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2017 1867
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THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
G&W given cash incentive
www.iolaregister.com
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
Construction of a new G&W grocery will start by May 1, after Iola, Allen County and Iola Industries put together an incentive package totaling nearly $390,000. The decision was in reaction to a plea from G&W for financial aid, after a bid for construction of the store came in at $500,000 more than the company had budgeted. G&W earlier purchased the parcel of land, where Allen County Hospital once stood, for $20,000. The county spent about $250,000 to maintain the hospital building while trying to sell or lease it before having it demolished. Iola will extend utilities to the store site without charge, a savings for G&W of about $38,000; the county will contribute $180,000 to the project; and Iola Industries will pitch in $170,000. The package found legs when county commissioners
Music and fellowship
gave approval on a 2-0 vote, from Tom Williams and Jerry Daniels. The third commissioner, Jim Talkington, announced ahead of time that he would recuse himself from voting, saying he had a conflict. Attempts by the Register to identify the conflict went unanswered, other than Talkington saying, “I might tell you in a couple of years.” If that was a blemish on the proceedings, it was a minor one, although, politically, it does affect the third of Allen Coun-
Above, Josie Plumlee, left, and Colin Long serenaded Lenten breakfast diners this morning at Iola’s Wesley United Methodist Church. After the song, Long gave a moving testimony in preparation for his baptism this spring. At left, Spencer Ambler serves coffee to Iolans Paul and Saundra Upshaw as part of the proceedings. Today marked the last community Lenten breakfast. Several churches will have individual breakfasts next week, the final week of Lent. REGISTER/
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RICK DANLEY
Iola shop will offer more than bikes By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Members of the Moran City Council voted unanimously to grant permission to Chris King to remove the sidewalk across from Stub’s Market off of Randolph Street. REGISTER/ SHELLIE SMITLEY
Moran City Council OKs sidewalk removal By SHELLIE SMITLEY The Iola Register
MORAN — Members of the Moran City Council voted unanimously to grant permission to Chris King to remove the sidewalk across from Stub’s Market off of Randolph Street. “The sidewalk is in disrepair and I want to do some improvements there and that would make it a lot easier,” King said on Monday. The sidewalk is not the only change residents of Moran will see. Police Chief Shane Smith asked the council to consider putting up a stop sign at the intersection of Hill and Spruce Streets afSee MORAN | Page A3
It’s a misnomer to describe Velo+ as a simple bike shop. As a reflection of its coowner, Vincent Rodriguez’s, desire to continue expanding his horizons, Velo+ is billed as a shop for bikes, coffee, chocolate … (and sometimes even beer.) Rodriguez spoke at Friday’s See, Hear Iola session about the shop’s pending opening in the 200 block of South Washington Avenue. A grand opening celebration is planned April 29, with a caravan of riders trekking the 100-or-so miles from Lenexa to Iola. “We see a great opportunity” to thrive in Iola, Rodriguez said. “We want to serve the need of the people who want to be on bikes.” With the recent development of the Prairie Spirit, Southwind and Lehigh Portland trail systems, Rodri-
UN meets to discuss Syrian attack By LORNE COOK The Associated Press
Vincent Rodriguez guez and his team hopes to tap into the growing market of local bicycling enthusiasts.
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BRUSSELS (AP) — International donors pledged billions of dollars in aid for warravaged Syria as the U.N. Security Council c o nve n e d today for Antonio emergency Guterres talks over a suspected chemical attack that killed dozens in a rebel-held province. At a donor conference in Brussels, U.N. SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres appealed for Syria’s warSee ATTACK | Page A4
Law enforcement journey starts in the classroom By SHELLIE SMITLEY The Iola Register
This is part two of a 14part series following Nina Froggatte’s journey through police training at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, Hutchinson. The police academy is a 14-week part of Kansas University’s curriculum. Froggatte began the training March 20, and is set to graduate June 23. The Iola Register will publish weekly updates of her progress on Wednesdays. HUMBOLDT — Nina Froggatte passed her first written test with an 81. The bulk of
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the exam covered criminal codes and laws. “Your test averages over the course of the 14 weeks have to be (at least) a 70 so I was happy I got the 81, but I thought I had done a little better than that,” she said. It was the way the questions were worded that tripped her up, she said, but nothing that taking a little extra time to read the questions more carefully can’t fix. “A lot of the questions are kind of trick questions or they throw in a certain word just to throw the question off.” Nina said a study group See JOURNEY | Page A3
Nina Froggatte and her family celebrated her sister Hannah’s 18th birthday this week. Clockwise from left are Nina, Nate, Jared, Wendy, Hannah and Joseph. COURTESY OF WENDY FROGGATTE
“Great ideas originate in the muscles.”
— Thomas Edison 75 Cents
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