Springfield Business Journal's family has grown again. Reporter Matt Wagner and his wife, freelance writer Tresa McBee, welcomed a son, Miles Dickson Wagner, in the wee morning hours of June 23. The little guy made his debut at 7 pounds, 8 ounces. We're not sure yet if Miles will be as inquisitive as his investigative-reporter dad, but he's got plenty of time to figure that out.
Christian County Audit Begins
Missouri State Auditor Susan Montee's office has launched an audit of Christian County after receiving the required number of voter signatures.
Montee received petitions containing 3,836 signatures of registered resident voters who requested the audit, according to a news release. State statutes required a minimum of 3,783 signatures. The state auditor is required to conduct an audit of any political subdivision if enough registered voters request it.
State law also requires that the entity being audited pay for the audit. The cost of the Christian County audit has been quoted between $50,000 and $60,000, according to Allison Bruns, director of communications for the auditor's office.
Anyone with information or concerns about Christian County may contact the auditor's office by phone at (800) 347-8597, by e-mail at moaudit@auditor.mo.gov, or by mail at PO Box 869, Jefferson City, MO 65102. All submissions will be kept confidential, according to the release.
Hamras Buy Into Bolivar
Springfield-based Wendy's of Missouri has acquired the Wendy's restaurant in Bolivar and will remodel the facility later this summer.
Wendy's of Missouri, owned by franchisees Sam and June Hamra, bought the restaurant from Value Foods Inc. for an undisclosed amount, according to a news release.
The 10-year-old restaurant, 2480 Springfield Ave., will close later this summer for a remodel that will include an updated dining room design and lot and sidewalk enhancements. Baron Design and Associates LLC is the project architect, and OakStar Bank is providing financing, according to the release.
Wendy's of Missouri operates 28 restaurants, including eight in Springfield and three in Branson.
Slice of Nice
Hungerthon 2009, a collaborative effort between Ozarks Food Harvest and radio station Alice@95.5, brought in a record $123,315 for the Weekend Backpack Program. The amount raised during this year's event, held June 5-8, is enough to support more than 411 backpacks, which are filled with food and given on Friday afternoons to students on the free and reduced lunch program at 28 participating schools. The previous record, $116,030, was raised last year. Radio personalities Kevin Howard and Liz Delany were the hosts for the radiothon, which comprised nearly 30 hours on the air during the weekend. This is the 11th year Ozarks Food Harvest and the radio station have teamed up for the cause.
This installment of Springfield Business Journal’s Architects & Engineers Project Report showcases 26 endeavors by area design and engineering professionals.
