The Iola Register, Oct. 6, 2022

US: Colombian migration center could be model

By TRACY WILKINSON Los Angeles Times/TNS

BOGOTA, Colombia — A new program designed to help settle Venezue lans who fled to Colombia could serve as a “model for the world” in dealing with today’s unprecedented wave of immigration and forced displacement, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said Tuesday.

But the program, paid in part by U.S. and Europe an aid, may never get off the ground if Colombia’s new leftist President Gus tavo Petro uses a just-an nounced rapprochement with Venezuela as reason to send immigrants and refugees home.

Blinken spent part of the second day of a week long trip through South America to focus on im

Iola native rides the storm out

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Iola native Charlene Delgado escaped the brunt of Hurri cane Ian, which pummeled parts of Florida last week, leaving devastation in its wake.

Delgado, who grew up in Iola and graduated from Iola High School in 1988, lives in Daytona Beach, which re ceived flooding rain and hurri cane-force winds, but suffered significantly less damage than other cities, such as Fort Myers and Naples.

The storm barrelled through Florida on Sept. 28, first making landfall from the

Gulf of Mexico as a category 4 storm, with sustained winds of 115 mph.

By the time the system reached Daytona on the Atlan

County looks at options for 911 backup

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

A county commissioner wants to explore more op tions to develop an emergen cy backup plan for the 911 system.

Commissioner David Lee suggested Chelsie Angleton, 911 director, look at alter natives to a proposal she’s working on that would set up a backup system in the event the dispatch center in Iola was wiped out by a disaster such as a tornado or flood.

If the Iola communications center were heavily damaged, dispatchers could move to a temporary location. She pro posed setting up a backup sta tion in the basement of Hum boldt’s City Hall, which could allow dispatchers to operate there during the emergency. Lee said he’d been re searching options and asked about the potential of using a statewide mobile 911 cen ter, currently under develop ment.

Angleton said it’s possible the mobile system may not be available during a wide spread emergency situation, as there may be other areas with greater need.

Lee suggested Angleton look at a new, county-owned building recently built at the

new communications tower south of the landfill near La Harpe. That building could easily be converted to an emergency backup area, and wouldn’t need construction like the Humboldt site does.

Angleton said she would visit the building and see if it might work.

Lee also questioned if a backup station was even necessary. Currently, Allen County relies on neighboring dispatch centers to take calls when the system goes down.

Anderson County is the first backup, with other counties on the list after that.

His research had shown very few counties operate their own backup center.

Again, Angleton noted, during a widespread emer gency those counties will face their own issues.

ANGLETON HAS been trying to get cost estimates to set up the backup system, which would include moving a couple of walls. Initially, she and commissioners hoped to pay for the project using the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

But as other projects have

tic seaboard, it had weakened to 75 mph, a category 1 storm. Still, within a few hours, Ian had dumped more than 13 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service.

“The only evacuations were trailer homes and camping grounds,” Delgado wrote to the Register.

Delgado’s home was most ly unscathed, aside from “a couple of leaks in the ceiling, which were small,” she said.

“My fence had massive dam age.”

Delgado, the former Char lene Heath, moved to Florida 18 years ago, and works at the Plaza Resort and Spa.

The resort sustained some flood damage, as well as shat

tered balcony glass doors, and was without power for the fol lowing few days, she said.

Delgado has gone through eight such hurricanes since moving to Florida.

“Ian, so far, was worse than (Hurricane) Michael,” Delga do said of the 2018 storm that ravaged much of the Florida Panhandle, and like Ian, had an impact on other parts of the state.

And having grown up in Kansas, she’s well aware of the threat of dangerous weather, and takes storms se riously, but without fear.

“I am grounded in Florida,” she said. “A hurricane is not going to stop me from living here.”

GOP optimistic about Senate chances even with turmoil

NEW YORK (AP) — Lead ing Republicans are enter ing the final month of the midterm campaign increas ingly optimistic that a Sen ate majority is within reach even as a dramatic family fight in Georgia clouds one of the party’s biggest pick up opportunities.

And as some Democrats crow on social media about apparent Republican set backs, party strategists pri vately concede that their own shortcomings may not be outweighed by the GOP’s mounting challenges.

The evolving outlook is tied to a blunt reality: Dem ocrats have virtually no margin for error as they confront the weight of his tory, widespread econom ic concerns and President Joe Biden’s weak standing. There is broad agreement among both parties that the Democrats’ summertime momentum across states like Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin has eroded just five weeks before Elec tion Day.

“There’s reason to be ap prehensive, not reason to be gloomy,” veteran Democrat ic strategist James Carville

said. “It looked like at the end of August we had a lit tle momentum. I don’t know if we’ve regressed any, but we’re not progressing in many places.”

That tepid outlook comes even as Republicans con front a series of self-im posed setbacks in the states that matter most in the 2022 midterms, which will decide the balance of power in Con gress and statehouses across the nation.

None has been more glar ing than Herschel Walker’s struggles in Georgia, where

Charlene Delgado

911 Director Cheslie Angleton speaks to county commissioners on Tuesday.

MOSS

Herschel Walker

Obituaries

Steven LaRue

Steven Joe LaRue, age 72, of Bronson, died Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, at KU Medical Center, Kansas City, Kan.

Funeral services are at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, at Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott. Burial will follow at the Bronson Cemetery.

Memorials to the Steve LaRue Memorial Fund may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, P.O. Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701.

Remembrances may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

Steve Scott

Steve Ryan Scott, 55, Iola, passed away peacefully on Sept. 16, 2022, in Glendale, Calif.

Steve was born in Iola on Dec. 27, 1966, to Robert and Verla (Willis) Scott. He grew up in Iola, graduating from Iola High School in 1985.

Steve married Melissa Jane (Callaway) Scott in 1991. They had two daughters, Kelci Lynn Scott and Katie Anne Scott. Steve was a successful insurance salesman for Farm Bureau, and his career took their family from Iola to Miami County. Together, Steve and Melissa opened Missie’s Discount Liquors in Shawnee before they divorced.

He is survived by his daughters, his mother and his siblings, Cindy Brant, Carol Worthington, Janet Dreher and Alan Scott. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Scott.

He is to be cremated, and will be put to rest at Gas City Cemetery at a later date.

For those who wish to express their sympathy, please remember making a donation to the American Kidney Fund in Steve’s name.

Fort Scott celebrates author Gordon Parks

FORT SCOTT — Native son Gordon Parks will be celebrated this weekend at the 19th Annual Gordon Parks Celebration.

Parks was a noted photographer, writer, musician and filmmaker. Parks is best known for his book and subsequent film, “The Learning Tree.”

Discussions about Parks’ works will be throughout Thursday and Saturday. Participants include Adger Cowans and William Rhoden. Cowans is a fine arts photographer and expressionist painter. Rhoden is a sports columnist with ESPN.

Also on tap is Kansan Jim Richardson, a longtime photographer for National Geographic who will discuss Parks’ technique as a photographer for Life magazine.

An exhibition of Parks’ works is on display in the Gordon Parks Museum as well as in the lobby of The Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center.

“A Night of Hot Jazz and R&B” is the entertainment Friday night at the fine arts center beginning at 7:30.

On Saturday evening is a tribute dinner also at the fine arts center.

For more information go to www.gordonparkscenter.org.

Kassebaum endorses Kelly in tight race

By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Republican Nancy Kassebaum, the first woman to represent Kansas in the U.S. Senate and the daughter of GOP presidential nominee Alf Landon, endorsed Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s campaign for re-election.

On Monday, Kassebaum said Kelly’s bipartisanship and commitment to “solutions to real problems” of state government made her the better choice over Republican gubernatorial nominee Derek Schmidt or independent candidate Dennis Pyle.

“She continues to rise above partisan politics to do what is right for Kansas. She has the leadership qualities needed to continue leading the state,” Kassebaum said.

Schmidt, who serves as the state’s attorney general, worked as a legislative assistant to Kassebaum for six years in the 1990s when she was in the U.S. Senate. Kassebaum also was a co-chair of Schmidt’s initial campaign for attorney general in 2010.

