The Iola Register, March 29, 2023

Pup recovers from shooting

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

Aggie is a happy-go-lucky puppy, friendly to all who meet him and in search of a permanent home.

But first, the 6-month-old pup must continue recovering from jaw surgery, after a vet discovered the dog had been shot multiple times, including once through the jaw.

Brittni Dilley, executive director of the Allen County Animal Rescue Facility shared Aggie’s harrowing tale, which now seems destined for a happy ending.

Early last week, a motorist traveling north of Iola found Aggie wandering near the intersection of U.S. 169 and West Virginia Road.

Aggie had a visible eye injury, so the motorist took him to ACARF, who in turn took Aggie to the Red Barn Veterinary Clinic for a checkup and neutering, one of the steps necessary to prepare the animal for adoption.

That’s when the vet discovered the horrible truth. Aggie had been shot twice, including once through the jaw and into his left eye. (His eye couldn’t be saved.)

One of the bullets — Dilley speculated he was shot with a .22 caliber rifle — passed

Aggie, a 6-month-old lab/terrier mix, is recovering after undergoing surgery to his jaw after he had been shot recently and found abandoned in northern Allen County. He is in a foster home for a few weeks until he is eligible for adoption.

Legislature OKs bill to increase smoking age to 21

By TIM CARPENTER Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — The Kansas Legislature put an exclamation point on opposition to tobacco consumption by young adults Tuesday by sending to Gov. Laura Kelly a bill raising the minimum age for buying, possessing or consuming tobacco products in the state from 18 to 21.

The legislation was approved by the Kansas Senate on a vote of 28-11, which followed passage of the bill 68-53 by the Kansas House in early March. If signed

into law, Kansas could gain $2.1 million in federal funding for tobacco enforcement and lose an estimated $7.6 million in state sales tax and cigarette stamp revenue. Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, said previous attempts to achieve compliance in Kansas with a federal law hoisting the age to 21 failed to survive the legislative process at the Capitol. He said House Bill 2269 could be different.

“It was packaged in sev-

See SMOKING | Page A6

County orders burn ban for Thursday,

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

Burning will be prohibited in Allen County on Thursday and Friday because of a dry weather system moving through the area. Low humidity and high winds are expected to create

Friday

a dangerous fire situation, Jason Trego, emergency management director, told county commissioners. He asked them

See BURNING | Page A4

Council throws support behind disc golf course plan

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

A group of Iolans is hoping to further tap into the growing popularity of disc golf, and they now have the city’s blessing to do so.

Iola City Council members approved the Community Involvement Task Force/PRIDE Committee’s request to pursue grant funding to install a beginners course at Meadowbrook Park along North Cottonwood Street.

The six-hole course would be considerably easier than

the existing 13-hole course at South Elm Creek Park, which features a number of difficult obstacles, including one hole requiring participants to throw their discs over Elm Creek.

The aim is to continue introducing disc golf to youngsters, or adults unfamiliar with the sport, CITF/PRIDE representatives Chelsey Beasley and Donna Houser and disc golf enthusiast John Higginbotham said.

“It is popular, and it is cheap, particularly here, where people can play for

School board boosts youth wrestling program

By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register

School board members threw their support to a youth wrestling program on Monday night.

The USD 257 board agreed to spend $14,197.40 for a custom-made wrestling mat that will allow the Iola Youth Wrestling Club to practice year-round at Iola High School.

Youth wrestling coaches

John Taylor and Jason Bates explained the need to board members. The youth pro-

gram funnels wrestlers into the middle and high school programs. Bates is the school wrestling coach.

Currently, the youth wrestlers practice in the mezzanine of the IHS gymnasium. That area is filled with storage for other activities, including baseball batting cages. During baseball and softball season, teams use the batting cages and the mezzanine is not available for the wrestlers.

“As soon as the high school

See WRESTLERS | Page A4

free,” Houser said. Higginbotham is among a group of enthusiasts who gather at the South Elm Creek course each Sunday evening for a makeshift league.

The plan is to better organize the league, Higginbotham explained, as more players learn about the sport.

The Council’s approval was necessary for CITF/PRIDE to pursue a grant from Kansas PRIDE, Beasley said.

The disc golf course would be near the playground area

See CITY | Page A3

John Higginbotham, left, and Donna Houser speak at Monday’s Iola City Council meeting. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Wrestling coaches Jon Taylor, foreground, and Jason Bates speak Monday to Iola-USD 257 Board of Education members. REGISTER/VICKIE MOSS

Obituaries

Darrell Peters

son of Eldon Peters and Frances (Truskett) Donald.

He married Shirley “Jody” Schooley on March 10, 1966.

His wife survives, as do children Daren (Sheila) Peters and Dana Peters of Humboldt, Sabrina (Brendan Williams) Peters of Erie and David (Lindsey) Peters of Andover; 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a grandson, Dylan Peters.

Family will greet friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 31, at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel, 1883 U.S. 54, Iola. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Committal and military honors will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery in Humboldt.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the Wounded Warriors Project and can be left in the care of the funeral home.

Condolences may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com.

William Winner

William Franklin Winner, 67, died Saturday, March 25, at Allen County Regional Hospital.

William was born to Seth and Mary (Welch) Winner on Jan. 4, 1956, in Iola.

William was united in marriage to Karen Hydorn on Dec. 19, 1981. She survives, as do sons, Shawn (Madina) Fultz of Manhattan, Alex (Linda) Winner of Pittsburg, Justin (Roanna) Fultz of Wamego, Josh Winner and Corey Winner of Iola; 17 grandchildren; three great- grandchildren and three brothers.

Memorials are suggested to the donor’s choice and may be left in care of Feuerborn Funeral Service, 1883 U.S. 54, Iola.

Cremation will take place and services planned at a later date.

Condolences may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com.

Police news

Driver injured

Cody A. Beard, 35, Fayette, Ala., was westbound on U.S. 54 Sunday, about two miles east of Moran, when his semitractor-trailer unit went off the roadway, striking a culvert.

The truck and trailer overturned, coming to rest on the driver’s side.

Beard was transported to Allen County Regional Hospital in Iola for suspected minor injuries, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported.

US 169 passing lane project to begin

Motorists traveling south of Allen County could encounter construction on U.S. 169 as the state builds a passing lane in Neosho County.

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) expects to construct passing lanes on

both sides of U.S. 169 in Neosho County and extend the Elk Creek bridge. The project area starts approximately a half-mile north of K-47 and continues north for two miles. Traffic will be carried through the project with lane shifts as

needed. The road work should be completed by late 2023.

KDOT awarded the construction contract of $6.6 million to Clarkson Construction Company, Kansas City, Missouri. Check KDOT’s updated traveler infor-

mation website, www. Kandrive.org, for more highway condition and construction details.

Persons with questions may contact Area Engineer Geryd Erbele at (620) 577-7314 or Public Affairs Manager Priscilla Petersen at (620) 9026433.

Nashville school shooting victims named

NASHVILLE, Tenn.

(AP) — The six people who were fatally shot at a Christian elementary school in Nashville Monday included 9-year-old Hallie Scruggs, the daughter of the pastor whose church runs The Covenant School.

The massacre by a former student also claimed the life of its Head of School, Katherine Koonce, who had written on the school’s website that “we are participating in the miracle of (students’) development and seeing them transform into who they will be.”

Three children and three adults died at the Presbyterian school, which was founded in 2001 in the affluent Green Hills neighborhood just south of downtown Nashville, Tennessee.

Driver was buckled

An article in Friday’s Register recounted an accident involving Jaiden Emmons, who crashed while avoiding a deer that darted in the path of her car Wednesday near LaHarpe did not mention that Emmons was properly wearing her seat belt. Deputies at the scene indicated wearing the seat belt likely prevented Emmons from serious injury as her car entered the ditch and slammed into a row of trees.

The two other children who died, Evelyn Dieckhaus and William Kinney, were also 9 years old. The other adults were Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher and Mike Hill, 61, a custodian.

Hallie Scruggs was

the daughter of Chad Scruggs, the lead pastor at the Covenant Presbyterian Church, according to a statement released by a Presbyterian Church in Dallas where the elder Scruggs had served as an associate pastor.

“We love the Scruggs family and mourn with them over their precious daughter Hallie,” Park Cities Presbyterian Church Senior Pas-

tor Mark Davis said in a statement. “Together, we trust in the power of Christ to draw near and give us the comfort and hope we desperately need.”

