Basketball: Iola squads win in Fredonia
Inside: Wicoff wins IMS bee
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THE IOLA REGISTER Wednesday, December 18, 2013
HAVING A LITTLE FAITH
Holidays present daunting task for shelter By KAYLA BANZET The Iola Register
CHANUTE — Home for the holidays takes on a whole different meaning at Faith House, a shelter for the homeless. Linda Stange, Faith House administrator, said employees try their best to make the Christmas season as cheerful as possible for those down on their luck. Community members also have pulled through. All of the families at the shelter have been “adopted,” making sure they’ll have gifts and even trees. Gifts are also given to those who have recently left the house and starting to get back on their feet. Faith House was established in Chanute six years ago and Stange has been there for all but three months. She is from Iola and now lives in Chanute. Stange said she felt a calling to work with
the homeless. “God lead me here,” she said with a smile on her face. “I was battling with my husband about being a stay at home mom. I saw this in the paper and was very drawn to it. It’s become a calling for me and my family.” They have two families in the house now, including seven from Iola. “The numbers are low, which is unusual for the holidays, but a blessing.” Although they are located in Chanute, Stange said people come from all over the area. “I don’t think people realize how many are housed here from Iola,” Stange said. Stange said they are thankful for the Iola community. Last month the City of Iola granted Faith House $3,000. “The city does stand behind us and they’ve See FAITH | Page A5
Linda Stange and her grandson Draven Vining
COUNTY COMMISSION
Action on revitalization plan deferred By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
COMMISSIONERS selected a bid of $96,975 from O’Malley Equipment, Iola, for a John Deere tractor and 22inch boom mower, which was $20,800 and $16,800 higher than two other bids. Commissioners justified their decision by O’Malley being the only local company bidding, the tractor being larger and heavier, the unit having a longer warranty period and it being immediately available. They accepted a bid of $4,000 a month, up from $3,500, from Iola at-
Allen County commissioners put off on whether to expand the boundaries of the Neighborhood Revitalization Program within Iola, saying they would revisit the matter at their last meeting of the year. Meanwhile, city officials said Allen Community College trustees and USD 257 board members were waiting “to see what the county does” before deciding whether to embrace the program. The NRP dates to 2006 and is financial incentive for residential and commercial construction and improvements of at least $5,000. The carrot is a refund of 95 percent on property taxes for the new construction or improvements for six years, with tax bills then phased in at 20 percent a year. Iola sees the program as an opportunity for economic development that should be available to all. Shonda Jefferies, Iola code enforcement officer, noted all of Neosho County is on the cusp of being included in a revitalization program. “We need to be competitive,” Jefferies said. In response to the commissioners’ reluctance to jump aboard, City Administrator Carl Slaugh said the incentive program would be superfluous if “people were begging to build in the city, but they aren’t.” A sticking point for commissioners is the law that enacts neighborhood revitalization mentions blighted areas as a requirement for the program, which Slaugh said could be liberally interpreted. “In Johnson County, they talk about a pasture being a blighted area,” he noted. He allowed that while parts of Iola might not be considered blighted, “nothing is happening and this is a way to promote development.” Also Slaugh said there was nothing to lose because refunds do not affect property already on assessment books. Works countered that government costs more each year and asked how the county and other governing bodies find revenue “without raising tax-
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City of Iola street crews work to smooth out concrete for the new sidewalk, running from Cofachique Park to the south side of the Walmart parking lot. REGISTER/STEVEN SCHWARTZ
Sidewalk work advances on State Street By STEVEN SCHWARTZ The Iola Register
Weather permitting, access to businesses along North State Street will be much easier in the near future. Crews worked Tuesday morning to pour concrete along a new sidewalk, that will run from Cofachique Park to the south side of the Walmart parking lot — approximately 4,000 feet. Assistant City Administrator Corey Schinstock said the work has been moving slowly due to cold tem-
peratures, but Street Superintendent Dan Leslie’s crews have been taking advantage of warmer temperatures recently. “Basically it’s weather permitting, but it’s moving along OK,” Schinstock said. When the Iola City Council approved the sidewalk, it was on the basis that crews would work on it “whenever possible.” Schinstock said other priority projects may slow the walkway’s progress; that is why he is reluctant to put a finishing date on
the work. Following the construction through the park, the City of Iola will need to garner easements from business owners along the side of State Street, for permission to construct on their property. While it will require some red tape, Schinstock said the easements should be easy to get, considering the benefit a sidewalk could have to the businesses. “I don’t know why they (the busiSee SIDEWALK | Page A5
County steadfast on EMS rent By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
Allen County commissioners remained steadfast in their demand that Iola pay rent of $250 a month to use the building on North State Street that has been the county’s ambulance station. City Administrator Carl Slaugh told commissioners Tuesday he thought the contract that merged county and Iola ambulance services provided for the building to be transferred to city use. Iola will assume full control of all ambulance service in the county Jan. 1.
Commission Chairman Dick Works disputed Slaugh’s claim, saying the contract didn’t provide for transfer of the building. “We discussed it several times and it wasn’t included” in the transfer of county ambulance properties, he said. Slaugh noted arrangements were being made to provide separate sleeping quarters for female ambulance personnel at Iola’s fire station, which would leave the city cramped for space. His anticipation is that city council members won’t balk at taking on the rent, although some aren’t happy with having to do so when the ambu-
Quote of the day Vol. 116, No.38
lance service benefits all of the county.
“A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.” — George Bernard Shaw 75 Cents
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