Europe braces for historic wave of broiling heat

BERLIN (AP) — Large parts of western and central Europe sweltered in scorching weather Wednesday, with German authorities imposing autobahn speed limits amid fears of buckling road surfaces and some French schools staying closed as a precaution.

Authorities have warned that temperatures could reach 104 in parts of the continent over the coming days as a plume of dry, hot air moves north from Africa.

The transport ministry in Germany’s eastern Saxony-Anhalt state said it has imposed speed limits of 62 mph or 75 mph on several short stretches of highway until further notice.

Those stretches usually have no speed limit, but officials fear they might crack in the heat and endanger drivers.

Professor Hannah Cloke, a natural hazards researcher at Britain’s University of Reading, said the heat along with a build-up of humidity is a “potentially lethal combination.”

“Children, the elderly and people with underlying health conditions are particularly at risk,” she said.

Around France, some schools have been closed because of the high temperatures, which are expected to go up to  102 in the Paris area later this week and bake much of the country, from the Pyrenees in the southwest to the German border in the northeast.

Such temperatures are rare in France, where most homes and many buildings do not have air conditioning.

In Paris, authorities banned older cars from the city for the day as the heat wave aggravates the city’s pollution.

Regional authorities estimate the measure put into place Wednesday affects nearly 60% of vehicles circulating in the Paris region, including many delivery trucks and older cars with higher emissions than newer models. Violators face fines.

French charities and local officials are providing extra help for the elderly, the homeless and the sick this week, remembering that some 15,000 people, many of them elderly, died in France during a 2003 heat wave.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe cited the heat wave as evidence of climate destabilization and vowed to step up the government’s fight against climate change.

With temperatures in Milan forecast to hit triple digits, an aid group said it was preparing to distribute 10,000 bottles of free water to the homeless and other needy people. 

About half of Spain’s provinces are on alert for high temperatures, which are expected to rise as the weekend approaches.

The northeastern city of Zaragoza was forecast to be the hottest on Wednesday at 102 C, building to 110 on Saturday, according to the government weather agency AEMET.

In southwestern Europe, however, some people had other reasons to complain during their summer vacation: the Portuguese capital Lisbon, on Europe’s Atlantic coast, awoke cloudy and wet Wednesday.

Experts fear ‘snowball effect’ as Iran abandons nuclear deal

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — As Iran prepares to surpass limits set by its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, each step it takes narrows the time the country’s leaders would need to have enough highly enriched uranium for an atomic bomb — if they chose to build one.

The United Nations says Iran has so far respected the deal’s terms. But by Thursday, Iran says it will have over 660 pounds of low-enriched uranium in its possession, which would mean it had broken out of the atomic accord.

European countries that are still a part of the nuclear accord face a July 7 deadline imposed by Tehran to offer a better deal and long-promised relief from U.S. sanctions, or Iran will also begin enriching its uranium closer to weapons-grade levels.

Breaking the stockpile limit by itself doesn’t radically change the one year experts say Iran would need to have enough material for a bomb. Coupled with increasing enrichment, however, it begins to close that window and hamper any diplomatic efforts at saving the accord.

“I worry about the snowball effect,” said Corey Hinderstein, a vice president at the Washington-based Nuclear Threat Initiative who once led the U.S. Energy Department’s Iran task force. “Iran now takes a step which puts Europe and the other members of the deal in an even-tougher position.”

Under terms of the nuclear deal, Iran agreed to have less than 661 pounds of uranium enriched to a maximum of 3.67%. Previously, Iran enriched as high as 20%, which is a short technical step away from reaching weapons-grade levels. It also held up to 22,046 pounds of the higher-enriched uranium.

Experts who spoke to The Associated Press described the enrichment and stockpile limits in the deal as a sort of sliding scale. Balancing both elements keeps Iran a year away from having enough material for a nuclear weapon, something Iran denies it seeks despite Western concerns about its program.

At the time of the deal, which was agreed to by Iran, the United States, China, Russia, Germany, France and Britain, experts believed Iran needed anywhere from several weeks to three months to have enough material for a bomb.

However, the stockpile limit isn’t an immediate worry from a nonproliferation standpoint, experts say.

“Going over the limit doesn’t immediately signify that Iran has enough material that could — if further enriched and processed — be used in a nuclear weapon,” said Tom Plant, the director of proliferation and nuclear policy at London’s Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies.

