Community News
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Aug. 28-29, 1970 The final design of the centerpiece that would be a highlight of the downtown mall in Parsons was evolving, and the third design underwent scrutiny of the Parsons Urban Renewal Agency’s architectural and design committee. The committee generally approved the designs, the concept winning favor for its openness that would permit a see-through view from all...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Aug. 27, 1970 The cost of the Aug. 4 primary in Labette County was $2.04 a vote, County Clerk Quincy Greer reported. Greer said there were 4,888 votes cast in the county, and the total cost was $9,992.70. A preliminary draft of a comprehensive plan for zoning of a three-mile area around Parsons was presented to Labette County commissioners at their meeting. The presentati...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Aug. 26, 1970 Stan Brewer turned an even match after 13 holes into a 5-up lead after 18 in the first half of the 1970 city championship golf duel. The three-time Katy-Parsons Golf Club champion, who planned to enter the Army, won the final five holes of his round with Louis Rapalino, the Parsons Country Club champion, on the latter’s home course. The concluding half of t...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Aug. 25, 1970 Parsons’ two high school football teams had smaller turnouts on the opening day of workouts for the new season than in 1969. Parsons High School coach Joe Martin welcomed 57 candidates, eight of them returning letterman for a drill at the practice field behind the school. The turnout the previous year was 69. Assistant coaches Nick Divine, a holdover, and H...
full story
Jenkins plans office hours in Parsons Sept. 1
Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins will hold mobile office hours in Parsons next week at Parsons Public Library. The session will start at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1, while Congress is in recess. “Since first being elected to represent Kansans in Congress, I have been committed to trying to provide the best constituent services they have ever experienced from an elected official,” Jenkins said. “Again, this month, I will take to the roads of eas...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Aug. 24, 1970 Parsons public and parochial schools began the new term with total enrollments of 2,913, down 123 from the first day the previous year. Enrollment in the public schools was set at 2,608. It was a loss of 131 from the 2,739 enrolled on opening day the previous year. Enrollment in the three parochial schools was 305, a gain of eight over the 297 enrolled the ...
full story
Jobless rate rises in county
The Kansas unemployment rate jumped by nearly half of a percent in July, while the rate in Labette County increased slightly. According to a Kansas Department of Labor statement, the July unemployment rate in Kansas was 6.9 percent, up from 6.5 percent in June and down from 7.9 percent in July 2009. In Labette County, the jobless rate was estimated at 9.1 percent, up from 9 percent in June and 8.9 percent in July 2009. According to the July ...
full story
Hilderbrands honor 70th
Cloyed and Nadine Hilderbrand will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary on Tuesday. Cloyed Hilderbrand and Nadine Turner were married on Aug. 24, 1940, by the Rev. A.L. Johnson at the First Christian Church parsonage in Columbus. Their parents and Nadine’s brother and wife from Illinois were in attendance. Following their wedding, the couple moved to a farm south of Melrose, and this was their home for the first seven years of marriage. ...
full story
Wheats celebrate 50th
Bill and Pauline Wheat of Parsons celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a family weekend at Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City, Kan., and a family dinner and reception at the Shawnee home of their son and daughter-in-law, Jeff and Gabrielle Wheat. Bill Wheat and Pauline Thimmesch were married Aug. 13, 1960, at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Garden Plain. Mr. Wheat is a retired high school teacher and coach. Mrs. Wheat is a retired oc...
full story
Solberg, Osgood wedding
Angela Solberg and Griffin Osgood were married June 26 at Westside Christian Church in Parsons. Evan Osgood of Wildwood Christian Church of Wildwood, Mo., officiated the 2 p.m. double-ring ceremony. Constance Dannels of Parsons is the bride’s mother. Chris and David Miller of Parsons are parents of the groom. Sharleen Burgett of Broken Arrow, Okla., was matron of honor. Bailey Shaw of St. Paul was a bridesmaid. Josh Kennedy of Dennis was b...
