The countdown has begun for the 23rd annual Honor America Celebration at College of the Ozarks on Sunday, June 24, beginning at 4:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend this old-fashioned patriotic celebration. Music, children’s activities and a picnic begin at 4:30 p.m.; the patriotic program and concert takes place at 8 p.m. Attendees may purchase barbecue items on site.

“Honor America has become a tradition that people of all ages can enjoy,” said Elizabeth Hughes, College of the Ozarks public relations director. “Kids can play with tinker toys, make bubbles and much more, while parents and grandparents can enjoy great music, barbecue and relax. Folks who attend will experience an atmosphere reminiscent a patriotic celebration of yesteryear.”

This year’s event will feature several musical favorites, including bluegrass by Copper Fox, the Mark McCauley and the Downing Street Boys who will entertain with traditional southern gospel music and the cast from Red, Hot… and Blue!, who will perform American classics from the 40s, 50s and 60s.

West Point Bugle and Drum Corps Hellcats

Before the sky lights up with fireworks, attendees will hear a patriotic concert and witness more than 200 years of tradition with the West Point drum and bugle corps, The Hellcats, as they perform a fantastic display of bugling and drumming.

After dark, an elaborate fireworks display will conclude the event. Honor America is free and is open to the public, but don’t forget your lawn chairs. Alcohol, tobacco products, fireworks and pets are strictly prohibited. For more information, please call the Public Relations office at (417) 690-2212.

2012 Honor America Program (PDF File)

July 7, 2012
8:30 AM-1:30 PM

Join award-winning Chef, Robert Stricklin, in The Keeter Center kitchen to see how local farming inspires his cooking style. Only 8 spaces available for this memorable experience! Reserve today!

$75 includes Cooking School, Nature’s Harvest Lunch, & Admission to the Smithsonian of the Ozarks: Ralph Foster Museum

Connell Joins Business Partnership

Connell Insurance, Inc. has joined the Taney County Business Development Partnership as a board member. One of the goals of the partnership is to create and sustain jobs throughout the year as well as supporting and nurturing existing businesses within the community.

As a Taney County business owner, Tim Connell stressed the importance of this partnership opting to become a board member. “I’ve lived in Taney County all my life. I understand that while tourism is what drives the community, it’s the sustainability of jobs and local employees which will help to strengthen the community.”

The Partnership is one of several Missouri agencies coordinating relief and assistance to the businesses that were directly impacted by the February 29th EF2 tornado.

For more information, visit www.ConnellInsurance.com or call (417) 334-2000.

Connell Insurance, based in Hollister, MO, is one of the largest insurance agencies serving southwestern Missouri. An independent insurance agency, Connell specializes in both commercial and personal lines of insurance, representing numerous insurance companies.

By: Jacob McCauley

Dr. Temple Grandin, renowned speaker, author, animal scientist, and Autism advocate, will speak on livestock handling at College of the Ozarks on March 28, 2012, at 7 p.m., in Jones Auditorium.

Grandin, born August 29, 1947, in Boston, Massachusetts, was diagnosed with autism in 1950. She was later placed in a nursery school that would teach her how to speak and other basic skills. “I can remember the frustration of not being able to talk. I knew what I wanted to say, but I could not get the words out, so I would just scream,” said Grandin. At the age of four, Grandin began making significant progress and attributes that to her mentors.

After graduating from a boarding school designed for gifted children, Dr. Grandin studied at Franklin Pierce College to earn her degree in psychology in 1970. In 1975, she received a master’s degree in animal science from Arizona State University, and in 1989, she received a doctoral degree in animal science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Today, she teaches at Colorado State University and consults with the livestock industry on facility design, livestock handling and animal welfare. She has appeared on television shows such as “20/20,” “48 Hours,” CNN’s “Larry King Live,” “PrimeTime Live,” the “Today Show” and has been featured on National Public Radio.

