The Iola Register, Dec. 9, 2022

Thrive’s Goering leaves post

By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register

Just as he’s hitting his stride, Jonathon Goering, Thrive’s economic develop ment director, is leaving his post.

Though it’s a bittersweet decision for Goering, he’s al ready putting a positive spin on it.

“When I come to Iola in the future, I’ll see Sharky’s, the Fillmore Coffee House, Jock’s Nitch, new development at the airport, and know that I played a small role in them coming to Iola. That will al ways mean a lot to me,” he said Wednesday afternoon.

Goering’s decision to re turn to Wichita is because his wife of 18 years, Betsey, a high

school science teacher of as many years in Wichita, could not find a teaching position in

Church joins Kiwanis for holiday bell ringing

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

For as long as any of the local Kiwanis members have been a part of the club, they’ve helped coordinate the annual bell ringers for the Salvation Army.

It’s been a successful ven ture, too, with the ringers and their iconic red kettles set up in front of Walmart to receive monetary donations of any size to benefit local charities.

“That’s something we need to stress, that money stays in Allen County,” not ed Barb Leavitt, a volunteer with Iola’s Wesley United Methodist Church. “The do nations people give us stay right here.”

For the first time this year, Wesley is working with Kiwanis to help oversee the Salvation Army collections. The church will help dis

tribute funds through the year to folks in need.

“And we’re seeing a lot of people who need help,” Leavitt said. “Utilities are high. Groceries are high.”

Proceeds can be used for a number of means, includ ing food purchases and as sistance with rent or utility bills.

Up until this year, Iolan Janet Wilson helped coor dinate how those donations were spent, noted the Rev. Jocelyn Tupper.

“Janet was always great to work with,” Tupper said, “but handling all of that can be a lot for a single person. That may have been why she suggested we take it over this year.”

The Kiwanis club sched ules the bell ringers from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each Satur day and Sunday during the Christmas shopping season.

Iola or the nearby area.

After 2.5 years of living apart, “we decided family came first,” he said. Goering, age 47, has accepted a posi tion with Greater Wichita Partnership, the economic development arm of Wichita and its surrounding commu nities.

Allen County, Iola Indus tries, Humboldt and Iola have been the primary funders of Goering’s position here. Re cent increases by the coun ty, Iola and Humboldt have brought the budget for the program to $117,00, with Iola bearing almost half the load. Goering praises the jump in local support.

“That’s a big win for Allen County. And it’s a testament that Thrive’s funding part

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

ners believe in economic de velopment and want to see it grow.”

Ideally, he said, a team of two would handle the respon sibility.

“One person can only do so much. Two people would be a game-changer.”

A study by Atlas Studios in 2021 confirmed the area should devote several times over — $500,000 to $700,00 — to its economic development ef forts, matching that of neigh boring counties.

“The sky’s the limit for Allen County,” he said, not ing the area’s ideal location, abundance of space and bud ding recreational opportuni ties.

Successful economic de

WASHINGTON (AP) —

Russia freed WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thurs day in a dramatic high-lev el prisoner exchange, as the U.S. released no torious Rus sian arms dealer Vik tor Bout.

The swap, at a time of heightened tensions over Ukraine, achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden, but carried a heavy price — and left behind an American jailed for nearly four years in Russia.

“She’s safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home,” Biden said from the

White House, where he was accompanied by Griner’s wife, Cherelle, and adminis tration officials.

The deal, the second such exchange in eight months with Russia, procured the release of the most prom inent American detained abroad. Griner is a twotime Olympic gold medalist whose monthslong impris onment on drug charges brought unprecedented at tention to the population of wrongful detainees.

Biden’s authorization to release a Russian felon once nicknamed “the Merchant of Death” underscored the escalating pressure that his administration faced to get Griner home, particularly

Singing brings joy to Works’ world

The Register asked 12 mem bers of area communities to share special Christmas memories. We’ll publish one each day until Christmas Eve.

By JANIE WORKS Special to The Iola Register

When I joined the Works family 53 years ago, they had a Christmas tradition of going to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.

Every Christmas Eve, we would meet at Uncle Jack and Aunt Marguerite’s home for oyster stew. For those who didn’t like oysters, Margue rite made a wonderful potato soup.

Everyone wore their festive outfits and enjoyed the con versation between all of the cousins.

For dessert, we all had a slice of one of the many pies Aunt Marguerite made. She

but they

Jonathon Goering

always apologized for the way the meringue turned out or some other disaster,

were always delicious. After the Christmas dishes

were cleared, everyone joined in singing Christmas carols. Sometimes someone accom panied on the piano or guitar.

In this decades-old family photo, the Works family celebrates Christmas by singing songs around the piano. COURTESY PHOTO

Janie Works, owner of The Growing Place in Humboldt, shares her favorite Christmas tradition. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Brittney Griner

Obituaries

Eleanor Riebel

Eleanor Edith Riebel, 90, of Iola, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022, at Neosho Memorial Hospi tal, Chanute. She was born Jan. 17, 1932, in Piqua, to John Weber and Mary (Burggeman) Weber.

Eleanor and Edward Riebel were married July 26, 1949, in Humboldt. They enjoyed 68 years of marriage. Eleanor worked as an inspector for Herff Jones in Iola.

She was a member of St. John’s Catholic Church in Iola. She and Edward were 4-H leaders for several years.

She enjoyed dancing and camping with her fam ily. Her hobbies included quilting, embroidery and gardening. She enjoyed playing cards and board games. She always had time for her kids and grand kids. Eleanor overcame many obstacles as a polio survivor.

Eleanor was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Edward; son, Lloyd Riebel; daughter, Sun dra Meitler; and siblings, Leo Weber, Pauline Rieb el, Theresa Riebel, Marjorie Riebel, Margaret Karr and Helena Weber.

Eleanor is survived by sons, Danny and wife Marta Riebel, Iola, Mike and wife Julie Riebel, Iola, and Stan and wife Kim Riebel, Iola; daughter, Pam and husband, Cliff Wilson, Overland Park; grand children, Kyle Wilson, Drew Wilson, Grant Wilson, Eric King, Nikki Riebel, Matt Riebel, Sarah Insley, Luke Riebel, Molly Larkey, Jared Meitler and Ken dra Tatum; 15 great-grandchildren; and numerous other relatives and friends.

A visitation will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, in The Venue at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, 1883 U.S. 54, Iola. A Rosary will be recited at 10 a.m. Monday at St. John’s Catholic Church, fol lowed by a Mass of Christian burial at 10:30 in St. Joseph Cemetery, Humboldt.

Memorials are suggested to Mothers of Miracles, which may be left with Feuerborn Family Funeral Service.

Condolences may be left at www.feuerbornfuner al.com.

John Reiter

John Scott Reiter, age 63, of LaHarpe, died Tues day, Nov. 29, 2022, at his residence. He was born Jan. 28, 1959, in Garnett, to John Robert Reiter and Imo gene (Patrick) Reiter.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Robert Reiter; sister, Patricia Bain.

Survivors include daughters, Cassandra Brown, Iola, Lillian Kuron, Garnett; two grandchildren; sis ters, Roberta Mang, Frances Reiter, Donna Kortals, and Pearl Lampe.

Cremation will take place and no services are planned at this time.

Memorials are suggested to John Scott Reiter Memorial Fund to help with funeral expenses. Me morials may be sent to Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, 1883 US Highway 54, Iola.

Representing Farm Bureau

Members

Geffert,

Iran executes first known prisoner arrested in protests

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran said Thursday it execut ed a prisoner convicted for a crime allegedly committed during the country’s ongoing na tionwide protests, the first such death penalty carried out by Tehran.

