Basketball: Area athletes earn honors See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Tuesday, March 25, 2014
USD 257 buildings get a “B”
Kansas Legislature
Make way for...
House votes to obstruct ACA
raBid Love
By KAYLA BANZET The Iola Register
Iolans gave school district facilities a B in a local survey. Four hundred community members participated in a telephone survey conducted by Patron Insight. Overall, the district received a 3.76, which is about a B average. USD 257 board of education members hired Patron Insight last month to conduct the survey to get a better understanding of what community members thought of the district’s performance and facilities. The question that generated the most positive result was the safety of students in the district, garnering a 4.32, an A. Performance of school principals, teachers, board of education and superintendent all received high A marks. When asked to rank the quality of school facilities, 42 percent of patrons said they would give the facilities a B. Those who answered the question with a C, D or F rating were asked what it was about the school facility that falls short of expectations. One hundred and twenty-nine patrons said the facilities are old and rundown, 21 said the wiring is outdated, 15 said the air conditioning and heating needs to be updated and 13 had other reasons. The board has continually discussed whether they should apply for a bond issue to construct a new facility or facilities or remodel the existing structures. Some patrons See USD 257 | Page A6
Thompson’s an aye By DAVE RANNEY KHI News Service
TOPEKA — The Kansas House on Monday finalized its approval of a measure that would allow the state to join a multi-state compact designed to circumvent full implementation of the Affordable Care Act. House Bill 2553, which passed 74-48, now goes to the Senate. Kent Thompson, Iola’s Representative in the House, voted in favor of the motion. “I think it has a strong likelihood of passing the Senate,” said Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook, a Shawnee Republican and chair of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee. Pilcher-Cook, an outspoken critic of the Affordable Care Act, said the House-passed bill would not be heard in her committee. “It’s too late,” in the legislative session, she said. “We don’t have any more meetings scheduled.” But she said that she hoped Senate leadership would find a way to allow the chamber to vote on the bill yet this year. If enacted, the compact would be allowed to petition Congress to allow its member states to each regulate Medicare, Medicaid, and other fed-
Cast and crew members for “Rabid Love” film an outdoor scene in Hansten, Kan., where the entire movie was shot. The film is directed by Paul Porter, a former Iolan. COURTESY PHOTO
Former Iolan directs horror film
By STEVEN SCHWARTZ The Iola Register
The last time The Register checked in with emerging director and former Iolan Paul Porter, he was breaking the mold by shooting his first feature film in rural Kansas. He shot all of “Rabid Love,” a horror film set in the 1980s, during a four-week session in the summer of 2012. The original plan was to make the movie in New Mexico. But, as a native Iolan, Porter thought “why not Kansas?” In hindsight, Porter said the decision to shoot the film in Kansas was one of the best he made in the production. Post-production was completed in 2013 and the See MOVIE | Page A3
See ACA| Page A6
Leaders offer school funding plan By JOHN MILBURN Associated Press
A controlled pasture burn two miles west of Iola generated more smoke early Monday afternoon than was anticipated, leading to a traffic hazard as it drifted across U.S. 54. Iola firefighters were called to extinguish the fire. REGISTER/BOB JOHNSON
Vandalism suspected in fires By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
During a two-hour period Saturday morning six deliberately set fires occurred in the south part of Allen County. Only grass was burned; no structures were threatened. Humboldt volunteer firefighters were called to the first at 12:21 a.m. in the 1400 block of Connecticut Road, two miles southeast of Humboldt and near where the pumping station for the new Enbridge pipeline is nearing comple-
tion. A few minutes later a second fire call came from about two miles southeast of the first. The third was in the 2200 block of Arizona Road, a mile southeast of the second and 20 minutes later. The fourth, also along Arizona Road, was near old U.S. 169. Two other fires, noticed by deputies going from one to another, also occurred. Proximity of the fires and all occurring within a short time frame, led officers to See FIRE | Page A6
Quote of the day Vol. 116, No. 104
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas House Republican leaders produced a new plan late Monday for satisfying a state Supreme Court ruling that’s similar to one rejected last week but lacks the changes to state charter school laws. House Speaker Ray Merrick said the plan would increase school spending by about $129 million to address two deficiencies deemed unconstitutional by the court in its March 7 ruling. “It’s a start,” the Stilwell Republican said. “There’s going to be a lot of changes.” But the plan still contained several policy changes to education laws, including modifying the way teachers are certified and creating a commission to determine if total school funding was adequate as it pertains to seven criteria in Kansas law. Merrick said the House Appropriations Committee is likely to begin reviewing the proposal today. Rep. Jerry Henry, a Cummins Democrat and ranking
minority on House Appropriations, said the GOP plan looked similar to the original plan, absent the charter school expansion. Henry and Merrick both said they expect charter school expansion to be offered as an amendment during House debate.
a lower court to review. Brownback spokeswoman Sara Belfry declined to say if the governor liked the new House plan, saying only that he was standing by seven guiding principles that any legislation must abide, including addressing all issues
I’m a little nervous about opening it wide open for everybody without having some semblance of where you might want to go. — Sen. Ty Masterson, R-Andover
“There’s lots of moving parts here that need to be determined,” Henry said. Merrick has been negotiating with Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican, and Gov. Sam Brownback on a solution that would be agreeable to both chambers and that the governor would sign. The parties must fix the funding issues by July, per the state Supreme Court, and send other questions back to
“We are exactly where we have chosen to be.” — Vernon Howard, spiritual teacher 75 Cents
of funding equity. “He is waiting to see what the final legislation is and he will consider that once it hits his desk,” Belfry said. Senate GOP leaders said earlier Monday they hope to finish the framework of a school spending bill soon, but don’t have a timeframe yet for introducing a measure. Sen. Ty Masterson, chairman of the Senate Ways See FUNDING | Page A6
Hi: 46 Lo: 28 Iola, KS