⛈ Loving The Ozarks Life ⛈
Water line repair on Main Street Monday, Nov. 22
November 20th, 2021
Press Release From The City Of Branson:
BRANSON, Mo – City of Branson crews will be working on the sidewalk and parking lot area in the 100 block of West Main Street, near Dick’s 5 & 10 on Monday, November 22, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. to repair a water line. While water service is expected to remain on, this work could cause traffic congestion in this area which should last approximately six hours. Drivers are asked to use caution in this area. Motorists are asked to be aware of signage, traffic cones and work crews in the marked Work Zone.
If anyone has any questions, please call the Utilities Department at 417-243-2740.
City of Branson Missouri website: www.bransonmo.gov
Steve Edwards Announces Retirement From CoxHealth
November 19th, 2021
Article is Courtesy of: www.ozarksfirst.com
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.- CoxHealth President and CEO Steve Edwards announced he will be retiring from Cox in 2022 after 30 years. According to a press release, his last day will be May 31, 2022. Edwards shared in a letter to employees that in 2021, he found out he had cancer.
“In the past year, I discovered I had cancer. I was privileged to receive amazing care guided both by our team at CoxHealth and the Siteman Cancer Center. After successful surgery, I am recovering well and I feel strong. However, in this cancer journey I was blessed to gain perspective, which affirmed my decision to retire,” Edwards said.
Read The Full Story At The Following Link.
Fire Breaks Out At Silver Dollar City
November 18th, 2021
VIA: Silver Dollar City Attractions
Silver Dollar City officials confirm there was a fire today (11/18), discovered prior to opening, from Heartland Home Furnishings to Flossie’s Fried Fancies in the lower western portion of the park. There was damage to three structures.
Southern Stone County Fire Protection District responded quickly to the fire. The fire began at approximately 12:45pm and was contained within the hour. While the front entrance area had opened, as usual, one hour prior to the park opening.
The majority of the park had no guest access. The exact cause of the fire is still being determined. Silver Dollar City will open tomorrow, as scheduled, but will not open today.
Silver Dollar City Thanks Everyone For Their Understanding
Light Mag. 4.0 Earthquake
November 18th, 2021
One sensor near the Poplar Bluff MO (Very noisy) The other is from Broseley MO, (clearer trace of earthquake at bottom (in green)).
A 3.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Poplar Bluff, Butler County, Missouri, USA. The tremor was recorded in the evening on Wednesday, November 17th, 2021, at 8:53 pm local time, at a shallow depth of 9.6 miles below the surface.
The event was filed by the United States Geological Survey, the first seismological agency to report it. This was later updated to a 4.0
A second report was later issued by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), which listed it as a magnitude 3.7 earthquake as well.
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.
Weak shaking might have been felt in Williamsville (pop. 350) located 5 miles from the epicenter.
Other towns or cities near the epicenter where the quake might have been felt as very weak shaking include Poplar Bluff (pop. 17,300) located 12 miles from the epicenter, Piedmont (pop. 2,000) 20 miles away, Doniphan (pop. 2,000) 26 miles away, and Dexter (pop. 8,000) 32 miles away. In Sikeston (pop. 16,400, 52 miles away)
Find Out More At The Following Link:
Aldermen Candidacy Declarations Open 12/7 for April election
November 17th, 2021
The City of Branson Clerk’s office will accept Declarations of Candidacy for three Aldermen seats for the spring local election starting December 7, 2021, through December 28, 2021.
Each of the City’s three Wards will have an Alderman position on the ballot. The Branson Board of Aldermen consists of six aldermen, two from each Ward, and the Mayor. Each of these is elected for two-year terms.
The Aldermen currently holding the seats to be considered in the April 5, 2022, election are:
- Ward 1 – Bill Skains
- Ward 2 – Jeff Seay
- Ward 3 – Jamie Whiteis
Declarations of Candidacy must be filled out in person at the City Clerk’s office, located inside City Hall, and will be accepted beginning on December 7, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on December 28, 2021.
Candidates’ names will be placed on the ballot in the order they file their candidacy. For all candidates who file for candidacy on the first day, the order will be determined by a random drawing at the City Clerk’s Office.
For more information, including a description of the Aldermen duties and the 2022 sample election packet, visit the Boards & Committees section of the city’s website, BransonMo.Gov. Paper packets are also available in the Clerk’s office inside Branson City Hall for pickup.
