The Iola Register, July 21, 2023

Courtroom remodel on agenda

County hears about plans for courthouse project, equipment needs for EMS

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Allen County voters could decide whether to approve a courthouse remodel as early as November.

Plans call for a new, second courtroom — identical in size and design — to be built to the south of the existing one. Other changes would improve security and relieve congestion.

Costs of the project haven’t been announced but earlier estimates indicated it could exceed $5 million.

The county hired Crossland Construction of Columbus in January to lead the project,

which would include ushering voters through a bond election.

A committee of county and court personnel have been meeting with Crossland to discuss aspects of the project. Their plan is to have the

Shutterbug ready for close-up

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola

MORAN — Doug Dix is quite a shutterbug.

If there’s something worth seeing, the 10-year-old son of Darrell and Sara Dix is usually not far away armed with his Kodak digital camera, scouting for the perfect angle.

“He’s taken pictures with my phone, and they’re usually better than mine,” Sara said.

As such, his photography skills have already earned him recognition at the Allen County Fair.

His purple ribbon-winning entry last summer normally would have qualified Dix for a berth at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson, if not for the State Fair’s age restrictions.

4-H’ers must be at least 9 years old by Jan. 1 — thus dictating their “4-H age.”

Dix, however, didn’t turn 9 until Feb. 12.

“So he has to wait, which is fine,” Sara said. “He takes really good pictures.”

Dix will be a fifth-grader at Marmaton Valley Elementary School this year.

He belongs to the Prairie Rose 4-H Club.

Dix plans to enter photography and woodworking exhibits next week at the 130th annual Allen County Fair, which runs July 27-30 at Iola’s

Doug Dix has already earned recognition for his photography skills. He’ll compete in the Allen County Fair next week. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Riverside Park.

The woodworking project is a homemade computer monitor stand he and his grandfather worked on as a team over the past several weeks.

“We actually got it done

Monday,” he said. “We had completed it already, but we needed to do some touchups.”

The monitor stand will come in handy when Dix uses

See DIX | Page A6

bond issue on the November ballot. They’ll meet again next month and will start an educational campaign by late August.

Bob Johnson, county counselor and a member of the advisory committee, gave

commissioners an update Tuesday. Crossland will put together a plan for video and social media posts about the project, as well as informational meetings, Johnson said. It will include details about projected costs and how much the bond will cost taxpayers.

“It affects everybody from a safety standpoint,” Johnson said of the need for courtroom improvements.

The second courtroom will extend only a little ways to the south and won’t significantly take away green space on the courthouse lawn, Johnson noted. That has been one of the questions the committee has faced from the public since plans were announced. It also will be designed to match the exterior aesthetic.

CHIEF JUDGE Daniel Creitz and Sheriff Bryan Murphy

State may end mega tax breaks that lured projects to Kansas

By DYLAN LYSEN Kansas News Service

DE SOTO, Kansas — As construction crews build Panasonic’s new $4 billion factory here, the Kansas tax subsidy law that helped bring the electric vehicle battery plant to the state is set to evaporate.

Kansas officials no longer have the power to underwrite mega-deal projects with hundreds of millions of dollars in state incentives. The law, known as APEX, only let the state ink one deal each year in 2022 and 2023. Those tax giveaways for those two years went to Panasonic and Integra’s planned $1.8 billion semiconductor plant in the Wichita area.

Paul Hughes, the state’s deputy secretary for business development, asked lawmakers to extend the law into 2024 and beyond to keep open the possibility of bartering in tax breaks that might tempt other large employers to Kansas.

Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration touts the law as a way for the state to take an

active role in boosting the economy.

“You’re not really the captain of your own destiny,” Hughes said of not extending the law. “At that point, you’re just waiting for something to happen and hoping that it does.”

But some influential conservative lawmakers voiced concern over the program

Universities, colleges can offer 3-day free application option

By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — The Kansas Board of Regents unanimously voted Tuesday to create a three-day window during November in which public colleges and universities in the state would waive undergraduate application fees for Kansas residents regardless of a person’s income or age. The pilot project sched-

uled for Nov. 7-9, 2023, would attempt to address the 11.5 percentage point decline between 2014 and 2021 in the rate of Kansas high school graduates who enrolled within one year at any of more than 30 public institutions under jurisdiction of the Board of Regents.

The free application initiative, modeled after a similar effort in Colorado, would be open to Kansas residents

interested in enrolling as undergraduate students. Eligible persons would include first-time freshmen, transfer students, returning students and those seeking a second bachelor’s degree. Application fees in Kansas ranged from $25 to $40.

The Board of Regents’ pilot project wouldn’t be available to nonresident applicants nor to individuals applying to graduate school.

The project would cost state universities about $1 million annually in application fee revenue typically spent on admissions staff and enrollment management operations. University of Kansas, Wichita State University and Kansas State University would surrender more than two-thirds of that revenue total. Pittsburg State University doesn’t have an undergraduate application fee. Commu-

nity colleges in Kansas don’t have a general application fee, but technical colleges do.

The pilot would likely produce more “soft” applications from people who don’t actually enroll at a public institution in Kansas, but advocates believe it could draw more students into a higher education system struggling to sustain enrollment numbers.

“What are some of the

See DEALS | Page A3 See

EMS Director Michael Burnett speaks to county commissioners about equipment needs. Corey Isbell, Iola fire chief, is shown in the background. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Register

The head table for Parents’ and Grandparents’ Night at the July 9 Prairie Rose 4-H Club meeting are, from left, Acting Secretary Jason Botts, parent of Kason and Kylar Botts; Secretary Kason Botts; Acting President Angelea Heim, parent of Sophia and Mallory Heim; President Sophia Heim; and Acting Vice President, Darrell Dix, grandfather of Sophia and Mallory Heim and Doug Dix.

Parents take the 4-H reins

The Prairie Rose 4-H Club met at 4 p.m. July 9 at Moran United Methodist Church for Parents’ and Grandparents’ Night. Roll call was an-

swered by 14 members, two Cloverbuds and two leaders.

Eleven guests were introduced. Jaren Curl gave a talk on “How to Properly Swing a Base-

Kegler tapped as FSCC president

FORT SCOTT — Jason Kegler, who formerly served as an admissions counselor and coached women’s basketball at Allen Community College, has been named the next college president at Fort Scott Community College.

The FSCC Board of Trustees approved Kegler’s hiring at their Monday meeting. He replaces retiring Alysia Johnston, who held the title for the past eight years, according to the fortscott.biz news outlet.

Prior to that, he served as dean of students at Neosho County Community College and director of student life, head women’s basketball coach, and director of admissions/marketing and admissions counselor at Allen.

Kegler, wife Terra and their three children live in Fort Scott.

ball Bat” and the club enjoyed a game of basket toss with all of the guests.

— Kason Botts, reporter

Twister damages NC Pfizer plant

By TOM MURPHY The Associated Press

The fallout from a Pfizer factory being damaged by a tornado could put even more pressure on already-strained drug supplies at U.S. hospitals, experts say.

Wednesday’s tornado touched down near Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and ripped up the roof of a Pfizer factory that makes nearly 25% of all sterile injectable medicines used in U.S. hospitals, according to the drugmaker.

Pfizer said all employees were safely evacuated and accounted for, and that it is still assessing damage.

Here’s a closer look at the possible effects.

WHAT ARE STERILE INJECTABLES?

The North Carolina plant produces injectables — like drugs used in IV infusions or that are delivered under the skin or into patient muscles.

The plant makes anesthesia drugs, anti-infectives (that typically treat things like fungal infections) and drugs that temporarily paralyze muscles. The latter are used in surgeries or intensive care units for patients who are placed on ventilators, said Mike Ganio, who studies drug shortages at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

The Pfizer site does not make or store the company’s COVID-19 vaccine or treatments Comirnaty and Paxlovid.

HOW BIG IS THE SITE?

Pfizer bought the eastern North Carolina

factory in 2015 as part of its acquisition of the drugmaker Hospira.

