Pulaski's Best 2026: Meet This Years Finalists!

View the complete list of finalists here.

Marv in the Morning Podcast Episode 111

Fort Not Lost in the Woods Podcast
Fort Not Lost in the Woods Podcast
Marv in the Morning Podcast Episode 111
Loading
/

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 —

**The Marv in the Morning Podcast**

Welcome to The Marv in the Morning Podcast. Now here’s Marv. It’s another episode of The Marv in the Morning Podcast on the Fort Lost in the Woods podcast site. Brought to you by STR Glass of St. Robert, VFW Post 3168 of Flagway, TK’s Pizza, Three Brothers Meat Company at Lynn Creek, Bales Construction, The Bank of Crocker, Paul’s Furniture, Shelter Insurance Agent, Dave Holloway of Richland, St. Robert Auto Supply, See Your Toyota and the Pulaski County Health Center.

We are headed to the end of the seventh month of 2026, usually the hottest month of the year. And so far, July has pretty much lived up to all its billing, hot and humid. But this year, there’s been a bit more rain in July than usual. Farmers are thankful, well, for the most part. Rains in June and July has made it difficult and time-consuming for those cutting hay for the winter feed of cattle.

But it has put moisture in the soil, and the growing season continues, which means it’s better for the pastures and the different grasses that continue to grow. It’s kind of a double-edged sword for farmers. I looked all over the farm last Sunday for our cows and found them buried in the woods, away from the flies and the scorching sun, enjoying the shade and the water in the creek from the rain that fell last Saturday.

I was worried when I could not find them, but when they heard the truck, they let me know where they were and assured me, don’t worry, be happy. And I was.

While I’m working on this week’s podcast, I had the pre-game to the World Cup on the tube, mostly for some background noise. And I’ll have more on this coming up, and a report in sports, on whether Spain’s defense was able to hold off the goat, Lionel Messi and Argentina, who have seemed to find ways to win, no matter what the defense throws their way.

I admit I’m not a huge soccer fan because there’s just not enough offense. But the World Cup is different because it’s like our Super Bowl. In baseball, I like offense, but a pitcher’s duel, when one is going for a shutout or a no-hitter, is another part of baseball I really enjoy. American football, however, needs offense for me, even though I’m a fan of defense in football, a field goal kicking contest to me is like watching paint dry.

Hockey, really doesn’t matter, just let me find the puck and I’m happy and. In basketball, give me a good old high school game any day, even though I will admit this year’s NBA final had me glued to the tube. My niece was rooting for the Knicks and OG Annabi played for the Jeff City J’s and went against Waynesville’s Juan Markin in high school, and we’re both teammates in Indiana. So, that was somewhat of a local flavor.

Well, let’s get back to the World Cup. I still am in awe of the support these teams from all over the world carry with them, and hope that continues when the Women’s World Cup takes place next year. That’s scheduled for June 24th through July 25th in Brazil. It’s the 10th edition of the Women’s Cup, and the first time in South America.

Restaurants, hotels, and bars in that country probably can’t wait, considering the dollars taken in by the American businesses this year. Hopefully, the Women’s Cup generates at least half of what the men’s World Cup brought in. 32 teams will compete in 64 matches in eight different Brazilian cities.

Well, if you’ve seen any TV of late and this is not a case of me watching too much of it because I have cut down compared to what I watched when the weather was a bit colder outside, but this is about the political commercials we’re getting hit with again. We have the mid-term elections coming up in November, but next month is another election. It’s called the primaries where we get to hear about all the wrongs and rights the candidates did and did not do from their opponents of the same party if they have an opponent running for the same office.

The primaries gets us down to one candidate from the party to go up against candidates from the other parties. So when November comes, we vote for either a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, or whatever other parties are on the ballot. Most of the nasty commercials we see on the tube, or may hear on radio and social media, are from candidates running for state and federal offices.

