The owners of a pair of senior living facilities in Allen County have filed for bankruptcy.
Papers filed by Dimensions in Senior Living LLC, which owns Greystone Residential Care in Iola and Arrowood Lane Residential Care in Humboldt, cited debts totaling more than $4.2 million in filing for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in
FILING | Page A2 The owners
TOPEKA — The number of K-12 students in Kansas classified as chronically absent from school surged to 24.5% during the 2021-2022 academic year as educators emerged from the darkest depths of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The portion of Kansas students who missed more than 10% of school days — excused or unexcused — had ballooned from 13.7% in 2017-2018 to 24.5% last year. The danger in terms of student learning, education officials and consultants said, was the compounding influence of absences. A student missing one or two days each month starting in kindergarten could end up skipping the equivalent of one year of school by 12th grade.
“Across the board there’s been a significant jump in the chronic absentee rate,” said Robyn Kelso, an education program analyst with Kansas Department of Education. “Remember the last two years. It’s been a pretty significant, unprecedented time for schooling.”
The definition of an absence was left to local school districts in Kansas, but federal guidelines urge districts to count as present a student in school more than half the day.
Jim McNiece, a Kansas State Board of Education member from Wichita, said Tuesday that he found during 39 years as a teacher, coach and principal in Kansas public and private schools that students with profound attendance issues often were grappling with a set of unique chal-
LUKENNote: Lisse Regehr is the CEO of Thrive Allen County.
It was a rare moment when Lisse Regehr’s extended family could get together.
Her father served in the military, and most of her childhood was spent moving from place to place.
On Christmas, they usually called family members back in Iola and celebrated by phone.
But in 1985, when she was just 5-years old, the entire family was able to gather in Iola for the best Christmas ever.
Her father, Walt, was stationed in South Korea at the time, so her mother, Mary Ann, and the three children Lisse, Sean and Katrina — all under the age of 5 — moved to Iola for a time.
Dad came home for Christmas, the first the family had seen him since he left the summer before.
“Until we moved back here my sophomore year of high school, it was the only Christmas I remember being able to spend with all of my family,”
See REGEHR | Page A3
One of the certainties in setting a city budget well in advance of the upcoming year is that there will be surprises down the road, Iola City Administrator Matt Rehder noted Monday.
To wit, when Iola City Council members set their 2022 spending plan in the summer of 2021, they had little inkling prices for such things as natural gas and other supplies would skyrocket over the ensuing 18 months.
About all a city can do, Rehder concluded, is “to be ready for unexpected stuff to happen.”
Those added expenditures required year-end budget amendments, which is a regular occurrence every December.
But this year’s amendments were a bit larger than in years past.
The Council, in the sum-
After weeks of discussion, Allen County commissioners signed on to Iola’s Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.
The county will keep its tiered rebate reimbursement plan, while the three other participating entities will change theirs.
That was a point of contention week after week, starting when Gregg Hutton, codes enforcement officer for Iola, asked for the change.
The city’s hope is to boost housing construction by offering a full, 100% rebate for 10 years. The program works
officerby rebating property taxes for homeowners who make improvements; the rebate applies only to the amount of taxes that would have been added because of those im-
provements. All participating entities — the city, the county, the school district and Allen Community College — offer the rebate.
If someone builds a house, that tax rebate is significant.
Under the previous agreement, new taxes were forgiven at 100% for the first six years, then slowly dropped by 20% increments over the remainder of the 10 years.
County commissioners want to keep that tiered system, even if it meant leaving the city’s program and going it alone.
Instead, the city was able to modify its agreement in a way that accommodates the coun-
ty’s wishes.
Commissioners approved the revised agreement on Tuesday. City Council members, after a brief discussion about the county’s resistance, approved the same pact Monday evening.
JASON TREGO, emergency management director, showed off the county’s new First Net box, which will allow first responders to continue to have cell phone service if there is a problem with public cell services.
The box provides a dedicated cellular line for first re-
William Donald “Don” Ellison, 94, passed away on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022. He was born on Nov. 29, 1928, to John W. Ellison and Mary Feeney Ellison at the St. John’s Hospital in Iola. He grew up on a farm in Woodson County.
Don attended Prairie Center Grade School and graduated from Humboldt High School in 1946.
Don and Lorene Mowry were united in marriage on July 16, 1951, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Humboldt. He and Lorene owned and operated a farm west of Humboldt for many years. He retired from Gates Rubber Company as a supervisor and drove a school bus for ANW Special Education CoOp for 17 years. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus and American Legion.
He was preceded in death by his wife Lorene, his parents, sister Joan Rues and son-in-law Michael Klarner.
Don is survived by sons, David (Amy) Ellison and Doug Ellison, Humboldt; daughters, Lisa Klarner, Alba, Mo., Lucinda Ellison-Lu, Bryn Mawr, Pa., and Loretta (Brad) Ozbun, Rose Hill; 14 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
A Rosary will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 16, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Humboldt, followed by a funeral mass at 10:30. Inurnment will follow at a later date at Humboldt Catholic Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to St. Joseph Catholic Church in Humboldt or the Diabetes Association and may be left in care of Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, 1883 U.S. 54, Iola, KS 66749.
Condolences may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com.
Patricia Ann “Pat” Enabnit, 89, of Yates Center, passed away Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, at Yates Center Health and Rehab.
She was born in Clear Lake, Iowa, on Sept. 5, 1933, to Henry Hank Pals and Edna Merle (Johnson) Pals.
Patricia married Ron Enabnit on Aug. 10, 1952. They were married for 66 years before Ron passed in 2020.
Patricia loved being a farmer’s wife and helping Ron on their farm in north central Iowa. She was always by Ron’s side, driving tractors, milking cows, and whenever he was working on machinery or vehicles. Pat was a wonderful cook and could whip up meals for her family and anybody else who dropped in.
In addition to her duties as a farm wife she was also a very busy mother to five children.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Ron; her parents; all six of her siblings; her son, Merlin; son-in-law, Bill Stapleton; and grandson-in-law, George Cook.
Pat is survived by four children, Melissa Griffith and husband Terry of Amarillo, Texas, Melvin Enabnit and wife Diana of Great Bend, Melinda Stapleton of Girard, and Marcia Showalter and husband Wes of Carterville, Mo.; daughter-in-law, Roxann Enabnit of Toronto; 16 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; as well as many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Cremation has been chosen. A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, at Campbell Funeral Home in Yates Center. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery in Iola.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the funeral home at P.O. Box 188, Yates Center, KS 66783 to help the family with final expenses.
Kiwanian Roger Carswell shared experiences of a recent trip to Germany and Poland at Tuesday’s meeting. Carswell, former director of Iola Public Library, has made travel a highlight of his retirement.
He visited eastern Germany and western Poland in September with a friend associated with the Schwenkfelders family, which
makes regular visits to the regions for church and family history. Although not a member of the family himself, Carswell said the itinerary allowed for access to sites and relationships with hosts that would not be afforded typical tour groups.
Among the highlights were visits to the All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg, Germany, where Martin Luther
nailed his 95 theses against the selling of indulgences in 1517 and started the Protestant Reformation.
He also visited cathedrals, museums, including the Topography of Terror in Berlin, which was the Nazi headquarters during World War II, and factories where pottery and Christmas ornaments are made.
A favorite find of Carswell’s was Euro-
pean hot chocolate, an especially thick, indulgent recipe which he shared with club members.
The Iola Kiwanis Club meets weekly, noon Tuesdays, at Allen Community College and welcomes interest in membership.
Call President John Shields, (620) 365-2700, or email kiwanisiola@ gmail.com for more information.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced Tuesday that she is commuting the sentences of all of the state’s 17 inmates awaiting execution, saying their death sentences will be changed to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Brown, a Democrat with less than a month remaining in office, said she was using her executive clemency powers to commute the sentences and that her order will take effect on Wednesday.
