The Iola Register, July 20, 2023

Storm cleanup continues

911 center faced chaos in wake of Friday’s storm

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

In just one hour after Friday’s storm passed, Allen County’s dispatchers handled nearly twice as many calls compared to the total of an average day.

Between 6 and 7 p.m. on Friday, the dispatch center handled 235 calls, not including responding to radio traffic for law enforcement, fire and ambulance crews. An average day in June brought a total of 134 calls.

To illustrate just how many calls that is, 911 Director Chelsie Angleton compiled a list of statistics about calls in June, the day of the storm and the days preceding and following.

She presented the information to commissioners on Tuesday as part of a post-storm analysis with other county leaders. Each reviewed their department’s response, current status on cleanup and how they might improve in future events.

Friday’s storm brought winds as high as 85 mph and 1.41 inches of rain in a short period of time, causing widespread power outages and damage throughout the county. The southern part of the county appeared to suffer the most damage.

Emergency Management

Director Jason Trego said the damage seemed contained to a narrow swath that moved through Woodson County before hitting Allen. Minimal damage was reported north of Rhode Island Road and south of the county line. Angleton said five commu-

Trail cleared with KDWP’s assistance

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

Cleanup along the Southwind Rail Trail, the hiking and biking corridor connecting Iola and Humboldt that sustained significant damage in last week’s wind storm, received quite a boost Wednesday.

A team of Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks workers offered up their services to assist with removing the mangled branches and uprooted trees that blocked the trail at several locations. They came armed with chainsaws, pole saws, trim-

See TRAIL | Page A3

SEK Recovery House salutes success stories

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

Far too often, when an addict gets attention in the community, it’s usually because of something bad, Charlie Harding noted Tuesday.

“This time, we get to talk about success stories,” Harding said.

Harding serves as the house manager and peer mentor with the Southeast Kansas Recovery House, which opened its doors in Iola in the spring of 2022.

Since then, the Recovery House has provided a home for 14 residents all fighting the throes of addiction in one way or another.

With that as the backdrop,

Harding and April Jackson, rural health coordinator at Thrive Allen County, hosted a celebration dinner Tuesday evening at the Recovery House in the old Waugh-Yokum & Friskel funeral home, where a host of current and former occupants shared stories about their recovery.

“A house like this is very special to me because it was something that was so beneficial and impactful in my life,” Harding explained, noting his road to sobriety followed a similar path.

“I stayed at a place very similar to this, and I wouldn't be where I am today or who I am today without it,” Harding said. “I wouldn't have my beautiful family, and my

See RECOVERY | Page A6

Crews with the City of Iola have been picking up tree limbs and brush around the city this week. On Wednesday morning, this group worked on South Buckeye Street. Here, a tractor piles limbs into a dump truck near Wesley United Methodist Church and the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Charlie Harding, right, house manager and peer mentor with the Southeast Kansas Recovery House in Iola, gives a hug to Chris Slater, whose recovery from drug addiction has progressed to the point that Slater now holds a full-time job. The pair were at a celebration dinner hosted by the Recovery House Tuesday evening. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

A team of Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks workers helped remove mangled branches and uprooted trees that blocked the Southwind Rail Trail. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Obituaries

Gwendolyn Dobson

Gwendolyn Joyce Dobson was born on May 29, 1943, to Charles and Mae Luttrell, the first of seven children, at Fort Leavenworth. She was born with a caring soul that she shared with the world, a deep love of learning, reading, and a steadfast loyalty to her family.

Gwen died June 23, 2023, at the age of 80.

Kiwanis gets insight into state park

By BRUCE SYMES

Fresh from Monday’s ceremonial bill signing by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly establishing the Lehigh Portland State Park, John Leahy told the Iola Kiwanis Club at its Tuesday meeting about the area’s history, the process that brought the state park to reality, and plans to develop the property into a premier fishing, hiking, camping, and recreation area for visitors.

Leahy, director of trails for Thrive Allen County who has been designated steward of the land to be developed as the state park, said the Iola Portland Cement Company was started in 1900 and sold to Lehigh Portland Cement Co. in 1917. It operated until 1971, when an Environmental Protection Agency regulation made its continuation too expensive and the business closed.

The local economic development organization, Iola Industries, bought the property with the intention to continue providing for business opportunities there, and some industries located at the site. However, a focus for the quarry, which until Lehigh’s departure was pumped dry to allow digging for rock and since had been filling with water, was to make it a public recreation area.

“It was very rocky and barren in the 1970s, and the land needed time to heal,” Leahy noted.

Iola Industries floated the idea to Kansas in 1977 for making it a state fishing lake, but that was turned back and Iola also declined a proposal to purchase the lake property. In 1982, a lease agreement was struck with the Iola Elks Club, which used it as a members-only fishing lake for the next 40 years. Then interest in hiking and biking trails systems took off in the 2000s, and the Prairie Spirit Trail from Ottawa to Riverside Park in Iola was completed in 2008, with Southwind Trail from Iola to Humboldt to follow in 2013.

LEHIGH Portland

Trail began in 2014 and, with the help of grant funding and countless volunteers, more than 14 miles of trails north of the lake were opened to the public in 2016. Improvements to the trails have continued, with a mural and sculptures among the features, and the trails have grown statewide in reputation and are used in education, recreation and wellness, and recruitment efforts by interests throughout the Southeast Kansas region, Leahy said.

A subsequent offer for sale of the lake property by Iola Industries to Allen County

Suspects arrested in Celtic coin theft

BERLIN (AP) — Ger-

man authorities said Wednesday that they have arrested four suspects in the theft of hundreds of ancient gold coins from a museum in Bavaria last year.

Thieves broke into the Celtic and Roman Museum in Manching and took 483 Celtic coins that were discovered during an archaeological dig nearby in 1999. The coins dated to around 100 B.C.

Officials have said that cables were cut at a telecommunications hub and knocked out local networks before the heist, and that the thieves got in and out of the museum in nine minutes early on Nov. 22 without raising the alarm.

Bavaria’s state in-

terior ministry said raids were carried out in the Schwerin region of northeasstern Germany on Tuesday and four people were arrested. It didn’t elaborate.

The regional interior minister, Joachim Herrmann, said in a statement that the operation was an “outstanding investigative success” and that “professional thieves” were arrested.

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also was declined a couple of years later, and in 2022, Iola Industries and Thrive decided to gift the lake and trails properties to the state, provided they be included in the state parks system. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks officials took to the idea, the governor’s office got behind the effort, and the legislative process began this year. Leahy said community support was vital to ultimate passage of the bill designating Lehigh Portland State Park.

“It was a huge grassroots, personalized process,” he said. “It was really a strong message for our legislators.”

Kelly designated the establishment of the new state park in April, after the legislative process, and Monday’s ceremony was held as a celebration of the local effort, along with KDWP officials and legislators who helped bring it to reality. Transfer of ownership of the estimated $2 million property to Kansas is being finalized, Leahy said, and he shared plans for the estimated $5 million to $7 million development of the park in the months and years ahead. Fishing accommodations will be a priority, he said, and construction of floating cabins, campsites, amphitheater and visitor’s center are planned.

Though a timeline for improvements, let alone opening, has not been determined and made public, work is progressing daily to get the new park in the state system as soon as possible.

To that end, Leahy mentioned the Lehigh Portland Trails will have another monthly Volunteer Work Day on Saturday, and anyone interested in helping — storm cleanup will be a focus this month — can do so between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. He is available for information, about the trails or the park property, at (620) 365-8128.

In addition to recreation opportunities for people and preservation of habitat for birds, plants and fish, Portland Lehigh State Park will have a significant economic impact on Allen County, southeast Kansas and the state. Leahy reiterated state officials’ pronouncements of the approximate $280 million annual revenue earned by the 28 Kansas state parks and the estimated $7.5 million local boost the newest addition is expected to provide annually for Allen County.

