The Iola Register, Oct. 13, 2022

Iola council OKs re-EMS split

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

Iola will soon divide its fire and ambulance services, in a move to address what city officials have described as a “critical” staffing shortage.

Iola City Council members voted, 4-2, Tuesday to go along with staff recommendations to split the services.

The problem, Fire Chief Corey Isbell and City Administrator Matt Rehder explained, is a dearth of qualified workers willing to provide both firefighting and emergency medical care services.

“We’ve done it for years, but look at the changing times,” Isbell said. “Some folks just want to fight fires.”

The fire department began looking at separating the services a few months back by allowing those employees who would rather focus on a single discipline to stay on

that side of the ledger.

That’s when the staff shortage was even more dire, Mayor Steve French noted. The move helped, slicing staff vacancies from eight to four.

Filling the rest of the vacancies has been an impossible task.

Rehder noted the city has lost out on several candidates unwilling to do both fire and EMS.

COUNCIL members debated the various repercussions of the move, particularly for Iola’s budget. Having separate services is projected to cost an extra $600,000 annually.

The city’s 2023 budget for the existing fire/EMS department is $3.5 million. The Iola-only fire service would cost the city about $1.9 million; EMS-alone would cost

Faith, music fuel Houks

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Faith and music — especially when they go together — serve as the foundation for Lloyd and Nancy Houk.

“Music is kind of an escape into a wonderful place. Whenever the world feels like it comes crashing in, I get into my music and I just get at peace,” Lloyd said.

The couple has been named City Marshals for Saturday’s Farm-City Days parade, which begins at 11 a.m. downtown.

LLOYD is known for his music, performing at funerals, weddings and events.

“Music has taken me a lot of places,” he said.

He’s played at the Eisenhower Memorial at Abilene and on the steps of the Kansas Capitol in Topeka for Gov. Joan Finney. Each year during the Christmas season, he performs at the Brown Mansion in Coffeyville.

He also was part of a touring group, Three Rusty Nails, and performed in Branson and at the Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage, Mo.

He served as the state chaplain for the American Legion from 1988 to 1998, traveling across the state for conferences and memorial services.

“I like to do music from the 1920s and ’30s, but I do everything except rap,” he said.

Music and his faith are so intertwined, it’s impossible to talk about one without the other.

Lloyd was born and raised in Moran.

He doesn’t remember it, but according to his mother, he started to play the piano when he was 3. Officially, he began taking piano lessons when he was 10. Former Miss

SEK project could bene t Allen Co.

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Historical Society salutes Je erson school

Former teachers at Jefferson Elementary School will offer tours and nostalgia tonight.

The Allen County Historical Society will feature Jefferson Elementary at its annual meeting. A business meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.; the tours will begin at 7. Teachers will be located in their former classrooms and will discuss their time at the school.

Jefferson opened in 1940 and closed at the end of the previous school year, as the new Iola Elementary School welcomed its first class in the fall.

Local historian Donna Houser has researched the history of the school and others in the district. A school has been in that spot at 300 S. Jefferson Ave., since 1885.

A military microchip development planned for Coffey County is bound to have an impact on Allen County, Jonathon Goering with Thrive Allen County told commissioners on Tuesday.

Coffey County officials have been meeting with neighboring counties about the project.

The plan would build six large industries to manufacture microchips for the military on about 200 acres near Beto Junction in Coffey County, with access to I-35. It would be about a $2.5 billion investment that would create 1,200 jobs in its first year and 3,500 jobs in its fifth year, Goering said.

“This is a massive project in Southeast Kansas. Coffey County will change,” Goering said.

“Coffey County can’t accommodate all the additional industries so we’ll see a residual effect.”

That means Allen County should start thinking of ways to encourage those ancillary developments, he said.

“It’s good to have a neighbor so close with this much

success,” he said. Goering also is asking commissioners and other stakeholders to encourage the state to provide APEX funding. Gov. Laura Kelly announced a plan, “Attracting Powerful Economic Expan-

sion,” to assist companies that invest $1 billion or more to expand or relocate operations in Kansas.

The federal government is expected to officially an-

America Debra Barnes was one of his teachers; they reconnected a few years ago when she was a guest speaker at an event and he was asked to play the piano.

“I probably learned more from her than anybody,” he said.

His journey through faith began when his grandparents took him to church as a child. At the age of 13, he ac-

Crest sets volleyball school victory

Kiwanis

Iola City Council members approved Tuesday a plan that will divide the city’s re ghting and emergency medical services.

Nancy and Lloyd Houk of Moran have been named the city marshals for Saturday’s Farm-City Days celebration. COURTESY PHOTO

Jonathon Goering, economic development director for Thrive Allen County, speaks Tuesday with Allen County commissioners. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Obituary

Nancy Hopkins

Nancy Ellen Hopkins, age 69, of Burlington, died on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, at Coffey County Hospital, Burlington.

She was born Oct. 4, 1953, in Oklahoma City, Okla., to Millard M. Hopkins and Erma Jean (Sco vill) Hopkins.

She was preceded in death by her parents; broth er, Jack; and sister, Louise.

Survivors include her brother, Donald; sister, Phyllis; and numerous other relatives and friends.

No service is planned. Inurnment will be in Col ony Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to Kansas Special Olympics, which may be left with Feuerborn, Family Funeral Service, 1883 US Highway 54, Iola.

Colony church

At Sunday’s Colony Christian Church, mem bers heard about what a pastor wants for his con gregation. Paul reveals this to us in his letter to the Colossians (Col 1:114) by describing what he prays for them. First, he thanks God for their faith in Jesus and their love for one another.

Second, Paul asks God to fill these be lievers with complete knowledge of His will and spiritual wisdom and understanding. It may seem impossible to know God’s will, which is why Paul couples this with Spiritual wisdom and understanding. We are told in 1 Tim 2:2-4 God wants everyone to be saved and have eter nal life and in John 17:3

that the way to eternal life is to know Jesus.

Finally, he prays that they would be filled with joy and thankfulness for their redemption by the forgiveness of their sins through Christ.

A pastor’s biggest influence for your spir itual well-being is his prayers for you. You can also make an im pact in others’ lives by praying that they place their faith in Jesus, love others, know and understand God’s pur pose in their life, and know that they will be strengthened to endure the struggles and tri als life presents while maintaining their joy and thankfulness for what God has done for them.

Ukraine’s nuclear operator concerned about power outages

TALLINN, Estonia — Ukraine’s state nuclear operator has warned that power outages and other emergency situa tions at the Russia-oc cupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant could happen again any time.

“Russia has seized the plant and is not tak ing any steps to de-es calate, on the contrary, it is shelling important infrastructure daily,” the company’s press service told The Associ ated Press.

The plant was with out external power on Wednesday in the second such inci dent in five days, raising fears of potential leaks be cause critical safety systems need elec tricity to operate. The only operating power line, one of eight, was damaged by the Russian shell ing of an electrical substation near the city of Marhanets across the Dnieper River from the plant. The power was later restored after the plant oper ated on generators

for the past 24 hours, Energoatom said.

The press office in sisted that the gener ators can last for no more than eight hours. They said Kyiv has sent fuel for the generators but that the Russians refused to let it through.

There was no imme diate reaction from the Russian forces in the area.

Energoatom also said Kyiv continues to con trol access to the key units of the plant and “communication with the station has not been lost.”

Correction

The Iola Public Li brary book sale, which begins Thursday eve ning, runs through Sun day.

An article in Wednes day’s Register incorrect ly reported the days of the sale.

As an aside, book carts in the library have been purchased by the Friends of the Library.

Book sales help fund such projects.

We regret the error.

Iola Kiwanis Club learns about ACMAT

Iola Kiwanis met Tuesday at Allen Com munity College and welcomed Jessica Mc Ginnis, Drug-Free Community Coordina tor for the Allen Coun ty Multi-Agency Team (ACMAT) and South east Kansas Mental Health Center who told members about the or ganization.

ACMAT was created in 1994 as part of the KanFocus grant ini tiative in Kansas. The goal of this coalition at the time was to bring organizations and in dividuals together to collaborate and share

information to better serve children and fam ilies in crisis in Allen County. The initial fund ing was used to support local nonprofits that promote educational and healthy programs that served children and families.

Once funding dis solved, according to the ACMAT website, the coalition continued to meet as an information sharing and collabo rative group. In 2007, new leadership helped transition the group to a more action oriented and visible coalition, taking on larger initia

tives and identifying more critical issues in Allen County.

ACMAT is committed to providing a unified service system that col laborates with commu nity partners and pulls resources to meet the needs of children, in dividuals, families and community members. McGinnis mentioned the many partners in civic, government, ed ucation, health care, non-profit, faith, and community circles that help ACMAT promote a healthier community.

Some activities of ACMAT mentioned

were the Family Safety Night, Bucks for Buck les, Sticker Shock cam paign to discourage underage drinking and the myriad efforts to prevent drug, tobacco and alcohol use by area youths.

ACMAT’s website is acmatcoalition.org and it also has a Facebook page.

The Iola Kiwanis Club meets weekly, noon Tuesdays, at the college and welcomes interest in membership. Call President John Shields, (620) 365-2700, or email kiwanisiola@gmail.com for more information.

