The Iola Register, May 23, 2024

Sigg reflects on storied career

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Now that school is out for the summer, the library at Iola Elementary School was eerily quiet Wednesday morning when a young boy popped in.

He was there to see about a dog.

Not just any dog. But Blizzard, a 29-year mainstay of Daryl Sigg’s teaching career.

Sigg waved the boy, Tyson Koehn, to come over.

Tyson’s mom is the school’s assistant principal and they were at IES while she wrapped things up.

Tyson, age 7, smiled when he saw Blizzard. “It’s a puppet,” he explained.

Blizzard whispered in Sigg’s ear. She pretended to look surprised. “No, you can’t chew on his ear.” She offered Tyson an apology. “He’s excited. He hasn’t seen kids in at least a week.”

By SARAH HANEY

Lloyd Houk sums up his message for Memorial Day with three words — serving, honoring, and remembering.

The 74-year-old Army veteran is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the American Legion Memorial Day service in Iola.

“My prayer is that people will go away from the service with the thought ‘I need to be more a part of the American Dream,’” Houk said. “That’s a sacrifice that has been made.”

Houk knows first-hand about sacrifice, having served in the Vietnam War. “I served in the 25th Medical Battalion in Vietnam,” he noted. He has been a member of the American Legion for more than 50 years.

Born and raised in Moran, Houk describes music and faith as his “therapy” through the years. Combining the two, he has served as a chaplain for many of those years. “I was the state chaplain for the American Legion

Sigg has relied on Blizzard to help her connect with students for most of the 34 years she served as a teacher and librarian. Now that she’s retired, she’s taking Blizzard home.

While Sigg reflected on a long and, pardon the pun, storied career, she held on tight to Blizzard. Hers is a tale about finding a place to call home, connecting with young children, meeting authors and illustrators, and inspiring

a lifelong love of books and reading.

SIGG GREW up “an Air Force kid.” Her father had relatives in the Iola area but their immediate family moved to a new base every year. Sigg, an introvert, said, “I don’t feel like I put

any roots down in school. I can’t tell you the names of any of my teachers” until they moved to Iola in 1967, when her father left to serve in Vietnam. Sigg was in seventh grade. In high school, art teacher Cecilia Orcutt took extra time with Sigg. “She was the first

Tornado slams Iowa town

GREENFIELD, Iowa (AP)

— Authorities in Iowa were continuing search and rescue efforts Wednesday, a day after a deadly tornado slammed the state, devastating the town of Greenfield and killing an undisclosed number of people there. About 25 miles southwest of Greenfield, a woman died Tuesday when the vehicle she was driving was blown off the road during the storms near Corning, Iowa, the Adams County Sheriff’s office said.

In Greenfield, a town of 2,000 about 55 miles southwest of Des Moines, the tornado left a wide swath

Debris was lifted thousands of feet in the air and ended up falling to the ground several counties away from Greenfield. That’s evidence of just how intense and deadly this tornado was.

—

of obliterated homes and crumpled cars and had earlier ripped apart and crumpled massive power-producing wind turbines.

“It’s horrific,” Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday at a news conference just outside the devastated

Jon Porter, meteorologist

town. “It’s hard to describe.” She and other officials declined to give details of the number of dead and missing in Greenfield, noting that the amount of devastation and debris had made it difficult to be sure

See TORNADO | Page A3

person I really trusted as a teacher.”

Sigg decided to become a teacher and graduated from Pittsburg State University. At that time, there was no shortage of teachers. She felt lucky to be offered a job by John Wilson, head teacher at Gas. She would spend four years teaching fourth grade at the former Gas Elementary School.

“Even back then, the most important thing was getting to know my students. Their likes, dislikes. I wanted to take time to listen to them and make them feel valued,” she said.

“I decided when I went into education, I would make sure I touched base with every child every day. When you’re first out of college you think you’re going to save the world. The first year I taught, I had 28 students and my goal plummeted very quickly. I realized I had to do it on a rotation but I was going to let every child know what they were capable of achieving.”

Sigg especially enjoyed teaching math, so she left Gas when a Title I math teaching position came open at Jefferson.

“Math was my forte. I had the best year even though I was working with students who struggled in math.”

But math was fun, she said. She incorporated music into lessons. She still re-

Kelly scolds lawmakers

By SHERMAN SMITH Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — When Gov. Laura Kelly signed a state spending bill last week, she scolded legislators for attempting to insert budget language designed to pick “winners and losers” without being subjected to the normal scrutiny of a public hearing.

She used her line-item veto power to strike language directing state mental health funding to specific entities in de facto no-bid contracts, as well as scholarship money to private, for-profit tech schools. She also vetoed language dictating software purchases for the executive branch and granting bonding authority to a dairy facility.

None of the items had surfaced during public hearings during the legislative session but in the final days were tucked into House Bill 2551, which grew the state’s spending plans for the upcoming fiscal year to $10.6 billion.

“This practice of allocating funding to specified organizations or businesses is unfair, and I encourage the Legislature to allow all eligible entities the opportunity to access state funds through competitive processes,” Kelly said. However, the governor

See KELLY | Page A6

Daryl Sigg, with her puppet Blizzard, is retiring after 34 years teaching with USD 257. She served as Iola Elementary School librarian since 2017. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Lloyd Houk of Moran will be the keynote speaker at Monday’s Memorial Day service in the veterans section of Highland Cemetery. FILE

PHOTO

The Iola Register Houk to give Memorial Day message

See HOUK | Page A3

Tornado damaged property is seen, Wednesday, May 22, in Greenfield, Iowa. The deadly tornado was on the ground for more than 40 miles. (AP PHOTO/CHARLIE NEIBERGALL)

Biden announces loan cancellations

WASHINGTON (AP)

— The Biden administration is canceling student loans for another 160,000 borrowers through a combination of existing programs.

The Education Department announced the latest round of cancellation on Wednesday, saying it will erase $7.7 billion in federal student loans. With the latest action, the administration said it has canceled $167 billion in student debt for nearly 5 million Americans through several programs.

“From day one of my administration, I promised to fight to ensure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “I will never stop working to cancel student debt — no matter how many times Republican-elected officials try to stop us.”

The latest relief will go to borrowers in three categories who hit certain milestones that make them eligible for cancellation. It will go to 54,000 borrowers who are enrolled in Biden’s new income-driven repayment plan, along with 39,000 enrolled in earlier income-driven plans, and about 67,000 who are eligible through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.

Biden’s new pay-

I will never stop working to cancel student debt.

— President Joe Biden

ment plan, known as the SAVE Plan, offers a faster path to forgiveness than earlier versions. More people are now becoming eligible for loan cancellation as they hit 10 years of payments, a new finish line that’s a decade sooner than what borrowers faced in the past.