The Iola Kiwanis Club meets weekly, noon Tuesdays, at Allen Community College and welcomes interest in membership. Email kiwanisiola@ gmail.com for more information.

Planets may share orbit

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Astronomers have discovered what could be two planets sharing the same orbit around their star.

They say it’s the strongest evidence yet of this bizarre cosmic pairing, long suspected but never proven.

Using a telescope in Chile, the Spanish-led team spotted a

cloud of debris in the same orbit as an already confirmed planet circling the star, 370 light-years away. They suspect it’s either a planet in formation or remnants of a planet that once was.

It will take a few more years to confirm. The researchers published their findings on Wednesday.

She is survived by her daughter, Nicolette Mae Dobson; her siblings, Gretta Kontas, Gail Dubray, Glenda Luttrell Donlan, Gennifer Luttrell, Dr. Geff Luttrell; and her sister-inlaw Leslie Luttrell along with numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

Gwen Dobson

Gwen grew up and attended school in Iola. After graduating from Junior College, she completed X-ray technician school in Kansas City. While in Kansas City, she met and married Dr. H.F. Dobson. After her daughter was born, she returned to college, graduating from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, specializing in reading. She then graduated from Pittsburg State University with a Master’s in Education and later from Emporia State University with a Master’s in Library Sciences.

Gwen was a devoted educator throughout her life. She started teaching at Fairfax Elementary in Kansas City, Kansas, for many years. She later became a librarian in the Turner District. Her infamous stubborn streak inspired her students as she refused to give up on them no matter the struggle, and she continued those relationships far beyond the school year.

After retirement, Gwen missed education and could often be found volunteering at schools as a tutor and at the Pittsburg, Kansas library in the Genealogy Section, helping people learn more about their families.

When she wasn’t working with children or reading, Gwen loved traveling, a highlight being an Alaskan cruise she took with her sister, Gail. She also enjoyed attending quilt shows and exploring various arts and crafts, including photography.

Gwen was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. H.F. Dobson of Kansas City, Kan.; her parents, Charles and Mae Luttrell of Iola; and her brother, Col. Gerald Luttrell of Pittsburg.

To honor Gwen’s memory, her family will hold a Celebration of Life at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at Highland Cemetery in Iola.

The family suggests contributions to the Pittsburg Public Library Foundation instead of flowers.

James Atkinson

James Alan Atkinson, age 74, died July 14, 2023, at his home in Iola.

He was born in Halstead to Leonard Atkinson and Clara (Marcy) Atkinson.

He married Joyce Acheson on Jan. 3, 1971, in Independence.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Leonard and Clara Atkinson.

Survivors include his wife, Joyce, of the home; his children, Jayme Kral of Goddard, and Jason Atkinson of Gas; sisters, Rita Stapleton of Fall River, and Linda Moulds of Neodesha; and two grandchildren. Cremation has taken place and a family service will be held at a later time.

Memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church of Iola or to A.C.A.R.F. and left in care of Feuerborn Family Funeral Service at 1883 U.S. 54, Iola.

Condolences may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com.

Iola Kiwanis Cluh

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, center, is flanked by a boisterous crowd Monday as she signs a bill officially creating the Lehigh Portland State Park in Iola. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Judge: Gov. Kelly will defend birth certificate changes

By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)

— A federal judge is considering Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s arguments that a new Kansas law rolling back transgender rights doesn’t bar the state from changing the sex listing on transgender people’s birth certificates.

U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree ruled Tuesday that Kelly’s office can defend her administration’s policy of changing birth certificates and accepted its “friend of the court” arguments.

Trail: KDWP helps with storm cleanup

Continued

mers and rakes along with a Bobcat E35 mini-excavator to lead the way.

The excavator allowed crews to attack the tree damage from the top, rather than the bottom, making the project significantly safer for all involved.

Couple that with a hefty assist from B&W Trailer Hitches, which dispatched a crew of workers to cut apart an uprooted cottonwood tree near the Humboldt trailhead, and the Southwind corridor may reopen much sooner than originally anticipated.

“Christmas came early,” noted Jay Kretzmeier, one of the volunteers who oversees the Southwind route.

He and fellow volunteer David Fontaine already had made significant progress, clearing debris from the Iola trailhead south.

By midday Wednesday, the KDWP squad had already made it more than 2 miles northward from the Humboldt entrance.

The Southwind Rail Trail is a de facto extension of the Prairie Spirit Trail State Park, which

extends from Iola to Ottawa. Both, in fact, follow the old Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail corridor.

In fact, many trail users don’t realize the Southwind and Prairie Spirit trails are separate, noted Trent McCown, who manages the Prairie Spirit Trail.

That made it an easy decision to dispatch Wildlife and Parks resources to Southwind to offer mutual aid, McCown said. “That’s what we’re equipped to do,” he said.

Indeed, crews made quick work of obstructions large or small, with

China, US talk climate change

BEIJING (AP) — China is willing to work with Washington on reducing global warming as long as its political demands are met, the country’s vice president told U.S. climate envoy John Kerry on Wednesday.

Vice President Han Zheng told Kerry that addressing climate change was “an important aspect of China-U.S. cooperation,” but was predicated on mutual respect, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. He said it must proceed “on the basis of U.S. attendance to core issues that concern both parties, fully engaging and exchanging ideas.”

Ties between the countries have hit a historic low amid disputes over tariffs, access to technology, human rights, China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea and threats against self-governing Taiwan.

Kerry said he had “very detailed meetings with a lot to catch up on” during his three

days of talks, following China’s suspension of most contacts with President Joe Biden’s administration last August, including over efforts to address global warming.

China was displaying its anger over thenHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy China claims as its own territory, to be annexed by force if necessary. Kerry, a former secretary of state and presidential candidate, said there “are a lot of things that we very clearly agreed on after all this time,” but limited his comments at a news conference mainly to climate issues.

Climate “doesn’t wait for these things. It is not something that you can just say, OK stop, while we’re doing something else and we’ll come back to you. It’s going to continue,” Kerry said.

“The climate crisis is a universal threat to humankind and we all have a responsibility to

crews using individual saws to clear an entry point for the mini excavator, which did much of the heavy lifting, by ripping down broken limbs and quickly moving the brush and debris safely off the trail.

Others followed along behind with loppers, hand saws and rakes to ensure the trail was cleared completely.

FONTAINE EXPECTS the trail to remain closed to the public for the next few days as cleanup continues. Even with the KDWP assistance to remove the major blockages, Fontaine and Kretzmeier want to haul away some of the downed brush that could pose hazardous to users.

“We’ll announce when it’s open again,” Fontaine said.

As an aside, Saturday is volunteer day at Iola’s Lehigh Portland Trails route, with trails manager John Leahy expecting much of the effort to work with storm damage along the 14 miles of single track paths.

Volunteers are asked to gather at the Lehigh Portland east trailhead at about 9 a.m.

As always, Fontaine and Kretzmeier will be at the Southwind continuing cleanup work.

To volunteer, contact Leahy at (620) 365-8128 or Fontaine at (620) 4967408.

deal with it as rapidly as we can,” he said.

Kerry discussed climate issues with his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, and told China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, on Tuesday that the Biden administration is “very committed” to stabilizing relations between the world’s two biggest economies, as the countries seek to restart high-level contacts.

China has chafed at U.S. criticism of its aggressive assertion of its claims in the South China Sea and of rights abuses against Muslim and Buddhist minorities, and at U.S. travel sanctions imposed on officials ranging from the Beijing-appointed leader of Hong Kong to the country’s defense minister.

Contacts have only slowly been restored and China continues to refuse to restart dialogue between the People’s Liberation Army, the party’s military branch, and the U.S. Department of Defense.

