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Law firm coworkers celebrate 50 years of working together (3/18/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianGlenda Nations started as a receptionist at what is now the Oliver, Oliver & Waltz law firm in 1974. She was 19 years old. It was her first job after graduating from Hickey College in St. Louis and was supposed to be a temporary assignment. "Two of the secretaries were pregnant and I was supposed to be there for six weeks," Nations said. "Fifty years later, I'm still here."...
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Shear delight: Sheep festival returns to Glen Allen (3/18/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianArtisans, farmers and herders alike will converge in Glen Allen this week for the third annual Ozark Highlands Sheep and Fiber Festival. The two-day festival will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, March 22, and Saturday, March 23. Ed Crowley and his wife, Terri, host the festival on their Mesta Meadows livestock ranch, 1 mile west of Glen Allen along Highway 34...
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For the love of pho: Urban Kitchen & Bar opens in Cape Girardeau (3/18/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianA new restaurant in downtown Cape Girardeau aims to bring the flavors of Southeast Asia to Southeast Missouri. Urban Kitchen & Bar at 20 N. Spanish St. started its soft opening Wednesday, March 13. It will remain open through its official grand opening in four to six weeks...
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Ameren Missouri installing smart meters in Southeast Missouri (3/18/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianAmeren Missouri workers have started installing upgraded electric smart meters to more than 42,000 Southeast Missouri customers' homes. Customers in Cape Girardeau and Dexter should have their new meters installed by the summer; work there began March 4. Installations in Caruthersville, Charleston, Hayti, Portageville and Steele will start in August...
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Mercy Health Foundation Southeast names new senior development officer (3/18/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianOn Tuesday, March 12, Shelby Bentley became the new senior development officer of Mercy Health Foundation Southeast. She will focus on helping the foundation continue its support of initiatives that will enhance patient care and services within Southeast Missouri...
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Chad Crow accepts Mississippi Land Bank CEO position (3/18/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianChad Crow, chief credit officer and executive vice president of Farm Credit Southeast Missouri, is resigning from the company after 21 years of service. On Friday, April 5, he will become the chief executive office of Mississippi Land Bank in Senatobia, Mississippi...
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Gas prices above $3 a gallon nationwide (3/18/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianEvery single state in the country now has an average regular gasoline cost above $3 a gallon. The national average has risen 5 cents over the week to $3.45 a gallon, with Missouri's average staying put at $3.20 a gallon. Diesel prices continue to remain steady, with a national average down 1 cent from last week at $4.04 a gallon, while Missouri's average continues to be $3.68...
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Chamber breakfast, reception events scheduled (3/18/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianTwo local chambers of commerce will hold events this week: n Scott City Area Chamber of Commerce is holding Morning Chamber Coffee from 7:15 to 7:50 a.m. Thursday, March 21, at The Front Porch event center, 1408 Main St. in Scott City...
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New gas station, food trucks, hotel, tax service to open (3/18/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianA plethora of business owners have filled out licenses with the City of Cape Girardeau Community Development Department recently. n Rhodes Convenience Store No. 120 is scheduled to open Saturday, March 30, at 2146 William St. The store is owned by Rhodes Convenience Stores Inc.; partners Jeffrey Maurer, James Maurer and Brent Anderson of Cape Girardeau and Paul Dirnberger of Jackson all hold shares. ...
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The future of Cape Girardeau’s hotel industry (3/16/24)By Jay Wolz ~ Special to B MagazineCape Girardeau will be one of the best places on Earth to experience the total solar eclipse on April 8, but any out-of-towners who haven’t booked a hotel room for the event by now are finding themselves in the dark already. “They can forget it,” according to Brenda Newbern, director of Visit Cape, formerly known as the Convention and Visitors Bureau. “As soon as reservations were available, our hotels were filled. It’s been amazing the number of inquiries we’ve had about the eclipse.”...
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Stop and Hear the Music: A look at live music venues in Cape Girardeau (3/16/24)By Jasmine Jones ~ B MagazineThird place. It is a term in sociology to represent those environments outside of the home and workplace. Third places can be coffee shops, libraries, parks, churches, bookstores, bars, music venues and community centers — they all function as places an individual can go to regularly and be around others...
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Outside the Office: Baking with Dr. Toni Alexander (3/13/24)By Jasmine Jones ~ B MagazineAs a professor and chairperson of the History and Anthropology Department at Southeast Missouri State University, Dr. Toni Alexander says much of her day-to-day work does not end with something tangible. The few “tangible” results in her job — students graduating, papers being published and other academic projects — require ample time and patience...
