Stories from Saturday, January 13, 2018

A Cape Girardeau state senator said he will play a pivotal role in any tax-reform effort in the Legislature this year. State Sen. Wayne Wallingford chairs the powerful Ways and Means Committee. In that role, Wallingford said he can decide which bills to hear or vote on in committee...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Cedric Dean had just left Sunday services in the chapel of a Louisiana prison when a killer offered him a deal. Help me tell my story, fellow inmate Clay Waller said in the spring of 2013, and I'll pay you $10,000...

It was a cold, windy day in Louisville, Kentucky, when two 4-H members from Southeast Missouri took first in the nation in their respective competitions -- Steven Peters, 16, with his chicken barbecue, and Brent Seyer, also 16, with his turkey recipe...

As the latest round of winter weather covers most of Southeast Missouri, a “No School Today” YouTube video starring Cape Girardeau School District superintendent Neil Glass has blanketed the internet with views well into the thousands. Glass had fun with the project, and thanks the Career and Technology Center’s Randy McWilson and his class for their efforts...

The winter-weather system that moved through Cape Girardeau on Thursday and Friday dropped almost three-tenths of an inch of precipitation by Friday afternoon, and with freezing temperatures in the forecast, road conditions aren’t likely to improve over the weekend...

The city of Oran, Missouri, violated state law by improperly raising water rates more than four years ago, resulting in more than $35,000 in overcharges from July 2013 to May 2015, an auditor has found. A December report to the board of aldermen by certified public accountant Wilfred Bucher of Sikeston, Missouri, detailed the violation...

Donning a bright red blazer, Billy Joe Thompson stood in front of hundreds of people Friday night at the annual Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce banquet to accept the R.A. Fulenwider Award for a lifetime of service in the community. Choking back tears, he kept his acceptance speech short and sweet...

Outpouring is the word volunteers used to describe community response to the pop-up homeless shelter at St. James A.M.E. Church in Cape Girardeau. The church opened its doors Thursday, offering a warm place to wait out brutal weather conditions, along with a hot breakfast. With more donations coming in every hour, the volunteer staff has been able to provide guests with three meals a day, along with necessity items such as gloves, volunteer organizer Tamara Zellars Buck said...

Sanitation departments in Cape Girardeau and Jackson will not operate Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Monday’s routes will be picked up Tuesday in Jackson and Wednesday in Cape Girardeau. Tuesday’s routes will remain the same. Jackson’s Recycling Center will be closed Monday...

Today is Saturday, Jan. 13, the 13th day of 2018. There are 352 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 13, 1968, country singer Johnny Cash performed and recorded a pair of shows at Folsom State Prison in California; material from the concerts was released as an album by Columbia Records under the title "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison," which proved a hit...

Twenty-one buildings, most of them houses, will soon be razed as the first phase of demolition work gets underway on the new Mississippi River bridge route project; the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission awarded a nearly $26,000 demolition contract Friday to Amy's Trucking Service of Cape Girardeau...

"Star Trek" debuted on NBC-TV in 1966, and was created by the late Gene Roddenberry. "The Orville," inspired by "Star Trek," began its first season on Fox this past September, and was created by Seth MacFarlane, who also stars in the series. Both sci-fi series feature a crew on an intergalactic starship facing regular adventures with other cultures in the universe...

The joyful hubbub and busy-ness of the holidays are over, and we are in the midst of the quiet of January. I think January has much to teach us in its calm: it's in the quiet that time and space are made to hear God more easily. We have a quiet God who affects change over thousands of years: A God who comes to his people through grand gestures, yes, and also through small voices. ...

Marge and I were in Sikeston, Missouri, so we went to a local grocery store to pick up some squash. We walked around and looked at a good amount of the merchandise. Then we drove to Cape to eat at a Cajun restaurant, and while we were in Cape we stopped at a store to get a prescription. We walked around the store and looked at the merchandise there as well...

Newspapers gave us Pearl Harbor-sized headlines telling us we had a new tax law. In the fine print, it said the new law would generate a $1-trillion deficit. It was Everett Dirksen, iconic senator from Illinois who famously said, "A million here and a million there, and the first thing you know it will run into real money."...

