Doug and Linda Leonard

The children of Doug and Linda Leonard will host an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Humboldt United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall to help the couple celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

Doug Leonard, son of Calvin and Bessie, and Linda McCall, daughter of Gerald and Marjorie, were married Jan. 26, 1969, at the Humboldt United Methodist Church.

The Rev. Charles Minsch officiated the ceremony. Bridesmaids were Suzanne Stanley, Ginger Jensen and Bonnie Bradbury. Groomsmen were the late Gary Leonard, the late Bob Harwood and Bill Ellis.

After getting married, the Leonards lived in Pittsburg and Fredonia before moving to Humboldt.

Doug is a retired Humboldt High School math instructor and volleyball coach. Linda is a retired Monarch Cement executive assistant.

Both are members of the Humboldt United Methodist Church, where Linda serves as church secretary. She also is active in Chapter A.M., P.E.O. and GALS FCE. Doug still raises cattle.

The Leonards have two children, daughter Christy and husband Kyle Seufert, Humboldt, and Steven and wife Camille Leonard, Iola; and five grandsons, Tyler and Zach Korte, Cal and Mac Leonard and Riley Seufert.

They have cheered on their grandsons in football, basketball and baseball, wearing both orange and black for their Cub grandsons and blue and gold for their Mustang grandsons.

Letter to the editor — January 4, 2019

Dear editor,

As we get into year 2019, here are a few of my random thought concerning life in Iola and Allen County:

• In my opinion, the number one problem in Iola is affordable housing. The old, worn out houses get condemned and torn down, opening up more vacant lots. They bring in very little taxes. It will take some thinking “out of the box” to come to some solutions. Can Habitat for Humanity build a few houses? Can the trade school choose some of the structurally sound houses and bring them up to code?

• Some years ago, Allen County prisoners were kept busy doing some maintenance such as raking leaves and cutting grass. Has the ever-present danger of lawsuits or other reasons ruled this out? I would think it would be preferable to sitting in a jail cell watching TV and waiting for the next meal.

• A lot of citizens display the American flag to show their patriotism, which is fine. However, if they are displayed outside after dark, they must be adequately illuminated.

• The animal control officer needs to patrol frequently in winter when it is below freezing to identify dogs that don’t have a proper dog house and drinking water that is not frozen. As I write this, I hear two neighborhood dogs barking. Maybe they are just lonely. 

• The citizens of Iola need to make sure they have a house number displayed in a standard spot and in a contrasting color on the front of their house. Addresses are hard to find if there is no number or one can’t be found.

• In the summer, streets get repaved, raising the elevation a few inches. However, the manhole covers are not raised. This causes a “manmade pothole” a few inches deep. Can’t the city come up to a solution to this annoyance?

• Who is responsible for picking up dead animals in Iola’s streets? It’s mostly dead squirrels, sometimes opossums. Last I looked, there was a dead skunk on State Street.

• The county seems to have no problems getting candidates to run for county commissioner positions. Could it be that they are well paid for their services? Maybe the city should return to the subject of paying city council members, maybe so much per attended meeting.

• Lastly, the county has an impressive amount of money in their account and more will come when the wind farm starts paying $250,000 per year for 10 years and then starts paying property taxes. This is on top of Enbridge pipeline money. This money should be prioritized and used for public good such as rebuilding county roads and bridges. Talk to other counties that have large infrastructure projects and see what they are doing.

An interested citizen,

 

Paul L. Zirjacks,

Iola, Kan.

Police reports

Arrests reported

Joseph Wehmeier, 29, Topeka, was arrested Tuesday afternoon for suspicion of possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia after Iola police officers were called to a welfare check in the 400 block of Eisenhower Drive.

Officers arrested Terrell Smith, 22, rural Iola, for suspicion of possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia, interfering with law enforcement and being a pedestrian under the influence of drugs or alcohol in the 800 block of East Madison Avenue.

 

Wallet stolen

Angel Kilbury told police Tuesday somebody entered her home in the 500 block of South Buckeye Street and stole a wallet.

Rolene Goodno

Rolene Louise Goodno (Regan), age 67, died Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019, at KU Medical Center. She was born on Sept. 15, 1951 in Fort Scott, daughter of Clyde and Marie Goodno and sister of Fred Goodno. She graduated from Uniontown High School in 1969.

