The Iola Register, June 30, 2023

Blunt talk: Democrats promote cannabis

Barry Grissom and Melinda Lavon have become two of the most vocal proponents of legalized cannabis in Kansas.

But the most powerful — and blunt — opinions at a gathering Tuesday evening of Allen County Democrats came from local veteran Ronald Burris, who is fighting cancer. His pancreatic cancer has spread to his liver, the most pressing issue.

“It’s kicking my ass,” said Burris, who told the group he had six months to live.

Doctors “have loaded me up with drugs that don’t do a thing,” he noted.

One elixir, however, has provided more relief than

Fun for all

others — marijuana.

“I could get a little weed and settle this down,” Burris said.

But with marijuana illegal, Burris is leery of running afoul of the law, and potentially losing his VA benefits.

“All my doctors support this,” he said of using marijuana. “The VA guys, they support it.”

But without any meaningful action from state lawmakers, that support means little, Burris said.

Burris, who lived in Iola most of his life before recently moving to Colony, was only half-joking when he said he may move across state lines, say to Missouri or Oklahoma, where cannabis is legal. His dream is to see canna-

See CANNABIS | Page A3

Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down affirmative action in college admissions, declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.

Vacation Bible School activities kept throngs of youngsters busy this week at Iola’s First Presbyterian and Wesley United Methodist churches.

Above, Paul Miller uses a homemade launch to fire off marshmallows as youngsters attempt to catch the tasty treats. Far right, Brigham Smith prefers the handtossed method. At right, a group of preschoolers use a parachute to launch a beachball during an outdoor game.

REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Area dancers bring home national title

By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register

Brooke Maley and Danielle Venter took a group of 11 young dancers to Branson last week for their second-ever national competition.

The In Step Dance Academy co-directors weren’t expecting much.

“Last year was our first year at nationals and we didn’t win anything,” Venter noted. “But the kids have worked their buns off this year.”

The second time was apparently the charm.

The studio raked in hardware aplenty, highlighted by Bryleigh Hinkle and Sailor

Crowell’s piece, which earned them a national title in the Mini Petite Division.

They performed “Hakuna Matata” as a musical theater piece.

“We were all in tears when they won,” Maley said. “It was exciting. This was our first year even offering musical theater.”

As a studio, In Step took eighth overall against several larger groups from across the Midwest in the competition that ran June 19-24. The Mini Petite division includes dancers ages 6-8.

The year marks the fifth for In Step, which returns for

See DANCERS | Page A4

The court’s conservative majority overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation’s oldest private and public colleges, respectively.

Chief Justice John Roberts said that for too long universities have “concluded, wrongly, that the touchstone of an individual’s identity is not challenges bested, skills built, or lessons learned but the color of their skin. Our constitutional history does not tolerate that choice.”

Justice Clarence Thomas, the nation’s second Black justice who had long called for an end to affirmative

See SCOTUS | Page A6

Sailor Crowell, left, and Bryleigh Hinkle earned a national champion award for their musical theater piece at a dance competition in Branson, Mo. COURTESY PHOTO

Ron Burris, right, a veteran now living in Colony, speaks at a meeting to discuss cannabis legalization in Kansas. To his left is former federal prosecutor Barry Grissom. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

Corn in Belleville, Illinois, suffers in parched ground as drought conditions threaten the upcoming harvest at local farms. Farmer Greg Guenther said the plant goes into “defensive mode” when it rolls its own leaves, reducing the surface area to the sun and protecting its remaining moisture.

Drought takes toll on corn crops

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Mike

Shane’s Illinois farm got a nice soaking on May 8, shortly after he planted his corn crop. Since then, rain has been hard to come by.

Plenty of storms have ventured close only to fizzle out before making it to Shane’s 200acre spread near Peoria.

“It comes across the Mississippi River and then just disappears,” Shane, 47, said. “My corn looks absolutely terrible right now.” Without substantial rain soon, “I just don’t see any hope for it,” he said.

Heavy rain over the winter eased the drought in the West, but now the middle of the country is extraordinarily dry. Crops are stressed, rivers are running low, and cities and towns are anxiously hoping for a break in the weather.

Experts say the drought in the central U.S. is the worst since at least 2012, and in some areas, is drawing comparisons to the 1988 drought that devastated corn, wheat and soybean crops. This year, although temperatures have been generally mild through the spring and early days of summer, rainfall has been sorely lacking.

The U.S. Drought Monitor, operated by the federal government and the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, reports that nearly half of Kansas is in either extreme or exceptional drought condition

Obituaries

Ron Rutledge

Ronald Dean Rutledge, age 75, of Iola, passed away June 27, 2023, at Allen County Regional Hospital, Iola. Ron was born Aug. 12, 1947, along with his identical twin brother, Donald, in Beaver, Oklahoma, to William Wesley Rutledge and Merle I. (Dean) Rutledge.

— the highest drought designation. More than a quarter of Nebraska is in extreme drought, and 13% is in exceptional drought. Arid conditions permeate Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Missouri and Kentucky.

The frequency and intensity of droughts and rainfall are increasing due to burning fossil fuels and other human activity that releases greenhouse gases, according to data from a pair of satellites used to measure changes in Earth’s water storage. The study was published in March in the journal Nature Water.

Adam Hartman, a meteorologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center, said some parts of the central U.S. have been experiencing extreme drought since the winter. In other states, “flash droughts” have popped up over the past 2-3 months.

“As a result you’ve see drastic losses in topsoil, subsoil moisture,” Hartman said. “We’ve seen ground water levels start to lower as well. We’ve seen stream flows start to decline.”

Crops are feeling the impact. The U.S. Department of Agriculture now rates only half of the U.S. corn crop as good or excellent — the lowest percentage since 1988. Nearly twothirds of the nation’s corn-growing areas are in drought.

“That gives us some indicator that we’re seeing widespread stress

on those crops throughout the Corn Belt,” said Krista Swanson, an economist for the National Corn Growers Association. If rains don’t arrive soon, Swanson believes total yield could be down about 1 billion bushels from the original projection of 16.7 billion bushels. That won’t necessarily mean higher costs for consumers because much of the corn is used for feed, ethanol or is exported, Swanson said. The real impact is on the farmers. “Their cost-per-acre is the same regardless of what they produce,” Swanson said. “In these years where we have lower production, on the farmer side that’s a challenge.”

WATER levels are dipping in rivers. The Mississippi River — especially from southern Illinois to the south — is extremely low in many spots. It was just last fall that the river reached or neared record low-water marks in several places, only to bounce back to flood levels in the spring, before the latest drought-fueled decline.

Lynn Muench, a senior vice president for the American Waterways Operators, which advocates for the tugboat, towboat and barge industry, said barge capacity is being voluntarily reduced on parts of the Mississippi River.

Losing capacity is a financial setback but operators are taking it in stride, Muench said.

“We’re a flexible and resilient industry so we’ll keep going,” he said.

Colin Wellenkamp, executive director of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative, said many communities are on edge. The drought last fall cost river communities billions of dollars in losses due to increased energy and water purification costs, lost tourism revenue, commodity losses and other hits.

“Now we’re right back into drought again,” Wellenkamp said. So far, impact has been minimal, “but if we don’t get relief in July, that’s all going to change,” he said.

On Shane’s 200-acre farm, corn should be standing 10 feet tall by now. It’s barely to his waist. The leaves are yellowed and Shane isn’t certain the ears of corn are even developing.

“If that’s the case, it’s worthless,” he said.

But farmers aren’t giving up hope. Swanson said the El Nino weather pattern that has taken hold typically means more rain and better growing conditions in the central U.S.

“We could see more favorable weather over the next two months, which could have a positive impact,” she said.

But even with El Nino, Hartman noted that the seasonal outlook for the summer months projects below-normal rainfall.

“This drought could stick around for a little bit,” Hartman said.

The family moved to Iola when Ron and Don were in second grade. Ron graduated in 1966 from Iola High School. In March 1967, he entered the United States Navy. During his naval career he served on the USS Cleveland and the USS Dubuque as a helicopter crewman. Ron returned to Iola in December 1970, and was honorably discharged in March 1973.

Ron Rutledge

Ron and Connie Prothe were married July 1, 1972, in Iola.

Ron and his brother, Don, purchased Iola Glass in January 1980, and operated it until their retirement in January 2017. One of their greatest joys was entertaining their buddies over morning coffee at the glass shop.

Ron was an avid athlete and sports enthusiast. He was an accomplished distance runner, including qualifying multiple times for the Boston Marathon. He and Connie loved playing golf, especially with Bill and Janie Henderson. Ron also enjoyed basketball, volleyball, watching Kansas Jayhawk basketball, and John Force drag racing. He liked his morning bike rides to Humboldt on the rail trail and evening walks with Connie.

Ron was preceded in death by his parents; parents-in-law, Bill and Jean Prothe; and niece, Sheri Moore.

