Stories from Monday, April 28, 2014

Jacksonville State salvaged a weather-delayed 5-3 win in the series finale against OVC-leading Southeast

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- There's a lot less graffiti to be seen on homes and businesses around Springfield after volunteers spent a day eradicating some of the vandalism. KOLR-TV reported that Saturday's campaign was organized by the Community Partnership of the Ozarks. The volunteers came from organizations like the Boys and Girls Club, and some businesses donated their time and resources as well...

WEBB CITY, Mo. -- Students in a southwest Missouri school district have made up part of this year's 11 snow days by heading to classes during the weekend. KOAM-TV reported that schools in the Webb City district were in session Saturday morning. The school board chose the Saturday option over adding an extra day at the end of the school year...

JOPLIN, Mo. -- Mercy Health System of Joplin will receive $23 million in federal grants for rebuilding connected to the May 2011 tornado. Sen. Claire McCaskill announced the grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday. The Joplin Globe reported the assistance will be offered to Mercy Health of Joplin for the demolition and rebuilding of four sites, including St. John's Regional Medical Center, that were damaged by the tornado...

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- Residents in St. Charles County might vote in August on whether to ban red-light cameras. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported County Councilman Joe Brazil today will introduce a proposal to outlaw the cameras in unincorporated areas and municipalities. The issue would then be on the ballot in August across the county. Currently, St. Peters is the only town in the county using the cameras...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Senate has approved a measure that could pave the way for private, not-for-profit groups to develop a preschool rating system. Just two years ago, the Legislature passed a law to bar the creation of a preschool rating system by the state, universities or quasi-government entities. Some lawmakers had raised concerns that a state rating system could have made some early childhood centers ineligible for state-subsidized child care...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Cab drivers and city leaders in Kansas City and St. Louis are among those pushing back against a new ride-share service. The company known as Lyft began operating Thursday in Kansas City. Similar to rivals Uber and Sidecar, Lyft uses a mobile app to connect drivers with customers needing a ride...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri House has approved legislation lifting the state's motorcycle helmet mandate for riders 21 and older. State law currently requires anyone riding a motorcycle to wear a helmet. Lawmakers for years have debated proposals that would make helmets optional...

ST. LOUIS -- A journalist in residence at the conservative Illinois Policy Institute has appealed a federal court's guarded dismissal of his lawsuit that claimed state legislative leaders wrongly denied him a media credential for the General Assembly...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri utility regulators have pushed back a pair of hearings on cases challenging the electricity rates charged by Ameren Missouri. The Missouri Public Services Commission had been scheduled to begin hearing evidence June 4 on a request by Noranda Aluminum for a 25 percent reduction in the rates it pays at its smelter in New Madrid, Mo. That hearing has been rescheduled to June 16. The commission says it now plans to make a decision by Aug. 6...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Looking for proof of John Braun's success bow hunting turkeys? Study his photo gallery, which shows him posing with each of the 29 birds he took over the last 12 years. Braun uses the timer on his camera, allowing him to scurry into the field of focus. Each photo has a time stamp, a way for Braun to reminisce about days of glory in the turkey woods of Missouri and Kansas...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A majority of Missouri lawmakers want to cut taxes. They also want to increase taxes. And borrow more money. Those seemingly contradictory goals have caused some people to question the financial planning at Missouri's Capitol...

Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones, tax reform advocate Grover Norquist and Carl Bearden of United for Missouri will be at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce at 10:30 a.m. today to discuss the importance of tax cut legislation, Senate Bill 509, a news release from Jones' office said...

ALLEY SPRING, Mo. -- The business model is pretty simple at Harvey's Alley Spring Canoe Rental. When boats are on the waters of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Shane and Kim Van Steenis make money. When the boats are empty, as they were during the October government shutdown, so is the cash register...

Despite Sunday's drizzly weather, dozens of people turned out for the 26th annual Walk MS 2014, held in Capaha Park. The event raises funds to support programs for people living with multiple sclerosis and drives research, according to the organization's website...

As homelessness, abuse and high school drop-out rates continue to rise among Cape Girardeau County teens, one coalition seeks the public's help to turn the statistics around. The Putting Kids First coalition is made up of 13 organizations -- including Big Brothers Big Sisters, the United Way of Southeast Missouri and Community Counseling Center -- that support the mental health and well-being of children and teens in the county. ...

