Cuba Free Press
Cuba News
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Oct. 8 for three houses being built to help heal in mind, body and spirit.

The Freedom 13 breaks ground in Bourbon for first healing camp

The Freedom 13 broke ground on Oct. 8 on three new houses at its very first of 50 healing camps. The nonprofit organization was founded by Mark and Jaclyn Schmitz after their son, Marine L. Cpl. …

McBride’s Village at Silo Ridge project continues to move forward

Cochran Engineering, which is doing the planning and engineering work on behalf of McBride Homes, requested that an approved phase one plat of the Village at Silo Ridge project be revised during the …

City of Cuba dedicates new pickleball courts

The city of Cuba held a dedication ceremony on Sept. 26 for the new pickleball courts. The courts were a donation from the Chymiak Family Foundation. Mayor Pitts Lesesne opened the ceremony by …
Crawford R-2 News
Cuba’s R-2 District School Board met for the first time during the 2026-2027 school year Sept. 29 and heard various updates from administrators and its student representative about how the school …
Allison Heads and Seth Adderly were crowned Cuba High School Homecoming queen and king on Oct. 2 in front of a full Wildcat Pride stadium before this year’s Homecoming football game against …
Various Cuba R-2 School District administrators, board members and staff expressed excitement for the new school year and applauded the recent renovations on campus during the Aug. 19 meeting. …
Public hearing set for water and sewer rate increase in Bourbon
It was announced on Sept. 15 by Bourbon City Clerk Stacy Blake that, after calculations by the Department of Natural Resources, they produced a spreadsheet showing how much the city must raise its …
Bourbon to post no-thru truck traffic signs on Route 66
Mayor Sky Huddleston suggested on Sept. 15 that the city post no-thru truck traffic signs on Route 66. Over the past few meetings, the board has made it abundantly clear that the city cannot …
Crawford R-1 News
Bourbon High School band students on Sept. 15 presented the Bourbon School Board with complimentary tickets to their Missouri Music Educators Association conference performance. The band was one of six high schools in Missouri selected to perform, which will be on Jan. 29, 2027, at the Tan-Tar-A Conference Center.
Bourbon School District programs continue to improve support of student success
Bourbon High School Principal (BHS) Casandra Haar announced on Sept. 15 to the Crawford County R-1 Board of Education (BOE) that when looking at the End of Course (EOC) assessment scores, English 2 …
Bourbon R-1 settles on standard Hudl package
Crawford County R-1 Board of Education on Aug. 17 revisited a June 16 discussion regarding a Hudl subscription, eventually reaching a compromise as officials prepare to cut spending. Discussion …
Steelville Star-Crawford Mirror
Steelville News

City considers policy change for after-hours utility shutoffs

The Steelville Board of Aldermen discussed potential changes to city policy regarding after-hours utility shutoffs at their Oct. 5 meeting. Under current municipal utilities policy, if a …
“Art Squared” is the latest exhibit at Steelville’s Gallery Zeke, which features paintings by local artist that features natural and outdoors scenes from in and around the Steelville area. Pieces in the exhibit were donated by artists in Steelville Arts Council’s Summer Plein Air event and will be auctioned off to support the work of the Arts Council and Gallery Zeke.

Art Squared exhibit comes to Gallery Zeke

Art Squared opened Oct. 2 as the latest exhibit at Steelville’s Gallery Zeke. The exhibit showcases artwork painted by participants of the Steelville Arts Council’s Summer Plein Air event, …

Steelville Forward plans holiday market, discusses future of the Jonas Museum

Members of Steelville Forward, a community action group comprised of local business owners and city officials, met Sept. 28 at the Steelville Country Club for their monthly meeting. The group …
Steelville R-3 News

Steelville R-3 approves $6M bond sales for facility improvements

At its monthly meeting on July 23, the Steelville R-3 Board of Education unanimously voted to approve a resolution authorizing the sale of $6 million in general obligation bonds. The funds from the …

Steelville Aldermen hear updates from city engineer, public works

City Engineer Terris Cates updated the Steelville Board of Aldermen on July 6 about funding and proposed projects. Cates said that the Spring Street bridge at Hoppe Spring Park will be made into …

Steelville R-3 approves budget for upcoming school year

The Steelville R-3 Board of Education approved the fiscal budget for the upcoming 2026-27 school year. Superintendent Steve Vetter brought the proposed budget into discussion. “It talks …

Saint James Press
St. James News

47th Old Iron Works Festival brings 19th century to life at Maramec Spring Park

The Old Iron Works Festival returned to Maramec Spring Park for its 47th year on Oct. 10 to beautiful fall weather, drawing hundreds of visitors. The festival celebrates the history and heritage …

Water quality concerns being investigated by city, residents are urged to report irregularities

St. James Public Works officials began investigating concerns about the water quality in parts of the city after residents reported foul-smelling and discolored water in their homes. On Sept. …

