Stories from Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Missouri military veterans may soon have the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial testing the potential benefits of using psilocybin as an alternative therapy to treat mental health ailments...

Country music singer Toby Keith has died at the age of 62 after battling stomach cancer since 2022. The official Toby Keith website posted a statement Tuesday morning, Feb. 6, stating he “passed away peacefully last night Feb. 5, surrounded by his family. He fought his fight with grace and courage"...

Jackson Board of Aldermen members were updated Monday, Feb. 5, on the status of their new tourism campaign and website. Alyssa Phares, account director for Cape Girardeau-based Red Letter Communications, presented the update alongside Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce president Brian Gerau...

Today is Wednesday, Feb. 7, the 38th day of 2024. There are 328 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Feb. 7, 1962, President John F. Kennedy imposed a full trade embargo on Cuba. On this date: In 1857, a French court acquitted author Gustave Flaubert of obscenity for his serialized novel "Madame Bovary"...

We sometimes like to think the rural nature of Southeast Missouri insulates us from so-called “big-city” problems. Sometimes, we’re correct. Not always. Fentanyl is one of those problems that is invading our region. A synthetic opioid exponentially more potent than morphine, fentanyl, usually illicitly sold in pill form, presents a unique danger, because on the street, drug dealers imprecisely mix it with cutting agents. It doesn’t take much fentanyl, which has a heroin-like effect, to kill a person, and lower doses in some pills and higher doses in others is leading to tens of thousands of overdoses each year. How many? According to the DEA, fentanyl overdose is the leading cause of death for 18- to 45-year-olds in the U.S. Mexican cartels and Chinese chemical companies are churning out fentanyl in huge quantities, and much of it is finding its way to the United States. How much? According to Southeast Missourian reporting, the St. Louis district of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration seized enough fentanyl last year to kill 24 million people. One year. A few recent examples from area law enforcement agencies show the growing prevalence of fentanyl in the region: q Jackson authorities arrested two men for fentanyl trafficking after they were allegedly found with 39 fentanyl-laced pills. q Police arrested a Scott City couple who allegedly had 274 prescription fentanyl pills at their home. q Last year, a nurse at a local hospital pleaded guilty to taking left-over fentanyl from her workplace. q And in July, federal authorities arrested 19 members of an alleged Charleston drug ring characterized as the “main supplier of methamphetamine and fentanyl” in Southeast Missouri. Detective Austin Reed of the Jackson Police Department, a former DEA agent, noted the increasing presence of the drug. “Fentanyl is becoming a pretty common thing around the Cape Girardeau County area,” he said. “We’re seeing quite a bit of it, especially since 2020. It’s increasing every year. Fentanyl is becoming much easier to obtain, and that’s why we’re seeing more of it.” There are no easy answers to eradicating illegal drug use. If there were, we would have won our “war on drugs” long ago. But there are things we can do. One, anyone at risk of using such drugs should be aware of the danger fentanyl poses. One pill may be a person’s last. No “high” is worth someone’s life. Parents, talk with your children. Make sure they understand that fentanyl can and does kill. Two, we encourage more investment in programs aimed at lowering drug overdoses and other “deaths of despair”. These deaths don’t only kill those on the low end of the socioeconomic scale. Actor Angus Cloud and singer/musicians Tom Petty and Prince, among others, died in part because of fentanyl use. Three, our federal law enforcement authorities must do more to prevent the raw materials for these drugs and the finished products from coming into our country, and we should put more pressure on the governments of Mexico and China to help us in the fight. Fentanyl is a real and growing threat here and elsewhere. Wishing it away won’t help. Resolved action will.

Lord Jesus, may we guard the words we say and honor you in all things. Amen.

