Fireworks retailers had 'booming' sales

If you think you saw (and heard) more fireworks in your neighborhood over the weekend, you're probably right.

Several fireworks retailers in the area reported record sales in the days leading up to the Fourth of July. I visited two of the larger fireworks outlets in the area last Thursday and Friday and can't say I've ever seen longer lines at every checkout station (not to mention half-empty shelves and overflowing shopping carts of nearly every customer) than I saw last week.

Why all the pyrotechnic purchases this year? I have a couple of theories — Independence Day was on a Saturday this year and many towns (including Cape Girardeau) canceled community-sponsored fireworks shows due to COVID-19 and concerns about attracting large groups of people who wouldn't necessarily be wearing face masks or practicing social distancing.

According to the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA), there are usually around 16,000 Fourth of July fireworks shows across the country, but this year about 90% of them were canceled.

Cancellation of those shows apparently contributed to record purchases by families and individuals.

Nationally, some fireworks retailers reported sales as much as 300% higher than last year, and last year was a record-breaker with $1.3 billion in sales with consumer purchases accounting for $945 million of that total (professional shows accounted for another $360 million in 2019).

Statewide sales totals for 2020 aren't available yet, but last year, Missouri led the nation when it came to the value of the fireworks imported into the state. Missouri averaged $8.34 worth of firecrackers, Roman candles, smoke bombs and other pyrotechnics for every man, woman and child in Missouri, for a total imported fireworks value of $51,088.748. Alabama was a distant second, averaging $5.80 per Alabamian.

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Although it was scheduled to expire last week, Saint Francis Healthcare System has confirmed that an agreement has been reached with UnitedHealthcare that will keep Saint Francis providers (physicians) in the United network through the end of August. The physician agreement with United was scheduled to expire July 1.

Meanwhile, Saint Francis itself has been an "out-of-network" provider since its contract with United expired in March. There is no word on the status of contract talks between Saint Francis and United.

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Orscheln Farm & Home's new location at 11 S. Kingshighway could be larger than originally planned, according to information I received Monday from the retailer's home office in Moberly, Missouri.

The company announced early last year it would relocate its Cape Girardeau store at 338 Christine St. to the former Kmart building near the intersection of South Kingshighway and Independence Street. It was reported Orscheln would occupy about 50,000 of the building's 80,000 square feet while the remainder of the building would be leased to Bargain Hunt, a discount retailer based in Tennessee.

However, Bargain Hunt recently confirmed it was no longer planning to open a store in Cape Girardeau.

"Right now we do not have a tenant in mind for the excess space," said Orscheln real estate manager Nicholas Orscheln. As a result, he said Orscheln "will be filling a much larger footprint in the building than originally anticipated. We now have the flexibility to move the outdoor display area inside."

Orscheln initially expected to complete its move to the new location as early as last fall, but interior demolition and renovation work didn't start until about a month ago. The current plan is for the relocation to take place "in late fall of this year," according to Orscheln director of planning and administration Dave Hult.

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The roller-coaster economic ride resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic continued last week.

Depending on the data you're looking at, we're either well on our way toward economic recovery or headed straight toward a second wave of coronavirus infections.

According to the Missouri Department of Labor & Industrial Relations, more than 650,000 Missourians filed first-time claims for unemployment benefits between mid-March and the end of June. Those claims were almost entirely the result of businesses that closed or laid off employees during the pandemic.

For three weeks in late March and early April, Missouri averaged nearly 100,000 initial unemployment claims a week before leveling off and declining for 10 consecutive weeks as employers gradually reopened their businesses and brought employees back into stores, offices and other workplaces.

However, in the past two or three weeks, there have been increases in statewide coronavirus cases, leading some businesses to once again close their doors and lay off employees. During the week of June 14, there were 17,165 first-time claims for unemployment benefits in Missouri. A week later, that number increased by 9% to 19,071, still far below the peak of more than 104,000 during a one-week period in late March, but it was the first increase in the number of claims after 10 consecutive weeks of steadily declining numbers.

In a few days, we'll know whether the number of unemployment filings increases again when the state releases last week's data.

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It's difficult to track all of the local business openings and closings related to COVID-19. However, it was encouraging to see last week that almost all of the retail tenants in West Park Mall have reopened, although most are opening later and closing earlier than normal. Stacey Keating, a spokeswoman for CBL Properties in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which manages the mall, told me over the weekend there is no timeline at this point for returning to normal mall hours.

Stores that have reopened in West Park Mall include Pink, Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works. L Brands, which owns all three retail chains, announced plans in May to close 235 of its Victoria's Secret stores, 50 Bath & Body Works outlets and a handful of Pink stores, but apparently none of those closures are impacting the company's Cape Girardeau locations.

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Another business that reopened recently was Logan's Roadhouse, 3012 William St. in Cape Girardeau.

The steakhouse closed in late March shortly after its parent company, CraftWorks Holdings of Nashville, Tennessee, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

It was reported at that time that CraftsWorks closed 261 restaurants and fired nearly all of its 18,000 employees, leaving the future of its Cape Girardeau location uncertain.

Josh Kern, CraftWorks' chief experience officer, said the Cape Girardeau closure was temporary. "We fully intend to reopen," he told me in early April.

He was right.

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But just as there have been business openings, there have also been some recent closures due to COVID-19 after employees at those businesses tested positive last week for coronavirus.

D'ladiums sports bar, 1127 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, closed last week "until further notice" after receiving word one of its employees had tested positive for COVID-19. "We know that most, if not all, of our employees have been exposed to the virus within the last few weeks," according to a post on the bar's Facebook page, which said it is working with the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center to do "what is needed for our customers' well-being."

The social media post went on to say, "Our responsibility is to provide a safe environment and closing for now is the best way. We hope in admitting defeat ... makes this old bar stronger."

Cape Splash Family Aquatic Center closed Friday, just before the Fourth of July holiday weekend, due to a "potential community exposure from a COVID-19 positive case" involving a part-time employee there.

The health department is working with the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department in an attempt to let everyone who was at the water park between June 25 and last Thursday they may have been exposed to coronavirus and should "closely monitor themselves for signs and symptoms."

"This is yet another reminder for all of us to interact with our environment carefully," the county health department said in a statement released Friday. "When we go out in public, we need to practice physical distancing and wear a mask. If someone is sick or thinks they may be sick, they need to stay home."

Both Cape Splash and the Central Municipal Swimming Pool will reopen Wednesday, incorporating several coronavirus safety precautions. In addition, all pool staff members who may have been in contact with the infected employee have been removed from the work schedule as they complete a 14-day quarantine period.

Meanwhile, the Cape Girardeau SportsPlex is also reopening this week. The facility was temporarily closed about a week ago after a part-time employee there had a positive coronavirus test.

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Beth Emmendorfer

Finally, today I want to acknowledge the retirements of two people from long-held positions in Jackson: Beth Emmendorfer and Cheryl Fortner.

Cheryl Fortner

Emmendorfer, assistant superintendent in the Jackson School District, retired last week after more than 30 years of service to the district, its students and families.

Emmendorfer was recently recognized with the 2018-2019 counseling Advocate of the Year award, presented for outstanding support of school counseling by the Southeast Missouri School Counselor Association, and earlier this year was named the Women's Impact Network (WIN) Woman of the Year by the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce.

Fortner is retiring from Saint Francis Healthcare System where she has served as practice manager at Jackson Family Care and Immediate Convenient Care-Jackson for nine years, capping a 35-year career in health care.

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