Opinion
Public Mind
Cable should fix broadcast To the Sun: It is absolutely appalling that CableOne will not fix the repeated broadcasting problems it has with public television station KTWU. While it wants to blame the station for poor delivery, calls to the station point to CableOne as the problem. As a customer, it doesn’t make any difference where the problem lies, other than that CableOne is paid to deliver the programming, and as such, has an obligation to ...
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Nuts are important to healthy diet
Reno Jain Ask Reno Nutrition Columnist   Dear Reno: How does eating nuts help with health? Thank you. — J. P. Eating nuts as part of a healthy diet can be good for you. Nuts help lower LDL — the “bad” cholesterol. Nuts also help with brain functions and are often listed as mood enhancers. Nuts are nutritional powerhouses and contain the good type of fats and oils — these are the unsaturated fatty acids, in addition to other nutrients such as p...
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Our View
Let the NBA self-destruct The NBA season seems in jeopardy as players and owners argue about how to divvy up the billions in league revenue collected from basketball fans for tickets, concessions, memorabilia and other official-league bobbles. Mind you, the argument isn’t about already outrageous player salaries, it’s about money the league shares with players. The player-owner controversy seems headed to court. And this seemingly self-destru...
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Rules for keeping pumpkin pies cool
Grocers display pumpkin pies on store shelves without refrigeration, yet cooks who make pumpkin pies at home are instructed to refrigerate the perennial fall favorites. “The difference in recommendations is due to the formulation of the pie recipes,” said Karen Blakeslee, Kansas State University Research and Extension food scientist. A traditional, homemade pumpkin pie, which typically is prepared with eggs and milk, has a high moisture conte...
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Public Mind
Computer changes delayed To The Sun: The Kansas Division of Motor Vehicles has announced that the new Motor Vehicle Registration System (or MOVRS) that was to be implemented on Dec. 1-7 has been postponed. Therefore, the Labette County Treasurer’s Office will be open to the public as usual on those days. Our office placed yellow flyers around the county notifying the public about this matter. I am asking for your help in the removal of the fly...
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Public Mind
Poor priorities To The Sun: A year ago Kentucky senator and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell said, “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” The oath of office taken by U.S. representatives and senators is a simple 14 words: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States.” The current oath is a product of the 1860s, drafted by Civil ...
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Manage Holiday Spending
Stretching personal financial resources to cover holiday expenses can challenge even the best money managers, said Esther Maddux, Kansas State University Research and Extension financial management specialist. In addition to the pressure to buy gifts, food and entertaining expenses, decorations, wrapping paper, cards, postage and travel all can require expenditures over and above typical monthly expenses, Maddux said. To begin, ask yourse...
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Consistent Sun exposure is good for you
If you will go to www.parsonssun.com, you will find that the Parsons Sun has been here since 1871. It is the same age as Parsons, and will be in town long after most of us are history. I write this column to let you know how the Parsons Sun is doing from inside our building and from my brief excursions into the community. Hopefully, you will respond and let us know what you think of your community newspaper. Your input is important to us, and...
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Where do you get your news?
When it comes to a free press, Americans seem – more than ever – to be of at least two minds. In several surveys, a majority of us say the press is biased, often inaccurate and too likely to be influenced by powerful people or groups – except for the news sources we use the most, trust the most and turn to most often for essential news. Logic tells us we can’t have it both ways. But the good news – thanks to the First Amendment, a diverse ...
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Analysis: Closing Kan. pension gap still expensive
TOPEKA — A commission examining Kansas' public pension system still must tackle the daunting issue of closing the system's long-term funding gap, a task likely to prove expensive no matter what emerges from its discussions. The pensions study commission is building on work by legislators earlier this year that produced the law creating the group, while committing the state to increasing its contribution of tax dollars to the Kansas Public Emp...
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It’s on us
Polls show that Americans trust Congress (the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate) about as much as Col. Sanders guarding a hen house. And the president’s polls aren’t much better. While polls are generally flawed — you can’t afford to ask every American, so use scientific “samples” of the population — they still may tell part of the story of how we really feel about Congress, and the rest of our federal government for that matter. A...
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Question helps us remember our freedom
Pakistani reporter’s chilling question reminds us of our freedom By Gene Policinski WASHINGTON – What do you say to a journalist who asks your advice on how to avoid his own murder? Some background before you respond: The question was real, and came during an international discussion about a free press and the First Amendment. It came from a soft-spoken, middle-aged man, a participant in a U.S. State Department-sponsored gathering in Washingto...
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It’s going to trickle, and it’s going to smell
Finally, trickle-down economics has gone to work in America and it is trickling towards Parsons. The problem is that what is trickling down isn’t dollars, and it has a distinct odor. The Tea Party-inspired Congress has focused on saving America’s economy by reducing the size of government and cutting government spending. That focus has been inspired by Grover Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform. Norquist has been a fixture in every...
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Public Mind
October at the Red Cross, and many thanks To The Sun: October at the Red Cross has been filled with ATVs, dirt bikes, fried chicken, balloons, bikes, blues and barbeque! It’s been an eventful month, and we want to thank all the volunteers for taking their time to assist with our fundraisers, and also thank the disaster and national disaster team members who continually give their time when disasters strike. Special thanks goes out to Gina Foug...
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Governor OK with diverse Kan. groups speaking out
TOPEKA — Growing discontent is bringing together diverse groups in Kansas who share a common concern about the direction cities, the state and the national government is heading. While they may not share the same demographics, they share the belief that something must change. In recent weeks, Americans have seen Occupy Wall Street and related movements move on to the front page over their concerns that 99 percent of the nation is being hurt b...
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The Power of Rural
We’re approaching a first-time observance for the state of Kansas, and for me. This celebration is something that hits close to home. National Rural Health Day is Nov. 17, and I’m part of the nearly one in three Kansans who have invested time and energy into the small towns and farming communities we know and love. I think most will agree that these rural regions are the essence of Kansas. The selfless, community-minded spirit you’ll see in ...
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Tricks for “Trick or Treating”
Following are tips to help parents during the Halloween season. l Feed children a meal before going out so they don’t need to fill up on sweets. l Limit the number of houses your children visit. The treats will be more likely to come from neighbors and friends, and the amount will be more manageable. l Walk instead of driving, if possible. This will give you and your children some physical activity while they are collecting treats. l Instruct...
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Public Mind
To The Sun: The current political gridlock reminds us of the sad state of our elected leadership. Somewhere along the way I got the notion that within a working democracy differing ideas are compromised leading to legislation that benefits the majority of the electorate. As a matter of concern I am not sure the majority of the electorate have enough faith in our current system to even bother to vote in November 2012. In a quick review of the...
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Greek yogurt
Dear Reno: What is Greek yogurt and how is it different from regular yogurt ? Thank you. — W. N. Yogurt is a dairy product and a good health food, as it contains protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and probiotics. Probiotics are dietary supplements that contain healthful bacteria. These help to re-establish the healthy microbes and flora in the digestive system. Studies claim that probiotics also fortify the immune system to ...
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Meet Our New Faculty
Wow what a fall! Labette Community College continues to grow and be the first choice of so many of our students. Enrollment numbers are growing, the number of students we see every day on campus is growing, our facilities will grow with the addition of the new health science building on the completion of the Capital Campaign, but most importantly our students are growing knowledge in the classroom. Each year, as we welcome our new freshmen cl...
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