Southwest Missouri News

Branson

Nixon halts travel firms' activities

Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon obtained a temporary restraining order Feb. 6 against a travel business and its owners for allegedly making false claims to prospective Branson area visitors. Nixon also obtained a court order requiring a man who sold vacation packages to pay $3,000 in consumer restitution, costs and fees.

The temporary restraining order, from Christian County Circuit Court, is against Almost Free Vacations Inc. and three of its owners: Jerry McDonald Sr. of Bedford, Texas; Jerry McDonald Jr. of Branson; and Perry Cohen of Branson. Nixon said the defendants sold Branson vacation packages for $99 and $129 that were to include lodging, meals and a second vacation certificate.

An investigator from the Attorney General's Office, posing as an interested consumer, was allegedly told by an Almost Free Vacations employee that Almost Free was "a member of" the Attorney General's Office and the Better Business Bureau and "registered" with the Attorney General's Office.

The temporary restraining order from Judge James Eiffert prohibits the defendants from representing to anyone that Almost Free Vacations is affiliated or registered in any way with the Attorney General's Office, or representing that the business is affiliated with any organization that it is not.

A Feb. 28 hearing is scheduled on Nixon's request to the court to issue preliminary and permanent injunctions against the Almost Free defendants to prohibit them from violating Missouri consumer protection laws. Nixon also wants the defendants to pay restitution to consumers and appropriate costs and penalties to the state.

In another travel-related case in Taney County, Judge Eiffert on Feb. 2 approved a permanent injunction against Chet Johnson of Blue Eye, who managed Vacation Connection Inc. Nixon had alleged that Johnson violated state consumer protection laws by selling Branson vacation packages when there were problems with fulfilling the packages.

According to Nixon, consumers also experienced problems in obtaining refunds from Johnson. Judge Eiffert prohibited Johnson from selling prepaid vacations for a three-year period and ordered him to pay $3,000 in costs and consumer restitution.

The court also issued a permanent injunction against Vacation Connection Inc., Branson Vacation Club Inc., and Victorian Palace Hotel Inc., as well as Rick Basnett, a principal in all three businesses. Nixon said those defendants also sold vacation certificates that were not honored and failed to provide refunds to consumers.

The other defendants, who did not respond to the lawsuit, were permanently barred from the travel business in Missouri or from placing charges on consumers' credit cards for merchandise and services not ordered. The defendants were ordered to pay $14,411.85 in restitution and another $26,500 in costs and penalties.

City to control geese population

As a result of citizens' complaints, Branson city leaders will step up a program to control the geese population and the mess left behind by the birds in the lakefront area of downtown Branson. Street sweepers and the Fire Department will go more often to clean the parking lot of North Beach Park and the roadways and fishing docks in the city campground.

This spring the city will be working with the Missouri Conservation Department to conduct a goose round-up to relocate some of the birds.

A flock of geese Jan. 7 flew into a power line along Lake Taneycomo and knocked out electricity to a portion of downtown businesses and residents.

Skaggs hires new HR director

Skaggs Community Health Center of Branson hired Trisha J. Palmer, PHR, Jan. 22 as the new director of human resources. Palmer oversees all personnel-related matters at Skaggs, including employee recruitment, hiring and termination procedures, and employee benefits and compensation for its 800-employee payroll.

Palmer is from Des Moines, Iowa, where she held the position of human resource manager with the Rasmussen Group, a large, multistate construction company. Prior to that, she was the human resource director for Mid-West Financial Services.

Joplin

Old Navy to open at Northpark Mall

Old Navy is scheduled to open a new store at Northpark Mall on March 28. With 21,249 square feet of floor space, the store will be the largest Old Navy store in the area.

Empire bails out of water system

Representatives with Empire District Electric Co. have met with city officials from Aurora, Marionville and Verona to inquire into whether those towns would buy the water systems now owned by Empire.

The Joplin-owned utility asked whether the three towns would be interested in forming a water district to purchase and operate the systems. No price or timetable was discussed.

The water systems in the three Lawrence County towns are the only ones operated by Empire, which provides electrical power to 145,000 customers in the four-state region.

Empire has 4,500 water customers in the three towns.

Neosho

Daisy announces temporary layoff

Daisy Outdoor Products will temporarily reduce its work force by 45 people.

The announcement was made Feb. 9, and the company anticipates it will begin to hire back these employees in approximately 90 days.

Daisy Outdoor Products was founded in 1886 and is the world's oldest and largest manufacturer of airguns.

Daisy has operated an assembly and distribution facility at the Ozark Terminal in Neosho since 1997.

"While we make every effort to balance our production according to our inventory levels and the demand for our products, our business is highly seasonal," said George West, vice president of operations. "Our work force has always fluctuated. In our height of production, we employ up to 150 people here in Neosho."

Sales of Daisy products have been strong in recent years and company officials expect another increase in sales in 2001.

The company manufactures Daisy, PowerLine and Max Speed airguns and airgun accessories, and it distributes its products through retailers worldwide.

Sunbeam reorganizes in bankruptcy

Struggling appliance company Sunbeam, which owns a plant in Neosho, announced Feb. 6 that it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection so it can reorganize the company's operations.

Sunbeam is one of the Joplin area's largest employers.

The Neosho plant, where grills are made, employs 1,100 to 1,200 during peak production and 800 to 1,000 in the off season.

Company officials said that the bankruptcy is not expected to have an impact on the Neosho facility.

Jerry W. Levin, Sunbeam chairman and chief executive officer, said in a news release that Sunbeam hopes to emerge from bankruptcy proceedings in six to nine months as a "stronger, more competitive company."

The company said it had the support of secured creditors and its banks for its efforts to reorganize its debt, and that it expects to pay its vendors and employees as normal during the bankruptcy process.

It said its reorganization plan would be to convert a substantial portion of the existing bank debt into term debt, convertible debt and equity interests in the reorganized Sunbeam.

It expects to discharge its securities-related litigation and bondholder debt as part of the Chapter 11 process.

Levin said the company's banks have agreed to support the reorganization plan by providing a new $285 million credit line to fund normal operations. The company also received a commitment from GE Capital Corp. for $200 million in new financing.

"Sunbeam employees, worldwide, will not experience any change in their job status or the work they do," Levin said. "The company does not anticipate any reductions in work force or plant closings as a result of the Chapter 11 reorganization."

In the wake of the Chapter 11 announcement, the New York Stock Exchange suspended Sunbeam because it fell below listing criteria.

In January, Sunbeam said the NYSE had warned Sunbeam that the company could be delisted. Feb. 5, the last day Sunbeam was listed on the New York Stock Exchange, it sold for 51 cents a share.