Businesses in 2003 - A look back

JANUARY

6 -- The Kirchdoerfer Jersey Farm of Cape Girardeau and Voelker's Brown Swiss of Perryville, Mo., have been given the Prairie Farms Quality Award for 2002.

7 -- Dan Drury, president of Midamerica Hotels Corp., announced plans to raze the Holiday Inn in Cape Girardeau and replace it with a new Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites.

7 -- St. Francis Medical Center began seeing patients at its new Cancer Institute, offering radiation oncology services for the first time.

8 -- While the environmental cleanup of the former Marquette Hotel awaited state approval, new owners Prost Builders wanted to see how the historic building would look from the outside when it reopens at the end of 2003. Representatives of a Columbia, Mo., electrical and engineering design company tested accent lighting they propose to mount on the building's exterior. Some of the 100- to 175-watt lamps would be hidden on a ledge 25 feet above the sidewalk. Other lighting would illuminate the Marquette's two towers.

9 -- Southeast Missouri Hospital began celebrating its 75th year. The hospital opened on Jan. 9, 1928.

11 -- Although 22 percent more people took to Cape Girardeau's friendly skies in 2002 over the prior year, that still wasn't quite enough to bring home the big bucks. The Cape Girardeau Regional Airport came up 954 shy of reaching 10,000 people boarding planes in a year, the number required to become eligible for $1 million in federal grant money, which would have gone toward repairs and facility additions to the airport.

13 -- Richard and Jane Daume have sold their Kwik Kopy printing business to Ted and Jason Coalter, owners of Cape Girardeau Printing Co.

13 -- Beard's Sporting Shop at 811 Broadway, in business 44 years, has closed. Cherokee Trails was expected to move into the building.

14 -- Cape Girardeau Kmart dodged a bullet -- again. The company announced its second round of cutbacks, saying it would close 326 more stores and eliminate 37,000 more jobs in hopes of getting out of bankruptcy by the end of April. But the Kmart in Cape Girardeau wasn't among those slated to close.

15 -- The Coast Guard closed two stretches of the Mississippi River as the waterway approached record low levels in some areas, contributing to the grounding of at least five tows of barges recently.

20 -- A Fred's discount store was scheduled to open in the old Jackson Wal-Mart building. Developer for the property was Jim Maevers.

20 -- Chiropractic Associates of Southeast Missouri recently opened its new offices in Jackson at 1404 Old Cape Road, Suite 102.

20 -- Vel Green was introduced last week as the new owner of Elan Day Spa.

21 -- Southeast Missouri Hospital began accepting patients to its new 11-bed orthopedic unit.

27 -- Plans were announced for the opening of CiCi's Pizza, a national buffet chain, around the first of April at 221 S. Broadview.

30 -- SBC has canceled its popular Local Plus calling plan, replacing it with a new plan that has irked some of its customers because it raises rates for heavy users, especially those who spend a good deal of time dialed in to the Internet.

31 -- Mike Kohlfeld, president of Kohlfeld Distributing, received the Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. Award, and Ford & Sons Funeral Home was named the city's Small Business of the Year during the chamber's annual dinner and dance at the Show Me Center.

FEBRUARY

1 -- Susan Dean, manager of Hecht's Women for many years, took over the business with a couple of silent partners. The business was renamed the Woman's Store.

1 -- Citing years of decreasing customers, Union Planters Bank officials have decided to shut down the branch at 325 Broadway. It was the the last full-service bank in downtown Cape Girardeau.

3 -- John Sander has announced he's closing the Cape Girardeau True Value hardware store his father started 27 years ago.

3 -- David "Mac" McAllister has opened a second location of Mac's Smokehouse in the same mini-mall as Soap and Suds at 525 N. Silver Springs Road.

3 -- Applebee's International Inc. has reached an agreement with its biggest franchisee, Thomas and King Inc., to buy the assets of 11 Applebee's restaurants -- including the one in Cape Girardeau -- for $23.2 million in cash.

5 -- Low river stages on the Mississippi River has cost the barge industry millions of dollars because of limits on tonnage and how many barges could be attached to each tow.

6 -- Jeff Glenn left the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce and will take a job with U.S. Sen. Jim Talent's office.

7 -- Under the Sun Tanning Co., owned by Daniel and Jessica Richardson, opened at La Croix Village.

10 -- Christo and Terry Chriss prepared to open a new restaurant in Jackson called Cafe Mane Street at 131 W. Main.

10 -- Soskin Cape Toyota began selling Mitsubishis. Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America recently awarded the Mitsubishi automobile franchise in Cape Girardeau to Alan Soskin.

