A Gravois Mills woman faces charges after a one-vehicle accident on Route-W, near Indian Creek Lane, in Morgan County. The highway patrol report indicates that it happened around 2:30 this morning when the vehicle driven by 30-year-old Rachelle Blanks traveled off the roadway striking a sign and an embankment before going airborne and coming back down. Blanks suffered serious injuries and was taken to University Hospital. She was also issued summons for DWI and C&I  involving a wreck.

A personal watercraft collision early Tuesday afternoon in Indian Creek Cove, along the Gravois Arm in Morgan County, sends one person to the emergency room. The highway patrol report says it happened when the PWC operated by 8-year-old Colin Greene, of Longwood Florida, struck another PWC operated by 47-year-old Kelly Greene, also from Longwood Florida. The older Greene suffered moderate injuries when he was ejected from the craft…he was treated at Lake Regional.

In late May and early June, complaints were turned into the Attorney General’s Office complaining that the Camden County Commission was not handling their sunshine requests properly. The Attorney General’s Office reports that the cases have been closed with them finding no violations.  Presiding Commissioner Greg Hasty was not surprised by the results.

The complaints filed were in regards to the custodian of records for the county, as well as the hiring of Lowther Johnson Law firm to handle sunshine requests.

The City of Camdenton wants to let residents know that a story circulating online is outdated. They report that a news story from 2011 claiming there’s a boil order has been circulating on social media. They say that if anyone wants to be notified of actual boil orders, as well as other announcements by the city, they can sign up for e-mail notifications at camdentoncity.com.

A Lake of the Ozarks teacher has died following a cycling accident. On June 29^th, Camdenton High School teacher Larry Allman was cycling on Horseshoe Bend, near Cherokee Road, when he crashed his bike, breaking his helmet. Due to storms in the Columbia area, flying to University Hospital was not an option, so he was flown to Mercy Hospital in Springfield instead. After spending 11 days in the hospital, it was determined the swelling on Allman’s brain was uncontrollable. He passed away on Sunday.

Even through the hot weather, MoDOT continues to work throughout the lake area. Area Engineer Bob Lynch says they’re focusing on a couple different projects right now, mowing and chip sealing.

Lynch says the mowing will continue in about a week. He also says that while asphalt work will become more efficient in the hot weather, concrete work will be more difficult, possibly causing workers to do it earlier in the morning.

You can cross off the names of two of the most wanted fugitives in Camden County. That’s according to the sheriff’s department’s website which indicates 22-year-old Garrett Lee Cope and 18-year-old Jarek Bryce Schooling were both, recently, taken into custody. Cope had been wanted for failing to appear for a probation violation hearing on original charges of burglary and theft. His bond was set at $20-thousand. Schooling had been wanted on felony charges of rape and sodomy. He is scheduled to be in court today for a hearing to consider his bond which was set at $50-thousand.

State Auditor Nicole Galloway’s Office has issued their final draft for the audit conducted on Morgan County. According to Presiding Commissioner James Bryant, the report was short and quite pleasing.

Commissioner Bryant also says they found some improvements the county could implement for data backup and passwords. Next, he says the Auditor’s Office will conduct exit interviews with officials from the county to address more specific changes they could put in place to help operate the county more efficiently.

The Lake Ozark Board of Aldermen will face a fairly routine agenda when they meet tonight. Among the issues to be discussed will be a Special Event Application for the Shootout Meet and Greet, the disposal of a Public Works vehicle, and the possibility of making a payment for the Lake Ozark Regional Lift Station Project. Tonight’s Lake Ozark Board of Aldermen meeting will begin at 6 o’clock tonight in City Hall.

Some scary moments when a bus flipped on Route-AA in Camden County. Although details remain sketchy at this time, Sergeant Scott White from the highway patrol says several children were injured in the accident which was reported around 4:30 Monday afternoon…

Sergeant White goes onto say that the injuries are all believed to be non-life-threatening. It’s believed that the group on the bus is from out of the Lake Area and staying at the Windermere Conference Center in Roach. KRMS News will pass along updated information when released by the highway patrol.

A former deputy for the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department faces one felony count in Morgan County of having sexual contact with a prisoner. 60-year-old Donald Sapp, from Lynchburg, was charged in connection to the incident which, reportedly, happened back in late December. Court documents indicate Sapp was driving through Morgan County while enroute with the prisoner from Chillicothe to Waynesville when he, allegedly, touched the woman inappropriately, took nude photographs with his cellphone and made her perform sex acts. DNA content collected by the unidentified victim and pictures on Sapp’s phone were taken as evidence into the allegations. Sapp was put on leave by the sheriff’s department and has, subsequently, resigned. As of this past weekend, online records do not show whether Sapp has been taken into custody or is being represented by an attorney. His bond was set at $50-thousand.

A day of fishing at the Lake of the Ozarks comes to an end with the apparent drowning death of a 25-year-old from Overland Park, Kansas. The highway patrol report indicates that the incident happened shortly before 9:00 Saturday morning at 141 Weems Drive, in Sunrise Beach. Connor Mohr had been fishing from the dock before being reported as missing when he failed to return. A brief search ensued and Mohr was located in the water. He was pronounced dead at the scene. In addition to the drowning, there were also at least three other boating-related mishaps on Saturday. The most serious happened shortly before 5:30pm at the 19.5 milemark of the Osage Arm when a cigarette boat was, reportedly, operating too close to an unidentified third vessel before running over a PWC. The 17-year-old operator of the PWC suffered moderate injuries and was treated at Lake Regional. The other incidents included one person injured when the boat she was on at the 17-milemark of the Osage Arm hit a large wake, and two boats in the party cove bumping into each other when one of the operators was pulling anchor and, instead, accidentally bumped the throttle into reverse. There were no injuries in that incident.

At least 16 people have new court dates here at Lake of the Ozarks after being arrested over the weekend by the highway patrol. Among those arrested in Miller County were 32-year-old Jonathan Edde, of Marshall, and 23-year-old Brittany Wilson, of Iberia. Edde is charged with felony possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor possession of marijuana and paraphernalia, along with several traffic violations including speeding, 92 in a 70mph zone. Wilson is charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Both were put on 24 hour holds. The highway patrol also arrested 10 people for DWI, two people for BWI, and one person each for misdemeanor possession and for having an outstanding warrant from out of the area.

