Saturday, February 29, 2020
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Virus fears turn into global economic crisis By FOSTER KLUG and MATT SEDENSKY The Associated Press
TOKYO (AP) — A deepening health crisis became an economic one too Friday as the coronavirus outbreak sapped financial markets, emptied shops and businesses and put major sites and events off limits. The list of countries hit by the illness edged toward
60 as Mexico, Belarus, Lithuania, New Zealand, Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Iceland and the Netherlands reported their first cases. The threats to livelihoods were increasingly as worrisome as the threats to lives. “It’s not cholera or the black plague,” said Simone Venturini, the city councilor for economic development in Venice, Italy, where tourism already hurt by historic flooding last
year has sunk with news of virus cases. “The damage that worries us even more is the damage to the economy.” The head of the World Health Organization said Friday that the risk of the virus spreading worldwide was “very high,” citing the “continued increase in the number of cases and the number of affected countries.” Economists have forecast global growth will slip to 2.4%
this year, the slowest since the Great Recession in 2009, and down from earlier expectations closer to 3%. For the United States, estimates are falling to as low as 1.7% growth this year, down from 2.3% in 2019. But if the disease known as COVID-19 becomes a global pandemic, economists expect the impact could be much worse, with the U.S. and other See ECONOMY | Page A5
SAFE BASE goes on a treasure hunt
Mustang wrestlers compete at state
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Women’s prison over capacity
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Water rate hike was years in the making By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
The mystery of Mrs. Charles Scott’s missing $8 was solved Thursday by SAFE BASE students, who used metal detecting wands to dig through the dirt for eight gold coins. Allen County Historical Society director Kurtis Russell told students about a series of thefts from 1895, when someone stole money from Mrs. Scott’s purse. Russell claimed he dug up the yard from the property and asked students to search for the coins, which they kept. At left, Angelina Wickey is the first to find a coin. Top, Harper Folk looks for a coin with Russell’s help. Bottom, Mel Nelson teaches students about metal detecting. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS
Lawmakers hold off on pot, tax, budget issues By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators are leaving their first big votes on the state's next annual budget, cutting income taxes and the medical use of marijuana to the second half of their annual session. The Senate hit the Legislature's annual "turnaround" deadline Thursday with a debate on 20 bills touching on a wide range of topics, while the House completed its first-half work Wednesday. Most bills had to clear their chamber of origin Thursday to be considered further. The first half of the 90day session was marked by abortion opponents' failed attempt to pass a proposed anti-amendment to the state constitution on Vol. 122, No. 87 Iola, KS 75 Cents
abortion. Afterward, they blocked a bipartisan plan to expand the state's Medicaid program. Some big proposals didn't face the turnaround deadline, including the $19.8 billion budget proposed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly for the fiscal year that begins in July. Committees in the Republican-controlled House and Senate have been reviewing her spending proposals for weeks. Top Republicans said they are expecting the House to debate proposals for cutting income taxes in coming weeks. And a House committee is expected to tackle both medical marijuana and legalizing sports betting next month. The Senate passed its own sports betting bill Wednesday.
The Iola City Council’s approval Monday of a series of water rate increases was the latest in a yearslong effort to drum up more revenue for the water fund. The Council voted 6-1 Monday to implement a 10% hike effective May 1, plus another 10% increase in 2021 and a 5% hike in 2022. The goal is to get the water fund solvent enough to continue the city’s annual $689,000 bond payments for the water plant’s construction. The bond payments have been made annually since 2005, and will expire after 2025. An article in Tuesday’s Register detailing the latest maneuver noted the Council rejected a similar proposal for a series of rate hikes in 2018. There’s a bit more to that See RATES | Page A5
Store owners: Mildred is county’s ‘best secret’ By TREVOR HOAG The Iola Register
Mildred’s “the best kept secret in Allen County,” said Regina Lance, who owns and operates the historic Mildred Store and grocery/RV park with her husband, Loren. For years, thanks to legendary sandwiches and service, the store, still known by locals as Charlie Brown’s, has served as a staple to the community. “The store and the church … both of them are working hard to make Mildred come back,” said longtime resident, Sam Rife. Tuesday night, Rife and the Lances gathered with a dozen fellow Mildred residents to discuss their ideas and dreams for the community. The turnout is impressive for a town with a population of 17. The event was hosted by Thrive Allen County, a local nonprofit that focuses on
From left, Dale Hartman, Regina Lance, Shirley Hartman, Sam Rife and Teresa Smith listen to residents share concerns at Tuesday’s Community Conversation meeting in Mildred. REGISTER/ TREVOR HOAG
health and wellness, economic development, education, recreation and a host of other issues. Thrive’s goal is to make Allen the healthiest rural community in Kansas, and in re-
PENICILLIN ALLERGY TESTING now available at Neosho Memorial
Information & graphic from the CDC.gov
cent years has helped raise Allen to number 38 in county health rankings. (Recall, Kansas has 105 counties.) Some of the top topics for See MILDRED | Page A7