Sports: Players receive all-league honors See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Thursday, June 12, 2014
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Bank to hold benefit for family Iolan seeks more animal control By KAREN INGRAM The Iola Register
Keshia Thompson, Iola, thought she had a normal life. She works as a teller at Great Southern Bank, was happily married with a young stepson and was looking forward to making the family grow with another child. “We’re as normal as can be,” she said. “My husband is a fireman here in Iola.” Her baby was not due until August, so she and her husband, Kenneth, had not even put the baby’s room together. They thought they had all summer. That all changed on April 16. Very suddenly, Thompson’s life was turned upside-down. Tiffany Johnston, teller supervisor at Great Southern Bank, was one of the first to find out something was wrong when Thompson contacted her to say she would not be coming in to work. “She texted me that morning and said she was having trouble and had to go to the
By KAREN INGRAM The Iola Register
Kenneth Thompson, left, and Keshia Thompson pose with their daughter, Klowie. COURTESY PHOTO hospital,” Johnston said. “She did and they said she was in labor.” Thompson’s water had bro-
ken. She was 10 centimeters dilated and in labor by the See THOMPSON | Page A5
An increase in fox activity and the ever-present problem of feral cats in Iola has led one City Council member to seek discussion about options to better utilize the city’s Animal Control services. Steve French, Iola, said there has been a problem with foxes, groundhogs and coyotes, particularly on the north and south sides of town. “I don’t want people to think I’m naive that we don’t have wild animals,” French said. Animals migrating through the area are normal, but he’s more concerned with the ones that are “staying and inhabiting the area permanently.” French said that several elderly women in his neighborhood have groundhogs living under their houses.
At first it was just one, and then it was killed by a car, but apparently it had babies before it died. French further encountered problems when he contacted Animal Control to remove the first groundhog. Currently, Animal Control, which is run by Code Enforcements, only captures loose dogs and animals that appear to be sick or may otherwise be dangerous. Feral cats and other nuisance animals are left up to citizens to take care of. Animal Control provides humane traps to the homeowner, who is expected to capture the animal and release it outside of town, then return the trap. Shonda Jefferis, code enforcement officer, explained they only have a part-time staff member dedicated to catching animals. Additionally, they have no weapons, so if the animal in question See ANIMAL | Page A5
LAHARPE COUNCIL
City officials consider new sales tax for streets By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
LAHARPE — The city is strongly considering asking its voters to approve a sales tax in order to build up funds for street upkeep. City Council members discussed the matter at their regular monthly meeting Wednesday, noting most every street in town needs some type of repair, with scant funds available. City Superintendent Carol
Buzbee showed the Council a map denoting about four miles worth of roads in need of chip seal, at a cost of $26,000. The city has $28,000 in its budget from accumulating several years of state money. “And that’s just chip seal,” Buzbee said. “If we don’t have money, we don’t have roads.” Council members agreed seeking a sales tax vote was more palatable than increasing property taxes because
revenue would come from more than just residents living in city limits. Council members directed City Attorney Chuck Apt to draw up language for the referendum, with the hopes the vote would occur in the November General Election. Ray Maloney, who owns Ray’s Metal Depot on the north edge of town, encouraged council members to seek other sources of funding, noting city residents still would foot a lion’s share of
the bill. While the city has some retail outlets, most of the revenue would come from taxes assessed to utility and telephone bills, Maloney said. He wondered if the city could cut spending in other ways, such as by selling cityowned buildings around town and move all equipment to City Hall for storage. The Council agreed to at least consider some of Maloney’s suggestions, but noted the sales tax would still be the
most feasible way to generate a steady source of income. How much would be generated wasn’t immediately known. Council members directed City Clerk Michelle Altis to nail down how much revenue a 1-cent tax would create. Apt told the Council the referendum language must be prepared by August in order to appear on the November ballot. See LAHARPE | Page A5
ANW Cooperative deals with changes By KAYLA BANZET The Iola Register
HUMBOLDT — Special education funding is a balancing act for ANW Cooperative. As resources decrease, the demands grow, Robert Coleman, ANW Co-op director, said, and funding is a struggle. Further straining its budget is the requirement by next June to provide health insurance for its 225 paraprofessionals who have been denied the coverage until now with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. “It will be a challenge for next year and it is another looming cost,” Coleman said. “I do believe these people need healthcare and they should have been covered.” The mandate to provide the health insurance did not come with additional funds.
The Cooperative covers eight school districts in Allen, Anderson, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson counties. The co-op will have two registered nurses next year and four to five licensed practical nurses to help meet the demands of children who need medical assistance. In efforts to adjust to a reduced budget, the co-op will cut five positions next year despite the fact more special needs children are being enrolled in the public school system. Coleman said funding from Medicaid — a state and federally funded program — keeps going down. Coleman said Governor Sam Brownback has made claims that he has not decreased funding, which is partly true. The money has stayed the same amount for the last few years. See ANW | Page A5
Quote of the day Vol. 116, No. 160
Jason Williams
Business opens doors for man By KAREN INGRAM The Iola Register
On Tuesday, Jason Williams was at RVB Trucking, Iola, wearing layers of grease and a big smile. The rain didn’t bother him; he
was happy. He was grateful for the job he was doing for Dennis Ringwald’s RVB Trucking and grateful to be living what many may call the American Dream. Williams has a beautiful wife and two young sons and he started his own business
“A bride at her second marriage does not wear a veil. She wants to see what she is getting.” — Helen Rowland, journalist 75 Cents
from home. The business, SEK Garage Doors LLC, has three roots that started it all: the family business he worked in before striking out on his own, a business degree from Pittsburg State See GARAGE | Page A5
Hi: 75 Lo: 54 Iola, KS