Sports: Iola golfers win sixth straight tournament See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Court panel may block state’s new school funding law By JOHN HANNA The Iola Register
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A court panel in Kansas is considering whether to block a new education funding law at the request of four public school districts that contend the statute distributes state aid in ways that harm programs for poor and minority students. The three-judge panel in Shawnee County District Court was having a hearing today in a lawsuit from the Dodge City, Hutchinson, Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas, districts. The judges set aside two days for arguments from attorneys and testimony from
A large tornado passes west of Halstead Wednesday. Several buildings were destroyed and one person was reported injured. See related story on A5. WICHITA EAGLE/TRAVIS HEYING/TNS
Tornadoes roar through region TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Storms that packed at least nine confirmed tornadoes, hail and heavy rain left behind damage in Kansas counties but no fatalities or major injuries. The Kansas Division of Emergency Management said in a news release today that the storm moved from
south to north Wednesday, leaving damage in Harvey, Sedgwick, Jewell, Lincoln and Republic counties. The worst damage appeared to be in Republic County, in north-central Kansas on the Nebraska border. Emergency management officials reported five homes and an ethanol plant near Scan-
dia were damaged and a feedlot operation also was struck, killing up to 150 cattle. Other damage reports include one home destroyed and another damaged near Mankato in Jewell County, two homes damaged in Sedgwick County and damage to outbuildings, power lines and trees in other counties.
witnesses. Legislators and other state officials are watching the lawsuit but expect the Kansas Supreme Court to make the final decision on the new funding law’s validity. The school districts argue that the new school funding law prevents the state from meeting its duty under the Kansas Constitution to provide a suitable education for every child. The law took effect in April and scrapped the state’s old per-student formula for distributing more than $4 billion to its 286 school districts, which provided extra dollars for each child learning See COURT | Page A5
Iola Principal: 2015 class a hard act to follow By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Iola High School’s Class of 2015 — recognized Wednesday at a Senior Awards Night ceremony — has set a lofty academic bar for successive classes to follow. Principal Stacey Fager pointed out a pair of the impressive statistics. Seven seniors have been recognized as State Scholars, an award earned by maintaining a grade-point average of at least 3.9, with a 30 or above average score on the American College Test (ACT). “We had one recipient last year,” Fager said, “and that’s pretty normal.” “We are recognizing something pretty outstanding,” he continued. “Sometimes we don’t do enough to recognize these outstanding achievements.” It wasn’t just a select few who raked in the hardware.
State Scholars coming from Iola High School’s Class of 2015 are, from left, Jonathan Tidd, Emma Piazza, Kaden Macha, Jo Lohman, Tyler Holloway, Sarah Gonzalez and Alex Bauer. They were among the honorees at Wednesday’s Senior Awards Night. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Twenty-five seniors received Academic Achievement Awards for maintaining a 3.5 GPA or above for three consecutive semesters, “our biggest group ever,” Fager said. Fager also admonished the scholarship recipients to take
a moment or two to recognize their donors. “When a family or an organization chooses to make a donation, they’re really making an investment,” he said. “The least you can do is write a reply, thanking them for that donation. A lost art nowadays is
writing a thank-you note and dropping it in the mail. I can’t stress enough what a positive impact that would have.” Recipients honored were:
McFadden Scholars: Lexie Long and Jonathan Tidd Edward Zahn FFA Scholarship: Colton Heffern, Brock Peters, Drake Dieker, Baleigh Seeber, Lauren Hunt, Baylea
Kiwanians talk leadership in Washington
The Iola square will be bustling with energy Saturday morning as the first Iola Market Day launches. Downtown merchants will set up products outside their stores to bring attention to local businesses in the heart of the community. The event is a combined effort between business owners to attract out-of-town
Iola Kiwanians Nancy and Mike Ford, from left, and Chris Stevens were in Washington, D.C., last week to attend a leadership conference. COURTESY PHOTO popular features in the park for all children. The summit’s keynote speaker, Alfonso Lenhardt, is deputy administrator for the Agency for International De-
Quote of the day Vol. 117, No. 131
See SENIORS | Page A5
Iola Market Day Saturday
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
A day filled with like-minded individuals intent on finding ways to serve others kept a trio of local Kiwanians busy during a recent trip to Washington, D.C. Iola Kiwanis President Chris Stevens and Kiwanians Mike and Nancy Ford were in Washington April 28-30 as part of Wednesday’s declaration of Kiwanis International Day at the White House. The Iolans were the only Kansans invited to the event, tabbed as a “leadership summit.” Iola’s Kiwanis club was chosen to participate largely because of its integral role in developing the Mothers of Miracles (MOMs) playground area at Riverside Park. The playground is designed for children with disabilities but has become one of the most
Thompson Built Ford Tough Scholarship: Colton Heffern Iola-NEA Scholarship: Garrett Prall LaHarpe High School Alumni Association Scholarship: Baylea Thompson American Legion Auxiliary of Moran Scholarship: Blaine Klubek Iola Booster Club Scholarship:
velopment and a former ambassador to Tanzania. His ambassadorship ties in nicely to Kiwanis InternaSee KIWANIS | Page A5
shoppers to the city and remind local shoppers what store owners have to offer. Participating merchants include: 3 Generations, Audacious Boutique, Brooklyn Park Vintage Market, Capper Jewelry, Country Traditions, Duane’s Flowers, Fifty 50, Iola Office Supply, See MARKET | Page A6
Letter carriers will ‘deliver’ for community pantry By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
The Rev. Tom Waters and his crew at the community pantry, 16 W. Broadway, are awaiting the outcome of Saturday’s food drive, an annual effort coordinated and per-
“If I cannot overwhelm with my quality, I will overwhelm with my quantity.” — Emile Zola, French novelist 75 Cents
formed by local members of the National Association of Letter Carriers. The food bank, managed by the Iola Area Ministerial Alliance, can always use an infusion of all food, said Waters. See DRIVE | Page A5
Hi: 81 Lo: 63 Iola, KS