Schmidt spokesman C.J. Grover said Schmidt was grateful for the opportunities afford-

ed him by Kassebaum to engage in public service.

“He admires her personally, despite their political differences, but has been disappointed with the fact that she has not supported a Republican nominee for Governor of Kansas during this century,” Grover said Kassebaum also endorsed Kelly in her successful 2018 campaign against Republican candidate Kris Kobach. In terms of endorsing Kelly, Kassebaum’s 2022 pledge followed those of former Kansas GOP Govs. Bill Graves and Mike Hayden as well as former Republican U.S. Sen. Sheila Frahm.

Kelly said she appreciated backing of Kassebaum, who was in the U.S. Senate from 1979 to 1997. Landon, her father, served as Kansas governor and was nominated in 1936 by the Republican Party to challenge President Franklin Roosevelt.

Kassebaum was married to the late Republican U.S. Sen. Howard Baker, who was appointed U.S. ambassador to Japan by President George W. Bush. She was the first woman ever elected to a full term in the U.S.

Senate without her husband having previously served in Congress

“Senator Kassebaum dedicated her entire career to serving the people of Kansas, and she’s a great role model to me,” Kelly said. “It’s an honor to have her on the team as we continue to grow our state and make Kansas the best place to live, work and raise a family.”

The Knights of Columbus Iola Council will host a silver rose prayer service at St. John’s Catholic Church at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17, to pray “for a civilization of love and culture of life

in our own country and throughout the world.”

The centerpiece is a silver rose that will be in Iola as part of a nine-month pilgrimage from Canada to Mexico.

Schmidt’s endorsements include former President Donald Trump, former U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Gov. Jeff Colyer. The late U.S. Sen. Bob

Iola police o cer completes training

HUTCHINSON — Julia Thompson of the Iola Police Department recently graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center program. Thompson was one of 25 graduates to receive certification as a law enforcement officer.

The 14-week program includes classroom lectures and hands-on applications to help train officers to solve the increasingly complex problems

they face in the line of duty, according to a KLETC press release.

Established by the Kansas Legislature in 1968, the program trains the majority of municipal, county and state law enforcement officers.

About 300 officers enroll annually in KLETC basic training programs and another 10,000 officers participate in its annual continuing education and specialized training programs.

Oil prices rise as OPEC cuts back

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) —

The OPEC+ alliance of oil-exporting countries decided Wednesday to sharply cut production to support sagging oil prices, a move that could deal the struggling global economy another blow and raise politically sensitive pump prices for U.S. drivers just ahead of key national elections.

Energy ministers cut production by a larger-than-expected 2 million barrels per day starting in November after gathering for their first faceto-face meeting at the Vienna headquarters of the OPEC oil cartel since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group said the decision was based on the “uncertainty that surrounds the global economic and oil market outlooks.”

Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman stressed the cartel’s stated role as a guardian of stable energy markets.

Pete’s raises funds for CASA

Pump N Pete’s Corp. is hosting a fundraiser and other activities to aid the Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA) through October.

Those who donate $1 will sign a pinwheel pledge card to be hung at any of the 54 Pete’s convenience stores in Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, including those in Iola, Humboldt, Gas and Moran. Those who donate $5 or more at one time

will get a raffle ticket good for winning a $25 price in each store, with a chance to win $250.

Funds will be used to recruit, train, prepare and support volunteer advocates specially trained by CASA to help abused and neglected children in need of care by the court system.

Running out of

“We are here to stay as a moderating force, to bring about stability,” he told reporters.

Besides a token trim last month, the major cut in the amount of crude that OPEC+ ships to the world is an abrupt turnaround from months of restoring deep cuts made during the depths of the pandemic. As demand rebounded, global energy prices have swung wildly since Russia invaded Ukraine, helping fuel inflation that is squeezing economies around the world.

The impact of the production cut on oil prices — and thus the price of gasoline made from crude — will be limited somewhat because OPEC+ members already can’t meet their quotas.

The decision could help alliance member Russia weather a looming European ban on most of Moscow’s oil and comes amid an energy crisis created by Russia reducing natural gas supplies to Europe, whose leaders call it retaliation for supporting Ukraine and imposing sanctions.

Oil is trading well below its summer peaks because of fears that major global economies such as the U.S. or Europe will sink into recession due to high inflation, rising interest rates and uncertainty over the war in Ukraine.

“We are going through a period of diverse uncertainties, which could come our way, it’s a brewing cloud,” bin Salman said, adding that OPEC+ sought to remain “ahead of the curve.”

Henry Yoder

Dole endorsed Schmidt prior to his death in December 2021.

William Rhoden Adger Cowans

Former U.S. Sen. Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas endorses for re-election Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly rather than Republican gubernatorial nominee Derek Schmidt, who previously worked for Kassebaum. THAD ALLTON FOR KANSAS REFLECTOR

It’s safe to get booster and flu shots at the same visit

By LUKE MONEY and RONG-GONG LIN II Los Angeles Times/TNS

LOS ANGELES — Can you get the COVID-19 booster and flu shot at the same time? For Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House COVID-19 re sponse coordinator, the answer is simple.

“I really believe this is why God gave us two arms — one for the flu shot and the other one for the COVID shot,” he quipped during a recent briefing.

As public health offi cials prepare for a pos sible rebound of the coronavirus this fall and winter, they’re also urging people to get vac cinated against the fa miliar, if recently quiet, foe of influenza.

But busy residents need not fret about booking a pair of ap pointments. Jha, along with other officials and experts, say it’s perfect ly fine to roll up each of your sleeves during the same visit.

Health care provid ers should offer flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same visit to people who are eligible, accord ing to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Getting both vac cines at the same visit increases the chance that a person will be up to date with their vacci nations,” the CDC said in a presentation.

The agency suggested administering each shot

in separate limbs.

Other vaccines are fine, too, unless there’s a specific reason not to administer them at the time of the health care visit.

“Provid ers should offer all vaccines for which a person is el igible at the same vis it,” the CDC said.

Flu shots are now available for everyone age 6 months or older.

time.”

Both shots, she add ed, “provide protection against illness severity, increasing the likeli hood of fewer disrup tions for you and your family this fall and win ter.”

I really believe this is why God gave us two arms — one for the flu shot and the other one for the COVID shot.

— Dr. Ashish Jha, White House COVID-19 response coordinator

Getting the flu vac cine was an annual event for many but, like most aspects of life, the practice has been up ended and interrupted during the pandemic. However, because of oth er interventions in place to combat COVID-19, the flu has been relatively dormant.

“Influenza mostly dis appeared the past two winters, but it returned this past spring of 2022 when we stopped wear ing masks,” Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said. “Because we an ticipate more flu in the upcoming months, we do encourage everyone to take advantage of the many vaccination sites where you’re going to be able to get your flu vac cine and your COVID fall booster at the same

Some offi cials have lik ened the new COVID-19 boosters to the flu shot. Just as offi cials formu late the flu vaccine in an attempt to target that year’s ver sion of the virus, the updated boost ers are designed against both the original coro navirus strain and the Omicron subvariants that have dominated the U.S. in recent months, including BA.5.

“We’re all familiar with the annual updat ing of influenza vac cines every year. Scien tists monitor flu strains around the world, and this data is used to in form how the annual vaccine should be up dated,” Ferrer said ear lier this month. “The same concept was used in updating the COVID booster.”

Moving forward, some officials have spec ulated it’s possible resi dents might receive an nual COVID-19 booster doses, much as they do flu shots.

Flu shot protects you, family & friends Drive-thru clinic Saturday

Protect yourself against the upcoming flu season by getting a flu shot.

A drive-thru flu shot clinic is Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, 2051 N. State St.

There is no out-ofpocket cost for partici pants and it only takes a few minutes to get vaccinated. To help keep the line moving, please wear clothing where your shoulder is easily exposed.

A flu shot is rec

Thrive offers free COVID-19 test kits

By the Register staff Free at-home COVID-19 test kits are available at the Thrive Allen County office, 9 S. Jefferson Ave.