There is more than 1.4 million square feet of manufacturing space, or the equivalent of more than 24 football fields, and 22 packaging lines.

Pfizer says well over 2,000 people work there.

HOW WILL THIS AFFECT HOSPITAL DRUG SUPPLIES?

It will likely lead to some long-term shortages while Pfizer shifts production to other locations or rebuilds, said Erin Fox, senior pharmacy director at University of Utah Health.

But the specifics of which drugs might be involved in a shortage and how long that shortage will go aren’t clear.

“Anyone who is aware of this event is basically holding their collective breath at this point, hoping for the best and waiting for news,” Ganio said.

He noted that drugmakers tend to ship finished products quickly from manufacturing sites, which may limit how much inventory was damaged by the twister.

HOW CAN HOSPITALS HANDLE SHORTAGES?

They have several tools to soften the impact for patients. Some hospitals have started increasing inventories of stored drugs instead of relying on regular deliveries from a wholesaler. Ganio said that it’s particularly true of drugs that hospital executives know will be hard to get.

Hospitals also may

Powerball winner sells

LOS ANGELES (AP) —

A winning ticket has been sold in California for the Powerball jackpot worth an estimated $1.08 billion, the sixth largest in U.S. history and the third largest in the history of the game.

The winning numbers for Wednesday night’s drawing were: white balls 7, 10, 11, 13, 24 and red Powerball 24. The California Lottery said on Twitter that the winning ticket was

switch to different forms of a drug by giving a patient an antibiotic pill instead of an IV if that person can handle it. If a larger vial size of a drug is more readily available, they may order that and then fill several syringes with smaller doses ready for use.

AREN’T HOSPITALS ALREADY DEALING WITH SHORTAGES?

Yes, it’s been happening for years. But right now, hospitals are specifically seeing shortages for things like chemotherapy drugs.

The impact of drug shortages isn’t limited to hospitals. The also affect more routine care delivered through drugstores and doctor’s offices.

Overall, there were 309 active drug shortages in the U.S. at the end of June, according to the University of Utah Drug Information Service. That’s up from 295 at the end of last year and the highest total recorded since 2014.

WHAT WILL PFIZER DO?

The company hasn’t said what happens next.

Drugmakers can shift manufacturing to other locations. But that can be complicated because they must reroute raw materials — usually made elsewhere — to other locations and may have to train workers to make a product.

Pfizer also may have to figure out whether to cut production of another product to squeeze in more manufacturing at the new site.

“It’s now always as easy as just flipping a switch to increase production,” Ganio said.

Jason Kegler

For the past nine years he was associate vice president for student life at Pittsburg State University.

He was among 39 applicants who filed after Johnston announced her retirement, the news outlet reported.

Neosho Co. road work ahead

Work crews will close a seven-mile stretch of U.S. 169 in southern Neosho County beginning July 31 in order to add passing lanes and replace pavement.

The Kansas Department of Transportation said the closure will affect traffic from Thayer to the U.S. 400

Area news

Three charged with kidnapping

LAWRENCE — A trio of suspects are accused of kidnapping a man and taking him to a tomb where the victim was expecting to be killed.

The Lawrence Journal-World reported that Tahreon Allen, 20, of Lawrence, Mustafa Darrell Muhammad-Springs, 19, of Kansas City, Kan., and a third suspect, Jean Willy Petit Frere, are charged with aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and aggravated residential burglary. Allen and Mumhammad-Springs are in custody. Frere is not in custody, the newspaper said. The trio are accused of entering the man’s residence on the night of May 30, putting a pillowcase over his head and bounding him with duct tape, the newspaper reported. They demanded $100,000.

According to an arrest affidavit, the suspects then drove the man to several locations in three of his vehicles — a Mercedes Benz, a Porsche and a pickup — before leading him to apartment complex, where they led him down a slippery grass hill, onto concrete steps and into

intersection.

The closure is expected to run through Oct. 29.

Northbound U.S. 169 traffic should follow the signed state route detour, which will take motorists east on U.S. 400 to U.S. 59, northbound to K-47 and westbound on K-47 back to U.S. 169.

what was described as a “concrete tomb with a dirt floor.”

The 65-year-old victim told officers he believed he was going to be killed. He was held there for about an hour, the newspaper reported, before the suspects attempted to take him back to a vehicle.

A passing security guard noticed the commotion, and wrested the victim from the suspects, who then fled on foot and took off in one of the victim’s cars.

A GPS tracker led officers to where Allen worked, where he was arrested after a short foot chase.

Muhammad-Springs was arrested in midJune.

Illegal dumpster usage draws scorn

ALTAMONT — Altamont city officials are dealing with an ongoing trashy situation.

City Council members discussed at their July 13 meeting sever-

Southbound traffic will follow the same route in opposite directions.

Several side roads along 169 will be closed to traffic at the start of the project.

Clarkson Construction Company of Kansas City, Mo., is the primary contractor on the $15 million project.

al instances of illegal dumping at the town dumpsters.

Photos of mattresses, limbs and oil were shown to the Council members, the Parsons Sun reported.

City ordinances allow only household trash in the dumpsters.

Members discussed how to better police the area. Security cameras have been recently installed, but a hard drive issue prevented video footage from being used.

Council members also discussed moving the containers, but could not agree upon a site. Fencing also was deemed too expensive.

The Counil approved adding signage, and leaving the dumpsters as is for the next two months, so additional footage can be used to determine who is dumping their refuse in the dumpsters.

Council members noted some out-oftown customers pay the city to use the receptacles as well.

sold in Los Angeles at Las Palmitas Mini Market. Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot beyond its earlier estimate of $1 billion to $1.08 billion at the time of the drawing, moving it from the seventh largest to the sixth largest U.S lottery jackpot ever won.

The winner can choose either the total jackpot paid out in yearly increments or a $558.1 million lump sum before taxes.

Deals: State lawmakers may be done giving mega tax breaks

Continued from A1

and how much the state was giving away.

Meanwhile, Panasonic could earn $6.8 billion in incentives from the federal government, according to a study by government accountability group Good Jobs

First. Add in the more than $1 billion from state and local governments, the company could score $8 billion in tax dollars — twice the amount of its original investment to build the plant in Kansas.

Jacob Whiton, an analyst for Good Jobs First, said federal incentives exceeding the amount of company investment is rare.

“It certainly calls into question,” Whiton said, “the necessity of that state and local package in light of the generosity of the federal credit.”

But Hughes contends the tool is still useful to Kansas, regardless of what the federal government offers to the same projects. He said the state’s focus is on creating Kansas jobs. The federal program incentivizes production no matter where the company is located. He’s also confident lawmakers will extend the law in the future and thinks

the state will have data to justify the tax breaks and job training money.

Panasonic broke ground in November of 2022 and is expected to begin using the facility in early 2025. Hughes said the company is also in the process of hiring the local management that will work out of the facility.

Integra is expected to begin receiving federal funding later this year and begin construction on its facility in the fall. Hughes said about

12 other companies are interested in using the program to move to Kansas.

“Once we have a program with a 10-year horizon to it,” Hughes said, “we’ll see our own pipeline swell.”

But Whiton is skeptical the law included enough conditions on business, like creating a certain number of jobs, or that state incentives are even needed.

He argues the massive amount of incentives available from the fed-

eral government may have made the state’s package redundant. And that’s funding that could have gone to other state programs — like public schools.

Hughes contends Panasonic is not guaranteed to receive either the federal or state incentives. The company has to earn the state incentives through building the facility and hiring employees. And the federal incentives would come after the company pro-

Regents: Create applications window

Continued from A1

things we can do right now to remove barriers and kind of better position ourselves to have a more robust high school-to-college pipeline?” said Daniel Archer, vice president for academic affairs with the Board of Regents.

Archer said evidence of the state’s challenge could be found in statistics comparing Kansas public college enrollment in 2014 and 2021, which was during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said 58.9% of Kansas high school graduates enrolled within one year at a Kansas public college or university in 2014. That percentage fell to 43.7% in 2021.