We also have amendments in Missouri we are voting on. I’ve heard on public radio and seen on social media, already, those telling us how to vote. Get online if you can and read the amendments and what they will do if passed, or if you’re getting this from somewhere else, make sure you trust their judgment.

On these political commercials, and this I have noticed about some but not all conservatives, they seem to mention Trump’s name in their ads more times than not. Is that a good idea or not? His approval rating right now is not that great, but that’s for you, as a voter, to decide. Just make sure you’re an informed voter when you cast your ballot.

Today on the podcast, we’re going to head to a much cooler time of the year and give everyone who’s tuned in to the podcast a glimpse of what’s coming up in a few months in downtown Waynesville, which is turning out to be the biggest event of the year in the city, the Waynesville Fall Fest. Jeff Knoll, a local real estate agent, who loves living in this part of the Ozarks, is heading up the fall festival again.

It’s the fifth time for the fall festival and it’s getting bigger and better every year. What’s going on the first weekend in October at the Ruby Do Park at the annual Fall Fest is coming up next with Jeff right after this break.

**Sponsor Segment**

Planning to enjoy more family time and comfort this summer on your new furniture from Paul’s furniture? They have two massive showrooms stocked full of today’s hottest brands with 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.

When you’ve been in business since 1939 and when you do the math, that’s 85 years, you’re doing something right. Bales Construction in Waynesville has been doing things right for a long time and that continues today. Bales Construction has rapidly grown from being Pulaski and neighboring county’s top residential builder to one of Missouri’s largest commercial general contractors.

Today, they specialize in construction of educational and healthcare facilities, but their excellence in building does not stop there, completing an extensive number of projects such as banking, retail, industrial, civil, multi-family, food service, hospitality, transportation and municipal projects. Their offices in Waynesville and Springfield, Missouri, allow Bales Construction to cover a large portion of central and southwest Missouri.

Explore their website and see what Bales can build for you. At Shelter Insurance, we believe insurance should adjust to fit your needs. That’s why we work with you to design an auto, home and life insurance plan that’s particular to you, insurance that fits just right. And Shelter is known for our award-winning customer service, satisfied customers and a plan for you. Ready to check us out? Shelter Insurance. We are your shield, we are your shelf.

For a free insurance review for auto, home, life, farm or business insurance, see me, Dave Haled, your Shelter Insurance agent in Richland.

**Marv:** On the podcast today, we have a returning guest, Jeff Knoll, who is a local real estate agent, but there’s so much more on his plate and one of these is Jeff is the ramrod of the Fall Fest in Waynesville. Jeff, thanks for coming up here and allowing us to talk a little bit about what’s coming up in Waynesville.

**Jeff:** Awesome, I appreciate you having me again.

**Marv:** This is going to be probably one of the bigger events at the Waynesville City Park this year because some of the events at the city park have been canceled because of, well, different things. Insurance is one thing, and then there is the participation of volunteers and stuff like that.

**Jeff:** So, that insurance, that’s no joke. And I have seen this because I started this event. This is year number five for Fall Fest and every year before this year, I’ve paid roughly the same amount for insurance. Well, because we had over 5,300 people walking through the park last year, none of the insurance carriers that I had want to cover. So, I have to go to different carriers and the prices are, I’m looking at at least three times as much, but I get it, it makes sense, there’s a lot more risk whenever you have a bunch of people walking through there.

**Marv:** Do you have to report how many people to your insurance company?

**Jeff:** Well, they, they ask and in every other year, I’ve never been able to give them a number because the reality is, I’m not been an event planner. I didn’t know what I was doing. I just set something up and people started coming. But so they would ask, how many people are you anticipating come? Well, I have no idea. I hope a bunch. That’s what I hope for every year.

