The Iola Register, May 14, 2024

Humboldt Class of 2024 overcomes challenges

By SARAH HANEY

“We started out as a bunch of wide-eyed freshmen, running around with face masks and getting quarantined four times,” stated class speaker Garren Goodner, reflecting on the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic. Families filled the bleachers of the field house at Humboldt High School Saturday evening to celebrate the graduating class of 2024.

Senior Kayla Scott also addressed the crowd. Goodner and Scott were chosen by their classmates as this year’s class speakers. Goodner took the opportunity as a way to give thanks. Specifically to educators. “Every single one of you made coming to school fun and enjoyable,” he said. “Not only were you our teachers, but I look up to you as role models.”

Looking out at his peers,

Student stars shine

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Iola’s theatre and forensics community gathered to celebrate the best and brightest of all ages at the 59th Annual Little Oscars ceremony Friday evening at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. Students offered a delightful variety of song and dance numbers between awards. The school presented two plays this past year, “Willy Wonka Jr.,” a musical, in the fall and “Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” in the spring.

Senior Brigham Folk, president of the Players & Thespian Club, won the night’s biggest awards and the most hardware. He took home three Little Oscars, includ-

See AWARDS | Page A6

Iola High School senior Layla Newkirk performs “Anyone” during Friday’s Little Oscars ceremony. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Iola graduates take their shot

By VICKIE MOSS

School is a lot like golf, Iola High School’s Class of 2024 student body president Chris Holloway told his fellow graduates during commencement activities Saturday.

You have to have great grounds and pick the course you’re going to play. You’ll face plenty of hazards, “making each of the 18 holes harder and more competitive, just like each year of school gets harder and more challenging.”

For Holloway and many other students, no “hazard” is quite as difficult to get past as Travis Hermstein’s history classes.

It helps to have the right team behind you though, just like you need a good caddy

to teach us. Some use individual white boards you can write notes on. Others use a chalkboard you can hear a mile away, at least in Mrs. (Virginia) Crane’s class,” he said.

Students will spend nine months — a total of 1,440 hours — with their teachers. The best will make a 51-minute class feel like 10, filled with jokes and thought-provoking conversation.

and coach. In school, teachers fill those roles.

“Our school has 36 teachers. Each of them have a unique and interesting way

“I hope you never forget that,” Holloway said to the teachers. He also joked about learning to respect the boundary between teachers and students in a small town where families have been longtime friends, noting art teacher Emily Sigg “blocked me on every social media and

Crest grads celebrate success

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

COLONY — The Crest High School Class of 2024 is one of the school’s most accomplished senior classes, Principal Travis Hermreck announced at Saturday’s graduation ceremony in Colony. The 19-member class has

an average grade point average of 3.5, and nearly 80% of the class had a 3.0 or higher GPA. A third will go on to compete at college in basketball, baseball, volleyball, track and rodeo.

“What’s most impressive about this class is, as a whole, they’re one of the most caring, empathetic and giving classes I can remember,” Her-

mreck said. “Their selflessness is something of a modern anomaly. I truly believe that in their hearts they want to make the world a better place, not just for them but for everybody. Class of 2024, you represent the ideal model of what we want the Crest product to be.”

Logan Kistner was recog-

Graduate Piper Jones holds her diploma high above her head in celebration at Saturday evening’s commencement ceremony at Humboldt High School. REGISTER/SARAH HANEY

Chris Holloway, Iola High School 2024 class president, speaks to graduates.

Crest High School’s Class of 2024 gathers at the gymnasium in Colony for Saturday morning’s commencement activities. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

The Iola Register

Iola High School Principal Scott Carson, left, congratulates Shelby Daniels as she walks across the stage at Saturday’s commencement activities. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Pro-Palestine protests continue at graduations

By MORIAH BALINGIT Associated Press

(AP) — A tiny contingent of Duke University graduates opposed pro-Israel comedian Jerry Seinfeld speaking at their commencement in North Carolina Sunday, with about 30 of the 7,000 students leaving their seats and chanting “free Palestine” amid a mix of boos and cheers.

Some waved the red, green, black and white Palestinian flag. Seinfeld, whose namesake sitcom was one of the most popular in U.S. television history, was there to receive an honorary doctorate from the university.

The stand-up comic turned actor, who stars in the new Netflix movie “Unfrosted,” has publicly supported Israel since it invaded Gaza to dismantle Hamas after the organization attacked the country and killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel on Oct. 7.

The small student protest Sunday at Duke’s graduation in Durham, North Carolina, was emblematic of campus events across the U.S. Sunday after weeks of student protests resulted in nearly 2,900 arrests at 57 colleges and universities.

STUDENTS at campuses across the U.S. responded this spring by setting up encampments and calling for their schools to cut ties with Israel and busi-

I feel like they’re ruining it for those of us who paid for tickets and came to show our pride for our graduates. There’s a time and a place, and this is not it.

— Annie Ramos

nesses that support it. Students and others on campuses whom law enforcement authorities have identified as outside agitators have taken part in the protests from Columbia University in New York City to UCLA.

Police escorted graduates’ families past a few dozen pro-Palestinian protesters who tried to block access to Sunday evening’s commencement for Southern California’s Pomona College.

After demonstrators set up an encampment last week on the cam-

Council meeting canceled

According to city officials, tonight’s Iola City Council meeting has been canceled due to a lack of a quorum.

Area news

Chanute gallery stages exhibit

CHANUTE — A reception recognizing the Neosho Valley Spring Art Exhibit is from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Chanute Art Gallery, 17 N. Lincoln. The exhibit features many wellknown area artists, including Rick Bushnell, Dee Hutchinson and Bob Cross, according to the Chanute Tribune. The exhibit, which will be judged, is on display until June 1. The gallery is open from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday or by appointment. Call 620431-7807 for more information.

