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Polk County April Elections

The first of the 2025 elections is over, and the results are in. New mayors were chosen, aldermen elected, and school boards established in this round.

Bus Crash on Springfield Avenue

City says students are safe

Benenhaley sentenced

On March 27, Curtis Benenhaley was sentenced to 24 years in prison for his October conviction of sex charges.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

CMH Topping Out Ceremony is Feb. 14

Citizens Memorial Hospital is hosting a Topping Out Ceremony at 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, at the hospital construction entrance on North Butterfield Road, Bolivar.
Election

New faces at the Alderman meetings

Mayor elect became Mayor Stephens at Tuesday

Skopec honored for his years of service

News

Summer Lunch Program Returns: Community Partners Collaborate to Expand Program

Summer Lunch Program Returns: Community Partners Collaborate to Expand Program
People can learn about the midland watersnake (pictured above) and other watersnakes found in Missouri at a July 18 MDC virtual program.

Learn about water snakes at July 18 MDC virtual program

Get interesting information about these snakes that are often misidentified as cottonmouths.

Deaths

Deaths

Index

INSIDE TODAY’S ISSUE

New MDC hunting booklets available for deer, turkey, dove, waterfowl

Booklets are available where permits are sold and online at mdc.mo.gov.

Results from Spring SW MO Bull Breeding Soundness Exam Days

“Calf production is perhaps the most important metric that supports the existence of the cattle industry, making bull health and productivity incredibly important” says Ian McGregor, MU Extension Livestock Field Specialist. The Bull Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE) days are intended to assess the general health, structural soundness, and reproductive potential of bulls, as well as providing education regarding bull management for successful breeding seasons to individual producers. During the SW MO Spring BSE Days, MU Extension partnered with 7 veterinary clinics to educate 43 farms on bull management and 152 bulls received a BSE. There were 12 bulls that either failed their exam or were deferred to be tested later by a veterinarian. That is an 8% failure/deferral rate, which is similar to BSE Day results in previous years. Reasons for failure include low quality semen, no semen sample, penile injury, penile warts, and scrotal frostbite. Bulls that failed can be replaced ahead of the breeding season to help support a successful breeding season. Bulls that were deferred can be retested in 60 days.
Sports

Walker named head beach volleyball coach at SBU

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
SBU Athletic Director, Clark Sheehy, announces Paityn Walker as the new head beach volleyball coach.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Record High 11 Bearcat Teams Earn GLVC Academic Award

Southwest Baptist University Athletics had a school record 11 teams earn GLVC Academic Awards for the 2024-25 season as announced by the conference office Monday afternoon. This award recognizes the teams that have maintained a 3.30 grade point average for the academic year.
Evan Mortensen steals second.


STAFF PHOTOS/BOB CAMPBELL

State ranked Log Rog escapes Liberators 4-2

May 21 will see the district baseball tournament at Central High School in Springfield.

Community Events

Friday, May 9
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

SBU track and field setting records

The SBU men’s and women’s track and field teams competed at the GLVC Championships this past weekend. Both teams had incredible finishes, with the women taking third place and the men taking fifth place.
Colton Ingold makes a kill shot at the net.


STAFF PHOTOS/BOB CAMPBELL

Bolivar dominates individual and doubles district

District play in tennis began with eight districts in class 1A in Missouri. Bolivar hosted District 6.
Zoe Tull, number 27, celebrates with teammates Olivia Vernon, center, and Abby Clark after adding to the Lady Liberator lead with her goal against Aurora.


STAFF PHOTOS/ANNIE THOMAS

Pushing for a strong finish

Bolivar soccer has entered the final two weeks of regular season play before Districts, but the schedule is only intensifying. Recent weather forced the Lady Liberators to postpone, relocate or adjust multiple matches. Still, the girls in blue and white continue to push toward a strong finish.
Basketball

Lady Liberators finish the season second in District 10

The Bolivar Lady Liberators competed in the class 4 district 10 tournament at Osage High School this week.

The Bolivar Liberators met the Strafford Indians in the championship game in District 10 with a chance to move on to the state playoffs.
Wednesday, March 5, Bolivar's fans had a hoops treat as the District 10 boy's playoff moved into the semi-finals.
The Bolivar Liberator Special Olympics basketball team hosted Ozark on Thursday, Feb. 27. It was a special night for all the athletes as they performed for their super fans and a crowd of supporters.
Opinion
The roundabout conundrum
Many descended from patriots of ’76
Perhaps the most important thing to remember about a stream is that, here in southwest Missouri, we all live near one.
Pete and Roy walk into a brain
Hay hand, square bales, things of the past
School
As summer vacation comes to a close, it’s almost that time of year when parents rush to the stores for supplies and teachers dress up their classrooms to welcome back fresh-faced students.
While donations of supplies have poured in, organizers of Saturday’s Tenth Annual Polk County Back to School Extravaganza say more are always needed.
A Missouri State University student from Halfway was awarded for her success at the 2023 Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Collegiate National Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 22-25.
Registration for all Humansville R-IV students will take place Aug. 9 through Aug.11, from 7:30 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Registration packets will be available for parent pick up starting Tuesday, Aug. 8.
Sullivan Bank in Pleasant Hope will be doing a school supply drive for the Pleasant Hope School District.
Business
Wellspring Baptist Fellowship, located at 2110 South Spring Place, Bolivar, will host its annual Vacation Bible School (VBS) July 14-18, from 9 a.m. to noon each day.
CIVIL PETITIONS
Anthony “Double” Zornes
Darren Myers with Freedom Encounter will be speaking at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., Sunday, July 13, at Liberty Baptist Church.
The Bolivar Herald-Free Press invites residents to send their engagement, wedding, baby, and other milestone announcements.
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