STRICTLY BUSINESS: EMERGENCY RESPONSE AWARDS FOR PEOPLE WITH REAL COURAGE

Wendell Thompson, a control room operator for the Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. power plant at New Madrid, heard an "emergency call" over his truck's scanner on a February day in 1994.

Larry Swilley, a material handling supervisor at the New Madrid plant, was enjoying a day off when he heard the same call for help on his radio.

The call was from an area grain silo, where a man had fallen into a 100-foot grain elevator filled with soybeans.

Thompson quickly radioed plant personnel to find equipment that might expedite the rescue.

Swilley, a trained emergency medical technician, rushed to the site.

When the two men reached the silo, only the man's face and one hand were visible above the soybeans.

Quick thinking resulted in the rescue.

Realizing the danger created by air pockets in stored grain, and the pressure on the man's chest, the two men placed boards around the victim's body and used a special hose to vacuum the beans away.

For their actions, the two Associated employees have received the company's "Excel Courageous Response Commendations."

"Watching that man walk away unharmed was the best reward we could have," said Thompson, who received the award along with Swilly during Associated's annual recognition ceremony, held recently at the New Madrid Power Plant.

Excel, explained Madelynn Innes, of AECI headquarters in Springfield, is an employee designed recognition program.

"Every level of employment, including union and non-union, is considered for recognition," Innes said.

In 1994, 98 employees were nominated for various awards in eight categories. A dozen winners were selected from Associated's 750 employees at its three Missouri sites -- New Madrid, Moberly and Springfield.

Associated Electric is the wholesale power producer for 49 electric cooperative systems in Missouri and southern Iowa.

Five of the "Commendation for Courageous Response" awards went to employees at New Madrid.

Three people, including Garland Hughes, safety coordinator at the New Madrid plant, received response awards for their actions following a life-threatening accident at the plant last November, when a worker fell 25 feet onto a steel grating.

Hughes, who founded the emergency response team at the New Madrid plant, and two members of the team, planning associate Alice Tittle and material handling supervisor John Fourthman, received the awards.

The worker suffered multiple injuries but survived the fall, thanks to team members' skill in stabilizing him before he was rushed to St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

New Madrid claimed half of the 12 awards presented in 1994.

Ron Westfall, coal yard operations superintendent at the facility, received Associated Electric's "Supervisor of the Year" award.

Despite last year's adverse weather, coal-delivery delays and ongoing construction to switch fuel at the New Madrid Power Plant, Westfall's coal-yard crew managed to maintain operations by keeping the coal moving.

Did you know???

The first U.S. income tax was signed into law in 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln.

The money collected (only from the northern states) was used to finance the Civil War. The tax was repealed in 1872.

The filing deadline for the first nationwide income tax was March 1, 1914. The rate was 1 percent, but a single person had a $3,000 exemption and married couples were exempt up to $4,000. Because most Americans didn't earn that much, few people had to pay the tax.

It's almost "T+3" time

It is 23 days and counting before T+3 goes into effect.

The new Securities and Exchange Commission regulation will go into effect June 7.

T+3 translates into "Trade Day Plus Three," and it means just that say stock investment representatives.

Investors will have just three business days, rather than the current five, to pay for securities purchased or to deliver certificates after a transaction.

It also means investors will receive the proceeds from any sale sooner and will see their reinvestment dollars placed in new securities two days earlier.

The move toward the shortened settlement started in late 1991 when a group of international bankers, "Group 30," started a campaign focused on settling trade in three days or less in the U.S. Securities markets.

The SEC approved the proposal for implementing the three-day settlement last year, with a June 7 target date. In addition, the SEC has hinted at a "next-day" settlement, and eventually maybe a "same-day" settlement.

Donna Domian, a Cape Girardeau representatives for the financial services firm of Edward D. Jones & Co., and Steven H. Garrett, vice president and manager of financial and investment planning services for A.G. Edwards, say the new ruling is designed to help curb the risk in the securities market.

Many nations have already reduced their settlement periods to three days or less. The new ruling will enable stockbrokers to keep pace with technology, with the volume of trading and with other world markets.