All agenda items will be carried over to the next regular council meeting on Tuesday, May 28.

Humboldt and Chanute students win awards

Humboldt High School’s journalism department placed first among 3A schools in the Kansas Scholastic Press Association’s annual contest. It’s the school’s 14th consecutive firstplace finish.

Chanute High School’s journalism department placed second among 4A schools in the contest, according to the Chanute Tribune.

Students from more than 60 schools competed in more than 25 categories.

pus’ ceremony stage, the small liberal arts school moved the event 30 miles from Claremont to the Shrine Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles. Tickets were required to attend the event, which the school said would include additional security measures.

At the University of California, Berkeley, on Saturday, a small group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators waved flags and chanted during commencement and were escorted to the back of the stadium, according to the San Fran-

cisco Chronicle. There were no major counterprotests, but some attendees voiced frustration.

“I feel like they’re ruining it for those of us who paid for tickets and came to show our pride for our graduates,” said Annie Ramos, whose daughter is a student. “There’s a time and a place, and this is not it.”

This weekend’s commencement events remained largely peaceful.

At Emerson College in Boston, some students took off their graduation robes and left them on stage. Others emblazoned “free Palestine” on their mortar boards. One woman, staring at a camera broadcasting a livestream to the public, unzipped her robe to show a kaffiyeh, the black and white checkered scarf commonly worn by Palestinians.

AROUND TOWN

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Saturday, May 18

Marmaton Valley High School graduation, 7 p.m., auditorium.

“A Night for Humanity, 7 p.m., featuring Atomic Possum and Damaris Kunkler, Bowlus Fine Arts Center. Proceeds help benefit Humanity House’s goal of ending hunger and homelessness.

Sunday, May 19

Alpha-Gal Syndrome, noon-3 p.m., Seventh Day Adventist Church, 2401 S. State. Helps those who have been bitten by ticks and must now adhere to a restrictive diet. Contact Debbie Goff, 913-683-3651, moomy@ hotmail.com, for more information.

Monday, May 20

Sunflower Quilters Guild, Humboldt United Methodist Church, Fellowship Hall, 806 N. 9th. Board meeting, 9:30 a.m., followed by Guild meeting at 10 LaHarpe Pride, 7 p.m.. City Hall.

Public notice

COURT, ALLEN COUNTY, KANSAS CIVIL DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY NATIONAL BANK & TRUST, Plaintiff, v. HOWARD A. FARHA, KAY CHITWOOD, UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF HOWARD FARHA, UNKNOWN SPOUSE OF KAY CHITWOOD, BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR ALLEN COUNTY, KANSAS, et al. Defendants.

CASE NO. AL-2024-CV-000004

TITLE INVOLVING REAL ESTATE

Pursuant to K.S.A. Chapter 60 (REAL ESTATE FORECLOSURE ACTION)

NOTICE OF SHERIFF’S SALE

By virtue of an Order of Sale issued out of the Allen County District Court in the above-entitled action, I will, on the 29th day of May 2024 at 10 o’clock a.m., at the South entrance of the Allen County Courthouse, One North Washington Ave., Iola, Kansas, to sell at a public auction and sell to the highest bidder for cash in hand, all rights, title and interest of the defendants above-named in and to the following described real property situated in the County of Allen,

real property is levied on as the property of the defendants above-named and without appraisement to satisfy said Order of Sale.

Sheriff of Allen County, Kansas Creath L. Pollak, #21681 MINTER & POLLAK, LC 800 E. 1st St., Suite 310 Wichita, Kansas 67202 (316) 265-0797 Creath@mp-firm.com Attorneys for Plaintiff MINTER & POLLAK AS ATTORNEYS FOR PLAINTIFF IS ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. (5) 7, 14, 21

DAVID R. MEADOWS, Sr. PLAINTIFF v. IOLA AREA COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL, INC.; And the unknown heirs, executors, administrators, devisees, trustees, creditors, and assigns of any deceased defendants; the unknown spouses of any defendants; the unknown officers, successors, trustees, creditors, and assigns of any defendants which are existing, dissolved, or dormant corporations; the unknown executors, administrators, devisees, trustees, creditors, successors, and assigns of any defendants who are or were partners or in partnership; the unknown guardians, conservators, and trustees of any defendants who are minors or under any legal disability; and the unknown heirs, executors, administrators, devisees, trustees, creditors, and assigns of any person alleged to be deceased and any person claiming an interest in the described real estate: Beginning at the Northwest Corner of the SW/4 of the SW/4 in Section 2, Township 25, Range 18 East in Allen County, Kansas; Thence Easterly along the North Line of the SW/4 of the SW/4 on an assumed bearing of N80°17’49”E a distance of 506.28 feet; Thence S08°44’39” Parallel to the West Line of said ¼ Section a distance of 430.5 feet; Thence S80°17’49”W Parallel to the North Line of said SW/4 of the SW/4 a distance of 506.28 feet to the West line of said SW/4 of the SW/4; thence N08°44’39”W along the West Line of said ¼

to the point of beginning. Area contains 5/0 Acres more or less, less Highway right-of-way. DEFENDANTS, FOR THE SUM OF Gift.

EXCEPT AND SUBJECT TO all easements and rights-of-way of record,

Palestinian insignia are seen on the stole of a graduate during commencement for the University of Southern California Friday, in Los Angeles. AP PHOTO/RYAN SUN

Graduates: Class speaker compares high school to playing golf

Continued from A1

made a big deal that I can’t be her friend. She did say after I graduate she’ll add me back. I walk across this stage in 20 minutes, so all you teachers, I’m giving you a heads up because your social media feeds will be going crazy.”

