Iola Register series - Christmas memories

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December 9, 2022

Thrive’s Goering leaves post

By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register

Just as he’s hitting his stride, Jonathon Goering, Thrive’s economic development director, is leaving his post.

Though it’s a bittersweet decision for Goering, he’s already putting a positive spin on it.

“When I come to Iola in the future, I’ll see Sharky’s, the Fillmore Coffee House, Jock’s Nitch, new development at the airport, and know that I played a small role in them coming to Iola. That will always mean a lot to me,” he said Wednesday afternoon.

Goering’s decision to return to Wichita is because his wife of 18 years, Betsey, a high

school science teacher of as many years in Wichita, could not find a teaching position in

Church joins Kiwanis for holiday bell ringing

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

For as long as any of the local Kiwanis members have been a part of the club, they’ve helped coordinate the annual bell ringers for the Salvation Army.

It’s been a successful venture, too, with the ringers and their iconic red kettles set up in front of Walmart to receive monetary donations of any size to benefit local charities.

“That’s something we need to stress, that money stays in Allen County,” noted Barb Leavitt, a volunteer with Iola’s Wesley United Methodist Church. “The donations people give us stay right here.”

For the first time this year, Wesley is working with Kiwanis to help oversee the Salvation Army collections. The church will help dis-

tribute funds through the year to folks in need.

“And we’re seeing a lot of people who need help,” Leavitt said. “Utilities are high. Groceries are high.”

Proceeds can be used for a number of means, including food purchases and assistance with rent or utility bills.

Up until this year, Iolan

Janet Wilson helped coordinate how those donations were spent, noted the Rev. Jocelyn Tupper.

“Janet was always great to work with,” Tupper said, “but handling all of that can be a lot for a single person. That may have been why she suggested we take it over this year.”

The Kiwanis club schedules the bell ringers from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday during the Christmas shopping season.

See HELP | Page A3

WNBA star Griner freed in swap for Russian arms dealer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia freed WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, as the U.S. released notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

The swap, at a time of heightened tensions over Ukraine, achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden, but carried a heavy price — and left behind an American jailed for nearly four years in Russia.

“She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home,” Biden said from the

White House, where he was accompanied by Griner’s wife, Cherelle, and administration officials.

The deal, the second such exchange in eight months with Russia, procured the release of the most prominent American detained abroad. Griner is a twotime Olympic gold medalist whose monthslong imprisonment on drug charges brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees.

Biden’s authorization to release a Russian felon once nicknamed “the Merchant of Death” underscored the escalating pressure that his administration faced to get Griner home, particularly

See GRINER | Page A4

Iola or the nearby area.

After 2.5 years of living apart, “we decided family came first,” he said. Goering, age 47, has accepted a position with Greater Wichita Partnership, the economic development arm of Wichita and its surrounding communities.

Allen County, Iola Industries, Humboldt and Iola have been the primary funders of Goering’s position here. Recent increases by the county, Iola and Humboldt have brought the budget for the program to $117,00, with Iola bearing almost half the load. Goering praises the jump in local support.

“That’s a big win for Allen County. And it’s a testament that Thrive’s funding part-

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

ners believe in economic development and want to see it grow.”

Ideally, he said, a team of two would handle the responsibility.

“One person can only do so much. Two people would be a game-changer.”

A study by Atlas Studios in 2021 confirmed the area should devote several times over — $500,000 to $700,00 — to its economic development efforts, matching that of neighboring counties.

“The sky’s the limit for Allen County,” he said, noting the area’s ideal location, abundance of space and budding recreational opportunities.

Successful economic de-

See GOERING | Page A3

Singing brings joy to Works’ world

The Register asked 12 members of area communities to share special Christmas memories. We’ll publish one each day until Christmas Eve.

By JANIE WORKS Special to The Iola Register

When I joined the Works family 53 years ago, they had a Christmas tradition of going to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

Every Christmas Eve, we would meet at Uncle Jack and Aunt Marguerite’s home for oyster stew. For those who didn’t like oysters, Marguerite made a wonderful potato soup.

Everyone wore their festive outfits and enjoyed the conversation between all of the cousins.

For dessert, we all had a slice of one of the many pies Aunt Marguerite made. She

always apologized for the way the meringue turned out or some other disaster, but they were always delicious.

After the Christmas dishes

were cleared, everyone joined in singing Christmas carols. Sometimes someone accompanied on the piano or guitar.

See MEMORY | Page A3

Jonathon Goering

In this decades-old family photo, the Works family celebrates Christmas by singing songs around the piano. COURTESY PHOTO

Janie Works, owner of The Growing Place in Humboldt, shares her favorite Christmas tradition. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Brittney Griner

Goering: Thrive official is moving on

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velopment requires people believing in an area’s future, he said. “Part of my role has been to help people see that vision.”

It also requires patience and the conviction that the hard work eventually pays off. Economic development is not for the faint of heart, nor does it come quickly.

“What’s important is to bring people into a conversation early. Get them thinking about the possibilities. The first half-dozen reactions and answers may be no, but if you keep working at the goal, a lot of times a compromise can be reached. And in my mind, that’s a win.”

Goering used Allen County Airport as an example.

Ever since he arrived in early 2020, Goering said he’s been approached by multiple individuals about the airport’s untapped potential.

“Those with ties to the airport or who have planes, elected officials, or even those who just realize it’s a gold mine, came to me asking what could be done there.”

The land, which sits halfway between Iola and Humboldt, has about 80 acres ripe for development.

Goering got the ball rolling in fall of 2020 when Thrive learned of “the potential for federal dollars coming down the pike for infrastructure,” through

“That was great foresight on the part of the county,” he said.

The study, which took the better part of 2021, determined what the site needed in terms of expanded water, sewer and gas lines, increased electricity capacity, and internet connectivity.

“You have to know not only what you need, but also what you can afford,” Goering said.

Just one month after B&G’s report was complete, Goering learned applications for the federal BASE, Building a Strong Economy, grants would be accepted.

Because of the recently completed feasibility study, “We put together a strong application,” Goering said, noting the help of Thrive’s grant writer Rachel Moore.

Act funding, another COVID-19 relief package.

In February of 2022, Goering learned they were successful.

“It was a good day,” he smiled.

By the end of 2024, much of the work of adding expanded utilities to the airport should be “well underway,” he said.

“People probably get tired of us talking about the airport, but it is one of the county’s greatest assets,” he said.

LOOKING AHEAD, Goering has no doubts Thrive will be able to find his replacement.

“Thrive is well-positioned to attract someone of high caliber and that makes me happy. The funding component

Peru president arrested

LIMA, Peru (AP) —

In just three tumultuous hours, President Pedro Castillo went from decreeing the dissolution of Peru’s Congress to being replaced by his vice president, but the threats against his government had been building throughout his nearly 17-month presidency.

University of Mexico and a member of the university’s Latin America Political Reform Observatory.

COVID-19 relief funding.

Knowing that cities and counties prepared to move forward stood a better chance to receive funding, the county approved B&G Consultants to conduct a feasibility study as to what development would be like at a 24-acre parcel in the northwest corner of the airport.

The only stumbling block was agreeing on how much money to request.

“That took many conversations,” he said.

In the end, commissioners felt comfortable requesting $3 million, which required a $1 million local match, that commissioners agreed to fund primarily with American Rescue Plan

is now there.”

Goering noted that he’s also worn several hats.

“Economic development in a rural area is also about community development, including childcare, housing, workforce development and transportation.”

Goering stressed the necessity of communities working together.

“We can’t operate in separate silos. If we don’t work together, we fall short of our potential.”

“I really feel a change coming. I see the talent that’s coming this way. New businesses opening and people getting involved in their communities. I see a groundswell of enthusiasm.

“I see it because I’m in it every day. These are the people I’m interacting with. It’s very exciting.

“These are the things that provide the spark and inspiration to greater things.”

Successful economic development means “assisting and encouraging these people. To be their biggest cheerleaders, and then get out of their way,” Goering said.

That model is inherent to Thrive, he noted.

“Lisse (Regehr, Thrive CEO and president) is an incredible leader,” he said.

Thrive’s success record in bringing new business and funds the county’s way “is only the beginning,” Goering ventured.

For 2022, Thrive helped secure 60 grants totaling about $4.4 million. Of that, more than $3 million were designated community grants directly affecting local nonprofits and government entities such as a $450,000 Community Development Block Grant to update Moran’s water and sewer treatment system.

“We’ve barely scratched the surface. There’s so much more that can be done. I think of all the things I couldn’t get to in my tenure,” Goering said.

“People who have a bold vision and work together make things happen. And yes, we have enough people here to get the ball really rolling.”

The former school teacher and center-left political novice, who won a runoff election in June 2021 by just 44,000 votes, stepped onto a no-holds-barred political battlefield in Peru, the South American country now on its sixth president in six years. By nightfall Wednesday, after a day of high political drama, prosecutors had announced Castillo was under arrest, facing charges of rebellion.

From the start, Castillo’s presidency seemed destined to be short-lived, said Flavia Freidenberg, a political scientist at the National Autonomous

“He is a president who took office with a very low level of support, he didn’t have a political party, he had a hard time putting together a Cabinet, the Cabinet has changed constantly and there has been a constant power struggle with Congress,” she said.

Castillo, a rural school teacher from an impoverished district high in the Andes, was considered a clear underdog when he joined the race to replace President Francisco Sagasti, who had been appointed by Congress in November 2020. Sagasti was the last of three heads of state Peru cycled through in one week that November.

Castillo campaigned on promises to nationalize Peru’s key mining industry and rewrite the constitution, gaining support in rural Peru.

Memory: Works

Continued from A1

We always ended with “Joy to the World” with Uncle Jack soloing on the verses.

Children grew up and went to college, met a sweetheart, married and had a family of their own. But, at least, every other Christmas Eve, they would find their way back to Uncle Jack’s.

In 1998, as Jack and Marguerite got older, they asked Joe and I if we would host the family on Christmas Eve. We felt so honored that they thought we could

pull this off like they did. We found some Christmas dishes we liked, Jack and Marguerite passed down the large soup tureen they had used, and we made new song books. And we continued the tradition for a long time.

This tradition lasted about 45 years. Traditions give one a legacy. But traditions sometimes have to evolve when families get so large and have other families to accommodate with their traditions as well.

In this photo from 2021, Jonathon and Betsey Goering share their story about being part of The Free Staters, a historical reenactment band who play a mixture of Americana, minstrel and folk songs. They are shown outside the historic Allen County jail. FILE PHOTO

Jonathon Goering talks to Allen County commissioners at his final meeting on Tuesday. At the meeting, commissioners approved a resolution to establish a countywide land bank, which was something Goering had spent months working toward. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Developing motor skills

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

Three teenage girls twist wrenches and peer inside the engine of a Chevrolet Malibu on a Friday afternoon at the Regional Rural Technical Center at LaHarpe.

They’ve replaced the engine. Now, they need to finish connecting all the parts and get it running again.

“That’s the girls’ project,” George Shove said. He’s the instructor for a new automotive technology class at the RRTC, offered in partnership with Flint Hills Technical College in Emporia.

The girls are just a few of the 28 students taking the beginning automotive course, which offers a morning and afternoon session. Students come from area high schools including Iola, Marmaton Valley, Uniontown and Humboldt.

Jenna Adair is a senior at Iola High School who is taking the class. She never really looked inside an engine before, let alone got her hands dirty replacing one.

“I just kind of wanted to know a little bit about cars,” she said. “I didn’t even know how to change a tire.”

As vehicles become more reliant on computers and technology, more and more girls are entering the automotive repair industry, Shove said.

“There’s not only a need but a place for female technicians because it’s gotten so high tech,” he said. “It’s not just manual labor anymore. There are so many computers that interface with each other. There are no limitations for just about anyone.”

Sometimes it can be a little

GMC Jimmy. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Oil spill shuts down pipeline

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)

2000

— An oil spill in a creek in northeastern Kansas shut down a major pipeline that carries oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast, briefly causing oil prices to rise Thursday.

challenging to do some of the heavy lifting, Jenna said.

“But we have tools to over-

NATO chief fears Ukraine war could become a wider conflict

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The head of NATO expressed worry that the fighting in Ukraine could spin out of control and become a war between Russia and NATO, according to an interview released Friday.

“If things go wrong, they can go horribly wrong,”

NATO Secretary-General

Jens Stoltenberg said in remarks to Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

“It is a terrible war in Ukraine. It is also a war that can become a full-fledged war that spreads into a major war between NATO and Russia,” he said. “We are working on

See NATO | Page A2

come that,” Shove responded. “I know a lady who is a diesel mechanic. I encourage girls to

take this class.”

He continued: “All the students are doing really well. The more vehicles we get in here and the more they get hands-on experience, the more they’re going to learn.”

Shove’s enthusiasm and positive attitude are infectious. Six students spoke to the Register about their experiences in the class. They were excited and eager to talk about what they’ve learned.

Not all of them plan to become mechanics. Many of them, like Jenna, took the class to learn more about vehicles so they can make basic repairs to their own cars and

Canada-based TC Energy said it shut down its Keystone system Wednesday night following a drop in pipeline pressure. It said oil spilled into a creek in Washington County, Kansas, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City.

The company on Thursday estimated the spill’s size at about 14,000 barrels and said the affected pipeline segment had been “isolated” and the oil contained at the site with booms, or barriers. It did not say how the spill occurred.

“People are sometimes

Christmas decor fosters cherished memories

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Step into Donna Houser’s house at Christmastime, and it’s like a trip through history and around the world.

You’ll find four tiny, angelic Christmas choir boys and plastic reindeer toys from the 1940s, still in pristine condition.

There’s a tiny plastic manger scene, a gift her late-husband, Ray, bought the first year they were married. It’s quite a contrast with other presents from Ray over the years, such as the Waterford crystal statues of Santa and an angel bought during a trip to Waterford, England.

“Now, you won’t believe this, but Ray thought I was an angel,” Donna said as if she were telling a secret, then laughed. “He always said, ‘You’re my angel,’ so he bought this angel for me.” Ray and Donna liked to travel, and they often bought

Christmas ornaments and decorations during their visits. Donna is allergic to many types of fabrics and chemicals, which makes it difficult for people to buy Christmas gifts for her. Makeup, jewelry, clothes — none of that makes a good gift. But Christmas decora-

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

Above, students replace an engine in a Chevrolet Malibu as part of the new automotive technician program at the Regional Rural Technical Center at LaHarpe. From left are Jenna Adair, Deviyn Hartford and Hallie Sutherland. Below, George Shove, a certified technician and instructor for Flint Hills Technical College, talks with students Kolby Knavel, left, and Tristan Cary, both seniors at Marmaton Valley High School. They’re trying to figure out why cylinder No. 3 isn’t firing in Knavel’s

Donna Houser stands in front of some of her Precious Moments Christmas collection. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Treasure: For Iolan, decorations are most precious gifts

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tions? She loves them.

