A prominent anti-tax group is spending $100,000 to run a negative TV ad against Republican Blaine Luetkemeyer in the 9th Congressional District primary, a move that could boost his GOP rival, state Rep. Bob Onder.

In November, voters will choose between a Republican and a Democratic candidate to fill the seat on the 26th Judicial Circuit Court to replace Judge Greg Kays, who resigned to take a seat on the federal bench. Until then the circuit has one sitting judge for the five counties.

The fastest boats on the lake will all be headed west to check out the course for 20th anniversary celebration of the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout.  The two-day event is expected to draw thousands to the west side for the annual race that pits the fastest boats on the lake against each other for the rights to take home the Top Gun trophy.

The Surgical Institute of Lake of the Ozarks is the first multi-specialty ambulatory surgery center in the lake area. The center was developed by area physicians to provide their patients high quality, patient-focused outpatient care. Patients now have a choice when it comes to outpatient surgery, the release said.

Renewed testing for chronic wasting disease in 2007 turned up no evidence of the disease, but the Missouri Department of Conservation says it will continue stepped-up monitoring for two more years. CWD is a degenerative neurological malady that affects the deer family but has not been found to afflict any other animals. It was first documented in Colorado in 1967. It has since spread to other states.

The latest round of water samples raised no questions about the water quality. In fact, there was nothing but good news, according to Scott Robinett of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.   According to DNR, the most recent round of testing at Lake of the Ozarks found all 55 samples had only low levels of E. coli bacteria. There was nothing that raised any red flags. 

Lake residents and users can take simple steps to help reduce bacteria levels entering the lake.

It may be tempting to test fate and take a flying leap off a cliff, but it’s not advisable, even if it is your birthday. A 47-year-old man from Humboldt, Neb., ended up in Lake Regional Hospital after jumping off a cliff into Lake of the Ozarks earlier this week.

The Missouri Water Patrol has issued a temporary permit for several warning buoys near the 66-mile marker where a barge became beached on a shallow shoal.

By order of the court, a case that dates back nearly a year is headed back to the county commission for a re-do.
According to Presiding Commissioner Carolyn Loraine, in September 2007 there was a recording glitch with the county’s equipment when the commission met and denied a B-3 rezoning request filed by Gary Prewitt of Shady Gators. The property is currently zoned for single family residential use. It sits next to Shady Gators.

Three suspects are in custody and a fourth is wanted for questioning in connection with an early Thursday morning shooting in southern Camden County.  Two victims suffering from shotgun wounds to the head were taken to hospitals in Lebanon and Springfield.

The hearing officer has made the following recommendations to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Land Reclamation Commission to be included in the permit for Magruder Limestone Company:

If the state commission follows the recommendation of the hearing officer, Magruder Limestone Co., Inc., will soon be operating a quarry near the joint wastewater treatment plant that serves Osage Beach and Lake Ozark. The hearing officer appointed by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Land Reclamation Commission to handle the Magruder Limestone Co. Inc., versus Lake Ozark-Osage Beach Joint Sewer Treatment Plant case has filed a decision with the state recommending approval of the permit with stipulations.

Megan Bonacker says she isn’t quite sure what she got herself into.
Other than what research she has been able to gather online, the 23-year-old Camdenton High School graduate knows very little about Cape Verde.
After a year of interviews, paperwork and physicals, Bonacker was accepted into the Peace Corps and left Monday to start her 27-month stay abroad.