Stories from Wednesday, March 5, 2014

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- When the snowplows run, expenses pile up along with the ice. "This last snowstorm we're still suffering through is about a $15,000 deal," city administrator Brent Buerck told the Perryville Board of Aldermen Tuesday night. Because the ice and snow fell on a weekend, the pile of expenses grew, thanks to the amount of overtime pay involved, Buerck said...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Perryville County School District No. 32 is considering driving a different direction for its bus service. For as long as anyone can remember, the district contracted for bus transportation with Meyer Bus Line Inc. of Perryville. Superintendent Scott Ireland said the district is in its last year of a three-year contract with Meyer and has put out a request for bids for service...

Drivers were stranded overnight behind jackknifed tractor-trailers and stalled passenger cars on icy roads in eastern Arkansas, and the slippery conditions made cleanup dangerous Tuesday. Missouri travel officials also warned of potential road closures...

The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team has proven it can win four in a row. Now its next goal will be to do that over the next four days. The Redhawks are embracing the challenge of winning four basketball games in four days, which is something that hasn't been done since the tournament format changed in 2011 and is what they'll have to do if they want to win the Ohio Valley Conference tournament...

While the winter weather has created problems for people across Southeast Missouri, it's also been a burden on a few furry friends. Having a natural fur coat, no matter how thick, is not always enough protection, according to Kelly Goff, director of the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri...

When pop star and The Voice "coach" Usher turned his chair Monday night, a lifelong dream for two Southeast Missourians came one step closer to reality. Coty and Clinton Walker, twins known in the region as the Brothers Walker, walked on stage Monday night and lit into "Keep Me in Mind" by the Zac Brown Band...

Taking advantage of yesterday's sunny weather, three Apache Helicopters from Whiteman AFB dropped into Cape's Airport for fueling and a lunch break at Sandy's Place. At the time, the airport was still closed to fixed-wing aircraft, but was accepting helicopter traffic, and we fueled these guys when they arrived...

Perryville Elementary School is ushering in the much-anticipated spring season with a giant party! PES will hold its fourth annual Craft Fair & Car Show hosted by Parents Involved in Education (PIE), on Saturday, March 15. The craft fair will feature over 30 vendors and the car show will include emergency vehicles, Air Evac helicopter, antique roadsters plus emergency vehicles like patrol cars and ambulances. ...

Today is Ash Wednesday, March 5, the 64th day of 2014. There are 301 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 5, 1946, Winston Churchill delivered his "Iron Curtain" speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo. Churchill declared: "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent."...

The Lenten season begins today. This is a time leading up to Easter Sunday when many Christians pay extra attention to fasting, prayer and reading the Bible. It's a time of giving up something, all in the effort of growing in faith and one's relationship with God...

You have to give credit to the liberals -- which I hesitate to do. The liberals know that if you put a derogatory name or slur on your opposition, you demean their value to some. And that's why we have "birthers" or "teabaggers" or "climate deniers."...

On behalf of 'The Dr. Ben Carson Event Committee' I would like to say thank you to all who attended and supported the Dr. Ben Carson Event on Feb. 22 in Sikeston. Many prayers were offered up over the past year in planning, preparation and working through the maze to arrive at a fantastic and well-attended event featuring Dr. Carson. We saw the Lord's hand move in support of our efforts often, and a major roadblock would melt away after sincere prayer and one more attempt...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Two of Kentucky's top Democrats split Tuesday over same-sex marriage, with Gov. Steve Beshear saying outside lawyers will be hired to appeal a decision granting recognition to gay couples married in other states after the attorney general announced he would not pursue the case...

LOS ANGELES -- Dish Network and Disney have reached a landmark deal that envisions the day when Dish will offer a Netflix-like TV service to people who'd rather stream TV over the Internet than put a satellite receiver on their roof. The deal announced late Monday paves the way for Dish to offer live local broadcasts from ABC-TV stations and programming from ABC Family, Disney Channel, ESPN and ESPN2 over mobile devices, set-top boxes and other means, similar to how Netflix's video streams are delivered.. ...

FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- About a month before a U.S. Army general's trial on sexual assault charges, the lead prosecutor broke down in tears, appearing drunk and suicidal as he told a superior he didn't think the closely watched case should go forward, according to testimony Tuesday...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Arkansas' first-in-the-nation plan that uses Medicaid funds to buy private insurance for the poor survived an effort to defund it Tuesday, as lawmakers gave final approval to continue a program that has extended health coverage to nearly 94,000 people...

TORONTO -- Embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford laughed off Jimmy Kimmel's suggestion he get help for his drinking problem and was reported to be upset about his appearance on the late-night TV talk show. Ford's appearance Monday night on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in Los Angeles was the culmination of months of wooing by the talk-show host to get Ford to appear as a guest...

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Elaine da Silva Moraes clambers up mounds of abandoned fabric, foam and feathers that minutes earlier were the essence of Rio de Janeiro's glitzy, multimillion dollar Carnival parades. The creative costumes on display at the all-night Sambadrome parades that ended early Tuesday have made Rio's Carnival celebration the most famous in the world. But the handmade confections often have a short shelf life...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri has a backlog of about 22,000 parents and children waiting to learn whether they will be covered by Medicaid. The backlog developed after the Missouri Department of Social Services moved in January to a new computer system for some Medicaid participants...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Moving Missouri's primary election date from August to June would give candidates more time to campaign against their rival party's counterparts, but it would shorten the time they have to distinguish themselves from rivals within their own party before nominees are picked...

NEW YORK -- United Airlines is getting tough on passengers with oversized carry-on bags, even sending some of them back to the ticket counter to check their luggage for a fee. The Chicago-based airline has started a push to better enforce rules restricting the size of carry-on bags -- an effort that will include instructing workers at security checkpoint entrances to eyeball passengers for bags that are too big...

WASHINGTON -- Aided by video captured by dashboard cameras in police cruisers, Supreme Court justices Tuesday seemed poised to rule for police officers involved in a high-speed chase that ended with the deaths of the fleeing driver and his passenger...

KIEV, Ukraine -- In a show of U.S. support for Ukraine's new leadership, Secretary of State John Kerry walked the streets Tuesday where more than 80 anti-government protesters were killed last month, and promised crowds that American aid is on the way...

GLENALLEN, Mo. -- Norene Sutt, 79, of Glenallen and formerly of Silva, Mo., passed away Sunday, March 2, 2014, at her home, surrounded by her loving family. She was born Feb. 17, 1935, at Clubb, Mo., daughter of William Thomas and Amanda Revis Morris. She and Paul Dewayne Sutt were married Nov. 30, 1957. He passed away Jan. 6, 2011...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Mary Anna Jansen, 88, of Leopold passed away Sunday, March 2, 2014, at her home, surrounded by family. She was born Nov. 29, 1925, at Leopold, daughter of George J. and Bernadine Vandeven Hinkebein. She and Walter Joseph Jansen were married Oct. 8, 1946. He passed away Jan. 22, 1997...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Edward D. Pohlman, 73, of Perryville died Monday, March 3, 2014, at his home. He was born Dec. 11, 1940, in Hilderbrand, Mo., son of Henry Pohlman and Amelia Dambach Statler. He and Ruth Weber were married Sept. 21, 1963. Edward had been shop foreman with Davis Farm Supply. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- An angel, Alice Marie Horman Kiefer, 82, of Chaffee was called home to be with her heavenly father Monday, March 3, 2014, where she was finally reunited in the arms of her loving husband, Paul. When God made Alice, he broke the mold. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Clyde A. Brown, 85, of Perryville died Monday, March 3, 2014, at Perry Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation in Perryville. He was born Aug. 20, 1928, in Perry County, son of Moritz and Ellen Doll Brown. He and Irma Balsman were married April 19, 1952...

Paul Ray Dow, 84, of Jackson died Sunday, March 2, 2014, at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Janet Hopkins officiating. Burial will be in Russell Heights Cemetery...

THEBES, Ill. -- William Woodrow Snell, 77, of Thebes passed from this world Sunday, March 2, 2014, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Oct. 15, 1936, to Woodrow Wilson and Ollie Marie Simmons Snell at their home on Bean Ridge Road. He and Doris Holshouser were married May 11, 1957...

