Sports: Allen loses first games of season See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
Monday, February 16, 2015
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Kansas Chamber weighs in on funding
Schools face overhaul
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Conservative Republicans have tried but failed to overhaul Kansas’ school curriculums in each of the past two years, but with a bigger majority in the state House and a looming budget crisis, some believe this could be the year they finally get their way. Kansas is facing budget shortfalls of nearly $600 million for the fiscal year that begins July 1. State governments are barred from running deficits year-to-year, which can give leverage to groups that attach policy changes to budget bills late in the legislative session when they must pass. Last year, conservatives succeeded in attaching several initiatives to an education funding bill, including an end to guaranteed tenure for public school teachers. Rep. Ed Trimmer, a Winfield Democrat who serves on the House Education Com-
mittee, said he’s concerned that conservatives will try to use the same tactic this year. “We set the precedent last year to do it,” he said. Republican Rep. John Bradford, of Lansing, said the turnover in the House since the November elections will make it easier to push further for a repeal of the Common Core education standards. Forty-four states have adopted the standards, which set benchmarks designed to raise reading and math skills, but critics say they usurp local school boards’ authority to design their own curriculums. “I think because of parental involvement, teacher dissatisfaction, a multitude of other things, we will evolve Common Core into something that is compatible if we don’t eliminate it outright,” Bradford said. Sen. Steve Abrams, an Ar-
Jessica McGinnis works as a healthcare educator at Thrive Allen County. REGISTER/KAYLA BANZET
McGinnis joins Thrive team By KAYLA BANZET The Iola Register
See EDUCATION | Page A4
Iola is home away from home for Thrive Allen County’s newest team member, Jessica McGinnis. In January McGinnis came on board with Thrive as a community healthcare educator. Thrive received a grant in November to help prevent diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. “I’m super excited to work with this community and promote healthy lifestyles,” she said. McGinnis would like to create more wellness programs
directed to the adult population. She said the grant is still in the beginning stages. “Everyone here has been very awesome and it’s great to work toward goals with likeminded people,” she said. McGINNIS grew up playing sports in Ottawa. An active lifestyle runs in the family, her dad is a sports official. Her passion for sports brought her to Iola to Allen Community College on a softball scholarship. It was at Allen where she met her husband, Jeremy, who now coaches soccer at ACC. “He was on a soccer scholarship and his number was
20 and mine was 13,” she said. “We parted ways after I graduated in 1997.” Those jersey numbers have a significant meaning to their relationship. McGinnis went on to Ashford University and majored in sports and recreation management. In 2008 she came across Jeremy’s profile while looking at an alumni website. “I found him and wanted to just say hi and see if he remembered me,” she said. “He said how could he forget his first love.” The two picked up their reSee McGINNIS | Page A4
Osawatomie hospital to gain upgrades Scholars Bowl team members taking third at the Class 4A state tournament Saturday were, from left, Garrett Prall, Jonathan Tidd, Andrew Waldman, Clara Wicoff and Clarie Moran. COURTESY PHOTO
IHS Scholars Bowl takes third at state By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
WELLINGTON — Iola High School’s Scholars Bowl team has brought with it a storied legacy over its 19 years, with eight state tournament qualifiers. This year’s IHS squad of seniors Garrett Prall, Jonathan Tidd, Andrew Waldman and juniors Clara Wicoff and Clarie Moran placed third at
the Class 4A State Scholars Bowl Meet Saturday. Prior to Saturday, Iola had never topped fourth place. In Saturday’s preliminary action, Iola defeated Fort Scott, 70-30, LindsborgSmoky Valley, 50-15, and Chapman, 50-20. In the finals round, Iola defeated Spring Hill, 7040, Pratt, 90-20, and Topeka Hayden, 60-15, to finish third. See SCHOLARS | Page A4
Will bring facility into federal compliance OSAWATOMIE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is spending millions of dollars to upgrade one of the state’s two psychiatric hospitals after the federal government threatened to yank Medicare and Medicaid funds that make up about a quarter of the facility’s $26 million annual budget. Osawatomie State Hospital in eastern Kansas is replacing patient beds and mattresses, installing new bathroom fixtures, replacing suspended ceilings and making other changes to eliminate things that could harm residents, The Kansas City Star reported. The work is in response to an inspection of the hospital
in late January that raised concerns about patient safety and found that nursing staff did not adequately monitor the condition of a patient who eventually died from a bowel blockage. Angela de Rocha, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, said the state is facing about $3 million in costs to bring the hospital into compliance on top of what it’s already spent. For instance, new plastic beds for patients have cost about $250,000 so far. It’s the second time in recent months that the facility has been threatened with the loss of Medicare and Medicaid funds if it didn’t fix shortcomings. An October inspection that was prompted by several complaints found that the hospital
was housing 258 patients, putting it around 125 percent of its capacity. Inspectors found such poor medical care and miscommunication among doctors, nurses and pharmacists that patients’ health and safety were in immediate jeopardy, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, said. The findings led to a new state policy limiting admissions to the hospital, with community medical health centers made responsible for finding alternative sources of care. An inspection of Osawatomie in early December found that the immediate life-threatening problems had been corrected. The hospital was given until February to fix its overSee OSAWATOMIE | Page A4
Chanute commission approves mayor’s $100,000 loan CHANUTE — The Chanute City Commission voted Feb. 9 to provide a $100,000 loan to Mayor Greg Woodyard and his wife, Jami. The Woodyards own and operate Benchwarmers, a
sports bar in Chanute. They requested the loan in order to restructure terms of a loan agreement with the previous owners, and get lower monthly payments, the Chanute Tribune reported.
Quote of the day Vol. 117, No. 73
The $100,000 comes from the city’s Revolving Loan Fund, which is part of the Community Development Grant to promote businesses in the city. The Commission voted, 3-1, with Vice Mayor Martha Mc-
Coy casting the lone dissenting vote. Woodyard abstained from participating in the Feb. 9 meeting. The matter still must go to the Kansas Department of Commerce in order to get
“It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.” — George Washington 75 Cents
a conflict-of-interest waiver from the state. The KDC must decide that no federal or state conflict of interest laws are being broken if the loan is approved, the Tribune reported.
Hi: 27 Lo: 14 Iola, KS