Friday, December 15, 2023
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Manhunt ends with an arrest By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
HUMBOLDT — Teams of law enforcement officers descended upon Humboldt Wednesday afternoon for a manhunt that led to the arrest of a suspect in a Nov. 28 burglary in Iola. With use of a Kansas Highway Patrol aircraft equipped with infrared cameras, officers found Orion Nicholas, 24, Humboldt, hiding in a secluded area near the intersection of Sixth and Franklin Streets, Allen County deputies reported. The manhunt began not long after Humboldt Police Chief Shannon Moore and another officer spotted Nicholas at a local residence. As they approached the house, Moore said NichoSee HUNT | Page A6
Yates Center celebrates girls’ history
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Musician brings Christmas show PAGE A3
Looking west, the stands of cedar along Montana Road abutting Lehigh Portland State Park are being thinned to allow a better view of the lake from the road as well as help encourage development of native grasses. PHOTO BY DAN CARROLL/THRIVE ALLEN COUNTY
Clearing the way forward Crews have been removing unwanted trees and vegetation at the Lehigh Portland State Park By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register
State crews loaded with chainsaws and skid steers arrived at Lehigh Portland State Park this week to cull unwanted trees and vegetation. “We’re removing some cedars and other invasive species to let the good stuff grow back,” said John Leahy. Earlier this month, Leahy was tapped as the park’s grounds supervisor after Thrive Allen County successfully submitted a bid for the position. Leahy is also director of trails for Thrive, which includes the Southwind Trail among others. The work is in preparation for bigger things to come, including campgrounds and a
visitors’ center. Crews are currently focused on the south and east sides of the park, including its entrance off Montana Road. “Because the area has been basically untouched for 50 years, there’s a lot of overgrowth,” Leahy said. Crews are now thinning the clusters of cedars to not only provide more sunlight to other plants but also open up the view to the lake. “If you drive down 1650 Street right now, it’s pretty incredible because you can actually see the lake from the road,” he said of the road on the east edge of the park. “The big draw to the park is the lake. There are so few bodies of water in Kansas
John Leahy, left, and David Fontaine, center, discuss efforts to remove unwanted trees and brush with KDWP officials. with water this clear,” said Leahy. “Clearing enough trees so people can see the lake from the road is one goal.” In addition to local workers, employees with the Kansas Department of Wildlife
Humboldt welcomes new restaurant By SARAH HANEY The Iola Register
HUMBOLDT — “If someone is eating our food and we’re staring at you, don’t be weirded out,” said Vanessa Vanezavgalso about her Filipino heritage. “We’re just trying to see if you like it — it’s all about making people around us happy.” Vanezavgalso’s restaurant — Shooky’s Good Eatz — marries two seemingly different cuisines: Filipino and New York-style pizza. “It’s kind of weird, I know — the pizza and the Filipino thing,” Vanezavgalso said. The idea for the restaurant was born out of a desire for Vanezavgalso and her husband, Mike Shook, to share their favorite native foods. Shook is from New York. “Originally, I was going to do a Filipino name for the restaurant. But, I don’t want to focus on just Filipino food because we like everything.” Vanezavgalso was born in the Philippines and moved to the United States when she
Vanessa Vanezavgalso’s restaurant, Shooky’s Good Eatz, 901 Bridge St., Humboldt, serves Filipino cuisine and New Yorkstyle pizza. REGISTER/SARAH HANEY was 6 years old. “I am definitely Americanized, I guess you could say,” she said. “My mother is a full-on Filipino who is always cooking.” Her mother not only cooked many of her native country’s dishes as Vanezavgalso was growing up, but a variety of other foods. “Filipinos love to feed peo-
ple,” Vanezavgalso said with a smile. “It’s in our nature.” Her Filipino heritage, coupled with a childhood spent moving across diverse locations due to her father’s Navy service, turned Vanezavgalso into a bona fide foodie. This love for culinary exploration is shared by her husband. After graduating high
school in Hawaii, Vanezavgalso relocated to New Orleans for a job opportunity. Three years after moving to Louisiana, she met her husband Mike at a gym. “He was always trying to talk to me,” she said. “I told my friend, ‘There’s this pretty cute guy, but I think he’s just trying to get me to train with him. I don’t want to pay for a trainer.’” She laughs now at her misinterpretation of his interest in her. The two hit it off and eventually moved to Mississippi before moving to Chanute six months ago. Vanezavgalso said she has been pleasantly surprised by the sizable Filipino community in Kansas, noting “there weren’t a lot of Filipinos in Mississippi.” Before opening Shooky’s Good Eatz, Vanessa visited her parents in Arizona to perfect some of her mother’s recipes. “I try to stay with the more popular dishes. I don’t want to shock Kansas right away,”
and Parks, including park rangers and regional managers from across the state have joined in the work. “They see it as a really cool all-hands-on-deck project,” See LAKE | Page A3
Defense bill heads to Biden WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed a defense policy bill Thursday that authorizes the biggest pay raise for troops in more than two decades, overcoming objections from some conservatives concerned the measure did not do enough to restrict the Pentagon’s diversity initiatives, abortion travel policy and gender-affirming health care for transgender service members. The $886 billion bill was approved by a vote of 310118 and now goes to President Joe Biden after the Senate had overwhelmingly passed it Wednesday. It is likely the last piece of major legislation Congress will consider before leaving for the hol-
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