Locally owned since 1867
Allen County COVID-19 Case Count
Total cases* .................617 Deaths.........................1 *Since the start of the pandemic Sources: Southeast Kansas Multi-County Health Departments, Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Local golfer gets hole-in-one
PAGE B1
The varied duties of farm dogs PAGE A5
Gov. Kelly to receive vaccine shot TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly plans to get a COVID-19 vaccine Wednesday as part of a larger program to give shots to selected Kansas officials so that state government can continue to operate during the pandemic. The governor confirmed her plans Monday as nursing home workers and residents began receiving vaccinations, after health care workers started getting them earlier this month. A spokesman for CVS said the pharmacy company on Monday launched its efforts to provide shots in on-site clinics at more than 360 long-term care and skilled nursing homes. The state’s vaccine disSee STATE | Page A5
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
iolaregister.com
COVID 2020: History in the making By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
This is the first in a threepart recap of the coronavirus pandemic and 2020. The Register’s coverage of COVID-19 began, appropriately enough, with China. Moran native Molly McEwan lives in China as a teacher, along with her fiance, Tyson Carpen- 2020: ter. When news broke in January A LOOK of the new virus BACK discovered in Wuhan, China, they were out of the country on vacation. Like many, McEwan initially dismissed the threat when I interviewed her for a Feb. 4 article titled “Keeping virus in perspective: MV grad preaches calm amid coronavirus scare.” A Moran woman, who will be returning to China next week for her job as a teacher, said she isn’t worried about a new virus that has restricted travel to and from the country. Only two weeks later, in a Feb. 17 article, McEwan described returning to a much different China.
Iola Middle School students, from left, Jayden, Addyson and Bailey Goble carry their school books and personal belongings home March 27, after school buildings were closed and classes were moved to remote learning. At right, Moran native Molly McEwan and her fiance, Tyson Carpenter, are living and teaching in China. FILE PHOTOS “It was spooky and strange. Even if we wanted to go out, there’s nowhere to go because every business is closed except supermarkets, and most of the stores are pretty much cleaned out. They’re taking really big
G & W Foods manager Daniel Gile loads groceries for delivery.
precautions to try and nip this in the bud.” She and her fiance were quarantined in their apartment because they had been traveling internationally. The next semester had been postponed, and she was preparing to teach online lessons. She even speculated what might happen if something similar occurred in the United States, recounting stores stripped of basic supplies, people entering supermarkets with suitcases, hoarding food and a scarcity of personal protective equipment such as masks. “People turn so selfish in situations like this.” My article failed to capture the sadness, despair and disappointment in her voice. “Imagine if a large part of Allen County shut down. What would we do? It’s scary to think about.” But that reality came to pass here as well. I interviewed McEwan via Skype, something I’d only done once or twice before. Within months, virtual “Zoom interviews” would become the norm, whether a source was halfway around the world or down the street. We kept in touch through emails. McEwan proved to be
a reliable crystal ball for what lay ahead. Meanwhile, the coronavirus unfolded in print throughout the year. The Register did what newspapers do, telling the stories of the day to inform and support a community during a time of crisis, and serving as the public record for generations to come. This week, we’ll recap those stories. Here’s history in the making.
January The year started with the typical headlines of a small town newspaper. A fertilizer plant caught fire on New Year’s Day, with chemical runoff leaching into the Neosho River and causing Humboldt and Chanute to temporarily shut down their water supplies. Russell Stover Candies exSee YEAR | Page A3
Fate of Trump’s $2,000 checks now rests with GOP-led Senate WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s push for $2,000 COVID-19 relief checks now rests with the Senate after the House voted overwhelmingly to meet the president’s demand to increase the $600 stipends, but Republicans have shown little interest in boosting spending. The outcome is highly uncertain heading into Tuesday’s session. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has declined to publicly address how he plans to handle the issue. But Democrats, sharing Vol. 122, No. 296 Iola, KS 75 Cents
a rare priority with Trump, have seized on the opportunity to force Republicans into a difficult vote of either backing or defying the outgoing president. After bipartisan approval by the House, Senate Demo-
cratic leader Chuck Schumer warned, “There is no good reason for Senate Republicans to stand in the way.” “There’s strong support for these $2,000 emergency checks from every corner of the country,” Schumer said in a statement late Monday. He called on McConnell to make sure the Senate helps “meet the needs of American workers and families who are crying out for help.” The House tally was a stunning turn of events. Just days ago Republicans blocked
Trump’s sudden demands for bigger checks during a brief Christmas Eve session as he defiantly refused to sign the broader COVID-19 aid and year-end funding bill into law. As Trump spent days fuming from his private club in Florida, where he is spending the holidays, dozens of Republicans calculated it was better to link with Democrats to increase the pandemic stipend rather than buck the outgoing president and constituents counting on the money. Democrats led passage, 275-134, but
44 Republicans joined almost all Democrats in approval. Senators were set to return to session Tuesday amid similar, stark GOP divisions between those who align with Trump’s populist instincts and others who adhere to what had been more traditional conservative views against government spending. Congress had settled on smaller $600 payments in a compromise over the big year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly See CHECKS | Page A5