Business Notebook: New meal-prep, nutrition consulting services; Cape Central teacher recognized

Couple starts healthy meal prep business

A Cape Girardeau couple recently created a business designed to provide healthy meals for people who don't have time to cook for themselves, need a healthier diet or both.

David and Tori Mincemeyer started their business, called Balanced Meal Prep, a few months ago.

"With Balanced Meal Prep, we release a menu of individual entrees each week," explained Tori Mincemeyer, a registered dietitian. Based on customer choices, the Mincemeyers prepare a week's worth of meals on Sundays for customer pickup on Mondays.

More information about Balanced Meal Prep is available at www.bnsofcape.com. The business can also be reached at bnsofcape@gmail.com.

Whitney Choate

In addition to Balanced Meal Prep, Tori Mincemeyer started a nutrition consulting service in January called Living Nutrition.

"I guide people to make peace with food and their bodies to discover more of an authentic healthy lifestyle," she explained. "I take what's called a 'nondiet approach,' meaning I don't tell people to cut out the foods they love. Instead, I help them find an eating style that fits their lifestyle, honoring their health and their taste buds."

More information about Living Nutrition can be found at www.livingnutritionllc.com.

Awards & recognitions

Whitney Choate, a special-education teacher and instructional technology specialist at Cape Girardeau Central High School, has received the Young Educator Award from the Midwest Education Technology Community. The award was presented earlier this month at the organization's annual convention in St. Charles, Missouri.

Lisa Freese

The Young Educator Award is presented to an instructor younger than 35 who demonstrates vision, innovation, action and transformation using technology to improve teaching and learning techniques.

In her career readiness class, Choate's students have used a 3D printer to create a student-led business and she has streamlined data collection processes within the school system.

Choate is in her ninth year teaching special education and her third year as an instructional technology specialist at the high school and is the co-host of "Tough Talk with Teachers," a podcast dedicated to overcoming educational career obstacles.

She graduated from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, with a degree in elementary and special education and earned a Master of Arts in special education (autism) from Southeast Missouri State University. She plans to start studies toward a specialist degree in educational leadership-instructional technology this summer.

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Jane Clark

Several members of Berkshire Hathaway Bridgeport Realtors were recently recognized for attaining various sales levels.

Lisa Freese received the President's Circle Award, which is awarded to the top 5% of all sales associates in the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Network; Jane Clark and Jo Duff both received Leading Edge Society awards, which the company gives to the top 8% of all sales associates; and Ricki Ing received an Honor Society Award, presented to the top 14% of all sales associates in the network.

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has awarded a four-star quality rating to Saint Francis Medical Center, according to a news release issued by Saint Francis last week. Hospital Compare methodology developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services calculates a "star" rating in order to easily compare overall hospital quality. Ranging from one to five stars, the rating reports on timely and effective care in key areas of quality so patients can learn how often Saint Francis and other facilities perform recommended treatments for patients with specific conditions.

Hospital Compare lists information about the quality of care of Medicare-certified hospitals across the country, providing a snapshot of hospital quality by looking at overall hospital rating, general information, survey of patients' experiences, timely and effective care, complications and deaths, unplanned hospital visits and other factors.

Jo Duff

According to Stephanie LaPierre, chief performance improvement officer at Saint Francis, less than 10% of the nation's hospitals attain a five-star rating.

Chamber notes

The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce is accepting applications for Jackson Leadership and Development 2020, a program focusing on developing local leaders and enhancing their knowledge of the area.

The program includes eight day-long sessions on the third Wednesday of the month from March through October and will include professional development sessions led by Dana Thomas of BOLD (formerly BOLD Marketing), covering topics such as developing a personal brand, networking, leadership directives and community involvement.

Enrollment fee is $375. For more information or to request an application, contact the Jackson chamber, (573) 243-8131.

Ricki Ing

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The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's next Business After Hours will be from 5 until 6 p.m. today at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus, 518 S. Fountain St. Monthly Business After Hours gatherings are free for chamber members and their guests.

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The Cape Girardeau chamber will host a ribbon cutting at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Mid-States Car Wash Solutions, 2380 E. Outer Road in Scott City, in observance of the business' grand opening.

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The Jackson chamber will host a ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. Thursday at Simply Fitness, 2432 E. Main St. in Jackson, to mark the business's five-year anniversary.

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The Jackson chamber's February Business Breakfast will be from 7:30 until 8:30 a.m. Friday at the Jackson Civic Center, 381 E. West Deerwood Drive in Jackson. Chamber business breakfasts are free for chamber members and their guests.

Commercial building permits

A commercial building permit has been submitted for the remodeling of the self-storage and truck rental showroom at U-Haul Moving & Storage of Cape Girardeau, 740 S. Kingshighway.

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