Business Notebook: First-time jobless claims inch upward; WIN collecting for Safe House; shows canceled at Cape comedy club

After more than a month of weekly unemployment claims below 10,000, the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations reported last week the numbers are once again trending upward.

Weekly first-time unemployment claims in Missouri had dropped to just more than 7,300 during the week ending Sept. 26. That was only a fraction of the unemployment claims filed in March and April when more than 450,000 Missourians were laid off or furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Between late August and early October, Missouri averaged fewer than 8,300 initial unemployment claims a week, but during the week ending Oct. 10 (the most recent week for which data is available), there were 10,502 first-time claims for jobless benefits.

Before the coronavirus outbreak and economic downturn, an average of between 3,000 and 4,000 Missourians typically submitted unemployment claims each week.

While many of those who were fired or laid off during the early months of the pandemic have returned to the work force, the state labor department estimates there are still more than 100,000 Missouri workers who are still jobless.

Of the estimated 120,000 unemployed Missourians in August, about 55% were women. About 26.3% were between the ages of 25 and 34, 21.2% were between the ages of 35 and 44 and 17.2% were in the 45-54 age range.

Not surprisingly, workers in the hospitality and food service industry made up the largest single group of jobless Missourians with an estimated 23,759 unemployed workers, or about one out of every five jobless people in the state.

Group collecting items for Safe House

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and as part of its observance, the Women's Impact Network (WIN) of the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce is collecting supplies for the Safe House for Women this week.

Among items on the Safe House's "wish list" are cleaning supplies, hygiene items, over-the-counter medications, kitchen items, office supplies and various miscellaneous items. A complete list may be found on the WIN Facebook page.

Items may be dropped off at the Jackson chamber office, 125 E. Main St. in Jackson, through Friday.

In 2019, the Safe House for Women in Cape Girardeau received 655 hotline calls and provided emergency shelter to 142 women and 105 children.

Comedy club cancels remaining 2020 shows

Laughing Gas Comedy Club in Cape Girardeau's Town Plaza Shopping Center announced late last week it will remain closed for the rest of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"All shows for the rest of 2020 have officially been cancelled," according to a post Friday on the comedy club's Facebook page.

"Our club has been devastated due to the COVID-19 pandemic since mid-March," Laughing Gas owner Jeff Johnson said in the Facebook post.

Refunds for tickets purchased online either have been or will shortly be issued, Johnson said. Anyone who made cash purchases for future shows should contact Johnson through the club's website, www.N2ocomedy.com, to make refund arrangements.

"We appreciate everyone's patience," he said. "Hopefully, the federal, state and local restrictions that prevent us from reopening will be lifted soon so we may get Cape laughing again soon."

VA offering compassion training for caregivers

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — John J. Pershing VA Medical Center will offer a special telephone training on self-compassion for caregivers from 10 to 11 a.m. Oct. 27.

The training is intended to help caregivers learn how to "bounce back" after a difficult or stressful event, according to Vicki Burns, VA caregiver support coordinator.

Registration is required to receive call-in information. To register, contact Burns at (573) 778-4476.

Awards & Recognitions

Brian Gerau

Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce president Brian Gerau received the 2020 Business Retention and Expansion Award from the Missouri Economic Development Council during the organization's fall conference last week in Branson.

Nominated and voted on by economic development peers throughout the state, Gerau received the award in recognition of his work to protect area industries and assist them with future growth and expansion.

In recognizing Gerau, the council noted he has "worked tirelessly" in his efforts to promote economic development in the Jackson area and that he has set "a precedent of protecting industry from over regulation."

People on the Move

Jean Culbertson

Jean Culbertson has recently been named administrator at Auburn Creek Senior Living by Americare, an assisted living facility at 2910 Beaver Creek Drive in Cape Girardeau.

Culbertson has 14 years' experience in the health care industry and has been a licensed nursing-home administrator in Missouri since 2017. Before joining Auburn Creek, she was a full-time certified grief counselor at Crown Hospice while completing a master's degree in business administration through Western Governors University.