The cancellation is moving forward even as Biden’s SAVE Plan faces legal challenges from Republican-led states. A group of 11 states led by Kansas sued to block the plan in March, followed by seven more led by Missouri in April. In two federal lawsuits, the states say Biden needed to go through Congress for his overhaul of federal repayment plans.

The Biden administration has been announcing new batches of forgiveness each month as more people qualify under those three categories. According to the Education Department, 1 in 10 federal student loan borrowers has now been approved for some form of loan relief.

Gov. Kelly appoints Faudoa to commission

By RACHEL MIPRO Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly chose Topeka’s former housing navigator to serve as executive director of the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission.

Irma Faudoa holds a bachelor’s in political science and a master’s in public administration from the University of Kansas. Before her appointment, Faudoa worked as Topeka’s homeless initiative team lead and housing navigator, developing strategies to address homelessness and help families access housing resources.

“I have no doubt that Irma Faudoa is the right person to lead KHLAAC toward continued success,” Kelly said in a Tuesday announcement of the appointment. “She has a proven track record

in community engagement and legislative affairs, which will benefit Kansas’ Hispanic and Latino communities.”

First created in 1974 under former governor Robert Docking, the seven-member commission’s goal is to serve Hispanic and Latino Kansans, addressing and assisting efforts between state departments, public and private organizations and state agencies in areas such as education, health and business.

“I am deeply honored to have the privilege of serving the Hispanic and Latino Communities across Kansas,” Faudoa said. “Through strategic collaboration with local advocates and elected officials, we can ensure that the voices of the people in these communities are heard and represented in the decision-making processes.”

Daily marijuana use outpaces daily drinking

(AP) — Millions of people in the U.S. report using marijuana daily or nearly every day, according to an analysis of national survey data, and those people now outnumber those who say they are daily or nearly-daily drinkers of alcohol.

Alcohol is still more widely used, but 2022 was the first time this intensive level of marijuana use overtook daily and near-daily drinking, said the study’s author, Jonathan Caulkins, a cannabis policy researcher at Carnegie Mellon University.

“A good 40% of current cannabis users are using it daily or near daily, a pattern that is more associated with tobacco use than typical alcohol use,” Caulkins said. The research, based

on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, was published Wednesday in the journal Addiction. The survey is a highly regarded source of self-reported estimates of tobacco, alcohol and drug use in the United States.

In 2022, an estimated 17.7 million people reported using marijuana daily or near-daily compared to 14.7 million daily or near-daily drinkers, according to the study.

From 1992 to 2022, the per capita rate of reporting daily or near-daily marijuana use increased 15-fold.

Caulkins acknowledged in the study that people may be more willing to report marijuana use as public acceptance grows, which could boost the increase.

Most states now allow medical or recreational marijuana, though it remains illegal at the federal level. In November, Florida voters will decide on a constitutional amendment allowing recreational cannabis, and the federal government is moving to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug.

Research shows that high-frequency users are more likely to become addicted to marijuana, said Dr. David A. Gorelick, a psychiatry professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study.

The number of daily users suggests that more people are at risk for developing problematic cannabis use or addiction, Gorelick said.

“High frequency use

also increases the risk of developing cannabis-associated psychosis,” a severe condition where a person loses touch with reality, he said.

Norman receives degree in medical sciences

Rosanna Lee Norman of Iola was recently awarded with a bachelor of science in medical laboratory science from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

The university is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, health professions and public health; a graduate school and a hospital.

Americans hold on to their cars

DETROIT (AP) — Cars, trucks and SUVs in the U.S. keep getting older, hitting a record average age of 12.6 years in 2024 as people hang on to their vehicles largely because new ones cost so much.

S&P Global Mobility, which tracks state vehicle registration data nationwide, said the average vehicle age grew about two months from last year’s record. But that trend is starting to slow as new vehicle sales start to recover from pandemic-related shortages of parts, including computer chips. The average increased by three months in 2023.

Still, with an average U.S. new-vehicle selling price of just over $45,000 last month, many can’t afford to buy new — even though prices are down more than $2,000 from the peak in December of 2022, according to J.D. Power.

“It’s prohibitively high for a lot of households now,” said Todd Campau, aftermarket leader for S&P Global Mobility. “So I think consumers are being painted into the corner of having to keep the vehicle on the road longer.”

of Elsmore Township.

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Trustee of Humboldt Township.

• One candidate for Township Treasurer of Humboldt Township.

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• One candidate for Township Treasurer of Salem Township. The following officers

New vehicle sales in the U.S. are starting to return to pre-pandemic levels, with prices and interest rates the big influencing factors rather than illness and supply-chain problems, Compau said. He said he expects sales to hit around 16 million this year, up from 15.6 million last year and 13.9 million in 2022.

As more new vehicles are sold and replace aging vehicles in the nation’s fleet of 286 million passenger vehicles, the average age should stop growing and stabilize, Compau said. And unlike immediately after the pandemic, more lower-cost vehicles are being sold, which likely will bring down the average price, he said.

People keeping vehicles longer is good news for the local auto repair shop. About 70% of vehicles on the road are 6 or more years old, he said, beyond manufacturer warranties.

Those able to keep their rides for multiple years usually get the oil changed regularly and follow manufacturer maintenance schedules, Campau noted.

Other factors include people waiting to see if they want to buy an electric vehicle or go with a gas-electric hybrid or a gasoline vehicle. Many, he said, are worried about the charging network being built up so they can travel without worrying about running out of battery power. Also, he said, vehicles are made better these days and simply are lasting a long time.

City Owned Grocery Store for Sale or Lease 525 W. State, Erie KS

Gov. Laura Kelly’s office announced the commission appointment Tuesday. SHERMAN SMITH/KANSAS REFLECTOR

Sigg: Young Author Program a highlight

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members a song: “Digital root, digital root. The sum of the digits is the digital root.”

Example: Sigg has taught for 34 years. The sum of 3 and 4 is 7. That’s the digital root. And 7 is a lucky number, Sigg said.

“So it’s a good time to retire.”

AFTER JUST one year teaching math, then-Principal Ken McGuffin asked Sigg to take over a third-grade class.

She assumed it wouldn’t be much different from fourth grade but, oh, was she wrong.

“Everything is loaded on them,” she soon realized. “They’re just beginning to be independent but they’ve got to learn cursive writing, yearly assessments, music programs performed with upper grades.”

That’s where Blizzard comes into the picture.

Sigg wanted another way to connect with students and teach them to accept everyone, especially those who face special challenges. You see, Blizzard is an English sheepdog who has challenges of his own. He’s mute and cannot bark. All his brothers and sisters back on the farm can bark and help herd cattle. A classroom seemed a better fit for a dog that can’t bark. He would whisper to Sigg and she spoke to students on his behalf.

