Howell's It Going, February 13, 2025
Hello and welcome to Howell’s It Going. This is your weekly update on what’s happening in your community. I’m Amanda Mendez, and this is your news.
Country music’s Rodney Atkins is the headliner for this year’s concert benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Association of West Plains. The fundraising concert will be on Saturday, March 15, at the West Plains Civic Center. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. for the silent auction. A live auction will begin at 6:30 p.m. with Billy Sexton as the auctioneer. The concert’s opening performance is by local talent Jessica's Friends under the direction of Diane Reed.
Ticket are on sale now. Prices for advance tickets are $30.00 for adults and $5.00 for children. At the door price is $40.00 for adults and $5.00 for children. Tickets can be purchased over the phone by calling 417-256-8123 or by going to Ticketmaster/RodneyAtkins.com to purchase or visit any West Plains area bank to buy them in person.
The money raised at the 37th Annual Cystic Fibrosis Music Show will go towards much-needed research. If you would like to make a donation, you can mail it to Cystic Fibrosis, 1619 Webster Street, West Plains, MO 65775. Donations for the auction will also be accepted, please call 417-255-5100 for more information.
The United States Court of Appeals dismissed claims that Circuit Judge Steven Privette and his spouse, Alice Bell, violated the constitutional rights of Oregon County Clerk Betty Grooms.
Tensions among these public officials began during Grooms’s first term as Oregon County Circuit Clerk. Bell and Grooms became political rivals, and after the election, which Grooms won, the three parties continued to work together in the judicial system.
Grooms’s claims center on certain detailed spreadsheets, Privette, in his capacity as circuit judge, had required her, a clerk of his court, to prepare relating to the cost of incarcerating inmates. When Grooms’s several attempts at this work did not meet his expectations, Privette commenced criminal contempt proceedings against her. This criminal matter was dismissed by the Missouri Supreme Court.
After an adverse decision by the state court of appeals in 2022, Grooms appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court. The state’s highest court overturned the lower court’s decision, stating in their 2023 opinion, “Privette lacked the authority to hold Grooms in contempt. Although courts have the inherent power of contempt, that power is not without limitation. Contempt is limited to those circumstances in which the power is necessary to perform the court’s judicial function.”
The Missouri Supreme Court did not find that the preparation of the spreadsheets was necessary to the court’s function.
Last Tuesday’s opinion from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirms the decision of the district court. The Feb. 4, 2025 opinion repeatedly points to the dismissal of the criminal case.
The criminal prosecution action had, “no obvious effect on Grooms’s employment,” says the federal opinion.
Grooms was never convicted or sentenced; her job duties and pay were unaffected, and the action did not affect her future prospects. After the Missouri Supreme Court dismissed the action, Grooms won reelection as Circuit Clerk, the opinion notes.
“Though she may still bristle at the public -and, in her view, false- allegations against her, we are wary of treating one public official’s allegations against another public official as discrimination or retaliation without more,” the opinion expands. The appellate court says Bell and Privette have qualified immunity against the First Amendment claims.
“We appreciate, of course, that Privette’s conduct in engineering Groom’s contempt prosecution was not so ordinary, but we can’t see how it affected any interest Grooms had in performing her duties on the facts she alleges.”
On these grounds, the court also dismissed Grooms’s substantive due process claim as inadequate.
The decision will stand unless reversed by a higher court. The only higher court is the United States Supreme Court.
If your farm has been in your family since Dec. 31, 1925, you can apply to have it recognized as a Missouri Century Farm. To qualify, the same family must have owned the farm for 100 consecutive years. The line of ownership from the original settler or buyer may be through children, grandchildren, siblings and nephews or nieces, including through marriage or adoption. The farm must be at least 40 acres of the original land acquisition and make a financial contribution to the overall farm income.
Since the program began in 1976, more than 8,000 Missouri farms have received the Century Farm designation.
A $140.00 fee covers the cost of a certificate, a metal farm sign and booklet for approved applicants.
The deadline to apply is May 1, 2025. Contact your local MU Extension center with questions.
The first budget of Howell County Sheriff Matt Roberts’s first term projects expenses of approximately $6.723 million out of an overall $7.096 million budget. This year’s budget is an increase of $277,796 over the 2024 budget with revenues expected to increase slightly.
The full picture on spending will be available in 2026, because budgets on the county level need not be amended for line-item departures from planned spending, said County Budget Officer/County Clerk Kelly Waggoner. The expenses in this year’s budget are a projection, not a guarantee.
“I believe we are off to a great start, and we plan to continue scrutinizing the spending,” Sheriff Roberts told Howell County News.
Spending planned for the county jail includes:
>$250,000 is earmarked for capital improvements could be used for an exterior perimeter fence and upgrading one of the jail cells to a padded cell for inmate safety. Lighting, HVAC, and energy efficient appliances are also under consideration.
