Lawmakers target tax that funds schools
By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Public school advocates are asking lawmakers to proceed with caution as they consider slashing the statewide property tax that directly funds public education. Legislation in the House would lower the state rate from 20 to 18.5 mills in the next fiscal year, which starts June 1, and then freeze the annual tax collections at the current level for future years. The
See SCHOOLS | Page A7
Kitchen kits restore dignity, hope
By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
For those who flee from domestic violence, starting over can be challenging. Many leave their homes with little or nothing.
A joint effort between St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church and local agencies — Hope Unlimited and K-State Research and Extension — helps to ease the transition. They’ve been collecting items for the Kitchen Restore Project, which provides new or gently used small appliances, dishes and cookware.
“Once they’re in a position to be rehoused, one of the most expensive rooms to furnish is a kitchen. And if you don’t have a pot or pan, if you don’t have a way to cut or prepare food, there’s no way to cook. You can’t make a healthy meal. You’re kind of stuck,” Cherri Walrod, Community Health Worker for the Southwind Extension District, said. The Kitchen Restore Project began after the Southwind district won a $1,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas to pay for four complete kits. Each is valued at about $250 and includes such things as microwaves, toasters, crockpots, hand mixers, coffee pots, a set of pots and pans, mixing bowls, dishes, utensils, dish towels and washcloths.
By SARAH HANEY
The Allen County Historical Society is hosting a new traveling exhibit at the Allen County Museum — “Living Sovereignty: Sustaining Indigenous Autonomy in ‘Indian Territory’ Kansas.”
“The exhibit focuses on the Native Americans and their movement westward into Kansas and Missouri territories,” said Allen County Historical Society Director Kurtis Russell. “It talks about the different tribes, from Kickapoo to Cherokee.”
The present-day states of Kansas and Missouri are the original home of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Illinois Confederation, Iowa, Kansa, Kiowa, Missouria, Otoe, Osage, Pawnee, Quapaw, and Wichita nations. This area is also home to several tribes that relocated here due to forced removal.
The exhibit explores the struggle the tribes faced against the United States government for self-governance.
In deeming Indigenous cultures and traditions unsatisfactory, federal authorities characterized Indigenous
peoples as “wards” who must be controlled. The exhibit notes that this unequal relationship expressed itself in treaties. In the negotiation of these treaties, Indigenous nations and tribes guaranteed themselves what protections they could through the reservation of land, control of natural resources, and internal sovereignty.
In 1823, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision stating that European discovery of land in North America superseded Indigenous ownership claims and
MOLLY Shaughnessy, volunteer coordinator with Hope Unlimited, worked with the Southwind District to set up the program. “It made sense to partner with Hope Unlimited because of the work they do,” Walrod said. Hope Unlimited already had families who qualified for the kitchen supplies, Shaughnessy said.
“No sooner than you brought in the kits, we had two clients who were ready to go,” she said. Walrod and Shaughnessy decided to expand the part-
Home sales fall to lowest level in nearly 30 years
By ALEX VEIGA The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell in 2024 to a nearly 30-year low for the second time in as many years as elevated mortgage rates, rising home prices and few properties on the market freeze prospective homebuyers out of the market.
The National Association of Realtors said Friday that existing U.S. home sales totaled 4.06 million last year, a 0.7% decline from 2023. That is the weakest year for home sales since 1995, echoing the full-year results from 2023.
The median national home price for all of last year rose 4.7% to an all-time high $407,500, the NAR said.
The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage surged to a 23-year high of nearly 8% in October 2023 and briefly fell to a 2-year low last September, but has been mostly hovering around 7%, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.
The elevated home loan borrowing costs have limited home hunters’ buying power on top of years of soaring prices. A dearth of homes for sale, meanwhile, has helped prop up prices,
helping to keep many homebuyers and sellers on the sidelines.
“How is it possible that home sales can be this low, considering that the U.S. population has increased by more than 70 million over this time period from 1995 to today?” asked Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist. “One can partly answer that question because of the affordability issue. Record-high home prices, mortgage rates having risen, but also lack of inventory.”
At the end of December, there were just 1.15 million homes on the market, NAR said. That’s well below the monthly historical average of about 2.25 million.
The available inventory at the end of last month amounts to a 3.3-month supply, going by the current sales pace. In a more balanced market between buyers and sellers, there is a 4to 6-month supply.
A traveling exhibit detailing Native Americans’ struggle for autonomy was created by the Watkins Museum of History in partnership with the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area. The exhibit will be on display at the Allen County Museum for six weeks, from Jan. 22 until March 5. REGISTER/SARAH HANEY
The Iola Register
See MUSEUM | Page A7
A partnership between St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church, Hope Unlimited and Southwind Extension District provides kitchen equipment to victims of domestic violence. From left, St. Timothy volunteers Jo Bunker, the Rev. Daryl Stanford, Marsha Burris, Hope Unlimited’s Molly Shaughnessy, Southwind district’s Cherri Walrod, and volunteer Candace Sifers. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS
See KITCHEN | Page A7
Police news
Incidents
On Jan. 15, Iola police responded to a report of theft of a purse in the 800 block of East Street.
On Jan. 15, Iola police responded to a domestic disturbance in the 200 block of West Broadway Street.
On Jan. 16, Iola police responded to a report of damage to a safe inside a residence in the 200 block of West Broadway Street.
On Jan. 18, Iola police responded to a report of theft at Walmart.
On Jan. 19, Iola police responded to a report of theft in the 400 block of South Third Street.
Arrests and citations
On Jan. 13, Angela Turner was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery at the Regency Inn.
On Jan. 14, Amanda Rogers was arrested on
Court news
IOLA MUNICIPAL
COURT
Judge Patti Boyd
Convicted as follows with fines assessed:
Robin M. Evans, Iola, nuisance items in yard or porch, three counts; property violation, $825
suspicion of possession of methamphetamine, trafficking contraband into a correctional facility, possession of paraphernalia and driving while suspended after a traffic stop in the 700 block of South Street.
