Stories from Thursday, March 17, 2011

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Almost every legislature in the country is talking about cutting costs and services because of budget problems, but a few also are talking about downsizing themselves. Lawmakers in about a half-dozen states have proposed shrinking the number of legislators elected and thereby saving the office, staff and travel expenses each incurs...

March 23rd 6:30 pm at My Daddy's Cheese Cake in Cape Girardeau, MO. Covering the entire 'Light' series by celebrated Christian Author Terri Blackstock. Ladies: Come and enjoy great food, [Dutch treat] or just a cup of coffee, fellowship and the most exciting conversation of any Book Club YET! Whether you have read one or all of this exciting series you are sure to enjoy the discussion. ...

As a young man growing up in a rural Mid-Missouri community, senior state Rep. David Day, R-Dixon, was exposed to the military lifestyle at an early age. With Ft. Leonard Wood nestled just a few miles from his childhood home, the army base had established itself as an indispensable fixture in the local community...

The Volunteer Intergenerational Center is gearing up to make this year's National Volunteer Week a success. National Volunteer Week, Sunday, April 10 -- Saturday, April 16, is not only a time to recognize volunteers but celebrate the spirit of volunteerism. This year's theme will be "Spring Into Action - Volunteer". By taking part in National Volunteer Week, volunteer programs across America help make a difference in the lives of volunteers and those served...

Montgomery Bank hosted a Seniors Club trip to Memphis, Tennessee and Tunica, Mississippi on March 15th and 16th. While in Memphis the group toured Graceland, dined at the Rendezvous, visited the ducks at the famous Peabody Hotel, and enjoyed the sights and sounds of Beale Street. Tunica was the sight for some friendly gaming and home style cooking at Paula Dean's Restaurant...

The Central Municipal Pool will undergo a half-million-dollar remodeling this spring, including what some city officials describe as significant improvements to the swimming pool's bathhouse and deck. But the project, expected to be mostly finished by June, still isn't sitting well with at least one city council member, who has been saying for months that the bathhouse is "an embarrassment to the city" that needs to be replaced...

In front of a jury, Lisa Grissom had to relive the nightmare she says her job had become. For three years, the man who signed her paychecks was consistently crossing the line: He made comments about her breasts and grabbed them in front of her colleagues. He joked about sexual positions and sent her explicit e-mails...

The Culinary Arts Team at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center (CTC) finished fifth in the state's National Restaurant Association ProStart Culinary Competition held recently at East Central College in Union, Mo. Dennis "Doc" Cain, Culinary Arts Instructor at the CTC, posed with the team in the photo above. ...

Paul Echols has seen into the soul of a serial killer and is sharing the experience in his new book "In Cold Pursuit: My Hunt for Timothy Krajcir -- The Notorious Serial Killer," which he co-wrote with journalist Christine Byers. "It's a rare opportunity to look into the soul of a person who has committed so many evil deeds," wrote the former Carbondale, Ill., Police Department detective in the epilogue of the book, which was released this month...

Johnson watched from the sideline as his teammates won their second consecutive state title a year ago.

What's happening this weekend

I spent part of my spring break back at high school. While some people might inwardly (or outwardly) groan at that statement, I was really excited about being in the school because I got to observe high school teachers in their classrooms for my pre-master's of education classes. ...

Cape Girardeau voters will decide in the April election if all public establishments in the city should be required to provide a smoke-free environment. This is an important decision voters will make, one in which individuals on both sides of the issue bring valid arguments...

As a member of the local Chamber of Commerce, which is opposing the smoking ban, I would like to clarify that there are many members who do support making Cape Girardeau smoke-free. I am not going to revisit why smoking or passive smoking is bad for your health -- that's clear. ...

Much of the discussion surrounding the proposed ban on smoking has centered on property owners' rights and the fact that smoking is a legal activity. These arguments don't hold water. The reality is that government has a right to regulate businesses, as they do with licensing, taxing, permitting and compliance with the ADA. We have a government of the people, and the people have petitioned to have a chance to vote against smoking in the workplace...

CAPE Girardeau is living in the dark ages. A smoking ban for our city would be the best possible thing to ever happen to Cape Girardeau. I travel all over the U.S. and internationally, and most places I go are completely smoke-free. Most college towns are smoke-free. Airports are smoke-free. It would give us a better rating in the quality-of-life reports...

March 17, 2011 Dear DC, Today is St. Patrick's Day everywhere in the world, but Ireland celebrates the saint for a full week. Parades, fireworks, concerts and performances are scheduled most every day and most everywhere. Our group will spend St. Patrick's Day in Galway, Ireland's arts capital...