“It does mean that it builds up reserves of material that could in the future support a more rapid push to the higher levels of enrichment that are suitable for weapons use,” Plant said.

The danger comes July 7, if Iran begins enriching uranium to higher levels.

“If Iran begins stockpiling uranium enriched to higher levels, the breakout timeline would decrease more quickly,” said Kelsey Davenport, the director of nonproliferation policy at the Washington-based Arms Control Association.

Both Davenport and Ian Stewart, a professor at King’s College London who runs its antiproliferation studies program called Project Alpha, worry about miscalculations from Iran, the U.S. or the West amid the brinksmanship.

“This highlights the real tension at play in Iran: doing enough to satisfy Iranian hard-liners while also maintaining EU, Chinese and Russian support” for the deal, Stewart said. “There’s a real risk of miscalculating, not least because it’s not clear at which point the EU will have to back away from a noncompliant Iran.”

Davenport says Iran’s moves probably are aimed at gaining leverage in negotiations.

“Even if Iran decided to pursue a nuclear weapon, it would still take months to further enrich and weaponize the uranium,” she said. “It is critical that the United States does not overreact to a stockpile breach and use it as an excuse to further ratchet up tensions in the region.”

A year after President Donald Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal, the U.S. and Iran are already locked in a volatile standoff. Last week, Iran shot down a U.S. military drone, saying it violated Iranian airspace, though Washington said it was above international waters. The U.S. has blamed Iran for mysterious explosions targeting oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran denied any involvement.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Israel has bombed nuclear facilities in Iraq and Syria in the past, and reportedly pushed for a similar strike in Iran prior to the 2015 deal.

Iran, for now, allows U.N. inspectors to monitor its nuclear facilities via in-person checks and surveillance cameras. It also has yet to begin widespread use of advanced centrifuges that would speed its enrichment. Experts fear either of those happening.

Once Iran starts going beyond the terms of the nuclear deal, one fact remains indisputable: the time it needs to have enough material for a possible atomic bomb starts dropping.

“As soon as they go over 300 or above 3.67, that number is starting to count down from one year,” Hinderstein warned. “So if they do both, then it’s just going to steepen that line from one year to wherever they end up.”

Corrections right to review book policies

The Kansas Department of Corrections has banned more than 7,000 books and publications from Kansas prisons. The list of banned publications has generated concern from the nonprofit Human Rights Defense Center, which acquired the list in response to an open records request.

Banned publications should be more carefully considered, by well-trained officials, to balance the educational needs of inmates with the safety of the corrections system.

It makes sense to keep some publications out of the hands of prisoners. Pornography, instructions for tattooing, guides to explosives and similar materials need to be kept out of prisons for the safety of inmates and staff.

However, the sheer number of banned publications and wide ranging content is concerning. In an environment with no internet, a ban on a publication is a complete isolation from the information it contains.

The list contains literary classics with well-established educational value. For example, Margaret Atwood’s classic, “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the 1853 memoir “Twelve Years a Slave” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” are all on the banned list.

Many books about the prison system are banned. Publications on the list include the graphic novel, “Prison Grievances: When to Write, How to Write,” designed to help inmates navigate the correctional system and “Are Prisons Obsolete?” by Angela Y. Davis.

Some of the items on the list are simply head-scratching, among them, a collection of Broadway playbills, multiple art instruction books, Chris Gardner’s “The Pursuit of Happyness,” Pokemon game guides and multiple issues of Bloomberg Businessweek and Bon Appetit magazine.

A publication can get on the banned list if an inmate orders the book, and the Department of Corrections determines the book should not come into the prison system. Prisoners can appeal a decision they disagree with, but out of 1,622 appeals filed in the past 15 years, only 141 were successful.

As in all discussions of prisoner’s rights, it’s easy to look the other way when it comes to people who have committed crimes, but the vast majority of individuals in Kansas prisons will return to society. Their ability to reintegrate into our communities as productive citizens is partially a result of the tools we give them for success.

In response to the controversy generated by the list, including appeals from some of the authors of prohibited books, the Department of Corrections has pledged to develop a training program to teach staff about censorship standards, and re-evaluate some materials. Their response is appreciated.

Kansans should expect better.

— Topeka Capital-Journal

Letters to the editor 6/26

To the editor:

Friday morning I was at the exit door of the Iola Walmart with a cartful of purchases. I didn’t think much about a very dark sky and a brisk wind.

