Stories from Sunday, July 28, 2013

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- A body found Thursday in a St. Francois County, Mo., septic tank was identified Friday as a Cape Girardeau man who had been missing since December. St. Francois County Sheriff Dan Bullock said the remains are those of 38-year-old Samuel Francis, a tattoo artist who lived in Cape Girardeau at the time of his disappearance...

Bright sunshine combined with a cool breeze brought out a sizable crowd Saturday to enjoy the final day of the Jackson Homecomers celebration. Tuesday was marred by a heavy rain that led to the cancellation of opening-day activities. It looked as though rain might spoil everyone's fun again Friday, but the main event for that evening, the talent show finals, were moved indoors to the American Legion Post 138 hall so nearly 100 friends and family members could cheer on their favorite contestant...

The only motion considered Friday at the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents meeting was to award a contract for the university's River Campus expansion project. The board unanimously voted at a special teleconference meeting to award the contract to the lowest bidder, River City Construction LLC of East Peoria, Ill...

ST. LOUIS -- Rams running back Daryl Richardson expects a heated training camp competition with teammate Isaiah Pead for the vacant spot left by the departure of long-time standout Steven Jackson. But the battle won't extend off the field. Richardson and Pead are not only roommates but the best of friends. The two second-year players bonded together last season as rookies and that kinship remains strong even though they are fighting for the same starting position...

The Eureka Post 177 Senior American Legion baseball team captured its first zone championship Saturday. Eureka's joy came at the expense of Jackson's disappointment as Post 158 wasn't far off from winning its first zone title and earning its first state tournament berth...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- With the help of a few Democrats, Missouri's Republican-led Legislature appears to be positioned to override Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of a high-profile bill that seeks to nullify federal gun-control laws in the state and make criminals out of federal agents who attempt to enforce them...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Flanked by the state budget director and his top legal analyst, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon spent over an hour Friday telling a large group of school administrators, teachers and community members why they should support his fight against a veto override of House Bill 253...

8U MO Bulls take third Sunday, July 28 in Columbia, MO at the coach pitch Sho-Me Games Pictured left to right first row: Aaron Eubanks, Colton Hartle, Bryce Sides, Nolan McGuire, Will Dodson, Tryston Duby, Blake Graviett Second row: Caden Marx, Cole Lemons, Landon Hiett, Will Morgan, Mark Paganos...

St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park, just off Going-To-The-Sun highway.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Friday filed the St. Johns Bayou and New Madrid Floodway Project draft environmental impact statement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to a news release. Printed copies of the draft statement are available at the following libraries:...

UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Candace Parker had a blast in her All-Star debut. Parker scored a record 23 points to lead the West to a 102-98 win over the East on Saturday and earn MVP honors. The Los Angeles Sparks star was voted a starter for the 2011 game, but she couldn't play because of a knee injury. This time, she put on a show...

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Rocket Man got his fuel back. Finally. Ryan Newman snatched the pole away from Jimmie Johnson with a blistering lap of 187.531 mph around Indianapolis Motor Speedway to set a track record for NASCAR races at the Brickyard. Newman was the last of the 45 drivers to make a qualifying attempt Saturday as Johnson's No. ...

The Plaza Tire Capahas were forced to work overtime during their opening game of their 32nd straight National Baseball Congress World Series appearance. It was more than worth it for the Capahas, who pulled out a scintillating 5-4, 13-inning victory Saturday night over the Kansas Alumni, a team primarily made up of former pro players...

The woman wearing the Ryan Fraud jersey was only telling the truth when the Milwaukee Brewers threatened to toss her out of the ballpark the other day for exercising her freedom of expression. Imagine what they would have done if there was enough room to add more words to the back of the jersey. Liar and cheat are two that certainly fit well for the exiled left fielder, who went from beloved superstar to baseball pariah in less time than it takes to mail off a decent urine sample...

Today is Sunday, July 28, the 209th day of 2013. There are 156 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 28, 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced the end of coffee rationing, which had limited people to one pound of coffee every five weeks since it began in November 1942...

Laura Suzanne Brockman and Dr. Christopher McHaney Thompson were married April 27, 2013, at Loose Park in Kansas City, Mo. Greg Sadler performed the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Gary and Kim Brockman of Shawnee, Kan. The groom is the son of Ed and Marsha Thompson of Cape Girardeau...