On Jan. 14, Tyler Kasper was cited for driving with an expired license plate.
On Jan. 16, Ashley Ellis was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery in the 200 block of West Broadway Street.
On Jan. 16, Gary Bradley was arrested on suspicion of driving while a habitual violator.
On Jan. 18, Daquarion Banks was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery, possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia and criminal damage in the 200 block of North Third Street.
KSDE: Schools will follow state, federal laws
By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — The Kansas State Department of Education advised school districts to follow laws protecting students’ constitutional rights in wake of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s reversal of a policy forbidding immigration authorities from entering school property to make arrests.
KSDE’s advice came as President Donald Trump rescinded guidelines created in 2021 limiting enforcement actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Customs and Border Protection in or near “sensitive” areas, which included schools, health care facilities and places of worship.
Denise Kahler, director of communications for the state Department of Education, said on Thursday that KSDE was aware of concerns raised by the federal policy shift. She said Tuesday’s executive branch action didn’t change state or federal law or escalate Homeland Security’s authority.
“We believe the best thing schools can provide to their respective communities is an assurance that they will continue to comply with all state and federal laws protecting student information and student safety. We also suggest schools update emergency contact information for all families,” Kahler said.
We remind school personnel that their ultimate responsibility is the education and protection of all students. All students have a constitutionally protected right to receive an education.
schools were without residency documents.
Kahler said school personnel should follow state and federal laws and local district’s board-approved policies regarding investigations or arrests on school grounds.
— Denise Kahler, KSDE
tion likewise wouldn’t disclose student data without a warrant or subpoena.
“To that end, we remind school personnel that their ultimate responsibility is the education and protection of all students. All students have a constitutionally protected right to receive an education,” Kahler said.
Henry F. Moran III, criminal trespass, $315, probation
Jason L. Outlan, Moran, driving while suspended, $665
Erika Taylor, Iola, dog running at large, $135
Steve Holtz, Iola, nuisance items in yard or porch, two counts, $550 Giuseppe D. Mangrella, Yates Center, expired tag, $195
Netanyahu signals truce will be extended
By DANA KHRAICHE and MARISSA NEWMAN Bloomberg News/TNS
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled that Israel’s truce with Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah, due to expire this weekend, will be extended.
“Since the ceasefire agreement has not yet been fully enforced by the State of Lebanon, the phased withdrawal process will continue, in full coordination with the United States,” according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office on Friday.
He was referring to the ceasefire, which
took effect in late November, stipulating that the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah fighters were both meant to leave southern Lebanon by now.
The premier didn’t indicate how long the extension might last.
THE AGREEMENT, mediated by the U.S. and France, was worded to ensure “the withdrawal process may continue beyond 60 days,” Netanyahu’s office said.
Earlier on Friday, a U.S. defense official said to Bloomberg that the conditions were in place for the truce to be lengthened.
The new Homeland Security policy repealed a directive creating protected areas in terms of immigration enforcement operations where “children gather, disaster or emergency relief sites, and social services establishments.”
KSDE operates under the landmark 1982 decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in Plyler v. Doe, which found states couldn’t deny public education to children lacking documentation to legally reside in the United States.
The 2019 American Community Survey indicated 1.6% of children, or 8,000 students, in Kansas
In addition, she said, individual districts should issue a reminder that no student information would be shared without parental consent or a lawfully issued court order. She said the state Department of Educa-
Impact of the Homeland Security policy change on ICE and CBP also led to uncertainty as to how Kansas hospitals and clinics would operate.
Shots fired: Iola’s anti-immigrant mob a stain on town’s history
Racism fueled a round-up of Italian workers
By KURTIS RUSSELL AC Historical Society
Cement is, well, cemented in Allen County’s history. From Monarch Cement’s proud legacy in Humboldt to the ruins of former giants in Iola, Carlyle, Concreto and Mildred, each has played a major part in our county’s industrial history.
The Lehigh Portland Cement Co., now the site of the newest state park in Kansas, has a rich past, beginning with its creation at the turn of the 20th century up to its closure in 1971.
But one of the darkest moments in Iola’s history occurred very early on in the plant’s history. It began with workers brought in to fill a labor shortage and ended in a shameful incident of mob rule and racism that led to hundreds of shots being fired and a forced roundup of workers on May 8, 1901.
At 9 p.m. that evening, an armed mob formed north of the Elm Creek bridge in Iola. They were heading to the cement plant to protest the presence of 23 Italian workers. The mob’s “rationale” was simple xenophobia: they believed Italian workers would undercut their pay and feared the Italians would take over the town.
THE MAY 9TH Iola Register reported that “there was trouble in Iola last night when a crowd of Iola men and boys went to the cement plant and after
A May 9, 1901 edition of The Iola Register details the forced removal of Italian workers from Iola. REGISTER ARCHIVES
firing several hundred shots took the Italian workmen out of the tents where they were sleeping and marched them to the Santa Fe depot.”
“After considerable hooting, yelling and abuse,” the article continues, “the Italians were ordered to come out. A shot was fired, the crowd claiming that it came from inside the tents. The shot was the signal for a general volley and the night rang to the reports of revolvers, shotguns and rifles.”
The Italian men were rounded up by force: “One old man appeared with his eye all bruised, having been knocked from his perch in a tree with a club.”
The article reports that “several hundred sightseers accompa nied the procession and gathered on the platform when the prisoners were placed in the south waiting room. The question of the disposition of the Italians
then arose but no satisfactory solution was found, it being the simple plan to push them aboard a northbound train and let them rustle for themselves.”
“The Italians were hatless, coatless and some of them bare-footed.”
ALL 23 ITALIANS were arrested — under no known pretense — and held at the Santa Fe depot under the supervision of Sheriff Hobart. All were issued a train ticket to Kansas City, paid for by the cement company.
“We brought these men here very reluctantly, because we know the prejudice that always follows such action. And we did not bring them until we had exhausted every effort to find white labor,” later said Mr. J. A. Wheeler, manager of the cement plant.
