Stories from Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Route PP in Scott County — between Outer 55 Road and County Road 311 near Kelso, Missouri — will be closed as Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a culvert under the roadway. According to a MoDOT news release, the work will take place from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, March 6...

Dennis E. Pleasant, left, is sworn in as deputy coroner Monday, Feb. 27, by Cape Girardeau County Clerk Kara Clark Summers at the county administration building in Jackson. ...

Southeast Missouri Food Bank, in its newly-released 2022 Annual Report, said it served approximately 10,000 more people a month last year than in 2021 for a total of 12.8 million meals served through its 140 pantries. "Seniors on fixed incomes and working families found their dollar didn't go as far and had to make tough choices when it came to purchasing food, making rent or paying bills," said Joey Keys, Food Bank CEO. ...

The Public Art Committee of the City of Cape Girardeau will launch the city's 10th annual public art outdoor sculpture exhibition in April. Six pieces will be placed along the Broadway Corridor in Cape Girardeau for one year. The six artists selected for this year's exhibit are Nathan Pierce of Cape Girardeau; Chris Wubbena of Cape Girardeau; Mike Baur of West Chicago, Illinois; Matt Moyer of Colombia, Missouri; Andrew Arvanetes of Carol Stream, Illinois; and Tim Jorgensen of Chicago...

The City of Cape Girardeau's Historic Preservation Commission is accepting nominees for its 2023 Endangered Buildings List, a compilation of various structures in the city that provide cultural and historical value but have degraded over time and are potentially in line for demolition...

A Feb. 15 email from a member of Cape Girardeau Public Schools Board of Education to the board’s president indicates behind-the-scenes questioning of the board’s process to hire a new superintendent. Board member Paul Cairns sent the email to Matt Welker, and in it he lists several concerns about the process to replace superintendent Neil Glass, who announced in late January he would retire from the district at the end of the school year...

Baseball fans will still be able to watch games at Capaha Field from Cherry Hill this spring, despite ongoing construction. Doug Gannon, director for Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation, said the road and parking on the hill will be accessible and people will be able to set up lawn chairs to watch games...

We are to the point now — and frankly, we’ve been here for a while — that people are tired of the COVID-19 comparisons. But there’s no question real estate was one segment of our economy that was affected by the pandemic in a big way. The federal government flooded the economy with cash. ...

A bill has been introduced by state Rep. Barry Hovis of District 146 in Whitewater with a difficult-to-understand title — "Allows for the curing of absentee ballot envelopes" — but a comprehensible rationale. Hovis, who introduced House Bill 1184 on Feb. ...

Members of a conservative political group told Cape Girardeau Public Schools Board of Education members at their regular monthly meeting Monday night, Feb. 27, their process for hiring a new superintendent has flaws. Mike Woelk, a member of We The People of Cape Girardeau County, a self-described "liberty watchdog group", addressed the board members at the meeting. ...

Restoring older buildings — especially those dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s — is not an easy feat. It is usually much simpler to buy a new building and avoid the headache of adapting a century-old property to fit modern standards.

NEW RETIREMENT COMMUNITY COMING TO CAPE Newbridge Properties, based out of Stamford, Conn., is preparing to open a 75,000-square-foot retirement community at 1205 S. Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau this April, with residents moving in starting in May. ...

Congratulations to Cape Central Basketball team for a successful season. Good luck in districts and more. No. 2 in class 5. City should show more support. Coaches and players deserve more support representing Cape Girardeau. I have read with interest the comments relating to the disrepair of east Lexington which should also apply to Clark Street by the library. ...

The Ukraine mess is daily looking more like the Spanish Civil War of 1936 to 1939, a meat grinder that took 500,000 lives. That three-year conflict became a savage proxy war and prelude for the belligerents of World War II. The Ukraine battlefield is proving to be a similar laboratory of death. New lethal weaponry and tactics are introduced, modified -- and always improved -- from drones to guided missiles to internet-fed artillery...