Sarah Elizabeth Hoffman and Anthony Steven Bollinger were married June 1, 2013, in the vineyard at River Ridge Winery at Commerce, Mo. Benjamin Bradley Golden performed the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Ken and Karen Hoffman of Cape Girardeau and Steve and Vicki Bollinger of Jackson...

Amy Williams of Andalusia, Ala., announces the engagement of her daughter, Britton Azalee Williams, to Daniel Stephen Robert, both of Madison, Ala. He is the son of Richard and Linda Robert of Cape Girardeau. Williams is also the daughter of the late Taylor Williams...

Ralph and Evelyn Wille of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Kelli Ann Wille, to Caleb Aaron Smothers. He is the son of Harlan and Doris Smothers of Cape Girardeau. Wille is a 2004 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School. She is employed at SoutheastHEALTH...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Duane and Karen Schindler of Perryville announce the engagement of their daughter, Bethany Nicole Schindler, to Jacob Henry Bachmann. He is the son of Kevin and Joann Bachmann of Perryville. Schindler is a 2005 graduate of Perryville High School. ...

Rodney and Betty Roberts of Oak Ridge announce the engagement of their daughter, Camie Lynn Roberts, to Jonathan Ray Taylor. He is the son of David and Theresa Taylor of McClure, Ill. Roberts is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School. She is employed at TG Missouri in Perryville, Mo...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Gregory and Sandra Haertling of Perryville announce the engagement of their daughter, Jessica Rae Birchler, to Adam Joseph Naeger. He is the son of Brian and Connie Naeger of Ste. Genevieve, Mo. Birchler is a 2009 graduate of Perryville High School. She received a bachelor of science degree in agriculture business from Southeast Missouri State University in 2013. She is employed at Baker Implement Co. in Cape Girardeau...

BENTON, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Cletus Lux of Benton hosted a party July 20, 2013, in celebration of their 70th wedding anniversary. The event was held at St. Lawrence Parish Hall in New Hamburg, Mo. Cletus and Rita Halter were married July 24, 1943, at St. Ambrose Church in Chaffee, Mo...

ORAN, Mo. -- Mr. and Mrs. Bill Hency of Oran celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a trip to Branson, Mo., hosted and attended by their daughters and sons-in-law. Bill and Ruth were married July 20, 1953, at First Baptist Church in Oran...

The tiger in the Missouri woods is a butterfly. My picture shows a male eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly on the flower of a buttonbush. It has four black stripes along the shoulders of its front wings. Males may or may not have a bit of orange coloration on their hind wings...

By Jeremy Griffin & Amber Webb-Griffin PARENTS Dear Sadie Ann, You arrived at 3:25 p.m. July 10, 2013, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. You were 7 pounds, 5 ounces and 21 inches long. We can't decide who you look like yet, but you do have mama's nose, hair color, eye shape and daddy's eye color. ...

Miki Gudermuth, executive director of SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence, received a lifetime achievement award and a resolution from the Missouri Senate at the Illinois Summit gathering in St. Charles, Mo. Gudermuth, who contracted polio at age nine months, formed SADI in 1983 out of a support group for post-polio syndrome. ...

Local businesses contributed to the welcome Cape Girardeau gave to the 2013 Hemmings Motor News Great Race by hosting Pitstop Parties along the route into town and welcome parties in the downtown Riverfront district near the finish line. Mississippi Mutts, 1231 Broadway, was given the Pitstop Party award by the local Great Race committee. Pastime Antiques, 45 N. Main St., won the Welcome Party award...

Kylie Sissom, daughter of Mickey and Kara Sissom of Cape Girardeau, is a finalist in the National American Miss Missouri Pageant on Aug. 10 in Columbia. National American Miss pageants are for girls ages 4 to 18 and have five age divisions. Kylie will participate in the Junior Preteen age division. ...

Do you think someone else can make you happy? Can another person fix your life or can someone else make your dreams come true? I have a friend who's a minister. In many of his sermons, he often asks: "How are you doing?" Then he adds, "Well, I hope you're doing well, but if you're not, you had better do something about it," or sometimes he says. ...

There are certain things that go together: peanut butter and chocolate, cookies and milk, salsa and chips. They just have a natural fit. Not all pairs have the same effect as cookies and milk. Some pairs create confusion and chaos. In the New Testament book of James we read; "For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind" (James 3:16, ESV)...

