Stories from Tuesday, January 28, 2014

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Missouri House has given first-round approval to legislation giving deployed military personnel and people with disabilities who seek elective office a chance to be listed first on the ballot. Candidates filing on the first day must appear in person to participate in a number drawing for their ballot order. Those filing on subsequent days are listed in the order they file...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Big league pitchers might feel safer on the mound this season. Major League Baseball has approved a protective cap for pitchers, hoping to reduce the damage from line drives to head that have brought some terrifying and bloody scenes in the last few years...

The 'Mighty Nine' is what the Southeast Missouri State women's basketball team is currently calling themselves, and those nine did something Monday night that the Redhawks had yet to do this season. Between injuries and players quitting there are just nine Redhawks that are currently playing, and all nine of those players scored in Southeast's 79-71 victory over Ohio Valley Conference West opponent SIU Edwardsville on Monday night at the Show Me Center...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A freight-shipping broker plans to hire 400 workers this year in Kansas City. Freightquote, which used incentives to move from Lenexa, Kan., to Kansas City last year, currently employs 1,000 people. The firm moved into its new headquarters in south Kansas City after receiving a state and city incentive package valued at $64.3 million over 23 years...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Officials at Missouri State University have stalled a solar energy project students had planned for more than a year that was to be funded through a student-paid sustainability fee. The students spent 18 months devising a way to put solar panels on top of Meyer Library on the Springfield campus. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- An unaccredited St. Louis-area school district facing possible bankruptcy could pay as much as $130,000 for lobbying efforts while urging Missouri lawmakers to approve a financial rescue. The Normandy School District agreed to pay a $90,000 retainer over monthly installments for lobbyists and could spend up to $40,000 more to hire additional consultants according to a document obtained by The Associated Press through an open-records request. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri prosecutors are organizing a campaign on behalf of a proposed constitutional amendment they say will help convict people who commit repeated sex offenses against children. Prosecutors announced the formation Monday of the Protect Missouri Children committee to lead the campaign for the November ballot issue...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The will be no immediate decision in a lawsuit seeking to compel Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon to call special elections for vacant legislative seats. Attorneys involved in the case said a Cole County judge has asked them to agree on a schedule for filing written briefs before hearing any arguments...

ADAM VOGLER ~ avogler@semissourian.com 1.) Firefighters battle a grass fire Monday near County Road 347 in Bollinger County, Mo. ...

ST. LOUIS -- Attorneys for condemned inmate Herbert Smulls pressed on with concerns Monday about Missouri's execution drug, even as the state prepares for its third execution since November. Smulls is scheduled to die at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday for killing St. ...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- The Bollinger County man who died in a shooting last week was a devoted father of three whose friends describe him as "solid," "steady" and slow to anger. Jessie Liley, 50, was shot to death Thursday morning at his brother's home on County Road 512...

PERRY COUNTY, Mo. -- A Fredericktown, Mo., man spent Sunday night "freezing his tail off" under a tree in an attempt to avoid arrest, Perry County Sheriff Gary Schaaf said Monday. Charles D. Grindstaff, 30, was arrested about 7:20 a.m. Monday after someone spotted him hiding under a pile of leaves on a neighbor's property and called police, Schaaf said...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri Senate panel heard legislation Monday that would require voters to show photo identification at polling places amid warnings from the state's top election official that 220,000 registered voters would no longer be able to cast ballots if the measure passes...

W. Russell Withers Jr., founder of Withers Broadcasting Companies, died Friday at age 77 in Mount Vernon, Ill., where he lived. Withers was born in Cape Girardeau and began his radio career in 1955 as an announcer at KGMO-AM 1550, now KAPE-AM, according to previous Southeast Missourian reporting. He purchased the station, his first, in 1970...

Gov. Jay Nixon's plans to increase college and university funding would give Southeast Missouri State University a $2.32 million boost in fiscal year 2015. The university also could receive additional funding for science, technology, engineering and math fields, as well as mental health curriculum...

