Business briefs

DEXTER CHAMBER HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

DEXTER, Mo. -- The Dexter Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting to mark the opening of Associated Building Solutions LLC at 1311 W. Business U.S. 60. ABS, owned by Reade Ferguson, provides architecture and construction management services.

MALDEN CHAMBER HOLDS RIBBON CUTTINGS

MALDEN, Mo. -- The Malden Chamber of Commerce held ribbon cuttings recently for the Malden Chiropractic Center at 123 W. Main St., and for the Malden Thrift Store on Madison Street. The thrift store is sponsored by the Malden Nutrition Center.

RUE 21 OPENS IN POPLAR BLUFF

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for the new Rue 21 store in the Marketplace Commons, next to the Mansion Mall Marketplace.

NEW COUNSELING OFFICE OPENS

FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. -- The Madison County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting July 27 for Sage Services, a new counseling office owned by Carrie Mastronarde. The office is at 340 N. Chamber Drive.

OZARK NAMED TO TOP 100 BANKS

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Ozarks Federal Savings and Loan, based in Farmington, is featured in the second edition of the "Top 100 Banks" book published by Bauer Financial Inc., the nation's leading independent bank rating and research firm. Ozarks Federal is listed 49 among the top 100 thrifts with the highest consecutive rating in the nation. Ozarks Federal has earned the highest five-star rating for more than 23 consecutive years.

DELTA, SEMO ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP

A new partnership to give small businesses access to capital was announced Aug. 5 by Delta Regional Authority and Southeast Missouri State University, reported the Southeast Missourian. The university's Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Delta Regional Authority and Accion Texas Inc. are partnering to develop Accion Delta to provide microloans to entrepreneurs and small businesses in Southeast Missouri and across the authority's eight-state region. Accion is a not-for-profit microfinance company based in San Antonio. Accion will have its first office at Southeast's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. DRA federal co-chairman Chris Masingill hopes to eventually have an Accion office in each of the region's eight states.

UNIVERSITY PAPER BEING OVERHAULED

Southeast Missouri State University's student-run newspaper, The Arrow, is going through an overhaul, the result of a partnership that has developed between the university and Rust Communications, the parent company of the Southeast Missourian. The Southeast Missourian entered into a contractual agreement with the university and will provide oversight of the print publication as well as a more robust student-produced news website. With the partnership comes the addition of a capstone multimedia management course under the guidance of professionals at Rust Communications, where students will be responsible for managing a range of news products, including print, online, mobile, video and radio. The curriculum is expected to be fully implemented by 2012. Initially, under the new arrangement, the Arrow will print 33 times a year, up from 25, and be available Wednesdays.

A four-person Southeast Missourian team will work directly with students, led by Southeast Missourian general manager Mark Kneer. Gera LeGrand will oversee advertising, and Brad Hollerbach will provide technical support. Primary content adviser will be Rachel Crader, who will maintain her role as editor of semoball.com.

TRANSIT SERVICES RECOGNIZED

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Bloomfield Public Transit received national-level recognition at a Missouri Public Transit Association banquet, reported the Dexter Daily Statesman. The Federal Transit Administration acknowledged several Missouri transit providers in both rural and urban areas of the state. The City of Bloomfield was recognized for posting a 12.71 percent increase in ridership for 2010. In that year, the city had a total of 3,187 trips in the transit bus. Penny Shepard, city transit director, accepted the award. Awards also went to Southeast Missouri State University with a 20.23 percent ridership increase and the Scott County Transportation System with a 17.73 percent increase.

MODERN WOODMEN CUTS RIBBON

Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial held a ribbon cutting July 27 for its new office at 1336 Clover St. in Jackson.

FIRST BANK HONORED AS CENTURY BANK

PARK HILLS, Mo. -- First Bank was recognized as an MBA Century Bank by the Missouri Bankers Association. Chartered in 1906, First Bank is one of 132 Missouri banks that has reached or surpassed the 100-year milestone.

BONNE TERRE CHAMBER HOLDS RIBBON CUTTINGS

BONNE TERRE, Mo. -- The Bonne Terre Chamber of Commerce held ribbon cuttings recently for Lroxx Retail Utopia, a resale/consignment shop at 39 W. School St., and Tru-Shine Auto Detailing, a mobile auto detailing company at 1019 Route K in Bonne Terre.

POPLAR BLUFF CHAMBER HOLDS RIBBON CUTTINGS

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for Craig Heisserer's new State Farm Insurance office at 1895 N. Westwood Blvd. Ribbon cuttings were also held recently for Poole Advertising at 211 N. Broadway St., Suite 104; Steve Phillips' new First Choice Insurance office at 1359 N. Westwood Blvd.; and Che'l Specialty Jeans at 2201 N. Westwood Blvd., Suite 8, owned by Michele Bascom.

