Business memo 08/18/03

Business center to hold counseling sessions

The Small Business Development Center of Southeast Missouri State University will conduct counseling sessions for area small-business owners and individuals planning business ventures. The counselor, Gil Degenhardt, will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, 1267 N. Mount Auburn Road. Call 335-3312 for an appointment. The counseling sessions last about one hour and are free of charge.

Degenhardt will also be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at the Southeast Regional Planning Commission, 1 W. St. Joseph St., in Perryville, Mo. Call (573) 547-8357 for an appointment.

Scott County farm agency seeks nominees

Kenneth Vowels, the executive director for the Scott County Farm Service Agency, announced recently that the agency has begun accepting nominations for candidates to run in the upcoming county committee election.

The annual election for the Scott County FSA County Committee will take place in November by mail-in ballot.

Vowels and the county committee gives local producers a say in how federal farm programs are implemented in the county. The committee oversees the work of the county executive director, acts in an advisory capacity to the farm loan manager and is accountable to the state committee.

Nomination forms are available at the FSA county office at 6458 State Highway 77 in Benton, Mo. The deadline to return nomination forms is Sept. 5.

MS group holds ribbon cutting for new office

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Gateway Area Chapter's new regional office in Cape Girardeau, was held last Thursday at 1217 N. Kingshighway. U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson attended, as well as members of the chamber of commerce, regional program director Teresa Birk, who heads up the new office, and chapter president Pat Knoerle-Jordan.

The opening of the office allows for an increased number of services and programs in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.

-- From staff reports