Phelps County Focus

Established in August 2017, this newspaper was founded with a strong commitment to serving the local community. Publisher Donald Dodd, who leads Salem Publishing Company, Inc., has been part of the newspaper industry since 1980 and has always appreciated the ambition and achievements of Phelps County and its neighboring towns, including Rolla, St. James, Edgar Springs, Doolittle, and Newburg. As a family-run publication, we provide a diverse range of news, features, commentary, and sports coverage. Our tagline perfectly captures our mission: It’s all about you.

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Missouri lawmakers push state colleges to create 60-credit-hour transferable degree programs

4 days ago | phelpscountyfocus.com | Annelise Hanshaw

Missouri students majoring in business, biology, elementary education, psychology and nursing may soon be able to transfer more college credits between the state’s public universities. State lawmakers negotiated a plan to make 60-credit-hour blocks in five degree programs universally transferable among public universities and community colleges in Missouri as part of a bill awaiting the governor’s signature or veto. The change is set to kick in by the 2028-29 school year.
Missouri lawmakers create pathway for free career-tech education

1 week ago | phelpscountyfocus.com | Annelise Hanshaw

Missouri high school graduates may soon be able to attend career-certificate programs for free after state lawmakers passed a bill creating a reimbursement process for career and technical education. The legislation now awaits Gov. Mike Kehoe’s signature or veto. “This will increase (the workforce) astronomically,” said state Rep. Ann Kelley, a Republican from Lamar. “And it’s great for the kids who are in those career tech programs.
OZARK ROADTRIPS AND TRAILS: Enjoy the shade of a million years under the Clifty Creek Natural Bridge

1 week ago | phelpscountyfocus.com | Andrew Sheeley

Time, erosion, and millions of footsteps have forged one of Missouri’s grandest adventures through the rough of southern Maries County. Deep-set Clifty Hollow branches several miles west from its confluence with the Gasconade River, living up to its name with hundreds of feet of vertical relief above Clifty Creek. The centerpiece to the scenic 2.5-mile loop through this hollow is the Clifty Creek Natural Bridge, one of the most picturesque rock formations in all the Ozarks.
ROLLA CITY COUNCIL: Monday night’s agenda appears to be non-controversial

1 week ago | phelpscountyfocus.com | R.D. Hohenfeldt

Posted Thursday afternoon on the city’s website, the agenda for Monday night’s Rolla City Council meeting appears to be non-controversial with most of the business being approval of expenditures for repairs of tornado damage and for street paving and lighting.
Newburg residents celebrate town’s history

1 week ago | phelpscountyfocus.com | R.D. Hohenfeldt

NEWBURG - Local residents, both current and former, filled the town Saturday with food, fun, an attitude of appreciation for the town’s history and a sense of hope for its future. The celebration of Newburg Railroad Days began Friday night with a fish fry, followed on Saturday with music, children’s activities, dancing and more food. Throughout the day, too, the central park in downtown Newburg was filled with vendors.
On screens or in silence? Where do you hear God’s voice?

2 weeks ago | phelpscountyfocus.com | Drew Brown

What moves you? What gets your blood pumping? What is it that motivates you and drives you to do what you do? Growing up, I remember hearing this statement from my mother and my grandmother over and over again: Garbage in, garbage out! I think it’s easy for most of us to say that what motivates and drives us is our family. Or maybe it’s a love of what we do. But is that really the truth? If we dig a little deeper into our hearts and souls, are we really just doing whatever we can to simply get by?
Rolla landmark Sirloin Stockade celebrates 50 years in business

2 weeks ago | phelpscountyfocus.com | Andrew Sheeley

A landmark of Interstate 44 and Historic Route 66 is this year marking its golden anniversary. Rolla’s Sirloin Stockade first opened to customers at its Martin Springs Drive location on June 4, 1975. A half century to the day, the restaurant’s Texas-based leadership gathered with local champions to celebrate the achievement with a Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony.
BASEBALL: Shocking Miner championship? Not really

2 weeks ago | phelpscountyfocus.com | Dave Roberts

The Missouri S&T baseball team winning the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Tournament championship and the automatic national berth that went with it was a shocker. Unless you were paying close attention. The Miners had one of their finest seasons ever in 2025, advancing to the NCAA National Tournament for the third time in the tenure of head coach Todd DeGraffenreid, now the dean of all Miner Athletic Department head coaches.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: St. James, Newburg rebuilding for different reasons

2 weeks ago | phelpscountyfocus.com | Dave Roberts

All three Phelps County high school girls’ basketball teams will be doing a bit of rebuilding this season. Rolla will be adding several freshmen and sophomores to the mix, but has an all-state player and a strong senior running mate to build around. Both the St. James and Newburg girls’ basketball squads will also have a vastly different look from this past campaign. For the St. James Lady Tigers, that’s because they are losing a slew of seniors to graduation.
GOLF: Green thrilled to return to Rolla as OMCC GM

2 weeks ago | phelpscountyfocus.com | Dave Roberts

Chad Green got the call to return to Rolla. He was more than happy to accept. Green made a name in the local golf circles by turning the Missouri S&T golf team into a NCAA Division II power. And now he’s back to take over as Oak Meadow Country Club General Manager and Director of Golf. His first day on the job was May 4. Green first came to Rolla when he was hired by S&T to re-start the school’s men’s golf program. And he built the Miners into a national power in quick fashion.