The Covenant School in Nashville has about 200 students from preschool through sixth grade, as well as roughly 50 staff members. Koonce, the head of school who was killed, wrote on the school’s

website that it has “a unique challenge — to educate twenty-first-century children in a way that prepares them to impact their culture and think in accordance with timeless Truth. “Never before have we known more about the skills and experiences students need to be successful and develop skills. But, we must be about more.”

Migrants start fire at immigration detention center

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Migrants fearing deportation set mattresses ablaze at an immigration detention center in northern Mexico, starting a fire that killed at least 40 people, the president said Tuesday, in one of the deadliest events ever at a Mexican immigration lockup.

Hours after the fire broke out late Monday, rows of bodies were laid out under shimmery silver sheets outside the facility in Ciudad

Juarez, which is across from El Paso, Texas, and a major crossing point for migrants. Ambulances, firefighters and vans from the morgue swarmed the scene.

Twenty-nine people were injured and are in “delicate-serious” condition, according to the National Immigration Institute.

At the time of the blaze, 68 men from Central and South America were being held at the facility, the agency said.

Immigration authorities identified the dead and injured as being from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Venezuela, Colombia and

Ecuador, with Guatemalans being the largest contingent, according to a statement from the Mexican attorney general’s office.

A woman hugs a police officer at the entrance of the Covenant School at the Covenant Presbyterian Church, in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES/TNS)

Kansas high court signals continued abortion rights support

By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ highest court signaled Monday that it still considers access to abortion a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, as an attorney for the state argued that a decisive statewide vote last year affirming abortion rights “doesn’t matter.”

The state Supreme Court is considering exactly how far the Republican-controlled Legislature can go in restricting abortion under a 2019 decision protecting abortion rights. The justices heard arguments from attorneys for Kansas and abortion providers in two lawsuits but isn’t likely to rule for months.

One lawsuit challenges a 2015 law banning a common second-trimester abortion procedure, and the other challenges a 2011 law that regulates abortion providers more strictly than other health care providers. Legal challenges have blocked both laws from being enforced. The U.S. Supreme Court declared in June 2022 that the U.S. Constitution doesn’t protect abortion rights and that states can ban abortion, but the Kansas court had ruled in 2019 that access to abortion is protected as a matter of bodily autonomy under the state constitution. That led the Legislature to put a proposed amendment on last August’s ballot asking voters whether

to lift that constitutional protection, which would have allowed lawmakers to greatly restrict or ban abortion. Voters soundly rejected the measure.

But Kansas Solicitor General Tony Powell, representing the state, told the court that last year’s vote “doesn’t matter” and shouldn’t factor into its decisions on the two lawsuits, arguing that voters might not have wanted abortion banned but still favor “reasonable” restrictions. He said the justices should “let the people work it out” through their elected representatives. Powell told reporters afterward: “The court is in the best position to remedy any mistakes that it made.”

Five of the six justices present for the arguments expressed skepticism while questioning Powell, who at one point said, “I’m doing the best I can.”

“We had a vote in August, and it was pretty overwhelming,” Justice Dan Biles told him. “That’s the elephant in the room.”

The justices did ask Alice Wang, a Center for Reproductive Rights attorney representing the abortion providers, whether preserving life was a compelling state interest. She said that question was before the state Supreme Court when it ruled in 2019.

“This court declined to recognize any compelling interest,” Wang said.

Kansas allows most

abortions until the 22nd week of pregnancy, attracting patients from other states with bans, most notably Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Abortion rights opponents fear that Kansas courts will overturn many of the restrictions imposed over the past 30 years.

The state is asking the state Supreme Court to overturn its 2019 decision, but the two cases also give the court the chance to narrow that ruling’s scope by upholding either or both laws.

Many Republicans had expected Kansas voters to approve the proposed state constitutional change in August, and Powell acknowledged that he was “boxed in” by the state’s

failure to challenge much of the evidence presented by abortion providers to the trial court judge.

Among Republican-leaning states, Kansas is an outlier in preserving abortion access, in part because the state’s abortion opponents preferred making year-by-year incremental changes prior to last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling. However, the state still forces patients to wait 24 hours before getting an abortion, requires minors to get parental consent, spells out what patients must be told in writing beforehand and even mandates that the information for patients be printed in 12-point Times New Roman type.

City: Endorses Meadowbrook disc golf course plans

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— “prime real estate,” Houser said.

The plans go along with CITF-PRIDE’s ongoing efforts to seek funding for a splash park at Meadowbrook Park, south of Buchanan Street.

At 13 holes, the Elm Creek Park is just large enough to host some tournaments, but not large enough for the best ones, Higginbotham explained, which usually require 18-hole courses.

However, expanding that course is next to impossible because of

On hand at Monday’s Iola City Council meeting for Mayor Steve French’s declaration that April be declared Child Abuse Prevention Month are, from left, Council members Kim Peterson, Joelle Shallah and Josiah D’Albini, French, Marie Jordan of the Court Appointed Special Advocates program of the 31st Judicial District, Donita Garner of Hope Unlimited, and Council members Mark Peters, Nich Lohman, Carl Slaugh and Nickolas Kinder. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

available space. While the city has sufficient land, the land near the course is not contigu-

ous, with private owners interspersed.

“Eighteen holes would be great,” Houser said, suggesting the city look at creating a third course at the old Cedarbrook Golf Course site.

Having multiple courses isn’t exactly an anomaly. Emporia, for example, has 13 different courses, and was tapped to host a world championship tournament recently, Higginbotham said.

ber. He and Councilman Josiah D’Albini have since agreed to look at a policy for warming stations, and how to ensure such locations are publicized and made available during the next bitterly cold snap.

D’Albini and fellow Councilman Nickolas Kinder have agreed to form a committee to look at policies and potential warming sites.

sion for the first 100, or whatever number the donor chooses.

“It’s been great for our community,” D’Albini said, noting that 27 days were sponsored at the pool in 2022, allowing 2,200 to use the pool free of charge.

Those wishing to donate are encouraged to call the Iola Recreation Department at 3654990.

The existing relays were manufactured in the 1990s, and are no longer supported by the manufacturer.

The Council accepted a bid form N&M Power Co., of Broken Bow, Neb., which had the lowest of four bids.

Power plant superintendent Mike Phillips said the new relays would likely be installed in September, thus mitigating concerns about supply chain issues that may affect delivery and installation.

THE COUNCIL also:

— Approved a request for the Iola Sisters Allen County Relay For Life team to host a boot block from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 27, as a fundraiser, at the intersection of Madison and Washington Avenues.

Aggie, a 6-month-old puppy found shot in northern Allen County this month, naps at his foster home in the Spring Hill area while he recuperates. If he recovers properly from his wounds, shelter officials hope Aggie will be eligible for adoption within the next few weeks.

Pup: Recovering

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within a centimeter of Aggie’s brain.

The jaw injury was a surprise, Dilley added, because Aggie had been eating regularly upon his arrival at the shelter. “He wasn’t acting like anything was wrong with his jaw.” The surgery required an orthopedic specialist, something neither Red Barn nor ACARF was equipped to handle.

“We reached out to foster-based rescues who deal with emergency care on a regular basis to see if they could help.”

Up stepped administrators from Always and Furever Midwest Animal Sanctuary out of Spring Hill, who agreed to take in Aggie so he could be treated by a specialist in Kansas City.

After a lengthy surgery Friday, Aggie

has recovered and is staying in a foster home for the next few weeks.

He’s wearing a muzzle to keep his jaws aligned while he recovers.

“He doesn’t seem to mind at all,” Dilley said. “He’s very sweet. Even through all the pain, he never showed any kind of aggression. He got along with everyone and everything. He’s a sweetheart.”

Once the foster period passes, Aggie will remain at Always and Furever and be put up for adoption.

Dilley is cautiously optimistic.

“He’s a very lucky puppy,” she said. “He’s fought this hard, we just want to see him happy.”

Anyone interested in adopting Aggie may contact the Spring Hill shelter at (800) 2479527.

Higginbotham noted courses can be developed easily, and have poles and cages that are easily detachable and removed if necessary.

Higginbotham thanked city crews for their work in maintaining the Elm Creek area.

Likewise, Council members offered thanks to CITF/PRIDE for its many civic projects the group has spearheaded through the years.

IOLAN STEVE French noted several businesses, churches and other folks around town opened their doors to those in need when temperatures plummeted below zero for several days in mid-Decem-

“I try to stay observant to see who regularly walks to Walmart or A&W or the schools,” French said. “It would be nice for those individuals to know they could stop at different destinations and warm up without being accused of loitering.”

AT THE OTHER side of the temperature spectrum, with summer approaching, D’Albini offered another challenge to his fellow Council members to sponsor days at the Iola Municipal Pool.

