Business timeline

~ Editor's note: Entries without an exact date occurred within the month.

January

* McDowell South, 4670 E. Jackson Blvd., Jackson, switched from selling used cars to selling RVs, campers, horse trailers and a variety of heavy duty trucks.

3. Ed Radetic and Jeff Unterreiner opened a restaurant with a split personality: Dairy Queen/Fresco on North Sprigg Street in Cape Girardeau.

3. Charter Communications and Rhodes 101 swapped corporate spots, with Rhodes purchasing Charter's corporate office building at 1620 N. Kingshighway last year, and Charter moving into Rhodes' old office space on Nash Road in Cape Girardeau.

3. Peddler's Corner opened at a new location, 18 N. Sprigg St., Cape Girardeau. The old location was 6 N. Sprigg St.

3. Alam Zahed and Shah Reeza filed a business license to open a new convenience store in Cape Girardeau at 2861 Themis St.

7. Southeast Missouri farmer Fred Ferrell was appointed to the state's top agricultural seat as agriculture director.

8. Driven largely by high-profile commercial projects like the Marquette Tower, Old Navy and two new auto dealerships, the number of commercial building permits issued by Cape Girardeau shot up 46 percent in 2004 to 41, the most in 10 years.

10. Rick Hetzel, owner of Cape Girardeau House Doctors and R. Hetzel Properties LLC, discontinued the home repair component of House Doctors, focusing primarily on real estate development in the Cape Girardeau area.

10. Retired insurance agent Bob Krone established Bob Krone Photography.

10. Michael and Brenda Seyer sold Flori Heating and Cooling in Cape Girardeau to Larry and Don Rice.

17. Accounting partners Bill Shott and Mel Van de Ven decided to part ways after 38 years in December. Both men opened separate CPA offices in Cape Girardeau.

17. Tedd Powers opened a consulting business in Cape Girardeau that offered management consulting for firms and employee training and development.

17. Mid-America Hotels Corp. leased the tennis courts in the former Universal Health and Fitness Center to the Southeast Missouri State University women's tennis team.

17. Cortney Coomer opened Style Studio at 518 Second St. East in Jackson.

18. The old Eggimann Feed & Seed building, 514 Independence St., in Cape Girardeau was razed. Vince Kelley plans to put a new building there and lease it as a restaurant, a coffee shop or office space after the Federal Building across the street is completed.

24. Robertson's Creative Photography moved from the Victorian house at Broadway and Frederick in Cape Girardeau across the street to share space with Annie Laurie's Antiques. The businesses are owned by Steve and Mary Ann Robertson.

24. Misty and Trae Thrower announced plans to close Out of Bounds Bar and Grill on Highway 177, choosing instead to focus their time on the Bel Air Grillin downtown Cape Girardeau.

28. Jim Limbaugh, president of First National Bank of Cape Girardeau, received the 2004 Rush H. Limbaugh Award from the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. The chamber's Small Business of the Year Award went to Minor's Harley-Davidson and Suzuki Sales.

31. Tom Martin of Wichita, Kan., owner of Aaron's Sales and Leasing in Cape Girardeau, bought out Roy Griffaw's Express Rent to Own.

February

3. Lone Star Industries, which produced almost 1.5 million tons of cement last year, purchased 27 acres of property near its Cape Girardeau plant, a move that will increase the company's rock quarry by nearly a fourth and provide enough limestone for another 15 years of operation.

7. The Panera Bread Co. confirmed plans to build a free-standing bakery-cafe near the new Holiday Inn Express on William Street in Cape Girardeau.

7. With the U.S. Air Force Recruiting Station moving from the Broadway strip mall in Cape Girardeau, Erik Minkin, owner of Cafe Azu, made plans to expand into that space.

* Construction began on First State Community Bank's new two-story building at the corner of Broadview and William Street in Cape Girardeau.

* Dirt work began on Andy's Frozen Custard at 829 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. It was expected to be finished in time for a spring opening.

9. Kohta Fujiwara, president of BioKyowa Inc., announced plans to retire at the end of the month. Fujiwara, who had been in Cape Girardeau since 1998, was 60 years old.

* Alan Soskin announced that Coad Chevrolet was in the process of buying Soskin Toyota Mitsubishi.

14. Dynesha Swan opened The Cut barber shop at 623 Good Hope St. in Cape Girardeau.

* Yoga East, an affiliate studio of Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, opened at 1606 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau.

* Century 21 broker/owner Ken Inman announced the purchase and merger of Trentham & Associates, with offices in Marble Hill, Mo., and Jackson.

21. Pamela Sue Kirkwood opened Elegant Wedding Photography at 20 N. Pacific St. in Cape Girardeau, next to Francine's.

* Joyce Hunter left her post as senior marketing director at Westfield Shoppingtown West Park to become co-director of marketing for Buchheit, the home center with Missouri stores in Jackson, Perryville and Herculaneum and Illinois stores in Sparta and Jacksonville.

28. Jackson Primary Care moved its family practice to 2685 E. Main St., Suite A, in Jackson.

28. Gertis, Lester, Dameron & Associates -- an engineering firm operated by Mark Lester, Melanie Gertis and Jaclyn Dameron -- opened at 1301 N. Kingshighway, Suite L.

* Best Rate Mortgage of Cape Girardeau leased professional office space at 2201 Walton in Jackson, with plans to move there in March.

28. Cameron Mitchell of Jackson bought House Doctors from Rick Hetzel.

28. SEMO Box Co. neared completion of a 40,000-square-foot expansion which would add warehouse space to the existing warehouse on Nash Road in Cape Girardeau.

