Sports: Cain, Royals stay hot, thump Tampa See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Senator sounds off on VA, Trump By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Improving health care access for veterans and military retirees remains one of Sen. Jerry Moran’s top priorities. Moran, the junior U.S. senator from Kansas, was in Iola Tuesday as part of a town hall meeting hosted by the Iola Kiwanis Club. Moran is up for re-election, apparently without opposition, in November. As of this morning, no other candidate had filed to oppose him. (The filing deadline was noon.) There, he spoke on a number of issues, ranging from the Zika virus to the upcoming presidential campaign with presumptive nominees Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Moran started his 45-minute discussion by talking about recent changes to allow veterans health care access in isolated parts of the state. Moran was an advocate of outreach clinics for those unable to easily make it to Veterans Affairs hospitals in Topeka, Wichita or Denver (for those in the western regions of the state). “It’s been my goal a long time to get the VA to allow our veterans to access health care in their home towns, if that’s what they want,” Moran said. “As of two years ago, if you’re a veteran more than 40 miles from a VA facility, or you can’t get the service you need from VA within 30 days, the VA must provide those services you want at home.” And while the effort has been well received locally, VA officials have resisted, Moran contends. “The VA really doesn’t
Sen. Jerry Moran speaks at a town hall meeting Tuesday in Iola. REGISTER/BOB JOHNSON like this law,” he said. “And they’ve been implementing it in ways that make it very difficult for it to work.” MORAN fielded several questions from the audience of about 35, including: Campaign 2016 Moran offered tepid, at best, support of the presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, saying he will support him if, as expected, Trump’s opponent is Hillary Clinton. “I don’t understand many of the things I see Donald Trump says,” Moran said. “I don’t know why he says them,” in particular his dis-
paraging comments about Sen. John McCain and other POWs. “My impression in visiting with Kansans is there’s a lot of dissatisfaction about the choices that we have,” he said. Syrian refugees
In order for the United States to accept refugees from war-torn countries such as Syria or Libya, a system must first be in place to ensure Americans know each refugee’s personal history, background and likely intentions, Moran said. “We are a country of immigrants,” he said. “I cer-
tainly don’t want to diminish our ability to be helpful to individuals in terrible circumstances. I also think it’s important for Americans to know we have a process, facilities to check out their intentions. Part of my view is colored by the belief that I have no doubt ISIS and other terror organizations are interested, willing and desirous for attacks in the United States and will look for opportunities for us to be attacked. “How do you get to the root of the problem, which is the deterioration of the See MORAN | Page A6
Schools ruling hot topic in Topeka
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Many Republican legislators are serious about defying a recent Kansas Supreme Court order on education Sen. Terry Bruce funding and ready to test whether the justices would not allow public schools to open for the new academic year, the Senate’s majority leader said Tuesday. Leaders of the Legislature’s GOP supermajorities weren’t sure whether they’d attempt to rewrite school finance laws today, when lawmakers were convening for a ceremony formally adjourning their annual session. If they didn’t, Republican Gov. Sam Brownback would have to call a special session in June for lawmakers to consider additional fixes. The court on Friday rejected some changes made earlier this year by the Republican legislators and said the education funding system remains unfair to poor districts. The court gave lawmakers until June 30 to address the remaining problems and or face the possibility that schools would remain closed. “They’ve gone out of their way to pick a fight,” Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce, See SCHOOLS | Page A6
Iola fire chief hurt in accident By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
Iola Fire Chief Tim Thyer was injured in a motorcycle accident in Tennessee Tuesday. He suffered a broken clavicle and ribs. An elevated blood pressure had physicians more concerned, said his father, Iolan Jay Thyer. “His blood pressure shot up after the accident and he spent the night in the ICU (intensive care unit)” at the
University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, Jay Thyer said. “Hopefully, he’ll be out of Tim Thyer the hospital today or tomorrow. They found no internal injuries.” Thyer and Randy Cameron, a Highway Patrol trooper formerly stationed
in Iola and now in Junction City, were returning from a Memorial Day rally in Washington, D.C. when the accident occurred. They were in the Smoky Mountains, on a highway known for its curves, when Thyer’s motorcycle apparently went out of control on wet pavement and left the roadway. He is a veteran motorcycle rider and has made several long-distance trips.
Judge, wife unhurt in hostage standoff GARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) — A gunman who held a Kansas county’s chief judge and his wife hostage Tuesday over a child custody matter Judge Wendell e v e n t u a l l y Wurst surrendered, releasing the couple unharmed, police said. Authorities said the stand-
off began shortly before 7 a.m., when the 33-year-old armed suspect toting a backpack forced his way into 61-year-old Wendell Wurst’s Garden City home and confronted the couple. The intruder ordered Wurst, Finney County’s chief judge, to the ground and bound his hands, Garden City Police Chief Michael Utz said. Wurst’s 62-year-old wife was allowed to use the bathroom, where she called
Quote of the day Vol. 118, No. 152
police on her cellphone, Utz said. The wife was released about 10 minutes later and fled to a neighbor’s home, police spokesman Randy Ralston said. The standoff lasted more than five hours, ending with the suspect’s surrender and arrest and Wurst being freed. A backpack the suspect had carried into the home was See JUDGE | Page A3
ACT Conversation Thursday The countywide community conversation, Allen County Tomorrow, will take place Thursday at the new Thrive Building, 7 S. Jefferson, above the Treasure Chest. The meeting runs from 5 to 8 p.m. and will include a round-table discussion about community priorities. In addition, an edible tour of the Allen County Farmers Market, cooking demonstrations from the K-State Research and Extension Agency and Iola Fire Department will
“Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done.” — Robert A. Heinlein, American author 75 Cents
be on hand. Finally, attendees will get to tour “MARV,” the (Meals And Reading Vehicle), a retrofitted school bus that will be utilized for USD 257’s summer meals program. There is no cost to attend the community conversation, but advance registration is required. Folks can register online at thriveallencounty.org. Those who register early and online will receive a gift bag. (Supplies are limited).
Hi: 78 Lo: 62 Iola, KS