Kansas council asks Board of Education to urge removal of offensive mascots, branding

By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Haskell Indian Nations Univer sity freshman Georgia Blackwood said indig enous-themed imagery and branding present ed in the form of school mascots made her feel non-Native Americans were intent on treating her culture with disre spect.

Blackwood, a Law rence resident and member of the Kick apoo Tribe in Kansas, told members of the Kansas State Board of Education on Tuesday perpetuation of offen sive team names or mascots created a hos tile educational envi ronment in schools.

She endorsed a Kan sas Advisory Council for Indigenous Educa tion recommendation the state Board of Ed ucation and the Kansas Board of Regents make a priority of working to convince local school officials to abandon cul turally inappropriate branding. The council report suggested the transition be complet ed within three to five years.

“Blatantly racist de pictions let me know that my opinions aren’t valid and what I have to say is not being tak en into consideration,” Blackwood said.

Five state Board of Education members expressed during the meeting a degree of support for a resolution or motion expected to be on the November agenda that would de nounce this type of im agery. A list of school mascots in Kansas considered improper included Braves, Red Raiders, Warriors, Thunderbirds, Indians

and Redskins.

A challenge in terms of the state’s public schools was that Kan sas’ 10-member state Board of Education didn’t possess author ity to compel local school districts to select new names or mascots.

State Board of Educa tion president Jim Por ter, a Fredonia resident who spent 34 years as a superintendent, said retention of disgrace ful mascots and brand ing interfered with the goal of attaining aca demic success for every student in Kansas. The 10,000 Native American children enrolled in Kansas schools ought to be educated in places that didn’t cling to de meaning characteriza tions, he said.

“I will assure you that I am in support,” Porter said. “We do, in fact, have influence. We have been elected as leaders.”

The campaign to re consider mascots and branding emerged this year after Randy Wat son, commissioner of education in Kansas, created controversy by telling participants in an online education

conference that when growing up he tried to convince relatives visiting Kansas they ought to be more wor ried about dangerous American Indians than of real threats posed by tornadoes. He apol ogized for the racist re marks. The state board suspended him for one month, a punishment denounced as inade quate by some tribal leaders.

Rep. John Wheeler, a Garden City Republican, subsequently said on the Kansas House floor during consideration of bill returning land to the Shawnee Tribe that he had to check be hind him to determine whether Rep. Ponka-We Victors-Cozad, D-Wich ita, was holding a toma hawk.

Joseph Rupnick, chairman of the Prai rie Band Potawatomie Nation, said branding reform was needed be cause social media ex panded opportunities for people to engage in bullying and harass

ment of Native Amer ican students. People can be traumatized by bigotry and prejudice related to school brand ing, he said.

“I understand change is hard,” he said. “I have never felt more pressure and fear than I have today because of the politics and the division that we see in this state.”

Some Kansas school districts have volun tarily decided during to drop shameful imag ery. Atchison ditched the labels Redmen and Braves, while Wichita North High School be gan the process of shed ding Redskins. Howev er, there continues to be fierce opposition in Manhattan to dropping Indians as the high school’s mascot.

“We are people. We are humans. We are proud,” said Raphael Wahwassuck, a mem ber of the Prairie Band Potawatomie tribal council and supporter of the council’s recom mendation.

Joseph Rupnick, chairman of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, said the Kansas State Board of Education ought to strongly urge local school boards to abandon offensive Native American mascots and branding as soon as possible. (KANSAS REFLECTOR SCREEN CAPTURE FROM KANSAS BOARD OF EDUCATION LIVESTREAM)

Houks: Moran couple to be honored at Farm-City Days

cepted Jesus Christ as his savior.

At the age of 15, he started helping at the funeral home in Moran. He would wash cars and run the vacuum. Eventually, he started to sing at funerals.

“It became a ministry. I served a lot of families,” he said.

Even so, he didn’t start to sing publicly until the age of 22, when a pastor at a revival asked him to sing a solo.

“I’d never sung a solo be fore, but I said, ‘It’s now or never.’ And they haven’t shut me up since,” he said.

In high school, he played the baritone and drums. Now, he mostly plays piano and or gan.

THE COUPLE will serve as the City Marshals, but Nancy is a farm girl at heart.

She grew up in Stark, on a farm along Highway 39, and attended school at Erie.

After high school, she worked for Western Insur ance in Fort Scott before she moved to Moran.

Lloyd and Nancy met at a dance in Moran “and just went from there,” as Lloyd described it. His mother ad

vised them to “go together” for a year before they even considered marriage.

They’ll celebrate their

50th anniversary in Decem ber.

Nancy worked for a gas company before going to work for the Marmaton Val ley school system.

She handled various jobs for the school but is best known for driving a school bus. She’s been driving a bus for 45 years. At one point, she retired but in re cent years, the district had such a difficult time finding drivers that she returned to help.

Nancy found driving a bus very rewarding. Perhaps her enthusiasm rubbed off on her husband, because he took up driving a bus as well.

It helped the two of them stay connected to their chil dren when they were in school.

“We got to go to all of their activities and field trips,” Lloyd said. “We got to see a lot of things we probably wouldn’t have done if we weren’t driving the bus. It was a lot of fun.”

They raised two children. Anthony lives in Parsons and is the head basketball coach

there; he has four children.

Daughter Andrea Hotten stein works in the radiology department at Allen County Regional Hospital; she has three children.

“We’re trying to keep up with the grandkids,” Lloyd said. “We’re on the road a lot, going to their activities, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

THE COUPLE stays busy not just with their family but also with their community.

They attend Midpoint Bap tist Church in Moran, and faith remains their corner stone.

“If I didn’t have my faith, I wouldn’t get through the day,” Lloyd said.

The same goes for music.

Nancy can always tell how his day went or what kind of mood he is in based on what kind of music he plays in the evening. He likes to end his days playing music for an hour.

“If I played it hard, she knew I had a bad day. But if I played it soft and gentle, it was a good day.”

Council: OKs plan to split Iola’s fire, ambulance services

Continued from A1

$2.2 million.

Iola’s fire protec tion service is funded through the city’s gen eral fund. A five-year contract reached last year with Allen County has the county paying the city $1.65 million for EMS, increasing that payment 2.5% each year through the life of the contract.

Still, with a $300,000 difference between pro jected cost and revenues for EMS, Rehder said the city should attempt to renegotiate its con tract with Allen County to cover those expenses.

COUNCILWOM

AN Joelle Shallah and French both noted the staffing shortage affects more than the budget, noting employee burn out has played a role in many leaving IFD early on in their careers.

EMS emergency calls and patient transfers to metropolitan hospitals are up significantly this year, Isbell added.

A single transfer takes two ambulance personnel out of their respective stations for an average of six hours at a time, regardless of whether they are near the end of their shift, French noted.

“I’m not going to call them unnecessary transfers,” Shallah said, “but there are transfers that have been priori tized” that may not have been previously.

Splitting the services is necessary “for morale and safety,” she said.

COUNCILMAN Carl Slaugh, one of two who voted against the split, noted the city took over the countywide service as a means to save mon ey.

While splitting the de partments may address the staffing needs. “I just wonder how we’re going to pay for this.”

“I think it’ll work out,” French replied, noting the labor market is drastically different in 2022 than even a year ago.

“No one could have predicted COVID would have created a staffing shortage,” French said. “Second, nobody could predict recession-type inflationary factors, and supply chain issues

At the end of the day, we all want to make more money. But that’s not the consensus we’re hearing from our employees. … A lot of those who are there would rather con centrate on one craft, rather than being a jack of all trades.

— Joelle Shallah, Iola City Councilwoman

have driven up costs.”

Slaugh also asked about Rehder’s proposal to reach back out to the county to renegotiate the EMS contract.

“Do we give them our six-month notice?” Slaugh asked. “Do we go back to the county and say, ‘Do you want to take this over?’”

Not necessarily, Reh der replied.

“We can just ask to re negotiate and see what the response is,” Rehder said. “If the response isn’t to our liking, we could come back and discuss this again.

“If the decision is to split and move forward, that’s a discussion we need to have sooner, rather than later,” Reh der added.

COUNCIL members

Nich Lohman and Nick olas Kinder both spoke about money issues.

Kinder suggested of fering higher salaries would attract more ap plicants.

However, employee pay is not the main is sue behind the difficulty in finding workers, Reh der replied, noting Iola’s salaries are in line with other fire/EMS stations in the state.

“At the end of the day, we all want to make more money,” Shallah agreed. “But that’s not the consensus we’re hearing from our em ployees. … A lot of those who are there would rather concentrate on one craft, rather than being a jack of all trades.”

Kinder also proposed streamlining the fire and EMS structure, and potentially hiring a new overseer of all emer gency services in Iola, including the police de partment.

“This is about as streamlined as we can make it,” Rehder said. “At some point, if we

streamline any more, the service will start to suffer.”

SEPARATE ser vices would consist of a 16-member fire crew, with three shifts of five, plus the fire chief. Each shift would have a depu ty chief and lieutenant, along with either engi neers or firefighters.

The EMS division would have three shifts of six, necessary to sta tion a paramedic and emergency medical tech nician at Iola, Humboldt and Moran 24 hours a day.