Blizzard set up a mailbox and students wrote letters to him, sharing their thoughts and feelings. Some drew photos. Sigg helped Blizzard by typing his response; he always wrote back and told them how special he thought they were.

Sigg’s third grade moved to Lincoln Elementary School in 2015

when the district shifted to attendance centers, and Blizzard came along. When she left the classroom to become a librarian in 2017, Blizzard moved with her. He moved again when the new Iola Elementary School opened in the fall of 2022.

Blizzard is an author, publishing his book, “Blizzard is My Name, School is My Game” in 2016 as part of the Young Authors Program.

THE YOUNG Authors Program is one of Sigg’s proudest achievements.

In 1999, a committee led by librarians and teachers Deb Greenwall, Tammy Sigg, Linda Johnson and Sigg received $10,000 from the Sleeper Family Foundation to start a writing program. Students in Iola, Humboldt and Moran — from first through eighth grade — wrote books. Judges selected the top 30 at each school and invited them to a community celebration. They also brought two authors each year, sometimes one author and an illustrator, to

talk with students about their craft.

That first year, students wrote 515 books. The second year, they wrote 840.

The program lasted 20 years. A visiting author program still brings authors to talk to students, but the other aspects such as book writing have ended.

Sigg always enjoyed books and reading, but the exposure to the Young Authors Program had a huge impact on her as well.

“We had so many opportunities to meet authors. My love of reading grew and grew. Even as a classroom teacher, I thought, ‘I’m becoming a librarian.’ I had so many books. Being on this committee gave me a push toward becoming a librarian when Deb Greenwall retired,” she said.

“I’ve enjoyed the last few years of being a librarian but most of my experience with books came from developing a love of reading and adventure from all the authors I’ve met.”

IN RETIREMENT, Sigg expects she’ll first organize her home. She hopes to travel and rekindle friendships. She’ll be more active in her church and, eventually, may volunteer for other organizations.

“I want to build a book nook in my backyard. I have so many autographed books,” she said.

She’ll also have more time to spend with family, including two great-grandchildren, ages 2 months and almost 2 years. She is married to Jerry Sigg, who owns an automotive repair business. They have two children, Ryan Sigg who is maintenance director for Allen Community College, and Danelle McGhee, a fifth grade teacher at Crest Elementary School in Colony. Sigg also has six grandchildren.

“It’s been an exciting 34 years,” Sigg said in reflection. “I’ve seen a lot of changes. Met a lot of nice people and kids. I just hope I’ve done what was needed to help them get on with a better life.”

Tornado: Iowa hit hard this year

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of those numbers.

Later Tuesday, the storms moved eastward to pummel parts of Illinois and Wisconsin, knocking out power to tens of thousands of customers in the two states.

The deadly twister that hit Iowa came amid a historically bad season for tornadoes in the U.S. at a time when climate change is heightening the severity of storms around the world. April had the second highest number of tornadoes on

record in the U.S. Through Tuesday, there have been 27% more tornadoes in the country than average.

The preliminary count for this year of 859 is the highest since 2017 and is significantly more than the average of 676 through May 21, according to NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.

Nearly 700 of the tornadoes have been in April and May.

IOWA HAS had the most tornadoes this

year with 81, followed by Texas with 74 and Kansas and Ohio each with 66. The National Weather Service said it received 23 tornado reports Tuesday, with most in Iowa — including the one in Greenfield — and one in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The tornado that leveled Greenfield brought to life the worst case scenario in Iowa that weather forecasters had feared, AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said.

“Debris was lifted

thousands of feet in the air and ended up falling to the ground several counties away from Greenfield. That’s evidence of just how intense and deadly this tornado was,” Porter said.

Houk: Speaker

Continued from A1

for 10 years when I came out of the military in 1985,” he said. “I just kind of hung on to that title.”

He has worked with the funeral home in Moran since he was 15. “I’ve worked with Reuben at Feuerborn Funeral Service since he purchased the funeral home here in Iola,” he added. “I love to serve people.”

Houk travels a lot of weekends, filling pulpits for churches and getting the opportunity to share his musical talent. He has played the piano since a very early age, beginning lessons when he was 10. Houk describes music and performing as his “quiet space.”

For many years, Houk performed with a group called Three Rusty Nails, playing in notable venues including the Jim Stafford Theatre in Branson, Mo., and the Precious Moments Chapel in Carthage, Mo.

“We had a lot of fun.”

He has been married to wife, Nancy, for 51 years this past December. They both were named City Marshals for the Farm City Days parade in 2022. The pair have two children, son Anthony and daughter Andrea. Anthony lives in Parsons and is employed as the head basketball coach, while Andrea lives in Humboldt and works in radiology. He and Nancy have seven grandchildren.

Houk hopes community members will attend the 11 a.m. Memorial Day service on Monday in the veterans section of Highland Cemetery, 1800 N. Cottonwood, in Iola.

“I hope people come out to hear the message about serving, honoring, and remembering,” he said. He added that he wants to relay the message of sacrifice, which makes America “the free country that we live in.”

Sunak sets July 4 date for British elections

LONDON (AP) —

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday set July 4 as the date for a national election that will determine who governs the U.K., as his divided and demoralized Conservative Party looks likely to lose power after 14 years.

“Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future,” Sunak said in an announcement that took many people who expected a fall election by surprise. He chose a good day of economic news, hoping to remind wavering voters of one relative success of his time in office.

But Sunak was drenched by heavy rain outside the prime minister’s residence, and his announcement was nearly drowned out by protesters blasting

“Things Can Only Get Better,” a rival Labour campaign song from the Tony Blair era. Sunak’s center-right party has seen its support dwindle steadily. It has struggled to overcome a series of crises including an economic slump, ethics scandals and a revolving door of leaders in the past two years. The center-left Labour Party is strongly favored to defeat Sunak’s party. Labour leader Keir Starmer said his party would bring stability.

“Together we can stop the chaos, we can turn the page, we can start to rebuild Britain and change our country,” Starmer said.

Bookies and pollsters rank Sunak as a long shot to stay in power. But he said he would “fight for every vote.”

Daryl Sigg helps Tyson Koehn, age 7, put a hat on her puppet dog, Blizzard. Sigg is wearing a shirt that reads “Librarians don’t retire; they get renewed.” REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Senate set to confirm 200th federal judge under Biden

WASHINGTON

—

month earlier than then-President Donald Trump hit that mark, though Trump still holds the edge when it comes to the most impactful confirmations — those to the U.S. Supreme Court and the country’s 13 appellate courts.

The march to 200 will culminate with the confirmation of Angela Martinez to serve as a federal district judge in Arizona. The milestone reflects the importance that Biden, a former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer placed on judicial confirmations after Trump put his enormous stamp on the federal judiciary with the confirmation of three Supreme Court justices.