The state’s Republican attorney general, Kris Kobach, argues that a law that took effect July 1 prohibits such changes and requires the state to undo previous ones.

The new law, which was enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature over Kelly’s veto, defines male and female based on a person’s sex assigned at birth for “any” state law or regulation. If Kobach is successful, Kansas would be only among a few states that don’t make such changes, along with Montana and Tennes-

see.

The issue is before Crabtree because he is enforcing a 2019 legal settlement that requires the state to change birth certificates for transgender people. Kobach has argued that the new law nullifies that settlement and has asked Crabtree to revoke his order that made the agreement binding.

The 2018 lawsuit that led to the settlement was filed by four transgender people and named three Kansas health department officials who oversee birth certificates as defendants, but not the governor. Kelly, therefore, needed the judge’s permission to make her own arguments.

In her filing that Crabtree accepted Tuesday, Kelly’s office argued that the new law is discriminatory but the health department is not violating it by changing birth certificates. In a separate filing, the four transgender people said “the zealous desire” of some officials to discriminate against transgender people doesn’t justify reconsidering the legal settlement’s terms.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks brought equipment and workers to help with cleanup of the Southwind Rail Trail, an unofficial extension of the Prairie Spirit Trail. The Prairie Spirit Trail is a state park.

Jay Kretzmeier, left, and Dave Fontaine volunteer to maintain the Southwind Rail Trail.

Russia strikes Ukraine’s port

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)

— Russia unleashed intense drone and missile attacks overnight Wednesday, damaging critical port infrastructure in southern Ukraine, including grain and oil terminals, and wounding at least 12 people, officials said.

The bombardment crippled significant parts of export facilities in Odesa and nearby Chornomorsk and destroyed 60,000 tons of grain, according to Ukraine’s Agriculture Ministry.

It came days after President Vladimir Putin pulled Russia out of its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a wartime deal that enabled Ukraine’s exports to reach many countries facing the threat of hunger.

It also followed a vow by Putin to retaliate against Kyiv for an attack Monday on the crucial Kerch Bridge linking Russia with the Crimean Peninsula, which the Kremlin illegally annexed in 2014.

The Agriculture Ministry, citing experts, estimated it would take a year to restore the damaged facilities. The destroyed grain was supposed to have been loaded onto a vessel and sent through the grain corridor two months ago, the statement said.

“Such attacks by Russian terrorists are not only affecting our country but also global stability,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a briefing with the visiting Irish prime minister in Kyiv. He said Ukraine needs more anti-aircraft defense systems to protect the port.

Zelenskyy said his government is trying to find a way to maintain a corridor to keep grain exports flowing despite Russia’s decision to abandon the deal brokered with the U.N. and Turkey.

“The corridor must be secure. In fact, knowing Russia, it won’t be safe unless the U.N. starts working very clearly and firmly at the level

of the secretary-general,” he said.

Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi warned that if Ukraine cannot export food, “the population of the poorest countries will be on the brink of survival!

The price of grain will increase, and not all countries will be able to afford buying agricultural products, which means food prices will significantly rise: flour, cereals, meat.”

Wheat prices rose more than 2.5% on Tuesday and nearly 8% on Wednesday amid the attacks in Odesa, a key hub for exporting grain, illustrating jitters in global markets. Wednesday’s trading price of $7.23 a bushel still was nearly 80% below last year’s peak.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock tweeted that “Putin hasn’t just blown up the Black Sea Grain Initiative; now he has hit the port city of Odesa with a hail of bombs for the second consecutive night.”

Tri-Valley honors Spangler

CHANUTE — Ruth Spangler of Moran was recently honored for her longtime service to Tri-Valley Developmental Services as a Friends of Tri-Valley board member.

Spangler represented Allen County on the Foundation board from 1990 to 2023.

Tri-Valley provides housing and services for the intellectually and developmentally disabled across Southeast Kansas, including Allen, Bourbon, Chautauqua, Elk, Greenwood, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson counties.

Since 2001, the Foundation has raised money to build six houses as well as acquired eight houses and one duplex. These 15 houses are home to 66 Tri-Valley clients.

College students struggling with hunger could lose food stamps

WASHINGTON (AP)

— Raised on welfare by his grandmother, Joseph Sais relied so much on food stamps as a college student that he thought about quitting school when his eligibility was revoked.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sais said, he missed an “important letter” and temporarily lost his eligibility in SNAP, the foundational anti-poverty program commonly known as food stamps. “There were times when I was taking a test and instead of focusing on the test, I’m focused on what I’m going to be able to eat tonight,” said Sais, who graduated from Sacramento State University with a degree in political science and journalism and is now a first-year graduate student at the same school.

Sais, whose eligibility was restored earlier this year, is part of a largely hidden group that researchers and policymakers are still trying to address: full-time college students struggling with serious food insecurity. Radha Muthiah, president of the Capital Area Food Bank, calls it a hidden crisis, “one of those issues that came out of the shadows during the pandemic.”

She estimates at least 30% of college students are food insecure.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture relaxed eligibility SNAP requirements for college students during the pandemic, allowing in those on financial aid with no expected family support and anyone who qualified for workstudy programs, regardless of hours worked. Researchers estimate as many as 3 million college students were added to the program as a result.

But with the public health emergency over, students already receiving SNAP benefits had until June 30 to recertify and stay in the program under the pandemic-era rules. The expanded SNAP eligibility will only last one more year, and the entire program

will revert to pre-pandemic rules at varying points over the next year, depending on individual state schedules.

“In the next couple months, potentially thousands of college students could be losing access to this program,” said MacGregor Obergfell, assistant director of governmental affairs at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. “It’s going to be coming in waves.”

The expanded rules won’t apply to this year’s freshmen class.

“It kind of starts this slow-rolling disaster where we’re reverting to the old SNAP rules right at a time where obviously the need around food security is only going up,” said Bryce McKibben, senior director of policy and advocacy at Temple University’s Hope Center.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that hunger among college students is rising due to inflation, said Robb Friedlander, director of advocacy for Swipe Out Hunger, which focuses on college food insecurity. “We have definitely seen a massive increase in the level of need across campuses, from red states to blue states,” Friedlander said.

Growing awareness of the scope of the problem has led to the creation of on-campus food pantries at hundreds of universities over the past decade. But many of these food pantries, including at major universities, are funded entirely by donations — which limits their size

and scale. Given the irregular hours that often define college student life, some on-campus pantries have developed 24hour service models that don’t require constant staffing.

When Sais can’t make it during normal hours, the Sacramento State pantry enables him to order groceries online and pick them up from a locker. At Georgetown University, the donor-funded pantry is a locked room with shelves of food and toiletries and a refrigerator for perishables. Any students who request help are given the code to unlock the door and can essentially come and go as they need.

Now these pantries are bracing for a fresh wave of need as students are gradually pruned from the SNAP lists. In April, Swipe Out Hunger published an article warning universities around the country to prepare for a spike.

“Traffic at food banks and pantries is already increasing as states end their emergency SNAP benefits early,” the group warned. “When these emergency benefits end federally, be prepared to see a similar rise in student need at campus pantries and other on-campus hunger solutions programs.”

Even with the relaxed SNAP entry guidelines, many students complained of bureaucratic obstacles and general frustration in navigating the system. When Jessilyn Morales, a junior at Lehman College in the

Bronx, found herself in a sudden financial crisis, it took her months and five rejected applications to qualify for SNAP. In one case, she said, her application was rejected because she wasn’t working enough

hours — something that should have been impossible under the pandemic rules.

When her Lehman College dorm closed down last fall, Morales’ housing costs essentially doubled. She survived for months off of the campus food pantry and leftover food from her roommates.

