The Iola Register, Jan. 29, 2022

HAPPY KANSAS DAY! Locally owned since 1867

Saturday, January 29, 2022

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SAFE AND SOBER

County seeks help with COVID testing

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

April Jackson, rural health coordinator for Thrive Allen County, is converting a former funeral home into a recovery house. The facility will offer transitional housing for those who have recently completed treatment for substance misuse, and will include community-based resources such as NA meetings and assistance for job and house hunting. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Recovery house offers hope, resources

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

April Jackson knows the challenges that come with recovery from substance misuse.

Not only has she been in recovery herself, but she and her now-ex husband used to open their home to others attempting to live a sober lifestyle.

They took in both men and women. Even a mother and child. They helped eight people over a period of 18 months.

“It was a huge learning ex- One of the bedrooms for the recovery house. perience,” Jackson said. “It Recovery isn’t easy. Not ev- environment with access to opened my eyes to the different needs of recovery and the eryone is successful. resources they need to recovBut one of the best ways to er and improve their lives, different situations people get in. It also toughened me up to help someone transition to a Jackson said. be able to say no and see the sober lifestyle is to make sure Jackson, who is Thrive they’re living in a supportive Allen County’s rural health red flags.”

Young Bengals team heads to KC

coordinator, plans to make that happen by opening a recovery house at 16 N. Buckeye St., the former Waugh-Yokum Funeral Home now owned by Thrive.

The property will offer safe, temporary, substance-free housing for those who have recently completed treatment.

It’s a pilot program for the Substance Misuse Prevention Coalition and will be funded as part of a federal grant. The hope is to create a sustainable program with more housing opportunities in the future, either in Iola or other communities within the six counties — Allen, Bourbon, Coffey, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson — that make up the coalition.

“None of the counties have anything like this,” Jackson See RECOVERY | Page A7

The Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Departments have requested the state’s help with testing for COVID-19 as cases continue to surge in Allen County.

The county currently has 309 active cases, according to the CDC’s COVID Tracker. That number is actually going down, and has dropped about 26% since last week.

“Kansas has the highest case rates in the country, but we are seeing the cases decline as the week has gone on,” Rebecca Johnson, health department director, said.

On Monday, Kansas reported about 10,000 new COVID cases per day.

By Wednesday, that had dropped to about 7,000 cases per day.

Johnson said she has asked the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for testing trailers for Allen County, and is waiting for a response.

She’s also requested overthe-counter tests.

“If we do receive some of See CASES | Page A4

Allen County COVID-19 Case Count

Active cases............309 Total cases*............3,622 Deaths...................31 *Since the start of the pandemic Sources: Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Departments, Kansas Department of Health and Environment

Funeral home gets initial OK to rezone property

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

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Wind energy foes renew efforts PAGE A2

Bridge collapses in Pittsburgh PAGE A5

Vol. 124, No. 83 Iola, KS 75 Cents

Allen County Planning Commission members gave their blessing Thursday to Reuben Feuerborn to convert a house next to Feuerborn Funeral Home into a monument showroom and office. Commission members voted 5-0 to reclassify the property along U.S. 54 between Iola and Gas for commercial use from its existing residential zone.

Feuerborn is keeping the name Williams Monuments for the gravestone business.

Final decision goes to Allen County Commissioners.

Feuerborn opened the funeral chapel’s new location about five years ago in what had been the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Feuerborn Family Funeral Service wants to add monuments and an office in a house, shown at left, next door to its facility on U.S. 54. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN At about the same time, he purchased Williams Monuments from the estate of Terry Ellis, and has operated those services out of the funeral chapel.

Feuerborn said he plans to do some modifications to the house, such as removing a garage door, perhaps a win-

dow or two and revamping the front facade.

Williams also plans to display a small collection of gravestones on the property, which piqued the interest of Planning Commission members.

At issue was a letter they had received from Darrell El-

lis, who lives along the highway just east of the Feuerborn property.

“I do not care to have a yard full of tombstones within 200 to 300 feet of the west side of my property,” Darrell Ellis wrote. “I don’t want to see a yard full of tombstones every See BUSINESS | Page A4

Neosho Memorial’s West Registration Entrance will be temporarily closed during a renovation project, the adjacent Emergency Entrance is open.

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Saturday, January 29, 2022

Wind energy foes renew efforts

Court report

By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press

IOLA MUNICIPAL COURT Judge Patti Boyd Convicted as follows: Matthew V. Drake, Chanute, speeding (40/35), $155 Coryan Ja Maria A.A. Green, Sedan, theft, $760, probation ordered Watonna D. Parker, Iola, domestic battery, $315, probation ordered

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Green energy companies and environmentalists are fighting a revived push in the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature for stricter limits on wind turbines and solar farms in a state where renewable resources account for nearly half the capacity for generating electricity.

Two Senate committees held hearings Thursday on bills backed by a key conservative lawmaker and landowners upset with wind turbines going up near their homes.

Wind energy officials said the proposed rules would be so strict that no new wind or solar farms could be built in Kansas.

The measures are pushed by Senate Utilities Chair Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican who questions whether wind and solar farms can provide a reliable power supply. Thompson advocated such restrictions last year but stirred up enough opposition that his push ended with hearings.

Thompson argues that the proposals would protect landown-

Wings of Warriors report Wings of Warriors met Jan. 20, with seven members attending.

Twenty-four gift cards were given out through the end of the year, with an additional seven cards handed out in January.

Wings of Warriors lost 12 patients in 2021.

Members reviewed bylaws and noted sponsorships must be done

by Feb. 10.

Members discussed potential fundraisers.

The group’s Christmas bandstand decorations were well received.

The next meeting is Feb. 10 at the Gas Community Building.

ers who decline to sign leases and would keep companies from becoming too aggressive.

“They always talk about the landowner who’s willing to sign the lease. They never talk about the landowner who doesn’t want it right next door,” Thompson told The Associated Press in an interview. “I’m worried about the people who are trying to go behind backs and get stuff done and it harms their neighbors.”

A bill before Thompson’s committee would make it easier for landowners who’ve leased land for wind or solar

Worshippers hear about trust Brant McGhee gave the Communion Meditation, “What’s on Brant’s mind?” at Sunday’s Colony Christian Church service. Top of the list are hymns, whose words we should all strive to listen and follow. As Christians, we must speak what is true. To take God’s words to heart so they make a significant change in our lives.

Pastor Chase Riebel gave the sermon “Trusting God: Noah.”

Genesis 6 tells us about how the world had become evil. Every-

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one’s thoughts were evil, except for Noah.

Noah walked with God. When God told Noah to build a boat because he was going to flood the earth, Noah had faith that God’s words were true and trustworthy.

He got his sons together, got his tools and went directly to work building a boat. A boat that took them 120 years to build. Now that’s trust.

Noah and his family, along with the animals that God sent to them, were saved. Everyone else perished.

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Temperature High Thursday Low Thursday night High a year ago Low a year ago Sunrise 7:26 a.m.

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Precipitation 24 hrs. ending 8 a.m. Friday 0 This month to date .06 Total year to date .06 Deficient since Jan. 1 1.29 Sunset 5:42p.m.

Are you on the boat?

At some point, we must get out of the boat.

Not out of Jesus, but out of our comfort zone to build his kingdom.

Noah trusted God. Do you trust him enough to reach out and pull others out of the fire?

Retired teachers to gather The Allen County Retired School Personnel organization will meet at 12:15 Wednesday with a meal and meeting at the Mary Ellen Stadler Conference room at Allen Community College.

Melissa Stiffler, career and technology education coordinator for Iola-USD 257, will give a program on the Regional Rural Technology Center.

All retired school personnel are invited to attend.

farms to void those leases, particularly if there’s no construction after three years. Another bill before the Senate Local Government Committee would set statewide zoning rules for wind and solar farms.

The Local Government Committee’s hearing included testimony from a U.S. Department of Defense official who said statewide rules in Oklahoma had been helpful in preventing wind farm development from causing problems for military training activities.

And while the Kansas Livestock Association has qualms about tougher zoning rules in rural areas and limits for some landowners, lobbyist Aaron Popelka testified, “We do think this is a good discussion.”

“We do think some protections for non-participating landowners need to occur,” he said.

But in advocating such proposals, Thompson is taking on what has become a major Kansas industry over the past 20 years.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, renewables such as wind and solar accounted for only 1.1% of the state’s electricity generating capacity in 2002, while coal was the dominant energy source.

Those renewable resources have since supplanted coal as the largest source of generating capacity. Solar farms still provide relatively little power, but Evergy, the state’s largest electric company, plans to make its first big investments before 2025.

Kimberly Svaty, who represents an alliance of renewable energy companies and investors, said Thompson and other backers of the bill are resorting to “scare tactics” about firms’ activities when projects cannot move forward without willing property owners.

Rorik Peterson, a regional development director for the international firm EDP Renewables, noted that companies would be required to record leases with counties within 30 days but couldn’t take that step without first getting building permits — which typically takes more than 30 days, he said. EDP has wind farms in three Kansas counties.

“The bill is effectively drafted to set up an impossible scenario for any project to move forward,” he said.

Obituary Eddie Danford Edward J. “Eddie” Danford, age 59, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, near Spring Hill in Miami County.

Eddie was born Sept. 25, 1962, to James and Shirley (Richards) Danford in Iola. He graduated from Iola High School with the class Eddie Danford of 1981. He enlisted in the United States Army and served for three years. Eddie worked for Haldex for over 25 years until the company shut their doors. He then went on to drive a truck which he continued doing until his passing. Eddie married Melissa A. (Wells) Danford on June 1, 1991, in Iola. Their union was blessed with two children, Zack and Tori. They later divorced.

Eddie was an avid Kansas City Chiefs and Royals fan. He enjoyed attending motorsports events and vacationing in Oklahoma to ride ATVs at the sand dunes. He loved spending time with his family and making memories with his children.

Eddie is preceded in death by his parents, James and Shirley Danford.

Eddie is survived by children, Zack Danford and Tori Danford; companion, Cindy Greenwood; siblings, Janet Garber, Peggy Ashbacher, Marlin Danford and Carlita Guiles; three grandchildren; dog, Chance; and numerous other family members and friends.

Funeral services were Friday at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service in Iola, with cremation to follow. Memorials are suggested to the Edward Danford Memorial Fund to help defray funeral costs and may be left with the funeral home at 1883 U.S. 54, Iola, KS 66749. Condolences may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com.

YOUR COMMUNITY FOUNDATION IS SEEKING NEW BOARD MEMBERS

Established in 2012, Your Community Foundation works to advance the quality of life in Allen County.

Our vision is to be a trusted partner in charitable giving, to improve the quality of life and revitalize Allen and surrounding counties.

Our mission is to advance the quality of life in Allen County and surrounding areas by building permanent endowments, fostering philanthropy, energizing community communication, helping donors achieve charitable goals and leave lasting legacies.

The board meets once a month and plays a vital role in awarding grants, working with the community, and laying the foundation for our work.

Join us in service! Contact Job Springer (620-228-0293) or Alan Weber at givingmakesadifference@gmail.com to learn more. www.givingmakesadifference.com

EVERY

MONDAY ALL AMERICAN

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rookiessportsbarandgrilliola.com

(620) 228-5322 Northeast Corner of the Iola Square

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Saturday, January 29, 2022

A3

After huge pandemic losses, governments see rapid rebound

By DAVID A. LIEB and CAMILLE FASSETT The Associated Press

State and local governments lost at least $117 billion of expected revenue early in the pandemic, according to an Associated Press analysis, but many are now awash in record amounts of money, boosted partly by federal aid.

In response to the dramatic turnaround, governors, lawmakers and local officials have proposed a surge in spending as well as a new wave of tax cuts.

“The ultimate effect of the pandemic was a net positive,” said Stephen Parker, assistant city manager for the Los Angeles suburb of Upland, where sales tax revenues are soaring.

“Isn’t that unbelievable?

It’s just crazy to think of that.”

Upland, a city of 79,000, was representative of many cities at the outset of the pandemic.

It reported an estimated loss of nearly $6.1 million in 2020 — the result of a steep but short-lived national recession and what Parker describes as a “generous” Treasury Department method for calculating losses. That figure was the median amount among more than 900 cities that reported their revenues to the department under the American Rescue Plan Act. Upland’s financial situation turned around even before the end of 2020, Parker said. Federal COVID-19 stimulus checks played a role. So did a shift in consumer spending to goods instead of services. That lifted city revenues, Parker said, because services often are exempt from sales taxes, while goods are not.

The pandemic relief law championed by Democrats and signed

by President Joe Biden last March included $350 billion in aid to states and local governments.

The Treasury Department required states, counties and larger cities to file reports last year detailing their initial plans for the money.

Those governments also were asked to estimate their losses for 2020 by comparing actual revenue to expected revenue under a Treasury formula.

