Longtime Radio Personality Marv Luten interviews guests, shares community updates, National and Local sports and more. The Marv in the Morning Podcast is a production of O’Quinn Media.
For guest or sponsorship opportunities, email tracy@oquinnmarketing.com or marvinthemorning53@gmail.com
— Automated Transcript —
**Marv in the Morning Podcast**
Welcome to the Marv in the Morning Podcast. Now, here’s Marv.
Thanks again for the nice intro and welcome again to another episode of the Marv in the Morning Podcast on the Fort Not Lost in the Woods Podcast site brought to you by Bales Construction, the Bank of Crocker, Paul’s Furniture, Shelter Insurance Agent Dave Howlett of Richland, Saint Robert Auto Supply, Seeker Toyota, the Pulaski County Health Center, STR Glass of Saint Robert, VFW Post 3168 of Lake Way, TK’s Pizza, and Three Brothers Meat Company at Lin Creek.
**Me and the Tube**
Well, we begin today with another round of me and the tube. Since the weather has been somewhat hot and humid and as mentioned before, after a few bouts of heat-induced sickness, I try to get the farm chores that require physical activity done early before the sun beats down from straight overhead. In other words, well before noon, if at all possible. It seems every day on the morning news shows, every day I say, the headlines always has some sort of weather problems somewhere in the US and other places around the globe.
In Europe, where they’ve had record heat and drought in some cases is one in the US, Indiana and Illinois have been hit hard with numerous tornadoes this year. Every thunderstorm seems to be packing enough rain to cause flash flooding problems and I’m talking some serious water coming out of the clouds above that causes evacuations of neighborhoods. If warned in enough time, otherwise, you’re in the same neighborhood as the fish.
Then there’s the heat and fires out west in the dry desert areas of the states. That’s more normal than the downpours. This is late August and I’m not a weatherman, but it seems to be a summer of record rainfall and thunderstorms in some parts of the nation, a lot in the upper Midwest. And we were talking about this uh at the Friday afternoon Armchair Quarterback Club meeting.
And trying to figure out what do they consider the Midwest. My argument was, why are we not in the central portion of the nation here in Missouri? Look at the map. And the Show Me State is almost smack dab in the middle of the country. And that to me, would indicate central. Our time zone is central, but they seem to call states due north of us the Midwest instead of say North Central. So, I googled it.
The Midwest is considered the North Central part of the United States, stretching between the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains, and north of Ohio. According to this Google site I checked, Missouri, along with Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota are in the West North Central portion, and yes, still considered the Midwest. This is according to the US Census Bureau, but now I know, for what it’s worth.
**Freedom 250 Grand Prix Indy Car Race**
The Freedom 250 Grand Prix Indy Car Race took place in Washington DC this past Sunday. And this is not about sports. Complaints came from all over social media, at least from what I heard, about the disruption to DC traffic and the cost of the race itself, and who is footing the bill. This is part of our nation’s 250th birthday. Yes. It’s well past July 4th, but you can’t do all the events in one month. It takes time to celebrate 250 years of being a nation.
I watched very little of the race, but it looks like they had a nice crowd and the flyovers that started the race went well beyond anything we have ever seen at any football game, the World Cup, or any other event that is held in outdoor stadiums or venues. I counted 44 planes and choppers representing each branch of the military. This also included Air Force One, the presidential transport plane.
How much did it cost the taxpayers? Don’t know at this point, and who cares? America’s debt has hit over 40 trillion. An all-time high and getting higher. Flybys are commonplace at events and what’s the cost of a little jet fuel, even for 44 planes and helicopters? Pretty soon, if the stuff with Iran and the Hormuz Strait continues, the price of fueling up a jet for a flyby will be about the same price as filling up at any local gas station we use. Hint. End this crap with Iran somehow, some way.
This does not seem to be consuming this administration, and they just don’t seem to give a darn about the American public’s struggles with high gas prices and grocery prices. And now prices on Canadian goods are going higher due to tariffs because they can’t figure that out either. What amazed me was the reports I saw. Hockey sticks were always the first thing they said that would spike in price. Hockey sticks? How many of us use hockey sticks? Furniture, agriculture products, and liquor will hurt the American economy more than a bunch of hockey sticks.
**Data Centers**
Data centers are all in the news again and will continue to be as long as local town governments continue to even think about allowing data centers to be constructed in their towns. Back on August 14th, I did an interview with former Pulaski County Commissioner Dennis Thornsberry, who is a cattleman and whose brother is a geologist. His wife is from the western portion of the US where water is a very big issue, and he gave us some up-to-date info on these data centers and why we need to take a long, hard look at what the centers could do to our water and electrical rates just to name a few. Go back to episode 114 on this podcast. Give it a listen and find out more, and why other communities in the state and around the country’s are opposed to these data centers.
Are they needed? Probably if we want the luxury of the internet and all that comes with it. When it was just a few computers, it was okay, but now with cell phones in everybody’s hand, the data out there is staggering. Before they build these centers, we need to find a better mousetrap to make sure our water is not affected, and all that info is in episode 114, which dropped by the way on August 14th on the Marv in the Morning Podcast site.
