Stories from Thursday, January 17, 2013

OMAHA, Neb. -- Growth in farmland prices, cash rents and farm equipment sales remain strong despite the continuing threat of drought in some Midwestern and northern Plains states, according to a new survey of rural bankers released Thursday. The report on the Rural Mainstreet Index said the index hit 55.6 in January, down from 60.6 in December. It is the index's fourth consecutive month above growth neutral...

At least two Scott County school districts will see contested races for board seats in April's election. Three candidates filed for two seats on the Scott City and Chaffee, Mo., school boards before filing closed Tuesday. In Scott City, Gary Elders, Bobby Underwood and Lisa Schaefer will battle for two seats. In Chaffee, Christopher Johnson, Pete Dooley and Lori Whistler are vying for two seats. Other Scott County school districts were closed Wednesday because of inclement weather...

A business on Broadway was damaged Wednesday after a car stuck the front of the building. ...

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the United Way of Southeast Missouri and the American Red Cross will participate in a day of service. United Way AmeriCorps volunteers will serve Capetown Assisted Living Facility residents Friday by cleaning windows and homes. For more information, contact 334-9634...

During what has been a strong flu season in Missouri and the nation, the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center announced Wednesday it has an adequate amount of vaccine available. "We've received about 650 vaccines from the manufacturer," said Jennifer Volkerding, assistant director of the public health center. "They are available in children's and adult dosages, and we think those may hold us for a while."...

The total first-day enrollment for the 2013 spring semester at Southeast Missouri State University shows an increase from last year's enrollment numbers. According to Southeast's preliminary report issued Wednesday, first-day enrollment at the university increased 3.4 percent compared to first-day totals in spring 2012. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- An Altenburg, Mo., man is facing four felonies in an August burglary after police say he broke into the house of a vacationing family and stole their television, cash and high-dollar electronics. Among the charges: he drove away in their 1991 Oldsmobile Cutless Ciera with Bob Marley bumper stickers...

A dozen Republicans once again are preparing to state their cases before members of a nominating committee for the 8th Congressional District seat -- this time tonight in Cape Girardeau. The same roster of hopefuls who participated last week in a forum in Salem, Mo., will join the committee and the public at 7 p.m. ...

Kadie Orenstein is quiet by nature, but on the softball field she's calm by design.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- President Barack Obama's call for greater gun restrictions was met with opposition Wednesday in the Missouri Legislature, where Republicans rallied behind measures attempting to nullify any federal ban on semi-automatic weapons and make criminals out of federal agents who try to enforce it...

Quazi Nafis, the terror suspect who lived in Cape Girardeau for a semester last year on a student visa, is negotiating a plea deal with prosecutors who continue to characterize the Bangladeshi national as desperate to impress al-Qaida with his alleged plot to blow up New York's Federal Reserve...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The chairman of the Missouri Republican Party is conducting a nationwide search for a new executive director. Republican chairman Ed Martin said Wednesday that he's already received resumes from people in Virginia and New Mexico and is looking for whoever is best suited to serve as party CEO -- even if that person is from outside Missouri. Lloyd Smith stepped down Tuesday after four years as executive director of the state Republican Party.

Beginning in January 2014, a nationwide, revamped version of the GED equivalency exam will be administered via computer and more than triple in cost to $140. The changes have Tom Robbins, director of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education' Office of Adult Education and High School Equivalency, looking to change equivalency test providers in Missouri...

GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) -- From Oregon to Mississippi, President Barack Obama's proposed ban on new assault weapons and large-capacity magazines struck a nerve among rural lawmen and lawmakers, many of whom vowed to ignore any restrictions -- and even try to stop federal officials from enforcing gun policy in their jurisdictions...

Wood & Huston and employees donated $5,887.00 to the 2012 United Way Campaign. Pictured L to R: Claudia Murphy and Kim Voelker

Regions Bank and employees donated $10,077.13 to the 2012 United Way Campaign. Pictured L to R: Tyler Lipe, Jane Grear, Suzette Schilling, Dan Marshall, Erika Worley and Charles Puls

Capaha Bank employees donated $4,492.16 to the 2012 United Way Campaign. Pictured L to R: Amy Lord and John Abercrombie

AT&T and employees donated $21,225.87 to the 2012 United Way Campaign. Pictured L to R: Erin Hall, Mandy Grogan, Karen Conrad and Maureen Hodges

Drury Southwest, Inc. and employees donated $6,620.00 to the 2012 United Way Campaign. Pictured L to R: Danielle Poyner and Carolyn Bohnert

A 23-year-old woman remained in police custody Wednesday night on charges she sexually abused a 15-year-old girl while the two lived in the same Cape Girardeau apartment. Amber D. Rodgers is facing a felony count of second-degree statutory sodomy for sexual acts police say were committed during a three-month period that ended when police who were investigating an assault say they learned of the abuse. ...

Today is Thursday, Jan. 17, the 17th day of 2013. There are 348 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 17, 1963, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, appearing as amicus curiae (friend of the court) before the U.S. ...