“I have long believed that justice is not advanced by taking a life, and the state should not be in the business of executing people — even if a terrible crime placed them in prison,” Brown said in a statement.
Rep. Vikki Breese-Iverson, leader of the minority Republicans in the Oregon House of Representatives, accused Brown of “a lack of responsible judgment.”
“Gov. Brown has once again taken executive action with zero input from Oregonians and the Legislature,” Breese-Iverson said in a statement. “Her decisions do not consider the impact the victims and families will suffer in the months and years to come. Democrats have consistently chosen criminals over victims.”
In her announcement, Brown said victims experience “pain and uncertainty” as they wait for decades while individuals sit on death row.
“My hope is that this commutation will bring us a significant step closer to finality in these cases,” she said.
Oregon has not exe-
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Nebraska.
Dimensions owns a series of senior living and assisted living facilities in Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas.
The two local facilities are among six such homes listed in the filing. As an aside, the debts listed by Greystone and Arrowood, roughly $14,500 and $14,800, respectively, are a pittance compared to those from their sister companies.
Village Place Senior Apartments and Village Ridge
Assisted Living owe roughly $660,000 combined, while Candlelight Lodge in Columbia, Mo., is carrying $952,000 in debt. The largest single debtor is Autumn Pointe of Fort Calhoun, Neb., which owes $2.4 million.
What the filing means for the local entities is not clear. Repeated calls to both, as well as to Dimensions headquarters and the attorney for the company, have not been returned.
A hearing for the companies’ creditors to state their claims is scheduled for January.
cuted a prisoner since 1997. In Brown’s first news conference after becoming governor in 2015, she announced she would continue the death penalty moratorium imposed by her predecessor, former Gov. John Kitzhaber.
So far, 17 people have been executed in the U.S. in 2022, all by lethal injection and all in Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, Missouri and Alabama, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Like Oregon, some other states are moving away from the death penalty.
In California, Democratic Gov. Gavin New-
som imposed a moratorium on executions in 2019 and shut down the state’s execution chamber at San Quentin. A year ago, he moved to dismantle America’s largest death row by moving all condemned inmates to other prisons within two years.
In Oregon, Brown is known for exercising her authority to grant clemency.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Brown granted clemency to nearly 1,000 people convicted of crimes. Two district attorneys, along with family members of crime victims, sued the governor and other state officials to stop the clemency actions. But the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled in August that she acted within her authority.
The prosecutors, in particular, objected to Brown’s decision to allow 73 people convicted of murder, assault, rape and manslaughter while they were younger than 18 to apply for early release.
(First published in The Iola Register Dec. 15, 2022)
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF ALLEN COUNTY, KANSAS In the Matter of the Estate Of Gertrude Meiwes, Deceased Case No. AL-2022-PR-80
THE STATE OF KANSAS TO ALL PERSONS CONCERNED:
You are hereby notified that on December 1, 2022, a Petition was filed in this Court by Paul Meiwes and Gene Meiwes, heirs, devisees and legatees, and Co-Executors named in the Last Will and Testament of Gertrude Meiwes, Deceased, dated March 17, 2011, praying that the Will filed with the Petition be admitted to probate and record, for appointment as Executor without bond, and that Letters Testamentary be granted. You
are required to file your written defenses thereto on or before January 11, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. of such day in this Court, Allen County Courthouse, 1 N Washington Ave., Iola, Allen County, Kansas at which time and place the cause will be heard. Should you fail, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon the Petition. All creditors are notified to exhibit their demands against the estate within four months from the date of first publication of this Notice, as provided by law, and if their demands are not thus exhibited, they shall be forever barred.
Paul Meiwes and Gene Meiwes, Co-Petitioners
R. KENT PRINGLE, S.C. #10458 221 W. Main, P.O. Box 748 Chanute, KS 66720
Telephone (620) 431-2202 Fax (620) 431-1166
Email: rkpringle@hotmail.com
Attorney for Petitioners Paul Meiwes and Gene Meiwes (12) 15, 22, 29
Fax: 620-365-1451
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Lisse recalled.
Her mom’s side of the family usually celebrated Christmas Eve with a nice dinner, followed by opening presents. The Friskels lived above the old funeral home just off the north side of the square.
“Mom’s the oldest of six, so it was loud and joyful and wonderful, bringing the family to-
gether.”
The next morning, Lisse woke up for an intimate Christmas morning with her immediate family.
“It was so wonderful to be together.”
Walt is also the oldest of six, and as such Lisse’s family celebrated another “really big, loud, awesome” Christmas Day with his side at the family farm near
Carlyle.
“The thing that strikes me is that it’s not the gifts I remember,” Lisse recalled.
“It’s the joy of being around so many people who loved each other.”
Soon, the family would move again. Family members passed away.
The immediate family continues to get together for the holidays.
Lisse enjoys time with her nieces and nephews.
“I’m so lucky to have that one Christmas where we got all those experiences with both sides of the family. It was rare for us to get to be part of it. I will never forget the feelings of love and joy and warmth that comes with those memories.”
MARATHON, Fla.
(AP) — Several motorists who were speeding through an elementary school zone on the Florida Keys Overseas Highway received an odorous onion as a reminder to slow down from a county sheriff's deputy dressed as the Grinch.
Col. Lou Caputo, a 37-year veteran of the Monroe County Sheriff's Office who conjured up the concept more than 20 years ago, was back on the streets Tuesday.
Drivers who trav-
el about 5 mph or less above the school zone's speed limit can choose between traffic citations and an onion presented by the Grinch. Those speeding beyond that likely receive a costly ticket.
"It's about education, awareness that our school zones are still operating even though it's the holiday season,"
Caputo said. "We want people to slow down."
Caputo said he portrays the fictional character created by children's author Dr. Seuss to give motorists a "gift" but also to call attention in a nice way to the need to obey speed limits in school zones.
"It catches them off guard," Caputo said.
"But when I give
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lenges.
“I have a wealth of experience chasing kids who didn’t come to school,” he said. “If we can change attendance, we can change their life.”
Betty Arnold, another state Board of Education member from Wichita, said she was concerned about accuracy of district reporting on absent students.
“How do we address the problem so it reflects accurate information? So, when we look at possible solutions, we’re actually dealing with something real and not imagined. If we’re not dealing with accurate data, then that’s problematic,” Arnold said.
Kelso said the rising absentee rate would leave a broader imprint on students, schools and districts across Kansas.
“For the student, it’s obviously missed instruction, missed relationships, missed social interactions we value so highly as students,” she said. “The lost opportunity for instruction is going to lead to decreased achievement in most instances.”
Kelso said the uptick in chronic absenteeism meant teachers had to devote more time to sorting out assignments for students who needed to catch up. It could take a toll on other students as teachers accommodated individuals who missed previous instruction, she said.
I have a wealth of experience chasing kids who didn’t come to school. If we can change attendance, we can change their life.
— Jim McNieceJane Groff, executive director of Kansas Parent Information Resource Center, said the trend among Kansas students missing significant amounts of school had placed districts on alert.
“Districts and schools are looking at this issue much more. I’ve done this 15 years and attendance and chronic absenteeism has never risen to the top like it has now,” she said.
She said lack of transportation, depression and trauma were barriers to regular attendance in school. Issues with student engagement and past negative school experiences, including bullying, were factors. Another obstacle were the misperceptions among parents and caregivers that excused absences weren’t a detriment to a student or that missing school only mattered to older students, she said.
Groff said educators had the best chance of amending attendance habits if they worked to build positive relationships with students and families.