Snow Plows To Deploy Wednesday For Annual Winter Weather Training
November 17th, 2021
Drivers may see snow plows and salt spreaders on city roads Wednesday, November 17, 2021, and are reminded to give them plenty of space to operate, as the City of Branson’s Public Works Department holds its annual winter weather training for drivers to practice snow routes and safety procedures.
In addition to this training, the City of Branson is prepared and ready for any winter weather that may impact the 250 lane miles of roadway inside city limits. The City of Branson has a team that constantly monitors incoming weather. At the sign of any freezing precipitation, city plow drivers will immediately pretreat bridges and other high priority areas.
The City has two salt barns that, when full, have a combined total of 1,200 tons of material that includes road salt, rock chips and mixed material. The City also has the ability to produce salt brine, beet juice and calcium chloride mixtures for pre-treating roadways. When ice and snow are predicted, the City has employees who will work 24-hours a day, on rotating 12-hour shifts, on the City’s 10 different snow routes. Every city-owned street will get cleared of snow.
Interesting facts from the 2020-2021 snow season:
- The City saw 4 small weather events and 2 large events
- Road crews spread 520-tons of material
- Road crews drove 15,636 miles
- In all, crews worked 1,718 hours and used 1,261 gallons of fuel
For more information about how the City of Branson prepares for winter weather and clears local roads, visit the Winter Weather Preparedness section on the City’s Public Works/Engineering section of its website, BransonMo.Gov or call 417-337-8559.
Local News
Two Arrested After Car Fire At Branson Landing Parking Garage
November 9th, 2021
According To A Press Release From The Branson Police Department, On November 7, 2021, at 8:15 p.m., Branson Police Officers responded to an initial report of an explosion at the Branson Landing parking garage located at 3 Branson Landing. Two vehicles, as well as the parking structure, were damaged in this fire. Branson Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire and Branson Police initiated a criminal investigation into the cause of the fire. The investigation revealed that a drill had been used to remove gas from the vehicle gas tank when the fire started. Further investigation found this was the second location in which this act had occurred as the suspects had removed gas from a vehicle in the Cox Hospital parking lot earlier that same evening. A 23-year-old male and a 19-year-old female, both from Springfield, were located and arrested. The two were then also tied to significant damages to one of the ball fields at Ball Parks of America, located at 1000 Pat Nash Dr, which occurred after the fire at the parking garage. This is an ongoing investigation. Formal charges will be sought from the Taney County Prosecutor. All persons involved in this incident were located and there is no continued threat to the public.
Source: https://bransonmo.gov/
Christmas Season Begins Nov 1st
Christmas starts November 1st in Branson!
By: Damian Porfirio Nov 1st, 2021
Merry Christmas!!
That's right, on November 1st 2021, it's Christmas.
Not in the way we citizens of this town speak of yearly, with our reminders to each other that "Christmas starts on November 1st in Branson." It's a real thing now and it adds a nice touch to our town!
To not confuse our near relatives of Oklahoma, Illinois and Arkansas, we've got an official name for this new extended holiday. "Ozark Mountain Christmas" to be exact.
Larry Milton, the Mayor of Branson, officially proclaimed that "Ozark Mountain Christmas" be an official event, to start TODAY November 1st, 2021 and will end on January 7th, 2022 and annually thereafter.
During a Branson Alderman meeting on October 26th, Mayor Milton took the lower platform and read off the proclamation with a smile.
"Whereas, in 1988 civic leaders, community organizations, businesses and area
residents joined together to create a community wide event know as Ozark Mountain
Christmas to be an umbrella for a all of the unique reasons to be in Branson during the
months of November and December: and
WHEREAS, the Ozark Mountain Christmas was designed to reflect the values of our
community which include Faith, Flag, Family and Fun; as evidenced by a deep history of
celebrating these values through special events including the Annual Lighting of the
Adoration Nativity Scene, the annual Adoration Parade, an annual Veterans
Homecoming Week culminating in a grand Veterans Day Parade; and
WHEREAS, Ozark Mountain Christmas has grown to be an internationally recognized
event that allows visitors to experience all that Branson has to offer including: the
welcoming warmth of the Ozarks people; Branson's live music shows and lavish
Christmas productions, Silver Dollar City's Old Time Christmas; Shepherd of the Hills
Adventure Park & Shows; unique seasonal attractions; Thanksgiving Weekend;
originally decorated Christmas Trees; miles of drive thru lighting displays, myriad
Christmas shopping options, delicious dining and New Year's Eve Celebrations; and
WHEREAS, the entire Branson community is encouraged to support Ozark Mountain
Christmas in every way they can.