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Parks and Recreation Department drives economy, contributes to talent retention (3/12/24)By Mia Pohlman ~ B MagazineWhen Jennifer Wilson graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in the early 2000s, she decided she wanted to stay in Cape Girardeau and make her life here. Wanting to connect with others in the community who enjoy sports while staying physically fit, she signed up for a co-ed softball league through the Parks and Recreation Department...
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Blush Ultra Lounge brings social atmosphere to downtown Cape (3/11/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast Missourian21 Taps, a Cape Girardeau bar that had been at 36 N. Spanish St. for five years, closed Dec. 23. Five days later, Christopher Dirnberger, owner of Katy O'Ferrell's Publick House and part owner of D'Ladium's Sports Bar, acquired the property. A month later, Blush Ultra Lounge was born...
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Meta to power operations with Kelso solar plant (3/11/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianArevon Energy, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based renewable energy company, announced Wednesday, March 6, that a solar project in Scott County will power Meta's regional operations. "The power will help support Meta's operation in the region with 100% renewable energy," Arevon development manager Jacquiline Foley said...
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Marco's Pizza permanently closes Cape Girardeau location (3/11/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianThe Marco's Pizza location at 1330 Broadway in Cape Girardeau is no more. Despite the restaurant's Facebook page being active as recently as 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, less than 24 hours later the store had shuttered. Calls to the location's number are met with an automated message detailing the situation...
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Drury Southwest begins construction work by interstate (3/11/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianThe Drury Southwest construction company is starting work on a new project close to Interstate 55. "We recently began work on a 6,200-square-foot strip center that will be a fantastic addition to the first view of Cape Girardeau," Drury Southwest leasing manager Adrienne Henry said in an email. "The site will have three to four available spaces for QSR's (quick-service restaurants), retail and office tenants."...
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Saint Francis Medical Center earns top safety marks (3/11/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianThe Leapfrog Group, a national not-for-profit patient care watchdog, gave Saint Francis Medical Center an "A" Hospital Safety Grade during its latest rating. "We are proud and impressed by the excellence in patient care and quality delivered to patients in our region," Justin Davison, president and chief executive officer of Saint Francis Healthcare System, said in a news release. "This is a meaningful acknowledgment of the hard work and dedication of so many."...
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Cape Girardeau firefighters to get new chain saws thanks to Firehouse Subs foundation grant (3/11/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianThe Cape Girardeau Fire Department has received a $10,198 grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation to purchase new chain saws and other equipment. "We are grateful to the Foundation and our local Firehouse Subs in Cape Girardeau for awarding us this grant," Randy Morris Jr., fire chief of the Cape Girardeau Fire Department, said in a news release. ...
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Perryville construction company ranks on Top Performers list (3/11/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianPerryville-based Robinson Construction Co. announced Feb. 28 it had been ranked 95th on the 2024 Top 250 Performers list and 48th on the Top 150 General Contractors list from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). The lists are annual publications recognizing contractor achievements in safety, quality, inclusion and project excellence...
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Spectrum expands services to more rural Cape Girardeau County communities (3/11/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianInternet provider Spectrum announced the launch of Spectrum internet, mobile, TV and voice services to more than 1,000 homes and small businesses in rural Cape Girardeau County on Wednesday, March 6. The impacted area affects residences and businesses near Allenville, Delta, Dutchtown and Jackson...
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Missouri gas prices on the rise (3/11/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianGasoline prices keep climbing up as regular fuel hit an average of $3.40 nationwide. Only Mississippi and Texas have average prices below $3 a gallon; Missouri's average has risen dramatically to $3.21. Every county in Missouri now has an average regular gasoline price of at least $3...
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Two ribbon-cuttings scheduled for next week (3/11/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianTwo local chambers of commerce will host ribbon-cuttings Monday, March 18. n Perryville Area Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon-cutting celebrating Kendra Troncale's 25 years with Thrivent Financial and her service to Perryville families. The event will take place at 12:15 p.m. at 212 N. Progress Drive, Suite 10, in Perryville...
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Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Perryville area chamber events planned (3/11/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianSeveral local chambers of commerce are hosting events throughout the week. n Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce will host its monthly Business After Hours event at 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, at Southeast Missouri Pets, 180 Weston St. in Cape Girardeau. The chamber will also host its March Business Breakfast at 7:30 a.m., Friday, March 15, at Jackson Civic Center, 381 E. Deerwood Drive in Jackson...
