Casino, Redhawks lead list of top news stories of 2010

This was a year of big dreams, big money and, of course, big controversy.

The year 2010 brought news that a casino would be built in Cape Girardeau, delighting some who saw it as a revenue generator and job creator and disappointing others who worried about gambling addiction and an increase in crime.

The year was a storied one for the Redhawks football team and its fans, which saw one of the biggest turnarounds in the history of the program end in an emotional playoff loss half a country away.

A wildly popular water park opened over the summer. In the fall, a proposed smoking ban sparked a heated debate that will continue until it is settled by voters in April. Several local communities passed laws requiring prescriptions for certain cold medicines, hoping to make a dent in the scourge known as methamphetamine.

Money touched headlines again, as it always does, with the passing of a $40 million school bond issue, a $4 million court settlement for a man who was wrongly imprisoned for 16 years and a $6.7 million company expansion in Perryville that will create 400 jobs at a time when they are sorely needed.

Gov. Jay Nixon came to Cape Girardeau toward year's end to tout a new incentive-laden medical center downtown. But it was soon learned that company executive Weaver Dickerson may have lied on the application about his criminal past. The $2 million in incentives was quickly rescinded, and an investigation will linger into at least the early parts of next year.

Questions remain on many of these issues, with answers hopefully forthcoming in the new year.

But today, with 2010 just days from its demise, we take a look back on the year that was.

These are the top 10 news stories of 2010, with rankings based on a poll of the Southeast Missourian news staff.

1. Casino coming to Cape

The news came Dec. 1 from the state capital. The Missouri Gaming Commission had selected Cape Girardeau over its big-city competition in St. Louis and Kansas City for the state's 13th -- and final -- gambling license. The announcement meant Isle of Capri could begin construction of its $125 million casino in a blighted area near the city's downtown.

The St. Louis-based Isle of Capri had already beaten other casino companies to build in Cape Girardeau over the course of the year. It also had competition from an oppositional group that worried about gambling addiction and increases in crime. Casino proponents also had to convince the city's voters, with 61 percent of those deciding Nov. 2 that the lure of 450 new jobs, $20 million in state revenue and a downtown business anchor outweighed any possible drawbacks.

Isle of Capri executives are busy with its development plans and hope to have construction underway this summer and the casino completed in 18 to 24 months. The development is expected to change the shape of the area, with several dilapidated homes slated to come down and a portion of Main Street realigned.

Mayor Harry Rediger, elected in April, called it "a game changer."

2. Redhawks' huge turnaround

The Southeast Missouri State football team held on until halftime, but they ended up losing to Eastern Washington in the first round of the playoffs Dec. 4. But the real story here wasn't how it ended, but that they were there at all. In the year before, the Redhawks went 2-9 and finished last in the Ohio Valley Conference.

During the 2010 season, a buzz around town turned into a roar as the Redhawks started stringing together victory after victory.

The team then won nine consecutive games to claim the OVC championship, a first in the program's history. Southeast finished 9-3 and was ranked fourth all-time in a one-year turnaround on the FCS level. The normally empty parking lots around Houck Stadium turned into one big tailgater, with fans from all over traveling to see their resurgent Redhawks.

For a while, the Redhawks were literally the talk of the town. Even that last defeat in Cheney, Wash., no doubt bitter for the players, cannot detract what the team accomplished.

Southeast senior Bryan Curry may have put it best after that loss.

"We used to be a laughingstock," he said. "And now we're something to contend with. I definitely think it's something to be proud about."

3. School bond issue

On election night in April, Neil Glass raised both of his arms in triumph.

And why not? The director of administrative services for the Cape Girardeau School District had a reason to celebrate. The district's yearlong planning to get the $40 million school bond issue had just passed with 61 percent of the vote. With that outcome in hand, work began in the summer for the largest-ever overhaul of buildings in the school district.

In the 14 months leading up to the election, district officials honed a plan to overhaul district buildings. The money will pay to replace an Franklin Elementary School, build an auditorium and address deferred maintenance projects throughout the district.

4. Kezer gets $4 million in settlement

What's 16 years of your life worth? For Joshua Kezer, it was about $4 million.