As soon as I rolled past the post barriers and into the parking lot, a burst of wind picked me up and slammed me back down … hard! The cart slid and was upended, and the contents were airborne.

Three young men rushed to my aid. It was difficult for them because of the force of the wind. My shoes had blown off. My shirt was over my head. My leggings had slipped down my rear. I’m glad I listened to my mother as a child, because I left my house with clean and pretty undies on.

Walmart employees came out immediately to also assist. After declining medical help, I was taken to my car. Additional strangers and employees gathered the purchases they could find and put them inside my car and trunk.

It was strange to feel oneself not touching the ground, and shoes blown off my feet. It also ripped open the zipper on my handbag, which ended up around my neck, but nothing was missing from inside. My eyeglasses were untouched. Asphalt from the parking lot was embedded in my clothing.

I am sore and bruised from my ankles to my shoulders, with a little bit of “road rash.” It could have been much worse.

I can’t express enough gratitude to the strangers and Walmart employees for their help and concern. I don’t know any of your names and hope you realize what a kind thing you did. I’m blessed to live where there are such good people.

Elle Dominquez,

Moran, Kan. 

 

To the editor:

Election season soon will be upon its.

It’s our right, privilege and duty to vote, so try to figure out who will think is best for the job, and vote.

Congress needs to be put on their Big Boy pants and explain to President Trump that small farmers and the middle class people are the backbone of our country, and some of his antics are hurting them. It is important to have big factories for a healthy economy, but without the middle class working in these factories, they would be nothing. Shouldn’t these workers be treated as good as the factories?

Congress and Kansas legislators should put up signs in their chambers that say, we are here to work together for the good of our country and its people, not just what’s good for our party and the fat cats who fund our campaign. These need to be read aloud each day.

Church pews used to be hard and uncomfortable, yet well attended by families. New pews are padded for comfort, yet churches are having to close their doors due to low attendance.

We are having wacky weather, fires, floods, mass murders, greed and corruption, and disrespect for one another is widespread.

Many lives are being ruined by drug use. 

Think about it.

Maude Burns,

Iola, Kan.

A Look Back In Time

Fifty years ago

June 1969

A new 2,500 kilowatt diesel electric generator is being installed at the Iola Power Plant. It will be used during times of peak electricity usage and is scheduled to be on line by July 15.

*****

The James T. Williams family and their four children left today on the first leg of a journey which will take them to Sydney, Australia, where they plan to live for a year. Mr. Williams is a developer for franchised drive-in restaurants and will be busy making studies of several cities for possible locations for such a business. He and his wife will also make time to travel and learn throughout Australia.

*****

Ground-breaking ceremonies were held Sunday for the new First Baptist Church, which will be built at the corner of Cottonwood and Carpenter streets. Construction will begin Monday and the church is scheduled to be completed by the middle of next February. The pastor is the Rev. Joe Robbins.

*****

William Woodworth has purchased the R. L. Thompson Insurance Agency and will take over its operation tomorrow. Frank W. Taylor announced the sale today. The agency deals in property and casualty insurance. It was founded in 1912 by R. L. Thompson Sr. Taylor purchased the agency in 1945.

Iola Recreation box score

Monday’s Results

Jr. Bitty Ball

AC Regional Hospital 2,

Sonic Equipment Co. 3

Hits for AC: Brently Thyer, 1-1b; Remington Hall, 2-1b, 1-2b; James Newland, 3-1b; Marcus Whitcomb, 3-1b; Keegan Genoble, 2-1b; Ruger Hall, 3-1b; Judah Wilson, 1-1b; Bradyn Holey, 1-1b; Hunter Robb, 1-1b. Hits for Sonic: Easton Cookus, 1-1b; Easton Higginbotham, 1-1b; Kendrick Rush, 2-2b; Grayson Skahan, 3-1b; Zaden Mellen, 3-1b;  Austin Cooper, 3-1b; Wilder Schooler, 1-1b; Joseph Ferguson, 3-3b.

Emprise Bank 15,

Iola Masonic Lodge 8

Hits for Emprise: Kingston Spears, 4-1b; Ron Ballard, 4-1b; Landon Desmarteau, 3-1b; Deagon Rodriguez, 2-1b; Treyvion Trester, 4-1b; Mathew Holding, 1-1n; Levi Roth, 3-1b. Hits for Masonic Lodge: Jaren Curl, 2-1b, 1-2b; Jase Emerson, 2-1b; Camden Barnett, 1-1b, 2-2b; Max Ebberts, 3-1b; Jonas Mueller, 1-1b; Daxton Schmidt, 2-2b; Cieson Kidwell, 1-1b, Josh Demers, 1-1b. 

