Top-of-the-line cigar shop opens on Kingsway

Fumatore di Sigaro, a new cigar store and smoking lounge, is now open in Cape Girardeau featuring hand-rolled cigars and smoking accessories. It is at 1720 Kingsway Drive, Suite 101. Cigars from around the world are kept in a Spanish cedar-lined walk-in humidor.

The 240square-foot humidor is controlled by a centrifugal humidifier supplied with demineralized water to ensure the optimum environment for cigars. Lighters, cutters, personal humidors and other accessories are available. The shop is stocked with midtier, upper tier, and premium cigars for various budgets.

Smoking is not allowed in the retail store; however, a smoking lounge is available to patrons who buy a cigar and want to enjoy it on site and to private club members. The lounge has leather seating for 16, 2 HD televisions, a 50-inch round poker table, custom mahogany bar, custom built cigar lockers, and is equipped with a smoke eater and air purifier.

It is open daily 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fumatore di Sigaro, which means "cigar smoker" in Italian, is owned by Scott Pietreface of Cape Girardeau.

* Plans are being made for a Cape Girardeau Area Career Fair from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at the Osage Center.

"We have had several requests from area businesses that they needed to have more applicants for their growing businesses," said Mitch Robinson, executive director of Cape Girardeau Area Magnet. The career fair, sponsored by the Workforce Investment Board of Southeast Missouri, city of Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, Cape Girardeau Area Magnet, will be free to the public. Participating businesses are required to pay a $100 registration fee. Companies interested in taking part should contact Robin Strop at the Missouri Career Center located at 1737 N. Kingshighway, in Cape Girardeau, 573-290-5766, or email rstrop@mersgoodwill.org.

* TG Missouri and Workforce Employment Solutions announced a partnership that will help provide staffing for the Perryville, Mo., automotive parts manufacturer. TG Missouri supplies plastic parts, steering wheels, and air bags to most of the major automotive suppliers. They have been a vital part of the Southeast Missouri business community since 1986 growing into one of the largest employers in the region. To find out more about the engineering and technical opportunities at TG, you can visit the Workforce Employment Solutions website at visitworkforce.com or inquire directly by sending your resume to cbasden@visitworkforce.com.

* Midamerica Hotels Corporation, based in Cape Girardeau, officially opened the Auburn Place Hotel & Suites Friday. The 133-room hotel was previously known as the Victorian Inn & Suites. The hotel continues to be owned and operated by Midamerica Hotels Corp. with general manager Matt McDowell.

The new hotel name, signage and design are the result of a six-month renovation. During the renovation work, the hotel redesigned the breakfast room with modern finishes and seating, installed new carpet in all guest rooms and public space, updated the lobby, created a new "Suite Shop" for snacks, added scrambled eggs and sausage to the complimentary daily breakfast, eliminated all bed spreads and replaced with a triple-sheet system that is laundered between every guest stay.

The hotel will host an open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 12. Auburn Place Hotel & Suites is at 3265 William Street in Cape Girardeau next to the Holiday Inn Express.

* The Missouri Department of Labor released its annual workplace fatality statistics last week and found that a preliminary total of 107 fatal work injuries were recorded in Missouri in 2010, down about 25 percent from the 142 fatal work injuries reported for 2009. Nationally, fatal work injuries remained about the same for 2010. In 2010, the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector had the most occupational fatalities in Missouri with 25. Crop production accounted for 23 of the 25 fatalities in the agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting sector. The construction sector had the second most occupational fatalities with 12. The specialty trade contractors accounted for eight of the 12 fatalities in the construction sector in Missouri in 2010.

* Kasten Masonry Sales Inc. recently announced the purchase of B&M Fireplace & Outdoor located at 30 North Wood Drive in Bonne Terre, Mo. Kasten has plans to expand the product lines to include fireplaces and stoves; pools and spas, grills and masonry products. Kasten has been in business since 1895 and operates two manufacturing facilities in Southeast Missouri and retail showrooms in Carbondale, Ill., and Jackson.