MAYFLOWER, Ark. -- A broad tornado sliced through Little Rock's suburbs Sunday, killing 11 people and leaving behind a miles-long path of destruction as a powerful system rumbling off the Plains provided a violent kick-start to the nation's tornado season...

Southeast Missouri State University historic preservation major Lindsey Lotz has put her book learning into practice in a variety of ways -- from volunteering at Bollinger Mill State Historic Site to creating posters for historic downtown Cape Girardeau buildings...

Parents' Power To Protect April 26th-May 3rd is National Infant Immunization Week. In conjunction with National Infant Immunization Week, the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center is encouraging parents to take the time to ensure their children and all family members are adequately immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases. Giving babies the recommended immunizations by age two is the best way to protect them from 14 serious childhood diseases, like whooping cough and measles...

Butterfly on some flowers

Shot my first bird at the age of 31 on April 26 2014 at 6:15am. A 15lb jake. Got to share the moment with my dad next to me. Such an awesome hunt I will remember forever!

There was a house FIRE tonight In Morley at 318 Bronaugh Where, Beulah Dunnivan, her niece Nadine and THREE BOYS: Ethan 15, Lukas 11, AJ 10 lived. The house was struck by lightning and burned (pictures attached) I went down to see the family where all of them were safe and sound a few blocks away at Beulah's mom and Dad home. ...

The Cape Girardeau County Area Medical Society Alliance presented a check for $5,745 to the Be the Match RegistryŽ, the national registry of potential bone marrow donors, on Monday, April 28. The money, raised from two drives in January, will help fund future Be the Match registry drives. Since 2011, local registry drives conducted by the Alliance have added 362 potential bone marrow donors to the registry. SoutheastHEALTH has been a major sponsor of the local registry drives...

Editor's note: Stuart Matthews' name was corrected below. Craft brewing has grown in popularity over the years, and Stuart Matthews and Jeffrey Lage intend to take advantage of the untapped market in Cape Girardeau. The duo plans to open Minglewood Brewery, a microbrewery and pub, in the old Keys building at the corner of Broadway and Spanish Street by late this summer...

On Wednesday, the Southeast Metropolitan Planning Organization board of directors unanimously approved its final transportation project list to be submitted to the Missouri Department of Transportation by the end of the month. The projects follow: On Interstate 55 in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties, $110 to $125 million for corridor and interchange improvements from Fruitland to Scott City (add a lane in each direction, replace bridges, improve interchanges, etc.)...

Today is Monday, April 28, the 118th day of 2014. There are 247 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On April 28, 1789, there was a mutiny on the HMS Bounty as rebelling crew members of the British ship led by Fletcher Christian set the captain, William Bligh, and 18 sailors adrift in a launch in the South Pacific. (Bligh and most of the men with him managed to reach Timor in 47 days.)...

The future of the hospital industry was discussed last night at the Southeast Missouri Hospital Association's annual dinner meeting; the theme was sounded on several fronts, including in remarks by Charles L. Bowman, president of the Missouri Hospital Association...

Daughter to Michael Keith Johnson and Heather Michelle Blair of Essex, Mo., Southeast Hospital, 3:12 a.m. Friday, April 18, 2014. Name, Liza Camryn. Weight, 7 pounds, 14 ounces. First child. Ms. Blair is the daughter of Terry and Karen Blair of Essex. Johnson is the son of Mike and Marilyn Johnson of Cape Girardeau...

STEELEVILLE, Ill. -- Merle W. Wente, 90, of Steeleville passed away Saturday, April 26, 2014, at the Sparta Community Hospital in Sparta, Ill. Merle was born in Steeleville on Nov. 21, 1923, the son of William C. and Ruth Elsey Wente. He entered the United States Army at age 19 and was later transferred to the U.S. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Ruth Ann Renner, 74, of Perryville died Friday, April 25, 2014, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Sept. 6, 1939, in Perry County, Mo., daughter of Chalmer and Emma Lesch Moore. She and Jerome H. Renner were married June 6, 1959. He survives in Perryville...

