Stories from Sunday, July 30, 2017

Convicted in state court of murder, James Clay Waller II now will be tried in federal court "to protect citizens from a dangerous, sociopathic and narcissistic murderer," federal prosecutors said in a court filing this week. A prison manuscript in which Waller stated "killing my wife was a no-brainer" did not prompt the federal case but rather dissatisfaction with the outcome of the state case, prosecutors said...

As the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21 nears, so does total-solar-eclipse mania. Local businesses are getting creative trying to capitalize on the big event. Wineries have special wines said to pair nicely with astronomical phenomena, and eclipse T-shirts are all the rage...

Upgrades in the works at SoutheastHEALTH include construction of a 10,000-square-foot facility in Jackson, acquisition of robotic surgical equipment and a new cardiac pavilion in the Cape Girardeau hospital. The Cape Girardeau and Stoddard County Industrial Development Authorities approved SoutheastHEALTH to issue up to a total of $107 million in new bonds to fund the projects...

Today in History Today is Sunday, July 30, the 211th day of 2017. There are 154 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 30, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill creating a women's auxiliary agency in the Navy known as "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service" -- WAVES for short...

Connor Holeman and Luke Phillips were married June 17, 2017, in Oxford, Mississippi. James Green performed the ceremony. Jason Derrick of Oxford was the organist. The bride is the daughter of Shirley Holeman of Brandon, Mississippi. The groom is the son of Mark and Kellie Phillips of Cape Girardeau...

Roger Petzoldt and Dena Stoelb, both of Jackson, announce the engagement of their daughter, Adelyn Renee Petzoldt, to Seth Michael Schlegel. He is the son of Matt and Kristen Schlegel of Jackson. Adelyn is a 2013 graduate of Jackson High School and a 2015 graduate of the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center as a licensed practical nurse. She is an LPN in the obstetrics department at Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville, Missouri...

Dan and Alice Niswonger of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary with a cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. Niswonger and the former Alice Cannon of Sikeston, Missouri, were married July 29, 1972, at Grace United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau...

Don and Judy Starzinger of Jackson celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a family gathering hosted by their children at the home of Scott and Peggy Starzinger of Jackson. Starzinger and the former Judy Schrumpf were married July 13, 1957, at the United Methodist Church in Perryville, Missouri, by the Rev. O.D. Van Horn...

The SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence, 755 S. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, will have a benefit yard sale Thursday through Saturday. The sale hours: 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. Proceeds will benefit local individuals with disabilities. For more information, call (573) 651-6464...

What would you most like to see (business/attraction-wise) in Southeast Missouri?

Monday: Chicken strips or mushroom steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, mixed beans, cucumber salad, whole-grain bread and citrus fruit salad or sherbet. Tuesday: Roast pork or cabbage roll, baked sweet potato, green beans, whole-grain hot roll and hot apples and raisins or strawberries on cake...

Usually we think of dragonflies as those that are about 3 inches long and sporting dominant colors of blue, green, white or brown. But there is a much smaller, orange-colored one that is easy to overlook or mistake for some other kind of insect. The little dragonfly I show here is an eastern amberwing. It is about 3/4 of an inch long. On a hot, sunny, mid summer day I stuck a small aluminum rod in the bank at the edge of a pond. I hoped a dragonfly would land on it, and this one did...

Painted Wren Art Gallery announced the winners of the second of its four Show Me-themed photo contests this year, "Fourth of July." The next contest, titled "Halloween," will have an entry deadline of Oct. 24. 1 "The American Way" 2 "Our Lil' Sparkler"...

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," (Proverbs 9:10a). There is more to the epigram above, so what you read there is a bit out of context. Still, there is enough in the first 10 words of that verse to dig in for some real-world life application...

The storage on my phone has been full for a while and I've been ignoring it, trying to cram every last screenshot, email and text message onto it as is humanly possible. Thus, while my family and I were recently on vacation in the mountains, I thought I could outsmart my phone's storage space by taking all of my photos using Snapchat and saving them to the app's "my memories" feature, intending to screenshot them once I got home. Voilá -- I would have pictures without needing to delete anything...

