Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.– James 5:16
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INSIDE:
• Around Town.... 12A • Churches............ 6C • Classifieds........... 7C • Entertainment ��� 1B • Opinion.............. 4A • Fun & Games...... 8C • Weather........... 11A
August 18, 2023 • Volume 4, Issue #33
Silver Dollar City announces ‘Fire In The Hole’ 2024
PLUS:
Clay Cooper is a Hall of Famer! SEE PAGE 9A.
This artist’s rendering depicts the new, $30 million Fire In The Hole indoor family roller coaster, set to open in 2024 in the newly incorporated Fire District of Silver Dollar City. (Photo courtesy Silver Dollar City) Meet new columnist, Jody Johnson Godfrey. SEE PAGE 6B.
Make that smile perfect! SEE PAGE 1C.
WEEKEND WEATHER:
Dry and very warm this weekend, with highs into the mid-90s, and overnight lows around 70 under partly sunny skies. Wear your sunscreen and stay hydrated!
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BY LINDA PAGE, Entertainment Writer On August 14, 2023, Silver Dollar City announced the new groundbreaking $30 million Fire In The Hole indoor family roller coaster, the largest in the Midwest. Opening in spring of 2024, the highly-anticipated attraction joins the park’s lineup of revolutionary rides. Located in the newly incorporated Fire District, Fire In The Hole doubles the size of one of The City’s most popular areas, already home to Station No. 3 firehouse and a collection of family-friendly attractions. Just ten months ago, the 1880s theme park revealed an additional $30 million investment in new guest experiences and improvements, hinting at further development in the next five years. Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, recently announced Silver Dollar SEE FIRE IN THE HOLE, PAGE 1B
Parson seeks federal, state, local damage assessements preparing, for disaster declaration request Submitted to Branson Globe Governor Mike Parson announced on August 11, 2023, that the state has begun the process of obtaining federal disaster assistance in response to severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that began impacting Missouri on July 29. “Beginning July 29, a severe weather pattern has repeatedly struck Missouri with damaging winds, tornadoes and flash flooding, causing extensive damage in 26 counties across the state,” Governor Parson said. “The State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has been working closely with local emergency managers and believes the damage clearly warrants the need for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to participate in joint assessments in preparation for a federal disaster declaration request.” The state has requested the FEMA participate in joint Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDAs) in the following counties: Adair, Barton, Bates, Benton, Bollinger, Christian, Clark, Crawford, Dade,
Greene, Grundy, Henry, Jackson, Knox, Madison, Maries, Mississippi, Morgan, Osage, Ozark, Perry, St. Genevieve, Scotland, Scott, Taney and Vernon. Joint PDA teams are made up of representatives from, FEMA, SEMA and local emergency managers who document storm damage and estimate recovery costs. For Public Assistance, both state and county thresholds must be met in order for a county to be included in the request. On August 4, an EF-2 tornado in Baring, Missouri, located in Knox County, destroyed or caused major damage to more than 35 residences as well as the town’s post office, fire station and several other buildings. More than 30 people were displaced from their homes. That same night, torrential rain in Adair County led to flash flooding and dozens of emergency calls. Hundreds of thousands of Missourians have lost power over the past month due to strong winds downing trees and utility poles.
Shoji and Dorothy Tabuchi (Photo by Gary J. Groman)
The journey of the incredible Shoji Tabuchi: In his own words By Gary J. Groman, his friend On August 11, 2023, the incredible Shoji Tabuchi passed away. He leaves a legacy that will forever echo through the annals of Branson entertainment history and in the hearts of his fans. Since then, many have written tributes and accolades about his life and career. This one is a tad different. Those who have experi-
enced Shoji on stage know that, along with his legendary skills on the fiddle and violin, he had a special love for interacting with his audience. His words shared his extraordinary journey from Japan to Branson and his love and appreciation of America. Without fail, they touched the hearts of his audiences, adding to their enjoyment of the total Shoji
Tabuchi entertainment experience. Shoji answered questions about that journey during a “Q & A” interview* with this writer (GG) a few years ago. Shoji shares glimpses of the journey that made him a Branson entertainment icon as he did every performance. A journey taking him from Japan to the SEE SHOJI, PAGE 7A
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