“I had to choose between paying my rent and being able to buy food for the week,” said Morales, 21. “A lot of my friends didn’t know my struggle. It’s kind of hard for them to understand it, truthfully.”

She started receiving SNAP benefits in May, and says she can stretch her $260 monthly payment into two months worth of food if neces-

sary, “because I’ve gotten so good at shopping and budgeting.”

Both Sais and Morales, in separate interviews, used the term “survival mode” to describe their daily realities. But Obergfell, of the association of public universities, warned that the stresses of that kind of survival have a secondary effect — breeding hopelessness among the specific subset of students who are seeking higher degrees in order to break the cycle of generational poverty.

“We need to help these students remain in and succeed in college,” he said. “Students need to have their basic needs taken care of before they can be fully present and active in the classroom.”

Above, Tri-Valley CEO Bill Fiscus presents Ruth Spangler of Moran with the organization’s Visionary Award at its annual dinner. Below, Gwen Martin of Yates Center won a 2023 Ford F150 Platinum Edition Truck purchased from Steve Faulkner Ford in Chanute, in the foundation’s annual drawing. Pictured are, from left, Tricia Campbell, TVDS Special Projects Coordinator, Gwen and Pete Martin, Bill Fiscus, TVDS CEO, and Jeff Lassman of Steve Faulkner Ford. COURTESY PHOTO

July 1954 was one for the record books

July 18 was one of the hottest days ever in Iola.

However, it wasn’t Tuesday. Rather, on July 18, 1954, the mercury nearly blew off the top of the thermometer when it hit 115 degrees.

It was a Sunday — talk about fire and brimstone — and portended to be the hottest July since record-keeping began about 1900 at the Register. Starting on July 11, seven of the next eight days reached 110 degrees or higher, including temperatures of 114, 116, 117, 112, 114, 115 and 110. That July, 27 of the 31 days reached at least 100 degrees.

In no manner are these figures meant to downplay the hot weather we’re having this summer. Tuesday was miserably hot, compounded by high humidity. The forecast doesn’t promise much respite, although it seems about every day a bank of clouds appears on the horizon with the possibility of a shower. When it did come Friday, the rain fell in horizontal sheets from the gale force winds that uprooted trees and swept away anything not tied down. Our neighbor’s trampoline cleared a four-foot fence with ease and wedged itself against a tree.

NOW LET me tell you about my memories as an 11-year-old in 1954 in Humboldt.

I don’t think there was a single air-conditioning unit in town. A few people had swamp coolers, which entailed a fan blowing over tubing carrying water, or some similar apparatus. I don’t remember for sure, but I think that only made the humidity rise to the point that it defeated its purpose.

At the Johnson-Oliphant house — we lived with my grandparents — we had a large fan on legs.

If the air was hot, that’s what got circulated. The only cooling effect came after you worked up a sweat and stood in front of it. My buddies and I took to sleeping outdoors, which was kind of fun, but also an ordeal. We had trouble getting to sleep and then by morning, when the dew point and dropping temperature coincided, we awoke feeling clammy and immediately found we either had one of several kinds

Bob Johnson Special to the Register

of creepy crawlers on us, or were itching like crazy from the hordes of mosquitoes that patrolled the neighborhoods. After a few nights we abandoned the pioneer approach and opted for anywhere near a fan. If you had walked down Mulberry Street at midnight, you would have heard the ubiquitous moaning and rattling of fans, especially those that were not fastened securely. Come daybreak, we often headed for the Neosho River on our bikes.

Long before that record-breaking July, the river had quit running and eventually reached the point that drinking water was hauled to Humboldt. City leaders likely had prohibited watering gardens, wouldn’t have helped anyway, and discouraged bathing.

But we young scouts didn’t suffer. Even though the river wasn’t flowing, not far below the dam were shallow pools that kept us cool and relatively clean.

The heat didn’t seem to have as much of an effect as now, but that’s likely because of the difference in perspective from an 11-yearold and an 80-year-old.

The river was our only recourse; the Humboldt pool didn’t open until 1957.

The dam was a two-fold attraction for us kids.

For more years than anyone alive today knows, the dam was nothing more than a series of huge boulders laid across the river which were eventually “concreted” in place by fill washing down the river.

The city seized the opportunity of severe drought to replace the dam with a coffer dam of dirt to stop seepage and provide an avenue for trucks hauling concrete to form the dam in place today. We liked watching the work. As a sideline, once the water was pumped out to accommodate the project, we found a good many lead sinkers and other things lost by fishermen.

A look back in t me. A look back in t me.

69 Years Ago

July 1954

Hordes of grasshoppers are wreaking havoc with corn fields and other crops in Allen County and the prospects are that the plague will get worse. Fred Kruger of the Soil Conservation Service and Joe Devine, Allen County farm agent, have received reports of hundreds of fields that have been stripped by the ‘hoppers. Devine urged farmers to spray to control the insects.

*****

The Iola city water plant supplied 1,744,000 gallons of water yesterday, setting a new all-time record. During the first four hours this morning consumption was at an even higher rate. The city commission this morning requested all users to avoid watering lawns and

gardens between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. as long as the current hot spell lasts. In addition, the city asked water users to shut off machines using large amounts of water in case a fire breaks out within the city limits.

*****

The Neosho stopped flowing over the dam some time during the past 24 hours. City officials are not alarmed because the dam backs up water for several miles and Iola has enough in storage to meet its needs for a number of months. The northeast portion of the courthouse park was flooded last night and the City of Iola and the county joined forces in an attempt to save the elm trees which may be dying from thirst. Six of the trees in the park are dead and another 10 are in bad shape.

BY DANIELA PAOLA ALCHAPAR/UNSPLASH

My city has run out of fresh water. Will yours be next?

By GUILLERMO GARAT Guest opinion for The New York Times

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay

— For at least 80 days, ever since drought and mismanagement sapped the drinking water supply of my country’s capital, the water that has come out of our taps has tasted terribly of salt and smelled awfully of chemicals.

Those of us who can afford bottled water use it for everything. We cook pasta, wash lettuce and make coffee with it, buying more and more plastic water containers that wind up in the dump. When we shower, we keep it short and keep the windows open, because trihalomethane compounds in the steam may be carcinogenic. Washing machines don’t foam, and the electric water heaters are failing from a buildup of sodium.

Dishwashers leave salty streaks on glasses and plates. Brushing your teeth tastes like taking a gulp of pool water.

At the height of the crisis, sodium and chloride levels rose to double and triple, respectively, the maximum values allowed by our own national drinking water regulations. A few weeks ago I visited a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of the city, where people had no other option than to drink the tap water. People complained of belly pain and diarrhea.

The government warned that children under 2 years of age, pregnant mothers, and people with high blood pressure, kidney failure or heart problems should limit their consumption of the water, or in some cases avoid it altogether.

Here in Uruguay, clean water is part of our national identity. School children are taught that the country is blessed with abundant and high-quality water, thanks to many large rivers and six great aquifers. For most of our history, we could count on rain to fill these rivers and aquifers.

But the most severe drought in 44 years, coupled with aging infrastructure and gross mismanagement of the Santa Lucía reservoirs, have rewritten that comforting story. Now the metropolitan area around Montevideo, home to about 60% of the nation’s 3.4 million people, are living through the consequences.

The Santa Lucía River, which provided a steady flow of freshwater to the capital for more than 150 years, has almost disappeared for some stretches. In February, a reservoir that until recently contained up to 5 billion gallons of water was sucked nearly dry. As the sweet waters from Santa Lucía have emptied, the

salty water from the Río de la Plata, an Atlantic Ocean estuary, have intruded into its riverbed. Our main water purification plant doesn’t have the technology to remove the salt, so it enters our pipes, our homes, our bodies.

The government has no plan B for this crisis, which could last until October.

