Stories from Thursday, February 27, 2014

Eight basketball teams from the Southeast Missourian coverage area will vie for five district championships tonight.

ST. LOUIS -- The Missouri Supreme Court has decided it will not hear the cases of three cities whose red-light camera laws have been challenged in lower courts. In the three cases, Missouri appellate courts noted conflicts between the cities' red-light camera ordinances and state law dealing with the issue of penalty points for drivers caught by the cameras...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- On the same day Missouri executed an inmate for a long-ago kidnapping and slaying, Republican state senators proposed legislation Wednesday intended to speed up the executions of people convicted of killing their kidnapping victims...

BONNE TERRE, Mo. -- Ann Harrison was waiting for her school bus, standing in the driveway of her Missouri home with her flute, school books and purse, when two men pulled up asking for directions. One of the men then grabbed the 15-year-old girl, pulled her into their stolen car and sped away that morning in 1989...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A flag-waving crowd gathered outside the funeral of a 10-year-old southwest Missouri girl who was abducted and killed last week, chanting her name and wearing her favorite colors of pink and purple. The funeral for Hailey Owens was held Wednesday afternoon at Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Springfield. The fourth-grader was killed Feb. 18 after being abducted in her neighborhood...

The annual "Power of Women" luncheon and expo is set for March 12 at Southeast Missouri State University. Sponsored by the Southeast Missouri University Foundation, Department of Athletics and the Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the luncheon connects female students at Southeast with opportunities, women mentors and community resources, the release said. ...

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Justin Doza with Canedy Sign & Graphics, places the Katy O'Ferrell's Publick House restaurant sign in the marquee of the former Royal N'Orleans restaurant, Wednesday, Feb. ...

The Cape County Republican Women's Club is hosting its 45th annual Lincoln Day Dinner at 6 p.m. March 8 at Ray's Plaza Conference Center in Cape Girardeau Featured speaker will be David Limbaugh of Cape Girardeau. Limbaugh is an author and writes a syndicated column that appears in the Southeast Missourian. The evening's emcee will be Ed Martin, Missouri Republican Party chairman...

The saying "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime," could be applied to the Mission Task Force, formed by Cape Girardeau siblings Maddox and Brock Murphy. The two, who attend St. Andrew Lutheran Church, were challenged by their pastor, the Rev. ...

Just before Christmas break, Franklin Elementary School got a step ahead of the rest of the Cape Girardeau School District with delivery of the same convertible laptop devices Central High School students received in January as part of the 1:1 initiative...

Legislation is moving through both chambers of Missouri's legislature that could change how the Missouri Department of Conservation does business, prompting concern from sportsmen and conservation groups. Senate Joint Resolution 42 and House Joint Resolution 57 seek to require any rules and regulations passed by a state agency to be approved by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, which consists of five senators and five representatives...

Cape Girardeau state Sen. Wayne Wallingford on Monday filed legislation that would allow Missouri business owners to cite religious beliefs as a legal justification for refusing to provide service. In the last two days Wallingford and his bill endured widespread backlash from the public and fellow senators concerned that the bill could provide legal cover for denial of services to same-sex couples...

ADAM VOGLER ~ avogler@semissourian.com Emily S. GroslandCQ plays Peter Pan in the Southeast Missouri State University Department of Theatre and Dance production of "Peter Pan," Wednesday, Feb. 26, at the Bedell Performance Hall. The production, which opened Wednesday, runs until Sunday, March 2....

Local police, firefighters and the state fire marshal's office are investigating a pair of suspicious fires that occurred late Tuesday and early Wednesday in Cape Girardeau. Authorities found signs of forced entry at both houses, and the point of origin of each fire appeared suspicious, said Darin Hickey, public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Fire Department...

Fire crews working on the fire at 1704 Big Bend Road

Smoke coming out of the house.

Facing North on Big Bend Rd, at a road block for fire crews to work on the fire

Stephanie Ellinger, Cape Girardeau Public Schools' Parents As Teacher Coordinator with books donated by Success By6 United Way of Southeast Missouri. Books will be given to children participating in the P.A.T. program.

Shine Medical Aesthetics, with the help of their clients, donated $1,087.50 for Dig for Life, Saint Francis Medical Center's program that provides free mammograms for local women who otherwise could not afford them. Shine donated 10 percent of proceeds from Pink Up Packages sold during the month of October...

Early morning sky

The phrase "there's no tomorrow" has become the motto of the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team. With the Redhawks battling with Austin Peay and Eastern Illinois for one of two remaining spots in the field of eight teams that will make it to the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, they realize what's at stake but also the importance of focusing on the game that's directly in front of them and not what awaits down the road...

