Stories from Monday, March 4, 2013

Today's Cape Girardeau County Commission meeting has been canceled due to a lack of a quorum, according to a news release issued by the commission's administrative assistant. No reasons for the absences were given in the release. There are three county commissioners; two are needed for a quorum...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House said Monday the automatic spending cuts starting to take place across the federal government, with no end in sight, represent an "empty victory" for Republicans at odds with the party's priorities. White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters it's remarkable some Republicans are calling the so-called "sequester" a win for the conservative tea party, or because Republicans stood up to the president, because the cuts go against usual GOP goals to increase defense spending and border security. ...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Eight passengers safely walked off a small aircraft Monday afternoon at St. Louis-Lambert International Airport after the pilot reported landing gear troubles. The plane was poised for an emergency landing on Monday afternoon. But St. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri power companies would track costs for operations and maintenance for their next rate case under proposed state legislation. The new tracker would be used to compare the difference between the costs factored into electric rates and the expenses the power company actually incurs. The differences would be included in the calculation for electric rates when the utility files its next case with the Public Service Commission...

The Southeast Missouri State baseball team spends its share of time working on bunting during practice, including squeeze bunts. Branden Boggetto executed the latter play to perfection Sunday, capping a two-run ninth-inning as the Redhawks avoided a three-game series sweep at home...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- An effort to ban public employee unions from automatically deducting dues from a member's paycheck has been gaining momentum across the country, but Missouri Democrats were able to stall it -- at least for now. Missouri is just the latest of a long list of states to consider what supporters call "paycheck protection" but that opponents say is an attack on the power of collective bargaining...

ST. LOUIS -- The crows are back. The big black birds, known for their evil looks and loud cawing, were devastated by West Nile virus a dozen years ago, and the population remained depressed until late in the last decade. Now, they seem to be beating the bug...

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com A doll in a high chair, both from the early 1900s, is part of a display by Jan McKernan at the spring antique and collectible show sponsored by VFW Post 3838 and the Ladies Auxiliary held Sunday in Cape Girardeau. ...

When admitted burglar William Artadi faces a Cape Girardeau County judge today, he basically will be answering the following questions: Does the 20-year-old Jackson man want his fate decided by a judge who is on the record for favoring at least 10 years in prison?...

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Shannon Aldridge, center, trains with SEMO Tri-Team members Sunday as they run through Arena Park in Cape Girardeau. The group is preparing for the annual Howard Aslinger Foundation Endurance Run, a 24/12-hour run/relay on March 15 and 16 at Arena Park....

When most students think about going to prom, their thoughts may turn to getting the right tuxedo or dress and deciding who they want to go with. But when Stacy Dawson, an openly gay senior at Scott County Central High School near Sikeston, Mo., told a school administrator in September who he wanted to take to the prom, he set off a controversy at a school better known for its basketball prowess than being a site for social change...

Missouri Foundation for Health (MFH) experts held a community forum in Cape Girardeau on February 25 to discuss and provide non-partisan insight on key issues surrounding Medicaid expansion in Missouri. The U.S. Supreme Court's June 2012 ruling on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also commonly called Obamacare, left the decision of whether or not to expand the Medicaid program to the states. ...

I recieved the following information by email: From the Constitution Party of Missouri: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 27, 2013 Constitution Party Nominates Doug Enyart for Congressional Seat There IS Another Choice ~ U.S. Marine and professional forester, Doug Enyart, was elected from a pool of candidates to campaign for the 8th Congressional District seat vacated by Joann Emerson...

Today is Monday, March 4, the 63rd day of 2013. There are 302 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 4, 1913, Woodrow Wilson was inaugurated as the 28th president of the United States, succeeding President William Howard Taft...

When big emergencies such as natural disasters happen, there are all kinds of responses. There are responses on the individual level -- obtaining care for injuries, having adequate plans for lodging and food and communicating with your family. There are responses on the community level -- churches and organizations respond with help in the way of food or chain-saw teams, for example...

Harry Jake Blank, 81, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, March 1, 2013, at his home. He was born Feb, 14, 1932, in Cape Girardeau County to Edwin John and Freda Margaret Will Blank. He and Hazel Annette Starkey were married June 23, 1960, in Cape Girardeau...

Larry Beakley, 81, of Jackson passed away Saturday, March 2, 2013, at his residence. He was born Feb. 24, 1932, in Piggott, Ark., son of Ulmon and PollyChisolm Beakley. He and Margie Payne were united in marriage Sep. 28, 1950. Mr. Beakley was an over-the-road truck driver and member of the Teamsters union and a lifetime member of the Union Light Church; after his retirement he was an avid veterans home supporter. ...

LOS ANGELES -- It wasn't exactly a mighty victory, but "Jack the Giant Slayer" won the weekend at the box office. The Warner Bros. 3-D action extravaganza, based on the Jack and the Beanstalk legend, made just $28 million to debut at No. 1, according to Sunday studio estimates. It had a reported budget of just under $200 million...

