More than 200 tweens and the amazing women who support them gathered at The Bello Venue for the CMH Tween Girls Night In Tuesday, April 15. The evening included crafts, food, guest speakers and laughter around the theme of “Spread Kindness Like Wildflowers.” Speakers included Kaitlin Bond, Lynetta Smith and Dr. Katherine Davis, a pediatrician at the CMH Pediatric Clinic. more

Booth spaces are available now for the annual Country Days event. Pick up your application at the Polk County Genealogical Society Library on the southwest corner of the square this Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Get ready to be a part of the big event that has something for everyone to enjoy - music, games, car show, food, arts and crafts. This year’s Country Days is Saturday, Sept. 6, on the Bolivar Square from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. more

Mohamed Bade Ali, a 19-year-old green card holder from Sudan, has been charged with kidnapping and two counts of sodomy for incidents that took place in a Bolivar residential facility. more

Mary Alice Herrold more

Gene Orville Skinner more

April 29: more

Tammy Sue Johnston more

DEATHS more

Deaths more

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

William Shakespeare more

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri’s Plant Diagnostic Clinic now offers a digital diagnosis service to quickly identify plant health problems. more

A 21-Day beginner’s guide to hatching chickens at home more

Missouri nonfarm payroll employment increased by 13,900 jobs in March 2025, and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by one-tenth of a percentage point. Private industry employment increased by 12,600 jobs, and government employment increased by 1,300 jobs. Over the year, there was an increase of 20,200 jobs from March 2024 to March 2025, and the unemployment rate increased by two-tenths of a percentage point, from 3.6 percent in March 2024 to 3.8 percent in March 2025. more

Cecil more

After a mere two weekends, “A Minecraft Movie” has claimed the top spot of the 2025 domestic box office. It’s not shocking that this franchise piece beat out January fare, but since then we’ve had an MCU entry and this movie just blew right past it. And I have to ask: Why? Okay, I know why. It’s because the video game is popular. But bad movies based on popular video games flop all the time, why is this one in particular bucking the trend? Does the video game just have that big of a fanbase that they can turn it into a hit where so many similar attempts have failed? Or did fans and non-fans alike see the advertising for this movie and think that there might be a good movie here? I’m inclined to believe it’s the former, because I did not see any version of the advertising that made the movie seem like anything more than the hackery that it is. more

POLICE REPORTS more

The Bolivar Police Department will host a prescription drug take back event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26. more

The Polk County Democrats will meet on Monday, April 21, at Basil and Bourbon, 113 S. Main Avenue, in Bolivar. Dinner time for those interested is from 5-6:30 p.m. with all orders placed by 6:15 p.m. so as not to interrupt the meeting. Our meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. more

SBU tennis team upsets Drury more

The city of Fair Play will hold their City Wide Garage Sale on Saturday, May 3. more

Friends of the Polk County Library will hold their spring book sale on Friday and Saturday, April 25 and 26, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the library in Bolivar. more

Parkview Health Care Facility will host its inaugural Blossom Bash Saturday, April 26, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. more

The Bolivar Liberators baseball team is entering one of the tougher parts of its season schedule. more