CLARK COUNTY — One woman is turning her personal tragedy into something sweet.

Marlyce Burkardt-Neal is hosting the grand opening of Marlyce’s Place, a cupcake, cookie and bake shop Saturday off Eastern Boulevard in Clarksville. She decided to open the bakery after experiencing personal tragedy of losing both of her children to a drug overdose.

Last year, both of her son, Jon Burkardt, Jr., 24, and her daughter, Autumn Burkardt, 28, died from separate overdoses of Opana. The loss inspired Burkardt-Neal to move forward with a dream she shared with her son to one day open a bakery.

“I said, ‘I’m going to do this,’” Burkardt-Neal said. “Life’s too short.”  

She gave up her job at the VA Hospital to start the cupcake business and added that it will be more than desserts.

“This business isn’t just a business, it’s a tool to minister,” Burkardt-Neal said. “I will continue to spread the word about addiction, because they mattered in life and they matter in death,” she said of her children. “It’s unbelievable what addiction can do ... [and] as a mother I don’t want my children to be forgotten.”

Burkardt-Neal said she hopes to get the word out about the growing problems of addiction, especially to prescription painkillers.

“I always end up talking to people and telling them the story of my children,” she said. “I just feel like they’re watching me and they’re proud of me.”

Burkardt-Neal said her business specializes in a chocolate-covered cherry lovers cupcake and individual desserts called “little pleasers” in flavors like cream pie and banana split.

Marlyce’s Place grand opening is set for today, Saturday, Aug. 18. The store will be open 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Saturday and is located at 1404 Eastern Blvd. in Clarksville. For more information visit marlycesplace.com



F5 Enterprises and salsa

A marketing business launched out of a basement five years ago has found a home and showroom at 1006 10th Street in Jeffersonville.

F5 Enterprises LLC Owner Miguel Hampton said his business does just about everything. The focus of the business is on creative marketing and creating promotional products, including printing, for businesses.

“Anything under the brand scope,” Hampton said, of what he does for other businesses.

Along with his clients, Hampton is branding his own product — Sancho Miguel’s Salsa.

He sells it at the store in eight-ounce portions in three versions — mild, signature and caliente.

“Sancho Miguel is the expansion of the business,” Hampton said.

He sells the salsa out of his 10th Street location, at farmers markets and is looking to distribute through retail stores soon, adding individuals can call if they want larger sizes of the salsa.

For more information, go to F5enterprises.com, visit the new office at 1006 East 10th St., Suite A. in Jeffersonville, email info@f5enterprises.com or call 502-713-2072.



Chili’s opening soon

Chili’s restaurant will have its grand opening soon in the former Don Pablo’s building at 940 Lewis and Clark Parkway in Clarksville. The “casual fare” restaurant will host a ribbon cutting at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 27 before it opens for business at 11 a.m.



Petunias Boutique

Petunias Boutique at 420 Spring St. in Jeffersonville closed Friday. The boutique clothing store had operated in the downtown historic shopping district for five years, according to its Facebook page.