Climbers reach top of El Capitan See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
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Thursday, January 15, 2015
Jury exonerates local car dealer Sigg found not guilty By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
A jury agreed with Iolan Mitch Sigg, who said his actions during a traffic stop involving his son nearly two years ago did not warrant a disorderly conduct charge. The six-person jury took less than 30 minutes Wednes-
day to hand down the notguilty verdict in front of Judge Gary House in Allen County District Court. “I’m happy the jury took in all of the evidence, looked at the case and found me not guilty,” Sigg told the Register afterward. “I was pleased with how everything went.” The verdict capped the two-
day criminal trial, which featured testimony on Tuesday by Sheriff ’s Deputy Jarod Tingley for the prosecution and Mitch Sigg in his own defense. The case has garnered added interest after Sigg and his son, John, filed separate $1 million federal lawsuits last week against the Allen County Commission and Allen County Sheriff Bryan Murphy, alleging their civil rights were violated during the Feb.
2, 2013, traffic stop and the Siggs’ subsequent arrests. WEDNESDAY’S focus was on closing arguments by County Attorney Jerry Hathaway, prosecuting attorney, and Sigg’s defense attorney Linus Thuston, Chanute. The jury’s deliberations and verdict followed shortly thereafter. Thuston hammered at the state’s arguments, calling Tingley’s arrest of John Sigg
LaHarpe electric rates stay unchanged
By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press
LAHARPE — Electric rates will not have to rise, LaHarpe City Council members declared Wednesday, although bills still are likely to go up for most. The council discussed a software error that undercharged electric customers since 2011 before the flaw was noticed recently. At issue was the base charge, $12 for residential customers, $15 for commercial businesses and $30 a month for large-scale customers, Mayor Cindy Carr explained. The software program failed to bill for the first 120 kilowatts of electricity consumed each month, Carr said, thinking the usage was part of the base charge. The city spends about $3,500 to $4,000 monthly to maintain its electric service. Now that the base charges are properly being assessed, revenue should meet those expenses. In addition, a recent rate analysis greatly exaggerated the city’s projected expenses, Carr said.
DARE challenges accepted
Scores of local fifth-grade students were honored Wednesday at their Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) culmination ceremony at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. The festivities included an appearance by Dan Mears, known as KC Wolf, mascot of the Kansas City Chiefs. At left, Mars allows Jefferson Elementary School’s Austin Morris a chance to try on his costume. Above, Iola City Administrator Carl Slaugh capped his address, during which he reflected on his time watching wild horses roam free while he was stationed in Utah with the Air Force. He showed the students a perfectly preserved horse skull he found while in Utah. Below, the students dance to Aretha Franklin’s “Respect.” REGISTER/
RICHARD LUKEN
See RATES | Page A5
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is preparing to outline his agenda for State of l aw m a k the State ers’ 90-day 6:30 p.m. session in TV: KTWU his annual (Ch. 11) State of the State speech and is expected to address a strategy for closing the state’s looming budget shortfalls. The Republican governor is giving his speech this evening to a joint session of the Republicandominated Legislature. He is likely to disclose at least the outlines of his plan for dealing with the state’s financial problems before releasing detailed budget proposals Friday. Brownback struck an optimistic note during his inaugural ball last week, saying Kansas is moving forward with low taxes and limited government. During the inaugural address this week that began his second, four-year term, he said the state is strong and See STATE | Page A5
KS Medicaid expansion on radar TOPEKA (KHI) — Experts on rural Kansas hospitals gave dire predictions about their fiscal futures in a legislative hearing Wednesday that laid groundwork for a discussion of Medicaid expansion. Rep. Tom Sloan, chairman of the Vision 2020 Committee, said that he’s trying to facilitate a discussion about how to craft an expansion plan that addresses the needs of stakeholders and the concerns of those wary of its connections to federal health care reforms spearheaded by President Barack Obama.
See NOT GUILTY | Page A5
Governor to outline plan to close budget gaps
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
By ANDY MARSO Kansas Health Institute
illegal in itself because a computer mistakenly reported the registration to the car he was driving had expired. Tingley also testified he was unaware of a provision in state law that exempts dealership vehicles from having to show proof of insurance. John Sigg was stopped while driving a car owned by Mitch Sigg’s auto dealership.
“I’ve heard the governor and legislative leaders say they don’t want the Affordable Care Act, but they would like to see a ‘Kansas’ plan,” said Sloan, a Lawrence Republican. “None of the other standing committees have had the time to devote to it.” There’s no formal bill for expansion yet, but the Kansas Hospital Association continues to lobby for it through a more conservative approach, similar to those being taken by other states led by Republican governors. Sloan’s committee heard how the lack of expansion is affecting the finances of rural hospitals.
Quote of the day Vol. 117, No. 55
“In many of our rural areas, the hospital is the largest employer, or one of the top two or three employers in that area,” said Chad Austin, the hospital association’s senior vice president. “So, they are a large economic engine.” Melissa Hungerford, the hospital association’s executive vice president, said the future is uncertain for many of the state’s rural hospitals. It’s difficult to recruit physicians to rural areas, she said, and with shrinking populations in a majority of Kansas counties, some hospitals no longer have the See MEDICAID | Page A3
Task force not ‘any closer’ on school efficiency plan By BILL DRAPER The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas task force that spent half a year looking for ways to spend school funding more efficiently on Wednesday proposed legislation that would create two new commissions to take up the subject. Members of the Senate and House Education committees agreed to consider the bills, which were backed by a majority of the K-12 Student Performance and Efficiency Commission, a group of nine
“If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll bet they’d live a lot differently.” — Bill Watterson, cartoonist 75 Cents
business leaders and educators appointed by lawmakers. The two bills would create two more committees of nonlawmakers. One group would establish guidelines and one would establish measurable standards for determining whether efficiency goals are being met. “I’m not sure we’re any closer to being able to move ahead as elected officials,” Sen. Pat Pettey, a retired teacher and member of the education committee, said afSee TASK FORCE | Page A5
Hi: 48 Lo: 26 Iola, KS