Little League

AC Regional Hospital 12, 

Nelson Quarries 0

Hits for AC: Noah Glaze, 2-2b; Gage Scheibmeir, 1-1b; Brigger Michael, HR; Jordy Kaufman, 1-1b. Hits for Nelson: Nick Bauer, 1-1b. 

Iola Insurance Associates 11,  

Iola Pharmacy 11

Hits for Insurance: Alijah Christy, 1-1b, 1-2b; Will Jay, 1-1b; Noah Schowengerdt, 1-2b; Justin McCollough, HR; Ashton Hesse, 1-1b; Trevor Tatman, 2-2b. Hits for Pharmacy: Hayden Kelley, 2-1b, 1-2b; Easton Wesloh, 2-2b; Kolton Northcutt, 1-2b; Logan Yocham, 1-1b; Reed Clift, 2-2b.

Jr. Pixie

A&W Restaurant 10,

Community National Bank 3

Hits for A&W: Abigail Boeken, 2-1b; Cayleigh Rutherford, 3-1b; Ember Friend, 2-1b; Finley Nelson, 3-1b, Jordan Allen, 3-1b; Lynex Allen, 2-1b; Lainey Church, 3-1b; Danika Hill, 1-1b. Hits for Community: Lucy Neely, 2-1b; Madi Peres, 2-1b; Mariah Mathis, 2-1b; Elliot Sigg, 2-1b; Kylieigh Chapman-Burris, 1-1b; Raina Borjas, 1-1b; Emma Eyler, 1-1b; Rylee Weast, 1-1b. Brecklyn Stewart, 1-1b. 

AC Regional Hospital 12,

Iola Insurance 2

Hits for AC: Leanna Flory, 3-1b; Charley Kerr, 2-1b; Keyuanna Willard, 3-1b; Aaliyah Rhodes, 3-1b; Maria Springer, 3-1n; Payton Holt, 2-1b; Remingtyn Cookus, 2-1b, 1-2b; Tarra Sailor, 1-1b; Paisyn Murphy, 2-1b. Hits for Insurance: Blayke Folk, 1-1b. Emma Bradford, 3-1b; Bayleigh Scheibmeir, 2-1b; Luna Fleming, 1-1b; Maicy Kimball, 1-1b; Chloe Sinclair, 1-1b. 

Jr. Ponytail

AC Regional Hospital 8,

Nelson Quarries 3

Hits for AC: Liliana Blaufuss, 1-1b; Bri Barnett, 2-1b; Payton Weast, 1-1b; Addie Fudge, 2-2b, 1-3b; Jenelle Hartman, 3-1b; Faith Warden, 1-1b; Emily Robertson, 1-1b. Hits for Nelson: Shae McClain, 1-1b; Elza Clift, 2-1b; Zoie Hesse, 1-1b; Katelyn Erbert, 2-1b.

A&B Cleaning 16,

Iola Pharmacy 1

Hits for A&B: Baylie Crooks, 2-1b, 1-2b; Kinsley Schinstock, 2-1b; Natalee Lower, 2-1b, 1-2b; Kadin Smith, 2-1b; Harper Desmarteau, 3-1b; Rylie Olsen, 1-1b; Savannah Flynn, 1-2b; Zoie Hesse, 2-1b, 1-3b. Hits for Pharmacy: Carly Kramer, 1-1b; Jenna Morrison, 1-1b; McKenna Hammond, 1-3b; Bri Barnett, 1-1b. 

Yankess continue home run, winning barrage

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Hicks and Giancarlo Stanton stretched the Yankees’ home run streak to a record-tying 27 games, and New York beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-8 Monday night.

Hicks and Stanton each hit three-run drives, and New York matched the mark set by Alex Rodriguez and the 2002 Texas Rangers.

CC Sabathia (5-4) pitched six innings of two-run ball. He threw 104 pitches and struck out a season-high nine.

Stanton hit his shot during a seven-run sixth inning for his first homer in a season spoiled by various injuries.

Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez (3-10) allowed seven runs in 5 1/3 innings. Toronto had won three of four.

Freddy Galvis hit a grand slam and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit his 10th homer for Toronto.

Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman allowed an unearned run during the ninth but got his 22nd save.

