Stories from Friday, May 20, 2011

Kevin Jackson, Amazon best-selling author of "The BIG Black Lie," isn't afraid to call himself a staunch conservative. In fact, he'll make sure you know it, which is what he did Thursday as a guest speaker in Cape Girardeau at the SEMO Pachyderm Club's monthly meeting...

The Rev. Larry Rice, who was entangled in court battles to get former federal building in Cape Girardeau, said Thursday he would not bid on it. The building is now available at an online auction at the General Services Administration's website, with a suggested opening bid of $750,000 for the two-story, 44-year-old building at 339 Broadway. ...

Mike Renick Band performances rarely leave a crowd standing still. The energy in the venues is like a pingpong game from the band to the crowd and back. Renick said he got lucky and met a group of guys who just like playing together and playing well, which keeps the gigs fun...

For children, summertime is a chance to relax, explore and have fun. Thanks to the Scott City Interactive Park Program, they can continue to enjoy themselves while expanding their knowledge. The SCIPP Summer Day Camp Program runs from June 20 to July 29. It is open to children ages 7 to 13 of any location and will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday...

More than four months later, it's the same story -- two Southeast Missouri State University regents caught in a kind of political limbo. Al Spradling and Reginald Dickson still are waiting on word whether Gov. Jay Nixon will nominate them to another term on the board. Their terms expired at the beginning of the year, although they continue to serve until they are nominated or other nominees are confirmed, a matter for the Senate to decide...

The Cape Pool won't be opening this weekend like it had for 53 summers. Here's what it looked like in its heyday. http://www.capecentralhigh.com/cape-photos/parks/capaha-pool-reduced-to-memories/

CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY FARM BUREAU BEEF MONTH CONTEST MAY IS BEEF MONTH! Let's Celebrate! In honor of May being Beef Month, Cape Girardeau County Farm Bureau board and Southeast Missouri Cattlemen's Association have teamed up to provide a $50 gift certificate for beef products from Reis Meat Processing to one lucky winner...

As spring approached Southeast Missouri, this 3 year old has nothing but fishing on the mind. He and PawPaw had a good day and a good catch! I just love the excitement in his smile!

Mary Bolen has enjoyed a long, affectionate relationship with the Capaha Park pool. In 1963, shortly after she first moved to Cape Girardeau, Bolen worked as a lifeguard there as the masses splashed away the sometimes blistering summer heat. In the years that followed, she would drop her four children off there for swimming lessons or a carefree afternoon of play...

Pictured front row (l to r): Cody Hahs, Andrew Puchbauer, Stephen Bolen, Cody Myers, Lucas Rohde, Jake LeGrand, Hunter Seyer. Back Row (l to r): Coach Patrick Friga, Jacob Hengl, Jake Light, Kelby Brown, Brett Thomas, Lance Rohde, Kyle Rohde, Dakota Zoellner, Caleb Johnston, Asst. Coach Terry Smith...

Well not quite, but they are a comical looking trio of cicadas!

Like some alien invasion exoskeletons are appearing everywhere announcing the arrival of cicadas.

A baby Blue Jay rests on a barbed wire fence along our pasture ready to test it's wings for flight.

Fox arched his back after seeing the cat do it.

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A high-ranking USDA official will visit Southeast Missouri to view flood damage today, including a public appearance in Charleston to talk with those affected by flooding and the operation of the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway...

The Oak Ridge baseball team defeated Ellington 6-3 to win the Class 1 District 3 title Thursday.

The Edwin McCain concert set for Sunday at The Venue in Cape Girardeau was canceled due to lagging ticket sales. Promoters needed to sell 100 tickets to make the event a success, but as of Thursday they had sold 35. Edwin McCain became a radio mainstay in 1998 with "I'll Be" and then "I Could Not Ask For More." The event center, which hosts weddings, parties and concerts, announced the cancellation at 3:30 p.m. Thursday. Ticket holders can call 651-6681 for a refund.

A boil-water order for the McClure-East Cape Girardeau Public Water District, which covers part of Alexander County, was lifted at 2 p.m. today. The order was issued Tuesday because of a water main break.