Ron is survived by his wife, Connie, of the home; daughters, Andrea (James) Works, Gretchen Rutledge; granddaughters, Britnee (Jake) Fiscus, Ashlynn Works, Kendall Works, Rowan Hutchings; great-granddaughter, Blakely Fiscus; brothers, Wesley (Nancy) Rutledge, Don (Mickey) Rutledge; nieces, Dawna (Paul Shaffer) Rutledge, Stephanie (Levi) Splechter, Shelley Sheble; nephews, Jonny Rutledge, Matthew (Jessie) Willis; fur babies, Lucky, Nena, Dallyn; and numerous other relatives and friends.

A visitation will be from 2 to 2:45 p.m. on Friday, July 7, in The Venue at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, 1883 U.S. 54, Iola, followed by a graveside memorial service with military honors at 3 p.m. in Highland Cemetery, Iola.

Memorials are suggested to the Allen County Animal Rescue Facility (ACARF) or the VFW Auxiliary or Southwind Rail Trail Maintenance, and may be left with Feuerborn Family Funeral Service.

Condolences for the family may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com.

Matheson services

A memorial service Renée Grace Cooper Matheson, whose death on May 11, 2023, was reported previously, will be at 10 a.m. Friday, June 30, at Iola’s First Christian Church.

The family greeted friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 29, at the church.

Memorials are suggested to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and may be left with Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, 1883 U.S. 54, Iola, KS 66749.

Let there be light towers

NANTERRE, France

(AP) — A police officer in a Paris suburb was handed a preliminary charge of voluntary homicide Thursday after the deadly shooting of a 17-yearold that triggered two nights of riots, as the French government vowed to restore order and crack down on rioting that has spread to other cities.

The legal action came as police forces were quadrupled to quell the violence that has spread beyond the suburbs, bus and tram service was being curtailed, and one town announced a curfew through the weekend.

Nanterre prosecutor Pascal Prache said his initial investigation led him to conclude “the conditions for the legal use of the weapon were not met” in the shooting.

The teen, identified only by his first name, Nahel, was killed during a traffic stop in Nanterre on Tuesday. The shooting captured on video shocked the country and stirred up long-simmering tensions between police and young people in housing projects and other disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Under French law, preliminary charges mean investigating judges have strong reason to suspect wrongdoing, but allow time for further investigation before a decision is made on whether to send the case to trial. The police officer has been placed in provisional detention, according to the prosecutor’s office.

Ministers fanned out to areas scarred by the sudden flare-up of

rioting, appealing for calm but also warning that the violence that injured scores of police and damaged nearly 100 public buildings wouldn’t be allowed to continue.

After a morning crisis meeting, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin

said police forces would be expanded from 9,000 officers to 40,000. In the Paris region alone, the number of officers deployed would more than double to 5,000.

French officer faces involuntary manslaughter charge RECYCLE

A pair of light towers at the intersection of U.S. 169 and U.S. 54 at the east edge of Iola will soon be replaced.

The Kansas Department of Transportation announced in a press release Wednes-

day that it had accepted several construction and maintenance projects across the state.

Here, Cooper Construction LLC of Emporia will handle the light project, at a price of $325,376.35.

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/ERIK M. LUNSFORT/TNS FILE

Cannabis: Democrats urge legalization

Continued from A1

bis legalized in Kansas before he dies. “But I’m gonna be dead by the end of the year.”

There may be cause for some optimism.

Lavon, chairwoman of the Democratic party in Douglas County, predicts Kansas legislators may take up a medical marijuana bill in 2024 — provided enough Kansans speak out for it.

Grissom said Burris’s tale is one he’s heard often.

“When people like you need it, just to get some quality of life back, I just can’t understand the desire to keep it illegal,” Grissom said.

IF GRISSOM’S name sounds familiar, it’s because from 2010 to 2016 he was the state’s chief federal law enforcement officer as a U.S. attorney.

Grissom said he came away from his experience convinced the war on drugs — in particular the prosecution of cannabis-related drug offenses — not only unfairly targets poorer individuals and minorities but it’s also “a huge waste of taxpayer money and human capital.”

Grissom and Lavon pointed to a wide swath of public opinion polls that show a majority of Kansans support legalized marijuana.

“They see what’s happening in Colorado,” Lavon said. “They see what’s happening in Missouri. They see what’s happening in Oklahoma and Colorado.”

Lavon pointed to last summer’s amendment vote in which 60% of Kansas voters favored keeping abortion access a right in the State Constitution.

“And even more people care about marijuana than abortion access,” Lavon noted.

Nebraska lawmakers are taking up a marijuana bill in 2024, which if approved, would make Kansas landlocked, Grissom noted.

“The important thing is it’s what people want,” Grissom said. “But the people who are standing in our way are the folks in Topeka. The way we change that is we make this an organizing issue, get out to vote.”

Grissom also stressed it’s not necessarily a Republican-Democrat divide, even though Democrats have included legalized cannabis in

Break in weather eases airline backups, yet storms threaten

DALLAS (AP) — Backups are easing at U.S. airports thanks to a break in the weather, but United Airlines continues to struggle, accounting for more than 80% of canceled flights in the United States early Thursday.

scheduled off this weekend but agree to pick up extra flights, according to their union.

The Association of Flight Attendants also says crews calling in for assignments have been put on hold for three hours or longer.

their party platform.

Many conservative Republicans support legalized cannabis as well, Grissom said, because of the costs involved with prosecuting marijuana-related crimes.

“This is a waste of your taxpayer money,” Grissom said. “The amount of money you spend on investigation, arrest, trial, incarceration. It’s a waste of law enforcement resources.”

But federal officials could take measures as well, he added.

To wit, cannabis has been labeled a Schedule 1 drug for the past 50plus years, placed there when Richard Nixon was in the White House, Grissom said, “right next to heroin.”

As a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, that means not only is cannabis illegal in the eyes of the feds, “but you can’t even do research with it,” Grissom said.

It’s up to the federal government to remove that classification, “and treat it like alcohol,” he said.

“Let states regulate it as they see fit,” he continued. “If you want to open a dispensary, you can’t be a criminal. You can’t sell to minors. Just think of it like people do with alcohol, except cannabis doesn’t kill tens of thousands of people a year like alcohol does.”

Grissom also dispelled what he said were myths surrounding Colorado’s legalization push in 2012.

“You hear all these stories from people against it that just aren’t true,” he said.

“Car fatalities have

gone down” in Colorado, Lavon added. “Domestic violence rates have gone down,” she added, then offered a sly grin. “People are driving too slowly and they’re too tired to fight when they get home.” Grissom shared a recent conversation with a sheriff, who pointed to the key differences between entering a home with suspected alcohol or methamphetamine use compared to a home where potential marijuana use is underway.

“When I walk into a place where the couple is fighting and they’re high on meth or they’re drunk, they usually turn on me because they see me as an intruder,” Grissom quoted the sheriff. “If they’re smoking cannabis, they’re eating Ding Dongs and playing video games.”

That Kansas is so slow to legalize cannabis is akin to the state’s history, Grissom said.

For example, the federal government ended Prohibition in 1923, making alcohol legal to consume once again. Yet it took until 1948 for Kansans to once again legalize liquor by the drink.

IF CANNABIS were legal here, Kansas farmers would benefit as well, Grissom said.

“I’m a Jayhawk through and through,” the University of Kansas graduate said, “But Kansas State University needs to be the heart of cannabis production. That should be one of their major ag focuses. It’s there for them to do it.”

Grissom and Lavon also pointed to the “brain drain” from states like Kansas, where highly educated workers may not be able to find employment

here because they’ve used cannabis.

Lavon pointed to construction of a new Panasonic battery plant in De Soto, which is expected to provide up to 4,000 new jobs.

“Can you imagine attracting 4,000 educated people to Kansas for that plant?” she asked rhetorically. “De Soto is really close to the Missouri state line. That’s gonna be an issue for them to fill those jobs.”

Employers that test their employees for marijuana usage, but not other substances like alcohol, are further inhibiting their ability to find quality workers, Peggy Lundine of Humboldt added. Lundine was in the audience.

“A company complains that they can’t hire anybody, but they fire a guy because he smoked weed two weeks ago. There has to be a better test. If you’re not under the influence, you shouldn’t lose your job.”

“You’ve taken a group of highly educated people in their 20s who have this great skill that we need but we can’t hire you,” Grissom agreed. “We’ve got to have more bodies coming in the front door. It’s a real challenge in industry, and certainly in government.”

Lavon has developed a petition to support legalization of cannabis products and hemp farming, the expungement of records for all marijuana offenses and protection from discrimination in housing and the workplace.

That’s key, Lavon said, because even if a person has a marijuana-related conviction expunged, employers, renters and others can still use that mark against them.

United vowed to get back on track for the July 4 holiday weekend when the number of air travelers could set a pandemic-era record, though Thursday is expected to be the busiest day of the holiday stretch at the nation’s airports.

Hundreds of thousands of people have had travel plans thrown in the air after a wave of storms raked the Northeast over the past few days and frustrations are running high.