Now therefore I, Larry Milton, Mayor of the City of Branson, Missouri, do hereby proclaim
that November 1 thru January 7 is called Ozark Mountain Christmas"
To see the Official Proclamation document, and other important Branson information, be sure to visit the website. Or you can watch the video of the reading HERE.
Below is a history of how this wonderful proclamation came about!
(Special thanks to: explorebranson.com)
The city sings with great tidings of joy during the entire Christmas season, largely due to its inception in the mid 1900’s.
Nativity Scene
In 1949 Steve Miller and Joe Todd worked feverishly to design and build a larger-than-life Nativity scene that would be illuminated on the bluff above Lake Taneycomo across from downtown Branson.
The inaugural lighting ceremony was on December 4, 1949, with 10,000 people packing the streets below (the population of Branson was only 1,100 at the time!). Over the next month, an additional 20,000 visitors had traveled to Branson to view the Adoration scene.
Adoration Parade
In 1953 the Chamber of Commerce announced that an Adoration parade featuring local marching bands and floats would accompany the Adoration scene, and this combined event continues today on the first Sunday of December. True to the founders’ hopes, this event’s focus is on the true reason for the reason, the birth of Jesus Christ.
Show Converted into Christmas
In the late 1980s, community leaders worked to expand the Branson tourist season well beyond the summer months, and Christmastime seemed the logical place to start. In 1988 Ozark Mountain Christmas was born. Beginning November 1 of each year, many of the live music shows converted to Christmas versions of their productions, businesses strung lights and hung festive decorations and Silver Dollar City launched An Old Time Christmas.
Festival of Lights
By 1990 the Ozark Mountain Christmas initiative added the Festival of Lights, which included placing impact light displays around town and hanging hundreds of lit stars on the streetlamps along Highway 76 and other major roads through Branson. Over the next few years, drive-through light displays, such as the Trail of Lights at The Shepherd of the Hills and others in the area, added to the season’s festivity.
Ozark Mountain Christmas Today
Branson has not only kept the Christmas tradition all this time, but turned it into an even bigger, unforgettable experience.
Trees All Over Town
Today, Ozark Mountain Christmas is bigger and better than ever and has received multiple national designations as one of the top Christmas destinations in the country. Recently, Branson has been named “America’s Christmas Tree City” because during the holidays, over 700 colorful, unique, and creative trees in all shapes, sizes, and can be found throughout Branson.
Live Christmas Performances
With an amazing lineup of special performances and themed shows, a Christmas show in Branson is unlike any others. From country music to Broadway-style productions, Branson's lineup of live performances offers a wide variety of holiday entertainment.
Drive-Thru Christmas Light Displays
Christmas light displays can be found all throughout the Branson area. Driving tours such as Let There Be Lights!, Branson's Lights of Joy and Trail of Lights are all great to explore. During the Christmas season, visitors can even experience light displays while walking down the Branson Landing.
Silver Dollar City's An Old Time Christmas
Silver Dollar City is home to the largest Christmas light display in this area during An Old Time Christmas. With Christmas in Midtown, you can find around 6.5 million lights across the park. Everyone can experience the wonder of Silver Dollar City during An Old Time Christmas festival. The child in everyone will come alive when they see the millions of lights covering the city. Live Christmas shows, 1,000 decorated Christmas trees, an eight-story Christmas tree with special effects and the Holly Jolly Christmas Light Parade are part of the park’s amazing holiday lineup. Don't miss this year's new show all the way from Broadway, Home for Christmas!
Special Christmas Events
The holidays in Branson wouldn’t be complete without several special events. Among them is the annual Veterans Homecoming Week, one of the largest events of its type in the U.S. Another not-to-be-missed event is the annual Adoration Parade, which celebrates the true meaning of Christmas. The event includes the lighting of the Adoration Scene (displayed on Mt. Branson) and a parade. See all the exciting events in Branson!
Ride the Polar Express
What better way to see the snowy Ozark Mountains than taking a ride on the train? The Branson Scenic Railway’s Polar Express Train Ride, based on “The Polar Express” film, will bring a warm smile to your face. Like the original story, hot chocolate and cookies are given out to each passenger. Santa will be there reading parts of the book during the train ride!
Christmas Lodging
Branson’s lodging options provide warm, comfortable environments to rest your head at night. Many hotels and resorts pull out all the stops during the holidays, to include visits with Santa, special activities for younger guests and, of course, lots of sweet treats!
