Stories from Sunday, December 22, 2013

1. Making Christmas cookies. I'm not talking about the "slice-and-bake" dough that you find in the refrigerator section of the supermarket and is pre-stamped with Christmas trees. I'm talking about the cookies you roll out yourself, then top with frosting, sprinkles and M&M's. ...

Placement of a use tax question on the April 8 ballot received first-round approval from the Cape Girardeau city council Friday, but the council wants more time to look at a related proposal to lower property taxes. Friday's special meeting at city hall was held so the council will have time to vote for again at a later meeting whether to put the use tax question on the ballot. ...

With wrestlers competing in 11 of 14 finals, the question wasn't if Jackson would repeat as team champions Saturday in the Tiger Classic, but how many individual champions would they have. Nine Jackson wrestlers claimed individual titles as the Indians ran away with the team title in the 40th annual Tiger Classic at Central High School, compiling a whopping 439 points. Second-place Northwest was far back with 297.5 points...

1. What are some of the traditions of your family around the Christmas holidays? 2. What are some of your favorite Christmas songs and movies? 3. How are you doing on your Christmas shopping? 4. What is your fondest Christmas memory?...

Blake Alan Smith graduated Magna Cum Laude from Missouri University of Science and Technology at Rolla, Missouri on Friday, December 13, 2013. He is the son of Darrick and Tanda Smith and a graduate of Cape Central High School.

Jeffery Porter scored a team-high 22 points as the third-seeded Braves upset top-seeded host Oran 88-76 and dealt the Eagles their first loss of the season in the championship of the weather-delayed Oran Invitational. Scott County Central outscored the Eagles by 13 points during the fourth quarter. LaRandis Banks netted 20 points while Javonta Daniel added 13 points and Kendall Blissett had 10 points for the Braves (5-1)...

CHICAGO -- A storm with a 2,000-mile footprint threatened to frustrate Christmas travelers from Texas to Nova Scotia with a little of everything Mother Nature has to offer, from freezing rain, ice and snow to flooding, thunderstorms and at least one tornado in the South...

Southeast stayed close but ultimately suffered a 77-65 loss

Today is Sunday, Dec. 22, the 356th day of 2013. There are nine days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Dec. 22, 1944, during the World War II Battle of the Bulge, U.S. Brig. Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe rejected a German demand for surrender, writing "Nuts!" in his official reply...

Leonard and Dr. Elizabeth St. John of Charleston, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Bel Marie St. John, to Steven Patrick Day. Day is the son of and Nancy Day of Atascadero, Calif., and the late Larry Day. Both the bride- and groom-elect reside in Alexandria, Va...

The Rev. David and Valerie Johnson of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Sara Johnson, to Scott Knabe. He is the son of Mark and Barb Knabe of Streetsboro, Ohio. Both the bride- and groom-elect reside in Nashville, Tenn. Sara, a graduate of Belmont University in Nashville, is senior director of creative at BMG Chrysalis in Nashville...

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Lacey of Scott City will celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary Christmas Eve. Lacey and Barbara Carol Williams were married Dec. 24, 1968, at the Church of God in Matthews, Mo., by the Rev. Henry Staggs. The couple has two children, Larry Lacey Jr. of Quincy, Calif., and Carol Lynn Chapman of Richwood, W.Va. They have six grandchildren and a great-grandchild...

I took this photo while it was snowing the morning after freezing rain, sleet and snow fell during the night in Southeast Missouri. From a distance I could see something amiss with the blue jay's crest. When it flew closer I noticed that some of its crest feathers had ice frozen to them. It made me think of Santa's hat. I was lucky to have this beautiful bird fly close to me and afford me the opportunity to photograph it...

Old Town Cape is partnering with Missouri Main Street Connection to sell 2014 Boys on the Block calendars that feature Main Street communities from across the state of Missouri. Each calendar is $10. In March, Old Town Cape, along with the other Main Street communities in Missouri, submitted two photographs. ...