While the separate systems would still in cur some overtime, French noted, those numbers should drop significantly. Additional ly, many of the firefight ers on staff would still be cross-trained to assist with EMS if necessary.

THE 4-2 vote had Slaugh and Kinder op posed. Voting in favor were Shallah, Lohman, Mark Peters and Kim Peterson. Absent from Tuesday’s meeting were Joel Wicoff and Josiah D’Albini.

IN OTHER news, Council members sched uled an Oct. 24 public hearing to discuss ex tending the city’s neigh borhood revitalization plan, which provides property tax rebates to property owners who improve or build homes or businesses in Iola.

Rehder said he fa vored seeing the plan adjusted a tad, to give the owners a nearly 100% rebate of any higher taxes they’d in cur by improving their property values for 10 years. The current plan offers a near 100% re bate for the first five years before gradually scaling back the rebates

through years 6-10.

When pressed by Slaugh on the more gen erous offering, Rehder said it would promote more housing in Iola.

“Housing obviously is one of the major issues we’re facing, if not the major issue,” Rehder said. “This is a good tool.”

Slaugh said he fa vored keeping the exist ing incentive structure in place.

“I don’t know if we have an accurate way of assessing the value or usefulness of this pro gram,” Slaugh said. The purpose is to get people to make improvements or have construction

they otherwise wouldn’t do without this.”

French reminded Slaugh and Rehder they could pick up their dis cussion at the Oct. 24 hearing.

COUNCIL members also:

— Approved a beer garden in downtown Iola for this weekend’s Farm-City Days celebra tion.

— Reappointed Elaine Stewart and Katrina Springer to the Iola Li brary Board.

— Updated the fine schedules for traffic or dinance and city code vi olations handled by the Iola Municipal Court.

Lloyd Houk performs at the 2021 Biblesta celebration in Hum boldt. REGISTER FILE PHOTO

Social Security: Here’s what to know about expected pay hike

NEW YORK (AP) —

Tens of millions of old er Americans are about to get what may be the biggest raise of their lifetimes.

On Thursday, the U.S. government is set to announce how big a percentage increase So cial Security beneficia ries will see in monthly payments this upcom ing year. It’s virtually certain to be the largest in four decades. It’s all part of an annual rit ual where Washington adjusts Social Security benefits to keep up with inflation, or at least with one narrow mea sure of it.

Plenty of controversy accompanies the move, known as a cost-of-living adjustment or COLA. Critics say the data the government uses to set the increase doesn’t re flect what older Amer icans are actually spending, and thus the inflation they’re actual ly feeling. The increase is also one-size-fits-all, which means beneficia ries get the same raise regardless of where they live or how big a nest egg they may have.

Here’s a look at what’s happening:

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

The U.S. government is about to announce an increase to how much the more than 65 million Social Security bene ficiaries will get every month. Some estimates say the boost may be as big as 9%.

WHAT DO BENEFICIARIES HAVE TO DO?

Nothing.

WILL THIS BE THE BIGGEST INCREASE EVER?

No, but it’s likely the heftiest in 40 years, which is longer than the vast majority of Social Security beneficiaries have been getting pay ments. In 1981, the in crease was 11.2%.

WHEN WILL THE BIGGER PAYMENTS BEGIN?

January. They’re also permanent, and they compound. That means the following year’s per centage increase, what ever it ends up being, will be on top of the new, larger payment bene ficiaries get after this most recent raise.

HOW BIG WAS THIS PAST YEAR’S INCREASE?

5.9%, which itself was the biggest in near ly four decades.

WHAT’S THE TYPICAL INCREASE?

Since 2000, it’s aver aged 2.3% as inflation remained remarkably tame through all kinds of economic swings.

During some of the toughest years in that stretch, the bigger wor ry for the economy was actually that inflation was running too low.

Since the 2008 finan cial crisis, the U.S. gov ernment has announced zero increases to Social Security benefits three times because inflation was so weak.

SO THE INCREASE IS TO MAKE UP FOR INFLATION?

That’s the intent. As Americans have become painfully aware over the past year, each $1 doesn’t go as far at the grocery store as it used to.

HAS SOCIAL SECURITY ALWAYS GIVEN SUCH INCREASES?

No. The first Amer ican to get a monthly retirement check from Social Security,

Fuller from Ludlow, Vermont, got the same $22.54 monthly benefit for 10 years.

Automatic annual cost-of-living adjust ments didn’t begin for Social Security until 1975, after a law passed in 1972 requiring them.

HOW IS THE SIZE OF THE INCREASE SET?

It’s tied to a measure of inflation called the CPI-W index, which tracks what kinds of prices are being paid by urban wage earners and clerical workers.

More specifically, the increase is based on how much the CPI-W increases from the sum mer of one year to the next.

IS THAT THE INFLATION MEASURE EVERYONE FOLOWS?

No. People generally pay more attention to a much broader measure of inflation, the CPI-U index, which covers all urban consumers. That covers 93% of the total U.S. population.

The CPI-W, mean while, covers only about 29% of the U.S. popula tion. It has been around longer than the CPI-U, which the government began compiling only after the legislation that required Social Securi ty’s annual increases be linked to inflation.

IS THAT WEIRD?

Yes, and some critics have argued for years that Social Security should change to a dif ferent measure, one that’s pegged to older people in particular.

Another experimen tal index, called CPI-E, is supposed to offer a better reflection of how Americans aged 62 and above spend their mon ey. It has historically shown higher rates of inflation for older Amer icans than the CPI-U or CPI-W, but it has not tak en hold. Neither have other measures com piled by organizations outside the government that hope to show how inflation affects older Americans specifically.

Recently, the CPI-E has shown a bit milder inflation than CPI-W or CPI-U.

WHY NOT USE ONE OF THOSE OTHER INDEXES?

To calculate the CPI-E, the government pulls from the same sur vey data used to mea sure the broad CPI-U. But there are relatively few older households in that data set, meaning it may not be the most ac curate.

All indexes give just a rough approximation of what inflation really is. But the more press ing challenge may be that if the government switched to a different index, one that showed higher inflation for old er Americans, Social Se curity would have to pay out higher benefits.

That in turn would mean a faster drain on

Social Security’s trust fund, which looks to run empty in a little more than a decade at its cur rent pace.

HOW IS THE SIZE SET FOR SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS?

Through a complicat ed formula that takes into account several factors, including how much a worker made in their 35 highest-earning years. Generally, those who made more money and those who wait lon ger to start getting So cial Security get larger benefits, up to a point.

This year, the max imum allowed benefit for someone who retired at full retirement age is $3,345 monthly.

WILL RICH PEO PLE GET THE SAME BOOST IN SOCIAL SECURITY?

Yes. Everyone gets the same percentage increase, whether they have millions of dollars in retirement savings or are just scraping by.

IF THE INCREASE IS BASED ON INFLATION IN URBAN AREAS, WILL PEOPLE IN RURAL AREAS GET THE SAME BOOST?

Yes.

“The COLA doesn’t take into account where you live or your actual spending patterns,” said William Arnone, CEO of the National Acade my of Social Insurance. “For some people, it’s an overstatement of cost of living for, say, small

towns in the Midwest versus urban areas like New York, D.C. or Chica go. With many older peo ple choosing to live in suburban areas or rural areas, some will benefit more” than others from the same-sized increase.

IS THE INCREASE BAD NEWS FOR ANYONE?

It’s great news for ev ery beneficiary and for the businesses around them that could see more in sales.

But it also means the Social Security system

is paying out more, which can add more strain on its trust fund.

One year of big in creases driven by in flation won’t drain the system by itself, but it’s already long been head ing toward an unsustain able future. The latest annual trustees report for Social Security said its trust funds that pay out retirement and sur vivors and disability benefits will be able to pay scheduled benefits on a timely basis until 2035. After that, incom ing cash from taxes will be enough to pay 80% of scheduled benefits.

WILL THIS MAKE INFLATION WORSE?

It will put more cash in the hands of people who mostly really need it, and they’re very like ly to use it. That will feed more fuel into the economy, which could keep upward pressure on inflation.

Social Security’s boost, though, will have a smaller impact on the economy than past stim ulus packages provided by Washington, snarls in

supply chains caused by worldwide shutdowns of businesses or other factors that economists say are behind the worst inflation in decades.

SO EVERYTHING’S GOING TERRIBLY?

The risk of a reces sion seems to grow by the day, but many econ omists expect inflation to come down as inter est-rate hikes take effect and supply chains con tinue to improve.

Economists at Deut sche Bank, for example, expect inflation to ease from 8.2% this past Au gust to 7.2% in the last three months of this year. In 2023, they see it dropping to 3.9% in the second half of the year.

This is key for many Social Security bene ficiaries. That would mean the COLA they re ceive this upcoming year would be bigger than the inflation they’re feeling at the moment. That would help make up for this past year, where actual inflation far out stripped the cost-of-liv ing increase they got in January 2022.

Opinion

How to electrify everything, and why

By LARISSA JOHNSON Progressive Perspectives

If you’re like most people, you probably only think about energy when filling up your car or paying a hefty electric bill. You probably don’t know that, since 1992, October has been designated “Energy Awareness Month.”

