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News/Talk KRMS 1150 AM, 97.5 FM & 103.3 FM
Talk Radio at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri
Sales tax numbers continue to rise for Miller County.
Officials are reporting a 19% increase over last year’s numbers, with the cities of Lake Ozark and Eldon taking the lead.
In the latest numbers, nearly $4 million dollars was collected in sales tax, which is $600,000 more than it was in 2020 and over $800,000 compared to 2019.
Other towns across the county are seeing a mixed result, with Iberia being up 4% and St. Elizabeth being down at 3.6%.
The city of Lake Ozark is planning to take a “deep dive” into the water and sewer systems residents have, or don’t have, across the North Shore.
It’s part of the city’s plan to expand their public works systems through the area that was annexed into the city nearly 2 years ago.
The board of alderman recently approved the first reading of an ordinance that authorizes a contractor out of St. Louis to survey the area, from the roundabout at Business 54 and W, to Welsh Road.
A second reading of the contract is expected at the September 28th meeting.
This project is expected to take 6 months and future construction would be broken into phases over the next 3 to 5 years.
You’ll notice tens of thousands of motorcyclists cruising Lake of the Ozarks throughout the weekend as Bike Fest continues.
Law enforcement is stressing the importance of staying aware of the bikers when you’re driving on roads and highways, but staying alert has to continue when you’re stopped.
“The biggest thing right now is slow down. Don’t be in a hurry, be aware of bikers….no body wants to get hit on a bike by a car” says Sunrise Beach police officer Scott Craig.
He tells KRMS News just because you have the right of way doesn’t mean it’s safe to start moving “If you see a large group of bikes at a stoplight…and it turns Green, and then you get a Green light and that group has not gone through yet….expect them to break the law and go through it.”
And Craig also talks about another obstacle for drivers in the Lake Area “So many deer crashes are occurring and especially now that we’re moving into Fall, it’s been a really hot summer….so many of the deer have been moving at night and now they’re going to be moving to try and stay warm or eat, so it’s going to be more of a 24-hour problem now than what we’ve seen over the last several months.”
Two KRMS Radio talk show hosts hit deer on the same day Wednesday, but nobody was hurt.
Craig was interviewed by Christian Blood on the KRMS Morning Magazine.
More money is coming to the Lake Ozark Police Department.
Following a donation of guns, ammunition and training made by Springfield Armory worth nearly $20,000, another local business owner is stepping up with cash for the department.
According to the city George Tucker of Tucker Shuckers has handed over $7,500 dollars.
Chief Gary Launderville says he took a call from Tucker asking what he could do for LOPD officers and that the money must be given to the Police Department only.
To thank Tucker for his donation, the city’s Board of Alderman adopted a resolution of thanks and you can read that resolution below:
*****More from the city:
The outpouring of support for the Lake Ozark Police Department continues.
Two weeks after Dennis Reese and Springfield Armory donated new weapons and accessories for every LOPD officer including reserves, a Lake Ozark businessman has donated $7,500 strictly for use by the department for the benefit of its officers.
Police Chief Gary Launderville reported at the regular Sept. 14 board of aldermen meeting that George Tucker, owner of Tucker’s Shuckers on The Strip, handed him a check recently.
The board then adopted a resolution expressing the city’s appreciation.
Chief Launderville told the board that he took a call from Tucker about a month ago asking what he could do for LOPD officers. Tucker said he wanted to make sure any donation would go to LOPD officers.
The chief explained that because of budgetary restrictions, any donation couldn’t be put in the in the city’s general fund with guarantees it would be used for the LOPD. He said Tucker insisted the money be used for the LOPD and not for general city expenses such as filling potholes.
“I want this for the betterment of the police officers,” he told the chief.
The only way that could happen, Launderville explained, was for a donation be made to the Lake Ozark Police Benevolent Police Association.
“I was expecting a $500 check,” Launderville said. “About a week and a half later, George walked through the door with a $7,500 check. For a local businessman to step up and do something like that, the same as Denny Reese, and then you look at the donations we’ve received the last 30 days it’s amazing. Our department truly appreciates it.”
Launderville noted that the donation is not a donation to the City of Lake Ozark but to a totally separate, non-profit organization for the betterment of the officers or the department. When equipment is not in the LOPD budget, the Benevolent Association steps up and helps, he explained.
“It benefits the City of Lake Ozark, it benefits the community,” Launderville said. “We don’t do fund raisers because Lord knows we don’t have time. We rely on donations and the goodwill of the community.”
The resolution
It says:
George Tucker has been instrumental in the redevelopment of the Bagnell Dam Strip, having established Tucker’s Shuckers Oysters & Tap and Neon Taco.
The city would like to recognize Mr. Tucker’s community leadership, support and generosity to the city including a substantial donation of $7,500 recently made to the Police Benevolent Fund.
The board of aldermen publicly expresses its appreciation to Mr. Tucker for his generosity to the police Benevolent Fund and his other contributions to our community.
Supt. Tim Hadfield
The Superintendent of Camdenton R-3 Schools is retiring from the district after 15 years of service.
In an announcement, Tim Hadfield stated he would remain on board for the rest of this school year.
Hadfield started in 2009 when he replaced former Superintendent Dr. Maurice Overlander.
In an e-mail to faculty, Hadfield says it has been an “honor” to serve the people of the district and that he looks forward to “working with everyone” through the end of the school year.
If you’re an Ameren Missouri customer, you can expect a 12-percent increase on your monthly bill early next year.
This comes after Ameren filed an electric and natural gas rate review with the Public Service Commission in March.
These filings reflect major upgrades to electric and natural gas systems reliability and resilience and investments in support of a transition to clearer energy resources” says Warren Wood with Ameren, “We’re basically hardening the grid, adding smarter technology…moving to cleaner technology…we’re seeing these investments make significant differences.”
He tells KRMS News the investments are paying off to the tune of 40-percent greater reliability “If we all go back to February this year and we remember the extremely cold weather….we were reading about all the outages across the US….the technology really performed well in Missouri. We didn’t have a lot of those same problems everyone else had across the country.”
Wood says part of the reason the power stayed in last winter is because of the company’s Smart Energy Plan.
For the average customer, an increase of around $12 per month can be expected by February.
Wood was interviewed by Christian Blood on the KRMS Morning Magazine.
*****More info:
The largest bike rally in the Midwest is now taking shape in Lake of the Ozarks.
Bike Fest 2021 is underway, and you’ll notice more and more bikers showing up on roads and highways heading into the weekend.
The Bagnell Dam Strip will be closed from Ballenger Road to the dam from 11 am through 2 am until Monday.
The road across the dam remains closed through December while MoDOT crews work on improvements.
If you want to keep up with the events happening, you can log onto http://lakebikefest.com
Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash
As pushback and defiance of Washington DC’s COVID shot mandates continues, one local attorney is talking about the future relationship between businesses and their employees.
“This is going to be a huge impact as folks continue to look forward. I think employers are going to struggle with “how do I deal with this COVID 19 thing” and “How do I let people back into my business” as opposed to not” says Attorney At Law David Porter.
He tells KRMS News Lake Area businesses need to have their own plan moving ahead “Don’t let yourself get carried away with the global and national rhetoric and let that decide how you drive your business.”
Porter also talks about how the word ‘science’ is being used in ongoing COVID measures “There’s a lot of different positions on what the science is. And the science is constantly evolving. I think the idea that science is a static, that we’re going to land on a place in science and that’s where we are going to stop, that’s really really false.”
The Biden Administration’s COVID shot mandates are being condemned by the entire Camden County Commission, U-S Missouri Representatives Blaine Luetkemeyer and Vicky Hartzler and also Governor Mike Parson.
Porter Law handles Business, Estate Planning and Mediation in Lake Ozark.
Residents across the West Side will be celebrating the life of a Lake Area Bartender.
Jeremiah Keating, known as JT, was struck by a UTV while working at Bulldogs Beach House on September 3rd.
JT battled his critical injuries, but was unable to recover and passed away last week.
Officials with Bulldogs say they will be holding a special event to celebrate his life on Wednesday the 22nd at the Bear Bottom Resort.
They are asking residents to bring a home-cooked dish and that they will be severing plenty of “JT”’s favorites, with live music and great stories to celebrate his life.
Photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash
The Missouri jobs report for August is out, and the unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a percent in the Show Me State from July.
The unemployment rate of 4-percent shows more than 54-hundred people not unemployed compared to July.
In August 2020, Missouri had an unemployment rate of 6-percent, and more than 73-thousand 4-hundred jobs have been recovered over the last 12 months.
In April 2020, Missouri’s unemployment rate spiked to 12-and-a-half percent before decreasing monthly for the rest of the year.
Missouri’s unemployment rate has been below the national unemployment rate since February of this year.
****That report:
August 2021 Monthly Jobs Report
Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased from July 2021 to August 2021, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by two-tenths of a percentage point. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 7,300 jobs over the month, with job gains in both goods-producing and service-providing industries. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.0 percent in August 2021, down from 4.2 percent in July 2021. Recovery from COVID-19-related layoffs continued with an increase of 73,400 jobs from August 2020 to August 2021. Short-term shortages of semiconductor chips may hold down employment in manufacturing in the next few months.
UNEMPLOYMENT
Missouri’s smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by two-tenths of a percentage point in August 2021, dropping to 4.0 percent from the July 2021 rate of 4.2 percent.
The national unemployment rate decreased from 5.4 percent in July 2021 to 5.2 percent in August 2021. The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 123,158 in August 2021, down by 5,448 from July’s 128,606.
The state’s not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate also decreased in August 2021, dropping by 0.4 percentage points to 3.5 percent from the July 2021 not-seasonally-adjusted rate of 3.9 percent. The decrease resulted from the recall of manufacturing workers from short-term layoff. The corresponding not-seasonally-adjusted national rate for August 2021 was 5.3 percent.
A year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 6.0 percent, and the not-adjusted rate was 6.1 percent.
With the start of the COVID-19 pandemic now more than a year in the past, the August 2021 rate was 2.0 percentage points lower than the August 2020 rate. The rate had reached a low of 3.1 percent starting in July 2018, before gradually edging up to 3.5 percent by the end of 2019, and then to 3.7 percent in March 2020. The COVID-19 effect hit in April 2020, spiking the rate to 12.5 percent for that month. The rate decreased monthly for the rest of 2020, reaching 4.4 percent in December, and continued gradually downward through the first four months of 2021. The increase of two-tenths of a percentage point from April 2021 to June 2021 appeared to be related to a temporary shortage in the supply of semiconductor chips, which caused production slowdowns in some manufacturing industries.
Due to benchmark revisions, Missouri’s unemployment rate rose a tenth of a percentage point higher than the national rate in January and February of 2020, but has been below the national rate for every month since February 2020.
EMPLOYMENT
Missouri’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment was 2,839,400 in August 2021, up by 7,300 from the revised July 2021 figure. However, the July 2021 total was revised downward by 3,600 from the preliminary estimate, producing a revised increase of 11,400 jobs from June 2021 to July 2021 and a revised increase of 80,300 jobs from July 2020 to July 2021.
Goods-producing industries gained 5,300 jobs over the month with gains in both durable and non-durable goods. Meanwhile, service-providing industries gained 2,000 jobs between July and August 2021, with increases in leisure & hospitality (+3,300 jobs) and professional & business services (+1,600 jobs). Government employment showed a decrease of 3,200 jobs over the month.
Total payroll employment increased by 73,400 jobs from August 2020 to August 2021, reflecting the recovery from job cuts brought on by the initial wave of COVID-19 infections. All but one of the major private-sector industry groups shared in the increases, with the largest gain in leisure & hospitality (+33,700 jobs), followed by professional and business services (+17,700 jobs), educational & health services (+12,100 jobs), and trade, transportation & utilities (+8,700 jobs). The sole private-sector exception was financial activities, which lost 5,600 jobs. Government employment decreased over the year, with a loss of 6,200 jobs concentrated in federal and local government.
Read the full report at https://meric.mo.gov/
The Environmental Protection Agency and the Missouri DNR disagree on Lake of the Ozarks landing on a list of ‘Impaired Waterways.’
But the EPA is also explaining what that list of 40 impaired water bodies in Missouri means.
“All of the Lakes we’re talking, these 40, are being listed for chlorophyll” says Jeff Robichaud with the Water Division Director for EPA Region 7, “What happens is you get high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous and you get the creation of algae blooms and when that occurs…it can affect aquatic species, mainly fish.”
But Robichaud tells KRMS News the designation does not mean the lake area economy will be affected because people can’t go in the water or because recreational boating isn’t allowed “There’s a bit of a misconception either that a water body is pristine, or often times people think when it gets on a list that it’s heavily polluted….that’s not the case.
He says the concerns about the lake’s water quality are directed at fish and not humans “The Lake had water quality data that exceeded the State’s water quality criteria, or their screening levels, that coupled with some Fish Kills that occurred during that time period…resulted in the Lake exceeding the threshold and needing to be impaired.
He also says solutions will be discussed and implemented locally “For Lake of the Ozarks, it may need additional work to septic systems alongside of the Lake or additional best management practices for those who are located along the watershed. In this the Public is involved, the community is brought in and it really is a local approach to making sure these waters are protected in the future. This is not a case where the EPA comes in and tells the local community what to do.”
Robichaud was interviewed by Christian Blood on the KRMS Morning Magazine.
The owner and founder of Bass Pro Shops is being inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians.
Johnny Morris and his family was welcomed to Jefferson City, where a bronze bust of Morris was unveiled and will be permanently displayed inside the State Capitol.
“I don’t recall every being in this chamber…but…it’s pretty humbling to come to our State Capitol, it’s just very special” says Morris, “I tell people this all the time, I can’t think a better place that anybody can start any kind of business, than (in my case) Springfield, Missouri, because were else can you find people that have such pride as Missourians have.”
Morris founded his business in 1972 and Bass Pro’s company has now grown to over 200 stores nationwide.
Morris also invests in other Missouri based businesses, including world-class golf courses, Big Cedar Lodge in Branson and the new Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium at the Bass Pro Headquarters in Springfield.
Some residents in Pulaski County are waking up without water this morning.
Crews from the Water and Sewer District # 2 are working to replace a gate value on Highway Y.
Customers from Harmony Lane to Laramie Road, and all subsequent roads and subdivisions in this region will be without water until around noon today.
Residents in the city of Eldon also had water troubles on Tuesday.
Crews there had to repair a busted water main off South Grand Avenue in the afternoon.
The water service was restored within a matter of hours.
Photo from the city of Lake Ozark.
You know Bagnell Dam is closed through December, but MoDOT is giving an update on what’s happening so far.
“They’ve already done the milling portion of removing the deck. So they’ve removed about 2 to 3 inches of the road surface, and actually…they’ve removed the previous overlay that was done back in the mid-80s” says MODOT Central District Area Engineer Bob Lynch.
He tells KRMS News the next step is to bring in hydro-demolition experts to knock out the poor concrete that was under the original surface, which could take a few weeks “The next process is to bring in the hydro-demolition aspect of the project, to remove the poor concrete that is underneath that previous wearing surface. That will take a few weeks as well, to find that rotten concrete and get that area prepped for the new driving surface they are going to put on…before winter hits.”
Bagnell Dam was closed the day after Labor Day for a 3-month rehabilitation project scheduled to wrap up in December.
Lynch was interviewed by Guy Wehman during The Ozarks This Morning on News / Talk KRMS.
If you feel the time has come for a career change, you’re in luck.
Today (Tuesday) from 11AM until 6PM, News/Talk KRMS & Viper Communications is hosting a Lake Wide Job and Career fair at the Inn at Grand Glaize.
Residents from across the 4-county region, as well as cities outside the lake area, are welcome to attend for free.
It’s recommended you come dressed for an interview and bring a resume, as many lake area businesses will be on hand and are looking for employees today.
The Inn at Grand Glaize is located at 5142 Osage Beach Parkway, about a quarter-mile west of the bridge.
You can learn more below:
The lake area is mourning the loss of a treasured bartender.
According to Bulldogs Beach House in Sunrise Beach, 65-year-old JT Keating, aka “The Captain,” passed away while battling for his life at University Hospital in Columbia.
Keating was struck by 78-year-old Gerald Alvey of Camdenton, who was driving a UTV in the parking lot at Bulldogs on September 3rd.