As bad as it is here, Montevideo’s water crisis is not unique. In 2018, Cape Town started making plans for the chaos that would ensue in the very real scenario that it could run out of water entirely. In Brazil, which owns a significant fraction of the world’s freshwater, numerous cities have restricted its use. In Mexico City, 70% of the population has access to water for only 12 hours a day.

The 2023 U.N. World Water Development Report shows one in four lack access to clean water. “We cannot claim surprise at the next drought,” Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, the U.N.’s special rapporteur on human rights and drinking water, told me. “There must be alternative, complementary, supplementary sources,” and there must be a plan to “establish priorities during the emergency.”

Last week, Mr. Arrojo-Agudo, in a joint statement with other experts, told Uruguay it “must put human consumption at the forefront, as indicated by international human rights standards,” ranking the demand “with an ethical priority.” The government took issue with his statement, saying the chemical levels were not as alarming as he claimed and that helpful measures were underway. But the rapporteur knows that rationing individual people’s consumption while leaving industrial or agricultural use unchecked will, as he told me, “wear down more water and generate a greater risk of contamination.”

It’s not just our health that’s at risk. The agricultural sector, which is the largest industry in the country, has suffered losses of about 2% of Uruguay’s G.D.P. Six out of 10 of our companies are now facing production issues. Pharma, food, construction,

chemical industries: All of them are in a scramble for water, leaving their employees as anxious at work as they are at home.

HOW DID WE get here? Over the last four decades, the nation allowed the agricultural and mining industries to pollute the Santa Lucía and interrupt its natural cycles, damaging the supply that continued to dwindle over three years with little rain. And despite obvious population and economic growth, our country did not invest in drinking water reservoirs, even when the problem started to come into view. Since March 2020, the government declared several emergencies for agricultural producers, granting tax waivers and grace periods. But it waited until June 19 of this year to declare an emergency for the rest of the population.

Now it’s left to scramble. The government is trying to build reservoirs in tributary rivers and is planning a plant to desalinate water from the Río de la Plata, but that is unlikely to come online in the next three years. The public water company recently started operating new wells in the heart of the city, hoping to load tanker trucks with water from an aquifer and distribute it to hospitals.

Many of my neighbors are drilling, too, hoping to find groundwater for their families. One of them showed me the results of the water quality test. They are scary. My neighbor’s well contained a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is associated with blood, lung and urinary tract infections. It’s too late for us to engineer our way out on our own.

It’s not just Montevideo: Every city in the world needs to start prioritizing its drinking water now, while there’s still half a chance for better outcomes. Water is our most precious resource. Keeping it safe and available must be our first priority. Enough is enough.

About the author: Mr. Garat is a journalist living in Montevideo.

PHOTO

Storm: County department leaders analyze storm response

Continued from A1

munications staff handled calls, including herself and Trego. The communications center handles a variety of calls, including emergency calls to 911 and first-responder radio traffic, as well as after-hours calls for the city. Anyone who called the city to report power outages were routed to the communications center.

In addition to trying to route utility crews to downed power lines, dispatchers directed first responders to numerous emergencies, many caused by the storm. For example, a semi-trailer was blown off the road and a law enforcement officer responding to the scene hydroplaned and wrecked. Callers reported a variety of injuries as tree limbs fell onto houses and cars.

Staff made a list of names and addresses of those who called to report power outages. It was 28 pages long.

“Trying to keep up with everything was overwhelming,” Angleton said.

“It was chaos.”

ANGLETON’S figures show dispatchers handled 857 calls the day of the storm. She broke

that down by hour, with just 17 calls from 4 to 5 p.m., then 145 calls between 5 and 6. The storm hit at about 5:30 and lasted less than 20 minutes. Between 6 and 7, they had 235 calls followed by 89 calls the next hour.

Compare that to the day before the storm, when dispatchers handled a total of 157 calls.

On the busiest day in June, they had a total of 222 calls.

Most of the callers were understanding and kind, but as the power outages continued through Saturday

and Sunday many became rude and abusive, Angleton said.

“The amount of verbal abuse my staff has taken over the last four days is insane,” Angleton said. “We had people threatening our jobs. There were some really awful conversations. My staff was already overwhelmed while they too didn’t have power at their homes.”

Commissioners asked Angleton for suggestions to improve the process. Perhaps it would help to have a dedicated phone line

for the city’s after-hours calls, she suggested.

Eventually, staff posted information on social media to ask people not to call 911 to report power outages, and offered alternative phone numbers for texts and calls.

Angleton said more education is needed to help the public understand when to call 911.

She and Trego also plan to ask city and county officials to attend a task force meeting to discuss the response and coordinate an emergency plan. The task force has existed

Recovery: Residents celebrate sobriety

Continued from A1

wonderful wife and they are very understanding. Because addiction doesn’t clock in and out and it doesn’t take weekends off. It doesn’t have holidays. It is all day long, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

The Recovery House offers safe space for addicts working their way back into society.

“So I walk alongside all of the residents and help them try to navigate this new life because life and recovery is hard,” Harding said.

For some it’s as simple as learning basic life skills like making appointments, getting up on time for work, even paying bills.

“Doing all the things ‘normies’ take for granted,” Harding said, with an integrity that often does not come naturally to an addict.

AMONG THE former residents who spoke was Chris Slater, who received a certificate of achievement for his work during Tuesday’s celebration.

“I don’t know where I’d be today,” said Slater, who is working two jobs, and receives treatment from the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, and is now getting back in touch with his daughter, from whom he relinquished his parental rights.

“I owe everything to this house,” Slater said.

Some of the most powerful comments came from Steve Carnahan, recalling the day he started treatment in April 2022: the same day he lost his home.

“My worst day sober is better than my best day as a user,” he declared. “I mean, there’s no way that I would even consider going back to that way of life.”

Carnahan recalled seeking refuge at a friend’s house after he

completed his treatment, only to realize doing so would have led him to return to drugs and alcohol.

“You know, I told myself this wasn’t going to work,” he said. (His friends had hosted a party his first night there, and stayed up until the crack of dawn using drugs and alcohol.)

“This wasn’t what I wanted to do,” Carnahan said. “I’d heard about this halfway house.”

He approached Jackson, who had barely gotten the facility up and going when Carnahan arrived. “I thought, maybe if nothing else, if they’re working on it, maybe I can go up and volunteer to do some work,” Carnahan said. “And that will keep me out of the drug house.”

Fast forward 16 months, and Carnahan, still sober, now holds a full-time job.

“Without this house I wouldn’t have made it,” he said. “I would have gone back to using. No doubt about it.”

TUESDAY’S dinner also was to celebrate those who helped get the facility off the ground.

Jackson pointed to the

family of the late Ruby Lewis, who donated her household furnishings.

“That’s what gave this place the extra push it needed,” Jackson said.

Other household donations came from Ernie Houk and Laura Tidd, whose husband David died in January 2022.

Since opening in 2022, the Recovery House has served as home to 14 residents, no more than five at a time, Jackson said.

“We’ve consistently had a waiting list of three to five people,” she said. “That tells us we need more housing.”

To that end, Jackson said she is planning a key fundraising drive in the coming days, noting the federal grant that funded the Recovery House’s opening expires next year.

Ideally, the drive brings in enough money to build a new, larger facility, capable of housing more residents.

Jackson also noted the Recovery House is only for male clients.

Her initial plans, to restrict the facility to females, quickly diverted because of the outsized demand for male

for years but few officials now attend.

Commissioners thanked Angleton, Trego and their staff for their efforts.

Commissioner Jerry Daniels, a former law enforcement officer, said: “I’ve been there. It’s a thankless job.”

OTHER departments gave updates on their storm response.

Emergency Management

On Tuesday, commissioners signed a disaster declaration for the county in response to the storm.