“It’s a figure — 200 — that we can all be proud of and shows how intensely focused we are on filling the bench with jurists that will make our democracy stronger and uphold the rule of law,” Schumer said.

The current pace of judicial confirmations for this White House came despite Biden coming into office in 2021 with far fewer va-

cancies, particularly in the influential appellate courts, than Trump did in 2017. It’s unclear whether Biden can eclipse his predecessor’s 234 judges before the year ends. Democrats have solidly backed the president’s judicial nominees, but there have been some cracks in that resolve in recent weeks.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said he would not support nominees who don’t have some bipartisan support, and the two Democratic senators from Nevada are opposing a nominee who would become the nation’s first Muslim appellate court judge. They did so after some law enforcement groups came out against the nomination.

THE WHITE HOUSE is plainly aware of the obstacles ahead of Democrats as they rush to surpass Trump’s record on judges before Biden leaves office. It’s a high water mark that remains a point of pride for the former president and senior Republicans who made it happen, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Filling dozens of judicial vacancies requires time on the Senate floor calendar, which becomes more scarce as senators in the narrowly divided chamber shift into

election-year campaign mode.

And of the more than 40 current judicial vacancies nationwide, half are in states with two Republican senators. That matters because

for district court judges, home-state senators still can exercise virtual veto power over a White House’s nominations due to a longstanding Senate tradition.

White House offi-

cials say they have no illusions about the challenges they face but feel reaching 235 is possible. That doesn’t please Republicans.

“Unfortunately, they learned from our exam-

ple about prioritizing lifetime appointments,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

Meanwhile, liberal advocacy groups are thrilled with the results so far.

that makes a difference

Wichita comes together on challenging issues

More than 1,300 vowed to tackle homelessness, mental health crises

On May 9, something remarkable happened in Wichita, similar to other remarkable things that have happened in Lawrence, Topeka and elsewhere across Kansas in recent years.

At the Century II building in downtown Wichita, elected and agency leaders — Wichita Mayor Lily Wu, Sedgwick County Commission Chairman Ryan Baty, the managers of both Wichita and Sedgwick County, along with leading representatives from COMCARE and the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services — stood in front of more than 1,300 people and committed to take specific local policy actions to address homelessness and mental health crises.

At least one of the commitments they made, supporting the creation of a municipal “Air Capital” ID card, will be controversial. It may already be in the process of being walked back slightly by Wu. Still, you don’t often see such public support for social justice actions from city and county leaders in Kansas. Applause — and encouragement — for those who brought them to the stage is much deserved.

The group that brought them together and laid out the commitments is called Justice Together, a group I’m proud to have been a participant in from the beginning, though I play no organizational role. In early 2023, Rabbi Andrew Pepperstone, a friend and occasional interlocutor from the Ahavath Achim Congregation here in Wichita, told me about an interfaith group coming together to move social justice issues forward.

At the first meeting, I was gratified to find Louis Goseland, a Wichita-born community organizer I remembered from Sunflower Community Action and other justice-related groups from more than a decade before. He was back in Wichita as a regional coordinator from the Direct Action and Research Training Center (DART), an umbrella organization that has been working with church congregations and other community associations to apply the best lessons of religious activism to motivate members towards social justice goals.

DART began in Florida in 1982, working primarily with church ministries that

Letter to the editor

What’s going on at Allen Community College? It appears there is all sorts of upheaval with many long-tenured employees leaving and less interaction with our community.

Dan Smith,

LaHarpe, Kan.

Russell Fox

For the Kansas Reflector

served the interests of senior citizens. Since that time, it been able to help build over 30 additional interfaith movements across the country, including several here in Kansas. DART was instrumental in the formation of Justice Matters in Lawrence, which has raised millions of dollars for a locally managed Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and JUMP (Justice, Unity, and Ministry Project) in Topeka, which is working to bring a mental health crisis intervention program to Shawnee County.

Similar interfaith organizations, representing dozens of churches and faith-related groups, have been formed with the assistance of DART in Wyandotte and Johnson counties.

In Wichita, Justice Together includes nearly 40 denominations — mostly mainline Protestant, but with Catholic, Mennonite, Unitarian, Baha’i and Jewish synagogues included as well. Over the past 14 months, they have worked through their church groups to develop specific plans to assist those struggling with mental health (funding to provide free bus passes for those in crisis and to pay for 24/7 on-call psychiatric help) and homelessness (sustainable funding plans for an integrated agency center and the aforementioned municipal IDs).

It is those plans they asked local leaders to support, and which all committed to do so.

This is DART’s method, one that they’ve adapted from the history of activism in so many churches, as well as directly from the history of civil protest. Months of research, parishioner outreach, and consensus-building culminates in what they call a “Nehemiah assembly,” an idea taken directly from chapter five of the Bible’s book of Nehemiah. In Nehemiah 5:12, the prophet Nehemiah, having heard the cries of the people for justice, presented their pleas to the nobles, rulers and priests, and “took an oath of them to do as they had promised.”

Justice Together’s strategy, following that of similar church-based DART organizations across the country, isn’t directly confrontational. Its goal is explicitly not to generate walks-outs or protests. But it does aim to

Childhood is a precious time in our development. We only get one and you often can’t get it back. A time when we’re the most vulnerable. A critical time where lessons are learned by our experiences. Those experiences shape who we will become as adults. A time when we need adults to show up for us daily. Childhood should be protected at all costs. Unfortunately, for some children that means state intervention is needed and children must be removed from their parent’s custody and placed in the foster system. That also leads to sticky situations for older children about to age out.

Justice Together’s strategy isn’t confrontational ... but to generate tension, to raise just enough heat that, as the Rev. Martin Luther King said, ‘a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.’

generate tension. Make a well-researched and achievable case, and then publicly, in front of hundreds of newly activated religious citizens (the great majority of whom are registered and informed voters) demand action.

This is the tension central to the Rev. Martin Luther King’s position, which Justice Together explicitly cites: Raise just enough heat that “a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.”

IT’S TRUE that most of the plans Justice Together developed don’t involve structural change. Their call for more free bus passes for those with mental health needs, more staffing for on-call psychiatric assistance and a sustainable budget plan for a Multi-Agency Center to gather resources for homeless individuals are all needed and important, but they’re not radical. In fact, nearly all of these involve projects that the city of Wichita, or the

county or COMCARE already have in front of them.

But the fact that Justice Together managed to elicit public support for a free municipal ID program? That is a genuinely transformative step.

Having a reliable form of ID is desperately needed by many in recovery or on the streets when it comes to accessing welfare, getting housing, applying for jobs, and so much more. And it is also something that Republican leaders in Topeka have repeatedly attacked as a back door to legalization for undocumented immigrants, leaving aside the complication that access to state services often depends on a simple form of reliable identification.

