Hello and goodbye: A look at the comings and goings of 2013

HELLO

CVS pharmacies

Southeast Missouri has a new drugstore option with the opening of CVS Pharmacy stores in Cape Girardeau, Sikeston and Poplar Bluff, Mo. The Sikeston and Poplar Bluff stores opened in September, and the Cape Girardeau store is expected to open in January at the intersection of William Street and South Kingshighway. CVS has more than 7,300 stores in 44 states. Previously, the closest store to Cape Girardeau was in Carbondale, Ill.

Family Dollar stores

Family Dollar stores are also new to the retail scene in Southeast Missouri. Stores are now open at 711 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson and 108 Conrad St. in Marble Hill, Mo. Another is slated to open in 2014 at 720 William St. in Cape Girardeau. Family Dollar also purchased an acre that includes four properties on William Street between Sprigg and Ellis streets, according to Thomas M. Meyer of Exit Realty. All the properties are now commercially zoned and will be demolished to street level for the building of the new store. Family Dollar was founded in 1959 in Charlotte, N.C., and has grown to more than 7,200 stores in 45 states across the U.S.

Wes Blair

Following a 10-month national search, the City of Cape Girardeau announced in June that Wes Blair was hired as the new police chief in Cape Girardeau. He replaces Carl Kinnison, who announced his retirement last July and stepped down Aug. 1, 2012. Blair has worked in law enforcement for 16 years, most recently as assistant chief and then interim chief in Lancaster, Texas. He also has experience as a federal air marshal and border patrol agent. Earlier in his career, he served Lancaster as a detective, patrol and training officer. He made the move to Cape Girardeau over the summer, along with his wife and son.

New dorm, expansion at the River Campus

Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus is undergoing an expansion to create more academic and residence hall space. The 93,745-square-foot, three-story, L-shaped building currently under construction will house enough space for 184 beds, a dining space that seats 120 people, plus 13 faculty offices and studios for art and dance. The university hopes to finish the project by July or August 2014.

Three Rivers College expansions

Much work is underway for Three Rivers College's locations throughout Southeast Missouri. Projects include construction of an eastern campus in Sikeston; a new classroom building and softball building, as well as renovations and maintenance at the Poplar Bluff campus; a new safe room and renovations in Kennett; and renovations of a facility in Willow Springs, the Daily American Republic reported. The Sikeston campus will become the center for Three Rivers' work on the eastern side of its service area, said college president Dr. Devin Stephenson. Sikeston construction in the next two fiscal years will complete the project's first phase, a 43,000-square-foot building with three floors, Stephenson said. A second phase of the project would add an applied technology building and a third phase a nursing and allied health building. Other items in the college budget include improving campus security through the addition of an audible alarm system, additional cameras and electronic locks for doors, improvements for student housing and technological infrastructure, and additional scholarships for athletics.

Broadband Internet and 4G LTE

Internet access became faster and more efficient for Southeast Missouri in 2013. Verizon Wireless introduced its 4G LTE network in Cape Girardeau in late 2012, providing 4G LTE access to Cape Girardeau, Matthews, Sikeston, Jackson, Pocahontas, Oak Ridge and Uniontown, Mo., and along Interstate 55 from Perry through New Madrid counties. In July of this year, AT&T added 4G LTE service for its Cape Girardeau customers. Additionally, Big River Broadband is erecting 58 towers across seven counties of Southeast Missouri, providing broadband Internet service within a three-mile radius of each tower.

Dunham's Sports and Menards

Dunham's Sports, a 44,000-square-foot sporting goods store in Poplar Bluff, opened Aug. 16 in the Valley Plaza shopping center. The store is part of the 201,000-square-foot development purchased by Jim Bailey in August 2012; he is renovating the space and working to attract additional retailers. Dunham's Sports is the firm's second store in Missouri.

Even more, a 162,340-square-foot Menards home improvement store is under construction between the signal at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center and the northbound ramps at the new Bypass 67 interchange. The nearly 19-acre site was purchased from the developers of the Eight Points Commercial Development. The site will also include parking for 442 vehicles. Jeff Abbott, spokesman at Menards' headquarters, said the store will open sometime in 2014.

