Stories from Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Missouri will have a statewide tornado drill at 1:30 p.m. today. During the drill, weather radio listeners will hear an alert that the drill has begun, and tornado sirens across the state will sound. The state government encourages schools, businesses and families to take part in the drill...

MOUNTAIN GROVE, Mo. (AP) -- The founder of a Wyoming company says she is determined to build a horse slaughtering and processing plant in southwest Missouri, despite strong opposition from some residents. Sue Wallis, chief executive officer of Unified Equine, told a crowd at the Wright County Livestock Auction Monday that the company hopes to have a plant open by September...

HILLSBORO, Mo. (AP) -- A Missouri mother is facing charges, but drawing sympathy from hundreds, for attacking with a baseball bat a man she believed was supplying her teenage son with heroin. Sherrie Gavan of Imperial, near St. Louis, was arraigned Monday on charges of third-degree assault. The judge refused to dismiss the case...

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Mitt Romney hoped to seal his status as the Republican presidential front-runner with a thus-far-elusive victory in the Deep South, a region that has been slow to embrace the former Massachusetts governor. A pair of closely fought primaries Tuesday in Alabama and Mississippi also could render a possible final verdict on Newt Gingrich's Southern-focused candidacy and give Rick Santorum the two-man race he's sought against Romney...

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon sought to enlist public support for reversing a proposed cut in assistance to the blind Tuesday, decrying it as "dead wrong." Nixon said many blind Missourians rely on aid for health care costs and trimming the aid would force people to decide between paying for medication and food or between seeing their doctor and paying electric bills. ...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Mitt Romney ignored his GOP presidential rivals Tuesday as he asked Missouri voters to help him secure the party nomination and take on President Barack Obama this fall. Romney told a St. Louis crowd of about 400 that Obama is content with high deficits and high gasoline prices. The former Massachusetts governor repeated his promises to cut spending, create jobs and boost the military...

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri House leaders say they want an opportunity to discuss workplace discrimination legislation with Gov. Jay Nixon, but it's not clear the Democratic governor is willing to negotiate. The Republican-led Legislature last week passed and sent to the governor a measure that would alter the rules for lawsuits based upon claims of discrimination in the workplace. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Opponents of a new Missouri Senate map have dropped their federal lawsuit challenging the redrawn districts. The plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their lawsuit Tuesday -- the day after a bipartisan state redistricting commission unanimously approved the final map for the 34-district Senate. The commission had made several adjustments from an earlier version to smooth out population differences...

DONIPHAN, Mo. (AP) -- Three people have been charged with killing an elderly southeast Missouri couple whose bodies were found in their burned-out home in June 2010. Charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action were filed Tuesday in Ripley County against 47-year-old David Youngblood; his 19-year-old daughter, Chantale Youngblood; and 19-year-old Keith Boyles. All are from Doniphan...

The Fredericktown, Mo., man charged with murder after giving a woman a deadly cocktail of prescription drugs in June pleaded guilty to amended involuntary manslaughter and drug trafficking charges Monday.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- More than 10 days after the Perryville city government announced it had fired four employees as a result of an investigation into stolen city property, charges hadn't been filed Monday against those employees. Perryville city attorney Tom Ludwig said Monday afternoon that an ongoing city personnel investigation that began in February "had proceeded far enough that it was apparent firing was appropriate" and that a portion of that investigation warranted turning the matter over to the police.. ...

Missouri counties hit by strong storms on Feb. 29 will not get help from FEMA to clean up from those storms. FEMA denied Gov. Jay Nixon's request to declare 18 Missouri counties disaster areas due to damage from the Feb. 29 storms, according to a news release from the governor's office. Local counties included in the request were Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Scott and Stoddard.

Parents of elementary students in the Jackson School District will voice concerns to the school board tonight over the use of a standards-based grading system used in the schools. During the last meeting of the board held Feb. 28, district staff gave presentations before more than 50 parents with questions and concerns about how the system affects teaching in the classroom and teacher collaboration. ...