O God, may we go forth with our feet fitted with the gospel of peace. Amen.

JOHANNESBURG -- Scientists say they have discovered the first fossil of a dinosaur in Angola, and that it's a new creature, heralding a research renaissance in a country slowly emerging from decades of war. A paper published Wednesday in the Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences describes a long-necked, plant-eating sauropod, among the largest creatures ever to have walked the earth. ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A Kansas City man pleaded no contest Wednesday to 21 federal charges accusing him of lacing ice cream and soda with sleeping pills, giving them to young girls and making pornographic videos of them. James Phillip Edwards, 61, could spend the rest of his life in prison. U.S. District Judge Dean Whipple entered a judgment of guilty on all the counts against him...

Scholarships The Scott County Women in Agriculture organization is offering a $750 scholarship to a 2011 high school graduate. To be eligible, the applicant or applicant's family must be currently involved in farming or agribusiness in Scott County, Mo. ...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- A Cape Girardeau man was charged in Union County, Ill., Wednesday in connection to a series of residential burglaries on Lingle Creek and Old Cape Road in Jonesboro earlier this month. With Joshua J. Kelley, 25, of East Cape Girardeau and Shane L. Shafer, 24, of Downing, Mo., Marco A. Dominguez, 18, of Cape Girardeau, was charged with two counts of aggravated possession of stolen firearms, three counts of residential burglary and two counts of theft...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Stoddard County has a new coroner. Aaron Mathis of Dexter was sworn in as Stoddard County Coroner by Judge Joe Satterfield Tuesday at the Stoddard County Justice Center in Bloomfield. Mathis was appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon to fill the term of Morgan Sifford, who resigned Jan. 6 of this year. Mathis is employed at Rainey Mathis Funeral Home in Dexter...

Absentee ballots are now available for those who can't make it to the polls on April 5. Cape Girardeau County Clerk Kara Clark Summers said the ballots can be picked up at her offices at the Common Pleas Courthouse at 44 N. Lorimier St. in Cape Girardeau or at 1 Barton Square, Suite 301, in Jackson. The offices are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Those offices will open Saturday, April 2, from 8 a.m. to noon to allow for absentee voting...

Gretchen Logue, a St. Louis blogger for Missouri Education Watchdog, will talk about the future of education at Thursday night's meeting of the SEMO Pachyderm Club. The talk will begin at 7 p.m. at Dexter BBQ in Cape Girardeau and is open to the public...

The group working to get a smoking ban passed in Cape Girardeau has noticed that opponents have violated campaign material identification requirements by failing to cite the committee treasurer's name on fliers, brochures and yard signs. But a spokesman for Citizens for a Smoke-Free Cape said Wednesday they do not intend to file a complaint with the Missouri Ethics Commission, the state agency responsible for election compliance issues...

A partial meltdown of nuclear fuel rods has occurred in Japan since the devastating earthquake. What does that mean exactly? Using a few ingredients from around the house, you can see the science behind a nuclear meltdown. Parental supervision is suggested...

Marjorie H. Roberts, 80, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, March 16, 2011, at Southeast Hospital. She was born Feb. 19, 1931, in Cape Girardeau, to Adam and Daisy Nance. She and Donald R. Roberts were married July 9, 1955, in Cape Girardeau. Roberts was a member of Fellowship Baptist Church. She had worked at International Shoe Factory and then at Superior Electric...

GLENALLEN, Mo. -- Clay Allen Broshuis, 34, of Glenallen died Wednesday, March 16, 2011, at Hiram, Mo. He was born April 30, 1976, in Cape Girardeau, son of Steve and Nelda Watkins Broshuis. Broshuis attended Woodland schools. He formerly worked at Farmington Correctional Facility in Farmington, Mo., and during the past year worked with Robinson Construction in Perryville, Mo...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- William M. "Bill" Abbott, 83, of Perryville died Tuesday, March 15, 2011, at Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Crystal City, Mo. He was born Feb. 6, 1928, in Cape Girardeau, son of Harry H. and Elsdena Sherer Abbott. He and Mildred Myer were married Nov. 4, 1950. She preceded him in death May 22, 2007...

Eileen Rose Meyer Alkemeyer, 58, of Bartlesville, Okla., formerly of Apple Creek, Mo., passed away Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, at Jane Phillips Medical Center, after a heroic battle against cancer. She was born Jan. 18, 1953, in Perryville, Mo., to Adolph and Willette Ponder Meyer. She and Charlie Alkemeyer were married Dec. 10, 1977...