This October, we have several compelling reasons to think about the energy we depend on. For one, a global pandemic and the war in Ukraine have sent costs soaring. And climate change, a result of the burning of fossil fuels, is taking an ever-greater toll in wildfires, hurricanes, floods and deadly heat waves.

But we are not helpless in the face of these challenges. One of the most powerful steps we can take — as individuals and as a nation — is to electrify everything. That means replacing gas- and oil-burning appliances and vehicles with electric ones, powered by renewable energy. The potential benefits are huge: cleaner air indoors and out, lower monthly bills and a major reduction in climate-change-causing greenhouse gasses.

THERE ARE FOUR ways you can electrify, right now.

Electrify your ride: Making the switch from a gas-powered car to an electric vehicle is a great way to save on gas and pollute less. While this may not be an option for you, you can limit how many days you use your car — the less you drive, the less wear and tear on your vehicle, which means it will last longer and you won’t have to replace it so soon.

Electrify your home: Save money and reduce emissions by replacing fossil fuel-powered systems with electric ones. Heat pumps are an ideal, energy-efficient alternative to gas furnaces, boilers and air conditioners. Efficient electric water heaters are also an option worth exploring.

Electrify your kitchen: Consider making the switch from gas to induction cooking. If not to go green, the fact that gas stoves emit

asthma-inducing nitrogen dioxide may convince you. Homes with gas stoves can contain up to 400% higher concentrations of NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) than homes with electric stoves. Induction stoves are faster, more efficient and better for your family’s health than traditional gas models.

Electrify your lawn: Beyond the loud noises they generate, a typical gas-powered leaf blower emits more pollutants than a 6,200-pound truck. If raking isn’t an option, making the switch to electric leaf blowers is worthwhile — they’re clean, emit no pollutants, make much less noise and require less maintenance than gas-powered blowers.

Of course, money is tight for many right now and you may not have the cash to make these upgrades. Fortunately, the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden, authorizes roughly $369 billion in spending on energy and climate change. In addition to boosting funding for clean energy production, the IRA offers consumer subsidies for energy efficiency and residential electrification. Rewiring America created a Savings Calculator to help renters and homeowners alike find out how much they could save by making upgrades.

For households with lower incomes, 100 percent of appliance and installation costs are discounted at purchase, meaning you could install efficient electric appliances at no cost to you.

This year, during Energy Awareness Month, it’s time to make more honest assessments about the energy sources that power our lives. And it’s time to take action — by making the switch to a form of energy that’s cleaner, greener and easier on our wallets.

About the writer: Larissa Johnson has an MPA in environmental science and policy from Columbia University and works as the residential energy program manager for Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection in Maryland.

A look back in t me.A look back in t me.

50 Years Ago October 1972

Marie Larzalere, student at Iola High School, was elected state secretary of the Kansas High School Thespian organization in a meeting in Wichita over the weekend. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Larzalere of Iola.

A Western store, new to the Iola uptown business district, but a veteran of nearly three years in the area, has opened it new headquarters at 110 East St. The store, owned by Brian and Barbara Lawrence, is the Triple B. J. Western Store.

A building is being constructed on North State Street southwest of the National Guard Armory where the Marvin Boyer Oil Company and Kretzmeier and Associates accounting firm will have their offices. They

are moving from the second floor of a building at West and Washington streets.

The P. N. Hirsch and Co. Store at the Iola Plaza shopping center will open tomorrow. The Foodtown and TG&Ystores are expected to open within a month. Florene’s Beauty Salon opened this Saturday. It is located behind Marvel’s at the northwest corner of the complex. It is operated by Florene Stewart. Candy Smith and Elaine Moody are employees.

Extension of Rural Water District No. 2, serving Allen and Neosho counties, to serve an additional 27 families has been made possible by a grant of $82,300 from the Farmers Home Administration. The water district will serve 300 rural families when it is completed.

Don Huffman of Elsmore is the district board chairman.

Putin’s unintended message

By MARGO GONTAR For the New York Times

KYIV, Ukraine — If you want to imagine how it felt being in Kyiv on Monday, it isn’t hard.

You wake up at 6.49 a.m. to the sound of air sirens. Or maybe you sleep through the sirens — after all, you’re used to them — but the explosions, shuddering the walls, shake you awake. Hurriedly, you decide to move to a safe place, a subway station or a friend’s house with thick walls. You grab your go bag, which since February has been by your front door, complete with your laptop, chargers and documents.

Or perhaps you decide not to leave. You make yourself some coffee and do chores while listening to the explosions, careful to keep away from the windows. You call the school to ask when to bring in your child (once the air raid is over, they tell you). When it is, you go to the supermarket to get a new pack of coffee, you drop by the post office to pick up some parcels. Amid the confusion and clatter, you continue to live.

That’s not because it’s not scary anymore — it is. It’s terrifying not to hear from loved ones you called hours ago, not to know if they can’t call you back because the power is down or because of reasons you don’t even want to start imagining.

It’s devastating to count the dead and to guess whether those you know are among them.

sertive tones, just a tired old man. His lack of enthusiasm is understandable. Because what was hit in Kerch Strait was not just a bridge, it was the very thing that connects Russia with annexed Crimea — the link Russia is trying so hard to hone. The bridge, said to be protected in every possible way, was a symbol of Russian power. And yet it was hit.

If Russia needs to resort to the lowest tactics, to terrorism against civilians, to hitting universities, museums, libraries, playgrounds, apartment buildings and infrastructure sites, then Ukraine obviously has the upper hand.

It’s exhausting to wonder whether the next house to be hit will be yours.

But something is very different now. While it’s clear that Vladimir Putin wanted to threaten Ukrainians and send a message of power with the bombings of Kyiv and Lviv, Kharkiv and Dnipro — at the cost of at least 19 lives — the attack in fact shows just one thing: how weak Mr. Putin is. Among Ukrainians, there is an almost palpable feeling that Russia is losing the war.

Mr. Putin might know it, too. You can see it in his address right after the Crimean bridge explosion on Saturday: no more loud, as-

You can see Russia’s desperation in its choice of targets. One of the first things hit on Monday morning, tellingly, was a famous glass pedestrian bridge in Kyiv’s city center, a titfor-tat reprisal. (No doubt distressingly for the Kremlin, it survived the attack better than its Crimean counterpart.) But we all know the goal of these attacks was not military. The aim was to terrorize.

It did the trick, for a moment. Videos of the damaged glass bridge spread on social media, as did photos of Kyiv’s city center, smoke billowing across the spacious Shevchenko park, where Kyivans meet to hang out. It’s been the site of many special moments in my own life, when I sat with friends under the glance of the seemingly eternal Kyiv chestnut trees. To see this place so dear to the hearts of many Ukrainians under attack was truly shocking.

But then came the rage and, with it, understanding. If Russia needs to resort to the lowest tactics, to terrorism against civilians, to hitting universities, museums, libraries, playgrounds, apartment buildings and infrastructure sites — 11 of them across the country — then Ukraine obviously has the upper hand. After a string of successful counteroffensives in the northeast and the south, Ukrainian forces have gained momentum. Russia, suffering substantial losses on the frontline every day, is struggling on the battlefield. Monday’s escalation proved it.

So, what now? Ukrainians will set about repairing the damage, of course, as we have done before. Yet we’re under no illusions: While Russia is weak and has no chance of winning in the long run, it still has plenty of leftover military ammunition from the Soviet era and a willingness to use it. We are braced for more disasters.

But we are not back to Feb. 24, full of fear and trepidation. Now we see that the supposed second most powerful army in the world couldn’t take Kyiv — not in three days, not in seven and a half months. For those who were unsure whether it was wise to back Ukraine, it’s a good time to reconsider. And, while the wheel is still turning, to put their chips on the country that will win this war.

About the author: Margo Gontar is a Ukrainian journalist based in Kyiv. She wrote this as a guest opinion for The New York Times.

A Ukrainian national ag is displayed in front of a destroyed house near Izyum, eastern Ukraine, on Saturday, Oct. 1, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (JUAN BARRETO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES/TNS)

Crest coronation

County: Targets noxious weeds in area

Continued from A1

nounce the project in January, and work could begin in 2023. Each state is expected to receive two such projects, Goering said, as the U.S. seeks to increase microchip manufacturing in the country.

Wichita is the other location tapped for a microchip project, but on a much smaller scale than Coffey County.

China currently produces about a quarter of all semiconductors made in the world. Supply chain issues and political tensions have led to greater desire for the U.S.-made products, and the products are increasingly in demand as more industries rely on technology.

The automotive industry has been particularly hard-hit by the shortage. Goering said the Coffey County project will be used for military supplies.

Noxious weeds

Mitch Garner, Public Works director, introduced Kevin Turner, a new leader for the noxious weed department as the county adjusts its efforts in combating the spread of invasive and dangerous weeds.

County commissioners in July sought advice from Hunter Nickell, livestock production agent for the Southwind Extension District, on how to better address noxious weeds. He recommended the county start spraying in March, rather than May as they’ve done in the past.

It’s taken time to get new staff members certified and trained, as there are specific requirements in the handling and sale of chemicals.

The county purchases chemicals wholesale and absorbs 25% to 50% of the costs when sold for treatment of noxious weeds in Allen County.