Happy birthday to Darlene Crocker, Anita Montgomery, Vannaise Hitt, Jeremy Townsend, Carl Estes, Dorothy Black, Billie Jo Sadler, Fimble Enderle, Debbie Totty, Jonathan Dooley, Katie Hampton, Adam Swinford, Breanna Davis, Bob Burnett, Shelby Ancell, Kari Stone, Adam Uhrhahn, Tom Burnett, Rocky Portell, Leann Carroll, Jane Swain, Margie Kielhofner, BJ Jackson, Carol Cannon, Larry Wolfe, Tyler Cookson, Dale Tierney, Tracey Totty, Paula Stidham, Stephanie Scheeter, Dorothy Margrabe, Saundra Hamilton and Simon Hitt.. ...

I've been around a lot of people down through the years. Some of them had plenty of money, some had lots of money, and then some I don't think knew how much they were worth. I've also been around poor people. We probably grew up poor, and at that time I didn't know we were poor. ...

TRUCKEE, Calif. -- Pink and yellow wildflowers burst from a lush bed of grass hidden from public view for more than a century. Towering trees and snow-capped mountains encircle the wild meadow, beckoning visitors to a largely untouched piece of California's Sierra Nevada...

Submitted by Tammy Elders The Heartland Firecrackers advanced to the Babe Ruth 10U Girls Softball World Series by going a combined 8-0 in the state and regional tournaments. The team is comprised of girls from Scott City, Chaffee, Delta, Advance, Benton and Kelso, Missouri. Team members are Brogan Hawkins, Mackenzie Lawless, Ava LeGrand, Kayleigh Holman, Presley Holweg, Addison Carlton, Logan Schiwitz, Macy Burger, Alyssa Dirden, Lily Elders, Journey Black, Maggie Jones, Addisyn Hillemann, Reese Van Pelt and Halle Comer. The Firecrackers are coached by Casey Hillemann, Paul Dirden, Ronnie Gray and Gaylen Hawkins. The team manager is Jordon Comer.

The High Noon Toastmasters Club elected officers for the year of July 2017 through June 2018. They are Andrew Welter of Cape Girardeau, president; Aaron Huey of Cape Girardeau, vice president of education; Mark Schutte of Cape Girardeau, vice president of membership; Chance Franklin of Jackson, vice president of public relations; Dr. William E. Meyer of Cape Girardeau, secretary/treasurer; and Bob Hill of McClure, Illinois, sergeant at arms...

It's all salads today to help get through these hot, summer days. Whether you are eating at home, or taking to a get-together, these salad recipes are sure to please just about everyone on the guest list. You don't have to stick to the rules on these salad recipes -- be creative and adjust ingredients to suit your family's preferences and taste. Stay cool everyone!...

You may have never heard of Nephi Grigg, but if you've ever eaten a meal at a grade-school cafeteria, you've probably been served his signature culinary invention. Grigg and his brother Golden made it through the Great Depression growing potatoes and corn in their native Idaho. In 1951, they became convinced the wave of the future was frozen food...

The Salvation Army of Cape Girardeau is under new leadership. Lts. Matthew and Virginia DeGonia have been appointed to the local Salvation Army, and they're learning about the community as they assess the needs and make plans for the future. "It's a lot of learning because we don't know the area very well, so it's a lot of meeting folks in the community," Matthew told reporter Tyler Graef. ...

How can throwing away original police notes, destroying witness testimony, hiding evidence favorable to the defense, manipulating documents, coercing witness', making deals and threatening witnesses to comply be anything but corrupt? It was a horrible injustice that was done to David Robinson. This also happened to Anthony Shaw and I wonder how many others...

PLEASE, no more of the weird pieces around town allegedly called sculptures. I appreciate the artists' endeavors, but this so-called artwork is mostly grotesque and as someone said, "It looks painful." The only pretty one is the silver/aluminum feather near the Southeast Missourian building...

O Father God, may we always be faithful in serving you. Amen.

A shortage of physicians willing to treat Medicaid patients has been identified as one of the biggest health-care gaps in Cape Girardeau County. Missouri health officials met with about 25 local medical representatives and residents at the Cape Girardeau Health Department to identify the county's health-care needs and examine how best they can be addressed...

The Jackson Fire Department responded to the following calls: Thursday n Emergency medical service on South Bellevue Street. n Emergency medical service on West Mary Street. n Apply absorbent on Court Street. n Emergency medical service on South Shawnee Boulevard...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrest does not imply guilt. Arrest n Nigel Watson, 19, of Cape Girardeau was arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana under 10 grams, unlawful use of drug paraphernalia and failure to turn as directed by a traffic control device...