>A further $160,000 is planned for institutional medical care. The jail has not had a medical doctor overseeing inmate care since mid-2024, Roberts said. A registered nurse spends ten hours a week in the jail now, with off-duty employees coming in to guard inmates while they receive treatment at a local hospital. The planned spending in 2025 reflects the cost of a correctional care company or an arrangement with Ozarks Healthcare.
>$50,000 or more is planned to upgrade, repair, or provide new equipment for the facility. Safety equipment, intercoms, doors, plumbing and electrical systems are planned. Roberts said “ a thorough assessment of the jail” leads him to believe [spending on the jail] will likely exceed [these estimates] to correct the issues he identitified after taking office. Roberts was a lieutenant over the Jail division under the previous administration.
Closing the Willow Springs substation will save $12,000 a year, Roberts said. The sheriff confirms the substation is officially closed, commenting that it was never actually in use. A planned move of the investigations division to that space will instead move to unused office space in the basement of the County Office building in West Plains at no cost.
The Caulfield substation was closed prior to the beginning of Roberts’ term, but the Mountain View substation will remain open. The sheriff has “no intentions” of closing it.
Throughout the budget at large, Roberts and his staff are combing through spending line by line, seeking places to save a penny. Roberts is hoping the savings will add up over time and leave a nest egg.
Other cuts Sheriff Roberts mentioned include:
>Choosing sedan vehicles for school resource officers instead of SUVs or trucks, cutting $100,000 to $140,000
>Disabling unused portions of reporting software, cutting more than $8,700/year
>Changing cleaning supplies and milk vendor for the jail, cutting $10,000/year
>Consumable supply changes (gloves, bath tissue, trash bags), cutting more than $9,000/year
>Spending $363 less on vehicle graphics per vehicle
Plan to attend a candidate Q&A for candidates for West Plains City Council. Ron Grennan and Jarryd Alsup are running for the same seat and will be present at Ostermeier Brewing Company at 1872 US-63, West Plains, on March 6 at 6:00 p.m. to meet with the public and answer questions. The event is hosted by the United Federation of Republican Women and will be moderated by Howell County News publisher Amanda Mendez.
This event is open to the public and will be livestreamed. Send advance questions to editor@howellcountynews.com
In the north of the county, candidates for Willow Springs mayor Adam Webb and Kim Rich addressed the Willow Springs Chamber at the February luncheon last Tuesday. They answered questions from the business community. Rich touched on her miliary service and long-standing history of service on the board of aldermen. She is a sitting Ward 1 alderman and previously served as mayor from 2015 to 2017.
“I’ve been involved since 2001,” Rich, former owner and publisher of Howell County News, said. “I haven’t missed many council meetings.”
Webb’s introduction highlighted his service on the Willow Springs R-IV School Board, and service on other local boards including the board of the YMCA and MFA store.
He said he wants to be a “hands-on” mayor – the first one you call in an emergency.
He continued “Kim has worked hard and done a fantastic job….I want to be the one who can do what you need, when you need it. I want to help the community,” he said.
Both candidates identified housing as a top concern for economic growth in Willow Springs. Rich said the role of the city is to provide support for private sector development, not to solve that problem with government.
When asked to define the role of a mayor, Rich referred to her previous experience, saying it was her goal never to have to break a tied vote. She said a mayor should guide the council and guide their conversations, but that day-to-day operations are the work of the city administrator.
Webb interprets the job as “bringing people in” to the conversation. He says he hopes to be out in the community, listening to concerns, and bringing those concerns to local government.
When asked to explain why they are better for Willow Springs than their opponent, Webb’s response produced a warm laugh from the room.
“I’m not better,” Webb said. “She’s smarter. I’m the farm boy.”
Rich’s response was “I do have experience with council, and I can lead us in a good path forward.”
Candidates for council and school board have been invited to for another Q&A that is open to the public tentatively scheduled for Thursday, March 27 at 6:00 p.m. in the upstairs of the Ferguson Building in Willow Springs.
The Board of the Caulfield Community Building (CCB) has voted to close the facility until sufficient funding becomes available to cover operational expenses. The board released a statement on Feb. 9 detailing the difficulties.
The CCB requires approximately $5,000 per year to cover basic operational costs, including insurance, electricity, and propane. Following renovations completed in 2023, the board opted to maintain low rental fees in response to community needs. However, with rising expenses due to inflation, the revenue generated from usage fees has not been enough to sustain the facility.
Despite widespread support on social media and engagement with the board, fundraising efforts earlier this year resulted in only $150 in donations, the board says. While many community members have expressed interest in organizing fundraising events, the board recognizes that numerous benefit auctions and events are already being held to support individuals facing health crises. In light of this, the board has chosen not to compete with these efforts but instead is appealing directly to the community for donations.
The board remains committed to reopening the CCB as soon as they reach their funding goal. Community members who wish to contribute and help keep the facility operational can find ways to donate in this week’s paper, or online at howellcountynews.com For more information, contact Susie Williams at 417-293-5288.
I'm Amanda Mendez, and this has been Howell's It Going.