Jackson High School athletics and Southeast SportsCare teamed up for Champions Against Cancer this fall. The boys soccer and swim teams and the girls softball, tennis and volleyball teams raised money at designated games to help in the fight against cancer. ...

Commerce Bank donated $500 to Blanchard Elementary School to help support various needs. From left are Ryan Valencia, SEMO retail group manager, Commerce Bank; Amber Burger, senior financial services representative, Commerce Bank; Mary Ann Lewis, Blanchard kindergarten teacher; and Gina Herzog, Blanchard fourth-grade teacher. Not pictured is Jessica Pattengill, Blanchard communication arts teacher...

The Cape Girardeau Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3838 donated more than 4,000 cans of food to the Cape Girardeau Salvation Army that will be used for Christmas boxes and throughout the year. From left are Floyd Smith, Elmer Schearf, Salvation Army Capt. Ronnie Amick, Melvin Kuehle and John James...

Pet Name: Foxy Owner: Karen Grayson Favorite activity: Playing in the snow. ...

Nala is 2 years old. She is spayed and housebroken. For more information, call the Humane Society at 334-5837. ...

Webster is a young kitten who is affectionate and a good time. He likes to be held and petted. Pay him a visit! You'll be glad you did. For more information, contact Safe Harbor at 243-9823. ...

"I have observed with pain," Leonardo da Vinci wrote in 1470 while in service to the Duke of Milan, "that my Signor Ludovico and his court gobble up all the sculptures I give them, right to the last morsel, and now I am determined to find other means that do not taste as good, so that my works may survive."...

Merry Christmas! Each year I try to share a couple of recipes with you that are somehow tied to Christmas. This year I chose a wonderful version of a banana bread that has many other ingredients that are unexpected but delightful. The other recipe is for mince meat pie. There is some fascinating history behind mince meat, so I decided to share that recipe with you as well...

This Christmas, I'm thinking of tinsel. One of the strongest memories of growing up is seeing the shiny silver strands dangling from the branches of the tree. My wife says in her family of origin, tinsel didn't appear until it was time to open presents. ...

Not up to putting on a formal dinner party for New Year's Eve? Can't blame you. And who cares? Most people would prefer the more casual atmosphere of lots of appetizer-sized nibbles, anyway. To help you pull it all together, we assembled an easy menu that recasts some classic appetizers in fresh ways. ...

Bacon-wrapped scallops are one of the most luxurious appetizers you can serve, not to mention one of the easiest to prepare. And for me, that's a great combination. I like using big, plump Alaskan sea scallops and applewood-smoked bacon. Because there are only two main ingredients in this dish, you need to make sure you use the best quality -- the biggest, freshest sea scallops you can find, and the most flavorful bacon. After that, they are so easy to grill that you hardly need a recipe...

The New McKendree United Methodist Women met in the fellowship hall on Dec. 3 with 32 members present. The meeting was called to order by Mary Klaproth, president. The UMW Purpose was recited. The minutes of the last meeting were read by secretary Pam Buck and approved. Marilyn Fronabarger, treasurer, gave the monthly treasurer's report...

The New McKendree United Methodist Women met in the fellowship hall on Dec. 3 with 32 members present. The meeting was called to order by Mary Klaproth, president. The UMW Purpose was recited. The minutes of the last meeting were read by secretary Pam Buck and approved. Marilyn Fronabarger, treasurer, gave the monthly treasurer's report...

The holiday shopping season was cut short a bit this year, with the late Thanksgiving. The Cape Girardeau Salvation Army knew it was facing that calendar challenge heading into its Red Kettle campaign. Then a major snowstorm hit during a major weekend for donations and hurt the bell ringers to the tune of more than $20,000...

I would like to say thanks to the AmerenUE and city water system crews who worked hard to keep the power and water online during the ice and snowstorm last week. I don't believe they get the credit they deserve. They only get attention if a system fails...