The convocation is free and open to the public. Students are allowed priority seating. For more information on the convocation with Dr. Grandin and other special guests at College of the Ozarks, contact the Public Relations Office at (417) 690-2212.

BRANSON AIRPORT PREPARES FOR STORM SEASON WITH STATE WIDE TORNADO DRILL

BRANSON, MISSOURI (March 12, 2012) – In light of the recent tornado that swept through the Branson area on February 29th, the Branson Airport is now, more than ever, prepared for future severe storms. On Tuesday, March 13th at 1:30pm, tornado sirens will sound all across Missouri for the state wide tornado drill. At that time, Airport staff will participate in taking cover in the designated shelters and practice proper procedure for storm safety with airport passengers.

The Missouri Department of Public Safety and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) explain that “Severe weather can strike at any time in Missouri, making it important for our communities to be prepared to take shelter in any location. The Statewide Tornado Drill is an excellent opportunity for Missourians to practice their sheltering plans and ensure readiness in the case of a severe weather emergency. The statewide drill allows schools, businesses and families to be assured that they are able to seek appropriate shelter quickly and safely prior to an actual severe weather emergency. By practicing and increasing readiness across the state, Missourians will feel confident and prepared in the event of actual severe weather emergencies.”

Branson Airport is proud to be a StormReady Supporter among others in Missouri including: Bush Stadium/ St. Louis Cardinals, FEMA Region VII Headquarters, KCTV5 (Kansas City), SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center, and the St. Louis Zoo. “StormReady Supporters and StormReady communities are better prepared to save lives from the onslaught of severe weather through advanced planning, education and awareness. No community is storm proof, but StormReady can help communities save lives.”

Jeff Bourk, Executive Director of Branson Airport, stated “With the recent announcement on January 20th of Southwest Airlines committing to serve Branson, Missouri and to convert AirTran Airways at Branson Airport to Southwest Airlines operations over time; it will mean that more people will be using the airport for both business and leisure travel. This makes being prepared for a large scale disaster at the airport more important than ever.”

Branson Airport now has 9 non-stop destinations, including its newest daily service to Chicago and Houston. The airport also has one stop connecting service to most major cities in the United States via AirTran Airways and Frontier Airlines. For a complete list of destinations available at the Branson Airport, visit www.FlyBranson.com.

About Branson Airport:
Opening its doors May of 2009, Branson Airport LLC is the first privately developed and operated commercial service airport in the United States. The airport is served by AirTran Airways (a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines), Frontier Airlines and Branson AirExpress. Located in the heart of the Ozarks and centrally located in the Midwest, the airport also boasts a state of the art FBO, Branson JetCenter and a full service travel agency and public charter operator, FlyBranson Travel LLC d/b/a Branson AirExpress. For more information on Branson Airport LLC and any of its subsidiaries please visit FlyBranson.com.

Student’s Dream To Be An Author Becomes Reality

Veteran John Primerano with Cailin Casey during Pariotic Education Trip to France, Belgium and Germany.

Senior Cailin Casey says that she has always wanted be an author of fiction books. These days, she says all she wants to write about are real heroes. Last spring, Casey and 16 other College of the Ozarks students accompanied six WWII Veterans to battle sites in Europe as part of the College’s Patriotic Education Travel Program, which is designed so that students learn about history and sacrifice from the men and women who lived it. During the trip she became inspired, so much, that upon her return, she wrote a short book about stories the Veterans shared with her.

The book, Twice as Brave, is a collection of the true stories of six WWII Veterans, Andy Anderson (5th Engineers Special Brigade), Bill Kamsler (102nd Infantry Division), Ned Knapp (75th Infantry Division), John Primerano (101st Airborne), Lou Rabesa (Army Air Force), and Bryan Sperry (75th Infantry Division).

