Colleen Surridge/Sun photo Parsons High School exchange students (from left) Altynbek Baimishov of Kazahastan, Malik Navenburg of Germany, Yu Wang of China and Stefan Raicevic of Montenegro visited with family studies students Friday morning to talk about cultural differences and similarities between their own countries and America.

Anthony Cook/Sun photo Parsons High School senior Sarah Ong (right) signs her letter of intent to play tennis with Johnson County Community College next season. Ong is pictured with PHS head tennis coach Jane Posch. Ong finished her career at Parsons with a 109-49 record and was the Southeast Kansas runner-up and regional runner-up in No. 1 singles for the Vikings this season as well as a state qualifier. Ong was 29-10 for PHS tennis this season. The Vikings finished 21-0-3 in duals this season and eighth overall at the state tournament.

Labette Community College guard Shawnee Phillips comes off a screen from sophomore forward Breanna Robinson (44) during Wednesday's 84-48 loss to Johnson County. The Cavaliers led 46-27 at the break on the way to the victory to drop LCC to 7-12 overall and 2-5 in KJCCC play.

Anthony Cook/Sun photo Parsons High School senior Sierra Kemp lays in a basket for two of her 19 points in Tuesday’s 68-44 victory over Coffeyville.

Ray Nolting/Sun photo John Rayfield Jr. of Rayfield Communications, Springfield, Mo., shows Labette County 911 Director Brandy Grassl a feature on the updated software that will help operate the county's new 800 megahertz radio system. Rayfield's father, John Sr., was working on the fourth-floor of the courthouse hooking up the new antenna for the system upgrades.

Jaden Malson of the Parsons Wrestling Club has Braden Lewis of the Pittsburg Wrestling Club in a hold. Lewis won the match by pin, but Malson went on to take fourth in the 8-and-under 70-pound division Sunday afternoon at the Parsons Wrestling Club Invitational at Parsons High School.

Anthony Cook/Sun photo Parsons High School senior Ben Thompson shoots over Marvin Clark of Blue Springs, Mo., for two of his 12 points Friday evening. The Vikings trailed by as many as 11 against the Kansas City-based school before tying the game late. Blue Springs held off the charge for a 58-54 win.

Anthony Cook/Sun photo Parsons High School senior Tevin Johnson guards Jordan Keller of Carl Junction on the way to the basket in the first round of play during the Carl Junction Classic Basketball Tournament Thursday evening. The Vikes came from behind to defeat the host Bulldogs in a 55-54 thriller.

By Jamie Willey/Sun photo Parsons Middle School eighth-grader Joe Soptic speaks to Sen. Jerry Moran in the hallway after the senator spoke to middle school students in the auditorium. Moran holds a Parsons Viking shirt that teacher Eddie Kearns gave to him.

Labette Community College freshman Brooke Dickey is surrounded in the lane by a pair of Cowley County Community College defenders during Wednesday's game at the LCC gymnasium. The Lady Cardinals overcame a 20-point deficit in the second half to briefly take a lead late in the game, but the Tigers held on for an 82-74 victory to drop LCC to 7-9 on the season.

Oswego High School players Bricynn Johnson (11), Jaymie Nesbitt (12) and Kinzie Nesbitt (21) force Marmaton Valley guard Kacie Shadden to pass the ball out of the lane. The pass was knocked away, and OHS scored on a fast break. For the game, Oswego forced 21 turnovers and defeated Marmaton Valley 57-22 in the first round of the Southeast Lancer Classic in Cherokee. The Lady Indians improved to 10-0 with the win and will face host Southeast in the second round on Thursday.

Jamie Willey/Sun photo Dee Dee Swanson looks for advice on which signed portrait of actor Channing Tatum to choose as Anna Albright, program director for the Parsons Recreation Commission, holds the two photos Saturday in the Parsons Middle School gymnasium. Swanson won an autographed photo in a PRC raffle fundraiser during halftime of a basketball game. The raffle raised funds for the PRC’s scholarship program to help children in need to participate in PRC activities.

Landon Carson of Parsons follows through on one of his 25 shots during the 2012 Elks Hoops Shoot Saturday morning at the Parsons High School auxiliary gym in Parsons. A regional competition between local winners of the 2012 shoot took place Saturday morning. Ages eight through 13 were represented and winners of the event advanced to the state tourney in Wichita next month. Carson won the boys 8-9 division.

Anthony Cook/Sun photo Parsons High School senior Taylor Kemp goes up for a bucket late in the third quarter of Friday’s game with the Bulldogs. The Lady Vikings defeated Independence 49-40 Friday in Independence to improve to 5-3 this season.

Anthony Cook/Sun photo Parsons High School senior Ben Thompson has a shot knocked away in the lane by Independence’s Heath Hoffmeister. The Bulldogs made things difficult for Parsons in a physical matchup, but Parsons was able to pull away in the fourth quarter for a 55-47 victory to improve to 8-0 on the season. See story on Page 6.

Colleen Surridge/Sun photo These three short-clad children seem to huddle closer together for warmth under winter’s first dusting of snow Thursday afternoon at the Parsons Arboretum.

Labette Community College sophomore Chamiya Reaves lets loose on a buzzer-beating two-pointer to end the first half of action during Wednesday's game between LCC and Independence Community College. She sank the shot to put Labette up 31-30 at the break but Independence used a 20-8 rally to pull out a 69-61 victory over the Cards.

Anthony Cook/Sun photo Parsons High School senior guard Kiralyn Mosier applies pressure to Pittsburg High School guard Mercedes Vogel during Tuesday’s game between the two. Pittsburg pulled out a 42-34 victory in the game.

Anthony Cook/Sun photo Parsons High School senior Wes Krull saves a ball from going out of bounds after a missed free throw from Pittsburg late in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s game between the two. Parsons held on for a 74-64 overtime win.

By Anthony Cook/Sun photo Parsons High School senior Tevin Johnson dribbles through a crowd of Chanute High School defenders in the second half during a 15-0 rally by the Parsons Vikings. PHS overcame a 33-30 first-half deficit for a 64-48 win.