Stories from Thursday, May 2, 2019

It was a sore hip that Jackson public works director Kent Peetz credits as the origin for a unique walking program. "I was having some hip pain last fall and was told that walking would help it," he said. "And as I was out walking I found myself looking for cracks and potholes in the streets, missing street signs and so forth."...

Cape Girardeau city officials want to shut down a banquet center in the aftermath of a shooting incident last weekend in which 50 to 60 shots were fired. The city is seeking to revoke the liquor license for River Valley Banquet Center at 631 S. Sprigg St., and also have it declared a chronic nuisance. If declared a chronic nuisance, the banquet center would be shuttered for one year, city officials said...

Two sculptures will be installed Friday as part of The First Presbyterian Church of Cape Girardeau's new Peace Park, a gathering and welcoming place for all races and religions, church leaders said. The sculptures were created by two local artists, Southeast Missouri State professor of sculpture Chris Wubbena and student Jessica Lambert. ...

A Cape Catfish update will be the subject of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's next Frist Friday Coffee set for this Friday at the Isle Casino Event Center. Doors open at 7 a.m. with the program beginning at about 7:40 a.m. The Cape Catfish baseball team will kick off its inaugural season May 30 in Quincy, Illinois, and will compete in the 12-team Prospect League which has teams in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia...

First of all, I want to give a little shout out to our local restaurant/food community for their commitment to giving back. I few weeks ago I participated in the Theatre and Dance Society's restaurant hop. Restaurants included were: Primo Vino, Minglewood Brewery, Marco's Pizza, Baristas Coffee Bar, Ebb and Flow Fermentations, Pho 8, Bistro Saffron, Imo's Pizza, Sugar Chic Creamery, Andy's Frozen Custard, and Jimmy John's. Even Mississippi Mutt's found a way to get involved...

With nearly 200 combined years of service to residents of Cape Girardeau, Perryville, Missouri, and the surrounding region, Ford & Sons of Cape Girardeau and Young & Sons of Perryville have formalized a business relationship and have renamed the Perryville funeral home Ford & Young in Perryville...

Today is Thursday, May 2, the 122nd day of 2019. There are 243 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On May 2, 2011, Osama bin Laden was killed by elite American forces at his Pakistan compound, then quickly buried at sea after a decade on the run...

It's true: the U.S. Navy Blue Angels® are coming to Cape Girardeau again for the first time in nearly a decade. The 16-member volunteer team of top-notch veteran aviators and a host of additional support members will perform at the 2019 Regional Air Festival, May 18-19, at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport...

The 2019 Cape Comic Con set attendance records. And it sure was a lot of fun. As is the case every year, super fans showed up with costumes to the Osage Centre, and visited the booths, but also got to visit with stars from some of their favorite universes, including the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, a voice actor from Pokemon, an actor from the Munsters, a comic book author and professional wrestler Road Warrior Animal...

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuelans heeded opposition leader Juan Guaido's call to fill streets around the nation Wednesday, but security forces showed no sign of answering his cry for a widespread military uprising, instead dispersing crowds with tear gas as the political crisis threatened to deepen...

BERLIN -- Higher salaries, better working conditions, maternity leave, minimum wage and an end to discrimination against temporary or foreign workers: These were among the concerns as hundreds of thousands of union members and labor activists rallied around the world to mark May Day...

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- No longer burdened by territory and administration, Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi outlined the new path forward for his group: Widen your reach, connect with far-flung militant groups and exhaust your enemies with a "war of attrition."...

BOSTON -- Federal prosecutors said all along they expect more people to be charged in the sweeping college admissions scandal. Their secret weapon? The cooperation of some parents and coaches who have already agreed to plead guilty, observers say. "You can rest assured that there is going to be a new wave of indictments," said former federal prosecutor Bradley Simon. ...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A North Carolina college student tackled a gunman who opened fire in a classroom, saving others' lives but losing his own in the process, the police chief said Wednesday. Riley Howell, 21, was among the students gathered for end-of-year presentations in an anthropology class at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte when a gunman with a pistol began shooting students. Howell and another student were killed; four others were wounded...

ST. LOUIS -- A federal agency has issued a final report confirming its earlier finding people who lived near a St. Louis County creek contaminated with nuclear waste could face a higher risk of developing certain types of cancer. The report released Tuesday by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry addressed concerns about Coldwater Creek. ...

