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Van
Buren City Hall
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The City of Van Buren, located in Carter County, is a fourth class municipality with city offices at 1301 Main Street. Visitors from all over the country come to visit the world's largest natural spring at Big Spring's State Park. Economic development for Van Buren is conducted by the city and the Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission.
According to the 2000 census, Mayor John Bailiff and the four-member city council serve a population of 845. Van Buren has two full-time policemen and a volunteer Fire Department staff of 18. In 1999, Carter County's per capita income was $15,652.
In February 2001, the unemployment rate of Carter County was 6.4 percent, with an available workforce of 2,667. Only 172 people in Carter County were unemployed, with 2,495 having gainful employment. The average hourly wage for the county is $7.82 per hour in the manufacturing sector, and $7.20 in non-manufacturing. The county's major employers include East Carter County R-2 School District, with 130 employees; Van Buren R-2 School District, with 75 employees; Imperial Products, a manufacturer of wood products, with 52 workers; The Landing, a popular vacation resort with canoe/tube rental and restaurant, employing 50 workers; Riverways Manor, a nursing home facility, with 45 employees; and North Pacific Lumber, a lumber wholesaler, with 22 employees.
The residents of Van Buren obtain telephone service from Century Tel, which provides digital switching, fiber optics and ISDN. Residents and businesses obtain internet service from a local internet service provider in Poplar Bluff. The City of Van Buren has one medical clinic within the city limits, Big Springs Medical Clinic. The next nearest healthcare facility, Reynolds County Memorial Hospital, is located 26 miles away in the City of Ellington.
Residents in Van Buren and Carter County travel U.S. Hwy. 60 and D Highway. It is approximately 20 miles to the nearest four-lane thoroughfare and 100 miles to the nearest interstate interchange.
Van Buren has its own 2,600-foot runway airport within the city limits. It has a paved and lighted runway. The nearest commercial airport is Cape Girardeau Regional Airport in Cape Girardeau, MO, a distance of 120 miles away. Residents have a choice of three local financial institutions. Carter County State Bank has combined assets of $32,800,000. Southern Missouri Savings' combined assets are $220,849,000. The Bank of Grandin has combined assets of approximately $87,000,000. Both a daily newspaper and a weekly are available in Van Buren. Cable television services, available to all, provide over 35 channels. Community facilities include one Catholic church, seven Protestant churches and one non-denominational. There are six hotels/motels and one public library. Within a 20-mile radius, residents may enjoy one country club, one golf course which is open to the public, two public parks, and a public tennis court.
Fahrenheit in January to 90 degrees Fahrenheit in July. The Landing and Rosecliff Lodge All the numbers below are preceded by the (573) area code. To make accomodation arrangements when visiting The Current River or Big Spring, please review the following list: Big Spring National Park Cabins - 323-4423 Big Spring Road Motel - 323-8128 Garden of Eden Resort - 323-4641 Hawthorne Motel - 323-4274 The Landing and Rosecliff Lodge - 323-8433 / www.currentriverlanding.com River Cabins of Van Buren - 323-9204 Smalley's Motel - 323-4263 Starlight Motel - 323-4673 When planning canoe and/or tube outings, consult the following list: Jellystone Campground - 323-4447 Big Spring Canoe and Tube Rental - 323-4550 Hawthorne Landing Canoe & Tube Rental - 323-4562 The Landing & Rosecliff Lodge-Canoe & Tube Rental - 323-8433 For dining purposes, please see the following list: Big Springs Dining Lodge - 323-4332 Blue Heron Restaurant - 323-8433 Expanded Horizons on Skyline Drive - 323-1280 (weekends only) The Float Stream Restaurant - 323-9606 The Hungry Owl - 323-8289 Jolly Cone Drive-In - 323-4318 The Log Cabin Restaurant (located in Ellsinore) - 322-9300 Michael's - 323-8518 Sixty's Diner (located in Ellsinore) - 322-1500 Also, for entertainment, make sure to visit the 21-Drive-In Theatre (945-2121) and experience a movie under the stars, or enjoy the tunes of local bands at The Landing (323-8433) while dining along The Current River. The city is represented by 153rd District State Representative Mike Dethrow (R) and 3rd District State Senator Kevin Engler (R). U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (R) represents Van Buren in the Eighth Congressional District. |
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Ozark
Border Electric Cooperative, headquartered in Poplar Bluff, provides
electric power for the City of Van Buren. The city itself provides
water for its residents from its own well. The water plant has a
capacity of 576,000 gallons per day, with peak consumption being
325,000 gallons per day. The plant has a storage capacity of 225,000
gallons. Sewer services are provided by the city through operation
of its own oxidation ditch. The plant has a capacity of 144,000
gallons.
There
are three public educational institutions in Van Buren: an elementary,
middle, and high school. The nearest public community college, Three
Rivers Community College, is located in Poplar Bluff and boasts
an enrollment of 2,824 (fall, 2001). Southeast Missouri State University,
a public four-year college located in Cape Girardeau, MO, is the
nearest higher learning facility. Fall, 2001, enrollment for the
university was 9,352 students. 
The
nearest public access stream is the beautiful Current River (part
of Ozark National Scenic Riverways). Residents and tourists enjoy
camping, fishing, hiking/fitness/nature trails, motor boating, canoe
and tube floating, and swimming. Other attractions include the world's
largest natural spring at Big Spring's State Park, Mark Twain National
Forest, Watercress Park, and Skyline Drive. Average temperatures
for Van Buren range from 16 degrees