“With the weather cooling down and the typical cold and flu sea son on the horizon, we’re thinking about what COVID will look like in our community this fall and winter,” Kate Schro eder, director of com

munications for Thrive, said.

“This is one more tool for community members who need to make deci sions about their health.

The tests allow for peace of mind as we’re moving into the fall season, and people will be spending more time together in doors and in social gath erings.”

The tests can be picked up during normal

business hours, as many as needed for the house hold.

If you are experienc ing symptoms, such as a cough, call the office at 620-365-8128 and some one will deliver the tests to your vehicle.

The tests should be done at home, following directions as provided with the tests. Thrive staff cannot perform the tests for you.

The tests are provided by the Kansas Depart ment of Health and En vironment.

Thrive staff may ask a few questions that will help KDHE better under stand who is using the tests and why, but you are not required to an swer in order to receive the tests.

Organizations and businesses also can re quest tests.

Kansas adoptions average 1,000 over past four years

By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — The num ber of Kansas children completing adoption av eraged 1,000 during the past four years, an in crease from about 730 in the prior eight years.

The administration of Democratic Gov. Lau ra Kelly, who is seeking reelection against At torney General Derek Schmidt, said statewide figures climbed due to in vestment in training and support to foster care staff and prospective adoptive families.

The Kansas Depart ment for Children and Families released infor mation indicating the Kelly administration improved adoption rates compared to Republican administrations of Govs. Jeff Colyer and Sam Brownback, who served from 2011 to 2019.

DCF deployed staff in 2019 to identify, track and monitor youth who experienced barriers to adoption. The process in cluded home studies, re sources to help complete

adoption procedures and case management to as sist with finalization of adoptions.

In addition, DCF re vised adoption subsidy policies for children with disabilities and in need of specialized med ical care. These children are eligible for monthly subsidies.

“We have removed barriers in the adoption process for children with special needs by updat ing policies and growing eligibility,” said Laura Howard, secretary of the Department for Chil dren and Families. “The adoption assistance and subsidies available for families who are trying to adopt children with special needs are vital.”

She said that during the past three years DCF broadened community partnerships with an adoption resource center to assist families with needs that grew after adoptions were finalized.

From 2011 to 2018 in Kansas, the average number of adoptions in the state was 733 per year and ranged from 620 in

2013 to 777 in 2012. The average grew to 1,000 per year in Kelly’s term as governor and ranged from 846 in 2021 to 1,210 in 2019.

Kelly said the strategy was to take an all-handson-deck approach to pre paring families to meet needs of children in fos ter care.

“My administration

is doing everything we can to make it easier for Kansas families to provide a loving, stable home to children who need one,” she said. “By providing vital resourc es for families and deep ening relationships with our providers, we’re making it possible for more Kansas children to be adopted.”

ommended for those 6 months of age and older because any flu infection can carry a risk of serious compli cations, even among healthy children and adults, according to a CHC/SEk news re lease.

Those especially at risk from flu are young children, older adults and people with cer tain chronic health conditions, such as asthma, heart disease or diabetes.

High-dose flu vac cine will be available for those 65 and older.

Studies show that the high-dose vaccine is

in older adults.

The CHC/SEK offers an inactivated flu vac cine that cannot cause flu.

The most common side effects from the flu shots are soreness, reness, tenderness or swelling where the shot was given. Lowgrade fever, headache, and muscle aches also may occur. These re actions usually begin soon after the shot and last 1-2 days as your body builds immunity.

Flu vaccines and good hand hygiene are still the go-to recom mendations for preven tion. It’s also good to

Don’t miss a SINGLE STORY.

it out!

A flu shot is recommended for those 6 months of age and older. A drive-thru clinic Satuday takes only minutes. PHOTO BY CDC/UNSPLASH

County: Approves airport water, sewer work

taken priority, the coun ty has spent most of the money. Commissioners asked Angleton for an updated cost estimate. They initially set aside $28,801 for the backup system.

But Angleton’s re vised estimates have come in at $47,395 — and that’s without electrical and construction esti mates. It also would re quire $36,000 per year to maintain the system.

“I think before we go down this path, we need to look at options,” Lee told her.

IN OTHER NEWS, commissioners:

• Agreed to repair a portable trash pump at the landfill, which needs a new engine. It will cost about $14,383 to repair the pump, or the county could purchase a used one for $45,550 or a new one for $74,400. Commis sioners agreed with a recommendation from

Mitch Garner, Public Works director, for the repair.

• They also approved a bid of $497,048 from TriCity Seal Co. to make repairs to the airport runway. Most of the cost — $444,000 — will be paid by a grant.

• Agreed to purchase

150 tons of de-icing salt from Frank Bills Truck ing for $7,875.

• Signed an applica tion for an annual fund that partially pays the salary of the emergency manager.

• Learned the date of an auction for surplus county equipment is Oct. 29.

• Signed a contract with BG Consultants to move forward with infra structure improvements at the Allen County Re gional Airport, which will use a nearly $3 mil lion grant and $1 million in ARPA and county money to improve water and sewer facilities.

Florida’s island dwellers dig out

ST. JAMES CITY, Fla. (AP) — Following Hurricane Ian’s de struction, many resi dents on one Florida island have stayed put for days without elec tricity and other re sources while hoping the lone bridge to the mainland is repaired.

Pine Island, the larg est barrier island off Florida’s Gulf Coast, has been largely cut off from the outside world after Ian heavily damaged its causeway and rendered its towns reachable only by boat or aircraft.

“We feel as a com munity that if we leave the island — abandon it — nobody is going to take care of that problem of fixing our road in and out,” Pine Island resident Leslie Arias said as small motor boats delivered water and other neces sities.

A week after the Category 4 storm hit

southwest Florida, the full breadth of its de struction is still com ing into focus. Utility workers continued Wednesday to push ahead to restore pow er and crews searched for anyone still trapped inside flooded or dam aged homes, while the number of storm-re lated deaths has risen to at least 84 in recent days.

At least 75 people were killed in Florida, five in North Caroli na, three in Cuba and one in Virginia since Ian made landfall on the Caribbean island Sept. 27, a day before it reached Florida’s Gulf Coast. After churning northeastward into the Atlantic, the hurricane made another landfall in South Carolina be fore pushing into the mid-Atlantic states.

There have been deaths in vehicle wrecks, drownings and accidents.

Senate: Walker scandal shakes up Georgia contest for GOP

the Republican Senate candidate’s own son accused him of lying about his personal chal lenges — including a report from The Daily Beast alleging that the anti-abortion Walker paid for a girlfriend’s abortion in 2009. Walker called the accusation a “flat-out lie” and said he would sue.

Walker had not taken legal action as of late Tuesday, but he repeated his denials Wednesday morning during a Fox News interview, even as he talked general ly of a difficult past as a husband and father. Shown an image of the “get well” card the Daily Beast reported that he sent to the girlfriend — which was signed with an “H,” not his full sig nature — Walker said, he doesn’t sign cards with just an initial.

The Republican es tablishment, including the Sen. Mitch McCo nnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund, and former President Don ald Trump himself remained staunchly behind Walker on Tues day in his bid to oust first-term Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. A Walker campaign adviser said the candi date has raised at least $500,000 since he first re sponded publicly to The Daily Beast report.

“If you’re in a fight, people will come to your aid,” said Steven Law, head of the Senate Lead ership Fund and a close ally of McConnell, R-Ky. Law said the Geor gia race had grown in creasingly competitive despite the Democrats’ focus on Walker’s per sonal life. And looking beyond Georgia, Law said the political climate was predictably shift ing against the party that controls the White House, as is typically the case in midterm elections.

“It certainly seems that voters are return ing to a more tradition al midterm frame of mind,” Law said.

Should Republicans gain even one Senate seat in November, they would take control of Congress’ upper cham ber — and with it, the power to control judicial nominations and policy debates for the last two years of Biden’s term. Leaders in both parties believe Republicans are likely to take over the House.

