The Iola Register, Nov. 22, 2023 by Iola Register

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Wicoff readies for new role

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By TIM STAUFFER The Iola Register

Lisa Wicoff was tidying up her classroom last Friday — “We dissected sheep brains on Wednesday, and we extracted DNA today,” she clarified — as students were clearing out for Thanksgiving break. But Wicoff is also busy preparing for her new role at Allen Community College, effective Jan. 2: Dean of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Business and Industry Partnerships. It’s a brand-new position and a real mouthful, but the premise is simple: help prepare students for a changing career landscape. It’s a natural progression for Wicoff, who, after serving as USD 257’s career and technical education coordinator, began as an Allen instructor See WICOFF | Page A3

Holidays 2023 EDITION

Iola native treasures Mustang legacy

Lisa Wicoff has been named Allen Community College’s Dean of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Business and Industry Partnerships. She previoulsy served as USD 257’s CTE coordinator, then started teaching biology, and anatomy and physiology at Allen this fall. REGISTER/TIM

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Commission hears wage proposal for dispatchers By SARAH HANEY The Iola Register

Thanksgiving feast Iola preschool students enjoyed a holiday meal with turkey and all the fixings on Tuesday afternoon at Iola High School. Above, Family, Career and Consumer Leaders of America (FCCLA) members serve the youngsters as Dax Hufferd, front left, picks up his meal. FCCLA students from left are Kenleigh Westhoff, Jayden Leavitt, Elizabeth Maier, Sofia Escalante, Tavia Skahan and Lynsie Fehr. Also helping but not pictured were Brooklyn Ellis and Annemariee McCullough. At left, Owen Westhoff and Zoe Ray dig into their food. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Allen County 911 Dispatch Center director Chelsie Decker went before Allen County commissioners Tuesday morning to make her case for wage increases for dispatch center employees. “We need to stay competitive with surrounding areas,” Decker said. “Right now we’re in a good spot, but I’m worried that unless we make changes, we’ll train employees and then turn around and lose them.” Decker noted that while Allen County’s dispatch center is an accredited center of excellence, and that dispatchers’ work See COUNTY | Page A4

Moran’s Hope Chapel welcomes new pastor By SARAH HANEY The Iola Register

MORAN — “I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for southeast Kansas,” exclaimed Pastor Marsha Sue Mitchell. “I really believe there is something special fixin’ to happen in this area.” Mitchell’s endearing Southern accent is an obvious giveaway she is new to the region. She began as interim pastor for Hope Chapel Assembly of God Church in Moran in March. In August, she was voted in as the

Vol. 125, No. 291 Iola, KS $1.00

Marsha Sue Mitchell church’s permanent pastor. A graduate of New Creation Bible Training Center, in El

Dorado, Ark., she is licensed and ordained through Full Gospel Evangelistic Association (FGEA) of Tulsa, Okla. Prior to her move to Hope Chapel, Mitchell spread the Gospel as an itinerant minister, preaching the basic Christian redemption message while traveling the region for 15 years. Mitchell noted that the people are one of her favorite aspects of southeast Kansas. “A lot of revivals start in Kansas,” she said. “Major stuff has started in this corner of Kansas. I’m thankful

that He moved me up here to be in the middle of it.” Mitchell was born in Crossett, Ark., and pastored for 10 years at Word of Life Church in El Dorado, Ark. Mitchell said she was “born again” as a Christian at the age of 10 and that she felt called by God to use her talent as a singer to heal people. Notably, Mitchell has won over 50 awards through her singing ministry. Accolades include an Evangelist award, CGMA Full-Time Female Vocalist, and twice receiving the highly acclaimed Tina Sadler

Memorial Writer’s Award for her songwriting on the songs “Mama’s In Her Rocking Chair” and “It’s Called Good News.” She has also received a CGMA Platinum Media Personality Award for her syndicated radio show, “New Creation Nation” that she has hosted for nearly 15 years. With a congregation of approximately 40 members and “growing,” Mitchell noted that Hope Chapel offers many ways to serve the community. This includes an after-school program where children lisSee HOPE | Page A3

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A2 Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Obituary Dixie Bunch Dixie Loree Bunch passed away on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, at The Journey Home in Bartlesville, Okla., at the age of 81. She was born on Dec. 31, 1941, in Drexel, Mo., to her parents Frank L. Butler and Hattie V. Bolling. After receiving her high school diploma, Dixie spent her working years as an Dixie Bunch administrative assistant at Dr. N.A. Bunch’s Chiropractic Office. On July 29, 1960, Dixie married the love of her life, Norman A. Bunch. She enjoyed gardening, playing card games, sewing, cooking, canning and watching softball. Her most cherished moments were at family gatherings where she could spend quality time with her family. She is preceded in death by her parents Frank and Hattie; and her sisters Barbara and Susie. Dixie is survived by her husband, Norman Bunch; her daughters, Tammy Sarver and her husband Craig, Terresa Dewey and her husband Lee; three grandchildren: Eric Sarver and his wife Lauren, Lindsey Durant and her husband Airon, and Stephanie Strause and her husband Derek; and her seven great-grandchildren, Avery and Kimber Sarver, Kambri, Ezekiel, and Onyx Durant, and Margo and Elli Strause. Based on Dixie’s wishes there will be no services. To celebrate her life, the family is supporting donations to The Journey Home of Bartlesville, where Dixie received her heavenly wings. Donations can be made at: Director@Thejourneyhomeok.org or www.thejourneyhomeok.org

Quilters Guild to meet The next meeting of the Sunflower Quilters Guild will be Monday, Nov. 27 at Humboldt United Methodist Church, Fellowship

Hall, located at 806 N. 9th, Humboldt. The board meeting will be held at 9:30 a.m.; the guild meeting will begin at 10 a.m.

