Mildred Higginbottom

Mildred Higginbottom, 88, Garnett, died Tuesday, May 29, 2012, at Anderson County Hospital Long Term Care, Garnett.

She was born in Humboldt, Oct. 29, 1923, to Levi F. and Agnes Mary (Gibbons) Showalter. 

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel, Garnett.  Burial will follow in Garnett Cemetery. The family will greet friends from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Memorials may be at the funeral home to the American Cancer Society. Condolences to the family may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com

Obama rejects attacks on Syria in massacre’s wake

Republican senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham want the United States and its allies to bomb Syria in response to the massacre of 108 villagers in Houla. 

“Maybe the kids will make the difference,” Sen. Graham said. “We live in a visual world. When we see the slaughter of 30 children, it reminds us of who we are.” 

The killings were horrific. Many were gunned down at close range in their homes. Evidence points toward pro-government militia. There is, however, no way for U.S. or U.N. pilots to target the guilty without killing innocents as well.

As the world watches this tragedy, it is important to know there is no reliable information coming out of Syria. The lead stories in Wednesday’s newspapers were written by reporters in Beirut, London, Berlin, Paris, Washington and New York working with a mix of facts and rumors coming from cellphones and Skype.

It is just as apparent that President Bashar Assad is doing everything in his power to defeat his political enemies and believes he can fight his way back into absolute control of his country.

Tuesday the United States and more than a dozen other nations expelled the Syrian diplomats from their countries, the strongest diplomatic action they could take against Assad. President Obama continues to maintain that diplomatic and economic sanctions are the wisest course of action. Air strikes or other military action, such as funneling arms to rebel forces, would only cause more chaos and result in more deaths, he believes.

His judgment has been accepted by the U.N. and by Turkey, the nearest Moslem power which has also called for Assad’s removal. Russia continues to sell arms to Assad and to block stronger U.N. sanctions against him.

Mitt Romney has lambasted Obama for “allowing President Bashar al-Assad to slaughter 10,000 individuals” but has stopped short of calling for U.S. military action, only proposing that Washington should “work with partners to organize and arm Syrian opposition groups so they can defend themselves.”

 Self-defense is not the goal of the “opposition groups” in Syria. They want to depose Assad and take over — and it is far from clear that an opposition capable of replacing Assad with a regime that would represent the Syrian people exists.

The Obama reading of the situation is that depending on military action to replace Assad with an acceptable government would require an invasion of Syria by the U.S. and a subsequent occupation of the country with years of “nation-building” to follow. The president doesn’t believe the American people are ready for another endless war that would result in more American deaths and countless billions in additional debt. He is surely correct. Our failure to transform Iraq and Afghanistan into model democracies doesn’t encourage another such adventure.

What the U.S. and its allies seek is for Assad to go into exile and leave the existing bureaucracy in place with as little additional killing and destruction as possible. It is likely the Syrian people would also embrace such a turn of events as the best resolution they could reasonably expect. Such a transition would be most likely to produce a successor regime that would govern without first killing off the opposition.

Perhaps this ideal is too much to hope for, but the effort to force Assad out without laying Syria to waste in the process should continue.

— Emerson Lynn, jr.


Recital celebrates world of dance

Classique Dance Studio will bring an international flair to the Bowlus Fine Arts Center Friday and Saturday.

“Lost In Translation,” the title for the dance studio’s annual recital, will focus on dance around the world, said Venessa Weohr-Said, instructor.

In addition to Classique’s traditional disciplines, such as jazz, tap and ballet, the recital will feature belly dancing, Irish step numbers, Dabke (a Middle Eastern dance), Tarantellas and Bollywood numbers from India.

“The students really put a lot of effort to study about dancing in other cultures,” Weohr-Said said. “We really hope to get people out of their living rooms so they can come watch.”

Tickets sell at the door for $8 apiece. The curtain rises at 7 o’clock both nights. Doors open at 6:30.


Farm accident kills YC man

David Stockebrand, a 66-year-old Yates Center farmer, died in a combine accident in rural Woodson County Tuesday.

Sheriff Shannon Moore said Stockebrand died after being caught beneath a tire of a combine driven by his son, who was not identified.

Moore said the son had unloaded grain into a semi truck trailer. When finished, the son began to drive away and the father was caught under the rear wheel of the combine.

