West Plains Daily Digest Saturday, October 03, 2026
Ty's Take
You notice on a slow news day how much the real work of a town shows up in the smaller stories. A nurse who spent forty years taking care of people at TCMH finally gets to experience that care herself. The Kiwanis Club writes a check to Junction Hill School. A forty-thousand-dollar grant from Taco Bell becomes a new Teen Center for kids who need somewhere to belong. That Jan Howard print coming back home is the kind of thing that matters more than it probably should. These aren't the headlines that make you lean forward in your chair, but they're the ones that actually hold a place together, the ones that say somebody still believes it's worth showing up for the people around here.
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West Plains Daily Quill
Jan Howard art print returns to West Plains
A historic art print depicting downtown West Plains during the horse and buggy era has returned home to the Ozark Heritage Welcome Center after being donated by Michael and Tonya Hinton and their daughter Melissa. The print, which originally hung in the Nashville home of West Plains native and...
Kiwanis Club donates to Junction Hill School
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Public defender’s office disputes judge’s order in WP murder case
The public defender's office has challenged a court order requiring it to represent 77-year-old Larry R. Lindeman, who was indicted on charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in a November 2025 shooting death in West Plains. Assistant Public Defender Thomas Flack argued that...
$40K Taco Bell grant powers new Boys & Girls Club Teen Center
The Boys and Girls Club of the Greater West Plains Area received a $40,000 grant from the Taco Bell Foundation to support its new Teen Center, which offers workforce development and career-readiness programming for ages 13 to 17. The grant funding, generated through Taco Bell's Round Up program...
West Plains cross country teams swept the Marshall County Invitational in Benton, Ky., with Hunter Stanley winning the boys 5K race and Kaebrynn Gunter capturing the girls individual championship. The boys soccer team fell 3-2 to Capital City on Saturday despite a late rally, while the volleyball...
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Ozark Radio News
Kim Jordan, a registered nurse in the surgery department at Texas County Memorial Hospital in Houston, recently became a patient herself after 40 years of providing care to others at the facility. During her hospitalization and recovery at home, Jordan experienced firsthand the compassion and...
Van Buren Community Movie Night October 24th
Van Buren will host a free family-friendly community movie night on October 24th featuring an outdoor film, a fire for roasting, and refreshments. The Carter County Sheriff's Office will attend the event to accept donations for the Sheriff's Scholarship Fund.
Mountain View Senior Center Hosting Free Educational Workshop for Long-Term Care
The Mountain View Senior Center is hosting a free educational workshop on Saturday, October 17th to help residents and families navigate long-term care decisions. The program is presented by Ford Estate Planning and Elder Law and addresses planning needs for those considering long-term care options.
Fire Destroys Structure in Lanton
A brush fire in Lanton destroyed an abandoned structure on Monday, September 28th, with the Lanton Volunteer Fire Department receiving assistance from the Howell Rural Fire District. The fire was brought under control without further damage reported.
DPS Issues Statewide Automatic License Plate Reader Guidance
Missouri's Department of Public Safety has released new guidelines for law enforcement agencies on the use of automated license plate readers, following Governor Mike Kehoe's Executive Order 26-18 issued September 16. The 10-page document distributed to state and local agencies outlines safeguards...
Sparta Persimmon Days offers two days of fun
Sparta Persimmon Days returns October 16-17 with two days of live music, food, and family activities at Roller Park running from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. The festival features crafters and vendors selling candles, crafts, home décor, and other items.
West Plains Man Charged With Failure to Register as a Sex Offender
A Howell County man was arrested Tuesday for failing to meet Missouri's sex offender registration requirements after deputies discovered his driver's license address did not match his registry address during a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 160. The 36-year-old Matthew Allen Eason was charged...
The Houston Tigers, with a 2-3 record, will face the Ava Bears (3-2 record) in a matchup tonight in Ava with kickoff at 7 p.m. on 93.9 Q94 The Mountain of Rock. Houston suffered a loss to the Thayer Bobcats in the previous week.
Texas County Sheriff Investigating Fatal House Fire
The Texas County Sheriff's Office is investigating a fatal house fire in Plato that claimed the life of a 71-year-old woman on October 1, 2026, at approximately 9:52 p.m. Emergency services were dispatched through Texas County 911 to respond to the fire.
Video: Missouri State University West Plains Grizzlies vs Mineral Area College Volleyball
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