Stories from Friday, November 23, 2012

Wedged between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday is gaining momentum among holiday shoppers. The effort encourages shoppers to patronize smaller, locally owned stores rather than box stores and shopping malls. It has been promoted by American Express since 2010...

WASHINGTON -- It happens every week at meetings in towns, counties and cities nationwide. A lawmaker or religious leader leads a prayer before officials begin the business of zoning changes, contract approvals and trash pickup. But citizens are increasingly taking issue with these prayers, some of which have been in place for decades. At least five lawsuits around the country -- in Missouri, California, Florida, New York and Tennessee -- are actively challenging pre-meeting prayers...

KENNETT, Mo. (AP) - A southeastern Missouri man accused of killing a 3-year-old girl who wandered into his yard has had his trial postponed. Shawn Morgan, of Senath, had been scheduled to go on trial Dec. 10 in Dunklin County Circuit Court. The Daily Dunklin Democrat reports (http://bit.ly/SU0t0F ) the case has been taken off the docket, but no new trial date has been set...

WILDWOOD, Mo. (AP) -- St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese is OK after crashing his SUV while trying to avoid a deer. The accident happened Thursday afternoon in the St. Louis suburb of Wildwood. The 29-year-old most valuable player of the 2011 World Series crashed his black 2011 Range Rover into a tree but missed the deer...

This year's Black Friday shoppers were split into two distinct groups: those who wanted to fall into a turkey-induced slumber and those who'd rather shop. Stores typically open in the wee hours of the morning on the day after Thanksgiving that's called Black Friday because of retail folklore that it's when merchants turn a profit for the year. ...

A rash of burglaries involving the disappearance of laptop computers, television sets and other items was reported over the Thanksgiving holiday. According to patrolman Jason Jurgens of the Cape Girardeau Police Department, a laptop computer, two televisions and an iPad were reported stolen from a residence at 609 Maple St., as were an XBOX 360, laptop computer, a BB gun and an undisclosed amount of cash from an apartment located at 2857 Themis St. ...

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Catron, Mo., man accused of murdering his son has been released on bond, according to court documents. Charles C. Goforth, 40, was arrested May 5 and charged with second-degree murder and the unclassified felony of armed criminal action...

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Wal-Mart workers and supporters marched in protest at a number of stores nationwide Thursday and Friday, blasting the wages, benefits and treatment of employees of the world's largest retailer. The efforts seemed to do little to keep shoppers away, though -- Wal-Mart said it was its best Black Friday ever...

Our daughter Allison on Black Friday at Wal-Mart. She was more than ready to go home.

Tickets are still available for the Heartland Pops 2012 Christmas Show to be held Sun. Dec. 2 at 3:00P.M. at the Jackson H.S. Auditorium. In addition to the 18-voice chorus and 19-piece band, the Pops will also be joined by the Leopold School Women's Choir and the Immaculate Conception Church Choristers. ...

Today is Friday, Nov. 23, the 328th day of 2012. There are 38 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Nov. 23, 1942, during World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a measure establishing the U.S. Women's Coast Guard Reserve, or SPARS (an abbreviation of the U.S. Coast Guard motto "Semper Paratus" -- "Always Ready")...

A recent comment in Speak Out stated that it's time to pull the plug on conservative talkers like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and others. They also want Karl Rove and Donald Trump to be silenced. All this because they criticize President Obama. How about Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz, the Huffington Post, New York Times and others who support the left? Should only their voices be heard, to maliciously slam conservatives, without a countering viewpoint?...

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. As you hit the stores today for the Black Friday deals and eat leftovers, we hope you'll consider the many wonderful Christmas celebrations coming up. Yesterday, Hutson's Fine Furniture unveiled its annual Christmas window. The company's employees always do a phenomenal job with this festive display, working through the evening Wednesday so the display is ready Thanksgiving morning. If you haven't stopped by yet, please do...

Josef Stalin and Adolf Hitler understood the real goal of "nationalized propaganda" is neither to convince nor even to persuade. Its purpose is to produce a uniform pattern of public talking points and sentiments to shape an uninformed/misinformed public consciousness, systematically instituting "safe" and "acceptable" thought and speech...