Comparable statistics along racial and ethnic lines in Kansas indicated Hispanic enrollment in that period plummeted from 50% to 31.9%, he said. Black enrollment crashed over those seven years from 51.5% to 32.7%, while white enrollment slid from 56.8% to 48.1%.

“Really critical, I think, to emphasize

Kansas Board of Regents member Cindy Lane endorsed creation of a three-day window in November for public colleges and universities in Kansas to waive application fees for Kansas residents seeking to enroll as undergraduate students. (SHERMAN SMITH/KANSAS REFLECTOR)

that we’re going to look at the total number of applicants as well as the total number of applicants by race and ethnicity,” Archer said.

Cynthia Lane, a member of the Board of Regents and a retired Kansas public school administrator, said the higher education board should measure the pilot project in terms of how application fees influenced prospective students. She said the experiment should be useful in development of recruiting strategies for the state’s public universities.

The precise window established by the Board of Regents would be 12 a.m. Nov. 7 to 11:59 p.m. Nov. 9. Applications could be filled out in advance, but would need to be submitted during the three-day window.

Five years ago, Colorado started an Apply Free day for the state’s residents. It began with a one-day fee holiday in October. Marketing was conducted in English and Spanish. Residents of that state were given the opportunity to apply without charge to undergraduate programs at all state public and

some private Colorado colleges and universities.

In 2020, the third year of the Colorado program, 56,800 applications were filed in a single day. That amounted to a 28% increase in interest compared to the program’s first year. In Colorado, 44% of the third-year applications were submitted by students of color and 28% by first-generation students. Colorado moved to a three-day window in 2021 to better deal with the avalanche of applications.

duces a certain number of batteries. That also comes with additional costs much larger than the initial $4 billion on the manufacturing plant in De Soto.

“If they don’t produce it,” Hughes said, “they

don’t get it.”

However, some conservative state lawmakers fear Kansas may still hand out more than it can afford. Republican Sen. Caryn Tyson said earlier this year the number of companies interested in the tax breaks suggests it may be too generous.

“If you were putting a product on sale for the market,” Tyson said in January, “and it was selling this – like wildfire — you have to ask yourself, ‘Did we give away too much?’”

Tyson said lawmakers should look at the law closely before signing off on an extension to make sure the state does not provide more than it can afford.

Hughes said Panasonic should have more evidence the incentives actually bring new jobs into the economy later this year. That would fall just in time for Hughes to ask for an extension of the law next spring.

Birth announced

Miles Jordan Carroll

Jeanne Percy became a great-grandmother for the 14th time on her 88th birthday (with two more on the way) when Miles Jordan Carroll was born on July 5, 2023.

Miles weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces, and was 21 inches long. His proud parents are Rick and Jordan Carroll of Olathe.

Miles has an older

brother, Frankie, 1 ½ . His paternal grandparents are Maureen Percy Carroll and Michael F. Carroll. His maternal grandparents are Gary and Vickie Pener, all of Lenexa. Other great-grandparents are Mike and Mary Jo Van Wallegem of Lenexa and the late William Glenn Percy, Joseph Carroll, Janet and Donalt Stark, Louis and Bertha Pener and John and Betty Zoeller.

Construction crews continue building the Panasonic electrical vehicle battery plant in De Soto. The $4 billion factory is expected to begin operation in early 2025. KANSAS NEWS SERVICE/DYLAN LYSEN

California’s wily, surfboard-stealing sea otter evades capture again

By SUSANNE RUST Los Angeles Times/TNS

Nobody in this quintessential beach town can say exactly why a sea otter began harassing surfers and stealing their boards a month ago, but officials can tell you that California’s most-wanted sea mammal is definitely refusing to surrender quietly.

With helicopters thudding overhead as she lounges in kelp beds, game wardens in wet suits tracking her as she dives for shellfish and crowds of observers cheering her on from the beach, the renegade otter that authorities call “841” has so far managed to avoid capture.

Officials say the otter needs to be trapped because her unusually bold behavior — which includes gnawing on surfboards — poses a danger to herself and humanity.

Taking her into custody however is proving very difficult, and the spectacle of a land, sea and air dragnet is causing some to wonder if it’s worth the effort. At

the same time, some observers speculate that 841’s aggressive behavior may be due to hormonal surges brought on by pregnancy.

Since July 13, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — in coordination with California Department of Fish and Wildlife and biologists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium — have tried repeatedly to trap the otter from “both surface and underwater approaches.” Recent attempts have involved a “bait” surfboard and diver, and a nearby boat with a net and box to trap her.

On Monday, a four-person crew took motorboat into the area where she likes to swim, dive for urchins and crabs, and loll in the kelp. From the boat, they sent out an empty surfboard — a bright colored soft top, donated by a victim, according to Mark Woodward, a Santa Cruz social media influencer, who spends his days chronicling the goings-on in this seaside town — as well as a wet-suited swimmer.

Each time they put the board in the water, she’d approach and climb aboard. The swimmer, attached to the board

Australian, dog rescued at sea

MANZANILLO, Mexico (AP) — Lost at sea for months on a disabled catamaran, with no way to cook and no source of fresh water but the rain, Australian Timothy Shaddock said he expected to die. There was a lot to like about the experience, he said. Like when he would plunge into the sea for a swim, or when his dog, Bella, would stir him to keep going.

“I did enjoy being at sea, I enjoy being out there,” he said. He recalled the full moon in early May that illuminated his turn away from the Baja Peninsula, his last sight of land until he came ashore Tuesday.

Shaddock, 54, smiling and good humored, was the living image of a castaway, with a long blonde beard and emaciated appearance, as he joked with a group of reporters Tuesday, standing in front of the fishing boat that rescued him at a port on Mexico’s Pacific coast.

He granted that there were “many, many, many bad days,” but declined to elaborate.

Shaddock and his dog left northwest Mexico in a catamaran in late April, he said, planning to sail to French Polynesia. A few weeks into his voyage, he was struck by a storm, which disabled his catamaran and left him with no electronics and no way to cook. He declined to describe the storm or the damage in detail, but images of the boat taken during the rescue showed it with no sail.

He and Bella survived by fishing and eating their catch raw. Rain provided their drinking water.

Sailors, especially those travelling alone, get used to living — and sleeping — in the midst of constant work and whatever challenges the sea throws their way, and Shaddock said he spent most of his time fixing things on the boat. “The fatigue is the hardest part,” he said.

“I would try and find the happiness inside myself, and I found a lot of that alone at sea,” Shaddock said.

The tuna boat María Delia’s helicopter was the first sign of humans he had seen in three months. He was 1,200 miles from the nearest land when suddenly a helicopter appeared.

The pilot tossed him a drink before flying off, and a short while later, the crew reached him in a speed boat.

“It made me feel like I was going to live,” he said.

Part of that encounter with sailors from the María Delia was captured on video. They circle Shaddock’s bobbing catamaran, a flock of white seabirds perched on its double hulls as Shaddock scrambles to

his feet in the stern. Bella wags her tail.

A crew member asks Shaddock if he speaks English, if he’s okay, and if he has any drugs or weapons on board.

Shaddock initially just hoarsely repeats, “Thank you, thank you.”

But he’s coherent, welcomes them to inspect the boat, and hands over the knife dangling from his neck.

Grupomar, the company that owns the tuna boat, said its crew gave Shaddock and Bella food and medical attention.

Shaddock said the María Delia became his “land” and the crew his family.

He said a lesson he took from the experience was a feeling that “your family is everyone, and your family is all of nature.”

by a leash, would then tow the otter — still on the board — toward the boat.

However, every time she got within about 50 yards of the boat, she’d dive off and swim away, said Woodward.

On Tuesday, a crowd of eight onlookers stopped along a fence, just south of the Santa Cruz lighthouse, and pointed down at the otter. They took photos and said “awwww” as she floated on her back, hitting some sort of shellfish repeatedly against a rock she had lying on her chest.

