This article was posted on the Joplin Globe (newspaper) website, this morning. I had to find it on a cached page as it now appears to have been removed from the site. Check it out, and tell me it was joke. The Yakov quote makes me suspect. The tone seems to become more sarcastic toward the end, and I think it intends to paint Branson as intolerant, redneck, and Christian - as if any of that were a bad thing.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.joplinglobe.com%2Fenjoy%2Fx598325898%2FNew-additions-to-Branson-music-scene-surprising
Indeed, if it is a joke, then the newspaper was very irresponsible in allowing it to be released. The "disclaimer" at the top is not enough to quell the rumor.
WOW! :o :o
That is a strange April fools joke, but it is a joke
Definitely a joke. And a funny one. I thought it was great.