St. Charles County Business Record, MO articles from March 2003

St. Charles County Business Record, MO archives from March 2003

Commentary: Chiropractic care can alleviate headaches.
March 3, 2003... Byline: David Wallace Just about everybody gets a headache once in awhile, so why should you be unduly upset if you happen to be suffering from one? If you've been celebrating with friends and eat or imbibe too much, it certainly would not...

WorldCom lets go another 200 workers.
March 3, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Approximately 200 WorldCom employees at the company's Weldon Spring facility lost their jobs Friday. The company told state officials that the workers were laid off because there was a "lack of work" for them, the...

City-County library excellent resource for small businesses.
March 3, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Brady A detailed list of surrounding businesses is one of the most important pieces of information to competing small and home-based companies. Lists of businesses in St. Charles County and many more resources are...

Coldwell Banker Gundaker office's 2002 sales hit $250 million.
March 4, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask While stock markets flounder in the wake of higher oil prices and uncertainty about a conflict with Iraq looms, people in St. Charles County continue to view residential real estate as a good investment. Home...

New affordable training series offered by Wentzville chamber.
March 4, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Brady The Wentzville Chamber of Commerce began the first of a series of training seminars for its members on Friday. The training series is the first of its kind for the Wentzville chamber. Members of the chamber's board...

Legislative session may assist businesses, chamber leader says.
March 5, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Brady At a time when the state's budget is in turmoil and new representatives in the General Assembly are just beginning to learn the ropes, Missouri is faced with the challenge of keeping businesses from leaving. The...

Commentary: Put health, safety of our seniors first.
March 5, 2003... Byline: Joe Maxwell Over the past few months, my office has been on a journey to enact stronger laws to protect Missouri's senior citizens. I have met with a caucus of Missouri's senior advocates, as they have been instrumental in guiding...

Commentary: Missouri state archives presents Lewis & Clark exhibit.
March 5, 2003... Byline: Matt Blunt In his 1801 inaugural address, President Jefferson saw in America "a rising nation, spread over a wide and fruitful land." In 1803, our third president sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on a great journey to see...

Gov. Holden tax-cut proposal gets a good local review.
March 5, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Gov. Bob Holden's strategic job growth plan should help stimulate the local and state economies, says an official with the Economic Development Center of St. Charles County. "I think it's a great idea," said David...

OfficeTeam offers tips to keep career goals.
March 6, 2003... Byline: James Monahan What's the key to keeping New Year's resolutions? Liz Hughes, executive director of OfficeTeam, says follow-through is an essential element, and that is no less important for achieving career goals than for personal...

Midwest BankCentre supports its soldier-customers.
March 6, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Brady As the nation prepares for what seems to be an inevitable war with Iraq, some local businesses are stepping up to help out Americans in the military. Midwest BankCentre is offering loan deferments for its...

'Best Special Promotion' award given by Home Builders Assn.
March 7, 2003... Byline: press release The Home Builders Association of Greater St. Louis has honored T.R. Hughes Inc. with a sales and marketing award for "Best Special Promotion." T.R. Hughes received the award for its promotional program in conjunction...

St. Charles County announces recipients of Exceptional Performer Pay program award.
March 7, 2003... Byline: press release St. Charles County Government is proud to announce the recipients of the Exceptional Performer Pay program award. Twenty county employees were recognized at the Feb. 25 St. Charles County Council meeting for...

St. Charles County building permits up in February.
March 7, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Low mortgage rates this winter continue to help fuel the demand for new homes in St. Charles County. In February, a total of 223 permits for the construction of single-family homes were issued in the county. That is...

2003 Missouri High School Principal of the Year selected.
March 7, 2003... Byline: press release The Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals has selected Dr. Darlene Jones, principal of Francis Howell North High School, as the 2003 Missouri High School Principal of the Year. MASSP and MetLife will...

Econ. Development Dept. names new director of community development group.
March 7, 2003... Byline: press release Missouri Department of Economic Development Director Joseph L. Driskill has announced the appointment of Sallie Hemenway as director of the department's community development group. Hemenway had been acting as interim...