So, that’s what she got from all of her family, friends and former students from her teaching days.

For years and years, Christmas came with Christmas-themed gifts.

Thousands of them. During the off-season, they’re boxed and stacked in every closet, every storage area, every nook and cranny of the house.

And each Christmas, she pulls them out and sets up elaborate displays.

Donna, now 85, remembers the story behind most of them.

THE CHOIR boys are among the most special. They were a gift from her parents during the early days of World War II, before the U.S. joined the fight and during the Great Depression. It was a difficult time, and her family was poor enough that her mother made clothes for the three children out of feed sacks.

“I never knew Christmas was supposed to be fancy,” Donna recalled.

“My folks bought me two things, those four choir boys and a Santa. I still have them. Christmas decorations seemed to be something you could afford and you could buy, because everything else was rationed.”

WALK INTO the den of Donna’s house and you’ll see Santas from around the world lining the fireplace mantel. More hang from a Christmas tree, including a corncob Santa bought at The Corn Palace in South Dakota. Each room has a theme, and this is the Santa room.

Even the bathrooms are decorated for Christmas. Cheerful snowmen welcome guests in the bathroom. Angels adorn a guest bedroom.

In the living room, a large tree features red ribbons and ornaments from around the world. Oval ornaments that look like Russian nesting dolls represent

Pipeline

Continued from A1

not aware of the havoc that these things can wreak until the disaster happens,” said Zack Pistora, who lobbies the Kansas Legislature for the Sierra Club’s state chapter.

Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the Keystone system, the 1,200-mile Keystone XL, which would have cut across Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska.

Critics also argued that using crude from western Canada’s oil sands would worsen climate change, and President Joe Biden’s cancelation of a U.S. permit for the project led the company to pull the plug last year.

In 2019, the Keystone pipeline leaked an estimated 383,000 gallons of oil in eastern North Dakota.

Reports indicate there have been at least 22 spills along the original Keystone pipeline since it began service in 2010.

various Russian leaders throughout history, including one that looks like Vladimir Putin.

“We bought that one in China,” Donna said, pointing to various ornaments.

“Oh, this is from Ireland.”

“Here’s something not many people have. A kiwi from New Zealand.”

“This was bought in Finland. And this is from Luxembourg.”

“Here’s one from Baltimore. Boston. Col-

orado. We traveled all over the States, too. Everywhere we went, we bought an ornament.” Other ornaments are special not because of where they came from, but because of who gave them. Many decorations were gifts from family members.

Ray was a coach and Donna a teacher, which means their idea of family extended to students.

“We had a bunch of students that always loved to come over and see the house. We always

fed the football team and the basketball team. And then the students started giving me things.”

THE COLLECTION of general Christmas ornaments and decorations may be extensive, but that’s just the start of it.

Decades ago, two of her friends started a tradition. Each year, they gave Donna a gift of a Precious Moments ornament. Over time, more friends joined in. By now, the collection

has grown to more than 2,000.

Each Christmas season, Donna pulls out each of the delicate Precious Moment figurines, cleans them with wax, and sets up displays with greenery and flocked snow.

She needs a little help these days, as her hands shake and she’s afraid she might break one. Her daughter helped this year. She still has even more items packed away in boxes.

“I finally had to tell everyone to stop giving me things. I just don’t have room,” Donna said.

Instead, she asks for donations to a splash park, the latest fundraising effort she is spearheading on behalf of the Community Involvement Task Force (CITF).

Donna plans to continue to display her various Christmas collections as long as she can.

“I keep those things because they’re important to me.”

These four choir boys were given to a young Donna Houser by her parents in 1940. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Traditions every-Ware

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Favorite Christmas memories change over time, according to LaHarpe business owner Danny Ware.

“When you’re a kid, it’s homemade peanut clusters and fudge.

Stolen log splitters recovered

A pair of thefts, separated by three years, have been resolved.

Iola police officers said a log splitter owned by Iolan Ryan Sigg had been located after he reported the theft from a residence in the 500 block of South Jefferson Avenue.

An appeal for information via social media

See THEFTS | Page A3

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

“When you’re a dad, it’s spending Christmas with your kids.

“When you get older, it’s spending Christmas with your grandkids.”

Every Christmas is special in its own way, he said. Some of them are poignant, as the holiday serves as a reminder of loved ones who have passed away and are no longer able to share in the joy.

“Sometimes you don’t appreciate what a great Christmas it was until the next year, because you’ve lost your Grandma or Dad,” he said.

“You knew Christmas was special, but you didn’t know how special it was because it was their last one.”

AS A child, Danny’s extend-

See WARE | Page A3

The Broadway Tenors will appear Thursday at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.

Bowlus show will carry a local flavor

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

The Broadway Tenors will bring a bit of New York to Iola with a show on Saturday evening at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.

They’ll also be bringing some Kansas connections.

Music director Kimberly Grigsby is the daughter of Iolans Stan and Donna Grigsby, and one of the tenors, Brent Barrett, grew up in the small town of Quinter.

“It’s great that we have these sort of local connections,” Bowlus director Daniel Kays said. “It’s going to be a wonderful family Christmas show.”

KIMBERLY has never

lived in Kansas, but her parents moved to the area about 10 years ago.

Donna grew up in Moran and graduated from high school there. Stan is from Prescott.

Daughter Kimberly lived in California and Northern Virginia for most of her life, and then moved to New York where she worked on Broadway for a number of years.

Among her many Broadway achievements, she has worked on “Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark,” “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” “The Light in the Piazza” and “Camelot.”

Kimberly Grigsby recently returned from London to

See TENORS | Page A3

Danny and Jenni Ware and their grandchildren Ella, left, and Prewitt Louk. COURTESY PHOTO

Spiked

LaHarpe City Hall was abuzz with activities Saturday as the LaHarpe Day Committee hosted a volleyball tournament. Teams from as far away as Chanute took part. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Thefts: Resolved

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helped break the case, officers noted, with a twist.

One of the suspects had called Sigg with information about the theft, purportedly to receive a reward offer.

The splitter was recovered last week and returned to Sigg.

Here’s where things get a little tricky, noted Bob Droessler of the Iola Police Department. Roughly three years

Twitter takes another swing at subscription service

NEW YORK (AP) —

Twitter is once again attempting to launch its premium service, a month after a previous attempt failed.

The social media company said Saturday it would let users buy

subscriptions to Twitter Blue to get a blue checkmark and access special features starting Monday.

The blue checkmark was originally given to companies, celebrities, government

entities and journalists verified by the platform. After Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion in October, he launched a service granting blue checks to anyone willing to pay $8 a month.

But it was inundated by imposter accounts, including those impersonating Musk’s businesses Tesla and SpaceX, so Twitter suspended the service days after its launch.

The relaunched ser-

vice will cost $8 a month for web users and $11 a month for iPhone users. Twitter says subscribers will see fewer ads, be able to post longer videos and have their tweets featured more prominently.

Ware: Next generation keeps traditions alive

Continued from A1

ed family would gather at his parents’ house on Christmas Eve.

Family members lived nearby, which made it easy. His grandmother lived just two doors down, his great-grandmother was down the street and aunts and uncles lived close.

“We’d have snacks and a big get-together. That was something I always looked forward to and still do,” he said

of the gathering, which now takes place at his own house.

“The family dynamics have changed a little bit with my parents, grandparents and great-grandparents gone, but we still do that.”

NOW, all the kids come home.

Danny and his wife Jenni have three children; one in the Kansas City area while the others are close by. They

Tenors: Concert

Continued from A1

where she worked on “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

“When she started, she was one of the few female music directors,” Donna said.

But when Broadway went dark during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kimberly was alone in New York. Her parents suggest she come stay with them for a few weeks.

During that visit, she was able to perform at the Wesley United Methodist Church.

Wesley’s Pastor Jocelyn Tupper introduced her to Kays.

“We sat and chatted,” Kays recalled. “She said she’d love to come back and do something for the community.”

When Kays was scheduling the 2022-23 season, he was intrigued by the show with The Broadway Tenors. He called the producers and asked if it would be possible for Kimberly to join them. She wasn’t able to confirm until June.

“At first we were going to do it as a surprise,” Kays said. “But she said, ‘I can’t keep this a secret from my parents. They’ll be on a cruise or take a trip somewhere.’”

It’s probably a good thing the Grigsbys were in the know. They’ve invited everyone they know, and family members are traveling from far and wide for the show.

“It’s kind of neat,” Donna said. “We’ve traveled all over to see her. Now she’s coming here.”

KAYS said each of the tenors brings something special to the performance, and he has his

own connection to one of them.

When he was working in California, Kays worked as stage manager for a production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” David Burnham played the lead.

At the time, the producers of the Broadway version were looking for someone to replace Donny Osmond in the role. It was a two-year search that ended when critics from Los Angeles saw Burnham at the show where Kays was working. Burnham soon followed in Osmond’s Broadway footsteps.

“I haven’t seen David in years,” Kays said. “It will be fun to have that little moment.”

A BIT about the Tenors:

Barrett, the Kansas native, recently reprised his role as Billy Flynn in the Broadway version of “Chicago: The Musical.”

His starring role in “Kiss Me, Kate” was nominated for an Oliver Award.

He made his debut as the Phantom in the new Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom — the Vegas Spectacular.”

Burnham was last seen on Broadway playing Fiyero in “Wicked.”

He is an original Broadway cast member of “The Light in the Piazza.”

John Cudia has the distinction of being the first and only actor to have performed both as the Phantom in “The Phantom of the Opera” and Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables” on Broadway.

TICKETS are available online at bowluscenter.org or at the door.

have two grandchildren.

Christmas dinner is filled with family and wonderful food including ham, scalloped potatoes, rolls and homemade pie.

Jenni runs a catering business. She stays busy during the holiday season. Just last week, her business catered for 200 people over the course of two days. Danny helped.

“When your wife is in the catering business, that means you help and she keeps all the money,” he joked.

CHRISTMAS is always a little bittersweet, as Danny reflects on how it has changed.

Danny’s stepmother passed away last

Danny and Jenni Ware

month. His father has been gone for seven years. He tries to put a positive spin on it. Instead of being sad about the loss of his father, he thinks of how lucky he was to work alongside him for 23 years.

“There’s always some-

one, somewhere who has it way tougher,” he said. “You never know what tomorrow is going to bring.”

ago, sometime between Nov. 26 and Dec. 31, 2019, Sigg said another log splitter had been stolen.

As the investigation into the most recent theft unfolded, officers quickly surmised the same suspects were behind the first theft as well.

Sigg did not report the first theft, figuring he would never see the machine again.

“I figured I’d never see either one again,” Sigg told the Register.

That log splitter was recovered Thursday, and soon will be returned to Sigg, Droessler said.

Officers are requesting a pair of burglary charges be filed against the suspects.

Iran executes protester

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has executed a second prisoner detained and convicted over crimes committed during the nationwide protests now challenging the country’s theocracy.

Authorities publicly hanged him on Monday from a construction crane as a gruesome warning to others. The execution of Majidreza Rahnavard came less than a month after he allegedly fatally stabbed two paramilitaries after purportedly becoming angry about security forces killing protesters.

Food service overcomes new school challenges

By VICKIE MOSS

The Iola Register

The past year has been challenging for food service professionals in USD 257, Robert Vicin, regional manager with OPAA! Food Management service, told school board members Monday evening.

To start, the district opened a new elementary school right at the start of the fall semester. It was a challenging transition, Vicin said. He gave a lot of credit to Staci Talkington, the district’s food service liaison, for her help during those difficult first few weeks.

“She has gone above and beyond to make this transition a lot smoother,” Vicin said.

The district also saw a change in OPAA!’s director of food services. Alicia Stahl

Bomb threat empties YCHS

By RICHARD LUKEN

The Iola Register

YATES CENTER — A

bomb scare Monday evening at Yates Center High School prompted authorities to evacuate the school as well as several neighbors for several hours.

Yates Center Police Chief Michael Strode said the call was sent to the Woodson County Sheriff’s Department shortly after 5 p.m.

The caller appeared to be “a distraught individual” thought to be in his late teens or early 20s, Strode said, and who claimed to be a bullying victim.

The caller told authorities he had broken into the school and planted a bomb that would “do something bad,” Strode said.

A middle school basketball game against Crest also was

See THREAT | Page A3

Yates Center High School

Feeling jazzed

took over the position in October.

“Alicia is homegrown. She’s been working at the middle school for the last four years until this fall, so she understands food service,” he said.

Staffing and supply chain

See BOE | Page A3

The Iola Middle and High school bands performed a variety of holiday-themed numbers during a concert on Monday evening. Above, the high school jazz band performs a Christmas medley. Below, the combined middle and high school jazz bands play “Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” The bands are under the instruction of Brandi Holt. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Dreaming of a Barbie Christmas

By MACIE HOAG Special to the Register

(Note: Macie Hoag is a senior at Iola HIgh School.)

One of my favorite Christmas memories over the years was in 2012. I would have been seven years old and obsessed with Barbies.

Probably everything on my list was Barbie related, but what was on the top was a Holiday Barbie. I wanted the one with blonde hair and blue eyes so I would match it. Her hair was all curled and swept to one side; her dress was red with a big bow and sparkly details, and she also had a big necklace.

Every year after Christmas

See HOAG | Page A3

Humboldt girl asks city to allow poultry in limits

By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register

HUMBOLDT — If charm were the deciding factor, then there’s little doubt 8-year-old Tessa Lou Francis would have convinced Humboldt council members that she should be allowed to raise chickens at her home at 620 Sycamore. With a bow in her hair and a demeanor as sweet as candy, Miss Francis, the daughter of Tim and Kelly Francis, pleaded her case.

“One benefit of chickens

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

is that they provide healthy food, and with food being so expensive, this can save money,” Tessa Lou said. “When you go to Walmart, eggs cost $5 a dozen. But if you have chickens, you’re lucky, because you get them for free.”

Youths who sell eggs learn valuable business skills, she said. And as for a benefit to the whole city, chickens “eat mosquitoes, spiders and even mice, which can keep diseases.”

The main problem with

See HUMBOLDT | Page A6

Macie Hoag, now (above) and then

Tessa Lou Francis, 8, speaks with Humboldt City Council members Monday about her request to raise chickens inside city limits. REGISTER/SUSAN LYNN

Robert Vicin

Blizzards, tornadoes ravage much of US

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.

(AP) — A massive storm blowing across the country spawned tornadoes in parts of Oklahoma and Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as much of the central United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Midwest braced Tuesday for blizzard-like conditions.

An area stretching from Montana into western Nebraska and Colorado was under blizzard warnings, and the National Weather Service said that as much as 2 feet of snow was possible in some areas of western South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska. Ice and sleet were expected in the eastern Great Plains.