* Silver Saddle Dance Club opened at 330 S. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

March

1. Krieger's owner Mark VanMatre unveiled a heated, enclosed sports patio that was available year-round.

1. Kelly Montoya opened Tri-State Flooring at 1001 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

7. Ultimate Flooring Inc., opened inside House of Color II -- formerly MAB Paint -- at 1802 Broadway in Cape Girardeau.

7. Peter Chan sold his popular Cape Girardeau Chinese restaurant to Nicky Liu. It was renamed New Chan's.

8. Lisa's House of Hair and Sun opened at 2031 Independence St. in the strip mall next to the skating rink in Cape Girardeau.

10. A Jackson Chamber of Commerce search committee began interviewing applicants for the executive director position. The current director, Ken Parrett, announced his resignation in late November last year and said he'd stay until the end of March to help with the transition period.

10. Judy Barks-Westrich, an art teacher for 30 years, opened the Artist Studio at 38-A N. Main St. in Cape Girardeau.

14. Renovation continued on the former First Baptist Church education building on Broadway in Cape Girardeau. Southeast Missouri State University transformed the building into the school's new business innovation center.

14. Mac's Smokehouse closed its Silver Springs Road location in Cape Girardeau and moved to Shawneetown.

18. Kerasotes Theaters began looking at a major upgrade for its Town Plaza Cinema in Cape Girardeau. One option: A brand new theater that would better compete with Wehrenberg's behemoth Cape West 14 Cine on Siemers Drive.

* Ashley Furniture Homestore opened at 4700 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson.

19. An early-morning fire destroyed a landmark downtown restaurant. At 5:25 a.m., Cape Girardeau firefighters were dispatched to Bella Italia restaurant at 20 N. Spanish St., where they found smoke and flames pouring from the windows. Owner of the restaurant was Mark Dirnberger.

21. Car-Mart made plans to move from 134 S. Sprigg St. to the old Breadeaux Pizza building at 1455 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

21. Garrett Schwartz opened a new land title company in Cape Girardeau called Guardian Land Title LLC, at 1469 N. Kingshighway.

25. The Unusual Shop, selling old but nice household goods, furniture, glassware, some antiques and other collectibles, was opened at 709 William St. in Cape Girardeau by Howard McGee.

28. The U.S. Postal Service purchased the Cape Girardeau post office building on Frederick Street it vacated a year ago and announced plans to renovate the structure and move back in by September.

28. ProCare Medical Equipment opened at 1417 N. Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau. The business was owned by Debbie Smith.

30. Marybeth Williams, a longtime volunteer and member of many clubs and organizations, was hired to be the next Jackson Chamber of Commerce executive director.

31. Shangrila -- the area's only Indian restaurant -- closed at Westfield Shoppingtown West Park in Cape Girardeau.

April

1. Riverfront Antique Mall opened at 19 N. Main Street in Cape Girardeau, the former home of Carol's Closet. The owners were Kevin and Debbie Schearf.

1. Toni Steele and Tim Butler opened a new hip-hop clothing store at 439 Broadway in Cape Girardeau: Platinum Beauty.

2. After providing service here for six decades, Greyhound pulled out of the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport for the last time, a victim of poor ridership and the bus company's reorganizational plans to cut stops across the country.

4. A spokesman for Greater Missouri Builders of St. Charles, Mo., owners of the Town Plaza in Cape Girardeau since 1972, said the Sears Shopping Center may be demolished to make way for a new tenant, after Sears moves to its new location later in the year.

4. The Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee voted unanimously in Jefferson City to approve a certificate of need for a new long-term health-care facility, Landmark Hospital of Cape Girardeau. The $5 million facility was under construction at 3255 Independence St.

4. Don Ganim opened the Lily Pad nightclub above Jeremiah's in downtown Cape Girardeau.

7. A new Kohl's retail store opened in Cape Girardeau, employing 185 workers.

11. A new floral shop, Faire's Ltd., opened at 401 N. Clark Ave., in Cape Girardeau. The owner of the business was Darrell Faire.

* The Book Rack moved to 50 S. Plaza Way from 89 S. Plaza Way in Cape Girardeau. Owner John Hendricks sold new and used books at reduced costs.

12. Bill Lewis, who provided a spark for many folks in the morning at his Cape Girardeau restaurant, Wimpy's, 506 S. Kingshighway, died at age 76.

14. Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt chose his Cape Girardeau County campaign coordinator -- lawyer Gerry Jones -- to run the Jackson license bureau, replacing the Southeast Missouri University Foundation, which had operated the office for the past dozen years.

15. Anheuser-Busch Co. dropped its threat to boycott Missouri's rice crop after a biotechnology firm agreed to grow its genetically engineered rice farther away from commercial rice farms in the Bootheel. The agreement ended a dispute among the beer giant, the state and California-based Ventria Biosciences, which wanted to grow about 200 acres of genetically modified rice to produce human proteins used in drugs.

18. The last Oldsmobile was sold in Cape Girardeau following the decision by General Motors to discontinue the Oldsmobile brand.

18. Mark Kneer, circulation manager for the Southeast Missourian, said the newspaper's home-delivery circulation in February was the highest it had been for that month in 19 years. That momentum carried over into March, and home delivery of the Missourian was up 2.6 percent from last year.

19. Charter Communications cut the ribbon at its new payment center at 623 S. Silver Springs Road, Suite 500, in Cape Girardeau.

