Community News
New names in the news
Brendan and Tina Kraus of Marion announce the birth of a son, Ryder James, on Feb. 18 at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita. His sisters, Taryn, 3, and Dylan, 1, welcomed him home. Grandparents are Don and Vickie Kraus of Marion and Gary and Donna Wood of St. Paul. Great-grandparents are Rita Kraus of Marion and the late Raymond Kraus, Francis Grosdidier of St. Paul and the late Sara Grosdidier and Georgia Wood of Broken Bow, Okla., and the late C...
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Fitzwater, Bybee engagement
Richard and Mary Jo Fitzwater announce the engagement of their daughter, Samantha Jo Fitzwater, to Jered Wayne Bybee, son of Donna and Byron Rees, all of Parsons. The bride-elect is a 2006 Parsons High School graduate. She is a sophomore in the Labette Community College nursing program. She is a certified medication aide at Elmhaven East skilled nursing and rehabilitation center. The future groom graduated from PHS in 2003. He is a cook for ...
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Walker, Dickerson engagement
J.D. and Kristen Walker of rural Oswego announce the engagement of their daughter, Bailey Nicole Walker of rural Oswego, to Andrew Douglas Dickerson of Oswego, son of Doug and Nancy Dickerson of Oswego. The bride-elect is a 2009 graduate of Oswego High School. She is a freshman at Labette Community College. The future groom is a 2001 graduate of Oswego High School. He graduated in 2006 from the Pittsburg State University electrical technolog...
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'Kick Ass' does just that
You know how the trailers for “Kick-Ass” make it look like a light fun little movie that you could perhaps take your children to see? Well, those trailers are a lie. “Kick-Ass” is one of the best films I’ve seen in a long, long time, but it’s absolutely not for children. “Kick-Ass” is the most joyfully violent film since “Kill Bill.” People are killed in about every gory way conceivable in this film. To simply say that the movie is violent w...
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Transportation plan to be discussed Wednesday
A meeting scheduled for Wednesday in Parsons will discuss the next statewide transportation plan and how to fund it. Economic Lifelines is conducting a series of sessions across the state to explain the current transportation plan in the Legislature and to gather citizen support for the plan. The group will be in Parsons from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Wednesday in the Parsons Municipal Building basement. A bill in the Legislature, HB 2650, would implem...
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Run/walk part of Strides fundraiser
This year’s Labette Community College Spring Fling is not only going to provide fun and activities for staff, students, their families and the public, but is also going to benefit a great cause. LCC is partnering with the Lions International Club and the Rector Diabetes Education and Resource Center at Labette Health to host Strides, a fundraiser for diabetes awareness. All race proceeds will benefit the Rector Diabetes Center. The fundra...
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Discontent grows
Americans are going through a period of discontent. Blame it on the economy, job or family stress, or just a feeling of frustration and anger with the shenanigans in Washington, D.C. Whatever the reasons, more people are vocal about government spending and taxation and the seemingly senseless political play in Congress. The national tea parties — some fairly well attended — are testiment to this growing discontent. This does not bode well f...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. April 16, 1970 Wilbur Bradshaw, an Oswego businessman, announced his candidacy for state representative from the 2nd District. The district included 11 townships in southern Labette County, four townships in eastern Montgomery County and three townships across the upper part of Cherokee County. Bradshaw, 47, was co-owner of Atlas Industries Inc., a steel building manufac...
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CRP burning extension
MANHATTAN — Adrian J. Polansky, state executive director of USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Kansas, announces a temporary extension to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) burning period in the eastern half of Kansas, from Jewell to Harper County and all counties east. CRP participants in these counties now have until April 30 to complete required burning. This extension will assist CRP participants by providing greater flexibility in plann...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. April 15, 1970 Demolition of the 67-year-old Parsons YMCA building was scheduled to begin in the afternoon, although it could be delayed until the following day because of weather. The Parsons Urban Renewal Agency completed purchase of the aged structure, rated as a major fire hazard, the previous week. The building and the land it occupied at 2006 Broadway were owned by...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. April 14, 1970 The Katy Railroad’s 100th birthday would be celebrated at a civic dinner in Parsons on May 23. The railroad was incorporated on that date in 1870. The dinner would mark the formal launching of its centennial year. Two prominent figures accepted invitations to speak at the dinner. George Stafford, chairman of the Interstate Commerce Commission, would be the...