Meals with Friends will be served from noon to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Salvation Army, 701 Good Hope St. in Cape Girardeau. Menus are as follows: Monday, Jan. 15: No meal Tuesday: Baked ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, fruit and dessert...

Happy birthday to Ann Nordin, Jack Wessel, Randy Eftink, Shirley Keen, Jo Stovall, Brenda Miller, Mindy Hendrix, Trenton Horman, Sue Traw, Trish Little, Pam Cannon, Alice Uhrhan, Adella Frank, David Slinkard, Joe Williams, Cindy Harris, Tony Whitaker, John Gaines, Sarah Gaines, Collin Dannenmueller, Rebecca Reischman, Erica Dannenmueller, Robert Graham, Kimberly Hendrix, Jonathan Teegarden, Leroy Bollinger, Patrick Moore, Kathy Shetter and Judy Abernathy...

Konnor Johnston of Cape Girardeau has received the Community College Scholarship to attend Southeast Missouri State University beginning in Spring 2018. Johnston is the daughter of Dave and Pam Johnston of Patterson, Missouri. She is a 2016 graduate of Clearwater High School and a 2017 graduate of Three Rivers College...

The start of a new year means trying new recipes. Of course, many of us are on the lookout for new recipes all year long. Jodi Thompson of Jackson is an avid recipe collector and she shares many recipes with me each week. This week, I was a little short on time and wondering what I was going to write about and what recipes to use, when I got a long email from Jodi with a wide variety of new recipes. After reading through her email, a column was born...

The end of the year is a time when we look forward to the year to come, and yet, as you may have noticed, it's a time to look back as well. Thus we've already been treated to compilations of the year's top movies, songs, news stories, even presidential tweets. Herewith is my contribution to the custom, a compilation of some of the favorite things I made last year in the hope that they might become some of your favorites this year...

NEW YORK -- A spirited Dutch duck-luring dog and a friendly French rabbit hound are now running with the American Kennel Club's pack. The club announced Wednesday that it's recognizing the Nederlandse kooikerhondje and the grand basset griffon Vendeen. They're the first breeds added to the roster since 2016...

The first week of January has been very cold with low temperatures at night dipping near zero degrees. A pond I visited was completely frozen over. The ice was clear enough that I could see down into the water below. The turtle shown here is a common water turtle found in Southeast Missouri. It's a red ear slider, identified by its size, where it is and most importantly the shape of the shell...

Submitted by Safe Harbor Animal SanctuaryJyll is a little sweet natured 10-year-old female in need of a loving home! She is available for adoption at Safe Harbor; call (573) 243-9823.

Monday: Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Tuesday: Chicken tenders or ham and scalloped potato bake, Parmesan peas, seasoned cauliflower, whole-grain bread and mixed fruit or applesauce cake. Wednesday: White chicken chili with 1/2 cheese sandwich or Reuben casserole, yellow squash, spinach salad, cornbread and chilled peaches or Texas sheet cake...

John Guild Chapter, National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, supports four schools for Good Citizen recognition. They are judged by outside judges and one is picked to represent their school and John Guild chapter at the State DAR Conference in the spring. These students are Jade Samanta, Saxony Lutheran High School; Margo Motes, Jackson High School; Mollie Welker, Meadow Heights High School; Hannah Scott, Woodland High School...

Steve and Debbie Schmittzehe of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Ashley Schmittzehe, to Donald George Perry III of Jackson. He is the son of Donald George Jr. and Saundra Perry of Jackson. Ashley is a 2011 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in health science in 2015 and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy in 2017 from Maryville University of St. Louis. She is employed at ATI Physical Therapy...

Steve and Edna Seiler of Leopold, Missouri, announce the engagement of their daughter, Lauren Nicole Seiler, to Anthony James Seabaugh of Glennon, Missouri. He is the son of Richard and Fran Seabaugh of Whitewater. Lauren is a 2010 graduate of Leopold High School. She received a masters degree in occupational therapy in 2015 from Maryville University of St. Louis. She is an occupational therapist with Choice Rehabilitation and Beginning Concepts, LLC...

Ralph and Diane Blaney of Tamms, Illinois, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception hosted by their family from 1 to 5 p.m. on Jan. 20 at Havisham House, 30 Walnut Street in Alto Pass, Illinois. The couple was married Jan. 13, 1968...

