Stories from Monday, September 16, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Motorists coming off the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge into Washington are treated to a postcard-perfect view of the U.S. Capitol. The bridge itself, however, is about as ugly as it gets: The steel underpinnings have thinned since the structure was built in 1950, and the span is pocked with rust and crumbling concrete...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri lawmakers have chipped away at the ability of injury victims to win money in court cases -- nixing big-dollar judgments in some lead-poisoning and traffic accident cases, and shielding volunteer health-care workers from all but the most egregious liability claims...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Fears of lost jobs and the possible closing of The Doe Run Co. prompted Missouri's Republican-dominated state Legislature to create a shield against large-dollar lawsuit judgments. Yet, overriding Gov. Jay Nixon's veto took willing Democrats to supplant defecting Republicans -- not the hammer of a veto-proof GOP supermajority...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A Sikeston man is awaiting arraignment for the Thursday shooting death of his wife. Stevie Cordale Lott, 41, was formally charged Friday by the Scott County Prosecuting Attorney's office with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a firearm, endangering the welfare of a child, tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution and being a prior offender leaving the scene of a shooting...

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Police are seeking information after marijuana was found growing in a New Madrid County corn field. The New Madrid County Sheriff's Department was contacted Thursday by a local farmer about possible marijuana plants growing in his field, according to a news release...

Two separate events are coming up in October to help connect the economically disadvantaged with services and a "hand up." Project Homeless Connect is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Osage Centre, 1625 N Kingshighway. The Opportunity Conference is set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 14, also at the Osage Centre...

A Cape Girardeau superfund site is scheduled to receive its third review to ensure cleanup efforts continue to protect human health and the environment. According to Dan Gravatt, project manager for the Missouri Electric Works site, the review by the Environmental Protection Agency is essentially a checkup...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Dignitaries cut a red, white and blue ribbon with giant scissors. Fireworks exploded. And a crowd gathered to watch a parade of historic vehicles. The recent celebration marked the completion of a new bridge at the Lake of the Ozarks, replacing a 77-year-old structure with rusting steel that was nearly as old as the lake itself...

ST. LOUIS -- Yadier Molina never got down during his recent rut. So the All-Star catcher wasn't about to celebrate after breaking out of the skid Sunday. Molina had a home run and three singles, and Shelby Miller and the St. Louis Cardinals remained tied for first place in the NL Central with a 12-2 win over the Seattle Mariners...

With a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture survey showing "food insecurity" essentially unchanged nationwide from 2011 to 2012, Southeast Missouri Food Bank is continuing to work toward eliminating hunger in the region and focusing on children. The food bank provides food assistance to approximately 58,000 people in 16 Missouri counties: Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Ste. ...

Judging from his time in the City of Roses half-marathon Sunday, a spinal-cord injury hasn't slowed Zach Young down. The Southeast Missouri State University student said he covered the 13.1-mile distance in about an hour and 13 minutes, winning the wheelchair division of the race...

Rob Foeste, owner of Broadway Biergarten in Cape Girardeau, rose from his bar stool to tell potential customers who came through the door that the establishment wouldn't open for another hour. He laughed as he returned to his seat. "We have more demand than we have hours to fill at the moment. Which is a good thing -- a very good thing."...

In Southeast Missouri, several spans made a federal list of "structurally deficient" bridges highlighted in an investigation by The Associated Press. The bridges on the list are managed by either the county in which they are located, or, if a state route or highway, by the Missouri Department of Transportation...

My husband captured this picture after we were tracking some turkey's on sunday. Nature is so awesome!! No luck that day though

Our daughter full of smiles on the carousel at the SEMO fair saturday :)

Lauren at the conservation area at the SEMO fair saturday, she said she caught a big ol' frog :)

September 16, 2013 Missouri author, Barbara Watkins, signs contract for film adaptation of her novella 'Thorns of an Innocent Soul' with New Zealand Film Production Company, Zodiac Entertainment. Author Barbara Watkins is a master at describing horrific scenes and emotions of those trapped in frightening situations. ...

I took this picture of my roses the other night and didn't realize I had taken the flag too until I came in and looked at the picture.

The Rev. Fred Leist, superintendent of the Southeast District of the United Methodist Church, will be guest speaker for the annual Old McKendree Day service, Sunday, September 22 at 3 p.m. His sermon topic will be "Heritage and Horizon." The annual service will be held on the grounds of Old McKendree Chapel, located between Cape Girardeau and Jackson on County Road 206. ...