We have the very best volunteers at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Each of them goes about their volunteer duties and do each job with precision. The Center uses at least 20 volunteers each day and it certainly is a struggle to find that many each day...

Editor's note: Elizabeth Karmel is a grilling and Southern foods expert and executive chef at Hill Country Barbecue Market restaurants in New York and Washington, as well as Hill Country Chicken in New York. She is the author of three cookbooks, including "Soaked, Slathered and Seasoned."...

Pet Names: Tiger and Audrey Owner: Elizabeth and Lorelai Clubb Favorite activity: Relaxing on a freshly made bed. ...

Earl is a really neat cat and a handsome fellow. He's sweet and calm, and purrs when you pet him. For more information, call Safe Harbor at 243-9823. ...

Trigger is a 3-year-old male lab available for adoption. For more information, call the Humane Society at 334-5837. ...

The following area graduates received master's degrees at spring 2013 commencement ceremonies at Southeast Missouri State University:Advance The following area graduates received degrees with academic distinction at spring 2013 commencement ceremonies at Southeast Missouri State University:...

Saint Francis Medical Center will host a free Living a Healthy Life workshop beginning Aug. 27. The six-week workshop, a proven self-management education program for those with chronic health problems, will address arthritis, diabetes and lung and heart disease and will teach skills for managing a variety of other chronic diseases. ...

LOS ANGELES -- The luckiest day of Niblett's life had to be when he was returned to the animal shelter in Virginia where he had been adopted. Excessive barking when he was left alone in the yard earned the terrier mix his return trip in 2000. But he soon was re-adopted by Robin Robertson Starr, chief executive officer of the Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, whose family loved him unconditionally and never left him alone again...

After 48 years (and two months), Dr. Robert Hamblin recently retired from his post as English professor at Southeast Missouri State University. He had a lot of influence over students during that time, a record at Southeast Missouri State (by two months). But his experience was felt beyond the classroom...

Editor's note: Adrienne Ross recently spoke in Cape Girardeau at the Cape County Republican Women's Club. By Adrienne Ross Every race, creed, and gender would state emphatically they are not a monolithic group. They are comprised of individuals who have various personalities, priorities and preferences. Black Americans surely are no exception. However, who can deny the fact 95 percent of black Americans reserve their votes for the Democrat party?...

O Lord Jesus, may the words we speak glorify and point others to you. Amen.

Mary Kasten told the Cape School Board that Common Core is an attempt to nationalize education. It certainly is not. The closest we've come to nationalizing public education was the failed No Child Left Behind program, a policy pushed by George W. Bush. Where was Mrs. Kasten then?...

Highway 25 in Stoddard County reduced for milling -- From the Missouri Department of Transportation...

CAIRO, Ill. -- Tauby Ryan, 61, of Cairo died Friday afternoon, July 26, 2013, at his home. He was born July 8, 1952, in Cairo, the son of the late William and Patricia Aydt Ryan. He retired from Buzzi Unicem Corp. in Cape Girardeau. Tauby was an avid fisherman and hunter and was a member of St. ...

Lorene E. Walter, 85, passed away Thursday, July 25, 2013, at her home in Jackson. One of 18 children, Lorene was born May 15, 1928, in Scopus, Mo., to Miles O. and Ruth A. Long Lincoln. She and Calvin G. Walter were married June 13, 1947, in Leachville, Ark. They had been married 57 years when Calvin passed away Oct. 1, 2004...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Virginia L. Gremore, 87, of Sikeston died July 15, 2013, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Born Oct. 12, 1925, in Fruitland to the late William Paul and Blanche Morton McDowell, she retired from Southwestern Bell where she was a telephone operator and a lifetime member of the "Pioneers" of Southwestern Bell...

Samuel J. Francis, 38, of Cape Girardeau passed away July 25, 2013, in Bonne Terre, Mo. He was born Aug. 5, 1974, the son of Gary and Donna Calvert Francis. Sam had been a tattoo artist. He grew up in the General Baptist faith and also attended the Indian Fellowship. He was a 1991 graduate of Thomas W. Kelly High School...

Roland "Bud" Estes Jr., 89, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, July 27, 2013, at Chateau Girardeau Health Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 16, 1924, in Cape Girardeau to Roland Bern and Grace Rebecca Morton Estes Sr. He and Ruth Charlotte Deevers were married Dec. 19, 1945, at Jackson. She preceded him in death...