Even facing such odds, it’s far too soon to pre dict a Republican-con trolled Congress.

Democrats remain de cidedly on offense and are spending heavily to try to flip Republi can-held seats in Penn sylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina. Voter opposition to the Su preme Court’s decision this summer to strip women of their con stitutional right to an abortion has energized the Democratic base and led to a surge in female voter registrations.

Republicans are most focused on Democrat ic incumbents in Ar izona, Georgia, New Hampshire and Nevada, although Republican officials believe that un derwhelming Trumpbacked nominees in Arizona and New Hamp shire have dampened the party’s pickup op portunities.

“The Republican can didates they’re running are too extreme,” said J.B. Poersch, who leads the pro-Democrat Sen ate Majority PAC. “I think this is still advan tage Democrats.”

Meanwhile, condi tions in the top battle ground states are rapid ly evolving.

In Pennsylvania, Re publican Senate nom inee Mehmet Oz faced difficult new questions this week raised by a Washington Post article

about the medical prod ucts he endorsed as a daytime television star. Another news report by the news site Jezebel de tailing how his research caused hundreds of dogs to be killed rippled across social media.

Still, Democratic of ficials acknowledge the race tightened consid erably as the calendar shifted to October. And White House officials are concerned about Democratic nominee John Fetterman’s stami na as he recovers from a May stroke.

“Senate Republicans had a very bad start to October, but we know each of our races will be tight and we’re going to keep taking nothing for granted,” said Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who leads the Senate Demo crats’ campaign arm.

The GOP Senate candidates’ latest chal lenges in Georgia and Pennsylvania dominat ed social media Monday and Tuesday, accord ing to data compiled by GQR, a public opin ion research firm that works with Democratic organizations.

News stories about Walker’s abortion ac cuser and Oz’s animal research had the firstand second-highest reach of any news sto ries on Facebook and Twitter since they sur faced Monday, topping content related to the television show “Sons of Anarchy,” another re port about Planned Par enthood mobile abor tion clinics and news about Kanye West. GQR used the social listening tool NewsWhip, which tracks over 500,000 web sites in more than 100 languages roughly in real time.

In swing-state Neva da, the rhetoric from Democratic Sen. Cath erine Cortez Masto has become increasingly urgent in recent days as she fends off a fierce

challenge from former state Attorney General Adam Laxalt. Within the White House, there is real fear that she could lose her reelection bid, giving Republicans the only seat they may need to claim the Senate majority.

“We have a big prob lem, friend,” Cortez Masto wrote in a fund raising appeal Tuesday. “Experts say that our race in Nevada could decide Senate control — and right now, polling shows me 1 point behind my Trump-endorsed op ponent.”

Democrats and their allies continue to hope that backlash against the Supreme Court’s abortion decision will help them overcome his torical trends in which the party controlling the White House almost al ways loses seats in Con

gress. Democrats, who control Washington, are also facing deep voter pessimism about the di rection of the country and Biden’s relatively weak approval ratings.

The traditional rules of politics have often been broken in the Trump era. In past years, Republicans may have abandoned Walk er. But on Tuesday, they linked arms behind him.

Law, of the Senate Leadership Fund, said he takes Walker at his word that he did not pay for a former girlfriend’s abortion, despite appar ent evidence of a “Get Well” card with Walk er’s signature and a check receipt.

He said voters believe that “Walker may have made mistakes in his personal life that affect ed him and his family, but Warnock has made

mistakes in public life in Washington that af fected them and their families.”

There were some signs of Republican con cern on the ground in Georgia, however.

Martha Zoller, a pop ular Republican radio host in north Georgia and one-time congres sional candidate, told her audience Tuesday that the latest allega tions require Walker to reset his campaign with a straightforward admis sion about his “personal demons” and what he’s done to overcome them.

“He needs to fall on the sword. ‘I was a dog. ... And I have asked for giveness for it,’” she said, detailing the kind of message she believes Walker must give voters. “It would be so refresh ing to have somebody just tell the truth.”

Public

Opinion

Andale’s powerhouse football program is unfairly targeted Joey Young The Andale Clarion

Andale High School is a football powerhouse. They were a massive powerhouse in Class 4A and won three state championships in that classification before enroll ment started to drop and they became one of the largest Class 3A schools in the state.

They now have a 43-game winning streak and one of the greatest football programs in Kansas high school football history. You can’t really ar gue against it anymore.

Recently, Andale beat Nick erson 108-0. Let that settle in for a bit. 108-0 is something that I never thought I would type in a column about mod ern-day prep football.

As many of you can imag ine, the helicopter parents and trolls on Facebook and Twitter immediately started typing from their La-Z-Boys at home about how terrible Andale was and how they ran up the score.

“Just typical Andale. Class less team,” said one comment on a prep sports thread I fol low.

“I can’t believe a coach would run up the score like that,” said another.

“They should be ashamed of themselves,” the list goes on and on and on.

I wonder if they would have made those comments — with their names attached to them on social media so proudly — if they would have gone to the game or read the coverage of the game or done really any looking into the game at all.

“It was a tough game to be a part of, it really was,” An dale coach Dylan Schmidt told The Wichita Eagle. “We thought about kneeling it, but we felt like that would have been more disrespectful. We tried to slow things down and send it in slower. Give their staff credit: they weren’t upset, and they realized we were doing everything we could have on our end.”

Here are some facts: Andale is 3A because they have to be. They aren’t a pri vate school, even if you might be surprised by that due to the heavy German Catholic roots and culture. They are, in fact, a public school that has to take in every kid with in their district. Andale High School just happens to be made up of a bunch of small, but prosperous, farm towns in western Sedgwick Coun ty. If you look at one of their programs, you might notice — at most — 22 different last names.

There is no mercy rule in 11-man football. You can ar gue there should be, like in eight-man, but there simply isn’t one under the current rules.

According to the Wichi ta Eagle reporting, Andale led 78-0 at halftime but only ran 22 offensive plays to that point.

Andale played their JV and freshman players the whole second half, and much of the scoring in the second half came from Nickerson inter ceptions that were run back for touchdowns by Andale.

Finally, the last bit of con text:

“Obviously, people are going to see the final score, but I thought coach Schmidt handled it as well as he could have,” Nickerson head coach Taylor Bauman said. “I have absolutely nothing against what he did. They put their young guys in early, and their young guys just executed better than our old guys. So there’s no hard feelings for what they did. Of course, it’s hard losing like that, but I have a lot of respect for coach Schmidt and their program.”

So this leads me to a much larger discussion. Given the context and the ample amount of information and quotes from both coaches on the game, what would lead people to comment so harsh ly about those coaches and kids from Andale?

Makes you wonder if we should all take a moment be fore reacting, breathe, think for a bit, and then react if we react at all. Social media wants folks to get angry and bitter about things. It is liter ally designed to bring content that we will react to into our feeds.

I know I am preaching to the choir a bit here, but let’s try to be civil and com mon-sense Kansans going forward. It’s not just Andale High School football games that are going to frustrate folks. There is something coming up in November, can’t remember what, but some thing that I believe is likely going to try to divide us a lot with misinformation and hy perbole. Do some research, read a little, and encourage your neighbors to do the same. Simple common sense might help with all of this.

About the author: Joey Young is the majority owner of Kansas Publishing Ven tures which publishes four newspapers in south central Kansas including The Clari on in Andale.

Hurricane Ian and climate change: The link is undeniable

The terrible devastation wrought by Hurricane Ian on Florida’s southwest coast — among the most power ful hurricanes to hit Flori da in a century — has been wrenching to watch even from afar: so many lives lost, homes shattered and livelihoods swept away by the storm surge, winds of up to 150 miles per hour and flooding rains. The single comfort has been seeing Flo ridians rise to the challenge working around the clock, united and determined to make things better for their neighbors.