The execution comes as other detainees also face the possibility of the death penalty for their involvement in the protests, which began in mid-Septem ber, first as an outcry against Iran’s morali ty police. The protests have expanded into one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s the ocracy since the 1979 Is lamic Revolution.

Activists warn that others could also be put to death in the near future, saying that at least a dozen people so far have received death sentences over their involvement in the demonstrations.

The execution “must be met with strong re actions otherwise we will be facing daily executions of protest ers,” wrote Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, the director of the Os lo-based activist group Iran Human Rights. “This execution must have rapid practical con sequences internation ally.”

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock condemned Shekari’s execution in a Twitter post, saying “the Iranian regime’s contempt for humanity is limitless.”

The Mizan news agency, run by Iran’s judiciary, identified the executed protester as Mohsen Shekari. It said he had been convicted in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, which typically holds closed-door cas es. The tribunals have been internationally criticized for not allow

Ex-Border Patrol agent convicted of killing 4 women

SAN ANTONIO (AP)

— A former Border Patrol agent who con fessed to killing four sex workers in 2018 was convicted Wednesday of capital murder, after jurors heard recordings of him telling investi gators he was trying to “clean up the streets” of his South Texas home town.

Juan David Ortiz, 39, receives an automatic sentence of life in pris on without the possibil ity of parole because prosecutors decided not to seek the death penal ty.

Ortiz, a Border Patrol intel supervisor at the time of his arrest, was accused of killing Me lissa Ramirez, 29, Clau dine Anne Luera, 42, Guiselda Alicia Cantu, 35, and Janelle Ortiz, 28. Their bodies were found along roads on the out skirts of Laredo in Sep tember 2018.

During the trial that began last week, jurors

heard Ortiz’s confession during a lengthy taped interview with investi gators.

Ortiz told investiga tors he had been a cus tomer of most of the women, but he also ex pressed disdain for sex workers, referring to them as “trash” and “so dirty” and insisting he wanted to “clean up the streets.”

He said “the monster would come out” as he drove along a stretch of street in Laredo fre quented by the women.

Following the verdict, family members of the victims faced Ortiz to give their statements.

Ramirez’s sister-in-law, Gracie Perez, said she was “a loving, kind and funny person.” She told Ortiz that the hearts of Ramirez’s children are now broken.

“Do you know how much pain you have caused this family?” Perez said. “My heart is torn apart knowing

that I won’t be able to see her but to visit her in the cemetery,” she said.

Defense attorneys said Ortiz was improp erly induced to make the confession and that it should not be consid ered. Defense attorney Joel Perez argued that Ortiz, a Navy veteran who had been deployed to Iraq, was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, had been suffering from insomnia, nightmares and headaches, and was medicated and had been drinking that night.

Prosecutors told ju rors it was a legal con fession provided by an educated senior law en forcement official who was not having a mental

breakdown.

Erika Pena testified that Ortiz picked her up on the evening of Sept. 14, 2018, and that she got a bad feeling when he told her he was the “next to last person” to have sex with Ramirez, whose body had been found a week earlier. She testified that he told her he was worried in vestigators would find his DNA on the body.

“It made me think that he was the one who might have been mur dering,” Pena, 31, told the jury.

Pena escaped from his truck at a gas sta tion after he pointed a gun at her, and she ran straight to a state troop er who was refueling his vehicle. Ortiz fled.

ing those on trial to pick their own lawyers or even see the evidence against them.

Shekari was accused of blocking a street in Tehran and attacking with a machete a mem ber of the security forc es, who required stitch es for his wounds, the agency said.

The Mizan report also alleged that Shekari said he had been offered money by an acquain tance to attack the secu rity forces.

Iran’s government for months has been trying to allege — without of fering evidence — that foreign countries have fomented the unrest. Protesters say they are angry over the col lapse of the economy, heavy-handed policing and the entrenched pow er of the country’s Is lamic clergy.

Mizan said Shekari had been arrested on Sept. 25, then convicted

on Nov. 20 on the charge of “moharebeh,” a Farsi word meaning “waging war against God.” That charge has been levied against others in the de cades since 1979 and car ries the death penalty. Mizan said an appeal by Shekari’s lawyer against the sentence failed.

After his execution, Iranian state television aired a heavily edited package showing the courtroom and parts of Shekari’s trial, presided over by Judge Abolghas sem Salavati. Salavati faces U.S. sanctions for meting out harsh punishments.

“Salavati alone has sentenced more than 100 political prisoners, human right activists, media workers and oth ers seeking to exercise freedom of assembly to lengthy prison terms as well as several death sentences,” the U.S. Treasury said in sanc tioning him in 2019.

Miniature golf park in the works for Pittsburg

PITTSBURG — A new miniature golf park is one step closer for Pittsburg’s Lincoln Park, according to the Morning Sun.

Riggs Chiroprac tic recently donated $10,000 to the city’s parks and recreation department, which is overseeing the project.

Expected cost for the new course is $350,000.

Other funding streams include a hoped-for $175,000 fed eral grant through the Land and Water Con

servation Fund, that Toby Book, Parks and Rec director, wrote.

Also, Joe Leek, former president of Community National Bank, has so far raised $50,000 for the effort.

Book hopes the nec essary funding will be in place by spring with dirt work beginning in the summer.

“And we could have a grand opening in time for Little Bal kans Days next year,” he told The Morning Sun.

from Allen County joined more than 600 Farm Bureau members of Kansas during Kansas Farm Bureau's 2022 Annual Meeting in Manhattan Dec. 3-5. Pictured here are, from left, Sheila Bedenbender, Kylee

Heather Mentzer, Nathan Mentzer, Dee Bedenbender and Debbie Bearden. They elected Wilson County farmer Joe Newland as KFB president and wrapped up important business for their farm organization after debating and adopting policy statements for 2023. These policies will now become the road map for the organization during the upcoming legislative session. COURTESY PHOTO

Eleanor Riebel

Help: Kiwanians get assistance for Salvation Army effort

When not ringing the bells themselves, the Kiwanians get as sistance from several local groups, especial ly high-schoolers, 4-H members and other or ganizations, noted Ki wanis member Lonnie Larson.

“A lot of the same ones participate pretty regularly,” he said.

THE SALVATION Army has earned a soft spot in the heart of the Leavitt household.

“I remember the flood of 2007, the Salva tion Army was the first group to help. That so impressed Tony. We al ways make sure to give them a donation each year.”

That’s a common re frain.

“Every year we have people drop by because they know the Salva tion Army helped them in the past,” Kiwanian Roger Carswell added.

“It’s amazing how

Allen Countians give and continue to give,” Kiwanis member Mark Peters said.

TUPPER noted the Salvation Army recent ly provided envelopes

that will accompany the Dec. 17 edition of the Iola Register.

While the return ad dress carries a Kansas City mailing address, Tupper stressed those funds will stay in Allen

Griner: Russia agrees to swap

faith for Paul’s release.”

County.

“And it’s not just Iola,” she said. “It goes to folks in Moran, La Harpe, Humboldt. There’s a need every where.”

Wesley follows many

ly after the recent reso lution of her criminal case and her subsequent transfer to a penal colony.

The Russian Foreign Ministry also confirmed the swap, saying in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the exchange took place in Abu-Dhabi and that Bout has been flown home Russian and U.S. offi cials had conveyed cau tious optimism in re cent weeks after months of strained negotia tions, with Biden saying in November that he was hopeful that Russia would engage in a deal now that the midterm elections were complet ed. A top Russian offi cial said last week that a deal was possible before year’s end.

Even so, the fact that the deal was a one-forone swap was a sur prise given that U.S. officials had for months expressed their their determination to bring home both Griner and Paul Whelan, a Michi gan corporate security executive jailed in Rus sia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government has said are baseless.

