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Famed Branson violin player returns to stage year-and-a-half after fire damaged his venue

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Famed violin player Shoji Tabuchi, who’s become a staple of the Branson performance scene, will start performing for the first time since his theater was shuttered last year due to fire damage.

Shoji Tabuchi (Image courtesy of KOLR-TV)

It’s thought that Tabuchi will reopen his venue, which has been closed since May 2017, in early 2019.  But even sooner, the iconic musician and local favorite is taking the stage at another theater along Branson’s entertainment strip.

Tabuchi is now doing Christmas themed shows through December 21st at the Clay Cooper Theater.

Branson show-goer Jeff Benson had been worried about Tabuchi absence.  “He hasn’t been here a year and a half since the fire at his theater,” Benson said. “We were wondering because it’d been taking quite a while.  It’s been close to a year and a half and we haven’t heard much news.”

Clay Cooper and his wife Tina, who are also performers at the theater they own, are pleased to Tabuchi in their current line-up of entertainers.  “He’s always been the standard to live up to,” Clay Cooper said.  “He’s always been iconic to Branson,” said Tina Cooper.

Tina Cooper noted the damage to Tabuchi’s theater was a setback for the celebrated performer. “It’s a lot more intricate than people realize because there are so many things involved,” Cooper said. “It’s not just things here and there. It’s theatre seats, it’s costumes, it’s lighting. There’s just so many things that come into play when you have to get the restoration done.”

The Coopers say having him gone from the strip for even one more day would’ve been too long. “We definitely want Shoji here in Branson,” Tina Cooper said. “We think he’s great for our town.”

Branson show-goer Benson is equally excited to have Tabuchi back.  “He’s been here a long time,” Benson said. “Kind of an icon. Certainly glad to see he’s coming back.”

(KOLR-TV contributed this report)

Kansas City’s airport sets record passenger numbers for month of September

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A record was set for September passenger traffic at Missouri’s second busiest airport in Kansas City.

A Southwest Airlines plane at Kansas City International Airport (photo courtesy of KCI)

Kansas City International, also known as KCI, is the 40th busiest airport in the country and is listed as a Medium Hub Primary by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as is St. Louis Lambert International, which ranks 32nd in passenger traffic.

Passenger boardings were up 4.1 percent, with a total of 477,339 boarded in September from a year earlier.  Year-to-date passenger boardings are 4,430,552, up 2.8 percent from 2017, which was the third busiest in the airport terminal’s history.  There are boardings for October, November, and December that are yet to be counted to see if last year’s total of 5,628,573 can be topped.  The two busiest years in the KCI’s history were 2001 and 1995.

KCI spokesperson Joe McBride says the increased traffic is a reflection of strong economic activity in the Kansas City area.  “It’s definitely good for the airport,” said McBride.  “It’s good for the economy.  People are coming and going for business.  Conventions are looking up.  It bodes well.”

Outside of the 30 busiest airports which are categorized as Large Hub Primary by the FAA, McBribe says airlines have gone to a system of point-to-point service and limited connections in growing markets such as Kansas City.  “It’s flights throughout the day, but also the ability to connect, so the best of both worlds really, where we can build on that point-to-point service but also give people the option of connecting,” McBride said.  “You could call it a mini-hub if you will.”

KCI is serviced by 11 airlines that fly to about 46 nonstop destinations daily through 174 daily departures.  Like in St. Louis, the largest carrier in Kansas City is Southwest Airlines which accounts for nearly half of all boarding’s.  Southwest handles 49.5% of the traffic through the airport terminal followed by Delta at 17.1%, American at 14% and United with 10.1%.  Carriers such as Air Canada, Alaska, and Frontier also offer daily service to their own hub cities from KCI.

McBride says Kansas City draws travelers from as far as two hundred miles away including cities like Des Moines, Iowa, Wichita, Kansas, and Springfield that offer fewer destinations and higher fares.  “They don’t have as many non-stops or perhaps the airfares are higher where it warrants traveling about two to three hours to Kansas City to fly, especially if you have a number of people flying in a family,” said McBride.

Kansas City will soon have the only non-stop service to European waters through Icelandair, which offers seasonal service to Iceland.  Budget carrier WOW Air will cease operations to the same country from St. Louis after January 7th.  WOW only began serving St. Louis May 17th.

McBride says Icelandair gives travelers the option of laying over several days in Iceland before connecting to flights bound for continental Europe.  “They call it an Iceland Stayover, where you can stop, get off, stay a few days, get back on the plane and go to Europe and it doesn’t cost anything additional,” McBride said.

Pat Klein, Director of the City of Kansas City Aviation Department, which runs KCI, said the newly announced passenger boarding statistics bode well for a new terminal which will break ground in 2019.  “September’s historic result is the culmination of 12 consecutive months of year-over-year gains at Kansas City International Airport,” said Klein. “With the continued expansion of service by our airline partners and construction of a new single terminal set to kick off soon, Kansas City’s air travel future is extremely bright.”

