Business memo 05/12/03

Cape chamber holding annual membership drive

On Friday, the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce will kick off its annual membership drive. It is asking its members to recruit new members and to share names of nonmembers who others may contact.

A breakfast will be at 7 a.m. Friday at the Drury Lodge to get all volunteers energized to tackle the project.

A brief training session will be held to give members the ammunition needed to recruit. Lead cards will also be available for local businesses that need to be targeted.

Call the chamber at 335-3312 for more information.

College of nursing gets merit award

Southeast Missouri Hospital's College of Nursing and Health Sciences has received the National Merit Award from the Liaison Council on Certification for Surgical Technology for achieving a pass rate in the top 10 percent of the country for surgical technology programs.

The National Merit Award is presented to schools at which more than 90 percent of program graduates who take the National Certification Exam in surgical technology were successful, passed the exam and achieved the status of certified surgical technologist. Of the graduates at Southeast's College of Nursing and Health Sciences who took the exam last year, 100 percent passed.

Certified surgical technologists demonstrate a broad range of knowledge of surgical procedures, aseptic technique and patient care.

In addition to receiving the award, the College of Nursing and Health Sciences recently was awarded continued accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.

Jackson chamber board meets Wednesday

The board of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce will meet at noon Wednesday in the chamber conference room.

The Beautification Committee will meet at noon Friday in the conference room.

Mortgage rates drop to near record low

WASHINGTON -- Mortgage rates around the country dropped last week, with rates on 30-year mortgages sinking close to the lowest level on record, which was reached two months ago.

For the week ending May 9, the average interest rate on a fixed-rate 30-year mortgage fell to 5.62 percent, down from 5.70 percent registered the previous week, Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, reported Thursday in its weekly nationwide survey.

This week's rate nearly matched the record low rate of 5.61 percent for 30-year mortgages -- set in the week ending March 14.

-- From staff, wire reports