Updates

Poplar Bluff souvenirs now available

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — The Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce has announced an exciting new way to promote Poplar Bluff just in time for the busy holiday traveling season. The chamber is now offerering Poplar Bluff souvenir items for sale at their office, located on 1111 W. Pine St.

"We have hundreds of people each month stop by our office, visiting from other communities all over the country," said Steve Halter, chamber president. "We want them to leave with a reminder of Poplar Bluff and what we have to offer."

The chamber will offer items such as coffee cups, traveling coffee mugs, magnets, koozies and post cards, all baring their new marketing logo created by Deana Todt, one of the chamber's members.

Cape Importers relocates to Hawaii

Cape Importers, owned by Mike Crowden, has moved to Maui, Hawaii. The 16 N. Spanish St. location in Cape Girardeau closed its doors in early September. Cape Importers opened in November 2006, offering one-of-a-kind furniture, sculptures, painting, home decor and pottery. Among the most unusual pieces were a 2,500-pound onyx lion, antique Maduran wedding bed dating back to the 1800s and unique reclaimed furniture.

Crowden said that all parties involved see Maui as "a better and more conducive market for the type of merchandise we have." Co-owner Joe Elayer lives on Maui and owns/operates Maui Industrial Metal Fabricators.

Sikeston food bank has new name

SIKESTON, Mo. — Bootheel Food Bank has a new name. The not-for-profit food distribution organization is now known as Southeast Missouri Food Bank.

"It helps describe our service area," said Karen Green, executive director for the Food Bank. The Southeast Missouri Food Bank serves the counties, of Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Madison, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Ste. Genevieve, Stoddard and Wayne by providing food to agencies that assist the area population living below the poverty line.

County receives $10,000 more for sale of park land to MidAmerica Hotels

Cape Girardeau County commissioners voted to accept an amendment to the sale price of a 1.24-acre strip of county park land.

The amendment added $10,000 to the agreed upon sale price of $350,000, to be used for landscaping. In the original agreement, the purchaser, MidAmerica Hotels, had agreed to plant a tree screen. The amendment makes the landscaping the county's responsibility. Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones and 1st District Commissioner Larry Bock, who voted to approved the change, said they were not sure what the landscaping would actually cost. MidAmerica provided an estimate of $7,000 to $8,000 and offered the county $10,000. Bock said the deal might make "$4,000 or $5,000" for the county. Jones said if landscaping costs more than $10,000, the excess could be paid for from the $350,000.

Jackson Hewitt extends lease, preps for tax season

In about eight months, one of America's most dreaded days will arive — the deadline for filing one's tax return. For those looking for a tax service, many options are

available in Southeast Missouri, including Jackson Hewitt, which recently extended its lease with Blattner Brothers to five years. Area manager David W. Gantt said the decision was based on its "excellent" facilities and location at 364 S. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

When tax season arrives, Gantt said the service expands to the Cape Girardeau and Jackson Wal-Marts. In addition to assistance with tax filing, Jackson Hewitt also offers four-week tax preparation classes in September, October and November for the public.

Wunderlich Realty has new name

Dave Soto recently took ownership of Wunderlich Realty, 1200 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, and with this change comes a new name for the business. Effective Sept. 2, Wunderlich Realty is now known as SOTO Property Management.

New signage is in place, along with a new phone number, 332-SOTO, and new Web site, www.sotopropertymanagement.com.

Jackson bank has new address

The Jackson branch of Capaha Bank has moved. Formerly located at 502 W. Main St., Suite C., the new location is at 727 W. Main St. in Jackson. Branch manager is Darrell Aufdenberg.

Poplar Bluff company to complete airport project

HORNERSVILLE, Mo. — After narrowing their choices to four possible candidates, the Hornersville City Council unanimously voted to select Smith & Co. Engineering, of Poplar Bluff, to do imporvements at the Hornersville Airport. The board had acquired a $350,000 grant for the improvements. Richard Mara, Hornersville mayor, recommended Smith & Co. based on their previous work history at Holcomb, Mo.

Smith & Co. has also worked on airport projects at Piggott, Ark., Dexter, Mo., Piedmont, Mo., Malden, Mo., and Poplar Bluff.

"They are more familiar with our type of small town airport than some of the other firms," Mara said.

Thorngate to cut about 250 jobs

Thorngate Ltd. will eliminate its entire sewing department, said a local industrial development director. The layoffs will affect about 250 workers at the facility, which manufactures high-end men's clothing at 1507 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau. The fate of its cutting department is unknown at this time.

The news was the second setback for the plant within four weeks. In mid-August, the plant announced it was cutting back the workweek of its 335 employees from five to three days because of declining sales and an underperforming economy.

Basic Fuel plans for the future

Dave Lemmon, owner of Basic Fuel locations in Cape Girardeau, Sikeston, Perryville and Jackson, hopes to relocate his Jackson station to another city by 2009. He plans to open stations in Farmington and Poplar Bluff, but opening depends on whether he is able to sell the Jackson property at 2927 E. Jackson Blvd.

According to the Web site of Lorimont Place Ltd., the asking price is $419,000. Lorimont Place president and broker Tom Kelsey, whose company is handling the sale when it occurs, said the property can be used as a fueling operation (since it is already set up with the tanks, pumps, equipment and canopy) or redeveloped into some other commercial business.

Company to spend $5 million on uranium search

MISSISSIPPI COUNTY, Mo. — A Colorado company plans to pump $5 million into the economy of Mississippi County as it explores for viable uranium deposits. John Gustavson, a geologist, chemical engineer and founder of Water Research and Development in Boulder, Colo., and investors are so confident they will find viable uranium deposits they are planning to spend $1 million on exploration over the next 12 months and another $4 million in the year following that.

Gustavson said he is looking at several areas that, because of earthquake faults, are likely to have uranium deposits. The uranium recovery operation would take 30 to 40 years, he estimated. Gustavson said uranium is "one way we can get independence from Middle East oil. It would be used in clean nuclear power plants generating electricity." He prefers nuclear power for electricity "rather than from burning coal, as that adds to the greenhouse effect and global warming."

BP Financial changes locations

BP Financial Services has moved from 718 Caruthers to 720 Caruthers in Cape Girardeau. A ribbon cutting was held Sept. 30.