The American Legion Post 138 will have the monthly Fish Fry on Friday, July 18, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. more

Bolivar Pentecostal Church of God will be in revival July 18 - 20, with Evangelist Shamgar Deatherage and family from Sterlington, Louisiana. Service times are 7 p.m. nightly and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. more

The Bolivar Herald-Free Press invites residents to send their engagement, wedding, baby, and other milestone announcements. more

Darren Myers with Freedom Encounter will be speaking at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., Sunday, July 13, at Liberty Baptist Church. more

Anthony “Double” Zornes more

CIVIL PETITIONS more

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. more

“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. more

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

INSIDE TODAY’S ISSUE more

Deaths more

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

Summer Lunch Program Returns: Community Partners Collaborate to Expand Program more

Per MoDOT Southwest Missouri, this project originally planned for Monday, June 30, was postponed to Monday, July 7, due to equipment issues. more

The 2025 Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) in Polk County begins Monday, July 7, offering free, nutritious meals to children 18 and under during the summer break when school is not in session. The program is federally funded by the USDA and administered at the state level. Locally, Ozarks Food Harvest and Community Outreach Ministries provide the food resource for much of the meals provided. In addition to the funding through SFSP, ToRCH funding from Citizens Memorial Hospital provides supplemental food and supply costs, including transportation expenses and meal packaging supplies. Through these partnerships and more

How well do you know Polk County? more

SHERIFF’S REPORTS more

Monday, July 7 — Chicken sandwiches on WG bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, potato wedges, coleslaw, cookie. more

Bolivar Pentecostal Church of God will be in revival July 18 - 20, with Evangelist Shamgar Deatherage and family from Sterlington, Louisiana. Service times are 7 p.m. nightly and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. more

The annual Halfway Antique-Farm Stock-Classic Tractor Pull will be held on Saturday, July 12, at the Lions Club grounds in Halfway. Weigh in starts at 1 p.m. with the first class of tractors pulling at 6 p.m. All proceeds go towards community projects and facility maintenance. Trophies will be presented to the top four finishers in each class. Admission is $5 per person, 10 and under free. Bring your lawn chairs! Concessions such as grilled hamburgers, pulled pork, brats and homemade pie will be available. Contact Casey Jones at 417-328-9051 or Dean Voris at 417-399-3665 for more information. more

Saturday, July 5 more

SEDALIA, Mo. – Summer’s increasing temperatures and potentially diminishing soil moisture levels put the brakes on cool-season grass pasture growth. Producers need to be monitoring this situation and be ready to take steps if conditions deteriorate. more

Kendrix Wheelbarger was the winner of the gift card to Brenda’s Cafe after winning the June I-Spy game, correctly guessing the Bank of Missouri. Kendrix is proof that reading the paper doesn’t just provide you with news and entertainment, it can pay off as well. more

Recently, I was thinking about the front porch at the old farmhouse where I grew up. One of the things I remembered was the big front porch. We spent lots of time there when I was a kid. There was no air conditioning back then. During the summer we spent time out there at the end of the day after chores were done. more

Deaths more