Front pages from the tornado aftermath

Cape Girardeau faces scrutiny after settling two excessive force cases for nearly $200,000, with a third trial pending. Allegations involve officer Joseph Whistler. A 2021 state law complicates transparency and accountability.

Today is Saturday, Aug. 31, the 244th day of 2024. There are 122 days left in the year. Today in history: On Aug. 31, 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed as the car she was riding in crashed on the Pont de l’Alma bridge in Paris; her partner...

Marble Hill Mayor Trey Wiginton, who has spent some time in a local hospital of late, gave an update on his condition Thursday, Aug. 29. In the six-paragraph statement, he thanked the community for the prayers, love and support over the past several...

Families flock to McDonald County in southwest Missouri each summer to float down the Elk River, visit the caves where Jesse James took refuge and stay in a rustic cabin. The county is a vestige of old, wild Missouri charm — and a place where...

Today is Friday, Aug. 30, the 243rd day of 2024. There are 123 days left in the year. Today in history: On Aug. 30, 1916, on his fourth attempt, explorer Ernest Shackelton successfully returned to Elephant Island in Antarctica to rescue 22 of his...

This year's Riverfront Fall Festival in Cape Girardeau will be Saturday, Oct. 19. It is the third year Visit Cape will be holding this festival, which will start at 11 a.m. and go until 6 p.m., with activities taking place in the Kellerman...

Cape Girardeau native Judith Farris has embarked on an unexpected journey for more than 50 years. From starting college at Southeast Missouri State University as a music education major to becoming an opera singer and well-known vocal coach across...

Southeast Missouri State University announced Wednesday, Aug. 28, that president Carlos Vargas will leave his position at the end of the 2024-25 academic year. Vargas’ final day is set for Monday, June 30. According to a news release from the...

Two Cape Girardeau residents, Brock Freeman and the Rev. Geneva Allen-Patterson, represented Missouri’s 8th Congressional District at last week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago. ...

Eighteen months after moving from its original location in Pacific Hall, the State Historical Society of Missouri’s (SHSMO) Cape Girardeau Research Center has a new home on the third floor of Kent Library on Southeast Missouri State University's...

Several area organizations are holding events beginning Saturday, Aug. 31, to bring awareness to substance abuse and recovery heading into September, which is National Recovery Month. A ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Ivers Square...

The St. Louis Clydesdales’ Backyard Baseball Showdown event scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 31, at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau, has been canceled, the team announced via Facebook on Wednesday morning, Aug. 28. ...

During a rare Wednesday regular meeting Aug. 28, the Cape Girardeau County Commission approved a certificate of substantial completion for the Cape Girardeau County Emergency Operations Center. ...

In its recent newsletter, the City of Cape Girardeau stated there has been an increase in vehicle theft, including ones with firearms in the vehicles, according to the Cape Girardeau Police Department. The newsletter stated there were 17 reports of...

Southbound Interstate 55 in Scott County, from mile marker 69 to mile marker 68 near Miner, will be reduced to one lane with a 12-foot width restriction as contractor crews repair the guardrails. According to a Missouri Department of Transportation...

Today is Thursday, Aug. 29, the 242nd day of 2024. There are 124 days left in the year. Today in history: On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. Gulf Coast near Buras-Triumph, Louisiana, breaching levees and spurring floods that...

The Cape Girardeau Public Schools Board of Education approved the tax and tuition rates for the 2024-25 school year during its Monday night, Aug. 26, regularly scheduled meeting...

Terry Lee Allen, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of unlicensed firearms dealing in connection with a line of illegal firearms, which included three other people, Tuesday, Aug. 27, in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau. According to an Office of...

The academic year at Chaffee schools began on a positive note, according to district superintendent Shawn Nix. He said it was marked by a fully staffed faculty and a welcoming atmosphere...

Corvettes line up in front of the Missouri Wall of Fame during the Corvette Caravan hosted by the Corvettes of Southeast Missouri on Tuesday, Aug. 27, in Cape Girardeau. More photos are in a gallery at www.semissourian.com.

The City of Cape Girardeau is seeking registrations for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program with its next class to start Thursday, Sept. 5...

Today is Wednesday, Aug. 28, the 241st day of 2024. There are 125 days left in the year. Today in history: On Aug. 28, 1963, during the March on Washington, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech before an estimated...

SIKESTON — As many local schools began the new year, some also have implemented new cellphone policies...

A cluster of cars sit idle after a crash Monday, Aug. 26. Shortly after 3 p.m., Cape Girardeau emergency services were called to the scene of two collisions along Sprigg Street, one at the intersection of Sprigg and Bellevue Street and the other a...