Sports: Preps action continues See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Gas approves ready mix plant BY BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
GAS — With a unanimous vote, Gas councilmen initiated a fledgling industrial boom in their town Tuesday evening. They approved rezoning and a conditional use permit for Corey Emerson to open a ready mix concrete plant on site of the old 54 Drive-in Theater. Larry Macha, of Se-Kan Asphalt Services, owns the 17 acres where the drive-in lured carloads to outdoor entertainment for decades. “I’m renting the northwest part of the site to Corey,” he told councilmen. But, Macha added, “you never know what might pop up. This could become a little industrial park for you.” The addition will mean
an increase in both assessed valuation for the city and more sales tax revenue. Emerson said he would have five trucks operating from the base station, with rock, sand and cement being hauled in and concrete being hauled out. The Gas Planning Commission recommended legal changes to permit the business, ignoring, as did council members, a letter from Kenneth Myers, who owns the old 54 Motel between the property and U.S. 54. Myers said dust and traffic generated by the ready mix plant would make his property useless; councilmen didn’t see the big picture that way and commended Emerson for wantSee GAS | Page A3
Iolan Tracy Keagle decorates the store window of what will be Santa’s Toy Shop in downtown Iola. The toy shop is open Dec. 18-20, with appointments for Dec. 21. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Santa’s big-time helper Block party Friday
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Report: Expanded Medicaid would pay for itself By JIM MCLEAN The Associated Press
Expanding Kansas’ Medicaid program would generate enough offsetting savings to more than cover the cost of insurance for another 150,000 low-income Kansans, according to an analysis released Tuesday by six health foundations. The analysis done by Manatt Health Solutions, a national health care consulting firm, shows that expanding Medicaid would lower state costs in several areas by enough to cover the annual $53 million cost of expansion, perhaps with money to spare. “We think there is enough savings and new revenue that the cost of expansion can be covered
through 2020,” said Deborah Bachrach, the lead author of the analysis and a former Medicaid director for the state of New York. “It’s even possible that the state may be able to generate additional dollars — that is dollars beyond those needed to cover the costs of expansion.” The Affordable Care Act obligates the federal government to cover 100 percent of state expansion costs through 2016 after which it gradually phases down to a permanent matching rate of 90 percent in 2020.
Savings identified
Currently, Kansas spends nearly $30 million a year to cover a portion See REPORT | Page A4
T
racy Keagle eyes a pile of stacked toys, ready to be cleaned and in-
spected. She’s more than happy to do so, but she also sees a store window in dire need of decorating. “It’s like my ADHD and my OCD are fighting,” she says with a laugh. “I want to clean toys, and I want to decorate.” For the past several weeks, Keagle has been working nonstop to once again open Santa’s Toy Shop in downtown Iola. By the time Dec. 18 arrives — the date the Toy Shop opens in the space formerly occupied by Party Girls, 7 E. Madison — youngsters of all ages will experience holiday giving of the best kind. Each child will get to walk through the lavishly decorated shop where they will be able to enjoy a treat, select a book, meet Santa, and come away with a toy of their selection. “The big misconception
Tracy Keagle is this is for needy kids,” Keagle explained. “It’s for everybody.” Too many times to count, Keagle has heard stories of parents working long, hard hours in order to bring in a few extra dollars to buy gifts for their children. “I really want parents to stop that,” she said. “Please don’t spend any money. Stop by here instead.” THE TOY shop’s origins, oddly enough, weren’t holiday-themed at all. Instead, its genesis See TOY SHOP | Page A4
Downtown Iola will come alive with the Christmas spirit Friday night when merchants participate in their annual Block Party. Entertainment, refreshments and sales will be provided on the Iola square from 4 to 7 p.m. A grand prize drawing of $275 in gift certificates is available to those who visit participating merchants and have their cards punched. The punch cards are available at any of the 11 retailers or at Rookies Sports Bar, which will have a Happy Hour and offer food specials from 7 to 8 o’clock that night. Maggie Wilson, former Iolan, will perform on her See PARTY | Page A6
Foundation drops request to county BY BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
Holiday greetings A group of Lincoln Elementary School third-graders sing a rousing medley of holiday tunes for its winter program, “The Colors of Christmas,” Tuesday at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. Members of the Ruby E. Davis Memorial Drumming Circle also performed. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Quote of the day Vol. 118, No. 31
Jeff Cokely on Tuesday withdrew a request to Allen County commissioners to place $200,000 in landfill funds in the Allen County Community Foundation. Cokely recently took the foundation’s reins as director. The proposal was for landfill funds to be endowed — $100,000 this year and $100,000 next from $1.1 million sitting idle and drawing 1.79 percent interest — with matching grants and interest going to health care or recycling projects. Because the funds would have come from those set
“Look back and smile on perils past.” — Walter Scott, Scottish novelist 75 Cents
aside for the landfill, discussion centered on recycling. “I didn’t realize the county did as much as it already does,” Cokely said, referring its purchase and maintenance of semi-trailers to haul paper to a recycling center in Wellsville. Recycling other materials such as metal, plastic and glass, aren’t forgotten, Cokely added. “I think a grassroots effort can take us to the next level.” Iola Rotarians are considering going beyond newspaper and magazine collection, which they have done for about 20 years. “I think there will be See COUNTY | Page A6
Hi: 65 Lo: 45 Iola, KS