EXCERPT (Casey, page 1): “Below John Primerano’s dangling boots were 450 feet of nothing but air. All the guys had told him, ‘You don’t want to get hung up in the trees.’ The distance between his feet and those tall poplars was becoming steadily shorter. Before the jump, he couldn’t pass up the treat of a whole tin of peaches and sat with his buddies beneath the wing of the plane and ate every bite. Those peaches were more appetizing going down than coming back up all over his jumpsuit. Still it seemed he was headed right for those trees. In moments, he was sure his chute would be caught in them and he would be stuck like a feather in a barbed wire fence.”

Individuals interested in obtaining a copy of the book may purchase one for $9.99 at The Keeter Center Gift Shop at College of the Ozarks (417) 690-2110. Casey is donating all of the proceeds to the College’s Patriotic Education Travel Program. On May 12, from 1-3 p.m., the College plans to host a book signing event for Casey at The Keeter Center. Book clubs or other groups may request her to share about Twice as Brave at one of their meetings by calling (417) 690-2276.

Twice as Brave may be small (less than 50 pages), but is the beginning of something much bigger for Casey. One of the Veterans John Primerano, whom she accompanied on the trip, asked Casey if she would write his biography. She accepted his offer and will begin writing his memoir this summer, after she graduates from College of the Ozarks. “I always thought I would write fiction,” Casey said, “but sometimes truth is more fascinating than fiction.”

PRESS RELEASE
(IMMEDIATE)

January 31, 2012

Hollister MO, On Wednesday February 1st and possibly Thursday February 2nd Summit Natural Gas of Missouri, Inc. will be conducting routine maintenance on gas lines. This maintenance may create an odor. Citizens should not be alarmed as this should be minimal. Please direct concerns or comments to Hollister City Hall, 417-334-3262.

Ralph Foster Museum To Host Area Appreciation- February 1-11, 2012
By: Chelsea Kliethermes

The Ralph Foster Museum at College of the Ozarks will host area appreciation with free admission from February 1-11, for the residents of Boone, Carroll, Christian, Greene, Stone and Taney counties.

The Ralph Foster Museum is dedicated to the history of the Ozarks region. The museum is named in honor of the late Ralph D. Foster (radio pioneer and philanthropist) the museum houses thousands of objects representing archaeology, history, firearms, antiques, numismatics, natural history, fine arts, geology and mineralogy.

Among other things, the museum houses the original Beverly Hillbillies car, Music Hall of Fame, and Rosie O’Neil’s Kewpie Doll Collection and one of the largest gun collections in the country.

The Ralph Foster Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For further information, please contact the Museum at 417-690-3407.

Emergency Managers Gather To Plan For Disaster

Hollister, MO (January 31, 2012) – Leaders from public safety agencies throughout Taney County gathered at Taney County Ambulance District on Friday, January 27 to practice managing a local disaster. The virtual event presented a large aircraft emergency at Branson Airport. Representatives from local agencies discussed how their personnel and resources would respond to such an event.

“This exercise provided a great opportunity for responders to see each other in person and review emergency operation plans,” said Chris Berndt, Taney County Emergency Manager. “Also, this allows agencies to finalize and review their plans prior to the full scale exercise in March.”

Emergency managers and public safety personnel will gather for a full-scale disaster exercise at Branson Airport on March 3, 2012. The FAA requires Part 139 commercial service airports, like Branson Airport, to conduct a tabletop emergency drill annually and a full scale emergency drill every third year.

“Safety and emergency preparedness are two of our highest priorities at the Branson Airport,” said Jeremy Berven, Director of Operations at Branson Airport. “This exercise, along with the drill in March, allows us and our community partners to focus on these items.”

Just days ago, Southwest Airlines announced that it was committed to serving Branson Airport. It plans to convert AirTran Airways at Branson to Southwest Airlines operations over time. Southwest also announced that it will commence daily non-stop service from Branson Airport to both Chicago Midway Airport and Houston Hobby Airport starting April 16, 2012.

Western Taney Fire Assistant Chief Bruce Bjorge shows a map of the Branson Airport to the group.

The exercise was coordinated among leaders in the same way an Emergency Operations Center would be set up in a similar situation.

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