And just like golfers, Iola students are diverse in their skill levels and abilities. Some, like the seven valedictorians, prioritize academics. Others are athletes. Others sing, play instruments and perform in theatre and forensics.

“I was always told it doesn’t matter what you do in life, be the best

you can at it,” he said. “Go out into the world and play the best round of golf in your life.”

AS PART of commencement ceremonies, Abigail Meiwes was recognized by the local Rotary Club as the graduating senior with both the highest GPA and ACT score. Meiwes received a watch by Iola Rotary Club President Jonathan Adams.

Valedictorians were Rebekah Coltrane, Kiera Fawson, Rio Lohman, Abigail Meiwes, Jaydon Morrison, Jenna Morrison and Kalibre Smith. Salutatorian was Piper Aronson.

The Iola High School Class of 2024 celebrates the end of high school with the traditional cap toss.

Humboldt: Making a transition

Continued from A1

Goodner commented on their progress.

“Every one of us has grown in our own unique way,” he noted. “As we get ready for what’s next, let’s remember the good times. The friendships that we’ve made and all that we’ve learned.” His advice to underclassmen is to “not complain about the hard times,” adding that “you only get four years, so make the most of it.”

Goodner closed by reminding his classmates, “If you only do what you can do, you’ll never be more than who you are.”

UNLIKE MANY other graduation speakers of the past, Scott noted that she has a unique perspective to offer in that she is relatively new to the community, arriving halfway through her sophomore year. As a newcomer, she commented on the difficulties of meeting new people and the transition from coastal life to small town midwestern life.

“My reason for bringing this up is because many of my peers are about to go through the same sort of transition,” Scott said of graduation. “I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say the process of becoming

independent and grown adults is an anxiety we all share.”

She offered a beacon of hope to her classmates. “Just as I was able to make this transition and thrive through it, I believe that the class of 2024 will be able to do the same,” she said. “We are a tightknit community who will strive to lift up on another.”

In closing, Scott quoted the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains — however improbable — must be the truth,” she said. “Moving forward, I’m sure that we’ll all be able to move past the impossible and find our truths.”

Dream Humboldt

Humboldt City Administrator Cole Herder gave the annual Dream Humboldt presentation. Each year, city officials present graduates with a mailbox with the invitation to “come home to Humboldt.”

Ahead of the presentation of diplomas, several awards were presented to graduates.

Awards

Landon Bauer received the Lions Club’s highest scholastic boy graduate award. Bauer is planning to get a college degree in agricul-

tural diesel mechanics and major in business management. Danica Modlin received the club’s scholarship. She plans to attend Pittsburg State University to study nursing. Her goal is to become a registered nurse in the labor and delivery field.

Kayla Scott was recognized by G.A.L.S.-F.CE. as the highest scholastic girl graduate. Scott plans on obtaining a bachelor’s of fine arts degree in visual arts from the University of Kansas.

Caleb Gunderman received the Dean A. McGee Scholarship. The recipient is chosen by considering their leadership, scholarship, attitude, participation in school activities, and future plans. Gunderman plans on attending the University of Kansas to study cyber security.

Helaina Chryssikos received the Nina McGee Fellers Scholarship. She plans to attend Wichita State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in social work.

Landon Bauer received the Monarch Academic Achievement Award.

Kenisyn Hottenstein received the Warren and Shirley Breiner Scholarship. She plans to study radiology at Labette Community College.

Drought lingers in parts of the Midwest and Great Plains

By GRANT WINTERER Harvest Public Media

Mark Mueller’s farm in Bremer County, Iowa, sat within a pocket of extreme drought in the northeast part of the state until a rainy April lifted the area into severe drought.

The fourth generation farmer says last year’s crop was below expectations, and even with recent rains, they’re still behind.

“It’s not quite Corn Belt-wide like it was during the Dust Bowl days,” he says, “but it could also develop into a Dust Bowl-type thing. All it has to do is quit raining tomorrow, and we’ll be dry within a month.”

Mueller typically plants two-thirds corn and one-third soybeans across his fields. This year, because of the drought, he’s scaling back his corn crop and splitting it closer to 5050 ratio with his soybeans.

Planting is well underway across the Midwest and Great Plains, and farmers in several regions are making similar adjustments, as much of the Corn Belt enters a third year of drought. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows significant areas of Kansas and Iowa are in severe drought, while portions of Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin are also affected.

Dennis Todey, director of the USDA’s Midwest Climate Hub, said the area’s been parched for a historically long time.

“We would probably have to go back to some period in the 1950s or even some in the 1930s to compare with what we’ve seen in the way of longevity and precipitation deficit we’re dealing with,” he said.

Todey says with less precipitation over the past few years, groundwater for corn could be a problem this season, as well.

IN WISCONSIN, officials said resilient groundwater reservoirs

helped bring in better than expected yield last fall, despite dry conditions. But Sam Bibby, a crop educator with the University of Wisconsin Extension, said they can’t rely on that this year.

“If we ended up in a situation like we did last year during the summer, it would certainly be a lot worse than last year just because we are lower on that subsoil moisture,” he said.

The dry conditions are having impacts on livestock producers, as well.

In southeast Missouri, first-generation rancher August Horstmann says they weren’t

Celebrating Older Americans Month

It’s time to celebrate all with Older Americans Month (OAM) this May. This is an opportunity to recognize older Americans’ contributions, highlight aging trends, and reaffirm commitments to serving the older adults in our communities.