Meanwhile, damage was reported in the Oklahoma town of Wayne after the weather service warned of a “confirmed tornado” shortly after 5 a.m. Tuesday. Video foot-

age from Oklahoma TV station KOCO showed substantial damage to a home in Wayne, which is about 45 miles south of Oklahoma City. There were no deaths or injuries due to the tornado, McClain County Sheriff’s Capt. Bryan Murrell said. But as authorities began assessing the damage to the town of Wayne on Tuesday morning, it was clear the damage was widespread.

“We’ve got multiple family structures with significant damage ... barns, power lines down” in and around the town, Murrell said.

National Weather Service meteorologist Doug Speheger said wind speeds reached 111-135 mph and the tornado was rated EF-2. It was likely on the ground for about two to four minutes, according to the weather service.

In Texas, at least two tornadoes were spotted along the front edge of the storm as it headed toward the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area Tuesday morning, though the extent of any damage was not immediately known.

The National Weather Service warned that up to about half an inch of ice could form and winds could gust up to 45 mph in parts of Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota. Power outages, tree damage, falling branches and hazardous travel conditions all threatened the region.

All of western Nebraska was under a blizzard warning from Tuesday through Thursday, and the National Weather Services said up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of snow was expected in the northwest. Winds of more than 50 mph at times will make

Threat: YCHS

Continued from A1

it impossible to see outdoors, officials said.

The Nebraska Department of Transportation closed stretches of Interstate 80 and Interstate 76 in western as heavy snow and high winds made travel dangerous.

The Nebraska State Patrol, which was called to deal with several crashes and jackknifed semitrailers overnight, urged people to stay off the roads.

“There’s essentially no one traveling right now,” said Justin McCallum, a manager at the Flying J truck stop at Ogallala, Nebraska. He said he got to work before the roads were closed, but likely won’t be able to get back home Tuesday. “I can see to the first poles outside the doors, but I can’t see the rest of the lot right outside. I’ll probably just get a motel room here tonight.”

BOE: Food service issues discussed

Continued from A1

issues further complicated food service issues, but both seem to have improved.

The district is now fully staffed with 14 employees. Half are at the elementary school.

“These 14 ladies are hard-working women and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate what they’re doing and how hard it’s been to find them,” Vicin said.

He also thanked the district for moving an outdoor freezer and outdoor cooler to the elementary school. They were previously located at the high school campus, where elementary school meals previously were prepared and shipped to the three former schools.

“The elementary school is by far serving the most meals every day, so having that additional area to store stuff has been wonderful,” he said.

At the elementary school, about 230 students eat breakfast each day out of 540 total students. About 360 eat lunch.

Last year, another 100 or so students ate meals at school thanks to a USDA program that paid for meals for all students. That’s no longer the case.

“That’s kind of a big deal,” Vicin said. “We knew it was going to happen, and we’re trying to encourage more students to eat at school, especially breakfast.”

OPAA! set new goals for the next semester.

Among them:

Increase the variety of meals offered at the elementary school.

Increase hot options for high school, such as pizzas, taquitos, burgers. Use hard trays and silverware instead of disposable.

Incorporate staff specials such as a potato bar to encourage teachers and others to eat school meals.

SAFE BASE

Several students, parents, teachers and volunteers gave a presentation to the school board. Each spoke about what SAFE BASE has to offer.

For the past 23 years, the after-school program has offered a va-

riety of educational programs to students as well as other services including free tutoring and mental health counseling. SAFE BASE is a special help to working parents by giving students something to do until they are off work.

The program also offers a summer program, giving students an op-

portunity to learn and take field trips at no cost to families.

About 57% of students who attend SAFE BASE come from single-parent homes or are being raised by grandparents. Some parents spoke about how the program has helped their special needs children, including those

with autism or other learning challenges. The program has been recognized nationally. Recently, Director Angela Henry traveled to Washington D.C. to talk about the program.

interrupted because of the threat.

Yates Center police and Woodson County sheriff’s deputies did an initial search before the Kansas Highway Patrol arrived with bomb-detecting canines for a pair of searches.

Officers also checked out several vehicles in the area.

No device was found, Strode said. Yates Center authorities cleared the school for re-entry after an extensive scope of the building, and classes resumed as normal Tuesday morning.

Strode said the Kansas Bureau of Investigation is assisting efforts to determine where the call came from.

Hoag: Christmas

Continued from A1

morning we would go over to my Mimi’s house and have dinner. There were always nuts, homemade sugar cookies from the Hoag family recipe book, no-bake cookies, and lots of other food.

We always ate before we opened presents. After we all had finished we then went to the living room to open them.

When I unwrapped the gift containing

the Holiday Barbie I was ecstatic. I had a bit of a track record with cutting my barbie dolls’ hair and losing their shoes, but I promised that with this doll it would be different.

Now, I wasn’t the person who left their Barbie in the box, but I kept my promise and took good care of that doll. I still have it packed away today in a closet, 10 years later with no hair or shoes missing.

Kalie Insley, 4th grade, and her mother, Sarah Insley, talk Monday with USD 257 school board members about SAFE BASE. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Above, Carter Warden, 4th grade, and his grandfather, Ed Rogers, talk about SAFE BASE. Below, Cameron Vaughn, 2nd grade, and her father, Chase Vaughn, talk about the after-school program during a USD 257 Board of Education meeting Monday. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Owners of senior facilities file bankruptcy

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

The owners of a pair of senior living facilities in Allen County have filed for bankruptcy. Papers filed by Dimensions in Senior Living LLC, which owns Greystone Residential Care in Iola and Arrowood Lane Residential Care in Humboldt, cited debts totaling more than $4.2 million in filing for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in

See FILING | Page A2

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

A quarter of state’s students often absent

By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — The number of K-12 students in Kansas classified as chronically absent from school surged to 24.5% during the 2021-2022 academic year as educators emerged from the darkest depths of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The portion of Kansas students who missed more than 10% of school days — excused or unexcused — had ballooned from 13.7% in 2017-2018 to 24.5% last year. The danger in terms of student learning, education officials and consultants said, was the compounding influence of absences. A student missing one or two days each month starting in kindergarten could end up skipping the equivalent of one year of school by 12th grade.

“Across the board there’s been a significant jump in the chronic absentee rate,” said Robyn Kelso, an education program analyst with Kansas Department of Education. “Remember the last two years. It’s been a pretty significant, unprecedented time for schooling.”

The definition of an absence was left to local school districts in Kansas, but federal guidelines urge districts to count as present a student in school more than half the day.

Jim McNiece, a Kansas State Board of Education member from Wichita, said Tuesday that he found during 39 years as a teacher, coach and principal in Kansas public and private schools that students with profound attendance issues often were grappling with a set of unique chal-

See STUDENTS | Page A3

The owners of Greystone Residential Care in Iola and other facilities has filed for bankruptcy protection. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

1985: The best Christmas ever

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Note: Lisse Regehr is the CEO of Thrive Allen County.

It was a rare moment when Lisse Regehr’s extended family could get together.

Her father served in the military, and most of her childhood was spent moving from place to place.

On Christmas, they usually called family members back in Iola and celebrated by phone.

But in 1985, when she was just 5-years old, the entire family was able to gather in Iola for the best Christmas ever.

Her father, Walt, was stationed in South Korea at the time, so her mother, Mary Ann, and the three children Lisse, Sean and Katrina — all under the age of 5 — moved to Iola for a time.

Dad came home for Christmas, the first the family had seen him since he left the summer before.

“Until we moved back here my sophomore year of high school, it was the only Christmas I remember being able to spend with all of my family,”

See REGEHR | Page A3

City adjusts budget for higher costs

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

One of the certainties in setting a city budget well in advance of the upcoming year is that there will be surprises down the road, Iola City Administrator Matt Rehder noted Monday.

To wit, when Iola City Council members set their 2022 spending plan in the summer of 2021, they had little inkling prices for such things as natural gas and other supplies would skyrocket over the ensuing 18 months.

About all a city can do, Rehder concluded, is “to be ready for unexpected stuff to happen.”

Those added expenditures required year-end budget amendments, which is a regular occurrence every December.

Lisse Regehr is ready for Christmas

her nieces and nephews,

But this year’s amendments were a bit larger than in years past.

The Council, in the sum-

See BUDGET | Page A4

City, county finally finalize tax rebate plan

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

After weeks of discussion, Allen County commissioners signed on to Iola’s Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.

The county will keep its tiered rebate reimbursement plan, while the three other participating entities will change theirs.

That was a point of contention week after week, starting when Gregg Hutton, codes enforcement officer for Iola, asked for the change.

The city’s hope is to boost housing construction by offering a full, 100% rebate for 10 years. The program works

by rebating property taxes for homeowners who make improvements; the rebate applies only to the amount of taxes that would have been added because of those im-

provements. All participating entities — the city, the county, the school district and Allen Community College — offer the rebate.

If someone builds a house, that tax rebate is significant. Under the previous agreement, new taxes were forgiven at 100% for the first six years, then slowly dropped by 20% increments over the remainder of the 10 years.

County commissioners want to keep that tiered system, even if it meant leaving the city’s program and going it alone.

Instead, the city was able to modify its agreement in a way that accommodates the coun-

ty’s wishes. Commissioners approved the revised agreement on Tuesday. City Council members, after a brief discussion about the county’s resistance, approved the same pact Monday evening.

JASON TREGO, emergency management director, showed off the county’s new First Net box, which will allow first responders to continue to have cell phone service if there is a problem with public cell services.

The box provides a dedicated cellular line for first re-

See COUNTY | Page A4

with

from left, Moria Springer holding Avery Regehr, Finian Springer, Lisse Regehr and Declan Springer in front. Not pictured is newphew Rohan Springer. COURTESY PHOTO

Gregg Hutton, Iola code enforcement officer

Matt Rehder

Students: Absent

Continued from A1

lenges.

“I have a wealth of experience chasing kids who didn’t come to school,” he said. “If we can change attendance, we can change their life.”

Betty Arnold, another state Board of Education member from Wichita, said she was concerned about accuracy of district reporting on absent students.

“How do we address the problem so it reflects accurate information? So, when we look at possible solutions, we’re actually dealing with something real and not imagined. If we’re not dealing with accurate data, then that’s problematic,” Arnold said.

Kelso said the rising absentee rate would leave a broader imprint on students, schools and districts across Kansas.

“For the student, it’s obviously missed instruction, missed relationships, missed social interactions we value so highly as students,” she said. “The lost opportunity for instruction is going to lead to decreased achievement in most instances.”

Regehr: Family gathering filled with joy

Continued from A1

Lisse recalled. Her mom’s side of the family usually celebrated Christmas Eve with a nice dinner, followed by opening presents. The Friskels lived above the old funeral home just off the north side of the square.

“Mom’s the oldest of six, so it was loud and joyful and wonderful, bringing the family to-

gether.”

The next morning, Lisse woke up for an intimate Christmas morning with her immediate family.

“It was so wonderful to be together.”

Walt is also the oldest of six, and as such Lisse’s family celebrated another “really big, loud, awesome” Christmas Day with his side at the family farm near

Carlyle.

“The thing that strikes me is that it’s not the gifts I remember,” Lisse recalled. “It’s the joy of being around so many people who loved each other.”

Soon, the family would move again. Family members passed away.

The immediate family continues to get together for the holidays.

Lisse enjoys time with her nieces and nephews.

“I’m so lucky to have that one Christmas where we got all those experiences with both sides of the family. It was rare for us to get to be part of it. I will never forget the feelings of love and joy and warmth that comes with those memories.”

Deputy dressed as Grinch gives onions to speeding drivers

MARATHON, Fla.

(AP) — Several motorists who were speeding through an elementary school zone on the Florida Keys Overseas Highway received an odorous onion as a reminder to slow down from a county sheriff's deputy dressed as the Grinch.

Col. Lou Caputo, a 37-year veteran of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office who conjured up the concept more than 20 years ago, was back on the streets Tuesday.

Drivers who trav-

el about 5 mph or less above the school zone's speed limit can choose between traffic citations and an onion presented by the Grinch. Those speeding beyond that likely receive a costly ticket.

"It's about education, awareness that our school zones are still operating even though it's the holiday season,"

Caputo said. "We want people to slow down."

Caputo said he portrays the fictional character created by children's author Dr. Seuss to give motorists a "gift" but also to call attention in a nice way to the need to obey speed limits in school zones.

"It catches them off guard," Caputo said.

"But when I give

SOUTHEAST KANSAS History OnlineOnline

them a clear choice of a citation or the onion, they will take the onion. And I've had them eat the onion right in front of me."

Kelso said the uptick in chronic absenteeism meant teachers had to devote more time to sorting out assignments for students who needed to catch up. It could take a toll on other students as teachers accommodated individuals who missed previous instruction, she said.

I have a wealth of experience chasing kids who didn’t come to school. If we can change attendance, we can change their life.

— Jim McNiece

Jane Groff, executive director of Kansas Parent Information Resource Center, said the trend among Kansas students missing significant amounts of school had placed districts on alert.

“Districts and schools are looking at this issue much more. I’ve done this 15 years and attendance and chronic absenteeism has never risen to the top like it has now,” she said.

She said lack of transportation, depression and trauma were barriers to regular attendance in school. Issues with student engagement and past negative school experiences, including bullying, were factors. Another obstacle were the misperceptions among parents and caregivers that excused absences weren’t a detriment to a student or that missing school only mattered to older students, she said.

Groff said educators had the best chance of amending attendance habits if they worked to build positive relationships with students and families.

Alumni Spotlight

Austin Hendrix

Recent Allen alumnus Austin Hendrix, who graduated in 2020, keeps his ties to Allen strong. A native of Colony, Austin now resides in Iola. While attending Allen, he was heavily involved in several student organizations, including Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Student Council, Student Ambassadors and Scholars Bowl. He also volunteered as Bible Study leader on campus.

Being active in the Allen community allowed him to broaden his network and develop professionally. Austin is currently a teller at Emprise Bank in Iola and tutors students in math and writing in his free time.

Austin, who is actively pursuing his bachelor’s degree through Indiana University East, warmly remembers cheering on Allen’s athletic teams; the basketball games were some of his favorite memories from his time on campus. When asked what advice he’d offer new students and recent graduates, he answered with the following: “Establish your priorities. If you allow your circumstances or feelings to control you, they will lead to you extinguishing your ambitions. But remember to have fun, too. It’s all about balance!”

Best wishes om staff

Back row: Richard Luken, Paul Vernon, Kristi Kranker, Susan Lynn, Nathan Cope, Quinn Burkitt, Tim Stauffer and Violeta Rodriguez Stauffer. Front row: Vickie Moss, Liz Cox, Susan Locke and Paiton Richards. Not pictured: Grace Garner, Jake Marple, Mary Cooper and Barbara Berry.