Harlan P. "Bud" Hager, 87, of Jackson died Thursday, July 25, 2013, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 27, 1925, in Gordonville to Arthur J. and Clara A. Probst Hager. Bud graduated from Jackson High School in 1944 and attended Southeast Missouri State University...

Carolyn J. Rybicki, 75, of Millersville passed away Sunday, July 2, 2013, in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Monday at Adduci-Zimny Funeral Home in Posen, Ill. Chapel prayers will be at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mary Cemetery...

Everett Carl Copeman, 65, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 26, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center. There will be no services at this time. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Jewell Ryan, 84, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, July 27, 2013, at Southeast Hospital. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Shirley Ann Russell, 75, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 26, 2013, at Sells Rest Home in Matthews, Mo. Visitation will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel. Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral, home with the Rev. Donny Ford officiating. Burial will be at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Fruitland, Mo...

Jim L. Blue of Randles passed away Saturday, July 27, 2013. Visitation will be at 4 p.m. Monday at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee, Mo. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral chapel. Burial will follow in Kenyon Cemetery near Delta, Mo...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Betty Jean Hacker, 82, of Perryville died July 27, 2013, at Perry Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Perryville. Visitation will be from 1 p.m. until time of service at 3 p.m. Monday at Whitewater Christian Church, with Ray White officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery...

Son to Thomas Zachary and Kodi Danielle Hotop of Sedgewickville, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 4:38 p.m. Wednesday, July 17, 2013. Name, Brantlee Owen. Weight, 7 pounds, 15 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Hotop is the former Kodi Cobb, daughter of Robert and Deborah Haynes of Benton, Mo., and Harold and Laurie Cobb Jr. of Sedgewickville. She is a secretary at My Camp Inc. Hotop is the son of Craig and Randa Hotop of Perryville, Mo. He is a crane oiler with AMF Electric...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Even before Columbia Sportswear begins moving into its new 50,000-square-foot production plant next week, plans have been announced for doubling the size of the building in about a year; the building is in Chaffee's Industrial Park on north Highway 77...

Larry G. Reynolds, 70, of Glenview, Ill., formerly of St. Louis and Cape Girardeau, passed away Thursday, July 18, 2013, in Glenview, after a courageous battle with Parkinson's disease. Loving husband of Karen Yulkey Reynolds; dear father of Lisa (Keith) Bandolik and Derek (Angela) Reynolds; special grandfather of Tara, Cole, Jack and Harper; brother of J.D. (Marge) and Jerry (Lil) Reynolds; brother-in-law of Joyce (Ted) MacDonald and Lindy (Ken) Selle; fond uncle of many nieces and nephews...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWI Arrests Assault Burglary Theft Property damage Miscellaneous The Cape Girardeau Sheriff's office released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt...

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Thursday:...

HIALEAH, Fla. -- A man set fire to his South Florida apartment, killed six people, and held another two hostages at gunpoint for three hours before a SWAT team stormed the complex and fatally shot him Saturday, according to police and witness accounts...

CAIRO -- Security forces clashed with supporters of Egypt's ousted president early Saturday, killing at least 65 protesters, the Health Ministry said, in the country's bloodiest incidence of violence since the military deposed Mohammed Morsi. In chaotic scenes, pools of blood stained the floor and bodies were lined up under white sheets in a makeshift hospital near the site of the battles in eastern Cairo as doctors struggled to cope with the flood of dozens of wounded...

RIO DE JANEIRO -- In the thick of his historic visit to Brazil this week, Pope Francis urged young Catholics to make a "mess" in their dioceses and break out of their spiritual cages. Francis' exhortation during a special meeting with Argentine faithful Thursday, won him acclaim as a renegade leader of the world's biggest church. But it also left many of his followers with their own interpretations of the pontiff's words about the need to shake up the church...

WASHINGTON -- Striving to get Edward Snowden back to America, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has assured the Russian government the U.S. has no plans to seek the death penalty for the former National Security Agency systems analyst. In a letter dated Tuesday, the attorney general said the criminal charges Snowden now faces in this country do not carry the death penalty and the U.S. will not seek his execution even if he is charged with additional serious crimes...

