Sports: Seahorses swim at Fort Scott See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
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Thursday, July 17, 2014
Iolan recovers from Sunday car accident By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall, a replica of a permanent memorial in Washington, D.C., passed through Iola Wednesday en route from Garnett to Chanute, where it will be set up in Santa Fe Park at the south edge of Chanute through the weekend. A special ceremony to honor area Vietnam veterans will be at 10 a.m. Saturday. During its detour through downtown Iola, the van carrying the wall, accompanied by a contingent of Patriot and American Legion riders, passed under a large U.S. flag flying from the extension ladder of an Iola fire truck. REGISTER/BOB JOHNSON
Iolan Joyce Atkinson, long-time art instructor at Iola Middle School, remains hospitalized in Overland Park Regional Medical Center’s intensive care unit, following a two-vehicle accident west of Iola Sunday. Jayme Kral, Atkinson’s daughter, told the Register this morning her mother remains in good spirits despite the severity of her injuries. “She’s always smiling, and she’s never complained once,” Kral said. “As bad as all this sounds, she has looked and sounded like normal once the initial shock wore off.”
Atkinson, 65, was turning from U.S. 54 onto 1000 Street shortly after noon Sunday when her car was hit from behind by a Ford pickup driven by Tye Taylor, also of Iola, according to the Allen County Sheriff ’s Department report. The age of Taylor, a juvenile, was not released. The impact of the collision forced Atkinson’s car into a vehicle driven by Jack Redden Jr., 64, Riverton. “The scary part was seeing her car afterward,” Kral said. “It doesn’t even look like a car any more. That’s when it hit me just how lucky she was.” Atkinson, Redden and a passenger in Redden’s car, See ACCIDENT | Page A5
Humboldt anchor cites lackluster sales for closing By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register
HUMBOLDT — It’s with a heavy heart that Terry Butts is closing her home decor shop on Humboldt’s downtown square. “Unfortunately, there’s not been enough consistent business to keep it going,” she said Wednesday morning. The doors will close the end of September. Until then the inventory will be offered at increasing discounts. Butts will continue operating her flower business, Terry’s Flowers, but from her home come October. Terry’s Flowers and Home Decor occupies three buildings on the east side of the square. “I hate to say I was the anchor store for downtown, but I’m afraid it’s true. “It’s very disturbing to
look out the store windows and see what’s happening to downtown Humboldt. And it’s not just Humboldt, it’s all small towns,” she said, noting the recent closures of Iola’s Classy Attic and Chanute’s Jody’s Attic. “I tried. But I have to do what is best for me,” she said. “I don’t want to be saddled with debt. Now’s the time to liquidate when I have lots of inventory.” “The hardest part was making the decision and going through with it,” she said. “It’ll be hard when they take my name down from the store front.” Butts said she’s received tons of support for her decision, and received “lots of hugs.” Terry’s has three part-time employees — “The ultimate, See STORE | Page A5
Jewelry is the biggest selling item in Terry Butts’ store. The home decor store on the east side of the Humboldt square is closing, while her flower shop will be moved next to her home come this fall.
Report: City workers underpaid By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Morgan Hunter and William Toland mix ingredients to make elephant toothpaste. REGISTER/KAYLA BANZET
Super science sleuths By KAYLA BANZET The Iola Register
Fizz! Boom! Pop! Area children are learning about chemistry at a science camp at Allen Community College this week. The camp is a collaboration between
Iola Public Library and the college. Kids tested a variety of experiments. At one station students learned about chemical reactions with bleach and T-shirts. Leah Oswald, youth services librarian, showed See SCIENCE | Page A5
Quote of the day Vol. 116, No. 184
Iola City Council members will further discuss city wages at their next meeting July 28. They will refer to a commissioned report that says city employees are underpaid an average of 7.5 percent when compared to other municipalities across the state. The Council took its first look Monday at a compensation study developed by the Austin Peters Group, Inc., that said the city would need to spend nearly $100,000 to get city pay up to par. The report sparked a debate amongst council members about working conditions for Iola employees. “I’m going to support implementation, even if we have to drag it out over four or five years, which isn’t ide-
I’m going to support implementation, even if we have to drag it out over four or five years, which isn’t ideal. We really need to do this for our employees to get to the median wage. — Jon Wells, councilman
al,” Councilman Jon Wells said. “We really need to do this for our employees to get to the median wage.” Wells cited the difficulties the city has faced in filling two vacancies in the Iola fire and ambulance department because prospective workers can be paid more elsewhere. “We struggle with it, and it’s only going to get harder if we’re at the bottom of the range,” Wells said. Mayor Joel Wicoff, conversely, urged caution,
“There is only one success — to be able to spend your life in your own way.” — Christopher Morley, journalist 75 Cents
particularly when considering the city’s 2015 budget. He noted the city already must find ways to cover a $377,000 shortfall for its ambulance service by the end of the year. “We’ve got good employees, and they’ve worked for us for a long time,” Wicoff said. “They’ve got good jobs, and they’ve got good benefits, and they get COLA (cost of living adjustment) See PAYROLL | Page A5
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