That driver also hit a parked car, a building and is currently facing DWI charges.
Bulldogs closed for several days following the crash, while Keating battled his critical injuries.
The investigation into the crash remains ongoing and additional charges are expected.
Here is a statement posted to Facebook from the team at Bulldogs:
As many of you already know, there is a big hole in the Bulldogs family as we lost our co-worker, mentor and most of all dear friend.
JT “the Captain” Keating was our “grumpy old man” with a heart of pure gold.
He will be missed by so many and Bulldogs will never be the same without him.
We were so blessed to have him apart of our family here for so many years.
We are heart broken, continued prayers for all involved are greatly appreciated.
Rest In Peace Captain we all love you.
The Camden County Commission, U-S Representatives Blaine Luetkemeyer and Vicky Hartzler, and Governor Mike Parson are united in their stance on a Biden Administration mandate to take new COVID shots.
Governor Parson says it’s a poor attempt by the White House to reset after the disaster in Afghanistan and that his administration will fight it (See below.)
Representative Luetkemeyer thinks it’s going nowhere “This is so over the top, this is so tyrannical in the way they are doing this…it’s going to be challenged in court and I think the courts will overturn it.”
He’s joined by Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler, who says these mandates are not American at all “I never thought I would see a day, in our country, where the Government would be forcing citizens to do something (a medical procedure) and these mandates are just out of line. They’re UN-American and they have to be opposed.”
Camden County Presiding Commissioner Greg Hasty says in a release (see below), that the commission’s united in its concerns about the federal measures as well.
Hasty points to early January, when the Commission voted to rescind a prior ordinance requiring food service workers to get hepatitis A vaccines.
On the same day in January, the Commission passed an ordinance recognizing and reasserting several God-given rights, including your right to reject any forced vaccinations and, in some cases, medications.
Hasty says Camden County, unlike many others in Missouri and the U-S, has refused to pass ordinances requiring face masks in schools, public places or working locations.
The Biden Administration also wants to double fines for airline passengers who refuse to cover their faces on a place, despite little evidence mask-wearing impacts the spread of COVID.
***More from the Camden County Commission on the Vaccines below:
The Camden County Commission met this morning in executive session to discuss the potential ramifications of the Presidential covid vaccine mandates announced by Washington on Thursday, September 9, 2021.
The president announced vaccination requirements for health care providers that accept Medicare and Medicaid, for all federal employees and contractors and for the staffs of Head Start programs, Department of Defense Schools and Bureau of Indian Education-operated schools. All members of the Armed Forces are required to get vaccinated.
Regarding the private sector and the public, The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is developing a rule requiring all employers with at least 100 employees to make sure their workforce is fully vaccinated or require unvaccinated workers to get a negative test at least once a week. OSHA will issue an “Emergency Temporary Standard” to introduce the vaccine requirement. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of $14,000 per violation. It appears the orders may include exceptions for workers seeking religious or medical exemptions from vaccination. The new vaccination requirements could apply to as many as 100 million Americans — close to two-thirds of the American workforce.
In addition to the vaccination requirements, President Biden moved to double federal fines for airline passengers who refuse to wear masks on flights or to maintain face-covering requirements on federal property.
Many organizations across the nation have already announced their concerns in relation to the President’s announcement. The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employee union, is taking issue with the mandatory vaccine requirement. Further, the Republican National Committee announced that it plans to file a lawsuit against the Biden administration regarding the new vaccine requirements. Across the nation, Governors of many states have announced that they also take issue with new mandates.
The Camden County Commissioners are united in their concerns about the new federal vaccine mandates. Early this year, on January 28th, 2021, the Commission voted to rescind a prior ordinance (Ordinance 1-14-21-01) requiring food industry workers to get a hepatitis A vaccination, leaving that decision to employers. The same day, the Commission passed an ordinance (Ordinance 01-28-21-01) recognizing and reasserting several God-given rights possessed by all Americans; including:
“6. The citizens of Camden County are aware of their own underlying health risk factors better than the government and can reject any unduly forced vaccinations; and
Similarly, unlike a large number of counties across the United States, the Camden County Commission has refused to pass any ordinance requiring face masks in schools, public places or places of employment, being of the opinion that this would represent an over-reach of government authority.
***More from Governor Mike Parson on the Vaccines:
Governor Mike Parson says that his administration will reject the Biden Administration’s attempt to enforce an unconstitutional, federal vaccine mandate for Missourians and private businesses. The Office of the Governor has been in communication with leadership from the Missouri General Assembly and the Attorney General’s Office to align resources for a pending legal fight.
“This assault on individual liberty and free enterprise is a poorly executed attempt by the Biden Administration to reset after its disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan,” Governor Parson said. “With our southern border in crisis and as we are experiencing out-of-control inflation, President Biden is desperate to divert attention from his failures. However, Missouri will not be a pawn in this publicity stunt that seeks to force Missourians to disclose private health care decisions and dictate private business operations.”
Yesterday, during a speech at the White House, President Biden announced plans to use the Occupational Safety and Health Admisntration (OSHA) to issue an unconstitutional vaccine mandate for private employers. This action would infringe on Missouri’s constitutional authority and exceeds the scope of the authority granted to either President Biden or OSHA. The President cannot legislate with the flick of his pen from the Oval Office and OSHA cannot dictate personal health care decisions for Missourians. Missouri is not under an OSHA state plan, and Governor Parson will not allow state employees to be used to enforce this unconstitutional action.
The United States Constitution does not give unelected and unaccountable federal bureaucrats authority over the personal health care decisions of Missourians. The Biden Administration is trying to use a federal agency to interfere with private businesses and personal decisions. This unconstitutional behavior is clearly meant as a distraction from the real problems the Biden administration has fostered since coming into office.
“When President Biden should be focused on protecting our troops and securing our borders, he has instead decided to inject himself into the private lives and business dealings of hard-working Missourians,” said Speaker Rob Vescovo. “This is an obvious attempt by the President to shift attention away from his failures in Afghanistan where his disastrous withdrawal left American citizens behind. We in the Missouri House of Representatives will not stand for it, and we will do everything in our power to protect the personal liberties of Missourians.”
The United States Supreme Court has said that states, not the federal government, are charged with the responsibility to protect public health within states under the 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Governor Parson believes the regulation of public health is a state issue and that the General Assembly has a say in the process.
“As a small business owner who would be subjugated to President Biden’s unconstitutional mandate, I, nor the Missouri Senate, will stand idly by and allow this inexcusable power grab to harm Missourians,” said President Pro-Tem Dave Schatz. “What the Biden Administration is attempting to do will only worsen the workforce shortages businesses across the country are facing and is an absolute affront to our American freedoms.”
Missouri stands ready to meet this unconstitutional encroachment of power with strong legal action.
Reaction to President Biden’s vaccine mandate is being met with harsh push-back in the Lake of the Ozarks region.
In separate interviews on KRMS, both Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer and Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler say the request “infringes” on the rights and freedoms of the citizens of Missouri.
“This is so over the top, this is so….tyrannical in the way they are doing this” says Lake Area Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District, “They’re going to intimidate a lot of small businesses to get everyone vaccinated. To mandate that is way out of line…we’re going to take this to court and I think they’re going to lose.”
“Well it’s draconian and it’s unconstitutional” says Lake Area Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler of Missouri’s 4th Congressional District,“I never thought I would see a day, in our country, where the Government would be forcing citizens to do something (a medical procedure) and these mandates are just out of line. They’re UN-American and they have to be opposed.”
At the Camden County Commission, one commissioner agrees.
In a post to Facebook, 1st district commissioner James Gohagan says he will never vote to “force” residents to put anything in their bodies and that he will vote “no” on any such requirement for the district and county employees.
“Citizens of Camden County, I will never agree to force you to put anything into your body against your will, that applies for county employees as well. My vote will always be no.” says Gohagan.
That sentiment is being echoed by leaders throughout Missouri who also say the President is stepping over a line that “should never be crossed.”
Lake Regional’s CEO Dane Henry is stepping down from his role.
According to reports, Henry has taken a position as President of Partners Cooperative starting in January of 2022.
Partners Cooperative is a non-for-profit hospital shared services cooperative that provides contracting and purchasing services to its membership.
Henry has been managing Lake Regional for the past 5 years and it’s expected that the Lake Regional Board of Directors soon begin a search for a new CEO.
During this time, it’s expected that an interim CEO will be designated by January, however that person’s name hasn’t been released yet.
A rapid push in the city of Lake Ozark is granting a green light to Bikefest 2021 to allow parking of Bikes in the center lane of Bagnell Dam Blvd.
According to the city, Bikers may park their bikes on the center lane between Ballenger Road and the Dam, on the lower end of the strip.
Officials say there are still a few items that need to be ironed out, but all should be set before the event takes place.
Bikefest has been a staple on the Lake Ozark strip since 2006, however the event isn’t managed by the city but rather a 3rd party.
City officials say the issue stemmed from this year’s coordinator, who did not submit the request for closing down the center lane.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is putting more than $25 million-dollars toward building or improving renewable energy infrastructure in Missouri.
Officials say it’s part of the nationwide $464 million-dollar effort to help Rural America lower its energy costs.
19 Investments will be made throughout the Show Me State.
USDA officials say these changes could generate nearly 800,000 kilowatt hours of power, which would save Missourians nearly $90,000 dollars annually.
Officials in Lake Ozark are set to meet today (Thursday) at 2PM to discuss Bikefest and the issue of parking bikes.
Typically, the event organizer submits a permit request to close down the center lane of Bagnell Dam BLVD on the Strip, so that bikes can park there…but that didn’t happen this year.
If something isn’t done, then Bikes will not be allowed to park there as they have in years past.
City officials say this process is usually done through the Board of Alderman and some committees, but due to a lack of time they are attempting to expedite the process.
The Climax Springs R-4 School District wants to make a community garden, and it’s taking over run-down buildings to do it.
“The most recent one, I actually just got paperwork signed at the recorders office, the deed for the probably the most blighted property remaining in Climax Springs and the nearest to the school district” says Superintendent Caleb Petit, he tells KRMS News the district has taken over other condemned buildings over the last 15 years, some of which have become expansions of the district.
He also says a new playground has opened up to begin the school year “It is completely finished. Because of some weather interruptions, first week of school students had to watch….painfully…as those projects were completed in the first 4 days of school. So on the 5th day of school they finally got to play on what they’d been watching being built in the first week of school. It’s probably the coolest thing I’ve gotten to see here.”
Petit says the money for the playground came out of a surplus of money from a FEMA project.
An investigation remains ongoing after a car slams into the United States Postal Office in Kaiser.
Officials say damage was done to the entryway of the building; however, it was not significant enough to close down the office at this time.
It remains unknown who hit the building, or if there are any charges being filed with the Miller County Sheriff’s office at this time.
A quarter-cent sales tax increase is coming for Camden County.
But when will you start paying it?
“This sales tax will start being collected on January 1st of 2022” says County Auditor Jimmy Laughlin, and he tells KRMS News money for the Sheriff’s Office won’t start coming in until March of next year.
He says the county has notified the state the sales tax increase was passed and the deadline for that is October 1st “As long as it’s filed by then, the sales tax will start being collected in the 2nd quarter following.”
But the month of January has to pass and then retailers have to file their taxes by mid-February “So in March we’ll get our first check for that sales tax.”
Camden County voters approved the quarter-cent sales tax increase in August so Sheriff Tony Helms can give raises to the deputies he has and also to hire more deputies.
The County Commission gave the Sheriff’s Office more than $200-thousand dollars in advance to start pay raises in September rather than wait for the tax to kick in next March “We’re having 2 record years of people coming down here, so we have some extra money and so, in the end of the year we can adjust for some of that.”
Heads up motorists.
MODOT says a contractor will begin to replace the bridge deck over Minnow Brook Creek this week on Camden County Route D, just southwest of Camdenton.
Officials say the bridge will be reduced to one lane with temporary traffic signals guiding traffic through the work zone.
The project isn’t expected to be finished until December.
****More info:
CAMDEN COUNTY –A contractor working for the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) will begin to replace the deck of the Camden County Route D bridge over Minnow Brook Creek, southwest of Camdenton, on Tuesday.
The bridge will be reduced to one ten-foot lane with a temporary traffic signal guiding traffic through the work zone. The project is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 7, and is scheduled for completion in December. Signs and message boards will be in place in advance to alert motorists of the work.
The bridge is included in Gov. Mike Parson’s $351 million Focus on Bridges program, which will repair or replace 250 bridges across the state.
More details are available at modot.org/millercamdencountybridges.
This work is weather permitting and could be delayed. For more information and updates about this project or other transportation-related matters, please call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/central. Follow the MoDOT Central Missouri District on Facebook and Twitter for project updates.
We’re just a few days away from the grand ribbon cutting ceremony at the Camdenton Memorial Lake Regional Airport and plans are underway for several activities.
One of those events is a walk and run to honor Fallen Missouri Soldiers and officials say the need over 140 people to participate in the event.
The run/walk will be free and open to all, and several Gold Star families have been invited to attend.
In addition to that, there will be a fundraiser for the 2022 Camdenton Airshow that will help pay for a once in a lifetime ride in an authentic World War II aircraft expected to be at next year’s show.
The event starts at 9AM on September 11th at the airport, with the ribbon cutting scheduled for noon.
****More details:
Save the Date! 3 Events in One Happening September 11th
at the Camdenton Memorial – Lake Regional Airport
Located at 20 Airport Drive – Camdenton, MO 65020
Lake of the Ozarks Walk/Run For The Fallen
Begins at 9 AM
146 Walkers/Runners Needed To Walk For Missouri Fallen Soldiers
Lake of the Ozarks will be hosting the annual walk/run to honor our American heroes. The event is free and open to the public with no early registration required. Attendees are asked to bring friends and family and walk a mile in honor of each of the 146 Missouri fallen soldiers of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and ISIS Operations. Each participant will wear a runner’s bib with the name of a fallen soldier. Participants will have the opportunity to meet Missouri Gold Star Families whose loved ones paid the ultimate sacrifice. Attendees are invited to stay after the run/walk event for lunch and additional celebrations/events outlined below.
Camdenton Memorial – Lake Regional Airport Open House and Ribbon Cutting
11 AM until 1PM – Ribbon Cutting to take place at 12 PM
The community is invited to join us for the Camdenton Memorial Lake Regional Airport Open House & Ribbon Cutting to celebrate the new runway expansion. Lunch will be provided.
2022 Air Show Fundraiser Auction
Online Auction will Run from 9/1/21 to 9/7/21
Silent Auction to take place 9/11/21 from 10 AM until 1 PM
Thanks to the support of many local businesses, the Lake of the Ozarks Air Show will be hosting an online and in-person silent auction as a fundraiser for the 2022 Lake of the Ozarks Air Show. Funds raised from the auction will be used to increase the Veterans experience at the 2022 Air Show by providing them with a once in a lifetime ride in an authentic World War II aircraft. Online Auction link can be found by visiting the Lake of the Ozarks Air Show Facebook Page @lotoairshow
For more information please contact the Camdenton Area Chamber of Commerce at 573-346-2227.
The power is back on for thousands of Ameren customers across the City of Eldon and nearby areas.
Ameren officials were first alerted to the major power failure Monday afternoon.
Unconfirmed reports indicate an animal may have been the cause of the issue.
The power grid for the city of Eldon is divided, which allowed part of the town to continue having power while the other half did not.
At the peak of the outage, over 2,200 people did not have power.
It’ll be business as usual on The Strip in Lake Ozark, but it’s a different story for Bagnell Dam for the next few months.
MoDOT begins a rehabilitation project Tuesday.
“It’s going to require complete closure of the dam at this time” says MODOT Central District Area Engineer Bob Lynch, “I know people would like for us to keep the road open, and I understand that….but the type of work that we are doing and the width of the dam it just isn’t safe…we’ll have to close the dam.”
He tells KRMS News work will be done on the road and sidewalks through December “The goal here is to improve the driving conditions, the road…the sidewalk….the curbs…and try and get some additional life out of the structure. Hopefully we’ll have it ready for next year.”
You’ll still have access to the Strip by heading in from Hwy 242, Bagnell Dam Boulevard or Horseshoe Bend.
Not counting the line-item vetoes made to parts of the appropriations measures for the current year, there were four bills that were vetoed by Governor Mike Parson.
