Red Cross lends flood victims a helping hand

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - The Southeast Chapter of the Missouri Red Cross has been providing food and shelter for families that have been displaced due the flooding in Southeast Missouri and Illinois.

The Red Cross has partnered with other local shelters in order to meet as many people’s immediate needs as possible. This has kept the Red Cross from completely tapping out all their disaster funds.

Sara Gerau handles public affairs for the Southeast Chapter and she remarked at how much help these other shelters have been.

"With Southeast Missouri I think it shows what a tight knit community we have down in this area because a lot of people are with family and friends, church family members that type of thing," Gerau said. "Also, there’s been some other agencies that have stepped up and provided hotel stays for individuals so they’ve been able to stay in hotels for a few nights so that’s helped as well."

As of Sunday, May 1, the Southeast Chapter had a total of 853 people registered with them, had served 9,636 meals and over 10,400 snacks.

The Red Cross will continue to help those in need even after the flood waters recede. They will send out their Disaster Action Teams in order to assess damages and start helping on a case by case basis.

Katie Long, KRCU

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Prescribed fires bring ecological advantages

DAISY, MO (KRCU) - Birds chirping, dogs barking, sun shining, breeze blowing; spring had finally arrived at Ed Graves' farm just outside of Daisy, Missouri.

Listen to the story.


Graves is originally from the St. Louis area where he worked in law enforcement for 30 years before moving to Southeast Missouri five years ago when his wife retired. After searching all over the state, they finally decided on Southeast Missouri to enjoy retirement and a past time they've shared for years.

"For 30 years we've been running bird dogs, Brittanies,” Graves says. “And I field trial them and train them, so we were looking for an area where we could help out the quail population and in turn help the dogs."

Graves and local private lands conservationists had been watching weather patterns and forecasts for weeks, trying to find a day with ideal temperature, humidity, and wind to safely conduct a prescribed burn. Finally that day presented itself in the form of a beautifully balmy, typical Southeast Missouri April day.

Before the burn was to be conducted, Graves and the conservationists put together a burn plan, which is basically a short, how-to document on how to conduct a burn, according to private lands conservation David Hasenbeck with the Missouri Department of Conservation.

“It's based upon the management goals we want to achieve and it basically lists safe weather parameters and safe conditions that we want to burn under to accomplish the goals of the fire,” Hasenbeck says.

The burn plan for the Graves' farm was fairly simple: Remove all unwanted vegetation, allowing new, more desirable vegetation to take its place which would foster an ideal habitat for quail.

Prescribed fires destroy undesirable species of grass such as fescue and debris such as leaf liter while helping native grasses to flourish.

Wildlife benefit from prescribed burns, according to Hasenbeck. Quail, deer, and turkeys are just a few species that thrive in areas that practice prescribed burns periodically. That’s why Graves decided to conduct a burn on his land.

“It’s a necessary thing to do,” Graves says. “It was done long before we ever got here.”

Fire gets rid of leaf liter and dead plants that can be found on the forest floor. Removing dead ground cover exposes seeds and nuts, allowing wildlife better access to these food sources. Fire also helps eliminate hardwood saplings, allowing more light to penetrate to the forest floor which encourages native grasses to grow.

Hasenbeck, is a firm believer in the effectiveness of a prescribed burn but he believes that a healthy level of respect fire's power is essential.

“Prescribed fire is probably the lowest cost and biggest bang for your effort management tool that you can do in the Southern Ozarks,” he says. “It's applicable to a lot of different situations but once again it just comes with some risk and you need to be aware of those risks prior to conducting the burn.”

While prescribed fires are excellent management tools, they can also become dangerous very quickly. Burning on days when the weather conditions are not ideal or burning without enough resources or people can cause a prescribed fire to become a wildfire.

Joe Garvey is the Forestry Supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation and he knows all too well about the possible dangers of a prescribed burn.

