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These two houses near Highway 17 south of West Plains are among those that show the signs of damage attributed to strong thunderstorm winds by the National Weather Service Storm Survey Team. The winds occurred during a Friday night storm that produced the confirmation of two tornadoes in the area, an EF-1 that touched down near Rover in Oregon County, and an EF-3 that touched down in Gamaliel, Ark., traveled through Bakersfield in Ozark County, and lifted up near South Fork in Howell County.
Storm damage
Friday night storms indirectly lead to stolen truck’s recovery
A series of unlikely coincidences set in motion by Friday night’s storms, which are being called "divine intervention,” led to the recovery of a stolen pickup truck just hours after it went missing. more
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Kehoe seeks joint damage assessments ahead of federal disaster declaration request
Gov. Mike Kehoe announced on Monday the state has requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency participate in joint preliminary damage assessments for Individual Assistance in 23 counties following the severe storms and deadly tornadoes that devastated Missouri March 14 and 15. The request begins the process of receiving federal disaster assistance. more
‘No greater blessing’: Food truck owner gives away hundreds of meals in Bakersfield, WP, and plans to keep going
The Tribal Cajun food truck, owned by Jeff Two Hawks of Pottersville, has been providing free meals and supplies to those impacted by the tornadoes and severe weather that rolled through the area Friday.  more
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Valentin brings tacos and a chainsaw to cleanup efforts
Eric Valentin, owner of Señor Valentin, a taco truck and restaurant in the process of moving to the First & Jefferson building, was set up Sunday at Endurance Church in West Plains, where he said more than 100 people were served food and drinks at no cost.  more
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This graphic shows the Local Storm Reports received by the National Weather Service Office in Springfield Friday evening. Most of the reports received fell along a line from Bakersfield in Ozark County and Rover in Oregon County, where and EF-3 and EF-1 tornado were confirmed, respectively, between 8:40 and 9:13 p.m.
Friday night tornadoes, winds wreak havoc from Ozark to Oregon County
The National Weather Service office in Springfield confirmed an EF-3 tornado with peak winds of 140 mph touched down at 8:35 p.m. Friday just south of Bakersfield in Ozark County and tracked northeast toward South Fork in Howell County. more
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RJ McLain, who lives near South Fork, poses in front of what’s left of his trailer, destroyed in Friday night’s storm. While he was able to salvage some clothes and keepsakes, his trailer is a “big ole pile of rubble,” he said. Despite losing his home, McLain is in good spirits while posing next to his trash can, which bears the phrase “RJ’s Trailer Trash.”
RJ McLain in good spirits despite loss of home
Bakersfield superintendent responds to outshining of community support
An EF-3 tornado confirmed by the National Weather Service caused severe damage at Bakersfield School District when it plowed through the town on Friday night. more
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Drake and Cassidy Frazier and their two young sons, who live on FF Highway between U.S. 160 and Highway 142, lost everything they owned during a severe thunderstorm, possibly a tornado, on Friday night. The loss includes their house, which was completely demolished. A fundraiser, gofund.me/8045e821, organized by Michaela Croney on GoFundMe has raised $1,000 of its $3,000 goal as of Tuesday morning. The family is one of several for whom GoFundMe fundraisers have been set up in the area.
Frazier family home demolished
Teen dies after falling from hood of car
A 16-year-old boy from Ava suffered fatal injuries when he fell from the hood of a car and was struck by it Monday evening, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. more
Ira Briscoe and his mother, Marilyn
Remains found in August are Briscoe's, testing shows
After months of waiting, the Howell County Sheriff’s Office has received confirmation that one of two sets of remains found in a cistern near Lanton are those of Ira Briscoe, missing since 2020. more
Sue Neitzel snapped this pic of a barn roof and trees that took significant damage in Friday night's storm. The barn, on County Road 8680 near Fiddlesticks Flea Market, also heavily damaged in the storm, is owned by Rob and Debbie Stauffer and was the subject of a photo by Neitzel that was published in the Quill's online photo gallery celebrating the first snowfall of the season on Jan. 15. This caption has been updated to correct the names of the barn's owners.
Barn and trees take damage in storm
South Fork Principal Seth Huddleston made final announcements for the day to students that attended classes Monday in the fellowship hall of First Baptist Church on Walnut Street in West Plains. Classes had been moved because power was out at the school. South Fork is a kindergarten through eighth grade school located about 10 miles southwest of West Plains, and is part of the West Plains R-7 School District. Students were given the option to be bused to West Plains from South Fork, and about 150 out of 190 students did so, Huddleston said. The effort was made to return children to a sense of normalcy after some families were affected by the storm and heavy damage to the area near the school. Students ate lunch at the West Plains Middle School and returned to the church for ice cream provided by Mission First Medical, owned by Huddleston’s wife Suzanne, and Spring Dipper of West Plains. By Tuesday morning power had been restored to the school and classes resumed as normal, with thanks given by district officials to Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative and the First Baptist Church.