“Now these are the simple facts. We are short of men. We could give work to a hundred more than we have today.”
A subsequent investigation into the mob and its leaders was conducted, with four individuals arrested under the charge of rioting: Ben Ganoung, George Smith, J.M. Warford and Jack Balthrope.
Trump demands bishop apologize
By DAVE GOLDINER NY Daily News/TNS
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump Wednesday demanded an apology from the Episcopal bishop who criticized his hardline policies on immigration and LGBTQ rights at the National Prayer Service on his first full day back in the White House.
A day after Trump was forced to grimly endure the toughtalking service by Bishop Mariann Budde, the president derided her as a”so-called bishop” and worse.
“(Bishop Budde) is a radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart,” Trump wrote on his social media site.
Trump called on Budde and the church to apologize for embarrassing him by allowing Budde to deliver a rare rebuke to his face.
“She is not very good at her job!” Trump wrote. “She and her church owe the public an apology!” There was no immediate response from Budde or the National Cathedral.
Budde declined to address Trump’s demand for an apology in an appearance Wednesday on “The View.” But she did say she would be happy to meet the president one-on-one if he asked
President Donald Trump has demanded an Episcopal priest apologize for asking him to take mercy on undocumented immigrants and the transgender community. MELINA MARA/POOL/GETTY IMAGES/ TNS
for a meeting. “I was trying to speak a truth in a way that was as respectful and kind as I could and to bring in other voices,” Budde said on the show.
THE NEW president grimaced in the front row of the pews Tuesday morning as Budde called on him to “have mercy” on undocumented immigrants and the transgender community who were targeted by his hardline Day One blizzard of executive orders.
“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” said Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington.
Budde rattled off a laundry list of crucial jobs that undocumented immigrants play in American society, including agricultural, restaurant and
Public notice
CONTACT US:
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! 620-365-2111
news@iolaregister.com
302 S. Washington Ave., Iola iolaregister.com
service workers, and said they should not be considered criminals.
Trump’s MAGA allies denounced Budde on social media as a “woke bishop” who should be punished for daring to criticize Trump’s policies to his face.
Some progressives countered by hailing Budde as a hero for having the courage of her convictions to stand up to Trump’s anti-trans and anti-immigrant policies.
Primary o ces in IOLA and YATES CENTER, KS, with other o ces in Erie and Fort Scott. See ksre.k-state.edu/about/careers for responsibilities, quali
ister.com
Judge bars Oath Keepers founder Rhodes from entering Washington without court’s permission
WASHINGTON (AP) —
A federal judge on Friday barred Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes from entering Washington, D.C., without the court’s approval after President Donald Trump commuted the far-right extremist group leader’s 18-year prison sentence for orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Capitol four years ago.
U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta issued the order two days after Rhodes visited the Capitol, where he met with at least one lawmaker, chatted with others and
defended his actions during a mob’s attack on Jan. 6, 2021. Rhodes was released from a Maryland prison a day earlier.
Mehta’s order applies to seven other people who were convicted of charges in the riot that halted the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory over Trump. The order also prohibits them from entering the Capitol building or surrounding grounds without the court’s permission.
Rhodes was convicted of seditious conspiracy
in one of the most serious cases brought by the Justice Department. He was found guilty of orchestrating a weekslong plot that culminated in his followers attacking the U.S. Capitol in a desperate bid to keep Trump, a Republican, in power.
Rhodes did not enter the building on Jan. 6 and has said it was “stupid” that members of the Oath Keepers did.
“My guys blundered through doors,” he insisted during his visit to Capitol Hill earlier this week.
Trump’s sweeping clemency order on Monday upended the largest prosecution in Justice Department history, freeing from prison people seen on camera viciously attacking police as well as leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of orchestrating violent plots to stop the peaceful transfer of power after his election loss.
Trump has defended the pardons , saying the defendants had “already served years in prison” in conditions he described as “disgusting” and “inhumane.”
MARVIN by Tom Armstrong HI AND LOIS by Chance Browne
ZITS
by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman
BEETLE BAILEY by Mort Walker
HAGAR THE HORRIBLE by Chris Browne
BLONDIE by Young and Drake MUTTS by Patrick McDonell
CURTIS by Ray Billingsley
BETWEEN FRIENDS by Sandra Bell-Lundy
Saturday, January 25, 2025
The words that Episcopal Bishop of Washington Mariann Budde spoke were few. They weren’t shouted. They weren’t demanding. They consisted of insights and a request that might be heard anywhere at any time in a house of worship.
Because those words were spoken directly to the newly, second-time elected president of the United States during a widely covered prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, they are likely to be remembered long after this administration has gone the way of the next election.
The Iola Register
~ Journalism that makes a difference
Bishop Budde did what a Christian
Hers was but one voice amid a growing chorus of religious figures condemning the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportation. Unlike others, however, she had the opportunity to address the president directly. The words have gone viral, but it is worth repeating them here:
is obliged to do
“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country. ... The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals.
“They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes, and are good neighbors.
“They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurdwara and temples.
“I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here.”
What Budde did wasn’t just taking advantage of an opportune encounter with the commander in chief. What she did was something she was obliged to do as a disciple of Christ preaching the Christian message. She gave a human face to
those who, in the approach of a heartless administration, are a faceless group, shamefully maligned and made into a national scapegoat. They have become the new enemy, the inhuman “other” upon which our social ills and anxieties have been heaped.
Some will disparage her words as a bit of performative preaching. Others will dismiss them because there will never be proof her words provided solace or safety for immigrants. Others will apply political calculus to her message and wonder which voters she might have affected or whether she merely solidified entrenched divisions in the Christian world as well as the wider culture.
All of that is irrelevant noise.
Was Jesus chastised for failing to accurately calculate the displeasure of Roman and religious leaders before pronouncing his next discomfiting truth?
IF A CHRISTIAN LEADER in her pulpit, addressing a president who voluntarily placed himself in that sacred space, cannot speak out of the heart of the Gospel, then we might as well turn our cathedrals, basilicas and other houses of worship into museums.
