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Volleyball: Allen wins seventh straight See B1
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THE IOLA REGISTER Tuesday, September 24, 2013
“Exciting times ahead”
Iola City Council approves EMS merger
By STEVEN SCHWARTZ steven@iolaregister.com
“Let’s lay this thing to rest,” said Steve French of what will be the beginning of combined EMS services between Iola and Allen County crews. In a unanimous vote, the Iola City Council approved Councilman French’s proposal at their meeting Monday night. All that remains is a signature from county commissioners, expected this morning. If they follow through, the City of Iola will take over all EMS services for Allen County starting at midnight Dec. 31. After years of discussion
from both entities, countless meetings and mediated gatherings, all it took was a 30-minute executive session regarding attorney-client privilege before a motion to accept the proposal was made. “Exciting times ahead,” Mayor Joel Wicoff said as he signed the agreement. The merger comes after the Allen County EMS and Iola EMS entities split in 2008. SOME KEY POINTS IN THE PROPOSAL:
— The county will pay the city $750,000 per year for the services, any excess will go back to the county to be placed in an “EMS Capital Outlay Fund” to be used
for the county’s billing agent. — The services will be labeled Allen County Emergency Medical Services and will cover the entire county. — Allen County will be in charge of all billing for ambulance services. — Iola will also operate the rescue vehicles and HAZMAT vehicle. — Both parties “anticipate that the service should have a staff of approximately 33 fulltime employees.” — The city will have the staff required to maintain a type-I ambulance service at all times. — Employees will be encourSee MERGER | Page A6
Iola Mayor Joel Wicoff signs the EMS merger agreement between the city of Iola and Allen County during Monday night’s city council meeting. REGISTER/STEVEN SCHWARTZ
Humboldt eyes senior complex
MONDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
By BOB JOHNSON bob@iolaregister.com
Iola marching band members practice on the football field at Riverside Park Monday night. Band Director Matt Kloepfer said they are gearing for performances and competitions this fall. REGISTER/
Humboldt is eager to court Neighborhood Senior Living about locating a housing complex in its fair city. The Dallas-based business is pulling up stakes from Iola. It was to have had housing for seniors, including meals and all other living expenses for a monthly charge, and a second building to accommodate people with dementia problems. Developers for the senior complex ran into problems with Iola when would-be neighbors complained the facility would change the nature of the neighborhood. The last straw came when a contract between the company and Andy Armato, who owns the 3.8 acres at 1002 N. Kentucky, was let to expire earlier this month. Then, Armato negotiated a contract with another party, said Jack Franklin, the listing agent at Allen County Realty. Franklin said he thought all terms within the new agreement had been accepted by both parties, but “it hasn’t closed yet.”
STEVEN SCHWARTZ
That outcome apparently has Neighborhood Senior Living, owned by Jack West, Dallas, on the outside looking in, with no announced plans to pursue anything further in Iola. MEANWHILE, after learning Neighborhood Senior Living no longer had a site under contract in Iola, Larry Tucker, Humboldt city administrator, and Humboldt Mayor Nobby Davis called Scott Holder, the company’s construction manager, to lure the company on south. As of Monday afternoon they had had no response. “I called him and sent a text, but haven’t heard back,” Davis said of Holder. The Register also has been unable to get an on-the-record response from Holder, or any response from West. Tucker said Humboldt was “certainly interested,” in discussing a project there. He mentioned two possible sites. One is the old Pinecrest Nursing Home in the southeast part of town, which has been closed for several months. Owned by a comSee COMPLEX | Page A6
Learning together works best By KAYLA BANZET kayla@iolaregister.com
With the help from teachers, Angie Linn, USD 257 curriculum director, explained to board members the benefits of the Cooperative Learning program at their board meeting Monday night. A visit in 2010 from experts with the Kansas Learning Network (KLN), convinced Linn of the merits of the new program which stresses a cooperative atmosphere in learning. Linn said when group goals and individual accountability are used together, the effects on achievement are positive. Mary Ann Regehr, a Jefferson Elementary teacher, said cooperative learning has changed not only her teaching style but also how her students learn. “I love seeing how they approach each other,” she said. “Cooperative learning is not the old-time learning. In cooperative learning everyone has a job.”
Regehr said her students work on projects together. She said no two days are the same in her classroom. “The kids come to the classroom and are excited,” she said. “They don’t even realize they’re learning.” Positive effects from the program include higher self-esteem, better intergroup relations, acceptance of academically handicapped students, better attitudes toward school, and the ability to work cooperatively. Cooperative Learning is being utilized by teachers of all subject areas in all grade levels K-12. Annette Rexwinkle, Iola Middle School teacher, said her students enjoy using the learning style as well. “It makes it simpler for the student,” she said. “I’ve really enjoyed using if for the last three years.”
Quote of the day Vol. 115, No.233
See LEARNING | Page A6
Mary Ann Regehr, right, Jefferson Elementary teacher, along with Angie Linn, curriculum director, testifies to the benefits of cooperative learning in Iola classrooms. USD 257 has used the cooperative learning method for three years. REGISTER/KAYLA BANZET
“People who get nostalgic about childhood were obviously never children.” — Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes 75 Cents
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