The Iola Register, Jan. 5, 2023

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Crossland to lead court remodel Farmers, ranchers hope to erode stigma of mental illness

Allen County commissioners picked Crossland Construction of Columbus to expand and remodel the courthouse.

Chief District Judge Dan Creitz is spearheading a plan to build a new courtroom and make other improvements to the court facilities.

He recommended the county pick Crossland to serve as construction manager at risk for the project, which would include ushering voters through a bond election. The cost isn’t yet known, but preliminary estimates indicate it could exceed $5 million.

Much of the cost will be determined by whether the county chooses a more expensive option to build a tunnel underneath the courthouse and install an elevator to transport prisoners between the jail and the courtroom, or instead build a secured hallway on the main floor.

An architect’s design included the underground

Iola battles

US job openings stayed high

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. job openings slipped in November but remained high, suggesting businesses are still determined to add workers, a blow to the Federal Reserve’s efforts to cool hiring and wage gains.

There were 10.46 million job vacancies on the last day of November, down slightly from 10.51 million in October, the Labor Department said Wednesday. Openings peaked at 11.9 million in March.

Yet the figures show there are nearly 1.8 jobs for every unemployed person, down from a peak of 2 but historically very high. Before the pandemic, there were usually

By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector

MANHATTAN — Sedgwick County farmer Mick Rausch’s struggle with depression coincided with his brother’s cancer diagnosis and a freeze that thwarted harvest of a wheat crop.

Rausch had promised his father-in-law that he would not let the family’s century-old farm go under. Quitting wasn’t an option, he said.

He kept shoving aside reality of compounding stress and strain. He dodged his wife’s inquiries. He didn’t want to utter three powerful words: I need help. The problem came to a head when he crawled under a piece of farm equipment to perform routine maintenance and ended up taking a three-hour nap. That out-of-character slumber convinced him to get serious about his mental well-being.

“It’s really hard for a guy to

admit to a problem,” Rausch said. “You’re in agriculture. We know how to deal with a problem — take care of it, work a little harder, work a little longer. Things kind of snowballed and I just got to the point I had to seek help.”

He made an appointment with a doctor and was able to talk with professionals about his mental health challenges. He was put on medication that made a difference.

“All the credit goes to my

Analysis: House speaker job like ‘being mayor of hell’

By DAVID LAUTER Los Angeles Times/TNS

WASHINGTON — Republican leader Kevin McCarthy surely could have seen defeat coming: The wave that swamped him has been building for years.

In 2015, attacks from the right wing drove House Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio to quit in frustration.

Boehner’s successor, Rep. Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, stuck it out for just 2½ years before announcing that he, too, would quit the House.

On Tuesday, the division that stymied the last two Republican speakers reached its logical conclusion: For the first time in 100 years, the majority party in the House proved unable to elect its nominee as speaker.

And on Wednesday, as of press time, nothing had changed.

For Republicans, the political pain has probably only just begun. On Wednesday, McCarthy again failed repeat-

edly as the House reconvened to try again.

The problem for Republicans is that the contest over the speaker’s job isn’t what divides the party. Instead, “the contested race is the symptom of the underlying problems they face,” said Sarah A. Binder of George Washington University, an expert on Congress.

The roughly 20 House conservatives who repeatedly

voted against Bakersfield’s McCarthy, who had won the endorsement of the rightflank Republican Freedom Caucus, “aren’t building a coalition” aimed at winning a majority to pass specific policies, Binder said.

Instead, their main power is to “throw sand in the gears” and try to block Democrats and less conservative Republicans from passing key legislation. That gives them little incentive to compromise — either on the speakership or, as Ryan and Boehner both discovered, on bills that leaders in both parties consider “must pass” legislation.

“It’s not clear that they have a price McCarthy could pay” to convince them to support him, Binder added.

Indeed, over the last several weeks, McCarthy made repeated concessions to the right only to see opposition to his candidacy grow.

Whoever eventually emerges as speaker — McCarthy, in the increasingly unlikely possibility that he

can win over his deeply entrenched opponents, or another candidate such as Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana — will face that same problem over and over in the next two years, Binder and others said.

“It’s going to be hard to pass any major legislation with 20 members of the caucus willing to blow up the place,” said longtime Republican strategist Mike Murphy, now co-director of the Center for the Political Future at USC.

“Being speaker of the House is going to be like being mayor of hell.”

The political danger for Republicans is that many swing voters already see the GOP as too much in the thrall of ideological extremists. In November’s midterm elections, Republicans lost the support of independent and moderate voters, costing them a score or more hotly contested congressional districts they had hoped to win.

Lawmakers on the GOP’s

about surge of COVID in China

GENEVA (AP) — The head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday the agency is “concerned about the risk to life in China” amid the coronavirus’ explosive spread across the country and the lack of outbreak data from the Chinese government.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency recently

met with Chinese officials to underline the importance of sharing more details about COVID-19 issues including hospitalization rates and genetic sequences, even as the pandemic continues to recede globally since it began in late 2019.

“Data remains essential for WHO to carry out regular, rapid and robust risk assessments of the global situ-

ation,” Tedros said at a press briefing.

Tedros said he understood why numerous countries have recently taken measures against travelers coming from China, saying “it’s understandable that some countries are taking steps to prevent their citizens” given the void of information about COVID-19.

WHO emergencies chief Dr.

Michael Ryan said the testing protocols implemented by some countries were not a restriction against travel.

“It’s not an excessive measure based on individual countries’ risk assessment,” Ryan said.

He noted that for the past three years, China has had some of the world’s harshest rules regarding COVID-19.

See COVID | Page A4

The speaker’s chair remains empty. (KENT NISHIMURA/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS)

Chief District Judge Daniel Creitz talks to county commissioners. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Farmers and ranchers are two times more likely to die of suicide than people engaged in other occupations. PIXABAY. COM

Obituary

Arlene Garrison

Arlene Garrison passed away on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, at age 60 in Iola, surrounded by her family, Glen, Cheyenne and Montana.

She was born May 11, 1962, to Glenn and Retta Smith. She grew up helping her dad on the family farm in Moran. She graduated from Marmaton Valley High School where she was proud to be the school’s Wildcat mascot.

Arlene proudly attended Pittsburg State University (“Once a Gorilla Always a Gorilla”) where she received her degree in accounting. After college she was a government auditor in Wichita, until she met a sun-tanned farmhand. After a proposal in a MF860 combine she married her sweetheart Glen Garrison (the sun-tanned farmhand) in 1988. They lived in Garden City, where she started her 30-year career in banking eventually moving to Wichita and working her way up to Bank VP. Glen and Arlene made their home in Newton, where they raised their two daughters. In 2019 Glen and Arlene retired to her family farm in Moran.

Her joys in retirement were her sun-tanned farmhand and her two rescue pit bulls Coulter and Millie. She was always so happy to have saved them and given them a fun, carefree life on the farm. Arlene always enjoyed making various crafts for gifts, reading on her Kindle, and advocating for equality and social justice.

Arlene beat cancer 13 years ago, but the heavy radiation caused continuously increasing health issues, eventually wearing out her body. Throughout all the medical issues she continued to look at the positive and always had something funny to say to lighten the mood.

She is survived by her husband Glen Garrison; her daughters Cheyenne and Montana Garrison; her parents Glenn and Retta Smith; and her sisters Joyce Smith and Tricia Knoll.

A celebration of life will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at Trinity Heights United Methodist Church, 1200 Boyd Ave, Newton, with a luncheon following. In lieu of flowers a memorial has been established with ACARF, Allen County Animal Rescue Facility. Please send these donations to the Petersen Funeral Home, 215 N. Main St., Newton, KS 67114.

Pope praises ‘gentle’ Benedict

VATICAN CITY (AP)

— Pope Francis praised Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s “acute and gentle thought” as he presided over a packed Wednesday general audience in the Vatican, while thousands of people paid tribute to the former pope on the final day of public viewing in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Francis was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd in the Paul VI auditorium and shouts of “Viva il papa!” or “Long live the pope” as he arrived for his weekly catechism appointment with the faithful.

This week’s audience was conducted while tens of thousands of people continued to flock to the Vatican to pay their respects to Benedict before the official viewing of his body ends Wednesday evening.

From Monday through midday Wednesday, nearly 160,000 people had passed through the basilica, the Vatican said.

“It is my duty to come,” said Małgorzata Nowska, a Pol-

ish resident of Rome as she paid tribute Wednesday.

Francis is due to preside over the late German pope’s funeral on Thursday, an event that is drawing heads of state and royalty despite Benedict’s requests for simplicity and Vatican efforts to keep the first Vatican funeral for an emeritus pope in modern times low-key. Only Italy and Germany were invited to send official delegations, and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Italian President Sergio Mattarella confirmed their participation.

But other heads of state and government decided to take the Vatican up on its offer and come in their “private capacity.” As of a late count Wednesday, seven heads of state, four prime ministers and two delegations of royal representatives were attending as private citizens, including the president of Togo, the prime minister of Gabon and royals from Belgium and Spain.

News from Carlyle

Carlyle Presbyterian Church

Pastor Steve Traw’s first message of 2023 on Sunday, “The First Chapter,” was taken from Genesis 1.

Genesis 1 records the creation story.

“What does God reveal in the creation account regarding his attributes or identifying features?” asked Pastor Traw.

Carlyle News

One of God’s attri butes, that separates him from humankind, is his holiness, he an-

Former Kansas AG, Stephan, dies at 89

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) —

Former Kansas Attorney General Robert Stephan, who emphasized victims’ rights and consumer protection during four terms in office, has died at the age of 89.

Stephan died overnight, his brother, Don Stephan, told Kansas media Tuesday. No cause of death was released.

Stephan, a Republican and Wichita native, served as attorney general from 1979 to 1995, the longest tenure in that office in Kansas history. He first won the office after surviving cancer, an experience that later prompted him to support legalizing marijuana for medical use.

Stephan helped develop a victims’ rights amendment to the Kansas Constitution and emphasized consumer protection. His tenure also included legal battles involving Democratic Gov. Joan Finney’s role in negotiating with American Indian tribes on casino gambling and challenging the Posse Comitatus militia movement in western Kansas.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt said in a statement Tuesday

that Stephan left a lasting mark on the office during his tenure, particularly in the areas of crime victims’ rights and consumer protection.