**Marv:** Yeah, but what is a bunch?

**Jeff:** But what is a bunch? Well, last year was the first year that I was thinking ahead. I was like, you know what? They, they count outdoor events other ways. They have the little clicker counters and so what, we put volunteers at both ends of the park with the clicker counters. So, if the accuracy of that is, we had over 5,300 people walk through. So, I had some statistics to give them, which is honestly really good for the vendors too. It gives them a realistic expectation of how many people are going to be walking through this. How much stuff should I anticipate bringing to sell? But my food vendors, I had people sell out like every year, people sell out. That, that has been a recurring theme. But we had more food vendors than we’ve ever had last year. I even had people at the beginning of the event before it started as they’re setting up, complaining to me about the amount of food vendors, thinking that they weren’t going to make any money, they didn’t like their position that, that I put them. And by the end of it, they came and said, please, I definitely want the exact same spot. I’m, I’m coming back next year. Just put me down now. We are going to have another, I, I’m anticipating, it’s going to be a very big event. Yes.

**Marv:** And this is going to take place when?

**Jeff:** It is October 3rd. So, October 3rd also is my birthday. So, this is the very first year that Fall Fest has fallen on my birthday. So, I’m excited about that. I love this event.

**Marv:** I bet you are excited about this. Some of the things that are going to be going on down there, of course, I’m sure you’re going to have some kind of entertainment.

**Jeff:** Yep. We have live music from Noah Austin for sure. I may have a DJ. I may have another country singer. I’m on the fence on that. I’m just exploring my options. But yes, we have entertainment. We have fireworks display put on by Premier Pyrotechnics. I know you had Matt, my father-in-law on here just right before the 4th. So, they will be back putting on an incredible fireworks display. I’m excited about that, but we had, for the very first time last year, was the hot air balloon doing tethered rides, which we were able to use that to raise money. They brought the hot air balloon and ran it as much as they could. There, there was some delays, um because the wind speed can’t be over 7 miles per hour. And I learned that 7 miles per hour is not very much wind. The very gentle breeze. But once it, once the got, got to around 6:00 evening, the wind starts to die down, I guess, is pretty normal. And they were able to run the rest of the night and we raised over $500 just from them running people up and down.

**Marv:** And the thing of it is with hot air balloons, the higher you get in the atmosphere, the winds could pick up and you don’t notice that down on the ground. But I’m sure the hot air balloonist certainly know about it.

**Jeff:** Yeah, those guys knew what they were doing. And, and they have their own insurance and they, uh, they travel, they do a whole lot of events. They go around and do this. Um, so they’re pros.

**Marv:** How popular was the hot air balloon ride last year?

**Jeff:** Um, there were, there were people waiting patiently, just waiting for it to start going. And from the time they started until after the fireworks were done, they ran nonstop. Up, down, up, down. And they had a line the whole time.

**Marv:** Certainly they were not in the air with the fireworks display going on.

**Jeff:** So, I got to go up in the hot air balloon and the fireworks were still going off while I got to go up. So, the, the distance is far enough away that there was no danger of embers bringing the hot air balloon down.

**Marv:** And we talked, like you said, with Matt Suckliff, your father-in-law, and I just can’t believe how many shows Premier Pyrotechnics puts on a year. I think and they have several different branch offices and they had like, I think, from what I’ve talked. Now, this was a month before the 4th of July, I talked to Matt.

**Jeff:** It was.

**Marv:** And he had 3100 shows already booked.

**Jeff:** So, that was already booked. There was also on top of that, another issue of a fireworks company that didn’t fulfill its contracts. So, he got so many phone calls right around the 4th, the week before, a bunch of people found out. So, uh, he, he stepped in and saved as many of them as they could. They did have to move some dates just to accommodate for shooters, but it was mind-blowing.

**Marv:** Yeah. One of them was up at the Lake of the Ozarks. I remember seeing that on the news.

**Jeff:** Mountain Home, Arkansas. That one got a lot of news coverage too because it was the day of. I was actually at the Richland, uh, fair, Tri County Fair at the livestock auction. And I was there with him. He gets the phone call, hey, we’re, they’re supposed to be setting up today and we found out nobody’s coming. And he loaded up, packed, left right then, drove down there just to make sure that they didn’t go without a fireworks display. So, heck of a guy. Really good dude.

