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Saturday, September 14, 2024

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West Plains Progress 2024

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West Plains City officials have issued a map showing recommended detours for drivers to use while construction is in progress on the railroad overpass on U.S. 160/Independence Drive. Work is set to begin Oct. 1 and is expected to conclude around Dec. 1, 2025.

U.S. 160/Independence overpass construction soon to begin, city announces

The City of West Plains announced this week it is set to begin construction on a long-anticipated overpass project over the Burlington Northern Railroad line on Independence Drive. The $8.9 million U.S. 160/Independence overpass will stretch between Concord Road and Freedom Drive, addressing both traffic congestion and safety concerns caused by the current at-grade rail crossing.
The Princess Pageant is a time-honored tradition of Gainesville's Hootin an Hollarin Festival, in its 63rd year. The three-day Ozark County celebration of regional history and culture also includes outhouse and bed races, calling contests and plenty of music. On the final day of the festival, the Big Parade rolls out Saturday afternoon with floats carrying people wearing their best country garb.

Hootin an Hollarin Fest starts Thursday

The 63rd annual Hootin an Hollarin Festival will be held Thursday through Sept. 21 on the square in Gainesville. 
Dr. Dennis Lancaster, chancellor of Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP), shows former campus dean Marvin Green, seated, a plaque recognizing his many accomplishments for the university at the university’s special recognition for Green in September 2022. The plaque, which specifically notes Green’s efforts to establish a nursing program at the campus, was placed at Looney Hall, which houses the program. With Green and Lancaster is Green’s son, Matt.

MSU-WP officials remember Dean Marvin Green

Officials at Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) today are mourning the death of former campus dean Marvin Green.

Citizen's tip leads to arrest of man on child sex crime charges

A Mtn. Grove man has been charged with four felonies and a misdemeanor after allegedly attempting to meet a girl he believed to be 11 years old for sex, and an investigation reportedly uncovered other attempts to meet underage girls, plus evidence he'd exchanged sexually explicit with girls he believed to be underage.

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News

Man convicted of killing 4 at a Missouri motel in 2014

A man has been convicted of killing four people at a Missouri motel, nearly 10 years after the shootings happened. A jury in Springfield on Thursday found Scott Goodwin-Bey guilty of four counts each …
FILE - In this Nov. 30, 2014, file photo, St. Louis Rams players, from left, Stedman Bailey (12), Tavon Austin (11), Jared Cook, (89) Chris Givens (13) and Kenny Britt (81) raise their arms in awareness of the events in Ferguson, Mo., as they walk onto the field during introductions before an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders in St. Louis. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson, File)

In 2014, protests around Michael Brown's death broke through the everyday, a catalyst for change

Ten years ago, in August 2014, when a white police officer shot and killed Black 18-year-old Michael Brown on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, protests erupted in the nation’s consciousness. They …

Takeaways from AP's story about a Ferguson protester who became a prominent racial-justice activist

After Michael Brown Jr. was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, several nationally prominent Black religious leaders arrived, thinking they could help lead the protest movement …

Arkansas county jail and health provider agree to $6 million settlement over detainee's 2021 death

A county in western Arkansas and a health provider have agreed to a $6 million settlement with the family of a man who died from dehydration and malnutrition while being held in a local jail. An …
West Plains R-7 School District Superintendent Dr. Wes Davis gave an overview of the many recent district improvements, plus provided some figures showing the financial health of the district, during a Greater West Plains Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon Sept. 5.

Chamber members hear R-7 district updates at monthly meeting

Dr. Wes Davis, superintendent of the West Plains R-7 school district, was the featured speaker of the September Greater West Plains Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon, and gave a PowerPoint presentation showcasing improvements to facilities and safety measures, various academic and training programs, and the financial health of the district.