Stephan’s political career stalled after two lawsuits filed by a former clerk who accused him of sexually harassing her and of breach of contract when he revealed the amount of the settlement in the first lawsuit.

A grand jury alleged Stephan lied when he testified in the second lawsuit. He was acquitted in 1995.

After leaving office, Stephan lived in Lenexa, where he was a corporate legal consultant.

swered.

You can watch the church service, shortly after 10 a.m. Sundays via Facebook.

Pianist Myrna Wildschuetz played “Somebody Bigger than You and I” for the prelude and “The Next Time He Comes” for the offertory.

Joanne McIntyre celebrated her birthday on

Financial Focus

Friday, Dec. 30.

Because Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services were canceled due to inclement weather, bags of sweet treats were passed out at the end of the morning worship service.

Bible study with Pastor Traw resumes Tuesday with the New Testament Book of Matthew.

Time for New Year’s Financial Resolutions

It’s that time of year when many of us promise ourselves we’ll go to the gym more, or learn a new language, or take up a musical instrument, or any number of other worthy goals. But this year, when making New Year’s resolutions, why not also consider some financial ones?

Here are a few to consider:

• Don’t let inflation derail your investment strategy. As you know, inflation was the big financial story of 2022, hitting a 40-year high. And while it may moderate somewhat this year, it will likely still be higher than what we experienced the past decade or so. Even so, it’s a good idea to try not to let today’s inflation harm your investment strategy for the future. That happened last year: More than half of American workers either reduced their contributions to their 401(k)s and other retirement plans or stopped contributing completely during the third quarter of 2022, according to a survey by Allianz Life Insurance of North America. Of course, focusing on your cash flow needs today is certainly understandable, but are there other ways you can free up some money, such as possibly lowering your spending, so you can continue contributing to your retirement accounts? It’s worth the effort because you could spend two or three decades as a retiree.

• Control your debts. Inflation can also be a factor in debt management. For example, your credit card debt could rise due to rising prices and variable credit card interest rate increases. By paying your bill each month, you can avoid the effects of rising interest rates. If you do carry a balance, you might be able to transfer it to a lower-rate card, depending on your credit score. And if you’re carrying multiple credit cards, you might benefit by getting a fixed-rate debt consolidation loan. In any case, the lower your debt payments, the more you can invest for your long-term goals.

• Review your investment portfolio. At least once a year, you should review your investment portfolio to determine if it’s still appropriate for your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon. But be careful not to make changes just because you feel your recent performance is not what it should have been. When the financial markets are down, as was the case for most of 2022, even quality investments, such as stocks of companies with solid business fundamentals and strong prospects, can see declines in value. But if these investments are still suitable for your portfolio, you may want to keep them.

• Prepare for the unexpected. If you encountered a large unexpected expense, such as the need for a major home repair, how would you pay for it? If you didn’t have the money readily available, you might be forced to dip into your long-term investments or retirement accounts. To prevent this, you should build an emergency fund containing three to six months’ worth of living expenses — or a year’s worth, if you’re retired — with the money kept in a low-risk, liquid account.

These resolutions can be useful — so try to put them to work in 2023.

Arlene Garrison

Prairie Dell 4-H members helped ring the Salvation Army Bell at Iola Walmart during the holiday season. COURTESY PHOTOS

Bob Stephan

Joanne McIntyre

County: Construction company picked to lead renovation

tunnel and elevator, Creitz noted.

“There are a lot of unknowns going underneath the courtroom,” he said.

A committee, led by Creitz, interviewed two companies vying to oversee the project: Crossland and Universal Construction of Kansas City, Kan.

Both recommended building a hallway rather than an underground tunnel.

Both companies would not charge the county if a bond issue for the project fails to pass. They also recommended having a special election in June or July, rather than including the measure in a general election.

A decision between the two was very difficult, Commissioner David Lee said.

Ultimately, he said, it came down to Crossland’s plan to educate taxpayers about the bond issue in order to sway voters in its favor.

“As we go down this path, that’s going to be very necessary,” Lee said.

Commissioners also noted the county was making its final bond payments on the jail this month. The jail was built in 2004 for $2.9 million, using revenue

bonds that were paid for by housing prisoners.

With the jail paid off, commissioners hope taxpayers will be willing to support the courthouse renovation.

Creitz has said the renovation is “a need, not a want” because the current facilities are too small and lack appropriate security measures.

Hospital update Jeremy Armstrong, the new administrator for Allen County Re-

gional Hospital and Anderson County Hospital, introduced himself to commissioners.

He was hired by Saint Luke’s Health System this summer to lead both hospitals. The hospital facilities are owned by their respective counties and both are managed by Saint Luke’s.

Armstrong gave commissioners an update on recent projects and talked about how the two hospitals work together. Loren Korte, who represents the county’s

interest on the hospital’s board, also met with commissioners.

The county and Saint Luke’s recently completed major renovations to the medical arts building for a health clinic, and converted the former labor and delivery unit at the hospital into a specialty clinic.

The renovated space allows Saint Luke’s to bring more specialists to Allen County, such as cardiology, endocrinology and oncology (which starts this

month). Patients also can see specialists at Anderson County, Armstrong said.

Some staff members also share duties between the two hospitals, which addresses an ongoing shortage of healthcare workers.

Equipment needs Mark Griffith, road and bridge director, presented a sort of “wish list” to commissioners for 2023.

Last week, commissioners took department leaders to task for

not giving them enough time to review purchases and sometimes not seeking enough bids.

In response, Griffith said he wanted to prepare them for some of the big-ticket items he’ll need in the next year.

He expects to replace two dump trucks that have high mileage, and a three-quarter ton truck at the rock quarry that has significant rust. His department also will need to buy mower decks for John Deere tractors the county is renting next year. He’ll also need a new skid steer at some point.

Griffith also continues to research the purchase of a MowerMax, a specialized piece of mowing equipment that will replace a boom mower that was destroyed by fire.

Meanwhile, Commission Chairman Jerry Daniels said Monarch Cement donated $100,000 to be split between Allen and Neosho counties to offset some of the cost to fix roads around Monarch that were damaged during road construction on US 169 this summer and fall.

Allen County plans to use its portion to pay for a new road patching machine.

Infrastructure success brings Biden and McConnell together

COVINGTON, Kentucky (AP) — President Joe Biden visited a dilapidated bridge connecting Ohio and Kentucky to talk up the virtues of bipartisanship with Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday while at the same time blasting House Republicans for an “embarrassing” scene of disarray that has kept the chamber from organizing itself.

The Democratic president’s trip to the Brent Spence Bridge, which is getting a federal facelift, came as Washington is gripped by the GOP’s inability to unify behind a candidate for House speaker. Biden, as he left the White House, said the chaos was “not a good look” for the country. The election of a speaker is required before House

members can be sworn in for the new congressional session.

“That’s not my problem,” Biden said of the speaker vote. “I just think it’s really embarrassing it’s taking so long.” He added that “the rest of the world is looking” at the turmoil on the House floor while his focus is on “getting things done.”

Even before the drama over the vote for speaker, Biden’s chances of securing additional massive, transformational legislation had all but evaporated in a divided Washington, where Republicans have taken a slim majority in the House after the midterm elections.

The focus is set to turn to GOP investigations of the Biden administration and battles over essentials like funding

the government and meeting federal debt obligations.

That has the White House and top Cabinet officials hoping to direct the country’s focus to Biden’s achievements during his first two years in office and demonstrating how the new laws directly affect Americans.

Biden’s appearance with McConnell was meant to mark a renewed push by his administration to highlight the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law and to appeal to newly empowered Republicans to find additional areas of cooperation in the new Congress.

“We all know these are really partisan times. But I always feel that no matter who gets elected, once it’s all over, we ought to look

for things that we can agree on and try to do those, even while we have big differences on other things,” McConnell said in brief remarks before Biden took the stage, calling the bridge an example of bipartisanship that the “country needs to see.”

Democrats’ stronger-than-expected showing in the midterms allowed their party to retain control of the Senate even as the House fell to Republicans.

On Tuesday, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, the ostensible GOP pick for speaker, failed to win the required majority on three ballots — the first time in a century that a speaker hasn’t been selected on the first ballot. Members-elect re-

Jobs: Fed likely to keep raising rates

Continued from A1

ly more unemployed people than jobs.

Such a high number of job openings suggests the economy is not yet in recession or close to falling into one. Typically businesses stop advertising job openings as the economy stumbles.

And the high number of vacancies suggest the Fed will continue raising its benchmark interest rate at its coming meetings to quell inflation. Those higher rates will also raise the cost of mortgages, auto loans and other consumer and business borrowing.

“For Fed officials, these data support the view that rates need to move higher and will need to stay high for some time, to soften labor market conditions

and lower prices back to target,” said Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics, a consulting firm.

In another key metric, the number of people quitting their job rose to 4.2 million, up from about 4 million in October. That is below a record of roughly 4.6 million quits late last year, but is still elevated. Workers typically quit a job for higher pay in new positions. When many Americans quit, it can force businesses to pay more to keep their workers.

The Federal Reserve is closely monitoring the figures on job openings and quits for signals about the strength of the job market. More quitting suggests there are still plenty of businesses, desperate to

hire, that are offering higher pay to lure workers from their current jobs.

That runs counter to the Fed’s goal of slowing hiring and the economy in order to bring down inflation. Price gains have weakened in recent months but inflation was still high at 7.1% in November compared with a year ago.

While more job openings are a benefit for those seeking work, Fed officials would like to see the number of openings fall. That’s because fewer openings would indicate less competition between businesses to find and keep workers, reducing pressure on them to raise wages.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell has highlighted

rising pay as a factor in keeping inflation high. Bigger paychecks enable Americans to spend more and can push companies to raise prices to offset the higher labor costs.

The Fed has raised rates seven times this year, to a range of 4.25% to 4.5%, and hopes cool off the economy without causing a recession. But it expects its rate hikes to push unemployment to 4.6% next year, up from 3.7% now, an increase that has never occurred outside of a downturn.

The report comes just days before the government is scheduled to release the December jobs report on Friday, which will show how many jobs were gained last month, and whether the unemployment rate rose or fell.

turned to the chamber on Wednesday for additional balloting.

The infrastructure law provided $1 trillion that Biden’s administration is doling out for roads and bridges, broadband networks and water projects across America. The money will be critical not just for the communities getting the help but to the Democratic president’s political

theory that voters are hungry for bipartisanship that delivers tangible results.

