Stories from Monday, August 10, 2020

Four of five suspects in the July 20 homicide of Anthony Miller are now in police custody. Jaden T. Young, 20, of Cape Girardeau was booked into the Cape Girardeau County Jail on Friday on an active warrant for second-degree murder, first-degree burglary, first-degree attempted robbery and two counts of armed criminal action. He is being held on a $1 million cash-only bond...

Felony charges have been filed against an armed man who stood in the middle of Interstate 55 while holding his 11-month-old son hostage. Alonzo Jones Jr., 34, of Cape Girardeau is charged with one Class B felony of first-degree domestic assault, one Class D felony of unlawful possession of a firearm, one Class E felony of unlawful use of a weapon and one Class D felony of first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to an arrest warrant filed by Cape Girardeau County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Angel Woodruff and signed by Judge Frank E. Miller ...

In a quote often attributed to Missourian Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics." Well, there are plenty of statistics flying around these days, many of them having to do with COVID-19, positivity rates, mortality data, infection statistics and so forth...

Looking as if they were seeing old friends for the first time in months -- because they were -- members of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce gathered last week for their first "in-person" First Friday Coffee since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic...

This past Tuesday began for Kara Clark Summers like most Election Days: at 3:30 a.m. Though by her own admission “not a morning person,” the Cape Girardeau county clerk and her team would spend the next 20 hours or so doing, well, just about whatever it took to shepherd another pandemic-year election to an accurate and orderly end...

Cape Girardeau County just finished one of the most unique elections in our history. To the 17,000-plus voters who braved uncertainty to fulfill their civic duty and vote, thank you. Every election is a community effort from a group of mostly volunteers who are committed to maintaining our civic integrity. This election was uniquely so. As a county, we are very fortunate to have so many selfless, civic minded individuals committed to a healthy democracy...

Those in law enforcement positions have some of the most challenging occupations -- especially so in today's environment when there are groups looking to defund them or otherwise provide opposition. There are some who shouldn't be in this line of work. But many, and certainly the vast majority of our local officials, do extraordinary work in otherwise challenging situations...

Hutson's, a landmark in downtown Cape Girardeau for 75 years, has rebranded itself as "Hutson's Big Sandy Superstore," after affiliating itself with the Ohio-based Big Sandy furniture store chain. The affiliation with Big Sandy follows the bankruptcy in March of Art Van Furniture, which had been co-branded with Hutson's since mid-2018...

Today is Monday, Aug. 10, the 223rd day of 2020. There are 143 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On August 10, 1944, during World War II, American forces overcame remaining Japanese resistance on Guam. On this date: In 1680, Pueblo Indians launched a successful revolt against Spanish colonists in present-day New Mexico...

Things are changing quickly in 2020. We are asked to wear masks and social distance. We are buying our groceries through different avenues and having them delivered to our home or at least to our car. Restaurants are offering curbside service, and delivery providers will bring you almost anything. ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio governor's positive, then negative, tests for COVID-19 have provided fuel for skeptics of government pandemic mandates and critics of his often-aggressive policies. "I'm sure the internet is lighting up with 'Well, you can't believe any test,'" Mike DeWine said in a WCOL radio interview Friday, after a whirlwind of events the day before when the initial positive showing forced the Republican to scrub a planned meeting with President Donald Trump. ...

NEW YORK -- A popular online spoof of the children's favorite "Goodnight Moon," reworked for the coronavirus, will be published by Penguin Random House this fall. The Penguin imprint Philomel Books announced last week that "Good Morning Zoom," written by Lindsay Rechler and illustrated by June Park, is scheduled for Oct. ...

NEW YORK -- A new book by former President George W. Bush will highlight an issue that now sets him apart from many of his fellow Republicans -- immigration. Crown announced Thursday that Bush's "Out of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants" will be published March 2. The book includes 43 portraits by the 43rd president, four-color paintings of immigrants he has come to know over the years, along with biographical essays he wrote about each of them...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Puerto Rico on Sunday was forced to partially suspend voting for primaries marred by a lack of ballots as officials called on the president of the U.S. territory's elections commission to resign. The primaries for voting centers that had not received ballots by early afternoon are expected to be rescheduled, while voting would continue elsewhere, the commission said...

FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- Whether President Donald Trump has the constitutional authority to extend federal unemployment benefits by executive order remains unclear. Equally up in the air is whether states, which are necessary partners in Trump's plan to bypass Congress, will sign on...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Bob Garick was looking forward to being a field supervisor during the door-knocking phase of the 2020 census, but as the number of new coronavirus cases in Florida shot up last month, he changed his mind. With widespread home visits for the 2020 census set to begin this week, the Census Bureau is losing workers such as Garick to pandemic fears. ...

ROME -- With confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. hitting 5 million Sunday, by far the highest of any country, the failure of the most powerful nation in the world to contain the scourge has been met with astonishment and alarm in Europe. Perhaps nowhere outside the U.S. ...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Dorothy A. Scherer, 103, of Perryville died Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, at Independence Care Center of Perry County. Friends may call from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m., with rosary recited at 8:30 a.m., today at Ford & Young Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. today at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, with the Rev. Joe Geders, CM, officiating. Burial will be in Mount Hope Cemetery...

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Kevin Scott LaRose, 47, of Marble Hill died Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, at his home. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. at the funeral home, with the Rev. Monnie Jones officiating. Burial will follow in Baker Cemetery...

MARQUAND, Mo. -- Charles "Ralph" Campbell, 65, of Marquand died Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020, at his home. Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. today at Old Trace Creek Cemetery in Glenallen, Missouri. Hutchings Funeral Chapel is handling arrangements...

Cape Girardeau's more-than-30-year-old concrete floodwall and earthen levees remain sound, a two-day inspection shows; the entire length of the Mississippi River floodwall was inspected by representatives from the Corps of Engineers, the local levee district and the city...

O God, we praise you, for all your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal. Amen.

No other group has shown as much contempt for its own work during the coronavirus crisis as teachers. Their unions are actively fighting to keep kids out of the classroom, and also to limit remote instruction, lest it require too much time and attention from people who are supposed to be wholly devoted to educating our children...