“We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan,” Biden said. “We will keep negotiating in good

Whelan’s brother Da vid said in a statement he was “so glad” for Griner’s release but also disappointed for his family. He credited the White House with giv ing the Whelan family advance notice and said he did not fault officials for making the deal.

“The Biden Adminis tration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to hap pen,” he said.

In releasing Bout, the U.S. freed a a for mer Soviet Army lieu tenant colonel whom the Justice Department once described as one of the world’s most pro lific arms dealers. Bout, whose exploits inspired a Hollywood movie, was serving a 25-year sen tence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that U.S offi cials said were to be used against Americans.

The Biden adminis tration was ultimate ly willing to exchange Bout if it meant Griner’s freedom. The detention of one of the greatest players in WNBA histo ry contributed to a swirl of unprecedented pub lic attention for an indi vidual detainee case —

not to mention intense pressure on the White House.

Griner’s arrest in February made her the most high-profile Amer ican jailed abroad. Her status as an openly gay Black woman, locked up in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community, infused ra cial, gender and social dynamics into her le gal saga and made each development a matter of international impor tance.

Her case not only brought unprecedented publicity to the dozens of Americans wrongful ly detained by foreign governments, but it also emerged as a ma jor inflection point in U.S.-Russia diplomacy at a time of deteriorat ing relations prompt ed by Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

The exchange was carried out despite de teriorating relations be tween the powers. But the imprisonment of Americans produced a rare diplomatic open ing, yielding the high est-level known contact between Washington and Moscow — a phone call between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lav rov — in more than five months.

of the same guidelines other charitable organi zations use when doling out assistance.

“We want to make sure we stretch the dol lars through the year,” she said.

That means families can receive up to $150 in assistance.

“That’s a drop in the bucket for what’s need ed,” she admitted.

For more information about how to donate, call the church during normal business hours at (620) 365-2285.

Those seeking assis tance can do the same.

TUPPER has made it a habit this time of year to make sure she has plenty of $1 bills every time she goes out, just in case she happens to pass by a bell ringer.

“I’ll give them a dol lar when I go into the store,” she said, “and then I’ll give them an other $1 when I come out. It’s the easiest thing in the world to do.”

And while folks often give our larger denom ination bills — $5, $10, even $20 — Larson not ed any donation is ac cepted, especially coins.

“They add up,” Tup per agreed.

Iola Kiwanis Club and Iola Wesley United Methodist Church members helping support this year’s Salvation Army fund drive are, from left, Roger Carswell, Mark Peters, Barb Leavitt, Lonnie Larson, Andy Dunlap the the Rev. Jocelyn Tupper. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Goering: Thrive official is moving on

Continued from A1

velopment requires people believing in an area’s future, he said. “Part of my role has been to help people see that vision.”

It also requires pa tience and the convic tion that the hard work eventually pays off. Economic development is not for the faint of heart, nor does it come quickly.

“What’s important is to bring people into a conversation early. Get them thinking about the possibilities. The first half-dozen reactions and answers may be no, but if you keep work ing at the goal, a lot of times a compromise can be reached. And in my mind, that’s a win.”

Goering used Allen County Airport as an example.

Ever since he arrived in early 2020, Goer ing said he’s been ap proached by multiple individuals about the airport’s untapped po tential.

“Those with ties to the airport or who have planes, elected officials, or even those who just realize it’s a gold mine, came to me asking what could be done there.”

The land, which sits halfway between Iola and Humboldt, has about 80 acres ripe for development.

Goering got the ball rolling in fall of 2020 when Thrive learned of “the potential for federal dollars coming down the pike for in frastructure,” through

“That was great fore sight on the part of the county,” he said.

The study, which took the better part of 2021, determined what the site needed in terms of expanded water, sewer and gas lines, increased electricity capacity, and internet connectivity.

“You have to know not only what you need, but also what you can afford,” Goering said.

Just one month after B&G’s report was com plete, Goering learned applications for the fed eral BASE, Building a Strong Economy, grants would be accepted.

Because of the recent ly completed feasibility study, “We put together a strong application,” Goering said, noting the help of Thrive’s grant writer Rachel Moore.

Act funding, another COVID-19 relief pack age.

In February of 2022, Goering learned they were successful.

“It was a good day,” he smiled.

By the end of 2024, much of the work of adding expanded util ities to the airport should be “well under way,” he said.

“People probably get tired of us talking about the airport, but it is one of the county’s greatest assets,” he said.

LOOKING AHEAD, Goering has no doubts Thrive will be able to find his replacement.

“Thrive is well-posi tioned to attract some one of high caliber and that makes me happy. The funding component

“We can’t operate in separate silos. If we don’t work together, we fall short of our poten tial.”

“I really feel a change coming. I see the tal ent that’s coming this way. New businesses opening and people get ting involved in their communities. I see a groundswell of enthu siasm.

“I see it because I’m in it every day. These are the people I’m in teracting with. It’s very exciting.

“These are the things that provide the spark and inspiration to great er things.”

Successful economic development means “as sisting and encouraging these people. To be their biggest cheerleaders, and then get out of their way,” Goering said.

That model is inher ent to Thrive, he noted.

“Lisse (Regehr, Thrive CEO and pres ident) is an incredible leader,” he said.

Thrive’s success re cord in bringing new business and funds the county’s way “is only the beginning,” Goer ing ventured.

For 2022, Thrive helped secure 60 grants totaling about $4.4 mil lion. Of that, more than $3 million were designated community grants directly affect ing local nonprofits and government enti ties such as a $450,000 Community Develop ment Block Grant to update Moran’s water and sewer treatment system.

Peru president arrested

LIMA, Peru (AP) — In just three tumultu ous hours, President Pedro Castillo went from decreeing the dissolution of Peru’s Congress to being replaced by his vice president, but the threats against his government had been building throughout his nearly 17-month presidency.

The former school teacher and center-left political novice, who won a runoff election in June 2021 by just 44,000 votes, stepped onto a no-holds-barred political battlefield in Peru, the South Amer ican country now on its sixth president in six years. By nightfall Wednesday, after a day of high political dra ma, prosecutors had announced Castillo was under arrest, fac ing charges of rebel lion.

From the start, Castillo’s presidency seemed destined to be short-lived, said Fla via Freidenberg, a po litical scientist at the National Autonomous

University of Mexi co and a member of the university’s Latin America Political Re form Observatory.

“He is a president who took office with a very low level of sup port, he didn’t have a political party, he had a hard time putting to gether a Cabinet, the Cabinet has changed constantly and there has been a constant power struggle with Congress,” she said.

Castillo, a rural school teacher from an impoverished district high in the Andes, was considered a clear un derdog when he joined the race to replace President Francisco Sagasti, who had been appointed by Congress in November 2020. Sa gasti was the last of three heads of state Peru cycled through in one week that Novem ber.

Castillo campaigned on promises to nation alize Peru’s key min ing industry and re write the constitution, gaining support in ru ral Peru.

Memory: Works

Continued from A1

We always ended with “Joy to the World” with Uncle Jack solo ing on the verses.

Children grew up and went to college, met a sweetheart, mar ried and had a fami ly of their own. But, at least, every other Christmas Eve, they would find their way back to Uncle Jack’s.

In 1998, as Jack and Marguerite got older, they asked Joe and I if we would host the fam ily on Christmas Eve. We felt so honored that they thought we could

pull this off like they did. We found some Christmas dishes we liked, Jack and Mar guerite passed down the large soup tureen they had used, and we made new song books. And we continued the tradition for a long time.

This tradition lasted about 45 years. Tradi tions give one a legacy. But traditions some times have to evolve when families get so large and have other families to accommo date with their tradi tions as well.

ing.

Knowing that cities and counties prepared to move forward stood a better chance to receive funding, the county approved B&G Consul tants to conduct a feasi bility study as to what development would be like at a 24-acre parcel in the northwest corner of the airport.

