[SeMissourian.com]
Ice Storm '08

Ice storm ruined champion tree (03/02/08)
Vandals have hurt Old Lorimier Cemetery the most during the 200 years of its existence. In 1992 a fence was erected to try to prevent almost weekly attacks on gravestones. Last year a motion-activated security system was installed to provide more protection to the cemetery's historical artifacts, which include the graves of Cape Girardeau founding father Louis Lorimier, railroad entrepreneur Louis Houck and George Washington's cousin George Lewis...
Cape, Jackson evaluate tree cleanup after storm (02/19/08)
Jackson city officials say it could be months before the city park is cleaned up. Trees strategically placed along park streets and trails were splintered, bent and in some cases uprooted after last week's ice storm. The park, known for several large trees around Hubble Creek, lies within one of Jackson's hardest-hit neighborhoods...
Crews from around state helping clear Trail of Tears State Park (02/16/08)
In his 18 years as its superintendent, Hershel Price has never had to close Trail of Tears State Park before. Even in the Flood of 1993, when the Mississippi River submerged the marina and a few campsites, the park remained open. But the ice storm that wracked southern Missouri earlier this week forced Trail of Tears State Park to close indefinitely Friday out of concern for visitors' safety...
Crews still working to restore power in some rural areas (02/16/08)
Thousands of people were still without electric service in Southeast Missouri late Friday, most of them customers of rural electric cooperatives. But the numbers are decreasing, and utilities say their crews will work through the weekend to get power to more homes...
Tips for cleaning up after the storm (02/15/08)
Storm cleanup started in earnest Friday when a Lynwood Baptist Church team descended on a Cape Girardeau neighborhood. They are members of the Southern Baptist Chainsaw Ministry, according to the Rev. John Rhodes, New Bethel Baptist Church pastor. He's helping coordinate the efforts, which are drawing teams from northeast Missouri and Iowa...
Volunteer workers kept busy in Bollinger County (02/15/08)
MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- The 25 volunteers with Marble Hill Fire and Rescue have been 18-hour days since Monday's ice storm hit Southeast Missouri. "That doesn't count calls that come in when they're on the way home," said Tom Bennie at the Marble Hill Fire and Rescue Command Center set up at city hall. Volunteers often have been detoured from their drives home to assist residents in need, he said...
Three towns on boil-water advisory (02/15/08)
The towns of Randles in Cape Girardeau County, Perkins in Scott County and Painton in Stoddard County are under a boil-water advisory until 5 p.m. Saturday. Tap water intended for drinking, food preparation, making ice and brushing teeth should be boiled for at least three minutes...
Shelters and warming centers remain open (02/15/08)
The Red Cross Shelter at Immaculate Conception School in Jackson remains open. After all but one family left the Red Cross site at Osage Community Centre in Cape Girardeau on Thursday, the agency consolidated and moved the family to the other shelter...
Friday closings, cancellations (02/15/08)
Delta R5 schools closed Friday. Immaculate Conception School in Jackson closed Friday, Monday.
Making the rounds: National Guard soldiers, sheriff's deputies check on residents without power (02/15/08)
The noise from the military blazer made conversation difficult, so the sheriff's deputy and sergeant rode mostly in silence. Sgt. 1st Class Tevis Noles' brow furrowed as he concentrated on navigating the icy roads, occasionally fishtailing as he dodged fallen branches. Deputy Justin Glastetter scanned the horizon, looking for people without power who needed help...
3,400 without power in Bollinger County (02/15/08)
MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- Much of Bollinger County remained ice-covered and dark Thursday, as 3,400 people still did not have power as of just before 6 p.m. According to Black River Electric dispatch manager Keith Meyers, it was difficult to predict when power would be restored...
Hundreds still need power in Jackson; Kirkwood sends help (02/15/08)
An estimated 500 Jackson residents still do not have power. That's down from a peak of 6,250 who lost service after this week's ice storm. City manager Jim Roach is visiting the hardest hit areas this afternoon to assess damage, said Mayor Barbara Lohr...
Only 11 Cape AmerenUE customers still without electricity (02/15/08)
AmerenUE almost accomplished its goal of having all of its local electric utility customers back online by the end of Thursday. As of 7:10 a.m. today, only 11 meters were still without power in the 63701 ZIP code, out of 16,805 customers, according to the company's outage tracking software on its Web site, ameren.com...
Trees, branches won't be picked up until next week (02/14/08)
Cape Girardeau street crews probably won't begin cleaning up trees and branches felled by this week's ice storm until next week, public works director Tim Gramling said Wednesday. "We're still basically working on the streets," he said. With today's high temperature expected to reach 52 degrees, the city wants to take advantage of the respite before temperatures dive again later in the week, Gramling said...
