Sports: Humboldt girls lose at substate See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Revenues miss mark; higher ed funds cut State brings in $54M below estimates in February By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Gov. Sam Brownback cut Kansas’ higher education spending Tuesday after the state’s tax collections fell $54 million short of expectations in February. The lower-than-anticipated revenues last month left the
state facing a small deficit in its current budget, for the fiscal year ending June 30. The De par tment of Revenue’s Gov. Sam Brownback report on monthly tax collections came only two
OPINION
weeks after the Republicandominated Legislature passed a bill aimed at keeping the budget balanced through June 2017. Brownback ordered a $17 million cut in spending on state universities, or 3 percent of the tax dollars allocated to them, over the next four months. The Board of Regents said it will decide by
Governor’s comments demeaning See A5 the end of the week how the reductions will fall. The state must make further adjustments to keep its budget balanced. Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican, said it can no lon-
ger rely on “budget maneuvers” it has used in the past, including this year. “The time has come to cut every government funded entity,” Wagle said in a statement. “The reduction will be small when equitably spread across the board.” Kansas has struggled to balance its budget since Republican legislators slashed personal income taxes in 2012 See STATE | Page A2
LEAP YEAR BABIES ARRIVE
Tina-Cady Friend, left, and Janie Works have been with The Growing Place in Humboldt since the child care center and preschool opened its doors 10 years ago. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
The Growing Place fundraiser Saturday
Iolans Andrew and Shannon Patterson and daughter Blayke welcomed the arrival this week of Bentlee, born on Monday. Bentlee’s Feb. 29 birthday will get to be celebrated on that day every Leap Year. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Meet Iola’s youngest Leap Year Baby By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Bentlee Patterson joined some rarefied company Monday. The son of Iolans Andrew and Shannon Patterson was born on Leap Day, the quadrennial day added at the end of each February. Bentlee was born at 2:52 p.m. at Allen County Regional Hospital.
He weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces, and was 19½ inches long. “We knew it was going to be close,” Andrew said. “We came in Saturday, but it didn’t happen until Monday.” Bentlee joins an older sister, Blayke, 5. Bentlee’s name comes from family — sort of. Andrew’s father is Ben Patterson. Shannon’s moth-
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
er has the middle name of Lee. “We just combined them,” Andrew said. The Pattersons already have fielded one question in particular. When will Bentlee celebrate his birthday on nonLeap Years? “We’ll probably do it on
HUMBOLDT — The first step for most mothers-to-be is to seek out a physician. Almost as quickly, she considers what child care center to use, said Janie Works. For the past decade, many have opted for The Growing Place, a Humboldt-based child care center and preschool that began as a reliable center for B&W Trailer Hitches, operated by Joe
See BABY | Page A3
Works, Janie’s husband. The center not only expanded to take in more than the children of B&W employees, but it also outgrew its original environs. Today the center on the north edge of Humboldt is licensed for 82 youngsters, from birth to school age. A preschool also was added almost at the outset. (Roughly 20 percent of the children there come from B&W employees.) Between the Growing Place See GROWING | Page A4
County enacts burn ban By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
A burning ban was ordered by Allen County commissioners Tuesday from a request by Sheriff Bryan Murphy. “We had 13 grass fires over
the weekend and another five (Monday afternoon) east of Humboldt,” Murphy said. Most are attributable to dormant grass that has dried to tender quality, he said. The five east of Humboldt, See BAN | Page A3
No decision on streets
Allen County commissioners will decide soon what level of maintenance will be done to streets in Humbodlt for which the county is responsible. Humboldt Administrator Cole Herder and Mitch Garner, director of Public Works, will inspect the
streets, with Garner then advising commissioners. “Let’s have Mitch tell us the best way to proceed,” said Commissioner Tom Williams. Herder said Ninth Street “essentially has had no See STREETS | Page A3
Quote of the day Vol. 118, No. 86
Come and get it
Scores of worshippers descended upon Iola’s Trinity United Methodist Church this morning for the latest Lenten breakfast. Diners were serenaded by Brenda Clark, who performed a number of gospel songs. Next Wednesday’s Lenten breakfast will be at 7 a.m. at Iola’s First Presbyterian Church. REGISTER/RICK DANLEY
“Motivation will almost always beat mere talent.” — Norman Ralph Augustine, American author 75 Cents
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