CUBS 8, BRAVES 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Willson Contreras homered and had three RBIs, Jon Lester pitched five-hit ball through six innings and Chicago beat Atlanta in a chippy matchup of NL division leaders.

Jason Heyward added a solo homer for Chicago, which moved one game ahead of Milwaukee in the NL Central. Lester (7-5) allowed two unearned runs and struck out seven.

The Cubs strung together five straight hits in a five-run fifth inning to break the game open. Kyle Schwarber doubled into the ivy to score Carlos González. Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Báez and Contreras followed with RBIs.

Tempers flared in the second when Contreras homered. He turned to Braves catcher Tyler Flowers after the ball left his bat, and while rounding first base, gestured toward Atlanta’s dugout and thumped his chest. The benches cleared, but no blows were exchanged.

Teheran (5-6) was roughed up for the second straight start.

PHILLIES 13, METS 7

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Maikel Franco hit a go-ahead two-run homer, Rhys Hoskins, Jean Segura and Jay Bruce also went deep and Philadelphia snapped a seven-game losing streak.

Zach Eflin (7-7) struggled through five innings, allowing six runs and 11 hits. The Phillies had lost 16 of 22 since May 29.

Todd Frazier, Wilson Ramos, Michael Conforto and Dominic Smith hit solo homers for the Mets.

Steven Matz (5-6) got roughed up. The lefty gave up seven runs and 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Philadelphia went ahead on Franco’s 10th homer in the fifth, a two-run shot to center. Bruce’s second career pinch-hit homer was a two-run shot. Bryce Harper, back in the No. 3 spot in the lineup after leading off for a few games, had a pair of RBI doubles. Franco was 3 for 4 with three RBIs. The Phillies had a season-high 19 hits.

RED SOX 6, WHITE SOX 5

BOSTON (AP) — Marco Hernández beat out an infield single with the bases loaded in the ninth and Boston rallied to beat Chicago.

It was the second straight walk-off victory at home for Boston, which has won nine of 12.

Brandon Workman (7-1) got one out in the eighth, to pick up the victory. Jace Fry (1-3) took the loss for Chicago, which has lost six out of eight.

Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez gave up five runs off six hits, including two home runs over 6 1/3 innings.

Chicago’s Lucas Giolito allowed three runs off six hits, struck out seven and walked four over 5 2/3 innings.

Yoán Moncada had a two-run home run and José Abreu added a two-out, solo home run for the White Sox.

DIAMONDBACKS 8, DODGERS 5

PHOENIX (AP) — David Peralta hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning, and Arizona rallied for the win over NL West-leading Los Angeles.

Former Dodger Tim Locastro put the game out of reach with a two-run double off losing pitcher Dylan Floro (2-2), part of a four-run outburst in the eighth for the Diamondbacks. Christian Walker and starting pitcher Zack Greinke homered, Ketel Marte had two hits for his seventh consecutive multi-hit game and the Diamondbacks ended the Dodgers’ winning streak at six games.

Yoan Lopez (1-1) worked a scoreless inning and earned the win.

Max Muncy drove in three runs for the Dodgers.

Greg Holland got one out in the ninth for his 200th career save.

ROCKIES 2, GIANTS 0

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — David Dahl hit a two-run homer in the third that held up for Jon Gray, and Colorado snapped a three-game skid by beating San Francisco.

Gray (8-5) struck out six in six innings, allowing four hits and walking two for Colorado. The Rockies were coming off three straight walkoff defeats to the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

Giants starter Drew Pomeranz (2-8) matched his career high with 11 strikeouts over five innings but left trailing 2-0.

The 11 Ks were the most by a Giants pitcher throwing five or fewer innings since the mound distance was established in 1893, according to Elias.

Wade Davis finished the six-hitter for his 10th save in 12 opportunities.

The Giants, who had won six straight series openers, lost for the fifth time in seven games. Colorado won for just the second time in five games at San Francisco, which was shut out for the ninth time.

Mountain bikers aim to build sports’ interest in Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Many enthusiasts cross state lines to find mountain bike trails, but fortunately for Nebraskans, mountains aren’t a requirement.

There are two mountain bike trails in the Lincoln area, one at Branched Oak State Recreational Area and one at Wilderness Park, that provide a path to ride close to home.

Avid riders Roxzanne and Ryan Feagan first met on a trip for mountain biking enthusiasts to Moab, Utah, in 2002.

