News
KSU plans field day for Parsons
Wheat and corn production will take center stage at the Kansas State University Southeast Agricultural Research Center’s Spring Crops Field Day May 22 near Parsons. The event, which focuses on crop opportunities and challenges in Southeast Kansas, will be at K-State’s Parsons field, immediately south of U.S. 400 on Ness Road (North 32nd St.). “Our wheat performance test, which includes 10 soft and 20 hard varieties, will be a highlight of thi...
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News & Notes
Tent City postponement The Safe Haven Outreach Mission Tent City fundraiser scheduled for today and Saturday has been postponed because of weather. The event was rescheduled for 2 p.m. May 17 to noon May 18. Anyone with questions can call 421-4417 or 717-1444. LCHS Theatre send-off The Labette County High School Theatre will send off its seniors with a final production of the 2012-13 theater season. An evening that will include Broadway music...
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Nonagenarian celebrates birthday with Harley ride
ST. PAUL — It took her 98 years, but Lorene VanLeeuwen finally grew the courage to ride a motorcycle this month. “It was good. I don’t know why I didn’t do it a long time ago. It’s just like flying,” Lorene said. The ride took place on Sunday, April 21, in St. Paul as part of an annual gathering with her family. For the last 10 years, VanLeeuwen’s children and grandchildren ride and drive to St. Paul for the annual “Granny Run” around the time...
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Man chooses to be tried by judge in meth-making case
An Independence man decided Monday he would rather face a judge than a jury for the charges against him. A jury trial for Ozell Pouncil Jr., 49, was called off for this week in Labette County District Court and he agreed that District Judge Robert Fleming could hear the case based on a set of stipulated facts. The case will be heard Thursday morning. The decision came after Judge Fleming ruled on a series of pretrial motions in the case. Charg...
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Altamont dedicates new playground
By Colleen Surridge csurridge@parsonssun.com ALTAMONT — Altamont Grade School fourth- and fifth-grade students stood before a large audience holding signs made by their class to thank all those who donated to make possible the new school playground dedicated Wednesday. Site Council member and parent Misty Mustain said the Altamont Grade School PTO has been hard at work for the last three years to improve the quality of the playground equipmen...
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Deputies find drugs in home
CHANUTE — A search of a Chanute home Monday turned up drugs and firearms, leading to two arrests. The Neosho County Sheriff’s Department searched 514 N. Evergreen in Chanute on Monday. They arrested Kyle Scott Eustice, 25, and Tracy Lynn Winterhalter, 22, both of the residence. Both are being held without bond, and the search warrant for their home followed a two-month investigation. According to the sheriff’s department, investigators are see...
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Officers arrest burglary suspect
COLUMBUS — On Monday evening, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department responded to a report of property damage at a home northwest of Columbus. Officers discovered that the home had been burglarized, with a chainsaw, tools and other items stolen. A short time later, the Columbus Police Department was conducting an investigation into a trailer that had been reported stolen from within the city limits. Before 8 p.m., the sheriff’s department wa...
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Bartelli gets LCC faculty award
Labette Community College has announced that Robert Bartelli, economics and financial services instructor, was named the 2013 Distinguished Faculty Award recipient.  The Distinguished Faculty Award is presented annually. Faculty members must be nominated by students or LCC employees to be considered by the selection committee. Criteria for the award include teaching effectiveness, college service, student involvement and community service. All...
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Woman ordered jailed
A Labette County woman, whose son was injured by gunfire on Feb. 18 in Oswego, will remain in jail until she’s accepted into and completes a drug treatment program. Tori M. Higgins, born in 1988, has been through three probation revocation proceedings in Labette County District Court before she was ordered to serve her sentence. Higgins originally faced felony and misdemeanor drug charges in a 2008 case and eventually pleaded to misdemeanor po...
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County's radio system activated
By Ray Nolting rnolting@parsonssun.com Labette County’s new $1.1 million 800 megahertz radio system has been operational for a couple of weeks now. Outside of a few tweaks here and there, the system is working fine, according to Parsons Fire Chief Larry Steeby and Labette Health Emergency Medical Services Director Chris Way. A ribbon cutting on Tuesday afternoon welcomed the new system and U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, a Topeka Republican, spoke b...