Among these is House Bill 685.
Senator Justin Brown of Rolla handled this proposal in the upper chamber. When this bill was discussed on the floor of the Missouri Senate on May 4, he told his colleagues this measure would make changes to rules relating to the duties and qualifications of certain public officers…
“It’s a dissolution of candidate committees that deals with, under current law any person who registered as a lobbyist required to dissolve his or her candidate committee, this act creates an exemption per where this require a person holding an elected municipal office or school district office, or any person that is a candidate for an elected municipal office in that school district, this prevision is identical to senate bill 602…”
During discussion, Senator Jill Schupp of Creve Coeur focused on the main part of the proposal, which dealt with campaign committees for certain candidates…
“They can continue to lobby even though they hold positions in their local community…”
In his veto letter, the governor says — and, these are his words — “[p]ublic officers should have the interests of the people they represent in mind, not those of the organization they have been hired to represent”…
Lawmakers will have the opportunity to override any and all vetoes during the annual veto session, which is scheduled for the middle of this month. By law, a veto override needs a two-thirds’ majority in each chamber.
House Bill 661 is another proposal to receive a veto this year.
During discussion on the floor of the Missouri Senate on May 11, Sen. Lincoln Hough of Springfield told his colleagues this bill related to transportation…
“Currently, when someone wants to get access to the Patrol crash records…they must also pay the fee associated with the Sunshine Law, this bill adds that the Patrol may charge a $5 electronic distribution fee for that report.”
A number of amendments were offered, including one from Sen. Angela Walton Moseley of Florissant…
“A historic motor vehicle may be operated for personal use, as described in the statute, more than 1,000 miles. This act repeals the limitations. It was voted out the transportation committee unanimously.”
In his veto letter for House Bill 661, the governor cites several reasons, including a portion that would have expanded powers for the Joint Committee on Transportation.
In addition, this measure would have made changes to certain things MoDOT could do.
Also, three St. Louis-area counties would have been excluded from the federal Clean Air Act.
Labor Day coming up Monday and the Missouri State Highway Patrol is getting ready.
“We’re advising people…if you have a destination you need to be at, leave with enough time…trying to speed through traffic, you’re not going to save much time at all and you’re going to increase the risk of a crash” says Corporal Kyle Green with the Patrol.
He tells KRMS News Troopers will be watching for drunk drivers on the roads “one of biggest problems you have when you have increased traffic on the roadways is road rage itself….you know you got someone cuts you off, or is tailgating you and things like that and you never know these days what people may do with retaliation. So, just let them go down the road…go about your own way…and if it becomes a bigger issue, just contact *55 and that will put you in connection with the highway patrol.”
The Patrol will also be out on the water as well
“We have 14 full time trooper spots at the Lake of the Ozarks. Every now and then we’ll even bring in other Troopers that work different waterways within Troop F, like we did for the Shootout” says Trooper Brian Geier.
He tells KRMS the importance of wearing a life jacket while on a boat or even near a dock “in almost every drowning we’ve dealt with here at the lake, no one is wearing a life jacket. Someone goes down to the dock…to do whatever, fish, swim or drink…we see a lot of alcohol consumption here during these kind of weekends and those sorta things don’t mix too well.”
The Patrol reports five drowning deaths on Lake of the Ozarks for the month of August, and each person who drowned was not wearing a lifejacket.
State Fair Community College in Sedalia’s looking for a new President.
Dr. Joanna Anderson is announcing her retirement at the end of her current contract, which runs through June 2022.
Anderson became the fifth President at SFCC in 2013 and she says she’s ready to spend more time with her family.
The school says a search committee has been formed and we do know State Fair will not be using an external agency to find its replacement for Dr. Anderson.
****More info:
Sedalia, Missouri – Sept. 2, 2021 – State Fair Community College has officially begun the search for the next college president following President Dr. Joanna Anderson’s recent announcement to retire when her contract ends June 30, 2022.
Anderson, who became SFCC’s fifth president in 2013, cited the desire to spend more time with her family as the reason for her decision.
“You know, it’s just time,” said Anderson. “My family is growing and my husband Ken and I are looking forward to being together again with time to focus on family … my parents are both turning 90 this year, three kids with spouses, four grandkids with another one expected in March.”
Randall D. Eaton, SFCC Board of Trustees President, announced at the Aug. 26 meeting that the college will not be using an external agency in the search for the next president. The Board of Trustees finalized the members of the search committee at that same meeting. The college has publicly posted the committee members and the vacancy on its website. The vacancy is also listed online at higheredjobs.com and the Chronicle of Higher Education.
To learn more, or provide input in the selection process, go to www.sfccmo.edu/presidential-search. All stakeholders, including the public, are invited to participate. All submissions are anonymous.
Photo by Gozha Net on Unsplash
If you’re an ag producer in the Lake Area, or anywhere in Missouri, future projections are looking strong.
The USDA is releasing its ag export forecast for both this year and next, and the numbers show exports could surpass $173-billion dollars for 2021, and more than $4 billion in 2022.
Experts say livestock, poultry and dairy exports are all up.
They also says the U-S will be buying more foreign agriculture products, but the US ag trade surplus should continue to grow.
A Boil Advisory in Osage Beach is now cancelled.
Public Works was working a water line break in the area of Maple Tree Circle, Honeysuckle Court, Meadow Lane and Brookfield Lane for much of Wednesday afternoon.
But the problem has been fixed and there’s no need to boil water you may want to drink.
The new Interchange on Route 54 in Lake of the Ozarks is now finished.
The project took 18 months to complete and the goal was to help traffic flow more smoothly at that location.
All construction activities at Route 54, Business Route 54, Route W and Osage Hills are complete and completely open to traffic.
MoDOT says no road crews will be working over the coming Labor Day weekend.
****Additional info:
LAKE OZARK – Holiday travelers to the Lake of the Ozarks will note that an 18-month project to bring improvements and increase traffic safety has been completed along U.S. Route 54. Construction activities at the Route 54/Business Route 54/Miller County Route W/Osage Hills Road are substantially complete and the interchange is completely open to traffic.
“The completion of this work is a milestone moment for safe travel through the Lake of the Ozarks Region”, said Central Area Engineer Robert Lynch. “With the completion of the new interchange, traffic is able to flow more freely and safely through that area. We’re excited to reach completion on this landmark project.”
Lynch advises that traffic moving through the area over the Labor Day holiday will not be impacted by work and no crews will be present. Any remaining work will result in minimal impacts as most everything has been completed,
Construction on the new interchange began in February of 2020. The new interchange is designed to increase traffic safety and improve traffic flow in an area where numerous traffic accidents have occurred. In addition to the new interchange, the project included several new connecting roads and three roundabouts in the same area.
For more information and updates about this project or other transportation-related matters, please call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636) or follow the MoDOT Central Missouri District on Facebook and Twitter for project updates.
****Info on the Dam Project:
LAKE OZARK – Rehabilitation of the Business Route 54 Bagnell Dam bridge, located in Lake Ozark, will begin next week.
The existing Bagnell Dam bridge was built in 1929. Rehabilitation is necessary to extend the life and usability of the bridge. Work will include repairs to the bridge deck, expansion joints, sidewalks and barrier walls, and replacement of the bridge driving.
Work is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 7. During construction, Business 54 will be closed at the bridge for approximately three months. The Bagnell Dam strip will be open. Motorists will need to use an alternate route while work takes place.
In June, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission awarded the project to Concrete Strategies, LLC., which submitted the low bid of $1,611,862.
For more information about this project or other transportation-related matters, please call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/modot-central-district. Follow the MoDOT Central Missouri District on social media for project updates.
Police in Lake Ozark now have new equipment thanks to a donation and some discounts from Springfield Armory.
It all started with a recent phone call from a representative for CEO Dennis Reese.
“Basically a few weeks ago a local representative for lake shore holdings, which Mr. Resse owns, reached out to me and just inquired if there was anything they could do to assist the department with equipment needs….or anything that may be helpful to our department” says Chief Launderville.
He tells KRMS that lead to his department getting 17 new 9 millimeter pistols, red dot optic gun sites and holsters, but there was more “Two new rifles, AR-15’s, for the price of one.”
Chief Launderville says training will also be provided for officers in Lake Ozark, and the value of everything is around $23-thousand dollars, or more.
****More info:
Springfield Armory® Donates Firearms and Equipment to the Lake Ozark Police Department
GENESEO, ILL. (09/03/21) – Springfield Armory® is proud to announce the donation of guns and equipment to the City of Lake Ozark Police Department.
Spearheaded by Springfield Armory CEO Dennis Reese, this donation equips every officer of the Lake Ozark, Missouri police department with the gear necessary to help ensure they can effectively perform their duties protecting its citizens.
Dennis Reese and his wife, Jane, have long-time ties and deep connections to the area, and are very involved in the development of the historic Bagnell Dam Strip — known as “The Strip” to most.
“Lake of the Ozarks is a very important place to my family,” said Dennis Reese. “My wife Jane and I raised our kids here during the summers and throughout much of the off-season, so the area has a lot of great memories for us. We wanted to do our part giving back to the area, helping to protect the Strip for families to enjoy. When we found out that the Lake Ozark Police Department needed support, it was a no-brainer that Springfield Armory could be a solution.”
Pistols provided to the department are from the highly capable 9mm XD-M® Elite OSP™ family. Also provided with the pistols were Springfield Armory’s HEX™ Dragonfly™ red dot optics. In addition, Springfield Armory donated Dara Holster Systems capable of accepting the pistols with the red dot optics installed.
Additionally, the department acquired two SAINT® Victor B5 5.56mm rifles, also equipped with HEX Dragonfly red dot optics. This provides the officers with additional firepower should it be required in the course of their duties.
“When the Reese family learned that our department was looking to replace its current firearms, Dennis Reese reached out to me immediately,” said Lake Ozark’s Chief of Police, Gary Launderville. “Our current firearms were nearly 15 years old and in need of replacement, but we did not have the budget to accomplish this. Mr. Reese determined what we needed and made it happen. He has been awesome.”
“Springfield Armory could not be more proud to support the Lake Ozark Police Department in their efforts to keep their community safe,” said Fred Mincks, Springfield Armory’s LE Sales Manager. “We support the efforts of the law enforcement community and are happy to have been able to do this for the Lake Ozark Police Department.”
For more information on Springfield Armory, visit www.springfield-armory.com.
About Springfield Armory®
In 1794, the original Springfield Armory began manufacturing muskets for the defense of our young, free Republic. The Armory functioned as a firearms supplier for every major American conflict until 1968 when the government sadly closed its doors. In 1974, nearly two centuries after its inception, Springfield Armory Inc. in Geneseo, Ill. revived the iconic heritage of the Armory to carry on its legacy.
We strive to honor this responsibility as guardians of the original Springfield Armory legacy by manufacturing the highest quality firearms to enable responsible citizens to preserve their right to keep and bear arms in the defense of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
With an unmatched emphasis on craftsmanship, performance and exceptional customer service, our mission is to forge superior firearms and provide the tools necessary to defend individual freedoms and equality for those who embrace the rights and principles secured by our Founding Fathers. For more information, please visit us at: springfield-armory.com.
Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois are sending personnel to Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, now breaking apart over the U-S.
More than 300 people from both divisions will be headed south for two-week deployments to help restore areas hit hardest by the storm.
It’s part of the power industry’s mutual assistance network through the Edison Electric Institute, which allows a given electric company in an area hit by a catastrophic event to expand its workforce.
Ameren has a history of sending people to other parts of the U-S after major storms, like Hurricane Irma and Maria In Puerto Rico in 2017, Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
*******FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ameren sending crews to Louisiana for Hurricane Ida restoration
More than 300 personnel from Ameren Illinois, Ameren Missouri and Ameren Transmission will be departing this week to assist Entergy
ST. LOUIS (Aug. 31, 2021) – Ameren workers across Illinois and Missouri will be are heading to Louisiana later this week to assist in repairing damage and restoring power to communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.
The company’s personnel and contractors, including lineworkers, fleet, logistics and safety, will assist crews from Entergy. Ameren personnel will deploy from operating centers in Illinois and Missouri throughout the week.
“Our hearts go out to those who have been affected by this devastating hurricane. We will help these communities recover from this storm’s stunning damage as soon as possible,” said Warner Baxter, chairman, president and CEO of Ameren Corporation. “Ameren customers in Illinois and Missouri have benefited many times from mutual assistance following severe storms and know firsthand how this type of support can make a real difference in recovery efforts.”
Ameren crews are planning a two-week deployment to assist in the restoration efforts.
Ameren Illinois and Ameren Missouri are voluntary members of the electric power industry’s mutual assistance network through the Edison Electric Institute. When called upon, a company will send either company employees, contractors or both, along with specialized equipment to help with the restoration efforts of a fellow company. In essence, it allows a utility hit by a major or catastrophic event to expand its workforce by borrowing field personnel from other companies in unaffected areas. Following some large storms here, Ameren has called upon other utilities for assistance and has a history of helping other utilities, providing support with catastrophic events such as Hurricane Irma and Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017, Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Just as they do when working in Illinois and Missouri service territories, Ameren response personnel and crews are taking extra precautions to mitigate the risks associated with COVID-19. Preventive actions such as social distancing and use of masks, protective eyewear and gloves, are being followed. Safety is one of Ameren‘s core values.
About Ameren Corporation
St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric transmission and distribution service and natural gas distribution service. Ameren Missouri provides electric service generation, transmission and distribution services, as well as natural gas distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops, owns and operates rate-regulated electric transmission projects. For more information, visit Ameren.com, or follow us on Twitter at @AmerenCorp, Facebook.com/
If you’re interested in taking over the Alderman Position in the City of Osage Beach, you’re in luck.
Officials say they’re extending the deadline to apply until September 14th.
The opening comes after the resignation of Ward 3 Alderman Tom Walker on August 6th.
In order to qualify for the position, you must be 18-years of age or older, be a resident of Osage Beach and live in the Ward 3 District.
Full details on the position can be seen below:
2021830 News Release_Vacant Board of Aldermen Seat DEADLINE EXTENDED
A new law in effect now in Missouri allows restaurants to sell to-go cocktails.
The state had temporarily allowed restaurants to serve alcohol to go during the pandemic, but that is now permanent.
Alcohol can be served with food in a sealed container that’ll discourage drinking and driving.
Booz can also be sold from 6 am Sunday through 1:30 Monday morning, the same hours as the rest of the week.
Before the new liquor law went into effect, alcohol sales were limited to 9 am Sunday morning to midnight.
****More info:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 24, 2021
New Missouri ‘to-go’ alcohol sales law takes effect Aug. 28
Senate Bill 126 also extends hours for alcohol sales on Sundays to between 6 a.m. Sunday and 1:30 a.m. Monday
JEFFERSON CITY – The waiver that allowed Missouri restaurants to sell “to-go” alcoholic drinks beginning on April 14, 2020, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, will become permanent when Senate Bill 126<https://www.senate.mo.gov/
Before the waiver, to-go alcohol had to be sold in its original package. The new law means that mixed drinks can be sold for off-premises consumption provided:
· The alcohol container is durable, leak-proof, and sealable, and does not exceed 128 ounces;
· The customer must have ordered and purchased a meal simultaneous with the liquor purchase;
· No more than two alcohol drinks may be sold per meal serving;
· The licensee must provide a dated receipt for the meal and alcohol beverage(s); and
· The sealed alcohol container must either be:
o Placed in a one-time-use, tamperproof, transparent bag which must be securely sealed, or;
o The container opening must be sealed with tamperproof tape.
The law does not allow liquor licensees to sell mixed drinks in typical “to-go” cups or other containers having a lid with a sipping hole or an opening for straws.
Senate Bill 126 also extends the hours during which alcohol can be sold by the drink and at package stores on Sundays. Liquor licensees permitted to make Sunday sales will legally be able to sell alcohol from 6 a.m. Sunday until 1:30 a.m. Monday, the same hours that apply during the rest of the week.
2021-08-24 New Missouri to-go alcohol sales law takes effect Aug. 28
MoDOT is getting ready to start a rehabilitation project on Bagnell Dam the day after Labor Day (Tuesday September 7th.)