The family of Walt and Mary Ann Regehr gathers for Christmas this year. From left, Katrina Springer holding Finian Springer, Job Springer, Rohan Springer, Moira Springer, Declan Springer (front), Walt Regehr, Mary Ann Regehr, Lisse Regehr, Kara Regehr, Avery Regeher and Sean Regehr.

At right is a photo from the 1985 Christmas at the Regehr family farm near Carlyle. Sean, Katrina and Lisse Regehr are opening presents in front.

Locally

owned since 1867

County’s top sports moments of the year

ACC focuses on early childhood education

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

Allen Community College is taking steps to grow its early childhood education program.

At the behest of Beth Toland, who has been in charge of the program since 2009, trustees voted Tuesday to add a program advocate for early childhood education starting in the spring.

The new position will assist in marketing early childhood education programs, continuing and supporting industry partnerships, and assisting students in applying at Allen.

The program is tailored for students for careers in work-

ing with young children. Toland said she visited extensively with new college president Bruce Moses short-

ly after Moses was hired at Allen. It was there, Toland said, that Moses challenged her to find ways to grow the

program, particularly in the northern tiers of Allen’s service area, such as around Topeka.

What Toland found was potential growth for providers dealing with the Hispanic population.

“In a time where we do not have enough support staff in K-12 or enough teachers in child care, we know a significant portion of our workforce is being shut out of jobs because they cannot access training and education needed to advance in the field,” Toland told ACC trustees. “Allen can open those doors for employees and new child care

Keystone Pipeline has history of spills, fines

By ALLISON KITE Kansas Reflector

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Fed-

eral regulators have issued warnings repeatedly over the life of the Keystone pipeline that operators aren’t doing enough to prevent corrosion and don’t follow proper construction procedures.

But despite a history of warnings and large spills, the Keystone pipeline failed

A Christmas home away from home

na said.

By VICKIE MOSS

Having a day care means getting to celebrate Christmas with children, years after your own are grown.

Donna Ross of Moran has been watching area children for more than 40 years. Each year at Christmastime, the children enjoy a big party. They exchange names and each brings a gift to give to another. Donna also gives

again last week, dumping 14,000 barrels — or 588,000 gallons — of oil in northern Kansas. It’s the largest spill since the pipeline began operations about a decade ago.

After more than 20 spills, the crude oil pipeline’s Canadian owner, TC Energy, has paid just over $300,000 fines. That’s 0.2% of the more than $111 million in property damage it has caused. That

See PIPELINE | Page A4

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

each a gift. They play games, do arts and crafts projects, and enjoy refreshments. Parents also join in on the fun.

“We are a little family here. For the kids that come here, these are like their brothers and sisters,” Don-

Doing wonderful things with strings

“During COVID, when they couldn’t be together, they missed each other so much.”

Donna is licensed to watch 10 children. Three attend school during the day, and three more leave at noon. That means she has just four in the afternoons, which is a quieter time.

“It keeps you young,” she said of watching the chil-

a Santa

The Iola Register

Donna Ross, center, celebrates Christmas with her day-care kids. Front row, Harper Gabbert, Charlotte Lawson, Hudsyn Gabbert, Jewell Chapman; back, Caleb Lawson, Jaren Curl, Jerrica Curl, Hadlee Gabbert, Ross, Judson Curl, Raelyn Cook. COURTESY PHOTO

See ROSS | Page A3

Beth Toland speaks about the early childhood education program at Allen Community College. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Onceupon

Santa Claus came to town on Wednesday to read stories with the Library Littles at the Iola Public Library. Several youngsters also sang Christmas tunes for Jolly Old Saint Nick. REGISTER/ RICHARD LUKEN

See ACC | Page A4

Iola Middle and High School orchestra students performed a concert on Wednesday evening at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center under the direction of Elizabeth Cunningham. At left, Elizabeth Maier offers a violin solo with “Allegro.” At right, high school orchestra students join forces with the middle school’s intermediate orchestra for “Scarborough Fair” and other numbers. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

War in Ukraine hinges on who gets more rockets and shells first

By MARC CHAMPION Bloomberg News/TNS

The potential addition of Patriot missile defense batteries to Ukraine’s arsenal comes as Kyiv and Moscow both face a critical question with the war in its 10th month: Can they secure enough missiles and artillery through winter to prevail?

A combination of cold, but still wet weather and Russian consolidation along defensive lines has slowed advances by either side on Ukraine’s battlefields, but not the war’s intensity. The conflict continues to churn through limited reserves of troops and munitions at a frightening pace.

The big worry now for Russia this winter is to avoid ceding more territory to Ukrainian counter-offensives, according to three people close to the Kremlin and the Russian defense ministry. They cited concerns that the supply of ammunition and weapons has been too slow to ensure Russia’s forces hold their ground.

Which side runs low first could decide whether Ukraine or Russia emerges in the spring with the strategic initiative to potentially end

the war on its terms. The two sides have at times fired in excess of 24,000 artillery shells per day, according to a November report by the Royal United Services Institute, a UK think tank, as well as dozens of scarce long-range missiles, attack drones and air-defense munitions. The high fire rates for artillery represent “a much larger consumption than NATO militaries would be able to sustain,” said Nick Reynolds, who co-authored the report.

“Ukraine needs constant artillery support with guns and shells,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told allies in a vid-

eo-linked appeal for more supplies at a Group of Seven leaders meeting on Monday.

“We need more rocket artillery and more longrange missiles.”

The war has had two distinct theaters since at least mid-October, when Russia began a systematic campaign to destroy Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with a mix of longer range missiles and attack drones. On Tuesday, U.S. officials said America is poised to send Patriot air and missile defense batteries to Ukraine, pending final approval from President Joe Biden.

An announcement on that could come soon — though with its Sovi-

Ross: Daycare celebrates holiday

Continued from A1

dren.

“They are the funniest little people.”

About 10 years ago, she tried to count how many children she has watched. She surpassed 100 before giving up.

Often, children come to her day care as infants and stay until middle school age, around 12. That means there isn’t a lot of turnover, but after 40 years, she’s taken care of quite a few youngsters in the area.

She still keeps in touch with some of them.

“My first day-care kid is now 45 and a teacher in western Kansas,” she said, exhibiting the same kind of pride as talking about her own children.

AND SPEAKING of her own children, Donna remembers how spe-

cial Christmas was for them, as well.

“There were nights I’d have to stay up all night, waiting for my kids to go to sleep because they were so excited for Santa to come,” she recalled. “I don’t think they ever understood why Mommy was exhausted, but I wanted to keep that magic going for as long as I could.”

Daughter Brandie McQueen and her husband, Nick, live in Lindsborg, where she is a physician recruiter for Salina Regional Health Center.

Son Chris Barker and his wife, Amy, live in Manhattan with their four children Mason, Emma, Kate and Lucy. He is a youth pastor at Faith Manhattan.

Donna remembers one particular Christmas about 40 years ago, when Cabbage Patch dolls were popular

and her daughter was around the age of 5.

“She wanted a Cabbage Patch doll and you couldn’t get them anywhere,” Donna said. “She was so serious. She was being good. She thought Santa would bring her one.”

Worried that Santa wouldn’t be able to find one of the dolls, Donna set about making one. She stayed up late every night to work on it.

Then she got a call from George Isaac, owner of Moran’s Western Auto store.

“You’re not going to believe this,” he told Donna. “A Cabbage Patch doll came in on the truck. It’s yours if you want it.”

“I would have paid a million dollars for it,” Donna laughed. “That’s one of my favorite memories, how that worked out.”

LOADED with THANKS

et-era stocks of munitions depleted, Ukraine will need more than Patriots.

The U.S. Army has said it will increase production of 155mm artillery shells to 20,000 per month, from 14,000, by the spring, and to 40,000 per month by 2025. The estimated Ukrainian usage is already around 100,000 shells per month. For Russia, RUSI estimates its forces have been firing an average of 20,000 artillery shells

4,000.

Tank shells are another concern for Ukraine, as production lines for Soviet-model vehicles are scarce. Zelenskyy made an urgent plea for “modern” tanks in his address, a demand driven in part by the fact that NATO standard tanks would come with a ready pipeline of ammunition.

Meanwhile in Moscow, there are worries its military is spending too many hard-to-replenish resources to little effect, and with no clear strategy to win the war. That’s even as its forces make incremental gains around the town of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, and its arms factories work around the clock.

President Vladimir Putin this month canceled his annual marathon press conference, in what several officials working in or close to the Kremlin described as evidence he recognizes the lack of gains to report. If Ukraine’s allies continue or increase

to Zelenskyy’s administration, it will be very difficult for Russian forces to avoid further withdrawals, according to a retired senior officer and defense analyst, who asked not to be identified. Criticism of the Russian war effort is punishable by jail.

Outside estimates of the state of Russia’s artillery stocks vary widely. In a lecture at RUSI late Wednesday, the UK’s Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Tony Radakin said Russia faced a “critical shortage of artillery munitions,” having planned for only a 30 day war. “This means that their ability to conduct successful offensive ground operations is rapidly diminishing.”Yet just days earlier, the head of Estonia’s defense intelligence center estimated Russia still had about 10 million artillery shells in stock and was producing more at a rate of about 3.4 million per year. That, he warned, would allow Russia to continue the war for at

This photograph, taken on Dec. 13, 2022, shows a destroyed ammunition depot belonging to the Russian army on the outskirts of Izyum, Kharkiv region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (SERGEY BOBOK/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES/TNS)

Bursting at the seams

Mental health center doubles staff; new facilities on tap

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

Nathan Fawson knows a thing or two about trying to stretch a dollar.

For years, Fawson, executive director of the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, has labored to help the center provide increasingly costly mental health services, doing so with an archaic fee system that never seemed to cover costs.

“We predominantly serve the Medicaid population,” Fawson explained. “Yet our Medicaid rates have not been

increased for nearly two decades.”

However, a pair of recent grants have been nothing less than a game-changer at SEKMHC.

Within the past two years,

Introducing the Griswolds of Iola

By MITCH and DONITA GARNER Special to The Iola Register

Note: Mitch Garner is Public Works director for Allen County. Donita Garner is the Child Advocacy Center coordinator at Hope Unlimited.

When you ask someone what brings on those feelings of the “magic of Christmas” many times they will talk about a favorite song or maybe the feeling they get in gathering with family. When it comes to Mitch Garner, Christmas lights are what brings about that feeling of Christmas.

When asked about what started his tradition of putting lights on anything that didn’t move, Mitch said it all began about 22 years ago.

Mitch grew up with his single mom, Edna Garner, his grandmother, Lena Conger, his twin brother Mike, who is currently a captain in the Army, and two adopted siblings.

Christmas didn’t mean that you got a lot, it just meant you ate well, had lots of friends and family over and laughed a lot.

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

Edna Garner was a foster parent and day-care provider for over 30 years so the number of children in and out of her doors were quite large. She strived extra hard to help bring the magic of Christmas

back into the kids’ lives.

One year Grandma Lena decided to have Christmas at a house she owned out in the county near Piqua. Mitch was

sphere outside and to guide their friends and family to

See

the organization has doubled its staff, with roughly 275 fulland part-time professionals servicing a six-county area. With such growth — and

See SEKMHC | Page A4

Feds bring back free COVID

tests

By JENNIFER SHUTT Kansas Reflector

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is once again offering Americans the opportunity to order free at-home COVID-19 rapid tests from the federal government, a program that it had shuttered amid an ongoing stalemate with Congress over additional funding to address the virus. The program will allow each household to order four free COVID-19 tests as part of the White House’s plans to try to tamp down the number of diagnoses this winter amid an increase in coronavirus, flu and RSV.

“While COVID-19 is not the disruptive force it once was, the virus continues to evolve, and cases are on the rise again as families are spending more time indoors and gathering for the holidays,” the White

See TESTS | Page A3

New physician empowers patients with knowledge about sports injuries, obesity

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Doctors are teachers, in a way. They educate patients about their diseases, how medications work and lifestyle changes that could improve their condition.

For Dr. Sam Wilcox, a new physician for the Allen Coun-

ty Regional Hospital’s family clinic, practicing medicine gives him a chance to enjoy the best of both worlds.

He always expected to become a teacher, as both parents are teachers. They’re also Kansas State University fans, so he attended K-State to study kinesiology with the intention of becoming a teacher. His thinking started to

change, though, while student teaching.

“Students would get sick or have things come up and I realized that if people don’t have their health, they can’t pursue an education,” Wilcox said.

That’s when he started to study medicine and realized he could still teach, just in a

See DOCTOR | Page A4

The Garner family, from left, Mitch, William, Donita and Grace. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Family physcian Dr. Sam Wilcox sees patients at the Iola Clinic at the Medical Arts Building, 826 E. Madison. FILE PHOTO

Nathan Fawson, executive director for Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Garner: Lighting tradition became contest

Continued from A1

where the festivities were located. The next year when Christmas was once again held in town (Iola), Mitch decided to decorate a few trees in the front yard. It got some attention being so close to Casey's convenience store.

Every year when the lights would go up the children who happened to be lucky enough to be in the foster care and day care were treated to the magical glow of Christmas. Putting up the tree and that wonderful anticipation of Christmas always began with digging out the lights and the Christmas tree.

In the years following while Mitch and his wife, Donita, have lived on South Third Street, Mitch decided to go full Griswold (from the “Chrismtas Vacation” movie) several years in a row with the assistance of his friends, Brian Ulrich and Steve Taylor. They were able to “stripe” the house with Christmas lights

front to back and were even featured in the Iola Register because of the Griswold similarity.

Soon the competition was on with Brian living down the road. They competed to see who could get their lights up first and who would have the most lights. Any given Christmas you would find Brian, Steve and Mitch putting up each other’s lights.

‘Suesspicious’ driver cited

PHOENIX (AP)

— The Grinch came early for an Arizona driver who tried to pass off an inflatable figure of the Dr. Seuss character as a passenger.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety says a state trooper last week noticed a car in a high-occupancy vehicle lane on Interstate 10 in Phoenix with a “Seusspicious-looking” green passenger.

Maybe even a few times they would prank each other and unplug a few lights.

Over the years things have changed. Mitch’s Grandma Lena passed away in 2012 and then his mother, Edna, died the following year in 2013.

The tradition of putting up the lights and decorating the yard has continued with the as-

sistance of their children Grace and William.

One addition to the holiday season is Mitch putting up a single strand of Christmas lights at the Highland Cemetery on the headstones of his mom and grandmother. He also takes a can of their favorite soda to toast in the new holiday season and thinks of the wonderful holidays of the years past and how they taught him how to appreciate what you have whether you have a little or a lot — family and those who are your family at the moment — mean the most.