Recent Allen alumnus Austin Hendrix, who graduated in 2020, keeps his ties to Allen strong. A native of Colony, Austin now resides in Iola. While attending Allen, he was heavily involved in several student organizations, including Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Student Council, Student Ambassadors and Scholars Bowl. He also volunteered as Bible Study leader on campus.
Being active in the Allen community allowed him to broaden his network and develop professionally. Austin is currently a teller at Emprise Bank in Iola and tutors students in math and writing in his free time.
Austin, who is actively pursuing his bachelor’s degree through Indiana University East, warmly remembers cheering on Allen’s athletic teams; the basketball games were some of his favorite memories from his time on campus. When asked what advice he’d offer new students and recent graduates, he answered with the following: “Establish your priorities. If you allow your circumstances or feelings to control you, they will lead to you extinguishing your ambitions. But remember to have fun, too. It’s all about balance!”
them a clear choice of a citation or the onion, they will take the onion. And I've had them eat the onion right in front of me."
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a community during an emergency outage. An example is a tornado that wipes out a cell tower.
“The idea is you can take this and throw it in the back of a patrol truck or ambulance, and you can provide internet cell phone service to people in remote areas,” he said.
Trego said a cell phone will work within 100 yards of the box. When connected, it can reach 26 miles.
Up to 30 devices can connect to the machine.
IN OTHER news, commissioners:
• Learned construction to rebuild the runway at the Allen County Regional Airport continues, but weather has caused delays. Rain slowed work on Monday and Tuesday.
• Approved a request by Road and Bridge Director Mark Griffith to attend a budgeting and finance class in El Dorado in January.
• Amended the budget for projects for the airport and hospital. Both
projects had the necessary cash but did not have the budget authority, County Clerk Shannon Patterson said.
• Agreed to not have a meeting next week because Commissioner David Lee will be absent. The next meeting will be the end-of-the-
year meeting at 1 p.m. Dec. 29.
A RETIREMENT ceremony for Register of Deeds Cara Barkdoll will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28, in the assembly room in the basement of the courthouse.
NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — They would have been 16 or 17 this year.
High school juniors.
The children killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012 should have spent this year thinking about college, taking their SATs and getting their driver’s licenses. Maybe attending their first prom.
Instead, the families of the 20 students and six educators slain in the mass shooting will mark a decade without them Wednesday.
December is a difficult month for many in Newtown, the Connecticut suburb where holiday season joy is tempered by heartbreak around the anniversary of the nation’s worst grade school shooting.
For former Sandy Hook students who survived the massacre, guilt and anxiety can intensify. For the parents, it can mean renewed grief, even as they continue to fight on their lost children’s behalf.
In February, Sandy Hook families reached a $73 million settlement with the gunmaker Rem-
ington, which made the shooter’s rifle. Juries in Connecticut and Texas ordered the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $1.4 billion for promoting lies that the massacre was a hoax.
In mid-November, a memorial to the 26 victims opened near the new elementary school built to replace the one torn down after the shooting.
Ten years on, some victims’ relatives and survivors aren’t without hope for a brighter future.
After the massacre, Nicole Hockley and Mark Barden were among many victims’ relatives who turned to activism. They helped form Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit group that works to prevent suicides and mass shootings.
Hockley, who lost her 6-year-old son, Dylan, and Barden, who lost his 7-year-old son, Daniel, both find it difficult to believe their children have been gone for a decade.
“For me, Dylan is still this 6-year-old boy, forever frozen in time,” Hockley said. “This journey that we’ve been on the last 10 years, it doesn’t feel like a decade and it doesn’t feel like 10 years since I last held my son, either.”
A decade hasn’t diminished the disbelief Barden and his wife feel over Daniel’s death.
“Jackie and I still have moments where we just kind of look at each other, still wrapping our heads around the fact that our little 7-year-old boy was shot to death in his first grade classroom,” he said.
“I can’t help but wonder what he’d be like now at 17,” he said, repeating the number 17. “I just think he would be still a more mature version of the beautiful, sweet, compassionate, thoughtful, intelligent little boy that he was at 7. And it breaks my heart to think of the wonderful impact he would have had in these last 10 years and what he would have still yet to come, and it’s all been taken away from him.”
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mer of 2021, budgeted $2.8 million for natural gas sales in 2022.
By year’s end, that figure will be closer to $5.9 million. Electricity sales, projected originally at about $9.6 million are now expected to reach $11.6 million. Water sales should be about $200,000 over projections, from $306,000 to $506,000.
The city also must add about $200,000 in budget authority to its stores budget and sales tax fund, as well as put $23,900 into its special highway fund.
It’s worth nothing that while the city spent significantly more for those commodities, it also received more from its customers to cover those costs.
Council members voted, 6-0, to approve those transfers, with members Josiah D’Albini and Carl Slaugh absent.
Prior to the vote, Rehder said he expected the high natural gas prices to stay at elevated levels into the heart of the winter months.
If there’s one silver lining for what could be a costly winter for consumers, it’s that Iola has once again purchased gas in advance of winter and will use a portion of its reserves if prices spike, Assistant City Administrator Corey Schinstock said. Such a strategy
helped Iola avert financial disaster in the winter of 2021, when a brutal cold snap caused a historic spike and cost some communities millions.
“It’s definitely a concern, but it’s out of our hands,” Mayor Steve French said of the high gas prices. “We can’t control the markets.”
AS FOR budget planning, Rehder noted Iola already will have an early surprise in 2023, stemming from recent improvements to the Oak Street water tower.
As part of the renovations, the city must replace a series of rafters from inside the tank after initial hopes to repair them were unsuccessful.
“Those rafters weren’t in great shape,” Rehder said. “We hoped to refurbish three of them, but it makes more sense to replace all eight.”
Replacing those rafters will carry a price tag close to $100,000, Rehder said.
“Fortunately, our water fund is in good shape” for such an expenditure, Rehder said.
He expected to bring the rafter issue back to the Council in January.
Monday’s meeting was the last one of 2022 for the Council because the fourth Monday of the month is the day after Christmas.
The Council’s next
City Administrator Matt Rehder said he expected the high natural gas prices to stay at elevated levels into the heart of the winter months.
meeting is set for Jan. 9.
IN A related matter, Iola will not see much of an effect on its budget when the state eventually does away with its sales tax on food sales.
Rehder noted Iola’s sales tax collections come from the halfcent city sales tax; not the one assessed by the state.
Starting Jan. 1, the state sales and use tax rate on food and food ingredients, and certain prepared food, will be reduced from 6.5% to 4.0%. That rate drops to 2% in 2024 and goes away altogether on Jan. 1, 2025.
However, Rehder expects Gov. Laura Kelly and other state lawmakers to renew their push to have it eliminated earlier once the 2023 State Legislature convenes.
Schinstock said he was unaware of any state funding the city gets via its food sales tax collections.
The kidnapping sprees that made international travel perilous for Americans back in the 1980s and 1990s have returned in force. Only this time, other governments are joining in taking American civilians prisoner on trumpedup charges and effectively holding them hostage for use in trades with Washington. This rarely ends well for any U.S. administration.
Even though the official position of the United States has been, for decades, that America doesn’t negotiate with terrorists, it negotiates all the time. Usually the process takes place in secrecy, far from the view of the news media and often without the hostages’ families knowing the extent of the negotiations. That often can lead to outbursts of frustration by the families when they become convinced that the government isn’t doing enough to get their loved ones out. The pressure mounts on the government to make a public statement, which then has the effect of boosting the other side’s demands.
The Biden administration felt particular pressure in the case of WNBA star Brittney Griner after her arrest for possessing a small amount of cannabis vaping oil when she had traveled to Russia, earning her a nine-year prison sentence. For months, the negotiations for her release centered on the release of Viktor Bout, a convicted international arms dealer with significant blood on his hands. There was nothing even slightly fair about this trade.
