After more than a year of planning, the Gibson Recovery Center has begun its renovations.

The local drug and alcohol addiction treatment center is making some much-needed facility improvements, according to its organizers.

Bonds issued by the Industrial Development Authority of Cape Girardeau County are financing the project, the Southeast Missourian reported in December.

The authority issues bonds for such projects so borrowers can take advantage of tax-exempt financing, "thus enhancing the borrower's ability to provide services at a reasonable cost," according to materials the Cape Girardeau City Council received at its December meeting.

The center gets its operating funds through a combination of local and state monies for mental health treatment, grants and client fees.

The project is to fix up the Linden Street Center mostly for aesthetic upgrades, chief operating officer Ryan Essex said. The building was built about 25 years ago and never has received any major upgrades.

The building is one of three Gibson maintains in Cape Girardeau, and it houses only male occupants.

Gibson is a state-licensed, nationally accredited behavioral health treatment program, Essex said.

"In that particular building, we provide medical detox services, residential services, outpatient community support, and we have a capacity for 16 residents there at any given time," he said.

The project is estimated to cost $150,000. In addition to the bonds, fundraising and donations have been accepted from local individuals and companies.

Essex estimated the project will be completed by July 1, and the center will not have to close during the renovations.

TG Missouri finishes afforestation project

More than 1,300 volunteers registered for the second North American Afforestation Planting project Sunday, planting 22,000 trees at TG Missouri in Perryville, Missouri.

The company recruited a local celebrity to entertain during the event.

Perryville native Chris Janson performs regularly at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. He recently signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records, and his recent single, "Buy Me a Boat," hit No. 1 on the iTunes country chart after its March 20 debut.

The multistep aforestation project began last year, based on the method of a Japanese botanist and plant ecology expert who visited Perryville in August to meet with business and civic leaders.

TG Missouri, a division of Toyoda Gosei, makes steering wheels, air bags, side molding and interior and exterior plastic trim components for automobiles. The company's Perryville campus employs more than 1,200.

During the fall, the company identified and prepared ground in front of its facility near Route 51 for tree planting, according to a news release from TG Missouri.

Afforestation establishes a forest in an area where there was none. The practice is believed to help prevent erosion, increase water supply, provide habitat for wildlife and reduce carbon dioxide in the air, according to information on Toyoda Gosei's afforestation projects.

Akira Miyawaki, director of the Japanese Center for International Studies in Ecology, led the project and, according to Toyoda Gosei, has planted tens of millions of trees using his method.

Coin-Op Cantina holds grand opening

Coin-Op Cantina at 46 N. Main St. in Cape Girardeau hosted a grand opening Friday and Saturday in the space formerly occupied by Cup 'N' Cork downtown.

The cantina is a nonsmoking bar and has classic arcade games such as "Mortal Kombat 2" and "Donkey Kong."

It is owned by Latt Browne and Jason and Jeff Mungle.

Southeast Smiles opens new location

Southeast Smiles Pediatric Dentistry has opened a new office at 2116 Megan Drive, with Dr. Patricia Merkley at the helm.

A grand-opening celebration is scheduled from 4 to 7 p.m. May 29.

Small-business owners show more confidence

U.S. Bank has released new numbers showing small-business owners in Missouri are feeling more confident about the economy.

Here are findings of the 2015 U.S. Bank Small Business Annual Survey:

• Only 27 percent of small-business owners say they believe the national economy still is in a recession. That's down from 37 percent last year and 53 percent the year before.
• Respondents still are cautious, however, about making investments in their businesses. Only 34 percent reported being likely to make a capital expenditure in the next year, and 24 percent plan to add staff.
• Small-business owners in Missouri continue to favor mobile technology, with 70 percent integrating it into their strategies. Also, 70 percent of respondents maintain a social media presence, including Facebook and LinkedIn.

Reporter Savanna Maue contributed to this report.