Phelps County Focus
{{short description|Newspaper in Rolla, Missouri}}{{Infobox Newspaper
| name = Phelps County Focus
| motto = “It’s All About You!”
| image =
| caption =
| type = Weekly newspaper
| format =
| foundation =
| language = English
| ceased publication =
| owners = Carpenter Media Group
| publisher = Donald Dodd
| editor =
| circulation =
| headquarters = 101 West 7th Street, Rolla, Missouri 65401, United States
| ISSN =
| website = {{URL|phelpscountyfocus.com}}
}}{{use mdy dates|date=May 2020}}
The Phelps County Focus is a weekly newspaper published in Rolla, Missouri, United States. The paper covers Rolla and Phelps County, Missouri, including the city of Newburg.
History
The Phelps County Focus traces its history back to several Rolla newspapers that date back to the 1870s.{{Cite book |last=Blackman, Ann. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/607085739 |title=Seasons of her life : a biography of Madeleine Korbel Albright |date=1998 |publisher=Scribner |isbn=978-0-684-86431-0 |location=New York, NY |page=129 |oclc=607085739}} Edward W. Sowers and two others bought the weekly Rolla New Era in 1942. Sowers later acquired full ownership and changed the paper's name to the Rolla Daily News. He worked as publisher until his death in 1982.
The Rolla Daily News was noted for its coverage of the development of Rolla as a town, with a dedicated "Progress Edition" having been published annually during the town's growth in the 1940s and 1950s.{{Cite news |date=August 18, 1955 |title=Rolla Newspaper Has Fine Edition |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1893&dat=19550818&id=hxApAAAAIBAJ&pg=920,1290683 |access-date=May 26, 2020 |work=The Southeast Missourian}} Madeleine Albright worked as a reporter at the newspaper in the 1950s. The paper the site of legal notices regarding the environmental impact of the Route 63 Corridor Project.{{Cite book |last1=Masuda |first1=Allen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lss1AQAAMAAJ |title=Route 63 Corridor Project, Phelps County: Environmental Impact Statement |last2=Keith |first2=Kevin |date=March 15, 2002 |page=VII-6 |access-date=May 26, 2020}}
The Sower family eventually sold the Rolla Daily News to American Publishing Company, and then the paper later became owned by GateHouse Media.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-09-24 |title=Salem Publishing to purchase Rolla Daily News |url=https://www.thesalemnewsonline.com/article_2b0ba436-1d61-11ec-80fd-7bb4ec8662cd.html |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=theSalemNewsOnline.com |language=en}} Gatehouse closed the St. James Leader-Journal in St. James in 2016{{Cite web |title=Ruth Morrison Papers (R1446) |url=https://files.shsmo.org/manuscripts/rolla/R1446.pdf |access-date=August 31, 2024 |website=The State Historical Society of Missouri}} and the Waynesvile Daily Guide in Waynesville in 2018.{{Cite web |last=Bergquist |first=Garrett |date=2018-09-07 |title=Locals dismayed as Waynesville newspaper shutters |url=https://krcgtv.com/news/local/locals-dismayed-as-waynesville-newspaper-shutters |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=KRCG |language=en}} Both were absorbed into the Rolla Daily News.{{Cite web |last=Roberts |first=Dave |date=2018-09-12 |title=SIDELINES: RIP, Waynesville Daily Guide |url=https://www.phelpscountyfocus.com/sports/local/article_e6da5682-b660-11e8-bafc-af6f41613437.html |access-date=2024-09-01 |website=Phelps County Focus |language=en}} In 2019, Gatehouse acquired Gannett and then took on the name.{{cite web |last=Tracy |first=Marc |date=November 19, 2019 |title=Gannett, Now Largest U.S. Newspaper Chain, Targets 'Inefficiencies' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/19/business/media/gannett-gatehouse-merger.html |access-date=2020-02-28 |work=The New York Times}}
In August 2021, Gannett sold the newspaper to Phillips Media Group.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-08-21 |title=Gannett Sells Five Local Publications to Phillips Media Group |url=https://medianewsjournal.com/2021/08/gannett-sells-five-local-publications-to-phillips-media-group |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=Media News Journal |language=en-US}} The paper was sold again a month later to Salem Publishing Company. It was then merged into the Phelps County Focus, which was launched in August 2017 as a competitor.{{Cite web |last=Keller |first=Rudi |date=2021-10-11 |title=New owners seek to revive Missouri newspapers sold by Gannett |url=https://www.stlpr.org/economy-business/2021-10-11/new-owners-seek-to-revive-missouri-newspapers-sold-by-gannett |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=STLPR |language=en}} In January 2025, Salem Publishing Company sold the Phelps County Focus, The Salem News and Pulaski County Weekly to Carpenter Media Group.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2025-01-27 |title=Carpenter Media Group to purchase Salem Publishing |url=https://www.thesalemnewsonline.com/article_d807e6b4-dcf2-11ef-80c0-77813140ea69.html |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=The Salem News |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official|https://www.phelpscountyfocus.com/}}
{{Gannett}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rolla Daily News}}