By Linda Tenkhoff and Linda Watts The first weekend of December was slated to be an exciting time in the life of La Croix Church as well as for many other churches and organizations, but what unfolded that week was even more amazing than we had experienced in the past events. We want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to so many people!...

O Lord Jesus, we are eternally grateful for your love for us. Amen.

ST. LOUIS -- Missourians who live in rural areas are far less likely to have health insurance than those living near big cities, according to U.S. Census data. The Associated Press examined county-by-county data for 2011, the most recent year available. The data is for residents younger than 65 since older residents are eligible for Medicare...

Nolan Dean Weber, 18, passed away Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013. After a valiant battle with brain cancer for almost three years, Nolan died peacefully, surrounded by his loving family, at their home in Jackson. He was born April 30, 1995, in Cape Girardeau to Dean and Rachelle Yamnitz Weber...

Joe Allan Morton, 76, of Cape Girardeau passed away Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 20, 1937, in Neelys Landing, son of Ben B. and Clara Louise Jacob Morton. He and Agnes Randol were married May 4, 1957...

August K. "Augie" Sprengel Jr., 82, of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 13, 1931, in Cape Girardeau to August K. and Leatha Wallace Sprengel. He and Betty I. Orman were married Oct. 19, 1952, in Cape Girardeau...

Sharon Smith Fronabarger, 71, passed away Friday, Dec. 20, 2013, at her home in Jackson. Surrounded by her loved ones, she died peacefully of stage 4 lung cancer. She was born Oct. 9, 1942, in Cape Girardeau to Dale E. and Hyacinth Hoffmeister Smith. She married Randy Fronabarger in 1964...

Fern E. Fox, 78, of Jackson passed away Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Dec. 16, 1935, in Bollinger County, Mo., to Lester and Lillian Welker Fox. Fern worked privately, cleaning homes and caring for children and elderly in their homes...

Carol Callis, 72, of Jackson, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Chapel. A funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the chapel. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery in Thebes, Ill...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Stan Harrell, 78, of St. Louis, formerly of Chaffee, died Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013, at St. Luke's Hospital in Chesterfield, Mo. Friends may call beginning at 4 p.m. Friday at the Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Chaffee. A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Chaffee. Burial will be in the church cemetery...

CAIRO, Ill. — J. R. "Bob" Simpson, of Cairo died Saturday at his home. Funeral arrangements are pending at Barkett Funeral Home in Cairo.

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. DWIs Arrests Summonses Theft Property damage Miscellaneous...

NEW YORK -- Potential victims of credit card fraud tied to Target's security breach said they had trouble contacting the discounter through its website and call centers. Angry Target customers expressed their displeasure in comments on the company's Facebook page. Some even threatened to stop shopping at the store...

Morris Daniel "Mo" Paschall Jr., 61, of Scott City died Dec. 19, 2013, at his home. He was born March 8, 1952, in Jackson, Tenn., to Morris Daniel "Mutt" and Jean Paschall Sr. He married Patte Ann Bagby on May 15, 1995, in Vienna, Ill. He was an electrician and welder for Frucon Industries. He was a member of Craftsman Union No. 1. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving on the USS Saratoga during Vietnam...

Joshua Robert Downing, 27, of Cape Girardeau passed away Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2013, at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Josh was born Nov. 13, 1986, in Oxford, Ohio, to Nathan Downing and Stephanie Downing. Josh graduated from Cape Girardeau Central High School in 2005 and received a bachelor's degree in hospitality management from Southeast Missouri State University in 2009. After he graduated from Southeast, Josh worked as a chef for the Ruby Tuesday restaurant in Cape Girardeau...

PIEDMONT, Mo. -- Lorene Johnson, 95, of Piedmont passed away Dec. 11, 2013, at the Clark's Mountain Nursing Home in Piedmont. She was born Sept. 29, 1918, in Leopold, Mo., the daughter of the late Pete and Myrtle Rogers Chapman. Helen is survived by two sons, Conway (wife, Alice) Goehman of Arcadia, Mo., and Lonnie (wife, Elaine) Goehman of Des Arc, Mo.; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren...

