PERSONNEL

John Banken, owner and operator of the Hickory Log Restaurant at Dexter, has been named Restaurateur of the Year by the Southeast Missouri chapter of the Missouri Restaurant Association.

Banken and regional winners from around the state will be honored Oct. 3, during the 1994 Midwestern Foodservice Equipment Exposition in St. Louis.

Banken has received the honor three times since he opened the Hickory Log in 1967. In 1985, he was also selected Missouri State Restaurateur of the Year.

The business was selected Business of the Year by the Dexter Chamber of Commerce in 1991, and was named Beef Backer of the Year by the Missouri Industry Council.

The 400-seat restaurant is known for its barbecue ribs. Banken sells about three tons of ribs a week during the slow season and more than four tons a week during the holiday season.

Five area veterinarians recently attended the annual Central Veterinarian Conference at the H. Roe Bartle Hall in Kansas City.

Attending the four-day program were Dr. Walter Branscum of Scott City; Dr. and Mrs. John Koch of Cape Girardeau; Dr. William Schabbing and Dr. Nelson Stone, both of Jackson; and Dr. Kenneth White of Perryville.

A total of 25 workshops were held.

Koch and Stone attended a reception for graduates of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine where D.H. Richard Adams, dean of the college, announced that funding for the college had been restored and continued full accreditation seems assured.

W. Kevin Stewart has joined the Invest Financial Corp. at Capital Bank in Jackson.

Stewart, a graduate of DePauw University, Greencastle, Ind., with a bachelor of arts degree, has 10 years of financial and investment experience, including four years as a portfolio manager and senior vice president with a mutual-fund company. He has written articles for "Investor Guide," "Personal Finance" and other publications.

Capital Bank is an affiliate of Capital Bancorporation, a multibank holding company headquartered in Cape Girardeau. Capital Bancorporation has 31 facilities in Missouri.

Annuities and insurance products are available from Invest Financial Corp.

Kay Tropf of Cape Girardeau has joined Kutters Salon, 1117 Broadway. Tropf, a graduate of Sikeston Beauty School, previously worked at Cuttin' on The River.

Kutters also announced a new schedule. The salon will be open five days a week Monday through Friday.