Today is Thursday, Feb. 27, the 58th day of 2014. There are 307 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 27, 1814, Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 in F major, Op. 93, was first performed in Vienna. (Also on the program was Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92, which had premiered in Dec. 1813.)...

I've been thinking about the religious freedom bill passed in Arizona that would allow any business, church or person to refuse service to homosexuals if they firmly believe homosexuality is wrong in the eyes of God. A proposition that could be broadened considerably with a little work...

It is reassuring to learn that Michael Jensen knows more about global warming than noted scientists from around the world. If there is any folly, it is Michael Jensen. Penny Williams' paean to the photography of Southeast Missourian employee Laura Simon at Cape's parks and rec-sponsored father-daughter dance was a pleasure to read. ...

Americans love a success story. One that pairs an individual facing tough odds but nevertheless finding a way to succeed. That's the story of Dr. Ben Carson. The retired neurosurgeon, current political speaker and author spoke at the Sikeston Field House Saturday to a crowd of more than 1,500. His message covered several topics but centered around personal responsibility, learning something new each day and voting...

Southeast Missouri State's Blake Smith and Kayla Gutierrez earned Ohio Valley Conference Male and Female Field Athletes of the Week honors. Smith, a Jackson High School graduate, was named the OVC co-Male Field Athlete of the Week with Eastern Illinois' Peter Gerarghty...

Daughter to Chad William and Jill Christine Lankford of Perryville, Mo., Southeast Hospital, 8:36 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014. Name, Stella Marie. Weight, 8 pounds, 5 ounces. Mrs. Lankford is the former Jill Walther, daughter of Ronald and Pam Walther of Jackson. Lankford is the son of Roger and Janis Lankford and Kimberly Duvall of Perryville. He is employed by Larry Schmidt Truck Parts...

Tuition and room-and-board fees at Southeast Missouri State University will be up approximately 10 percent this fall as the result of action taken by the board of regents; in related action, the board authorizes the university to refinance five university housing bond debts totaling $8,358,000...

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

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

Shirley Ann Wilson, 66, of Greenwood, S.C., formerly of Jackson, beloved mother, grandmother and sister, died suddenly Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014, at Self Regional Medical Center. She was born July 12, 1947, in Rector, Ark., to Chester and Edna Cooksey...

Evelyn L. Lange, 91, of Jackson died Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 24, 1922, in Egypt Mills, to Joseph and Thelka Schwab Maevers. She and August M. Lange were married Oct. 14, 1939, in Cape Girardeau. He preceded her in death Feb. 17, 1997...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Shirley A. Huber, 78, of Perryville died Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 20, 1935, in Perry County, Mo., daughter of Andrew and Philomena Ponder Winschel. She and Weldon Joseph Huber were married June 16, 1954. He preceded her in death Sept. 20, 1986...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Michael D. Elder, 52, of St. Louis, formerly of Perryville, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until time of service Saturday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church. Funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the church, with the Rev. Charles Prost officiating. Entombment will be in Mary Queen of Heaven Mausoleum at Mount Hope Cemetery...

JERUSALEM -- Israel has opened a new front in its attempts to halt weapons smuggling to Hezbollah, striking one of the group's positions inside Lebanon for the first time since the sides fought a war eight years ago. This week's airstrike, meant to prevent the Islamic militant group from obtaining sophisticated missiles, is part of a risky policy that could easily backfire by triggering retaliation. ...

DAMASCUS, Syria -- Syrian army troops on Wednesday killed 175 rebels, many of them al-Qaida-linked fighters, in an ambush described as one of the deadliest attacks by government forces against fighters near Damascus, according to state media. An opposition group said the dawn ambush -- part of a government effort to secure the capital -- was carried out by the Lebanese Hezbollah group, which has been instrumental in helping President Bashar Assad's regime push back rebels entrenched in the suburbs of the capital city.. ...

KAMPALA, Uganda -- The medical workers who knew he was gay ignored him, attending to those who arrived after him as they openly gossiped about his homosexuality. Pepe Julian Onziema, a prominent gay activist in Uganda, said Wednesday he recently was forced to confront some nurses at a private clinic after they neglected to serve him in apparent hostility toward his sexual orientation...

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan -- Depicting a grim future for Afghanistan without U.S. help, the top U.S. military officer said Wednesday that Afghanistan's refusal to sign a security agreement with the United States may make the fight more difficult this year, embolden the enemy and prompt some Afghan security forces to cooperate with the Taliban to "hedge their bets."...

KIEV, Ukraine -- Russia ordered 150,000 troops to test their combat readiness Wednesday in a show of force that prompted a blunt warning from the United States that any military intervention in Ukraine would be a "grave mistake." Vladimir Putin's announcement of huge new war games came as Ukraine's protest leaders named a millionaire former banker to head a new government after the pro-Russian president went into hiding...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Jared W. Kutz was among nine Republicans filing for office Tuesday in Perry County. Kutz is seeking the office of county clerk, now held by Randy Taylor, who is retiring. In Perry County at this time, two races in the Aug. 5 primary are contested. ...

