Updates

RESTAURANTS

Executive Chef Adam Lambay Brings Local and International Flavor to Chaumette Winery

Chaumette Vineyards & Winery announces its recent hiring of Executive Chef Adam Lambay in early Spring 2008. With a bachelor of culinary arts from Sullivan University, Lambay has spent the past 10 years at such St. Louis favorites as Cafe Mira, 12 North Cafe and Portabella Restaurant; has consulted for ARAKA Restaurant and is currently a monthly chef instructor at Kitchen Conservatory in Clayton, Mo.

Lambay directs all things culinary at Chaumette, including operations of the Grapevine Grill Restaurant; catering for weddings and private events; development of the poolside bistro at Belle Haven The Spa at Chaumette as well as a breakfast program for overnight guests at Chaumette's villas. He also works with Chaumette's horticulturist to cultivate herbs for use in his menus.

A new place for sports fans to gather

Beef O'Bradys is planning to move into the 3,510-square-foot restaurant near Casa Mexicana. The first such franchise in the state, the family sports pub will feature 21 big-screen LCD televisions and memorabilia from Southeast Missouri sports teams. Beef O'Bradys is scheduled for a mid-to-late September opening and will operate from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.

Also decorating the walls of the business will be a Perryville (Mo.) High School football jersey, an autographed Scott City High School state championship baseball jersey, a Cape Girardeau youth soccer league team jersey and other items.

Though Hillman never has owned a restaurant before, he has experience working in the food industry. When Hillman and co-owner Robert McGillivray of Sikeston, Mo., first explored the idea in January 2007, they believed Beef O'Brady's would thrive in Cape Girardeau. While delays prevented the restaurant from its planned December 2007 opening, the owners were able to obtain a building permit in June for the $160,000 project.

Nostalgia meets revitalization with the opening of Stevie's Steakburgers

For the past six months at the corner of Broadway and Frederick Street, owner Steve Majeed and a few others have been transforming what was a vacant gas station since 1998 into a restaurant reminiscent of drive-in eateries of long ago.

The sign featuring the steakburger that appears above the business' name has replaced the advertisement of $1.29 a gallon gas the station sold a decade ago. Majeed sold the last remaining underground storage tank in November 2005.

Gone is the smell of unleaded fuel, soon to be replaced by the aroma of freshly prepared New York-style steakburgers, gyros, chicken sandwiches and Nathan's beef hot dogs with all the fixings.

Open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 to 2:30 a.m., Majeed said his selection of food is hard to find in Cape Girardeau. His restaurant offers only non-pork foods.

Fruitland Diner opens

After a brief closure, the, Li'l Red Barn, a Fruitland institution at 5841 U.S. 61, reopened under new ownership and a new name. Bobby Steers, the owner of Jackson Diner, recently purchased a portion of the ownership of Li'l Red Barn — now called Fruitland Diner — to "give the restaurant a face lift." While the restaurant specializes in breakfast, Steers said the diner also serves a full lunch and supper menu. It will be open seven days a week, hours vary.

New pasta house in Sikeston

SIKESTON, Mo. — La Villetta, a steak and pasta house, held its grand opening ribbon cutting Aug. 18. Owners are Jimmy Ballazhi, Jack Ballazhi, Qamil Ballazhi, who is also chef, and Kenny Emrullai. The restaurant is located at 1617 E. Malone and open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. A Sunday brunch and buffet is offered, and menu items are available daily.

TRANSPORTATION

Highway 67 work in full swing

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — With construction work all along the 50-mile U.S. 67 corridor north of Poplar Bluff, area residents can see how the $180 million four-laning project is taking shape in many areas. Approximately 200 workers are currently involved in the project.

Missouri Department of Transportation Resident Engineer Steve Bubanovich, who is supervising the work in Wayne and Butler counties, said 140 people areworking on the corridor in Wayne and Butler counties, and MoDOT has 23 engineers and technicians working on the job in the two counties. He expects the number of workers to increase to 300 when paving starts on the south end during the summer of 2009.

The north end of the 50-mile corridor goes through Madison County, where there are 30 workers in the contractor forces and six MoDOT workers, said MoDOT Resident Engineer Matt Malone, who is supervising the work in Madison County.

A four-lane bypass is being constructed around the Cherokee Pass area. It will extend three miles south from where the four-lane currently ends at Fredericktown. Malone said crossovers with turn lanes will be located at Highways A and C and at the south end of the Cherokee Pass area.

MoDOT officials are still hopeful they will beat the deadline of Dec. 31, 2012, for completing the entire project.

New airport terminal in Farmington

FARMINGTON, Mo. — With a ceremonial first shovelful of dirt, work began on a new terminal building at the Farmington Regional Airport.

The new airport terminal building is the next phase in a multi-year expansion and improvement of the regional airport. Other improvements have included a new fuel delivery system, new shade ports to replace old worn t-hangars, with a new parallel taxiway to be constructed soon.

The new 2,300-square-foot terminal will house a visitors' center, pilot lounge, airport manager's office and conference room. City council members awarded the contract for $392,000 to Indian Creek Construction, based in Poplar Bluff, Mo.

The building will carry signage as part of a funding agreement between the city and First State Community Bank, based in Farmington. As part of the same agreement FSCB receives a multi-year option on a ground lease to construct a hangar at the airport. Several bank employees and board members were present at the ceremony.

The majority of funding to build the terminal, as well as other recent improvements at the airport, is coming from the Federal Aviation Administration and Missouri Department of Transportation.

LEGISLATIVE

Funding to benefit 11 Southeast Missouri businesses

Eleven Southeast Missouri companies have been awarded funding to train employees from the Missouri Job Development Fund through the Missouri Customized Training Program.

The companies, which include businesses in Jackson, Cape Girardeau, Scott City, Perryville and Sikeston, will receive a combined $245,000 to train 851 new and current employees.

The program offers funding assistance to the state's employers for training and retraining their workers. Financial assistance is given to businesses to reduce training costs and improve productivity for the purposes of creating and maintaining jobs. Funding can be used for such training costs as curriculum development, training materials and instructional salaries.

Susie Bohannon, spokeswoman for SEMO Milling Company in Cape Girardeau, said the educational opportunities that will benefit the employees of the corn milling company are priceless. The company, at 261 River Road, will use its $40,000 to train 38 employees.

Rex Livingston, general manager of Pavestone Co. LP, at 2720 E. Outer Road in Scott City, said his business will match the $10,000 it is receiving to train 29 workers. He said this joint effort will prove beneficial by improving his employees' manufacturing skills. The company produces concrete blocks for such major businesses as Home Depot and Wal-Mart

Other businesses receiving the funding are:

TG Missouri Co. in Perryville, which will receive $37,500 to train 67 workers.

Tetra Pak Materials LP in Sikeston, which will receive $27,500 to train 49 workers.

Sabreliner Co. in Perryville, which will receive $22,500 to train 80 workers.

Newell Rubbermaid Home Products in Jackson, which will receive $20,000 to train 310 workers.

American Railcar Industries in Jackson, which will receive $20,000 to train 110 workers.

Signature Packing Paper LLC in Jackson, which will receive $20,000 to train 16 workers.

Spartech Plastics in Cape Girardeau, which will receive $15,000 to train 40 workers.

Buzzi Unicem USA in Cape Girardeau, which will receive $12,500 to train 37 workers.