“This is her home,” said Jessica Beane, 48, of San Bruno. “They should leave her alone and let her be.”

Bruno and her friend, John Flores, 45, of San Carlos, had come over the mountains from the Bay Area just to see the otter.

“I had the day off and said, ‘Why not?’” said Beane.

The rebel otter can be identified by a blue tag on the webbing of her left foot — a relic from when she was born in captivity.

Police find melted gold

BERLIN (AP) — Investigators looking into the theft of hundreds of ancient gold coins from a German museum have found lumps of gold that appear to have resulted from part of the treasure being melted down, but still hold out hope of finding the rest intact.

Four suspects were arrested on Tuesday over the Nov. 22 breakin at the Celtic and Roman Museum in the Bavarian town of Manching in which 483 Celtic coins discovered during an archaeological dig in 1999 were stolen. The coins date to around 100 B.C.

Authorities said Thursday that DNA found on an object outside the museum led them to the suspects.

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On most days, 841 can be seen eating, swimming and hunting just off the cliffs between the lighthouse and Cowell’s Beach, near the boardwalk. Unlike other otters, she hangs close to the cliffs, never more than about 20 to 30 feet

offshore.

Surfers navigate around her carefully, and on the five evenings a Times reporter went to observe her, she completely ignored nearby wave riders — most of whom were surfing on hard boards.

Perils of Puppyhood: Parvovirus Edition

By Nicole Haney R.V.T.

Puppies are a joyful and adorable addition to many families. They can also be a source of heartbreak if you are not educated about the basic health needs of puppies. One of the most devastating health crises that a family and puppy can face is Parvovirus.

Parvovirus, as the name indicates, is an infectious viral disease, usually passed from animal to animal when an infected but possibly asymptomatic canine vomits or leaves stool in an area where an unvaccinated animal encounters the virus-loaded material. Birds may carry the virus on their feet from kennel to kennel as they pick dog kibble from bowls, but the most common exposure is when we take our cute, bundle of furry joy out to show friends and relatives. We jump into house training and our new puppy is being walked on the grass in the park, near McDonald’s, or shown off around town on the sidewalk or dog park. Even our yard may not be safe if we do not routinely pick up the dog feces or if we have had another dog with parvo that contaminated the area. Even if not required by law, be a thoughtful pet owner and pick up after your dog. The little bags don’t cost much and may save another dog’s life.

Being a virus, prevention is key, in the form of properly given vaccinations, generally three, given at intervals to attempt to take advantage of the puppies maturing immune system as soon as possible, as well as ensuring the best physical health with a good diet, and prevention of external and internal parasites that might cause anemia. Take care not to tire the puppy or take it out to areas where there may be parvovirus exposure. Your puppy is like a baby, still rather fragile and still needing special care.

Currently, there are no anti-viral medications that are a surefire cure for parvovirus. If your puppy is lethargic, vomiting, having diarrhea, or not eating previously accepted diets, there is a problem. Puppies in good health do not show any of these signs, but puppies with parvo will show at least one, often more. Call and give the veterinary office all the information you have about the puppy’s age, state of vaccination, worming, and when you noticed the onset of signs of illness. You will be asked to come to the office for a parvo test.

Often, the sample is taken from your pup in your car, where you will wait for results. This keeps the chance of exposure out of the public areas of the office. Your puppy will probably be hospitalized. During hospitalization, your vet will give antibiotics to attempt to stop secondary bacterial infections, intestinal tract protectants to minimize the damage and hemorrhage, and supportive care in the form of IV fluids to prevent dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. The pet must be kept in isolation to prevent exposure to other animals.

The care provider must be scrupulously clean, washing, and disinfecting anything that the puppy, the equipment, or the provider might encounter. You will be advised on how to accomplish this at home. If all goes well, food and water can be introduced to your pup, and it will be released to go home.

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For questions about enrollment, contact: Scott Carson, Iola High School Principal at 620-365-4715

This treatment is expensive, depending on the age of the pup, the basic health of the pup, and how many vaccinations with quality, properly stored, and reconstituted vaccines the puppy has had, survival is possible. (The fatality rate is higher with younger pups and unvaccinated pups; one vaccination is not enough; multiple vaccinations with lesser quality vaccines, improperly stored and reconstituted are not enough.)

The final words about Parvovirus: it’s here, it’s deadly…Vaccinate, Vaccinate, Vaccinate!

This sea otter has been attacking and terrorizing surfers along the Santa Cruz coastline on Thursday, July 13, 2023, in Santa Cruz, California. (GARY CORONADO/LOS ANGELES TIMES/TNS)

~ Journalism that makes a difference

How the government can solve America’s obesity epidemic

By ROBERT PEARL The Fulcrum/TNS

Dying younger. Living harder. Going broke. It is difficult to overstate the longitudinal effects of excess weight in America.

An estimated seven in 10 Americans are overweight or obese. The combination, according to the National Institutes of Health, results in an estimated 300,000 preventable deaths per year with extreme obesity lowering life expectancy by 14 years on average.

Added weight not only makes everyday life more difficult, but it also produces serious health consequences that include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders and cancer. In total, obesity costs an estimated $260 billion annually in inpatient and outpatient care.

Whether weight gain is caused primarily by genetics, societal influences or individual will, scientists aren’t altogether sure. What’s clear, however, is that most efforts to lose weight ultimately fail.

Ozempic, one of a new class of medications, has been shown in studies to spur significant weight loss. The others include Mounjaro, Rybelsus and Wegovy with several new (and convenient, pill-based) options in development.

Last year, more than 5 million Americans were prescribed one of these drugs for weight reduction.

The annual price of treatment ranges from $12,000 (Mounjaro) to upwards of $16,000 per year (Wegovy).

As a result, most users are either wealthy or have generous health-insurance coverage.

But as more Americans seek these medications for moderate weight loss, not diabetes, insurers have started clamping down. They’ve issued threatening letters to doctors, warning they’ll be referred to state regulatory boards for writing “off-label” prescriptions.

Ozempic and other medications that help with weight loss are part of an ongoing national debate in which two competing truths collide.

The first truth is that these drugs work, leading to significant and sustained weight reduction: 14 to 25 pounds per individual on average during the medication course. And while they’re not a replacement for proper nutrition, exercise or healthier living, they do reduce the likelihood of heart attack, stroke and cancer.

Second, despite the medical opportunity at hand, making these drugs available to all 100 million obese American adults would prove cost prohibitive for businesses, private insurers and the government.

This means that the medications could drastically rollback the nation’s $260 billion in obesity-related medical expenses each year, but prescribing them at today’s prices would cost more than $1.5 trillion annually — increasing national health care expenditures by as much as 25%.

What’s more, these medications are considered “forever drugs,” requiring users to either maintain their dosage or regain most of the

weight they lost.

Insurers are eager to draw a line between those seeking prescriptions for appearance’s sake and those at heightened risk of disease or death. They’re happy to cover the latter but, as with cosmetic surgery, insurers believe patients should foot the bill for the former.

Lost in this debate is an important question: Why not figure out how to make these lifesaving drugs broadly available and affordable?

With hundreds of thousands of obesity-related deaths each year, the magnitude of the problem qualifies as an “epidemic” and justifies forceful government intervention.

The current administration, with congressional approval, could initiate a nationwide campaign to fight obesity, similar to Operation Warp Speed. The program, with a $10 billion upfront investment, led to the speedy development of a safe and effective coronavirus vaccine. The government then was able to purchase more than 1 billion doses at one-third the cost of the vaccine’s current list price.

Here’s how the administration could replicate Operation Warp Speed to fight the obesity epidemic without breaking the bank.

The government would invest $4 billion up front — twice the average R&D cost to bring a new drug to market.

In return for funding and a 10-year contract, the first drugmaker to develop a safe and effective weight-loss drug would be required to sell that medication back to the government at $40 per dose (or $2,000 per patient/ year), significantly below the retail price of Ozempic and similar drugs. The winning pharma company would benefit financially, earning up to $1.2 trillion in sales over the contract’s lifetime without having to shoulder R&D costs.

