Geri Myers, 83, Iola, died Monday, Dec. 31, 2018, at Allen County Regional Hospital, Iola. She was born Feb. 28, 1935, in Riceville, Iowa, to Walter Arndt and Mary (Wiepert) Arndt.
She married James A. Myers on April 12, 1955, in Osage, Iowa.
Survivors include a son, James Myers, Iola; a daughter, Jackie Thompson, Iola; and other relatives.
A graveside inurnment service will be at 11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 12, at Highland Cemetery, 1800 N. Cottonwood St., Iola.
Arrests reported
Iola police officers arrested Donald Maurice Leapheart, 35, Iola, for suspicion of driving while suspended (third offense) Friday in the 800 block of North Chestnut Street.
Wendy Ballinger, 58, Bronson, was arrested Dec. 27 for suspicion of possessing marijuana after officers were called to a disturbance in the 1000 block of North Cottonwood Street.
Citation issued
Carmen Patterson, 32, Iola, was cited Monday evening for suspicion of allowing a dog to run at large in the 500 block of North Walnut Street.
Vehicle struck
Michael G. Cooper, 67, was northbound in the A&W parking lot, 1421 East St., Dec. 26 when he struck a parked vehicle owned by Kimberlynn Cooper.
Lawn tractor taken
John M. Sigg told Iola police officers Monday afternoon somebody entered his garage in the 500 block of North Chestnut Street and stole a 36-inch riding John Deere lawn tractor. An investigation continues.
Money taken
Stacy Sprague, Kincaid, told police officers Dec. 26 she had left her wallet at Iola Walmart, where somebody found it and returned it. However, $1,200 was taken before it was returned, officers said.
Fitbit stolen
Sarah Flynn, 34, reported Monday a Fitbit Versa health monitoring wristband and medication were stolen from her residence in the 200 block of North Elm Street. A suspect was identified.
Fuel taken
Employees at Pump N Petes reported Sunday a customer drove off without paying for fuel at 709 N. State St.
Laser lights lifted
Brian Fees told police officers Dec. 26 somebody stole a pair of laser light displays from his yard in the 400 block of South Jefferson Avenue. The lights were valued at $20 apiece.
Resignation complicates wind farm plans
ERIE The apparent resignation of a county commissioner could complicate a wind development project in Neosho County, according to The Chanute Tribune. Jennifer Orr, who has not attended meetings since November because of her job, said she plans to resign at the end of January but has not made proper notification to the state. Opponents of a wind farm asked for a special meeting so Orr could be present to vote on the project, possibly to break a tie between the other two commissioners.
Gas company to replace pipelines
WELDA The Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline plans a $141 million project to replace two 30-plus mile pipelines with a single line, according to The Anderson County Review. The company will abandon two smaller lines 20-inch and 26-inch pipelines from Ottawa to Welda and construct a single, 36-inch pipeline. An application was filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in December.
K-9 joins Labette Sheriffs Dept.
OSWEGO A 2-year-old Dutch shepherd has joined the Labette County Sheriffs Department, The Parsons Sun reported. Gustaw partners with Deputy Charles Brown; the department has another K-9 unit, a 3-year-old German shepherd named Memphis and his partner, Deputy Tony Adams. Gustaw is from Poland and trained in Texas. He can sniff out marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and ecstasy. He also tracks.
Erie man arrested after chase
An Erie man led law enforcement officers on a two-day car chase through multiple counties, The Wilson County Citizen reported. The incident began the evening of Dec. 19 in Parsons, when police were called to a report of a possible kidnapping with children involved. They attempted to pull over a red pickup but the driver fled into rural Labette County and back into Parsons. The driver intentionally rammed a Parsons police vehicle and a Labette Sheriffs vehicle. Officers lost sight of the truck until the next morning, when it was spotted coming from an alley with the same driver, who again fled when officers attempted to pull him over. The chase continued into Neosho County and across multiple counties into western Kansas, and ended in Edwards County near Kinsley where the driver, Dakota Demeritt, 24, was arrested. Another Parsons police vehicle was damaged during the second pursuit. The red truck was found to have been stolen.
