The
IOLA REGISTER Monday, March 11, 2013
Locally owned since 1867
Bideau’s rural roots have role in decisions By BOB JOHNSON
bob@iolaregister.com
Ed Bideau doubts two proposed constitutional amendments will pass the Kansas House. Bideau, whose Ninth House District includes Allen County, said here Saturday morning amendments to change the way appellate judges are selected and how education funding is determined were unlikely to attract the necessary two-thirds vote of 84 in the House. The judicial selection amendment would have the Senate confirm a nominee made by the governor, rather than have the governor select from among three nominees proposed by a lawyer-led com-
mittee. The other amendment would shift responsibility to the Legislature for determining funding for an adequate and equitable education for Kansas children. Orders by the Supreme Court to increase education funding have riled legislators, even though based on studies made on their behalf. Bideau said his opposition to the appellate court amendment came from a decision in “1963 or ’64 to change Senate representation.” Previously, Kansas senators were selected by territories of three counties, much the same as federally with two U.S. senators from See BIDEAU | Page A4
BASKETBALL KU, K-State share title See B1
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THE COWS HAVE COME HOME
Above, a semi-trailer truck, with clearance lights ablaze, is ready to discharge Strickler Dairy cows that returned to the local farm Friday. At right, the new milking barn is not far from completion at the Strickler Dairy farm. By BOB JOHNSON
bob@iolaregister.com
Register/Bob Johnson
Ninth District Rep. Ed Bideau visits with Iolan Larry Macha prior to a presentation here Saturday morning.
Friday night the first milk from a Strickler cow entered the collection stream in the dairy’s new milk parlor, built to replace one destroyed in a Jan. 21 fire. About 350 cows were shipped within 24 hours after the fire to several dairies, as far away as Syracuse, to maintain their production. The cows’ return began late last week and was completed when 95 arrived in three trucks at dusk Friday from Syracuse.
Register/Bob Johnson
“I got a call from my herdsman late Friday night that milking of the first cow in the new parlor started at 10:42,” owner Steve Strickler said. “We still have a few springer heifers (those about to have calves) at a friend’s dairy near Newton.”
While mechanical milkers were off line during reconstruction, Strickler noted that six cows stayed at the dairy, a stone’s throw northeast of Iola’s city limit, and were milked by hand. In an earlier story, StrickSee COWS | Page A4
Rail trail event good venue for safety, health lessons By ALLISON TINN
allison@iolaregister.com
A little bit of rain couldn’t keep bikers, hikers, walkers and avid nature-goers away from the Prairie Spirit Trail open house Saturday at Riverside Park. The open house, hosted by the Prairie Spirit Rail Trail State Park, was an opportunity to showcase the new Southwind Trail, a free extension of the Prairie Spirit Trail that goes from Iola to Humboldt, and to learn about the existing trail that runs from Iola all the way to Ottawa. The Southwind Trail, spearheaded by Thrive Allen County and local volunteers, opened in the fall of 2012 but has already seen a good amount of users. Thrive program director Damaris Kunkler said its early success is in part because “it better reflects where Iolans want to go.” A variety of booths were set up at the open house to educate interested trail users on how to be smart while on and
before getting on the trail. The Allen County Hospital set up a booth with Neosho County Community College nursing students giving out free wellness tests. The nursing students gathered blood pressure, height, weight and age to help calculate an accurate body mass index (BMI) reading. DeeDee Martin and Christie Joyce with the SEK Multi County Health Department provided abundant literature about public health and adult immunizations. Each year on average more than 50,000 U.S. adults die from vaccine-preventable diseases or their complications. Martin said the health department’s mission is to prevent, promote and protect public health. Some of the services the health department offers are family planning, adult physicals, pregnancy tests, blood pressure and blood sugar checks and hearing and vision See TRAIL | Page A4
Register/Allison Tinn
Rotarian Ed Abbott, left, shows Harold Gilbreth and Trent McCown with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, how the Sawyer water filtration system works using water from the Neosho River.
Sequester hasn’t hit home By STEVEN THOMMA McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — The budget cuts in Washington have not hit home in America, at least not yet. A plurality of U.S. residents think federal spending cuts will have no effect at all on them or their families, according to a new McClatchy-Marist Poll. At the same time, just as many think the cuts will have no effect or a positive effect on the overall economy as think the cuts will hurt the economy, the survey found. The numbers indicate how the politics of the spending fight in Washington have yet to be settled in the country, and why the two major parties could continue to struggle to
reach an agreement in budget debates. President Barack Obama has not yet convinced the majority that the cuts will be bad for them and their country. He has hoped the country would rise up in anger at the spending cuts and force Republicans to agree to an alternative plan to curb the deficit that would include tax increases and fewer spending cuts. And the impact of the spending cuts being implemented are unlikely to become any clearer before Obama and Congress move on to other budget debates in coming weeks. Unpaid days off for some federal workers, for example, will not start for several more weeks at least. “In the early innings, people are not seeing the immediacy of this,” said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist InVol. 115, No.94
stitute for Public Opinion at Marist College in New York, which conducted the poll. “They do think its going to be more negative than positive. They’re worried about a fragile economy. But in terms of themselves, almost half don’t think it’s going to have an effect. They feel isolated from the impact.” Forty-nine of registered voters said the current cuts will have no impact at all on them or their families. Thirty-nine percent said the cuts would have a negative impact, and 10 percent said they would have a positive impact. Independents and Republicans are more likely to see no effect. Among independents, 52 percent expect no effect, 39 percent expect a negative effect, and 7 percent expect a positive effect. See CUTS | Page A4
Agony of defeat
Register/Richard Luken
Humboldt High’s Nathan Whitcomb (11) rests his eyes while teammate Hunter Murrow looks on Saturday at the end of the Class 3A state championship game in Hutchinson. The Cubs lost their first game of the season, 74-55, to Scott City. 75 Cents
Iola, KS