“A prescribed fire is just a wildfire kind of contained,” Garvey cautions. “Sooner or later one could get away from you and that’s a humbling experience. Once you light that thing extreme caution and respect is paramount.”

Fortunately, all the proper precautions were taken and the burn at the Graves' farm was successful. No one was injured and fresh new grasses and wildlife should be enjoying the newly cleared land in just a few weeks time.

Katie Long, KRCU

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Cape Girardeau smoking ban fails

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - The debate over the controversial smoking ban in Cape Girardeau was finally resolved Tuesday when voters failed the smoking ban. 52% of residents voted against it.

Members of the pro smoking ban group, Smoke Free Cape, were disappointed in the outcome of the election but feel that they accomplished something positive through their campaigning efforts.

Shelly Wood, a volunteer for Smoke Free Cape, shared her feelings about the outcome of the vote.

“I think we knew all along that it was going to be a close race. Disappointed, again, is how I feel but again very proud of the campaign that we ran and happy that we helped educate the local public and just very thankful for all the volunteers that worked with our group,” Wood said.

Smoke Free Cape does not currently have any plans to get another campaign in place. The Cape Girardeau city charter does not allow an initiative petition for another year so the group will have to wait if it does plan another campaign.

A similar smoking ban initiative passed in Springfield, Missouri with 53% of that city’s vote according to the Springfield News-Leader.

Katie Long, KRCU

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MDC holds prescribed burn workshop

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - A well controlled fire can be an important land management tool.

That was one of the messages at a Missouri Department of Conservation workshop Thursday evening in the Nature Center in Cape Girardeau.

The workshop covered several different important aspects of preparing for and conducting a prescribed burn. Topics for the workshop included ideal weather conditions for burning, the importance of a burn plan, and ensuring that there is adequate equipment and people to help reduce the probability of a prescribed burn becoming a wildfire.

Dave Hasenbeck, a private lands biologist, was a facilitator at the meeting and emphasized the main points of the workshop.

"Prescribed fire is probably the lowest cost and biggest bang for your effort management tool that you can do in the Southern Ozarks. But, once again, it comes with some risk and you just need to be aware of those risks prior to the burn," Hasenbeck said.

The Missouri Department of Conservation will host another prescribed burn workshop and demo burn on April 5th.

Katie Long, KRCU

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Local high school students win trip to International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Two local high school students received an all-expense paid trip to Los Angeles, California to compete in the 62nd International Science and Engineering Fair at Tuesday night’s 55th Annual Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair.

85 students with 56 projects from 9 different high schools participated in the fair. Elizabeth Koehler, a Junior from Saxony Lutheran High School, and Victoria Willcut a Junior from Puxico were selected to compete at the fair from May 8th to May 13th.  

Koehler and Willcut both entered projects that involved research on biofuels. Koehler focused her project on a comparison between homemade biofuels and E-85. Willcut focused her project on how everyday items can be made into biofuels and how they can be used in everyday life.

Koehler and Willcutt intend to reinforce their display boards and redesign their presentations before competing in Los Angeles in May.


Katie Long, KRCU

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Painting of Pearl Black wins "Exhibiting Excellence" show

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - A painting of 20th century author Pearl Black took home the Best In Show award at the 33rd Annual “Exhibiting Excellence” Art Exhibition at Southeast’s River Campus on Sunday. 

The artist is Amy Walden, a junior from Popular Bluff. She named her representation of Pearl Black “Uncatchable.”

“It works in both the physical and spiritual sense. Physically I made her out of paper because she’s a writer and all the words are on there, she put all her emotions and thoughts into writing. In the spiritual sense she couldn’t be caught because she was a free spirit,” Walden said.

The exhibit features art pieces from Junior and Senior high school students from 20 high schools in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois. Approximately 250 pieces of art are submitted to the exhibit and of those submitted, 90 are selected to go on display.

Walden’s painting, as well as the rest of the art from the exhibit, will be on display until March 27th.

