The Iola Register, Oct. 13, 2023

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City Council Ward 4 hopefuls share views Darcus Kottwitz

Joelle Shallah

By TIM STAUFFER The Iola Register

By TIM STAUFFER The Iola Register

Darcus Kottwitz believes that serving on Iola’s City Council requires the right mix of strong business sense and a kind heart. “I don’t think there’s been enough consideration, research and budgeting in the council’s recent decisions,” said Kottwitz. “We need to take a closer look at how we expand our community, and we need to examine

Joelle Shallah often thinks of her kids when at Iola City Council. Not because she misses them, though she surely does. Rather, it’s because she hopes to build the type of community that would inspire them to come back home. They’re part of every decision she makes. “We always

Darcus Kottwitz the approach our town takes toward our citizens.” Kottwitz, 77, is challenging incumbent Joelle Shallah, also profiled in today’s Register, for a seat on Iola’s city council to represent Ward 4, which

includes the southeast part of town. The election is Tuesday, Nov. 7; early voting starts We d n e s d ay, YOUR Oct. 18. Kottwitz is See KOTTWITZ | Page A3

KNOW CANDIDATES

VOTE NOV. 7

Joelle Shallah hear that people want our children to come back so that we can grow. But we’re not quite ticking all the boxes,” said Shallah. “We need to figure out how to get our kids back.” Shallah, 55, and her

husband Sam have two adult children, Brittany and Sam. Brittany, her husband and five kids live in Wichita, while Sam and family are in Texas. “Both of my kids have ties to See SHALLAH | Page A4

Recycling on county’s radar Larson

show on hold

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

County leaders will look at recycling programs in other counties after a volunteer-led effort disbanded more than two weeks ago. Commission Chairman David Lee and Road and Bridge Director Mark Griffith planned to travel to Coffey County to learn about their program, which collects recyclable material from residences and stores them at a facility near the landfill. The items are sold and transported to recycling companies. Lee also contacted Anderson County to learn about its program. The county offers a recycle trailer where residents can sort and dump recyclable material. The trailer is moved to different communities on a rotating basis. Allen County might want to start small, with a stationary bin at the landfill where residents can bring recyclables. Lee cited a recent editorial in the Register that made a similar suggestion. “We’ll see if we can do something,” Lee said. “It might not be door-to-door service, but if someone is se-

Gary McIntosh, left, and Dawn Murray attend Tuesday’s Allen County Commission meeting to discuss support for the Allen County Animal Rescue Facility in LaHarpe. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

rious about recycling, maybe there could be a bin at the landfill.” “Even if we have a bin at the landfill, it needs to be taken somewhere,” Commissioner Bruce Symes said. All three commissioners said they’ve received numerous calls on the matter. A Humboldt woman attend-

ed last week’s commission meeting to ask the county to rethink their approach. Allen County Recycling, an all-volunteer group, announced in late September it would cease operations. The group formed in late 2021 after Iola Rotary Club ended its volunteer-led program after 30 years.

Commissioner Jerry Daniels noted the county had offered to dedicate an employee’s time to help the recycling effort if the city would agree to do the same, but that didn’t happen. A few hours after the county’s discussion on Tuesday morning, a group of about See COUNTY | Page A6

Author Erik Larson, scheduled to speak at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center on Saturday, is postponing his show because of a COVID-19 diagnosis. The show Erik Larson has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28. Larson, a journalist and nonfiction writer, has penned eight books, six of which have earned spots on the New York Times Bestseller list. His books “The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family and Defiance During the Blitz,” and “Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania,” both hit no. 1 on the NYT Bestseller list. His appearance, part of the Bowlus Speaker Series, is sponsored by the Sleeper and Clopton family trusts.

Iola vies for federal infrastructure dollars By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

With infrastructure funds flowing from Washington, D.C., It’s in Iola’s best interest to apply for every penny it can, Mayor Steve French said. “That money’s gonna go someplace,” French said at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “We might as well bring some of it back home if we can.” City Administrator Matt Rehder gave Council mem-

Vol. 125, No. 263 Iola, KS $1.00

bers a preliminary list of potential projects that could utilize Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation funds. The two biggest-tick- Matt Rehder et items would be to replace all of the bare steel gas mains in the city, expected to cost about $10 million, and reSee FUNDING | Page A2

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Creitz discusses courthouse vote in Moran District Judge Daniel Creitz, center, speaks to a smattering of residents in Moran about an upcoming vote on proposed renovations and expansion to the Allen County Courthouse. County voters will decide the fate of the $9.95 million project on Nov. 7. Another conversation in Humboldt is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Tuesday at its senior center. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Numbers are important, they’re all around me. You’ll need four of them to get me, but which four is the mystery. 2023 Hunt sponsored by


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