23. Ryan Humphries and Chuck McGinty opened a new polish-and-smoked-sausage stand geared toward the late-night bar crowd. The stand was located outside CP McGinty's on Main Street in Cape Girardeau.

* Drury Development Corp. announced plans to build a new 20,000-square-foot shopping center, to be named Lambert Plaza, on property south of Hollywood Video at the corner of Lambert and Siemers drives in Cape Girardeau.

* Huffman Insurance Agency opened at 821C Broadway in Cape Girardeau. Larry Henderson said they would sell all types of insurance: auto, home, commercial, health, etc.

29. A new Salvation Army thrift store opened at 1969 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson.

29. Plastic ignited and caused a small fire at the Nordenia plant at Highway 177 and Route J near Cape Girardeau around 10:30 p.m. Employees put it out with a fire extinguisher before fire department personnel arrived.

May

1. Dana Corp.'s Cape Girardeau plant, manufacturers of axle components, laid off 32 workers.

* Westfield Shoppingtown West Park in Cape Girardeau changed its name to Westfield West Park.

2. First Midwest Bank opened a branch office at 2319 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson.

4. The American Cancer Society held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new offices at 106 Farrar Drive, Suite 104, in Cape Girardeau .

5. D-Mart Convenience stores in Cape Girardeau and Jackson began selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

5. Postmaster Mike Keefe revealed that a temporary west side retail post office could be in operation in Cape Girardeau within a month.

9. Montgomery Bank announced the acquisition of a 1 1/2-acre site from Drury Southwest for the construction of a new full-service branch in Cape Girardeau. Location of the new 3,000-square-foot facility was on Mount Auburn Road just south of William Street.

* Work began on a new 2 1/2-story building on the downtown parking lot north of Broadway between Water and Main streets in downtown Cape Girardeau. Owner was local lawyer Mark Johnson.

* Peder Leth of FSI Heartland purchased the old police substation at 629 Good Hope in Cape Girardeau. He planned to use the building as a mix of office space.

11. The purchase of the Foamex plant on Nash Road by Leggett & Platt was announced. Foamex International Inc., a maker of foam products, recently sold its rubber and felt carpet cushion business to Leggett & Platt, including the Cape Girardeau rubber manufacturing facility.

12. John L. Oliver Jr., 62, a prominent Cape Girardeau lawyer who earned statewide respect for his legal knowledge, died at his home.

14 & 15. The grand opening of the Missouri Department of Conservation's nature center in Cape Girardeau County Park North was celebrated.

16. Hutson's Fine Furniture in Cape Girardeau opened its new Broyhill Furniture showplace. According to Chris Hutson, Hutson's had the designation of Broyhill Gallery for 20 years. This was upgraded to the next level -- a showplace.

18. Jackson Tire Center celebrated 25 years under the ownership of Charlie and Donna Glueck.

18. Three Cape Girardeau businessmen agreed to buy Cape Girardeau's aging Public Works building and six-acre site on Kingshighway for $1 million, a move that Mayor Jay Knudtson said would help the city recover costs associated with the purchase of a new building for its Public Works Department. The buyers were Mark and Scott Rhodes and Adam Kidd. They planned to raze the old brick building and other smaller buildings on the site.

30. Dollar Tree, the nation's largest $1 discount variety store chain, opened at its new location in the former Circuit City building at 164 Siemers Drive in Cape Girardeau.

31. Fire at Sun Loan Co., 2007 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau, was confined to its point of origin, but there was heavy heat and smoke damage throughout the business and light smoke damage in the businesses on both sides of Sun Loan. Police were investigating the suspicious fire, as well as the theft of money from the business' safe.

June

1. Contours Express opened in the Town Plaza in Cape Girardeau in the spot formerly occupied by 3 R's.

1. Best One Tire & Service opened a commercial, retail and retread tire center at 5308 U.S. 61 in Fruitland.

1. Ray Duffey sold Bootheel Area Rapid Transportation in Cape Girardeau to Tom and Kathy Hecht.

1. Slumberland, a furniture store, opened in the former Sleepy Hollow building on North Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

6. Eula McSpadden, 80, of Jackson marked her 50th year as a beautician.

8. John and Jerrianne Wyman announced that they had reached an agreement to sell the most historic restaurant in Cape Girardeau. The Royal N'Orleans was sold to Ed Radetic, a local lawyer and restaurateur who also owned the Dairy Queens in Cape Girardeau and Jackson.

9. To the delight of diners everywhere, three restaurants announced they were coming to Cape Girardeau: White Castle, a new free-standing Panera Bread and Olive Garden.

9. River Ridge Winery near Commerce, Mo., expanded its operation, purchasing 72 acres adjacent to its property.

* After 40 years in business, Richard Weber, 75, closed Weber TV and Appliance Sales and Service in Cape Girardeau.

* The Drury Lodge at the intersection of Interstate 55 and William Street in Cape Girardeau underwent extensive renovations and updates, giving the hotel the feel of a lodge-style structure.

* Jan Watkins reopened her home-decor and gift shop, Apropos, at 117 E. Jefferson St. in Jackson. She moved the business to Cape Girardeau after a tornado destroyed the Jackson shop a few years ago.

* The Hertz franchise took over the local Cape Girardeau franchise at 879 N. Kingshighway that was locally owned by Charlene Bach.

16. A farmers market began operating in Jackson on the parking lot of the former Schaper grocery store at Washington and Union.