10 -- Phil Penzel, president of Arrowhead Steel Inc. in Scott City, announced that his ownership interest in Arrowhead has been acquired by local businessmen Larry Payne and Steve Obermann.

14 -- La Croix Village held its grand opening.

14 -- Broussard's owner Shawn Stockard has confirmed that his downtown Cape Girardeau restaurant was for sale.

17 -- Renaissance was in the process of expanding the store downtown on the corner of Broadway and Main Street. Three more storefronts, all the way to the alley on Broadway directly across from the Convention and Visitor's Bureau, were added to the store.

17 -- Hairstylist Millie Yates has opened Cape Cuts at 1930 Broadway.

17 -- Endless Summer Tan recently opened at 1420 N. Kingshighway.

18 -- Some members of the Downtown Merchants Association consider later closing hours.

20 -- The 2003 strategic plan for Old Town Cape was revealed at the group's annual meeting. The 2003 budget anticipated $93,840 in spending, nearly double the $48,781.90 spent in 2002.

24 -- Cape Girardeau played a key role in the development of high-speed Web access that comes into homes and businesses through power lines, serving as Ameren Corp.'s testing ground for the technology with a 55-home trial taking place in a north Cape Girardeau neighborhood.

24 -- Workers prepared a site on Lexington, between La Croix United Methodist Church and Commerce Bank, for construction of a 12,000-square-foot office building.

25 -- With snow blanketing Cape Girardeau on an almost-weekly basis, stores that sold items that helped people cope with the white stuff were doing good business.

27 -- ORAN, Mo. -- Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon has filed a lawsuit against the current owners and former owner of a service station in Oran in an attempt to force them to clean up what he claimed was soil and groundwater contamination. Nixon maintained that the current property owners, Ronnie and Sandra Diebold, and former owner Marilyn Diebold haven't cooperated with efforts by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to clean up petroleum contamination caused by four underground storage tanks that have since been removed.

MARCH

3 -- The First National Bank, based in Sikeston, Mo., celebrated its charter's 100th birthday with a reception at its Cape Girardeau branch last week. More than 200 area business owners attended the event held at 2027 Broadway.

3 -- Spectrum Training Center opened at 14 N. Sprigg.

3 -- Clark and Sons Excavating has withdrawn its architect's plans for a retail/office center planned for 1705 N. Kingshighway in that area next to Elias Ace Hardware.

3 -- Doug Groesbeck, manager of the Southeast District of Ameren Corp., took early retirement after 26 years with the company, the last eight of which involved leading the Cape Girardeau office. He was succeeded by Michael K. Holman.

4 -- The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce endorsed the city's four tax proposals on the April ballot, saying the measures would help provide for the city's needs and create an economy-boosting attraction -- a $6.5 million water park.

4 -- Business owner Jim Drury filed another lawsuit against the River Campus project, prompting frustrated city officials to say they may countersue for damages. The latest suit also threatened funding of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau.

5 -- Jerry Davis, the man who brought McDonald's restaurant to Cape Girardeau 35 years ago, was killed in an airplane crash near Sparta, Ill, along with his flight instructor, Kenneth Krongos.

10 -- Westfield Shoppingtown West Park opened A Court of Honor area next to the Pasta House. The area was designed for the community to pay tribute to members of the U.S. armed forces.

10 -- The Country Shade Craft Mall at 8 Plaza Way has been sold. Brinda Luttrull ran the business with her husband, Omer, for 10 years, renting booth spaces to crafters. But they recently sold the 6,000-square-foot store to Janet Hahs of Biehle, Mo., and Mary Keller of Cape Girardeau.

10 -- Timber Creek Homes has been purchased by American Lifestyle Homes of Pinckneyville, Ill.

15 -- Hibbett's Sporting Goods was scheduled to open at the Town Plaza in spaces formerly occupied by Baskin-Robbins, the Clip Shop and some offices.

17 -- The Cape County Private Ambulance Service celebrated its 35th year in 2003. The service formed in 1968, taking a job that to a lesser degree was handled by funeral homes, whose main service had been to pick up dead bodies.

17 -- Matt Dameron of Jackson recently started Heartland Home Tours, a Web site that allows prospective home buyers to take a virtual tour of houses in Southeast Missouri.

17 -- Jim Maevers, who previously inked a deal to put a Fred's discount store in a little more than half of the old Wal-Mart building in Jackson, has leased the other half, and it's going to be occupied by Nearly Perfect Shoes. The new Jackson location will consist of over 6,000 square feet of retail space.