Katie Long, KRCU

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Fine particles of coal ash may be used in concrete

A professor at Missouri University S&T is looking to pave the way to stronger concrete while simultaneously keeping fly ash out of landfills.

Fly ash is the smallest particle found in coal ash. It is a byproduct of coal-burning power plants and has been used in concrete since the construction of Hoover Dam. But Dr. Jeffery Volz is developing a formula that will double the amount of fly ash used in concrete.

Although this will decrease carbon dioxide in the air, there is concern for heavy metals leaching out of the concrete into the water supply.

“When we put it in concrete, the chemistry is actually altered and if there are any trace elements, heavy metals, mercury, things like that they are all bound into the concrete. They don’t leach out of the concrete so it’s even better than putting it in a landfill plus we’re using a waste product which is going to cut down on cost which is going to cut down cost to Missouri residents,” Volz said.

Volz says adding fly ash to concrete would decrease the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. For every one pound of cement produced, one pound of carbon dioxide is also released.

“The roads we drive on, the buildings we live in, the bridges we drive over, the dams that hold back the water, the distribution systems for getting us water; all built out of concrete so it’s very much a staple in our civilization and if we can find a way to make it greener then it’s just going to make it that much better,” Volz said.

Volz is still developing the best formula and type of fly ash to use in concrete. The Missouri Department of Transportation has expressed an interest in using the newly developed recipe.

Katie Long, KRCU

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Public forum yields strong emotions towards "Puppy Mill" law

State Senator Jason Crowell addresses constituent concerns about the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act.

JACKSON, MO (KRCU) - Emotions and concerns ran high at a public forum held Friday evening regarding the Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act. 

Over 40 people attended the public forum held Friday evening at the MU Extension Office in Jackson.

Representative Donna Lichtenegger and Senator Jason Crowell hosted the forum to allow concerned citizens from both sides of the issue to come forward, ask questions, and voice their opinions.

Aside from hearing comments and concerns from alarmed citizens, the legislators also used the forum to highlight several bills that have been proposed to amend the law. Nine laws have been introduced during the 2011 legislative session regarding the law. They range from a complete repeal to minimal modifications.

The wording and terminology of the law were the main focus of the forum.

Senator Crowell discussed the big issue of what the word “domesticated” covers as it is written in the law.

“As soon as you put a cow in a fence, is that cow domesticated? As soon as you put a pig in a fence, is that pig domesticated? As soon as you put a horse in a fence, is that horse domesticated?,” Crowell rhetorically asked. “Wild versus domesticated. And that term that was in Prop B has caused the alarm of, is this greater than just dog breeders or is it all livestock?”

This terminology will be challenged further as the law is currently being looked at by both the Senate and the House in hopes of amending it before the law goes into effect on November 2nd of this year.

Crowell voiced his opinion that he is in favor of a complete repeal but was open to some compromise.

“I’m willing to look at some help to really focus on the bad actors, I just think Prop B was focused on the legitimate, honest, hard working Missourians out there that happen to be dog breeders,” Crowell said.

Lawmakers are hoping to have amendments in place before the law goes into effect on November 2nd of this year.

The Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act passed as a ballot initiative last November. It sets limits on the number of breeding females that a dog breeder can have at any given time and establishes standards of care for dogs in breeding facilities.

Katie Long, KRCU

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Operation Jump Start receives $154K DRA grant; Governor visits Jackson High School

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Missouri Governor Jay Nixon paid a visit to Southeast Missouri on Friday … and brought with him some good news for entrepreneurs and students.

The governor visited Southeast Missouri State University in the morning to announce a new Delta Regional Authority grant for the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s Operation Jump Start program. The grant totals $154,000.

Operation Jump Start is a training program for aspiring entrepreneurs. Since its inception in 2006, the program has provided training for 550 individuals and created 200 small businesses and 350 jobs, according to Southeast Missouri State University.