Several donors have begun offering to pay for a set number of swimmers each day. Many will pay admis-

The family of Archie Ray Smith, Jr. would like to thank Drs. Neely and Wilcox, Feuerborn Funeral Home, Integrity, and all the friends, family, and coworkers for all the flowers, cards, prayers, and just being there for us. Your presence and prayers were appreciated beyond words. Your acts of kindness will always be remembered.

Marsha

T y and Family Archie and Family

COUNCIL members approved the purchase of 12 distribution electric relay components at a cost of $55,925 to replace outdated relays at four different substations around town.

— Approved a request from Allen County Farmers Market to once again close off the 10 block of South Jefferson to traffic from about 5 to 7 p.m. each Thursday from May to October for the weekly sales.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ACARF

Burning: Ban

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to declare a two-day fire ban.

The county will face “extreme” fire danger on Thursday and “catastrophic” danger on Friday, Trego reported. The system could bring thunderstorms, particularly late Friday, but the storms are not expected to be very severe, he said.

Recent rains haven’t been enough to offset the fire danger, Trego said.

Wrestlers: Get school board boost

wrestling season is over, we get kicked out of the room,” Taylor said. “The youth wrestling season is about three weeks longer.”

This year, eight of the youth wrestling team members qualified for state. Without a dedicated practice space, participants must make other accommodations, and roll and unroll the heavy mats before and after each practice. That takes time away from their preparation.

The mats used by the youth program are also a safety concern, Taylor and Bates said. They were already used when the district bought them about 15 years ago and had to be cut to fit the space available in the mezzanine area. The mats are less than an inch thick, compared to 1 ⅝ inches for a new mat. They’re also hard and cracked, leaving places where water can soak into the foam and create an environment for bacteria to grow.

The district is looking at solutions. One possibility is to move the batting cages to another location, though that plan has not been finalized. Superintendent Stacey Fager said plans are underway to improve the mezzanine by raising the railings and adding safety features.

A custom mat would be designed to fit perfectly in the space and could be left in place throughout the year. It would include 18 practice rings and one competition ring that could be used by the high school during events. Removing the batting cages and storage would give the team another 360 square feet for practice space.

The youth wrestling team caps participation at 40, and having more space could help the program grow, Taylor

said. The wrestling club typically raises money to pay for the cost of wrestlers and their families to attend state competitions, as well as equipment needed for the program. The club raised extra money this year to contribute to the purchase, but Taylor also asked the board to consider paying the entire cost of the mat and allowing the club to use the money for other things.

Fager suggested the club contribute $5,000 toward the cost, considering the district is paying for other improvements to the mezzanine.

Board member Tony Leavitt, though, said he wanted the district to pay for the entire cost.

“We don’t make the football team go out and have a fundraiser,” Leavitt said. “I’d hate to see this program slow down.”

The board approved paying for the entire cost.

FORENSICS students also made an appearance at Monday’s school board meeting.

Three students and forensics coach Regina Chriestenson gave a presentation about their activities this year. Teams competed

at Pittsburg and Moran over the weekend, where they took first and third, respectively.

Students Macie Hoag, Cole Moyer and Brigham Folk spoke about the benefits of forensics.

“It has helped me have a more confident voice and to listen better,” Folk said. “It’s given me an advantage at school giving speeches and presentations.”

“I did not start out in the womb doing theater, as some might think,” Moyer said, dramatically. “I did star in my first

summer program at Allen Community College when I was 6 and I had two lines.”

Hoag said: “Forensics, I think, is very underrated but I think it’s the best extracurricular activity you can do because it’s so applicable in your everyday life. The public speaking skills and the confidence you gain are incomparable.”

Hoag then read a serious solo acting piece for which she qualified for state, and Moyer read his state-qualified oral interpretation of prose.

“A lot more goes into a fire forecast than just the moisture on the ground,” he said. “Unless it’s persistent rain and the vegetation soaks that up, it doesn’t do as much good as people think it does. The two main factors are relative humidity and wind speeds.”

The National Weather Service added the category “catastrophic” in recent years. Trego explained a “very high” fire risk means fires may become difficult to control. “Extreme” fire risk means fires will be very difficult to control. “Catastrophic” means fires will burn out of control.

The catastrophic category is rare for Allen County, he said.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, all of Allen County remains in some sort of drought condition, ranging from extreme in the southwest corner to moderate in the northeast.

AS commissioners discussed the fire ban, Darrell Baughn, fire chief for the Allen

County Rural Volunteer Fire Department, asked if they might consider adding “some teeth” to the ban in the form of a penalty.

“No disrespect, but the fire ban is a joke if there’s no fine behind it,” Baughn said.

“Every time we have a fire ban, there’s more fires that day.”

Sheriff Bryan Murphy agreed it’s common to have violations of a fire ban. He estimated only about 30% of controlled burns are reported to dispatchers beforehand.

County counselor

Bob Johnson said the county can issue fines or charge violators with a misdemeanor. Many counties have some sort of penalty for violations.

Commissioner Jerry Daniels said Oklahoma requires landowners to pay a fee when a fire gets out of control, thus compensating departments for their time. Other commissioners and Johnson said they were only interested in penalizing those who knowingly violate a fire ban, and not punishing farmers who try to follow the rules but have a fire get out of control.

“There’s a difference between knowingly violating an ordinance and things going bad,” Johnson said.

Commissioners asked Johnson to explore penalty options.

Iola Youth Wrestling Club members attend Monday’s USD 257 Board of Education meeting. REGISTER/VICKIE

USD 257 Board of Education member Dan Willis, left, and Superintendent of Schools Stacey Fager enjoy the performance of IHS student Cole Moyer at Monday’s school board meeting. Below, Macie Hoag also performs. Both have qualified to compete at state.

~ Journalism that makes a difference

The five ways Republican legislators are failing Kansas

By CHUCK SCHMIDT Special to the Wichita Eagle

As we near the end of the Kansas Legislative session it strikes me how different our state could be with different legislative leadership.

I don’t like to be partisan, however, it is important to point out the major differences in policy.

Republicans have a supermajority, but it seems the Democrats are more attuned to the policy preferences of most Kansans.

The Republican Party released their legislative plan early in the session. Allow me to go through some parts of the Republican Plan and the legislation they have tried to enact:

• Republicans believe Kansans should keep more of what they earn. To do this they propose a flat tax that gives the majority of the breaks to the wealthy. We tried something very similar to this under former Gov. Sam Brownback and it wrecked our economy.

Most Kansans are asking for an elimination of the sales tax on food. The Democratic Party has proposed this the last two years, but Republicans refuse to pass these bills.

Recent property tax appraisals highlight the desire of most Kansans for lower property taxes. Democrats introduced a bill that provides relief for residential property taxes. Republicans have offered no property tax relief.

• Republicans say they are committed to expanding Kansans’ ability to access health care. Yet they have opposed every effort by the Democratic Party to expand

Medicaid, which would be the quickest way to provide health care to 150,000 Kansans and is 90% federally funded. The vast majority — 72% — of Kansans agree that Medicaid should be expanded.

• Polls show that Kansans overwhelmingly support legalizing medical marijuana. Republicans in the Senate have refused to pass this legislation, although it passed the House in 2021. Meanwhile Democrats have introduced bills to legalize medical marijuana for several sessions.

• Republicans say they want strong schools. To accomplish this, they have proposed taking money away from public schools and giving it to private schools with no accountability.

Democrats have opposed giving public money to private schools. In addition, some Republicans continue to attack public schools and teachers by accusing them of indoctrinating students. The Democratic Party proposes providing full funding, including special education, and supporting the work our teachers do every day.

• The Republican Party says it is concerned about freedom. Their solution has been to introduce bills that would prohibit county or state health officials from taking strong action in the case of contagious diseases, and prohibiting school officials from requiring certain vaccinations to keep our kids safe.

The Democratic Party suggests that we allow our health experts and public officials to make the informed decisions on how

best to protect our society from disease.

• Republicans also wish to dictate a woman’s reproductive health care decisions.

Democrats suggest that reproductive health care decisions are between a woman and her doctor, not public officials. They propose to honor the wishes of the voters when they defeated the anti-abortion “Value Them Both” constitutional amendment in August.

IF THE DEMOCRATIC Party could enact the policies they have proposed, Kansas could be very different:

1) There would be no state sales tax on food and property taxes would be reduced.

2) Kansas would join the other 40 states that have Medicaid expansion.

3) We would have legalized medical marijuana so Kansans suffering from painful illnesses could legally alleviate that pain.

