By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
Cara Barkdoll, longtime Register of Deeds, will retire at the end of the week.
A ceremony will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 28, in the assembly room in the basement of the courthouse.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) —
Storm-battered Buffalo braced Tuesday for fresh snow while still counting fatalities and striving to recover from the deadliest storm in western New York in at least two generations.
Mayor Byron Brown’s office announced seven additional storm-related deaths Tuesday, bringing Buffalo’s total to 27, along with at least seven suburban fatalities. The toll surpasses that of the historic Blizzard of 1977, blamed for killing as many as 29 people in a region known for harsh winter weather.
The National Weather Service predicted that as much as 2 inches more snow could fall Tuesday in Erie County, which includes Buffalo. It is the second-largest city in New York, with about 275,000 residents.
While Tuesday’s forecast was nothing like the massive storm that dropped over 4 feet of snow
See STORM | Page A3
Volunteer firefighters battled bitterly cold temperatures in a pair of fires over the weekend.
The first call came in shortly after noon Friday, when Humboldt firefighters were called to the home of Sandy Butler in the 900 block of North Eighth Street. Butler was out of town when the fire started, Humboldt Fire Chief Sean McReynolds said.
While the cause remains undetermined, McReynolds said the fire started at the rear of the house.
Fire crews were at the scene within 5 minutes of the call — a quick turnaround
for a volunteer department — but several factors were against them as they battled the blaze.
The house’s composition,
with several layers of materials in both the roof and the walls, meant extinguishing
Cara BarkdollGov. Laura Kelly appointed Misty Rice, who has worked alongside Barkdoll as her deputy for the county department, to serve the remaining two years of the term.
BARKDOLL earned an associate degree from Allen County Community Junior College before joining the appraiser’s office in 1985.
She spent 11 years in that office before going to work for then-Register of Deeds Jacqueline Webb in 1997, and was promoted to deputy a year later.
On Dec. 22, 1999, she was appointed Register of Deeds by Gov. Bill Graves. She’d be elected to her first term the following November and has held the office since then for a total of six terms.
The Register of Deeds is an
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The operator of a pipeline that spilled about 14,000 bathtubs’ worth of heavy crude oil into a northeastern Kansas creek said Friday that it has permission from U.S. government regulators to reopen the repaired segment where the rupture occurred.
Canada-based TC Energy did not say exactly when it would reopen the section of its Keystone pipeline system from Steele City near the Nebraska-Kansas border to Cushing in northern Oklahoma. The company said it will have crews working through the Christmas holiday and also conducting “rigorous testing and inspections.”
“This will take several
days,” the company said in a statement. “We will continue to prioritize the safety of people and the environment.”
The Dec. 7 spill forced the company to shut down the Keystone system and dumped about 14,000 barrels of crude into a creek running through rural pastureland in Washington County, about 150 miles northwest of Kansas City. Each barrel is 42 gallons,
the size of a household bathtub.
The company and government officials have said drinking water supplies were not affected, and no one was evacuated. However, Kansas City’s KCUR-FM reported this week that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment found chemicals from the spill downstream past two earthen
See PIPELINE | Page A4Legislators are almost certain to place the decline of the Ogallala Aquifer among their top priorities as the drought bearing down on Western Kansas hits the already depleted water supply.
Every inch of Kansas is either abnormally dry or in a drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, with most of the western half of the state in either an “extreme” or “exceptional” one.
In Western Kansas, where there’s little surface water to
be found, crop irrigation is expected to once again drive big declines in the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the world’s largest underground water sources.
Parts of the aquifer that still have water left to pump could see quadruple the losses of a normal year.
“We’re anticipating water levels are going to be down probably everywhere in the aquifer,” said Brownie Wilson, a researcher for the Kansas Geological Survey.
But Gov. Laura Kelly told a crowd in Manhattan last month that Kansans didn’t need the drought to remind
them of the severe state of the aquifer.
She said “waiting for a miracle is not an option.”
“I give you my word that protecting our water supply will remain a top priority in Topeka over the next four years,” Kelly said. “I refuse to allow the can to be kicked any further down the road.”
Kelly’s pledge adds urgency to the work Kansas legislators started in the last couple of years, highlighting the decline of the aquifer and looking for ways to tackle it. Last year, the state fully funded its
Garnet Rose Tierney, 71, died Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, at her home in Iola.
She was born Feb. 18, 1951, at Lansing, Mich., the daughter of Luther and Dorothy (Armstrong) Landis.
She is survived by her children, Becky Smith, Leesburg, Texas, Richard Griffin, Salina, and Patrick Helton, Kansas; grandchildren, James Griffin, Kelsey Griffin and Hailli Price; a number of great-grandchildren; and a special friend, Teresa Hanson, Iola.
Cremation is planned. No services are scheduled. Campbell Funeral Home in Yates Center is assisting the family.
Linda Sue Nold, 74, Elsmore, died Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, at Neosho Memorial Regional Hospital, Chanute.
Linda was born Aug. 31, 1948, in Waynesville, N.C., to Elmer and Stella Frady.
Linda and Bob Nold were married March 15, 1990, in Lithonia, Ga. They made their home in rural Elsmore.
Her husband survives, as does a daughter, Diane Woods, and a sister, Jo Brock.
A memorial service is at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, in the chapel at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, 1883 U.S. 54, Iola.
Memorials are suggested to the Allen County Animal Rescue Facility (ACARF), which may be left with the funeral home.
Condolences may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com.
Iola officers arrested Josh Rowe Thursday for suspicion of violating a protection order and interfering with law enforcement in the 200 block of South Buckeye Street.
Officers arrested Justin Reeder Saturday afternoon for suspicion of battery and criminal restraint in the 400 block of Eisenhower Drive.
Iola police officers were called to Walmart Saturday morning, where Aleta Cross-Loving was charged with theft.
Scam attempted
Iola police were told Friday that a Great Southern Bank customer had been scammed by an individual who purported to represent Discover Bank. The scammer requested a checking account number and attempted to withdraw $3,430.77 from the customer’s account.
The transaction was canceled before the money could be withdrawn, and no funds were lost, officers said.
Items stolen, damaged
Charles Flyingman told Iola police officers Saturday morning his girlfriend had stolen his check, shoes and coat and damaged his vacuum after a domestic incident along North Walnut Road.
The suspect’s name was not released.
Vehicles collide
Lori J. Reagan was traveling through the Iola Walmart parking lot Dec. 21 and did not stop in time to avoid striking the rear of a sport utility vehicle driven by Lisa M. Womelsdorf, officers said. Neither was hurt.
About the same time, Marsha Burris was turning onto Madison Avenue from State Street when her vehicle struck a sport utility vehicle driven by Theresa M. Strunk. Officers said Strunk suffered possible injuries, but did not seek medical attention.
Abandoned stroller, clothing found
Iola police officers were called to Iola Walmart the evening of Dec. 21 to retrieve an abandoned stroller, along with a shirt and shorts, that were left in front of the store.
The items can be claimed by the owner at the Police Department.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)
— Russia’s foreign minister on Tuesday warned anew Ukraine that it must demilitarize, threatening further military action and falsely accusing Kyiv and the West of fueling the war that started with Moscow’s invasion.
Sergey Lavrov said Ukraine must remove any military threat to Russia — otherwise “the Russian army (will) solve the issue.”
His comments also reflected persistent unfounded claims by the Kremlin that Ukraine and its Western allies were responsible for the 10-month war, which has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions.
Russia launched the war on Feb. 24, alleging a threat to its security and a plot to bring NATO to its doorstep.
Lavrov reiterated on Tuesday that the West was feeding the war in Ukraine to weaken Russia, and said that it depends on Kyiv and Washington how long the conflict will last.
“As for the duration of the conflict, the ball is on the side of the (Kyiv) regime and Washington that stands behind its back,” Lavrov told the state Tass news agency. “They may stop senseless resistance at any moment.”
In an apparent reaction, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted that “Russia needs to face the reality.”
“Neither total mobilization, nor panicky search for ammo, nor secret contracts with Iran, nor Lavrov’s threats will help,” he said. “Ukraine will demilitarize the RF (Russian Federation) to the end, oust the invaders from all occupied territories. Wait for the finale silently…”
A day earlier, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the Associated
Press in an interview that his government wants a summit to end the war but that he doesn’t anticipate Russia taking part.
Kuleba said Ukraine wants a “peace” summit within two months with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres acting as mediator. But he also said that Russia must face a war crimes tribunal before before his country directly talks with Moscow.