Garner plans to hire someone on a part-time, seasonal basis to allow the county to sell chemicals from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. He gave commissioners a timeline for efforts to target noxious weeds.

The weed department will start spraying all county-owned property in March and April before moving to areas

near blacktop roads.

From May to June, they’ll treat gravel roads by district, starting with the southeast part of the county. They typically rotate their starting points each year.

They’ll continue to spot-treat areas until the season wraps up in November 2023.

The Kansas Legislature has declared 12 weeds as noxious, including bur ragweed, Canada thistle, field bindweed, hoary cress, Johnsongrass, kudzu, leafy spurge, musk thistle, pignut, quack grass, Russian knapweed and

sericea lespedeza.

Four noxious weeds are most common to Allen County: field bindweed, Johnsongrass, musk thistle and sericea

lespedeza.

The county also can declare bull thistle and multiflora rose as noxious, but they are much less common.

MV lauds alumni

MORAN — Friday night is Alumni Night at Marmaton Valley High School, with former students invited to partake in festivities surrounding a home football game against Lebo.

The Marmaton Valley Pep Club will do face-painting starting at 5:30 p.m., with the Class of 2023 fall athletes recognized

at 6:30, followed immediately by a cheer and dance team performance.

The high school band will perform at halftime, and alums will be recognized.

Past yearbooks will be available for purchase, and the pep club will host a silent auction for a pair of Marmaton Valley-themed gift baskets.

Inaugural space tourist signs up for ight around moon

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The world’s first space tourist wants to go back — only this time, he’s signed up for a spin around the moon aboard Elon Musk’s Starship.

For Dennis Tito, 82, it’s a chance to relive the joy of his trip to the International Space Station, now that he’s retired with time on his hands.

He isn’t interested in hopping on a 10-minute flight to the edge of space or repeating what he did 21 years ago. “Been there, done that.”

His weeklong

moonshot — its date to be determined and years in the future — will bring him within 125 miles of the lunar far side.

He’ll have company: his wife, Akiko, and 10 others willing to shell out big bucks for the ride.

Tito won’t say how much he’s paying; his Russian station flight cost $20 million.

The couple recognize there’s a lot of testing and development still ahead for Starship, a shiny, bullet-shaped behemoth that’s yet to even attempt to reach space.

Crest High School will celebrate its fall homecoming at the end of Friday’s football game against Marais des Cygnes Valley High School. Queen candidates are, front from left, McKenna Hammond, Sydney Stephens and Brinley McGhee. King candidates are, back, Holden Barker, Stetson Setter and Ethan Godderz. REGISTER/

Allen County commissioners are ramping up e orts to battle a number of invasive weeds. Among them are, clockwise from upper left, sericea lespedeza, musk thistle and Johnsongrass. KANSAS DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

Sports Daily B

Humboldt splits at Eureka

EUREKA — The Humboldt High School volleyball team split a pair of matchups at Eureka on Tuesday.

The Lady Cubs (24-3; 5-0) defeated Cherryvale in their opening matchup, 25-17 and 25-19.

Natalie Wells led from the serving line with three ace serves, followed by Karley Wools and Kenisyn Hottenstein’s two aces apiece. Shelby Shaughnessy, Wells and Hottenstein were a perfect 100% from the serving line.

Wools and Shaughnessy led offensively with nine kills apiece while Ella Lassman and K. Hottenstein each knocked two kills.

Ricklyn Hillmon made one block defensively while S. Hottenstein and Wools had nine digs each. K. Hottenstein managed six digs while Wells ripped four digs.

“We really fought hard last night and played well. We did a lot of things well and played as a team. I was pleased with the determination the girls showed late in the match,” said Humboldt head coach Terry Meadows.

Humboldt then beat Eureka in three sets, 2523, 17-25 and 25-19.

S. Hottenstein led from the serving line with three aces and a 90.9% serving success rate. K. Hottenstein knocked one ace and was a perfect 100% from the line. Lassman and Shaughnessy were also a perfect 100% from the serving line.

Shaughnessy led offensively with 10 kills, followed by Wools eight kills. Kinley Tucker and Hillmon made four kills apiece while Lassman knocked three kills.

Wools and Shaughnessy led defensively with two blocks apiece while Hillmon made one block. S. Hottenstein made a team-leading 18 digs, followed by Wools 16 digs and Shaughnessy’s 14 digs.

K. Hottenstein made nine digs and Wells hit eight digs.

The Lady Cubs play in a tournament at Neodesha on Saturday at 9 a.m.

Crest wins most matches ever

COLONY — The Crest High School volleyball team broke the record for the most wins in school history on Tuesday with victories over Southeast-Cherokee and Yates Center.

The Lady Lancers (26-6; 10-1) also celebrated senior night as McKenna Hammond, Kamryn Luedke, Allyssa Adams and managers Sydney Stephens and Brinley McGhee were honored.

“Kamryn Luedke is such a good teammate, a hard worker, positive. If she does make a mistake she’s tough and is going to make the next one. Allyssa Adams, she works hard,” Hermreck said. “McKenna Hammond, her passing is one of her best assets. All three will be missed next season.”

Crest took their first matchup with Southeast-Cherokee in two sets, 25-12 and 25-12.

The Lady Lancers then won their second match against Yates Center, 25-22 and 25-12.

“We came out more level headed, not as intense and fired up. We played relaxed and that was big,” said Crest head coach Abigail Hermreck. “I

think in our sub-state we’ll be first, which hasn’t happened in a long time so that will be big.”

The last time the Lady Lancers finished this strong was when sophomore Delaney Ramsey’s mom was a senior on the 1988 team which finished as substate runner up.

“It’s a really big accomplishment to be that many years. I think it’s just a great feeling, a great accomplishment to have a goal and work at something. It wasn’t our main focus, we were just focused on winning. They weren’t adding that pressure on themselves and focused on team values,” Hermreck said.

McKenna Hammond was one of the leaders at the serving line, going 22-of-24 for 92% from the line along with four ace serves. Hammond also managed 10 kills, 14 digs, one block and an 86% serve receive mark.

Kayla Hermreck led Crest with 19 kills and two blocks while also hitting 12 assists, 16 digs, and going 10-for-12 from the serving line. She also registered three ace serves.

Kinley Edgerton led the way with 23 assists and had one kill, four digs, one block while also going 18-for-19 from the serving line with four ace serves.

Karlee Boots led at the serving line going 19-for-19 on serves and registered 18 digs. Boots also ripped one ace serve, seven kills and one assist.

“I’ve had outside coaches say they get along, when you get girls together it’s not always the case. It’s something we’ve worked through and we’ve come back together. We have leaders that can say get the next one. It’s taken all 16 players,” said Hermreck.

Delaney Ramsey knocked four kills, one assist and went 10-for-11 from the serving line with four aces. Allyssa Adams knocked five digs, Kamryn Luedke recorded one kills and went seven-for-11 from the serving line with three ace serves and one dig.

Brooklyn Jones ripped eight digs while Kaelin Nilges went one-for-one from the serving line.

Crest hits the road to take on Le Roy on Thursday.

Iola outdueled at Santa Fe Trail

By QUINN BURKITT The Iola Register

SANTA FE TRAIL — The Iola Mustangs volleyball team was outdueled in a pair of matches at Santa Fe Trail on Tuesday night.

The Mustangs fell in their first match to the Santa Fe Chargers, 25-13 and 25-13.

Iola’s Alana Mader led offensively with two kills, followed by Rio Lohman, Kaysin Crusinbery, Jadyn Kaufman, Jackie Fager and Reese Curry each knocking one kill apiece in the setback.

Mader and Crusinbery also ripped one

YC volleys at Crest

COLONY — The Yates Center High School volleyball team split a pair of matchups at Crest on Tuesday evening.

The Wildcats began their play by knocking off Southeast-Cherokee in two sets, 25-19 and 2522.

“We had a few players in different spots on the floor and we made it work. We talk a lot about being flexible and doing your job no matter where you are,” said Yates Center head coach Carrie Cummings.

Wildcats Peyton Petit and Rylie Smith stepped up to the challenge against Southeast-Cherokee most, according to Cummings.

Yates Center then lost to Crest in two sets, 25-22 and 25-12.

“We played very well in the first set. We were down by five and came back to lead the set. We ended up losing the set but we fought hard and were aggressive,” Cummings said.

Cummings continued: “The second set was where we stopped being aggressive and tried to be careful, that’s when we let up and Crest became the aggressors. We need to learn to expect to be ahead and keep pushing instead of letting up and being careful not to make mistakes.”

Yates Center travels to St. Mary’s-Colgan on Saturday at 8:30 a.m.

ace serve apiece from the line.

Lohman, Kaufman and Fager led defensively with two solo blocks apiece while Lohman and Mader made three block assists each. Lohman had five total blocks, followed by Mader, Fager and Curry’s four total blocks apiece.

Elza Clift came up big saving the Mustangs from some dropped points with 10 digs while Crusinbery tallied nine digs and Curry had eight. Aysha Houk and Dallyn McGraw each notched seven digs

See IOLA | Page B4

PLEASANTON—

Marmaton Valley High earned a split on the road Tuesday.

