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Fire takes two pets on corner of Fountain and Independence Street
(Local News ~ 01/06/24)
Two dogs were found dead in a house on the northwest corner of Fountain and Independence streets after Cape Girardeau emergency services responded to a fire on the morning of Friday, Jan. 5. Cape Girardeau Fire Department Capt. Bryan Stroer said the department received help from Scott City, Jackson, Benton, Gordonville and Fruitand departments for the rest of the city's coverage. ...
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Man arrested for alleged weapon violations
(Local News ~ 01/06/24)
A Cape Girardeau man is facing four charges relating to allegations that he brandished a weapon then fired a shot randomly in the direction of potential victims Wednesday, Jan. 3. Witnesses told police they saw Savion Haley point the gun in their direction, shoot the firearm and then take off running...
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Wilferth named CEO at Chateau Girardeau
(Local News ~ 01/06/24)
Jimmy Wilferth, vice president of support services for Saint Francis Healthcare System, will become the new chief executive officer of Chateau Girardeau. Wilferth joins the retirement community's leadership after close to a decade at Saint Francis, having initially joined in 2014 as executive director of the Saint Francis Foundation...
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Cowboy Church celebrates 20th anniversary Sunday
(Local News ~ 01/06/24)
Pastor Jim Matthews preaches with his cowboy hat on. That is just one of the many things that make the Cape County Cowboy Church a little different. Matthews said the Cowboy Church was founded 20 years ago on Jan. 4, 2004, with a mission to reach a group of people with a common love for Jesus and the "cowboy culture."...
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Former SEMO president Bill Stacy dies
(Local News ~ 01/06/24)
Bill Stacy, 85, who was president of Southeast Missouri State University from 1979 to 1989, died Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. During his time at the university, the school experienced tremendous growth. Stacy ushered in the construction of the Show Me Center and the student recreation center, a city and university partnership project that was highly contested by some at the time. ...
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Today in History
(National News ~ 01/06/24)
Today is Saturday, Jan. 6, the sixth day of 2024. There are 360 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 6, 2021, supporters of President Donald Trump, fueled by his false claims of a stolen election, assaulted police and smashed their way into the Capitol to interrupt the certification of Democrat Joe Biden's victory, forcing lawmakers into hiding; most of the rioters had come from a nearby rally where Trump urged them to "fight like hell." A Trump supporter, Ashli Babbitt, was shot and killed by a police officer as she tried to breach a barricaded doorway inside the Capitol. ...
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First Baby of 2024
(Community ~ 01/06/24)
A baby girl who made her debut into the world at 5:18 p.m. is the first baby of 2024 born at Saint Francis Healthcare System's Family BirthPlace. Proud parents Logan and Brandon Patrick welcomed their second daughter, Adalee Layne Patrick, on Monday, Jan. 1. The 6-pound, 11-ounce, 19.5-inch-long Adalee joins big sister Emmi...
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Pierre-Louis de Lorimier: Founder of our city, Part 1
(Column ~ 01/06/24)
Cape Girardeau has new people moving into our city every day. Therefore, it seems fitting to recount an earliest bit of history from which we descend. Louis Lorimier is the man of the hour, even though our city's namesake is Ensign Girardot, a French trapper who established a trading post in the neighborhood of Cape Rock, three miles north of Cape Girardeau...
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Let El Sol burn away your Mexican cuisine malaise
(Column ~ 01/06/24)
I do a little bit of online sleuthing before writing any article, nosing around for new places to try or places that are creating buzz. This time, I was poking around in the Southeast Missourian's "What's for Dinner" spread, looking at a list of this area's favorite places to go to avoid cooking at home. ...
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Recipes shared among friends
(Column ~ 01/06/24)
Working at the senior center certainly does have its advantages. One is the sharing of classic, family favorite recipes. During the holiday season we are blessed with friends who share their baked and homemade treats with the staff and volunteers. After the plate of goodies arrives, I usually ask the person for the recipe. Knowing that, some of them come equipped and ready to share their cherished recipes...
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Five faves that brought raves in 2023
(Column ~ 01/06/24)
The year just gone by had more than its share of tragedy and sadness, much of it promising to continue into the year just started. And yet, despite the afflictions of 2023, in many ways it was not unlike other years. People got married. Children were born. Seniors graduated from school. Movies were produced. Music was performed. Art was crafted. Books were written. And recipes were created...