Though revenue figures were left blank by nearly one-quarter of the roughly 3,700 governments that filed reports, the data nonetheless provides the most comprehensive picture yet of the financial strain on governments during the pandemic’s first year.

More than two-thirds of state and local governments reported at least some losses, ranging from a few thousand dollars in some rural counties to more than $12 billion for the state of Texas, according to the AP’s analysis. The total was $117.5 billion.

The Treasury Department last October declined an AP request to release the revenue-loss data under the federal Freedom of Information Act, saying it would be publicly available later.

It recently posted the data on its website. The next reports are due Monday for some governments and April 30 for others.

Federal relief money is helping state and local governments recover from the pandemic.

ment losses weren’t as severe as the Treasury numbers might suggest.

Greer County in rural southwest Oklahoma reported a 2020 revenue loss of $363,630 — around the national median for counties reporting their revenues.

That comprised 10% of the county’s expected revenue under the Treasury Department formula, but it didn’t prompt budget cuts, County Clerk Tiffany Buchanan said.

“The county didn’t feel that much of a loss,” Buchanan said, explaining: “We live on a very tight, strict budget as it is.”

The county plans to

use some of its $1.1 million from the American Rescue Plan to help fund the sheriff ’s office and pay emergency medical personnel.

Some states, including California and Texas, projected large revenue losses at the outset of the pandemic but have since posted big gains.

When it passed a budget early in the pandemic, California had expected the recession to cause a $54 billion deficit. That led officials to defer payments to schools and community colleges and to reduce state employee pay, according to the state’s Treasury report.

Now California is projecting a nearly $46 billion surplus spurred by record tax collections, leaving officials searching for ways to use the money. Gov. Gavin Newsom recently proposed a budget that would expand health coverage to all low-income adults living in the state illegally while simultaneously cutting taxes. The Democratic governor also said a substantial tax rebate was likely in order.

“I will be holding the governor’s feet to the fire and keep him at his word to refund surplus dollars to the taxpayers,” GOP state Sen. Melissa Melendez said.

The department used would not have been lost revenue to deter- within the city’s ability mine how much flexibil- to take on were it not for ity to give governments the COVID relief monin spending the aid. Un- ey,” Nelson said. der guidelines issued Though they’re last May, governments spending the federal that showed a loss were aid, some Republican free to spend an equal officials insist it was unamount on almost any necessary in light of the government services, rapidly rebounding tax including roads and revenues. other projects not otherMissouri reported an wise allowed under the estimated $900 million rules. loss for 2020 but ended A final rule released its 2021 fiscal year with a earlier this month ex- record cash balance. Repanded that flexibility publican Gov. Mike Parby allowing govern- son recently proposed a ments to claim up to $10 $47 billion budget that million of revenue loss- is up nearly one-third es, even if actual losses over the current year bewere less. cause of surging federal Upland, which is get- and state revenues. He ting $15 million, plans wants to spend more on to use part of its flexi- infrastructure and pubble spending to repave lic employee salaries parking lots and repair while also saving more. hundreds of sections “When other states of sidewalks that might will be using federal not otherwise have been dollars to fill spending eligible. gaps and budget shortFederal assistance falls, we will be makwas not the only fac- ing investments in the tor that helped govern- future,” he said in his ments bounce back.

State of the State adFinancial analysts dress. also cite inflation, In some cases, governwhich pushed up prices and bolstered sales tax collections. Many consumers also had more to spend because of the stimulus checks.

A strong stock market drove up capital gains taxes. And an early pandemic rise in unemployment spared many higher earners, who shifted to working from home while continuing to pay income taxes.

Sunday Worship . . . . . . . .10:30 a.m.

Sunday Worship . . . . . .9:30 a.m.

In many places, the Sunday Youth Group . . . . . . . . . . 6 p.m.

Bible Study . . . . . . .Tuesday 3 p.m. revenue rebound exPresbyterian Tony Godfrey, Pastor ceeded pre-pandemic levels. Total state tax Steve Traw, Pastor 620-365-3688 revenues from last April hbciola.com 29 Covert St., Carlyle 620-365-9728 2001 N. State St., Iola through November rose Livestream on our services: facebook.com/IolaNaz/ 20% compared to the Sunday School . . . . . . . . . 9:30 a.m.

Sunday School 9:45 - 10:30 a.m.

Community Sunday same period in 2019, acService 10:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Sunday Worship . . . . . . . . . 11 a.m.

Church Wednesday Night Bible Study 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. cording to an Urban Inof the Rev. Marge Cox, Pastor stitute report released Austin Hendrix, Senior Pastor Nazarene 620-473-3242 620-365-3983 earlier this month. www.nazarene.org “Dear friends, let us love one another, NURSERY PROVIDED For governments that 806 N. 9th St., Humboldt 1235 N. Walnut St., Iola for love comes from God” -1 John 4:7 already were financially strained, the pandemic Sunday Worship . . . . 10:30 a.m.

Cowboy Bible School . . . . . . Wed. 7 p.m. deepened their losses Sunday Worship . . . . . . 11:15 a.m.

Paul Miller, Pastor Church & Children’s but also resulted in a Church . . . . . . Sun. 10:30 a.m.

620-365-2492 cash windfall. the Arena iolafirstag.org • pastorpaulmiller@gmail.com The Hudson River Val1020 E. Carpenter St., Iola “Nothing is Impossible of Life (at the intersection of North 3rd St. and Carpenter. ley city of Poughkeepsie 620-637-2298 781 Hwy. 105, Toronto, KS for God” Parking is around back!) was rated by the New York comptroller as the Service Time . . . . . . . 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Bible Class . . . . . . . . . 10 a.m. state’s most financially regional church Sunday Worship . . . . . . . . . 11 a.m. stressed community in Wednesday Night Services . . . . 7 p.m.

620-365-8001 2020. With a pre-panService Time...................10:30 a.m.

Fellowship demic deficit around $7 fellowshipregionalchurch@yahoo.com regional church fellowshipregionalchurch@yahoo.com 620-365-0145 facebook.com/FRCIOLA million and no reserves, 620-228-8001 2205 S. State St., Iola 214 W. Madison, Iola 214 W. Madison Ave., Iola www.facebook.com/FRCIOLA/ frciola.com the city quickly cut Service Time...................10:30 a.m.

Weekend Masses St. John’s spending, sold property, fellowshipregionalchurch@yahoo.com Sunday School . . . . . . . . . . . 9:00 a.m.

Sat. - 5:30 p.m. - Iola (Confession 4:30 - 5:20 p.m.)

Jared Ellis 620-228-8001 froze hiring and institut- www.facebook.com/FRCIOLA/ & St. Joseph’s Sun. 8:30 a.m. - Yates Center (Confession 8 - 8:25 a.m.)

Luke Bycroft Worship Service . . . . . . . . 10:30 a.m.

10:30 a.m. - Iola ed an early retirement Catholic Kids Connection . . . . . . . . . . . 10:30 a.m.

Weekday Masses Jared Ellis program “in a desperate Church Mon., Tues., Fri., Sat. - 8 a.m. - Iola Travis Boyt, Pastor Luke Bycroft 310 S. Jefferson Ave., Iola effort to close the gap” (Confession 7:30 - 7:55 a.m. M, T, F, S) John & Jenna Higginbotham, Youth Leaders 620-365-2277 Wed. - 6:30 p.m. - Iola (Confession 6 - 6:25 p.m.) when the pandemic beThurs. - 5:30 p.m. - Yates Center 801 N. Cottonwood St., Iola Father David Michael 620-365-2779 gan, City Administrator Marc Nelson said.

302 E. Madison, Iola Sunday Worship . . . . . .9:30 a.m.

The city reported a 2020 revenue loss of Rev. Daniel M. Davis Sun. Worship.....................9:30 a.m.

Presbyterian nearly $4.5 million un620-365-3481 329 S. 1st St., Iola, KS 66749 Join us “live” online for Sunday A gospel-centered church making disciples of Jesus Christ der the Treasury DeWorship at www.iolapresbyterian.org Join us “live” online for Sunday Worship at Sunday Worship . . . . 10:45 a.m. partment’s formula. iolapresbyterian.org or on our YouTube channel 302 E. Madison Ave., Iola waypointchurch.com • facebook.com/waypointiola It’s getting more than $20 million from the American Rescue Plan.

Adult Bible Class . . . . . . . . .9 a.m.

Though the relief monUnited Methodist Church Worship Service . . . . . . . . . . 10:30 a.m. ey cannot be used to 301 E. Madison Ave., Iola wipe out the deficit, the Rev. Bruce Kristalyn Sunday Praise & Worship . . . . 9:15 a.m. city plans to make major 620-365-6468 117 E. Miller Rd., Iola Rev. Dr. Jocelyn Tupper, Senior Pastor • 620-365-2285 improvements to parks and swimming pools, including a complete rebuild of a run-down bathhouse that has been relying on portable toilets.

“These are things that

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Unemployment fraudsters circling back to Kansas for quick cash

By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Labor said Thursday the state experienced a resurgence during recent weeks in fraudulent attempts to rip off the unemployment insurance trust fund.

Peter Brady, deputy secretary at the labor department, told a joint hearing of the House and Senate commerce committees of an uptick in suspicious initial claims for benefits that numbered between 1,000 to 1,500 per week. It doesn’t compare to the tens of thousands of corrupt attempts made early in the pandemic resulting in an estimated loss in Kansas of $700 million in state and federal unemployment benefit dollars to domestic and international crooks.

“The scale is drastically lower, but also an indication that we need to remain vigilant,” Brady said.

He said installation of sophisticated layers of security had diminished the ability of criminals to dip into the state’s jobless trust fund. That stopped millions of bot attacks from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe as well as the United States on the state’s unemployment insurance computer system, he said.

In addition, Brady said, renewal of the oneweek waiting period on

Amber Shultz, secretary of the Kansas Department of Labor, acknowledged huge challenges in delivering unemployment aid during the COVID-19 pandemic, but was convinced the state was in a better position in 2022. (SCREEN CAPTURE/ KANSAS REFLECTOR)

jobless claim applications provided the Department of Labor more time to evaluate initial claims for potential deception. At outset of the pandemic, the one-week delay was suspended in an attempt to speed financial aid to people out of work.

The state Department of Labor since March 2020 has paid out $3.3 billion in regular and supplemental jobless benefits on 5.2 million weekly claims.

Labor secretary Amber Shultz told senators and representatives that much had changed at the agency and in the economy during the past 22 months to help the state deal with the challenges. She said the agency would be more capable of grappling with an unemployment rate that spiked to 12% early in

the pandemic and left 187,000 people without a job in early 2020. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the Kansas unemployment rate fell to 3.3% in December with 50,000 people in the market for a job.

“I’m not going to sugar-coat — 2021 was a very, very difficult year,” she said. “We are in a much, much better place, but we still have a ways to go.”

Rep. Ken Rahjes, a Republican from Agra, said he was grateful two top officials appeared before the committee and addressed shortcomings in the state’s work to move jobless benefits to Kansans. The work shouldn’t be political, he said, because “we’ve got to be a team. The key word is trust.”

Members of the House and Senate commerce

committees met jointly to gather insights in the Kansas Department of Labor's work to improve the system for delivering unemployment benefits in accurate and timely manner. (Screen capture/Kansas Reflector) House and Senate commerce committee members met to gather insight into the Kansas Department of Labor’s work to improve the delivery of unemployment benefits in an accurate and timely manner.

(Screen capture/Kansas Reflector) The state’s unemployment trust fund held $671 million at close of 2021, but that amount would be insufficient to meet benefit demand for one year assuming the state fell into a major recession or the pandemic intensified. The U.S. De-

partment of Labor’s solvency measure looks at three years of extremely high payouts by a state, which in Kansas would be 2009 and 2010 during the so-called great recession and 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rep. Shawn Tarwater, the Stilwell Republican and chairman of the House Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Committee, said he was irritated with Department of Labor’s process of soliciting bidders for the agency’s IT modernization program. The Republican-led Legislature set up a special council to provide oversight of the agency’s work on the contract. Bidders were Accenture of Chicago, FAST Enterprises of Colorado, Sagitec of Minnesota, and Tata Consultancy Services of New Jersey.

Tarwater said legislators advised the labor department to avoid “several companies” and sought to extend the window for bidders to respond for the request for proposals. Negotiations are underway at the labor department with the preferred bidder, but no announcement has been made.

“The RFP was written rather narrowly and looked like it was written for a specific company,” Tarwater said. “My inkling is that company will get this deal.”

Rep. Stephanie Clay-

ton, D-Overland Park, said she was concerned interdiction by the Legislature with statements about how the agency should evaluate bidders could prompt litigation by a company not selected for the computer upgrade at the Department of Labor.

Tarwater also indicated he was disappointed the Department of Labor didn’t release an application form until Jan. 1 for people to submit complaints about being fired for refusing a company mandate to be vaccinated for COVID-19 based on religious or medical reasons. So far, he said, about 160 cases have been filed with the labor department.

