Stories from Monday, March 4, 2019

One person was injured when a mobile home caught fire Saturday night in Cape Girardeau, according to a report issued by the Cape Girardeau Fire Department. Cape Girardeau firefighters responded shortly after 8:30 p.m. to a residence at 555 N. Spring Ave. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. — A Charleston, Missouri, man faces felony charges for the Feb. 18 murder of a Sikeston man. Cornelius Perkins, 24, was arrested and charged in the homicide of Marcus Dixon, 24, according to a news release from Sikeston Department of Public Safety. Perkins is charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful use of a firearm...

Comic book icon and Jackson native Roy Thomas was awarded long-overdue recognition by his hometown in February, but it took nearly an entire city’s synergy to make it happen. Now, city officials are embarking on a future hoping to include more events marking Roy Thomas Day...

Cape Girardeau city and school officials don’t plan to plunge into design and construction of an indoor aquatic center without exploring all financial options. Neil Glass, Cape Girardeau School District superintendent, said Friday planning for the aquatic project remains a work in progress...

Cape Girardeau resident Nancy Aguinaga watches Sunday as her 2-year-old dog, Luray, plays in the snow in their downtown yard. ...

Jim Dufek has worked with thousands of students in his time as a professor of mass media at Southeast Missouri State University, and he says the technology and industry have evolved -- and with it, students' readiness and potential. Students train with the same equipment as professional production studios, Dufek said. That's great preparation, as are the many real-world projects Dufek involves students in...

Today is Monday, March 4, the 63rd day of 2019. There are 302 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 4, 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt took office as America's 32nd president. On this date: In 1791, Vermont became the 14th state...

Lord Jesus, may we tell the world about the gift of eternal life through you. Amen.

Such a shame that the newspaper donates so many resources to covering Southeast Missouri State’s dismal basketball teams, but can’t dedicate a single article to our track and field athletes who competed in the OVC Championship meet. ...

There is no shortage of talent from our local students. Whether it’s in the classroom, through sports or extra-curricular activities, there’s plenty to celebrate. The gold standard for academic success is the National Merit Scholarship Program, and recently, two students from this area were named finalists...

SHEFFIELD, Ala. -- A small northern Alabama music studio where The Rolling Stones, Cher and other stars recorded some of their hit songs is turning 50 this year. Muscle Shoals Sound Studios will host an April 27 celebration of the milestone in Sheffield...

CINCINNATI — An Ohio zoo has become the repository for the world’s largest collection of polar bear poop as researchers work to create a pregnancy test to aid the survival of this threatened species. WLWT-TV reported the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens is storing 30,000 samples of fecal matter from the U.S. and Canada. ...

WASHINGTON -- Opponents of President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border appear to have enough Senate votes to reject his move, now that Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky has said he can't go along with the White House...

JERUSALEM -- The United States has officially shuttered its consulate in Jerusalem, downgrading the status of its main diplomatic mission to the Palestinians by folding it into the U.S. Embassy to Israel. For decades, the consulate functioned as a de facto embassy to the Palestinians. Now, that outreach will be handled by a Palestinian affairs unit, under the command of the embassy...

NEW YORK -- States across the Northeast were preparing Sunday for a snowstorm that could disrupt commutes this morning. A winter storm warning is in effect until 7 a.m. today in New York City, the lower Hudson Valley, northeastern New Jersey, and southwest and coastal Connecticut. The storm dropped several inches of snow on the Midwest and is expected to layer 5 to 8 inches on much of the Northeast, with northern New England anticipating up to 10 inches...

BEAUREGARD, Ala. -- A sheriff says the death toll is now at 22 from an apparent tornado that devastated an Alabama community. Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones told The Associated Press late Sunday evening children are among the dead. He said it's possible the death toll could continue to rise, but authorities are pausing search efforts overnight because conditions are too dangerous in the dark because of massive amounts of debris...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- A sleek new American-built capsule with just a test dummy aboard docked smoothly with the International Space Station on Sunday, bringing the U.S. a big step closer to getting back in the business of launching astronauts. The white, bullet-shaped Dragon capsule, developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX company under contract to NASA, closed in on the orbiting station nearly 260 miles above the Pacific Ocean and, flying autonomously, linked up on its own, without the help of the robotic arm normally used to guide spacecraft into position.. ...

