Community News
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Jan. 23, 1973 Fred Braun Jr., a Parsons manufacturer, was the first candidate to file for the board of Labette Community Junior College. Residents from throughout the county were eligible for the vacancies created by expiring terms of Gilbert Cole of Chetopa, John Schmoker of Oswego and Maurice Wyckoff of Altamont. Braun, president of TecTank Inc., was a member of the Par...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Jan. 22, 1973 Rick Smith captured singles and all-events crowns in the 1973 Parsons men’s city bowling tournament at Tower Bowl. Bob Hill and Roger Moore claimed doubles and Larry Wetherell scratch all-events. Smith cut loose in singles with a scratch 237-662 that, combined with a handicap of 100 pins, game him a 762 — highest winning mark since a 770 by Clifford Dixon in...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Jan. 19-20, 1973 Rebuilding of some Parsons streets would be necessary because of damage caused by ice and snow, Michael Bushnell, city public works director, said. He said the city would have to rip up and rebuild several streets in the spring and that streets were damaged all over town. City officials had said recently acquired federal revenue sharing funds would be use...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Jan. 17, 1973 Jim Gaskell, coordinator for the See-Kan Resource Conservation and Development Project, said it was likely construction of a new Altamont lake was feasible. The results of a new feasibility study would be presented to the city of Altamont. The proposed lake would be on Hackberry Creek in the general vicinity of the existing Altamont city lake 3 1/2 miles sou...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Jan. 16, 1973 City commissioners surprised Will Tschudy, departing city manager, with a valued relic of Parsons for his new Olathe home. An old mahogany roll-top desk from the office of L.R. Engel, fire chief, was presented to Tschudy at his last regular commission meeting. Commissioners said another desk would be provided for Engel. Engel said the desk probably was part ...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Jan. 15, 1973 Rufus Jones and Omar Atlas headed a professional wrestling card in Parsons. The first pro mat card to be staged here in many years was at the Parsons Municipal Building. Jones was holder of half of the North American tag team championship. He was scheduled to team with Pat O’Connor against Mike Boyette and Mickey Doyle. The main event sent Atlas, the holder ...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Jan. 12-13, 1973 Nine existing positions were restored, three new ones were added and three others were transferred to the fiscal 1974 budget proposed by Gov. Robert Docking for the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center. The net change would increase authorized positions in the following fiscal year to 441 at the hospital, Earl Vore, business manager, said. That was ...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Jan. 11, 1973 A new home for Parsons Lodge 117, AF&AM, moved another step toward reality when a contract was awarded at an open meeting of the Masonic body. The contract, let to Shields Construction Co. of Oswego, called for an immediate start on remodeling of a building the lodge owned at 1 Parsons Plaza and completion in late summer. Jan. 11, 1983 Boeing Military Airpl...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Jan. 8, 1973 The Katy Railroad opened 1973 by putting 10 new diesel locomotives into service, and they in turn emphasized a new color scheme that had been adopted as standard for its motive power. All new 2,250-horsepower Electro Motive general purpose diesel units had been placed in service. The basic color was green, with yellow stripes, giving the locomotives maximum v...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Jan. 4, 1973 Passengers on Frontier Airlines flights out of Tri-City Airport would be subject to searches including thorough examination of all carry-on items and a body scan by a metal detector beginning the following day. A flight attendant would scan all persons with a hand-operated Electro-Search device. The search was in response to an order of the Federal Aviation A...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Jan. 3, 1973 Telephone and electrical disruptions, toppled trees and limbs and from 2 to 3 inches of snow in Labette and Neosho counties were among the byproducts of an eastern Kansas storm. The storm’s opening chapter was freezing rain followed by snow at about 8:30 a.m. and subsiding at noon. Rain plus the season’s sixth snow in the area combined for moisture totaling 1...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Jan. 2, 1973 A new office building for Parsons District Schools completed and furnished during the Christmas vacation was opened at 2900 Southern. C.G. Reitemeier, school superintendent, said employees also would begin to move into a vocational education building constructed at Parsons High School. Staff offices, a conference room and machine room plus a warehouse were lo...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Dec. 29-30, 1972 Eight men would be added to the force of the Katy Railroad diesel locomotive shops in Parsons. Reginald Whitman, the Katy president, disclosed the addition during an interview by telephone from his office in Dallas. The expansion would push to 146 the force’s size in Parsons. The payroll had been at 138 since April. Prior to April 1, it had been 158. The ...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Dec. 28, 1972 Only installation of purple-cushioned seats remained to be completed for metamorphosis of the Labette Community Junior College auditorium into a “little theater.” The conversion from a 500-seat auditorium to a 268-seat theater cost about $117,000 and began in the spring. A color scheme of magenta and purple had been coordinated with other remodeling projects...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Dec. 27, 1972 A postal halt was included in the national mourning observance for the late President Harry S. Truman. David Tipppet, Parsons postmaster, said information on the postal curtailment was received from the sectional center post office in Independence. Post offices would be closed, and no city, rural or window service would be provided. Other services would be o...
full story
Schools
Harris wins bee Altamont Grade School had its geography bee on Dec. 12. Thirty students in grades four through eight qualified to participate in the geography bee. At the end of seven preliminary rounds, 10 students remained for the final round. After three rounds of questions, the two finalists emerged, seventh-grader Miranda Bath and sixth-grader Kyle Harris. Harris answered more questions correctly in the finals and was crowned the Altamont...
full story
Clubs
Parsons Rotary The Parsons Rotary Club met on Thursday. President Gary Goodnight opened the meeting. Gary Wall offered a prayer, Matt Atteberry led the pledge and Four-Way Test, and Hal Redford led the song. Rotarian of the Day Lucas Nodine introduced Labette County Assistant Attorney Stephen Jones. Jones said the shooting in Newtown, Conn., changed his thoughts about solutions to the problems that created the massacre that left 26 dead at San...
full story
These new names are in the news
Logan Michael Whitaker is the name chosen by Danae and Chad Whitaker of Dennis for their son born Dec. 10 at Labette Health. Grandparents are Dave and Mary Whitaker of Mound Valley and Michael and Stephanie Carter of Parsons. Great-grandparents are Lois Whitaker of Mound Valley, Stephen and Gayle Baird of Parsons and Mike and Shirley Carter of Oswego. ——— Liam Thomas Jones joins two brothers, Gabe and Gavin Nash, in the family of Natae Nash an...
full story
Our Past
These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 years ago. Dec. 26, 1972 There were four births at the Labette County Medical Center, three on Christmas Eve and a fourth at 5:11 p.m. Christmas Day. A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Gerald McKinney of R. 4, Parsons, on Christmas. She checked in with a weight of 8 pounds, 7 ounces, was named Janet Kay and was the McKinneys’ second daughter. The Christmas Eve arrivals were: a son ...
full story
Newlens honor 70th
Kenny and June Newlen of Parsons will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary with family on Wednesday. Kenny Newlen and June Pepin were married on Dec. 26, 1942, in Chester, W.V. The Newlens are both retired. They lived in Chester, W.V., for 72 years before moving to Parsons. The Newlans have one daughter, Connie Elliott of Parsons; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
full story