The agency is allotted 60 days to process the complaints before turning cases over to the attorney general’s office.

“We have 160 Kansans out of a job who shouldn’t be and we’re sitting on our hands,” Tarwater said.

Shultz, the state’s labor secretary, said the process of evaluating the complaints from people who worked for national corporations, the federal government and health care organizations took time but might not require the full 60 days. She said some of the complaints weren’t valid because they were submitted by self-employed individuals not covered by the state law.

Feuerborn: Wants to convert nearby home into office Continued from A1

time I go by.”

Feuerborn assured Planning Commission members he wouldn’t place a large number of stones on the property.

At most, he’ll have six to eight examples.

“That’s not the way we do business,” Feuerborn said, pointing out that when Williams Monuments was open in the 100 block of West Broadway Street in Iola, it had a large number of stones on display out front because Terry Ellis did much of the production on site.

“You’d go there and

choose from what he had on hand,” Feuerborn said. “Today, the overwhelming majority of what we sell is custom-produced.”

Feuerborn has a gravestone production facility at his funeral home in Garnett.

The Planning Commission also received a letter in support of Feuerborn’s request from Iolan Marsha Burris, whose father, the late Richard Burris, designed the East Lawn Addition, on which the funeral home property sits.

Burris noted her father was strongly in

support of Feuerborn relocating to the old church five years ago.

“Feuerborn Family Funeral Home has been a very classy improvement to East Lawn Addition,” Burris wrote.

“We could not ask for a better neighborhood improvement. Not only is the exterior a beautiful facility, it is a beautiful well-planned facility on the inside. … I cannot express how lucky we are to have them available in our community.”

While Feuerborn said he would be willing to accept a provision in the zoning variance

limiting the number of stones to less than 10 — “We want to be good stewards,” he said — the Planning Commission members determined that wouldn’t be necessary.

“I believe you to be a bright and creative mind” and intent on creating an attractive property, Commission Chairman Harry Lee Jr. replied.

FEUERBORN spoke about other changes to the property. He’ll add a small sign along the highway to highlight Williams Monuments.

It will be smaller than

the funeral home signage, he said, and will adhere to state laws regulating signage along public highways.

Feuerborn also will add parking and connect the house’s driveway to the funeral home driveway to ensure families will not have to back out onto the highway.

And because the house has a full kitchen, families who utilize the funeral home’s services would be able to host funeral dinners on site.

“We don’t want it to just look like a headstone store,” Feuerborn

said, noting the facility may be necessary for pre-planning and other services if and when the chapel is busy.

“We’re glad to be in Iola, but it’d be OK if we weren’t this busy,” Feuerborn said.

THE commission’s endorsement was unanimous, 5-0, of members in attendance: Lee, Regena Lance, Mitch Bolling, Carol Olson and Denise Mentzer.

Member Jim Wildschuetz was absent, and Iolan Steve French is resigning from his position since he has been elected Iola mayor.

Cases: Free at-home tests available from federal government Continued from A1

of those, we’ll work with our community partners and provide a certain amount per household to the public,” Johnson said.

She expects supplies to be limited, if the request is granted.

Johnson also suggests families order free athome tests provided by the federal government.

Go online to www.covidtests.gov to order the tests. The process takes

just a few seconds and asks only for a name and address.

JOHNSON does not plan to ask the National Guard to assist with testing, as Neosho County did earlier this week.

The National Guard can help because Gov. Laura Kelly has issued an emergency declaration for the state. However, health department staff would need to supervise any site that

was set up and provide resources. Johnson said that would be difficult for her staff to manage, as they would not be able to perform other essential duties.

AS CASES continue to surge, hospitals across the state are reporting lack of available beds and long waits in the emergency room.

Schools across the state have canceled classes at various points,

including schools in Colony and Moran. All but one of the Iola schools triggered a mask mandate in the past couple of weeks as cases rose, but the number of infections have dropped by about half this week.

“I'm most concerned about our healthcare facilities, residents, patients, and staff,” Johnson said. “They are being hit hard and in many cases (throughout the state) there are just

not enough staff to care for the amount of residents or patients that their facility has.”

Johnson said she continues to recommend everyone wear a mask when in a large gathering, use good hygiene, social distance, get vaccinated if you are able and stay home when you

are sick.

Allen County’s vaccination rate remains low, with 47.4% of residents age 5 and older who are fully vaccinated.

Hospital admissions also have increased in Allen County with five new admissions, an increase of 66.67%, according to the CDC. 302 S. Washington, PO Box 767, Iola, KS 66749 (620) 365-2111

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A5

Bridge collapses, drops city bus into Pittsburgh ravine PITTSBURGH (AP) — A 50-year-old bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh early Friday, requiring rescuers to rappel nearly 150 feet and form a human chain to reach occupants of a bus that had plummeted with the span into a park ravine.

The collapse came hours before President Joe Biden was to visit the city to promote his $1 trillion infrastructure law, which has earmarked about $1.6 billion for Pennsylvania bridge maintenance.

There were minor injuries from the collapse but no fatalities, said authorities, who also flew drones to make sure no one was under any collapsed sections.

Five other vehicles were also on the bridge at the time. The cause was being investigated and crews were searching under the debris for additional victims.

City officials said the Forbes Avenue Bridge over Fern Hollow Creek in Frick Park, came down at 6:39 a.m. Witnesses said the loud noise from the collapse was followed by a hissing sound and the smell of natural gas.

“The first sound was much more intense, and kind of a rumbling, which I guess was the structure, the deck hitting the ground,” said Ken Doyno, a resident who lives four houses away. “I mean, the whole house rattled at that point.”

Ruptured gas lines along the bridge produced the leak and the supply of gas was shut off within a half-hour, city officials said.

A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board, an independent govern-

surreal scene.”

“I hope it’s a wake-up call to the nation that we need to make these infrastructure investments,” Fetterman said.

The bridge is an important artery that leads to the Squirrel Hill and Oakland neighborhoods, and a popular route toward downtown Pittsburgh.

Authorities told motorists to avoid the area. Several neighbors said a weather-prompted two-hour school delay may have prevented a far worse human tragedy.

During his visit to the city, Biden stopped at the scene of the bridge collapse. He shook hands with law enforcement at a command post and looked over a barrier to examine the damage.

“The idea that we’ve been so far behind on infrastructure for so many years, it’s mind boggling,” the president said.

The steel bridge, which was built in 1970, carries about 14,500 vehicles a day, according to a 2005 estimate.

Wasserman said the most recent inspection occurred in September but the report was not immediately available.

But a September 2019 inspection of the cityowned bridge revealed the deck and superstructure to be in poor condition, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Bridge Inventory.

A spreadsheet on the state Department of Transportation website listed the bridge’s overall condition as poor, which, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, means “deterioration of primary structural elements has advanced.”

A confirmed bridge collapse has occurred near the intersection of Forbes and Braddock, near Frick Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Friday. (PITTSBURGH PUBLIC SAFETY/TNS) ment agency that investigates transportation problems, said Friday the agency was sending a team of about 10 people to investigate “not only what happened but why it happened.”

Sam Wasserman, a spokesperson for Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, said a few hours after the collapse that officials were evaluating the scene and an urban search-and-rescue team was still combing the area for any other possible victims.

He said most of the 10 people who were evaluated for injuries were first responders checked for exhaustion or because of the cold and snowy weather. Three people were taken to hospitals and none had critical injuries, Was-

serman said.

The scene was reminiscent of the aftermath of an earthquake, with a large crack on the end of the bridge where the bus landed. There was also a car upside down in front of the bus.

A two-part, elongated Port Authority of Allegheny County bus was on the bridge when it collapsed, with two passengers aboard in addition to the driver, said Adam Brandolph, spokesperson for the transit agency. All three were taken off safely.

About two hours after the collapse, Brandolph said, one of the passengers was on another bus when the passenger began complaining of injuries and was taken to a hospital. The driver and other passenger

were not hurt, according to Brandolph.

The bus had started its route in downtown Pittsburgh and was headed to the suburban community of Braddock.

“Judging by the time of day, had this bus been traveling inbound, toward downtown, there likely would have been more people on the bus and obviously could have been a much, much more dire situation,” Brandolph said.

The bus had seven or eight cameras and any footage they captured of the collapse will be part of the investigation.

“We have have not yet been able to review that footage but we certainly hope to very soon,” Brandolph said.

Neighbors said a gas company worker went

door-to-door to get them to evacuate from the immediate vicinity before the gas was successfully shut off.

“Apart from just this abiding noise, we could begin to smell gas and that was the truly frightening thing, then with that smell we both said, let’s get dressed and get out of here,” said Lyn Krynski, whose home is nearest the bridge.

“It sounded like a weather phenomenon more than anything,” said Douglas Gwilym, who was shoveling about an inch of snow when he heard the noise.

“It was all I had to compare it to — it was this odd, whooshing sound.”

At the site of the collapse, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman called it “just an awful,

Austin says Putin now has full range of options in Ukraine WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Friday the buildup of Russian forces along Ukraine’s border has reached the point where President Vladimir Putin now has a complete range of military options, including actions short of a fullscale invasion.

“While we don’t believe that President Putin has made a final decision to use these forces against Ukraine, he clearly now has the capability,” Austin told a Pentagon news conference.

In Moscow, the Krem-

lin said Putin told French President Emmanuel Macron that the West has failed to take Russian security concerns into account, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a radio interviewer that Russia doesn’t want war but sees no room for compromise on its demands.

Austin said Putin could use any portion of his force of an estimated 100,000 troops to seize Ukrainian cities and “significant territories” or to launch “coercive acts or provocative political acts” like the

recognition of breakaway territories inside Ukraine. He urged Putin to de-escalate the tensions.

Austin spoke alongside Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said Russian forces near Ukraine include not only ground troops and naval and air forces but also cyber and electronic warfare capabilities, as well as special operations forces. He urged Putin to choose a diplomatic path over conflict.

“If Russia chooses to invade Ukraine, it will

not be cost-free, in terms of casualties and other significant effects,” Milley said. He was referring to Russian costs, while also noting that Ukraine’s armed forces are more capable today than in 2014 when Russia seized Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and intervened in support of pro-Russian separatists in the eastern industrial heartland.

The comments by Austin and Milley were their first extensive public statements about Ukraine this year.

The news conference itself marked a subtle

shift in the administration’s approach to public communications about the months-long Ukraine crisis, which until now has focused on the White House and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who has spearheaded the administration’s diplomatic efforts. Milley and Austin have consulted regularly in recent weeks with their counterparts in allied countries and in Ukraine but have revealed little about the content of those communications or about their views of the crisis.

Earlier Friday, the

Kremlin said Putin told French President Emmanuel Macron that the West has failed to consider Russia’s key conditions of halting further NATO expansion, stopping the deployment of alliance weapons near Russian borders, and rolling back its forces from Eastern Europe.

The U.S. and NATO formally rejected those demands this week, although Washington outlined areas where discussions are possible, offering hope that there could be a way to avoid war amid the troop buildup near Ukraine.

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A6

Opinion The Iola Register

Saturday, January 29, 2022

~ Journalism that makes a difference

Incentive packages small price to pay to ensuring town’s future On Thursday, the Kansas Senate passed a bill that will provide $1 billion or more in tax breaks for large-scale industries that plan to invest here. It’s our hope the House does the same.

The fast-track legislation is in response to a large manufacturer saying it has narrowed its selection to one of two states to build a $4 billion plant. Kansas remains in the running.

How we can sweeten the pot will make the difference.

In such instances, it’s important to look at the big picture.

SIX YEARS ago, G&W Foods almost pulled back from setting up shop in Iola.

“Investing several million dollars in a community only happens when we are confident that the community is stable and supportive of business,” said Dan Williams, G&W president, in a conference call with then-Allen County Commissioners Tom Williams, Jim Talkington and Jerry Daniels.

A “problem with Iola,” had given the grocer pause as to whether the area was business-friendly.

Not all council members, Williams had sensed, were on board with G&W coming to town.

Fortunately, county commissioners convinced Williams he would be welcome.

As far as inducements, the grocer qualified for $5,000 in Neighborhood Revitalization Program funds that go to anyone building anew or making significant improvements, as well inkind city labor to construct its parking lot and gutters, which totaled about $180,000 at the time.

The investment not only replaced the eyesore of an abandoned hospital, but has also paid off handsomely in terms of sales and property taxes.

GOING back further, in 1994, Russell Stover Candies picked Iola as a manufacturing site over Chanute, according to a Register article from March 17, 1995.

(My, how I love perusing the Register Archives!)

Iola lured the candy plant this way with an incentive package that Chanute couldn’t match, including a 10-year exemption from property taxes, extension of city-owned utilities, fixed water and electric rates for five years, and price-indexed natural gas rates for five years.