School District lawsuit scheduled for jury trial

St. James resident Donna Olson’s lawsuit against the St. James R-1 School District will go to jury trial in 2027, according to docket entries for the case. The jury trial is set to take place in …
St. James R-1

St. James 5th Annual Tiger Trot set for Saturday

The St. James R-1 School District’s 5th Annual Tiger Trot Thanksgiving 5k run/walk and 10k run on Nov. 29 is all about exercise, community spirit and raising money for a good cause. Funds from …

St. James R-1 school board filing opens Dec. 9

Filing opens on Dec. 9 for the April 2026 municipal election. The St. James R-1 Board of Education has three seats up for three-year terms. The three board of education seats are currently held …

St. James R-1 receives grant for district, community engagement

The St. James R-1 School District was awarded $17,263 from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources as part of the 2025 Non-playground Scrap Tire Grant. The district will use the grant to …

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Obituaries
Constance “Connie” Marie Weber
Constance “Connie” Marie Weber of Cuba, Missouri was born on Wednesday, March 10, 1948 in St. Louis, Missouri to Harold Jake Weber and Juanita Mae (nee Sohn) Weber and passed away Wednesday, …
Brenda Vogeler
Brenda Vogeler of Rolla, Missouri was born August 23, 1949 in Searcy, Arkansas to Sidney Pearson and Betsy (Watson) Clendenin and passed away on September 28, 2026 at the age of 77 years. She …
Brittany Nicole Stovall
Brittany Nicole Stovall of Joplin, Missouri was born on March 8, 1989 in Rolla, Missouri to Craig Stovall and Scheryl (Stovall) Barringer and passed away on September 30, 2026 at the age of 37 years. …
Loveta Marie Steen
Loveta Marie (Lamberth) Steen was born in 1945 at DePaul Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri to Floice Elmer and Seva Belle (McCullough) Lamberth and passed away September 27, 2026 the age of 80 years. …
Darrell Wayne Humphrey
Darrell Wayne Humphrey of Steelville, Missouri was born January 20, 1959 in St. Louis, Missouri to Harold K. Humphrey and Geraldine Stanfill Humphrey and passed away Tuesday, September 29, 2026 at …
Gene Leo Adair
Gene Leo Adair of Cuba, Missouri was born on March 15, 1942 in St. Louis, Missouri to William Albert and Dollie (Bridgeman) Adair and passed away, Friday, September 25, 2026 at the age of 84 years. …
Sports
Emma Meurer (above) tries to avoid being tagged out.  Raegan Witt (right) catches a pop up. 
St. James softball team No. 4 seed in Class 3 District 2
The St. James High School softball team is seeded fourth for this week’s Missouri Class 3 District 2 Tournament, to be held at Sullivan High School. Host Sullivan (13-10 entering this week) is …
Owen Jackson dives to make a tackle.
Union whips Tigers, 49-6
The banged-up, struggling St. James High School football Tigers were hosting the hottest team in the Four Rivers Conference Friday, Oct. 9. That was not a good combination. The Union …
Moreland medalist at Hermann Invitation
Powered by three top-10 individual finishes - including the meet medalist - the St. James High School boys’ cross country squad placed second in the team standings at the Hermann Invitational, held …
Steelville freshman Jaxson Brooks dives headfirst into second base.
Cardinals baseball team drops final fall game to Bourbon
Steelville High School’s baseball fell 9-2 to Bourbon in its last game of its shortened fall season. The Cardinals played just four games after multiple rain outs and cancellations, finishing with …
Wildcats football team drop road game to tough St. Vincent squad
The final score of Cuba High School’s football game versus St. Vincent makes it look way worse than it was for most of the Oct. 10 matchup. St. Vincent ended up pulling away with a 49-6 victory, …
Cross country teams compete in Potosi, SMS wraps up season
Steelville’s High School and Middle School cross country teams competed over the weekend in the Oct. 10 Potosi Invitational. It was the last meet of the season for the Steelville Middle School …
Steelville High School’s varsity volleyball team earned third place in the Oct. 10 Belle Varsity Volleyball after defeating Belle in the third place game.
Steelville volleyball takes third in Belle Tourney, senior night is Thursday
Steelville High School’s volleyball team capped a busy and successful week of competition with a third place finish in the Oct. 10 Belle Varsity Volleyball Tournament. The Lady Cardinals also …
Wildcats drop road game to a tough St. Vincent squad
The final score of Cuba High School’s football game versus St. Vincent makes it look way worse than it was for most of the Oct. 10 matchup. St. Vincent ended up pulling away with a 49-6 victory, …
Cuba cross country teams run in Hermann Invitational
Cuba High School and Middle School cross country teams competed in the Oct. 6 Hermann Invitational at Loutre Shore Country Club. Cuba’s High School team didn’t place as a team and Cuba’s Middle …