Springfield Business Journal_2019-10-14

SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 3 OCT 14-20, 2019 NEWS IN THIS ISSUE With low retirement account balances nationwide, wealth manager Jill Reynolds says she’s worried people aren’t savi ng enough. PAGE 9 Chris Crow’s Louisiana tradition is winding down in Springfield after eight years. PAGE 25 Vol. 40 No. 12 Features Editor Christine Temple makes the case that domestic violenc e is a workplace issue. OPINION PAGE 27 Politicians don’t want to talk about this because baby boomers vote.” —Dean Young of Heim, Young & Associates, on Congress revising the ailing Social Security system PAGE 16 QUOTE OF THE WEEK Driving range development underway in Republic by Kathryn Hardison · khardison@sbj.net A golf driving range development in Re- public is expected to open early next year. Construction began in July on Back- woods Golf LLC, a planned driving range with climate-controlled bays and Toptrac- er Range technology. It’s expected to open March 1, said co-owner Austin Cloud. Anchored by a 15,000-square-foot club- house at 6155 W. Republic Road across from Republic High School, the 19-acre development plan calls for 28 driving bays with room to double to 56 bays during the first six months of operation. The club- house, designed by Ireland Architects Inc., also will have a restaurant and bar service, Cloud said. R.E. Smith Construction Co. was hired as general contractor, he said, declining to estimate project costs. The Toptracer Range technology, owned by Topgolf International Inc., shows the flight path of golf balls and detailed data to help golfers improve their games, according to Toptracer.com. The system also allows golfers to play virtual courses from around the world, according to a Backwoods Golf LLC Facebook post. ERIC OLSON Construction began in July on a planned driving range in Republic dubbed Backwoods Golf. Backwoods Golf signs up for Topgolf software See GOLF on page 30 Doctor cites medical pot petition for $700K tax lien by Geoff Pickle · gpickle@sbj.net The IRS has filed a tax lien of more than $700,000 against Springfield law- yer and surgeon Dr. Brad Bradshaw. The lien, posted in September, lists an amount of $701,287, a personal ad- dress in east Springfield and his wife as co- grantor, accord- ing to a Greene County recorder filing. When asked about the lien, Bradshaw cited financial efforts for Amendment 3, his failed bal- lot initiative last year to legalize medical marijuana in Missouri. Under his proposal, revenue from medical marijuana sales in the state would have created an indepen- dent research institute to develop cures for cancer and other medical diseases and conditions. “I’m very passionate about cancer research, and I guess I was just too pas- sionate,” he said. “The bottom line is I’ve always been about cancer research.” Springfield Business Journal previously reported Bradshaw self- funded most of Amendment 3, commit- ting nearly all of the $1.76 million raised for its Find The Cures committee prior to the vote. Amendment 2, a separate medical marijuana ballot item, was ap- proved by voters last November. Bradshaw deferred questions about a scheduled payment plan with the IRS to his tax attorney, Robert Fedor. The Chicago attorney, who has represented Bradshaw in at least one previous tax lien case, could not be reached for com- ment by press time.  Find The Cures, which remains ac- tive with the Missouri Ethics Commis- sion, reported roughly $2.1 million in debt in its July quarterly report. Bradshaw previously told SBJ the past tax liens filed against him – total- ing roughly $119,500 – were made in error. Brad Bradshaw declines to say whether a payment plan has been set up with the IRS Brad Bradshaw: Tax lien was partially brought on by investment in Amendment 3. $2.1M Debt reported to the Missouri Ethnics Commission by Brad Bradshaw’s medical marijuana group