**School is Back in Session**
Well, school around the area is back in session. The yellow school buses are rolling in the morning and mid to late afternoon, so be aware. Many young children will be loading and offloading these big yellow buses, and sometimes they don’t pay a lot of attention, and tragedy could strike at any time. Which we hope never happens, but it’s up to us as motorists to be vigilant and obey the signs on school buses when loading and unloading the future leaders of our town and our nation.
**St. Robert City Council**
Today it’s back to the meeting room of the St. Robert City Council and what’s happening in one of the towns that borders Fort Leonard Wood, actually, the gateway to Fort Leonard Wood. St. Robert Mayor James Breckenridge is coming up next with an update on the construction on I-44 in his city and other things that are happening in St. Bob. The honorable mayor of St. Robert, James Breckenridge, is coming up next.
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**WIC**
WIC is here to help your growing family thrive. WIC is a supplemental nutrition program providing healthy foods, free nutrition education, and community referrals. If you are pregnant or have a child under the age of five, you or your child may be eligible for WIC. With a card to use at the store and more fruit and vegetable dollars, it’s a great time to be on WIC. Call the Pulaski County Health Center at 573-774-3115 to learn more. That’s 573-774-3115. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
**VFW Post 3168**
Meet you at the V is a popular saying in our Neck of the Woods, and for a good reason. VFW Post 3168 at Exit 150 of 44 is a popular place, especially on Friday and Saturday night, because it’s steak night from 4:00 to 9:00 where folks come from miles around to get some of the best steaks at a price that makes even the most thrifty smile. With several cuts of juicy steaks cooked the way you like, complimented by salad, baked potato, and a veggie. Their canteen is open Monday through Thursday from 3:00 to midnight, and Friday from 3:00 to 1:00 and they open at noon on Saturday and Sundays. Their kitchen is open from 5:00 to 9:00 Mondays through Thursdays with daily specials. And did I mention steak nights Fridays and Saturdays? And there’s karaoke Tuesdays through Saturdays from 8:00 to close. Plenty of TVs to catch up on all the big games and a huge meeting room for rent for your special occasions. Queen of Hearts runs every Tuesday and check out their website for bingo nights. And every second Saturday of the month from 12:00 noon to 3:00 PM, they host a veteran service officer event. Lake Way VFW Post 3168, Exit 150 of 44. See why more people are heading to the V every day.
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**Paul’s Furniture**
Planning to enjoy more family time in comfort this summer on your new furniture from Paul’s Furniture? They have two massive showrooms stocked full of today’s hottest brands at the guaranteed lowest prices. Brands like Lazy Boy, Flexsteel, and Ashley. Paul’s Furniture even offers 12 months same as cash financing. So with the guaranteed lowest prices and free delivery, your home for more comfort is Paul’s Furniture in Rolla and St. Robert.
**Interview with James Breckenridge**
Marv: On the podcast today, we have the honorable James Breckenridge back with us, the mayor of St. Robert. And again, I thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come up and share some things with us about the city.
James: Yeah, absolutely. You know, I enjoy coming to talk to you. We always have such a great time and I love being able to share some information with the community.
Marv: Yeah, you notice, no notes here hardly. You know, uh, normally when I interview people, there’s notes all over the place. Uh, but I don’t have, I don’t have to have any notes with you. It’s kind of like interviewing uh, Gary for the radio station. You just, you know what’s going on and you you let your guest do most of the talking and that’s what we’re going to do. Recently, uh, St. Robert had a city council meeting.
James: Yes, sir, we sure did and it was a very productive meeting. It it was a little bit longer than uh, most typical ones, ones are for sure, but there was a lot of great things that were happening and so just a few things I want to just kind of hit on. The first thing is is we were able to, as as a city, we were able to recognize uh, Major General and Sally Beck, who is the commanding general of Fort Leonard Wood. We were able to recognize him and thank him on behalf of myself, the Board of Aldermen, the city staff, and all the residents of St. Robert for the great community partnership that uh, he partnered with the city on a lot of things and made sure that his presence was always around. But you know, being uh, the gateway to Fort Leonard Wood, that that partnership is extremely important and I cherish that relationship and we just wanted to send him and his wife off into retirement in in a good, positive way. And so we recognized him with a, uh, city coin. We gave his wife a nice city blanket and then we gave him the uh, Patron of St. Robert Award, which is our highest honor that we give uh, residents in the city of St. Robert.
Marv: So, how’s everything else going uh, in the city so far? I mean, I know you’ve got a lot of things planned.
James: Yes, we got a lot of activities. So, you know, there was a couple of uh, key things that have been announced recently. And so the first thing I would love to just quickly touch on is that uh, our Christmas uh, kickoff spectacular uh, date has been announced. And and that date is going to be 1 December uh, 2026, which is going to be a Tuesday. And so, as of like last year, this Christmas kickoff spectacular is an opportunity for us to come together as a community, not only to enjoy and and have some nice free family photos with Santa. We’re going to have Frosty the Snowman, the Grinch, we’re going to have festive games, hot dogs, complimentary s’mores and a bunch of other things, but also we’re going to be lighting our Christmas tree for the second time this year uh, at 6:00 PM. So the event is going to uh, like I said, 1 December, Tuesday, from 5:00 to 7:00 with our Christmas tree lighting ceremony at 6:00 PM. And I was telling the the Board of Aldermen last night, it’s going to kind of be hard to top last year because last year we had a very light um, snowflakes were coming down as we were lighting the Christmas tree. Truly like a Hallmark movie and I it’s going to be hard to beat that one uh, like last year, but uh, we’re going to do it again this year and we look forward to all of our residents coming out on 1 December.