The perennially congested bridge spanning the Ohio River has frustrated motorists for decades. The infrastructure law will offer more than $1.63 billion in federal grants to Ohio and Kentucky to build a companion bridge that will help unclog traffic on the Brent Spence.

Jeremy Armstrong, administrator of Allen County Regional Hopsital, left, speaks with county commissioners and others. Seated in front are commissioners Bruce Symes, David Lee and Jerry Daniels. In back are Paul Zirjacks, seated, and Loren Korte. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Farmers: Share mental health concerns

wife,” he said. “She stuck with me through a very difficult summer.”

It led about 15 years later to the Kansas Farm Bureau convention in Manhattan and a seat next to Ashley Beying, an Osage County nurse practitioner and rancher, and Donna Wise, a Clearwater corn, wheat, sorghum and soybean farmer who was 18 when her father died of suicide.

The trio’s task was to share with farmers, ranchers and others their understanding of how to manage the inevitable stress of a life in agriculture. They were guests of the Women’s Leadership Committee of the Farm Bureau.

Rausch said he learned to welcome the opportunity to speak to others about his journey of despair and recovery.

“The first thing I tell people is I’m sick and tired of going to other people’s funerals out here that I could have prevented,” he said.

Walking on egg shells Wise, who grew up walking on egg shells at home due to her father’s severe depression, said her mother chose to blame Wise and her sibling brother for their father’s condition. She learned to cope by being self-reliant and spending as much time as possible outdoors. Her father was unable to find a way to deal with the pain and took his life more than 50 years ago, Wise said. She continues to mourn that loss.

“Farmers spend so much time alone working on the farm,” said Wise, who became an ordained minister and relied on her experience to assist people talking of suicide.

“That’s a lot of time to think and think and get into some deep, dark places.”

She said people in crisis needed to understand their families wouldn’t be better off without them. Family members feel abandoned in wake of a suicide, she said.

Beying, the nurse practitioner who works at a rural health clinic, said the national conversation about mental illness had lowered barriers that deterred people from being transparent about depression, anxiety and other conditions that could benefit from medical intervention.

If someone could feel more stable by taking prescription medication, she said, family or society had no right to stigmatize that solution.

“Mental health wasn’t something that was typically talked about when I was younger,” Beying said.

“As a health care provider, looking at my patients, I would want to take care of their blood pressure, take care of their cholesterol,

their diabetes. So, why wouldn’t I want to take care of their mind?”

She said the nation’s capacity to provide mental health services needed to grow exponentially because the demand outstripped available facilities and personnel. In Kansas, there are resources available to people struggling with mental health.

Wise said harsh opinions associated with mental illness had diminished over the years, but less progress had been made with the stigma of suicide.

“From my experience,” she said, “I have often felt I was not allowed to talk about the fact I had suicide in my family. People don’t want to hear about it. They run away.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported farmers and ranchers were almost two times more likely to die from suicide than people engaged in other occupations. In 2021, Kansas Health Institute reported the rate of suicide in rural counties in Kansas climbed 55% from

2000 to 2019.

COVID-19 factor Wise and Beying said onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 required folks to spend more time at home and offered a chance for people to become more sensitized to what they were feeling. It gave people an opportunity to take advantage of therapy through telehealth services or online formats, they said.

Rausch took the opposite perspective.

“In my area, we didn’t have good internet when the pandemic came on. We were basically isolated,” he said. “I’m kind of a people person. To me, mental health is about your mind and being out with people. If you’re locked up, nobody knows how you are.”

Rausch said if a friend didn’t look right or was acting strange, he would start a conversation and stick to the basics.

“Ask them, ‘Is there an issue? Is there something I can help you with?’ And, then, listen.”

COVID: China

Continued from A1

“The reality for China is that many countries (now feel) they don’t have enough information to base their risk assessment,” he said.

Earlier this week, Chinese officials sharply criticized COVID-19 testing requirements imposed on visitors from China and threatened countermeasures against countries involved, which include the U.S. and several European nations.

“We believe that the entry restrictions adopted by some countries targeting China lack scientific basis, and some excessive practices are even more unacceptable,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a briefing Tuesday.

The WHO’s Ryan added that there were continuing concerns about how Chinese officials are recording coronavirus deaths, saying that their definition, which only counts COVID-19 deaths if there is a record of respiratory failure, is too narrow.

Throughout December, China recorded only 13 official COVID-19 deaths, despite many thousands of cases every day and reports about overwhelmed hospitals, fever clinics and crematoriums.

A WHO expert group said Wednesday that no worrying new COVID variants have been identified in China based on the information authorities have shared, including genetic sequences deposited into a public database. The WHO said Chinese scientists have now shared more than 770 sequences, with omicron subvariants BA.5 and its descendants accounting for more than 97% of all local infections. Globally, BA.5 variants comprise about 68% of all

Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19, said the agency was currently evaluating the significance of the variant known as XBB.1.5, which has recently comprised an increasing proportion of cases in the U.S.

sequences.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said it did not expect the surge of COVID-19 in China to affect the outbreak in Europe, given the high rates of vaccination across the continent. It also noted that the variants spreading in China were already present in Europe, suggesting that any spillover from China would have a negligible impact.

Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19, said the agency was currently evaluating the significance of the variant known as XBB.1.5, which has recently comprised an increasing proportion of cases in the U.S.

“Our concern is how transmissible it is,” Van Kerkhove said. “The more this virus circulates, the more chances it will have to change,” she said, adding that further waves of transmission do not necessarily have to translate into more deaths, with the wide availability of vaccination and drugs.

Van Kerkhove said there is no data yet to prove that XBB.1.5 causes more severe disease, but that the WHO is working on a new risk assessment of the variant that it expects to release soon.

Russia says cellphone use led Ukraine to target its troops

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)

— Unauthorized use of cellphones by Russian soldiers led to a deadly Ukrainian rocket attack on the facility where they were stationed, according to the Russian military, as it raised the death toll from the weekend attack to 89.

Gen. Lt. Sergei Sevryukov said in a statement late Tuesday that phone signals allowed Kyiv’s forces to “determine the coordinates of the location of military personnel” and launch a strike.

The Russian military is taking unspecified measures to “prevent similar tragic incidents in the future,” Sevryukov said, and promised to punish officials responsible for the blunder.

The attack, one of the deadliest on the Kremlin’s forces since the start of the war over 10 months ago, occurred one minute into the new year, according to Sevryukov.

It was the latest blow to the Kremlin’s military prestige as it struggles to progress with its invasion of its neighbor, and stirred renewed criticism inside Russia of the way the war is being conducted amid a successful Ukrainian coun-

teroffensive.

Ukrainian forces fired six rockets from a U.S.-provided HIMARS multiple launch system at a building where the soldiers were stationed.

Two rockets were downed but four hit the building and detonated, prompting the collapse of the structure.

Details of the strike have trickled out in recent days.

U.K. intelligence officials said Wednesday that Moscow’s “unprofessional” military practices were likely partly to blame for the high casualty rate on the troops.

“Given the extent of the damage, there is a realistic possibility that ammunition was being stored near to troop accommodation, which detonated during the strike, creating secondary explosions,” the U.K. Defense Ministry said in a Twitter post.

In the same post, the ministry said that the building struck by Ukrainian missiles was little more than 7.5 miles from the front line, within “one of the most contested areas of the conflict,” in the partially Russian-occupied Donetsk region.

“The Russian military

has a record of unsafe ammunition storage from well before the current war, but this incident highlights how unprofessional practices contribute to Russia’s high casualty rate,” the update added.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin-appointed leader of the Donetsk region, one of four that Moscow il-

legally annexed in September, on Wednesday praised the “courage and true heroism” of the dead Russian soldiers.

Denis Pushilin said in a Telegram post that some of those killed tried to pull their comrades from the burning building.

In Samara, in southwestern Russia, locals

on Tuesday gathered for an Orthodox service in memory of the dead. The service was followed by a minute’s silence, and flowers were laid at a Soviet-era war memorial, the state RIA Novosti agency reported. Unconfirmed reports in Russian-language media said the victims were mobilized reserv-

ists from the region. The Russian Defense Ministry, in a rare admission of losses, initially said the strike killed 63 troops. But as emergency crews sifted through the rubble of the building, the death toll mounted. The regiment’s deputy commander was among the dead.

Sedgwick County farmers Mick Rausch and Donna Wise, left and center, and Osage County nurse practitioner and rancher Ashley Beying shared their experiences with mental illness in agricultural settings during a meeting of the Kansas Farm Bureau. (TIM CARPENTER/KANSAS REFLECTOR)

Kansas workers’ comp laws once best in the country

Workers’ compensation is designed to provide protection for workers injured on the job. Kansas workers and their families have less protection than most in America. The great irony is that Kansas was one of the first states to enact a workers’ compensation system in 1911. We have gone from one of the first to one of the worst in a century.

There are two specific areas the Kansas Legislature and the governor need to focus on in 2023.

Permanent total disability / cap on benefits

Kansas is one of only a few states that limits or caps benefits to permanently and totally disabled workers.

The cap is $155,000 for the rest of that worker’s life, regardless of their age, family or severity of injury. Workers’ compensation is the only remedy an injured worker or their family has against their employer. Workers in Kansas cannot sue their employer even if the employer is grossly negligent in causing the injury.

Fortunately, the number of workers who are hurt so badly they can never work again is very small. However, that small number of employees and their families are severely and adversely affected. Imagine a 32-yearold Kansan, with a family to support, limited to $155,000 for the rest of their life.

The current cap has been in place since 2011. Even in times of inflation, there is no mechanism in the law for adjustment.

Most state workers compensation laws across the nation require payment of lifetime benefits for those workers so severely injured they can never work again.

Of the few states that have caps, the cap in Kansas is currently the lowest in the nation. In fact, our state ranks at or near the bottom in many categories of benefits for injured workers.

Social Security offset Social Security is paid to retired workers after they have paid into the system for all their working years. In the year 2000, because of the aging population and increasing cost of living, the federal government created the “Senior Citizens Right to Work Act.” This change in the law allowed those Americans at full retirement age to take a job without reducing their Social Security benefits, as

Jeff Cooper For the Kansas Reflector

the monthly retirement payments often did not cover basic living expenses.