So now when you walk down the street today and notice that the Christmas lights have magically gone up overnight, as well as trees, stores, and more, you'll realize...It's November 1st, and it's already Christmas in Branson!
OPINION:
I think the Mayor of Branson has done a wonderful job on not only living up to his word, and keeping his promises, but has made time for additional and wonderful proclamations and holidays in our wonderful city of Branson, Missouri. Merry Christmas everybody!
Oh...Wait, we still have Thanksgiving! Well...Take a one day break from Christmas, and enjoy that Turkey. See you on the Landing!
/ The opinion expressed in the "OPINION" section of this article does NOT reflect Bransonwx.com or any of its affiliates, associates, partners, or readers, but rather is the opinion of Damian Porfirio, the writer of this article.
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Article by: Damian Porfirio (Branson, MO)
Crime and Accidents (Taney County)
NOTICE: Some information may not be disclosed in full, in order to protect our citizens, officers, and the accused. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a United States court of law.
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A crime occurs every 3 hours 18 minutes (on average) in Taney County, but again, that is the entire county. In Branson Missouri, a crime occurs ever 5 hours 30 minutes. In Hollister every 12 hours and 2 minutes. To put that in perspective, a crime occurs ever FIVE MINUTES in St. Louis, and a 7 minute average in surrounding counties, and 40% of those crimes being violent.
Violent crime is rather low in Taney County, although some residents may feel that 2021 has increased our extremely low percentage, due to low income areas collapsing during the pandemic, and unemployment being higher than normal for this time of year, at no fault of anyone besides those committing the crimes.
The typical crimes documented based on the average stats above in the article, are a wide variety such as; Drugs (Meth, Fentanyl, Heroin being the primary), petty theft, car theft, and drunk driving. With the very rare high speed police chase (felony fleeing) or a dirt bike trying to cross county lines before getting caught.
We don't have many violent crimes here. The double murder back in late May, 2021 was one of the most violent crimes we've had since 2016.
What exactly is the murder rate in Taney County? Your chance of being a victim of murder in Taney County may be as high as 1 in 8,872 in the north neighborhoods, or as low as 1 in 15,315 in the northwest part of the county. (According to Crimegrade.org) So as far as St. Louis goes, with the massive 129 Murders per YEAR, compared to Taney County's AVERAGE of 0.08 murders PER YEAR (Less than 1/year for 10 years) we are doing much better than them, and with what you're about to read, at least you've got THIS information for peace of mind.
What is the crime rate caused by class 1 narcotics / illegal drugs?Pills such as Opiates (Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Methadone, Adderall) are just a few of the many sought after pills in Taney County. The most illegally used drug in Taney County is, of course you guessed it...Meth. There are a few cases of Fentanyl and Heroin in the outskirts of the county, as well as city limits, although rare.
How do we compare with other cities in Missouri?This is the part that might shock you. According to Burglary.com Branson hit #1 of the most dangerous cities in Missouri per capita.
Yes you read that right.
TOP 10 MOST DANGEROUS CITIES IN MISSOURI: 2021
#1 Branson Previous rank: 1
#2 Springfield Previous rank: 2
#3 Bridgeton Previous rank: 7
#4 Maplewood Previous rank: 3
#5 Joplin Previous rank: 8
#6 Saint Louis Previous rank: 5
#7 Nevada Previous rank: 6
#8 Sullivan Previous rank: 22
#9 Poplar Bluff Previous rank: 4
#10 Richmond Heights Previous rank: 11
Calculated Data according to the census, Taney County Records, Burglary.com and CrimeGrade.org--------------------
Yes, you read that right. Branson is considered more dangerous than any other city in Missouri.
How is that possible!?
Well, that is because statistically and mathematically the crime rate is higher per 1000 people than St. Louis is per 1000 people. This doesn't mean we have the same "rate" of crime. We have less people, so the rate of crime of course will be lower than St. Louis, but the issue is the amount of crime in comparison to other counties.
The crime rarely affects the tourists of Branson, besides the occasional theft, and that is one of the reasons we may feel we don't hear about much of it. The crime in our area is targeted due to drug use, with break-ins, and theft, affecting it's residents more than anyone.
We must continue to be vigilant in our beautiful town, and make sure that if we SEE something, SAY something.
You can help prevent crime in Branson by calling the Branson Police Department andREPORT A CRIME (Even ONLINE!) Remember, call 911 if it is an emergency.
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CURRENT TANEY COUNTY JAIL INMATE COUNT: 165 - 180 (est.) ->
Article(s) by: Damian Porfirio (Branson, MO)