Stories from Tuesday, July 27, 2021

This upcoming school year, Jefferson Elementary School students will find the school is not quite how they left it. Four Cape Girardeau School District teachers are working together to bring a sensory garden to the school’s courtyard. The garden will incorporate elements to stimulate all five of students’ senses...

A new business will open its doors Sunday in uptown Jackson. West Main Crafts will provide a space for local artists, vendors and crafters to sell their work in a craft-mall style. The shop will rent space to up to 50 artists, vendors and crafters to sell and showcase their work...

Voting for the Southeast Missourian’s People’s Choice Awards begins today. This is the 15th year for the awards, grouped into seven categories — Retail Therapy, Drive Time, House Style, Money Matters, Out & About, What’s for Dinner and Healthy Living...

On Aug. 5, Dan Woods will mark 25 years as a full-time employee with Southeast Missouri public radio — the last 19 as general manager — and the Neelyville, Missouri, native said Monday he’s a happy broadcaster. “I’ve always loved to come to work,” said Woods, 49. “I like making sure the stations are all on the air, that the signal sounds good and that we are putting out a quality product 24/7.”...

By a unanimous vote, with two members absent, the Cape Girardeau School Board voted Monday to authorize superintendent Neil Glass to negotiate a contract "not to exceed $1.25 million" for synthetic turf installation and stadium upgrades to the Central High School baseball and softball complex at 1000 Silver Springs Road...

It's not uncommon for me to experience a sinus infection or two each year. Eleven days before Christmas, I felt one coming on, or so I thought — and this time with chest congestion. Though not terribly concerned, I decided to go to a local urgent care facility for a round of antibiotics with the hope that I would feel better before Christmas...

Today is Tuesday, July 27, the 208th day of 2021. There are 157 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On July 27, 1996, terror struck the Atlanta Olympics as a pipe bomb exploded at Centennial Olympic Park, directly killing one person and injuring 111. (Anti-government extremist Eric Rudolph later pleaded guilty to the bombing, exonerating security guard Richard Jewell, who had been wrongly suspected.)...

Is the Supreme Court going to overrule Roe v. Wade? That's the question raised by a Mississippi abortion case soon to come before court. "The conclusion that abortion is a constitutional right has no basis in text, structure, history, or tradition," the attorney general of Mississippi, Lynn Fitch, writes in her brief...

O Lord Jesus, may the words we speak glorify and point others to you. Amen.

It is my privilege to lead the largest health care system between Memphis and St. Louis. Entrusted to me are nearly 3,000 employees and their families' livelihoods. My responsibility as a healthcare CEO extends beyond the walls of our hospital and clinics and into the communities we are called to serve. The current COVID-19 surge sweeping Missouri is cause for great alarm for our local healthcare infrastructure and our region...

CHAMOIS, Mo. -- Two people were found dead in front of their central Missouri home over the weekend, and another man has been arrested and charged in the deaths, authorities there said. The Osage County Sheriff's Department said deputies were called around noon Saturday to a home north of Linn for a report of two deaths. Arriving officers found a Chamois couple -- Leonard Gerloff, 59, and Pauline Gerloff, 56 -- dead from gunshot wounds...

California and New York City announced Monday they would require all government employees to get the coronavirus vaccine or face weekly COVID-19 testing, and the Department of Veterans Affairs became the first major federal agency to require health care workers to receive the shot...

The St. Louis area has become one of the first in the country to reinstate mask requirements amid a rise in cases that health officials are blaming on low vaccination rates and the highly contagious delta variant. Despite pushback from some elected officials, face coverings became mandatory Monday in indoor public places and on public transportation in St. ...

WASHINGTON -- Senators ran into new problems Monday as they raced to seal a bipartisan infrastructure deal, with pressure mounting on all sides to show progress on President Joe Biden's top priority. Heading into a make-or-break week, serious roadblocks remain. ...

WASHINGTON -- The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Bennie Thompson, didn't realize the severity of the Jan. 6 insurrection until his wife called him. He was inside the Capitol, sitting in the upper gallery of the House, hoping for what he called a "bird's-eye view of the process" and to be able to tell his grandchildren that he was there when Congress certified Joe Biden's presidential victory...

An undetermined amount of cash was taken from a Mercantile Bank facility in Cape Girardeau Friday evening; a white male entered the bank branch in Town Plaza Shopping Center, flashed a handgun and demanded money; a teller managed to slip a "dye-pack" into the bag with the cash; as the car was speeding away on Merriwether Street, the "time-delayed" dye-pack exploded, filling the car with pink dye; in efforts to rid the car of the dye, a number of $20 bills were thrown out the window; no arrests have been made.. ...

