Stories from Monday, February 8, 2016

Things couldn't have gone much better for the Notre Dame girls basketball team through the first 10 minutes of Monday night's game. On Homecoming in front of a good crowd the Bulldogs found themselves up 13-6 in the second quarter on Class 4 state-ranked Dexter, holding the visitors without a field goal in that opening stretch. But the Bearcats put a damper on the feel-good vibe...

What a great Catholic Schools Week was held at Guardian Angel School in Oran, Missouri! The week ran from Sunday, Jan. 31, to Friday, Feb. 5. The entire school celebrated Mass together on Sunday, with the students having special parts of the Mass and the children's choir leading everyone in singing beautifully. ...

The 2nd through 5th grade basketball teams of Guardian Angel School participated in the Oak Ridge Tournament Feb. 4 through Feb. 7. The 2nd and 3rd grade teams took second place, the 3rd and 4th grade teams took 5th place, and the 4th & 5th grade teams took 3rd place. Congratulations Redwings!...

St. Louis – West County Advanced Practice Dermatology Nurse, Southeast Missouri State University alumna and business owner, Cynthia Ann Fleck wins the Mrs. Chesterfield, United States and Mrs. St. Louis, America titles and prepares for the Mrs. Missouri USA Pageant in St. Joseph, Missouri, April 30 – May 1, and the Mrs. Missouri, America Pageant in Chillicothe, Missouri, June 17-19...

Lynwood Baptist Church to host regional event for parents in Cape Girardeau on April 8. An interactive children’s experience will be hosted at the same time and place, giving parents a unique opportunity for personal growth while providing a high-quality experience for their children...

On Feb. 4, Nathan Aufdenberg was elected as the Area 15 treasurer for the 2016/17 term. Aufdenberg is a junior at Saxony Lutheran High School in Jackson, Missouri. He is the son of Mark and Wanda Aufdenberg of Gordonville, Missouri. He has served the last two years as Saxony Lutheran FFA's Secretary. His twin brother Andrew is currently the Area 15 chaplain and Saxony Lutheran FFA president. Aufdenberg's supervised agriculture experience consists of raising crops and beef cattle...

Renee Clements is bringing an individualized bridal shopping experience to Southeast Missouri. Brides in the region frequently travel to St. Louis or Memphis, Tennessee, to shop for wedding dresses, Clements said. "They deserve to come to Cape." Magnolias Bridal Boutique opened Jan. ...

Southeast Missouri State University's marching band, known at the time as the Golden Eagles, played the halftime show at Super Bowl V in January 1971. As a tenor saxophonist in the band, Beverly Kasten played the Super Bowl halftime show, too. Sort of...

Plans to address a failing retaining wall in a Jackson subdivision is sparking controversy between residents and city officials. The concrete wall in the Annwood Estates subdivision runs along Brittany Drive and is cracked and buckling in several places. While city officials and residents agree the wall needs fixing, the involved parties haven't come to an agreement on how to do it...

Although its implementation in Missouri is still many months away, the federal Every Student Succeeds Act is top of mind for at least one area legislator. State Rep. Kathy Swan of Cape Girardeau, chairwoman of the body's Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, is looking forward to what the law will do on the local level...

Today is Monday, Feb. 8, the 39th day of 2016. There are 327 days left in the year. This is the Chinese New Year of the Monkey. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 8, 1966, during the Vietnam War, President Lyndon B. Johnson and South Vietnamese Premier Nguyen Cao Ky concluded their meetings in Hawaii by issuing the "Declaration of Honolulu," which asserted the resolve of their countries to defeat the Communists...

Pastor Johnny L. Seabaugh, 82, of Jackson passed away Friday, Feb. 5, 2016, at his home. He was born Dec. 16, 1933, in Perryville, Missouri, son of Elmer H. and Opal A. Reynolds Seabaugh. He and Jean Gibbons were married May 16, 1954. Pastor Johnny was a 1951 graduate of Jackson High School. ...

Daughter to Anthony O. and Summer C. Dunker of Sikeston, Missouri, Southeast Hospital, 12:35 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2016. Name, Anabelle Rose. Weight, 6 pounds, 14 ounces. Third child, second daughter. Mrs. Dunker is the former Summer Holdiness, daughter of Brenda and Jimmy Holdiness of East Prairie, Missouri. She is a supervisor with New Wave Communication. Dunker is the son of Toni Dunker of Perryville, Missouri. He is employed in the warehouse of Orgill Inc...

