W W W. S E M I S S O U R I A N . CO M
ESTABLISHED 1904, CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. $2.00 GOOD TIMES / 1C
‘HERE, CHICKIE CHICKIE’
Poultry swap brings fun, feathers and friends to Fruitland
Weekend July 22, 2018
FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com
Branson mourns for 17 killed in sinking of packed duck boat BY MARGARET STAFFORD
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BRANSON, Mo. — The country-and-western tourist town of Branson mourned Friday for more than a dozen sightseers who were killed when a duck boat capsized and sank in stormy weather in the deadliest such accident in almost two decades. Divers found four more bodies in Table Rock Lake, bringing the death toll to 17,
including nine people from the same family and the crew member who was steering the amphibious vessel. In their initial assessment, authorities blamed thunderstorms and winds that approached hurricane strength. “Branson is a city full of smiles,” Mayor Karen Best said. “We have so much fun here. But today we are grieving and crying.” Trisha Ayers was among the mourners who stopped to
Study finds hot spot for breast-cancer in Southeast Missouri BY MARYBETH NIEDERKORN
SOUTHEAST MISSOURIAN
Race and place matter when it comes to breast cancer survival rates, according to a study published last month, which identified clusters of so-called breast cancer hot spots in the United States. Justin Xavier Moore, lead researcher on the study and cancer epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis, said there are two major clusters of these hot spots: one in Virginia and the Carolinas, and the other along the Mississippi River basin, beginning in Southeast Missouri and stretching into Louisiana — specifically in Southeast Missouri: Livingston, New Madrid, Osage, Saline, Scott and Stoddard counties, he said.
He gathered 15 years’ worth of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s records, grouped by county, because that was the smallest grouping available, he said. The study, “Mapping hot spots of breast cancer mortality in the United States: place matters for Blacks and Hispanics,” appeared in international journal Cancer Causes & Control’s June issue. To determine whether a particular county was a hot spot, Moore said, he looked at its rate of breast-cancer cases versus its population count, and whether that result indicated a highrisk area, he’d check to see whether adjacent counties were also high-risk. See CANCER, Page 3A
pay their respects at a parked car covered with flowers because it was believed to belong to a dead tourist. Ayers said she understood how the boat got caught on the lake because the weather Thursday evening changed in 10 minutes from sunshine to gale-force winds that bent traffic signs. “I hope it won’t tarnish Branson,” she said with tears in her eyes. “About 80 percent of our income comes
from tourists. We love them.” The risk of heavy weather was apparent hours before the boat left shore. The weather service station in Springfield, about 40 miles north of Branson, issued a severe thunderstorm watch for its immediate area Thursday, saying conditions were ripe for winds of 70 mph. It followed up at 6:32 p.m. with a severe thunderstorm warning for three counties including Branson
and the lake. The warning mentioned both locations. The boat went down about 40 minutes later, shortly after 7 p.m. “When we issue a warning, it means take action,” meteorologist Kelsey Angle said. Suzanne Smagala with Ripley Entertainment, which owns Ride the Ducks in Branson, said the company was See BRANSON, Page 4A
THROWING LITTER ON THE RIVERFRONT
BEN MATTHEWS ~ bmatthews@semissourian.com
Southeast Missouri State University soccer player Jordan Nelson, right, tosses a littered softball to teammate Esmie Gonzales, left, while volunteering Friday at Riverfront Park in Cape Girardeau. Temperatures ranged in the low-90s during team cleanup, which aimed to beautify the riverfront for arrival of the American Queen steamboat, docking July 27, and the American Duchess, docking July 28.
Shipyard Music Festival aims to be ‘destination event for Cape’ BY JOSHUA HARTWIG
SOUTHEAST MISSOURIAN Cape Girardeau hasn’t seen a daylong music festival in nearly eight years, but Sept. 22, The Shipyard Music Festival at Ivers Square is set to bring back that experience with an eclectic mixture of seven nationally touring bands. A 32-foot stage will be positioned between the Common Pleas Courthouse and Ivers Square gazebo — facing the Southeast Missourian — where bands will provide a mixture of high energy, rock ’n’ roll and country. Rustmedia creative director Jeff Rawson said he’s working with Klance Unlimted, a St. Louis-based company, to construct the stage for event. “We have a lot of great, local music in Cape already. The fair is incredible and does great things for the city,” Rawson said. “We have Tunes at Twilight and all those great community events. See SHIPYARD, Page 4A
ONLINE Video Find this story at semissourian.com to watch as short video about the Shipyard Music Festival.
FE AT U R E D O P P O R T U N I T Y
IN-PATIENT DIALYSIS RN Landmark Hospital has an exciting opportunity for a RN wanting to be involved in assisting to develop an in-patient dialysis program. Find more in its ad on Page 1D. Contact Recruitment Marketing Specialist Katelyn Fritz at kfritz@semissourian.com · 573.388.2762
Work smarter. More jobs on page 1D.
INDEX Classified......................1D Crossword ................... 7C
Daily Record ...............6A Dear Abby ................... 7C
Good Times ................. 1C Obituaries....................6A
Opinion ........................8A Real Estate ................... 1E
Volume 114 • Issue 243
Sports............................ 1B TV listings .................... 8C Copyright © 2018 Rust Communications