Sports: Alabama rallies past Clemson in title game See B3 and B4
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Buildings donated for area tech ed program By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register
The dream of a career and technical education center for area students took on real life Monday night when it was announced Ray Maloney, LaHarpe businessman, purchased the former Diebolt Lumber & Supply and donated two of the buildings for the purpose of a tech ed program. “He has offered us the largest of the buildings and the former showroom office building,” Jack Koehn, USD 257 superintendent of schools, told board members at their meeting Monday night.
Slaugh to retire
Carl Slaugh, Iola’s city administrator since 2011, will retire in July. Slaugh, 67, made the announcement at Monday’s City Council Carl Slaugh meeting, noting his contract required him to give six-month notice of any pending changes in his employment. Slaugh noted his contract expired in July. He said he would assist the city in its search for his replacement. Slaugh retired from a 20year Air Force career with the thought of teaching. Bad timing forced a detour, when Slaugh moved to Lawrence too late to find a teaching position for the upcoming school year. Undeterred, Slaugh instead decided to return to college. Over four years, he earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas in 1998. He then worked for two years as a capital improvement coordinator in Merriam. From there, he served four years as city administrator in Hiawatha and three more in Basehor, before coming to Iola in 2011.
HUMBOLDT — City council members OK’d a request Monday night from Delbert Shields for a cowboy-themed parade and associated events in downtown Humboldt on July 23. Shields, a Humboldt plumber, is perhaps better known for his talents as a crooner and poet of cowboy lore. He is part of “Best of America by Horseback,” a television series about to start its 11th year with RFD-TV, a channel that ca-
See 257 | Page A6
Study recommends added crosswalks for curve By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Iola should have crosswalks at the intersection of U.S. 54 and Oak Street and at the old Allen County Hospital curve, the Kansas Department of Transportation recommended. The crosswalks should handle the number of kids who cross the street each day walking to and from school. A KDOT study of the highway from Oak to First streets — including the hospital curve — indicates traffic is busy enough that the area should also be designated as a school zone. Carl Slaugh presented the study to the Iola City Council Monday. The study looked at traffic along the highway over a two-day period in mid-October. The study comes as developers continue plans for a new grocery store and apartment complexes at the old Allen County Hospital site now that the old hospital has been demolished. Council members said they were eager to see a crosswalk added at the intersection of U.S. 54 and Oak Street, while opting to take a closer look at a See CURVE | Page A3
Mike Ford visits Monday with Iola City Council members about a banner project to recognize local veterans in downtown Iola. Holding the banner is Tom Nevans. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Iola Council considers rate hikes By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
With Iola still struggling to keep its water and electric reserves in the black, City Council members will look once again at rate increases. City Administrator Carl
Humboldt to host cowboys in July By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
The large complex is a mile south of U.S. 54, almost dead center of Allen County. “We were wondering what our next step would be because we didn’t have a site for such a program. By golly, we have a place now,” said a very enthused chief. “I’d like to take the opportunity to publicly thank Mr. Maloney for his generous gift,” said Koehn. “We’re very excited about what opportunities this means for area students.” Classes offered could include welding, building trades, masonry, electrical, HVAC and
ters to horse lovers and, to a greater degree, those who either live or fancy rural life. “Everyone likes horses,” Shields said, as he sketched plans for a parade, following about the same route as Biblesta, along with yet-to-bedecided community events. “We’d like to have a cowboy poetry and music concert in the evening. We also could have vendors and I think the parade will draw people from a wide area.” He recalled an ambitious trail ride in which he participated in 2009 that covered
Quote of the day Vol. 118, No. 52
better than 2,200 miles from Mexico to Canada. “We participated in seven parades along the way and started five rodeos.” Events similar to what he proposed for Humboldt have been held in Lawrence and Tonganoxie, and “were wellattended.” He suggested a parade starting time of 1 p.m., to allow spectators time to drive to Humboldt. “Don’t cowboys get up early,” asked Mayor Nobby Davis. “Maybe then we could have a chuck See HUMBOLDT | Page A6
Slaugh said Monday he was prepared to request a series of increases over the next four years for both water and electricity. “If we increased water rates 7 percent (a year) over four years, that’d get us the minimum necessary to have
cash flow to prevent going into the red with our bond payments,” Slaugh said. Water rates are sufficient to meet annual expenses, except for the city’s annual $670,000 bond payment for See BUDGET | Page A3
Fate of Walter Johnson Field still up in the air By RICK DANLEY The Iola Register
HUMBOLDT — An alert crowd of about a dozen turned up at Monday’s school board meeting to weigh in on the future of the Walter Johnson Athletic Field, which USD 258 — who owns and maintains the stadium but hardly uses it — is hoping to pass on to a more dynamic steward. It was the first in a series of discussions on the subject,
“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.” — David Bowie 75 Cents
promised Superintendent Kay Lewis. “Currently, we are not utilizing the facility. We would like to know what some of the options that you as a concerned community might have, some ideas.” Notions floated during the half-hour work session ranged in ambition and plausibility: A regional headquarters for Fellowship of Christian Athletes; a rec center, on the order of Burlington’s, See FIELD | Page A3
Hi: 35 Lo: 24 Iola, KS