Ark Valley News - Looking Back

Looking Back
Last Updated: November 08, 2018

55 years ago

Nancy Smith was crowned homecoming queen during halftime of the Valley Center vs. Haven football game. Smith was a senior, escorted by Lloyd Gilmore, a senior guard. She was crowned and kissed by Randy Riley, senior captain. The queen attendants were senior Marsha Bennett, escorted by senior Buck Harley, and junior Linda Arick, escorted by senior Jerry Smith.

Thirty-four women dressed up in costumes for a spook parade Halloween evening before league bowling at Valley Bowl. First-place costume went to Mrs. Kay (Howland) Myrtle dressed as a witch, with second place going to Mrs. Lois Christie dressed as a cat. Judges were Mr. and Mrs. C.L. Elrod and Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Leppke.

45 years ago

Army Staff Sgt. Nicholas S. Day, son of Mr. and Mrs. John F. Day of Valley Center, participated with other American and Allied troops in "Exercise Reforger V" in Germany. The Military Airlift Command flew approximately 11,000 U.S.-based soldiers and more than 1,000 tons of equipment to three different airfields in Germany in preparation for the event that involved Europe-Based elements of NATO forces of the U.S., Germany and Canada.

Sally Carlson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Duane Carlson, hosted a visit with her parents in Evansville, Ind., where she had accepted a position as a copy editor for the Evansville Press.

40 years ago

Jill Nuckolls, daughter of H.M. and Marilyn Nuckolls of Valley Center, was among 200 Kansas State University seniors student teaching in Kansas elementary schools. Nuckolls was teaching third grade at S.M. Brookridge Elementary School in Kansas City, Kan.

Guy Albertson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Tyler of Valley Center, was named the winner of the Intramural K-Award as the best overall intramural athlete at Fort Hays. A junior at the university, Albertson was a member of the championship volleyball and indoor track teams and the fifth-place football team. He individually placed second in tennis doubles, second in racquetball, badminton and table tennis. Albertson was also a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.

35 years ago

Emmett Hickock and Chet Walker of Valley Center were practicing to sing in the Wichita Choral Society's production of Handel's "Messiah" at the Century II Concert Hall.

Kimberly and Shawn Sutton, children of Jeff and Nancy Sutton and grandchildren of Mr. and Mrs. Lyle Kalp of Valley Center and Mr. and Mrs. Don Sutton of Wichita, competed in the American Beauty pageant in Wichita. Kim, 3, was crowned Tiny Miss queen. Shawn, 5, was crowned Master.

30 years ago

Valley Center Junior High School was planning the second annual parent/student swap day in conjunction with American Education Week. The program would allow parents of students into their classes so they could get to know their teachers, concerns and curriculum. Principal Jim Sowers said students would be excused from school that day if the parent agreed to take his or her place in the classroom.

After providing customers with full service since 1949, brothers Bob and Jiggs Tormey decided to stop selling gasoline at Tormey Service in the 100 block of South Meridian in Valley Center. This decision was due to several factors that included increasingly tough EPA standards that would require replacing their four existing underground tanks and upgrading their existing equipment. Another reason was because Jiggs, who took care of the full-service part of the business, had turned 70 and wanted to slow down.

25 years ago

Navy seaman apprentice Jarrod L. Hayes, son of Darrell E. and Linda S. Hayes of Valley Center, completed basic training at Recruit Training Command, Orlando, Fla. He joined the Navy in June 1993.

Navy seaman apprentice Jeremy C. Banning, son of Danny D. and Joyce E. Banning of Valley Center, completed basic training at Recruit Training Command, Orlando, Fla. He joined the Navy in June 1993.

20 years ago

The Valley Center City Council spent 20 minutes in closed session discussing the possibility of moving the Edna Bushchow Memorial Library to the building occupied by Leeker's Family Foods in the 200 block of East Main. Gary Smith was looking to sell the building and move into a bigger building to be built 800 block of South Meridian. The library needed more space than was at the West First Street location.

One Sedgwick resident was already ready for the expected flooding after nearly a foot of rain in the Valley Center area this last week. Five years ago, Spencer Ring and his wife Trish built a dike around their home and greenhouse on his property located on North Ridge Road. The dike did not get a real test until this year's heavy downpour and passed the test. Water came up half way on the 4-foot-high concrete wall but didn't get on his 2-acre property.

15 years ago

KFDI radio planned to broadcast its morning show live from the parking lot of Leeker's Family Foods in Valley Center as part of "Cornbread's World Tour, Part 2." Disc jockey Cornbread traveled to Goddard last week and also planned to visit Mulvane and Augusta. Mike Clopton of KFDI said this was a chance to brag about Valley Center on the air, and the public was invited.

Valley Center High School junior Colby Crum received a medal at state cross country competition at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence. Crum ran the race in 17:13 and finished 19th out of 100 runners. Coach Lonnie Thiessen said Crum was probably seeded about 25th based on his finish at regionals.

10 years ago

Winners of The Ark Valley News Spooktacular were Sarah Shaffer, first place; Jeannie Reddoch, second place; Marceille Sult, third place; and Cari Bickel, fourth place.

Anne's Attic had a pumpkin-carving contest. The winner in the adult division was Jamie London. The winner in the kid's division was Cheyenne Yoackum-Moore.

5 years ago

Congressman Mike Pompeo nominated two students at Valley Center High School for appointment to U.S. service academies. Miles Balthazor was nominated to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and Melissa Berger to the U.S. Air Force Academy. Balthazor and Berger were among 26 students nominated from the Fourth District of Kansas.

Sidney Lang, daughter of Matt and Tobie Lang and sister of Kyler Lang, completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, North Chicago, Ill. After completing "A" school in Great Lakes, Lang planned to be deployed overseas. Lang was a 2013 graduate of Valley Center High School.