Branson

BRANSON, Mo. -- You could think of it as The Ozarks' version of the St. Louis Arch or the Golden Gate Bridge:  a monumental, God-inspired undertaking that its planner thinks could draw millions of people from around the world. "This actually started as a vision that my dad had about 15 to 20 years ago," said Kerry Brown, the man behind the effort to build a 200-foot cross along U.S. 65 north of Branson on Bear Mountain. Brown says he is on a mission from God.  Now he's taking his father's vision and he is making it a vision everyone in Branson will share.

FORSYTH, Mo. – The Grand Palace theater in Branson has a new owner.  The famous landmark on 76 Country Music Boulevard was sold on Wednesday by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on the steps of the Taney County Courthouse for just under $5.5 million.  It had been listed by a real estate agent for $10 million. Hall Entertainment owned Grand Palace.  The FDIC became its trustee when federal regulators shut down a bank in Kansas that held the mortgage on the theater in 2008.  That's the year Grand Palace closed.

BRANSON, Mo. - Rubble, empty lots and for sale signs -- that's just part of what people see when they drive the Branson strip. Beneath the bright lights of Branson, cleanup still continues from the Leap Day tornado. Many people are wondering when or if the town will return to the way it was. It could be years before every damaged property is up and running again. Some business owners say they will wait a while until the national economy bounces back. The tornado damaged roughly 52 commercial properties.

BRANSON, Mo. -- His name and talent have helped draw big crowds to Branson.  Now, Tony Orlando says it's time to retire.  The Welk Theater has announced 2013 will be Orlando's last. "I think that gives Branson a lot credibility that he moved his family here and this is where he wants to retire," said Susan Smith, a spokeswoman for the Welk Theater. While spending 20 seasons on various Branson stages, Orlando was sure to shine the spotlight on our nation's military heroes.  Orlando has been one of the main organizers behind Branson's annual weeklong Veterans Day celebration.  The Welk Theater says Orlando will still headline for this year's show on Nov. 11. The performers's announcement is the latest in a line of shows ending for big names Branson.  Entertainer Yakov Smirnoff will close the curtain this fall after 21 years here, and 2012 saw the passing of singer Andy Williams, who was also in his 20th year of performing in Branson.  [Editor's note: a previous version of this report said Smirnoff stopped performing in Branson in 2012; the general manager of his theater says he will perform there in October and November of 2013.]

Branson, MO –  Tourism officials in Branson are reviving a promotion to help visitors take the sting out of a trip to the popular vacation spot. The Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau will offer again this summer a Gas Buster discount card. The card will offer a total of $50 off purchases at hotels, restaurants, retail shops, shows, and other attractions. “Bringing back the Gas Buster discount card, Branson is helping people save some money on their family vacation.

BRANSON, Mo. -- A man from Branson was changing the water in his rattlesnake's cage this weekend when the two-and-a-half-foot western diamondback bit his right hand.  The owner wound up in the hospital getting treated for the strike.  That's when Taney County Health Department employees told him they were taking his pet. It turns out it's illegal to own a venomous creature like that in Branson.  That snake (photo) now lives at Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield.

BRANSON --  Branson police are investigating a suspicious death after a person was found dead at the Ramada Inn.      The hotel owner says a maid found the body inside one of the rooms at the hotel, located at 1700 W. 76 Country Blvd., on Sunday. Authorities are holding a news conference on Monday morning at 10:30 a.m. at the Branson City Hall Council Chambers to give an update on the situation.

NEAR BRANSON, Mo. - Three people are homeless after a fire gutted their house north of Branson Sunday morning. According to Chief Chris Berndt of the Western Taney County Fire District, firefighters arrived at a house fire in the 7300 block of Missouri Route 248 at 5:07 a.m. Sunday. The home was fully involved when crews arrived. Berndt said the three people inside the home narrowly escaped and suffered injuries, but did not say what the injuries were. Firefighters used three tanker trucks to fight the blaze as there were no hydrants nearby.

BRANSON, Mo. -- City police said Monday that a man whose body was found in a bath tub on Friday was strangled.   That resulted in a murder charge against Sean Roberson, 24, the man who was charged on Saturday with assaulting Andros Valentin, 18. That charging statement against Roberson lists him as living in Branson in the Park Place Apartments, 3515 Arlene St., where Valentin was killed.  Two days before the murder, however, Roberson was in...