Under the current Kansas workers’ compensation laws, Kansans on Social Security do not receive the full benefit of the federal law.

If a working senior Kansan who collects Social Security retirement benefits is injured on the job, the current workers’ compensation law allows the employer or insurance company to deduct the amount the injured worker receives for Social Security against any workers’ compensation payments.

Workers’ compensation laws normally require the employer and insurance carrier to pay two-thirds of a worker’s current wages if the person is injured and not able to work temporarily. However, if this person is receiving Social Security retirement, those workers’ compensation benefits will be reduced or eliminated.

Compensation normally payable due to an injury is either partially or fully eliminated because workers receive Social Security retirement that they have worked for and paid into their entire lives.

Keep in mind, the primary reason many Kansas seniors work part-time is they need the money to make ends meet. Their Social Security is not enough to live on.

But if senior citizens are injured on the job, not only can’t they earn additional income, but they aren’t entitled to any wage replacement due to the injury under current Kansas law. That law unfairly discriminates against workers who are receiving Social Security retirement without any justification.

We urge Kansans to contact their legislators and ask them to use their common sense and do the right thing.

Tell them to change the cap on permanent disability, fix the Social Security offset and protect Kansas workers and their families in 2023.

About the author: Jeff Cooper is an attorney with the Cooper Law Office in Topeka. He is chair of the workers’ compensation committee of the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association.

A look back in t me. A look back in t me.

65 Years Ago

January 1958

Mayor Ben Ellis said this morning that city workmen are erecting a small dike about the tennis courts in Riverside Park, removing the net posts and will flood the area later today or tomorrow to make an ice skating rink. *****

Lyle “Jim” Schmaus, who graduated from the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science in Dallas last month, has been employed by Sleeper Mortuary as an apprentice, John Sleeper announced. Mrs. Schmaus is also a grad-

uate of the school, earning a degree in funeral directing. They will make their home at 10½ N. Washington.

*****

Since the Charles F. Scott chapter of the Quill and Scroll journalism fraternity was organized at IHS it has had 163 active members, including Dr. Earl “Tuck” Sifers, who will speak to this year’s club at its annual meeting Saturday evening. This year’s roster include Lucille Herman, Luella Diebolt, Marvin Morris, Charlene Sutherland, Jane Leake, Judy Dreher and Judy Mollahan.

Becoming American by choice

In the fiscal year that ended this September, people from around the world chose us. At some 970,000 naturalizations, it was the third highest year on record for immigrants becoming American citizens.

This is a testament to the staying power of the American idea of a culture of cultures, the story that anyone from anywhere can still have as much of a say as all others. This is, to some extent, a myth, more aspirational than a true mirror, but within every myth there’s a foundation of truth, and despite the imperfections this has kept being a country of immigrants.

These are a reason to celebrate, but they are not a reason to get complacent. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that a big part of this uptick

is because naturalizations were essentially shut down due to COVID, and also led by immigrants reacting to the most vitriolic anti-immigrant rhetoric and official action in a century.

Under former President Donald Trump, dissuading and disrespecting immigrants wasn’t incidental, it was a deliberate strategy driven by people like Stephen Miller — the White House adviser who simply rejected the American identity of a truly pluralist society and yearned for a return to an imagined past of nativist glory.

Undoing his careful efforts will require more than just a change in rhetoric. The Biden administration must be commended for efforts to unwind the xenophobia, like reverting the

citizenship test to a less onerous form and working to streamline it further, but this moment is an opportunity to do more than turn back the clock. Officials like U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ur Jaddou and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas must work to clear the brush of bureaucratic obstacles that still lock people out, such as by reducing the use of redundant paperwork.

For its part, Congress has much to fix, including a broken family and employment visa system that keeps people waiting in interminable backlogs for permanent residency, the precursor to citizenship. Many of the best Americans will be the ones by choice.

—

New York Daily News

Where democracy won in 2022

By ELIZA NEWLIN CARNEY The Fulcrum/TNS

There was plenty of hand wringing over the state of democracy at home and abroad in 2022. Extremists appeared poised to sabotage elections in the U.S., a leading index found half of democratic governments around the world in decline, and Russia’s war against Ukraine placed liberty under direct assault.

Yet 2022 was also the year “the good guys struck back,” as Michael Hirsh wrote in Foreign Policy. Ukrainian forces have thrown Russia on the defensive. Extremist candidates lost in Brazil, France, and in key U.S. midterm contests. In Kenya, the Philippines and elsewhere, elections ended not in chaos, as predicted, but in peaceful transfers of power. In China and Iran, average citizens are rising up.

In the U.S., the House select committee’s investigation of the January 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol elevated truth over disinformation, and helped trigger a fundamental shift away from extremism, and from the “big lie” that the 2020 election was stolen.

In August, an NBC News survey found that Americans ranked “threats to democracy” ahead of the economy as their top concern. And in November, the midterms unfolded smoothly

and election deniers largely lost, in a contest widely hailed as a win for democracy.

None of this takes away from the substantial threats that still place democracy at risk, including rampant disinformation facilitated by social media and the decline of local newspapers. But those who wish to defend democracy must go beyond bemoaning its demise, as so many news outlets, commentators and authors incessantly do. The story of Democracy’s strengths, which were also on display in 2022, merits notice as well.

To succeed, the pro-democracy movement “needs to go beyond its present modus operandi, a mix of fatalism and despair and living in perpetual reaction to the right and policy wonkiness and praying for indictments,” argues author Anand Giridharadas. Democracy advocates “can out-compete the fascists and seize the age,” Giridharadas recently wrote in The New York Times, with a more expansive vision that replaces fatalism with hope.

Hope means appreciating that the nation’s partisan divisions are not as intractable as media pundits driven by ratings like to scream. A full 41% of Americans identify as Independents, compared with fewer than 30% identified with either party, and

large majorities of Americans agree on key issues, from same-sex marriage to legalizing cannabis. Hope means celebrating the teens fighting for the right to read “banned books” with lawsuits and protests, and the young voters whose turnout reached its second-highest level in 30 years in the last election.

Hope also means investing in future generations, as Congress recently did with a $23 million appropriation for civic learning in the year-end omnibus spending bill, effectively tripling federal spending on history and civic learning. That bipartisan investment reflects continued support across party lines for civic education, which recent national polling found is supported by close to 80% of voters on both sides of the aisle. It was just one of many wins for democracy this year.

About the author: Eliza Newlin Carney is a longtime Washington writer, editor and columnist specializing in democracy issues. She is a columnist and former senior editor for The American Prospect, and previously held senior positions at CQ Roll Call and National Journal. She also is founder and president of The Civic Circle, which uses music and the arts to empower young students to understand and participate in democracy.

New U.S. citizens listen as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks during a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization ceremony on Oct. 19, 2022, in Philadelphia. A record number of immigrants are becoming American citizens. (ANNA MONEYMAKER/GETTY IMAGES/TNS)

House: Analysis

right have a deep commitment to an agenda that was unable to gain majority support even when Republicans held unified control of the government, including sharp cuts in popular social programs, nation- wide restrictions on abortion and a dramatic reduction in the role of government.

This last year, they’ve added to their demands an end to President Biden’s support for Ukraine.

Unable to gain majorities for those positions, they’ve repeatedly tried to extract concessions by blocking legislation that leaders of both parties consider critical. The demands they have leveled at McCarthy have included procedural changes that would make it easier to repeat those efforts.

That has drawn protests from McCarthy’s supporters.

“We are not going to be held hostage by a handful of members. We do not live in a dictatorship,” Rep.-elect Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” as the House voted. The conservatives, he said, are “incapable of governing.”

Procedural drama in the House — even the sort that happens only once a century — doesn’t engage the attention of most voters. So the fight over the speakership itself isn’t likely to have a major effect on how the public sees the GOP. But voters do pay attention when Congress fails to pass major pieces of legislation, especially those that affect the economy.

Freedom Caucus members have made clear that their willingness to force a public fight over the speakership is a warmup for battles on those sorts of must-pass bills, including a measure to raise the limit on the federal government’s debt later this year.

Failure to raise the debt limit could cause the government to de-

It’s going to be hard to pass any major legislation with 20 members of the caucus willing to blow up the place.

— Mike Murphy

fault on its obligations, which economists have warned could throw financial markets into chaos.

Democrats have been keenly aware of the public’s preference for shows of bipartisanship and compromise, and they have not been subtle in drawing a contrast between the Republicans and themselves.

On Tuesday, Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., used the word “unity” or “united” to describe his party at least seven times in his seven-minute speech nominating Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York for speaker.

And Wednesday, as House Republicans continue to tie themselves in procedural knots over the speakership, Biden will be visiting Kentucky, the home state of Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, whom he’ll join for a ceremony touting Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill that passed in 2021.

The bill contains roughly $1.64 billion to upgrade a bridge over the Ohio River connecting Kentucky with Ohio. The governors of the two states, Democrat Andy Beshear and Republican Mike DeWine, will also be on hand.

The timing of the visit, which the White House announced on Sunday, was no accident.

“It really speaks to results of the midterm election and what the American people said very loudly and clearly: They want us to work together,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Student debt relief: Where borrowers stand as Supreme Court weighs Biden’s plan

By MEGAN TOMASIC Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/ TNS

When President Joe Biden announced his federal student loan forgiveness plan last year, nearly 26 million Americans jumped on the chance for debt relief.

But in the almost five months since the program was announced, federal student loan holders have been left in the dark about if and when their debt could be canceled after several challenges came forward, largely from Republican-led states.

At least six lawsuits have been filed so far against Biden’s plan and an injunction was issued to temporarily halt debt relief as the program works its way through the courts.

Now, the case is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court where the justices are scheduled to hear arguments in February before ultimately deciding the program’s fate.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Jamie Kosh, president of the Pennsylvania Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

“We have no feeling on how the Supreme Court could rule on this.

We’re talking billions of dollars and millions of borrowers that could benefit from this.”

As student debt holders seemingly sit in limbo, here’s a look back on what’s been happening with the relief program and what the future could hold.

The proposal

The Biden administration in August announced plans for a one-time federal student loan debt relief program, which would impact millions of Americans and largely fulfill a campaign promise.

The program was based on the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Stu-

dents Act of 2003, also known as the HEROES Act, which allows the education secretary to waive regulations related to student loans during times of war or national emergency.

