Three area communities will celebrate Labor Day will special events.

Severy, Atlanta and Cedar Vale are making plans for full schedules of activities and entertainment for the holiday weekend.

Be sure to read this week’s Prairie Star to get all the details.

Members of the Sedan Fire Department were disappointed to learn they did not win the new fire truck that was the focus of a nationwide contest sponsored by the E-One Company.

The new E-One pumper went to the Owens Cross (Alabama) Volunteer Fire Department. The decision was announced in Chicago.

Sedan firefighters expressed appreciation to everyone who voted on-line for the Sedan Fire Department. There were seven finalists in the competition with more than 3,000 in the original hunt.

Friday night football in the southern Flint Hills will take on a new look for 2010 with two teams added to the eight-man football schedule.

Sedan and West Elk will dip their toe into eight-man waters for the first time on Friday night after having been in the 11-man field since the programs’ inception.

The season openers for both teams will be on the road. The Blue Devils of Sedan will travel to Caldwell while West Elk makes the trek to St. Paul. Kickoff for both games will be at 7 p.m.

Playing in the eight-man circuit will get require some adjustment from the 11-man format, not only in the actual playing style of the game but also in the district playoff system. While most teams in the 11-man format play in four-team districts (with the top two teams advancing to the state playoffs), the eight-man, division I system in Kansas has six-team districts. The final five games of the season constitute the district playoffs. Read more