The Wildcats had little trouble in rolling past Chetopa in the opener, winning 25-11 and 25-16.

But after a quick start against host Pleasanton, the Wildcats lost their groove, falling 25-19 and 25-14.

The split puts Marmaton Valley at 20-12, with one more night of regular season action next Tuesday at home against Northeast-Arma and Marais des Cygnes Valley.

An early 10-2 spurt gave the Wildcats the early advantage against Chetopa, with Braelyn Sutton serving up five points. Sutton did the same in the second set, serving up five straight to end the match.

An early 9-3 lead for Marmaton Valley evaporated with a 6-0 Blu-Jays run. Pleasanton put together another long run to win the set.

The Blu-Jays kept up the effort in the second

Crest sophomore Karlee Boots goes for the hit against Southeast-Cherokee on Tuesday. REGISTER/ QUINN BURKITT

MV splits on road Iola’s Reese Curry. REGISTER/ QUINN BURKITT

Humboldt’s Kennisyn Hottenstein. REGISTER/QUINN B.

Favre says he’s ‘unjustly smeared’ in welfare fraud case

JACKSON, Miss. (AP)

— Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre says he is being treated unfairly in news coverage of a Mississippi welfare scandal, including about payments he received to help fund a pet project of his — a volleyball arena at the university he attended and where his daughter was playing the sport.

“I have been unjustly smeared in the media,” Favre said in a statement to Fox News Digital, which was published Tuesday. “I have done nothing wrong, and it is past time to set the record straight.

“No one ever told me, and I did not know, that funds designated for welfare recipients were going to the University or me,” Favre said. “I tried to help my alma mater USM, a public Mississippi state university, raise funds for a wellness center. My goal was and always will be to improve the athletic facilities at my university.”

It is one of the few public statements Favre has made about Mississippi’s largest-ever public corruption case involving the misspending of tens of millions of dollars in welfare money that was intended to help some of the poorest people in one of the poorest states in the U.S.

Favre is not facing criminal charges. He is among more than three dozen people or companies being sued by the Mississippi Department of Human Services.

Mississippi Auditor Shad White, a Republican who has investigated the welfare misspending, took exception with Favre’s new statement.

White pointed to text messages between Favre and other people about the volleyball arena, recently disclosed in the civil lawsuit.

“Obviously, Mr. Favre knew that he was being paid in government funds, based on the texts,” White told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “He knew

Tua back at practice

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will take a small step Wednesday toward returning to football.

Coach Mike McDaniel said Tagovailoa, who has been in the concussion protocol since Sept. 29, will return to practice in a limited capacity, though he will not play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

“We just miss his personality. He’s a guy that we rely on,” McDaniel said.

The coach said there is a “scenario” that Tagovailoa could be medically cleared this week, but the QB will take things slowly, working out and throwing individually.

“He hasn’t done a thing on the football field for literally two weeks,” McDaniel said. “That wouldn’t be fair to the player. That wouldn’t be fair to the team. I don’t feel comfortable putting him in that situation.”

that those funds were coming from the Department of Human Services. He’s obviously acknowledged that he needed to repay those funds, too.”

The lawsuit was filed in May and says the defendants “squandered” more than $20 million from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families anti-poverty program.

Favre has repaid $1.1 million he received for speaking fees from the Mississippi Community Education Center, a nonprofit group that spent TANF money with approval from the Department of Human Services. But, White said Tuesday that Favre still owes $228,000 in interest.

In October 2021, Favre and White engaged in a social media spat about White saying Favre had accepted the $1.1 million but had failed to show up for speaking engagements.

“Of course the money was returned because I would never knowingly take funds meant to help our neighbors in need, but for Shad White to continue to push out this lie that the money was for no-show events is something I cannot stay silent about,” Favre wrote.

White said Tuesday that Favre has repeatedly made “confusing” statements about the payment for speaking.

“The contract that justified the payment to him for $1.1 million required him to show up and give speeches, and he didn’t give the speeches,” White said. “If he’s arguing that that contract is a sham, he can’t be paid $1.1 million on a nonexistent contract.

He still has to pay the money back.”

The director of

the nonprofit, Nancy New, pleaded guilty in April to charges of misspending welfare money, as did her son Zachary New, who helped run the center. They await sentencing and have agreed to testify against others.

In a Sept. 12 court filing in the civil lawsuit, an attorney for the Mississippi Community Education Center released several text messages about $5 million in welfare money that went toward the volleyball facility. The messages were between Nancy New and Favre, between Favre and former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and between Bryant and New. The messages were from

2017 to 2019, when the Republican Bryant was still governor.

That court filing said the nonprofit center agreed to pay Favre $1.1 million “for a few radio spots” to help fund the volleyball arena, which was also being called a campus wellness center. Favre had agreed to lead fundraising efforts to build the facility on the Hattiesburg campus.

According to court documents, Favre texted New on Aug. 3, 2017, about the payment to him for speaking: “If you were to pay me is there anyway the media can find out where it came from and how much?”

New responded: “No, we never have had that

Prep football standings

Class 3A, District 2 District Overall Points Avg. Burlington 3-0 4-2

9.7 Girard 2-0 6-0

21.0

Iola 1-2 2-4 -9 -3.0 Anderson County 0-2 2-4 -28 -14.0 Prairie View 0-2 2-4 -34 -17.0

Class 2A, District 2 Osage City 2-0 5-1

14.5 Council Grove 2-0 5-1

13.5 Humboldt 1-2 4-2

2.3 Eureka 1-2 3-3 -22 -7.5 West Franklin 0-2 4-2 -41 -20.5

Eight Man-I, District 1 West Elk 3-0 6-0

21.0 Oswego 3-0 5-1

15.3 Sedan 1-2 2-4 -4 -1.3 Cedar Vale 1-2 1-5 -18 -6.0 Flinthills 1-2 1-5 -24 -8.0 Yates Center 0-3 0-6 -63 -21.0

Eight Man-II, District 1 Crest 3-0 5-1 63 21.0 Lebo 3-0 4-2 63 21.0 Marmaton Valley 2-1 3-3 6 2.0 St. Paul 1-2 3-3 -21 -7.0 Hartford 0-3 0-6 -48 -16.0 MdC Valley 0-3 0-6 -63 -21.0

Six Man, District 1 Waverly 4-0 6-0 69 17.3 Wetmore

Peabody-Burns

Centre-Lost

Southern

Altoona-Midway

Chetopa

information publicized. I understand you being uneasy about that though. Let’s see what happens on Monday with the conversation with some of the folks at Southern. Maybe it will click with them. Hopefully.”

Favre replied: “Ok thanks.”

The next day, New texted Favre: “Wow, just got off the phone with Phil Bryant! He is on board with us! We will get this done!”

Favre played football at the University of Southern Mississippi before going to the NFL in 1991. His daughter began playing on the school’s volleyball team in 2017.

FARM

Favre said in the statement to Fox News on Tuesday that state agencies provided money to Mississippi Community Education Center, which then gave money to the University of Southern Mississippi “all with the full knowledge and approval of other State agencies,” including the board that governs Mississippi’s eight public universities, the governor’s office and the attorney general’s office.

News outlets have previously reported involvement by the state college board, the governor’s office and the attorney general’s office in approval of money for the volleyball arena.

SATURDAY DOOR BUSTER

Former NFL player Brett Favre, shown at a golf tournament in June in Madison, Wisc., says he has been unjustly smeared in an welfare fraud cause. GETTY IMAGES/ PATRICK MCDERMOTT/TNS

Alvarez walk-o homer wins it for Astros in game one

HOUSTON (AP)

— Yordan Alvarez wrecked all of Seattle’s carefully crafted strategy with one colossal swing.

The Mariners came to the postseason with a plan. Down to their last out, the October-tested Houston Astros weren’t so easily outmatched.

Alvarez smashed a game-ending, three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning off Robbie Ray, foiling the Mariners’ move to use a Cy Young Award winner in a rare relief role and vaulting the Astros to an 8-7 win Tuesday in their playoff opener.

“It was something going into the series where we were at, looking at our rotation, where we were going to head, and talking with Robbie about using him out of the bullpen as a bullet, so to speak, for that type of scenario,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “You know, bringing in a lefty against Alvarez, although Alvarez is one of the better hitters in the league.”

“But we talked about it coming into the series. We talked about it pregame today. I looked at it in the seventh inning and said, hey, this could happen. So that was the plan going in,” he said.

Houston skipper Dusty Baker, who managed Servais while with the Giants, refused to second-guess his former player.

“If he gets him out, then it looks great ... next time Robbie Ray could win, but today we won,” Baker said.

Trailing all game after a poor start by Justin Verlander, the AL West champion Astros overtook rookie star Julio Rodríguez and the wild-card Mariners at the end to begin their best-of-five Division Series.

The Astros had been

Iola: VB

Continued from B1

followed by Fager’s six.

Iola stumbled in their second matchup against Osawatomie, 25-19 and 25-22.

Lohman led offensively with four kills, followed by Curry’s three kills and Mader’s two kills. Houk knocked two ace serves and went 100% from the serving line on nine serves. Mader and Clift also went 100% from the serving line on eight and seven serves, respectively.