Stockebrand was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Woodson County Rural Fire Department and the Eagle Med Life Flight personnel were called to assist.

Moore said the Woodson County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the accident, along with Frontier Forensics of Topeka.

Obituary information for Stockebrand is in the “obituaries” link.

Harry E. Carter

 Harry E. Carter, 72, Overland Park, died Thursday, May 24, 2012, at Olathe Medical Center.  

A memorial service will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Penwell Gabel Funeral Home in Olathe, with visitation beginning one hour prior to service.

The only child of William and Beatrice Carter, Harry was born in Hudson, N.Y. After serving in the Air Force from 1961 to 1965, he was an accounts manager for IBM for 29 years.

Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Mary Ann (Leake) of the home, son Jeffrey Carter and wife Monica, daughter Kristin Tischer and husband Jeff, grandson Jackson Tischer, granddaughters Madeleine and Paris Carter, and soon-to-arrive Baby Girl Tischer, along with numerous nieces, nephews and in-laws.  

Memorials may be sent to Wayside Waifs. To leave a message for the family, please visit www.Penwellgabelolathe.com.

Mary Baker

Mary Maud (Tarrell) Baker, 66, Fennimore, Wis., passed away at her home Monday afternoon May 28, 2012, after a courageous battle with cancer. 

Mary was born on May 25, 1946, in Lancaster, Wis., the daughter of Melvin “Pete” and Marietta (Wunderlin) Tarrell. She married her beloved husband and best friend Richard Baker on March 27, 1985, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Fennimore. 

Mary is survived by her husband; her two sons, Marty (Rhonda) Welsh of Mt. Horeb, Wis., and Michael Welsh of Madison, Wis.; three beloved grandchildren, Maggie, Alex and Jake Welsh; her mother, Marietta Tarrell, of Fennimore, a brother, Lloyd (Paula) Tarrell of Fennimore; a brother-in-law, David Kirk of Cuba City; her mother- and father-in-law, Doris and Melvin Baker, of Humboldt; a brother-in-law, Ron (Ellie) Baker of Sweet Springs, Mo.; sisters-in-law, Judy (Tom) Kiehl of Palatine, Ill., Lori (Mike) Moran of Iola, Betty (Bob) Becker of Mission, Verna Breunger of Humboldt and Cecelia Wunderlin of Platteville, Wis.; uncles, Steven (Cecelia) Orcutt of Iola and Sherman Eustice of Cuba City, Wis.; a great-uncle; Richard Pearman of Iola; many nieces and nephews and a special friend and caretaker, Susan Childs of Fennimore.

Mary is preceded in death by her father; a sister, Connie Kirk; an aunt, Dorothy Frevele; and special cousins, Jim Wilkins and Mervin Wunderlin. 

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Fennimore with burial to follow in the church cemetery. Father Miguel Galvez will officiate. Friends and family may call from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday at Larson Family Funeral Home in Fennimore. In lieu of plants and flowers, a memorial fund is being established in Mary’s loving memory.   

Shrinking Kansas has lessons for Iola’s boosters

Kansas west of I-35 continues to shrink. According to a study by Wichita State University’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research, there may be as many as four western Kansas counties with fewer than 1,000 residents by 2040.

The numbers seem to prove that Frank and Deborah Potter were on target in 1987 when they said that our semi-arid plains should be turned back to the buffalo. Their essay created a storm of indignation in Dodge and Topeka, too. Mike Hayden, who was governor at the time, was particularly upset and had uncomplimentary things to say about the Poppers’ scholarship. 

But with each succeeding census, rural Kansas continues to fade. Seventy-seven of the state’s 105 counties — including Allen and our neighbors — lost population in the last decade. And, the government’s counters recorded, the population of 41 counties peaked in 1910 or earlier and 28 counties haven’t recorded a population increase from one census to the next since 1940.

The Wichita Center made two separate projections based on different factors. One considered birth and death rates and assumed that migration factors recorded in the last decade would continue. The second didn’t consider migration but looked only at what might happen as the population aged.

