Sports: Fillies headed to state tourney See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
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Monday, October 27, 2014
Boyle turns Elsmore into ‘spook central’ By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
The Grim Reaper greets vistors to Brenda Boyle’s Elsmore home, which she has decorated elaborately for Halloween. Another ghastly site is this crib adorned with several ghost-like dolls. Boyle’s home at 121 E. Third St. is one block east and one block north of Elsmore’s community building. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Victims’ families seek to remake top court By JOHN HANNA Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A small group of victims’ family members is waging a campaign to remake the Kansas Supreme Court after it overturned the death sentences of two brothers convicted of notorious multiple murders. The state Republican Party’s chairman and GOP Gov. Sam Brownback last week endorsed efforts by the group, Kansans for Justice, to get voters to remove two of the court’s seven justices in the
Nov. 4 election. Brownback, locked in a tight race for reelection, brought further visibility to the cause with a television ad criticizing “liberal judges” over the rulings in the cases of Jonathan and Reginald Carr. The brothers were sentenced to die for shooting four people in a snow-covered Wichita field in December 2000 after breaking into a home, forcing their victims to have sex with each other and ordering them to withdraw money from ATMs. The two men had a single capitalsentencing trial; among other
things, the Supreme Court ruled in July that the brothers’ hearings should have been separate and returned the case to Sedgwick County District Court. Amy James, the girlfriend of one of the murder victims, Brad Heyka, said the victims’ families were “completely floored.” They’d been frustrated with the Supreme Court since attending its arguments in the cases late last year but 10 of them formed their nonpartisan group just weeks ago. See COURT | Page A4
ELSMORE — With a healthy dose of both the comic and the macabre, Brenda Boyle’s yard is almost complete. The Wichita transplant who moved to Elsmore over the summer, is just days away from her favorite time of the year — Halloween. “This is really the only holiday of the year that’s based solely on fun,” Boyle said. As such, Boyle has continued her time-honored tradition of trying to scare the dickens out of passersby. Her yard, at 121 E. Third St., is a veritable spook central with dozens of scary characters, tombstones, lights and other personal touches. “If I don’t give somebody second thoughts about approaching, then I haven’t done my job,” she joked. Her yard has already garnered plenty of interest since she started placing decorations about three weeks ago. “I’ve had adults coming by each day to see what’s new,” she said. “They’re eating it up.
Brenda Boyle It’s been great.” Boyle started her Halloween tradition more than 20 years ago. She started by carving pumpkins, many with elaborate designs. Eventually, the decorations supplanted the pumpkins. To contain costs, Boyle did most of her big-ticket purchases immediately after Halloween to get items on clearance. She also is an avid yard sale fanatic. “My husband used to be really tight with money, so I had See HALLOWEEN | Page A4
How Kansas court justices are selected TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An effort to remove two justices from the Kansas Supreme Court in the Nov. 4 election is prompting scrutiny of how the court’s members are selected. Republican Gov. Sam Brownback has called the process undemocratic, while defenders say it minimizes the partisan politics involved in picking justices.
The process is set by the state constitution. A nine-member, statewide nominating commission screens applications for each vacancy. Five commission members are attorneys elected by other attorneys and four are appointed by the governor. The commission names See JUDGES | Page A4
City council to discuss capital improvements Iola City Council members will discuss the city’s capital improvement project list when they meet tonight for their regular bi-monthly meeting. Also on the agenda are discussions about mutual aid agreements for disasters in
the area, accepting a grant to fund a disk golf court, insurance premiums for retirees and 2015 cost of living adjustments for city employees. The 6 o’clock meeting will be at the New Community Building at Riverside Park. The public is invited.
Davis in Iola Tuesday Paul Davis, Democratic gubernatorial candidate, will make a quick campaign stop in Iola Tuesday morning. Davis will stop at his
campaign office at the intersection of Madison and Washington avenues, the former Annie’s Attic, at 9 o’clock. The public is invited.
Quote of the day Vol. 117, No. 2
Maximum EXPO-sure
Alan Weber, representing the Allen County Community Foundation, visits with a guest to the foundation’s booth Saturday at the annual Iola Area Chamber of Commerce Business EXPO. The EXPO drew scores of visitors to Riverside Park to check out area merchants’ offerings. Christmas-theme sales were the centerpiece. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
“The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value.” — Charles Dudley Warner 75 Cents
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