4) Our schools would be fully funded including special education. Teachers and public schools would be judged on their accomplishments rather than targeted for imagined indoctrination.

5) Kansas would rely on the expertise of medical professionals regarding reproductive healthcare and contagious diseases.

It sure seems like Kansans would have a better chance to have the policies they favor if they were to put the minority party into the majority.

About the author: Chuck Schmidt, Wichita, is a retired educator and former Democratic state representative.

State’s attorney: Individual rights not ‘enforceable’

Monday morning, the Kansas Supreme Court heard arguments in two cases testing the limits of abortion rights. It did not appear to go well for the state’s attorney who sought to undermine a woman’s right to choose.

At issue are two state laws that remain unenforceable as long as there’s a constitutional right to abortion in Kansas. One would ban dilation and evacuation abortions. The other established unreasonably burdensome regulations on abortion providers. Lower courts ruled both laws unconstitutional.

These cases probably never should have even gotten to the state’s top court. Abortion is a matter of settled constitutional law in Kansas.

In 2019, the state Supreme Court ruled that the state constitution protects the right to abortion. Laws that would limit that right must pass the highest scrutiny.

That isn’t just the view of the court — it’s the view of the people, too. In August, Kansas voters soundly rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed lawmakers to revoke the right to abortion.

Antiabortion activists aren’t about to let little things like the will of the people and the Kansas Constitution stop them from imposing their morality on Kansas at the expense of women’s health and safety. The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, which protected a federal right to abortion for 50 years. Maybe the Kansas Supreme Court would do the same.

It’s always risky predicting how justices will rule based on oral arguments, but they certainly appeared skeptical of the state’s case on Monday.

A look back in t me. A look back in t me.

30 Years Ago March 1993

TOPEKA (AP) — Raye

Sprague, who operates a sow operation in Allen County, testified at the House Economic Development Committee on Tuesday against a bill that would allow corporate dairy and hog farms in the state. The Senate has passed the bill. Sprague said corporate operations encourage over-production and lower prices for farmers. “Independent producers spend money in the community, buy inputs from

local dealers and are rooted here,” she said.

*****

A leprechaun stone, engraved by D of K Concrete, Iola, will be dedicated March 20 in Wichita. The large stone will be placed in front of the Artichoke Sandwich Bar, owned by former Iolan Pat Audley. It will be dedicated during Wichita’s St. Patrick parade. *****

The money has been raised for a trip next month by Iola High School Mustang Band members to St. Louis.

Band director Raymond Linville said 58 students and 15 adults would make the trip.

*****

LAHARPE — Bob Laugeness and David Miller have opened B & D Service at 523 S. Main in LaHarpe. B & D Service will provide detail and mechanical work for vehicles. *****

On March 29, workers at the H. L. Miller and Son dress factory took time off to eat cake and drink punch to recognize the 60th birthday of Iola’s oldest industry.

Solicitor General Anthony Powell, who argued for the state, had plenty of graphic imagery and talk about “protecting the value and dignity of human life,” but less serious legal argument.

One of the most striking moments came when Powell admitted that the state’s view is that Section 1 of the Kansas Constitution’s Bill of Rights is meaningless.

For those who haven’t read the state constitution lately, that’s the bit that says: “All men are possessed of equal and inalienable natural rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

In its 2019 abortion deci-

sion, the high court ruled that Section 1’s fundamental rights include personal and bodily autonomy.

In other words, a woman has a right to choose whether to continue a pregnancy.

Justice Caleb Stegall asked Powell if the state disagreed.

Is Section 1 a glittering generality, essentially meaningless puffery, mere smoke?

Powell — and presumably his boss, Attorney General Kris Kobach — choose puffery.

“Section 1 isn’t enforceable in a general matter,” Powell said. “It’s hard to truly make it into a discernible right that can be enforced. That’s our position.”

Kansans should let that sink in.

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” aren’t fundamental rights to extremists like Powell and Kobach, at least not if recognizing those liberties entails allowing people to make their own decisions about abortion.

Fortunately, the Kansas Supreme Court has ruled otherwise. The liberties in Section 1 have meaning because they are part of the state’s foundational legal document.

Powell took the court on a wild ride down a slippery slope warning that if bodily autonomy is a constitutional right, laws requiring vaccines or regulating alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and even hard drugs all could fall.

If abortion rights stand, Kansas is on the road to becoming a hedonistic haven for all sins, a modern Sodom or Gomorrah.

It was a ludicrous argument, but revealing of just how far off the rails some antiabortion activists have gone in their thinking.

Ideologically, the court is little changed since it ruled on abortion last time. There are three new justices, but they were appointed by a Democratic governor. One of them, Justice Keynen “K.J.” Wall Jr. recused himself from these cases, but the odds are low that the remaining six justices will split 3-3.

Kansans have inalienable natural rights, including a right for women to choose whether to carry a pregnancy to term. That’s the precedent; that’s the law; that’s the Kansas Constitution. The state Supreme Court recognized that four years ago, and it should do so again.

— Kansas City Star

Anthony Powell, solicitor general for the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, is arguing that the state’s position on the Kansas Constitution is that it is not designed to enforce the protection of individual rights. (SHERMAN SMITH/KANSAS REFLECTOR)

Smoking: Age limits

Continued from A1

eral bills over the last couple of years that had various regulations and it just never passed out,” Thompson said.

Legislators, health organization lobbyists and medical professionals urged the Legislature to bring Kansas into line with the measure signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2019. More than 30 states have passed laws setting the age at 21, but neither Kansas nor Missouri has done so.

Roy Jensen, director of the University of Kansas Cancer Center, said nearly all smokers started as children or young adults. During adolescent years, he said, experimentation with cigarettes, e-cigarettes and other tobacco products could accelerate into a daily habit.

“The adolescent brain is particularly vulnerable to the effects of a powerful addictive agent like nicotine,” he said. “Younger teens also benefit from raising the nicotine/tobacco age requirement. About 90% of those who provide cigarettes to kids under 18 are themselves under 21. As a result, raising the tobacco sales age to 21 has been shown to reduce high school smoking by over 50%.”

Age of adulthood

Opposition in the state House and Senate reflected a belief individuals 18 years of age were old enough to make decisions about use of tobacco products that research decades ago linked to cancer and other medical problems.

Sen. Jeff Pittman, D-Leavenworth, said he understood health benefits of the legislation but found it difficult to accept elevating the minimum age for tobacco to 21 when younger individuals were viewed as adults in so many ways.

“I think about the fact we will throw kids in jail at 15 sometimes and charge them as adults,” Pittman said. “We’ll send our soldiers overseas to fight our wars for

us at 18.”

Rep. Susan Humphries, R-Wichita, voted against the tobacco bill in the House while objecting to the “serious plague on our society,” the tobacco industry’s targeting of children with marketing and tobacco’s contribution to premature death across the United States.

“I am not in favor of delaying adulthood,” Humphries said. “Today, I choose to treat 18-year-olds and above as adults. Adults who can vote and join the military. Adults who I strongly encourage not to use tobacco but who may make that choice.”

Tax shock absorber

A bipartisan majority in the Kansas Senate rejected a bill crafted to set aside $270 million to help city, county and other local units of government cope with potential future action by the Legislature to end both the state and local sales tax on grocery food purchases. The vote in the GOP-dominated chamber was 17-23.

The state’s former rate of 6.5% sales tax on food would be phased out over three years under a bill signed last year by the Democratic governor. The Senate bill anticipated the Legislature would adopt a measure later in the session to promptly end the food sales tax at all levels of government, which would reduce tax revenue to cities, counties and the state by hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

Under Senate Bill 309, the state would establish a $220 million fund July 1 known as the Fixing Instant Revenue Shock for Taxpayers Fund. It would enable appropriations in July 2024 to cities, counties and other local taxing districts for documented loss of sales tax revenue due to action by the Legislature.

Sen. J.R. Claeys, a Salina Republican, said he assumed there would be enough in that fund to replace what was lost by cities, counties

and others, but the bill would only make that cash available for one year. To qualify for state replacement dollars, according to the bill, the local unit of government would have to be compliant with a state law designed to discourage cities and counties from raising property tax rates. The bill also would set aside $50 million in the Local Extraordinary Needs Fund for the purpose of making grants to cities and counties for capital projects that might have been financed through sales tax revenue lost due to legislation action. Grant awards would be determined by a 10-person committee of House and Senate members. The maximum grant under the initiative would be $2 million.

“There is literally no scenario in which this bill is not good or better for local governments,” said Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover.