Susan Glasgow Lawrence

Susan Glasgow Lawrence was hired as executive director of the Sikeston Area Chamber of Commerce at the end of 2012. She had served as interim executive director for the past six months, replacing Missy Marshall, who left the position after 11 years for a new role with Three Rivers College. Lawrence previously worked for Mid-South Economic Development.

Academy Sports + Outdoors

Academy Sports + Outdoors opened June 28 at 270 Shirley Drive in Cape Girardeau. The 71,680-square-foot store offers athletic footwear, apparel, hunting, fishing and camping equipment and more. According to Eric Herrera, senior communications coordinator, the store also brought 150 new jobs to the area. The Texas-based company operates more than 150 stores throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The Cape Girardeau store is its third location in Missouri.

Dr. Bill Eddleman

Dr. Bill Eddleman, vice provost and dean of the School of Graduate Studies at Southeast Missouri State University, was named provost at Southeast, according to a Nov. 26 university news release. He will begin his new duties Jan. 1. The provost is Southeast's chief academic officer and is responsible for eight colleges and schools within the university. Eddleman was among four candidates identified during a national search process. He has served as vice provost and dean of the School of Graduate Studies at Southeast since June 2011. He previously served as chair of the Department of Biology. He joined Southeast as assistant professor of biology in 1995 and was promoted to professor of biology in July 2001.

Wings, First Midwest Bank, Apple Creek Winery and more open

Certainly more businesses opened than closed in the past year. Here are some more that we haven't mentioned yet: Merci, Stash, Southern Style, Shoppe La La, Dynamite Coffee and Broadway Biergarten in downtown Cape Girardeau; El Sol and Taqueria Jalisco, Mexican restaurants on Broadway in Cape Girardeau; First Midwest and MRV banks in Cape Girardeau; Cobblestone Corner and Wings, Etc., in Jackson; Duck 'N' Dine in Marble Hill, Mo.; Cosmo Nails and Spa in Cape Girardeau; Apple Creek Winery in Friedheim, Mo.; Popeye's and a new Bank of Missouri in Poplar Bluff, Mo.; U.S. Tool Corp. and Qdoba Mexican Grill in Farmington, Mo.; and River Hills Grocery and Deli in Altenburg, Mo.

Lyle Randolph

In October, Lyle Randolph was named general manager and vice president for Isle Casino Cape Girardeau. He had served in the same role at the company's Caruthersville, Mo., property, Lady Luck Casino, since June 2007. He previously held other roles and positions in the casino gaming industry and regulatory agency, including president of the Missouri Gaming Association. The Cape Girardeau property's last general manager was Chet Koch, who was replaced by an interim administrator in early May.

rustmedia

A new division of Rust Communications, rustmedia, launched at the end of 2012 and really took off in 2013, focusing on multimedia marketing for small- and medium-sized businesses. Gary Rust II, director of rustmedia, leads a team of 18 professionals who aim to set businesses up for long-term success via branding; video, photos and copywriting; social media; website and mobile design; search engine optimization; and print and online advertising. Two rustmedia staffers are even Google-certified. Rust says most clients are based in Southeast Missouri, but the company's reach extends throughout the U.S., and he hopes to expand its "geographic footprint" in 2014.

__GOODBYE__

Plaza Galleria building

The Plaza Galleria building on Independence Street in Cape Girardeau was demolished this summer, and the 6.86-acre site is now being marketed as a "prime retail/commercial redevelopment site," according to Tom Kelsey, broker and president of Lorimont Place Ltd., who represents the property. Before demolition, the 56,000-square-foot Plaza Galleria building had sat empty since 2005. It once housed the city's first supermarket, and later an ice-skating rink and shopping center.

Buckner Brewing Co.