The only stumbling block was agreeing on how much money to re quest.

“That took many con versations,” he said.

In the end, commis sioners felt comfortable requesting $3 million, which required a $1 mil lion local match, that commissioners agreed to fund primarily with American Rescue Plan

is now there.”

Goering noted that he’s also worn several hats.

“Economic develop ment in a rural area is also about community development, includ ing childcare, housing, workforce development and transportation.”

Goering stressed the necessity of communi ties working together.

“We’ve barely scratched the surface. There’s so much more that can be done. I think of all the things I couldn’t get to in my tenure,” Goering said.

“People who have a bold vision and work to gether make things hap pen. And yes, we have enough people here to get the ball really roll ing.”

COVID-19 relief fund

In this photo from 2021, Jonathon and Betsey Goering share their story about being part of The Free Staters, a historical reenactment band who play a mixture of Americana, minstrel and folk songs. They are shown outside the historic Allen County jail. FILE PHOTO

Jonathon Goering talks to Allen County commissioners at his final meeting on Tuesday. At the meeting, commissioners approved a resolution to establish a countywide land bank, which was something Goering had spent months working toward. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Germany just averted its own Jan. 6 uprising

By ANDREAS KLUTH Bloomberg Opinion/TNS

The police raid was appar ently the largest in postwar German history. Early on Wednesday morning, some 3,000 officers from various branches of federal and re gional law enforcement swept across 11 of Germany’s 16 states as well as locations in Austria and Italy, arresting at least 25 people — including a Russian woman — and ques tioning many more. Some of the suspects were heavily armed, a few even had train ing in the German army’s special-operations units. One, an elderly aristocrat known as Heinrich (Henry) XIII, had already been designated as Germany’s next leader.

With this crackdown, it ap pears, the Germans disrupted plans for a full-bore putsch. Fittingly, putsch is a German word that migrated into En glish. The Weimar Republic survived several attempted coups until it succumbed in 1933. The U.S. used to think it was immune to such sedition, until it too had to withstand an attack on its Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Can this really be happen ing? Are our democracies really under such existential threat from loonies, extrem ists and domestic terrorists?

Yes, the danger is real. The lesson from Germany this week, as from the U.S. since that Jan. 6, is that the crazies are getting more radical and infecting one another across borders with their conspira cy theories and violent fanta sies.

The QAnon subculture of mad ravings, according to early reports from this week’s raid, certainly formed part of the mental backdrop of the suspected plotters. But its various figments and nar ratives had merged, as such poppycock tends to do, with an older and homegrown genre of German extremism.

This is the movement of so-called Reichsbuerger, or “Imperial Citizens.” Distinct from Neo-Nazis, these Reichs buerger — estimated to num ber in the tens of thousands — believe that the Federal Re public of Germany does not actually exist. Some think the FRG is a limited-liability company set up by the Allied victors of World War II and controlled by Jews. Others have different theories. But all deny that the republic has any legitimacy.

Instead, they’re convinced that the Reich, the German

Empire, has never ceased to exist in both law and spirit — and within the borders of ei ther 1871 or 1937 — and that it is theirs to liberate from the “deep state” of compromised bureaucrats.

In the past, these phan tasms were usually cause for amusement or bafflement more than concern. At traffic stops, for example, Reichs buerger will produce driv er’s licenses issued by the Reich — that is, by their own network. When hauled into court, they’ll theatrically disdain the authority of the judge. They’ll publicly pledge allegiance to their true lead ers, a changing cast of impe rial chancellors, princes and kings.

What’s come to light this week, however, is that the movement is — or was, if you’re optimistic — wellarmed, prepared and deter mined to seize power, with Heinrich XIII slated to take over. The Reichsbuerger ap parently had plans to kidnap Germany’s health minister — known for his hawkish Covid policies — and to execute his secret service detail, among other public figures. They also appear to have intend ed to attack the Bundestag. Moreover, the network seems to have contacts with, if not support from, Russia.

As so often in recent years, I am once again shocked but not surprised. Did we re ally think that the spread of conspiracy theories, the dumbing down of public dis course, the radicalization of the political fringes and the constant infiltration of our societies with disinformation from the Kremlin and other propaganda organs would have no lasting effects on our democracies?

With the first person plural I do mean all of us, from the U.S. to Brazil, Hungary, the Philippines and beyond. De mocracy is under threat not just geopolitically but also do mestically. Another thing the Germans showed this week is that they’ve understood this reality, and have learned the lessons from their own past.

Since World War II, they’ve built what they called a weh rhaft — or fortified — democ racy. Let that word join putsch as an export into English.

About the author: An dreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering European politics. A former editor in chief of Handels blatt Global and a writer for the Economist, he is author of “Hannibal and Me.”

A look back in t me. A look back in t me.

35 Years Ago December 1987

MORAN — C.A. Houk has embraced his term as Ameri can Legion state commander. Houk, a member of American Legion Post No. 385 since 1950, has met the challenge with enthusiasm. Houk is travel ing currently with American Legion National Commander John Comer, who is visiting Kansas following a fact-find ing mission to Central Amer ica. In February, he will be among a delegation traveling to Washington, D.C. to meet with congressmen and to have an audience with Presi dent Ronald Reagan. *****

Iola’s Hope Unlimited will expand its children’s pro gram at its center for family violence victims thanks to

a $2,100 grant from Ronald McDonald Children’s chari ties. The money will be used for education materials to teach children coping skills, according to Glenda Bruner, executive director of Hope Unlimited. *****

The new IMP Boat Corp. of Iola is becoming a strong fac tor in off-shore boat racing. John Maier, plant manager, told the Register that an IMP boat which finished fourth in the West Florida off-shore championships had been sold to a Finnish racing team and would be showcased on the European circuit. The offshore races involve speeds of over 80 miles an hour in heavy seas and challenge the structural integrity of the boats, Maier said.

Cultivating a culture of kindness

When I first came to the United States, I did not speak a word of English. But every day I would join my thirdgrade classmates as we con gregated around the Amer ican flag and placed our palms on our chests to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Compelled by ceremony, we all conformed to a higher standard of behavior, and for a short while at least, the cruelty of my childhood tor mentors was put on pause.

Not wanting to appear ig norant or insensitive, I too participated in this daily ritual by inelegantly mov ing my mouth in imitation of my peers. At some point, after many embarrassing at tempts, I was finally able to recite the pledge from memo ry. This short patriotic verse became the first English words I had ever learned to vocalize. And although I did not comprehend the pro nouncements I was making, I intuitively understood that whatever the meaning, this daily exercise was designed to inspire reverence, not to ward an individual, but to ward some inscrutable idea.

I eventually learned the meaning behind those words, especially the bit about lib erty and justice for all. As an adult, my chief sense of duty has become the advance ment of both. Although my current fluency in English allows me to understand what this means, I still often wonder: What do justice and liberty really entail? Espe cially when so many horrors in the world have been com mitted in the name of these noble abstractions?

When we regard these words as moral expres sions, we allow for them to be expropriated and used to disguise the intentions of those with pernicious goals. Justice and liberty cannot be understood in just moral or metaphysical terms, but they must be in incorporated into our political vocabulary. Only politics offers us defini tions with concrete implica tions.

Justice is equality before the law. It is freedom from intimidation and coercion. It is not, however, a tool to legislate morality. We cannot legislate morality because morality is a function of choice, and by extension so is compassion. Compassion, like morality, is an inclina tion that cannot be invoked through political coercion. We need a different tech nology for that. We need a

Inas Younis

Kansas Reflector

spiritual technology. For peo ple of faith, that technology has traditionally been ritual. Rituals allow us to connect to experiences that are not our own until they become our own. They allow us to tran scend time and space. Ritu als deliver us from cynicism and from the belief that evil is too potent to defeat. Ritu als, whether they are secular or religious, are acts of hu mility. They remind us that it’s not about us, but some thing bigger.