St. Peters investment rep. named to All-American Team of American funds group.
March 7, 2003... Byline: press release Rob Marquess, investment representative with the St. Peters office of Edward Jones, has been named to the All-American Team of the American funds group of mutual funds. Marquess was cited for outstanding service to...

Mueller, Prost, Purk & Willebrand P.C. changes name.
March 7, 2003... Byline: press release Mueller, Prost, Purk & Willbrand P.C. changes its name to MPP&W P.C. "The more you change, the more you stay the same," said Mike Prost, a founding partner and vice president of marketing for MPP&W. "When we founded...

MO Chamber of Commerce provides members affordable health care plan.
March 7, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Brady While legislators in federal and state government take their time passing legislation that would help small businesses afford health insurance for employees, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been...

St. Charles Sunbelt franchise participates in company buyout.
March 8, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask You've heard of employee buyouts of companies. Now there is a deal where a privately held company has been bought by its franchisees, including a franchise in St. Charles. The franchisees' buyout of Charleston,...

St. Charles Sunbelt franchise participates in company buyout.
March 10, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask You've heard of employee buyouts of companies. Now there is a deal where a privately held company has been bought by its franchisees, including a franchise in St. Charles. The franchisees' buyout of Charleston,...

Commuters facing high gas prices have alternative.
March 11, 2003... Byline: Amy Armour RideFinders, a regional nonprofit ride-sharing entity, has seen a substantial increase in the number of ride-share participants, as well as participating employers, since the start of our current fiscal year began July...

Awards speaker says manufacturing will lead U.S. out of recession.
March 11, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask While economists debate whether the nation's economy is still in a recession, there is little doubt that the manufacturing sector has been depressed for a long time. "The last few years have been tough," admits Don...

Commentary: Putting more Missourians back to work.
March 12, 2003... Byline: Joseph Driskill An unfortunate reality of a cyclical downturn in the economy is layoffs. While the Department of Economic Development is committed to helping laid-off workers get back into the work force as quickly as possible, it...

Dierbergs Markets to build shopping center along I-70.
March 12, 2003... Byline: James Monahan Dierbergs Markets, like other retailers in St. Charles County, are following home builders as they begin to build more houses to the west of the county. On March 5, the St. Peters Planning & Zoning Commission...

Commentary: Sharing the gift of reading.
March 12, 2003... Byline: Joe Maxwell The scheming Grinch who stole Christmas, the whimsical Cat in the Hat and Horton the faithful elephant who hatched an egg are all common characters that many of us treasure from past reading experiences. Each of these...

Economic Development Center enters its second decade.
March 13, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Brady The Economic Development Center of St. Charles County had a birthday Wednesday. The not-for-profit business incubator now has 10 years of supporting and nurturing new businesses in the county behind it. Since...

National media shines spotlight on St. Charles County.
March 13, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask The last time St. Charles had this much attention from national media was the Great Flood of 1993. This time, however, the reason has more to do with what is happening in the Middle East than with the levels of the...

The Coldwell Banker Gundaker office announces new mgmt. team.
March 14, 2003... Byline: press release The Coldwell Banker Gundaker office at Highway 94 and Mid Rivers Mall Drive announced a new management team in February, including Andria Duvall and Kim Magaletta, branch managers; Cindy Fox, assistant manager; and...

O'Fallon Chamber of Commerce announces new members.
March 14, 2003... Byline: press release Recently joining the O'Fallon Chamber of Commerce are Wellness by Design, Karin Sandford; Lopata, Flegel & Co., Barry Mandel; Ameristar Casino, Teddy Brooker; Shelter Insurance, Gary Baker; Jani-King Commercial...

SBC names new external affairs mgr. for part of St. Louis County metro.
March 14, 2003... Byline: press release SBC has named Craig Felzien external affairs manager for part of the St. Louis County metropolitan area. This territory adds to Felzien's current SBC assignment. Felzien will manage day-to-day activities related to...

Econ. Development Center opens incubator to non-tech companies.
March 14, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Technology companies no longer are the darlings of the investment community they used to be in 1990s. With high-tech start-ups few and far between these days, the Economic Development Center of St. Charles County has...

SCI Engineering hires archaeological technician.
March 14, 2003... Byline: press release Jean Hunleth recently joined SCI Engineering Inc. as an archaeological technician. Hunleth will be based in the St. Charles office. Hunleth graduated from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor's degree in...

