[SeMissourian.com] Fair ~ 71°F  
River stage: 23.65 ft. Falling
Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Local News

Ameren warns of utility scam (05/16/12)
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The St. Louis-based utility company Ameren is urging customers to watch out for a scam aimed at illegally obtaining Social Security numbers. Ameren says utility customers in several states, including Ameren customers in Missouri and Illinois, are being falsely told that the federal government will provide a credit or directly pay utility bills. The scammers seek the customer's Social Security number as part of the fraudulent effort to obtain the credit or payment...
Postal Service deadline for action by Congress passes (05/16/12) 2
Bess Johnson, a clerk at the Richard G. Wilson Mail Processing and Distribution Facility, is pessimistic about her future. "It's just scary," she said. The Cape Girardeau center, with about 100 employees, was one of 220 set to close until the U.S. Postal Service agreed to a moratorium on facility closures through Tuesday to allow Congress time to act on an alternative...
Dam repairs at Trail of Tears' Lake Boutin to be finished by July (05/16/12) 3
The "swim-at-your-own risk" admonition at Lake Boutin's swimming beach should come to an end this summer. More than four years after torrential rains damaged a dam that supports the lake at Trail of Tears State Park, a $250,000 state project to rebuild it is slated to be completed in July, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources...
Annual Scott City yard sale to be earlier this year (05/16/12)
In hopes of drawing bigger crowds, organizers are moving the annual Scott City yard sale up to June 8 and 9. Since the annual yard sale started nine years ago, it has been held in September over Labor Day Weekend. "We're trying to beat the heat and give people an opportunity to do some earlier spring cleaning to get rid of things," organizer Chaundra Mason said. "It's been such pretty weather, we didn't want to wait until it got too hot."...
SEMO District Fair announces 2012 event schedule (05/16/12) 2
A "Redneck Woman" will be joined by an established country hit-maker and a golfer-turned-musician at this year's SEMO District Fair. The organization recently released plans for the 2012 event, which includes Gretchen Wilson, Travis Tritt and Colt Ford in the grandstand. Last year, George Jones nearly sold out the 3,500-seat arena, while Creedence Clearwater Revisited and Kennett, Mo., native David Nail drew around 1,800 each...
Area legislators largely support Limbaugh selection for Hall of Famous Missourians (05/16/12) 11
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- While some state lawmakers are deriding Rush Limbaugh's placement into the Hall of Famous Missourians as an embarrassment, those who represent districts closer to the talk show host's hometown said Tuesday they were solidly behind House Speaker Steve Tilley's decision...
Prosecutors seek murder charge against man involved in fatal crash near Advance (05/16/12)
Prosecutors have applied for a second-degree murder charge and an arrest warrant for a Marble Hill, Mo., man who was driving a vehicle involved in a fatal crash earlier this month. Prosecutors filed the warrant Thursday for Donald R. Smith, 35, according to online court records, a week after a fatal May 3 crash in Stoddard County...
Cape County Commission candidates to take part in Thursday forum (05/16/12) 2
Republican candidates to be the next Cape Girardeau County 2nd District commissioner will get a chance to make their case to voters at a forum Thursday. The event, sponsored by the Southeast Missouri Pachyderm Club, starts at 7 p.m. at Dexter Bar-B-Que, 236 S. Broadview St., in Cape Girardeau...
First preliminary hearing in 1999 Qulin, Mo., murder case put on hold (05/16/12)
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Testimony began Monday afternoon in the case of a Qulin, Mo., woman accused of conspiring with other family members to kill her stepmother, whose remains were found scattered in a secluded area near Qulin more than 12 years ago...
Grass fire burns power pole in Cape Girardeau (05/16/12) 1
A small grass fire in west Cape Girardeau damaged an Ameren Missouri power pole early Tuesday afternoon, but did not cause any power outages, the fire department said. The blaze ignited in a ditch about 2:40 p.m., covered a 300-square-foot area and burned 25 feet up a pole near the intersection of South Silver Springs Road and Independence Street, firefighters said...
Route Z closed today for pipe replacement (05/16/12)
Route Z between Route F and County Road 233 in Cape Girardeau County will be closed today as Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a pipe under the roadway. Weather permitting, the work will be done from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near the area...
Route F in Cape County to close for drainage work (05/16/12)
Route F between county roads 376 and 377 in Cape Girardeau County will be closed Thursday as Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a pipe under the roadway. Weather permitting, work will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near the area...