Airports in Chicago, Denver and Newark, New Jersey — all hubs for United — were seeing the most delays on Thursday, according to FlightAware.

By late morning on the East Coast, United had canceled more than 350 flights, the bulk of the 400-plus cancellations toted up by FlightAware. The Chicago carrier is poised to lead all airlines in cancellations for a sixth straight day.

United CEO Scott Kirby blames the airline’s struggles in Newark on a shortage of air traffic controllers in the New York City area. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is pushing back against the criticism while conceding that a key Federal Aviation Administration facility in New York is severely understaffed.

“United Airlines has some internal issues they need to work through. They have really been struggling this week, even relative to other U.S. airlines,” Buttigieg told CNN. “But where we do agree is that there need to be more resources for air traffic control.”

The FAA plans to hire 3,300 controllers over two years, but they won’t be ready to help this summer, much less this weekend.

United is offering triple pay to flight attendants who are

“We’re beginning to see improvement across our operation,” United said late Wednesday. “As our operation improves in the days ahead, we will be on track to restore our operation for the holiday weekend.”

Scattered showers and thunderstorms may arrive later Thursday in the Northeast, and storms were also forecast farther south along the East Coast through Saturday. The West is under threat of unstable weather for the next several days.

Along with big crowds and storms, a technology issue could add to travelers’ difficulties. Federal officials say some airline planes may be unable to fly in bad weather starting Saturday because of possible interference from new 5G wireless service.

American, United, Southwest, Alaska and Frontier say all their planes have been retrofitted with new radio altimeters — those are devices that measure the plane’s height above the ground — and they do not expect disruptions due to 5G service.

However, Delta Air Lines has about 190 planes in its fleet of more than 900 that have not been updated because it can’t get enough altimeters from its supplier. Delta says it will schedule those planes to avoid landing in poor visibility while it works to upgrade them through the summer.

The issue affects several types of single-aisle planes that Delta uses on routes within the United States, including all its Airbus A220s and most of its Airbus A319 and A320 jets.

Smaller airlines that operate regional flights could also be affected by the radio interference issue, as could flights operated to the United States by foreign carriers.

Melinda Lavon, chairwoman of the Douglas County Democratic Party, holds up a petition she is distributing for legalization of cannabis in Kansas.

Kansas trails other states in transition to electric vehicles

By RACHEL MIPRO Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — For Kansas, the move toward greener forms of transportation is hardly electrifying.

step up efforts to improve electric vehicle transition.

In Step Dance Academy competition team members who spent a week competing in Branson are, front row from left, Sailor Crowell, Bryleigh Hinkle and Jurnee Rutledge; second row, Brooke Maley, co-owner, Heidi Folk, Emma Bradford, Emma Eyler, McKenzie Hamilton, Breklynn Stewart, Jase Hamilton, Khloeigh Shafer and co-owner Danielle Venter. Not pictured is Elisa Irby. COUR-

Dancers: Bring home hardware

Continued from A1

summer classes July 1720 at the studio at 3 S. Jefferson Ave. Fall enrollment opens Aug. 1. For more information, contact the studio via its Facebook page.

Maley and Venter also teach other disciplines, such as jazz, tap and ballet.

Maley and Venter have taken the performers to Chanute for their annual year-end recitals, but are hopeful to host similar recitals in Iola in the future.

INDIVIDUALLY, IN

Step dancers brought home 10 platinum scores, the highest possible, eight golds, while

also receiving three judges awards, two category awards and a best costume award.

Individual results follow.

Solos

Sailor Crowell, Mini Petite Division, platinum

Bryleigh Hinkle, Petite Division, platinum

Elisa Irby, Petition Division, gold

Emma Eyler, Junior Division, gold

Breklynn Steward, Junior Division, gold

Emma Bradford, Junior Division, gold, judges award

McKenzie Hamilton, Junior Division, platinum, 14th overall, intensity judges award

Khloeigh Shafer, Se-

nior Division, platinum Jurnee Rutledge, Senior Division, two platinums, 14th overall Heidi Folk, Senior Division, two golds, platinum

Groups

“Let’s Groove,” Petite Division, platinum, category winner, best costume award

“Woman Up,” Junior Division, platinum Duos/Trios

“No Worries,” Mini Petite Division, platinum, category winner, Broadway Bound judges award, first overall national champion

“Funk 76,” Petite Division, platinum, eight overall

“Awakened,” Junior Division, gold

A scorecard from advocacy group the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy ranks the state 31st, with a score of 16 out of 100, in a report released Wednesday.

“Kansas can do more to accelerate the transition to EVs,” said Peter Huether, ACEEE researcher and lead author on the report. “The state could start by having a comprehensive EV plan with EV and EV charging infrastructure targets, providing incentives for EVs as well as EV charging infrastructure, and providing school districts support to electrify their buses.”

Electric vehicles have been promoted as an environmentally conscious alternative at a time where carbon emissions are reaching crisis levels.

California, New York and Colorado were the top three leaders in EV progress, but only nine states scored more than half the points available, and the study concluded all states needed to

ACLU links county election officials to voter turnout

By SHERMAN SMITH Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — A new report from the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas examines the impact county election officials can have on voter turnout and urges them to adopt policies that support democracy.

The 30-page report, released this week, identifies a link between barriers — such as fewer polling places on Election Day or limited office hours for advanced voting — and participation in elections. And it points a finger at state lawmakers who pushed to join “more extreme states” in restricting voter access since the 2020 presidential election.

Earlier this year, the Legislature considered proposals to ban ballot drop boxes and passed a law, which was nullified by Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto, that would have eliminated the three-day grace period for mail ballots to arrive after Election Day.

“As extremists continue to spread narratives about voter fraud and election security, this recent attempt to undermine eligible voters’ ability to participate raises concerns about what some state lawmakers may have planned for future sessions,” the report says.

The report focuses on the power of county election officials to determine how to run an election, and the “wild variations” in those decisions from one county to the next. The county clerk, an elected position, administers elections in all but the four most populous counties in Kansas. The secretary

of state appoints a commissioner to oversee elections in Johnson, Wyandotte, Sedgwick and Shawnee counties.

The ACLU previously examined the topic in a 2018 report, and the new report found that counties with low voter turnout appear to have taken no steps to address the issue. Overall, voter participation in Kansas declined by more than 5 percentage points, from 55.76% of registered voters casting a ballot in the 2018 general election to 50.5% showing up for the 2022 general election. That is more than the national decline of 4.4 percentage points.

County officials could improve voter turnout, the report says, by extending the early voting period to 20 days before an election, the maximum allowed under state law, and by keeping offices open on Saturday and outside of normal business hours during that 20day window. The county election officials who limited the early voting period reported significantly lower turnout than counties that provided the most opportunities for early voting, the report found. By maximizing the opportunities to vote in advance of an election, the report estimates, at least 20,803 more Kansans statewide could participate.

Similarly, the report found a the number of voters assigned to a polling place on Election Day had a significant impact. In places where fewer than 500 voters were assigned to a polling location, the average turnout was 62.47%. The turnout was 36.27%

in places where more than 4,000 voters were assigned to a poll.

Seward County had the most voters assigned per polling place with 5,460, as well as the lowest voter turnout at 27.23%.

“It is a simple fact that Election Day will not always be the most convenient time to cast a ballot,” the report said. “Work, family, health, weather, and access to transportation all play a significant role in voters’ ability to be present in-person at a polling location on Election Day. Additionally, Election Day is the busiest day at a polling place, leading to wait times and, often, frustration. Research has shown that long lines at the polls can force some people to leave without voting and even potentially depress future turnout.”

Other areas where counties could improve voter turnout include providing materials in non-English languages, ensuring disabled voters have access to curbside voting, and establishing a vote-from-jail program.

State law and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act require counties to provide curbside voting, but eight counties explicitly state they don’t offer curbside voting. Another 29 counties only offer the service upon request and four require advance notice. Only two reported that they have visible signage about curbside voting. And in several reported cases in Butler, Sedgwick and Shawnee counties, voters who asked for the service were told it wasn’t available and some were turned away.

“We are seeing incremental progress, not transformational progress,” Huether said. “States will have to move far more aggressively to do their part to enable the electric vehicle transition that the climate crisis demands.”

The rankings included more than 40 metrics to evaluate states based on their actions to improve and develop the use of electric vehicles, such as charging station availability, tax breaks and policy plans.

While Kansas ranked third overall in lowering transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions over a fiveyear period — reducing transportation-related emissions by 6.3% between 2014-2018—other metrics weren’t as successful.

The state scored zero points for EV planning and goals, one point for transportation system efficiency and three points for electricty grid efficiency, among markers.

Though the state secured a $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant deal with Panasonic— the largest private investment in Kansas state history— there’s been a sluggish reception to electric vehicles overall.

Kansas has only 449 level two charging stations, which is the type of station used

for homes, workplaces and public charging, according to the report. The report showed a total of 3,978 registered personal EVs in the state and nine recorded heavy duty EVS, such as commercial vehicles, buses, and heavy trucks.