Both statements illustrate how complex and difficult any attempts to end the war could be. Ukraine has said in the past that it wouldn’t negotiate with Russia before the full withdrawal of its troops, while Moscow insists its military gains and the 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula cannot be ignored.
Meanwhile, fierce fighting continued on Tuesday in the Russia-claimed Donetsk and Luhansk regions that recently have been the scene of the most intense clashes.
Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said that Russian forces are trying to encircle the city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, but without success. Heavy battles are also underway around the city of Kreminna in the Luhansk region, Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai said.
In the partially occupied southern Kherson region, Russian forces shelled Ukrainian-held areas 40 times on Monday, wounding one person, Ukrainian author-
ities said. The city of Kherson itself — which Ukraine retook last month in a major win — was targeted 11 times, said regional administrator Yaroslav Yanushevich.
Since its initial advances at the start of the war 10 months ago, Russia has made few major gains, often pummeling Ukraine’s infrastructure instead and leaving millions without electricity, heating and hot water amid winter conditions.
Lavrov didn’t specify how the Russian army will achieve its goals of demilitarizing and “denazifying” Ukraine — which was Russia’s stated goal when the invasion started in February.
(First published in The Iola Register Dec. 14, 2022)
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF ALLEN COUNTY, KANSAS IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF: HARRY D. SHAY CASE NO. AL-2022PR-000077
THE STATE OF KANSAS TO ALL PERSONS CONCERNED: You are notified that a Petition has been filed on the 22nd day of November 2022, in this Court by Kasey M. Roach, one of the heirs of Harry D. Shay, deceased, requesting: Descent to be determined of all personal property and other Kansas real estate owned by the decedent at the time of death.
(Published in The Iola Register Dec. 28, 2022)
Notice is hereby given that on Tuesday, the 17th of January at 5:30 p.m., at City Hall, 2 W. Jackson in Iola, Kansas; the Board of Zoning Appeals of Iola, Kansas will hold a public hearing on the written application of Max Grundy for a variance to the Unified Development Code Section 16-703, (a), (8), in specific he is requesting a variance to the maximum total size of an
And that all personal property and other Kansas real estate be assigned pursuant to the laws of intestate succession.
You are required to file your written defenses to the Petition on or before January 6, 2023, at 8:30 a.m., in said court in the City of Iola, Allen County, Kansas, at which time and place the cause will be heard. Should you fail to file your written defenses, judgment and decree will be entered in due course upon the Petition.
Kasey M. Roach, Petitioner Daniel Smith
HEIM LAW OFFICES, P.A. 424 North Washington Iola, Kansas 66749 (620) 365-2222
daniel@heimlawoffices.com Attorneys for Petitioner (12) 14, 22, 28
accessory structure permitted in a residentially zoned district on the following property: STERLING HEIGHTS, N2 LT 14, ALL LTS 15 & 16, & ALL EX ST AKA: 1501 N Kentucky Said application is being filed for under the provisions Article 4, Section 16-413 of the City of Iola Unified Development Code.
City of Iola Board of Zoning Appeals and Planning Commission Tony Godfrey, Chairperson (12) 28
Major U.S. airlines were broadsided by the massive weekend winter storm that swept across large swaths of the country but had largely recovered heading into Monday, except for one.
Problems at Southwest Airlines appeared to snowball after the worst of the storm passed. It cancelled more than 70% of its flights Monday, more than 60% on Tuesday, and warned that it would operate just over a third of its usual schedule in the days ahead to allow crews to get back to where they needed to be.
American, United, Delta and JetBlue, suffered cancellations rates of between none and 2% by Tuesday.
The disparity has triggered a closer look at Southwest operations by the U.S. Department of Transportation, which called the rate of cancellations “disproportionate and unacceptable,” and sought to ensure that the Dallas carrier was sticking by its obligations to stranded customers.
The size and severity of the storm created havoc for airlines. Airports were overwhelmed by intense snowfall and drifts. Airlines can-
celled as many as 20% of their flights Saturday and Sunday and Buffalo Niagara International Airport, close to the epicenter of the storm, remains closed Tuesday.
Yet it has become clear that Southwest is suffering a disproportionate disruption. Of the 2,890 flight cancellations in the U.S. early Tuesday, 2,522 were called off by Southwest.
Southwest spokesman Jay McVay said at a press conference in Houston that cancellations snowballed as storm systems moved across the country, leaving flight crews and planes out of place.
“So we’ve been chasing our tails, trying to catch up and get back to normal safely, which is our number one priority as quickly as we could,” he said. “And that’s ex-
actly how we ended up where we are today.”
Passengers stood in long lines trying to rebook their flights.
The Department of Transportation said on Twitter that it was “concerned by Southwest’s unacceptable rate of cancellations and delays & reports of lack of prompt customer service.” The tweet said the department would look
into whether Southwest could have done anything about the cancellations and whether the airline was complying with its customer service plan.
Bryce Burger and his family were supposed to be on a cruise to Mexico departing from San Diego on Dec. 24, but their flight from Denver was cancelled without warning or notice, he
said Tuesday. The flight was rebooked through Burbank, California, but that flight was canceled while they sat at the gate.
“Just like my kids’ Christmas sucks. It’s horrible,” Burger said by phone from Salt Lake, where the family decided to drive after giving up the cruise.
The family’s luggage is still at the Denver airport and Burger doesn’t know if he can get a refund for the cruise because the flight to California was booked separately.
Burger’s call logs show dozens of unsuccessful attempts to reach Southwest over two days. The company did responded to a tweet he sent. He said they offered him and his family each a $250 voucher.
Southwest CEO Bob Jordan told The Wall Street Journal in an interview that the airline would operate just over a third of its usual schedule to allow crews to get back to where they needed to be.
“We had a tough day today. In all likelihood we’ll have another tough day tomorrow as we work our way out of this,” he said Monday evening. “This is the largest scale event that I’ve ever seen.”
in some places starting Friday, “any additional snowfall that Buffalo may continue to have today is going to be impactful,” said lead forecaster Bob Oravec.
“The biggest impact is going to be how it hinders the removal of the previous snowfall,” he said.
The rest of the United States also was reeling from the ferocious winter storm, with at least an additional two dozen deaths reported in other parts of the country, and power outages in communities from Maine to Washington state.
On the Rosebud Sioux Tribe’s reservation in South Dakota, there were plans to use
snowmobiles Tuesday to reach residents after food boxes were delivered by helicopter and trucks over the weekend, the tribe said.
In Buffalo, the dead were found in cars, homes and snowbanks.
Some died while shoveling snow, others when emergency crews could not respond in time to medical crises. County Executive Mark Poloncarz called the blizzard “the worst storm probably in our lifetime,” even for an area known for heavy snow.
The winter blast stranded some people in cars for days, shuttered the city’s airport and left some residents shivering without heat.
Trisha LoGrasso and
her family were still huddled around a space heater in a makeshift hut in her Buffalo living room Monday. She was without heat because of a gas leak, the temperature inside the home was 42 degrees, and burst pipes left her with no running water.
“I’ve lived here my whole life, and this is the worst storm I’ve ever seen,” said LoGrasso, 48.
President Joe Biden offered federal assistance Monday to New York, while Gov. Kathy Hochul toured the aftermath in Buffalo, her hometown, and called the blizzard “one for the ages.” Almost every fire truck in the city became stranded Saturday, she said.
Hochul, a Democrat, noted the storm came a little over a month after the region was inundated with another historic snowfall. Between the two storms, snowfall totals are not far off from the 95.4 inches the area normally sees in an entire winter season.
The National Weather Service said the snow total at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport stood at 49.2 inches at 10 a.m. Monday. Officials say the airport will be shut through Wednesday morning.
Nearly 2,900 domestic and international U.S. flights were canceled Tuesday as of about 10 a.m. Eastern time, according to the tracking site FlightAware.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) —
Someone could win more than half a billion dollars in the Mega Millions lottery Tuesday, but that jackpot wouldn’t even rank in the top 10 as the prizes have grown bigger in recent years.
The current Mega Millions has been building since Oct. 14 as 20 drawings passed without a winner, but the estimated $565 million prize pales in comparison to the record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot that was won in November by someone in Southern California.
The ten biggest lottery jackpots ever are all bigger than $687 million with all of those coming since 2016. The largest Mega Millions jackpot ever was more than $1.5 billion, won in 2018, and a jackpot surpassing $1.3 billion was won in Illinois in July.
