Monday, January 24, 2022
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GOP map clears Senate By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans used their supermajority Friday to win Kansas Senate approval for a redistricting plan that likely would make it harder for the state’s only Democrat in Congress to win reelection this year. The nearly four-hour debate ahead of the Senate’s 26-9 vote previewed the arguments that attorneys for both parties may use during an expected court challenge over any new lines. The bill goes next to the House, where top Republicans are backing an almost identical plan. Both proposals would equalize the population among the state’s four con-
Take it to the limit Humboldt photographer Mike Myer was at Perry Lake in northeast Kansas over the weekend, where he snapped some spectacular photos of a nest of eagles, both resting on tree branches and in flight. The migratory birds of prey are a popular attraction along Kansas bodies of water this time of year. COURTESY PHOTOS
US draws down Ukraine embassy presence as war fears mount WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department on Sunday ordered the families of all American personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine to leave the country amid heightened fears of a Russian invasion. The department told the dependents of staffers at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv that they must leave the country. It also said that non-essential embassy staff could leave Ukraine at government expense. The move came amid rising tensions about Russia’s military buildup on the Ukraine border that were not eased during talks Friday between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva. State Department officials stressed the Kyiv embassy will remain open and that the announcement does not
Ukrainian service members walk in a trench on their position on the front line with Russia-backed separatists near the small town of Svitlodarsk, in Donetsk region. (ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP/GETTY IMAGES/TNS)
constitute an evacuation. The move had been under consideration for some time and does not reflect an easing of U.S. support for Ukraine, the officials said. In a statement, the State See UKRAINE | Page A2
See MAP | Page A4
The candy man can By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Rick Janes has worked with nuclear weapons, runs a farm for rescued horses, and he’s even invented not one, but two, cereal flavors. So what attracted Janes to Russell Stover Candies? “I love making candy,” Janes chuckled. “It’s a cool process to be a part of.” Janes, 55, was hired as the plant manager in Iola’s Russell Stover plant last January, and has guided the candy-maker through a difficult year, stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent labor and supply shortage. “The labor market has been so darned tight with the pandemic,” Janes said. “Some of the things that prevented people from coming back to work, from extended unemployment benefits or the fear of trying to work around the coronavirus, have been challenging. “But the reality of the busi-
Russell Stover Candies Iola plant manager Rick Janes stands with human resources manager Sarah Insley. Janes has been at the helm in Iola since early 2021. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN ness reacted to that,” he said. “Unfortunately, we can only do what we can do.” Janes estimated the shortages cost Russell Stover as much as $80 million in lost sales in 2021, “just because we couldn’t make enough candy.” It’s not a local phenomenon, he noted. “That’s global.”
JANES grew up in Wisconsin — his ancestors helped establish Janesville there — and went to college through the Reserve Officer Training Corps. He earned a degree in biology and chemistry, and embarked on a military career, where he mostly worked with See PLANT | Page A4
Marmaton Valley teacher honored for efforts in ag classes By the Register staff
Kevin and Rosemary Harris of Harris Insurance, left, present Marmaton Valley High School vocational agriculture instructor Jacque Gabbert with the K-ACTE teacher of the year award Saturday. The Harrises helped sponsor the ag symposium held in Mayetta over the weekend. COURTESY PHOTO Vol. 124, No. 79 Iola, KS 75 Cents
MAYETTA — Marmaton Valley High School’s Jacque Gabbert was named the Kansas Association of Career and Technical Education (K-ACTE) teacher of the year on Saturday. Gabbert teaches vocational agriculture classes at Marmaton Valley. The Kansas Association of Agricultural Educators Ag Ed Symposium was held in Mayetta. “Mrs. Gabbert possesses a natural ability to develop a relationship with whomever she meets,” Principal Brian Campbell said in a press release. “This ability has been
very beneficial for her role at Marmaton Valley. She is a constant professional, being firm when she needs to be and lenient when the situation dictates. Mrs. Gabbert is someone that I can rely on.” Superintendent of Schools Kim Ensminger added, “She knows these relationships are crucial in order for her to help students reach their potential in her program. She also knows these relationships lead to students trusting her when she asks them to do an activity or competition outside of their comfort zone. Gabbert added, “The pur-
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pose of education is to prepare all students for the ‘real world,’ no matter whether they choose military, career, or college. When they leave my classroom, they should leave with the skills to be a productive part of society. As a teacher, I realize I play a large role in this goal. I have the belief that every student has the ability to learn. It is my duty to encourage growth academically, socially, and emotionally, to get students ready for their life after high school. Students must leave my classroom with the transferable skills of teamwork, See TEACHER | Page A4
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