Baseball: Red Devils sweep Oklahoma Wesleyan
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THE IOLA REGISTER Tuesday, February 25, 2014
USD 257
Iola schools’ costs becoming a reality By KAYLA BANZET The Iola Register
It’s hard to ignore $5 million worth of maintenance costs. Scott Stanley, maintenance and transportation director, presented USD 257 board members Monday with a five-year plan of district projects that need consideration. Some of the big-ticket items were roofing at $854,000, new drainage around the track and stadium at Riverside Park for $590,000 and heating and
cooling units for $2,649,500. “It’s a never-ending cycle,” Stanley told board members. In the last three years the district has spent close to $2 million on repairing and replacing items on facilities. Stanley also compared utility costs to new buildings in area districts. He said that he used a Westar tool to make comparisons. McKinley Elementary comes in with a 19 rating which means it performs 34 percent worse than the naSee COSTS | Page A3
City on the roost over chickens in city limits By STEVEN SCHWARTZ The Iola Register
It looks like the chickens will have to sit on the roost another two weeks, at least. “The hens are laying the eggs, we need to get going,” Councilman Steve French said during Monday night’s city council meeting. Any decision was tabled for further deliberation, regarding an ordinance that Code Services Officer Shonda Jefferis has drafted. Those in support of the or-
dinance said the loose knots must be tied up, while those in opposition listed numerous reasons why they don’t believe chickens should be allowed in the city limits. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m an animal lover and I’m not against chickens, I just don’t think they belong in the city,” Council member Sandy Zornes said. She and Don Becker said the community has expressed concerns over chickens in Iola, including sanitaSee CHICKENS | Page A6
Former Iolan Cody Cokely, left, and Corban Hickman were national winners for Ottawa University in improvisational duet acting in competition at Simpson College, Des Moines, Iowa, on Sunday. COURTESY PHOTO
A FULL SLATE FOR SAFE BASE After-school program works to keep offerings fresh, challenging
By STEVEN SCHWARTZ The Iola Register
Things seem to be back to normal for SAFE BASE Director Angela Henry after a busy few months, including a summer full of trips to Missouri and Colorado. Of course, her “normal” is a full slate of courses for local students. “It’s just about implementing what we said we would do,” Henry said, while sitting at her desk, which was cluttered with schedules and school materials. The principles behind SAFE BASE have not changed, but the staff is working hard to keep the program fresh and exciting as much for staff as for the children. “After 14 years, our challenge is what can we do that is new, something fresh?” This session has several new topics, including chess, ping-pong, robotic Legos, painting, bullying counseling and even a piano course at AlSee SAFE BASE | Page A6
At top, Josh Kaufman takes a moment to ponder his next move in Mark Dunlap’s chess class along with classmates Isabella Richards and Keynan Stahl. Above, Katie Terhune gives a few pointers to Kaden Griffeth during his piano class. The class is taught by ACC Music Director Ted Clous, and the students take a bus to the college every Monday. Below, Rain Burleson gets a closer look at her sewing project — a cover for a Kleenex box — during the Sew Awesome class. REGISTER/STEVEN SCHWARTZ
Iolan wins national title in duet acting By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
Quick thinking propelled Iolan Cody Cokely and his partner, Corban Hickman, to a national championship Sunday. Students at Ottawa University, they competed in improvisational duet acting at the National Public Speech and Debate League championships at Simpson College, Des Moines, Iowa. “The funniest men in the
country,” Ray Louis, their coach, called the OU students. Cokely, a freshman, told the Register the victory in finals came after three preliminary rounds and was predicated on a single prompt, speed dating. They took that and developed a short play, with just three minutes to decide their direction. “That’s a lot less time than we had in high school,” Cokely said. See COKELY | Page A6
Quote of the day Vol. 116, No.84
“If you want to kill any idea in the world, get a committee working on it.” — Charles Kettering, American inventor 75 Cents
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