Taney County

FORSYTH, Mo. -- Taney County voters will decide on April 2 whether two private libraries should go public.  If approved, both facilities would get upgrades.  Some taxpayers, however, don't want to foot the bill through a higher property tax. “At what point do we say, 'Enough is enough,'? asked Josh Smith. Smith says it's not about the service but rather about taxpayer dollars. “You are forcing citizens in the county to pay a tax they may never use,” he said. Voters will decide if a library in Branson and another in Forsyth should receive public funding.

TANEY COUNTY, Mo. -- A Taney County family is recovering after they were sickened by toxic fumes from chemicals used to clear a clogged pipe. The incident happened at a home on the 900 block of Painter Road on Thursday night. A hazardous materials team targeted the source of the fumes to the kitchen where one of the residents used three types of acid in an effort to clear the drain. Firefighters spent two hours removing the plumbing in the kitchen plumbing and cleaning up all the chemicals.

TANEY COUNTY, Mo--As the muddy waters go down, evacuated home-owners are moving back in to start the cleaning process. Ken Gunter started retirement life one week ago.  Right when the water started to rise. Gunter and his family were scheduled to move to Arizona. "We wish we would have been here and taken the move about a week or ten days ago. Yeah, it's just another adventure in our lives," said Gunter. For now, the dry land and sunny skies of the west, will have to wait.

FORSYTH, Mo. --The Taney County Sheriff's Department arrested three people on Saturday morning, stemming from a home invasion on Friday evening. Sheriff Jimmie Russell confirmed that Jonathan D. Hill, along with another man and woman, were found in a wooded area near the intersection of 265 and 65.  They were taken into custody around 7:30 Saturday morning. The three are accused of forcing their way into a home in the Ridgedale area, off Carlton Road, shortly after 5:00 p.m. Friday.

TANEY COUNTY, Mo., -- Except for the sounds of the pounding rain and a raging Brushy Creek, it's fairly quiet in the Bradleyville area of Taney County.       The flooding has most people cut off from everyday life.       "Just drive down here to look at it {the creek} and go back home," explained Jerry Herd.      "There's three bridges within a mile up through here and once the water gets up, we are just here until it goes down," said Margaret Dalton.

BRANSON, Mo. --  People who lost their homes in this spring's severe flooding could find a buyer for their property, Uncle Sam. People in Taney County are considering a Buyout Program. This means FEMA will foot 75 percent of the bill for people that have significant damage. While it might sound like a good offer, there's a lot of reading between lines. Dozens of people came to Branson City Hall hoping to get answers. "We would entertain the offer, you bet we would," said J.R. Lewis.

TANEY COUNTY, Mo. - It was a busy 24 hours for firefighters in Taney County, who battled flames at two homes Wednesday. The first fire flared up yesterday morning on Short Street in Rockaway Beach. Once on scene, firefighters say they could see flames coming from one end of a mobile home. Those inside the home made it out. The cause could not be determined. The second fire took place after 6 p.m. Wednesday on Linwood Road in Merriam Woods. What began as a flue fire extended into the attic and roof of the home.

TANEY COUNTY -- Taney County firefighters are crediting a maintenance worker for spotting a fire in a cabin near Ridgedale, Missouri. Fire officials say the employee was called to repair a furnace at the cabin on Saturday afternoon.       While trying to fix the unit, the worker noticed smoke near the ceiling. Firefighters say it took more than two hours to contain the fire. Officials say the cause appears to be an electrical issue.   There was no one home at the time of the fire.

TANEY COUNTY -- A single car crash in Taney County has claimed the life of a man.      According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Jacob Dickey's vehicle ran off the road on a curve while traveling down Highway J near Kirbyville. The accident happened a little before 10 o'clock Saturday night. Dickey was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 27-years old.

TANEY COUNTY, Mo. - Deputies in Taney County have arrested two men from Independence for repeated thefts from vehicles, according to the sheriff's office there. A news release says deputies arrested a 26-year-old man and 28-year-old man at 4:30 Thursday morning. The two are suspected of breaking into vehicles on F Highway, Missouri Route 176 and H Highway. Stolen items were recovered. The release didn't indicate where the two were arrested or just what was recovered. Anyone with a vehicle in Taney County that was broken into overnight Wednesday into Thursday is asked to call (417)