The Morgan County training facility for law enforcement has hit a bit of a speed bump. Presiding Commissioner James Bryant says they won’t be holding a seminar this year, but he’s still optimistic about its future.

Commissioner Bryant says they’ll be placing carpet in the facility this week.

Two people are charged in Morgan County facing felony charges after, allegedly, stealing a car. Christopher Kennedy, from Kansas City Missouri, and Natasha Wesley-Cooper, of Versailles, are charged with one count each of stealing a motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance. The incident apparently happened on Thursday of this past week. Bond for, both, Kennedy and Wesley-Cooper was set at $200-thousand cash only.

The Lake of the Ozarks Council of Local Governments Board of Directors will return to the table one week from today with several discussion items appearing on the agenda. Highlighting business will be an Audit Compilation Report proposal for 2016-2017 and various other reports. Theresa Garza and John Maslowski, with Renovate America, also appear on the agenda as guest speakers. The council of local governments board of directors meeting is scheduled to begin at 10-AM next Monday, July 17^th, at Osage Beach City Hall.

Officials in Osage Beach send a proposed contract with Union Electric to provide power for city streetlights back for further review. Mayor John Olivarri says the main questions from the board concerning the contract dealt with finances after the work is completed.

City Administrator Jeana Woods will review the contract and present any additional information requested by the board of aldermen. The proposed contract with Union Electric is expected to be brought up again during the board’s next meeting scheduled for the 20^th of this month.

UPDATE: The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has returned water samples after the advisory was initially issued with those results being described as good and resulting in the advisory being lifted (as of Saturday evening).

On Friday, July 7th, mechanical issues at the pressure control station on Passover Road has caused a Boil Advisory to be issued for all residents on Passover Road south of Highway 54 Expressway. A Boil Advisory is a cautionary suggestion to boil water, not an actual “Boil Order”. This Boil Advisory will remain in effect until water sample results are received back from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Because of the flooding earlier this year, Miller County had a couple of their bridges washed out. Presiding Commissioner Tom Wright says they’ll be meeting with FEMA to discuss those bridges next week.

Commissioner Wright says the majority of the other work to repair damage from the flooding has been completed.

On June 30^th, the Osage Beach Board of Aldermen held a vote that has many residents concerned. The ordinance would allow law enforcement to issue tickets for Careless and Imprudent driving on private property used for public use, such as a business parking lot. Lake Area resident Ike Skelton says approving narrow ordinances like this can be dangerous down the line.

The board approved the first reading with only Alderman Jeff Bethurem voting in opposition. The final vote before the ordinance is enacted will be held on July 20^th.

A  Special Meeting was held Thursday night in the City of Laurie to discuss their Municipal Court System.  Judge Patricia Scott retired suddenly in June, which City Clerk Ron Clarke says forced the board of aldermen to weigh their options to fill that spot.

Clarke says there are a large number of small cities throughout the state that run their court system in this way.

Thanks to some help from the public, a vehicle stolen in Morgan County has been recovered. The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office posted the information for a Blue 2-door Mustang that was stolen from the Walmart parking lot in Versailles. After posting the information, Versailles Police were able to recover the vehicle on Pamela Drive on Thursday evening. A male and a female suspect were taken into custody for the incident.

A bill focused on protecting law enforcement was signed on Thursday. Governor Eric Greitens signed the bill, known as the Blue Alert Bill, at the St. Louis County and Municipal Police Academy in the City of St. Louis. The bill will not only enhance the penalties for assaults on law enforcement, but it will also give other law enforcement agencies and the public an alert when assault on a law enforcement officer occurs.

Osage Beach firefighters responded to a structure fire late Thursday night. The call came around 11:15 to a residence on University Lane for a fire they say started in the front portion of the house. After about 20 minutes, they were able control the blaze, but the majority of the home was destroyed. The two people inside the home were able to escape unharmed, however their dog was not.

The Camden County Sheriff’s Office has issued another missing person advisory. 22 year old Mariah Bickford was last seen at the Horny Toad in Lake Ozark on Thursday. Her parents have been unable to reach her since. It’s believed she may be with her ex-boyfriend, 35 year old Robert Johnson Sr., traveling to Delaware to meet her biological mother. Her parents are concerned because of issues Bickford has had with Johnson in the past. She is described as a white female, 5’5, 160 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. They may be in a gold 1998 Toyota Corolla. Anyone with ifnormation should contact local law enforcement.

A 37-year-old Eldon area man is being held in the Morgan County Jail on several sex-related charges. Thomas Garcia, Senior, is charged with one class-A felony count of child molestation which allegedly happened on, or about, June 5^th of this year. Garcia is also charged with two felony counts each of statutory rape and statutory sodomy, those incidents allegedly happening back on January 1^st of this year and December 24^th of 2012. Garcia had been scheduled to be in court earlier this week for a hearing on bond which was set at $350-thousand.

The double first-degree murder trial of a Camdenton area man which had been set to go before a jury next week is now back on the docket for the first week of October. 55-year-old Steven Ray Endsley is charged with two murder counts along with two counts of armed criminal action and one count each of burglary and arson. The charges stem from a mobile home fire on Parkway Court just south of Camdenton in late August, of last year, in which mother and daughter Teresa Jackson and Danielle Smith died in the blaze. Endsley, reportedly, had had a history of disputes with Jackson and Smith, apparently, over the issue of sexual orientation. The trial was set to begin next week but postponed when Circuit Judge Stan Moore recused himself. The case, which is being heard in Laclede County on a change of venue, will now be presided over by the Honorable Peggy Richardson.

The countdown continues toward an astrological event which will be experienced across much of the country. That is, a total solar eclipse. The eclipse will happen next month and, according to Ray Miller in the Weather-Eye Weather Center, it’s an event that doesn’t happen very often.

The total solar eclipse happens on Monday, August 21^st, stretching from Salem, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. The eclipse here in the Lake Area will begin around 11:45 in the morning and come to an end around 2:45 in the afternoon, with the path of totality only to be experienced for northern portions including, perhaps, the City of Eldon. Other areas to the south in the Lake Area will still experience about a 90-percent eclipse.