The act has been used by both the Trump and Biden administrations to pause federal student loan payments and interest during the pandemic, and it was used to issue multiple extensions on the pause beyond its original six-month period.

Under the program, individuals who are single and earn under $125,000 qualify for $10,000 in debt cancellation. Married couples who file taxes jointly qualify if their income is under $250,000.

Those who received a federal Pell Grant and meet income requirements could qualify for a total of $20,000 in cancellation.

The program only applies to federal loan balances that were granted before June 30. Any loans disbursed after July 1 are not eligible.

Pushback

After the program was announced, however, legal battles quickly ensued.

The most threatening lawsuit, which was filed by six states, alleges that Biden’s proposal exceeds his executive authority and would deprive the states of future tax revenue, The New York Times reported.

The suit — filed by Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and South Carolina — led to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit to side with the Republican-led states, halting the program amid ongoing litigation.

In response, the U.S. Justice Department filed an emergency application asking Supreme Court justices to lift the injunction.

The states’ lawyers responded to the application by arguing that the Biden administration should not be permitted to use the pandemic to justify its plan. They referenced two earlier pandemic-related programs rejected by the court, including an eviction moratorium and a plan to require large employers to require the COVID vaccine or testing requirements.

“Now, while President Biden publicly declares the pandemic over, the Secretary and Department of Education are using COVID-19 to justify the Mass Debt Cancellation — an unlawful attempt to erase over $400 billion of the $1.6 trillion in federal student-loan debt and eliminate all remaining loan balances for roughly 20 million of 43 million borrowers,” the states’ response reads.

The Biden administration has maintained that it has authority to grant debt relief under the HEROES Act.

However, the justices ultimately decided to leave the injunction in place, blocking the program as the case makes its way through the courts. The Supreme Court will hear the case Feb. 28.

Next steps Given the court case, applications for debt relief are no longer being accepted by the U.S. Department of Education, which manages the government’s $1.6 trillion student debt portfolio.

For those who have applied, applications are being held and “if the Biden administration is successful at the Supreme Court level, they can expect that those applications will be processed pretty quickly,” said Linda DeAngelo, an associate professor of higher education and a faculty fellow at the Center for Urban Education at the University of Pittsburgh.

If the program is permitted to move forward, those who have not applied would have an opportunity to at a later date, DeAngelo said.

Student debt holders can find case updates on studentaid.gov. In the meantime, the student loan payment pause was also extended. If the debt relief program has not been implemented and the litigation has not been resolved by June 30, then payments will resume 60 days after that date.

“It’s really going to be up to the courts to decide this and if it moves forward or if it’s not,” Kosh said. “We’re all watching the court case very closely as aid professionals and we’re waiting for those decisions to be made.”

He noted that other student debt relief options are in the works, including the Fresh Start initiative, which was announced by the U.S. Department of Education in April.

Library Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m.

Chess Club, 6 p.m. In Stiches, 6:30 p.m.

Chess Club, 6 p.m. In Stiches, 6:30 p.m. Sonic Seasoning, 2 p.m. Chess Club, 6 p.m. In Stiches, 6:30 p.m.

Chess Club, 6 p.m. In Stiches, 6:30 p.m.

Chess Club, 6 p.m.

In Stiches, 6:30 p.m.

Library Littles STORYTIME 10:30 a.m.

Book Talk, 2 p.m.

Library Littles STORYTIME 10:30 a.m.

LEGO Free Play, 6-7 p.m.

Sifers Valomilk Story, 7 p.m. with Russell Sifer

Movie Matinee, 2 p.m.

Ham Radio, 2 p.m. with Stan Grigsby

Library Littles PLAYDATE 1-2 p.m.

U.S. President Joe Biden is introduced by Zachary Bernard, a senior at Delaware State University, before giving remarks on student debt relief on Oct. 21, 2022, in Dover, Delaware. (ANNA MONEYMAKER/GETTY IMAGES/TNS)

Iola boys give it their all against Fort Scott

By QUINN BURKITT The Iola Register

FORT SCOTT — Iola High boys coach Luke Bycroft wanted his team to fight until the final whistle no matter the score of the game.

That’s exactly what the Mustangs (3-4; 1-2) did at Fort Scott on Tuesday night when they scrapped but ultimately came up short at the end of regulation, 50-46. The Iola girls (1-6; 0-1) weren’t as fortunate as they dropped their matchup by a final score of 50-25.

Boys Basketball Iola didn’t make it easy for Fort Scott (3-3) as both teams battled in a physical matchup which saw the teams rack up fouls and duke it out at the free throw line.

“I’ll go to battle for a team that fights that hard any night. That’s a team that makes me proud,” said Bycroft. “There’s things that we could’ve done better but none of that is as important as how hard they played. It’s the most important thing to me right now. If we play that hard, we can clean the other stuff up.”

Landon Weide and Eli Adams each dribbled underneath for layups in the first quarter, with Adams’ basket

coming in transition following a Mustang steal. Mac Leonard also knocked down a pair of free throws to keep the score knotted at the end of the first quarter, 6-6.

The Tigers received their early production off the fingers of Carter Goldston who buried a three-pointer in the opening minutes. Goldston’s basket was accompanied by Rocco Loffredo putting up

a reverse layup to keep it a tight ballgame early on.

Leonard finished a couple of layups in the second quarter while Adams went underneath for another layup and also hit five shots from the free throw line. Weide also hit a pair of free throws.

Fort Scott jumped ahead in the second quarter behind Dierks Kegler, Dub Chipman and Goldston each hitting

three-pointers to extend the margin. Goldston also tacked on a pair of layups. The Tigers led the Mustangs at halftime, 23-19.

The Tigers then extended their lead to six points by the end of the third quarter after Kegler hit a three and a layup and Marquinn Johnson got physical underneath for a couple of layups.

“Sometimes they hit a shot

Crest girls win, boys fall to Jayhawk-Linn

By QUINN BURKITT The Iola Register

COLONY — The Crest High boys fought fought until the final whistle but ultimately came up short against Jayhawk-Linn on Tuesday evening, 49-46.

The Lady Lancers (23) came out victorious in their matchup with Jayhawk-Linn, 38-33.

Boys Basketball

Both teams kept pace with each other the entire night but it was the Jayhawks who pulled away and got around the Lancer defense in a three-point game. Jayhawk-Linn sealed the win in the fourth quarter with a succession of free throws when Crest began to let down its guard and foul.

Karter Miller hit a three and a layup while Stetson Setter sank a pair of free throws to pace Crest in the opening quarter. Jayhawk-Linn was aided by Braedon Nation sinking a three and a two-point basket while Gus Grote went inside for a pair of layups.

Crest trailed Jayhawk-Linn at the end of the first quarter, 10-8.

Godderz kept it neck and neck with the Jayhawks when he buried a three-pointer and a layup while Ryan Golden and Miller each went for a two-pointer and a free throw to trim the halftime deficit to only one point.

Grote led Jayhawk-Linn in the second quarter behind his trio of layups and a free throw while Nation went for a pair of two-point baskets and a free throw. The Lancers trailed the Jayhawks heading to halftime, 22-21.

The Lancers continued to keep pace with the Jayhawks in the second half when Golden banked in a pair of layups and Miller notched a layup and a pair of free throws. The Jayhawks were aided by Austin Nation’s three and pair of layups while Dylan Nickelson went for a three as well as a twopoint bucket.

Crest trailed Jayhawk-Linn by only one point heading to the fourth quarter, 34-33.

Godderz went for a cou-

ple of two’s and Setter registered six fourth quarter points but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Jayhawks. Nickelson alone scored five points. Nickelson buried five fourth quarter points.

Trenton Broyles and Grote also produced, scoring three points apiece for Jayhawk-Linn in the final quarter. The free throws off the fingers of Grote and Broyles were enough for the Jayhawks to topple the Lancers, 49-46.

Miller led Crest offensively with 13 points, followed by Setter’s 12 points and Godderz’s 10 points. Golden also tacked on eight points.

Girls Basketball

The Crest girls used a strong defensive and re-

bounding effort to take down Jayhawk-Linn in on Tuesday, 38-33.

Lady Lancer Kayla Hermreck snatched 13 rebounds to help Crest control the boards.

Cursten Allen knocked down a three-pointer and a two-point basket while Karlee Boots went under for a layup to give Crest a onepoint advantage at the end of the first. Brenlyn Bogan also banked in a couple of layups for Jayhawk-Linn.

Crest led Jayhawk-Linn at the end of the first quarter, 9-8.

Hermreck contributed offensively in the second quarter when she netted a couple of layups and McKenna Hammond also posted a layup and a free throw. Brea Dawson aided the Jayhawks with a pair of layups.

Crest was ahead 17-13 at the half.

The Lady Lancers pulled away in the third quarter when Haylee Beckmon and Hammond each sank a two-pointer and a free throw. Bogan also netted a pair of layups and Brooklyn Bogan hit a pair of free throws to help Crest take an 11-point lead heading to the fourth.

Jayhawk-Linn attempted a fourth quarter comeback led by Br. Bogan’s seven points but it wasn’t enough to take down Crest as Beckmon scored a layup and a

and we miss a shot,” Bycroft added. “I’d say we did almost everything we wanted to do except being a bit more patient and cleaner on offense. When we slowed down and didn’t force in the half court, we got the looks we wanted. We were a little impatient on offense, but our defense was good enough to win.”

Iola responded with Adams and Leonard each knocking down three’s and Preston Hurst laying in a two-pointer under the basket. Iola trailed Fort Scott heading to the fourth quarter, 34-28.

Weide was ruled out with what Bycroft said could be a concussion midway through the fourth quarter and Cortland Carson fouled out of the game to ultimately pin down the Mustangs. Adams hit a three-pointer and a pair of layups and Carson hit a pair of three’s.

Goldston nailed a three and Johnson went for a pair of layups to pace Fort Scott in the fourth quarter. Kegler also added four free throws after Iola began fouling in the final minutes. The free throws stamped the final touches on Fort Scott’s 50-46 win over Iola.

Adams led the Mustangs offensively with 20 points,

Oswego beats Yates Center

OSWEGO — If it wasn’t for the second quarter the Yates Center Wildcats likely would have come out on top against the Oswego Indians on Tuesday.

Instead the Wildcats managed only two points in that disappointing quarter, creating a gap too big to overcome in a 53-42 loss

Emmett Britain tipped things off for the Wildcats offensively when he sank a pair of three’s while Emmit George banked in a couple of layups.

