The numbers are adding up more

“Mickey 17” is the kind of movie where you just have to trust the filmmaker to take you on a ride. Fortunately, it’s a filmmaker who has proven trustworthy with such rides in the past. Six years ago, writer/director Bong Joon-ho released “Parasite,” another movie that didn’t really telegraph its story. Even if people knew about its early stages about an impoverished family taking on jobs as servants of a wealthy family, they probably wouldn’t have been able to guess where the story was going. But enough people trusted Bong enough to see the film, which they overwhelmingly loved. Word of mouth carried the film to a Best Picture Oscar win, even though it was still a tricky movie to summarize because of all the subtleties and tonal shifts. more

Back behind me on the trail of time there is a place that is sacred to me. Sometimes I go there in my mind and I look upon it thankfully. more

SHERIFF’S REPORTS more

Sew 'N' Sew Quilt Guild will meet Friday, March 21 at the United Methodist Church, 105 East 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. Our meeting will be a Sew and Round Table with 1. Beach Bag, 2. Half Square Triangle. Bring your machines and let's sew! All those interested in quilting are welcome to attend. For any questions please call Elizabeth Morgan at 417-422-7195 more

Monday, March 17 — Ham and potatoes, green peppers and onions, cabbage, wheat roll, shamrock cake. more

Citizens Memorial Hospital/Citizens Memorial Health Care Foundation presented the inaugural Patient Safety Award to Rebecca Brown on March 10. more

Junior Lane Snow made SBU baseball history this week, winning the program’s first ever GLVC Player of the Week Award. This award came after the team won a non-conference series over McKendree University. more

The local chapter of the Missouri Retired Teachers Association will meet Tuesday, March 18 at 9 a.m. at Brenda‘s Café on Broadway in Bolivar. Any retired school personnel are welcome and encouraged to attend. This includes support staff as well as teachers and can be from any school district. Breakfast will be available for purchase if desired. Kermit Hargis from Polk County health center will be presenting a program called Ready in Three, which is a three-step process to preparing for a large emergency or disaster. For more information contact Jodie Young at 417-327-3094 or email at 4youngnz@gmail.com. more

The Polk County annual Livestock and Forage conference will be held Monday, March 24, at the Sacred Heart Church, 1405 W Fair Play Street, Bolivar. The evening will begin with a complimentary dinner at 6 p.m. more

Applications for the Riedesel Charitable Trust scholarships given to seniors and graduates of Fair Play School are now available. Renewal applications are also being accepted. more

How well do you know Polk County? more

The Polk County Democrats will be meeting on Monday, March 17 at 6:30 pm at Basil & Bourbon. Social hour and dinner for those who wish to do so will be from 5 to 6:30 pm. The guest speaker will be Will Westmoreland, Political Strategist and previous POCODEMS Chair. Will has vital information and insight to share concerning the current political climate and issues that concern us locally. more

The Historical Society of Polk County Missouri is pleased to announce the Museum’s 2025 Open Season is just around the corner. (You probably already know it’s in Missouri, but there are TWELVE Polk Counties in the United States, which often causes some confusion.) more

Stockton, Mo.- “The 105th SW MO All Breeds Performance Tested Bull Sale is scheduled for March 31st," says Patrick Davis, MU Extension Livestock Field Specialist. The offering consists of 37 bulls and the breed breakdown includes 34 Angus bulls, two Gelbvieh bulls, and one Balancer bull. This long-running sale by the SW MO Beef Cattle Improvement Association will be held at the Springfield Livestock Marketing Center in Springfield, beginning at 7 p.m. more

Continuing its mission to prepare students to excel in a global society, Southwest Baptist University will now offer master’s degrees in fast-growing STEM fields such as artificial intelligence and data science. more

Saturday, March 15 more

If a leprechaun leaps from the faerie den this St. Patrick’s Day to ask if you know a shamrock from a clover, what will you answer? more

In a recent meeting of Community Connections, fire chief Brent Watkins discussed concerns people had with the tornado alarms. He stated that during the recent test, some citizens stated they could not hear the warnings while inside their homes. more

March 15 is the Ides of March more

I'm Doc! I'm a loving orange boy on the hunt for my forever home. I'm a little shy at first but warm up quickly with love. Come hold me and let me be your baby... more

On March 8, police were called to a Bolivar gas station when a woman ran in asking for help. The woman, hereafter referred to as Victim, showed signs of injuries all over her body and claimed they were caused by Joshua Stander, who was pumping gas when she fled from his vehicle and ran into the business. more

Noel David Thomas Choate more

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

Southwest District – The public is invited to participate in an in-person public hearing to learn more about plans to realign sections of Missouri Route 32 in Cedar and Polk counties, the Missouri Department of Transportation said. more