16. The Southeast Missourian building, 301 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

18. Spa 151 On the River, a luxury spa, opened at 151 S. Spanish St. in Cape Girardeau.

20. The new Holiday Inn Express opened in Cape Girardeau.

20. Workers began tearing down the building that once housed the Taste Lounge, 402 Good Hope St. in Cape Girardeau. The owner of the structure was Michael Pryor.

20. Car wash owner Jeff Crain closed several of his Cape Girardeau car washes, including the ones at 501 Themis St., 620 Emerald St. and 10 S. West End Blvd.

* Dexter, Mo.-based Pro-Tire purchased the 15,000-square-foot building on 2.89 acres at 2310 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson with plans to open a full-service tire and automotive operation there. It was the former location of Sander's True Value Hardware.

20. Cape Care for Women relocated to Saint Francis Medical Center's Health and Wellness Center in Cape Girardeau.

20. Cash Advance opened in King's Center, 1131 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

20. The R.A. Fulenwider Meritorious Community Service Award, given annually at the Jackson Chamber of Commerce banquet, was presented to the Rev. Sam Roethemeyer, pastor of Emanuel United Church of Christ. Also at the banquet, Central States Coca-Cola was named Business of the Year, and New Lenco Corp. was named Industry of the year. Jackson dentist T. Wayne Lewis was honored for small business of the year for his 13-person office.

* The former Davis Electric building at 230 N. Spring St. in Cape Girardeau was sold. Christopher A. Lix, a local contractor, purchased the property, which is just off North Kingshighway. Plans were to renovate the building into commercial lease spaces.

* Rose Bed Inn owners Eldon Natier and James Coley opened a wedding chapel in the 600 block of South Sprigg St. in Cape Girardeau. They also opened the Ramblin' Rose, a completely furnished three-bedroom guest house in the same block.

* Precious Memories in Jackson was bought from Tonya Landewee by longtime employee Anita Jones.

* C&C Auto Repairs opened at 447 N. Main St. in Cape Girardeau. The owner was Leonard Copen.

29. Businesses near the intersection of Broadway and Henderson Avenue in Cape Girardeau continued to suffer road construction woes. The redesign of the intersection, which began May 5, gobbled up valuable parking spaces, cut into profits and sent customers into the arms of their competitors.

July

1. Cape Milling LLC, a startup company, received approval of a $750,000 federal loan. The funding allowed the company to set up shop at Southeast Missouri Port Authority at Scott City in a space previously occupied by Riverport Terminals.

2. Carol Littge closed the doors of Pockets, the sports bar she owned for four years in the Plaza Galleria, with plans to reopen at 1444 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau.

5. The Way Christian Books and Gifts opened at a new location, the former site of the Old Country Spanish Shop, 3862 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson.

11. Jerry and Pura Fitzgerald announced plans to open Sweet Things, a bakery, at 1908 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau.

* Roughly 32 acres of property were purchased on U.S. 61 North in Jackson for a new mixed-use development with plans to incorporate commercial, duplex and single-family sections. Donker's Inc., owned by Jerry Stoverink and Jason Liley, recently acquired the prime Jackson acreage from Larry and Audrey Borgfield.

11. KFVS12 in Cape Girardeau purchased the house directly behind the television station's building with plans to raze the house for parking.

* Smith & Co. Engineers relocated to 1021 Kingsway Drive, Suite 2, in Cape Girardeau.

* Jamie Burgfeld-Hefner opened what she called an "upscale consignment boutique" called New To You in uptown Jackson.

* Nearly $2.4 million in state job-training money was awarded to 81 Missouri manufacturers, including first-round grants to three local companies. Under the state assistance program, Procter & Gamble's local plant received $34,500 to train 84 employees, S&W Cabinets in Chaffee received $8,263 to train 10 employees, and Ole Hickory Pits in Cape Girardeau received $6,900 to train 15 employees.

14. The U.S. Small Business Administration took possession of its new Cape Girardeau office. However, it would be several weeks before a business development specialist was hired to man the office.

* Bening Mazda, 460 Siemers Drive in Cape Girardeau, acquired a building permit to erect a new building designed by Grojean Architects.

* Street construction work in Cape Girardeau damaged Cafe Azu's business to the extent that the owner, Erik Minkin, placed his European-style restaurant on the sales block.

18. Work continued on Southeast Missouri Hospital's new medical office building, being constructed along Broadway in Cape Girardeau.

18. After operating in Cape Girardeau under the name Copi-Rite for 37 years, the well-known photocopier dealership changed its business name to The Rite Group.

22. Cape Shoe Co. closed its doors in Cape Girardeau after a five-year attempt by owner Eli Fishman. Fishman called it an experiment, saying he wanted to reverse the trend of sending U.S. manufacturing jobs overseas.

* First Class, offering formal wear, opened at Westfield West Park in Cape Girardeau.

* Curtis Suderman took up residence in the Jackson Chamber of Commerce building to set up his business, the Mind's Eye. Suderman does architectural illustrations and 3-D animation for clients.

* Steve Lacy bought two car washes at 501 Themis St. and 620 Emerald St., both in Cape Girardeau.

* Steve Pleimann opened Steve's Auto at 2769 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson.

27. Clothing retailer Steve & Barry's University Sportswear opened a store at Westfield West Park in Cape Girardeau.

28. Ground was broken for the new stand-alone Panera Bread in front of Holiday Inn Express in Cape Girardeau.

August

1. Howard's Sporting Goods in Cape Girardeau celebrated its 60th anniversary. Dave Howard, who with his brother took over the business in the 1970s from their father, turned the operation over to longtime employee Terry Slattery.

