Three straight: Red Devil women victorious.
See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
www.iolaregister.com
County OKs holiday bonuses By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
Santa’s elves disguised as Allen County commissioners Tom Williams, Jerry Daniels and Jim Talkington agreed Tuesday to give the county’s 105 employees a $200 bonus, for the second straight year. Also, those whose employment anniversary reaches a five-year increase will get $25 for each five years of tenure. Cost of the gifting will be $21,000 for bonuses and about $650 for tenure recog-
nition. Commissioners also agreed to pay for half of sick leave accumulated above the 720-hour limit by the end of 2016. Payment will be at individual’s rate of pay, meaning the buyout will cost about $9,000. IN ANOTHER money matter, Terry Call, who bills for ambulance charges, told commissioners $636,464 had been collected through Monday. For comparison, $757,364 had been paid by See COUNTY | Page A3
Hospital trustees approve rate hike
Happy Thanksgiving! Above, McKinley Elementary School kindergartner Emaelia Dozier flashes a toothy grin Tuesday at the school’s annual Thanksgiving feast and party. Students donned Pilgrim and Native American garb for the meal. Others participating were fellow kindergartners, Yaretzi Camargo, bottom left, and Cruz Ross. See Pages A2, A4 and A5 for other Thanksgiving-related items. REGISTER/RICK
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
DANLEY
Allen County Regional Hospital patients, or at least their insurance carriers, will spend slightly more for their services. The hospital trustees approved Tuesday a 3 percent rate increase for hospital room services, part of their budget planning for 2017. Larry Peterson, chief financial officer, gave trustees their initial look at the hospital’s proposed spending plan.
The spending plan anticipated a “tough” revenue forecast, an industry-wide phenomenon, Peterson said. The budget will be approved December, although trustees were unanimous in following chief executive officer Tony Thompson’s recommendation for the rate increase, because insurance companies needed to be notified promptly of any changes. In a related matter, the See ACRH | Page A7
Nesting doll collection donated to Lincoln By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The amusement park ride that killed a 10-year-old boy will never operate again. Billed as the world’s tallest water slide, Schlitterbahn Kansas City Water Park’s Verruckt will be demolished after the investigation into the death of 10-year Caleb Thomas Schwab is complete, according to a statement released Tuesday from Schlitterbahn. Caleb was killed Aug. 7 while riding the water slide. He was found dead with what
Barbara Sherrill could think of no better place to donate a portion of her prized matryoshka doll collection. Sherrill, a retired third-grade instructor at Lincoln Elementary School, was on hand to give away 20 such dolls at a Tuesday assembly. A matryoshka, or nesting doll, is a small, hollow and ornately decorated wood doll that opens to reveal a smaller version inside. The smaller doll, in turn, has another figure inside it, and so on, until the smallest doll is easily dwarfed by the largest. Sherrill began collecting the dolls in the mid 1990s, at the same time of her retirement, eventually accumulating 100. Space became an issue, she said, which led to her Lincoln donation. Deb Greenwall, Lincoln librarian, showed the students a video explaining how the nesting dolls are made. Most are put on a lathe and hollowed out and shaped by hand before the dolls are hand-covered with linseed oil and finally painted. Each piece is consid-
See SLIDE | Page A7
See DOLLS | Page A7
Caleb Schwab died on the Verruckt water slide at the Schlitterbahn water park in Kansas City, Kan., in August. The slide will be demolished after the investigation into the death of the 10-year-old is complete. KANSAS CITY STAR/
KEITH MYERS/MCT
Infamous water slide to close
By TORIANO PORTER The Kansas City Star
Quote of the day Vol. 119, No. 21
Retired Lincoln Elementary School teacher Barbara Sherrill shows off one of her favorite pieces from her vast collection of matryoshka, or nesting, dolls. Sherrill, who formerly taught third grade at Lincoln, donated 20 such dolls, which open to reveal smaller dolls inside, to the school. She was recognized for her gift at a Tuesday assembly. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
“Courage is knowing what not to fear.”
— Plato 75 Cents
Hi: 54 Lo: 37 Iola, KS