Missy Kitty has been with us about a year and a half now, and I'm sure I have mentioned more than once that she has shunned laps. She is an affectionate cat and loves to be with us, just not on us. I have been somewhat disappointed, because I like a cat in my lap. And I like napping. It's a combination that just can't be beat...

Redhawks look to end two-game slide at Illinois-Chicago

The Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team traveled by bus for its first three road games. Thursday the Redhawks boarded an airplane as they continue their stretch of six contests away from Cape Girardeau. Southeast is in Houston, Texas, for the David Jones Classic. The Redhawks (2-2) face host Houston (0-4) at 5:30 p.m. today and Texas-Pan American (2-3) at 10 a.m. Saturday...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Two more people have been charged in an Independence, Mo., home invasion that left three people dead and a 12-year-old boy critically injured. The Jackson County prosecutor's office said Thursday that 22-year-old Raul Soto of Kansas City, Kan., and 37-year-old Bobbie J. ...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Prolonged drought is prompting some Midwest farmers to sell corn stalks they typically would treat as waste to feed hungry, hay-deprived cattle. The Columbia Missourian reported that corn farmers are collecting stalks usually left in fields. The leftover stalks are known as corn stover...

Daughter to Cody Reed and Amy Michele Stovall of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 3:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16, 2012. Name, Raelyn Jane. Weight, 6 pounds, 10 1/2 ounces. First child. Mrs. Stovall is the former Amy Thompson, daughter of Troy and Kim Thompson of Cape Girardeau. She is employed in housekeeping at Southeast. Stovall is the son of Mark and Jane Stovall of Cape Girardeau. He is a maintenance worker with city of Cape Girardeau...

As I read about the affair that Petraeus has been having and hear Eric Holder say he knew nothing about it, I have to laugh. This is coming from someone who has stone walled for months regarding what he knew about the gun mess in Mexico. This administration is so corrupt, you can't believe anything they say. But amazingly, 99 percent of the media will yawn and look the other way. Nothing should surprise me, but hey, it's Chicago politics at its finest...

*** JACKSON The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Thefts * A theft was reported in the 700 block of Union Avenue. * A theft was reported in the 900 block of West Independence Street.

CAIRO -- Egypt's Islamist president unilaterally decreed greater authorities for himself Thursday and effectively neutralized a judicial system that had emerged as a key opponent by declaring that the courts are barred from challenging his decisions...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- In his last blog entry, activist Sattar Beheshti wrote that Iranian authorities had given him an ultimatum: Either stop posting his "big mouth" attacks against the ruling system or tell his mother that she will soon be in mourning...

DES MOINES, Iowa -- In the days since Republicans lost an election many in the party thought was theirs, chatter has been bubbling about what the GOP should do to recover. For Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, it begins with the smallest of actions: abandoning the state's now-infamous straw poll...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Wednesday:...

NEW YORK -- AC/DC is finally releasing its music digitally on iTunes. Columbia Records and Apple announced Monday that the classic rock band's music will be available at the iTunes Store worldwide. Sixteen studio albums will be released, including "High Voltage" and "Back in Black." Several of the Australian band's albums and songs have made their way on iTunes' Top 100 albums and songs charts...

Crowe Gallery will display photographs taken by Brian Alworth during December. There will be an opening reception for the show from 4 to 8 p.m. Dec. 7. Alworth does exclusively film photography, color as well as black and white, on medium- and large-format manual cameras. Most of his artwork consists of landscapes...

Alice June "Nunie" Landgraf, 83, of Jackson passed away Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012, at her home, surrounded by family. She was born June 12, 1929, in Pocahontas, to William and Esther Fuehler Reisenbichler. She was raised in Pocahontas and was a 1947 graduate of Jackson High School. She and Robert Landgraf Sr. were married July 18, 1948, at Zion Lutheran Church in Pocahontas...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Rickey Ray L'Hote, 58, of Perryville died Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012, at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. He was born Aug. 30, 1954, in Perryville, the son of Hubert A. L'Hote and Mae C. Moore L'Hote Buchheit. Mr. L'Hote had worked for the U.S. Postal Service as a sales and service associate. He was a member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, and was a booster member of the VFW Post 4282 and American Legion Post 133...

