Inside: House race grows intense See A2
2017 1867
Sports: Humboldt squads victorious See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Teacher let go, despite supporters By RICK DANLEY The Iola Register
More than 60 area residents crowded into the USD 257 district office Monday evening to hear the board’s decision regarding the career fate of middle school science teacher David Cunningham, who was suspended with pay in March. The crowd, which includ-
ed Cunningham’s friends, family, church members, and nearly 20 of his students, were there in support of the second- David Cunningham year teacher. A handful of those gathered even rose in his defense: Carlyle Presby-
terian’s Pastor Steve Traw, a longtime friend of the Cunningham family, defended the teacher’s good character and urged the board to “keep him in our school system.” Community National Bank president Jim Gilpin echoed Traw’s assessment of the young man and underlined for the board the importance of supporting Iola alumni, like Cunningham, who, after
receiving their college degree, return to their hometown to make their careers. Seventh-grader Tyler Crane, a student of Cunningham’s, offered a first-hand rebuttal to rumors accusing the teacher of using inappropriate language in the classroom. (The confidentiality of USD 257’s personnel decisions are legally protected under the Kansas Open Meetings Act,
FUN FISHING The CLO Day Service Group, led by Deanna Byrd, embarked on its first fishing outing of the year Monday. Here, Kat shows off the perch she caught at Santa Fe Lake, Chanute. REGISTER/SHELLIE SMITLEY
Iola Council discusses pool incentives City seeks to fill vacancy
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Iola City Council members were receptive to making the Iola Municipal Pool more accessible to youngsters this summer, but they aren’t sure the right course of action would be to provide free passes to students who earn A’s on their final report card. Georgia Masterson approached the Council Monday night on behalf of Humanity House, a local nonprofit that assists local families in need. One of its aims, Masterson said, was to remove the stigma many impoverished families — especially children — feel when isolated
Iola City Council members honored outgoing Councilman Austin Sigg, who res i g n e d his seat Austin Sigg because he has moved out of the city’s Third Ward and thus is ineligible from
Iolan Eddie Radford addresses Iola City Council members Monday during a condemnation hearing. Radford later was ordered to remove the trailer house and clear his property at 26 N. Third St. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN from regular summertime activities. Allowing more to go to the pool removes one of those stigmas. The pool passes also would create an incentive for youngsters to keep up their
grades, she continued. The incentive would be made available to all USD 257 students from grades 3 to 12, about 600 kids. A one-day See POOL | Page A3
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Old City Hall: Albatross or opportunity? By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
HUMBOLDT — A century ago Humboldt’s new City Hall, on the southeast corner of Seventh and Bridge streets, was as spiffy as they come. City staff eagerly availed themselves of the offices; police officers, in long, dark coats and shiny badges, took up residence in the rear of the building. A water spigot, attached to a hose held aloft
by an enabling pipe, filled tanks aboard horse-drawn wagons. Monday night City Administrator Cole Herder asked council members to come up with ideas for what could be done with the building that for the past few years has served as little more than a display case for a monument company. The building now sits vacant, save for cramped quar-
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Sen. Caryn Tyson, weighed in on taxes and school funding Monday at the USD 258 Board of Education meeting. REGISTER/SHELLIE SMITLEY
Sen. Tyson addresses Humboldt school board By SHELLIE SMITLEY The Iola Register
HUMBOLDT — Representative of the 12th district, Sen. Caryn Tyson, weighed in on taxes and educational funding Monday at the USD 258 Board of Education meeting. By a vote of 37 to 3, both Democrats and Republicans voted against Senate Bill 214 last week, which would have made Kansas the ninth state with a single income tax rate regardless of earnings level. Although critics of the bill said that it would hurt lowincome people most, Tyson refuted the claim. “The committee had increased the standard deduction to $6,300 for single, $12,600 married filing jointly and $9,300 head of household,” Tyson said. “That is more than double what the current standard deductions are. We made it equal to what the federal standard deductions were.” The bill’s plan called for an increase in state revenue of $295 million the first year and $1.6 billion over a fiveyear period, falling short of what is needed. In the next two years alone the state faces a $1.1 billion deficit. Tyson, who is the chairman of the Tax Committee, admitted the bill was not perfect, adding, “As soon as the governor came out and said he supported it everyone fell off the bill whether they supported it or not,” she said. Tyson said she does not See TYSON | Page A2
See HUMBOLDT | Page A2
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and so it is not known publicly whether this accusation actually formed any part of the district’s rationale for reconsidering the teacher’s terms of employment.) Finally, Iolan Karen Gilpin handed the board a petition containing more than 700 signatures in support of Cunningham. But their appeals, while
“We boil at different degrees.”
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