Business Notebook: Store openings, medical care in Poplar Bluff, Workforce Training proposals being accepted

A new Jimmy John's sandwich shop will open this week in Jackson.

Manager Dan Boren told me last week he expects the "freaky fast" sandwich shop will open Tuesday in the strip mall at 2066 Walton Drive in front of the Jackson Walmart.

Owned by BB and V Common Ground LLC, the Jackson Jimmy John's will feature a drive-thru and a delivery service that will cover most, if not all, of Jackson. Sandwiches, chips and beverages may be ordered for delivery by calling (573) 204-0677.

The sandwich shop's hours will be 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Speaking of openings, Cape Girardeau will once again have a Hallmark card and gift store when Dana's Hallmark Shop opens next week. Store owner Dana Grace told me Saturday she hopes to open the full-line Hallmark outlet Aug. 5 at the location formerly occupied by Carol's Hallmark, which closed early this year. Store hours will be 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

In addition to gifts and greeting cards for every occasion, the store will feature arts and crafts created by area artisans.

Grace lives in Olive Branch, Illinois, and said it's been a challenge lately getting to and from Cape Girardeau to prepare the store for its opening. That's because of the floodwaters in Alexander County that have closed Illinois Route 3 north of Olive Branch. Hopefully the highway will reopen by the time her store opens next week.

I received word late last week from Midamerica Hotels the Ray's Banquet Center structure on South Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau WILL be repurposed at another site once it is dismantled and removed from its current location.

A source at Midamerica Hotels, which owned the building, told me the structure will be reassembled on property owned by Joe Strack of Strack Excavating & Hauling, which is in charge of the building's disassembly.

It apparently won't be long before moms and dads can use their smartphones to see whether their baby's diaper needs to be changed.

Procter & Gamble has partnered with Verily, a division of Google parent company Alphabet, to develop a "connected baby monitoring system."

The Lumi by Pampers system includes "smart" diapers equipped with sensors that measure when babies sleep or go to the bathroom. Data from the diapers is sent to a dedicated mobile app that will be available for Apple and Android operating systems.

More details about the system, which P&G says will be available this fall, are available at www.pampers.com/lumibypampers.

There is no word at this time whether the local P&G plant will be involved in producing the "smart" diapers.

Congratulations to one of my Southeast Missouri State University fraternity brothers, Kent Zickfield, whose business, Zickfield's Jewelry & Gifts in downtown Cape Girardeau, was named Business of the Year by the Missouri Main Street Connection last week. You can read more about the recognition in a story elsewhere on this page.

Now, on to the rest of this week's Business Notebook ...

Saint Francis converting PB facility to urgent care

Poplar Bluff, Missouri's Black River Medical Center will join the Cape Girardeau-based Saint Francis Healthcare System on Aug. 12, according to a news release issued Friday by Saint Francis.

According to the release, the Black River Medical Center emergency department will close at 7 p.m. Aug. 9, and the facility will no longer offer inpatient services.

The emergency department will be converted into an urgent-care center when it reopens Aug. 12, offering extended walk-in hours as well as a laboratory and a full compliment of radiology services, including diagnostic CT, MRI, nuclear medicine, mammography and ultrasound.

Urgent-care services at Saint Francis Health Center-Poplar Bluff will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon until 8 p.m. Sundays.

SoutheastHEALTH earns marketing recognitions

Thirteen marketing projects produced by Southeast- HEALTH earned statewide recognition at the annual Show Me Excellence Awards program sponsored by the Missouri Association for Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing (MAHPRM).

Southeast received first-place awards for five marketing projects, including "Cancer Journey" outdoor advertising, a direct-mail project for a family cancer risk seminar, a direct-mail project for its breast care and diagnostic center open house, its "Heart Smart" campaign and the hospital's annual report video.

In addition to the five first-place awards, SoutheastHEALTH also received four second-place and four third-place recognitions for various marketing campaigns, publications, advertisements and video projects.

The Show Me Excellence Awards program, established by MAHPRM in 1981, recognizes advertising, marketing and public relations projects produced by hospitals and health-care systems throughout the state. It is the only competition dedicated to hospital and health-care public relations and communications efforts.

Health care scholarships awarded to area students

The Saint Francis Health System Foundation and Saint Francis Auxiliary awarded health care scholarships to 22 area students earlier this month. Each student received $2,000 to apply toward a degree in various health-related professions.

The Saint Francis Healthcare Scholarship Program was established in 1980, and since its inception has provided more than $700,000 in educational scholarships to college students to encourage their pursuit of health care careers.

To be eligible for a Saint Francis scholarship, recipients must have completed at least one year of an accredited health care program and must currently be enrolled in that program, must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average and complete the program's application and essay requirements. They must also live within the Saint Francis service area.

More information about the Saint Francis Healthcare Scholarship Program is available online at www.foundation.sfmc.net.

State accepting workforce training initiative proposals

The Missouri Department of Economic Development has announced proposals are being accepted for the state's Workforce Training Initiative now through Sept. 30. The initiative provides financial assistance to local governments, high schools, community colleges, public technical colleges and public universities to support capital improvements, equipment, program supplies and training materials.

The initiative -- which is in keeping with Gov. Mike Parson's two top priorities of getting more Missourians working through workforce development and enhancing the state's infrastructure -- aims to help organizations address gaps in job training opportunities throughout the state and increase access to job training for low- and moderate-income individuals.

Information on eligibility requirements and application details are available online at www.ded.mo.gov/content/workforce-training-initiative.

People on the Move

Gina Donze

Gina Donze has become a partner in the downtown Cape Girardeau accounting firm of SEMO CPA Co., 112 Themis St.

Donze majored in accounting and graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 2003 with a degree in business administration. She has more than 16 years' experience in the accounting, auditing and tax field. Her auditing experience includes work with a variety of not-for-profit organizations and government entities, including cities, water and sewer districts, school districts and counties. In addition, she has experience with federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) compliance supplement auditing procedures.

Donze maintains a Missouri CPA license and is a member of the Missouri Society of Public Accountants.

SEMO CPA Co. was founded in January 2018 when owner Carly Bowles purchased TRH Accounting.

Business license applications

Tracy Underwood of Scott City has applied for a business license to operate The Legendary Plains Walkers, at 335 S. Christine St. in Cape Girardeau. The business will offer retail sales of models, model-building supplies, non-electronic games and laser engraving and is scheduled to open Thursday, according to the license application.

Chamber happenings

• The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce's August Women's Impact Network (WIN) luncheon will feature a presentation by Taylor Kirn of Delta Companies on the best ways to handle conflict in the workplace. The WIN lunch will be from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Aug. 8 at the Jackson Civic Center. Reservations are $20 and must be paid by Thursday through the events section of the chamber's website, jacksonmochamber.org.
• The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's August First Friday Coffee will be Friday morning at the Isle Casino Cape Girardeau Event Center, with doors opening at 7 a.m. and the program beginning at about 7:30 a.m.
• The Cape Girardeau chamber will host a ribbon cutting at 3:30 p.m. Friday to mark the five-year anniversary of Yoga East Healing Arts Studio, 827 Broadway. A free demonstration yoga class will follow the ribbon cutting at 4 p.m.

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