Kansas City voters approved a November ballot measure for a new KCI terminal.  The plan calls for a $1 billion project to replace the existing structure with funds paid for by airlines and user fees, not tax dollars.  The ballot measure’s passage caps six-plus years of fits and stops and political wrangling within the city over a facility considered to be obsolete in some circles.

Spokesperson McBride said the new terminal will have slightly fewer gates than the current structure, 42 versus roughly 50 now, but will handle a larger volume of aircraft and passengers.  “It’ll be more efficient for the airlines where they can move more flights and passengers in and out through the facility,” McBride said.

The city had spent $1.7 million on a study to explore options for a new airport. Maryland-based firm Edgemoor Infrastructure and Real Estate will move forward with development and construction of the new terminal.

Parson on gas tax: We’ve added 6,000+ new highway miles since last gas take hike

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Missouri’s governor has been barnstorming across the state, campaigning for a November ballot measure that would increase the state gasoline tax. Governor Mike Parson has traveled to Springfield, Hannibal, St. Joseph, Sedalia and other towns during the past two weeks, campaigning for Proposition D. The Bolivar Republican says Missouri can’t keep kicking the can down the road.

Kansas City Mayor Sly James (left), Missouri Governor Mike Parson and St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson listen as SBA Administrator Linda McMahon briefs them at T-REX in St. Louis on September 7, 2018 (File photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI)

“We haven’t done anything for our transportation system for over two decades, for over 20 years,” Parson says. “And we’ve added 6,000 miles of new highway systems since that time.”

Missouri’s gasoline tax has remained at 17-cents a gallon since 1996. Proposition D supporters say that because of inflation, the gasoline tax is worth just seven cents of the value it had 22 years ago.

During a visit last week to the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) headquarters in Jefferson City, Governor Parson told Missourinet the state’s transportation system is underfunded.

“And you know, I’ve never been out in front of taxes or use fees hardly ever in my career. But this is one that I really think sometimes you just got to step up and do what’s right for Missouri,” says Parson.

If Proposition D is approved, the state’s gasoline tax would be increased by ten cents a gallon. It would be phased in over four years, at 2.5 cents annually.

The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, Missouri Pork Producers Association and the Missouri Farm Bureau are among the commodity groups backing Proposition D.

Parson says agriculture and transportation are linked.

“When you think of all the products in this state and it’s the number one industry, whether it be pork, whether it be beef, whether it be rowcroppers, of all the transportation that’s involved in that, it’s a huge deal,” Parson says.

Cattle producer Patty Wood in west-central Missouri’s Pettis County says Proposition D “means getting from farm to market without delay,” and says Missouri must invest in transportation.

Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) Director Patrick McKenna also says Proposition D’s passage is crucial.

Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, a Republican, who also supports the measure, told the Columbia Chamber of Commerce last week that there is no organized opposition to Proposition D.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Missouri’s proposed gas tax increase receives support from business and labor (AUDIO)

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Missouri Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe told business leaders in Columbia on Tuesday that a proposed gasoline tax increase is receiving bipartisan support.

Missouri Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe addresses the Columbia Chamber of Commerce about Proposition D on October 16, 2018 (Brian Hauswirth photo)

Missourians will be casting ballots in November on Proposition D, which is a ten-cent gasoline tax increase.

Kehoe delivered a presentation to the Columbia Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, noting the measure has support from groups ranging from the Teamsters Union to the Missouri Chamber of Commerce. He says roads are not a Democratic or Republican issue.

“Trying to keep our roads safe and trying to make sure our bridges are intact for our school buses and families to drive over, that’s a non-partisan issue,” Kehoe says.

Governor Mike Parson, a Republican and U.S. Sens. Claire McCaskill, D, and Roy Blunt, R, are among leaders in both parties supporting Proposition D.

If approved, the tax increase would be phased in over four years, at 2.5 cents annually. Kehoe says Proposition D would mean more than $2 billion in new state funding for roads and bridges.

He says there’s a contractor in southwest Missouri’s Joplin who goes to Texas and Arkansas to work because there aren’t enough projects in the Show-Me State.

“The estimate is after full funding in ten years it puts about an additional 20,000 Missourians to work,” says Kehoe. “And those are the people you go to church with, those are the people you see in the grocery store.”

Missouri’s 17-cent gasoline tax has remained the same since 1996. Proposition D supporters say that because of inflation, the 17-cent gasoline tax is worth just seven cents of the value it had 22 years ago.

Proposition D would also establish an “emergency state freight bottleneck fund”. Columbia Chamber of Commerce President Matt McCormick notes the bottleneck fund would address locations like heavily-congested I-70 and Highway 63 in Columbia.

