Sports: Crest drops tourney opener; weather hits area hoops schedules See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Twin motors completes upgrades By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
A 1,200-square-foot addition to Twin Motors Ford is complete. Crews put the finishing touches last week on Twin’s new showroom and service area. In addition is an inside bay where customers can inspect a potential purchase. The new building also sports fully accessible restrooms and is considerably more energy efficient, notes Tim Henry, owner. The completion has been long time coming. Tim and wife Teresa began plans for the massive upgrade early last year. Crews began demolition of the old showroom and offices in early September. The work was made possible through Ford Motor Company’s franchise improvement effort, a nationwide promotion for dealerships. “As it was, our store didn’t meet our sales agreement for in-service units in the area, for such things as the size of our showroom and the size of our waiting area,” Henry explained. “They want certain criteria for the customers to buy their Ford products.”
Old hospital lot leveled By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
Angie Harris fields a phone call Tuesday in the new showroom area at Twin Motors Ford in Iola. The rebuilt showroom and offices were completed last week. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN Renovating the old building would have required practically as much work as a full rebuild, Henry noted. “We were going to have to add here and there, and it wouldn’t have touched our old water lines and electric,” See TWIN | Page A4
The disheveled landscape at the old Allen County Hospital site was tidied up Tuesday to make it more presentable at the urging of County Commissioner Tom Williams. “Can you make it look less like a war zone,” he asked Mitch Garner, director of Public Works. The answer came in the affirmative. About two hours after the discussion county crews had it leveled and, Williams said in a call to the Register, “it looks 100 percent better.” As for the hole left from where the hospital basement was, Williams said he wasn’t “going to sit about and wait,” for G&W Foods, or anyone else, to decide how its soil should be compacted, as discussed at an earlier meeting. If G&W wants to have input, its engineers need to make themselves heard, he added. County Counselor Alan Weber agreed. “We’re not responsible for creating a building pad. I’ve made it clear we’d fill the hole as soon See COUNTY | Page A4
Lawmakers take look at merit pay, school construction oversight By MELISSA HELLMANN and JOHN HANNA Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators on Tuesday kicked off debates on merit pay for public school teachers and requiring state oversight of local school construction projects. The House Education Committee had a two-hour hearing on merit pay, an idea that is drawing opposition from
teachers and the Kansas Association of School Boards. Republican Gov. Sam Brownback has suggested that in
Large turnover reported for state DCF employees By MEGAN HART KHI News Service
Nearly one-quarter of social workers with the Kansas Department for Children and Families left the job in a yearlong period ending Dec. 1, 2015, and job vacancies increased by more than twothirds at the same time. DCF Secretary Phyllis Gilmore told the House Children and Seniors Committee on Tuesday morning that recruitment and retention were areas of focus for the agency, and its strategic plan also pointed to a need to hold on to employees. But that’s a challenge for DCF in part because social workers can make more money with other employers, she said. “One of the problems for our agency is needing more social workers,” she said. “We are not really competitive with salaries.”
Most DCF social workers earn $38,000 to $50,000 annually, department spokeswoman Theresa Freed said. The numbers include social workers in child protective services, adult protective services and independent living and foster care programs, she said. The turnover rate for DCF social workers was 24.4 percent from Dec. 1, 2014, to Dec. 1, 2015, according to the agency. That was a slightly higher rate than in the previous two years. Vacancies also rose, and the number of social workers employed at DCF fell. On Dec. 1, 2014, there were 373 social workers and 40 vacant positions. A year later, DCF had 323 social workers and 67 vacant positions — a 67.5 percent increase in vacancies. Turnover among social See TURNOVER | Page A2
Quote of the day Vol. 118, No. 58
distributing more than $4 billion in state aid to the 286 local school districts, the state should encourage them to adopt pay systems in which teachers’ earnings are tied to student achievement. Meanwhile, Republicans on a joint House-Senate study committee approved proposals to require state oversight of local school construction projects. Here’s a look at those and other legislative develop-
ments Tuesday. MERIT PAY FOR TEACHERS
The House Education Committee doesn’t yet have a bill on merit pay, but majority Republicans are interested in the issue. While pitching the idea, Brownback’s policy director, Brandon Smith, also urged legislators to consult with local communities. The State Board of Educa-
tion provides $1,100 scholarships to give teachers an incentive to attain a national certificate in their teaching specialties, but Kansas law does not mandate merit pay. But critics suggested merit pay systems pit teachers against each other. Brian Koon, a lobbyist for Kansas Families for Education, said merit pay “removes the incentive for teachers to put See STATE | Page A4
Iola woman celebrates 100th By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Margaret Evans celebrated her 100th birthday in style Sunday, with a small gettogether, counting roughly 24 relatives and other close friends. “I couldn’t invite everybody from church because I know I’d miss or forget somebody,” and didn’t want any hard feelings, she admitted sheepishly. The event was nice, she added, with one noteworthy byproduct. “I don’t know where to put all the flowers.” On every available place in her room at Windsor Place in Iola are brightly colored floral displays, making for a nice contrast to winter skies. Evans was born Jan. 17, 1916, in Collinsville, Okla., on the outskirts of Tulsa. The family moved to Iola shortly after she was born. The emerging gas boom days of the early 20th century put the Griffith family
Margaret Evans, seated, celebrated her 100th birthday Sunday with family and friends. Standing from left are Margaret’s brother, Jerry Griffith, and her sons, Scott and Steven. COURTESY PHOTO
in southeast Kansas. Her father, John Griffith Sr., was a carpenter and found plenty of business building homes in Iola, Gas and Burlington. After school, Margaret
“No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world. — Robin Williams 75 Cents
worked as a secretary to Iola banker Thomas H. Bowlus for a few years, before a hankering to get involved in polSee EVANS | Page A4
Hi: 37 Lo: 29 Iola, KS