Marv: And this did not start off as a big event. This just started off as what a tree lighting ceremony?
James: Yes, yes. Absolutely. And so one of the things, you know, you always listen to your wife, right? And so my wife asked me when I became the mayor, she’s like, uh, would really love to see a tree lighting ceremony in St. Robert. And of course, they do them around. They do one on Fort Leonard Wood. They do some in other some of the other communities and so we did. So we started planning and it was going to be just a tree lighting ceremony. Well, when I got the committee together, because I don’t like to do, you know, I want the community to involved. And so we got a bunch of volunteers, residents of St. Robert to be on this Christmas committee and they’re the ones that took off with it. And so next thing you know, we had um, you know, of course, vendors. We had uh, the VFW, our local St. Robert VFW provided free hot dogs to everybody. Uh, we had a business company here locally that provided free s’mores with a real fire pit and everything. We had a bunch of vendors that had kids games and activities. We had the Grinch was there. The Frosty the Snowman paid a visit. And of course, Santa Mrs. Claus came riding up in our St. Robert Fire Truck and was able to see the kids and we did all free pictures. Every kid got a free picture with Santa that we were able to post later on to our city website and Facebook page to where parents can go download it.
And so it it blew many minds away because they didn’t realize it this event could be this big. And so for our inaugural event last year, we had over 500 people. I came out one time just to take it in a little bit and just stare at the parking lot for about three or four minutes and was just blown away that I couldn’t see an empty parking spot in the City of St. Robert’s Municipal Center and parking lot.
Marv: Now, this is not to be confused with Christmas in the Park that happens after the Waynesville Christmas parade.
James: That is correct. That is correct. Thank you very much for clarifying that. Yes, this is not to be confused with that. And that that Christmas in the Park, or Breakfast with Santa thing, that is currently in the planning session right now. Actually both events are, but uh, this event was going to be this one is going to be first, obviously, 1st of December to kick off Christmas uh, holiday season. The Christmas in the Park will have more details on that as as the committee meets and and starts to plan that event.
Marv: And we’re talking about Christmas. We haven’t even hit Labor Day yet.
James: I know.
Marv: There’s Christmas in July and now we’ve got um, fall tween uh, for Halloween two months earlier than Halloween. Everybody pre-plans ahead of time. What’s going on for Labor Day with the city?
James: Yeah, absolutely. Thank you very much for that. And so I want to alert all the residents that uh, obviously during the month of September, there is going to be a holiday. And that week is going to be 7 to 11 September with 7 uh, September being Labor Day. And so I just want to alert all of the residents in the City of St. Robert of certain things that are going to be taking place for the city to make sure that everybody’s aware. And so the first thing I want everybody to know that there’ll be no recycling pickup for both cities of St. Robert and Waynesville. Obviously, many people know that we do the waste collection for St. Robert and Waynesville. And so I can safely say that there’ll be no recycling for both cities that week. And real quickly, I’d love to explain why. And the reason is because the days, because our we give our folks the Labor Day off. And so they have to do five days worth of waste collection pickup in both cities in four days. And so adding recycling to that week is just a huge challenge for them. And and so what we do now is pretty much and this is the new general rule that um, I keep my team on, that if there is a holiday during the week, whether it’s a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, if there is a holiday where there’s going to be, you know, a federal holiday, there’ll be no recycling pickup for that week. That’s a guarantee to make sure that our team has the sufficient amount of time to properly collect the trash or the waste from our residents and our businesses.
Additionally, for our waste collection routes or our trash pickups, if your waste collection pickup day, your trash pickup day is on Monday, September 7th, your new trash day will be Tuesday, September 8th. And if your waste collection slash trash pickup is on Tuesday, that will be moved to Wednesday, 9 September. And so if your waste collection is on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, there are no changes to those dates, okay? In addition to our transfer station will close early on the 7th of September. They will close at 1:00 PM on Labor Day. And of course, our city offices will all be closed in honor of Labor Day on 7 September. And of course, if you have any questions, you can please contact the transfer station at 573-336-5155 or our city office at 573-451-2000. Thank you for letting me share that, because that is uh, sometimes can be confusing for some and we just want to get the word out there.
Marv: I want to jump back, uh, to August 1st.
James: Sure.
Marv: I played golf that day and the weatherman lied like a rug.
James: Yes, he did.
Marv: To everybody. Um, the rain was supposed to be ending by 7:00 in the morning. It was supposed to be a delightful day.
James: Supposed to be.
Marv: 77, 78 degrees, went over there in a pair of shorts. I didn’t have any rain gear with me and it rained and rained. It wasn’t a heavy rain, but it was enough to soak you. And it continued all day. That same day, St. Robert had their Route 66 Neon Fest. When I was coming through at 2:30, 3:00 in the afternoon, it was still raining. Did it continue? Because I went home and got out of my golf shoes and looked at my feet and they were a pair of prunes. Um, how did your neon fest go?
