Inside: Relay For Life volunteer shares powerful story See A7
2017 1867
Sports: Iola falls in American Legion opener See B1
The Weekender Saturday, June 3 2017
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Hospital falls short of revenue projections By SHELLIE SMITLEY The Iola Register
Early projections were too optimistic when predicting Allen County Regional Hospital’s financial growth, according to Chief Finan- Tony Thompson cial Officer Larry Peterson. Administrator Tony Thompson attributed the gap in what the Kansas City, Mo., accounting firm, BKD, projected six years ago revenue would be compared to the numbers the hospital has actually produced, to several factors, including: — Changes in government regulations, particularly 2 percent sequestration cuts implemented by Congress in 2013. — The Affordable Care Act inspired people across the nation to seek treatment from private doctors, decreasing the number of patients seen in emergency rooms, Thompson said. ACRH was no exception to the hospitals that saw a decrease in emergency room visits. BKD has been asked to provide the Board of Trustees See ACRH | Page A6
John McClary holds Hidy, a female Red Tail Suriname Boa, one of five such snakes he and wife Karen keep as pets. They also have a Peruvian Red Tail and three African Ball Pythons. Below, two African Ball Pythons, Harley and Davidson, have been constant companions since birth, and remain so in the McClary household in south Iola. REGISTER/BOB JOHNSON
FOR GOODNESS SNAKES! By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
Snakes get a bad rap from B-grade movies and ones put in position where they have to defend themselves. A few are aggressive, but most prefer to be left alone to find an occasional rat or mouse for dinner and avoid, through hibernation, temperatures too severe for their cold-blooded bodies. John and Karen McClary keep five — three African ball pythons and two South American boa constrictors — in their south-Iola home, and are eager to speak in defense of having snakes for pets. Consider: They eat a couple of times a month — a fro-
zen rat thawed to their taste — and are as tickled as pigs in mud if their aquariums are kept warm and they have
water 24/7. High, clammy humidity is their preference. Easy maintenance is a toptier recommendation for a
snake as a pet. “We can take off for two or three weeks and have someone come by a time or two to make sure they have water, the (heat) registers are on, feed them once, and we don’t have a worry,” John said. Pythons and boas look similar, are non-poisonous and belong to the same suborder, serpentes. In the wild they’re found in tropical and subtropical areas. Hibernation isn’t as demonstrative as that of local reptiles, such as black and bull snakes that retire to a basement or someplace underground when cold weather sets in. The McClary group hibernates after a fashion, though, See SNAKES | Page A3
B&W set to expand once again
Here’s who’s running
By RICK DANLEY The Iola Register
A series of candidate filings for city and school elections came in prior to Thursday’s deadline, but only a handful will result in contested races in November. Some seats, in fact, have no candidates. County Clerk Sherrie Riebel noted the dearth of candidates means there is no need for a primary election in August prior to the Nov. 7 general election. City and school elections were moved to the fall this year at the behest of a new state law, aimed at increasing voter turnout. Iola-USD 257 and Hum-
THE NEW extension will make room for more press brakes, more laser cutters, more robotic welders — the core instruments necessary for crafting the unique gooseneck, fifth-wheel and bumper hitches that have helped make B&W one of the
FUTURE ADDITION
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Since its formation in 1987, the fate of B&W Trailer Hitches has been marked by a record of seemingly permanent success. As testament to that fact, the company recently began work on a 114,000-square-foot expansion on the north side of its Humboldt plant. The expansion, the 11th of its kind since B&W moved into its original 30,000-square-foot shop in 1994, will boost the company’s operational space to a point just shy of 500,000 square feet. The enlargement of the facility is a material outgrowth of the company’s increasing success in the marketplace. “This building expansion was born out of necessity,” explained B&W’s marketing manager Beth Barlow. “With increased sales, comes a need for more employees. With more employees comes a need for more machinery. And machinery needs a place to live.”
2014 2006 2002 2015 1997 ORGINAL BUILDING 1994
2000 2011
This graphic shows the number of expansions the B&W Trailer Hitches plant has seen in Humboldt over the past 23 years.
Quote of the day Vol. 119, No. 153
See FILINGS | Page A3
Additional charges filed from April chases, arrest
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industry leaders. (To give an idea of the breakneck pace at which the company has grown in recent years, B&W operated 18 robotic welding machines as recently as 2014.
boldt-USD 258 will have contested races. Jennifer Coltrane and Tracy R. Lee, both of LaHarpe, filed for Position 6 on the USD 257 school board. They are seeking to replace Darrel Catron, who did not file for re-election. Meanwhile, five candidates filed to fill three atlarge seats on the USD 258 school board. The candidates are Nathan Ellison, Helen Harrington, Kevin Heisler, Kristal Julich and Jamie Mueller. Savonburg residents also will get to choose between
Today, it uses 36.) According to the company’s safety manager Dan Willis — the acting project manSee B&W | Page A4
Tanner A. Beuvais, arrested in April after a series of chases sent him and a pursuing officer to the hospital, now faces 22 charges related to the event. Thirteen charges were filed last week by Allen County Attorney Jerry Hathaway, accusing Beauvais of two counts of aggravated battery against a law enforcement officer,
“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” — Winston Churchill 75 Cents
agg ravated robbery, two counts of agg ravated escape from custody, two counts of interfering with law en- Tanner Beuvais fo rc e m e n t , two counts of fleeing or See VOTES | Page A3
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