Stories from Friday, August 12, 2016

BENTON, Mo. — When the football touched Braden Cox’s hands, the Scott City senior ran like an animal uncaged — shoulders down, legs churning. But what’s the start of football season if not a license to escape the grind of preseason work and punish some people?...

BENTON, Mo. -- A husband and wife from Chaffee, Missouri, have been arrested after being found in possession of narcotics, authorities said. According to Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter, Travis Chiles, 41, and Melissa Chiles, 38, have been charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia...

Construction work on two manholes on Broadway between Lorimier and Spanish streets will prompt traffic detours in the coming weeks, Cape Girardeau city officials announced. Starting Monday, Perkins Contracting will begin rebuilding the manholes for AT&T. The work is expected to be completed within three to four weeks, officials said...

A new branch of Enterprise Rent-A-Car will open in Cape Girardeau on Monday. But unlike the company's Kingshighway location, the new office will be exclusive to Southeast Missouri State University faculty, staff and students. The rental-car company is under contract with the state of Missouri, and the university rents exclusively from it. ...

The federal government needs to enforce existing gun laws, not ban guns, U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and a top official of the National Rifle Association said Thursday. Blunt, who is seeking re-election to a second, six-year term, made a campaign stop at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, accompanied by NRA officials Wayne LaPierre and Chris Cox...

KKENNETT, Mo. — The founder of The Clink, a Facebook page dealing with law enforcement and other issues in the Kennett area, was arrested Tuesday evening by Kennett police on a charge of making a terroristic threat, a class C felony. Sherr Harden of Kennett is free on a $25,000 surety bond. ...

Students walk to buses after their first day of classes Thursday at Central Junior High School in Cape Girardeau.

Adding to the growing list of downsizing retail stores, Macy’s Inc. has announced its intention to close 100 of its full-line stores in 2017. According to a news release from the company, the closures are part of an effort to increase profitability and improve shareholder value...

Since Alexander disease first was identified in 1949, about 500 cases have been reported, according to the National Institutes of Health. The rare disease is among a group of nervous-system disorders referred to as leukodystrophies, meaning it destroys the fatty coverings, or myelin sheaths, that surround healthy nerve cells...

One side of a house collapsed as a large hole opened over the garage during a fire Thursday night at 413 Goodson Drive in Jackson. Jackson fire fighters responded to the fire just before 9:30 p.m. and saw flames coming through the roof, according to Jackson fire chief Jason Mouser. Twenty minutes after they started fighting the fire, flames flowed out of a front window, he said...

Route CC in Scott County from Highway 91 to Route W will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews repair the pavement, according to a MoDOT news release. The work will be performed from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily Monday through Thursday...

Today in History Today is Friday, Aug. 12, the 225th day of 2016. There are 141 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Aug. 12, 1939, the MGM movie musical "The Wizard of Oz," starring Judy Garland, had its world premiere at the Strand Theater in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, three days before opening in Hollywood...

It is especially important for each Missourian to think about oral health -- your own, your family members' and your community's. Too many of us consider oral health to be an issue that can be left for later. Leaving oral health for later is a bad deal. ...

It seems to me that if the City of Cape Girardeau really wants to recognize the excellence Jess Bolen has presented over the last 50 years there are two things they could do. No. 1, give the Capahas $50,000 to use for their upkeep, say $1,000 for each year managed...

Some came because they knew the victims personally. Some came because they are concerned for the state of the nation. Some came to support a community effort. All came to make a stand in the name of stopping the violence in South Cape. The Stop the Violence prayer march, held the last Saturday in July, commemorated the lives of those in our community who have been killed, most within the last five years. ...

Sometimes I can see the future. No, I'm not a clairvoyant. Or a fortune-teller. I don't have any tarot cards. I don't read tea leaves. However, I confess that I have, over the years, split open a few persimmon seeds after the first heavy frost of autumn to determine what kind of winter to expect...

The Dairy Queen restaurant at 913 Broadway has reopened; owner Frank Bean, who closed the restaurant June 26, said the plan to consolidate it with the Dairy Queen at 31 S. Kingshighway didn't meet with approval from the company's regional office in St. Louis...

Lavonna Sue Priest, 78, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, at Woodland Hills Nursing Home in Marble Hill, Missouri. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

Gene W. Phillips, 88, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, at Ratliff Care Center. He was born Sept. 28, 1927, in Cape Girardeau to Walter and Virginia Heise Phillips. He and Clara Belle Hitt Phillips were married June 4, 1960, in Cape Girardeau...

