Arts/Education
Questions, accusations and calls for resignations cast a pall on the beginning of the new 2025-26 school year. With $3.96 million bleeding from the local school district's cash reserves over the last two years, the taxpayers of the Willow Springs R-IV School District are demanding answers.
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Lifelong Willow Springs Bear Marty Spence will continue his career in education at Fordland R-III schools, beginning July 1. He has been hired as the district’s superintendent. The district announced the hire last week.
Spence has been superintendent at Willow Springs R-IV school district...
The MSU-West Plains math department, along with the Math Educators of South-Central Missouri (MESCM), conducted its annual Middle School Math Relays on Saturday, Jan. 10. Over 140 students from nine area schools competed in this event. Points were awarded for first through fifth places in a...
Officials at Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) are seeking nominations for an honorary associate's degree.
The degree will be awarded at the 2026 commencement ceremony at 2:00 p.m. May 9.
It is designed to recognize and honor exceptional men and women who have given a...
The West Plains R-VII School District is excited to announce that Sarah Land will assume the role of Principal for the 2026–2027 school year.
Land currently serves as Assistant Principal and has dedicated more than 20 years to education at West Plains Elementary School. Throughout her...
Winners of Howell County News’ third annual writing contest received their prizes last week. The contest was open to all middle-school age children in Howell County. For the first time, the winners were determined by a panel of judges. Serving as judges this year were Zora Mulligan, Chancellor at...
More changes are coming to the 2026-2027 school year in Willow Springs. In addition to the shift away from the block schedule, a new school calendar makes a four-day school week the norm next year. The school board unanimously approved a hybrid calendar that was overwhelmingly the preference of...
The characteristic for December is "Encouraging". The following students were rewarded with a medal and certificate for being encouraging to others in the classroom.
Snow blanketed the ground with heavy, cushiony flakes over Pine Hollow. They were the kind that seemed to hush the whole world. Twelve-year-old Mira pressed her forehead to the frosty window of her grandmother's cabin, tracing slow circles in the fog with her fingertip. It was Christmas Eve, and...
Once upon a time in a land millions of stars away, lived a young teenager, Coral, and her frail grandfather, Saint Nicolous. I know what you may be thinking: Santa lives on Earth in the North Pole! Not to mention, he is the opposite of frail! Now, I’m not going to deny any of that, but this story...