Local
The West Plains Economic Development Corporation will host a Hiring Event at the West Plains Civic Center on July 22, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. This event is designed to connect job seekers with local employers. Currently, there are 29 local employers with more than 350 open positions who...
The traditional Independence Day parade took place on Saturday, July 3. Proud Americans lined both sides of Main Street to watch the parade and catch candy. The parade opened with a phalanx of motorcycles that were followed by the high school marching band, historical characters, red, white, and...
The West Plains Police Department responded to JMB Park for reported property damage on Monday, July 5. Once on scene, police officers discovered toilets in both the men’s and women’s bathrooms had been destroyed with fireworks. West Plains officials estimate at least $700 in damages. The...
The West Plains City Council met in special session on July 1 and approved the hiring of Earlene Rich as the city’s finance director.
Rich, a Certified Public Accountant, comes to West Plains with 12 years of city government experience. She served as Deputy Finance Director for the city of...
The City of Birch Tree has been awarded a Community Development Block Grant project in the amount of $836,046 to replace two problematic and undersized culvert bridges over Birch Creek. This infrastructure has been the cause of numerous instances of flash flooding in the community. The bridges...
An update on the city’s sewer repair project was given during the most recent meeting of the Mountain View City Council. “The wheels are turning slowly,” mayor Donnie Pruett told those in attendance when the question was asked. Rural development was given an environmental assessment to continue...
Even as news of the arrival of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in the county broke last week, the Annual Report published by Ozarks Healthcare breathes a message of hope and triumph over difficult circumstances. Though the release of the annual report is routine, 2020 was a year that disregarded...
A series of both usual and unusual causes disrupted electricity service for hundreds of residents in Howell County throughout the latter part of last week.
On Wednesday, July 7 in Willow Springs, a circuit went out on the northwest side of the city that affected about 100 people, including...
Lonnie Whitaker, author and popular columnist for this publication, has won two awards from the Missouri Writers Guild. In the category of Best Newspaper Column, Whitaker took third place for his story titled, “An Ozark Girl’s Golf Odyssey.” A reprint of his award-winning submission will appear...
Willow Springs earned its “Bear City” moniker on the early morning of July 8 when a lone black bear appeared in the yard of a home on Highway Z. The Simandl residence is outside of city limits, but is only three miles down Highway Z. Andrea Simandl took several photos of the bear in her yard and...