Year End

While the gag may have caused the officer’s heart to grow, it did not stop the driver from getting cited for being in the HOV lane during a restricted time.

The agency, however, could not help but post a photo of the Grinch figure with the driver’s face blurred on its Twitter account. Officials say they appreciate the “festive flair” but that the driver’s action was still illegal.

Mitch Garner decorates the gravestones of his mother and grandmother, and takes a can of their favorite soda for an annual toast. COURTESY PHOTOS

The Garner house in all its festive glory.

Listening for the sound of Santa

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

When he was just a tot, Iola High School principal Scott Carson and his brothers would tromp outside their family’s farmhouse near Parsons on a very important Christmas Eve mission — to scatter food for Santa’s reindeer.

They would then snuggle into their beds to listen for Santa and his reindeer alighting on the rooftop.

Eventually Carson learned that it was his uncle, in league with his parents, who climbed onto the roof to add to the magic of the holiday.

“My parents always went the extra mile,” Carson said as he recalled some of his favorite Christmas memories.

The holiday meant gathering with a large extended family on both his mother and father’s sides. Carson is the middle of three boys.

“I was blessed with lots of family.”

His father, a teacher and coach, moved the family for his job but always called Par-

See CARSON | Page A6

noted. COURTESY PHOTO

Family encourages blood donations after accident that injured brothers

By VICKIE MOSS

Iola Register

A local family has found a way to give back after a devastating accident in August.

Austin Sigg, age 35, received more than 20 units of blood after being severely burned on Aug. 30 from a fire that ignited in his automotive and tractor repair shop.

Recently, his wife, Emily, posted on social media a request for blood donations to the Community Blood Bank’s blood drive on Wednesday and Thursday in Iola.

“Such a quick thing can help someone tremendously!” Emily wrote in the post. She should know.

Austin spent six weeks in a burn unit at the University of Kansas Medical Center recovering from third-degree burns over 45% of his body.

Family members rallied to Emily’s request.

Austin’s parents and brother scheduled appointments for Wednesday. It was the first time in years they had donated.

His father, Dan Sigg, tried to give blood about 30 years ago but was taking medication that made him ineligible. This time, he qualified.

“Come hell or high water, I was going to make this happen,” he said.

“I’m doing this for the same reason I’m an organ donor on

my driver’s license. Everyone benefits when you give back.”

Jan Sigg, Austin’s stepmother, said giving blood helped her feel as if she was able to give something in return. The only other time she had donated blood was about 30 years ago.

Her perspective on donating has changed. She said of the first time she gave blood, “You think you’re doing a good deed. But you never know when you’ll need it.”

Austin’s brother, Ethan, who was also involved in the Aug. 30 accident, also donated blood last week.

“Any little thing you can do for someone else is a good

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)

— President Joe Biden’s administration announced Monday that it is ramping up efforts to help house people now sleeping on sidewalks and in tents and cars as a new federal report confirms what’s obvious to people in many cities: Homelessness is persisting despite increased local efforts.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said that in federally required tallies taken across the country earlier

By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Demolition work on the Docking state office building next to the Kansas Capitol could begin in January to prepare the site for construction of a three-story multipurpose building atop the original foundation.

Gov. Laura Kelly signed off on a plan that would remove 12 floors of the 1950s building named to honor former Gov. Robert Docking. Fate of the structure has been the source of intense debate for the past decade as Gov. Sam Brownback set in motion a demolition strategy blocked by the Leg-

this year, about 582,000 people were counted as homeless — a number that misses some people and does not include those staying with friends or family because they do not have a place of their own.

The figure was nearly the same as it was in a survey conducted in early 2020, just before the coronavirus pandemic hit the nation hard. It was up by about 2,000 people — an increase of less than 1%.

The administration aims

islature. Lawmakers subsequently weighed options of total demolition, complete renovation and retention of several floors.

Kelly signed an order enabling Docking to be brought to ground level to make way for a three-story structure that incorporated architectural design elements of the high-rise building.

A group of preservationists, known as Plains Modern, filed a lawsuit prompting a Shawnee County District Court hearing this month with the goal of determining whether the organization had standing to challenge demolition of what they viewed as a struc-

Iola High School Principal Scott Carson, center back, celebrates the Christmas season with his immediate family. Family traditions change over time, he

The

Ethan Sigg, front, and his father, Dan, in back, donate blood as part of a Community Blood Drive effort last week. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Carson: Christmas memories

Continued from A1

sons home. They spent Christmas Eve with Carson’s paternal grandparents who lived in the country “right on the Neosho River.”

“We always went to Mass on Christmas Eve and then everybody would go to their house,” Carson recalled. “She had a big tree and my grandpa always wore a Santa coat. They had presents for all of us and we’d have dinner. There was a fire going. It was cozy.”

On that side of the family, Carson had about 10 cousins. He was one of the older ones and he enjoyed playing with cousins who looked to him as an example.

The next day was spent with his mom’s family in Fredonia.

There, the roles were reversed with Scott and his brothers surrounded by five older cousins.

“We thought they

[Holiday traditions keep] changing. And you don’t really notice it until you think back.

— Scott Carson, Iola High School principal

were all really cool,” he said.

His parents “always got us cool gifts.” He remembers one year his mom gave him a Walkman with cassettes and blank tapes, so he and his brothers could record the songs they liked on the radio.

“We had to sit by the radio and wait, and the DJ always ruined them because they talked at the beginning and the end.”

HERE’S the thing about traditions, though. They evolve.

As the years passed, some family members passed away. Others

Christmas tree demand remains high

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — For all the worries about inflation and the economy, Americans aren’t scrimping on a centerpiece of many celebrations this holiday season: the Christmas tree.

grew up, got married and had children. They formed new rituals.

In Carson’s opinion, after his mother passed away a couple of years ago the holidays on that side of the family haven’t been the same.

Carson and his wife have five children. One is still at home, some are in college and some have jobs. It’s difficult to find a time for everyone to get together. It might not even happen on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

“It keeps changing,” Carson said. “And you don’t really notice it until you think back.”

Retailers from Home Depot and Lowes to mom and pop operations raised their prices on trees — but people are still buying them.

Some Christmas tree growers fretted over external factors — high fuel, fertilizer and labor costs — only to rediscover that holiday greenery is largely inflation-proof, even as Americans cut back on retail spending last month.

The cost of an average-size tree from the local Rotary Club’s Christmas trees in South Portland, Maine, is $70 — $5 more than last year.

A survey of 55 of the nation’s largest Christmas tree wholesalers indicated virtually all of them intended to raise prices, with most whole-

Dozens hurt in turbulent Hawaii flight

HONOLULU (AP) —

A flight from Phoenix to Honolulu carrying many people traveling for the holidays encountered severe turbulence shortly before landing, sending some unrestrained people and objects flying about the cabin and seriously injuring 11, officials and passengers said.

In all, 36 people received medical treatment following Sunday’s turbulent Hawaiian Airlines flight for bumps, bruises, cuts and nausea, said Jim Ireland, director of Honolulu Emergency Medical Services. Twenty people were taken to hospitals, including 11 in serious condition.

“We are also very happy, and we feel fortunate that there were not any deaths or other critical injuries. And we’re also very hopeful that all will recover and make a full recovery,” Ireland said.

The full flight had nearly 300 people aboard and carried many passengers traveling to Hawaii for the holidays, like Jacie Hayata Ano, who was heading home.

“It was just rocky,” she told KHON-TV. “And then, it quickly just escalated to the point where we’re shaking so much that we were pretty much like floating off

Donate

Continued from A1

feeling,” Ethan said.

Ethan received second-degree burns from trying to pat out flames engulfing Austin and was briefly hospitalized at KU Med. He is now working at JD Automotive, operated by his uncle, Jerry Sigg.

EMILY, a frequent blood donor, said she doesn’t know how many were motivated to give blood last week, but heard from several friends and other family members who did.

She chose the Community Blood Center not only because it provided blood to Austin but also because donations stay local.

of our chairs.”

Passenger Jodette Neely told NBC’s “Today” show that she saw people hitting their heads on the aircraft’s ceiling.

“I was grabbing the seat in front of me, the top of it, to hang on, even though I had my seat belt on,” she said.

Hawaiian Airlines Chief Operating Officer Jon Snook said such turbulence is isolated and unusual, noting that the airline hadn’t experienced anything like it in recent history. Three flight attendants were among the injured, he said.

Passenger Kaylee Reyes told Hawaii News Now that her mother had just sat down when the turbulence hit and had not had a chance to buckle her safety belt.

“She flew up and hit the ceiling,” Reyes said.

Jazmin Bitanga, who was also traveling home for the holidays, said

there were two drops in altitude, including one that was so strong it sent her boyfriend’s water bottle into the plane’s ceiling.

“I turned around and there was a couple of people bleeding and just bracing themselves,” she told Hawaii News Now. “Just all around me, there were people crying.”

There was some internal damage to the aircraft during the turbulence, Snook said. The fasten-seat belts sign was on at the time, though some of those injured weren’t wearing them, he said.

Thomas Vaughan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said there had been a weather advisory for thunderstorms that included Oahu and areas that would have included the flight path at the time of the turbulence.

The airline was aware

of the weather forecast and the unstable air and weather conditions, but had no warning that the particular patch of air where the turbulence occurred “was in any way dangerous,” Snook said.

He didn’t know how much altitude the plane lost during the turbulence, saying that would be part of an investigation involving the National Transportation Safety Board. The plane’s flight data recorder would provide those details, he said.

The investigation would also address precisely what the passengers and crew were doing at the time, he said.

The Airbus A330-200 began its descent immediately after the turbulence, and the crew declared an emergency because of the number of injuries on board, he said. Air traffic controllers gave the flight priority to land.

Americans continue to buy Christmas trees this holiday season. IMAGE BY PROSTOOLEH ON FREEPIK

sale cost increases in the 5% to 15% range — but with some increases reaching 21% or more, according to the Real Christmas Tree Board in Howell, Michigan, which conducts marketing and research for the industry.

But another survey indicated 85% of people feel Christmas trees are worth it despite price increases, the board said.

That suggests a tree — whether real or artificial — remains a requisite part of the holiday tradition, along with Christmas toys, cards and carols, and ugly sweaters.

Like individual traditions, the types of trees and local market conditions can vary.

In the end, nearly 21 million live Christmas trees will be sold by the time consumers wrap up purchases over the final days leading up to Christmas Day, putting sales on par with last year’s strong performance, according to Jill Sidebottom of the National Christmas Tree Association.

“It wouldn’t really be Christmas without a tree,” said Susan Adams, of South Portland, who’s making do with a smaller tree this year — for the same cost as last year’s bigger tree.

The team at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute is now providing expert heart care in Allen County. The Heart Institute is ranked No. 22 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, the only hospital in the region to be ranked in the top 25. Using advanced diagnostics and innovative treatments, our specially trained staff can treat common to complex heart conditions.

FIRST

DAY

Locally owned since 1867

Group hopes to make a splash

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

An account for the splash park has been set up through Your Community Foundation in an important step in the process, because any donations to YCF are tax-deductible, Houser explained.

A splash park CITF members envision would cost about $400,000.

Houser’s goal is to raise half of that, with the thought that $200,000 could qualify the city for a Community Development Block Grant.

“It’s a lot of money, but we want to get a really nice one,” Houser said.

Final designs are still way into the future, but the splash park would almost certainly entail a concrete pad filled

An artist’s rendering, above, shows what a splash park could look like. The park has not yet been designed. At right, CITF/ PRIDE will note fundraising efforts with this billboard on the north side of the square.

with an assortment of water sprayers, both from the nozzles at ground level, and from overhanging fountains. An activator button triggers the water.

“What we want is something that’s a little different for kids to enjoy, but something that would be a neat addition to our town,” she said.

AFTER months of discuss-

ing the matter, CITF agreed the splash park would be best suited for Meadowbrook Park because of its centralized location in town; available infrastructure such as water service; and its elevation allows for proper water drainage. Their original hopes to have it closer to downtown never materialized, and a

See SPLASH | Page A6

Jan. 6 panel urges Trump prosecution

the will of voters.

iolaregister.com

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Bitterly cold temperatures, snow and wind chills are heading this way.

If you can, stay home and keep warm, Jason Trego, Allen County’s emergency management director, advises.

A wind chill watch takes effect at midnight and continues until noon Friday. A winter storm watch also starts at midnight and continues until 6 p.m. Thursday.

Temperatures could drop as low as -8 degrees overnight Thursday into Friday.

Wind chills could reach a low of -32 on Thursday

See STORM | Page A3

The top NFL teams struggled in Week 15

WASHINGTON (AP) —

The House Jan. 6 committee urged the Justice Department on Monday to bring criminal charges against Donald Trump for the violent 2021 Capitol insurrection, calling for accountability for the former president and “a time of reflection and reckoning.”

Paul Zirjacks shows the 1984 Christmas program from a church he visited in Austria. The iconic “Silent Night” was written there in 1818. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

‘Silent Night’ church service memory will last a lifetime

By PAUL ZIRJACKS Special to The Iola Register

Note: Paul Zirjacks, age 86, is a retired Army veteran who served 30 years and reached the rank of Sergeant Major.

During my U.S. Army career, my late wife, Judy, and I spent many years living and serving in Germany before I retired in 1987.

For three of those final years, we and another couple we traveled with spent the Christmas holidays in Berchtesgaden, Germany, a small tourist town on the Austrian border.

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

village of Oberndorff for Christmas Eve services. The service was held outside of the small Catholic church where the Christmas song “Silent Night” was written in 1818.

See MEMORY | Page A6

After one of the most exhaustive and aggressive congressional probes in memory, the panel’s seven Democrats and two Republicans are recommending criminal charges against Trump and associates who helped him launch a wide-ranging pressure campaign to try to overturn his 2020 election loss. The panel also released a lengthy summary of its final report, with findings that Trump engaged in a “multipart conspiracy” to thwart

At a final meeting Monday, the committee alleged violations of four criminal statutes by Trump, in both the run-up to the riot and during the insurrection itself, as it recommended the former president for prosecution to the Justice Department. Among the charges they recommend for prosecution is aiding an insurrection — an effort to hold him directly accountable for his supporters who stormed the Capitol that day.

The committee also voted to refer conservative lawyer John Eastman, who devised dubious legal maneuvers aimed at keeping Trump in power, for prosecution on two of the same statutes as Trump: conspiracy to defraud the United States and

See TRUMP | Page A4

Newspaper delivery could be delayed

With severe weather on the horizon, the possibility exists that The Iola Register will not be delivered Thursday or Friday.

The Register is printed in the afternoon at a facility in Hutchinson and then makes its way to Iola in the evening hours.

If travel is deemed dangerous, that transfer will not occur.

Instead, whatever publications are withheld will be included in Saturday’s delivery.