In a well-publicized case, Kezer served 16 years in prison for the murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless, a crime he was exonerated of and released in 2009. Kezer was convicted by a Ste. Genevieve, Mo., jury in 1994 before winning a ruling in February 2009 that overturned his conviction.

Kezer sued Scott County, former sheriff Bill Ferrell and former deputy Brenda Schiwitz in federal court. The settlement was made public in August. A source close to the lawsuit said Kezer received $4 million.

By the way, that works out to about $685 for each day Kezer was incarcerated.

5. Cape water park makes a splash

On May 29, more than 1,300 people flocked to Cape Girardeau's newest outdoor attraction. That was the Saturday that the $8.8 million Cape Splash Family Aquatic Center opened for the first time. The water park, situated near the Osage Centre along South Kingshighway, had a lot of drawing power apparently, with four slides, a spray pad area, a "swirl pool," two lap lanes and other swim areas.

Through July, Cape Splash maintained its 1,300-a-day attendance figure, which was about 500 more than park officials expected. When it closed for the season, the water park had seen 106,000 guests in its first year.

The $8.8 million water park was funded by a sales-tax approved in April 2008.

6. Weaver Dickerson case

On Dec. 8, Gov. Jay Nixon came to Cape Girardeau to tout a $10 million vision and dental cooperative, which promised to bring 135 new jobs and renovate three buildings near the corner of Fountain Street and Broadway. Nixon was also there to announce nearly $2 million in state economic development incentives for the project.

The face of the project was a Paducah, Ky., native, named Weaver Dickerson. Shortly after the Nixon announcement, it came to light that Dickerson had a troubled background, which included writing more than $90,000 in bad checks and a brief stint in jail.

Dickerson was on probation in Stoddard County for writing bad checks. But when he signed the official applications for the $2 million, he put his name to a document that said no owner of the company was on probation or had committed a felony.

Now, Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver has vowed to investigate the entire situation surrounding the documents and has said he has questions about state and city involvement. He also is seeking to revoke Dickerson's probation and is looking at new charges that could send Dickerson back to jail.

Expect this story to make more headlines in 2011.

7. Sabreliner plant in Perryville announces 400-job expansion

Job creation is always good news. Sabreliner Corp. announced in September that an expansion project there would create 400 jobs at its facility at the Perryville Municipal Airport.

Work started soon after on the 27,000-square-foot hangar to house expanded stripping and painting operations. The expansion is expected to be finished by April. Sabreliner has seen an increase in business over the past two years as the result of government contracts for aircraft refurbishing.

8. Smoking ban

After voters cast their ballots in Cape Girardeau on Nov. 2, many came into contact with petitioners outside the polling places. They were gathering signatures for a citywide ballot initiative to ban smoking in many enclosed public places, including bars, restaurants and casinos.

They gathered enough signatures and now it appears all but certain that voters will decide whether smokers will be asked to step outside these places before lighting up. Proponents of the ban say secondhand smoke is life-threatening to nonsmoking customers and the people who have to work there. Opposition made up of restaurant and bar owners argue that they should be allowed to permit smoking in their businesses if they want to.

This one is going to be a hot topic for the first quarter of 2011.

9. Pseudoephedrine prescriptions

Late in the year, the Cape Girardeau City Council made a decision it hopes will help curb the manufacture of methamphetamine. On a split vote, the council opted in favor of an ordinance requiring a prescription to buy pseudoephedrine, an ingredient in the illegal and highly addictive drug.

The vote came a week after Gov. Jay Nixon visited the city announcing his support of statewide legislation mandating a prescription to buy Sudafed, Claritin-D and other pseudoephedrine products. Some argued to give a new state tracking system time to work, while others, including Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle, said it would create an undue burden on consumers and wouldn't deter meth makers anyway.

Other communities to pass similar laws this year include Jackson, Piedmont and Scott City.

10. Partnership leads to community college

An initiative between Mineral Area College, Three Rivers Community College and Southeast Missouri State University culminated with the formation of the Cape Girardeau Partnership for Higher Education. The two-year institution wrapped up its first semester this month of what is effectively a community college in Cape Girardeau. The partnership draws on financial resources and the expertise of the partners, with Southeast and Three Rivers providing general education instruction.

smoyers@semissourian.com

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