Business Notebook: Children and seniors receive unit upgrades at Saint Francis

Saint Francis Medical Center's Emergency and Trauma Center now is offering specialized care for its youngest patients and seniors throughout the region. The designated children's area features special exam areas and equipment to treat children of all ages with the walls painted in a bright and cheerful theme. The kid-friendly atmosphere is expected to create a calming, private environment for both children and their parents or caregivers, easing the stress and anxiety of an emergency room visit.

Saint Francis also made senior-friendly modifications to address the region's aging population. The modified space offers thicker mattresses, higher chairs, large-print forms, guardrails and nonskid flooring, which is expected to give seniors more comfort. Special family lounges also are available for family members of Emergency and Trauma Center patients. To learn more about the Emergency and Trauma Center and Saint Francis' emergency services, contact the hospital at 331-3996.

Electric Vehicle Television to hold convention in Cape Girardeau

Electric Vehicle Television, producers of the weekly "Friday Show," will host its third annual Electric Vehicle Conversion Convention at the A.C. Brase Arena in Cape Girardeau from Aug. 6 to 11. The convention agenda will feature three days of continuous educational sessions with speakers on battery chemistries, charging techniques, controllers, motors and drive trains, instrumentation, weight and balance considerations and more. More than 110 electric vehicle builders have signed up for the event with some 30 vehicles on the roster as of July 8.

The convention also will feature spectator events that are free and open to the public. A 1/8 – mile electric vehicle drag race and Sports Car Club of America Solo autocross are scheduled from 1 to 7 p.m. Aug. 9 at the Cape Girardeau Airport. A car show at Arena Park is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 10. It will culminate with an electric vehicle parade through town. For more information, contact Brian Noto at 951-757-1038 or email brian@evtv.me.

Cape Air offers new discount fare

Cape Air is introducing a $29 one-way fare on one of its daily flights from St. Louis to Cape Girardeau. Flight 1121 departs St. Louis at 9:40 a.m. and arrives at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport at 10:30 a.m., Monday through Friday. Cape Air still will offer a $50 one-way fare on all other flights between Cape Girardeau and St. Louis. "The addition of a $29 fare is great for the community" said Bruce Loy, manager of the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. "This flight allows our passengers the option of flying round trip from Cape to St. Louis for only $79."

Cape Air provides a total of four daily round-trip flights between Cape Girardeau and St. Louis on weekdays and two daily round trips on weekends. The discount fare is available for purchase online at capeair.com, by calling 1-800-Cape-Air, or can be booked by any local travel agent.

Sloan+Themis wholesaling through Modalyst

Sloan+Themis, Cape Girardeau jewelry designers, now will sell products via a new web-based wholesale market called Modalyst. Sloan+Themis is the first local designer to join this new platform. Modalyst is a curated, online marketplace connecting emerging designers and independent boutiques. For more information, visit Modalyst.co.

Hubble Creek Antique Village expansion

Hubble Creek Antique Village in Jackson has expanded its operations to include five new buildings in the village to serve its customers. Hubble Creek has been in business for three years and offers home décor, hand-stitching and also furniture refurbishing. Hubble Creek is at 3184 N. High St. For more information contact Della Bollinger at 243-3011.

Shawnee Hills wineries win wine competition

Alto Vineyards, Blue Sky Vineyards and Hedman Orchard and Vineyard -- members of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail -- took top honors in several categories at the 2013 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition.

Best of Show, the "best of the best" category in a wine competition, went to Blue Sky Vineyard's 2010 Chambourcin Reserve, a dry full-bodied, barrel-aged red made from estate-grown Chambourcin. Alto Vineyards earned a Governor's Cup for white table wine with its Vidal Blanc, a crisp semi-dry white. Hedman's Peach Dessert wine, made from local peaches, topped the Governor's Cup for the fruit category.

Overall, top awards earned by members of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail included Best of Show; two Governor's Cups; and two Best from any appellation. The Shawnee Hills members took six double gold, four gold, 29 silver and 24 bronze for 63 of 193 total medals.

The 2013 Illinois State Fair Wine Competition was held June 17 to 19 and sponsored by the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association, Illinois Department of Agriculture and Lincoln Land Community College. For more information about Shawnee Hills Win Trail, visit shawneewinetrail.com.