Stories from Sunday, June 12, 2016

Wesley UMC Fruitland to host Cave Quest VBS June 26 through 30. Dinner will be served each night at 6 p.m. followed by VBS from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Join us for fun games, awesome music, cool crafts and exciting Bible adventures. Kids ages 3 years to fifth grade are invited to attend. Wesley UMC is located at Hwy 177 Fruitland, 2 miles E of Hwy 61 N. For more information, call Wesley UMC (573) 243-5948 or Cheryl at (573) 334-1883...

BENTON, Kentucky -- Pastor Richie Clendenen stepped away from the pulpit, microphone in hand. He walked the aisles of the Christian Fellowship Church, his voice rising to describe the perils believers face in 21st-century America. "The Bible says in this life you will have troubles, you will have persecutions. And Jesus takes it a step further: You'll be hated by all nations for my name's sake," he said...

Although reports of bullying and ways of categorizing it can vary from district to district and building to building, area school systems continue to find ways to crack down on the fear and exclusion it can wreak in students' lives. For the school year just ended, 305 cases of alleged bullying were reported through the anonymous Stop Bullying website the Cape Girardeau district began offering in 2015, said superintendent Jim Welker...

Residents of the Hillcrest Manor subdivision near Cape Girardeau often were told not to drink their water. Contamination led to frequent boil orders in the failing water and wastewater system that serves close to 250 homes. But two years ago, a St. Ann, Missouri, company bought the utility and spent more than $1 million to fix it up...

Today is Sunday, June 12, the 164th day of 2016. There are 202 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On June 12, 1776, Virginia's colonial legislature adopted a Declaration of Rights. On this date: In 1920, the Republican national convention, meeting in Chicago, nominated Warren G. Harding for president on the tenth ballot; Calvin Coolidge was nominated for vice president...

Joseph and Kendra Boos of Gordonville announce the engagement of their daughter, Laura Nichole Boos, to Tyler Lane Propst of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Randy and Cindy Propst of Cape Girardeau. Laura is a 2009 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in recreation from Southeast Missouri State University. She is the special events coordinator for the Saint Francis Healthcare System Foundation...

Timothy and Debra Bradshaw of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Megan Corrin Bradshaw, to Caleb Eugene Newcomer, both of Jackson. He is the son of Daniel and Lisa Newcomer of Jackson. Megan graduated from Jackson High School in 2012 and from Southeast Missouri State University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. She plans to attend DePaul Law School in Chicago in the fall...

Paul and Tammy Dirnberger of Jackson announce the engagement of their daughter, Jennifer Dirnberger, to Justin Bader, both of Jackson. Justin is the son of Gary and Renea Bader of Jackson. Jennifer is a 2011 graduate of Notre Dame Regional High School. She graduated from the National Academy of Beauty Arts in Festus, Missouri, in 2012. She is a hairstylist at Mousse Salon and Spa in Jackson...

Tim and Linda Nicoson of Benton, Missouri, announce the engagement of their daughter, Heather Danielle Nicoson, to Thomas Cody Bridges, both of Jackson. He is the son of Chuck Bridges of Benton and Sue Harvey of Brandon, Mississippi. Heather attended Thomas W. Kelly High School and attended school to study medical coding and insurance billing. She works at Audiology Associates in Cape Girardeau...

Mark and Becky Eftink of Oran, Missouri, announce the engagement of their daughter, Maria Eftink, to Christopher Buckel, both of St. Louis. He is the son of Brian and Joanne Buckel of Zachary, Louisiana. Maria is a graduate of Oran High School and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Fontbonne University in St. Louis and a Master of Arts in higher education from Southeast Missouri State University. She is director of athletics at Fontbonne University...

Shane and Bobbi Jo Strobel of East Prairie, Missouri, and Debbie Deal Strobel of Sikeston, Missouri, announce the engagement of their daughter, Emily Michelle Strobel, to Matthew Richard Kennard, both of Jackson. He is the son of Rick and Chris Kennard of Jackson...

