Saturday, March 21, 2020
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No pomp, trying circumstances IHS seniors reflect on losing events like graduation By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
Iola High School senior Trevelle Means was looking forward to walking across the stage to accept his high school diploma. Graduation is one of the key moments in the shift from childhood to adulthood. For Trevelle, that moment would symbolize not just the successful completion of 13 years of education. It would
Trevelle Means mean triumph over a difficult childhood. “Growing up wasn’t easy for me. I was adopted when I was 9 due to lots of things I don’t always talk about,” he said. “Graduating for me was about overcoming all the obstacles I’ve faced in my life and coming out on top
after everything I’ve been through.” But with Kansas school buildings shuttered for the rest of the year and mass gatherings prohibited as the world tries to slow the spread of a deadly coronavirus, Trevelle and other high school seniors across Kansas may not get that moment. It’s difficult to accept, said those who recently spoke to The Register. They’re still trying to process a new reality that abruptly ends their public school education. The last day of in-person classes was Friday, March 13, the beginning of spring break. Little did they know their goodbyes to friends and teachers would be for the rest of the school year. But that was it. No tearful end-of-the-year
The Taylor family is dealing with two missed graduations because of cancellations caused by the pandemic and an earthquake in Salt Lake City where two daughters attend college. From left are Ella, Olivia, Jen, Ben, Jesse and Abigail.
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COURTESY PHOTO
One family’s challenges By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
The efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus in the educational systems hit the family of Jen and Ben Taylor with a triple whammy.
First, daughters Abigail and Olivia learned their classes at Brigham Young University would be shifted to online-only after spring break, and Abigail’s gradu-
Restaurants in flux: ‘A sports bar with no sports’ By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
County commissioners and department heads have closed the Allen County Courthouse, and declared a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 crisis. The state of emergency will last 60 days; the courthouse closure will last one week before the situation is re-evaluated, commission-
The last two weeks were supposed to be Carri Sailor’s Christmas. With the college basketball season set to culminate with postseason tournaments — the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, and the NCAA tournament — Sailor was geared up to host a packed house on a nightly basis at Rookies Sports Bar and Grill. Fate intervened, in the form of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus now declared a global pandemic. While nobody in Iola or Allen County is known to have contracted COVID-19, the health crisis had an immediate punch. The Big 12 tourney was
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Courthouse closes doors By TREVOR HOAG The Iola Register
Local restaurants list new schedules Page B6
Carrie Sailor, owner of Rookies Sports Bar and Grill, has removed several tables from her dining area to give diners more separation from others in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Iola’s Brown reflects on championshp run
Rachel Stone
‘I hope we’re all listening now’ By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Rachel Stone, biology instructor at Allen Community College, admits to being humbled as she learned more about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “I distinctly recall in early February discussing the virus with students and describing the global reaction Vol. 122, No. 102 Iola, KS 75 Cents
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Humboldt tables school bond vote
as ‘overblown,’” Stone told the Register. “And to be honest, I should’ve known better See ANSWERS | Page B6
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Schools to begin delivering meals PAGE A8
Sterling Six screens go dark By ERICK MITCHELL The Iola Register
Movie theatres are a place to go and put reality in the back seat. As of March 17, Allen County residents no longer have that luxury. B&B Sterling Six Cinema has turned off its screen projectors for the time being due to COVID-19. Theater manager Nic Olson was not surprised by the Bagby family’s decision to close its 50 movie theaters across seven states. “Having a movie theater, which is a place where ideally hundreds of people are together in one small room, is going to be a place that gets closed down,” Olson said. Initially, B&B Theatres reduced its seating capacity to 50% with an announcement
PENICILLIN ALLERGY TESTING now available at Neosho Memorial
Information & graphic from the CDC.gov
Sterling Six Cimemas is closed temporarily because of the COVID-19 pandemic. REGISTER/ ERICK MITCHELL
on March 13, measures that were implemented the next day. “When they said 50% capacity, it wasn’t a real worry for me, and I didn’t expect that we would need to turn people away,” Olson said. “For larger towns, that was going to be rough because they generally get a lot more people.” Olson highlights that JanuSee THEATER | Page A5