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Wednesday, March 9, 2022
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County sees higher property insurance cost By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
Rising property values and the high cost of labor and supplies translated to about a $30,000 increase in the county’s insurance rates for the coming year. Loren Korte with PSI Insurance met with commissioners on Tuesday morning to review changes to the county’s insurance policy. The county contracts with EMC Insurance, with Korte as a representative. The county’s cost will increase from $219,031 this year to $250,005 next year. Most of that is attributed to the fact that the county added a couple of buildings and the value of property the county owns has increased from about
Loren Korte with PSI Insurance, left, hands a proposal to Commission Chairman Jerry Daniels while Commissioner David Lee reviews the material. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS $14 million to $17 million. “The cost to replace buildings is more than it has been. That’s where your biggest increase is, as far as the premium. But you did pick up $3
million in coverage.” Liability costs also increased, Korte noted. The county needs multiple types of liability insurance, he said.
First, the county needs to protect its officials and employees. Someone may make a decision or take action that results in a lawsuit. It also covers law enforcement, with costs based on the number of officers. Again, the policy protects the county if someone sues over a law enforcement-related matter. Other policies protect the county’s equipment, as well as from cyber attacks and embezzlement. Korte said Allen County is not alone in seeing higher insurance rates. It’s happening across the state, he said. “Property is the big thing. When material and labor costs go up, rates go up,” he said. Commissioners approved the policy for the coming year.
No one injured in Colony fire Biden bans Russian oil, warns of ‘Putin price hike’ at pump
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
COLONY — There were no injuries in a house fire in downtown Colony Monday afternoon. Volunteer firefighters from Colony, Garnett, Welda and elsewhere in Anderson County converged and were able to douse the fire in about 30 minutes. The fire started above the ceiling, with smoke pouring out of the rafters from multiple sides of the house. Erica Ewing, who lives at the residence, was not home when the fire was reported. A passing truck driver saw the smoke and alerted authorities, shortly after 5 o’clock. The extent of the damage and the cause of the fire have not yet been announced. Anderson County fire crews have battled multiple fires of varying types in the past couple of weeks. They included a fatality fire in which two adults and a child were killed in Greeley, a fire at an apartment building in Garnett, and numerous grass and woodland fires.
Sunlight shines through the smoke at a house fire in Colony on Monday afternoon. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Tuesday the U.S. will ban all Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia’s economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine, but he acknowledged it will bring costs to Americans, particularly at the gas pump. The action follows pleas by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to U.S. and Western officials to cut off the imports, which had been a glaring omission in the massive sanctions put in place on Russia over the invasion. Energy exports have kept a steady stream of cash flowing to Russia despite otherwise severe restrictions on its financial sector. “We will not be part of subsidizing Putin’s war,” Biden declared, calling the new action a “powerful blow” against Russia’s ability to fund the ongoing offensive.
President Joe Biden He warned that Americans will see rising prices, saying, “Defending freedom is going to cost.” Biden said the U.S. was acting in close consultation with European allies, who are more dependent on Russian energy supplies and who he acknowledged may not be able to join in immediately. The announcement marked the latest Biden attempt at cutting off Russia from much of the global economy and ensuring that the Ukraine invasion is a strategic loss President Vladimir Putin, even if he See RUSSIA | Page A3
Locations found for storm shelters; installation soon By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
Jason Trego, emergency management director, left, and Chelsie Angleton, 911 director, talk to Allen County Commissioners on Tuesday. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS
Six storm shelters should be installed in five separate parts of the county by the end of this month. A property owner near Carlyle agreed to allow the county to place a shelter there, after plans to locate it near the Prairie Spirit trailhead were squashed by the state. Kenny Arbuckle, who lives just north of Carlyle, offered use of his property. The Carlyle Presbyterian Church also was a possibility, after initial concerns about insurance and possible future expansion
were raised. Commissioner David Lee said he preferred reaching a deal with Arbuckle, and others agreed to pursue that route. Jason Trego, emergency management director, said crews with Protection Shelters would be in Allen County March 24 and 25 to deliver and install the shelters. The shelters will offer protection to residents in parts of the county that lack easy access to such facilities. They include Petrolia, Mildred, Carlyle and two in Savonburg because it is divided by railroad tracks. A sixth
shelter was added at a county fire barn just north of Iola to give shelter to people in the vicinity of Dodge Drive. Three of the shelters will be located on private property, Trego said. County counselor Bob Johnson was drafting agreements similar to an easement, that will allow access to the properties even if ownership changes. In Petrolia, Southern Star Pipeline agreed to transfer land to the county for $1 so a shelter could be placed in that community. Another shelter will be placed on a cement pad southSee COUNTY | Page A3
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