Animal shelter construction to wrap up soon
CHANUTE Construction is nearly complete on the Castaways Animal Shelter, The Chanute Tribune reported. Major construction is expected to finish by the end of the month, leaving cosmetic work like paint and trim, and installing sinks and toilets. Ground was broken in 2016, with a 12-month financing effort to raise $250,000. The next phase, to set policies and procedures and to create a sustainable organization, is expected to take one to two years.
DODGE CITY, Kan. (AP) A county in western Kansas has paid more than $70,000 so far to a legal firm hired to defend an official who moved Dodge Citys only polling place to outside the iconic Wild West town ahead of the November election.
Ford County paid the Hinkle Law Firm $71,481 in October and November to defend County Clerk Debbie Cox, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported, based on a document it obtained through an open records request.
The American Civil Liberties Union sued Cox in late October after she moved Dodge Citys polling place, citing planned construction at the original site. The ACLU said the location, the Western State Bank Expo Center, a mile from the nearest bus stop was inconvenient for residents of the city, which has a population of 27,000 and is 60 percent Hispanic. Days before the midterm election, a federal judge rejected the ACLUs effort to reopen the original site, but the lawsuit is continuing as the ACLU seeks to ensure Cox opens a second voting location in 2020.
Cox hired attorney Bradley Schlozman, who is well-known in the legal community for defending states and towns accused of trying to restrict voting. She said money for his Wichita-based firm comes from the countys general fund.
ACLU interim executive director Lauren Bonds noted the document obtained by the Capital-Journal shows fees only for October and November.
Ford County Clerk Debbie Cox is using her constituents tax dollars to pay her lawyer rather than expand their access to voting, Bonds said. Cox has repeatedly argued that Ford County couldnt afford to open additional polling locations, but it seems to us that $70,000 could easily cover the costs associated with additional poll workers and materials.
Schlozman said in a statement that taxpayers should be upset with the ACLU for the continuing legal costs.
It is a bit audacious for the ACLU to file a frivolous lawsuit against Ford County, predicated on allegations that are little more than patronizing stereotypes and abject condescension, and then criticize the county for having the temerity to defend itself with experienced election law counsel, Schlozman said.
In a brief filed Wednesday in federal court, Schlozman argued that Cox has made it clear she intends to open at least two polling sites for future elections in Dodge City, beginning with 2019 local elections, and she doesnt intend to use the Western State Bank Expo Center as a polling place again.
Johnny Dunlap, a Dodge City resident and member of Ford County Democrats, said he would like to see several polling locations for the citys estimated 13,000 registered voters. The average Kansas polling site serves 1,200 voters.
We have a majority-minority Hispanic population that is not being represented, that is not participating, and I think that whether or not that was done intentionally, the end result was the same we dont have people participating who should be and the current county clerk or administration or whoever is responsible doesnt seem to be interested in changing that, he said.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) Krispy Kreme has stepped in to comfort Kentucky police officers mourning the loss of a doughnut truck that caught fire.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the company and a police escort delivered dozens of doughnuts to the city police department Wednesday afternoon.
Officer Kyle Mounce says no one was injured when a Krispy Kreme truck caught fire in the city on Monday, but the trucks doughnuts were ruined. The fires cause was unclear as of Monday.
Lexington police shared posts on social media of the burned truck and officers jokingly mourning the loss.
The posts were widely shared online and police departments across the country offered their condolences. The chief marketing officer for Krispy Kreme, Dave Skena, says the company wanted to comfort the department in their time of sorrow.
WASHINGTON (AP) Nancy Pelosi knew this moment would come, even if others had their doubts or worked to stop her.
Pelosi is poised to be elected today as House speaker, the only woman who has held the office and now one of few elected officials who will be returning to it. The last time a speaker regained the gavel was more than a half-century ago.
The California Democrat has spent her political career being underestimated, only to prove the naysayers wrong. In this case, it was by winning back the Democratic majority and amassing the votes for the speakers job.
In accepting the gavel, Pelosi will give a nod to the new era of divided government with a pledge to reach across the aisle in this chamber and across the divisions in this great nation, according to excerpts of her prepared remarks today.