Local children painted pumpkins during a fall decorating event sponsored by Walmart. Standing are Shelby, Ryken, Ava, and Katelyn Seyer. Seated are Holly Lynn with her children, Evelyn Smith and Josalyn Lynn.

While our granddaughter Mandi, her husband Alan, and their three children Silas, Natalie, and Levi were here from Beaver Dam, WI, we took them to the Mo State Conservation Center and they had a great time.

The Missouri Horseshoe Pitching Association held their State Championship Competition from August 30th to September 2nd in Lebanon. 239 pitchers signed up for the four day event with ages ranging from six year old Warren Highley of Harrisonville to 90 year old Reese Warden of Ozark. ...

Hello world, it's been a busy summer for me. Last time we met I had stopped at a place called "DEAL OR SHIP" that had lots of "beasts," with eyes that light up gathered outside and I borrowed one of those to strike out on the road and look for dinosaurs. ...

Down off the bluff and south out of Memphis, Mom and I joined Highway 61 on its way to Clarksdale, Mississippi. It was hot, well past 90, and up ahead the blacktop grew a shimmering, silver mirage. Green grew in various forms beside the road, and like the road grew straight, except for crooked kudzu, which draped untamed topiary over every in-between. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A rodeo clown has performed for the first time since a controversial State Fair rodeo act that mocked President Barack Obama. The Jefferson City News-Tribune reported rodeo clown Tuffy Gessling hammed it up for the crowd during a pro bull riding event Friday in Jefferson County...

Today is Monday, Sept. 16, the 259th day of 2013. There are 106 days left in the year. On Sept. 16, 1857, the song "Jingle Bells" by James Pierpont was copyrighted under its original title, "One Horse Open Sleigh." (The song, while considered a Christmastime perennial, was actually written by Pierpont for Thanksgiving.)...

WASHINGTON -- Glued to your desk at work? Cross that off the list of excuses for not having the time to exercise. A growing number of Americans are standing, walking and even cycling their way through the workday at treadmill desks, standup desks or other moving workstations. Others are forgoing chairs in favor of giant exercise balls to stay fit...

BEIJING -- The iPhone's magic as China's must-have smartphone is eroding. Last year, eager buyers in Beijing waited overnight in freezing weather to buy the iPhone 4S. Pressure to get it -- and the profit to be made by reselling scarce phones -- prompted some to pelt the store with eggs when Apple, worried about the size of the crowd, postponed opening...

The exhibition hall at the SEMO District Fair received a face-lift this year thanks primarily to the work of James Kidd; the retired carpenter and fair board member worked night and day to complete the new wooden partitions at the Arena Building; the new booths can be easily assembled and disassembled...

A primary goal of the Career and Technology Center is to train individuals for the workforce. A recent story in the Southeast Missourian expressed that the CTC boasted a nearly 90 percent job placement rate last year. When considering other education outcomes -- be it graduation rates or MAP scores -- locally and nationally, this statistic from the CTC is overwhelmingly positive...

Son to James David and Lacie Rae Griffaw of Scott City, Saint Francis Medical Center, 6:44 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013. Name, Holden Wyatt. Weight, 7 pounds. Fourth son. Mrs. Griffaw is the former Lacie Wyatt, daughter of Karla Wyatt of Scott City. She is sales order coordinator with Schaefer's Electric. Griffaw is the son of Pam and John Myers of Cape Girardeau and Roy and Debbie Griffaw of Jackson. He is a welder with Standley Batch Systems...

Congratulations go to the fifth anniversary hostess of the most intelligent, informed and insightful political talk show on TV, Dr. Rachel Maddow. I am growing very weary of the county commissioners pushing the increase of our property taxes. When property took a direct dive and homes were losing up to 25 percent-plus of their worth, I did not see the county commissioners running to be fair to the property owner. ...

Michael David Stoffel, 59, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013, at Ratliff Care Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 12, 1954, in Cape Girardeau to Bill D. and Nancy J. Vaughn Stoffel. He graduated in 1972 from Chaffee High School, where he ran track and played basketball...

Carolyn Sarff, 73, of Jackson passed away Friday, Sept. 13, 2013, at Chateau Girardeau. She was born Nov. 21, 1939, daughter of Hiram and Mae Altom Allstun. She married John W. Sarff on June 5, 1963, and together they lovingly raised two children in Jackson...

