(West Plains) – Howell County Sheriff Mike Shannon says his office is being contacted by area residents who are targeted by scam artists. He says scams can come in several different forms, in person, on-line, by telephone and through the mail:
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Sheriff Shannon says this scam included some authentic looking documentation but emphasizes you should always be skeptical.
(West Plains) – Monday is Memorial Day, and all city, county, state and federal offices will be closed for observance of the holiday.
Due to the Memorial Day holiday, Monday’s trash routes in West Plains will be picked up on Tuesday, May 28.
No other routes will be affected.
(Jefferson City) (AP) – Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones plans to tour the state to talk with voters and community leaders about legislative issues.
Jones says he plans to visit communities south of Interstate 70 next Tuesday to Friday, with another trip through northern Missouri in late summer or early fall.
The Republican lawmaker from Eureka visited 20 Missouri cities before the start of this year’s legislative session.
Jones will use the upcoming tours to discuss legislation approved in the just-completed session and the items that will need work next year. He also wants to hear from citizens about issues they want the Legislature to address.
“Stop That Villain” is the title of an old-fashioned melodrama that will be performed by area residents at Avenue Theatre in West Plains as part of the 19th annual Old-Time Music, Ozark Heritage Festival. Cast members include, front row, from left, Hayden Topliff, Tray Whitsell and Jim Clemens; back row, Grayson Gordon, Kileene Collins, Terri Whitsell, Candi Williams, Chulapol Thanomsing, Paige Davis and Abigail Ellsworth. (Photo provided)
(West Plains) – The Avenue Theatre will present an old-fashioned melodrama at 1:30PM, Saturday June 15, for the second year in a row, in conjunction with the 19th Annual Old Time Music, Ozarks Heritage Festival in downtown West Plains.
Admission to all festival events, including the melodrama, will be free. Theater officials plan to have the doors open at 12:30 PM for anyone who would like to arrive early to have a look around the historic theater.
This year’s production is “Stop That Villain,” which was written by Tim Kelly and will be directed by local resident Rita Gordon. The production will feature a cast of 12 local actors.
The plot revolves around the unscrupulous Rip Roquefort, who makes a living by cheating at cards. He lives in the Virginia City Hotel but pays no rent because the landlady, Jenny Flutterpearl, thinks he’s in love with her. Jenny doesn’t realize that the miserable servant she’s hired to wash and scrub is actually the villain’s wife, Comatose. Things get even more interesting for Roquefort with the arrival of Auntie Em, her niece Little Jane Dovetonsil and the crafty Judge Lynch. Seems the villain’s uncle has left him a fortune, but only if he marries Little Jane within 24 hours.
The Avenue Theatre was originally opened in 1950 as a movie house, but was closed in the 1980’s. In 1990 the theatre re-opened as a not-for-profit community performing arts center.
For more information about the festival, visit www.oldtimemusic.org.
(Little Rock) (AP) – State police have identified a man accused of scaling a fence at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion and entering the grounds.
State police spokesman Bill Sadler says 32-year-old Ramon Taylor of Little Rock climbed the fence at about 5:30 a.m. Thursday and broke into a civilian vehicle. Troopers on Gov. Mike Beebe’s security detail quickly arrested Taylor.
Sadler says Taylor is charged with criminal trespass and breaking and entering a vehicle.
Beebe spokesman Matt DeCample says Taylor did not have a weapon when he was arrested or try to enter the mansion itself.
(West Plains) – A favorite annual fund raising event for the West Plains Cross Country team will be taking place next week.
Assistant track and field coach Alicia Gunter talks about the annual ‘Dog Jog’:
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Gunter says runners will be getting an early start:
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Again, proceeds from the event will benefit the West Plains Zizzers Cross Country teams. For more information or a registration form, call Talburt Animal Health Center at 417-256-2838.
(Jefferson City) (AP) – Missouri conservation officials have added 40 elk to the state’s population as part of a project to restore the animals to the state.
Conservation Department officials had expected to bring only 39 elk from Kentucky this week, but a male calf was born on the way.
The elk are being held at the Peck Ranch Conservation area in southeastern Missouri until they get accustomed to the state’s climate.
In 2011, the Conservation Department began bringing elk to a restoration zone covering 221,000 acres in Shannon, Carter, and Reynolds counties.
Officials estimated Wednesday there are roughly 110 elk living in Missouri, including those that arrived this week.
(West Plains) – In special commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the campus, Missouri State University-West Plains Chancellor Drew Bennett has announced that a community give-back program will be put into place.
The program, called “Operation 50K”, seeks to contribute 50,000 hours of volunteer service in a one-year period—from Commencement 2013 to Commencement 2014, or May 20, 2013 through May 16, 2014.
Bennett says the Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, Student Government Association, and Administrative Council have been briefed on Operation 50K and are supportive of the initiative. Participants will include all students, faculty, and staff, both full-time and part-time, and immediate family members of the previously mentioned groups. Eligible participants also will include alumni/former students, University retirees and members of major boards including Chancellor’s Advisory Board, Development Board, Friends of the Garnett Library, Grizzly Booster Club Executive Board of Directors, among others.
Participants will individually report service hours, but,groups may elect to report collectively. It is important to monitor group reporting to avoid duplicate entries that could occur if individual group members should also report. Participants may report volunteer hours at any time throughout the campaign period and are encouraged to report volunteer hours each month by visiting blogs.wp.missouristate.edu/volunteer. You can also find a listing of volunteer opportunities at the website.
Bennett thanks people for embracing the project, saying that it will demonstrate the college’s value for volunteer service and express appreciation for the generous support given to Missouri State University-West Plains for the past 50 years by community members who dreamed that one day the residence center established in 1963 would thrive.
Left to right: Nathan & Lisa Cropper, West Plains Greenhouse; Jay Hale, FFA Instructor; Chance Barnes and Keegan Wilson, FFA Officers. (Photo provided)
(West Plains) – The West Plains High School received $2,500 from the West Plains Greenhouse to contribute to the High Schools FFA “Raise the Bar” campaign.
A fundraising campaign was started by FFA students and their supporters to build a new agriculture science facility that will give over 200 high school student’s real hands-on-experience when taking agricultural science classes.
The proposed facility is set to be built on a vacant lot owned by the West Plains School District on Olden Street. This new facility will offer a 10,500 square space that will support current trends in agriculture and will provide a place for future growth.
This increased space will also make room for addition instruction staff, classrooms, lab space, expanded course offerings, and the potential to implement an agriculture program for middle school grades.
Anyone wishing to make a pledge is asked to make their check payable to the West Plains Schools and send it to 305 Valley View Drive, West Plains, MO.
(Mountain Home) – A 2 ½ year old child from the Culp area in southern Baxter County who was reported missing to the sheriff’s office Wednesday morning was found about an hour later.
The call came in to the sheriff’s office office around 10 AM Wednesday of a child who went missing from a home in the 5700 block of Baxter County Road 73. Deputies responded and preparations were made to bring in the dog tracking team from the Arkansas Department of Corrections unit in Calico Rock and the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, but the child was found shortly after initial search parties arrived in the area. A neighbor had spotted the child on the county roadway approximately ½ mile from the residence.
The child was safe and uninjured.