TUTOR/DANCE STUDIO OPENS IN DONIPHAN
DONIPHAN, Mo. -- Patti Hill and her son, Jesse Hill, opened Smart Moves Tutoring and Dance Studio at 4 Oak Tree Village, behind Patsy's Journeyman Restaurant in Doniphan. Patti, a licensed special education teacher, offers lessons in language arts, reading, math and study skills to students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. She is also available to help students with homework and will accept two to three students for each grade level in each subject. Jesse, who graduated from a performing arts high school in California, offers beginning, intermediate, advanced and competition dance lessons to children and adults in the areas of hip hop, jazz and ballroom.
KENNETT BANK IS BRANCH OF THE YEAR
KENNETT, Mo. -- The Kennett branch of Southern Bank was chosen Branch of the Year for 2011, reported the Daily Dunklin Democrat. Michelle Ward, customer service manager, said the branch was chosen because of its increase in deposit growth, net new account growth, new customer growth and for being consistently in compliance.
SOUTHERN BANK ADDS CAMPUS BRANCH
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Southern Bank opened a new branch at Three Rivers College. The branch, on the first floor of the Westover Building, is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. when classes are in session. The bank is open to students, faculty and all Southern Bank customers.
MICROBREWERY OPENS IN CAPE COUNTY
John A. Huber Brewing Co. opened near Fruitland and will begin distributing its flagship beer, a blonde ale called Hubrew, this spring. Owner John Huber founded Homebrew Supply of Southeast Missouri in 2009, providing brewing equipment and ingredients. During the past year Huber and his sons Matt and Chad have transformed the former SEMO Ag and Dairy Building in Fruitland into a commercial brewery. The company recently received state and federal licenses. Hubrew will be available for purchase at Bel Air Grill in Cape Girardeau and at several local wineries this spring.
FARM BUREAU RECEIVES AWARDS
Cape Girardeau County Farm Bureau received a Special Project Award for its opposition to Proposition B at the annual meeting of the Missouri Farm Bureau at Lake of the Ozarks in December. The local farm bureau also received an Award of Excellence for its work in public policy. Dale Steffens, Cape Girardeau County Farm Bureau president, accepted the awards from Blake Hurst, Missouri Farm Bureau president.
P.B. CHAMBER LAUNCHES TOURISM WEBSITE
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce, with help from Poole Advertising and the Missouri Division of Tourism, launched a tourism website at visitbutlercountymo.com. In 2010 the chamber began focusing efforts to promote the area as a destination spot for visitors. In July 2010 the Butler County Commission passed a resolution designating the chamber as the designated marketing organization. In July 2011, the Division of Tourism notified the chamber that it qualified for match funding through the Jewel's program to help with website development. Poole Advertising was selected to design the website.
PET BOUTIQUE OPENS IN CAPE
Mississippi Mutts bakery, bath and boutique opened at 1231 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. Owner Sherry Jennings said the business carries freshly baked treats, all-natural pet foods, toys and accessories. It has a two-bay self-service dog wash and will host educational seminars and activities. Grooming services will be added soon, Jennings said. She has worked as a manager at Lincare, a in-home respiratory care company, for seven years and will continue this role in addition to running her new business.
QUILT SHOP OPENS IN BONNE TERRE
BONNE TERRE, Mo. -- The Bonne Terre Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for Cutt-N-Sew Quilt Shop at 33 W. School St. in Bonne Terre. Business owners are Sandra and Randy Cramp.
USDA TO CLOSE TWO LOCAL OFFICES
Two Southeast Missouri USDA offices will close as part of a cost-cutting plan that will save the agency more than $150 million annually, reported the Southeast Missourian. The Rural Development office in Jackson and the Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Dexter, Mo., are among 259 facilities slated for closure in USDA's "Blueprint for Stronger Service." Ten offices in Missouri will close. All permanent full-time employees will be given options to stay with the department, said Matt Herrick, communications coordinator in Washington, D.C. The Jackson office has two employees and the Dexter office has three. The closings and consolidations will begin taking place in late winter and spring. Rural Development and the Natural Resources Conservation Service aim to complete closures by the end of September, Herrick said. In some cases, offices are no longer staffed or have a small staff of one or two people. Many are within 20 miles of other USDA offices, the agency said in a news release. In other cases, technology improvements, advanced service centers and broadband service have reduced some need for brick-and-mortar facilities.
SONIC, 7-ELEVEN CLOSE IN DESLOGE
DESLOGE, Mo. -- Desloge's Sonic Drive-In and 7-Eleven convenience store called it quits over the holidays after years of doing a profitable business in the city, reported the Park Hills Daily Journal.
