News | West Plains Daily Quill

Oklahoma highway reopens following shutdown after a barge hit a bridge

An Oklahoma highway has been reopened following its closure for a few hours on Saturday after a bridge over the Arkansas River was struck by a barge. Troopers with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol closed … more

3/31/24

Filing reopens Tuesday for 154th District seat

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft's office has announced an extended candidate filing deadline for several state offices, including that of 154th District Representative David Evans of West Plains, who officially withdrew from the race on Monday after announcing his retirement on March 11. more

By KIMBERLY LANGSTON, KIMBERLYL@WPDAILYQUILL.NET | 3/30/24

Running to collect Easter eggs filled with candy and small toys, members of Keena Simpson's kindergarten class made the most of their last day of school before a four-day Easter weekend. The students were part of a group that included seven kindergarten classes from West Plains Elementary School, and about 3,000 eggs donated by West Vue Nursing Home and parents of the kindergartners were spread over the lawn of the facility. Some of the eggs were marked with numbers corresponding to larger prizes of filled baskets and toys. The Easter egg hunt, held this year for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, is intended to encourage interaction between the children and West Vue residents, who watched the fun from the sidelines.

West Vue resumes hosting annual Easter egg hunt

3/30/24

Arkansas, local officials mark anniversary of tornadoes that killed four and destroyed homes

Arkansas and local officials are marking the one-year anniversary of tornadoes that devastated the state and killed four people. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Friday visited a title company in … more

By ANDREW DeMILLO | 3/29/24

Shannon VonAllmen, left, executive director of Birthday Blessings, and volunteer Jackie Kelly wrap birthday gifts for children in foster care. Last year, the nonprofit filled more than 1,750 service requests from children in foster care across the state.

Birthday Blessings’ annual fundraiser campaign starts Monday

Birthday Blessings, a West Plains-based nonprofit that provides resources to local foster kids in communities across Missouri, is holding its annual Birthday Bash Campaign starting Monday and running through Friday. During this time, an anonymous donor will match funds up to a total of $5,000. The campaign goal this year is to raise $15,000. more

3/29/24

Mayor Topliff shares 2023 highlights; city attorney Charles Cantrell to retire

During this month’s meeting of the West Plains City Council, Mayor Mike Topliff gave a state of the city address, summarizing 2023 and commenting on projects that are still underway and plans for the future. more

BY KIMBERLY LANGSTON, KIMBERLYL@WPDAILYQUILL.NET | 3/29/24

Deep South News Digest, 1pm update

Here's a look at how AP's general news coverage is shaping up for select Deep South stories. For up-to-the minute information on AP's complete coverage of Deep South and the rest of the world, visit … more

3/29/24

On Friday morning, West Plains city workers began the temporary closure of some streets near the square in preparation for next weekend's four-day eclipse celebration, Party in the Path. The closures are at the intersections of Cass Avenue at Washington Avenue, and at Dixon Street at Washington Avenue, shown here. City officials say the effort is to increase pedestrian safety between parking lots and storefronts on Washington Avenue. In coordination with Missouri State University-West Plains, another temporary closure is planned for Garfield Avenue between West Main Street and Cass Avenue.

Several downtown streets temporarily closed ahead of eclipse celebration

3/29/24

Ozark Co. woman charged with rape, incest after genetic testing

Tabatha R. Adam, 27, Wasola, is charged with second-degree statutory rape and incest, both felonies, after it was alleged she sexually assaulted a teenaged family member, resulting in the birth of a child. more

BY KIMBERLY LANGSTON, KIMBERLYL@WPDAILYQUILL.NET | 3/29/24

Magnitude 2.8 earthquake shakes southern Illinois; no damage or injuries reported

A magnitude 2.8 earthquake has been reported in southern Illinois, near the Missouri state line. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that the earthquake was detected about 6:55 p.m. Thursday north of … more

3/29/24

FILE - The Arkansas state Capitol building is seen on May 29, 2015, in Little Rock, Ark. Voters in three Arkansas state House districts will return to the polls Tuesday, April 2, 2024, to complete some unfinished business from the March 5 primaries. The top two finishers from primaries where no candidate received a majority will compete in runoff elections for a spot on the November ballot. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston, File)

AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Arkansas' state house primary runoffs

Voters in three Arkansas state House districts are returning to the polls to complete some unfinished business from the March 5 primaries. There's one race in which Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee … more

By ROBERT YOON | 3/29/24

FILE - Voters work on their ballots in kiosks in Jackson, Miss., March 10, 2020. Voters in the pivotal swing state of Wisconsin, as well as Connecticut, New York and Rhode Island, will weigh in on their parties presumptive nominees in presidential primaries Tuesday, April 2, 2024. Further south, Arkansas and Mississippi voters will return to the polls to decide a small handful of legislative seats that were forced to runoffs in primaries held earlier in March. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

AP Decision Notes: What to expect in the April 2 presidential and state primaries

Voters in the pivotal swing state of Wisconsin and three Northeastern states will weigh in on their respective parties' presumptive nominees in upcoming presidential primaries. On Tuesday, Wisconsin … more

By ROBERT YOON | 3/29/24

Georgia joins states seeking parental permission before children join social media

Georgia could join other states in requiring children younger than 16 to have their parents’ explicit permission to create social media accounts. Lawmakers on Friday gave final approval to a bill … more

By JEFF AMY | 3/29/24

Willow Springs School Board OKs purchase of new bus

During the March meeting of the Willow Springs School Board board members approved the purchase of a new school bus to be made in Fiscal Year 2025. more

3/28/24

Richards School Board meets tonight

The Richards School Board is set to hold its monthly session at 6 p.m. today in the school boardroom. more

3/28/24

Dice Run touted as fun way to see the Ozarks

The Dice Run to the Mills, sponsored by Colton’s Steakhouse & Grill, is set for April 7 and is one of the “Party in the Path” events to celebrate the upcoming total solar eclipse in West Plains. There is a week’s worth of activities scheduled for the party, starting on Tuesday with a ribbon cutting and culminating with the eclipse itself on April 8. more

3/28/24

Local author Jill Pietroburgo recently had the unique experience of reading her children's book "Sometimes Grandma Calls Me Jean" at the International School of Turks and Caicos, a British territory located in the Caribbean. Seated next to her on the right is her husband, Phil Pietroburgo. She was inspired to write the book after her mother, Bonnie Sullivant, was diagnosed with dementia in 2019. It deals with a young girl's relationship with her grandmother and how it changes after the grandmother's dementia diagnosis, including explanations about the disease and suggestions for families meant to help children understand it, and other memory disorders. The book continues to receive awards and positive reviews for its handling of the topic and quality writing and illustration.

Local educator, author's children's book about dementia receives acclaim, awards

Jill Pietroburgo, a local author who penned a children's book about Alzheimer's and other memory disorders, recently earned several awards and the book continues to earn positive reviews. more

BY KIMBERLY LANGSTON, KIMBERLYL@WPDAILYQUILL.NET | 3/28/24

Wright Co. crash claims life of Mtn. Grove woman

Jamie L. Holloway, 29, Mtn. Grove, suffered fatal injuries when her vehicle struck a semitruck at 7:50 a.m. Wednesday on AM Highway, a quarter mile east of Mtn. Grove in Wright County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. more

3/28/24

Write-in candidate for Mtn. View mayor to hold Q&A session today

A write-in candidate for Mtn. View mayor, Charry McCann, will hold a "Meet the Candidate" and question and answer session from 5:30 to 7 p.m. today at the Mtn. View Community Center, 125 E. First St. in Mtn. View. more

3/28/24

Robin Rank, right, hugs family friend, Pauline Engle, as Rank talks about the 2019 death of her son, Taylor Ware, Thursday, June 8, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. Rank told a 911 dispatcher Taylor would need space, and urged police to wait for backup because he was a former wrestler and might be a handful – advice that tracked best practices, yet wasn’t followed. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

A mom called 911 to get her son mental health help. He died after police responded with force

When a 24-year-old former Marine experienced a manic episode at a southern Indiana rest stop, his mother called 911 for help getting him mental health treatment. The woman would watch as her son, … more

By RYAN J. FOLEY | 3/28/24