Carlyle Presbyterian Pastor Steve Traw’s Thanksgiving message “With a Grateful Heart” was taken from Psalm 95:1-5. Pastor Traw said “having a grateful heart with an attitude of joyful praise and reaching out to help others in their times of distress can help overturn our own sad times.” Myrna Wildschuetz played a medley of “Going Home Songs” for the prelude and “Peace Like a River” for the offertory. Celebrating birthdays this week are Patty Herschberger on Wednesday, Nov. 22, and Gary Murphey on Friday, Nov. 24. Ron and Rosie Stranghoner celebrated their wedding anniversary on Monday, Nov.

20. Special visitors to the morning service were Pastor Traw’s grandchildren, Abigail, Elliott and Wyatt Stephenson, and their friends Mike and Dan Stanley of Chanute. Also visiting were Robert Boyd of Humboldt, as well as David and Phyllis Loomis’ grandchildren, Jaylen, Emerson, Owen, Maryn, William, Hazel Joy and Ariana, of Sapulpa, Okla. The church Thanksgiving fellowship dinner followed the morning worship services at noon. Bible Study with Pastor Traw is on Tuesdays at 3 p.m. on the New Testament Book of 1 John.

Eureka awarded federal safety grant EUREKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced Eureka has been awarded $140,000 in federal funding in the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program. The funds will be used to help improve safety and prevent deaths and serious injuries on local roadways. Eureka is among seven Kansas communities receiving a combined total of $1.47 million in funding through the SS4A program. “The city plans to develop a Transportation Safety Action Plan aimed at eliminating fatal crashes and dramatically reducing several injury crashes on the city’s street system” said Eureka city clerk Renee Burk. “City leadership is dedicated to creating safe and inclusive streets that prioritize the well-being and mobility of all residents.” State funding pro-

vided by a Kansas SS4A Match Pilot Program will contribute 15% of the city’s local match as required of grant recipients. Administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Safe Streets and Roads for All is a five-year, $5 billion competitive grant program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. SS4A projects stress responsible driving, safer roadway designs, appropriate speed limit setting and improved post-crash care. Nationwide for this fall 2023 funding announcement, the $82 million in SS4A grants is being directed to 235 regional, local and Tribal communities. The SS4A program is structured so the federal government covers 80% of the planning and demonstration grant costs, and the local government covers 20%.

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The Iola Register

Parsons Sun press shuttered The press at the Parsons Sun has gone silent. According to the Parsons Sun, last week’s edition of Hometown Girard, a weekly paper, was the last press run for the Goss Community press, which had operated since the 1970s. The press will be dismantled, the Sun reported. The newspaper will also change offices, moving to 1724 Main, Parsons. The Parsons Sun, owned by Montgomery Media LLC since March, is printed in Independence. The Parsons press printed newspapers from Girard and Erie.

Giving thanks The Cofachique Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution donated items Monday to Chanute’s Cherry Street Youth Center, a non-profit, faith-based ministry. Members present were, from left, Judy Arbeiter of Humboldt, Deborah Jackson of Iola, and Marcia Longberg and Linda Rubow of Chanute. In front, Ainsley Jackson, age 2. COURTESY PHOTO

KS Court officials confirm ‘evil’ cyberattack By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Foreign cybercriminals launched the attack on the Kansas judicial branch’s information system in October and stole records of appellate cases and judicial administration files potentially regarded as confidential under state law, officials said Tuesday. Justices of the Kansas Supreme Court issued a joint statement confirming perpetrators “stole data and threatened to post it to a dark website if their demands were not met.” The release didn’t say whether the judicial branch complied with demands of the attackers, nor did it disclose whether evidence existed Kansas court information was forwarded to secretive illicit portions of the web. “This assault on the Kansas system of justice is evil and criminal,” the justices said. “We express our deep sorrow that Kansans will suffer at the hands

Today

Chief Justice Marla Luckert and the six associate justices said the Oct. 12 information system attack was perpetrated by sophisticated foreign criminals. EVERT NELSON/TOPEKA CAPITAL-JOURNAL

of these cybercriminals.” The release said the judicial branch was the “victim of a sophisticated foreign cyberattack” and ongoing work by experts would identify the scope of personal information stolen. Once the assessment was completed, court officials said, individuals directly touched by the breach would be contacted. “A full review of what may have been stolen is a high priority, but it will take time,” the justices’ statement said. “This attack on one of our three branches of

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government was made against all Kansans.” The statement said the judicial branch was working with computer specialists to buttress judicial branch information systems to defend against comparable attacks. In wake of the Oct. 12 incursion, district court information systems in 104 of the state’s 105 counties were shut down. Johnson County was immune from this

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attack because the populous county operates a stand-alone computer information system. Networks used by the Kansas Court of Appeals and Kansas Supreme Court were invaded and locked down. Attorneys and judges have had to rely on manual filing of court documents rather than typical electronic filing. Eventually, the judicial branch set up a location at the Kansas Judicial Center in Topeka to allow public access to court documents. “It will likely take several weeks to return safely to normal operations, including electronic filing, but we will do so,” the statement said. Since the breach was reported more than five weeks ago, the judicial branch had released little information about what was assumed to be a criminal attack associated with extortion.

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Wednesday, November 22, 2023

The Iola Register

Record crowds to travel for Thanksgiving holiday DALLAS (AP) — Despite inflation and memories of past holiday travel meltdowns, millions of people are expected to hit airports and highways in record numbers over the Thanksgiving break. The busiest days to fly will be Tuesday and Wednesday as well as the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 2.6 million passengers on Tuesday and 2.7 million passengers on Wednesday. Sunday will draw the largest crowds with an estimated 2.9 million passengers, which would narrowly eclipse a record set on June 30. Meanwhile, AAA forecasts that 55.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home between next Wednesday and the Sunday after Thanksgiving, with roads likely to be the most clogged on Wednesday. The weather could snarl air and road traffic. A storm system was expected to move from the southern Plains to the Northeast on Tuesday and Wednesday,

bringing severe thunderstorms, gusty wind and possible snow. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during a news conference Monday that the government has tried to better prepare for holiday travel over the last year by hiring more air traffic controllers, opening new air routes along the East Coast and providing grants to airports for snowplows and deicing equipment. But he warned travelers to check road conditions and flight times before leaving home. “Mother Nature, of course, is the X factor in all of this,” he said. The good news for travelers by plane and car alike: Prices are coming down. Airfares are averaging $268 per ticket, down 14% from a year ago, according to the travel site Hopper. Gasoline prices are down about 45 cents a gallon from this time last year. The national average was $3.30 per gallon on Monday, according to AAA, down from $3.67 a year ago. A survey of GasBuddy users found that despite