In such a terrible disaster as this, one obvious question arises: What can be done to prevent such calamitous consequences from storms in the future? Officials in Florida and other states affected by Ian and the At lantic hurricane season, including South Carolina, have begun taking stock of the ways evacuation orders were handled and safety pre cautions taken. But a crit ical component is missing from these discussions: cli mate change.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSan tis has appointed men and women to help the state adapt to sea level rise, pro tect its coasts and prepare for storms, but he and many other Republicans in the state actively oppose efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, often criticizing such talk as left-wing zeal otry. They acknowledge that rising tides and worsening weather are real but express no interest whatsoever in re ducing the human-made cir cumstances that scientists recognize as having made such events more powerful and more frequent.

Storms like Ian are inten sified by warming oceans. That’s just a scientific fact. And burning fossil fuels has so increased the levels of

carbon and other harmful gases in atmosphere, that the greenhouse effect has worsened. That’s undeni able, too. So at what point does refusing to advocate for reducing greenhouse gas emissions stop being a polit ical two-step for a man who wants to be the next pres ident of the United States and, instead, become a kind of suicide-pact? While it is surely not within Flori da’s power to reduce global carbon emissions, it is eas ily within the power of the state’s elected leaders, and anyone else who cares about its residents, to call for those reductions at the local, state, national and international level. Floridians facing di saster must care enough to lobby for energy conserva tion or similar measures.

The timing stinks, of course. With the midterm election fast approaching, it’s difficult to get politi cians to speak on difficult subjects in any terms other than political party talking points. And it’s not necessar

ily even in the interests of Democrats to press a Repub lican-leaning state in their hour of need. How does that translate on television — as compassion and wisdom or political brinkmanship?

There is nothing wrong with focusing on the immediate needs of the survivors. But if that’s all we do, what will be the cost?

If events like this don’t ral ly Americans to the cause of dealing with climate change, of essentially warding off future disaster, we will lose far more lives than were lost in Florida this past week as the effects of unchecked cli mate change march on.

The warning signs are all around. Floridians put their faith in the science of weather forecasts, and it saved lives. To ignore the sci ence of climate change now would be to give credence to the claim that it’s all about politics and not about facts. And the harm that does ex tends far beyond the shores of Florida.

The Baltimore Sun

Aerial photo of damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Thursday, Sept. 29, in Fort My ers. (JOE CAVARETTA/SUN SENTINEL/TNS)

On Tuesday, Oct. 4, the downtown Sanford, Fla., area is flood ing along the St. Johns River as the after affects of Hurricane Ian are felt throughout central Florida. (WILLIE J. ALLEN JR./OR LANDO SENTINEL)

Migrants: Colombian center called ‘a remarkable model’

migration with a stop at a state-run center that connects displaced Ven ezuelans with govern ment services and offers access to loans, school ing, training and ways to obtain legal residen tial status.

Of the estimated 6 million Venezuelans who have fled their country as it plunged into economic, political and social crises under autocratic President Nicolas Maduro, about 2.5 million are believed to be living in Colombia as of August.

Last year, Colombia formally offered tempo rary protected status to many Venezuelans, al lowing them to remain in the country and work legally for 10 years. To do that, Colombia has set up the new “integra tion” program in nine cities.

“This allows Venezu elans to be productive, contributing members of the community, of society,” Blinken said during a tour of the Migration Integration Center in Bogota. “And we’re not going to have a lost generation of Vene zuelans.”

“It is a remarkable model,” he added.

The Biden adminis tration has provided $3

billion in aid to Colom bia and neighboring countries to support displaced Venezuelans among other efforts. At last month’s United Na tions General Assem bly, President Joe Biden pledged an additional $350 million.

Blinken spoke Tues day against the back drop of little children romping among bright ly colored toys and squishy balls. He was introduced to a young couple, Christian Her nandez, 24, and Anne lis Gomez, 23, whose

9-month-old son crawled at their feet. They fled a Venezuelan coastal town seven months ago and are living with his parents, who made the same escape five years earlier.

Hernandez’s mother, Diyana Mendoza, 46, said that when she ar rived “we were totally alone,” but that with the new policies, circum stances have improved “100%.” Her son was giv en a loan to learn how to sew jeans, his wife has been able to set up a small pastry business in

her home and the child is attending preschool.

Not everyone was quite as enthusiastic.

Ivan Duran, a press officer in the opposi tion-controlled City Hall in Maracaibo, Venezue la, said he had to leave his home country 11 years ago when loyalists to the president began harassing and threaten ing him.

While Colombians were initially welcom ing, he said, over time they cooled to the arriv al of so many people and it became impossible to

gain legal work.

Programs to integrate Venezuelans into soci ety and give them legal rights are a positive beginning, he said. But they remain in their in fancy, with only limited effect, he noted.

“Outside the story is very different,” he said. “There are barriers ev erywhere.”

Duran said many in the Venezuelan expatri ate community are now worried about a poten tial new threat. All of the pro-immigrant pol icies, including tempo rary protected status, were adopted before Petro came to office in August. Like Maduro, Petro is a longtime left ist, and his decision to reopen Colombia’s long closed border with Ven ezuela and renew diplo matic and other ties has raised questions about how far he intends to go.

“We live in fear,” Du ran said. “What drove us from Venezuela in the first place was pre cisely this form of gov ernment.

“At first it seems good with big plans, but then it shows its dark face.”

In a news conference with Blinken on Mon day, Petro would not answer a journalist’s question about wheth er rapprochement with

Caracas was a first step in forcing the Venezu elans to return home. He said he believed that data already show fewer Venezuelans arriving in Colombia, although he offered no proof to sub stantiate his assertion.

“If that is a result of the normalization of relations, then the free decision of the Venezue lan families in Colombia is what is to be respect ed,” he said.

At the same news con ference, Blinken said his administration’s “strong hope” was for the Maduro government to pursue dialogue with the Venezuelan opposi tion that leads to elec tions and restoration of democracy. The goal, he said, is “to create a much better environment, and for all Venezuelans.

“That is fundamen tally what is necessary for Venezuelans to not feel the obligation to leave the country that is theirs, as well as for Venezuelans who have left to return.”

U.S. officials doubt Petro would push to deport Venezuelans anytime soon, if at all. It would be an unpopu lar move, and he is still consolidating his power with many other press ing issues demanding his time.

Putin signs annexation of Ukrainian regions as losses mount

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vlad imir Putin signed the final papers Wednesday to annex four regions of Ukraine while his mili tary struggled to control the new territory that was added in violation of international laws.

The documents finaliz ing the annexation were published on a Russian government website. In a defiant move, the Krem lin held the door open for further land grabs in Ukraine.

Speaking in a confer ence call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “certain territories will be reclaimed, and we will keep consulting res idents who would be ea ger to embrace Russia.”

Peskov did not spec ify which additional Ukrainian territories Moscow is eyeing, and he wouldn’t say if the Kremlin planned to or ganize more such “refer endums.”

Putin last week signed treaties that purported to absorb Ukraine’s Do netsk, Luhansk, Kher

son and Zaporizhzhia regions into Russia. The move followed Krem lin-orchestrated “refer endums” in Ukraine that the Ukrainian govern ment and the West have dismissed as illegitimate.

The Russian president defended the validity of the vote, saying it’s “more than convincing” and “absolutely trans parent and not subject to any doubt.”

“This is objective data on people’s mood,” Putin said Wednesday at an event dedicated to teach ers, adding that he was pleasantly “surprised” by the results.

On the ground, Rus sia faced mounting set backs, with Ukrainian forces retaking more and more land in the eastern and southern regions that Moscow now insists are its own.

The precise borders of the areas Moscow is claiming remain unclear, but Putin has vowed to defend Russia’s territory — including the annexed regions — with any means at his military’s disposal, including nu

clear weapons.

Shortly after Putin signed the annexation legislation approved by Russia’s parliament, the head of Ukrainian Pres ident Volodymyr Zel enskyy’s office, Andriy Yermak, wrote on his Telegram channel that “the worthless decisions of the terrorist country are not worth the paper they are signed on.”

“A collective insane asylum can continue to live in a fictional world,” Yermak added.