Wyandotte County introduced municipal IDs in 2022, and former Wichita mayor Brandon Whipple had pushed for his city to do the same. Both such efforts, as well as those being contemplated by other cities seeking to address this genuine need on behalf of their poorer and

unhoused residents, were knee-capped by the Republican majority in the Legislature, leaving this small but crucial reform very much in limbo.

Wu’s comments after the commitment-making assembly, in which she said her affirmation “was really a commitment that we will sit together between (the) city and county to talk about this,” reflects the political disagreements which lay ahead. Thus, a real test confronts Justice Together: Will the movement find a way to publicly hold city and county leaders accountable? Will they be able to push the negotiations that will have to take place so the municipal ID goal doesn’t get killed by leaders fearful of blowback from ideologues? Time, as always, will tell. The group’s mere existence reminds us of the long history in America of people of faith organizing on behalf of specific social justice actions.

To me, its presence here in Wichita is a blessing in itself.

About the author: Russell Arben Fox teaches history and politics at Wichita State University. A native of Washington state, Fox is a regular commentator on Kansas politics, and publishes regularly on local democracy, community sustainability and development, and local activism.

Kansas’ support for kids in foster care lauded

The Topeka Capital-Journal’s Jason Alatidd reports Kansas is the first state in the country to enact a new type of permanency for youths in foster care that allows older teenagers to establish legal relationships with supportive adults while still maintaining ties to their birth family.

THE NEW OPTION is known as “support, opportunity, unity, legal relationships family legal permanency,” or SOUL. Gov. Laura Kelly ceremonially signed the House Bill 2536 into law recently, giving children in need of care an option for lifelong support as they move into adulthood and even after.

We’re proud Kansas is the first state to expand its options. Estimates are it will affect 100 youths each year. For each youth whose life is improved is a world improved. Many young people advocated for this unique approach to a complex situation including those who have lived through foster care.

“I’m so glad that the state finally heard us,” said Alexandria Ware, speaking through tears at the ceremony.

“This has shown the progress of Kansas being able to listen to young people. … I remember when we didn’t listen to young people,” Ware added. “So to see that growth is phenomenal. I just ask, any

policies that you continue to make — whether it’s the state of Kansas, whether its Kansas Appleseed, whether it’s the legislators — that you have young people at that table.” Who better to advice leaders of our foster care system than current and former foster youths themselves? We appreciate that leaders took the time to listen and look for a practical approach to a complex problem.

We’ve long advocated for reforms to the system, and we believe this to be a great first step in that direction. Thank you for listening and putting into action a plan youths need and want.

— Topeka Capital-Journal

Wichita’s iconic Keeper of the Plains is at the point where the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers join. The site is considered sacred by Native Americans. The sculpture was installed in 1974 to commemorate the country’s bicentennial. In early May, local interfaith organizations sponsored a symposium to address public health problems.

Norway, Ireland and Spain to recognize a Palestinian state

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Norway, Ireland and Spain said Wednesday they would recognize a Palestinian state, a historic but largely symbolic move that further deepens Israel’s isolation more than seven months into its grinding war against Hamas in Gaza. Israel immediately denounced the decisions and recalled its ambassadors to the three countries.

Palestinian officials welcomed the announcements as an affirmation of their decades-long quest for statehood in east Jerusalem, the West Bank

and the Gaza Strip — territories Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast war and still controls.

While some 140 countries — more than two-thirds of the United Nations — recognize a Palestinian state, Wednesday’s cascade of announcements could build momentum at a time when even close allies of Israel have piled on criticism for its conduct in Gaza.

The timing of the move was a surprise, but discussions have been underway for weeks in some European Union countries about possibly recognizing a Pales-

tinian state.

Proponents have argued that the war has shown the need for a new push toward a twostate solution, 15 years after negotiations collapsed between Israel and the Palestinians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government opposes Palestinian statehood.

It was the second blow to Israel’s international reputation this week after the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said he would seek arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his defense minister. The Interna-

tional Court of Justice is also considering allegations of genocide that Israel has strenuously denied.

The international community has long viewed the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel as the only realistic way to resolve the conflict.

The United States and Britain, among others, have backed the idea of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel but say it should come as part of a negotiated settlement.

Netanyahu’s government says the conflict can only be resolved

Kelly: Scolds lawmakers over earmarks

Continued from A1

also praised the Legislature for making investments to support the workforce pipeline, address water needs, and boost access to behavioral health services.

“This funding supports my administration’s work to address critical infrastructure needs, grow our economy, and make Kansas the best place in the country to live, work, and raise a family,” Kelly said.

She was silent on her decision to keep in the budget a $9 million earmark to support Emporia State University as it recovers from the self-inflicted turmoil of firing tenured faculty members, altering program offerings without supporting evidence, and cratering student enrollment. Kelly vetoed the earmark in a previous budget bill, but lawmakers reinserted the funding. She allowed it to stand without explanation.

Grace Hoge, a spokeswoman for Kelly, didn’t respond to repeated inquires about the governor’s flip-flop on the ESU earmark.

Lawmakers adopted the final round of budget provisions in the final hours of the session on April 30, with a 22-12 vote in the Senate and 71-49 vote in the House.

The legislation includes $26.5 million for construction of a new psychiatric hospital in Wichita. The facility will help alleviate overcrowded jails, where inmates often are stuck waiting for pretrial mental health evaluations.

ter plan, in addition to $35 million previously allocated. The funding is used to address water quality and quantity needs.

They also added a $8.3 million investment in need-based financial aid and scholarships for higher education, including $2 million for nursing students, $1.7 million for first-generation students and children of teachers and paraprofessionals, and $1 million for National Guard members pursuing a master’s degree.

Kelly vetoed language that would have expanded access to a state-funded scholarship program to Wichita Tech Institute, Peaslee Tech in Lawrence and Heartland Welding Academy in Andover.

She said those changes should be considered through the normal legislative process, “rather than through budget provisos that choose winners and losers.”

“The Legislature chose to provide these funds to three intentionally chosen institutions,” Kelly said. “If the Legislature desires to turn the Kansas Promise Scholarship into a form of support for private, for-profit institutions, it should attempt to enact this policy through the normal process and allow input from stakeholders.”

The governor vetoed earmarks directing $5 million in mental health funding to go to Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph in Wichita and NMC Health in Newton. The funding will now be available to entities across the state.

She also vetoed $2.5 million for Valley Hope of Atchison, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, $232,000 for Kansas City Full Circle and $250,000 for EmberHope Youthville in Newton.

Another veto removed language that

would have provided bonding authority and debt service payments for the creation of a new dairy facility at Kansas State University.

“While this may be a worthwhile project, the university did not request it, nor was it considered through the normal budgeting process,” Kelly said.