Officials call Missouri bird flu case a 'one-off' and say risk to public is still low

FILE - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is shown, March 15, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)

Health officials say they don’t know how a Missouri person caught bird flu, but they believe it may be a rare instance of a “one-off,” stand-alone illness. In a call with reporters Thursday, …

Sports
CA--California Digest
Here's a look at how AP's general news coverage is shaping up for select California stories. For up-to-the minute information on AP's complete coverage of California and the rest of the world, visit …
Here’s a look at how AP’s general news coverage is shaping up for select New Mexico stories. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s complete coverage of New Mexico and the rest of the world, …
The highlights of Friday's AP Sports report. An up-to-the minute listing of all stories planned, including games and events, is available in Coverage Plan on AP Newsroom, …
It’s hard to imagine, but there was a time when the World Series didn’t happen. Not because of a war or a natural disaster, but because of something much more complex and frustrating: labor disputes. Yes, on September 14, 1994, Major League Baseball made the agonizing decision to cancel the rest of the season, including the iconic World Series, due to a player strike that had dragged on for over a month.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa is now dealing with the third diagnosed concussion of his NFL career, all of them coming in the last two seasons. And there are now questions about his future — both short-term and long-term. The Miami Dolphins quarterback was hurt in his team's 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night, sustaining the injury on a play where he collided into Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin. Tagovailoa, who was rushing successfully for a first down, initiated the contact by lowering his shoulder into Hamlin instead of sliding as many quarterbacks do on a scramble.

Zizzers Soccer Rolls Through Lebanon Tournament, Continues Strong Season

The West Plains Zizzers soccer team has been on an absolute tear, showing moments of brilliance, teamwork, and resilience across multiple games. From an incredible start in the Lebanon Tournament to tough standalone matchups, the Zizzers have experienced both the highs of victory and the lessons of defeat. Let’s dive into the action-packed slate of games that have kept Zizzer Nation on the edge of their seats.

Lady Zizzers dominate Osage in 18-9 offensive showdown

In an impressive offensive display, the West Plains High School Lady Zizzers softball team surged past the Osage High School Indians with an 18-9 victory on Monday, September 9.
People & Events
West Plains High School celebrated academic excellence by honoring students with GPAs of 3.33 and higher. These outstanding students received academic letters, pins, and bars to recognize their hard work and achievements from the last school year. Juniors recognized for earning a 3.6 GPA and above were presented a letter, bar and pin. Sophomore honorees were recognized in the Sept. 11 issue of the West Plains Daily Quill. Continue watching the Quill for more student honorees.

WPHS juniors recognized for academic excellence

West Plains High School juniors earning 3.6 and above GPA were recently presented an academic bar and pin during a ceremony held at the high school. Nine additional students who achieved 3.6 GPAs and higher, but had not previously earned an academic letter, were also presented letters. Those students:
The Chaos Closet, a foster resource in downtown West Plains that serves foster families in the 37th Judicial Circuit is the beneficiary of a recent Girl Scout initiative. West Plains Girl Scout Troop 10050 Junior girls worked to earn their bronze award with the help of their other troop members, shared Chaos Closet Executive Director DeeDee Button. “Jenna Haley, Mei Strong and Sophie Tune came up with the idea of making bags for children in foster care that include various hygiene items, a toy and a clothing item,” Button explained. The bags, 25 total, will be distributed to children in foster care through The Chaos Closet. 

Girl Scout troop project benefits Chaos Closet

Community Calendar: Sept. 11 update

Know of an event not listed here? Email submissions by noon Fridays to news@wpdailyquill.net with “CALENDAR” in the subject line. Three sentence maximum must include event description, date, time, location, cost and source for more information. Weekly events will be printed for no more than a month at a time unless renewed by the host. Call the Quill, 417-256-9191 with questions. Unless otherwise noted, events are in West Plains.
West Plains High School sophomores earning a GPA of 3.33 to 3.59 were recently presented an academic letter and bar during a ceremony held at the high school. Those students, in alphabetical order: Cash Adamson, Natalie Bahus, Randi Barker, Lucas Boze, Chance Bradfute, Vanessa Cates, Ean Cunningham, Arianna Donner, Ayla Frunzi, Ryan Hawkins, Samantha Howard, Haylee Ingalsbe, Jacob Kentner, Tanner Kerley, Johnathan Kharitonov, Arsen Kulakevich, Antonio Kunert, Riley Lilly Bailey Logue, Kynna McCullough, Halen Mullen, Wyatt Owens, Cordale Palmer, Jack Sander, June Sanderson, Haley Smith, Nickalas Stage, Benjamin Stone and Delani Wahome. See the Sept. 9 Quill or visit www.westplainsdailyquill.net to see sophomores recognized for earning GPAs of 3.6 and above. Continue watching the Quill for more student honorees.