JACKSON The Jackson Police Department released the following items. Arrest does not imply guilt. Arrest n Ethan Pack, 35, of Jackson was arrested on a Dexter, Missouri, warrant. Thefts n Theft was reported in the 1200 block of Highland Drive. n Theft was reported in the 1100 block of Cherokee Street...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls. July 21 n Medical assists were made at midnight on Mississippi Street; 12:26 a.m. on Jefferson Avenue; 2:06 a.m. on Linden Street; 8:54 a.m. on Sycamore Circle; 9:24 a.m. on North Fountain Street; 11:15 a.m. on Silver Springs Road; 4:13 p.m. on South Broadview Street; 4:19 p.m. on South Ellis Street; and 6:06 p.m. on South Sprigg Street...

Leon Burtle Talley, 87, of Leesburg, Virginia, formerly of Cape Girardeau died Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. A memorial service, with full military honors, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Cape County Memorial Park Mausoleum in Cape Girardeau, with the Rev. Mark Anderson officiating...

TAMMS, Ill. -- Gwen Ellet Smothers, 76, of Olive Branch, passed away at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 24, 2021, at her home. She was born June 9, 1945, in Murphysboro, Illinois, to Tunney and Doris Jean Trammel Ellet. On Nov. 21, 1967, she married Tom Smothers...

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Christopher Seabaugh, 38, of Chaffee, passed away Thursday, July 22, 2021, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. He was born Feb. 1, 1983, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, son of Mark and Vickie Marie Taylor Seabaugh. Christopher was a loving father, son and brother. He worked in oil fields for many years, running a drill and traveling around wherever he could go. Chris was adventurous and loved to be outdoors. He enjoyed fishing...

Sherry Lynn Rader, 57, of Cape Girardeau, died on Thursday, July 22, 2021, at Southeast Hospital. There will be no public services held. Crain Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Cape Girardeau is in charge of arrangements.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- Janet Kay Deimund Pohl, 76, of Williamsburg, formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020, at Hospice House near her home in Williamsburg. Memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau...

Naomi Johnson, 59, of Cape Girardeau died Tuesday, July 20, 2021, at her home. Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. Friday at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. Funeral service will follow at 1 p.m. Friday at the funeral. home with the Rev. Byron Bonner officiating. Burial will be at Cape County Memorial Park Cemetery in Cape Girardeau...

John Monroe Hodge, 77, of Kennett, Missouri, passed away Friday, July 23, 2021, at Heritage Nursing Center in Kennett. He was born June 16, 1944, in Delta to Elery Lee and Lora "Delo" Dunn Hodge. John attended school in New Hamburg, Missouri, and later attended Southeast Missouri State University, at which he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree. He honorably served four years in the U.S. Navy...

LEOPOLD, Mo. -- Juliana Mary Elfrink died Sunday, July 25, 2021, at her home. Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Liley Funeral Home in Marble Hill, Missouri. Funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Johns Catholic Church in Leopold. Interment will follow at Bollinger County Memorial Park Cemetery...

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Mary Edith Cato, 94, of Puxico, Missouri, passed away July 25, 2021, at Delta South Nursing and Rehab Center in Sikeston, Missouri. She was born July 8, 1927, in Essex, Missouri, the daughter of Richard Deen and Anna Mae Barks Esarey. Mary and Arzie Cato were united in marriage on Dec. 27, 1947, and he preceded her in death on July 24, 2008...

In a meeting announced with 24-hours notice, Southeast Missouri State University’s Board of Regents will convene at 2 p.m. today in Room 143 of Academic Hall on the Cape Girardeau campus. Among the action items on the short agenda is a resolution adopting the final Federal Emergency Management Agency-approved Cape Girardeau County All-Hazard Mitigation Plan on behalf of SEMO...

Are you living life with pain or limitation? Premier Physical Therapy provides orthopedic, spine and hand therapy. Dennis Riney, founder and CEO, said they’re the only physical therapy provider in the area that has a proven 5-Star Plan for pain. Premier Physical Therapy can play an important role in eliminating pain from various causes by restoring function in joint movement or improving the ability to walk. ...

Neck and back pain can make day-to-day activities difficult, but many of those activities can actually cause pain. “In chiropractic care, I see a lot of patients for neck and back pain directly related to how they’re spending most of their days — for those who sit at a desk or drive in a car for long periods of time, neck and back pain are almost always going to occur at some point,” said Dr. ...

By LISA MASCARO, ALEXANDRA JAFFE and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press WASHINGTON — Senators and the White House were locked in intense negotiations Tuesday to salvage a bipartisan infrastructure deal, with pressure mounting on all sides to wrap up talks and show progress on President Joe Biden’s top priority...

By MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press WASHINGTON — “This is how I’m going to die, defending this entrance,” Capitol Police Officer Aquilino Gonell recalled thinking, testifying at the emotional opening hearing of the congressional panel investigating the violent Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection...