We appreciate your understanding.

Zelenskyy visits front line

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the eastern city of Bakhmut, the scene of some of the most intense combat since Russia invaded the country, meeting Tuesday with troops and praising their “courage, resilience and strength” as artillery boomed in the background.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also hailed the “courage and self-denial” of his forces in Ukraine — but he did so at a ceremony in an

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

opulent and glittering hall at the Kremlin. Both leaders sought to build morale as the stalemated conflict grinds through its 10th

month and winter sets in.

Zelenskky met with military personnel in a dimly lit building — possibly a disused factory — in Bakhmut, which he has called “the hottest spot on the entire front line,” his office said. The city, about 380 miles east of Kyiv, has remained in Ukrainian hands, thwarting Moscow’s goal of capturing the rest of Donetsk province and the entire Donbas industrial region.

It was not clear how he got to Bakhmut, but his un-

See WAR | Page A4

Sure, the temperature is expected to dip below levels acceptable for any sane man or beast in the coming days, so let’s think about summer.

Donna Houser, a long-time Iola Community Involvement Task Force/PRIDE member, is about to ramp up fundraising efforts for a new splash park in town.

On Nutrition: Christmas blizzard

By BARBARA INTERMILL Tribune News Service

Before I moved to western Nebraska, I thought a blizzard was a frozen milkshake with a gazillion calories. Then I experienced a storm with snow going sideways at 40 miles an hour. That was a blizzard.

According to the National Weather Service, a blizzard is a storm with large amounts of snow, winds greater than 35 mph, and visibility less than one-fourth of a mile. Apparently, it’s the strength of the wind that determines a blizzard from a snowstorm.

Blustery weather makes me thankful for electricity and hot coffee. Our dogs are happy we let them in by the fireplace. And even though they haven’t said so, I know the horses and cattle are relieved when they see my husband bringing them extra hay in his big green tractor.

Animals in the cold need extra energy to maintain their body temperature. Is that true of us humans as well? It is if we’re shivering in the cold trying to keep warm. Not so if we’re dressed like a grizzly bear in hibernation. Just to maneuver

through an icy blast with all that gear on can definitely use up some extra calories, however.

Some studies show that exposure to cold makes us feel hungrier, even if we don’t need the extra calories. I do admit it’s not always easy to fight off the urge to bake cookies when the weather outside is frightful.

Cold weather can also blunt our feeling of thirst. And since working outside in cold weather causes losses of fluid from our breath

USPS plans to move to all-electric fleet

WASHINGTON (AP)

— In a major boost for President Joe Biden’s pledge to eliminate gas-powered vehicles from the sprawling federal fleet, the Postal Service said Tuesday it will sharply increase the number of electric-powered delivery trucks — and will go all-electric for new purchases starting in 2026.

The post office said it is spending nearly $10 billion to electrify its aging fleet, including installing a modern charging infrastructure at hundreds of postal facilities nationwide and purchasing at least 66,000 electric delivery

trucks in the next five years. The spending includes $3 billion in funding approved under a landmark climate and health policy adopted by Congress last year.

The White House hailed the announcement as a way to sustain reliable mail service to Americans while modernizing the fleet, reducing operating costs and increasing clean air in neighborhoods across the country.

“This is the Biden climate strategy on wheels, and the U.S. Postal Service delivering for the American people,’’ said White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi.

Memory: Austria

Continued from A1

It was a mostly European crowd. They arrived in buses that parked at the edge of the village and then walked to the church.

Everyone was dressed warmly for the outdoor service. Everyone sang “Silent Night” in their own language. It was a very moving service.

To this day, whenever I hear “Silent Night” I remember the services on those cold nights.

Memories like these last a lifetime.

Here is the part of the program that was in English, as quoted from my aging printed program from the year

1984:

“Ladies and Gentlemen, Here the song ‘Silent Night’ was sung for the first time 166 years ago (Note: That’s a quote from my 1984 program. It’s now been 204 years.) At this hour we think of the two creators of the heartwarm-

Merry Christmas

and a Happy New Year!

From all of us to all to you!

From Doc and Kathy Monfort – Once again we come to years end. 2022 has own by and we turn our thoughts and thanks to the blessings in our lives, our family, friends, co-workers, clients, community, and all of the beloved pets that enrich our days. We wish all of you the happiest of holidays and Bow-Meow to the puppers and kitties.

and sweat, not getting adequate fluids can develop into a serious situation in a hurry. Besides a thank you to linemen who keep the power on, farmers and ranchers who feed and care for their animals and delivery drivers who bring us precious packages this time of year, a thoughtful gift might be a hot beverage to go.

People who live in colder climates also have a higher risk for a deficiency of vitamin D than those in warmer locales. That’s because vitamin D is manufactured when our skin is exposed to sunshine. And even if your weather is toasty, the shorter days of sunlight in winter months can lessen your body’s ability to make this important nutrient.

One other thing we know, according to

data from the U.S. and around the world: When the temperature drops, people tend to consume more alcohol. And those extra cups of cheer can add up to a whole host of problems, especially if you are trapped in the house with unwanted relatives.

One thing for sure, there is something special about a white Christmas. So put on a pot of tea. Try not to eat all the Christmas cookies you bake. Take it easy with the spiked eggnog. And thank God for the greatest gift ever given to mankind. Merry Christmas.

(Barbara Intermill is a registered dietitian nutritionist and syndicated columnist. She is the author of “Quinn-Essential Nutrition: The Uncomplicated Science of Eating.” Email her at barbara@quinnessentialnutrition.com.)

Splash: Donate

Continued from A1

splash park cannot be built in a flood zone, so constructing it at Riverside Park is off the table.

“You saw what happened in 2007, when the park became a bowl of water,” Houser said, referring to Iola’s last great flood.

“A splash park can get wet, but being underwater like that would ruin it.”

ing melody, the teacher Franz Xavier Gruber and the priest Joseph Mohr. Their song is a message to everybody in the world who is of goodwill. We hope you will enjoy this hour with us and wish you a merry Christmas.”

HOUSER has become something of a local legend for her fundraising endeavors. She spearheaded a yearslong campaign to improve the football stadium at Riverside Park. (Her late husband, Ray, was an Iola High School football

coach).

“I’m not shy about asking for money,” she chuckled. “I figure people will give me one of two answers: yes or no.”

Even before the YCF account was established, Houser had been reaching out to donors who assisted with the stadium project. She’s brought in about $15,000 thus far.

Iolan Jim Smith set up a billboard for CITF to monitor the fundraising in the pocket park west of City Hall on Jackson Avenue.

Those wishing to donate to the splash park can visit the YCF website at https://givingmakesadifference. com and then click the “donate now” button at the top of the page.

Gift Ideas For Your Handyman Our119th Year!

Small Hand Tools

Saws, wrenches, blades, drill bits, levels, hammers, screwdrivers, squares, tape measures and more!

From Leon and Diane LaGalle – Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Leon, Diane, and Elsa.

From Kristen Ulrey – Hoping everyone has a safe and happy holiday this year!

From Ti any Hurlock – e cold is a beautiful reminder to o er warm wishes for a happy holiday season. May your holidays be bright. Much Love, e Hurlocks

From Megan Westerhold DVM – I have enjoyed working with many of you this year and caring for your animals, both large and small. As we enter the holiday season, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and a healthy and prosperous 2023!

From Brande Beyer DVM – It’s the time for re ection and I feel blessed to have provided care for many large and small animal patients this year. I wish you all the magic of the season. Happy Holidays from my family to yours.

From Belinda Garten DVM - During this holiday season, we count our many blessings. We are thankful for the opportunity to care for your animals, both large and small. We treasure the many friendships and bonds that we have developed over the years because of working at RBVS. Finally, we are thankful for our many clients who allow us to share a small part of their lives and the lives of their animals. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and many blessings in the new year!

From Leann Flowers DVM – I would like to wish everyone a very Merry and Blessed Christmas season. I appreciate your business and love seeing all your furry family members. Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

From Christine Freelove – Wishing you all a Tail-waggin and Purr-fect Christmas. Have a paws-itively amazing New Year!

From Hallie McDermeit – Merry Everything and Happy Always!!

From Caleigh Porter – Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May the New Year bring you Joy and Cheer! From Caleigh, Macey & Winston.

From Nicole Haney – is time of year is a perfect time to spend with your family and friends, especially those of the furry variety! Wishing you lots of seasonal cheer and warmth. Happy Paw-lidays from Nicole, Brice, Penguin, and Shrimp Haney.

From Laura Boone – Sending best wishes to your family from mine. As we end this year, may you nd happy and loving memories to cherish and hold near to your heart. May your Christmas be Merry, and your New Year be Happy. From the Boone home to yours!

From Veronnica Cumplido – May everyone’s Christmas Wishes come true and good luck with all of your resolutions this year!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Veronnica and Fancy Cumplido! May all your sweaters be ugly and bright!

From Natalie DeGrado and Arabella (the hound dog) and Finn (the Fine) – May your Christmas be furry and bright!! Happy, happy holidays!

From McKenna Esfeld – We wish you a very Merry Holiday Season and the warmest wishes for the New Year! McKenna & Luna Mae

From Amanda Taylor – May this Christmas season ll you with warmth and good cheer that lasts all throughout the coming year! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! From Amanda and Molly Taylor (and Oran, too)

Some studies show that exposure to cold makes us feel hungrier, even if we don’t need the extra calories, writes Barbara Intermill. (MARTINMARK/DREAMSTIME/TNS)

When holidays hurt there’s hope

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Not all Christmas memories are merry. Some families go through divorce. Some deal with death. Others face abuse.

Iola Mayor Steve French, age 62, experienced all of the above.

It would take Steve years of healing, faith and grace to learn how to process his grief and create new, and healthy, holiday traditions.

“My story is not unique. I’ve come to realize that if you think your cut is bad, somebody has a gash. And if you’ve got a gash, somebody is an amputee. Somebody’s always got it worse,” he said.

“You’ve got to have something to believe in. For me, it was my faith. I have been

Zelenskyy visits US

WASHINGTON (AP) —

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was making his way to Washington on Wednesday for a summit with President Joe Biden and an address Congress in a bid to shore up support for his country and send a defiant message to its Russian invaders.

Zelenskyy said on his Twitter account that the visit, his first known trip outside Ukraine since the war began in February, was “to strengthen resilience and defense capabilities” of Ukraine and to discuss cooperation with the United States.

The highly sensitive trip was taking place after 10 months of a brutal war that has seen tens of thousands of casualties on both sides and devastation for Ukrainian civilians. The U.S. was set to announce its largest single delivery of arms to Ukraine, including Patriot surface-toair missiles, and Congress planned to vote on a spending package that includes about $45 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy headed abroad after making a daring and dangerous trip Tuesday to what he called the hottest spot on the 800-mile front line of the war, the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s contested Donetsk province. He praised Ukrainian troops for their “courage, resilience and strength” as artillery boomed

See VISIT | Page A2

saved by grace so many times.”

STEVE’S earliest Christmas memory, though, is magical.

He remembers walking up the steps of Iola’s Memorial

Hall as a child to visit Santa. Its massive marble pillars loom large in his memory, before the iconic structure was torn down in 1970.

“You thought you were going up those steps to see a king, just like in the movies.

And I remember they gave me a net bag shaped like a stocking, filled with stuff.”

But soon, when he was just 6, his parents divorced “and we got shuffled around.”

He and his siblings lived with their mother, JoAnn. She remarried and gave birth to her sixth child. Her new husband, James P. French Sr., adopted the children “and we had joy.”

But not for long. Steve’s new father died from heart complications at age 45. The family moved from Texas back to Moran.

In his short life, Steve had experienced the effects of di-

Bring it on: Road crews are ready for winter

By RICHARD LUKEN

Local, county and state officials are bracing for a predicted cold snap.

With Allen County on the southern edge of a winter storm expected to bring blizzard-like conditions elsewhere in the state, and sub-zero temperatures in the aftermath, preparations are far-reaching, Iola Assistant City Administrator Corey Schinstock said.

Iola’s street and alley crews have their salt trucks loaded and ready for action if snow and ice reach Iola — forecasts call for anything from a dusting to 3 inches — exacerbated by gusty north winds.

Schinstock said Iola crews will respond accordingly.

“It’ll be business as normal for us, if we don’t get a lot of ice or snow,” Schinstock said.

But cold weather affects more than traffic in Iola.

The last extended spell of brutally cold weather in February 2021 forced power companies to rely upon municipalities to generate a portion of their own electricity.

Iola’s generators are ready and able to be fired up at a moment’s notice, Schinstock said.

Likewise, the city has natural gas in storage to use if market prices spike from the cold.

“We’re hoping it doesn’t come to that,” Schinstock said.

ALLEN COUNTY road and bridge director Mark

Griffith also has his crews ready to roll out before dawn Thursday, when the expected wintry weather hits.

Salt trucks with plows will be responsible for clearing 120 miles of county blacktop roads, with graders responsible for clearing gravel routes — about 900 miles worth.

Again, the duration of the precipitation will dictate the course of action, Griffith said.

His primary concern is the wind.

If temps are well below freezing, a dry snow will be more likely to drift, Griffith explained.

And if it gets really windy, the snow “will just blow right back on the road after you’ve plowed it,” he added.

He expected the county trucks to be on the road as

early as 4 a.m. Thursday.

THE KANSAS Department of Transportation was set to send most of its drivers home at noon Wednesday so they can be fresh and ready for work overnight if needed, KDOT spokeswoman Priscilla Peterson said.

The Iola KDOT office has five snowplow operators on each shift, tasked with ensuring the U.S. highways are clear through Allen County and beyond.

The Iola trucks cover U.S. 169 from the K-39 intersection in Chanute to the U.S. 169-U.S. 159 intersection in Anderson County; U.S. 54 from Yates Center to Bronson; and U.S. 59 from the K-31 junction at Kincaid to the K-39 junction

See STORM | Page A4

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

Iola Mayor Steve French says working at a funeral home continues to help him heal from childhood trauma. The holidays tend to bring loss into focus for many. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

The Iola Register

Allen County employees Brandon Vink, left, and Terry Johnson are among the road crews expected to respond if and when a winter storm arrives Thursday. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Holidays: Iola’s mayor can celebrate the season again

Continued from A1

vorce, adoption, death, and displacement. It was an era where adults who sought mental health treatment were stigmatized, Steve said. And mental health treatment for children was nearly unheard of.

These days, a child facing such trauma can receive counseling, for which Steve is grateful.

But for him, all Steve knew was that “those dreams, those happy times, those moments were gone.”

The one constant in his life “was our Mom.”

Despite the sadness, she held the family together. She encouraged the children to stick together.

During holidays, she always made chicken and noodles from scratch. By Steve’s account, she used 10, maybe 20 pounds of flour to make old-fashioned noodles. She rolled them and cut them by hand.