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Senior Center Menus for Jan. 8 through 12
(Community ~ 01/06/24)
Monday: Honey garlic meatballs or sweet and sour chicken, buttered noodles, steamed carrots, seasoned cauliflower, whole-grain bread and pears or brownies. Tuesday: Crispy-baked chicken or country-fried steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, mixed veggies, whole-grain hot roll and sugar-free warm apples and raisins or iced cake...
- Adopt Bill 1-7-24 (Community ~ 01/06/24)
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A blooming reminder
(Column ~ 01/06/24)
I decided to start the year with a beautiful photo I took in July. Let it be a reminder that even though our winter days may be quite colorless and often dreary and cold, within about 100 days wildflowers will begin to bloom again. The wildflowers pictured here are a purple coneflower, a black-eyed Susan and what I think may be a flower called common rose pink. These flowers were growing wild at the edge of a hayfield...
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Should I stay or should I go?
(Column ~ 01/06/24)
When I was a theology student at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, I earned a concentration in Communications. This was like a minor in college. There were courses in television production, repertory drama, playwriting and other classes of this nature. ...
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The beautiful stories that flaws can tell
(Column ~ 01/06/24)
The letters and emails I write follow the format my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Taylor, taught me. A greeting, a body, a closing, followed by my signature. I had not thought much about how I conclude my correspondence until recently reading the history of the word "sincerely."...
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Recent observations and goals for 2024
(Column ~ 01/06/24)
I usually save all my articles from each year in a different folder like Newspaper Articles 2023. I opened a brand new file titled Newspaper Articles 2024. This is the first article of the year. It's kind of exciting starting a brand new year with a blank slate but at the same time hauling along a ton of memories and good experiences. Probably a few that aren't the greatest but these I'll refer to as learning experiences...
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Prayer 1-7-24
(Prayer ~ 01/06/24)
Lord God, thank you for safety; please keep us in the palm of your hand. Amen.
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Confession of a public-health expert
(Column ~ 01/06/24)
The public-health officials are getting around to admitting the fallibility of public-health officials. The former head of the National Institutes of Health during the pandemic and current science adviser to President Joe Biden, Francis Collins, has noted that he and his colleagues demonstrated an “unfortunate” narrow-mindedness. This is a welcome, if belated, confession. Not too long ago, anyone who said that epidemiologists might be overly focused on disease prevention to the exclusion of other concerns — you know, like jobs, mental health and schooling — were dismissed as reckless nihilists who didn’t care if their fellow citizens died en masse. Now, Francis Collins has weighed in to tell us that many of the people considered close-minded and anti-science during COVID were advancing an appropriately balanced view of the trade-offs inherent in the pandemic response. “If you’re a public-health person and you’re trying to make a decision, you have this very narrow view of what the right decision is,” Collins said at an event earlier this year that garnered attention online the last couple of days. This is not a new insight, or a surprising one. It’s a little like saying Bolsheviks will be focused on nationalizing the means of production over everything else, or a golf pro will be monomaniacal about the proper mechanics of a swing. The problem comes, of course, when public health, or “public health,” becomes the only guide to public policy. Then, you are giving a group of obsessives, who have an important role to play within proper limits, too much power in a way that is bound to distort your society. Francis Collins, again: “So you attach infinite value to stopping the disease and saving a life. You attach zero value to whether this actually totally disrupts people’s lives, ruins the economy, and has many kids kept out of school in a way that they never quite recover from.” True and well said, but that’s an awful lot of very important things to attach “zero value” to. He also admitted to having an urban bias, driven by working out of Washington D.C. and thinking almost exclusively about New York City and other major cities. If Francis Collins and his cohort got it wrong, the likes of Florida governor Ron DeSantis and Georgia governor Brian Kemp — and the renegade scientists and doctors who supported their more modulated approach to the pandemic — got it right. It’s always worth remembering that the pandemic was a once-in-hundred-years event and initially, we had very little information and very few means to prevent and treat the disease. It is inevitable that decision-makers are going to make mistakes in such a crisis, and adjust as they go. That said, the scientists who were in positions of authority could have shown more modesty. They could have welcomed debate. They could have distanced themselves from — or better yet, denounced — the campaign of moral bullying carried out in their name. Many people wanted to outsource their thinking to the experts and then, with a great sense of righteousness, rely on arguments from authority to demonize their opponents and shut down every policy dispute. Francis Collins, one of the most eminent scientists in the country and a subtle thinker who dissents from the orthodoxy that science and faith are incompatible, would have been an ideal voice to counter the propaganda campaigns that aimed to suppress unwelcome views and even unwelcome facts. Instead, he stuck with his tribe. It’s progress, though, to realize that scientists, too, are susceptible to group-think, recency bias and parochialism; that the experts may know an incredible amount about a very narrow area, while knowing little to nothing about broader matters of greater consequence; that point of views considered dangerous lunacy may, over time, prove out, so they shouldn’t be censored or otherwise quashed. It’s not just that the scientists acted like blinkered scientists during the pandemic; they tolerated, or participated in, agitprop that was inimical to the scientific spirit and to good public policy.
