State Rep. Jeff Vernetti (Camden County) is back — and this one gets spicy.

We talk about the stadium subsidy bill (and why he voted no on the Chiefs & Royals stadiums), a huge step toward commercial air service at Lake of the Ozarks, and a push to make it harder to rewrite Missouri’s constitution.

Plus: ADA lawsuit shakedowns, senior pension reform, and fixing the state’s mental-health backlog (county jails are filled with mental health inmates that the state can't handle.)

This is a full-throttle look at Missouri politics and how it actually hits home at the Lake.

Topics:

Chiefs & Royals stadium subsidies

Redistricting and Initiative Petition reform

Paid leave, minimum wage, and Prop A round two

The future of the Osage Beach airport ✈️

Local school policy & open enrollment

Predatory ADA website lawsuits

Pension relief for seniors

Jails, mental health, and county budgets

Growth vs. charm at the Lake

Guest: Rep. Jeff Vernetti (Missouri House, Camden County)

Host: Nathan Bechtold | Take on the Lake (powered by LakeExpo)

Listen anywhere you get podcasts

▶️ Watch full video on YouTube

Tucked deep in the history of Lake of the Ozarks is one family name that helped build the place — literally and culturally.

Emily (Blair) Mensendiek is part of that legacy: her family started Blair Cedar, Ozarkland, and Blair’s Landing — some of the most iconic local businesses at the Lake. Now, she’s turned her energy toward something new: the arts.

From orchestral performances to kids’ theater, Emily’s helping champion and grow a creative community at the Lake. In this episode, we talk about the roots of her family’s impact, how she and her husband are carrying it forward through Evergreen, and what a thriving arts scene could mean for the future of the Lake of the Ozarks.

Tucked into a little light-industrial corner of the city of Eldon, just a stone's throw from Lake of the Ozarks, is a wildly niche business with a high-profile, international customer base.

It's called Argosy: they make super-high-end, custom shelving and workstations specifically for audio recording studios. And it's all made right here at the Lake.

Here's one testimonial: "Argosy is the Rolls Royce of studio styling" - Jon Anderson; YES

James Rericha is the new owner/CEO of Argosy... but he's been involved in quite a few other businesses at the Lake too.

In this free-ranging conversation (as per usual), we talk about the Lake's lost manufacturing segment, the perils of private equity takeovers, and what many business-owners at the Lake aren't doing but should be.

This is definitely part-one of a conversation that is to be continued...

www.argosyconsole.com

www.r.vet

#lakeoftheozarks #business #recording #manufacturing #entrepreneurship

Episode thumbnail courtesy Argosy

Lighthouse for the Blind – St. Louis is a nonprofit manufacturer employing 200+ blind and visually impaired workers. They make Falcon boat horns (yep, the handheld ones you’re legally required to carry on your boat), Dust-Off “canned air,” vinyl/gelcoat repair patches, screen cleaners, emergency kits, and more—right here in Missouri.

We talk mission, products boaters actually use, how they train blind employees for factory work, and the surprisingly awesome sport of beep baseball.

Guests: Kevin Thomas & Steve Kish (LHB Industries)

Learn more: lhbindustries.com

Why LHB exists: tackling ~75% unemployment among blind/visually impaired folks

Products boaters need: Falcon air horns (multi-size, refillable trumpets), vinyl mender & fiberglass patch for quick repairs

Household staples: Dust-Off electronic duster, wipes, HyperClean plant-based screen cleaner

Where to buy: Walmart/Sam’s/Costco (Dust-Off), Walmart.com (horns), Amazon (RapidFix/Tear Mender/Vinyl Mender), Berg’s at the Lake (wipes/cleaner)

Mission reinvestment: mobile vision clinics, SOAR life-skills, Space Camp for blind kids, support for beep baseball

Factory: St. Louis (Maryland Heights), domestic suppliers, adapted lines, high QC

The Lake's outdoor scene is getting a major upgrade with a new project being spearheaded by the Community Foundation of the Lake.

