50 years ago

december 8, 1966

One of the area’s most historic landmarks, the Chase County Courthouse at Cottonwood Falls, could easily have been destroyed by fire early Saturday evening but for the quick action of fire fighters. Immediate response by the Cottonwood Falls and Strong City volunteer fire departments doused the fire before much damage could be done.

Winner, Thursday evening, in the second of the weekly kids’ holiday prize drawings were Robin Hill, who won the first prize of a bicycle. Second prize went to Kathy Kelsey; third, Eddie Griffith; and fourth, Betty Jo Finke.

Lt. Orville M. Hett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Orville Hett of Route 1, Marion, talked to his mother via short wave radio and telephone for some 10 minutes Friday morning while making a night flight in his RF-4C Phantom jet fighter over Viet Nam.

Owen McCarty, former Marion boy, is getting a big break next week when he has been asked by Ernest Tubb to appear on the “Record Shop” program out of Nashville, Tennessee. At the present time, Owen has his own band, “Owen McCarty and His Troubadours” and plays Friday and Saturday nights at Joe’s Lounge in Wichita.

The “Marion Mashers” took on a Canada Grain team here last Thursday and won the game 119-107. Gerry Harris scored 30 for the Mashers, Tom Shirley 26, Boyce Baumgartner 23, Jay Jost 22, and Don Druse 17.