NEW YORK -- Tens of thousands of New York City children who usually ride school buses took subways, taxis and private cars to school Wednesday as more than 8,000 bus drivers and aides went on strike to keep their jobs. "I love my job and I don't want to be looking for another one," said bus driver Robert Behrens, who manned a picket line in Queens...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA is teaming up with the European Space Agency to get astronauts beyond Earth's orbit. Europe will provide the propulsion and power compartment for NASA's new Orion crew capsule, officials said Wednesday. This so-called service module will be based on Europe's supply ship used for the International Space Station...

SAN FRANCISCO -- A new government survey suggests the number of people seeking emergency treatment after consuming energy drinks has doubled nationwide during the past four years. From 2007 to 2011, the government estimates the number of emergency room visits shot up from about 10,000 to more than 20,000...

The federal government grounded Boeing's newest and most technologically advanced jetliner Wednesday, declaring the 787 cannot fly again until the risk of battery fires is addressed. The Federal Aviation Administration [FAA] said it would work with Boeing and U.S. airlines to develop a plan to allow the Dreamliner to "resume operations as quickly and safely as possible." United Airlines is the only U.S. carrier with 787s. It has six...

CAIRO -- Egypt's Islamist president sought Wednesday to defuse Washington's anger over his past remarks urging hatred of Jews and calling Zionists "pigs" and "bloodsuckers," telling visiting U.S. senators that his comments were a denunciation of Israeli policies...

BERLIN -- Germany is transferring nearly 700 tons of gold bars worth $36 billion from Paris and New York to its vaults in Frankfurt. The move is part of an effort by Germany's central bank to bring much of its gold home after keeping big reserves outside the country for safekeeping during the Cold War...

ALGIERS, Algeria -- As Algerian army helicopters clattered overhead deep in the Sahara desert, Islamist militants hunkered down for the night in a natural gas complex they had assaulted Wednesday morning, killing two people and taking dozens of foreigners hostage in what could be the first spillover from France's intervention in Mali...

NEW YORK -- JPMorgan Chase said Wednesday it will dock the pay of CEO Jamie Dimon by more than half, to $11.5 million from $23 million. It's the latest fallout from an embarrassing trading loss at the bank last year, one that ballooned to $6 billion. Ripple effects have been numerous, forcing Dimon to appear contritely before Congress and putting the bank squarely in the cross hairs of regulators and lawmakers...

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland firefighters cut a hole through concrete and used an air bag and a soapy lubricant to free an Oregon woman who fell and became stuck in a narrow opening between two buildings Wednesday morning. The woman spent about four hours in a space 8 to 10 inches wide. Local and national cable news broadcast footage of the rescue effort and showed the woman emerging from the space at about 7:30 a.m...

WASHINGTON -- Americans were angrier about last month's horrific school shooting in Connecticut than they were about the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll. Three-quarters of Americans said they reacted to the Connecticut massacre with deep anger, higher than the 65 percent who said they felt that way in a poll from NORC at the University of Chicago after the 9/11 attacks...

LONDON -- A helicopter crashed into a crane and fell on a crowded street in central London during rush hour Wednesday, sending flames and black plumes of smoke into the air. The pilot and one person on the ground were killed and 13 others injured, officials said...

NEW YORK -- What does the baby of the world's most famous Latin American singer need? Nothing, apparently. Expectant parents Shakira and soccer star Gerard Pique of FC Barcelona are inviting friends and family to join an online baby shower to benefit underprivileged children. Their own child is expected to be born early this year...

Storytelling is a fascinating art, and one that people in this area have been able to enjoy close to home in recent years. During the last five years, Cape Girardeau has played host to three-day festivals in April featuring national talent. While attendance early on was respectable, participation has declined during the last couple of years...

A big thank-you to all the sponsors, volunteers and everyone who attended the fourth annual "Howling at the Moon" fundraiser in November at the Westwood Center. Your support and hard work enabled the Animal Welfare Alliance to set a record for "howling" with a net income of $13,000 for the event...

Son to Michael Stephen and Shontell Renee Boyer of Poplar Bluff, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 10:19 a.m. Friday, Dec. 28, 2012. Name, Landon Michael. Weight, 6 pounds, 2 ounces. Fourth child, first son. Mrs. Boyer is the former Shontell Joyce, daughter of John Joyce of Advance, Mo., and Sandy Wells of Poplar Bluff. Boyer is the son of Harold Boyer and Carol Boyer of Poplar Bluff...

Peter Chan has opened the Chinese/American Restaurant at 1159 N. Kingshighway; the operation is managed by Chan's daughter, Karlina; the family moved to the United States from Hong Kong about three years ago. Christian music singer Carman Licciardello entertained a crowd of over 2,700 at the Arena Building in Cape Girardeau last night; an estimated 500 people were turned away at the door...

Administrative Office Building 1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Routine business Action items Appointments and possible action items...