Oswego had their own game plan. Goddard hit a pair of three’s and O’Neal also hit a three-pointer to take a 13-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Cash Cummings kept Yates Center on the board in the second quarter with a layup. For Oswego, Goddard nailed a three and Ja. Hutchinson scored a layup and a couple of free throws to get a 26-13 advantage at half.

“Our offensive output was great tonight,” said Yates Center head coach Lane Huffman. “The part that hurt us, is we only did that for three quarters. In the second quarter we failed to execute. I think that has to do with fatigue, we came out fast and we were gassed in the second. Execution

Iola’s Eli Adams (2) takes the ball full court on a transition breakaway in a game at Fort Scott on Tuesday. REGISTER/QUINN BURKITT

Crest girls basketball freshman Kaelin Nilges (4) passes the ball to her teammate in the team’s season opener against Southern Coffey County on Dec. 1. REGISTER/QUINN B.

ANDERSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S

Must be 18 years old, a high school diploma or its equivalent. No experience is needed, starting pay as a detention o cer is $17.09 with an increase for the experience. Must have a valid Driver's License, pass criminal background, a general knowledge test, and a fit for duty physical. Shifts are 12 hours with paid lunch.

To be a Deputy Sheri , you must be 21 or older, starting pay is $18.41, and if you are certified, $19.41 and up depending on experience. Because of many questions know that a tra c citation/ticket and simple misdemeanor convictions may not disqualify you from working for a government, or law enforcement entity, so call as we believe people just make bad choices sometimes and you should not hold it against them forever.

Call 785-448-5678 for an application or stop by 135 E. 5th Ave., Garnett, KS 66032. ANCOSO is an equal-opportunity employer and follows veterans' preference laws.

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Handling diagnosis, treatment of small cell lung cancer

DEAR DR. ROACH:

I was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) in June through a yearly wellness check. I had no prior symptoms or issues. The cancer was in the limited stage and did not spread to the brain, nor any other part of the body. (I am 62, exercise three times a week with weights and have generally good health.)

I have gone through chemotherapy and radiation therapy (IMRT). All treatment ended at the end of September.

I am now waiting for a full PET scan to be done at the end of December.

My oncologist believes that since they caught it early, the treatment was

Dr. Keith Roach

curative. However, everything I have read and the people I have spoken to seem to indicate that this type of cancer always comes back and that the prognosis is still not great. Can you share some knowledge and your experience with SCLC, and what the future holds for those going through it? — F.D.

ANSWER: The majority of lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancer (80-85%), especially squamous cell and ad-

Chemotherapy drugs. PIXABAY.COM

enocarcinoma, and they behave and are treated very di erently from small cell lung cancer (10-15%). Non-small cell lung cancer is treated with surgery if thought to be curable, whereas small cell is usually treated with chemotherapy and radiation. Usually, small cell lung cancer has already

spread by the time of diagnosis, and although it initially responds well to treatment most of the time, it does usually recur, as your research has shown.

Still, there are people who are cured, and the amount of disease at the time of diagnosis is the most important predictor. For people who have limited disease like you, 15-30% will be alive in ve years; among those who present extensive disease, only 1-2% will be alive in ve years.

Being free from disease at ve years usually means a cure. Exercising and being otherwise healthy are other good prognostic signs.

risk in this situation? — A.B.

ANSWER: Your wife would be considered noninfectious on day 10, but the most conservative recommendation is to discontinue isolation only after a person has tested negative (ideally, two negative tests taken 48 hours apart) after day 5. The downside to this strategy is that it is clearly documented that some people can continue to be positive weeks (even months) after a COVID infection, but are very minimally, or not at all, infectious.

STATE OF KANSAS TO ALL PERSONS CONCERNED:

You are hereby noti ed that a Petition has been led in this Court by Angela Miller, who has an interest in real and personal property owned by Richard Lee Whitebread, Jr., a/k/a Richard

Whitebread, Jr., deceased, praying: Descent be determined of the following described real estate situated in Allen County, Kansas: Commencing at the Northeast (NE) Corner of Lot Nine (9), Block Two (2), Nyman’s Third Addition to the City of Savonburg, Allen County, Kansas, thence North 60 feet, thence West 179 feet, thence South 60 feet, thence East 179 feet to the place of beginning (Sometimes described as Lot Ten (10), Block Two (2), Nyman’s Addition to the City of Savonburg). and all personal property and other Kansas real estate owned by decedent at the time of death; and that all such real and personal property be assigned pursuant to the Kansas laws of intestate succession.

You are required to le your written defenses thereto on or before January 27, 2023 at 8:30 AM in the District Court of Allen County, Kansas, 1 North Washington Ave., Room B, Iola, KS 66749, at which time and place the cause will be heard. Should you fail therein, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon the Petition.

Angela Miller, Petitioner

Jacob T. Knight Attorney at Law 219 South Street Iola, KS 66749 (620) 365-3161 Attorney for Petitioner (1) 5, 12, 19

DEAR DR. ROACH: My wife developed COVID with symptoms starting eight days ago. Yesterday was her sixth day of testing positive, while I have been negative throughout (go gure). We are planning to test ourselves again tomorrow. We are supposed to visit family in a few days, but two family members (in their 70s) each have one kidney due to cancer, while another (late 30s) is a colon cancer survivor. What is your opinion regarding transmission and

People with severe immune system diseases (transplant recipients on active chemotherapy, for example) or who have had severe infections (hospitalized for a prolonged period or requiring intubation) should consult an expert to be sure.

If you both continue to have no symptoms and you have a negative test, I would say you are very unlikely to pose a risk to your family members. The big concern here is that you might have contracted an asymptomatic case from your wife, but repeatedly negative tests would make that very unlikely. You should certainly discuss it with the at-risk family members.

MORAN — A threepronged scoring attack propelled Marmaton Valley High to victory Tuesday.

Jaedon Granere scored 23 points, Brayden Lawson 22 and Dylan Drake 16 as the Wildcats cruised to a 66-45 romp over visiting Uniontown to kick off the 2023 portion of their schedule.

Marmaton Valley improves to 2-3 on the season with a Friday home tilt against Oswego next on the schedule.

Each of Marmaton Valley’s leading scorers took turns taking control for the Wildcats.

Lawson had the hot hand early, scoring 14 points before halftime as the Wildcats led 15-4 after one quarter and 30-25 at the break.

Granere and Drake picked up the baton in the third quarter. Granere scored 11 in the frame while the Wildcats stretched their lead to 50-34. Drake, meanwhile, scored 14 of his 16 after halftime.

A 16-11 MV spurt down the stretch sealed the win.

Both teams struggled from the line. Marmaton Valley shot a cool 9 of 22 free throws, while Uniontown hit a paltry 5 of 22 charities. Uniontown (4-21-9-11—45)

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.

(AP) — Damar Hamlin’s recovery is moving in “a positive direction” two days after the Buffalo Bills safety collapsed and went into cardiac arrest during a game against Cincinnati, the player’s marketing representative said Wednesday.

“We all remain optimistic,” Jordon Rooney, a family spokesman who described himself as a good friend of the player, told The Associated Press by phone. He said he was unable to go into further detail on Hamlin’s status at the request of his family not to provide specifics.

On Tuesday, the Bills said Hamlin was listed in critical condition.

Rooney said Hamlin’s family was staying positive and buoyed by the outpouring of worldwide support the second-year Bills player has received since his heart stopped and he was resuscitated on the field before being loaded into an ambulance and transported the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

“They are elated right now,” Rooney said. “Damar is still their first concern. But for them, they always look at how they can turn a somewhat troubling situation into a good one. The bounce back from this, for him and his family is going to be incredible.”

Rooney’s update came after Hamlin’s uncle, Dorrian Glenn, told numerous media out-

lets Tuesday night there were some encouraging signs in his nephew’s progress, such as doctors lowering the level of oxygen Hamlin needs from 100% to 50%.

“He’s still sedated right now,” Glenn told CNN. “They just want him to have a better chance of recovering better. So, they feel that if he’s sedated, his body can heal a lot faster than if he was woke and possibly cause other complications.”

Rooney did say there was a misunderstanding when Glenn said Hamlin had to be resuscitated twice. Rooney said that “isn’t exactly true,” without going into detail.

The chilling scene of Hamlin’s collapse, which played out in front of a North American television audience on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football,” has put the NFL on hold, with the pivotal game suspended indefinitely.

The Kansas Chiefs are battling with the Bills and Bengals for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

The Bills, who returned to Buffalo early Tuesday, are scheduled to hold team meetings and a walkthrough practice without any media availability on Wednesday. They are expected to resume practice on Thursday ahead of their home game against the New England Patriots on Sunday.

The Patriots also pushed back their media availability to Thursday, and noted the NFL approved giving both teams an extra day “due to these unique circumstances.”

What remains unclear is whether the NFL will reschedule the Bills’ game against the Bengals, which has major implications in determining who wins the AFC race, with the playoffs set to open on Jan. 14.

The Chiefs (13-3) currently have a half-game lead over Buffalo (123), with the Bills owning the tiebreaker after beating Kansas City this season. The Bengals (11-4) are currently the third seed and have also

Defense propels Wildcat girls

MORAN — Marmaton Valley High’s girls kicked off 2023 on the right foot Tuesday, shutting down visiting Uniontown in a 31-22 victory.

The win, the Wildcats’ first game back since Dec. 13, improves Marmaton Valley to 2-3 on the season.

Defense set the tone. The Wildcats allowed only six field goals in the contest, and took a 23-9 lead into halftime.

The Eagles clamped down on defense after intermission, shutting out MV through the

third quarter to close the gap to 23-17, but Marmaton Valley had enough juice down the stretch to seal the win.

Wildcat junior Janae Granere scored five of her team-high 15 points in the fourth quarter as the Wildcats ended the game on an 8-5 run.

Piper Barney followed with six points — all coming in the second quarter — while Payton Scharff and Madi Lawson scored four apiece. Tayven Sutton scored two.

Reese Gorman and Rylee Coulter scored

eight points each for Uniontown.

Marmaton Valley returns home Friday for a tilt against Oswego.