But even more frustrating was the fact that another American held by Russia for
years, former Marine Paul Whelan, was not included in the deal. The Russian government is reportedly holding out for the release of Vadim Krasikov, who is a convicted assassin. Russia accused Whelan of spying. Rightwing commentators are alternately accusing President Joe Biden of weakness for failing to reach a deal on Whelan and criticizing him for negotiating with hostage-takers.
In fact, this same kind of trading and negotiating has gone on for decades, including the Iran-contra hostages-for-arms deal that fell apart during the Reagan administration. After Colombia became infamous as the kidnapping capital of the world in the 1990s, business boomed for companies whose only job was to negotiate terms for a hostage’s release. Kidnap-and-ransom insurance policies became standard for companies doing business in Colombia, El Salvador, Venezuela and Ecuador. The more these exchanges took on the appearance of a routine business deal, the more kidnappings occurred.
THE AMERICAN civilians swept up by this cruel game have every right to appeal for compassion and help. But if civilians go into hostile territory — Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Syria or North Korea — they should know the risks ahead of time. And if the U.S. policy going forward will be that no further such negotiated trades will take place, the government has to mean it. Americans in those places need to receive the sternest of warnings: You are on your own.
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch
30 Years Ago December 1992
Steve Troxel of Iola was hired Thursday night as chief finance and operations office for Allen County Community College.
*****
A test burn of debris at the old IMP Boats site prompted a decision to bury the rest of
the debris. The burn created clouds of heavy black smoke. Allen County Boosters, Inc., owns the property and requested the test.
*****
Allen County will seek federal grant money to help convert the LaHarpe Masonic Lodge into a senior center.
Last week, I took Attorney General-elect Kris Kobach to task for jumping on the Republican bandwagon of lesser prairie chicken silliness, an issue of importance to a handful of Kansas oil and cattle barons, but not much of anybody else.
Today, it pleases me to report that Kobach has gotten one right.
On Tuesday, Kobach announced that he’s nominating a political rival, former federal prosecutor Tony Mattivi, as the next head of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. It’s hard to see how Kobach could make a better choice.
Mattivi, who ran against Kobach and state Sen. Kellie Warren in the Republican primary for attorney general, cut an impressive figure on the campaign trail. He’s conservative on major issues including abortions, guns and the federal government — but not obnoxiously so.
Truth be told, he was probably the best candidate for attorney general, but couldn’t match Kobach’s near-universal name recognition or Warren’s political base from serving in the Legislature.
But it’d be difficult to question Mattivi’s law-enforcement credentials.
As a Justice Department attorney, he prosecuted cases ranging from drug trafficking to war crimes committed by former officials of the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq.
He prosecuted terrorism detainees, including five
years as lead prosecutor in the boat-bomb attack on the guided missile cruiser USS Cole.
In Kansas, he prosecuted Terry Lee Loewen of Wichita, a radicalized Islamist who plotted to bomb Eisenhower Airport using his employee access, and right-wing militia members Patrick Stein, Curtis Allen and Gavin Wright, who plotted to blow up a Garden City mosque and an apartment building housing Muslim Somali immigrants and their families.
Think about that for a minute.
Mattivi got all of the above 20 to 30 years in federal prison, whether their motive was radical Islam or radical opposition to Islam.
What that should tell you is that Mattivi is a serious guy who, without regard to politics, wants to put bad actors behind bars so we can all sleep safer at night.
And that’s exactly what we need in a KBI director.
Choosing who heads the KBI is one of the most crucial decisions an attorney general will be called on to make.
So credit Kris Kobach, who, by all indications, hit it out of the park with the Mat-
tivi nomination.
The knock on Kobach has never been his intelligence, but that he often — too often — allows his personal politics to intrude on good judgment. So it’s welcome that he put the campaign behind him and made a serious choice for KBI director — even though they were hard-fought rivals less than five months ago.
“Along the campaign trail, I quickly realized that Tony is dedicated to seeking justice and committed to ensuring that all Kansas law enforcement officers are valued and supported,” Kobach said in a statement announcing the nomination.
“These are goals we share. Tony’s experience and integrity make him a perfect fit to lead the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.”
Agreed.
Mattivi’s on deck to replace Kirk Thompson, who announced his retirement earlier this year after 12 years heading the bureau. The nomination will require Senate confirmation — which can get sticky in its own right.
At times, it’s stupid and ugly, as in 2020 and 2021, when senators twice rejected the appeals court nomination of highly respected public defender Carl Folsom, in part because he had once been assigned as defense attorney in a child-porn case.
But our senators would have be out of their minds — even more than usual — if they don’t confirm Tony Mattivi for director of the KBI.
Is the age of nuclear fusion finally dawning?
After many decades of not-so-productive research, scientists have been making serious progress toward an energy revolution. On Monday came news of the latest milestone: According to press reports, scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California recently induced a fusion reaction that produced a net energy gain — that is, it generated more power than it consumed.
Although its practical consequences may be limited, it was a major symbolic and scientific achievement. “Net gain” has been the elusive lodestar of fusion research since the 1950s. Realizing it should give a major boost to
global research efforts, provide crucial data for other scientists to study, validate the push for more government investment, and offer a tantalizing glimpse of fusion’s real-world possibilities.
It’s no exaggeration to say that those could be revolutionary. A workable fusion reactor could produce effectively limitless energy, with no intermittency, no carbon emissions, no dangerous waste and nowhere near the material resources required by other renewable projects.
President Joe Biden’s goal of a net-zero economy would start to look more plausible; humanity’s longer-term climate and energy challenges would seem much more manageable. That’s to say nothing of the other scientific and technological advances
fusion could one day unlock. Some skepticism is still warranted. Few technologies have been hyped quite so relentlessly over the years, and the remaining challenges to building a viable commercial reactor — technical and economic — are immense.
Many years of expensive research and problem-solving lie ahead, with no guarantee of success. Even so, the stars are aligning for progress, and potentially for more breakthroughs.
ONE REASON for optimism is that the federal government has gotten serious about fusion. In March, the White House announced a long-term strategy to accelerate commercial fusion efforts. Congress recently directed a record $713 million for fusion research and con-
struction, along with some $50 million for a major public-private partnership. Fusion projects will also soon benefit from hundreds of millions in Inflation Reduction Act funds. All told, this is the kind of focused commitment that has been long overdue.
Private enterprise is also entering the game on a significant scale. So far, investors have dedicated nearly $5 billion to about 35 fusion startups, according to the industry’s trade group, with funding roughly doubling since last year. Several of these companies have the backing of Silicon Valley luminaries, including General Fusion Inc. (Jeff Bezos), Commonwealth Fusion Systems (Bill Gates), and Helion Energy Inc. (Peter Thiel). Some are already breaking
ground on new facilities. Bloomberg Intelligence estimates that the industry could one day command a market valuation of $40 trillion.
For now, it’s enough for policymakers to express guarded enthusiasm, and to lay the groundwork for future progress. As fusion science advances, global cooperation will be essential. Funding for research, educating a skilled workforce, and building up infrastructure should be redoubled. Above all, governments must avoid red tape — of the kind that has needlessly held up traditional fission projects — and prevent parochial interests from impeding innovation.
Unlocking the power of the stars has never been an easy goal. But few scientific endeavors could have a greater potential payoff. Keep going.
OSWEGO — USD
504 schools closed last Thursday and Friday due to an overwhelming number of student and staff illnesses, according to the Parsons Sun.
Almost 200 students and 25 faculty and staff members were absent, said Superintendent Mitch Shaw.
District buildings were scheduled to be “power-cleaned and sanitized” during the closures, Shaw said.