Construction of a nature center and regional headquarters for the Missouri Department of Conservation is moving along and is on schedule for a June 30 completion; general contractor for the project is Sides Construction Co. Flag waving is a bit difficult these days; with the rise of patriotism in connection with the country's involvement in Operation Desert Storm, flag sales have increased; small flags -- 4-by-6-inch -- which are popular for parades, are impossible to get...

Cape Girardeau County Commission 1 Barton Square, Jackson 9 a.m. today Approval of minutes n Minutes of the Feb. 4 meeting Communications/reports -- other elected officials n None at this time Public comments n Items listed on the agenda Routine business...

NEW YORK -- From a strange creature called "Puppymonkeybaby" to a tear-inducing Audi ad, Super Bowl ads ran the gamut this year from offbeat humor to heartfelt messages. On advertising's biggest night, Chrysler celebrated Jeep with an ad filled featuring black-and-white portraits of veterans, children and pop icons. ...

NEW YORK -- The Coen brothers' "Hail, Caesar!" and the Jane Austen-monster mashup "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" followed behind "Kung Fu Panda 3," which remained on top of the box office over Super Bowl weekend. DreamWorks Animation's "Kung Fu Panda" sequel earned an estimated $21 million in its second weekend of release, according to studio estimates Sunday. ...

SEOUL, South Korea -- The U.N. Security Council condemned North Korea's launch of a long-range rocket world leaders called a banned test of ballistic missile technology and another "intolerable provocation." The U.N.'s most powerful body pledged to adopt a new resolution with "significant" new sanctions...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza, said Sunday it has killed one of its own commanders over unnamed "moral and behavioral violations." Hamas said in a short Twitter statement Mahmoud Eshtewi, a local member of the group's military wing, was killed after he confessed...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri state Rep. Genise Montecillo said nothing publicly for more than six months about the June day she tried to kill herself. Montecillo wanted to keep that a secret, like the emotional abuse and neglect she said she suffered as a child and the depression she deals with as a result...

TAINAN, Taiwan -- The death toll from an earthquake that toppled a high-rise apartment building in Taiwan rose to at least 34, according to government figures today, with rescuers digging through rubble for survivors more than 48 hours after the quake struck...

CHICAGO -- A white Chicago police officer who fatally shot a black 19-year-old college student and accidentally killed a neighbor has filed a lawsuit against the teenager's estate, arguing the shooting left him traumatized. The unusual suit was filed Friday in the middle of the city's effort to grapple with serious questions about the future of its police force...

Jerry Respondek, left, pastor of Victory Outreach, works with Don Penrod, right, and Joshua Faulkner to install new flooring inside the church on Saturday in Cape Girardeau. Renovations are continuing since the building in the Red Star District was flooded by the Mississippi River in January...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Hunter makes daily rounds at Children's Mercy Hospital. Sort of like a doctor -- until he jumps into a child's bed and gets his tummy rubbed. Another difference: When Hunter, a 2-year-old golden retriever, walks into a patient's hospital room, that child usually breaks into a smile...

ST. LOUIS -- The new leader of the Missouri State NAACP says he plans to build a younger, more inclusive organization that will work for various causes around the state. Nimrod "Rod" Chapel Jr., 45, elected last month as the 14th President of the Missouri State NAACP, said he looks forward to moving the organization forward, giving it a bigger voice statewide and opening to other progressive groups and younger people...

BEDFORD, N.H. -- Marco Rubio's uneven debate performance days before Tuesday's New Hampshire primary has emboldened a trio of governors seeking to stem his rise in the Republican race for president. But if Rubio's rivals can slow him in New Hampshire, they are likely to leave the GOP with a muddled mix of establishment contenders and no clear favorite to challenge Donald Trump and Ted Cruz...

BOSTON -- Casinos worried millennials aren't getting into traditional gambling like their parents and grandparents are bringing in tattoo studios, mixed martial-arts competitions and other offbeat attractions to attract a younger clientele. In New England, where a regional casino war is afoot, Connecticut's Foxwoods is remaking one of its gambling floors -- now christened "The Fox" -- as a hip, fun scene in the sprawling, 30-year-old casino complex...

