RCGA MAKES PLANS FOR ANNUAL BANQUET

At its October general membership meeting Wednesday, the Regional Commerce and Growth Association announced plans for its annual banquet, to be held Nov. 7.

Also, Walt Wildman, executive director of the RCGA, said he will schedule a news conference prior to the banquet to announce the start of the feasibility study for I-66. The East- to West-Coast interstate highway proposal is the brainchild of the RCGA.

Wildman said the proposal still is "safe and well" in the new federal highway bill now in Congress.

He also said a St. Louis bypass from Festus to Wentzville has been added to the "Avenue of the Saints" proposal that's part of the highway bill. The RCGA was an ardent proponent of the bypass.

About 20 people attended the meeting held at Cape Girardeau's Holiday Inn. The banquet Nov. 7 will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Drury Lodge. Wildman said the RCGA is still seeking sponsors for the event.

In other business, Bruce Stansil of UR Missouri Inc. discussed his plans for a tire-recycling plant on Nash Road.

Stansil announced the plant in July, when he said it would be in operation "by the end of the summer." At the time, the firm was called UPR Inc., but Stansil said Wednesday that initial investors have since backed out, setting back his plans by "about six months."

Despite his assurances Wednesday that the plant would be forthcoming, he admitted he still lacks the funding necessary to start the operation. How much funding he needs isn't clear.

Stansil said Wednesday that he needs about $300,000 for the plant's operations, but in July he said UPR would make a $2.5 million investment in equipment at the plant over a 12-16 month period.

He contends that by shredding automobile tires and freezing them with liquid nitrogen, various components of the tires can be separated and recycled into various products.

He said that although the plant would be unique in the United States, there are two such plants in Europe that have been operational for a number of years.