Travellers queue up to pass through a security checkpoint at Denver International Airport, Monday in Denver. Despite inflation and memories of past holiday travel meltdowns, millions are expected to hit airports and highways in record numbers over the Thanksgiving Day break. AP PHOTO/DAVID ZALUBOWSKI cheaper pump prices, the number of people planning to take a long driving trip this Thanksgiving hasn’t changed much from last year. Patrick De Haan, an analyst for the price-tracking service, said inflation has cooled but some things like food are still getting more expensive. Consumers are also charging more on credit cards and saving less.

“Sure, they love the falling gas prices, but a lot of Americans spent in other ways this summer and they may not be ready to open their wallets for Thanksgiving travel just yet,” De Haan said. Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday travel season, and many still haven’t shaken last December’s nightmare before Christmas, when

severe winter storms knocked out thousands of flights and left millions of passengers stranded. Scott Keyes, founder of the travel site Going, is cautiously optimistic that holiday air travel won’t be the same mess. So far this year, he said, airlines have avoided massive disruptions. “Everyone understands that airlines can’t

control Mother Nature and it’s unsafe to take off or land in the middle of a thunderstorm or snowstorm,” Keyes said. “What really irks people are the controllable cancellations — those widespread disruptions because the airline couldn’t get their act together because their system melted down the way Southwest did over Christmas.”

Wicoff: Success will require meeting the community’s needs Continued from A1

of biology and anatomy and physiology this fall. “I’m excited about the change,” said Wicoff. “A little nervous, too.” Wicoff’s interest in CTE dates back to her days as a graduate student at Fort Hays State University. Her academic work focused on how to help special education students transition into stable, well-paying jobs. “I realized it’s really fun to talk to students about their interests and what they want to do,” said Wicoff. “And as I learned more and more, I started attending CTE conferences. I found out I really enjoyed it.”

IN HER new position, Wicoff will help build Allen’s career and tech programs and create new ones. She understands how vital community input is for success. “Everything starts with a survey of area needs,” explained Wicoff. “We look at high-need, high-wage technical programs. Before we can say what we’re going to do or what programs we bring in, we gather information and base decisions on that. It takes a lot of community input. We have to get people involved from the start. It’s not Allen driven. It’s community driven.” After all, no one

knows what tomorrow’s economy will look like. What role will artificial intelligence play in careers of the future? How quickly will we transition to clean energy and the electric car? Big questions remain unanswered; new ones will arise. So in Wicoff’s mind, her new role at Allen isn’t about chasing certain hot careers or job markets. “CTE changes so fast. By the time you have a program developed and approved, has the need dried up? You have to forecast out, and that’s better done by people working in the field, not academics.”

Hope Chapel Assembly of God Church, Moran

Hope: New pastor joins church Continued from A1

ten to a story, participate in a craft, and enjoy a snack. The Blessing Center, located next door to the church, houses the commodities program. This food pantry is open the fourth

Saturday of every other month. Mitchell added the center is available to anyone who is in need of food items. The next date the center will be open for commodities will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., on Saturday, Dec. 22.

Hope Chapel is at 1216 4600 St., in Moran. Worship service is Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Both youth and adult Sunday School classes are offered at 9:30 a.m., as well as a Wednesday evening service at 6:30 p.m.

Join SEK Recovery Resources for a vital Community Conversation on the impact of substance abuse disorder & how it affects our community. Engage with guest speaker Molly Wirick from Rural Communities Opioid Response Program at the Silas Bass North Community Center on November 29, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Let's build a healthier community together.

For questions, contact April Jackson at 620-380-6008.

SUCCESS, Wicoff believes, will be found in designing academic programs that equip students to explore multiple options. “Equipment is expensive,” said Wicoff, “and if instructors are too pigeon-holed, students are too. We have to look broader.” Many business leaders, Wicoff says, tell her they can train new employees on the job. What they can’t teach are the soft skills, the grit, perseverance, and curiosity that are key to success. And so as Wicoff considers how to grow Allen’s CTE offerings, she’s settled on two key criteria. First, community needs. Is there a need from local business, industry and government? And second: quality instructors. “It’s hard to recruit,” said Wicoff. “Many potential instructors make more in the field than they can as instructors.” But without great teachers, Wicoff knows students won’t enroll. “We can’t just offer students a shiny new building. If we don’t find the right

instructors, that’s not something I want to pursue.” WICOFF, who grew up in Iola, has a vested interest in making sure Allen’s CTE programs prepare students with skills for a variety of careers. “I’ve been thinking about this stuff for a long time. I want to build a community where my kids will come home to. All along the way, I’ve been thinking about that. We have to create those opportunities,” said Wicoff. She’s also a proponent of starting those

conversations early. Wicoff currently teaches three afternoons a week at SAFE BASE, USD 257’s after-school program. “I really believe that we all need to start talking to kids at a young age about what different careers are out there, just so they realize there are so many opportunities out there,” she said. “How many people from Iola are doing amazing things? There are no limitations on rural kids. We can all do something amazing. We just have to help our kids believe it.”