Most power outages should be fixed today (02/14/08)
Thousands of people still without power may see relief today as temperatures are expected to surge to nearly 50 degrees. "With the good weather [today] we should be able to make a lot of progress," said Mike Cleary, a spokesman for AmerenUE. Officials, however, warned that high winds and trees shifting from melting ice could complicate matters, knocking power out to people who may have just had it restored. ...
Public safety crews adapt to handle emergency calls after ice storm (02/14/08)
Public safety departments found themselves having to make some adjustments over the past three days to respond to the enormous number of emergency calls, officials said, but were able to meet requests for assistance. Cape Girardeau firefighters received more that a hundred calls between Tuesday and Wednesday...
With school out, area day cares staying busy (02/14/08)
More people trudged back to work Wednesday with improved road conditions, but schools remained closed, leaving parents scurrying to find child care. Chaffee was one of the only local schools scheduled to open today. "I've been off for the last two days, and I had to get back to work. It was hard finding someone," said Cindy Pender, who had to call multiple family members before finding someone to watch her three children. Pender works at Carol's Hallmark in Cape Girardeau...
Weather creates Valentine's Day chaos for new florist (02/14/08)
On any other Valentine's Day Tammy Ahlvin would love to relish in the pageantry. This year, she just wants it to be over. Ahlvin bought Sweetheart Florists in Jackson in January. She worked in medical billing and wanted something more creative. "Normally I like being around flowers," Ahlvin said Wednesday as she sifted through orders for flower arrangements, getting ready to go on another delivery. "This is chaos. ... I expected the lights to be on."...
After storm, shelter family glad for uneventful day (02/14/08)
Debbie Luker was relaxed, warm and safe with her family around her. The night had been uneventful, except for the couple who whispered to each other and 6-year-old granddaughter Ressi Carlton's tossing as she pursued sleep in the strange surroundings of the Immaculate Conception School cafeteria in Jackson...
Fewer in Cape without electricity, Delta still powerless (02/14/08)
Utility crews continue to make progress restoring power in Cape Girardeau, but people in Delta, Mo., aren't so lucky. As of 6:30 a.m. today, 1,996 AmerenUE customers in the Cape Girardeau area were still without electricity, compared to the 2,483 without power at 9:20 p.m. Wednesday...
Thursday closings, cancellations (02/14/08)
The latest information on closings submitted to semissourian.com.
Ameren, Jackson make progress in restoring power (02/13/08)
AmerenUE is making steady progress toward getting power restored to customers in the Cape Girardeau area and in other parts of Southeast Missouri. As of 6:10 a.m. today, 6,400 AmerenUE customers were still without power in the 63701 and 63703 Cape Girardeau ZIP. ...
About 80 spend night in shelters (02/13/08)
Officials with the Southeast Missouri chapter of the American Red Cross estimate about 80 people stayed the night Tuesday at shelters in Cape Girardeau and Jackson. The Red Cross operated overnight warming shelters at the Osage Community Centre in Cape Girardeau and Immaculate Conception church in Jackson to help those left without power to their homes...
Flurries fall, temps to top out around freezing (02/13/08)
It's not as destructive as the ice that coated the region Monday and Tuesday, and it's a lot prettier. Snow flurries were falling this morning in the Cape Girardeau area, and the National Weather Service says they might continue through mid-morning...
Road conditions slightly improved in Cape, Jackson; debris still a problem (02/13/08)
Crews from the Department of Conservation are working on clearing enough of the ice from gravel roads in rural parts of Cape Girardeau and Bollinger Counties today, said Susie Stonner, spokeswoman for the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). Stonner explained that the workers won't be able to remove the ice, fallen power lines and trees from the gravel roads, just push enough out of the way so one lane of traffic is relatively clear...
Share your storm stories (02/13/08)
We want to hear about your experiences with this week's winter weather. This page is open for stories written not by us, but by you. To share your story just leave a comment.
Highway B in Bollinger County, highways Y and V in Cape County closed (02/13/08)
MoDOT sent out a news release this morning saying Highway B in Bollinger County from Highway 34 to Scopus is closed. In Cape Girardeau County, Highway Y from Highway W to Highway V and Highway V from Highway Y at Oriole to Highway 177 at Trail of Tears State Park are closed.
Power restored at Cape Salvation Army (02/13/08)
The warming shelter at the Salvation Army building, 701 Good Hope St., was forced to close late this morning due to loss of power, the City of Cape Girardeau reported in a news release. The release said the Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority is transferring people from the shelter to the Osage Community Centre until power can be restored to the Salvation Army building...