And Tuesday’s top prize of $565 million is for the annuity option that is paid out annually over 29 years. The cash option would pay $293.6 million.
Tuesday’s drawing will be held at 11 p.m. EST when players will try to match six winning numbers.
When the jackpots grow this large more people buy tickets, increasing the chances that someone will win.
David Peralta, a 67-year-old retired technical college instructor, bought a $3 jackpot-only Mega Millions ticket at a Dillons grocery in Topeka, Kansas, because he had a few extra dollars and “to see if we get lucky.” He buys a few tickets regularly and said the jackpot attracted him, though he said he’s not sure he needs that much money.
“I could help out a lot of people,” he said.
But the odds of winning remain long at one in 302.6 million, and the jackpot will continue growing if no one wins Tuesday’s drawing. The odds improve slightly by buying multiple tickets, but even buying 100 tickets would only give you a 100 in 302.6 million chance.
But lottery officials say the $2 tickets offer an affordable way to daydream about a life-changing prize.
Mega Millions is
The U.S. Department of Transportation said it will look into flight cancellations by Southwest Airlines that left travelers stranded at airports
across the country amid the winter storm. Many airlines were forced to cancel flights, but Southwest was by far the leader.
played in every state except Nevada, Utah, Alabama, Alaska and Hawaii plus the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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the fire was next to impossible.
“We aggressively attacked the fire from inside and outside,” McReynolds said. “But due to the style of the structure, and the extreme cold, we had to shift to a defensive-only posture and contain it until we had better access.”
Assisting with the efforts were Humboldt police officers. An ambulance from Iola Fire Department also was on scene, while the LaHarpe Volunteer Fire Department brought its support vehicle to provide an occasional respite for firefighters on the scene. McReynolds also credited Humboldt city utility employees and workers from Evergy for their help.
“The firefighters did an amazing job with the conditions present,” McReynolds said. “They put in six hours in the cold and another two hours getting things put away so we could be ready to go again.”
The scene was cleared at about 6 p.m.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to benefit Butler, who lost everything in the blaze.
McReynolds said Butler also several pets.
THE SCENE shifted to rural Savonburg at midday Sunday, when a camper burned.
Deputy Daren Kellerman said Tosha Daugh-
The firefighters did an amazing job with the conditions present.
— Sean McReynolds, Humboldt Volunteer Fire Chief
erty was preparing a pie for Christmas dinner, and had set a pan on the oven and exited the RV, only to return seconds later to find the oven engulfed in flames.
Daugherty’s attempt to knock down the flames were futile, and she fled the camper as the fire quickly spread.
Gas inside the camper caused a small explosion, alerting neighbors to the blaze.
Volunteers with the Elsmore-Savonburg Fire Department were summoned. Most were home for Christmas Day activities, and thus were able to respond quickly, Kellerman noted, but there was little they could do.
A nearby fifth-wheel camper also burned, and another vehicle sustained damage.
The structures and vehicle were owned by property owner Phillip Lawson, Kellerman said.
THERE were no injuries associated with either fire.
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elected position that records and preserves documents. That includes an up-to-date index of land ownership in the county.
Their most notable function is to record real estate transactions through the transfer of deeds, but they also organize records for various other related documents, such as mortgages, oil and gas documents, leases, subdivision plats, surveys and power of attorney documents. They also handle military records, cemetery plot deeds and old school records, along with Uniform Commercial Code filings and personal property liens, as well as state and federal tax liens.
The Register of Deeds office is considered “the foundation” of local government, Barkdoll said.
The staff’s functions are an essential part of the taxation process, as government entities rely on accurate records.
Records are open to the public, though a fee may be charged for online access. Documents may also be obtained by visiting the office or requesting copies via email, mail or phone.
DURING HER tenure, Barkdoll oversaw
digitization projects that has made documents easier to search.
The projects included subscription or pay-asyou-go search options for the public. Another project allowed staff to electronically record documents.
“The newest project is digitizing the remainder of land documents back to 1865 as well as the land index books. This will be completed in early 2023,” Barkdoll said.
She worked with county commissioners to obtain money from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to pay for the project.
Also during her time as Register, the office was renovated in 2007.
In response to COVID-19 as well as concern because of mass shootings, a secure, bullet-proof divider was added to the front counter. Access to the interior of the office is secured with a coded-entry.
“I am very thankful to have had the following people as professional assistants to help me carry out my duties throughout my terms: Tonya Shaughnessy, Maxine Dreher, Michelle Smith, Heather Falconbridge and currently Misty Rice. Dana Dawn has been hired to assist Misty,” Barkdoll said.
dams constructed to contain the oil, potentially endangering animals that ingest it.
TC Energy reopened most of the 2,700-mile Keystone system last week. The system carries crude oil extracted from tar sands in western Canada to the Gulf Coast, with a spur also moving crude to south-central Illinois.
THE KANSAS spill was the largest onshore in nine years and larger than 22 previous spills on the Keystone system combined, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data.
The company received permission to reopen the pipeline across Kansas and into northern Oklahoma from the Department of Transportation’s pipeline safety arm.
Concerns that spills could pollute waterways spurred opposition to plans by TC Energy to build another crude oil pipeline in the same system, the 1,200-mile Keystone XL, across Montana,
South Dakota and Nebraska. President Joe Biden’s cancelation of a permit for the project led the company to pull the plug last year.
The company has not identified the Kansas spill’s cause. Zack Pistora, who lobbies at the Kansas Statehouse for the Sierra Club, said the pipeline segment shouldn’t reopen until the cause is known.
“Isn’t the next spill
just an accident waiting to happen?” he said in an interview Friday.
The company said it has removed the ruptured pipeline section and sent it to an independent lab for analysis. It also said it had recovered almost 7,600 barrels of oil, a little more than half of what was leaked.
Meanwhile, some Democrats in the Republican-controlled
Legislature want to reconsider the state’s policy of exempting companies from local property taxes for 10 years if they build pipelines through Kansas to spur energy development. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly told The Topeka Capital-Journal in an interview this week that the policy was “a big mistake” and should have been reconsidered “a long time ago.”
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water plan for the first time since 2008 and started an audit of groundwater management in Western Kansas.
But legislators’ efforts to pass monumental legislation overhauling state agencies and exerting more pressure on local officials to conserve water fell short. The bill was gutted in committee.
Last year’s chair, Rep. Ron Highland, didn’t seek reelection.
Now, Rep. Jim Minnix, R-Scott City, will lead. Minnix, a farmer and rancher who says he has been trying to conserve for 20 years, said new members would have to be brought up to speed. But he’ll encourage them to study on their own.
“We’re not going to start from scratch,” he said, adding that he hopes to move forward as quickly as possible.
Rep. Lindsay Vaughn served as the ranking Democrat on the House Water Committee for the last two sessions as members studied the state of the aquifer and attempted to overhaul water management in Kansas.
The committee didn’t pass the major legislation Highland and Vaughn hoped. Minnix was among the legislators who voted against it. But Vaughn thinks there’s momentum.
“I think that really was a launchpad for some of the current dialogue,” Vaughn said.
“And just based on what I’ve heard, the interest is really continuing into next session and has continued in the interim.”
Vaughn said she’s heartened by Kelly’s commitment to water policy and the Kansas Water Authority’s recommendation that the state move away from its de facto policy of depleting the aquifer.
When lawmakers return in January, they’ll be faced with the question of just how to reverse a problem that their predecessors haven’t gotten their arms around for decades. Scientists and policymakers have known for at least 40 years that the Ogallala is in decline. They allowed groundwater management districts to manage the aquifer locally — with varying success.
Those districts opposed the overhaul that would have created more state oversight of groundwater. So did the Kansas Farm Bureau, which backed the amendment that gutted the legislation.
The committee member who offered the amendment, Rep. Joe Newland, stepped down to become president of the Kansas Farm Bureau.
KFB’s public policy director, Kent Askren, said funding would be a big issue.
He said he thought the Kansas Water Authority’s desire to have a supply indefinitely into the future was a good one.
“But implementation is the real challenge,” he said. “And I think that’s where the legislature will have to hear from a lot of different interests because Western Kansas and … any economy thrives upon having an
I’m very optimistic. And I think that’s because our legislators know, everyone knows, that something has to be done. The can has been kicked too far down the road.
— Zack Pistora, Sierra Club
abundant, good quality water supply.”
Askren said the state needed locally developed strategies to meet the goal of stopping decline of the aquifer.
“I think the worst thing that we could do is to take a goal and come up with a single solution out of Topeka that is then handed off to Western Kansas to implement,” he said.