James: It went on. We did not let the weather stop us. There was a couple of moments where we considered it severely because we were like, man, are we going to continue doing this? But everybody wanted to do this. Being our inaugural event for our Route 66 Neon Fest, and yes, inaugural, and it’s going to be a second annual next year. We’re going to do it again. It was, it was a pretty miserable day. I’m not going to lie. But one thing I do have to say is that all the community volunteers, all of our volunteers from Fort Leonard Wood, our vendors, our dog demonstrators, everybody that had a part in it, stuck it through. And I will tell you, I could not have been more proud to serve as their mayor and to walk around and tell everybody, thank you for sticking it out because, believe it or not, we had residents come out. We had people from as far as Crocker and Dixon come out to our event to enjoy all of the activities that we had.
Now, we did have to cancel a few things, right? Which we were very unfortunate, like for instance, uh, the entire ballfield was supposed to be filled with over 20 inflatables, the big giant inflatables for kids to play in and stuff. And yes, a couple of days before, we were we were uh, thanking thanking the Lord for the beautiful weather forecast because it was going to be a beautiful day. We had just got done with what? Three weeks of 100 degree temperatures and it was going to be the first day of 75 degrees and beautiful clear skies. And it ended up not being that way. But you know what, we we pushed through, we persevered and we made it a very successful event. And I just want to thank all those who came out to participate, whether as a vendor or a supporter or some other type, or even if you were just a resident of the community coming out to support the event. But I do have to say one thing though, because God did grace us with about 30 minutes of no rain. And you know when that was? Right before our fireworks. And we shot off fireworks for the first time in St. Robert, right? Loud and proud. Uh, excuse me, 10 minutes of nothing but straight fireworks. It was magical. We had a few folks take some photos from the neon park with the fireworks in the distance. Man, they the photos were amazing. And so overall it was a great event. We wish it would have been a beautiful day, right? But you can’t control the weather. Mother Nature had a say in it and we made the best of it.
Marv: Yeah, sometimes she could be a real b***h, to say the least. Oh, we have uh, a fall cleanup coming up here. Uh, in the city of St. Robert as well.
James: Yes, absolutely. This is an event that uh, we do twice a year. We do a spring cleanup and of course, our fall cleanup. And so I am proud to announce that the uh, fall cleanup schedule for the City of St. Robert is going to be falling on Monday, October 5th and Tuesday, October 6th this year. And so, there is a flyer already out. It’s on our socials, Facebook, our website, our city app, and also our newsletter. If you don’t have access to our newsletter, go to our website, go to our Facebook page. You can click the link. It’s an eight-page document filled, jammed packed with great information that goes on in the City of St. Robert. And in there is the fall cleanup. And in reference to the fall cleanup, your trash collection day is on Monday the 5th and that’s when your fall cleanup is going to be. Uh, and if your trash or waste collection day is on the 6th of October, that’s going to be your fall cleanup day. And the following items that you can uh, pick up, you know, are that you can put out on the curb or like appliances, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, heaters, construction waste that will fit into a trash can. Furniture, old electronics without rechargeable batteries, and flat screen TVs. Now, there’s some items that you will not be picked up. And that’s tires, yard debris, uh, vehicle or lawnmower batteries, tube TVs. I’m not sure if those things even still exist anymore, but they’re will be still are out there. Any type of chemical sprays, paint cans, etc, and stuff like that. And of course, freezers and refrigerators. And again, if you have any questions on anything, whether you think it can be picked up or not, please contact the St. Robert transfer station at 573-336-5155. And we look forward to getting all of that trash and everything picked up for our residents to make St. Robert a much beautiful place.
Marv: And there will be um, information also on the website.
James: Yes, sir.
Marv: About this?
James: Yes, it is already out there and we will continue to push it. We’re not going to just put it out there once and then forget about it. We we did it initially because we wanted to get the word out and we will continually repopulate this on not only on our website, um, which if you go to our city website, it’s pinned to the top. And so what I mean by pinned is if you go to our news thing, things that are really important or new items of interest are always pinned to the top. So those are the first things that you’re going to see. And of course, some of our older articles that maybe have passed or or or maybe are not as important, they’ll be a little bit down below. But all of this stuff like I said, Marv, you know, website, city app, Facebook page, and of course, our our mayor’s newsletter.
Marv: And how’s your newsletter going?
