Sports: Mustangs rally to win thriller See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
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Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Brownback Earth defends agenda Day Governor fields questions at fun Chanute forum By RICK DANLEY The Iola Register
CHANUTE — Having heard that Gov. Sam Brownback would be addressing a group of business leaders Tuesday morning at a reception hall in downtown Chanute, four participants from the local Circles Out of Poverty program assembled outside the building’s entrance to protest the substance of recent legislation. Their plans were scrambled, though, by the arrival of Chanute’s mayor, Tim Fairchild — a prominent Circles volunteer — who
Fourth-graders from Iola and Marmaton Valley schools spent much of Tuesday at the Allen Community College farm to celebrate today’s designation as Earth Day by learning environmental impacts of humans on nature. Above, Jefferson Elementary School’s Abi Hirt eludes the grasp of Jack White, who pretended to be a predatory bird. At lower right, Marmaton Valley’s Katie Bigelow adds water to a dirt-filled container held by classmate Katrina Woods to make an earthworm habitat. At middle left, Marmaton Valley’s Zachary George, from left, Jarrett Herrmann and Jeff Spillman use bird seed and peanut butter to create makeshift bird feeders. At bottom left, Lincoln Elementary’s Payton Houk uses dowel rods to erect a tower. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
suggested the women come inside and join the town hall meeting. From her seat at a center table, Sarah Maike, one of the Circles members, stood and introduced herself to the governor as “the poster child of poverty.” “I survive off $1,000 a month. My basic necessities are a roof over my head, food on my table, my utilities paid…and decent health care. “I don’t wake up in the morning and say ‘I’m going to be poor,’” Maike continued. “‘Or, I’m going to be mentally ill. Or I’m going to skip breakfast today, because I need to pay for my doctor bill.’” Maike, who described the indignity that many welfare recipients suffer when See GOVERNOR | Page A6
Gov. Sam Brownback fields questions Tuesday in Chanute. REGISTER/RICK DANLEY
Lobbyist debate persists By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
As Iola City Council members continue to debate the usefulness of maintaining the city’s relationship with a federal lobbyist group, there is some consensus. Both advocates and opponents of continuing to hire Van Scoyoc Associates agree the city has received quite a bang for its buck since Iola began hiring the firm after the 2007 flood.
“They’ve done an excellent job,” City Administrator Carl Slaugh said at the April 13 city council meeting. In addition to the $3.8 million in state and federal funding Iola received following the 2007 flood — including $519,000 to rebuild the swimming pool and $128,000 for wastewater lagoon repairs and upgrades — Van Scoyoc was instrumental in the city’s successful application See LOBBYIST | Page A4
State faces $25 million surprise By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas faces an additional $25 million hit in its next state budget to provide the aid it promised to public schools — something officials learned less than three weeks after Republican Gov. Sam Brownback signed legislation to prevent such surprises. State officials said Tuesday that a property tax imposed by the state for schools is expected to generate $17.5 million
less than previously anticipated during the fiscal year beginning July 1. Officials also predict that aid to school districts for construction projects will cost $7.5 million more than previously estimated. Shawn Sullivan, Brownback’s budget director, briefly mentioned both issues during a news conference Monday to outline a new, more pessimistic fiscal forecast for state government, revising one from November. The new forecast See SURPRISE | Page A4
Quote of the day Vol. 117, No. 120
Garner to lead Public Works Dept. By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
Dedication and steadfastness paid off for Mitch Garner Tuesday morning when Allen County commissioners appointed him to fill Bill King’s position, starting Aug. 1. King, director of Public Works, told commissioners earlier he would retire at the end of July. King lauded Garner and recommended him. The vote was two-to-one — commissioners Jerry Daniels and Tom Williams in favor. Commissioner Jim Talkington said he preferred to advertise the position, rather than having it be a matter of intradepartmental succession. “If Mitch is interested he should apply and go through the process,” he said. Garner was not at the meeting, although he has been several times in recent weeks as part of a shadowing process to make himself more aware of what King does, and of what will be expected of him in taking the reins. Daniels suggested a probationary period. “Six months,” said Williams, allowing that typically is what is given other county employees.
Light fixtures in the works By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
Mitch Garner Garner, far from a newby, will be paid a salary of $52,000 a year. A 1990 graduate of Iola High, he has been a county employee for 14 years. Garner started at the landfill, after a previous stint as a mechanic at Shields Motors in Chanute, and in short order moved through several departments. He worked at the landfill, in mowing, bridge construction, maintenance shop and for the past 12 years as manager See GARNER | Page A4
“I’m an idealist without illusions.” — John F. Kennedy 75 Cents
If city council member agree, Iola and Allen County may jointly erect streets lights along South State Street, from the city limits to Elm Creek Bridge. Lighting that dark portion of the street — lights are in place south of the bridge for a quarter of mile — would cost about $10,000, said Bill King, director of Public Works, with $3,000 of that being for labor. If the city agreed to cooperate, it would absorb labor cost. King also suggested it would be good to consider adding light along the old highway beyond Bassett to past the entrance road to Gates Corporation’s factory. See COUNTY | Page A4
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