The Tri-County Baptist Group will hold its regular Fifth Sunday Service on Sunday, Dec. 31, at Sentinel Missionary Baptist Church in Polk County. more

The Community Blood Center of the Ozarks, the sole supplier of blood, platelets, and plasma to patients at 44 area healthcare facilities, encourages community members to wrap up more

Berean Baptist Church is hosting a special Christmas Eve Candlelight service on Sunday night, Dec. 24, starting at 6:30 p.m. There will be singing, scripture reading and reflection, and of course a celebration of the incarnation of Jesus Christ through candles. Everyone is invited to attend. For more information, go to bbcbolivar.com or contact the church office at 417-326-7758. The church is located at 4450 South Scenic Ave. in Bolivar. more

Show us what you love about Polk County! more

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

Citizens Memorial in Bolivar promoted Nicole Breedlove to recruiting manager in Human Resources. more

How well do you know Polk County? more

A bit of autobiography here at the start: I grew up a stone’s throw from Hershey, Pennsylvania and my current full-time employment comes from Hershey’s Chocolate World in Times Square. Chocolate, its production, and its sales are all a major part of my identity. So I view media related to Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s book “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” through a different lens than most. For example, the first time I saw 1971’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” at the age of six, I wondered why the whole world would lose its mind over a contest where the prize was a visit to a chocolate factory. I lived a mere ten minutes from a chocolate factory, and even at that young age, the tour had gotten boring for me. Eventually I learned that the factory of the movie was a gorgeous and twisted place, and then I was able to enjoy the ride (with the possible exception of the nightmarish actual “ride”), but it took about half the movie for my disbelief to be suspended. more

Family wrapper makes the rules more

Governor Mike Parson announced $5 million in grant funding has been approved for 20 Missouri colleges and universities to continue enhancing nursing education programs statewide. more

The Bolivar Area Community Foundation, an affiliate of Community Foundation of the Ozarks, announces the grant recipients for 2023, totaling $16,200. more