This year’s theme, “Powered by Connection,” focuses on the profound impact that meaningful connections have on the well-being and health of older adults. It’s not just about having someone to chat with. It’s about the transformative potential of community engagement in enhancing mental, physical, and emotional well-being. By recognizing and nurturing the role that connectedness plays, we can mitigate issues like loneliness, ultimately promoting healthy aging for more Americans.

How can community groups, businesses, and organizations mark OAM?

• Spread the word about the mental, physical, and emotional health benefits of so-

Tara SolomonSmith

Southwind Extension District

cial connection through professional and personal networks.

• Encourage social media followers to share their thoughts and stories of connection using hashtag #PoweredByConnection to inspire and uplift.

• Promote opportunities to engage, like cultural activities, recreational programs, and interactive virtual events.

• Connect older adults with local services, such as counseling, that can help them overcome obstacles to meaningful relationships and access to support systems.

• Host connection-centric events or programs where older adults can serve as mentors to peers, younger adults, or youths.

What can individuals do to connect?

• Invite more connec-

tion into your life by finding a new passion, joining a social club, taking a class, or trying new activities in your community.

• Stay engaged in your community by giving back through volunteering, working, teaching, or mentoring.

• Invest time with people to build new relationships and discover deeper connections with your family, friends, colleagues, or neighbors.

For more information, visit acl.gov or contact Tara Solomon-Smith, tsolomon@ ksu.edu, or call 620244-3826.

able to raise their own hay, because of the dry weather. That led him to a tough decision.

“We were buying $108 hay,” he said. “You can only buy so much of that to get by, so we actually destocked 50% of our cow herd last year.”

To lower his feed costs, Horstmann is currently converting entire grazing fields back to native grasses to help keep subsoil moisture and his livestock’s food sources stable. He said so far it’s been a huge success.

“Our planted cover crops haven’t done very well at all,” Horstmann said. “But the native grasses – the old prairies that were here –performed really well in the drought we’ve had.”

Those changes helped Horstmann feel more confident, despite the dry conditions, and he recently bought 80 head of cattle.

But in Iowa, where it’s been even drier, state extension field agronomist Terry Basol says they’ll be even more dependent on rainfall this year as the soil has mostly dried out.

And he said there’s a lot of catching up to do.

“Our 30-year average is roughly 30 inches of rain,” he said, “and last year, that total was 13.8.”

Despite 4 inches of rain in April, this year’s totals are still about 3 inches short of that. Basol’s concerned about conditions, but trusts in the ingenuity of regional producers to make it through the dry spell.

“You have to have some hope, sometimes I call it faith, to get everybody through,” he said. “Growers are resilient, they’ll make it through.”

“It looks like this is going to be one of our better grazing seasons, and it’s still very dry,” he said.

Community change can be hard

If you call a rural community home, chances are good you have heard the statement, “Our community will never change.” Maybe you have said it yourself.

All communities change over time. The big question is how? Will community members do nothing and just let change happen, or will they direct the change, so that it happens with a purpose.

If a hands-off approach is preferred, things get old and fall apart, whether it be the swimming pool, playground equipment, basketball courts, community centers, etc. That is change, but probably not in the way most families would prefer.

When a community directs the change, residents decide to invest in the community, whether it is with new playground equipment, a new pool, a new summer recreation program or events that families can enjoy. These investments take resources – both time and money – but change the community in a way that inspires pride. Changes

don’t have to be physical; a new summer recreation program or family fun events that cost minimal amounts of money can happen using talents and skills of community members.

If you think your community hasn’t changed, or will never change, I challenge you to visit with some of its longer-term residents. Ask them what it was like there when they were growing up. I can guarantee that things have changed. Now, ask yourself, were those changes just things that happened, or did the community work to make them happen?

You certainly don’t have control over everything. You can’t change the geography of the land around your community, but you

can change the way you share ideas about the future of your community with others. You can change the way you welcome new people to your town. You can change the way you invite young people to see that they have a future in the community. You can take actions to improve the appearance of your community by keeping the community clean, planting flowers, putting appealing displays in story windows, and more. Maybe it’s working together as a community to make the reality of a new pool, or other amenity, a reality. The sky is the limit. And it’s not easy. Think about what kind of future is your community building to be sure it is a place that keeps people there? And what are you doing to help? For more information please contact Amanda Clasen, Community Vitality Agent, at amclasen@ksu.edu or at any Southwind Extension office.

SATURDAY, JUNE 1

Amanda Clasen

Extension Agent for Community Vitality

Mark Mueller stands in front of one of his tractors. A district director at the Iowa Corn Growers Association, he’s planning to plant less corn this year because of the drought. GRANT WINTERER/HARVEST PUBLIC MEDIA

Vladimir Putin: Russia’s ruler for life

While TV news was glued last week to Stormy Daniels’ tell-all testimony and pro-Palestinian demonstrations, scant attention was paid to Vladimir Putin’s tsarlike coronation for a fifth term. Nor to his bellicose parade of Russia’s nuclear-capable missiles through Red Square on Thursday, the annual Victory Day commemoration of World War II.

I would argue that Putin’s stage-managed glorification was more significant than Donald Trump’s hush money trial or the student upheavals.

For one thing, the ceremonies reflected Putin’s optimism about victory in Ukraine. Despite congressional passage of a long-delayed military aid package for Kyiv, the weapons may arrive too slowly to prevent Russia from making dangerous new gains unless they are dispatched with a greater sense of urgency. Putin’s preening is clearly fed by the belief that the new aid is too little, too late, and that a Trump victory in November will mean an end to further U.S. support for Kyiv.

Moreover, the diversion of White House attention to Gaza distracts from a desperately needed administration focus on helping Ukraine make progress against Moscow this year, not in the unpredictable future.