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance spent months ginning up inordinate fear among immigrant communities and exploiting the lies beneath that fear for political purposes. Trump has pardoned violent criminals who attempted an insurrection. He has been celebrated by crude racists and those who would endanger the LGBTQ community.
If Budde had not addressed
those fears and begged for mercy, the service would have been, at best, a disingenuous engagement and, at worst, an act of fraud and cowardice.
Given Trump’s general avoidance of worship spaces, it is unlikely that any other minister of the Gospel will have the opportunity to confront him as directly. It is gratifying then to know that, in addition to Budde, there is a growing chorus of Christian leaders condemning Trump’s intended mass deportations and his insistent lies that the immigrant population is made up mostly of criminals.
which will harm the most vulnerable among us.”
Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, a Texas diocese on the border with Mexico, issued a lengthy condemnation of Trump’s plans, saying they “deeply affect our local community and raise urgent moral and human concerns.”
The Department of Homeland Security’s decision to permit immigration raids in schools and churches “strikes fear into the heart of our community, cynically layering a blanket of anxiety on families when they are worshiping God, seeking healthcare, and dropping off and picking up children at school,” Seitz said.
In comments made during a Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich said, “The Catholic community stands with the people of Chicago in speaking out in defense of the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers.”
If Budde had not addressed those fears and begged for mercy, the service would have been, at best, a disingenuous engagement and, at worst, an act of fraud and cowardice.
POPE FRANCIS, in an unusually blunt assessment, called Trump’s mass deportation plans “a disgrace.” Cardinal Robert McElroy, the newly appointed archbishop of Washington, warned earlier this month that an indiscriminate mass deportation program would be “incompatible with Catholic doctrine.”
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and head of the Archdiocese for Military Services, included additional elements in his critique: “Some provisions contained in the Executive Orders, such as those focused on the treatment of immigrants and refugees, foreign aid, expansion of the death penalty, and the environment, are deeply troubling and will have negative consequences, many of
Understandably, the cardinal also opposes attempts by “government agencies to enter places of worship for any enforcement activities.” Other denominations, including Quakers, Presbyterians, Unitarians and the United Church of Christ have all publicly declared opposition to mass deportations and support for immigrants. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has declared itself a “sanctuary denomination.”
Underneath those declarations and public statements, untold numbers of groups, parishes, congregations, synagogues and organizations are making plans to blunt the Trump administration policies. Who knows? Trump, who declared in his inaugural address that his election was divinely ordained, may energize and unite mainline Christianity in the United States in a way we haven’t seen for decades.
In the meantime, one of God’s servants has intervened in a modest and respectful way, begging for mercy for the most vulnerable among us. It is an unremarkable ask for a Christian leader, but it may take remarkable action from the rest of us to see mercy served.
— The National Catholic Reporter
A look back in t me. A look back in t me.
50 Years Ago January 1975
Iola High School’s 197475 girls basketball team was among the first of its female squads to compete. Front row from left, Teresa Dreher, Diane Bodemann, Cindy Summers, Jody Emmons, Patty Wilmoth and Melinda Britt; second row, Pam Stegman, Michelle Specht, Kathy Friskel, Donna Tippie, Aleta Platt and Cindy Burris. *****
Humboldt council approved up to $500,000 in industrial revenue bonds to build and equip an IGA super-
market. Bob Pence, one of the owners of the Pence IGA, said his company plans to build a new store and sought the city bond issue to obtain financing at a lower rate of interest.
***** Iola commissioners, plagued by requests for exemptions from the garbage collection fee on city utility bills, took a firm stand against any exceptions. The commissioners said in order to administer the ordinance fairly, no exceptions could be made because the costs of collecting and transporting the garbage had to be met.
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, left, arrives as President Donald Trump looks on during the National Prayer Service at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday, Jan. 21, in Washington, D.C. In her address, the Bishop asked Trump to show mercy to the disadvantaged. (CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES/TNS)
Museum: Exhibit
Continued from A1
Indigenous people were occupants, rather than owners, of their own lands. In 1830, the federal government passed the Indian Removal Act — a legal means to remove Indigenous peoples from their homelands to open the territory for American settlement.
Forced removal began in 1838.
“The exhibit is on a topic that maybe a lot of people really don’t want to talk about — the dark phases of history,” said Russell. However, having opened on Wednesday, the exhibit has piqued people’s interest. “We’ve had some people already stop by to see it,” he added.
Despite the atrocities that came from the forced removals, Indigenous peoples and cultures survived and tribal sovereignty is codified in U.S. law.
Today, there are more than 570 federally-recognized tribes that continue to celebrate their traditions and tribal sovereignty.
Consisting of eight pop-up banners, the exhibit is created by the Watkins Museum of History in partnership with the Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area. Allen County
Historical Society board member Jon Wells says it is a “fascinating exhibition shedding light on a central but often neglected portion of Kansas history. A valuable addition to both college and K-12 classrooms.”
The exhibit will be on display for six weeks, from Jan. 22 until March 5 during the museum’s open hours of 2 to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. During this time, the Allen County Historical Society welcomes the public to attend two different presentations.
An open house event for the exhibit will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m., Feb. 2, at the Allen County Museum.
On Feb. 23, at 2 p.m., Dr. Eric Anderson of Haskell Indian Nations University will give a program on the sovereignty of Native American tribes in Kansas. This event will be at the Frederick Funston Meeting Hall, 207 N. Jefferson Ave., and is free to the public to attend.
For more information about the exhibit or the Allen County Historical Society, stop by 20 S. Washington Ave., Iola, or contact Kurtis Russell at 620-365-3051 or achsdirector@outlook. com.
Kitchen: Groups help victims recover
Continued from A1
nership by reaching out to churches and civic organizations.
St. Timothy was the perfect match. A group of volunteers — led by the team of Marsha Burris, Donna Sifers, Candace Sifers and Jo Bunker — already work with Hope Unlimited in many ways.