**Marv:** That’s, that, that is a trooper.

**Jeff:** Yeah, that’s a trooper.

**Marv:** Pack up and blow down. I don’t know how long it takes to get to Mountain Home, Arkansas, but apparently they made it in time.

**Jeff:** It’s, it’s a couple hours. It’s, I think it’s an hour and a half from Branson, so maybe three hours. But anyhow, very cool of him. I was super proud to see that.

**Marv:** Back to the Fall Fest in Waynesville, which again, is going to be on October 3rd. Uh, you have entertainment, you said you have vendors, uh, do you have a lot of vendors coming back again this year?

**Jeff:** Most of the vendors as we walk through last year said they want to come back. I believe we’ll have most of them returning. We will have something different. I’m working out some details and contracts, but we’re looking at having a kids’ zone with a whole bunch of, uh, bounce houses. So, we already have pony rides for the kids. We have superheroes going around, which the superheroes are sup, are really cool because all of them are local. They are doing it because they love it. I proposed an idea of they could have a tip jar. That way they could get, they spend a lot of money on these costumes. Um, I’m, I’m talking like hundreds of dollars to look realistic superheroes. They buy this just because it’s a passion and every single one of them was like, no, I don’t want the money. Like, if, if we were taking money, it could go to the, to the, the nonprofits. But we don’t want the money. We, we’re just doing this for fun. So, it’s awesome having people that are that passionate about what they’re doing. They make it a lot of fun for the kids.

**Marv:** You know, for years I was involved with the old Settler’s Day. And, uh, recently, when I was talking to, uh, Denise Sievers, who was in charge of Settler’s Day, again, didn’t have the help she needed down there and like she said the insurance was ridiculous. Uh, pony rides is another one. You’re having pony rides there. Who comes up with the insurance for the pony rides?

**Jeff:** The, the people that bring the ponies. So, really, if there’s an associated risk involved with what is being done, I have people provide their own insurance. And if they’re doing this at other places too, they have insurance because you kind of have to. One, one incident could, could bankrupt you.

**Marv:** Certainly could. And you never know with animals what is going to happen, but these are, these are pretty calm ponies, I would take it.

**Jeff:** They’re, yeah, we haven’t had any incidents. So, in, in all of the Fall Fest, we have not had any reported incidents. So, thank God, knock on wood. I hope that that continues. But I’m going to keep paying for insurance.

**Marv:** I don’t blame you. But, besides the pony rides and the hot air balloon, uh, that is coming back this year?

**Jeff:** That is coming back this year. Yeah.

**Marv:** Uh, what else is going on down there besides the entertainment?

**Jeff:** So, there’ll be several food trucks. Most of them are local. I, I try to showcase as much of the local businesses as possible. And then we have, uh, several sponsors that have just been so great to come back year after year. For example, Security Bank of Pulaski County. Every single year, they’re like, okay, hey, let’s do this. And just to point out, whenever you see the same businesses sponsoring anything and everything that the community does, pay attention to that. Those people actually care about you. So, utilize those businesses. They are giving back.

**Marv:** That is one thing that I have been so proud of about this community because like I said, I was involved with old Settler’s Day. We had to go out and get sponsors as well. We went out and got sponsors just to pay for the entertainment.

**Jeff:** Yeah, for real. Yeah. It’s expensive to put on an event. There’s a lot of money that goes into it. So, yes, you’re not wrong.

**Marv:** Yeah. And of course, uh, the sponsors year in and year out, they come through for you and that’s what is allowing you to put on this Fall Fest this year.

**Jeff:** Absolutely. And it is every year, it’s a community appreciation event and it, it absolutely wouldn’t happen without all of the sponsors. Without their help, there’s no way I could cash flow this. And I love our community. I’m so incredibly grateful to our community that supports my business and my livelihood, and my family being able to pay our bills. That’s, that’s amazing. I’m so grateful for that. But even for all of it, if we can’t rise together, what’s the point of that? What fun is it? So, I love sponsoring as much stuff in the community as I can and, and like everybody, I don’t have an endless flow of money. But I like to help when and where I can.

