Opinion: Columnists weigh in on Brownback legacy See A4
2017 1867
Sports: Rains halt start of state tourney See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Thursday, July 27, 2017
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Brownback to bid adieu Next up: Colyer
State lawmakers react to news of governor’s exit
By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press
By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Five years ago, Gov. Sam Brownback made Kansas an economic laboratory for the nation by aggressively cutting taxes. He’s expected to leave office with his Kansas reputation in tatters and his home state an example of trickle-down economics that didn’t work. The White House on Wednesday announced that President Donald Trump plans to nominate Brownback to serve as ambassadorat-large for international religious freedom. If confirmed by the Senate, he’ll run the State Department’s Office of International Religious Freedom. Kansas officials expect Brownback to step down as governor when he is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, but his office wouldn’t discuss his plans Wednesday evening. Brownback’s fellow Republicans called the
coordination in foreign aid programs. In a tweet Brownback called religious freedom “the first freedom” and said he was honored “to serve such an important cause.” But Tom Witt, executive director of the LGBT-rights group Equality Kansas, de-
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Jeff Colyer is preparing to become Kansas’ next governor after nearly a decade helping fellow conservative Republicans shape health care policy and Jeff Colyer serving as a loyal lieutenant governor and plastic surgeon, who squeezed in medical relief missions to disaster and war zones. Colyer would be elevated when his two-term running mate, GOP Gov. Sam Brownback, resigns to become President Donald Trump’s ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. Trump announced Wednesday that he would nominate Brownback for the post. Kansas officials expect Brownback to step down as
See BROWNBACK | Page A3
See COLYER | Page A3
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback delivers his annual State of the State address on the floor of the Kansas House of Representatives in January. Brownback has been tapped for an ambassadorship by President Donald Trump a little more than a month after he saw his signature tax policy dismantled by the state’s Legislature. WICHITA EAGLE/BO RADER/TNS job a good fit for him, and some conservative religious groups had pushed for the appointment. “Sam has always been called to fight for those of all faiths, and I am glad he has been given an opportunity to answer this call,” said Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, a fellow Republican. Brownback’s departure
would automatically elevate fellow conservative Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer to governor. Brownback, 60, served in the U.S. Senate before his election as governor in 2010 and was an early advocate of U.S. action to stop genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region, and visited Congo and Rwanda to decry humanitarian crises and call for better
Transgender troops ban divides vets in Congress By RICHARD LARDNER The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s decision to ban transgender service in the armed forces drove a wedge through military veterans in Congress, with one camp standing squarely behind the commander in chief and the other decrying his order as an ugly attack on dedicated troops. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, DIll., a former Army helicopter pilot who lost her legs and partial use of her right arm during the Iraq war, called Trump’s announcement discrimi- Tammy natory. Duckworth “When my Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq, I didn’t care if the American troops risking their lives to help save me were gay, straight, transgender or anything else,” she said. “All that mattered was they didn’t leave me behind.” Duckworth said if a perSee BAN | Page A5
An artist’s rendering depicts what the east side of the Bowlus Fine Arts Center will look like after construction of a new entrance, musical garden and other amenities. The $1.2 million project is being funded by the Friends of the Bowlus. IMAGE COUR-
TESY OF THE BOWLUS FINE ARTS CENTER
Work begins on east entrance to Bowlus By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Work is slated to begin on a new entrance and plaza alongside the east side of the Bowlus Fine Arts Center, the largest such construction project since the Bowlus was built more than 50 years ago. Crews have spent the last several days fencing off the construction site and getting materials such as rebar and concrete ordered so the foundation work can begin, perhaps by the end of the week, according to Bowlus Executive Director Susan Raines. Once it gets started, “the work is going to go quickly,” she said.
Quote of the day Vol. 119, No. 190
Weather permitting, workers want to have a full-sized elevator installed by October, “and they’re supposed to be done with everything by Christmas,” Raines said. The work will replace the center’s east entrance, adding a vestibule, lobby area and aforementioned elevator, giving much greater accessibility for wheelchair-bound patrons. Approaching the building will be a new circle drive with handicap parking, ornate walkway and landscaping. The plans also include a new loading dock, indoor and outdoor storage facility and instrument storage
room. The plans include space for a musical garden, outfitted with various outdoor music instruments that can be played by children young and old. “It will have a park-ish kind of feel,” Raines said. Another hard-surface area will be large enough to accommodate outdoor performances. “We could set up some kind of Bowlus lunch events, where people bring sandwiches, come sit outside and watch a performance,” Raines said. “There are lots of opportunities for us to go beyond our four walls and branch out into some sun-
“Truth is weirder than any fiction I’ve seen.” — Hunter S. Thompson, journalist (1937-2005) 75 Cents
shine. We’re excited about it.” ACCESSIBILITY issues were one of the driving forces behind the decision of the Friends of the Bowlus in 2013 to pursue the upcoming project. “The Bowlus is 54 years old, and it was in 1990 that the federal government passed the Americans With Disabilities Act,” she said. The Friends — a committee consisting of fine arts advocates who raise funds for physical upkeep, property acquisition and other improvements to the Bowlus See BOWLUS | Page A5
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