The Magic Dragon Trail System is under construction, and it'll result in 70 miles of trails at the Lake that could some day connect with Missouri's famous Katy Trail.

Behind it all is the Community Foundation of the Lake (CFL). For this episode, CFL President Stacy Pyrtle and I talk about... well, money! The CFL does a LOT more than you probably realize, and she makes a strong pitch for why you ought to open a fund/foundation through them.

We also preview the upcoming Champagne Campaign -- an always-memorable evening of giving (tickets are still available!)

You will learn a lot in this episode, guaranteed. Or your money back...

Here's where to find CFL, learn about starting a fund of your own, and buy tickets to the Champagne Campaign: https://www.communityfoundationofthelake.org/

#lakeoftheozarks #charity #outdoors #hiking #biking #investment

Charlie Kirk and Bill Federer were friends. Charlie would often text him scriptures of encouragement. Bill recently joined Turning Point USA’s education initiative, at Charlie’s behest. In the wake of Charlie’s death, Bill joined me to remember this giant of a man.

In this episode, we talk about Charlie’s life, their friendship, and what hope remains for a country roiled with the effects of an ideology Charlie so passionately battled.

Bill will be visiting the Lake of the Ozarks for the Camden County Republican Club’s Patriot Dinner on Saturday, Oct. 18. Get tickets at ccrclub.com.

Find Bill’s full schedule for his Missouri statewide tour at Liberty Link Missouri PAC’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554055814018

#charliekirk #billfederer #politics #conservatism

Citizens Against Domestic Violence Director Sheree Keely would love if the organization she runs didn't have to exist.

But it does. CADV serves hundreds of people every year in the Lake area who are victims of domestic violence. In this sobering interview, Sheree and Michelle Cook talk about the reality and pervasiveness of domestic violence in our community... and how it hides in plain sight.

We also talk about one of the best charity events of the year: the CADV Brunch.

Episode art: portion of a painting created for CADV by Ivy Zeller, a budding young artist in the Lake community.

#lakeoftheozarks #charity #domesticviolence #cadv

Chris Wilson has traveled the country as a "Fixer." Auto dealerships would bring him in to help turn things around: from culture problems to messy financials, Chris has seen a lot [pun intended].

Now a partner at Van Chevy/Cadillac/Subaru in KC, Chris brought his unique experience to Lake of the Ozarks when he discovered it thanks to "that video" in 2020 (you know the one).

He's joined the Shootout Board and is helping guide that organization, and he also leveraged his Cadillac connections to bring a huge win to this year's Shootout events.

In this episode we talk about that, but we also discuss the unique problems in the Lake of the Ozarks' economy... especially seasonal business and entry-level housing. Turns out, we're both pretty bullish on the Lake, and Chris has some thoughts on the way forward.

www.vankc.com

www.lakeoftheozarksshootout.com

#lakeoftheozarks #economy #housing #shootout #boating #tourism

It's arguably the most well-known name in all of American medicine: Mayo Clinic. When you can't figure out what's wrong with you and you've exhausted all your local doctors, you end up going to Mayo.

Now, Mayo is coming to the Lake of the Ozarks.

In a dramatic announcement last month, Lake Regional Health System announced they would be joining the exclusive Mayo Clinic Care Network. That means when you get treatment at Lake Regional, the medical staff have Mayo Clinic resources behind them. This is a pretty exclusive deal -- there's only one other medical system in Missouri with this kind of connection.

I sat down for a short interview with Mark Larson of Mayo Clinic and Kevin McRoberts of Lake Regional, right after the announcement at Lake Regional Hospital, and they helped unpack exactly why this is such interesting news for healthcare at the Lake. (Pardon the audio quality, we had a pretty minimal setup!)

#lakeoftheozarks #mayoclinic #lakeregional #healthcare #missouri #medicine

New Lodge of Four Seasons GM Steve Sharkey and Golf Director Matt Dillman join us as we look backward at the Lodge's past, and look forward into the Lodge's future.

People are already noticing some of the upgrades, and they're really just getting started... room overhauls, golf cartpaths, there's a lot on the horizon and we got a sneak peek in this episode.