Business Notebook: Homebuyers invited to ‘Come Home to Deerfield’; student loan default rates down

Area Properties Real Estate has partnered with Drury Properties to promote Deerfield Estates, a new residential subdivision on Cape Girardeau's west side.

The new subdivision just inside Cape Girardeau's city limits is along County Road 313 about a quarter-mile north of Deerfield Lodge and immediately south of Klaus Park on 40 acres of rolling countryside. The two-phase development has 54 home sites in the initial phase, each about a quarter-acre in size, and will have another 44 lots in its second phase.

"We're going to have a big grand opening in the spring, but the lots are ready now," said Becky Harding of Area Properties. "They're ready for the public to come see."

Homes in Deerfield Estates will be priced from about $350,000 to $600,000 and will feature floor plans ranging from about 1,800 to 3,000 square feet, incorporating some of the latest design trends and amenities sought by today's homebuyers.

"We're doing some new and different things with the floor plans, and construction will be open to all builders," Harding said, adding Area Properties staff conducted focus groups and site visits as part of their home-design process.

Matching pavilions are mirrored in the common area lake at Deerfield Estates, a 40-acre residential development between Interstate 55 and County Road 313 just inside Cape Girardeau's western city limits.Jay Wolz

"We traveled to different places and looked at what other areas are doing and combined some of those things into the Deerfield home designs," she said.

In addition, Area Properties will offer a concierge service for custom home designs.

"We've done our homework and are really excited about the houses that are going to be going up there," Harding said.

Area Properties hosted a gathering of builders, bankers and material suppliers last week in the development's recently completed pavilions. The twin pavilions are in a common area overlooking a water retention lake surrounded by a lighted concrete walking path, and are among several amenities available to Deerfield Estates homeowners, according to Mitch Drury of Drury Properties.

Deerfield Estates, he said, will "set the tone for development" along County Road 313. "It's going to be a nice place."

The small lake in the common area of Deerfield Estates, as seen last week from one of two lakeside pavilions, is surrounded by a lighted concrete walkway.Jay Wolz

The development features concrete streets, including several cul-de-sacs, and sidewalks throughout.

"All of the infrastructure — the streets, sewers, city water and other utilities — is complete," Drury said.

"This is a subdivision designed for active older adults as well as families," he said. "We want to create a neighborhood with a community feel."

More information about Deerfield Estates is available by calling Harding or Teresa Hastings at Area Properties, (573) 803-3353.

Missouri student loan default rates decrease

Missouri's three-year student loan default rate has decreased two-tenths of a percentage point this year compared to 2019's rate, according to data released last week by the state's Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.

Missouri's has a current default rate of 9.7% compared to 9.9% last year. The national default rate also decreased this year from 10.1% to 9.7%. Compared to other states, Missouri ranks 23rd in terms of repayment rates, an improvement from its 26th position in 2019.

"We are pleased to see this steady decline in default rates," commented Zora Mulligan, Missouri's commissioner of higher education. "Students entering repayment is a confirmation that colleges and universities are helping students make smart financial decisions and to only borrow what they need."

The U.S. Department of Education's default figures are based on rates for borrowers whose first educational loan repayments came due between Oct. 1, 2016, and Sept. 30, 2017, and subsequently defaulted on their loans before Sept. 30, 2019.

Nationally, more than 4.2 million borrowers began student loan repayments during that time period. That number includes more than 83,000 Missouri residents.

Current default rates in neighboring states are: Arkansas, 13.2%; Illinois, 9.4%; Iowa, 8.2%; Kansas, 11.7%; Kentucky, 13.9%, Nebraska, 8.3%; Oklahoma, 14.2%; and Tennessee, 11.5%.

SEMO offering free business seminars

Southeast Missouri State University's Economic and Business Engagement Center will host three online business workshops on three consecutive Tuesday mornings in November.