The Snap Group hires business development manager.
March 14, 2003... Byline: press release Dick May has joined The Snap Group as business development manager. His publishing advertising sales and sales management experience is a great asset to Snap. The Snap Group has added two new designers: J.R. Gain and...

Small business loans aid Missouri companies.
March 14, 2003... Byline: Amy Armour In January 2003, the U.S Small Business Administration guaranteed eight small business loans totaling $902,000 in St. Charles County. As a result of these loans, 50 jobs have been created or retained in the St. Charles...

Fundraising campaign planned for Lewis & Clark Boathouse and Nature Center.
March 14, 2003... Byline: press release Building a boathouse takes some money. And the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles, Mo., has cooked up a campaign it hopes will pave the way to successful completion of the Lewis & Clark Boathouse and Nature Center....

Commentary: Tax issues often overlooked when buying long-term care plans.
March 17, 2003... Byline: Steven Stillman When buying a long-term-care insurance policy, consumers typically focus on benefit payments, features and cost. An issue that's often overlooked but that needs to be examined early on is whether the plan qualifies...

CenturyTel invests in Wentzville, surrounding area.
March 17, 2003... Byline: James Monahan There hasn't been much good news of late to come out of the telecommunications industry. Bankrupt WorldCom, for example, has laid off hundreds of St. Charles County-based employees after spending heavily on new...

Natural gas prices rise again and could keep climbing, PSC says.
March 17, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask The Missouri Public Service Commission recently approved a request by Laclede Gas Co. to increase its natural gas rates to customers, including those in St. Charles County. The rate hike means a typical residential...

Patriot Machine Inc. moves into new building.
March 18, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask The manufacturing sector has been depressed for some time, but there are some manufacturers who have defied that trend. One of them is Patriot Machine Inc., a family-owned business that recently moved into a $4.5...

Fitness studio for women opens in O'Fallon.
March 19, 2003... Byline: Amy Armour Women looking for a healthy workout routine designed to fit in between their home and work schedules now have a new alternative. Contours Express celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in...

St. Charles Chamber of Commerce president resigns.
March 19, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Nancy Stuenkel has resigned her position as president and CEO of the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce. Stuenkel said Tuesday that she would leave her full-time position with the chamber next month, and then go to work...

Indoor football team hopes to make Believers of local fans.
March 20, 2003... Byline: James Monahan Baseball isn't the only game a sports fan's fancy turns to in the spring. More than 7,000 football lovers will be traveling to the Family Arena this Friday, March 21, for the opening game of the 2003 National Indoor...

National Assn. of Realtors president to address county Realtors during awards ceremony.
March 20, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Cathy Whatley, president of the National Association of Realtors, will be the keynote speaker Thursday night at the St. Charles County Association of Realtors' awards banquet. Whatley, of Jacksonville, Fla., is the...

Craftsmen Industries' Helmsing named small business person of year for Missouri.
March 21, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask The federal Small Business Administration will present Joe Helmsing, owner and founder of Craftsmen Industries Inc. in St. Charles, with its Small Business Person of the Year award during a May 8 awards ceremony. The...

In today's world, parents must be vigilant in protecting children from predators.
March 21, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon The safe return of Elizabeth Smart to her family yielded a collective sigh of relief and a feeling of gratitude from parents across the nation last Wednesday. And for once the question "have you heard?" offered a happy...

AmerenUE names Bob Schmidt to head its Boone Trails Division.
March 21, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Bob Schmidt, manager of St. Louis-based AmerenUE's Wentzville district, will head the utility's new Boone Trails Division. This new division will take in the St. Charles district that until recently was managed by Dennis...

Dierbergs Markets seeks to establish transportation development district here.
March 21, 2003... Byline: James Monahan Dierbergs Markets has the St. Peters Planning and Zoning Commission's approval of a site plan for its new 79 Crossing shopping center. Now the grocer will seek court approval to establish the first transportation...

State legislators to talk at O'Fallon Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
March 21, 2003... Byline: press release Several state legislators from St. Charles County are scheduled to talk about the state budget and other legislative matters during the next meeting of the O'Fallon Chamber of Commerce. The meeting is scheduled to run...