Fager led defensively with six solo blocks while Lohman made four block assists and Mader and Crusinbery made three and two block assists, respectively. Fager had six total blocks and Lohman registered five total blocks. Houk led with 12 digs.

The Mustangs stepped up defensively in the loss as Curry knocked 10 digs, Crusinbery had eight digs, Clift recorded seven and Mader had five.

Iola will take the court at Anderson County next Tuesday.

0-48 in their postseason history when trailing by more than a run after eight innings until Alvarez homered deep into the seats to overcome a 7-5 deficit.

With his Cuban parents in the stands, too.

“I think it’s one of the most special moments that I’ve had in my career, having them there, and even for just the city of Houston,” Alvarez said through a translator. “They know that we’re a team that never gives up.”

The no-doubt drive was the first walk-off homer in postseason history with a team trailing by multiple runs. And it was just the second walk-off homer with team down to its final out — the other was Kirk Gibson’s startling shot that lifted the Dodgers over the A’s in the 1988 World Series opener.

A stoic Ray said he was “just frustrated” after giving up the mammoth home run.

Houston rookie pinch-hitter David Hensley reached with one out in the ninth as Seattle closer Paul Sewald grazed his jersey with a pitch. Sewald struck out Jose Altuve before Jeremy Peña laced a single to center field to chase Sewald.

Servais then made the bold move to bring in Ray, who started Saturday at Toronto in the AL wild-card series, for a lefty vs. lefty matchup with Alvarez. Ray won the Cy Young last year with Toronto, had made only six relief appearances in his career and had never earned a pro save.

A percentage move — or was it?

Alvarez had a .998 OPS against left-handed pitchers this season, by far the highest among qualified left-handed hitters, and 10 home runs. And his batting average against lefties was .321, compared to .299 vs righties.

Alvarez, who hit 37 homers in the regular season, turned

around Servais’ move by launching Ray’s second pitch into the seats in right field to set off a wild celebration with his mom and dad in the seats.

It was the first time they got to see him play in the postseason after arriving from the island in August to watch him play professionally for the first time.

The Mariners, back in the playoffs this year for the first time since 2001, were on the wrong end of a big comeback this time after rallying from a seven-run deficit in Game 2 to sweep their wild-card series with Toronto.

The Mariners jumped on Verlander for six runs in just four innings to build a 6-2 lead early. Yuli Gurriel hit a solo homer in the Houston fourth before Eugenio Suarez’s solo shot in the seventh extended Seattle’s lead to 7-3.

A two-run homer by Alex Bregman off Andrés Muñoz cut the lead to 7-5 in the eighth inning to set up the dramatic finish.

Alvarez had a tworun double in the third to get Houston’s offense going a bit before it really took off in the final two innings.

The Astros, who are trying to reach the ALCS for a sixth straight season, led the AL with 106 wins but looked a bit out of sorts early after a six-day layoff since their last regular-season game.

“Those days off, I think hurt our whole team,” Baker said. “You see, we didn’t wake up until the fifth, sixth inning... you can practice all you want to. There’s nothing, no substitute for game action. So that’s not an excuse, but I can sort of feel it and see it.”

They got going late to continue their dominance of the Mariners in Houston after going 30-7 against them in the regular season at Minute Maid Park since 2019.

Verlander followed

up his remarkable comeback season after missing almost two full seasons after Tommy John surgery with a flop in the worst postseason performance of his storied career.

He led the majors with a 1.75 ERA and topped the AL with 18 wins this season. He dominated the Mariners in the regular season, going 5-1 with a 2.34 ERA in six starts.

Instead, the Mariners hit almost everything he threw in what was his 32nd playoff game. By the time he trudged off the mound mumbling something to himself after just four innings he’d given up a playoff career-high 10 hits with six earned runs, which tied his most in a postseason game.

“I have to do better next time out, but here we are with a Game 1 win and I couldn’t be more happy,” he said.

The last four batters Verlander faced hit, in order, a home run, triple, double and single.

Rodríguez tripled, doubled and scored three times and Ty France had three hits.

MATON OUT

Astros reliever Phil Maton revealed Tuesday that he broke his right pinkie when he punched a locker in frustration after Houston’s regular-season finale and will miss the postseason.

Maton had surgery Monday to repair the fractured finger on his pitching hand.

The 29-year-old Maton gave up two hits, including a single to younger brother Nick Maton, and two runs while recording one out in the eighth inning of Houston’s 3-2 win over Philadelphia last Wednesday.

UP NEXT Seattle’s deadline acquisition Luis Castillo, who got the win in the team’s playoff opener at Toronto, opposes Framber Valdez in Game 2 Thursday in Houston.

Splits at Pleasanton

Raiders’ Adams charged with misdemeanor

By JOSH DUBOW The Associated Press

Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams has been charged with misdemeanor assault for shoving a photographer to the ground as he left the field following a loss at Kansas City.

Kansas City, Missouri, police said Adams pushed Ryan Zebley to the ground while running off the field following the Raiders’ 30-29 loss to the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night. Police called it an “intentional, overt act” that caused whiplash, a headache and a possible minor concussion.

Charges were filed Wednesday morning in Municipal Court of Kansas City.

Adams apologized in his postgame comments to the media and later on Twitter.

“He jumped in front of me coming off the

field. I kind of pushed him. He ended up on the ground,” Adams said after the game. “I want to apologize to him for that. That was just frustration mixed with him really just running in front of me.

“I shouldn’t have responded that way, but that’s the way I responded. I want to apologize to him for that.”

The NFL is also investigating Adams’ actions. A person familiar with the process told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Adams could face possible punishment, including a fine or suspension.

Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said Tuesday that he supports Adams and will cooperate in any investigation.

Adams had three catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns in the game. He has 29 catches for 414 yards. and five TDs so far in his first year in Vegas.

Castellanos, Phillies take game one

ATLANTA (AP) — Nick Castellanos had already carried quite a load with his bat.

When the Philadelphia Phillies needed his glove in the ninth inning, he didn’t let them down.

Castellanos drove in three runs and made a potentially game-saving catch, lifting the Philadelphia Phillies over the reigning World Series champion Atlanta Braves 7-6 in the opener of their NL Division Series on Tuesday.

The Phillies have won three straight

games to begin these playoffs, hardly looking like a team making its first postseason appearance since 2011. They followed up their wildcard sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with a victory over the team that finished 14 games ahead of them in the NL East.

It wasn’t easy. Matt Olson hit a three-run homer in the ninth off Zach Eflin to bring the Braves within a run. But Castellanos, capping off a brilliant all-around day, made a sliding catch in right

See PHILLY

Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams before the Chiefs game Monday night. LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL/HEIDI FANG

Husband gets new bod; wants divorce

Adapted from an on line discussion.

Dear Carolyn: My husband bought a treadmill last sum mer and used it daily. He lost 50 pounds and looks great. In Janu ary, he bought a new car without talking to me. It cost a small for tune. Last month, he came home from work early one day and told me he wants a divorce.

I am devastated. Af ter 20 years, he just an nounced it. He refuses to go to counseling or seek therapy himself. He said, “No negotia tions, no compromis es.” We have a 10-yearold daughter. He says that he loves me but deserves better and I cannot give him better.

I have my first therapy appointment next week, but I have been sick to my stom ach for a month now. Our daughter seems to sense something is wrong but we agreed to wait for a better time to tell her.

I’m truly flounder ing. Any words of wis dom? Thank you. — Floundering

Floundering: YOU deserve better and HE

CRYPTOQUOTES

Carolyn Hax

Tell Me About It

cannot give you better. He is not kind, consid erate or in love with you, and you deserve all three.

That belief is the steeple. Now, you spend the next how ever many months in the therapy and sepa ration and divorce processes focused on that steeple as you run your way to it.

It is going to be hard and sickening and ex hausting, but you will get there, a belief I have based on nothing besides the regularity with which people get there once they have got that steeple in their sights.

If you have not talk ed to an attorney yet, then get there ASAP immediately NOW, and make sure your money is secured. Having a nearly ex-spouse clean out your accounts makes the steeple chase longer and all uphill.

EMPLOYMENT

The city of Burlington, Kansas is requesting applications for WATER/WASTEWATER OPERATOR TRAINEE

Position is open until lled. Applications are available at City Hall, 1013 N. 4th, P.O. Box 207, Burlington, KS 66839; online burlingtonkansas.gov; (620) 364-5334.

Public notices

(Published in The Iola Register Sept. 29, 2022)

IN THE ELEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT DISTRICT COURT, CRAWFORD COUNTY, KANSAS

IN THE MATTER OF:

Izabella Nycole Sheldon, Case No. CRP-2022-AD-000002 A female minor, DOB: August 6, 2008

NOTICE FOR SERVICE BY PUBLICATION

THE STATE OF KANSAS TO DANI ELLE NICOLE SHELDON:

You are hereby notified that an action for Petition for Trans fer of Custody and StepParent Adoption has been commenced against you in the District Court of Crawford County, Kansas, the ob ject and general nature of which is to obtain a Step-Parent Adoption by Petitioners, James Ralph Vilmer and Ceara Marie Vilmer.

The names of all parties in this action are stated above and the name and address of the attor ney for the Petitioners is TINA M. LONGNECKER, THE LAW OFFICE OF TINA M. LONGNECKER, 702 S. Pearl, Ste. B, Joplin, Missouri 64801.

