Last two days to share Christmas with an elderly person who might not otherwise have a Christmas! Kmart’s Wishing Tree Appeal is partnering with the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program to help make that happen.

There are 85 cards on the Angel Tree at Hwy 248 K-Mart for the elderly in our community.  Purchase any of the items on the Wish List: wall calendar, wall clock, perfume cologne, chap stick, peppermints, lotion, gripper socks, after shave, Kleenex, lap blanket, or note cards and “return them unwrapped either to the Salvation Army located at 1114 Stanley Blvd in Branson or to Kmart by Dec. 16, tomorrow and “Santa” will take care of the rest of it.

Salvation Army Angel Tree near the front of the Highway 248 Kmart in Branson.

Merry Christmas!

Branson city officials say they will be temporarily closing lanes at the intersection of Roark Valley Road and Highway 76 Friday, Nov. 4, between the hours of 10 and 11 p.m. for placement of the 12-man statue in the Veteran’s Memorial Garden. During this temporary lane closure, crews and flagmen will be on site to manage traffic so vehicles are stopped only for short periods of time.

Up Close Concerts has had a busy year in 2016 with some incredible shows, Charley Pride, Jay Leno, Ronnie Milsap, just to name a few. And now they are proud to announce Kris Kristofferson will be performing at the Welk Resort Theatre, April 7, 2017! This is his first Branson appearance!

Born in Texas and raised in a military family, Krisofferson studied creative writing at Pamona College in California before earning a Rhodes scholarship to study literature at Oxford, where he boxed, played rugby, and continued to write songs.

After graduating from Oxford, Kris served in the army as an Airborne Ranger as a helicopter pilot. In 1965, Kris turned down an assignment to teach at West Point and moved to Nashville to follow his dream and pursue a career in music.

No one really wants to think about Norovirus, but just one outbreak can ruin a vacation for a family, and a vacation season for a business owner. You can help protect our community and our guests by participating in a FREE Norovirus training seminar, hosted by the Taney County Health Department, September 29th, 8:30 am to 11:30 am at the Chateau on the Lake Resort, Spa, and Convention Center.

The free seminar will provide attendees with information to reduce the risk of spreading illness through proper cleaning procedures, prevention methods and education. The seminar provides important information for business owners and managers to assist in developing training programs in their facilities, and how to act in the event of an outbreak.

Anyone working in retail, food service, lodging, or entertainment businesses, from front-line workers to management, should plan on attending this important seminar

The seminar will provide a wide range of information about Norovirus including

• Describe principle characteristics of Norovirus
• Discuss previous Norovirus outbreaks
• Discuss clinical symptoms of Norovirus
• Procedures for proper cleaning and proper use of personal protective equipment
• Cleaning products for effective disinfecting
• Reporting procedures for notifying local public health agencies
• Ideas for developing and implementing an employee training program

The Chateau on the Lake is located at 415 North State Highway 265 in Branson. Pre-registration is required. Call the Taney County Health Department at 417-334-4544 ext 247.

Date: May 28, 2016

ShindigNation Rules on May 28, 2016, with a flash mob dance line on Hwy 76 doing the Shindig Shuffle. Go see your favorite Branson show and when it gets out (after 10 pm) join us on Hwy 76 as we do the Shindig Shuffle. Turn your radio to My 100.1 FM to hear the music.

As the 3rd annual Ozark Mountain Shindig – A Springtastic Celebration winds down; the final event planned is an attempt to set the world’s longest Shindig line dance. Branson stars, area employees, residents, family, friends, and visitors will join together on Saturday May 28, 2016, at 10:30 PM to dance the “Shindig Shuffle”. Lena Hughes, co-owner of the Hughes Brothers Theatre and the visionary behind the “Shindig Shuffle” line dance says, “Anyone wishing to participate on the night of May 28 is invited to lineup on the sidewalks along Hwy 76 from Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theatre to the corner of Hwy 76 & Shepherd of the Hills Expressway. If you’re representing a particular business or organization or just yourself we encourage you to bring banners, signs, and to wear-t-shirts.” Sue Braun from the Vacation Channel says, “Turn your car radio and outside speakers to radio station My 100.1 Radio and the song will first play at 10:30 PM, and play again at 10:35 PM and at 10:40 PM.”