CAPE GIRARDEAU Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls. Feb. 26 n Medical assists were made at 10:52 a.m. on Merriwether Street; 2:15 p.m. on Brunswick Court; 5:18 p.m. on Emerald Street; and 8:32 p.m. on Broadway. n At 2:02 p.m., fire alarm on South Sprigg Street...

CAPE GIRARDEAU Cape Girardeau Police Department responded to the following calls. Arrests do not imply guilt. Arrests n A warrant arrest was reported. n A warrant arrest was reported on North Sprigg Street. n A warrant arrest was reported on William Street...

Calvin Edward Tilley of Cape Girardeau, known as "Ed" to many of his friends and loved ones, passed away Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, at the age of 89. He was born in Kane, Wyoming, to Loren Calvin and Leona May Hoffman Tilley on July 28, 1933, and was the eldest of 11 children...

CHAFFEE, Mo. — Mary Frances Stovall, daughter of the late Costell and Maggie Swindle Tyler, was born Feb. 7, 1933, in Trumann, Arkansas, and departed her life Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, at her granddaughter's house in Chaffee at the age of 90. She was a homemaker, and enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. She was of the Methodist faith,...

ORAN, Mo. — Christopher "Chris" Charles McCann, son of Charles and Annette Childers McCann, was born July 27, 1984, in Charleston, Missouri, and departed his life Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau at the age of 38...

Jo Ann Mayberry, 80, of Cape Girardeau died Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, at Southeast Hospital. She was born June 22, 1942, in Hayti, Missouri, the daughter of Calvin Coolidge and Lucille Henderson Brazier. She married Albert "AP" Mayberry on April 10, 1977, at Kornthal Church in Jonesboro, Illinois...

Andrew Margrabe, 48, of Wood River, Illinois, formerly of Jackson, died unexpectedly Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, while visiting his parents in Jackson. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 3, and from 9 a.m. to service time Saturday, March 4, at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson...

J.T. Gregory, 88, of Cape Girardeau passed away Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, at Saint Francis Medical Center. He was born Nov. 11, 1934, in Lurton, Arkansas, the son of George and Vernie Beare Gregory. J.T. was a lifetime row crop farmer and enjoyed spending time hunting and fishing. He believed in the Assembly of God faith. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army...

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. — Bruce R. Cavanaugh, 79, of Ste. Genevieve died Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, at Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday, March 4, at Ste. Genevieve Catholic Church in Ste. Genevieve...

Wayne William "Wayne-O" Bryan, son of the late William Arthur and Carla May Gamble Bryan, was born Aug. 15, 1963, in Hudson, Michigan, and departed his life Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau at the age of 59...

PERRYVILLE, Mo. — Peggy Marie Berkbuegler, 73, of Perryville died Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, at her home. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, March 1, at United Methodist Church in Perryville. Memorial service will be at noon Wednesday, March 1, at the church, with the Rev. Kevin Barron officiating...

Son to James Gantose and Chantel Dean of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Hospital, 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. Name, Kai Robert. Weight, 7 pounds, 11.9 ounces. Third son. Dean is the daughter of Cassie Box of Cape Girardeau. She is employed by The Bank of Missouri. Gantose is the son of Denise Gantose and Robert Gantose of Seville, Ohio. He works for Bo's On Call Automotive...

ANKARA, Turkey -- A magnitude 5.6 earthquake shook southern Turkey on Monday, three weeks after a catastrophic temblor devastated the region, causing some already damaged buildings to collapse and killing at least one person, authorities said. More than 100 people were injured as a result of Monday's quake which was centered in the town of Yesilyurt in Malatya province, Yunus Sezer, the chief of the country's disaster management agency, AFAD, told reporters. ...

HAWARA, West Bank -- A Palestinian gunman on Monday shot and killed an Israeli motorist in the occupied West Bank, the latest bloodshed in a fresh wave of fighting that showed no signs of slowing. The killing occurred a day after two Israelis were killed by a Palestinian gunman in the northern West Bank, triggering a rampage in which Israeli settlers torched dozens of cars and homes in a Palestinian town. It was the worst such violence in decades...