Rolene grew up on a farm northwest of Uniontown, and farm-life was integral to who she was. She met and married David Regan, and they raised their sons on the same farm that her and Fred grew up on. She loved gardening, hunting morel mushrooms, riding horses, fishing, sewing, cooking, and later being “Mimi” to her five grandkids. 

Most of Rolene’s professional life revolved around her nursing career. Starting in her mid-20s, she began working in healthcare, then after putting her career on hold to raise her sons through childhood, she graduated from Fort Scott Community College Nursing School in 1995. She worked at Allen County Hospital in Iola from 1995 to 2010.  

Survivors include her brother Fred and Fred’s companion Martha of LaHarpe; three sons, Josh Regan and wife, Nikki, Fort Scott, Andrew Regan of Salina, and Caleb Regan and wife Gwen, Lawrence; five grandchildren, Elliana, Myla, David, Jack and Sawyer Regan. She was preceded in death by her parents and companion Glen Driskel.

There was cremation. Fr. Robert Wachter will conduct Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church. Burial will follow in the Bronson Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to St. Mary’s Catholic School and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Fort Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guest book at cheneywitt.com.

Court report

DISTRICT COURT

Judge Daniel Creitz

Civil cases filed:

State of Kansas ex rel DCF vs. Andrew F. See, other domestic

Seth C. Brand vs. Katie L. Brand, divorce

State of Kansas ex rel DCF vs. Cassondra E. Geisler, other domestic

State of Kansas ex rel DCF vs. Olivia McCullough, other domestic

Kristen A. Miller vs. Zachary D. Hutton, paternity

State of Kansas ex rel DCF vs. Madeline N. Pace, other domestic

 

MAGISTRATE COURT

Judge Tod Davis

Convicted of no seat belt and fined $30:

Eytan Gill, Papillion, Neb.

Convicted of speeding:

Gage M. Cleaver, Iola, 74/55, $207

Jessica M. Shapico, Fort Scott, 77/55, $231

Tyson R. Hammer, Kellyville, Okla., 85/65, $213

Bennie K. Lafoe, Amsterdam, Mo., 90/65, $258

Tyler W. Spychalski, Grove, Okla., 85/65, $201

Loretta C. Mark, Diboll, Texas, 82/65, $195

Cheyanne B. Woltkamp, Kansas City, Kan., 79/65 $177

Troy L. West, Kingwood, Texas, 65/55, $153

Michael D. Edwards, Papillion, Neb., 75/65, $153

Haleigh R. Fleeman, Fort Scott, 85/65, $213

Christie R. Rozell, Kansas City, Kan., 85/65, $213

Clint J. McFadden, Valley Center, 75/65, $153

Convicted as follows:

Jesse J. Vail, Elsmore, driving while a habitual violator, $858

Jared D. Prough, Parsons, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while suspended, 75/65, $1,093

Andrea Northcutt, Iola, expired tag, $228

Jack A. Hartgraves Jr., Severy, failure to yield, $183

Casen S. Barker, Colony, basic rule governing speed of vehicles, $183

Larry W. Smith, Mound City, no Kansas registration permit, $228

Cases deferred with fines assessed:

Kylie P. Lawrence, Lee’s Summit, Mo., possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of alcohol by a minor, $723

Failed to appear:

David L. Gomez, Wylie, Texas, 75/65

Michael D. Moore, Pittsburg, expired registration, expired driver’s license

Criminal cases filed:

Misty D. Beatty, Iola, domestic battery

Dustin K. Meek, Iola, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia

Derick Peterson, Iola, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia

Devin L. Aiello, LaHarpe, aggravated endangering a child, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia

McKenzie J. Murry, Iola, aggravated endangering a child, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia

Orval D. Murry, Iola, distribution of methamphetamine, aggravated endangering a child, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia

Anthony Wickey, Iola, violation of a protective order

Tiffany J. Edwards, Fredonia, aggravated false impersonation, driving while suspended, circumvention of ignition interlock

Samuel Garza, Iola, theft by deception

Leo A. Bass, Iola, battery on a law enforcement officer

Jason A. Glukowsky, Iola, domestic battery

Joel D. Dickerson, Humboldt, domestic battery

Chandler Broughton, Iola, purchase or consumption of alcohol by a minor

Ryan A. Geiler, Iola, purchase or consumption of alcohol by a minor

Timothy L. Toumberlin III, Iola, domestic battery

Craig Strunk, Colony, battery, furnishing alcohol to a minor, unlawfully hosting minors consuming alcohol

Lester O. Walker, Uniontown, violation of a protective order

Jamie A. Adair, LaHarpe, four counts of cruelty to animals

Shannon Y. Walton, Toronto, theft by deception, mistreatment of a dependent adult

Contract cases filed:

Johnson Schowengerdt, PA vs. Jeffrey Wilson

Small Claims filed:

Betty L. Stanley vs. William J. Stanley

New governor to replace DCF chief; grants on hold

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov.-elect Laura Kelly announced Thursday that she will replace the top administrator at Kansas’ troubled child welfare agency and successfully pushed the departing leader to put new, major grants to private contractors on hold.

