Sports: Chiefs ready to resume action See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
www.iolaregister.com
USD 257
School board hedges on sidewalks Funds instead used to pay for football field improvements By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
The football stadium in Riverside Park won out over improving sidewalks that lead to area schools at Monday
night’s USD 257 school board meeting. Members agreed Monday night to contribute toward improving sidewalks as part of the Safe Routes to School program, but not at the level the city of Iola requested.
Board members were peeved at the short notice they were given to sign on for potential grant money. With a deadline of Nov. 20, the grant required a decision by Monday night’s meeting. They also thought the cost of the project, $180,300 was in excess. “I think (projected cost) is severely inflated. Twenty dollars per linear foot is pretty
high,” said Scott Stanley, director of operations. If the grant application is successful, it would foot 80 percent of estimated cost. The city proposed the remaining 20 percent, $36,000, be split between Iola and the district. “We don’t have that deep a pocket,” said board member Buck Quincy. Board members settled on contributing $5,000, which, if
the city agrees, would leave it paying $31,000, provided the grant application is successful. A stumbling block for several board members was that some of the proposed improvements did not affect sidewalks that directly connect to schools and several sidewalks that the district had deemed hazardous, inSee BOE | Page A2
PITCH PERFECT
CITY OF IOLA
Council OK’s stripes for Kentucky By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Iola City Council members agreed Monday that North Kentucky Street should have markings to make travel safer. Just how many markings the street should have remains in question. Council members voted, 5-0, to put white lines along both edges of Kentucky, from North Dakota (Strickler Road) to Oregon Road. If it can be worked out — if the road isn’t too narrow — the Council also wants to see a center stripe added. The lane width may be an issue, Assistant City Administrator Corey Schinstock said. An engineer that looked at the street recommended lanes be at least 10 feet wide. However, Kentucky is only 22 feet across from Oregon to Miller Road. Unless crews put stripes on the edge of the asphalt, the inSee IOLA | Page A3
Music highlighting great literary works will be the feature of Sunday’s performance by the Iola Area Symphony Orchestra. At left, Elka Billings, 13, Iola, and Suzanne Street, Fort Scott, play their violas at a rehearsal Monday night. Above, Dan Johnson, Iola, left, and Norman Jones, Savonburg, play the trumpet. The performance begins at 3 p.m. in the main auditorium of the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. Admission is free for students and $5 for adults. Greg Turner, an instructor at Fort Scott Community College, directs the symphony. REGISTER/SUSAN LYNN
Humboldt eyes streets By RICK DANLEY The Iola Register
HUMBOLDT — City administrator Cole Herder laid the groundwork Monday evening for an extensive street rehabilitation project intended to renew the nearly 25 miles of in-
creasingly cracked, pot holed, patched, rutted and raveling roads that crisscross Humboldt. Armed with power point slides and a 24-page packet of stats and careful analysis, Herder walked council See HUMBOLDT | Page A3
Sheriff files for re-election By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
Sheriff Bryan Murphy filed for re-election to a second four-year term Monday. While the filing deadline is June 1 for the election a year hence, Murphy, 51, said he saw no reason to wait, since he long ago had decided to seek a second term. “I want citizens to know I’m interested and eager to continue serving them.” “I think we’ve done some
good things for the community, and that’s the reason I want to stay as sheriff, for the community,” he said. “Everything is going well and I have a terrific Bryan Murphy staff.” With the addition of Mike Aronson, coming over from Iola Police Department, on See SHERIFF | Page A2
Adopt-A-Child wish lists available
Protests lead to university officials’ ouster
Jonathan Butler speaks for the Concerned Students 1950 at a press conference at the University of Missouri Monday. The protests led to Monday’s resignation of two top university officials. See related stories on A6 and B1. KANSAS CITY STAR/ALLISON LONG/TNS
Quote of the day Vol. 118, No. 12
Roughly 200 children of all ages are in need of some holiday help this Christmas season. The kids’ wish lists have been made available through Adopt-A-Child, a longstanding benevolent effort spearheaded the past several years by Iolans Cheryl Sparks, Barbie Daugharthy and Teresa Gribble. Sparks hopes to have all 200 kids accounted for by Thanksgiving. “Now is a good time to give
“A precedent embalms a principle.” — Benjamin Disraeli, British statesman 75 Cents
us a call because we have such a wide variety of kids to buy for,” Sparks said. “Donors have a lot of choices.” Donors should call Sparks at 365-1789, Daugharthy at 365-5061 or Gribble at 3659103 for more information. Each child’s wish list includes clothing and shoe sizes, as well as some gift lists. While organizers have no set amount they require donors to spend, Sparks noted See HELPING | Page A2
Hi: 70 Lo: 57 Iola, KS