“By either method,” the study showed, “Greeley County, which had 1,235 people in the 2010 census, will be  Kansas’ smallest county in 2040. Assuming no migration, the population will drop nearly 10 percent to 1,113. If migration patterns continue, it would drop nearly 64 percent, to 447 people, and be one of four Kansas counties — along with Wallace, Kiowa and Lane — with fewer than 1,000 people in 2040.”

THIS SOBERING assessment should come as no surprise — even to such dedicated Kansans as Mike Hayden and other community boosters across Kansas. At this point in our nation’s history, population growth depends on a combination of factors that simply don’t exist in most of rural America.

As Jeremy Hill, director of the Wichita Center, commented, this does not mean that some economic hubs in Kansas will not grow. Manufacturing might make a comeback if production costs continue to climb in China. Our low labor costs and strong work ethic could create revivals in cities such as Hutchinson, Hays, Great Bend, Dodge City and Pittsburg, he said.

Hill’s prediction could also be stretched to include more of southeast Kansas, including Coffeyville, Iola and Chanute, where there is a long history of manufacturing strength. 

But, as Iola’s last three decades seem to show, the creation of industrial jobs does not automatically mean an increase in population.

Manufacturing in the U.S. today contributes about 10 percent to the nation’s economy. No one is predicting that percentage will increase substantially. 

Growth occurs where the high wage workers in service industries are employed. Those businesses, by their very nature, create and strengthen population centers. In Kansas, those centers include Johnson County and the rest of Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita and the university towns. 

To make these observations is not to dismiss the importance of rural America to the nation’s health and welfare. Agriculture is well into an economic revival that promises to be long-lasting and pervasive. Kansas should seize on that fact and find ways to capitalize on it. But let’s not fool ourselves. The days when there was a family on every 120 acres are not coming back. Agriculture will play an increasingly important role in the Kansas economy but cannot be expected to alter population trends.

THE LESSON for Iola to learn is that we should concentrate on making Iola better rather than bigger. We have a good start in that direction. Our new hospital, reinforced by a vibrant corps of health care professionals, will provide the best in health care and make Iola stronger. Our community college excels. The Bowlus Fine Arts Center is a regional standout. Our public schools deserve strong community support as the foundation of every new generation.

When Iola becomes an even more exciting, fulfilling place to live, work and raise kids it will stop losing population and begin to grow again. Only Iolans can make that happen.

— Emerson Lynn, jr.


Davis takes Whitworth Memorial

HUMBOLDT —  Humboldt Speedway saw plenty of racing action over the Memorial Day Weekend.

The track had its regular racing program on Friday. Then came the fifth annual Dewaine Whitworth Memorial Sunday featuring the USRA vs. NCRA Modified Shootout.

This year’s bragging rights went to the NCRA. Tanner Davis, who races in NCRA sanctioned races, came through with the victory. The Haysville driver got past Marc Hurd of Wichita to claim the checkered flag in the Shootout.

Hurd ran second. Johnny Bone Jr. of Pea Ridge, Ark., finished third followed by Tanner Mullins of Wichita and Nathan Mayes of Springdale, Ark.

The other big news out of the Hummer is the return of the Lucas Oil MLRA Dirt Late Models to Humboldt this Friday.  It is the first time the series has competed at Humboldt since the 2003.

This Friday the B-Mods will take a break from regular season action as the Late Models come in to the Speedway. 

“I’m so excited to be racing at Humboldt again,” said MLRA promoter Harriett Chancellor.

“We have heard about all the wonderful improvements Ron Whitworth and his wife Rhenda have made to the facility, it will be a special race this season for sure.”

Back to last weekend’s action —

On Sunday, David Matlock picked up his first factory stock feature win of the season. Jeff Douty crossed the finish line in second place followed by Dale Price, Brandon Weide and Rick Aiello.

In B-Mod feature race action, Jeremy Chambers made it two-for-two in back-to-back nights at the Speedway. Chambers went wire-to-wire for the win Sunday after winning the B-Mod race in Friday’s regular show.

Tim VanGotten placed second in Sunday’s B-Mod feature. Mike Higley was third and Jimmie Davis ran fourth. Ethan Isaacs finished fifth.

Derek Michael won Sunday’s pure stock feature. Jeremy Willard pushed Michael hard but settled for runner-up. Jared Hayden, Levi Hauserman and Ryan Smith rounded out the top five.

