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Humboldt man sets weightlifting record
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
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More COVID-19 funds available soon By TREVOR HOAG The Iola Register
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Postal Service halts some changes PAGE A3
Voters have options for advance ballots
Thrive Allen County CEO Lisse Regher said that a second round of CARES Act/ SPARK funding would soon be made available across the state through the Kansas Department of Commerce. As opposed to the first round where businesses and nonprofits applied for COVID-19 relief through the county, in the second round entities must apply themselves. However, Regehr noted that the application process was not a difficult one, and said Thrive would be happy to assist local entities with their applications.
County Clerk Sherrie Riebel looks over the county’s proposed budget for 2021 with commissioner Bruce Symes. REGISTER/TREVOR
HOAG
The relief funds cover a wide range of possible items such as personal protective equipment (PPE), internet
connectivity and more. Moreover, unlike the previous round of CARES/SPARK funding, the number of dis-
qualifying factors are fewer. For example, a business can still apply during round two as long as they haven’t received more than $350,000 in assistance, regardless of source (such as EIDL and PPP). That said, an applying entity must show that it has been severely affected financially, with a gross revenue of 25% less than it was during the previous year, or be able to otherwise justify how it needs additional funds to go forward. Interested businesses, nonprofits and other entities should act quickly, as funds will be dispersed quickly and See COUNTY | Page A5
By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
Allen County voters concerned about the advance ballot process for the Nov. 3 election should submit an application as soon as possible, County Clerk Sherrie Riebel said. Kansas allows voters to request advance ballots until Oct. 27. The returned ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received in the county election office by the close of business on the Friday following the election. Some concerns have been raised that delays in the U.S. Postal Service could result in ballots not being delivered in time to count. Faced with public outcry and a lawsuit jointly filed by 20 states, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said Tuesday he would suspend some of his cost-cutting initiatives unSee BALLOTS | Page A3
Back to school, COVID style Marmaton Valley Elementary School’s Cynthia Johnson takes the temperature of third-grader Bentley James Parker on the first day of school today. Schools are implementing several precautionary measures to protect against the coronavirus, including temperature checks, wearing masks and maintaining social distance. Classes start Thursday for Humboldt students, and on Monday for the Iola district. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS
Senate: Campaign’s Russia contacts ‘grave’ threat Work to start on quarry after decision reversed WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump campaign’s interactions with Russian intelligence services during the 2016 presidential election posed a “grave” counterintelligence threat, a Senate panel concluded Tuesday as it detailed how associates of Donald Trump had regular contact with Russians and expected to benefit from the Kremlin’s help. The nearly 1,000-page report, the fifth and final one from the Republican-led Senate intelligence committee on the Russia investigation, details how Russia launched an aggressive effort to interfere in the election on Trump’s behalf. It says the Trump campaign chairman had regular contact with a Russian intelligence officer and that other Trump associVol. 122, No. 206 Iola, KS 75 Cents
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin ates were eager to exploit the Kremlin’s aid, particularly by maximizing the impact of the disclosure of Democratic emails hacked by Russian intelligence officers. The report is the culmination of a bipartisan probe that produced what the committee called “the most comprehensive description to date of Russia’s activities and the threat they posed.” The investigation spanned
more than three years as the panel’s leaders said they wanted to thoroughly document the unprecedented attack on U.S. elections. The findings, including unflinching characterizations of furtive interactions between Trump associates and Russian operatives, echo to a large degree those of special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation and appear to repudiate the Republican president’s claims that the FBI had no basis to investigate whether his campaign was conspiring with Russia. Trump, who has repeatedly called the Russia investigations a “hoax,” said Tuesday he “didn’t know anything about” the report, or Russia or Ukraine. He said he had See RUSSIA | Page A5
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
With permission from the county in hand, work will begin soon to start up a rock quarry near Humboldt Hill. Allen County commissioners reversed last week an earlier decision to deny a conditional use permit to begin quarrying rock northwest of Old 169 and Louisiana Road between Iola and Humboldt. The permit was sought by D&D Propane, Inc., and MidStates Materials LLC, a subsidiary of Bettis Asphalt & Construction, Inc. D&D is owned by David Gant, who also owns the land on which the rock will be extracted. The permit brings to an
end more than a year of legal wrangling between the companies and Allen County, buttressed with comment from neighboring landowners opposed to the project. The county voted unanimously to reject the permit in February 2019. The land is zoned as agricultural, and thus needed the conditional use permit in order for it to be used for quarrying. The decision came after hearing from several residents opposed to the quarry, citing potential damage to homes near the quarry site; traffic safety concerns with large trucks entering Old See QUARRY | Page A5
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