On Saturday, July 6, at 6:03 p.m., Trooper Adams responded to a call of a drowned man at the first cove west of the Stockton Dam. more

A man from Clinton was seriously injured in a single-car accident two miles north of Humansville on Saturday, June 29. more

A normal lunch hour at Mom’s Deli Soup and Salad quickly became anything but ordinary on Wednesday, June 26, when a truck rolled through the glass doors around 1:30 p.m. more

Jeremy L. Klapp, 46, of Bolivar, is in the Polk County Jail for calling Citizens Memorial Hospital and threatening violence at the OB clinic. more

John E. Hofstetter, of Bolivar, entered a plea of guilty for a deadly hit-and-run accident that occurred on April 26, 2022. more

On Tuesday, June 11, at 12:00 a.m., Trooper D.J. Jackson and Mastersergent S.W. Long responded to a single-vehicle accident at South 21st Road, a quarter mile north of Dunnegan. James E. Godat was driving a 2002 Silverado, heading northbound, when he traveled off the left side of the road and struck a ditch. Godat, 73, from Humansville, was taken by ambulance to Mercy Hospital in Springfield. He was pronounced deceased on June 12 at 4:56 a.m. by Dr. Yifang Wang. His vehicle was totaled in the accident and was removed from the scene via a private party. This is Troop D’s 42 fatality for 2024. more

By the time you read this, another Father's Day will have come and gone, and I have no idea how I spent the holiday because I’m writing this in late May. more

On Monday morning, May 6, Sergent Long was called to an accident on Mo. 13, south of Brighton. A 1992 Ford Bronco, driven by 44-year-old Brandon Elmore of Bolivar, was traveling southbound when he went off the roadway and struck several trees. Though Elmore was wearing a safety belt, he received moderate injuries and was taken to Citizens Memorial Hospital via ambulance. His totaled vehicle was removed from the scene by A&J Wrecker. more

Ariel Culbertson, 22, of Humansville perished when the 2017 Polaris Razor she was riding in flipped over on May 4. The accident happened on private property, three miles west of Collins. The driver of the vehicle was 25-year-old Brandon Damewood, also of Humansville. He lost control of the vehicle and overturned. The 4-wheeler was driven from the scene. Culbertson was not wearing any safety equipment and was pronounced on the scene by Deputy Coroner Kevin Goth. Master Sergeant Wood and Corporal Wright were the responding officers. more

CIVIL PETITIONS more

Hope Francka was in court on Monday, May 6, to learn her fate for the charge of felony child abuse against her now six-year-old daughter nearly two years ago. Francka was originally charged with Abandonment of a Child in the 2nd degree, Endangering the Welfare of a Child in the 1st degree, and Abuse and Neglect of a Child. In March, Francka entered a deal with the District Attorney that resulted in a plea of guilty to Abuse and Neglect of a Child, a Class D felony, which carries a sentence of 1-7 years. more

SHERIFF’S REPORTS more

A fifteen-year-old male perished in a dirtbike accident on April 29. Corporal J.R. Rorie was called to 540th Road, west of Pleasant Hope, at 6:00 p.m. for the single-vehicle incident. The juvenile male, from Bolivar, was driving a 2022 Honda CRF125F bike traveling westbound when he lost control on a rutted roadway. The bike flipped, killing the rider, who was wearing a helmet. He was pronounced deceased on the scene by Dr. Assman at 6:47 p.m. The teenager was taken to Pitts Funeral Home by Polk County Assistant Coroner Purselly and the bike was picked up by the owner. Next of kin has been notified.  more

SHERIFF’S REPORTS more

Kellsey Warden, a 31-year-old Bolivar woman, sustained serious injuries from a two-car accident on Sunday, April 21 at 5:40 p.m. Warden was driving a 2017 Dodge Journey near the intersection of Hwy J and Hwy F in Laclede County. She did not yield after stopping at the stop sign and was struck by a 2011 Lincoln MKX, driven by a 17-year-old female from Montreal. Both drivers were wearing safety devices and no injuries were reported for the juvenile female. Warden was transported by ambulance to Mercy Hospital in Springfield. The totaled Lincoln was towed by Bledsoe’s. The Journey, also totaled, was removed by C&S Towing. The responding officers were Trooper D.R. Willhite, Master Sergeant J.J. McDonald, and Corporal G.S. Sloan. more

POLICE REPORTS more

BOLIVAR, MO — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested two suspects in a child abduction on Tuesday evening, April 9, after a pursuit through Polk County. more

Rocco’s Pizza of Bolivar, located at 213 Main Street, was the victim of a break-in and robbery. According to the company’s Facebook page, “The restaurant was burglarized sometime between 5:30 p.m. Monday and 8 a.m. Tuesday.” The theft was discovered when the delivery driver arrived Tuesday morning. more

CIVIL PETITIONS more

On Saturday, March 30, at 9:47 a.m., Trooper Gunby responded to a two-vehicle crash at Mo. 13 and Route B, four miles north of Bolivar. The accident happened when a 2021 Chevrolet Equinox, driven by Kalie Libscomb, 44, of Dunnegan, was crossing northbound Highway 13 from Highway B. She was struck by a 2014 Ford Focus traveling north on the highway. The vehicle contained driver Patsy Ash, 74, and William Ash, 52, both of Collins. All involved in the accident were wearing seatbelts and sustained moderate injuries. They were taken to CMH Bolivar via ambulance. C&H Towing of Collins removed the Focus and B&B Wrecker removed the Equinox. more

Both accidents happened on March 26. more

On Tuesday, March 19, the Bolivar School Board voted 5-2 to censure fellow member Brad Wommack for breaking school board policy, with Wommack and Ron Owens voting against the measure. more

Twenty-two-year-old Tara Shields was arrested on charges of assaulting her grandfather. On March 13 at 8:15 p.m., Deputy Adam Bays responded to the residence where Shields’ grandfather stated the suspect punched him multiple times in the face and forearms. Though he did not sustain serious injury, Shields was arrested by the responding officer. The suspect then punched Bays in the left side of his face during the attempted arrest and would not listen to the orders she was given. Once in custody, Shields assaulted another officer, Deputy Jailor John, punching him in the chest and kicking his leg, when he attempted to remove her from the booking bench. more

CIVIL PETITIONS more

SHERIFF’S REPORTS more