Sandy Kay Dodd of Cape Girardeau announces the engagement of her daughter, Amy Nichole Dodd, to Shawn Edward Conway, both of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Robert and Marge Conway of Cape Girardeau. Amy is also the daughter of the late Jamie Dodd Sr...

Dr. Taylor and Nancy Bahn announce the engagement of their daughter, Agnes Carsen Eileen Bahn, to Gerard Patrick Ardoin. He is the son of Dr. Patrick and Candida Ardoin of Bradenton, Florida. Bahn is a 2007 graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School. ...

Jerome and Barbara Schmittzehe celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary on Jan. 12. Schmittzehe and the former Barbara Kirn were married Jan. 12, 1963, at St. Mary's Cathedral in Cape Girardeau. The couple has three children, Steven (Debbie) Schmittzehe of Cape Girardeau; Tom (Lisa) Schmittzehe of Patton, Missouri; and Kimberly (Matthew) Melton of St. Louis. The couple also has six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren...

Lately, numerous articles written by psychiatrists have flooded the media psychoanalyzing President Trump. These analyses are not substantiated by one-on-one interviews with the president. They are based on selected tweets and fabricated stories to discredit the chief executive. ...

Every year, Cape Girardeau hosts many events to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. The national holiday is celebrated Monday, but there are events scheduled throughout the week. As reported by Matt Dollard, The annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Dinner will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau to close out the week's activities. Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will be keynote speaker...

BEIJING -- A Chinese university has sacked a prestigious scholar following accusations of sexual misconduct against him by multiple women, the result of a campaign heralded by his chief accuser as the start of a Chinese chapter of the #MeToo movement...

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump's White House physician declared him in "excellent health" after the president received his first medical checkup at Walter Reed military hospital Friday, undergoing a physical examination amid suggestions in a recent book and by his detractors he's mentally unfit...

MONTECITO, Calif. -- Most residents of mudslide-ravaged Montecito were under orders to clear out Friday as the search for victims dragged on and crews labored to clean up massive debris and repair power, water and gas lines. Even those who didn't lose their homes in the disaster that left at least 18 people dead were told to leave for up to two weeks so they wouldn't interfere with the rescue and recovery operation...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi women were allowed into a sports stadium for the first time Friday to watch a soccer match between two local teams -- though they were segregated in the stands from the male-only crowd with designated seating in the so-called "family section."...

NEW YORK -- Flu is now widespread in every state except Hawaii, but the good news is the season appears to already be peaking. It's been a rough few weeks: Hospitals have set up tents to handle patient overflow. Doctors are putting in double and triple shifts. Ambulances have been sidelined while paramedics waited to drop off patients...

JOHANNESBURG -- Africans were shocked Friday to find President Donald Trump had finally taken an interest in their continent. But it wasn't what people had hoped for. Using vulgar language, Trump on Thursday questioned why the U.S. would accept more immigrants from Haiti and "s---hole countries" in Africa rather than places like Norway in rejecting a bipartisan immigration deal. On Friday, he denied using that language...

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump on Friday offered a partial denial in public but privately defended his remarks disparaging Haitians and African countries a day earlier. Trump said he was only expressing what many people think but won't say about immigrants from economically depressed countries, according to a person who spoke to the president as criticism of his comments ricocheted around the globe...

Lower gasoline prices, which people across the state have enjoyed for some time, finally have come to Cape Girardeau; over recent weeks, regular unleaded gas prices fell from $1.06 per gallon to 99 cents, and then to 94 and 95 cents per gallon. Silo Inc., which entered the Cape Girardeau market in May 1988, plans to close its retail store here; the local store has been closed this week for inventory and merchandise markdowns; it will re-open Saturday for a going-out-of-business sale...

KATY, Texas -- Peter Dines Nelson, 55, of Katy, formerly of Cape Girardeau, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2017, at his home. He was born Sept. 1, 1962, in St. Louis to the late Lewis Cass and Margarette Fischer Nelson. He and Linda Piccione were married Sept. 18, 1993, in Houston...