“It is a massive bottleneck in our community and it’s probably one of the worst, I would say it’s probably one of the worst on I-70 right now,” McCormick says.

Traffic is especially heavy on I-70 and Highway 63 during morning and afternoon rush-hour traffic and during Mizzou football Saturdays.

Kehoe tells the audience there’s also a major bottleneck at Interstates 70 and 64, near Wentzville.

Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) Director Patrick McKenna says Proposition D is crucial for Missouri, adding that MoDOT has about $8 billion in unfunded needs.

The Columbia Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Proposition D.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, which was recorded on October 16, 2018 at the Drury Plaza Hotel Columbia East:

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Missouri replaces bluebird license plate to showcase historic birthday

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On August 10, 2021, Missouri turns the ripe age of 200 years old. To celebrate its statehood a little early, a new license plate theme has been rolled out.

Missouri replaces bluebird license plate to showcase historic birthday

The state Legislature passed a bill in 2016 requiring the Department of Revenue to issue a new design as part of Missouri’s celebration of statehood, or its bicentennial. The outline replaces the Missouri bluebird license plate from 2008.

It features red waves at the top and blue waves at the bottom to symbolize the Missouri flag and Missouri rivers. The waves are meant to reflect the state’s historic role as a gateway for American exploration and transportation. The design also showcases Missouri’s state seal, a star and the years 1821 and 2021.

During a press conference Tuesday at the state Capitol, Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe says the plate’s theme – History that moves you – is fitting.

“It’s an important time in our state to look at the history that we’ve been through, the history that this license plate reflects, especially with the strength of our rivers that run through our state and a huge asset that has been to us as Missouri,” Kehoe says.

Sen. Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, agrees with Kehoe that Missourians should not lose sight of the state’s rich history.

“I heard it said the other day I think at the State Historical Society dinner that it’s important to give our state’s history a future. I think this is one of the things that does that,” Rowden says.

Jackie Bemboom with the Department of Revenue says the new design has been distributed to the state’s licensing offices.

“In 1911, there were only 16,387 plates issued. For this reissuance, we have to produce over 12 million plates. This equates to 2,602,785 pounds of aluminum,” she says.

Most Missouri drivers are required to get the new plates and will cost either $3.36 per set for the raised letters and numbers or $7.54 per set for the flat design. The fee covers the state’s $17 million cost of developing the plates through the design and production phases and the aluminum purchased.

Individuals with specialty license plates and permanent or historic registrations will be exempt. Personalized license plates are not considered specialty plates.

A Bicentennial Commission is also being formed to coordinate a big birthday bash for Missouri.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Parson: Proposed gas tax increase would cost the average motorist $1.25 a month

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Governor Mike Parson continues his state tour to promote “Infrastructure Week,” which kicked off on Monday. During a stop in the St. Louis-area this morning to speak at the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry Workforce 2030 Conference, much of the governor’s speech centered around Proposition D, a proposed gas tax increase.

Gov. Mike Parson

“That gas tax of 2 1/2 cents for four years would cost the average motorist $1.25 a month,” he said. “If you drive 12,000 to 15,000 miles a year, that’s what it’s going to cost you – $1.25.”

Parson, a Republican, encouraged those at the conference to promote Prop D, which will be on the November ballot. The measure calls for generating at least $288 million annually to the State Road Fund. It would also help to pay for Missouri Highway Patrol enforcement efforts.

“You can tell your senior citizen friends when they say ‘I don’t want to pay anymore. I’m on a fixed income.’ Good. If you don’t drive very much, you’re not going to pay very much,” he said.

Missouri’s 17 cents per gallon fuel tax has not been hiked since 1996.

Since taking office back in June, Parson has said his workforce development and infrastructure are among his top priorities.

Parson’s next stop will be at the MODOT Planning Partner’s Meeting in Springfield on Wednesday.

By Missourinet contributor Jill Enders

Popular Missouri destination named one of best fall foliage spots in America

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A USA Today readers poll ranks Lake of the Ozarks second in destinations for fall foliage. Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks finished in the polling behind Michigan’s Upper Peninsula but topped eight other destinations, including the Pocono Mountains, Door County in Wisconsin, the White Mountains in New Hampshire, among others.

A scenic overlook at Ha Ha Tonka State Park near Camdenton, MO at the Lake of the Ozarks (PHOTO COURTESY OF LAKE OF THE OZARKS TRI-COUNTY LODGING ASSOCIATION & CONVENTION AND VISITOR BUREAU)

“Every autumn, we have many visitors return to the Lake of the Ozarks area for the changing of the seasons,” says Tim Jacobsen, executive director of the Lake of the Ozarks Convention and Visitor Bureau. “The majority of our fall visitors come from Missouri, but we get a lot from all over the Midwest and the west coast, as well, because they don’t get to experience fall like we do here in Central Missouri. They plan their entire vacations around it. Perhaps with this recognition, we’ll see more visitors from around the country traveling to our beautiful destination to enjoy our stunning scenery.”

