" Adcox, 53, of Brewer died Friday, Jan. 5, 2018, at his home. Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at Young and Sons Funeral Home in Perryville. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home, with Brother James Brotherton officiating...

Jerome R. Adams, 66, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Jan. 5, 2018, at Fountainbleau Lodge. Arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrest does not imply guilt. Arrest n Charles Weakley, 17, of Jackson was arrested on suspicion of affray. Citation n Rodney Tubbs, 39, of Jackson was issued a citation for operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver's license and possession of drug paraphernalia...

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls: Thursday n Medical assists were made at 1:36 a.m. on North Kingshighway; 4:49 a.m. on South Spanish Street; 5:06 a.m. on North Frederick Street; 5:30 a.m. on Annwood Drive; 10:53 a.m. on South Spring Avenue; 12:22 p.m. on North Frederick Street; 5 p.m. on Ashley Drive; 5:23 p.m. on Cape LaCroix Road; and 8:47 p.m. on North West End Boulevard...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n A suspect was in custody pending formal charges of delivery or possession of a controlled substance. n Barry A. Tyler, 59, 426 Bellevue St., No. 3, was arrested on a Cape Girardeau County warrant...

ST. LOUIS — Police in the St. Louis area are battling a rising number of carjackings. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported St. Louis police recorded 190 carjacking calls from January through November of 2017, more than double the number for all of 2014. ...

ST. LOUIS — The group that owns the St. Louis Blues and St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green have reached a settlement, ending a long-standing feud over financing of the arena where the NHL team plays. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the settlement was announced Friday between Green and Kiel Center Partners. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri state trooper who was fired after he was convicted of a misdemeanor in the drowning death of a handcuffed Iowa man is suing to get his job back. Anthony Piercy filed a petition last week for judicial review in Missouri's Cole County. The lawsuit claims Missouri State Highway Patrol Col. Sandra Karsten overstepped her authority in firing Piercy, KQFX-TV reported...

LAMPE, Mo. -- A lawsuit filed on behalf of three former residents of a southwest Missouri ranch for troubled boys accuses the Christian residential facility of covering up allegations of rapes and sexual assaults. The lawsuit, filed in October and detailed Thursday in the Springfield News-Leader, alleges that in 2009 and 2010, some older boys sexually assaulted younger boys at the Lives Under Construction rehabilitation camp in Lampe, near the Arkansas border. ...

QUINCY, Ill. — Locks and dams along the Mississippi River in Illinois, Missouri and Iowa are seeing more bald eagle sightings. The Quincy Herald-Whig reported the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducts weekly counts of eagles at lock and dams, and the numbers have gone up in recent weeks since temperatures dropped. ...

HICKMAN, Ky. -- A ferry that connects Missouri with Kentucky has stopped operating temporarily because of ice flow on the Mississippi River. Kentucky transportation officials said Friday chunks of ice coming from the upper Mississippi have become thick enough to create a hazard to safe operation of the Dorena-Hickman Ferry...

Lord God, thank you for safety; please keep us in the palm of your hand. Amen.

SOUTHEAST CHURCHES BAND TOGETHER FOR MISSION WORK IN APPALACHIA Each year, the SE Missouri District Mission Team, which includes Methodist Churches and Sargent’s Chapel (ELCA), sends a work team to the Henderson Settlement in Southeast Kentucky, on the Kentucky/Tennessee border. ...