Since then, from teaching mountain biking classes to running the Psycowpath mountain bike racing series in Nebraska, the Feagans have pedaled hard to build interest in the sport.

The couple has also played a significant role in improving and maintaining the mountain bike trails in the area.

“The focus on destination building of trails has completely changed,” Roxzanne Feagan told the Lincoln Journal Star. “Building trails closer to home, where people can access and ride within riding distance or driving distance, is a huge part of the movement.”

Feagan is a past president of Trails Have Our Respect, a trail-maintaining organization now led by Todd Saylor.

Saylor said that Trails Have Our Respect, better known as THOR, is focused on design, build, maintenance and education.

“On a day-to-day basis, we mostly do maintenance,” Saylor said. “We don’t own any of the trails, so it’s all assistance and it’s in conjunction with the owners.”

While volunteers offer their time to work on the trails, THOR has equipment they use in general upkeep. Mowers, weed eaters and old-fashioned elbow grease make the trails what they are.

“A lot of it is keeping the trails open and accessible,” Saylor said. “We’re focused on mountain bikers, but everyone is open to using the trails. Anybody who is a hiker, dog walker or bird watcher, it’s open. We have a large trail-running community, too.”

The 70 miles of trail that THOR helps maintain in Nebraska keep volunteers busy. Saylor said in many cases, people take an hour after their workday ends to work on the trails.

Trail leaders are in charge of overseeing the needs at individual courses and then allocating resources to keep them in shape.

Trails for mountain biking differ from regular biking trails in several ways. For the most part, they’re dirt-based. Recreational trails for running and biking in Lincoln are largely hard-surfaced.

Mountain bike trails are also surrounded by natural grasses and as a result are more secluded. That can create a lot of work for those overseeing maintenance of the trails.

“It is a big undertaking,” Saylor said. “Especially when it rains a lot in the spring and the grass can grow up to a foot in one day.”

Nevertheless, Saylor sees mountain bike riding gaining momentum in Nebraska.

Youth education programs, including one run by THOR, are growing, and Saylor remains focused on his goal of making Nebraska a “destination spot to ride, but a home spot for riders in our area.”

Swanson Park in Bellevue recently received a grant to help with construction of a mountain bike course.

“I would like to see people making a stop here, somewhere in Omaha or Lincoln, to ride our trails on their way to Colorado, Arkansas, wherever they’re going,” Saylor said. “That’s what I want for our trails.”

Mona Veteto

Mona Maxine Veteto, 95, Burlington, died on Friday, June 23, 2019, in Bartlesville, Okla.

Mona was born on Feb. 27, 1924, in Gas City, to Samuel and Winifred Maxwell Troxel.

She graduated from Iola High School in 1942. She married Billie Wilson Veteto on April 27, 1947, in Iola. He died on Jan. 25, 1988.

Mona worked for the Union Gas and LP Company in Burlington as a bookkeeper for 35 years. She was a member of the Burlington Christian Church. She had been on the Coffey County Museum Board. She was an avid painter.

Mona was also preceded in death by her parents and a brother Eugene Troxel.

Mona is survived by her two sons, Mike and his wife Connie of Bartlesville, and Craig and his wife Kim of Spring, Texas; five grandchildren, Caitlin Veteto, Bartlesville, Jeffery and his wife Emily, Dallas, Texas, Jennifer Linneman, and her husband Ricky, Pomona, Mason Veteto, Katy, Texas, and Rozlyn Veteto, Spring, Texas; one great grandson, Clint Linneman, and other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Jones Funeral Home, Burlington. Burial will be in the Graceland Cemetery. Contributions can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association and may be sent in care of Jones Funeral Home, P.O. Box 277, Burlington, KS 66839.

Theora Taggart

Theora Lucille Taggart, 93, of Iola, died Saturday June 22, 2019, at Allen County Regional Hospital in Iola. She was born Sept. 22, 1925, in Lowe, to Thomas Sanborn and Elvessa (Myers).

 She married William Bruner in 1943 in Sedan. He preceded her in death in 1952.

 She married Robert Taggart  in 1960 in Miami, Okla. He preceded her in death.

She also was preceded in death by a son, Terry Lee Bruner.

Survivors include son Bill Bruner of Kearney, Mo., and numerous other relatives.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Trinity United Methodist Church, 228 South Kentucky St. The family will greet friends one hour prior to the funeral service at the church. Burial will follow in Greenwood Cemetery, Sedan.