On the Street

A June 23 kitchen fire has closed the indoor dining room for at least a month at Top of the Rock golf course in Branson. “It was a small fire,” said Larry Whiteley, spokesperson for course owner Big Cedar Lodge. “It had water and smoke damage.” Course officials say “picnic-style” meals, meaning grill items and sandwiches, are being served on the outdoor patio. In the meantime, restaurants at nearby Big Cedar Lodge have extended their hours.

Show Me Proof

New Missouri drivers’ licensing requirements that took effect July 1 require a U.S. birth certificate, a valid U.S. passport, a Certificate of Citizenship, a Certificate of Naturalization, a Certificate of Birth Abroad or a valid Social Security card. The change is a result of a bill passed in 2004 requiring proof of “lawful presence.” Gov. Matt Blunt praised the effort as “a straightforward program that has real benefits to Missourians.” For more information on the program go to www.dor.mo.gov and click the Show Me Proof icon.

“Power Lunch”

Springfield-based The Great Game of Business was recently profiled on CNBC’s “Power Lunch” for its management system that turns business into a game. A division of SRC Holdings Corp., The Great Game of Business teaches employees how to think and act like entrepreneurs and rewards them for business success. It has helped hundreds of companies worldwide, including Harley-Davidson, Southwest Airlines, Roadway Express and Kinko’s. A local client is Interactive Hotel Solutions, a Springfield-based online hotel reservation agency.

$50 million campaign

Southwest Missouri State University topped its $50 million goal for the university’s first comprehensive fund-raising campaign.

Called The Campaign for SMS: Imagine the Possibilities, gifts from the four-year-old fund-raiser will fund student scholarships, programs, facility enhancements and faculty initiatives. The campaign continues through Aug. 28.

Slice of Nice

A new playground in Aurora’s White Park was dedicated June 23 to fallen soldier James Douglas Mowris. Mowris, an Army staff sergeant, died Jan. 29, 2004, in Afghanistan. Mowris’ widow, Michele Evens Mowris, and her children, Craig and MacKenzie, purchased the playground equipment with assistance from Monett-based Miracle Recreation Equipment Co. and Gunter Stein, a sales representative for Custom Play Systems in Lake Winnebago, who coordinated donations from other businesses and individuals. Mowris, 37, was one of seven soldiers killed in an explosion during the clearing of an enemy weapons and ammunition cache in Ghazni, Afghanistan. He was serving as a member of the 414th Military Police Company.