Wednesday, March 18, 2020
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Pandemic shutters K-12 schools Online learning courses planned By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
School faculty, students and parents are wrapping their heads around Tuesday afternoon’s announcement that K-12 schools across Kansas will be closed for the rest of the semester.
Gov. Laura Kelly’s announcement means that while students will not report to school, their education will continue in some fashion. How that will happen remains to be seen. It could mean online classes, though not every student may have access to a computer or the
ACC closes Iola campus Page A3
internet. It could mean picking up lesson plans for learning at home. It could mean allowing See SCHOOLS | Page A3
Drive-thru testing site pursued
Courthouse access restricted By TREVOR HOAG The Iola Register
Starting this morning, access to the Allen County courthouse will be monitored and limited to the north entrance, following a decision by commissioners and department heads. Anyone entering the courthouse will be screened with a series of health questions developed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) linked to the COVID-19 virus. Those on courthouse business may also be screened with a digital thermometer gun. Commissioner Jerry Daniels said “We strongly encourage courthouse customers to only come for essential business, [and] strongly encourage them to do business over the phone, [by] email, regular mail [and to] limit their exposure here. … Don’t come to the courthouse unless you have to.” County counselor Bob Johnson, Jr., also asked residents to self-screen as much as possible. The courthouse will remain open for the time being, though this is subject to change. “This is a very fluid situation,” Daniels said. All nonessential county meetings will be canceled, so See ACCESS | Page A5
By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
G&W Goods store manager Daniel Gile, left, sorts through groceries he delivered to Leon Butler Tuesday in Iola. The store’s delivery service for residents has seen an uptick amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Buying groceries from a distance By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
With social distancing now a part of the national lexicon, Daniel Gile is doing what he can to bridge the gap. Gile, store manager at G&W Foods in Iola, spent much of Tuesday delivering groceries to homebound customers unable, or unwilling, to mingle with the shopping crowds. The delivery service has been a function at G&W for several months, Gile said, but has garnered added attention in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. On a typical Tuesday — the main delivery day — Gile makes 10 to 12 stops.
Daniel Gile retrieves bags of groceries for a customer Tuesday. This week’s count was 16, and growing, including new stops in Iola, LaHarpe and Humboldt. Gile said he’d be willing to
deliver on other days if the demand is there. “It does not affect us at all,” Gile said. “We don’t mind helping them out.” The service is available for $2 for Iola, Gas and LaHarpe customers. Those who live outside a five-mile radius pay $4 for the service. Tuesday morning’s trips were for the regular customers, Gile said to a Register reporter who tagged along on his route. “I try to get to four or five homes at a time,” he said. “If I do them all at once, I’d run the risk of ice cream melting, or hot food getting cold.” (Hot meals are a part of See G&W | Page A6
Local health professionals are researching options to organize a central drivethru testing site for those in Allen County who suspect they may have COVID-19, a deadly new Patty McGuffin c o r o n av i r u s that’s causing disruptions to businesses, schools and activities. Efforts are underway to research options for such testing at the request of local physicians, Patty McGuffin, chief nursing officer for Allen County Regional Hospital, said. Ideally, local doctors and nurses would have a site where tests could be conducted without patients entering a clinic or the hospital, keeping those patients isolated from others in an attempt to stop the spread of illness. “The purpose is to decrease exposure to staff and other patients, and decrease the burden on the healthcare system,” McGuffin said. “We want to do our part to flatten the curve.” Dr. Brian Neely, with the Allen County Regional Clinic and Chief of Staff at ACRH, said the goal is to include all See SITES | Page A3
Red Devil athletics done for the year
Biden nearer nomination
Joe Biden won three more primary states Tuesday, putting him nearer the Democratic party nominee for president. DELAWARE NEWS JOURNAL/JENNIFER CORBETT/USA/TNS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden swept to victory in Florida, Illinois and Arizona, increasingly pulling away with a Democratic presidential primary upended by the coronavirus and building pressure on Bernie Sanders to abandon his campaign. Today, Sanders’ campaign manager said Sanders “is going to be having conversations with supporters to assess his campaign.” But he suggested Sanders is in no hurry to make any decisions about leaving the race noting, “the next primary contest is at least three
weeks away.” Faiz Shakir said in a statement that “in the immediate term” Sanders “is focused on the government response to the coronavirus outbreak and ensuring that we take care of working people and the most vulnerable.” Biden’s third big night in as many weeks came Tuesday amid tremendous uncertainty as the Democratic contest collides with efforts to slow the spread of the virus that has shut down large swaths of See BIDEN | Page A6
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4-H’ers discuss gross ice cream
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