NEW ART STUDIO OPENS IN CAPE

Eustis Studios opened Aug. 24 with a ribbon cutting at 1606 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau. The studio, owned by New Orleans artist and sculptor K. Eustis, offers fine art and custom framing. John Buckner serves as manager.

CIGAR SHOP OPENS IN CAPE

Fumatore di Sigaro opened Sept. 1 at 1730 Kingsway Drive, Suite 101 in Cape Girardeau. The store, owned by Scott Pietreface of Jackson, features hand-rolled cigars, accessories and a smoking lounge.

PARTY SHOP OPENS ON KINGSHIGHWAY

Stephanie's Celebrations & Memories opened Sept. 1 at 1200 N. Kingshighway, Suite 3 in Cape Girardeau. The store sells balloons, candy bouquets, pageant items, clothes, jewelry, hair bows and custom embroidered items and offers party and wedding planning services. It is owned by Stephanie Rose of Sikeston, Mo.

RECORDING STUDIO OPENS IN CAPE

Goly Entertainment, a recording studio and artist development business, is now open at 57 S. Plaza Way in Cape Girardeau. Owner Morris Boyd of Cape Girardeau also offers photo, video and CD duplication as well as printing and design. Rodney Stolles of Cape Girardeau manages the business.

BIG RIVER PARTNERS WITH BOLD, WRIGHT

Big River Broadband will launch its seven-county wireless broadband network with promotional assistance from BOLD Marketing and The Wright Group. The $33 million project is funded in part with a $24 million combination grant and loan through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's broadband initiative. BOLD and The Wright Group will work in unison to promote Big River's wireless network build out, corresponding Wi-Fi hot spots and retail stores in various locations within the seven-county region, and other services related to the broadband project.

CAMPBELL'S CUTS RIBBON

PARK HILLS, Mo. -- The Park Hills-Leadington Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting recently for Campbell's Outboard at 1 Impala Court in Park Hills.

SHOPPING CENTER SOLD AT AUCTION

FARMINGTON, Mo. -- Gundaker Commercial Group has lost its Maple Valley Plaza property, taken back by lender Pulaski Bank at auction for $5.5 million, reported the Park Hills Daily Journal. The 45-acre development at the corner of Maple Street and Maple Valley Drive currently has two restaurants, a flooring store, a dialysis center and a frozen yogurt shop. The remainder of the acreage is paved and unpaved parking and a few green spaces.

P&G SETS TOILET PAPER RECORD

Procter & Gamble's Charmin brand celebrated National Toilet Paper Day on Aug. 26 with Guinness World Records to announce a record for the World's Largest Toilet Paper Roll. The roll was made at the company's Cape Girardeau plant and then transported to the its headquarters in Cincinnati for the unveiling. It measured more than eight feet tall and nine feet wide and contained more than 1,000,000 square feet of paper. It would take approximately 95,000 rolls of Charmin to equal the same amount of paper, said Darrick Johnson, P&G plant manager in Cape Girardeau, in a news release. Following the roll's appearance in Cincinnati, it will be shipped to Ripley's Believe It or Not, which will then decide on a showcase location for the roll in one of its museums.

LOVE INC. RELOCATES

Love In the Name of Christ (Love INC.) held an open house Aug. 28 for its new facility at 225 Sheridan St. in Cape Girardeau. The organization works to coordinate individuals and church ministries, matching people in need with Christians who can help them.

GOLF SHOES NAMED TOP PRODUCT

Insta Golf Shoes, developed by Rick Hetzel of Cape Girardeau, were selected by golf buyers and PGA Professionals as a top new innovative product at the 2011 PGA Expo in Las Vegas. The selection was based on aesthetics, uniqueness, consumer need, overall value and packaging and merchandising support. Insta Golf Shoes slip over tennis shoes, casual shoes or dress shoes and offer golfers the stability and traction required on the golf course.

SEMO AMONG 'BEST IN THE MIDWEST'

For the fourth straight year, Southeast Missouri State University is one of the best colleges and universities in the Midwest, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company, widely known for its test prep programs and college and graduate school guides, included Southeast as one the 153 institutions profiled in the "Best in the Midwest" section of its website feature "2012 Best Colleges: Region by Region," posted in August at www.princetonreview.com/best-regional-colleges.aspx. For this project, The Princeton Review asks students to rate their own schools on several issues and answer questions about themselves, their fellow students and their campus life; their comments are quoted on The Princeton Review site. Southeast students commented on the school's Student Activities Council, intramurals, the recreation center, small class sizes, a wide range of majors, generous scholarships and the River Campus.