“She spent a lot of time on it.”

“SO HERE’S where it gets sticky,” Steve said. “The other trauma starts.”

His mother married again and had another child. Steve would be the middle child out of seven.

“It was a struggle,” Steve recalled of the marriage. “He was a very abusive, very controlling individual. As a child, there’s not a lot you can do about it.”

He and his siblings found refuge in each other. They stayed close, supporting each other through difficult times.

“Christmas for me became about family. It’s not about going to the store and getting stuff. I wanted my brothers and my sisters to be togeth-

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

er.”

Steve was especially close to his brother, Matt, who was just a year older.

“Matt escaped by leaving Moran,” Steve said.

Things were looking up for Christmas in 1977. Steve was 17. His mother was in the process of leaving his abusive stepfather.

Matt had married a local girl, Beth McDonald, and they moved to Emporia. Matt wanted Steve to move with them.

“We had a good Christmas. Lots of hugs and the siblings were all there.”

A few days later, on Dec. 30, 1977, Matt and Beth were killed in a car accident.

Two weeks after that, his beloved maternal grandmother died. His grandfather followed her a few months later. Then a cousin died in a car accident.

“It was really a strain on the family,” Steve said. “I wanted to avoid the holidays, disassociate from what hurt.”

STEVE FLED. He left Moran — the word he used was “escaped” — and moved to Wichita. He didn’t come home for the holidays that year.

“I was angry. I didn’t want the holidays. I didn’t want to be around my family. I was hurting. I shut down. I didn’t know how to express myself,” he said.

“Probably my life-saving moment was getting a job at a funeral home.”

That’s where he learned about the stages of bereavement and

how to process grief.

“It’s OK to go through these different phases, but it’s not OK to get stuck. And I was stuck.”

As Steve learned how to help families work through those stages — denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance — he started to work through his own trauma.

the holidays.

“We celebrate the birth of Jesus, so I take a Christian view of Christmas,” he said. “And I take the view that every day is Christmas. If you wake up and take a breath, it’s a blessing.

love.”

His mother’s final years were difficult, too, but in a different way. JoAnn had a rare, incurable illness. She was diagnosed at age 55; at age 60, in 1998, she passed away.

face challenges. A sister died in a car accident. His youngest brother suffered a serious brain injury from an accident.

Steve calls it a miracle he survived.

It’s OK to go through these different phases, but it’s not OK to get stuck. And I was stuck.

He moved back home and worked in the oil business for a time before he found a job with the Allen County Sheriff’s Department. He worked there for six years before becoming an investigator for the Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services, a job he held for 29 years until retirement.

Steve believes that as the middle child, it’s in his nature to give, which has manifested itself in various ways. He and his wife have gone on medical mission trips in places such as Haiti and El Salvador.

He wanted to give back to his community, so he sought a seat on the Iola City Council in 2011. He served for two terms before a successful run for mayor this past spring.

At Christmas, he and his wife, Becky, visit area nursing homes. She plays the piano and sings; he plays Santa.

“I’m kind of a naughty Santa. I tell a lot of jokes.”

He also gives credit to God and Jesus as an example of the importance of giving — especially during

If you get to hug your grandbabies, if you get to see your siblings, it’s a gift.”

AT THE END of her life, his mom found peace, too.

“She had a good man in her life. He adored her and treated her right,” Steve recalled.

Those last five years of his mother’s life were filled with family. During the holidays, they might cram a total of 40 children and grandchildren into a single-wide mobile home. It was loud and wonderful.

And, oh, did his mother give the best hugs.

“When she hugged you, you thought the arms of God were around you. It was so genuine, so real and you just felt unconditional

“Those last five years, there was a lot of hugging. A lot of tears. A lot of laughter. And that’s what you hang onto.”

STEVE has come full circle.

“How fitting that we’re having this conversation at a funeral home,” he said.

After retirement, Steve took a job with Feuerborn Family Funeral Home, transferring the deceased and operating the crematorium.

“When people walk in, I feel their pain. I tell them, ‘I care. I’m there for you. I lift you up in prayer.’ And when I walk past them at the grocery store, I nod and it reminds me to pray for them,” he said.

Even as an adult, Steve has continued to

Six years ago, Steve nearly died from complications after a medical procedure. He was hospitalized for a month. He missed Thanksgiving and nearly missed Christmas. He doesn’t like to miss Christmas. As difficult as the holidays have been at times, it’s still an opportunity for families to gather and share their faith and their love for each other.

“Through the years I’ve tried to create my own traditions with my own family.

“I make my Momma’s chicken and noodles. I do it just the way she did, except I use a handcrank cutter so I might get done a little quicker.”

He offered a final piece of advice for those who are struggling during this holiday season:

“Don’t get stuck. Reach out for help. Reach out to others and hang on to what you have. Don’t be afraid to tell people you love them.”

US releases medicine from national stockpile

WASHINGTON (AP)

— The Biden administration said Wednesday it will release doses of prescription flu medicine from the Strategic National Stockpile to states as flu-sickened patients continue to flock to hospitals and doctors’ offices around the country.

This year’s flu season has hit hard and early. Some people are even noticing bare shelves at pharmacies and grocery stores when they make a run for over-the-counter medicines as cases have spiked. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the flu has resulted in 150,000 hospitalizations and 9,300 deaths so far this season.

“Jurisdictions will be able to get the support they need to keep Americans healthy as flu cases rise this winter,” Dawn O’Connell, an assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Health and Human Services Department, which oversees the CDC, said in a statement.

made available. Antiviral medications were released from the stockpile more than a decade ago during the H1N1, also known as swine flu, pandemic.

Last week, the federal agency also announced it would allow states to dip into statewide stockpiles for Tamiflu, making millions of treatment courses available. Tamiflu can be prescribed to treat flu in people over the age of 2 weeks old. This flu season is coming on the heels of a nasty spike of RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, cases in children and just as COVID-19 cases are climbing — again.

Spot shortages of over-the-counter pain relievers and medicines have been reported at stores around the country, particularly for children. HHS said it is working with states to keep in-demand medicines stocked, and drug

Hoffmeier Electric LLC

makers like Johnson & Johnson report production lines are running around the clock.

CVS Health, for example, has placed a two-product limit on all children’s pain relief products bought through its pharmacies or online. Walgreens is limiting customers online to six purchases of children’s over-thecounter fever reducing products.

The Food and Drug Administration has not reported a shortage of Tamiflu. However, the federal agency says the prescription antibiotic amoxicillin is in short supply due to increased demand.

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States will be able to request doses of the prescription flu medication Tamiflu kept in the Strategic National Stockpile from HHS. The administration is not releasing how many doses will be

Locally owned since 1867

Zelenskyy sees ‘turning point’

WASHINGTON (AP) —

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy told cheering U.S. legislators during a defiant wartime visit to the nation’s capital on Wednesday that against all odds his country still stands, thanking Americans for helping to fund the war effort with money that is “not charity,” but an “investment” in global security and democracy.

The whirlwind stop in Washington — his first known trip outside his country since Russia invaded in February — was aimed at reinvigorating support for his country in the U.S. and around the world at a time when there is concern that allies are growing weary of the costly war and its disruption to global food and energy supplies.

Zelenskyy called the tens of billions of dollars in U.S. military and economic assistance provided over the past year vital to Ukraine’s efforts to beat back Russia and appealed for even more in the future.

“Your money is not charity,” he sought to reassure

Friday, December 23, 2022

both those in the room and those watching at home.

“It’s an investment in the global security and democracy that we handle in the most responsible way.”

Just before his arrival, the U.S. announced a new $1.8 billion military aid package, including for the first time Patriot surfaceto-air missiles. And Congress planned to vote this

See UKRAINE | Page A6

Traditions from sleigh bells to macaroni

Note: For today’s Christmas memory, some of the Register staff are sharing their favorite traditions and holiday moments.

Susan Lynn, editor

When Susan was a little girl, she would travel with her parents and three older brothers to visit her maternal grandparents in Chicago for the holidays.

Back then, a white Christmas was guaranteed in the northern city and her grandparents took full advantage by hiring a driver and horsedrawn sleigh to take the family through the city’s snowpacked streets.

“We were all snuggled down amid a pile of blankets,” Susan recalled. “We’d always go at night to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over the Christmas lights.

“I can still hear the ringing of the bells around the horses’ necks. In fact, I have some sleigh bells, I suppose passed down from my grandmother.”

The magical time was even more special because visits to her grandparents’ home were typically just once a year. Just like Santa.

Tim and Violeta Stauffer, managing editor and marketing director

Christmas is a time to spend with family.

For Tim and Violeta, the holiday often gives them an opportunity to travel to Violeta’s home country, El Salva-

dor. They are there now with their children, Lucas and Sofia, visiting relatives. Thursday they visited a botanical garden. Thursday’s temperature there was 80 degrees; in Iola, it was -1.

“Christmas is a time for us to reconnect and celebrate.

Christmas Eve is when we celebrate the holiday. It’s a busy day with lots of food, a house full of laughter and hugs, and fireworks throughout the night,” Tim said.

“We wish everyone a wonderful holiday.”

Richard Luken, reporter “A former colleague came to my house on Christmas Eve and told me I’d be visited by three spirits. It changed my life,” reporter Richard

Luken jokes.

Actually, instead of spirits he has three memorable Christmas stories to share.

In 1984, both his parents worked as truck drivers. The family lived with his grandmother at the time. Both his mom and dad were able to be home for Christmas.

“I don’t remember there was anything special about it,” he said. “But it was just extra cheery when they were home that year.”

Then, in 2009, Richard hosted the family’s Christmas Eve celebration during what would become a massive blizzard. No one had any issues getting there. “The trouble was getting them to leave.”

His dad had to drive everyone home, as travel was diffi-

Brutal

Old man winter, as promised, arrived like a freight train overnight, bringing in a glazing of ice, an inch or so of snow, and plenty of bone-chilling cold temperatures. Above, visibility was limited in downtown Iola as wind-swept snow fell in front of the Allen County Veterans Wall. At left, Sharla Miller sprinkles ice melt in front of her Farm Bureau Financial Services office at 208 S. Washington Ave. Forecasts call for the frigid cold to persist through Saturday before more seasonal temps return on Christmas Day. The upside? A White Christmas is practically assured for Allen County. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

cult.

Usually, the family would gather on Christmas Day for dinner and games. That didn’t happen until the day after Christmas.

And just a couple years ago, Richard had COVID at Christmastime. It was a unique experience, as he celebrated with family via Zoom.

Every Christmas, without fail, Richard receives a package of macaroni and a bottle of tomato juice from his sister. “You don’t monkey with tradition.”

Vickie Moss, reporter

If cousins are our first best friends, that was especially

By MICHAEL HIRTZER

Buying a plot of land in rural America has never been so expensive. And that’s even with soaring interest rates.

Rising commodity prices mean farmers made record amounts of money this year, spurring a rush for space to plant in 2023. More demand comes just as people fled to the countryside during the pandemic — with non-metropolitan areas growing faster than urban ones — and investors turned to fields as a hedge against inflation.

Farmland prices in the Midwest, the nation’s breadbasket, jumped 20% just in the third quarter from a year earlier — bucking a downturn in the residential real estate market, according to

Bloomberg News See FARMLAND | Page A2 See MEMORIES | Page A3

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at a news conference Wednesday in Washington, D.C. ABACA PRESS/YURI GRIPAS/TNS

Register staffers gather for a holiday photo. They are, seated from left, Vickie Moss, Liz Cox, Susan Locke and Paiton Richards; second row, Richard Luken, Paul Vernon, Kristi Kranker, Susan Lynn, Nathan Cope, Quinn Burkitt, Tim Stauffer and Violeta Stauffer. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Memories: Register staffers reminisce

Continued from A1

true for reporter Vickie Moss. She lived near her cousin, Aimee, during most of their childhood. They were just five months apart in age. Their younger brothers were similarly close in age and also best friends.

One year, their parents went out together for an evening, right before Christmas. Vickie and her brother were home alone; Aimee and her brother were at their house.

Vickie and Aimee called each other, back in the days when a phone hung on the wall and its cord limited your actions.

Vickie doesn’t remember how it started or whose idea it was (Aimee was usually the ringleader) but the four kids realized they could carefully unwrap their presents, take a peek and rewrap them exactly as they were.

They took turns. One of them would stay on the phone while the other unwrapped and rewrapped one of their presents. Then, they would switch places and the cousins would talk about what they saw.

They looked at all the presents under the tree.

“You’d think that would ruin the magic of it, but it was so much fun and so naughty,” Vickie said.

“The funny part is, I don’t remember what

any of the presents were. I just remember the excitement of running back and forth from the Christmas tree to the phone, laughing all the way.”

And Santa must have been too busy to notice. He still brought presents on Christmas Eve, so they had a few surprises.

Quinn Burkitt, sports reporter

Quinn’s favorite Christmas tradition is going to a tree farm to find and cut down the perfect tree. He is from Maryland.

The family also enjoys watching movies such as “The Polar Express” and drinking hot chocolate, but the live tree is what makes Christmas extra special.

“The act of decorating the tree brings a lot of laughs, love, and stories being told,” he said.

“On Christmas morning, the tree is unlike anything else. It seems to shine and sparkle its brightest when everyone is gathered around to open gifts and share in the moment. Having a real tree is a staple in my house. It’s what keeps the Christmas spirit alive through the whole season.”

Paul Vernon, advertising

Paul Vernon says his family “puts the fun in dysfunctional.”

Their holiday traditions included watching

a lot of classic Christmas movies, including “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” and “A Christmas Story.”

Yes, he can still quote just about every line.

“You’ll shoot your eye out!” His parents were divorced, which sometimes meant a hectic shuffling during the holidays, but Paul said his mom, dad and stepmother were very good at collaborating.

“My dad loved gift giving,” he said. One year, his father handed the kids an Amway catalog and told them they could each order an item.

“We found out you could order steak out of this thing,” Paul recalled, amazed. That’s not what he ultimately picked, but he’s still astounded to think he could have ordered himself a steak dinner for Christmas.

“I remember our holidays being full of laughter and smiles.”

Susan Locke, circulation director/office manager

SueLo (as she’s affectionately known in the office) said her parents always let the kids open one present on Christ-

See Xmas | Page A4

Merry Christmas

and a Happy New Year!

From all of us to all to you!

From Doc and Kathy Monfort – Once again we come to years end. 2022 has own by and we turn our thoughts and thanks to the blessings in our lives, our family, friends, co-workers, clients, community, and all of the beloved pets that enrich our days. We wish all of you the happiest of holidays and Bow-Meow to the puppers and kitties.

From Leon and Diane LaGalle – Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Leon, Diane, and Elsa.

From Kristen Ulrey – Hoping everyone has a safe and happy holiday this year!