18 -- Gary D. Forsee, formerly of Cape Girardeau, was named the new chief executive of Sprint Corp.

20 -- The ribbon was cut for the second location of My Daddy's Cheesecake at La Croix Village on Route W. The owner of the business is Wes Kinsey.

24 -- A constant shortage of air traffic controllers at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport had city officials scrambling to find more money to boost pay and keep the tower from closing. The tower reduced operating hours a week ago to cope with the problem.

31 -- Donna Diebold Joplin recently announced the opening of SEMO Appraisal in Cape Girardeau. She has been in the business for 18 years.

31 -- Mac's Tavern on the corner of Frederick and Independence has a new owner. Spencer Tollison of Jackson has taken over the business.

APRIL

4 -- Businessman Jim Drury lashed out at Cape Girardeau city government "tax math," charging that four tax and fee issues on Tuesday's ballot would cost households close to $300 more a year rather than the $83.51 figure city officials have calculated. City officials said Drury's math was flat wrong.

7 -- It was reported that Papa Murphy's pizza was coming to Cape Girardeau this summer. The national pizza chain would have a store in the strip mall at 2510 William, the same center with Blockbuster Video.

7 -- Wonder Bread and Hostess Cakes has leased a warehouse and office building located at 1301 Warner St. in Scott City. The new 5,000-square-foot facility will be the headquarters for the bread and cake division's distributing operation for much of Southeast Missouri.

7 -- Space Walk owner Mac McConnell announced the opening a party room and play room at 2525 Highway 177, about a mile north of Lexington Avenue.

7 -- Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce hired Cathi Schlosser as its new director of membership development.

7 -- Mailboxes Etc. stores in Cape Girardeau and Sikeston changed their names to The UPS Stores. UPS bought Mailboxes Etc. two years ago.

7 -- Dr. Chris Jung has sold Soap 'N Suds Laundry to Sarath Gunawardhana of Chesterfield, Mo. He has changed the name to Waterworks.

7 -- Cycle Werx opened at 1407 N. Kingshighway. The 5,000-square-foot bicycle shop offers a full line of bicycles.

8 -- The Cape Girardeau Jaycees, who created the municipal golf course in the 1960s, have donated the 120-acre site on Perryville Road to the city. Cape Girardeau has operated the course since 1977.

8 -- Voters soundly rejected Cape Girardeau's four tax and fee issues, leaving frustrated city officials to worry about trying to make do with a tight budget.

9 -- The Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission recommended that the city should grant a special-use permit to Agan Alkan for a motorcycle shop at 2605-2607 Themis St.

11 -- The Comedy Club officially opened at Jeremiah's, after unofficially debuting in March.

14 -- Plans called for a new downtown bar called Our House to open in the space formerly occupied by the Indigo at 2 N. Main. The owner was Al McCain.

14 -- Jan and Bill Wilkins have closed In the Wine Cellar and moved out of the area.

14 -- China Town Buffet opened last week in the old Western Sizzlin building on Kingshighway.

18 -- Construction and progress has picked up again at a subdivision just outside of Jackson, a subdivision that had become stagnant over the last few years. Kevin Mayfield purchased the land at Indian Springs Estates about two months ago from Roy Meier.

19 -- Eddie Bauer closed its Westfield Shoppingtown West Park store.

25 -- A grant-funded effort to add a fourth daily round-trip flight from Cape Girardeau to St. Louis still hasn't gotten off the ground 10 months after federal Department of Transportation officials announced the funding. But Bruce Loy, Cape Girardeau Regional Airport manager, said a fourth commercial flight should be added by July or August provided that local businesses commit $100,000 up front to pay for air travel on their expected business trips.

28 -- One of Cape Girardeau's most prominent office parks -- Lorimont -- is for sale. It was home to such Cape Girardeau businesses as MedAssets, HealthSouth Rehabilitation, State Farm Insurance, Pyramid Medical Services, Audiology Center, The Yellow Pages and Lorimont Real Estate offices.

28 -- Sweet Peas clothing and gift shop opened last week at 34 N. Main, according to owner Joni Welker.

28 -- Ashley Gilder has opened a Touch of Wellness in Jackson at 810 E. Jackson Blvd.

28 -- Varieties has opened in downtown Cape Girardeau at 36 N. Main, owner Matt Taylor said.

28 -- Ground was broken last week for the new Wieser Hyundai car dealership that will be on Siemers Drive.

MAY

5 -- In Jackson, the banking business has been super-sized since the early 1990s. Today, there are more banks, 10, than fast-food franchises, nine (and that includes a drive-through-only Dairy Queen). In 1991, only two banks served the county seat.