Kansas politicians have been slow to embrace EVs. The 2019 Legislature approved a $100 registration fee for owners of all-electric cars and trucks, a far steeper figure than the $30 registration fee for gas vehicles. The fee was meant to make up for fuel tax revenue lost by EV owners. The 2023 report showed Kansas’ average gasoline tax revenue for a passenger vehicle was $99.29, providing no incentive to switch. During the 2023 legislative session, lawmakers debated levying a new tax on EV charging stations.

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden’s administration announced $2.5 billion in funding allocated for states, local governments and tribes to build electric vehicle charging infrastructure in an attempt to further his goal of cutting national greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.

“There’s been historic levels of federal funding,” Huether said. “It’s important that states take full advantage of this funding and leverage it to meet their EV goals.”

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High court agrees to safeguard the vote

No, state legislatures do not have almost unchecked authority regarding federal elections; state courts are empowered to decide whether the district lines legislators draw and the voting laws they write are consistent with state constitutions and legally created independent commissions and other entities having legitimate roles as well. That was the refreshingly sane ruling handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday. It effectively upholds last year’s rejection right up through the New York Court of Appeals of the Legislature’s obnoxious partisan gerrymander last year on the ground that it flagrantly violated our state Constitution.

Unlike the landmark 2019 case in which the Supreme Court wrongly ruled federal courts had no place in regulating partisan gerrymandering, Tuesday’s decision was not a case in which the bench fractured along traditional conservative-liberal lines. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion of the court, joined by conservatives Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett and liberals Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Only Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch subscribed to a watered-down version

of the cockamamie notion, called the independent state legislature theory, that under the U.S. Constitution’s Elections Clause, state courts have no business preventing state legislatures from violating their own states’ constitutions.

THE KEY U.S. constitutional provision here states that “The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations.” To those who consider themselves the purest textualist interpreters of the literal words of the nation’s founding document, that’s an assertion that legislators in state capitals can run roughshod over their own state’s highest legal code without being called on it by the judicial branch. Nonsense. “State courts retain the authority to apply state constitutional restraints when legislatures act under the power conferred upon them by the Elections Clause,” wrote Roberts. We only wish such legal common sense prevailed over the distorted readings of blinkered so-called originalists in every other realm.

— New York Daily News

The humbling of Vladimir Putin

Wagner

The last pretense of Vladimir Putin to be, as he imagines, one of his nation’s historic rulers was stripped away on June 24. A band of armed mercenaries swept through his country almost unopposed, covering some 470 miles in a single day, seizing control of two big cities and getting to within 120 miles of Moscow before withdrawing unharmed.

he mutinied, railing against Mr. Putin’s misconceived war, the incompetence of the Russian army and the losses it was suffering in Ukraine.

For all Mr. Prigozhin’s brutality, it was a truth that cut through the Kremlin’s empty propaganda.

Even more shocking, Mr. Prigozhin has exposed Mr. Putin as out of touch. The mutiny seems to have taken the Kremlin by surprise — so corroded are the intelligence agencies under the presidency of a former spy.

been forged as a nation, and is on a path to membership of the European Union and perhaps of NATO, too. And far from Mr. Putin’s vision of Western disarray, NATO has expanded to take in Finland, and soon Sweden; European defense spending has risen; and dependence on Russian energy has been eliminated.

63 Years Ago June 1960

The familiar pealing of the bell on the old courthouse clock may reverberate over Iola again tonight. The clock is in its new ground-level case on the south side of the courthouse lawn and may be telling time before sunset. This will complete the project started 18 or more months ago by the Allen County Historical Society to save the clock which topped the old courthouse tower for over 50 years and was visible for several miles in each direction.

*****

An ordinance granting a franchise to William Masquelier and Larry Hudson to build and operate a closed circuit electronic service in Iola is being considered by Iola Commissioners. The two men own Iola Cable Television, which proposes to erect a large antenna and pipe television programs to private homes subscribing to the service.

*****

By the end of June ground will be broken for the first building to be erected on the tract east of town owned by Iola Industries, Inc. The building will be the new home of Thompson’s Dressed Poultry, which has been operating for the past 14 years at 1005 E. Lincoln. The business is owned by Mr. and Mrs. A. O. Thompson and their son, Corbett A. Thompson. The new plant will have automatic scalders and pickers and will have two production lines. Employment will be increased from 18 to 30. At about 12,000 fowls a week are being processed. They are expanding because they cannot meet the demand for their product, Mr. Thompson said.

*****

Dr. Frank X. Lenski, 64, widely known Iola surgeon and Democrat, died in his office about noon Satur-

day, which was his birthday. Death was attributed to heart disease. He began practicing in Iola in 1923. He built his office at 206 S. Jefferson in 1939. Dr. Lenski had been chairman of the Democratic Party in Allen County for a number of years and attended the last two national nominating conventions. As a hobby he raised horses, participated in saddle horse shows and owned a stable of harness horses at the time of his death.

***** Iola Molded Plastics, Inc., which began the manufacture of Red Fish boats about 15 months ago, has started an expansion program, said Ben Ellis, president. Now under construction is a concrete and metal building, 84 by 65 feet, designed as a warehouse for materials and finished products. The firm plans to erect a fourth and larger building in the fall. Ellis says the additions will enable the firm to mold its fiberglass hulls in one building, trim and polish them in a second and complete fitting the boats in the third. The company makes eight boats a day and employs about 32. Ellis expects to double the capacity and payroll by spring of 1961.

*****

Marvin W. (Bud) White, 70, dean of Iola’s motor car dealers, has died from heart disease. He began selling cars as a young man and soon had the agency for the Briscoe. Shortly after World War I, he formed a partnership with the late Alta Ellis, handling the Hudson and Essex cars. The partnership was dissolved in 1924. He purchased the Chevrolet agency from Allen County Motor Co. in 1930 and had done business since then at his agency on West Street. In addition to his automobile interests, White was engaged in farming.

Mr. Putin long ago failed as a reformer, having presided over ever-deepening corruption and economic stagnation and unable to make Russia anything more than a purveyor of hydrocarbons just as the age of oil and gas is coming to an end. He is failing ever more obviously as a great wartime commander, 16 months after starting an invasion of Ukraine that he expected to be over in a matter of days but which has turned into a quagmire. Now he has shown that he cannot even discharge a leader’s first and greatest responsibility, to ensure the security of the state. Whether Mr. Putin’s fall comes soon, or in months or years, he stands revealed as a blunderer. He is not so much a tsar as simply the top thug in the hollowed-out gangland to which he has reduced Mother Russia. What is more, in a world where power is everything, he now looks like a weakened thug.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, serves as an encapsulation of everything that is despicable about Mr. Putin. An ex-con turned restaurateur turned murderous mercenary in Africa, Syria and Ukraine, Mr. Prigozhin ascended only because of Mr. Putin’s paranoia and brutality. Mr. Putin mistrusts his own army, so he needed a loyal band of thugs. He wanted deniability for some of his gorier actions abroad, so “private military contractors” like Wagner went on to commit war crimes on three continents. And Mr. Putin used Mr. Prigozhin to interfere (again, deniably) in foreign elections, including the one that brought Donald Trump to power in 2016.

Wagner’s mutiny also encapsulates the rottenness of the state that Mr. Putin has created. Amid a feud with his rivals in the regular army, Mr. Putin decreed that Wagner should be brought directly under the defense ministry’s control. That threatened to destroy Mr. Prigozhin’s power base, so

On the morning of June 24 a shaken Mr. Putin denounced his creature as a traitor and vowed he would be punished. Yet just hours later, he agreed to let Mr. Prigozhin go scot-free to Belarus, taking Wagner troops with him.

Having created one-man rule, Mr. Putin also seemed unable to command loyalty. Although support did not flock to Mr. Prigozhin, neither did it to Mr. Putin, either on the streets or among the political and military elites. For 24 nerve-jangling hours Russia stayed silent and inactive, waiting to see which way the wind would blow.

Optimists will take Mr. Putin’s weakness as proof that his rule is doomed. If only that were so. The reality is that despots, even weak ones, can survive for a long time if no obvious alternative is available, and if they still have plenty of guns on their side and the ruthlessness to use them. Look at Alexander Lukashenko in next-door Belarus, or Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

By contrast, the loss of over 100,000 Russians, dead and wounded, has brought little for even the Kremlin’s best propagandists to spin as success. The narrative instead is for the need for ever more sacrifice. Every piece of bad news for Russia from the front adds to the pressure on Mr. Putin. That is why the counter-offensive is so critical, and why the evidence of division in the Russian ranks is so welcome.

Mr. Putin’s second problem is the economy. Last year it held up pretty well, thanks to oil and gas prices that rocketed as the war took hold. Oil shipments have continued and the state still has plenty of cash. Though growth is down, a full-blown economic crisis looks unlikely this year at least.

