Stories from Sunday, August 20, 2017

Cape Girardeau's newest hotel held a soft opening late last month. But there's nothing soft about it now. Every room in the Drury Plaza Hotel Cape Girardeau Conference Center is booked Sunday as people flock to Cape Girardeau to view Monday's total solar eclipse...

On the eve of the solar eclipse, Cape Girardeau police have a message for worried residents: It's an eclipse, and not the end of the world. "I think the unknown is making people's brain go into overload," public-information officer Rich McCall said Friday. "I think it's the human factor that's spun it into something it's not."...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — For a 2 minutes and 34 seconds, darkness will fall upon Perryville during Monday’s total solar eclipse. With help from the city’s tourism department, the Perryville Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed an influx of tourists wanting to see the eclipse by holding Solarfest in Perryville’s downtown square during the weekend...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Opponents forced the suspension Friday of a new Missouri law banning mandatory union fees after they delivered dozens of boxes of signed petitions demanding it be put to a public vote. More than 1,000 people hoping to block the right-to-work law rallied at the Capitol and marched to the Secretary of State's Office to hand off signatures...

Today in History Today is Sunday, Aug. 20, the 232nd day of 2017. There are 133 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On August 20, 1977, the United States launched Voyager 2, an unmanned spacecraft carrying a 12-inch, gold-plated copper phonograph record containing images, greetings in dozens of languages, samples of music and sounds of nature. ...

Earl and Dorothy Buchheit of Cape Girardeau celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Aug. 6 with a dinner celebration at Delmonico's Steakhouse in Jackson with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren as well as a special guest, Thelma Adams of Sikeston, Missouri...

Stanley and Pamela Woodfin of Leopold, Missouri, announce the engagement of their daughter, Erin Rae Woodfin, to Nathan William Stroder of Whitewater. He is the son of Bonnie Stroder of Whitewater. Erin received a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology/sociology in 2011 from Southeast Missouri State University. She works for the Social Security Administration...

Albert and Martha Eftink of Chaffee, Missouri, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary at their home with an anniversary blessing by the Rev. Randy Tochtrop and a meal hosted by their children. Eftink and the former Martha Klipfel were married Aug. 12, 1947, at St. Denis Catholic Church in Benton, Missouri. The Rev. C.A. Schmalle performed the ceremony. Their attendants were Edward Klipfel, Nora Eftink and Anita Legrand...

Megan Elane Kuntze and Alex Alden Hurt were married June 11 at Haue Valley in Pacific, Missouri. The Rev. Joel Oliver performed the ceremony. Parents of the bride are Darrell and Karen Kuntze of Jackson. The groom is the son of Randy and Jeane Hurt of Barry, Illinois...

If you were a product with a warning label, what would it say?

This close-up look at a sunflower shows it to be more intricate than we might think. The long, bright-yellow petals that surround the seed head as the sunflower blooms are obvious. But did you know when the seeds are forming, each seed has its own tiny flower?...

Cape Girardeau/Scott City Monday: Chicken soft taco or patty melt, seasoned brown rice, corn and black beans, whole-grain tortilla or bun and tropical fruit or ice cream sundae bar. Tuesday: Sub sandwich with lettuce and tomato or smothered bratwurst, baked beans, vinegar coleslaw, whole-grain bun and sugar-free pudding with fruit or fresh melon blend...

Southeast Missouri State University will hold a presentation on the upcoming eclipse from 2 to 4 p.m. today at Glenn Auditorium, 1121 Greek Drive in Cape Girardeau. A joint presentation will be made by Dr. Phill Reed, associate professor of physics and astronomy and director of the Planetarium and Observatory at Kutztown University, and Dr. ...

Monday is the solar eclipse. Living right on the edge of totality, I am excited about this. For the past eight months or more, my local tourism office and news media have built up this once-in-a-lifetime event. I can purchase glasses to safely view the eclipse when I buy a gallon of milk at the grocery store. My children's teachers are planning their activities to be outside to view the eclipse...

"Have mercy on me God, in your goodness, in your abundant compassion" (Psalm 51:3). When you read Psalm 51:3, it may sound like an outdated, distantly written scripture. Sometimes when you study the Bible, you examine it like history, a reference book or a guidebook for life...

A few years ago my wife and I were serving as leaders for a Christian retreat for college students. Along with our American students, we also had a number of Chinese students who had just landed in the United States. Many of them had electronic translators with them so they could hone their conversational English. ...

Sophie is 3 years old and declawed. Sophie is available for adoption at Safe Harbor; call (573) 243-9823.

It is almost that time of year when the fanatic football fan can be lost in the tumult of college and professional football. Husbands say goodbye to their wives, teenagers wear jerseys with favorite numbers on them, male and female alike begin to bleed orange, blue, red or black, or whatever their favorite team's color is. ...