OZARK, Mo. -- The National Weather Service said an EF-1 tornado struck the Wheaton area in southwest Missouri during a storm including other unconfirmed tornadoes and flash flooding from heavy rain. The Monett Times reported a tornado on Tuesday damaged businesses, homes, trees and power lines near Wheaton. The tornado started in Stella and was on the ground for 12 miles until about 5 miles northeast of Wheaton. It had maximum wind speeds of 110 mph...

WASHINGTON -- The White House is displaying new flexibility on giving disaster aid to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico as President Donald Trump's GOP allies increasingly lose patience with a weekslong standoff over a widely backed bill. A new Senate GOP offer is aimed at breaking the logjam in delivering already-appropriated funding to Puerto Rico. Trump has feuded with Democratic officials on the U.S. territory and has sharply criticized Puerto Rico's handling of the disaster...

WASHINGTON --The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday and signaled it's unlikely to either raise or cut rates in coming months amid signs of renewed economic health but unusually low inflation. The Fed left its benchmark rate -- which influences many consumer and business loans -- in a range of 2.25% to 2.5%. Its low-rate policy has helped boost stock prices and supported a steadily growing economy...

WASHINGTON -- Private tensions between Justice Department leaders and Robert Mueller's team broke into public view in extraordinary fashion Wednesday as Attorney General William Barr pushed back at the special counsel's "snitty" complaints over his handling of the Trump-Russia investigation report...

RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina teachers took to the streets Wednesday for the second year in a row with hopes a more politically balanced legislature will be more willing to meet their demands. Teachers, auxiliary staff and supporters marched in Raleigh with scheduled speakers including Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and the Rev. William Barber, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign...

WASHINGTON -- Congressional budget experts said Wednesday moving to a government-run health care system such as "Medicare for All" could be complicated and potentially disruptive for Americans. The report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office was a high-level look at the pros and cons of changing the current mix of public and private health care financing to a system paid for entirely by the government. ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A dispute among Missouri Republican senators over school choice is delaying a proposal for a $22 million adult scholarship program, an important piece of Gov. Mike Parson's workforce development agenda. The so-called Fast Track bill would provide money for adults seeking undergraduate degrees later in life for high-demand jobs...

The Southeast Missourian's Jackson U.S.A. Signal will become a weekly publication; starting Sunday, approximately 10,000 Southeast Missourian subscribers in Jackson, Fruitland, Gordonville and portions of the rural Cape Girardeau and New Hamburg, Missouri, areas will receive the newspaper; non-subscribers in the Jackson area will receive the publication...

Gary Wayne Ulrich, 66, of Jackson passed away Monday, April 29, 2019, near his home. He was born March 31, 1953, in Cape Girardeau to Melvin and Roberta L. "Bobbie" Cotner Ulrich. He was a 1971 graduate of Jackson High School. Gary was an avid outdoorsman and spent many hours bass fishing, camping and boating. He also enjoyed vintage motorcycles and collecting things that sparked his interest. He was a member of the Jackson Excelsior DeMolay's and several area bass fishing clubs...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Dorothy A. Rozik, 99, of Perryville died Wednesday, May 1, 2019, at Independence Care Center of Perry County. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until time of the funeral Mass at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, with the Rev. Joe Geders officiating. Burial will be in Mount Hope Cemetery...

BONNE TERRE, Mo. -- Mark Gerlach, 55, of Bonne Terre passed away at his home, surrounded by his loved ones. He was born Oct. 3, 1963, in Cape Girardeau, to the late Bobby Gene and Dora Jean Schreiner Gerlach. Mark is survived by his wife, Debbie Faye (Dean) Gerlach; children, Kelly (Junior) Brown, Abby Rae (Richard Marquart) Gerlach, Martin (Asheley) Litton III, Corey (Lindsey Harmon) Litton and Kaitlyn Litton; fur baby, Chloe; four grandchildren, Gavin Brown, Kennedy Marquart, Amelia Litton and Carson Litton; sister, Jean Katherine (Ron) Bollinger; and nieces and nephews, Lorie (Michael) Alaimo, Lacey, Meghan, Deavon and Dustin Coleman.. ...

