STATE PLAYOFFS: Iola loses heartbreaker in opener See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Three more charged in death Five now accused of murdering Iolan Shawn Cook
By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Three more suspects have been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Iolan Shawn Cook, bringing the number of accused in the case to five. Allen County Attorney Jerry Hathaway announced Wednesday murder charges were being filed against Rhonda Jackson, James Myers and Jessica Epting, all of the Iola area. Jackson and Myers were
Bryan Murphy
Gas increases tax levy
Rhonda Jackson
James Myers
taken into custody without incident Wednesday afternoon. Epting remained at large as of this morning. Previously charged were Iolan Amber Boeken and Joshua Knapp, 34, of Bourbon County. Boeken and
Knapp are in Allen County Jail awaiting their next court hearing. Boeken will appear in Magistrate Court Aug. 10; Knapp on Aug. 17.
Jared Froggatte
Kelley Zellner
See MURDER | Page A3
See GAS | Page A6
Jessica Epting (Still at large)
COOK’S disappearance sparked a 16-day, countywide
Tom Williams
manhunt before his body was discovered northwest of Iola. Cook, 33, was last been by relatives on March 13. He
GAS — The tax lid law that takes effect in 2017 prompted Gas council members to raise their budget levy for the coming year by 5 mills when they met in special session Wednesday evening. The budget, as prepared and offered for their review, contained a levy increase of 2.366 to 31.746, but after prolonged conversion with their auditor, Philip Jarred, they decided to make the raise
Ron Ballard
Jerry Hathaway
Linus Thuston
Allen County Republicans head to polls Tuesday By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Allen County Republican voters have some choices to make by Tuesday. Three races essentially will be decided in Tuesday’s primary election for sheriff, county commissioner and
county attorney. Since no Democrats filed for any of the three seats, Tuesday’s results almost certainly will carry through the November general election — unless an independent files for any of the seats by Monday, or a candidate partakes in a Herculean write-in campaign,
Incumbent County Commissioner Tom Williams is facing challenger Ron Ballard for his seat to represent District 2, which covers the northern half of the county, including north Iola, Gas, and LaHarpe. Williams is a retired law enforcement officer having served previously as
Allen County sheriff and for many years as a Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent. Ballard recently resigned as a paramedic with the Iola Fire Department and runs D&R Lawn Care Service. Allen County Sheriff Bryan Murphy is being challenged by Jared Froggatte and Kelley
Zellner. Froggatte is a detective with the Iola Police Department. Zellner, who lives in Humboldt, serves as chief of police in Conway Springs. Allen County Attorney Jerry Hathaway is challenged by Neosho County Attorney Linus Thuston. See VOTE | Page A3
COOKOFF GIVES BOOST TO COMMUNITY PANTRIES
Scott Riebel, fourth-grade social studies and science teacher at Lincoln Elementary School, sports a Google Cardboard virtual reality viewer. REGISTER/JASON TIDD
Technology transforms class with virtual field trips
Volunteers who helped prepare 48 smoked pork butts so the meat could be delivered today to community pantries throughout Allen County were, from left, Deborah White, Jeri Waters, Samatha Larney, Sally Huskey, Karen Gilpin,Alana Kinzle, Melody Snesrud and Danny Mattheis.
By JASON TIDD The Iola Register
REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Food drive, cookoff to launch fair The Allen County Fair doesn’t begin officially until Friday evening, but it already has been a resounding success in one aspect. The Iola Rotary Club, in conjunction with the Kansas City BBQ Society, helped prep 48 smoked pork butts
Tuesday, so the pulled pork could be delievered to community pantries today in Iola, Humboldt and Moran. Volunteers gathered at Millers on Madison to pull the pork after it had been smoked by Cara Bolling’s Crew at Bolling’s Meat Mar-
Quote of the day Vol. 118, No. 190
A shark darts through the water straight toward you. A school of bright orange and white clownfish parade through the crystal-clear water. A dolphin glides along just in front of you. Your head turns and follows it, and an unknown voice reads more information on dolphins. Taking off the viewer, you
ket. The pork came from the the KCBS as part of its affililation with the upcoming Rotary Smokin’ Hot BBQ and Car Show, set for Saturday at Riverside Park. See FOOD | Page A3
“He who angers you conquers you.” — Elizabeth Kenny, 1880-1952 75 Cents
leave the virtual reality and find yourself back in Scott Riebel’s 4th grade classroom in Lincoln Elementary School. Riebel is an innovator of the use of virtual reality technology as an educational tool in Iola classrooms. This fall, Riebel, who teaches science and social studies, will use virtual reality photos and videos to make his lessons See GLASSES | Page A5
Hi: 89 Lo: 72 Iola, KS