Tuesday, January 9, 2024
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Despite push, home building still slow By SARAH HANEY The Iola Register
The housing market in Iola can be summed up in one word — unique. Driving down any given road, you will come across houses of varying values and sizes situated in the same neighborhood. A multiple bedroom two-story Victorian home could be a neighbor to a bungalow. Despite the town’s eclectic charm, the number of building permits for new housing construction remains low, with only two filed in 2023. According to Iola Code Enforcement Officer Gregg Hutton, the primary culprit behind this phenomenon is the continued high cost of construction. Land for housing in Iola was originally platted in 50 foot by 110 or 120 foot parcels. Today, See HOUSING | Page A6
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Facilities top 2024 priorities Fager expects lawmakers to bring back voucher plan
USD 257 hopes for success on plan for old school buildings By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
The biggest question facing USD 257 in 2024 will be what happens to its three former elementary schools. The district has agreed to a plan by BNIM, Kansas Citybased developers, that will convert the three schools into housing. This is the second year in a two-year agreement that gives BNIM time to secure financing for the project. BNIM plans to apply for historic tax credits and other types of funding from the state. The company was not able to secure the funding last year, which wasn’t entirely a surprise, company officials said in a presentation to the board in December. They’ve since adjusted the proposal and are more optimistic about their chances this year. The new plan would construct three-bedroom duplexes on the property at McKinley, as well as converting McKinley and Jefferson into one- and two-bedroom apartments, and tackling Lincoln later. Because of the stipulations for the financing, BNIM would not be able to sell the property for at least 15 years. “That gives long-term stability to what those properties could become,” Fager noted. If BNIM is not successful,
By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
Stacey Fager, superintendent of USD 257, hopes a Kansas City-area development firm is successful in 2024 in obtaining funding to convert three former elementary schools into housing. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS the school board may have to go back to the drawing board to figure out what to do with the three former elementary school buildings. “Housing is such a demand for this community, so we want to make sure all those opportunities are explored before we look at other possible options,” Fager said. Figuring out the future of those buildings is the district’s top priority for 2024, Fager said. “We need to climb that hurdle first, then we can look at long-term planning for other facilities.” One issue is what to do
about a maintenance building. The district demolished its former maintenance building with construction of a new science building and cafeteria at Iola High School. Maintenance and transportation crews have been making due with other district-owned property, but at some point will need a dedicated facility. School board members also have been meeting with officials from the City of Iola and Allen Community College to discuss options for new baseball and softball fields. Board member Dan See FACILITIES | Page A3
Stacey Fager, superintendent for Iola schools, is concerned lawmakers will bring back several educational bills that narrowly failed the last legislative session. The 2024 Kansas Legislature convened Monday. Two issues in particular — commonly known as “school choice” and the “Parents Bill of Rights” — are expected to resurface. The “school choice” bill allows public education funds to follow students who attend private, parochial or home-based schools. Advocates say it allows families to choose learning environments that best meet their educational and personal needs. Opponents object to taking taxpayer funds away from public schools that are required to accept every student, unlike private schools that can deny admission based on disability, religion or other factors. “School choice” is particularly challenging for rural districts, Fager said, pointing out Allen County could lose funding even though there are no local options for students to attend private or parochial schools. School funding is tied to enrollment. “I’m a firm believer that our public tax dollars should See SESSION | Page A3
Kelly, bipartisan group of lawmakers promote tax cuts By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector
IHS royalty Casey Rowe and Keira Fawson were named the 2024 Iola High School Winter Homecoming royalty Friday, after the Mustang basketball teams swept Osawatomie. Find game results on page B1. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Vol. 126, No. 19 Iola, KS $1.00
TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly and a bipartisan group of two dozen state legislators Monday proposed a $1 billion, three-year tax reform bill designed to provide every Kansan relief by reducing income, sales and property taxes. The Democratic governor, two Republican senators, an independent senator as well as House and Senate Democrats endorsed the comprehensive strategy at a Statehouse news conference hours before the 2024 session would begin. The legislation would eliminate immediately the state’s sales tax on groceries rather than wait until existing state law accomplished that step on Jan. 1, 2025. It would create a fourday, back-to-school sales tax holiday every August for families buying school supplies, computers and cloth-
Keep a lookout for Mary Kay and Dave Heard at Wednesday’s state of the state address. Gov. Laura Kelly will recognize the Heards as everyday Kansans who stand to benefit from her tax reform bill. The Governor’s address will be livestreamed at 6:30 p.m. on YouTube. ing. That could save Kansas consumers $5 million annually. The plan would end the state’s policy of taxing Social Security benefits. Kansas is among 11 states that impose a state tax on Social Security benefits, resulting in seniors leaving the state in search of a lower tax burden. Retired Kansans would save more than $525 million in the first five years of this See BUDGET | Page A6
A2 Tuesday, January 9, 2024
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The Iola Register
KS Chamber lobbies for guest worker programs By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — A leading business lobbying organization in Kansas frustrated with Congress’ failure to deal with immigration policy recommended the federal government grant states authority to implement guest worker programs that address specific workforce needs. The Kansas Chamber, which plays a significant role in lobbying the Kansas Legislature, said that if Congress again failed to make progress on reasonable change to bolster the U.S. workforce with international labor it should enable states to craft alternatives that catered to precise business needs of participating states. The lobbying organization also said it would oppose state legislation increasing penalties or threatening business licenses for employers who unintentionally hired an illegal worker. “On both sides, whatever you want to look at, whether state or federal, it’s almost like both sides use it as a political cudgel,” said Alan Cobb, president and CEO of the Kansas Chamber. “I trust Kansans to put something together that addresses the workforce need.” He said government reform of immigration had to respect the necessity of protecting borders of the United States from criminal elements and take into account the humanitarian crisis of thousands of undocumented individuals at the southern border with Mexico. The Kansas Chamber’s political agenda for the 2024 legislative session — it opens at 2 p.m. Monday
of the annual legislative session. The governor said she was a “little bit” surprised the Kansas Chamber was prepared to continue opposing Medicaid expansion because the business community was supportive of changes that delivered preventative health care to workers who otherwise couldn’t afford coverage. “Interestingly, they did not oppose Medicaid expansion before I became governor,” Kelly said. “They were just neutral, they didn’t deal with it. When I became governor, all of a sudden, they started to oppose it. But after I met with them, I thought that we might see them at least go back to neutral because there were a number of board members there who clearly got the message, understood the importance of this.”
Alan Cobb, president and CEO of the Kansas Chamber, said the business advocacy organization was interested in income tax and school funding reform as well as changes enabling Kansas businesses to make better use of guest worker programs. RACHEL MIPRO/KANSAS REFLECTOR — touched on other human resource issues, including a quest for criminal justice reform that helped people with criminal records to enter the workforce.
The core of the Kansas Chamber’s agenda featured praise for legislation creating a flat-rate individual income tax in Kansas. Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, vetoed a bill creating a 5.15% single rate to replace staggered rates depending on income. The Legislature failed to override her veto, but House and Senate GOP leaders said one of their top priorities was taking another run at the reform in 2024. Likewise, Kelly said she was prepared to veto any comparable flat tax reform bill. Cobb’s big wish: “Three or four GOP senators to override the governor’s veto of the flat tax.” He also said the organization was opposed to Kelly’s recommendation for the state to expand eligibility for Medicaid to about 150,000 lower-income Kansans. Kelly has placed passage of Medicaid expansion among her top priorities
Workers’ compensation
Eric Stafford, a vice president of the Kansas Chamber and chief lobbyist in Topeka, said business and labor interests had negotiated a proposed bill that would restructure the workers’ compensation system to fairly compensate people injured on the job and strive to maintain low costs for employers. For example, he said, the negotiated deal would increase caps for total disability and death benefits. “Hopefully,” he said on the Kansas Reflector podcast, “our message to those listening, legislators, leadership is keep the bill clean and get it through to the governor.”
It’s about economics
Cobb also said there was a need for the Legislature to devote more effort to oversight of rules and regulations crafted by executive branch agencies to implement state law. There have been many times when state agencies went beyond what the Legislature intended, he said. “Yes, the Legislature can be more specific,” Cobb said, “but they can’t anticipate every potential crazy thing a civil servant may decide.” Stafford said the Kansas Chamber would again recommend the Republican majority in the Legislature prohibit city and county governments from banning goods or services that create an unequal business environment. He said an example was the Lawrence City Commission’s decision to
ban on March 1 use by most businesses of single-use plastic bags. The objective is to promote use of reusable bags and reduce pollution. He said the plastic ban agenda ran contrary to the Kansas Chamber’s belief in adopting the least restrictive method of regulation that protects the public without limiting competition. Cobb said Kansas had made progress is building a good regulatory climate, but there were still barriers that drove investment and innovation to other states. “Our work is not done,” he said. “Actions taken by other states have made them more attractive to investment. We must act to become competitive and to reduce the cost of doing business in our state. If we don’t, Kansas will fall behind.” Kelly said state and federal economic reporting showed Kansas had the fastest economic growth in the third quarter of 2023 at 9.7%. She said Kansas ranked third in the nation for growth in personal income — 4.9% — in the third quarter of 2023. She said questions about the state’s economic prospects were answered as the state surpassed $18 billion in business investment since she took office as governor in 2019. “This data shows that our efforts to support businesses, create a stable economy, and grow our workforce are paying off,” Kelly said. The governor said Kansas reached its all-time high high employment during 2023, with nine of the top 10 employment months taking place last year. The state’s unemployment rate has been at or below 5% for the past 38 months.