5 -- Cape Shoe Co., the only shoe-manufacturing company in Southeast Missouri, has moved to 2555 Rusmar in Cape Girardeau. The building was acquired through a property exchange with RM Coco Fabrics, which formerly occupied the building.

6 -- A tornado touched down at 8:49 p.m. near Kasten Masonry in Jackson, hit the police and fire headquarters and headed up South Hope Street, then along Woodland Drive and Ridge Road, remaining on the ground about 19 minutes. It was estimated that at least 134 homes and 11 businesses were damaged or destroyed. There were only minor injuries.

6 -- Chip and Debbie Peterson opened CiCi's Pizza at 221 Broadview.

12 -- Terry Hester, talk station KZIM 960's morning show host for many years, has moved from his on-air job to become corporate program director for Zimmer's radio stations in central Missouri and Lawrence, Kan.

13 -- Jerome Zimmer, a well-respected local radio pioneer who started one of the nation's first country stations in Cape Girardeau before creating stations that now run across the dial, died. He was 81.

13 -- St. Francis Medical Center broke ground for its new $20 million Health and Wellness Center.

14 -- Since Scott City voters annexed nearly 2 square miles of land that included a developing industrial tract south of Nash Road and east of Interstate 55 in 1989, businesses in area have sought an improved quality of drinking water. The city officials hope to solve water problems with the construction of a new city water treatment plant. It will nearly double the city's pumping capacity from 550 gallons per minute to 1,000. The plant is expected to be operational by January 2004 or earlier.

19 -- Bill Burke, the new president and chief operating officer of Nordenia USA, recently arrived in Cape Girardeau.

19 -- Construction has started on developer Chad Hartle's new Jackson strip mall on East Jackson Boulevard between Wendy's and the Super Wal-Mart. At first, it will be home to Hartle's businesses. Later he will add office and retail space.

19 -- On-air reporter and weekend anchor Kathy Sweeney has been promoted to assistant news director at KFVS-12.

19 -- New developers Kurt May and Keith Holloway have finished their work on commercial lots that could be home to future restaurants, retail businesses and offices in Jackson. The lots were on Highway D, adjacent to the Elks Lodge and McCombs Funeral Home across from the city park.

19 -- Cape Girardeau's newest consumer loan company recently opened in the Crossroads Center at Independence and Kingshighway. Sunbelt Credit, which has headquarters in Spartenburg, S.C., specialized in consumer credit lending.

19 -- Christo Chriss had hoped that Cafe Mane Street would be open in Jackson soon. It probably won't be -- at least not soon. Extensive work on the 100-year-old building at 131 W. Main has been slow.

22 -- The fifth annual 100-mile Yard Sale, stretching from Jackson to Kennett along Highway 25, got under way. It continued through Memorial Day.

25 -- Despite two years of strenuous legal wrangling, continuing cash-flow problems and some doubt about the marketability of their airplanes, officials at Renaissance Aircraft insisted their promise to create 200 new jobs and to begin production soon were more than flights of fancy. And those who worked to bring the company here said they still have faith in the company that intends to put several lawsuits behind it, find $2 million from investors and begin building 250 to 300 planes a year within the next few years.

27 -- Shery Varney has begun offering horse-drawn carriage rides in downtown Cape Girardeau.

27. Cross Trails Medical Center purchased a 1.3-acre tract of land on Broadview across the street from K's Merchandise. Groundbreaking for a new clinic was scheduled for June.

27 -- Loy Welker, president of Broadway Park Investment, has purchased two commercial properties in Cape Girardeau. He bought the strip mall at 820 N. Sprigg from Bobby McDonald, which includes Tan It All, Burritoville, Mr. Goodcents, the White House and DC's Cafe. The second development he bought was on North Kingshighway, home to The Brace Place, Miracle Ear and Remax Achievers.

27 -- Renee Luttrell has opened Family Moving and Storage at 1301 N. Kingshighway, Suite E, right next to Coldwell Banker.

30 -- News anchor and reporter Dave Courvoisier said goodbye to Cape Girardeau and KFVS-12 for the second time in his career, as he headed back to Las Vegas for a job at KLAS, a CBS affiliate.

JUNE

1 -- Rick McLeod, who has been working for Procter & Gamble Co. in Venezuela since 2000, became the local plant's manager, replacing Kathy Brown, who transferred to a different position within the company.

5 -- Ukranian bankers Oleg Kovalenko and Inna Sharapova visited First National Bank in Cape Girardeau, their first stop on a tour of various Missouri banks and credit unions.