YET, THE DEEPER reason Putin’s pomp should have drawn greater attention is that it demonstrated something most Americans still don’t grasp: the threat this Russian leader presents to Europe and the U.S. That threat is all the greater because the unchecked power Putin displayed last week aroused such admiration from close associates of Trump, and from the GOP candidate himself.

The longest-serving Kremlin leader since Joseph Stalin, Putin took his oath beneath the glittering arches of the Andreyevsky Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace — where Russian tsars were once crowned. A 30-gun salute followed. Putin had had the Russian Constitution changed to enable him to rule for life.

Recall that Putin was inaugurated after a sham election in March in which no genuine alternative candidate was allowed to run. The most serious opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, had survived poisoning by Russian intelligence agents only to be imprisoned in an Arctic penal colony; he died conveniently and mysteriously in prison one month before the election.

Navalny was only the latest in a long string of Putin opponents to be poisoned or otherwise mur-

Trudy Rubin

Philadelphia Inquirer/ TNS

dered, not just inside Russia but across Europe.

On Monday, at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, I am to interview former Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko, who barely survived a poisoning attempt in Kyiv in 2004 by a Russian agent; Putin opposed his efforts to draw his country closer to the European Union.

If you want a theatrical glimpse of how this cold-blooded Kremlin killer operates, rush to New York before the British play “Patriots” ends its run. You will see a splendid cast depict Putin’s brutal destruction of the Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky who lifted him out of political obscurity to the presidency, but then had the audacity to challenge the Franken-

independent Belarus, Putin insists Ukraine has no right to exist as an independent country. On Victory Day, he repeated his grotesque comparison of Moscow’s fight against Ukraine to Russia’s World War II battle against the Nazis.

Never mind that in 2024, it is Putin who is playing the role of Hitler, as state-controlled Russian TV acts the part of Joseph Goebbels’ propaganda network. In the weeks leading up to the inauguration, Russian talk show hosts fulminated on how Ukrainians are “animals,” and advocated killing the parents, wives, and children of Ukrainian soldiers.

A Russian plot to assassinate Ukraine’s Jewish president, Volodymyr Zelensky, just prior to the Victory Day celebration, was fortunately broken up by Ukraine.

Putin’s nuclear threats are meant to deter the West from helping Ukraine win.

You might well ask why the West should take Putin seriously, given his failure to conquer Ukraine in three weeks as he

The Russian dictator believes his country has a ‘sacred duty’ to swallow, or dominate, other Europeans and Central Asian states what were once part of its empire. ... At last week’s ceremonies, he bragged of the ‘correctness of the country’s course’ and made clear his willingness to confront the West.

stein he helped create.

This is the nature of the leader whom Trump so admires.

The Kremlin boss is cracking down on any and all dissent inside Russia at a level unseen since the breakup of the Soviet Union.

He is having statues of Stalin rebuilt all across Russia.

And, as his grandiose inaugural confirmed, he is obsessed with Russia’s past imperial glories. “We are answering to our thousand-year history and our ancestors,” he proclaimed. It is Putin’s distorted view of Russian history that underlies his invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian dictator believes his country has a “sacred duty” to swallow, or dominate, other European and Central Asian states that were once part of its empire. He considers himself the incarnation of past conquerors such as Catherine the Great, whose statue he keeps in his office. At last week’s ceremonies, he bragged of the “correctness of the country’s course,” and made clear his willingness to confront the West.

Having basically recolonized

had intended, and the cost of the ongoing war. Only one Russian tank, a World War II T34 relic, rolled through Red Square in the Victory Day parade, both this year and last, a sign of how much military resources Moscow has had to commit to Ukraine.

HERE WE COME to the reason it gives me heartburn that America’s attention has turned away from Kyiv.

Putin thinks the West is fractured and fractious, and will eventually permit him to gnaw at the weak points in its society and its defenses. That is what made his bravado at this year’s Victory Day parade so flagrant after the more dismal outlook last year.

After annexing chunks of Ukraine, he intends to destroy its infrastructure and cities (unless the West rushes more air defenses to the country). He is striving to undermine NATO by backing far-right parties in Europe with propaganda and financing. The coup de grâce would be a victory by Trump, who openly disdains the Atlantic alliance.

Putin hopes his nuclear saber-rattling — including the parade of missiles through Red Square — will dissuade the West from saving Ukraine, and will enable further planned Russian aggression on land, sea, and in space. As he reviewed the troops on Red Square, he bragged, “We will not allow anyone to threaten us.”

Needless to say, China, Iran, and North Korea are closely watching to see if his bluster works.

MOST INSIDIOUS is Putin’s pretentious pose as the global standard-bearer for “centuries-old family values and traditions,” as he put it in his inaugural address. He is skillfully playing on the cultural divides that have poisoned politics in the West.

We know Trump envies Putin’s vainglorious pomp, the glitz and military parades and salutes. Less obvious is the Russian leader’s success in wooing U.S. conservatives who see him as a global advocate for the conservative, Christian, anti-immigrant values they embrace.

Never mind that this self-proclaimed defender of Orthodox Christian values is responsible for civilian slaughter, torture, rape, kidnapping of children in Ukraine, and murders of opponents. This includes persecution of LGBTQ people, and encouraging women to stay home and have eight children to increase Russia’s population. It also includes forcing artists, filmmakers, and cultural institutions to hew to a “patriotic” line or go to jail.

