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2017 1867
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THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Iola plans to turn Riverside Park levee into trail By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Trail improvements are coming to Iola. Iola City Council members agreed to a request from Thrive Allen County to expand the Southwind Trail along the Riverside Park levees, creating a loop around the park. The trail already follows along the old Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad
on the east side of the park, where it ties into the Prairie Spirit Rail Trail to the north and extends to Humboldt to the south. The levees will remain as grass and not have a gravel screen surface like the rest of the trail. City Administrator Sid Fleming said the best alternative would be for city crews simply to mow the grass atop the levee much See TRAIL | Page A3
City OKs pool passes for students By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
After another lengthy debate on whether offering pool passes is an effective incentive for students to work hard in the classroom, Iola City Council members agreed, in part, to a request to do just that. Council members voted,
The levees surrounding Riverside Park soon will become part of the Southwind Rail Trail. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Volunteers celebrated By SHELLIE SMITLEY The Iola Register
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llen County Regional Hospital honored its 53 auxiliary volunteers, Monday, with a carnival-themed luncheon in conjunction with National Volunteer Month. Donna Culver, grandmother of 19 and greatgrandmother of 31, is the leader of The Auxiliary group. “She is an amazing lady, always upbeat and positive and that really makes a difference,” Tony Thompson, ACRH administrator, said. Culver started volunteering at the hospital January 2014. She can be found once a week at either the receptionist desk or the gift shop. She has also been an officer of Crime Stoppers since its inception 22 years ago. “I guess I am a habitual volunteer,” she said. Culver started her career as a volunteer for the Red Cross in disaster aid, a position she held for more than 20 years. Her efforts focused on survivors affected by tornados, floods and hurricanes in both the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico. Culver said her life has made a full circle. She attended business college in Wichita after high school and afterwards raised 10 children. “Regardless of my education and training, with that many children nobody would hire me,” she said. Finally, she got a job as a dishwasher and assistant cook at Allen County Hos-
See POOL | Page A3
Young Authors history shared By RICK DANLEY The Iola Register
Allen County Regional Hospital honored its 53 auxiliary volunteers Monday with a carnivalthemed luncheon in conjunction with National Volunteer Month. Above, Alice Hood, center, won a cupcake during the cupcake walk. To her right is Executive Secretary Barb Smith, planner of the event, and volunteer Mary LaCrone.
Attending the volunteer celebration were, at left, ACRH CEO Tony Thompson and Donna Culver. At right are volunteers Saundra Upshaw, from left, who volunteers in hospice, Erika Swaim, who volunteers in the gift shop and at the reception desk and Naomi Clounch, who works at the reception desk. REGISTER/SHELLIE SMITLEY pital. She eventually went on to work for Allen County Community College where she was director of both single parent education and
allied health programs. “So here, 50 years later, I am back at the hospital. I started out at 90 cents an hour and now I make the big
bucks,”she said jokingly. Culver said her experiences have left her with an awe See ACRH | Page A3
Congress works on budget to avert shutdown WASHINGTON (AP) — Bipartisan bargainers are making progress toward a budget deal to prevent a partial federal shut- Donald Trump down this weekend, a major hurdle overcome when President
6-0, Monday to offer pool passes to all USD 257 students in grades 6-12 who make the honor roll. The honor roll level will determine how many passes each qualifying student receives. Those who get all A’s will receive three passes; those on the principal’s
Donald Trump signaled he would put off his demand that the measure include money to build his border wall with Mexico. Republicans are also vetting proposed changes to their beleaguered health care bill that they hope will attract enough votes to finally push it through the House. Both efforts come with Congress back from a two-
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week break just days before Trump’s 100th day in office, an unofficial measuring stick of a new president’s effectiveness. With little to show in legislative victories so far, the Trump administration would love to claim achievements on Capitol Hill by that day — this Saturday. The same day, federal agencies would have to close unless lawmakers pass a $1
trillion spending bill financing them or legislation keeping them open temporarily while talks continue. Republicans hope to avoid the ignominy of a government shutdown while their party controls Congress and the White House. White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Monday
Since its start in 1999, the Allen County Young Authors program, which encourages area school children to take up the role of writers and illustrators, has inspired the creation of 13,778 studentproduced books and earned a reputation among nationally recognized children’s authors as the place to be. In a short presentation to the USD 257 board of education Monday night, Deb Greenwall and Daryl Sigg traced the happy evolution of the program — from its original headquarters in Greenwall’s living room — and described for board members the list of events slated for this year’s celebration, which begins Friday morning and features award-winning writer Jewell Parker Rhodes and illustrator E.B. Lewis. Greenwall sang the praises of students and teachers and organizers and local media, but was most adamant in her gratitude to the Sleeper Foundation, which has granted more than $200,000 to the Young Authors program across its 18 years. The Register will provide further coverage of the 2017 Allen County Young Authors celebration in the coming days. Until then, more information can be found online at acyoungauthors.com. ASSISTANT high school principal Scott Crenshaw briefed the board on the random drug testing policy recently adopted by USD 257. The district has decided to go with the Oratect III Saliva Drug Test — an oral swabbing method versus a hair or urine analysis — which will cost the district $12 per
See CONGRESS | Page A3 See 257 | Page A6
“Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.”
— Stephen Hawking 75 Cents
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