Karen Williams, rehabilitation director at Northwood Hills Care Center, was recently named the 2024 Erin Knoepfel Education Award winner. more

With “Trap,” writer/director M. Night Shyamalan has given us a half-decent movie. By which I mean that half of it is… decent. The first half delivers the taut thriller we’ve been promised, and it’s not great or anything, but it’s reasonably suspenseful and enjoyable. And then the movie becomes garbage. Not the unique, crazy garbage that only Shyamalan can deliver, but uncreative garbage that no self-respecting filmmaker wants to deliver. more

The Bolivar Area Chamber of Commerce is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Business of the Year and Community Partner of the Year along with new business awards, including a People’s Choice selection. more

Nicole Emmons more

Public post-testing of the Image Cast voting machines for the Aug. 6, 2024 Primary Election will be held at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024 at the Polk County Road & Bridge Complex conference room, 724 S Killingsworth, Bolivar. more

The Polk County Democrats August meeting will be held on Aug. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Smith's Restaurant with dinner optional at 5:30 p.m. Our agenda will include discussion and review of the results from the August Primary at the local, state and federal level. Also, on the agenda we will be presenting the new slate of officers for 2024-2026. Voting and installing will follow the presentation.We will be finalizing plans for our Country Days Booth on Sept. 7. We are still looking for someone to head up this committee so let the chair know if you are interested. Also, you will hear updated opportunities to support Democrats across the county, state and federal level. The Missouri State Democratic Party is in need of volunteers to help with many candidate campaigns including our own Rich Horton candidate for MO State Representative of the 128th District. Let's get behind Rich and help him win this important seat. more

I’ve no way of knowing as I write this who were the winners in the August primary elections. more

In the current election season, I seem to receive an incredible amount of junk mail. I’ve wondered if I have thrown things into the paper recycling bin that I shouldn’t have because I didn’t take enough time to really look at it. I almost did that with a letter from the World Wildlife Fund. Enclosed with other information was a small paper entitled “10 Simple Things you can do to Help Protect the Earth” that I wanted to share with you. more

Donors urged to give as extreme heat, travel plans threaten already low blood levels The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency blood shortage as the nation faces dangerous levels of heat and people head out for final summer travel plans. Since July 1, the Red Cross national blood supply has fallen by more than 25%, and blood donors of all types, especially those with type O blood, are urged to give as soon as possible to help patients receive lifesaving medical care. more

The Missouri State Fair's Senior Appreciation Day takes place from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, at the Mathewson Exhibition Center on the State Fairgrounds in Sedalia. Sponsored by the Missouri Association for Area Agencies on Aging and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. more

Citizens Memorial Health Care Foundation will host its second annual Sporting Clay Fundraiser on Friday, Sept. 20, at the Ozark Shooters Complex, 759 US HWY 65, in Walnut Shade, between Ozark and Branson. more

The Marion C. Early FFA will be hosting a kickoff supper at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12, at the MCE Ag building, 15309 S. Main Street, Morrisville. more

This time of year we receive a lot of calls about Johnsongrass. Is it bad for my cows? Will it kill my cows? Is it true that it can cause cattle to abort? The answer to those questions is yes, however, Johnsongrass is also an excellent summer pasture plant under certain conditions. more

“Adding value to a cow calf operation is important to its sustainability,” says Patrick Davis, MU Extension Livestock Field Specialist. Understanding how your cattle perform in the feedlot and at slaughter and making management decisions to improve these aspects of your cow calf operation potentially add value to your operation. Therefore, through cooperative efforts of MU Extension, Show Me Youth Ag Academy, and Missouri State University the MO Steer Feedout is enrolling spring born steers to begin feeding in November. Davis will further discuss this long running program where cow calf operators have been able to more

“As hay season continues, I see a lot of large round hay bales being stored outside,” says Patrick Davis, MU Extension Livestock Field Specialist. If hay is not stored properly outside farmers can see significant dry matter and quality losses. Factors that contribute to these losses include: more

Karen Williams, rehabilitation director at Northwood Hills Care Center, was recently named the 2024 Erin Knoepfel Education Award winner. more

Deby Gilley of Dadeville, was at Art Sync Gallery on Saturday, Aug. 3, signing her new book, A Visual Voice in the Wilderness. In this new book Gilley features 40 of her linocut and woodcut prints that center on scripture and traditional hymns and contemporary worship lyrics. Gilley has written her idea of each scripture that relates to her art, plus an explanation by 17 other persons that she knows personally and considers them to be Godly men and women. more

The Citizens Memorial Health Care Foundation Soirée, generously presented by SGC Foodservice, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the farm of Tim and Nancy Erickson in Bolivar. more

After fighting and defeating a battle with neuroblastoma, 5-year-old Brayden Cole Guy was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia right before his birthday in early July. Brayden and his family need your help in finding him a bone marrow donor. Brayden and his family reside in Locust Grove, Georgia, and Brayden is currently receiving treatments at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. more

Wednesday, Aug. 7 more

The Bolivar Police Department hopes to encourage neighborly relationships and share free fun for families and folks of all ages at an upcoming community event. more

HI LOW PRECIP more

The Sew ‘N’ Sew Quilt Guild wil meet Friday, Aug. 16, at the UNited Methodist Church, 105 E. Division Street, Bolivar. Please enter at the east entrance into the fellowship hall. Social time begins at 9:30 a.m., program starts at 10 a.m. with the meeting to follow at 11 a.m. The program this month will be Vickie Beasley, “The Scrappy Farmer.” She will give ideas on what to do with all those scraps. All those interested in quilting are welcome. more

How well do you know Polk County? more

The first day of school for the Bolivar School District is August 20, and this year, it will have a new leader at the helm. In February, Bolivar Schools announced that Dr. Michael Methvin was named the new superintendent after Dr. Richard Asbill announced he was retiring at the end of the year. more