Yet, the GOP’s far-right has swallowed, or simply admires, Putin’s constant harping on “family values.” Tucker Carlson, who still has a huge following, treats Putin like a hero. Trump compliments him and invites his staunchest European backer, Viktor Orbán, to Mar-a-Lago. The Conservative Political Action Committee, or CPAC, rushes to Budapest, Hungary, to see Orbán.

Moreover, according to the latest Pew poll, 49% of Republicans buy Putin’s argument that America gives too much aid to Ukraine, oblivious to the security consequences of a Putin victory. While 83% of liberal Democrats have no confidence in Putin, only 61% of all Republicans say the same.

This past week, as Americans ignored his Kremlin theatrics, Putin laid bare the risks he poses to our country. I wish U.S. Putin-huggers had been compelled to watch his dictatorial display over and over. Yet, that might just make those who despise liberal democracy admire him more.

Honor guards take part in a parade following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration at the Kremlin in Moscow on Tuesday, May 7. Now that he has seen the country’s constitution changed so that he is ruler for life, Putin’s power is unchecked. (PAVEL BEDNYAKOV/POOL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES/TNS)

Awards: Forensics, theatre

Continued from A1

ing Best Actor.

A special award was given to Molly Riebel for her behind-thescenes work, with IHS theatre instructor Regina Chriestenson noting how Riebel typically tries to avoid the spotlight. Members of the Iola Community Theatre troupe also gave Riebel a special award for her contributions to their group.

Several middle school students also received an honorary Little Oscar for their work as Oompa Loompas in “Willy Wonka Jr.”

Amongst the celebrations, though, came a scattering of reminders that the stage is ever-evolving.

The ICT group paid an emotional tribute to longtime volunteer and costume director Margaret Robb, who died April 4.

Chriestenson recognized incoming and outgoing Theaspian club members, then presented retiring English teacher Virginia Crane with a special award as Honoray Member of Troupe No. 8952 for the International Thespian Society.

Longtime director Richard Spencer discussed choosing “Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” as his swan song. It was the first play he directed for IHS in 2009. Spencer said he chose the play to ease the theatre department toward musicals, which are now a regular feature. It seemed only fit-

LilianaRose Blaufuss gave the valedictory address.

Crest

Continued from A1

nized as class salutatorian, and LilianaRose Blaufuss, as valedictorian. Each received a commemorative medal. Blaufuss addressed the class, first thanking administrators, staff and parents, and then turning her attention to her classmates.

“Be proud of what you’e done, for the mistakes you made, the lessons you learned and the people you’ve become,” she said.

“We’re facing new challenges and a whole new world that is unknown to us. Remember it is OK to not know where to go and what to do. It is part of life, part of learning and part of growth.

“Take on life like it’s another challenge and at the end of the day, you’re going to win. We have all reached this moment through dedication and ambition.

Take these attributes with you as you take these next steps.

“As (Superintendent Shane) Walter has said, we showed up. We did the work.”

ting to direct the play — without songs — for what is likely his final performance, as he has moved. He’ll continue to work with IHS forensics students. Spencer also talked about being part of the first Little Oscars ceremony as a student.

“My vision of the play had changed. I charged the cast with the task of becoming one person. Nine people, acting together and separate. They were storytellers,” Spencer said. “These actors managed to capture the vision as if they were actors far beyond their years. I’m not leaving, I’m just giving up one part. Probably.”

Hannah Andersen and Macie Hoag returned to host this year’s Little Oscars.

A LIST of awards follow:

Iola Community Theatre: Molly Riebel

Female Rookie of the Year: Bella Rahming

Male Rookie of the Year: Donovan Nee

Underclass Woman of the Year: Lainey Oswald

Underclass Man of the Year: Kaeden Vega Fall Technical Award: Madelyn Ashworth,

stage manager Spring Technical Award: Hailey Stogsdill, stage manager

Theatrical Design Award: Cara Porter, scenic painting

Oustanding Players Member: Brigham Folk

Stanislavski Award: Stephanie Fees

Boleslavski Award: Keaton Larney

Best Supporting Actress: Layla Newkirk (second consecutive year)

Best Supporting Actor: Shaun McLaughlin

Don Bain Showman of the Year: Brigham Folk

Best Actress: Jenna Morrison

Best Actor: Brigham Folk

Susan S. Miller, Most Inspirational Forensics Team Member: Max Andersen

Special Award: Molly Riebel Forensics Awards

Rookie of the Year: Kaeden Vega

Most Dedicated: Sarah Ross

Most Dedicated: Cole Moyer

Speaker of the Year: Bethany Miller

Interpreter of the Year: Max Andersen

Actor of the Year: Everett Glaze

Northern Lights

A massive solar flare allowed the aurora borealis, aka Northern Lights, to be seen across most of the United States over the weekend. The photo above was taken north of LaHarpe Friday evening by Register reporter Richard Luken. The photo at right was taken at the Neosho River dam west of Iola Friday by Register reporter Vickie Moss. The lights seemed to appear more vibrant on cellphone cameras.

Max Andersen, above left, and Bella Rahming were among the vocal entertainment for the evening. Below, Brigham Folk took home three of the night’s top honors.

Sports Daily B

IHS duo holds court at State

TOPEKA — An ankle injury nearly derailed the state tennis dreams for Iola High’s Ethan Riebel and Brody Thompson before they started Friday.

Riebel tweaked his ankle in practice on Thursday, Mustang head coach Chris Belknap said.

Riebel “gutted it out,” Belknap said, as the Mus-

tang doubles team dropped both of their state matches.

Riebel and Thompson fell to Jackson Palmer and Matthew North of Winfield, 6-1, 6-0, in the opening round.

That put the Mustang pair up against Charles Krug and Owen Neighbors of McPherson, who cruised to an 8-0 victory.