With the new medication in hand, government-sponsored health programs, Medicaid and Medicare, would make it available to all obese enrollees (roughly 60 million people) for the next decade.

And by providing the drug to more than half of all obese adults, the government would reduce medical expenses by up to $130 billion annually or $1.3 trillion over 10 years, making the effort cost-neutral for American taxpayers.

The only financial risk to the government (outside of defending likely lawsuits) would be failing in its search for a new drug, thus wasting the $4 billion of taxpayer money. But that’s a relatively insignificant sum compared to the potential health care benefits.

The role of government is to protect the health and financial well-being of the nation. Fulfilling that function led to a lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine. Doing so again is the best option our nation has to address America’s growing obesity epidemic.

About the author: Robert Pearl is a clinical professor of plastic surgery at the Stanford University School of Medicine and is on the faculty of the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is a former CEO of The Permanente Medical Group.

This leader is scarily popular

It is a recipe to make strongmen salivate. Nayib Bukele, El Salvador’s president, has worked out how to chop away democratic restraints while keeping an approval rating of 80-90%. One ingredient is his mastery of social media. The main one is locking up huge numbers of young men.

Since March last year, when Mr. Bukele imposed a state of emergency, he has arrested more than 71,000 people, equivalent to 7% of male Salvadoreans aged 1429. Anyone suspected of ties to a criminal gang can be thrown into a crowded jail — indefinitely. Little evidence is required: a suspicious tattoo or an anonymous accusation will suffice. Those detained will eventually have proper trials, the government insists, but so far they have had only cursory hearings, sometimes with hundreds of suspects appearing simultaneously before a judge. Mr. Bukele glories in brutality, tweeting photos of suspects cuffed, half-naked and packed tighter than battery hens.

Outraged liberals must admit that his crackdown has brought benefits. Most touted is a plunge in the homicide rate, which fell from 51 per 100,000 the year before Mr. Bukele took office in 2019 to 18 in 2021 (before the state of emergency began) and just eight last year. Analysts dispute how much credit to give Mr. Bukele, but he can surely claim some.

More important, he has changed the balance of fear in El Salvador’s extortion-plagued neighborhoods. Before, if a gangster demanded protection money, civilians paid up or braved a bullet. Few called the police, since gangsters were seldom convicted without testimony that hardly anyone was brave enough to offer.

Now, it is the gangsters who are scared. Knowing that an anonymous tip-off can put them behind bars indefinitely, those still at large are in hiding. Their absence has improved countless

lives. A study in 2016 found that the annual cost of gang violence in El Salvador was 16% of GDP. Today neighborhoods are calm and business folk have mustered the optimism to open new shops. Hence Mr. Bukele’s rock-star popularity.

Yet his scrapping of due process carries costs that will outweigh these benefits. First, untold numbers of innocents have been locked away. Their families cluster outside prisons, desperate for news of their loved ones. (The government has released 6,000 so far, but seems in no hurry to admit its mistakes.)

More insidiously, Mr. Bukele has amassed powers to pave the way for his crackdown and then used it as an excuse to grab even more. He has kept the country in a state of emergency for over a year. He has purged judges who resist him. He is shrinking parliament and tweaking election rules to entrench his party’s majority.

He intimidates the press: a new law prescribes jail terms of 10-15 years for journalists who repeat messages from gangs and spread “anxiety.” That could mean anyone who reports critically on crime policy.

Next, Mr. Bukele vows to crack down on corruption. If he applies the same rules of evidence to white-collar crimes as he does to consorting with gangsters, he will have a mighty tool for locking up opponents. El Salvador increasingly feels like a police state.

Some critics call his crackdown unsustainable. Previous attempts to crush crime with brute force have failed in El Salvador and elsewhere. Gang bonds will strengthen behind bars, so the prisoners will cause mayhem when they are eventually released.

But what if they are not released? Mr. Bukele’s crackdown is unlike previous ones. He has locked up far more people, and apparently plans to hold them until they are old men. This will be costly, but he scrimps on prisoners’ food and urges their families to chip in.

Today in history

On July 21, 1925, the socalled “Monkey Trial” ended in Dayton, Tenn., with John T. Scopes found guilty of violating state law for teaching Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. (The conviction was later overturned.)

*****

In 1954, the Geneva Conference concluded with accords dividing Vietnam into

He is wagering that voters care more about safe streets than abstract notions like the rule of law. If his political opponents chide him for trampling over his people’s human rights, his next electoral slogan writes itself: vote for me or the gangsters will be freed.

Mr. Bukele is nearing the end of his first term as president; his party says he will run again in February. The constitution bars him from consecutive terms, but he has cooked up a Putinesque workaround: he will install a placeholder president for a few months and then return. The constitution clearly forbids a third term, but that may not stop him either. An official close to Mr. Bukele told The Economist that there was no way for him to run for a third term — “so far.”

The reputation of the selfstyled “world’s coolest dictator” is spreading. Sticklers for the rule of law decry him; others study his formula. Honduras has declared a state of emergency to battle crime. The establishment candidate for Guatemala’s presidential election next month vows to build a huge prison. A combat-jacket-wearing presidential candidate in Ecuador, which also votes next month, praises Mr Bukele. So do some Republicans in the United States. His methods are ripe for copying anywhere with high crime and weak institutions, from South Africa to Papua New Guinea. They could tip such places into autocracy.

DEMOCRATIC politicians everywhere should pay heed. When they fail to grapple with crime lawfully, with properly funded police and clean, efficient courts, they invite demagogues to do so lawlessly. As for Salvadoreans, if they re-elect Mr Bukele in February, as seems likely, he will have five more years to tear down their country’s democratic guardrails. And if one day they tire of him, they may struggle to get rid of him.

— The Economist

northern and southern entities.

*****

In 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin blasted off from the moon aboard the ascent stage of the lunar module for docking with the command module.

*****

In 1999, Navy divers re-

covered the bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, Carolyn, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette, in the wreckage of Kennedy’s plane in the Atlantic Ocean. *****

In 2011, the 30-year-old space shuttle program ended as Atlantis landed at Cape Canaveral, Florida, after the 135th shuttle flight.

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele describes himself as “the world’s coolest dictator,” reveling in trampling human rights and laws to ensure he remains in power. (STANLEY ESTRADA/ AFP/GETTY IMAGES/TNS)

County: Ambulances need equipment

phy have been lobbying for the improved courtroom, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. The public health crisis highlighted some of the inherent dangers of the existing space, which is often crowded and does not include a separate space for inmates awaiting court hearings.

Creitz called the project “a need, not a want.”

He urged commissioners to be proactive with the remodel, rather than wait until an incident happens forcing them to make changes because of a lawsuit or some sort of government mandate.

A secondary magistrate courtroom, which has rarely been used since the pandemic, is much too small, Creitz said. Remodel plans would move the chief district clerk’s office into that room.

Several other rooms would be built to the east of the new courtroom. They would include new office space for the district judge and his staff, along with a training and meeting room, and a large jury room with restrooms.

Initial plans called for an underground tunnel and elevator to transport inmates between the jail and courtroom, but that would be difficult and costly. It was cut from the project.

EMS equipment

Now that the county and City of Iola have agreed to a new contract for EMS services, leaders of the ambulance department came to Tuesday’s meeting to talk about equipment.

Under the terms of the new contract, the county is responsible for the purchase of ambulances and related equipment.

bell, fire chief, outlined their needs.

Some of the ambulance cots are 13 years old, though the recommended lifespan is up to 8 years. Some of the cardiac monitors are 10 years old, also exceeding their lifespan.

The department also needs to replace an ambulance and an SUV.

Burnett said the most immediate needs are to purchase at least one cot and one monitor. He estimated a monitor would cost around $30,000, and cots could cost between $20,000 for manual loading or $40,000 for automatic loading.