More WPHS sophomores honored for academic performance

West Plains High School celebrated academic excellence by honoring students with GPAs of 3.33 and higher. These outstanding students received academic letters, pins, and bars to recognize their hard work and achievements from the last school year. Sophomores recognized for earning a 3.6 GPA and above were presented a letter, bar and pin. Continue watching the Quill for more student honorees.

WHPS celebrates high academic achievements of sophomores

West Plains High School sophomores earning 3.6 and above GPA were recently presented an academic letter, bar and pin during a ceremony held at the high school. Those students:
Records
Arkansas news
Missouri news
Features

Yellow House welcomes founder Dr. Ken Shafer for anniversary visit

Supporters of The Yellow House Community Arts Center are invited to a potluck and drop-in gathering of appreciation for Dr. Ken Shafer, the man who made The Yellow House a reality. The event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday.

ShenanigansFest is Oct. 14 in Ozark County

Shenanigans MO, a live music promotion company based in West Plains, will host an all-day music festival, ShenanigansFest, on Oct. 19 at The Hangar, 808 County Road 352 in Caulfield.

Mental Health for Youth in Ag: Free resources can help relay the value of mental health to youth

In a 2024 study of agricultural youth (Rudolphi JM, Berg RL. Stress, Mental Health, and Risk-Taking: Associations among a Sample of Agricultural Adolescents. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 June), it was found that about 70% of the youth surveyed had at least mild symptoms of depression, while 63% had anxiety symptoms.

Limited edition ceramic mugs available at Ozarktoberfest 2024

Attendees to the 11th annual Ozarktoberfest hosted by Wages Brewing Company this fall will have a new perk to look forward to: half-liter ceramic mugs available for purchase.
Jeffrey Goss, in overalls at left, leads Comet in circles as the horse powers a sorghum cane press. The press crushes the cane that is being fed into it at the left. The juices that are squeezed out run down a sluice and are collected for boiling into syrup.

Flotsam Farm Bringing tradition to life with sorghum syrup, Youth, and community

With a focus on sustainability and passing down traditional food preparation methods, the Eric and Amelia LaMair of Flotsam Farm were recently awarded a grant used to raise sorghum cane and process it into syrup using traditional methods, including a horse-drawn cane press and boiling down the syrup over an open flame for hours.
Special Sections
Charles and Carolyn VonAllmen of West Plains are shown here with their granddaughter, Riley Nelden following her graduation from Alton High School last spring. Neldon’s mother Durreall VonAllmen, who submitted this photo and now lives in West Plains with her family, shouted out to Charles and Carolyn, “Thanks for being the best grandparents!”

‘The best grandparents’

The “proudest grandson in the world,” Travis Rhoads of West Plains, submitted this photo of his grandparents, Ron and Donna Luna, also of West Plains. “I am extremely thankful for all the memories and life lessons they taught to me that I can pass on to my soon-to-be-born daughter,” he shared.

'Thanks for the memories and life lessons'

Reader Veronica Aichele writes, “We would like to recognize a very special lady named Ruth Stevens. She lives in Thayer and comes to West Plains often to support her grandchildren who live in West Plains. She attends a plethora of ball games, volunteers in several community service organizations, and is a part of the Grandparents Club at the kids’ school. She is always giving of herself and is a gem of a lady.” With Stevens are her grandchildren Ellie Aichele, left, and Alex Aichele.

Ruth Stevens, 'a gem of a lady'

A note about Grandparents Day

Each year since former U.S. President Jimmy Carter issued the first Grandparents Day proclamation in 1978, grandparents have been celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day.

West Plains R-7 back-to-school and open house information

The West Plains School District will begin the 2024-2025 school year Aug. 19 with a full day of classes.
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