**Marv:** We’re going to take a break and come back with Jeff Knoll, uh, local real estate agent, but he is in charge of the Fall Fest in Waynesville this year, which is taking place on October 3rd. Hear from our sponsors. We’ll be right back.

**Sponsor Segment**

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, mouthwatering cow zones, 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. Since 1911, The Bank of Crocker has served the greater Pulaski County area. This year marks their 115th year.

How do you last that long? Well, by giving their customers cutting edge banking services with a hometown flair. You can do your banking from anywhere in the world with their convenient online banking. At the big banks, you’re just another number. At The Bank of Crocker, they know your name, maybe some of your family and might even know the name of the dog sitting next to you in the drive-in facility. It’s called the personal touch, which is why they’re celebrating their 115th year as your hometown bank.

And there’s four locations for your convenience in Crocker, Richland, Waynesville, and St. Robert. The Bank of Crocker. Remember, FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. 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.

**Marv:** We’re back with Jeff Knoll, who is ramrodding the Fall Fest in Waynesville. As we mentioned, October 3rd at the, I’ll call it the Waynesville City Park because that’s what I’ve always called it, but it has a new name, which is now the Ruby Doo Park.

**Jeff:** Ruby Doo Park. Yeah.

**Marv:** It is in Waynesville, it’s on the banks of the wonderful Ruby Doo River, which is if you go down there on that little gravel bar and you put your little toe in that river, it is colder than most rivers that you are ever going to feel because it comes right out of that spring and it’s a great place to go out and do a little trout fishing because the conservation department does stock it every year and I don’t know whether there’s going to be, uh, many fish left in it, uh, by the time October comes. And whether or not you’re going to want to step into that river depending on the weather, but usually the weather is pretty good. You you picked a good time of the year. I, I know some of the reasons that we don’t have a lot of events coming in in the summertime is because while we are recording this, this is in July. We wanted to get a head start on this. It is just extremely hot.

**Jeff:** So hot.

**Marv:** And humid. And that’s just the type of the weather it is, but having this on October 3rd is going to be a big help because it seems like October is just one of the busiest months of the year.

**Jeff:** It’s so busy. Every weekend has something and there’s interfering things every, like, there’s other events going on that day. There’s an event on Fort Leonard Wood. They have an October Fest on Fort Leonard Wood, which is great. Uh, and it’s, I, I didn’t do any of it as a competing thing. It’s just, you, you have to if you want to do something, you’re going to be interfering with something.

**Marv:** That’s right. Uh, when did you start working on this? On this year’s event?

**Jeff:** On this year’s, well, I always start with getting my permit from the city and I think it was March, I got the permit. So, that and then working on insurance and then stacking vendors up and, and promoting it. But as far as like really pushing promotions for it, two months out and then I, I don’t put any kind of like signage up until a week or two ahead of time. Two weeks is, is kind of ideal. I’m working on a deal with a digital billboard company that sponsored last year, hoping to get a little bit more coverage area and hoping to get about a month of billboard signage for the event, promoting the event. Hopefully, as, as far as like a 100 mile radius cuz also we are wanting to piggyback off of, is the 100th year for Route 66 and so many cool exciting things about that. There’s also, did you, are you aware of the Neon Fest, August 1st?

**Marv:** Yes, I just got, yeah, just got done talking to the mayor of St. Robert, James Breckenridge.

**Jeff:** Oh, cool.

**Marv:** And there’s a, it’s going to be a, a big old campsite going on on the, uh, ball field at the St. Robert Community Center. That’s coming up, I think in September and then of course, like you said, in August.

**Jeff:** August 1st is the Neon Fest.

**Marv:** August 1st is the big Neon Fest, which is going to highlight the new Neon Park we have here in St. Robert and there’s going to be a bunch of antique cars. Are you going to have a car show down there?

