Ponies sweep: Iola defeats Anderson County in hardwood action.
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THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
ADMINISTRATIVE SHUFFLE 257 supt., IMS principal to retire By RICK DANLEY The Iola Register
After serving the Iola school district for nearly four years, USD 257 Superintendent of Schools Jack Koehn announced on Monday that he will be retiring, effective July 1. Current Iola High School principal Stacey Fager will become the new superintendent at that time and assistant principal Scott Crenshaw will rotate to full principal. Koehn announced his decision at Monday’s school board meeting. “It’s been a privilege and an honor to serve the communities of Iola, Gas and LaHarpe,” said Koehn, reading from prepared remarks. “Serving this board of education has been the most rewarding experience of my 35 years in public education. I believe we have accomplished many things together for the good of USD 257 students and the communities we serve.”
Iola boosts electric fund By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Regional Tech Center; improving reading and math performance; establishing a one-to-one Chromebook program for middle and high school students; an increased spending on technology, generally; MARV, the “meals and reading vehicle,” which garnered statewide attention as it delivered healthy meals to underprivileged students across Allen County; not to mention the increasingly difficult job of maintaining, “and actually growing,” the district’s financial position in a climate
New agreements to purchase electricity power at a cheaper rate could benefit Iola’s electric fund. City Administrator Sid Fleming detailed at Monday’s City Council meeting some potential savings the city could realize as part of the Southwind Energy Group. Sid Fleming Over the past few months, SEG has secured agreements to reduce the cost of purchasing power, Fleming said, creating savings pegged at more than $883,000 annually. The maneuver could be a lifesaver for the city’s flagging electric fund, which is used to supplement the city’s
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Iola High School Principal Stacey Fager will become USD 257’s next superintendent of schools.
Iola USD 257 Superintendent of Schools Jack Koehn has announced his retirement, effective July 1. Giving credit to the many individuals whose loyalty and imagination he depended on during his years in Iola, Koehn laid out only a very partial list of the many
successes that bloomed under his tenure: improving the food service program; raising salaries; moving grade-level attendance centers; helping start the Rural
Humboldt Iolan’s dog, lost for two years, back at home readies water I rate hike By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
HUMBOLDT – Humboldt council members instructed Administrator Cole Herder to prepare an ordinance to increase water and sewer rates. They will decide the issue Cole Herder at their Feb. 13 meeting. He pointed out income had trailed expenses and transfers were made from the Gas Department fund to keep the water fund above board. Water will go up 3 percent for residents and 4 percent for the 46 outside city limits. Sewer rates, with a major project to improve the system due to start in a few months, will increase 5 percent for all customers. Herder justified the higher water rate for non-residents by pointing out those living in town pay an annual 2-mill property tax levy to support water purification and distribution. He said the additional 1 percent raise evened total responsibility inside and out of the city. On average, monthly waSee HIKES | Page A3
t was a reunion two years in the making. Drake Dieker received a call Thursday morning telling him Avery, his jet black Labrador retriever, who had been missing for two years, had been found. Avery, who had escaped from his pen in late 2014 and never returned, was at a veterinary clinic in Girard. “We still have no idea how he made it to Girard,” Dieker said. “After looking as long as we did, and not knowing where he was, we just assumed the worst.” Their happy reunion was made possible because of a decision Dieker made years ago, to have a microchip inserted in Avery’s shoulder when he was a pup. And, there was a bit of luck involved. Avery was spotted near Girard about a month ago, and was taken to another animal clinic. “But they never scanned his microchip there,” he said. Instead, a veterinarian at the clinic waited about a month to see if anybody would claim Avery. When nobody did, the vet took Avery home. But, as Avery had been known to do, the dog ventured off again. This time the Lab made it to a nearby farm where he quickly got acquainted with that farmer’s other dogs. The farmer took the
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Iolan Drake Dieker kneels with Avery, his Labrador retriever, who had been missing for two years before being located near Girard. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN vagabond pooch to Mesa Animal Clinic for safe-keeping, letting it be known he’d take the animal back if it wasn’t claimed. Employees there, howev-
er, found the microchip and scanned it into the system. Just like that, Avery’s location was known. “I got a call from the microchip people Thursday morn-
“Those who fight corruption should be clean themselves.” — Vladimir Putin 75 Cents
ing,” Dieker said, directing him to call the Red Barn Veterinary Clinic in Iola,which had the capability of finding See REUNION | Page A3
Hi: 58 Lo: 40 Iola, KS