James: It’s going good. Uh, believe it or not, it’s getting easier to do. I So I do all of it myself. I I I use a program called Canva and thank goodness, I have a great team that feeds me the information, right? They’ll feed me the like, you know, the Waynesville uh, St. Robert uh, Youth Sports will feed me all the activities that are going and give me the flyer. Uh, the the transfer station will give me theirs and those type of things. And then of course, you know, I just like to highlight, you know, like our business showcase of the month, our employee of the month and things like that and some of our key things. And so, I can see how many people view our newsletter because it’s linked to our website. And so, and I got it, there are a lot of people that are used to used to getting it when they got their bill. Well, because we transferred to Tyler Technologies, which is a new technology to help us streamline and make our city office is more efficient, we lost that capability to do that. And so, the best way to view the newsletter is a couple of ways. You can go to the website. If you open up the City of St. Robert website and you go and you just scroll down and look for my ugly mug, and you’ll see the mayor’s section. There’ll be a link that’ll say, link to the mayor’s newsletter. All you got to do is click that. It’ll pull up a a a PDF document with the mayor’s newsletter. And we get about 200 to 300 views on the newsletter a month. And so that’s great. Now, now we do have over 5500 residents of St. Robert, so I wish it was more than just 200 or 300. But I think as people get used to where it’s at and how easy it is to find it, even on the city app or even on the city Facebook page, um, it’s a really quick link. Now, I am exploring ways to try to find a way to where we can have people sign up to receive it automatically, some type of like either through a text message or an email where you would sign up for it, and then every month I would just upload the document, click send to all those who opted into this program, and it would automatically send like a link to your phone and you can just click that link and it’ll open up the PDF right on your phone. So, that’s the next step because I really truly believe in this newsletter. It is eight pages chalked full of great information about what’s going on in the City of St. Robert, and I do it all myself to make sure our residents stay informed.
Marv: Print on paper, probably is not going to happen.
James: Yes, it’s too expensive. Yeah, too expensive. And I will tell you, I’m going to throw a little bug out there and I’m I’m sure Anita’s going to be mad at me for saying this, but we we are currently in the planning stages, the beginning planning stages to go completely paperless and and or or for all of our billing. Uh, with the cost of postage, they just increased it again. Pretty soon it’s going to be a dollar to send something.
Marv: I don’t know why they didn’t do a dollar, you know, two years ago. You know, you knew it was going to go up.
James: Yeah. It is just outrageous for us to keep mailing bills out. So, we’re going to do it in a very efficient way, so everybody listening, please don’t, don’t freak out. We’re not doing it tomorrow. But the goal is that in 2027, we are going to phase in that there’ll be no bills that will be physically mailed to anybody anymore. Everything will be done electronically and that will save us a good portion of money every uh, year.
Marv: Which is why we don’t have any newspapers anymore. And that the fact, the fact that the printing is ridiculous and of course, um, printing presses. To fix a printing press, even to build a printing press, I would imagine anymore today is just ridiculous.
James: Yeah. It it it is a is it’s one of those things that many people would love. I I I I used to love reading the newspaper every day. I mean, I still do. I I subscribe to the Dixon newspaper and read that. But yeah, I do wish we could. I really wish we could print this out somehow and and mail it out or, you know, something like that. But digital’s the next best thing, but my goal is to be able to get you a text message. So where you just click it and it’ll pull up on your phone and you can literally sit there and scroll while you’re on the toilet or or, you know, hanging out waiting in line at the DMV or something, you can just scroll through and read the newsletter.
Marv: We’re going to take a break and hear from some of our fine sponsors. Come back and talk with Mayor James Breckenridge of St. Robert. Construction and demolition is coming up, don’t go away.
**Seeker Toyota**
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**Bales Construction**
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**Shelter Insurance**
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**Interview with James Breckenridge (continued)**
Marv: We are back with the honorable mayor of St. Robert, James Breckenridge. You have some construction of course, going on. We’ve got a I think a new tire center going up here in St. Robert. How soon is that going to be?
James: Yeah, so we got an update last night. That’s a great question. We got an update last night from Steve Long, our Public Works Director, that Tim and his team went out there and made sure all the electricity was in compliance. And so they they’re getting very close. They’re getting very close. I obviously I don’t control their grand opening dates. That is a national company that will dictate that. We will, you know, obviously keep an eye out for that so we can make sure that we participate. We do plan to do a city welcoming, of course, with them and make sure that we, you know, the Aldermen and myself will go out there and officially welcome them to the City of St. Robert. But I would not be surprised if it’s probably in the month of August that they’ll they’ll be open up. But again, that’s just my guesstimation. I have no information on that. That is a complete private entrepreneurship and but uh, they’re moving right along.
Marv: Any other construction coming up that you can talk about? Because I know sometimes you have to be a little tight-lipped about this.
James: Yeah, unfortunately, yes. And and so I I do want to say that we are have had very good positive uh, interactions with business developers in the past six to eight months. We continue to talk to them quite often to make sure that they’re staying on track with what we want. And so we do have potential developments coming on in the City of St. Robert. But again, I want to let all the listeners know that unfortunately, you know, it is a private company that, you know, applies for a business and and most of the time, well, actually all the time, they do not wish it to be divulged and because things could happen, etc, etc. I think we all remember the IHOP situation, right? Where they slapped the sign on the thing and it never came, right? And so I think that’s probably why they do that. Um, and it’s not at liberty for me to say, it’s not my business, it’s theirs. And so, but we do work with them and we’d ask them that when they’re ready, we would love to join in with them to announce that their business is coming. Some take us up on it, some don’t, but we are constantly working to bring new developments to the City of St. Robert and those that want to invest in our community.
