On the Street

Springfield-based Bass Pro Shops has reached an agreement in principle to convert The Pyramid in Memphis, Tenn., into an outdoor mega store, The Commercial Appeal in Memphis has reported. According to a commercialappeal.com article, Memphis Chief Financial Officer Robert Lipscomb declined to share specifics of the possible deal but noted that a press conference to discuss the project will be held in the next few weeks. Bass Pro spokesman Larry Whiteley denied that a preliminary deal was in place. The Pyramid project would be similar to one Bass Pro has announced in Buffalo, N.Y., where the company plans to convert that city's old Memorial Auditorium into a store and add a hotel.

Tlaquepaque talk

Springfield Sister Cities Association will hold an informational meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 19 regarding its 2006 Citizens Tour to Tlaquepaque. The meeting will be held at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, 202 S. John Q. Hammons Parkway, and will address the March 8-14 planned tour to Tlaquepaque, a colonial-style community in the state of Jalisco, Mexico.

The tour size is strictly limited to 20 participants, with a price of $1,500 per person based on double occupancy. Fees include airfare, ground transportation, several meals and guides, tickets and tips for scheduled tours. A Spanish for Tourists class will be held prior to the trip, although translators will accompany the group. Planned tour activities include Ballet Folkloric, shopping in traditional markets and a visit to a tequila-producing estate. For more information about the meeting or the tour, call SSCA at (417) 864-1191.

Surplus auction

The public can now bid on surplus Missouri Department of Transportation equipment online at www.GovDeals.com. MoDOT is using the Internet to recoup taxpayers' money by selling surplus equipment online. Registration on the Web site is free. To date, MoDOT auctions have included office equipment, computers, miscellaneous building supplies and furniture. Auction information also is available on MoDOT's Web site, www.modot.org.

Slice of Nice

Schultz & Dooley's in Chesterfield Village will Feb. 18 present its Sixth Annual Chili Cook-Off to benefit Champion Athletes of the Ozarks. Cooks can enter their best recipes in the competition for $20. Entries must be at Shultz & Dooley's and set up by 4 p.m. on the day of the event, with judging to start at 5 p.m.

There's a $5 fee to serve as a judge during the event, which will include entertainment, a drawing for a cruise and an awards ceremony. The event benefits Champion Athletes of the Ozarks, which serves children and adults with disabilities, providing sports training and competition to build self-esteem, confidence and social skills. For more information, call (417) 890-1599.