The floor of this House must be Americas Town Hall: where the people will see our debates and where their voices will be heard and affect our decisions, she says.
In previewing Democratic priorities, she talks about lowering health care costs, investing in green infrastructure and restoring integrity to government.
We must be champions of the middle class and all those who aspire to it because the middle class is the backbone of democracy, she says.
Pelosi remains a highly polarizing figure, vilified by Republicans as a San Francisco liberal and a caricature of big government. But she is also a mother of five and a grandmother of nine who has shattered glass ceilings to become one of the most powerful politicians of the 21st century.
With President Donald Trump in the White House and Republicans still controlling the Senate, Pelosis return to the speakers office to lead a Democratic majority with its biggest freshmen class since Watergate shakes up the dynamic in Washington even beyond the new era of divided government.
Pelosi has faced pressure from some incoming Democrats who have been willing to talk about the possibility of impeachment proceedings against Trump. Pelosi has called impeachment a divisive activity, and Democrats were cautious about mentioning the I word during the 2018 midterms for fear it would backfire politically.
But Pelosi did not shy away from it today in an interview airing on NBCs Today show.
We shouldnt be impeaching for a political reason, and we shouldnt avoid impeachment for a political reason, she said, adding that she would wait for the findings of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russia meddling in the 2016 election.
Only the House can begin impeachment proceedings. And while Justice Department guidelines suggest a sitting president cant be indicted, Pelosi called that an open discussion.
Everything indicates that a president can be indicted after he is no longer president, she said.
Trump himself has denied any wrongdoing.
Pelosi is one of the few congressional leaders who seem to understand Trump, both being children from famous families now primed for deal-making. Trump appreciates strong characters, and, in perhaps a sign of respect, she is one of the few congressional leaders in Washington he has not given a nickname though he has made her a frequent target.
Pelosis return to the speakers office was not guaranteed. A core group of rank-and-file Democrats has hungered for new leadership, saying its time for a new generation to take the helm. They tired of the Republican attack ads featuring Pelosi that are constantly run against them back home, and they worried she would be a drag on efforts to keep the majority in the next election. They enlisted some of the newcomers from the freshmen class to their ranks to try to stop her from regaining the gavel.
But one by one, Pelosi peeled away the skeptics, flipping no votes to the yes column, sometimes in a matter of days. Some were given lead positions on their legislative priorities, even a gavel of their own to chair special panels.
And Pelosi gave a little, too, promising, at 78, to serve no more than four years in leadership, making way for the next generation.
Its unclear what the final tally will be when votes for speaker are counted today as the first act of the new Democratic majority.
Shell be more than fine, said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the incoming chairman of the Democratic caucus.
Jeffries said when he told his family that, because of his new position, he may be the one to put Pelosis name forward during the nomination proceeding, his youngest son said to him, Dont blow the moment, Dad.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) About three decades ago, a remarkable ecological comeback started in Lawrence, local eagle biologist Mike Watkins said.
For decades, Kansas had not documented a nesting location for bald eagles within its borders. But in 1989, a fisherman reported seeing Americas national bird in the Lawrence area at Clinton Lake.
I was skeptical, said Watkins, who served as a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wildlife biologist at the time. Sure enough, a pair of bald eagles built a nest in some timber that had been flooded (in the lake).
That pair of bald eagles seen in Lawrence was the first the state had recorded since the turn of the 20th century, and the states population of the majestic bird has only grown since, said Watkins, who now tracks eagles for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
2019 will mark the 30th anniversary of bald eagles making a Kansas comeback, growing from the single bald eagle nesting pair in 1989 to 137 active nesting pairs today, Watkins said. Four of those nests are near Clinton Lake.
They are likely year-round because they are seen on and off all summer, Watkins said of the Clinton Lake eagles.
The bald eagle was able to make a comeback in Kansas because of conservation efforts throughout the country, Watkins told the Lawrence Journal-World .
In the 1960s, the bald eagle was close to extinction because of habitat destruction, hunting, and the use of DDT, a pesticide that poisoned their food sources. The bird was named an endangered species in 1967 and the pesticide was also outlawed, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Shortly after, the populations in the U.S. began to grow again and the bald eagle was officially removed from the Endangered Species Act in June 2007.
