The Iola Register, October 26, 2020 by Iola Register

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Monday, October 26, 2020

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Candidates call it straight As a then-Republican state senator, Bollier joined the vast majority of legislators in supporting a 2018 measure that allows law enforcement to take guns away from people who are at risk to themselves or others. De La Isla, mayor of Topeka, said that though the The Constitution “gives us the liberty to own guns, every liberty comes with a responsibility attached to it.” De La Isla noted that last year there were 111 cases in Topeka of cars being broken into because they contained guns. “A responsible gun owner doesn’t do that,” she said. “That’s not how we keep people safe.”

By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register

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Fillies fall in second round of sub-state PAGE B1

Pence keeps travel plans despite aides being infected WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence plans to maintain an aggressive campaign schedule this week despite an apparent outbreak of the coronavirus among his senior aides, the White House says. Pence’s chief of staff, Marc Short, and “a couple of key staff surrounding the vice president” have tested positive for the virus, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said Sunday. The vice president, who along with his wife, Karen, tested negative on Sunday, according to his office, is considered a “close contact” of the aides under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria but will not quarantine, his spokesman said. Devin O’Malley said Pence decided to maintain his travel schedule “in consultation with the White House Medical Unit” and “in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel.” Those guidelines require that essential workers exposed to someone with the coronavirus closely monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and wear a mask whenever around other people. Saskia Popescu, an infectious disease expert at George Mason University, See PENCE | Page A2

Gun control, defunding the police and gay rights were only a few of the issues that Democratic candidates tackled on a chilly Saturday afternoon on the courthouse square. An audience of about 50 gathered to hear Sen. Barbara Bollier, candidate for the U.S. Senate, and Michelle De La Isla, candidate for Congress representing the 2nd District. Lynn Rogers, Kansas Lt. Gov., was also part of the tour. The presentation was dedicated to answering voters’ questions. Gun Control

“I grew up hunting,” Bollier said, noting deer season “is when I miss my dad the most.” A strong defender of the Second Amendment, Bollier said, “I’m not coming after anyone’s gun. I’ve got my own.” What Bollier is for, is gun safety. “Gun violence happens, and it’s a public health issue.”

Health Care

Iolan Allie Utley holds a microphone while Ken McGuffin asks candidates Barbara Bollier and Michelle De La Isla a question Saturday afternoon. REGISTER/SUSAN LYNN

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas set new records Friday for its largest seven-day increases in new coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths with what its top public health official called “a generalized spread” of the COVID-19 virus. The state has averaged more than 700 new cases a day this month, and the figure was a record 768 for the seven days

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Rising temps challenge farmers

Dirty work More than 20 volunteers descended upon LaHarpe Saturday for its annual fall cleanup day project, in which roughly 20 properties were cleared of debris, brush, tires and other objects. Assisting with the work were several missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; workers from Nelson Quarries, who offered use of a dump truck and front end loader; and Thrive Allen County. LaHarpe city employees will canvass the city now to help clear away piles that weren’t hauled off Saturday. Volunteers also continued work over the weekend at the new bicycle track at the LaHarpe City Park, which is funded in part by a People of Bikes grant. The workers hope to have the track ready for use in the coming days. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Kansas sees record 7-day spikes in COVID-19 cases By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press

Bollier said the No. 1 issue voiced by constituents was the lack of adequate healthcare, including the price of prescription medications. “People ask why the government can’t negotiate the price of drugs with Big Phar-

ending Friday, beating the previous high mark of 757 for the seven days ending Wednesday. The state Department of Health and Environment reported 1,774 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases since Wednesday, an increase of 2.4% that brought the total for the pandemic to 76,230. Dr. Lee Norman, the state health department’s head, said the generalized spread of the virus in Kansas has resulted from resistance to

wearing masks in public, continuing to have mass gatherings, crowded school athletic events, and bringing students back to college and university campuses. “This is absolutely what we’ve been predicting,” Norman said in a text to The Associated Press. “It is the natural consequence of not following the anti-contagion measures in our communities.” Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said this week that she wants to work with leaders

of the Republican-controlled Legislature on imposing a bipartisan, statewide mandate for people to wear masks in public. She issued such an order July 2, but state law allowed counties to opt out, and most did. Top Republican lawmakers have argued against a “one-size-fits-all” mandate on diverse communities. But rural counties are seeing the largest numbers of new cases per 1,000 residents, and of the See CASES | Page A2

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Growing corn and soybeans will become increasingly challenging for Kansas farmers as the climate warms, according to a recent Kansas State University study. The study found that drought and heat are currently the biggest reason for crop yield losses and expect that these losses will become more common because of climate change, The Wichita Eagle reports. If temperatures rise another 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit, risks to crop yields will increase by 32% for corn and 11% for soybeans, according to the study. It looked at USDA Risk Management Agency data over 25 years in every state east of the 100th Meridian, which goes through Dodge City and divides the country from humid eastern states to arid western states, where crops depend more heavily on irrigation. “Kansas is having a relatively larger increase in crop risk as a response to a one-degree Celsius warming, compared to the other parts of the country,” said Jisang Yu, assistant professor of agriculture economics at K-State. Most of Kansas fall into the top 20% percentile for the predicted increase in crop risk for corn and soybeans, according to Yu. On average, the southern U.S. will be hit harder by rising temperatures.

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