Not all on board

Opponents of the “hold harmless” sales tax bill included the Kansas Association of Counties, Kansas County Commissioners Association, Sedgwick County Commission and the cities of Olathe, Garden City and Overland Park.

“It’s going to really, really hurt the locals,” said Sen. Ron Ryckman Sr., R-Meade. “What’s going to happen next year? Or the next year? Or the next year?”

Sen. Rob Olson, an Olathe Republican, said he was concerned the Senate bill stripped away sales tax revenue the voters of Olathe agreed to dedicate to community priorities. He suspected Olathe would end up losing sales tax revenue under the scheme and could be forced to turn to property tax hikes to meet financial obligations.

“Now we’re going to mess with the system that works for locals to operate their cash flow,” Olson said. “I think we’re going down the wrong path here.”

WICHITA — Tyler Nolte, a student at Nemaha Central/ Elementary School, won the Sunflower State Spelling Bee Saturday. Nolte is in eighth grade.

Nolte’s winning words were gadzookery and drumlin.

The competition was at Newman University in Wichita and involved spellers from across the state and lasted 13 rounds.

Representing

Allen County was Bradley Cooper, a fifth-grader at Iola Elementary School.

Cooper bowed out in the third round at the state bee.

Tyler Nolte, a student at Nemaha Central/Elementary School, won the Sunflower State Spelling Bee Saturday.

Daily B

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Lady Cubs resume winning ways

leadoff triple to left field in the first at-bat. Wools then came around to score on a Carsyn Haviland RBI double to right field.

Humboldt senior catcher Emily Ross, who has signed to play at Neosho County Community College next year, drove in a run in the first inning when she ripped an RBI ground ball error to shortstop for an early 2-0 lead.

The next five Lady Cub batters walked before Wools whacked an RBI fielder’s choice.

Seven of Humboldt’s nine batters came up to the plate for a second time in the first inning and it was an onslaught from there. Walks and passed balls are what elevated Humboldt most in their win.

Halle Hoard was hit with the early damage for Neodesha.

Humboldt’s Emily Ross is greeted at home plate by her teammates in a game last season. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

By QUINN BURKITT The Iola Register

NEODESHA — The Humboldt High softball team wasted little time proving what kind of team they are

this season: A powerful one.

The Lady Cubs (2-0) won their season opening games at Neodesha on Monday afternoon. Humboldt won the first game by a score of 17-1 and the second by 19-1.

Game one

It didn’t take very long for the Lady Cubs to set the tone of how the day was going to unfold.

Karley Wools smacked a

Shelby Shaughnessy began the game at pitcher for Humboldt and tossed a complete game no-hitter. Shaughnessy walked six batters but was able to work through the Neodesha lineup very efficiently.

Humboldt had only five hits

while the Lady Cubs were walked 14 times. Wools had a team-high two hits.

Game two

The Lady Cubs stuck it to Neodesha again in the second game for a 19-1 victory.

The scoring began immediately for Humboldt as Haviland ripped an RBI triple to left field for a 1-0 lead two batters into the game. Shaughnessy then drove in the second run on a ground ball error to the pitcher. Ross then scored on a passed ball for the quick 3-0 lead.

Two more runners scored on passed balls before Skylar Hottenstein shot an RBI single to right field and Wools had an RBI fly ball to right field for a 7-0 first inning advantage.

Blevins started at pitcher for the Lady Cubs and allowed the only run of the ballgame to score in the first inning. Blevins allowed one run on only one hit and struck out four batters.

Humboldt plays at Erie on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

Humboldt fends off Neodesha late in sweep

NEODESHA — The Humboldt High baseball team swept a pair of games against the Neodesha Bluestreaks in their season opener Monday evening.

In the first game, Humboldt exploded at the plate for 14 runs, with four Cubs driving in two runs apiece, to secure a big 14-3 victory. In game two, it came down to the final inning for the Cubs after being knotted up at 9-9 in the bottom of the sixth for a 10-9 victory.

Game one Trey Sommer got the nod to start on the mound, working 2.1 innings and allowing only one run on two hits. He also struck out three Neodesha batters before Logan Page came on to pitch in relief.

Sam Hull, Jacob Harrington, Sommer and Page drove in two runs apiece. Colden Cook, Harrington and Page each had a team-high two hits.

Humboldt scored the first two runs in the second inning before Neodesha added their lone run of the day, a Wyatt Songer RBI, in the bottom of the third inning.The Cubs then plated three more runs in the fourth and nine runs in the fifth inning.

Songer started at pitcher for Neodesha, allowing four runs to score on two hits through only three innings. Songer struck out five Cubs.

Game two Humboldt squeaked out a 10-9 victory in extra innings in the second game. At the end of the seventh inning, the score was knotted at 4-4.

The Cubs scored one run in the first inning, two more in the second inning and another in the third. Neodesha responded by scoring one run apiece in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Both teams then scored five runs in the eighth.

Humboldt came out on top in the ninth inning when they brought one run across home plate for the 10-9 win.

Asher Hart, Hull and Harrington each drove in a team-high two runs while Hull, Sommer, Cook and Harrington each collected two hits. Sommer scored a teamhigh four runs in the win.

Humboldt outhit Neodesha, 9-8, with fewer at bats.

Brody Gunderman allowed Neodesha to get back into the game when he toed the rubber for Humboldt in the eighth

and allowed five runs to come across on three hits.

Humboldt’s Kyler Isbell threw four innings, allowing two runs on two hits and struck out five. Hull came on in relief and allowed two runs through 1.2 frames. Sommer closed it out on the mound, working 1.2 innings

of shutout ball and allowing two hits.

“It was good to come away with two wins against a much improved Neodesha team,” Humboldt coach Mike Miller said. “I thought our pitchers competed well all night but especially late in the second game. They had to pitch out

of some really tough situations to give us a chance to win.”

The winning run for Humboldt came on a Page bases loaded walk with Sommer standing at third base for the 10-9 win.

Humboldt plays at Erie on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

Iola tennis opens season at Independence

INDEPENDENCE — The Iola High tennis team came in fourth at a meet in Independence Monday afternoon. Ethan Riebel played singles while Zach Pfaff and Trapper Boren and Payton Kern and Brody Thompson

played doubles.

Independence earned a first place team victory while Parsons claimed second and Labette County came in third. Neodesha finished in fifth and Columbus placed in sixth as a team.

Riebel won one match and

dropped two in his singles play. The Mustang first fell to Parsons’ Parker Ray, 8-1, before taking down Neodesha’s Landon Howell, 8-2. Riebel then fell to Labette County’s Kendall Green, 8-2. Kern and Thompson won one match and lost two. The

duo lost to Labette County’s Gabe Lunsford and Layton Vail, 8-5, before toppling Columbus’ Cody Ediger and Kyler Baylor in six rounds, 8-7. The pair then fell to Indy’s Tyson Martinez and Logan Holmes, 8-1.

“This duo is going to be

fierce competition going forward,” said Iola head coach Chris Belknap. “They both are aggressive which is really good for playing doubles and having matches that will be very entertaining to watch. I really can’t wait to

See MUSTANGS | Page B4

Humboldt’s Trey Sommer fields a grounder in a game last season. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Hiring full-time qualified TIG welders for tube, pipe and structural assembly on 1st and 2nd shifts. Applicants must pass applicable weld test.

B&W Chanute offers competitive wages and benefits, including Life, Health, Dental, Vision and Disability Insurance; 401(k) Pension, Vacation and 9 paid Holidays. Wages up to $27.71/hr. based on weld test and experience.

Now hiring for the positions below. Visit our website to review our excellent benefits package!

Are

looking for an opportunity to make a di erence in the lives of those a ected by violence and abuse? We are seeking a Shelter Advocate to join our team Monday through Friday from 3-11 p.m. The successful candidate must have excellent communication skills and the ability to observe boundaries, con dentiality and ethical interactions. Responsibilities will include:

• Provide support, advocacy, and crisis intervention services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and other crimes.

• Assist clients with safety planning and risk assessment.

• Work collaboratively with other sta to ensure survivors’ safety.

• Provide information regarding survivors’ rights and available community resources.

• Work collaboratively with the Shelter Manager to meet the needs of clients residing in the shelter.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Degree in social work or related eld preferred; equivalent life and work experience will be considered.

• Knowledge of the issues of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, etc.

• Ability to maintain con dentiality while working with clients.

• Self-motivated and adherence to ethical standards of working with survivors

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail. Competitive compensation package includes health insurance coverage paid 100% by employer, generous leave policy, retirement plan and disability plan. Call 620-365-2016 for more information and send application to 406 North Buckeye, Iola, Kansas 66749. EOE

Iola Housing Authority is looking for a full-time maintenance technician

The successful candidate will need a valid driver’s license, be bondable and insurable, and pass a drug screening test—excellent bene ts & pay.

