Holiday favorites remain

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is the highest-charting Billboard Hot 100 holiday hit in 60 years, but Americans still prefer hearing carols such as “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bells,” a new poll shows.

With Christmas next week, 12 percent of Americans named “Silent Night” as their favorite holiday song followed by “Jingle Bells” at 8 percent, according to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The open-ended question showed that “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a fan favorite among holiday films, followed closely by a mix of recent comedies and classics.

Nine percent of respondents listed the 1946 Frank Capra classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” as their favorite film. Jimmy Stewart plays a conscientious family man who faces a seemingly insurmountable debt and attempts to end his life, but is stopped by a guardian angel on Christmas Eve.

“It’s a story of redemption,” said Michael Germana, 65, who called the film his favorite. The California native is also among the 21 percent of adults 60 and older who choose “Silent Night,” which was first performed 200 years ago.

“It’s a song of inclusion,” Germana said. “There’s no strife.”

Americans under 30 are more likely than those older to name “Jingle Bells” (12 percent) and Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” (7 percent) as their favorite.

Carey’s song only trails the 1958 song “The Chipmunk Song” by David Seville as the highest-charting hit on Billboard. Other popular songs on Billboard charts include Kenny G’s “Auld Lang Syne” and “This One’s for the Children” by New Kids on the Block.

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” was named by 3 percent of adults overall, while “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” which has drawn criticism in the #MeToo era and led some stations to stop playing it, was named by 5 percent.

There were more contemporary choices among respondents when it came to film. Seven percent chose 1983’s “A Christmas Story” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” but most people didn’t specify whether they preferred the 1966 animated television special or the 2000 live-action adaption starring Jim Carrey. A computer animated version, “The Grinch” has earned more than $239 million domestically since its early November release.

Six percent selected the 2003 comedy “Elf” starring Will Ferrell, the Chevy Chase-led “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” and “Home Alone,” a 1990 box office hit starring Macaulay Culkin as the burglar-thwarting Kevin McCallister.

Also listed as a favorite by 2 percent of respondents: the 1988 Bruce Willis action film “Die Hard.”

Overall, Seventy movies or Christmas specials and 107 songs were cited as holiday favorites by poll respondents.

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The AP-NORC poll of 1,067 adults was conducted Dec. 13-16 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

Respondents were first selected randomly using address-based sampling methods, and later interviewed online or by phone.

SEK Xmas tree farm to close today

PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — A decades-old Christmas tradition will come to an end this year.

Over the years, many families have visited the Bowen’s Christmas Tree Farm to pick out the perfect tree.

This December will be bittersweet, the ending of the Bowens’ 35-year journey selling Christmas trees.

“We’re going to miss it,” Karen Bowen said to The Morning Sun. “It’s bittersweet and in some respects it’s been very sad and we’ve seen a few tears come.”

It all began in 1984 when Jim and Karen Bowen planted their first tree.

“I talked to a friend of my parents who had a Christmas tree farm in Compton, Kansas,” Karen said. “As we talked about it over lunch, we came home and started mowing the next day.”

Running a Christmas Tree farm wasn’t easy. In the beginning they found out a little too late that the trees should be planted in the spring, not the fall.

The following years they had more and more trees — thousands more, Scotch, Austrian, White Pines, Fraser, Balsam, Douglas Firs. Some of the trees were pre-cut and brought in from other areas because they thrived better in higher altitudes, Jim said, bringing a little piece of Michigan into families’ homes.

“One time we had 6,000 trees growing,” Jim said.

The Fraser Fir was one of the most popular, the couple said.

What people may not know, the Bowens said, is that Christmas trees are crops which need care all year-round. “You can’t see your mistakes for about seven years,” Karen said.

It takes patience and optimism, she said.

Bowen’s Christmas Tree Farm closes today.

Fred Heinz

Frederick Heinz, age 79, passed away Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, at Windsor Place, Iola. Fred was born April 4, 1939, in rural Geneva, to Elton and Mary Heinz.

Fred attended school at Rock Creek, Gas, and Iola. Fred and Patricia M. Ansell were married on Aug. 13, 1956, in Hernando, Miss.

In 1964, Fred loaded his family and they headed to Alaska, where they made their home for over 50 years. They often made trips from Alaska to Kansas to visit family and friends until two years ago when Fred’s health declined and prevented him from making the trips. In 2016, Fred and Pat moved back to Kansas.

Fred worked seven years for General Motors in Kansas City and Nelson Brothers Quarries in LaHarpe, prior to moving to Alaska. In Alaska, he worked numerous jobs including surveying, mechanic, water well drilling, and fuel and lumber hauling. Fred owned and operated school buses, service station, lodge, and a trucking company.

