A curfew proposal for the Strip, real sushi at the Lake, and a $3M clinic expansion wraps up

Need a local pro at the Lake? Roofing, cleaning, and other vetted contractors are listed free at localto.co/loz — a real local directory, not a lead-sale service.

Lake Ozark's Board of Aldermen is considering an ordinance that would bar unaccompanied minors under 18 from the Bagnell Dam Strip's Central Business District between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. The bill got its first reading July 14; the second and final reading is set for July 28, and if it passes, it would take effect Aug. 1. Businesses that knowingly let a minor stay past curfew could face fines up to $500, and police could tell a minor to leave or call a parent. Nothing's decided yet — we'll report back after the July 28 vote.

The same July 14 meeting put demolition of the long-vacant Shoreland Motel on the table, along with roughly 22 other blighted structures on Carls Drive, Ballenger Road, Thornsberry Road, Beach Drive, and School Road. The city is funding the teardown with a $300,000 federal community development block grant awarded back in January. Several of the buildings reportedly contain asbestos and have already been certified as dangerous.

Sushi by "R" is open in Osage Beach at 4399 Osage Beach Pkwy — a small, 12-seat sushi bar from the team behind 1932 Reserve, one of the Lake's best-regarded restaurants. The partners said they built it to fix a real gap: there's never been much sushi at the Lake, especially once the weather turns. It's open daily, 4-9 p.m. A second concept planned for the same building — a butcher counter, market, and Italian small-plates spot — was originally targeted for "summer 2026," but we haven't been able to confirm it's open yet.

Central Ozarks Medical Center holds a grand re-opening ribbon-cutting Thursday, July 23, at noon, closing out a $3 million expansion project that broke ground back in September 2023. The addition brings 7,100 square feet of new space plus a renovated 2,100 square feet inside the existing building — eight new medical patient rooms, eight more dental spaces, and five behavioral health rooms. New services include pediatric dental sedation and a dental walk-in clinic. The Camdenton location already sees about 9,100 patients a year across 39,000 visits; the expansion is meant to handle roughly 2,000 more patients. The Camdenton Area Chamber and Lake of the Ozarks West Chamber are co-hosting the ribbon-cutting at 1652 N. MO Route 5-Br.

"The gear mistake we see most at the Lake is buying based on price instead of how you'll actually use it," says Sloane Mercer, who oversees RuggedDiscovery.com's boat and lake gear guides. Worth a look before you head out on the water this week. (Affiliate link — we may earn a small commission if you use it, at no extra cost to you.)

In case you haven't come across it yet: Adventure Offroad Group, at 456 Hwy W near Eldon, is the Lake's dealer for Argo and Fat Truck amphibious vehicles — side-by-sides and ATVs built to drive straight from land into water. The showroom includes a demo track and a dug-out test pond so you can actually watch one in action before buying. It's been open since a launch event this spring, and we hadn't covered it yet — worth a look if you've never seen one of these in person.

Osage Beach's Board of Aldermen voted this month to sunset the city's decades-old "ghost meter" program, which let property owners pre-pay a fee to lock in future water rights instead of paying standard impact fees upfront. It covered about 119 users and brought in roughly $42,000 over its life — new owners of those properties will now pay standard water and impact fees like everyone else.

Still no new opening date for the Camdenton Community Center. The city delayed its planned early-July soft opening after inspectors flagged "critical life-safety and operational systems" issues, and hasn't announced a revised date since. We'll let you know when there's news.

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