News
Valedictorian tells PHS grads to seek, pursue purpose in life
By Colleen Surridge csurridge@parsonssun.com In his speech to the Class of 2013, Parsons High School valedictorian Gabriel Nehrbass acknowledged all those who helped the graduates achieve their goal. He also acknowledged that despite all the encouragement received, the 94 seniors of the graduating class had also felt the weight of doubt throughout high school that they would ever be successful and achieve those goals. “Many can easily point o...
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Business
CST Storage, 2101 S. 21st, recognized employees with a ceremony to honor the company’s achievement of five years without a lost-time accident.  “Reaching five years without a lost-time accident is a highly elusive accomplishment for any company, but for companies in heavy manufacturing, our safety record is nothing short of incredible. It boils down to the dedication of our employees who work every day with a focus on safety, quality and effic...
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News & Notes
Library activities The Parsons Public Library will not have Story Hour next week. It will resume on June 3.  Sign-up for the library’s summer reading program will begin on Friday. The program themes are Dig Into Reading for children, Beneath the Surface for young adults and Ground Breaking Reads for adults. The calendar of events will be available at sign-up. Home school used book sale The Parsons Homeschool Group will have a used book/curri...
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Shelter helps woman get back on her feet
Editor’s note: The is the second part in a series on Safe Haven Outreach Mission. The resident in this story asked that only her middle name, Deborah, be published as she has set her life on a new, positive course and has broken ties with her past. By Colleen Surridge csurridge@parsonssun.com For the last 18 months, Safe Haven Outreach Mission Inc. has been “home” for Deborah. “I didn’t want to come here... My pride and all,” she said. “And ...
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Neosho to get money for detours
ERIE — The Kansas Department of Transportation will pay Neosho County for use of a few roads as detours while a bridge on K-39 is being replaced. Neosho County commissioners approved an agreement with KDOT during their regular Friday morning meeting. Under the agreement, KDOT will pay the county an amount not to exceed $22,000 as compensation to assist in maintenance of unofficial detour routes that are being used because of KDOT’s closure of...
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City plans to decide tethering issue Monday
By Jamie Willey jwilley@parsonssun.com A local animal advocacy group wants the city of Parsons to poll its utility customers on their opinions about an anti-tethering ordinance, but city commissioners seem set to vote down the proposed ordinance on Monday. During a Thursday work session, the commission confirmed an earlier decision to vote during Monday’s regular meeting on whether or not to direct city staff to prepare an ordinance. Basic An...
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PALS cares for dog injured by trap or gun
By Colleen Surridge csurridge@parsonssun.com The hard, black cast on Ziva’s front right paw added a limp to her gate as she made her way into the lobby of the Proud Animal Lovers Shelter, but it didn’t handicap her wagging tail or her excitement over getting more attention from the volunteers. “The vet said it was either a gunshot wound or a trap,” PALS manager Angela Gatton said of the injury the 1-year-old female Labrador/German shepherd mi...
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News & Notes
Senior center events The Parsons Senior Center will host Memory Makers for those writing their life stories with mentor John Coughlin of Labette Community College from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Monday. LCC art teacher Joan Allen will present a watercolor painting display at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the center. The senior center will host a dance from 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesday with 100% Cotton Westhoff playing polka, country, waltz and big band music. The cost of ...
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Police look into animal cruelty incidents
Parsons police are investigating two recent incidents in which someone shot cats with a small crossbow. Police Chief Scott Gofourth said the first incident was reported Friday, May 10, and the second report came in the next week, but the cat was injured on Sunday, May 12. Both incidents occurred in the same neighborhood, one at 1230 Appleton and the other at 1218 Appleton. Gofourth said a woman reported at 6 p.m. May 10 that her cat had been i...
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Shelter director addresses accusations
Editor’s note: This is the first part of a two-part series regarding Safe Haven Outreach Mission Inc., accusations made against the homeless shelter by former residents and the continued focus of the shelter on its mission to offer those in need a hand up. The second part in the series will focus on how Safe Haven has affected the life of one person who reached “the bottom.” By Colleen Surridge csurridge@parsonssun.com When asked how many re...