Fred was preceded in death by his parents; two sons, William Heinz and Fred E. Heinz; one daughter-in-law, Janet Heinz; and one brother, Michael Heinz.

Fred is survived by his wife, Pat, of 62 years, Iola; one son, Mark Heinz, Gakona, Alaska; granddaughter, Heather Heinz, Wasilla, Alaska; and sister, Janet Heinz, Peculiar, Mo.

A memorial service honoring Fred’s life will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018, at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel, Iola. A private family inurnment will be held at a later time.

Memorials are suggested to Kindred Hospice, and may be left with Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, Iola, Kansas.

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

Ralph Atzbach

Ralph L. Atzbach, age 76, of Iola, died Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018, at the Life Care Center of Burlington. 

He was born Sept. 3, 1942, in Iola, to Henry Atzbach and Mary (Madison) Atzbach.

He served in the Army National Guard.

He married Deloris Walters on Aug. 30, 1968, in Iola. She preceded him in death.

He also was preceded in death by a daughter, Kasondra Berry.

Survivors include a son, James Atzbach, of Colony; a daughter, Tonya Dobbs, of New Strawn and numerous other relatives.

A visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday in The Venue at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, Iola. A funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel, Iola. Burial will follow in the Logue Cemetery, 339 Xeric Road SE, Le Roy.

Jimmie Stanley

Jimmie J. Stanley, age 90, formerly of Allen County, died Monday, Dec. 17, 2018 in Prescott, Ariz. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019, at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel, 1883 US Hwy. 54, Iola. The family will greet friends at 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Moran Cemetery, Moran, Kansas. A full obituary will be published later. 

Court report

DISTRICT COURT

Judge Daniel Creitz

Civil cases filed:

Christopher B. Jester vs. Brittany Rodgers, divorce

State of Kansas ex rel DCF vs. Andrew R. Ellis, other domestic

New Penn Financial LLC vs. Richard L. Strahl (deceased) and Shirley A. Strahl, mortgage foreclosure

Marriage licenses issued:

Kirk A. Phillips and Valerie K. Vail

 

MAGISTRATE COURT

Judge Tod Davis

Convicted of speeding:

Jayden W. Hall, Iola, 81/65, $189

Zsolt Talata, Lawrence, 84/65, $232

Betsy N. Ogden, Erie, 55/45, $153

Roger L. Lane, Lyndon, 75/65, $153

Zachary Thompson, Erie, 65/55, $153

Marc A. McCully, Frontenac, 75/65, $178

Kyle B. Harrison, Olathe, 37/25, $190

John J. Scheffler, Independence, Mo., 75/65, $153

Dakota L. Oliver, Paola, 75/65, $153

Micah C. King, Cherryvale, 75/65, $153

Colleen S. Estanich, Kansas City, Mo., 75/65, $153

Tiffany D. Young, Kansas City, Mo., 75/65, $153

Tyler A. Paddock, Mound City, 95/55, $453

Travis L. Jensen, Provo, Utah, 92/65, $276

Erica N. Delehanty, Osage Beach, Mo., 71/45, $267

Cori N. Thomas, Naples, Fla., 88/65, $240

Ramin Esfandiary, Overland Park, 82/65, $220

Jaidan M. Quinn, Gardner, 85/65, $213

Oudomvieng Noravong, Merriam, 84/65, $207

Garry E. Daniels, Humboldt, 62/45, $195

Matthew D. McLean, Sr., Beattyville, Ky., 91/65, $267

Convicted as follows:

Oscar Pacheco, Olathe, 83/65, no valid license, $321

Tye M. Taylor, Iola, connecting and safety equipment of towing vehicles, $153

Taylor S. McMurphy, Rich Hill, Mo., over weight limits on wheels and axles, no registration, $704

David L. Stover, Pomona, no registration, $284

Scott V. Pemberton, Prescott over weight limits on wheels and axles, $213

Hannah R. Stepanek, Lee’s Summit, Mo., possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of alcohol by a minor, $723

Tesfu T. Kidane, Sioux Falls, S.D., disobey traffic control device, $183

Xavier J. Cahoone, Ozark, Mo., no registration, $228

Christopher W. Genoble, thet, $1,308

Michael B. Williams, Le Roy, burgarly, possession of methamphetamine,  $2,571

Isaiah N. Seahorn, Leavenworth, possession of drug paraphernalia, $913

Bradlee Burtnett, Gas, assault, criminal damage, $468

Mitchell J. Ewy, Iola, no registration, $228

Ernest C. Harbold, Iola, no insurance, $458

Favela L. Wilfreado, Newport News, Va., failure to yield, no valid license, $303

Lyle L. Hennen, Elsmore, basic rule governing speed of vehicles, $183

Cases deferred with fines assessed:

Savannah D. Williams, Humboldt, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, $1,313

Kamron E. McManus, Coffeyville, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, $823

Dustin W. Jones, Iola, domestic battery, criminal damage, $973

Failed to appear:

Goot-Say-May Johnson, Lawrence, no insurance

Eugene Rainey, Chicago, Ill., no insurance

Sarah D. Swogar, Humboldt, failure to stop at accident

Criminal cases filed:

Zachariah R. Barker, El Dorado, criminal possession of a firearm, circumvention of ignition interlock, driving while suspended, no proof of insurance

Susan L. Springeman, Iola, criminal threat

Richard Mitchell, Savonburg, violation of the Kansas offender registration act

Contract cases filed:

Kings Sandwich Shop vs. Sarah D. Swogar

Midland Funding LLC vs. Julie Seibert

Allen County Hospital vs. Ashlee S. Mathews

Allen County Hospital vs. Betty D. Hunt

Allen County Hospital vs. Christopher M. Norton

Allen County Hospital vs. Irma L. Sides

Allen County Hospital vs. Lisa M. Kilby

Allen County Hospital vs. Richard L. Barnum

Allen County Hospital vs. Lynne N. Allison

Allen County Hospital vs. Charles P. Menzie

Allen County Hospital vs. Catlynn R. Brand

Allen County Hospital vs. Alexis I. Olds

Allen County Hospital vs. Charles E. Murphey

Allen County Hospital vs. Jennifer L. Broockerd

Sigg Financial Services LLC vs. Anthony D. and BreAnna M. Watkins

Ransom Memorial Hospital vs. Susan M. Ornelas

Discover Bank vs. Twyla L. Norman

Synchrony Bank vs. Brenda J. Sekavec

Small Claims filed:

LaHarpe Telephone Company vs. Jason A. and Elizabeth Stokes

LaHarpe Telephone Company vs. Harvley Laver

 

IOLA MUNICIPAL COURT

Judge Patti Boyd

Convicted of speeding:

Jackson C. Chauncy, Chanute, 38/25, $173

Clayton A. Collins, Iola, 40/30, $155

Gerald L. Horn, Iola, 45/25, $215

Olger R. Oliva-Deras, Kansas City, Kan., 42/25, $202

Thomas L. Petersen, Buffalo, Mo., 35/25, $155

Melvia Seymore, Fayetteville, Ga., 36/25, $161

Convicted as follows with fines assessed:

Craigory S. Gibson, Stark, driving while suspended, lighting violation, $435

Tiffany L. Green, Yates Center, pedestrian under the influence, consumption of alcohol, $555

Miguel J. Mendoza, Iola, no driver’s license, $575

Jese R. Murphy, Garnett, theft, $300

Jacob M. Pease, Fort Wayne, Ind., failure to yield, $195

William A. Reynard, Chanute, criminal damage, $315

Angel M. Williams, Chanute, limited time parking zone, $30

John W. Zahm III, Iola, interference with law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct, $535

Area news

Chanute vet retires after 60 years

CHANUTE — Willie the Wildcat, the mascot of Kansas State University, dropped in on a retirement party for Chanute veterinarian Dr. Don McReynolds, The Chanute Tribune reported. McReynolds opened Animal Medical Center in 1958 with K-State classmate Dr. Bill LaRue. McReynolds was in business for 60 years. 

 

Company made headstones for Bush

PARSONS — Wilbert Funeral Services Inc., made the headstone and vault for the final resting place of former President George H.W. Bush, according to The Parsons Sun. The company, formerly Suhor Industries Inc., also made the headstones for former First Lady Barbara Bush and their daughter, Robin, who died at age 3 in 1953. The Parsons plant also manufactured a white cross to match those found in Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in France, because the former president was a World War II veteran. The company also created headstones for President Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy, and for President Gerald Ford. 

Arvin and Kathy Clemans

Arvin and Kathy Clemans will celebrate their 50th anniversary with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 29, at the Calvary United Methodist Fellowship Hall in Iola.

Arvin Clemans, son of the late Earl and Mary Clemans, and Kathy Roe, daughter of Doris and the late William Roe, were married Dec. 28, 1968, at Calvary United Methodist in Iola. The Rev. Bill Deckinger officiated the ceremony.

The couple?s children, Stacey and Jeff Billingsley and Karrie and Kent Brown will host the reception. The Clemans have three grandchildren.