A suspect description has emerged in connection with a Saturday night shooting at Cape Girardeau's Arena Building that sent two people to the hospital, police said Monday. The shooting gave an early ending to a rap concert that brought around 1,000 people to the venue. ...

As the region's temperatures once again dip toward the single digits, many are worrying about how much it will cost to stay warm. A recent shortage in natural gas and spike in price for what is available began with the fall harvest, according to a news release from the Missouri Propane Gas Association, when the region's grain harvest occurred at the same time and the large, wet crop harvested required a great deal of propane to dry it before storage. ...

Perry County School District 32 joins communities across the state of Missouri in observing School Boards Recognition Week this week, Jan. 26-Feb. 1. This special week, proclaimed by Gov. Jay Nixon, is held to build awareness and understanding of the important function an elected board of education plays in communities and schools. It is sponsored by the Missouri School Boards Association...

Employees of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway in Chaffee, Mo., shared their abundance with young patients in the Saint Francis Medical Center Children's Center during Christmas. From left are Gary Bentley, BNSF roadforeman; Mike Griffin, BNSF conductor; Karen Welker, RN, Saint Francis Children's Center; Jane Read, RN, Saint Francis Children's Center; and John Neel, BNSF trainmaster...

I took this of a little bird in our yard trying to find some seed that had fallen from the bird feeder.

Coming back from our grandson's wedding in WI. I took this picture of the sun shining on one of the numerous windmills they have in the state of IL.

A few days ago these doves were in our yard, and I slipped out and took their picture with my Iphone.

My husband were down at Red Star Conservation Boat landing and I took this picture as a tow boat came by, (I tried to send this before, but I don't know if it went through or not)

Today is Tuesday, Jan. 28, the 28th day of 2014. There are 337 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Jan. 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe...

Southeast Missouri State University held its annual Hall of Fame Induction dinner Friday evening. This was a wonderful event where many special individuals and teams were so appropriately recognized for their tremendous accomplishments at Southeast Missouri State University. ...

Their opportunities, programs and services offered seem endless. Thanks to Cape's Parks and Recreation Department in general and the Osage Centre specifically for offering the opportunity to play pickleball. And for the novices, in order to play it you do not have to be pickled...

I'm opposed to shrinking William Street from four lanes to two. William is the only direct route that moves traffic from I-55 to the river in the heart of our business districts. The Jan. 24 front-page article in the Southeast Missourian makes the case for me. It listed the recent and ongoing projects that add additional congestion to the street: CVS Pharmacy, DuShell's Furniture, Family Discount Store, Tasty Drinks, Sears building improvements, Walmart Neighborhood Market and more...

Later this week the Southeast Missouri State University Department of Music will present "The Magic Flute" at the River Campus. The Mozart opera is an opportunity to hear talented vocalists attending Southeast and enjoy what looks to be an impressive production...

NEW YORK -- A snowy, frigid New York is about to enjoy a blast of Caribbean warmth courtesy of Jamaica and its most favorite son, Bob Marley. The New Victory Theater in the heart of Times Square is putting on "Bob Marley's Three Little Birds," a new musical for children that features the legendary reggae artist's songs...

Son to Andrew Gene and Tiffany Ann Haertling of Perryville, Mo., Saint Francis Medical Center, 11:43 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014. Name, August Walter. Weight, 7 pounds, 12 ounces. Second child, first son. Mrs. Haertling is the former Tiffany Moll, daughter of Rick and Kathy Moll of Perryville. She is a loan officer at Bank of Missouri. Haertling is the son of Gene and Velda Haertling of Perryville. He is quarry superintendent with Earthworks Inc...

