Open for Business: Arvest Bank

Arvest Bank
Arvest Bank opened its fourth Springfield branch March 12 at 3184 E. Sunshine St. in a roughly $1.2 million, 4,000-square-foot facility built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards by Morelock-Ross Builders Inc. Branch Manager Karen Kroutil is one of nine employees at the branch, which is Arkansas-based Arvest’s eighth in the region and one of more than 230 branches in four states. Kroutil said the full-service branch has four drive-through lanes and an on-site ATM. Hours: 8 a.m.– 6 p.m. in the lobby and 7 a.m.–7 p.m. in the drive-through Monday through Friday; 8 a.m.–1 p.m. Saturday. Phone: (417) 885-7200. Web: Arvest.com

Blue Collar Lawyer LLC
Attorney David Potashnick opened Blue Collar Lawyer LLC on Dec. 16. Working out of a home office in Rogersville, Potashnick emphasizes early settlement through alternative dispute resolution, such as mediation and arbitration. The 20-year attorney took over his father’s Sikeston law practice upon graduating from the University of Missouri School of Law in 1989 and worked three years in Springfield as in-house counsel for HAS Properties, the city’s public housing authority. Potashnick said he hasn’t practiced law the last four years due to a medical retirement, but his license was reinstated by the Missouri Supreme Court just days before starting Blue Collar Lawyer. He expects 80 percent of his caseload to be in domestic disputes, such as custody, divorce and property settlements; 10 percent in contracts; 5 percent in landlord-tenant disputes; and 5 percent in small estate planning. He currently has nearly 10 cases and charges an hourly fee on a sliding scale: ADR work is $50 per hour and other legal work is $100 per hour, plus filing fees, he said. Hours: By appointment. Phone: (417) 812-4554. Web: BlueCollarLawyerLLC.com

Care To Learn-Fordland
Springfield-based Care to Learn established a Fordland chapter April 16. The nonprofit, which operates as a fund of Community Foundation of the Ozarks at 411 N. Sherman Parkway, will help the Fordland School District in raising money to provide food, and health and hygiene products for the 604-student population. “They’ll be our poorest district at 70 percent free and reduced lunch,” Executive Director Morey Mechlin said of Care to Learn’s 10th chapter. “They have a great need in that area but a very caring community.” She said a 5K run and car show fundraisers are in the works in Fordland. Care to Learn operates two Springfield chapters through Springfield Public Schools and Ozarks Technical Community College, and also has chapters in Bolivar, Clever, Nixa, Ozark, Republic, Rogersville and Willard. The fund was founded in April 2008 by ServiceWorld Computer Center co-owner Doug Pitt, and it is supported by actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie through their Jolie-Pitt Foundation and local businessman Jim D. Morris. Since its inception, Care to Learn has helped to fulfill roughly 100,000 requests. Phone (417) 862-7771. Web: CareToLearnFund.org

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