Most of the illnesses
were from influenza, RSV and stomach flu, the Sun reported.
ERIE — A request to close the Neosho County Health Department for one week so staff could attend a pandemic-related seminar in Alabama was denied, according to the Parsons Sun.
Neosho County Commissioners regarded the request by Teresa Starr, health depart-
ment administrator, as excessive.
The health department provides services that people depend on, said Commission Chair Gail Klassen. Closing the facility for a full week “would be difficult on those we serve,” Klassen said.
After the commissioners’ decision, Starr said the training is available year-round and then asked if staff could attend the seminars in shifts. No decision was handed down, the Sun reported.
OSWEGO — A rural Parsons man made his way onto Santa’s naughty list as well as that of law enforcement’s after he was caught stealing a life-sized Santa, according to the Parsons Sun.
Kyle Kirk, 32, of rural Parsons, was arrested Saturday in connection with the theft of the Santa, valued at $3,000, from Oswego’s Riverside Park, according to The Sun.
OSWEGO — Labette County hourly employees are due to receive 17% raises and salaried employees 25% raises beginning the first of the year, according to the Parsons Sun.
Sheriff Darren Eichinger said although he approved of the increases, he didn’t know if his budget could afford them and would likely need to be amended, the Sun reported.
Commissioner Lonnie Addis echoed the sheriff’s concerns for the county’s general fund budget, saying, it too may need to be amended to accommodate the raises, but that “I don’t think there’s any choice.”
Some longterm employees voiced concern about the raises, saying new hires would be making close to those with years of experience.
For salaried employees, the 25% raises apply to all department heads.
By QUINN BURKITT The Iola Register
The Iola High boys and girls were outworked in their pair of losses to Burlington on Tuesday night.
The girls (1-4) fell behind early and were never able to scratch back into it in a 41-34 loss. The boys (2-3) got outmuscled and dominated on the boards in a 63-48 loss.
It was a quiet night for Iola’s offense, which scored nine in each of the first three quarters. Mustang interim head coach Ali Peters cited that her team will have to work on spacing and getting open before Prairie View.
It marks the Mustangs’ third straight loss after falling to Osage City at the Central Heights Tournament on Saturday, 51-29.
Aysha Houk was the Mustang of the night for the girls team. Houk drained a three-pointer in the opening minutes. Kaysin Crusinbery also hit a two-pointer and a free throw.
“Aysha stepped up for us and knocked down some big shots,” said Peters. “We’re trying to focus more on getting it into our posts. The girls work pretty hard down there so we’ve got to make sure we’re getting it into them. She’s
(Houk) a competitor and she wants to make sure she’s doing what she can to help the team and get the win. We really trust her.”
The Wildcats were led by Josie Fejfar’s three-pointer and layup as well as a pair of three’s by Rachael Hernandez and Brenna Booker. Burlington led Iola heading to the second quarter, 17-8.
Iola was aided by Houk’s
play again in the second quarter when the senior went underneath for a layup, stepped outside for a three and knocked down a free throw. Alana Mader also got on the scoreboard when she buried a two-pointer to bring the deficit closer.
Harlee Young hit a couple of two-pointers for Burlington in the second quarter. Wildcat Alivia Bangs went in for a layup and a free throw and
MORAN — The Humboldt boys and girls won against Marmaton Valley Tuesday night.
The Lady Cubs (4-1) got behind their leading scorer, Shelby Shaughnessy and played good defense in the 43-27 victory. The Humboldt boys didn’t play their best defense but still fired up offensively to grab the win, 7550.
Girls Basketball Humboldt’s Shaughnessy scored 21 points in the Lady Cubs’ fourth victory of the season.
Carson Haviland sparked the scoring for Humboldt in the first quarter when she went underneath for a pair of layups. Shaughnessy also hit a two-pointer and a pair of layups while Karley Wools also went underneath for a two-point basket.
Marmaton Valley was led by Janae Granere’s nine points in the opening quarter. Granere hit a three, a pair of two-pointers and a couple of free throws to keep the game close. MV trailed Humboldt 10-9 at the conclusion of the first quarter.
Shaughnessy scored a layup and a free throw while Wools went for a couple of two’s and a layup in the second quarter. Humboldt began to pull away in the second quarter due to holding
Marmaton Valley’s offense to only two points.
The two-point basket was delivered off the fingers of Granere.
Humboldt led Marmaton Valley at halftime, 20-11.
Shaughnessy sank a pair of two-point baskets and a free throw and Haviland and Wools each hit two-pointers. Humboldt’s defense held Marmaton Valley to six points in the third.
Piper Barney stepped up for Marmaton Valley in the third quarter, scoring a pair of two-pointers. The Lady Cubs led the Wildcats heading to the fourth quarter, 3117.
Shaughnessy secured the victory for the Cubs in the fourth when she scored a trio of two-point baskets and a few free throws while Wools
hit a two-pointer and Jones knocked down a free throw for the 16-point advantage.
Marmaton Valley’s Payton Scharff buried a pair of two-pointers as Granere and Barney also each went for a layup in the final quarter..
In addition to Shaughnessy’s 21 points, the Cubs were led by Wools’ 11 points and Haviland’s six points. The Wildcats were led by Granere’s 16 points, Barney’s six points and Scharff’s five points.
Boys Basketball It was a night to remember for Trey Sommer. The Cub scored 38 points in Humboldt’s 75-50 victory over Marmaton Valley. Sommer nailed five twopoint baskets and a free
Burlington led Iola heading to halftime, 25-17.
“Our turnovers were something that got us behind pretty quickly,” Peters said. “They forced our passes and rushed our offense. Once we slowed it down and got it together, things started to work out for us. As much as we want the win, there’s plenty of things we can learn from it.”
Mustangs Karington Hall
and Keira Fawson joined Houk’s scoring parade in the third quarter when they each hit two-pointers. Houk knocked down a two and a three-pointer but the Iola defense wouldn’t be able to slow down Burlington.
Burlington’s Fejfar continued her run after halftime, dropping in a layup and scoring a three-pointer while Young went for a two-pointer and a pair of free throws to take a 34-26 advantage heading to the fourth quarter.
Houk went for five points in the fourth quarter, a pair of two-pointers and a free throw, while Mader scored a layup and a free throw for the only Iola points of the final quarter. Young was fouled for Burlington and hit four free throws to seal the Wildcats’ 41-34 victory.
Iola was led by Houk’s 21 points and Mader’s six points. Crusinbery went for three points while Hall and Fawson each notched two.
Boys Basketball
Iola’s boys had trouble being more physical, especially underneath the basket, as well as moving the ball against Burlington in a 15-point loss. Burlington’s offense came alive in the third quarter to take a double digit lead, a deficit from which Iola could not
LE ROY — The Southern Coffey County High boys never made it a close game in an 80-17 crushing defeat to Olpe on Tuesday night.
Southern Coffey County head coach Brian Rand knew it would be a challenging season for his boys due to the fact they lost a number of seniors and carried mainly younger players, who still need to get fundamentals down and to compete in the powerful Lyon County league.
SCC’s AJ DeAnda scored a pair of two-point baskets in the first eight minutes. Olpe outscored SCC in the opening quarter, 31-4. The Eagles got behind Cole’s eight points and Skolsky’s six points in the first to jump out to a comfortable advantage.
DeAnda was fouled in the second quarter and hit a trio of free throws, the only points of the second quarter. Olpe was led by Skolsky’s six points and Bailey and Kueser’s four points apiece before
halftime.
Southern Coffey County trailed Olpe at halftime, 54-7. The Titans continued to scrap in the third quarter when DeAnda dribbled inside for a layup and sank a pair of free throws. SCC was able to slow down Olpe’s offense somewhat in the second half but it wasn’t enough.