The Community Foundation of the Lake and Farmer’s Insurance, once again, are teaming up to help residents in the Lake Area properly protect their homes by taking advantage of a smoke alarm giveaway. The second-annual event, according to Rick Kruse from the CFL, is all about awareness into the need.

The smoke alarms are free and the Sunrise Beach Fire District will be on hand to answer any questions and, if needed, set up a time when they can come to your home to properly install and place the devices. Last year in the Osage Beach area, 600 smoke alarms were given away. This year’s effort is set to run next Saturday from 11-2 at the Woods Supermarket in Sunrise Beach. A $10-thousand grant from Farmer’s is making the giveaway possible.

The Camdenton Parks Department remains busy this time of the year. In addition to maintaining the 121 acre city park, off north Business-5, about 20 employees make up the staff at the city aquatic center near the park. Park Director Larry Bennett says, so far, it’s been a good year with most of the effort focusing on maintenance.

The Camdenton parks department also, recently, did some pretty extensive landscaping at city hall and will have a major hand in the daily operations of the future community center.

An investigation is underway after razor blades are found hidden on shopping carts at a Missouri Wal-Mart. The incidents have occurred in Festus with the blades found hidden in the handles of two separate carts in the last week. While police suspect they were used to shoplift and not intentionally left on the carts, investigators are currently reviewing video to get more answers.

A Camdenton woman has drowned. The incident occurred Thursday evening around the 16 mile marker of the Big Niangua when 87 year old Ruth Claussen suffered an unknown medical issue, causing her to fall into the water. She was located face down near the dock and pronounced dead at the scene.

The Camden County Sheriff’s Department has released a picture and description of a suspect wanted for questioning after, allegedly, using a credit device for a fraudulent purchase. Sheriff Tony Helms says the suspect is a thin, white male in his early twenties with sandy blonde hair. He was seen wearing a purple hoodie and driving a white Chevy extended cab pick-up, perhaps a 2003-2005 model, with a tool box in the bed…possibly from the Camden County area. Anyone with information on the suspect, or the pick-up, should contact the sheriff’s department (573-346-2243) or local law enforcement.

The Camden County Sheriff’s Department, once again, is asking for information on the whereabouts of another person reported as missing. Lieutenant Arlyne Page says that 20-year-old Derik Coborn, of Dixon, was last seen shortly after midnight Wednesday morning walking to his car which was parked at First National Bank in Sunrise Beach. Coborn is described as 5-11, 185 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes, and had been wearing a dark grey fox t-shirt, blue jeans and cowboy boots. Coborn had been at Bear Bottom Resort with friends earlier in the evening. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact the Camden County Sheriff’s Department (573-346-2243) or local law enforcement.

A missing person advisory issued Tuesday morning has a positive ending. 26 year old Kelcie Miller was at Shady Gators outside of Lake Ozark with a friend Sunday night, but her friend reported that she went missing just before midnight. After not showing up for work Monday afternoon, her sister reported her missing. The Camden County Sheriff’s Department issued a missing person advisory around 10 o’clock Tuesday morning. Tuesday evening, around 4:30, they reported that Kelcie walked into the sheriff’s office to let them know she was safe.

Is the number of child-related crimes on the rise here in the Lake Area? The answer would appear to be “yes” according to Camden County Sheriff Tony Helms. Sheriff Helms says a combination of factors, including the media picking up more on those types of charges, is bringing the disturbing trend more into the spotlight. Although the exact numbers are not available from Camden and Miller counties, in Morgan County as of the weekend according to the sheriff’s department’s website, there were at least 28 inmates being held on a combined total of 54 child-related charges, 26 for endangering the welfare of a child, 23 charges were sex-related and another five for other types of crimes such as failure to register as an offender. Helms goes on to says that awareness within the community is another factor resulting in the growing numbers of child-related crimes being filed here in the Lake Area.

The Camden County Sheriff’s Department is hoping that a revolving door issue affecting his staff will soon no longer be a problem. Sheriff Tony Helms says, although the department has been improving over the course of his six months on the job, there’s still a lot of work to do starting with being able to give pay raises being a top priority.

Helms says that he DOES have enough in the budget to make pay raises a possibility for the operations division. He hopes to be able to spread the wealth in the near future for his staff working in the corrections and communications divisions. At the current time, deputies in Camden County earn about $26-and-a-half thousand per year while the rest of the staff averages about 23-thousand per year.

MoDOT has begun their striping operation in the lake area. Erica Ross with MoDOT says motorists should be prepared and pay attention because they travel at 12 miles per hour.

Ross says they’ve finished most of 54 and will be transitioning to the lettered roads, but she isn’t sure of the work’s timeframe.

Although the fourth of July is now past, emergency rooms across the country and here in the Ozarks are sure to remain busy this week with many of the people needing treatment for fireworks-related injuries. That’s according to Mariah Swinker, trauma coordinator at Lake Regional Hospital, who says most of the injuries deal with burns but others could be more serious such as eye injuries or even death.

Most injuries caused by fireworks are a result of improper use or faulty devices. Another word of caution before setting off any personal display is to check with your local law enforcement to make sure doing so won’t land you in a courtroom.

At the end of the holiday period, which lasted from 6 o’clock Friday evening until 11:59 Tuesday night, the highway patrol reports 19 arrests were made in the lake area. Camden and Morgan Counties each had eight, while three occurred in Miller. Eight of the arrests were for Boating While Intoxicated and five were for Driving While Intoxicated.

As people are still applying for flood assistance through FEMA, local governments continue to repair the damage. Miller County Presiding Commissioner Tom Wright says they suffered relatively mild damage and, for the most part, it’s all been repaired.

Commissioner Wright does say, though, that they still have a few bridges that washed out, which he hopes to fix very soon.

The Highway Patrol is asking for the public’s opinion regarding their overall operation. All month, the public will be able to access a survey on the patrol’s website. It includes questions regarding safety and security, officers’ attitudes and competency, overall agency performance, and concerns regarding crime and social issues.

A Missing Person Alert has been issued for a lake area woman. 26 year old Kelcie Miller has been missing since just before midnight Sunday night after she went to Shady Gators in Lake Ozark with a friend. She was last seen wearing a red spaghetti strap top, red bikini bottoms, and a red skirt. Anyone who has information leading to Miller’s whereabouts should contact the Camden County Sheriff’s Office immediately.

