Bolivar took 8 wrestlers to Carl Junction for the Class 3 District 3 tournament. They competed with 14 other teams, a total of 167 wrestlers in 14 weight classes. In order to qualify for State they had to place in the top 4 of their bracket. more

Some things that happen on a hobby farm just have to be shared. As I was feeding the cows on Wednesday afternoon I noticed one of my cows, Reva, was going to calve at any time. On Thursday when I was feeding as expected I had a new heifer calf that had been born the night before on Valentines Day. When I have new calves I always take pictures and send to my niece and nephew so my great-niece and -nephew can name them. After they decided on the name Valentine, Val for short, I posted the picture on Facebook as usual. After posting I looked at the photo and realized that Val had an almost perfect heart on her forehead. What are the chances of that? When talking with one of my coworkers the next day he commented that the stars had to align perfectly for this to happen!! more

The Polk County University of Missouri Extension is sponsoring a Spring Garden Planning workshop on Saturday, March 9 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Polk County Extension Center, 110 E Jefferson, Bolivar. Cost for the event is $10 per participant. more

Citizens Memorial Hospice will host bereavement support group classes starting Tuesday, March 5, at 9 a.m. at Lime Bank, CMH Community Room 2, 1630 S. Killingsworth Ave., in Bolivar. more

Southwest Missouri’s oldest, annual running race, the Polar Bear Run, featured 112 runners and walkers at the event’s 45th anniversary on Saturday, Feb. 17 in Bolivar. Bolivar High School’s Cross Country Coach Ron Bandy is the race’s director. The event supports the school’s cross-country team through the Bolivar Running Club. more

The early morning temperatures at the 45th annual Polar Bear Run gave the runners a reason to run, hoping to warm up. But most of the runners ran with smiles on their faces and enjoyed taking part in the annual event. For details and more pictures see page 12.  more

More than 100 teams of students from 57 school districts flexed their history knowledge in two days of competition at the 5th annual Marion C. Early History Bowl on February 15 and 16. The event included a full day of competition for both High School and Middle School teams in a large school division on Thursday followed by a small school division on Friday. Teams from across the region traveled as far as 170 miles to compete, according to Chad Banks, MCE history teacher and one of the event coordinators. more

Mason Bruce Hopkins, a member of the Fair Play FFA chapter recently received the American FFA Degree. Members earning this degree were among a select group of individuals to be recognized for years of academic and professional excellence. The honor was presented on Nov. 4 at the 96th National FFA Convention, held in Indianapolis, IN. more

Boys more

The Bolivar Liberator Special Olympics basketball team hosted Republic on Thursday, Feb. 15. Along with their super fans made up with the Liberator Baseball team, the crowd cheered them on to a win.  more

The Bolivar CTA is hosting the annual School Board Candidate Forum on Monday, March 18 in the Bolivar Board Room at the Central Office. The forum will begin at 6 p.m. with general questions, break for a Meet & Greet with the Candidates then, conclude with submitted questions and closing comments. more

The Kansas City Chiefs' win over the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl on Feb. 11 was a cause for celebration for thousands of fans throughout Missouri. Bolivar had its own share of loyalists who reveled in the heady high of victory. Two such die-hard fans were mother and son, Paula and John Hubbert who made the two-hour drive to Kansas City to see their team’s pep rally and parade. more