At the press conference, Governor Nixon lauded the program’s results and encouraged entrepreneurs to seek Operation Jump Start training.

“Operation Jump Start has provided an irreplaceable bridge to entrepreneurship and successful businesses and we’re going to continue to do what we can to continue to use this as a model not only here but in our entire region, and in the entire Delta area and in the state of Missouri,” Nixon said.

The Delta Regional Authority grant will be used to start new training programs in Marble Hill, Ironton, Sikeston, and one still-to-be-decided Bootheel region.

Dr. James Stapleton, the executive director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, says that Operation Jump Start was created as a way to help disadvantaged, low income, and unemployed individuals develop their own businesses.

All participants prepare a business model, and through a competitive process, the best plans win up to $5000 in start-up grants.

Since its beginning, graduates have gone on to start a wide range of small business ventures.

“We recently talked to a graduate from four years ago that started a car war company that actually manufactures or builds the car washes that we see oftentimes in our neighborhoods. Now they are going statewide,” Stapleton said.” And then there are lots of very small businesses as well. Day cares, salons, and just about every retail business you could think about.”

Stacey Gallaher graduated from Operation Jump Start in 2006. She now owns MB Medical Reimbursement, providing medical billing services for physicians’ office. Gallaher’s business is housed in the small business incubator. She now has three employees now working for her.

“I knew how to do the billing, but I wasn’t aware of what all went in to payroll taxes or a business plan or what banks look at whenever you’re getting a loan for starting up a business. It gave me a lot of confidence and knowledge in that,” Gallaher said.

Asked if she could ever work for a boss again, Gallaher firmly responded, “No.”

“I don’t think I would. I don’t think I could do it. Me and the girls joke about that a lot,” Gallaher said. “I don’t think I could do it.”

The governor later went to Jackson to applaud the school for becoming an A+ school and to lay out his plan for an overhaul of A+ scholarship program.

The governor’s proposal would make A+ scholarships available to student who meet certain requirement yet do not attend A+ schools. At the onset, Nixon wants to target students from families who earn less than $55,000 per year.

“While we continue to push all the schools to get A+, we want to start especially with the students who are in very challenged environments, who have very challenged economic status, and take that sliver. If those students are able to perform at the A+ level in those schools while they are attempting to get that certification, it’s my view that they should be eligible to get that A+ program during that time frame,” Nixon said.

Nixon has already set aside $1 million in his budget for the proposal, so he claims that funding should not be an issue if it successfully navigates the General Assembly.

“That investment, our statistics show, will allow us to expand access to more than 700 high achieving students next year. And that will be a tremendous return on investment for students that couldn’t afford to move forward but for that help,” the governor said.

School requirements for the A+ program include satisfactory grades, attendance of 95 percent, excellent citizenship, and at least 50 hours of tutoring or mentoring.

Jackson was certified as an A+ school at the end of the last school year.

Jacob McCleland, Katie Long, and Rachel Weatherford - KRCU

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Senator Blunt will vote “No” on Essential Air Amendment

Senator Roy Blunt announced on Wednesday that he will not vote for the Essential Air Service Amendment proposed by Senator John McCain.

The Essential Air Service program currently provides a guarantee to rural areas that at least a minimal level of scheduled air services will be provided, regardless of whether it is profitable or not.

If passed, the amendment will cut most of the $200 million program and effectively eliminate most small rural airports.

Senator Blunt voiced his concerns regarding the effect such cuts could have on local airports and jobs.

"It’s actually one of the few areas where some government money produces lots of private sector jobs," Blunt said. "It makes the difference in whether jobs at airports in Joplin, Kirksville, Cape Girardeau, and Columbia have air service or not."

The bill was approved by a House committee on Wednesday but has not been voted on by the Senate.

Katie Long, KRCU

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Roy Blunt speaks to Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce

Senator Roy Blunt is on a tour of Southeast Missouri Chambers of Commerce, including a stop Thursday night in Cape Girardeau. He focused much of the evening slamming the national budget deficit. 