1. Lee Winters opened Advanced Audio at 1815 Cape LaCroix Road in Cape Girardeau.

1. Curves for Women opened at its new location, 623 S. Silver Springs Road in Cape Girardeau.

1. The family-owned Younghouse Distributing of Cape Girardeau reorganized. The retail and wholesale party goods business in Cape Girardeau was still owned by the Younghouse family, but who owns what changed. Rob Younghouse and his wife, Laura, purchased the retail part of the business from his brothers, Fred and Dan. Fred Younghouse became the sole owner of the wholesale section of the business.

1. West Side Camera relocated after nearly 20 years at its original location, 101 N. Kingshighway, to 835 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. The business was owned by Frank Bagbey.

6. William H. Brinkopf, founder of Sunny Hill Pet Center in Cape Girardeau, died at age 79.

* Mark Allen closed Golf Mart at 351 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, after a five-year run. Business was good, but he couldn't turn down an opportunity to go to work for Plus 2 International and help design golf clubs.

* Phase 1 of Jackson Manor's remodeling project was completed in Jackson.

11. The Midwest's worst drought in 17 years caused barge operators to lighten their loads, as the Mississippi River continued to fall.

14. An intentionally-set fire caused light damage to a Cape Girardeau building. At 4:41 a.m., firefighters responded to a call from CRS Gas and Liquor at 102 Mason St. There was light smoke damage to the inside of the building and some fire damage to the front wall, with an estimated loss of $4,000.

15. Construction progressed on the new Shogun Japanese Steakhouse and sushi bar at 289 S. Broadview St. in Cape Girardeau.

15. Ed Radetic decided to separate Fresco from the Dairy Queen on North Sprigg Street in Cape Girardeau. He hoped to have Fresco up and running somewhere along Kingshighway by November.

15. Gas prices in Cape Girardeau reached a record-high price, hovering between $2.36 and $2.54.

* Memories Made and More, featuring Missouri-made products, opened at 110 Themis in downtown Cape Girardeau by Gary and Mary Johnson.

18. Minneapolis-based Target Corp. confirmed plans to expand its store at 202 Siemers Drive in Cape Girardeau.

22. Waldenbooks confirmed that it was leaving the Cape Girardeau mall. American Eagle Outfitters, adjacent to the bookstore, planned to expand into that spot.

22. Jay Santi planned to open a Jay's Barbecue in Jackson, at the spot recently vacated by Woodard's at 1830 E. Jackson Blvd.

22. Heartland Mechanical and Appliances opened at 408 Commercial St. in Cape Girardeau. It was owned by Mohammad Abuthuder.

* The Environmental Protection Agency found contaminated groundwater at the former Missouri Electric Works site in Cape Girardeau. It proposed monitoring the groundwater for the next 30 years on the 6.4-acre Superfund site on South Kingshighway.

25. The grand opening of the $800,000 Jackson Senior Center was held at its new building at 2690 Travelers Way in Jackson.

* Jim Woods opened a sales office for Hi-Tech Communications at 623 S. Silver Springs Road in Cape Girardeau.

30. Chlorogen Inc., a St. Louis-based bioscience company, wanted to break ground on a new manufacturing and research facility in Cape Girardeau next year, but its chief executive said the firm would need about $10 million in state tax credits and incentives to make it feasible.

September

1. Crown Nissan began construction of a new building on Siemers Drive in Cape Girardeau.

* Carol-Cyn's and its sister store, Carol's Closet, added a "bargain room" with 3,000 square feet of merchandise. The store was at 4 S. Pacific St. in Cape Girardeau.

* First State Bank moved into its new location at 2527 William St. in Cape Girardeau.

2. Fire erupted in a storeroom at J.C. Penney, forcing the evacuation of Westfield West Park. Cape Girardeau firefighters quickly subdued the blaze, which was reported shortly after 7:30 p.m.

6. Meals in Thyme, allowing home cooks to gather in a commercial kitchen and assemble prepared ingredients, opened at 1131 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. The business was operated by Cindy Berry, Janet Johnson and Lisa Begley.

6. Former county prosecutor Gordon Glaus joined Jeff Dix's law practice. The new Cape Girardeau firm was called Dix & Glaus LLC, Attorneys at Law.

7. Featuring Cajun and Creole influences, Chez Natchez opened its doors at 707 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, the former location of Rose of Broadway. The restaurant was operated by Kathy Broussard.

13. Texas Roadhouse opened along Interstate 55 near Doctor's Park in Cape Girardeau.

* Construction started on a new Sonic Drive-In Restaurant at 262 Siemers Drive inCape Girardeau.

* White Castle opened in Cape West Business Park in the former Lion's Choice building.

* B&M Aerial, which provided industrial equipment, relocated to Highway 74 in Cape Girardeau.

* El Durango, a Mexican restaurant, opened at Westfield West Park in Cape Girardeau.

* High Street Station, owned by Sue Walker and her two daughters, Lisa Walker and Lynette Strange, opened in the King's Center strip mall, 1131 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

* Cup 'n' Cork, a wine and coffee bar, opened in downtown Cape Girardeau on Main Street.

* Broadview Holdings Inc. -- doing business as Century 21 Ashland, Century 21 Key and Century 21 Heartland -- purchased Century 21 Brown & Associates in Perryville, Mo., and changed its name to Century 21 Heartland. That meant the Inmans owned three Century 21 Heartland offices, including offices in Marble Hill, Mo., and Jackson.

