Inside: STEM projects draw a crowd See A3
2017 1867
Sports: Wildcats win thriller over St. Paul See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Thursday, May 11, 2017
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EFFORT, TALENT REWARDED By RICK DANLEY The Iola Register
Whatever potion the Heslop family is brewing in their back lab, they should bottle it and sell it in restaurants. For the second year in a row, Troy and Adisa Heslop will watch a daughter cross the stage at a high school graduation ceremony bearing the special honor of valedictorian. This coming Saturday, Alexis Heslop and three of her brightest classmates will be recognized for maintaining 4.0 grade point averages across the whole of their respective high school careers. Heslop follows closely on the heels of Taylor, her “super smart” (credit: Alexis) sister, who stockpiled A’s during her four years at IHS, too. HESLOP will attend Allen Community College in the fall — and for next to nothing, too, thanks to the Presidential Scholarship — before transferring to Pittsburg State University, where she will major in nursing. After
Council member files for mayor By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
say: “Too many people, not enough trees.” And she offers this summary of what it means to attend a high school the size of Iola’s, and what it means to “know” all of your schoolmates: “It means you are ac-
Jon Wells, who has served on the Iola City Council since 2013, has thrown his hat into the ring to be the city’s next mayor. Wells filed We d n e s d a y, Jon Wells County Clerk Sherrie Riebel said. Wells was appointed to the Council in June 2013 to represent Iola’s Ward 1, then ran unopposed for re-election in 2015. Wells saw the opportunity
See HESLOP | Page A5
See WELLS | Page A5
Alexis Heslop has maintained a 4.0 grade point average while also holding down a job that keeps her up past midnight five days a week. REGISTER/RICK DANLEY graduation, she hopes to be certified as a midwife. Besides being a great student, Heslop is a maestro of poetic concision. Asked why she wants to be a midwife, the instantly likable Heslop regales the hearer with blunt logic: “I don’t like small children, but I love babies.”
Asked why, given the novelty and cultural enticements of the big city, she wants to return to Iola after she completes her college education — in other words, why wouldn’t a smart, young professional instead want to make her life in, say, Kansas City? — Heslop has this to
SOMETHING FOR MOM
Reno and Eva, doberman pinschers registered with Therapy Dogs International, promote literacy by volunteering for the “Tail Waggin Tutors” reading program, as well as helping others cope with stressful situations.
Dogs visit students By SHELLIE SMITLEY The Iola Register
Allen Community College students got some muchneeded therapy from the stress of preparing for finals today with the help of two canine volunteers. Reno and Eva, 5 and 3 years old respectively, are doberman
pinschers registered with Therapy Dogs International. Their owner, Sandy Woodruff, whose son Josef attends the college, has raised the dobermans since they were pups. This is the second time they have visited with ACC students. Woodruff pitched the idea See TAILS | Page A5
Kindergartners Jesse Clawson, right, 5, and Jessica Maloney prepare their Mother’s Day cards Wednesday in Linda Johnson’s class at McKinley Elementary School. Jesse adorned his card with hearts, a skill he learned earlier in the day. REGISTER/SUSAN LYNN
Senate rejects revived tax plan By JIM MCLEAN and STEPHEN KORANDA Kansas News Service
After several false starts, the Kansas Senate on Wednesday finally debated a tax bill. But after a brief debate, Democrats and conservative Republicans voted for different reasons to reject the bill. Two Democrats joined 16 moderate Republicans in voting for the bill, which failed, 22-18. Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, who represents Allen County, was among the “no” votes.
The seven Democrats who voted against the measure said they feared it would not generate sufficient revenue to both balance the state budget and increase funding for public schools by enough to satisfy the Kansas Supreme Court. Sen. Lynn Rogers, a Wich-
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ita Democrat, said like many new members, he ran for the Legislature to fix the budget problems triggered by the income tax cuts that Gov. Sam Brownback pushed through in 2012, when conservative Republicans were firmly in control. “While this (bill) makes many of the right moves in that direction, it does not fix school funding,” Rogers said. Fifteen conservative Republicans, including Senate President Susan Wagle of Wichita, opposed raising See SENATE | Page A5
LaHarpe gets go-ahead to proceed with electric upgrades By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
LAHARPE — After nearly four months after being informed LaHarpe was going to receive grant funding for improvements to its electric distribution system, the city has been notified that it can proceed with the work. Mayor Mae Crowell announced at Wednesday’s City Council meeting that the recent federal budget deal freed up a $400,000 Community Development Block Grant that had been announced for La-
“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.” — Ernest Hemingway 75 Cents
Harpe’s electric system. The grant will fund roughly half of the improvements, with the city responsible for the other half with financing that will be paid off through higher electric meter fees. After learning in January LaHarpe would be awarded the grant, the city was cautioned not to begin the electric improvement project too quickly, because of concerns within the federal budget. (The grant is funded with federal dollars administered See LAHARPE | Page A5
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