Communities | West Plains Daily Quill

Head-on crash on South 63 seriously injures one, kills another

Roy A. Martin, 55, Salem, Ark., suffered fatal injuries in a collision at 4:37 p.m. Wednesday on South U.S. 63, 4 miles south of West Plains, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. more

6/6/24

Missouri Department of Public Safety State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) Region G Coordinator Kent Edge spoke with Mtn. View City Council members and residents at a special meeting Friday. Edge gave an update on storm damage assessment and the involvement of SEMA in verifying eligible damage that may be compensated in cases where the property owner is uninsured or underinsured. He reminded property owners to document damage before starting cleanup, and to make claims with their insurance carrier first. He and other SEMA team members will not go door-to-door, he said, but may speak with property owners as they run across them cleaning up damage. In the background is Mtn. View Assistant Police Chief Stetson Schwien.

Mtn. View mayor gives damage report following May 26 tornado

MOUNTAIN VIEW — At a Mtn. View city council special meeting held Friday afternoon, Mayor Charry McCann addressed a small group of citizens and gave updates on storm damage, cleanup efforts and the final count on injuries and property damage and destruction. more

BY KIMBERLY LANGSTON, KIMBERLYL@WESTPLAINSDAILYQUILL.NET | 6/5/24

Mtn. View Alumni Association to meet July 6

The annual meeting of the Mtn. View Alumni Association has been set for July 6 at the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 409 U.S. 60 in Mtn. View. more

6/5/24

Fulton Co. Fair now accepting pageant, talent entries

Entries are open for the Fulton County Fair Beauty Pageants and the Youth Talent Contest. more

6/4/24

Ava License Office transitioning to new location

The Missouri Department of Revenue announces the new management contract for the Ava License Office has been awarded to PAJJ Lane. more

6/4/24

Liberty High School Senior Kaylie Foster, right, was the recipient of a one-time $2,000 scholarship from the West Plains Bank and Trust Company Employee Scholarship Fund. Foster, daughter of David and Jennifer Foster, Birch Tree, will attend the University of Missouri in Columbia to study study political science (pre-law). Presenting the scholarship check to Foster is West Plains Bank and Trust Company Liberty Branch Manager Stephanie Jester.

West Plains Bank and Trust Co. employees award six $2K scholarships

Three 2024 graduates from West Plains High School, and one each from Liberty High School, Willow Springs High School and Houston High School have been presented with one-time $2,000 scholarships by the West Plains Bank and Trust Company Employee Scholarship Committee. more

6/4/24

Authories seek public's help in Wagyu calf case

The Sharp County, Ark., Sheriff's Department is asking the public for information about a May 10 incident in which a fence was cut and a Wagyu calf went missing, suspected to be stolen. more

6/3/24

Riley Wheeler, age 10, of Pomona, was one of several scouts, veterans, veteran's service organization members and other volunteers who placed flags on the graves of veterans Friday evening at Oak Lawn Cemetery in West Plains ahead of Memorial Day. The 144 flags were donated by Ace Hardware, and the placement was preceded by comments from West Plains Mayor Mike Topliff, who is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and a longtime Scouts of America leader. Topliff talked about the servicemen and women who are buried at Oak Lawn, some of them going back to the Civil War era, and encouraged participants to think about the history of West Plains and the contributions of those citizens as they honored their memory. Wheeler is a member of Cub Scout Troop 248 of West Plains and the son of Aaron Black and Shaina Wheeler.

Scouts, volunteers adorn veterans' graves for Memorial Day

5/29/24

Young Jack Sanders, now 13, plays hopscotch in the Children's Activity Area during the 2015 Old-Time Music, Ozarks Heritage Festival. He is the son of Cody Sanders and Julie Rackley.

Plenty for children to do at Old-Time Music Festival

The Old-Time Music, Ozarks Heritage Festival set for June 7 and 8 in downtown West Plains will have children’s activities and games and the popular bucket brigade will once again be featured. more

5/29/24

Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative reported a peak number of outages of 1,476 after multiple tornado-producing storms swept through the area Sunday morning and evening. As of Tuesday morning, power had been restored to all but 38 members in the co-op's eastern service area.