Other vetoes included the removal of language ordering a study on the affordability of providing breast cancer screenings to state employees through their health insurance plan. Kelly said the State Employees Health Care Commission has the authority to add the coverage and shouldn’t wait.

“The state employees potentially impacted by this provision need this service as soon as possible,” she said.

She also vetoed $350,000 for a new office of inspector general to serve under the state attorney general.

“This funding mechanism should have been vetted through the regular legislative process, especially since it expands the size of government,” Kelly said.

Another $4.5 million will be invested in a pilot program to expand K-12 student access to behavioral health services.

Lawmakers added $10 million for the state wa-

through direct negotiations.

The formal recognition by Norway, Spain and Ireland — which all have a record of friendly ties with both the Israelis and the Palestinians, while long advocating for a Palestinian state — is planned for May 28.

Their announcements came in swift succession. Norway, which helped broker the Oslo accords that kicked off the peace process in the 1990s, was the first.

“There cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition,” said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

The country plans to upgrade its representative office in the West Bank to an embas-

sy.

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris called it a “historic and important day for Ireland and for Palestine,” saying the announcements had been coordinated and other countries might join.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who announced his country’s decision before parliament, has spent months touring European and Middle Eastern countries to garner support for recognition and a cease-fire in Gaza.

“This recognition is not against anyone, it is not against the Israeli people,” Sánchez said. “It is an act in favor of peace, justice and moral consistency.”

Sports Daily B

Thursday, May 23, 2024

Coffield takes 14th at state

Witt’s big night lifts KC to win

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)

— Bobby Witt Jr. homered twice as the Kansas City Royals beat the Detroit Tigers 10-3 for their fifth straight win on Tuesday night.

Maikel Garcia led off the first with a triple and scored on Witt’s infield hit. Witt stole second and scored when Salvador Perez hit a single to right.

After Kyle Isbel and Garcia singled in the second, Witt hit Casey Mize’s splitter 468 feet — the farthest of his career — into the upper deck fountains.

“I didn’t really watch it,” Witt said. “I just kind of hit it and started running, but yeah, it felt good.”

“That’s probably one of the longest balls I’ve ever seen hit,” said Royals starting pitcher Alec Marsh. “Unbelievable. He’s a generational talent. You think you’d get used to it being around him every day, and then he does something new that you haven’t seen and it’s just ‘wow.’ The wow factor is unbelievable.”

Mize (1-3) surrendered six runs on nine hits with two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings, the shortest outing of his career.

“They were taking really good swings off him,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “He threw some chase pitches that got hit for base

See WITT | Page B4

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

EMPORIA — Iola High sophomore Brennen Coffield overcame illness and some crazy Kansas wind to bring home a 14th-place medal at the Class 3A State Golf Tournament.

Coffield shot a second-round 83 at the Emporia Municipal Golf Course. He added that to his first-round 76 to finish at 159 for the two-day tournament.

“Brennen wasn’t very happy about his score, and he’s not going to make excuses, but he was not at 100 percent,” Mustang head coach Jeremy Sellman said. “He wasn’t feeling good when we got out there, and Tuesday was probably the worst he’d felt all week. But he pushed through, competed and did his best.”

A passing cold front made for challenging conditions, Golfers teed off with a gusty south wind that eventually shifted to the west and finally from the north by the end of the day.

“And I don’t think it dipped under 30 all day,” Sellman said of the gusts.

“I’m proud of Brennen,” he said. “He’s done quite a bit and he’s only a sophomore.”

Coffield was the only Iola golfer to make the cut for the second day.

Iola’s Xander Sellman, who carded a first-round 82 on Monday, was one stroke beyond the cut line. A lipout putt on the 18th hole was particularly costly, his father and coach noted.

“It wasn’t like Xander played a terrible round,” Coach Sellman said. “He had several three-puts, all of which were lip-outs.”

Baron Folk and Christopher Holloway both carded a first-round 96.

“It was a struggle for Chris,” Sellman said. “He’d make a mistake, and it would take him a hole or two to get out of the funk. It put him behind the 8-ball in terms of what he wanted to be doing out there.”

The course was “manageable,” Sellman said, “unless you made a mistake. Then it was unforgiving. If you stayed in the fairway, you were OK, but if you got off in

All eyes on Nadal

By HOWARD FENDRICH The Associated Press

If this is, as expected, Rafael Nadal’s final French Open, it will be one that everyone — the 37-year-old Spaniard included — surely will remember vividly.

No matter how healthy the guy everyone calls “Rafa” might be. No matter how long his stay in the bracket lasts. No matter whether he somehow adds another championship at Roland Garros to the record 14 he owns.

Narrator: Not even Nadal truly believes that is possible. Indeed, as of Wednesday morning, he had not announced definitely whether he would be in the field, although he showed up onsite to practice.

“I am not negative,” he explained. “I am just realistic.”

Think back just a couple of years ago to Serena Williams’ farewell at the U.S. Open. That’s the sort of atmosphere and adoration likely to be on display when-

Peyton’s place: Crest runner thrives in fast lane

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

After a grueling race, even the most competitive distance runners share a kinship with their rivals.

After doing all they can to beat their foes, most runners will gladly offer a fist bump, a high-five or even a hug to acknowledge the effort it took to finish the race.

Peyton Schmidt is like that, too.

Just give her some time — and space.

See, she has her own recovery process. “I’m a puker,” she laughed. “You’ve gotta stay away for a minute. Let me have my moment.”

The Crest High sophomore has had plenty of moments in her young athletic career.

She’s been a centerpiece on the Lady Lancer cross country teams that finished third as a squad at state her freshman year, and second in the state meet last fall as a sophomore.

This week, she’s a part of the Crest contingent headed to Wichita Friday and Saturday for the state track meet, where she’ll run in the 800and 3200-meter runs, and perhaps a relay race or two. Additionally, Schmidt was voted the Iola Register’s Female Athlete of the Month. She receives a free specialty pizza from Rookies for the honor.

Schmidt spoke about getting her start as a middle-schooler, and why she chose running instead of other sports.

Actually, that goes back to fifth grade, Schmidt recalled. “I went to one volleyball practice, and I didn’t like it at all,” she said. “I figured running would be easier.”

With few runners her age, Schmidt had no classmates to join her on training sessions. Staying motivated was the biggest challenge.

Because middle school cross country races have no sixth-grade division, it meant Schmidt had to run against seventh-graders. She took seventh against the older runners, drawing Coach Kaitlyn Cummings’ attention.

“She said, ‘I think you can be really good at this if you keep trying,’ so I did,” Schmidt said.

Even better, Schmidt soon gained two training partners, to help with the motivation side.

The first was classmate Aubrey Allen, who soon joined Schmidt on long-distance practice runs. The second came when fellow distance runner Josie Walter moved to town when they were in the seventh grade.