James Michael Lloyd, 67, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013, at his home. Memorial services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel, with the Rev. Ann Mowery officiating. Full military honors will be at the funeral home by the Missouri Honors Team...

Georgia "Lorene" Heaton, 87, of Cape Girardeau passed away Friday, Sept. 13, 2013, at her home, surrounded by her family. She was born Oct. 3, 1925, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of John H. "Mon" and Ada Jones James. She was a graduate of Cape Girardeau High School, attended Cape Beauty School and became a licensed beautician. Lorene worked at Procter & Gamble, retiring in 1985. She was a member of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. She enjoyed spending time with her family...

NEW YORK -- The U.S. gay-rights movement has achieved many victories in recent years -- on marriage, military service and other fronts. Yet one vestige of an earlier, more wary era remains firmly in place: the 30-year-old nationwide ban on blood donations by gay and bisexual men...

SEDGEWICKVILLE, Mo. -- Roger Gene Dailey, 57, of Sedgewickville died Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013, at his home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill, Mo. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. David McCutcheon officiating...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Hundreds of people black and white, many holding hands on Sunday filled an Alabama church that was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan 50 years ago to mark the anniversary of the blast that killed four little girls and became a landmark moment in the civil rights struggle...

LYONS, Colo. -- The cars that normally clog Main Street in Lyons on the way to Rocky Mountain National Park have been replaced by military supply trucks. Shop owners in Estes Park hurriedly cleared their wares in fear that the Big Thompson River will rise again. A plywood sign encouraged residents mucking out their homes to "Hang in there."...

The Jackson Fire Department responded to the following call Friday:...

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 1 Barton Square, Jackson, Mo...

ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis County man has been charged with threatening violence at his 10-year high school reunion. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported 28-year-old Andrew Middleton was charged Friday with making a terroristic threat. Bail was set at $25,000 cash. No attorney is listed for him in online court records...

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com ABOVE: Vestiges of the SEMO District Fair are dismantled Sunday morning after an eight-day run at Arena Park in Cape Girardeau. BELOW: Barry Blumenberg of East Prairie, Mo., uses a metal detector Sunday after the SEMO District Fair closed....

Former Southeast Missouri State baseball stars Shae Simmons and Trenton Moses recently concluded impressive second professional baseball seasons in the Atlanta Braves organization. Simmons, a pitcher from Scott City High School drafted by Atlanta in the 22nd round last year, was promoted late in the season to Class AA Mississippi after he dominated the South Atlantic League as the closer at low-Class A Rome (Ga.)...

Southeast women’s soccer team tied Drake late in regulation and won 2-1 in OT

ATLANTA -- The St. Louis Rams were really rolling by the second half. If only the hole before halftime wasn't so deep. Sam Bradford threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns, but the Rams came up short in their bid to start a season 2-0 for the first time in a dozen years, falling to the Atlanta Falcons 31-24 on Sunday...

DALLAS -- Vladimir Tarasenko scored the only goal in a shootout to give the St. Louis Blues a 6-5 victory over the Dallas Stars in an preseason game on Sunday night. Tarasenko flipped the puck over the shoulder of Jack Campbell and into the upper left corner of the net...

The Southeast Missourian won the following eight awards in the 2013 Missouri Press Association's Better Newspaper Contest in the daily newspaper category: Second place for general excellence; first place for best front page; second place for best breaking news story for "Murder charges filed;" honorable mention for best breaking news story for "Police: Striking of joggers deliberate;" second place for best news or feature series for the news series "2011 Flood: A year later;" third place for best editorial pages; second place for best sports pages; and third place for best sports feature story for "Delta dilemma.". ...

Mary Kate Renaud has joined the Hahs Agency of Northwestern Mutual in Cape Girardeau as director of campus selection. A native of Charleston, Mo., Renaud received a bachelor of science degree in mass media with an emphasis in public relations from Southeast Missouri State University...

HOUSTON -- Celebrity cook Paula Deen fought back tears as she was greeted by a supportive crowd during an appearance at a Houston cooking show. Saturday's event was Deen's first public appearance since June when it was revealed that in an earlier legal deposition she acknowledged using racial slurs in the past. ...

O Lord Jesus, may the desire of our hearts be to help others and praise you. Amen.