Sports: Iola Middle School track season ends See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
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Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Grocer announces intent to locate in Iola By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register
G&W Foods hopes to have a presence in Iola if Allen County Commissioners give the go-ahead. Based in Willow Springs, Mo., the grocery store chain has its sights on the land where the old county hospital sits. G&W has 26 stores across Missouri, Arkansas and Kansas, including Yates Center, Chanute and Neodesha. David Toland, executive director of Thrive Allen County and who serves as a quasieconomic development director for Iola and Allen County, was to meet with county commissioners this morning to discuss G&W’s official letter of intent to build the 15,000-square-foot store in the heart of Iola. G&W focuses on small-scale stores in small communities. The bigger dream is to have the grocery store be the anchor to a complete redevelopment of where the old hospital sits, including apartment buildings and townhomes. The only thing that would remain is the Medical Arts Building to the south of the hospital which continues to be used by Allen County Regional Hospital for its Hospice and Home Health programs as well as visiting physicians from metropolitan areas. The grocery store would
Developers presented this potential site plan to Allen County commissioners this morning, pegging the old Allen County Hospital site for use as a grocery store, medical arts building and apartment complex.
be a $3 million investment by G&W. If the entire two acres were developed, Toland said it would mean a $7 million investment in the community. Besides bringing a second grocery store to town, the
development would address the city’s shortage of affordable housing, Toland said. The plan has three two-story apartment complexes with 8 to 10 units apiece. The fourth unit would be slightly smaller
townhomes, with eight to 10 units. A decided advantage to the location is existing infrastructure of sewer and utilities, roads and sidewalks. ALSO
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sioners is a proposal by Arlyn Briggs, Kincaid, to convert the old hospital into a facility to house and treat those with Alzheimer’s, troubled teens, See GROCERY | Page A6
Moran OKs new ATV rules By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
MORAN — A series of rules allowing motorists to operate all-terrain and utility vehicles on Moran’s city streets are in place. City Council members voted 4-1 to adopt an ordinance that permits ATV and UTV users to operate their respective vehicles, but only if they purchase an annual $30 permit. Several other limitations also are in place, including: — Vehicles cannot travel along U.S. 59 or U.S. 54, al-
Jefferson Elementary School fifth-graders, from left, Josie Plumlee and Myriah Walls await their turn as Natalie Fees presses a bottle cap onto a fresh batch of root beer, under the guidance of Iolan Traci Plumlee Monday. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Jefferson students learn art of soda making By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
School projects have rarely been this tasty. A group of Jefferson Elementary School fifth-graders were shown how to make homemade root beer, a lesson served up by Iolans Brian and Traci Plumlee. The Plumlees have mixed their own soft drinks for years, Traci Plumlee said. “When you have two teen-
aged boys, and they come over with their friends, drinks can be expensive,” Plumlee said. “They drink a lot.” The Plumlees mixed up 5-gallon vats of root beer, the easiest amount to make because full containers of sugar and vanilla extract can be used without extra measuring, Traci said. A special ingredient — yeast — is the final component.
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The yeast triggers a chemical reaction within the root beer that creates carbon dioxide — the fizz. As long as the brew is kept at room temperature or warmer, the yeast continues to react, creating more carbon dioxide. The root beer was poured into freshly disinfected bottles, then a bottle cap is added by using a press. Special See TASTY | Page A6
though they can cross those highways if necessary. — Operators must be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver’s license. Helmets are required for all passengers under 18. — Each vehicle must either have a slow-moving vehicle emblem, or has a 7-foot flag pole with a fluorescent orange flag attached to the rear. — Every owner must be able to provide proof of liability insurance. — Operation is limited to daylight hours. See MORAN | Page A3
Community Health Center celebrates its expansion By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register
PITTSBURG — Sunday recognized a wish come true, but don’t expect the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas to stop dreaming. In just 12 years the clinic has gone from a client base of 6,000 to almost 40,000 and has extended its reach from Pittsburg and Frontenac, to 10 sites in four counties, including health and dental clinics in Iola. In ceremonies Sunday, officials and staff celebrated an See CHC | Page A6
“Voters quickly forget what a man says.”
— Richard M. Nixon
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