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

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrest Summonses Thefts SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY The Department of Public Safety released the following items: DWI...

The 58th annual Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair is set for March 11 at the Show Me Center at Southeast Missouri State University, according to information from the university. A total of 319 projects -- 278 Junior Division and 41 Senior Division -- will be available for public viewing beginning at 3:30 p.m., the information said. There will be 441 students from 27 area schools participating, the information said...

District and sectional basketball games continued their weeklong slide backward Tuesday from the ice storm that struck Southeast Missouri over the weekend. The Class 1 sectional games in Bloomfield, Mo., were the latest to lose their footing. Those games, involving the Scott County Central boys and girls, were canceled Tuesday but will be played tonight at Bloomfield High School...

Oran girls, Advance boys, Saxony Lutheran girls put their seasons on the line tonight

St. Louis defeated Tampa Bay 4-2 in its first home game since the Olympic break

The snow route proclamation in Jackson was lifted about noon Tuesday, according to an email from Rodney W. Bollinger, Jackson public works director, The email said major Jackson streets have been substantially cleared of snow by the streets department and indicated residents and businesses again could park vehicles on designated snow routes...

FARMINGTON, Mo. (AP) -- An investigation continues after a weekend fire damaged the Presbyterian Children's Home and Services in the southeast Missouri town of Farmington. The Daily Journal newspaper in Park Hills, Mo. (http://bit.ly/1hJ8uEg ) reports that residents of one building had to relocate to another on campus following the fire on Saturday. The fire was extinguished quickly, but the sprinkler system caused significant water damage...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Phil Allen and other Illinois gun enthusiasts eager for the right to publicly carry concealed handguns are celebrating as their long-awaited permits showing arrive in their mailboxes. As a licensed concealed-carry instructor in Mascoutah east of St. Louis, Allen says receiving his permit Monday made him "ready to do a happy dance."...

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Lambert Airport has a new baggage system, and attention turns next to replacing the roof. Officials at the St. Louis airport on Tuesday unveiled the $51 million renovation to the baggage system that includes an upgraded screening system to detect explosives. Lambert is among 106 U.S. airports with the new luggage-screening devices...

NEW YORK -- There will soon be about 1,100 fewer places to buy batteries. RadioShack said Tuesday it plans to close up to 1,100 stores, or about a fifth of its U.S. locations. The news came as the retailer reported a wider quarterly loss after a disappointing holiday season. Its stock tumbled 16 percent in afternoon trading...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Police on Tuesday were investigating the physical and sexual assault of a transgender teen who said he was attacked in a bathroom at a suburban San Francisco public school where another transgender student had reported being the target of bullying...

PRETORIA, South Africa -- For two days, the witness in the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius kept her composure. Then, just as her testimony was about to finish, she broke down in tears at what she said was the memory of the screams she heard on the night that the double-amputee athlete fatally shot his girlfriend in his South African home...

MOSCOW -- Stepping back from the brink of war, Vladimir Putin talked tough but cooled tensions in the Ukraine crisis in his first comments since its president fled, saying Tuesday that Russia has no intention "to fight the Ukrainian people" but reserved the right to use force...

A service of the Associational Church Media Organization of the Cape Girardeau Baptist Association was implemented recently; a mobile book case containing about 60 new books was presented to Rolling Fields Baptist Church in Jackson on a loan basis for three months; at the end of that period, the unit will be loaned to another Baptist church in the association...

O Father God, thank you for safety and warmth this winter. Amen.

LOS ANGELES -- Word last week that a Northern California couple found $10 million in gold coins while walking their dog has set off a Gold Rush of theories over who left behind all that loot. One is that Jesse James' gang deposited it in hopes of someday financing a second Civil War. Another postulates that the gold originally belonged to gentleman robber Black Bart, who wrote poetry when he wasn't sticking up stagecoaches...

Southeast Missouri State senior Tyler Stone and junior Jarekious Bradley each earned a spot on the all-Ohio Valley Conference teams Tuesday. Stone was selected first-team all-OVC, while Bradley was named second-team all-OVC as well as being named to the all-Newcomer team...