Volunteers offer a home-cooked meal for shelter residents every other week. They cook food for a chicken and noodle fundraiser and collect items for online auctions and raffles.
The church regularly collects items for victims of domestic violence, including a collection drive for hats, gloves and mittens this past Christmas.
Burris, with the support of St. Timothy’s priest, the Rev. Daryl Stanford, sent out a call to the congregation. Donations flowed in.
The Grace Episcopal Church of Chanute also joined in the effort and provided two kitchen kits.
The Siferses, both Donna and Candace, said they had fun shopping for items for the kitchen kits. One of Bunker’s friends donated a full kitchen as a
Christmas gift, and her husband challenged his co-worker to raise money for items as well.
All told, the partnership collected 12 complete kits. Each serves up to four people in a household.
K-STATE Research and Extension recently introduced a Rural Ag Health Community Health Worker initiative to improve and sustain the health and safety of rural Kansans and agricultural work-
Schools: House looks to cut property tax
Continued from A1
Kansas Department of Revenue estimates the impact would be $823.6 million over five years, assuming property values grow by 5% each year from 2026 to 2030.
Debate Wednesday in the House Taxation Committee centered on concerns that the Legislature would return to a familiar pattern of lowering tax collections to the point that lawmakers eventually would cut public school funding and instigate another legal battle.
The Kansas Supreme Court has repeatedly forced the Legislature to abide by a constitutional mandate to adequately and equitably fund public schools. Last year, the Supreme Court released jurisdiction over the most recent case, elevating fears by public schools that the Legislature could again pull the rug out from under them.
Republicans on the House committee said that isn’t the goal of House Bill 2011, but they stopped short of agreeing to include language that would require transfers from the State General Fund to ensure schools would retain full funding. Without the transfer, the base state aid would be lowered by $100 and $169 per pupil in the next two years.
“Seems like the courts have taken over appropriation for schools, and the Legislature surrendered that to them,” said Rep. Francis Awerkamp, R-St. Marys. “So whatever the courts tell the Legislature we need to pay schools, we’re going to pay schools.” Tim Graham, with the Kansas National Education Association, said public schools have been shorted in the past
This is the top priority for our members. I think you all heard this at the doorstep. Issue one, two and three were property tax relief. This fits in line.
— Dan Murray
when the Legislature adopted aggressive tax cuts.
“You know the court has given up jurisdiction to this case, and quite frankly, we have a lot of anxiety of what’s happened in the past 24-25 years with school funding,” Graham told Awerkamp.
After five seconds of silence, Graham asked:
“Are were in a staring contest?”
“No, we’re not,” Aw-
erkamp said. “So you made the statement, the Legislature appropriates the dollars, we control the purse strings. Are you saying it’s wrong for the courts to tell the Legislature —”
“I’m not going to get into that,” Graham said.
Graham, school officials and public school advocates identified themselves as neutral on the bill while raising concerns about whether the state could afford such a large property tax cut.
Rep. Adam Smith, a Weskan Republican who chairs the committee, said the property tax relief would “basically” be subsidized by income and sales tax collections that go into the State General Fund, making it more difficult to lower those taxes in the future.
Lobbyists for business and agriculture groups testified in support of the legislation.
Dan Murray, of the National Federation of Independent Business, said the organization had surveyed members and found 88% supported lowering the state property tax rate.
“This is the top priority for our members,” Murray said. “I think you all heard this at the doorstep. Issue one, two and three were property tax relief. This fits in line.”
ers. The project received funding and support from K-State 105, an economic growth and advancement initiative for all 105 counties in Kansas through Kansas State University. Walrod joined the Southwind district in August after working in foster care and adoption.
“It fits well with my life ethos,” she said. “Ever since I was a lit-
tle girl, I wanted to help those in need.”
The project also fits well with St. Timothy’s mission. Burris outlined a few of the many community outreach projects for 2024 and 2025. For example, a member of the congregation donated a washer and dryer for the Altoona-Midway school district’s laundry program.
The church also supports Allen Community College through meals for athletes, a scholarship, and donations to events such as the Neil Crane Court Naming Campaign.
Other efforts benefit ACARF, Wings of Warriors Cancer Foundation, and the Family and Pregnancy Resource Center.
“It’s our way of reaching out and sharing the love of Jesus,” Burris said.
Subscribers have unique access to
iolaregister.com/archives
The Rev. Daryl Stanford gathers items for a Kitchen Restore Project kit.
Sports Daily B
Saturday, January 25, 2025
Cubs nip Iola in tourney thriller
By RICHARD LUKEN
The Iola Register
It’s probably important not to put too much emphasis on Thursday’s War on 54 Tournament showdown between host Iola High and visiting Humboldt.
It’s just one game in a jampacked schedule for both teams this week. But, boy, was it fun.
Humboldt secured a 5350 win, courtesy of three key defensive stops in the game’s final minute. The last came when Iola’s Cortland Carson was on the mark, but a shade too long, on a 3-point attempt with about 5 seconds left in the game. Iola’s Nick Bauer corralled the rebound, but was off balance as he tossed up a des-
peration heave just before the buzzer sounded.
The ball came up short as the Cubs danced in jubilation at midcourt.
“It definitely had a lot of spice,” Humboldt senior Colden Cook said. “The fans were getting into it, which made it a lot more fun. And beating Iola, just one town over, adds to it. We’re always talking smack to each other
through the summer.”
Coaches of both teams agreed.
“That was exciting for both towns, both schools,” Humboldt head coach David Taylor said. “There’s a little bit of bragging rights until the next time they play each other.”
“We had our shots,” Iola
Humboldt girls fall in overtime
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Humboldt High’s Lady Cubs came within an eyelash of securing one of their signature wins of the 2024-25 campaign Thursday.
Humboldt held a 45-40 lead in the final minute of regulation against Cherryvale in the championship semifinals of Iola’s War on 54 Midseason Tournament.
But Cherryvale, which beat this same Lady Cub squad by 11 points six days earlier, turned to senior Kadynce Forman for some late heroics.