Mark Zuckerberg is very sorry. His apology at a Senate hearing to the families of victims of online child sex abuse was dramatic, and the human thing to do in the moment, although he was pressured into it under persistent questioning from Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri. Zuckerberg’s contrition — whether real, fake or somewhere in between — doesn’t really matter one way or the other, though. The key question is why we are subjecting our children to a vast, real-time experiment in exposure to a radically new medium that evidence suggests is harmful to their emotional and mental health. This dubious venture is unquestionably a boon to the bottom line of Meta and its peer companies, but it’s doubtful that any parent in America has ever thought it was good for their kid. “Gosh, how can I get my tween to spend more time on Instagram?” is, needless to say, a thought most parents don’t have. Social scientist Jonathan Haidt has been on this case for some time now and points out a marked increase in teen depression and anxiety that coincides with the rise of social media, particularly among girls. It is, to be sure, difficult to nail down with absolute certainty a direct relationship between social media and these distressing outcomes, but many studies find a connection, and the lived experiences of families is, overwhelmingly, that the takeover of adolescence by social media hasn’t been a healthy phenomenon. At the very least, social media is addictive and represents an opportunity cost compared to time that could be spent talking with friends, going outside or even reading a book. Congress should press the brakes on the revolution that has given Mark Zuckerberg and other tech titans an outsized role in raising our kids and require that users of social media be age 18 or older. Surely, it’s not too much to ask that Zuckerberg and Co. make their fortunes exclusively off adults. Congress has already imposed an age limit, just in the wrong place. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act prevents the companies from collecting personal information from children under age 13, effectively prohibiting them from social media. But 13 draws the line much too young. Regardless, the companies have been happy to make a mockery of the rule. About 40% of kids age 8-12 use social media, while usage by teens age 13-18 is nearly ubiquitous. For social-media companies, these kids are just another market. According to a Wall Street Journal report a couple of years ago, “Inside the company, teams of employees have for years been laying plans to attract preteens that go beyond what is publicly known, spurred by fear that Facebook could lose a new generation of users critical to its future.” Let’s say the research and everyone’s intuition is wrong, and social media isn’t driving worse outcomes for kids. What’s the harm in staying off social media until they’re older? That kids will miss out on the latest absurd and perhaps dangerous TikTok trend? That they won’t get to envy people posting photos on Instagram to make themselves look more interesting and beautiful than they really are? That they will talk to their families and friends more and engage in more activities in the real world? As Yuval Levin of the American Enterprise Institute points out, there are ways to put teeth in a more stringent age restriction, create a reliable mechanism for age verification, and give those parents who desperately want their young kids on social media a way to opt in. Once every teen isn’t on social media, it becomes easier to stop teens from using social media. Perhaps, over time, it will become clear that the teen mental health crisis wasn’t driven by social media and — more improbably — being on TikTok is good for 15-year-olds. If so, we can go back and repeal the age-18 restriction — and apologize, if we must, to Mark Zuckerberg.

I believe President Donald Trump got it right when he stated, “A nation without borders is not a nation.” That is why I testified in front of the United States House’s Committee on Homeland Security in favor of impeaching DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for his refusal to secure the southern border. My understanding of border security comes from direct experience securing a nation’s border. It was earned on a barren desert battlefield half a world away from the turret of an M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle. In 2005, as a newly minted 2nd Lieutenant, my platoon deployed to Nineveh Province, Iraq, under the command of then-Colonel H.R. McMaster and was tasked with securing the border between Iraq and Syria. Our mission was simple: close the border. And that’s exactly what we did. We did not capture people and release them into the interior of the country. We did not hand out citations and ask folks to report back in 10 years. We closed the border to ensure the country was safe. Since 2021, more than eight million illegal immigrants have entered the United States. That is more than the population of Missouri. These numbers are not an accident. There is only one reason eight million people illegally cross a sovereign nation’s border: because they know they can get away with it. In the years of Secretary Mayorkas’ reign, there has been an orchestrated lack of enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws. That failure has not only led to impeachment proceedings against Mayorkas; it has given rise to an unprecedented level of state actions necessary to fill the vacuum created by the Secretary’s ineptitude. My office has been on the front lines of the battle to secure our southern border. In FY 2020, Congress appropriated funds explicitly for the purpose of constructing barrier systems at the southern border to keep illegal immigrants out of our country. In the appropriation, Congress explicitly stated the money “shall only be available for construction of barrier systems along the southwest border.” Secretary Mayorkas refused to comply with Congress’ command. Missouri immediately filed suit. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that states can bring a challenge against the federal government for abdicating its responsibility at the border. That ruling cleared the way for our lawsuit against the Secretary’s refusal to finish President Donald Trump’s border wall to move forward. We also filed suit against Mayorkas for allowing hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to be “paroled” into the United States every year without congressional authorization. Parole allows noncitizens to physically enter and remain in the United States without lawful status for several years while their application is reviewed. We also filed suit to halt Mayorkas’ attempt to implement a rule that redefined what had previously been considered illegal border crossings as “lawful pathways.” Rather than acknowledge the root cause of the influx of illegal immigrants poring over our border, the Secretary tried to define the problem away by simply making something that was once illegal into something legal. Mayorkas’ “process” would allow vast numbers of illegal immigrants to enter the country and receive instant work authorization under bogus asylum claims. Mayorkas has enacted illegal policies that are akin to posting a “Come In, We’re Open” sign along the southern border. States are then forced to bear the enormous cost of Secretary Mayorkas’ failure, despite it not being the states’ responsibility to do the federal government’s job for them. Secretary Mayorkas swore an oath to faithfully execute the laws of our land, and is refusing to do so. In Missouri, we remove officials who do not do their jobs because we have seen firsthand the catastrophic toll it takes on entire communities. I ousted a Soros-backed prosecutor from office because her refusal to do her job resulted in the killing and maiming of countless Missourians. Since we took action, order has been restored to the City of St. Louis. Congress must remove a government official who refuses to do his job for the same reason: to restore order. We have reached a point of “no-return.” My office is doing everything we can at the state level to rectify this appalling situation, but Congress has a role to play in restoring accountability. While we battle in the nation’s courts, Congress must use every tool at its disposal to obtain accountability for the American people. If we can send American troops overseas to secure a nation’s border, we can surely secure our own. Andrew Bailey is a combat veteran and 44th Attorney General of the State of Missouri.

