January 2010

Five decades have passed since I attended my first City Council meeting in the old City Hall, now the Howard Municipal Building. John Longwell was the mayor, and Don Allard held the reins as city manager. With an estimated population hovering around 50,000, the city’s wards in the mid 1960s were represented by four guys […]

After withstanding a historic recession for more than a year, some telling economic indicators show signs of recovery. Although labor numbers continue to fluctuate, we no longer see dramatic layoffs each month. Likewise, the investment markets are rebounding after heavy losses earlier this year. With Missouri and the federal unemployment rates still lingering near 10

The United States Small Business Administration, an independent federal agency, is well known for its guaranteed commercial loan programs, which are available through area micro-loan intermediaries, community and national banks, commercial lenders and community development corporations located across our region. Some business owners are aware that the SBA is the principal sponsor of the SCORE