As for ambulances, Burnett noted one ambulance has 283,000 miles and two others have around 180,000 miles.

Commissioners asked him to seek bids for the necessary equipment.

“We don’t want to get behind on that,” Commissioner Bruce Symes said about the need for a new ambulance.

patrol replaces its fleet after a certain number of miles are reached; Burnett might be able to find a good deal.

Chairman David Lee also pointed him to Sourcewell, a cooperative purchasing program for government, education and nonprofit organizations. Road and Bridge Director Mark Griffith has bought several pieces of equipment from that group at significant savings.

Lisse Regher, Thrive Allen County CEO who was at the meeting for other matters, said she would ask her staff to see if grants are available to help with the equipment purchases.

IN OTHER news, commissioners:

• Agreed to give $1,500 to the Farm City Days committee and allow them to use the courthouse square for their event, scheduled Oct. 19-22. The county also will pick up trash from the event.

Dix: Heads to fair

Continued from A1

pumps at the county’s shop. Thrive will pay for the fuel for its mowers and tractors. The need is temporary until the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks finishes its transition of the trails system into the Lehigh Portland State Park.

Her request prompted Griffith to speak to commissioners about the location of the county shop, which is near the west trailhead. Perhaps at some point, the county might want to sell that property to KDWP. The location near the trail and lake might be ideal for their needs, and the county could build a new shop elsewhere. KDWP already has asked the county for space near the trailhead to build parking and space for an ambulance to turn around in an emergency.

“It’s probably way down the road but it’s something to think about. I’m trying to be proactive,” Griffith said.

• Heard a separate request from Regher about creating a budget line-item for economic development, outside of the funding provided to Thrive to help fund its efforts in that area. It could be an opportunity for the county to create some sort of reserve fund for economic development efforts and be “proactive rather than reactive.” Commissioners noted they have provided funding to help grocery stores and other development projects; such projects could benefit from that type of fund.

uses a computer for school.

In years past, he’s created a K-Cup holder, capable of storing the flavored containers used with Keurig coffee machines, and a set of cornhole boards. Both earned him blue ribbons.

Dix is cautiously optimistic his newest entries will score as well.

Purple ribbons are reserved for the best, the ones qualifying for the State Fair.

“I kind of want to go to the State Fair this year,” Dix said. “That would be fun. As long as you don’t get a white ribbon, it’s good.”

As for selecting his photos — one will be in color; the other black-and-white — that may take a while longer.

“It’s usually a tough decision to decide what to take,” he noted.

Dix estimates he’s snapped 200 or so photos at various locations since May, and must select, resize and mount his entry before the Fair begins.

“We schedule when we take pictures,” he explained, a procedure which usually is discussed with his parents beforehand. “If they get an idea and I like it, we’ll go. If I get an idea, and they like it — and it’s not too far away — we’ll go.”

I kind of want to go to the State Fair this year. That would be fun. As long as you don’t get a white ribbon, it’s good.

— Doug Dix

“He loves it,” his mother added. “He absolutely loves it.”

DIX has received guidance from his cousins Mallory and Sophia Heim, also Prairie Rose members, especially with rocketry projects.

And while Dix admits to feeling “a little nervous” when his entries are judged, there is plenty to keep him happy at the Fair.

“I like going to the Baby Barnyard to see all of the animals,” he said. “They’re really cute. And I enjoy looking at all of the people’s displays, too. It’s nice to see what other people do.”

Outside of 4-H, Dix plays baseball and video games — Minecraft is his game of choice — and already has a career in mind once he graduates.

Michael Burnett, EMS director, and

Corey Is-

Commissioner Jerry Daniels suggested Burnett contact the Kansas Highway Patrol for a replacement SUV. The

• Agreed to a request from Regher to allow Thrive’s trail volunteers to use a gas card for purchase of fuel from

• Approved a request from Cara Walden to use the courthouse lawn at some point in August for a community movie event.

• Met Thursday morning to work on the budget.

Dix recalled one missed opportunity not long ago when he was about to capture a close-up of a butterfly.

“I was trying to get the perfect zoom, but not too close, when it flew off,” he lamented.

“I really want to become a meteorologist,” he said, while showing off photos he snapped of the clouds that followed last week’s ferocious wind storm that roared through Allen County. “But if I can’t be a meteorologist, I want to become a storm chaser.”

Thousands of UK hospital doctors walk out in latest pay dispute

LONDON (AP) —

Thousands of senior doctors in England began a 48-hour walkout Thursday to demand better pay and conditions, paralyzing hospitals and leaving only emergency care covered.

The severe disruptions are the latest in months of industrial action by public sector workers amid U.K.'s ongoing cost-of-living crisis. They come just two days after junior doctors staged the longest strikes in the history of the state-funded National Health Service.

Thousands of operations and appointments have been canceled, and health officials say the impact of the latest round of strikes to hit the country's public health system is likely to be the biggest yet, because almost no work can be done at hospitals unless it's supervised by a senior doctor.

Senior doctors, known as consultants in the U.K., will only be "on call" for urgent work such as critical cancer care until Saturday morning.

The Conservative government has offered a 6% pay increase to the doctors, but the British Medical Association, the doctors' union,

called this "derisory." It said doctors have seen real-term take-home pay fall by more than a third over the last 14 years, and accused authorities of refusing to engage in negotiations on pay. Union executive Dr. Vishal Sharma said that many in his profession felt "undervalued and overworked."

"Consultants will stand on the picket

lines today, because we are angry and at rock bottom. We never wanted to be forced into taking this huge step," Sharma said. "Ministers have done absolutely nothing to stop this action taking place."

Psychiatrist Polly Christodoulou, who joined the picket line outside a hospital in south London, said that many colleagues have left for the private sec-

tor or to other countries such as Australia, because the wages offered are far better.

"A lot of us have trained for 15-yearsplus to get to where we are and that is not being valued," she said. "I want to be able to stay and support the NHS, but it is becoming more and more difficult."

Nurses, junior doctors and emergency health care workers

have all joined public sector strikes in recent months to demand better pay to cope with soaring food, energy and housing costs. Inflation in the U.K. stood at 7.9% in June, down from double digits earlier in the year, but it's still far higher than other Group of Seven economies.

Even before the strikes, the National Health Service, a be-

loved British institution that began life in 1948, was already under huge pressure, stretched by a dwindling workforce, huge backlogs and funding gaps.

Hospital executives have warned that the labor disputes could cost billions of pounds, and that unions and officials must reach a deal soon to end the impasse.

Thrive Allen County CEO Lisse Regher talks to commissioners about upkeep for the Lehigh Portland Trails during the transition to a state park.

Sports Daily B

Curry touts ‘underrated’ mindset in documentary

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)

— Oh yes, Stephen Curry always heard the noise, the constant scrutiny about his size and stature and how he looked years younger than most everybody else coming out of college.

He decided to embrace it, to make it his mantra: Underrated. And now one of the NBA’s biggest stars is sharing the story of his basketball beginnings and how being doubted eventually ended up fueling his pursuit to become one of the greatest players ever for the Golden State Warriors. He still carries that chip when he takes the court today.

“That underrated kind of mindset and being undersized and all that was a badge of honor at a certain point and you kind of flip it on the head,” Curry said this week ahead of Friday’s release of his Apple TV+ documentary, “Stephen Curry: Underrated.”

“That’s where the faith of, ‘OK if I apply myself I can be as good as the next guy even though I don’t look the part.’”

He led Davidson College’s improbable run to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in 2008.

A year later when Curry went head-to-head with Patty Mills in a second-round NIT game as a junior at Davidson and lost at Saint Mary’s College, little did the basketball-crazed Bay Area realize the dynamic point guard was simply providing a preview of what he had in store at the next level right here in Northern California.

Curry believed he could be a star. He was driven by the chatter everywhere he went that he was too small and might not make it in the NBA — he’d already earned “The Baby-Faced Assassin” nickname years earlier as a schoolboy in Toronto.