FANTASTIC PHILLIES CUTS RIBBON
LEADINGTON, Mo. -- The Park Hills-Leadington Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for Fantastic Phillies, a new restaurant at 5010 Flat River Road in Leadington. Co-owners of the business are Ron Sulilc and Angela Adams. The restaurant serves Philly cheesesteaks, hoagies, pizza, soup, salads and dessert.
HOLT OPENS SIKESTON DEALERSHIP
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Holt Agribusiness will open a dealership at 101 County Line Road in Sikeston. Tom Kelsey, commercial broker with Lorimont Place Ltd. in Cape Girardeau, handled the real estate transaction. Holt is a full-service dealer for agricultural equipment sales, service, parts and rentals. It offers agricultural products, implements and special application machines. Kelsey said the Texas-based company purchased the former Medlin Equipment dealership property consisting of a 22,600-square-foot showroom and shop building on 16 acres of land just west of the Interstate 55 and 57 intersection. The property was leased by Medlin for several years and owned by Nelson Family Trust from Poplar Bluff, Mo. The Sikeston dealership will primarily be an agribusiness branch, the newest of 10 dealerships.
USA DRUG OPENS IN DEXTER
DEXTER, Mo. -- The USA Drug store is now open at 904 U.S. 60 and One Mile Road in Dexter. David's Pharmacy combined with Overturf to form USA Drug.
HABITAT OPENS SURPLUS STORE
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Poplar Bluff Habitat for Humanity opened a Surplus Store at 415 Vine St., reported the Daily American Republic. Businesses and individuals have donated items to the store, which will sell them at discount prices to raise money for Habitat. Gary Davis is the store manager, and all other workers are volunteers. Donors may deliver items to the store or call 573-686-3043 to arrange for pickup.
GREEN SKY CLEANING OPENS NEW LOCATION
Green Sky Cleaning Supply, headquartered in Fenton, Mo., opened a new franchise location at 2611 Auto Park Drive in Cape Girardeau. It operates out of the same location as Roth Restaurant Supply. Green Sky now serves the greater St. Louis area, including Illinois, as a full-line janitorial supply, chemical and equipment distributor. The company offers environmentally friendly Green-Seal certified products. Joel Neikirk is owner/operator of Green Sky in Cape Girardeau. Dean Richardson is office manager and Ben Bertrand is sales manager. A grand opening was held Jan. 30.
SEMO RANKED SAFEST UNIVERSITY
Southeast Missouri State University was ranked as the safest public four-year university in Missouri by StateUniversity.com, the leading website for college information. The findings are based on incidents of campus crime as reported by campus safety officials. Rankings by state are available online at http://www.stateuniversity.com/rank/safety_score_rank.html. Statistics from more than 450 colleges and universities were analyzed in the study.
FUNERAL SERVICE OPENS IN SIKESTON
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Driver Funeral Service is now open at 523 W. Murray Lane in Sikeston. Thelma Driver is the business owner, mortician, funeral director and embalmer. A dedication ceremony was held Jan. 29.
RENT-A-CENTER HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING
DESLOGE, Mo. -- The Desloge Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting and grand opening Jan. 13 for Rent-A-Center, 405 N. State St., Suite 405A in Desloge. Scott Berowski is store manager of the recently opened location.
BOLLINGER CHAMBER ADDS TWO
MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- McKinn Printing, on Highway 72 near Patton, Mo., and H&R Block, at 2201 Walton Drive, Suite F in Jackson, joined the Bollinger County Chamber of Commerce in January.
UPDATES
SAFE HOUSE OFFICE, SHOP RELOCATE
The Safe House for Women Thrift Shop and Outreach Office moved to a 10,00-square-foot complex at 230 N. Spring St. in Cape Girardeau. The organization spent more than four years in its old location, a 4,800-square-foot building at 1810 E. Plaza Way.
TRELLEBORG WILL MOVE TO BONNE TERRE SITE
BONNE TERRE, Mo. -- Trelleborg Sealing Solutions will move to the Bonne Terre Industrial Park, the Park Hills Daily Journal reported. Chauncy Buchheit, executive director of the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission, said the company had been operating in Park Hills as Henson Bidco. The company makes seals and gaskets. Buchheit isn't sure how many jobs Trelleborg will bring but hopes it will eventually be in the 35 to 40 range.
CAPE AIR ADDS SHUTTLE SERVICE
ST. LOUIS -- Cape Air's St. Louis hub now offers a free inter-terminal shuttle that drives Cape Air passengers between all terminals at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport without security rescreening. Connections to Southwest, United, Delta and all other airlines will no loner require additional security screenings because passengers will remain within the TSA-secured area at all times. Inter-terminal shuttle locations are Concourse A, Gate A17; Concourses B and D, Gate D8; and Terminal 2 (Southwest Airlines), Gate E29. Cape Air's gate at St. Louis is D8. Cape Air passengers may call for a terminal transfer.
