Saturday, November 14, 2020
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Doctor implores:
Wear a mask COVID-19 cases triple; hospital limits visitors By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
Allen County’s COVID-19 cases have nearly tripled in the past 10 days, leading the hospital to prohibit visitors, and a local physician to implore residents to wear a mask and practice social distancing. The coun- Dr. Neely ty’s active cases have increased to 90 on Thursday, up from 32 on Nov. 3. Allen County has reported a total of 240 cases since the pandemic began, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Allen County Regional Hospital, along with Anderson County Hospital in Garnett, have tightened visitor restrictions effective this morning. Under the restrictions, no visitors will be allowed except for those accompanying patients who See MASKS | Page A5
Terry Allison, Elsmore, stands in the shadow cast by some of the enormous bamboo stalks in his backyard. REGISTER/TREVOR HOAG
Booming bamboo garden By TREVOR HOAG The Iola Register
Elsmore might seem an unlikely place to find an enormous bamboo garden, yet that’s exactly what’s hiding in Terry Allison’s backyard. Allison has called Elsmore home for around 20 years, and is now “semi-retired” due to heart problems that have forced him to slow down a bit.
His yard boasts several varieties of bamboo, including scented, black, solid stock and hollow stock, each with their own unique properties and growing patterns. Allison ordered the starts for the plants from a nursery in California, not terribly far from where he worked for multiple years as a landscaper and gardener. He left the west coast in the early 90s. “Horticulture’s what I did for 20 years,” he said.
Humboldt gets ‘TikTok famous’
REGARDING the bamboo in his yard, “it might be a mistake that I done it,” he said, laughing, as bamboo (whether in Kansas or elsewhere) grows exceptionally
IMS wrestlers grapple for gold
See BAMBOO | Page A7
Hurricanes are turbocharged PAGE A3
By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
A couple of Humboldt “kids” are going viral. Sandy Hurst, owner of H & H Grill, and Neil Hartwig are becoming viral sensations on TikTok, amassing more than 100,000 views for their dance videos. Make that, “reluctant to dance” videos. After all, they’re several decades older than the typical TikTok-er. Hurst is 75; Hartwig, 95. “It’s just silly and fun,” Hurst said. “For the last week around here, no one has been talking about coronavirus or politics. They’re just amazed that this 75-year-old girl can move!” A video of Hurst has been viewed more than 131,700 times since Oct. 28. In it, she reluctantly dances to the surfer classic “Wipeout.” The video was filmed by Damaris Kunkler, who started doing TikTok dance challenges with her teenage daughter, Elysia, during lockdown in the early days of the coronavirus. The videos are posted on Kunkler’s TikTok account. The popular social media app primarily appeals to children and teenagers but is growing in popularity with all ages. Most videos are between
quickly and can take over an ecosystem if left unchecked. “It’s already out of control. This will all be Elsmore one day,” he grinned, while making a wide-sweeping gesture. Allison’s bamboo project has been growing for close to eight years, and even in that short time much of it’s already taken hold and adapted to the Kansas climate. Bamboo is hard to destroy,
Georgia begins hand recount PAGE B1
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Analysis: County election brought few surprises By TIM STAUFFER The Iola Register
In this TikTok screenshot, Sandy Hurst, owner of H & H Grill in Humboldt, left, dances with Damaris Kunkler as Neil Hartwig watches. COURTESY PHOTO 3 and 15 seconds, but some can run as long as 60 seconds. Users often perform dance challenges, and some try to recruit others to dance along. That’s how Kunkler got Hurst and Hartwig involved.
She danced to a song and encouraged them to participate. “The only reason I did it was because she didn’t know what she was doing,” Hurst said of Kunkler’s dance See DANCE | Page A3
Nov. 3’s general election held little suspense for voters in Allen County. No incumbents were unseated, no races too close to call (unless you count the coin flip necessary to break a twovote tie between Rodney Edson and Lonnie Larson for Iola Township Trustee). Indeed, Allen County Democratic Chair Mike Bruner, who lost in his attempt to unseat incumbent state senator Caryn Tyson, was also unsurprised by the results. They were “kind of what I expected. No big surprises,” said Bruner. “We looked at these elections in Allen County as a party-building exercise.”
Jim Talkington, who chairs Allen County’s Republican Party, remarked, “We’ve always had a strong Republican party here in Allen County.” He agrees that, “it was the presidential side of the equation” that got people out to vote. “Also the Marshall/Bollier race was pretty contested. The Democrats came in with a lot of money, and Republicans responded.” Putting the lack of upsets aside, several points warrant mention. First, despite a record number of Americans saying the outcome of this election mattered, turnout in Allen County hardly budged from the last presidential election. In 2016, See ELECTION | Page A5
Pain Relief with Trigger Point Dry Needling
Vol. 122, No. 267 Iola, KS 75 Cents
NEW Treatment Option
Dry needling is a physical therapy technique for the treatment of pain and focuses on resolving trigger points. Located within large muscle groups, trigger points are capable of referring pain. Dry needling uses a thin needle to penetrate the tissue to release muscular trigger points. Most patients experience reduced pain and improved functional movement following sessions. Insurance coverage is limited. Sessions cost $50. Learn more at www.neoshomemorial.com or call NMRMC Physical Therapy at 620-432-5378.
Physical Therapy at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center - Chanute