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court is about to hear arguments over President Joe Biden's student debt relief plan, which impacts millions of borrowers who could see their loans wiped away or reduced. So far, Republican-appointed judges have kept the Democratic president's plan from going into effect, and it remains to be seen how the court, dominated 6-3 by conservatives, will respond. ...

GENEVA -- Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has triggered "the most massive violations of human rights" in the world today, the head of the United Nations said Monday, as the war pushed into its second year with no end in sight and tens of thousands dead...

BAGHDAD -- Nearly 20 years after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein by U.S.-led forces, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid wants the world to know his country now is at peace, democratic and intent on rebuilding economic life while maintaining a government that serves the whole country and the region...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Last-minute technical trouble forced SpaceX to call off Monday's attempt to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA. The countdown was halted with just two minutes remaining until liftoff from Kennedy Space Center. With just a split second to blast off, there was no time to deal with the problem, which involved the engine ignition system...

WASHINGTON -- The White House is giving all federal agencies 30 days to wipe TikTok off all government devices, as the Chinese-owned social media app comes under increasing scrutiny in Washington over security concerns. The Office of Management and Budget calls the guidance, issued Monday, a "critical step forward in addressing the risks presented by the app to sensitive government data." Some agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and State, already have restrictions in place; the guidance calls on the rest of the federal government to follow suit within 30 days.. ...

Speed around a French village in the video game Gran Turismo and you might spot a Corvette behind you trying to catch your slipstream. The technique of using the draft of an opponent's racecar to speed up and overtake them is one favored by skilled players of PlayStation's realistic racing game...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a bill that gives him control of Walt Disney World's self-governing district, punishing the company over its opposition to the so-called "Don't Say Gay" law. The bill requires DeSantis, a Republican, to appoint a five-member board to oversee the government services that the Disney district provides in its sprawling theme park properties in Florida...

WASHINGTON -- A crucial question has eluded governments and health agencies around the world since the COVID-19 pandemic began: Did the virus originate in animals or leak from a Chinese lab? Now, the U.S. Department of Energy has assessed with "low confidence" in that it began with a lab leak, according to a person familiar with the report who wasn't authorized to discuss it. The report has not been made public...

DOVER, Del. -- Fox Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch acknowledged that some Fox News commentators endorsed the false allegations by former President Donald Trump and his allies that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and that he didn't step in to stop them from promoting the claims, according to excerpts of a deposition unsealed Monday...

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico's president lashed out Monday against demonstrators opposed to his plan to cut election funding, belittling their concerns about threats to democracy and dashing any hopes that he would try to ease rising political tensions. President Andres Manuel L--pez Obrador seemed to revel in the conflict, hurling insults at the tens of thousands of people who demonstrated over the weekend in Mexico City's main plaza, calling them thieves and allies of drug traffickers...

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Parts of the Southern Plains counted the injured and surveyed the damage Monday after tornadoes and other powerful winds swept through, killing at least one person in Oklahoma, while some Michigan residents faced a fifth consecutive day without power following last week's ice storm...

KYIV, Ukraine -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday her first visit to Ukraine underscored Washington's commitment to continuing its economic support for the country, as the din of air raid sirens echoed across the Ukrainian capital. Yellen said following talks with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal that the US has provided nearly $50 billion in security, economic and humanitarian assistance and announced another multibillion dollar package to boost the country's economy...

A group foster home under construction next to Abundant Life Church in Gordonville will be more like a large family home than a "children's prison", as some neighbors fear, says the Rev. David Butler, the church pastor; neighbors aren't confident that the people undertaking the project are prepared for the task at hand; they also worry that the children who will live in the home might pose a threat to the small community's tranquility...

Father God, may your guiding hand of protection be on us as we travel. Amen.