Bailey went underneath for a layup and a free throw while five other Eagles notched points in the third quarter to take a 67-11 lead heading to the fourth quarter.
DeAnda went for another trio of two-pointers in the fourth quarter to finish with 17 points in the loss. Olpe’s Temeyer sank a three-pointer and a two-point bucket while Redeker hit a three-pointer to give the Eagles a big 80-17 victory over Southern Coffey County.
SCC (1-4) is off for the holidays and will next host Marais des Cygnes Valley on Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m.
BARTLESVILLE — The
Allen Community College women dominated Oklahoma Wesleyan on the road on Saturday, 72-46.
The Lady Red Devils (113) used strong defense and rebounding to roll over the Eagles in a 26-point victory. Allen’s offense thrived off its
inside-outside offense and a wide variety of posts and perimeter scorers.
“Our defense and rebounding were very good for three quarters and that is ultimately why we won,” said Allen head coach Leslie Crane. “Defense is the basis for this
Flint Hills Technical College is seeking a highly motivated and innovative instructor for their expanding Automotive Technology program in LaHarpe, KS. This is an additional full-time position starting August 3, 2023. The program offers technical skills training for automotive repair and maintenance careers, while giving the instructor the opportunity to work in an ever-changing and exciting field. This full-time, 9-month position offers a competitive salary, commensurate with experience and education level, KPERS retirement plan, paid health insurance, as well as options for dental, vision, life, accident, cancer, and disability insurance. Enjoy holidays and summers off with a flexible workweek schedule.
The ideal candidate will have, or be willing to obtain, ASE certifications including A1-A8, G1, and L1, as well as experience working in an automotive service and repair shop. A minimum of an Associate Degree (or willing to obtain) in Automotive Technology, or a related field, plus either 2 years of related work experience or teaching in the automotive field, is required. The successful candidate needs to have excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as be able to successfully complete a criminal background check. Bilingual applicants encouraged to apply.
Applications will be taken until the position is filled.
To apply, please go to my.fhtc.edu and click on the Careers tab, or feel free to provide a cover letter and resume via email to Sandy Weeks, Director of Human Resources at saweeks@fhtc.edu . Call 620.341.1384 for job details. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Flint Hills
Director of Talent Search Project Salary: $35,000 - $40,000
Director of Development Salary: $50,000 - $60,000
Assistant Director of Residence & Student Life Salary: $23,000 - $28,000
STARS Math Specialist Salary: $30,160 - $34,600
Safety Officer Part-time Minimum starting wage: $15.50
Assistant Spirit Coach Salary: $21,000
The Board of Education of USD 256, Marmaton Valley, announces a vacancy on the board for a resident living in the district. This position may be lled by board appointment. Applicants should notify the district o ce by written letter of interest no later than January 20, 2023. This o ce will be placed on the ballot for election in November of 2025. The appointee will serve the remainder of the term until December 31, 2025.
DEAR DR. ROACH: Will I continue to test positive for COVID-19 antigens even after I recover from the virus? I tested positive using the free, at-home COVID-19 antigen self-test a week ago, and I tested positive again yesterday. Once you have the antigens in your system, don’t they stay there for a while? — R.L.M.
ANSWER: It is frequent that people will have persistently positive COVID-19 tests after infection, sometimes for weeks, but that does not mean that they are still infectious. It is quite rare for a person with a normal immune system and mild or moderate disease to continue to be infectious more than 10 days after the onset of infection. People who have had severe disease (such as those who required inpatient hospitalization with a ventilator) or those with severe immune system disease
Dr. Keith Roach
(such as those taking cancer chemotherapy or other powerful drugs to suppress the immune system) may continue to be infectious 20 or more days after infection and should consult an expert for information on duration of isolation.
DEAR DR. ROACH: I have low sodium levels running between 128 and 131 mEq/L for several years. I was on hydrochlorothiazide for many years, but I was taken off some time ago. My sodium remained low. I don’t feel like I drink an excess of water. Should I be concerned, and is there anything I can do to improve my numbers? — S.H.
ANSWER: A normal sodium level in the
PIXABAY.COMblood is between 135 and 145 mEq/L. You have a slightly low sodium level, which is common. There are many different causes. Diuretics, like hydrochlorothiazide, is a common one, but you are no longer on that. One condition that physicians are frequently concerned about is the syndrome of inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone secretion. In this condition (SIADH), a hormone called antidiuretic hormone, or arginine vasopressin,
is secreted all the time, causing the urine to be too concentrated and the sodium level to be too high. The problem is really about water, not salt; therefore, water restriction is the primary treatment when the diagnosis is SIADH.
The brain has an area responsible for maintaining sodium levels (called the “osmostat”). One possibility is that the years you spent on hydrochlorothiazide “reset” your osmostat to this slightly lower so-
dium level. At a level of around 130, I wouldn’t expect you to have symptoms, and you haven’t mentioned any, so you may not need any treatment at all. Still, some people who seem to have no symptoms with a sodium level of less than 130 can have subtle improvements in brain functioning if the level is above 130, and at least one study showed a reduction in falls among people whose low sodium levels are corrected. You are already right about the goal for treatment of low sodium levels.
You should talk to your regular doctor about whether you need treatment and whether some moderate fluid restriction is the right treatment for you. A kidney specialist is the expert in diagnosis and management of SIADH and a reset for the osmostat.
LUSAIL, Qatar (AP)
— With surging runs and a striker’s instinct, Julián Álvarez carried Argentina into another World Cup final.
Lionel Messi and the 22-year-old Álvarez were a pair of 5-feet-6 predators in a partnership that put to rest any hopes Croatia had of reaching back-to-back finals.
The younger of the pair rose to the challenge on soccer’s biggest stage with a huge performance on Tuesday, earning a penalty kick converted by the 35-year-old Messi before scoring twice to maybe even outshine his teammate — one of the greatest players the game has ever seen — in a 3-0 victory at Lusail Stadium.
Álvarez became the youngest player to score twice in a World Cup semifinal match since a 17-year-old Pele scored a hat trick for Brazil in 1958.
No wonder Messi held Álvarez in a playful headlock after his first goal and hugged him hard after the second.
“The match from Julian was excellent, not only because he scored two goals, but because he helped our midfielders,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “He showcased an excellent game for his age.”
A tight-fought first half-hour was entirely turned upside down by Álvarez’s runs, barreling at speed into and through challenges in a devastating five-minute spell. When it was over, Croatia’s players had been left strewn behind him on the turf, trailing by two goals, with their hopes of another World Cup final in ruins.
Instead, Argentina gave Messi a second chance to play for a World Cup title. He and his teammates lost to Germany in the 2014 final.
Until Álvarez changed the game, Croatia controlled much of the play with its usual neat passing in and around midfield, leaving Argentina’s attack little to work with.
Álvarez was suddenly alert to creating
danger when Croatia midfielder Luka Modrić got in a tangle and the ball came loose for Enzo Fernández to loop a high pass over the defense.
Álvarez was quickly clear and bearing down on goalkeeper Dominik
Livaković, an imposing figure at any time and yet more so rushing from his goal. Although a deft shot past Livaković did not reach the goal, Álvarez drew a foul from the hard contact to earn the penalty which Messi converted.
Minutes later, Álvarez sparked to life when Argentina cleared a Croatia corner, took the ball in his stride just before halfway and ran directly at the defense. The surging run seemed to surprise Croatia’s fullbacks as first Josip Juranović and then Borna Sosa fell backwards while taking wild swipes at the ball as Álvarez ran through them and once more at Livaković.
This time, the Croatia keeper stayed back and Álvarez lashed his shot into the net from close range with a momentum that took him over Livaković’s body.
