On the Street

Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s character education word for November is “caring,” defined as being interested and concerned about others and treating them with understanding and compassion. The chamber and the program remind businesses and the community to be more caring this month. Previous character education words were respect, in September, and responsible, in October. The chamber-led initiative works to create a “culture of character.”

Diesel shop deconstruction

Environmental Works Inc. began the first week of November to demolish Burlington Northern Santa Fe’s vacant diesel shop in the railyard beneath the Kansas Expressway viaduct. BNSF selected Environmental Works for the job because of a working history, said BNSF spokesperson Steve Forsberg. The shop has been unused for 10 years, and demolition opens options for yard-track expansion, which could be necessary considering traffic and employment are up in Springfield, Forsberg added. BNSF hired 60 conductors in Springfield this year and now employs more than 900 here – more than in Los Angeles or Denver. The city’s pursuit of the railway in Jordan Valley Park also is a factor, Forsberg said.

Inflated corporate taxes

Missouri’s corporate income and corporate franchise tax collections had the largest percentage growth of any category in October’s general revenue report, jumping 65.9 percent. That growth continues the annual corporate tax pace of 50.1 percent- above this time last year, from $131.9 million to $198.1 million.

Missouri Commissioner of Administration Mike Keathley attributed the increases to the addition of high-paying jobs in the state. (Complete general revenue collections coverage is on p. 14.)

Online economy

A new U.S. Census Bureau report shows that 40 percent of adults used the Internet to obtain news, weather or sports information in 2003, a sharp increase from only 7 percent six years earlier. The Internet also has become an integral part of the economy, as nearly half – 47 percent – of adults used the Internet to find information on products or services in 2003, the report said. About one-third, 32 percent, actually purchased a product or service online, compared with only 2 percent of adults who shopped online in 1997.

Slice of Nice

Regional Bullseye convenience stores donated 1 cent for every gallon of gas sold Sept. 7–Oct. 6 to Convoy of Hope’s Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The 1,058,826 gallons of gas sold at 11 participating stores, including the Nixa and Ozark stations owned by Bullseye President and owner Paul Cox, netted $10,588 for the Springfield-based emergency response group. Cox also donated four truckloads of bottled water.