PATTON, Mo. -- Lena Mae Fulton, 79, of Patton passed away Saturday, April 26, 2014, at Jackson Manor. She was born June 12, 1934, the first of five children, to the late Jeffie and Edith Hendrix Hahn of Perryville, Mo. She and William "Bill" Fulton of Patton were married on May 17, 1953, at Reagan's Chapel in Patton...

The Cardinals ace threw eight shutout innings and was backed by two HRs by his shortstop in a 7-0 win

Chicago scored four goals in the third period to advance with a 5-1 victory over St. Louis

LOS ANGELES -- A femme-fueled comedy beat a superhero blockbuster at the box office this weekend. After holding the top position for three weeks, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" has been topped by "The Other Woman" for the No. 1 spot. Fox's revenge comedy, starring Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Kate Upton, debuted with $24.7 million, while Disney-Marvel's "Captain America," led by Chris Evans, grossed $16 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its domestic total to $225 million...

SLOVYANSK, Ukraine -- Pro-Russian militants in camouflage fatigues and black balaclavas paraded captive European military observers before the media on Sunday, hours after three captured Ukrainian security guards were shown bloodied, blindfolded and stripped of their trousers and shoes, their arms bound with packing tape...

WASHINGTON -- Two Supreme Court cases about police searches of cellphones without warrants present vastly different views of the ubiquitous device. Is it a critical tool for a criminal or is it an American's virtual home? How the justices answer that question could determine the outcome of the cases being argued Tuesday. A drug dealer and a gang member want the court to rule that the searches of their cellphones after their arrests violated their right to privacy in the digital age...

The college-age years are about learning to be independent. For the first time, students can make their own choices about the type of education they want, what classes they want to take (and which ones to skip), what organizations they want to become involved in and what to do with their free time. Such freedom can lead to poor choices, of course...

Ever wonder why downtown Cape was such an attractive, fun place to shop? Could it have been the pride of ownership, the tender loving care of the display windows, the street in front of the stores was spotless? Respect for private property was strong. ...

My husband, Kevin, and I farm in northern Missouri with his parents and brother. We are the fifth generation of farmers in our family, and we raise hogs, cattle, corn, soybeans and rye. We also are raising our children on our farm, and clean water is important to us. ...

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

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrest...

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

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. The Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests...

Katie Godsey, RN, CIC, director of infection prevention at Perry County Memorial Hospital, now is board certified in infection prevention and control. Godsey earned the Certified in Infection Control credential after passing a comprehensive examination that demonstrated a mastery of infection prevention and control knowledge...

DURHAM, Ore. -- After months of trying to get its problem-plagued online health exchange to work, Oregon on Friday officially gave up on the state portal and decided to switch to the federal website -- the first state in the nation to do so...

WASHINGTON -- For three decades, the U.S. middle class enjoyed a rare financial advantage over the wealthy: lower mortgage rates. Now, even that perk is fading away. Most ordinary homebuyers are paying the same or higher rates than the fortunate few who can afford much more...

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- He was young, displaced and frustrated, and he wanted nothing more than to reunite with his mother in their native Africa. The 15-year-old Somali boy had been arguing at home, and in the kind of impulsive move that teenagers make, he hopped a fence at San Jose International Airport last Sunday and clambered into a wheel well of a Hawaii-bound jetliner...

VATICAN CITY -- Two 20th-century popes who changed the course of the Catholic Church became saints Sunday as Pope Francis honored John XXIII and John Paul II in a delicate balancing act aimed at bringing together the conservative and progressive wings of the church...

The Missouri Senate recently passed Senate Bill 844 unanimously, which would make it possible for state businesses to continue using the Shared-Work Program. In the event of temporary declines in business, the Shared-Work Program allows participating companies to reduce hours of their permanent employees, and those employees are able to collect partial unemployment payments to make up for lost wages, according to a news release from the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which is in favor of the bill.. ...

Lord Jesus, we place our hope and trust in you, our Savior. Amen.

Dale Steffens distorts The Humane Society of the United States' record and mission ("Opinion: The truth about Right to Farm Amendment," April 22). In 2013, we provided direct care to more than 118,000 animals through rescues, spay and neuter clinics, rural veterinary services and more...