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Several new businesses to open (3/11/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianThe owners of numerous new businesses have filed with the City of Cape Girardeau Community Development Department for business licenses. n Hollie Welter of Cape Girardeau is starting Bliss Hair Studio at 121 S. Broadview St. It will provide salon and spa services. Welter also runs Blank Canvas Hair Studio...
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Quality of life, a focus for our region (3/9/24)Lucas PressonThere’s a new buzzword these days among economic developers: quality of life. What amenities does a community have that contribute to a good quality of life: education, public safety, restaurants, entertainment, parks and recreation, church community. The list goes on...
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Eclipse expected to draw thousands to Southeast Missouri (3/9/24)By Christopher Borro ~ B Magazine
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Businesses plan eclipse parties (3/9/24)BmagazineThe solar eclipse is cause enough for celebration, but experiencing one twice in seven years is something special. Different businesses are rolling out the red carpet to prepare for the event and to bring in as many patrons as possible while doing it...
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What is Quality of Life? Local chamber leaders discuss quality of life in their cities (3/9/24)By Jasmine Jones ~ B MagazineQuality of life. It’s a term heard in chamber meetings, in business discussions, in city governments and city council meetings. Everyone seems to be talking about it. But what exactly does quality of life mean, and what are communities in Southeast Missouri doing to improve it? B Magazine asked local chamber leaders to reflect on what quality of life means to prosperity of their communities and what their organizations are doing to address it. Responses are submitted by contributors and may be edited for clarity and space.
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Business Briefs (3/9/24)BmagazineOn Friday, Dec. 29, Cal-Maine Foods of Ridgeland, Mississippi, announced the acquisition of a shuttered Tyson Foods chicken processing plant in Dexter. Cal-Maine, the country's largest egg producer, plans to convert the plant into an egg processing facility by summer 2024...
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Sponsored: New Ranken facility creates opportunities for Perryville workforce (3/8/24)B MagazineAs the foremost technical college in the Midwest, Ranken Technical College has a long history of equipping students across Missouri to take on industry-critical jobs in the trades. In response to the urgent need for a more skilled workforce in Southeast Missouri, Ranken expanded their presence in Perryville in June 2023 through a new facility poised to fill employment gaps in the trades throughout this region...
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Sponsored: The Riverview: Hotel honors the past, creates the future of downtown Cape (3/7/24)BmagazineLyle Randolph, vice president and general manager of Century Casino Cape Girardeau, says when he moved to the city in 2013, there hadn’t been a hotel downtown for almost 50 years. Since then, the Courtyard Marriott has opened on Broadway and now, The Riverview is set to be the second major hotel development downtown on 777 Main Street with its grand opening on April 4...
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101 years of asphalt: Cape Girardeau company gears up for paving season (3/4/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianAsphalt season is coming up, and Delta Companies Inc. is getting ready. The company has existed since 1923. A collaboration between the Regenhardt and Harrison families of Cape Girardeau, their first job was paving the streets of Poplar Bluff. Originally, the company worked in the concrete business, but in the 1960s started using asphalt, and that became their primary paving material...
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Despite constant search, Scott City still lacking grocery store (3/4/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianScott City officials continue to look for solutions after a year and a half without a grocery store. The problem, city administrator Dustin Whitworth said, is they've exhausted just about every option. "I'm a hometown boy. I live here. It would benefit me just as much. I want a grocery store, the question is where to put a grocery store," Whitworth said...
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Jackson financial adviser Cheryl Mothes ranks high on Forbes list (3/4/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianEdward Jones financial adviser Cheryl Mothes of Jackson was recently named the fifth best female wealth adviser in Missouri by Forbes and SHOOK Research. Twenty-six Missourians placed on the eighth annual Forbes/SHOOK Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-In-State rankings. There were 1,991 women ranked in total; they cumulatively manage more than $2.8 trillion in assets...
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Real estate ribbon-cutting planned (3/4/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianThe Realtors at EPM Real Estate will celebrate their first anniversary with a ribbon-cutting at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 6, at 1200 N. Cape Rock Drive in Cape Girardeau.
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Gas prices continue to surge (3/4/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianOnly nine states have average regular gasoline prices under $3 a gallon as gas prices nationwide continue to rise. The national average has risen to $3.33, with Missouri's average for regular gasoline at $2.96 a gallon. It's the sixth-lowest average across the country, but still higher than it was in previous weeks...
