Venture Stores, Inc. has extended Sunday hours.

"All Venture stores will be open from 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m. on Sunday," said Kim Phillips, a spokesman for Venture, headquartered at St. Louis. "The summer hours will continue through Sept. 4."

The regional chain operates a total of 104 stores in nine states, including at West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau.

Public speaking was the topic during the monthly meeting of the City of Roses Charter Chapter of the American Business Women's Associated held at Drury Lodge last week.

Karen Kight, speech teacher at Jackson School, was guest speaker.

The vocational speaker of the evening was Ruth Hathaway, with Environmental Analysis South.

Additional information on the ABWA is available by calling Sharon Dirnberger, 335-4199 or 334-2420.

A new Holiday Inn Express Hotel opened recently near the airport at San Antonio, Texas.

The new 154-room hotel was developed by Drury Southwest, Inc., one of three hotel development branches of Cape Girardeau-based Drury Industries.

Robert Drury, president of Drury Southwest, said the new hotel, located at Interstate 410 & Jones-Maltsberger Road, is a 10-story structure with a stucco exterior and terra cotta tile roof.

Architect Byron Foust, on staff at Drury Inns, Inc., in Cape Girardeau, designed the indoor-corridor hotel, built by Drury South Construction Co., of San Antonio. Dennis Vollink of Cape Girardeau served as construction manager.

Twin City Corp., parent company of the Twin City State Bank, located in Kansas City, Kan., and Commerce Bancshares, Inc., headquartered in St. Louis, have announced the recent signing of a definitive agreement for the merger of Twin City Corp. with Commerce Bancshares.

The merger will be a stock transaction and is expected to be completed during the fourth quarter after regulatory and shareholder approvals.

The Twin City Bank has about $100 million in assets and about $90 million in deposits. The firm, which has two locations, was founded in 1919.

Commerce Bancshares, Inc. is a registered bank holding company with more than 160 locations in Missouri -- including Cape Girardeau -- Illinois and Kansas. It has $8 billion in assets and offers a full line of banking services, including securities brokerage.

Mercantile Bancorporation, the St. Louis-based, $12 billion bank holding company, has announced plans to expand its banking operations in Southwest Illinois through a merger with Wedge Bank.

Wedge Bank, headquartered in Alton, Ill., is a $210 million asset bank, with offices in Alton, East Alton, Bethalto, Godfrey and Brighton.

Mercantile indicated that it plans to combine Wedge's operations with those of Mercantile Bank of Illinois N.A., pending shareholder and regulatory approval of the merger, expected before the end of 1994.

Mercantile Bancorporation Inc., owns 42 financial institutions in Missouri -- including Cape Girardeau -- Illinois, Kansas and Iowa.

An estate gift design seminar will be held Thursday from 7-9 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Cape Girardeau.

Ray Lyne, who has more than 28 years experience in the area of estate and gift design implementation, will be guest speaker.

Additional information is available by calling Gene Parkhurst, 335-6508.

OLMSTED, Ill. -- Construction of the second phase of the $1.1 billion Olmsted Locks and Dam is more than three months behind schedule, Army Corps of Engineers officials say.

Balfour-Beatty Construction Inc., the contractor, has received an extension to complete the $53.7 million cofferdam, from January to May 1995, said Larry Bibehauser, Corps project engineer.

Balfour has a fixed-fee contract, so the extension won't cause a cost overrun.

The project, which will replace two dams on the Ohio River, has been plagued from the start with problems ranging from safety violations to labor unrest and bad weather.

The entire locks and dam is expected to be finished in 2006.

Olmsted is located about 15 miles north of Cairo.

Union Electric Company of St. Louis and Midwest Power Systems, Inc., of Des Moines have been recognized for accomplishments during Midwest flooding in 1993.

The two firms received the Edison Award, the electric utility industry's highest honor.

The Edison Award, sponsored annually by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), recognizes the electric company or companies whose accomplishments contribute most to the growth and development of the industry during the year.

Union Electric worked with about two dozen other utilities to provide power through flooding that started in April 1993 and lasted until September. Evacuations affected 20,000 UE customers in flood areas, including Southeast Missouri. The high water overtook or threatened 19 substations.

Charles W. Mueller, president and chief executive officer of Union Electric, said his company is "honored to receive an award that recognizes distinguished service and represents the pinnacle of accomplishment in our industry."