Location: Highway 76 Strip

The Army Corps of Engineers Table Rock Project Office is hosting a special Kids to Parks Day Saturday, May 21 from 10 am to 2 pm at the Dewey Short Visitor Center.

Kids can participate in a variety of activities and games focusing on animals, water quality, and safety. Activities will be provided by Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Stream Team, Taney County 4-H, and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Hundreds of thousands of children nationwide will take part in a grassroots movement to discover America’s parks through play on Saturday, to commemorate National Park Trust’s sixth annual Kids to Parks Day.

Communities across the nation are committing to a simple motto: “active kids are healthy kids” and encouraging their residents to use Kids to Parks day as the first of many days spent outdoors, at local parks and recreation sites, to develop more active, healthy lifestyles.

Visit www.kidstoparks.org and sign up so you and your family can be counted in the national tally. Families are encouraged to visit a park or recreation area and submit photos of their adventures to [email protected] for possible includsions in NPT’s national map commemorating the day.

Students who are finishing fourth grade can also earn an Every Kid in a Park pass to enjoy federal parks for the rest of the summer.

For more information about the event, contact Dewey Short Visitor Center at 501-340-1943.

The City of Branson and the 76 Entertainment CID (Community Improvement District) have established Missouri’s largest public/private partnership to revitalize Branson’s famous Highway 76, transforming it into a state-of-the-art entertainment district. With over 300 property owners comprising the 76 Entertainment Community Improvement District working in partnership with the City of Branson, the 76 Entertainment CID could quite possibly be the largest public/private partnership in the nation.

“Business and property owners along the five-mile 76 corridor have taken a vast interest and ownership in the project and its evolution, and they have come to the table to share their ideas, expertise, and overall support of the project,” says City of Branson Mayor, Karen Best. “The collaboration of all of these entities truly demonstrates the strength of the community as these stakeholders unite in a common mission to improve not only the infrastructure, access and safety along the corridor, but also ensure the end result is an unique, family friendly experience for out visitors.”

~Taken from the article by the same name posted in the Branson Daily Independent – Sunday, May 15, 2016
For more information please take time to view the following sites:

• www.76cid.com
• www.BransonForward.com
• www.BransonMo.gov
• www.BransonSpiritof76.com

BRANSON, MO – Branson Landing is proud to announce that Saltgrass Steak House will soon be opening their doors to the residents and visitors of Branson, MO. The new 8,196 square-foot restaurant is expected to open Fall 2016. “We are thrilled to open this new location for the Branson community to experience,” said Ken Pierce, divisional vice president. “Saltgrass will be the perfect place for friends and families to relish in delicious cuisine and enjoy our friendly, southern atmosphere.”

The new Saltgrass Steak House will be located on the north end of the property, overlooking Lake Taneycomo in the Wharf District. “We are excited to welcome Saltgrass Steak House into the Branson Landing family,” says Branson Landing General Manager, Melissa Hudson. “Saltgrass Steak House will be a wonderful addition to our over 100 Shops and Restaurants, providing a new and unique dining experience to our Branson Landing guests.”

As flood waters recede across the area Emergency Managers in Taney County including the Cities of Branson and Hollister are working together to coordinate volunteer resources to assist area residents with flood clean-up.
Citizens and businesses desiring to offer resources such as man power and cleaning supplies may call (417) 337-8584 to register. Residents needing supplies or volunteer assistance may also call the same number to request help. This number will be staffed the remainder of today and through 4 p.m. on Friday, January 1.
“We have taken a lot of phone calls from people offering time and resources to help with flood clean-up. With the long holiday weekend and decent weather for the next several days, we are taking this opportunity to help coordinate these volunteer resources,” stated Taney County Emergency Management Director Chris Berndt.
As flood waters recede residents will be able to enter their homes and assess clean-up needs. “We would like for the residents across the county to have one number to call to see what resources might be available to help with clean-up,” stated Branson’s Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director Ted Martin.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members will also be visible through the neighborhoods on Friday from 9 a.m. till noon checking on residents and assessing any needs they might have regarding flood clean-up.
“We understand that most of the residents have been through this before, many of them with established action plans for clean-up,” added Martin. “As we have taken several calls offering assistance, we simply wanted to make sure the resources were made available our residents across the Taney County communities.”