“And that is going to require complete closure of the dam at that time. We’re doing a rehabilitation project there to improve the driving conditions, the sidewalks and the curbs. We’re trying to get some additional life out of that structure and hopefully we’ll have it ready for next year” says MoDOT Central District Engineer Bob Lynch.
He tells KRMS News the project is all about extending the life of the road going over the dam and the project should be complete by December “people would like for us to keep the road open if possible, and we understand that, but with the work we are doing and the limited width you have with the dam, it’s a challenge so we do have to close it down.”
But you’ll still be able to get to The Strip in Lake Ozark even though the dam will be closed after Labor Day “there is good access to the strip area, coming in from the south off Route 242, or Osage Beach Parkway….there are plenty of ways to get in there.”
Lynch also says traffic at the new interchange on Highway 54 and Route W will be unaffected while the Dam’s closed.
He was interviewed by Guy Wehman on The Ozarks This Morning on News / Talk KRMS.
Taxes for Iberia residents are going down follow a recent reassessment for the Iberia R-V School District.
Officials expect to lower the cost of school taxes by 13 cents, after the school’s total valuation increased by nearly $4 Million dollars.
Superintendent Lyndell Whittle says their plan is allow their tax levy to generate as close to last year’s number as possible, resulting in the cost being around $3.94 cents rather than $4.08 as it was in 2020.
KRMS Plans to reach out to the district to learn more about how the Tax numbers will affect the local community.
An EPA grant is making it possible for small towns and communities in Missouri to improve their drinking water quality.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says around $492,000 in grant funding is being made available as part of the $25 million dollar Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act.
The EPA will award grants to support compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and provide access to drinking water services.
Funds can also be used for conducting household water quality testing.
There are three new members of the Laclede Electric Cooperative Board of Directors.
Each was voted in by Absentee Ballot during Friday’s Annual Meeting, which was held virtually.
Brenda Nutter will serve in District 1, Darrel Bishop in District 2 and Randall Little in District 3.
At the conclusion of the meeting, officials drew 25 names of members who voted and each them will get a $100 check.
Officials say those checks will be mailed during the first week of September.
****More details:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Laclede Electric Cooperative (LEC) held the 2021 Annual Meeting virtually on August 27, 2021. Members were able to watch the meeting by clicking on the Annual Meeting icon on the LEC website.
In his remarks, Board President Joel Cravens commented, “Regrettably, we made the difficult decision to close our Annual Meeting to the public again this year. As much as we would like to meet with our members face-to-face, rising health concerns in our region required the move to a Virtual meeting for the safety of our employees and members.”
Members voted for three positions on the LEC Board of Directors through the Absentee Ballot process. A total of 1,567 ballots were received. The results are:
District number 1 Brenda Nutter 1,120
Douglas Baker 429
District number 2 Darrel Bishop 993
Ronald Melton 369
William Weaver 198
District number 3 Randall Little 1,031
Joanne Pollock 572
During the virtual meeting, members heard reports from Board President Joel Cravens, Board Treasurer Melvin Hoffman, CEO/General Manager Marc Roecker, and Chairman of the Committee on Nominations Mary Jo Tannehill.
At the conclusion of the meeting, 25 members drawn from those that voted were announced. The $100 checks for the winners will be mailed during the first week of September.
We want to thank everyone that viewed the virtual Annual Meeting and look forward to gathering again at the 2022 LEC Annual Meeting.
There’s a new TV station coming to Lake of the Ozarks.
It’ll be called KRMS TV 32.
“The Lake of the Ozarks have never had a true, local Television station” says Viper Communications President and Co-Owner Ken Kuenzie, “we’re going to be able to provide 4 different channels, all on channel 32. One will have news content, one will have entertainment content, and we have some plans for the other channels…all focused on local community involvement.”
Kuenzie tells KRMS News the channel will be free and easy to tune in to “all you have to do is put one of those little $10 TV antennas, which you can pretty much buy anywhere, and connect it to your TV and boom you’ll have free HD TV.”
Kuenzie says he wants the TV station on the air by the end of the year.
He also says Viper Communications will be looking for local talent, and you can apply at the Osage Beach offices during business hours.
KRMS TV will be joining a family of Lake Area radio stations, including 98.7 The Cove, Classic Country 104.9, 93.5 Rocks and News / Talk KRMS, AM 1150 – FM 97.5 & 103.3.
New TV Press Release
News/Talk KRMS is now a part of the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout Hall of Fame.
In a ceremony held on Tuesday, the Shootout Committee and longtime KRMS Radio personality Kevin Burns, welcomed KRMS co-owner Dennis Klautzer into the Bob Morgan Hall of Fame.
“In my opinion folks, this induction is long overdue. It gives me great pleasure, great pride and it’s a great honor to welcome Dennis Klautzer…by officially inducting him into the Bob Morgan Shootout hall of fame.” said KB.
Dennis and his partner Ken Kuenzie started producing the Shootout broadcast in 1998 and he says he couldn’t have done it without the help of his staff “I want to acknowledge all the people who helped me get this away, and helped me product some God beautiful Television. My Staff at KRMS, ladies and gentlemen…I could not do it without these people.”
It grew from a radio show to TV program, with a nationwide audience that reached 250,000 verified viewers.
You can hear the whole ceremony below:
Gas prices around the Lake Area below $2.80 per gallon of regular unleaded as summer winds down.
In Osage Beach the average is around $2.76 per gallon, in Camdenton you can find regular unleaded for as low as $2.65 per gallon, according to GasBuddy.com.
The Missouri average ahead of Labor Day is $2.83 per gallon and the lowest price found is $2.36 per gallon.
The highest average price for a gallon of regular is $4.39 in California.
There’s a change in leadership for the Medical Missions for Christ Clinic in Camdenton.
Executive Director Carolyn Bowling is retiring this September after 11 years in service.
The organization says Krista Carter will be the new Executive Director.
Carter is a longtime volunteer at the clinic and has been serving as President of the Board of Directors for the past year.
Medical Missions for Christ is located in the same building as the Camden County Health Department.
A Lebanon Attorney with ties to the Lake Area is pleading guilty in Federal court, to charges of tax and labor violations.
According to court documents, 35-year-old Meagan Howe admitted that she withheld just over $15,000 in federal taxes from her employees’ paychecks at Garner and Howe Law Firm and Missouri Law Firm in 2019, but failed to turn that over to the IRS.
She also admitted that she failed to pay an additional $10,285 in employment taxes.
Additionally, Howe stated she falsely prepared and submitted 2018 tax returns for herself and her husband.
Howe accepted a plea deal, in which she must pay restitution to the IRS, the Missouri Department of Revenue and the individual victims in her case.
She also faces up to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
****Release from the FEDS:
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Lebanon, Missouri, attorney has pleaded guilty in federal court to tax and labor violations.
Meagan M. Howe, also known as Meagan M. Hasty, 35, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush on Thursday, Aug. 19, to one count of failure to pay employment tax and one count of making a false representation related to an employee benefit plan.
Howe owns and operates Conquer the Divide, LLC. She is also the past owner and operator of Garner and Howe Law Firm; Missouri Law Firm, LLC; and Just Ask Howe Tax Advocacy Services, LLC.
Howe admitted that she withheld a total of $15,019 in federal taxes from her employees’ paychecks at Garner and Howe Law Firm and Missouri Law Firm, LLC in 2019, but failed to turn them over to the IRS. Howe further admitted that she failed to pay an additional $10,285 in employment taxes for the businesses in 2019.
Howe also admitted that she falsely prepared and submitted 2018 tax returns for herself and her husband. By filing separate returns that each claimed “Head of Household” status, she was able to fraudulently receive $3,775 earned income tax credits.
Howe also admitted that she failed to transmit $3,111 in contributions to an employee pension plan. Howe then falsely reported there was not a failure to transmit contributions to her employee pension plan.
Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Howe must pay restitution to the IRS, the Missouri Department of Revenue and individual victims.
Under federal statutes, Howe is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration, and the Missouri Department of Revenue.
Advanced classes on grazing management for livestock producers in the Lake Area and around Missouri are now being offered thanks to a grant from the U-S Department of Agriculture.
One of the focus topics is soil health….
“There’s been a big nationwide interest in improving that, and even defining what that is” says Gene Schmitz with the MU Extension, “so we’ll spend some time discussing that, and we’ll spend time on feed quality and the supplementation that we may need to provide to improve an animal’s diet.”
Schmitz tells KRMS News the courses can also help livestock producers handling animals beyond cattle, like goats, sheep and horses.
Registration deadline for the classes is September 3rd and you can contact the University of Missouri Extension for more details.
****MU Extension event:
SEDALIA, Mo. – MU Extension regional specialists have recently received a USDA/NRCS Conservation Partnership grant focused on increasing the knowledge and skills of livestock producers in the area of grazing management. As part of the grant, these specialists have developed a Prescribed Grazing: Advanced Management School to assist producers in continuing their education in the area of forage and grazing management.
These advanced schools build upon the principles taught in the regional grazing schools jointly sponsored by MU Extension, NRCS, and Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) throughout the state of Missouri. Unlike the regional grazing schools, these advanced schools do not qualify participants for NRCS or SWCD cost-share programs.
The advanced school combines inside programs with field activities to expand on topics that, due to time constraints, are not covered in the regional cost-share schools. Topics in the advanced school include: Pasture and Weed Identification and Control, Alternative Forages, Tall Fescue Stockpiling and Alkaloid Management, Soil Health in Forage Systems, Forage Quality and Supplementation, and Pasture, Range, and Forage Insurance.
Field activities include Pasture Assessments, Forage Allocation, Animal Body Condition Scoring, Forage and Soil Sampling, and Plant and Weed Identification. The on-farm activities will include discussions with experienced graziers on how they manage their various livestock enterprises and forage types.
The next advanced school is scheduled for Tuesday, September 14 and Wednesday, September 15 at the Hampton Inn in Sedalia, MO. The program is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Refreshments and lunch will be provided.
Registration is due by Friday, September 3. Contact the Pettis County Extension Center at pettisco@missouri.edu or by calling (660) 827-0591 more information or to register for the program. On-line registration is available by contacting the Extension Center and requesting the registration link. This program is sponsored by MU Extension and USDA/NRCS and is open to all.
Photo by Hanson Lu on Unsplash
A new law that’s going into effect next week will be giving Campground owners more protection.
The law slated to start August 28th says that “If an injury or death occurs from an inherent risk of camping, campground owners and employees will be protected from lawsuits.”
The law however would not protect a campground, or its employees, if there is a lack of warning signs.
****Full details:
The Missouri Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (MOARC) and the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) announced the signing of Missouri House Bill 369, which both groups supported, into law by Mo. Gov. Mike Parson.
The “inherent risk” bill specifically offers owners, operators and employees of campgrounds and RV parks protection from frivolous lawsuits when an injury or death occurs as a result of an inherent risk of camping. The bill does not shield a campground or its employees when injuries result from willful or wanton disregard for safety, and clearly outlines the types of warning signs that operators are required to post.
ARVC supplied MOARC with the model language for the bill that was amended as it went through the process. ARVC and MOARC leaders also testified before the Senate Committee and negotiated with trial attorneys and insurance associations, reaching a compromise on wording that alleviated possible opposition, adding an exception if a park “fails to use that degree of care that an ordinarily careful and prudent person would use under the same or similar circumstances.”
“This is industry unity at its best! It is a big win for our industry and shows the strength of state organizations and National ARVC working together,” said Paul Bambei, ARVC President and CEO. “This bill is an extremely important piece of legislation for our industry, and it couldn’t have happened without the hard work of everyone involved. I want to especially thank Larry Helms for leading this campaign for the campground owners in Missouri, Kyna Iman for her insightful lobbying efforts and our own Jeff Sims for his tireless effort to bring this legislation to fruition.”
Wisconsin was the first state to pass an inherent risk bill in 2016, and that bill has served as a guide for other states looking to pass similar legislation. Other inherent risk bills introduced in 2021 that ARVC is supporting are in Alaska, Connecticut, Maine, Ohio and Texas.
Photo by Dan LeFebvre on Unsplash
If you’re looking to save money on heating and cooling and you’re an Ameren Customer, you’re in luck.
Ameren is offering families free Nest Digital Thermostats, provided they connect to a new system that’s aimed at helping to reduce demands on the energy grid.
The offer is available until October 11th and all customers need to do is apply, enroll in the Peak Time Savings program and pay the sales tax for the device.
You can visit http://AmerenMissouri.com/ZeroDollarNest for more information.
The Nest thermostat retails around $129.
****More info:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
$0 Nest Thermostat can save customers an average of 15% on cooling costs
Ameren Missouri and Google partner to give away energy-saving thermostats for a limited time
JEFFERSON CITY (Aug. 19, 2021) – Families across central Missouri now have easier access to a cutting-edge, energy-saving device. The Nest Thermostat makes homes more energy efficient and saves customers an average of 15% on cooling costs, according to an independent study conducted by ENERGY STAR.
For a limited time, Ameren Missouri customers can get the Nest Thermostat at no cost other than the required sales tax. This offer is possible thanks to instant discounts and required enrollment in the Peak Time Savings program. To get a $0 Nest, customers can visit AmerenMissouri.com/
“Families will begin saving money almost immediately after installing the Nest Thermostat, and it’s important to us to make this advanced technology accessible to more of our customers,” said Shelly Harmon, manager of residential energy efficiency programs at Ameren Missouri. “The Nest Thermostat gives customers much more control while increasing energy efficiency.”
The Nest Thermostat features a thin, sleek design with a sharp display that lights up when it sees you coming. It learns the temperatures you like and programs itself in about a week. The Nest Thermostat also works with Google Home and Amazon Alexa for voice control, giving you a hands-free way to adjust your thermostat. Users can easily program and control the thermostat with the Google Home app. Nest also sends helpful maintenance reminders to replace air filters and can help catch many system issues early.
Recipients of the Nest Thermostat must enroll in the Peak Time Savings program. During the summer, the program will occasionally run an event that manages the customer’s cooling schedule to reduce the runtime of HVAC systems when demand for energy is highest. To ensure comfort, Ameren Missouri will precool the customers’ homes when energy demand is low. Customers are always in control of their thermostat and can adjust the temperature if the home feels too warm. The required enrollment in Peak Time Savings ensures customers can keep benefitting from a smart thermostat installation and receive a $25 incentive annually.
The $0 Nest Thermostat offer is just one component of Ameren Missouri’s residential energy efficiency program. Customers also have the power to save on LED lightbulbs, HVAC systems and other products that use less energy. Find more ways to save at AmerenMissouriSavings.com.
Visit AmerenMissouri.com/
About Ameren Missouri
Ameren Missouri has been providing electric and gas service for more than 100 years, and the company’s electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. Ameren Missouri’s mission is to power the quality of life for its 1.2 million electric and 132,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. The company’s service area covers 64 counties and more than 500 communities, including the greater St. Louis area. For more information, visit Ameren.com/Missouri or follow us on Twitter at @AmerenMissouri or Facebook.com/AmerenMissouri.
The Osage Beach Fire Protection District Board of Directors is approving a special election for November.
Voters will be considering two issues, one of them being the implementation of an Advance Life Support EMS Division via levy increase.
“Our paramedics would be able to do any function, with the same scope of setup, that any personell could do on an ambulance. The only thing we wouldn’t be able to do is transport” says Paul Berardi, Chief of the Osage Beach Fire Protection District.
He tells KRMS News an ALS Division will help take pressure off of other first responders while offering the ability to handle overdoses and pain medication.
A second ballot measure will be asking Osage Beach voters to approve the relocation and replacement of Fire Station Number One, a facility Berardi says is too old and too far removed from where more calls are coming from “Fire station # 1 was built in 1986. It’s been an excellent station and it’s served the district very well, but quite frankly it’s just too small and doesn’t meet modern code or modern standards of current fire stations.”
If approved, the Fire Station will cost property owners about $14 dollars per year on a $100-thousand dollar valuation over 20 years.
The EMS Division will run about $28 dollars per year on the same $100-thousand dollar valuation, but this would not expire.
Pay is going up for employees in the city of Camdenton.
During the recent meeting with the board of alderman, Mayor John McNabb suggested they revisit the proposal for increasing salaries for city employees.
“Rather than doing the equivalent of a $.50 cent raise, we should do the equivalent of a $1.00 an hour raise…because I think with all those things people have dealt, I feel they should get the same raise as we’re giving to some of our other employees” said Mayor McNabb during the discussion.
