Officials with the Ozarks Heritage Research Center (OHRC), in collaboration with the West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and the West Plains Public Library, will host a reading of the national bestseller, “Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks,” on Tuesday, Feb. 17 for the 2026 African American Read In event.
The event starts at 6 p.m. at the OHRC inside the Garnett Library, 304 W. Trish Knight St. on the Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) campus.
Angela J. Williams, educator and storyteller from Hannibal Missouri, will read excerpts from the book and then will lead a discussion on how it relates to “By Word-of-Mouth Storytelling” which focuses on sharing stories orally, passing down culture, history, and experiences through spoken narratives.
About the book
Written by Crystal Wilkinson, “Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks,” was published in 2024 and honors the mothers who came before, the land that provided for generations of her family and the untold heritage of Black Appalachia.
More about Williams
Angela J. Williams, an educator and family business owner, is the heir to the storytelling tradition, following in her Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program mentor’s footsteps. Williams became interested in storytelling early on in life, hearing stories about family that elevated her curiosity. At just 19-years-old, Williams first apprenticed with Dr. Gladys Caines Coggswell in 2003, working diligently to learn, and then master, the complexities of traditional storytelling and a repertoire featuring traditional folk tales, community lore in her Hannibal hometown, and family stories passed down in her family. Williams and Coggswell (also a Missouri Humanities Distinguished Literary Awardee) remain close. For over two decades, they have worked as a storytelling team, where they perform stories and present educational workshops across Missouri, via By Word-of-Mouth Storytelling Guild. In 2021, Williams herself “graduated” to mentoring artist, teaching her own apprentice Cynthia McPherson.
This event is also sponsored by Missouri Humanities, Missouri Arts Council, and Ozark Spring Chapter NSDAR. For more information about the Feb. 17 event, contact Rebekah McKinney at 417-255-7949 or RebekahMcKinney@MissouriState.edu.
West Plains Women’s Acappella Community Chorus Rehearsals, Every Tuesday, 7pm to 9pm, West Plains Boys and Girls Club. Women singers always welcome. Get more information at 661-303-8686
Simple things like wide open spaces appeal to Dennis, as well as diversity of scenery. “While driving through Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona, the scene changes with every turn. I have come to love the vastness of the prairie, the beauty of the Flint Hills, and geologic wonders such as Little Jerusalem Badlands and Monument Rocks in my home state”.
Simple things like wide open spaces appeal to Dennis, as well as diversity of scenery. “While driving through Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona, the scene changes with every turn. I have come to love the vastness of the prairie, the beauty of the Flint Hills, and geologic wonders such as Little Jerusalem Badlands and Monument Rocks in my home state”.
Simple things like wide open spaces appeal to Dennis, as well as diversity of scenery. “While driving through Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona, the scene changes with every turn. I have come to love the vastness of the prairie, the beauty of the Flint Hills, and geologic wonders such as Little Jerusalem Badlands and Monument Rocks in my home state”.
February 22 & March 1 • 3 p.m.
Simple things like wide open spaces appeal to Dennis, as well as diversity of scenery. “While driving through Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona, the scene changes with every turn. I have come to love the vastness of the prairie, the beauty of the Flint Hills, and geologic wonders such as Little Jerusalem Badlands and Monument Rocks in my home state”.
The American Legion hosts a breakfast on the third Saturday of every month as a fundraiser. All you can eat and lots of options at a bargain price!
Open every Saturday 9 a.m. t0 1 p.m. and on Wednesdays, seasonally. GO FARM Farmers Market of West Plains on Facebook for more information.
The Lincoln School Project will host three public programs on Saturdays in February as part of its 2026 Black History Month observance. The series features presentations by historians and cultural scholars exploring African American military service, artistic traditions and early Bland communities in the Midwest.
The series begins Feb. 7 with “Cole County Colored Troop,” present by Michelle Brooks, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Brooks is a historian, journalist and author with more than 20 years of experience researching Missouri history. A former reporter for the Jefferson City News Tribune, she is known for her work documenting the 62nd U.S. Color Troops and other underrepresented stories from the Civic War era.
On Feb. 21, Dr. Paulette Sankofa will present “The Threads That Bind (Quilting)” from 3-5 p.m. Sankofa is a cultural scholar and educator whose professional work centers on African American traditions and community storytelling. Her presentation will examine quilting as both an art form and a historical record that preserves cultural memory across generations.
The series concludes Feb. 28 with “Slavery in Minnesota and Its Ties to Missouri,” presented Dr. Christopher Lehman from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Lehman is a historian, author and professor of history and ethnic studies at St. Cloud Sate University in Minnesota. He presentation will explore the economic and legal links between the two states. According to Lehman, Minnesota welcomed the financial investments of enslavers as both a federal territory and a free state. Many investors came from the slave state of Missouri, bringing enslaved people with them and leaving a lasting political influence on the north.
The presentation will cover historical touchstones such as the Dred Scott freedom lawsuit, which resulted in slavery briefly becoming legal in Minnesota, and the role of St. Louis as a steamboat hub that served as a halfway point between the Deep South and Minnesota.
