Stories from Monday, July 8, 2024

MATAGORDA, Texas — Beryl began lashing Texas with rain and intensifying winds Sunday as coastal residents boarded up windows, left beach towns under evacuation orders and prepared for the powerful storm that has already cut a deadly path through parts of Mexico and the Caribbean. ...

What weighs most heavily on older adults’ minds when it comes to health care? The cost of services and therapies, and their ability to pay. ...

A new drive-thru has been added to the Chick-fil-A at 3333 Gordonville Road in Cape Girardeau that will exclusively handle orders made through the restaurant’s app. Mobile Thru allows customers to order their meals on a mobile app, scan a QR code to check in at the drive thru, and pick up their meals that have already been prepared. ...

Blynn Atchley has 18 years of experience in the information technology field; his day job is in the cybersecurity business. Frustrated by the environment of a previous job, he told a coworker that his dream would be to just roast coffee and fix computers. “And he said, ‘Dude, that’s actually a really good idea,’” Atchley said. ...

Inspired by his grandfather's legacy, Steven Lee has become a cornerstone of support in Cape Girardeau. From his work at Ford and Sons Funeral Home to his selfless community service, Lee embodies the spirit of giving back.

Today is Monday, July 8, the 190th day of 2024. There are 176 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On July 8, 2018, divers rescued four of the 12 boys who’d been trapped in a flooded cave in northern Thailand with their soccer coach for more than two weeks. (The remaining eight boys and their coach were rescued over the next two days.)...

Independence Day did not bring about freedom for travelers’ wallets as the cost of gasoline jumped modestly for the Fourth of July weekend. ...

Ribbon-cuttings in Cape Girardeau, Perryville and Scott City over the course of the week will honor the grand openings of two businesses and a road. ...

Even the Democratic deus ex machina is having a bad stretch. No matter how favorable the presidential race has looked for Donald Trump, there’s always been the possibility that special counsel Jack Smith would get to trial with his Jan. 6 case before the election and, at the very least, dominate the news cycle for weeks and, in all likelihood, convict Trump in a case involving more serious matters than hush money to a porn star. ...

Another summertime tradition is coming up this week with fun for the entire family: Parks and Rec Day. This year’s celebration, set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 10, at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau, promises to be a memorable occasion. ...

O Lord Jesus, our Redeemer, we worship you and sing praises to your name. Amen.

TEL AVIV, Israel — Marking nine months since the war in Gaza started, Israeli protesters blocked highways across the country Sunday, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down and pushing for a cease-fire to bring back scores of hostages held by Hamas. ...

WASHINGTON — Growing skepticism about President Joe Biden's reelection chances has European leaders heading to the NATO summit in Washington confronting the prospect that the military alliance's most prominent critic, Donald Trump, may return to power over its mightiest military. ...

An ancient tree from India is now thriving in groves where citrus trees once flourished in Florida, and could help provide the nation with renewable energy. As large parts of the Sunshine State's once-famous citrus industry have all but dried up over the past two decades because of two fatal diseases, greening and citrus canker, some farmers are turning to the pongamia tree, a climate-resilient tree with the potential to produce plant-based proteins and a sustainable biofuel. ...

LOS ANGELES — A long-running heat wave that has already shattered previous records across the U.S. persisted on Sunday, baking parts of the West with dangerous temperatures that caused the death of a motorcyclist in Death Valley and held the East in its hot and humid grip. ...

HARRISBURG, Pa. — President Joe Biden urged his supporters to stay unified during a series of Sunday stops in critical Pennsylvania on Sunday, even as some leading congressional Democrats privately suggested it was time for him to abandon his reelection bid because of intensifying questions about whether he's fit for another term. ...

Interstate 55 overpass bridges at the Fruitland interchange will be replaced in the first phase of highway improvements associated with the Procter & Gamble expansion; a construction contract has been awarded to Penzel Construction Company, Inc., of Jackson for $3,295,745, and includes replacement of both existing I-55 overpass bridges over U.S. 61; work is expected to begin in September. ...

A plethora of networking events across the region is planned for the coming week, hosted by various chambers of commerce. ...