BENTON, Mo. -- Yvonne Marie McVay, 73, of Benton died Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. She was born Aug. 20, 1944, in Benton to Ben and Luvina Winkler Hennemann. She married Harvey William McVay on April 20, 1963. She was the human-resources assistant supervisor for Super Value/Wetterau in Scott City. She was a member of St. Denis Catholic Church in Benton, the St. Ann's Ladies Sodality, co-chairwoman of Greeter's Committee and volunteered at the church office...

Billie Sue McCann, 88, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, at the Lutheran Home. She was born Sept. 15, 1929, in Osceola, Arkansas, to the late William N. Thomas and Percy Word Thomas. Billie Sue attended Arkansas State University and worked for Dr. Donald Edwards for 10 years, retiring in 1989. She was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church...

James H. Kremer, proud husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and World War II veteran, died Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Jim, as he was known by most, was born July 15, 1927, in Jefferson City, Missouri, to August H. and Theresa E Hoer Kremer. He and Georgene "Genie" Schauwecker were married May 30, 1950, in Westphalia, Missouri...

Larry Huter, 68, of Jackson died Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, at Jackson Manor. Arrangements are incomplete at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

ORAN, Mo. -- Amy Marie Bryeans Howell, 43, of Oran died Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. Friends may call from noon to 2 p.m. Monday at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Oran. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the chapel, with the Rev. Brian Gill officiating. Burial will be at New Morley Cemetery in Morley, Missouri...

Marie Haupt, 101, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, at Ratliff Care Center. Arrangements are pending at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- Francis "Frank" J. Elpers, 69, of Ste. Genevieve died Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, at Ste. Genevieve County Memorial Hospital. He was born Nov. 4, 1948, in Evansville, Indiana. Frank was a member of the Ste. Genevieve Scooter Club, Ste. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Floyd A. Cox Sr., 59, of Perryville died Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday at Young and Sons Funeral Home in Perryville The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Officiating will be the Rev. Rich Wehrmeyer. Entombment will be in Mary Queen of All Saints Mausoleum at Mount Hope Cemetery...

DEXTER, Mo. -- On Friday, Jan. 12, 2018, Sanford Phillip Cato of Dexter departed this life at the age of 87. He had been a resident of Cotton Point Living Center in Matthews, Missouri, for several months prior. Born on Oct. 18, 1930, near Sturdivant, Missouri, he was the son of the late Dolph Franklin Cato and Gladys Mae Deckard...

O'FALLON, Mo. -- Betty Belle Brannock, 93 of O'Fallon passed away Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, at Lewis and Clark Gardens in St. Charles, Missouri. She was born Aug. 25, 1924, in Advance, Missouri, to the late Melvin and Gertrude Williams Pixley. Betty married Vane Brannock on June 3, 1944. He preceded her in death in 1969. After her husband passed, she proceeded to go back to college to get a master's degree while raising her son as a single mom...

Beatrice "Betty" Ann Bogenpohl, 78, of Jackson passed away Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018, at the Monticello House due to deteriorating conditions caused by Alzheimer's disease. She was born July 29, 1939, in Old Appleton, the daughter of Alphonse and Flora Unterreiner Rellergert. Betty was married to Don E. Bogenpohl on Oct. 3, 1959, at Zion Lutheran Church in Pocahontas...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens appeared to remain in the good graces of some Republicans on Friday as he sought forgiveness and a political path forward after his admission of an extramarital affair. Though expressing disappointment about the affair and concern about some of the more lurid allegations that Greitens has denied, some Republican voters and party officials said their support for Greitens had not been shaken...

Southbound Interstate 55 in Scott and New Madrid counties, between mile markers 66 and 49, will be reduced with a 14-foot width restriction as contractor crews perform pavement repairs. The work will take place from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily Jan. 22 through Feb. 3, according to a Missouri Department of Transportation news release...

Once the leading advocate for the Taylor Institute passed away, the political pressure needed to sustain state funding for this very worthy project began to wither as well. Whether or not sufficient political pressure on Kathy Swan, Wayne Wallingford, and the rest of the Missouri General Assembly members can lead to a restoration of full funding remains to be seen. ...

O Lord Jesus, may we seek you and serve you with all our heart. Amen.