Soccer: ACC sweeps past Pratt
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THE IOLA REGISTER Thursday, October 3, 2013
Biblesta front and center Saturday By BOB JOHNSON bob@iolaregister.com
HUMBOLDT — Larry Barnett became more excited with every word he uttered Tuesday evening when the Biblesta Committee met to put finishing touches on Saturday’s 56th annual event. “We have great music lined up, and the parade will be one the best ever,” said Barnett, chairman of the committee that has met for months to pull together Humboldt’s flagship Christian celebration. The day starts with a 3Kwalk/5Krun at 8 a.m., with about 80 participants already signed up. Following a brief lull to permit runners and walkers to catch their breath, Biblesta will launch into non-stop activities until well past nightfall. First up at 10:30 is an interview by Lloyd Houk of Kevin
Olson, whose autobiography, “Learning To Live With It,” tells how he learned to cope with being paralyzed from the shoulders down following a diving accident in July 1991. Olson, 42, grew up on a farm near Chanute and was an allstate basketball player at Chanute High School. Since 1993, he has devoted his life to kids by tutoring at elementary schools and speaking at schools and churches. “We have some great entertainment,” noted Barnett, his enthusiasm unabated, with a reunion concert by the “3” Rusty Nails and an appearance by the Missourians before the 1:30 p.m. parade. The “3” Rusty Nails originated with Houk, Mike Farran, Humboldt, and Ricky Yeager, Le Roy. All are involved in the ministry and carried their message to auSee BIBLESTA | Page A4
Front to back, John Scovill, Chris Bauer and Larry Barnett put finishing touches on the Lions Club float for the Biblesta parade. REGISTER/ STEVEN SCHWARTZ
El Jimador, an American dream By KAYLA BANZET kayla@iolaregister.com
Feverish activity is evident at 902 N. State Street. Day and night Mario de Loera and his two partners are working diligently to open an authentic Mexican restaurant, El Jimador. El Jimador translates as a farmer who harvests agave. “He is a farmer who works hard,” de Loera said Wednesday afternoon at the site of the new restaurant. “I saw the name on this big sign,” he said. “We had so many names down but we decided on El Jimador.” The name is fitting for the restaurant because de Loera and his partners Gerardo Gonzalez and Marcos Macias have worked very hard to fol-
low their dream. “It has always been a dream to open a restaurant,” de Loera said. “We saw how much money you could make so we put ourselves together to follow the ‘American Dream.’” Work to organize the restaurant began Sept. 8. De Loera came to the U.S. from Mexico in 1998 and has worked at various jobs throughout the years. He has 12 years of restaurant experience. The other men have restaurant experience as well. De Loera said the men wanted to have a voice in this type of business. “Another reason to open this restaurant was because working at some From left, Gerardo Gonzalez, Mario De Loera and Marcos Macias are business part-
See DREAM | Page A4 ners in their newest venture — El Jimador restaurant on North State Street. REGISTER/ KAYLA BANZET
Insurances rates lowest in SEK with new exchange By DRS. LEANN BELL and ROBERT ST. PETER Kansas Health Policy
After more than three years of preparation and debate, the health insurance marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act opened this week for enrollment in coverage starting as early as Jan. 1. The Kansas marketplace is run by the federal government, as are those in 25 other states. Marketplace basics
Health insurance marketplaces allow individuals and small businesses to compare and buy health insurance. The marketplaces were included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to increase access to health insurance, which most U.S. citizens will be required to have starting in 2014. Private insurance companies offer the health insurance plans, which must cover a standard set of benefits that include common health services. No one seeking insurance can be denied coverage or charged more due to health status or pre-existing conditions. The cost of coverage is based on the number and age of those covered, where they live, smoking status and the level of cost-sharing desired. For most people with limited income, the federal government will pro-
vide financial assistance to buy insurance in the marketplace. Individuals and employers in Kansas will continue to be able to buy insurance outside the marketplace and, with some limitations, can choose to keep the same insurance they now have. The number of Kansans who choose to purchase their insurance through the marketplace will depend on how appealing they find the plans and the prices offered. Does Kansas have a good selection of plans?
The Kansas marketplace includes 72 plans sold by four companies: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City, Coventry Health Care of Kansas and Coventry Health and Life Insurance. Plans sold on the marketplace are arranged in four coverage tiers — bronze, silver, gold and platinum — plus “catastrophic” plans that are available only to people who are under age 30 or meet specific criteria. All plans cover roughly the same services, but the tiers differ based on cost-sharing features. Consumers who purchase a bronze tier plan will pay, on average, lower premiums for the insurance but a higher share of the deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance for health care. Consumers who purchase a
Quote of the day Vol. 115, No. 240
On Tuesday the Kansas marketplace opened and began offering a variety of health insurance plans, and their costs vary up to 20 percent across the state. KHI’s map provides a view of “benchmark plan” costs across seven rating areas in Kansas. platinum tier plan will pay more in premiums but a lower share of the cost of health care they receive. Gold and silver plans have monthly premiums and cost-sharing requirements that fall between those for bronze and platinum plans. Catastrophic plans
“Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope.” — Josh Billings 75 Cents
are low-cost, high-deductible plans that require the enrollee to meet a substantial deductible before providing benefits, with the exception of providing many free preventive care services required by the ACA. See ACA | Page A3
Hi: 89 Lo: 71 Iola, KS