Erika Reinagel and Austin Westrich were married Jan. 9 at St. Augustine Church in Kelso, Missouri. The Rev. Patrick Ike Nwokoye performed the ceremony. Organist was Hope Essner of Kelso, cousin of the bride, and soloist was Adam Reinagel of Arnold, Missouri, brother of the bride...

What is your most treasured memory?

This photo shows the wide-eyed stare of a juvenile barred owl. Barred owls are native to and widespread through central and western North America. In Missouri, barred owls usually will lay their two to four eggs and begin setting in late February through early April. The eggs will hatch after about a one-month incubation period. A month or so later, the baby owls will be ready to move out of their nest...

The Salvation Army will host these Meals with Friends from noon to 1 p.m. June 13 to 17: Monday: Sloppy Joes, green beans, fruit and dessert Tuesday: Chicken, stuffing, green beans, fruit and dessert Wednesday: Stew beef, cornbread, fruit and dessert...

Monday: Ham and beans or patty melt, seasoned cabbage, fresh tomato slices, cornbread or whole-grain crackers and sugar-free gelatin with pears or chocolate iced yellow cake. Tuesday: Meatballs in gravy or chicken Parmesan, buttered pasta, glazed carrots, steamed yellow squash, whole-grain bread and mandarin oranges or coconut cream dessert...

NEW YORK -- At street carts and bodegas, diners and supermarkets, nowhere is the bagel more ubiquitous than New York City. So exactly what makes a New York City bagel good and, more importantly, where can an eager out-of-towner find the best? A few ideas:...

Today just happens to be my birthday, and we will be spending time together as a family after church, most likely with a brunch meal. Quite often we have brunch when we get home from church, and that is usually the extent of the cooking on Sunday. We usually are well satisfied the rest of the day, so if anything, there may be a light snack later in the afternoon or evening...

I grew up in the Sandhills of Nebraska, so I've fished most of the hill lakes as well as Lake McConaughy. Lakes in Nebraska are a lot cooler than in Missouri or even more southern lakes like Enid or Sardis. Just a few days ago the water surface temp at Lake McConaughy was 59 degrees, which is pretty cool...

Summer unofficially has arrived. While you may be ready for summer, a quick peruse though the magazine rack at the grocery store will attempt to tell you your body is not. So much media bombard men and women with messages of what masculinity and femininity are supposed to be...

Strive for peace -- whatever the circumstance. "Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid," says the Bible scripture John 14:27. Christians can rely firmly on this affirmation. Most believe in a higher power, their God, who also promises a like reward...

Snapper is a 5-year-old male Chihuahua. Snapper is available for adoption at Safe Harbor; call (573) 243-9823.

Happy birthday to Debbie Graviett, Janice Eftink, Jamie Keller, Dean Smith, Geralyn Siebert, Kristi Uhrhan, Matt Hanlon, Amanda Horrell, Bridgett Rains, Jody Rister, Don Sheeley, Andy Wilhite, Esten Cooper, Candi Hargrove, Maxine Scott, Nathan McIntosh, Shawn Nix, Bill Dysinger, Berta Payne, Stephanie Phillips and Beth Eichhorn. Also, Billy Davis, George Douglas, Philip Eastwood, Darius Johnson, Linda Kidd, Lula Rogers and Donald Seyer...

The Cape Girardeau County FCE Council met June 2 at the University of Missouri Extension Center in Jackson. Darlene McCain, vice president, presided over the business meeting in the absence of Barbara Barks, president. JoAnn Hahs with Lamplighters FCE Club gave the devotion on patchwork quilts. Mary Klaproth, secretary, read the minutes, which were approved, and Jean Rehak, treasurer, gave her report, which is on file...

St. John's Catholic Church is tucked away in the rolling hills of Bollinger County, just past rows of fence posts greeting motorists with the verses of "Hail Mary." The church has been a central point of the unincorporated community of Leopold, Missouri, since its formation in 1865. Though Leopold is home to fewer than 100 residents, there are 373 families who call the parish home...