Belknap counted the ex-

Cloudburst sinks

Allen in Region VI

CONCORDIA — Allen

Community College was unable to replicate the pitching that gave the Red Devils a series-opening win over Cloud County in the Region VI playoffs over the weekend.

Cloud jumped ahead early in Games 2 and 3 of the best-of-3 series, winning 10-3 on Friday and 15-8 in Saturday’s clincher.

Allen, which was minus five pitchers due to injury by the time the playoffs rolled around, ended the

year at 21-35. The T-Birds took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of Friday’s matchup before Allen’s Payton Pudenz settled down nicely in innings 2-4. But he ran into trouble after getting two outs in the fifth. Landon Meyer had a two-run single and Cam McLeod doubled in a pair as part of a six-run outburst to take control.

Collin Godfrey got Allen onto the board with a two-

perience as a beneficial one for Riebel and Thompson, simply because it exposed the teammates to the atmosphere surrounding a tournament featuring the best high-schoolers in Kansas.

“The guys played well and got to experience State,” he said. “We will be back next year.”

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

MV bows out

By RICHARD LUKEN

The Iola Register

MORAN — A 10-game winning streak to end the regular season showed just how far Marmaton Valley High’s baseball program has progressed.

But an 11-4 loss to Erie Friday evening in the Class 2-1A regional playoffs “shows we’re not where we want to be,” head coach Adam Borth said.

The defeat ended Marmaton Valley’s season with a 14-11 record. The 14 wins are more than the Wildcat win totals from the past two seasons combined (12).

“We were a six-win team last season and a six-win team the season before that,” Borth said. “We’re moving in the right direction.”

Friday’s biggest issues came in the form of walks

LEAPS AND BOUNDS

Allen Community College’s Payton Pudenz pitches in a game earlier this season. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN See ALLEN | Page B4

Special Olympians wrap up season

Iola High’s Ethan Riebel, left, and Brody Thompson, shown here at a regional tennis match in Chanute May 3, wrapped up their season at the Class 4A State Tennis Meet in Topeka Friday. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Marmaton Valley High’s Daniel Fewins, top, crosses home plate while Erie catcher Dylan Kirkpatrick fields a throw Friday. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Dustin Smith of

third in softball throw, fourth in standing long jump

Nick Stogsdill, second in softball throw, third in running long jump

Aiden Fraker, first in softball

HR Generalist

The Monarch Cement Company in Humboldt, KS has an opening for a HR Generalist in the Corporate HR Department.

The HR Generalist performs human resource related duties at the professional level and will carry out responsibilities in some or all the following related functional areas: employee relations, training, employment, labor relations, a rmative action, and employment equity programs. The position requires candidates to have a bachelor’s degree in human resources or a related eld, one or two years of related experience, or a combination that will allow successful performance and completion of the duties required for the position. HR certi cation is preferred.

The position also requires a high level of con dentiality, pro ciency in a variety of computer software attention to detail, ability to work as part of a team and excellent communication skills. The position is open until lled. Salary is DOQ.

Please mail or deliver cover letter, application and resumé to: Corporate HR Department, The Monarch Cement Company, PO Box 1000, Humboldt, KS 66748 Or email cover letter, application and resumé to: hr.dept@monarchcement.com Applications and other necessary documents can be found a monarchcement.com. Previous applicants should complete new application.

Special: Local athletes finish season

Continued from B1

throw, second in running long jump

Jacob Catron, fourth in softball throw, fourth in standing long jump

The middle school 4x100 relay team, made up of Kobear Smith, Nick Stogsdill, Aiden Fraker and Jacob Catron came home with a gold medal.

Iola Elementary School

Gabe Jones, second in turbo javelin, third in running long jump

Sam Hughes, third in softball throw, first in running long jump

Izzy DeTar, second in softball throw, third in running long jump

Dustin Smith, first in standing long jump, first in tennis ball throw

Titan Crawford, first in 25-meter race, fourth in running long jump

Phoenix Means, second in tennis ball throw, first in 25-meter race, second in standing long jump.

NEW YORK (AP) —

The Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will open the regular season at home against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 5 in a rematch of the AFC title game, the NFL announced Monday.

The NFL will release the entire 2024 season schedule on Wednesday night on the NFL Network.

The Chiefs beat the Ravens 17-10 in the AFC championship game in January and went on to defeat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in the Super Bowl.

The elementary 4x100 relay team made up of Gabe Jones, Sam Hughes, Izzy DeTar and Dustin Smith took second.

THE ALLEN COUNTY Special Olympians com-

peting were: Ty Johnson, first in 400-meter walk, second in 50-meter run, third in 100-meter run.

Casey Riebel, first in 400-meter walk, first in

meet in Erie Wednesday. COURTESY

The Chiefs-Ravens opener at Arrowhead Stadium will be a Thursday night game on NBC. The Chiefs are favored by three points, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs will be going for an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl title and fourth in six years this season. Mahomes is 4-1 in his career against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Kansas City will begin the season at home for the second straight year and is 9-2 in openers under Andy Reid. In addition to Mahomes, the Chiefs bring back star tight end Travis Kelce, who agreed to a $34.5 million, twoyear contract extension last month, and All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, who signed a five-year, $158.75 million deal in March. KC opens with Ravens

CONTACT US: news@iolaregister.com

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! 620-365-2111 302 S. Washington Ave., Iola iolaregister.com

Ian

50-meter run.

softball throw, third in 50-meter run

Webber, second in 400-meter walk, second in turbo javelin, third in

Casey Riebel, left, is accompanied by his father Kenny Riebel at a Special Olympics meet in Erie Wednesday. COURTESY

