Hello and goodbye: A look at the comings and goings of 2014

In 2014, Southeast Missouri said 'hello' to ...

__Retail options in downtown Cape Girardeau__

In downtown Cape Girardeau, Yearing 4 Yarn, Tangled Yarn, Lattitudes, Ophelia and Muriel's Secret Garden were new additions for 2014. Additionally, Cup 'n' Cork relocated from its longtime location on Main Street to the corner of Spanish and Independence streets. Coin-Op Cantina, a new arcade and bar, plans to open before New Year's at the former Cup 'n' Cork location. Not too far away, CVS Pharmacy and Family Dollar opened this year on William Street.

__New restaurants in Cape Girardeau, Jackson__

Likely the most anticipated restaurant of 2014, IHOP opened Nov. 3 at 2406 William St. in Cape Girardeau. This site was previously home to the Pasta House restaurant, which closed in May. Additionally, Firehouse Subs, Wings Etc. and Pho 8 opened on William Street; Katy O'Ferrell's and Marco's Pizza opened on Broadway; Ciao opened on North Kingshighway and a Simply Swirled frozen yogurt shop opened on East Main Street in Jackson.

__New dorm, classroom space at Southeast Missouri State University__

Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus Center opened this fall and included housing capacity for 180 students. The 90,000-square-foot structure is north of the original Convocation Center and Seminary Building, forming the completion of a River Campus quad. As of Dec. 5, the center is home to 125 students. Classes also are held in the complex.

The center includes a directing/acting studio, dance studio, choral rehearsal room, art education classroom, faculty offices, practice rooms, student lounges, laundry facilities, a fitness center and cafeteria. An outdoor patio and seating area was added in early October.

River City Construction of Peoria, Illinois, was general contractor on the building with at least 20 subcontractors, said Angela Meyer, director of facilities management at Southeast. The budgeted cost for the new center was $23,284,000.

__More health care options in Stoddard County__

Southeast Medical Plaza in Dexter, Missouri, held a grand opening Sept. 24 to mark completion of the 15,000-square-foot medical office building at Southeast Health Center of Stoddard County. The medical office building adjoins the hospital and houses 27 examination rooms, a large procedure room, separate adult and pediatric waiting areas, digital X-ray and lab services and a conference room. Adam Bracks is CEO of the Dexter hospital. SoutheastHEALTH also has a number of outreach clinics in Dexter and has operated a cardiac rehab clinic there for more than a decade.

On Oct. 29, Saint Francis Healthcare System broke ground for the future Dexter Health Campus at U.S. 60 Outer Road and Harris Drive in Dexter. Scheduled to be complete in early 2016, the facility will provide a multitude of services and specialties to Dexter residents, including cancer and heart specialists, Fitness Plus Dexter, imaging capabilities, lab services, primary and urgent care and outpatient therapy. Beginning in January, area residents will have access to some of these services in a temporary location at 115 E. Business Highway 60 in Dexter while the health campus is under construction.

__Better Business Bureau__

The Better Business Bureau opened an office on Nov. 3 at 3065 William St., Suite 202 in Cape Girardeau. Services of the organization include alerting the public to scams and fraudulent business practices, fielding consumer complaints, accrediting local businesses and charity organizations, reviewing businesses and services for consumers and remediation services to facilitate fairness in trade.

Michelle Corey, president and CEO of the BBB in St. Louis, says the organization has been serving a 92-county area of eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois since its founding in 1917, but felt the region could be better served with a physical presence in Cape Girardeau. Feasibility studies commissioned by the BBB that measured growth of communities and the availability of consumer watchdog services in Missouri determined a need for a Columbia office to open in 2010 and now the Cape Girardeau office. The local branch covers a 28-county area in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.

The Cape Girardeau office is led by Joey Keys, who was hired as regional director. Paula Ball is the office's business relationship representative.

__New chamber of commerce directors__

Amanda Winschel (Southeast Missourian file photo)

Amanda Winschel began her duties as executive director for the Perryville Chamber of Commerce on July 7. She previously worked on children's programs and public relations for Southeast Missouri Food Bank. In her new position, she oversees all the chamber's programming, including Mayfest, Business After Hours and Women's Network.

Meanwhile, Melissa Combs was hired in July as executive director of the Kennett Chamber of Commerce. She is originally from Arkansas and previously worked as a retail manager for five years. In October, Ron Allen, a Southeast Missouri resident for 15 years, took over as executive director of the Bonne Terre Chamber of Commerce.

In 2014, Southeast Missouri said 'goodbye' to ...