Marv: The City of St. Robert demolished the Alpine House recently. This thing was built back in the mid-80s. I’m not sure what the Alpine House was at the time. I know it was uh, the front part of a mobile home court that was behind it. But now it is history.
James: It is history. Yeah, it is gone. Yes, it was built in 1985 and it was like a uh, think think of it like a B&B, Airbnb or kind of like a a guest lodge, right? I think they had 20 rooms or maybe 15 different rooms. I’ve have spoken to some folks that actually were in the military at the time and they PCS to Fort Leonard Wood and they actually stayed in one of those rooms and you know, it’s like a guest lodge kind of thing that they stayed there while they were waiting for their quarters or their house or whatever and stuff like that. So, when it was built, it was uh, you know, pretty nice from what I’ve heard. And and so just, but unfortunately, over the years, especially for the time that I’ve been here for the past 8, 9 years, that uh, it was an eyesore in the City of St. Robert. And uh, so I do want to throw a couple quick shout-outs and thanks to um, you know, Steve Long, our Public Works Department, um, they’re the ones that, you know, took the big old giant crane and and, you know, started. Unfortunately, we had to, you know, we kind of hyped it up that we were going to tear it down and then the day of, we realized we had to start from the back because there was just some telephone poles and wires and stuff like that. So we couldn’t start from the front and move back because the obviously the front part was, you know, 40 feet high. So we had to start in the back and get rid of all the guest rooms and then we got to a certain point, which was the main part, which was basically three trailers. They were stacked on top of each other. It was basically what it was. And then we were able to uh, tear it down from there. Uh, it was weirdly built because they had like steel beams at the bottom supporting the bottom trailer. So if you look at the video, it it looks like it wouldn’t go down. And it wasn’t because the structure was like really soundly built. It was just because of those steel beams that we had to like cut notches in, kind of like when a tree falls, you know, you cut the little notch so you want the tree to fall a particular way. So we had to do that, which it it ended up working, but those steel beams still gave the the machine a little bit of tough time going down. But uh, it is down. And so, you know, I’ve been asked a million times, you know, what’s next? And so our goal is to get the place cleaned up, get it leveled as best as possible, and then of course, market that to developers, um, outside developers. Because I mean, obviously, I think all of us would have a dream one day that that stretch of Route 66 would be just an amazing place that tourists and local citizens can, you know, enjoy with, you know, restaurants or, you know, activities or, you know, that. So, we’re going to do our best to try to attract those kind of companies and businesses to that area and so we’ll see.
Marv: Now, the mobile home park behind it?
James: No, it is not functional. Uh, there has not been and so I I I’m not going to be able to explain fully on all the ordinances because I’m not the subject matter expert, but Jeremy, our subject matter expert when it comes to this, we did have this conversation about a year ago and he explained to me and basically what it is is because no one has lived in that trailer park area for more than nine months. It can never, ever be a mobile home trailer park again, nor like an RV park or anything like that. And because of the zoning and stuff like that, certain rules and stuff like that. So, so it’s back there. The owner still owns it, um, and we’re hoping that uh, we’ll get it cleaned up one day. Um, you know, somehow, some way, um, because at the end of the day, it is a good property and and again, we just want to clean up St. Robert.
Marv: Well, you would have a heck of a bunch of property if you could get the former Oakwood station, along with a couple of buildings over there, right next to it, the Alpine House, which is now gone, and that mobile home park. That’d be a big chunk of acreage.
James: Yes, yes, it would be, absolutely. Um, and and I do know that the Schultz family, I think I saw a sign that they put out there a couple weeks ago or a couple days ago that I guess they’re going to do some type of auction or something for that property and stuff like that. So, we’ll see what transforms with that. But yeah, absolutely. That that is a a good chunk of Route 66 frontal property and I-44.
Marv: Yeah. And speaking of, uh, that area, the 159 mile marker, we’ve had some traffic reprieve. I guess is a good way of putting that. They’ve opened one lane.
James: That’s a great word.
Marv: And it’s kind of knocked off the uh, downtown Waynesville traffic problem for a little bit. Unfortunately, they’re going to reclose that, but maybe not necessarily both lanes. Are we going back to one lane, do you know of?
