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The Iola Register Locally owned since 1867
Weekender Chiefs’ success may hinge on communication — See B1
Saturday, August 24, 2013
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Aussie’s business thrives stateside
Hoffman continues teaching legacy By KAYLA BANZET kayla@iolaregister.com
Register/Steven Schwartz
Nathanial Dunne works from his office near the Iola square. Below, one of Dunne’s trucks sits in front of his office (on the second floor) on South Jefferson Avenue.
A GLOBAL ENTERPRISE By STEVEN SCHWARTZ steven@iolaregister.com
Nathaniel Dunne’s office just off Iola’s downtown square is nondescript. No fancy signage. Not even a welcome mat. But inside, teems a world of high finance. Dunne works in a small space on the second floor of a renovated building on South Jefferson. Generally, a lone, white truck labeled “House Buyers, USA,” sits outside, the lone promotion Dunne does locally. Upstairs, the small working quarters of House Buyers, USA is dominated by a multitude of clocks set to the various time zones around the globe. A large white board with a grid containing scribbles and numbers below each time zone depicts that area’s current business transactions.
Dunne’s modest environment belies the success of his business that has broken new ground in an economy where investors continue to play it safe. DUNNE was born in Kingaroy, Australia, a small agricultural town of about 7,500 near the eastern coast. He grew up in the larger city of Toowoomba — west of the Brisbane, Queensland’s capital city. He received a bachelor’s degree of business from the University of Southern Queensland. Dunne, 35, and his brother Matt, are the founders of House Buyers USA, a global real estate investment firm. He coordinates from the United States and Matt coordinates from the “Aussie side.” “My goal was to not work a job,” Dunne said of his aspirations after college. He married his wife, Lisa, in 2001, and ini-
NATIONAL
Man lives after heart stops for 45 minutes WEST CARROLLTON, Ohio (AP) — A man who was declared dead when his heart stopped beating for 45 minutes suddenly revived, said his stunned doctors, who can’t find an explanation. The man, though, credits his faith. The presumed-dead diesel mechanic, Tony Yahle, was being prepared by nurses to be seen by his family Aug. 5 when he began to show signs of life, the doctors said. He fully awoke at the hospital five days later, they said. Yahle, a 37-year-old West Carrollton resident, has been a topic of conversation since, said his cardiologist, Dr. Raja Nazir. “In the last 20 years, I’ve never seen anybody who we have pronounced dead and
then for him to come back, I’ve never seen it,” Nazir told the Dayton Daily News for a story published Tuesday. “Actually, I’ve never heard of it.” Yahle said at Christ’s Church in Bellbrook that a “miracle happened” when he revived. He said doctors couldn’t find any defects in his heart. He said his doctors’ last guess was that it was all the result of a possible viral infection. Yahle’s teenage son, Lawrence Yahle, said he spoke to him shortly before he revived, the newspaper reported. “I pointed at him and said, ‘Dad, you’re not going to die today,’” the 18-year-old said. “I stood there for a few more seconds. I was about to walk back to comfort the family, and that’s when he started showing signs of a heartbeat.” Vol. 115, No. 212
tially they bought, renovated and resold houses on the Australian market. When they had enough money saved, they moved to the U.S. in 2005 and started the business. “We had to put it all together,” Dunne said. “We were one of the first businesses to have the whole package.”
Now, with only seven fulltime employees, his company coordinates the buying, selling and renting of houses around the world. They provide all of the logistics — Realtors, bankers, lawyers and property managers. See GLOBAL | Page A4
It wasn’t a surprise that Matt Hoffman decided to go into education. Hoffman, the new vice principal at Iola High School, comes from a long family line of educators. “I grew up in a teaching environment and saw the benefits of it,” Hoffman said. His father is a professor and the chair man of the physical education department at Matt Hoffman McPherson College and his mother is an elementary teacher in McPherson. His brother teaches fifth grade and his grandfather was previously the president at McPherson College. Hoffman comes to Iola from Jayhawk-Linn in Mound City. He taught at Jayhawk Linn for five years. While he was there he taught physical education and coached boys basketball. He earned his bachelor’s degree from McPherson College and graduated from Emporia State University in May with his master’s degree. An administrator, Danny Brown, at Jayhawk Linn encouraged Hoffman to get his master’s degree in administration. “I thought I would do it, just not this soon,” Hoffman said. “I’m very fortunate to be here.” Hoffman and his wife, Abby, have yet to move to Iola. Abby is still teaching at Jayhawk-Linn and he commutes every day from Mound City. See IHS | Page A4
Memories materialize By BOB JOHNSON bob@iolaregister.com
Some impressions last a lifetime. Danny Miller, 70, attended Iola High School two years, graduated in 1961 and remembers his experiences well. He recently recognized his love for Iola, IHS and his classmates by contributing $125,000 to the Allen County Regional Hospital’s Uniting for Excellence Campaign. He also participated in an effort that has raised $70,000 through contributions by members of the class of 1961. Wednesday evening Miller, wife Shirley, and several of his classmates toured the hospital due to open in October. In an often scintillating interview with the Register, Miller said he “had a ball helping raise money on behalf of our class,” including individually writing letters to more than 100 classmates. In recognition of Miller’s individual contribution, the emergency room waiting area
Register/Bob Johnson
Ron Baker, Allen County Regional Hospital administrator, gives the skinny on the new hospital to Mary Kay Heard and Dick Works, Allen County Commission chairman. will be named in memory of his parents, Dick and Lillian Miller, and in honor of his wife and daughters Sarah and Aimee. The class donation will result in naming rights for a conference/dining room. 75 Cents
“I’m thankful we can support the hospital,” Miller said, allowing that the community supported him and his classmates when they were growSee MEMORIES | Page A4
Iola, KS