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A4 Wednesday, November 22, 2023

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The Iola Register

Sen. Jerry Moran pushes NASA funding in emerging China race By DANIEL DESROCHERS and MICHAEL WILNER The Kansas City Star/TNS

Commissioners David Lee, left, and Jerry Daniels review paperwork at Tuesday’s meeting. REGISTER/TIM STAUFFER

County: Director seeks wage hike Continued from A1

load is often much larger than neighboring agencies, their starting wage of $15.91 per hour is lower than Anderson, Neosho, and Woodson counties. She presented commissioners with increases of 5%, 6% and 7% and clarified no additional funding would be needed for the pay raises. A 7% pay increase, along with adjustments that reward years of service, would total $52,000 for the department. That piqued Commission Chairman David Lee’s interest. “You have in your budget $52,000 of potential overage?” he asked. Decker said she would look for cuts in her department’s budget to allow for the pay hike. “I’m willing to make sacrifices so that we give our employees the pay they deserve,” said Decker. Still, Lee appeared skeptical, noting many departments are struggling to keep employees. “Folks are fighting to keep employees,” he stated. “You’re not the only one in this boat.” Along those lines, commissioners have been considering a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for county employees. Discussions of a 3-4% increase are on-

going. “I think it’s obvious that we need to do some adjusting,” said Commissioner Bruce Symes. He noted, however, that he is careful in his consideration about easy comparisons to other counties. “But this is all good information, and the timing is pretty good because we’re talking about COLA,” he Chelsie Decker, 911 diadded. The center currently rector, addresses comhas 11 full-time and one missioners. part-time dispatcher to be available for resiincluding Decker, with dents at the landfill. • Planning and zonone employee retiring ing administrator Ternext spring. Commissioners took ry Call addressed the no action regarding commission about implementing solar reguDecker’s request. lations for the county. He recently received a IN OTHER news, • Public Works Di- phone call expressing rector Mitch Garner interest about putting told commissioners in an 80-acre solar farm plans for recycling at southeast of Humboldt. the landfill are still in Months ago he sent a “waiting period.” Gar- commissioners a draft ner had submitted a re- of regulations and sugquest to the Kansas De- gested the commission partment of Health and adopt some version of Environment to allow them. Commissioners for recycling, but was plan to revisit the topic. • Debbie Bearden told the plan needed to with Allen County be rewritten. “KDHE told us how GROW (Growing Rural they want it changed, so Opportunities Works) we have to change it and sought approval from send it back to them,” commissioners to aphe stated. “Then we’ve prove the appointment got to wait for KDHE to of Paige Olson to the approve it.” The coun- GROW Food and Farm ty’s goal is to allow for Council. They unanilimited plastic and lith- mously approved the ium battery recycling appointment.

North Korea claims successful third attempt to put spy satellite into orbit SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea claimed Wednesday to have successfully placed a spy satellite into orbit with its third launch attempt this year, demonstrating the nation’s determination to build a space-based surveillance system during protracted tensions with the United States. The North’s claim could not immediately independently be confirmed. Observers doubt whether the satellite is advanced enough to perform military reconnaissance. But the launch still invited strong condemnation from the United States and its partners because the U.N. bans North Korea from conducting satellite launches, calling them covers for tests of missile technology. The North’s space agency said that its new “Chollima-1” carrier rocket accurately placed the Malligyong-1 satellite into orbit on Tuesday night, about 12 minutes after liftoff from the country’s main launch center. The National Aerospace Technology Administration called the launch a legitimate right of North Korea to bolster its self-defense capabilities. It said the spy satel-

lite would help improve the North’s war preparedness in the face of “the enemies’ dangerous military moves.” The agency said leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch at the scene and congratulated scientists and others involved. It said North Korea will launch several more spy satellites to better monitor South Korea and other areas.

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said Washington strongly condemned North Korea for the launch, saying it “raises tensions and risks destabilizing the security situation in the region and beyond.” She said the launch involved technologies that are directly related to North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile program.

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GRAIN STORAGE?

WASHINGTON — Sen. Jerry Moran likes to think of himself as the space senator — and as the top Republican appropriator for NASA in the Senate, he is set to play a key role in the emerging space race between the United States and China. Beijing has aggressively advanced its space program in recent years, with plans to construct a permanent base on the moon by the end of the decade. China’s ambitions have fueled competition with Washington and spurred a new era of space exploration — one that officials in both countries hope will eventually put humans on Mars. “I would say that we’re in a space marathon,” Moran said. “And it isn’t short term — it’s not just proving one point.” In order to compete, Moran has to help convince his colleagues that funding NASA through the new space race is an important use of taxpayer money, in a moment when he and his Republican colleagues are looking to significantly cut government spending. A major battle over government spending has been brewing in Congress over the past several months, as a group of conservative hardliners in the House are pushing for serious cuts to government funding in the midst of a ballooning national debt. Because programs like Social Security and Medicare — which make up the majority of government spending — are considered off limits, any serious reductions would have to consider cuts to government spending for agencies like NASA. So far, House Republicans have prioritized NASA funding. The House Appropriations Committee approved a budget that would spend $25 billion on NASA, similar to the Senate, though the committee highlighted that it appropriated $1.8 billion below NASA’s request. Still, the House included nearly $8 billion for space exploration, about $230

The second test launch of SpaceX’s Starship, the spacecraft NASA intends to use for its crewed missions to the moon and Mars. (SPACEX/TNS) million more than the Senate appropriated$7.74 billion appropriated by the Senate. The two chambers will eventually have to agree on a number sometime early next year. “Exploration — frontiers — are a part of America’s DNA. It used to be that we pressed westward to develop this continent. Now we press upwards. And in that, there is inspiration,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told McClatchy in an interview. “It needs sustained appropriations, but we think the Congress has been very supportive of this,” Nelson added. “And I believe that they will continue to be.” Appropriators have highlighted national security to build support for continued funding. Many conservatives are wary of China and see it as a growing threat to the United States. Moran, who also serves on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said that intelligence and defense officials have made clear to lawmakers that funding for space exploration will also benefit national security. “In the last five years,

I think we’ve increased NASA’s budget by about $5 billion,” Moran said. “That’s a significant increase, but I would guess that China is advancing and spending more money more rapidly.” China’s space program is opaque and operates its crewed missions under the auspices of the Chinese military. “The reality is that the Chinese government’s space program is not transparent,” Nelson said. But NASA’s partnership with the private sector has given Moran hope that the United States will be able to outpace China, taking advantage of innovative companies facing competition and profit incentives. “That’s one of the things that gives me hope and a belief of success around the corner,” Moran said. SpaceX, a rocket manufacturer run by Elon Musk, tested its Starship spacecraft over the weekend, demonstrating signs of progress over its previous launch effort. The spacecraft is meant to be used in NASA’s future crewed missions to the moon and Mars.

