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Man charged with abuse in residential facility
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Pleasant Hope Elections

Polk County April Elections

The first of the 2025 elections is over, and the results are in. New mayors were chosen, aldermen elected, and school boards established in this round.

Bus Crash on Springfield Avenue

City says students are safe

Benenhaley sentenced

On March 27, Curtis Benenhaley was sentenced to 24 years in prison for his October conviction of sex charges.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

CMH Topping Out Ceremony is Feb. 14

Citizens Memorial Hospital is hosting a Topping Out Ceremony at 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, at the hospital construction entrance on North Butterfield Road, Bolivar.
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Friday, May 23, 2025

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Election

New faces at the Alderman meetings

Mayor elect became Mayor Stephens at Tuesday

Skopec honored for his years of service

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News

Ozarks RFD

Springtime would find me at the river

Ozarks RFD

Another time, another country

May 16 MDC virtual program will have tips on avoiding outdoor hazards

Program will focus on avoiding poison ivy, ticks, and other outdoor worries.

Share your milestones

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

Index

Index

Deaths

DEATHS

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Sports

State ranked Log Rog escapes Liberators 4-2

Evan Mortensen steals second. STAFF PHOTOS/BOB CAMPBELL
May 21 will see the district baseball tournament at Central High School in Springfield.

Community Events

Friday, May 9
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

SBU track and field setting records

The SBU men’s and women’s track and field teams competed at the GLVC Championships this past weekend. Both teams had incredible finishes, with the women taking third place and the men taking fifth place.
Colton Ingold makes a kill shot at the net. STAFF PHOTOS/BOB CAMPBELL

Bolivar dominates individual and doubles district

District play in tennis began with eight districts in class 1A in Missouri. Bolivar hosted District 6.
Brody Campbell (front) and Brody Ingold part of the self-proclaimed B-squared doubles team. STAFF PHOTO/BOB CAMPBELL

Polk County Scoreboard

Boys
Zoe Tull, number 27, celebrates with teammates Olivia Vernon, center, and Abby Clark after adding to the Lady Liberator lead with her goal against Aurora. STAFF PHOTOS/ANNIE THOMAS

Pushing for a strong finish

Bolivar soccer has entered the final two weeks of regular season play before Districts, but the schedule is only intensifying. Recent weather forced the Lady Liberators to postpone, relocate or adjust multiple matches. Still, the girls in blue and white continue to push toward a strong finish.
The Middle School Lady Pirates. PHOTO/MIKE KOOTZ

A great season for Pleasant Hope softball

The 2024-2025 Middle School Softball Team is composed of Alea Dawson (8th grade), Liddy Moore (8th grade), Melina Novak (8th grade), Kloie Richardson (8th grade), Autumn Snow (8th grade), Alessandra Buckle (7th grade), Lily Burdette (7th grade), Hailee Eaton (7th grade), Ardon Emerson (6th grade), Addie Harley (6th grade), Karlee Sims (6th grade), Lydia Sims (6th grade), Olivia Stephens (6th grade), Tawnee Wood (6th grade), and Kaylee Cartwright (6th grade). Each athlete occupies a specific position and has played a vital role in the team's success this season. The team has shown consistent improvement with each game, concluding with a strong finish in second place in the Greater Ozarks Conference (GOC), fell out by Marion C. Early, with a score of 9-1. Led by Head Coach Stacy Burdette and Assistant Coach Rylee Stell, the team is dedicated to enhancing individual skills, building strong team chemistry, and maintaining a positive, resilient attitude. Key contributors include Lily Burdette, an effective pitcher; Liddy Moore, a dependable catcher; and players with versatile skills capable of filling multiple positions. Notably, this year's team achieved more wins than the combined total of the past two years.
Mac Rich makes a fine return against the Tigers.

Liberator tennis defeats undefeated Tigers 8-1

In a late season scheduled match the Liberator tennis team, 18-0 got the opportunity to face Class 2 Warrensburg, 13-0.

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Basketball

Lady Liberators finish the season second in District 10

The Bolivar Lady Liberators competed in the class 4 district 10 tournament at Osage High School this week.

The Liberators double secured this rebound as #22 Wyatt Campbell and #1 Brody Ingold firmly secure it. STAFF PHOTO/BOB CAMPBELL
Boys
Canyon Adams goes for two points. STAFF PHOTO/BOB CAMPBELL
The Bolivar Liberators met the Strafford Indians in the championship game in District 10 with a chance to move on to the state playoffs.
Wyatt Campbell skies forcing the offense player to bring the ball down for Gardinar Casey to make the steal. STAFF PHOTOS/BOB CAMPBELL
Wednesday, March 5, Bolivar's fans had a hoops treat as the District 10 boy's playoff moved into the semi-finals.
Bolivar Special Olympics athletes with BHS cheerleaders and superfans following their contest with the Ozark Special Olympics team on Thursday, Feb. 27. STAFF PHOTOS/ANNIE THOMAS
The Bolivar Liberator Special Olympics basketball team hosted Ozark on Thursday, Feb. 27. It was a special night for all the athletes as they performed for their super fans and a crowd of supporters.

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Opinion
Binweed
Binweed and Nutsedge
Calendar date of May 3d icon. 7th day of the month icon. Event schedule date. Meeting appointment time. 7th day of May. Calendar month date banner. Day or Monthly page. Vector
Born:
Fun facts about the fifth month
Impatience: Digital cameras made it worse
I walk through the house, my eyes laser-focused on my foe. I mentally prepared myself for what I was about to do. It feels like a lifetime ago when I became a crusader, seeking a surrounding clear and clean of vermin.

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School
As summer vacation comes to a close, it’s almost that time of year when parents rush to the stores for supplies and teachers dress up their classrooms to welcome back fresh-faced students.
While donations of supplies have poured in, organizers of Saturday’s Tenth Annual Polk County Back to School Extravaganza say more are always needed.
A Missouri State University student from Halfway was awarded for her success at the 2023 Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Collegiate National Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 22-25.
Registration for all Humansville R-IV students will take place Aug. 9 through Aug.11, from 7:30 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Registration packets will be available for parent pick up starting Tuesday, Aug. 8.
Sullivan Bank in Pleasant Hope will be doing a school supply drive for the Pleasant Hope School District.

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Business
Monday, May 12 — Celebration Day! Goulash, side salad, WG roll, ice cream.
Sew 'N' Sew Quilt Guild will meet Friday, May 16, at the United Methodist Church, 105 E. Division Street. Please come to the east entrance into the Fellowship Hall. Social time is at 9:30 a.m. with the meeting starting at 10 a.m..
Barren Creek Cemetery
How well do you know Polk County?
The future of agriculture was on full display at the 2025 Missouri Beef Days Classic Junior Jackpot Show, held April 12 at the Polk County Fairgrounds, where more than 100 young exhibitors from across the region gathered to compete, learn, and celebrate their passion for livestock. Now in its third year, the show continues to grow in size, drawing youth from across Missouri and beyond.

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