It will allow the county to seek reimbursement from the state for cleanup efforts, if the state determines it qualifies. It also opens the door for grants for mitigation efforts to protect against future storms.

“After the dust settles, Kansas Emergency Management will reach out to the county to see what costs are and if there are enough to reach that next level of disaster declaration where reimbursement might be possible,” Trego told commissioners.

Trego did not ask for the state’s assistance with cleanup efforts.

Trego said he immediately called Commission Chairman David Lee after the storm hit for verbal approval of a disaster declaration.

opened with special hours on Sunday to allow residents to dump tree limbs and brush.

Public Works Director

Mitch Garner reported the landfill collected 51.31 tons of brush on Saturday, 34 tons on Sunday and 44.45 tons on Monday.

On average, the landfill collects about 5 tons of brush in a day.

Road and bridge

Mark Griffith, road and bridge director, said his crews went to work immediately after the storm until 10 p.m Friday, then worked from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, clearing trees from county roads. He also rented a mini excavator to help with the work.

Griffith plans to take larger equipment out later to clear some of the bigger trees that were knocked down in the storm. He’s also willing to help other cities that might need help with clean up.

“I want to thank the citizens, too,” Griffith said. “A lot of guys were out with their tractors, helping us out.”

addicts in need of help, Jackson said.

“Women really need some different resources than men and we’re just not set up for that,” Jackson said. “I’m not capable of that either.”

Tuesday’s action made it official. The declaration is valid for seven days but could be extended.

Landfill The landfill

CHAIRMAN Lee thanked the county crews and various city workers as well as those who responded from outside the county. Chanute, Girard, Garnett and places in Oklahoma sent “mutual aid” crews to help restore electric services and clear roadways. “I send a heartfelt thank you to all those men and women who went above and beyond to make life a little more bearable for the people of Allen County,” Lee said.

military veteran caregivers, caregiving often starts earlier in life and lasts longer. To better care for your loved one, you must also care for yourself.

Chelsie Angleton, Allen County 911 Director, talks to commissioners about the storm response. Dispatchers handled an “overwhelming” number of calls in the hours immediately after the storm. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Sports Daily B

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Women’s World Cup spotlight on Australia

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — In a country known more for its love of rugby than women’s soccer, New Zealand is aiming to win fans as well as matches.

The Football Ferns kick off the Women’s World Cup on Thursday night with a Group A match against Norway.

The Ferns got the nod for the tournament opener and will be followed by co-host Australia’s match against Ireland in Sydney.

Indians confident heading to state

By QUINN BURKITT The Iola Register

The Iola AA Indians look to carry the momentum from their Zone 2 tournament sweep to the Kansas American Legion baseball tournament beginning Thursday in Concordia.

Iola dominated last weekend’s tournament. Across three games the Indians compiled a 27-3 score and three Iola pitchers threw complete game victories.

“The way we played Sunday, I hope we don’t change anything going into Thursday,” said Iola head coach Ethan Tavarez. “We’ve got the pitching and hitting. We’re planning on throwing them 45 pitches or less, spreading the arms out because we’ve got a lot of pitching.”

The Indians face Colby first on Thursday afternoon at 4 o’clock.

Tavarez relied on pitchers Logan Page, Trevor Church and Trey Sommer to carry the load at the zone tournament. All three will be available at state, but with so many arms on Iola’s roster the pressure will be off.

Sommer’s no-hitter against Chanute Post 170 on June 15 was a season highlight.

Other pitchers who have provided innings this season included Ashton Hesse, Brandon McKarnin, Jack White, Kaiden Barnett, Rogan Weir, Sam Hull and Tre Wilson.

The Indians have already faced some of the season’s toughest competition, including Lee’s Summit, Sedalia, Oak Grove and Pittsburg Post 64. Iola was able to split a couple of home matchups against Pittsburg, behind a Tre Wilson inside-the-park home run.

“After those games John (Taylor) was big on these guys

understanding these are the teams we have to have good at bats and play good defense against,” said Tavarez. “If we play our game that will be huge and there’s some you want more than others.”

The runs have come in bunches for Iola this season with one of the most dangerous lineups in the state ready to attack at any time. Leading off this season has been Wilson, a breakout freshman catcher from Iola. Sommer, McKarnin and Hull man the middle of the lineup while Weir, Logan Page and Barnett bring some needed power as well. The speed on the basepaths has fallen mainly to Wilson in the leadoff spot as well as Church.

“Our top hitter, we figure he’s going to get a hit,” said Tavarez. “Guys have the mentality to get on base so they can get driven in by other

guys. When the hitters that aren’t hitting well do well in the lineup, I cheer for that a lot.”

Hull has come on late in the season as one of Iola’s most dependable power hitters, knocking three home runs this month. His first was a walk-off three-run blast to right center field.

He then ripped two more homers off Garnett in the zone championship game, a three-run homer in the fourth and a two-run home run in the fifth to seal a 9-0 victory.

The highlights of Iola’s season included winning the Kansas Senators Tournament in Topeka to open the season, sweeping Ottawa’s Post 60 Arrows, Chanute’s Post 64 as well as Garnett’s Post 48 Muddogs.

The Indians won two of three games at the MOKAN

See IOLA | Page B4

“I hope there will be a lot of people here for not just our games, but all of the games. It’s a world tournament and something we’ve been so excited to have here now. I’ve been looking forward to this for three years,” defender Ali Riley said. “So I hope the excitement is there and I hope we do well, so that maybe the people who didn’t know about it will hear about it and will want to come to see us make history.”

New Zealand Football announced that the opener at Auckland’s Eden Park will have the biggest crowd for a soccer match in the country’s history, estimated to be at least 50,000.

“I was at the 1999 World Cup final in Los Angeles and I know what that did for me as a young girl. And so to have people here, that noise will give us energy,” said Riley, who grew up in California and plays professionally for Angel City in the National Women’s Soccer League.

“But also I know what that can do for any little girls seeing these players, these awesome, confident empowered,

See AUSTRALIA | Page B4

Westervelt’s a leader for the Iola Seahorses

By QUINN BURKITT The Iola Register

Griffin Westervelt raked in the hardware for the Iola Seahorses this summer.

At last weekend’s SEK League meet, the 16-year-old medaled in each of his seven races, including first place in the 50-yard freestyle, second in the 50-yard butterfly and third in the 100-yard freestyle.

Even after suffering an injury before the season began, Westervelt started out the season on a high note in Chanute by taking down the top swimmer in the league to

earn first place finish in the 50-yard freestyle. “I realized in Chanute that this year was going to be nothing like last year,” said Westervelt. “I knew I was a

lot stronger so my pulls were helped a lot more, especially in the freestyle and breaststroke.”

The freestyle stroke has become Westervelt’s stron-

gest. He’s also improved a lot in the butterfly this summer.

“That’s really all I cared about, getting first place in freestyle,” said Westervelt.

“I like individual sports be-

cause it depends on how well I do, not on others.”

Westervelt said his improved times and personal-records spike his confidence in the pool. The Iolan

See WESTERVELT | Page B4

Iola’s AA Indians walk off the field after securing the Zone 2 championship title

Sunday, July 16. From left, Trey Sommer, pitcher, Kaiden Barnett from second base and head coach Ethan Tavarez emerging from the dugout. REGISTER/QUINN BURKITT

Iola’s Griffin Westervelt competes in the butterfly in Chanute. REGISTER/QUINN BURKITT

Help

please apply at: https://www.kcsl.org/resources/careers/ or reach out to HR@kcsl.org for more information!

NFL teams refusing to pay running backs

By ROB MAADDI The Associated Press

NFL teams are refusing to give running backs lucrative longterm contracts, leaving the best players at the position feeling angry and underappreciated.

It’s no surprise the league has reached this point, considering recent trends.