Applications may be picked up at the Housing Authority of the City of Iola, M-F, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

IOLA housing authoritY

Director of Talent Search Project

Salary: $35,000 - $40,000

Director of Development

Salary: $50,000 - $60,000

Assistant Director of Residence & Student Life

Salary: $23,000 - $28,000

STARS Math Specialist

Salary: $30,160 - $34,600

Safety Officer Part-time

Minimum starting wage: $15.50

Assistant Spirit Coach

Salary: $21,000

Various Adjunct Instructor Positions

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.

Iola Housing Authority is seeking a quali ed candidate to become a Grant Coordinator for a federal grant the housing authority was recently awarded.

This full-time position will maintain records, generate governmental reports, and business correspondence, and assist the Executive Director with all aspects of the grant. Excellent bene ts. The successful candidate will need a valid driver’s license, be bondable and insurable, and pass a drug screening test. Resume and cover letter of interest to be submitted with application by April 10, 2023, to: Iola Housing Authority, 217 North Washington, Iola, KS 66749

IOLA housing authoritY

Wildcats split with St. Paul

By QUINN BURKITT The Iola Register

MORAN — The Marmaton Valley High baseball team started strong behind the arm of senior pitcher Wyatt Ard in the first game for an 18-3 win.

The Wildcats (1-1) weren’t as fortunate in their second game and were shut down in a 15-0 loss.

Game one Marmaton Valley went down early but never allowed it to faze them in a lopsided victory. Ard allowed St. Paul’s Vincent Smith to reach on a single and Trey Peters to walk as both came around for scores on Zakary Kirkpatrick and Landen Beachner RBI groundouts. It gave the Indians an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first.

“Wyatt was around the zone and he was letting the defense work behind him,” Marmaton Valley head coach Adam Borth said. “We’ve got a pretty good defense typically. Dominic came in, cleaned it up and did the same thing.”

Marmaton Valley’s Tyler Lord and Brayden Lawson scored in the bottom of the first on an Ard two-run double to the left field wall. Ard then came around to score during the next at-bat when Daniel Fewins rocketed another RBI double to left field for the 3-2 advantage.

Dylan Drake dou-

bled to right field and Lord walked before both were plated on a Lawson sacrifice fly to center and a Dominic Smith hit by pitch for the 5-2 lead.

“In the first game Dylan hit the ball well,” Borth said. “There were several guys that hit the ball pretty well. We’re a young team and our young guys hit the ball well too. Dylan was on every time, Daniel Fewins was on base every time and we put some pressure on them.”

St. Paul’s Kiser Wiatrak doubled to left field and was walked home by Ard in the third inning to bring the game within two runs, 5-3.

The Wildcat bats then woke up again in the bottom of the third when Drake roped an RBI single to right field and Chase Smith shot a two-run single to left for an 8-3 lead. Smith and Lord then scored

on throwing errors in the bottom of the third for a 10-3 edge.

Ard delivered at the plate in the bottom of the third inning when he laced a two-run double into right center field for a 12-3 lead. Drake then sent a tworun double to right for a big 15-3 lead heading to the fourth.

Smith retired St. Paul’s batters in four at-bats in the fourth inning to just about wrap the game up. Smith, Fewins and Morrison came around to score in the bottom of the fourth and give Marmaton Valley an 18-3 victory in four innings.

Ard tossed three innings, allowing three runs and two hits while striking out four.

The Wildcats collected 10 hits and Drake had a team-high four hits.

Game two

Marmaton Valley got down 7-0 in the first inning and could never

Pitching woes haunt Marmaton Valley

MORAN — The Marmaton Valley High softball team began their season by dropping a couple of home games against St. Paul on Monday evening.

The Wildcats (02) went ahead in the bottom of the first in game one, 1-0, but St.

Paul unloaded for nine runs in the fourth inning alone for a 25-12 stomping. Marmaton Valley then allowed their pitching to get the best of them in the second game, losing 20-11.

The fourth inning was when St. Paul began to take advantage of Marmaton Valley’s pitching and fielding and scored nine runs for a 10-4 lead. All eight of the Indians’ runs in the fourth came on steals and passed balls.

recover in a 15-0 loss.

Drake started on the mound for the Wildcats and was immediately bashed with three hits and a slew of runs. Chase Smith came on in relief and allowed the Indians to plate seven runs. “We’ll get there. It’s a long season so it’s a learning experience for a lot of the guys getting out there,” said Borth. “We did some things well in the first game and we can learn in the second game.”

Peters led St. Paul at the plate, knocking two hits and scoring three runs. The Indians combined to collect 11 hits. Wiatrak also had a couple of hits and scored two runs while Beachner scored a couple of runs and had two hits.

The Wildcats managed one hit, a second inning single off the bat of Ard.

Marmaton Valley hosts Uniontown on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

Humboldt golfers tee off at Caney

CANEY VALLEY — Humboldt High golfers William Kobold and Curt Shannon participated in the Caney Valley Invitational on Monday afternoon.

Kobold placed in 34th overall, racking up a total score of 124.

Shannon finished in 37th overall with a score of 131. Shannon impressed on the back nine holes where he shot a 56.

“It was a nice sunny day to start the season. The wind was chilly but the conditions were good overall for playing,” said Humboldt head coach Bret Hauser. “The boys did well for their first meet of the season and now have a target in mind to beat as they go about the season.”

Neodesha’s Kyle Egger finished in first place with an 80, followed by Cam Mavers of Independence with a score of 81 and Pittsburg’s Tanner White with a score of 86.

Ten other schools competed, including Caney Valley, Pittsburg, Fredonia, Erie, Independence, Eureka, Neodesha, Riverton and Galena.

Independence took first place with a team score of 348, followed by Pittsburg with a 379 and Erie with a 390. Caney Valley, Fredonia and Eureka rounded out the top six team placements.

The Wildcats responded by scoring three runs in the bottom of the fourth including LaRue coming around again to score after she knocked a leadoff single. Marmaton Valley trailed St. Paul heading to the fifth inning, 10-7.

Game one

Pitching was the name of the game and the downfall for Marmaton Valley in their season opener as the runs piled up, especially in the later innings, of a 25-12 defeat.

The Wildcats jumped on top early when Brooklyn Adams got on base as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the first and later scored on a Braelyn Sutton RBI double for the 1-0 lead.

Tayven Sutton began the game at pitcher for the Wildcats. Sutton struck out three of the first four batters she faced in the first inning. Sutton finished off the Indians while only facing four batters again in the second inning.

“I think she (Tayven) came out strong. She was throwing well,” said Marmaton Valley head coach Brenda Mills. “She was disappointed on some of the calls but we have to work on our catcher position too.”

The first run that Sutton allowed to score was by Josie Harris on a passed ball for the 1-1 score in the top of the third inning.

Marmaton Valley scratched four more runs across the board in the third as Bailey LaRue knocked a single then stole her way home for the 2-1 advantage. Adams, B. Sutton and Payton Scharff also came around to score in the third and grab an early 4-1 lead.

“I was proud of the way they played and they didn’t give up,” said Mills. “It’s easier to lay down but they kept coming back and trying to score. I thought we did a nice job hitting and running the bases. They didn’t give up.”

Marmaton Valley was outscored by St. Paul in the final three innings, 15-5, and the Wildcats ultimately fell by a final of 25-12.

The Wildcats collected 10 hits and were led at the plate by Adams, Scharff, Sutton and LaRue’s two hits apiece.

Game two

It was a similar story in the second game. Marmaton Valley allowed St. Paul’s hitting to heat up late in the game and score nine runs in the sixth inning in the 20-11 loss.

B. Sutton, Adams and Gabby Briggs swiped home plate for the first three runs for Marmaton Valley in the third inning. Two more Wildcat runs came across in the fourth and then the home team pushed another two runs across in the fifth to make it a 7-3 lead.

“This is a young and inexperienced team,” Mills said. “We have three brand new players who have never played before and they’re giving all they’ve got. We’ve just got to keep working on the fundamentals and keep at it.”

St. Paul got ahead early in the second inning when Julia Finley walked and later came around to score for the 1-0 lead. The Indians scored another run in the third and fourth inning each before breaking it open in the sixth with a five-run inning for the 8-7 lead.