WASHINGTON -- Declaring it's "very clear" President Donald Trump obstructed justice, the chairman of the House committee that would be in charge of impeachment says the panel is requesting documents today from more than 60 people from Trump's administration, family and business as part of a rapidly expanding Russia investigation...

The notion health care outside the U.S. could be good as well as cheap is a foreign one to many Americans. Kathleen Peddicord frequently hears from such skeptics as founder of Live and Invest Overseas, a site for people curious about living abroad. Actual expats like her, however, tell of good-quality care at a fraction of the U.S. ...

No, you're not smoking something. Martha Stewart has entered the fast-growing -- but still legally murky -- cannabis market. The domestic diva who brought us hemp yarn is now partnering with Canada's Canopy Growth Corp. to develop new products containing CBD, a compound derived from hemp and marijuana that doesn't cause a high...

Lowe's opened its 115,000-square-foot home center in the I-55 Business Park yesterday; the store employs about 160 workers. Since Cape Girardeau firefighters assumed the added responsibility of responding to medical calls in late May, they have relied heavily upon donations to purchase state-of-the-art medical equipment to be used in the field; this week, the department received two combination pulse and blood oxygen monitors, purchased with funds raised by public programming and CPR and first aid classes.. ...

Mary Ellen Simms, 92, of Cape Girardeau began her heavenly life with Jesus on Friday, March 1, 2019. She was born Jan. 1, 1927, in Thebes, Illinois, to Jay and Zelma Hoover. She graduated from Thebes High School in 1945, where she enjoyed playing competitive sports, especially basketball...

SIKESTON, Mo. — Almeta L. Long, 84, of Sikeston passed away Friday, March 1, 2019, at Hunter Acres Nursing Home, where she had been a resident the past four months. She was born Aug. 18, 1934, in Senath, Missouri, daughter of Ira S. and Alma Jane Hanners Dockins. Almeta married Houston Long on Jan. 22, 1966, in Jonesboro, Illinois. He preceded her in death...

Alice Jean Johnson, 64, of Scott City died Monday, Feb. 25, 2019, at her home. She was born Feb. 22, 1955, in St. Louis to John Willard and Myrtle Marie Reed Womack. She is survived by her daughter, Jennifer (Chuck) Hebrock of Scott City; two brothers, Joe Womack of Van Buren, Missouri, and Russ Womack of Cape Girardeau; a sister, Kathy Metzger of Cape Girardeau; six grandchildren, Amber, Destiny (Tyler), Angel, Casey, Codey and Kristin; and 11 great-grandchildren...

Patricia A. “Pat” Holloway, 77, of Jackson passed away Saturday, March 2, 2019, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home. Pat, an only child, was born Sept. 22, 1941, in Cape Girardeau to Wallace S. and Violet D. Christy Schneider. She and Ivan Holloway were married July 8, 1961. Two daughters were born to their union, and they had been married 50 years when Ivan passed away Dec. 4, 2011. ...

Helen R. Edwards-Matthews, 65 of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, March 2, 2019, at Saint Francis Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.

David Andre Doria, 68, of Scott City died Friday, March 1, 2019, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 2, 1950, in St. Louis to Joseph H. and Virginia E. Reaves Doria. He married Betty Stull on Oct 13, 1973. He was a captain for Luhrs Bros. for 36 years. He was a member of First Assembly of God Church in Scott City and a member of NRA...

Dillon Seth Diebold, 26, of Kansas City, Missouri, formerly of Jackson, passed away Friday, March 1, 2019. He was born Feb. 23, 1993, in Cape Girardeau to Ronal Diebold and Susan Wright Westrich. Dillon was a 2011 graduate of Scott City High School. He enjoyed spending time with his son, Maverick, and his family. He also enjoyed playing soccer...

Larry Frederick Deneke, 67, of Whitewater died Friday, March 1, 2019, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson and from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday at Zion United Methodist Church in Gordonville...

The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n Kevin G. Dixon, 37, homeless, was arrested on two warrants. n A suspect was in custody pending formal charges of assault in the 1200 block of Big Bend Road...