Iola Industries donated the 60-acre parcel valued at $90,000 to the city, which in turn made the site available to Russell Stover. And Allen County officials provided free use of the landfill for the first year, a perk valued at $2,000.

At the time, the land was zoned agriculture. Its annual property taxes were $400.

Russell Stovers’ initial

Susan Lynn Register editor

investment was $40 million, with production beginning the summer of 1997. Since then, the company has expanded the plant and continued to invest millions in its product and people.

And while I don’t know what it pays in property taxes today, it’s a good guess it’s hundreds of times over than had it remained farmland.

In its beginning stages, the plant paid $80,000 a month in utilities, according to the archives, easily offsetting the costs of the incentives in short order.

The naysayers at the time predicted Russell Stovers would pack up and leave once the tax abatement expired in 2005. Today, the candy plant is one of Iola’s largest employers.

The same stories can be written about Iola’s track record in bringing Gates Manufacturing, Peerless Windows, Haldex Brakes, Tramec, Herff-Jones and other industries in town.

Even though some no longer exist, their tenures have helped make Iola’s workforce the envy of Southeast Kansas.

WHEN CHANUTE lost out to Iola in 1994, it was a wake-up call.

“It seems like everyone around us is getting something but us,” then-Commissioner Brian Jopek was quoted in a March 1995 article in the Chanute Tribune.

“There has to be something that we’re missing,” added Mayor Leroy Chard.

“We have to be able to change with the times,” said Commissioner David King.

And they have.

Today, Chanute’s economic development budget is 10 times that of Allen County’s and it unabashedly courts prospective businesses and industries.

Its most recent coup was landing the aerospace manufacturer Orizon Aerostructures in 2016, by offering it $2.6 million in incentives.

Chanute bested 26 other communities — including Iola — in securing the industry. Orizon’s initial investment there was $65 million, 125 employees and a $40 million payroll. Today, the plant has 304 employees.

Whatever incentives communities give to manufacturers to set up shop, are “but a complimentary rose pinned on a customer who attends an open house of a new store,” my dad so eloquently wrote when Russell Stover Candies first looked our way.

It’s a lesson we should remember whenever someone comes knocking.

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A western Kansas cornfield. MARY HAMMEL/UNSPLASH

Kansas farmers running out of water But we can find bipartisan solutions In politics, there are many artificial divides: liberal and conservative, rural and urban, insiders and outsiders, past and future. When we are faced with problems of extreme gravity, though, we often stand united and work together. In Kansas, water is one of these issues that calls us to action.

Through our bipartisan work on the Kansas House Water Committee, my co-authors and I have learned about the alarming decline in the quantity and quality of water in our state.

The Ogallala Aquifer is rapidly depleting. At current rates of extraction, some areas of the aquifer only have 20 to 25 years of usable life remaining, while others are already depleted. Key reservoirs are losing significant levels of storage capacity to sedimentation, and our aging water infrastructure needs an update.

The future of water in Kansas impacts all of us. Farmers in western Kansas need the aquifer to grow their crops.

Our cities and towns need reservoirs and reliable infrastructure to supply water and mitigate extreme weather events. Because of decisions made in the past, the fate of these necessities is at risk.

Today, we are faced with a fundamental choice. We can either point fingers, do nothing and allow further depletion of our water resources, or we can come together and take responsibility for the future we choose to create.

Ways to solve water quantity issues already exist. This August, our committee visited Garden City, where we saw some of these methods in action. We heard from farmers who are part of local conservation agreements to limit the use of groundwater, often in exchange for greater flexi-

Rep. Lindsay Vaughn bility of that usage. We also saw water technology farms, where advanced irrigation technologies are used to precisely measure and apply water for maximum efficiency.

Farmers utilizing these tools have achieved a 20% reduction in water usage or more, while also maintaining or increasing their crop yields and cash flow.

We learned about the Army Corps of Engineers’ Water Injection Dredge pilot project at Tuttle Creek Lake, which is designed to fluidize the reservoir sediment so it creates a “density current” and flows by gravity out the bottom of the dam. Combined with stream bank stabilization in priority watersheds, this project has the potential to be an effective long-term solution to reservoir sediment management in Kansas.

ONE OF THE biggest roadblocks to all these projects has been funding. The State Water Plan Fund, which is supposed to receive $8 million per year, has been underfunded by more than $80 million since 1991. We are thrilled that this year’s budget includes a recommendation to fund it fully for the first time in 15 years. It is important we use this chance to identify a long-term, protected source of funding for the future of water in Kansas.

We also need to pass legislation that will address the underlying reasons for our current dilemma. Our committee is now focused on this task. The state has a duty to

balance the beneficial use of water for municipalities, irrigation and industry with public and future interests.

We need to do everything we can to ensure that our families, communities and farmers have the water they need for generations to come.

To better manage and protect this precious resource, we need to raise the profile of water in Kansas; invest more in water programs, technologies and education; increase opportunities for citizen engagement and implement multifaceted conservation plans in areas where groundwater is running out. As we propose and work bills in our committee this session, we want to hear from you and your communities. Practical solutions exist to address the water crisis in our state. We have an historic opportunity now to implement them and make them count.

Kansas waters have always been a blessing. They are a gift from the earth that allows dreams to take root in unexpected places. They have helped Kansas become a frontier of possibility and a breadbasket of the world, and they are fundamental to our identity. It is time that we come together as an entire state to save our water, ourselves, and our future.

About the author: Lindsay Vaughn represents District 22 in the Kansas House of Representatives, where she is ranking member of the Kansas House Water Committee. She co-authored this with state Reps. Ron Highland and Boyd Orr, the chair and vice chair of the committee. To learn more about how to get involved with the Kansas House Water Committee and offer testimony, email committee assistant Tony Prohaska at Tony.Prohaska@house.ks.gov.

Letter to the editor Dear editor,

Iola has an affordable housing problem.

In my opinion, it’s time for city leaders to approve making the old nursing home on North Walnut Street into affordable apartments, as recently proposed.

Many years ago I worked at Arkhaven and I loved my job there. It was no secret, however, that the neighbors did not want the home there, even though many built their

homes after the nursing home was already there.

It’s time to make the structure livable again. If it were me, I would update the kitchen and the dining room so that it could be used for family functions.

And I’m glad to see that the owner has said a property manager will be on site at all times should a maintenance issue arise.

There should also be enough room for a play-

ground for children and it should be painted a different color.

It’s sad that some don’t welcome it or change.

So again, the powers that be need to allow a remodel of the home into apartments and if they are worried about the person who owns it doing some shady things, make him hire it out to another construction company.

Alzina Kress, Iola, Kan.

iolaregister.com

Saturday, January 29, 2022

The Iola Register

Recovery: Goal is for a safe transition Continued from A1

said.

Kate Schroeder, communications director for Thrive, said the house in Iola could become a model for other programs across the state.

“We want to get started, see what we can learn and build momentum,” Schroeder said.

THE GOAL is to offer a safe transition to more permanent housing and a sober lifestyle, Jackson said.

Those who stay at the house will do so on a short-term basis, perhaps 60 to 90 days.

They must have completed a 28- or 30-day treatment program or are taking part in an outpatient treatment program. They also must fill out an application and pass a background check.

While living at the recovery house, they are required to work toward finding employment and housing.

“This is not a treatment house,” Jackson stressed.

“We will work with whatever the barriers are to get them employed and get them into long-term housing.

We want them to stay in Allen County and help build the recovery program here.”

Jackson hopes those who move on from the recovery house will return and take part in some of the other programs.

The two-story house will offer resources and programs on the ground floor, including Narcotics Anonymous meetings at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and at noon on Fridays. It will include a computer to help with job- and house-hunting efforts, and an area for telehealth meetings.

Residents and others can use the downstairs as a gathering place, so they can share their stories and create a support

Hope springs from proposal to restore water funding

By SHERMAN SMITH Kansas Reflector

Above, April Jackson with Thrive Allen County talks about plans for the downstairs area in the recovery house at 16 N. Buckeye St. At right, Kate Schroeder with Thrive shows a photo collage of Ruby Lewis, whose family donated her household belongings to furnish the recovery house. system.

Residential rooms will be upstairs, with locking doors on each bedroom. Jackson expects rooms for about five residents.

Initially, the facility will be open to all but could become either an all-female or all-male house after applications are received.

Residents will pay $100 per week, a fee that allows them to contribute to the maintenance of the property but still save money for a deposit and rent for future housing.

Jackson hopes the first residents will be able to move in by the end of February.

Jackson will serve as the director of the house, but will not live on site. Security cameras will monitor the common areas.

Thrive is still accepting donations and volunteers to help set up the house.

Their efforts were greatly assisted by the family of Ruby Lewis, who recently passed away. Her family donated her household furnishings to the recovery house.

THE RECOVERY house is just one part of a broader set of changes needed in Allen County, Schroeder said.

Community leaders have identified housing as a need in Allen County and “we absolutely agree there is a huge need for housing of all kinds,” she said.

This type of transitional housing will help fill some of those gaps, Schroeder and Jackson said.

It can be especially difficult for someone in recovery to find housing, as they face not only the challenges associated with rebuilding their life after substance misuse but also the stigma

of addiction.

“People are suffering.

They need resources, but if there’s nothing here, they will leave the community,” Jackson said. “They become productive citizens in other communities. Most of them give back and become recovery leaders and mentors. This community is lacking that.”

She said it’s also important for someone in recovery to use transitional housing rather than returning to an environment that isn’t safe or helpful in staying sober.

Others may be attempting to regain custody of children, and the recovery house can be helpful in establishing new patterns and finding resources that help those parents.

“Building a safety net for this community is so essential to address these issues,” Jackson said.

A7

TOPEKA — Connie Owen, director of Kansas Water Office, says the governor’s recommendation to restore funding for water projects has given her organization momentum as it considers a wide range of needs.

Legislators since 2008 have not allocated the full $8 million that is supposed to go toward a State Water Plan, established in 1989. During the past 14 years, Owen said, the state has shorted the plan by $80 million, jeopardizing efforts to address concerns with reservoirs, groundwater and water quality across the state.

This year, Gov. Laura Kelly has proposed fully funding the water plan. If lawmakers agree, that would mean allocating $6 million from the state general fund and $2 million from an economic development fund.

Kelly told members of the Kansas Water Authority during a meeting Thursday in Topeka that she was excited about a budget surplus that would allow the state to meet its obligations.

“I know there are a lot of water projects,” Kelly said. “The 8 million goes a long way, but not long enough for many of the things that need to get done.”

She said she also anticipates using federal money from the infrastructure package on “expense projects in the world of water.”

The water authority, which is part of the Water Office, develops the water plan and manages available cash. Owen said the annual allotment hasn’t changed since

the mid-1990s. If adjusted for inflation, she said, the state would have to pay closer to $20 million annually.

The issues are profound. In western Kansas, depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer threatens the livelihood of agriculture producers.

“It’s already too far gone,” Owen said if the aquifer. “There are areas that are beyond use.”

She said the state could invest in innovative technologies that help agriculture producers make a living.

For example: Farmers could use a soil moisture probe to determine whether they need to irrigate on a given day.

Producers in the Colby area who chose to voluntarily reduce water use, Owen said, have seen profitability increase because they are paying less for nutrients and power used for pumps. The water plan could help fund programs to help other producers make a similar transition, Owen said.

In eastern Kansas, the biggest issue involves the silting of reservoirs. Accumulation of silt happens naturally as water flows into the reservoirs, presenting an array of challenges.

Tuttle Creek Lake, the flagship reservoir, has lost about 40% of its capacity, Owen said.

“When you have your silt filling up reservoirs and losing storage capacity, well, you’re going to lose the amount of water you had access to,” Owen said. “You will not have the flexibility to store water in a flood and help reduce flood damage. You will not have the capacity to store water when you can to prepare for a drought.”

Bob Dole’s burial Wednesday in Arlington National Cemetery

By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The late Bob Dole, a former U.S. Senate majority leader and Republican presidential nominee also celebrated as a World War II hero, will be buried with military honors Wednesday in Arlington National

Cemetery.

The foundation named for his widow, former Cabinet secretary and North Carolina Sen. Elizabeth Dole, announced plans for a private service at the historic Washington-area cemetery. About 100 close family members and former colleagues are expected to attend.

Dole, a native of Russell in western Kansas, died Dec. 5 at the age of 98. He was the 1996 Republican presidential nominee, losing that year to incumbent Democrat Bill Clinton. He served nearly 36 years in Congress and was the GOP’s leader in the Senate for more than a decade.

While Dole could be sharply partisan, he has been remembered as a pragmatic congressional leader willing to compromise to pass legislation such as the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. He also was known for his self-deprecating wit.

Dole has been cele-

brated for his military service, advocating for veterans and spearheading the drive to get the World War II Memorial built on the National Mall in Washington.

