Good morning, Cape Girardeau.

Patton Saddle Club will no longer host lawn mower races—citing insurance and liability concerns—and end a tradition that funded local programs like school supplies, hearing aids, and glasses; a petition to keep the event is open through March 1.

Volunteers will join the 41st Annual Friends of the Parks Day and The Great Cape Cleanup to improve local parks on April 18.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at Capaha Park, and lunch with a t-shirt is offered (limited sizes).

Cape Girardeau County Park North will receive upgrades as park crews finish the Veterans Memorial Plaza project by Summer 2026 and complete shelters, lake improvements, and a new entrance via Limbaugh Lane by Summer 2027 (using grants, donations, and county funds).

Downtown Cape Girardeau’s historic Broadway Theater is in its second phase of restoration, with crews uncovering artifacts – including a 1925 dressing room door – that show its storied past while plans will create a community market and gathering hub.

Renovations will continue for another 12 to 16 months.

Lawmakers are debating if voters will decide in November to replace Missouri’s income tax (currently over half of state revenue) with higher sales taxes under Governor Kehoe’s plan for 2031; economics professor David Yaskewich warned such a shift may impact local budgets and fixed incomes.

Students at Cape Junior High host Hope Week until Feb.

6, encouraging kindness and open conversation on mental health. Perryville High will host a mental health 5K at 9 a.m. Saturday on the TG Run/Walk Trail while Jackson High plans a memorial walk on March 28 at Jackson City Park.