CAPE GIRARDEAU Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to the following calls. Feb. 5 Medical assists were made at 10:01 a.m. on Linden Street; 10:02 a.m. on Siemers Drive; 10:34 a.m. on Doctors Park Drive; 11:13 a.m. at Beaudean Lane and South Parkway Drive; 11:37 a.m. on North Pacific Street; and 6:40 p.m. at Howell Street and Karen Drive. ...

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. n A warrant arrest was reported. n A warrant arrest was reported. n A warrant arrest was reported on Bloomfield Street. ...

ROGERSVILLE — Irene Laverne Spencer, affectionately known as “Laverne” to her friends and family, passed away peacefully Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, at the age of 98 in Rogersville. Born Jan. 4, 1926, in Arkansas, Laverne lived a life marked by dedication to her family, her work and her community. ...

ANTAKYA, Turkey -- Millions of people across Turkey on Tuesday mourned the loss of more than 53,000 friends, loved ones and neighbors in the country's catastrophic earthquake a year ago. To mark what it calls the "Disaster of the Century," the government arranged a series of events to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the disaster in southern Turkey...

VI--A DEL MAR, Chile -- The death toll from wildfires that ravaged central Chile for several days increased to 131 on Tuesday, and more than 300 people were still missing as the blazes appeared to be burning themselves out. The fires in Valparaiso are said to be Chile's deadliest disaster since an earthquake in 2010. Officials have suggested that some could have been intentionally set...

LONDON -- King Charles III's cancer was caught early and the monarch will "crack on" with his constitutional duties, Britain's prime minister said Tuesday, as Prince Harry flew in from California for a rare visit with his father. Royal officials announced Monday that the 75-year-old king has been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer and is receiving treatment as an outpatient...

WASHINGTON -- The IRS is poised to take in hundreds of billions of dollars more in overdue and unpaid taxes than previously anticipated, according to new analysis released Tuesday by the Treasury Department and the IRS. Tax revenues are expected to rise by as much as $561 billion from 2024 to 2034, thanks to stepped-up enforcement made possible with money from the Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act, which became law in August 2022...

ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery announced plans Tuesday to launch a sports streaming platform in the fall that will include offerings from at least 15 networks and all four major professional sports leagues. A one-stop app to view most sports should be a welcome sight for fans, who continue to navigate rising costs by subscribing to multiple services...

DOHA, Qatar -- Hamas' response to the latest plan for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages was "generally positive," key mediator Qatar said Tuesday, as the militant group reiterated its demand for an end to the war, something Israel has thus far ruled out...

TEL AVIV, Israel -- Two ships traveling in Middle East waters were targeted by Yemen Houthi rebel ballistic missile fire early Tuesday, authorities said, in the latest assaults in the Iranian-backed fighters' campaign of targeting vessels over Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip...

