Heard on the Street

|tab|

|bold_on|CVB TO PIO. Kristin Kubitschek, the former public relations manager for the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, returns to city of Springfield employment June 28 to assist the city's public information office in the absence of its officer, Kay Logsdon. Before her employment with the CVB, Kubitschek served as a production graphics assistant in the public information office. Logsdon announced June 14 that she will take an unpaid leave of absence July 10-Aug. 26 to help Way2Bid, a Springfield-based provider of online bidding services, get its communications department up and running. Kubitschek will share PIO responsibilities equally with Jane Simpson, the city's citizens service coordinator, and will primarily handle media relations, Logsdon said.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|LOCAL CONNECTION. The regional jet flights offered by Northwest Airlink and American Eagle had a connection to Springfield long before the companies announced plans to expand service here. Northwest Airlink's Canadair CRJ-200 and American Eagle's Embraer ERJ-145 and ERJ-135 regional jets both use connectors manufactured at Springfield-based Positronic Industries Inc. Postronic's Front Runner, D-Subminiature and Rectangular series connectors are involved in cockpit control systems such as navigation, radar, global positioning systems, ground proximity detectors, collision avoidance systems, landing gear control and nonflight auxiliary systems including audio/video, lighting, seat mechanisms etc. |ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|EVERYBODY'S ALL-AMERICAN. The All-American Agency LLC, an auto, home, health, farm and life insurance agency formed by Jim Yates, Terry Appenzeller and David M. Wilson in 1999, has acquired Collins Insurance Agency and will begin servicing Collins agency accounts June 30, according to Wilson, sales manager for the All-American Agency. The Collins |ret||ret||tab|

Insurance Agency is located in the Plaza Towers and will close as a result of the acquisition. Joe Collins will |ret||ret||tab|

have an office at the All-American Agency's offices at 4255 S. Glenstone, Ste. A, Wilson said. "This acquisition doubles our sales volume, primarily in our GuideOne book of business," he added.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|I LOVE A PARADE. That's the word from Rivercut Golf Community's sales manager Tom Lakowske, of Carol Jones, Realtors. During the first weekend of the Home Builders Association's Parade of Homes, June 16, 17 and 18, more than 2,500 people visited Rivercut's four parade entries. In general, positive response to the golf community has prompted Rivercut to develop an additional 50 lots, Lakowske said. A favorite feature of the development among buyers is its landscaping, he said, particularly the waterfall at the entrance that "comes off a natural bluff a good 30 feet in the air and cascades down the bluff into a pool."|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|PIGGING OUT. The Missouri Pork Producers Association recently announced its plans for the summer. In addition to Ag in the Classroom presentations across the state, "another strong class of young swine enthusiasts has been selected to participate in the annual Pork Institute, June 26-28," stated an MPPA press release. The organization will hold its first ever MPPA Pork Classic Golf Tournament July 20, and MPPA activities and events at the Missouri State Fair in August will expand with the new youth Swine Skillathon in which young people ages 8 to 21 will test their knowledge of pork production, competing for cash prizes.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|DRUG DEALING. The Federal Trade Commission June 19 accepted a proposed consent agreement allowing Pfizer Inc. to complete its $90 billion merger with Warner Lambert Company while ensuring competition is maintained for several key drugs, according to an FTC release. The FTC's order, which awaits final approval, would require the companies to end Warner's agreement with Forest Laboratories Inc. to co-promote the antidepressant Celexa; divest Pfizer's RID head-lice treatment business to Bayer Corporation; divest all Warner assets related to the Alzheimer's drug Cognex to First Horizon Pharmaceutical Corp.; and transfer and give up all Pfizer assets related to CP-358-774, a cancer treatment now under development, to OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. The proposed agreement is subject to public comment until July 19.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|SLICE OF NICE. The Springfield March of Dimes is looking for participants for its Jail n Bail fund raiser to take place June 27-28 at the Old Calaboose Substation, 409 W. McDaniel. Funds raised by the organization are used to further its goal of preventing birth defects. Past March of Dimes-funded advances include the polio vaccine and ultrasound technology. To donate an hour of your time on either day or for more information, call Brenna Rogers at 889-9397.|ret||ret||tab|

[[In-content Ad]]