*** Administrative Office Building 1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Routine business * Cape Girardeau Common Pleas Courthouse gazebo contract * Copy machine contract for sheriff's office

Firefighters responded to the following calls Thursday:...

Firefighters responded to the following calls Friday:...

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

With the federal government looking at turning the May Green Garden, at the northeast corner of Fountain and Themis streets, into a parking lot, a move is underway by the city's park board to save and restore the historic site. A process to determine which vacant faculty slots will be filled at Southeast Missouri State University next fall is continuing after an administrative decision to reduce the teaching staff; the reductions are necessary because it appears the university's 1988-89 budget will be below the amount recommended by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education, and enrollments have declined.. ...

VATICAN CITY -- Benedict XVI stunned the world when he announced Feb. 11 he would resign as pope. But in retrospect, all the signs were there, and they even accelerated in recent months. Here's a look at the hints Benedict dropped starting in 2005, his first year as pope, indicating that unlike his predecessors over 600 years, his papacy would end in retirement, not death...

SAO PAULO -- Faithful attending Sunday Mass on five continents for the first time since Pope Benedict XVI's retirement had different ideas about who should next lead the Roman Catholic Church, with people suggesting everything from a Latin American pope to one more like the conservative, Polish-born John Paul II. What most agreed on, however, was the church is in dire need of a comeback...

LUOTUOWAN VILLAGE, China -- China's fawning state media, jaded social media commentators and even poor corn and cabbage farmers agree: New Communist Party chief Xi Jinping is off to a good start. "General Secretary Xi doesn't put on any airs. He talks like an ordinary person," said 69-year-old farmer Tang Rongbin. The new leader visited Tang's sparse, dimly lit farmhouse in Luotuowan village in December, bearing gifts of cooking oil, flour and a blanket...

ATLANTA -- As the cost of building a new nuclear plant soars, there are signs of buyer's remorse. The second-guessing from officials in Georgia and Florida is a sign that maybe the nation is not quite ready for a nuclear renaissance. On top of construction costs running much higher than expected, the price of natural gas has plummeted, making it tough for nuclear plants to compete in the energy market...

It hasn't always been smooth sailing for Southeast Missouri State's men this year. But the Redhawks are without a doubt playing by far their best basketball of the season entering the Ohio Valley Conference tournament. The Redhawks are in the postseason event for the third consecutive year for just the second time in program history after previously not making the field since the 2006-07 campaign...

NEW YORK -- The young couple, married just a year, were looking forward to welcoming their first child into their tight-knit community of Orthodox Jews. Now relatives and neighbors are left to raise their infant after the two were killed early Sunday when a hit-and-run driver struck their car but doctors managed to save the unborn baby...

CHICAGO -- Technology is supposed to make us easier to reach, and often does. But the same modes of communication that have hooked us on the instant reply also can leave us feeling forgotten. We send an email, a text or an instant chat message. We wait -- and nothing happens. Or we make a phone call. Leave a voicemail message. Wait. Again, nothing...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A private Earth-to-orbit delivery service made good on its latest shipment to the International Space Station on Sunday, overcoming mechanical difficulty and delivering a ton of supplies with highflying finesse. To NASA's relief, the SpaceX company's Dragon capsule pulled up to the orbiting lab with all of its systems in perfect order. Station astronauts used a hefty robot arm to snare the unmanned Dragon, and three hours later, it was bolted into place...

The Redhawks scored a season-high 194.775 to edge Eastern Michigan

The Southeast Missouri State women's tennis team split a pair of road matches over the weekend, losing to Jackson State 4-3 on Friday and beating Alabama A&M 7-0 on Saturday. No. 1 Heather Robinson, No. 3 Nikole Novikova and No. 4 Jessica Courtnell all won both their singles matches for the Redhawks (2-2)...

VIERA, Fla. -- Ryan Zimmerman won't test his surgically repaired right shoulder defensively in a game until later this month. He got his offense going Sunday. Zimmerman went 1 for 3 with a RBI single in his spring training debut as the Nationals defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6...

HILLSBORO, Mo. -- Residents in some Jefferson County towns along the Mississippi River have been dealing with water shortages and bad-tasting water because of the low levels along the river. The Jefferson County Water Authority is supposed to provide water for Festus, Mo., and Herculaneum, Mo. But since Jan. 8, it has only supplied Herculaneum because there's not enough water for both towns...

The house at 611 S. Sprigg St., now the Rose Bed Inn, was condemned when James Coley and partner Eldon Nattier acquired it. The two now operate a five-building block that includes the Rose Bed Inn bed and breakfast, Rosewater Spa and Aartful Rose event center. Co-owner Coley serves as chef and described the Rose Bed Inn as "the hardest work I've ever loved." He sat down to answer some of our questions...