ST. LOUIS -- A 12-year-old Oklahoma girl is the 500th young heart transplant recipient at St. Louis Children's Hospital and Washington University Heart Center. Anary Suazo of Tulsa underwent the transplant Jan. 23, and the hospital announced the transplant last week. Anary turned 13 on Sunday...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Lawsuits alleging government sponsorship of a particular religion couldn't be filed by anonymous plaintiffs under proposed legislation. The Springfield News-Leader reported Republican Rep. Hardy Billington of Poplar Bluff said during a hearing Tuesday he sponsored the legislation to protect people of faith. ...

ST. LOUIS -- A new St. Louis program allowing people to purchase vacant homes for $1 could help provide adequate housing in the area and put abandoned property back on the city's tax rolls, according to city officials. The city recently launched the Dollar House pilot program to match some of the Land Reutilization Authority's vacant housing with people who are looking to become homeowners, the St. ...

ST. LOUIS -- More than 400 pre-applications from potential marijuana growers and sellers have already been filed with the State of Missouri, months before licenses will be awarded. St. Louis Public Radio reported potential businesses have already paid more than $3 million in application fees, even though the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services won't begin accepting formal applications for dispensaries, cultivation facilities and manufacturing plants until August...

Approval of minutes n Minutes of regular meeting of 02/20/2019 Financial affairs n Monthly bills (action) Action items n Power and Light Committee n Consider a motion approving the mayor's appointment of Elizabeth Gibbar to the Jackson Community Outreach Board, filling an unexpired term ending in April 2021...

Study session Communications/reports n City council n Staff Items for discussion n City goal -- improve neighborhoods n Neighborhood Development Initiative update n Purpose Built Community model update...

FULTON, Mo. -- A mid-Missouri museum honoring Winston Churchill will launch its 50th anniversary celebration Tuesday with an art exhibit featuring the work of roughly 4,000 students. Officials with America's National Churchill Museum on the campus at Westminster College in Fulton said the art was inspired by the words of Churchill's famous "Iron Curtain" speech. ...

Apex Paving Company, a subsidiary of the Delta Companies Inc., won a “2018 Larry H. Lemon Quality in Construction Award” for excellence in construction of an asphalt pavement. The company received its award in January at a ceremony during the National Asphalt Pavement Association’s (NAPA) 64th Annual Meeting in Marco Island, Florida...

Clients often say they wish they had learned about Aging Matters earlier to receive help with previous issues. Aging Matters is like a hidden gem, a valuable service not enough people know about. With that in mind, I realized there are many programs and services that could be a benefit if more people knew about them...

When Craig Ancell became part of the blind community, he says he didn’t know what to do or how to find direction for resources and community. Hearing about Delta Area of the Blind by word-of-mouth, he reached out to them for support. The organization helped connect him with rehab services for the blind and are now also helping him pay for his education at Southeast Missouri State University, where he studies political science. ...

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) mission statement is to “ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights to all persons and to eliminate raced-based discrimination.” For NAACP branch 4058 president Pat McBride, it means eliminating stereotypes about the organization...

It’s that time of year: tax season. The AARP and IRS are, for the 51st year, providing free tax preparation in more than 5,000 locations across the U.S. through AARP Foundation Tax-Aide. Southeast Missouri is home to nine of those locations. Although the program is geared toward low-income seniors, anyone of any age or income level is welcome to utilize it. The program is funded by the AARP and IRS, organizations that provide the computers, software, printers and paper for the service...

Walking into Thomas (Tom) and Patricia (Pat) Hooper’s shop, ASL Pewter in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, feels like a historic homeware lover’s dream: pewter plates, glasses and silverware sit on shelves alongside crucifixes, Christmas ornaments and measuring cups, all made from molds that date to the 1600s...

They say elephants never forget, but this isn’t true for the porcelain figure in Florence’s apartment at the Cherry Tree Home, which never seems to remember where it belongs. And her elephant isn’t the only thing that keeps turning up in the wrong place. ...

DAY 2: PRISON Despite being less than well-rested, we were elated. We had only a short 8-mile walk from Chaffee, Missouri, to our day two objective — The Frontier Motel in Jackson. That veritable paradise had three things our homes lacked: color TV, air conditioning and a pool! A POOL! We made a brisk pace, arriving with our early start before lunch time. ...

I was going through my closet the other day while looking at Pinterest and the news feed about Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle — you know, all the important Sunday morning reads — when I began to think about my style. We all have a style, a personal fashion statement that says who we are at any given time, how we’re feeling, what kind of a day it’s been...