Southwest Missouri News

Branson

Settlement brings new books

Branson and Hollister schools will be among 46 school districts, libraries and organizations in Missouri that are eligible to benefit from a settlement between Attorney General Jay Nixon, Toys R' Us and three other major toy makers.

Nixon and other state attorney generals nationwide sued the toy manufacturers in 1999, alleging the companies conspired to withhold some popular toys from discount and warehouse chains in a price-fixing scheme.

The national Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) program will distribute books to Missouri libraries selected by RIF to benefit from the $258,830 award to the state. The award will provide for more than 20,000 new books appropriated for grades K-3 and an additional $26,599 in direct grant money, allowing distribution of books for ownership to children in RIF programs in Missouri. Several other schools and organizations in the southwest Missouri counties of Barry, Barton, Dallas, Greene, Polk and Webster will be among the recipients of the settlement award.

The settlement also provided thousands of new toys that were distributed in Missouri and nationwide through the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots program last Christmas.

Hospital adds to medical staff

Specializing in sports medicine, arthroscopy and orthopedic surgery, Christopher M. Miller, MD, has joined the practice of White River Orthopedic Clinic and the medical staff of Skaggs Community Health Center, both in Branson. Miller joins Patrick O'Brien, MD, and John Huffman, DO, at White River Orthopedic Clinic. Coming to Branson in August from Los Angeles, Miller just completed a yearlong fellowship in sports medicine and arthroscopy at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic.

Mark R. Smith, MD, has also joined the practice at the Branson Family Medicine Clinic and the medical staff of Skaggs Community Health Center. Smith joins William Zeller, MD, and physician assistant Ryan Pock at Branson Family Medicine Clinic. In June, Smith completed a three-year family practice in residency with Cox Health Systems in Springfield. Smith specializes in family practice and obstetrics.

Event to benefit housing charity

Golden Corral Restaurant's seventh annual "Run Wild for Habitat," benefiting Mountain Country Habitat for Humanity, will be held Sept. 30 at Table Rock State Park's main pavilion on U.S. Hwy. 165 near Branson. Race time is 8:30 a.m. (rain or shine) with walk-up registration beginning at 7:30 a.m. The run course is 3.1 miles and the walk course is two miles. Pre-registration fee is $12 and $15 the day of the event.

In addition to Golden Corral, run sponsors include NatureGraphics, Branson Daily News, Pepsi Cola, MCSi and The Vacation Channel. Proceeds will go directly to the Covenant Church House 2000 project.

The Covenant Church House 2000 project is a coalition of 17 different denominational churches in the Tri-Lakes area that have joined together to build a local Habitat home by providing money and labor.

The groundbreaking is scheduled for Oct. 15, but the project officially began in area churches Sept. 10. The family who will receive the house has not yet been selected, but four applicants from both Taney and Stone counties are being considered.

City budget up for 2001

The city of Branson's operating and capital budget for the fiscal year 2001 totals $38.4 million, a 1.5 percent increase over this fiscal year's budget of $37.9 million. The police department will get three new officers plus equipment. The budget also includes widening improvements at some major intersections around the city for smoother traffic flow. The new budget does not include any tax, sewer or water rate increases. The city's fiscal year runs from October through September.

City officials also reported that city sales tax revenue for the first nine months of the fiscal year has increased 4.4 percent over the same period in 1999. Revenue from the tourism tax is also up by six percent for the same time.

Carthage

Leggett & Platt closes more plants

Leggett & Platt anticipates third-quarter earnings to fall below last year's levels and miss analysts' expectations due to unanticipated developments in several business segments, according to a press release issued by the company.

Earnings in the third quarter ending Sept. 30 will be about 34 cents to 37 cents per diluted share, about 10 percent below last year's earnings of 39 cents per diluted share, and about 15 percent below the current analysts' consensus estimate.

Sales growth for the quarter is expected to be about 13 to 15 percent.

Earnings for the full year are expected to be about flat with 1999 earnings and sales growth for the full year is still expected to be about 15 percent.

The release said continuing problems in the company's aluminum products segment will produce the largest portion of the shortfall but lower sales in the commercial and residential furnishing segments will also contribute to the expected lower result.

Leggett & Platt cited reduced demand, plant inefficiencies and higher raw material and energy costs for the downfall in the aluminum products segment. In addition, reduced demand and integration inefficiencies at some recently acquired businesses were cited by the company for the shortfall, all in the commercial furnishings segment, along with softening demand, reduced production and lower margins in the residential furnishings segment.

Leggett & Platt also announced closure of two plants and is negotiating the sale of an aluminum smelting plant. The company is considering plant consolidations and further plant closings.

The company has begun cost reduction, profit improvement and working capital reduction programs, the release said.

Joplin

Retail center breaks ground

A ground breaking was recently held for Blue Water Landing, a 17,000-square-foot retail shopping center, to be located on North Range Line.

Blue Water Landing will house a dive shop called Calypso Scuba-n-Ski. which will include an indoor swimming pool.

Spud C's Deli also will open a second location in the shopping center.

Ted and Debbie Evans are the developers and Joplin Construction and Design is the general contractor.

EPT acquires Canadian company

Eagle-Picher Technologies LLC, with headquarters in Joplin, has announced the name of its new subsidiary in British Columbia as Eagle-Picher Energy Products Corp.

The new subsidiary, formerly known as BlueStar Battery Systems Corp., was acquired by Eagle-Picher Technologies in June.

"The acquisition of BBSC allows EPT to round out our lithium battery product line to include commercially available primary cells and batteries," said Rex Erisman, executive vice president for Eagle-Picher, in a prepared statement.

Eagle-Picher Energy manufactures lithium/sulfur dioxide and lithium/manganese dioxide systems at two locations in British Columbia. The subsidiary also will be the center for Eagle-Picher's efforts in the development of advanced systems such as the secondary lithium-ion and flat battery pack technology.

These manufacturing and development activities augment the thionyl chloride and carbon monofluoride lithium systems developed and produced at Eagle-Picher operations in the United States.

Mount Vernon

County plans for two bridges

The Lawrence County Commission has awarded a contract to Viebrock Construction of Sedalia, for two bridges to be built near Mount Vernon and Monett.

The total cost is $508,315, and all of the money will come from federal funds, including 20 percent in "soft match" money allocated to Greene and Jasper counties. The counties will receive credit for this reallocation of money for the construction of bridges that meet federal standards.

The bridges will be built across Williams and Center creeks.

Neosho

Plant gets military contract

Sabreliner Corp.'s turbine engine plant in Neosho has been awarded a $6.2 million contract to overhaul 70 Army helicopter engines.

The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command in Huntsville, Ala. awarded the contract, for the overhaul of T700 turboshaft engines at the rate of six per month. The engines power H-60 Blackhawk helicopters, the primary utility helicopter used by the Army, the Army Reserve and the National Guard. Other forms of the T700 engine power the Army's Apache attack helicopters.