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Opinion A5 The Iola Register

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

~ Journalism that makes a difference

Giving thanks for peace; but uneasy of what may lie ahead On Monday I had a wide-ranging conversation with Sarah Haney, the Register’s new reporter who began last week. Our discussion was very different from that of a job interview. This time, I could ask her what makes her tick. We touched on her life growing up in Nevada, Mo. By her description it was typical. Free-wheeling, lots of friends, a strong family network and a safe community. In eighth grade, however, her world changed. The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, “was a big turning point for people of my generation,” she said. “Ever since that happened, things never got better. I mean, I know they did, but that’s not how it feels. Our safety net, our ignorance, was ripped away and ever since we wonder what’s the next thing that may happen.” As a result, she said, “I don’t think it’s any surprise that a lot of people of my generation have a lot of anxiety disorders.” When in her mid-twenties, Sarah had six friends commit suicide in the span of two years. “I don’t have a single friend who doesn’t have anxiety issues,” she said.

Susan Lynn Register editor world looks to us to solve the problems of our time.” I know he’s right. But a part of me wishes he were wrong. Can’t we sit this one out? Not a chance. “For if we walk away from the challenges of today, the risk of conflict could spread, and the costs to address them will only rise,” Biden said. “We know from two world wars in the past century that when aggression in Europe goes unanswered, the crisis does not burn itself out. It draws America in directly. That’s why our commitment to Ukraine today is an investment in our own security. It prevents a broader conflict tomorrow.” And as for going it alone, we’re not. More than 50 countries join us in defending Ukraine. Rooting out the Hamas terrorists feels infinitely more challenging because of the toll it is taking on innocent Palestinians. Many a U.S. President

People take for granted how blessed we are in America and the fact that we don’t have to worry there’s not someone bombing our town. ... We’re seeing what’s happening in the rest of the world. When is it going to happen to us? — Sarah Haney, Register reporter

THE SAME thing is hap-

pening for the people in Ukraine and the Middle East. In Gaza, more than 13,000 Palestinians have been killed in the past month. According to Save the Children, more children have been killed there over the last few weeks than were killed in global conflicts in the last three years combined. The horror they are experiencing will last a lifetime, if not longer. According to research, trauma on a scale like this can so alter one’s genetic makeup that even their offspring can be predisposed to physical and psychological disabilities. THESE DAYS I’m all the more thankful that we are not in immediate danger of terrorists or despots like Hamas and Russian President Vladimir Putin. I’m also in awe of the responsibility we as a country have to the greater world. In an op-ed piece in Saturday’s Washington Post, President Joe Biden laid down the gauntlet. “Will we relentlessly pursue our positive vision for the future, or will we allow those who do not share our values to drag the world to a more dangerous and divided place?” “The United States is the essential nation” as to the outcome, he said. “The

has sought to ensure a twostate solution — where Palestinians and Israelis live and work side by side — as the ticket to long-lasting peace, only to see its many iterations fall to pieces. Perhaps today’s atrocities will be the breaking point to bringing the warring parties to the table. SARAH SAID she got into journalism because of her desire to “find the truth” and the hope that it will help make a better world. “People take for granted how blessed we are in America and the fact that we don’t have to worry that there’s not someone bombing our town,” she said. Sarah worries there’s an element of naïvete in that thinking. “We’re seeing what’s happening in the rest of the world. When is it going to happen to us? What should we be doing?” She’s also concerned about those who play on our fears. “A lot of people use fear-mongering to their own political advantage. I want to be able to say here’s what’s really happening and to get rid of the misinformation.” Sarah has a personal reason for the heightened anxiety. “I have a niece who turns 1-year-old in January. I want to make sure we leave her a better world.” As do we, Sarah.

This image taken with a drone shows the town of Grindavik, Iceland on Nov. 16. Residents of a fishing town in southwestern Iceland have left their homes after increasing concern about a potential volcanic eruption caused civil defense authorities to declare a state of emergency in the region. (AP PHOTO/BJORN STEINBEKK)

The sleeping giant stirs By Alda Sigmundsdóttir Guest opinion for The Washington Post