It is neces sary and valu able for our public officials to engage in communi ty-wide rituals, whether it’s a tree-lighting ceremony or attending an interfaith pot luck. When we cultivate a com munal culture of kindness within the pub lic realm, we create a social destination for people to have face-to-face in teraction. That is so critical, not only to the preservation of our democracy but to our sense of identity and mental well-being.

ficials, and our

we inaugurate a week-long community-wide initiative, starting with our Kindness Breakfast and ending with a unity Kindness Walk event at the WWI Museum and me morial.

The kindness rituals that have evolved around the work of SevenDays have become an integral part of our local culture in Johnson County.

Through our work, we have reached 1.3 million Kansas City metropolitan residents. We have provided 40,000 K-12 students access to kindness resources. Some 15,642 units of life-saving red cells, platelets and plasma have been collected at more than 260 blood drives during the SevenDays Kindness Week. And 530 students have engaged in social proj ects through the ripple of kindness ini tiatives spear headed by Sev enDays.

Rituals allow us to connect to experienc es that are not our own until they become our own. They allow us to transcend time and space. Rituals deliver us from cynicism and from the belief that evil is too potent to defeat. Rituals, wheth er they are secular or religious, are acts of humility. They remind us that it’s not about us, but something big ger.

One of the more beneficial side effects of living in a di verse society is that we are exposed to people and ideas that consistently challenge our internal narratives. Facts on the ground have a way of bursting through our locked doors of perception.

In the last couple of years, I have had the privilege of working with SevenDays, a local organization that pro motes kindness and under standing through education and dialogue. SevenDays was created when Dr. Wil liam Corporon, Reat Under wood and Terri LaManno were tragically killed on April 13, 2014, by a white su premacist in Overland Park. Every year, in partnership with our business leaders, our schools, our elected of

SevenDays has come to encapsulate the power of meaningful rituals in the public realm. They have had a significant effect on our local culture and commu nity. Thanks to the collabo rative leader ship efforts of our public offi cials, faith leaders, and busi ness community, kindness has become our brand here in Overland Park and be yond. Kindness is and should be the American brand.

As our 32nd President Franklin Delano Roosevelt once said: “Human kind ness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.”

About the author: Inas Younis was born in Mosul, Iraq, and emigrated to the United States as a child. She is a writer and commentator who has been published in various magazines, websites and anthologies. Her work has been featured by the Unicorn Theatre, and she is the co-author of several chil dren’s books, including the forthcoming title, “Strang ers in Jerusalem.”

faith leaders

The U.S. Capitol ALEJANDRO BARBA/UNSPLASH

Marriage bill clears Congress

WASHINGTON (AP)

— The House gave final approval Thursday to legislation protecting same-sex marriages, a monumental step in a decadeslong battle for nationwide recog nition of such unions that reflects a stunning turnaround in societal attitudes.

President Joe Biden is expected to prompt ly sign the measure, which requires all states to recognize same-sex marriages, a relief for hundreds of thousands of cou ples who have married since the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision that legalized those marriages nationwide.

The bipartisan leg islation, which passed

258-169 with almost 40 Republican votes, would also protect in terracial unions by requiring states to recognize legal mar riages regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.” After months of talks, the Senate passed the bill last week with 12 Re publican votes.

In debate ahead of the vote, several gay members of Congress talked about what it would mean for them and their families. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., said he was set to mar ry “the love of my life” next year and that it is “unthinkable” that his marriage might not be recognized in some states.

Choir concert

Murderous 1600s pirate hid in US colonies with impunity

WARWICK, R.I. (AP)

— One tarnished sil ver coin at a time, the ground is yielding new evidence that in the late 1600s, one of the world’s most ruthless pirates wandered the American colonies with impunity.

Newly surfaced doc uments also strengthen the case that English buccaneer Henry Every — the target of the first worldwide manhunt — hid out in New England before sailing for Ire land and vanishing into the wind.

“At this point, the amount of evidence is overwhelming and in disputable,” historian and metal detectorist Jim Bailey, who’s devot ed years to solving the mystery, told The Asso ciated Press. “Every was undoubtedly on the run in the colonies.”

In 2014, after unearth ing an unusual coin en graved with an Arabic inscription at a pickyour-own-fruit orchard in Middletown, Rhode Island, Bailey began re tracing Every’s steps.

Research confirmed that the exotic coin was minted in 1693 in Yemen. Bailey then discovered that it was consistent with millions of dollars’ worth of coins and other valuables seized by Every and his men in their brazen Sept. 7, 1695, sacking of the Ganj-i-Sawai, an armed royal vessel owned by Indian emperor Au rangzeb.

Historical accounts say Every’s band tor tured and killed passen gers aboard the Indian ship and raped many of the women before es caping to the Bahamas, a haven for pirates. But word quickly spread of their crimes, and English King William III — under enormous pressure from a scan dalized India and the influential East India Company trading giant — put a large bounty on their heads.

Detectorists and ar chaeologists have since located 26 similar coins stretching from Maine to the Carolinas. All but three coins turned up in New England, and none can be dated later than when the Indian ship was captured.

“When I first heard about it, I thought, ‘Wait a minute, this can’t be true,’” said Steve Album, a rare coin specialist based in Santa Rosa, California, who helped identify

all of the silver Arabic coins found in New En gland.

“But these coins have been found legitimately and in a few instances archaeologically, and every single one pre dates the sacking of the ship,” said Album, who has lived in Iran and has traveled widely in the Middle East.

Detectorists have also unearthed a gold nug get weighing 3 grams (a tenth of an ounce) — slightly heavier than a U.S. penny — from a potato field perched on a hilltop in seaside Little Compton, Rhode Island.

There’s no document ed evidence that natu rally occurring gold has ever been found in the state. Bailey and other experts believe that the nugget likely originated somewhere along Afri ca’s Gold Coast, a cen ter for the slave trade in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Adding to the intrigue, two sil ver Arabic coins were recovered not far from the nugget, and Every is known to have seized a considerable amount of gold while sailing off the coast of West Africa.

The latest evidence putting Every on Amer

ican soil isn’t just metal lic — it includes paper and pixels.

Bailey had already found records showing that the Sea Flower, a ship used by Every and his men after they ditched the vessel they’d used in their murderous raid, arrived in 1696 in Newport, Rhode Island. He’s since surfaced doc uments that show that the pirate captain was accompanied by three Rhode Islanders he took aboard from another pi rate vessel when he fled India. All three came ashore with Every in the Bahamas on March 30, 1696, and Bailey said that they essential ly served as getaway drivers in exchange for plunder.

Captured pirates Wil liam Phillips and Ed ward Savill testified on Aug. 27, 1696, that one of two ships that left the Ba hamas went to Virginia and New England before reaching Ireland. Crit ically, Bailey said, the records clarify a muddy timeline that long has been misinterpreted by historians to suggest Ev ery lingered two months on the Caribbean island — something he’d never have done as a fugitive.

Dr. Richard & Jan Knewtson • Jim & Mary Ann Arnott

Iola High School choir members Layla

left, and Kyndra Kratzberg provide powerful solo pieces to the song

Say” during a joint IHS choir and chamber choir number Wednesday, part of the vocal music concert at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. The high-schoolers and Iola Middle School choir performed under the guidance of instructor Elizabeth Cunningham, and were accompanied by Kathleen McCollam. REGISTER/RICH ARD LUKEN

Chiefs get Toney and Thuney back

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)

— The Kansas City Chiefs could have two important parts of their offense back with guard Joe Thuney and wide receiver Kadarius Toney returning to practice Wednesday ahead of their trip to Denver.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said that everyone would practice in their first work out since blowing a late lead in Sunday’s loss in Cincin nati. That includes Thuney, who did not play because of an ankle injury, and Toney, who was coming off his most productive game with Kansas City when a hamstring injury sidelined him most of the past three games.