Dozens of protesters stood outside of the Camden County Courthouse Monday night to show their concern for contamination in the city of Camdenton. Camdenton resident James Gohagan says the city isn’t doing enough to address the issue of TCE contamination near the old Modine Manufacturing plant.

Many people believe a study should be done to see what kind of health issues people in the area experience and how they could be related to the contamination.

A Versailles man is dead after a UTV accident on Lake Road W-1 south of Fresno Road in Morgan County. The highway patrol says it happened early Monday afternoon when the UTV operated by 57-year-old Martin Callaghan crossed over the centerline before traveling off the roadway, striking a bridge support and sliding down an embankment. Callaghan, who was not wearing a safety device, was ejected from the UTV and pronounced dead at the scene.

With the 4^th of July holiday here, law enforcement is working extra hard to keep impaired drivers off the road, as well as the lake. As far as the lake goes, Captain Matt Walz says the number of BWI incidents have dropped significantly over the last few years.

Captain Walz says boating already has a hypnotic effect when out there for long periods of time, so boating while intoxicated can be especially dangerous.

A Warrensburg man faces several charges in Morgan County. Warren Gene Danner is charged with three counts of second-degree burglary and one count each of tampering with a motor vehicle, stealing and unlawful possession of a firearm, all class-D felonies. The incidents, allegedly, happened on or about June 23^rd, 24^th and 25^th. Bond for Danner was set at $300-thousand cash only. Anyone with information of Danner and his whereabouts is urged to contact the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department or local law enforcement.

Although most of the larger displays have already happened here in the Lake Area, there will still be a lot of fireworks still to be shot off tonight and, at least, for the next several days. And, while we take the time to enjoy the activity, it’s also a time when we need to remember our four-legged friends who don’t necessarily enjoy the loud noises.

Donna Morris, from the Dogwood Animal Shelter, also says it’s a good time to make sure your pet has a collar with tags identifying where he, or she, can be returned. The shelter typically receives several animals which take off from their homes and get lost during this time of the year.

Charges are filed after a UTV accident Sunday night that sent a Bettendorf, Iowa, man to the emergency room. The highway patrol report indicates 21-year-old Andrew Copeland was operating a 2014 Polaris Razor at a high rate speed on Great Lake View Drive, south of Laurie. The Razor traveled off the road and struck an embankment before overturning. Copeland was ejected from the vehicle and suffered moderate injuries. He is also charged with DWI, careless and imprudent operation of the UTV, and for not having a safety belt.

Camdenton R-3 has decided to take a proactive approach toward security at one of their schools. The school board voted to install additional security cameras at Dogwood Elementary, although Superintendent Dr. Tim Hadfield says they haven’t had an increase in incidents.

Dr. Hadfield says they felt it was important to cover all areas as adequately as possible to keep the children safe.

A Kaiser man faces charges after being taken into custody by the Osage Beach Department of Public Safety. 41-year-old Travis Dewain Shankle is charged with felony domestic assault and misdemeanor resisting arrest. Shankle was booked into the Camden County Jail. His bond was set at one-thousand dollars cash only.

As of this morning, the highway patrol has made 15 arrests in the lake area since the official holiday period began at 6 o’clock Friday evening. Seven of those arrests occurred in Camden County, while six occurred in Morgan County, and two in Miller. Six of the arrests were for Boating While Intoxicated and three were for Driving While Intoxicated. Among those arrested for non-alcohol related incidents was 22 year old Ian Howard of Ballwin. Howard was arrested around 8:30 Saturday night. He’s been charged with Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance, Felony Delivery of a Controlled Substance, and Unlawful Use of Drug Paraphernalia. He was arrested with over 65 grams of marijuana. He was taken to the Morgan County Jail.

A flyboard accident sends one man to University Hospital. The incident occurred around the 10.6 mile marker of Crane Cove in Camden County just before 6 o’clock Sunday evening. 46 year old Brian Effertz of Overland Park, Kansas was steering the flyboard as he was being pulled by a Seadoo driven by 45 year old Tracey Hoffman of Leawood, Kansas when he lost his balance, causing him to fall on top of the Seadoo from around 10-12 feet. He was flown to University Hospital with serious injuries.

Anxious moments on the Lake near the 1.5 milemark of the Glaize Arm as an overloaded boat is swamped sending several people into the water. That’s according to reports from the highway patrol indicating that it happened around 9:30 Saturday night when the operator of the boat throttled down. All 12 of the passengers were rescued without injury from the water.

Another lake area school district is implementing a program to utilize technology in the classroom. The 1-to-1 initiative provides students with tablets to take home and use at school in order to get their school work done. Camdenton R-3 Superintendent Dr. Tim Hadfield says they voted to implement the plan last week.

The devices will be distributed to the 5^th and 9^th grade students next school year.

Road work on Route A in Camden County is progressing. On Wednesday, MoDOT will begin work on the Conns Creek bridge. This will cause the road to be closed north of Richland until mid-August. MoDOT reports that for about a week, both the Conns Creek bridge and the Dry Auglaize Creek bridge will be closed. They will set up a detour utilizing Route 7 between the Richland and Camdenton areas during that time.

The first two car accidents in the Lake Area over the holiday weekend have now been reported by the highway patrol. The first happened around 2:00 Sunday morning when the vehicle driven by an Oak Grove woman ran off Coffman Beach Road and struck a ditch…she escaped with minor injuries. The second accident happened about two hours later when a Brumley man swerved to avoid a deer on Highway-42, in Miller County, sending the car he was driving off the road and into a tree. He suffered moderate injuries while his passenger, also from Brumley, suffered serious injuries. All three of the injured in the two accidents were treated at Lake Regional in Osage Beach.

About a dozen people, so far, now have pending court dates after being taken into custody over the holiday weekend here at the Lake. Highway patrol reports indicate at least two people have been charged with DWI and four people with BWI. Also arrested were 49-year-old Isaac Folsom, of Stover, and 22-year-old Ian Howard of Ballwin. Folsom is charged with rape or attempted rape, sodomy or attempted sodomy and unlawful possession of a firearm…he was taken to the Morgan County Jail. Howard, who allegedly had more than 60 grams of marijuana, is charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and felony delivery of a controlled substance and a misdemeanor paraphernalia charge. Howard was also taken to the Morgan County Jail.