“The first time I ever met Josie was during a summer

Crest High sophomore Peyton Schmidt will compete in the 800- and 3200-meter runs at the state track meet this weekend in Wichita. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Iola High’s Brennen Coffield tees off at the Class 3A State Tournament. COURTESY OF JEREMY SELLMAN/IHS

FOR SALE PACKING PAPERS

AVAILABLE at the Iola Register Office. $3 per bundle.

Will buy copies of The Annals of Iola and Allen County, 1868-1945, Vols. 1 and 2. Call the Iola Register, 620-365-2111 or email susan@iolaregister. com SERVICES

Entry Level Laborer

The Monarch Cement Company is seeking to ll the position of Entry Level Laborer for the Humboldt, KS plant.

Monarch is a rewarding place to work and o ers an excellent bene t package including medical, dental and vision insurance, company paid life insurance, 401K with a company match, an educational assistance program, and an employee assistance program (EAP). This is a union position and starting wage begins at $27.28/hour with additional pay for working shifts. Shift work is a good probability. To be considered for the position a candidate must be 18 years of age, have a high school diploma, GED or equivalent, successfully complete a pre-hire physical, drug screen and background check, and possess a valid state-issued driver’s license. This position also requires the candidate to be capable of following oral and/or written instructions and able to accomplish duties in a safe and systematic manner. A college education and/or technical certi cation and WorkReady Certi cate through KansasWorks is preferred. Some of the day-to-day duties will include, but are not limited to, clean-up and housekeeping of the plant and surrounding plant properties, motors, dust collectors, conveyor belts, hoppers, and piping. The candidate must be able to work from sca olds and ladders as required to reach areas to be cleaned, work inside hot and con ned spaces such as inside the rotary kilns, grinding mills and dust collectors. This position is required to operate forklifts, skid steer loaders, vacuum truck, street sweepers, man lifts, telehandler, jackhammer, chipping hammer and other equipment e ciently and safely. This type of work requires considerable walking, lifting up to 100 lbs., bending, pushing, pulling, climbing and working at elevated areas and con ned spaces.

Candidates interested in testing for the WorkReady Certi cate through KansasWorks can register by calling 620-432-0320 or contacting Jim Jenkins or Samantha Cole at the Mitchell Career and Technical Center at 4101 S. Ross Lane, Chanute, KS.

Applications can be obtained either online at monarchcement.com or by stopping by the plant o ce between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. or at the Corporate O ce between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Completed applications can be dropped o at the Corporate O ce, by email at hr.dept@monarchcement.com or by mailing the application to

The Monarch Cement Company, Att. Entry Level Laborer Position, P.O. Box 1000, Humboldt, KS 66748. Previous applicants must complete a new application.

Applications are to be submitted by June 7, 2024.

The Monarch Cement Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages quali ed minority, female, veteran and disabled candidates to apply and be considered for open positions.

Nadal: Status for French Open uncertain

ever Nadal swings a racket or simply strolls around the compact-fora-Grand-Slam-grounds in the southwest section of Paris where the clay-court tournament begins Sunday.

“I cannot predict what kind of emotions I am going to have there,” said Nadal, who has been saying for a while that he thinks 2024 will be his final season before retirement. “I just want to enjoy every day.”

That’s been difficult lately because of hip and abdominal muscle injuries that limited him to 20 matches, and a 9-11 record, over the past 20 months.

Nadal missed nearly all of 2023 after hurting his hip during a loss at the Australian Open that January. He had surgery almost exactly a year ago and sat out the French Open for the first time since making his debut

there in 2005, when, naturally, he claimed the trophy at age 19.

A torn hip muscle this January forced Nadal to miss the Australian Open; an ab problem sidelined him later. He returned in April, but in three places he’s won a total of 27 titles — Barcelona, Madrid, Rome — Nadal made it no further than the fourth round anywhere and called himself “unpredictable.”

That stretch was capped by a 6-1, 6-3 loss to Hubert Hurkacz at the Italian Open, a result so dispiriting that Nadal wondered aloud whether he should bother showing up at Roland Garros, although did say he was reluctant to skip “the most important event of my tennis career.”

The 22-time major champion is not able to run at full speed or compete with full force. He does not have the

match-readiness required to succeed.

“For him to feel like he’s going in with his ‘C’ game — not ‘B’ game; ‘C’ game — and maybe fearing almost that he could lose first or second round?” said Chris Evert, who won seven of her 18 Grand Slam titles in Paris. “He’s been such a perfectionist on that surface, why would he want to expose himself at that level?”

No man has won even half as many French Opens as Nadal. His winning percentage there is .974. He had streaks of five championships in a row, four in a row and three in a row.

This says it all: There’s already a statue of him near the main stadium.

“It’s really a paramount challenge to play him in Roland Garros,” said Novak Djokovic, whose 24 major trophies make him the only man with more than Nadal.

“He’s an incredible athlete. The tenacity and intensity he brings on the court, particularly there, is something that was very rarely seen, I think, in the history of this sport.”

Djokovic — who formed, with Nadal and the now-retired Roger Federer, the socalled Big Three — and Iga Swiatek are the defending champions in France and both are ranked No. 1. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are the emerging stars of men’s tennis; Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff have that status in the women’s game. But all eyes — of

spectators and of other athletes — will be on Nadal for however long he stays in the field.

“He’s probably the only player that when I practice on the court next to him, I would literally zone out of my practice to watch him,” said Gauff, the 20-yearold American who won last year’s U.S. Open. “The way he carries himself is just great. His legacy is going to be something that is almost unmatched when it comes to just the intensity in which he approaches everything. That’s something that the players will miss and the fans will miss.”

So this represents a chance to say “Merci” and “Au revoir.”

No one — maybe not even Nadal himself — knows how many more times he will play, whether at Roland Garros, which also is set to host tennis at the Summer Olympics (he already owns singles and doubles golds), or anywhere else.

So plenty of standing ovations await. Likely a post-match ceremony, too. Might even be the sort of requests seen at a recent tournament: One opponent asked for the shirt off Nadal’s back after facing him; another asked if they could snap a photo together.

Swiatek, an unabashed Nadal supporter, was asked whether she ever did that sort of thing after a match.

“Not really,” she replied, “but if I would play against Rafa, for sure, I would ask for a T-shirt.”

The Detroit Tigers’ Casey Mize pitches during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday, in Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. hit two home runs as the Royals rolled to a 10-3 victory, Kansas City’s fifth win in a row. GETTY IMAGES/ JAMIE SQUIRE/TNS

Witt: 2 HRs lift Royals past Detroit

Continued from B1

hits. He threw some pitches in the strike zone that got hit hard. It just wasn’t his day.”