James: Yeah, so according to the MoDOT website and what they have communicated with us that uh, right after the Labor Day holiday that they plan to do another uh, 21-day around the clock eastbound lane closure uh, shortly after Labor Day. And so right now, um, as many have seen that are traveling eastbound on I-44 that the exit 159 that kind of button hooks you right into the uh, beginning of St. Robert there, that that exit is closed. And they have already gutted that exit. And I think that we could all agree, that’s a good thing because that was a little bumpy exit when you when you got off there. So that’s closed. They did narrow I-44 eastbound and I actually I drove it yesterday and it is uh, it’s it’s pretty nerve-wracking, especially if there’s an 18-wheeler uh, semi driving right next to you. So my recommendation is if you get a little nerve-wracked around an 18-wheeler going up that hill, uh, don’t don’t don’t stay right next to them because the the road is narrow. But it is two lanes, so it is flowing, which is a good thing. Uh, still wish we could somehow make it during construction that semis need to stay out of the left lane because I think that would clear up traffic more. But it is what it is. I guess we got to deal with that piece. But yes, uh, they are going to do another 21-day uh, eastbound lane closure uh, shortly after Labor Day. And I know that’s going to snarl traffic, especially on the weekends because I I think during the week, it’s not as bad. And and again, I I got it, um, you know, any traveler, you know, that could be traveling on it might disagree with me. But during Monday through Friday, most people are at work, right? And and so it’s not as bad, but it’s just the weekend, right? You got your locals, you got your weekend travelers, you got your people that are going to Springfield for the week, uh, for the day and then they’re coming back or going to St. Louis for the day or whatever the case may be. And so I think it just adds to the traffic on the weekend. So, um, we are in constant communication. I know that Sean Wilson from the Mayor Sean Wilson from the City of Waynesville is in great communication with Preston Cramer, our MoDOT representative out here in this area. And they’re doing a lot of great things to help us make sure that traffic flows through the City of Waynesville. Uh, one of the things I know that Mayor Wilson did announce on his Facebook page that they did extend the lights in downtown Waynesville. So, if you are like coming off of um, 17, I think, you’re going to wait at that light a little bit longer because that traffic is flowing on 66 for a little bit longer. I don’t know how many more seconds they added, but it is definitely longer because I sat on that light one day and it was considerably longer than normal. But that’s a good thing because that allows that traffic to flow through the town of Waynesville. And so, but I will say this, and I know there are a lot of folks that uh, are upset with all of the construction, um, I I just ask them to be, please be patient. Uh, in the end, when this is all said and done with, which is going to be in 2027, we’re going to be very proud that we’re going to have a very safe uh, portion of I-44, um, to where we hopefully we won’t lose another life on that section of road, right? Because there is somebody right now that cannot be here with us today because they lost their life on that dangerous part of I-44. And so this little inconvenience for us will be a um, in my opinion, a great thing for the future of this area, especially, that we we don’t have to lose another life.
Marv: Well, it’s already improved the westbound entrance ramp on 159.
James: Oh, it is nice.
Marv: Because they’ve extended that. Before, that was about maybe 50 yards. You had only 50 yards to get on and merge onto the interstate. And if you’ve got two tractor trailers, you’re slamming on your brakes because you’re not going to move into there. Now, they’ve extended that maybe a quarter mile, maybe even a little bit longer. So, that’s an improvement. When the eastbound side gets improved, everything will be better. Like you said, patience, patience, patience. And I’ve commented on my podcast, I am an impatient person when it comes to driving. This has taught me to be patient. Go through Waynesville. If you don’t have to go to Springfield, you don’t have to go to St. Louis. Shop local, okay? We’ve got a lot of stuff right here in Waynesville and St. Robert, so stay home for a little while and enjoy the Ozarks.
James: That’s right. And know that the traffic is going to be bad and so just try to work your schedule around that. And next year, hopefully, this time next year, uh, we’ll be getting ready to kick open our brand new section of I-44 and we’ll be singing the praises that we never have to lose another life.
Marv: Sounds great. James, thanks much.
James: Absolutely, Marv. Thank you very much.
Marv: Honorable James Breckenridge, mayor of St. Robert, our guest on the podcast. We’ll be right back.
**TK’s Pizza**
TK’s Pizza in St. Robert, home of the original hand-tossed King, has been throwing dough in Pulaski County for over 40 years. Although a lot has changed in that time, TK’s delicious hand-tossed pizza has not. Taste our iconic pizza, our delicious toasted subs, mouth-watering calzones, huge fresh salads, gooey cheese bread, and more. At the same little spot, we’ve been throwing dough for decades. 743 Missouri Avenue in St. Robert. Call 573-336-FAST or order online at 336fast.com. We’ll have it ready when you get here. Come on, taste the TK’s tradition.
**STR Glass**
In these days of texting and emails, words, phrases, and names are shortened to letters. It doesn’t change anything, it just makes things easier. That’s the case of STR Glass, a St. Robert establishment since the 60s. Still the same great service when it comes to auto glass, windows, shower doors, and anything to do with glass. And when it comes to fixing chips in your windshield to prevent cracking, there’s none better. They’re still in the same location on VFW Memorial Drive and still have the same phone number, 336-4122. They’ve just shortened their name from St. Robert Glass to STR Glass, but will never shorten their services to you, the customer.
**Sports Update**
It’s time for some sports, brought to you by Three Brothers Meat Company at Lin Creek. The annual Frisco League softball tournament is coming up next week as Crocker will play host. Seven of the nine schools play fall fast pitch if they have enough to field the team. Two play spring fast pitch, and that’s Licking and Plato. All the rest will converge on the Lady Lions Home field. Iberia has the one seed in a first-round bye, which is nothing new. Iberia has had a long, outstanding program in girls’ fast pitch softball.
This Monday, the 31st, fourth seed Richland gets fifth seed Crocker at 5:00. Second seed Dixon plays seventh seed Lake Way at 7:00. Then Tuesday, September 1st, three seed Stoutland takes on sixth seed Newburg at 5:00. Number one seed Iberia will play the Richland Crocker winner from Monday to complete the first round. Wednesday, the semis then Thursday it’s trophy day with the consolation game at 4:00, third place at 6:00, and championship at 8:00. And again, all this going on at the Crocker High School softball field. The Waynesville Football Tigers open up the season at home as we drop this podcast on the 28th. It’s the last season of the Central Ozark Conference. Tigers first opponent is Willard. Kickoff at 7:00 from Tiger Stadium.