The civilian contract dredge Lenel Bean begins working on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River to widen and deepen the navigational channel. Architect Anthony J. Chivetta of St. Louis has recommended that Southeast Missouri State University build its new College of Business and Public Administration building on a site that once contained an air bubble for athletic activities; the site is east of North Henderson, between the Air Force ROTC building and Rhodes Hall of Science, and north of the Scully Building.. ...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Summons...

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

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

W. Russell Withers Jr., 77, of Mount Vernon, Ill., died Friday, Jan. 24, 2014, in Mount Vernon. He was born Dec. 10, 1936, in Cape Girardeau, son of W.R. and Ruth H. Withers Sr. Russell founded Withers Broadcasting Cos. Survivors include a daughter, Dana R. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Charlie "Chazz" Welter, 62, of Sikeston died Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at his home. He was born Dec. 25, 1951, in Cape Girardeau, son of the late Victor and Lillie LeDure Welter. Charlie had been a liquor salesman with Moon Distributing many years, a laborer with Local 1104 Labor Union of North America, and had been a manager at Piggly Wiggly in Miner, Mo. ...

THEBES, Ill. -- Earlene Salmon, 75, of Thebes passed away Friday, Jan. 24, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 8, 1938, in Alexander County, Ill., to Harry E. and Gladys May Stephens Fisher. Earlene and Samuel E. Salmon were married May 24, 2005, in Wickliffe, Ky. He preceded her in death Jan. 19, 2014...

McCoy Edward "Mac" Pogue, 80, of Marble Hill passed away Jan. 26, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 10, 1933, in Coldwater, Mo., son of Henry and Mellie Tinnin Pogue. He and Juanita Kinnison were married July 10, 1954...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Mable Lueverle Patton, 79, of Marble Hill passed away Friday, Jan. 24, 2014, at Woodland Hills. She was born May 27, 1934, at Hurricane, Mo., daughter of Clarence Melvin and Mahala Catherine Welker Mayfield. She and Golden Patton were married April 16, 1960, at Lutesville, Mo. He passed away Aug. 20, 2005...

Margaret T. Matthews, 85, of Owensboro, Ky., died Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014. Survivors include four sons, Walter Lee Matthews (Cathy) of Cape Girardeau, David Matthews of Owensboro, Mark Matthews (Susan) and J.B. Matthews (Kim) of Cape Girardeau; a daughter, Melody Hamilton of Owensboro; nine grandchildren; a great-granddaughter; a brother; and a sister...

Steven L. Leimbach, 50, of Jackson died Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, at his home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the chapel of McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Mike Parry and Dan Greene officiating. Burial will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Fruitland...

Viola C. Kirchdoerfer, 83, of Jackson passed away Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Monticello House. She was born Aug. 17, 1930, in Oak Ridge, daughter of Andrew and Colletta Westrich Seyer Sr. She and Clemons Kirchdoerfer were married May 7, 1955. He passed away Nov. 11, 1998...

James "J.D." Helderman, 64, of Whitewater died Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014, at Southeast Hospital. He was born June 29, 1949, in Cape Girardeau, to Aaron Frank and Mildred Williams Helderman. He and Carolyn Herwig were married July 20, 1975, in St. Louis...

Constance Grant, 97, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, at Monticello House in Jackson. She was born March 5, 1916, in Whiting, Ind., to John and Katherine Dybel. Survivors include two brothers, John and Frank Dybel of Jackson; nieces; nephews; and other relatives...

KELSO, Mo. -- Thomas Carroll, 72, of Kelso died Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, at Life Care Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 21, 1941, at Illmo, son of Silas T. and Goldia Thompson Carroll. He married Janet Litzler on June 7, 2002. Thomas had been produce manager at Bob's Foodliner in Scott City. He was a member of Elks Lodge in Cape Girardeau...

Super Bowl Sunday is an American tradition of football, friends and food. In fact, it's a daylong food fest, that -- next to Thanksgiving Day -- is the second largest day for food consumption in the U.S. While chicken wings, chips and dips are consistent favorites on Super Bowl buffets, make sure that germs are a no-show by following these six tips to avoid food poisoning...

