Saturday, May 30, 2020
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Officer charged; protests spread Jolee Westervelt, age 3, waits for her family to catch up along the Prairie Spirit Trail south of Carlyle. REGISTER/TREVOR HOAG
ing by its positive effect on their moods. The excitement was palpable, which is understandable given that the two families had been separated for several weeks during the stay-at-home order. Jamie is an addictions counselor at the Substance Abuse Center of Kansas
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The police officer who was seen on video kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who died in custody after pleading that he could not breathe, was arrested Friday and charged with murder in a case that sparked protests across the United States and violence in Minneapolis. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Derek Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Freeman did not provide immediate details,
See TRAILS | Page A6
See PROTESTS | Page A4
Rain doesn’t stop trail fun By TREVOR HOAG The Iola Register
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ark clouds had crept across the sky, and a cold rain was falling, but Jamie Westervelt and her family decided to walk the trails near Carlyle anyway. “We don’t melt!,” Jamie said when asked if they
were still up for an adventure. The group consisted of Jamie and her kids Wyatt, Griffin and Jolee, along with Beans, the black Boston Terrier. Jamie’s parents, Leah and Michael Oswald, had also come along for the journey. The two of them usually walk the trails for about 30 minutes each night, swear-
By TIM SULLIVAN and AMY FORLITI The Associated Press
Iola Indians ready to open season
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Chanute pool will stay closed in 2020
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Storms may keep SpaceX grounded PAGE A3 Kansas Supreme Court may look at air ambulance fees
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Lee becomes third hopeful to file for Commission seat By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
David Lee, who has worn a variety of hats in the public sphere, has thrown his name in the race for an Allen County Commission seat. Lee, of LaHarpe, filed Wednesday to represent District 2, which covers much of northern Allen County, including LaHarpe and Gas and the northeastern quadrant of
County reaffirms plans to reopen By TREVOR HOAG The Iola Register
Allen County commissioners held a special meeting Thursday afternoon to officially reopen the county. The meeting followed Gov. Laura Kelly’s decision to change the “Ad Astra: Plan to Reopen Kansas” from a state-wide mandate to a series of recommendations. This shifted authority regarding COVID-19 regulations from the state to individual counties, leaving decisions to local health and county officials. Some counties, such as See COUNTY | Page A3
Vol. 122, No. 150 Iola, KS 75 Cents
Iola. Lee joins a race that already features two other Republican hopefuls, Craig Mentzer and Gene David Lee We at h e r b i e. Incumbent Bill King has said he will not seek re-election. In addition to multiple stints on the LaHarpe City
Council, Lee has been a USD 257 Board of Education member, Allen Community College trustee and a member of the Bowlus Fine Arts Center Commission. He retired last June as a colonel with the U.S. Army and Army Reserves and Kansas Army National Guard, where he served more than 34 years, including serving two tours in Iraq. Lee spent the past 3½
years working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a liaison between FEMA, the Department of Defense and the Kansas Department of Emergency Management. But upon his retirement from those duties, “I’m at a point in my life where my obligation level is real low,” Lee said. “Things are pretty lowkey. “I have no agendas, but I do
have interests,” he continued. Topping the list is economic development for the county. He currently serves on an economic development advisory board for Thrive Allen County. “My experiences and formal education have given me an understanding of how businesses work, and yes the county is a business,” he said. See LEE | Page A3
Nursing homes adapt to ‘new normal’ By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
Almost every day, Randy Latta would pick up his mother, Virgina, from Greystone Assisted Living in Iola and take her for a drive. They’d go visit the family farm and look at the cows. Sometimes, they’d shop at a local store. They’d talk about current events and he’d give updates on family members, or reminisce about life before dementia struck Virginia’s mind. She couldn’t always remember the details, so Randy would fill her in. That all ended in midMarch, when the novel coronavirus stopped visitations at nursing homes, assisted living homes and other types of healthcare facilities. Randy and relatives of other residents who had
Ruby Wood and her daughter, Susan Haddan visited on a daily basis were limited to phone calls and video chats. Sometimes, if the weather allowed, they’d go to the window and chat from a safe distance. Virginia struggles to under-
stand what’s happening, why Randy’s in-person visits and the car rides have stopped. Her son has explained the virus to her, again and again. Sometimes, she talks about how it reminds her of the po-
Virginia Latta lio epidemic. Other days, she doesn’t quite get it. “She does, but she doesn’t,” Randy said. “I don’t think anybody really understands See NORMAL | Page A7
Welcome Tracy Sambo, MD
Board Certified General Surgeon
Neosho Memorial is pleased to welcome general surgeon, Tracy Sambo, MD, FASC, FICS to the new NMRMC Surgery Clinic. Dr. Sambo is board certified and specializes in hernia repair, breast surgery, colorectal surgery, endoscopy, wound care and many other procedures. Dr. Sambo is now seeing patients in the NMRMC Surgery Clinic inside the main hospital.
To make an appointment, call 620.433.3838.