Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) graduate Faith Collins, Alton, was among six students who recently received Missouri State University’s 2024-2025 Citizen Scholar Award. more

About 65 people attended a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., held Monday at the historic Lincoln School, including West Plains Mayor Mike Topliff and his wife Pam; Travis Smith, who just ended a term as Missouri's 155th District representative; and Missouri State University-West Plains athletes and other students. more

The Howell County Commission will hold a budget work session at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the conference room on the second floor of the county office building, 35 Court Square in West Plains. more

The Howell-Oregon Electric Cooperative has issued a peak alert notice to its members, asking them to conserve energy use through 9 p.m. today. The alert was issued Sunday afternoon ahead of single-digit overnight lows, and early Monday morning, co-op officials reported, a power outage affected 999 member households. more

The Quill has learned the victim of a fatal car accident on Tuesday, first reported by the Missouri State Highway Patrol as an adult man, is a 6-year-old boy. more

A firefighter with the Thomasville Volunteer Fire Department is the victim of a fatal accident that happened as he and another firefighter were responding to a call, the Quill confirmed with a fire department spokesperson. more

The City of West Plains has announced there will be a planned power outage for part of town beginning at 11 p.m. today, Thursday, and estimated to last about 90 minutes. more

The Missouri Department of Transportation recently announced it has plans to improve Highway 142 near Billmore in Oregon County, east of Thayer. The project includes replacing the Highway 142 bridge over the Eleven Point River. A section of the road, located from the Eleven Point River to 0.4 miles east of the river, will be raised to mitigate issues with flooding, said MoDOT officials. more

An Alton resident is dead of injuries suffered in a two-vehicle collision in Shannon County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. more

The Quill asked, and readers responded. more

An Ozark County woman charged with elder abuse about a year ago is now charged with second-degree murder after an investigation into the Oct. 8, 2023, death of a disabled woman. The incident came about four months after the victim was returned to the suspect's care after being treated at Ozarks Healthcare and a subsequent long-term stay at a West Plains nursing home in 2023. more

Quill Managing Editor Abby Hess has been named the West Plains Daily Quill’s General Manager, effective immediately. more

Scrutiny of the hiring practices of the Missouri Public Defender's Office prompted by the discovery that a suspect in the 2007 rape and murder of Rowan Ford has been working in the state public defender's West Plains office has led to the topic of hiring practices being placed on the agenda of a public meeting being held at 9 a.m. Wednesday via Zoom. more

The West Plains Senior Center, 416 E. Main St., is in need of volunteers for its food delivery program. Administrator Joy Pace said the volunteer opportunity is available for route drivers of home-delivered meals.  more

Editor’s note: The following article describes an investigation into the reported sexual assault of a youth. While care has been taken to report on charges with sensitivity to survivors and readers, it may still be disturbing to read. If you are experiencing domestic or sexual violence, or if you’re a survivor of the same and in need of support, call Christos House’s hotline, 800-611-5853. more

Quill to close for training Fri. a.m. more

Paul J. Storms, Jr., 53, West Plains, is held in Howell County Jail with no bond after allegedly fleeing from deputies in September during an investigative traffic stop, then failing to appear for court on a charge of resisting arrest. He had an additional charge of resisting arrest added about a month later as the result of another alleged chase. more

Ozarks Healthcare officials in West Plains have announced the arrival of the first baby born at its Women’s Center in 2025. more