Saturday March, 25, 2023

As we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, it might be a good time to discuss the extraordinary man whose name became part of a cherished holiday — and not only by people of Irish ancestry. As the saying goes, we’re all a little Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.

What a triple whammy.

I’m willing to argue that “Scream” is the greatest slasher movie franchise of all time. Not only is the 1996 original a meta-horror classic, but prior to “Scream VI,” three of the five movies in the series were halfway decent. Can any other slasher property with at least five installments boast that kind of ratio of good to bad? “A Nightmare on Elm Street” got too silly with jokes that didn’t land, “Friday the 13th” was overrated in the first place, and fans got sick of “Halloween” constantly reinventing itself. “Scream” has thus far needed only one clear reboot, and last year’s fifth installment was a rousing success. A mere fourteen months later, we’ve got a sixth chapter, and it… keeps the property out of trouble.

To Whom It May Concern (and you know who you are):

From the time they were big enough to make their own beds, my girls always had rooms of their own.

Local McDonald’s restaurants are now accepting nominations for a new McDonald’s Agriculture Awards Program. Now through March 22, members of the community can nominate students studying agriculture to be considered for one of ten $500 scholarships. Nominations can be submitted online at surveymonkey.com/r/mcdagawards.

Pleasant Hope Middle School recently released its third-quarter honor roll. According to a school news release, the following students earned spots on the list:

Last month, Bolivar High School student Caleb Simpson, son of Sandy and Alan Simpson, competed and won first place in the Missouri Young Farmer/Young Farm Wives state-level speech contest in Osage Beach.

The Bolivar School District named the winners for the Teacher of the Year and Employee of the Year awards. Two recipients — one for the employee category and one for the teacher category — were selected from each of the Bolivar School buildings. Bolivar Schools Superintendent Dr. Richard Asbill presented the awards to the recipients.

Southwest Baptist University will honor one male and one female student at the annual Mr. and Miss Southwest pageant, which takes place at 7 p.m. Friday, March 3, in Pike Auditorium on the Bolivar campus.

The Polk County Clerk’s office will be open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 1, for those wishing to cast absentee ballots for Tuesday’s April 4, 2023 general municipal election.

Monday, March 27 — Chicken pot pie, side salad, ice cream

The Polk County Genealogical Society (PCGS) will once again be offering the service of placing flowers on graves for Memorial Day. Orders may be made from March 1 through May 1, 2023. The choices for flowers will be either a small spray placed by the stone or a saddle placed over the top of the stone. The cost for the saddle is $50 and the bouquet is $20. Deliveries can be made to cemeteries in Polk County.

LAND TRANSFERS

The mission of Marion C. Early schools have always been to motivate, nurture and support students; challenge students; and educate students to be responsible citizens.