See DOCUMENTARY | Page B6

Friday, July 21, 2023

Iola first at Burlington tourney

25-19 and 25-16 followed by a two-set victory against Topeka, 25-22 and 25-16.

Iola lost to Fredonia in two sets, 11-25 and 20-25.

The Mustangs came on top against Fredonia in a later matchup, 25-23 and 25-18.

“I think the summer skills we did, the team camp we put on as well as the summer tournament play will greatly help the team this fall,” said Holman. “Doing these things in the summer helps the freshmen transition to what high school ball is like earlier and they learn our expectations.”

Iola’s final matchup was against Burlington and they won in three sets, 25-17, 2426 and 25-21.

By QUINN BURKITT The Iola Register

BURLINGTON — Members of the Iola High volleyball team won the Burlington summer tournament on Thursday, July 13.

Competing were Jackie Fager, Brooklyn Holloway, Kaysin Crusinbery, Sheridan Byrd, Alana Mader, Dally Curry and Zoie Hesse. “The returners have continued to work hard in the offseason and get better,” Iola head coach Amanda Hol-

man said. “They did a great job working with the younger players and encouraging them. Kaysin Crusinbery did a great job of stepping up into that leadership role and communicating.”

Iola started out by defeating Burlington in two sets,

“The players were very dedicated this summer with consistent high numbers showing up for summer activities,” said Holman. “I think the girls are excited for the season. They are also trying to make the changes that the coaching staff is asking of them.”

The Mustangs will take the floor again this fall for the high school season.

Mahomes ready to build dynasty at camp

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) —

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes arrived at training camp Tuesday with the understanding that he and his Kansas City Chiefs teammates need to be better in 2023 if they want to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

“I think the theme this year is how can we keep building,” said Mahomes, who reported for camp at Missouri Western State University on Tuesday along with the team’s quarterbacks and rookies.

Mahomes earned Most Valuable Player honors last season and captured his second Lombardi Trophy.

“Obviously we won the Super Bowl last year and it was amazing but we still have a lot of young guys. We want to continue to get better and better. You look around AFC everybody’s gotten better.”

If the Chiefs hope to improve, much of the challenge falls on Mahomes. Following the offseason departure of free agent receivers JuJu

See CHIEFS | Page B6

McIlroy laying low ahead of British Open

HOYLAKE, England (AP) —

The most telling comment from Rory McIlroy about this British Open, and his hopes of ending an astonishing nine-year drought in the majors, is that he said nothing at all.

For the second straight major, McIlroy removed himself from the lineup of pre-tournament news conferences, instead offering a few vague quotes through the R&A and random interviews.

The attention on him is

greater than ever, on and off the golf course.

He has been the strongest voice for the PGA Tour in its battle with LIV Golf, now shockingly a proposed partnership. Inside the ropes, he is coming off a win at the Scottish Open and now returns to Royal Liverpool, where he won wire-to-wire the last time the Open was here in 2014.

Rain fell on the already green links of Hoylake on Tuesday, conditions that

suited McIlroy in his previous four major titles, all of which led Padraig Harrington to refer to McIlroy as a “person of interest” this week.

“Everything seems to be setting up nicely,” Harrington said.

The question now is whether McIlroy is like other multiple major champions who collected all their trophies in a short period of time, or whether this nineyear drought is a long aber-

ration.

Harrington was one of those players, collecting his three titles in a span of six majors. Jordan Spieth won three legs of Grand Slam over three years. Nick Price won three out of nine majors at the height of his game and never got another.

McIlroy won his four majors from the 2011 U.S. Open through the 2014 PGA Championship, and he looked to just be getting started. He is 34, considered the prime

years for a golfer, though he also is in his 16th full year as a pro. “Patience — it’s a horrible thing for Rory,” Harrington said. “Oftentimes, you win your first, maybe there’s two or three in there pretty quickly. From 10 years ago, there’s more players around. It’s not as free and easy, is it? It’s not a foregone conclusion.

“We keep seeing that —

See GOLF | Page B6

Iola High’s summer volleyball team. Front row from left, Jackie Fager, Brooklyn Holloway and Kaysin Crusinbery; back row, Sheridan Byrd, Alana Mader, Dally Curry and Zoie Hesse. COURTESY PHOTO

Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman, it’s up to Mahomes to build connections with a group of young receivers in-

cluding Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore and this year’s second-round selection Rashee Rice.

The good thing, according to head coach Andy Reid, is how much Mahomes relishes

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) greets fans. TAMMY LJUNGBLAD/GETTY IMAGES/TNS

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.

is hiring for an Family & Consumer Sciences/4-H & Youth Development Agent in Greenwood County.

Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Family & Consumer Sciences, Education, or closely related eld is required. Experience in Extension, teaching or other youth development activities is preferred. Ability to work a exible schedule which will include some nights, weekends, and overnight travel. Access to a personal vehicle and the ability to obtain/maintain a valid Kansas driver’s license. Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of program planning, implementation and evaluation; strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with teams; ability to communicate e ectively verbally and in written form using print media, radio, and television; ability to document and market program impacts and provide leadership and demonstrate self-reliance in a collaborative environment.

To apply go to www.ksre.k-state.edu/jobs.

including paid insurance for single plan and generous leave, KPERS and tuition bene ts. Submit by email application form (on website), cover letter and resume to: Shellie Regehr, HR, Allen Community College, 1801 N. Cottonwood, Iola, KS 66749 hr@allencc.edu

Q: With “Tough as Nails” now in its fifth season, where did the idea for the reality competition come from?

A: The inspiration for “Tough As Nails” comes from my grandfather. When I was in high school, I used to go over to my grandparents’ place. My parents were overseas at the time. Both my grandmother and my grandfather never got a chance at a high school education, but they were two ver y bright people actually the brightest in their class when they were in middle school. And I always admired how both of them were able to be such contributors to the community I got to spend so much time with my grandfather, learning how to use tools. I always looked up to him, and it always irked me that some people somehow look down on people who maybe didn’t get a chance at an education, but who still have these incredible life skills.

Q: What are your main rules for “Tough as Nails” contestants?

A: That’s where you can get men and women competing against each other, people who are young, people who are old, tall, shor t. How many times have all of us judged somebody by the way they look, and we misjudge them? The idea that you never judge a book by its cover is really a big par t of what “Tough As Nails” is all about.

Q: What is the ultimate message that you want “Tough as Nails” to put across?

A: There’s lots of shows out there that have honored people who are really good at singing, dancing, designing. Maybe they are good-looking and they are going to be models, but I felt that maybe there was a place for acknowledging those people who keep a countr y running, real people in real life who are real tough.

(They are) people who haven’t necessarily had a chance to be in the limelight because maybe they aren’t that great at singing, or maybe they sing in the shower and maybe nobody hears them, and maybe they really are good singers. The people who keep our countr y running, the people that maybe sometimes we’ve taken for granted in the past, because they are the ones that keep the lights on.

3 x 8” ad

Plain friend can’t compete for boyfriend

We asked readers to channel their inner Carolyn Hax and answer this question. Some of the best responses are below.

Dear Carolyn: How do I get over the feeling that I’m competing for a “lesser” sort of dating partner than some of my friends? Even just typing that feels horrible but is the only way to shed clarity on my question.

Here’s what I mean. I am 30 years old. I am a smart, engaging, funny person (so I am told). But so are all of my friends, and they are also much prettier than I am. I’m not the goodlooking one in any social group I have ever been a part of. I’m in decent shape, but that’s about it. In a group setting, there is absolutely no chance that a guy is going to be more drawn to me than to one of my good friends (until he finds out they are all attached or not interested, in which case then maybe he will turn his attention to me). I have seen this play out over and over for years.