full story
Bradfields celebrate 60th
Carlos and Ruth Bradfield of Pittsburg celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Aug. 6 with a family dinner. The couple were married on Aug. 6, 1950, at the Methodist Church in Oswego. Mr. Bradfield retired as an educator and psychologist from Mt. Carmel Hospital in Pittsburg in 2005. Mrs. Bradfield worked at Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. in Parsons and as an apartment manager and in retail, retiring in 2007. They have two children, ...
full story
Holmeses honor 50th
Lloyd and Rose Holmes of Newton will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with an open house hosted by their children and grandchildren from 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 25 at Immanuel Baptist Church, 1515 North Anderson, Newton. Lloyd W. and Rose Mary Covert were married on Sept. 24, 1960, at Friendship Baptist Church in Parsons. The Rev. Davidson officiated the ceremony. Jeanie Carnahan served as bride’s maid and Henry Covert as best man. There was...
full story
Prose, Lahey wedding
Lisa Prose and Kevin Lahey were married on June 26 at the Big Hill Lake Overlook with Labette County District Court Judge Jeffry Jack officiating the double-ring ceremony. Parents of the bride are Kenny Reed of Chetopa and the late Judy Reed. Parents of the groom are Mike and Jane Lahey of rural Parsons. Nathan Prose, son of the bride, escorted his mother and served as her attendant. Gage Lahey and Garrett Lahey, sons of the groom, served as...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Aug. 21-22, 1970 Work began on Parsons’ second vest pocket park to be located on a 120-foot-by-150-foot lot in the 1300 block of Clark. F.O. Nibarger, public works superintendent, said stakes were being set for the location of a concrete-surfaced basketball court and playground equipment. Nibarger said not all equipment for the park had been received. Darrel Kreighbaum, ...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Aug. 20, 1970 Parsons was losing more than 200 trees annually to Dutch elm disease, F.O. Nibarger, city public works superintendent, said. Nibarger said city crews had marked 134 elms on parkings and 96 on private property for removal in the fall and winter. City crews would cut the trees on parkings, and it would be the responsibility of the property owners to remove tr...
full story
K-3 and K-47 resurfacing to start next week, weather permitting
On Monday, the Kansas Department of Transportation expects to start asphalt resurfacing projects on K-3 in Crawford and Bourbon counties and K-47 in Neosho and Crawford counties. The K-3 resurfacing work will extend north from the K-47 junction for 14 1/2 miles to end at the east K-3/K-39 junction. The K-47 project runs from St. Paul east for 24 1/2 miles to the U.S. 69 junction. Several locations along K-47 will be milled before resurfac...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Aug. 19, 1970 LaForge & Budd Construction Co. of Parsons was awarded a contract for a new shell industrial building, the second to be erected in a new industrial park being developed south of the city on U.S. 59. Awarding of the contract, on the basis of five bids, was made by the Parsons Industrial Fund trustees. D. Warren Hyde was chairman of the fund unit, a committee...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Aug. 18, 1970 Fifty-two street lights of 1,000-watt capacity — eight times the existing lights’ brilliance — would illuminate Washington and Broadway between Central and 16th Street in the urban renewal area under a contract signed by the Parsons City Commission with Kansas Power & Light Co. The city would own and install the conduit, poles and brackets. The power compan...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Aug. 17, 1970 Sengpiehl Furniture Co. revealed plans for a major expansion of its retail business in Parsons when it submitted a bid for the first private redevelopment of land in the city’s urban renewal area. The concern would practically double its existing floor space for a store and warehouse of almost 30,000 square feet. Construction was expected to begin within si...
full story
Walker, Mayfield engagement
Jessica Rene Walker and Adam Joseph Mayfield, both of Chetopa, announce their engagement. The bride-elect is the daughter of Joyce Walker of Chetopa. She graduated from Chetopa High school in 2002 and received a bachelor of science degree in biology and Spanish and a bachelor of science degree in medical technology in 2007 from Pittsburg State University. She is a medical technologist at St. John’s Maude Norton Hospital in Columbus. The futu...
full story