Forman drained a 3-pointer and then two free throws to force an overtime, where a shell-shocked Humboldt squad saw its offensive opportunities go awry in a 5146 loss.
“Our kids really showed some stuff,” Lady Cub head coach Aubrey Jones said. “Unfortunately, we were plagued with the turnover bug. You’re not gonna beat good teams when you commit turnovers.”
Humboldt stayed in front for much of the evening,
Mustangs advance to War on 54 title game
By RICHARD LUKEN
Yes, it’s only been two games, and yes, there’s still half a season to play.
But Iola High’s girls may be turning a corner.
The Mustangs put together arguably one of their most complete games of the season Thursday, taking the early lead against St. Paul and never looking back in a 58-42 victory.
The win, in the War on 54 Midseason Tournament Semifinal, put Iola in Friday’s championship game against Cherryvale. (Results were unavailable by press time.)
By RICHARD LUKEN
Marmaton Valley High’s boys were up for the challenge against a taller Anderson County squad Thursday, at least for a little while.
The Wildcats broke out to a 9-6 lead by the mid-point of the first quarter, thanks to a couple of early buckets by Dominic Smith.
But a growing number of turnovers and missed free
Thursday’s matchup featured a little bit of everything Mustang head coach Kelsey Johnson wants to see from her lineup.
There was plenty of aggression on offense, some gritty defense, lightsout free throw shooting, “and our rebounding was huge,” Johnson said. “We just never let up.”
Perhaps most importantly, Iola stayed on an even keel amid a barrage of St. Paul charges, partic-
Crest squads rebound with emphatic wins
By RICHARD LUKEN
The Iola Register
Crest High’s boys and girls squads were able to erase the sting of disappointing tournament losses earlier in the week by steamrolling their foes Thursday in the War on 54 Midseason Tournament Seminfinals.
The Lady Lancers broke things open with a 12-0 second quarter run in what became a 41-26 win over Fort Scott’s junior varsity.
Meanwhile, the Crest boys jumped out to a 13-2 lead to set the tone in a 68-29 win over St. Paul.
Both teams were to wrap up tournament play Friday, with the girls facing Anderson County, while Crest’s boys taking on Cherryvale. (Results were unavailable by deadline.)
Lady Lancer head coach Steve Zimmerman said Crest entered Thursday’s semifinal round still a bit in the dumps after a loss to host Iola on Tuesday.
“We definitely needed a bounceback game,” he said.
The doldrums extended into the first quarter, with Crest nursing a 9-7 lead.
Karlee Boots and Cursten Allen helped
the cause in the second period. Boots scored six points, while Allen drained a 3-pointer as Crest extended its lead to 21-7 by halftime.
“We’re still coming out a little flat offensively,” Zimmerman said. No worries. Crest upped the lead to 32-15 by the end of the third quarter to take full control.
Boots wound up with 12 points to lead the way. Allen scored nine, including a pair of 3-pointers.
“It was good to see
At left, Crest High’s
Aylee Beckmon (5) throws a pass over the arms of Fort Scott’s Kodi Casper Thursday at the War on 54 Tournament. Above, Crest’s Gentry McGhee drives in the boys’ semifinal game.
REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Cursten knock down those 3s,” Zimmerman said. “Aylee (Beckmon) is playing better, even with her sore knee. Jaycee Schmidt really came alive late in the end.”
Mary Maloon scored 12 for Fort Scott.
CREST boys head coach Dakotah Sporing noted Crest had a little added motivation, aside from its loss to Iola.
“I know the guys wanted to win the Iola game pretty badly,” Sporing said. More importantly
for him was to see how Crest played against a St. Paul squad that featured a roster of only five.
Crest took on St. Paul last week, and saw the game tied after one quarter.
“We did not come out ready to play when we played them Friday,” Sporing said. “We were much more mentally prepared this time. We’d watched film on that first game to see what worked and what didn’t. The guys put 2 and 2 together and just played ball.”
Kole Walter and Lane Yocham each hit three 3-pointers. Walter led the way with 18 points. Yocham scored 15. Jacob Zimmerman added 10 and Gentry McGhee eight.
Breck Norris scored 12 for St. Paul.
Crest girls (9-12-11-9—41) FG/3pt
(13-21-28-6—68)
Cubs: Top Iola in tourney thriller
Continued from B1
head coach Luke Bycroft said. “We had good looks at it. A few of our guys were taking it pretty hard because they have a bit of a rivalry with Humboldt. We’re gonna have to get it out of our heads quickly. We can’t dwell on this.”
The conclusion was a fitting finale in a game in which both teams had big scoring runs before the teams became locked in a tight, backand-forth affair through the second half, featuring six lead changes and two ties after the break.
Cook’s baseline drive with two minutes left had Humboldt in front, 51-48, before Carson responded with a beautiful, shot clock-beating jumper to make it 51-50 with 1:35 remaining.
Cook was whistled for traveling on the Cubs’ next possession. But Iola then came up empty on its possession, handing the ball back to Humboldt.
Iola got another crack by drawing a charging foul against Cook — his fifth of the game — sending him to the bench with 34 seconds left.
Blake Ellis turned the odds back in Humboldt’s favor by stealing the ball just in front of the Mustang bench. Iola quickly fouled Franklin, who hit 1 of 2 charities for a two-point lead with 24 seconds left.
Iola’s Matthew Beckmon — who’d hit twice from 3-point range earlier in the game — came out of a timeout looking to give Iola the lead, but his 3-pointer was a shade too long.
Ellis got the rebound and hit 1 of 2 charities, keeping it a one-possession game, and giving
Iola another shot to tie.
“Next year, we’re gonna petition KSHSAA to put funnels up by the rim when we’re shooting free throws,” Taylor joked. “We should be real solid.”
THE EARLY going was all Humboldt.
The Mustangs tried a zone defense in the first quarter, “but we were terrible,” Bycroft noted. “We had no energy.”
Asher Hart was the primary beneficiary, scoring six early points for the Cubs, who took an 11-3 lead.
Bycroft switched defenses to his preferred man-to-man, giving Iola the lift it needed.