Two substitute teachers sue Lansing school district By SUZANNE PEREZ Kansas News Service
WICHITA, Kansas — A pair of substitute teachers is suing the Lansing school district near Kansas City, alleging they were barred from working as subs because they spoke out against school policies. Vera Daniels and Celeste Hoins claim in the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, that Lansing school board members violated their First Amendment right to free speech. The Lansing superintendent, school board president and vice-president could not be reached for comment. Over the past year, Daniels and Hoins addressed the board several times during the public forum portion of its regular meetings. They advocated for higher teacher salaries and building improvements and against the district’s Parents’ Bill of Rights, according to the lawsuit. At a board meeting last August, the teachers spoke about what they said was the board’s
lack of transparency, book banning, and “the need for the school district to help non-white students feel welcome,” the lawsuit says. After a closed-door session during that meeting, the board removed Daniels and Hoins from a list of approved substitute teachers and barred them from working in the district. Arthur Benson, the teachers’ attorney, said their firing was unconstitutional, and that the board — led at the time by a conservative majority — retaliated against the teachers for voicing their opinions. “They had both been outstanding teachers and in great demand as substitute teachers,” Benson said. “Because their speech did not in any way interfere with the educational mission of the school district, they
were protected by the First Amendment, in our view, and we filed suit.” The women want to be reinstated as substitutes, Benson said. They are also seeking lost earnings, damages and their costs for litigation. Daniels, a retired middle-school science teacher, was named Secondary Teacher of the Year for the Lansing district in 2020. She retired from full-time teaching in June 2021 and began substitute teaching in September 2022. Hoins received her license to substitute teach in Kansas in 2017. She was “requested to substitute repeatedly by teachers and administrators for whom she had previously served as a substitute teacher,” the lawsuit says. Neither teacher ever received negative comments on job evalua-
tions, the lawsuit says. Teachers’ free speech rights have been the topic of lawsuits throughout the U.S., particularly as schools become a battleground for the nation’s political and culture wars. Last spring, a judge dismissed a lawsuit by two Oregon teachers who were fired after launching a video campaign opposing their district’s gender identity policies. Citing the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Pickering v. Board of Education, the district court ruled that the school’s interest in “protecting the safety and well-being of its students” outweighed the teachers’ First Amendment right to comment on school
policies. In Lansing, a district of about 2,500 students northwest of Kansas City, a conservative board majority elected in 2021 instituted sever-
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Boeing jetliner that suffered blowout had shown warning light PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Boeing jetliner that suffered an inflight blowout over Oregon was not being used for flights to Hawaii after a warning light that could have indicated a pressurization problem lit up on three different flights. Alaska Airlines decided to restrict the aircraft from long flights over water so the plane “could return very quickly to an airport” if the warning light reappeared, Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said Sunday. Homendy cautioned that the pressurization light might be unrelated to Friday’s incident in which a plug covering an unused exit door blew off the Boeing 737 Max 9 as it cruised about three miles over Oregon. On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration approved guidelines for inspecting the door plugs on other Max 9 jets and repairing them, if necessary. That move should speed the return to service of 171 planes that the FAA grounded under an emergency order Satur-
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
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An Alaska Airlines plane. MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES/TNS
day. Alaska has 64 other Max 9s, and United Airlines owns 79 of them. No other U.S. airlines operate that model of the Boeing 737. Shares of The Boeing Co. and Spirit AeroSystems, which builds the fuselage for Boeing’s 737 Max, both tumbled 7% at midday Monday, the first day of trading since the incident occurred. Shares of Alaska Airlines were nearly unchanged after slumping earlier in the session. The auto-pressurization system warning on the ill-fated Alaska Airlines jet lit up during three previous flights. Homendy said she didn’t have details about a Dec. 7 incident, but that it came on again during a flight on Jan. 3 and after the plane landed on Jan. 4 — the day before the blowout.
A3
Session: Education initiatives targeted Continued from A1
support public education,” Fager said. Conservative lawmakers have long championed school choice measures. In the past couple of sessions, they’ve gotten closer to approving them. The Kansas Senate narrowly rejected a voucher plan late in the last session; Gov. Laura Kelly likely would have vetoed the bill had it passed. Similar measures have been proposed nationwide in states such as Iowa, Arizona and Utah. Lawmakers did, however, pass an “open enrollment” bill that allows students to attend schools outside their home district. That will go into effect next fall. Because Kansas has struggled to pass “school choice” measures, it has given lawmakers and educators time to see results in other states. Though advocates tout improvements in state assessments for students who attend private schools, Fager pointed out that that comes on the back of public schools by shifting taxpayer dollars to private
[The Parents Bill of Rights bill] flies in the face of local control and takes educational entities out of the decision-making process. It can create a lot of animosity between public schools and some parents. — Stacey Fager
schools. The vouchers also cover only a small portion of tuition, keeping the schools out of reach for most lower-income families. LAWMAKERS narrowly failed to override a veto on legislation that would have established a Parents Bill of Rights, giving parents greater ability to challenge educational material they find objectionable for moral, religious or other reasons. Fager expects to see those proposals return. He is not in favor. Educators, including administrators and publicly elected school boards, take considerable time reviewing and approving evidence-based material. “It flies in the face of local control and takes educational en-
tities out of the decision-making process,” he said. “It can create a lot of animosity between public schools and some parents.” FAGER hopes lawmakers will reconsider other educational proposals, such as a change to the way the state considers enrollment for funding. It’s another proposal that failed to override Kelly’s veto and would base funding on the current or previous year’s enrollment, rather than allowing districts to use one of the two preceding years. That would hurt rural districts that are losing population and could conflict with decisions by the Kansas Supreme Court in the Gannon case, Fager noted. “If that formula were to change, you could
see districts really struggle to keep their doors open,” Fager said. LATE IN the last session, lawmakers approved giving the state “the right of first refusal” when a district decides to sell a school building. The implementation of the law created headaches for districts as they attempted to sell a variety of structures. USD 257 agreed to sell a dilapidated metal shed and land near Iola Elementary School to the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, which owns adjacent property, but that sale is on hold until approval by the Legislature. Elsewhere, the ANW Interlocal reported it lost a buyer for a former school building in Chanute because of the delay. The Humboldt district also queried if it needs permission to sell a student-built home. Fager said he hopes lawmakers clarify or modify the law. It’s another law that takes away “local control” by forcing districts to seek the state’s permission before a sale, he said. “This is holding up a lot of projects,” he said.
Facilities: Focus is on former elementaries Continued from A1
Willis is working with the city to explore options to install turf on flood-prone fields at Riverside Park. Eventually, the board will need to consider its options to improve or replace Iola High School. The building is more than 100-years old, which makes it challenging to maintain and upgrade for modern technological needs. But that discussion could be decades into the future, perhaps once the bonds are paid on the new Iola Elementary School and IHS science building. “It will probably be a different board and a different superintendent who has to make those decisions,” Fager said. AN UNEXPECTED opportunity led USD 257 to consider building a daycare on school grounds. Administrators applied for a competitive state grant that, if approved, would allow the district to build a daycare on IES property. Several districts across the state are applying for the grant with similar proposals, including districts in Moran, Humboldt, Chanute and Fort Scott. USD 257’s plan calls for building a facility on school grounds that would be operated by private daycare providers. The district currently works with Munchkinland Preschool and Ready, Set, Learn to share curriculum, resources and training. It would be convenient to move those daycares closer to IES. It also could help the district recruit teachers, who would see the benefit of on-site daycare for their children. The facility also would help parents who currently have children at multiple locations. If the district doesn’t
The former Jefferson Grade School is one of three buildings proposed to be converted into housing. FILE PHOTO
get the grant, plans are ready to move forward if another source of funding becomes available, Fager said. “I can see us sharpening our proposal for the future. I don't want it being just a one-shot.” He’s pleased to see the increased push to build daycares, thanks to efforts by state and regional entities such as Thrive Allen County’s child care coalition. “Now we’re having conversations on how beneficial this could be for our district. Maybe a daycare wasn’t something we initially thought the district needed, but for the sake of the community we’re now seeing the need,” he said. OTHER ITEMS that could come up in 2024 include: • Working with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, which is converting the Lehigh Portland lake and trails into a state park. Fager said he would like to see the district build a cross-country course at the lake, similar to a course at Big Hill Lake between Cherryvale and Parsons. “It’s so picturesque that I could see it even becoming a state championship-type of course. It’s a great opportunity and something that would promote the dis-
trict as well as the new state park,” he said. • Working with Allen Community College in multiple areas. In addition to current discussions on baseball and softball fields, Fager said he’d like to renew talk about an indoor recreational facility. Such a facility was proposed under former President John Masterson, who now sits on the USD 257 board. Fager said he thinks the discussion got sidetracked by questions about an aquatic center and was shelved during the transition to a new president at Allen. Fager said he plans to bring it up again with President Bruce Moses. Also, Moses is advocating for Allen to focus more on Career and Technical Education courses. He asked architects for drawings of a potential CTE facility, which was presented to ACC’s board of trustees last month. Fager sees potential for cooperation between the district and Allen regarding CTE options. IHS students already work with Allen for dual-credit classes, and some students travel to the Allen campus for classes. USD 257 has its own CTE program at the Regional Rural Technology Center at LaHarpe. “If that’s Allen’s vi-
sion, we’ll do what we can to help support it with our students. I think Allen could complement what we offer in CTE, as long as the programs aren’t duplicated,” Fager said. • Reviewing the meals program. The district this fall introduced a program that provides free school meals to all students, regardless of income. The state and federal program reimburses schools based on the number of students who eat those meals; the district needs to pay any food costs not offset by that difference. So far, USD 257 has seen an increase in students who take the meals but Fager would like to see more. After comparing results at the end of this school year, the board will decide whether to participate in the program next fall.