Health care, energy costs and taxes were among topics Rep. Jo Ann Emerson discussed with business leaders at the Rotary Club of Cape Girardeau on Monday. The uncertainty of whether federal health care reform law will be upheld as constitutional is creating uneasiness among area businesses, Emerson said...

The upcoming nonconference schedule was pretty much a blank slate when Frank Haith was hired at Missouri last April. The Tigers were set for the early season CBE Classic, and that was just about it. Missouri played a lot of soft teams and wound up being the last of the No. 2 seeds in the NCAA tournament despite its 30-4 record and a Big 12 tournament championship...

Cape Girardeau police may soon be investigating a fourth incident involving an assault suspect who shot himself following a police pursuit last week. A 38-year-old Cape Girardeau woman said she has already contacted police twice in an attempt to report a March 3 incident where she was allegedly approached by a man matching the suspect's description in the parking lot of the Cape Girardeau Public Library. ...

Jo Ann Emerson visits with Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland 3/10/12.

Mayor Harry Rediger signs a Girl Scout Week Proclamation for the Girl Scouts 100th Birthday. Girls from Cape Girardeau accept the Proclamation and give the Mayor some yummy Girl Scout Cookies.

Girl Scout Week Proclamation signed by the Mayor

Smoke stung my eyes but it was my choice to be there. My nose was running and my lungs barked out a rebuke to the smoke that replaced the clean air. I shielded my ear from searing heat that radiated steps from my position on the fire line. I chose to work this wild fire and in my smoke-choked misery I began to wonder, "Who does this?"...

Jerry Pledger, of Cape Girardeau and Chad Holmes, of Sikeston set records at the American Powerlifting Association meet held in West Plains, MO, on Feb. 25th. Jerry Pledger -- Master's Division, Age 50-54. 605 Squat, 415 Bench, 405 Deadlift: 1420 Total. 3 World Records and 3 American Records in Squat, Bench and Total...

March is Red Cross month and this Friday the American Red Cross is hosting a blood drive at their location on Myra Drive in Cape Girardeau between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. The community is invited to come and give blood in celebration of Red Cross Month...

It's hard to believe that we are just one week away from the Iraq Victory Party. The event is coming together nicely and should be great fun and a fitting tribute to the Men and Women of our Armed Forces. Join us on March 20, 2012 at 7:00pm at The Plaza By Ray's Conference Center to celebrate the Women and Men of our Armed Forces at the Iraq Victory Party / Southeast Missouri Veterans Appreciation Night...

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO--Tues. April 3, from 9 to 11 a.m., Ellen Hahs from the Crisp Museum at the River Campus in Cape Girardeau, MO will be hosting Barb Duncan, from the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri for a Ukrainian Egg Workshop. Each participant will leave with a beautiful egg, decorated in the Pysanky tradition...

The Cape Girardeau Public Schools board of education recognized Ruth Ann Orr, principal of Alma Schrader Elementary School, during its February board meeting for receiving the Missouri Art Education Association's "Heart of Art Appreciation Award." She will travel to the Embassy Suites Hotel Convention Center in St. Charles, MO, on March 24 to receive the award...

St. Peters, MO -- Adults 18 and older in the St. Peters community will have the opportunity to receive free dentistry services ranging from cleanings, extractions and fillings at Heritage Dental Group located at 4045 North St. Peters Parkway, Suite 200 on Saturday, April 7th...

A Discreet Solutions booth at the gun show!We are a training facility that prepares you for all circumstances.. Our motto is 'Train for everything , to be prepared for anything.'

Gun show at the Show Me Center on March 9th.

Enjoying the Gun Show at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, MO..March 9th

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- State and local governments are routinely violating Missouri's open records and meeting law, State Auditor Tom Schweich said Monday while releasing a report highlighting dozens of problems over the past two years. Schweich said nearly 20 percent of the roughly 300 audits released by his office in 2010 and 2011 contained at least one violation of the state Sunshine Law...

ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) -- Greg Sellnow, a longtime reporter, editor and columnist for the Post-Bulletin of Rochester -- and one time reporter for the Southeast Missourian -- has died, the Rochester newspaper reported Sunday. Sellnow, 54, was driving home from the Minnesota state high school hockey tournament in St. ...

