Community News
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. March 12, 1973 Derrel Gofourth, Parsons High School’s All-American linebacker, signed a Big Eight Conference football letter of intent to attend Oklahoma State University at Stillwater. Present for the signing of the 6-foot, 210-pound standout was Hugh McCrabb, an assistant defensive coach for the Cowboys. The signing ceremony was at the home of his stepfather and mother,...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. March 9-10, 1973 A tornado bounced along a jagged 20-mile route from Galesburg to Erie to Walnut, causing extensive property damage the previous night, but no major injuries. The storm destroyed three mobile homes and numerous farm sheds and damaged the elementary school and Shaw Manufacturing Co. plant in Galesburg. The possibility of a new league banning out-of-state pl...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. March 8, 1973 Unofficial maps presented to the House Roads and Highway Committee showed that a proposed Southeast Kansas turnpike would cross Labette County on an east-west alignment about eight miles south of Parsons, two miles north of Altamont and three miles north of Oswego. That information came from Rep. David Miller, D-Parsons, a member of the committee who said he...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. March 7, 1973 State Sen. Cale Hudson, R-Chanute, said he favored construction of a Southeast Kansas-Wichita toll road because it was the only way to get such a route in the following 20 years. Hudson represented Labette, Neosho and Wilson counties in the State Senate. He favored a route in the K-96-U.S. 160 corridors from Wichita east and south to the Missouri line, sayin...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. March 6, 1973 Visitors at Labette County Medical Center were still restricted to members of the immediate family, Jerry Lilley, hospital administrator, said. The hospital was near 100 percent occupancy. Visitation had been restricted for several weeks because of a high incidence of viral and upper respiratory infections. City commissioners of Parsons approved bids for a s...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. March 5, 1973 A fire discovered in the library and art rooms of Erie High School forced the closing of the school and the Erie Elementary School. The fire, which was discovered by two janitors when they arrived at the school at 5:30 a.m., was brought under control within an hour by Erie firemen, Neosho County Sheriff David Kern said. A special investigator of the state fi...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. March 2-3, 1973 St. Paul seized a district high school basketball championship. Seeded fifth in a field of five teams, St. Paul defeated Oswego 54-44 in the title game to complete a three-game sweep of the McCune Class 1A tournament. St. Paul was sparked by the 14-point scoring of Rick Coomes and 12 points apiece from Steve Ward and Jim Burke. Oswego was topped by Wes Ove...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. March 1, 1973 Employment gains in Parsons were keeping pace with increases in traffic on the Katy Railroad. Train, engine and yard employment, standing at about 225 at the first of the year, had been boosted to about 250. Six men were added at the diesel locomotive shops here, with the total standing at 146. Car department employment remained steady at 41, with the Katy a...
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Natural resources officer introduces himself
I would like to take this time to introduce myself. My name is Jeremy Stenstrom and I am the new Natural Resource Officer (Game Warden) for the south half of Neosho County as well as Labette County. I arrive to the community with my family from Junction City. I graduated from Kansas State University with a Wildlife Biology degree and my family and I are avid outdoors people. We love to hunt, fish, camp and any other activities that involve th...
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Schools
PSU students earn Addy Awards PITTSBURG — Five Parsons-area students were among the many Pittsburg State University students receiving awards at the American Advertising Federation — Joplin Addy Awards. Pitt State students won 10 gold Addys, 20 silver and a Best of Show award. In addition to the student Addy’s, PSU won six silver awards for both print and digital projects. “Since becoming a faculty member, it is even more rewarding for me to w...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Feb. 26, 1973 The new little theater at Labette Community Junior College was named in honor of Charles Thiebaud, former president and teacher at the college. Thiebaud accepted a plaque from Gilbert Cole of Chetopa, college board chairman, at a dedication ceremony before the final performance of “Star-Spangled Girl,” a Labette Community Players’ production. Cole described ...
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Henrys to celebrate 50th
Jerry and Annetta Henry of rural Altamont will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception open to the public hosted by the couple and their children from 2 to 4 p.m. March 3 at Oswego Christian Church, 11048 S. U.S. 59. Jerry Henry and Annetta Faye Beeson were married March 3, 1963, at Angola Methodist Church by the Rev. Paul Johnson. They have three children, Andrew Henry and his wife, DeeDee, of Goshen, Ky., Joseph Henry and h...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Feb. 23-24, 1973 Dr. Donald Wright, who was completing a pathology residency in Wichita, would become director of clinical pathology at Labette County Medical Center on July 14. It would be the first time the hospital had employed a full-time pathologist. “The Pirates of Penzance” a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, would be presented for two nights at the Parsons Municipal ...
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Clubs
Wesley United Methodist Women The Wesley United Methodist Women met on Feb. 12 in the church parlor. Eleven women attended. President Janie Williams opened the meeting with the devotions, “Who is My Neighbor?” Sara Combs gave a Response Moment report with the subject of the club’s reading program. The club has many books with up-to-date subjects to keep members well informed. Verlene Cornell announced that Labette Community College is selling ...
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Henrys celebrate 50th
Jerry and Annetta Henry of rural Altamont will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a reception open to the public hosted by the couple and their children from 2 to 4 p.m. March 3 at Oswego Christian Church, 11048 S. U.S. 59. Jerry Henry and Annetta Faye Beeson were married March 3, 1963, at Angola Methodist Church by the Rev. Paul Johnson. They have three children, Andrew Henry and his wife, DeeDee, of Goshen, Ky., Joseph Henry and h...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Feb. 22, 1973 A Pittsburg contractor whose low bid for relocation of U.S. 160 in downtown Parsons was rejected said he was “floored” when he learned of the State Highway Commission’s action. M.L. “Lee” Caldwell of Freeto Construction Co. said he wanted the job. The bid of $1,734,760 by Freeto was thrown out at a commission meeting in Topeka as were six other bids on the j...
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Clubs
Labette County 4-H Labette County 4-H Club Day was on Feb. 16 at Labette County High School. Champions and reserve champions qualified for the multi-county 4-H Day on March 16 in Pittsburg. Results of the Labette County 4-H Day are: Demonstrations Junior Division — Anthony Pearson, Pumpkin Creek, champion. Intermediate Division — Josie Smith, Midwest Ranchers, champion; and Camerson Carr, Leib, reserve champion. Senior Division — Rio Esquibel...
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LCHS FBLA takes second place
The Labette County FBLA Chapter took second place on Jan. 25 at a district competition in Cherryvale. There were 19 schools with 322 students in attendance. The students who competed from Labette County were: Madison Aiken, Sadie Atkins, Katelen Bailey, Aubrey Baker, Sabryn Beery, Zach Boss, McKayla Brader, Lyndsey Brothers, Elizabeth Carter, Darcy Cole, Evan Dechant, Zach Frost, Tyler Gartner, Cristen Geren, Brad Gray, Brynn Green, Kristen He...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Feb. 21, 1973 The State Highway Commission rejected the low bid on relocation of U.S. 160 in the Parsons Urban Renewal area. The rejection was based on the claim of an error in calculations of the low bidder, Freeto Construction Co. of Pittsburg. There also were several technical points in a contract between the commission and the Parsons Urban Renewal Agency about which ...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Feb. 20, 1973 Shelled corn gushed onto the ground when a storage building wall collapsed at Parsons Grain Terminal Inc. in Orchard Park at the northwest edge of Parsons. No personal injuries occurred, Ernest Harms of Thayer, manager of the facility, said. He and other members of the staff were on duty at the time. The damaged section was in the south one-third of the bui...
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