I-55 in Scott County reduced for pavement repairs (05/16/12)
Northbound Interstate 55 from Route M at Scott City to Route AB in Scott County will be reduced to one lane as Missouri Department of Transportation crews make pavement repairs. Weather permitting, work will begin at 6 p.m. Sunday and conclude by 5 a.m. Monday. Work will be completed during nighttime hours to lessen the effect on traffic. The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near the area...
Route F in Cape County reduced for drainage repairs (05/16/12)
Route F from County Road 377 to Route A in Cape Girardeau County will be reduced Monday and Tuesday as Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a pipe under the roadway. Weather permitting, work will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near the area...
Drainage repairs reduce Route A in Cape County (05/16/12)
Route A from County Road 223 to Route F in Cape Girardeau County will be reduced May 23 as Missouri Department of Transportation crews make drainage repairs. Weather permitting, work will be done from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near the area...
Missouri gains 6,000 jobs in April (05/15/12) 1
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri added about 6,000 jobs in April as its seasonally adjusted unemployment rate edged down slightly. Figures released Tuesday by the state Department of Economic Development also show that Missouri added more jobs in March than originally thought. The March job growth was revised upward from 4,800 new jobs to 6,800 jobs...
Broadway meeting for property owners and businesses is Wednesday (05/15/12)
A meeting tailored to business and property owners about the Broadway corridor construction project is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The Cape Girardeau city government, Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, Old Town Cape and the Small Business and Technology Development Center are hosting the meeting...
Humane Society asks governmental bodies for increased funding (05/15/12) 14
With contributions on a continued decline, the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau is asking several governmental bodies to ratchet up their level of funding to the organization that took in nearly 4,000 animals last year. In the past few months, board members have made appeals to city leaders in Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Chaffee and the Cape Girardeau County Commission...
Invite-only ceremony at Mo. Capitol honors Rush Limbaugh (05/15/12) 50
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh was inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians on Monday during a secretive ceremony in the state Capitol as police stood guard to keep out any uninvited political opponents of the sometimes divisive radio show host.
SEMO students concerned about effect of new limits on parking (05/15/12) 4
As homeowners in an area near the Southeast Missouri State University campus push to implement a parking license system in their neighborhood, university students and some officials are expressing concerns about what effect new parking limitations could have...
Cape Girardeau County could lose $250,000 to new sales tax rules (05/15/12) 5
Cape Girardeau County stands to lose an estimated $250,000 in sales tax revenue from motor vehicle purchases after a March ruling made by the Missouri Supreme Court. And legislation that would allow the collection of the taxes locally must pass by the end of the session Friday, or wait until next year...
Summons issued in Millersville animal abuse case (05/15/12) 2
The Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney's Office issued a court summons to a Millersville-area woman Thursday to respond to a search warrant that alleged she neglected or abused numerous animals. On April 30, officials served the warrant on property Paulette Maria Tidwell and her husband owned at 1421 Cape Girardeau County Road 354...
Drought creeping into much of Southeast Missouri (05/15/12) 2
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sporadic and scarce rainfall across Southeast Missouri this spring has forced the region into abnormally dry and even drought-like conditions. Rain in the Bootheel has definitely been spotty, according to Sam Atwell, agronomy specialist and county program director for the University of Missouri Extension in New Madrid County and Southeast Region...
Two in Charleston hospitalized after Monday shooting (05/15/12) 1
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Two men were hospitalized with gunshot wounds after an incident in Charleston late Monday morning. City police responding to reports of gunfire near the intersection of Vine and Lee streets about 10:30 a.m. found Eric Dowell, 31, and Dwight Robinson, 56, both suffering from gunshot wounds, police said. Both were taken to a hospital for treatment...
Arrest made in Cape Xbox theft (05/15/12) 4
A day after a Cape Girardeau man was robbed at gunpoint for an Xbox game console, police made an arrest in the incident. Police arrested Brian Damar Cayce, 19, on Thursday and charged him with first-degree robbery in the Wednesday incident. Shortly after noon, Cayce met the victim in the 1100 block of Cousin Street to buy an Xbox game console, police said. ...
Engineering firms vie for Cape County bridge replacement job (05/15/12)
Cape Girardeau County commissioners Monday passed along the qualifications of eight engineering firms to be reviewed by the highway department as possible contractors for a bridge replacement project on County Road 272. Great River Engineering Inc. of Bowling Green, Mo., Waters Engineering Inc. ...