Daughter to Christopher Thomas and Lindsey Nichole Romas of Oran, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 4:12 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, 2011. Name, Wheetley Sophia. Weight, 7 pounds, 2 ounces. Mrs. Romas is the former Lindsey St. Cin, daughter of Don St. Cin of Advance, Mo., and Lori Simpson and Nick Simpson of Chaffee, Mo. She is business manager with Dalhousie Golf Club. Romas is the son of Tom and Laurie Romas of Oran. He is a boilermaker with Local 83...

ANNA, Ill. -- Maebell Catherine Spurlock, 95, of Anna died Monday, March 14, 2011, at Anna Rehab and Care Center. Visitation will be from 8:30 a.m. to service time today at Crain Funeral Home in Anna. The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. today at the funeral home, with the Rev. Larry Buckles officiating. Burial will be in Anna City Cemetery...

ANNA, Ill. -- Floyd Pender, 90, of Anna died Tuesday, March 15, 2011, at Illinois Veterans Home in Anna. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at McGinnis Cemetery east of Anna, with the Rev. Joe Hankla officiating. Military honors will be conducted by Carroll P. Foster VFW Post 345 of Anna and Military Funeral Honors Team of Marion, Ill...

Marguerite P. "Polly" Wilmsmeyer, 96, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of St. Louis, died Tuesday, March 15, 2011, at Ratliff Care Center. She was born July 7, 1914, in Cape Girardeau, to Henry and Tina Kurre Armgardt. Marguerite and Edwin F. Wilmsmeyer were married June 6, 1948, in Cape Girardeau. He preceded her in death Jan. 14, 2000...

Steel framework of the student recreation center portion of the multipurpose building project is taking shape on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University; the recreation facility is slated to open early next year. The Cape Girardeau Convention and Tourism Bureau is expected to spend almost $141,000 this year in efforts to attract conventions and promote tourism, budget figures show; the city council has agreed to allocate $145,000 in motel and restaurant gross receipts tax money to finance bureau operations this year.. ...

WASHINGTON -- The government's bailout of banks, automakers and insurers helped prevent a more severe economic crisis, but might have sowed the seeds of the next one, a congressional watchdog group said Wednesday in its final report. The Congressional Oversight Panel said that the government's rescue fund may have prevented an economic depression by sending billions of dollars to companies crippled in financial crisis that erupted in 2008. ...

Cape Girardeau The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Thefts Property damage Miscellaneous...

Cape Girardeau Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday: * At 12:20 p.m., alarm sounding on William Street. * At 6:53 p.m., a medical assist on Bellevue Street. * At 11:04 p.m., a medical assist on Park Drive.

POLICE The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Arrests Thefts FIRE Firefighters responded to the following calls Monday: Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday: ...

WASHINGTON -- Americans are noticing higher prices at the grocery store, and it's about to get worse. Food prices at the wholesale level rose last month by the most in 36 years. Cold weather accounted for most of it, forcing stores and restaurants to pay more for green peppers, lettuce and other vegetables, but meat and dairy prices surged, too...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Senate has endorsed legislation setting the state's 2012 presidential primary near the front of the pack -- potentially violating Republican and Democratic party rules at aimed preventing a crush of early primaries...

It's a big ocean between northeastern Japan and the United States and thousands of miles from the crippled nuclear power plant to much of Asia. Experts have said there's little chance that radiation from the shattered reactors could pose a serious threat to the wider world...

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama on Tuesday defended the use of nuclear energy despite the calamity in Japan where a nuclear power plant leaked radiation in the wake of a devastating earthquake and tsunami. The president told Pittsburgh television station KDKA that all energy sources have their downsides but that the U.S. -- which gets 20 percent of its electricity from nuclear power -- needs to look at the full array of them...

WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday she does not want to stay in her job if President Barack Obama wins a second term in 2012. The nation's top diplomat also firmly said she neither has plans to mount another White House bid nor interest in other posts, such as vice president or defense secretary...

ATLANTA -- U.S. life expectancy has hit another all-time high, rising above 78 years. The estimate of 78 years and 2 months is for a baby born in 2009, and comes from a preliminary report released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center (PBRMC) announced Wednesday that its parent company, Health Management, will not seek tax abatement for the proposed 250-bed medical campus that is to be built on Route PP between the U.S. 67 Bypass and Shelby Road...