Optimists will take Mr. Putin’s weakness as proof that his rule is doomed. If only that were so. The reality is that despots, even weak ones, can survive for a long time if no obvious alternative is available, and if they still have plenty of guns on their side.

However, two extra factors are working against Mr. Putin. The first is the war itself. Ukraine’s counter-offensive continues to make steady progress. Although it is slower than hoped for, it is chipping away at the territorial gains Russia has made since February 2022, and in some places even taking back ground that Russia seized in its first incursion, in 2014.

Mr. Putin’s theory of victory is that Russia can wait out the West. If Ukraine cannot accomplish the breakthroughs it needs — severing the land bridge connecting Russia to Crimea is the key one — Western support might in time start to fracture. But Mr. Putin’s theory is looking ever less plausible. Yes, Russia has succeeded in hurting Ukraine; but far from being conquered, it has

However, Mr. Putin does not have the resources for a big new offensive. Russia’s gas revenues have crashed (it cut off its best customer, after all), and the global oil price is down, too. The gap between government spending (including the huge costs of the war) and receipts is widening, forcing Russia to raid its sovereign-wealth fund. The ruble has lost almost 40% of its value in the past year. China has bought Russian oil — at a discount— but it has not yet supplied large amounts of weapons.

Mr. Putin now appears to be bent on re-establishing his authority by presiding over savage repression and purges. But sooner or later, his ability to ride out trouble will desert him. The world will need to be ready for that. Of the many possible outcomes, the collapse of order in a country with more than 4,000 nuclear warheads would be terrifying. Yet Mr. Putin has shown that corrupt, one-man rule is no way to run a superpower. The path back to order and sanity for Russia will be perilous, but for as long as Mr. Putin wears the crown and his soldiers dream of imperial rule over Ukraine, the journey cannot even begin.

— The Economist

The

mutiny exposes the Russian tyrant’s growing weakness. But don’t count him out yet

Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, meets with his country’s top security officials on Monday. Putin has accused Ukraine and its Western allies of trying to foment a civil war with a revolt by mercenaries of the Wagner group, which stunned the country with an aborted march on Moscow over the weekend. (VALERY SHARIFULIN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES/TNS)

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

Court protects workers who ask for religious accommodations

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday used the case of a Christian mailman who didn’t want to work Sundays to solidify protections for workers who ask for religious accommodations.

In a unanimous decision the justices made clear that workers who ask for accommodations, such as taking the Sabbath off, should get them unless their employers show doing so would result in “substantial increased costs” to the business.

The court made clear that businesses must cite more

than minor costs — so-called “de minimis” costs — to reject requests for religious accommodations at work.

Unlike most cases before the court, both sides in the case had agreed businesses needed to show more.

The case before the court involved a mail carrier in rural Pennsylvania. The man was told that as part of his job he’d need to start delivering Amazon packages on Sundays. He declined, saying his Sundays are for church and family. U.S. Postal Service officials initially tried to get substitutes for the man’s

shifts, but they couldn’t always accommodate him. When he didn’t show, that meant more work for others.

Ultimately, the man quit and sued for religious discrimination. The case is the latest religious confrontation the high court has been asked to referee. In recent years, the court’s 6-3 conservative majority has been particularly sensitive to the concerns of religious plaintiffs. Last year, the court split along ideological lines in ruling for public high school football coach who wanted to pray on the field

after games.

Other recent religious cases have drawn wide agreement among the justices, such as upholding a crossshaped monument on public grounds and ruling that Boston had violated the free speech rights of a conservative activist when it refused his request to fly a Christian flag on a City Hall flagpole.

In the latest case, a federal law — Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — requires employers to accommodate employees’ religious practices unless doing so would be an “undue hardship” for the

business. But a 1977 Supreme Court case, Trans World Airlines v. Hardison, says in part that employers can deny religious accommodations to employees when they impose “more than a de minimis cost” on the business.

During arguments in the case in April the Biden administration’s top Supreme Court lawyer, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who was representing the Post Office, told the justices that the Hardison case as a whole actually requires an employer who wants to deny an accommodation to show more.

SCOTUS: Justices rule against use of race in college admissions

Continued from A1

tion, wrote separately that the decision “sees the universities’ admissions policies for what they are: rudderless, race-based preferences designed to ensure a particular racial mix in their entering classes.”

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent that the decision “rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress.”

Both Thomas and Sotomayor, the two justices who have acknowledged affirmative action played a role in their admissions to college and law school, took the unusual step of reading a summary of their opinions aloud in the courtroom.

In a separate dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson — the court’s first Black female justice — called the decision “truly a tragedy for us all.”

Jackson, who sat out the Harvard case because she had been a member of an advisory governing board, wrote, “With let-them-eat-cake obliviousness, today, the majority pulls the ripcord and announces ‘colorblindness for all’ by legal fiat. But deeming race irrelevant in law does not make it so in life.”

The vote was 6-3 in the North Carolina case and 6-2 in the Harvard case. Justice Elena Kagan was the other dissenter.

President Joe Biden was expected to comment on the decision from the White House later Thursday.

Two former presi-

dents offered starkly different takes on the high-court ruling.

Former President Donald Trump, the current GOP presidential frontrunner, wrote on his social media network that the decision marked “a great day for America. People with extraordinary ability and everything else necessary for success, including future greatness for our Country, are finally being rewarded.”

Former President Barack Obama said in a statement that affirmative action “allowed generations of students like Michelle and me to prove we belonged. Now it’s up to all of us to give young people the opportunities they deserve — and help students everywhere benefit from new perspectives.”

The Supreme Court had twice upheld race-conscious college admissions programs in the past 20 years, including as recently as 2016.

But that was before the three appointees of

former President Donald Trump joined the court. At arguments in late October, all six conservative justices expressed doubts about the practice, which had been upheld under Supreme Court decisions reaching back to 1978.

Lower courts also had upheld the programs at both UNC and Harvard, rejecting claims that the schools discriminated against white and Asian American applicants.

The college admissions disputes are among several high-profile cases focused on race in America, and were weighed by the conservative-dominated, but most diverse court ever. Among the nine justices are four women, two Black people and a Latina.

The justices earlier in June decided a voting rights case in favor of Black voters in Alabama and rejected a race-based challenge to a Native American child protection law.

The affirmative action cases were brought

by conservative activist Edward Blum, who also was behind an earlier affirmative action challenge against the University of Texas as well as the case that led the court in 2013 to end use of a key provision of the landmark Voting Rights Act.

Blum formed Students for Fair Admis-

sions, which filed the lawsuits against both schools in 2014.

The group argued that the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions and called for overturning earlier Supreme Court decisions that said otherwise.

Roberts’ opinion effectively did so, both Thomas and the dissenters wrote.

The only institutions of higher education explicitly left out of the ruling are the nation’s military academies, Roberts wrote, suggesting that national security interests could affect the legal analysis.

Blum’s group had contended that colleges and universities can use other, race-neutral ways to assemble a diverse student body, including by focusing on socioeconomic status and eliminating the preference for children

of alumni and major donors.

The schools said that they use race in a limited way, but that eliminating it as a factor altogether would make it much harder to achieve a student body that looks like America.

At the eight Ivy League universities, the number of nonwhite students increased by 55% from 2010 to 2021, according to federal data. That group, which includes, Native American, Asian, Black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander and biracial students, accounted for 35% of students on those campuses in 2021, up from 27% in 2010.

The end of affirmative action in higher education in California, Michigan, Washington state and elsewhere led to a steep drop in minority enrollment in the states’ leading public universities.

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The U.S. Supreme Court. FILE PHOTO

Sports Daily B

Southern Coffey keeps on target

By QUINN BURKITT The Iola Register

LE ROY — The Southern Coffey County High trapshooting team is enjoying a recent streak of success.

Larry Gleue is the team’s head coach. Last year, the team’s varsity squad won the state championship title. This year, SCC’s junior varsity team came in second place at the state meet, while the varsity team came in seventh.

The area’s hunting culture helps foster the team’s success, said Hank Newton, a junior on the team.

“A lot of people hunt here and they want to get better at shooting and hitting targets,” he said. “When they see the success we’ve had, they want to join. A lot of people are involved.”

Leading the team this season were recent graduate Jalea True, incoming juniors Newton and Jagger Jacobs, and eighth-grader Charley Nickel.

Jacobs led the team at the state meet, finishing with a 95 overall. Nickel shot a 93, Newton scored a 91 and True finished with an 88. The Titans shot four rounds of 25 targets.

“Southern Coffey County hasn’t been great in many other sports so we actually get our school recognized as being good at a sport. It’s a good feeling” Newton said.

Gleue has taken the team to the state tournament every year since its start in 2019. The athletes practice in Gleue’s backyard, where he has installed a trapshooting range.

