Business Notebook: Unemployment claims slow; Ameren offers new program to help with bills

Another 20,459 Missourians filed first-time claims for unemployment benefits during the last week of May, bringing the 11-week total of initial filings to 611,642.

However, it was the smallest single-week increase since the COVID-19 pandemic spread into Missouri in mid-March when businesses began closing and people started losing their jobs.

Many businesses that closed in March began reopening in May and started rehiring many of the workers they had laid off.

According to the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the impact of the rehirings won't be reported for another week or so when the state's unemployment rate for May is calculated. Missouri's unemployment rate for April stood at 9.8%.

Nationwide, another 2 million people filed unemployment claims during the week ending May 31; and since March 15, roughly 42 million American workers have lost their jobs due to coronavirus.

There are signs the economy could be rebounding. The government reported 2.5 million jobs were created in May, helping lower the nation's unemployment rate from 14.7% in April to 13.3% in May.

Ameren announces program to help pay utility balances

Ameren Missouri will provide $3 million in energy assistance funding to help qualified customers pay off past-due utility bills. The funding, announced last week, is part of the company's "COVID-19 Clean Slate" program and is on top of $1 million worth of support Ameren announced in March.

According to an Ameren news release, multiple community partners and agencies will participate in administering the program, which is designed to help income-eligible customers clear the remaining balances on their accounts after paying 25% of their current balances.

For example, customers in a four-person household making up to $45,850 a year, or $2,821 a month, are eligible to apply.

"There are a lot of Missouri families struggling right now and having to make some tough financial decisions in light of this pandemic. We get that and we want to help," said Marty Lyons, chairman and president of Ameren Missouri.

More information is available at www.AmerenMissouri.com/CleanSlate or by calling Ameren Missouri at 800-552-7583.

Seminar to examine business valuations

Murphy Business Sales will host a webinar later this month about how business values could be impacted by COVID-19.

"Business valuations are generally based on past years' tax returns, among other things, and many businesses have seen a disruption in their sales so far this year," according to an online post about the webinar.

The webinar, scheduled for 3 p.m. June 23, will look at how this year's economy could affect business values next year and beyond.

To register for this free webinar, go to www.murphybusiness.com/capegirardeau and click on the "resources" tab.

Shawnee offering free online tutorials

ULLIN, Ill. -- Shawnee Community College is offering several free self-paced tutorial (SPT) courses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 10 courses offered through the college's Workforce Innovation Division include instruction in a mix of hard and soft employment skills. The courses touch topics including webpage development; creation of WordPress websites; fundamentals of supervision and management; individual excellence; keys to effective communication, managing customer service; business marketing on the internet; personal finance; small business marketing on a shoestring; and 12 steps to a successful job search.

Registration for any of the classes is available through June 30 and class participants have three months to complete coursework.

For more information or to register, contact Lora Clark at (618) 634-3364 or lorac@shawneecc.edu.

Modern Woodmen make COVID relief donations

Between mid-March and mid-May, members of Modern Woodmen chapters and youth service club programs nationwide made 1,429 donations totaling $1,073,874 through the organization's COVID-19 relief program.

Donations helped purchase medical supplies for health care professionals dealing with the pandemic; food, internet access and laptops for at-risk students learning from home; supplies and special care services for elderly and disabled people; and support for not-for-profit organizations such as food pantries, domestic-violence and mental-health organizations and animal shelters.

Chapters and youth service clubs are groups of Modern Woodmen members who contribute to volunteer, fundraising, social and educational activities.

For more information, visit www.modernwoodmen.org.

People on the Move

Jessica Sexton

Jessica Sexton, who has been a member of the City of Cape Girardeau's public information office for more than a decade, has been named assistant emergency management director with the Cape Girardeau Fire Department.

This partially grant-funded position gives the fire department a full-time staff member to assist the fire chief and emergency management director in emergency operations planning, risk assessment, training and community coordination efforts.

In her nearly 11 years with the city's public information office, Sexton has had responsibilities in the areas of social media, email marketing, media assistance, website maintenance, graphics and other duties as assigned. She also serves on the city's emergency planning team.

Sexton received a Bachelor of Science in mass communications with an emphasis in public relations from Southeast Missouri State University. She has also completed extensive training through the Federal Emergency Management Agency Master Public Information Officer Program and other FEMA courses.

She is a co-founding member of the Southeast Missouri Information Officers Association, serves as secretary and public information officer for the Southeast Missouri Emergency Management Association and has volunteered with several area not-for-profit organizations.

Chamber notes

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce hopes last week's "virtual" version of its monthly First Friday Coffee is the last one that has to take place online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is hopefully our last completely virtual First Friday Coffee," chamber president and CEO John Mehner said Friday through a live video feed on the chamber's Facebook page.

Depending on Missouri's coronavirus guidelines in effect by then, Mehner said it's possible the July First Friday Coffee could be a blend of online and in-person formats, if social distancing will allow.

In the meantime, he encouraged chamber members to follow steps outlined in the chamber's Reclaim Our Region guidelines for restarting the area's economy. These guidelines, he said, won't be necessary for just the next month or so. "This is going to be a 'from now on' thing," he said.

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The Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce will host its June Business After Hours gathering from 6 until 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Jackson Tire Center, 1901 E. Jackson Blvd.

Social-distancing guidelines will be followed, according to the chamber's website.

Commercial building permits

A commercial construction permit was recently granted to Mac Con Construction Co. for the interior remodeling of the Riverside Family Medicine office, 3129 Blattner Drive in Cape Girardeau, at an estimated cost of $20,000.

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A commercial building permit has been issued for the renovation of restroom facilities at St. Vincent De Paul School, 1919 Ritter Drive in Cape Girardeau. Columbia Construction Corp. is the contractor on the project, which has an estimated cost of $40,000.

Business license applications

A business license application has been submitted by Ron and Kristine Brzycki of Jackson to open Sedona Bistro, a soup, salad and sandwich shop at 1812 Carondalet Drive in Cape Girardeau. The restaurant is expected to open by early September.

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Dewayne Clark of Jackson has filed a business license application to operate All Of Us Enterprises, a car washing and detailing business, at 30 S. Park Ave. in Cape Girardeau. According to the application, the business is now open.

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UMB Financial Corp. of Kansas City, Missouri, has submitted a business license application to operate UMB Bank N.A. in suite 512 of the Marquette Tower, 338 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. The application indicates the bank operation opened earlier this month.

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