The First Baptist Church of Oak Ridge is far from New York City in more ways than one. Pastor Brandon Moore moved here with his wife, Becca, on March 21, after a two-day drive from their apartment in New York. "Getting used to all the things you take for granted, living here, that was the hard part," Moore says. ...

Great truths: n A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. -- George Bernard Shaw n A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money. -- G. Gordon Liddy...

Over the past 11 months, then-interim athletic director Brady Barke has been asked time and again whether Southeast Missouri State University can have success at the Division I level. As a Division II institution decades ago, Southeast had much success. Since the conversion to Division I, there have been more downs than ups. Consistent winning has not followed splashes of success, at least in men's basketball and football...

O Father God, may we forgive others as you have forgiven us. Amen.

Attorneys for the Jackson School District and the mother of a 12-year-old student agreed on a $22,000 settlement agreement Friday in Cape Girardeau County Court. Christine Windes, representing her daughter Alexis as a next friend, sued the district for damages related to injuries Alexis sustained during a rollerskating mishap Jan. 24, 2014, at a Jackson school. ...

Two Cape Girardeau photographers -- Steve Robertson and Pat Patterson -- criticized Central High School's policy of designating an official photographer for senior pictures in its yearbook; the two spoke to the school board about the process, calling it unethical; the school, through a competitive bidding process, awards a photography contract each year...

Geraldine M. Siletta, 86, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Las Vegas, passed away Thursday, June 9, 2016, at the Lutheran Home. She was born July 8, 1929, in St. Louis, the daughter of Noah and Jossia Crites Lashley. She and Ralph Siletta were married Dec. 11, 1965. He passed away March 12, 2006. She then married Alonzo Massey on Aug. 28 2007. He passed away April 26, 2016...

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Henry Fred Showmaker of Charleston, 62, died Wednesday, June 8, 2016, at Baptist Health Hospital in Paducah, Kentucky. Fred was born Jan. 20, 1954, in Cairo, Illinois, to the late E.J. and Catherine Duenne Showmaker. He was a native of Charleston, a lifelong farmer, land owner and co-owner/operator of Showmaker Brothers Farms in Brookport, Illinois, with his brother Tom Showmaker. ...

Traci Sue Owen, 39, of Scott City died Friday, June 10, 2016, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born April 25, 1977, in Cape Girardeau to Robert Earl and Kathryn Sue Clark Perkins. She married James Dean Owen Sr. on Aug. 3, 2001, in Cape Girardeau...

Delores Colleen McMillan, 74, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, June 9, 2016, at the Lutheran Home. A memorial service will be at a later date. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Juanita McCormick, 81, of Scott City died Thursday, June 9, 2016, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born May 14, 1935, in Heath, Alabama, to John May and Faye Gibson Carter. Juanita was a retired machine operator at Ely Walker in Scott City and she cooked at various restaurants...

Pierce Lynn Mason, 37, of Cape Girardeau passed away Wednesday, June 8, 2016. He was born July 13, 1978, in Cape Girardeau to Danny Mason and Cindy Eggimann Patrick. Pierce loved music and loved to dance. He was a very kind-hearted and lovable guy. Loving survivors include his father, Danny (Jackie) Mason, and mother, Cindy Patrick of Cape Girardeau; sister Magin (Jeff) Chapman; brothers Jeremy (Daisy) Patrick and Ben Patrick; stepsister Angela (Daniel) Melton; nieces and nephew, Abby, Paisley, Trevor and Brooks; aunts; uncles; cousins; and friends.. ...

BENTON, Mo. -- Wendell "Wendy" Hugh Lynch Sr., 64, of Benton died Friday, June 10, 2016, at his home. He was born Aug. 4, 1951, in East Prairie, Missouri, to Noel Hugh and Dona Lee Mitchem Lynch. He married Debra Darlene Palmer on Aug. 4, 1973, in Cape Girardeau...

