Police reports

Arrests reported

Natasha Hulett was arrested Thursday for suspicion of battery, disorderly conduct and being a pedestrian under the influence in the 400 block of Eisenhower.

Officers arrested Katlyn Melton, 14, Iola, for suspicion of assault Wednesday in the 600 block of East Street.

Leo Bass was arrested in the 300 block of South Second Street Monday for suspicion of domestic battery.

Citations issued

Jason Sinclair, 29, Iola, was cited for suspicion of theft, battery, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct in the 800 block of Wilson Lane Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Jessica Koopman, 30, and Clarissa Thompson, 22, were cited for disorderly conduct following an incident in the 10 block of West Jackson Avenue.

Heather Hunsley, 31, Iola, was cited for suspicion of harboring a vicious animal after officers were called to the 400 block of North Cottonwood Street.

Door damaged

Macey Heger said her door was damaged Thursday in the 10 block of Chambers Driver.

Bicycle stolen

Stoney Parks told officers Thursday his bicycle was stolen in the 600 block of East LIncoln.

Vehicle damaged

Phillip Hanson, Pleasanton, reported his vehicle was damaged in the 800 block of Wilson Lane Thursday morning. A possible suspect was identified.

Pole hit

A pickup owned by Raymond Preston was parked and running in the 400 block of North Cottonwood Street Tuesday, when the unattended vehicle began rolling into the street. The pickup crossed the street and hit a light pole in front of Hoffmeier Electric.

Items stolen

Eddie Radford told officers Sunday a bicycle and vehicle parts valued altogether at $275 had been stolen from his property in the 10 block of North Third Street.

Harassment alleged

Sabrina Butler, Humboldt, told Iola police officers Sept. 1 she had been receiving harassing text messages in the 200 block of North State Street.

Fuel stolen

Aaron Wight told officers Aug. 31 fuel was stolen from a vehicle parked in the 400 block of McGuire Drive.

Rain ending?

A soggy start to the weekend should give way to dryer weather starting tonight.

Today’s forecast is for a 20 percent chance of rain, with partly cloudy skies arriving Sunday.

QUESTIONS & ATTITUDE

Compelling questions … and maybe a few actual answers

So now the Brickyard goes up against the NFL?

To hopefully inject new life into the Brickyard 400, NASCAR and Indy moved it from midsummer to September, where it becomes the regular-season finale. Good move, in theory. Unfortunately, this not only puts it up against Week 1 of the NFL season, but right up against the Indianapolis Colts, who are opening at home against the Bengals. That’s a pool of 70,000 fans, from which the Brickyard will surely lose a certain percentage.

Books aplenty

School librarians at USD 257’s elementary schools purchased 104 books, courtesy of a $750 donation from the Iola Kiwanis Club, plus an additional $375 matching grant from Usborne Books. The final tally resulted in 104 new books.

Shown with some of the books are Lincoln students, front row from left, Marishka Rife, Blayke Patterson and Shaylee Karns; second row, Brodon Westerman, Bella Schowengerdt, Jamie Flannagan, Madalynn Baker and Angelina Holland; third row, Brycen Baker, Shayden Thyer, Izabelle Morton, Cole Hines, Harlei Gregg, and Grant Sigg; fourth row from left, Kiwanians Roger Carwell and Tom Nevans, Lincoln Elementary School Librarian Daryl Sigg and Kiwanians Andy Dunlap, Julie Middleton, Stephen Henderson, Nancy Ford, Max Turner and John Shields. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN

DARLINGTON

1. Perfect timing

Brad Keselowski beat race dominator Kyle Larson off of pit road on Lap 346 (of 367) and was able to pull away in clean air for his first NASCAR “crown jewel” victory. “We were running second and that last stop [ the pit crew] nailed it and got us out in the lead,” Keselowski said.