It is a surreal state, padding to the kitchen to blend a smoothie, while less than 25 miles away the ground is poised to split open and swallow a village. The wild prospect — too huge to grasp, really — is that we residents of Reykjavík, Iceland’s capital, now live next to a reawakened volcanic system that might erupt any day, and every few months for the next few years, or even decades. It had lain dormant for 800 years until it rumbled back to life 2½ years ago. More than 3,000 people have fled their homes as earthquakes portend an eruption. Magma is throbbing in the veins of the volcanic system underground, and the earthquakes keep coming, hundreds or thousands each day, of varying magnitudes. The one we expect now is different. SciIn Reykjavík, the ones that are above magnitude 3 shake my house; occasionally, ob- entists predict a “major event,” much larger than the previous three eruptions in the jects tumble from shelves. We Icelanders are no strangers to volca- area. noes. But ours is a sparsely populated counTHE SIGNS of imminent eruption are try, so they used to feel far away. That changed when eruptions returned constant. It is not pleasant to experience so to the Reykjanes Peninsula. This arm juts many earthquakes. Each evokes a deep priout on the bottom left of a map of Iceland. mal fear. My dog is terrified. Even though At the western end is the Keflavík Interna- Iceland has very strict building codes, the tional Airport, where well over 90 percent nagging question never quite leaves: What of travelers come and go. At the eastern end if, this time, it is so big that the building — about a 45-minute drive away — sits the collapses? We go about our lives — heading to the capital region, where two-thirds of Icelandgym, shopping for groceries, bumping into ers live. friends — and no one is talking We’d long known that an about the volcano much, yet I eruption might come closer to home, yet it always felt the In my tiny nation of am convinced we are all thinking about it and refreshing the stuff of some far-off future — say, 1,000 years away. It was about 37,000 people, news many times a day to see something we envisioned as the mood is of both if it has begun. Yet our experience in the catastrophic, like the erup- wanting the eruption tion in Laki in 1783 that killed to happen, and not. capital is nothing compared with the ordeal of the resiabout a quarter of Icelanders If the volcano blows, dents of Grindavík, a fishing and more than half of the liveit will end the uncer- village on Iceland’s south stock. As it turned out, we did not tainty; if it does not, coast. On Nov. 10, seismic have to wait millennia. The we will still have the activity suddenly shifted to first eruption on the penin- looming threat that it directly beneath the community. Researchers warned that sula happened in March 2021, magma is collecting in a tunstill in a spot far enough from might go off. nel or chamber, and it could towns and infrastructure to blow at any time. Large cracks be just a “tourist eruption.” formed in the main road and That’s what we call the ones authorities ordered all the inthat are not dangerous. These can be enjoyed at a safe distance, provided habitants to evacuate. And so we wait. It is, at times, excruciall precautions are taken: Keep away from toxic gas and do not walk on the new lava, ating. It is possible, though unlikely, that there will be no eruption, if the magma no matter how solid it looks. That March, due to the pandemic, there pooling under the ground congeals. In my were few tourists, but I was one of the many tiny nation of about 375,000 people, the Icelanders who flocked to the site with mood is of both wanting the eruption to packed lunches and dinners to picnic on happen, and not. If the volcano blows, it will end the una nearby hill, as though around a gigantic certainty; if it does not, we will still have bonfire. It was not cataclysmic, but awesome and the looming threat that it might go off. If nothing else, the past few days have spectacular. The black crater tossed red-hot magma into the air. Incredible rivers and brought home a stark reality: The sleepwaterfalls of molten rock coursed along the ing giant is very much awake. A network plateaus they had created. Down at the la- of volcanic fissures extends right into the va’s edge, amazing formations took shape, suburbs of Reykjavík. What this bodes, no one knows. One thing is certain: The forces hissing and cracking as though alive. I had expected the eruption up close to shaking my kitchen, shaking the foundaseem threatening. Rather, it was graceful tions of so many small and brittle lives, are and natural, giving birth to a new landscape far beyond our control. as we looked on in wonder. That eruption About the author: Alda Sigmundsdóttir is ended six months later. Since then, there have been two more, both similarly harm- a publisher, author and journalist living in Reykjavík. less and remote.

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Sports Daily The Iola Register

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Wilmoth shares the love Chiefs

stuck in drop zone

Iola native extolls virtues of being a Mustang

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Philadelphia Eagles insisted that their Super Bowl rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs had nothing to do with revenge. They got a little bit of it anyway. After allowing the Chiefs to methodically build a 10-point halftime lead Monday night, the Eagles shut out Patrick Mahomes and Co. over the final 30 minutes. Jalen Hurts overcame a poor start in a cold, driving rain to run for a pair of touchdowns, and his go-ahead tush-push in the fourth quarter allowed the Eagles to walk away with a 21-17 victory. “We weren’t thinking, ‘Hey, we’re coming up here to avenge a loss,’” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said afterward. “That’s a different magnitude of game. That was for everything. So we’re just pleased to get the win tonight.” Besides, Sirianni said, “they ain’t giving us the rings back. I know that.” Still, the Eagles (9-1) became the first team to win at least nine of their first 10 games in consecutive seasons since the Colts in 200506, and they did it by beating former coach Andy Reid for the first time in five tries since he landed in Kansas City. Eagles center Jason Kelce also got the best of little brother Travis Kelce for the first time. The Chiefs tight end could have used some

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

When Mike Wilmoth retired at Wellington High School, he was presented with a ring to note his legacy as a long-time teacher and coach. Many assumed he’d get it in red, the school colors of his beloved Wellington Crusaders, where over the course of his 42-year career in education, Wilmoth became the school’s all-time winningest baseball coach. “No,” he replied. “I want it in Mustang blue.” When asked for his rationale, Wilmoth was quick to point out that while his love for Wellington is true, at his heart, he’s still an Iola boy. “Blue and gold run through my veins,” Wilmoth explained. Wilmoth, who retired in May 2022, was tapped to speak at Monday’s annual IHS Football Awards Banquet, where he regaled the audience of players and their families with anecdotes and asides aplenty about what it means to be a Mustang. Wilmoth, IHS class of 1976, also spoke on his 46-year career as a football official, where he worked six state high school championship games, countless Friday night tilts across Kansas, and even half a season as an NFL official. “All the neat things I’ve got to do throughout my life are because of these men at Iola High School,” Wilmoth said, as he paid homage to his former coaches and teachers.

Iola native Mike Wilmoth, above, a retired teacher, coach and football official, speaks at Monday’s annual Iola High School football awards banquet. At right, IHS senior Landon Weide was voted by his teammates to be this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Mustang Award, in recognition of his leadership on and off the football field. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

“The impact they had on my life could never be calculated.” Wilmoth also announced Monday’s big team awards, Landon Weide as this year’s winner of the Distinguished Mustang Award as well as team offensive MVP, while fellow senior Ben Kerr was voted defensive MVP. All three awards are voted See WILMOTH | Page B6

