The Polk CO Retired School Personnel unit attended the Region 6 Annual Meeting Thursday, April 17, in Vista. Several groups were recognized for 2024 units of excellence. Committee reports were given on the senate and house bills that negatively affect public education, the teacher and school personnel retirement funds. MO Retired Teachers Association is the watchdog group who routinely communicate with the lawmakers in Jefferson City to ensure our voices are heard. As of June, 2024, approximately 110,000 individuals received benefits from PSRS/PEERS, the public school pension system in MO. Total benefits paid was over $3.8 billion, positively impacting the state's economy. Anyone who is receiving this benefit and not yet a member of the MRTA group is welcome to sign up at any time by calling 573-634-4300 or go to www.mrta.org. more

Baseball fans who step up to the plate to help local patients by giving blood in May or June will score Springfield Cardinals game tickets. The Community Blood Center of the Ozarks, the sole supplier of blood, platelets, and plasma to patients at 45 area healthcare facilities, is asking everyone to team up to help support blood needs in their community by donating during the Bleed Red promotion at the upcoming blood drive in Bolivar on Thursday, May 1. more

On a beautiful spring night on senior night the Liberator's unrelenting tennis team battled the Nixa Eagles and swept them 9-0. more

Boys more

The soccer Lady Liberators are heading into the second half of the season with a 9-3 record after dropping only one loss in eight games this month and playing only two of those matches on their home pitch. more

HI LOW PRECIPITATION more

Friday, April 18, Bolivar Baseball Hall of Fame held their inductee ceremony. This year's inductee was Mr. Terry Rountree. more

The Polk County Genealogical Society (PCGS) will once again be offering the service of placing flowers on graves for Memorial Day. Orders will be taken now through May 9. more

More than 200 tweens and the amazing women who support them gathered at The Bello Venue for the CMH Tween Girls Night In Tuesday, April 15. The evening included crafts, food, guest speakers and laughter around the theme of “Spread Kindness Like Wildflowers.” Speakers included Kaitlin Bond, Lynetta Smith and Dr. Katherine Davis, a pediatrician at the CMH Pediatric Clinic. more

Booth spaces are available now for the annual Country Days event. Pick up your application at the Polk County Genealogical Society Library on the southwest corner of the square this Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Get ready to be a part of the big event that has something for everyone to enjoy - music, games, car show, food, arts and crafts. This year’s Country Days is Saturday, Sept. 6, on the Bolivar Square from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. more

Mohamed Bade Ali, a 19-year-old green card holder from Sudan, has been charged with kidnapping and two counts of sodomy for incidents that took place in a Bolivar residential facility. more

Mary Alice Herrold more

Gene Orville Skinner more

April 29: more

Tammy Sue Johnston more

DEATHS more

Deaths more

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

A 21-Day beginner’s guide to hatching chickens at home more

Missouri nonfarm payroll employment increased by 13,900 jobs in March 2025, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a percentage point. Private industry employment increased by 12,600 jobs, and government employment increased by 1,300 jobs. Over the year, there was an increase of 20,200 jobs from March 2024 to March 2025, and the unemployment rate increased by two-tenths of a percentage point, from 3.6 percent in March 2024 to 3.8 percent in March 2025. more

Cecil more

After a mere two weekends, “A Minecraft Movie” has claimed the top spot of the 2025 domestic box office. It’s not shocking that this franchise piece beat out January fare, but since then we’ve had an MCU entry and this movie just blew right past it. And I have to ask: Why? Okay, I know why. It’s because the video game is popular. But bad movies based on popular video games flop all the time, why is this one in particular bucking the trend? Does the video game just have that big of a fanbase that they can turn it into a hit where so many similar attempts have failed? Or did fans and non-fans alike see the advertising for this movie and think that there might be a good movie here? I’m inclined to believe it’s the former, because I did not see any version of the advertising that made the movie seem like anything more than the hackery that it is. more

POLICE REPORTS more

The Bolivar Police Department will host a prescription drug take back event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26. more