Zack Pistora, a lobby-
ist for the Sierra Club in Kansas, said he hopes to see not only more funding but innovative policy “to disincentivize the continual draining of the aquifer.”
“I’m very optimistic,” Pistora said. “And I think that’s because our legislators know, everyone knows, that something has to be done. The can has been kicked too far down the road.”
It’s our worst nightmare how quickly Afghan women have lost 20 years of hard-earned rights.
In the past year, the ruling Taliban have decided that females cannot receive an education past seventh grade; may not attend university; may not leave their homes without the escort of a male family member; may not visit parks and recreation centers, and are barred from most fields of employment, including, as of this weekend, those with humanitarian organizations such as the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.
Saturday’s edict is the final nail in the coffin, rendering the female sex as nothing more than chattel.
THE HOPES that females would retain some elements of equality when the Taliban returned to power in 2021 have been expunged.
It’s not just women who are affected. Minorities, too, are regarded as second-class citizens and have suffered much the same fate.
Today, half the population — 20 million people — suffer malnutrition caused by the collapse of the Afghan economy after the Taliban regained control.
Their lifeline? Humanitarian aid organizations, of which several have responded to Saturday’s edict by ceasing their efforts altogether with the hope of forcing officials to reconsider.
Taliban representatives defended the most recent decision by saying women were not obeying the coun-
try’s Islamic dress code that requires a woman to cover her body from head to toe.
As for denying women a higher education, it’s because under the official interpretation of Islam, not all subjects are appropriate for women and the unsupervised mixing of genders is forbidden.
The Taliban’s constraints are drawing rebukes from other Muslim countries, including Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
“Our religion, Islam, is not against education; on the contrary, it encourages education and science.”
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday. “What harm is there in women’s education? What harm does it do to Afghanistan?”
Unfortunately, the Taliban are in no mood to be lectured.
Experts predict the next shoe to fall for Afghanistan will be a mass exodus. Already, almost 500,000 have fled the country in response to the Taliban’s repressive rule.
According to the Norwegian Refugee Council an estimated 5,000 Afghans are crossing illegally into Iran each day, many with the goal of reaching Europe. Increasingly, those fleeing are what every country needs most — the young and the educated.
Judging from Afghanistan’s recent history, what’s happened in the blink of an eye, will take decades to overcome. And that’s a best-case scenario.
A satisfactory way forward is difficult to fathom.
— Susan Lynn
One characteristic of American life distinguishes our country from all other democracies: Our political campaigns are never-ending. The moment one election cycle ends, the nation begins focusing on the next. Even if candidates have not formally declared their intentions, we have already begun the 2024 campaign. These extended campaigns have led to increased partisanship, distrust and anxiety.
Other nations do not have extended campaign seasons.
In Mexico, a law stipulates that campaigns start 90 days before the election, with an additional 60-day period for candidates to compete for the nomination. In Canada in 2015, the campaign season lasted 11 weeks, making it the longest campaign in that country’s history. In France, campaigning prior to the first round of a presidential election can last no longer than two weeks. In Argentina, the campaign is limited to 35 days, although advertising is permitted to begin a few weeks earlier.
The First Amendment, guardian of American liberty, in this instance stymies
At least one Kansas lawmaker, apparently unsatisfied with the verdict of the voters, wants to further curtail the authority of the state Supreme Court.
State Rep. Brett Fairchild, a Republican, has introduced a bill that would dramatically broaden the ability of the Legislature to impeach and remove justices of the court. It mirrors a similar measure introduced in the Senate in 2016 that died in a House committee.
The Kansas Constitution currently allows impeachment and removal of justices for “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” Fairchild’s bill would add to the list: a “breach of the public trust” would be impeachable, as would “attempting to subvert fundamental laws and introduce arbitrary power” or “attempting to usurp the power of the legislative or executive branch of government.”
You can see where this is going. If passed, judges could be removed from office on the whim of any group of legislators who disapprove of a ruling. (It would still take a two-thirds vote of the state Senate to convict and remove a judge from office.)
Fairchild, and other lawmakers, want to reduce the
Kansas Supreme Court to an unequal branch of government, stripping it of the ability to do anything other than ratify decisions by the Legislature and governor.
It is highly foolish, wrong and, dare we say it, probably unconstitutional. Legislators should quickly reject the proposal and refocus on the real business in Topeka next year.
They won’t do that, of course, because the sting of the voters’ abortion decision in August is still fresh. Fairchild makes no bones about this — the state’s court overstepped its authority when it found a fundamental abortion right in the Kansas Constitution, he says.
The decision “was clearly an act of judicial activism and an example of the Kansas Supreme Court unconstitutionally taking away power from the legislative branch,” he said in a mid-December Facebook post.
Kansans know the truth: The state Supreme Court gave abortion decisions to the people, and to women and their doctors. They said Rep. Fairchild and anti-abortion lawmakers could restrict that fundamental right for only the most narrowly-tailored reasons.
And Kansas voters resoundingly, overwhelmingly,
firmly endorsed that framework at the polls in August. Given the chance to take abortion protections out of the state constitution, voters said no in a voice so loud and clear it stunned the nation.
Never forget: Anti-abortion zealots picked the August date for a vote. They wrote the language on the ballot. They had more than a year to prepare a campaign. They lost badly.
Now legislators may attempt to achieve through the back door what they could not at the front. They should not be allowed to do so.
Sadly, Fairchild’s bill may not be the only attempt to circumvent the voters’ voices on abortion. Legislative leaders say other abortion restriction bills may be proposed in the first weeks of next year’s session.
That would be tragic. Legislators have a long list of other concerns: tax policy, school funding, medical marijuana, Medicaid expansion, the water crisis. They should devote their time and attention to those issues, not matters the voters firmly settled at the polls.
We trust Kansas voters. We hope members of the Legislature can make the same statement in 2023.
— Kansas City Star
political reform. The U.S. can’t make the strict campaign rules other nations live under. But one area where reform is possible is the primary system.
For much of American history, party leaders chose candidates to run in the general election, and there was little or no public campaigning. A century ago, however, citizens expressed a desire for greater public involvement in the process. This led to the introduction of caucuses and primaries — and some campaigning. However, no one at that time could have imagined the perpetual campaigns of today. In 1952, Dwight Eisenhower remained in Europe as NATO commander until five months before being elected president.
TWO FACTORS — earlier delegate selection and the mountains of money pouring into campaigns — have led our nation down this path. In 1976, only 10% of national convention delegates were selected by March 2 of election year; by 2008 that number had grown to 70%. The earlier selection of delegates forced campaigns to begin earlier
and earlier.
There’s nothing sacrosanct about the primary system as we know it, and the Democratic Party just demonstrated that reform is possible by rearranging its presidential contests. The parties could do the country a favor by jointly agreeing to move all their primaries into the late spring and summer, perhaps sparing voters a few months of presidential politicking. The bigger influence on long campaigns, however, is the huge amount of cash available to pay for advertising, staff and events. The nation is overdue for campaign finance reform, though the Supreme Court has made anything substantial a pipe dream for now.
The electorate is exhausted from the endless campaigning — and now the litigating of elections after they are held. This cultivates cynicism and erodes confidence in government. Powerful and moneyed interests would like to keep long campaigns in place: It will take a groundswell of citizen advocacy to bring about an improved system.
— Pittsburgh Post-GazetteDear editor, Forty or more years ago Emerson Lynn began writing occasional Register editorials explaining how the financial integrity of Social Security could be maintained far into the future.
On Christmas Eve, I happened onto an article thatshould strike fear in the hearts of future generations who expect to reap some benefit from the federal program. The article suggested Social Security funding would reach severe trouble within 12 years, or thereabout.
Even at my age of 79, the article resonates.
Emerson’s solution: Raise the eligibility age for participating in Social Security; increase earned income eligibility for taxes to support the program (about 90 percent of its revenue at the moment); and make it means-testing, to wit: a person whose resources make Social Security more of a perk should be eliminated from its benefits.
Emerson was sincere, to the point, if I remember correctly, he refused any monthly payment until age 70 when it was forced on him.
As of today, up to $160,200 of an individual’s earned income is subject to Social
Security taxes. Anything above, is not taxed.
A proposal in the recent article was to increase, perhaps by leaving a “doughnut hole” between today’s threshold and reimposing taxes when annual income reaches $400,000, with another limit at some higher point.
Full benefits are paid at age 67, with lesser amounts available starting at age 62.
