Stories from Saturday, November 13, 2021

There's nothing quite like a large construction dumpster to focus the mind. We've been talking about getting rid of our clutter for some time, and last month, my wife acted on it by ordering the big green monstrosity to be placed into our driveway. In nearly 40 years of marriage, we've accumulated a lot as any couple would being together for a similar span of time...

Pithy sayings don’t hang around long unless they’re true. One example, is the one cited above, attributed to Mark Twain. Three area business owners have followed that sage advice.

Cape Girardeau City Council will have a first reading Monday for a right-in/right-out only intersection along the westbound traffic lane of Shawnee Parkway near Minnesota Avenue. The proposed intersection will give motorists easier navigation to local businesses, homes and schools east off Kingshighway and north of Shawnee Parkway...

Former history professor Art Mattingly visited a historic log cabin in Jackson for years, until, one day, he found it had disappeared. The pre-Civil War log house once stood near Old McKendree Chapel in Jackson. Mattingly and his students at Southeast Missouri State University relocated the cabin from Sikeston, Missouri, in the 1980s and used it as a learning tool. Though, the university later cut funding for the project and it hadn't been used by students for decades...

Due to a mechanical breakdown in the Southeast Missourian production plant, the delivery of several area newspapers will be delayed – into Sunday and Monday for most customers, said Rust Communications co-president Jon K. Rust.   “The problem is in our inserting and labeling machine,” said Rust. ...

On March 17, 1922, the NAACP honored veterans at St. James AME Church in Cape Girardeau. Four of the last five living U.S. Colored Troop veterans, in the Cape Girardeau area, sat center front in the elevated choir loft of the sanctuary. Old Civil War vets — John Gale, William Abernathy, Andrew Johnson and Aleck Williams — were surrounded by young World War I Black soldiers recently returned from duty. ...

Groundwork is continuing on the Illinois approach to the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, which will span the Mississippi River between Cape Girardeau and East Cape Girardeau, Illinois; meanwhile on the Missouri side of the river, workers are excavating rock to reach the desired elevation for the pier closest to the Missouri shore; in addition workers are gearing up to start construction of a coffer dam for work on the pier in the middle of the river...

Daughter to Tyler Michael and Alexis Brooke Rogers of Oran, Missouri, Saint Francis Medical Center, 7:43 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021. Name, Emersyn Jo Michelle. Weight, 7 pounds, 4 ounces. Fourth child, first daughter. Mrs. Rogers is the former Alexis Whitmore, daughter of Sandy Robison of Chaffee, Missouri, and Jarreh Whitmore of Oran. Rogers is the son of Dawn Rogers of McClure, Illinois, and Kevin Rogers of Raymore, Missouri. He is a carpenter...

You have to feed the meter to park in visitor parking spaces behind Academic Hall; Southeast Missouri State University has installed six digital parking meters in visitor parking spaces behind Academic, the first meters installed in Cape Girardeau in more than a decade...

Anna Mary "Mabel" Whitley, 98, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, at the Lutheran Home. She was born July 8, 1923, in Egypt Mills to Ernest and Mary Fornkohl Rodenberry. She and Lorenzo Whitley were married May 15, 1965, in Cape Girardeau...

Keith Earl Walker, 64, of Cape Girardeau passed away Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, at Southeast Hospital. He was born May 3, 1957, in Cape Girardeau to David Earl and Ruth Brown Walker. He and Paula Hooten were married June 3, 1978, in East Prairie, Missouri...

Phyllis Ann Seabaugh, 90, of Jackson passed away Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021, at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. She was born March 9, 1931, in Cape Girardeau, the daughter of George and Gertrude Pierce Schwartz. She married Jerry Lee Seabaugh on Aug. 20, 1949...

Wanda L. Roberts, 85, passed away Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021, at her home in Jackson. She was born July 15, 1936, in Cape Girardeau to Edward and Eva Choate Henson. She and Lloyd A. "Lefty" Roberts were married July 7, 1956, at the parsonage of Red Star Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau. Two children were born to their union, Terri and Dan. They had been married 63 years when Lefty passed away Sept. 26, 2019...

Wayne Mercer, 82, of Jackson passed away Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, at Monticello House. He was born Jan. 7, 1939, in Potosi, Missouri, son of Charles O. and Mildred E. Sparks Mercer. Wayne was raised in the Potosi area. After school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He worked as a general contractor for several years, including working for McLane Development Co. in Cape Girardeau...

COCOA, Fla. -- Timothy Baird Dougan, 58, originally of Cape Girardeau, died Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, in Cocoa. Tim was born to David and Carol Dougan on Dec. 26, 1962. He attended Cape Girardeau Central High School and completed his vocational training in Laplace, Louisiana...