The days of “three yards and a cloud of dust” are long gone. The NFL has become a passfirst, quarterback-driven league built around explosive offenses.

League rules have changed over the past two decades to enhance scoring. QBs have more protection. Wide receivers have more freedom to roam the field.

Defensive players have to be concerned about getting penalized for illegal hits. They can’t go too low. They can’t hit the helmet. They can’t hold. They can’t tug jerseys. The result has been staggering offensive numbers for quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends. Running backs — despite their overall value, versatility and responsibilities — are getting left behind.

Saquon Barkley, Josh

Jacobs and Tony Pollard have to play the 2023 season under the franchise tag-mandated $10.1 million salary after failing to agree with their teams on multiyear contracts before Monday’s deadline.

Outrage ensued.

Tennessee Titans star Derrick Henry wrote on Twitter: “At this point, just take the RB position out the game then. The ones that want to be great & work as hard as they can to give their all to an organization, just seems like it don’t even matter. I’m with every RB that’s fighting to get what they deserve.”

Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler said: “Everyone knows it’s tough to win without a top RB and yet they act like we are discardable widgets. I support any RB doing whatever it takes to get his bag.”

Barkley watched the New York Giants give QB Daniel Jones a $160 million, four-year contract after a season in which he threw 15 touchdown passes. Yet Barkley is making a fraction of that total after carrying the offense to the playoffs last season.

“It is what it is,” Barkley tweeted as players

expressed their frustration on social media.

NFL offenses used to revolve around running backs from Jim Brown and Jim Taylor to Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith. Brown, Taylor, Smith and Payton helped lead their teams to nine championships.

Now, teams are winning Super Bowls without a dominant runner. Only three Super Bowl champions in the last 15 years had a 1,000-yard rusher in the regular season compared with 11 in the 15 seasons before that.

Phenomenal QBs like Tom Brady and Patrick

Australia: Ready to host Women’s World Cup

Continued from B1

women and athletes just living their dreams.”

While the Ferns are trying to capture hearts, the demand for tickets to Australia’s opener was so high that the match was moved to Stadium Australia, which was built for the 2000 Olympics and can seat more than 82,000.

The Ferns have never won a World Cup match in five previous appearances in soccer’s biggest tournament. And they have struggled this year, with losses in seven of the nine games they’ve played.

While it’s hoped that New Zealand will rally as hosts, the team faces a significant challenge in Norway, which won the World Cup in 1995.

Considered the favorites in Group A, the Norwegians are 5-1-1 all-time against New Zealand, with the only loss coming in a 2019 exhibition match.

“There will be a lot of pressure, both on the home team but also on us, for the opening game, but we feel like we know what to expect,” Norway coach Hege Riise said. “Again, in opening game, everything can happen. But our preparation has been good on New Zealand, defensively and offensively, attacking, so we feel like we are prepared.”

Ada Hegerberg returns to Norway’s World Cup squad after the striker’s self-imposed hiatus from 2017 to 2022 in protest of what she believed was lack of respect for the women’s national team.

The first woman to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or award, Hegerberg scored 43 goals in 76 international appearances. Currently playing for Lyon, she has scored a record 59 goals in the Champions League.

Like Hegerberg, Aus-

tralia star Sam Kerr is one of the game’s top players.

Kerr is Australia’s alltime leading international scorer — among men and women — with 63 goals. She recently helped Chelsea clinch a fourth consecutive Women’s Super League title and third straight FA Cup.

“For me the expectation has kind of been growing over the four years so it’s been something I’ve learned to deal with,” she said. “Of course everyone in Australia has a lot of expectations, but it is something I take in my stride and I try to just enjoy it and I think back at Chelsea I’ve done that too. I’ve just enjoyed it and I think that’s when I’m my best me.”

Australia is well primed as co-hosts of the tournament. The team went undefeated in February’s Cup of Nations, beating Jamaica, Spain and the Czech

Republic. In April, the Matilda’s ended England’s 30-game unbeaten streak with a 2-0 win. But, a note of caution for the Matildas: they dropped a 3-2 match against Ireland in Dublin in late 2021.

Ireland is playing in its first World Cup and it has been a bumpy road to get here. A warm-up match against Colombia in Brisbane was called after 20 minutes because of what the Irish said was rough play.

Denise O’Sullivan was taken to the hospital with a shin injury the midfielder sustained during the behind-closed-doors match. Two Colombia players received yellow cards in the opening 19 minutes.

The injury wasn’t serious and O’Sullivan, who plays for the NWSL’s North Carolina Courage, was expected to play in the opener.

Mahomes are a big reason why teams aren’t as dependent on running backs.

Mahomes has led the Kansas City Chiefs to two Super Bowl titles in the past four years with Isiah Pacheco, a seventh-round pick, and Damien Williams, an undrafted free agent, as the main

backs.

Brady once won a Super Bowl when Jonas Gray led the New England Patriots with 412 yards rushing in 2014. Brady and the 2016 Patriots were also the last team to win a championship with a 1,000-yard rusher. LeGarrette Blount, in

See NFL | Page B6

844-929-4771

Iola’s Trevor Church delivers a pitch to Garnett’s Post 48 Muddogs. REGISTER/QUINN B.

Iola: Heads to state

Continued from B1

Showdown in Pittsburg on July 1 and 2, grabbed one win from Pittsburg on Hull’s walk off then easily ran the table at the Zone 2 tournament last weekend, defeating Garnett and Winfield.

In addition to

Colby, the other teams in Iola’s state tournament bracket include Beloit, Corning, Norton, Seneca, Garnett and Concordia. Garnett’s Post 48 Muddodgs qualified after finishing as the runner-up in the Zone 2 tournament.

Westervelt: A fish

Continued from B1

is planning to join a club swim team in Lawrence in the offseason from September through February to improve his skills.

Westervelt said he uses singing his favorite songs before and during races to help ease the pressure of competition.

This especially helped out at the SEK League meet where the intensity was cranked up.

Westervelt said he uses the season-ending league meet to measure his improvement over the season.

“It’s fun to see how far I’ve come. It also helped that I’m in the middle of the 15-18 year old age,” he said.

Westervelt didn’t seem to be fazed by the

bigger meet.

“The league meet is so different because there’s more people there and everyone is the best they’re going to be during the season so they’re going to try their hardest.”

Westervelt said he enjoys helping the younger kids grow into better swimmers and that teaching different strokes can help him become a better swimmer in the process.

“Last year I helped the little kids to go across the pool if they needed somebody to help them,” Westervelt said. “The age group below mine will take time out of their day to practice with us and it helps to motivate and cheer them on.”

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley has to decide what his next move is. ANDREW MILLS/TNS

EMPLOYMENT

Independent Living Specialist/Case Manager

Resource Center for Independent Living, Inc. (RCIL) is seeking an organized, outgoing new member for our Iola o ce. Work with individuals with disabilities to achieve their goals, organize peer group meetings, perform outreach, and much more!

This is a full-time position with excellent bene ts (health, dental, vision, 5% match to 401K, generous PTO, 10 paid holidays, paid life insurance, ex time, company car, etc.) and competitive pay. Email hr@rcilinc.org to request an application and submit a cover letter and resume. For further questions, call Adam Burnett or Deone Wilson at 785-528-3105.

Dr. Roach: Tips to prolong life, health

DEAR DR. ROACH: If you would recommend one good thing to do in your life to prolong your life and have good health, what would it be? By the same token, if you were to recommend not doing something because it is very bad for you, and there is no health benefit to it, what would that be? — J.H.

ANSWER: The second question is easier, because of all the things people do to themselves that hurt them (and there are a lot), smoking probably causes the greatest harm to the greatest number of people.