He was severely wounded in fighting as a 21-year-old Army platoon leader in northern Italy in 1945. As he charged a German po-

sition, a shell fragment hit him, crushing two vertebrae and paralyzing his arms and legs.

He spent three years recovering in a hospital and never regained use of his right hand. He became a lawyer and began his political career in the early 1950s with a term in the Kansas House.

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A8

Saturday, January 29, 2022

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The Iola Register

Biden: Ready for ‘long overdue’ pick of Black female justice WA S H I N G T O N (AP) — President Joe Biden strongly affirmed Thursday that he will nominate the first Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court, declaring such historic representation is “long overdue” and promising to announce his choice by the end of February.

In a White House ceremony marking a moment of national transition, Biden praised retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, who will have spent nearly 28 years on the high court by the time he leaves at the end of the term, as “a model public servant at a time of great division in this country.”

And with that the search for Breyer’s replacement was underway in full. Biden promised a nominee worthy of Breyer’s legacy and said he’d already been studying the backgrounds and writings of potential candidates.

“I’ve made no decision except one: The person I will nominate will be somebody of extraordinary qualifications, character and integrity,” he said. “And that person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court. It is long overdue.”

Biden’s choice will be historic on its face: No Black woman has ever served on the high court.

But the decision is also coming at a critical time of national reckoning over race and gender inequality. However, the court’s 6-3 conservative majority is destined to remain intact.

Biden is using his choice to fulfill one of his early campaign promises, one that helped resurrect his moribund primary campaign and propel him to the White House in 2020.

And it gives him the chance to show Black voters, who are increasingly frustrated with a president they helped to elect, that he is serious about their concerns, particularly with his voting rights legislation stalled in the Senate.

It also could help drive Democratic enthusiasm amid concerns about a midterm routing in congressional races.

Biden spent his first year in office working to nominate a diverse group of judges to the federal bench, not just in race but also in pro-

fessional expertise, and he has been reviewing possible high court candidates along the way.

He has installed five Black women on federal appeals courts — where many high court justices come from — with three more nominations pending before the Senate. He’s had more judges confirmed in a year than any other president since Ronald Reagan.

As a senator, Biden spent years leading the Senate Judiciary Committee and so he’s quite familiar with the nomination process, having overseen six Supreme Court confirmation hearings. One person who will be central to Biden’s selection process is chief of staff Ron Klain, a former Supreme Court law clerk and chief counsel to the Judiciary Committee.

He promised a rigorous selection process. As part of it, Biden’s team will review past writings, public remarks and decisions, learn the life stories of the candidates and interview them and people who know them. Background checks will be updated and candidates may be asked about their health — it’s after all a lifetime appointment. The goal, according to people involved with past nominations, is to provide the president with the utmost confidence in the eventual pick’s judicial philosophy, fitness for the court and preparation for the high-stakes confirmation fight.

He has already met personally with at least one top nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51.

She is a former Breyer clerk who worked at the U.S. Sentencing Commission and has been a federal trial court judge since 2013 in the District of Columbia. The two met when Biden interviewed her for her current post as an appeals court judge in the D.C. circuit, where she has served since last June.

Early discussions about a successor are focusing on Jackson, U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss White House deliberations. Jackson and Kruger have long been seen as possible nominees.

I

Royalty ready Iola High School’s winter homecoming candidates are, front from left, Tyler Crane, Evan Casner, Samuel Fager, Ryker Curry and Brett Morrison; back row, Emily Long, Sage Barney, Josie Plumlee, Reece Murry, Harper Gregg and Elanie Sturgeon. Not pictured is Adam Atwell. The homecoming king and queen will be crowned at Friday’s game against Burlington. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Migrants seek asylum through Canadian border CHAMPLAIN, N.Y. (AP) — Whenever a bus arrives at the Greyhound station in Plattsburgh, New York, a small band of taxi drivers waits to drive passengers on a half-hour trip to a snowy, deadend road that turns to dirt near the Canadian border.

There, at the border, refugees pile out of taxis or vans several times a day, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers warn that they will be arrested for illegal entry if they cross, which they do. Most are soon released to pursue asylum, living and working freely while awaiting a decision.

“We have the hopes of everyone — be successful and have a change of life,” Alejandro Cortez, a 25-year-old Colombian man, said as he exited a taxi last week at the end of Roxham Road in Champlain, New York. The town of about 6,000 is directly across the border from Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec.

Cortez joins a renewed stream of migrants seeking refuge in Canada after a 20-month ban on asylum requests designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Families are once again lugging suitcases and carrying children across a remote, snow-covered ditch to the border.

Canada’s decision to lift the ban on Nov. 21 stands in marked contrast to the ap-

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proach in the United States, where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has extended indefinitely a similar restriction on the border with Mexico that will enter its third year in March.

On Wednesday, a Justice Department attorney vigorously defended the ban against sharp questioning from federal appeals court judges about the scientific basis for such a far-reaching move against asylum.

The U.S. expelled migrants nearly 1.5 million times from March 2020 through November under what is known as Title 42 authority, named for a 1944 pub-

lic health law that the Trump and Biden administrations have used to deny migrants a chance to seek asylum on grounds that it will curb the spread of the coronavirus. That accounts for about two of three arrests or expulsions at the border, most involving single adults and some families. Unaccompanied children have been exempt under President Joe Biden.

Fully vaccinated travelers have been able to enter the U.S. and Canada since November, but Canada went a step farther by reinstating a path to asylum.

Cortez arrived in the United States on a tourist

visa five months ago. He said he couldn’t go back to Colombia because of violence and the disappearance of thousands of young men.

“All of that hurts a lot,” he said. “We have to run from our country.”

Asylum-seekers on the Canadian border began appearing at Roxham Road around the time Trump became president. How it became the favored place to cross into Canada isn’t clear, but the migrants are taking advantage of a quirk in a 2002 agreement between the U.S. and Canada that says people seeking asylum must apply in the first country they arrive in.

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Saturday, January 29, 2022

Gaming Young Bengals ready for KC for a cause AFC Championship: Bengals at Chiefs, 2 p.m Sunday

By DAVE SKRETTA The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have been in this position before. Walking across the cold Arrowhead Stadium parking lot, dressing in their revamped locker room, strolling through the narrow tunnel and spilling onto the field for the AFC title game.

In fact, the Chiefs have done it each of the last three years.

It will be a wholly new experience for the Cincinnati Bengals, though, when they follow the same path Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. Only a couple special teams players were alive, and coach Zac Taylor just starting out in elementary school, when they beat the Bills in January 1989 in their last trip to a conference championship game.

“I think it helps this time of year having a pretty good idea of what this is all about,” acknowledged Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who can tie Tom Landy for second in NFL history with his 20th playoff win. “They know how we go about our business, the intensity, whether it’s practice or what we expect out of the game.”

That experience came in handy last Sunday, when the Chiefs went 44 yards in 13 seconds to kick a field goal and force overtime against Buffalo. Patrick Mahomes and Co. proceeded to win the coin toss, and ultimately the game, by marching right downfield for a touchdown without giving the Bills another chance with the ball.

It was the kind of unforgettable, heart-stopping victory that can give an NFL team plenty of momentum for the rest of the postseason — provided they get over it quickly enough to prepare

For years, friends have played Madden NFL video games to settle scores, prove who has the most football knowledge, or just for bragging rights.

Reese Becker Iola Register

for the next one.

“It was an awesome game and win that we’ll remember forever,” Mahomes said, “but we’re not done. We’re trying to get out there and win an AFC championship and try to get to the Super Bowl.”

The Bengals had a thriller in their own right to get

past top-seeded Tennessee last weekend. They blew a 16-6 second-half lead, then put rookie Evan McPherson in position to kick a winning 52-yard field goal as time expired.

It was the first road playoff win in franchise history.

Now, they’re after another in

IMS takes home wins

By DAVE SKRETTA The Associated Press

By REESE BECKER The Iola Register

A look at the upcoming weekend around the Big 12 Conference:

OSAWATOMIE — Iola Middle School’s boys basketball team had a fruitful night on Thursday, going 2-1 against Osawatomie. Iola’s eighth grade A team won 24-22. The eighth grade B team won 1814. The seventh grade A team narrowly lost 24-22.

The seventh-graders played a close game from tip to buzzer. Osawatomie’s size prevented Iola from driving to the rim, keeping their shots from behind the arc.

Both teams found scoring hard to come by. With a limited supply of players, it was an all-hands on deck game for the

The marquee game of the Big 12-SEC Challenge usually involves Kentucky or Kansas. This year, it involves both.

The No. 12 Wildcats head to historic Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday night to face the fifth-ranked Jayhawks in a matchup of college basketball’s two winningest programs with a combined 14 national championships.

Kentucky and Kansas have become well-acquainted over See JAYHAWKS | Page B6

See BENGALS | Page B7

See CAUSE | Page B8

Joe Burrow, shown in a game earlier this season, will lead the Cincinnati Bengals into Kansas City Sunday with a berth in Super Bowl LVI on the line. TOM HORAK/TNS

KU to host Kentucky

GAME OF THE WEEKEND

Kansas City.

“We’re excited about the opportunity,” Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said.

“If you want to do the things that we want to do, that’s a team that you’re going to have to beat every single

This weekend, I will be playing it for another cause.

About a week ago, on a Twitter group chat I was introduced to former Denver Bronco and Super Bowl champion Nathan Palmer.

We had a discussion about the game and I proposed we play each other on YouTube as a fundraiser.

We put our heads together about which charity to give to and decided the Ronald McDonald House Charities would be a good fit.

When Palmer first made it to the NFL, he would play Madden to help him learn plays. Palmer estimates he has played over 10,000 hours.

I first played Madden NFL as a 9-year-old. Besides being a lot of fun, I learned how plays work and the responsibilities of each position.

Though I probably spent way too much time doing it after school, it’s a big reason I now love football and am able to write about it.

Even the NFL has a Madden Bowl, taking the top players from around the country and awarding a cash prize.

ESPN re-broadcasts the

See IMS | Page B2

Iola Middle School’s Jase Herrmann, right, dribbles upcourt in a game earlier this week. The Mustangs competed in Osawatomie Thursday. REGISTER/REESE BECKER

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Saturday, January 29, 2022

iolaregister.com

The Iola Register

Humboldt Middle School competes on road FREDONIA — Humboldt Middle School’s basketball teams had an up and down night against Fredonia on Thursday. The boys were swept, losing 3319 in the A game and 16-15 in the B game.

The Lady Cubs swept Fredonia, winning 5417 in the A game and 10-2 in a two-quarter B game.

In the boys A game, Humboldt came out flat, struggling with Fredonia’s size early.

The Yellow Jackets frustrated the Cubs into an early 9-5 hole.

That hole was made worse by the Cubs’ offensive woes. Humboldt was held to five points in the second while the Yellow Jacket offense heated up, scoring in double digits. Fredonia also held Humboldt’s Mason Sterling, who has been on fire, on a tight leash.

Fredonia led 21-9 at the half.

The second half was better for the Cubs, although the damage had been done. The Cubs had their best quarter in the third, scoring six points, but the Cub defense couldn’t hold Fredonia back, as they scored eight.

The fourth was even, with both teams scoring four. While Humboldt tried to mount a charge, Fredonia’s lead was too much.

Sterling led the way with six points and had 10 rebounds. Collin Cook also had six points. Layne Ellison had four points. Taner King scored three.

THE BOYS B game was a tighter contest, with both teams feeling each other out early. Due to low num-

bers, the two teams only played one half.

If Humboldt was judging by the first quarter, they would have thought a win was in store, as the Cubs led 13-9 after the first.

But Fredonia had other ideas, holding Humboldt to just two points the rest of the way. While the Yellow Jacket defense stepped up, their offense also came to life, breaking out for seven points to take the lead midway through the quarter.

Humboldt was limited on offense. Only three players scored for the Cubs, with none scoring more than six points. Humboldt failed to get the bench involved and didn’t rebound as well as the Cubs have been accustomed to this season.

King scored six points. Kreed Jones scored five. Thatcher Mueller scored four.

THE GIRLS swept Fredonia thanks to the hot hands of Skylar Hottenstein who scored 19 points. Anapaula Franco joined Hottenstein in the double-digit club with 10. Rylee Wools had seven. Ricklyn Hillmon had six. Josey Ellis and Lakyn Meadows both chipped in four.

Jo Ellison scored two.

Like the boys, the Lady Cubs B team also had a two-quarter game. And like the A game, the Lady Cubs dominated.

Only three players scored for the Lady Cubs. Harlowe Rush led the way with six points. Kinley Hart had three. Leah Carman had one.

Humboldt is at a tournament today in Iola.

IMS: Hits road Continued from A1

Mustangs. Jase Herrmann answered the call, hitting 5-6 free throws on the night to capitalize on trips to the line. Kale Pratt also had a good day at the line, going 2-2 to score his only points of the night.