VI--A DEL MAR, Chile -- Sebastián Piñera, the two-time former president of Chile who faced social upheaval followed by a pandemic in his second term, died Tuesday in a helicopter crash. He was 74. Chile Interior Minister Carolina Tohá confirmed the death of the former president. No further details were immediately released about the cause of the accident...

LOS ANGELES -- One of the wettest storms in Southern California history unleashed at least 475 mudslides in the Los Angeles area after dumping more than half the amount of rainfall the city typically gets in a season in just two days, and officials warned Tuesday that the threat was not over yet...

WASHINGTON -- A Senate deal on border enforcement measures and Ukraine aid suffered a swift and total collapse Tuesday as Republicans withdrew support despite President Joe Biden urging Congress to "show some spine" and stand up to Donald Trump. Just minutes after the Democratic president's remarks at the White House, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell emerged from a GOP luncheon at the Capitol and acknowledged that the deal was dead...

PONTIAC, Mich. -- A Michigan jury convicted a school shooter's mother of involuntary manslaughter Tuesday in the killings of four students in 2021, making her the first parent in the U.S. to be held responsible for a child carrying out a mass school attack...

LINCOLN, Ill. -- Women stream into the courtroom and sit shoulder to shoulder, coats bunched and bags on laps. Crystal Martinez, a human trafficking survivor, enters accompanied by a guard. Her face breaks into a teary smile at the sight of benches full of supporters...

WASHINGTON -- In a dramatic setback, House Republicans failed Tuesday to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, forced to shelve a high-profile priority -- for now -- after a few GOP lawmakers refused to go along with the party's plan...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A federal appeals panel ruled Tuesday that Donald Trump can face trial on charges that he plotted to overturn the results of the 2020 election, sharply rejecting the former president's claims that he is immune from prosecution while setting the stage for additional challenges that could further delay the case...

First Assembly of God Church holds a groundbreaking service in the afternoon at 1367 Platinum Court; the church is beginning construction of a house to be used by missionary families who return to the U.S. on furlough; construction of Harvest House will be paid for by contributions from church members. ...

Jackson Audio and Music Supply, LLC NAMED WINNER OF THE KNOT BEST OF WEDDINGS 2024 18th Annual Best of Weddings Awards Honor the Top Wedding Professionals Across America Jackson, MO/ February 6th, 2024—Jackson Audio and Music Supply, LLC (JAMS) is pleased to announce that they have been selected as a 2024 ­­winner of The Knot Best of Weddings. ...

Cape Girardeau County has been awarded Federal Funds made available through the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the amount of $23,102 from the Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program Phase 41. These funds are used to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county...

Cape Central FBLA competed in districts on Feb. 1st. The following students qualified for State on April 14-17 Aimee Caldwell sang the National Anthem and did an amazing job! AFJROTC presented the flags and made us proud as usual. Mitzi Quintas-Cruz was elected District Secretary and Haneef Ahmad District Parliamentarian...

Tina Kay Riehn, 59, of Millersville passed away Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, at her home after a courageous battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. She was born June 18, 1964, in Perryville, the daughter of Vernon and Esther Oehlert Petzoldt. On Oct. 9, 1993, she married Mark Riehn. ...

I meet him in the half-light, you might say, the long shadow of a dream. A substantial presence and notable appearance, not to be ignored and not to be announced. He's there. You know it. With dodging glances, I retain peripheral view. I dare not stare...

Joe Willie "Jacob" "Jake" Nunley Sr., 77, a native of Patton, died Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at his home in Cape Girardeau. Visitation was Thursday, Feb. 1, at Ford and Sons Mount Auburn Funeral Home in Cape Girardeau. Funeral service was Friday, Feb. 2, at the funeral home with Mea Triplett, the Rev. Ralph Stafford Moore and the Rev. Tommy Robinson officiating...

The Leopold Gearheads qualified for state for the first time in three years. The state competition will be March 2 in Rolla. The robotics team also received the Inspire Award on Jan. 27 through FIRST Tech Challenge. A panel of judges determined that the Leopold team embodied the challenge of FIRST and was the most promising role model in the competition for the robotics community...

Feb. 7: BB vs Scott County Central at home, 6 p.m. (senior night) Feb. 8: Scholar Bowl at home, 4:30 p.m. Feb. 9: BB at Bloomfield, 6 p.m. Feb. 12: BB vs North Pemiscot at home, 6 p.m. (junior cheer performance) Feb. 14: BB vs Meadow Heights at home, 6 p.m...