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A4 Tuesday, January 9, 2024
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Kansas sees lower tornado count By AJ DOME Kansas Reflector
WICHITA — There were slightly fewer tornadoes reported in Kansas and only one tornado watch issued for the central portion of the state in 2023. Meteorologists at the National Weather Service office in Wichita are tallying preliminary results from last year’s severe weather reports. Chance Hayes, the office’s warning coordination meteorologist, said the Sunflower State recorded 44 tornadoes in 2023. That figure is down slightly from the 2022 tornado total of 68, according to data from the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. In 2021, Kansas had 46 tornadoes, and in 2020 the state experienced only 27 twisters, respectively. Hayes said severe weather patterns operate in cycles, and he’s observed similar lulls in tornadic activity in his career. “I tell folks all the time, things happen in cycles,” Hayes said. “Right now, we’re in one of those low times, where the number of tornadoes is low, but we’re anticipating that we’ll likely pop out of it this year.” Hayes drew a parallel with the current climatological patterns to those that existed over the Plains states from 1987-89, which saw lower numbers of tornadoes and tornado-warned storms. Then, in 1990 and 1991, more than 100 tornadoes occurred in Kansas, including devastating storms that slammed communities such as Hesston and Andover. Hayes said 2023 was below normal for tornado watches issued, including one watch that covered central Kansas counties along the I-35 corridor. That watch was issued the evening of Jan. 2, 2023. Preliminary data from scientists at the Storm Prediction Center indicates a nationwide total of
“Right now, we’re in one of those low times, where the number of tornadoes is low, but we’re anticipating that we’ll likely pop out of it this year.” — Chance Hayes, National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist
veyville in southwest Wabaunsee County just after 9 p.m. The 150-yard-wide tornado heavily damaged about 40% of the town, including the Harveyville United Methodist Church, an apartment complex and multiple homes. It also gravely injured 53-year-old Richard Slade, when his home collapsed on top of him. He died in a Topeka hospital a day later. Weeks after the tornado, scientists rated it an EF-2, with wind speeds estimated between 111 and 135 miles per hour based on the damage. New year predictions
179 tornado watches and 544 severe thunderstorm watches last year. In all, the contiguous 48 states observed 1,423 tornadoes in 2023. 2023 was also the last full year for Hayes in his role at NWS Wichita, as he will be retiring Jan. 12 after 31 years with the National Weather Service. He started his meteorology career in 1993 in Louisville, Kentucky, and transferred to the Wichita office in 1995. He said retirement will allow him to spend more time revisiting some of his “early loves,” such as restoring a classic Ford Mustang convertible. Hayes also plans to do some storm chasing this year. He’s proud of the work he’s accomplished in 31 years. “One of the things I’m most proud of is the ability for all our partners to work together underneath the weather enterprise,” Hayes said. “We all come together for one goal, to keep people safe.” That combined effort among emergency officials and meteorologists has led to Kansas experiencing zero tornado-related deaths in almost 12 years. The last tornado death occurred on Feb. 28, 2012, when a twister struck the small community of Har-
NWS Wichita meteorologist James Cuellar agreed with Hayes that Kansas is overdue for an active severe weather season. “If you look back at the classic tornado outbreaks, Kansas hasn’t had one since April 14, 2012,” Cuellar said. “We’ve had tornadoes since then, but they were all part of these spottier, more localized events.” Cuellar noted that the year is starting in an El Nino climate pattern, which on average leads to slightly warmer and wetter winters. “Usually that wetter part happens in the latter half of winter, going into spring,” Cuellar said, “so you could interpret that pattern as being more active in early spring months.” In the more immediate future, Cuellar and other meteorologists are tracking the potential for accumulating snowfall statewide and a possible winter storm Monday into Tuesday. Cuellar said a lot of his weather models are showing “pretty high” precipitation levels for early next week, but it’s still too far out to be certain. KSN-TV meteorologist Lisa Teachman said she expects the storm system arriving Monday to be “even stronger” than the previous system, with snowfall potential looking “probable” into Tuesday.
The benefits of pasteurization My father-in-law is a farmer. He grew up on the family farm in southwest Minnesota, where his dad grew up, too. Blessed by fertile soil, the farm has provided for the family for several generations. It is invaluable for my children to experience the farm, see the crops grow, help with animals, and learn about the cycles of life on the farm. The farm no longer has cows, but it did at one time. My father-inlaw used to milk cows. He remembers they had a pasteurizer. His mother would pour in raw milk. The cream rose to the top, and the milk would have chunks of fat and protein in it, from curdling. He remembers thinking how lucky the townsfolk were, having cartons of smooth milk, without the chunks. The process of pasteurizing milk was invented by Louis Pasteur over 150 years ago. One of the “fathers” of bacteriology, germ theory, and microbiology, he helped develop sterilization procedures to kill off bacteria. He disproved a common belief at the time in spontaneous generation, proving that living beings do not spontaneously arise out of nothing. He invented the process of treating milk to stop bacterial contamination, now known as pasteuriza-
Andrew Ellsworth, M.D. The Prairie Doc
tion, named in his honor. Rich in nutrients, milk is an excellent medium for growing bacteria. In pasteurization, milk is heated to destroy pathogens like bacteria and spoilage organisms like yeast and molds. This helps to extend the shelf life of milk. Very little nutrients are lost in the process, and often ad-
ditional good nutrients are added like vitamin D and vitamin A. Improperly handled raw milk is the leading cause of hospitalization for any food-borne disease source. Pasteurization can help prevent numerous diseases and kills the harmful bacteria Salmonella, Listeria, Yersinia, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli, among others.
Some take for granted the work and steps in getting the food to the grocery store. It is the pasteurization of milk that allows it to be safely consumed by anyone, far from the farm. Without it, we could be at risk of getting sick from bad milk. Without it, we might not all be able to enjoy the nutritional benefits of milk, helpful for our bones and overall health.
AS MORE and more people are further removed from farm life, some people do not know where or how their food is made.
Andrew Ellsworth, M.D. is part of The Prairie Doc® team of physicians and currently practices family medicine in Brookings, South Dakota.
A snow plow clears a roadway. The winter storm on Monday was expected to dump as much as a foot of snow across the Midwest. PIXABAY
Winter storm bears down on Midwest OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A “highly impactful” winter storm was expected to dump as much as a foot of snow Monday across the country’s midsection, where blizzard and winter storm warnings are in effect. The storm has the potential to bring 8 to 12 inches of snow to a broad area stretching from southeastern Colorado and western Kansas, through eastern Nebraska, large parts of Iowa, northern Missouri and northwestern Illinois, up toward the upper peninsula of Michigan, said Bob Oravec, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland. “So a very, very highly impactful event coming forward,” Oravec said. Federal courts in Omaha and Lincoln, Neb., closed at noon Monday. Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced they began increasing the flow through a Missouri River dam that sits on the Nebraska-South Dakota border near Yankton by 2,000 cubic feet per second to reduce the chance of ice jams forming. The National Weather Service office in Des Moines, Iowa, warned of the potential for “widespread
heavy, possibly extreme, snowfall,” with snowfalls of up to 9 to 15 inches, “significant impacts” to Monday evening and Tuesday morning commutes, and possible whiteout conditions at times. The threatening weather has already affected campaigning for Iowa’s Jan. 15 precinct caucuses, where the snow is expected to be followed by frigid temperatures that could drift below 0 degrees by caucus day next week. It forced former President Donald Trump’s campaign to cancel multiple appearances by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders and her father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who had been scheduled to court Iowa voters on Trump’s behalf Monday. The storm follows a separate storm that has moved off the East Coast after dumping over a foot of snow Sunday on parts of Pennsylvania, New York state and portions of New England, Oravec said. And another storm is on the way that will affect the Pacific Northwest into the northern Rockies, he said. Blizzard warnings were out for much of the Cascade and Olympic ranges in Washington and Oregon.