NORMAL, Ill. -- Morris "Mo" Waggoner Osburn, 59, of Normal passed away Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016, at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center. Mo was born Sept. 7, 1957, in Mexico, Missouri, to Robert and Bonnie Baker Osburn. He married Diana McLaren on May 13, 2006, in Bloomington, Illinois. He previously was married to Bibbie Wilson, with whom he has two sons...

Bryce Matthew Moore, 42, of Jackson died Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born May 29, 1974, in Cape Girardeau to Gary Robert and Ruth Elizabeth Stamp Moore. Bryce was a surveyor for Bowen Engineering and Surveying. ...

Della D. Lukow, 63, of Cape Girardeau passed away Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born Sunday, Feb. 15, 1953, in Cape Girardeau to Harry Williams and Mildred Norris Watson. Della was a 1971 graduate of Cape Girardeau Central High School...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Patricia Ann James, 58, of Sikeston died Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. Her wishes were to be cremated. There will be no public service. Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements...

FAIRFIELD BAY, Ark. -- Lois Lucille Chastain-Hilton, 100, was born to the late Robert W. and Stella Christian Reutzel on Dec. 15, 1915, in Cape Girardeau and passed from this life Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, in Fairfield Bay. Lucille faced many challenges in her 100 years, but rose to meet each one with faith and optimism. ...

ORAN, Mo. -- Bertha Hamm, 87, of Oran died Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, at Chaffee Nursing Center in Chaffee, Missouri. Arrangements are incomplete at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel.

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Charles D. Angel, 76, of Marble Hill passed away Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, at his home. He was born Feb. 4, 1940, in Bessville, Missouri, son of Marion Washington and Loretta Lodema Barks Angel. He and Vivian Newell were united in marriage July 7, 1962...

KENNETT, Mo. -- Kennett native and Grammy-nominated recording artist David Nail is in the midst of a string of tours in support of his fourth full-length album, "Fighter," which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard charts after its release July 15. Nail is wrapping up a three-week headlining tour across the West Coast. ...

Little man with Dad and Grandpa! #semoselfie

LONDON -- Ecuador said Thursday it's ready to set a date for Swedish prosecutors to question Julian Assange inside its London embassy -- a potential breakthrough in the yearslong international impasse over the WikiLeaks founder. Assange is wanted for questioning by Swedish police over a rape allegation stemming from his visit to the country in 2010...

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- A wildlife-trade monitoring group has called on Indonesia to take strong action against traders of endangered birds who are driving several species toward extinction. Traffic, a U.K.-based group, said Thursday its latest survey recorded nearly 23,000 birds in five markets in three cities in eastern and central Java...

HAVANA -- Ramses Fernandez's most cherished possession is barely larger than a refrigerator, with the legroom of an economy airplane seat and a little more horsepower than a riding lawnmower. "That's my second baby," said Fernandez, smiling proudly at the 39-year-old automobile purchased about the time his 10-month-old son was born. "My wife says that car is my child."...

BEIRUT -- Syrian activists said airstrikes targeting the Islamic State group's de facto capital of Raqqa on Thursday killed at least 20 civilians as neighboring Turkey called for greater cooperation with Russia against the extremist group. The offer by Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu followed a meeting between the Russian and Turkish leaders in which they agreed to mend ties...

MOSCOW -- Ukraine put its troops on combat alert Thursday along the country's de-facto borders with Crimea and separatist rebels in the east amid an escalating war of words with Russia over Crimea. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko issued the order after Moscow accused his country of sending several groups of "saboteurs" to carry out attacks in Crimea and said two Russians died while fending off their incursions...

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia Republicans are questioning anew Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine's judgment, saying his last-minute push as governor to return a convicted killer to Germany is a "critical issue" for voters to consider. On a conference call with reporters Thursday, state GOP lawmakers slammed Kaine's treatment of Jens Soering, a German diplomat's son who is serving two life sentences for the killing of his ex-girlfriend's parents...

WASHINGTON -- Donald Trump says President Barack Obama is the "founder" of the Islamic State group. He's not, of course. According to the GOP presidential nominee, Obama's decision to pull U.S. forces from Iraq in 2011 destabilized the Middle East and created a situation in which Islamic State militants could thrive. That's debatable, at least...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Straying from his trademark bravado, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump acknowledged Thursday his presidential campaign is facing challenges and ultimately could fall short. Trump's most explicit concession came as he pleaded for support at a gathering of evangelical ministers, where Trump observed he was "having a tremendous problem in Utah."...

