On the Street

Sugar and spice

Congratulations to Inside Business Editor Maria Hoover and husband Byron on the birth of their third child and first daughter. Kaitlyn Suzanne Hoover was born at 7:57 a.m. May 5. Weighing in at 8 pounds, 12 ounces and measuring 20 inches, Kaitlyn has two big brothers, Brandon and Connor, who are taking great pride in their new sister.

Tourism by the numbers

According to the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, the most requests for Springfield information comes from the St. Louis area. Chicago is No. 2, followed by Kansas City, Houston, Springfield, San Antonio, Omaha, Neb., Oklahoma City, Okla., Indianapolis and Wichita, Kan. Nearly 2.2 million people visit Springfield annually, spending about $526.2 million in the city. Of these visitors, 57.1 percent were leisure travelers, 27.1 percent were business travelers and 15.6 percent traveled for personal reasons. More than 5,200 people are directly employed in tourism related jobs in Springfield.

Can it

The local Habitat for Humanity ReStore is conducting a new contest to see which Habitat for Humanity affiliate can collect the most aluminum cans to fund new house construction. While the local affiliate raised more than $26,000 from 40,000 pounds of aluminum cans during the last six-month competition, the new contest will last for an entire year. Competing entities will try to collect more pounds of aluminum cans per capita than other affiliates. Pounds per capita will account for 60 percent of the competition, and publicity will comprise the remaining 40 percent. For the new competition, first prize is $50,000; second prize is $25,000; third prize is $15,000; and runners up receive $5,000. Kimberly White, ReStore coordinator, also is encouraging churches and organizations to publish information about the contest in bulletins and newsletters, which will count as publicity. For more information, call White at the ReStore, 417-829-4001.

Slice of Nice

A benefit golf tournament to raise funds for Relay for Life will be held May 23 at Dream Valley Golf Course in Buffalo. The tournament will include an 18-hole four-person scramble. Team entry fee is $200 and includes carts, 18-holes of golf, lunch and drinks. Tournament sponsorships are $100 per hole. For more information, contact Dream Valley Golf Course at 417-345-4653.