WASHINGTON -- Three of the biggest freight railroads operating in the U.S. have told the government they won't meet a 2018 deadline to start using safety technology intended to prevent accidents such as the deadly derailment of an Amtrak train in Philadelphia in May...

WASHINGTON -- Consider looking past January's so-so job growth. At first glance, Friday's government report on U.S. hiring was a downer -- 151,000 added jobs, well below the pace of the previous few months. Once you take a fuller view, a brighter picture of the job market emerges: A sub-5 percent unemployment rate. Healthy pay raises. A stream of people who grew confident enough in the job market to start looking for work...

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- A reborn Orange Crush might have sent Peyton Manning into retirement with a Super ending to his career. Von Miller and the impenetrable Denver defense harassed Panthers quarterback Cam Newton all game Sunday, and the Broncos made enough big plays for a 24-10 victory, Manning's 200th and perhaps his last before retirement...

Cindy Knebel recently joined Element 74 as a project manager. In this role, she will build custom websites and implement digital marketing and search-engine optimization to help businesses improve their online presences. Knebel previously interned with River Radio and Schlafly beer in promotions management before finding interest in the digital-marketing world. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A second-floor porch in St. Louis collapsed, injuring five people, two seriously. Fire Department Capt. Gregg Favre said the accident occurred Saturday evening during a Mardi Gras celebration at a building in the Soulard neighborhood. Favre said witnesses told firefighters the porch suddenly pulled away from the building wall and fell. ...

LOUISIANA, Mo. -- In 1816, a young pioneer from Kentucky, James Hart Stark, homesteaded on the shore of the Mississippi River at the site of what is now Louisiana, Missouri. Stark had brought along a bundle of apple tree scions he planted in the rich soils found in the area...

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- A gun-rights bill introduced at the Washington state Capitol includes quotes falsely attributed to America's Founding Fathers. Republican Rep. Matt Shea introduced the measure Friday. The bill devotes a page to quotes on gun ownership purportedly from the men who created the U.S. Constitution. Researchers say at least three of the quotes used in the bill and attributed to Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Alexander Hamilton were not said or written by them...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls Friday. n Medical assists were made at 3:23 a.m. on William Street, 5:26 a.m. on North Water Street; 7:14 a.m. on Westridge Drive; 9:37 a.m. on Fremont Street; 1:14 p.m. on Perryville Road; 1:44 p.m. on Normal Avenue; 2:37 p.m. on North Fountain Street; 2:49 p.m. on South Mount Auburn Road; 7:55 p.m. on Terry Lane; 8:52 p.m. on Stoddard Street; and 10:40 p.m. on Marrose Ann Drive...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n A suspect was in custody pending formal charges of possession of marijuana; possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute; unlawful use of drug parphernalia; and failure to illuminate a license plate at William Street and Silver Springs Road...

JACKSON The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n Mark E. Arnzen, 51, 319 N. West Lane, was arrested on suspicion of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. n Robert M. Englehart, 49, 824 Old Cape Road, was arrested on suspicion of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated...

SCOTT CITY The Scott City Fire Department responded to the following calls. Tuesday n At 7:43 a.m., a motor vehicle collision at the intersection of Route M and Melrose Street. n At 10:32 a.m., emergency medical service in the 100 block of West Hickory Street...

Hazel N. Wadlington, 98, of Scott City died Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016, at the Fountainbleau Lodge in Cape Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Home in Scott City.

"A merry heart does good, like medicine," the Bible says. Mississippi Valley Therapeutic Horsemanship volunteers are finding they have a role in bringing that joy to people facing health challenges. Through their willingness to assist and horses that carry their share of the weight -- literally -- "children and adults with disabilities Â… achieve greater physical strength and flexibility," the caption in a recent Southeast Missourian photo gallery said. ...

In a matter of minutes on Jan. 1, the small town of McClure, Illinois, went from "the levee will hold 48 feet, it has before" to "the river is going to 50 feet and it very well may top the levee". It was amazing that a large part of town completely moved out in less than 48 hours. ...

Black History As we begin Black History Month, I encourage all local community governments, area schools and other organizations to get involved not only in celebrating the historical achievements of African-Americans but also to discuss and suggest ways of building on the past so as to improve the future. I invite you to consider joining BlackFutureMonth on Facebook and on Twitter with the hashtag, #BlackFutureMonth...

O God, may we confront evil, pursue justice and love mercy. Amen.