26. Randy Bailey and Jeff Robinson worked to convert the former Lorberg Funeral Home, 433 S. Sprigg St. in Cape Girardeau, into an "entertainment complex."

26. China Buffet opened at 2146 William St. in Cape Girardeau.

* Rebecca and Larry Summary purchased the former Lueders Photography building, 427 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, with plans to open it to several businesses, including Larry Summary's Select Certified Appraisal business.

28. Security Bank & Trust celebrated its 100th anniversary, hosting a display called "Conversations with America, Parade Through the Decades," which featured Parade magazine's covers from 1941 to the present. The bank opened as the First State Bank of Edna, Mo.

30. Illustrious Jack's reopened at 205 S. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. It was the second incarnation of the frozen custard shop.

October

1. The Southeast Missourian ended its yearlong centennial celebration with a block party -- featuring magic, music, a town crier, a parade, food and drinks.

1. Carlos and Emmagene Ratliff, owners of Ratliff Care Center in Cape Girardeau, observed 40 years in the nursing home business.

1. Cape Girardeau's recycling drop-off facility officially opened at its new location, 2007 Southern Expressway.

1. Certified financial planner John Wolpers opened Ameriprise Financial Services at 309 Frederick St. in Cape Girardeau. Wolpers moved the former American Express Financial Advisors here from Poplar Bluff, Mo., although he still kept an office there.

3. Two years of hard negotiations culminated with the opening of the Cape Girardeau's new Sears Grand, a new 149,000-square-foot retailer, just the sixth of its kind in the country.

* Michelle and Shannon Seabaugh opened Jackson Soda Blasting, using baking soda and water -- along with a mobile unit -- to strip and clean just about anything.

3. Steve Robertson announced his former location, a brick home on Broadway in Cape Girardeau, was sold to Janet Woods and Jo Ann Bohnert, who intended to open a bookstore and coffee shop there.

3. The new Sonic Drive-in of North Pointe on Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau opened.

5. Dan Mehan, executive director of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce & Industry, announced that the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce had been named the 2005 Chamber of Commerce of the year.

5. Rose Concrete Products of Cape Girardeau received the 2005 Commitment to Excellence Award given by the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

6. Cape Girardeau city and company officials announced that a new airplane manufacturing firm, Commander Premier Aircraft Corp., would be established in the wake of the bankruptcy of Renaissance Aircraft. Commander was in the process of relocating its airplane manufacturing firm from Bethany, Okla., to the regional airport.

* Dr. Brad Robinson, a Cape Girardeau psychiatrist, opened a separate business that was housed in his practice. Academic Answers was a service for students struggling in school and their families.

10. Ron Gjerstad, president of Buchheit Truck Service, announced the relocation of its Biehle Trucking Service to the former SuperValu building in Scott City.

10. John McMullin of John's Pharmacy in Cape Girardeau announced plans for a separate business called John's Rx, which would handle the nursing home services formerly provided by John's Pharmacy.

14. Steve & Barry's, a clothing retail chain known for keeping its prices under $10, opened its doors at Westfield West Park in Cape Girardeau, occupying an anchor spot that had sat vacant since Shopko closed its doors in 2001.

17. RM COCO of Cape Girardeau announced the acquisition of all Steven Fabrics current decorative fabric inventory.

17. Neal Day, owner of a trucking company in Sikeston, Mo., worked with city officials to lease property on Cape Girardeau's waterfront. He hoped to open Grady's Bar-ge & Grill on a floating dock he purchased from Alton, Ill.

19. Ryan Holden opened American Title in Cape Girardeau. He purchased the business from Ed Radetic, who operated it under the name Dominion Title.

* Producers for the movie "Killshot," which is partially set in downtown Cape Girardeau, decided to film the local scenes the week before Christmas, a move that left some business owners feeling less than jolly. They feared downtown streets would have to be closed for the filming, leaving their last-minute Christmas shoppers unable to get to their stores and scurrying to buy gifts elsewhere.

22. Chick Fil-A closed its restaurant at Westfield West Park in Cape Girardeau.

24. Cape Starter and Alternator Service announced that construction had begun on a new plaza next door to Cape Starter and Alternator, 3276 Old Cape Road in Jackson.

24. Construction was under way on a new building on Broadway in Cape Girardeau to house a new Creative Trim and Performance.

* Real-estate agents Mike Annis and Dana Leming (brother and sister) bought Coldwell Banker Hamilton Realty from Martha Hamilton, who stayed on as an agent.

24. A fire smoldered for several hours at a recycling center as firefighters had to break through recyclable materials to douse the flames. Cape Girardeau firefighters responded to Heartland Industries, 1310 Southern Expressway, shortly after 6 p.m. Upon their arrival, heavy fire was located in the center of a roughly 150-foot unit of cardboard and paper ready for recycling. Business drivers, city workers and volunteers from Elfrink Transportation Inc. assisted in removing up to nine trucking trailers from the scene.

* The prestigious Limbaugh, Russell, Payne & Howard law firm bought the Regions Bank building at 407 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau and planned to occupy the top two floors of that building.

24. Work continued on a new building at the north lot of Broadway, between Main and Water streets in Cape Girardeau, which would house the Johnson and Stark law firm.

25. Saint Francis Medical Center announced it had formed an alliance with the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, one of the nation's highest-rated cancer treatment and research facilities.