The peak of the fall color at the Lake of the Ozarks typically occurs in mid- to late-October, when the trees are at the height of their fall display. The peak season varies from year to year, depending on the weather and can span until early November.

The Lake of the Ozarks has more than 1,100 miles of shoreline, with forests stretching along most of it with vibrant shades of red, orange and yellow in the fall.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

High water leads to isolated road closures in Missouri

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The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) reports there are 26 road closures as of early Monday, mostly in the Northeast section near the Mississippi River.

MoDOT says the flooding is localized to the northeast region although additional flooding has closed roadways in western Missouri between Kansas City and St. Joseph.  Most of the affected roads are lettered county highways.

Several state roads, including Missouri Route 94 north of St. Louis and Missouri Route 224 near Wellington and Lexington in the western portion of the state are closed.

MoDOT tells Missourinet the closures are minor compared to storms in 2017 that closed 300 roadways at one time.

MoDOT Director: Nets used on I-270 to keep bridge pieces from falling on cars and people (AUDIO)

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The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) director says the agency is using nets on heavily-traveled I-270 in St. Louis County, to keep pieces of bridges from falling and hitting people and vehicles below. MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna made the announcement about the nets during last week’s meeting with planning partners in Jefferson City.

This is a photo of the nets being used by MoDOT at I-270 and Florissant Road, to keep pieces of bridges from falling off (photo courtesy of the Missouri Department of Transportation)

“It’s one of the oldest segments of our interstate system,” McKenna says. “It’s in desperate need of repair. We need to be working on that. We need to be working on it soon.”

I-270 loops around St. Louis, and connects with I-70, I-64, I-44 and I-55. McKenna describes I-270 as an “incredibly important aspect” to the region, Missouri and the nation. He says about $700 billion in products are moved on that highway annually.

“The age and condition of that infrastructure, on a given day we can have 140, 150,000 vehicles a day on that, and probably 25, 30% of that is commercial vehicles,” says McKenna.

He says passage of a ten-cent gasoline tax on the November ballot is crucial. Missouri’s gasoline tax hasn’t been increased since 1996. Missourians will cast ballots on Proposition D on November 6.

Missouri’s 21st century transportation system task force submitted a report to the Legislature in January, and recommended improvements on 270.

Click here to listen to Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) Director Patrick McKenna’s full interview with Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and KY-3 reporter Andrew Havranek, which was recorded on October 9, 2018 at Jefferson City’s McClung Park:

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet

Lieutenant Governor’s program showcases Missouri-made items to buy

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During this first annual Buy Missouri Week underway, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe wants the public to “support our own backyard folks” and purchase Missouri-made goods the state has to offer. He says the Buy Missouri program, which includes about 150 companies both large and small, aims to boost the state’s economy and businesses. They are promoted for free on the website Kehoe’s office runs – BuyMissouri.net – with the hope of getting many more.

Buy Missouri Week is underway

“It’s very exciting. All across Missouri, there’s somebody down some road that nobody even knew about maybe in the community that says ‘Hey did you know they make whatever down that road? They make pontoon boats, they make sausage.’ It’s fascinating to find all those places out,” Kehoe says. “When you buy Missouri-made products, you’re likely helping somebody that you go to church with, that’s on the soccer field with you or the parents of somebody that your kids go to school with.”

It’s not even Halloween yet, but some Missourians are already thinking about the holidays. Kehoe, a Republican from Jefferson City, says the website is a good place to go shopping and find gifts.

“If you want a consumable, outdoor equipment, building supplies, or whatever it is you’re looking for, you can look and find a company that manufactures one of those products and then you might want to consider that as you go out and shop,” Kehoe says.

The list of goods goes on and on. BuyMissouri.net promotes all sorts of items, like automobiles, clothing, tool boxes, food and beauty products, agriculture goods, adult beverages, windows, and various candies.

“Missouri products are everything from GM cars and trucks built in Wentzville, Ford cars and trucks in Kansas City, Quaker windows in Freeburg, which is one of the nation’s largest window manufacturers, all the way down to someone who manufactures charcoal,” he says.

Kehoe says the most unique product he’s encountered is Cherry Mash – a popular sweet treat made for the past 100 years in northwest Missouri’s St. Joseph.

“Most people are familiar with it, have seen it on the shelves, have eaten it, have bought it,” Kehoe chuckles.

Gov. Mike Parson, R, pioneered the Buy Missouri Initiative as lieutenant governor. Kehoe sponsored Senate Bill 891 establishing Buy Missouri Week. It was signed into law having received overwhelming bi-partisan support in both legislative chambers.

To sign up for the program or browse the different products, click here.

Copyright © 2018 · Missourinet