NF stands for neurofibromatosis, which encompasses a set of distinct genetic disorders that causes tumors to grow along various types of nerves. NF can also affect the development of non-nervous tissues such as bones and skin. Neurofibromatosis causes tumors to grow anywhere on or in the body...

Comments pertaining to "disparate" coverage of the university's men's and women's athletics is paradoxically both intriguing and perplexing. It appears from such assertions that the foundational core principles of university athletics have been overlooked. ...

Isaiah 61:3 speaks of how God can give us beauty for ashes. Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and many other areas in the country have experienced devastating floods in recent weeks. But like the biblical promise, there have been some positives to come out of this time of distress...

I hope the millionaires and the Republicans are sleeping well at night, not tossing and turning because of all the middle-class people having to figure ways to get to work, needed trips to doctors and shopping with all the flooded and destroyed roads. With all the cuts they are planning on doing, we all may have to go back to horseback or walking, as we may never get the roads fixed back up for a long time...

Despite what I considered to be a serious situation last week, many of you -- some of you claiming to be my friends -- thought my encounter with a bare-breasted woman during my early morning walk was downright funny. I know they think it was funny, because they have taken every occasion during this past week to rib me about it...

O God, may we do unto others as we would like them to do unto us. Amen.

Arts and entertainment briefs

The annual Spring Mountain Festival will feature two days of music, dancing and crafters Saturday and Sunday. The festival, held in Arcadia Valley near Ironton, Mo., will include bluegrass, country and gospel music along with square dancing and cloggers. ...

HOUSTON -- Scribbled on the helmet protecting Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' injured head was a simple reminder: 5/17/11, the date doctors said she could take it off for the last time. Now, a day after successful surgery to repair her skull, the helmet adorned with the Arizona state flag that she has worn since she was shot in the head in January is finally gone...

CHICAGO -- Could the Unabomber and Chicago's Tylenol poisoner be one and the same? FBI agents investigating the Tylenol killings, unsolved for nearly 30 years, want Ted Kaczynski's DNA, but they aren't saying whether there's any reason to believe he might be a match...

BRUSSELS -- As Belgium struggles with its yearlong government crisis, a 65-year-old issue is adding to the animosity between the feuding Dutch-speaking Flemish and Francophone politicians. Almost by stealth, the extremist Flemish Interest party pushed a bill on amnesty for World War II collaboration with Nazis to the senate floor last week. All at once, old wounds on both sides of the linguistic divide that cuts through Belgium opened again...

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Homeland Security has notified more than 30 cities across the country that they are losing anti-terror funding from the federal government. The department said Thursday that money for the Urban Areas Security Initiative grants has been cut by about $170 million as part of a larger budget cut that eliminated more than $780 million in grant money from the latest federal budget. ...

WASHINGTON -- Top congressional leaders agreed Thursday to a four-year extension of the anti-terrorist Patriot Act, the controversial law passed after the Sept. 11 attacks that governs the search for terrorists on American soil. The deal between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner calls for a vote before May 27, when parts of the current act expire, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. ...

WASHINGTON -- Exasperated by stalled Middle East peace talks in a season of tumultuous change, President Barack Obama jolted close ally Israel Thursday by embracing the Palestinians' terms for drawing the borders of their new nation next door. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel rejected the idea as "indefensible" on the eve of his vital White House meeting with Obama...

ORAN, Mo. -- Ray "Butch" Wagoner, 64, of Oran died Thursday, May 19, 2011, at the family home. He was born Sept. 12, 1946, in Painton, Mo., to the late Donald and Hortense Shores Wagoner. Wagoner was a retired self-employed construction worker...

Steven Lee Gum, 42, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, May 18, 2011, at his home. He was born May 25, 1968, in Cape Girardeau, to Robert and Glenda Wells Gum. Steven was a graduate of Central High School and Southeast Missouri State University. He did graduate work at Southeast in biology...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Wilma Margaret Dodd Bridges, 79, of Tamms passed away Thursday, May 19, 2011, at her home. She was born May 16, 1932, at Granite City, Ill., daughter of the late Raphael Gray "Jack" and Myrtha Clyde Brasher Dodd. Wilma was a member of Elco Baptist Church, WMU Training Group, Sunday school class, and Cub Scout leader. ...