By JILL COLVIN and HANNAH FINGERHUT Associated Press WASHINGTON — Most Republicans want former President Donald Trump to have at least some influence over their party’s direction even as many who side with the GOP say they are uneasy about its future...

Associated Press INDIAN FALLS, Calif. — Weather conditions Tuesday were helping at least temporarily to calm two gigantic wildfires in the West but there was bad news for a tiny California community savaged by flames last weekend, and property losses increased in Oregon...

By MIKE STOBBE Associated Press The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed course Tuesday on some masking guidelines, recommending that even vaccinated people return to wearing masks indoors in parts of the U.S. where the coronavirus is surging...

Associated Press WASHINGTON — In a major step against climate change, President Joe Biden is proposing a return to aggressive Obama-era vehicle mileage standards over five years. He’s then aiming for even tougher anti-pollution rules after that to forcefully reduce greenhouse gas emissions and nudge 40% of U.S. drivers into electric vehicles by decade’s end...

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER Associated Press WASHINGTON — The signs and banners are dotted along suburban commercial strips and hanging in shop windows and restaurants, evidence of a new desperation among America’s service-industry employers: “Now Hiring, $15 an hour.”...

CAPE GIRARDEAU The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls. July 21 n Medical assists were made at midnight on Mississippi Street; 12:26 a.m. on Jefferson Avenue; 2:06 a.m. on Linden Street; 8:54 a.m. on Sycamore Circle; 9:24 a.m. on North Fountain Street; 11:15 a.m. on Silver Springs Road; 4:13 p.m. on South Broadview Street; 4:19 p.m. on South Ellis Street; and 6:06 p.m. on South Sprigg Street...

Son to Rory and Sarah Kipper of Thousand Oaks, California, Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley, California, 10:48 p.m., Friday, July 16, 2021. Name, Hudson Marshall. Weight, 6 pounds, 15 ounces. Second son. Mrs. Kipper is the former Sarah Long, daughter of Darrell Long and Debbie Long, both of Cape Girardeau. She is a stay-at-home mom. Kipper is the son of Paul and Bonnie Kipper of Cape Girardeau. He is a commander in the U.S. Navy, officer in charge of VTUAV...

1996 A baseball cap, a wig and pony tail believed used in the armed robbery Friday of a Mercantile Bank branch were found in a fourth-floor restroom at Southeast Missouri Hospital; no arrests have been made, but the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Cape Girardeau Police Department are continuing to investigate the daylight robbery of the bank in the Town Plaza Shopping Center...

O Lord God, with all our hearts we praise your holy name. Amen.

Drive any direction out of Cape Girardeau, and the region’s agriculture sector quickly becomes apparent. From the corn fields of Southern Illinois to the cattle operations north of the city to the row crops grown to the west and south, agriculture is big business...

Talking to reporters on July 2, President Biden was pressed about the sudden, embarrassing evacuation of our air base in Afghanistan and widespread predictions the Afghan government would fall quickly to the Taliban. The president testily replied: “I want to talk about happy things, man.”...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Mary Lou Petot, 72, of Perryville died Saturday, July 24, 2021, at her home. Friends may call for a memorial Mass at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Perryville. The Rev. Ben Melaku C.M. will officiate. Ford and Young Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements...

Grady Perkins, 62, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, July 23, 2021 at Saint Francis Medical Center. Friends may call from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Greater Dimensions Ministries in Cape Girardeau. Funeral will be at noon Saturday at the church, with Elder William Bird Jr. officiating. Interment, with full military honors, will follow in Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Doyle Luckey Lane, 86, of Brazeau, Missouri died Sunday, July 25, 2021 at Independence Care Center of Perry County in Perryville. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Ford and Young Funeral Home...

Robert Allison Jenkins, 58, of Cape Girardeau, passed away Saturday, July 24, 2021, at Heartland Health and Rehab in Cape Girardeau. He was born July 2, 1963, in Cape Girardeau to James Edward and Mildred Allison Jenkins. Robert grew up in Cape Girardeau, graduating from Central High School in 1981. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Southeast Missouri State University...

Juliana Lutes Elfrink, 95, died July 25, 2021 at her home. She was born on the family farm Feb.17, 1926 in Leopold, Missouri, the second child and daughter of Martin and JoHannah Vandeven Tenholder. Education was always important to her family, and she and her sister boarded with relatives and started Catholic high school in Carlyle, Illinois. ...

Joel Day, son of the late Marion Keith and Patsy Ruth Wilkerson Day was born Aug. 11, 1954, in Brosley, Missouri, and departed this life Jan. 17, 2021 in Oran, Missouri, at the age of 66 years. He is survived by his son, Joel Day of San Diego, and two brothers, Neal Day and Noel Day...