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THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
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Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Iola council digs into housing
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Iola City Council members agree there’s no magic bullet to solving local housing issues. Builders are reluctant to construct new homes without knowing there’s a buyer — particularly if they know the home itself is not as valuable as the materials used in its construction. Prospective buyers, meanwhile, find it hard to save up money to buy a home if they’re paying as much, or more, in rent as they would mortgage. The housing discussion at Monday’s council meeting was prompted by a report from Iola City Administrator Carl Slaugh about a housing development workshop he attended recently in Wichita. Rural communities like Iola are hamstrung because of high construction costs, Slaugh reported.
Making way for change By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
The Northrup-Warren house’s days are numbered. The 93-year-old house, which was the subject of a protest last summer by those hoping to see the Tudor-style brick home saved, will be demolished in the coming days, Jan Knewtson confirmed.
Knewtson is president of the Friends of the Bowlus, which owns the house and property on which it sits. Crews began removing doors, windows and other items from the home this week. A demolition permit signed with the city gives crews six months to complete the demolition. It will occur much quicker
than that, Knewtson said. The Friends plan is to have the home removed to allow for construction of a loading dock, handicap-accessible elevator, handicap parking stalls and a plaza space for outdoor activities. Landscaping also will be added. “We’ll do much of the work, See HOUSE | Page A4
College endorses plan to keep farm, ag program By KAYLA BANZET The Iola Register
ACC administrators decided to hold their horses on selling the college farm. College president John Masterson read a statement suspending his recommendation to sell the college farm at Tuesday’s trustees meeting of Allen Community College. Since last summer trustees and college administrators have looked into the agriculture program and the use of the college farm. The farm was brought to the trustee’s attention last summer after an evaluation showed the pro-
gram’s enrollment numbers were slipping and the farm appeared to be used only by eight scholarship students who lived in the Zahn Scholarship House. A farm manager also lives on the farm. Masterson John Masterson investigated an appraisal of the farm while Jon Marshall, vice president of academic affairs, worked with the agriculture department instructors to utilize the farm more. “We feel we can continue to
grow our ag program,” Masterson said. Masterson said ag instructors will continue to focus on recruitment of students to the program and continue to build their relationship with Kansas State University and other four-year institutions. Masterson said they will continue to monitor the ag program. “As we look for ways in which to cut expenses, nothing can be left off the table,” he said. “The farm must become more than a place for eight students and a manager to live.” Zahn Scholarship student
Leah Schultz thanked the trustees for not selling the farm. “We already have a list of items we need to do to make the farm look more presentable,” Schultz said. “We have more and more people visiting the farm.” Scholarship student Dakota Ferguson said the farm has already been a big asset to him. “I grew up on a farm and being here, I’ve already learned so much from the program and the other students,” he said.
“It puts a damper on construction,” he said. “Everybody wants affordable housing, regardless of income level. The ones at the lowest end have the hardest time in finding places to buy or rent. That’s usually where we put our resources.” Slaugh recommended the city have a housing assessment done, in which a large spectrum of the community is surveyed on their housing issues. The assessment gives developers a truer sense of a community’s needs. Slaugh also touched on resources available through the state and federal government — or lack thereof. “There’s, frankly, not a lot of funding available,” Slaugh said. “One of the funding sources through the state will fund housing projects, but there’s only $2 million for the whole state. As with most grant situations, they have a lot more people See COUNCIL | Page A4
Candidate forums Saturday
THE trustees approved a
Two forums Saturday will give voters a chance to better know candidates in several local elections. Candidates for Allen Community College trustee positions (9 a.m.), Iola council (10 a.m.) and USD 257 (11 a.m.) will be in the Iola High School commons. In the Humboldt High School cafeteria candidates for Humboldt’s council (9
See ACC | Page A3
See FORUM | Page A4
GOP panel OKs school funding plan TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Republican plan for overhauling education funding in Kansas cleared a GOPdominated House committee Tuesday despite bipartisan criticism that lawmakers are moving too quickly in imposing dramatic changes that could hurt public schools.
GOP leaders who drafted the plan argue that they’re helping schools by giving them predictable funding through the 2016-17 school year in difficult budget times. The plan also would help the state control costs by junking its per-student aid formula, which in some years has
forced unanticipated but automatic increases in aid. The House Appropriations Committee approved a bill containing GOP leaders’ plan on a voice vote, sending it to the full House for a debate that could occur later See FUNDING | Page A4
Airport to get new fueling system By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
St. John’s breakfast Chris Elmenhorst serves Joanne McIntyre biscuits and gravy at the St. John’s Lenten breakfast this morning. The next breakfast will be at First Baptist Church, 801 N. Cottonwood St., on March 18. REGISTER/RICK DANLEY
Quote of the day Vol. 117, No. 90
Allen County commissioners approved expenditure of nearly $94,000 Tuesday morning to install a new fueling system at the county airport. They dipped into airport funds for the project.
The upgrade has been on drawing boards for some time, and is expected to draw more pilots for fuel stops. Lower-priced fuel has been Allen County’s advantage, but an older fueling system has discouraged some. Mitch Garner, airport director, pointed out with current equipment 28 gallons of
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” — William Butler Yeats 75 Cents
jet fuel could be dispensed in a minute. The new system will permit flow of 100 gallons a minute. Typically, he said, an average fueling involved about 700 gallons, but large aircraft take on as much as 3,000 gallons. To load 3,000 gallons See COUNTY | Page A4
Hi: 75 Lo: 43 Iola, KS