O'Donnell Law Center : Lake of the Ozarks

Labor Day Weekend is upon us and it’s time to start planning how you and your family are going to celebrate the unofficial end of summer. Here at the Lake of the Ozarks there are a number of fireworks displays around the area. This is a fun and entertaining way to get out and celebrate the holiday weekend. Take a look below to find out when and where you can catch these booming fireworks displays. Bear Bottom Resort Labor Day Fireworks Date: Saturday, September 1 Time: 9:45 pm Hwy 5 to 123 Bear Bottom Drive in Sunrise Beach View fireworks by land at Bear Bottom Resort or by water at the 38 Mile Marker. Parking is limited; Arrive early. Call for details: 573-374-6905 Celebration Cruises Bagnell Dam Sunset & Fireworks Cruise Date: Saturday, September 1 Time: Boarding 7:30 pm; Departure 8:00 pm; Return 10:00 pm Celebration Bagnell Dam: Next to Bagnell Dam on Bagnell Dam Blvd. in Lake Ozark Call for reservations and details: (573) 480-3212 Celebration Cruises Grand...

With a number of motorcycle events and rallies taking place, it’s important to have a quick refresh of driving tips during this season. The end of summer and the beginning of fall is a prime time for many motorcyclists to be riding and enjoying the beautiful weather. During this time, you may be driving around more motorcycles on the roadway. Take a look below for a quick refresh of safety tips for driving around motorcycles. Increase Following Distance When driving around a motorcycle, it’s important to think about the time it takes to stop. A motorcycle can come to a quicker stop than a full-sized vehicle. Therefore, you should increase your following distance. It’s recommended to increase your safe following distance by four seconds when behind a motorcycle. This can help give you enough time to react and slow your vehicle as needed. Look Twice Before Turning Before you enter the roadway, it’s important to check the lane of traffic at least two times before pulling out....

A married couple in their 80's brought their three adult daughters (who were a blend of step and full sisters) to the O'Donnell Law Center so that they could review with me the couple's end of life wishes and estate plan, so that their daughters could ask questions, and so that the couple could reinforce their expectations.  All of this was to avoid unnecessary "hiccups" when the time came for the couple's estate to be administered. Sitting around the table,  with the parents on one side, the sisters on the other, and me at the head, we looked like we could have been sitting down for lunch.  Instead, we poured over documents.  The meeting took about an hour, and it was punctuated with questions and answers, a few tense moments, some giggles and a cleansing tear or two.  At its conclusion, those  beautiful daughters, sitting across the table from the parents they love so much, spontaneously locked their sister pinkies  in solidarity and pledged to...

As we close out our blog series that features the counties we serve, the history of Moniteau County is the focus for our latest blog. Here at O’Donnell Law Center , we are honored to be able to serve the 26th Judicial Circuit. Camden, Miller, Morgan, Laclede, and Moniteau counties compile the circuit. Learn more about the historic Moniteau County and the origin of its name below. Moniteau County Moniteau County was organized in 1845. The county was named after Moniteau Creek which is a Missouri River tributary that flows through the county. Moniteau is a Native American word that means 'Great Spirit'. The river winds through Moniteau, Cooper, and Cole counties. The twists and turns may lead to the origin of the county’s name – some may say the river flows with great spirit! This week concludes our historic feature of the counties in the 26th Judicial Circuit. We’ve enjoyed sharing this interesting information with you about the origin of each of the counties we serve –...

We are continuing our blog series featuring the counties we serve. This week’s blog is all about Laclede County. Here at O’Donnell Law Center, we are honored to be able to serve the 26th Judicial Circuit. This group of counties consist of Camden, Miller, Morgan, Laclede, and Moniteau. Below you can find more information about this historic county! Laclede County Laclede County was named after Pierre Laclede, a French fur trader and the founder of St. Louis. In 1763, Laclede was sponsored by a New Orleans merchant to build a trading post near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. He set out right away but found the area was too marshy for a trading post.  He moved down stream about 18 miles and in 1764, St. Louis was born. Laclede county was formed in 1849 from Camden, Pulaski and Wright Counties. Stay tuned for our last edition in our blog series that will feature the remainder of the 26th Judicial Circuit! We look forward to sharing additional informati...

As we continue our blog series featuring the counties we serve, we are featuring Morgan County in this week’s blog! Here at O’Donnell Law Center , we are honored to be able to serve the 26th Judicial Circuit. This group of counties consists of Camden, Miller, Morgan, Laclede, and Moniteau. Learn more about the historic Morgan County and the man the county was named after below! Morgan County Morgan County was organized January 5, 1833, and was named for Daniel Morgan, a Revolutionary War general. He was a notorious guerrilla fighter and American hero of the southern region during the American Revolution. He was strategic and crafty when it came to warfare. He would think beyond the traditional standards of a battle. Morgan employed many unique tactics to disturb the highly trained and disciplined opposing troops. In 1790, Congress granted Morgan with a gold medal for his victory at Cowpens in South Carolina. As he continued to serve, Daniel Morgan was a leading force against the...

We are continuing our blog series about the counties we serve. O’Donnell Law Center is honored to be able to serve Camden, Miller, Morgan, Laclede, & Moniteau counties. This group of counties make up the 26th Judicial Circuit in Missouri. This week’s blog is going to dive into the history and other information about Miller County, Missouri. Take a look below to learn more. Miller County Miller County, named after Missouri’s Fourth Governor John Miller, was organized in 1837.  John Miller was born in what is now West Virginia 1781.  He started off as a newspaper man.  During the war of 1812, he joined the Army and rose to the rank of full Colonel and was involved in some of the bigger battles.  After the war he resided in Franklin, Missouri.  In 1825, there was a special election for governor. There was a total of 4,933 votes cast (in 2015 Miller county had a population of 25,113!).  Miller won with 2,380 votes beating out his 3 opponents, Judge ...