* Medical Fitness Association rated Saint Francis Medical Center's new health center, Fitness Plus, the No. 1 medical fitness center in the country open less than three years.

28. Cape Girardeau city officials ordered the owner of a floating dock to tow it away from the foot of Riverfront Park so it won't hamper future dockings of the River Explorer, Mississippi Queen and Delta Queen tourist boats. The owner of the barge-turned-dock, Neal Day of Cape Girardeau, hoped to open a floating bar and grill on the river.

* Southeast Missouri ENT Consultants moved its practice from Doctor's Park to the fourth floor of the Saint Francis Health and Wellness Center, 150 S. Mount Auburn Road in Cape Girardeau.

* Amanda Kirn started STAR Technologies, assisting people with learning disabilities and mobility and visual impairments with the use of technology, mainly computers.

31. Dr. Nabil Majid, a physician of Dexter, Mo., announced plans to open a new kiosk in Westfield West Park called Fantastx, offering coloful plastic ornaments and gifts.

31. Eric and Derrick Long announced plans to open Kick's Soccer Shop in late November or early December at 211 S. Plaza Way in Cape Girardeau behind BG's.

November

* Drs. Anne Heisserer, Aaron Andrews and Jack Ruopp combined their practices to form Pillar Chiropractic at 3232 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau.

* Saxony Village completed six new duplexes at 2825 Bloomfield Road in Cape Girardeau, bringing the number of duplexes in the facility to 50. Saxony also contained 87 apartments.

2. Dennis McDonald opened the Mattress Guys, selling mattresses and bed frames, at 351 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

* Steve Zschille opened the Bollinger County Country Club. The 12-hole golf course -- which Zschille described as "crude, cow pasture golf" -- also included a restaurant and lounge.

7. Bootheel Agri-Energy LLC, a newly formed corporation, announced plans to build a $175 million ethanol plant in Scott County that would annually produce 100 million gallons of the corn-based fuel.

7. Joe Rice made plans to open a Papa Murphy's in Jackson early next year, taking over the spot of the recently closed Blimpie's at 515 W. Main St. Rice owned restaurants in Cape Girardeau and Sikeston, Mo.

9. Capaha Bank observed its 50th anniversary. It was founded in 1955 in Tamms, Ill.

* John Mackey started Macke Client Protection of Missouri, offering services like surveillance, investigations, unarmed security, uniformed guards, escort/tactical security, plainclothes guards and subpoena delivery.

* The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce received a four-star accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

14. Steve and Catherine Mills announced plans to open a Joey's Seafood restaurant in Lambert Plaza, the new shopping center on property south of Hollywood Video at the corner of Lambert and Siemers drives in Cape Girardeau.

14. A new restaurant supply company opened at 823 S. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau. Roth Restaurant Supply is owned by Scott Roth and Jason Yunck. The building in recent years has been home to several buildings, including a nightclub.

* Paul Wilson opened a Happy Feet kiosk at Westfield West Park.

15. Revenue from Cape Girardeau's hotel tax soared in recent months, and city officials pointed to several reasons: The new Holiday Inn Express had opened, room rates had risen sharply, and thousands more visitors had filtered through town thanks to events like the recent HOG Rally. For the first four months of fiscal 2006 -- July 1 to Oct. 31 -- hotel tax revenue totaled $192,720.61, a 15.56 percent increase from the same time period the previous year.

17. In a speech peppered with colloquialisms and home-spun humor, hotel developer Charles Drury traced his family's roots from humble Depression-era farmers in Kelso, Mo., to hard-working plasterers and builders to become owners of one of the most successful hotel franchises in the United States. Drury was the keynote speaker of the Small Business and Marketing Expo at Cape Girardeau.

* Jim Bauer purchased Bud's Vacuum Sales from 81-year-old Gusta Koehler. She had decided to close the authorized Kirby sales and repair center after 27 years of doing business near the corner of Spanish and William streets in Cape Girardeau.

21. Construction was slated to begin on a new shopping center near the Holiday Inn Express in Cape Girardeau that would feature men's and women's clothing stores as well as a sandwich shop and cafe.

21. A new building was going up on South Silver Springs Road in Cape Girardeau to house Silver Springs Medical Center.

21. Workers were building a new 10,000-square-foot building for Cape Electrical Supply near its corporate offices on the corner of Kell Farm Drive and Bloomfield Road in Cape Girardeau. The building would include a 5,000-square-foot showroom for its residential products.

21. Broadway Station reopened at 600 Broadway in Cape Girardeau for a short time. Owner Steve Majeed opened the station to unload the 6,000 gallons of gasoline still in the tanks, selling the fuel for $1.29 a gallon. Majeed wanted to get rid of the fuel because he planned to build a new strip center there called Riverside Mall.

21. Tom Sample made plans to open Aquamsi Muffler at 211 Aquamsi St. in Cape Girardeau.

25. In observance of its 60th anniversary, Hutson's Furniture devoted its animated Christmas window to elements that have appeared in its annual display since it was intitiated in 1958.

28. SBC Communications' $16 billion acquisition of AT&T created the largest telecommunications company in the United States. But Marsha Haskell, SBC's regional director of external affairs in Cape Girardeau, said it would be awhile until customers of the new AT&T Inc. see any changes, including a new name.

28. The new postal substation in the Bi-State convenience store at 920 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau opened.

* Linda and Bill Wooten opened Bayou Bar & Grill in Fruitland, which featured a variety of foods with a Cajun flair. The restaurant was located in the old Leemon's Lounge at 18701 U.S. 177.