Blunt criticized the federal government for running up an additional 3 trillion dollars in debt in just the last two years, and voiced his concern at this pattern of government spending.

"It's only the government from the local school board to the capital of the United States where you don't care as much as you did the year before because you didn't spend as much money as you did last year. Nobody else feels that way," Blunt said.

Senator Blunt says that he hopes to come up with some budget cuts to help ease deficit spending. He made no specific recommendations except to return spending levels to those that existed in 2008.

Katie Long, KRCU

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Roy Blunt concerned about conditions at St. Louis VA hospital

Senator Roy Blunt joined fellow Senators Dick Durbin, Mark Kirk, and Claire McCaskill in signing a letter stating that the latest issues at the John Cochran VA Hospital in St. Louis had seriously concerned them.

The letter came in response to the hospital canceling all surgeries last week after staff found operating equipment with possible contamination.

"I intend to continue to be engaged there. It's amazing to me that this has gone on that long with that many recurring problems. I'm going to be very interested in seeing if we can't get this facility operating the way the veterans deserve for it to be operated," Blunt said.

Representative Russ Carnahan will meet with VA Secretary, Eric Shinseki, this week in hopes of finding a solution to the hospitals problems.

Katie Long, KRCU

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Missouri Land Reclamation Commission grants one hearing, denies the other

The Missouri Land Reclamation Commission made a decision Monday regarding formal hearings for two quarry companies, Strack Excavating and Heartland Materials, who are trying to obtain permits to put quarries in Fruitland.

The Commission granted a formal hearing regarding the permit proposal for Strack Excavating but denied a hearing for the Heartland Materials proposal.

Heartland Materials will now be able to move forward and obtain a mining permit from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Strack Excavating will now have to go through a formal hearing which will mean more in-depth testimony from both Strack and the people of Fruitland.

The decision to grant a hearing for the Strack Excavating quarry proposal came as a response to concerns about proximity to Saxony Lutheran High School and the lack of a buffering zone along the property line of the high school.

The hearing officer can also take into account the company's two notices of violation and two letters of warning that the company has received in the last 10 years. These violations include emissions violations and a failure to submit paperwork.

The hearing will take place in front of an independent hearing officer appointed by Missouri's Administrative Hearing Commission.

Katie Long, KRCU

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Southeast Missouri opening beef research facility

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Southeast Missouri State University's Agriculture Department will have a ribbon cutting ceremony this morning for the opening of its new beef research facility.

The facility will be used for beef management by Southeast students. It will also be used to facilitate DNA sequencing of beef cattle, which plays a big role in improving feed efficiency and meat quality.

The facility will provide a place for the beef to be kept together so their feed can be monitored and the meat quality can be evaluated. Dr. Michael Aide, Chair the Agriculture Department, believes that this new facility will benefit far more than just the students of Southeast Missouri State University.

"This will really provide a quality facility for education but it will also provide a facility for research where we hope to improve farm profitability all through Southeast Missouri," Dr. Aide said.

The ribbon cutting ceremony will be at 10:00 this morning at the David M. Barton Agriculture facility. The ceremony is open to the public.

Katie Long, KRCU

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Limestone dust exacerbates asthma

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Limestone quarries present potentially hazardous health effects, according to Dr. John Kraemer, director of the Center for Environmental Analysis at Southeast MO State University.

Dust from these quarries is the main culprit for negative health effects. Dust can come in many different particulate sizes, each with its own health effects.

Dr. Kraemer says that the particulate size plays a big role in the effects that dust from these quarries has on human health.

"The smaller the particle size, the (greater the) ability for it to go deeper into the lung, which can then exacerbate already-existing health defects like asthma," Kraemer says.

The proposed Fruitland quarries would be located near Saxony Lutheran School. Parents and teachers have voiced their concern that the quarries would aggravate asthma among students.

Katie Long, KRCU

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