Alice Jeanne Long, 91, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, June 10, 2016, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

Shelia E. Hager, known to many as “Slim,” 58, of Jackson, passed away Friday, June 10, 2016, at her home. She was born April 16, 1958, in Cape Girardeau, daughter of Kenneth E. and Elwanda Stroder Seabaugh. She and Phil Hager were married May 27, 1978...

BENTON, Mo. -- Georgia Mae Graham, 87 of Benton died Friday, June 10, 2016, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born Aug. 25, 1928 in Glenallen, Missouri, to Fred Victor and Ruth Aldrich Burns. She married Billy Lee Graham on Jan. 18, 1947. He preceded her in death Feb. 24, 1980...

VILLA RIDGE, Ill. — Blanche M. Britton, 104, of Villa Ridge passed away at 12:35 a.m. Friday, June 10, 2016, at Union County Nursing Home in Anna, Illinois. Blanche was born June 18, 1911, at Slater, Kentucky, daughter of the late George and Mary Kay Stricklen Stennett...

Theresa D. Berry, 53 of Jackson died Thursday, June 9, 2016, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. A memorial service will be at 6 p.m. Thursday at Ford and Sons Funeral Home in Jackson.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Harry Warren Armstrong Jr., 69, of Cairo died Friday, June 10, 2016, at Daystar Care Center in Cairo. Per family's request, cremation services have been selected, with a graveside memorial service at a later date at the Mound City National Cemetery in Mound City, Illinois...

One doctor delivered test results to Prince's home. Another sent his son, who wasn't a physician, on a cross-country flight to bring medication to the music star. It's not clear whether any doctor could have averted the fentanyl overdose that killed the singer in April. ...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The gunman who shot and killed a singer who rose to fame after appearing on "The Voice" traveled to Orlando from another Florida city to attack her and fatally shot himself, authorities said Saturday. Police tweeted Saturday the shooter was 27-year-old Kevin James Loibl of St. Petersburg, Florida. Orlando Police Chief John Mina said at a news conference earlier Saturday the suspect didn't appear to know Christina Grimmie personally...

BEIRUT -- Two suicide bombers struck close to the Syrian capital Saturday, killing at least 12 people and wounding dozens more in the latest attack to hit the predominantly Shiite area in recent months, state TV and an opposition activist group said...

TEHUACAN, Mexico -- The prime suspect in the slaying of 11 family members is a man who allegedly sought revenge after one of the victims reported he raped her and he was jailed, a Mexican law-enforcement official said Saturday. The official said authorities believe two attackers fatally shot the woman and her family, including two girls. The killers also slashed a male victim believed to be the woman's partner and may have tried to decapitate him...

PARK CITY, Utah -- Donald Trump can be an effective president, and he's going to win with you or without you, Republican chairman Reince Priebus told several hundred of the party's top donors and strategists Saturday. Trump is setting a dangerous example for Americans by promoting "trickle-down racism," and the party must look beyond this presidential election to find its future, 2012 nominee Mitt Romney told the same group later that morning...

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- A driver escaped injury and stopped her car after a 4-foot-long rat snake came out of her dashboard and slithered across her feet as she drove on Interstate 49. Although rat snakes aren't venomous, Kelly Swisher said the snake felt "rough and scaly" and gave her a "nails on a chalk board" sort of feeling. She said the snake made its way into the back seat, allowing her to get off the interstate and get out of the car. Animal-control officers captured the snake...

The Scott City Fire Department responded to the following calls: June 3 n At 4:51 p.m. emergency medical service mutual aid call on Interstate 55, mile marker 88. n At 5:18 p.m., emergency medical service in the 300 block of East Maple. June 5...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- He carried a dozen roses into Cave Hill Cemetery and headed for a patch of grass in the back corner that seemed too ordinary for the man buried beneath it. Farzam Farrokhi had worried there would be a horde of people Saturday morning elbowing for a place among the first to see Muhammad Ali's grave...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Thefts n Theft was reported in the 2800 block of South Old Orchard Road. n Theft was reported in the 2900 block of South Old Orchard Road. n Theft was reported in the 2800 block of Diana Drive...