* Lorna Gibbar, Laura Ritter and Carolyn Curtis started RGC Property Management Group at 1217 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau in the Imperial Building.

* J.C. Penney held a retirement dinner for manager Gary McDowell and salon manager Martha Dillon. McDowell worked at J.C. Penney for 37 1/2 years, the last five at the Cape Girardeau store. Dillon ran the salon since the mall store opened nearly 24 years ago. The other purpose of the dinner was to thank the employees for their hard work during Penney's recent remodeling.

28. Chez Natchez on Broadway in Cape Girardeau closed after a brief run.

December

* Mitchell Antiques Ltd. opened at 521 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. The new antique store was owned by Shawn Mitchell and his mother, Bobbie.

2. Sarah Riley opened Fountain Street Gallery Contemporary Art at 34 N. Fountain St. in Cape Girardeau.

* Talley and Jackie Haines opened Prospects Sports Facility, 3 miles north of Fruitland. The academy helped young baseball players develop fielding, hitting or pitching skills.

5. Penzel Construction was building a new Kidd's convenience store in Jackson at 325 W. Jackson Blvd., directly north of the existing Kidd's.

* Area dentist Dr. Danna Cotner purchased the strip mall in the 300 block of Frederick Street in Cape Girardeau, across the street from the old post office. Cotner planned to move the practice she shared with her father, Dr. Dan Cotner, into one of the three units.

5. Paul and Sherry James became the latest owners of Comfort Keepers, a growing national franchise offering companionship and other nonmedical services for aging adults and others needing assistance staying in their home. The Jameses bought the business at 1200 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau from Linda Bass.

5. Jo Ann Bohnert announced she and her business partner, Janet Woods, had pushed back the opening of Broadway Books and Roasting Co. in Cape Girardeau until after the first of the year.

5. Shortly after it reopened, owner David Gerlach decided to close Illustrious Jack's near the corner of William Street and Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau for the winter.

7. Executive director Dan Overbey announced that the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority had been awarded almost $500,000 from a state transportation grant.

12. Wes Kinsey, who owned My Daddy's Cheesecake with partners Kevin and Susan Stanfield and Bill and Peggy Stanfield, announced the Cape Girardeau business will move again. After just under three years at La Croix Village on Route W -- which came after years of operating on Main Street downtown -- the owners expected to break ground on a new building on Broadview within the next couple of weeks.

12. Gerald and Belen Lichtenegger, who owned the Asian grocery store Global Trading on Broadway in Cape Girardeau, revealed plans for the strip mall they bought from restaurateur Su Hill earlier this year. The strip mall at 1315 Broadway, across the street from Global Trading, had been home to Manee Thai and, after that, Cafe Azu. They planned to put a restaurant into the same spot where Manee and Azu were. For the rest of the spots, Belen Lichtenegger planned to relocate her learning center there.

13. Downtown Cape Girardeau merchants were relieved to learn the filming of "Killshot" wouldn't interrupt business right before Christmas after all. Producers pushed the date of local filming, originally slated for Dec. 19 to 23, back to Jan. 9 to 12.

18. Bootheel farmers learned that a survey conducted by the University of Missouri-Columbia over the summer showed Cape Girardeau County had some of the most expensive cropland per acre in the state. In fact, the counties of St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve, Perry, Cape Girardeau and Scott had the most valuable good cropland in the state.

19. A proposed ordinance changing the rules for construction of sidewalks in Cape Girardeau subdivisions had local developers fuming and city officials scrambling for answers. The ordinance approved unanimously by the city council at the first reading on Dec. 5 would require developers to install sidewalks or escrow the money before construction begins on homes.

19. Workers were in the process of tearing down the old Rhodes 101 building at 1610 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau.

19. The new Panera Bread Bakery/Cafe opened at 3219 William St. in Cape Girardeau in front of the Holiday Inn Express.

* Anne Foust bought a Cape Girardeau business that already had her first name attached to it. Foust, who owned Green Gardens Interior Plant Service, bought Anne's Green Thumb Plant Service and incorporated the clientele into her business.

* April Swofford purchased the Hair Studio at 227 S. Plaza Way in Cape Girardeau from Marcie Abernathy.

27. Charles "Bud" Leming, 75, well-known in the Cape Girardeau business community, died at Southeast Missouri Hospital. In the 1950s, Leming was part of a separate group of the Chamber of Commerce that raised money and used it to purchase land and buildings for resale to incoming businesses. Leming worked for 46 years at the M.E. Leming Lumber Co. as a foreman of the sawmill, salesman, office manager, general manager and president. Leming began working as a broker for Century 21 Ashland Realty in 1992.

27. Maria Sevilla prepared to open Fiesta Grocery, an authentic Mexican grocery store, at 517 N. Silver Springs Road in Cape Girardeau.

* Wendy Ray-Durham left KFVS12 to open a flower shop. Magnolia Market was expected to open at 206 Independence St. in Cape Girardeau early in 2006.

* Ralph Craig started a business called Riverside Residential Services, which he described as a handyman service.

* Work was started on Dented Can and More, a discount grocery, at 52 Plaza Way in Cape Girardeau. It was owned by Dale Beaird and Tommy and Marissa Waters.

* The Rhodes 101 on West End Boulevard and Independence Street in Cape Girardeau was converted into a Jasper's, another Rhodes concept that was cash-only.

* Construction was set to begin on facilities for SEMO Milling LLC, a food-grade corn milling plant, at the Southeast Missouri Port Authority at Scott City.