ON FRIDAY, Patrick Kay and Ethan Lamons staged a tremendous race to the finish in the factory stock feature. The two drivers were dead-even on the back straight of the final lap.

Coming off the No. 4 turn, Lamons had the lead. Halfway to the checkered flag, Kay found another gear to his car and edged Lamons at the finish line.

It was Kay’s first feature win of the season. Daryl Drake crossed the line in third place followed by David Matlock and Derek Yocham.

Johnny Bone Jr. waited to make his move from the pack then ran down race-leader Justin Folk. Folk took the lead early but Bone made his move and gained the front spot. He never gave it up.

Folk finished second in the modified feature. John Allen was third followed by Tanner Mullins and Randy Zimmerman.

Tyler Kidwell has the hot car in the pure stock division. He racked up another feature win Friday followed by Derek Michael. Levi Phillips was third followed by Ryan Smith and Mike Churning.

Chambers won the USRA B-Mod feature race Friday. Curt Drake, who drew the outside pole spot, finished second and Tim VanGotten was third. Jeremy Wilson placed fourth and Jimmie Davis was fifth.

Humboldt Speedway

Race Results

Friday, May 25, 2012

Whitworth Construction 

Pure Stock

HEAT 1 — Tyler Kidwell, Bryon Wunschell, Mike Churning, Stetson Deets, Derek Michael, George Reimer, Donnie Devers, Travis Barker

HEAT 2 — Levi Phillips, Mike Aiello, Tony Morris, Danah Hampton, Timothy Beth, Floyd Taggart, Ryan Smith

FEATURE — Tyler Kidwell, Derek Michael, Levi Phillips, Ryan Smith, Mike Churning, Bryon Wunschel, Danah Hampton, Tony Morris, Stetson Deets, Timothy Beth, George Reimer, Travis Barker, Donnie Devers, Mike Aiello

Factory Stock

HEAT 1 — Scott Stuart, Ethan Lamons, Steve Stuart, Brandon Weide, David Matlock, Derryl Aiello, William Joyce

HEAT 2 — Derrek Wilson, Rick Aiello, Derek Yocham, Patrick Kay, Daryl Drake, Jarrid Johnson

FEATURE — Patrick Kay, Ethan Lamons, Daryl Drake, David Matlock, Derek Yocham, Rick Aiello, Jarrid Johnson, Derrek Wilson, Brandon Weide, Derryl Aiello, William Joyce, Steve Stuart, Scott Stuart

Ray’s Metal Depot

USRA B-Mod

HEAT 1 — Jeremy Chambers, Tim VanGotten, Riley Whitworth, Kenny Shaw, Andy Bryant, Leon Bash, Steven Trester

HEAT 2 — Curt Drake, Jimmie Davis, Jeremy Wilson, David Mason, Brandon Jones, Jack Knauss, Mike Letterman

FEATURE — Jeremy Chambers, Curt Drake, Tim VanGotten, Jeremy Wilson, Jimmie Davis, Riley Whitworth, Brandon Jones, Steven Trester, Kenny Shaw, Mike Letterman, David Mason, Andy Bryant, Leon Bash, Jack Knauss

USRA Modified

HEAT 1 — Dustin Campbell, Randy Zimmerman, Dennis Bishop, Dalton Kirk, Cody Schniepp, Allan Broers, Jessy Willard

HEAT 2 — Justin Folk, Tanner Mullens, Bryce Schniepp, Gene Hogan, Cole Becker, Brian Bolin, Rodney Sigg

HEAT 3 — Johnny Bone Jr., John Allen, Chase Sigg, Scott Daniels, Jess Folk Jr., JR Sandlion

FEATURE — Johnny Bone Jr., Justin Folk, John Allen, Tanner Mullens, Randy Zimmerman, Jess Folk Jr., Dustin Campbell, Scott Daniels, Cody Schniepp, Dennis Bishop, Chase Sigg, Jessy Willard, JR Sandlion, Cole Becker, Gene Hogan, Brian Bolin, Bryce Schniepp, Allan Broers, Dalton Kirk

Race Results

Sunday, May 27, 2012 

Dewaine Whitworth Memorial

Whitworth Construction

 Pure Stock

HEAT 1 — Jeremy Willard, Tyler Kidwell, Robert Shaughnessy, Tony Morris, Danah Hampton, Levi Hauserman