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Perryville business event Thursday (3/4/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianPerryville Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Business After Hours event from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, March 7, at Trendline Consulting, 1404 Corporation Lane, Suite 40, in Perryville.
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Notable quote (3/4/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianThe introduction of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program to Missouri is a transformative moment for our state's rural entrepreneurs. This initiative promises to unlock the potential of our small business ecosystem by providing them with the necessary tools and resources to grow and succeed. ...
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Area economic development leaders collaborate on lobbying lawmakers (3/2/24)Lucas PressonHow well does Southeast Missouri advocate for itself with state lawmakers? More specifically, how does the area stack up with the rest of the state? While Southeast Missouri chambers of commerce and economic development leaders have a good working relationship, there has been little collaboration until recently when it comes to lobbying the General Assembly. As a result, other areas of the state have had more success than this part of the state in getting their priorities funded...
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Sponsored: Lynwood Christian Academy celebrates growth, plans for building expansion (3/2/24)BmagazineLynwood Christian Academy, a private non-denominational Christian school opened in August 2020 in Cape Girardeau. Since then, the school has experienced immense growth, with plans for building a new facility. Benjamin Rhodes, head of school, sat down for an interview to discuss the school’s future, academic excellence, mission and recent updates...
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New cafe brings breakfast to Fruitland (2/26/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianTina Burger has plenty of experience running a restaurant. Along with her husband, Carl, she had operated Pokey's Pub and Grill in Pocahontas for around six years. Now she's started a new dining endeavor called Sonny Side Cafe, named after her late father, Bennie "Sonny" Kimbel...
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Ritter acquires former Boulevard Apartments (2/26/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianJared Ritter, broker and owner of Ritter Real Estate, bought his first property at 22 and always dreamed of doing larger remodels. His latest purchase Feb. 16 certainly fulfills that dream: a 70-unit apartment complex at 45 S. West End Blvd. in Cape Girardeau that more than doubles the number of apartments he owns...
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MRV Banks scores high on national performance ranking (2/26/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianA Southeast Missouri bank has achieved top honors again in a performance ranking by California risk management firm CB Resource Inc. MRV Banks, headquartered in Ste. Genevieve with two Cape Girardeau locations, placed third on the $500 million to $999 million peer group for the fourth quarter of 2023...
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Holly Brantley returns to Cape Girardeau (2/26/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianBroadcast journalist Holly Brantley is returning to her hometown. The Cape Girardeau native and Cape Central High School alumna will join the KBSI FOX23 news channel as its 9 p.m. anchor beginning Thursday, March 7. Brantley had previously reported for Cape Girardeau's CBS affiliate, KFVS12. Her other former newsroom roles included positions in Montana, Wisconsin, Kentucky and London...
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Refinery outages mean gas prices remain high (2/26/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianGas prices nationwide remain high with only slight variation. In Missouri, the average cost for regular gas is $2.90 a gallon, while nationally it's $3.26 a gallon. The averages for diesel fuel are at $3.70 in Missouri and $4.09 nationally. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said the recent uptick in prices is mainly because of a series of issues impacting American oil refineries...
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First Friday Coffee on first of March (2/26/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianCape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee is scheduled for 7:40 a.m. Friday, March 1, at the Century Casino Event Center, 777 Main St. in Cape Girardeau. Doors open at 7 a.m., and a continental breakfast will be provided. This month's featured topic will focus on upcoming ballot issues for the April elections...
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Notable quote (2/26/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianDespite great efforts by our team, crew, and partners, American Queen Voyages (AQV) unfortunately has been unable to rebound from the effects of the pandemic. The overnight cruise industry was especially affected by changes in travel preferences and, as a result, AQV has become financially unsustainable. We are therefore shutting down the business, and all future AQV cruises have been canceled.
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Covering the Community program awards free roof (2/19/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianReed's Metals in Scott City has, for nine years now, participated in a companywide initiative called Covering the Community. This program involves providing a new metal roof, free of charge, to one area homeowner every year. As general manager Nick Reynolds explained, people submit nominations of individuals or families they think would be deserving of a new roof. Each Reed's Metals location chooses a winner...
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Rock N' Roll Sushi takes to the stage (2/19/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianWhen Donnie Shaw and his wife were coming back to Cape Girardeau from a vacation in Florida, they stopped at a sushi chain called Rock N' Roll Sushi. The couple was impressed by the atmosphere of the restaurant, with neon lights, music videos playing and menus shaped like album covers...