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Opinion A5 The Iola Register
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
~ Journalism that makes a difference
GOP’s anti-Kelly strategy stinks Our wish list for Kansas legislators By JOEL MATHIS Special to the Kansas City Star
The 2024 Kansas legislative session is about to begin. With the start of each session, there’s a hope that these leaders will come together and provide for a better future for Kansas. Keeping that in mind, several issues come to mind that we hope the Legislature will address this year. Medicaid expansion: Are we beating our heads against the wall in futility? Probably. Is this too important an issue to quit talking about? Definitely. Expanding Medicaid will help too many Kansans to disregard yet again. Water conservation: Gov. Kelly told The Capital-Journal this will be her top issue. It should be the top issue for many lawmakers. Water rights and conservation efforts are complicated subjects but critical to the success of farmers, conservationists and, well, everyone else in the state, not to mention those generations to follow. Tax cuts: Republicans and Democrats need to think about everyday Kansans when deciding what to do with the state’s surplus in the ending balance. We hope the Legislature will be good stewards of our money. Education: The big three topics for the year are funding public schools, funding special education and school choice, especially vouchers for private schools. We hope legislators will focus on supporting public teachers and schools. Homelessness: There seems to be a bipartisan desire to do something but no real clear direction on what
to do. We recommend lawmakers listen to experts (those without agendas) and take decisive steps. Child care: Most of the talk has been on the proposed reorganization of state programs, which faces uncertain prospects mainly because Republicans don’t like the idea of adding a new state agency. But there’s also a push for some deregulation, particularly from Republicans, especially after last year’s bill failed. Social hot-button issues: These aren’t expected to be as big of an issue this year, mainly because lawmakers got a lot of their goals accomplished last year. But abortion will likely see action on state funding, as well as tax breaks for crisis pregnancy centers. Transgender issues will likely be discussed, especially banning gender-affirming care for minors, but we doubt if anything advances beyond a committee hearing. Legislative pay: Legislators will be in line for a big pay raise unless they reject it in the first 30 days. Right now, the question is less about whether the pay raise is the right amount, but whether legislators will even discuss disapproving it. We hope legislators will give these items mindful consideration. We realize this is an election year. As such, we’re less likely to see focus on a particular issue and more just on politics. We’d be remiss if we didn’t remind legislators they need to prioritize their constituents over their reelection campaigns.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly will deliver the annual State of the State address this week, a precursor to 2024 session of the Kansas Legislature. She’ll pitch her priorities, such as expanding Medicaid and supporting public schools, and it’s a fair bet she’ll use the phrase “middle of the road” once or twice to remind Kansans that she’s a nice, normal politician with a nice, normal agenda. GOP leaders will then spend the next few months doing everything they can to make sure she doesn’t get her way. Even — and this is the important, aggravating part — when they agree with her. How do we know this? You can find the answer in Attorney General Kris Kobach’s emails. Last month, the Topeka Capital-Journal published the results of its open records request for Kobach’s government-related correspondence. The data dump included interesting new information about the Kansas Legislature’s struggle in 2023 to pass a bill to reduce fentanyl overdoses in the state. The bill — which decriminalized fentanyl testing strips used by drug users as safety precautions — seemed to have bipartisan support. Except it didn’t. During a state Senate committee hearing, Republicans gutted the bill and instead inserted new, unrelated language to restrict the authority of local health officials. It seemed inexplicable.
Now we have the explanation. Danedri Herbert, Kobach’s communications director, investigated why her boss’s fellow Republicans had derailed the bill. “I also asked a handful of Republican legislators about opposition to fentanyl testing strips,” Herbert emailed Kobach. “It kind of seems like they object simply because Laura Kelly is pushing it.” Let’s take a minute here. The bill was literally a matter of life and death. Overdose deaths in Kansas nearly doubled between 2011 and 2020, thanks largely to the rise of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. But a few Republicans in the Legislature decided — temporarily at least — to do nothing about the problem because they didn’t want the Democratic governor to get a win. Ghastly. Utterly ghastly. The good news is that the bill eventually passed. Overwhelmingly. Kansans are a little bit safer today as a result. But the story tells you a little something about the mindset of legislative Republicans as we head into the 2024 session. It’s not always about serving the best interest of Kansans. “The Republican supermajority in the House and Senate will do all they can to deny anything on Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s agenda,” Kansas Rep. Jason Probst, a Hutchinson Democrat, wrote in a pre-session newsletter. He honestly sounded a bit weary. “I know that we’re all just trying to live our lives and get by as best we can,” Probst wrote, “but always remember that the modern
world of politics is a game that people are playing and the prize is power.” Who can say he’s wrong? Listen: It’s not the job of Republicans to do everything Laura Kelly wants them to do. They have their own agenda and their own constituents to answer to. That’s politics. And it’s life in a split government where the GOP controls the legislative branch and Democrats hold the governor’s office. It’s always going to be messy and contentious. Sometimes, though, Democrats and Republicans really do agree on an issue. And when that happens, shouldn’t they be able to actually agree instead of throwing up roadblocks? Especially if it makes life in Kansas a little better, a bit less deadly? Shouldn’t we demand that? It’s tough to pay close attention to the Legislature. Lawmakers pack a year’s worth of business into 90 days crammed with debates, committee hearings, arcane rules and dealmaking. It’s exhausting for everybody involved. This year, try — if you can — to pay attention anyway. Applaud your legislators when they do something you like. Demand an explanation when they don’t. And if they’re digging in their heels for the mere sake of digging in their heels, tell them to move on and do the people’s work. That 90 days starts now. About the author: Joel Mathis is a regular contributor to the Wichita Eagle and Kansas City Star. He lives in Lawrence with his wife and son.
The first steps to a happier new year require looking back By CASSIE HOLMES The Los Angeles Times
We tend to look to the new year as a new beginning, as an opportunity for a fresh start. Aspiring for something different, something better, we devise resolutions in hopes of making ourselves healthier, more productive, more successful … but really, the end goal is to be happier: to feel satisfied rather than wanting at this same time next year. We seek ingredients for this new and better life from magazine headlines and “how to” experts promising that a new year might indeed transform each of us into a “new you.” However, nobody needs outside guidance or expertise to identify their sources of satisfaction. We don’t have to search for something new and different. The best Workers clean up after New Year’s celebration in Times Square on Jan. 1, 2024, in New York indicator of what will make City. (ADAM GRAY/GETTY IMAGES/TNS) us happy is what has made us ences. and potentially daunting. fulfilled you felt coming out happy. One of these assignments Without the defined time of that activity. Though it may I teach a course to UCLA is remarkably simple. It takes frame of the past 12 months, seem tedious to track your graduate business students only a few minutes, and you it leads to answers based on time for a whole week, lookand executives called Applycould do it right now. Reflectabstract beliefs, rather than ing back across your numbers ing the Science of Happiness to Life Design. The objective ing over your past year, what your actual experiences, to identify your emotional of the 10-week elective is were the times when you felt which can prove misleading high points can be surprisingly illuminating. straightforward: to guide stu- the greatest joy? Think about in pursuing happiness. it for a moment, and jot down If you’re nervous about the You’re likely to notice dents toward enjoying greatthe five activities from the accuracy of your recall of the which modes of socializing er satisfaction in their days, past 12 months that you expepast dozen months or you’re feel most meaningful for you. careers and lives overall. I inrienced as happiest. It is these someone who gains confiYou’ll see which work activitroduce them to a multitude activities that made you feel dence from data, you could ties or tasks are the most reof findings from academic research across the fields of happy before that hold the also do the time-tracking as- warding. Even though you psychology and behavior- greatest promise to make you signment. Over the course might have thought of eveof a week, for each half-hour ning TV watching as a prize al decision-making, but the feel happy in the future. Notice, this is different you’re awake, write down and you have dreaded exstudents’ most important from me asking you about what activity you did and how ercise, your data could very lessons come from the aswhat activities in generyou felt on a 10-point scale. well reveal your couch time signments that push them to al make you happiest. That For these ratings, reflect hon- as meh and exercise as enerreflect on their own experiquestion is unhelpfully vague estly on how satisfied and gizing or even fun, especial-
ly when done in a particular setting or with a particular workout buddy. These assignments are more useful than broad “top New Year’s resolution tips” drawn from the experiences of swaths of people, many of whose circumstances and preferences are quite different from yours. Your own prior experiences offer far more information and precise guidance about what will make you happy going forward. A similar strategy can guide your approach not only to the year ahead but for many years to come. To find what is likely to produce lasting happiness in your life, you could ask someone who is closer to the end of theirs to look back. Yet another assignment I give my students is to ask an elder who has lived a good life — someone who is happy and views their past with satisfaction instead of regret — to reflect on their sources of pride. Ask an elder you admire what brought them the greatest joy over the years. Their past experiences, much like your own, can inform your future decisions. Take a look back to identify your sources of happiness, and resolve for these next 12 months to protect time for them amid the busyness of life. About the author: Cassie Holmes, a professor of marketing and behavioral decision-making at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, is the author of “ Happier Hour.”
