According to the Polk County Sheriff’s office, Leonna Nicole Risner has been formally charged with first-degree domestic assault with serious physical injury and armed criminal action. She is currently being held in the Polk County Jail with no bond.​ more

Bolivar graduate, Shae Smith will represent Missouri at the Miss USA 2025 pageant in Reno, Nevada. The pageant will be held at the Grand Sierra Resort from Oct. 18-24. The event can be viewed on Queen Beauty Network, which requires purchasing a ticket for the live broadcast. more

New life coming to the old Casebolt Student Apartments more

IN TODAY’S ISSUE more

Mary K. Webb more

Unless you lived in a city all your life, you have probably driven or walked down an old dirt road. Maybe it was a road home, a road to grandparents’ house, or to a favorite fishing or hunting spot. more

Monday, Oct. 20 — Beef taco salad, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and sour cream, WG chips, fiesta veggies, churro pudding. more

CIVIL PETITIONS more

August 18, 4 a.m. I was supposed to start my new job at the Bolivar Herald-Free Press, and my insomniac brain wouldn’t stop yammering on and on with all of its exciting suppositions and ridiculous questions. I got up to shut off my phone alarm so at least my husband could sleep in. When I picked up my phone, I saw I had a fraud alert in my text messages. Was I spending $750 on Ebay shortly after midnight? If it was legitimate, no action was required. If not, click on this URL…In the middle of an exciting and sleepless night, I failed to see the red flag waving before my blurry eyes. I clicked. Instead of taking me somewhere, the text vanished. Finally, I saw the red flag. more

The Hillcrest Hornets met the Liberators at SBU on senior recognition night. more

The Lady Liberators moved to 12-13 on the season as they shut down the Hillcrest Lady Falcons. more

Austin H. Lee son of Young Jang and Sean Lee and Makayla Methvin daughter of Kristal and Michael Methvin have been chosen Rotary Students for the month of October. more

THE BPS Fall Title Meeting will be from 5:30-6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21. The meeting will be held in the BPS Art Room. more

The Polk County Retired School Personnel meeting will meet Tuesday, Oct 21 at 9 a.m. at Brenda’s Cafe. We will eat breakfast and then hear our speaker, Gerald Andrews, presenting about the growth of CMH. For more information or questions contact Jodie Young at 417-327-3094. more

The Polk County Museum will be open Oct. 16, 17 and 18 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.. A display of Cherokee straight dancing regalia will be on display during those hours. more

ABMF Past is Prologue Essay Contest Preserves Legacy of WWII American Fallen Heroes more

Polk County 4-H is joining schools, preschools, nonprofits, and local food enthusiasts in celebrating Farm to School Month by competing in a nine-State Crunch Off competition! Missouri is competing against Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota to determine who will be crowned the Mountain Plains Crunch Champion through having the most crunches into local apples or produce per capita. Throughout the week of Oct.12-18 local 4-H members will be tasting different varieties of apples and experimenting with apple preservation methods. This Crunch event encourages healthy eating, supports local agriculture, and helps students and community members gain a deeper understanding of the food system. Help Missouri win the Crunch Crown by crunching local produce during the week of Oct.12-18. For more information, or to participate in the Crunch, please contact Hillary Manning at hmanning@missouri.edu. more

On Wednesday, Oct. 8, Bolivar High School hosted its 2025 College and Career Fair in the BHS gym, providing students with an invaluable opportunity to explore college and career options. The event saw more than 240 BHS students participate, alongside students from eight area schools—Halfway, Fair Play, Everton, Dadeville, Morrisville, Wheatland, Weaubleau, and Pleasant Hope. These schools brought an additional 150 students, bringing the total to more than 400 students benefiting from the event. more

The Bolivar Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting for Orchard Eye Clinic, on Saturday, Oct. 4. The clinic is located at 1111 E Cambridge St., Bolivar. more

HI LOW CONDITIONS more

Saturday, October. 11, the streets were full of bands, floats, SBU alumni and kids of all ages enjoying the SBU Homecoming Parade.  more

How well do you know Polk County? more

The City of Bolivar will place a franchise agreement with Southwest Electric Cooperative on the ballot for the Tuesday, Nov. 4, election. Voters will decide whether to approve the agreement. more

​History was made at Silo Ridge on Thursday, Oct. 9, as the Bolivar High School girls golf team captured the first-ever team district championship in school history. This is a monumental moment for the Liberator golf program, as this is the first time a team has made the state tournament. more