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THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
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Monday, February 8, 2016
Power struggle at heart of courts debate
BRAIN POWER
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A legislative dispute over how Kansas Supreme Court justices are selected is a political struggle over whether Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and his supporters can make their conservative fiscal and social policies stick well into the future. Brownback and his allies contend that their goal in seeking change is to make the selection process more democratic. His critics say they’re fighting to preserve the court system’s independence. But comments from both sides showed what really was at issue, as the House rejected a proposal to give the governor and legisla-
Iola High School Scholars Bowl team members are, from left, Isaiah Wicoff, Clarie Moran, Zury Burleson, Clara Wicoff and Jonathan Miller. The students earned the school’s third consecutive trip to the Class 4A State Scholars Bowl meet by placing in the top three at the regional competition Thursday in Girard. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
IHS Scholars Bowl statebound By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
For the third consecutive year, and the 10th time in 20 years, Iola’s Scholars Bowl team is headed to state. Iola’s quintet of seniors Clarie Moran and Clara Wicoff, sophomores Zury Bur-
leson and Isaiah Wicoff and freshman Jonathan Miller finished with an 8-3 mark at the Class 4A Regionals Thursday in Girard, good enough for a top-three finish. Iola finished just behind regional champion Ottawa and Louisburg. The top three regional finalists advance to
state. “The kids did a great job,” Scholars Bowl adviser Vince Coons said. “It was very competitive. There were some good teams out there.” Iola advanced through the preliminary round, courtesy See IHS | Page A2
John Hanna An AP news analysis tors more control over Supreme Court appointments. Brownback’s allies believe a court that’s more in touch with voters will be more conservative and less likely to nullify their work. His opponents celebrated the vote as a necessary check on Brownback’s ambitions. Rulings from the court overturning death sentencSee COURTS | Page A4
Council meets tonight Iola City Council members will hear a request tonight to ban the sale of tobacco products to adults under 21. Current law sets the age limit at 18. The proposal would not probibit the possession of tobacco products. The ban would affect all forms of tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco and electronic
cigarettes. Council members also will discuss whether to adopt a “complete streets” policy, which takes into account pedestrian traffic and bicyclists when developing streets. The 6 p.m. meeting will be at the New Community Building at Riverside Park. The community is invited.
Ottaway Amusements
Farm-City Days coming one week early in 2016
Iola’s Farm-City Days will come a bit earlier in the fall schedule. Farm-City Days Committee members voted recently to push the annual fall festival up a week, to the weekend of Oct. 8. The move was necessary, committee chairman Aaron Franklin said, in order to align schedules with Ottaway Amusements. The Wichita-based carnival company has been a part of Farm-City Days past, but the committee has had to look elsewhere because of schedule conflicts in recent years. “They’re a popular, familyoriented company,” Franklin said. “We’d been wanting to
push the schedule earlier, anyway.” Another carnival-related change is in store for 2016. The carnival will not open until Oct. 7, a Friday. In years past the carnival opened as early as Wednesday on FarmCity Days week. “We just didn’t get the turnout for the carnival early in the week we wanted,” Franklin said. Committee members already are in the midst of putting together plans for the 2016 celebration, which runs Oct. 6-9. Several events introduced in 2015, including a medallion hunt and Sunday farm tour, will be back this year, Franklin said.
Quote of the day Vol. 118, No. 69
Not all tornadoes are as easy to identify as this one in 2011 near Manitou, Okla. NWS PHOTO
‘Fury On The Plains’ training returns While Allen Countians still are mostly focused on how much wintry weather remains, Jason Trego’s thoughts have shifted to spring and summer, and the return of storm season. Trego, Allen County emergency management director, spoke Friday about the upcoming Storm Fury on the Plains session planned for Feb. 18. Meteorologist Chance Hayes of the National Weather Service office in Wichita will present information to help prepare storm spotters and weather enthusiasts. The presentation will last
about 90 minutes and consist almost entirely of new slides and visual graphics, Trego noted. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Creitz Recital Hall in the Bowlus Fine Arts Center basement. There is no charge to attend. “You don’t need to preregister or anything,” Trego said. “Just show up.” Members of the Allen County CERT (County Emergency Response Team) will be on hand with information about their organization. While Allen County’s
“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.” — Thomas Paine, 1737-1809 75 Cents
storm spotters network consists primarily of fire and law enforcement personnel, Trego is eager to have as many storm spotters in the county as possible. “The training will show them how to report directly to the National Weather Service, or report to us in Allen County,” Trego said. “We give the calls more credibility if they’ve undergone this training.” The National Weather Service will conduct 26 such sessions across the state over the next two months, including March 21 in Chanute and April 5 in Yates Center.
Hi: 36 Lo: 21 Iola, KS