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls: Thursday n Medical assists were made at 12:02 a.m. on Brenda Kay Court; 10:34 a.m. on South Benton Street; 3:41 p.m. on College Street; 3:49 p.m. on Lexington Avenue; 4 p.m. on South West End Boulevard; and 9:14 p.m. on South Silver Springs Road...

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 a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and unlawful use of drug paraphernalia at South West End Boulevard and Shawnee Parkway...

Lorene S. Wolak, 90, of Jackson passed away Saturday, July 29, 2017, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 25, 1927, in Cape Girardeau to Lawrence H. and Ella Pobst Weissmueller. She and Joseph F. Wolak were married Aug. 3, 1957, in Cape Girardeau. They had been married 32 years when Joseph passed away June 28, 1990...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. — Gene Ward, 90, of Marble Hill passed away Thursday, July 27, 2017, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. He was born Nov. 23, 1926, in Olathe, Colorado, son of Buford and Dell Underwood Ward. He and Rae Hopper were married June 29, 1948, and she passed away Jan. 22, 1998...

The Rev. Marvin Eugene "Gene" Vickrey, 87, formerly of Jackson, passed away Wednesday, July 19, 2017, at the home of his daughter in Cypress, Texas. He was born Oct. 5, 1929, in Hannibal, Missouri, to John and Helen Vickrey. Gene was a graduate of Jackson High School. His other education included Southwest Baptist College, William Jewell College and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary...

SARASOTA, Fla. — Earl Frank Horton, 96, died Sunday, July 23, 2017, in Sarasota. He was born Nov. 3, 1920, in Cape Girardeau. He attended Cape Girardeau Central High School and Southeast Missouri State University. He was known as Frank to all of his friends and customers in Cape Girardeau and the surrounding area. He owned Horton Sales Co. for many years before retiring to Florida...

Robert Edgar Bazzell, 87, of Jackson passed away peacefully Wednesday, July 26, 2017, at his home. He was born April 26, 1930, in Jackson to Paul and Mealy Stroder Bazzell. He and Georgia Kester were married March 22, 1952. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. After his service, he returned to his job at the old shoe factory, then within the year landed a job with Pevely Dairy as an independent milk distributor, where he worked until his retirement...

Ralph Edward Bauer, 56, of Jackson died Friday, July 28, 2017, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Sept. 16, 1960, in Granite City, Illinois, to Venida Ann Bauer. Ralph and Stephanie Stevenson were married Sept. 11, 1993, in Jackson...

Daughter to Mikalen Jamal and Breia Shale' Tillmon of Cape Girardeau, Saint Francis Medical Center, 6:42 p.m. Saturday, July 15, 2017. Name, Brelynn Ja'Kaye. Weight, 4 pounds, 5 ounces. Second daughter. Mrs. Tillmon is the former Breia Twiggs, daughter of Robin Twiggs of Cape Girardeau. Tillmon is the son of Michael Tillmon of Caruthersville, Missouri, and Darla Tillmon of Cape Girardeau...

U.S. 61 in Cape Girardeau County will be reduced with a 10-foot width restriction as Missouri Department of Transportation crews perform bridge repairs. This bridge is between Route D and West Park Street over Hubble Creek. The work will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, according to a MoDOT news release...

WASHINGTON -- Retired Marine general John Kelly is a battle-hardened commander who would bring a background of military discipline and order to President Donald Trump's roiling White House as the new chief of staff. Kelly's experience as Homeland Security secretary and a veteran of three tours in Iraq suggests he'll be a loyal manager for Trump when he starts the job Monday...

SHEFFIELD LAKE, Ohio -- A woman called 911 in a panic Thursday with ample reason: A 5 1/2-foot-long boa constrictor she had rescued a day earlier had wrapped itself around her neck, was biting her face and wouldn't let go. "Please hurry," the frightened woman told a dispatcher. ...

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened once more to end required payments to insurance companies unless lawmakers repeal and replace the Obama-era health care law. In apparent frustration over Friday's failure by the Senate Republican majority to pass a bill repealing parts of the Affordable Care Act, Trump tweeted: "If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!"...

NEW YORK -- Weary Republicans in Washington may be ready to move on from health care, but conservatives across the United States are warning the GOP-led Congress not to abandon its pledge to repeal the Obama-era health law or risk a political nightmare in next year's elections...