WARREN, Mich. -- Her political fortunes flourishing, Hillary Clinton attempted to undercut Donald Trump's claim to working-class voters Thursday, portraying her Republican rival as untrustworthy on economic issues and pushing policies that only would benefit the super-wealthy -- himself included...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- This might be an only-in-Alaska problem: A restaurant in Fairbanks that has told customers since 2013 it was serving reindeer tenderloin actually was giving them elk. The Pump House has been fined $50,000 by the state for mislabeling the meat. The parent company of the restaurant agreed to pay the criminal fine, donate $10,532 to three not-for-profit food groups and publicly apologize. The meat actually came from elk in New Zealand...

MIRAMAR, Fla. -- The officer who shot and killed a 73-year-old retired librarian during a citizen academy "shoot/don't shoot" class resigned from his previous department shortly after two excessive-force complaints were filed against him, according to records released Thursday...

WASHINGTON -- Scientists carefully probe a placenta donated after birth, bluish umbilical cord still attached. This is the body's most mysterious organ, and inside lie clues to how this giver of life forms -- and how it can go awry, leading to stillbirth, preterm birth, even infections such as the Zika virus that somehow sneak past its protective barrier...

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration has decided marijuana will remain on the list of most dangerous drugs, fully rebuffing growing support across the country for broad legalization, but said it will allow more research into its medical uses. The decision to expand research into marijuana's medical potential could pave the way for the drug to be moved to a lesser category...

NEW YORK -- Gay, lesbian and bisexual high-school students are far more likely than their classmates to be raped or assaulted in a dating situation, according to the first national survey of its kind. The research also found gay teens were far more likely to have attempted suicide, taken illegal drugs and engaged in other risky behaviors...

SAN DIEGO -- In early July, Betsy Davis emailed her closest friends and relatives to invite them to a two-day party, telling them: "These circumstances are unlike any party you have attended before, requiring emotional stamina, centeredness and openness."...

CHICAGO -- Anthony Rizzo drew a bases-loaded walk from Zach Duke with two outs in the 11th inning and the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 on Thursday night for their 10th consecutive win. Pinch-hitters Willson Contreras and Jorge Soler led off with singles against the lefty Duke (2-1) and Dexter Fowler walked to load the bases with one out. Kris Bryant struck out before Rizzo took a 3-1 pitch inside to give the Cubs their longest winning streak since getting 12 straight in 2001...

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- New athletic director Jim Sterk did not shy away from addressing the social issues that have beset the Missouri campus the last 12 months, saying Thursday that he wants to foster an "inclusive, diverse and successful" environment. "I have a fresh start," Sterk said. ...

Old Town Cape's annual Tunes at Twilight fall series will begin with Doug Rees performing at 6:30 p.m. today at the Common Pleas Courthouse gazebo, 44 N. Lorimier St. in Cape Girardeau. Doug Rees is a singer and songwriter from Jackson. The fall lineup will continue as follows:...

The theater company Acting Out! will hold performances of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised]" today and Saturday at the Osage Centre, 1625 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. The name may be lengthy, but it also is surprisingly accurate, according to Amanda Rhodes, executive director of Acting Out!...

Hafiza Nilofar Khan's artwork essentially has no boundaries. Khan, a Cape Girardeau resident who was born in Pakistan and raised in Bangladesh, has been painting and creating artwork for the past 15 years. When she first met her husband, Carl Bloom, in the '90s, he was teaching art classes in Hawaii. Eventually, they became a couple and moved to Bangladesh together. Once in Bangladesh, Khan decided to try her hand at painting, using Bloom's leftover acrylics...

The 18-hole Ladies Handicap Tournament at Dalhousie Golf Club went to Deanna Estes, as she won the event by four strokes on Thursday. Estes topped the field with a net score of 69. Eileen Owens landed in second at 73, while Terri Parmly was third at 74...

The annual Jour de Fete festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday on North Main Street in historic downtown Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. The event will include arts and crafts booths, hands-on exhibits, special attractions and many food options. For more information, visit visitstegen.com or call (573) 883-7097...

The Howard Aslinger Foundation will host its annual Summer Music Festival from 4 to 11 p.m. Saturday at the red show barn in Arena Park, 410 Kiwanis Drive in Cape Girardeau. The event will feature live music from Mike Renick, Platinum Strings, Paragon and Us Instead. ...

O Lord, thank you that no matter when I cry out in distress, you hear my voice. Amen.