Kelly is a critic of the grants from the Department for Children and Families to five nonprofit organizations, committing to higher spending on services for troubled families and abused and neglected children in foster care. Kelly, a veteran state senator, has long been a key player in state budget debates; the department announced the four-year grants just days before Kelly’s election in November, and they were to take effect July 1.

Kelly takes office Jan. 14. Departing Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer and some GOP lawmakers credit Meier-Hummel with improving the department and the child foster care system. Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning, an Overland Park Republican, said he had hoped Kelly would keep Meier-Hummel on.

But Kelly announced Thursday that she would appoint Laura Howard as both interim DCF secretary and interim secretary for the Department for Aging and Disability Services. Howard is director of the Public Management Center at the University of Kansas but is a former administrator for state and federal social services agencies.

Kelly also issued a blistering statement calling the grants “essentially no-bid contracts,” questioning their legality and promising they would be reviewed. Kelly said she contacted the organizations to ask them to avoid spending state dollars until further notice.

“Despite our best efforts during the transition, accurate and forthright information from current DCF leadership was hard to come by,” Kelly said in a statement.

Department employees investigate allegations of abuse and neglect and recommend to judges whether children should be removed from their homes, but private contractors provide assistance to troubled families, manage foster children’s cases, provide them with services and get them placed in foster homes.

The department used a new process for awarding the new grants that removed oversight from the state Department of Administration and gave DCF more control. Kelly said it “has not been transparent.”

Meier-Hummel responded three hours later in her own, lengthy statement defending the department’s work during her yearlong tenure and confirming that the grants had been put on hold. Meier-Hummel said the department had been “fully transparent and forthcoming” with Kelly’s transition team, whose advisers include Howard.

Under the grants, the state would spend a total of $245 million on foster care services during the budget year beginning July 1. That would be an increase of $35 million, or 17 percent.

In recent years, the department has faced questions about several high-profile deaths of abused children after DCF was alerted to problems. Until September, some children in state custody slept overnight in foster care contractors’ offices, including a 13-year-old girl who in May was raped in an office by an 18-year-old man also in state custody.

“These new grants are necessary to improve child welfare in Kansas and are in the absolute best interest for Kansas children and families,” Meier-Hummel said in her statement.

Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican, said the department was making progress in addressing its problems under Meier-Hummel.

“That’s a hard agency, a very difficult agency, to manage,” said Denning, the Senate majority leader. “I was hoping she would be given a little more runway to prove herself.”

Denning also said Kelly is signaling that she could attempt to cancel the grants.

Kelly’s appointment of a single interim secretary for two departments also suggests that she might merge the agencies, said Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat. Together, the departments have an annual budget of $2.6 billion and more than 5,000 employees.

Howard was the expert on social services programs on the Legislature’s nonpartisan research staff before working as a state social services administrator and regional official for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“She has a vast knowledge and experience in the social service field,” Hensley said.

What a view

The setting sun illuminated a low layer of clouds in spectacular fashion Wednesday evening west of LaHarpe. 

Higher education issues surface

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Kansas Gov.-elect Laura Kelly says she’s aware the state may need to help higher education institutions but has more pressing issues she needs to focus on during her first legislative session.

“We’re going to have to deal with situations in the state in a sort of triage approach, where we go after the critical issues first,” Kelly said, listing K-12 education funding, Medicaid expansion, infrastructure and the state’s foster care program as the main issues. “I’m fully aware of the needs for higher education and we will be reviewing those and doing what we can.”

Under Republican former Gov. Sam Brownback, higher education saw its budget slashed by $30.7 million. Lawmakers restored $6 million of that in 2017 and another $15 million in May. But despite the partial restoration of funding, the University of Kansas announced it would need to make a $20 million cut from its own budget, the Lawrence Journal-World reports .