MOSCOW -- From the early days of online stock scams to the increasingly sophisticated world of botnets, pseudonymous hacker Peter Severa spent nearly two decades at the forefront of Russian cybercrime. Now that a man alleged to be the pioneering spam lord, Pytor Levashov, is in Spanish custody awaiting extradition to the U.S., friends and foes alike are describing the 36-year-old as an ambitious operator who helped make the internet underground what it is today...

CANBERRA, Australia -- Police disrupted a terrorist plot to bring down an airplane and arrested four men Saturday in raids on homes in several Sydney suburbs, the prime minister said today. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said security had been increased at Sydney Airport since Thursday because of the plot. The increased security measures had been extended to all major international and domestic terminals around Australia overnight...

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- A federal judge blocked Arkansas from enforcing four new abortion restrictions, including a ban on a common second-trimester procedure and a fetal-remains law opponents say would effectively require a partner's consent before a woman could get an abortion...

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Despite four months of deadly protests and the threat of U.S. sanctions, Venezuela on Saturday found itself 24 hours away from a consolidation of government power that appeared certain to drag the OPEC nation deeper into a crisis that has neighborhoods battling police and paramilitaries while the poor root for scraps in piles of trash...

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard said Saturday a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier fired a warning shot in an "unprofessional" confrontation with Iranian vessels, the official IRNA news agency reported. IRNA quoted a statement from the Guard as saying the USS Nimitz and an accompanying ship came near an Iranian oil offshore platform in the Persian Gulf and a helicopter from the ship hovered near vessels manned by Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard...

PYONGYANG, North Korea -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Saturday the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile demonstrated his country can hit the U.S. mainland, hours after the launch left analysts concluding a wide swath of the United States, including Los Angeles and Chicago, is now in range of North Korean weapons...

Debbie Birk, the self-styled "Junkin' Gal," has always been a crafter, always been interested in taking raw materials to a new form and function. For the last several years, she's been punching up furniture finds. Birk said she's drawn to pieces with character, that she can take down to bare wood and build back up...

Riverside Regional Library is offering eclipse glasses for $1 per pair. Branches in Altenburg, Benton, Jackson, Oran, Perryville and Scott City have the glasses while supplies last, director Jeff Trinkle said.

Parts of Bloomfield Road will be closed to traffic for the next several weeks while construction crews install two new bridges as part of the $2.69 million street project, city officials said. The street extends along Bloomfield Road from Benton Hill Road to White Oaks Lane...

Local efforts to land SkyWest Airlines received a boost after the aeronautics committee in Quincy, Illinois, reversed course late last week and recommended the same airline, Cape Girardeau city officials said Friday. The Cape Girardeau City Council voted unanimously July 24 to recommend the U.S. Department of Transportation award a two-year contract to Utah-based SkyWest Airlines to provide round-trip passenger service to Chicago under the federal Essential Air Service (EAS) program...

Cape Girardeau police are helping a woman whose 9-year-old son has been missing for a week. Kimyetta Harden said her son, Javion, was picked up July 21 by his father, Andrew Jackson. Jackson was supposed to return the boy July 23, but did not. She said calls, texts and messages sent through social media have not elicited any response from Jackson...

Popular outfitter Foutz’s Hunting and Fishing Shop is no more. Closeout sales and an auction Thursday cleared out just about everything left of the shop at 68 Plaza Way in Cape Girardeau about three months after owner Danny Foutz died in a car accident...

In 2010, after a devastating earthquake in Haiti, Megan Boudreaux visited and saw a desperate need for ministry. From her vision grew Respire Haiti — the first word pronounced “Ress-purr-ay” — a Christian mission and school educating 500 students in Gressier, Haiti...

LEOPOLD, Mo. — Lorie Graham had a lot on her plate Saturday — 113 bags of dumplings, 1,500 pounds of beef, 1,100 pounds of chicken and 300 pounds of potatoes, to be exact. It was her first year as kitchen supervisor at the annual St. John’s Church Picnic without Joan McWilliams, who held the job for 20 years and spent the last two picnics preparing Graham to take over...

ABOVE: Steve Schaffner performs Saturday at a benefit concert, "Sounds for Hounds," for the Cape Girardeau Police Department's K-9 unit at Bedell Performance Hall. The Jerry Ford Orchestra headlined the event, which drew 380 people. BELOW: The Jerry Ford Orchestra opens the "Sounds for Hounds" benefit with a Glenn Miller big-band tune, "In the Mood."...