Raising those age points would save appreciable amounts. As for means-testing, the results are obvious. For the wealthy, a monthly stipend of $1,700 is a pittance.
Personally, Beverly and I depend on Social Security to help with monthly necessities, as do many others, and will until the Good Lord comes calling. I think it fair far beyond any argument to the contrary that Emerson’s three-legged solution, or something quite similar, should be imposed.
Bless President Biden’s heart that he is eager to do something to ensure Social Security is available for those who really need the monthly stipend for years to come.
Sincerely, Bob Johnson Humboldt, Kan
DALLAS — Staying on schedule with the COVID-19 vaccine can feel like chasing a moving target.
Rules and recommendations for the shot series changed over the last two years as studies revealed the efficacy of different vaccines, new vaccine recipes were released, and federal regulators granted different age groups access to the jabs.
The new bivalent booster, designed to create antibodies against both the original COVID-19 strain and the omicron variant, is now available to adults and kids 6 months and older, although people’s eligibility for this updated dose depends on which vaccinations they’ve already had and when they got their last shot.
COVID-19 cases are once again rising in North Texas, spurred by the highly contagious omicron subvariants B.Q.1, B.Q.1.1 and XBB, alongside high rates of the flu and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. Staying on top of the most recent vaccination schedule is still critical to mitigating the virus’ impact, doctors say.
“I think there’s some degree of vaccine fatigue among everyone, and the novelty with the COVID vaccine has worn off. People may not be necessarily paying attention to what the most current recommendation is,” said Dr. Minji Kang, assistant professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Public health experts expect the coronavirus to become more seasonal in coming years, similar to how flu cases in the U.S. tend to pick up in the winter and decline in the spring. That change could allow for a more predictable vaccine timeline, said Dr. Pedro Piedra, professor of molecular virology and microbiology and of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine.
“Time will tell, but I think, ideally, we would like to be able to have something kind of like the flu, where we have an annual vaccination campaign and we have an updated vaccine. How that might look might change from year to year,” Piedra said.
Because COVID-19 is so new, it will likely take some time before updated vaccines are released on a regular schedule. In the meantime, here’s what you need to know about the current COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and when they might change:
Vaccines that combat the original COVID-19 strain have been available for different age groups for either months or years. Still, only about 63% of Tex-
according to Department of State Health Services data.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized four COVID-19 vaccines: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Novavax and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine. However, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is only authorized in certain situations.
—Pfizer-BioNTech: Adults and children 5 and older receive the primary series of the Pfizer vaccine in two doses given three to eight weeks apart. The primary series for children between the ages of 6 months and 4 years is given in three doses. The second dose is given three to eight weeks after the first dose, and the third dose is given at least eight weeks after the second.
—Moderna: Moderna’s initial vaccine series is also approved for people 6 months and older and is given in two doses four to eight weeks apart. Both Moderna and Pfizer shots are mRNA vaccines, meaning they use lab-created coronavirus mRNA to teach cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response.
—Novavax: Novavax is only authorized for children over the age of 12. The initial series is given in two doses three to eight weeks apart.
Unlike the mRNA vaccines, Novavax is a protein subunit vaccine, meaning it contains proteins of the virus that causes COVID-19 and an adjuvant that helps the immune system respond to those proteins.
—Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen: Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine is only available for adults 18 and older who are unable to get the Moderna, Pfizer or Novavax vaccines because of medical concerns or because of limited access to the other vaccines.
Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have a bivalent booster that protects against the original COVID-19 strain and the highly contagious omicron variant. Uptake of the boosters has been slow — only about 43% of Texans who received the initial vaccine series have also received a booster dose.
Pfizer’s updated booster is available for adults and children 5 and older at least two months after their sec-
Moderna’s booster is available for children 6 and older at least two months after the second dose of the initial series.
On Dec. 8, the FDA approved the updated booster doses for children under 5, although administration of the booster depends on which initial vaccine series they received and
whether they completed that series.
—Pfizer-BioNTech: The Pfizer booster dose is available to children under 5 who haven’t finished the initial three-vaccine series. Those children will receive the original formula for the first two doses of the series and the new booster formula for the third dose. Children who have already completed that series aren’t yet eligible for the booster that targets omicron.
—Moderna: Children 6 and under who completed the initial Moderna vaccine series can get the updated Moderna booster at least two months after their last shot.
Novavax also offers a booster dose, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only recommends it for people 18 and older who are unable or unwilling to get an mRNA boost-
er, have completed the initial vaccine series at least six months ago and have not gotten any other booster dose.
The future of COVID-19 vaccines
Scientists have decades of experience in formulating annual flu vaccines. They look to Earth’s southern hemisphere, which experiences its winter season in June, July and August, for clues as to which strains will probably spread in the U.S.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is likely moving in that same seasonal direction, Piedra said. Once the virus follows a more predictable pattern, researchers may be able to use the same methods for formulating the flu vaccine in creating yearly COVID-19 vaccines.
What’s more difficult to predict, however, is how the addition of the
coronavirus is affecting other seasonal illnesses like the flu and RSV. Cases of the respiratory illnesses surged far earlier than normal this year as use of COVIDera public health protections, like masking and social distancing, waned.
Hopefully, Piedra said, the respiratory viruses will fall into place and regain their seasonality in the next few years.
“What that will look like, I can’t tell you for certain whether it will look like pre-SARSCoV-2 seasonality or whether it may be shifted because SARS-CoV-2 is now an added virus,” he said.
COVID-19 and flu vaccines are widely available at pharmacies, county healthy departments, health clinics, and immunization clinics. It’s safe to get vaccinated against both viruses at the same time.
The Kansas State football team arrived in New Orleans on Monday for the start of Sugar Bowl week.
So did Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide.
It won’t be long before kickoff arrives at 11 a.m. on Saturday inside the Superdome and a national viewing audience tunes in to watch K-State square off against Alabama in one of the most anticipated games on the postseason schedule.
One thing that will help the Sugar Bowl stand out on New Year’s Eve: star power.
All of Alabama’s best players have decided to compete
MEMPHIS (AP) — Kansas and Arkansas meet in the Liberty Bowl Wednesday.
This will mark the Jayhawks’ first bowl appearance since the end of the 2008 season. Kansas started 5-0 and cracked the AP Top 25 this year.
The Jayhawks’ six wins are more than they had in the previous three seasons combined. Arkansas started 3-0 and reached No. 10 in the AP Top 25. This is Kansas’ second appearance in the Liberty Bowl and first postseason trip since the Insight Bowl in December 2008.
This is Arkansas’ sixth
trip to the Liberty Bowl. Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. Thegame will be telecast on ESPN.
Kansas (6-6, Big 12) vs. Arkansas (6-6, SEC), LOCATION: Memphis, Tennessee
TOP PLAYERS
Kansas: RB Devin Neal. He ran for a team-best 1,061 yards and nine touchdowns to go with a TD catch. Arkansas: QB KJ Jefferson. He has thrown for 22 touchdowns and run for seven more as a dual-threat weapon.
NOTABLE
Kansas: The Jayhawks opened 5-0 and cracked the AP Top 25 poll before losing six of seven to close the schedule, though Kansas has won more games this year than in its previous three
By DAVE SKRETTA The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)
— The Kansas City Chiefs wouldn’t be in the race for a first-round bye in the AFC without Patrick Mahomes, who is charting a course toward a second MVP, along with three-time All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce and a host of other big-name stars.
Nor would they have been in the mix without the unsung and overlooked.
At the top of the list is Jerick McKinnon, whose one-year deal paying him $1,272,500 was signed without fanfare — it barely merited mention most places — but has turned out to be one of the biggest steals in the NFL. The journeyman running back has scored in four straight games with seven touchdowns over that span, including one in last week’s 24-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks that kept the Chiefs tied with Buffalo for the best record in the conference.
“Opportunity meeting
preparation,” McKinnon said, by way of an explanation. “The opportunities the last couple of weeks have
ramped up from the beginning of the season and I prepared myself for this. Running with the opportunities
I do get and making the most out of them.”
The Chiefs hope to get 2020 first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire back from injured reserve, where he’s rehabbing a high ankle sprain. But with seventh-round pick Isiah Pacheco becoming the lead back, and McKinnon playing at such a high level, the Chiefs are suddenly flush with options in the backfield.
“He’s just a true professional. He does everything the right way when he’s in the building,” Mahomes said of McKinnon. “He’s taking care of his body every single day and he does everything — like I said, he does everything the right way. He protects well, he runs routes well, he runs the ball well. And so, we can have him in there and trust that he’s going to know exactly the protection assignment, where to be at, on time and whenever we give him the runs, he’ll make plays.”
