Sports: Iola High opens tennis season See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
www.iolaregister.com
ALLEN COUNTY
Dirt contract under review By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
— A rheumatologist based
Allen County commissioners will decide next Tuesday morning whether to accept a bid from Nelson Excavating, Iola, to fill the hole created by razing of the old Allen County Hospital. Before then, Ag Engineering, Uniontown, will weigh in on the bid and what it proposes. The bid projects 6,000 cubic yards of dirt will be needed to leave the site level and ready for construction of a new grocery by G&W Foods. Cost was put at $138,300. Nelson Excavating also bid $88,600, on the provision half as much dirt, 3,000 cubic yards, would be required; a portion of that bid prorated cost of additional dirt. Commissioners expect Ag Engineering to give a relatively firm estimation of how much dirt will be required. “I’m disappointed we
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Dusted
A constant south wind, with gusts exceeding 30 mph, occasionally kicked up dust and dirt, much to the chagrin of the crowd watching a junior varsity softball game Tuesday between Iola and Chanute high schools. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Hospital’s improved ‘work culture’ praised By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register
“There’s a charge in the air. An excitement about the change,” is how Patty McGuffin, director of nursing, described the months-long effort at Allen County Regional Hospital to improve the work culture there. “We have this really great phenomenon going on,” McGuffin told hospital trustees at their meeting Tuesday
night. And it’s not all talk. McGuffin shared detailed graphs that indicated a sharp increase in patient satisfaction since last fall. The studies are conducted by HealthStream, a company that works to improve hospital management, McGuffin said. “It’s taught us to teach to the test,” McGuffin said. “The surveys make us analyze our own performance and to ask ourselves some tough ques-
tions.” Being fully present makes a difference, she said. The surveys challenge staff to evaluate whether, “I’m a ‘sometimes’ nurse, or a ‘sometimes’ lab tech,” McGuffin said. “In this business, ‘sometimes’ isn’t good enough.” Results are compilations of phone interviews with patients after they have received treatment at ACRH. The hospital is ranked
against 3,500 other hospitals across the country. Allen County bested the median scores across the board, including patient satisfaction with the nursing staff and physicians, pain management, and satisfaction with the facility. IN OTHER news:
Common Core repeal effort fails By MELISSA HELLMANN The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas House members rejected a proposal that would have repealed Common Core standards for math and reading education. They voted 44-78 against the measure Tuesday, following a debate of more than three hours. Under the proposal, school districts would have been forbidden to use any national curriculum in tests, programs and materials. Supporters of the bill said Common Core strips local districts of control, while opponents argued Common Core encourages rigorous standards. Reps. Kent Thompson and Adam Lusker, who combined represent all of Allen County, both were opposed to the repeal. The action occurred even though members rejected efforts to return the bill to the House Education Committee or to strip it of committee amendments. Common Core is optional for states, and the Kansas State Board of Education adopted it in 2010. The stanSee REPEAL | Page A4
Among the participants at a community conversation about issues facing youths in Humboldt were, at top left, Humboldt Police Chief Brian Dillow and top right, Humboldt High School freshman Aricah McCall. The events drew a crowd of nearly 90 of mainly students, their parents and other volunteers. Below were some of the event’s facilitators, from left, Debbie Higginbotham, Bobbi Bonds and Lori Holman. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Humboldt group focuses on youth issues By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
HUMBOLDT — A group of about 90 students and their parents set their sights Tuesday on how the youth in Humboldt can avoid the pitfalls of illegal drugs and alcohol.
Quote of the day Vol. 118, No. 103
The community conversation, sponsored by the Humboldt Police Department and facilitated by the Drug Free Communities grant program, is the first of what organizers hope are several such meetings in the coming days. “Our goal is to address
problems in each community, and to make our youth stronger and happier, and their families stronger and happier,” said Lori Holman, a Drug Free Communities facilitator. Attendees were split into small groups to tackle a half dozen topics: substance
“Include me out.” — Samuel Goldwyn, American producer 75 Cents
abuse; how substance abuse impacts families; mental health issues; missing links in the family structure; social hosting; and the countywide effort to ban the sale of tobacco products to adults younger See YOUTH | Page A4
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