NEW ORLEANS -- One is a low-lying river city built on a swamp basin, a multicultural melting pot known the world over for legendary excesses, from lung-searing food to French Quarter flashers. The other lies square in the buckle of the Bible Belt, an old Tornado Alley railroad hub best known as a Route 66 stopover for anyone from RV campers to the outlaws Bonnie and Clyde...

The Cape Girardeau County Commission meeting was canceled Monday morning due to the lack of a quorum, according to an email sent an hour before the 9 a.m. start time by the assistant to the commission. Presiding Commissioner Clint Tracy and Associate Commissioner Paul Koeper were absent, leaving fewer than the required majority to take action on county business...

A Missouri state trooper continues to recover at a southeast Missouri hospital after a weekend shooting. Missouri State Highway Patrol Cpl. Shane Stewart is expected to survive after making it through surgery. He was shot Saturday on Interstate 55 in New Madrid County...

Dr. Diana Rogers-Adkinson has been named dean of the College of Education at Southeast Missouri State University. She is the chairwoman of the Department of Special Education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Rogers-Adkinson has held that position since May 2006. Pending final board of regents' approval, she will begin at Southeast on July 1. She is replacing Dr. Tamela Randolph, who has been serving as interim dean...

BILOXI, Miss. -- Republican presidential contenders and their super PAC supporters campaigned aggressively on land, through the mail and over the airwaves Monday on the eve of primaries in Alabama and Mississippi with the potential to solidify or shake Mitt Romney's standing as front-runner...

NEW YORK -- U.S. stocks struggled for direction Monday, unsure of what to make of news about Greece's debt workout and eclectic announcements from a few well-known U.S. companies, such as mattress maker Sealy and luxury retailer Michael Kors. The Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 ended the day higher, but the Nasdaq fell. Both indexes wavered between small gains and losses for big chunks of the day...

LOS ANGELES -- A terrorist who plotted to blow up Los Angeles International Airport on the eve of the millennium, now halfway through his 22-year sentence, will have to serve longer after an appeals court ruled Monday that the original punishment did not fit a crime that a judge said could have rivaled Sept. 11...

SAN FRANCISCO -- In everything it does, from product design to business deals, Apple strives for as much control as possible. But as the world's most valuable company sets out to define and dominate the rapidly evolving markets it created with the iPhone and the iPad, Apple is likely to face antitrust regulators who want to curb its power...

BUFORD, Wyo. -- What's advertised as the smallest town in the United States is scheduled to go up for auction next month. Buford, between Cheyenne and Laramie in southeast Wyoming, is famous for having just one inhabitant, Don Sammons. Sammons plans to retire from managing his businesses at Buford and move on. The auction is set for noon April 5...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A bipartisan commission passed new Senate boundaries Monday, approving adjustments from its earlier proposal that are designed to smooth population differences among Missouri districts.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri's lengthy method of allotting Republican presidential delegates begins Tuesday night in a single rural county in the southwest corner of the state. It won't culminate until June, at a state convention that finally will settle which candidate gets the bulk of Missouri's 52 delegates...

Today is Tuesday, March 13, the 73rd day of 2012. There are 293 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 13, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed a measure prohibiting Union military officers from returning fugitive slaves to their owners, effectively superseding the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850...

LONDON -- Kiefer Sutherland admits he had no intention of going back to television after the action-packed "24" ended -- but that all changed when he read the script for "Touch." The U.S. actor was starring on Broadway in a play called "That Championship Season" when he was approached with the script for the science fiction drama...

Last week a record number of students participated in the 56th annual Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair held at the Show Me Center. The students, 462 in total, represented 33 area schools. From biochemistry to engineering to medicine and health, among other categories, students not only brought their project to the competition but were also prepared to explain what led them to the idea, their interest in the category and their discoveries...

CONGRATULATIONS to the cast of "The Pajama Game." Unbelievable show! I've always been a movie buff and only started going to live theater since the River Campus opened. I still love movies, but I'm a convert when it comes to theater. Amazing work. And there's nothing like being there. Can't wait to see what's next...