9 -- Officials with Cape Girardeau Kmart have decided to pull out its self-scanning checkouts, which allowed people to check out by themselves. Customers preferred to have store employees ring them out.

9 -- The old Teen Challenge thrift store building at 6 N. Sprigg, which suffered fire damage a few years ago, has been bought by Vince and Terrence Kelley. They will rebuild the structure to create a commercial rental property.

9 -- The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's recent membership drive resulted in 75 new members.

10 -- Southeast Missouri Hospital announced plans to replace its grassy hillside on Broadway with a four-story medical office building and an adjoining parking garage. The hospital was scheduled to break ground on the $15 million project in late November or early December and complete it by July 2005, officials said Tuesday.

16 -- The Jackson Chamber of Commerce gave out its community service awards. Wal-Mart store manager Rick Boyd received the Business of the Year plaque; Arnold Strickert was given the R.A. Fulenwider Meritorious Community Service Award, and ARI plant manager Brian Blankenship accepted the Industry of the Year award.

23 -- Cape Girardeau-based Plaza Tire recently broke ground on a new retail facility in Arnold, Mo. Plaza Tire's operation there will move from 4041 W. Outer Road to 301 Plaza Way.

30 -- Cape Girardeau native Kevin Van de Ven was recently promoted to the position of president and chief operating officer of LMP Steel and Wire Co. of Maryville, Mo.

JULY

1 -- Timeless Treasures opened at 1326 Main St. in Sikeston. Owner of the store, which featured antiques and gifts, was Karen Ledure.

7 -- Midamerica Hotels Corp. has given the drab old Holiday Inn Convention Center a much-needed face lift and changed its name to the Plaza Conference Center.

7 -- Owners Jamey and Susan Hall have opened The Paint Can Decorating Center at 108 N. Main St. in Cape Girardeau.

7 -- Workers were in the process of installing new carpet, wallpaper, lighting and other improvements at Zickfield Jewelers.

7 -- Cape Electrical Supply has purchased White Electrical Supply, with stores in Hannibal and Monroe City, Mo.

8 -- The Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau has commissioned a $42,000 marketing study that will give the city a grand name it can sell to tourists.

8 -- Michigan-based auto parts maker ArvinMeritor launched a hostile takeover bid for Dana Corp., offering $15 per share in cash for all privately held Dana shares.

12 -- Po'Man Concessions began operating a mobile concession stand at 709 William.

16 -- The latest cost-cutting measure from American Airlines -- to slash its number of nonstop flights from Lambert Airport in half -- won't affect its three round-trip commuter flights from Cape Girardeau Regional Airport to St. Louis, officials said.

21 -- First State Bank of Farmington has signed a deal, pending regulatory approval, to open a branch here in Cape Girardeau that will be known as First State Community Bank.

21 -- US Bank took over the bank branch at the University Center on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University from Commerce Bank.

21 -- Jackson restaurant Reflections has closed.

21 -- Former Kemin executive and Cape Girardeau native Hal Fallert has been named president and chief executive officer of S3i Sound, an Ames company that has developed Sound Without Speakers audio technology.

21 -- It had been announced that Cafe Mane Street would open at 131 W. Main in Jackson, the former Willer Seed and Harness Shop. However, the 100-plus-year-old building proved to be incompatible for a restaurant.

21 -- ACT Services LLC, a local business owned and operated by Curt Greer and Carol Kitchen Greer, has acquired the Best Gourmet Coffee Distributorship for this area.

28 -- Shauna Watson, a longtime Scott City waitress, made plans to open her own restaurant -- Drue's Place -- at 601 Second St. East, which is next to the post office in old Illmo.

28 -- Footings were poured for a new barbecue restaurant in Jackson. The Branding Iron was being built in the same shopping area as Fred's and Save-A-Lot.

28 -- Diamond Wireless has opened at Westfield Shoppingtown West Park.

30 -- Their patience exhausted, the developers of the Prestwick Plantation have withdrawn their hotly debated request for tax-increment financing, an economic development tool that would have paid to extend streets, sewers and water to the upscale 700-home subdivision planned for western Cape Girardeau.

AUGUST

4 -- Bobby McDonald, who developed a strip mall at 820 N. Sprigg, has sold the White House club that had been in the back of the mall. The new owner is TJ Henderson.

4 -- Apropos Gifts and More has opened at 97 N. Kingshighway, Suite 4, next to Little Caesar's.

4 -- Carpet Connection owners John and Connie Fodge have purchased property at 766 S. Kingshighway to build a new 8,000-square-foot retail/showroom/warehouse facility.

