There seems to be some confusion about the face covering order for Cape Girardeau County and how it pertains to bars and restaurants. The order from the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center went into effect on Monday, July 13th. There was no termination date in the order but recently it was revised to be reviewed at the next meeting of the Health Center board at the end of this month. I’ve heard from many people they don’t understand how this applies to restaurants and bars. Because your

Today’s business environment can best be described as a roller coaster ride. It is full of ups and downs, violent turns, sudden stops, and rapid accelerations. Let’s take a look at some information from just this the past week. We learned that unemployment rates dropped for the month of June. And then we learned unemployment filings are on the rise again in July in some states. Many employees have gone back to work while others are in fields that still have not rebounded at all and their CARES

There were several pieces of good news this week at a time when we can really use them. The unemployment rate for the state of Missouri fell to 7.9% for June. That compares to a national rate of 11.1%. While the county numbers haven’t been released yet, I believe the Cape County and Scott County numbers will both reflect a similar declining pattern. While this is good news, challenges continue everywhere related to the virus. So, the Missouri Department of Economic Development announced several

Cape Girardeau County has joined many others in Missouri, the U.S., and the world in issuing a face covering order. On Friday, July 10, the Cape Girardeau County Health Department issued the guidelines in an attempt to reduce the number of cases, ease hospitalizations, and keep businesses open. Opinions on face coverings certainly vary but our local health professionals have determined this is a good step to take right now. The order took effect this morning at 12:01 a.m. and has no termination

As Missouri continues the Governor’s Show Me Strong Recovery Plan, challenges emerge for the business community and the general public. This is a difficult time for local businesses. People are so divided on the virus, the spread, the threats, the perceptions, and what our personal responsibilities should be today and moving forward. This has become a very political issue and opinions are getting more deeply entrenched every day. Certainly, I will not change anyone’s views with this message and

Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, is back in the news. TIF is a redevelopment tool designed to incent development in an area, or for a specific building, that is either stagnant or declining in value. The developer must submit an affidavit verifying the development could not take place without assistance. TIF allows the developer to capture the increment in real property taxes created by redevelopment and up to 50% of the increase in economic activity taxes for example the city portion of the

We are wrapping up week one of Phase Two of the Show Me Strong Recovery Plan announced by Governor Parson. Phase Two means Missouri is fully open and moving forward. The Governor based his decision on his four essential recovery pillars: expand testing capacity, expand reserves of PPE, continue to monitor and, if necessary, expand hospital and health care system capacity, and improve ability to predict potential outbreaks using Missouri's public health data. Certainly people are anxious to

Area voters approved two separate tax initiatives in the rescheduled local elections held on June 2. Voters in the City of Cape Girardeau approved Transportation Trust Fund 6. This is the extension of a ½ cent sales tax to fund road and street infrastructure improvements. The tax will run from 2021 through 2025. The specified expenditures include approximately $10 million for specific street projects and more than $13 million for street repairs. A complete list can be found on the City of Cape

This week brought mixed news to our area as the Governor extended Phase One of his Show Me Strong Recovery Plan. The state of Missouri remains in Phase One until at least June 15th at which time Governor Parson will announce our next steps and what they mean for businesses and our communities. In the meantime, we are all urged to follow the recommendations outlined in his plan. As expected, unemployment news this week was not good. Cape County unemployment climbed to 9.5%. Perry County has a

This week brought us additional news in two important areas related to business and the economy. Employment in Missouri decreased by 305,100 jobs over the month, and by 327,800 jobs over the year, the largest one-month and one-year decreases since the current tracking began in 1990. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 9.7 percent over the month, more than doubling the previous month, and tripling over the year. While local unemployment numbers haven’t been posted yet,