Thursday, October 22, 2020
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Downtown memories for sale Former employee recalls his years spent at Perry Refrigeration building
By TREVOR HOAG The Iola Register
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Gov. Kelly calls for help with mask mandate MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is again calling for a statewide mask mandate as the coronavirus case count continues to climb in rural parts of the state that don’t require them. Kelly said Wednesday that two-thirds of the state’s COVID-19 cases are now coming from outside the Wichita and Kansas City region. Over the summer, she issued an order requiring Kansas residents to wear masks, but more than 90 counties chose to opt out. She said See MASK | Page A3
A piece of local history is going up for sale this weekend. On Saturday, the property at 203 South St., roughly a half-block south of the courthouse clock, is going to be auctioned, along with a vast number of items within (including quite a few antiques and collectibles). Some of the most intriguing pieces include: Coca-Cola and Pepsi brand coolers, lighted beer signs, milk cans, a popcorn machine and more. But the recent history connected to the building extends beyond any specific objects, so the Register sat down with Gregg Hutton to plumb his memory to find out more. Hutton worked for Herschel (“H.H.”) and Barbara Perry when he was young, both at the building up for auction when it was a refrigeration shop, and at Perry’s Restaurant. The building that housed the restaurant burned down in August 1990 along with sev-
eral other businesses on the west side of the downtown square, but according to Hutton, the refrigeration shop remains largely as it was. He recalled when Perry sold air conditioners and furnaces there, as well as worked on refrigerators and freezers. Perry also rented out ice machines to folks all over the area, though the shop was idle long before his death in late 2019. Perry’s passing was one of the primary factors responsible for the building auction and collectibles sale, along with Barbara now living at Windsor Place nursing home. AS FOR some of Hutton’s specific memories of working for Perry, he said “I was the muscle,” and would help out whenever Perry might “need help carrying stuff.” Despite a lifelong friendship, Hutton admitted that his relationship to Perry began with a bit of harmless deception. “I told him I was 13,” he grinned, “and I was actually See PERRY | Page A5
Insurance coordinators ready to save money, save lives By TREVOR HOAG The Iola Register
We all know it’s important to have regular checkups with a physician, but what about checkups for our health insurance? A consultation with a care coordinator at Thrive Allen County may not only save you money; it could even save your life. During a consultation you can compare insurance plans, check out your eligibility for financial aid, get help with forms/enrollment and answer any other questions you might have. Open enrollment, where it’s possible to make changes to your policy, has already begun for Medicare (Oct. 15 - Dec. 7), and will soon begin
Greta Ingle, Care Coordinator at Thrive Allen County, can help you to find out which insurance plan is best. for Marketplace (Nov. 1 - Dec. 15), through the Affordable Care Act.
Note that the windows for open enrollment are fairly tight, and age and income
factors apply, so you’ll want to schedule an appointment as soon as you can to find out what plan will work best for you. Special options exist for those who might have lost their job-based health insurance due to COVID-19. And you need not be an Allen County resident to have a consultation, as they regularly see folks from Wilson, Coffey, Neosho and other neighboring counties. Thrive can also provide assistance with paying utilities, disability, transportation, obtaining cash or food, child care assistance, unemployment, housing and drug treatment. IN ORDER to learn more about how Thrive can help
with insurance plans, the Register sat down with veteran care coordinator Greta Ingle, who provided insight into the enrollment process. “A lot of people don’t realize the options they have,” she said. For example, Ingle noted it’s important for people to look at their specific Medicare-D plan to see if they’re getting the best coverage for prescription medications. One couple Ingle helped had been on a specific plan for multiple years, but after switching began to save upwards of $80 a month. “For someone on retirement, $80 is a lot of money,” she said. And the best plan may vary See ENROLL | Page A5
Pope Francis welcomes LGTBQ community Online event to By NICOLE WINFIELD The Associated Press
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis became the first pontiff to endorse same-sex civil unions in comments for a documentary that premiered Wednesday, sparking cheers from gay Catholics and demands for clarification from conservatives, given the Vatican’s official teaching on the issue. The papal thumbs-up came midway through the feature-length documentary “Francesco,” which premiered at the Rome Film Festival. The film, which features Vol. 122, No. 251 Iola, KS 75 Cents
fresh interviews with the pope, delves into issues Francis cares about most, including the environment, poverty, migration, racial and income inequality, and the people most affected by discrimination. “Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God,” Francis said. “You can’t kick someone out of a family, nor make their life miserable for this. What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.” While serving as archbishSee POPE | Page A3
educate on racism By the Register staff
Pope Francis speaks during an inter-religious prayer service for peace in Rome. (ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)
An Allen County group will meet online tonight to talk about racism in Southeast Kansas. The group, Allen County Kansas, for Democracy, will have an online discussion at 7 p.m. Find the group’s Facebook link to request a virtual ticket, which includes an email link for the meeting. The group plans to talk about ways to fight racism with breakout sessions. The sessions are: See RACISM | Page A3
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