Smoking reduces the amount and quality of life so much that it has to be the top answer (and for smokers, in almost all cases, the most important thing you can do for your health is to quit smoking). Your first question has many good possible answers, and if you asked 10 physicians, you would probably get at least nine different answers. However, I am going to say that committing to a regular exercise program is the one good thing to do to prolong your life.

Taking an hour a day, or even 20 or 30 minutes a day, to do something

Dr. Keith Roach

To Your Good Health

for your physical and mental health has many benefits by itself, including reducing heart disease and cancer risk, giving a better sense of confidence and wellbeing, and improving strength and balance.

However, it’s my experience that when a person really sticks with their exercise regimen, they are usually able to increase their performance over time (maybe walking or jogging longer or faster, lifting more weights and getting stronger, or becoming more adept at sports). But what is really interesting is that people tend to improve other habits. After running two miles, you’re more likely to think a bit more carefully about what you are eating. You’re less likely to choose unhealthy habits.

I can’t argue with people who say that changing your diet is the best thing to change your health for the better; neither do I argue with those who recommend mindfulness, better re-

PIXABAY.COM

lationships with friends and family, stress reduction, better sleep, cutting back on alcohol, or a host of other changes.

For any given person, one particular habit may be easier to start, and any can be the key to changing multiple factors. Small changes in numerous behaviors may have a greater overall benefit than a dramatic change in just one behavior.

I’ll sneak in one more answer to your second question. I see many patients, friends and family spending a great deal of money on supplements just to prevent disease. These are seldom bad for you, but they aren’t usually much good either. You could instead spend your time, money and energy on making other positive changes.

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GOING ON VACATION?

Want

by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

by Mort Walker

Chris Browne

by Young and Drake

by Patrick McDonell

Armstrong

by Chance Browne

MARVIN by Tom

MUTTS

Commissioner Garber excited about North American soccer

WASHINGTON (AP)

— MLS Commissioner Don Garber figures Lionel Messi’s arrival is just the start of an exciting few years for soccer in North America.

The United States, Mexico and Canada are hosting the World Cup in 2026, and before that, the 2024 Copa America and 2025 Club World Cup come to the U.S.

Arsenal on Wednesday night. Messi’s decision to come play for Inter Miami has given the North American league a boost, and it was no surprise when that topic came up quite a bit at the commissioner’s news conference.

rivalry between our national teams,” Garber said. “We are equal partners in this World Cup-style tournament that will have our teams playing their teams. Lots of energy behind it, lots of prize money, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.”

Blanco’s

4 hits, 3 RBI’s help Royals outscore Tigers 11-10

KANSAS CITY, Mo.

(AP) — Dairon Blanco tripled, doubled twice, singled and drove in three runs and the Kansas City Royals overcame Spencer Torkelson’s two-homer night to outscore the Detroit Tigers 11-10 on Tuesday.

“You have to get ready every day,” Blanco, who ranked the day as his best ever in baseball, said through an interpreter. “A day like today you just get ready and take advantage of it.”

Blanco tripled and scored to help the Royals tie it at 2 in the third, and had a run-scoring bunt hit to cap a five-run fourth. He doubled and scored in both the sixth and eighth innings for his first career four-hit game.

“Every one of the hits was important,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “That’s what stood out to me. It was nice for him because I know he’s been pressing a little bit. To see him do that was rewarding.”

Blanco admitted he was trying for a home run to complete the cycle in his final at-bat, falling a few feet short of his first career homer, instead settling for an RBI double that made it 10-6.

“I definitely went out there looking for it,” Blanco said. “As soon as it left the bat I thought it had a chance, but as soon as I saw it hit dirt I thought I needed to find more push ups.”

Seven consecutive Royals reached safely in the fourth en route to a 7-2 lead. Freddy Fermin and Drew Waters had RBI extra-base hits and Edward Olivares slapped a two-run single through a drawn-in infield.

“Tenacity to keep adding on throughout, being advantageous there to keep grinding through,” Quatraro said. “We needed every single run we had.”

In the first inning,

Torkelson blasted Daniel Lynch’s sinker 430 feet to left for his first homer since July 2 and a 2-0 lead. He had a threerun shot — his 14th of the season — to left in the fifth to cut it to 7-5.

“I was looking for the mistake and got a couple,” Torkelson said. “There was a lot of good in that game. At the end of the day we had a lot of things go for us, but they just capitalized on a couple more mistakes than we did.”

Torkelson added a seventh-inning double. He had career highs with five RBIs and 10 total bases.

Lynch (3-4) completed five innings, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out three.

“I didn’t think I threw the ball that well,” Lynch said. “Two mistakes were magnified and I didn’t get ahead of guys as much as I would have liked to. Stuff wasn’t really where I’d like it, but the main thing is we go out there and win.”

Detroit scored four in the ninth as Scott Barlow walked three but escaped by retiring Riley Greene on a fly ball with two Tigers on base.

“It was nice to see us respond,” Tiger manager A.J. Hinch said. “Good at-bat after good at-bat against a good pitcher, so that’s a good sign. We had the right guy up at the end and a chance for a big swing and came up one run short.”

Detroit’s Tarik Skubal (0-1) made his third start of the season after missing almost a year after surgery on his left elbow. He allowed seven runs on eight hits, striking out three over four innings.

Javier Báez doubled and scored in the sixth for the Tigers. Báez had three hits and stole two bases.

NFL: Running backs

Continued from B4

stint with the team after being released, ran for 1,161 yards that season.

The 2013 Seattle Seahawks had Marshawn Lynch, who was acquired in a trade with Buffalo. The 2012 Baltimore Ravens had Ray Rice.

Overall, 30 Super Bowl champions had 1,000-yard rushers during the season. The undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins were the first Super Bowl champion with a 1,000-yard rush-

Maikel Garcia drove in four runs for Kansas City.

TRANSACTIONS

Royals OF Edward Olivares (left oblique strain) was activated from the 10-day IL. 2B/OF Samad Taylor was optioned to Triple-A Omaha.

UP NEXT Tigers LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (5-5, 2.70) was set to face LHP Ryan Yarbrough (2-4, 5.29) on Wednesday.

“North America is driving a lot of the energy and a lot of the potential value of soccer on a global basis, and we believe that MLS is one of the drivers of all of that energy,” Garber said. “All of the opportunity and energy and excitement about what’s going to happen over the next number of years is going to have the whole world saying, ‘Well, they finally got it.’”

Garber took questions from reporters Tuesday, the day before the MLS All-Star Game in Washington. A team of MLS All-Stars faces

“A transformational moment for our league, for sure,” Garber said. “You have the best player in the history of the game to be choosing Major League Soccer is something we couldn’t be more excited about — and the fact that the first game will be Friday in our new inaugural Leagues Cup.”

Messi is expected to make his debut for Inter Miami against Cruz Azul on Friday in the Leagues Cup, a CONCACAF-sanctioned tournament that includes MLS teams from the U.S. and Canada, as well as participants from Mexico’s Liga MX.

“There’s been so much talk about the

When Garber was asked about what his next dream is for the league, he said MLS is “probably past the dream point.”

“We want to be one of the top soccer leagues in the world,” Garber said. “Now we proved to the world that we can at least compete with the top player in the world, but how do we capture the hearts and minds of fans around the world? How do we capture the hearts and minds of every player?”

That — as opposed to short-term concerns like ticket sales — is how Garber will evaluate success after adding Messi.

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er and they had two — Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris.

Over the next 20 seasons, excluding strike-shortened 1981, 16 Super Bowl champions had 1,000-yard rushers, including Franco Harris, John Riggins and Marcus Allen.

Even Joe Montana’s San Francisco had Roger Craig do it twice. John Elway and the Denver Broncos couldn’t win a Super Bowl until Terrell Davis came along.

Kansas City Royal Drew Waters slides into third. ED ZURGA/GETTY IMAGES/TNS