FREDERICKTOWN AIRPORT RENAMED

FREDERICKTOWN, Mo. -- The Fredericktown Airport has been renamed in honor of Paul Vance, a Madison County veteran and lifelong aviation specialist. A celebration and ribbon cutting were held Aug. 6 with the Madison County Chamber of Commerce. The name of the airport is now the A. Paul Vance Fredericktown Regional Airport.

CAPE HOTEL GETS NEW NAME, UPDATES

Midamerica Hotels Corp., based in Cape Girardeau, will convert the 133-room Victorian Inn & Suites to Auburn Place Hotel & Suites-Cape Girardeau on Oct. 1. The relaunch of the hotel at 3265 William St. coincides with the end of a six-month renovation project. Midamerica updated all guest rooms with new carpet and a modern design. The hotel has a new lobby with a business center and new decor. There is also new carpeting and finishes in the indoor recreation/pool area, a redesigned breakfast area and a refreshed hotel exterior, including a new logo and signage.

BUSCH ADDS DOG WASH

A self-service dog wash was added at Busch Pet Products' new location, 1720 Kingsway Drive, Suite 105 in Cape Girardeau.

AUTO DEALERS MERGE

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sikeston Ford Lincoln LLC, owned by Autry Morlan, John Morlan and Bryan Palmer, purchased Sikeston Motors, owned by the Elledge family. The announcement was made Aug. 18, reported the Sikeston Standard Democrat. Clint Elledge began working in the automotive business in the 1940s and purchased Sikeston Motors in 1965. He and his son, Roger Elledge, will operate a car leasing business from one of the buildings on the lot. Bryan Palmer will serve as general manager at Sikeston Motors, along with Roger Elledge II in charge of new car sales.

CHILDREN'S PLACE HOLDS RIBBON CUTTING

The Children's Place held a ribbon cutting Aug. 22 for its new store at West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau.

JACKSON ADDS ANTIQUE SHOP

Hubble Creek Antiques and More, a new antique shop at 3184 N. High St. in Jackson, held a ribbon cutting Aug. 22.

MUY BUENO RELOCATING

Muy Bueno Mexican restaurant in Cape Girardeau is moving to the former Show Me's building at 1751 Independence St. this month. Show Me's closed in July. Muy Bueno was previously at 2007 Independence St. for about five years. The restaurant intends to stay open at its existing location during the transition, said Gracie Quesada. The new space, which Muy Bueno will lease, is more than double the size of its existing restaurant.

PEAR TREE DEMOLITION STARTS

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Work began Aug. 3 to demolish the former Pear Tree Inn site in Poplar Bluff, reported the Daily American Republic. The property is owned by Three Rivers College, which received it in 2009 as a donation from Drury Southwest. College officials have not determined what will happen with the site next. Demolition of the 60,000-square-foot building was expected to take about two and a half weeks.

NORANDA BEGINS WORK ON NEW BUILDING

MARSTON, Mo. -- Noranda Aluminum broke ground on a $4.3 million change house Aug. 10. The 20,000-square-foot building will provide locker, shower and restroom facilities for Noranda-New Madrid employees. Completion is expected by early 2012.

TASK FORCE GETS GRANT FOR INTERNET CRIME

The Missouri Department of Public Safety awarded a grant to the Southeast Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force to help protect children from online predators. The Southeast Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force in Poplar Bluff, Mo., will receive $105,206 to continue its fight against Internet crime. Participating counties in the SEMO Cyber Crime Task Force are Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Oregon, Pemiscot, Perry, Ripley, Scott, St. Francois, Stoddard and Wayne. The task force uses several methods to fight online crime, including undercover operations; reactive enforcement, which investigates tips from the public or law enforcement; and forensic investigation, which analyzes suspects' computers. Public education is also a role of a cyber crimes task force. The task force is one of 14 receiving grant awards of $1,516,702 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Justice Assistance Grant program.

GRANT TO BOOST DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT

Two task forces combating illegal drugs and drug-related crimes in Southeast Missouri received funds to strengthen law enforcement efforts. Missouri Department of Public Safety awarded $275,733 to the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force in Poplar Bluff, Mo. The Bootheel Drug Task Force based in Pemiscot County will receive $219,494.

NEW NURSING HOME BEING BUILT

ADVANCE, Mo. -- Work is underway for the new Advance Assisted Living Center on Highway 25, just south of the Town & Country supermarket. Once completed, the center will employ eight to 10 workers and house 44 residents.

RAPPA OPENS B&B

FROHNA, Mo. -- Pat Rappa of Jackson opened Wine Country Inn at 6229 Main St.

in Frohna, offering overnight stays, breakfast or brunch, authentic German meals and customizable packages. She also hosts private parties and events in the renovated home, built in 1915. Rappa previously worked as owner/administrator of Immediate Healthcare in Cape Girardeau and Perryville, Mo. She also has a background in real estate, corporate

management and as a dance and aerobics instructor.