Uniontown (3-6-8-5—22) FG/3pt FT F TP Gorman 0/2 2 4 8 Coulter 2 4 3 8

Schoenberger 1 1 1 3 Dreisbach 0 0 5 0 Stock 0 0 1 0 Hall 1 1 2 3 Totals 4/2 8 16 22 MV (8-15-0-8—31) Scharff 1 2 3 4 Lawson 2 0 5 4 Barney 3 0 3 6 Sutton 1 0 2 2 Granere 4/1 4 3 15 Totals 11/1 6 16 31

School to honor 73-34 Lady Cats

MORAN — Marmaton Valley High School Alumni Night festivities will center on honoring the school’s inaugural girls basketball team Friday.

A pep rally, school tours and reception are scheduled, with a spe-

cial focus on the 197374 Lady Cat basketball team.

The event is co-sponsored by Wildcat head coach Becky Carlson and the Marmaton Valley yearbook staff.

A pep rally is set for 3 p.m. in the main gym-

defeated the Chiefs this season.

Players and fans from across the NFL rallied to Hamlin’s support, with vigils held in Cincinnati and outside the Bills’ home stadium. The shock of what happened also reverberated in Pittsburgh, where the 24-year-old Hamlin grew up and was determined to give back to those in need.

Hamlin was hurt

in the first quarter when he was struck squarely in the chest while making what appeared to be routine tackle of Bengals receiver Tee Higgins. Hamlin briefly got up and adjusted his facemask before collapsing backward.

Hamlin is from McKees Rocks, a hardscrabble exurb of Pittsburgh, and was selected by Buffalo in the sixth round of the 2021 draft out of Pitt.

nasium, followed by school tours at about 3:25.

The fun continues that evening with the current girls basketball team tipping off at 6 o’clock, with recognition of all MVHS alumni to follow at game’s end, capped by a presentation of all former girls basketball players and concluding with the 1973-74 player introductions.

A reception for the Lady Cat players will take place after the festivities in the commons area.

Any former player — especially those on the inaugural team — are asked to RSVP Coach Carlson at (620) 228-2787 or bcarlson@ usd256.net in order to be put on the pass list.

Only the former Lady Cat basketball players and their families will be allowed through the pass gate.

Marmaton Valley High’s Jaedon Granere goes in for a layup against Uniontown Tuesday. PHOTO BY HALIE LUKEN/MVHS

Marmaton Valley High’s Piper Barney puts up a shot against Uniontown Tuesday in the Wildcats’ 31-22 victory. PHOTO BY HALIE LUKEN/MVHS

Family rep: Hamlin’s recovery moving in positive direction

Damar Hamlin ARTWORK BY J.D. CROWE/TNS

K-State rolls past No. 6 Texas, 116-103

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)

— Markquis Nowell had 36 points and nine assists as Kansas State beat No. 6 Texas 116-103 on Tuesday night, setting a school scoring record with a stunning offensive outburst that gave first-year Wildcats coach Jerome Tang his biggest victory.

The Wildcats poured in 58 points in the first half behind 64% shooting and eight 3-pointers. Kansas State then held off a Texas rally as the Longhorns made 11 consecutive shots in the second half and shaved a 20-point deficit under 10 with just under five minutes left.

“We wanted to be aggressive the first five minutes,” said Nowell, who was one assist shy of being the first Kansas State player with at least 30 points and 10 assists. “We’re a really dangerous team when we get it going downhill.”

And they never let up, especially in the second half as the teams traded basket after basket.

Nowell and Kansas State also showed enough poise to get the big shots they needed late to close out the win. Nowell’s two free throws with 3:23 remaining made it 10088 before he swished a step-back 3-pointer on the next possession to put an exclamation point on the night for the Wildcats.

Keyontae Johnson added 28 points and nine rebounds for the Wildcats (13-1, 2-0 Big 12), whose free-flowing offense with Nowell leading the way found just about any open shot the team wanted.

Nowell came into the game No. 2 national-

ly in assists, and his shifty drives and nifty passing had Texas defenders looking for the ball all game.

“People who complain about scoring in college basketball, I think they got to see a whole bunch of scoring tonight. Those of us who consider ourselves defensive coaches? It was a headache,” Tang said. “But it was a lot of fun.”

The scoring display is sure to grab the attention of the rest of the Big 12.

“Every game is a statement game for us,” Johnson said. “We were picked last in the conference. We have to keep proving people wrong.”

Tyrese Hunter scored 29 points and Marcus Carr had 27 for the Longhorns, handed their first loss in their new arena, the Moody Center.

Kansas State also sent the Longhorns (122, 1-1) to their first loss since head coach Chris Beard was suspended indefinitely without pay following his Dec. 12 arrest on a felony family violence charge.

Assistant coach Rodney Terry has been acting head coach since then and had led Texas to five straight wins, including a victory at Oklahoma in the Big 12 opener.

The 116 points were the most Texas has permitted in a Big 12 game.

“We’ll work hard to get a lot better defensively,” Terry said. “(Nowell) put his will on the game.”

Sir’Jabari Rice’s three-point play pulled Texas to 77-65 with 11:28 to play and a Longhorns rally was on. A block by Rice against Nowell set up another Longhorns 3-pointer. But the Wildcats kept answering, usually behind Nowell.

“Every time the crowd got into it, our guys were able to silence it,” Tang said. “That was huge.”

KEEPING IT CLEAN Texas has smothered a lot of opponents with aggressive defense that often leads to turnovers and points in transition. Kansas State committed just 12 turnovers, though, and only three in the second half. That sort

of ball control kept the Longhorns from getting extra possessions. Texas scored just nine points off K-State turnovers.

“This was a game where both teams’ players were making big shots,” Tang said. “As long as you don’t turn it over, the ball is going in the hole.”

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State: Made 31 of 33 free throws to maintain a comfortable cushion in the second half.

Texas: School officials have provided no updates on Beard’s status with the program. His legal case is scheduled for its first court hearing on Jan. 18. His fiancée issued a Dec. 23 statement saying he did not choke her during the Dec. 12 incident, contradicting what the arrest warrant affidavit said she initially told police. Beard’s attorney has said the coach is innocent.

UP NEXT Kansas State plays at No. 19 Baylor. Texas visits Oklahoma State.

No. 3 KU squeaks by TTU on the road

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — KJ Adams scored the last of his 16 points on a breakaway dunk with 7 seconds remaining, and No. 3 Kansas fought off Texas Tech 75-72 on Tuesday night, ending the Red Raiders’ home winning streak at 29 games.

Texas Tech failed to produce a shot on its final possession as Pop Isaacs lost the ball on a drive following contact in the key. The Jayhawks came up with the loose ball, setting the stage for Adams’ dunk as defending national champion Kansas won its seventh consecutive game.

“We didn’t have much left,” Kansas coach Bill Self said following a second down-to-the-wire Big 12 game. “If it had gone to overtime, it probably wouldn’t have been a good thing for us today. We played well. Anytime you score 75 points on the road it’s a good thing, especially against a team that guards like Texas Tech.”

Dajuan Harris scored 18 points for the Jayhawks (13-1, 2-0 Big 12), who had rallied to beat Oklahoma State 69-67 on Saturday. Kansas led by a dozen points early in the second half but allowed the Red Raiders to make it close at the finish. Jalen Wilson had 14 points and Gradey Dick scored 11.

Kevin Obanor scored 26 points for Texas Tech, which had not lost at home since falling to West Virginia in February of 2021. Isaacs added 18 points.

“There was a lot of

contact, but that’s a good refereeing crew,” Red Raiders coach Mark Adams said of the final sequence. “We hoped we’d get that call, but the guys played their hearts out tonight, and they really responded in the second half.”

The Red Raiders (104, 0-2) trailed 67-57 with seven minutes left but got within 7170 on Lamar Washington’s layup with 1:43 remaining. Texas Tech trailed 73-72 in the final minute when Isaacs’ turnover set up Adams’ slam.

“Give them credit. They made shots tonight,” Self said.

Kansas put together a strong offensive flurry toward the end of the first half, outscoring Texas Tech 11-2 over the final four minutes and taking a 43-36 lead at intermission. Adams keyed the surge with eight points, capped by a 10-footer in the lane.

“The most positive things about tonight was we had a great crowd and the guys responded to the crowd,” Mark Adams said. “They also responded to Kansas and played well, particularly in the second half, and that’s something we can build on.”

BIG PICTURE Kansas: Harris connected on all five of his 3-point attempts, accounting for almost half of the Jayhawks’ total of 11.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders outscored Kansas 12-5 in the final 3:53.

UP NEXT Kansas: At West Virginia on Saturday. Texas Tech hosts Oklahoma Saturday.

Trio of NFL squads hope to go from 2-6 to playoffs

By JOSH DUBOW The Associated Press

Falling into a 2-6 hole near the midpoint of a season is usually a recipe to look to the future for NFL teams, with only two teams ever climbing out of that hole to reach the postseason.

Headed into Week 18 of this season, three teams that lost six of their first eight games

remain in the playoff hunt.

Jacksonville can clinch the AFC South with a victory over Tennessee or it could sneak in as a wild-card team with a loss and lots of help.

Detroit and Pittsburgh have more complicated paths, with the Lions needing a win and a Seattle loss to clinch the seventh seed in the NFC and the Steelers needing a

win plus losses by Miami and New England to clinch the final wildcard spot in the AFC.

The addition of an extra playoff team in 2020 and a 17th game in 2021 made climbing out of a hole a bit easier than in the past, but it still is rather remarkable.

Before this season, 186 teams in the Super Bowl era started a season 2-6, with only Cincinnati in 1970 and Washington in 2020

making it to the postseason.

The Jaguars have gone on quite a roller-coaster ride, having lost five straight from Weeks 4-8 and then winning the last four games. A victory Saturday night against Tennessee would make Jacksonville the fifth team to get to the playoffs in a season with a both a winning and losing streak of at least five games. The last team to

do it was Kansas City in 2015.

The Titans can also join that group win a win, having won five straight early in the season and then losing the last six games.

The only teams to make the playoffs in a season with a six-game losing streak are the 2020 Bears, the 2014 Panthers and the 1970 Bengals.

PLAYOFF NEWCOMERS

The Giants clinched

their first playoff berth since 2016, assuring this will be the 33rd straight season with at least four new playoff teams.

