NEODESHA ? Three hundred middle and high schoolers filed into their school auditorium last week in Neodesha, uncertain why they?d been called there. They left cheering and hugging. Some of the older students were teary-eyed.…

GARNETT ? Every day brings a surprise to Yoder?s Country Store. Staffers never know what they?ll find when they open a box of items to put on the shelf. It might be cans of pickled…

Brian Plumlee, center, owner/technician with Bullseye Glass Repair of Kansas, LLC, cuts a ribbon Friday morning during an Iola Area Chamber of Commerce ceremony. Plumlee, a former Iola police officer, is following his family’s legacy.…

HUMBOLDT ? A soft opening ? ?really a trial run,? Jaime Mueller called it ? quickly became much more last weekend at Loop and Knot, 808 Bridge St. She and husband Mike own the store,…

GAS — Denise Law started to groom dogs as a teenager. She was 19, living in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised poodles. She discovered the puppies sold better with “cute little haircuts.” About 45 years later,…

The fire on Aug. 10, 1990, forever changed the landscape of the west side of Iola’s courthouse square. The fire destroyed three Iola business buildings and damaged several others. Investigators determined the cause as arson,…

LE ROY ? Andrew Fox has always had something of a green thumb. There was one year he started a garden, and began reading about the wide varieties of tomatoes gardeners prefer, so he decided…

In October 2010, Cara (Bolling) Thomas introduced Bolling?s Meat Market to the community. But in becoming a popular restaurant and deli, there were hiccups along the way. While Bolling?s was located at one of Iola?s…

Someone once told Corbin Manbeck the key to success is to surround yourself with people whose skills fill your voids.  So when it came to launching a woodworking business, Manbeck turned to longtime friend Jeremy…

I sometimes question the value of setting goals in part because I don’t like to purposefully dwell on shortcomings. Yet, with a new year that miraculously helps one believe the canvas is again blank, I’m…