“Putting a trap range on

your own private land is a good start,” said Jacobs of coach Gleue. “We probably wouldn’t be the team we are right now without him (Gleue). You can tell they want us to succeed at it and they clearly enjoy it themselves. They give us a lot of time.” As trapshooting becomes a more popular sport, the competition becomes that much tougher for SCC’s

Friday, June 30, 2023

AL Central lagging in smaller markets

By STEVE MAGAREE The Associated Press

The AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians have been below .500 since late April. The Cincinnati Reds top the NL Central standings while on an 86-win pace.

Welcome to life in baseball’s two weakest divisions, where even the best teams struggle to win more games than they lose.

shooters. The winning score at the state meet was a 99, a nearly impossible mark to hit.

Still, SCC’s shooters are focused on getting better.

“Setting your feet in the right place is really important so you don’t have to put your back in a weird place or aim in a weird position,” Newton said.

“I’ve been experimenting with controlled breathing and it works,” said Jacobs. “Once you get down a solid breathing exercise it helps to focus.”

What also bodes well for the team is a strong group of returning shooters.

As an eighth-grader, Nickel has competed with some of the best in the state.

“I think it helps most when you get in a routine and do the same thing every time,” Nickel said. “Just keep your head in it because you can’t focus on other things at the same time.”

Southern Coffey County will compete at the Sunflower state games in Topeka on July 8.

Cleveland (39-40) overtook the Minnesota Twins (40-42) in the AL Central standings on Wednesday, but the Guardians would be dead last if they played in the AL East. This is the first time in 15 years that an entire division has been below .500 this late in a season.

“You know, I’ve been in a lot of different scenarios,” said Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, whose team is 34-45 but only five games off the AL Central lead. “This is a little bit unique to the Central right now. But a lot of baseball left to play for a lot of teams, but certainly weird.”

It’s not much better in the NL Central, though Cincinnati (43-38) has come on strong lately thanks to an exciting rookie class headed by sensational shortstop Elly De La Cruz. The Reds were in last place just over a month ago but now lead the division by a half-game over the Milwaukee Brewers (42-38) after winning 14 of their

Iola Seahorses host Humboldt, Indy in the lanes

By QUINN BURKITT The Iola Register

The Iola Seahorses swim team welcomed Humboldt and Independence to Riverside Park Wednesday evening.

There were a number of top finishes for the Seahorses including Griffin Westervelt winning the 200-yard freestyle, the 100-yard freestyle and the 50-yard butterfly. Moira Springer took first in the 25-yard back crawl, the 50-yard freestyle and the 25yard breaststroke.

Iola’s Liam Ilimaleota secured first place in the 25yard backstroke, 25-yard freestyle and the 100-yard individual medley. Joshua Wanker got first in the 100yard individual medley as well as the 50-yard butterfly.

Men 15-18 200-yard free —

1. Griffin Westervelt, 2:37.81.

Mixed 7-8 100-yard medley

relay — 2. Humboldt, 2:31.06; 3. Iola, 2:10.12

Mixed 9-10 100-yard med-

ley relay — 1. Iola, 1:30.42; 2. Iola, 1:38.94; 3. Humboldt, 2:04.74.

Mixed 11-12 200-yard med-

ley relay — 2. Iola, 3:49.45; 3.

Iola, 3:49.66.

Mixed 13-14 200-yard medley relay — 1. Iola, 2:51.32.

Mixed 15-18 100-yard medley relay — 1. Iola, 2:13.01; 2. Humboldt, 2:39.98.

Women 10 & Under 50yard free — 1. Moira Springer, Iola, 52.27; 2. Anna Klubek, Iola, 54.21.

Men 10 & U 50-yard free — 1. Liam Ilimaleota, Iola, 49.30; 2. Easton Higginbotham, 56.12; 4. Lincoln Foster-Gwillim, Humboldt, 59.12; 5. Jayden Brady, Humboldt, 1:02.52; 6. Cohen Sigg, Iola, 1:13.40.

Women 11-12 100-yard free — 4. Mariah Mathis, Iola,

1:46.97.

Women 12-14 100-yard free — 2. Laney Oswald, Iola, 1:26.42.

Men 13-14 100-yard free — 1. Rohan Springer, Iola, 1:18.31.

Women 15-18 100-yard free — 1. Ricklyn Hillmon, Humboldt, 1:12.50; 5. Bethany Miller, Iola, 1:30.60; 6. Assya Goforth, Humboldt, 1:31.34.

Men 15-18 100-yard free — 1. Griffin Westervelt, Iola,

1:11.19; 2. Zach McDown, Humboldt, 1:25.69.

Women 6 & U 25-yard fly — 1. Emersyn Higginbotham, Iola, 41.45; 1. Wren Schultz, Humboldt, 55.53; 3. Suttyn Hillmon, Humboldt, 1:09.51; 4. Parker Mitchell, Humboldt, 1:27.48; 5. Carter Mitchell, Humboldt, 1:31.55.

Men 6 & U 25-yard fly —1. Myles Brady, Humboldt, 49.22; 2. Ryker Barhnart, Humboldt, 1:37.62.

Women 7-8 25-yard fly — 3. Sofia Schomaker, Humboldt, 41.24; 4. Stella Walls, Humboldt, 41.74.

Men 7-8 25-yard fly — 2. Knox Hufferd, Iola, 32.99; 2. Jayden Brady, Humboldt, 33.69; 4. Brigham Smith, Iola, 40.46; 5. Korben Barnhart, Humboldt, 44.38; 6. Cohen Sigg, Iola, 46.15; 7. Ryker Roach, 53.10; 8. Gavin Granere, Iola, DQ.

Women 9-10 25-yard fly —

See SEAHORSES | Page B6

Iola’s Knox Hufferd competes in the butterfly. REGISTER/QUINN BURKITT

Southern Coffey County’s Jagger Jacobs aims for a moving target in Le Roy on Wednesday. REGISTER/QUINN BURKITT

Southern Coffey County’s Charley Nickel, left, and Jagger Jacobs, right. REGISTER/QUINN BURKITT

Russian general detained

WASHINGTON (AP)

— Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the deputy commander of the Russian group of forces fighting in Ukraine, is believed to have been detained days after mercenaries staged a revolt inside Russia, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Thursday, citing U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence assessments.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

It’s not clear whether Surovikin faces any charges or where he is being held, reflecting the opaque world of the Kremlin’s politics and uncertainty after the revolt.

But his reported detention comes days after Wagner Group mercenaries took over the military headquarters in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and were heading toward Moscow

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in what appears to have been an aborted insurrection.

Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin has spoken positively of Surovikin while criticizing the country’s military brass and suggested that he should be appointed the General Staff chief to replace Gen. Valery Gerasimov. The New York Times this week reported that U.S. officials believe Surovikin had advance knowledge of Prigozhin’s plan to stage the revolt.

The White House and the Kremlin declined to comment.

Surovikin, who has longtime links to Prigozhin, hasn’t been seen since the start of the rebellion when he posted a video urging an end to it.

A Russian military blogger, the Moscow Times, and the Financial Times reported that Surovikin, who is also the commander of the Russian air force, has been arrested.

IS A Public notices

LOCATION

Pick up and drop off your pre-packaged, pre-labeled shipments. Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. 302 S. Washington Ave., Iola • 620-365-2111

(Published in The Iola Register June 30, 2023)

RESOLUTION NO. 2023-17

A RESOLUTION TO MEET THE CIVIL RIGHTS OBLIGATIONS OF THE KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE & HOUSING (KDOC&H), COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM

WHEREAS, in order to comply with the Civil Rights requirements set forth by KDOC&H, CDBG Program, the City of Iola does hereby adopt and support the Kansas Act Against Discrimination and the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988; and

WHEREAS, the Kansas Act Against Discrimination (K.S.A. 44-1001 to 44-1121) was passed in 1953, which prohibits discriminatory employment practices and places or public accommodations because of race, religion, color, national origin, or ancestry; and

WHEREAS, as amended,

(Published in The Iola Register June 23, 2023)

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF ALLEN COUNTY, KANSAS CIVIL DEPARTMENT

Matrix Financial Services Corporation

Plaintiff, vs. Jordan D. Hacker; Shelby L. Hacker; John Doe (Tenant/Occupant); Mary Doe (Tenant/ Occupant)

Defendants.

Case No. AL-2023-CV-000018

Court Number: Pursuant to K.S.A. Chapter 60

NOTICE OF SALE

Under and by virtue of an Order of Sale issued to me by the Clerk of the District

the Fair Housing Act was enacted on October 13, 1988, by the United States of America to provide, within constitutional limitations, for fair housing throughout the United States. Any person, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, is afforded the equal right to occupy, purchase, sell, or rent a dwelling when such a one is available.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT

RESOLVED THAT: The Governing Body of the City of Iola supports the Kansas Act Against Discrimination and the Fair Housing Act and will provide copies to any interested citizen by contacting the Iola City Clerk.

ADOPTED AND SIGNED

THIS 26th DAY OF JUNE, 2023 /s/ Steve French, Mayor

SEAL

ATTEST: /s/ Roxanne Hutton, City Clerk (6) 30

Q: With “Endeavour on Masterpiece” coming to its end, are you a fan of detective shows anyway?

