Record enrollment anticipated at Southeast; university signs contract with Candlewood Suites

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Despite admission deferrals Southeast Missouri State University is gearing up for another semester with record enrollment. 

The total will include approximately 1,900 incoming freshmen. Last year the university set a record for incoming freshmen with 1,928.

This year may end up with fewer freshmen due to the university’s decision to defer admissions after July 8.

Nevertheless director of admissions Dr. Debbie Below says the university is still expecting record enrollment.

"Total enrolment at the university should go up about two percent," Below says. "Last year we exceeded 11,100 students as a university for the first time. This year that will probably be around 11,300."

The record enrollment number are pushing on-campus housing to the brink. The university has capacity to house approximately 3,100 students.

Seven students will temporarily call rather unconventional surroundings home.

These seven will live in converted dorm lounges for the next few days. Residence Life Director Dr. Bruce Skinner says he is certain that conditions will improve rather quickly for those students.

"Many schools are uncomfortably full at move-in. "We will have about thirty students that don’t show between a week from Friday and Friday," Skinner says. "So this is really a short term problem. It’s an uncomfortable problem for both students and the university. But it’s not the case where fall break rolls around and there are still people living in lounges and people living with RA’s."

To help alleviate some of the stress the university signed a year-long contract with Candlewood Suites to create housing for some 48 students for the school year.

Tim Filla, KRCU
Photo: Vandiver Hall at Southeast Missouri State University.

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Business development leaders propose $400K loan

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Cape Girardeau’s business development leaders want the city to apply for a $400 thousand action loan under the Community Development Block Grant program.

The loan money would be used to help persuade a manufacturer looking to open a plant in Cape Girardeau.

The city would apply for the loan through the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

Cape Girardeau’s Area Magnet director Mitch Robinson is eager to draw in the business. He is optimistic the city will seal the deal if the loan is approved.

"I think right now where in the front position, they wanna come here we want them to come here," Robinson says. "Now we just gotta work out all the details and get the right place for them and get them pined down and get the deal done as they say."

Robinson said the loan would have to be repaid at a four percent interest rate.

Robinson could not disclose the identity of the manufacturer, but said that 20 jobs would be created.

The loan application was brought up at Monday’s City Council Meeting.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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Cape Girardeau looks at rental unit inspections

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Like many college students, Casey lives in a house that was converted into multiple apartments. It’s an old building with an old air-conditioning unit. Her bed is only a few feet away from a flimsy door that leads into somebody else’s apartment. It’s the only thing separating her from her neighbors. 

Listen to the story.

And that’s not the only thing wrong with her apartment.

“When I was first moving into my apartment, there were a ton of different damages that was done,” Casey said. “There was a window that was broken, doors that didn’t fit on the hinges. Broken doors that they refused to fix or said they didn’t need to be fixed. And there was like mold on tile and things like that. They said there wasn’t a problem.”

Casey, which is not her real name, had her concerns put into her contract.

She figured that the written agreement would be enough but “it took a month for the window to be fixed, they still haven’t fixed the door,” she said.

And Casey isn’t the only one dealing with headaches caused by unresponsive landlords.

Fourth-seven percent of Cape Girardeau’s residents rent, according to the city government. Many are calling for something to be done about unsafe and often unsightly rental units.

A citizen’s initiative in 2007 asked the city to develop a rental inspection system.

While tenants like Casey like the idea of rental inspections, landlords are digging in to stop the ordinance.

At a public forum with landlords and rental managers in late June, many made their frustrations known. Some say the city needs to enforce the laws already on the books.

Laura Ritter says the ordinance is nothing more than a cleverly veiled tax.

“I’m not in favor of it because I feel like we already have the ordinances on the books now, we already have an inspector so we already have everything in place,” Ritter said. “I think this really is a revenue-created issue, somewhat like even a tax to us landlords. We’ve already got everything in place to deal with all the problems to we have here in Cape.”

David E. Soto owns and operates Soto Property Management, which operates mid- to upper-level rental properties.

Showing me around a fairly new property off Lynnwood Hills Drive, Soto said he feels no compassion for landlords with dilapidated units. But he is afraid that the city’s actions are too broad-stroked.

“If there are problem properties, I personally would like to see them get taken care of. It affects my business when I have properties in that neighborhood. It’s going to affect the rental rate on that. So it does affect me. But again just to put the broad brush of accusing everybody of having to inspect … it just seems like it is too much,” Soto said.