Flora E. "Flo" Collins, 60, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. A memorial service will be held at a later date. McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson is in charge of arrangements.

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

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests Summonses Assaults Burglary Thefts Property damage Miscellaneous CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY The Cape Girardeau Sheriff's Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt...

SALT LAKE CITY -- A day after a judge's surprise ruling overturned Utah's same-sex marriage ban, at least one county clerk intended to open early Saturday to issue licenses. About 40 minutes north of Salt Lake City, about 300 hundred people showed up at the Weber County clerk's office on Saturday afternoon but later were turned away without marriage licenses...

SAN FRANCISCO -- The threat of another commute-crippling transportation strike in the San Francisco Bay area receded Saturday when officials for the region's transit rail system and negotiators for its two largest labor unions said they had resolved the latest sticking point in their months-long negotiations and reached a new contract...

LITTLETON, Colo. -- A suburban Denver high school student who was shot in the head by a classmate died Saturday afternoon, hospital officials and her family said. Claire Davis, 17, was in critical condition after being shot at point-blank range Dec. 13 at Arapahoe High School...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Astronauts removed an old space station pump Saturday, sailing through the first of a series of urgent repair spacewalks to revive a crippled cooling line. The two Americans on the crew, Rick Mastracchio and Michael Hopkins, successfully pulled out the ammonia pump with a bad valve -- well ahead of schedule. That task had been planned for the next spacewalk Monday...

NAIROBI, Kenya -- Gunfire hit three U.S. military aircraft trying to evacuate American citizens in a remote region of South Sudan that Saturday became a battleground between the country's military and renegade troops, officials said. Four U.S. service members were wounded in the attack in the same region where gunfire downed a U.N. helicopter the day before...

CAIRO -- Egyptian prosecutors on Saturday referred the country's toppled president to a third criminal trial on charges of organizing prison breaks during the 2011 uprising, spreading chaos and abducting police officers in collaboration with foreign militants...

WASHINGTON -- The director of national intelligence declassified more documents Saturday that outline how the National Security Agency was authorized to start collecting bulk phone and Internet records in the hunt for al-Qaida terrorists and how a court gained oversight of the program, after the Justice Department complied with a federal court order to release its previous legal arguments for keeping the programs secret...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missourians can now go online to register to vote or change their addresses on file with elections authorities. Secretary of State Jason Kander announced the new service Thursday, saying it would simplify the registration process and make it more convenient...

PLATTE CITY, Mo. -- A 38-year-old man is charged with driving a stolen vehicle to the Platte County Courthouse to pay his personal property taxes. The Kansas City Star reports that Shawn Simmer of Platte City was charged Friday with first-degree tampering with a motor vehicle. No attorney is listed for him in online court records...

FENTON, Mo. -- St. Louis County police are searching for two suspects who stole a Salvation Army collection bucket. KMOX Radio reports that the bucket, filled with holiday donations from shoppers, was taken last week from outside a Shop N Save store in Fenton. Police say that will the volunteer bell ringer was on break, two women used bolt cutters to cut the padlock from the bucket and take it...

The world famous Harlem Globetrotters will hit the court at the Show Me Center on Jan. 13 as part of their 2014 "Fans Rule" World Tour. The Globetrotters will return to Cape Girardeau to thrill fans and bring new twists to their special style of basketball, according to a news release from the Show Me Center, Last year, the Globetrotters let fans vote on new rules to be used in games; the new rules were so popular the Globetrotters are implementing them again during this year's tour...

No one was injured, no damage was found, and no weapon was recovered after someone reported hearing gunfire early Friday morning in Cape Girardeau, police said. About 2:15 a.m. Friday, officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 1700 block of Cape Meadows Circle, said Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department...