PERRY COUNTY, Mo. -- Operations at a Perry County sand mine and processing plant will be idled in September for an unknown amount of time, a spokeswoman for the company that owns the mine said Friday. FTS International spokeswoman Pam Percival said in a statement that operations at its Brewer, Mo., plant, near Perryville, Mo., will be idled when part of FTS's operations are sold to Fairmount Minerals, a move that should be finalized in September...

Southeast Missouri State University officials said Dempster Hall "looks good for classroom use" this fall, after a fire broke out last week on its roof. Kathy Mangels, vice president of finance and administration with the university, said during a Friday meeting of the university's board of regents that cleaning efforts are underway to replace carpet and ceiling tiles, and a contractor will start work next week...

OXNARD, Calif. -- Amanda Bynes' parents are deeply concerned their daughter may hurt herself or others unless they are allowed to assume control over her medical care and finances, court filings show. The petition Richard and Lynn Bynes filed Friday not only detail her public incidents of disturbing behavior, including several arrests, but also reveal the former child star has stated fears she is being watched by smoke detectors and devices in the dashboard of her car...

ST. LOUIS -- The new Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge at St. Louis passed a major milestone on Friday when workers dropped in the final piece of the steel deck. A crowd of construction watched as a crane placed a 30,000-pound steel floor beam between edge girders on the Mississippi River crossing, filling the last remaining 10-foot gap on the $670 million bridge...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- When tests determine bacteria are high at a Missouri park beach, officials will post signs that recommend against swimming instead of closing the beach. The change to advise than to close came partway through the swimming season after Gov. Jay Nixon signed legislation dealing with the Department of Natural Resources. The measure was signed this month and took effect immediately...

The Heartland Citizens for Education Awareness will host a presentation, "Successful Self-Advocacy For Educational Services and Supports," from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. The free presentation, will be by Byron Koster, senior advocate for Missouri Protection and Advocacy Services. ...

GLEN ELLYN, Ill. -- It skipped tolls. It had a Twitter hashtag and a GPS tracker. It even posed for photos with groupies. The 50-foot-wide, 15-ton electromagnet attracted a sensation wherever it went during its slow, delicate 3,200-mile journey from New York to suburban Chicago. ...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department is investigating a Thursday armed robbery in which the victim said a man demanded his wallet at gunpoint. Police department spokesman Darin Hickey said just after 10 a.m. on Thursday, an officer responded to a residential alarm in the 400 block of South Frederick Street. ...

CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Cleveland man accused of holding three women captive in his home for about a decade agreed to plead guilty Friday in a deal to avoid the death penalty. In exchange, Ariel Castro would be sentenced to life without parole plus 1,000 years, prosecutors said...

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- A search warrant resulted in the termination of a Wayne County dispatcher and the arrest of the woman and her roommate, who are charged with possessing synthetic marijuana. Krista A. McAllister, 26, and Tonya L. McKinney, 24, both of Piedmont, Mo., were charged Thursday with felony possession of an imitation controlled substance with intent to distribute...

A sloppy, muddy mound did little to slow down Joe Elfrink. Elfrink overcame a steady, virtual game-long drizzle to pitch the Jackson Post 158 Senior American Legion baseball team to a Zone 4 tournament losers bracket win Friday. Elfrink went all eight innings as Jackson routed Dunklin County Post 303 14-4 in a run-rule affair that ended in the bottom of the eighth...

Christmas may be a far-off, much-anticipated holiday for many children, but for 6-year-old Maddy Kirkpatrick of Bollinger County, it's a goal she is working toward to give children at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., a merry Christmas...

In what is becoming an annual event, hundreds of local and area business leaders will be in Cape Girardeau on Aug. 8 and 9 for the Global Leadership Summit at La Croix United Methodist Church. "It's a two-day commitment, but it's a good investment," said Harold Miles, president of the Bank of Advance. "A lot of what is presented at the summit is motivational, some is spiritual and some is practical. All three aspects have benefited me from a leadership standpoint."...

After experiencing a personal tragedy of her own, one Missouri woman chose to reach out to others to share their stories in an anthology designed to help people move through the grieving process and on to healing. Melissa Miles McCarter of Ironton, Mo., lost her five-week-old daughter in 2003 to sudden infant death syndrome -- commonly referred to as SIDS. ...

By John HEUER It seems every time something that will have a positive impact on the city of Cape Girardeau comes our way, a small percentage of negative citizens creates major obstacles for advancement. The Show Me Center, River Campus and casino are examples of facilities that met major opposition before finally being supported...