Business Notebook: Cape is hosting Corporate Games next month

The 2014 Corporate Games will be hosted Sept. 14 to 26 in Cape Girardeau. The event, sponsored by the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department, promotes healthier lifestyles, teamwork, participation and fun for Cape Girardeau-area businesses, employee-based organizations and not-for-profit organizations.

The Corporate Games consist of team events that encourage participation from people of all interests and abilities. Events include: banner contest, horseshoes, tug of war, trail relay, bowling, soccer, kickball, poker, swimming relays, billiards, darts, 3-on-3 basketball, washers, dodge ball, trivia contest, disc golf, flag football, 6-on-6 volleyball, softball, tennis and a mystery event.

The entry fees are $360 for Division 1 teams (100 employees or more) and $310 for Division 2 teams (99 or fewer employees). Small businesses or organizations also have the option of joining with another business or organization to form a team.

Entry forms can be picked up at the Arena Building, Osage Centre, Shawnee Park Center and Central Municipal Pool or online at cityofcape.org/parks. The deadline for entering will be 5 p.m. Aug. 22.

For more information, call Heather at 339-6731 or the parks office at 339-6340.

Missouri Foundation for Health

The Missouri Foundation for Health announced three new members will join the Community Advisory Council. They come from the medical, not-for-profit organization and health-policy industries.

Dr. Claudia Preuschoff is a pediatrician in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, serving a large population of rural families living at or below the poverty line. She is involved on the local and state levels, advocating for the health of her patients and their families.

Misty Snodgrass represents the central region of Missouri and has spent her professional career working in health policy.

Dr. Loretta Prater will represent the southeast portion of the foundation's service area. Prater recently retired from Southeast Missouri State University, where she worked as the dean of the College of Health and Human Services for nearly a decade. She has served on numerous boards in varying capacities, including with the United Way of Southeast Missouri, where she was president and vice president.

Members of the Community Advisory Council serve as liaisons between communities and the foundation's board of directors. Council representatives help the board learn how certain grants affect communities and what health concerns should be addressed. The Community Advisory Council also oversees recruiting of qualified candidates interested in serving on the council and its board.

The Community Advisory Council began its new session in July and is accepting applications for the Missouri Foundation for Health's board of directors.

Missouri Foundation for Health works with communities and not-for-profit agencies to generate and accelerate positive changes in health. They work to improve the health of Missourians through partnerships, education, knowledge and funding.

Financial literacy program

State treasurer Clint Zweifel announced Thursday a new push by his office to promote financial literacy among Missourians through social media. Zweifel will share tips and online resources to help people and families with money-management topics such as teaching children about money, saving for college, exploring homeownership and investing for retirement.

Zweifel also will use studies, information and advice from financial experts such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Reserve and U.S. Department of the Treasury, using the hashtag #FinLitFriday.

Plaza Tire reopens in Kennett

Plaza Tire Service's new location in Kennett, Missouri, is finished and open for business at its original site at 420 Independence Ave.

The new building replaces Plaza Tire Service's original facility, which was destroyed by a fire in February.

The new location will operate from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Plaza Tire Service will continue using its original phone number: 573-888-6300.

The Kennett Plaza Tire Service will continue offering customers a selection of Bridgestone, Yokohama, Firestone, Michelin, BFGoodrich, Pirelli, Toyo, Dick Cepek, Falken and Nokian tires in addition to offering automotive services such as brake, shock, strut, oil change, alignment, balance, battery and transmission.

Missouri Realtors

Missouri Realtors will host its September Business Conference at the Hilton Branson Convention Center on Sept. 17 to 19.

The conference consists of the association's annual meeting, in addition to other events.

Hotel reservations can be made at a link on the conference's website. A special rate of $139 a night is guaranteed if reservations are made before Aug. 18.

For more information, go to thelanding.net/sbc/home.

USDA insurance

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it is making progress on implementing provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill that will strengthen and expand insurance coverage options for farmers and ranchers. The new Supplemental Coverage Option, available through the federal crop insurance program and set to begin with the 2015 crop year, is designed to help protect producers from yield and market volatility.

SCO will be available for corn, cotton, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, spring barley, spring wheat, and winter wheat in selected counties for the 2015 crop year.

Producers should contact their crop insurance agents to discuss eligibility in time to sign up for winter wheat coverage. The Risk Management Agency plans to make SCO more widely available by adding more counties and crops. Information on SCO for 2015 winter and spring wheat is available on the RMA website at www.rma.usda.gov. Selected counties for other commodities will be released later this summer.

USDA greenhouse gas study

The USDA released a report Thursday provides uniform scientific methods for quantifying the changes in greenhouse gas emissions and carbon storage from various land management and conservation activities.

The report, titled "Quantifying Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Agriculture and Forestry: Methods for Entity-Scale Inventory," will help the USDA evaluate current and future greenhouse gas conservation programs as well as develop new tools and update existing ones to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners participate in emerging carbon markets. Thursday's report outlines science-based methods for quantifying changes in greenhouse gas emissions and carbon storage at the local farm, ranch or forest operations.

The report comes from the work of 38 experts in greenhouse gas emissions estimations in cropland, grazing land, livestock and forest management sectors across academia, USDA and the federal government. The report was reviewed by an additional 29 scientists, federal experts and the public.

While developing the report, reviewers considered scientific rigor, transparency, completeness, accuracy and cost-effectiveness, as well as consistency and comparability with other federal greenhouse gas emissions inventory efforts. The report can be downloaded at usda.gov/oce/climate_change/estimation.htm.

Business licenses

The following received Cape Girardeau licenses as of July 30:

* Hollywood Pizza and Subs; owner Thomas R. McCain; 517 N. Silver Springs Road.

* Ruler Foods store No. 295; owner Kroger Limited Partnership 1; 2103 William St.