ST. PETERS, Mo. -- Peggy Jo Brotherton, 81, of St. Peters, formerly of Florissant and Bonne Terre, Missouri, went home to be with her Lord Jesus on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. She was born Oct. 29, 1940, in Patton, Missouri, the daughter of Otis and Tava Seabaugh Sitze. She was a loving wife to Billie Gene Brotherton for 42 years before he passed away March 14, 2015...

O Lord God, may we set our minds on things above, not on earthly things. Amen.

South Side Farms is a wonderful project brought forth by Mr. Wilferth. And thanks to his hard work and faith it has brought much warranted approval. We should however note this project has been marketed as a South Cape need. Everything listed such as health care, day care, police presence, etc. ...

GriefShare: Surviving the holidays will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at LaCroix Church in Cape Girardeau. Grieving? Know someone who is? When you are grieving a loved one's death, the holiday season can be especially painful. Our Surviving the Holidays seminar helps participants prepare for the holidays and even discover hope for the future. For more information, call or text Mary at (573) 429-5181...

The house centipede is a creepy little insect most people just want to kill and not think about. But the house centipede is not such a bad fellow even if he has 30 or more legs and runs fast. You might be surprised to know why house centipedes enter your home. They are hunting for spiders, cockroaches and other insects to eat. They don't want to run up your leg and scare you half to death. And although they do have tiny fangs, they are very unlikely to bite you...

Monday: Scrambled eggs and sausage or chicken tenders, hash browns with onions, biscuit and gravy and citrus fruit dessert with bananas. Tuesday: Sweet and sour pork or cranberry-glazed chicken breast, seasoned rice, Asian veggie blend, green peas, whole-grant hot roll and baked pineapple or right-side-up pineapple cake...

As a kid, I would go to work with my stepmom, who worked at the Museum of Natural History. I volunteered wherever anyone needed me. I assisted with children's programming, answered the phone and even got to hold the resident rainbow boa constrictor for visitors to see. It was fun, I made friends and it also gave me confidence, new skills and a sense of purpose before I was old enough to be gainfully employed...

In a new USA Today/Suffolk University poll, President Joe Biden's approval is down to 38%. Which looks pretty good compared to Vice President Kamala Harris, whose approval now stands at 28%. Democrats have just been reprimanded by voters, with the upset victory of Republican candidate and political novice Glenn Youngkin in the governor's race in Virginia, an almost upset victory in New Jersey by Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, who came within 2% of the vote of winning, and revolts in school board elections nationwide, pushing back against critical race theory and COVID-19 government interventions.. ...

Cape Girardeau County Commission 9 a.m. Monday 1 Barton Square, Jackson Approval of minutes n Minutes of stated meeting of Nov. 8, 2021 Communications/reports — other elected officials n COVID-19 Update: In an effort to keep Cape Girardeau County residents safe and aware regarding the status of the virus, Emergency Management Agency (EMA) director Mark Winkler will be issuing an update at County Commission meetings. ...

City of Jackson mayor and Board of Aldermen Regular meeting 6 p.m. Monday Action items Power, Light, and Water Committee n Motion setting the annual City of Jackson Employee Appreciation and Christmas Luncheon for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 10 at the Jackson Civic Center...

Cape Girardeau City Council 5 p.m. Monday City Hall 401 Independence St. Study session n No action will be taken during the study session Presentations n Recognition of Larry Davis for retirement from the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport n 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Proclamation...

There are many wonderful churches in our region. Although I have been at Bethany Baptist Church for 18 years, several area pastors have longer tenures than me. One recently celebrated 30 years as the pastor of a prominent church. That speaks well to what a wonderful place Southeast Missouri is to work, live, and rear a family...

LILBOURN, Mo. -- James H. Russell is a self-described "military brat." His parents met while serving in World War II. After the war, his father, who was in the Army, re-enlisted in the newly formed Air Force, eventually retiring as a lieutenant colonel...

Of what does your life consist, besides purely, the psychical side of it? One can go deeply into the mechanics of it if he chooses, but that isn't my purpose. My goal is to think about the role we have, and do not have, in the shaping of our existence...

Several weeks ago, I was working on a spice rack for Marge and for some reason I got to thinking about a friend of Marge's who was born in Mexico and who became a U.S. citizen. I got to wondering when she was little what did they use to make tacos, or how did they season the meat? I'm pretty darn sure they didn't get one of those pre-packaged taco mixes at the store and use that like we do today. ...