Sports: Post 15 splits with Ottawa See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
County hears another overture for old ACH site
By RICK DANLEY The Iola Register
The Allen County Commission’s decision two weeks earlier to move forward with demolition of the old hospital in preparation for a new grocery store and residential development was not enough to dissuade Tom Wheat from making, at this late date, an alternative pitch. Wheat approached commissioners Tuesday with the idea of a “comprehensive public service center” — on the order of a Salvation Army or YMCA — which would integrate services intended to “combat poverty,
Ringer Ronnie Helman, a custodian at Jefferson Elementary School, uses a drill and steel brush to strip away several coats of paint Tuesday from the school’s iconic bell. Helman plans to restore the old bell to its original glory, giving it a fine sheen with a clear sealant instead of paint. The bell was first brought to Iola to be placed in a school in 1868. It was moved to the Jefferson school yard in 1941, shortly after that school was built, noted Helman, a local history buff. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
provide health and wellness education, prepare people for employability, and other needed human services.” Wheat said he was not at liberty to disclose the names of the organizations that might decide to make their home in the repurposed building, nor could he identify the sources of the financing required for the necessary renovation. “Do you have anything concrete?” asked Commission Chairman Tom Williams. “No,” said Wheat, before asking the commission for “a couple more weeks to pull toSee COUNTY | Page A4
Brownback: Sales tax hike doesn’t count as a tax increase By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Gov. Sam Brownback said Tuesday that Kansas isn’t really increasing taxes even though the state will raise its sales and cigarette taxes to balance the budget. Only hours after defending the legislation during a Statehouse news conference, Brownback announced he had signed two bills that together
Gov. Sam Brownback speaks Tuesday at a news conference. KHI/DAVE RANNEY
raise $384 million during the fiscal year that begins July 1, to avert a deficit. The state’s
sales tax will rise to 6.5 percent from 6.15 percent, and the cigarette tax will jump by 50 cents a pack, to $1.29. The governor said this year’s tax increases must be viewed in light of aggressive personal income tax cuts enacted by the GOP-dominated Legislature at his urging in 2012 and 2013 to stimulate the economy. His aides distributed figures showing that those income tax cuts would be worth nearly $1 billion during
the next fiscal year. The state’s budget problems arose after those income tax cuts, and disagreements among Republican legislators over closing the deficit made this year’s annual session the longest in state history, at 113 days. Brownback said while some critics “would have you believe” the state is raising taxes, “that is not accurate.” “You’ve got to look at the totality of the picture,” he told reporters. “When you look at
that, it is a tax cut, and you’ve dealt with your major problems in state government.” Brownback, his top aides and their legislative allies have argued repeatedly that cuts in income tax rates benefited all classes of taxpayers. The governor noted that one provision of this year’s tax legislation will exempt 388,000 low-income Kansans, starting in 2016. See TAXES | Page A3
IPD fishing derby Saturday The 20th annual Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs (HOFNOD) fishing tournament casts off Saturday morning. The annual derby is sponsored by the Iola Police Department and will once again be at Abbott’s Pond, near the intersection of North Cottonwood Street and Miller Road. Participants are welcome to park in the Lutheran Church parking lot at 117 E. Miller Rd., then hike a short
distance to the pond. This year’s derby promises a special prize to the first 200 kids who check in at the gate. Each will receive a new Shakespeare rod and reel. “It’s important to note it’s for the first 200 who check in,” said Mike Ford, community resource officer. “We’ve had people register before and not show up to the derby.” See DERBY | Page A3
Iolan Danny Ware Sr. found a swarm of aggressive bees, two of which are shown at right, and what appears to be several egg sacks in a house he was remodeling in north Iola. He hopes to find out the species of bee that attacked him and his workers. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Iola Municipal Band Since 1871
Mystery bees uncovered in Iola
Jake Ard, director T hurssday, 8 p .m m., a he band dstand Thursday, p.m., att tthe bandstand
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Quote of the day Vol. 117, No. 158
A work crew with Iola contractor Danny Ware Sr. ran across an aggressive swarm of bees Monday, prompting Ware to question the species of bee. “They aren’t like anything I’ve seen,” said Ware, who has reached out to the Kansas Department of Agriculture to determine their origin. Ware uncovered the hive after the bees chased him and his workers from around the side of a house he was working on in the 500 block
of North Street. Ware and all but one roofer eluded the bees. The roofer was stung, Ware said. The bees were much more aggressive than other species he’s encountered, Ware said. Even more curious, Ware and his crew had worked on the house all day Thursday, and encountered nary a bee. Ware quickly emptied a can of hornet killer, but soon realized it was not going to be enough to kill the swarm. “There were hundreds of
“Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten” — B.F. Skinner 75 Cents
them,” he said. He wound up using six cans of hornet spray by the end of the incident. “We’re pretty sure we got them all,” he said. A nest, about the size of a soccer ball, was found inside a wall he was stripping, Ware said. Ware took two of the bee carcasses and what appears to be an egg sack to the Southwind Extension office. Employees there directed See BEES | Page A3
Hi: 82 Lo: 69 Iola, KS