You are further notified that unless you file an answer or other pleading or otherwise appear and defend against this action within 21 days after September 23, 2022, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon all pending issues.

THIS NOTICE IS EFFECTIVE AS OF THE DATE AND TIME SHOWN ON THE ELECTRONIC FILE STAMP

(9) 29 (10) 6, 13

(Published in The Iola Register Sept. 29, 2022)

IN THE ELEVENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT DISTRICT COURT, CRAWFORD COUNTY, KANSAS

IN THE MATTER OF: Izabella Nycole Sheldon, Case No. CRP-2022-AD-000002 A female minor, DOB: August 6,

2008 ORDER GRANTING SERVICE BY PUBLICATION

Pursuant to K.S.A. 38-2237

NOW, on this date the Court considers the Request for Service by Publication filed herein. There are no appearances.

The Court finds that Natural Mother, Danielle Nicole Sheldon, shall be given notice of the pro ceedings by publishing a Notice for Service by Publication once a week for three consecutive weeks in the newspaper authorized to publish legal notice in the locality where the parent was last known to reside, to wit: Iola, Allen County, Kansas. Report of service shall be made by affidavit with a copy of the published notice attached.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

THIS ORDER IS EFFECTIVE AS OF THE DATE AND TIME SHOWN ON THE ELECTRONIC FILE STAMP AND SIGNED BY JUDGE.

29 (10) 6, 13

ZITS

by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

BEETLE BAILEY by Mort Walker

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE by Chris Browne FUNKY WINKERBEAN by Tom Batiuk BLONDIE by Young and Drake

Yesterday’s Cryptoquote:

People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

MARVIN by Tom Armstrong

HI AND LOIS by Chance Browne

V U K I U R S N F M

R M ’ S O V F ’ R

F N M X S F Y U S

U ; N S ’ R O V F

R X F N M X S F

S F L G U . — E Z M

E M Q

Phillies: Win game 1

Continued from B4

field for the second out to help snuff out the comeback — a clutch play from a player frequently maligned for his defense.

“Do anything I could to not let it hit the ground,” Castellanos said of his mindset.

He sprawled out on the grass — arms raised above his head, the ball securely in his glove — before rolling over and flipping it back to the infield.

Castellanos appears to be finding his groove after missing most of September with an oblique injury.

“I hope that’s the start of something, because he’s been out for a long time,” manager Rob Thomson said. “Maybe he’s really getting his timing back now.”

Alec Bohm added two RBIs for the Phillies, who built a 7-1 lead by the top of the fifth and made it stand up against a Braves lineup that squandered numerous chances to get back in the game earlier.

Travis d’Arnaud homered and drove in the other three Atlanta runs, but the team that won 101 games during the regular season and edged the New York Mets in a thrilling NL East race suddenly finds itself in a best-offive predicament.

Game 2 is Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta before the series shifts to Philly.

Castellanos had a run-scoring single in the first — the Phillies jumping ahead 2-0 before many fans had settled in their seats for the lunchtime start — and added a two-run single in the fourth.

Castellanos came in hitting .148 (4 for 27) in seven postseason games. He had nearly as many hits in this one, going 3 for 5.

And that catch on William Contreras’ opposite-field liner truly made it a day to remember.

“Baseball is really, really fun right now,” Castellanos said.

Max Fried, whose last postseason start was a World Series-clinching victory over the Astros, failed to get through the fourth against the Phillies.

The Braves ace was roughed up for eight hits and six runs — two of them unearned, but that was because of a throwing error by Fried.

The Phillies, on the other hand, have been playing like playoff-hardened veterans even though their 11-year postseason drought was the National League’s longest.

They started the season dismally, which led to the firing of manager Joe Girardi in early June.

Thomson guided a remarkable turnaround as interim manager, the Phillies bouncing back to claim the NL’s final wild card.

Thomson had the interim removed from

his title on Monday, agreeing to a two-year deal to remain at the helm through 2024. The Phillies gave him quite a thank-you in his first game as plain ol’ manager.

D’Arnaud led off the second with a homer deep into the left-field seats off Ranger Suárez to make it 2-1. But the 22-year-old left-hander was not flustered.

Suárez went just 3 1/3 innings but made a couple of big pitches to keep the Braves down.

After walking two to load the bases in the first, Suarez escaped on Contreras’ inning-ending double play.

Atlanta loaded the bases again in the third, but d’Arnaud struck out on a high fastball out of the zone. Suárez pumped his fist emphatically on the way to the dugout.

“We had him on the ropes,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said.

“We just couldn’t get a big hit.”

The Braves put two more runners aboard in the fourth. This time, the threat ended with Dansby Swanson whiffing at a 3-2 pitch from Andrew Bellatti, who was credited with the win.

Swanson slammed his helmet to the dirt in frustration — which was pretty much indicative of how this day went for the defending champs.

The Phillies knocked out Fried in the fourth, the left-hander leaving with runners at second and third. Jesse Chavez had a chance to escape the jam after he struck out Realmuto, but Castellanos came through with a two-our single to left that made it 6-1.

FRIED FLOPS

This was quite a postseason comedown for Fried.

In Game 6 of last year’s World Series, he pitched six scoreless innings in a 7-0 victory that clinched Atlanta’s first title in 26 years.

Fried was stricken with a stomach bug in the final week of the regular season but insisted he was fully recovered.

“I’m not going to make any excuses,” he said. “I took the ball today and put us in a big hole right off the bat.”

ROSTER MOVES

Phillies reliever David Robertson was left off the NLDS roster after injuring his right calf jumping to celebrate Bryce Harper’s home run in the clinching wild-card victory at St. Louis.

Spencer Strider, the Braves’ hard-throwing rookie, made the roster after he was sidelined since Sept. 18 with a sore left oblique.

UP NEXT RH Kyle Wright, who led the majors with 21 wins, faces a must-win situation when goes for the Braves in Game 2. He’ll be opposed by Phillies RH Zack Wheeler (12-7, 2.87), who grew up in suburban Atlanta.

AP Big 12 Midseason peek

By ERIC OLSON The Associated Press

Adrian Martinez had done just about everything in his first four years of college football except play on a winning team.

Those wins are finally coming for him at Kansas State.

The 17th-ranked Wildcats (5-1, 3-0) sit atop the Big 12 standings in large part because of their dual-threat quarterback. He rushed for a combined 319 yards and acounted for nine touchdowns in breakout performances against Oklahoma and Texas Tech before he led the Wildcats to a grind-it-out victory at Iowa State last week.

Martinez has won three straight games for the first time after never winning more than two in a row at Nebraska. He was picked as the Big 12’s top first-year transfer at midseason in a vote of Associated Press writers covering the conference.

Martinez set more than a dozen records in his time at Nebraska, but the Cornhuskers were just 15-29 while he often played hurt.

His 48 turnovers (30 interceptions, 18 fumbles) were most in the Bowl Subdivision from 2018-21, according to Sportradar. So far at K-State he has not thrown an interception or lost a fumble.

Martinez averages 241 yards of total offense per game to rank sixth in the Big 12, and he’s fourth in rushing at 91 yards per game.

A key point of the early season was a 1710 home loss to Tulane on Sept. 17. Martinez acknowledged he had played tentatively, and coach Chris Klieman and offensive coordinator Collin Klein sat him down and told him to forget about the possibility of making mistakes and let his natural ability take over.

“”That really speaks to the culture of this team and program, the leadership of coach Klieman and some of

the older guys on this squad,” Martinez said. “We were determined not to let it ruin our season. All our goals are still on the horizon. The Big 12, that’s all it’s about.”

OFFENSIVE PLAYER

QB Max Duggan, TCU (5-0, 2-0). He started 29 games for the Horned Frogs pre-Sonny Dykes and then lost the job to Chandler Morris in preseason practices. Morris sprained a knee in the opener against Colorado and hasn’t been seen since. Duggan, meanwhile, has thrown for 261 yards per game with 14 touchdowns against one interception. He’s second to Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud in passer rating (194.36) and yards per attempt (10.3).

DEFENSIVE PLAYER

DE Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State. One of the most disruptive forces in the Big 12, he’s building on a 2021 season that saw him earn all-conference first-team honors. He’s tied for second nationally with 6.5 sacks. His two forced fumbles give

him eight in 24 games, with his 0.33 career average best among active FBS players.

COACH

Kansas second-year coach Lance Leipold is known as a program builder, and his work with the No. 19 Jayhawks (5-1, 2-1) could be his best yet. The Jayhawks are ranked this season for the first time since 2009 and are one win from bowl eligibility for the first time since 2008. Leipold has done it with a big-play offense that has 19 plays of at least 30 yards and a defense fortified by a couple of key transfers.

MOST SURPRISING TEAM

Kansas.was the easy choice, and last week’s narrow home loss to TCU didn’t do much to diminish the magnitude of what’s happening in Lawrence. This is a program that hasn’t won a conference championship in football since 1968, and it lost 91 of 97 Big 12 games under five coaches before Leipold took over last year.

Pets weekof the

Meet

Phillies’ Nick Castellanos makes the game-winning catch in ALDS game one. TNS