Cape Girardeau's Parks and Recreation Department is a local treasure. It has been mentioned numerous times in Speak Out and other Southeast Missourian articles, always in a well-deserved, positive light. Cape Girardeau is so fortunate to have such a dedicated, hard working and committed group of management staff and employees. Two who recently deserve a special shout out include Lindsey Wehmeyer and Tyler Propst...

On Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013, Carolyn Lee Nenninger, 65, of Jackson ended her decade-long battle with cancer and was finally free to go home to be with our heavenly father. She was born April 9, 1947, at the old Saint Francis Hospital in Cape Girardeau, to Robert Lee and Floella Wimp Nations...

CAIRO, Ill. — John August Meyer Jr., 23, of Arlington, Ky., formerly of Cairo, died Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, at his home. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Jones Funeral Home in Villa Ridge, Ill.

Scott A. Licare, 54, of Jackson passed away Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 27, 1958, in St. Louis, son of Vincent F. and Lorraine Bickell Licare. He and Lisa Gerecke were married Sept. 4, 1982...

KENNETT, Mo. -- Rebecca Fay "Becky" Goodrich, 72, of Kennett departed this life Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013. She was born Aug. 9, 1940, at Steele, Mo., daughter of the late John Morris and Doris Weaver Ridge. Becky married Thilbert Walker, who preceded her in death. She and Tom Goodrich were married Dec. 28, 1982...

BENTON, Mo. -- William Charles Dickherber, 58, of Benton died Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 20, 1954, in St. Louis, to George and Mildred Ueltzen Dickherber. He and Catherine Ann Tillman were married Feb. 17, 1979...

Harold Dean "Bear" Dickerson, 60, formerly of Scott City, passed away Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013, in Ann Arbor, Mich., after a brief battle with cancer. He was born March 2, 1952, at Dexter, Mo., to Cloyd Dean and Mildred Markland Dickerson. Bear worked at National Lock and as a truck driver the past 20 years...

Hassan Abukhudeir, 32, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013, at Southeast Hospital. Family and friends may gather from 11 a.m. to noon Friday at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. Prayers will be said at 1:45 p.m. Friday at the Islamic Center of Cape Girardeau. Interment will be in Pleasant Grove Memorial Park in Murphysboro, Ill...

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. The Southeast Missouri State University Department of Public Safety released the following item. Thefts...

Fourth-seeded Chaffee routed fifth-seeded Kelly 74-41 and second-seeded, host Scott County Central crushed seventh-seeded Delta 96-48 in the final two opening-round games Wednesday at the Scott-Mississippi County Conference boys basketball tournament in Morley, Mo....

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team boasted one of the nation's top defenses, at least statistically, through the first 15 games of the season. Not so much over the last four games, during which Southeast's defense has been shredded -- especially its interior defense...

The Southeast Missouri State softball team has been picked to finish fifth out of six squads in the Ohio Valley Conference West Division. Defending OVC regular-season and tournament champion Tennessee-Martin is the West Division favorite, while Jacksonville State is the East Division favorite based on voting by the league's coaches and sports information directors...

Southeast Missouri State women's basketball coach Ty Margenthaler emphasized that he doesn't believe in moral victories, especially now that the Redhawks have established themselves as such an improved team. But Margenthaler and his players couldn't help but be proud by the way they battled defending Ohio Valley Conference regular-season and tournament champion Tennessee-Martin to the wire...

NEW YORK -- Conrad Bain, a veteran stage and film actor who became a star in middle age as the kindly white adoptive father of two young African-American brothers in the TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes," has died. Bain died Monday of natural causes in his hometown of Livermore, Calif., according to his daughter, Jennifer Bain. He was 89...

More than 100 classic cars are expected to arrive after 5 p.m. June 25 on Main Street at one-minute intervals over an hour and a half. The cars will be parked for several hours to allow spectators to visit with the participants and to look at the cars...

Cape Girardeau and Jackson will alter their trash pick up schedules in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday. For Cape Girardeau, Monday trash and recycling pickups are rescheduled for Tuesday. Tuesday trash and recycling will be picked up Wednesday. The schedule all other days will remain the same. The transfer station and recycling center will be closed Monday...

Lord Jesus, we praise you for you are the way, the truth and the life. Amen.

The 26th annual Missouri Governor's Student Leadership Forum was held in Jefferson City, Mo., Jan. 9-11, hosting more than 65 college students from across the state and focusing on faith and values in leadership. Students were given the opportunity to share their own experiences and beliefs with each other in order to become stronger leaders in their communities...

Create a light bulb by using a few ingredients from around the house. Materials Instructions STEP 1: Use the electrical tape to secure all the "D" batteries together in a series. STEP 2: Use the electrical tape to secure the alligator clips to the sides of the toilet paper roll...

The following students have been awarded scholarships to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 2013-2014 academic year: The Southeast Missouri State University Foundation has endowed the Marjorie H. Thompson Acting Scholarship. The talent-based, renewable scholarship will be awarded to theater and dance student with a 2.0 or higher grade-point average. ...

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View of Normandy Beach from inside a German Bunker.