Holy are you, our Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. Amen.

CHICAGO -- More Americans are turning to the emergency room for routine dental problems -- a choice that often costs 10 times more than preventive care and offers far fewer treatment options than a dentist's office, according to an analysis of government data and dental research...

Your body uses carbohydrates (carbs) to make glucose, which is the fuel that gives you energy and helps keep everything going. Your body can use glucose immediately or store it in your liver and muscles for when it is needed. You can find carbohydrates in the following:...

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- An Afghan man recounted Monday the tale of how an American soldier on a killing spree burst into his home in the middle of the night, searched the rooms, then dropped to a knee and shot his father in the thigh as he emerged from a bedroom...

JERUSALEM -- Israel's Iron Dome rocket shield has aced its first serious test. Gaza's Hamas rulers have been careful to stay on the sidelines. And Islamic Jihad -- now closer to Iran than is its larger rival Hamas -- is taking the lead in this round against Israel...

The stop signs on Good Hope Street at Ellis Street were removed yesterday and stop signs were instead placed on Ellis Street at Good Hope Street, as they were prior to December 1985; the change comes as the result of a vote by the city council to change the signs in an effort to reduce the high number of traffic accidents at the intersection that have plagued it since the signs were changed...

Son to Ryan Moore and Deborah Jackson of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 4:49 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012. Name, Ian Robert. Weight, 5 pounds, 9 ounces. Ms. Jackson is the daughter of Kathy and Bill Warren of St. Charles, Mo., and Burt and Christal Jackson of West Lake, Mich. She is a history teacher. Moore is the son of Jack Moore of Washingtonville, N.Y., and Terri Moore of New Paltz, N.Y. He is a manager at Procter & Gamble...

The St. Vincent senior recently signed a letter of intent with Missouri State

SIKESTON, Mo. -- East- and westbound U.S. 60 from Highway 114 at Morehouse, Mo., to County Road 593 in Stoddard County will be reduced to one lane as railroad company crews remove the railroad tracks. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 26 to 30. The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near the area...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Southbound Interstate 55 in Perry County will be reduced to one lane with a 12-foot width restriction this week as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform pavement repairs. The first section of highway is between mile markers 126 and 123, and the second section is from mile marker 118 to 115...

Southeast Missouri State senior third baseman Trenton Moses has lived up to his billing as a preseason All-American and the Ohio Valley Conference preseason player of the year in the early stages of this season. The Advance High School graduate's strong play was recognized Monday when he was named the OVC player of the week for the second time this year...

JOPLIN, Mo. -- A decision by the U.S. Postal Service to stop door or porch delivery of mail in the parts of Joplin most severely damaged in last year's tornado has drawn complaints from residents and a grievance by union postal workers. The postal service decided to install curbside or neighborhood collection boxes in neighborhoods where expedited debris removal occurred after the May 22 tornado devastated parts of Joplin. ...

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team will welcome an improved Arkansas-Little Rock squad to Cape Girardeau for a two-game series. Southeast (6-10) and the Trojans (12-4) will square off at 3 p.m. today and Wednesday at Capaha Field. UALR, which has had just one winning record over the past eight years, went 24-34 last season, including 10-20 in the Sun Belt Conference...

ST. LOUIS -- Kevin Costner and Dana Carvey are among the stars who will be in St. Louis on April 21 for the 24th annual Bob Costas Benefit for SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center. Isn't that special? Carvey, a "Saturday Night Live" cast member from 1986 to 1992, was known for that phrase when he portrayed the Church Lady on the NBC show. Costner will be at the benefit as part of his band, Kevin Costner & Modern West...

CHICAGO -- Children with even relatively mild concussions can have persistent attention and memory problems a year after their injuries, according to a study that helps identify which children may be most at risk for lingering symptoms. In most children with these injuries, symptoms resolve within a few months but the study results suggest that problems may linger for up to about 20 percent, said study author Keith Owen Yeates, a neuropsychologist at Ohio State University's Center for Biobehaviorial Health.. ...

