Mustangs come up short against Prairie View See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
www.iolaregister.com
Crying wolf with voter fraud? Kobach admits not referring any cases in 4½years
By ROXANA HEGEMAN The Associated Press
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the architect behind some of the nation’s strictest voter ID requirements, is asking lawmakers to give him the power to press voter fraud charges because he says prosecutors do not pursue cases he refers. The state’s top federal prosecutor, however, says Kobach has not sent any cases his way. Some county prosecutors say cases that have been referred did not justify prosecution.
Iola High School’s Scholars Bowl team captured a regional title Saturday and a berth in the upcoming Class 4A state meet in Wellington. Team members are, from left, Clarie Moran, Andrew Waldman, Garrett Prall, Jonathan Tidd and Clara Wicoff. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
IHS scholars earn regional crown By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
An ill-timed cell phone alert may have played a role in Iola High School’s regional Scholars Bowl championship. Iola students Clarie Moran, Garrett Prall, Jonathan Tidd, Andrew Waldman and Clara Wicoff racked up a 10-2 overall record at Saturday’s Class 4A Regional Scholars Bowl Championships, includ-
ing a perfect 5-0 mark in the championship round. Iola had easily dispatched its other final-round foes, Frontenac, Fort Scott and Spring Hill, but their next-tolast match of the day against Ottawa promised to be a bit tougher. Ottawa was one of the two schools to defeat Iola in the preliminary competition, noted Vince Coons, the Iola team’s adviser.
Allen County commissioners put Advantage Computer sleuths on the trail of missing emails Tuesday morning. County Clerk Sherrie Riebel explained that for some time, and particularly this month, her office had failed to capture emails sent
from the secretary of state’s office and other such official transmissions. Conversations with the company that hosts the county’s website, Netfirms, did not rectify problems, she said, and conversations only deepened frustrations. “We were told to try ‘this,’” Riebel said, and when that didn’t work, “to try it again.” She turned to Iola’s Ad-
See FRAUD | Page A2
Brownback rescinds protections for gays
“We were at just the second question of the round against Ottawa when one of their kids’ cell phones rang,” Coons said. Having a cell phone is grounds for automatic disqualification. Judges ended the match immediately and declared Iola the winner. “In all the meets I’ve been to, I’ve never seen a school
By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will no longer ban discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and the transgendered in hiring and employment in much of state government because of an action announced Tuesday by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. Brownback rescinded an executive order issued in August 2007 by then-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius barring discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The order applied to hiring and employment decisions by agencies under the governor’s direct control and required them to create anti-harassment policies as well.
See SCHOLARS | Page A2
Missing county emails bring change By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
The conservative Republican publicly chastised Kansas-based U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom late last year, telling Topeka television station WIBW he Kris Kobach had referred voter fraud cases to Grissom and that Grissom didn’t “know what he’s talking about” when he said voter fraud doesn’t exist in Kansas. But in a Nov. 6 letter sent from Grissom to Kobach and obtained by The Associated Press through an open records request, the prosecutor responded that his office received no such referrals from
vantage Computers for help, which has a history of working with the county. Steve Prasko, an ACE executive, assured commissioners his company’s technicians could restore email contacts and that going forward the county should have a better experience. A difference is price. The See COUNTY | Page A4
Brownback said Sebelius — a Democrat who went on to serve as President Barack Obama’s health secretary — acted “unilaterally” with her order and that any such changes should be made by the state Legislature. But Brownback, who became governor a little more than four years ago, didn’t say why he waited until now to rescind her directive. The national gay-rights group Human Rights Campaign condemned Brownback’s action as “foul, reckless, and shameful.” Brownback, who won a tough re-election race in November, acted less than three months after the federal courts cleared the way for gay See BROWNBACK | Page A4
‘Nothing but cuts’ hits ACC pocketbook
Old Gas school building may get coffee club By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
GAS — Two residents, Jack McKarnin and Rick Schulenberg, have offered to be at Gas’ fledgling community center to make coffee and host gatherings of citizens with time on their hands. Gas council members em-
braced the proposal Tuesday evening, but said it would be about two months before the daily morning ritual could start. Work to put on a new metal roof has started, thanks in large measure to Allen County paying nearly $15,000 for materials. City Superintendent Steve See GAS | Page A4
Quote of the day Vol. 117, No. 70
With lost state aid, Allen trustees OK tuition, fee hikes
College eyes online ag courses
By KAYLA BANZET The Iola Register
Agriculture students and instructors at Allen Community College are setting their sites on online learning. Jon Marshall, vice president for academic affairs, told ACC trustees Tuesday the ag program will catch the wave of online education, which has seen double-digit increases in enrollment. Jeff Nemecek, manager of the school’s farm, and ag instructors have met with Iola
Allen Community College students will see a slight increase in tuition and fees for the next academic year. Allen trustees approved a tuition, room and board, and fee increase after Gov. Brownback announced significant cuts to education last week. “We’ve received nothing but cuts and we’re looking at substantial additional cuts,” President John Masterson said. “In our instance, 40 percent of our revenue comes from the state.” The college receives funds from three separate entities: The local mill levy, state support and tuition and fees. Tuition will have a $3 in-
By KAYLA BANZET The Iola Register
crease and student fees will rise $2. This would put tuition at $60 per credit hour and fees at $20. Steve Troxel, vice president of finance and operations said, raising tuition and fees at this level would bring in approximately $162,000 in rev-
“You are remembered for the rules you break.”
— Gen. Douglas MacArthur
75 Cents
Dean Tosca Harris and Marshall to work on curriculum revisions and program objectives, including designing an agriculture orientation course for online students. Marshall said six unified school districts have expressed interest in such an introductory course. Kansas State University has expressed interest in working with ACC to develop an online agriculture curriculum, Marshall said. KSee COLLEGE | Page A4
enue a year if enrollment remains the same. Room and board at all residence halls will be $4,740 per academic year. Herynk Hall and Red Devil Duplexes will increase by $240. Masterson, See TUITION | Page A4
Hi: 42 Lo: 18 Iola, KS