Marmaton Valley had no answers for St. Paul’s bats when they scored 12 runs in the seventh inning to take a healthy 20-10 lead. That would be enough to down the Wildcats as they could only

See MV | Page B4

Marmaton Valley makes a pitching change in game one against St. Paul on Monday afternoon. REGISTER/QUINN BURKITT

Humboldt’s William Kobold puts a ball in a meet last season. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

MLB free agency watch 2023-24

CHICAGO (AP) —

The number will follow Shohei Ohtani until it is over. No, not Ohtani’s home runs or strikeouts or any of his magnificent numbers from the field. Nothing like that.

It’s all about how much. As in how much will his next contract be worth.

Ohtani is among several players going into their final seasons before they are eligible for free agency. There is still time for signatures and press conferences before opening day, but history shows a new contract becomes less likely once the real games begin.

There is no real precedent for placing a value on Ohtani’s remarkable skills, especially after baseball’s epic offseason spending spree. And that doesn’t factor in the potential business opportunities that go along with the majors’ only truly global star.

Ohtani hit .273 with 34 homers and 95 RBIs last season in his fifth year with the Los Angeles Angels. The 2021 AL MVP also went 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA in 28 starts on the mound.

He prepared for this season by leading Japan to the World Baseball Classic championship, striking out fellow Angels star Mike Trout for the final out in a 3-2 victory over the United States in the final.

Ohtani, who turns 29 in July, could set multiple records with his next contract, likely in the neighborhood of a $45 million average annual value and quite possibly reaching $500 million in total.

If the Angels drop out of contention in the roughand-tumble AL West, Ohtani likely becomes the top name on the trade market this summer. If the Angels are in the mix for the playoffs, the

MV: Softball

Continued from B3

bring one more run across home plate in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The Wildcats managed five hits in the second game, led by Adams’ pair of hits.

Marmaton Valley hosts Uniontown on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

Iola: Tennis

Continued from B1

teach these guys strategies to make them even better competition for future meets.”

Pfaff and Boren won one match and lost three. The duo defeated Indy’s Nathan Godwin and Josh Watts for their lone win of the afternoon. This was the first time the duo had played varsity doubles.

Iola matches up at Pittsburg on Thursday at 3 p.m.

Boston, South Carolina women reach Final Four

GREENVILLE, S.C.

(AP) — Dawn Staley knows what’s next for unbeaten South Carolina — a matchup the whole women’s college basketball world is eager to see.

But for now, the coach wants to revel in her extraordinary Gamecocks and their amazing achievements.

Aliyah Boston had 22 points and 10 rebounds and top-seeded South Carolina used its smothering defense to stop Maryland 8675 Monday night and reach its third straight Final Four.

next week.

“Not a lot of teams can say they’re able to do this,” Boston said. “So for us to be able to do it feels really good, and it’s such a blessing we won’t ever take for granted.”

Zia Cooke finished with 18 points and Brea Beal 16 for the Gamecocks.

pressure builds on the team to get something done before possibly losing Ohtani in free agency for nothing more than a compensatory draft pick.

So yeah, definitely high stakes with Ohtani and the Angels. Here is a closer look at five more players eligible for free agency after this season:

RHP AARON NOLA, PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Nola, who turns 30 in June, went 11-13 with a 3.25 ERA in 32 starts for Philadelphia last year.

He also had a career-best 235 strikeouts in 205 innings for the NL champions.

Nola was selected by the Phillies with the seventh overall pick in the 2014 amateur draft. There were extension talks during spring training, but it didn’t work out.

“We are very open-minded to trying to sign him at the end of the season,” President of Baseball Operations

Dave Dombrowski said. “We’re hopeful that he’ll remain a Phillie for a long time.”

3B MATT CHAPMAN, TORONTO BLUE JAYS

Chapman hit 36 homers and drove in 91 runs for Oakland in 2019. He hasn’t been able to duplicate that production, but the three-time Gold Glover finished with 27 homers and 76 RBIs in 155 games last year in his first season with Toronto. Chapman turns 30 on April 28. Long one of the game’s top fielding third basemen, he is represented by Scott Boras, who generally takes his clients to free agency.

TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ, SEATTLE MARINERS

Hernández was acquired in a November trade with Toronto. He hit .267 with 25 homers and 77 RBIs in his final year with the Blue Jays. He was terrific in 2021, batting .296 with 32 homers, 116 RBIs and a .870 OPS.

The change of scenery could help the 30-year-

old Hernández set himself up for a big payday. He is a .357 hitter with three homers and seven RBIs in 16 games at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park.

OF IAN HAPP, CHICAGO CUBS

The switch-hitting Happ is coming off perhaps his best big league season, setting career highs with a .271 batting average, 72 RBIs and 42 doubles in 158 games. He also won his first Gold Glove and made the NL All-Star team for the first time. Chicago had struggled to re-sign its own players in recent years, but it agreed to a $35 million, threeyear contract with infielder Nico Hoerner on Monday. The 28-year-old Happ, a first-round pick in the 2015 amateur draft, is on the executive subcommittee for the players’ union.

See OHTANI | Page B6

Do-it-all star Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes await in the national semifinals in Dallas on Friday, a game featuring two of the biggest stars in the sport. That can wait a bit. Her players deserve that, Staley said.

“I just want to enjoy this and just give our players an opportunity to be talked about,” Staley said. “The joy that I feel for this team to be able to be where they are, I’m just really happy.”

Staley’s team improved to 36-0 this season with its 42nd straight victory dating to last year’s NCAA title run. The Gamecocks are now two games away from repeating as champions and completing the 10th undefeated season in the women’s game.

The Gamecocks hugged and jumped when it was over. It’s the fifth Final Four since 2015, all under Staley. She’ll try for her third national title

Boston, the 6-foot-5 senior, made 10 of 14 shots. The three-time All-American added five assists, two blocked shots and was named the Greenville 1 Regional’s most outstanding player. Staley ran around the court thanking players, coaches and supporters. She hugged the pep band director and cheered on the musicians with a glowing smile.

Maryland (28-7) was routed at home, 81-56, by the Gamecocks last Nov. 11, but played without injured All-American Diamond Miller.

With a healthy Miller and an offense averaging nearly 80 points a game, the Terrapins were ready to take on the big, imposing Gamecocks. Maryland pushed the pace early, disrupting South Carolina’s No. 1 defense and was ahead 21-15 as an edgy, pro-Gamecock crowd wasn’t sure what it was watching.

South Carolina didn’t panic. Cooke shook off an 0-for3 start to score nine points. Boston was her steady self with 12 points in the half as the Gamecocks outscored the Terps 23-9 in the second quarter

See WOMEN | Page B6

Marmaton Valley’s Payton Scharff REGISTER/QUINN B.

Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani watches from the dugout before the MLB All-Star Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium in 2022 in Los Angeles, CA. GINA FERAZZI/LOS ANGELES TIMES

Wedding dress code request probably the first of many

Dear Carolyn: When is it reasonable to expect a sibling to stick up for the family to a partner? To wit, my sibling is getting married. The other siblings and I are not in the wedding, and this is quite fine. We’re all adults, and we’re delighted to simply attend and celebrate.

But sibling’s partner has sent parameters for what the family should wear. Not just “cocktail attire,” but a set of acceptable colors and patterns and materials and whatnot. And not, “Wear a black dress or suit.”

None of the listed options are ones we would choose on our own. (Think along the lines of, “Everyone should wear shimmery chartreuse or celadon,” even if we would look awful in shimmery chartreuse or celadon.)

Is it reasonable to expect the sibling getting married to stand up for us and say, “They’ll wear cocktail attire, but that’s all we can expect”? Do we have to obey this dictate, or is there a way, without creating a massive fight, to say, “We’re not going to embarrass anyone, but we’re going to choose our own attire”?

— Awful in Celadon

Awful in Celadon: I would alert the sib that parameters have been received and noted, and they will be treated as

Carolyn Hax

suggestions, not marching orders, thanks in advance for understanding.

But don’t ask Sib to stand up for you. Sib has hands full right now with the partner’s delusions of grandeur.

Re: Celadon: I’m no fan of shimmery chartreuse, but I bristled at the framing of this question as “brother’s fiancee vs. the family.”

Your brother is half of the couple requesting this wardrobe, so bring it up with him as if it’s something he has control over, not as if it’s something his future wife is doing unilaterally.

— Bristly

Bristly: Ah. You’re right, and I hang my head in shame at feeding a divisive narrative. The only principled response is to treat it as the couple’s joint decision. This loving-unity approach will also, ironically, serve you well later if your sibling develops controllingspouse problems and needs family support. Your standing will be diminished if you’ve already taken sides.

So, yes, bring it up with Sib as an equal

stakeholder. One quibble: There were no genders mentioned in the question.