St. Charles County Parks & Recreation Dept. gets Missouri Treescape Award.
March 21, 2003... Byline: press release The St. Charles County Parks and Recreation Department has received a Missouri Treescape Award from the Missouri Department of Conservation for substantially improving the county's parks with new trees. This is the...

St. Peters Parks & Recreation Dept. gets aquatic safety award.
March 21, 2003... Byline: press release The St. Peters Parks and Recreation lifeguard staff recently received the Gold National Aquatic Safety Award from Jeff Ellis & Associates Inc. Jeff Ellis provides aquatic safety and risk management to the recreational...

Orthwerths receive award for improving disabled people's quality of life.
March 21, 2003... Byline: press release The St. Charles County Developmental Disabilities Resource Board and the St. Charles County Coalition of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities have recognized county Executive Joe Ortwerth and his wife,...

O'Fallon Chamber of Commerce plans two ribbon-cuttings for April.
March 21, 2003... Byline: press release The O'Fallon Chamber of Commerce has two ribbon-cutting ceremonies planned for early April. The first ceremony will take place at 11:30 a.m., April 1, at Prudential Select Properties, a real estate company at 3792...

Exhibit space still available for O'Fallon Garden Expo and Arts Festival.
March 21, 2003... Byline: press release The O'Fallon Garden Expo & Festival of the Arts says booth space is still available for vendors and artists who wish to participate in the event. The expo will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., May 3, in Civic Park in...

Kelch rejoins SSM St. Charles Clinic Medial Group in new capacity.
March 21, 2003... Byline: press release David A. Kelch recently rejoined the management team of the SSM St. Charles Clinic Medical Group in a new capacity, as associate executive director. He worked at the Clinic Medical Group and the former Blanchette...

Karyn Turtle passes CPA exam.
March 21, 2003... Byline: press release Karyn Turtle, a staff accountant with the certified public accounting firm of MPP&W, P.C., has successfully passed all four parts of the CPA exam on her first attempt, said Bill Purk, the firm's president. MPP&W...

Exhibit of performing arts history of St. Louis to be at Mid Rivers Mall.
March 21, 2003... Byline: press release Organizers of an exhibit of the performing arts history of St. Louis at Kiel Opera House expects to welcome its 1 millionth visitor this Sunday afternoon at Westfield Shoppingtown Mid Rivers in St. Peters. The exhibit...

Hospitals in St. Charles continue to expand.
March 24, 2003... Byline: Kathleen Brady As the population increases in St. Charles County, so does the demand for health care facilities. In recent years, the expansion in the health care sector of the county has been booming, and the trend has...

Schwoeppe Machine gets state grant to assist relocation to Marthasville.
March 24, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask State officials have awarded a grant to Marthasville in Warren County to help facilitate the move of a manufacturer to that small municipality. Schwoeppe Machine and Tool Inc. plans to move from its location in...

Commentary: Those nearing retirement still have time to `catch up'.
March 24, 2003... Byline: Steven Stillman In 2001, Congress sent a loud message to workers across America: You need to save harder for your own retirement. It sent this message via the 2001 Tax Relief Act, which dramatically boosted the regular contribution...

Wentzville law enforcement center makes policing more efficient.
March 25, 2003... Byline: Amy Armour After many years of being cramped in the 1,900-square-foot basement of City Hall, the Wentzville police force now has room to spare in its new 25,000-square-foot law enforcement center. "[The new center] will bring a...

O'Fallon career, education fair targets job seekers of all levels.
March 26, 2003... Byline: Amy Armour The city of O'Fallon will host its fourth annual career and education fair on April 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the O'Fallon Municipal Centre at 100 N. Main St. As in years past, the career and education fair will...

MO's jobless rate falls; St. Charles County's rate lowest in region.
March 26, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Missouri's seasonally adjusted jobless rate in January fell to its lowest level in more than a year, according to the Missouri Department of Economic Development. The adjusted rate stood at 5.1 percent in January, which...

St. Charles Community College board increases tuition.
March 27, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask The St. Charles Community College's board of trustees this week agreed to make a $6-per-credit-hour tuition increase effective a year earlier than scheduled. College officials originally planned to wait until next...

