Sports: Humboldt product takes MIAA heptathSee B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
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Thursday, March 5, 2015
‘Hound’ leaves ’em guessing, laughing By KAYLA BANZET The Iola Register
A dead body, a mad man on the loose and an isolated English country manor. Theater critics have sat through this plot a hundred different times. Whodunit? Was it the butler with the candle‘The Real stick? “ T h e Inspector Real InspecHound’ tor Hound,” satirizes the familToday iar murder Friday mystery Saturday plot, with 7:30 p.m. a twist. The Allen ACC Theatre Communi$6-adults ty College $4-students Theatre will present “The Real Inspector Hound,” at 7:30 tonight, Friday and Saturday at the college theatre. The story begins in the theater with critics Moon and Birdboot. Moon, played by Colton Schubert, is a secondstring theater critic. Tonight he is glad to be alone, because he usually is in the shadow of a more known critic, Higgs. Sometimes he wishes Higgs would just vanish. Birdboot, played by Barry McAnulty, is also a critic and loves the See ‘HOUND’ | Page A5
ACA fate rests with Roberts, Kennedy By DAVID G. SAVAGE and NOAM N. LEVY Tribune News Service
WASHINGTON (TNS) — President Barack Obama’s health care law once again stands in legal peril after Supreme Court justices appeared sharply split along ideological lines during oral arguments Wednesday in a case that threatens to end insurance subsidies for more than 7 million Americans. The four liberals among the court’s nine justices seemed ready to side with the Obama administration in rejecting the latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act. But it was unclear whether they would get a fifth vote from the conservative side. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who helped rescue the law three years ago, gave no hint about how he might rule this time. And Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, another possible swing vote, voiced some reservations about the chal-
Above, Jordan Garcia and Carley Nelson rehearse a scene from the upcoming Allen Community College play “The Real Inspector Hound,” which runs tonight through Saturday at the ACC Theatre. At right, Colton Schubert, left, and Barry McAnulty portray theater critics in the “play with in a play” format. REGISTER/KAYLA BANZET
See ACA | Page A5
Lawmakers still looking for savings By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press
File image of Mark Lippert, U.S. Ambassador to South Korea, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Lippert was injured in an attack in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday. ALBACA PRESS/TNS/
OLIVIER DOULIERY
S. Korean ambassador survives knife attack SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A knife attack Wednesday that injured the U.S. ambassador to South Korea is the latest act of political violence in a deeply divided country where some protesters portray their causes as matters of life and death. The slashing of Ambassador Mark Lippert’s face and arm, which left deep gashes and damaged tendons and nerves, was an extreme example, but America infuriates some leftist South Koreans because of its role in Korea’s turbulent modern history. Washington, which backed the South during the 1950-53 Korean War against the communist North, still
stations nearly 30,000 troops here and holds annual military drills with Seoul. That’s something anti-U.S. activists view as a major obstacle to their goal of an eventual reunification of the rival Koreas. Purported U.S. interference in Korean affairs appeared to be the main grievance of the man police named as the assailant, Kim Ki-jong, 55, who has a long history of anti-U.S. protests. “South and North Korea should be reunified,” Kim shouted as he slashed Lippert with a 10-inch knife, police and witnesses said. See LIPPERT | Page A5
Quote of the day Vol. 117, No. 86
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators were looking for budget savings Wednesday after returning to the Statehouse for the second half of their annual session, but also had lobbying laws and rules for social service programs on their agenda. The House Appropriations Committee approved a proposal to launch a long-term hunt for budget efficiencies. And Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s budget director said the governor is not backing off planned cuts in aid to public schools and funding for higher education, even with better-than-expected tax collections last month. Lawmakers reconvened after a five-day weekend tied to their “turnaround” deadline, when many bills must clear their chamber of origin to be considered further this year. It was the 47th day of their 90day session. The biggest task for Brownback and the Republican-dominated Legislature is erasing a budget shortfall projected at nearly $600 million for the fiscal year beginning July 1. It arose after lawmakers slashed personal income taxes in 2012 and 2013 at Brownback’s urging to stimulate the economy. Here is a look at legislative action Wednesday. CUTS STILL PLANNED
GOP leaders ready to unveil new school funding proposal TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Top Republicans in the Kansas Legislature are preparing to outline their plan for overhauling how the state distributes money to public schools, a key issue as lawmakers work to close a projected budget shortfall. The chairmen of the House and Senate budget committees were to meet this morning for a news conference at the Statehouse to discuss the school funding bill they’ve drafted. Rep. Ron Ryckman Jr., of Olathe, and Sen. Ty Masterson, of Andover, were to be joined by other Republican legislative leaders. They did not provide details before the event. But their bill was expected to A $28 million reduction in aid to public schools in the current budget and $16 million in cuts to funding for state universities are due to take effect Saturday. Brownback announced the reductions in late January after tax collections fell short of expectations for the month, to prevent a budget deficit at the end of the current fiscal year, on June 30. The state collected $22 million more in taxes than ex-
“Show me a good loser, and I’ll show you a loser.” — Vince Lombardi 75 Cents
include Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s proposal to junk the state’s existing formula for distributing $3.6 billion in aid and give local districts block grants while legislators write a new formula. Ryckman and Masterson also have said their bill will keep districts’ local property taxes at current levels and See FUNDING | Page A3
pected in February, but Budget Director Shawn Sullivan said it isn’t causing Brownback to reconsider. “There’s too much uncertainty with what happens between now and the end of the fiscal year,” he said. MORE BUDGET DEBATES
The House Appropriations Committee approved a proposed $27 million budget for See STATE | Page A3
Hi: 35 Lo: 22 Iola, KS