It’s not just McKinnon,
years combined (five).
Arkansas: The Razorbacks started started 3-0 and spent two weeks at No. 10 in the AP Top 25 before losing three straight to ranked opponents, then losing three of four in November.
LAST TIME Kansas 37, Arkansas 5 (Oct. 13, 1906)
BOWL HISTORY Kansas: Second appearance in the Liberty Bowl, first bowl appearance since the the Insight Bowl at the end of the 2008 season and 13th overall.
Arkansas: Sixth appearance in the Liberty Bowl, second straight postseason appearance and 44th overall.
DENVER (AP) — There was a time when an NBA team had some sense of how things were shaping up by Christmas. Even if just a glimmer of its place in the overall landscape.
Then the Boston Celtics made a run to the 2022 NBA Finals after being under .500 about this time last year.
Nobody is feeling too cozy this winter in the injury-riddled NBA.
“I don’t know if you can make any sense of anything nowadays,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.
Going into Tuesday’s games, Boston sits atop the Eastern Conference while Denver leads the West. But both races could simply depend on who heals the fastest
Experience
Flint Hills Technical College is seeking a highly motivated and innovative instructor for their expanding Automotive Technology program in LaHarpe, KS. This is an additional full-time position starting August 3, 2023. The program offers technical skills training for automotive repair and maintenance careers, while giving the instructor the opportunity to work in an ever-changing and exciting field. This full-time, 9-month position offers a competitive salary, commensurate with experience and education level, KPERS retirement plan, paid health insurance, as well as options for dental, vision, life, accident, cancer, and disability insurance. Enjoy holidays and summers off with a flexible workweek schedule.
The ideal candidate will have, or be willing to obtain, ASE certifications including A1-A8, G1, and L1, as well as experience working in an automotive service and repair shop. A minimum of an Associate Degree (or willing to obtain) in Automotive Technology, or a related field, plus either 2 years of related work experience or teaching in the automotive field, is required. The successful candidate needs to have excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as be able to successfully complete a criminal background check. Bilingual applicants encouraged to apply.
Applications will be taken until the position is filled.
To apply, please go to my.fhtc.edu and click on the Careers tab, or feel free to provide a cover letter and resume via email to Sandy Weeks, Director of Human Resources at saweeks@fhtc.edu . Call 620.341.1384 for job details.
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Flint Hills Technical College is an EEO employer.
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The Board of Education of USD 256, Marmaton Valley, announces a vacancy on the board for a resident living in the district. This position may be lled by board appointment. Applicants should notify the district o ce by written letter of interest no later than January 20, 2023. This o ce will be placed on the ballot for election in November of 2025. The appointee will serve the remainder of the term until December 31, 2025.
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TEMPE, Ariz. (AP)
— J.J. Watt could be a terrifying presence on a football field, hunting opposing quarterbacks with unparalleled ferocity, particularly during the early 2010s with the Houston Texans.
But the 6-foot-5, 288-pounder also could be a joyful fan favorite, playing catch on the
sideline with young fans in the stands before games.
Now one of the best defensive players in NFL history looks like he’s ready to call it a career.
Watt — a three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year — indicated Tuesday that he will retire at the end of the
season, posting pictures of his wife and baby on social media while writing: “Koa’s first ever NFL game. My last ever NFL home game. My heart is filled with nothing but love and gratitude. It’s been an absolute honor and a pleasure.”
The Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman and his wife, Kealia,
became parents in October. Koa is the name of their son.
Watt, 33, was among the premier defensive players in the NFL during the early 2010s with the Houston Texans. The former Wisconsin standout was a firstround pick in 2011 and was dominant from 2012 to 2015, finishing that
four-year stretch with 69 sacks, to earn all three of his AP Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Watt was solid during his rookie season but became a star in 2012, with a stunning 20 1/2 sacks and 39 tackles for a loss. His production dipped slightly in 2013 before two more monster seasons. He had 20
1/2 sacks in 2014 and 17 1/2 in 2015.
His production dipped during the later half of his career, largely due to injuries. He missed big chunks of time in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021 but has had a bit of a latecareer revival with the Cardinals — his 9 1/2 sacks this season are his most since 2018.
NEW YORK — When Jacque Vaughn was at the tail end of his NBA career as a backup point guard for the San Antonio Spurs, Mike Budenholzer was an assistant on Gregg Popovich’s staff.
Budenholzer, now an NBA championship-winning head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, remembers Vaughn vividly.
“As a player, his work ethic and his attention to detail was just off the charts,” he said on Friday. “He’s about as sharp as anybody I’ve ever been around as a player, and his thirst for game plans and little moments where he can make a difference and impact winning, it was high-level.
“And as a coach, it’s kind of the same thing.”
Vaughn was not the candidate the basketball world saw coming.
He amassed just a 58158 record as a first-time head coach with the Orlando Magic. The Nets had passed on Vaughn after firing Kenny Atkinson, hiring Steve Nash despite Vaughn’s success in the Orlando Bubble. They were set to overlook him a second time after dismissing Nash seven games into the season.
Vaughn, himself, even joked he was the “writein candidate” after the Nets chose not to hire Ime Udoka.
“But I’m OK with that,” Vaughn said. “I said to my wife, I might have not been her first choice and we’ve been together 20 years, so you know, it could all work out. So off we go.”
And off the Nets have gone.
The Nets are a leaguebest 20-7 since Vaughn replaced Nash. They enter Christmas on an eight-game winning streak coming off a signature victory over Budenholzer’s No. 1 seeded Bucks on Friday.
They are now the scariest team in all of basketball — because
they’re winning at a high rate and haven’t yet fully put the pieces together.
Kevin Durant’s production (and his career-high shooting efficiency) has been the only constant.
Save for Royce O’Neale and Nic Claxton, important role players have all missed time due to injury, plus Kyrie Irving served an eight-game suspension as a result of a controversial social media post. Not to mention the many iterations of Ben Simmons, who is vital to the Nets’ success but continues to work back into form after offseason back surgery.
Under Vaughn, the Nets are proving they are not just the names on the back of their jerseys. They have finally become a cohesive team. Just when everyone began counting them out, Vaughn flipped the script.
“Jacque’s made it very clear,” Irving said. “If you’re not playing hard enough, he’s gonna let you know about it.”
IRVING’S initial reaction was to “call cap.”
About a month before Friday’s matchup against the Bucks, Vaughn gave his players
a reality check.
The Nets are one of the smallest teams in basketball. It allows them to play fast and switch screens on defense, but it leaves the team susceptible to getting drilled on the glass.
So Vaughn used a practice day to call his players out. Securing a rebound starts with boxing out an opposing player, and the Nets just weren’t doing that enough.
Vaughn pulled each player’s individual boxout rate. Irving, for example, ranked secondto-last on the team.
“Who’s making these stats?” he jokingly recalled in an initial reaction. “You want to talk about holding people accountable?”
It went down the line.
Simmons, listed at 6-10, 240 pounds, declined to share his boxout rate but said “it wasn’t great.”
“It’s right in front of your eyes, it’s not a made-up thing,” Simmons said. “It’s a real stat.”
Claxton, the starting center, ranked in the team’s top percentile but said Vaughn’s message hit home for the players who were on the lower end of the spec-
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos fired first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett on Monday with two games left in the season.
Team owner and CEO Greg Penner said he’ll lead the search for a new coach with assistance from GM George Paton, in whom he expressed confidence while announcing Hackett’s dismissal.
Firing Hackett with two games left in a lost season allows Penner to begin his search for a replacement immediately.
Players were told during a team meeting Monday that senior assistant coach Jerry Rosburg, who was hired by Hackett in September to help him with game operations and clock management, will serve as interim head coach.
The group involving Walmart heir Rob Walton, his daughter, Carrie Walton Pen-
ner, and her husband, Greg Penner, purchased the Broncos for $4.65 billion last summer, a global record for a professional sports franchise, and Rob Walton said after the league’s approval that he aimed to make the Broncos perennial championship contenders again.
On Sunday, the Broncos (4-11) were blown out by the equally downtrodden Los Angeles Rams 51-14 when Russell Wilson threw three interceptions and was sacked six times. The game featured a sideline spat between backup QB Brett Rypien and guard Dalton Risner, and pass rusher Randy Gregory threw a punch at a Rams player after the game.