“It was a nice goal,” Álvarez said. “I don’t usually run with the ball a lot but the situation presented itself.”
Álvarez ran toward the corner to celebrate and Messi chased him down, grabbing him a headlock like a playful big brother.
Continued from B1
overcome. The Mustangs mustered up four points in the first quarter as opposed to the Wildcats’ 17 points.
Landon Weide and Ben Kerr each knocked
third quarter for the Mustangs. Weide and Leonard hit the other two-point baskets.
Burlington’s Fejfar was good on a three-pointer, a twopoint basket and a pair
defensive effort, especially to start the game,” Bycroft said. “We have a handful of guys who really got after it and scrapped but it wasn’t everyone and it takes everybody. You can’t rely
romp in the fourth quarter after hitting a couple of two-point baskets and five free throws. Grady Dougherty hit a two and Isaac McCullough sank a free throw but the points weren’t enough as the
points, 63-48. Weide led the Mustangs attack with 19 points, hitting three two-pointers and a couple of three’s, while Adams notched 12 points and Carson’s seven
Mustang scoring with six points apiece, followed by Nick Bauer and Easton Weseloh’s four points apiece.
Iola allowed Burlington to hit five three-pointers and 13 two-point bas
MOUND CITY —
Marmaton Valley Junior High’s hoops teams found points hard to come by Monday at Jayhawk-Linn.
The Wildcat boys dropped a 46-22 decision at Jayhawk-Linn in A team play. The B team prevailed, 23-20, and the C team fell, 13-6.
“We competed and are getting better,” MV head coach Byron Marshall said. “Hopefully our young players are learning for the future.”
Jayhawk-Linn took control in the second quarter of the A team matchup, turning a 9-4 lead into a 26-10 advantage by halftime.
The Wildcats kept pace in the third quarter, trailing 34-22 by period’s end, but ran out of gas in a scoreless fourth.
Thomas Allee scored nine to lead the way for the Wildcats, followed by Dagan Barney with six and Ethan Lawson with four. Cooper Scharff scored two and Kaden McVey one.
The B team game was more to Marshall’s liking. Kaden McVey scored 15 in the victory, followed by Kris McVey with four and Allee and Brendon Newman with two apiece.
Hunter Doolittle scored four and Kooper Welch two in the
MARMATON Valley’s girls stayed close, but fell, 22-14, in the A team matchup.
Jayhawk-Linn led 8-3 after one quarter and 10-6 at halftime. The Jayhawks led 1812 after three quarters. And while Marmaton Valley allowed only four points down the stretch, the Wildcats registered only a pair of free throws in the period.
Emma Louk led MV with five points. Addisyn Drake followed with four, Mahala Burris had three and Emma
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Jaron Pierre Jr. scored 15 points to help Wichita State defeat Mississippi Valley State 71-48 on Tuesday night.
Pierre shot 5 for 12, including 5 for 10 from beyond the arc for the Shockers (6-4). Jaykwon Walton added 14 points while going 6 of 11 (2 for 4 from distance), and he also had six rebounds and four steals. Craig Porter Jr. recorded 13 points and was 6 of 10 shooting, including 0 for 3 from distance, and went 1 for 3 from the line.
The Delta Devils (110) were led by Rayquan Brown, who posted 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Terry Collins added 13 points and nine rebounds for Mississippi Valley State. Michael Barber also had seven points. The loss was the Delta Devils’ sixth straight.
Michael Jordan was moments away from hoisting his third of what would become five NBA Most Valuable Player awards, and then-Commissioner David Stern greeted him at the midcourt ceremony with words that were both simple and profound.
“You are simply the standard,” Stern said that night in 1992, “by which basketball excellence is measured.”
That’s never been more true.
The NBA MVP award has been renamed The Michael Jordan Trophy, the league announced Tuesday. Jordan is a five-time MVP so he has five trophies named for Maurice Podoloff — the league’s first commissioner. But after six decades of the award bearing Podoloff’s name, the NBA decided the time was right to rebrand.
The Jordan trophy will stand 23.6 inches tall and weigh 23.6 pounds -- nods to his jersey number and six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls -- but is not a depiction of him. The chairman of the Charlotte Hornets approved the design, one that symbolizes someone reaching for excellence, but did not want the statue to be of himself. He also declined a request for comment through the NBA.
“Anybody should be able to see this and see themselves in it,” said Mark Smith, a longtime designer at Jordan Brand and the person who oversaw the trophy’s design. “They should feel the excellence of Michael Jordan and his pursuit. It’s got his name on it, but it isn’t him. It’s everybody. It could be a shipbuilder or it could be a teacher or a lawyer or a writer who looks at it and says, ‘That’s what I’m trying
to do.’”
The league has rebranded almost all its trophies in the last two seasons, even adding some new ones. As part of Tuesday’s announcement, the league revealed that The Jerry West Award is being introduced and will be given to the NBA Clutch Player of the Year — which, like almost all other league awards, will be voted on by a media panel. NBA coaches will nominate players for the clutch award.
Also, the Defensive Player of the Year will now receive The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy; the Rookie of the Year will receive The Wilt Chamberlain Trophy; the Sixth Man of the Year will now receive The John Havlicek Trophy; and the NBA’s Most Improved Player will receive The George Mikan Trophy.
“Our new collection of trophies celebrates some of the greatest and
most impactful players in the history of the NBA,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “As we recognize the league’s top performers each season, we also pay tribute to the legends who embody these prestigious awards.”
It became evident last week that something was changing about the MVP trophy when the NBA said Podoloff’s name was going onto a new prize -- a trophy that will go to the team with the best regular season record.
The MVP trophy has many levels of numerical significance related to Jordan, besides its height and weight. It has a five-sided base, a tribute to his five MVP awards. The name badge is six-sided, one for each of his championships. The base is shaped at a 15-degree angle; he played 15 NBA seasons.
“I’m always going to numbers and symbiology as key root DNA to
make something specific and authentic for that person,” Smith said. “When you start putting all these things together, there’s only one person and it becomes very unique. Not different, but very unique.”
Jordan was involved at every step of the design process, Smith said. The final product was a bronze trophy depicting a player “breaking out of a rock to reach for the ultimate rock — a crystal basketball,” the league said. The trophy becomes more refined closer to the top, meant to show how hard work leads to something more polished and finally something great.
Smith said he fully expects to be emotional when he sees the new trophy awarded for the first time this spring.
“This is actually the highest achievement for a single player ... and it’s mind-blowing,” Smith said. “It’ll be a mind-blower.”
Adapted from an online discussion.
Dear Carolyn: Yesterday, I spilled a bunch of breast milk on the floor because I was pumping while simultaneously trying to clean up our living room during my lunch break from work. My husband got irritated at me about the spill, which came -close- to hitting his laptop (but didn’t!), and I was apologetic.
On reflection, though, I am furious about that interaction. I have the kind of breast pump that can be worn on the go, and the implication is that I can work while wearing it. But it’s not enough that I’m providing food for our baby while working a fulltime job, I have to triplemultitask by trying to do housework during work hours because he never does.
And instead of noticing that I’m spinning so many plates that one came -close- to dropping, and offering to help, he snapped at me for the near miss.
Am I just spiraling, or do I have a point? And, is there any way to get this point across without just sounding like a harpy? — Sigh!
Sigh!: You have about eight points (multi-
tasking again!). And your worry that you’re coming across as a dammit-can-we-pleaseget-to-the-point-whenthis-gendered-BS-stops “harpy” only underscores the quadruple bind you’re in. You have to earn it, feed it, clean it, and not offend anyone who doesn’t like the mild discomfort of being reminded that you’re doing triple to his single. His actions were, and inactions are, inexcusable.