4 -- Sylvan Learning Center of Cape Girardeau announced plans to construct a new office building on West Drive, about half a block north of Denny's.

4 -- Tracey's Place, a new coffeehouse and eatery, opened at 127 W. Main in Jackson, right across from Jackson City Hall.

11 -- St. Louis Bread Co. changed its name to Panera Bread.

11 -- Owners of Dalhousie Golf Club have decided to open a private dining facility at 17 S. Spanish in downtown Cape Girardeau.

11 -- Longtime painters Bill O'Kelly and Mark Schwartz have started their own business called Classic Colors Painting.

11 -- Broadway Station's existence was short-lived. Owner Stephen Majeed has closed the gas station at 600 Broadway.

18 -- DLJ Cape LLC, headed by Daniel Jones, has bought the Cape Girardeau Lorimont development along South Mount Auburn Road.

18 -- Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics has opened at 3065 William St., Suite 205. The medical supply store offered all aspects of orthotics, such as custom-molded and off-the-shelf bracing and cervical collars.

22 -- A farewell festival kicked off to say goodbye to the Holiday Inn in Cape Girardeau. The inn will be torn down to make way for a new Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites.

23 -- Corner Cafe, 117 Themis, closed its doors for good.

25 -- Roy's Tire and Auto recently opened at 408 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson. The owner was Roy White.

25 -- Insta-Cash opened at 67 S. Plaza Way, sharing an office with SEMO Recreational Leagues. It is in the same strip center as Kandy Kane cleaners.

25 -- Emad Salamy has reopened Phoenicia, a Middle Eastern Restaurant on Sprigg Street, after a two-month break.

25 -- Cafe Azu, the new restaurant in the spot that used to be Manee Thai, opened last week. The restaurant features Russian, Ukrainian, German and Polish food.

SEPTEMBER

1 -- River City Imaging was opened by Rick Ross. The center offered outpatient MRIs.

2 -- Developer Jim Maevers has purchased the Albertsons building from the Tennessee group that bought the property when the grocery store closed. Arby's has agreed to buy the spot in the parking lot where the convenience store was and put up a restaurant.

2 -- Ameren Corp. has named Jean M. Mason manager of the company's SEMO Division. Mason replaced Mike Hohlman, who served briefly as manager. Before Hohlman, Doug Groesbeck was Ameren's manager at the Cape Girardeau office.

3 -- Jackson business owners may soon be able to borrow money to recoup losses suffered in the May 6 tornado that affected 13 businesses. The Missouri Department of Economic Development has asked Jackson to sponsor a near $500,000 revolving loan program to allow local businesses to apply for zero percent financing on some loans.

7 -- St. Louis Nights, a blues club operated by T.C. Scruggs, opened at Broadway and Middle.

8 -- Plans were announced for the transformation of the northeast corner of Kingshighway and Bloomfield. The corner, to be called Bloomfield Crossing, would include a new bank branch, a tax service business and an Aaron's Sales and Lease rent-to-own store.

8 -- Kelly Services Inc., a human resources corporation, planned to relocate its Southeast Missouri office to Shawnee Center in Cape Girardeau.

8 -- Emily Terry has started her own photography business called On Location Portraits.

8 -- The new First Community Bank opened at the southwest corner of South Mount Auburn Road and Independence.

10 -- A proposed convenience store-gas station near the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge won approval from Cape Girardeau's Planning and Zoning Commission despite opposition from neighborhood residents who feared it would lower property values, increase traffic congestion and lead to more crime.

13 -- A national small-business lobbying organization, the National Federation of Independent Business, picked the Cape Girardeau region to begin an intense recruitment campaign in hopes of giving small businesses more clout in government.

15 -- The new Saturn car dealership opened on Siemers Drive.

27 -- Gary Rust was inducted into the Missouri Press Association's Newspaper Hall of Fame.

28 -- It was announced that Jim Wilson Co. is closing its doors by the end of the year. In addition to losing their jobs, workers stand to lose millions in retirement money from their stock ownership plan.

29 -- Mr. Tire opened at 915 Broadway next to Dairy Queen. The owner is David McCormick.

OCTOBER

1 -- After a summer of surging gas prices, area residents got a little relief at the pumps as they enjoyed some of the lowest gas prices of the year. Prices dropped 10 cents in the last week to lower the average price of regular unleaded self-serve gasoline in Cape Girardeau to $1.29 and to $1.26 in Jackson.

1 -- The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce awarded its Commitment to Excellence Award to Auto Tire and Parts.

