Where did Pelican go?: With Hurricane Wilma still dominating the news in early November, few people probably noticed an announcement on Nov. 4 that Stark Bank Group of Fort Dodge, Iowa, plans to buy Naples-based Pelican Financial Group for about $31 million in cash.Slower Christmas for Ranch's Main Street: Lakewood Ranch developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch Inc. and Casto Lifestyle Properties were hoping to have open some of the shops in Main Street at Lakewood Ranch this past week, but construction and approvals have delayed the opening through at least the middle of December.Construction inflation: Ken Simonson, the chief economist at the Associated General Contractors of America, is worried about the cost of building materials.Small businesses unprepared: A study compiled by the International Profit Associates Small Business Research Board shows that nationwide, 79% of small businesses that responded to the survey did not have a disaster recovery plan.Death and taxes: Manatee County has released a list of its top 10 taxpayers for the 2005 tax year.