Anxious moments on the Lake near the 1.5 milemark of the Glaize Arm as an overloaded boat is swamped sending several people into the water. That’s according to reports from the highway patrol indicating that it happened around 9:30 Saturday night when the operator of the boat throttled down. All 12 of the passengers were rescued without injury from the water. Otherwise, as of Sunday afternoon, only two other incidents have been reported…a grounding near the 17-milemark of the main channel when rough water pushed a boat into a rocky area of the shore causing extensive damage, and a pontoon boat also near the 17-milemark striking an offshore motorboat which was docked in the area…no injuries were reported.

The efforts to re-open a post office in Laurie continue. The Gravois Mills Postmaster was looking for Laurie business owners who would be willing to host the new offices. City Clerk Ron Clarke says they’ve had a few owners reach out.

Clarke says that if there are any business owners willing to host the new offices, they can either call him at City Hall or the Gravois Mills Post Office.

The Camden County Sheriff’s Office is being accused of causing a man to lose custody of his children. Jeffrey Rogers, ex-husband of Lesley Rogers who was considered a missing and possibly endangered person last week when she went missing after allegedly meeting with Mr. Rogers, is making the claim. The Sheriff’s Office says he didn’t tell them she was with him when he spoke to investigators and then he went back the scene of her disappearance and took her vehicle. Because he didn’t notify the sheriff’s office, they found this to be suspicious. They also say the issue with his children is a separate matter that was being investigated prior to the search for his ex-wife. Therefore, they claim the loss of custody of his children is not their fault.

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission has approved a new project in the lake area. An advisory group has been established to find the best solution for the Route 54 and Route W intersection in Camden County.  It’s the only intersection on 54 between Kingdom City and Camdenton that has a traffic signal. They hope to begin construction of the project in the summer of 2019, finishing it in 2021.

An amended proposal regarding careful and prudent driving was presented to the Osage Beach Board of Aldermen Thursday night. The original proposal stated that officers could write tickets for careless and imprudent driving on all private property. The amended proposal specified that such tickets could only be written on private property that is open to the public, such as business parking lots. Lake Area resident Ike Skelton spoke against the proposal.

The board voted in favor of the proposal by a vote of 5-1 with Alderman Jeff Bethurem providing the only vote in opposition. The second reading of the proposal will be held at their meeting on July 20^th.

Two separate accidents result in drug arrests in Camden County on Thursday. The first occurred around 4:45 Thursday evening when 19 year old Dylan Orman of Edwards was traveling on Red Fox Road, about a mile and a half west of Thornsberry Point, when he failed to negotiate a curve and struck a tree. His passenger, Melissa Walter of Edwards, suffered serious injuries. Orman faces multiple charges, including Felony Driving while Impaired By Drugs Causing Serious Physical Injury and Possession of a Controlled Substance. The second accident occurred late Thursday night, around 11:30, when 31 year old Justin Lucas ran off the left side of Highway 5 on the Niangua Bridge, struck the guard rail, and then struck 53 year old Amie Daly head-on, causing her to hit 47 year old Jon Tucker. Lucas, Daly, and a passenger in Daly’s vehicle, 33 year old Diane Koeninger, all suffered injuries with Lucas being airlifted to University Hospital. He faces multiple charges including DWI Causing Serious Physical Injury and Possession of Methamphetamine.

The Camden County Courthouse has had more issues surface recently regarding their IT Services. Huber & Associates informed the commission that they need to have a reliable off-site backup for all of their computer files. Presiding Commissioner Greg Hasty says he’s recently learned that the backup in the past wasn’t very effective.

The issue with that plan is that the bank isn’t available 24/7. On Thursday, the commission agreed to amend the current monthly contract they have with Huber & Associates to include that service. That contract will be valid until they receive bids for the IT work, which they agreed to seek during Thursday’s meeting, as well.

Questions regarding the swim advisories around the lake have come up again. State Representative Rocky Miller reminds everyone that a USGS Survey showed the testing by the state isn’t completely accurate.

Representative Miller also says the threshold for swim advisories in Missouri is the lowest in the country.

The Camden County Road and Bridge Department continues to save money in their budget. Road and Bridge Administrator Lee Schuman says they’re going a special route to purchase a new grater. He says they’ll be utilizing the National Joint Powers Alliance, which will give them a much better price.

He says they won’t utilize it for all of their bids, however, because not all of the dealers in the area use it.

An Eldon man finds himself facing felony drug charges after being busted this week in Miller County. That’s according to a report from the highway patrol which indicated that 28-year-old Gregory Muncy was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon and charged with two counts of Distribution of a Controlled Substance-Prior Offender. Muncy was also charged with a misdemeanor charge of Possessing Drug Paraphernalia and Failing to Signal. Muncy was taken to the Miller County Jail and put on a 24-hour hold.

It won’t really be any surprise as law enforcement will be out in force over the long July 4th holiday weekend which begins tonight. Captain Michael Turner from Troop F says that all available troopers will be participating in Operation Care, or Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort, as well as a special enforcement operation during the holiday’s peak travel times being assigned to 20 mile stretches along Interstate-70 and Highway-54. In addition to impaired drivers, troopers will focus on those drivers who are speeding, driving carelessly, and driving aggressively. Additionally, troopers will participate in Operation Dry Water, focusing on impaired boaters. The official holiday counting period begins at 6:00 tonight and goes through 11:59 Tuesday night.

The Department of Conservation has expanded existing restrictions on feeding and placing minerals for deer to 41 counties. As of Saturday, 12 new counties will be added to the ban. Conservation says feeding the deer could contribute to the spreading of Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD. Already on the list are Miller and Morgan Counties. As of right now, it is not banned in Camden County. Additionally, Conservation says they will require mandatory sampling of deer harvested during opening weekend of the November portion of the firearms season in certain counties. None of the lake area counties are included in that requirement.