Sunday storms drop seven confirmed tornados across Quill coverage area

The National Weather Service offices in Springfield and Little Rock, Ark., have confirmed seven tornadoes touched down Sunday in Howell and surrounding counties, including Baxter County, Ark. Of those, two registered damage associated with EF3-strength wind speeds of between 136-165 mph, NWS survey team reports show. more

BY ABBY HESS, ABBYH@WESTPLAINSDAILYQUILL.NET | 5/28/24

Charge filed against man accused of ignoring red flag warning

A Mtn. Grove man has been charged with misdemeanor negligent burning after allegedly directing a hired hand to set fire to a brush pile on his property despite a red flag warning against burning being in place. more

BY KIMBERLY LANGSTON, KIMBERLYL@WESTPLAINSDAILYQUILL.NET | 5/28/24

Willow Springs School Board votes to take bids for surplus property

During the May meeting of the Willow Springs School Board, reelected board member Debbie Bryan was sworn in for a new term and chosen unanimously by board vote to serve as a Missouri School Board Association delegate. more

5/28/24

Willow Springs man placed on probation after pleading guilty to shooting vehicle

Hershell Meshell, 60, Willow Springs, has been ordered to complete five years of supervised probation after pleading guilty to shooting at a vehicle with children nearby. more

5/28/24

Mtn. View opens storm shelter for those displaced by Sunday evening tornado

Mtn. View Mayor Charry McCann has announced a storm shelter is open at the Mountain View Christian Church on South Highway 17 in Mtn. View. Crews from various state, county and surrounding … more

BY ABBY HESS, ABBYH@WESTPLAINSDAILYQUILL.NET | 5/26/24

Brandsville man in custody on $50K bond on assault charge

Bruce A. Flaugh, 38, Brandsville, remains in custody on $50,000 bond after being arrested May 2 on a charge of first-degree assault after allegedly throwing a hand saw at his girlfriend, cutting her hand. more

BY KIMBERLY LANGSTON, KIMBERLYL@WESTPLAINSDAILYQUILL.NET | 5/24/24

Banjo workshop presenter Clarke Buehling at the Fresh Grass square dance 2022

Workshops announced for Old-Time Music, Ozarks Heritage Festival

Attendees at this year’s Old-Time Music, Ozarks Heritage Festival are encouraged to learn about traditional instruments by participating in workshops planned for both days of West Plains’ signature event. The festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 7 and 9, with workshops held in Dogwood Room 1 at the West Plains Civic Center both days. more

5/22/24

Gassville motorcyclist fatally injured in Friday crash

A 71-year-old motorcyclist from Gassville, Ark., suffered fatal injuries in a crash at 10:46 a.m. Friday in Yellville, Marion County, Ark., reports the Arkansas State Police. more

5/21/24

MOUNTAIN VIEW — Mtn. View-Birch Tree Liberty High School awarded diplomas to 70 seniors Friday evening. Ava Greenan was named valedictorian and salutatorian is Sukhraj Singh. Thirteen students graduated summa cum laude with a GPA of at least 4.0; four graduated magna cum laude, with a 3.75 to 3.99 GPA; and eight graduated cum laude, GPA of 3.5 to 3.74. There were 23 graduates that qualified for A+, meaning they met the academic, attendance and service requirements needed to receive tuition to two-year colleges or vocational schools. One student, Ellee Glenn Miller, graduated with an associates degree.

Liberty Class of '24 takes flight: 70 seniors graduate

5/21/24

Traffic stop in Willow Springs leads to felony drug charges

Darrel L. Mohesky Jr., 42, Mtn. View, has been charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia used to ingest amphetamine or methamphetamine. The charges were filed following a traffic stop by a Howell County Sheriff's deputy. more

BY KIMBERLY LANGSTON, KIMBERLYL@WPDAILYQUILL.NET | 5/17/24

Ed Martin, at left, was sworn in Tuesday as a City of Mtn. View West Ward alderman, filling the last remaining vacant seat. Interim City Clerk Jessica Smith administered the oath of office to Martin, and was sworn in herself after being offered and accepting the permanent clerk position. Mtn. View City Attorney Deedra Nicholson swore Smith in.

Mtn. View City Council swears in West Ward alderman, filling all vacancies

MOUNTAIN VIEW - At the regular monthly meeting of the Mtn. View City Council held Tuesday, Ed Martin was appointed West Ward alderman and sworn in by interim City Clerk Jessica Smith, who was offered the job permanently during a closed session held at the beginning of the meeting, and accepted. more

BY KIMBERLY LANGSTON, KIMBERLYL@WPDAILYQUILL.NET | 5/17/24