Howell County Commissioners are scheduled to meet with a representative of the sheriff’s office on Monday to discuss a grant to go toward election security enhancement. more

The recently-formed South Central Missouri Prescribed Burn Association (PBA) held its first training session Oct. 20 at a member’s farm east of Gainesville in Ozark County.  more

Joel D. Marino, 77, Birch Tree, suffered serious injuries in a crash at 12:15 p.m. Friday on Highway 19, 8 miles north of Alton in Oregon County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. more

Editor’s note: Having just graduated high school, traditional students may seem eager to embrace the next chapter in their educational journey – college. But that’s not always the case. Going through the processes to pick the college they want to attend can seem daunting, then comes actually attending the classes so they can get a degree. Shane Hull, a current sophomore at Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP), has been through the processes and will be sharing his story in this column and subsequent columns in the coming months to provide insights into the higher education processes for others like him who are embarking on their own collegiate journey. Hull works part time on several projects in the MSU-WP university communications office. more

Below are several upcoming events at Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP), many of which are open to the community. Feel free to clip this calendar and keep it for your reference to make sure you don’t miss any events that might interest you. Also listed are several important dates on the university’s calendar that area residents might want to keep in mind.  more

The Howell County Commission is set to meet at 10 a.m. Monday in the conference room on the second floor of the county office building, 35 Court Square, and the first item on the agenda is to approve payroll. more

A Calico Rock, Ark., resident perished in a crash that occurred at 7 a.m. Monday on U.S. 63 about 2 miles north of Thayer, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. more

Howell County Commissioners are expected to review and consider bids for a new motor grader for the Southern District Road and Bridge Department during their next semiweekly session, set to begin at 10 a.m. Thursday. Bids are due by 11 a.m. that day. more

Troop G of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, based in Willow Springs, reported three fatal traffic crashes that occurred between Friday morning and Saturday afternoon. more

A Springfield man has been arrested after being on the run from West Plains police and Howell County deputies since Oct. 4, when he fled from them as they tried to arrest him, crashing a stolen vehicle in the process, say authorities. more

During their regular session Thursday, Howell County Commissioners are tentatively expected to review and consider bids for two vehicles for the sheriff’s office. Those bids were due by 5 p.m. Monday. more

At a recent annual ceremony honoring service to the State of Missouri, 154th District Rep. David Evans was saluted with an unorthodox award presentation recognizing him for his contributions to protecting and improving the effective administration of justice in Missouri. more

After enduring years of anticipatory delays, Howell County's officials and residents are poised to witness the transformation of a critical pathway in their community, as the commission embarks on a long-awaited bridge replacement project on Allen Street/County Road 2570. more

Joshua A. Cox, 45, Thayer, is charged after allegedly making threats that resulted in several law enforcement and governmental offices being put on high alert and the soft lockdown of Alton Schools. more

Eleven school districts will be awarded grant funds for student field trips to karst locations in the Ozarks. School districts receiving grant funds are Ava, Mtn. Grove, Manes, Plato, Licking, Houston, Mtn. View-Birch Tree, Willow Springs, Howell Valley, Glenwood and Gainesville. more

Donna K. Lee, 56, West Plains, suffered minor injuries when the vehicle in which she was riding in struck a deer at 9:01 p.m. Sunday on CC Highway, 4 miles west of West Plains, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. more

A Taney County resident is charged in Douglas County with drug trafficking and other felonies after a large quantity of controlled substances were allegedly found in the vehicle of another suspect, and a search of his home allegedly uncovered marijuana, drug paraphernalia and items typically used for the weighing and packaging of narcotics. more