Foundation approves $295,738 grant for SSM St. Joseph Health Center.
March 27, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask The Missouri Foundation for Health has approved a $295,738 grant to SSM St. Joseph Health Center in St. Charles. The foundation said the money will allow SSM Senior Services Dental Health Clinic to provide quality dental...

O'Fallon ribbon cutting for CenturyTel Retail Store.
March 28, 2003... Byline: press release On Thursday, March 20, 2003, at 11:30 a.m., CenturyTel Retail Store held a ribbon cutting at 2962 Highway K in O'Fallon Crossings. The Retail Store will be a direct point of contact for customers to make payments and...

Commentary: Bush's decisiveness in war with Iraq is positive step.
March 28, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon After years of being stalled by a culture of political correctness, U.S. leaders took decisive action last week setting an example for both the governmental and business communities. Intelligence reports had revealed...

Wentzville ribbon cutting for Mike Bounds-State Farm Insurance.
March 28, 2003... Byline: press release On Tuesday, April 1, 2003, at 11:15 a.m., the City of Wentzville and the Wentzville Chamber of Commerce will conduct a grand opening ribbon cutting for Mike Bounds-State Farm Insurance. The office is located at 1000...

Shea, Kohl, Alessi & O'Donnell adds associate atty. to staff.
March 28, 2003... Byline: press release The law firm of Shea, Kohl, Alessi & O'Donnell, LC recently announced the addition of Gwendolyn Froidl Goeke as associate attorney. Goeke has been practicing in the St. Charles area since 1997, when she joined the St....

Trucking industry holds safety awards banquet.
March 28, 2003... Byline: press release As more than 120 guests looked on, the trucking industry's finest safety and driving professionals were honored at the 56th annual M.M.C.A. Safety Awards Banquet held at the Ramada Inn in Jefferson City on Tuesday,...

SSM St. Joseph Hospital West appoints director of safety.
March 28, 2003... Byline: press release Linda Maciejewski has been appointed to the position of director of quality, risk and safety at SSM St. Joseph Hospital West. Maciejewski brings 20 years of experience in health care to her position. She earned her...

Forum Studio, Inc. adds two to architectural team.
March 28, 2003... Byline: press release Forum Studio, Inc., a full-service architecture, interiors, graphic design and planning collaborative, has added Wade Rose and G. Andy Leek to its architectural team. Rose brings more than 12 years of experience....

The Jones Company awarded for ads and sales.
March 28, 2003... Byline: press release Sandra Osiecki, director of marketing for The Jones Company, received five marketing/advertising awards at the recent annual Sales & Marketing Council dinner held in February at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Entries were...

St. Charles County exits apartment rental business.
March 28, 2003... Byline: James Monahan St. Charles County is getting out of the apartment rental business. It's selling its Sterling Heights apartment complex. The county has owned the complex since 1995 when it took control of the rental property from...

Four scholarships available from Festival of the Little Hills.
March 28, 2003... Byline: press release Festival of the Little Hills' newly established scholarship foundation may award four one-year scholarships to area high school seniors in 2003. Three $1,500 scholarships may be awarded to St. Charles County high...

American Credit Service ribbon cutting in St. Peters.
March 28, 2003... Byline: press release On Friday, March 28, 2003, at 8:30 a.m., Shirley Mason will conduct a ribbon cutting for American Credit Service at 4131 Mexico Road.

Wentzville revitalization continues to move forward.
March 28, 2003... Byline: Amy Armour After four years of only talking about revitalizing downtown Wentzville, city officials are revitalizing their effort to get the project off the drawing board. Last year the board hired the firm of Cunningham, Vogel...

Medical Transportation Mgmt. Inc. has grown quietly but very quickly.
March 31, 2003... Byline: Mike Trask Peg Griswold didn't start out planning to operate a multimillion dollar business. It just sort of happened -- in a hurry. Griswold started Medical Transportation Management Inc. in an office of the Wharf Building in...

Commentary: Open source software -- what exactly is it?
March 31, 2003... Byline: Bill Mocca I've created this article because I know a lot of people out there have "unpopular" opinions about open source software. Sometimes the large corporate software companies of the world have filled their heads with fire and...