A: Because of the nature of the work, it can kind of ruin watching stuf f because you can sor t of see the (connections in the myster y) … for me, at least. You can see, “Oh, there’s the red herring. There’s the this or the that.” That’s not about American shows, that’s just about shows in general. Also, I find it quite dif ficult when you are working to watch other stuf f, because it takes you out of the moment.

Q: You’ve played Endeavour Morse both with and without a mustache. Which do you prefer?

A: I don’t mind it. I like it. I think it’s cool. What I think is terrific, if you’re telling a longform stor y, is that you can change a little bit and the audience will go with that. I also like it as an idea as a sor t of metaphor for not being able to look in the mirror or tr y to change yourself in a way. I didn’t really think too deeply about it, to be totally honest with you.

Q: You’ve also directed several episodes of “Endeavour on Masterpiece.” How was it to do that job while also acting in the show?

A: It was an extraordinar y experience from star t to finish. I’d been directing for a few years prior to that, but it was the first time I’d done anything that I was in. And it was extraordinar y because you realize what you can achieve if you’re prepared and if you’ve got a good team around you.

We shot my episode, the (first) one that I directed, first (that season). And then I did my edit in post-production over the weekend while we were shooting the next three episodes. So that was challenging, only in terms of tr ying to keep a couple of stories in your head at all times and to give ever y moment its full weight and attention. But it’s an extraordinar y oppor tunity, and I just wanted to make the most of it.

Boyfriend plans to attend ex’s party

Hi Carolyn! My amazing boyfriend of eightish months, “Jack,” is going to his ex “Sally’s” birthday party tonight. Jack has told me about their relationship. They were in the same friend group but dated only a few months, and he ended things partly because they weren’t a good fit and partly because Jack wasn’t ready to step into a father role. Sally has a young daughter from a previous relationship, and we’re all early/mid-20s.

The problem is, Sally was really angry when they broke up, and Jack ended up being totally ostracized from the friend group and lost a number of close friends. Since then, Jack and Sally have talked a few times, with Jack trying to mend things and Sally mostly still upset and angry. Jack has slowly gotten a little closer to the friends, but I know he misses them and would spend more time if Sally weren’t so

Carolyn Hax

upset by it. But then Jack got invited by Sally to her birthday celebration. Jack has been really open with me, so he told me right away when he got the invite. I know how much he misses these friends, and he was really relieved that she seems to be getting over her anger at him.

Plus I’m not in charge of whom he gets to see and spend time with, so of course I told him he should go if he wants to.

Do you have any advice to frame this in my head better? Now that this is happening, I’m finding myself a little apprehensive. I trust Jack completely, but I have feelings that are a little more complicated than I’d like. It doesn’t help that Sally is abso-

lutely beautiful.

— Anonymous Anonymous: The birthday celebration will have come and gone by the time that this appears, but assuming that Jack and Sally didn’t run off to Acapulco, here is the framing that came to mind as I read your letter: All along, Jack has had a powerful incentive to get back together with Sally. All he has to do is reverse his decision, go back to dating this “absolutely beautiful” woman and get his close friends back, right? Woohoo. Instead, Jack has chosen to absorb considerable emotional losses just to get out and stay out of Sally’s close personal orbit.

It’s great that you trust Jack, and it’s important that you do. But I think you can also trust the logic of how much he’s willing to suffer for the privilege of remaining Sally’s ex. I don’t mean to sound

Last living sibling of MLK dies at 95

ATLANTA (AP) —

Christine King Farris, the last living sibling of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., has died. Her niece, the Rev. Bernice King, tweeted that her “beloved aunt” died Thursday. She was 95.

For decades after her brother’s assassination in 1968, Farris worked along with his widow, Coretta Scott King, to preserve and promote his legacy. But unlike her high-profile sister-in-law, Farris’ activism — and grief — was often behind the scenes.

“She may not have always been on the line of the march, but

that was true with a lot of the heroes of the Civil Rights Movement,” said Marcellus Barksdale, a history professor at Morehouse College, of Farris in a 2009 interview with The Associated Press. “Because of the luminescence of Dr. King and Coretta Scott King, Christine kind of got dimmed by that, but she was no less important.”

Farris was born Willie Christine King on Sept. 11, 1927, in Atlanta. She was the first child of the Rev. Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Christine Williams King. Farris helped Coretta Scott King build The King Center and helped to teach Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance. For years, her re-

gal, dignified presence was a mainstay at the ecumenical service celebrating her brother’s birthday at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where her grandfather and father also preached and where Farris remained a member.

The King Center tweeted Thursday that it mourns the loss of Farris, a founding board member, former vicechair and treasurer, along with a photo of her.

Bernice King tweeted a photo of herself with Farris, writing, “I love you and will miss you, Aunt Christine.”

Martin Luther King III tweeted that he, his wife and his daughter had been able to spend time with his aunt in her final days.

so insulting to Sally. (Yet.) If they don’t fit as a couple, then they don’t fit, and that’s no more her fault than it is Jack’s. Her punitive response to the breakup is a different story, though, and strikes me as the cherry on the Jack’sgood-judgment sundae. The easiest way to avoid marrying a bad idea is to ask yourself how this person will probably respond to a breakup. Even an inkling that someone would make things ugly and take friends hostage is good cause to get out — the sooner in the dating progression, the better. If Jack saw that, then good on Jack.

All that said, trusting yourself would be best of all. You’re going to have complicated feelings sometimes. That’s normal. What you’re looking for is confidence that you can trust what your own eyes and ears tell you about this person, then act freely on your own behalf, even if the result is that you painfully part ways. If you have that trust in yourself, then Sallies are nothing to fear.

ZITS

by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

BEETLE BAILEY by Mort

Walker

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE by Chris Browne

Yesterday’s Cryptoquote: Food brings people together on many different levels. It’s nourishment of the soul and body; it’s truly love. — Giada De Laurentiis

BLONDIE by Young and Drake

by Patrick McDonell

HI AND LOIS by Chance Browne

MUTTS

MARVIN by Tom Armstrong

Seahorses: Go up against Humboldt, Indy at home

Continued from B1

Roach, 53.10; 8. Gavin Granere, Iola, DQ.

Women 9-10 25-yard fly —

1. Anna Klubek, Iola, 30.11; 2. Moira Springer, Iola, 30.45; 5. Aubree Trim, 33.43; 10. Tessa Lou Francis, Humboldt, 40.45; 11. Seattle Nagy, Iola, 42.76.

Men 9-10 25-yard fly — 1. Liam Ilimaleota, Iola, 29.23;

2. Easton Higginbotham, Iola, 33.94; 3. Lincoln Foster-Gwillim, Humboldt, 38.21; 4. Cooper Cook, Iola, 38.94; 5.

Kamrin Wooden, Humboldt, 41.24; 6. Jyler Granere, Iola, 42.60.

Women 11-12 50-yard fly —

1. Mariah Mathis, Iola, 41.08;

5. Ember Friend, Iola, 1:02.65;

6. Eliana Higginbotham, 1:04.75; 7. Helena Morrison, Iola, 1:12.20.

Men 11-12 50-yard fly — 2. Anna Klubek, 52.97.

Women 13-14 50-yard fly

— 1. Addalyn Hillmon, Humboldt, 41.28; 4. Evie Schooler, Iola, 54.85.

Men 13-14 50-yard fly — 1. Joshua Wanker, Iola, 37.69; 2. Rohan Springer, Iola, 43.78.

Women 15-18 50-yard fly —

1. Ricklyn Hillmon, Humboldt, 37.90; 2. Assya Goforth, Humboldt. 38.83; 3. Madeline Wanker, Iola, 41.00; 5. Bethany Miller, Iola, 46.03.

Men 15-18 50-yard fly — 1. Griffin Westervelt, Iola, 38.52;

2. Zach McDown, Humboldt, 38.64; 3. Toby Veal/Jernigan, Iola, 53.14.

Women 6 & U 25-yard back

— 1. Emersyn Higginbotham, Iola, 32.12; 2. Wren Schultz, Humboldt, 49.34; 3. Suttyn Hillmon, Humboldt, 54.96;

4. Carter Mitchell, Humboldt, 58.70; 5. Jolee Westervelt, Iola, 1:03.08; 7. Nellie Sigg, Iola, 1:21.44.

Men 6 & U 25-yard back

— 1. Myles Brady, Humboldt, 50.31; 2. Ryker Barnhart, Humboldt, 1:44.09.

Women 7-8 25-yard back

— 5. Sofia Schomaker, Humboldt, 33.68; 6. Stella Walls, Humboldt, 34.80.

Men 7-8 25-yard back —

2. Ryker Roach, Humboldt, 30.55; 3. Jayden Brady, Humboldt; 4. Knox Hufferd, Iola, 33.36; 5. Korben Barhnart, Humboldt, 46.87; 6. Cohen Sigg, Iola, 50.56; 7. Brigham Smith, Iola, 1:07.12; 8. Gavin

Granere, Iola, 1:11.81.