__Businesses vacate Marquette tower, property up for sale__

Marquette Tower (Southeast Missourian file photo)

The Marquette Tower in Cape Girardeau was emptied of businesses at the end of September. At one point, the restored hotel was filled to nearly 80 percent capacity, but since then its occupancy had been in a steady decline.

The 59,750-square-foot Marquette Tower on Broadway and the 25,000-square-foot Marquette Centre on Fountain Street are not physically connected, but their history has always been intertwined. The tower is listed for a little less than $3.5 million, and the center is listed for $549,900.

Tom Kelsey, broker and president of Lorimont Place Ltd., says "there has been an encouraging amount of inquiry and property tours," though he cannot disclose any particular prospects or potential uses.

The Marquette Tower was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, received the first Old Town Cape Girardeau Preservation Award in 2005 and the Missouri Preservation Preserve Missouri Award in 2006.

The Marquette Tower began as an upscale hotel in the heart of Cape Girardeau, from 1928 to 1971. The building sat vacant until 2002, when Prost Builders Inc. bought the center and tower properties for $350,000. Former real estate agent for the property Thomas M. Meyer of Thomas Meyer Commercial Real Estate Co. said Prost put approximately $7 million into restoring both the buildings, with about 75 cents of each dollar coming from historical tax credits.

Six months after they were put up for sale, the properties were foreclosed and bought out by Great Southern Bank. The transaction included the buildings and the parking in 2008, for $3.6 million. In 2009, Springfield, Missouri-based G& S Holdings bought the buildings for between $3 million and $4 million.

__Southeast Missouri State University student-run radio station__

Southeast Missouri State University pulled the plug this year on its student-run, FM radio station 103.7 KDMC, otherwise known as Rage FM. The Department of Mass Media and Southeast's NPR-affiliate station 90.9 KRCU have established an internship program to be implemented this fall to give students a broader skill set, said Dr. Bruce Mims, faculty adviser to Rage FM. Students will continue to use the Rage FM facilities in the basement of the Grauel Language Arts building to create multimedia news content for KRCU, Southeast's student newspaper the Arrow, and some Rage FM programs that will continue to air online. The Department of Mass Media curriculum committee decided in 2010 that more multimedia newsgathering experience was necessary if graduates were to remain competitive in the job market.

Dr. Karie Hollerbach, chairwoman of the Department of Mass Media, explained that since the radio courses were phased out in 2012, the student radio station is no longer essential to the program. Without the radio-specific classes to complement lab time, dwindling student interest and high operating costs made the station insupportable.

__Pagoda Gardens__

Sam Prasanphanich of Pagoda Gardens (Southeast Missourian file photo)

Pagoda Gardens, the first restaurant to offer a Chinese buffet in Cape Girardeau, closed its doors at the end of May. Sam Prasanphanich opened Pagoda Gardens in November 1981 with his business partner, Jay Santi. They both had experience in the restaurant industry, so they launched their own Chinese and Thai place on Independence Street. In February 1987, the restaurant moved to 329 S. Kingshighway. After 32 years of work, Prasanphanich noticed business was slowing and, having reached retirement age, he decided to close the business.

__Hilary Schmittzehe__

Hilary Schmittzehe, longtime CEO of VIP Industries in Cape Girardeau, died May 5 at age 84. VIP was established in 1967 under Senate Bill 53, which provides for the employment of people with developmental disabilities, and offers jobs, housing and social activities to qualified individuals in Southeast Missouri. The company employs more than 175 people, according to vipindustries.com.

The not-for-profit company grew out of Schmittzehe's concern for his own children, said Richard Aufdenberg, chairman of VIP's board of directors, in a May interview with the Southeast Missourian. He had two daughters who were mentally and physically handicapped.

__Dr. Devin Stephenson__

On June 25, Dr. Devin Stephenson resigned as president of Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. He made the announcement at a monthly board of trustees meeting, saying only that he wished to "pursue alternative opportunities related to higher education," the Daily American Republic reported. Stephenson had been president since 2009.

Dr. Wes Payne, vice president for learning, was named interim president of the college, replacing Stephenson, and on Sept. 21, he was offered a three-year contract.

__Matt Lyden__

Matt Lyden, CEO of Twin Rivers Regional Medical Center in Kennett, Missouri, left his post this fall after less than a year on the job. He began work at the hospital in November 2013. On Oct. 24, Twin Rivers announced that Gerald Faircloth was appointed the hospital's new CEO, effective Nov. 17. He has more than 30 years of hospital management experience. For the past two years, he had served as chief operating officer at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center.