First Baptist Church hosts South Fork School after power outage
With school out of session due to a lack of power caused by Friday’s storm, Glenwood School faculty and staff set out Tuesday to make deliveries of snacks and necessities to district students and their families.
Gov. Kehoe, DESE work to prioritize safe return for students
Following the devastating storms that struck Missouri on Friday, Gov. Mike Kehoe and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) went right to work on efforts to support impacted school districts and ensure students can safely return to the classroom as soon as possible. more
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Drake and Cassity Frazier and their two sons, who live on FF Highway between U.S. 160 and Highway 142, lost everything they owned during Friday night’s tornado, including their house, which was completely demolished. A fundraiser, gofund.me/8045e821, organized by Michaela Croney on GoFundMe has raised $1,000 of its $3,000 goal as of Tuesday morning. The family is one of several for whom GoFundMe fundraisers have been set up in the area.
Fundraisers set up via GoFundMe to help with recovery
In addition to Drake and Cassidy Frazier and their sons, several area families have been set up to benefit from GoFundMe fundraisers set up by close friends and family. Here is what the Quill has been alerted to as of Tuesday morning: more
Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative linemen continue to work to restore power to members after Friday's severe weather and tornadoes damaged multiple power lines and utility poles, as well as three substations across its service area. As of Tuesday morning, about 1,943 members were still without power, and 2,000 had power restored, according to officials.
‘Keep checking on your neighbors’: 4 days after the storm, power is returned to thousands; many will be recovering for months, says CEO
As of Tuesday morning 1,943 Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative (HOEC) customers were still out of power, but there had been about 2,000 restored since storms that produced at least two local tornadoes and high winds came through Friday night, according to a video update posted online by CEO/General Manager Dan Singletary. more
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Jessica Grassie, right, and her husband James had heavy damage to their home, shop building and shed during Friday's storm as it passed southeast of West Plains. The couple live off of Highway 17 near Glenwood school on 3 acres, which Grassie said had been cleared of trees by high winds. She said she and her husband are staying at a hotel and have insurance on their property, but their home was severely damaged and exposed to the weather, so they picked up tarps on Monday to help cover the damage. The local chapter of the American Red Cross, represented here by worker Martha Romans, who lives in Branson, had set up a station Monday at First United Methodist Church for those affected by the storm to pick up donated bottled water and other drinks, hygiene items, diapers, cleaning supplies, tarps, work gloves, clothing, bedding and other needs.
Recovery underway after Friday night severe weather, tornado
Throughout the weekend and likely to continue the next several days, resources for those affected by the Friday night's storms and tornado have been collected and distributed through efforts coordinated with local and county emergency and governmental agencies and churches. more
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A school legislative forum was held recently at West Plains High School to give area district administrators and stakeholders a chance to ask questions about an upcoming vote on open enrollment and its potential impact on staffing and transportation costs for districts. Besides West Plains, other district administrators that attended the March 7 meeting included Thayer, Bakersfield, Junction Hill, Richards, Glenwood, Fairview, Willow Springs, Houston, Cabool, Summersville, Plato and Hartville, plus two Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education supervisors. From left are 143rd District Rep. Bennie Cook, 155th District Rep. Matthew Overcast, 154th District Rep. Lisa Durnell, 33rd District Sen. Brad Hudson and West Plains R-7 Superintendent Dr. Wes Davis.
School choice bill raises concerns from area districts
The result of a collaboration between several area school districts, a luncheon forum recently held at West Plains High School gave educators and district administrators a chance to ask state legislators about an upcoming vote on a law that would expand school choice for parents. more
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FYI
Noon Rotary holds cruise giveaway drawing more
The Howell County University of Missouri Extension had its annual meeting this month and named council members and officers for the 2025-26 year. The University of Missouri Extension is a program administered by the University of Missouri as a land-grant university, meaning as a condition of sales of land granted to the university it must use sales proceeds to establish public universities to educate students about agriculture, home economics, mechanics and other practical professions. In 1914, the Cooperative Agricultural Extension Service began, expanding educational programs to the general public. Services and programs are still related to agriculture and youth activities like 4-H, plus economic and small business development and health and safety. Front row, from left: Robert Burtrum, Treasurer Daniel McKinney, Tyler Osborn, Secretary Ruth Waggoner, Christin Byrd and Mickey Walker. Back row: David Snodgras, Blake Crow, Kent Kelley, Bruce Williams, Greg Collins, Chair Ray Riggs and Vice Chair Ray Williams. Justin Huddleston and Jennifer Poor are also council members.
2024-25 Howell Co. Extension Council members named
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