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Securing border at home, defending our values globally
(Column ~ 01/06/24)
With migrants now flooding our Southwestern border at a reported 10,000 seeking entry daily, it is essential that we take steps to crystallize a national immigration policy. Republicans insist that $74 billion in funds that the Biden administration is asking in aid for Ukraine and Israel be part of a larger package that deals with border security and comprehensive immigration policy. Agreement on such a package will benefit the whole nation. At first glance, linking U.S. immigration policy and border control to aid to Ukraine and Israel may seem like a politically motivated version of linking apples and oranges. But that’s not the case. The issues are related. We are dealing with the issue of national territorial integrity. The current conflicts in Ukraine and Israel are the results of such violations — in Ukraine, aggression from Russia; in the case of Israel, the crossing of the Gaza border into Israel by Hamas operatives who murdered and committed atrocities against more than 1,200 Israeli citizens in one day. Nations are physical entities that are based on principles that define what their existence is about. Borders define the area where this unique national reality exists. Whether borders are violated by an army, by terrorists or by undocumented migrants amounts to the same thing: a violation of national integrity. Those who have violated the territorial integrity of Ukraine and Israel — Russia and Hamas, backed by Iran — are also our enemies and look to hurt our country as they have hurt the nations they have violated. Let’s recall that the pilots who flew planes into the World Trade Center and crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, resulting in the death of almost 3,000 Americans, trained on American soil. The price of being lax in a dangerous world is high. Israelis are paying a dear price for some moments of laxness toward an evil and lethal enemy. Every day that we allow hordes of migrants into our country without knowing with clarity who these individuals are threatens our national security in two significant ways. First, the most obvious, is the horrible damage that can be done by one terrorist among the hordes we are letting in. Second, demonstrating laxness, humanitarian inclinations devoid of the values that define our national integrity, broadcasts to our enemies that we are confused and weak. Perceived confusion and weakness encourage evil forces to act. For sure the hasty exit of America from Afghanistan broadcast this message to an evil and ambitious Vladimir Putin, who then took aggressive action in Ukraine he might not otherwise have done. Iran and their Hamas operatives are for sure very happy to see American leftists celebrating the atrocities that were committed against Israelis. Last June, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi traveled to Latin America in a visit that included Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua. Iran is doing business with the most corrupt and mismanaged countries in Latin America to solidify its anti-American and anti-Israel base there. In 1994, the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was blown up and 85 were killed. Investigations in Argentina concluded it was the work of Iran. Republicans are right to push for raising the bar for defining asylum, setting up a border extradition authority and exercising greater care in allowing anyone into our country without a visa. Regarding the many already here undefined and undocumented, I propose reopening some of our closed military bases to house these individuals until their status is clarified. They would have status as refugees but without constitutional rights that would include 14th Amendment coverage granting automatic citizenship to the newly born. We can’t forget that the eternal principles that define freedom in our country are relevant everywhere. We must defend them at home and abroad to the interest of all who want to live in a better world. Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education.