**Jeff:** Last year I had a few people that I just invited to bring their race cars, their dirt track modified, which I would be open to any of them, honestly. But I thought that was really cool, having the race cars there. The kids loved it. The drivers would let them sit in the seat and get their picture in the race car. They got to meet the driver, and I thought that was really cool. So, rather than a muscle car, classic car, you know, one of those, I think we’re going to go race car again just because I, I’m going to try to get more of them to show up.

**Marv:** A couple of years ago, I think they had the Hogs and Frogs event down there. And if I’m not mistaken, didn’t they put up like a mud pit off to the side down by the water treatment plant where they invited a bunch of these side-by-sides to come down and just flat get dirty and splatter mud on everybody. Is that something that, uh, you have been working on?

**Jeff:** It’s not and I have a little bit of a limitation by space. Parking is definitely been a recurring issue just because our fireworks display requires, uh, 75 foot per inch of diameter shell that you shoot. For, for commercial fireworks, you have to have that as a fallout radius. So, nobody gets hurt, no property gets damaged. With that, it, it takes away some of our parking. It also takes away some of our ability to use some of that space in the park.

**Marv:** A lot of people would never have thought about that. You think, oh, there’s plenty of places to park down there. But if you have to have all this space cleared because of the fireworks, you’re right, people are going to have to be parking and walking a little bit farther than they probably would have wanted to or at least thought they might have to.

**Jeff:** That’s something that I am wanting to work on. I don’t know that shuttling people is necessarily feasible and I’m sure that insurance would probably jump up significantly if I did do that. So, uh, I’m still working out the kinks on seeing what we can do to, uh, make the parking situation a little bit less of a walk for everybody. But right now, people are walking a long ways.

**Marv:** Well, with 5,300 people that you had last year and probably expecting at least that many this year because it’s a great time of the year to do something like this because it’s not ungodly hot.

**Jeff:** Right.

**Marv:** Outside.

**Jeff:** Yeah, people like to go out when it’s nice.

**Marv:** Yeah.

**Jeff:** I love to be outside when it’s nice.

**Marv:** Yeah. And I think fall, everybody I talk, what’s your favorite time of the year? Fall. Don’t like what comes after fall, but autumn is the great time of the year because you can see all the trees turn color and it is just a break from the heat and humidity of the summer. So that’s why a lot of people like fall. The other one is spring, of course, because you’re done with winter and now things are going to start to grow.

**Jeff:** I tell people all the time, Missouri weather, 70% of the time is maybe the most amazing day ever. And then that 25 to 30% is hot or cold or awful. So,

**Marv:** You get a lot of those, like they call them Chamber of Commerce days. You know, where the temperature is in the 70s, the sun is shining.

**Jeff:** Isn’t that great?

**Marv:** It’s a nice little breeze. Yeah, it is just gorgeous. Is there any place if somebody wants to find out more about the Fall Fest, they can look like on Facebook, you have a web page?

**Jeff:** We have a Facebook page. It is Fall Fest Neighbor Day. Uh, part of that in that we, we started it last year. We did a good neighbor award and we reached out to the community through social media ads asking them to val to nominate a good neighbor. And it doesn’t have to be a next door neighbor, just somebody that is showing kindness in the, in the community, being a good human being, being a good neighbor. And that was really touching, getting to read the nominations that came in. And there weren’t a ton of nominations. I think we had six. But of that, it was great to just hear the kindness of people in the community and how they have been there for other people. So, that’s what makes this place such an incredible place to live. It’s not just that we have all the natural resources of water and and amazing outdoor things to do and enjoy and just recognize the goodness that we have that we live, but the people here are incredible.