Allen County Special Olympian Ty Johnson was accompanied by his grandparents Ellie and Don Walburn, from let, and his parents Laura and Jeff Johnson to a track meet in Erie Wednesday. COURTESY

Iola USD 257 Unified Special Olympics Team members and their helpers, above, attend a track meet in Erie Wednesday. They are, front row from left, Steph Fees, Kobear Smith, Izzy DeTar, Gabe Jones and Sam Hughes; second row, Vernon Klinzman, Keegon Garner, Tessa Brutchin, Nick Stogsdill, Marlee Westhoff, Guilis Pina, Jacob Catron and Aiden Fraker. COURTESY

Allen County Special Olympian Ian Webber, center, is accompanied to a track meet in Erie Wednesday with his family members, from left, sister Emily, parents Heather and Richard and grandparents Leona and Ed Beezley. COURTESY

Iola High School’s Keegon Garner throws a show put at a Special Olympics

MV: Wildcats cannot hold early lead in loss to Erie.

Continued from B1

(eight), hit batters (four) and errors (three), which led to four unearned runs in the game, and allowed Erie to break open a back-and-forth affair in the top of the seventh.

“We put runners on base, and when you put runners on, they tend to almost always come around to score, and not necessarily on hard-hit balls,” Borth noted.

Things were looking rosy in the early going for the Wildcats.

A leadoff single from Tyler Lord and a walk to Kele Michael led to an RBI single from Daniel Fewins, a run-scoring error and then an RBI grounder from Brendon Newman to give Marmaton Valley a quick 3-0 lead.

And with Lord striking out the side in the top of the second — all on called third strikes — things were running smoothly.

But leadoff walks in both the third and fourth innings proved costly as Erie knotted the score at 3-3.

An error in the top of the fifth, followed by three straight twoout doubles pushed across two more runs to put Erie on top for good, 5-3.

Marmaton Valley didn’t go away quietly.

Brevyn Campbell led off the bottom of the

a throw to tag out Erie baserunner Bryce DeMerritt on a play at third base. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

frame with a single and scored on Mason Ferguson’s sacrifice fly.

But the Red Devils took advantage of a hit batter in the top of the sixth to re-establish a two-run cushion at 6-4.

The Wildcats threatened with a two-out rally of their own when Fewins doubled, but he was caught in a rundown on Newman’s infield single for the final out of the sixth.

Four walks and a hit batter in the top of the seventh allowed Erie to

take full control.

Red Devil pitcher Eli Montee retired Marmaton Valley in order in the bottom of the frame, including a knuckleball on a strikeout to finish off his complete-game victory. He allowed six hits with eight strikeouts.

“He’s a good pitcher,” Borth said. “He throws strikes, and if you get down against him, he’ll fool ya.”

Lord got the start on the mound for Marmaton Valley. He allowed

five hits over 4.2 innings with eight strikeouts.

Kele Michael tossed two innings of relief, allow-

ing five hits with three strikeouts. Garrett Morrison and Fewins also pitched.

“Tyler threw a good game,” Borth said. “We’ve just got to limit the errors and walks.”

Fewins continued his torrid hitting to end his senior campaign by going 3-for-3 with a double. Lord, Newman and Campbell added singles.

MARMATON Valley bids adieu to Fewins, the lone senior on the squad.

“Losing Daniel will definitely hurt,” Borth said. “He did a good job. His improvement through his four years has been significant.”

The rest of the roster returns, including junior Dominic Smith, who missed Friday’s game due to injury.

“Having Dominic healthy will be extremely positive,” Borth

said. “When you’re not at full strength, it’s always gonna hurt. And to have a talented kid like that have to watch was tough, especially with only 10 players to begin with. But I was proud of how everybody battled.”

BORTH reflected on Marmaton Valley’s improved play as the season progressed, Friday’s loss notwithstanding. “These are the games we’ve gotta win,” he said. “We’re learning how to become that team.

“At the end of the season, there’s only one team that ends with a win,” he noted. “We’re a better team now than we were a year ago. The goal is to keep building on that. I definitely didn’t want to go out like this, but you can’t take anything away from the ground we gained.”

Allen: Red Devils fall to T-Birds in Region VI

Continued from B1

run home run in the top of the sixth. Parker Martin added an RBI double in the eighth, one of his two hits in the contest.

Armando Navarro added a double, while Caleb

Horsey chipped in with a single.

Pudenz allowed five hits over 4.2 innings, striking out four. Ethan Payne, Brandon McKarnin and Brodie Gleason came on in relief.

McKarnin, an Iola native, allowed one hit over two innings with a pair of strikeouts.

CLOUD’S JAKOB Paturnak had a three-run home run in the fifth inning and a two-run blast shot in Saturday’s decisive game.

Parker Martin once again gave Allen an early charge with a fourth-inning home run, pulling the Red Devils to with-

in 3-1, but TJ Coats hit a three-run home run for Cloud in the bottom of the inning to break the game open. Anthony Talpa hit a bases-clearing double during Allen’s six-run seventh inning, but that was enough only to pull ACC to within 14-7.

Navarro capped Allen’s scoring with a solo home run in the eighth.

Talpa had a home run and single, while Parker

Martin had a single and double to pace the offense. Navarro had the other home run. Godfrey singled twice. Logan Martin and Garrett Rusch added singles. Saul Bolivar surrendered six hits over four innings with four strikeouts. Elias Muller, Seth Broadwell, Brayden Thompson and Manuel Toro pitched in relief. They combined to strike out three.

Marmaton Valley High’s Tyler Lord delivers a pitch against Erie Friday. Below, the Wildcats’ Garrett Morrison, left, fields

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ZITS

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BLONDIE

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