Arvin and Kathy are both retired. Arvin formerly retired from 25 years with Walmart and again after 14 years at (Alco) O?Malley John Deere of Iola. Kathy worked 20 years as a Title I para at McKinley Elementary.

Widow of Dr. Seuss dies

NEW YORK (AP) — Audrey Geisel, the widow of children’s author Dr. Seuss and longtime overseer of his literary estate, has died.

Random House Children’s Books announced that she died Wednesday at age 97. She died “peacefully” at her home in La Jolla, California.

Dr. Seuss, whose real name was Theodor Geisel, died in 1991 and two years later Audrey Geisel founded Dr. Seuss Enterprises. Numerous publishing projects followed, along with the Broadway show “Seussical.” She also served as executive producer for some film adaptations of his work, most recently “The Grinch,” which came out last month.

Plenty at stake as Chiefs visit Seahawks

SEATTLE (AP) — From the time he entered the league in 2012, Russell Wilson for the most part has thrived late in the season with playoff berths or playoff positioning at stake.

What about potential MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes?

For all the brilliance Mahomes has shown this season in leading Kansas City to the cusp of a division title and possibly the No. 1 seed in the AFC, he’s never been in the situation of showing he can win a late-season game in a hostile environment that could ultimately help determine how far the Chiefs go in the postseason.

That unknown about Mahomes makes Sunday night’s matchup with Kansas City visiting Seattle fascinating. Should the second-year quarterback enter one of the most difficult venues in football and come away with a Kansas City victory, Mahomes will have answered those questions and put Kansas City potentially in position to never leave home during the postseason.

But a loss to Seattle and wins by the Chargers and Texans this weekend could put all that in peril for the Chiefs — the division title, home-field advantage and a first-round playoff bye.

“I think the message for the whole team is we’re not satisfied with where we’re at. We wanted to put ourselves in this position, but at the same time, we know we still have a long way to go,” Mahomes said.

“We’re going to keep in that mentality the rest of this season and into the playoffs (of) not being satisfied with just being here. We want to make sure we can go and win the big games whenever we need to.”

Kansas City (11-3) could have made the importance of Sunday’s game significantly less if it could have held on at home last week against the Chargers. But the 29-28 loss to Los Angeles left open the chance Kansas City could miss out on the division title and fall all the way to being a wild-card team depending on how the final two weeks play out.

“You can hang your head and mope and do all those things you want to do, but that doesn’t get anything accomplished,” Kansas City coach Andy Reid said.

“You get in, you learn from it the best you can, and you go do better. That’s the approach I am taking. That is the approach I felt from the guys.”

Seattle (8-6) also had an unexpected thud last week losing in overtime to lowly San Francisco on the road. Ultimately what Wilson and the Seahawks do against Kansas City doesn’t matter in the big picture of Seattle trying to wrap up a wild-card spot in the NFC. A win over Arizona in Week 17 would be enough to put Seattle in the playoffs no matter what happens against the Chiefs.

With losses by either Washington or Minnesota and a win over the Chiefs, the Seahawks would be back in the postseason after missing a year ago. But they know beating the Chiefs won’t be easy.

“They have such a diverse attack that you’ve got to be ready for a lot of stuff. Our guys, they’re up for it, they’re ready for the challenge and all of that,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “We’ve got to do a great job on their really classy receivers. (Travis) Kelce and (Tyreek) Hill are just unbelievably talented guys having great years. So, there’s a lot of issues here. I think our guys will be ready to do this.”

Here’s what else to watch for:

BY COMMITTEE

After leaning heavily on Damien Williams last week, the Chiefs are likely to go with a bigger committee among their running backs especially if Spencer Ware is healthy enough to play. Williams had 123 yards from scrimmage last week, but Ware has proven to be a more durable and consistent runner in the past. Ware missed last week with a hamstring injury.

RUN AWAY

Seattle’s No. 1 ranked rushing attack could end up having a big day against a Chiefs defense that is allowing 5.0 yards per rush. Seattle is averaging 154.9 yards per game on the ground led by Chris Carson, who is coming off a career-high 119 yards last week against the 49ers. Seattle’s running back depth is a question as rookie Rashaad Penny may not be available because of a knee injury and both Carson and backup Mike Davis have been banged up. The Chiefs are averaging 161.3 yards rushing allowed in the past three games.

SACK ATTACK

Kansas City defensive lineman Chris Jones has a sack in 10 straight games, an NFL record. He has 14 for the season. And he may get to pick on a reshuffled Seattle offensive line with D.J. Fluker still dealing with a hamstring injury and backup Jordan Simmons out for the season because of a knee injury suffered last week. The Chiefs are tied for second in the league with 46 sacks.