St. Louis Cardinals are thrilling to watch. Sometimes good, sometimes not so. Last Friday, they had a 10-9 thrilling win over Cincinnati. Losing a four-run lead, coming back to take a 10-4 lead with a six-run ninth inning, then hanging on for a 10-9 win. Last Sunday, they were up by four over Philly. Only to have Philadelphia come back in the ninth to tie it when Philly was down to their last out several times in the inning before the Redbirds gave up a two-run walk-off homer by Kyle Schwarber and lost it. That ended a series winning streak of five for St. Louis. It had them two and a half out of the wild card chase, but by the start of this past week, it was back to three and a half back for that third spot with Arizona, Miami, and San Diego to jump over.
Kansas City Royals are 16 games under 500 as we begin this week. 11 out in the AL Central. And speaking of Kansas City, the Chiefs have played two preseason games. With the big news, kicker Harrison Butker. He scored all the points in the preseason so far, including a 69-yard field goal against Tampa last Saturday, which would have been an NFL record if it were the regular season. But he showed he had enough leg to do it anytime. Last preseason game comes up tonight at Arrowhead as the world champ Seattle Seahawks are in town. There will be no Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, but he is ready for the regular season that starts Monday, September 14th, at home against Denver. That is sports, brought to you by Three Brothers Meat Company at Lin Creek. And we’ll be right back after this.
**Three Brothers Meat Company**
Need to fill your freezer and save some serious money? Well, that’s a problem Three Brothers Meat Company is happy to fix. We’re talking whole beef bundles, quarter beef bundles, and the mighty freezer buster, stacked with beef, chicken, and pork. So good, you might start inviting yourself to your own house for dinner. These bundles are perfect for grilling, family dinners, or just beating grocery store prices with much better quality food. Check them all out on our Facebook page. They’re pinned right there at the top of the page. Call 573-346-5233 or just swing by and see us, 2179 State Highway A in Montreal.
**St. Robert Auto Supply**
Your NAPA Auto Parts Store, St. Robert Auto Supply, has everything you need for your vehicle and more when you need it. NAPA brand oil and antifreeze, windshield wipers and vehicle accessories, plus tools and equipment for all of your projects. From car covers and flashlights to car wash, air fresheners, sun shades and glass and tire cleaner, you’ll find it all at your NAPA Auto Parts Store, St. Robert Auto Supply, just off Missouri Avenue. Stop by today and get the good stuff seven days a week.
**FLW Podcast**
Hi, this is Tracy with O’Quinn Media. If you’re new to Pulaski County or the surrounding area, or maybe you’ve lived here forever. There’s a new website I invite you to check out. Go to FLWpodcast.com. Click on the Discover tab at the top. It’s your shortcut to the people, places, and businesses that make this area special. From restaurants and realtors to bankers, local businesses, all those little things that locals know about, but visitors and newcomers might not. Because sometimes the best things about a community aren’t the things you find with a Google search. They’re the things you learn from the people who live here. And while you’re there, you can listen to every episode of the Fort Not Lost in the Woods podcast. You can check out the Marv in the Morning podcast and read the Not Lost in the Woods blog. But be sure to check back often because the site changes frequently. We’re adding new people, places, and businesses every single day. So come on, shop local, eat local, discover local, and get connected. Visit FLWpodcast.com. Community, connection, conversation. That’s what it’s all about. Here’s just a few of the great local businesses you’ll find there. Mubon Thai, Sweet Sam’s on Route 66, Colton’s Steakhouse and Grill, Eclectic Originals, Aaron Adamson, Jefferson Bank Mortgage Loan Officer, Bow and Barrel Sportsman’s Center, Three Brothers Meat Company, and so many more. Visit FLWpodcast.com.
Marv: Oh, thanks to my sponsors, Bales Construction, the Bank of Crocker, Paul’s Furniture, Shelter Insurance Agent Dave Howlett of Richland, St. Robert Auto Supply, Seeker Toyota, the Pulaski County Health Center, STR Glass of St. Robert, VFW Post 3168 of Lake Way, TK’s Pizza, and as mentioned, Three Brothers Meat Company. Thanks to my producer, Tracy for the glue that puts this all together, and thanks to you, my podcast faithful, for letting me come into your lives for a short period of time each week. If you’re enjoying the Marv in the Morning Podcast, we invite you to leave a review on whatever app you’re listening on. We would also love for you to share the episode with family and friends on your social media accounts. Be sure to follow our podcast on Facebook, on the Marv in the Morning Podcast page, and you’re also invited to join us on Facebook on the Fort Not Lost in the Woods podcast group. This podcast is a production of O’Quinn Media. Join me next time when we head to the banquet hall for the annual Wild Turkey Federation’s fundraiser here in Pulaski County. Joining us to talk about the big affair is chapter president Dave Howlett. Until then, pray for some cooler weather as autumn slowly approaches. Later.