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls: Thursday n Medical assists were made at 2:29 a.m. on Hackberry Street; at 9:14 a.m. on Themis Street; at 1:23 p.m. on Brenda Kay Court; at 2:03 p.m. on South Pacific Street; at 3:24 p.m. on Farrar Drive; and at 11:08 p.m. on Pioneer Drive...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n A juvenile was cited into juvenile court for being beyond parental control. n Brittnee L. Davis, 17, 1116 Ranney Ave., was arrested on suspicion of property damage...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Lottery said it has set a record for profits. The Lottery said Friday it transferred nearly $309 million to public education during the state fiscal year that ends this month. It said that’s 7 percent higher than the previous annual record of nearly $289 million set in 2013. ...

ST. LOUIS — Prosecutors in St. Louis have accused an Oklahoma man in the shooting death of a pregnant third-grade teacher. Thirty-five-year-old Phillip Cutler of Muskogee is charged with two counts each of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the March death of 30-year-old Jocelyn Peters. ...

STANTON, Mo. — One of Missouri’s most popular tourist attractions is scheduled to reopen after being closed for about three months because of potentially harmful vapors. The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that Meramec Caverns in Franklin County could reopen Friday. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder is touting an endorsement from conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh in Missouri’s four-way Republican primary for governor. Kinder is running a radio ad in which Limbaugh recounts he grew up with Kinder in Cape Girardeau and describes him as a lifelong close friend. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A group that oversees the St. Louis school desegregation program is discussing an option that would end the nation's largest and longest-running desegregation effort. Superintendents and representatives of 12 participating school districts met Thursday to begin planning for the potential change to the program, which has allowed more than 60,000 black students in St. Louis to attend suburban schools during the last several decades...

ST. PETERS, Mo. -- Police in a St. Louis suburb said Saturday they believe a 37-year-old woman drowned her two children in a bathtub before dying in a house fire she appeared to set intentionally. The St. Peters Police Department said in a statement it believes Jenny Ayres "played a role" in the deaths of her two children. All three of their bodies were found after officers and firefighters responded to a fire at their home Thursday evening...

Republican lieutenant governor candidate Mike Parson decried the state of today’s political campaigns during a stop Friday in Cape Girardeau. Parson, a state senator from Bolivar, Missouri, complained “we have gotten to a point as Republicans and conservatives that winning elections are about winning elections at all costs.”...

St. Francois County Circuit Court Judge Sandra Martinez denied a motion from murder suspect Melvin Scherrer’s defense team and said she would review two others. Scherrer, 51, of Bonne Terre, Missouri, is accused of killing Cape Girardeau tattoo artist Samuel Francis in 2013. ...

The Burger King Capahas continued their hot start to manager Jess Bolen's final season. The Capahas improved to 3-0 on the season with a pair of wins this weekend. They posted a 4-0 shutout on the road vs. the St. Louis Spikes on Friday and defeated Fairview Heights (Illinois) 5-3 in their home opener at Capaha Field on Saturday...

ORLANDO, Fla. — It had been an evening of drinking, dancing and drag shows. After hours of revelry, the partygoers crowding the gay nightclub known as the Pulse took their last sips before the place closed. That’s when authorities said Omar Mateen emerged, carrying an AR-15 and spraying the helpless crowd with bullets.

AMMAN, Jordan -- Satellite and drone images led to a new discovery in the ancient city of Petra -- a massive, man-made stone platform hidden under sand. The platform might have been used for ceremonial purposes, because it was fronted on one side by columns and a monumental staircase, said Christopher A. Tuttle, executive director of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers. Only excavations would shed more light on its original use, but no digs are planned for now, he said...