Zelenskyy respond ed to the annexation by announcing Ukraine’s fast-track application to join NATO. In a decree released Tuesday, he also ruled out negotiations with Russia, declar ing that Putin’s actions made talking to the Rus sian leader impossible.

On the battlefield, Rus sia and Ukraine gave con flicting assessments of a Ukrainian counter-offen sive in the Russian-occu pied Kherson region. A Moscow-installed region al official insisted that Ukrainian advances had been halted.

“As of this morning ... there are no move ments” by Kyiv’s forces, Kirill Stremousov said Wednesday in comments to state-run Russian news agency RIA Novost.

He vowed the Ukrainian fighters would not enter the city of Kherson.

However, the Ukrainian military said the Ukrainian flag had been raised above seven

Kherson region villages previously occupied by the Russians. The closest of the liberated villages to the city of Kherson is Davydiv Brid, some 60 miles away.

PUBLIC NOTICE

FIRST FIVE-YEAR REVIEW OF REMEDIAL ACTION START AND OPPORTUNITY TO TEST RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES FOR LEAD Former United Zinc and Associated Smelters NPL Superfund Site Iola, Allen County, Kansas – October 2022

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 is announcing the start of the First Five-Year Review (FYR) of the cleanup remedy at the Former United Zinc and Associated Smelters National Priorities List (NPL) Superfund Site (site) and the ongoing free soil lead testing and cleanup opportunity across the site. FYRs are required by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act when hazardous substances remain on-site above levels that permit unrestricted use and unlimited exposure. FYRs provide an opportunity to evaluate the site remedy to determine whether it remains protective of human health and the environment.

EPA has been working in the local community to remediate (clean up) leadcontaminated sites since 2005 after initially detecting elevated heavy-metal levels, such as lead, in smelter waste, soil, and sediments. This FYR should be completed by September 2023.

Information Repository: Site project information is available to the public at web repositories.

• To view Administrative Record files and other cleanup documents for this site, please visit EPA’s Site Profile page at: www.epa.gov/superfund/ formerunitedzinc (click on Site Documents & Data).

Documents are also available during normal business hours at the following location: EPA Region 7 Records Center, 11201 Renner Blvd., Lenexa KS 66219 (1-800-223-0425).

FREE Soil Lead Testing and Cleanup Opportunity! If your property has not been tested, and you would like to have your soil tested for potential lead contamination, please contact one of the EPA contacts listed below. Testing is at no cost to the property owner.

EPA also encourages parents and caregivers to have children under 7 years old tested for elevated blood lead levels annually. The only way to know if your child has an elevated blood lead level is to have his or her blood tested; leadpoisoned children do not always look or act sick. Your doctor can do a simple blood test. Talk to your pediatrician, general physician; Southeast Kansas MultiCounty Health Dept. in Allen County Office (620-365-2191); or other health care professionals about testing your child and to arrange for lead screening.

EPA encourages community members to ask questions and report any concerns

site.

questions and requests for site information to:

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro pose for pictures during a joint press conference after a meeting as part of the U.S. secretary of state’s visit to Colombia at Casa de Nariño on Monday, in Bogota, Colombia. (GUILLERMO LEGARIA/GETTY IMAGES/TNS)

Sports Daily B

Humboldt just keeps winning

HUMBOLDT — The Humboldt volleyball team welcomed Neodesha and Caney Valley on Tuesday night and swept the pair of teams.

The Lady Cubs (22-3; 3-0) moved to an undefeated mark in conference action with the back-to-back victories and continued their impressive season.

The evening began for Humboldt with an easy win over Caney Valley in two sets, 25-8 and 25-20.

Lady Cub Natalie Wells had a great match from the serving line, hitting six aces while Ella Lassman knocked three aces.

Shelby Shaughnessy led offensively with eight kills, followed by Karley Wools’s seven kills and Kenisyn Hottenstein’s three kills.

Humboldt was led defensively by Wools’s nine digs while Skylar Hottenstein and Shaughnessy managed seven and six digs apiece. Wools registered the team’s only solo block of the match.

“I was very proud of the girls for competing hard all night. It was a battle with Neodesha and we came out on top. I thought our passing fell short in the second set, but we were able to fix that in the third. They played hard all night,” said Humboldt head coach Terry Meadows.

The second matchup pitted Humboldt against Neodesha. The Lady Cubs came out on top, 27-25, 2125 and 25-23.

S. Hottenstein led at the serving line with two aces while Lassman, Wools, Wells and Shaughnessy each knocked one ace.

Offensively, Wools led with nine kills while Shaugnessy tapped seven kills and Lassman ripped five kills. K. Hottenstein also had three kills, followed by Wells and S. Hottenstein’s two kills apiece.

Wells led defensively with 20 digs and two blocks, followed by Shaughnessy’s 15 digs and two blocks and S. Hottenstein’s 14 digs. K. Hottenstein was also able to make two blocks while making six digs and Lassman recorded five digs.

Humboldt travels to Eureka Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Iola volleyball recognizes its seniors

By QUINN BURKITT The Iola Register

It was a bittersweet night for Iola High School’s volleyball team.

The girls dropped their matches to Prairie View and Wellsville on Tuesday.

The upside was senior night, when the senior class girls — Aysha Houk, Dallyn McGraw and Jadyn Kaufman — were recognized for their contributions to the team.

“It was nice to recognize our seniors and the juniors did a great job of honoring them,” said Iola head coach Amanda Holman. “The seniors do a great job of staying positive and keeping their heads up.”

The Mustangs began strong against Prairie View, winning

the first game, 25-22, but lost their direction, losing 24-26 and 13-25 in the next two.

Iola was led offensively by Reese Curry’s 13 kills and Jackie Fager’s six kills. Rio Lohman and Kaufman knocked three kills apiece. Houk led with three ace serves, followed by Kaysin Crusinbery and Alana Mader’s two aces apiece.

Elza Clift was perfect from the serving line while Houk, Mader and Crusinbery each went 90% from the serving line.

“The second set we lost our urgency to get the win unlike our first set. It slipped away when we shouldn’t have let it. The third set we played their game and they are better at their game than we are,” said

Holman. “I don’t think we played bad, but we didn’t play with that chip on our shoulder to win.”

Defensively, Lohman led with three total blocks and two solo blocks while Mader was good for two blocks and one solo block. Houk led with 21 digs, followed by Crusinery’s 17 digs and Clift and Curry’s 14 digs apiece. McGraw also knocked 10 digs in the loss.

Iola then fought again but came up short in three sets to Wellsville, 22-25, 25-23 and 1525.

Curry led on the attack with seven kills, followed by Lohman’s six kills and Mader and Fager’s three kills apiece. Mader, Fager and Curry also

Marmaton Valley stumbles at Crest

COLONY — The Marmaton Valley High School volleyball team fell in both of their matchups at Crest on Tuesday night.

The Wildcats (16-10; 8-4) first lost to St. Paul in three sets, 19-25, 28-26 and 14-25.

Tayven Sutton led Marmaton Valley offensively with

eight kills, followed by Janae Granere’s five kills and Payton Scharff and Braelyn Sutton’s four kills apiece. Madison Lawson and Roslyn Houk led at the serving line with two aces each.

Granere went a perfect 100% on serves while Piper Barney went 91.7% from the

serving line and Lawson and Houk each went 83.3% in the serving department.

Defensively, Marmaton Valley was led by Granere’s two blocks, followed by Kaitlyn Drake and Tayven Sutton’s one block apiece. Maider Arb-

Iola runners ‘looking great’ nearing end of season

By QUINN BURKITT The Iola Register

EUREKA – The Iola High School junior varsity and Iola Middle School cross country teams raced at Eureka on Tuesday night.

The JV Mustangs competed against varsity runners in the 5K race.The eighth grade runners ran a two-mile race and the seventh graders competed in their usual one-mile race.

Iola JV runners Jayden Sil-

vey and Ricky Rowe are new to the sport this season and have been improving each meet.

Silvey finished in 33rd place with a time of 24:26 while Rowe placed in 39th overall with a mark of 25:44.