Osawatomie was able to eke out the win late.

Herrmann led the way with 11 points.

Luke Coronado had three. Amos Rutoh, Austin Crooks, and Pratt each had two.

The eighth grade B team had an easier night scoring. The game was close early, with the teams trading the lead. Once the Mustangs got on a roll, they held on to secure the win, a welcome relief after a few sloppy games over the last few weeks. Baron Folk and Jayden Beene led the way with six points each. Mat Drago, Ben Kerr, and Issac Velazquez each contributed two points.

The eighth grade A team won a close game, 24-22, fueled by a double-digit game from Tre Wilson and 75% at the line by Brent Stevens.

Wilson finished with 12 points. Schoweng-

erdt had six. Stevens had three. Nick Bauer had two. Brennen Coffield had one.

The eighth-games were their first sweep of the season.

Iola plays in a tournament today versus Pittsburg, Humboldt, and Independence.

Jimmie Johnson holds his daughter, Lydia Norriss, on the grid prior to an NTT IndyCar Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Aug. 14, 2021. GETTY IMAGES/SEAN GARDNER/TNS

Johnson’s second career picks up speed

By EDGAR THOMPSON Orlando Sentinel

Jimmie Johnson gave the best years of his athletic life to NASCAR and received plenty in return.

When he decided to walk away from the sport and spotlight after the 2020 season, Johnson was not finished racing. Like the fine-tuned machines he drives, the 46-year-old is not built to sit in neutral.

Johnson’s extraordinary run in stock cars — 83 Cup Series wins, 7 championships and more than $150 million in on-track earnings — provided him the freedom to get behind the wheel of whatever, whenever and wherever he chooses.

“I’ve had the success which makes it easier for me to put myself out on this limb,” Johnson told The Orlando Sentinel this week. “I’m doing it for the purest of reasons because I love to compete and I love to drive cool cars, and I’m still able to do that.

“I’m trying to take any opportunity I can to drive.”

This weekend, Johnson will participate in the 60th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, North America’s showcase sports-car race.

Johnson then will travel to Sweden to drive an electric rally car during the Race of Champions at Pite Havsbad Piteå in northern Sweden, where the race will be staged

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for the first time on a snow and ice track.

When Johnson returns from the Scandinavian chill, he will turn his laser focus to gaining ground during his second season in IndyCar — this time as a full-time driver for Chip Ganassi Racing.

A presumed dalliance with a different racing style in 2021 has become Johnson’s obsession in 2022.

“I am a bit surprised that I’ve signed up for so much,” he said.

Many quickly wrote off Johnson as an interloper out of his league when he failed to record a single top-15 finish.

JJ and NASCAR will be initials intertwined throughout motorsports history. Johnson and open-wheel racing did not appear to be a good fit.

Johnson, though, took his lumps and learned.

The biggest lesson: “Identifying with how much aggression you have to drive with these lightweight cars.”

IndyCars weigh about 1,350 pounds and reach speeds of 230 mph while a NASCAR vehicle averages 3,000 pounds and reaches speeds a shade above 200 miles an hour on the sport’s superspeedways like Daytona. IndyCars also lack power steering and feature wider, softer tires offering superior grip yet requiring a driver to quickly raise their temperature to improve the tires’ tackiness.

IndyCars swerving furiously at a race’s outset

heats up the tires. Johnson too often found himself zigging while experienced drivers zagged.

“That was so tricky ... to turn the tires on so that you then had the grip to go chase,” Johnson explained. “Being cautious and trying to have a smart approach with my years in a big heavy vehicle just didn’t work so well. Every tenth [of a second] you lose is a tenth you’re going to have to earn back the hard way.”

Johnson’s sixth sense in NASCAR allowed him to calculate his odds and capitalize on his chances, but after 16 straight seasons with a win he endured 111 straight races without a victory.

Even so, Johnson’s exit was the end of an era, when he, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. raised NASCAR’s popularity to its peak.

Johnson now aims to make his name and earn respect in other racing disciplines.

Johnson’s ninth appearance in the famed Rolex 24 might be his best chance for a win after 2021′s runner-up

finish.

Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi, a three-time Rolex 24 winner, will again spearhead the team. 2010 winner Mike Rockenfeller of Germany and endurance racing champion Jose Maria Lopez of Argentina will complete a formidable quartet.

“I don’t know if you even can say it, but somehow we’ve strengthened our driver lineup,” Johnson said.

“I’m not sure it increases our chance to win any, but I’m just another level of pride at the opportunity I get to participate.”

Johnson’s humility and gratitude have served him well. He is likely to need them as he embarks on the next step of a journey he did not see coming.

“I just feel like I needed to change the pace,” he said. “I spent 25ish years in NASCAR, very proud, enjoyed every minute of it. Many people have a career and in their 40s, 50s transition into something new. I guess I’m following that similar path, although I’m in athletics and it’s uncommon.”

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Qualifications: • Property management and leasing experience is essential • Previous supervisory experience is favored • Understanding and working knowledge of affordable housing issues and programs is a plus • Experience using property management software, such as Yardi, OneSite, or Yieldstar • Section 8 experience is a huge plus.

Apply at focusjobs.com or call 620-875-0104

Requirements: • Proficient in Microsoft Office applications and general computer skills • Property management experience preferred • Strong time management, planning, and organizational abilities • Ability to understand contracts and documents typical to the management of real estate • Professional attire and demeanor Job Type: Full-time Pay: $16.50 per hour

General Laborers Needed! 1st shift-Temp to hire position! $14.50 hour

Maintenance

Wilhoit Properties Inc. needs a Maintenance Technician at our Parkford apartment community in Iola, KS.

Previous concrete experience a plus!

Valid Driver’s License Required.

The primary responsibility of our Maintenance Technicians is to maintain the physical appearance and integrity of the apartment community. This involves ensuring a clean and comfortable living environment for residents and visitors.

The Apartment Maintenance Technician will inspect the apartment community to enhance and maintain its curb appeal, perform service requests in occupied apartments, complete lawncare and ensure that all vacated apartments are thoroughly restored to "market ready" condition in a timely manner.

Call Today to Schedule Interview!

Interviews will be in Iola!

Apply Online!

Maintenance Technicians must have reliable transportation and may have to respond to emergency after hours calls.

Job Type: Full-time Pay: $17.00 - $18.00 per hour Benefits: • 401(k) and 401(k) matching • Dental insurance

620-331-6200

www.expresspros.com

ALLIED HEALTH PROGRAM COORDINATOR

Responsible to coordinate and instruct both onsite and online in the Allied Health program, responsible for student recruitment, program development and advising. Courses include CNA, Medical Terminology. Full time position. RN or LPN required. Excellent benefits including generous time off, paid single health/dental insurance, and tuition, fees and book rental grants. Review position description on website, www.allencc.edu.

is now hiring:

Iola Mini-Storage

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ARCHIVES

Now hiring for the full-time positions below.

Visit our website to review our excellent benefits package!

Desktop Support Technicians (Ottawa and Chanute Campuses) Minimum $17.85 per hour

Email:

We specialize in the sales, service and installation of:

Position is open until filled. Applications are available at City Hall, 1013 N. 4th, P.O. Box 207, Burlington, KS 66839 and on our website, burlingtonkansas.gov. Call (620) 364-5334 for more info.

Requirements: High school diploma or GED; Kansas CDL; be able to operate department equipment. Competitive wages based on skill and experience. EOE

620-365-3183

Good carpentry, plumbing and people skills a must. Must be available for weekend call rotation.

for details or find it on indeed.com

WATER/WASTEWATER NON-CERTIFIED OPERATOR

Apply at:

of Iola has a full-time opening in our maintenance department.

colonycommunitychurchks@gmail.com

If caring is your superpower, we have your next opportunity.

Full-time (with excellent benefits) Independent Living Case Manager and Part-time Receptionist (Mon., Tues. and ½ day Wed.). Be a part of supporting individuals with disabilities as they achieve their independent living goals.

Questions? Call Adam or Deone at 785-528-3105 or email hr@rcilinc.org to apply.

Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

600 E. Garfield, Iola. EOE.

Colony Community Church is in search of a Pastor

Resource Center for Independent Living in Iola is hiring!

The city of Burlington, Kansas is requesting applications for

We offer 4, 8 and 12-hour shifts, as well as bonus pay for extra shifts.

824 N. CHESTNUT • IOLA

Paid time off Bonus pay

ACC IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

109 E. Madison • Iola iolapharmacy.com

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iolarvparkandstorage.com

• •

Submit letter of interest, resume, employment application (on website, www.allencc.edu ) and three professional references to: Shellie Regehr, Human Resources, Allen Community College, 1801 N. Cottonwood, Iola, KS 66749 or email to hr@allencc.edu.

RNs, LPNs and CNAs

620-365-2200

Health insurance Life insurance

Wilhoit Properties is an equal opportunity employer.

Send resumes to Sandi at sheidelberg@wilhoitproperties.com

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802 N. Industrial Rd., Iola

323 N. Jefferson Call 620-365-3178 or 365-6163

• •

PHARMACY

For more information, please contact Randy at

PAYLESS CONCRETE

Property Manager

Key Responsibilities: • Manage leasing office and maintaining property occupancy • Ensure deposits and rental payments are collected on a timely basis • Supervise maintenance staff; including delegating work, reviewing work, and maintaining deadlines • Develop & maintain marketing plans to ensure optimal occupancy level • Provide friendly and informative customer service • Resolve resident issues and ensure resident satisfaction through all interactions • Inspect the property daily to ensure it meets the company’s quality standards • Meet with outside vendors to obtain bids for authorized projects

IOLA

Now hiring part-time and contract delivery drivers!

SERVICES

EMPLOYMENT

is NOW HIRING at Parkford Apartments for the following positions:

Warehouse And Production Personnel

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residential &commercial industrial repair and installs fully insured free estimates!

EMPLOYMENT

OILFIELD EXPERIENCE A PLUS

Apply at 105 N. Industrial Rd., El Dorado, KS or call 316-321-9011 for details.

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Health Information Technology (HIT) Assistant Director Starting Salary $33,000-38,000

Student Support and Data Specialist STARS Starting Wage $12.50 -13.00 per hour

Upward Bound Administrative Assistant Starting Wage $12.50 -13.00 per hour

Chapman Learning Center Associate - PT

(Pending Board Approval) Starting Salary Range: $12.50 - $13.00 For a detailed description of all open positions and instructions for submitting your application, visit our website at

www.neosho.edu/Careers.aspx NCCC is an EOE/AA employer.

TRUTH

Newspapers put truth front and center

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Saturday, January 29, 2022

The Iola Register

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

B5

EMPLOYMENT

HELP WANTED Ag Choice Moran/Blue Mound, Kansas is a retail fertilizer, feed, seed and custom application business located in Southeast Kansas.

We have an employment opportunity for a motivated individual. Duties include general labor, some custom application, and all activities associated with day-to-day operations. CDL or ability to get one a must. Seasonal long hours can be expected. Safety is a priority. Excellent benefit package including health insurance, 401K, retirement, safety bonuses, and profitability bonuses included.

Call 620-237-4668

PUBLIC NOTICE

PUBLIC NOTICE

Now hiring a part-time employee for durable medical equipment setup and delivery!

Responsible for ensuring safe delivery, setup, and education in usage of home medical equipment for our customers. Setup is done in their home, long-term care setting, clinic or any location deemed necessary to service patients.

Must have excellent customer service and a clean driving record.

If you are passionate about making a profound impact on the quality of our patientsʼ lives, call Randy at 620-365-3377 or come in to apply.

109 E. Madison • Iola | Iolapharmacy.com

PUBLIC NOTICE

Unified School District #257 Board of Education invites public offers to purchase District owned property including McKinley Elementary School (located at 209 South Kentucky Street, Iola, Kansas), Jefferson Elementary School (located at 300 South Jefferson Street, Iola, Kansas), and Lincoln Elementary School (located at 700 North Jefferson Street, Iola, Kansas). The property(s) are expected to be available for transfer of possession on Monday, October 3, 2022.

The terms of sale are cash or some other mutually agreed form of payment and must include a reasonable earnest money payment with the entire balance due at closing and also shall include the following: 1.) Prospective purchasers will be required to utilize a purchase agreement form.

2.) The awarded bidder must sign an “acceptance and release” form accepting the property “as is” and releasing USD #257 from any claim regarding the condition of the property (or with modifications to either document as mutually agreed upon prior to signing of contract).

Both of these signed documents will be kept on file at the USD #257 Board of Education Office at the address noted below. Transfer will be a quitclaim deed with all title work to be conducted by Security 1st Title Company, 108 West Jackson Street, Iola, Kansas. Cost of closing will be split 50% each with the Buyer and the Seller. Any prospective sale is subject to completion of statutory hearing and other sale procedures.

