Missouri’s August ballot is confusing.

So let’s just talk about it.

In this solo episode of Take On The Lake, I break down two of the biggest amendments you’ll see on the August 4th ballot—Amendments 4 and 5—and explain what they actually do. And I try to do it in plain English.

Topics include:

And yep… I reveal where I land on each one.

One of my absolute favorite films growing up was The Pistol: The Birth of a Legend—the true story of “Pistol” Pete Maravich.

It had me dribbling a basketball around the house like I was the next Larry Bird… to my mom's chagrin!

So when I found out one of the producers of that film—Rodney Stone—lives right here at the Lake, naturally… we had to have a conversation.

And it did not disappoint.

We cover:

• What it was actually like producing The Pistol

• Why Hollywood turned it down

• The life—and tragic early death—of Pete Maravich

• Rodney’s close friendship with the Cathy family (Chick-fil-A)… including the wild story of Truett Cathy stepping in to fund the film

• The idea of mission-funded movies—and what the future of Hollywood might look like

• What he’s working on now

• And... how the actual Death Star from Star Wars ended up at Lake of the Ozarks (yes... actually)

It’s part nostalgia, part behind-the-scenes, and part “how have I never heard this before?”

You’ll love this one.

And if you’ve never seen The Pistol—go fix that. It’s got that 90s innocence, a ton of heart, and it still holds up.

Stream it on Netflix, or rent/buy (it's on sale!) at https://www.thepistolmovie.com

Memorial Day Weekend, 1954

When a sudden storm struck a tour boat full of passengers in the middle of Lake of the Ozarks — two newlyweds vanished without a trace.

In this special Legends & Lore episode of Take On The Lake, host Nathan Bechtold begins with the recollection of a recent unexpected storm on July 4th weekend that caught boaters unawares... and then dives into the story of the Grand Glaize disaster of 1954, one of the darkest days in Lake of the Ozarks history, and the mystery that still surrounds it.

In this episode of Take on the Lake, host Nathan Bechtold sits down with Missouri State Representative Jeff Vernetti for a wide-ranging conversation that hits some of the biggest issues affecting the Lake right now.

From predatory ADA lawsuits targeting local businesses, to illegal labor in construction, to the creation of open-container entertainment zones at the Lake—this was a legislative session with real, local impact.

Rep. Vernetti also opens up about stepping back from social media after receiving a death threat during session, why that boundary has made him healthier and more effective, and how he dropped 30 pounds during the grind of the legislative calendar.

The conversation then dives into his biggest wins from the 2025 session—including legislation that passed with zero opposition—before landing on the ongoing debate around data centers, AI infrastructure, and whether any of it actually benefits communities like Lake of the Ozarks.

What changed. What didn’t. And what it actually means for people at the Lake.

The conversation around data centers at the Lake got heated fast. But behind the headlines, something bigger is happening.

In this episode of Take On The Lake, I sit down with entrepreneur and local developer James Rericha. And midway through the episode James revealed something: he’s part of a team that's helping rewrite the code on how data centers are regulated in Camden County.

James also was directly affected by how the whole "Data Center" and "Opportunity Zone" conversations got married... we get into that too.

Among the many topics:

The conversation around data centers, opportunity zones, and large-scale development at the Lake has gotten loud—and fast.

So we did what we do: invited the developer to come talk about it.

In this episode, Blake Hodits walks through his proposed 2,000-acre master-planned community near Camdenton—what it is, what it isn’t, how it doesn't have to include a data center... and how all the pieces fit together.

Blake is equal parts dreamer, tech guy, and systems engineer. And that all comes across in this marathon of an interview.

We cover:

Whether you’re for it, against it, or just trying to understand it—this is a chance to hear directly from the person behind the proposal.

In this episode, I begin with an apology and clarification on a recent video that... well, just didn't land quite right.

Then we jump into the questions people are asking about data centers, in the aftermath of a frenzied week in Camden County related to this topic. I lay out the background (what happened last week), and the biggest questions/concerns people have about them.

Where's the money?

In this episode of Take On The Lake, Camden County Presiding Commissioner Ike Skelton joins me for a wide-ranging conversation on local government, state politics, and the decisions that impact taxpayers every day.

We get into:

Whether you follow politics closely or not, this conversation offers a clearer look at how systems work behind the scenes—and why it matters.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts
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Halt! It's the speech police!

The Missouri legislature just passed a bill that bans antisemitic speech in public schools and colleges/universities across the state. They keep forgetting Orwell's writings weren't supposed to be a playbook.

Here's why the bill is awful, and how their justification for it makes zero sense. 

Most people at the Lake of the Ozarks have never heard of this place. But for the past 25 years Lighthouse Mission has helped more than 1,000 men transition out of prison, rebuild their lives, and rediscover purpose—and it’s happening right here in the Lake of the Ozarks community.

In this episode, I sit down with Chris Sanders, the Program Director at Lighthouse Mission. Chris went to prison 7 times before his life completely changed.

This is a raw one. Chris shares his story of failure, redemption, faith, and second chances.

Topics:

What it’s really like getting out of prison
How Lighthouse Mission works
Why structure (no phone, no car) matters
The moment that changed Chris’s life forever

If you enjoy stories like this, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

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Lake of the Ozarks
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