Another white-knuckle affair: Chiefs escape Atlanta with win.
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THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Monday, December 5, 2016
Trump taps Carson for HUD WASHINGTON (AP) — Presidentelect Donald Trump, moving to complete for mation of his Cabinet and decide other Ben Carson key posts, chose former campaign ri-
val Ben Carson today to be secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Trump’s decision, announced by his transition office, comes as the real estate mogul continues a series of interviews, meetings with aides and other deliberations aimed at forming his administration. He an-
nounced several Cabinet appointees last week. In a statement, Trump said he was “thrilled to nominate” Carson, describing the retired neurosurgeon as having “a brilliant mind” and saying he “is passionate about strengthening communities and families withSee CARSON | Page A4
Firefighters survey a fatal fire Saturday where at least 36 people died in a warehouse party on 31st Avenue in Oakland, Calif. BAY AREA NEWS GROUP/ANDA CHU/TNS
Warehouse fire probe continues, death toll climbs By KRISTIN J. BENDER and BRIAN MELLEY The Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The death toll in the Oakland warehouse fire has grown to 36 and authorities say they expect the number to rise when they resume work later today following a temporary work stoppage. A wall is leaning inward, posing a safety hazard to those who have been searching the building which erupted in fire Friday night. Eleven of the victims have been positively identified, but the names have yet to be publicly released. Authorities also believe they’ve located the section of the building where the fire started, but the cause remains unknown. The fire erupted during a dance party late Friday night. Survivors and teary-eyed friends of those who perished viewed the charred building from a distance, have placed flowers on several small memorials and embraced each other to mourn their losses. Bouquets of sunflowers, single white roses, lilies and carnations were stuck in
chain-link fences, votive candles burned on sidewalks and post-it notes paid tribute to the missing and the dead in the most lethal building fire in the U.S. in more than a decade. Kai Thomas and a group of red-eyed classmates from an arts high school in San Francisco pressed against police tape Sunday near the street corner where the “Ghost Ship,” a warehouse converted to artist studios and illegal living spaces, rapidly went up in flames late Friday, taking the life of a friend. Three of the boys had been in the cramped and dark building, Thomas said, but one got separated from them 30 seconds before someone yelled, “Fire.” “It was just really smoky and hard to see,” said Thomas, a high school junior who wasn’t there, but recounted what he had been told by two others who didn’t want to speak. “They jumped off the second-floor balcony and ran out.” The boys waited for their 17-year-old friend for more than three hours, but he never emerged. They wouldn’t give his See FIRE | Page A4
Flynn Appliance owner Thurman Flynn, left, is joined in his showroom by employees Stacy DeMeritt and Jeremy Sellman. Below, the store is filled with brand-spanking new appliances ready to be wheeled into a local home. REGISTER/BOB JOHNSON
Flynn keeps customer service at forefront By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
When shoppers talk about the advantages of hometown service, one of the places where is made readily available is Flynn Appliance Center. “We are a service company that sells appliances,” said owner Thurman Flynn. The store at 11 N. Jefferson is open six days a week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. “We may come in for a couple of hours on Dec. 24, and go home if we don’t have any business,” Flynn said. Flynn and his staff of five
are eager to help Christmas shoppers find that right microwave or television that parents know will be important for a college student, or one in high school who soon will be immersed in
higher learning. But, Flynn explained, “more of what we sell and service are things that people need” for daily living and are seldom found See FLYNN | Page A4
Pratt farmer sues to stop wind farm from opening
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas With area residents adorning their homes with lights and other decorations, the LaHarpe PRIDE Committee once again is sponsoring a Christmas display contest. Anybody in LaHarpe is eligible, provided they have their homes decorated by Dec. 16. Winners will be announced Dec. 19, with first place winning $50. To nominate a home, send a message to the LaHarpe PRIDE Facebook page. Here, Sonny and Sandy Northcutt’s home at the intersection of Sixth and Harrison streets features a number of trees, lighted church and other decor. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Quote of the day Vol. 119, No. 28
PRATT, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas farmer has filed a federal lawsuit to stop a new wind farm from operating out of concern for the endangered whooping crane. Edwin Petrowsky of Pratt County filed the lawsuit last month seeking injunctions against NextEra Energy Resources, whose Ninnescah Wind Farm is scheduled to start operating next week, The Hutchinson News reported. Petrowsky contends the wind farm is located in the bird’s flyway. At last count, there were an estimated 329 wild cranes in the flock that migrates between Canada and Texas. Parts of the wind farm, which will generate 200 megawatts of electricity that Westar Energy is under a 20-year
“The way to get started is to stop talking and start doing.” — Walt Disney 75 Cents
contract to buy, are within 35 to 40 miles of the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and Cheyenne Bottoms — both designated as critical habitat for the whooping crane. The Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, another designated habitat, is also nearby. “Whooping cranes have been recently documented to use the farmland in Pratt County for feeding while roosting at Critical Habitat areas,” Petrowsky states in the lawsuit. The American Bird ConSee PRATT | Page A4
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