3 -- Organizers of Old Town Cape, a 3-year-old group organized to revitalize the downtown area, said creating new and better defined districts would help attract new businesses as well as offer a new promotional tool for businesses that are already there. What was originally three districts has become six.

5 -- A proposed Bi-State Southern convenience store at Sprigg and Highway 74 won the approval of the Cape Girardeau City Council, despite opposition from some neighbors.

6 -- Stan Thompson and his wife, Kay, along with business partners Ronnie and Pam Wesbecher, proposed a $1 million RV and camping park on North Kingshighway that would feature 100 pull-through spots, five log cabins, a swimming pool, miniature golf and an outdoor pavilion.

6 -- Linda Bohnsack has installed The Garden Gallery, which specializes in high quality, hand-crafted merchandise, above Grace Cafe on the corner of Broadway and Pacific.

6 -- Mark Dirnberger, a longtime local restaurant manager, took over Bella Italia, the popular downtown Italian eatery that he recently bought from John and Jerri Wyman.

8 -- Cape Girardeau city inspectors delivered a message to local businesses: Move those temporary sign boards off city and state rights of way and start complying with city sign regulations.

10 -- About 25 employees from the Schnucks store in Cape Girardeau -- including its manager Dennis Marchi -- worked at Schnucks stores in St. Louis to help the company cope with the first major grocery store strike to ever hit the city.

10 -- A business some residents along Good Hope Street had hoped was closed forever reopened its doors, bringing crowds, noise and restless nights. The Taste was back -- but with no alcohol in the mix. The operator is Patrick Buck.

11 -- St. Louis-based Drury Inns Inc. unveiled plans for a new 180-room hotel in Cape Girardeau in an area that the company hopes eventually will warrant that many rooms. A new seven-story Drury Inn & Suites was planned for a seven-acre tract at the southeast corner of Interstate 55 and Highway 74 on property that also will include three unnamed restaurants.

13 -- Mac's Smokehouse Restaurant, owned by Dave McAllister, closed its doors at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, consolidating operations at the Silver Springs Road location in Cape Girardeau.

15 -- Tootie Hecht, Dan Elkins and Martin Hecht, owners of Hecht's Store, announced they were closing the business that has been part of Cape Girardeau's retail history for 86 years. Martin Hecht's father, Louis Hecht, opened the store in 1917.

20 -- Francine Seier's daughter finally made her late mother's wish come true. Debby Erlbacher took over the flower shop and wedding garden her mother ran for nearly 20 years at 38 N. Pacific St.

20 -- Elan Day Spa, which was bought earlier this year by Vel Green, has closed.

20 -- Family Moving and Storage at 1301 N. Kingshighway expanded to include a new business called All Star Delivery Service. It offered local delivery, including such large items as hot tubs and pianos.

20 -- Rent A Center has bought out Show Me Rent to Own.

31 -- Walter White opened the Ole Country Store at 1007 S. Sprigg, former location of Ratliff's Grocery store.

NOVEMBER

3 -- Teresa Morrill and partners Amanda Chapman and Jerry Taylor have opened a new advertising and marketing agency called AJT Enterprises at 840 S. Kingshighway.

3 -- Miss Print, a small-business print shop, has opened at 891 N. Kingshighway with Tina Parrish as owner.

3 -- Venida Warren has opened Venida's Village at 1135 W. Jackson in Jackson. The shop offers quilting supplies, yarn and thread.

3 -- A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau.

10 -- Meyer's Bakery, devastated by the tornado that struck Jackson in May, will be rebuilt on a site just north of the Citgo on East Jackson Boulevard, across the street from Woodard's restaurant.

10 -- A year after opening, Andrew Johnson has moved his Comix Strip store from 407 Broadway to a larger location at 621 Broadway.

12 -- The Cape Girardeau County Industrial Development Authority approved the issuance of up to $250 million in tax-free revenue bonds to fuel the construction of a $58 million ethanol plant in the Nash Road industrial park. The development could lead to the construction of a companion 20-megawatt power plant.

14 -- Jackson business owners hit by last May's tornado may soon have another source of funding to help rebuild their livelihoods. The Missouri Department of Economic Planning announced it will provide a disaster relief grant of $200,000.

17 -- It was announced that the Grandpa Woo III, a luxury yacht, will offer a variety of cruises that start out at Riverfront Park in Cape Girardeau. Cruises will begin next May.

17 -- Bening Mazda became the new Mazda dealership in Cape Girardeau. The dealer, which already had a dealership in Jackson, was appointed the new dealer by Mazda and in the spot formerly occupied by McDonough Mazda at 2611 Auto Park Drive.