You said it well in your letter and were calmer about it than I’m being here. So print it out sans last paragraph for him to read.
Good luck. And stop doing more than your housework share. That won’t fix much and certainly doesn’t fix the need for whatever housework it is, but sometimes the answer to a severe imbalance starts with flat refusal to do more things than a so-called equal partner.
Readers’ thoughts:
· Become the harpy. Be the harpy. Embrace the harpy. But practi-
cally, the starting place that I have found most helpful to my own internal thought processes for these conversations is, “I am overwhelmed. What can we do to fix it?” This frames the solution as a joint project rather than taking on the additional work solutions on my own.
· Read your letter again and pretend someone was asking you that question. What advice would you give someone whose husband was not only watching them clean while pumping breast milk, but who chastised them when it got in his way? Every now and then Carolyn answers a letter that you really want to be fake but you know isn’t.
Dear Carolyn: At what point do I become the bad guy if I know my relationship isn’t going anywhere, but I don’t let the other person know that?
I am having great fun, and the last time we talked about this, we were both still in the let’s-see-where-this-goes stage. I have since decided for sure against marriage, but that doesn’t mean I want to break up right now, either. We are both in our early 30s and want biological kids, but it seems
like such a buzzkill to spontaneously mention that I see a breakup in our future when it’s not, you know, the -near- future. — Buzzkill Buzzkill: If you don’t tell now, then you are limiting, without their knowledge or consent, their opportunities to find someone more suitable, just so you can enjoy the ride a little longer.
Does that clarify?
Yesterday’s Cryptoquote: Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.
— Norman Vincent Peale
ZITS by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman BEETLE BAILEY by Mort Walker HAGAR THE HORRIBLE by Chris Browne FUNKY WINKERBEAN by Tom BatiukLOS ANGELES (AP)
— Jayson Tatum scored 44 points, Jaylen Brown added five of his 25 in overtime, and the Boston Celtics blew a 20-point lead in the second half before rallying from a late 13-point deficit for a thrilling 122-118 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
Marcus Smart hit four 3-pointers and scored 18 points for the NBA-leading Celtics, who wrapped up their six-game trip by avoiding their first threegame losing streak of the season.
The old rivals played a wild second half in which the Lakers rallied from an 81-61 deficit midway through the third quarter with a 45-12 surge. Boston then erased Los Angeles’ 106-93 lead in the final 3:40 with a 17-4 run capped by Tatum’s tying jumper with 17.8 seconds left.
“That game just says a lot about our experience and mental toughness,” said Brown, who also had 15 rebounds. “That’s a tough and perfect way to close out our road trip.”
Anthony Davis had 37 points and 12 rebounds,
but he also missed two free throws with 28 seconds left, creating an opportunity for Tatum to send it to overtime.
LeBron James scored 33 points in a memorable chapter of the famed rivalry between the 17-time champion teams dubbed “the two pillars of our league” by new Lakers coach Darvin Ham.
“Everybody can talk about free throws, this and that, but the thing we can’t do is spot teams 15-, 17-, 20-point leads, give up 30-plus points per quarter in the first half,” Ham said. “We have to do a better job of coming out from the tipoff and pressing our will on our opponent.”
Russell Westbrook had 20 points and a season-high 14 rebounds for Los Angeles, but he also missed three open jumpers in overtime while the Celtics pulled away with 12 consecutive points.
“Games aren’t won or lost in the fourth quarter or overtime,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said.
“We have to be elite at managing the end of the third, beginning of the fourth quarter. That
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program. It’s key to what we do as well as defensive rebounding.”
Allen was led offensively by Noa Muranaka’s 13 points, after hitting five-of-nine shots from the field, as well as Khassidy Warr’s 13 points off the bench.
Britney Schroer tallied 10 points, followed by Clara Romero and Khamille Warr’s eight points.
Schroer shot fiveof-eight from the floor while Romero went three-of-six from the field.
The red and black only shot 12.5% from beyond the three-point arc but sank 44.6% of their shots overall from the floor.
“Our offense has been working very well,” said Crane. “We get the ball inside first to our posts who can score and once defense closes down on our posts it leaves our shooters open for good shots. You can’t have a perimeter game until you have an interior
game and that is what has allowed us to win these 11 games.”
Crane was enthused about how her team rebounded, snatching 35 total rebounds, 24 on defense and 11 on offense.
Shade Richardson and Romero each grabbed seven rebounds while Naomi Smith totaled four rebounds.
“If you can keep a team out of their comfort level of scoring and limit their number of shots, you can control the game. This is the defensive system that we play by,” Crane said. “We have won more games this semester than we did last season so that is wonderful progress for this program.”
The Lady Devils surrendered seven turnovers and forced 11 steals on Oklahoma Wesleyan. Tonya Williams led Allen with two steals.
The Allen women’s basketball team hits the road to play at Crowder College on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 2 p.m.
is where NBA games are won and lost, and we didn’t do a good job managing that part of the game. So we’ll take the positives of how we worked to get back in the game and then managed a run to end it, but we’ll also focus on that stretch.”
In their first game back from a six-game trip, the Lakers lost for the fourth time in five games after an 8-2 stretch that breathed life into their slow-starting season.
James scored 22 points after halftime for Los Angeles, but Smart hit his fourth 3-pointer with 45.8 seconds left to trim the Lakers’ lead to 110-108.
A weary Davis then bricked two free throws, echoing his miss on a potential winning free throw with 3.7 seconds left in regulation of what became an overtime loss for the Lakers at Philadelphia last Friday.
“I haven’t thought about the rest of the game,” Davis said. “To me, the rest doesn’t matter. Had a chance to ice the game, and missed both.”
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throw for 11 first quarter points. Colden Cook added four points and Sam Hull, Blake Ellis and Logan Page each went for layups.
Tyler Lord knocked down a three and a two-pointer and Dominic Smith went for a layup and a pair of free throws in the first quarter for Marmaton Valley. Humboldt led Marmaton Valley at the end of the first quarter, 2110.
“I think our offense could be really good because we’ve got three good-sized kids with Sam, Colden and Trey,” said Humboldt head coach David Taylor. “As far as I’m concerned, offense wins games but defense wins championships. We’re more concerned with defense and rebounding because that can really carry you.”
In the second quarter, Sommer rattled off 10 points. Cook also went underneath for a layup and drew
three free throws.
Granere aided MV with 12 points. Brayden Lawson also helped out and added a two-point basket and a couple of free throws.
At halftime the score was 39-33 in Humboldt’s favor.
Sommer banked in nine more points in the third quarter and Jacob Harrington and Cook each netted a pair of two-point baskets.
The Wildcats continued scoring soundly in the third when Granere put up a couple of layups and a free throw, Smith added a three-pointer and Lord went for a pair of two-pointers. The Cubs led the Wildcats heading into the fourth quarter, 5849.
“We played well offensively but we did not play all that well defensively,” Taylor said. “That was because Marmaton Valley played their tails off and to be honest, they dictated the tempo for all of about
four minutes in the first half and four minutes in the second half. They were dictating how the game was going, not us.”
Humboldt outscored Marmaton Valley in the fourth quarter, 17-1.
Sommer went for eight points and Cook added a pair of two-point buckets while Hull went for a layup and a free throw to secure the win. Marmaton Valley got its only point of the final quarter on a free throw from Smith.
The Cubs were led by Sommer’s 38 points, followed by Cook’s 16 points for the pair of Humboldt scorers to finish in double figures. The Wildcats were led by Granere’s 18 points and Lord’s 12 points, which included a couple of three’s.
Humboldt travels to Neodesha on Friday at 6 p.m. Marmaton Valley is done for the year and hosts Uniontown on Tuesday, Jan. 3, at 6 p.m.