I do understand that people are not that simple and that there could be a life of happiness waiting for me with someone who is “settling” for me, or vice versa. But I need a little bit of help making that paradigm shift. Right now it feels very much like I’m waiting for all my friends to get married off and then will survey the landscape to see who’s left. — Plain Friend

Plain Friend: There is a lot of pain in your letter. I’m sorry you feel so down on yourself. However, just because you have “seen this play out over and over” doesn’t mean that it always has to be that way. I suspect you are caught in a cycle which is a bit of a selffulfilling prophecy: You

expect to be rejected, and you unconsciously prepare for it. Maybe you are a bit more standoffish than your friends because you feel like you aren’t as good. So you are rejected, and then you expect it even more the next time.

I would suggest getting outside your bubble if you can. Try volunteering in some activity that you enjoy and interests you. Be open-minded. See who you click with, not who clicks with you. Let people get to know you for you. Believe that you have something to offer (this is actually step one). If you can build some confidence by meeting new people on your own and having a good experience, maybe things will go differently when you are back with your friend group. You can hopefully begin to see yourself not as the consolation prize, but as someone who is fun and interesting and attractive in your own way. —

Silver Spring

Plain Friend: You’re talking a lot about leftovers and settling, but this isn’t about competition (and I hope that’s something you’re putting on yourself, not how your friends treat you). I decided that I was going to build a life that made me happy whether I ever coupled up or not and I wouldn’t be anyone’s leftover. So when an extremely cute guy did cross the room to talk to me I was ready for him. He was my date to the wedding of one of those pretty friends, and she was a bridesmaid in mine when said cute guy and I got married a few years later. Twenty-three years, two

kids, one house and lots of cats and dogs later, both of us think we got the better end of the bargain. And I’m still friends with my stillgorgeous friends. — Former Forever Wingwoman

Plain Friend: This might be the obvious answer, but my first recommendation is therapy. That’s some pretty troublesome self-depreciation you’re burdened with. It might not be the advice you want right now, but any relationship you have is going to struggle if you’re constantly putting yourself down and comparing yourself to your friends. After the inner self-worth work, you will probably feel better prepared to tackle the dating scene; selfconfidence can be quite attractive.

Try reading your letter back, and imagine those words coming from a prospective date. It is a huge warning sign of a complicated, and maybe emotionally fraught, relationship. You are a wonderful person in your own right, and you need to feel comfortable being that wonderful self.

I won’t deny you’ve got a lot of hard inner work ahead of you, but it will let you feel much more comfortable and confident with who you are. It will have the added benefit of smoothing the path in any relationship — friendship or otherwise — in the future. For now, at the very least, try. — A Fellow Self-Deprecator

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by Mort Walker

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE by Chris Browne

ZITS by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

BEETLE

BLONDIE by Young and Drake

MUTTS by Patrick McDonell

MARVIN by Tom Armstrong

by Chance Browne

Documentary: Chronicles Stephen Curry

Continued from B1

“I definitely knew, I definitely heard it,” he said. “I fought it for a while, but then you finally embrace it and then you turn it into kind of an unlock of, ‘OK, this is my challenge, this is my reality,’ but what can I do to kind of overcome the challenges of trying to

be successful at this craft where in theory it might require you to look a certain way or have a certain physical attribute or whatever the case was.

“It unlocked for me a work ethic in developing my skill set that has carried me through my entire career.”

The national scoring leader in his final college

Chiefs: Mahomes

Continued from B1

season, Curry finished that showdown against Mills with 26 points, nine rebounds and five assists on March 23, 2009, in Moraga. All these years later he plays across the bay from the suburb in the East Bay hills.

Now a two-time MVP, NBA Finals MVP last year and four-time NBA champion, Curry’s latest

big project will focus on his time before turning pro. “I feel like it’s a great moment of reflection. We talk a little bit about the NBA accomplishments, but it all is through the lens of what helped me develop that underrated mindset while at Davidson and why I still talk about it.”

Golf: McIlroy looks to end drought

Continued from B1

players come into the pomp of their career, they look unbeatable for a period of time, usually two seasons,” he said. “Look, he can win any week and he’s got to have good feelings going into Hoylake.”

Twenty-four players have won majors since McIlroy captured his last one at rain-soaked Valhalla in the 2014 PGA Championship, some multiple times — Brooks Koepka with five, Spieth with three, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson with two each.

It’s not getting any easier.

McIlroy returned to No. 2 in the world with his victory in the Scottish Open. He said he would have arrived at Hoylake with confidence even without winning based on his consistent play the last few months — six consecutive finishes in the top 10, including his runner-up finish in the U.S. Open last month that ran his drought to 33 majors without winning.

Rahm won the Masters in April, adding to his U.S. Open title two

years ago.

“I can understand how when you get on a roll like that and win one, next time you’re in position you win another, well, it’s only fair to believe that the next one you’re going to be ready to handle the moment,” he said.

Harrington’s goal during his back-toback British Open titles (2007-08) and the PGA Championship in 2008 was to get to the back nine and take it from there. Confidence was everything, and that starts with belief in his game.

He was asked his theory on players winning majors in bunches.

“The difference when you’re winning those tournaments is you’re not looking over your shoulder,” he said. “If you believe you can win with your ‘B’ game, your ‘A’ game shows up. If you think you need your ‘A’ game, your ‘B’ game turns up. That’s the nature of golf.”

That has worked best for Koepka, who figures the majors are the easiest to win by eliminating who has realistic chances and what number of play-

ers are typically on their game that week. The list keeps shrinking. He won four times in a span of four majors, and then he added his fifth at the PGA Championship in May, which he attributed mainly to finally feeling healthy again. And his love for the majors begins with discipline in knowing what shots to take and how to avoid big numbers.

“Just be as disciplined as you can and know where to miss it,” he said. “I think that’s why I’ve had such success. It’s just understanding the moment, the shot, where it needs to miss.”

At Royal Liverpool, that starts with avoiding the pot bunkers off the tee, and that’s what McIlroy did so well in 2014 when he built a five-shot lead going

into the final round and was never seriously threatened. Golf felt easy then, and at times it still does. McIlroy has won 19 times around the world since his last major. Of the players who went nine years or more between majors, only Gene Sarazen (1923 PGA to 1932 U.S. Open) won more often with 25. Back then, there were only three majors.

“He’s obviously a tremendously talented player and he’s put himself in position and it hasn’t happened yet. I can’t say what goes through his mind, obviously,” Rahm said. “He wants to get to five — not many players have gotten to five. He still has a lot of years to play ahead of him, so I know he wants to keep adding to that tally.

challenges.

“With quarterbacks, the work’s never done,” Reid said. “It’s like being a farmer, and you just keep on cranking. We’re always trying to give him new challenges with things and he loves that, and loves to attack those types of things.”

It’s the ability to challenge his players that Mahomes says makes Reid a great coach.

“I’m sure you ask Travis (Kelce), you ask Chris Jones, you ask all these guys they think the same thing because he doesn’t let you be satisfied with where you’re at.”

Indeed, if the Chiefs hope to repeat as Super Bowl champions, they can’t be satisfied with what they accomplished last season.

The previous time the Chiefs looked to repeat as Super Bowl champions, they finished with a 14-2 record before losing Super Bowl 55 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-9. Mahomes feels the need to motivate his teammates further this time around.

“Even though we’re winning football games let’s not be satisfied with just winning, let’s be satisfied with finding ways to

get better every single week,” he said.

“I’ve said a lot of the AFC when you look at the AFC, there’s like almost every team you can see a path of them getting to the playoffs,” Mahomes said. “I know you say that every year but I think this year is really real, and so we know week in and week out it’s gonna be a challenge for us. Let’s get better and try to win as many football games as possible and put ourselves in that position.”

CHRIS JONES’ CONTRACT

With only a few days until the team’s veterans report to training camp, Reid remained unsure if All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones will arrive with his fellow teammates.

“I don’t know that,” Reid said. “I’ll have to just see how that goes. There’s communication going on. That’s the important part, then we just have to see.”

Jones is scheduled to earn $19.5 million in base salary this season with a cap hit of more than $29.4 million. The 29-yearold is seeking a contract extension while the club also wants an extension for Jones to free up much-needed cap space.