“Both of these guys were close to their personal best times, which is such an accomplishment. I am always proud of how these guys are ready to step up to any challenge that has come their way,” said Iola head coach Brittany Daughar-

thy.

Eighth grader Lynsie Fehr medaled in the two-mile race, finishing in ninth place with a time of 15:47. Josh Wanker’s time in the two-mile run was 18:05, good for 18th place.

Mosiah Fawson was the lone seventh grade Mustang to race in the one-mile. Fawson had a personal-record time of 6:32, good for 12th place and just two spots short of a medal.

“Eureka is a tough course

with rolling hills,” said Daugharthy. “Many of the teams we see only at this meet. Tonight was a more than usual warm race in October, but all of our athletes pushed themselves,” said Daugharthy. “Overall these guys are looking great as we go into our league meet next week.”

The varsity Mustangs race at Louisburg on Thursday at 4 p.m. The Iola JV and varsity runners will compete in regionals on Oct. 29 in Chanute.

Crest splits at home

COLONY — The Crest High School volleyball team split a pair of matches against Marmaton Valley and St. Paul on Tuesday night at home.

The invitational began with Crest (21-5; 8-1) coming up short against St. Paul in three sets, 25-19, 22-25 and 5-25.

Lady Lancers Kayla Hermreck, Karlee Boots, Delaney Ramsey, Kamryn Luedke and Allyssa Adams each were perfect from the serving line. St. Paul ran a hard-hitting offense with mainly seniors on the squad.

Crest crashed in the third set when they lost by 20 points and couldn’t pass the ball to set up any sort of score.

“St. Paul began running their offense and proved that having mostly seniors can be a good thing. The first two sets were very enjoyable to watch. We hit an all-time low for us in the third set and could not pass the ball for anything,” said Crest head coach Abigail Hermreck.

The loss was only the fifth of the season for the Lady Lancers. The St. Paul’s squad is 13-3 overall and 1-0 in district play.

“It was disappointing to lose like that, but St. Paul is a good team. Maybe getting this out of our system is a good thing,” Hermreck said.

The Lady Lancers took down Marmaton Valley in their second match in three sets, 25-17, 26-28 and 25-21.

Boots went a perfect eight-for-eight from the serving line with three aces. Luedke went fourfor-four from the serving line with one ace and Hermreck registered 18 kills.

“Moran was ready to play us and we knew we had to bounce back quickly or we were looking at another loss,” said Hermreck. “It was great to end the evening with a win and be able to overcome the prior disappointment.”

Overall, Crest’s McKenna Hammond led defensively with 21 digs and also recorded eight kills. Hermreck led offensively with 29 kills and eight aces. Kinley Edgerton led the Lady Lancers with 31 assists and also hit seven kills and 15 digs.

Boots led from the serving line, going 14for-14 with six ace serves while Luedke also managed to serve a perfect seven-for-seven in the pair of matches. Brooklynn Jones led Crest in serve receive passing and knocked six digs.

Crest will take the court at Uniontown on Saturday. The team finishes league play on Oct. 11 when they host Southeast and Yates Center.

Iola senior libero Aysha Houk (1) goes for the hit against Prairie View on Tuesday. REGISTER/QUINN BURKITT

CLASSIFIEDS

FOR SALE

HOMES FOR RENT

WANTED

GARAGE SALES

Kentucky

Judge hits 62nd, breaks American League HR mark

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Aaron Judge took a smooth, mighty swing, then broke into a big smile as he trotted around the bases. Heading home, his teammates backed away, letting him touch the plate alone.

At last, the New York Yankees slugger had the American League home run record all to himself.

Judge hit his 62nd home run of the season Tuesday night, breaking Roger Maris’ AL record and setting what some fans consider baseball’s “clean” standard.

“It’s a big relief,” Judge said. “Everybody can finally sit down in their seats and watch the ballgame. It’s been a fun ride so far, getting a chance to do this. ... Getting a chance to have your name next to someone as great as Roger Maris and Babe Ruth and those guys is incredible.”

Judge said he felt “quite a few emotions” after connecting, thinking about his family and fans and supporters. He said it would probably be after the season until he’d truly soak in and appreciate the significance of his achievement.

“In my book, it’s just another day,” the stoic Judge said.

After slamming his helmet in a rare show of frustration when he went without a homer in the first game of the doubleheader against the Rangers in Texas, Judge hit the third pitch of the nightcap into the first row of seats in left field.

That trip around the bases after a long chase was certainly a mixture

of pure joy and relief for No. 99, whose only homer in the previous 13 games had been when he tied Maris’ 61 last Wednesday in Toronto.

Judge did it just in time, too, homering on the next-to-last day of the regular season.

Barry Bonds holds the major league record of 73 home runs, set with the San Francisco Giants in 2001.

Judge’s milestone ball was caught by Cory Youmans of Dallas, who was sitting in Section 31. When asked what he was going to do with the ball while being taken away with security to have the ball authenticated, Youmans responded, “Good question. I haven’t thought about it.”

Asked after the 3-2 loss if he’d gotten the ball, Judge said, “not yet.”

“I don’t know where it’s at. It’d be great to get it back,” he said.

Judge also praised the fan for making a “great catch” and said the man had every right to keep the prized souvenir.

Another fan was escorted away after leaping over the rail into a gap between the seats and the left-field wall.

The crowd of 38,832 was Texas’ third sellout of the season.

Almost as soon as Judge connected on a 1-1 slider from righthander Jesús Tinoco, his Yankees teammates streamed out of the dugout to celebrate with him. But they stayed away from home plate — leaving him to step on it before sharing hugs and high-fives.

“You never know how you’re going to react in the moment. And it was

just so, so very cool,” manager Aaron Boone said.

Gerrit Cole, who set a Yankees single-season strikeout record in the same game, said he didn’t know if Judge was pressing as of late, but chuckled when saying everybody else on the team was.

“Just wanted it to happen so bad,” Cole said. “So I don’t know if that’s pressing, or it’s just hoping hard. We were all just hoping really hard I think ... He’s not trying to get the record for himself. He’s trying to get the record for his teammates, and for the Yankee fans.”

New York wound up losing the second game after winning the opener 5-4. With one game left in the regular season, the split left the Yankees with a fitting 99-62 record — Judge’s number and his home run total.

Judge’s mother and father were in the stands to see the 30-yearold outfielder end a five-

MV: stumbles at Crest

Continued from B1

ulu made 10 digs and Granere knocked nine digs. B. Sutton also chipped in with nine digs and Scharff, Lawson and T. Sutton each ripped six digs.

“As a team we need to focus on serving and moving our feet. The game with St. Paul we had too many missed serves. When we played Crest our serves were better, but we need to move our feet, talk and play as a team,” said Marmaton Valley head

coach Sharon Fritch.

Marmaton Valley then came up just short again in their second matchup against Crest in three sets, 17-25, 28-26 and 21-25.

The match saw B. Sutton led the way offensively with seven kills, followed by Granere’s six kills. Barney and T. Sutton also registered five kills apiece. Houk knocked four ace serves as B. Sutton followed suit with three aces.

Barney, Scharff and

T. Sutton each went a perfect 100% from the serving line.

Granere led defensively with three total blocks and two solo blocks while Scharff also braced herself for a block. Granere and B. Sutton led with 14 and 11 digs, respectively. Scharff made seven digs while Barney ripped six digs.

Marmaton Valley will now hit the road to battle Chetopa next Tuesday.

game homerless streak, including the earlier game Tuesday when he was 1 for 5 with a single.

The Maris family wasn’t in Texas after following Judge around for a while, but Roger Maris Jr. tweeted, “Congratulations to Aaron Judge and his family on Aaron’s historic home run number 62! It has definitely been a baseball season to remember. You are all class and someone who should be revered. For the MAJORITY of the fans, we can now celebrate a new CLEAN HOME RUN KING!!”

When the top of the first ended, and Judge went to take his place in right field, he carried the glove and cap of first baseman DJ LeMahieu, who patted him on the back.