1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Open session Communications/reports, other elected officials Public comments Routine business Action items Appointments and possible action items Discussion and possible action Discussion and possible action, county advisory boards...

WASHINGTON -- A consulting firm that helped write an environmental review of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline complied with federal rules regarding possible conflict of interest, the State Department's inspector general said Wednesday in a report that buoyed supporters of the controversial pipeline and disappointed critics...

LOS ANGELES -- The next time you start shaking your finger and shouting "Shame on you!" because your dog chewed up your favorite fuzzy slippers, just remember that no matter how guilty your dog looks, it doesn't know what your rant is about. Behaviorists insist dogs lack shame. The guilty look -- head cowered, ears back, eyes droopy -- is a reaction to the tantrum you are throwing now over the damage they did hours earlier...

MADISON, Wis. -- While tiny houses have been attractive for those wanting to downsize or simplify their lives for financial or environmental reasons, there's another population benefiting from the small-dwelling movement: the homeless. There's a growing effort across the nation from advocates and religious groups to build these compact buildings because they are cheaper than a traditional large-scale shelter, help the recipients socially because they are built in communal settings and are environmentally friendly because of their size.. ...

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- President Barack Obama said Wednesday he will ask Congress for $300 billion to update aging roads and railways, arguing that the taxpayer investment is a worthy one that will pay dividends by attracting businesses and helping put people to work...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Much-needed rain fell on downtown San Francisco and elsewhere in California on Wednesday at the outset of what the parched state hopes is the start to a one-two punch of stormy weather. The storm was expected to move down the coast, dumping a half-inch to an inch of rain in southern areas late in the day, forecasters said...

WASHINGTON -- The Army removed 588 soldiers from sensitive jobs such as sexual assault counselors and recruiters after finding they had committed infractions such as sexual assault, child abuse and drunken driving, officials said Wednesday. The move resulted from orders by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel last year that all the services review the qualifications of people holding those jobs as part of an effort to stem a rising number of sexual assaults in the military...

Three days after pastor Jamie Coots died from a rattlesnake bite at church, mourners leaving the funeral went to the church to handle snakes. Coots, who appeared on the National Geographic Channel's "Snake Salvation," pastored the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name church founded by his grandfather in Middlesboro, Ky. ...

DETROIT -- In the nearly two months that Mike Duggan has been Detroit's mayor, he's met with President Barack Obama, public bus riders, city workers and anyone who will listen to his message that the city is changing -- this time for the better...

SEATTLE -- Skiers and snowboarders rejoiced when a series of storms dumped several feet of snow in the mountains across the West, after what had been a disappointing start for those seeking fresh powder in the backcountry. But all the new snow and strong winds in the past month have fueled dangerous conditions from the Cascades to the Rockies, prompting forecasters to issue warnings of considerable or high avalanche danger for many places outside of established ski areas...

PHOENIX -- Gov. Jan Brewer on Wednesday vetoed a Republican bill that set off a national debate over gay rights, religion and discrimination and subjected Arizona to blistering criticism from major corporations and political leaders from both parties...

WASHINGTON -- It's not just about what America's children are getting in the lunch line. The Obama administration is moving to phase out junk food advertising on football scoreboards and elsewhere on school grounds -- part of a broad effort to combat child obesity and create what Michelle Obama calls "a new norm" for today's schoolchildren and future generations...

Did you know you can create a chain reaction with craft sticks? STEP 1: Interlock seven colored craft sticks to create this pattern. STEP 2: Don't let go and then interlock another colored craft stick to the bottom right portion of the pattern...

The Perryville girls basketball lost 53-21 to De Soto on the road Wednesday night. Kylie Belik led the Pirates with 10 points while Ahnie Hoff and Desiree Brown both grabbed five rebounds. Perryville, which opens Class 4 District 1 play at 1 p.m. Saturday against Sikeston at Central High School, dropped to 6-16 on the season...

Darnell finished off his high school wrestling career with a five-match winning streak that earned him third place in the Class 4 220-pound division at the Missouri Wrestling Championships.

O Lord Jesus, may we focus on what is right in your eyes. Amen.

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- A massive statue of Marilyn Monroe that has turned heads for two years in Palm Springs is headed east. The Riverside Press-Enterprise says the 26-foot-tall, 34,000-pound statue will be transported in April from California to Hamilton, N.J., where it will be part of an exhibit honoring its designer, Seward Johnson...

Chaffee will host its eighth annual Race for the Cure on Saturday.