The SEC's ultimate goal is to have a T+0 format, Garrett said.

Marsha Limbaugh, branch manager of A.G. Edwards' Cape Girardeau office, suggests one way investors could prepare themselves for the change.

"They can register their securities in `street name,' or, in other words the name of their brokerage firm on the client's behalf," she said. "Instead of taking actual possession of the certificates after purchasing securities, investors allow their brokerage firm to hold them in their account, where they can be automatically accessed to settle trades."

Edward D. Jones & Co. offers a "Full Service Account," Domian said. Customers who use the account will find it easier to avoid trading delays when the June 17 ruling takes effect.

Additional information concerning T+3 and strategies to effectively do business in the T+3 environment are available at area stockbrokers' offices.

New on business scene

Famous Footwear, which offers athletic, dress and casual shoes for men, women and children, opened at West Park Mall Saturday.

Famous Footwear, headquartered in Madison, Wis., is a national chain with more than 740 stores.

The new store, managed by Tonja Pfeiffer, will employ 10 people, and will observe mall hours, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 Sunday.

The business occupies about 5,000 square feet at 134 West Park Mall. Brands available at the store include Nike, Reebok, Keds, Dexter, Buster Brown, Converse, Nunn Bush, Rockprot, Cherokee and Hush Puppies.

The company was founded in 1961, under the name of Neil's Factory Outlet Shoe Store. Four years later, the name was changed to Famous Footwear, and by 1981, had grown to 36 stores.

The chain was acquired by the St. Louis-based Brown Group Inc. in 1981 and now has 746 retail stores in 44 states, with plans to add another 150 to 200 stores this year.

The Missouri Mentoring Partnership program is available in the Cape Girardeau area.

The program is designed to bring together foster youth with area corporations to the benefit of both, program coordinator Elizabeth Schmucker said.

The program is patterned after a proven program in San Diego, and pairs a business mentor with a high school student in foster care.

The mentor serves as the student's role model and guide, encouraging the student to complete high school. The mentor provides the youth with a part-time job while in high school and additional employment while attending college.

"The benefits to corporate sponsors are also substantial," Schmucker said. "It can provide long-term employees, and some financial assistance may be available to participating business partners for training."

Business organizations of any size are invited participate in the program.

Additional information is available by contacting Schmucker at 760 S. Kingshighway, Suite F, Cape Girardeau, telephone (314)-334-0990.

Boat Notes:

Casino St. Charles reported $11.1 million in revenue during April.

The St. Charles operation, which features two casinos, one a cruising riverboat and a dockside facility, finished second to North Kansas City Harrah's in April revenue by Missouri gambling casinos. Harrah's reported $11.5 million.

The East St. Louis, Ill., Casino Queen reported $10.4 million from gamblers in April, according to the monthly report from the Illinois Gaming Board. The Alton (Ill.) Bell, also in the St. Louis area, reported $6.5 million. The Joliet Express at Joliet, Ill., led Illinois operations with $18.7 million last month.

The Players International riverboat gambling casino averaged more than 5,100 visitors a day in April.

The Illinois Gaming Board's monthly riverboat casino report said the Metropolis-based facility had 160,319 visitors, for an average of 5,171 a day.

The city received $502,193 in revenues from Players; the state received $1,185,942.

The state received $16.7 million in April as its share of revenues from its nine riverboat casinos.

The Grand Victoria at Elgin attracted 332,252 visitors to top the list of operations. East St. Louis Casino Queen attracted 316,780 visitors, and the Empress had 314,711 visitors. The Alton Bell attracted 209,920 visitors.

Statewide, more than 2 million visitors boarded the 10 riverboat casinos in April.

The Illinois Gaming Commission reported the Casino Queen had top payouts in quarters and dollars. The Queen quarter slots paid out 92.54 percent, while the dollar slot payout was 95.44 percent. The Queen's $5 slots paid 95.52 percent. First on the $5 payout list was the Alton Bell, at 96.86 percent.

Metropolis payouts were just under 92 percent for $1 slots, 94.09 for $5 slots, and at 88.63 on quarter machines.