Howell County News

08/08/2025

The Willow Springs School Board will meet in regular session on Monday, August 11 2 5:50 p.m. in the board conference room. A budget work session will precede the annual tax hearing and business meeting.

The full agenda is presented in two images here, and a link to the agenda hosted by the Willow Springs Schools website is in the comments below.

The work session, tax hearing, and agenda are open to the public.

08/08/2025

McClellan Building ready for tenants

"The peccadillos and charm of a one hundred forty-year-old building could not be erased in the renovation. Exposed brick appears throughout the units and stairwells. Low but tall windows soak the rooms with light. Tall ceilings atone for the many stairs."

Read more by clicking through to our website at the link below!

https://howellcountynews.com/local/mcclellan-building-ready-tenants

This and many other stories on howellcountynews.com are behind a paywall. Everyone gets two free stories a week on the website before the paywall hits. If you like our work, we invite you to support independent, locally owned journalism in your community. A year of unlimited online access is only $40.

08/08/2025

Birch Tree Shoe celebrates 60 years: A story of perseverance, grit, and maybe a pinch of stubbornness...

Sitting at a round table in an independent shoe store in Birch Tree, proprietor Trudy Reed was answering a question about the secret of her longevity in business. Mrs. Reed is celebrating sixty years of owning and operating Birch Tree Shoe this week.

Click through to our website to read the whole, inspiring story.

https://howellcountynews.com/local/birch-tree-shoe-celebrates-60-years

This and many other stories on howellcountynews.com are behind a paywall. Everyone gets two free stories a week on the website before the paywall hits. If you like our work, we invite you to support independent, locally owned journalism in your community. A year of unlimited online access is only $40.

08/05/2025

OPINION: Bill Altermatt: Willow Springs Schools finances, budget, reserves are concerning

Dear Editor, | Howell County News

I don't normally think that a Letter to the Editor is the best way to get out pertinent information, but since there has been virtually NO Communication or Transparency to the Parents, Patrons, and Ta

08/05/2025

We are sharing this budget update from Willow Springs Schools announcing a reduction in positions for the 2025-2026 school year and the intention to bring the budget back into balance. See the next issue of Howell County News for our coverage of this developing story.

Dear Willow Springs Community, As a school district deeply rooted in this community, I want to sha...

08/05/2025

The City of Willow Springs has announced an electric outage. The news office will close for the rest of the day.

Send a message to learn more

08/04/2025

Howell County News will host a contest for the BIGGEST PUMPKIN at the 2025 Bear City Fall Festival.

08/04/2025

The Willow Springs American Legion Post 384 will hold a breakfast fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 9 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

08/04/2025

A “Good Samaritan” broke the window of a car in the parking lot of the West Plains Walmart to rescue a four-year-old left inside.

Pictured is the accused, the father of the child.

Publisher's note: Howell County News is primarily a print publication, and our stories and headlines are written for presentation in a page layout. We acknowledge the photo/headline format used by Facebook is misleading. We share local news as a public service and promotion of our publication, but social media is not the intended, or primary, format of our work.

https://howellcountynews.com/local/child-left-hot-car-good-samaritan-breaks-window

08/03/2025

Laura A. Barstow, 31, of West Plains has been charged with a single count of third-degree assault of a special victim after fighting one arresting officer and spitting in the face of another.
https://howellcountynews.com/local/woman-spits-one-cop%E2%80%99s-face-scratches-another

08/02/2025

Four members of the Willow Springs Police Department were recognized by the chief of police during the meeting of the board of aldermen on July 24.
https://howellcountynews.com/local/wspd-officers-commended-chief

08/02/2025

So it continues....the next big phase in our renovation of the historic Smuck Building in downtown Willow Springs took place today.

Almost all the office furniture has been moved out this morning in preparation for interior repair and restoration. These are the before pictures as of August 2, 2025.

The news office will remain open throughout the repairs, but if you'd rather skip the chaos, give us a call at 417-252-2123.

Thank you to members of the Willow Springs Chamber of Commerce who turned out to help us this morning!

Enormous thanks to:
Willow Springs Rotary Club
Simmons Bank
Waggoner Home Center
Smith-Holloway American Legion Post
Willow Springs Friends of Ferals
Bailey Chevy
Willow Springs Community Foundation