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Woman's case delayed
A Coffeyville woman accused of burglary in Labette County faces more serious charges in Montgomery County. Rachel E. McBeath, 20, is accused of residential burglary, a felony, and misdemeanor theft in Labette County District Court. Her case has been pending since her arrest in August 2012 for the burglary of a rural Edna home. Two other Coffeyville residents are facing charges in the same case. At a brief hearing Monday, McBeath’s attorney, Ma...
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Denise Williams looked down at her feet, and smiles at the face that smiles back at her from her socks her niece bought for her to help her through another battle with cancer.
Woman prepares for major surgery
By Colleen Surridge csurridge@parsonssun.com Leaning forward from her sitting position on her couch, Denise Williams looked down at her feet, shuffling them slightly to line up the designs on her socks. Her smile grew and a giggle escaped her lips as the black lines of a smiley face on the bright neon polka dots and lines stared back at her. “My little niece got them for me,”  Williams said, her smile crinkling the edge of a bandage over her ...
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Robotics team misses the finals
By Colleen Surridge csurridge@parsonssun.com Despite holding a sixth place ranking near the end of qualifying matches at the FIRST Robotics National Championship, the Parsons High School robotics team's hopes of making it into the finals were quashed Saturday morning. The Vikings finished Friday's qualifying rounds 6-1. "The top eight teams get to go to finals," PHS robotics instructor Bruce Rea said. "Unfortunately, we lost our first match S...
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Voorhees competes in Miss Kansas pageant
By Colleen Surridge csurridge@parsonssun.com ALTAMONT — Unlike many young women who enter state or national pageants, Kandi Voorhees has never participated in a pageant, but the 19-year-old is now one of 20 young women chosen to compete for the title of 2014 Miss Kansas USA. "I've never participated in a pageant in my life," Voorhees said. "I've always been interested in pageants, though. I kind of just decided I wanted to get involved in one...
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New law to impact county treasurer's offices
OSWEGO — The Kansas Department of Revenue could take over certain operations in treasurer's offices in Kansas if the offices fail to meet state standards. Labette County Counselor Fred Johnson gave county commissioners an overview of the law, which goes into effect July 1, at Monday's commission meeting. The law apparently is a reaction to one of Kansas' counties having difficulty processing vehicle titles after a software change about two yea...
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Foundation gives $144K in grants
By Colleen Surridge csurridge@parsonssun.com Proper maintenance of roadways, water plants, sewers, and facilities are all concerns for city residents, but just as important are the amenities a city has to offer, such as recreation, leisure, entertainment, education, health and safety. Often times, these amenities are provided through non-profit organizations that rely on the financial support of residents through donations and grants to conti...
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Neosho Co. may change Internet service
ERIE — Neosho County may increase its Internet speed and lower its phone bills if commissioners approve an agreement with the city of Chanute. County Appraiser David Thornton presented a proposal from Chanute to the county commissioners during their Friday morning meeting. If the county gets on the city's fiber optic Internet service, its bandwidth would be about three times faster than the Internet service the county now has. County Attorney ...
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Vikings may make robotic finals
The Parsons High School Vikings robotics team was in the running to make it into the finals at the FIRST Robotics National Championship, as qualifying matches neared their end. After a qualifying match Friday, and one more this morning, the Vikings were in sixth place, with a score of six wins and one loss. "We are high enough in the standings that we ought to be going to the finals," said PHS robotics instructor Bruce Rea, by phone from the c...
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Policeman's Ball set for May 18
An old tradition is being revived in Parsons. As part of the week-long celebration of National Police Officers Week, May 12-18, the Parsons Police Officers Association is hosting a Policeman’s Ball. The event will be from 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday, May 18, at the Parsons VFW, 105 Main. There will be a social hour beginning at 6 p.m., followed by a dinner and dance. Other activities included during the night will include a special silent auc...
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Concealed carry classes popular
Classes are filling up as many Labette County residents seek out a license to carry a concealed weapon. In 2012, 97 people in Labette County completed the schooling and application process to carry a concealed weapon. So far this year, 138 people have done so, with many more people waiting to go through the education and application process, according to Sheriff Robert Sims. As a comparison, in 2011, 87 applications were processed; in 2010, 52...
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