News nuggets and coffee-shop chatter from Paducah and the area.

Owner Jeff James will hold a ribbon cutting/grand opening at 5 p.m. July 28 for expanded Energy Fitness inside Livingwell Centre at 2343 Holt Road.

Amenities include a group fitness room, personal training studio, new cardio equipment and spinning (stationary bike) classes. Three Rivers Martial Arts is moving onto the second floor. Expanding to from 26,0000 to 38,000 square feet meets current and future needs, James said.

At the celebration, he will detail a new interactive area for ages 8-13 and talk about plans for a newly acquired second location. Tours, class demonstrations, food, prizes, family entertainment and membership specials will follow from 5:15 to 7:00 p.m.
Information: 554-7222 or energyfitnesspaducah.com.

Brentwood, Tenn.-based Browning Companies is buying the Blockbuster building near Kentucky Oaks Mall with plans for a McAlister’s Deli to open in the rear in November.
Blockbuster will give up 1,172 square feet in the middle of the building for another business. Browning owner Jeff Browning said he has spoken to a chain ice cream store, but no deal has been finalized.
Mississippi-based McAlister’s, whose menu features a variety of sandwiches and salads, will occupy 4,105 square feet inside and add an outdoor patio, Browning said.
Let’s Glow Golf is moving out of the building. Owner Rick Tilley planned to close July 27 (offering free games from 1-6 p.m.) to search for a larger site to offer a wider variety of entertainment. Tilley said he hopes to announce plans in September for a much larger facility that would offer an arcade, karaoke and a cafe plus glow-in-the-dark miniature golf.

Petter Business Systems, 5110 Charter Oak Drive, has acquired some of the assets of Williams Business Products at 1617 Broadway and hired longtime Williams employees Christine McKee, Tim Sweeney and Steve Weaks.

Prior owners Larry Williams, who died last year, and his wife, Chris Williams, had a successful Lanier copier dealership for many years, Petter President Keith Dickens said. “Along with our Canon product line, it positions our company with the two of the le ading document imaging products in the country.”
Dickens credited Petter’s 34 employees for consecutive, double-digit sales growth in recent years. The firm also sells office supplies and paper, including Internet ordering capabilities, and has an office furniture and design department. Information: 575-5078.

California-based coat hanger manufacturer Shanti Industries plans to start production within a month in the Hickory Industrial Park off U.S. 45 north of Mayfield.
Co-owner and President Darmesh Patel said the plant has hired a few engineers who worked at the former Laidlaw hanger plant in Metropolis, Ill. The Mayfield plant plans to hire about 40 employees, mostly from Laidlaw, to run two eight-hour shifts with 20 workers each.
“As we grow, we’re probably going to add a third shift,” Patel said. The factory also will produce chemicals and detergents used by dry cleaners.

Continental Tire North America will spend $60 million to improve passenger, light truck and commercial vehicle tire manufacturing, spurring 75 new production jobs at its Mt. Vernon, Ill., factory.
The plant employs people from the Paducah area, some of whom lost work when Continental closed its Mayfield, Ky., factory in early 2007.
Continental said it will spend $40 million on machinery and tooling for passenger and light truck tire operations, plus $20 million on commercial vehicle tire production moving from Europe. The plant makes 90 percent of the company’s U.S. truck tires and supports Canadian production.

Candace Stokes of Paducah recently opened RCS Enterprizes, offering virtual assistant and security consultant services to businesses and nonprofit organizations.
As a virtual assistant, the New Mexico native specializes in business organization and special projects. Services range from data entry to office management. She also does security assessments; helps develop enhanced operations, polices and procedures; and provides security-awareness training. 
Information: 554-0460 or rcsenterprizes@comcast.net.

Paducah Printing President Bruce Shulman said Flagship Printing has merged with his firm.
Founded in 1894 as the Charles M. Leake Co., the business later operated as Leake Printing Co. before changing to Flagship in 1970.
“We were exploring several different avenues for expansion, and when the opportunity to partner with Flagship materialized, it was an easy decision to make,” Shulman said.
Paducah Printing’s office at 233 N. 8th St. is serving Flagship accounts and storing all customer layout files, Shulman said. Ray Davenport continues as an account representative for Paducah Printing.

Tammy Peevyhouse has opened Paducah’s first Avon store, at 2954 Lone Oak Road. The only other Avon retailer is in Lexington.
Peevyhouse, who joined Avon in March, also is a beauty advisor and Web representative.
Hours:10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays; 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.

Murrayan George Bandarra, whose award-winning giraffe is in Paducah’s Lower Town, is adding his touch to Kentucky Shores Family Fun Center on U.S. 641 between Gilbertsville and Draffenville.
Additions include a 6-by-8-foot bull on a new barn and a giant squid holding a club and ball next to the miniature golf course. Both are fashioned with copper and stainless steel, like the giraffe.
“He’ll be doing two life-size palm trees,” said fun center co-owner Tom Erwin, who founded Annie’s Horsedrawn Carriages.

Qdoba Mexican Grill will serve fast casual Mexican food in Paducah by 2011, thanks to a former Cape Girardeau, Mo., car dealer who enjoyed the restaurant’s atmosphere and cuisine during several St. Louis visits.

Jerry Wieser is going into partnership with his son, Keith Wieser, and son-in-law, Richard Davidson, to open Qdoba restaurants in Cape Girardeau, Paducah and Marion, Ill. He recently retired after more than 50 years as a car dealer, most recently operating the Cape Girardeau Honda and Hyundai dealerships.
The Cape Girardeau grill will open first, and Wieser is seeking land in Paducah and Marion. He said all three restaurants will be operating within three years.

River’s Edge Veterinary Hospital has opened at 720 Kennedy Drive in Metropolis, Ill.

Dr. Karla Hart provides medical services to companion animals, horses and livestock and also offers 24-hour emergency service. Appointments are accepted as late as 7:45 p.m. on Tuesdays.

The 2,200-square-foot hospital has two exam rooms, a large treatment area, surgical suite, isolation unit and lobby. Information: 618-524-7500.

Computer Services Inc. has bought the remaining minority interests in Heartland Communications Internet Services, both of Paducah.

The deal affords expanded infrastructure to support telecommunications services for CSI and its customers, President-CEO Steve Powless said.

CSI bought 49 percent of Heartland stock in March 2005 and became majority shareholder in July 2006. Heartland now will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of CSI with Powless as president-CEO.

Joe Walker compiles Biz Buzz. Got at tip? Call Joe at 575-8656, send a fax to 442-7859 or e-mail buzz@paducahsun.com