Stories from Thursday, May 23, 2013

FARMINGTON, Mo. (AP) - An eastern Missouri man is dead after being hit by a car while walking in a highway traffic lane. The Missouri State Highway Patrol says 51-year-old Bryan Johnston of Park Hills died Tuesday night. The patrol says Johnson was in the southbound lane of U.S. 61 in Farmington when he was struck by a car and knocked to the ground. He was pronounced dead at the scene. It wasn't clear why Johnston was walking on the highway...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri conservation officials have added 40 elk to the state's population as part of a project to restore the animals to the state. Conservation Department officials had expected to bring only 39 elk from Kentucky this week, but a male calf was born on the way...

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- Get ready for another busy hurricane season, maybe unusually wild, federal forecasters say. Their prediction Thursday calls for 13 to 20 named Atlantic storms, 7 to 11 that strengthen into hurricanes and 3 to 6 that become major hurricanes...

A broken down tractor-trailer near exit 93 causes traffic to back up in the northbound lane of Interstate 55 on Wednesday morning in Cape Girardeau. The tractor-trailer caught fire in the wheel area and came to rest at mile marker 92.8, causing the right lane of I-55 to be closed while repairs could be made to remove the tractor-trailer...

WASHINGTON -- At the center of a political storm, an Internal Revenue Service supervisor whose agents targeted conservative groups swore Wednesday she did nothing wrong, broke no laws and never lied to Congress. She then refused to answer lawmakers' further questions, citing her Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate herself...

Cody DeBrock was sitting on a fastball, hoping he'd get one. Did he ever. Notre Dame's senior right fielder deposited the first pitch he saw from Ste. Genevieve's Andrew Suiter in the top of the fifth inning over the right field fence, putting an exclamation point on the host Bulldogs' six-run inning and sparking a 10-0 victory over the Dragons in a Class 4 sectional...

HOLCOMB, Mo. -- All season long the Chaffee Red Devils have built their success on stellar pitching and a rock-solid defense. Unfortunately, mistakes in both departments cost them dearly Wednesday as their season came to a close with a 5-2 loss to Holcomb in the Class 2 quarterfinals...

JACKSON, Tenn. -- The injury-decimated Southeast Missouri State baseball team hasn't enjoyed one of its better seasons, but first-year coach Steve Bieser has never questioned the Redhawks' toughness and resiliency. Those traits shone through in a big way Wednesday night as the Redhawks began their Ohio Valley Conference-record 19th straight OVC tournament appearance with a bang...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Proposed changes for the unemployment compensation program awaiting action by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon are designed to avoid a several hundred million dollar price tag, and they could make it harder for workers to receive jobless benefits if they are released from their positions after having unapproved absences or violating company rules...

BELLEVILLE, Ill. -- The suburban St. Louis-based supermarket chain Schnucks Markets wants a federal court to handle an Illinois lawsuit related to a security breach of customer credit and debit cards. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Schnucks filed a motion in Illinois' St. Clair County Circuit Court to move the lawsuit, saying a federal venue would be more appropriate given potential damages...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Civil engineers say Missouri's infrastructure gets only a C minus. The regional chapters of the American Society of Civil Engineers released the letter grade Wednesday. It is part of a report card that evaluated the state's aviation, bridges, dams, drinking water, energy, inland waterways, levees, railroads, roads, schools and wastewater. Each sub-category also received a grade...

A St. Louis man suffered serious injuries in a crash early Wednesday morning on Interstate 55 in Scott County, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reported. Andre L. Johnson, 25, was driving a 2005 Volkswagen Jetta south on Interstate 55 just south of mile marker 85 at about 3:50 a.m. when his vehicle struck the rear of a southbound 1999 Chevy Malibu driven by Mary P. Lejeune, 67, of Pass Christian, Miss., before traveling across the centerline and into a cable barrier, the report stated...

The Jackson Fire Department is investigating a Tuesday night fire that caused extensive damage to a restaurant on West Jackson Boulevard. According to Captain Tyson Medlock, the department received a call at about 10 p.m. for a fire at Cook's Bar-B-Q and Catering. Fire crews arrived and subdued the blaze, which was mainly in the restaurant's kitchen, but smoke damage was prevalent throughout...

MOORE, Okla. -- With its single-story design and cinder-block walls, Plaza Towers Elementary School may have seemed sturdy when it was built a couple of generations ago. But a powerful tornado revealed the building's lack of modern safety standards, destroying the school and killing seven students...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Members of the Moore, Okla., community are struggling to find bits of their past in the rubble left by Monday's devastating tornado. On Friday, when the members of the SEMO Health Network's Emergency Response Team arrive, they hope to help survivors to rebuild for their future...

The federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau will make history Friday when it hosts a special session of the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. U.S. Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh said the session, which is being held in conjunction with a continuing legal education program for area attorneys, is the first of its kind in Cape Girardeau...