“I’m going to let him get out there and work a little bit. We’ll just see how he does,” Reid said of Toney, who arrived in a trade from the New York Giants, where similar injuries were a fre quent issue for the 2021 first-round pick.

“We’re not going to bring him back and have him hurt it again,” Reid said. “We’ll see what we can do.”

As for Thuney, who is about as durable as they come, Reid said the big of fensive lineman probably could have returned last week in Cincinnati, but chose to give him another week off in the hopes of avoiding any lingering is sues.

“His thing was getting that final push,” Reid said. “He feels better this week than he did last week. He’s made as much progress as he’s had, I said, ‘Let’s give him a little more time.’ That’s where I was at the end of last week.”

Reid also said that wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who is eligible to come off injured reserve next week, is recovering nicely from his abdominal injury. Hard man has been running out side and put on some of the weight he lost while deal ing with the problem, and there’s a chance he could help Kansas City for the stretch run.

The Chiefs are tied with the Bills at 9-3 for the best record in the AFC, though Buffalo holds the head-tohead tiebreaker.

“The guys know where they’re at. Nobody knows better than they do what’s out front,” said Reid, whose team can clinch the AFC West with a win Sunday in Denver coupled with a loss by the Los Angeles Char gers.

“You don’t have to stand up there and preach to them about that,” Reid con tinued. “They want to win games. That’s the mental ity of this team. They bat tled their hearts out Sun day and it didn’t work out. We’re back to it.”

In fact, Reid was peppered with questions Wednesday about bouncing back from

Allen ladies cruise past Metro

By QUINN BURKITT The Iola Register

The Allen Community College women shot their way to victory over Met ropolitan Community Col lege of Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, 89-32.

The Lady Red Devils (103) also used good defense and forced 16 Metropolitan turnovers while snatching eight steals. The black and red had six finish in double figures and snatched 62 total rebounds as opposed to Met ro’s 23 boards.

To illustrate ACC’s ef fectiveness, the Red Devils limited Metropolitan to 19 shots.

“We are a better ball club. We played good half court defense and limited their second and third shots,” said Allen head coach Leslie Crane. “We gave them one shot at the bucket and that was it. This was very much a defensive game for us as the kids are taking pride in their defensive game and how low they can hold teams in scoring.”

Allen made half of their

shot attempts from the floor, going 38-for-76 from the hardwood as well as hitting six-of-17 shots from beyond the three-point arc. Noa Mu ranaka led from three-point distance, going three-for-six.

Naomi Smith led the team in scoring with 16 points and went six-of-seven on shots from the floor while Mu ranaka collected 13 points. Khassidy Warr came off the bench and contributed 12 points while Clara Rome ro, Khamille War and Sky ler Evans each notched 10 points.

“We did a good job of having patience with the ball and made sure to move the ball inside, outside and across the floor for a very good shot,” Crane said. “We wanted to make them play defense as that was not a strong part of their game. We took good shots where we could rebound if neces sary.”

Jania Jones and Romero led the Lady Devils on the glass where they hauled in 11 and 10 rebounds, respec tively. Jones snatched six of her rebounds on the of

fensive end while Romero made seven defensive re bounds and three offensive rebounds.

The rebounding was one of the main reasons Allen was able to grab such a big lead due to second and third chance opportunities being in favor of Crane’s group. Rebounding the ball was giv ing more chances for a clean look at the basket.

“Noa Muranaka is always a solid player for us,” said Crane. “Naomi Smith, Clara Romero, Khassidy Warr, Khamille Warr and Skyler Evans all scored in double digits and followed up with some double digit rebound ing. It was a good night for a lot of the team.”

Tonya Williams led Al len defensively with three steals while Britney Schro er and Smith each grabbed two steals. Smith also made two blocks and led her team with seven assists. Schroer made six assists and Shade Richardson assisted on four baskets.

The Lady Red Devils face Oklahoma Wesleyan in Cha nute on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Argentina faces Netherlands

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Li onel Messi up against Vir gil van Dijk. The youngest coach at the World Cup taking on the oldest. South America versus Europe. A back catalog of famous meetings.

The quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands on Friday has all the ingredients of a clas sic.

And the possibility of it being Messi’s final game on soccer’s biggest stage just adds to the anticipation.

The seven-time world player of the year is three wins away from achieving his ultimate dream but he has two people, in particu lar, blocking his path.

First, the not inconsider able frame of Van Dijk, who

has been one of the world’s best defenders over the past five years. If there’s anyone able to stop Messi on one of his trademark dribbles, it is the graceful Liverpool cen

ter back who combines pace with a great reading of the game.

And then there’s Louis

Judge stays; Padres nab Bogaerts

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Far han Zaidi got a text message from Aaron Judge’s repre sentatives early Wednesday morning. And just like that, it was over.

It was time to move on.

With Judge returning to the New York Yankees on a $360 million, nine-year con tract, the San Francisco Gi ants are mulling over their next move after they missed the playoffs this year.

“We always knew this was a possible outcome, and so we’ve done a lot of work on our other options,” said Zaidi, the team’s president of baseball operations.

“We’ll kind of re-evaluate our board and still looking for ways to improve the next team.”

San Diego also met with Judge before he went back to New York, and the Padres quickly jumped on anoth er bat — reeling in All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts with a blockbuster $280 mil lion, 11-year contract.

Zaidi is keeping his cards close to his vest, but there re mained plenty of intriguing possibilities on the market as baseball’s winter meet ings concluded on Wednes day.

All-Star shortstops Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson are free agents, along with left-hander Carlos Rodón after his terrific year for Gi ants. Speedy center fielder Brandon Nimmo could be a nice fit for San Francisco’s expansive outfield at Oracle Park.

“We have the support of ownership, but we’re not being mandated to get to a certain level payroll-wise,” Zaidi said. “We have the flex ibility to do that if the oppor tunities are right.”

Judge’s contract — base ball’s biggest free agent deal ever — dominated the conversation at the winter meetings Wednesday, but catcher Willson Contreras and pitchers Jameson Tail lon, José Quintana and Ken ley Jansen all joined new teams, and the Philadelphia Phillies took U.S. Navy avia tor Noah Song in the Rule 5 draft.

Taillon joined the Chicago Cubs, agreeing to a four-year contract that is worth rough ly $68 million. A person fa miliar with the negotiations confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condi tion of anonymity because it was pending a physical.

The Cubs haven’t formal ly announced the move, but President of Baseball Op erations Jed Hoyer said the team has been looking at Taillon for a long time.

“I think he’s a really good starting pitcher,” Hoyer said. “He’s been really con sistent.”

Contreras left the Cubs for NL Central rival St. Louis, which had a need at catcher after Yadier Molina retired. A person familiar with Con treras’ $87.5 million, five-

Allen’s Tonya Williams brings the ball up against Cottey College on Nov. 22. REGISTER FILE PHOTO

Argentina forward Lionel Messi (10) boots a penalty kick against Honduras during an international friendly soccer match at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 23. MATIAS J OCNER/MIAMI

HERALD/TNS

Marijuana now legal in Missouri, but you can’t buy it yet

O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — As of Thursday, it’s lawful for adults to possess and use marijuana in Missouri. That doesn’t mean you can legally buy it just yet, or use it everywhere.

Medical marijuana has been legal in the state since a ballot measure passed in 2018, but voters went a step further this November by approving a con stitutional amendment legal izing the drug for anyone 21 or older. The new law makes Mis souri the 21st state to allow rec reational use.

