SEMO’s Board of Governors reviewed new campus partnerships in medicine, agriculture, and STEM, unveiled the Vollink Family Observatory, and announced updates to the Police Academy during their June 17 meeting.

On Sunday, June 22, a section of Siemers Drive in Cape Girardeau buckled due to excessive heat. Another smaller section on Broadway Street was affected by the extreme heat in the region. Drivers are reminded to buckle up and contact local law enforcement if anything unusual is noticed about a roadway.

Cape Girardeau’s aging water system is at risk of failure, and an August vote could determine if the city secures funding for critical repairs or faces deeper water shortages in the coming years.

On Tuesday, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe announced that President Donald Trump has approved two more federal disaster declarations for Missouri, clearing the way for aid to residents and communities recovering from powerful storms and flooding that struck the state in late April and mid-May.

As St. Louis residents work to rebuild their lives following devastating tornadoes that struck the area last month, the Missouri Foundation for Health and its partners are offering half a million dollars toward relief efforts.

Late Thursday evening, Uptown Jackson, Missouri, was the scene of a major blaze, which overtook at least one major business, damaging another, and injuring three firefighters.

Southeast Missouri State University’s Sikeston campus welcomes Saluna, a St. Louis-based agricultural technology startup focused on advancing hemp as a competitive and sustainable alternative for farmers.

We recently spoke with Dr. Courtney Kisat, organizer of the First Annual Folk Fest of Cape Girardeau, about the upcoming event. Folk Fest kicks off Friday, June 6, at Ebb and Flow Fermentations and continues Saturday, June 7, at Port Cape. This free public event is brought to you by Southeast Missouri State University, the Center for Regional History, and MOCHE (Missouri Council for History Education). Folk Fest features historic talks and live acoustic musical performances by Jason Heeter, Steve Schaffner, the Jumper Cables, Snowbird Street Band, and Swamp Boys. All events are free and open to all ages.

We recently spoke with Dr. Courtney Kisat, organizer of the First Annual Folk Fest of Cape Girardeau, about the upcoming event. Folk Fest kicks off Friday, June 6, at Ebb and Flow Fermentations and continues Saturday, June 7, at Port Cape. This free public event is brought to you by Southeast Missouri State University, the Center for Regional History, and MOCHE (Missouri Council for History Education). Folk Fest features historic talks and live acoustic musical performances by Jason Heeter, Steve Schaffner, the Jumper Cables, Snowbird Street Band, and Swamp Boys. All events are free and open to all ages.

Contractors have officially broken ground on a new affordable tiny-home community in Branson, where more than one in five residents live below the poverty line.