McCombs Funeral Home opens crematorium

McCombs Funeral home in Jackson has opened its crematorium. Situated behind the funeral home at 640 W. Independence St., the crematorium includes an office, a handicapped-accessible restroom and a room for viewing the cremation if desired. The facility also has a receiving area to hold the body until cremation.

Construction on the facility began in May and was finished last month.

Cremations are becoming a more popular. According to the Cremation Association of North America, 26 percent of those who died in 2000 chose to be cremated. By 2010 the association predicts that rate to increase to 39 percent and by 2025 the organization predicts that 58 percent of the population will choose cremation.

McCombs funeral home director Christi Guilliams said she's noticed that people ages 80 and older are still choosing the traditional burial and funeral service, but more people in their 50s and 60s are considering cremation. She believes in the next 10 to 20 years, many more will opt to be cremated.

"Our population is becoming more mobile and may want to be taken back to [a] state of their preference," Guilliams said. "It gives the family an economical way to take care of their remains."

For more information on the McCombs crematorium, call 243-2424 or 335-2424.

* Apartment complex renovates residents' center: Cape La Croix Apartments has renovated a structure built in the late 1800s. The resident center at 430 S. Spring St. features a lounge with a flat-screen TV and DVD player, business center with Wi-Fi access, fitness center, arcade room, billiards room, Nintendo Wii game room and outside picnic and grilling areas. The features are free to the apartment complex residents.

The apartment complex may be reached at 335-5535.

* Video rental business closes: Hollywood Video at 127 Siemers Drive has closed.

An employee at the store told me the store's last day of business was Wednesday. Customers can still visit the store of the parent company, Movie Gallery, at 2009 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson. I've placed a call to the Movie Gallery hot line but haven't heard back yet.

Bloomberg.com reported that since Sept. 1, Movie Gallery has closed 250 of its stores. Another 200 could close by the end of the year because of past due rent, company chief marketing officer Clifford Torng told Bloomberg.

This is the second video rental store to close in 2009. Earlier this year Blockbuster Video in Jackson shut its doors Feb. 13. The video rental industry seems to be in some difficulty lately, thanks to mail-delivery companies like Netflix.

* Regents Parc adds tenant: The Parmele Law Firm has finalized a lease to move into the Regent's Parc building, 1610 N. Kingshighway, on Dec. 1. According to Cynthia Austin, commercial real estate broker with Realty Executives of Cape County, the firm will occupy 1,347 square feet of space in Suite 201. The law firm, owned by Daniel A. Parmele, exclusively practices disability law for a number of communities in Missouri.

* Royal N'Orleans sale price reduced: The advertised price for a property is not something I normally would write about, but in the case of the Royal N'Orleans I've deemed it appropriate to do so.

The restaurant inside the historic building closed June 30 and has generated interest from potential buyers since. Broker Cynthia Austin of Realty Executives of Cape County said she has several people seriously interested in the purchase of the property. Time will tell if any of those offers translate into a sale.

Austin's website lists the sale of the restaurant at $250,000, down from $350,000 that had been advertised until this week. The business plus the building is for sale at $650,000, down from was $750,000. John and Jerri Ann Wyman of Merriwether Investments own the property.

* Mall news: Two stores inside West Park Mall are scheduled to open by the end of the week. Kitchen Collection, which offers a variety of products including bakeware, decorative items and barbecue equipment, opened Sunday. Started 25 years ago, the company has more than 200 locations, with the closest in Sikeston, Mo.

On Tuesday, a home improvement store is expected to open. All Brite Solutions offers products for folks looking to do a little work on their kitchens and bathrooms.

Owner Jeff Housley said expanding into the Cape Girardeau market was a no-brainer. He owns stores in Springfield, Mo., Jonesboro, Ark., and Mountain Home, Ark.

"This is a fantastic area with great demographics," Housley said. "People seem to be doing home improvement work more and more, so this is a great time to be opening such a store."

A third store, Playmoors video game club, is supposed to begin operations later this month as well.

And for all you fans of jolly old Saint Nick, be on the lookout for his arrival Nov. 14.

* Hi Tech Communications recognized: A company with an office in Sikeston, Mo., and Cape Girardeau has been recognized as Southeast Missouri's only authorized installer for the waterless fire suppression system known as Faraday Sinoriz 227 by Siemens. The fire-extinguishing system will put out a fire before it becomes large enough to activate a sprinkler system. Sinorix is designed to protect critical assets and items inside the building from fire and water damage.

Southeast Missourian business reporter Brian Blackwell may be contacted at 388-3628 or bblackwell@semissourian.com.<I>