Route Z in Stoddard County closed for pipe replacement (05/15/12)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Route Z in Stoddard County will be closed today from Highway 153 to County Road 779 as Missouri Department of Transportation crews replace a culvert pipe under the roadway. The work will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., weather permitting. The work zone will be marked with signs. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling near the area. For more information, contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center at 888-275-6636 or visit www.modot.org/southeast...
Expert to give fish cleaning, cooking demonstrations at Saturday Cape market (05/15/12)
Missouri Department of Conservation fisheries management biologist Dave Knuth will be at the Cape Riverfront Market on Saturday to demonstrate fish cleaning and cooking, according to a conservation department news release. Demonstrations will take place at 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Knuth will be cleaning catfish, Asian carp and crappie. He will also answer questions. For more information, visit mdc.mo.gov...
Firefighters practice grain bin rescues in Cape (05/15/12)
Master firefighter Ryan Rascher simulates a farmer trapped up to his neck in wheat for a grain bin rescue training exercise Monday, May 14, 2012 at the Cape Girardeau Fire Station 1. Members of the department's technical rescue team and area fire departments practiced skills training using a ResQ Tube and associated equipment. ...
Route T in to be reduced for bridge work (05/15/12)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Route T from Route N to Westside Lane in Perry County will be reduced to one lane with a 12-foot width restriction beginning in June as contractor crews replace the bridge. A temporary one-lane bypass will be in place and controlled by signals during the construction of the bridge over Saline Creek...
Mo. legislators enter final week of session (05/14/12) 1
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri lawmakers are entering the final week of their session, and House Speaker Steven Tilley says he doesn't believe anything really needs to pass. That's not to say lawmakers will do nothing, though. Tilley says he expects the House to consider legislation allowing for more charter schools. And Senate Majority Leader Tom Dempsey says his chamber will try again to revise the state workers' compensation system...
Central High School graduates class of 2012 (05/14/12) 7
Grins were wide on the faces of Central High School's graduating seniors Sunday, as they received their diplomas. The almost 280 members of the 2012 class represented the 100th to pass through the hallowed halls. "The next 100 years promises to be brighter than the past 100 years," said principal Dr. Mike Cowan as the Show Me Center filled with students, families and friends. "It really is a historic moment for our school. The city has committed to education for a century."...
Proposal would reduce hours, not close rural post offices (05/14/12)
Rural post offices that were threatened with closure instead may have their hours reduced over the next two years, but the fate of the mail processing facility in Cape Girardeau is still in question unless the U.S. House of Representatives acts by Tuesday...
New Jackson fire station to help improve response time (05/14/12) 1
Jackson residents dug deep and invested heavily in public safety when they opened a new satellite fire station on the east side of the city March 30. "A satellite fire station was one of the things that I mentioned as a priority when I campaigned for mayor more than five years ago," said Jackson Mayor Barbara Lohr. "One of my first acts as mayor was to establish a committee to research the establishment of an additional fire station."...
Hospitals join forces to manage medical records (05/14/12) 3
Two hospitals that once viewed each other as competition have come together to meet new federal mandates for electronic medical records. SoutheastHEALTH and Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston, Mo., formed a new company, Servir, to build and manage a common networking and data storage center for both organizations. They're currently seeking other medical providers to partner with them for data storage as well...
Three killed in accident on I-55 near Hayti (05/14/12) 4
HAYTI, Mo. -- A single-vehicle rollover crash on Interstate 55 killed three people Sunday afternoon. About 3:55 p.m., a Ford Expedition carrying 10 people southbound near the Hayti exit blew a tire, ran off the road and rolled over multiple times, said Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper Clark Parrott. Multiple people were ejected from the vehicle, he said. Investigators have not identified the victims, but said they all appeared to be from the state of Mississippi...
One jailed in Dexter meth lab seizure (05/14/12)
DEXTER, Mo. -- An area man is behind bars following the discovery of a meth lab last week. According to Stoddard County Sheriff Carl Hefner, the meth lab was seized Thursday after an ongoing investigation. Sheriff's deputies, along with an officer from the Dexter Police Department, searched a residence on Market Street in Dexter and found a working methamphetamine lab...
Chaffee man injured in boating accident on Castor River (05/14/12) 2
A Chaffee, Mo., man suffered moderate injuries when he lost control of his boat on the Castor River in Cape Girardeau County and struck a tree Saturday morning, according to a Missouri State Highway Patrol report. Larry G. Wolfe, 57, was eastbound in a diversion channel of the river about 8:30 a.m., when a mechanical problem caused the 2002 Xpress utility to suddenly accelerate, investigators said. ...
