News

Newspaper recognized

The Southeast Missourian was recognized for outstanding achievement again by the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association. At the organizations annual convention, the Southeast Missourian won second place for print quality among newspapers with a circulation of less than 25,000.

The contest rated the newspapers on items that included color registration, spot color laydown, black ink density and overall appearance.

D&D opens in Dexter

DEXTER, Mo. -- D&D Ceramics, Crafts and More has opened at 13 S. Locust, A full-service craft shop, D&D is owned by Diane Merritt of Dexter. The store offers classes in ceramics, scrapbooking and card-making from children to senior citizens.

Company destroyed in fire

VAN BUREN, Mo. -- A major employer in Van Buren was destroyed by fire Oct. 18. Warehouse and production buildings at Beamer Handle Co, caught fire around 11:30 p.m., and burned for more than four hours, leaving behind nothing but rubble, according to owner David Keathley.

Beamer employed between 20 and 40 workers. Keathley said he did not know if he would rebuild. The building was not insured because in recent years, Keathley said, it had become increasingly difficult to find a company to write a policy.

The cause of the fire is undetermined.

Celebrating 75 years of funeral service

ANNA, Ill. -- The Crain Funeral Home recently marked 75 years in operation. The Southern Illinois funeral service began in the towns of Pulaski and Tamms on Oct. 20, 1932. Since then, through family growth and buying out competitors, Crain has grown to offer services in Alexander, Union, Pulaski, Williamson and Jackson counties.

The Crains are in their third generation as a family-run business.

Company opens new location

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Aluma Kraft Sales of Poplar Bluff recently held ribbon-cutting ceremony to open its new location for the sale of exterior building products at 3004 Westwood Blvd.

New To You opens

SIKESTON, Mo. -- New to You, the House of Refuge's resale shop, held its grand opening ribbon cutting on Oct. 18. The resale shop is located at 505 Davis Blvd. and is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The business accepts donations of housewares, furniture, clothing, toys, books and movies. To make a donation or to drop off donations call 472-4499.

Quilting Fabrics and Crafts opens

SIKESTON, Mo. -- A ribbon cutting was conducted Oct. 24 to officially open Quilting, Fabric and Crafts, 620 S. Kingshighway in Sikeston. Owned by David and Georgia McAfee of Sikeston, the new business will seek to provide all the sewing and craft needs for Southeast Missouri residents. The business opened Oct. 15, and will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Penzel Construction wins national awards for design/build project

Penzel Construction received recognition as the 2007 Church Category winner in the Varco Pruden Buildings Hall of Fame. The 2007 award was presented to First Baptist Church of Cape Girardeau and Penzel by Saed Moradi, District Manager for Varco Pruden Buildings. VP's annual Hall of Fame national competition recognizes outstanding facilities constructed by VP Authorized Builders. Criteria include excellence in design, quality, and construction. Penzel Construction Company is a repeat winner of the award. In addition the First Baptist Church building recently won the National Honor Award from the National Association of Church Design Builders.

Verizon upgrades data speeds for Southeast Mo.

Southeast Missouri has a new source of broadband Internet access with the announcement that Verizon Wireless upgraded its systems to provide data at speeds five to 10 times faster than previously available.

The company has turned on the new EVDo, or Evolution Data Optimized, standard for its coverage areas. The result, said spokeswoman Cheryl Bini Armbrecht, is a switch from data speeds similar to a dial-up Internet connection to speeds comparable to broadband connections.

The new data standard supports a wireless Internet modem plugged into laptop computers as well as hand-held devices such as Blackberries and a host of other devices designed specifically for accessing such content as videos and music, Armbrecht said.

The coverage area for the new offering will be concentrated along major highways, from Perryville in the north along Interstate 55 to Kennett in the south. Along U.S. 60, the coverage will extend from Poplar Bluff to Charleston, she said.

The coverage areas include all of Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Sikeston and Poplar Bluff.

Obtaining broadband coverage in rural areas is sometimes difficult if not impossible. A study of rural broadband access by two members of the Missouri Public Service Commission, released in September, reported that approximately one in five Missouri households do not have access to broadband service. Those without the service are concentrated in rural areas.

And while he welcomes the new service, commissioner Robert M. Clayton III, one of the reports authors, said it is unlikely to make a big dent in those numbers. Clayton helped write the report on broadband access.

The plan described by Verizon, Clayton said, seems "limited to corridors or larger towns like Cape Girardeau that already have services. There are more options in the larger communities. It could be a part of a bigger solution but by itself it is not enough."