Those who love short ribs LOVE them. Those who haven't cooked them at home before might be a little intimidated by them. Let's bridge that gap. In general, short ribs have to be cooked either low and slow, or very quickly over high heat so that they don't become tough. This recipe calls for almost flash grilling, just 3 or 4 minutes on each side...

Happy birthday to Tim Steimle, Billie Davis, Shirley Diggs, Linda Johnson, Elizabeth Charleston, Dale Wiseman, Mildred Elridge, Gladys Chambers, Anna Felty, Ann Glueck, Shirley Rodgers, Mandy Stone, Janeen Cunningham, Dennis Cook, Mona Harrell, Becky Powell, Beverly Lair, Donna Daugherty, Jeremy Totty, Ben Burnett, Caroline Byerly, Wayne Kinder, Mary Lincoln, Gene Nation, Lloyd Michelsen, Scott Ralph, Fred Carroll, Kathy Sexton, Eric Nation, Ronald Senciboy, Glen Goodwin, Walter Keller, Glenda Dacus, Bryan Lee, Korbin Kinder, Gary Owens, Gayle Dragoni, Michelle McGuire and Abby Cassout.. ...

It's not been that long ago I heard several college-age kids talking about buying a car. There was one car they described as the perfect car. They went on and on about how great the car was and how they had to have the car. Can you guess the main reason why they were buying the car? It was the stereo. They didn't talk about the age of the car or the mileage or even the condition of the car or how the car ran. It was the stereo and how it sounded...

Boneless skinless chicken breasts have become one of the most versatile proteins to use. The possibilities of what you can prepare with this cut of meat is nearly endless. Years ago, boneless skinless chicken breasts received poor reviews as many people overcooked them, or did not season them well...

Books have more uses than might be obvious. Sure, you can press flowers in a heavy one and set out the pretty ones as decoration. You can read the darn things. But have you tried turning a book into three-dimensional sculpture? The process can be quite simple; the result a beautiful conversational piece...

Kudos to Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder for being appointed to a delta area leadership position. I am confident Mr. Kinder can pull the entire area out of what many consider intractable poverty. Though it might deviate from his political philosophy a bit, I am going to encourage him to promote a program of government mandated land redistribution and/or the establishment of collective farms...

O Lord God, we praise you, for you are the Rock of our salvation. Amen.

If you're in town today to enjoy the eclipse, welcome. Thank you for picking up the newspaper. We hope you find your stay enjoyable and for more reasons than the natural phenomenon that has captured our attention for many months. There are many things to do and enjoy in our area, and we hope you take some time to soak in the local culture...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri lawmaker who temporarily posted a Facebook comment expressing hope President Donald Trump would be assassinated could face an effort to remove her from office. Gov. Eric Greitens and Lt. Gov. Mike Parson, both Republicans, said Friday state senators should oust Democratic Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, who has continued to reject calls for her resignation...

The Cape Girardeau City Council has taken steps to hire a second municipal-court judge to handle cases in which Municipal Judge Edward Calvin has been disqualified; but Calvin maintains the hiring of a conflicts judge isn't the solution. The legal issue has led to a backlog of cases...

NORTH OAKS, Minn. — Eugene “Gene” Harold Wright, 84, peacefully passed away Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017, at Waverly Gardens in North Oaks. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sherrill Sue Kinder Wright; father, Harold Wright; and mother, Leona Peterson Wright...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Robert E. Vance, 81, of Perryville died Friday, Aug. 18, 2017, at Estates of Perryville. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Hazelwood, Missouri, with a service to follow. A second visitation will be from 8 to 10 a.m. Friday at Young and Sons Funeral Home in Perryville...

Albert Terrien, 49, of Oak Ridge died Friday, Aug. 18, 2017, at his home. Arrangements are incomplete at Crain Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau.

The Rev. James A. Sanderson, 83, of Cape Girardeau, died Friday, Aug. 18, 2017, at Chateau Girardeau. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Patrick M. Sanders II, 17, of Perryville died Friday, Aug. 18, 2017, in Perry County, Missouri. Visitation will be from 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at Young and Sons Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Gerold McBride officiating...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Mary Louise Steinnerd Jansen, 92, of Leopold died Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, at her home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at Liley Funeral Home in Marble Hill, Missouri, with parish prayers at 7 p.m. and rosary to follow. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. John's Catholic Church, with Father David Coon officiating. Interment will be in the church cemetery...

LEXINGTON, Ky. — M. Lucille Hughes, 87, of Lexington, formerly of Cairo, Illinois, died Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, at University of Kentucky Medical Center. Visitation will be from 10:30 to 11;30 a.m. Friday at Crain Funeral Home in Cairo. The funeral will be at 11;30 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. James Muriuki officiating. Interment will follow at Mound City National Cemetery in Mound City, Illinois.