HEARTLAND PNEUMATICS HAS NEW OWNERS
Mike Jaco and Brad Altenthal of ALT Consulting purchased Heartland Pneumatics at 3527-C Perryville Road in Cape Girardeau. The business was started in 1995 by Lonnie Moss, who continues to work for Heartland Pneumatics as a repair specialist.
JONES SELLS ELEMENTS
Madra Meystedt Jones, owner of Elements Salon Spa & Boutique, sold her business after 10 years to Carrie Myers Chester. It is now known as Salon Savvi. All gift certificates for Elements are being honored, Jones said. She plans to spend more time at home with her children and pursue other interests.
DEVELOPMENT
PLANS ANNOUNCED FOR NEW PIPELINE
The nation's largest publicly-traded energy partnership has announced plans to construct a 1,230-mile natural gas pipeline that will pass through Cape Girardeau, reaching from Appalachia to Texas. Beginning in Pennsylvania, the first leg of the new system would stretch 595 miles to Cape Girardeau, according to a company news release. The new project, known as the ATEX Express pipeline, will use existing pipeline and follow existing right-of-way in an effort to minimize cost and limit environmental impact, according to Enterprise Products. The company says its representatives are working with residents, landowners and community leaders along the proposed pipeline route and negotiating right-of-way agreements. An estimated 4,000 construction jobs are expected to be created as a result of the project, which is scheduled to be operational in the first quarter of 2014. The company already has 50,200 miles of natural gas, NGL crude oil, refined products and petrochemical pipelines.
REMODEL COMPLETE AT P.B. MCDONALD'S
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The McDonald's South restaurant on Highway 53 in Poplar Bluff reopened at full capacity Dec. 27 after nine weeks of remodeling, reported the Daily American Republic. The restaurant has a new, modern look with a double-lane drive-thru, updated lobby and contemporary dining room. A grand reopening and ribbon cutting were held Jan. 6. Restaurant owner Steve Sells is working on plans to remodel or rebuild McDonald's North within the next two years. He is already working on more parking at the rear of that restaurant and adding an entrance and exit onto James Boulevard.
NEW GROCERY STORE IN KENNETT
KENNETT, Mo. -- The Town and Country Supermarket in Kennett will get a 30,000-square-foot building this spring, the Daily Dunklin Democrat reported. According to Randy Jackson, manager of Town and Country, the new building will open in late spring 2012 under the name Country Mart. The store will include an expanded frozen food section, expanded dairy section, larger meat department, and a deli and bakery with a sit-down area for customers to eat.
FREDERICKTOWN DEBUTS WIND TURBINES
FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. -- A partnership between the City of Fredericktown, the Industrial Development Authority of Fredericktown and the Missouri Public Electric Pool has unveiled a plan to offer an advanced method of providing electrical power to potential tenants of their 150-acre business park. The two 15-megawatt turbines, driven by natural gas, will allow for uninterrupted power with a 7,200-volt, three-phase power system. The turbines are expected to be in operation by spring 2012. The turbine power source will also provide almost instant backup power for the city.
THREE RIVERS PLANS LIBRARY RENOVATION
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Officials at Three Rivers College expect to begin a $1.5 million renovation by summer of the Academic Resource Commons, which houses Rutland Library, the Daily American Republic reported. When work is completed in the fall, the 24,000-square-foot facility will also contain the testing center, student support and tutoring services, a coffee shop, collaboration rooms, new restrooms and an educational resource library. Renovations will also include the addition of brick to all four sides of the building and repositioning the main entrance. The project is to be paid for from $2 million in funds received five years ago from the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority for building projects, said college president Dr. Devin Stephenson. Architects with Dille and Traxel of Poplar Bluff are finalizing designs; the project will then be put out for bid and the bids returned for consideration of the board of trustees by its March or April monthly meeting.
NEW MADRID BUILDING NEW VISITOR CENTER
NEW MADRID, Mo. -- The Higgerson School Historical Site is completing work on its new visitors center at 307 Main St. in New Madrid, directly across from the historical site and the county's new Veterans Park, reported the Sikeston Standard Democrat. The 3,200-square-foot center is scheduled to begin operation on April 3. It will feature an expanded site museum, an exhibit area dedicated to Veterans Park, a theater and an expanded gift shop.
BANTERRA CENTRE BREAKS GROUND
The Rhodes Group and Banterra Bank held a groundbreaking Jan. 31 for the Banterra Centre at 1650 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. The facility, to be built near Plaza Tire Service, will feature more than 25,000 square feet of space available for lease from The Rhodes Group.
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