All workshops are free of charge but do require registration. They are as follows:

• How to Obtain Business Credit — 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday. Workshop participants will learn how small businesses build and maintain credit, explore how creditworthiness is measured for small businesses, examine the connection between personal and business credit, and identify the documents needed for small-business applications. Presented and supported by Regions Bank. Register at www.missouri.ecenterdirect.com/events/22369.
• Ready, Set, Startup — 10:30 a.m. until noon Nov. 10. This workshop will explore how to get a startup off the ground and will cover the steps and checklists a business owner should use to start a business. Supported by Regions Bank. Register at www.missouri.ecenterdirect.com/events/22460.
• How to Get Ready for a Business Loan — 10:30 a.m. until noon Nov. 17. The objective of this workshop is to help a business or startup prepare to apply for a small-business loan. Supported by Regions Bank. Register at www.missouri.ecenterdirect.com/events/22461.

Zoom links for each workshop will be emailed to participants following registration.

Casey's providing support for veterans

Casey's General Stores in the Cape Girardeau region — as well as throughout the company's 16-state footprint — are giving customers an opportunity to "round up" their purchases to the next dollar this month to support military veterans and their families through a pair of not-for-profit organizations, Hope For the Warriors and Children of Fallen Patriots.

In addition, Casey's will donate a dollar for every online or in-app purchase of a large Casey's pizza and 2-liter Pepsi brand product, up to a maximum of $50,000, to support those organizations.

Children of Fallen Patriots provides college scholarships and educational resources to children who have lost parents in the line of duty while Hope For the Warriors is dedicated to helping service members and military families restore a sense of self, family and hope through comprehensive support programs and resources.

"As a veteran myself, I am proud to be a part of Casey's support of military heroes and their families and these two remarkable organizations," said Darren Rebelez, CEO of Casey's General Stores and a U.S. Army veteran.

As an added "salute" to all service members past and present, Casey's will provide free coffee to current and former members of the military on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, at all of the company's 2,200 locations.

Awards & Recognitions

Susan Gonders

Susan Gonders, professor of public relations at Southeast Missouri State University, has received the 2020 Outstanding Educator Award from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

The award was conferred last week in conjunction with the PRSA International Conference.

The recognition is awarded annually to a PRSA member with at least 20 years of experience in public relations who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of public relations education at the college level.

Gonders began her public relations career in Oklahoma where she worked with more than 300 clients over two decades. She changed her career path when she came to Southeast in 1994 as coordinator of the academic program in public relations and has served in a variety of faculty positions since then.

In 2010, she was named a Lifetime Champion for the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and was the only inductee and one of fewer than 50 who have been recognized for a lifetime body of work on behalf of public relations students worldwide.

While at Southeast, she has advised the Delta Nu Chapter of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority since 1995 and the university's PRSSA chapter since 1994. She also assisted with the review process that helped Southeast earn accreditation through the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC) and played a pivotal role in making Southeast the first program in Missouri to earn Certification in Education for Public Relations (CEPR) through PRSA.

People on the Move

Neisha Ivory

SIKESTON, Mo. — Neisha Ivory has been hired by the Southeast Missouri Food Bank in Sikeston to serve as the organization's equity and programs coordinator.

In her new role, Ivory will oversee projects related to a grant from Feeding America. The grant will fund increased outreach in communities where the COVID-19 pandemic has had the greatest impact on hunger needs, study how well the food bank serves diverse populations and provide a pilot program aimed at improving health conditions through access to healthy foods.

Ivory, a resident of Jackson, is a 2013 graduate of Columbia College and is completing a bachelor's degree in human resources and organizational business through the University of Phoenix. She formerly was an administrative assistant at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, and was also a benefits coordinator at SoutheastHEALTH in Cape Girardeau.

Chamber Notes

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee is scheduled for Friday morning at the Century Casino Cape Girardeau Event Center. Doors will open at 7 a.m. with a "Members on the Mic" program scheduled to start at about 7:40 a.m.

Seating will be limited to 100 and online registration will end at 2 p.m. Thursday. Masks and social distancing will be required.

The program and sponsor comments will be available through the chamber's Facebook channel for those unable to attend in person.

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The Cape Girardeau chamber will host a ribbon-cutting at 3 p.m. Friday in observance of Elite Dysphagia Diagnostics & Speech Services' new office location, 1200 N. Kingshighway, Unit 202.

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