After suffering from some sort of medical issue, the body of a St. Charles man who drowned in the Lake of the Ozarks was found Wednesday night. 75-year old Ed Smith apparently suffered a medical issue around the 26 mile-marker of the Osage Arm just before noon on Tuesday, which caused him to fall in. Wednesday, just after 6 p.m., his body was located face down near a sea wall. No other information is available at this time.

The Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District has announced they’ll be proposing a tax levy increase. Chief Dennis Reilly says they’ll be holding a series of town hall meetings to get the community’s input on the proposal.

The proposal, which will be on the August ballot, is for a 9 cent levy increase, which Chief Reilly says will help them keep the Spruce Road station open 24/7. The first town hall meeting will be at the Fire Headquarters tonight at 7.

FEMA is reminding Missouri residents and businesses that they still have time to apply for disaster relief. Tom Kempton with FEMA says in order to be eligible you don’t have to apply through the state or any other agency.

Kempton says over $10 million has already been distributed statewide. The deadline to apply is August 1^st.

IT Services have been a controversial topic in Camden County this year. The county commission will meet with Huber and Associates to discuss the issue this morning. The company has made an official contract proposal for the county, which has a stipulation that would provide the county with an off-site backup system. As of right now, it’s unclear if the commission has to go out for bid for the contract or not. This morning’s commission meeting will be in the commission office at 10 o’clock.

Emphasizing safety is important to the City of Osage Beach. This afternoon, they’ll be working to expand on that emphasis through a community safety awareness event. City employees will be at the Osage Beach City Park handing out safety information to residents. They will also have summer safety games, snacks, and drinks. City employees will be at the park from 2 until 4 today.

The second reading to establish the Osage Beach Commons TIF Plan will highlight tonight’s Board of Aldermen meeting. Another big topic for the board to discuss will be an ordinance to amend the code involving careful and prudent driving. During their  meeting two weeks ago, the board raised questions when presented with the idea to allow police to write traffic tickets on private property. Tonight’s Osage Beach Board of Aldermen meeting will be at 6 o’clock in City Hall.

The cost to care for human trafficking victims is incredibly high. To help with some of those costs, the Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri provided the Lake of the Ozarks Stop Human Trafficking Coalition with a grant for $2,000. The Targeted Impact Grant will cover direct aid such as relocation costs, medical needs, counseling services, communication costs, clothing, food, and a number of other things.

The first veto of the year has been issued by Governor Eric Greitens. The bill would have used taxpayer money to construct a new building for dancers and art students in Kansas City.  Governor Greitens explains that the bill had no plan for who would pay for the building, which would have cost around $55 million in state debt and interest and $20 million in operating costs. He says the spending was hidden in the budget at the expense of $1 because politicians were essentially going to “borrow” the money, which would have been the same as taxpayer dollars fronting the bill. He says he doesn’t think the government leaders purposefully did it and were just not aware of the potential hidden.

An eastern Missouri man is being accused of forcing his daughter to sleep in a dog crate. 57 year old Gregory Byrd of Byrnes Mill was arrested on one felony child endangerment charge and two misdemeanor assault charges in Jefferson County on Tuesday. In the probable cause statement, the girl claims she was locked in a crate during her school’s homecoming weekend last year. She also says her father began abusing her in seventh grade.

Camden County is still looking at different ideas to get more money into the Road and Bridge budget. Presiding Commissioner Greg Hasty says they think they’ve come up with an idea to raise the taxes, but it would require all of the municipalities within the county to get on-board.

Commissioner Hasty says he is going to have Countyttorney Charlie McElyea review the idea before reaching out to the other municipalities.

Morgan County is continuing with their plans to open a training facility for law enforcement. The county has now gone out to bid to purchase carpet for the facility Presiding Commissioner James Bryant says could be a huge asset to the county.

Bryant says the facility will save them money training their own officers and could make the county some money by providing training for other area law enforcement, as well.

A new pantry has been opened in Lake Ozark. The Horseshoe Bend Baptist Church has opened The Little Free Pantry in their parking lot on Duckhead Road. The free pantry is open to anyone who needs assistance. While most food pantries require the approval from an application process, The Little Free Pantry is open to the public without that process. The church is also seeking some to donate food for the pantry, as it is completely stocked by donations.

Camden County has had an issue with people stealing street signs all year. The Camden County Sheriff’s Office reports the cost to replace the stolen signs is in excess of $45,000. They say that some of them are being stolen because of the name on the sign, but some are also being stolen to sell for scrap metal. They also say the Animal Control Officer has to be taken off the road to replace the new signs every time one is stolen. They ask that anyone with information contact them so they can bring the thieves to justice.

Pic Courtesy of STLtoday.com

The Missouri Officer charged for the drowning of a 20 year old Iowa man has reached a plea deal. Trooper Anthony Piercy was charged with Involuntary Manslaughter after the accidental drowning of Brandon Ellingson, who fell off the trooper’s boat while being transported for an alleged BWI incident. Piercy plead guilty to a lesser charge of a Class B Misdemeanor for Negligent Operation of a Vessel. The maximum sentence Piercy could receive is six months in prison or up to two years probation. His sentencing is set for September 8^th.

The second special session of the year is still ongoing. Missouri Senators are still considering legislation approved by the House and, according to their website, the Senate has adjourned and will not reconvene until after the 4^th of July holiday. Their website states that they will reconvene at 9 a.m. on July 6^th. The special session was called by Governor Eric Greitens, who has said he wants tighter abortion laws, including a stipulation to reverse a St. Louis Ordinance that bans landlords and employers from discriminating based on reproductive choices.

A new task force started through state legislation will be hosting their first meeting in Jefferson City today. The 21^st Century Missouri Transportation System Task Force will evaluate the current condition of the state’s transportation system and funding levels to make recommendations to the state. The 23-person group will include MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna who will give a funding overview for the committee at their meeting today, which will be in House Hearing Room 3 at the Capitol from 1-3 p.m.

A Missouri Supreme Court ruling based on imprisoned sex offenders was made on Tuesday. The court ruled in favor of a Missouri law that allows violent offenders convicted of sexual crimes to be placed in mental institutions indefinitely. While some say such rulings can make it nearly impossible to be released, the court ruled that it is meant to provide treatment for sexually violent predators while, at the same time, keeping them from hurting others.