The Mayor also suggested a $3,000 dollar raise for the city attorney to cover additional expenses for his added work load.
The board voted to approve the proposed pay and compensation increases.
See the full video below:
Photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash
The Missouri jobs report shows close to 84-thousand jobs being added to the state’s economy from July 2020 through July of this year.
Around 15-thousand jobs were added in Missouri last month for an unemployment rate of 4.2-percent, a tenth-of-a-percent decrease from June.
Significant gains were seen in both goods-producing and service-providing industries.
The national unemployment rate for July was 5.4-percent.
That means Missouri’s unemployment rate has been below the national unemployment rate in every month since February of 2020, just as the pandemic was ramping up.
****Official report:
July 2021 Monthly Jobs Report
Missouri adds 15,000 jobs over the month
Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased from June 2021 to July 2021, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by a tenth of a percentage point. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 15,000 jobs over the month, with job gains in both goods-producing and service-providing industries. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in July 2021, down from 4.3 percent in June 2021. Recovery from COVID-19-related layoffs continued with an increase of more than 83,900 jobs from July 2020 to July 2021. Short-term shortages of semiconductor chips may hold down employment in manufacturing in the next few months and the emergence of the delta variant of COVID-19 may impact longer-term growth.
UNEMPLOYMENT
Missouri’s smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by a tenth of a percentage point in July 2021, dropping to 4.2 percent from the June 2021 rate of 4.3 percent. With the start of the COVID-19 pandemic now more than a year in the past, the July 2021 rate was 2.6 percentage points lower than the July 2020 rate. The rate had reached a low of 3.1 percent starting in July 2018, before gradually edging up to 3.5 percent by the end of 2019, and then to 3.7 percent in March 2020. The COVID-19 effect hit in April 2020, spiking the rate to 12.5 percent for that month. The rate decreased monthly for the rest of 2020, reaching 4.4 percent in December, and continued gradually downward through the first four months of 2021. The increase of two-tenths of a percentage point from April 2021 to June 2021over the last two months appeared to be related to a temporary shortage in the supply of semiconductor chips, which caused production slowdowns in some manufacturing industries.
Due to benchmark revisions, Missouri’s unemployment rate rose a tenth of a percentage point higher than the national rate in January and February of 2020, but has been below the national rate for every month since February 2020. The national unemployment rate decreased from 5.9 percent in June 2021 to 5.4 percent in July 2021. The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 128,685 in July 2021, down by 4,639 from June’s 133,324.
The state’s not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate also decreased in July 2021, dropping by 1.2 percentage points to 3.9 percent from the June 2021 not-seasonally-adjusted rate of 5.1 percent. The decrease resulted from the recall of manufacturing workers from short-term layoff. The corresponding not-seasonally-adjusted national rate for July 2021 was 5.7 percent.
A year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 6.8 percent, and the not-adjusted rate was 7.3 percent.
Read the full report at https://meric.mo.gov/
The two most populated counties in the Lake Area are falling in population, according to the 2020 U-S Census.
The numbers show Camden County’s population dropping 2.9-percent for a total of just over 42-thousand seven hundred people.
Miller County’s population fell point-one-percent to a total of more than 24-thousand seven hundred residents.
But it’s a different story to the south and southwest.
The census shows Laclede County increasing its population by 1.3-percent to just over 36-thousand people.
Pulaski County had the greatest increase in the region with close to 17-hundred people showing up – that’s an increase of 3.2-percent over the 2010 Census.
Data by county:
Over $8 million dollars in Federal COVID relief funds are being rejected by the Camdenton School Board.
In a special session Tuesday night, school board officials gathered to discuss whether or not to accept the money, with a majority voting no….making it 4 no and 2 yes votes.
Many stated that the strings attached to the money were too much to bear for the school district and that they’ve already planned out money for other projects before it was offered.
You can watch the full meeting below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRE2Hq7gwrA
Osage Beach is reporting an increase in sales tax collections as summer winds down.
“We’re about 22 1/2%, we’re about 18% up from where we foretasted, so expected a little growth just because of the activity from 2020” says Jenna Woods, City Administrator in Osage Beach,
“That has everything to do with people shopping, activities and events and everything that happened within our city limits. We had a great summer…lot of tourists, a large influx of people.”
She tells KRMS News plans are being made right now for next year’s budget “End of October, maybe early November at the latest…we meet with the board of alderman in several public workshops, which are public meetings, and we present our requests to the board and hopefully we have our budget requests answered by December…so that we can start January 1 with a new budget.”
Woods also says Osage Beach is in line for more than $900-thousand dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act “Part of that act includes relief funds for a lot of jurisdictions. The act outlines that we will get half of the finds when the state first distributes it, and the other half will come 12 months after that.”
Woods was interviewed by Christian Blood on the KRMS Morning Magazine.
Lake Ozark’s City Hall is finally paid off.
Officials say a lease-purchase agreement made in 2009 between the former Mayor and building owner, is set to be finished at the end of this month.
The city handed the owner a check for just over $60,000 just last week.
Lake Ozark’s city Government and the LOPD have been housed in this building since 2009.
Two major recalls are now underway for food you may have in your kitchen.
The first involves a massive recall of numerous brands of frozen shrimp, due to a salmonella outbreak.
The second involves hot dog and hamburger buns made by Hostess Brands.
Officials say it’s best to throw it out or return it for a full refund immediately.
****Shrimp Recall:
****Hostess Recall:
Hostess Brands, LLC (“Hostess Brands”) is voluntarily recalling certain Hostess® Soft White Hamburger Buns and Soft White Hot Dog Buns due to the potential for the products to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella. Hostess Brands is recalling the impacted products out of an abundance of caution after becoming aware of this issue from its co-manufacturer, Best Harvest Bakeries, through Best Harvest Bakeries’ environmental monitoring program. To date, Hostess Brands has received no reports of illness related to this issue.
Listeria monocytogenes is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Although healthy individuals may suffer only short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, Listeria infection can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women.
Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses.
This recall is limited to the following Hostess® Soft White Hamburger Buns and Soft White Hot Dog Buns, which were sold to distributors, convenience stores, and other retail stores throughout the United States. See which ones are affected here: https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/voluntary-recall-hostessr-hamburger-buns-hot-dog-buns-due-possible-health-risks
As Best Harvest Bakeries only manufactures certain Hostess® hamburger buns and hot dog buns for Hostess Brands, no other Hostess® products are affected, including Hostess® bread and bagel products.
Consumers who have purchased an affected product are urged to immediately dispose of the product or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.
Consumers with questions may contact 1-800-483-7253 and also visit www.hostesscakes.comExternal Link Disclaimer.
Residents who receive snap benefits are getting a permanent 25% increase.
President Biden approving the increase, which will start in October, the largest increase in the program’s history.
The boost is part of the USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan, which will boost the per-person pay from $121 to $157 a month.
The move comes as activists across the nation were pushing for higher snap benefits because the cost of healthier foods was rising faster than poorer families could keep up with.
Heads Up RAM Truck drivers.
Officials with Fiat Chrysler are recalling over 250,000 RAM trucks because of an issue with the side air bags.
They say they can explode without warning and will hurl shrapnel into the cabin.
The recall affects the 2500 and 3500 heavy duty trucks from 2015 to 2020, and some older versions of the Ram 1500 and Classics.
***More info:
An FCA US investigation discovered certain vehicles may be equipped with air-bag inflators that were contaminated by moisture during the supplier’s manufacturing process. Such inflators may rupture, even without air-bag deployment, possibly sending debris into the cabin.
The Company is aware of a single rupture involving one of its vehicles. There were no injuries.
The inflators were produced by a supplier implicated in a similar recall by another auto maker.
The FCA campaign is limited to certain model-year 2015-20 Ram 3500 pickup trucks and cab-chassis vehicles, 2500 pickups and previous-generation 1500 pickups, now known as the Classic. The current-generation Ram 1500, which launched in model-year 2019, is not affected.
As with all safety recalls, service will be provided free of charge.
Affected customers will be advised when they may schedule service; those with questions or concerns may call 1-800-853-1403.
The campaign affects additional vehicles in Canada (est. 42,532), Mexico (est. 3,802) and certain markets outside North America (est. 4,540).
A small number of inflators sold as replacement parts are also subject to recall.
Photo by Arturo Rey on Unsplash
Food Trucks are finally free to operate in the city of Lake Ozark, with just one exception.
The city giving the green light to the industry to operate within the city limits, however Food Trucks are still not allowed to operate on the Bagnell Dam Strip.
That is unless there is an event underway and permits were requested for them to be present.
Officials say the ordinance allowing the Food Trucks is already active and all one needs is to pay a $50 permit fee to get started.
The city of Osage Beach is moving forward on two major projects through the wintertime.
The first project is making sidewalks along Osage Beach Parkway more ADA compliant.
“We had originally applied for a transportation grant earlier in the year, for a particular sidewalk project between Lake Pointe Drive (near Dierbergs) to basically across the road from the east entrance of the Osage Beach outlets….kinda the Miner Mike’s area” says City Administrator Jena Woods.
She tells KRMS News it was put on hold due to a lack of funding, after the grant fell through “So we have a few areas that are still moving through these plans, and this was a section that still needed to be connected to some newer sidewalks. So the Osage Beach Special Road District stepped up and was partnering with us financially, since we didn’t get the grant, so that project will move forward.”
She says they hope to have this part of the project completed in the next 9 months.
Another project in the works is to make improvements to the apron at Lee C Fine airport “It’s about a $5.5 million dollar project. We hope to have it completed before Memorial Day weekend next year, so we can avoid some of our more high traffic times for airplanes.”
Woods tells KRMS News the improvements are being made possible thanks to a grant “We’re getting a 95% grant between the FAA and the State, so we’re very excited about that. The project did get postponed a little bit because of COVID, as I’m sure you can imagine, so we’re very excited to get that back up and going.”
The city had been waiting for the approved fund to be able to make the upgrades for those who use the airport.
A former Manager of the Fort Leonard Wood Hospital’s Dining Facility is pleading guilty in federal court, for stealing more than $69,000 from their cash registers.
53-year-old Gregory Arthur Norton of Springfield was employed by Sodexo, a contractor who provides food services to the patients and staff at the General Leonard Wood Hospital.
He worked with the company from 2015 to 2018 as served as General Manager, overseeing payroll, managing the budget and reviewing financial statements.
Officials say they noticed cash discrepancies during an audit in 2018, which matched up to missing cash at the cash registers dating back to 2015 and ending in 2018.
The audit concluded the issue was conducted by one or more Sodexo managers in an attempt to defraud the government, and further concluded Norton was the one working the dining facility during that time.
Under federal statutes, Norton is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
****More info:
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The former general manager of the hospital dining facility at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, pleaded guilty in federal court today to stealing more than $69,000 from the cash registers.
Gregory Arthur Norton, 53, of Springfield, Mo., pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count of theft of public money.
Norton was employed by Sodexo, Inc., which was contracted to provide food services to the patients and staff of the General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital, from August 2015 to July 2018. Norton’s duties as general manager included managing payroll for the employees, managing the budget, reviewing financial statements and tracking operating expenses for the hospital dining area, the close out of all cash drawers, and the preparation and verification of the daily cash deposit.
Significant cash discrepancies totaling $78,320 were discovered during an audit in November 2018. These discrepancies were identified as being related to large unexplained voids conducted at the cash register Point of Sale (“POS”) systems, which began in November 2015 and ended in March 2018. The report concluded the voids were conducted by one or more Sodexo managers in an attempt to defraud the government. The report further concluded Norton was present and working in the dining facility during the loss of at least $69,025. Multiple witnesses stated that Norton worked unusual hours, often staying at work longer than would be considered normal for someone in his position.
Norton admitted he conducted fraudulent voids at the POS systems from August 2015 to March 31, 2018. Norton used his manager code to authorize the voids and stole the voided amount of cash. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, Norton must pay $69,025 in restitution to the government.
Under federal statutes, Norton is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Kempf. It was investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command at Fort Leonard Wood.
The next step is being taken toward the development of some more affordable housing in the Lake Area.
The board of aldermen in Lake Ozark giving first-round approval of a measure to adopt a recommendation from planning and zoning, which clears the way for Phase-3 of the Fish Haven project.
Officials say the first two phases include the Fish Haven apartments and Estates.
They also say that the Frisco company, if given final approval by the city, will be responsible for constructing two 20-unit developments for affordable housing.
The first reading passed unanimously with the second and final reading set for the 24th of this month.
***More information:
A housing developer with a track record of success in Lake Ozark wants to continue providing working class housing in the community.
Briscoe Ozark Development Group, developer of Fish Haven Apartments and Fish Haven Estates retirement community, is hoping to expand the footprint of affordable housing along South Fish Haven Road with two 20-unit complexes adjacent to Fish Haven Apartments.
The board of aldermen recently gave first-round approval of an ordinance adopting a Planning and Zoning Commission recommendation to rezone 19 parcels of land along Fish Haven Road, Hickory Drive and Forest Hills Road. The rezoning would be from Manufacturing Home Park Residential and R-1 Low Density Residential to R-3 Multi-Family residential. Second reading is expected at the regular Aug. 25 board meeting.
The board also approved first reading of an ordinance rezoning property fronting Rt. 242 from R-1 Low-Density Residential to C-2 General Commercial at the request of Briscoe Ozarks Development Group. Ryan Fuller, representing McClure Engineering, said the development group does not have a specific client interested in the Rt. 242 property but wants to market the area as General Commercial to potential clients.
After final board approval, the next hurdle for the developer will be obtaining tax credits from the Missouri Housing Development Commission which would help buy down the cost of the project.
Deadline for applying for the tax credits is September with notification expected in December.
Workforce housing
Pete Ramsel, representing Briscoe, said that equity raised by selling the tax credits to investors is used to help buy down the cost of the project. Private equity will fund between 85 and 90 percent of the project with the balance borrowed. That helps keep the overall cost down, making the units more affordable to the public, he explained.
Ramsel said the two-bedroom units will rent for between $500 and $600, and the three-bedroom units will rent for $550-$650 per month.
“They are very, very affordable,” Ramsel said. “If people make too much money they can’t live there. There is no rental assistance. The difference between low-income housing and affordable housing is that these people live in the community, work in the community and pay rent.”
Fish Haven Apartments Phase 3 will offer units on a fixed income basis.
Phase 1 of the Fish Haven developments – Fish Haven Apartments – opened in early 2016. Fish Haven Estates, the senior living community across from the apartment complex, opened in early 2018 as Phase 2.
One of the proposed buildings would be located at Fish Haven and Hickory Drive. The second would be located on South Fish Haven just west of Fish Haven Estates.
“The first two phases have been great,” Ramsel said.
He also praised Briscoe Development Group and McClure Engineering, the engineer firm for all three phases, for their partnership in the projects.
Ramsel also noted that a million-dollar Community Development Block Grant from the Missouri Department of Economic Development approved several years ago to build a regional lift station was another key factor in creation of the Fish Haven complex.
There’s a new face inside city hall in Lebanon.
During the previous city council meeting, officials hired Cynthia Honssinger Coffman as the new Executive Director of the Downtown Business District.
Coffman currently operates a consulting firm for Government affairs and served as Attorney General for the State of Colorado between 2015 and 2019.
She replaces Ashton Light who took over only a year ago.
Photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash
The US Jobs report is out, showing a strong month for July with over 900,000 new jobs being added to the economy.
The current National Unemployment rate is now at 5.4%, the lowest since the start of the Pandemic.
However, the rate for teens is nearly double the national average, at 9.6%.
The report shows older employees are staying with their current jobs and childcare continues to remain the biggest hurdle for workers in Missouri.
The report also shows higher wages attracted more skilled talent and motivated individuals who previously weren’t seeking employment.
Missouri’s official numbers were included in the national report, however a separate Missouri based report has yet to be released.
NBC News is showcasing the Lake Region as tourism continues to flourish in the wake of COVID 19.
In a video aired on the network, a reporter ask residents what they think about the community and the way it’s handling the COVID 19 Pandemic.
“Oh, I feel comfortable. I’ve never been vaccinated….I think a lot of it is BS” says one man, “If you’re not comfortable with a mask, then don’t wear a mask. If you’re comfortable with a mask, then mask up. I think it’s your choice, not the Government’s choice” says one woman.
