Republican State Rep. Travis Smith of Twin Bridges, 155th House District, has received the exclusive backing of the Missouri Fire Fighters Association in in his bid for 33rd State Senate, his campaign announced. more

Howell County will soon have road signs declaring it a Purple Heart County, following a collaboration between county commissioners and the Missouri Department of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. more

Several area communities are holding Fourth of July events this week, beginning today. more

The Willow Springs City Council continued discussion of downtown parking and heard about U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for the public water supply during its June meeting. more

Two Wednesday morning traffic crashes that happened at almost the exact time resulted in two area women losing their lives, reports the Missouri State Highway Patrol. more

The Howell County Commission will meet in regular session at 10 a.m. Thursday, and among the agenda items for the day, commissioners are expected to discuss a letter of support for Provalus. more

he Willow Springs Tuesday Study Club met for a regular business meeting at the charming country home of Claudia Marvin on May 7, 2024. Following the business portion of the meeting, Claudia gave a very interesting presentation about Cypress Knees. more

The historic Avenue Theatre in downtown West Plains maintains an enchanting summer tradition with its production of popular musical "Mary Poppins.” Performances are set to continue this weekend, offering a treat for theater enthusiasts of all ages. more

Republican State Senate candidate Travis Smith, who is currently serving as representative of Missouri’s 155th House District, hosted a campaign event last week at Dev's Steakhouse & Piano Bar, 37 Court Square in West Plains. more

The highlights of Missouri State University were discussed Friday morning at its annual Board of Governors meeting, held at the West Plains Civic Center and the last such meeting attended by outgoing President Clif Smart, who will retire at the end of this month. more

Harold L. Blair Jr., 67, of Ava, will spend the rest of life in federal prison after he was sentenced Thursday to 58 years without parole for his Jan. 30 plea of guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District District Judge Roseann Ketchmark and announced by U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore of the Western District of Missouri, Springfield. more

The Howell County Commission will hold a Purple Heart designation ceremony Monday morning during its regular semiweekly meeting. more

For the 29th year in a row, the Willow Springs School District bus fleet passed the Missouri State Highway Patrol annual School Bus Safety Inspection with a 100% approval rating. The district is one of 11 area districts to do so, and one of three with a fleet of at least 20 buses. more

An Ozark County woman first charged with second-degree domestic assault and leaving the scene of a crash that resulted in injury is now charged with murder after the person she allegedly hit with her vehicle died as the result of his injuries. more

A Springfield resident who initially only identified himself to law enforcement as a "man of God" who had taken a "vow of silence with God" is charged after being discovered on Assumption Abbey property in Douglas County. more

Holly P. Cooke, 31, Norwood, suffered fatal injuries when her vehicle struck a cow at 9:58 p.m. Monday on Highway 5, 6.5 miles northwest of Gainesville in Ozark County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. more

Samantha G. Jacobs, 39, Winona, has been charged with six felonies in two Shannon County cases after allegedly trying to use her vehicle to hit people at two homes, and ramming a parked pickup truck in the process. more

Before addressing regular the board approved consent items up for approval, namely the agenda, previous meeting minutes, a budget report, bills to be paid and personnel updates, including extracurricular assignments. Current funds held by the district are about $4.37 million. Last month’s balance was about $4.52 million and the balance a year ago was roughly $6.08 million. more

Editor’s note: The following article describes multiple cases of alleged sexual abuse of children spanning decades. While care has been taken to report on these charges with sensitivity to survivors and readers, it may still be disturbing to read. See something, say something: If you suspect a child is being abused, call the Missouri Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline, 800-392-3738. If you are experiencing domestic or sexual violence, or if you’re a survivor of the same needing support, call Christos House’s hotline, 800-611-5853.
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The patrol has reported the death of a 33-year-old Mtn. Grove man who reportedly drowned at 11:30 a.m. Thursday after entering the Gasconade River about a quarter-mile west of E Highway in Wright County. more