WASHINGTON -- The spending cuts are here to stay if you believe the public posturing Sunday. The Senate's Republican leader Mitch McConnell called them modest. House Speaker John Boehner isn't sure the cuts will hurt the economy. The White House's top economic adviser, Gene Sperling, said the pain isn't that bad right now...

Greg Unger of Frohna, Mo., was appointed to the Perry County Memorial Hospital board of trustees. Unger is the co-owner of US Electric. As a board member his primary duties include overseeing quality and financial aspects of the hospital. Unger previously worked as a first-responder and is involved with the Jaycees and the East Perry Community Fair Board. ...

Son to Collin Mosley and Brittany Newell of Sikeston, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 1:06 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013. Name, King Jahlil. Weight, 7 pounds, 11 ounces. Fourth child, third son. Ms. Newell is the daughter of Tommy Newell and Michelle Newell of Morley, Mo. She is employed by Break Time. Mosley is the son of Herbert Mosley and Venita Mosley of Sikeston. He is employed by Unilever...

Father God, we lift up your name, the King of Kings. Amen.

VIERA, Fla. -- Rafael Furcal had hoped to make his spring training debut Sunday. Instead, the 35-year-old shortstop was told to stop baseball activities. Trying to come back from a torn ligament in his right elbow, the three-time All-Star has been told he must have additional medical tests...

Midnight Munchies, a late-night food-delivery service, began operations Jan. 25. Owner Lance Fleming runs the business out of Bel Air Grill, where he is a bartender. Bel Air takes a small percentage for use of their facilities. Food items such as chili cheese nachos, fried pickles, fried Oreos, cheeseburgers, soda, bottled water and tobacco products -- with proper ID -- can be delivered from midnight until 3:30 a.m. ...

SEFFNER, Fla. -- Crews on Sunday razed more than half of the Tampa-area home perched over a huge sinkhole that swallowed a man three days ago, managing to salvage some keepsakes for family members who lived there. Jeremy Bush, 35, tried to save his brother, Jeff, when the earth opened up and swallowed him Thursday night. ...

The New Madrid earthquake happened more than 200 years ago, but its effects can still be seen on the physical landscape around New Madrid, Mo. This month, Dr. Frank Nickell and Julie Grueneberg will lead a tour, "Looking for the New Madrid Fault," focusing on the area...

Steve Hornbeak, a native of Southern Illinois, always knew he wanted music to be his career. What he couldn't have known is where it would take him -- all over the world touring with Lee Greenwood, Faith Hill and Richard Marx, among others. Though he still tours with Marx, doing about 40 shows a year, Hornbeak has returned to his Southern Illinois roots, opening a studio in Anna, Ill., and helping young, local talent pursue their own music dreams...

SELMA, Ala. -- The vice president and black leaders commemorating a famous civil rights march on Sunday said efforts to diminish the impact of African-Americans' votes haven't stopped in the years since the 1965 Voting Rights Act added millions to Southern voter rolls...

Barb Bailey and her husband, Tony, both grew up on farms in Missouri -- she in Cape Girardeau County and he in Texas County. Though they lived in Cape Girardeau for awhile, they always planned to move back to the country someday. They settled in Bollinger County in 1998 and soon took up a number of new pursuits. First came the rabbits. Then the chickens. Then the goats. And, of course, the cats and dogs...

By BrandPoint Content About one out of every five American adults has been diagnosed with arthritis, and it is the most common cause of disability in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, the CDC estimates that the number of people with arthritis will increase to 67 million by 2030. The pain and stiffness caused by arthritis -- and the high cost of arthritis medications -- prompt many people to seek effective home therapies...

By Nanette Wiser ~ CTW Features Don't let economic bad news and dwindling assets prevent you from adopting a smart financial strategy. Make a plan, investment professionals advise, and stick with it. Start fresh, no guilt: If you've made mistakes with money in the past, put it behind you. Focus on a secure financial future by embracing these ideas:...

No question is a dumb question when it comes to your estate, but if these queries are on your mind, you may be ahead of the curve. We talked to the experts to find out what you should ask to avoid common pitfalls in estate planning. 1. What are the limitations of my will? Do I need a trust?...

By Lindsey Romain ~ CTW Features Retirement is idealized as a time of relaxation, reserved for fun and loved ones after all the hard work is done. And many seniors embrace the sunny notion. According to a survey done by the National Council on Aging, UnitedHealthcare and USA Today, most older Americans expect better times ahead...

Oran basketball coach Joe Shoemaker said getting a good last-second shot was something his team would "work on a little bit" after the Eagles'64-52 overtime win against Elsberry in a Class 2 sectional Wednesday night. Oran had a chance to win that game in regulation, but couldn't get a shot off before the buzzer after inbounding with 11.5 seconds left...