SAN DIEGO -- Tyler Lyons pitched seven solid innings in his major league debut on the same day St. Louis lost Jaime Garcia for the season, and the Cardinals beat the San Diego Padres 5-3 on Wednesday night. Lyons, who was promoted from Triple-A Memphis after Garcia went on the disabled list, allowed one run and four hits. The 25-year-old left-hander was a ninth-round draft pick in 2010 out of Oklahoma State...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Economists for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have estimated that protecting the grotto sculpin, a small cave-dwelling fish in Perry County, could cost from $140,000 to $4 million during the next 18 years. The actual cost will depend on how existing efforts to protect it are valued, if the species becomes formally classified as endangered and if the area is designated a critical habitat...

Wright Family Reunion will be held Saturday June 1-2013 At The Cape County Park North Shelter #4 --11 a.m.This is the family of Wm.& Buna Wright & Their five deceased daughters-Ethel Winchester-Pearl Roberts-Mary York -Buna Smith & Hazel Kauffman...

The six candidates for the 8th Congressional District on Wednesday night fielded questions regarding illegal immigration, U.S. foreign aid, Obamacare and the recent Internal Revenue Service scandal at a forum sponsored by the Cape County Tea Party at the Cape Girardeau Public Library...

It's that time of year again, when the stretch of Highway 25 between Jackson and Kennett, Mo., becomes the site of the 100-Mile Yard Sale. The yard sale, now in its 15th year, begins today and continues through Monday, Memorial Day. Browsers and bargain hunters alike will be able to find a variety of merchandise from vendors stationed along both sides of the highway...

Organizers and sponsors of the Kow Pasture Klassic recently met at the Missouri Veterans Home to distribute the proceeds raised at their annual event. In spite of bad weather, the event still garnered enough community support to present both the Veterans Home Foundation and the Kenny Rogers Center with checks for $3700 each. ...

Anyone who is looking to hire a personal trainer needs to understand what needs to be found in a personal trainer so you can get the biggest "bang for your buck". Knowing what to look for in a personal trainer should make your experience working with a trainer safe, effective, and fun. ...

ORAN, Mo. -- The Oran baseball team walked quietly and quickly off the field after a bases-loaded strikeout ended their Class 1 quarterfinal against Naylor on Wednesday afternoon. The Eagles' player who had the best game was so upset he had a meeting with all three Oran coaches after the team huddle broke...

Pair of baby doves ready to leave the nest

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jaime Garcia will have surgery on his left shoulder this week and is expected to miss the rest of the season. The Cardinals announced Wednesday that Garcia will have surgery to repair tears in his rotator cuff and labrum. Team doctor George Paletta will perform the operation on Friday in St. Louis...

Today is Thursday, May 23, the 143rd day of 2013. There are 222 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On May 23, 1934, bank robbers Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker were shot to death in a police ambush in Bienville Parish, La...

NEW YORK -- This time, "you're fired" is more than a Donald Trump catchphrase. Fox is turning the firing of real people from real jobs into prime-time entertainment starting this week. The network on Thursday will begin airing "Does Someone Have to Go?" a series where cameras go into small businesses and employees are compelled to rat out underperforming colleagues. At the end, they choose one co-worker to recommend for firing...

A hair dryer is great for drying hair, but can it be used to help get your family "Hooked on Science?" Materials Instructions STEP 1: Blow up a balloon and tie the end so the air stays in. Blow up another balloon bigger and tie the end so the air stays in...

TODAY NEW MOVIES EVENTS FRIDAY EVENTS SATURDAY EVENTS SUNDAY EVENTS NEXT WEEK NEW MOVIES GAMES DVDs CDs...

The following students were awarded Scholarships to attend Southeast Missouri State University for the 2013-2014 academic year: Students fulfill Emerging Leaders Program The following Southeast Missouri State University students have completed the Emerging Leaders Program. Emerging leaders help first and second year students refine their leadership and communication skills:...

SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- Student activists at more than 200 colleges are trying a new tactic in hopes of slowing the pace of climate change: They are asking their schools to stop investing in fossil fuel companies. The Fossil Free campaign argues that if it's wrong to pour pollution into the air and contribute to climate change, it's also wrong to profit from it. ...

It's going to be another busy Memorial Day weekend on the nation's highways. From today through Monday, 31.2 million Americans will drive 50 miles or more to a beach, campground or other getaway, according to car lobbying group AAA. That's a small increase from last year but still short of the record 37.3 million people who drove during the holiday in 2005...

WARSAW, Poland -- A 33-year-old Polish man received a face transplant just three weeks after being disfigured in a workplace accident, in what his doctors said Wednesday is the fastest time frame to date for such an operation. It was Poland's first face transplant...

LONDON -- Two men with butcher knives hacked another to death Wednesday near a London military barracks and one then went on video to explain the crime -- shouting political statements, gesturing with bloodied hands and waving a meat cleaver. Soon after, arriving police shot and wounded the unidentified assailants and took them into custody...

BEIRUT -- Syria's main opposition alliance on Wednesday urged fighters from across the country to reinforce a rebel-held town under attack by President Bashar Assad's troops and their allies from the Lebanese militant Hezbollah group. With its appeal, the Syrian National Coalition sought to bolster embattled rebel forces in Qusair who, for a fourth straight day, came under fierce assault by government troops...

