Inside: Yates Center business burns See A6
The Weekender Saturday, February 8, 2014
It’s ‘snow’ problem for the hospital
NOT A ‘CAKEWALK’
By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
Allen County Regional Hospital on North Kentucky has a plan in place for removing snow from its parking lot, which differs little from the one that was employed at its old location, First and Madison streets. Tuesday county commissioners discussed wintertime maintenance of parking areas near the hospital after county equipment was called out on Sunday to deal with ice on the parking lot It boils down to a misunderstanding, said Hospital CEO Ron Baker, who embraced an opportunity to explain what the hospital does when wintry weather strikes.
It’s a new building and that doesn’t mean perfection. But we’re solving problems as they show up. — Ron Baker, ACRH CEO
Cows’ survival a fulltime job for farmers in frigid temperatures By STEVEN SCHWARTZ The Iola Register
“The plan isn’t much different than before,” at the old hospital, Baker said. “Our first line of defense is for our people to deal with snow, with a blower and a small tractor.” If snow persists and becomes too much for the maintenance crew to handle, the hospital has a contractor — SEK Landscaping, Humboldt — who comes with a Bobcat and truck with a blade on its front. Also, hospital personnel assist. “We’re the contractor’s first priority” and ACRH’s priority is to keep the hospital accessible, Baker said. “We’re open
raig Mentzer peered out the window of his Ford F-250, counting young Angus calves sheltering themselves against their mothers. This was the fourth time Mentzer had driven around his herd. One cow is missing, he doesn’t know if she is calving or has fallen victim to one of the many coyotes in the area. “Coyote tracks,” Mentzer said, while pointing to impressions in the snow. “That always scares me.” He had lost a calf the day before to coyotes, who seem to be more active during winter months — their usual diet of smaller rodents had been covered up by a fresh six inches of snow. He said he would check back later to see if the cow shows up. He seemed concerned, but not all too surprised. Winter can be a challenging time for any farmer, especially when temperatures dip near zero at night and fresh snowfall coats the ground like the past
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At top, cows lounge on beds of hay in Craig Mentzer’s pasture Wednesday afternoon. The calf pictured above is just a few days old, and keeping them safe is quite a task for farmers in the dead of winter. Above, Mentzer breaks ice at the nozzle point of one of his frost-free lines. REGISTER/
STEVEN SCHWARTZ
Scholars Bowl team takes first at regionals Will compete at the state tournament on Feb. 15 Iola High School Scholar’s Bowl Team placed first at regionals in Fort Scott Thursday, qualifying five for state competition in De Soto on Feb. 15. Those qualifying for state are, front row from left, Garrett Prall, Clarie Moran, Michael Wilson, Jonathan Tidd and Clara Wicoff. Other contributing members are, back from left, Glenn Riddle, Andrew Waldman, Ankit Gandhi, Joey Dunlap, Chris Harris, Sarah Gonzalez, Katie Terhune and Emily Klubek. This is the seventh time in school history the team has qualified for the state tournament. REGISTER/STEVEN SCHWARTZ
Quote of the day Vol. 116, No. 72
“In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was, within me, an invincible summer.” — Albert Camus, The Stranger 75 Cents
City: Gas will cost more
Iola council members, as well as those at Humboldt, will learn more about increases in price of natural gas at their meetings Monday night. Both cities purchase gas and resell it to local consumers. Scott S. Shreve, an Topeka consultant who aids Iola with its wholesale purchases, will be at Iola’s meeting to give more information. Iola Administrator Carl Slaugh said that with the polar vortexes bringing extremely cold See GAS | Page A6
Hi: 38 Lo: 18 Iola, KS