Buckner Brewing Co. on North Main Street in Cape Girardeau closed Feb. 3. Owners planned to liquidate the equipment and sell the building amid a pile of outstanding tax bills, the Southeast Missourian reported in February. Owner Phil Brinson said he would continue to own and operate Jeremiah's Restaurant and Lounge in Sikeston, Mo. His business partner and co-owner, Mark Sprigg, handled the brewing side of the business. The historic building was opened as the Buckner-Ragsdale clothing store in the early 1900s and was a staple of the downtown business community until the its closure in 1982. After housing a number of shorter-term ventures, the current owners purchased it in 1998 and won the John Boardman Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation from Old Town Cape in 2004 for their transformation of the 23,000-square-foot space. It grew to contain Ragsdale's pub and The River View Room special events hall in addition to Buckner's microbrewery.

The original Plaza Tire Service building

Plaza Tire Service's flagship store at William Street and Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau was demolished this year and rebuilt at 170 S. Kingshighway. The original location had been occupied since 1963, when the company first opened as a hand-operated carwash. CVS Pharmacy was constructed on the lot and will open in January.

Christopher Seyer

Christopher Seyer, a funeral director and pre-need consultant with Ford and Sons Funeral Home and owner of Seyer's Kelso Kwik Stop, died unexpectedly on Oct. 19. He was 48 years old. Seyer was well-known in his community and on the business scene. He graduated from Notre Dame Regional High School and Southeast Missouri State University, was a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church in Kelso, Mo., served as president of the school board at St. Augustine School, was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Kelso Jaycees and Business Networking International, and was involved with the chambers of commerce in Benton, Mo., and Cape Girardeau. He previously worked for 22 years at Southeast Missouri State University. He left behind a wife, three children, his mother and seven siblings.

NARS, Spartech, Blockbuster and more

Some of the businesses that closed in the past year include the following: Integrity Solutions, formerly called National Asset Recovery Solutions (NARS), in Cape Girardeau; the PolyOne plant, formerly known as Spartech, on Nash Road in Cape Girardeau; Pioneer Market in Jackson; Blockbuster in Cape Girardeau (and, most recently, throughout the U.S.); Bank of America in Cape Girardeau, which was purchased by First State Community Bank; Pop's Pizza of Cape Girardeau; Pink Galleon Billiards and Games in Cape Girardeau; the NORDYNE plant in Butler County; Classroom Connect and West Bank Bistro, both in Cape Girardeau; and Hotel Ste. Genevieve of Ste. Genevieve, Mo.

Jackson Public Library

The Jackson Public Library will close by the end of 2013 after more than 80 years of operation. Jackson Mayor Barbara Lohr explained to the Southeast Missourian that the library district tax revenue is not sufficient to keep the library operating; the decision to close was approved by the city's board of aldermen and the library board. Lohr said the city had been subsidizing about a third of the library's operating expenses for many years, which takes about $50,000 per year from the city's general revenue fund. Lohr said a community center that will be built in Jackson is planned to include space for a reading room and activities that take place in the current library, such as children's activities and small group meetings. Lohr said there are no solid plans yet for using the current library space at 100 N. Missouri St. in uptown Jackson.

Bob Drury

Bob Drury, part owner of Drury Hotels and CEO of Cape Girardeau-based Drury Southwest, died Nov. 28 at his home in San Antonio. He was 81. Drury's most recent projects were restoring historic buildings in downtown Cleveland and Pittsburgh, which will be converted into Drury properties. The Drury family was largely responsible for the development of much of Cape Girardeau's west side near Interstate 55. In 1962, Drury and his brothers obtained a Holiday Inn in Cape Girardeau, which got them interested in the hospitality industry, according to a news release. In 1973, Drury co-founded Drury Hotels, and its first property was a Drury Inn in Sikeston, Mo. Today, Drury Hotels is a nationally recognized, award-winning chain with 130 hotels in 25 states. According to past Southeast Missourian stories, Drury also was involved in the Cape Girardeau community and led many commercial developments such as Cape West Business Park, Auburn Park Place and Kings Center shopping plaza. In 2009, Drury Hotels transferred deeds to a former Pear Tree Inn and neighboring restaurant to Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff, Mo. The two facilities totaled 76,230 square feet and sat on 1.75 acres, according to a Southeast Missourian article. The donation was worth more than $3.5 million.