You can see the full video below, and on our social media channels.
Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash
A longtime Lake Area Publishing Family is taking over another Legacy Publishing Organization at the Lake of the Ozarks.
According to reports Vernon Publishing, who owns the Eldon Advertiser, The Index in Hermitage and the Tipton Times, has purchased the Lake Sun Leader and its affiliated organizations.
In the report, owner Trevor Vernon says they will begin taking over operations of the paper, it’s online side and several magazines, including Lake Lifestyles and the Vacation News in September.
Trevor Vernon also is the current Mayor of the City of Eldon.
Photo by Jovaughn Stephens on Unsplash
It could be another record-breaking year for tourism in Lake of the Ozarks, despite reported concerns about the pandemic around the U-S.
And some people think coverage in the national media is helping to drive that tourism in the Lake Area.
KRMS News can confirm NBC is working on a story about Lake of the Ozarks , but specific details are not known right now.
And the national attention’s nothing new for Lake of the Ozarks.
In 2020, TMZ published one video shot at a Lake Area pool bar over Memorial Day weekend, and the national coverage was critical because there didn’t appear to be any social distancing happening in a sunlit, chlorinated swimming pool packed with younger visitors.
Camden County Sheriff Tony Helms and former Lake Ozark Mayor Gerry Murawski were also featured in national news stories about how the Lake Area was remaining open and thriving during COVID concerns.
Gas prices remain high on the water and low on the road across the Lake Area.
Boaters are seeing an average of $3.30 to $3.70 per gallon for 87 octane while diesel is coming in between $3.25 to $3.60 per gallon.
93 Octane is at $4.00 a gallon or higher.
On the road drivers are seeing an average of $2.80 per gallon in Camden and Miller counties while prices are higher in Benton and Morgan, hitting almost $2.90 per gallon.
Statewide the average is $2.80 while it’s $3.18 nationwide.
Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash
The Best Dam Birthday Fireworks show’s happening Tuesday as Missouri celebrates its 200th birthday.
And the Lake of the Ozarks Watershed Alliance needs volunteer captains to help keep everyone safe.
“We do have two openings that are very very very important ones, at the 34 mile marker of the main channel. And, I need a Captain at the 10 mile marker of the Niaguna Arm” says Donna Swall, Executive Director of LOWA.
She tells KRMS News the best way to sign up is to log on to http://lowatershed.org.
Fireworks will be happening at numerous locations around Lake of the Ozarks with a soundtrack synced up to KRMS sister station 93.5 Rocks.
Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash
You are free from paying sales tax in Osage Beach this weekend if you’re buying school supplies for the coming school year.
“The city of Osage Beach at one time did not participate…but our current board did feel it was important to support this, so for the past several years we have been participating,” says Jeana Woods is the City Administrator in Osage Beach, “it means that city sales tax is exempt for back to school purchases, clothing…school supplies…certain items as defined by the state. So, this weekend you can shop sales tax free for all school supplies!”
She tells KRMS News all businesses in the city have to take part and the items free of sales tax include clothing, school supplies, computers and other items defined by state statute.
The sales holiday is happening now and it continues through one minute before midnight Sunday.
Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash
Residents across the Lake area about to save some money on back-to-school shopping.
Missouri’s back-to-school state sales tax holiday is underway right now through Sunday and there are number of items that currently tax exempt at area stores, including school supplies, computers, clothing, and shoes.
Officials say those items are exempt from the state sales tax of 4.225-percent.
Some areas however may still have a local sales tax rate in effect so check with your favorite store before shopping.
And if you love McCormick spices, you may want to check your spice rack.
The company is recalling a few of its products due to possible salmonella concerns.
McCormick is recalling three of its seasonings over possible salmonella contamination.
The seasonings include perfect pinch, Italian, culinary, Italian and frank’s Red hot Buffalo Ranch. Select Walmart, Target and Kroger (Gerbes) Stores sold the products.
If you have one, McCormick says, throw it away and you can contact the company for a full refund.
At this time officials say there have been no reported illnesses related to the recall.
***More info:
McCormick & Company, Inc. is initiating a voluntary recall of McCormick Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning, McCormick Culinary Italian Seasoning and Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Ranch Seasoning due to possible contamination with Salmonella.
Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses.
No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.
The four products subject to this recall include:
McCormick Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning 1.31 oz bottle
UPC NUMBER: 052100049731
MCCORMICK ITEM NUMBER: 901582629
AFFECTED DATE CODES: BEST BY MAY 26 24 K, BEST BY MAY 27 24 K, BEST BY JUN 04 24 K, BEST BY JUN 05 24 K
McCormick Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning 2.25 oz bottle
UPC NUMBER: 052100038254
MCCORMICK ITEM NUMBER: 901455463
AFFECTED DATE CODES: BEST BY JUN 30 24 H, BEST BY JUL 01 24 H
McCormick Culinary Italian Seasoning 1.75 lbs. bottle
UPC NUMBER: 52100325743
MCCORMICK ITEM NUMBER: 932574
AFFECTED DATE CODES: BEST BY Jun 12 24 H
Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Ranch Seasoning 153g bottle
UPC NUMBER: 066200021047
MCCORMICK ITEM NUMBER: 901543520
AFFECTED DATE CODES: BB / MA 2022 SEP 06
The four products were shipped to the following locations:
SHIPPING DATES: June 20, 2021 through July 21, 2021
STATES SHIPPED TO: AL, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WI
INTERNATIONALLY SHIPPED TO: Bermuda, Canada
The potential risk was brought to McCormick’s attention by FDA during routine testing. This recall affects cases that were shipped of the affected date codes.
McCormick has alerted customers and grocery outlets to remove the product with the affected date codes from store shelves and distribution centers immediately, and to destroy this product in a manner that would prevent any further consumption
Consumers do not need to return the product to the store where it was purchased. Instead, consumers are urged to dispose of the recalled product and its container. Please contact McCormick Consumer Affairs at 1-800-635-2867, weekdays from 9:30 AM to 8:00 PM (Eastern Time), for a replacement or full refund, and with general inquires.
About McCormick
McCormick & Company, Incorporated is a global leader in flavor. As a Fortune 500 company with over $5 billion in annual sales across 160 countries and territories, we manufacture, market and distribute spices, seasoning mixes, condiments and other flavorful products to the entire food industry including e-commerce channels, grocery, food manufacturers and foodservice businesses. Our most popular brands include McCormick, French’s, Frank’s RedHot, Stubb’s, OLD BAY, Lawry’s, Zatarain’s, Ducros, Vahiné, Cholula, Schwartz, Kamis, DaQiao, Club House, Aeroplane and Gourmet Garden. Every day, no matter where or what you eat or drink, you can enjoy food flavored by McCormick.
Founded in 1889 and headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland USA, McCormick is guided by our principles and committed to our Purpose – To Stand Together for the Future of Flavor. McCormick envisions A World United by Flavor where healthy, sustainable and delicious go hand in hand. To learn more, visit www.mccormickcorporation.com or follow McCormick & Company on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
An airline is getting flyers closer to the Lake of the Ozarks, with new non-stop service coming to the Waynesville St. Robert Regional Airport.
In a release, the airport is announcing that United Express Jet services, offered through SkyWest Airlines, will begin flying to and from Chicago starting in October.
Officials say these flights will open the doors to more passengers looking to escape the bigger city airports to get closer to the Lake, as well as service members and families looking to get to Fort Leonard Wood.
The airport sits on the Fort and is open to both the military and the public.
Until now, the closest airports with international services were Columbia Regional and Springfield-Branson International airports.
Read more below:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri – August 5, 2021 – Beginning October 12, 2021, United Express jet service, operated by SkyWest Airlines, will take off at the Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport (TBN). The new flights will offer nonstop service to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).
“Our airport plays a large part in the region’s economy, especially our tourism industry. In a typical year, we have around 150,000 visitors coming to the Fort Leonard Wood Region for military graduations. Providing an option for convenient, safe, affordable flights into and out of the region is essential,” said St. Robert mayor George Lauritson.
Travelers will enjoy multiple daily flights between TBN and ORD onboard the 50-seat CRJ200. Flights will seamlessly connect as part of United’s global network. Passengers can book tickets today at: www.united.com.
“Whether heading to Chicago or beyond, these new flights provide travelers with greater convenience and options,” said Greg Atkin, SkyWest’s managing director of Market Development. “Passengers can also fly with confidence thanks to the multiple safety measures that are in place, including enhanced cleaning, mandatory face coverings, and customer self-assessments with check-in.”
The new service allows those traveling to and from the region to connect at ORD, which is a major airport hub. As of June 2021, Chicago O’Hare International Airport offered 914 direct flights to 177 U.S. cities and over 60 daily direct flights to 50 international destinations.
“Bringing United and SkyWest to the WSRA opens the doors for immense potential growth for the airport terminal, Fort Leonard Wood, and the Fort Leonard Wood Region,” said Waynesville mayor Jerry Brown.
Those planning a flight will enjoy the ability to book a complete itinerary on one single ticket, more competitive ticket prices, and the options for passenger protection during irregular operations. Additionally, SkyWest fully participates in United Airlines’ discounted and flexible fares for federal government and military travelers.
“This new service will connect the Fort Leonard Wood Region with the world and provide Fort Leonard Wood with an effective, efficient, and safe transportation option for service members and government civilians who are on official travel orders,” said Sustainable Ozarks Partnership executive director Dorsey Newcomb.
The Waynesville-St. Robert Regional Airport is located on Fort Leonard Wood and is one of two Army joint use airports in the country. The airport is open to the general public for normal commercial travel and also provides general aviation services. More information about the airport can be found here: www.flyflw.com.
The Sustainable Ozarks Partnership is building on the Fort Leonard Wood Region’s strong past and preparing the region for a healthy, resilient future. We are a nonprofit organization working to bring all of the region’s stakeholders to the table to drive regional development and advocate for new or expanded military and federal missions, all as part of our efforts to strengthen the Fort Leonard Wood region.
Sheriff Tony Helms
Close to two-thirds of Camden County voters say ‘Yes’ to a one-quarter-cent sales tax increase for the Sheriff’s Department.
But in Tuesday’s voting, more than a thousand people said ‘No’ to the proposed increase, some doing so because they weren’t sure where the money would go or because sales tax revenue in Camden County is up right now.
“The way this money is going to budgeted out, it’s going to be hard to have an flex room with it. I know sales taxes are up right now, and that’s great…but it won’t last” says Sheriff Tony Helms ,“I assure you the money is going to be spent where the money is suppose to be spent….you’re just going to have to trust me.”
He tells KRMS he was the driving force behind the proposed sales tax increase because he wanted more deputies, pay raises for his staff and more equipment “by the time give a deputy a raise, by the time you hire 10 new people, by the time you outfit those people…it’s going to cost most of the money.”
Helms has said for several months he’s losing personnel to other opportunities inside and outside of law enforcement because they can make more money elsewhere.
Helms was interviewed by Christian Blood on the KRMS Morning Magazine.
Election results from Tuesday are in and it’s a yes vote all across the board.
For Camden County, over 1,800 residents said yes to a tax increase for the Camden County Sheriff’s Office.
The department requested the increase after calls for service shot up nearly 60% over the past year.
It also comes at a time where Camden County was the lowest salaries for deputies anywhere in the state.
In Laclede County, voters also gave a yes nod to the Bond for the Public Water District # 1 and said yes to a one-half of one percent sales tax increase for storm water management and parks in the city of Lebanon.
The sales tax will replace the park tax levy, which was being charged on personal property and real estate.
130_PALL_Election_Summaryfinal
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office is facing a labor shortage, and the Sheriff says it’s not limited to the Lake Area.
“It’s a nationwide epidemic. If you watch the national news, the de-fund the police thing…it’s all across the nation” says Benton County Sheriff Eric Knox, “I’ve lost most of my staff after they’ve been trained and decide to move on to better paying districts…I don’t blame them at all, you have to support your family.”
He tells KRMS News people aren’t lining up to be police officers and fire fighters the way they used to “I’ve had staff that left to go work in factories. The jobs pay well, they have better benefits and you’re not getting shot at.”
Sheriff Knox says one of his biggest concerns is that criminals are becoming more emboldened to commit crimes with the idea law enforcement might not be able to respond in time – or at all.
He says people in rural areas are expressing their concerns and Knox fears some will end up taking the law into their own hands if necessary.
More from the Sheriff:
The Mayor of Lake Ozark and the Board of Aldermen continue to disagree on how best to replace soon-to-be retired City Administrator Dave Van Dee.
At a meeting Tuesday night, numerous citizens spoke for and against the idea of starting a new search for Van Dee’s replacement.
Current Assistant City Administrator Harrison Fry also serves as Community Development Director.
Speakers on behalf of Fry included former Alderman Larry Giampa and former mayor Johnnie Franzeskos.
Others spoke on behalf of Dennis Newberry’s idea to start a new search, including several businesses owners in Lake Ozark.
A larger than usual crowd is expected at Lake Ozark for tonight’s Board Meeting, as division continues between the Board and newly elected Mayor Dennis Newberry.
I have rumors saying that the Mayor is going to stuff the room full of people to scold the board, on our spending $22,000 to acquire the individual (Harrison Fry) for the Administrative position” says Mayor Pro Tem Pat Thompson, “I’m a little considered with what some of the residents will have to say. But then on the other hand, I am sure the Mayor will be concerned if the people are here supporting us. All you can do is sit and listen, and hope for the best.”
Mayor Pro Tem Pat Thompson tell KRMS News the Board is willing to work with the new Mayor, but some members don’t think Newberry wants to work with them “Mr. Newberry is new to politics. I’ve never seen him at a board meeting, I’ve never seen him on a commission, I’ve never seen him on a committee, I’m sure he doesn’t know all the statutes all the ordinances.”
Alderman Vernon Jaycox called a special session last week to discuss an already established personnel transition, but the new mayor wouldn’t take part “I just wish we could all work together. When we work together, we’re working for the residents of Lake Ozark. We’re not working for us.”
Tonight’s meeting begins at 6 pm at Lake Ozark City Hall.
Thompson says the public comment period will be early on.
Sheriff Tony Helms
We’re a week away from learning whether or not much of the Lake Area wants to raise taxes for the Camden County Sheriff’s Office.
A one-quarter-cent sales tax increase is on the ballot for August 3rd.
“Right now we have officers we losing…making only like $32,000 as the top pay for Camden County. And I have jailers and dispatchers who are only making $14 an hour” Says Sheriff Tony Helms, “the lowest paying county we could find is Pulaski, which pays $15.75 an hour…and they just past a tax so they may be going up too, I don’t know.”
He tells KRMS News the only way to get money for raises, more deputies and their equipment is to raise the county’s sales tax “well everybody’s heard it, everybody’s aware of it OH my gosh we’re up 60% in our sales tax! Well, let me tell you what comes with a 60% increase in sales tax….60% more calls, 60% more people are here.”
Helms also says he wants to give raises to the deputies he does have “the raises will keep people here. Right now we’re losing people to other counties! Every county virtually around us pays more than we do.”
Sheriff Helms was interviewed by Christian Blood on the KRMS Morning Magazine.
Photo by Obie Fernandez on Unsplash
There’s division between the Lake Ozark Board of Aldermen and Mayor Dennis Newberry.
At issue is the transition from current City Administrator Dave Van Dee and Assistant City Administrator Harrison Fry, who was hired a year ago in preparation for the change.
“He has refused to bring Harrison’s name up, to fill that position” says Lake Ozark Alderman Vernon Jaycox, “and everyone at the city hall, every department head….everybody loves him (Harrison) to death.”
Alderman Jaycox tells KRMS News the Mayor will present a candidate to the board for their approval, but that has not happened “I called, myself as an Alderman, for a special session to talk about his thoughts, theories and things….but he refused to attend the executive session. I thought that was not becoming of the Mayor. With all my experience, I felt like he let us down.”
Jaycox says Newberry wants to re-open the search for a successor to Van Dee, who’s retiring at the end of October, and that Newberry will consider Fry as a successor…but only along with other candidates, after posting an ad on a website designed to hire public officials.
Promised funds to the Lake Ozark Police Department may be in jeopardy, after a garnishment is issued on Mayor Dennis Newberry’s salary.