Soto adds that the ordinance’s fees would simply be passed on to tenants in the form of higher rent.

City Manager Scott Meyer says the city does not know the inspections’ cost and he is still weighing two different licensing fees. One would be a flat fee and the other would be based on gross revenue.

“We haven’t landed on anything,” Meyer said. “But I do think that the landlord association has met. That’s one of the things they have focused on. And we certainly are considering it.”

Nevertheless, in Casey’s apartment little has changed. The halls of her apartment are not filled with debate. Rather, they are filled with worries about work, school and mold.

“I do my best to kill it off. But they’re not paying for that. And I can’t take it off of my rent check without them saying that I still owe them money, and then tacking on charges because I did not pay the full amount of rent,” she says.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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"Frito Bandido" bashes windows, steals snacks

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Recent thefts in Cape Girardeau are supporting Frito Lays’ potato chips slogan, "Betcha can’t eat just one."

Three trucks were burglarized at the company’s local facility last week.

The robberies happened on two separate occasions. Police say vending machine-sized bags of Lay’s Potato chips were the only stolen items.

Windows were smashed in all three trucks.

While there are no suspects for either break-in, Cape Girardeau Police Department spokesperson Darrin Hickey feels the same person or persons may be involved.

"We don’t know anything for sure, but I think that defiantly is a possibility with the similar set of circumstances. That the entry was gained in the same way, and that the only items missing on both instances are just the chips," Hickey said.

Hickey says he can’t fully understand the motive behind either of the break-ins.

"You got to think a window is probably worth a couple of hundred bucks. And chips are worth a few dollars," Hickey said. "So they are doing more damage to the vehicle then they are in what they are actually getting from the vehicle."

Tim Filla, KRCU

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Southeast Missouri State partners with ACCION Texas

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Southeast Missouri State University is now partnering with the micro-lending giant ACCION Texas.

The partnership creates a new division of ACCION, named ACCION Delta.

ACCION is based in San Antonio and is the nation’s largest micro-lending organization. To date it has lent over $112 million through nearly twelve thousand loans.

ACCION president and CEO Janie Barrera says the organization helps struggling businesses and entrepreneurs get needed capital by giving out loans that range from $500 to $100,000.

"There’s a lot of small businesses, that don't have access right now because they haven't kept good financials. Or maybe it because there new in their business, and banks are regulated and they can’t help everyone," Barrera said. "So ACCION as a not-for-profit organization can bring capital then to small business community here in the delta."

The organization says it was drawn to the partnership by the university’s Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Since 2006, the program’s graduates have started nearly 250 businesses with over 90 percent of those businesses still operating.

Program director James Stapleton says the partnership will make a big difference in the region’s economy.

"We hope that the partnership will allow more individuals who are starting or who have an existing business and need some capital to grow have access to it," Stapleton said.

The partnership was announced Friday at the Show-Me Center.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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Blunt: DOD can take cuts

Missouri Senator Republican Roy Blunt says he is willing to accept potential cuts in the Department of Defense budget.

The debt ceiling crisis is now averted, Senator Blunt is focused on cutting spending across the federal government.

He says that the worst thing Congress could have done was increase the debt ceiling without changing behavior.

He now seems willing to accept cuts even in places his party’s platform traditionally supports.

"Everything should be on the table," Blunt said. "The Defense Department needs to justify like everybody else in the federal government does, what they do and why they are gonna do it. I think there’s room for some reductions in defense spending."

Senator Blunt says the cuts should not come lightly and there is not as much room to cut as some Democrats think.

All of this comes on the heels of the passage of legislation that raises the debt ceiling and is expected to shave about two trillion dollars off the debt in the next ten years.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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City Council takes step closer to limiting parking near campus

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - An ordinance limiting daytime parking near Southeast Missouri State University’s campus took a step forward during Monday’s City Council meeting.

The streets that will be affected are Normal Ave., from Henderson to West End, Park Ave, and the stretch of West End from Broadway to Highland Drive.

The parking ban was sought by residents of the area who were tired of congestion on the streets due to university students.

Some residents sought a permit system to allow homeowners to park on the street, but the council decided it was unfair to allow preferential treatment on a public thoroughfare.

The counsel plans to amend part of the ordinance prior to the possible final passage at the next city counsel meeting.

In other business, the city announced the class of two-thousand twelve will be Cape Central High School’s Centennial class and that August two-thousand eleven is Fort-D Month.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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Union County to get new courthouse

JONESBORO, IL (KRCU) - The years finally caught up with the old Union County Courthouse in Jonesboro, Illinois. After 150 years of service the courthouse is being replaced.