A Cole County man has died after an accident in Miller County Monday evening. 49 year old Mark Lepper of Jefferson City was driving west on Highway 54, about half a mile west of Highway 87, when he swerved to miss a slower moving vehicle and overturned. He was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.

The Morgan County Sheriff’s Department is hoping that the public will come forward with information on the whereabouts of a suspect wanted for questioning in a series of recent incidents. Sheriff Norman Dills says the suspect, 42-year-old Warren Danner from the Warrensburg area, is a person of interest in a Benton County burglary and an apparent burglary in Morgan County which were both reported on Friday of last week. Deputies were then able to discover a vehicle hidden off a roadway in Stover over the weekend that matched a description from the Benton County incident. Also discovered at the scene were items taken from the incident on Deer Ridge Road near Stover. A report of a stolen vehicle a day later from a residence on Highway-135 north also identified Danner as the suspect. Anyone with information on Danner or his whereabouts should immediately contact the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department or local law enforcement.

Pic Courtesy of STLtoday.com

The motion hearing for a Highway Patrol Trooper charged for the drowning of a 20 year old man at the lake is scheduled for today. Trooper Anthony Piercy was arresting Brandon Ellingson when Ellingson fell overboard and consequently drowned. He’s been charged with the Class C Felony of First Degree Involuntary Manslaughter. The Jury Trial is set to begin on July 10^th with Judge Roger Prokes presiding over the case.

The case of a 33-year-old Decaturville area man accused of illegally possessing a firearm after the shooting death of a Linn Creek man comes to an end in Camden County Circuit Court. Dustin Burkhart, who had been representing himself throughout most of the case, was charged after an early morning incident in August, 2016, in which he and Joseph Beeman exchanged gunfire after getting into a dispute…Beeman later dying from his injuries. Appearing this past Friday before Senior Judge Ralph Jaynes, Burkhart entered a guilty plea. He was sentenced to two years in prison and transferred yesterday from Camden County to the department of corrections.

With so much road work taking placing across the lake area, a lot of people say they haven’t seen workers on work sites on certain days that the weather seems to be perfect for the work to take place. Erica Ross with MoDOT says when the work occurs depends on the contractor’s schedule.

Ross also says that if the work isn’t done within X amount of days, the contractor has to pay liquidated damages for the length of the extension.

The City of Osage Beach continues to look at ways to improve. Recently, conversations about sidewalks in certain subdivisions have come up. During the workshop last week, Aldermen Jeff Bethurem expressed his belief that when a new subdivision is built, the developer should front the cost of the sidewalks in that subdivision. Public Works Director Nick Edelman says this is just one of a number of issues the city will be addressing.

Edelman says they’ll be holding another workshop in the near future to discuss these issues further.

The deadline for the sidewalk project in Camdenton may not be met in time. The eastern section is almost finished. However, City Administrator Jeff Hancock says they have been informed that the contractor will be requesting a time extension to complete the project. Currently, the deadline is set for this Friday.

One of the topics set to be discussed by the Lake Ozark Board of Aldermen tonight will be the procedure to disclose potential conflicts of interest and substantial interest for certain municipal officials. The board will also look at a number of other topics, including what to do with a surplus police vehicle and a special event application for the Running of the Knights 5k and Fun scheduled for September of this year. Tonight’s Lake Ozark Board of Aldermen meeting will be in City Hall at 6 o’clock.

The Highway Patrol remained fairly busy over the weekend with nine arrest in the Lake Area. Among those taken into custody included 22-year-old Garrett Sapp, of Osage Beach, on a felony parole violation and 57-year-old Virgil Cooper, of Eldon, on a felony charge for possession of a controlled substance. Both were taken to the Miller County Jail. Also in the Lake Area, there were two arrests over the weekend for boating while intoxicated and another four arrests for driving while intoxicated.

More road work is set to begin in Miller County. Along Business Highway 54 between Highway 52 and Highway 54, one lane will be open Monday through Thursday while MoDOT conducts roadway maintenance. Also, on Route 17 between 42 and C, one lane will be open as roadway maintenance will takes place from Monday through July 6^th. Crews will be flagging traffic through both work zones.

The number of applications seeking federal funding for flood relief in Missouri continues to climb. According to the State Emergency Management Agency, nearly 14-hundred applications accounting for $8.9 million dollars in assistance grants have already been approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. More than 700 other claims filed with the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Small Business Administration has also resulted in just under $40-million in other relief and low-interest disaster loans being approved. The deadline for applications for assistance to be filed with FEMA, after first being processed by SEMA, is August 1^st.

Lake Area residents and, in particular, those in the Barnett area will have a chance next week to talk about new opportunities the planned Rock Island Trail may bring to the community. Greg Harris, executive director of Missouri Rock Island Trail Incorporated, and Warren Wood, from Ameren Missouri, will be among those present to answer any questions residents and current business owners may have on the potential impact of the trail. When completed, the Rock Island Trail, will connect with the Katy Trail State Park creating a 450 mile loop of walking and cycling trails stretching east and west across the state. The informational meeting, in Barnett, is set for July 6^th at the Baptist Church. It will begin at 6pm.

It may be summer but it’s still a busy time of the year for school districts around the Lake Area preparing for the upcoming 2017-18 school year. The Morgan County R2 District, in Versailles, is no different according to Superintendent Doctor Joyce Ryerson who says several maintenance projects continue.

Some of the other projects include concrete and drainage work at the elementary and applying new paint to several buildings district wide. An open house for the Morgan County R-2 School District is set for August 17^th with the first day of classes scheduled for August 21^st.

The Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District has announced they’ll be proposing a tax levy increase. Chief Dennis Reilly says they’ll be holding a series of town hall meetings to get the community’s input on the proposal.

The proposal, which will be on the August ballot, is for a 9 cent levy increase, which Chief Reilly says will help them keep the Spruce Road station open 24/7. The first town hall meeting will be at the Fire Headquarters on Thursday night at 7.

Morgan County is currently waiting to hear back from an engineering firm to get estimations for the cost for a handicap ramp at the courthouse. Presiding Commissioner James Bryant says they’ve decided to build a declining ramp into the basement.

Commissioner Bryant also says they are waiting to see if the renovations will be allowed since the courthouse is a historic landmark.

