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Community Bridge Toll-Free Day: Today, April 30th, 2024 is Community Bridge Toll-Free Day in Lake Ozark.On May 1, 1998, the Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge opened to traffic and began collecting tolls to repay the bridge construction. Today, 26 years later, the final toll was collected to pay off the bridge and it is now free for all traffic.A ceremony commemorating this occasion was held overlooking the bridge today, with a proclamation delivered by Mayor Newberry naming today as Community Bridge Toll-Free Day. Comments were heard from Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe, the Missouri Highway Commission, and representatives from the Community Bridge Board of Directors.The City is thankful for the visionary leadership that conceived of this project decades ago, and is looking forward to a new era of impact this bridge holds as a toll-free facility, soon to be maintained by the State of Missouri. 

TEST TW WEATHER

Posted on by dan

Board, chief laud donor for support of LOPD

The outpouring of support for the Lake Ozark Police Department continues.

Two weeks after Dennis Reese and Springfield Armory donated new weapons and accessories for every LOPD officer including reserves, a Lake Ozark businessman has donated $7,500 strictly for use by the department for the benefit of its officers.

Police Chief Gary Launderville reported at the regular Sept. 14 board of aldermen meeting that George Tucker, owner of Tucker’s Shuckers on The Strip, handed him a check recently.

The board then adopted a resolution expressing the city’s appreciation.

Chief Launderville told the board that he took a call from Tucker about a month ago asking what he could do for LOPD officers. Tucker said he wanted to make sure any donation would go to LOPD officers.

The chief explained that because of budgetary restrictions, any donation couldn’t be put in the in the city’s general fund with guarantees it would be used for the LOPD. He said Tucker insisted the money be used for the LOPD and not for general city expenses such as filling potholes.

“I want this for the betterment of the police officers,” he told the chief.

The only way that could happen, Launderville explained, was for a donation be made to the Lake Ozark Police Benevolent Police Association.

“I was expecting a $500 check,” Launderville said. “About a week and a half later, George walked through the door with a $7,500 check. For a local businessman to step up and do something like that, the same as Denny Reese, and then you look at the donations we’ve received the last 30 days it’s amazing. Our department truly appreciates it.”

Launderville noted that the donation is not a donation to the City of Lake Ozark but to a totally separate, non-profit organization for the betterment of the officers or the department. When equipment is not in the LOPD budget, the Benevolent Association steps up and helps, he explained. 

“It benefits the City of Lake Ozark, it benefits the community,” Launderville said. “We don’t do fund raisers because Lord knows we don’t have time. We rely on donations and the goodwill of the community.”

 

The resolution

It says:

George Tucker has been instrumental in the redevelopment of the Bagnell Dam Strip, having established Tucker’s Shuckers Oysters & Tap and Neon Taco.

The city would like to recognize Mr. Tucker’s community leadership, support and generosity to the city including a substantial donation of $7,500 recently made to the Police Benevolent Fund.

The board of aldermen publicly expresses its appreciation to Mr. Tucker for his generosity to the police Benevolent Fund and his other contributions to our community.