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Pickers plan to look in Kansas
The “American Pickers” are headed to Kansas, and they are looking for leads — interesting characters with interesting items and lots of them. “American Pickers” began airing on the History Channel in 2010. “Pickers like Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz are on a mission to recycle America, even if it means diving into countless piles of grimy junk or getting chased off a gun-wielding homeowner’s land. Hitting back roads from coast to coast, the two m...
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Scout completes his Eagle project
By Jamie Willey jwilley@parsonssun.com Meadow View Grade School teachers will no longer have to squint into the sunlight to monitor their students running around on the playground thanks to a soon-to-be Eagle Scout. Justin Sexton, a former Meadow View student who just completed his freshman year at Labette County High School, completed his Eagle Scout project during spring break and now must complete paperwork and get approval from a board of...
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EMS chief resigns
Chris Way, the former chief of emergency medical services for Labette Health, resigned effective Tuesday morning. Labette Health CEO Jodi Schmidt confirmed that she accepted Way’s resignation Tuesday morning and that she wished Way “the best in his future endeavors.” Terry Staggs, the EMS division chief, will be the operations manager in the interim, Schmidt said in response to an e-mail inquiry. Staggs has been with the hospital since 1995. W...
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Big Hill to host governor’s tourney
By Jamie Willey jwilley@parsonssun.com Big Hill Lake will be the home of this year’s Governor’s Fishing Classic, featuring Gov. Sam Brownback paired with the B.A.S.S. 2012 angler of the year. Labette County Tourism Bureau director Jim Zaleski and Charles Black, Kansas Wildscape Foundation executive director, announced on Wednesday in Parsons that the 17th annual event will be hosted on June 29 in the county. Black said Kansas Wildscape sponso...
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Erie school hosts Special Olympics
By Colleen Surridge csurridge@parsonssun.com ERIE — Bryce Commons of Pittsburg High School leaned forward to allow Erie High Charter School freshman Carlee Kanute to place around his neck the first-place medal he’d won. Kanute offered her hand to the smiling champion to congratulate him on his first-place win in the high school division men’s softball throw during the Special Olympics Kansas West track and field competition Wednesday. Commons...
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Third-graders go to college for a day
By Colleen Surridge csurridge@parsonssun.com Labette Community College chemistry professor Doug Ecoff plugged in a discharge tube filled with helium and it began to glow orange. Garfield School third-grade students held the small prisms they were handed up to one eye and the lights were turned out. “Cool,” several students hollered out, followed quickly by another student’s gasp and exclamation of “holy cow.” Ecoff asked the students to tell ...
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City of Erie fires its super
ERIE — The Erie City Council effectively fired City Superintendent Bruce Vogts on Monday evening. The council voted 3-2 against re-appointing Vogts as city superintendent. His term ended on Monday. The city council must approve appointments to certain positions on the city staff each year for the employees to continue working for the city. Council members Jim Dyson and Terry Beachner voted in favor of keeping Vogts as superintendent, but they ...
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TFI to continue in SEK after downsizing
By Jamie Willey jwilley@parsonssun.com A nonprofit organization handling foster care and adoption services in Labette County will downsize when it loses a state contract in July, but the agency will maintain a Parsons office. The Kansas Department of Children and Families in January awarded a four-year contract to KVC Behavioral Healthcare to oversee foster care and adoption services, as well as family preservation, for the eastern portion of...
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Saunders earns honor
The Association for Behavior Analysis International recently named Kate Saunders an ABAI fellow. Saunders is a research professor at the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies at the University of Kansas in Parsons. The designation recognizes outstanding contributions of ABAI’s most distinguished members. The ABAI noted that Sanders’ work in and commitment to the field provide clear evidence of significant contributions and show how des...
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Katy Days to offer helicopter rides
The Katy Days board recently announced there will be a mix of old and new attractions for this year’s annual Katy Days festival. The board wanted a balance between traditional attractions while throwing in new exciting family-oriented events. One of the new attractions will be a helicopter ride. The helicopter will take passengers site seeing over Forest Park. Tickets will be available one block east of Heacock on the dike near the Labette Com...
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