POCAHONTAS, Ark. -- Jim Baltz, 76, of Pocahontas passed away Wednesday, May 4, 2011, at St. Bernards Medical Center. He was born Sept. 8, 1934, in Pocahontas, to John and Gaye Baltz. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Bernadette Lemmon and Helen Cox...

Robert James Rantz, 76, of Millersville died Sunday, May 15, 2011, at Monticello House in Jackson. He was born Nov. 8, 1934, in St. Louis, to Michael August and Matilda Marie Folger Rantz. He was married to Sharon L. Disano May 14, 1960. Robert served in the U.S. Army from 1956 to 1958...

MARQUAND, Mo. -- Lela Faye Easley Whitener, 80, of Marquand passed away suddenly Wednesday, May 18, 2011. She was born July 9, 1930, in Talent, Mo., to George and Florence Moore Easley. She was married to the love of her life, William "Bill Sam" Whitener, on Jan. 22, 1949. He preceded her in death Aug. 6, 2006...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Theresa U. Moore, 81, of Perryville died Wednesday, May 18, 2011, at Independence Care Center of Perry County. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday and from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. Monday at Young and Sons Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church...

Dorothy Bowers, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, May 19, 2011, at her home. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Daughter to Will Hodges Woods and Mariee Renee Shannon of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 2:14 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, 2011. Name, Willow Katherlene. Weight, 5 pounds, 13 ounces. Second daughter. Ms. Shannon is the daughter of Willie Shannon and Dimeta Shannon of Sikeston, Mo. Woods is the son of Katherlene Woods of Cape Girardeau and David Green of Denver...

Dorris J. Ewing, 58, of Cape Girardeau died Monday, May 16, 2011, at the Lutheran Home. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. James AME Church, with Debbie Thornton officiating. Massie Funeral Home in Mounds, Ill., is in charge of arrangements...

While residents who suffered damages from Thursday's flash flooding may obtain cleanup assistance from the Red Cross and Salvation Army, businesses are cleaning up alone; at least one business has opted to clear out of the flood zone; Lon Maxey, chief executive officer of General Sign Co., 39 N. Broadview St., says he plans to relocate...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrest Firefighters responded to the following call Thursday:...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday:...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A motion in the murder case against Allen "Smurf" McCoy that questioned the constitutionality of a phrase in the death penalty intent notice was denied by Judge Stephen Sharp on Wednesday. McCoy's attorney, Robert Craig Wolfrum, recently filed the motion saying that the use of the phrase "sanctity of life" created an unconstitutional establishment of religion...

At its Thursday meeting the Cape Girardeau County Commission approved a motion to allow county and city employees to receive one-shot doses of tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccine free of charge on June 1. The vaccinations will be provided by the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, which obtained extra doses. The vaccine is indicated for people who have filled sandbags or worked within flooded areas, who are at a higher risk of puncture wound injuries due to these activities...

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A former Poplar Bluff doctor was sentenced to five years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to inappropriately touching a female patient. Dr. Martin McDonald, 52, pleaded guilty to felony sexual abuse before Presiding Circuit Judge Michael Pritchett, according to Dunklin County Prosecuting Attorney Steve Sokoloff, who was appointed special prosecutor for the case...

VICKSBURG, Miss. -- The Mississippi River crested at more than 14 feet above flood stage in Vicksburg on Thursday, a slightly lower than expected level that eased worries about water potentially spilling over a nearby levee and inundating thousands more acres of farmland...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri's median age is nearly two years older than it was a decade ago, with residents from middle age through retirement now accounting for a larger share of the state's population, according to figures released Wednesday night by the U.S. Census Bureau...

ST. LOUIS -- Kyle McClellan began the year at the end of the St. Louis Cardinals' rotation. Now the former setup man has jumped ahead of everyone in the National League. The first-year starter became the NL's first six-game winner after working eight strong innings in a 4-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Thursday. McClellan pounded the strike zone and did not go to a three-ball count on any of the 29 batters he faced...