Project manager Mike Smith said that renovating the courthouse would have cost nearly as much as constructing a new building.

"What we find out was that the cost was someplace between $7 and $9 million. That's just for the refurbishment and still wouldn’t necessarily contain all of the ADA requirements," Smith said.

The new courthouse has a construction budget of a little less then $10.5 million. Like its predecessor, it is intended to serve the county for at least one hundred years.

The new three story building will house the new sheriff’s office, four clerks’ offices, a public meeting room, two courtrooms and offices for a judge and the state’s attorney. The new courthouse will be erected right next to the old one.

Smith says the site presents unique design challenges.

"We have an unusual site to deal with, the topography, it’s a steep slope to the north. And there’s four old houses, the old jail, and the old building itself," Smith said.

Construction will begin in September.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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Cape neighborhoods prepare themselves with "Nuisance Party" law

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - School is drawing near and some Cape Girardeau residents are bracing themselves for the return of college parties.

They are hoping a new ordinance will help keep the parties in check.

Lieutenant Rick Price of the Cape Girardeau Police Department helped facilitate an informational meeting Thursday night. He hopes the law will help create better neighbors and better neighborhoods.

"They are actually living in fear, these older people that they may have a house next to, it becomes vacant somebody buys it and turns it into rental property. And then several people move-in and have wild parties, and these people can’t sleep. And hopefully this will take care of it to where the college students and the community of Cape Girardeau can live in harmony," Lt. Price said.

Among other things it allows the police to cite party hosts if parties are not dispersed after they are ordered to so.

Despite working feverishly for two year to get the ordinance passed, Dr. Linda Heitman hopes the ordinance will not be needed.

"We are hoping it does not, were hoping it will serve a purpose and it will never have to be used because people will behave appropriately and will respect the people of their neighborhoods," Dr. Heitman said.

Thursday's meeting was intended to help people better understand how to file a nuisance party complaint.

The ordinance, dubbed the "Nuisance Party Ordinance," was passed on June 20 by the City Council.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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McCaskill and Blunt look for compromise on debt

Both of Missouri’s Senators view compromise as the only viable solution to the debt ceiling debate.

Republican Senator Roy Blunt says that Republicans will raise the debt limit but Democrats and the President need to accept substantial long term cuts in spending.

Nevertheless he feels that the Republicans will not get the amount of spending cuts they hope for.

"We are not in an environment, not in a moment where one political party is going to get to have the solution that they would most like," Blunt said. "The President is not going to get tax increases, Republicans aren’t going to get spending cuts back to the level of 30 months ago."

Fellow Missouri Senator, Democrat Claire McCaskill, also champions compromise. But she feels that Republicans are not serious about a deal.

"Nobody wants to give up any of the money," McCaskill said. "Everybody wants us to cut spending, my conference room is full everyday of people coming from Missouri saying, ‘don’t cut me’ And that’s were we have got to have some discipline, we’ve got to learn to say no, we’ve go to learn… and if we cant start with the low hanging fruit, which has to be big oil, how serious can take these guys."

Tim Filla, KRCU

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Blunt and McCaskill concerned over Post Office closings

The U.S. Postal Service is scrutinizing 3700 post offices for possible closure. 167 are in Missouri … and many are located in small, rural towns. This action concerns Missouri’s Senate delegation.

Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill and Republican Senator Roy Blunt both say they do not fully understand the Postal Service’s process to determine which offices will close.

McCaskill said the Senators composed a letter requesting more details.

“We’re going to work very hard to make sure this is fair, and that it doesn’t harm these small communities,” McCaskill said.

Senator Blunt said that a post office provides small towns with a civic focal point.

“Many of those communities, the post office is the last identity they have,” Blunt said.

The U.S. Postal Service is examining several Southeast Missouri post offices including Blodgett, Brownwood, Daisy, Dutchtown, Gipsy, Old Appleton, Perkins, Sturdivant, Vanduser and Whitewater.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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Historic Preservation Committee recommends tradition on Broadway

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - The Broadway Corridor Enhancement Project was presented to Cape Girardeau’s Historic Preservation Committee Wednesday in a public session. It marked another step on the road towards a more beautiful route to downtown Cape Giraradeau.

While the vibe was overwhelmingly positive, issues such as safety and sustainability were still raised by the committee and citizens in attendance such.