2. Three cautions

Three quick yellow flags, sandwiched into Laps 312 to 344, determined the outcome of the Southern 500. Keselowski should send Jeffrey Earnhardt (Dale Jr.’s nephew) a thank-you note for spinning on Lap 344 and bringing out the final and decisive caution period and restart.

3. 11th-hour sponsor

Richard Petty Motorsports started slapping STP decals on the No. 43 Sunday morning after STP decided to sponsor the car in an 11th-hour agreement with “The King.” Petty and STP struck their first sponsorship deal in 1972 and have enjoyed a fruitful relationship.

— Godwin Kelly, godwin.kelly@newsjrnl.com

Garden gets a boost

An effort to add a veterans memorial garden along the Allen County Courthouse lawn received another boost this week with $1,000 donations from both the Moran American Legion Post No. 385 and Moran American Legion Auxiliar No. 385. From left are Deloris Demeritt, Gene DeMeritt, Kay Lewis, Alana Kinzle, Gene Gardner and Kelci Botts. COURTESY PHOTO

INDIANAPOLIS

1. One and done

The 26-race NASCAR Cup Series regular season comes to a conclusion with the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday and there could be a surprise ending. There is a mathematical chance that seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson won’t make the playoffs. “I don’t want to be in this position,” Johnson said. “We have been around this spot for a while. We have seen it coming.”

2. The Indy Open

There are only two playoff spots left in the 16-driver field. If Johnson crashed out early at Indy, it could mean big trouble. “It’s just about cleaning things up,” Johnson said at Darlington. “I didn’t have a great lap in that second round of qualifying that put us back. Unfortunately, we had a loose wheel; and then I missed the commitment line coming in. We’ve just got to clean those things up.”

3. Plates, anyone?

The Indianapolis Xfinity Series race saw a sizeable competition jump from 2016 to 2017 after NASCAR ordered the stock cars outfitted with restrictor plates. In 2016 there were two lead changes. Running with plates last year the race produced 16 lead changes. The plates were used in the Cup Series for the All-Star Race with great success. Connecting the dots — the 2019 Indy Cup Series race may become a plate race.

— Godwin Kelly, godwin.kelly@newsjrnl.com

Upcoming Events

Women’s Volleyball League – at the Recreation Building, Riverside Park, 500 Park Ave., Iola. Sunday afternoons, beginning Sept. 23. Register a team at the Recreation Office by Friday. Ages 18 and older may participate. Fall Soccer Academy – Register at the Recreation Office by Sept. 14. Ages 4-10 years old (age as of today) may participate. Sunday afternoons, beginning Sept. 16, at Ball Field No. 3 in Riverside Park. Youth Dance Classes – Basic dance instruction for boys or girls in grades Kindergarten-fifth grade. Wednesday evenings, beginning Oct. 3, eight week session. Register at the Recreation Office by Sept. 28. Yoga Class – at the Recreation Building, Riverside Park, 500 Park Ave., Iola. Mondays and Thursdays, from 12:15-12:45 p.m., beginning Monday, six-week session. Register at the Recreation Office. Ages 16 and older may participate. Halloween Dodgeball Tournament – at the Recreation Building, Riverside Park, 500 Park Ave., Iola. Saturday, Oct. 20. Form a team and register at the Recreation Office by Oct.12. Boys and girls enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grade may participate.

More Information

— Contact Information Phone 365-4990, Fax 365-4976, Email recreation@cityofiola.com. — The Recreation Office is located in the Recreation Building, 500 Park Ave., Riverside Park, Iola. — Online registration is available at www.cityofiola.com on the Recreation Page. — “Like us” on Facebook, search for City of Iola Recreation.

Recreation Calendar

Open Walking – at the Recreation Building, Riverside Park. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., when no other activities are being held.

Senior-cise Class – at the Recreation Building, Riverside Park. Monday-Friday Mornings, 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. Will not meet Wednesday.