A6 Tuesday, January 9, 2024
iolaregister.com
The Iola Register
Housing: City code director sees increase in house flipping trend Continued from A1
lots are required to be 70 feet wide in R-1 zoning. If a buyer purchases one of the original smaller plots, they are still able to build on the land. “The code goes off of what it was originally platted,” noted Hutton. The only exception is if a buyer wants to rezone the plot of land for another purpose. “If someone buys a 50 foot by 110 foot plot, but then wants to rezone it from R-2 to R-1… they wouldn’t be able to build on it after it is rezoned because it doesn’t meet the size requirements for that zone,” Gregg Hutton is the building and codes director for the City of Hutton said. Properties zoned Iola. REGISTER/SARAH HANEY as R-1 are single-family dwellings, while R-2 zoning is for that Iola’s 2024 Neighborhood by agreeing to dedicate funds duplexes. Revitalization Program (NRP) from their mill levies to enHutton said the city is begin- has played a part in encourag- courage local homeowners ning to see a slight ing people to pur- and business owners to imtrend of more chase property and prove their properties. people purchasrenovate. As far as houses being The average ing properties, The NRP offers demolished, Hutton said renovating them, cost of a 50-foot a tax rebate to Iola there were 15 homes in toand then putting by 110-foot lot is property owners tal for 2023. “That would be them back on the who make im- four homes demolished by $1,250. provements, such the city; two homes lost to market. “I wish around recently, as new structures fire; one home demolished we had even more Here of that,” he said. some of these or remodeling by the school system; and “A lot of it has to same-sized lots efforts, to their eight homes demolished by do with the cost.” The owners,” said Hutton. “I’ll be have sold for up properties. Hutton explained rebate is equal to starting my process of conit can be a gam- to $5,000. the amount their demning four more houses ble to invest that property taxes in- at tonight’s city council meet— Gregg much money into crease because of ing. There are four resolutions Hutton a property, only to the improvements. to be considered. If they are then not be able to Currently 198 passed, a hearing will be set turn around and properties are in for Feb. 26 to discuss the plans sell it for a profit. “The average the program, with approxi- for condemning them.” cost of a 50-foot by 110-foot lot mately 40 more to be added This past June, Allen County is around $1,250,” he noted. this year. The city, county, held a delinquent property tax “Here recently, some of these school district and Allen Com- auction where 56 properties same-sized lots have sold for munity College participate sold for a total of $136,000. up to $5,000.” Hutton believes in the revitalization program The goal of the tax sale is to
either bring taxes current, or sell the property to someone who will pay property taxes. The county hopes to have a delinquent tax sale every two or three years to ensure taxes are paid promptly. Purchase of properties at a tax sale is a way for potential buyers to buy affordable housing. Properties at the sale were sold for as little as $100 and as much as $20,000. REALTOR Dena Daniels pointed out that a major challenge in the housing market is the shortage of affordable homes. Houses priced below $100,000 often fail to qualify for rural development or government loans, resulting in a limited pool of potential buyers. Daniels added lower-priced homes tend to sell quickly, while those above $100,000 linger on the market. Currently, Daniels has been seeing more interest in the Humboldt and Chanute housing markets. She believes this is due to more affordable housing and job opportunities in these areas. Daniels predicted the new Lehigh Portland State Park will draw more people to Iola. “Also, there are a lot of factory jobs in Iola,” she said. “During the pandemic, we saw a lot of people moving to the area for work.” Housing interest rates have also played a big role — perhaps the biggest — in the current state of the housing market. “With interest rates around 7 or 8 percent, this has
really hurt,” said Daniels. The Federal Reserve has indicated that there will likely be cuts to the short-term federal funds rate in 2024, which will put downward pressure on mortgage rates. Rates are expected to remain above 6% throughout 2024. However, Daniels noted observing some rates dipping down into the 5% range in the Iola area, providing a potential silver lining for the local housing market Realtor Kent Thompson agreed that interest rates have been the biggest hurdle for the housing market. “I’ve been in the business for 35 years and I’d say about 85% of the housing loans I’ve seen were in the 7% interest range,” Thompson said. “For a few years recently, we saw historic lows in interest rates. Now that they’ve gone back up to what has always been typical, it’s been a shock.” Thompson added that a lack of adequate housing in all price ranges has also been a challenge for the area. According to Wichita State University’s 2024 Kansas Housing Market Forecast, home sales activity across Kansas continued to decline in 2023, constrained by the shortage of inventory. Sales are expected to remain essentially flat in 2024. Kansas home prices are expected to increase by 3.5% in 2024. “I really think the NRP will be an encouragement here locally,” said Hutton. “And hopefully we will start to see a bit more of people buying homes and renovating old ones.”
Budget: Bipartisan contingent supports $1 billion tax reduction Continued from A1
plan. The legislation would include an increase the standard deduction on state income taxes. For a single Kansan, it would rise from $3,500 to $5,000. For married couples filing jointly, it would climb from $8,000 to $10,000. This component of the plan would save Kansans over $200 million in three years. It would exempt the first $100,000 in state property taxes for all Kansans homeowners. Fully implemented, the residential property tax provision would help Kansans save $100 million annually and lower the state property tax for 370,000 homeowners to less than $20 per year. In addition, the proposal would double the child and dependent care tax credit for savings of $18 million over three years. “We’re going to be putting money back in your pockets,” said Kelly, with GOP and Democratic lawmakers at her side at the Capitol. “We’re going to do it in a fiscally responsible, targeted and sustainable way. I don’t think anyone had this team on their 2024 predictions list, but here we are, united in our desire to cut taxes for every single Kansan.” Kelly affirmed her intention to veto, as
care tax credits would benefit the middle class. The bipartisan package is a “fair and responsible” policy beneficial to Kansas families and helpful in terms of expanding the state’s economy, said Sen. Dennis Pyle, a Hiawatha independent. He lauded inclusion of a tax cut on Social Security benefits because that reform would stop incentivizing the elderly to move away from Kansas. “Eliminating the tax
on Social Security benefits is a commonsense way retired Kansans can stay close to family and not feel the need to move out of the state for tax relief,” Pyle said. “It’s also inclusive for the middle class.” Sen. John Doll, a Garden City Republican, said there was truth to the notion that working on bills and laws looked as if someone was making sausage. He said that held true for this bipartisan proposal on taxes.
Gov. Laura Kelly and bipartisan group of legislators propose a property, sales and income tax reduction bill on Monday. TIM CARPENTER/KANSAS REFLECTOR) she did in 2023, legis- necessary to override would provide a cut for lation shifting Kansas her. every Kansan. She said to a single-rate individ“Let me be clear, the provisions related to ual income tax. Senate flat tax is a nonstart- property tax and child President Ty Masterson er,” the governor said. and House Speaker Dan “The people who would Hawkins, both Repub- benefit the most from a licans, have indicated flat tax by far are those their legislative agenda making $250,000 per made adoption of a flat- year or more. There is tax one of their top pri- no evidence to suggest a orities this session. flat tax does anything to “A simpler, single-rate drive growth.” tax is needed to keep Sen. Rob Olson, an Kansas’ economy com- Olathe Republican who Dr. John Siles Bass North Community Center petitive with surround- voted to sustain Kelly’s 505 N. Buckeye, Iola ing states,” Hawkins veto of the 2023 flat tax said. “It seems we’re legislation, said he sup• Blood pressure checks ns. o i going to pick up right ported the bipartisan tax t s • Flu, COVID and pneumonia where we left off last reform plan outlined by que h t i immunizations session. I’m disappoint- the governor. 91 w 1 ed, but not surprised, to “It’s got a lot of real2 • Cholesterol and diabetes 65see the governor playing ly good pieces,” he said. 3 management politics with taxpayers’ “I believe it’s a fair tax 620 t a • Fall prevention and home money once again.” plan. It helps everybody us safety education ntact One year ago, Re- from top to bottom. I republican leadership ally applaud the goverebecoprovided. Please plan on attending the duration of the fair. s a Breakfast and coffee will in the House and Sen- nor for putting this bill Ple ate pushed through a together with the parties Featuring participation from Thrive Allen County, Southwind Extension District, the Resource Center for Independent Living, bill containing a 5.15% that worked together on SEK Mental Health Center, insurance counseling and more. flat rate regardless of it.” This event is free and open to the public! whether a person made Sen. Dinah Sykes, a $25,000, $250,000 or Democrat from Lenexa, SEK Multi-County Health Departments $2.5 million annually. said she appreciated Kelly vetoed it, and the formation of a biparti411 N. Washington • Iola, KS 66749 • (620) 365-2191 Senate fell short of votes san tax reform bill that
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Tuesday, January 9, 2024
IHS kicks off 2024 on high note Colgan Humboldt wrestlers add to medal count By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Iola High’s Korbin Cloud, top, has the upper hand against Fredonia’s Lyle Walker in their 144-pound semifinal match. Cloud scored three late points to earn the dramatic win on his way to taking second in that division at the Burlington Invitational. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
BURLINGTON — Iola High picked up where it left off in the young wrestling season Saturday. The Mustang wrestlers were joined by Humboldt High and several other highly touted programs from across the state at the Burlington Invitational. There, two of the three Mustang grapplers, senior Korbin Cloud and freshman Kale Pratt, advanced to the championship of their respective weight classes. Cloud’s bid for gold came up just short, as Trent Eck of Uniontown managed an escape and late takedown for three crucial points to defeat See WRESTLERS | Page B3
edges Cubs
PITTSBURG — Humboldt High saw its sixgame winning streak snapped Friday, with a 48-43 loss to Pittsburg’s powerhouse, St. Mary’s Colgan High. “You don’t like to lose, but I’m pleased with how we played,” Humboldt head coach David Taylor said. “We can take this game and show the guys what they need to improve on. And we can take this game and show them what they did well.” Colgan took the early advantage, and held it from there, leading 17-11 after one quarter and 2621 at the break. Humboldt pulled even closer, 36-33, See CUBS | Page B6
Iola blasts Trojans, 64-6 By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
If Iola High’s girls were looking for a confidence boost, Friday was a good start. From Keira Fawson’s buzzer-beating skyhook to end the first half, to reserve guard Jenna Morrison drilling a jumper to the delight of the Homecoming crowd packed into the IHS gymnasium, pretty much everything went Iola’s way in a 64-6 romp over visiting Osawatomie. “Our big focus in practice has been confidence,” Mustang head coach Kelsey Johnson said, from being more aggressive on defense, crisper with passes and willing to shoot, even if shots weren’t falling. Done, done and done. Iola dominated from the See IOLA | Page B4
Iola High’s Lucas Maier (22) puts up a shot against Osawatomie defenders Jaxon Stevenson (33), Cooper Peterson (15) and Jasper Sallee (13) Friday. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Iola High’s Jackie Fager (5) jumps for a rebound against Osawatomie Friday. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Granere scores 37 as MV girls cruise OSWEGO — Marmaton Valley High’s Janae Granere had another night for the ages Friday. The senior point guard poured in 37 points, 33 of which came in the second and third quarters, before sitting out the entire fourth period in Marmaton Valley’s 59-28 win over host Oswego. Maria Forero added 10 points and Payton Scharff 10 for the victorious Wildcats. “We were able to get our transition game going,” Wildcat head coach Becky Carlson said. The Wildcats led 11-2 after Marmaton Valley High’s Payton Scharff, right, makes a pass against Oswego Friday. PHOTO BY ELEANORA MELANI/MVHS
See MV | Page B6
Mustangs shoot past Osawatomie By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Iola High’s offense was clicking on all cylinders Friday in a 74-62 win over Osawatomie. The Mustangs scored inside and outside, with leading scorers Cortland Carson and Landon Weide again able to break down a physical Trojan defense. And with reserves like Matt Beckmon and Mac Leonard coming off the bench, and post players Lucas Maier and Grady Dougherty getting rebounds and second-chance points, the Mustang offense was a potent force. But head coach Luke Bycroft noted Iola’s defense wasn’t at the same level.
