On the Street

The Microsoft Across America Mobile Event Experience makes a stop Nov. 2 at the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce and Nov. 3 at Springfield’s University Plaza Hotel. The events begin at 9 a.m. in Joplin, 320 E. Fourth St., and at 8 a.m. in Springfield, 333 S. John Q. Hammons Parkway. Attendees can view the latest in Microsoft business offerings in its 40-foot truck equipped with Microsoft, Cisco, HP and Intel technologies. Microsoft has sent out seven trucks to 250 cities this year, with more planned in 2006.

Rockwell ownership change

Downtown club the Rockwell has new owners. Square Guys LLC, organized by downtown developer Craig Wagoner, bought the 124 West Park Central Square building Oct. 4, according to the Greene County Assessor’s Office Web site. The Assessor’s Office appraises the property at $326,100. Wagoner is known for redeveloping downtown buildings into loft apartments. He’s now converting the former Ozark Camera building, on Walnut next to the Seville, into 11 lofts and ground-floor retail.

Bolivar retail

An announcement might come this week on a shopping center that would bring national retailers to Bolivar, according to Bud Godfrey, the city’s economic development director. He said lawyers for Kansas City investors and a Bolivar landowner are hammering out a deal. “It should be fairly soon, but we don’t have any signed papers yet,” he said. Godfrey said he doesn’t have enough information to estimate the potential center’s economic impact on Bolivar.

Sweet sales

Sugar-free candies are outselling America’s leading brands, according to Russell Stover Candies. Top sellers Snickers, Milky Way, Kit Kat, Butterfinger and Hershey’s Kisses are being supplanted one-by-one as sales of sugar-free candies nearly quadrupled between 2000 and 2004, an Information Resources Inc. study shows. The sugar-free category is outselling Snickers by 21 percent and is double the sales of Hershey’s Kisses as the number of health-conscious and elder consumers increases. Last year, consumers purchased nearly $240 million in sugar-free candy, compared to $63 million five years ago.

Slice of Nice

The Sertoma Club of Springfield and Price Cutter stores hold the fifth annual Wingapalooza fund-raiser Nov. 2 at the Shrine Mosque, 601 St. Louis St. More than 20 local restaurants will serve their best chicken wings to be judged by a celebrity panel and event patrons. The fund-raiser includes a silent auction, a raffle of four tickets to a Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos game, wing-eating contest with cash prizes and live music. Tickets are $10 for Sertoma members, $12 before the event and $15 at the door. Proceeds fund attendance to the Kids Across America summer camp for at-risk youth.

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