The Southeast Missouri State women's tennis team split two road matches over the weekend. Southeast beat Dayton 5-2 on Sunday to improve to 2-5 and tie its victory total from last season. The Redhawks dropped a 4-3 decision to IPFW on Saturday in Fort Wayne, Ind...

The U.S. attorney's office released the following information Monday for defendants who appeared before U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. PLEADED GUILTY Name: Michael Lee Wilson Residence: Dexter, Mo. Charges: Possession of child pornography...

St. Louis posted a 5-4 win against Atlanta but was dealt an 8-4 loss by Washington

Firefighters responded to the following calls Sunday:...

With the start of spring just a week away, daffodils brighten the landscape on a breezy Monday, March 12, 2012 near Old St. Vincent's Church in Cape Girardeau. The forecast for today and Wednesday calls for partly sunny skies and highs in the upper 70s. Thunderstorms are possible later in the week...

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

ANNA, Ill. -- Bertha Alice Rinehart, 101, of Anna died Monday, March 12, 2012, at her home. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Crain Funeral Home in Anna, and 10 a.m. until service time Thursday at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the church, with the Revs. Doug Bridgeman and Clifford Heil officiating. Burial will be in Cobden Cemetery...

BELL CITY, Mo. -- Mary McKee, 89, of Bell City passed away Monday, March 12, 2012, at her home. She was born Jan. 12, 1923, at Ardeola, Mo., daughter of James and Lillie Lewis Mason. She and Fred McKee were married April 27, 1940, at Benton, Mo. He died Jan. 25, 1991...

PERKINS, Mo. -- Wesley Leroy Jones Sr., 71, of Perkins passed away Saturday, March 10, 2012, at Landmark Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 6, 1940, at Bernie, Mo., son of Leonard and Gwendolyn Anderson Jones. He and Nancy Miles were married Dec. 29, 1984, in Oran, Mo...

JONESBORO, Ill. -- Don E. Garrott, 96, of Jonesboro died Friday, March 9, 2012, at Goldencrest Assisted Living Center in Morrow, Ga. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Jonesboro...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- John Fairl Eldridge, 55, of Marble Hill died Sunday, March 11, 2012, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill is handling arrangements...

Ted Richard Coalter, 58, of Cape Girardeau left this earth to be with his savior Sunday, March 11, 2012. He was born April 12, 1953, in St. Louis. His surviving parents are Stan and Pat Coalter of Round Rock, Texas, and Bob and Peggy Webb of Ste. Genevieve, Mo. ...

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Seven states are opposing California's effort to enforce a state mandate that critics say discriminates against fuels produced outside California. A federal judge ruled in December that California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard regulation violates the U.S. Constitution's commerce clause by discriminating against ethanol made in the Midwest. California has appealed and asked to be allowed to enforce the rule while its appeal is pending...

The 1800 block of Dunklin Street in Cape Girardeau will be closed Thursday and Friday for sewer excavation. Traffic will detour via Caruthers Avenue and Cemetery Road. For more information, contact the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department at 339-6340 or Public Works Department at 339-6351...

The Jackson Police Department released the following. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests...

BRANSON, Mo. -- The southwest Missouri tourist mecca of Branson is turning 100. The Springfield News-Leader reported that a tornado that hit the community last month won't slow plans to mark the April 1 milestone. That's because the twister didn't touch any of the venues that will be used during the celebration...

Southeast Missouri State hopes to have an athletic director in place a little more than a month from now. "By April 20 we hope to have made an offer and made a selection," said Kathy Mangels, Southeast's vice president for finance and administration...

WASHINGTON -- Fifty million people in America lack health insurance and the law says most of them must soon be provided coverage. But how to deliver? The Obama administration Monday finalized an ambitious blueprint for new state-based markets that will offer consumers one-stop shopping along the lines of amazon.com...

Our council was provided a semiannual summary of the Transportation Trust Funds (TTF-1 through TTF-4) at our regular meeting Feb. 21. The official ribbon cutting will be during March on two recently completed projects, which are Big Bend Road and the next phase of Bloomfield Road. ...