PORT SETS TONNAGE RECORD FOR SECOND MONTH IN ROW

SCOTT CITY -- Activity is continuing to boom at the public dock of the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority.

At the monthly meeting of the port's board of commissioners this week, Chairman Mysie Keene announced that for the second consecutive month, a single month record was set for net tonnage moving through the port.

"This is the highest our tonnage has ever been," said Keene. "We're quite pleased."

Tonnage in April was 47,640, which surpassed the record set in March of 42,947 tons. That March figure smashed the previous single month record of 37,488 tons, which was established in June last year.

For the first four months of 1994, tonnage has totaled 139,361, which is more than half of the tonnage total of 259,338 for the entire year in 1993.

In other business, the board approved a recommendation from Irvin Garms, chairman of the construction committee, for approval and closure of a contract for paving of the port dock. The motion was approved unanimously.

The paving was one of the projects funded by a grant from the federal Economic Development Administration.

Executive Director Dan Overbey brought the commissioners up to date on efforts to secure proper environmental permits for the extension of Nash Road eastward into the port. By securing the permits, Overbey explained the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department will be able to move forward with the project. Tentative plans are to bid the project in September.

Overbey also reported on a trip he made recently to Jefferson City with officials of the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association, where they told the Missouri Department of Economic Development what the port authority has to offer.

Among those making the trip was Joe Gambill, a member of the port board and also the chairman of the industrial recruitment association.

It was also reported that officials of Lady Luck Gaming had met with the port's gaming committee to discuss the casino operator's plans for a riverboat gambling development in Scott City.

Lady Luck officials are hoping to get approval to dock a boat along the Diversion Channel. They discussed the need to construct a draw bridge for the port's short line railroad as part of the project.

Keene said the cost of the bridge and the need to provide funding for maintenance of the bridge was discussed, in addition to other matters.