“It settled us down and freed us up on the offensive end,” Bycroft noted.
“The first quarter, we dictated everything that went on,” Taylor said. “In the second and third quarter, Iola pretty much dictated it. The fourth quarter was a draw. Luckily we got a couple of things we wanted to do.”
“We just could not get enough buckets, outside of Cortland,” Bycroft said. “Tre was able to put some points on the boards by getting those rebounds, which were huge. But we’re not getting enough other guys to share the scoring load. It can’t be like, when we’re getting late in the shot clock to just let Cortland hit a shot. Fortunately, we have somebody like Cortland who’s spent a lot of time in the gym, but it’s not a winning formula.”
nine.
Nick Bauer chipped in with four steals and two assists.
Cook was 9 of 10 from the floor to score 18 points, with eight rebounds and three assists.
“A couple of my fouls were ones I shouldn’t have made,” he admitted. “It was pretty nerve-wracking not being in there at the end. You just wish you could be out there. But we’re starting to work really well as a team.”
Ellis scored 12 points.
Mason Sterling and Hart had two steals each.
The teams wrapped up tournament play Friday evening. Humboldt took on Anderson County in the championship game, while Iola played Marmaton Valley in the third-place game. Results were unavailable
by press time, but will be posted online at iolaregister.com.
Iola hosts Santa Fe Trail Thursday in a makeup contest before traveling next Friday to Burlington.
Humboldt will get to see Anderson County in an immediate rematch on Tuesday in Garnett.
Humboldt (13-8-14-16—53) FG/3ptFTF
MV: Plays for 3rd
Continued from B1
throws allowed Anderson County to get the upper hand.
The Bulldogs ended the first quarter on a 12-3 run, setting the tone for the rest of the game in a 75-36 victory.
The loss, in the championship semifinals of the War on 54 Midseason Tournament, put Marmaton Valley in Friday’s third-place game against host Iola. (Results were unavailable by press time.)
“Anderson County’s a good team,” Wildcat head coach Cornell Walls said. “We knew that coming in, that we had nothing to lose. I’m sure everybody probably expected us to lose, but I liked the way we came out and fought and hung with them.”
And if the inside play of Anderson County’s Noah Porter wasn’t enough, Marmaton Valley also had to contend with some outside shooting from Brylan Sommer and Brayden Wheat.
The pair combined to hit five 3-pointers, all starting in the second quarter.
Anderson County stretched its advantage to 40-23 at halftime before putting together a 22-8 third-quarter run.
But Marmaton Valley lost the services of senior guard Jaedon Granere at halftime due to illness.
“He’s a big part of what we need to do, and we got a little stagnant in the second half,” Walls continued. “We weren’t able to get the ball inside, and couldn’t execute.”
Smith scored 11 to lead the Wildcats. Granere and Lane Lord added seven each.
Anderson County’s Wheat poured in 24 points, followed by Porter with 20, Aydan Steele with 15 and Sommer with 12.
“We faced diversity, and that’s good for us,” Walls said. “It prepares us for later in the season. We know we’ve got stuff to work on. As long as we come out and fight hard, and as long as we’re learning, I’m happy.”
Anderson Co. (18-22-2213—75)
Carson’s 22 points led the Mustangs, followed by Wilson with 10 points and six rebounds — four on the offensive end. Beckmon scored
Yates Center squads struggle in tournament semis
By RICHARD LUKEN
The Iola Register
The frigid cold weather blowing through Kansas this week may also have put a chill on Yates Center High’s offense.
The Wildcat boys struggled mightily to score points against Cherryvale Thursday in the semifinals of the War on 54 Tournament.
The Chargers led 16-9 after one quarter, 33-12 at halftime and 48-18 after three quarters on the way to a 50-24 victory.
“We were not ready to handle pressure tonight, nor did we come out ready to apply pressure,” Wildcat head coach Lane Huffman said. “Tournament weeks can bring out the best or the worst of teams, and Thursday night we did not bring our best.” Yates Center was able
Yates Center High’s Jacob Smoot (14) makes a pass Thursday in the War on 54 Tournament. REGISTER/ RICHARD LUKEN
to move the ball frequently, and often got open looks at the bucket, Huffman noted.
“But the shots wouldn’t fall,” he said.
“The key is to make sure we do not sandwich those possessions in between turnovers. If we can consistently do our jobs on offense, the
shots will begin to fall.” Trouble was, those offensive issues bled over to the defensive end.
“Defensively this was one of our weaker performances,” Huffman said. “We will have to do a better job staying in front of the ball moving into the second half of our season.”
Ben Cook led Yates Center with eight points.
Bricen Raida’s 21 paced Cherryvale.
THE WILDCAT girls also struggled to get their offense in gear, in a 61-18 loss to Anderson County.
The Wildcats trailed 22-0 after the first quarter and 33-5 at the break.
Yates Center started to click a little better after the break, but not enough as Anderson County extended its lead to 53-12 by the end
Humboldt: Falls in OT heartbreaker
Continued from B1
thanks to timely contributions up and down the lineup.
Skylar Hottenstein hit a 3-pointer in the second quarter as Humboldt forged ahead, 2217, at the break.
The third and fourth quarters became a sequence of scoring runs. Every time Cherryvale threatened to seize momentum, Humboldt was there for a response.
Chanlynn Wrestler and Laney Hull both hit from 3-point range in the third quarter as Humboldt stayed on top, 34-28. And things looked even better as Hottenstein and Jo Ellison both hit critical free throws down the stretch. Ellison’s scores came with just over a minute left, pushing Humboldt up by five.
But that’s when Cherryvale’s press, and Forman’s shooting, took hold of the narrative.
Forman connected twice from downtown
in the last two minutes as part of her 21-point night.
“That felt like a championship game,” Jones said.
While Humboldt’s defense was still solid in the overtime, the offensive struggles persisted.
“We got in too much of a hurry,” Jones said. “We want to be quick, but we don’t want to
hurry.”
