Sports: Red Devil women down Cottey See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Ordinance ups age to buy cigarettes in Iola Iola Council OKs Tobacco 21 measures
Search begins for new city administrator
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Starting June 1, tobacco products will not be sold to anyone under 21 in Iola. City Council members on Monday voted, 6-1, to support a Tobacco 21 ordinance, making Iola the third such community in the state with such a law. Kansas City adopted a similar ordinance in November; Olathe earlier this month. Advocates repeated their intention Monday of making similar requests in Humboldt, Moran, Gas and Mildred — wherever tobacco is sold locally. Tobacco possession still will be allowed for those as young as 18; only the purchase will be prohibited. The ban also pertains to the sale of smokeless tobacco — Skoal, Copenhagen, etc. — as well as electronic cigarettes. Approval came after several spoke in favor of the higher age limit. Bobbi Bonds, speaking on behalf of the Allen County
Blood drive Wednesday A local blood drive is from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday at Bass Community Hall, 505 N. Buckeye St. The drive is conducted by the Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City. The KC center is the source for blood used at Allen County Regional Hospital. Future blood drives will be April 13, June 15, Aug. 17, Oct. 12 and Dec. 14.
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Dr. Bridget McCandless, executive director of the Kansas Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City, speaks at Monday’s Iola City Council meeting in favor of a Tobacco 21 ordinance, which raises the age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21 in Iola. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN Rural Health Initiative, noted cigarettes are the only product sold in America, which if used correctly, kill roughly half of its users. The measure is pertinent locally, Bonds noted, because the rate of tobacco use here — especially for youths under 18 — is well above the state average. “That’s unacceptable,” she said. Dr. Bridget McCandless, ex-
ecutive director of the Health Care Center of Greater Kansas City, which is a funding source for the Rural Health Initiative, made an impassioned plea in favor of the tougher ordinance. “Prevention of tobacco use would do more to save lives than anything I could do in my career,” she said. “Twenty-one is a magic number,” she continued. By then, an adult’s brain has de-
veloped to the point it’s no longer as susceptible to addiction. Electronic cigarettes should be included in the ban, she noted, because they’re simply a method to deliver nicotine, with a high likelihood its users will revert back to cigarettes. The Project 21 ordinance See TOBACCO | Page A3
HUMBOLDT — Humboldt council members are at a crossroads in maintenance of two major thoroughfares — the whole of North Street, formerly U.S. 169, and Bridge Street, from Ninth to the west city limit. While the 2 miles of roadway are under the domain of the city, Allen County is responsible for their maintenance because they are connecting links to out-of-town roads. The concern: The county uses a chip-and-seal process to keep roads up to snuff while the city prefers asphalt overlay, but doesn’t have the money in favor of the more permanent pavement.
See SEARCH | Page A3
USD 257
Koehn: Don’t be fooled by budget picture By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register
To an outsider, it would seem USD 257 had won the lottery. Compared to last year, its budget is up an astounding $3.5 million from $9 million for its general fund. Truth is, the school district will never see a dime of that increase. “It’s all smoke and mirrors,” Jack Koehn, superintendent of schools, told board
members in a review of the district’s budget to date at their meeting Monday night. Koehn said the purported Jack Koehn increase to its general fund is simply “passing through,” as it makes it way to KPERS, the state’s retirement program, and other programs, including special education.
Before this fiscal year, those funds had been dispersed directly from state coffers. Channeling it through individual school districts, however, “makes it look like the state is being more generous to schools, but please, don’t be fooled,” Koehn said. Tony Leavitt, school board president, said the discrepancy between the truth and what is being spread around continues to pile up. At a legislative forum in Iola last month, State Sen. Caryn Ty-
Street upgrades a thorn for Humboldt By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
Iola should have a new city administrator selected by the end of April, City Council members were told Monday. The Council discussed the city administrator search with Anna Keena, representative of the League of Kansas Municipalities, which is assisting the city with the search. Keena’s comments came as Council members ratified a contract with LKM to assist with the search for Carl Slaugh’s replacement. The city is paying the League $4,589.99 for its services. The first review of applicants should be done by mid-March, Keena said, with prospective interviews scheduled by early April. Keena expects the city to se-
Another problem is that both of the main streets needing upgrade have been built up over the years to Cole Herder the point little curbing is left to keep ground water for flowing into businesses, or as a braking point for vehicles being parked. What to do? City Administrator Cole Herder said the streets probably could stand at least one more coating of chip and seal, which adds one-eighth to 3/16 of an inch, to buy time until budget reserves can afford more comprehensive treatment — i.e., milling of the streets and then over-
Quote of the day Vol. 118, No. 70
lay with several inches of asphalt. Herder said problems on Ninth Street are more on the northbound lane. But that may change when Monarch Cement Co. will begin mining soil north of town this spring and send loaded transports to its plant south of Humboldt. If there is a bright spot, it is that Bridge Street east of Ninth was redone with concrete a few years ago, taking its maintenance out of the loop for the foreseeable future. Herder will visit with county commissioners and Mitch Garner, director of Public Works, before making a recommendation. Also, he will talk to them See HUMBOLDT | Page A6
See 257 | Page A6
Senate plan would hinder college’s bonding move By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas could be forced to raise private funds to help pay off $327 million in bonds for construction projects under a measure a state Senate committee added Monday to budget legislation. The Senate Ways and Means Committee’s approval of the measure represented the second time in less than a week that Republican lawmakers have shown their displeasure with the university’s unusual arrangement for financing major campus projects with
“The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” — William James, American philosopher 75 Cents
son maintained schools in her district are getting more funding. When Leavitt told her of the situation for USD 257, she feigned surprise. The current block grant funding mechanism not only has frozen funds for district schools, but also reduced them by about 4 percent, said Koehn. On top of that, the state’s allotment for capital outlay, which provides for
outside, not state, bonds. The House Appropriations Committee approved a measure last week that would restrict the university’s spending. The university formed a nonprofit corporation, which then had the bonds issued last month through See BONDING | Page A6
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