Stories from Monday, November 16, 2020

It's an experience few law enforcement officers share, Dan Seger says, but it's one he says he's thankful to have. For the past eight years, Seger has been part of the Law Enforcement Professional (LEP) program, in which former law enforcement personnel train police officers in Afghanistan. Through his work alongside members of the United States military, he's helped to train local law enforcement in Afghanistan for success in better collecting and processing crime scene evidence...

ELMWOOD, Neb. -- Danny Rice has a good sense of how dangerous the coronavirus can be. What puzzles him are the people who have curtailed so much of their lives to avoid being infected by the virus. "I'm not going out and looking to catch it," he said, sitting at a cluttered desk in his auto repair shop in the tiny eastern Nebraska community of Elmwood. "I don't want to catch it. But if I get it, I get it. That's just how I feel."...

A rise in COVID-19 cases in Cape Girardeau County has had an affect on office hours and activities at the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce. On Wednesday, the Cape Girardeau chamber issued an email stating it — along with the Visit Cape and Cape Girardeau Area Magnet offices — would close for the rest of the week "due to growing concerns regarding COVID-19."...

The single most important rule of journalism is to ensure the truth and accuracy of the facts. One of the first things I learned in News Writing 101 at Southeast Missouri State nearly 50 years ago was that a factual error in an assigned story -- even a misspelled name -- meant an automatic failing grade. (The second thing I learned was to keep a dictionary handy; thank goodness somebody invented spellcheck.)...

Venku, an Airbnb-type service for people looking for outdoor experiences, was recently awarded $50,000 from Codefi's 1ST50K. In contrast to the other three winners of this year's competition, Murielle Gaither, founder and chief executive officer, is from Cape Girardeau. Her father, John Wyman, is her business partner and chief operations officer...

Old Town Cape is inviting the community to experience the spirit of Christmas in downtown Cape Girardeau once again this year. The 18th annual Downtown Christmas Open House event will be held Dec. 4 and 5, and the second annual Holiday Bazaar will be held during day two of the Open House...

Count Dr. John Russell as fully in accord with Gov. Mike Parson’s revised advice to K-12 schools in Missouri. “(Parson’s) guidance is essentially the same as what we’ve been recommending since school started in August,” said Russell, the medical director of the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, speaking at a news conference Friday about the rise in COVID cases in the county...

The time has come for one of Southeast Missouri's most beloved outdoor winter activities: firearm deer season. Firearm deer season opened this past weekend, and for many, that means a weekend of family fun, tradition and — if you're lucky — a freezer full of deer meat...

More than 1,600 spring and summer graduates from Southeast Missouri State University finally got the chance to put on their caps and gowns, and walk across the stage this past weekend. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the ceremonies for spring and summer graduates were pushed back to 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday at the Show Me Center. The fall 2020 ceremony was also moved up to Nov. 21...

Paul Madlock, assistant professor of Communication Studies at Southeast Missouri State University, died Thursday night. Students in his classes were told Friday morning in an email from Lesli Pace, chairwoman of Communication Studies and Modern Languages. The email stated Madlock did not want his family to have a memorial for him, but the university will hold one on Zoom...

Today is Monday, Nov. 16, the 321st day of 2020. There are 45 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Nov. 16, 1933, the United States and the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations. On this date: In 1776, British troops captured Fort Washington in New York during the American Revolution...

PINE TOWNSHIP, Penn. -- Had you spent any time in this northern suburb of Pittsburgh listening to voters, finding out what matters to them when it comes to schools, community growth, economic prosperity and the emotional impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns, you would have at least been skeptical of the media narrative and the polls that claimed suburban voters here are no longer center-right...

Why limit yourself to the far-fetched when the utterly fantastical is an option? President Donald Trump's challenges of the outcome of the presidential race in several razor-thin battleground states are unlikely to succeed. Faced with this prospect, some allies of the president are advocating, or beginning to whisper about, Republican state legislatures taking matters into their own hands and sending slates of Trump electors to Congress regardless of the vote count...

The Newman Center, home of Catholic Campus Ministry at Southeast Missouri State University, exceeded fundraising goals with the help of more than 400 community supporters to construct a new facility after outgrowing the previous building. Construction is ahead of schedule with a goal of having the roof on the structure before Christmas to allow interior construction to continue through the winter, according to Deacon Tom Schumer...

O Heavenly Father, our glorious God, may we submit ourselves to you. Amen.

NEW YORK -- A 75-foot Norway spruce arrived Saturday at New York City's Rockefeller Center to serve as one of the world's most famous Christmas trees. The tree was trucked in early Saturday morning and later lifted into its spot by a crane. The tree will be decorated over the coming weeks, and its more than 5 miles of lights will be illuminated at a ceremony at 6 p.m. Dec. 2, according to NBC, which will broadcast the event...

LOS ANGELES -- And how the bidders loved him! A buyer shouted out with glee that they would pay $368,000 for the Rudolph and Santa Claus figures used in the perennially beloved Christmas special "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." Bidding for the figures soared past the projected sale price of between $150,000 and $200,000 on Friday at the Icons & Legends of Hollywood Auction held in Los Angeles by Profiles in History...

China and 14 other countries agreed Sunday to set up the world's largest trading bloc, encompassing nearly a third of all economic activity, in a deal many in Asia are hoping will help hasten a recovery from the shocks of the pandemic. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, was signed virtually Sunday on the sidelines of the annual summit of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station on Sunday on the first full-fledged taxi flight for NASA by a private company. The Falcon rocket thundered into the night from Kennedy Space Center with three Americans and one Japanese, the second crew to be launched by SpaceX. ...

Not always a fan of Jon K. Rust's columns, but today (11/7) was an EXCEPTION. Loved it, chuckled and laughed. Will cut the column out and save it for when I need a pick up. I signed up for The Scout as soon as I finished. Just what we all needed. Thanks, Jon...