LONGTOWN, Mo. -- Elizabeth L. "Betty" Farrar, 88, of Longtown died Friday, Aug. 18, 2017, at Independence Care Center of Perry County in Perryville, Missouri. She was born Nov. 16, 1928, in Perry County, daughter of Henry Nicholas and Sophia Josephine Wibbenmeyer Buchheit. She and Lloyd Valle Farrar were married Sept. 10, 1949. He preceded her in death Oct. 7, 2002...

Jean Mahan Brown, 83, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Tamms and Mounds, Illinois, passed away at 12:46 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017, at the Southeast Hospital. Jean was born Aug. 19, 1933, in Cairo, Illinois, daughter of the late George W. Mahan and Mary Lee Hamelback Mahan...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Eva J. Brown, 83, of Perryville died Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017, at her home. Visitation was Saturday at Young and Sons Funeral Home...

WASHINGTON -- Steve Bannon, the blunt-spoken and divisive strategist who went from Donald Trump's victorious campaign to a top White House post, has been pushed out by the president, capping a turbulent seven months that witnessed the departure of much of Trump's original senior staff...

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University removed a statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee early Saturday after it was vandalized amid a national debate about monuments to the Confederacy. The university said it removed the carved limestone likeness before dawn from the entryway to Duke Chapel, where it stood among 10 historical figures. Officials discovered early Thursday the statue's face had been gouged and scarred, and part of the nose was missing...

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- A suspect in the fatal shooting of a police officer in Florida and the grave wounding of a sergeant was arrested in a bar several hours after the attack, authorities said Saturday. Everett Miller faces a charge of first-degree murder for the killing of officer Matthew Baxter and could face other charges for the wounding of Sgt. Sam Howard, said Kissimmee police chief Jeff O'Dell at a news conference Saturday...

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. -- In a break with tradition, President Donald Trump and the first lady have decided not to participate in events honoring recipients of this year's Kennedy Center Honors arts awards to "allow the honorees to celebrate without any political distraction," the White House announced Saturday...

MCMINNVILLE, Ore. -- A sheriff honored a family's golden retriever for digging up $85,000 worth of black-tar heroin in a family's backyard. The owners of a dog named Kenyon thought he had dug up a time capsule in their backyard, so they filmed themselves opening it. As they did, they realized Kenyon had found drugs. Yamhill County Sheriff Tim Svenson identified the substance as more than 15 ounces of black tar heroin...

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump's racially fraught comments about a deadly neo-Nazi rally have thrust into the open some Republicans' deeply held doubts about his competency and temperament, in a public airing of worries and grievances about a sitting president by his own party...

BOSTON -- Thousands of demonstrators chanting anti-Nazi slogans converged Saturday on downtown Boston in a repudiation of white nationalism, dwarfing a small group of conservatives who cut short their planned "free speech rally" a week after a gathering of hate groups led to bloodshed in Virginia...

WASHINGTON -- It's not just the skies that get dark when there's a total solar eclipse. So do we. Modern science explains the sun disappears because the moon is passing in front of it. But before that, people had to come up with reasons for what was happening in the sky. Some of them weren't bedtime stories...

Thomas I. Bradley, 73, of Jackson, formerly of Scott City, died Friday, Aug. 18, 2017, at Chateau Girardeau in Cape Girardeau. He was born Jan. 11, 1944, in Leadwood, Missouri, to Thomas Ishmael and Florence Naomi Surina Bradley. He married Judy Ann Miller on Aug. 31, 1968, in Scott City...

Linda Ruth Anderson, 71, of Jackson passed away Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017, at Monticello House. She was born March 9, 1946, in Bakersfield, California, daughter of Raymond and Hazel McCallie Brown. Linda graduated from East Bakersfield (California) High School in 1964...

The Scott City Fire Department responded to the following calls: Tuesday n At 10:11 a.m., citizen assist in the 1200 block of Third Street West. n At 6:57 p.m., illegal burn at 604 East Maple St. n At 6:59 p.m., emergency medical service in the 400 block of Missouri Street...

RIPOLL, Spain -- A missing imam and a house that exploded days ago became the focus Saturday of an investigation into an extremist cell responsible for two deadly attacks in Barcelona and a nearby resort, as authorities narrowed in on who radicalized a group of young men in northeastern Spain...

HELSINKI -- A man stabbed eight people Friday in Finland's western city of Turku, killing two of them, before police shot him in the thigh and detained him, police said. Authorities were looking for more potential suspects in the attack. A suspect -- a man whose identity was not known -- was being treated in the city's main hospital but was in police custody. Security was being stepped up across the Nordic country, Interior Minister Paula Risikko told reporters at a news conference...