Feb. 12: Taco soup, crackers, peas, fruit Feb. 13: Chicken, pasta salad, pork 'n beans, fruit Feb. 14: Pizza, pinto beans, corn, fruit Feb. 15: Cheesy beef macaroni, green beans, breadstick, fruit Feb. 16: Fish, chips, pickle, fruit Feb. 12: Corn dog, French fries, baked beans, applesauce (fast lane, chicken patty)...

I received a call two weeks ago from a gentleman who had donated a down goat to us for the dogs last year. That buck broke his leg in half at the knee. The call was to ask if I had room for a whole, 5-year-old cow that slipped on ice. I said yes, hoping that I had enough room for the whole cow...

With temperatures in the upper 30s, Sunday morning was pretty cool for a honeybee. I was surprised to see this bee on the cold hood of my truck. It could crawl, but kept falling over and couldn't fly. There was no wind and the air temperature was rising. ...

Winter weather added to the obstacles that are currently facing potential progress for legislation during the 2024 legislative session. The Missouri Senate closed and canceled several hearings and action on the floor on Jan. 22, due to the ice that covered many roadways across the state...

I was recently in Warsaw, the capital and largest city of Poland, to lead a seminar on helping people grow in Christ. But I was running a bit late. I had been in the church facilities before. So, I rushed up the stairs to the second floor where the training was to be held. ...

Most people around the world enjoy receiving Valentine's Day cards on Feb. 14. Other items like candy, flowers and gifts are also exchanged among family and friends. Valentine's Day and its meaning, honoring Saint Valentine, comes from an ancient Roman ritual of Lupercalia that welcomed spring via the card-giving customs of Victorian England. ...

I've had all kinds of fever in my day, but about the best fever I've ever had was fishin' fever. I'd have to tell you that I contacted the stuff when I was just a kid and I ain't been cured yet. I've fished all over the United States from Dockins Branch to the Mississippi, and still the illness persists. I've got it so bad right now that I can't hardly stand it...

Our nation right now is facing an unprecedented border crisis. In just December alone, more than 300,000 illegal immigrants were caught trying to cross our southern border -- the most ever in one month and a 300% increase from December 2020 when President Donald Trump was in office. In total, there have been more than 10 million illegal border entries under President Joe Biden...

I had several constituents from the district stop by to visit last week. I don't always have a lot of time to spend with guests, but I always enjoy their visits and do my best to spend as much time as possible with them. We also had members from the Silver Haired Legislature at the Capitol, advocating for issues impacting our senior citizens. Our senior citizens face a lot of obstacles, and we must ensure that we are doing our part to assist them in whatever way we can...

Son to Jerrod Bartley and Amanda Christine Pinkley of Glen Allen, Saint Francis Medical Center, 5:35 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. Name, Beau Conrad. Weight, 8 pounds. Fourth child, third son. Mrs. Pinkley is a stay-at-home mom. Mr. Pinkley works for Capital Sand Proppants...

In the second game between Leopold and Meadow Heights, the Wildcats stole the show and defeated the hosting Panthers 55-53 on Thursday to claim first place in the MVC Tournament at Meadow Heights High School in Patton. Leopold and Meadow Heights previously met in the first game of the season, with the Wildcats winning 51-49 in the opening round of the Woodland Invitational Tournament...

Members of the Women Legislators of Missouri are sponsoring a senior scholarship program for young women getting ready to graduate from high school in Missouri. This is a one-time $1,000 scholarship. To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be:...

Winter can be long, especially for energetic students. When opportunities to go outside are diminished, so are opportunities to move. Eighth-grade social studies teacher Audrey Wilkinson found a creative way to get her students moving and learning. Wilkinson set up sources of information all along a hallway about what explorers Lewis and Clark did on their famous Corps of Discovery journey. Then she armed her students with clipboards and sent them out of the confines of her classroom to learn...

Kaden Cook, a senior at Meadow Heights High school, has big dreams for his life after graduation. He wants to attend Oklahoma shoeing school. "I want to start my own business one day," said Cook, who has experience working with horses. He said his senior year has been "boring so far," with not much to do, and he is counting down the days until graduation...

Triston Wyatt Cowell was born Dec. 11, 2005. He is the son of Timothy and Vanessa Cowell and Emily Cowell. His siblings are Iziaha, Destinee, Emma, Gracie and Bentley. Three words he would use to describe himself are nice, funny and cool. Cowell is involved in FFA...