Additionally, the choice to leave the timber in flooded Kansas reservoirs also helped the birds, as nests were built in them, Watkins said.
Although the bird is no longer listed as an endangered species, it is still protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, a federal law that prohibits the hunting, transportation, possession, sale or purchase of the bird, whether it is dead or alive. The Migratory Bird Treaty and the Lacey Act also provide similar protections for the eagles.
Watkins said the conservation effort was a clear success.
Its an extremely inspiring story to think that the bird was on the endangered species list and they have rebounded well because of the positive things man has done, Watkins said. Its a pretty significant achievement to get a population to rebound.
January is considered the best time to view eagles in Kansas, with many state parks hosting events to learn more and to assist in spotting them in the wild.
In Lawrence, The Jayhawk Audubon Society will host the 23rd annual Kaw Valley Eagles Day on Jan. 19.
The event is free and open to the public.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) Authorities say a New Years Eve reveler accidentally shot himself while preparing to fire a celebratory round in Kansas City, Kansas.
Police Chief Terry Zeigler tweeted that the shooting happened as the victim was getting ready to go out at midnight and fire his .22-caliber handgun. Zeigler says that when he sat the gun down on the couch, he accidentally shot himself in the stomach.
Zeigler says the man is expected to recover. Celebratory gunfire is illegal because of the risk of stray bullets hurting or killing someone.
Whoever came up with the phrase, dont look a gift horse in the mouth surely was thinking of something akin to the offer that Missouri officials are now weighing.
The state and Gov. Mike Parson have until Feb. 21 to decide whether to accept a 144-mile stretch of the old Rock Island rail line running south of Interstate 70. The hiking and biking trail, when completed, would mesh with the nearby Katy Trail to create an unmatched recreational opportunity that would showcase Missouris mid-state beauty.
In fact, Missouri would emerge as the national leader in trail-oriented outdoor recreation, a study by the University of Missouri Extension concluded. The Katy Trail already ranks as the nations longest.
One author of the study that was completed in October for a group advocating for the acquisition said researchers struggled to find any reason to reject the proposal.
We had a hard time coming to any kind of conclusions other than this is kind of a no-brainer, Pat Curry, who co-authored the report, told the Jefferson City News Tribune.
Another advocacy group, the Washington-based Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, calls the proposed donation a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
A no-brainer, indeed. The study reported on the overwhelming support for the idea based on comments filed with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The trail fits the states outdoor recreation plan; its an exceptional economic development opportunity; and the state already has experience developing rail corridors, thanks to the work done completing the much-loved Katy Trail.
Whats more, the report noted, the price is right. To complete the Katy Trail, the state had to purchase much of the land. With the Rock Island, Ameren is willing to donate the property, saving the state millions.
Former Gov. Jay Nixon, an avid outdoorsman, deserves credit for kick-starting this project. He joined with Ameren two years ago to announce the pending transfer of the Rock Island line. The administration of former Gov. Eric Greitens slowed things down shortly after he was elected with a call to study the projects potential costs and benefits.
Meantime, advocacy groups, such as the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, went to work, advocating for the state to accept Amerens offer. According to the extension report, only the Missouri Farm Bureau remains opposed, citing the potential disruption to nearby farms.
State officials are concerned that the cost of developing the new trail would siphon away money for maintenance of the states existing parks. Last year, officials estimated the cost of completing the trail at $65 million to $85 million. But Greg Harris, executive director of Missouri Rock Island Trail Inc., has said that the state could begin with a minimal investment, then work with towns along the corridor to gradually develop the trail over any number of years.
Theres no rush to do any significant development or development at all, Harris said. The most important thing is just accepting it.
Officials maintain that even then, the state would incur significant costs just to keep the trail monitored and safe.
Still, this remains an extraordinary opportunity, and Missouri would be foolhardy to walk away from such an incredible asset. The state already is operating on a year-long extension to consider the donation. It could seek another extension as well.
But, to coin a phrase, why look a gift horse in the mouth?
After a short winter break, the Lady Devils get back into the swing of things today at 2 p.m. when they host Connors State (Okla.).