IHS volleyball: Fillies seniors serenaded with victory.
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THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
County approves grant application
By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
Allen County commissioners agreed to a resolution approving application of a $400,000 grant that will enable construction of a second apartment complex on the old hospital grounds. Iola Industries is financing the $1 million project, which includes the anticipated $400,000 grant from the Kansas Housing Corporation. The grant application is due Friday. Commissioners’ only reservation was to have County Counselor Alan Weber review their resolution, which Weber said he would do as soon as possible. The first of the apartments, 12 units, have been completed. The upcoming complex will contain eight. No local tax money will be involved. Iola Industries purchased land for the apartments when the hospital grounds were partitioned for that purpose and for construction of a G&W Foods grocery store. Core testing preliminary to the grocery’s construction began last week.
G&W expects to open the store in late spring. DAVID TOLAND, who looks after economic development in addition to directing Thrive Allen County’s efforts, also was on hand for a brief discussion about a bike lane that may be added to Ninth Street through Humboldt. The county is responsible for maintenance of the street, which years ago carried U.S. 169, but has deferred to Humboldt in regard to whether the bike lane will be added. The proposal is to mark a lane, about three feet wide, along the west side of Ninth Street except downtown where parking is along the edge of the street. Thrive suggested the bike lane a couple of months ago. Toland pointed out HumSee COUNTY | Page A4
Iola Middle School sixth-grader Aysha Houk, above, prepares a teddy bear for a mock Egyptian funeral Tuesday as part of her social studies class. The mock funeral includes mummifying the “corpse.” REGISTER/RICK DANLEY
Egyptian ‘bearial’ re-enacted By RICK DANLEY The Iola Register
Muffy Fehr’s sixth grade social studies class brought the elaborate rituals of the Egyptian funeral to the
third floor of Iola Middle School on Tuesday. Employing a teddy bear as corpse, the students reenacted, from mummification to burial, the funerary rites of the ancient civilization.
Each of Fehr’s students had a role in the ritual. Spread prostrate on a baking sheet, the teddy bear’s brain was removed See IMS | Page A6
Iolan pursues lower speed limit for Marshmallow Lane By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Miller Road and North Cottonwood Street recently were opened to golf carts, prompting Iola officials to reduce the speed limits on both to 30 mph. Iolan Mike Jewell would like to see the same done to Marshmallow Lane. Jewell, speaking at Tuesday’s City Council meeting,
asked the city to consider opening the north-south thoroughfare in northwest Iola to golf carts and other “low-speed” Michael Jewell vehicles. “I know there are a lot of people who work at Russell Stover who walk or ride bicycles,” Jewell said.
Jewell, who is legally blind, recounted being struck by a vehicle along that street when he worked at the Resource Center for Independent Living. The lower speed limit also would open access to such places as Iola Walmart and other businesses along North State Street, Jewell noted. Council members were non-committal. Councilman Jon Wells said
the city could consider the request, “but we need to do our due diligence,” and check with the business owners and residents near the street, in particular Russell Stover. THE COUNCIL set an Oct. 24 public hearing to discuss whether to extend the city’s Neighborhood Revitalization Plan. The plan grants a partial rebate to property owners
in town who increased their property’s appraised values by at least $10,000. Because it’s part of an inter-local agreement, extension also must be granted by other local taxing entities, such as Allen County, USD 257 and Allen Community College. The proposed extension would vary little from the exSee IOLA | Page A4
Program focuses on dogs in military
100-day 2017 session planned
Kane, a K-9 service dog who has served as part of military operations in Afghanistan, will be in Iola Thursday with his handler, Technical Sgt. Michael Urquhart. Urquhart and Kane are in Iola as part of the Iola Reads project. The community-wide reading program features the book “Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam,” by Cynthia Kadohata. Urquhart will speak about parallels with his partner’s training and service with the book’s characters. The 7 p.m. program is at the Bass Community Hall, 505 N. Buckeye St., and is open to the public. Urquhart and Kane also will present programs in Iola’s elementary schools earlier in the day. “Cracker” has been available at the Iola schools, Iola Public Library and other various community locations since late September. Participants are not required to buy the books. They simply pick them up free of charge at the distribution points, then return the books after they are finished.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican leaders already are conceding that the Kansas Legislature won’t stick to a traditional 90day schedule for its annual session next year because of contentious budget and school funding debates. The Wichita Eagle reported the GOP-dominated Legislature’s top seven leaders decided Tuesday to budget for an additional 10 days in
session for 2017, for a total of 100 days. Legislators expected to See SESSION | Page A6
Gas adopts fees schedule By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
Technical Sgt. Michael Urquehart and Kane Iola Reads is a cooperative project of USD 257, Iola Public
Quote of the day Vol. 118, No. 236
Library and and the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
GAS — Gas council members approved a fees schedule as a policy, rather than a statute, which will more easily accommodate changes. Among those on the list is what will be charged for the use of the community building — $50, which will be rebated when the key is returned and condition of the facility is found not wanting; also a deposit of $50 will
“Love is blind; friendship closes its eyes.”
— Friedrich Nietzsche, German philospher, 1844-1900 75 Cents
be required if no alcohol is involved in an event, $100 if there is. The next community dinner, featuring chicken and noodles, will be Oct. 20. Proceeds will go for building upkeep and improvements. Council members decided unanimously to waive any charge for meetings of Wings of Warriors, which raises money to help cancer victims, at the center, usually once a month but twice See GAS | Page A4
Hi: 65 Lo: 47 Iola, KS