To view the property(s), please contact: Mr. Stacey Fager, Superintendent of Schools USD #257 Board of Education 305 North Washington Avenue Iola, Kansas 66749 Phone: 620-365-4700 Bids must be received at the Board of Education Office no later than 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 31, 2022. All bids will remain sealed until date of opening. Late bids will not be considered. Bids will remain valid for 40 days.

It is required that prospective buyers provide a written letter of intent/development of the property and present it with the bid(s) submitted by Monday, January 31, 2022 to the board of Education Office at 305 N. Washington, Iola, KS. USD #257 reserves the right to reject any and all bids, to waive any condition of sale, to negotiate further, with any bidder or bidders and to sell to the bidder it deems in the best interest of the District, which may or may not be the highest financial bid. The Board is interested in a development plan which will add value to the community surrounding USD #257, Iola, Kansas and predict a well maintained and attractive development into the future. The bidder must submit a detailed written description along with its bid detailing its proposed use in light of current zoning (or proposed change in zoning) including plans for renovation and/or demolition, timeline, for implementation of its plan, project financing, prior experience relating to projects similar to the proposed project, maintenance plans for the property and building after construction and any other factors the bidder deems important. USD #257 plans to choose the bid and bidder which it wishes to work with toward potential sale at the Board of Education meeting to be held Monday, February 14, or within 20 days thereafter.

USD #257 Board of Education, Iola, Kansas

Visit: SEKHISTORY.COM

SOUTHEAST KANSAS His ry Online Scan Me! Find what you need at:

FULL-time POSITIONS

Whitaker Aggregates is looking for dependable, safety conscious employees and has immediate full-time openings to fill.

$20 PER HOUR STARTING WAGE Employees are eligible for health and dental insurance, retirement contributions, and paid vacation and holidays.

Current openings in the Humboldt and SEK area:

LOCAL ROUTE CLASS A CDL TRUCK DRIVERS Call or text 620-496-6098 or 620-664-7449 and apply online at www.whitagg.com

PUBLIC NOTICE To satisfy operator lien, Storage & RV of Iola 1327 US 54 Highway, Iola, KS 66749 will sell on or after February 6 contents of the following unit(s) A-14

ZITS

by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

(Published in The Iola Register January 29, 2022)

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B6

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The Iola Register

Saturday, January 29, 2022

Nadal gets his swing at record-breaking title Spaniard vies for 21st major MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rafael Nadal is within one victory of a men’s record 21st Grand Slam singles title.

He’ll have to beat second-seedeed Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final on Sunday to make history. And Medvedev is chasing a piece of history of his own after beating Stefanos Tsitispas 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in a heated semifinal on Friday. The U.S. Open champion is aiming to be the first man in the Open era to win his second Grand Slam title at the next major tournament.

Nadal advanced to the final in Australia for the sixth time with a 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win in a mostly lopsided contest against seventh-seeded Matteo Berrettini in the first of the men’s semifinals.

Medvedev had a more tempestuous and challenging run to back-toback Australian Open finals. He had to deal with a hostile crowd in his second-round win over Nick Kyrgios, had to save a match point and rally from two sets down to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in a nearly five-hour quarterfinal win. Then he had to regain his composure after an angry outburst in the second set of the semifinals.

The Russian yelled at chair umpire Jaume Campistol in the changever after serving a double-fault to concede a late break, getting a code violation for a visible obscenity when he made a gesture with his arm to the pro-Tsitsipas crowd, and then demanded that his op-

Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a backhand in a match earlier this month at the Australian Open. GETTY IMAGES/ CAMERON SPENCER/TNS

ponent be cautioned for receiving coaching from his father — in Greek — from the stands.

Medvedev returned after Tsitsipas converted his third set point to level the match and he again urged the umpire to give the French Open runner-up a code violation.

He then took a five-minute break, took control late in the third set and then reeled off the last five games after Tsitsipas was eventually cautioned for coaching.

Nadal’s run to a 29th Grand Slam final has been comparatively serene.

After the last point, he stopped, beamed a wide grin and then punched the air three times.

Nadal arrived in Australia not knowing how long he would last after months off the tour dealing with a serious foot injury and then a bout of COVID-19. He

skipped Wimbledon after losing in the French Open semifinals to Novak Djokovic, and didn’t play at all after August.

“Every day has been an issue in terms of problems on the foot.

Doubts still here ... probably for the rest of my career,” Nadal said.

“But for me it’s amazing ... (to) just compete and play tennis at the high level again, facing the most important players of the world.”

Last month, he wasn’t even sure he’d be able to return to the tour. But he won a tune-up tournament in Melbourne and has taken six straight matches at the first Grand Slam event of the year.

One more and he’ll break the record of 20 major championships he shares with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Nadal would also become just the fourth man to win all

four Grand Slam titles at least twice.

Nadal’s win over Wimbledon runner-up Berrettini, under a closed roof at Rod Laver Arena, because of heavy rain, was his 500th on hard courts at tour level.

But he’s only won the Australian Open once, in 2009, and adding a second was his primary focus.

“For me, it’s all about the Australian Open more than anything else,” Nadal said in his on-court interview. “I have been a little unlucky (here) in my career with some injuries.

I played some amazing finals with good chances.”

He lost classic fiveset finals at Melbourne Park to Djokovic in 2012 and Federer in ‘17. Nadal lost to Stan Wawrinka in 2014 and against Djokovic three years ago.

“I feel very lucky that I won once,” he said. “I

never thought about another chance in 2022.”

Nadal broke Berrettini’s opening service games in the first two sets and, after dropping the third set on a rare service lapse, he rallied to finish off the match in just under three hours. That in itself was a relief after his long quarterfinal win over Denis Shapovalov.

Nadal was the only member of the socalled Big Three who had a chance to break the deadlock in Australia this time.

Federer is out while recovering from knee surgery. Djokovic, who has won nine of his Grand Slam titles at Melbourne Park, was

deported after an 11day visa saga on the eve of the tournament because he failed to meet Australia’s strict COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

“To be able to be where I am today, I really can’t explain in words how important is for me in terms of energy, in terms of personal satisfaction, in terms of being very thankful,” Nadal said. “For me it’s something completely unexpected.”

He said he was taking a different approach to life now, but not at game time.

“Of course always with competitive spirit that I have, because I can’t go against that.

It’s my personal DNA,” he said. “But in some way, I don’t know, just be what I am and be able to have the chance to compete at this level, it’s a positive energy for me to keep going.”

Medevedev will need to take a calmer approach after beating Tsitsipas in the semifinals for the second year in a row at Melbourne Park. He lost to Djokovic in last year’s final, but then beat the No. 1-ranked player for the U.S. Open title.

He said he regretted his outbursts at the umpire, explaining it was in the heat of the moment in a very emotional tournament.

“I’m going to play again against one of the greatest,” Medvedev said of Sunday’s final. “Again, I’m going to play somebody going for the 21st Slam. I’m ready.”

Jayhawks: Kentucky in town for clash Continued from B1

the past few years. This will be the fourth meeting in the Big 12’s annual duel with the SEC (the Jayhawks have a 2-1 edge); they’ve met four times in the Champions Classic, the early season doubleheader that includes Duke and Michigan State (they are 2-2); and they have split two NCAA Tournament games over the past 15 years, though the Wildcats got the one that mattered most in the 2012 title game.

“It’s the bluest of the bluebloods — Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina, the bluest of the bluebloods,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said, “and we get to hook up and the game really doesn’t mean much.

Let’s call it like it is: It means pride, it means all that stuff, but it is not going to impact if each of us win the league.

It may impact seeding line, but we should just let it go and play. Our guys will be so jacked and their guys will, too.

That’s going to be a bigboy game.”

LOOKING AHEAD

In other Big 12-SEC Challenge games involving ranked teams, fourth-ranked and defending national champion Baylor heads to

Alabama in a matchup of two teams that went deep into the NCAA Tournament last March; Oklahoma visits Auburn, which is No. 1 for the first time in school history; Mississippi State heads to No. 13 Texas Tech, which took the Jayhawks to double-overtime on Monday night; former Texas coach Rick Barnes heads back to Austin with No. 18 Tennessee; No. 19 LSU visits surprising TCU; and Missouri heads to No. 23 Iowa State for a meeting of old Big Eight rivals.

In games involving unranked teams, Kansas States heads to Ole Miss, Oklahoma State visits Florida and West Virginia and Arkansas meet in a game involving two likely NCAA Tournament teams.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji scored a career-high 29 points in turning back Texas Tech in double-overtime. That came after he scored 29 to lead the Jayhawks from a 16-point halftime deficit against Kansas State.

The breakout senior is now averaging 21.3 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 52.7% from the field.

INSIDE THE

NUMBERS

The Big 12 is 44-35 in the SEC Challenge. ...

The league leads the nation in scoring defense with Texas at No. 1, allowing just 55 points per game. Texas Tech, Baylor, Iowa State and TCU also are in the top 20. ... Iowa State’s Izaiah Brockington scored 19 points with a team-high 12 boards against TCU for his seventh double-double this season. ... Nijel Pack scored 35 points for Kansas State against the Jayhawks. ... West Virginia’s Bob Huggins coached his 1,300th game on Jan. 22 against Texas Tech.

That’s the sixth-most in history behind Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, Jim Phelan, Cliff Ellis and Jim Calhoun.

ON THE WOMEN’S SIDE

Kansas State’s Ayoka Lee set Big 12 and NCAA records with 61 points in a win over Oklahoma last weekend. She also had a Big 12 record of 23 made field goals. ...

Eight of the league’s 10 teams are ranked or receiving votes this week, including four in the top 15. Seventh-ranked Iowa State is followed by No. 14 Oklahoma and Baylor and Texas in a tie for 15th. ... Iowa State had the best 17-game start

in school history at 161. The Cyclones started 5-0 in Big 12 play for the sixth time in program history. ... The Longhorns are fifth in the nation in scoring margin and turnover margin and sixth in forced turnovers. ... West Virginia guard KK Deans has scored in double digits in 13 of her first 14 games this season.

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Saturday, January 29, 2022

The Iola Register

B7

Star-studded Rams host surging 49ers INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Aaron Donald has been around long enough to know he might not get this chance again. The same goes for everybody in the Los Angeles Rams’ constellation of stars around him.

Late in his eighth NFL season as the best defensive lineman of his generation, Donald’s career is rich with individual honors, but lacking ultimate team success.

The Rams (14-5) made several bold moves this season to build a team around Donald more capable of winning it all, and now they’re one step away from playing in a Super Bowl in their home stadium when they host the San Francisco 49ers (12-7) in the NFC championship game on Sunday.

“I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot in a short amount of time in this league,” said Donald, the seven-time AllPro and three-time Defensive Player of the Year. “The only thing I’m lacking now is being a world champion. To get to that point, we’ve got to win this week.”

After crying on the sideline last January when the Rams’ season slipped away in Green Bay, Donald is desperate to take that penultimate step toward his last career goal. So are Matthew Stafford, Jalen Ramsey, Andrew Whitworth, Odell Beckham Jr., Cooper Kupp and several other Rams whose otherwise impressive careers don’t have that certain championship ring.

“So many teammates on my team, this is really all they need,” said linebacker Von Miller, the Super Bowl 50 MVP with Denver and midseason Rams acquisition.

“Aaron Donald, this is all he needs, and he has the whole shebang, you know? Andrew

and Nick Bosa got three. The Niners’ depth up front has been difficult to match: San Francisco is the first team to have back-to-back playoff games with at least five sacks in the same season since Washington did it in the 1991 playoffs on the way to the title. The only team ever to do it three straight times in a season was Washington in the 1987 playoffs, also on the way to a championship.

“Usually the teams at this point in the year all have good pass rushes,” Shanahan said. “I think it’s pretty hard to get to this point when you don’t have one.”

Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald, center, rallies teammates before taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday. LOS ANGELES TIMES/ROBERT GAUTHIER/TNS Whitworth and Eric Weddle and all of these guys, I want to do it for them.”

These rivals match up superbly, with both offenses relying heavily on an All-Pro receiver (Kupp and Deebo Samuel) and both defenses built around elite, dynamic pass rushers.

But if the Rams (14-5) don’t overcome the 49ers’ maddening mastery over them, all their big moves will end in checkmate.

San Francisco has won six consecutive meetings with Los Angeles, and not much in their first two meetings this season suggested Rams coach Sean McVay is close to clearing the monumental mental block separating him from his good friend, Kyle Shanahan.

The 49ers feel a related urgency heading back to SoFi Stadium, where they roared back from an early 17-point deficit and surged to yet another impressive victory over their California archrivals just three weeks ago — clinching a playoff berth, no less.

In fact, San Francisco might owe its entire season to its domination of the Rams: The Niners were 3-5 and going nowhere when they routed Los Angeles in mid-November, kicking off their current 9-2 surge.

If the Rams fall again Sunday, the disappointment will be crushing, but Donald thinks they’re ready to shoulder the weight.