WASHINGTON -- Members of a House panel angry over the growing epidemic of sexual assaults in the military took a key step toward tackling the problem by passing legislation Wednesday that would strip commanding officers of their long-standing authority to unilaterally change or dismiss court-martial convictions in rape and assault cases. Lawmakers believe the revision will lead to a cultural shift and encourage victims to step forward...

In a medical first, doctors used plastic particles and a 3-D laser printer to create an airway splint to save the life of a baby boy who used to stop breathing nearly every day. It's the latest advance from the booming field of regenerative medicine -- making body parts in the lab...

TEHRAN, Iran -- By now, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is well-accustomed to enduring blows from Iran's ruling clerics as his reputation fell from favored son to political outcast. But their intended parting shot -- barring his chief aid from the presidential race -- may be just the opening act in Ahmadinejad's reinvention as a self-styled opposition force...

One of the great honors we enjoy at this newspaper is recognizing those who make a difference in our communities. Each summer the Southeast Missourian presents its annual Spirit of America Award, a token of our appreciation for those who give selflessly...

The Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents authorizes university president, Dr. Bill W. Stacy, to proceed with plans for the university to move from Division II to Division I in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and seek affiliation with a Division I conference...

In the 19th century, Central Asia was the scene of a struggle for dominance between the British and Russian Empires, a conflict that became known as "The Great Game." Each of the major powers vied for tribal influence, military bases, trade agreements and cultural influence across a complex region of conflicting loyalties, warring ethnic groups and few resources...

MOUNDS, Ill. -- Christopher Wayne Terry, 56, of Mounds died Friday, May 17, 2013, at Christian Northeast Hospital in St. Louis. Visitation will be from noon until time of service Saturday at the Church of God and Son in Mounds. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the church, with David Terry officiating. Burial will be in Spencer Heights Memorial Park in Mounds...

Robert Lee "Bob" McLemore, 80, of Jackson passed away Monday, May 20, 2013, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 18, 1932, in Winona, Mo., one of eight children of John W. and Grace Baugh McLemore. He and Darlene Baudendistel-Cox were married July 25, 1987...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Minnie Lucille Hutchings, 90, of Leopold entered eternal life from her home Monday, May 20, 2013. She was born Nov. 9, 1922, in Richwoods, Mo., youngest daughter of John and Sadie Steggers Shoults. She and Paul George Hutchings were married May 21, 1942, at St. Stephen Catholic Church in Richwoods. He passed away Oct. 15, 1978...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Kyle Clemo Earley, two months, son of Hollie Fortenberry and Mark Earley of Marble Hill, died Tuesday, May 21, 2013, at his home. A graveside service will be at 4 p.m. today at Cane Creek Cemetery near Marble Hill. Hutchings Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements...

Dana Marie Cook, 48, of Virginia Beach, Va., formerly of Jackson, died Monday, May 20, 2013, at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, N.C., surrounded by her family. She was born May 1, 1965, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Odell "Dick" and Eula B. Younger Cook. She was a 1983 graduate of Jackson High School...

CAIRO, Ill. -- The Rev. Alex M. Brooks, 84, of Cairo died Thursday, May 16, 2013, at Daystar Care Center. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until time of service Friday at First Praise Missionary Baptist Church in Cairo. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the church, with the Rev. J.L. Posey officiating. Burial will be in Mound City National Cemetery. Military honors will be provided by Illinois National Guard and area veterans...

Twin sons to Johnny Steen and Melinda G. Amelunke of Jackson, Southeast Hospital, Tuesday, April 16, 2013. Clark Wayne was born at 2:15 p.m. and weighed 3 pounds, 12 ounces. Nicholas Ryder Lee was born at 2:17 p.m. and weighed 4 pounds, 2 ounces. Ms. Amelunke is the daughter of Linda Amelunke and Ronnie Amelunke Sr. of Jackson. She is a registered nurse at Jackson Manor. Steen is the son of Viola Steen and John Jones of Grenada, Miss. He is a cook at Cici's Pizza...

Relying on declining, if not evaporating, revenue from the Isle Capri Casino is the price Cape Girardeau will pay for its failure to support much needed tax increases for the public good and the eventual decline and fall of our city's civilization. Obama, capitalism...

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

Firefighters responded to the following calls Tuesday:...

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

1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Open session Communications/reports Public comments Routine business Action items Discussion and possible action item Discussion and possible action Public comments...

MOORE, Okla. -- Dan Garland could feel the latch on the shelter door begin to turn in his hand. It was as if the storm outside were a living, breathing thing -- and it was trying desperately to get in. Huddled beside him in the darkened 5-foot-by-6-foot hole his wife and 91-year-old mother, along with five neighbors and two friends from a mile away -- 10 people and two dogs. ...

Bridge deck replacement in Scott County delayed Replacement of the deck of a bridge on Route E in Scott County, between Bland Street and County Road 327, has been delayed. Contractor crews are now scheduled to begin work at 7 a.m. June 3. The road is expected to reopen by 5 p.m. Aug. 8...

O Heavenly Father, thank you for your great and unending love. Amen.