Garcia drove an RBI triple to right and scored on Witt’s third-inning sacrifice fly to give the Royals an 8-0 lead. Garcia scored three runs while matching a career best with four hits, extending his hitting streak to nine games.

“Maikel setting the tone kind of gave me excitement,” Witt said. “He’s doing the job, I’ve got to do my part.”

Witt added a solo homer leading off the sixth. It was his fourth multihomer game as he matched a career best with six RBIs.

of his eight starts.

“Anytime we play like that we’re going to win a lot of games,” Marsh said of the Royals’ early offense. “First three innings I wasn’t paying attention. Sitting there for 20 or 30 minutes, I was like ‘what’s going on out there?’”

Kansas City has led or been tied for all 45 innings of the current homestand and hasn’t trailed since Wednesday’s loss at Seattle.

Matt Vierling hit a tworun triple in the fourth and scored on Colt Keith’s

In the seventh, Hunter Renfroe’s fourth homer of the season capped the scoring.

Kansas City collected six extra-base hits and has at least one extra-base hit in all 50 games this year, one game shy of their franchise record set in 1978.

Marsh (4-1) allowed three runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts in six innings. The Royals have won all but one

single. Keith had three of Detroit’s six hits.

Schmidt: Crest runner heads to state

Continued from B1

running session,” Schmidt recalled.

The bond was instant.

“Running comes a thousand times easier when you have someone to run with,” she said. “We’d run and talk the whole practice. We’d go on long runs and talk about anything and everything. And since we all do the same sports, we get to hang around each other.”

Like Allen and Walter, Schmidt is fond of the 3200-meter runs, where getting through the first seven laps is half the battle before the final circuit turns into an all-out sprint.

“Josie’s a great training partner because she’s so good at pacing,” Schmidt said. “I’ll run with her, and then the final lap is a sprintoff, to see who can finish first.”

But unlike Allen and Walter, who also specialize in the 1600-meter run, Schmidt prefers the 800-meter race.

“I like going fast,” she said. “It’s a shorter

CRYPTOQUOTES

O G X Y T

F J O Y J O E O M D

X Y T J W D B G , X Y T

U J D Z Y O S Z E Y W U A D

X Y T J W D B G .

-- Z U V J O D B B D

T S O Y S

Yesterday’s Cryptoquote:

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best. -- Henry Van Dyke

race, but more intense. I like when the crowd gets all hyped up and screaming. When you’re in the 2-mile, the reaction is more like ‘Yay, you crossed.’”

Schmidt’s career-best time in the 800 meters is 2 minutes, 31 seconds, or about 3 seconds off the school mark.

She hopes to give the school mark a challenge when she hits the Cessna Stadium track late Saturday afternoon.

“All or nothing!” she declares. “I’ve gotta get that record.”

SCHMIDT can’t help but be excited about the opportunities that await her and her teammates, not only this year, but into the future.

All three are sophomores, and are keen on winning a state cross country championship.

Team scores in those races are compiled by the top four finishers. That means the Schmidt-Walter-Allen trio need a fourth.

Last fall it was senior Kaylee Allen, Aubrey’s older sister, who graduated this spring. Luckily, there’s a talented crop of freshmen in the wings, including Kallei Robb, who has excelled at the middle school level.

“She’s really good,” Schmidt said.

Back on the track, Schmidt also has younger sisters Hanna and Jaycee to give the team a boost. Hanna Schmidt has thrived in sprints and jumping events already. Jaycee, like Peyton, is a distance runner, and will be a part of the Lady Lancer relay teams at state.

“Hanna and I have a competition each time out to see who can get the most golds,” Schmidt said. “She has the advantage because she’s usually in four events and I’m only in three. Plus, she’s really good, and she’s only a freshman.”

COACH Cummings counts her blessings to have such a talented young squad to work with.

“I keep asking myself, what am I gonna do when all these kids have graduated?” Cummings joked. “But we’ve got some sixth-graders who have already taken an interest. I’m pretty excited to see what they do.”

Additionally, Cummings said more boys have taken an interest in running, both in cross country and in track.

“Cross country isn’t something that’s easy

for everyone,” she acknowledged. “Either you’re gonna come out and do it, or you’re not.”

Schmidt agrees, to a point.

“Sure it hurts sometimes when you’re out there, but you just kind of have to do it,” she said. “As soon as it’s done, you can rest, or get something to drink. … Or puke if you have to.”

ZITS

by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

BEETLE BAILEY by Mort Walker

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE by Chris Browne

BLONDIE by Young and Drake

MARVIN by Tom Armstrong

HI AND LOIS by Chance Browne

MUTTS by Patrick McDonell

Crest High School’s girls earned second place at the State 1A Cross Country meet in Wamego last fall, the school’s best ever finish. From left, Aubrey Allen, Josie Walter, Peyton Schmidt and Kaylee Allen after the awards ceremony. REGISTER/TIM STAUFFER

Golf: Iola’s Coffield takes 14th at 3A state tournament

Continued from B1

the rough, the rains the night before really made it hard to get good contact with the ball.” Folk, meanwhile, embraced his first ever trip to a state golf competition.

“Baron handled the pressure very well and shot pretty consistently with what he’s been doing all season,” Sellman said. “I know his heart rate was through the roof when he went up for his first tee shot, which is probably the hardest shot in golf. He struggled a bit in the front nine, but really started play-

ing the way he needed to on the back nine.”

Ethan Harris also played well with his 106, another score consistent with what he’s shot all season.

Parker Andres shot a 122.

“I told Parker to just enjoy his time, and he did. He’s been hitting around the 110-120 range this season, and he’s got the experience at state.”

WHILE disappointed the other Mustangs did not score low enough to make it to the final round, Sellman expressed appreciation for what the squad accomplished this season, including winning the Pioneer League championship for the second year in a row, and winning their 3A regional for the first time in a decade.

“It’s going to be tough to

replace Xander and Chris, but if guys like Ethan and Baron can continue to improve, we’re back to having a pretty solid team.”

WICHITA Collegiate freshman Lunden Esterlin cruised to the individual title, shooting a 1-under par 140, 10 strokes better than Santa Fe Trail’s Lane Workman. Of regional interest, Neodesha golfer Kyle Eggers tied for ninth at 156.

Hesston High won the team trophy with a cumulative score of 635, eight strokes better than Sabetha.

Sellman noted Iola’s golf-

ers shot a practice round on the golf course Sunday, where both Coffield and Xander Sellman were near the par line, Holloway was in the low 80s and Folk in the low 90s. Had they matched those scores on Monday, Iola likely would have qualified for Day 2 as a team.

“We probably wouldn’t have challenged for a championship, but we were good enough to get to the second day,” Sellman said. “The competition was tough, no doubt about it. When your cut line is an 81, that’s pretty tight for high school kids.”

Brennen Coffield