According to CaseNet, the garnishment was filed in Miller County for just over $3,800 dollars to the collection agency “Consumer Adjustment Company.”
The mayor had previously promised that his salary would be donated to the Police Department to help with their ongoing needs, which may be even more important with the threat of Biker Gang retaliation from the recent shooting on the Bagnell Dam Strip.
CaseNet does not show that the garnishment has been satisfied, therefore it’s expected to be going into effect immediately.
A Lake Area road washed away in May could have repairs coming soon.
“That was just crazy. It’s Ozarks Isles, it’s out there by Old Kinderhook. It’s a road that kinda runs along the hillside, along the ridge and the Lake toward the bottom. And, one part of the road….we had a landslide that just took out 100 feet of the road” says Camden County 2nd District Commissioner Don Williams.
He tells KRMS News he’s not sure how the road’s going to be fixed, but he does think it’ll be expensive “there’s a couple of options…they can blast into the hillside, it’s all rock right there….they can blast into the hill and move the road into the hill….or they can build some type of bridge over where the landslide occurred.”
Williams says he’s meeting with engineers this week to come with a plan, but there’s no word on the cost to repair the road.
He also tells KRMS News a cemetery in Climax Springs has also been affected by heavy rain “an elderly lady called me, and told me the creek has changed direction from the channel and it now cuts in against the cemetery, and it’s actually washing graves away. It’s washed 2, possibly as many as 4 graves have already washed away.”
Williams says he’s trying to figure out a way to help the people near the cemetery, but it’s not a County issue.
Williams was interviewed by Christian Blood on the KRMS Morning Magazine.
Future “Bike Nights” on the Bagnell Dam Strip are taking a break for the remainder of the year.
The city says the event, which happens every third Thursday of the month throughout the summer, has been cancelled for the rest of 2021.
It’s a direct result of the fatal shooting that happened last Thursday between numerous biker groups.
The city is currently meeting with business owners and others to talk about the aftermath and ways to combat future situations before they happen.
At this time, it’s unknown if this will have any effect on the annual “Bikefest” event, which encompasses the entire Lake of the Ozarks region.
Photo by Tony Stoddard on Unsplash
Lake Ozark wants to attract more business to the city, and the board of aldermen are signing off on an agreement with a company that does that.
“NextSite is a company that specializes in commercial recruitment and data analytics. Basically they take the information collected through cell phone towers, about who’s driving through our community…where they are going and what they are doing…and they use that to create a market profile” says Lake Ozark Community Development Director Harrison Fry.
He tells KRMS News the agreement is coming through the Lake of the Ozarks Economic Development Council and the cost has been reduced for each city, but it was reduced thanks to Ameren Missouri’s involvement “originally the cost to bring them down here was astronomical, but Ameren was able to bring that down to $30,000 lake wide…and with the $10,000 agreement from LORDEC, that brought the cost down to only $2,850 per city.
Other cities in the Lake Area are also coming on board with the plan to bring more businesses to Lake of the Ozarks, including Osage Beach, Camdenton, Eldon and Versailles “Sunrise Beach and Laurie over on the west side, they’re continuing to review the proposal…there is a lot of interest over there.”
Sunrise Beach and Laurie are reviewing the NextSite opportunity and we’ll pass along the latest details when they arise on News / Talk KRMS.
****Additional Info:
For Immediate Release
The City of Lake Ozark has endorsed a plan that could help the community market itself to potential new businesses and industries.
The board of aldermen recently signed off on an agreement with NextSite through the Lake of the Ozarks Regional Economic Development Council (LOREDC) to provide analytical data and business recruitment. NextSite is a commercial development advisory firm specializing in identifying and connecting opportunities to developers, tenant reps and end-users to affect positive change in communities across the U.S.
LOREDC and Ameren Missouri have been working for several months to secure an agreement with NextSite so communities in the lake area – including Lake Ozark – can have access to data and services that could help in business recruitment. Now, the various lake communities are being asked to support the project with financial support of $2,850 each.
If the NextSite marketing program is the direct cause of a project for any of the cities, the cities will provide a Success Fee that would be determined as part of the specific agreement with the city.
Total cost of the NextSite services is $30,000 a year for three years, and LOREDC has agreed to pay the first $10,000 each year.
The cities of Lake Ozark, Osage Beach, Camdenton, Eldon, Laurie, Sunrise Beach and Versailles are being asked to participate over the next three years.
Assistant City Administrator Harrison Fry explained that NextSite gathers shopping data based on cell tower use, by mapping customer shopping habits and other types of customer information to develop recruiting plans.
Alderman Dennis Klautzer said he sees NextStep as a headhunter company for businesses.
“This is getting more and more common in the business world, finding businesses for communities,” he noted.
Benefits
Once NextSite completes the market analysis phase, identifies realistic opportunity targets and creates the marketing overview for Lake of the Ozarks market, it begins the proactive recruitment of developers, tenant reps and retailers. Using its extensive contact database and relationships throughout the commercial real estate and retail industry, NextSite connects the opportunities to decision makers with the goal of generating interest that results in market drives from these real estate professionals.
According to NextSite, the company has connected and supported more than 20 million square feet of commercial development projects resulting in more than $4.1 billion in capital investment.
The cost
NextSite will provide research, marketing and recruitment services for participating communities in the lake area. A development that is considered procured by NextSite when the retailer/restaurant opens for business at which time fees are due from the city to NextSite.
The fee structure is as follows:
Development or single tenant retailer of 100,000 square feet — $30,000 per location.
Multi-family, single-family, townhomes, senior housing development, hotel, movie theater or hospital — $25,000 per location if the developer is introduced to the market by NextSite.
The city of Lake Ozark is endorsing a plan to help the area market itself to new businesses and other industries.
The board of alderman recently signing off on an agreement with NextSite through the Lake of the Ozarks Regional Economic Development Council, which will provide critical analytical data and business recruitment procedures.
Both LOREDC and Ameren Missouri have been working on bringing NextSite to the lake, but in order to do that, they need a total of $2,850 from each city.
NextSite services costs around $30,000 a year, for three years, and LOREDC has agreed to pay the first $10,000 each year.
The cities of Lake Ozark, Osage Beach, Camdenton, Laurie, Sunrise Beach, Eldon and Versailles are being to join the next three years.
NextSite gathers shopping data based on cell tower use, by following consumer shopping habits and develop recruiting plans.
***More info:
For Immediate Release
The City of Lake Ozark has endorsed a plan that could help the community market itself to potential new businesses and industries.
The board of aldermen recently signed off on an agreement with NextSite through the Lake of the Ozarks Regional Economic Development Council (LOREDC) to provide analytical data and business recruitment. NextSite is a commercial development advisory firm specializing in identifying and connecting opportunities to developers, tenant reps and end-users to affect positive change in communities across the U.S.
LOREDC and Ameren Missouri have been working for several months to secure an agreement with NextSite so communities in the lake area – including Lake Ozark – can have access to data and services that could help in business recruitment. Now, the various lake communities are being asked to support the project with financial support of $2,850 each.
If the NextSite marketing program is the direct cause of a project for any of the cities, the cities will provide a Success Fee that would be determined as part of the specific agreement with the city.
Total cost of the NextSite services is $30,000 a year for three years, and LOREDC has agreed to pay the first $10,000 each year.
The cities of Lake Ozark, Osage Beach, Camdenton, Eldon, Laurie, Sunrise Beach and Versailles are being asked to participate over the next three years.
Assistant City Administrator Harrison Fry explained that NextSite gathers shopping data based on cell tower use, by mapping customer shopping habits and other types of customer information to develop recruiting plans.
Alderman Dennis Klautzer said he sees NextStep as a headhunter company for businesses.
“This is getting more and more common in the business world, finding businesses for communities,” he noted.
Benefits
Once NextSite completes the market analysis phase, identifies realistic opportunity targets and creates the marketing overview for Lake of the Ozarks market, it begins the proactive recruitment of developers, tenant reps and retailers. Using its extensive contact database and relationships throughout the commercial real estate and retail industry, NextSite connects the opportunities to decision makers with the goal of generating interest that results in market drives from these real estate professionals.
According to NextSite, the company has connected and supported more than 20 million square feet of commercial development projects resulting in more than $4.1 billion in capital investment.
The cost
NextSite will provide research, marketing and recruitment services for participating communities in the lake area. A development that is considered procured by NextSite when the retailer/restaurant opens for business at which time fees are due from the city to NextSite.
The fee structure is as follows:
Development or single tenant retailer of 100,000 square feet — $30,000 per location.
Multi-family, single-family, townhomes, senior housing development, hotel, movie theater or hospital — $25,000 per location if the developer is introduced to the market by NextSite.
The Camden County Commission is reporting there’s no asbestos risk in the Hugh Phillips Annex of the County Courthouse.
The Missouri DNR now says the building’s in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations after a previous inspection done earlier this year.
“The was a different between the inspection done by Mr. Rick Bryant and the inspection that I did” says environmental specialist Roderick Manuzon with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
He tells KRMS News his inspection centered around whether or not previous renovations of the building released asbestos “previously they renovated the facility. The removed some carpet and added some walls, they also renovated some toilets. So those were the things that I checked.”
The Bryant inspection did find asbestos in the building, but Manuzon says those areas were not affected by the renovations.
“I think we were there three different times, found 11 areas that contained asbestos…but these were non-friable asbestos, meaning they do not have to be removed” says Inspector Rick Bryant.
He tells KRMS News he did recommend they remove it none-the-less “when you have asbestos present, there’s always a risk. There’s not necessarily, as I explained to everyone involved, an immediate risk for everyone involved…because it’s in basement and it’s non-friable. But it’s absolutely IMPERATIVE that people understand they’re NOT to disturb it. You can’t hit it, bang it…you can’t make it friable!”
The estimated cost of removing the non-friable asbestos is around $6-thousand dollars, according to Bryant.
Photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash
The Missouri labor market now shows a six-figure increase in jobs from June 2020 through June of this year.
But the unemployment rate in Missouri went up by a tenth-of-a-percent last month.
June of this year posted an unemployment rate 3.8-percentage points lower than the unemployment rate in June of last year.
The Missouri unemployment rate has now been below the national unemployment rate in every month since February of 2020, just before the pandemic got started.
***More info:
June 2021 Monthly Jobs Report
Missouri labor market sees 130,000 jobs in the last year
With the initial wave of COVID-19-related layoffs now more than a year in the past, the six-figure over-the-year job losses that had characterized the Missouri labor market for the last nine months of 2020 and the first three months of 2021 were replaced with an increase of more than 130,000 jobs from June 2020 to June 2021. Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased from May 2021 to June 2021, but the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate also increased by a tenth of a percentage point. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 4,200 jobs over the month, with job gains in both goods-producing and service-providing industries. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3 percent in June 2021, up from 4.2 percent in May 2021. Short-term shortages of semiconductor chips may hold down employment in manufacturing in the next few months.
UNEMPLOYMENT
Missouri’s smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by a tenth of a percentage point in June 2021, rising to 4.3 percent from the May 2021 rate of 4.2 percent. With the start of the COVID-19 pandemic now more than a year in the past, the June 2021 rate was 3.8 percentage points lower than the June 2020 rate. The rate had reached a low of 3.1 percent starting in July 2018, before gradually edging up to 3.5 percent by the end of 2019, and then to 3.7 percent in March 2020. The COVID-19 effect hit in April 2020, spiking the rate to 12.5 percent for that month. The rate decreased monthly for the rest of 2020, reaching 4.4 percent in December, and continued gradually downward through the first four months of 2021. The increase of two-tenths of a percentage point over the last two months appears to be related to a temporary shortage in the supply of semiconductor chips, which caused production slowdowns in some manufacturing industries.
Due to benchmark revisions, Missouri’s unemployment rate rose a tenth of a percentage point higher than the national rate in January and February of 2020, but has been below the national rate for every month since February 2020. The national unemployment rate increased from 5.8 percent in May 2021 to 5.9 percent in June 2021. The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 133,380 in June 2021, up by 4,343 from May’s 129,037.
The state’s not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate also increased in June 2021, rising by four-tenths of a percentage point to 5.1 percent from the May 2021 not-seasonally-adjusted rate of 4.7 percent. The shortage of semiconductor chips was a factor in the increase. The corresponding not-seasonally-adjusted national rate for June 2021 was 6.1 percent.
A year ago, the state’s seasonally adjusted rate was 8.1 percent, and the not-adjusted rate was also 8.1 percent.
Read the full report at https://meric.mo.gov/missouri-monthly-jobs-report.
New rules concerning docks and vessels on Lake of the Ozarks after Governor Mike Parson signed several bills.
It’s now unlawful for a vessel within 100 feet of a permitted dock to anchor in a way that obstructs the ingress and egress of watercraft to the dock.
It’s also unlawful to secure a vessel or enter a private permitted dock unless authorized by the dock permit holder.
Out on the water, the act prohibits the obstruction of normal, flowing traffic on Missouri waters.
And a requirement’s been waived that said boat dealers have to sell at least six vessels or vessel trailers per year to be recognized as a boat dealer, but the dealer has to be a licensed custom boat manufacturer that makes vessels for biological and other scientific research.
Info about the bill:
HCS/SCS/SB 49 – This act modifies provisions relating to public safety.
BOAT DEALERS (Section 301.550)
This act waives the requirement that an entity must sell at least 6 vessels or vessel trailers in a calendar year in order to qualify as a boat dealer, provided the entity is a licensed boat manufacturer that custom manufactures boats for use with biological research and management equipment for fisheries, or for use with scientific sampling and for geological or chemistry purposes.
These provisions are identical to HB 1266 (2021).
PERMANENT VESSEL REGISTRATION (Section 306.030)
This act provides that vessels may be issued a permanent certificate of number upon payment of 3 times the amount required for a 3-year certificate of number and 3 times any processing fee applicable to a 3-year certificate of number. Permanent certificates of number shall not be transferred to any other person or vessel, or displayed on any vessel other than the vessel for which it was issued, and shall continue in force and effect until terminated or discontinued as provided by law. (Section 306.030.6)
These provisions are identical to provisions in HCS/SS/SCS/SB 4 (2021), provisions in HCS/SB 38 (2021), and provisions in HCS/SS/SB 46 (2021), and similar to HB 579 (2021).
PERMITTED BOAT DOCKS, AND OBSTRUCTIONS CAUSED BY VESSELS (Section 306.221)
This act prohibits vessels positioned within 100 feet of a permitted boat dock from being anchored in a manner that obstructs ingress or egress of watercraft to or from the dock, unless authorized by the boat dock permit holder. The act also provides that no person shall secure a vessel to or enter upon a private permitted boat dock unless authorized to do so by the boat dock permit holder, or as specified in the act. A violation of these provisions shall be an infraction.
This act also specifies that operating or positioning a vessel in a manner that obstructs or impedes the normal flow of traffic on the waters of this state shall be an infraction, rather than a Class C misdemeanor for a first offense or a Class B misdemeanor for a second or subsequent offense.
These provisions are similar to HB 871 (2021).
NEW MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY INSPECTIONS (Section 307.380)
This act exempts new motor vehicles from the requirement that motor vehicles receive a safety inspection immediately prior to their sale regardless of any current certificate of inspection and approval.
These provisions are identical to provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS#2/HB 661 (2021), provisions in SCS/HB 578 (2021), provisions in HCS/SS/SCS/SB 4 (2021), provisions in HCS/SB 38 (2021), provisions in HCS/SS/SB 46 (2021), provisions in HCS/SS/SB 89 (2021), and HB 687 (2021).
MISSOURI CYBERSECURITY ACT (Section 650.125)
This act establishes the “Missouri Cybersecurity Commission” within the Department of Public Safety for the purpose of identifying risk to state and critical infrastructure with regard to cyber attacks. The commission shall be funded by appropriation, and any expenditure constituting more than 10% of the commission’s annual appropriation shall be based on a competitive bid process. The commission shall advise the Governor on the state of cybersecurity in the state, obtain data from certain public entities specified in the act, and make recommendations to reduce the state’s risk of cyber attack. The commission shall present an annual report to the Governor by December 31st of each year, which shall be held confidential.
These provisions are identical to provisions in SCS/HCS/HB 1204 (2021).