The key, she said, is to use Thursday’s loss as a learning experience.
“This was an exciting game,” she noted. “We will learn from this.”
Humboldt wrapped up tournament play Friday in the thirdplace game against St. Paul. Results were unavailable at press time.
Humboldt is back in
Iola: Mustangs top St. Paul
Continued from B1
ularly in the second half.
“This is one of the first games we’ve had this year that we kept our cool when the other team tried to come back,” Johnson said.
Senior Elza Clift got things started with a pair of 3-pointers, and Iola pulled ahead 17-13 after one.
“She’s always been great on defense, and she’s really been creating a lot of offense,” Johnson said. “We know she’s capable of doing that. Those 3s were big.”
Harper Desmarteau and Reese Curry took on the scoring mantle in the second quarter, combining to score 13 of Iola’s 14 points.
The Mustangs led by as many as 14 before a pair of late St. Paul buckets sliced the deficit to 31-21.
The Indians weren’t intent on going away quietly. Sophomore Ava Dent drained a pair of
3-pointers, while Megan Doherty also hit from downtown.
But Iola’s Desmarteau, Curry and Zoie Hesse kept things in order for the Mustangs, who still maintained a 48-36 lead headed into the fourth quarter.
The Indians’ pressure limited Iola’s scoring from the field down the stretch — Curry had the team’s only field goal in the fourth.
But that was rendered moot because Iola’s defense found its groove once again. Tack on some free throw marksmanship — 8 of 10 from the line in the quarter — and Iola was able to keep its double-digit lead to the end.
Desmarteau and Curry poured in 18 points each. Curry went 6 of 7 from the charity stripe; Desmarteau went 11 of 13. Clift added 10 points, and Hesse eight. Doherty’s 13 paced St. Paul. Dent added 10.
of the third quarter.
Mckynzee Burkholder scored nine to lead Yates Center. Brooklyn Kellerman’s 22-point night for the Bulldogs included four 3-pointers.
YATES CENTER wrapped up War on 54 Tournament play Friday, but those results were unavailable by press time.
The Wildcats will host Altoona-Midway Tuesday.
Yates Center girls (0-5-76—18) FG/3pt
“This is a big week for us,” Johnson said. “We are coming together. Taking that month off for Christmas was tough, but the girls are coming around. Winning two in a row has been good. They’ve earned both of them.”
Regular season action resumes Thursday with a makeup game at home against Santa Fe Trail, before Iola travels to Burlington next Friday.
action Tuesday at Anderson County.
Humboldt girls (10-12-12-111—46)
RISE & GRIND TUES. & THURS. 5:45 A.M.
6-WEEK SESSION BEGINNING ON TUES., JAN. 14TH
Get up and kickstart the day with this sweat sesh! This class is a quick 30-35 minutes of hard work! We’ll incorporate di erent styles of fitness in each class to keep your body in constant motion and get you ready to tackle the day. We’ll meet twice a week in person and an additional workout will be provided to be done on your own. This class is for all levels of fitness as every movement can be modified!
HEALTHY FOR LIFE MON., WED. & FRI. 9:30 A.M.
As you age, it is more important than ever to stay active. Routine exercise can help improve your overall health and well-being and may even help prevent some age-related health conditions. In this 45-minute class, we’ll focus on strength, cardiovascular endurance, balance, and coordination for a total body workout that conditions the participants for everyday activities.
SIT AND BE FIT MON., WED., & FRI. 10:30 A.M.
This 30-minute class is a safe and e ective way to improve your life through functional fitness. Each participant will have a chair to utilize during the class along with dumbbells, bands, mini bands, medicine balls, and other equipment as needed. Come join the fun and in the process, ease inflammation, improve energy, and promote overall better health.
BODY BLAST MON. 5:30 P.M.
By training with dumbbells, resistance-bands, and body weight this workout will give you an exciting range of strengthening, balance, and core exercises while improving cardiovascular health.
POWER PILATES TUES. 5:30 P.M.
This low-intensity muscle-strengthening workout will focus heavily on building strong core muscles. Using light weights, bands, and Pilates rings, this class promotes strength, flexibility, mobility, and posture.
RUMBLE: PUNCHES, KICKS, & STICKS WED. 5:30 P.M.
This authentic cardio mixed martial arts class is designed for group fitness fun. Using the RUMBLE stick, you’ll create a higher degree of training and is an extension of your body, which enhances spatial awareness and overall movement. No martial arts experience required.
YOGA WED. 6:15 P.M.
Our yoga class is a mix between the slow-paced style of yin restorative yoga and vinyasa flow yoga. This yoga class will put you in poses that apply moderate stress to the connective tissues of the body—the tendons, fasciae, and ligaments—with the aim of increasing circulation in the joints and improving flexibility.
POWER PILATES: SCULPT THURS. 5:30 P.M.
Pilates
Humboldt High’s Jo Ellison looks to pass Thursday. PHOTO BY MIKE MYER
IMS struggles vs. Burlington
Iola Middle School’s boys had a tough go of it Thursday as the Mustangs hosted Burlington for a slate of games. The Wildcats won all four games against the hometown Iola squads. Iola came up short, 29-17 in seventh-grade A team play and 26-9 in seventh-grade B team action.
In eighth-grade play, Burlington prevailed, 40-8 in the
A team matchup and 52-15 in the B team affair. Milo Franklin scored seven to lead Iola’s seventh-graders.
Jaxen Mueller was next with four. Cade Curry, Ty Thomas and Austin Campbell scored two apiece. Corbin Coffield scored four to lead the seventh-grade B-teamers. Kaiden Jones and Treyvion Rhoads added two apiece. Lee Wanker scored one.
BRODEN Emerson led Iola’s eighth-grade A team with seven. Robert McLaughlin added four, Braylon Keithly three and Konner Morrison one.
Tysen Hyden’s three points led the B team output for the Mustangs. Iola is back in action at home Tuesday vs. Anderson County.
Iola Middle School’s Cade Curry (2) plays defense Thursday. REGISTER/ RICHARD LUKEN