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Red Cross campaign reaches 49 percent of goal
The countywide fund campaign to benefit the Labette County Chapter of the American Red Cross has reached 49 percent of its goal of $40,300 with events planned in Mound Valley and Dennis. Campaigns Goals Total % Goal Parsons 26,500 14,324 54% Oswego 4,900 2,028 41% Chetopa 2,900 2,910 100% Altamont 2,650 300 11% Bartlett 900 100 11% Dennis 750 40 5% Edna 825 70 8% Mound Valley 875 45 5% Total: 40,300 19817 49% NOTES: 6th, 7th and 8t...
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Author at Murphy’s in Stark Friday
Kansas author Deborah Vogts will be signing copies of her novel “Snow Melts in Spring” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Murphy’s Mercantile & Café, 101 W. Main, in Stark. The novel, published by Zondervan in July 2009, is the first installment to The Seasons of the Tallgrass series and features ordinary people who live and find love in the Flint Hills of Kansas — one of the last tallgrass prairie regions in the world. The novel features M...
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A worthy cause
The Labette County Chapter of the American Red Cross is getting closer to reaching its fundraising goal of $40,300 through community campaigns. A recent note from the Red Cross shows the organization has reached 49 percent of its goal as of Friday. That’s impressive. The local campaign works on the people-to-people connection, neighbors asking neighbors to donate small amounts to the organization. The campaign is working, because Parsons has r...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. April 13, 1970 Lowell Huckstead scored the city’s second reported hole-in-one at the Parsons Country Club. The Princess Homes Co. president stroked his tee shot on the 139-yard fourth hole with a six-iron. The ball hooked onto the green about six feet from the cup and rolled in. Huckstead’s ace came during his third tour of the nine-hole layout on April 11. His playing p...
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Carell, Fey make 'Date Night' funny
Steve Carell and Tina Fey are both excellent comedic actors, but their presence in a movie doesn’t ensure quality. “Evan Almighty,” anyone? “Baby Mama”? When these two appear in a film together, one has to wonder if this is going to be something truly memorable and funny or simply another stupid movie done for a paycheck. When said collaboration is directed by Shawn Levy, who has brought us such unfunny fare as “What Happens in Vegas” and “Ju...
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Phillips, Grillot wedding
Diserae Ashley Phillips and Tanner Michael Grillot were married in a March 27 double-ring ceremony in Sasebo, Japan. The bride is the daughter of Darrin Slayton Phillips of Ventura, Calif., and Brandy O’Neal of Redlands, Calif. The groom is the son of Diana and Alan Turner of Overland Park and Robert Grillot of St. Paul. The bride graduated from Buena Vista High School, Corona, Calif., in 2005. She is a corpsman in the U.S. Navy. The groom is ...
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Modicas to celebrate 60th
Jack and Pearl Modica of Walnut will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Monday. Jack Modica and Pearl Shively were married on April 12, 1950, in the old St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Walnut by the Rev. Frank Baumstark. The couple have lived their entire married life on the family farm near Walnut. They have four children, Maggi Modica of Dallas, Shirley Johnson and her husband, Ken, of Parsons, Bill Modica of Beaumont, Texas, an...
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Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. April 10-11, 1970 A vest pocket park in the Wye area of the city would be known as Lopez Park, after the name of the family on whose former land it was being built. Work had begun on the first of two such installations in Parsons, according to Arvon Phillips, city recreation superintendent. Land for Lopez Park was acquired from Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Lopez and Mary Lopez, ...
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Officers honored
Many of us take for granted those who protect this community, so it was good to see a Parsons police officer receive a Veterans of Foreign Wars National Law Enforcement Award for heroism. Officer Brian Harlow received the honor Monday at the Parsons City Commission meeting. The award was for Harlow’s efforts in a house fire last year when he pulled a 3-year-old child from a burning house. Harlow and officer Jeff Essig have been honored with ...
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