It was early March 2024 when I found him. His white hair had been cut short and he had a ridiculous underbite with one tooth that stuck out a bit. He looks like he has a perpetual smile, something that I am growing to realize, is a genuine trait. more

Phil and Pam Morgan will be in concert at 6 p.m. Sunday, June 30, at Rondo Baptist Church as part of the “Amen” Ministry Tour. The presentation combines close family harmony with accomplished instrumentals for a fun, motivational experience. A love offering will be taken. more

If you like to fish on the lakes or do any other type of recreational boating on Missouri’s waters, you need to keep these words in mind. Now that spring is transitioning into summer, it means trips to area lakes are going to become part of many people’s schedules. more

Pleasant Hope Masonic Temple Association will host their annual fish and turkey fry Wednesday, June 26. Dinner will start at 6 p.m. Cost is $12 per person. more

Training for local businesses and organizations. more

Jennifer Woodall more

Nominations are now being accepted for the Bolivar High School Hall of Fame! The deadline to enter a nomination is July 7. Here are the criteria: more

Pleasant Hope Middle School recently released its fourth-quarter honor roll. According to a school news release, the following students earned spots on the list: more

The Woodlawn 4-H Club met on Monday, May 20. Our recent fundraiser was not as successful as in the past and lessons were learned to avoid in the future. The Regional Shooting Sports shoot will be held Saturday, June 8. Hand-Made projects are being completed for presentation and judging on the evening of Monday, June 10, in advance of the Polk County Fair June 13-15. The club will hold our annual Woodlawn Day Camp for youth interested in joining 4-H on Wednesday, June 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Polk County Fairgrounds; lunch will be provided. On Wednesday, July 10, the local 4-H Council will be hosting a day camp at the Polk County Fairgrounds with a ‘CSI’ theme. Other important dates are July 25-Aug 3 Ozark Empire Fair; and August 8-18 Missouri State Fair. more

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) invites the public to get hooked on fishing through its Free Fishing Days on June 8 and 9. During Free Fishing Days, anyone may fish in the Show-Me State without having to buy a fishing permit, trout permit, or trout park daily tag. Free Fishing Days is an annual MDC event that takes place statewide during the Saturday and Sunday following the first Monday in June. more

Polk County Community Connections will host its monthly breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, June 6, at the Polk County Senior Center, 1850 W. Broadway, Bolivar. A free breakfast is provided. more

How well do you know Polk County? more

Rita Lemmon, Assessor of Polk County, announces that the board of equalization will begin meeting at 10 a.m. Monday, July 15, at the office of the Polk County Commission to hear those who disagree with the values of real estate established by the assessor for tax year 2024. The board tentatively plans to conclude the hearings by 12 p.m. on Friday, July 19. more

SPRINGFIELD, Missouri – Evangel University announces its Spring 2024 Dean’s List. A total of 674 students are honored. To be eligible for the EU Dean’s List, students must pass a minimum of 12 semester credits with a semester grade point average of 3.6 – 4.0. more

As we honor this Memorial Day those military men and women who sacrificed their lives in service to our country, let us likewise honor those mortally wounded yet among us. more

Bolivar Night at the Springfield Cardinals will return on Thursday, June 27, as the Springfield Cardinals face the Arkansas Travelers at 7:05 p.m. Sponsored by the Bolivar Area Chamber of Commerce, the popular annual event has been a chamber tradition since 2004. more

Auditions continue for the annual Polk County’s Got Talent show, an event that recognizes local talent and raises funds for Community Outreach Ministries. more

Life Church Bolivar will host a car show, Sunday, June 16. The church is located at 110 W. Jackson Street, Bolivar. more

The Mincks family reunion will be at noon on Saturday, June 8, in Pavilion #1 at Dunnegan Memorial Park, Bolivar. more

The Downtown Bolivar Association is now accepting applications for vendors who would like to sign up for a booth space at Country Days. This annual event hosts a variety of organizations and vendors who offer food, entertainment, and other goods. This year, Country Days will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7. more

Polk County Central Dispatch is excited to announce the launch of Prepared Assist in our dispatch center June 1st, 2024. Built by the company Prepared, the platform enables our 9-1-1 dispatch center to livestream, receive multimedia, and receive location from mobile callers in real-time. This addition to our technology suite will significantly improve our ability to effectively and efficiently respond to emergencies in the community. Polk County Central Dispatch chose to implement Prepared Assist to elevate our emergency response capabilities. Its advanced features align perfectly with our commitment to providing swift and effective assistance to our community during emergencies. Prepared Assist equips us with the tools needed to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents, making it an invaluable addition to our center. Participation in video during a call is completely voluntary and consent of the caller is required. If the caller consents, they will receive a livestream link via text from the dispatcher, enabling them to activate live video upon click. It’s important to note that the video call function also does not provide Polk County Central Dispatch with access to the contents or settings of a caller’s phone. This launch follows weeks of preparation and training to ensure that our dispatchers and our team are able to properly utilize the software. Working side by-side with Prepared’s customer success team, we have created and adopted policies to ensure that Prepared Assist is used effectively in various scenarios. Prepared, led by co-founders Mike, Dylan, and Neal, is a mission-driven organization with a passion for improving public safety. In creating an app to help mitigate school emergencies, the team discovered that valuable data is lost in existing 9-1-1 processes and set out to address the problem by inventing Prepared. Since public launch October of 2021, the product has helped protect over 80 million people in 48 states. To learn more about Prepared and Prepared Assist, visit Prepared911.com more

The Shady Grove Cemetery Decoration will be on June 2. Basket lunch at noon. Donations for cemetery upkeep will be accepted that day or can be mailed to Louise Williams at 4687 S. 16th Road, Fair Play, MO 65649. more

As a new interpretive rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is set to give “buy now, pay later” customers more legal protections, Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) shares tips for using these services wisely. more

Mary Ruth “Sue” Lowery more

Kansas City, Mo. – On Monday, June 3, 2024, SBU Hall of Fame 1982 inductee and long-time tennis coach John Bryant will be inducted into the 2024 MIAA Hall of Fame ceremony at the Kansas City Music Hall. more