The fans in right field cheered Judge loudly while he warmed up by

tossing a ball back and forth with center fielder Harrison Bader. Judge then provided another souvenir ball when he tossing the one he had warmed up with several rows deep.

Judge, eligible to become a free agent after this season, struck out on a full-count pitch when batting again in the second.

He took his spot right field in the bottom of the inning before Boone pulled him from the game. Oswaldo Cabrera, who had been at second base, moved to right field and the slugger got another loud ovation as he jogged back to the Yankees dugout on the third base side.

Reaction quickly came from far beyond the ballpark.

BOCCE BALL!

Iola: Volleyball Senior Night

Continued from B1

each registered ace serves in the setback.

“Last night Reese had a great night which is what we were looking for all season. Rio has been one of our most consistent players throughout the season. It’s a blessing we can rely on her. Kaysin does a great job of working

her tail off, she’s been doing a great job of becoming more consistent in her setting,” Holman said.

Clift was a perfect 100% from the serving line while Crusinbery notched an 85.7% success rate from the serving line. Mader and Fager also each went 84.6% from the line.

Lohman made three

total blocks and three solo blocks while Mader, Fager and Curry each made two blocks defensively. Houk led with a monstrous 30 digs, Crusinbery had 23 digs and Curry had 18 digs. Clift was also in double figures in digs with 10.

Iola will play at Anderson County next Tuesday.

The Special Olympics bocce ball event was Wednesday in Columbus. The Iola students, in the gray shirts, are left to right, Lydan Bycroft, Reece Curry, Jaden Smith (rolling the ball) and Guils Pena. PHOTO BY LARRY HIATT

Aaron Judge rips his 62nd home run of the season on Tuesday against the Texas Rangers to pass Yankee legend Roger Maris on the single-season home run leader board. TNS

Trio share Nobel Prize for chemistry

STOCKHOLM (AP) —

This year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry has been awarded in equal parts to Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless for developing way of “snapping molecules together.”

Hans Ellegren, secretary general of the Roy-

al Swedish Academy of Sciences, announced the winners Wednesday at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

A week of Nobel Prize announcements kicked off Monday with the award in medicine honoring a scientist who unlocked the se-

Public notices

(Published in The Iola Register Sept. 29, 2022)

IN THE ELEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT DISTRICT COURT, CRAWFORD COUNTY, KANSAS

IN THE MATTER OF: Izabella Nycole Sheldon, Case No. CRP-2022-AD-000002

A female minor, DOB: August 6, 2008

NOTICE FOR SERVICE BY PUBLICATION

THE STATE OF KANSAS TO DANIELLE NICOLE SHELDON:

You are hereby noti ed that an action for Petition for Transfer of Custody and Step-Parent Adoption has been commenced against you in the District Court of Crawford County, Kansas, the object and general nature of which is to obtain a Step-Parent Adoption by Petitioners, James

in The Iola Register Sept. 29, 2022)

IN THE ELEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT DISTRICT COURT, CRAWFORD COUNTY, KANSAS

IN THE MATTER OF: Izabella Nycole Sheldon, Case No. CRP-2022-AD-000002

A female minor, DOB: August 6, 2008

Ralph Vilmer and Ceara Marie Vilmer.

The names of all parties in this action are stated above and the name and address of the attorney for the Petitioners is TINA M. LONGNECKER, THE LAW OFFICE OF TINA M. LONGNECKER, 702 S. Pearl, Ste. B, Joplin, Missouri 64801.

You are further noti ed that unless you le an answer or other pleading or otherwise appear and defend against this action within 21 days after September 23, 2022, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon all pending issues.

THIS NOTICE IS EFFECTIVE AS OF THE DATE AND TIME SHOWN ON THE ELECTRONIC FILE STAMP

(9) 29 (10) 6, 13

crets of Neanderthal DNA. Three scientists jointly won the prize in physics Tuesday for showing that tiny particles can retain a connection with each other even when separated.

The 2022 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday and the economics award on Oct. 10.

Iola

A davit of Publication for the Allen County Historical Society, Inc.

The annual Allen County Historical Society, Inc., business meeting will be held at the Je erson Elementary School (300 S. Je erson Ave. Iola, KS) on Thursday, October 13, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. Following the business meeting, The Society will be giving a tour of old school with the help of former Jefferson teachers. The meeting is free and open to the public to attend. For more information contact the historical society at (620)3653051, email achsdirector@ outlook.com

ORDER GRANTING SERVICE BY PUBLICATION

Pursuant to K.S.A. 38-2237

NOW, on this date the Court considers the Request for Service by Publication led herein. There are no appearances.

The Court nds that Natural Mother, Danielle Nicole Sheldon, shall be given notice of the proceedings by publishing a Notice for Service by Publication once a week for three consecutive weeks in the newspaper autho-

rized to publish legal notice in the locality where the parent was last known to reside, to wit: Iola, Allen County, Kansas. Report of service shall be made by a davit with a copy of the published notice attached. IT IS SO ORDERED.

THIS ORDER IS EFFECTIVE AS OF THE DATE AND TIME SHOWN ON THE ELECTRONIC FILE STAMP AND SIGNED BY JUDGE. (9) 29 (10) 6, 13

by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

BAILEY by Mort Walker

HORRIBLE by Chris Browne

WINKERBEAN by Tom Batiuk

by Young and Drake

by Tom Armstrong

by Chance Browne

KU’s Leipold: ‘No plans of going anywhere’

By GARY BEDORE

Kansas City Star

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas football coach Lance Leipold says he’s spoken to his team about ESPN’s GameDay crew coming to town for Saturday’s 11 a.m. Big 12 battle between No. 19-ranked Kansas and No. 17 TCU.

He hasn’t however, discussed the fact his name has been linked to two other college coaching jobs — Nebraska, which fired coach Scott Frost on Sept. 11, and Wisconsin, which dismissed coach Paul Chryst on Sunday.

Both topics could conceivably be potential distractions for the Jayhawks, who are off to a 5-0 start (2-0 Big 12). TCU is 4-0 (1-0).

“We tried to talk (to the players) a little bit yesterday (about) GameDay,” Leipold said Tuesday at his weekly news conference, “because their hard work made this happen. I don’t want that to be taken away from them

“There’s a reason over 3 million people probably will be watching (the morning GameDay show preceding kickoff), because that’s how many watch that. That’s really neat. That part I want them to embrace. We also have to know when the ball is kicked off, we have to play at

a level that earned that opportunity. And hopefully we’ll get another opportunity.”

BUT ABOUT his name relative to coaching vacancies elsewhere? No, Leipold said he has not discussed that with his team.

“Anything after that to me is wasted time with our team because we’re focused on this (opportunity Saturday),” the coach said. “I’m focused on this. We’re extremely happy

Prep football standings

Class

here. We have no plans of going anywhere and anything (job talk) like that is just … when some of these things that have happened, we’re in the film room

doing other stuff. I don’t even know what’s going on. I didn’t even know some of the stuff was going on Sunday until later in the evening.

Asked to comment in

general about schools’ athletic directors firing coaches this early in the season, Leipold said: “Paul Chryst is a friend, if that’s what you are asking. I’ve known Paul since … I knew his late father (George). He tried to recruit me to Wisconsin-Platteville.”

Leipold played quarterback at Wisconsin-Whitewater.

“Good family. Good man,” Leipold said of Chryst. “It’s just unfortunate with guys who average nine wins a year get let go. That’s part, I guess, of what we signed up for these days.

“It’s a changing world in a lot of different ways. That’s unfortunate. It’s unfortunate for the locker room. I think we lose that as well. There’s a lot of components, and I’m not questioning anyone’s decision, because there’s a lot of factors go in these (situations) that none of us really know. That’s me as a person and a fan (speaking), not as a coach.”

Pets week

Meet Berlioz!

Class

“All of a sudden I got all these text messages. I have no idea (about what’s going on with those teams that have openings).”

Kansas head coach Lance Leipold leads the team onto the eld before a game against Duke at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium Sept. 24 in Lawrence. GETTY IMAGES/JAY BIGGERSTAFF/TNS