Kelly, who will be inaugurated on Jan. 14, said she’s aware morale seems to be low at the university because of the proposed budget cuts and ensuing layoffs.

“Higher education has not been immune to the damage that has been done over the past several years,” Kelly said, referring to the state’s budget crisis during Brownback’s tenure.

She said government can help by passing a balanced budget and reinstating an executive order that provides state workers with protections from job discrimination based on sexual orientation or identity, she said.

“I think that will send a message to other states that Kansas is open and we are friendly and this is a place you’ll want to consider,” she said of the LGBT protection order. “Those are the types of things that can help the university and its morale.”

She said that increasing enrollment also would help and noted that foreign student enrollment is down.

“I think that’s a lot because families in other countries see the United States as an unfriendly place at the moment, so they are sending their kids to Canada or London.”

They’ll see us on the dark side of the moon

BEIJING (AP) — China’s burgeoning space program achieved a first today: a landing on the so-called dark side of the moon.

Three nations — the United States, the former Soviet Union and more recently China — have sent spacecraft to the near side of the moon, which faces Earth, but this landing is the first-ever on the far side.

The China National Space Administration said the 10:26 a.m. touchdown of the Chang’e 4 craft has “opened up a new chapter in human lunar exploration.”

A photo taken at 11:40 a.m. and sent back by Chang’e 4 shows a small crater and a barren surface that appears to be illuminated by a light from the lunar explorer. Its name comes from that of a Chinese goddess who, according to legend, has lived on the moon for millennia.

The landing highlights China’s growing ambitions to rival the U.S., Russia and Europe in space, and more broadly, to cement the nation’s position as a regional and global power.

“The space dream is part of the dream to make China stronger,” President Xi Jinping said in 2013, shortly after becoming China’s leader.

In year-end wrap-ups, Chinese media and officials hailed the Dec. 8 launch of Chang’e 4 as one of the nation’s major achievements in 2018. The landing today was announced to the public by state broadcaster CCTV at the top of the noon news.

“On the whole, China’s space technology still lags behind the West, but with the landing on the far side of the moon, we have raced to the front,” said Hou Xiyun, a professor at Nanjing University’s school of astronomy and space science.

He added that China has Mars, Jupiter and asteroids in its sights: “There’s no doubt that our nation will go farther and farther.”

In 2013, Chang’e 3, the predecessor craft to the current mission, made the first moon landing since the former Soviet Union’s Luna 24 in 1976. The United States is the only country that has successfully sent a person to the moon, though China is considering a crewed mission too.

For now, it plans to send a Chang’e 5 probe to the moon next year and have it return to Earth with samples — also not done since the Soviet mission in 1976.

The moon’s far side isn’t always dark but is sometimes called the dark side because it faces away from Earth and is relatively unknown. It has a different composition than the near side, where previous missions have landed.

Chang’e 4, a combined lander and rover, will make astronomical observations and probe the structure and mineral composition of the terrain above and below the surface.

“The far side of the moon is a rare quiet place that is free from interference from radio signals from Earth,” mission spokesman Yu Guobin said, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. “This probe can fill the gap of low-frequency observation in radio astronomy and will provide important information for studying the origin of stars and nebula evolution.”

One challenge of operating on the far side of the moon is communicating with Earth. China launched a relay satellite in May so that Chang’e 4 can send back information.

China conducted its first crewed space mission in 2003, becoming only the third country to do so after Russia and the U.S. It has put a pair of space stations into orbit and plans to launch a Mars rover in the mid-2020s. Its space program suffered a rare setback last year with the failed launch of its Long March 5 rocket.

Wu Weiren, the chief designer of the China Lunar Exploration Project, called the landing a trailblazing milestone.

“Building a space power is a dream that we persistently pursue,” he said in an interview with CCTV at the Beijing Aerospace Flight and Control Center. “And we’re gradually realizing it.”

Zackery Vaughn-Moss

Zackery “Cheech” Russel Vaughn-Moss, passed away tragically at the young age of 24, on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019.

He is survived by his wife Caressa Vaughn; children Asa, Pexleigh, Elias, Adrian and Skyla; his parents Jeremy Moss, Anna Vaughn and stepparents Deana Bell-Moss, and Russell Johnson; many grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

Zackery will always be remembered for his kind heart, towards those in need, and would give the shirt off his back for anyone who needed it.

A celebration of his life will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Iola First Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, please donate to his family’s GoFundMe, or NAMI, southeast Kansas chapter.