David Goncher says the project needs to take into account traffic flow … not only down Broadway but also across it.

However he is still excited about what the project could mean for the downtown district.

"It would approve the aesthetics obviously, but hopefully it will bring small business owners back to Broadway, and give it some, give Broadway some life again," Goncher said.

As for the committee, members were very supportive of the project and they recommend the plan feature more traditional design elements in order to keep in line with Broadway’s many historic buildings.

For KRCU, I’m Tim Filla

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Groups look over modern and traditional designs for Broadway

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Various concepts were unveiled at the second public forum for the Broadway Corridor Enhancement Project in Cape Girardeau.

Citizens were presented with two competing designs … one traditional, and one modern.

The first concept features more classic design elements and on street parking along both sides of Broadway stretching from Pacific to Water Street.

Brain Langlois likes the more traditional design elements incorporated in the concept.

“I like the idea of a more traditional historic looking area. If you have it too modern, in ten or fifteen years it’s just going to be passé and dated,” Langlois said.

The second concept features more modern design elements and parking only on the southern side of the avenue. Meanwhile, the northern side would have a large, eighteen foot wide sidewalk.

Galen Smith is one of the many who feel that a larger sidewalk would create a more festive feeling on Broadway.

"Well it looks good overall, I like both options but I like option two the best," Smith said. "I think it just would enhance the walking and pedestrian aspects."

Project Manager Kasey Brunke says that neither of the two concepts are so much designs in themselves but are more concepts grouped together and that everything at the forum was up for change and tweaking.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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Southeast Missouri State University to defer admissions

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Southeast Missouri State University will defer admission for applicants living outside a 50-mile radius of Cape Girardeau and applying for fall 2011. The admissions deferrals will begin on July 11.

The deferral was announced in light of a larger than anticipated beginning freshman class. On-campus housing is already near capacity.

Assistant vice president for enrollment management/director of admissions Dr. Debbie Below said that while it was not a decision made lightly, it was a decision that had to be made.

“They have beds, and that was the importance of this, making sure that we are meeting the housing requirements and needs and have a good comfortable living environment for those who already have contracts in place,” Dr. Below said.

Students who are not required to live on-campus may continue to apply for the fall semester.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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Senator Blunt: Tax talks are a waste of time

Missouri Senator Roy Blunt is pleased that President Obama is focusing more on the debt, however he is fed up with the talk of raising taxes.

Senator Blunt voiced his opinion Wednesday that the President is using the Republicans’ refusal to increase taxes as a means of avoiding serious financial debate.

Blunt is pleased with the President’s entrance into the financial debate… but he views it as a last minute one.

Senator Blunt says that the focus needs to be on spending … not on taxes.

“His party had total capacity to raise them. If they couldn’t raise them when they had those big majorities, there’s no way they are going to raise them now. So not only would I not be for it, but it’s a waste of time conversation, it’s not going to happen,” Blunt said.

Senator Blunt also says the President needs to stop looking at what he wants to do. Instead he needs to start looking at what he can do.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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McCaskill blames bipartisanship for budget standoff

Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill feels that the biggest obstacle to fixing the nation’s budgetary woes is partisanship.

The Missouri Democrat told reporters on Wednesday that too many politicians are not willing to defy the base of their parties.

In addition, she feels that those who attempt to fix the debt crises using only one mechanism such as spending cuts or revenue increases are, quote, “dead wrong”

She said that a balanced plan must be adopted instead of the slash-and-burn approach proposed by Republicans.

“They wanna cut off mid year, any programs that are currently there for corn growers and ethanol in Missouri. But they wont touch the billions of dollars we’re giving to big oil… what’s up with that?!” McCaskill said.

In addition to debt reform, Senator McCaskill discussed her opposition to Wisconsin Representative Paul Ryan’s budget … and mismanagement of Arlington National Cemetery.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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Bones discovered in Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway

CHARLESTON, MO (KRCU) - Water has subsided in the Bird Points Floodway and farmers have returned to their land. But it's not the washed away top soil that has many talking. Instead, it’s the washed up… bones.

The fragments were discovered near the blasted section of the levee, in Mississippi County Missouri.

By time the Mississippi County Coroner, Terry Parker, and his team stopped counting, the bone fragments were spread out over six and a half acres of land.

Parker is unsure exactly how many bodies the found fragments are from, but he is confident that more bone fragments may be found in the area when they go to exhume those they have already discovered.