In a statement Monday, Penner thanked Hackett for his dedication but said that “following extensive conversations with George and our ownership group, we determined a new direc-
tion would ultimately be in the best interest of the Broncos. This change was made now out of respect for everyone involved and allows us to immediately begin the search for a new head coach.”
Penner said that “moving forward, we will carefully evaluate every aspect of our football operations and make whatever changes are necessary to restore this franchise’s winning tradition.”
Hackett replaced Vic Fangio last January but hasn’t been able to build an offense suitable to Wilson, who recently turned 34.
Hackett is the third NFL head coach fired during the 2022 season. The Carolina Panthers replaced Matt Rhule with interim head coach Steve Wilks and the Indianapolis Colts fired Frank Reich and replaced him with coaching novice Jeff Saturday.
trum.
Durant agreed.
“A lot of guys didn’t like where they were,” he said. “I think since then we’ve been making a conscious effort.”
The proof is in the pudding: from the beginning of the season through Nov. 25, the Nets gave up the fourth-most offensive rebounds per game. Since that point, entering Christmas, the Nets allow the fifth-fewest. They have not made any roster changes.
As for Irving, he is averaging 6.6 rebounds in the month of December alone, up from 4.1 through Dec. 1.
“When I’m able to hold myself accountable and Jacque’s able to hold me accountable and my teammates are able to hold me accountable, then it makes it easier for us to hold each other accountable by doing the little things,” he said. “These are things that we have to do every night to win.”
TIMEOUT, Jacque Vaughn.
It happens immediately after a blunder on defense — or sometimes a broken offensive play on a key possession.
One of the more glaring differences between Vaughn and Nash is the use of timeouts. Where Nash neglected to call a timeout, Vaughn nips a bad play in the bud immediately.
It happened minutes into the Nets’ blowout victory over the short-handed Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. Draymond
Vaughn had seen enough. The score was only 8-4, but he wanted to give his team a wakeup call. They came out after the timeout and finished the first quarter up, 46-17.
“We understand we made a mistake,” Durant said. “It’s always beneficial for us. So I love when he does that. It just keeps us on point.”
Vaughn likes to use a line he got from his coach at Kansas, Roy Williams: “The old eye in the sky don’t lie.”
It’s why he frequently uses the iPad to call out defensive miscues during timeouts. The tablet brings the team together and creates productive dialogue for how they can make adjustments on the fly.
“We didn’t have that previously,” Vaughn said. “So that communication part, whether it was a clip guys wanted to see at halftime that we talked through, I think that’s where the trust is growing: to be able to communicate, to be able to ask questions, have a little psychological safety where you can ask and not be reprimanded and we try to figure this thing out together.”
IT’S DEC. 15, one of few legitimate practice days in a wocky Nets season that has seen traditional game day shoot-
arounds scrapped in favor of regular pregame walkthroughs. The team has clearly taken to their new coach. They have rallied around him in a way that makes him an unquestioned early season Coach of the Year candidate.
Vaughn says he owes “a lot of people” for his coaching style. He cited the late Jerry Sloan, who he played for on a perennial contending Utah Jazz team alongside Karl Malone and John Stockton.
Vaughn learned from Popovich, one of the greatest basketball coaches in the history of the sport. He learned playing for Doc Rivers, Terry Stotts, Lawrence Frank and Williams.
Vaughn’s vision for the Nets was never solely tethered to Durant, Irving or Simmons, though the three play integral roles on how deep of a playoff run this team can make.
Vaughn’s vision for Brooklyn was always about holding everyone accountable from Seven (Durant) and Eleven (Irving) to the 14th and 15th players on the bench. It’s why the only win more critical than Friday’s victory over the Bucks was their 136133 win over the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 10.
Entering that night, Durant ranked No. 1 in total minutes and O’Neale ranked second. Vaughn rested every key rotation player except Yuta Watanabe and Edmond Sumner. Behind 33 points off the bench from Cam Thomas, the Nets’ second and third unit stole a victory from a rolling Pacers team on the road in Indiana.
“[The vision] was based on no excuses,” Vaughn said. “And so whoever is going to be out there on the floor will be able to adapt as long as you’re playing hard.”
It took the unlikely, write-in candidate for the Nets to find their identity on both ends of the floor.
The Nets are going to move the ball. They are going to compete on defense. They are going to box out because Vaughn demands it of them.
Above all, the Nets are going to win games because they aren’t relying solely on the names on the back of their jerseys. They are relying on each other, and Vaughn has been the catalyst.
or who can stay the healthiest.
The reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors are missing Stephen Curry (shoulder), the Los Angeles Lakers are without Anthony Davis (foot) and the Minnesota Timberwolves are minus Karl-Anthony Towns (calf).
The Phoenix Suns might be down Devin Booker for a bit after he reaggravated his groin Sunday, and Domantas Sabonis is day-to-day with a hand injury as the Sacramento Kings try to make the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06.
Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum has the Celtics humming along, and Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic is threatening to join Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird as the only players to win three consecutive MVP awards.
Despite those two playing some of the best basketball in the NBA, injuries have led to some early season chaos.
Four teams are within three games of the first-place Celtics in the East, and eight clubs are within four games of No. 1 Denver in the West.
“The talent and skill levels may change because of injuries,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “But playing with a great level of competition should never change for any team.”
So it goes with LeBron James, who turns 38 on Friday and sits 630
points away from breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career scoring mark. The Lakers are currently well back in the West race and James is in danger of missing the playoffs for a second straight season. It won’t be easy to avoid that, with Davis sidelined for an undetermined time.
Then again, the Lakers have already climbed out of 0-5 and 2-10 holes this season.
“How many times
are you going to try to dig yourself out until there’s too much dirt on you?” James said. “There are ways we can be better.”
It worked for the Celtics, who at this time a year ago — Dec. 26, 2021 — were 16-17 and sitting ninth in the East. But the holiday wasn’t a good barometer, as they went 35-14 the rest of the way to earn the No. 2 seed and advance to the finals. They’re surg-
ing again this season behind Tatum, who has emerged as an MVP favorite as he tries to unseat Jokic.
“One game at a time and not looking too far ahead,” Malone said with roughly 40% of the season complete. “Just trying to get better every single day.”
Healthier, too.
That’s the case with the Nuggets, who are steadily seeing Jamal Murray’s explosiveness
The talent and skill levels may change because of injuries. But playing with a great level of competition should never change for any team.”
— Phoenix head coach Monty Williams
return as he makes his way back from an ACL injury. Michael Porter Jr. has recovered from a heel ailment that kept him out for a month.
The Warriors are minus Curry for at least two more weeks. Towns could be back for Minnesota in the not-so-distant future. Booker’s groin injury could be a concern for the Suns, who are already without Cameron Payne (foot) and Cameron Johnson (knee). Booker reaggravated the injury early in a 128-125 overtime loss at Denver on Christmas Night. He’s the team’s leading scorer.
“It’s tough,” teammate Chris Paul said. “We’ve got to hold the fort down until he’s ready.”
Sort of flying under the radar these days are the Los Angeles Clippers, a team that’s rounding back into elite form. They’re taking a cautious approach with Kawhi Leonard (knee), who scored 28 points in a loss at Philadelphia last Friday.
Don’t overlook the play of Shake Milton, who has given the 76ers a nice boost off the bench.
Jerami Grant has been a welcome addition in Portland, averaging 21.8
points per game to give a big hand to Damian Lillard. Zion Williamson has been doing Zion Williamson-type things — before recently entering the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols — for the New Orleans Pelicans, who trail the Nuggets by a halfgame.
Then there’s Aaron Gordon, the high-flying Denver forward who retooled his game in the offseason and is shooting a career-best 61.1% from the floor. He had several highlight-reel dunks in a win over the Suns on Christmas, including a backward jam, an alley-oop slam and one at the end where he nearly flew over Landry Shamet.
Gordon’s game has taken some pressure off Jokic, the 7-foot center averaging 25.4 points, 11 rebounds and a career-best 9.4 assists.
“This team is one of the teams that has the potential to be the only team to win at the end of the season,” Gordon said. “When you have a team like that, and you have players like that, we make everybody better around us. We’re trying to play for each other. We’re trying to win for each other.”
Continued from B1
though. The Chiefs (123) have a multitude of players in similar positions.
Right tackle Andrew Wylie became a starter because of injuries elsewhere a handful of years ago, and he returned to Kansas City on a one-year deal paying him $2,537,500. Yet he’s been a stalwart up front for the highest-scoring offense in the league, not only protecting Mahomes but helping to turn Pacheco into a rookie sensation.