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues are for sale. Team chairman Dave Checketts said Wednesday night that his group, Sports Capital Partners Worldwide, and TowerBrook Capital Partners have placed the NHL franchise and the Scottrade Center on the market...

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team lost to Missouri State 2-1 on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON -- On the day before Cincinnati's first NCAA tournament game in six years, Sean Kilpatrick was in the locker room putting on a show worthy of Saturday night at the improv. The redshirt freshman was doing impersonations of teammates and coaches, with such spot-on hilarity that his fellow players were doubled over in uncontrollable laughter. ...

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Chris Carpenter was given a vote of confidence in his return to the mound from a hamstring injury. He was named the St. Louis Cardinals' opening day starter. In his first outing since March 1 when he injured his left hamstring, Carpenter gave up three runs and six hits in four innings for the Cardinals in a 9-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday...

The Scott County Central boys basketball will face Jefferson in the Class 1 semifinals.

NATORI, Japan -- Line after line, a list on the wall of city hall reveals the dead. Some are named. Others are identified only by a short description. Female. About 50. Peanuts in left chest pocket. Large mole. Seiko watch. Male. 70 to 80 years old. Wearing an apron that says "Rentacom."...

ZAO, Japan -- Japanese military helicopters dumped loads of seawater onto a stricken nuclear reactor Thursday, trying to avoid full meltdowns as plant operators said they were close to finishing a new power line that could restore cooling systems and ease the crisis...

LAHORE, Pakistan -- An American CIA contractor who shot and killed two Pakistani men was released from prison Wednesday and left Pakistan after more than $2 million in "blood money" was paid to his victims' families, defusing a dispute that threatened an alliance vital to defeating al-Qaida and ending the Afghan war...

MANAMA, Bahrain -- Soldiers and riot police in Bahrain overran a protesters' camp, imposed a 12-hour curfew and choked off movement nationwide Wednesday. Witnesses described helicopters firing on homes in a hunt for Shiites and attacking doctors treating the wounded, while the government called the demonstrators "outlaws" for demanding an end to the monarchy...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Boxing champ Muhammad Ali is asking Iran to release two American hikers held since 2009 on spy charges. Ali, arguably the most prominent U.S. Muslim, on Wednesday released to the press a letter he wrote to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in February...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- North- and southbound Interstate 55 in Ste. Genevieve County will be reduced to one lane with a 12-foot width restriction Tuesday and Wednesday while Missouri Department of Transportation crews make bridge repairs. This section of road is between routes N and Z at mile marker 141. Weather permitting, work will be done from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. The work zone will be marked with signs...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Route N between Highway 51 and County Road 414 in Bollinger County will be closed today while Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a pipe under the road. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The work zone will be marked with signs. ...

Highway 34 in Cape Girardeau County will be reduced to one lane next week while contractor crews perform routine bridge maintenance and drilling. The bridge over the Whitewater River is between Route OO and County Road 360. Weather permitting, work will be performed from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily Monday through March 27. The work zone will be marked with signs...

Work to replace the Route U bridge over Allen Creek in Cape Girardeau County is expected to begin March 28, weather permitting. The road will remain closed from Highway 34 to Route A as construction progresses. Completion is anticipated in mid-May. ...

JUPITER, Fla. -- Adam Wainwright reported to the St. Louis Cardinals' spring training for elbow rehab less than three weeks after undergoing reconstructive surgery. Before undergoing exercises Wednesday designed to improve range of motion, the 20-game winner was optimistic that he'll be ready to go next spring. Wainwright plans on being with the team throughout the season...

The asphalt parking lot was slick late Tuesday morning. Conditions were less than optimal for a moonbuggy ride across the surface of the parking lot at Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center, but it was getting near zero hour for Lars Monia and Mary Dohogne -- and they need all the driving practice they can get...

Porter scored 34 points in his team's 78-42 win over Jefferson to give him 164 in games played at the final four. He broke the previous record of 161 that had stood since 1960.

NAME: Bob Keesee AGE: 70 PLACE OF BIRTH: Scott City SPOUSE, CHILDREN'S NAMES: Wife -- Diana Keesee; Children -- Robert, Monty and Kim. OCCUPATION: General residential and small business contractor in Scott City EMPLOYER: Self-employed/semi-retired...

ST. LOUIS -- Marty Marion, the brilliant shortstop and 1944 National League MVP with the St. Louis Cardinals and a former manager of the Cardinals and St. Louis Browns, has died. He was 93. Marion, who played on World Series title teams in 1942, 1944 and 1946, died Tuesday night in St. Louis, Cardinals spokesman Brian Bartow said...