Other readers’ thoughts:

• Best to be prepared for the holidays, too, and practice calming techniques now.

• There are 365 days a year. This wedding is exactly one of them. Wear what they requested, and work on a good relationship with your sibling. [Carolyn here: Only if cost isn’t an issue.

• I disagree with 365-days-a-year. They are adults, and they should wear appropriate clothes that they choose. Bad idea to start off the new relationship with the new in-law thinking that they can issue such demands and that they will be met. Good chance that will lead to more demands over the years. Start off with graciousness but not with obeying orders that are unreasonable.

• If you give in to the wedding wardrobe demands, does that mean you have to wear ugly Christmas sweaters if the new in-law demands that?

• The wedding is not a costume party. Anyway, Miss Manners would approve of Carolyn’s advice (and your instincts) but not the costume request, despite the fact that a general dress code, like cocktail attire, is fine.

Bankman-Fried charged with bribing China

NEW YORK (AP) —

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was charged with directing $40 million in bribes to one or more Chinese officials to unfreeze assets relating to his cryptocurrency business in a newly rewritten indictment unsealed Tuesday.

The charge of conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act raises to 13 the number of charges Bankman-Fried faces after he was arrested in the Bahamas in December and brought to the United States soon af-

terward.

FTX filed for bankruptcy on Nov. 11, when it ran out of money after the cryptocurrency equivalent of a bank run. He has remained free on a $250 million bond that lets him stay with his parents in Palo Alto, California.

Woodson County Solid Waste Department is now accepting applications for a Full-time Laborer/Operator.

CDL preferred, but not required. Starting at $14-$15/hour and includes full benefits.

Applications are available in the County Engineer Office, at the Woodson County courthouse, Room 106, Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Any questions call 620-625-8630

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by Mort Walker

by Chris Browne

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MARVIN by Tom Armstrong

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by Chance Browne

MUTTS by Patrick McDonell

Dan Snyder’s future a hot topic at NFL meetings

PHOENIX (AP) —

Dan Snyder’s future in the NFL as owner of the Washington Commanders remains in standby mode while his peers gathered at a posh resort for the league’s annual meetings and waited for news on the potential sale of the team.

A discussion on Snyder isn’t on the formal agenda this week, three people familiar with those details told The Associated Press on Monday. Still, Snyder was a hot topic of conversation despite his absence and even while quarterback Lamar Jackson’s trade request dominated headlines.

“I think he’s put the team up for sale. I believe that something is close to happening,”

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. “I don’t know that for sure. We’ll wait and see what happens.”

Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos recently joined groups led by Josh Harris and Tilman Fertitta to bid on purchasing the Commanders. Once Snyder accepts an offer, he must submit the bidder’s name to the NFL for approval. That hasn’t happened yet, a person told the AP.

Last fall, with multiple investigations ongoing into the team’s workplace culture, finances and Snyder himself, he and wife Tanya

hired a firm to “consider possible transactions.” Tanya continues to represent the team at league events.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has said there’s “merit to remove” Snyder as owner of the Commanders. That would take an unprecedented vote of 24 of the other 31 team owners to happen.

Snyder and his attorneys have demanded that NFL owners and the league indemnify him against future legal liability and costs if he sells the team, a person told the AP. Two owners said they were angered by Snyder’s demand for indemnification but told the AP that they want to let the sale pro-

cess play out before taking any action.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Snyder’s situation has changed their relationship.

“I think that it’s a little more formal, but I think it’s that way because of the various issues that are involved here,” Jones said. “It’s not ‘lovey-dovey,’ but it’s not really strained in any way.”

Snyder and the team are still under investigation by former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White, who was retained by the league to look into various aspects of the organization stemming from a congressional review into workplace misconduct that also

included a referral to the Federal Trade Commission for potential business improprieties.

A spokesperson declined to comment when asked if Snyder had refused to speak with White, saying it’s a confidential matter between the club and the league.

Snyder is facing other civil suits and investigations.

The Attorney General for the District of Columbia filed two suits in civil court against the Commanders late last year: one for a scheme to cheat fans out of ticket money and another naming Snyder, Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league, saying they colluded to

deceive fans about an investigation into the team’s workplace culture that ended with a $10 million fine and no written report. The Commanders settled with the state of Maryland, agreeing to return security deposits to former season ticket holders and pay a $250,000 penalty.

An investigation by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform, launched in October 2021 and including testimony from Snyder, Goodell and many others, said the team fostered a toxic workplace culture.

Other news out of Monday’s meetings included:

LIFE-SAVING COALITION

The NFL has launched The Smart Heart Sports Coalition, a collaboration among various organizations advocating to adopt evidence-based policies that will prevent fatal outcomes from sudden cardiac arrest among high school students.

“The NFL has a history of stepping up on challenging issues,” league executive Anna Isaacson said. “Damar Hamlin’s life was saved. We want to save more lives.”

The coalition includes the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, NHL, NCAA, the American Heart

Association, American Red Cross, Korey Stringer Institute, National Athletic Trainers’ Association and Damar Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation.

League executive Jeff Miller said it’s critical for schools to have policies in place to deliver CPR effectively and have immediate access to AEDs. “If a school has an emergency-action plan in place, if they have somebody trained in CPR and they have access to an AED, a lot of the most tragic situations which unfortunately happen may be prevented.”

FUTURE HOSTS

League executive Peter O’Reilly said a vote on host cities for the Super Bowl in 2026 and the NFL draft in 2025 won’t take place this week. O’Reilly said it’s likely to be on the agenda for the May meetings.

Las Vegas hosts the Super Bowl next year and New Orleans will host the following one. Kansas City hosts the NFL draft next month and Detroit will host next year.

PRO BOWL GAMES

O’Reilly said the reimagined Pro Bowl with a week of activities and competition capped by flag football is here to stay. He said 100% of players surveyed favor the new format.

Women’s: Final Four showdowns set for weekend

Continued from B4

to lead 38-30 at halftime.

“I thought the game was lost in the second quarter,” Maryland coach Brenda Frese said. “Their size, their depth, they wear you out.”

Maryland got two quick baskets after the break to cut South Carolina’s lead to 48-42. But the Gamecocks answered with a 14-3 burst to take control for good.

Miller led the Terps, looking for their first trip to the Final Four since 2015, with 24 points. Miller picked up a technical foul late in the game and thought it was an unevenly called game. “I’m not going

to say the refs lost us the game,” she said. “I mean, they outrebounded us as we kind of expected.”

Maryland shot 50% for the game, yet couldn’t hold up down low against the Gamecocks. South Carolina outrebounded the Terps 48-26 and 25-7 on the offensive glass.

BIG PICTURE

Maryland: Terps have seven seniors, including Miller and four other starters. But Shyanne Sellers is a rising sophomore and likely focal point for Maryland the next couple of seasons. Expect Frese to work hard in the offseason to scour the portal for additions who can augment Maryland’s young

roster. South Carolina: These are certainly the glory days for Gamecocks women’s basketball. Maryland gave Iowa a glimpse into what may rattle the Gamecocks, although they quickly adjusted to gain control. But tightening up to prevent easy layups the Terps got early will certainly be a focus at South Carolina’s practices this week.

CLAIRVOYANT COACH

Turns out, LSU coach

Kim Mulkey knew what she was talking about. She declared Sunday night after her team won the Greenville 2 Region to reach the Final Four that the Southeastern Conference would have half the

Ohtani: Headlines MLB free agency

Continued from B4

Urías, who turns 27 in August, likely will have plenty of suitors if he reaches free agency. He went 17-7 with an NL-

low 2.16 ERA in 31 starts for the NL West champions in 2022, finishing third in NL Cy Young Award balloting. That’s after he went 20-3 with a 2.96 ERA in the previous season. Urías also is a Boras

client, but the Dodgers have one of the majors’ biggest payrolls. Los Angeles also could make a run at Ohtani, which could factor into its discussions with Urías’ camp.

field next week.

“The champion, South Carolina is going. I’m just telling you flat out. I’m getting ahead of myself, OK, but you write it. They’re going,” she said. The Tigers and Gamecocks could play for a

championship should both advance.

RACKING UP

ACCOLADES

Staley joined UConn’s Geno Auriemma, Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer and Mulkey as active coaches with five or more trips to the

Final Four. Staley’s first visit came in 2015, then she led the Gamecocks to a title in 2017. The Gamecocks have been the past three, losing to Stanford in the semifinals in 2021 before winning it all last year in Minneapolis.

URÍAS, LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder on the field before a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, on August 29, 2019. PATRICK MCDERMOTT/GETTY IMAGES/TNS