The Polk County Democrats will be meeting at Flat Creek Restaurant in Bolivar for their Oct. 21 meeting. Dinner is optional at 5:30 p.m. with the meeting following at 6:30 p.m. Guest speaker will be Matt Patterson, Missouri Democratic Party Executive Director. He was unable to attend our last meeting due to illness and is excited to join us for our October meeting. Matt will present the latest news of all Democratic candidates across the state and where they are in the campaigns and how to volunteer. more

CIVIL PETITIONS more

The Polk County Republican Central Committee will be having a "Meet the Candidates" event on Thursday, Oct. 17, beginning at 6 p.m., at the Elks Lodge in Bolivar. The Elks will be serving pulled pork sandwiches, sides, and drinks for $5 per person. Desserts will be provided. Polk County voters will have an opportunity to meet candidates, and ask questions about the Constitutional Amendments and how the law will be affected. Polk County candidates and office holders will be introduced. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. more

My wife was gone to a women’s thing at church. Rain was pelting the windows in my home office. I started asking myself questions. Was I ready to die? Had I lived life to the fullest? Did I have any regrets? Should I have done things differently? more

Friday, Oct. 18 more

Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) has tips to help consumers make sure their homes and cars are prepared for winter weather. more

Sew ‘N’ Sew Quilt Guild will meet on Friday, Oct. 18, at 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., meeting starts at 10 a.m. All interested in quilting are welcome. For more information, contact Lynnette McCulloh at 402-289-3044. more

The Aldrich Christian Women of Faith will host a pie auction on Oct. 19, starting a 5 p.m. Also, they will be serving chili and hot dogs, and there will be music and singing. For more information call Shirley at 417-770-2169. The church is located two miles south of Aldrich on Hwy 123. more

Blood collection disrupted in Southeast; threat of storms persists through October more

Thursday, Oct. 31, the annual Kiwanis Halloween costume contest will take place in the gazebo on the Bolivar square. The gazebo is located on the southeast side of the square. more

Halloween at the City Park in Pleasant Hope on Hwy H. more

This Nov. 11, the Polk County Genealogical Society (PCGS) will be honoring Veterans with a display of carnations on the front steps of their building. Individuals will have the opportunity to purchase a carnation to honor a veteran. A card will be attached to the carnation with the veteran’s name and service information. Then PCGS volunteers will place the carnations on the steps of the PCGS Research Facility early on Nov. 11. Any veteran whether living or deceased may be honored. more

The Bolivar Police Department urges everyone to turn in unneeded medication for safe disposal. more

Imagine that you are watching a race. The participants are tired, their pinned-on numbers damp from sweat, as they pant and force themselves ever closer to the finish line. Your favorite racer is in the lead - his breathing is heavy but there is determination in is eyes. All that training, the hard work, the passion - it’s about to pay off as he approaches the finish line. Just a few more feet, and then - nothing. He just stops - detours a bit, runs backwards, retraces some of his steps, visits with some observers. He goes over to the basketball court and shoots a few hoops. Finally, he comes back and drags himself across the finish line. All the while, you are stunned. He was so gung ho, just to fizzle out? more

When I was a boy learning of life in the woods, my dad taught me to recognize animals by what they left behind — the contents of their scat. more

If you know a veteran, send a photo to news@bolivarmonews.com, via Facebook, or in person at our local branch: 335 S. Springfield. more

Bolivar High School more

Class 3 District 3 girls golf districts were held at Silo Ridge on Thursday, Oct. 10. 15 schools were participating. Bolivar had 2 golfers, junior DeLaney Daniels, and senior Caitlyn Cribbs who qualified for the state tournament. more

How well do you know Polk County? more

(RR): Registration Required more

“Rick Davis achieved what we want to expect from every rural community in Missouri, he identified an immediate need and reached out to fellow resources to determine how his community could receive aid,” said Kayla Riel, Missouri CARES Coordinator. more

DEATHS more

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri is home to more than 900 black bears and their numbers are growing. Many Missourians find these furbearers fascinating and have many questions about them. Are all black bears black? Do bears really hibernate? Where do bears spend the winter? What can bear scat show about diet and other things? What’s the biggest bear recorded in Missouri? Why is a fed bear a dead bear? How can people and communities Be Bear Aware? Why is fall a prime time for people and bears to encounter each other out in the woods or on the roads? more

Ava Vest more