Cape Girardeau schools closed; Southeast Missouri State delayed start (02/12/08)
The following schools and other organizations have announced closings or schedule changes for Tuesday:
Working through the winter weather (02/12/08)
Emergency services workers are on the job, no matter what. For others who typically work around the clock, Monday's storm challenged them to define a line between safety and service. Here are a few stories:Essential road travel Groceries, medications, work, hospital...
Major Southeast Missouri ice storms (02/12/08)
n Jan. 22, 1927: A major storm bringing ice, sleet and snow reached Southeast Missouri, downing power and telephone lines across Cape Girardeau and cutting telegraph service along the Frisco Railroad line. Highpower electric lines were brought down when two steel towers snapped between Oran and Chaffee, Mo. Utility crews worked to restore power over the next four days...
Icy roads, hazardous conditions lead to accidents, one deadly (02/12/08)
Emergency crews responded Monday to dozens of accidents across Southeast Missouri including one that claimed the life of a Scott City man who was ejected from his car as it slid off Interstate 55 in New Madrid County. Joshua K. Holshouser, 32, was killed shortly after noon when the northbound 2004 GMC pickup truck in which he was a passenger went off the right side of the road about four miles north of New Madrid, Mo...
Cape Girardeau crews clearing downed trees, power lines; people without power (02/12/08)
The City of Cape Girardeau sent out a news release this morning saying that city crews were working to clear downed trees and power lines at several intersections throughout the city. At 4 a.m. crews were working to clear Bloomfield Road between Highway 74 and Siemers Drive, Perryville Road between Sherwood and Cape Rock, Country Club Lane at Dumais and Big Bend at Bertling...
Osage Centre, Salvation Army open as Cape warming centers (02/12/08)
More than 12,000 without power in Cape County (02/12/08)
More than 12,000 utility customers across Cape Girardeau County lost power overnight and officials in Cape Girardeau and Jackson opened warming centers for people able to leave their homes. The worst hit areas of Jackson were north and Main Street and west of Hope Street, said Richard Knaup, emergency operations director for Cape Girardeau County. Between 5,500 and 6,000 residents of Jackson have no power, Knaup said, and the city has only four working electrical circuits...
Ice storm over, weather service says (02/12/08)
The icy precipitation weighing down power lines and forcing cities to open warming centers has essentially ended in areas from Cape Girardeau and Scott City to the north and west, a National Weather Service forecaster said this morning. While a Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for the area until 12 p.m., any lingering precipitation will be in the form of very light freezing drizzle or snow, said Kevin Smith with the weather service office in Paducah, Ky...
Power outage safety tips (02/12/08)
When trying to stay warm, be careful of what you use, say officials with the Cape Girardeau Fire Department. Only use appliances approved for indoor use and always follow the manufacturer's use and care guide.
Tuesday cancellations and closings (02/12/08)
The following events, schools and businesses are closed or canceled for Tuesday: **Cairo City Council Next meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 26.
Scott County opens warming center (02/12/08)
Several warming centers have opened up in Scott County, but the only one the sheriff's office is aware of is at Vanhuser. As in Cape County, residents of Scott County are also without power as a result of fallen trees and limbs. According to the sheriff's department, many people are having trouble getting to the warming center...
Warming centers in Southeast Missouri (02/12/08)
The warming centers in each city are: The Osage Community Centre in Cape Girardeau, 1625 N. Kingshighway. The center opened at 7:45 a.m. The Salvation Army at 701 Good Hope St. in Cape Girardeau. The center opened at 8:15 a.m. The Arena Building, 401 Kiwanis Drive, opened at 8:15 a.m...
Conditions better outside Cape Girardeau, Jackson; power outages worsening in Scott County (02/12/08)
The worst hit areas from the ice storm that put a hard crust over Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois seem to be from Cape Girardeau to the west and north. In Bollinger County, emergency leaders set up two warming centers to aid people left without power by the storm, said Calvin Troxell, assistant fire chief for Marble Hill. He estimated that half the county's residents are without power...
Crews work to restore power to thousands after SW Mo. ice storm (02/12/08)
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) -- Utility crews are still working to restore power to thousands of people after an ice storm tore down electric lines in southwest Missouri. City Utilities in Springfield said about 4,700 customers remain with electricity as of late Tuesday morning...
Thousands still without power in Southeast Missouri (02/12/08)
Some parts of Bollinger County may not have power until Wednesday afternoon, according to a Black River Electric Co-Op spokesman, while other electric companies are not making predictions about when power may be restored. AmerenUE is reporting 7,649 people without power in the 63701 and 63703 ZIP code areas, which cover Cape Girardeau. In Jackson, about 949 AmerenUE customers are without power...