More details:
(JEFFERSON CITY, MO) – By the end of today, Governor Mike Parson will have signed 13 remaining pieces of legislation into law, concluding bill singings for the 2021 legislative session.
SB 26 – Public Safety
Modifies several provisions related to public safety, including providing taxpayers with the ability to obtain injunctive relief if a local government decreases its police department’s budget by a prescribed amount and creating additional protections for law enforcement officers.
Additionally, this bill modifies provisions related to jail time credit for criminals prior to conviction and allows a defendant’s behavior during that same period to be considered in sentencing proceedings.
SB 49 – Public Safety
Modifies several provisions related to public safety, including establishing new watercraft and waterway regulations and eliminating safety inspections for new vehicles.
SB 53 – Public Safety
Modifies several provisions related to public safety, including clarifying the Raise the Age statute, increasing the penalty for doxing a first responder or law enforcement officer, modifying the residency requirement for Kansas City law enforcement officers to assist with recruitment efforts, and creating a judicial procedure that provides a pathway for a prosecuting attorney to correct a miscarriage of justice resulting from a wrongful conviction.
The bill also allows prosecutors to use a witness or victim statement when a defendant engaged in wrongful conduct that prevented the witness or victim from being available to testify in a criminal proceeding.
HB 69 – Certain Metals
Modifies record keeping requirements for purchasers of gold, silver, or platinum to reduce theft.
HB 72 – Awareness and Monument Designations
Establishes Law Enforcement Appreciation Day as the first Friday in May, creates Pioneering Black Women’s Day on March 26th, and establishes The Gateway Arch as Missouri’s official state monument.
SB 120 – Military Affairs
Ensures National Guard service members are granted interviews for state government positions, promotes awareness of the state’s resources that are available for veterans, and creates the Purple Star Campus for K-12 schools.
HB 297 – Higher Education
Expands the available uses of 529 education savings plans, requires Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to create a state plan for Career and Technical Education, and allows college student-athletes to earn compensation for their name, image, or likeness.
HB 349 – Empowerment Scholarship Accounts
Creates Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) that will offer scholarships to qualifying students to attend a K-12 school that is outside of their current school district.
SB 86 – Public Funds
Prohibits the contribution or expenditure of public funds for a variety of political causes and updates provisions related to ESAs.
HB 369 – Land Management
Provides additional liability protections for Missouri landowners.
HB 432 – Relating to the Protection of Vulnerable Persons
Makes statutory changes to implement the Office of Childhood, clarifies wage requirements for sheltered workshops, and establishes a right to unpaid leave for victims of domestic or sexual violence and their caregivers.
SB 520 – Memorial Highways
Establishes numerous memorial highways throughout the state.
HB 557 – Relating to the Protection of Children
Establishes minimum reporting requirements for license-exempt residential care facilities in an effort to ensure the safety and well-being of children and requires background checks for all facility and agency workers who have contact with children.
A Four-Person Army Function Management Division team will be on post this month at Fort Leonard Wood, helping to train new personnel on a new system for pay and personal records.
Officials at the Fort say the Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army will be a web-based human resource system, providing human relations records for all Soldiers in the Army.
Once this IPPS-A is fully deployed, the system will help in relation to Solider pay transactions.
Soldiers will also have access to their own personal information now 24/7 via a self-service web portal.
***More info:
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — A four-person Army Functional Management Division team is here this month conducting training on a new personnel system in preparation for a “go-live” event toward the end of this year.
Called the Integrated Personnel and Pay System — Army, or IPPS-A for short, officials said the software is a web-based human resources system that provides integrated personnel and pay capabilities and a comprehensive HR record for all Soldiers in all components of the Army.
Once IPPS-A is fully deployed, the system will enable HR transactions to automatically trigger Soldier pay. In addition, Soldiers will have access to their own personal information 24/7 via the IPPS-A self-service web portal.
“In the legacy environment, the Soldier would have to do an HR action on a piece of paper,” said Col. Gregory Johnson, director of the IPPS-A functional management division. “The Soldier would turn that in and then wouldn’t have any idea on what the status of that action was, where it was at or when it would be approved. Now, the Soldier can turn in a personnel action request from a personal mobile phone and then they will have complete transparency of understanding where that action is.”
Johnson said IPPS-A sets the groundwork for future features like a talent marketplace, which allows Soldiers to upload resumes and proof of skills outside their occupations, so they can match with commanders and positions that best suit their abilities. The talent marketplace assesses 25 different attributes to match Soldiers with the right jobs.
Felesia Herron-Bryant is Fort Leonard Wood’s IPPS-A coordinator. She said the system gives Soldiers “a one-stop shop” for their personnel records.
“I think it will be a wonderful improvement,” she said. “Everything’s live, so once we do the actions, it goes straight forward. We don’t have to worry about sending a hardcopy. It is all in the system; it’s time-stamped.”
Lauren Hill works in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, or DEERS, ID office and is one of 30 HR civilians and Soldiers enrolled in the class. She said the training has been very thorough.
“The teachers know what they’re doing; they ask questions and it’s very step-by-step,” she said. “They don’t gloss over anything. They make sure each section is understood before moving forward. So, we really get a good, intricate picture.”
Hill said the self-service options for Soldiers add convenience to the process of updating their records.
“If they, let’s say, had a baby, they’ll be able to scan those documents that we need and then IPPS-A will talk to the DEERS system,” she said. “So, they won’t necessarily have to bring those document in when they come to the DEERS office. It will already be there.”
Also, the IPPS-A app modernizes the way Soldiers can access their information.
“It’s right on time as far as this generation and how they use technology for everything,” she said. “Everybody wants everything at their fingertips right now.”
While training continues here, Herron-Bryant recommended all Soldiers perform an enhanced personnel records review prior to the Thanksgiving timeframe in order for the IPPS-A transition to take effect smoothly. She said common concerns include birth information entries that can be corrected with a birth certificate and service date data entries that can be corrected with enlistment/reenlistment documents.
For more information on IPPS-A, call 573.596.0136 or visit https://ipps-a.army.mil.
Another date’s now added to the Labor Day weekend lineup at Ozarks Amphitheater in Camdenton.
“Coming to the Ozarks Amphitheater on Sunday September 5th, of Labor Day Weekend, We’re bringing back Dwight Yoakam” says Tom Abbett with the Ozarks Amphitheater
He tells KRMS News Yoakam has history at the Lake Area venue after having played there in 2017 and that they almost brought Yoakam in as support for Willie Nelson, who’s in the Lake Area August 16th “and we decided we’d have him as a headliner act, so we found a slot for him and that makes the 3rd act in a row for Labor Day weekend.”
Tickets for Dwight Yoakam go on sale to the general public Friday.
The Labor Day weekend will also feature concerts by Brantley Gilbert and Halestorm.
You have until August 1st to get your application in for consideration as a commercial vehicle officer for the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The selection process has several phases, including a written exam, a job-related physical agility test, an oral interview, a polygraph test and other procedures.
Positions are open in several parts of Missouri and the number of people hired will be determined by the number of positions that need to be filled and also by budget parameters.
***Additional info:
EMPHASIS: Missouri State Highway Patrol Seeks Commercial Vehicle Officer Applicants
The Missouri State Highway Patrol, a premiere law enforcement agency, is seeking qualified applicants for the position of commercial vehicle officer. The Patrol is encouraging qualified individuals of all backgrounds to apply and will offer testing/interviews at General Headquarters in Jefferson City, Missouri. Those who successfully complete the evaluation will be eligible to continue in the selection process for the 13th Commercial Vehicle Officer Class, scheduled to begin training on January 3, 2022. The application deadline is August 1, 2021.
The Human Resources Division will contact each applicant to determine their location(s) of interest. Currently, positions are available at each of the following weigh stations:
Troop A — Mayview, and Platte City
Troop B — Macon
Troop C — Bloomsdale, Foristell, and St. Clair
Troop E — Charleston and Steele
Troop G — Willow Springs
Troop H — Eagleville and Watson
To be eligible candidates must possess a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent and be 21 years of age at time of appointment. The starting salary for a commercial vehicle officer is $3,230 per month. Other benefits include group health insurance, contributory retirement, career advancement, and more.
The selection process is a multi-phase testing procedure including: written examination, a job-related physical agility test, oral interview board, polygraph examination, and background investigation. After a conditional offer of employment, the applicant must successfully complete a medical examination (to include vision and hearing), psychological examination, a psychological interview, drug screening, and final applicant review.
Individuals interested in a commercial vehicle officer position must complete and submit an application via this MSHP application link and upload an Additional Commercial Vehicle Officer Applicant Information form prior to the application deadline. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the application. Individuals who have previously completed an application must access their profile in the system to re-apply.
The number of successful candidates being extended an offer of employment is contingent upon factors such as budget constraints and the number of vacant positions statewide.
MSHP IS AN EEO EMPLOYER M/F
For the first time since 1996, Missouri’s gas tax is about to go up.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson will sign a bill Tuesday that’ll increase one of the lowest gas-tax-rates in the country.
Missouri has a 17-cent-per-gallon gas tax right now, but starting in October two-and-a-half more cents will be added.
And more increases will follow.
Each year through 2025, another two-and-a-half cents will be added until the gas tax reaches a total of 29.5 cents per gallon.
Missourians have turned down gas-tax increases in Missouri three times over the last two decades, but Governor Parson says the money’s needed for roads and infrastructure.
***Below is some older information regarding the bill and what it would do when signed.
JEFFERSON CITY — A broad coalition of transportation stakeholders, including the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Missouri AFL-CIO, has released a new study analyzing the economic impacts of a proposed transportation investment bill. The study was completed by Economic Leadership, LLC.
Missouri has long had one of the lowest average gasoline taxes in the nation and it has been about 25 years since the state gasoline tax was increased. Additionally, Missouri has consistently ranked in the bottom half of states in terms of roads in poor condition and bridges that are deemed structurally insufficient. Estimates suggest that Missouri currently underfunds its transportation system by more than $825 million annually. In light of this critical need, more than 250 Missouri businesses and individuals have signed on to a letter urging the legislature to act.
The proposed legislation, Senate Bill 262, would generate about $500 million per year and direct these funds to address the infrastructure backlog.
The report addresses two main benefits that can be anticipated and measured from transportation improvements. The first benefit is the increase in economic activity in the construction sector spurred by the new gas tax revenue. These construction jobs are often stable, higher wage jobs. The spending of these higher wages can produce ripple effects throughout the economy. The second benefit measured in the report is cost savings to Missouri drivers from the improved quality of roads and bridges.
Together the annual benefits to drivers and infrastructure construction investment could result in the generation of over $1.8 billion in sales in Missouri’s economy. This would also create an overall increase of $722 million in earnings across the state and more than 17,000 jobs every year.
“It’s frustrating to see Missouri roads crumble while we send our workers to other states to build other states’ transportation projects,” said Jake Hummel, president of the Missouri AFL-CIO. “Investment in our infrastructure will increase safety for all Missourians and create and sustain good jobs. “We have the opportunity to make much needed improvements to our state’s roads while employing an additional 17,000 Missourians.”
“The current state of our transportation system is unacceptable. More than $800 million in unfunded repairs, 45th in revenue per mile, over 2,00 deficient bridges – these numbers speak for themselves. But so do the numbers in this economic analysis,” said Daniel P. Mehan, Missouri Chamber President and CEO. “We can address serious safety and competitiveness issues while generating nearly $2 billion in additional economic activity in our state each year.”
Later this month, the last of three focus sessions on a Comprehensive Plan for Lake Ozark will be happening at Willmore Lodge Thursday, July 22, 202
The meeting will be open to those who live in the city limits and also to those who own businesses and property in Lake Ozark.
The Comprehensive Plan is a document that lays out the future for the city in areas like economic development and quality of life.
The next update to the Comprehensive Plan will be the first since 2006.
Additional info:
City of Lake Ozark - Press Release 07092021
Photo by Milos Prelevic on Unsplash
If you’re a catfish angler in some parts of Missouri, the Department of Conservation may want to hear from you.
MDC says there’s no need for changes to current regulations on fishing for blue and flathead catfish in the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers.
But the agency also says it wants input from catfish anglers on how their needs might be better served.
One possible change is establishing a minimum length for catfish caught to 18, 21 or 24 inches.
Right now there is no minimum length for catfish anglers to follow.
See more from the MDC below:
Potential sport fishery regulations include:
Potential commercial fishery regulations include:
Details about the regulations being considered can be found at: https://research.mdc.mo.gov/project/big-rivers-catfish-assessment.
To comment, go here (Comment period ends August 15th) https://mdc.mo.gov/contact-engage/public-commenting-opportunities/big-rivers-catfish-assessment.
Lake Ozark can now move on after a sewer spill in the city more than a decade ago.
“In approximately late 2006, early 2007, DNR was getting a report about a spill that was emanating from one of Lake Ozark’s lift stations. And not just one report, numerous reports. This was coming from people driving by and seeing it” says Lake Ozark City Administrator Dave Van Dee.
He tells KRMS News the city is now released from a consent judgment after numerous repairs and upgrades were made to the sewer system “starting with the installation of monitoring equipment on everyone one of our lift stations. And that includes if we add a new station, we have to include a monitoring station.”
Van Dee says the repairs cost $3 million dollars and out of that total the city borrowed $200-thousand dollars.
Lake Ozark was also fined a total of $80-thousand dollars by the Missouri DNR and Federal EPA after 10-thousand to 15-thousand gallons of raw sewage poured into Lake of the Ozarks.
**More info:
For Immediate Release
7/9/2021
It’s been a long, sometimes challenging road to recovery, but the City of Lake Ozark has been released from a consent judgment resulting from a significant sewage spill more than a dozen years ago.
City officials were notified June 24 that a Satisfaction of Judgment had been filed with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources announcing that DNR would be closing its enforcement case.
“The past 13 years have required a lot of difficult work on the part of our staff, citizens and board of aldermen,” City Administrator Dave Van Dee said. “This resolution finally puts to bed the dark cloud that was hanging over Lake Ozark for so long, and we can now begin looking to the future.”
It all started in early September 2007 when the DNR was alerted by an individual that raw sewage was flowing into the lake. The DNR discovered that a lift station on Horseshoe Bend Parkway had failed and was allowing between 10,000 and 15,000 gallons of raw sewage to flow into the lake.
The DNR notified the city of the bypass and the city responded and stopped the flow but failed to conduct no clean up and provided no written notification of the bypass.
Finishes touches
The city has between 300 and 400 grinder pumps and lift stations that serve the community. All of those had to be upgraded or replaced to meet a subsequent court order.
Then-Mayor Johnny Franzeskos and the board of aldermen took immediate action to mitigate the situation. McClure Engineering was hired to design and upgrade the system at a cost of about $3 million. Of that total, the city only borrowed $200,000 which was paid in full and ultimately impacted the city’s sewer budget.
“It was an awesome and sometimes arduous task,” Van Dee said. “The DNR and McClure Engineering worked together to guide us through the process. Two mayors, multiple aldermen and our staff were involved over the years and their quick action on various ordinances and work orders helped expedite the projects.”
Over the following decade, the city worked to make the mandated improvements, doing some of the work internally. Improvements include:
Final piece
The final piece of the puzzle was the upgrade of Twin Oaks Lift Station on Twin Oak Drive, which was completed to the satisfaction of city officials and the DNR only recently. Its completion was delayed for about two years because the city could not obtain the needed easements from lift station neighbors. Eventually, the DNR, McClure Engineering and the public works staff designed an alternate way to access the lift station.
“It’s taken quite a while, but now we have a wastewater system in place that has the capacity to handle our anticipated growth,” Van Dee noted.
Background
A year after the spill was reported, the public works director – who had been fired as a direct result of the mishap – pled guilty to failing to report the discharge of pollutants into the lake and was sentenced in U.S. District Court to three years of probation. The court also ordered the fired employee to pay a $5,000 fine.
In a separate but related case, the City of Lake Ozark plead guilty to repeatedly discharging raw, untreated sewage from several sewage collection stations directly into the Lake of the Ozarks. The discharges were from sewage overflows resulting from faulty equipment. The city was fined $50,000 by the DNR and $30,000 by the Environmental Protection Agency.
As part of the judgment, the city agreed to upgrade and maintain its wastewater treatment system and to report any and all bypasses from its treatment system and lift stations as required by the state.