WASHINGTON -- Talk about mind over matter: A new study suggests patients' expectations can make a big difference in how they feel after treatment for a migraine. Boston researchers recruited 66 migraine patients in an attempt to quantify how much of their pain relief came from a medication and how much was because of what's called the placebo effect, the healing power of positive belief...

BETHESDA, Md. -- Forget being sneezed on: Government scientists are deliberately giving dozens of volunteers the flu by squirting the live virus straight up their noses. It may sound bizarre, but the rare type of research is a step in the quest for better flu vaccines. It turns out that how the body fends off influenza remains something of a mystery...

LIMA, Peru -- The United Nations' highest court set a maritime boundary between Chile and Peru on Monday that grants Peruvians a bigger piece of the Pacific Ocean while keeping rich coastal fishing grounds in the hands of Chilean industry. Despite high emotions over the dispute, especially in Peru, the ruling is expected to have little effect on cordial ties between the two neighbors whose economic interdependence has grown greatly in recent years...

LVIV, Ukraine -- Young designers, their eyes glued to a TV set showing live scenes of protests from the Ukrainian capital, stayed up late one night to work on a pet project -- not a chic gallery opening, but making battle armor for protesters...

NEW YORK -- Stock markets fell across the globe Monday, but at least it wasn't another rout on Wall Street. Shaky economies and plunging currencies in the developing world fueled a worldwide sell-off as fearful investors pushed prices lower across Asia and Europe...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Highway access to the city at the end of the trans-Alaska pipeline has been cut off indefinitely by avalanches, including one that dammed a river and created a lake up to a half-mile long across the roadway in a 300-foot wide mountain canyon...

NEW YORK -- American shoppers say they are very concerned about the safety of their personal information following a massive security breach at Target, but many aren't taking steps to ensure their data is more secure, says a new Associated Press-GfK Poll...

WASHINGTON -- No longer about bold ambitions, this year's State of the Union address will focus more on what's actually achievable. For the White House, that dose of realism is aimed at avoiding a repeat of 2013, when a long list of unfulfilled policy goals -- including gun control and an immigration overhaul -- dragged President Barack Obama down like an anchor. ...

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government is looking at ways to prevent anyone from spying on its own surveillance of Americans' phone records. As the Obama administration considers shifting the collection of those records from the National Security Agency to requiring that they be stored at phone companies or elsewhere, it's quietly funding research to prevent phone company employees or eavesdroppers from seeing whom the U.S. is spying on, The Associated Press has learned...

CHICAGO -- Parents brought children to work or just stayed home because schools were closed, again. Office workers hailed cabs to ride a block -- or less. And companies offering delivery services were inundated with business as Artic air blasted the central U.S. on Monday for the second time in weeks, disrupting the lives of even the hardiest Midwesterners...

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- A proposal to name part of a highway in St. Joseph after late television news icon Walter Cronkite is expected to go before a joint transportation committee in the Missouri Legislature this week. The effort is being promoted by Missouri Western State University, where a display tracing the native St. Joseph journalist's life and career opened in November, The St. Joseph News-Press reported. The proposal has the required endorsement of at least 100 people...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- After two weeks of committee hearings, Missouri lawmakers are poised to begin debating legislation on the House and Senate floor. Senate President Pro Tem Tom Dempsey said the chamber this week will take up a bill barring temporary leaders of state agencies from remaining in office for more than 120 days...

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

O Father God, may we show kindness to others and reflect your goodness. Amen.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Eager to cut income taxes, a Missouri House committee was expected to advance two alternatives Tuesday -- one reducing taxes only for businesses and the other reducing them for both individuals and employers. Either of the bills being considered by the House Ways and Means Committee is projected to reduce Missouri's revenues by hundreds of millions of dollars annually-- setting up a potential conflict with Gov. ...