She also has an associate degree in radiologic sciences from SoutheastHEALTH's College of Nursing and Health Sciences, an associate degree in business administration from Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff and a bachelor's degree in health care administration from Southeast Missouri State University.

n

Marc Lumsden

Dr. Marc J. Lumsden has joined Cape Physician Associates, a primary care medical practice affiliated with Saint Francis Healthcare System.

Lumsden is a 2016 graduate of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pennsylvania, and completed a traditional rotating internship at Arnot-Ogden Medical Center in Elmira, New York. He completed a residency at Our Lady of Lourdes in Binghamton, New York, earlier this year.

As an osteopathic physician, Lumsden primarily treats family practice patients and has the ability to perform spinal manipulations as needed.

Cape Physician Associates is located at 3250 Gordonville Road, Suite 301, in Cape Girardeau, on the Saint Francis Medical Center campus.

n

Regan Obermann

Regan Obermann has joined Ciao, 1650 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, as the restaurant's general manager and event coordinator.

Obermann is a Cape Girardeau native and graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she studied hospitality management.

She interned at Dalhousie in Cape Girardeau and was the director of catering at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, where she was responsible for managing banquets, parties and various other special events, including the 2018 PGA Championship.

Ciao has been closed during much of the COVID-19 pandemic. While closed, Ciao's menu has been updated and renovations have been made in preparations for the restaurant's reopening Oct. 29, according to a post on its Facebook page.

n

Sam Bergmann

Sam Bergmann has joined Rooted Web, a full-service website design and digital marketing agency, as a digital content writer.

Bergmann, a native of Perryville, Missouri, worked in social media and marketing roles for Mary Jane brands, Crown Valley Winery and St. Nicholas Landmark before joining Rooted Web.

In her new role, she will work with clients to create custom content and help grow their social-media presence.

n

Trey Watkins

SIKESTON, Mo. — Tony C. "Trey" Watkins III has joined the Sikeston-based law firm of Blanton, Nickell, Collins, Douglas and Hanschen LLC as an associate attorney.

Watkins, a 2013 graduate of Charleston (Missouri) High School, graduated in May from the Southern Illinois University School of Law in Carbondale, and was admitted to the Missouri Bar in September. While a law student, he served as note editor and staff member on the Southern Illinois University Law Journal.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in social science and prelaw at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, graduating magna cum laude in 2017. While there, he was named Fontbonne's outstanding prelaw graduate by the university's Department of History, Philosophy and Religion. He was also captain of the school's basketball team and was twice named the team's defensive player of the year.

In addition to his degree from Fontbonne, Watkins also earned an Associate of Arts in political science at Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where he also graduated magna cum laude. While attending Three Rivers, he was a member of the Raiders basketball team, achieving the team's highest field-goal percentage and grade-point average.

Chamber Notes

A ribbon-cutting, hosted by the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce, is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday to celebrate the new location of Gearheads at 415 S. Hope St. in Jackson. Social distancing will be encouraged.

n

The Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce will host a ribbon-cutting at 1 p.m. Tuesday to mark the opening of Kay's Carry On at 510 Main St. in Scott City.

n

A ribbon-cutting at Patriot Medical Devices LLC, hosted by the Cape Girardeau chamber, is set for 2 p.m. Thursday at the company's Cape Girardeau location, 1823 Rust Ave.

Business license applications

Joshua Ford of Cape Girardeau submitted a business license application earlier this month to operate Southeast Missouri Cremation LLC at 749 Enterprise St. in Cape Girardeau. The funeral service and crematory business opened Oct. 1.

n

Stuart Roberts of Jackson filed a business license application with the City of Cape Girardeau earlier this month on behalf of Mattress By Appointment, a retail mattress business that has opened at 225 S. Plaza Way in Cape Girardeau.

Do you crave business news? Check out B Magazine, and the B Magazine email newsletter. Check it out at www.semissourian.com/newsletters to find out more.