Highway 61 closed, other updates (02/12/08)
A quick round up of what's available and what's happening.
Bollinger County power likely down until Wednesday (02/12/08)
The ice storm that blew into Bollinger County and most of Southeast Missouri Monday morning downed power lines, causing a loss of electric power from one end of Bollinger County to the other. Marble Hill Fire and Rescue set up a command post at city hall to respond to calls throughout the storm. Carla Watt at city hall said the firemen had been "out working all through the night."...
Authorities say help by checking on neighbors (02/12/08)
The most important thing people can do in the aftermath of the ice storm besieging Southeast Missouri is to be neighborly, emergency officials say. "Please check on your neighbors, especially the elderly," says Capt. Paul Breitenstein of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department...
Missouri ice storm leaves thousands without power, 2 dead (02/12/08)
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) -- Utility crews worked to clear fallen tree limbs from power lines Tuesday as thousands of people across southern Missouri waited without electricity after an ice storm blamed for at least two traffic deaths. At least 54 injuries in crashes were also blamed on the storms that dumped freezing rain, sleet and snow, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said...
Cape, Bollinger counties request state help to clear debris (02/12/08)
The State Emergency Management Agency has been activated to aid Southern Missouri in its response to the ice storm that's left a chunk of the region without power, according to a news release from Gov. Matt Blunt. Both Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties took part in a conference call to SEMA Tuesday morning, said Susie Stonner, spokeswoman for SEMA...
Cape Girardeau authorities give safety tips for heating powerless homes (02/12/08)
The City of Cape Girardeau has released suggestions for safely heating your home if you have no electricity.
Overnight shelters open in Cape, Jackson (02/12/08)
The Southeast Missouri chapter of the American Red Cross has reduced its number of cold-weather shelters in Cape Girardeau and Jackson to two. The Immaculate Conception school cafeteria in Jackson, at the intersection of Hope Street and East Madison Street...
25 may sleep at Osage tonight (02/12/08)
When Carla Barker, of McClure, Ill., had been without power for over 12 hours, she said she grew tired of sitting in her cold house. She took shelter at the warming shelter provided at the Osage Community Center in Cape Girardeau. Tonight, Barker was working as a volunteer, helping to organize supplies and people as the center prepares to shelter up to 40 people without power...
Winter storm watch upgraded to warning (02/11/08)
Meadow Heights R-2 dismissed at 9:15 a.m...
Roads become slick, dangerous in Southeast Missouri (02/11/08)
Police are reporting car accidents on roads throughout the Cape Girardeau area caused by ice from the winter storm. And roads are unlikely to get much better any time soon. The National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., is forecasting temperatures to reach a high of 24 degrees today in Cape Girardeau, meaning roads will likely stay slick for a while to come...
Events canceled by winter storm (02/11/08)
The following events and classes have been canceled for Monday, Feb. 11. The MOSMART event Senator Bond had scheduled has been cancelled again due to weather. The event for 10:30 a.m. was a second attempt to meet with local law enforcement about MOSMART after the original Feb. 1 meeting was canceled because of a heavy snow...
Forecaster: "Critical time" for ice storm is through midnight (02/11/08)
The ice storm shutting down businesses, schools and travel in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois will continue unabated through at least midnight, a National Weather Service forecaster said this afternoon. With some locations already reporting up to a half-inch of ice accumulation and thunder rumbling through Cape Girardeau County and Union County, Ill., the likelihood of relief in the form of higher temperatures is remote, said Kevin Smith of the National Weather Service office in Paducah, Ky.. ...
Scott City man dies in wreck on icy roads (02/11/08)
Icy roads in Southeast Missouri claimed the life of a Scott City man who was ejected from his car as it slid of Interstate 55 in New Madrid County. Joshua K. Holshouser, 32, was killed shortly after noon when the northbound 2004 GMC pickup truck in which he was a passenger went off the right side of the road about four miles north of New Madrid, Mo...
Update: Storm could linger into late morning hours (02/11/08)
Up to an inch of ice coated downtown Cape Girardeau by Monday afternoon and the winter storm shutting down businesses, schools and travel in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois could linger until 8 or 9 a.m. Tuesday, a National Weather Service forecaster said...
Some Cape Ameren customers without power (02/11/08)
Some local customers of AmerenUE are without power from outages associated with the winter storm moving through the area.
News Topics
- Bell City-SCC feud
- Cairo woes
- Elections
- Energy crunch
- Ice Storm '08
- Missing children
- Missouri politics
- Reservoir failure
- Road construction projects
- School assessments, MAP testing