“In order for us to be as good as we can be, we have to have consistent defense,” Bycroft said. “We did good things at times, and we’ve shown how good we can be, but in order for it to matter, we have to defend better.” To wit, Osawatomie had the early advantage, putting together a 13-3 run to lead 24-14 early into the second quarter. Iola responded with a wallop, shutting down the Trojan offense as part of a 24-5 run to take a 38-29 lead into halftime. “I thought we were going to dominate, but they came out after halftime and took it to us.” The Trojans outscored See MUSTANGS | Page B4
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To be considered for the position a candidate must be 18 years of age, have a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent, successfully complete a pre-hire physical, drug screen and background check, and possess a valid state issued driver’s license. This position also requires the candidate to be capable of following oral and/or written instructions and able to accomplish duties in a safe and systematic manner. A college education and/or technical certification and WorkReady Certificate through KansasWorks is preferred. Successful candidates must successfully complete and pass screening tests for this occupation. This job will include performing all types of gas and electric welding and must have a good understanding of operation and maintenance of all welding machines and equipment used. Looking for a self-motivated individual, willing to learn, have good welding skills, be resourceful, sound judgment and competent in reading blueprints and drawings for fabrication or repair tasks required in the plant. This job will be exposed to cold, heat, dust, noise and all weather conditions. Candidates interested in testing for the WorkReady Certificate through KansasWorks can register by calling 620-432-0320 or contacting Lonnie Jones at the Mitchell Career and Technical Center at 4101 S. Ross Lane, Chanute, KS. Applications can be obtained either online at monarchcement.com or by stopping by the plant office between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. or at the Corporate Office between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Completed applications can be dropped off at the Corporate Office, by email at hr.dept@monarchcement.com or by mailing the application to The Monarch Cement Company, Att. Entry Level Laborer Position, P.O. Box 1000, Humboldt, KS 66748. Previous applicants must complete a new application.
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The Iola Register
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
B3
Allen women return to court in grand fashion Allen Community College’s women may have something special brewing this basketball season. The Red Devils emerged from their winter break Saturday with a dominating defensive performance. Allen limited visiting Crowder to 36% shooting, while holding a 45 to 17 rebounding advantage in a 72-40 romp. The win lifts Allen to 12-2 on the season. “Our first semester was very successful,” ACC head coach Leslie Crane said. “We just have to keep rolling.” Crane credited a scrimmage last week at Cowley County Community College as the impetus for ACC’s crisp play on Saturday.
“It really helped us get our minds back to where they needed to be,” Crane said. “Defensively, we were in passing lanes and doing lots of good things.” Sarang West gave ACC the early advantage, scoring 13 of her teamhigh 17 points in the first half as Allen led 1910 after one quarter and 37-19 at the break. Crowder came out strong in the third quarter, briefly slicing Allen’s lead to 14, before another Red Devil run put the game away. “I was pleased,” Crane said. “We definitely came out and wanted to make sure there was no doubt. They’re a good club over there.” Reserve guard Mafala Chambel was a key
protagonist in the second half, disrupting the Crowder guards repeatedly. She wound up with 14 points Crane praised Allen’s ability to spread the wealth. Noa Muranaka added 11 points, while Khassidy Warr added eight points and Khamille Warr six. Khassidy Warr also had 10 rebounds, Khamille pulled in seven boards. “We had more rebounds than they had points,” Crane said. “That’s hard to do.” Allen hosts Southeast Nebraska on Wednesday before Jayhawk Conference starts Saturday at home against Hesston. “I’m happy for the kids,” Crane said. “We’re
getting good effort out of all of them. We’re having good practices, and they’re really working hard.” Crowder (10-9-11-10—40) FG/3pt FT F TP Affolter 2 2 2 6 Adamczewska 0 2 1 2 Ortiz 3/1 1 2 10 Turner 0 1 5 1 Winton 1/1 1 1 6 Heathman 0/1 0 0 3 Medeiros 3/1 1 1 10 Leach 1 0 2 2 Totals 10/4 8 1440 Allen (19-18-14-21—72) Murmanaka 2/2 1 1 11 Hamilton 1 0 3 2 Chambel 2/3 1 2 14 Maden 0/1 0 0 3 West 4/3 0 2 17 Alvarez 0 0 4 0 Jones 1 0 4 2 Khass. Warr 3 2 0 8 Kham. Warr 1 4 2 6 Ortiz 4 1 1 9 Totals 18/9 9 19 72
Allen Community College’s Mafala Chambel (5) puts in a layup against Crowder Saturday. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Wrestlers: Iola, Humboldt athletes rake in medals Continued from B1
Cloud, 7-5, in the 144-pound title match. Pratt, meanwhile, took on Brennen Westervelt of Coffeyville’s Field Kindley High School for the 150-pound title. Alas, Westervelt, one of the premiere wrestlers in the state, pinned Pratt at the 1:09 mark. Elsewhere, Humboldt’s Cole Mathes took silver in the 175-pound division, bowing out to Jase Fitzmorris of McPherson, another powerhouse wrestler, 4-3. On the girls side, Humboldt’s Taevyn Baylor took second in the 155-pound division. IOLA head coach Jason Bates said all three of Iola’s wrestlers are primed for big things in the future. “Korbin’s confidence is really showing,” Bates said. “Every time he steps on the mat he’s trying to score. Everything we do and talk about in practice is reflected in his competition. “Although we don’t like to lose, we need matches like we had,” he continued. “Little mistakes cost matches and that’s all it was. Korbin will learn from it and continue to improve.” Bates also praised Pratt’s mental approach. “Kale wrestled very well and one thing I like is that he asks questions as soon as he steps off the mat,” Bates said. “He wants to get better. It’s no surprise that we continue to see growth from him. It all comes from the practice room. He drills and competes daily with Korbin. Korbin’s drive to get better forces Kale to get better. Those two are always focused and battling through practice.” Ruger Boren, wrestling at 106 pounds, lost his two matches, but his tenacity on the mat is evident, Bates said. Ruger wants to win,” Bates said. “He steps up to the challenge of wrestling varsity because he wants to be a varsity wrestler. He may lack the experience to make it to the podium but it doesn’t keep him from trying. He has a lot of heart and a drive to compete. He’s getting a lot of good experience and learning a lot.”