Message Lincoln School Project for more information or the RSVP.
Check the Country Express Band Facebook page for cost and other details, including potential cancellations due to weather, holidays or other unforeseen circumstances.
From Country Express: Two step, Cha Cha, Waltz, Electric Slide, Charleston, Foot Boogie, River Waltz, Sweetheart, Around the Room, Tennessee Waltz, Neon Moon Cha Cha, and many more. Or just come listen to some good ole country music. Old country, new country, southern rock music. No alcohol allowed. Family fun for all ages.
February 22 & March 1 • 3 p.m.
February 22 & March 1 • 3 p.m.
Officials with the Ozarks Heritage Research Center (OHRC) at Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) will host a presentation on “The Great Tornado of 1925” at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, at OHRC, which is located inside MSU-WP’s Garnett Library, 304 W. Trish Knight St., in West Plains.
The presentation will be given by Steve Wiegenstein, retired university and college instructor and full-time writer and award-winning author. He will use contemporary accounts and images to recreate Missouri’s portion of “the forgotten storm.”
Free and open to all, this event is sponsored by Missouri Humanities, West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and the Ozarks Heritage Research Center. Refreshments provided.
More about the Great Tornado of 1925 – In 1925, the deadliest tornado in American history, now known as the “Tri-State Tornado” originated in the Missouri Ozarks and swept through southeast Missouri before crossing into Illinoi and Indiana. The devastation of this tornado revealed flaws in the nation’s storm forecasting and reporting system which were created from a misplaced desire to avoid public panic combined with a lack of coordination, flaws that took decades to correct.
More about Wiegenstein – Wiegenstein grew up in the Missouri Ozarks and worked as a newspaper reporter before entering the field of higher education. He taught English, journalism and communication for several colleges and universities. Now retired, Wiegenstein writes full time, blogging about rural and Ozarks issues. He is the author of five books, most recently “Land of Joys,” a historical fiction set in 1904 at the St. Louis World’s Fair.
For more information about the event, contact Rebekah McKinney at 417-255-7949 or RebekahMcKinney@MissouriState.edu.
West Plains Women’s Acappella Community Chorus Rehearsals, Every Tuesday, 7pm to 9pm, West Plains Boys and Girls Club. Women singers always welcome. Get more information at 661-303-8686
February 22 & March 1 • 3 p.m.
The Missouri State University–West Plains Jazz Ensemble will present its annual Spring Jazz Concert on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in the West Plains Civic Center Theater. The performance is free and open to the public. The evening will feature a lively program of jazz standards, big band arrangements, and contemporary selections that showcase the range and versatility of the ensemble. The concert celebrates the traditional jazz standards and offers the community an entertaining night of live jazz. For more information email RockyLong@MissouriState.edu or call 417-255-7291.
February 22 & March 1 • 3 p.m.
Program Explores Ozark Soil History to Improve Modern Forage Production
Cost- $5 includes take-home educational materials
A new educational program is helping Ozark producers better understand why farming and forage production in the region can be challenging— and what can be done to improve soil productivity and long‑term sustainability.
The program, “A History of Ozark Soils and the Conversion to Farmland: Lessons That Help Us in Today’s Forage Production,” takes a deep look at how Ozark landscapes functioned prior to settlement, how land conversion altered soil‑building processes, and how today’s soil test data can guide better forage and fertility decisions.
Through historical photographs, ecological research, and more than ten years of regional soil test data, participants learn about the botanical and ecological history that was the genesis of Ozarks soil. These systems featured deep‑rooted native grasses, open savannahs, and virgin woodlands that built organic matter, improved water infiltration, and sustained soil health over time.
As we look at modern forage challenges, it becomes clear that we’re managing soils that function very differently than they once did, we must be more intentional with fertility, species selection, and soil management than many other regions.
The program traces how settlement, land clearing, continuous grazing, and fire suppression disrupted those original soil‑building processes. Many of those limitations persist today. A key component of the program focuses on current soil conditions across south‑central Missouri, drawing from nearly 20,000 soil test results collected between 2015 and 2025.
The program also highlights management strategies producers can use to improve both forage yield and sustainability. Topics include liming and nutrient replacement, understanding removal rates from hay production, and selecting forage species that better match Ozark soils. Native warm‑season grasses such as switchgrass, big bluestem, and Indiangrass are discussed alongside introduced alternatives like bermudagrass, crabgrass, and teff.
Ultimately, the program emphasizes that productive Ozark farming is possible—but requires working with the landscape rather than against it.
Our soil didn’t form under the same conditions as prairie states. When we manage fertility, grazing, and species with that history in mind, we can improve forage quality and quantity while protecting the land for the next generation.
For more information about this program or upcoming educational opportunities, contact Howell County Extension Office, 1376 Bill Virdon Blvd. Office 417-256-2391 or register online at: pears.io/events/mu/3495/
February 22 & March 1 • 3 p.m.