The change comes with some confusion. For one thing, dispensaries can’t yet sell for recreational use. People will eventually be able to grow their own, but applications to do so won’t be taken until next month. And places such as schools and businesses can still prohibit the drug.

John Mueller, co-founder of Greenlight Dispensaries, said the company’s 15 Missouri shops are getting calls from people confused about the new law and why they can’t yet buy it from the dispensaries.

“I think everybody’s anxious and excited about adult use,” said Mueller, whose company plans to add 300 jobs at cul tivation, manufacturing and

dispensary locations for the expected uptick in business.

“Every dollar we sell is a dol lar that doesn’t go to the black market.”

Recreational users are also calling and emailing the Mis souri Wild Alchemy dispen sary in O’Fallon, owner Jason Crady said — “24-7.”

“There’s a lot of buzz about it,” said Crady, who is busy hir ing and training staff in prepa ration for recreational sales.

Existing medical dispensa ries will eventually be allowed to sell to recreational users, but the agency hasn’t determined when that will be. John Payne, a leader of the campaign to legalize marijuana, said recre ational sales will likely begin in February.

The state is expected to issue an additional 144 dispensary li censes by early 2025.

Spokeswoman Lisa Cox of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, which regulates marijuana, said personal cultivation appli cation forms will be available Jan. 7 for people who want to grow a limited amount of their own.

Some places will continue to prohibit lighting up. Among them: the four campuses of the

University of Missouri System. The system cited two federal laws — the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act and the Drug-Free Workplace Act — on Wednesday in announcing a continued prohibition of marijuana on campuses and at university-sponsored events. Student violators could face discipline up to expulsion.

Legalization is concerning for some in law enforcement who worry it will mean more impaired drivers.

Kevin Merritt, executive di rector of the Missouri Sheriffs’ Association, said marijuana impairment is more difficult for police to assess because there is nothing comparable to blood-alcohol tests that deter mine intoxication levels in peo ple who have been drinking.

“Basically, what do they (offi cers) observe of the vehicle op eration?” Merritt said. “What did the officer smell and ob serve when they got up to the car? What kind of movements, or impaired movements, did he or she see in the operation of the vehicle to make a case that the person is impaired?”

The amendment also re quires expungement of crimi nal records for most people in carcerated or on probation for

a misdemeanor marijuana of fense, a process expected to be completed by mid-2023.

It’s part of a broader move toward decriminalizing lowlevel marijuana crimes that has gained steam in recent years. President Joe Biden an nounced in October that he was pardoning thousands of Americans convicted of simple possession under federal law. Kansas City and St. Louis are among jurisdictions that have stopped prosecuting misde meanor possession.

Dispensaries in Missouri are expecting to see lots of out-ofstate buyers. Missouri is bor dered by eight states, only one of which — Illinois — allows recreational marijuana sales.

Payne projects that once the program is fully up and run ning, Missouri will see annual sales of up to $1.3 billion.

Ron Burch, 36, of the south western Missouri town of Jop lin, already has a medical mari juana card. He knows demand will be strong for recreational pot.

“Looking forward to Febru ary, it’s going to be a mad rush to fill all the shelves for the peo ple that are going to be pound ing down the doors to buy prod uct,” Burch said.

Well, Jen(nifer Kent, the director) has a really beautiful way of rehearsing, although Andrew (Lincoln, her co-star) and I flew in –he flew in from England and I flew in from Australia into Canada. We had a couple of weeks in quarantine in our various hotel rooms and we rehearsed on Zoom. But we had three days physically together before we star ted filming.

And Jen works in a way with us that created a ver y detailed histor y between the two of us. And in a way, I guess it’s an improvisation that we went through all of the major par ts of our relationship over three days. We improvised them (laughs) and so we had a ver y intensive histor y built up between us that we both knew And it meant that whatever I needed in any scene that I was in with Andy I could just look in his eyes and I would get it (laughs). Because whatever I needed from our past to have in our minds at that moment, it was in a look.

How is Andy as a scene par tner?

He’s a wonder ful actor and I think Jen’s process brought us together ver y quickly and in a ver y deep way It was a great working relationship amongst the three of us. I feel like we built something with great love.

Are you a bird watcher like Nancy?

I wouldn’t call myself a bird watcher though I do notice birds and I do love listening to them and I tend to be surrounded by them. And even I feel like there’s all of these auspicious things that happened while we were filming. While sitting on that lake, a bald eagle came and perched in a tree above me before I had to do that big, sad telephone call (laughs). So I really feel like there is a connection, I do feel quite spiritually connected to nature. And I think that we can learn a lot from watching it and being a par t of it.

How was it approaching a traumatized character such as ornithologist Nancy Bradley in “The Murmuring” episode of “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities”?

Couples freeze out single friend

Dear Carolyn: We recently returned from a great vacation with friends we hadn’t seen in over a year. One of our friends, “Dana,” didn’t have a good time and is blaming the rest of us.

We rented a huge house on a beautiful beach with another couple and Dana. She doesn’t care for the beach but, during the planning stages, said she’d be fine since there were fun things to do in the area.

Once we got there, Dana kept trying to get someone to do day trips with her but we just wanted to hang at the beach and be together catching up, so she went alone. The last night we were all lamenting hav ing to leave when Dana said she couldn’t wait — it was the worst vaca tion of her life. She said we all “froze her out,” wouldn’t do anything she wanted and stuck her with the worst room. Hers was the smallest of the three, and we had agreed the couples

Me About It

Carolyn Hax

would get the two mas ter suites and split the cost accordingly, mean ing we all paid much more than she did.

We also made sure she didn’t pay as much for groceries, wine and beer. The house was luxurious, so she got a bargain, really.

I feel bad that Dana had a bad time, since she is one of my old est friends, but did we do anything wrong? I thought the main point was for all of us to be together again, not run out trying to sightsee and shop. Shouldn’t Dana have realized that people who love the beach were going to spend their time on the beach?

— Friend

Friend: So you didn’t go with her even once? Anywhere?

And two couples re ally believed the only unpartnered member of the group imagined do ing those “fun things” alone the entire time?

And coming back to her non-master suite? Which made for a rea sonable room assign ment on paper but in a climate of insult really just encapsulated every thing?

And now you’re look ing to me to agree it was her fault she felt utterly extraneous? Since she “got a bargain really”?

I’m out of huffy rhe torical questions, so I’ll conclude: Dana would probably have liked at least one friend to have shown an interest in spending time with her. Your contempt for her interests — “not run out trying to sightsee and shop” — is palpable.

Re: Dana: Sorry, but your answer was patron izing to single people. If Dana needs company for her outings, then she should choose her vacations accordingly. I would be mortified if someone joined me on

Battling high sugar levels is tricky

Dear Dr. Roach: Any suggestions for over-thecounter supplements to reduce glucose? My sugar level is 116 mg/dL. My doctor has not rec ommended medication.

— H.P.B.

Answer: I have read about several supple ments that are recom mended for people with diabetes. These include chromium, berberine and cinnamon, among others. There have been some small trials that appear to show benefits, but larger trials have not shown a great deal of success.

Diabetes is best pre vented by a combina tion of good eating habits and regular ex ercise. Critical advice includes avoiding sweets

To Your Health

and having a good bal ance of whole grains, nuts and other protein sources, while avoiding processed grains, like white rice or pasta, and breads made with pro cessed flour. Any kind of exercise helps, but 20 minutes a day of moder ate to intense exercise is a good goal for many people.