Above, Humboldt High’s Taevyn Baylor, top, and below at center, Humboldt’s Cole Mathes have their wrestling opponents in precarious positions Saturday at the Burlington Invitational. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN Iola High’s Ruger Boren wrestles Saturday in Burlington. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
HUMBOLDT had sev-
eral other standouts on the mats. Curt Shannon secured third place at 120 pounds, while Broc Ivy nabbed fourth at 126 pounds. Garren Goodner took fifth at 215 pounds. In girls action, Humboldt’s Lilli Reeder took fourth at 100 pounds, followed by Victoria Melendez in sixth. Savannah Koch took third at 235 pounds; Piper Jones finished fifth in the 105-pound bracket. Full results follow. Burlington Invitational Iola Ruger Boren 106 pounds — Trenton Grimm, Cherryvale, def. Boren, fall 1:25 — Alec Houchin, Fredonia, def. Boren, fall 2:09 Korbin Cloud Second place at 144 pounds — Cloud def. Harden Edens, Caney Valley, fall 2:30 — Cloud def. Lyle Walker, Fredonia, 7-5 — Trent Eck, Uniontown, def. Cloud, 7-5 Kale Pratt — Pratt def. Declan McKinney, Rock Creek, 7-1
— Pratt def. Will Tooley, Osawatomie, fall 1:34 — Brennen Westervelt, Coffeyville-Field Kindley, def. Pratt, fall 1:09 Humboldt Girls Lilli Reeder Fourth place at 100 pounds — Caellen Wescoat, Fort Scott, def. Reeder, fall 2:11 — Reeder def. Alix Wilson, McPherson, fall 3:52 — Reeder def. Victoria Melendez, Humboldt, 11-6 — Brianna Mitchell,Baldwin, def. Reeder, fall 2:45 Victoria Melendez Sixth place at 100 pounds — Melendez def. Landry Sparks, Central Heights, 13-5 in sudden victory — Jose Perkins, Rock Creek, def. Melendez, fall 2:24 — Lilli Reeder, Humboldt, def. Melendez, 11-6 — Shyann Thomas, Osawatomie, def. Melendez, fall 2:57 Piper Jones Fifth place at 105 pounds — Addison Metcalf, Fort Scott, def. Jones, fall 1:37 — Tyler Wilson, McPherson, def. Jones, fall 1:51 — Jones def. Bailey Lamb, Rock Creek, fall 1:08 Taevyn Baylor Second place at 155
pounds — Baylor def. Marlee Vande Verde, Silver Lake, fall :37 — Baylor def. Carlee Cole, Burlington, fall 1:32 — Hunter Wilson, McPherson, def. Baylor, fall 5:10 Savannah Koch Third place at 235 pounds — Koch def. Mya Dee, Cherryvale, fall 5:08 — Finnley Kellerman, Baldwin, def. Koch, fall 2:39 Koch def. Mayela Fran-
co, Coffeyville-Field Kindley, fall 1:31 — Koch def. Cami Lewis, Independence, fall 2:01 Boys Curt Shannon Third place at 120 pounds — Shannon def. Jotham Meyer, Central Heights, fall 1:34 — Dayne Ogden, Osawatomie, def. Shannon, fall 1:16 — Shannon def. Mario Zacarias, Parsons, fall :28 — Shannon def. Ryker DeSerano, Silver Lake, 2:34 Broc Ivy Fourth place at 126 pounds — Ivy def. Jace Essig, Cherryvale, fall 1:40 — Ayedin Johnson, Baldwin, def. Ivy, fall 2:20 — Ivy def. Jacob Thorne, Osawatomie, fall 1:44 — Noah Henderson, Caney Valley, def. Ivy, fall 4:28 Emmit Carson 138 pounds — Parker Gillen, Silver Lake, def. Carson, fall 3:53 — Carson def. Mason
Berggren, Rock Creek, fall 4:03 — Daniel Denton, Caney Valley, def. Carson, fall 4:40 Brody Gunderman 165 pounds — Amanie Luten, Coffeyville-Field Kindley, def. Gunderman, fall 1:05 — Chase Rute, Silver Lake, def. Gunderman, fall 2:22 Cole Mathes Second place at 175 pounds — Mathes def. Keldyn Cox, Baldwin, fall 1:23 — Mathes def. Bowen McIntosh, Burlington, 2:31 — Jase Fitzmorris, McPherson, def. Mathes, 4-3 Garren Goodner Fifth place at 215 pounds — Cade Brown, Parsons, def. Goodner, fall 5:32 — Goodner def. Damon Cook, Burlington, fall 1:26 — Catch DeLaney, McPherson, def. Goodner, fall 2:15 — Goodner def. Cole Greenwood, Rock Creek, fall 1:39
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Sunrise fends off Red Devils It may have only felt like dejá vű for Allen Community College’s men Saturday. The Red Devils were locked in another tight battle with Sunrise Christian Academy, just as they were in their first game Nov. 29. And, just as before, Sunrise took control late in the second half, turning a 66-63 lead into a double-digit advantage rather quickly. Allen’s 91-76 loss wraps up the pre-conference portion of the schedule, with a home game against Hesston next on the calendar at 4 p.m. Saturday. Sunrise led most of the way, but some hot shooting from David Teele and reserve Killian Spellman kept things close. Allen trailed 45-39 at the break. Teele led the Red Devils with 21 points, followed by Spellman’s 19. Wichita-based Sunrise, which is one of the nation’s premiere college preparatory basketball academies — had four players in double figures, led by Max Pikaar’s 15. Sunrise (45-46—91) FG/3pt FT O’Brien 2 5
F TP 2 9
Iola High’s Brooklyn Holloway (center) defends an Osawatomie player during a junior varsity game Friday. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN Allen Community College’s Dirk Johnson scores Saturday against Sunrise Christian Academy. Burnett 1/2 Williamson 5/1 Myles 4 Wolbert 0 Simoneau 0/1 Shemirani 1 Hawkins 2 Kisling 2/2 Dandridge 3/1 Pikaar 2/3 Totals 23/10
0 1 8 0 1 13 5 0 13 2 0 2 0 2 3 0 3 2 1 2 5 0 2 10 0 2 9 2 1 15 15 16 91
Allen (39-37—76) Lewis 3 1 Crosby 3 3 Hill 0/1 0 Teele 4/3 4 Jackson 1 1 Ryan 1 0 Tarango 0 0 Spellman 5/3 0 Johnson 4/1 1 Totals 21/8 10
Continued from B1 2 7 2 9 2 3 0 21 4 3 1 2 1 0 0 19 3 12 15 76
Iola High’s Cortland Carson, right, defends Osawatomie’s Tucker Fennel (5) Friday. Also in on the play is Iola’s Nick Bauer (2). REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Mustangs: Defeat Trojans Continued from B1
Iola 13-2 to start the third quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers from Joseph Mitzner to knot the score at 41-41. Carson ended Iola’s extended drought with a 3-pointer, followed by a Beckmon trey and a Maier bucket to re-establish an eight-point lead. Mitzner connected again from downtown — his fourth 3-pointer of the game — to pull Osawatomie within five before Beckmon hit again from 3-point range to make it 52-44. Iola took a 56-47 lead into the fourth quarter. Weide’s 3-pointer pushed the lead back to double digits for good. Carson led the way with 19 points, followed by Weide’s 15 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and three steals. Dougherty and Beckmon each scored 10. Maier added seven points and eight boards. Beckmon and Leonard each had four assists.
“Lucas really got after it, and Grady did a good job,” Bycroft said. “Osawatomie is a physical team, and they have a talented team, and they’re young. They’re gonna be good for the next few years. “Mac shot the ball well tonight, and Matt hit a couple of huge shots,” which is going to be huge for us. We need them to shoot with confidence.” Senior Casey Rowe capped the evening by being crowned Homecoming King, alongside Homecoming Queen Keira Fawson. “We got rid of enough distractions to survive,” Bycroft chuckled. “I’ll take a surviving game right now.” Iola won, 37-27, in junior varsity play. Jayden Beene paced the Mustang JV with 12 points. Gavin Jones followed with eight. Nick Bauer scored seven, Hayden Kelley three and Brennen Coffield and Austin Crooks two each.
Iola: Girls roll to 64-6 win
The Mustangs also won, 38-12, in C team action. Crooks led with 16 points, followed by Jase Herrmann with nine, Keegan Hill with six, Kaeden Vega with three and Konner Larney and Layton Stowell with two apiece. Iola (5-3) travels to Wellsville on Friday in a key early Pioneer League contest. Osawatomie (19-10-1816—63) FG/3pt FT F TP Mitzner 0/4 0 4 12 Calderwood 0 0 1 0 Fennel 4/1 2 2 13 Beets 2 0 0 4 Anderson 0 0 1 0 Sallee 5/1 1 5 14 Peterson 1 0 0 2 Stevenson 7 4 4 18 Totals 19/6 7 13 63 Iola (14-24-18-18—74) Rowe 0 0 1 0 Weide 4/2 1 2 15 Bauer 0 0 1 0 Dougherty 4 2 3 10 Beckmon 0/3 1 2 10 Leonard 2/3 3 3 13 Carson 4/3 2 3 19 Maier 3 1 1 7 Totals 17/11 7 16 74
opening tip, leading 25-2 by the end of the first quarter, and then outscoring Osawatomie 21-0 in the second period. Perhaps most importantly, between the transition buckets sparked by multiple steals (24 in all), were the smiles that filled the IHS lineup. The girls were having, dare we say, fun. “It felt good,” Johnson said. “There are some games where the girls don’t smile at all.” Fawson got things off on the right foot, drilling Iola’s first three field goals of the night. Her skyhook gave her 14 points by halftime, before her teammates took turns taking over the scoring load. Elza Clift came off the bench to score 10. Reese Curry and Harper Desmarteau added eight apiece. Jackie Fager notched seven.