“This is a different type of football here that’s going on this week,” he said. “This week, my mindset is there’s no way we’re going to lose this game. We have to play four quarters. We have to find a way to finish, and I know we’re going to do that.”

CHAPTER 11

Shanahan has won seven of his 10 meetings with McVay in their concurrent half-decade careers. Preparing for this showdown was no challenge for both coaches, and they say execution will win the NFC title, not trick plays or surprises.

“You know each other so well,” Shanahan said. “We knew what the tape was going

to look like before we turned it on, and they are the exact same way. ... We are going to see who makes the most plays and who makes the least mistakes.”

NOT ROCKET SCIENCE

The 49ers’ formula for beating the Rams has been fairly simple.

San Francisco generates four-man pressure from its vicious defensive front to slow LA’s offense. When the Niners have the ball, Jimmy Garoppolo executes a quickhit passing game designed to avoid the Rams’ vaunted pass rush while exploiting Los Angeles’ unimpressive linebackers and safeties in coverage.

McVay and his players know all of this. Whether they have any correct answers to the same test they’ve already failed twice this year will be revealed Sunday.

GOLD RUSH

San Francisco’s defensive front four has been dominant recently, generating five sacks three weeks ago against the Rams, and again in both playoff games. Arik Armstead has 5 1/2 sacks,

PASSING THOUGHT

Stafford earned his first two career playoff victories over the past two weeks, playing nearly flawlessly and justifying his move to LA after a dozen seasons in Detroit.

But he has never beaten Garoppolo, the much-maligned San Francisco passer whose occasional mistakes haven’t stopped him from going 4-1 as a starter in his playoff career and 3-0 against Stafford.

SEA OF RED?

The Niners will become the first team to play 12 road games in a single season on Sunday. After winning eight of the first 11, they can become the first team to win road games in four straight weeks since Kansas City did it in the 1966 season in the AFL. The winning stretch started with a Week 18 victory in Inglewood where they had so many of their own fans at the game that the Rams needed to use a silent count on offense at times. The Niners are hoping for a repeat on Sunday.

“Hopefully we’ll have a sea of red down at SoFi and turn it into Levi’s South,” kicker Robbie Gould said.

Bengals: Young Cincy team travels to KC for AFC title game Continued from B1

year. The AFC has run through them for four straight years.

“So, you know, we’re excited about the opportunity. We’re gonna have a great week of practice and be ready to go.”

FAMILIAR FACES

The Bengals beat the Chiefs on Jan. 2 in Cincinnati in a backand-forth thriller that ended when McPherson drilled a 20-yard field goal as time expired. Burrow threw for 446 yards and four touchdowns, most of it going to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, while Mahomes threw for 259 yards and two scores against the lightly regarded Cincinnati secondary.

“The Chiefs do a good job of employing a variety of schemes to try to keep you off balance,” Taylor said. “I thought Joe and Ja’Marr did a good job of being on the same page in that game.”

STAR POWER

The two teams combined to send nine players to the Pro Bowl this season, six from Kansas City and three from Cincinnati, and there’s another half-dozen players from each team that probably had a good argument to make it.

As it stands, the Chiefs have Mahomes joining wide receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce, defensive tackle Chris Jones and safety Tyrann Mathieu along with new left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. The Bengals are sending Chase along with running back Joe Mixon and defensive end Trey Hendrickson.

Of course, players for the winner Sunday will be heading to the Super Bowl instead.

DYNAMIC DUO

Burrow and Chase are 6-0 when playing together in postseason games, including their four games together at LSU, when Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire was a teammate. Burrow has

averaged 381.8 yards passing with 22 TD throws during those six games, while Chase is averaging 106.8 yards receiving and has four of the scores.

KEEPING JOE CLEAN

Figuring out how to better protect Burrow has been a priority for the Bengals this week.

They’ve struggled all season, especially against the better pass-rushing teams, and Burrow was sacked a stunning nine times

by Tennessee.

“There’s a lot of things that play into it, starting with me putting him in the best position, putting our guys in the best position to block the other team and be prepared for pressures and all that kind of stuff,” Taylor said. “We spend a lot of time and effort talking through that. Some games, it’s great. Some games, we’re going to need to improve.”

TWO TEAMS, ONE SEASON

Lost amid the playoff chaos last weekend

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was the fact that few people outside Kansas City thought the Chiefs would even be in this position. They dropped three of their first seven games, including an embarrassing 27-3 loss in Tennessee, and an overhauled defense was allowing yards and points in staggering numbers.

The Chiefs turned things around quickly, though, and have lost just once since that October day — to Cincinnati.

“I think I just saw the persistence and the championship swagger, I guess you would say, of the team we have,” Mahomes said. “Guys didn’t hang their head.

They just wanted to get better. I think that process of every day getting better and better has put us in this situation now, and we don’t want to come up short. We want to keep this process going, and get better, and try to leave our best football out there on the football field.”

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B8

Saturday, January 29, 2022

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The Iola Register

Cause: Gaming for charity

Public notice

Continued from B1

(Published in The Iola Register Jan. 22, 2022) To the Participating Members: You are hereby notified that the annual meeting of the Rural Water District No. 5, Anderson County, Kansas will be held on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, at 7:00 p.m. at the office at 204 East Broad, Colony, Kansas, for the purpose of election of three directors and considering such other business as may properly come before the meeting, as authorized by the By-laws of the District.

Board of Directors Rural Water District No. 5 Anderson County (1) 22, 29

RACING

event at night and it was a cornerstone of the channel’s early quarantine-era programming.

Esports such as Madden have grown in popularity due in part to the pandemic. While NASCAR couldn’t race, its drivers took part in races on the iracing platform.

Those races were shown on Fox Sports in primetime in spring of 2020.

The mission of RMHC is to provide support for families of children with major medical issues. RMHC also provides shelter to families with children undergo-

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“This is a huge honor, and I know Michael would have been very humbled,” Julie Stefanik said of her husband, who set Whelen Modified Tour records for victories (74) and poles (48).

“He was more than just a racer to us. He was a beloved husband, father, brother and friend. And in his honor, I’ll have a Jack and diet (Stefanik’s favorite drink).”

Stefanik and fellow modified driver and mentor Richie Evans are the only drivers to win nine NASCAR championships. All of Evans’ titles came on the Modified Tour.

Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart inducted his close friend and hunting and fishing buddy Charles “Red” Farmer.

“He doesn’t know how to be quiet in a deer stand — I can tell you that,” Stewart said. “But his stats speak for themselves. He’s a racer’s racer and he deserves to be in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”

Born in Nashville and starting his racing career in Florida, Farmer nevertheless considers Hueytown, Alabama his hometown, in part because of his association with fellow Alabama Gang members Bobby and Donnie Allison. Farmer has been racing for 75 of his 89 years.

“It’s something that gets in your blood, and you can’t get it out,” Farmer said in a “fireside chat” at the induction dinner before the official ceremony.

Though Farmer raced 36 times in the Cup Series over a 23-year span, with a best finish of fourth (twice) at Middle Georgia Raceway in Macon and Talladega Superspeedway, he routinely turned down full-time Cup offers in lessthan-competitive equipment.

“I was not going to be an also-ran,” said Farmer, who preferred to win races and championships on the short tracks. That didn’t prevent him, however, from winning the Modified title in 1956.

The NASCAR Hall is the 10th hall of fame to honor Farmer. “If these Hall of Fames were a Christmas tree with all the ornaments around it, this NASCAR award would be the gold star on top of that Christmas tree,” Farmer said during his induction speech.

The late Ralph Seagraves was honored with the 2021 Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR. As an executive with R.J. Reynolds, Seagraves was instrumental in bring the Winston sponsorship to NASCAR’s foremost series, as well as to the grassroots racing NASCAR supported.

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Our goal is to raise $250 for RMHC and to hopefully do this again, potentially with different guests and different games. Donations can be made online at https://www.gofundme. com/f/madden-charity-bowl2022

Squier-Hall Award goes to longtime NASCAR broadcaster Bob Jenkins Longtime NASCAR broadcaster Bob Jenkins has been named the winner of the 2021 Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. He is the 10th recipient of the prestigious award named after Ken Squier and Barney Hall.

Jenkins served as the lead lapby-lap announcer for NASCAR broadcasts on ESPN and ABC from 1981-2000. He passed away in August at age 73 after a battle with brain cancer.

“The voice of Bob Jenkins is synonymous with the many great NASCAR moments he called Jenkins over two decades,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France. “The broadcast team of Jenkins, Ned Jarrett and Benny Parsons is one of the most memorable in NASCAR history, it is fitting to see Bob honored in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”

Jenkins was an original at ESPN, joining the network in 1979. In addition to announcing more than 400 NASCAR races, he spent 15 years as host of ESPN SpeedWeek, from 1983-1997.

Beyond his NASCAR work, Jenkins lent his iconic voice to various other forms of motorsports. The Indiana native had a special bond with Indianapolis Motor Speedway, serving several different roles over four decades including TV announcer, radio announcer and turn reporter, and public address announcer.

Jenkins won the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence (then known as the Henry T. McLemore Award) in 2001 and the Bob Russo Founders Award in 2008.

He was one of eight nominees voted upon by a panel of NASCAR and NASCAR Hall of Fame executives, journalists, public relations representatives and former drivers. The Squier-Hall Award was created in 2012 to honor the contributions of media to the success of the sport. Chris Economaki, Tom Higgins, Steve Byrnes, Benny Phillips, Norma “Dusty” Brandel, Steve Waid and Dick Berggren also have won the award.

The other seven nominees for the 2021 award were: Russ Catlin, racing writer and historian; editor of Speed Age Magazine; George Cunningham, long-time beat writer and the namesake for the annual NMPA award for Excellence in Writing; Shav Glick, covered motorsports for the Los Angeles Times; Mike Harris, lead motorsports writer for the Associated Press; Bob Moore, spent more than 20 years as a NASCAR beat writer; and Taylor Warren, best known for his threewide photo of the 1959 Daytona 500 finish; and Deb Williams, the first woman to receive the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence.

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ing cancer treatments so that the family can stay close to their child.

We have set up a GoFundMe page to raise donations. All funds will go directly to the charity.

The game is scheduled for 7 o’clock tonight and will be available to view on demand after comple-

The Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum is getting more star power for its Los Angeles debut — Hall of Famer Tony Stewart will join Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer in the broadcast booth. The Stewart-Haas Racing co-owner will also offer his analysis for the Daytona 500 Feb. 20.

NASCAR HoF welcomes 3 t first glance — aside from sharing the profession of “race car driver” — Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mike Stefanik and Red Farmer couldn’t be more different from one another.

A perennial Most Popular Driver at NASCAR’s highest level of competition, Earnhardt holds two Daytona 500 wins among his 26 career victories.

More than that, as a driver, team owner and television analyst, Earnhardt has transcended both the sport of stock car racing and his own legacy as the son of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt.

Stefanik, a hard-nosed New Englander, drove modifieds with a relentless tenacity that carried him to seven Whelen Modified Tour titles. Stefanik, who died in 2019 at age 61 from injuries sustained in the crash of a private plane, also collected two championships in what was then the Busch North Series.

The patriarch of the Alabama gang, Farmer accumulated innumerable victories—estimated between 700 and 900— at short tracks located primarily in the Deep South. At age 89, he still competes on the one-third mile dirt oval at the Talladega Short Track across the highway from NASCAR’s biggest superspeedway.

Despite their varying backgrounds and diverse racing pursuits, Earnhardt, Stefanik and Farmer now share one monumental achievement in common—after all three entered the NASCAR Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony at the Charlotte Convention Center on Friday night.

The climax of the ceremony was the induction of Earnhardt, who has made an indelible mark on a sport he was born to. Earnhardt joined his father, a member of the inaugural class of 2010 in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Earnhardt’s wife Amy performed the induction of her husband.

“My eyes are already watering,” Earnhardt said as the start to his acceptance speech. “…To join Dad in the Hall of Fame is probably as good as it’s going to get…

“I was a mechanic at a dealership. That was my destiny, or so I thought. I changed the oil in thousands of cars.”

From those inauspicious beginnings, however, Earnhardt followed his father into the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he won back-to-back championships in 1998 and 1999, and then into NASCAR’s premier division, where he drove first for family-owned Dale Earnhardt Inc. and then for Hendrick Motorsports.

Earnhardt acknowledged the importance of uncle Tony Eury Sr., his crew chief; his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller, who spurred the growth of JR Motorsports and Earnhardt’s broadcasting career; team owner Rick Hendrick; and Steve Letarte, his crew chief at that organization.

Key to his personal life, Earnhardt said, was wife Amy. “How do you explain someone who makes every day of your life better?” he said.

NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief Ray Evernham opened the inductions by ushering Stefanik into the Hall. Stefanik’s wife Julie, who served as her husband’s spotter throughout his career, accepted the induction.

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