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Be brave and dream big this year
(Column ~ 01/06/24)
Cleaning out a storage bin I found one of my journals from high school. The entry on Sunday, Nov. 3, 1991, grabbed my attention. It was about big dreams I had for myself. I wrote, “How do I know I have what it takes? … the talent … the potential … the drive?” I have so many things I want to tell 16-year-old me. Mainly, that she had all of those attributes and more to do whatever she put her mind to. Everyone else in the world will tell you no. Don’t do it for them by letting fear stop you. Your job is to decide who you want to be and what you want that to contribute to this world. Then, go for it with everything in you. I somehow thought that because I wasn’t a good student that I wasn’t cut out for high achievements. But the world is far bigger than any high school experience. No one cares now that I failed algebra in high school. No one. A lot of my childhood was submerged in the arts, and I’m incredibly grateful. I took music and dance lessons. I performed in plays and commercials, and I journaled constantly. My stepmom fostered my love of the arts while other adults in my life questioned its long-term purpose, stressing that I also had to have some other plan to back it up with. What was my realistic view of a career? They’d ask. What could all of these hobbies possibly add up to in “the real world?” I didn’t have a backup plan, and I didn’t want one either. The world needed thriving arts programs in every community. I wanted to make music and I wanted to write. Originally, I saw my future with a career in music, playing percussion in an orchestra pit somewhere. Writing was cathartic and I thought I might publish a book someday, but I didn’t envision it as my profession. Life showed me other plans. A career in symphonic music took professional training, which took money that I didn’t have. Writing simply took the desire to read, learn and practice. It took the willingness to reach out and find those editors who would give me a chance. It took humility to find mentors and learn from my mistakes. But most of all it started with being brave enough to dream. Writing is my profession now. Music took a back seat as my hobby and sometimes a side gig. I don’t have any hit songs or huge performances, and I am not disappointed. I’m still very much living a life that began with a dream: aspirations of a young girl that started long before anything resembled grown-up reality. So, what are your dreams for the new year? Write them down. Be brave. Write them without judgment or fear of sounding foolish. Dream big with your whole heart. I’m still dreaming and making plans and I have no intention of stopping any time soon.
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Fund needs over wants
(Letter to the Editor ~ 01/06/24)
While shopping, have you ever placed items back on the shelf because you didn’t have enough money to pay for everything in your cart? Humbling experience, isn’t it? Unfortunately, I believe the City of Cape Girardeau has reached this point! We have overextended our financial commitments on nonessential items (wants) and now there isn’t sustainable revenue available to fully fund essential needs. Needs like competitive wages for our public safety employees! It’s time our elected officials and members of the community accept this reality and manage city finances differently. 1. We need to eliminate several city wants that aren’t self-funding. 2. The practice of subsidizing the costs of wants with General Fund revenue must stop. 3. Casino dollars, not General Fund revenue, should be used to subsidize the costs of Parks and Recreation, sports complexes, airport and other similar items. These three actions would create substantial savings in the General Fund account. Savings that could be used to fund wage increases for our public safety employees. Yes, it would be inconvenient if at some time casino dollars were reduced or eliminated. But the loss wouldn’t interrupt essential services funded by sustainable revenue. Police, fire, EMT and public works services would still be provided. Just some of the city’s wants would have to wait. Let’s put some of the wants back on the shelf. Doing so will create substantial savings in the General Fund account. Savings that could be used to increase wages for our public safety employees! GARY HILL, Cape Girardeau
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Must be modern math
(Letter to the Editor ~ 01/06/24)
For the public and the lawmakers who pass the minimum wage increases to think that increase will give a livable income, with every dollar increase the cost of food, gas, rent goes up also. So, if we think that will increase minimum wage purchasing power, we need to go back to school. There 28 million minimum wage workers vs. 63 million seniors on Social Security drawing a minimum of $1,065 per month. Out of that monthly income, seniors must pay fixed medicine, food, rent, insurance and not to mention young kids still living with their grandparents. I have yet to see one politician say, “It’s time to take care of our seniors!” Do they realize that the majority of those 63 million will vote their pocketbook, regardless of party? How many minimum wage workers will vote? I love all the younger generation, but be careful what you vote for. Maybe it won’t be long before the seniors may have to move in with them! They made a movie once called, “Dumb and Dumber”! GENE CRIPPEN, Jackson
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House Republicans ready contempt of Congress charges against Hunter Biden for defying a subpoena
(National News ~ 01/06/24)
WASHINGTON -- House Republicans plan to move forward next week with holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress after the president's son defied a congressional subpoena to appear for a private deposition last month. The Republicans who lead the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and the Judiciary Committee announced Friday that they will hold votes on contempt charges against Hunter Biden as the GOP moves into the final stages of its impeachment inquiry. ...
