Community News
The Parsons Kiwanis Club announced its November Bringing Up Grades (BUGs) students earlier this week at Chinese Chef. Those students who earned the awards for their academic achievements this past month include front row (from left): Lizzy Smith, Chance Buller, Kamrynn Ball and Vansi Ghandi; and back row (from left): Caitlin Barcus, Amia Chavez-Martinez, Dakota Kasson and Jessica Brewer.
School news
Meadow View honor roll Meadow View Grade School has announced the names of its students listed on the honor rolls for the first nine weeks of the 2011-2012 school year. Those students listed on the all A honor roll are: Eighth grade — Trinity Larkin, Madison Scott, Justin Sexton and Abbie Stice. Seventh grade — Evan Gofourth and Amanda Porras. Sixth grade — Braden Baker, Jason Gibbs and Joshua Walters. Fifth grade — Kylee Barney, Molly Browne,...
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Poet to read at PSU
PITTSBURG — Award-winning poet Geoffrey Nutter will read from his work at 8 p.m. Thursday at Pittsburg State University. Nutter’s reading, part of the PSU Distinguished Visiting Writers Series, will take place in the Governors Room of the Overman Student Center. It is free and open to the public. A reception for Nutter will be held in the Heritage Room of the student center following his reading. Nutter, an assistant professor of creative wri...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 29-30, 1971 Bicycle-riding would be banned from Parsons Plaza, the new downtown mall, Will Tschudy, city manager, said. According to the standard traffic ordinance adopted by the city commission, bikes were classified as vehicles and vehicles were prohibited from sidewalks. Tschudy said a specific ordinance banning bicycle-riding on the mall would be introduced at a ...
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Kernell-Simmons
Montee and Norine Kernell of Parsons and Jay and DeEdra Hall of Hobbs, N.M., announce the engagement of their daughter, Haleigh Aleashia Kernell of Hobbs, N.M., to Kevin Duane Simmons of Floydada, Texas. He is the son of Terry and Catherine Simmons of Floydada. The bride-elect is a 2006 graduate of Hobbs High School and works at McVay Drilling Co. The future groom is a 2006 graduate of Hobbs High School and will graduate in December from Cleve...
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Martinez-Wall
Darcie Michael Martinez and Ned Christopher Wall were married in a 6 p.m. July 9 double-ring ceremony at First Baptist Church, Parsons. The Rev. Rick Prideaux of Church of the Nazarene, Columbus, officiated the wedding. The bride is the daughter of Jon and Heidi Flora and John and Shannon Martinez, all of Parsons. Her grandparents are Len and Phyllis Trokey and Richard Martinez, all of Parsons. The groom is the son of Gary and Shirley Wall of ...
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Gofourths celebrate 65th
Glenn and Eileen Gofourth celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary with a family dinner party at their Parsons home on Oct. 22. The party was hosted by their daughter, Stacy Knofs, and her husband, Dean. Glenn Gofourth and Eileen McCall were married on Oct. 19, 1946, by the Rev. Monsignor Mahar at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Parsons. Following their marriage, they lived in various cities, including Kansas City, Phoenix and Omaha, Neb. Upon ...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 28, 1971 The Parsons Urban Renewal Agency made its first sales of cleared land for redevelopment. One parcel was purchased by Sengpiehl Furniture Co. for a major addition to its store at 1906 Main. The other buyer was the city of Parsons. It bought ground on which a new parking lot had been constructed in the 1800 block of Broadway. The Sengpiehl firm planned to begi...
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These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 27, 1971 The Bureau of Child Research, a division of the University of Kansas, had a staff of 61 people in research at the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center. The number was almost twice that involved in January before new federal research grants totaling more than $800,000 were received. The bureau employed 34 people at the Parsons hospital early in the year...