Forrest H. Jackson, 79, of Jackson died Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2012 at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 13, 1933, at Bell City, Mo., son of the late Tom and Myrtle Jackson. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army. Survivors include his wife, Edith Jackson; three sons, Jeff Jackson of Jackson, Robert Jackson of St. ...

CAIRO, Ill. -- John Frey Jr., 76, of Cairo died Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012, at his home. He was born Feb. 10, 1936, in Cairo, son of John Dennis Frey Sr. and Nellie Hodges Frey. He married Nancy Naomi Britt, who preceded him in death Dec. 1, 1998. John was self-employed as a furniture upholsterer. He was a member of the Assembly of God Church in Cairo...

NEW YORK -- A garment salesman was held without bail Thursday while awaiting a court appearance on charges that he systematically shot three shopkeepers to death as they worked alone in their New York City clothing stores. Salvatore Perrone, who was held after his initial Brooklyn court appearance on murder charges, denies killing anyone, his lawyer said...

NEW YORK -- Victims of superstorm Sandy in New York and elsewhere in the Northeast were comforted Thursday by kinder weather, free holiday meals and -- for some -- front row seats to the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. "It means a lot," said Karen Panetta, of the hard-hit Broad Channel section of Queens, as she sat in a special viewing section set aside for New Yorkers displaced by the storm...

Southeast Missouri State, bolstered by plenty of experience, had high hopes of posting its second winning record in three seasons, something the program had never accomplished since joining the Football Championship Subdivision in 1991. The Redhawks fell well short as they continued what largely has been a futile proposition in the program's 22 seasons on the level formerly known as Division I-AA...

Cateye Glasses Studio is Cape Girardeau's newest artistic outlet. Owned by Southeast alumna Rosetta Whitten, the studio offers weekly children's classes, adult workshops and gallery exhibitions. For Whitten, this is what Cateye Glasses is all about: expression and exhibition of creativity...

Faculty, students and guest choreographers are working together to showcase of dance styles -- ballet, modern, jazz and tap -- in the fall edition of one of Southeast Missouri State University's semiannual dance presentations, "Fall for Dance."...

BEAUMONT, Texas -- Two people died and dozens were hurt Thursday when at least 140 vehicles collided in southeast Texas in a pileup that left trucks twisted on top of each other. The collision occurred in extremely foggy conditions at about 8 a.m. Thanksgiving Day on Interstate 10 southwest of Beaumont, a Gulf Coast city about 80 miles east of Houston...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Hamas leaders and thousands of flag-waving supporters declared victory over Israel on Gaza's first day of calm under an Egyptian-brokered truce Thursday, as Israeli officials flew to Cairo for talks on easing a blockade on the battered Palestinian territory...

CAIRO -- The leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood denounced peace efforts with Israel and urged holy war to liberate Palestinian territories Thursday -- a day after the country's president, who hails from the movement, helped mediate a cease-fire...

City manager Gary A. Eide is a finalist for the city manager's post at Salem, Ore.; Eide is one of three finalists for the job, the other two being the assistant city manager of Glendale, Ariz., and the former assistant city manager of Bellevue, Wash...

O Lord God, may we remember the reason for the Christmas season. Amen.

(Record: 3-8, 2-6 OVC) Score By Quarter Rushing Passing Pass Receiving Scoring Punting Kickoff Returns Punt Returns Tackles QB Sacks Tackles For Loss Interceptions Fumble Recoveries...

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- The second half is becoming Laurence Bowers' time to take over and that's just fine with No. 13 Missouri. Bowers scored 19 points -- as usual most were in the second half -- and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Tigers beat Stanford 78-70 in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Thursday...

BRUSSELS -- The leaders of Britain and France staked out starkly different visions of Europe's future Thursday as talks began in Brussels on how much the European Union should be allowed to spend, setting the stage for a divisive and possibly inconclusive summit...

As the light over downtown Cape Girardeau dimmed this Thanksgiving Day, a crowd began to gather -- but not for the Black Friday shopping deals. People came to participate in what has become a tradition at 43 S. Main St. for the last 52 years: to get the first glimpse of an intricate Christmas window display at Hutson's Fine Furniture...