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

Bolivar’s own Hallmark movie more

Deaths more

Bolivar Technical College (BTC) proudly announces the graduation of 38 students from its Professional Nursing (RN) program this spring. These dedicated individuals have completed a rigorous curriculum designed to prepare them for compassionate, high-impact roles in the healthcare field. more

INSIDE TODAY’S ISSUE more

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

Be careful with fireworks, campfires, and other sources of fire that could cause a wildfire. more

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

Taney County conservation area to remain open for hiking, hunting, and other authorized uses. more

Local high school students, DeLainie Hedger, Strafford, and Ellie Samek, Bolivar, joined more than one hundred high school students in Missouri’s 62nd annual Missouri Electric Cooperative Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., June 15-21. They were sponsored by Southwest Electric Cooperative. more

Bolivar Rotary Club is hosting the 45th annual Celebration of Freedom on Friday, July 4, on the Southwest Baptist University campus. The community event begins at 5:30 p.m. and continues through fireworks at dusk. more

How well do you know Polk County? 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

Russell Jackson, a graduate of Bolivar High School and Southwest Baptist University, recently joined Anheuser-Busch InBev as its Vice President of Global Legal Policy. The Fortune 500 company is the world’s largest brewer. It has more than 140,000 employees and maintains a presence in more than 50 countries. more

Citizens Memorial Hospital and Pleasant Hope Family Medical Center welcome Jeanine M. Herrera, FNP-C, to the medical staff. more

Friday, July 4 more