**Marv:** They really are. Are you going to do a good neighbor thing again this year?

**Jeff:** Absolutely. I loved that so much. Uh, the guy that won is from Sweetberg area. His name is Wayne Mitchley. And he works at MFA. He’s the manager at Richland MFA. And he is, uh, just a super guy. I didn’t really know him other than he worked at MFA and he was always a friendly, helpful person there. But the nomination goes into talk about how he helps his elderly neighbors with their farming after he gets home from his full-time job and takes care of his farm. You, you farm yourself. You know how much work you put in. Imagine doubling and going and, and take care of of other people’s cattle on top of that. It’s, it’s kind of remarkable. And they, they also nominated his son with him. And I thought it was so cool the example of the two of them, just teaching your kids to, to be a good human. I, I want to highlight that.

**Marv:** So if someone wants to nominate somebody for a good neighbor award, how can they do that?

**Jeff:** I would say an email to my email address. My email is G-E-O-F-F K-N-O-L-L-R-E-A-L-T-O-R, that is Geoff Knoll Realtor@gmail.com.

**Marv:** So if you know of a good neighbor and you want to nominate them for the good neighbor award at the Fall Fest. Again, your email, do it again.

**Jeff:** G-E-O-F-F K-N-O-L-L R-E-A-L-T-O-R@gmail.com.

**Marv:** Anything else I missed that you would like to put out here for the Fall Fest?

**Jeff:** Well, it’s not the only thing that happens that day. We have the Frog Hill Half Marathon and the Nasty Pulaski Gravel Grind, which is a bike race that goes all the way to Dixon. So, they, they go through some gnarly gravel roads and people come from all over the place to do both of those athletic events. And then we’re there after. And then the other thing I did want to say is, I am the face of this ramrodding Fall Fest and we’ve put my name in it. But the reality is, this is kind of a my family legacy event. My wife spends countless hours doing social media for this, uh, figuring out mapping. My son spends hours planning new ideas for things that we can do at Fall Fest because this is something that we care about as a family and we do it together. I couldn’t do it without them. So, kind of a, a family event.

**Marv:** What time is it going to start? What time is it going to end on October 3rd?

**Jeff:** Last year moved it, it used to be a 12 to 8:30 and it was such a long day that we, last year, did a 3 PM to fireworks shoot at 8:30. And that was much more pleasant for at least myself and and the other people that were planning and that spent the whole day there, they were ready to go by then. So, it’s an event that does so well in that time frame. I have several vendors tell me that it is their biggest event of the year. They make more money in that one-day event than they do sitting three days at like multi-day events. So, the value’s there.

**Marv:** Put this on your calendar. October the 3rd, 2026, starts at 3:00 in the afternoon at the Ruby Doo Park in downtown Waynesville. It is this year’s Fall Fest. Jeff Knoll, thanks much for your time, sir.

**Jeff:** Thank you so much for having me come back on.

**Marv:** You bet. We’ll be right back.

**Sponsor Segment**

Hold up, this is good. If you haven’t been to Segar Toyota of St. Robert, you’re missing out. This is the place where buying a Toyota actually feels good. Great selection, friendly faces, and zero, I said zero awkward pressure. It’s why drivers keep voting us Pulaski County’s number one dealership four years in a row. So whether you’re ready to buy today or just ready to smile, come by Segar Toyota St. Robert, doing it the right way, the Segar way for over 56 years. Come see what all the talk’s about. Segar Toyota St. Robert, the fun starts here, next to Walmart and at Segartoyota.net.

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 off 544 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. Lakeway VFW Post 3168, Exit 150 off 544. See why more people are heading to the V every day.

Your Napa 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, sunshades and glass and tire cleaner, you’ll find it all at your Napa parts store St. Robert Auto Supply, just off Missouri Avenue.

Stop by today and get the good stuff, seven days a week.

**Marv:** Sports is brought to you by Three Brothers Meat Company at Lynn Creek. The world’s biggest sporting event is now over. Yes. The Super Bowl draws a huge audience, but it’s an American audience for the most part. The World Cup, the championship of soccer, or football as it’s called elsewhere, draws a worldwide audience. And this year, they had the first ever halftime show of the World Cup with music stars, Shakira from Colombia, Bernaboy from Nigeria, BTS from South Korea, Justin Bieber from Canada, Madonna from the US, just to name a few.

