Southeast Arrow

The SEMO Board of Governors unveiled a $160.6 million budget for the 2026-2027 academic year that responds to a potential 10% cut in state revenue and a new “Fearlessly Forward” action plan that emphasizes community workforce and requires student internships for more programs across campus, among other important decisions at their June 23, 2026 meeting.

Chief of Police for the Southeast Missouri State University’s campus police, Dr. Richard Flotron, was charged on June 17 for allegations of helping SEMO police academy students cheat on their Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) exam. Flotron is being charged with two counts of a class D felony for forgery and two class B misdemeanors for unauthorized use of testing materials.

Freshman TV & film student Eliot Daller laid in a hospital bed trying to make his mother laugh while awaiting answers for a health issue that had sent him into excruciating pain for days, nearly killing him. Students at Southeast Missouri State University can rely on the Mercy Campus Health Clinic for treating routine illnesses and injuries.

A flash flood hit Cape Girardeau on Monday, June 8, causing hazardous conditions and significant damage to the cape girardeau police department Public information officer for the Cape Girardeau Police Department, Bobby Newton, said while the flood did not last long, it caused several vehicles to require emergency assistance. “We had several roadways that were flooded. The water did go down quickly. There's just a lot of rain at one time.

Wednesday mornings, the newsroom at Leader Publications in Festus, Missouri, begins its weekly reset. After the rush of printing deadlines earlier in the week, the team regroups to plan what comes next: community meetings to cover, special sections to produce and the stories that will fill the next edition.

In Dec. 2025, Southeast Missouri State University’s Police Academy went under investigation for allegedly helping students cheat on the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) exam.

Before the right to vote was even granted, women were making advances in the arena of politics. From Abigail Adams, reminding her husband, John Adams, to “Remember the Ladies” to the 19th Amendment being ratified in 1920, women have continued to become more involved in politics and even began running for offices themselves.

At SEMO’s University Center, Democrat candidates for the House of Representatives, Frank Barnitz and Chris Reichard, participated in a public debate discussing their views on several topics, such as gun violence, education, affordability and the Citizens United decision on May 16. Barnitz and Reichard are running against incumbent Republican Jason Smith for his seat in the House of Representatives for Missouri’s Eighth District.

The STEM department at SEMO recently planted a tree on campus to celebrate Arbor Day on April 24. The event involved speakers from facilities management, the horticulture department and President Hodson even made a few remarks at the event. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, Arbor Day is a national holiday that helps to recognize the importance of trees. In the U.S., Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday in April.

Now that the end of the semester is here, students staying in the area can finally take time to dedicate to going outdoors and exploring all the green spaces Cape Girardeau has to offer. According to research from the National Library of Medicine, getting outdoors, or into green spaces, is one way to reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Green spaces are defined by Merriam-Webster as a community space consisting of land rather than buildings.