Fawson, who later was named Homecoming Queen, also led with eight rebounds. And racked up five steals. Desmarteau got her hands on six steals. Kyndal Bycroft and Clift added three steals each. Just as importantly, Iola had only five turnovers. Iola’s hot shooting cooled off in the third quarter, but only a little. By the time the period ended, Iola was ahead 59-3, allowing Johnson to empty her bench. “A game like this was huge for us,” Johnson said. “We’ve made strides in many areas. Sometimes with games like this you sit back and get careless with the ball. They didn’t do that at all. We needed this confidence boost to carry us into the season.” IOLA was nearly as
dominant in junior varsity play, winning 52-6. Brooklyn Holloway scored 20 points through three quarters to lead the way, Zoie Hesse and Bethany Miller each scored 10, Dally Curry six and MaHallie Genoble, Ari Ramirez and Stephanie Fees with two apiece. Iola (2-6) travels to Osawatomie Friday. Osawatomie (2-0-1-3—6) FG/3ptFT F TP Hampson 0 0 2 0 Barnett 0 0 3 0 Brown 0 0 4 0 Mayo 0 0 2 0 Palmer 1 1 0 3 Kierl 0 0 2 0 Powell 0 3 0 3 Totals 1 4 13 6 Iola (25-21-13-5—64) Bycroft 0 0 1 0 Fager 2/1 0 2 7 Clift 4 2 1 10 Fawson 7 0 1 14 Mader 4 0 0 8 Desmarteau 1/2 0 2 8 Curry 3 2 3 8 Hesse 2 0 1 4 Crusinbery 1 1 0 3 Morrison 1 0 0 2 Totals 25/3 5 11 64
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Public notice (Published in The Iola Register Jan. 9, 2024) IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF ALLEN COUNTY, KANSAS THIRTY-FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT OF KANSAS PROBATE DIVISION In the Matter of the Estate of WENDELL ALLEN VEST, SR., deceased Case No. AL-2023PR-300005 Pursuant to Chapters 59 and 60 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated NOTICE OF HEARING THE STATE OF KANSAS TO ALL PERSONS CONCERNED: You are hereby notified that a Petition has been filed in this Court by WENDELL ALLEN VEST, JR, who is an heir-at-law of WENDELL ALLEN VEST, SR., a/k/a WENDELL A. VEST, SR, a/k/a
WENDELL A. VEST, deceased, praying for the determination of descent with respect to the following described property located in Allen County, Kansas, to wit: LOT THREE (3), BLOCK ONE (1), FOX’S 1ST ADDITION TO THE CITY OF LAHARPE, ALLEN COUNTY, KANSAS. NORTH HALF OF LOT FOUR (4), BLOCK ONE (1), FOX’S 1ST ADDITION TO THE CITY OF LAHARPE, ALLEN COUNTY, KANSAS. together with all improvements thereon located and all other property, real or personal or interests therein, including 1977 Crestline aluminium pleasure boat bearing Hull ID #CRL69173M77E & KA-895-PK owned by the decedent at the time of his death. You are required to file your written de-
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Cubs: Streak ends
Wildcats pull away to pick up victory OSWEGO — Marmaton Valley High’s defense took a while to find itself Friday. But the Wildcats did just that, breaking open what had been a tight game with a 14-5 run spanning the second quarter. The defensive dominance continued through the second half as the Wildcats improved to 2-4 with a 6139 win over Oswego. Marmaton Valley led 34-23 at halftime and 49-33 by the end of the third quarter. Four players scored in double figures for the Wildcats, led by Brayden Lawson with 15, Tyler Lord with 13, Daniel Fewins with 12 and Dominic Smith with 10. Tanner O’Neal and Owen Jackson each had 16 points for the Indians. Oswego prevailed, 46-32, in junior varsity play. Cooper Scharff scored 11 to pace the Wildcat JV. Garrett Morrison added six, Todd Stevenson five, Brendon Newman four and Brevyn Campbell three. Hunter Doolittle scored two, while Kele Michael and Corbin Bowers added one point each.
Continued from B1
The Wildcats are at Three Rivers League rival Crest on Tuesday. Marmaton Valley (20-14-1512—61) FG/3pt FT F TP D. Smith 0/3 1 4 10 Michael 1 0 0 2 Stevenson 0 0 1 0 Morrison 1 1 3 3 Lord 4 5 4 13 C. Smith 3 0 2 6 Lawson 6 3 4 15 Fewins 6 0 2 12 Totals 21/3 10 20 61 Oswego (18-5-10-6—39) O’Brien 1 0 4 2 Jackson 4/2 2 1 16 Hutchinson 1 0 3 2 Long 1 1 3 3 Kiser 0 0 1 0 Myers 0 0 5 0 O’Neal 2/4 0 1 16 Hazell 0 0 1 0 Totals 9/6 3 19 39
Marmaton Valley High’s Garrett Morrison, left, dribbles upcourt against Oswego Friday. PHOTO BY ELEANORA MELANI/MVHS
Marmaton Valley’s Cooper Scharff (23) is defended by an Oswego player in Friday’s junior varsity game. PHOTO BY MYLEIGH ESLICK/MVHS
after three quarters. “One of the big concerns with your first game out of winter break is that it’s always sloppy,” Taylor said. “That wasn’t the case tonight. Both teams played very well.” Humboldt’s Sam Hull paced the Cubs with 13 points. “Sam hit some big shots for us tonight,” Taylor said. “I was pleased to see Blake (Ellis) be more aggressive on offense and Logan (Page) and Asher (Hart) did good things as well.” Hart followed with 10 points. Page had seven before fouling out of the contest. Colden Cook led with nine rebounds, while Mason Sterling had a pair of steals. Hull had a team-high three assists. Jack Schremmer paced Colgan with 17 points. Tristan Voss added 12 and Tucker Harrell 11. Colgan is coached by Iola native Clint
Heffern. “Clint always does a good job,” Taylor said. “They’re a heck of a team. We needed a game like this, win or lose. You always want to win, but we can build off of this.” Colgan also prevailed in the girls contest, 53-18. No other details were available. Humboldt (11-10-14-8—43) FG/3pt FT F TP Sterling 2 2 1 6 Ellis 2 0 4 4 Hull 4/1 2 2 13 Page 2/1 0 5 7 Hart 2/2 0 2 10 Cold. Gook 1 1 2 3 Totals 13/4 5 15 43 Colgan (17-9-12-10—48) Keller 3 1 0 7 Harrell 2/2 1 11 Schremmer 5/2 1 2 17 Corst. Summers 0 0 1 0 Coop. Summers 1 0 2 2 Voss 5 2 3 12 Totals 16/4 4 11 48 GOING ON VACATION? WANT YOUR PAPER STOPPED OR HELD? Please notify The Iola Register at least two days before you wish to stop or restart your paper. Call our Circulation Department at: 620.365.2111
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Golden shines, but Lancers fall short BUFFALO — Altoona-Midway High spoiled another monster performance from Crest standout Ryan Golden. The Jets maintained a slim lead throughout, despite Golden’s 21 points and 18 rebounds, to defeat the Lancers, 39-35. The loss drops Crest to 2-4 on the season with a key Three-Rivers League matchup against Marmaton Val-
ley coming Tuesday at home. Altoona-Midway led 10-8 at halftime and 17-16 at the break. The game remained wirethin the rest of the way, with the Jets leading 2522 after three quarters. Golden added five steals and three blocks, while Jacob Zimmerman had eight points. He, Drake Weir and Levi Prasko all had five rebounds. William Stackhouse
scored 18 to lead Altoona-Midway. IN GIRLS play, Crest improved to 5-2 with a 72-37 romp. No other details were available. BOYS Crest (8-8-6-13—35) FG/3pt FT TP Golden 4/2 7 21 Zimmerman 4 0 8 R. Weir 1 2 4 D. Weir 1 0 2 Altoona-Midway (10-7-814—39)
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Marmaton Valley High’s Taylen Blevins, center, jostles for position for a potential rebound in a junior varsity game against Oswego Friday. PHOTO BY MYLEIGH ESLICK/MVHS
MV: Girls improve to 5-1 Continued from A1
one quarter before Granere, Forero and Scharff spearheaded a monster 28-4 run in the second period and a 23-7 third quarter. That allowed Carlson to empty the bench for the balance of the game. Marmaton Valley (5-1) is back in action Tuesday against Three Riv-
ers League rival Crest. Marmaton Valley won, 14-11, in a two-quarter junior varsity matchup. Sophia Heim scored seven and Taylen Blevins five for the Wildcat JV. Andie Carr and Morgan Leer scored two apiece. Marmaton Valley (11-28-234—59)
FG/3pt FT F TP Haynes 0 0 3 0 Scharff 4 2 2 10 Blevins 0 0 1 0 Forero 6 1 1 13 Adams 0/1 0 0 3 Granere 14/1 6 1 37 Oswego (2-4-7-15—28) Simpson 0 0 1 0 Trotnic 1/1 0 4 5 Jackson 2 0 1 4 Bates 0 0 4 0 Smith 4 3 4 11 Littlepage 3 0 0 6
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