Then there’s wide receiver Justin Watson, who signed a one-year deal for $1,035,000 with no guarantee that he’d even make the team.
But when injuries hit Mecole Hardman, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kadarius Toney at various points, Watson became a useful option that allowed the Kansas City passing game to keep on humming.
On defense, guys such as defensive tackle Brandon Williams and safety Deon Bush have made important contributions.
The Chiefs will need all of them to keep it up.
The Bills hold the headto-head tiebreaker over them with two games to go, which means Kansas City likely needs to win out and then hope someone tops Buffalo down the stretch.
Kelce had six catches for 113 yards against the Seahawks, once more proving that apparently no defense can hold him down for an entire game. Two of his catches, including a 52-yarder, came on the touchdown drive that clinched the win.
The Chiefs were just 3 of 11 on third down against the Seahawks, which was glaring given that they trailed only Buffalo for the best conversion rate in the league. Their offense only gained 297 yards with 14 first downs in the game.
It took defensive end George Karlaftis until Week 12 to get his first
full sack, but the firstround pick has now had one in four of the past five games. He also had an important pass deflection in the win over Seattle.
The Chiefs need tight ends Noah Gray and Blake Bell, who just came off injured reserve, to play a bigger role in the offense
— and if nothing else, give Kelce a break. Jody Fortson had been a useful backup but is now on IR.
The Chiefs hope Hardman (abdomen) plays this week for the first time since Nov. 6. He’s practiced the past two weeks.
KEY NUMBERS 12 — The Chiefs have
won at least 12 games in five consecutive seasons, the third-longest streak in NFL history. Only the Colts from 2003-09 and the Patriots from 2010-17 own longer streaks.
The Chiefs face the Broncos on New Year’s Day before concluding their season at Las Vegas.
Kyanna’s
Attending
With one semester under her belt, Kyanna said she has made “new friends and memories.”
Kyanna
Thank you, Kyanna, for making us Allen Proud!
We asked readers to channel their inner Carolyn Hax and answer this question. Some of the best responses are below.
Dear Carolyn: Do you think someone can truly be a good person if they don’t love dogs? I have a
Haxboyfriend whom I could really see a future with — except that he doesn’t love dogs. I have such a problem with that.
He has never had a dog, says he has never wanted one, and, when he is around my dog, seems mostly indifferent. On the other hand, he’s smart and funny and successful and kind. But it hurts me that he and I will go out and have a wonderful time together, and then we’ll return to my house and I just want to hug my dog but my boyfriend is standing back like he thinks my dog is going to bite him or something. It just feels like it is a character red flag not to love dogs, isn’t it?
— Must Love Dogs
Must Love Dogs: A partner will not — and cannot — have all the same interests and enthusiasms as you. This does not necessarily mean they are the wrong person for you, much less that they have a breakup-worthy character flaw! If your whole life revolved around dogs (your work, your hobbies, your home decor, your friendships) and your partner refused to express even a begrudging interest in them, that might be a problem. Even then it wouldn’t be a character flaw, just a compatibility issue. You don’t paint him as hostile or resentful, just indifferent.
I’d say let yourself be slightly sad to not have a partner with the same love of dogs as you, and then give your funny, kind, smart, successful partner a hug.
— Loves Dogs, But My Partner Doesn’t Need To Must Love Dogs: “Indifferent” to dogs and hating dogs are two separate and distinct mindsets. It sounds like your boyfriend is uncomfortable with dogs because he does not know them; essentially, he doesn’t speak their language. The larger question is would he be willing to get to know your dog enough to care for it and include it as you need him to in the context of a family? Yes, I know it is your dog and your responsibility, but partner illness, work obligations, veterinary emergencies, and childraising have a way of making sure that all family members are on deck for a pet.
It’s worth asking if fear of dogs is part of your boyfriend’s story.
I have a parent who was very afraid of dogs after having been bitten on multiple occasions by a neighbor’s dog. They always had a healthy respect for working dogs and their role in society, but personal interactions with dogs were uneasy. After almost 50 years from their trauma, watching my parent take the risk just to pet my new, calm dog was something really spe-
cial. (Their mutual hatred of squirrels aided a bond.)
— MC
Must Love Dogs: It’s an age-old conundrum: Can I change my partner? What boundaries do we each have? What are my non-negotiables?
You suggest that someone’s comfort level with pets could be a character flaw; surely that’s hyperbole, right? Because if you mean it, do this man a favor and let him go. If your non-negotiables include must currently love dogs, throw this partner back in the sea and try again!
But really, this is probably an issue worth talking about: If he’s just indifferent to your dog, can you live with that if it never changes? Is he opposed to things you might expect or be comfortable with such as: dogs on the couch or bed, taking dogs on trips in a car, or basic tasks of feeding and caring for a dog? If so, a longterm partnership could be a challenge.
If, on the other hand, he’s great boyfriend material and just indifferent to dogs, make peace with that. It’s fine to hope that he changes. I say this as a husband who was a “no pets inside, well okay, maybe a cat, oh look a dog, I-amnot-a-dog-person” person, who now has two daily walks with one of my best friends, our dog. I’m a dog person. But, still no dogs on the bed!
— Tim Wheeler Must Love Dogs: I married a man who was indifferent to my dog, and I have to say that, in his case, it was a red flag that I wished I’d heeded. Over time his indifference actually turned into annoyance whenever my dog sought his attention — which was often because she desperately wanted him to love her like I did. Also, as my dog got older and her care needs increased, he had no interest in helping me with her. This was difficult because she was a large dog and lifting her was a challenge for me.
In the end, my husband and I separated for various additional reasons, but they all basically revolved around the themes of lack of empathy and selfishness. I realize there are legitimate reasons for some people to dislike or fear dogs, but I do think it’s important to parse out what those underlying reasons are and determine if it’s something you’re willing to live with for the rest of your life.
— Penny OtreraSaturday’s Cryptoquote: But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight — “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
— Clement Clarke Moore
ZITS by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman BEETLE BAILEY by Mort Walker HAGAR THE HORRIBLE by Chris Browne FUNKY WINKERBEAN by Tom BatiukContinued from B1
in the Sugar Bowl, including stud linebacker Will Anderson and former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Bryce Young. You will see K-State stars Deuce Vaughn, Cooper Beebe and Felix Anudike-Uzomah out there, too.
These teams don’t believe in the phrase “opt out.”
“I think it’s great,” K-State football coach Chris Klieman said.
“It’s great for college football that the best players are going to play in this game. We have a handful of those guys as well that have elected to play in this game. And that’s what it’s about. It’s playing with your brothers one last time for the guys that are going on to the next level.
And I think that’s really important for our game in general.”
Many were surprised when Young and Anderson decided to play, given that they are both projected top five picks in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Not Saban, though he did say his coaching staff did “everything that we could do as an institution to minimize the risk for them to play” in the Sugar Bowl.
“I think both guys have been tremendous leaders on our team,” Saban said. “They’re both captains on our team. I think they feel
sort of a responsibility to being a part of the team and have a tremendous amount of respect for their teammates, which I think probably weighed into their decision to play.”
This will be a drastically different bowl game than K-State experienced last season at the Texas Bowl.
The Wildcats played another SEC blue blood in that postseason matchup, but the Tigers were dealing with unprecedented turmoil.
LSU played in that game without essentially half its roster following a coaching change and mass exodus of departing transfers.
K-State rolled 42-20
against the junior varsity squad that LSU sent to Houston.
A similar victory won’t be so easy against an Alabama team that is more or less at full strength. But the Wildcats are up for the challenge.
“They come to play and we come to play; they give their best guys and we give our best guys,” Anudike-Uzomah said. “It’s going to be a good matchup. It’s exciting. It’s an honor to play a New Year’s Six bowl, so I think that’s why everyone is playing.”
Anudike-Uzomah went on to say it was a no-brainer for him to play in this game.
“It’s a dream come true just to play in the Sugar Bowl,” he said. “It’s a dream I’ve had since I was a little kid to play in a New Year’s Six bowl. I’m not here just to have a dream, I’m here to even win it, too.”
Klieman and Saban hope that this game goes
well for both teams — and that star players from around the country consider taking the field in future bowl games.
“It’s a great example for college football,” Saban said, “that guys that are special players who have had great seasons and have won numerous
awards choose to continue to play and support their team.”
Still, this game is going to be a challenge for both teams. Klieman went so far as to call it “a fist fight.”
That is what happens when both teams treat the Sugar Bowl like a big deal.