Interpreting a single sugar level can be tricky. If that level was after fasting, that level is diag nostic of the prediabetes level, but it may well be

normal two hours after eating. A glucose toler ance test remains the de finitive way to diagnose diabetes, but diabetes is most commonly diag nosed (and monitored) by the hemoglobin A1c level now, with normal being below 5.7%; pre diabetes is 5.7% to 6.4%; and diabetes is 6.5% or greater. There are some medical conditions where these numbers have to be adjusted. If your doctor isn’t recom mending medication, I’d recommend strongly to find out what you can do with your eating habits (a registered dietician nutritionist has the ide al credentials to help) and exercise so you can save money on supple ments.

a sightseeing trip out of pity.

— Anonymous Anonymous: Groups involve attention to inclusion. To dismiss such mindfulness as “pity” weirdly absolves people of their responsi bilities to each other to think inclusively. They care enough to travel together as friends, but not enough to spend any time with Dana on her terms? Wow.

More readers’ thoughts:

My single friends and I say, “It’s the beach house thing,” when cou pled people automatical ly presume advantages for themselves, like the master suite with the deck and water view, while an unmarried sis ter shares the basement room with the 8-year-old niece. There are a lot of ways to allocate desir able things, people.

… aaaaand this is why your single friends tend to ignore you once you get divorced or be come widowed. The “smug marrieds” treat ment cuts deeply.

Wednesday’s Cryptoquote: The world is a place where the extraordinary can sit just beside the ordinary with the thinnest of boundaries. — Jodi Picoult

ZITS by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman BEETLE BAILEY by Mort Walker HAGAR THE HORRIBLE by Chris Browne FUNKY WINKERBEAN by Tom Batiuk

BLONDIE by Young and Drake MARVIN by Tom Armstrong HI AND LOIS by Chance Browne

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Judge: Inks 9-year contract with Yankees

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lion, five-year contract confirmed the move to The AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical.

Quintana agreed to a $26 million, two-year contract with the New York Mets, adding an other veteran arm to the team’s rotation. Another person familiar with the negotiations confirmed the move to The AP on condition of anonymi ty because the deal was pending a physical.

The Mets also final ized its two-year contract with ace right-hander Justin Verlander, worth $86.7 million. There also is a vesting option for

2025.

“Justin Verlander is, by every standard, one of the game’s most accom plished players,” gener al manager Billy Eppler said.

Jansen left Atlanta for Boston, agreeing to a $32 million, two-year deal with the Red Sox. A person familiar with the deal confirmed the move to The AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pend ing a physical.

Jansen led the Nation al League with 41 saves this season. The Braves then shored up their bullpen by acquiring Joe Jiménez in a trade with the Detroit Tigers.

Judge, who hit an

AL-record 62 homers for the Yankees last season, will earn $40 million per year, the highest average annual payout for a po sition player. A person familiar with the deal confirmed the move to The AP on condition of anonymity because the AL MVP’s contract had not been publicly an nounced.

The Northern Califor nia native visited with the Giants last month, and he also met with the Padres in the last few days.

“From an organiza tional standpoint, we’re disappointed,” Zaidi said. “But I think from the standpoint of the in dustry, you’ve got a great

player and a great fran chise who’s got a chance to be there his entire ca reer, and I think there’s a lot of good in that for the game.

“That was a pretty strong force that we were up against.”

San Diego remains one of baseball’s biggest wild cards, also meeting with Trea Turner before the All-Star shortstop agreed to a $300 million, 11-year contract with Philadelphia. The Padres reached the NL Champi onship Series this year before losing to the Phil lies.

A person familiar with the Bogaerts negotia tions confirmed the con tract to The AP.

Argentina: Netherlands up next

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van Gaal, the wily tac tician who is 71, has recently undergone suc cessful treatment for prostate cancer, and is now plotting to win the World Cup in perhaps the final job of his 26year coaching career.

Van Gaal, who has long been one of the most charismatic char acters in soccer, is ap proaching this task with a lot of fun — even on the eve of one of the biggest matches of his career.

On Thursday, he was told that Angel Di Ma ria, who plays for Ar gentina, thinks he is the worst coach he has ever played under following their time together at Manchester United in 2014-15.

Van Gaal said it was a pity Di Maria felt this way — “he is one of the few players to have said that,” he remarked, “as usually it is the oth er way round” — and added he once had a falling-out with Nether lands captain Memphis Depay, who was sitting next to him.

“Now we kiss each

other,” Van Gaal said, leaning toward Depay with his arms out.

Van Gaal was also asked how he was plan ning to stop Messi — a question for which many coaches down the years have failed to come up with an answer.

“It’d be pretty stupid to reveal your own tac tics,” he said, smiling.

“But it’s not that diffi cult to come up with any answer. You could have come up with an an swer yourself. You may want to block and close the passing lines. Am I right, Memphis?”

As for his Argentina counterpart, the 44-yearold Lionel Scaloni is a comparative novice after taking charge of his country in 2018 for his first senior coach ing role. Still, he has al ready led Argentina to the Copa America title last year — the coun try’s first major trophy since 1993 — and has managed to steady his team after a shocking loss to Saudi Arabia in its opening group game.

While Van Gaal was predicting a tight match that will be

settled by a “decisive moment,” Scaloni said it will be a “beautiful game because we are talking about two na tional teams willing to attack but who can also defend.”

It’s set to be a clash of styles between two of soccer’s historic power houses, with Argentina — a two-time champi on — preferring to play a possession game and the Dutch — three times a beaten finalist — now typically playing on the counterattack under Van Gaal.

They have met in some high-profile World Cup games, none bigger than the 1978 final won by Argentina on home soil. There was also a last-16 match in 1998, won by the Netherlands thanks to a wonderful 90th-minute goal by Dennis Bergkamp, and then a penalty-shootout

win by Argentina in the semifinals in 2014.

Messi played in that game and was kept rel atively quiet by a team also coached by Van Gaal. Eight years later, Messi is still Argenti na’s star player and put in his best performance in this World Cup in the 2-1 win over Australia in the round of 16.

“The tournament is starting tomorrow for us, for real,” Van Gaal said. “Although I don’t want to downplay the importance of the other countries we have beat en, Argentina and then potentially Brazil in the next round are different countries than those we played up to now.”

Scaloni was pressed on the fitness of mid fielder Rodrigo De Paul, who might be a doubt ac cording to some reports in the Argentine media, but gave little away.

Chiefs: returning

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the loss in Cincinnati — the third straight game this calendar year that the Ben gals have beaten the Chiefs, including last season’s AFC ti tle game. And after the third or fourth question, Reid made it clear that his focus was off the Bengals and onto the Broncos.

The same goes for Patrick Mahomes, who will no doubt welcome Thuney and Toney back to the huddle.

“In this league,” he said, “you have to move on or you’ll make one loss turn into two. You watch the tape on Monday and you get a sense of what you can do bet ter, when you can take away that was pos itive, and you move onto next week.”

Mahomes has never lost to the Broncos in nine tries.

“We just really em phasize playing our division opponents,”

he said, by way of an explanation. “That’s what we work on all offseason. For us, the coaches do a great job of giving us great game plans and I just try to go out and exe cute them.”

NOTES: Mahomes was chosen as the Chiefs’ nominee for the Walter Pay ton Man of the Year Award this week. “Just a tremendous honor,” he said. “To have my opportuni ty this year is some thing I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”

... Reid said there’s a chance that two-time Pro Bowl RB Melvin Gordon, who was signed to the Kansas City practice squad late last month, could face his former team on Sunday. But car ries would be scarce behind Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon.

“We’re fairly healthy there,” Reid said, “but I’m glad we have him. He’s done a nice job for us.”

doctor had suggested I go to the Iola Pharmacy to try CBD oil for my knee pain. After the first week or so, I was able to go on walks again. It hasn’t completely cured my knee pain, but it does help relieve the pain. And, after being on it for a couple months now, I don’t want to go