18 -- Restauranteur Su Hill showed off an artist's concept drawing of her new downtown Cape Girardeau project to fellow Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce members at their Business After-hours gathering at Hill's Saffron restaurant. Hill will revitalize the former Keys Music Store building at the corner of Broadway and Spanish streets using a "boutique hotel concept" by opening a pub-style restaurant on the first floor and renting sleeping rooms and luxury apartments on the other two floors.

24 -- Gary and Sandy Helwege have a new strip mall under construction on the 1100 block of North Kingshighway. The strip mall will be on the spot next to Esicar's that used to house the Visiting Nurses Association and the Baker Bottling Co.

24 -- Fred Finnell has opened a new computer services store at 1733 N. Kingshighway -- Cutting Edge Solutions.

24 -- Lazy H Ranchwear and Tack opened at 3862 E. Jackson Blvd., across from the water slide in Jackson. The Lazy H was owned by Nate Hoffman and John Hale.

25 -- Convention and Visitors Bureau officials unveiled a new marketing logo that depicted the sun rising over the Mississippi River and the slogan "where the river turns a thousand tales."

DECEMBER

1 -- Two older commercial buildings -- the former Health Services Corp. of America and the former Dialysis Center -- were torn down last week at I-55 and Bloomfield Road. The prime, high-traffic tract, along with eight adjoining acres, was being cleared to make way for development as a retail spot, an office development or a hotel.

1 -- Soldiers of the 1140th Engineer Battalion of the Army National Guard received their marching orders in support of the war in Iraq. The activation will remove 500 or more soldiers from Southeast Missouri's work force.

1 -- Phoenicia restaurant on Sprigg Street was open but for sale. Emad and Mimi Salamy owned the Cape Girardeau eatery for 12 years.

1 -- Conscious Healing, a natural health and wellness center, opened at 106 Farrar Drive, Suite 103.

1 -- Pyramid Clinical Services announced last week that it acquired Occupational Medical Services at 21 Doctors' Park in Cape Girardeau.

2 -- Dr. Yuzuru Matsuda, the new president of BioKyowa's parent company in Japan, traveled from Tokyo to meet with Cape Girardeau business leaders, promising to strengthen the company and maintain a solid relationship with the community.

2 -- It was announced that Medicine Shoppe International Inc., a chain of retail pharmacies, was aquiring Medicap Pharmacies Inc. A Medicine Shoppe and Medicap Pharmacy sat within 400 yards of each other on Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, but store owners Jim Crain and Ben Tally didn't expect too many changes from the acquisition.

5 -- Thomas L. Meyer, 84, received the first Lifetime Achievement Award from Cape Girardeau County Board of Realtors.

8 -- Kevin Harris, whose family has owned KFCs in the area for almost four decades, has sold the restaurants to A&A Foods of California.

8 -- In an effort to entice big industries, the city of Jackson and the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association considered constructing the first building in Jackson's industrial park.

8 -- A new Realty Executives office was set to open at 1359 N. Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau.

13 -- The $100 million Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge was opened in grand fashion.

15 -- Scott Hamann and Andy Baranovic announced plans to open a downtown restaurant -- Sidewalk Sandwich Co. -- at 119 Themis, the former location of Grace Cafe and Corner Cafe.

15 -- Site work was in progress for a new 8,100-square-foot strip center just south of Schnucks in Cape Girardeau, next to the Dairy Queen. The developer is the Rhodes Group.

15 -- Scott City-based Security Bank and Trust opened its first Cape Girardeau branch at 325 Broadway.

15 -- Chris Kuhn has sold Bootheel Fence Co. to Gardens Edge Nursery in Kelso, owned by Marvin Wormington Jr.

16 -- Charles L. "Charlie" Hutson, 65, president of Hutson Enterprises, died of prostate cancer.

17 -- Southeast Missouri Hospital officials broke ground for a new $15 million medical office building. The building will be named for Charlie Hutson.

17 -- An agreement between businessman Jim Drury and the city of Cape Girardeau ended more than five years of lawsuits over the River Campus project.

22 -- Mike and Judy Bryant opened the Landing Place Airport Restaurant.

31 -- The greater Cape Girardeau area narrowly lost out on its bid to become the home of a new manufacturing plant for the nation's largest manufacturer of synthetic decking that would have created hundreds of new jobs. Winchester, Va.-based Trex Co. Inc. has chosen Metro Industrial Park in Olive Branch, Miss., as the site for a $160 million to $240 million manufacturing facility. But Cape Girardeau was the other finalist for the company.

-- Compiled by Sharon K. Sanders