This week's SAE spotlight is Kelby Newell, the son of Mike and Dericka Newell of Oak Ridge. Newell is a senior at Meadow Heights High School and has earned his greenhand and chapter degrees. His supervised agricultural experience includes employment at Newell Trucking, hauling flatbed loads...

There's no shortage of decisions to be made in high school, and deciding what you want to do for your future career is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make. So, Leopold High School students are participating in Lunch & Learn. Business owners or representatives are invited to the high school during lunch period to give a presentation over all that they do in their profession and the education path that led them to that job. ...

Bollinger County Commissioners met Monday with other elected officeholders to discuss the condition of the courthouse. The treasurer, recorder, circuit clerk, collector and county clerk also discussed the commission's intention to have a town hall meeting later to thoroughly inform voters of their choices...

Linda Lee Mungle, 76, passed away Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, at her home in Fredericktown. She was born Jan. 24, 1948, in Ironton to Thomas Leo and Sarah Belle White Tinnin. On May 18, 1968, she married the love of her life, Larry Everett Mungle in Fredericktown, where their daughters were born and raised...

Leslie Ann Meritt, 57, of Marble Hill passed away Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Oct. 8, 1966, in Cape Girardeau to Ronald and Norma Ann Elfrink Beussink. Leslie was a 1984 graduate of Leopold High School and earned a registered nurse, bachelor of science in nursing degree at Southeast Missouri State University...

DEAR EDITOR, A long overdue thank you to the Leopold Fire Department paramedics and Bollinger County Ambulance Service for their very professional help with my wife's emergency call in January. Everyone who has ever helped start and grow the Leopold Fire Department can be very proud of where it is now...

Dorothy Pauline Knight, 94, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Glen Allen, died Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, at Ratliff Care Center. Friends may call from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8, at First Pentecostal Church, 3054 Lexington Ave., in Cape Girardeau. Funeral service will follow at 6 p.m. at the church...

Bollinger County Commission met at 8 a.m. Jan. 16 with the following officers and members present: Leo Arnzen, presiding commissioner; Tim Shelby and Chad Hulvey, associate commissioners; and Brittany Howard, county clerk. n The commission reviewed minutes from the Jan. 8 commission meeting and the minutes were approved...

The newly elected members of the Bollinger Council Extension Council are Philip Gregory, Judson Mayfield, Jody McCormick and Nicholas Thiele. The election was held Jan. 22 to 26. All of the new council members were elected to a two-year term. The new council and officers for 2024 will be sworn in next month during the extension council's annual meeting...

Mercy Health Foundation Southeast Ambassadors will host a Wine and Chocolate Pairing event to mark American Heart Month. This event will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, at Cape Girardeau Country Club, 250 Country Club Drive in Cape Girardeau, with all of the proceeds benefiting the foundation's Heart Strong Fund...

Associate Circuit Judge Frank E. Miller of Cape Girardeau announced Sunday a campaign for the Division II circuit judge position of the 32nd Judicial Circuit. Miller has served as Division III associate circuit judge since 2019 in the circuit that serves Bollinger, Cape Girardeau and Perry counties. He has also served as a prosecutor in Cape Girardeau County and a special prosecutor in Bollinger and Perry counties...

A Sikeston man is sowing the seeds of romance on season No. 2 of the popular FOX reality show, "Farmer Wants a Wife." Ty Ferrell, a 42-year-old team roper who owns a 50-acre farm which includes horses and roping cattle in Southeast Missouri, is one of four hard-working farmers looking for genuine, long-term love who will be featured on the show which premiered its second season at 8 p.m. CST Thursday, Feb. 1, on FOX...

I decided to find out if the Bollinger County Quilt Show would be a good place to look for information that would solve the questions about the people whose names were embroidered on squares of an old friendship quilt. Several years ago my former brother-in-law, Lonnie Lincoln, brought the friendship quilt along with some other old quilts to me to see if I could clean them up. ...

More than 1,000 people turned out for the two-day Bollinger County Quilt Show last weekend at Mayfield Event Center in Marble Hill. Event coordinator Becky Wiginton said between 750 and 1,000 attended Saturday, and 300 to 400 arrived Sunday afternoon...

Leopold wins MVC Tournament. Page X This dog was found on County Road 502. Page X