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Holiday plans under way in Parsons
Downtown Parsons is getting ready for the Christmas holidays with a busy schedule of activities beginning with a Holiday Open House on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 4 and 5, featuring many downtown stores open for extended hours on each day, some offering goodies and previews of gift ideas and special pricing on others. Volunteers from the community are being sought to assist in decorating Main Street on Saturday morning Nov. 19, according to Pete...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 26, 1971 The Kansas Army Ammunition Plant stood high among munitions facilities in the country and had earned a place as “one of the key operations in our total defense posture,” Rep. Joe Skubitz, 5th District congressman, said. Skubitz keynoted a 30th anniversary observance at the plant that was attended by more than 500 people. The congressman was on a program with...
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Country singer comes to Parsons
A country singer who was nominated for a Grammy will perform in Parsons next month. The Labette County Tourism Bureau and Parsons Municipal Auditorium will present "An Evening with Billy Dean" at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18. Dean will perform all of his hits in an intimate acoustical setting at the Municipal Auditorium. Dean’s versatility as an entertainer has garnered him more than two decades of hits and numerous awards. In 1988 he was exposed to a na...
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New LCMHS staff
Labette Center for Mental Health Services (LCMHS) announced that Robin Rogers, MSN, FNP-C, ANP-C, RN, has been hired as a contracting provider to serve the medication needs of its adult population. Born in Joplin, Rogers attended school in Cherokee County through the ninth grade. In August 1970 she moved to Dennis, where she completed school and attended Labette Community College upon graduation. Rogers lives in Baxter Springs with her husb...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 25, 1971 A mobile gallery containing 15 original works by Pablo Picasso, the century’s most famous artist, and eight by contemporaries in surrealism would set up in Parsons the following day. The gallery from the Wichita Art Museum would be in Parsons for three days at Parsons High School and at the Parsons Municipal Building. The theme of the visit by the semi-trail...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 22-23, 1971 Monday night store hours in Parsons beginning Nov. 22 were approved at a meeting of retailers and service outlets. Stores would be open 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. each Monday and Thursday, and 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on other days. Christmas shopping hours would begin on Dec. 13, with stores remaining open until 8:30 p.m. each night until Christmas Eve. The Parso...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 21, 1971 The Parsons Housing Authority appointed a new executive director, although business operations basically would remain unchanged. Authority members discussed possible conflicts of interest within its organization during a luncheon at Don Divine’s Restaurant with a representative for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Marguerite Westfall, bu...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 20, 1971 The first trainees for sewing machine operator jobs guaranteed at Fred Ronald Manufacturing Co. at 1901 Southern completed a two-week course. All five were employed at the plant. Company officials planned to hire 50 graduates from the program. Location for the classes was a 15,000-square-foot plant addition completed by the company, and instruction was by Vi...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 19, 1971 Orchard Park residents asked the Parsons City Commission for city water service. Oren Gray, Parsons lawyer, represented the group and asked that the city either provide water lines, allow residents to connect their own lines to city water or permit the area to join a rural water district. Commissioners said the city’s policy was not to extend water lines out...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 18, 1971 A downtown parking lot in Parsons west of the Kansas Power & Light Co. building was opened. The lot in the 1800 block of Broadway contained 38 meters for one and two hours, Paul Freeberg, city engineer, said. LaForge & Budd Construction Co. of Parsons built the lot that was financed by the city as part of its obligation on the downtown urban renewal project....
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Oct. 15-16, 1971 Plans for a retirement and skilled nursing care facility to be known as the Parsons Presbyterian Manor and costing at least $500,000 were made public. The project, containing accommodations for 50 to 90 people at the outset and built on a 10-acre tract under option in the Prairie West addition at the northwest edge of Parsons, had been under discussion in...
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Tips on improving living spaces
By Colleen Surridge Parsons Sun Working through almost two decades as a self-employed contractor, John Williamson, owner of Williamson’s General Contracting in Parsons, has had many occasions where he’s been able to work with clients on improving their living space. “From projects that embrace simply painting a room to a complete redesign of living areas, there are seldom greater delights than the satisfaction of knowing a job has been comple...
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