BEIRUT -- Lebanon's U.S.-backed army on Saturday launched its biggest military operation yet against Islamic State militants, who in 2014 gained a foothold along the tiny Mediterranean country's border with Syria. The long-awaited campaign aims to defeat IS in the group's border enclave and put an end to a terror threat that has loomed over Lebanon...

The Jackson Fire Department responded to the following calls: Friday n Emergency medical service on Shawnee Boulevard. n An investigation on Westbrook Lane. Saturday n Emergency medical service on Shawnee Boulevard. n Emergency medical service on Aspen Drive...

The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n Gracie Tillman, 17, of Cape Girardeau was arrested on suspicion of property damage, public intoxication and being a minor in possession of alcohol by consumption...

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls: Thursday n Medical assists were made at 11:25 a.m. on North Henderson Avenue; 1:29 p.m. on South Silver Springs Road; 2:36 p.m. on Route K; 4:59 p.m. on Whitener Street; and 8:07 p.m. on North Sprigg Street...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n Jonathan R. Ayers, 34, 716 N. Sprigg St., was arrested at William and South Lorimier streets on a Cape Girardeau County warrant. n Suspects were in custody pending formal charges of resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance and an improper turn at South Sprigg Street and Shawnee Parkway...

Daughter to Robert Nelson Henry and BreOnne Rochelle Pulley of Sikeston, Missouri, Saint Francis Medical Center, 1 a.m. Friday, Aug. 4, 2017. Name, Ava Jayde. Weight, 5 pounds. Fourth child, third daughter. Pulley is the former BreOnne Sisson. Henry is the son of Robert Henry Sr. of Bertrand, Missouri. He is a developmental aide with Southeast Missouri Residential Services...

Paul Miederhoff is proof you don't have to go to an ocean to find sunken treasures. The retired Kelso, Missouri, resident has made a hobby out of retrieving others' lost valuables, reuniting rings and fingers, often to the surprise of grateful owners, many who had also long ago lost hope...

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill held a series of town halls Saturday in Southeast Missouri, making stops in Kennett, Poplar Bluff and Dexter before concluding the tour in the Shuck Recital Hall at the Southeast Missouri State University’s River Campus in Cape Girardeau...

A Chaffee, Missouri, man tried to arrange the killing of his ex-wife but unwittingly hired an undercover officer to do the job, police said. The Scott County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on Friday charged Samuel W. Lix, 24, with first-degree conspiracy to commit murder and first-degree child endangerment...

Jackson’s new city engineer, Clint Brown, comes to the job with enthusiasm and experience, and he said he’s felt welcome so far. Brown graduated from Missouri University of Science and Technology, or Missouri S&T, in Rolla, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering, with an emphasis in construction management and contracts...

Cole Swindell, a platinum-selling recording artist, will be at Cape Girardeau’s Show Me Center on Oct. 21 with his You Should Be Here Tour. Swindell, a Georgia native, released his second album, “You Should Be Here,” in 2016, and it is certified gold by the RIAA...

Former Chaffee, Missouri, police officer Timothy Warner has been charged with driving while intoxicated. The charge stems from an incident last month that ended on a Cape Girardeau County farm and led the Chaffee City Council to terminate his employment as a police officer...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri State Parks officials on Friday said they can't verify solar eclipse glasses and viewers the agency sold across the state meet safety standards and are warning people not to use them when viewing Monday's eclipse. Renee Bungart, spokeswoman for the Department of Natural Resources, which oversees Missouri State Parks, said it's unclear how many of the PMS Promo Mart glasses and viewers were sold, but the agency purchased 25,000. ...

LOS ANGELES -- Dick Gregory, the comedian and activist and who broke racial barriers in the 1960s and used his humor to spread messages of social justice and nutritional health, has died. He was 84. Gregory died late Saturday in Washington, D.C. after being hospitalized for about a week, his son Christian Gregory told The Associated Press. He had suffered a severe bacterial infection...

The Oak Ridge FCE Homemaker's Club met on June 20 at the Las Brisas Restaurant in Fruitland. The meeting was called to order after the members enjoyed a number of delicious traditional Mexican dishes. Hostess was Peggy Barks, who treated everyone to flan, a Mexican dessert, after the meal...

Jackson resident John Thomas (JT) Gabler, a 2015 graduate of Jackson High School, has completed Boatswain Mate A-School at the US Coast Guard Training Center in Yorktown, VA and has been advanced to the rank of Petty Officer 3rd Class in the US Coast Guard...

On August 12th, 2017, an early celebration was held for Robert and Marie Nowell of Portageville, Mo, for 75 years of marriage. The Golden Corral welcomed 49 guest for a luncheon. Music was provided by T.J. Jackson, Bruce Zimmerman and Patricia L. Silman...