See CHIEFS | Page B4

Women try to find fits in NFL front offices CLEVELAND (AP) — Catherine Raîche can remember hearing the doubt and disbelief over the phone when she said she was a college scout for the NFL. In her first role with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019, Raîche Catherine would reg- Raîche ularly reach out to schools across the country to inquire about prospective players. More than once, her requests were met with suspicion. “I was asked to send a picture of my business card because they didn’t believe I was a scout,” said Raîche, currently Cleveland Browns

assistant general manager and vice president of football operations. “That happened multiple times, and it’s not like it was 10 years ago.” Those awkward conversations and questions come far less frequently these days. Now the highest-ranking female executive in league history, Raîche is one of the vanguard of women helping bring overdue balance to hiring in the NFL and opening doors in a world once ruled exclusively by men. After years of slow, sometimes sideways steps toward progress, record numbers of women are reshaping America’s most See WOMEN | Page B3

Mustangs tackle Colgan Monday was a tough night on the hardwood for Iola Middle School’s basketball teams. The Iola eighth-grade A team — which has only three eighth-graders on the roster — dropped a 47-10 game to visiting St. Mary’s-Colgan of Pittsburg. The Mustangs fell 44-13 in the seventh-grade A team matchup, and 29-8 in a junior varsity game. Above at left, Iola’s Carlee Hummingbird dribbles upcourt in the eighth-grade game. At right, Iola’s Eliana Higginbotham is pressured by a Colgan defender in the seventh-grade matchup. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

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Netanyahu: Cease fire won’t halt Israel’s war with Hamas JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and the Hamas militant group on Tuesday appeared close to a deal to temporarily halt their devastating sixweek war so that dozens of hostages being held in the Gaza Strip could be freed in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli prisons. Hamas predicted a Qatari-mediated deal could be reached in “the coming hours,” while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was convening top decision-makers to discuss the matter. “We are advancing,” Netanyahu told troops during a visit to a training base. “I hope there will be good news soon.”

The announcement came as Israeli troops battled Palestinian militants in an urban refugee camp in northern Gaza and around hospitals overcrowded with patients and sheltering families. Netanyahu’s office said the special three-member War Cabinet met Tuesday and would be followed by meetings of his Security Cabinet, a forum of senior security officials, and the full Cabinet. Israeli media reported that an agreement would include a five-day halt in Israel’s offensive in Gaza and the release of 50 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for some 150 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Israel’s Channel 12 TV said the first releases would take place Thursday or Friday and continue for several days. Talks have repeatedly stalled. But even if a deal is reached, it would not mean an end to the war, which erupted on Oct. 7 after Hamas militants stormed across the border into southern Israel and killed at least 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and kidnapped some 240 others. THE TOLL IN GAZA In weeks of Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion, an estimated 13,000 Palestinians have been killed, two-thirds of them women and minors, and more than 2,700 others are

missing and believed to be buried under rubble, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The Israeli military has been trading fire almost daily across the border with Lebanon’s Hezbollah group and Palestinian militants since the outbreak of the war. TALKS ON HOSTAGES Israel, the United States and Qatar, which mediates with Hamas, have negotiated for weeks over a hostage release that would be paired with a temporary cease-fire and the entry of more aid. In Washington, President Joe Biden said Tuesday that a deal on releasing some hostages was “very close.” “We could bring some of these hostages home very

soon,” he said at the White House. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Majed al-Ansari expressed optimism, telling reporters that “we are at the closest point we ever had been in reaching an agreement.” He added that negotiations were at a “critical and final stage.” Izzat Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said Tuesday an agreement could be reached “in the coming hours,” in which Hamas would release captives and Israel would release Palestinian prisoners. Officials said the truce could be extended and additional Palestinian prisoners released if there were additional hostages freed.

iolaregister.com

The Iola Register

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Women: Struggle to find openings in NFL front offices Continued from A1

popular sport. But despite the dramatic improvements in less than a decade, the NFL has more work to do as women still lag in equal representation and the league faces allegations ranging from gender discrimination to toxic workplace cultures. The Browns, who have been at the forefront of creating positive growth for women, were also widely condemned last season for signing quarterback Deshaun Watson to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract despite accusations of sexual misconduct and harassment brought against him by two dozen women. Though Watson served an 11-game league suspension, his connection to Cleveland perhaps underscores deeper issues that merit attention. “We’ve only scratched the surface so far, but when you zoom out and look at the progress the NFL has seen in the last seven years compared to its first 100 years of existence, it is remarkable,” said Sam Rapoport, the league’s senior director of diversity, equity and inclusion, and a driving force in its hiring equality efforts. IN RECENT years, more women have moved into prominent positions throughout the league, with several rising to decision-making executive roles to redraw pro football’s hierarchy. And it’s not just at the top. In front offices, personnel departments, coaching staffs, officiating crews, equipment and training rooms and on down to the sidelines, the league is finally beginning to mirror society as women get jobs that once went only to men. This season, 223 women are working in full-time coaching or football operations roles in the NFL, a modest jump from 199 last year but a 141% gain since 2020. Ten women hold full-season coaching positions, the most in history, and 11 clubs had women in coaching roles during training camp this summer, another high. According to the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, the overall percentage

not just a boys’ game,” Stefanski said. “This is a kids’ game and that’s boys and girls. We want all the young girls that fall in love with the game to see examples of women on our coaching staff, on our personnel staff, maybe doing P.R., whatever it is, this is not something where we are exclusionary.”

Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam have become leaders in hiring women for team office positions, but have also come under fire for acquiring controversial quarterback Deshaun Watson. CLEVELAND.COM/JOSHUA GUNTER/TNS

of women in the NFL’s league office was 41.3% in 2022, an all-time high and increase from 29.6% in 2014. It’s taken time, but women, who make up more than half the U.S. population and nearly half the NFL’s fan base — roughly 80 million — are at last seeing more opportunities when it comes to hiring. Rapoport spearheaded the first NFL Women’s Forum in 2017 with the goal of connecting female candidates to teams. It had always bothered her that women couldn’t pursue careers in a game they enjoyed. “There were no women in coaching,” said Rapoport, who like Raîche grew up in Canada obsessed with football. “There were no women in scouting, and many of us looked around and said, ‘This has to change.’” Determined to make a difference, Rapoport cornered Commissioner Roger Goodell at a youth flag football tournament he was hosting and pitched her dream of bridging the league’s gender gap — with the Women’s Forum at its core. “In 2017, there were nine clubs, two owners, one head coach and no general managers” at the forum, she said. “Fast forward seven years now, and at this year’s program we had all 32 teams. We literally had standing room only.” In the past few years, Rapaport has heard anecdotes of how women have improved pro football’s product. She said one general manager

told her balancing his scouting operation with an equal number of men and women had a profound effect: It made the men better. “It became more reflective of society and it allowed men to just do their jobs instead of just heavily competing against each other. I thought it was such an interesting observation because it really proves what considering the entire population does. It’s not just about bringing women in. When you consider everyone, everyone does better because you get better people in your office,” Rapaport said. Although Raîche may be the top-ranking female employed by the Browns, she’s got plenty of company within the organization. Co-owner Dee Haslam has been among the league’s most fervent supporters of female equality. The Browns have hired more candidates from the NFL’s Women’s Forum than any team, and a quick look at one of the team’s practices — with women working all over the field — underscores progress. “There’s a lot of pluses about having females involved, but really it’s just that we hire the best people and they happen to be women,” Haslam said. “I came up in a generation where I had to fight for everything. It’s so nice to see that women don’t have to do that anymore.” Thanks to women like Dawn Aponte, those barriers are easier to navigate. “The godmother,” Rapoport said of Apon-

te. “We’re all standing on Dawn’s shoulders.” Now the NFL’s chief football administrative officer, Aponte began in the NFL in the early 1990s, when women barely felt welcome and were often ignored or overlooked. “There were no professional females at the New York Jets,” said Aponte, who began in the team’s accounting department. MAYBE NAIVE, but full of ambition, Aponte was determined to climb the football side of New York’s organization. There were plenty of moments of failure and frustration, such as when she was asked to leave the team’s draft room after a Jets executive excused her by saying, “I don’t think she has anything to contribute here.” Aponte pushed forward and persevered. She credits several male mentors, including Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells, who hired her in 2010 with Miami, for helping open doors once off limits to women in the NFL. “They make the difference,” she said. “There’s only so much you can do. You want to be recognized for what you’re able to contribute, but those individuals give you the credibility.” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski is following that lead. When he was hired by Cleveland, Stefanski’s initial addition was to make Callie Brownson his chief of staff. It was a role Stefanski had in Minnesota, and he felt an obligation to jump-start

someone else’s career the same way. In this case it was a woman, and Brownson has since been promoted to assistant coach. “We’ve tried to be very intentional about including women in all areas of our organization because this is

PERHAPS more than anyone, Aponte feels a personal sense of satisfaction at how different things are for women today. Her daughter, Madison, is a college scouting director with the Kansas City Chiefs. At last year’s Super Bowl, things came full circle as she watched he daughter work with the defensive coaches on the practice field. “That was a picture in my mind and a moment in time where I was like, ‘Wow, things have changed,’ where you could see that that would have never happened,” she said. “That wouldn’t have happened 10 years ago, quite frankly.”

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Chiefs: Dropped passes, turnovers costly in 21-17 loss Continued from B1

luck from pop star and love interest Taylor Swift, who had to miss the game — he fumbled the ball away in the red zone in the fourth quarter, when Kansas City was trying to extend a 17-14 lead. The Chiefs still had a chance with less than 2 minutes to go, converting on fourth down and getting help from a roughing-the-passer penalty. But a perfectly placed ball from Mahomes went right through the hands of Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a would-be 51-yard touchdown, and the Eagles stopped Kansas City on fourth down to put the game away. “This is a growing moment for us as a team, overall,” Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said.

Hurts threw for just 150 yards with a pick, but he made the plays Mahomes could not in the second half. He also got some help from D’Andre Swift, who ran for 76 yards and a score, and DeVonta Smith, who caught six balls for 99 yards. “I don’t think we played clean tonight. I don’t think we played to our standard,” Hurts said. “But I think the one thing you can’t quantify is the resilience that a team has, and the ability to see through things, and this team has that.” It was only the ninth time that two teams that played in the Super Bowl met in the regular season the following year, and the champion had won the previous four matchups. The last to lose was Dallas against

Buffalo during the 1993 season. Mahomes was held to 177 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception in the end zone. Isiah Pacheco added 89 yards rushing for the Chiefs, who couldn’t overcome two red-zone turnovers and a plethora of penalties. “I think offensively,” Mahomes said, “I’m just not where I want to be at this point in the season.” Unlike the Super Bowl, when the Eagles blew a 10-point halftime lead, the Chiefs took a 17-7 lead to the break Monday night. It was knotted 7-all after Hurts and Mahomes traded first-quarter touchdown throws, and it was still tied when Mahomes hit Kelce on third down for the go-ahead TD with 1:45 left. And when

Along with penalties that derailed their first two drives of the second half, Kelce fumbled the ball away at the Philadelphia 8 early in the fourth quarter. And when the Chiefs got the ball back and had to punt a few minutes later, Justin Watson was unable to down the ball at the Philadelphia 1, resulting in a touchback that gave Hurts and Co. some breathing room. They proceeded to go 80 yards the other way, and Hurts’ sneak gave Philadelphia the lead for good in the fourth quarter. “It’s the resiliency and togetherness that really stood out to me tonight,” Sirianni said, “and I can’t say enough about the defense. I can’t say enough about the job our defense and our defensive staff did.”

the Eagles got the ball back, sacks by Trent McDuffie and George Karlaftis made them give it right back with 44 seconds remaining. Plenty of time for Mahomes to get the Chiefs within range for Harrison Butker to add a 43-yard field goal. But for all the praise the Chiefs get for their prolific offense, they’ve been abysmal in the second half this season, scoring a league-low 53 points entering Monday night. And after two quick punts to start the half, Philadelphia finally capitalized on the good field position, marching downfield before Hurts finished the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run. The Chiefs kept beating themselves — and the Eagles kept taking advantage.

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