In the early weeks of the season, sales tax numbers in Miller County are less than satisfactory. Presiding Commissioner Tom Wright says it’s not due to a lack of visitors.

Commissioner Wright does say, however, that he anticipates the sales tax numbers to rise as the summer season progresses.

On Thursday, the Osage Beach Board of Aldermen met to discuss the Parkway West Study and what they should focus on next to improve the area. City Planner Cary Patterson says he agrees with the majority of the board when they say the citizen’s should stop looking at the city as a west side and an east side and start focusing on improving the community as a whole.

The board also discussed the need to do a market study and economic development plan for the entire community.

For the last two school years, the Morgan County R-2 school board has been working to review their policies. During their last School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Joyce Ryerson says they reviewed their Health and Wellness policy after receiving some revisions from the Missouri School Boards Association. She says they made an update to that policy.

Dr. Ryerson says she believes that over the course of the last two years, the board has caught back up with all of the policies to make sure the proper revisions have been made.

A lake area recycling center is remodeling and will be closing its public drop. Linda Kimrey with the Laclede Industries Recycling Center in Lake Ozark has issued a statement saying they’ve made it their mission to provide dignified employment to disabled individuals and, because of safety concerns for those individuals, they will no longer provide a public drop on Valley Road. She says they’ll be remodeling that facility and transitioning it into an industrial recovery facility.

Photo by Google Images/Camdenton Sports Logo

The Camdenton Laker Football Team got quite the scare while in Springfield for the Ozark Conference 7-on-7 Tournament Thursday. While playing in a field outside of JFK Stadium, Coach Jeff Shore says he heard what he thought was a vehicle backfiring and then peeling out.

Coach Shore says it was about 30 to 40 yards behind them. The coaches decided to leave early just to be on the safe side.

A Camden County man has died while working on a construction site in southeast Iowa. 45 year old Brian Wood of Linn Creek was working at a jobsite at Fort Madison on Wednesday afternoon. He was reportedly being lifted by a forklift when he fell from around 25 feet. He was taken to Fort Madison Community Hospital and pronounced dead a short time later.

A piece of property in Linn Creek will be rezoned as industrial property. The property formerly known as “The Zoo” will be used for office buildings, as well as concrete manufacturing and steel fabrication. The determination comes after a meeting by the county commission on Thursday in which two city aldermen and the mayor spoke against the rezoning. First District Commissioner Bev Thomas says her motivation was because of the approval vote given by the planning and zoning board.

The planning and zoning board approved the rezone last month by a vote of 7-1.

The Sunrise Beach Fire Protection District has asked for a levy increase recently in hopes to keep the Spruce Road Station open 24/7. To learn how the community feels about his district, Chief Dennis Reilly says he’s sent out a survey to the residents.

The proposal is for a nine-cent levy increase. The issue will be on the ballot in August.

With the nice weather, mosquitoes have begun making appearances throughout the lake area again.  Every year to help the issue, Brian Vance with Ameren says they consistently have three boats on the water spraying chemicals.

Vance says they mainly target shallow water areas because main channel settings have enough wave activity to prevent the development of the mosquito larvae.

A dangerous situation on Thursday was able to end safely thanks to quick reacting by the Highway Patrol. 21 year old Elizabeth Young of Jefferson City was driving in the wrong direction around 1 o’clock Thursday morning when an officer pulled her over. Aside from Driving the Wrong Direction on a Divided Highway, Young also faces charges for DWI, Speeding, and Failure to Maintain the Right Half of the Roadway. She was transported to the Miller County Jail.

Earlier this year, the Morgan County R-2 School Board voted to move to the one-to-one program, which will provide students with chromebooks for use at home and school to help them become more comfortable using technology for their learning. Superintendent Dr. Joyce Ryerson says they’ve put a lot of their focus on preparing for the implementation of that program.

The district will start the program next school year by giving the chromebooks to the 6^th and 9th grade students.

As part of the special session, the Senate sent what many believe was a weak bill for restrictions against abortion clinics. The House has since written up their own version, which has much stronger abortion laws, including stipulations to prosecute violations of abortion laws. It also requires doctors to tell women the medical risks associated with abortions 72 hours before the procedures. Senate discussions are expected to last into next week.

A Senate bill carried by a lake area representative was signed by Governor Eric Greitens on Thursday. Representative Diane Franklin carried Senate Bill 160 through the House, which put forth a list of rights to ensure children are being protected. Among the many things the bill does, it provides more tools to protect children from traffickers and bans people convicted of sex offenses against children from coming within 500 feet of children’s museums. Governor Greitens says Missouri has a lot of work to do to fight for, work with, and build a better system for our foster families.

More information has been revealed regarding the missing person report in Camden County. 40 year old Lesley Rogers of Camdenton was reported missing and in danger after supposedly having a meeting set up with her ex-husband, 44 year old Phillip Rogers of Lebanon, Sunday evening. Thursday morning, the Camden County Sheriff’s Office reported she was found safe. It’s now known she had a warrant for her arrest stemming from a DWI she failed to appear. She’s on probation, so she’s been charged with a probation violation and taken to the Laclede County Jail. Lieutenant Arlyne Page says the department did not put the missing person report out as a ploy to find her for her warrant and had genuine reason to believe she was in danger. She says more information should be released in the near future

The commissions for Camden and Morgan Counties have been working behind the scenes to find a resolution for a stretch of road that passes through both counties. The two counties had an agreement to maintain Lake Road 135-3, but it expired last year. Morgan County Presiding Commissioner James Bryant says he thinks this is a good opportunity to start over with an agreement.

He says that, as far as the issue with Lake Trail Road, which also travels through both counties, he is researching the plats to figure out which parts are private and which are county maintained.

Some land in Miller County is being washed away by the erosion caused by the Osage River, causing some of the landowners to lose around 15 feet of river bank. The landowners on Brockman Springs Road off of Highway MM met with the Commission, the Corp. of Engineers, and numerous other groups to see if it was possible to fix some of the damage before it reaches a gravel road that’s maintained by the county. Presiding Commissioner Tom Wright says the county shouldn’t be responsible for the cost.

Commissioner Wright says it’s about 30 feet from the gravel road now. The commission will be applying