Women 9-10 25-yard back

— 1. Moira Springer, Iola, 24.96; 5. Luuly Tran, Iola, 31.54; 6. Raina Borjas, 32.63;

7. Anna Klubek, Iola, 32.78;

8. Aubree Trim, Humboldt, 32.81; 11. Seattle Nagy, Iola, 38.63; 12. Tessa Lou Francis, Humboldt, 40.33.

Men 9-10 25-yard back — 1. Liam Ilimaleota, Iola, 25.59;

2. Kamrin Wooden, Humboldt, 31.80; 3. Lincoln Foster-Gwillim, Humboldt, 32.41;

4. Easton Higginbotham, Iola, 32.75; 5. Cooper Cook, Iola, 35.28; 6. Jyler Granere, Iola, 51.60.

Women 11-12 50-yard back — 3. Mariah Mathis, Iola, 48.04; 4. Isabelle Chapman, Iola, 53.52; 5. Eliana Higginbotham, Iola, 56.92; 7. Helena Morrison, Iola, 1:06.94; 8. Ember Friend, Iola, 1:10.22.

Men 11-12 50-yard back — 2. Lee Wanker, Iola, 59.58; 3. Michael Hancock, Iola, 1:03.89; 4. Adam Klubek, Iola, 1:13.82.

Women 13-14 50-yard back — 2. Lainey Oswald, Iola, 45.30; 3. Adalyn Hillmon, Humboldt, 51.64; 5. Evie Schooler, Iola, 53.87.

Men 13-14 50-yard back — 1. Rohan Springer, Iola, 42.83; 2. Joshua Wanker, Iola, 45.57; 3. Ben Fager, Iola, 45.48.

Women 15-18 50-yard back

—

1. Bethany Miller, Iola, 16.71;

2. Assya Goforth, Humboldt, 40.63; 3. Ricklyn Hillmon, Humboldt, 40.81; 6. Madeline Wanker, Iola, 51.65.

Men 15-18 50-yard back —

2. Zach McDown, Humboldt, 50.28; 2. Toby Veal/Jernigan, Iola, 56.39.

Women 6 & U 25-yard breast — 2. Wren Schultz, Humboldt, 51.54; 3. Suttyn Hillmon, Humboldt, 1:01.62;

4. Carter Mitchell, Humboldt, 1:02.43; 5. Emersyn Higginbotham, Iola, 1:04.59.

Men 6 & U 25-yard breast — 1. Myles Brady, Humboldt,

46.52; 2. Ryker Barnhart, Humboldt, 1:43.15.

Women 7-8 25-yard breast

— 4. Stella Walls, Humboldt, 44.31; 5. Sofia Schomaker, Humboldt, 46.88.

Men 7-8 25-yard breast — 2. Knox Hufferd, Iola, 31.91; 3. Cohen Sigg, Iola, 42.95; 4. Jayden Brady, Humboldt, 44.26;

5. Ryker Roach, Humboldt, 44.54; 6. Korben Barnhart, Humboldt, 48.32; 7. Brigham Smith, Iola, 52.57.

Women 9-10 25-yard breast

— 1. Moira Springer, Iola, 27.48;

2. Luuly Tran, Iola, 32.85; 5. Anna Klubek, Iola, 33.88; 6. Raina Borjas, Iola, 35.89; 7. Aubree Trim, Humboldt, 36.74;

10. Tessa Lou Francis, Humboldt, 41.95.

Men 9-10 25-yard breast —

1. Liam Ilimaleota, Iola, 26.90;

2. Lincoln Foster-Gwillim, Humboldt, 29.97; 3. Wilder Schooler, Iola, 32.36; 4. Cooper Cook, Iola, 37.61; 5. Easton Higginbotham, Iola, 43.86; 6. Kamrin Woosen, Humboldt, 49.95.

Women 11-12 50-yard breast

— 1. Mariah Mathis, Iola, 51.17;

5. Helena Morrison, Iola, 59.51;

6. Isabelle Chapman, Iola, 1:01.26; 7. Ember Friend, Iola, 1:09.10; 8. Eliana Higginbotham, Iola, 1:16.97.

Men 11-12 50-yard breast —

1. Adam Klubek, Iola, 1:00.98;

2. Lee Wanker, Iola, 1:03.19.

Women 13-14 50-yard breast — 1. Adalyn Hillmon, Humboldt, 49.52; 4. Evie Schooler, Iola, 1:05.95.

Men 13-14 50-yard breast —

1. Rohan Springer, Iola, 49.88;

2. Joshua Wanker, Iola, 59.08;

3. Ben Fager, Iola, 59.68.

Women 15-18 50-yard breast

— 1. Ricklyn Hillmon, Humboldt, 40.22; 2. Assya Goforth, Humboldt, 49.86; 4. Madeline Wanker, Iola, 50.45; 5. Bethany Miller, Iola, 51.90.

Men 15-18 50-yard breast

— 1. Griffin Westervelt, Iola, 40.82; 2. Zach McDown, Hum-

Baseball: AL Central League hurting

Continued from B1

last 17.

These aren’t new struggles either — neither Central division has produced a pennant winner since the Chicago Cubs beat Cleveland in the 2016 World Series.

The way Central division clubs have managed their budgets, it’s no surprise they’ve lagged behind their East and West counterparts.

No team from either group ranked among the top 12 major league payrolls on opening day

this season, but five of them fell in the bottom 10 — Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Kansas City and Milwaukee. No Central team has cracked the top 5 since the Cubs during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Six of baseball’s 10 smallest markets come from the Centrals, according to Nielsen, and only Chicago cracks the top 10. Not that small-market clubs can’t spend big — San Diego’s TV market is

boldt, 54.20; 3. Toby Jernigan/ Veal, Iola, 1:07.87.

Women 6 & U 25-yard free — 1. Emersyn Higginbotham, Iola, 39.49; 2. Schultz, Humboldt, 53.29; 3. C. Mitchell, Humboldt, 53.63; 4. Hillmon, Humboldt 57.98; 6. P. Mitchell, Humboldt, 1:36.97.

Men 6 & U 25-yard free —

1. Brady, Humboldt, 48.35; 2. Barnhart, Humboldt, 1:25.06.

Women 7-8 25-yard free —

3. Walls, Humboldt, 31.05; 6. Schomaker, Humboldt, 39.86.

Men 7-8 25-yard free — 1. Brady, Humboldt, 23.49; 3. Smith, Iola, 27.23; 4. Hufferd, Iola, 28.38; 5. Roach, Humboldt, 33.34; 6. Sigg, Iola, 33.78; 7. Barnhart, Humboldt, 35.96;

8. G. Granere, Iola, 52.94.

Women 9-10 25-yard free — 3. Springer, Iola, 23.79; 5. Klubek, Iola, 25.07; 7. Trim, Humboldt, 30.63; 10. Borjas, Iola, 31.46; 11. Tran, Iola, 31.87.

Men 9-10 25-yard free — 1. Ilimaleota, Iola, 20.65; 2. Foster-Gwillim, Humboldt, 24.34;

3. Higginbotham, Iola, 27.09; 4. Wooden, Humboldt, 27.33; 5. Cook, Iola, 29.37; 6. Schooler, Iola, 35.71; 7. J. Granere, Iola, 42.79.

Women 11-12 50-yard free —

4. Mathis, Iola, 44.36; 5. Chapman, Iola, 45.84; 6. Friend, Iola, 47.25; 7. Higginbotham, Iola, 50.45; 8. Morrison, Iola, 54.33; Men 11-12 50-yard free — 2. L. Wanker, Iola, 43.76; 3. Hancock, Iola, 44.54; 4. Klubek, Iola, 48.08.

Women 13-14 50-yard free — 2. Oswald, Iola, 36.99; 3. Hillmon, Humboldt, 41.60; 5. Schooler, Iola, 42.24.

Men 13-14 50-yard free — 1.

J. Wanker, Iola, 31.13; 1. Springer, Iola, 31.73; 3. Fager, Iola, 40.66.

Women 15-18 50-yard free —2. Hillmon, Humboldt, 32.21; 4. M. Wanker, Iola, 35.96; 6. Goforth, Humboldt, 37.18; 7. Miller, Iola, 39.79.

Men 15-18 50-yard free —

1. Westervelt, Iola, 28.08; 2. McDown, Humboldt, 36.36; 3. Jernigan/Veal, Iola, 40.25. Women 10 & U 100-yard IM

Springer, Iola, 2:16.67;

comparable to Kansas City, yet the Padres ranked third among opening day payrolls as they try to keep pace with the Los Angeles Dodgers. No such behemoth in the Midwest has been forcing Central teams to invest and keep pace.

It’s shown in the results. No team from either Central division has even reached the League Championship Series since the 2019 St. Louis Cardinals.

Iola’s Moira Springer competes in the butterfly. REGISTER/QUINN BURKITT