Open Gym – at the Recreation Building, Riverside Park. Monday and Wednesday evenings, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. for eighth grade and younger accompanied by an adult; and 7:30-9 p.m. for ninth grade and older. This is a time for basketball or walking. Please enter the northwest door of the gym. Will not meet Wednesday.

Quilting Group – at the Bass Community Hall, 505 N. Buckeye St., second and fourth Monday of each month, 6-8 p.m. Contact Tammy at 363-4024. Next meeting date is Monday.

Kansas Old Time Fiddlers, Pickers and Singers – Bass Community Hall, 505 N. Buckeye St., Iola. Meet on the third Sunday of each month, the next meeting date is Sept. 16. All ages welcome.

Reduced Rate Tickets – are available at the Recreation Office for Silver Dollar City.

Pickleball Club – at the Meadowbrook Tennis Courts, North Cottonwood Street, weeknights (weather permitting), 5:30. Ages 15 and older may participate. For first time players, equipment will be available.

Horseshoe Pitching League – at the Riverside Park Horseshoe Pits., Monday, 6:30 p.m. All ages and skill level are welcome to participate. Iola Horseshoe Tournament is Oct. 6.

K-State to tangle with Mississippi St.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Nick Fitzgerald was the first one to ask Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead for this week’s scouting report, and he’ll probably be the first one to have his cleats on Saturday.

That’s what happens when you haven’t stepped on the field since last year’s Egg Bowl.

The Heisman Trophy candidate dislocated his right ankle against Ole Miss, forcing him to miss the Bulldogs’ bowl game. Then, Fitzgerald was suspended for this season’s opener against Stephen F. Austin for violating an unspecified team rule, relegating him to running the scout team.

“Very excited to get going with my season,” said Fitzgerald, who will be back under center when the No. 18 Bulldogs visit Kansas State for an important non-conference test.

“I mean, yeah, it was rough,” he said of missing the opener, “but I take full responsibility for the reasons why I was out. I embraced my role as a scout team quarterback while I was there. … I just kind of embraced that leadership role.”

His understudy, Keytaon Thompson, performed admirably in his place, throwing for 364 yards and five touchdowns while running for 109 yards and two more scores. But there was never a doubt Fitzgerald, who was voted a team captain despite his suspension, would be back against the Wildcats.

“Everybody makes mistakes, but that’s part of the process,” Mississippi State coach Joe Moorhead said. “I think Fitzgerald has learned from the experience and will be better coming out.”

Speaking of being better, the Wildcats will need to be much better than they were last week, when they needed a fourth-quarter rally to beat South Dakota in their opener.

They turned the ball over four times. Committed 13 penalties. They dropped passes, made mistakes in the red zone and generally played counter to everything longtime Bill Snyder preaches each week.

Offensive lineman Dalton Risner summed up his coach’s predictable reaction: “You know you hear the saying, ‘I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed?’ Well, he’s mad and he’s disappointed.”

“I know it’s the first game and there’s so many excuses in the world,” Risner said, “but if there’s a coach that doesn’t care about the excuses, it’s Coach Snyder.”

The struggles extended to defense, too, where the Wildcats allowed the Coyotes to pile up 334 yards of total offense. That included 257 yards through the air, which should make Fitzgerald salivate.

“He does pose a threat, obviously,” Snyder said. “He’s going into a new offense, didn’t have spring practice behind him, but I think he’s bright and should be able to pick those things up very well. Who does he remind me of ? I don’t know, just off the top of my head maybe a Collin Klein, a guy that pretty much had the same numbers. Maybe not quite as prolific, but nevertheless, they had similar numbers.”

Klein, of course, was the Wildcats’ own Heisman Trophy finalist, and now he’s tutoring quarterbacks Alex Del-ton and Skylar Thompson while helping to coordinate Kansas State’s offense.

LONG TIME COMING

The schools played twice more than four decades ago with Mississippi State winning 21-16 in 1974 and forfeiting a 24-21 win in 1977. The Wildcats are scheduled to make a return trip to Starkville next season in the second game of their two-game series.