HEAT 2 — Derek Michael, Rob Hull, Jaden Hayden, Ryan Smith, Mike Aiello

FEATURE — Derek Michael, Jeremy Willard, Jared Hayden, Levi Hauserman, Ryan Smith, Tony Morris, Robert Shaughnessy, Danah Hampton, Rob Hull, Tyler Kidwell, Mike Aiello

Factory Stock

HEAT 1 — Scott Stuart, Chris Weldon, Brennan Harp, Todd Kidwell, David Matlock, William Joyce

HEAT 2 — Brandon Tindle, Rick Aiello, Jeff Douty, Dale Price, Brandon Weide, Derek Yocham, Jarrid Johnson, Tommy Joyce, Ethan Lamons

FEATURE — David Matlock, Jeff Douty, Dale Price, Brandon Weide, Rick Aiello, Derek Yocham, Todd Kidwell, Brennan Harp, William Joyce, Jarrid Johnson, Tommy Joyce, Scott Stuart, Chris Weldon, Brandon Tindle 

Ray’s Metal Depot 

USRA B-Mod

HEAT 1 — Riley Whitworth, Mike Higley, Jerry Brown, Jimmie Davis, Jake Richards, Jeremy Wilson, Jim Pearcy, Josh Schooler

HEAT 2 — Tim VanGotten, Jeremy Chambers, Curt Drake, Ethan  Isaacs, Mike Letterman, Seth Schroer, Jon Westhoff, Andy Bryant

FEATURE — Jeremy Chambers, Tim VanGotten, Mike Higley, Jimmie Davis, Ethan Isaacs, Jake Richards, Curt Drake, Riley Whitworth, Jeremy Wilson, Seth Schroer, Jim Pearcy, Jerry Brown, Andy Bryant, Jon Westhoff, Josh Schooler, Mike Letterman

USRA Modified

HEAT 1 — Josh Lanterman, Bryon Rigsby, Tyler Davis, Justin Folk, Chase Sigg, Dustin Belcher, Dan Powers, AJ Brochu, Kevin Newell, Dennis Bishop

HEAT 2 — Marc Hurt, Dalton Kirk, John Allen, Mickey Lassiter, Jessy Willard, Ryan McAninch, Randy Zimmerman, Robbie Simmons, Brian Franz

HEAT 3 — Thomas Tillison Jr., Jess Folk Jr., Tanner Mullens, Nathan Mayes, Kirby Robe, Jon Thompson, Gene Hogan, JR Sandlion, Jimmie Hobbs

HEAT 4 — Johnny Bone Jr., Scott Daniels, Jeremy Rasmussen, Don Hodge, Jim Johnson, Ryan Phillips, Kirk Coleman, Justin Moler, Paul Snyder

C FEATURE — Kirby Robe, Dustin Belcher, Ryan McAninch, Jon Thompson, Randy Zimmerman, Brian Franz, Kirk Coleman, Robbie Simmons, Gene Hogan, Justin Moler, Dan Powers, Kevin Newell, Jimmie Hobbs, AJ Brochu, Dennis Bishop, JR Sandlion

B FEATURE — Scott Daniels, Nathan Mayes, Don Hodge, Justin Folk, Mickey Lassiter, Jess Folk Jr., Brian Franz, Jessy Willard, Chase Sigg, Jim Johnson, Ryan Phillips, Kirby Robe, Dustin Belcher, Jon Thompson, Gene Hogan, Kirk Coleman, Ryan McAninch, Justin Moler, Robbie Simmons, Randy Zimmerman

A FEATURE — Tyler Davis, Marc Hurd, Johnny Bone Jr., Tanner Mullens, Nathan Mayes, Brian Franz, Don Hodge, Scott Daniels, Thomas Tillison Jr., Jim Johnson, Dalton Kirk, Mickey Lassiter, Josh Lanterman, Jeremy Rasmussen, Justin Folk, John Allen, Chase Sigg, Jess Folk Jr., Jessy Willard, Bryon Rigsby

Games begin

Josie Plumlee of Community National Bank fouls off this pitch in her first at bat of the season in Iola Pixie League play at Riverside Park Tuesday night. Youth summer softball, baseball and T-Ball leagues begin seasons this week and next week.