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NRA chief, one of the most powerful figures in US gun policy, says he's resigning days before trial
(National News ~ 01/06/24)
NEW YORK -- The longtime head of the National Rifle Association said Friday he is resigning, just days before the start of a civil trial over allegations he diverted millions of dollars from the powerful gun rights organization to pay for personal travel, private security and other lavish perks...
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Cape Girardeau City Council agenda for Jan. 8, 2024
(Local News ~ 01/06/24)
Cape Girardeau City Council 5 p.m. Monday, Jan, 8 City Hall Items for discussion n Appoearances by Advisory Board Applicants n Consent Agenda Review Public hearings n A public hearing to consider the proposed voluntary annexation and zoning of property located at 3101 County Road 620. (Item No. 14; BILL NO. 24-04 and Item No. 15; BILL NO. 24-05)...
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Cape Girardeau County Commission agenda for 1-8-24 meeting
(Local News ~ 01/06/24)
Cape Girardeau County Commission 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 8 1 Barton Square, Jackson Approval of minutes n Approval of minutes of the Thursday, Jan. 4, meeting Communications/reports -- other selected officials/department heads n Updates on new jail and 1908 courthouse project...
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Fire report 1-7-24
(Police/Fire Report ~ 01/06/24)
CAPE GIRARDEAU Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls. Jan. 2 n Medical assists were made at 7:57 a.m. on South Mount Auburn Road; 10:31 a.m. on Doctors Park Drive; 3:01 p.m. on William Street; and 3:29 p.m. on South Benton Street...
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Police report 1-7-24
(Police/Fire Report ~ 01/06/24)
CAPE GIRARDEAU Cape Girardeau Police Department responded to the following calls. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n A warrant arrest was reported on South Pacific Street. n A warrant arrest was reported on Independence Street. n A warrant arrest was reported on Jefferson Avenue...
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Blaine Luetkemeyer, longtime Missouri Republican congressman, won't seek reelection
(State News ~ 01/06/24)
Missouri Republican U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer will not seek reelection, though his departure in what is considered a safe Republican district is unlikely to impact the balance of power after the 2024 election. Luetkemeyer, 71, announced his decision Thursday. He joins a growing list of House members who plan to retire or seek other office...
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Stan Vaughn
(Obituary ~ 01/06/24)
Stan Vaughn, 60, of Sikeston, formerly of Olive Branch, Illinois, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, in Dublin, Virginia. Stan was born Nov. 6, 1963, in Cairo, Illinois, to Frank and Dorothy Deweese Vaughn. He married Rebecca Nix on Dec. 6, 2002, and she survives...
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Bill Stacy
(Obituary ~ 01/06/24)
Bill W. Stacy, 85, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, January 4, 2024. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. Memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, at the funeral home, with a visitation from 10 a.m. until time of service...
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Melvin Heatley
(Obituary ~ 01/06/24)
Melvin Robert Heatley, 89, of Jackson died Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, at his home. Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. Memorial service will follow at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, at the funeral home, with J.T. Thomason officiating, followed by military honors by Missouri Honor Guard...
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Sherry Graham
(Obituary ~ 01/06/24)
Sherry Lynne Graham, 68, passed away peacefully Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, with her family by her side. She was born Oct. 23, 1955, to Claud and Ruth Meador of Zalma. She attended grade school and high school in Zalma. She completed business classes at Southeast Missouri State University and Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana...
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The Supreme Court will decide if Donald Trump can be kept off 2024 presidential ballots
(National News ~ 01/06/24)
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court said Friday it will decide whether former President Donald Trump can be kept off the ballot because of his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, inserting the court squarely in the 2024 presidential campaign. The justices acknowledged the need to reach a decision quickly, as voters will soon begin casting presidential primary ballots across the country. ...
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Out of the past: Jan. 7
(Out of the Past ~ 01/06/24)
Southeast Missouri State University and the former director of its earthquake center have reached a tentative settlement in a civil suit; David Stewart and school officials have reviewed the proposed settlement; neither side has signed the agreement yet, but next week's scheduled trial in Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court in Jackson has been canceled; the settlement would bring an end to the 4-year-old lawsuit...
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Out of the past: Jan. 6
(Out of the Past ~ 01/06/24)
Greg Jones, whose brief leadership is credited with infusing the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri with new energy and ideas, is resigning to take a position with the Toledo Museum of Art; Jones, who spent many of his formative years in Toledo, will begin work in mid-February as the museum's creative-arts coordinator...
Stories from Saturday, January 6, 2024
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