New York joins Baltimore, the Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota as teams that made the postseason a year after missing it. The last time there were fewer than four new playoff teams in a season was

Kansas States Markquis Nowell celebrates a three pointer that end up being the winning basket against WIchita State on Saturday in Manhattan. TNS

Sharing pregnancy news leads to hurt

Dear Carolyn: My son married his high school sweetheart six years ago. The couple tried to get pregnant by various means for three years and finally are expecting our first grandchild. We are all deliriously happy.

We’ve been through some ups and downs with this couple. We’ve taken them on trips and hosted them and their friends all through high school and the years after. When they got married, they lived with us for nine months with their large dog so they could save for a house.

This Thanksgiving they announced the gender of the new little one. We had a great afternoon and we drove home.

I was so excited to share with my friends, who know how long we’ve waited. I posted a couple of pics on Facebook (of myself) announcing how thankful I was to become a grandma.

Within minutes, I received a text from my daughter-in-law to remove the post. I did so, but was very upset. I texted my son asking why I could not post and heard nothing until the next morning. I got the snottiest, most hateful text from my daughter-in-law stating the reason was that it was not my place to post, and why would I do this without asking, etc. I was so upset I took two Ambien to shut out the noise and get some sleep.

My husband now acts as if I’m crazy and seems scared to offend anyone besides me.

I am no longer happy and excited. I see a future of walking on eggshells and staying in a lane that was assigned to me by a woman that I’ve loved and supported since she was 16.

— Missing the Joy Missing the Joy:

Hax

You’re not “missing the joy,” you’re grievously missing the point.

To make a public social media announcement of any pregnancy that isn’t yours and without the expectant parents’ permission is just a massive, blackbarred Don’t.

To announce a pregnancy in such a way when it occurred after years of struggle and intervention? I do feel your dashed enthusiasm, but I really, really feel the couple’s horror. They are happy, yes, but they are also fragile right now. I can say this without even knowing them because that’s how people are when they feel their pregnancy is fragile — like they don’t have control — and people tend to feel that when it takes them years and “various means” for the pregnancy to take. Those three years packed in a lot of hard news for them — whether the news was the dispiriting “not pregnant” or the devastating “no longer pregnant.” Their joy is cautious and you threw caution out of a moving car.

So, damn. I understand that not everyone understands the unwritten rules of fertility struggles or social media blasts. But after you made the mistake of posting news that wasn’t yours to blast, you took your correction as an invitation to focus on how badly you were injured by your daughter-in-law, not on how badly you may have rattled her.

So, have a seat for a moment. Let your fury at my unsympathetic answer give off the worst

PIXABAY.COM

of its heat. Then think, really think, about the position you put the couple in with your announcement. Consider how worried they will probably be, rationally or otherwise, about the viability of this pregnancy because of their struggle to conceive — possibly right up to the moment your daughterin-law gives birth. Consider the extra weight of knowing they’ll have to update and feel the eyes of dozens of people now if something does go wrong.

Consider you may have been seduced into such thoughtlessness by wanting so badly to hold your own piece of their joy.

Then, when you’re at least able to make out the general shape of their valid frustration with you, apologize to them. First for overstepping with your post, and next for pushing back, intemperately at that, when they asked you to take it down.

And next, if it’s a really productive introspection session, apologize for letting their unwieldy mix of joy, relief and apprehension become all about you and your feelings. (And, ugh, about a retroactive indignant bean-count of all you’ve done for these two. You were generous, so you own a piece of them?)

But that’s optional. As long as you make the initial overstepping apology, you can do the

rest of the accountability work privately in your own mind, without an elaborately detailed remorse statement; they’ll enjoy the benefit regardless in their future dealings with you.

The good news in all this? The joy is right there for the feeling, right where you left it when you got carried away. “It’s about them, not me” — not to the point of absurdity, but to the point of occasional discomfort, yes; just flash that pass at the door and you’re in. Joy City. Just don’t post a whisper about any kid, ever, without the parents’ okay.

Yesterday’s Cryptoquote: Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour.

— John Boswell

ZITS by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman BEETLE BAILEY by Mort Walker HAGAR THE HORRIBLE by Chris Browne BLONDIE by Young and Drake

MUTTS by Patrick McDonell MARVIN by Tom Armstrong

AND LOIS by Chance Browne

Carolyn

SCC falls

LE ROY — The

Southern Coffey County boys lost at home on Tuesday night against Madison, 68-12.

The Bulldogs controlled the ball in the first half, outscoring SCC by 37 points.

Thomas Nickel led Southern Coffey County offensively with five points.

SCC will host Lebo on Friday.

Yates: Center downed by Oswego

Continued from B1

was poor and that’s what kept us out of the game.”

In the second half, Britain knocked down a pair of threepoint jumpers while George was good for a trio of layups. Goddard buried a couple of three’s in the third quarter for Oswego to keep their lead at 3427.

The Wildcats clawed back offen -

sively in the final quarter when Cummings scored 11 points, including a three and a trio of two-point baskets.

Britain also went inside for a pair of layups but it wasn’t enough as Oswego pulled away with 19 more points.

“Emmett Britain did a great job knocking down shots for us, he really kept us in the game,” Huff -

man said. “Cash did great in the fourth, scoring at all three levels. Emmit George also scored some baskets for us. We’re going to keep leaning on him, once things start clicking, George can lead us offensively.”

O’Neal led the Indians’ fourth-quarter offensive effort with seven points after knocking down a pair of three’s and

Hutchinson’s twopoint basket and four free throws. Oswego held on to defeat Yates Center, 53-42. Britain led with 16 points, followed by Cummings 15 points and George’s 10 points for the trio of Yates Center scorers to finish in double figures.

Yates Center is in Uniontown on Friday at 6 p.m.

CrestContinued from B1

free throw to seal a five-point, 38-33 victory.

The Lady Lancers were led offensively by Hammond’s eight points, Allen’s seven points and Beckmon and Hermreck’s six points apiece.

Crest is back in action on Friday when they host Altoona-Midway at 6 p.m.

Iola: battles, begins year with loss at Fort Scott

Continued from B1

followed by Leonard’s 10 points and Hurst and Carson’s six points apiece.

Girls Basketball Head coach Kelsey Johnson was back on the bench for the Iola girls’ 2023 debut.

The Mustangs lost to the Fort Scott Tigers, 5025.

Kaysin Crusinbery was the lone Mustang to get on the scoreboard in the opening quarter when she dribbled in for a layup. Fort Scott answered with a three and a free throw from Keegan Yarick as well as McKenzie Murphy rolling in a layup and a pair

of free throws.

Iola trailed Fort Scott at the end of the first quarter, 13-2.

Aysha Houk knocked down a couple of free throws in the second quarter for the only other Iola points. Fort Scott’s Yarick posted a couple of layups in the second quarter while Jescie Comstock and Allie Brown each rolled in layups as well.

The Mustangs headed to halftime down 22-4.

“It’s hard to win games when you only score four points in the first half,” said Coach Johnson. “One of our goals tonight was to start off strong because we haven’t re-

NFL: Playoffs

Continued from B1

join the list, with Jacksonville having a shot at the AFC South or wild-card spots, Miami in contention for an AFC wild-card spot and Detroit and Seattle in the running for the seventh seed in the NFC.

SACK PARTY

The Philadelphia Eagles are closing in on the NFL’s single-season sacks record.

The Eagles have recorded 68 sacks so far this season for the fourth-best total ever and can pass the record of 72 set by the 1984 Bears with five more in Week 18.

Philadelphia has had at least six sacks in the past five games for the longest streak by any team in the Super Bowl era.

The Eagles have spread out the sacks, with Haason Reddick leading the way with 16, followed by 11 each for Josh Sweat, Javon Hargrave and Brandon Graham. This is the first time since individual sacks became an official stat in 1982 that a team had four players reach double figures in the same season.

STREAKING

A few impressive streaks got extended in Week 17.

Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans had 207 yards receiving to top the 1,000-yard mark for the ninth straight season. Evans is the first player to do that in his first nine seasons and joined Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (11 straight) and Tim Brown (9 straight) as the only players to do it at any point in their careers.

Kansas City’s Jer-

ick McKinnon had a TD catch for the fifth straight game, becoming the first running back to do that since the merger.

New Orleans defensive end Cameron Jordan had three sacks to give him 8 1/2 on the season, marking the 11th straight year he has had at least seven.

The only players to do that since sacks became an official stat in 1982 are Reggie White (14 straight), Chris Doleman (13), John Randle (12), Derrick Thomas (11) and Robert Mathis (11).

Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin also kept alive his bid of never having a losing season, owning an 8-8 record headed into Week 18. If the Steelers don’t lose Sunday to Cleveland, Tomlin will start his career with 16 straight seasons without a losing record.

The only other coaches with a streak that long are Tom Landry (21 seasons), Bill Belichick (19) and George Halas (16).

DEFENSIVE SCORES

Kyle Dugger had another pick-6 for New England’s high-scoring defense.

Dugger’s 39-yard return against Miami gave the Patriots a defensive touchdown for the fourth straight game. The last team to do that in a single season was the 2002 Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Dugger has three TDs on the season, with a pick-6 in Week 15 against the Raiders and a fumble return TD in Week 5 against Detroit.

That’s tied for the most defensive touchdowns in a season since Janoris Jenkins had four in 2012.

ally done that much this year and obviously we didn’t do that tonight.”

Iola picked up the pace in the second half after Houk hit a three and a free throw and Karington Hall, Keira Fawson and Reese Curry each banked in layups. But the Tigers had an answer and were too much for the Mustang defense.

Comstock and Yarick each continued their

strong offensive performance for Fort Scott in the third quarter by laying in a pair of two-point baskets. Brown also nailed a three-pointer and the Tigers led the Mustangs heading to the fourth quarter, 38-17.

Hall took a couple passes and drove in for a pair of layups in the fourth quarter for Iola while Houk and Curry also each put up

layups. Yarick put away the Mustangs with her trio of layups and Fort Scott’s defense held Iola to eight points in the fourth quarter.

“We’ve got to start out stronger, we have to get the ball to the basket. We’re not going to win games if we can’t score,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to get it inside and use our posts. We have good posts this year across the board so we’ve got to

work on getting it into them. Reese is strong and can make things happen and Keira is just super long.”

Houk led the Iola scoring effort with nine points while Hall added six points and Crusinbery and Curry each scored four points in the loss.

Iola travels to Osawatomie for a Pioneer League matchup on Friday at 6 p.m.