A Texas County man perished in a crash Saturday evening near Salem, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. more

Residents of Howell and surrounding Missouri counties, including Wright County, are encouraged to bring old and worn-out electronics to one of three upcoming fall electronic waste (E-waste) collection events hosted by the South Central Solid Waste District. more

POMONA — The South Central Ozarks Council of Governments (SCOCOG), headquartered in Pomona and serving seven counties has announced it has received two awards totaling more than $225,000 from the Delta Regional Authority (DRA). more

Christie J. Smith, 48, Cabool, suffered fatal injuries when her vehicle hydroplaned into an oncoming SUV at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday on north U.S. 63, 3 miles north of Cabool in Texas County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. more

An altercation between brothers at a Texas County establishment turned deadly on Wednesday, reported the county’s sheriff, Scott Lindsey. more

A heat advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service office in Springfield for central and southern Missouri, in effect through 9 p.m. July 28 due to expected heat index values of up to 109 degrees and limited overnight relief. more

During this month’s quarterly meeting, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission approved the FY 2024-2028 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which lists transportation projects planned by state and regional planning agencies between July 1 of this year and June 30, 2028. more

The first membership meeting, intended to be annual, of the the South Central Missouri Prescribed Burn Association will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the Dogwood 2 Room at the West Plains Civic Center, 110 St. Louis St. more

In response to worsening drought conditions in the northern half of the state, Gov. Parson this week announced that the state is making provisions for family farms to use its resources to get emergency hay and water. more

Eleven area school districts, two of which have a fleet of more than 20 buses, earned impressive perfect scores in required annual bus inspections and thus, the eligibility to display the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Total Fleet Excellence sticker, announced patrol officials. more

A 59-year-old Texas County man drowned when he went for a swim at 2:40 p.m. Wednesday but found himself struggling to breathe and attempts to rescue him were unsuccessful, reports the Missouri State Highway Patrol. more

It’s graduation time — and this year is especially exciting because more high school students from our region are crossing the stage to get their diplomas with strong plans in place for their futures.  more

Gov. Mike Parson recently announced 169 school districts and charter schools are the recipients of a new school safety grant program, allowing districts, including several locally, to add security to buildings and purchase safety equipment including door locks, monitoring systems, bleeding control kits and automatic external defibrillators. more

Gov. Mike Parson has appointed Brad Eidson of Houston as a 25th Circuit associate circuit court judge, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Texas County Associate Circuit Judge Doug Gaston, whose last day on the job was April 28. more

A Summersville woman was killed when her vehicle was struck by an oncoming pickup truck at 1:25 p.m. Thursday on Highway 17, 9 miles south of Houston in Texas County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. more

U.S. 60 in multiple counties will be reduced to a single lane through May 1, weather permitting, as contractor crews perform pavement striping, announced the Missouri Department of Transportation Thursday.  more

Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Executive Director Katiina Dull was the guest speaker Thursday at the Greater West Plains Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon, invited to highlight the services offered by the CAC as part of Child Abuse Prevention Month, recognized yearly each April. more

Siblings Hannah and Gavin Williams, left photo, and Andy Hansen, in the foreground at right, joined about a dozen other members of the Spring Creek Community Church in holding crosses as part of the Carry the Cross event held on Good Friday each year. Good Friday is a commemoration by Christians of the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ observed the Friday before Easter. For 12 years, Christians have gathered from 7 to 11 a.m. on Good Friday in different locations along U.S. 63 from Texas County south, holding simple white crosses to share the message of Jesus Christ. Also joining in West Plains were members of the First Church of God on Wayhaven Drive. The Spring Creek Community Church, pastored by Kelly Watson, has participated in the display for about eight years and got plenty of response from drivers, many of whom honked their horns and waved as they passed. Carry the Cross Now is a global ministry with roots in Sikeston. Learn more at www.carrythecrossnow.com or follow @carrythecrossnow on Facebook. For local Facebook group updates follow @iwillcarrythecross for Texas County, @IwillcarrythecrossinHowellandshannoncounty for Howell and Shannon county, or find “Carry the Cross-Wright County” for updates there. more

Confidence is increasing in the potential for tornadoes to develop and/or move through the area overnight into the early hours of Wednesday, and as a result, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has upgraded the region’s risk category for severe weather from enhanced to moderate. more

A wind advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service office in Springfield, effective from 1 p.m. today to 1 a.m. Saturday, for Howell and surrounding Missouri counties, plus Dent and Webster counties. The advisory is issued ahead of an enhanced risk of severe weather impacting the central and eastern parts of Missouri, as well as parts of northern Arkansas. In southern Missouri, the enhanced risk area is east of Springfield and Branson, with an elevated moderate risk status assigned to the Poplar Bluff and Bootheel areas. more