Tickets are on sale now for an upcoming concert featuring a pair of popular Christian rock bands. Third Day and Skillet will perform March 2 at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau. Atlanta-based Third Day, inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2009, has won four Grammy awards, 24 career GMA Dove Awards, an American Music Award and a Vanguard Award for songwriting, according to the Show Me Center's website...

Cape Girardeau police are seeking the public's help to find a man suspected of stealing a sword Thursday from a local antique store. Police received a report Thursday evening about a man who came into Annie Laurie's, 536 Broadway, about 5:45 p.m. and looked at a military-type sword with a gold handle several times, public information officer Darin Hickey of the Cape Girardeau Police reported...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Police are looking for a suspect in a Nov. 30 shooting that wounded two people. Deidrick L. "DD" Reed, 26, of Charleston, Mo., was charged Tuesday with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in connection with the shooting at the Eagles Club, 219 Trotter St., the Sikeston Department of Public Safety said in a news release Friday...

All the local high school events reported Friday to the Southeast Missourian.

Although it was impossible to know it at the time, the tone was set for the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team on Saturday when Jordan Hunter was called for a foul 10 seconds into the game. Hunter was called for her second foul less than two minutes into the game, and the team fell into a hole it never climbed out of in a 77-66 road loss to Missouri State...

ST. LOUIS -- Rayvonte Rice pulled his jersey over his head during the celebration, showing off an Illinois tattoo. "It was a big game," Rice said after Illinois beat No. 23 Missouri 65-64 in the annual Braggin' Rights game Saturday. Rice got a chance to celebrate because teammate Tracy Abrams kept his emotions in check. Abrams made two free throws with 4.6 seconds left for the decisive points...

The Buccaneers bring a 4-10 record to St. Louis to face the 6-8 Rams

ST. LOUIS -- The teenage serial bank robber dubbed by the FBI as the "I-55 Bandit" for a series of crimes in five states -- including Cape Girardeau -- pleaded guilty Friday in federal court. Andrew Maberry, 19, of O'Fallon, Ill., entered the guilty plea to a bank robbery charge in U.S. District Court in St. Louis. A sentencing date was not set, but Maberry could face up to 20 years in prison...

The DFA, a Christian-oriented troupe of high school- and college-age actors and actresses, will present its second Sherlock Holmes-themed play of the last year at 10:45 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. today at Jackson Church of the Nazarene at 2245 Old Toll Rd. in Jackson...

You who are lonely: He loves you. You who are afraid: He loves you. You who are sad: He loves you. You who feel like you're not enough: You are more than enough -- He loves you. You who are running low on hope: He loves you. You who are worried and anxious: Accept his peace -- He loves you...

Senior Josie Long averaged 21.6 points over three games in helping the Woodland girls basketball team to its first Lady Devils Invitational title.

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Families of some of the 270 people who died in the bombing of an airliner over Scotland 25 years ago gathered Saturday for memorial services in the U.S. and Britain. Bagpipes played and wreaths were laid in the Scottish town of Lockerbie, and services were being held at London's Westminster Abbey...

Three people are killed when a Saint Francis Medical Center Air Evac helicopter crashes and burns in a fog-shrouded field southwest of Cape Girardeau; dead are James Rhodes, 7, son of Sandra Wilson of Marion, Ill.; flight nurse Karen Scherer, 22, of Anna, Ill., and respiratory therapist Julie Huttegger, 22, of Cape Girardeau; the pilot, Sheldon Rudzek, 39, of Cape Girardeau, is in critical condition at a local hospital...

Author, lawyer and sports agent Ronald M. Shapiro spoke at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce in May 2008 about his book "Dare to Prepare: How to Win Before You Begin." Having represented baseball stars, including Hall of Famers Cal Ripken Jr. and Kirby Puckett, as well as current Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer, Shapiro shared stories about the art of preparation...