Parker believes that the bones are likely from the area around or even under the part of the levee that was blasted.

However he is less certain as to whom the bones are from.

"Could possibly be early Native American, it could be early American settlers that were going to the west. It could be people that had resided in the early 1900’s, and that was their homestead, and as common they were buried there on the family home property," Parker said.

The bone fragments as well as the site have been turned over by Parker and the county to the Missouri State Parks and Historic Preservation Team.

The team is now tasked not only with discovering what time period the bones are from, but also what people the bones are from.

"You know if it’s American Indian, you know we have certain policies we have to follow and leave them as undisturbed as possible," Parker said. "So I think that right now they are in process there in the process of investigating, doing forensics to determine the nationality of the remains. And then at that point you know the process of collecting and reentering will happen."

Parker says that the process may take some time due to the degree of decomposition as well as the need for an accurate identification of what people the fragments are from.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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Cape landlords voice concern at public forum

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - The tension was palpable at a public forum over a possible rental inspection ordinance Thursday night.

The ordinance would create a system of mandatory inspections and licensing for those who either own or operate rental properties within the city.

The forum was attended mostly by local Cape Girardeau landlords, many of whom were restless and relentless in voicing their concerns with the possible ordinance.

Throughout the presentation and subsequent question and answer period many said that they felt there were already adequate regulations in place.

Many also felt that they are the ones who need protection against bad and destructive tenants.

Mayor Harry Rediger was at the forum and felt that it will serve as a useful tool to help the city to find the right course of action.

“That was loud and clear to us and um… well be studying it as we move ahead. As I told the audience before the left this is in the public input stage and this is just one part of the process,” Rediger said.

The forum was held at the Osage Center and scheduled to start at seven p.m. but was delayed so that more chairs could be brought in to accommodate the unexpectedly large assembly.

The city claims that the rental inspection program was the third most popular citizens’ initiative from two-thousand seven.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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St. Francis unveils Heart and Cancer Center

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau has added a few more tools to help win the battle with cancer and heart problems. The tools come in the from of a new state-of-the-art Heart and Cancer Center.

The massive new center bolsters more than two-hundred thousand square feet of space, strewn over four floors.

The center includes the Cancer Institute that offers radiation therapy and a hair boutique, for those undergoing cancer treatments.

The institute is home to the third cyber knife in the state of Missouri, as well as some thirty-five medical recliners for chemo-therapy.

The new center is also home to the Heart Hospital, with five-treatment labs, a ten bed intensive care unit, and an additional fifty beds.

Marilyn Curtis, who was in charge of coordinating the project, is excited about what the new center could mean for the hospital’s patients.

“Over the last several years, we have been very, very fortunate in continuing to strengthen our cancer services that we provide,” Curtis said.

The center was unveiled at an open-house for the construction crew and their families, last Saturday.

The center will host many more open-house opportunities until the center is officially opened July fifth.

The new center was the largest privately-funded construction project in Cape Girardeau's history, with an $84 million price tag.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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Commander Premier still in airport hanger

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - The aircraft company Commander Premier is forcing the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport’s Advisory Committee to make tough decisions.

The company is more than one million dollars behind on the rent for the usage of the hangar it currently occupies.

Airport Manager and committee member Bruce Loy says that the board is recommending that the city does not reach any side agreements on the hanger with any company until Commander Premier has vacated the property.

“We are working with the city and at some point in time if they are not going to get out on their own, we will probably need to lock the facility up,” Loy said.

The committee stated that, to date, it does not appear that Commander Premier has even begun to move out of the hanger.

Commander’s deadline for vacating the hangar is Thursday.

The Airport Advisory Board also discussed the air traffic control (ATC) at their meeting Tuesday night ... and there is little relief in sight for ATC operators at Cape Girardeau’s Regional Airport.

Currently the ATC at the airport is in operation 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. Many other airports run their ATC for about 12 hours.

But Cape’s airport also only has three full time ATC operators on staff.

The airport’s Advisory Committee wants to hire another operator; however a lack of funds means that they will have to look first for funds to train a part time operator to help out.

Despite this, Loy holds out hope for the future.

“Down the road we are hopeful, that maybe can use that person if we can get the find mores maybe to turn that into just, just a part time controller so if we could turn that into a half time. We would probably be able to go into a 12 hour operation,” Loy said.

Nevertheless the airport will first have to locate funds.

The airport has fewer operators then many other comparable airports in Missouri, but it has more flights.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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