Southwest Missouri News

|tab|

Branson|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

City studies waterfront |ret||ret||tab|

Branson city officials and developers of the proposed Branson Landing project recently completed a tour of seven American cities to study successful waterfront and convention center developments, according to a release from the city of Branson. |ret||ret||tab|

Local leaders looked at projects in Dallas, San Antonio, Orlando, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Seattle and San Diego. Ideas gleaned from this study will be incorporated into Branson Landing, which is proposed for the Taneycomo lakefront. |ret||ret||tab|

The waterfront development will feature a convention and exhibition center, a hotel, retail shops, a boardwalk and town square. City officials have targeted spring 2002 to break ground for the development.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

Aldermen approve city budget|ret||ret||tab|

The Branson Board of Aldermen approved a $38.8 million operating and capital budget for fiscal year 2002, which began Oct. 1. The 2002 budget is only slightly larger than the 2001 budget of $38.4 million.|ret||ret||tab|

Included in the new budget is almost $9 million in capital expenditures to fund a study for a recreation center complete with athletic fields and a swimming pool; road improvements; more police cars; and fire safety equipment including thermal imaging devices to locate people in smoke-filled buildings.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

Construction below 2000 value|ret||ret||tab|

For the first nine months of 2001, the value of new construction in Branson totaled $31.1 million, down from $45.7 million during the first three quarters of 2000. Among the major projects permitted this year were an indoor water park at Splash County on Highway 76, an assisted living complex in Branson Meadows, and the new Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

State law changes affect city|ret||ret||tab|

Complying with state law, Branson Municipal Court fines for violations of motorcycle laws and drunken driving laws are increasing. An additional $5 is being tacked on to motorcycle-related fines, with that money going to the state Motorcycle Safety Trust Fund. An extra $25 is being assessed on alcohol-related fines, with money allocated to the state's Spinal Cord Injury Fund.|ret||ret||tab|

In addition, a recently passed state law, initiated by Branson city officials, will now help Branson and other cities to collect delinquent sewer accounts from customers who have a different water provider. |ret||ret||tab|

By entering into agreements with private or public water companies, cities can require water companies to terminate water service to customers who have past-due city sewer accounts until those accounts are paid. This will alleviate the difficult and expensive process of disconnecting sewer lines. Delinquent sewer bills have cost the city of Branson more than $50,000.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

Carthage|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

Dollar Tree opens new store|ret||ret||tab|

The Dollar Tree has opened its doors in Carthage.|ret||ret||tab|

The store, which is located at 124 W. George Phelps Blvd., sells items that cost $1 or less. It is among 1,900 retail outlets owned by Dollar Tree Stores Inc., Chesapeake, Md.|ret||ret||tab|

The Dollar Tree is the first store to open in a retail center in the Myers Park development. Building permits have been issued to Fashion Bug and Blockbuster Video stores to also be located in the center.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

Duenweg|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

EPA awards $1.35 million|ret||ret||tab|

The city of Duenweg has received a $1.35 million grant from the Environ-mental Protection Agency to bring clean water to 125 homes.|ret||ret||tab|

Many of the homes, located outside the city, are on contaminated wells in an EPA Superfund site where intense mining activities existed for decades and left ground water unfit for consumption. Some of the homeowners have been us-ing EPA-supplied bottled water for years.|ret||ret||tab|

The EPA grant will pay for more than seven miles of new water lines outside the city of Duenweg to replace contaminated water supplies and provide ex-panded water service to new areas of the community.|ret||ret||tab|

Singer Construction of Mount Vernon was the lowest bidder of eight companies vying for construction of the water system improvements. |ret||ret||tab|

The work is expected to be completed by the middle of 2002.|ret||ret||tab|

"The water system improvements will benefit both our environment and economic development in Duenweg, and eastern Jasper County," said Duenweg Mayor Russell Olds. "The new water lines will open up new areas for development and give new stability to neighborhoods that have been hampered in expansion by the lack of clean drinking water."|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

Joplin|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

Lafayette House receives awards|ret||ret||tab|

The Lafayette House received the 2001 Consumer Choice Award for adult services from the Missouri Department of Mental Health, Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse.|ret||ret||tab|

The award is presented annually to the agency that receives the highest consumer satisfaction rating on the Depart-ment of Mental Health's Consumer Sat-isfaction Survey.|ret||ret||tab|

In addition, Alison Malinowski, executive director, who has been at the La-fayette House since 1980, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for her work at the shelter.|ret||ret||tab|

Open since 1978, the Lafayette House offers emergency shelter and a variety of other services to those who have been victims of domestic violence or sexual assault.|ret||ret||tab|

|ret||ret||tab|

LaBarge authorizes repurchase|ret||ret||tab|

LaBarge Inc. has authorized the repurchase of up to a million shares of its common stock.|ret||ret||tab|

LaBarge has approximately 15 million shares outstanding.|ret||ret||tab|

The company's board of directors authorized the stock purchases in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions.|ret||ret||tab|

Repurchased common shares will be added to the company's treasury shares and may be used for general corporate purposes.|ret||ret||tab|

[[In-content Ad]]