From Ti any Hurlock – e cold is a beautiful reminder to o er warm wishes for a happy holiday season. May your holidays be bright. Much Love, e Hurlocks

From Megan Westerhold DVM – I have enjoyed working with many of you this year and caring for your animals, both large and small. As we enter the holiday season, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and a healthy and prosperous 2023!

From Brande Beyer DVM – It’s the time for re ection and I feel blessed to have provided care for many large and small animal patients this year. I wish you all the magic of the season. Happy Holidays from my family to yours.

From Belinda Garten DVM - During this holiday season, we count our many blessings. We are thankful for the opportunity to care for your animals, both large and small. We treasure the many friendships and bonds that we have developed over the years because of working at RBVS. Finally, we are thankful for our many clients who allow us to share a small part of their lives and the lives of their animals. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and many blessings in the new year!

From Leann Flowers DVM – I would like to wish everyone a very Merry and Blessed Christmas season. I appreciate your business and love seeing all your furry family members. Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

From Christine Freelove – Wishing you all a Tail-waggin and Purr-fect Christmas. Have a paws-itively amazing New Year!

From Hallie McDermeit – Merry Everything and Happy Always!!

From Caleigh Porter – Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May the New Year bring you Joy and Cheer! From Caleigh, Macey & Winston.

From Nicole Haney – is time of year is a perfect time to spend with your family and friends, especially those of the furry variety! Wishing you lots of seasonal cheer and warmth. Happy Paw-lidays from Nicole, Brice, Penguin, and Shrimp Haney.

From Laura Boone – Sending best wishes to your family from mine. As we end this year, may you nd happy and loving memories to cherish and hold near to your heart. May your Christmas be Merry, and your New Year be Happy. From the Boone home to yours!

From Veronnica Cumplido – May everyone’s Christmas Wishes come true and good luck with all of your resolutions this year!! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Veronnica and Fancy Cumplido! May all your sweaters be ugly and bright!

From Natalie DeGrado and Arabella (the hound dog) and Finn (the Fine) – May your Christmas be furry and bright!! Happy, happy holidays!

From McKenna Esfeld – We wish you a very Merry Holiday Season and the warmest wishes for the New Year! McKenna & Luna Mae

From Amanda Taylor – May this Christmas season ll you with warmth and good cheer that lasts all throughout the coming year! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! From Amanda and Molly Taylor (and Oran, too)

1258 1700 St. • Iola • (620) 365-3910

Xmas: Register employees share notable holiday memories

Continued from A3

mas Eve. And it was always pajamas. Her father used an old-fashioned, Reel To Reel video camera to film everyone opening their presents on Christmas morning, so he wanted them to look nice in their new pajamas. In the morning, they always started with their Christmas stockings.

“My poor dad was not a morning person,” SueLo recalled. “A lot of times he’d have just gotten to bed when he had to get up and start filming.”

Her family still has those old movies. Her sister had them transferred to DVD.

“We still watch them at Christmastime.”

Paiton Richards, accounts receivable/ human resources

Paiton was terrified of Santa as a child. She told her parents: “That big, scary, old fat man isn’t coming into my house.”

They cleverly created a magic key that hung just outside the door, so Santa could open the door — just a crack — and slide the presents into the home.

Paiton said what made the holidays special for her are the many traditions. Her family kicked off the season with Black Friday shopping the

day after Thanksgiving.

It was sort of a rite of passage, as all gener-

ations would travel to Kansas City for the day.

“You had to be old

enough to go.”

Another tradition was making her grandmother’s sugar cookie recipe. Everyone gathered for a day of baking, cutting out the dough with various cookie cutter shapes. They had five different colors of icing and a variety of sprinkles to choose from.

On Christmas Day, the family gathered and made either chili or vegetable soup, “so us kids didn’t really eat anything.”

Her favorite part was that “it was such a long day. We woke up early, and then we had so

much fun playing with our cousins, we usually didn’t go home.”

After her grandmother and her grandmother’s sisters passed away — right around the holidays a few years ago — the holidays haven’t been the same.

“It’s hard when you lose the people who were the glue,” Paiton said. “But we’ve had fun making new traditions.”

Liz Cox, administrative assistant

Liz’s large family gathers every year to celebrate Christmas and honor their Mexican

heritage.

“Our holiday tradition is to try to get everyone together to cook enchiladas ahead of time because we have Mexican food for Christmas,” she said.

This year, they made 17 dozen enchiladas.

Typically, between 30 and 40 family members gather at her sister’s house to enjoy the meal.

“We also try to get all the grandkids together to bake cookies.”

Liz is staying home for Christmas this year, but told her sister to save some enchiladas “if there are any left.”

Tim and Violeta Stauffer and their children Lucas and Sofia are in El Salvador for Christmas.

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

Baby’s 1st Christmas

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Note: Paul Porter and Hayley Derryberry own the Shannon Building at 20 W. Jefferson Ave., which is being remodeled. Hayley owns and operates Derryberry Breadery. Paul owns and operates Big Square Media.

For Billie Jean Derryberry-Porter, the best Christmas memories are yet to come.

Billie Jean is the daughter of Iola business owners Paul Porter and Hayley Derryberry. She was born Nov. 3 and will be almost 2 months old her first Christmas.

As with any new baby, her parents are filled with ideas to create new traditions and forge memories she’ll cherish for a lifetime.

And as is fitting for the couple, those traditions will be anything but ordinary.

They’ll take their cues from German folklore, with a little horror on the side.

Among the many traditions they have mind, they planned to celebrate Krampus Night on Dec. 5 and the Feast of Saint Nicholas on Dec. 6.

According to German folklore, Krampus and Saint Nicholas work together.

Saint Nicholas rewards good children while Krampus punishes the naughty on Dec. 5. On Dec. 6, children put their shoes out for Saint Nicholas to fill with treats.

Hayley wrote a thesis on German fear literature for children.

“There’s a tradition of

scaring children into behaving. I find it really fascinating,” she said.

She believes it’s important to educate children about fear in a way that is fun and educational. Both Paul and Hayley have backgrounds in theater and the movies, and created a short horror movie in 2012.

“Sometimes, the world is scary. Being afraid is an important part of the human

Pawsitive reinforcement

experience. For a moment, you can convince yourself magic is real,” Hayley said.

It’s all about symbolism: When the weather outside has turned dark and dreary, and the nights are getting longer, Christmas celebrates the light and the warmth inside.

“You appreciate the safety of the home when you think there’s a scary thing out-

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Kansas lawmakers split votes

By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall voted against the $1.7 trillion spending bill awaiting action by the U.S. House because it expanded the federal deficit and fueled inflation with wasteful spending.

Marshall said the measure

unwisely delivered $370 billion in handouts to clean energy, $47 billion in military, economic and humanitarian aid for Ukraine, $3.2 billion for processing illegal immigrants and $1.7 billion to enforce regulations eroding 2nd Amendment rights.

The Kansas Republican also objected to $212 million for the U.S. Department of

Justice to advance prosecution of defendants and investigate cases tied to the assault on the U.S. Capitol in January 2021. The package would overhaul the 135-yearold law former President Donald Trump and his allies sought to exploit in an effort to stop the certification of the 2020 election.

See VOTES | Page A4

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

Chase Martin’s work colleagues can be temperamental at times.

That’s OK.

He realizes he often doesn’t know much about their backgrounds, or their upbringing.

Communication and patience are key. A firm but friendly word makes a world of difference, Martin notes.

It also helps that his colleagues — his “students” — are of the four-legged variety.

Martin has taken his lifetime of experience around animals and turned it into Chasin’ Tails, a dog obedience program for pet owners in Allen, Anderson and Neosho counties.

In just a few months time, and largely through word of mouth, Martin has carved out a niche among area dog lovers.

“It’s been picking up more and more every month,” Mar-

tin said. “A lot of my clients have been really good at recommending me to others.

“It’s been great because it really doesn’t feel like work,” he chuckled. “I enjoy it.”

MARTIN offers basic and advanced dog obedience, behavior training, problem-solving and advice for pet owners, and special training for aggressive animals.

But his centerpiece is what Martin describes as his “Puppy 101” training.

“The puppy program is for someone who has probably just gotten their dog, who may be a few months old,” Martin explained. “I’m gonna come to your home and show you the proper ways to kennel train, crate train, potty train, socialization with people, socialization with other animals, getting them accustomed to vet visits.”

The key to his success, Martin noted, is that he focus-

See DOGS | Page A4

Historic winter blast batters US ahead of holiday travel

By BLOOMBERG NEWS/ TNS

A monstrous, once-in-a-decade winter storm is battering the U.S., bringing with it heavy snow, searing winds and dangerously low temperatures, while causing mayhem for travelers across the country at the peak of the holiday season.

As of early Friday, more than 200 million people — around 60% of the nation’s population — were under

some form of winter weather warning or advisory, according to the National Weather Service. Snow is set to blanket the Great Lakes region and parts of northern New York state and New England.

The storm is hitting the U.S. just as an estimated 112.7 million people are set to travel at least 50 miles through Jan.

2, according to automotive group AAA. The effects even threaten to disrupt the country’s exports of liquefied natural gas — which have been a lifeline for Europe as it battles a historic energy crisis.

“This is not like a snow day, you know, when you’re a kid. This is serious stuff,”

President Joe Biden said in a

Thursday briefing, calling it “dangerous” and threatening.

“If you all have travel plans, leave now. Not a joke.”

More than 3,100 flights for Friday and Saturday have been canceled around the U.S., according to airline tracking service FlightAware. Amtrak also canceled some

See COLD | Page A5

Paul Porter and Hayley Derryberry welcomed their first child, Billie Jean Derryberry-Porter, on Nov. 3. They want to start new Christmas traditions by honoring their heritage and interests. COURTESY PHOTO

Chase Martin has opened a dog obedience business, Chasin’ Tails. Here he is with his dog, Ghost. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Baby: Family will introduce some unorthodox traditions

side,” she noted.

Hayley has been interested in Swiss and German culture since she was a child, and her aunt, who was married to a man from the Alps, would send her Swiss chocolates. She earned a degree in German literature and has researched Krampus and the Nutcracker stories.

Paul is half-German. The couple also hosted a German exchange student, Charlie, last year. She’s returning for a visit this Christmas.

HAYLEY is most determined to start one Christmas tradition in particular.

She plans to read “The Nutcracker” in German.

The story takes place over three nights, so she plans to read one story to Billie Jean each night for three days.

She’ll start that new tradition this year, even though Billie Jean likely won’t remember. “This is a good year for us to practice and figure out what works and what doesn’t,” Paul said.

They’ve talked about what other traditions they might want to introduce. Christmas

movies are always fun, they said. And there are so many to choose from.

Perhaps not surprisingly, they prefer some of the non-traditional, spookier Christmas movies such as “Gremlins” and “Rare Exports,” a Finnish Christmas horror movie.

When Hayley was a child, her father always chose “Little Women” to watch at Christmastime.

They also want to incorporate charitable giving into their traditions. Hayley said she knows of a family that asks each child to

choose a charity to give a donation.

“It’s important to remind children to be grateful for what they have and help those who have less, and it gives them that agency to decide which charity,” she said.

“I think giving is im-

Biden signs defense bill, repeals troop vaccine mandate

WASHINGTON (AP)

— President Joe Biden signed a nearly $858 billion defense spending bill into law Friday despite his opposition to a Republican-backed provision in the legislation that repeals the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for U.S. troops.

Biden had agreed with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s determination that lifting the mandate was not in the best interest of troops or the military, according to White House officials. But ultimately, Biden decided to accept Republican demands to lift the vaccine requirement to win passage of the legislation.

Biden in a statement said he had issue with several aspects of the bill.

“The Act provides vital benefits and enhances access to justice for military personnel and their families, and includes critical authorities to support our country’s national defense, foreign affairs, and homeland security,”

Biden said. “While I am pleased to support these critical objectives, I note that certain provisions of the Act raise concerns.

The bill includes about $45 billion more for defense programs than Biden requested and roughly 10% more than last year’s bill as lawmakers look to account for inflation and boost the nation’s military competitiveness with China and Russia. It includes a 4.6% pay raise for servicemembers and the Defense Department’s civilian workforce.

The Senate passed the defense policy bill by a vote of 83-11. The measure also received broad bipartisan support in the House.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby last week reiterated Biden’s concerns about lifting the vaccine requirement but said the president would “judge this NDAA as a whole just like he has in the past.”

“Every single year,

the NDAA has things in it that we support, and it has things in it that we don’t support,” Kirby added.

The defense bill sets policy and provides a road map for future investments. Lawmakers will have to follow up with spending bills to bring many provisions to reality.

As of early this month, about 99% of the active-duty troops in the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps had been vaccinated, and 98% of the Army. Service members who are not vaccinated are not allowed to deploy, particularly sailors or Marines on ships. There may be a few exceptions to that, based on religious or other exemptions and the duties of the service member.

The vaccination numbers for the Guard and Reserve are lower, but generally all are more than 90%.

Austin made COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory last year, saying the shots were critical to maintaining military readiness and

the health of the force. Military leaders have argued that troops for decades have been required to get as many as 17 vaccines, particularly those who are deploying overseas. The bill would require Austin to end the vaccine mandate “not later than 30 days” after the law is enacted.

The legislation, however, doesn’t end or address requirements for the other vaccines that troops must get. And it doesn’t specifically prohibit the military from preventing a non-vaccinated service member from participating in a specific mission or deployment. It’s unclear if Austin would allow vaccination status to be a consideration in those decisions, or leave it to the services and commanders to decide.

portant. That’s definitely something we want to instill in our children, a tradition of gratitude and giving back.”

IT’S FITTING that Billie Jean entered the world just before Christmas. It was during a Christmas visit in 2015 that convinced her parents to move closer to family in Iola, although it would take a few years to make that happen. They previously lived in Los Angeles and Charlotte, N.C. Paul and Hayley moved here in 2020; this is just their second Christmas as Iola residents.

“That Christmas in 2015 planted the seed that

we could actually move back here,” Paul said. Most of his family lives here.

“We started thinking how nice it would be to be around family,” Hayley said. Most of her family lives in Florida and Tennessee, but her sister is planning to move to Iola with her daughter and will work for Hayley at Derryberry Breadery.

It’s also fitting their home is just down the street from where Paul’s grandparents lived when he was a child.

“I often think about how that’s where we had Christmas when I was growing up, and now here we are, almost 40 years later,” he said.

Billie Jean Derryberry-Porter, at right, slept through her first meeting with Santa Claus. Her cousin, Lynox, wasn’t happy about the event. COURTESY PHOTO

Paul Porter and Hayley Derryberry visited family in Iola for Christmas in 2015, above. That trip planted the seed that eventually led them to move here.

COURTESY PHOTO