Friday, November 4, 2022
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Kansas has 27th month of surplus By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector
The cast of Marmaton Valley High School’s “Doublewide, Texas” includes, from left, Ava Newman, Lily Mynatt, Sophia Heim, Kaitlyn Drake, Kiowa Bloemer, Jeff Spillman, Bailey LaRue, Mallory Heim (on the couch) and Jaedon Granere. PHOTOS BY HALIE LUKEN/MVHS
Take a trip to Doublewide, Texas By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
MORAN — Marmaton Valley High School brings a tale about colorful characters, a few family secrets and a good old-fashioned double-cross — all inside a quaint trailer park. The MVHS Drama Department performs “Doublewide, Texas” on Friday and Saturday evening in the old MVHS gymnasium. The story is about a tightknit group of friends and relatives trying to keep their home — a collection of doublewide trailers — from being annexed into nearby Tugaloo, Texas, which would almost certainly force them to move. Mallory Heim as Georgia Dean Rudd and Bailey LaRue as Joveeta Crumpler star as best friends and the ring-
Panasonic plant breaks ground By Register staff
DE SOTO — Area leaders joined Panasonic Energy CEOs in the official groundbreaking of its new manufacturing facility Wednesday. The facility will manufacture lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and is one the largest of its kind in the United States. The project is expected to create up to 4,000 jobs and is a $4 billion investment in the local economy, according to a press release from the office of Gov. Laura Kelly. It’s the largest singular See PLANT | Page A6
Jeff Spillman, Bailey LaRue, Mallory Heim and Jaedon Granere rehearse a scene. leaders trying to stave off the property’s annexation. Joveeta is working under a deadline, however. She’s about to skip town, anyway, having given up her job for a higher-paying career at a dis-
count cruise line. Georgia Dean, meanwhile, runs the local cafe (where everything is fried). She’s made a nice living, despite her propensity for taking in any manner of stray animal — or
person — in need of a home. Speaking of which, Sophia Heim stars as Lark Barken, a very young, very pregnant widow, who is in need of direction and a place to stay. She offers to help out around the diner, much to the chagrin of the local townsfolk uncertain about her tofu cake, or her seemingly odd choices of potential baby names. Their quirky costars are on hand to keep up the zaniness from there. Kiowa Bloemer is the unforgettable Haywood “Baby” Crumpler, Joveta’s good-hearted little brother intent on practicing for a local, womanless beauty pageant. Ava Newman appears as their uproarious elderly mother, Caprice, who despite being in her 70s, has not yet given up her dream of making it into
TOPEKA — Tax revenue to the state of Kansas in October exceeded projections of analysts for the 27th consecutive month by adding $704 million to the government treasury — more than $70 million greater than forecast. The Kansas Department of Revenue said deposits were 11% or $73.2 million above the projection last revised in April. Much of the unanticipated gain was in the form of individual income taxes that hit $357 million for the month. That was 17% or $52.5 million above expectations. Retail sales tax collections of $250 million were 9.4% or $21 million above See REVENUE | Page A3
Allen volleyball ends season
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Library program covers Flint Hills PAGE A2
What’s the risk from those still unvaccinated?
See PLAY | Page A6
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New signs show it’s hip to be square By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
Motorists approaching Iola on U.S. 169 might notice a colorful new tribute to the town square. Two signs are the result of a year-long effort by the Iola Community Involvement Task Force-PRIDE Committee (CITF/PRIDE) to replace a faded highway billboard. The new sign features large letters that spell “IOLA” except the O is actually a square with a black-and-white photo of the town square inside it. Cursive letters over the photo read “Our square is bigger than yours.” Along the bottom of the sign are white letters that read “Largest Town Square in the Country.” The sign replaces a faded billboard that also boasted about the size of the town
The Iola Community Involvement Task Force-PRIDE Committee (CITF/PRIDE) recently installed new billboards on U.S. 169 north and south of Iola. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS square. Donna Houser, a local historian and member of the CITF/ PRIDE group, said the group
had been debating the sign’s design for about a year. It was made possible by a $1,000 grant from the Pride Founda-
tion. The group had a year to spend the money, and the sign was installed in late September — right at the deadline. Iola High School art teacher Emily Sigg and her students offered several designs to the group, but members had a difficult time deciding, Houser said. Ultimately, they decided it was best to have as few words as possible. “I think we all wanted the square to be featured,” Houser said. One sign is located about a mile north of Iola and can be viewed by southbound traffic, as motorists are headed toward Iola. The other is located about a mile south of Iola and can be viewed by northbound traffic. The goal is to encourage passing motorists to stop at Iola to see the downtown square.
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