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THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
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Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Soup kitchen warms community’s soul Missing 8-year-old By RICK DANLEY The Iola Register
Iola boy is found
What began as a notion one year ago is scheduled to become a reality this Sunday when First Presbyterian Church of Iola hosts its inaugural Sunday Soups from 5 to 7 p.m. The event — according to Eric Olson, who gave voice to the idea in a blog post back in July — is open to any individual or family that wants a free meal or a place to gather for company. Inspired by his work with Circles of Allen County, an anti-poverty group, Olson began to silently pursue the idea of opening a local soup kitchen. It wasn’t until he started his blog many months later, though, that he finally gave expression to the details.
A missing 8-year-old boy prompted a citywide search for about 90 minutes until the boy was spotted safe and sound at Walmart. Iola Police Chief Jared Warner said the youngster walked out of school at Jefferson Elementary School at the end of the day, but instead of finding his parents parked nearby, left the area. A crossing guard even remembered seeing the boy cross the street, Warner said. After it became evident the boy was no longer at or near the school, the panicked parents called 911, which prompted an automated CODE RED call to residents in Allen County. Several tipsters reported seeing the boy at two other
Lauralee McDermeit goes through the soup line with her granddaughters Hallie, 9, and Maddie, 5. REGISTER/RICK DANLEY “OK,” his July 14 post begins, “I have had an idea…” From this tentative first step a community of volunteers began to form. Fewer than five months later Olson and a small group of organizers, among them the
Rev. Jennifer Loeb, were welcoming a delivery of USDA Commodities to the church’s back door. From there, volunteers were arrayed to help pack the food into a brandSee SOUPS | Page A4
HOSPITAL BOARD
COUNTY COMMISSION
Physicians show interest in Iola By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register
Hospital administrators have seen an uptick in interest by physicians coming to Iola, said Ron Baker, hospital CEO, and David-Paul Cavazos, director of radiology. The two updated hospital trustees Tuesday night of their recent participation at job fairs conducted by the University of Kansas medical programs, in both Kansas City and Wichita. The new Allen County Regional Hospital “is very easy
to show off,” Cavazos said, noting two residents, in particular, have expressed interest in coming to work there. “I can guarantee you if they had come to the old hospital, it would have been a very short visit,” he said. The hospital’s booth at the career fairs promoted not only the hospital but also the surrounding area. Brochures telling of the biking trails and the Bowlus Fine Arts Center were very popular, Baker said. “It takes the whole community to help sell the hospital,” he said. The hospital is on the
Fort Scott to vote on school renovations By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
FORT SCOTT — Voters in Iola aren’t the only ones in southeast Kansas who will vote on school projects next week.. Voters in Fort Scott USD 234 will head to the polls Tuesday to determine whether to approve $40 million worth of renovations to two elementary schools, the middle school and high school, as well as do improvements to the high school football stadium. If approved, the district will build new secure entries, or relocate administrative offices so that each funnels visitors through more secure areas to gain entry into the buildings; add high-wind shelters; renovate classrooms in the two elementaries and the high school; replace some windows; and make the stadium more accessible. District-wide improvement plans include upgrading fire alarm, security and technol-
ogy systems, replacing kitchen appliances if necessary, repairing and tuckpointing masonry where necessary; upgrading exterior doors for improved ADA accessibility; repairing drive and parking surfaces; upgrading mechanical systems at the two elementary schools, and replacing the high school’s mechanical systems. The secure entries would cost about $14.3 million district-wide, school officials estimate; while the energy improvements are pegged at almost $10 million. Another $4.8 million is earmarked for upgrading finishes in commons areas, about $3.7 million would be spent to build a new auxiliary gymnasium; and $2 million would be earmarked for classroom work and $1.6 million for renovating the high school auditorium. Eugene Ware Elementary School is the district’s oldest building, built in 1934. The other elementary, Winfield See FORT SCOTT | Page A4
Quote of the day Vol. 117, No. 4
stores along North State Street, Dollar General and Orscheln Farm & Home, before a customer at Walmart spotted the youngster there. That’s where officers picked him up and returned him to his family. “The calls started coming in, which was a good thing,” Warner said, because it gave police a more precise search area. “He’d gone on quite a trip.” Officers from the Allen County Sheriff ’s Department and Kansas Highway Patrol aided in the search. “Obviously, when you have a case like this, it starts the blood pumping pretty quickly,” Warner said. “Everybody wanted to find him as quickly as possible.”
Heavy vote anticipated By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
search for two family physicians, one that can do obstet-
If advance interest is an indicator, local voters will flock to the polls Tuesday. Allen County Clerk Sherrie Riebel told commissioners Tuesday 683 ballots had been requested at her office. Of those almost 500 have been completed. “That’s the most since the November 2008 election,” when Barack Obama won his first term as president, Riebel said. With about 8,500 registered voters in Allen County, ad-
It takes the whole community to help sell the hospital. — Ron Baker, hospital CEO
rics, as well as a general surgeon and nursing staff. Rural hospitals are espeSee HOSPITAL | Page A6
vance voting to date represents about 6 percent. High-profile statewide races and the school issues in USD 257 — a general obligation bond for all of the district and half-cent sales tax increase in Iola — have quickened voter interest, Riebel said. Advance ballots may be requested through noon Monday and must be returned to the clerk’s office by 7 p.m. Tuesday, when General Election polls close. Computer-assisted count of votes will start immediately after polls close. All local reSee COUNTY | Page A6
Festival to feature evaluation of books By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
An old book may be rare, but not necessary valuable, Kristian Strom told the Register Tuesday evening. Strom will evaluate books brought to the Iola Family Reading Festival at Allen Community College Saturday. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., introduce local folks to a host of authors and have Strom evaluating books. He will be on task from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 12:15 to 2 p.m. The event is sponsored by Iola Public Library. Saturday’s is the third festival, with others in 2010 and 2012. “I’d encourage people to bring two or three books, not a box full,” Strom said. If someone has a number of books they think valuable, Strom said he will follow up later. Strom, 33, Andover, grew up a bit of a book nerd. “I loved reading and writing,” with non-fiction being his favorite. Today he is an
Kristian Strom and his dog Maddie. online bookseller, peddling books through a dozen websites. His favorites are Amazon, eBay and ABE, a site that features rare and unusual books. Initially, he ferreted out books and sold them part time, spending maybe 20 hours a week with the profitable hobby. He was working full time at a furniture store as a salesman and “doing quite well,”
“Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity.” — Thor Heyerdahl 75 Cents
but decided, with support of his wife, to shift to bookselling full time. In addition to online sales, he has three booths in an antiques mall at Andover. His personal website is lowestcostbooks.com. WHILE selling books is his livelihood, Strom also is passionate about evaluating and See BOOKS | Page A6
Hi: 65 Lo: 47 Iola, KS