Saint Francis Medical Center planning $127M expansion (05/13/12) 10
In an effort to provide more patient privacy, Saint Francis Medical Center will spend up to $127 million to upgrade and expand its Cape Girardeau facility. When completed in 2016, all of the hospital's 320 patient rooms will be private, said Steven C. Bjelich, president and chief executive officer...
Downtown residents open their homes for third annual tour (05/13/12) 1
Six downtown homeowners offered visitors a chance to view diverse and architecturally interesting homes in Cape Girardeau on Saturday afternoon during the third annual Downtown Historic District Home and Garden Tour. The Bertrand House at 306 Independence St. is owned by Dr. Lisa and Charles Bertrand. It was built in 1906. The floors in the living and dining rooms are an unusual wood pattern. The sink in the first-floor bathroom and the light in the family room came from the St. Charles Hotel...
Southeast graduates record number of students (05/13/12) 3
Students in Southeast Missouri State's first graduating class of 2012 entered the post-college world Saturday while setting several records for the university. More than 1,100 students accepted congratulations from Missouri's governor as they crossed the stage, and later from their families and friends at a packed Show Me Center...
Judge dismisses portion of floodway farmers lawsuit (05/13/12) 1
A federal judge has tossed out a big portion of a class-action lawsuit brought by more than 140 Southeast Missouri farmers who are seeking millions from the U.S. government for damages caused by last year's intentional breaching of the Birds Point levee...
Perryville Mayfest attracts record crowd (05/13/12) 4
PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- More than 6,000 people attended the 27th annual Perryville Mayfest in downtown Perryville from Wednesday through Saturday. Mayfest was organized by the Perryville Area Chamber of Commerce. Chamber of Commerce executive director Melissa Hemmon said the attendance of this year's Mayfest was "record breaking."...
SEMO regents approve tuition increase (05/13/12) 12
Southeast Missouri State University students returning in the fall will face a higher tuition bill for a second straight year.
Large crowd welcomes new season of Tunes at Twilight concerts (05/13/12) 3
The combination of music and the outdoors drew an estimated crowd of 600 to 700 people to the Common Pleas Courthouse Gazebo to kick off Old Town Cape's Tunes at Twilight music series Friday night. "That is probably the biggest crowd we have ever had," Nicholle Hinkle, project manager for Old Town Cape, said...
Memorial service honors fallen local law enforcement officers (05/13/12) 1
Forty-eight fallen Missouri officers and their families were saluted Friday at the annual Seniors and Lawmen Together law enforcement memorial ceremony held at the Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center. More than 220 people gathered to remember officers from around the state killed in the line of duty, including Albert Demortiers, Willis Martin, Nathaniel Hutson, Herbert Goss and Donald Crittendon of the Cape Girardeau Police Department and Herman Sewing of the Cape Girardeau County sheriff's department.. ...
Pastor still jailed on sodomy, child pornography charges (05/13/12) 1
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- An East Prairie, Mo., church pastor remains in jail following charges of sodomy and for possessing child pornography. Kenneth N. Allen, 36, pastor of Grace Apostolic Church in East Prairie, is charged with three felony counts of first-degree statutory sodomy of deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 14 years old and one felony count of possession of child pornography, according to Missouri Case.net...
Two arrested on drug charges in Perryville (05/13/12)
PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Ongoing undercover drug investigations in Perry County prompted the arrests of two more people Friday. Katherine A. Reed, 33, and Steven R. Reed Sr., 31, both of Perryville, were taken into custody and face felony drug charges, according to a news release from the Perry County Sheriff's Department. ...
Obama names former Emerson challenger Sowers to VA post (05/13/12) 11
WASHINGTON (AP) -- An Iraq War veteran who lost a U.S. House bid from southeast Missouri in 2010 could now be heading to Washington. President Barack Obama has nominated Democrat Tommy Sowers as assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The nomination requires Senate approval...
Dexter man placed on probation in police assault case (05/13/12)
BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- A Dexter, Mo., man was placed on probation Thursday in connection with a September assault of a Dexter police officer. Terry W. Mace, 45, was sentenced to four years in the Missouri Department of Corrections by Associate Circuit Judge Joe Satterfield, who then suspended the execution of that sentence, and placed Mace on five years' supervised probation, according to entries in Casenet, Missouri's online court reporting system...
Last week's most read stories