Missouri Department of Agriculture approves livestock movement permit for nine healthy reindeer. more

DEATHS more

DEATHS more

Edward “Eddie” Ray Robertson more

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

The annual Share Your Christmas event on Wednesday, Sept. 13 and Thursday, Sept. 14 brought joy to 393 Polk county families…equalling 1,272 people. The event took place thanks to over 100 volunteers helping with set-up and distribution. Area churches had countless volunteers helping gather gifts and behind the scenes were those making soup and chili to help feed the volunteers. Thanks to so many that were willing to share the time and efforts, along with some beautiful weather, the event once again was a joyful success. more

Home Court Advantage is a diverse team of mental health professionals, experienced in helping children succeed. LimeBank executives; led by Trisha Turner, President and COO, and staff joined together to donate Christmas gifts for each of the residents of Home Court Advantage. The partnership between Home Court Advantage and LimeBank will help to ensure that each of the residents receives a blessing this Christmas. Please contact Jasmine Sawyer, Resource and Development Administrator or Melissa Carter, Executive Business Administrator at Home Court Advantage for more information about their program. more

Santa woke up very early one day more

Monday, Dec. 25 more

During the busiest delivery season of the year, Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) has tips for consumers to protect their packages. more

POLICE REPORTS more

On Dec. 15 at 1:25 p.m, Trooper A.R. Enerle responded to a single-car accident three miles south of Humansville on Highway 13. James Soukup, Bronwen Soukup, and Barbara Miller, all of Raymore, were traveling southbound on the highway when their vehicle, a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country, traveled off the left side of the roadway into the median. The driver, James Soukup, was taken to CMH Bolivar with minor injuries. Passenger Bronwen Soukup sustained moderate injuries and was taken to the same facility. Both were wearing seatbelts. Passenger Barbara Miller was not wearing a seatbelt and received serious injuries. She was taken to Cox South in Springfield. The totaled vehicle was removed from the scene by C and H Towing. more

Whether you choose a real one or opt for the everlasting fake one, there is no doubt that the tree is the centerpiece of any yuletide decor. I remember my mom’s trees were always showpieces; our Victorian-styled house had a coinciding tanenbaum bejeweled in beautiful white lights and delicate ornaments that took her days to arrange just right. She then got ambitious and decided our lodge-style den needed an equally elaborate tree with bears and moose adorning every branch. One was the fun tree, the other was the fancy tree, but both were always the focal points of our home. more

The Christmas tree is a quintessential part of holiday decor. I remember my mom’s trees were always showpieces; our Victorian-styled house had a coinciding evergreen bejeweled in beautiful white lights and delicate ornaments that took her days to arrange just right. She then got ambitious and decided our lodge-style den needed an equally elaborate tree with bears and moose adorning every branch. One was the fun tree, the other was the fancy tree, but both were always the focal points of our home. more