Baseball Basketball Golf Soccer Softball Tennis Wrestling Submit items by mail, fax or email to be included in the calendar as space permits....

The Southeast Missouri State women's gymnastics team has earned a public recognition award from the NCAA based on its multi-year Academic Progress Rate. The awards are given annually to squads scoring in the top 10 percent in each sport in the APR, which is part of the NCAA's academic reform program...

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team will bid farewell to 18 seniors when the Redhawks host Eastern Illinois for a three-game series at Capaha Field this weekend.

Chaffee will compete in all four boys relays at the state track meet this weekend.

Mixed in with the professional touring acts and college performances at the River Campus are a few productions by the future of performing arts. The young talent with the Southeast Missouri Music Academy have put on a few exhibitions this week to show what the students have been composing and practicing. ...

The co-owners of two regional Harley-Davidson dealerships will devote 40 days and nights of fundraising for relief to flood victims in Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri. "Our goal is to raise $40,000 in 40 days by selling raffle tickets for the chance to win a brand new 2011 Harley-Davidson Superlow," said Shad Zimbro, co-owner of Black Diamond Harley-Davidson of Marion, Ill., and Bootheel Harley-Davidson in Scott City, in a news release. ...

BRUSSELS -- Europe's top officials closed ranks Thursday to demand that the next leader of the International Monetary Fund be one of their own, a claim developing nations like China and Brazil challenged as unfair. Frenchman Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned as IMF chief Wednesday, saying he wants to devote "all his energy" to fighting sexual assault charges in New York...

SURIF, West Bank -- A 20-year-old Palestinian woman who was thrown into a well and left to die in the name of "family honor" has not become just another statistic. The killing of Aya Baradiya -- by an uncle who didn't like a potential suitor -- sparked such outrage that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas scrapped laws this week that guaranteed sentences of six months or less for such killings...

BENGHAZI, Libya -- Moammar Gadhafi's forces rocketed rebel fighters Thursday in the formidable strongholds and training camps they have built up in the strategic mountain heights southwest of the Libyan capital, rebels said. The two sides appeared to be fighting for control of the two highways to the north and south of the Nafusa mountain range, which slices across the desert south of Tripoli to the western border with Tunisia. ...

BECKLEY, W.Va. -- Relatives of the 29 men killed in the deadliest U.S. coal accident since 1970 said Thursday the findings of an independent probe confirm what they long suspected, saying Massey Energy Co. cared more about coal than workers' safety, threatened to fire those who complained and let dangerous conditions build in an ill-fated mine...

SALT LAKE CITY -- When Josh Ferrin closed on his family's first home, he never thought he'd make the discovery of a lifetime -- then give it back. Ferrin picked up the keys earlier this week and decided to check out the house in the Salt Lake City suburb of Bountiful. He was excited to finally have a place his family could call their own...

As Arnold Schwarzenegger plots his return to Hollywood, he will in some ways resemble the young Austrian who came to California many years ago: single and not a politician. Now 63, he is older and while fit, not quite as buff as he was in his "Conan the Barbarian" days. Yet Schwarzenegger's impending new chapter recalls the first time the former bodybuilder attempted -- and wildly succeeded at -- a quixotic transition to Hollywood...

The man known as "the innovator," a sharecropper's son who went on to help change the face and the direction of Southeast Missouri State University, is calling it quits after a career in education that has spanned more than four decades. Randy Shaw, Southeast's dean of the School of Polytechnic Studies and Extended Learning, plans to retire at the end of July after a 23-year administrative career at the university...

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team swept Friday's Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader from visiting Eastern Illinois, 9-5 and 9-6. Southeast improved to 31-20 overall and 13-8 in OVC play. EIU fell to 18-32 and 9-11. Coach Mark Hogan recorded his 500th career win at Southeast. He is 500-418-1 in his 17th season...

For Randy Rhodes, it started with a suicide. The chief juvenile officer had been on the job less than a month when a teenager took his own life in one of the cells at the Cape Girardeau Juvenile Detention Center. "He hung himself within an hour of being here," Rhodes said. "We were his first stop after being picked up. It changed my whole outlook."...