With no local program coordinator to organize a formal Toys for Tots community toy drive this year, several area nonprofits are stepping up to ensure that every child has an opportunity to receive a gift this Christmas. more

A three-vehicle crash at about 11:45 a.m. Thursday in rural Sharp County, Ark., claimed the life of a 26-year-old man from Williford, a community with a population of about 70 people located about 10 miles southeast of Hardy, Ark. more

Bids for a salt spreader bed, snow plow blade and bed liner to be used by the Northern Howell County Commission Road and Bridge Department are due to the commission by 11 a.m. and are on the tentative agenda to be opened and considered during the commission’s Monday session. more

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

It's the time of year for many local governments to meet and discuss budgets for the upcoming year, going over the wish lists and urgent needs of their departments to determine priorities and finalize where money is spent and how much, and that's no different for the city of Willow Springs. more

Officials with the West Plains R-7 School District announce Dr. Joby Steele will take the reins at West Plains Middle School as the new principal for the 2024-2025 school year. more

The Willow Springs School Board is set to meet in regular session at 6 p.m. Monday in the Board Conference Room. more

Texas County Sheriff Scott Lindsey is reporting an investigation into a fatal shooting that happened about 3 a.m. Wednesday in the area of Bucyrus, about five miles west of Houston. more

Gov. Mike Parson visited West Plains on Tuesday to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the building that will permanently house an existing autism student support program at Missouri State University-West Plains. more

The Ozark Independent Living (O.I.L.) Veteran Directed Care (VDC) Department is adopting a deployed military unit to send care items to during the Christmas season, and asking for the public's help with donations. more

West Plains’ name ties to its founding in the 1850s — it came to be called that because the settlement was west of nearby Thomasville — but the town today is known for other names, too. Legacies that began locally include famed musicians Jan Howard and Porter Wagoner, baseball legends Bill Virdon and Preacher Roe, and actor Dick Van Dyke. more

For the 18th year, the Greater West Plains Area Chamber of Commerce Non-Profit Alliance, along with Ozark Action, representatives from West Plains R-7 School District and area rural schools, law enforcement, businesses and other community groups, will once again join forces for the West Plains Communitywide Christmas Assistance Program to help those in need.  more

The Community Foundation of West Plains will join in a nationwide celebration next week to recognize the increasingly important role that community foundations play in strengthening their regions by addressing high-priority challenges and betterment projects for local residents.  more

Veterans Day falls on Saturday this year, and government offices will be closed Friday in recognition, as that is the federally-designated day of observance. Many events honoring veterans will be held Friday, including the parade. more

The Junction Hill School board will hold its November meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday in the school library. more

Dwane M. Porter, 72, has been charged with felony first-degree promoting child pornography and felony possession of child pornography, having either committed the offense previously or possessed more than one video, according to public court records. more