H A P P Y M E M O R I A L D AY Saturday, May 23, 2020
Locally owned since 1867
County’s first case Allen Co. resident has been out of state; no increased risk to locals By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
Technically, Allen County confirmed its first COVID-19 case Thursday, even though the person hasn’t been in the state for about three months and there is no risk to local residents, according to a press release from the Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Departments. Positive tests are counted in the individual’s place of residence, regardless of where that person was tested or their location at the time of illness. In this case, the individual works out of state and will remain in isolation in the other state. The state was not idenSee CASE | Page A3
iolaregister.com
Shutdown’s silver lining
Mueller family learns life isn’t a to-do list By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register
When Jerrica Mueller learned her hair and tanning salon would be shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic, she plunged into cleaning projects. The house. The garage. An outbuilding. “It’s what I thought I needed to be doing,” said Mueller, who owns Town Square Tannery in downtown Iola. But with three little boys in tow, she also knew there’s an element of futility in getting things too clean or organized; for whatever can be done, will be undone even faster. Not knowing how long her salon would be ordered shut down also left Mueller with a sense of urgency — to unwind. “I realized I wanted this time to be remembered for
Self-quaranting forced the Mueller boys to be friends and classmates. From left are Jentry, age 4, Jaxen, age 8, and Jonas, age 6. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN something other than me cleaning the house,” she said. “We’ve had ‘stay-cations’ before, and I’ve always resented not spending more time just hanging out with
my family.” So she downshifted gears and stopped looking at each day as a to-do list. “It took me a while to see the gift that the shutdown
Iola grad sets his sights on service By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Long before graduation, Taven Tavarez had decided what his post-high school plans would entail. Tavarez, a graduating member of Iola High School’s Class of 2020, joined the Army National Guard last summer, fresh off his junior year. “I did it on a very big whim,” he recalled. “I took four days to think about it.” Oddly enough, a rough encounter on a visit made a positive impression on Tavarez. Invited to participate in a “breach and clear” drill, Tavarez was attacked from behind and shoved into a nearby locker. Tavarez suffered bruised
Taven Tavarez ribs in the attack. He loved it. “It was pretty funny,” he noted, adding that the train-
Kansas lawmakers bar COVID-19 suits, curb governor’s powers By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans pushed a sweeping coronavirus measure through the GOP-controlled Kansas Legislature on Friday, aiming to shield businesses and health care providers from coronavirus-related lawsuits and take control of the state’s pandemic response from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. Some Democrats predicted Kelly would veto the bill, but her office stopped short of promising that, issuing a statement Thursday accusing GOP lawmakers of trying to “cram” measures
Vol. 122, No. 146 Iola, KS 75 Cents
through the Le gislature without vetting them. Democrats objected to curbing Kelly’s power and predict- Gov. Kelly ed that substandard nursing homes and manufacturers of defective personal protective equipment would be shielded from being held accountable in the state’s courts. The bill reflects Republicans’ view that Kelly is moving too slowly to reopen the state’s economy and has been too aggressive in imposing restrictions. She See STATE | Page A4
ees had two prime directives: be loud and be rough. “Rough he was,” Tavarez chuckled. “It was nothing malicious. I knew the guy. We were just messing with each other.” Tavarez was hooked. Upon his enlistment last summer, Tavarez, then 17, completed 10 weeks of basic training in Fort Jackson, S.C. “I think I take a lot of people by surprise,” he confessed. Now, with high school officially complete, Tavarez is ready for the next step. He leaves Monday for advanced individual training, where he’ll drill on learning fire direction control for an artillery unit. (Such a responsibility makes Tavarez the literal eyes of the artillery team.
It’s up to him to identify targets and send locations to the cannon crewmembers.) Why such an intense position? “I like artillery,” he admitted. “I like blowing stuff up.” It’s more than that, however. Tavarez is an avowed firearms aficionado. He’s dabbled in blacksmithing since he was 9, took up welding as a high school freshman, and obtained his first firearm as a 15-year-old. He earned his second welding certificate in two years this week at the Regional Rural Technology Center in LaHarpe, which was reopened briefly to students so they See SERVICE | Page A4
could be,” she said. Now at work again, Mueller looks back longingly at those lazy mornings that stretched unSee FAMILY | Page A6
The Register salutes the Class of 2020 with a special magazine
INSIDE
More evacuations as Michigan floods PAGE A4
Farmers Market gets growing By TREVOR HOAG The Iola Register
Despite the gloomy rain and a series of newly-instituted social distancing rules, the Allen County Farmers Market was in full swing Thursday. According to Calvin Parker, the market’s seasonal debut last week “was a little slow,” perhaps because people were skittish about leaving their homes. This week, vendor Ashton Heck of Heck Farms in Anderson County had brought a number of vegetables to the market, including lettuce, onions, asparagus and radishes. He hopes to have sweet corn by the end of June. The promise of corn speaks to the fact that every time one goes to the market it can be different,
Ashton Heck displays his wares at the Allen County Farmers Market. REGISTER/TREVOR HOAG with new vendors and items. Heck said “this year’s been better than last year” in terms of growing because of last year’s heavy rains. Heck has 28 years of farming experience, and has been
bringing food to the market since 2010 when it first began. Debbie Bearden brought both eggs and chicken to the market, and said that she’d sold out of the items she’d See MARKET | Page A7
Welcome Tracy Sambo, MD
Board Certified General Surgeon
Neosho Memorial is pleased to welcome general surgeon, Tracy Sambo, MD, FASC, FICS to the new NMRMC Surgery Clinic. Dr. Sambo is board certified and specializes in hernia repair, breast surgery, colorectal surgery, endoscopy, wound care and many other procedures. Dr. Sambo is now seeing patients in the NMRMC Surgery Clinic inside the main hospital.
To make an appointment, call 620.433.3838.