Tuesday, May 12, 2020
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Graduation plans still up in the air By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
Here’s hoping the third time’s a charm. The USD 257 school board will try again to come up with some sort of graduation ceremony, after COVID-19 restrictions canceled the original May 9 graduation for Iola High School’s Class of 2020, and after state officials put the kibosh on an alternate drive-through/walk-through ceremony scheduled for Saturday. This time, IHS Principal Scott Crenshaw will incorporate the help of a group of seniors who came up with their own graduation plan in protest to the district’s canceled
May 16 plan. Yes, that’s a lot of plans. And there’s still no guarantee the state will allow any of them. THE DISTRICT announced Wednesday a plan to allow each senior and a small number of family members to drive to the school, then walk into the gym to receive a diploma. The plan was approved by the county health officer, but state officials on Thursday clarified that no graduation ceremonies — of any sort — are allowed until May 18. But even then, the state will limit gatherings to 30 people See 257 | Page A5
Iola High School seniors Brody Nemecek, Sadrie Overall and Kelsey Morrison tell USD 257 board members what they want in a graduation ceremony, although it’s still not known if any ceremony will be allowed in the coming months. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS
City extends EMS pact with county Storm cleanup work continues
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Street improvements in Humboldt will be put off because of the economic impact of COVID-19. REGISTER FILE PHOTO
Humboldt halts street work projects By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
HUMBOLDT — Lower sales tax receipts and sales of gasoline have forced Humboldt city commissioners to stall the plan to improve city streets, they said at their meeting Monday night. Even with the additional half-cent sales tax approved by voters last year, the city is looking at a drop in income of $30,000 to $50,000, said Cole Herder, city administrator. The additional tax was expected to bring in $120,000 a year. Across the state, sales tax revenues are expected to drop anywhere from 25% to 40% because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Herder said. Until a vaccine is developed to contain the highly contagious disease, it’s difficult to determine when exactly “normal” will return. Funding for a new grocery store still has yet to materialize, he added. BG Consultants had prepared two plans for this year’s street program. One, costing $574,000, would Vol. 122, No. 138 Iola, KS 75 Cents
have addressed 12th Street from Bridge Street past Sweatt Park and connecting to Wulf Drive, a distance of about 12 blocks. The work was for five inches of asphalt, drainage upgrades and sidewalk ramps to accommodate ADA requirements. Option 2 is more ambitious, with about 33 blocks of street improvements by way of chip-and-seal treatment, as well as the 12th Street rebuild. The cost: $1 million. Both would depend on asking the Kansas Department of Transportation to chip in 85% of the funding, as well as application for a Community Development Block Grant, and in-kind work by county crews. With a Monday deadline for any KDOT grant applications, city officials agreed to postpone the plans. With large-scale improvements on the back burner, Herder did report the city has a new device to repair potholes. In a week’s time more than 100 potholes have been repaired as See STREETS | Page A3
Iola’s contract to provide emergency medical services to the county is likely to be extended a year under the terms of the current pact. City Council members agreed to extend the contract after Interim City Administrator Corey Schinstock reported the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has essentially prevented any hopes of renegotiating the pact before it expires. The contract ends Dec. 31, but the terms stipulate the city or county must give a sixmonth notice if they plan to not extend the agreement. “I don’t think we can get a full negotiation done in the next month,” Mayor Jon Wells said. Wells encouraged Council members to approve the ex-
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Jill Hartman of the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce speaks Monday with Iola City Council members. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
tension “for the interests of public health.” “We are doing a great job,” See CITY | Page A5
Cleanup work continues in Iola from the extensive storm damage from the morning of May 3. In a brief summation to City Council members Monday, Interim Iola City Administrator Corey Schinstock said limb pickup may extend to Memorial Day, while electric crews continue to do longterm repairs to the line of utility poles toppled in the storm. As of Monday, crews See CLEANUP | Page A6
Iola’s Lower soars higher on the mat
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USD 258 has eyes on July 12 By TREVOR HOAG The Iola Register
Humboldt High School has a tentative graduation date for 2 p.m. Sunday, July 12. USD 258 officials did not set a location at their meeting Monday night, but the Humboldt sports complex was mentioned, since it would provide more “opportunities to put people six feet apart,” according to Kay Lewis, school superintendent. According to Lewis, there
is “no way to have graduation in Phase I” of Gov. Laura Kelly’s reopening plan, which extends to Monday. Until then, the number of people attending public gatherings cannot exceed 10, and the state has issued special directions that graduation events cannot be held during this timeframe. In Phase II, public gatherings cannot exceed 30, and this phase can end no earlier See 258 | Page A3
Court to hear Trump tax case PAGE A2
Crest High School senior honored PAGE A3
Please wait until asked for advice PAGE B5