Oh yeah. The Muppets also made an appearance too. It was only supposed to be an 11 minute show, but it lasted 10 minutes longer than expected. I did not see much of the halftime show. It was kind of like our Super Bowl, I don’t watch it. Give me the game and leave the entertainment to those who actually care. Just my point of view. Take it for what it’s worth.

48 teams from all over the world started the event in North America with games in Mexico, Canada and the US. Two were left and they played Sunday in New Jersey at MetLife Stadium home of the New York Giants American Football team. The closing ceremonies were held an hour before the game even started and the place was already packed. Onto the game. And a lot of the so-called experts picked Spain to win it all while their defense was great throughout the World Cup. But none were against the reigning champion Argentina team.

Well, their defense shined in the biggest game ever. As a matter of fact, both teams defense was good, but Spain was no doubt the better team last Sunday. And even though it took them through 90 minutes in regulation and two extra sessions for Spain. They were finally able to score the game’s only goal at the 105 minute mark and hold off a short-handed Argentina team to claim the world title.

Not much offense, a lot of flopping by players trying to draw fouls by both teams, which was common in every game during the World Cup. But all in all, a decent game if you don’t care about scoring. Well, I missed this last week, but wanted to shoot out a congratulations to St. Louis Cardinal Jordan Walker, who won the home run derby at the All-Star break last week.

Despite all the sluggers the Cardinals have had over the course of their long membership in the Major League Baseball, Walker was the first Cardinal to win the home run derby. Jordan joined DH Ivan Herrera and closer Riley O’Bryan as St. Louis Cardinal All-Stars. Manager Ali Marmol was also in the dugout as an assistant manager to the National League.

In the Major League Draft and we don’t have time to get all the picks in, but the Redbirds signed outfielder Trevor Condon from Woodstock, Georgia as their first pick in the Major League Draft. Condon was the 13th overall pick and for that, he got a 5.16 million dollar signing bonus. He’s a speedy left-handed hitter and had planned on going to Tennessee for college, but decided to turn pro. I’m sure that 5 million dollar plus signing bonus had a little bit to do with that.

The Redbirds started their postseason All-Star break in Arizona, taking on the Diamondbacks, who like the Cardinals are in the wild card chase. Coming into this week, the Redbirds were tied for third and the last wild card spot with Miami and Pittsburgh, and the D-Backs just a half game behind those three. The Royals are 13 games behind division leading Chicago in the American League Central and even a wild card shot for Kansas City is remote. They would have to leapfrog seven teams to even have a shot at a wild card.

Kansas City Chiefs start training camp this coming Thursday, the 29th at Missouri Western State University in St. Joe, Missouri. Most eyes will be on two players. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes as he continues to recover from knee surgery and his progress, and of course, the newly wed Travis Kelsey, who in case you had not heard, married Taylor Swift on July 3rd at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

**Marv:** Sports is brought to you by Three Brothers Meat Company at Lynn Creek. We’re back to wrap it up after this.

**Sponsor Segment**

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 8 in Montreal. 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 Saint 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 Saint Robert Glass to STR Glass, but we’ll never shorten their services to you, the customer.

**Marv:** Well, that’s the episode this week and thanks to my sponsors, STR Glass of St. Robert, VFW Post 3168 of Flagway, TK’s Pizza, Three Brothers Meat Company, Bales Construction, The Bank of Crocker, Paul’s Furniture, Shelter Insurance Agent Dave Holloway of Richland, St. Robert Auto Supply, See Your Toyota and the Pulaski County Health Center. Thanks to my producer, Tracy for gluing this all together and thanks to you my podcast faithful for allowing me to 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 Lost in the Woods Podcast group. This podcast is a production of O’Quinn Media. Well, join me next week when I visit with a friend and we talk about something I’m quite familiar with. The radio biz. Hope to talk to you then. Later.

Care to share your thoughts on this post?

Recent Episodes