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Glenda F. Crosno, 87 of Sikeston, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Tuesday, April 30, 2019, at The Arbors at WestRidge Place in Sikeston. She was born Sept. 23, 1931, in Lilbourn, Missouri, to Joe and Emma Schaffer. Glenda and Harold "Wink" Crosno were united in marriage March 25, 1955. He preceded her in death May 6, 2010...

O Heavenly Father, in good times and in bad, you alone are our strength. Amen.

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls: Wednesday n Medical assists were made at 4:29 a.m. on Karen Drive, 5:08 a.m. on Perry Avenue, 9:33 a.m. on South Mount Auburn Road, 9:58 a.m. on North Sprigg Street, 1:31 p.m. on North Kingshighway and 5:34 p.m. on North Park Avenue...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Police Department released the following items. Summons n Jason W. Lynch, 36, of Cape Girardeau was issued a summons for trespassing. Thefts n Stealing was reported in the 300 block of South Broadview Street. n Burglary was reported in the 300 block of South Ellis Street...

I was reading about the Facebook guru Mark Zuckerberg building a glowing 'sleep box' to help his wife know what time it is without having to look at her phone so she knows when their kids are about ready to wake up. Really? Hey Mark, did you know someone already invented something for this? It's called an alarm clock. ...

Mr. Piepho, You must work for the IRS to even have a thought like this in that head of yours. They take lifelong savings away from the elderly and whomever they can. They seize people's property in the name of the law. Nobody's financial security is safe with the people they have now. ...

KINGWOOD, W.Va. -- An armed Missouri man accused of threatening President Donald Trump during a traffic stop in West Virginia has been sentenced to 90 days in jail. Eric Leonardo Charron of Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Preston County Magistrate Court to reckless driving and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. He was given credit for 36 days served...

The fastest two minutes in sport -- the Kentucky Derby -- is this Saturday, and I couldn't be happier. I enjoy the race, but I also love all of the ceremony and tradition surrounding the event. I tune in early in the day to watch the different television coverages way before the race begins...

AVA, Mo. -- Authorities say a 59-year-old man died in flash flooding in southwest Missouri. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office said officers found the body of Robbie Turner of Ava on Wednesday near a campsite. Investigators believe he was camping alone near Vera Cruz, a state fishing and camping area near Hunter Creek. The area is about 7 miles southeast of Ava in Douglas County...

BOSTON -- A surprise passenger hitched a ride on a Boston commuter trolley, frightening some people at first, but warming their hearts when it willingly snuggled in a human passenger's arms. Commuters say a squirrel bounded onto a Red Line trolley Monday morning at an aboveground stop, prompting some passengers to hop onto their seats...

While growing up, the only time I heard the word bedbug was in reference to an overused bedtime joke: “Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” But this has become all too serious a phrase for me as a professional exterminator. Bedbugs, being parasitic insects that feed exclusively on blood, prefer humans as their host...

What's the most dangerous cake in the world? Some say wedding cake, but a better answer, I think, is mug cake. A mug cake is a single serving of cake made by quickly stirring up batter in a mug and nuking it in the microwave. It apparently came to widespread public attention in a YouTube video back in 2009. ...

Dogwood tree and my dog, Holly. Both looking mighty fine!

McDonald's recently hosted a McShare night with Oak Grove Elementary to support St. Judes Children's Hospital. Pictured are McDonalds Director of Operations Cheryl Farrow, Teacher Staci Barker, Reading 1-3 grades, Principal Jennifer Richardson, students, Gloria Mei Owings, Kendall Fuller, Zoe Downing, and Dalton Roomel. McDonald's is proud to partner with Oak Grove in the amount of $469...

Lutheran Family and Children’s Services’ charitable campaign benefits mothers throughout Missouri   Cape Girardeau—Lutheran Family and Children’s Services (LFCS) is celebrating Mother’s Day this year by raising awareness about the support women need in their roles as moms, mother figures, and caretakers. ...

Crystal Gosche, staff member at Alpha 3 Medical Equipment, a medical equipment supply store located in Cape Girardeau, achieved certification as a fitter for mastectomy prosthetics. With Gosche's certification, Alpha 3 is one of the only facilities in the region to have two certified fitters on staff...