The job of an economic development director is punishing, admitted Jonathon Goering.  “It beats you up,” he said.  And it can be thankless. “You put your heart and soul into it every day, trying to…

After lengthy delays — too many, in David Lipe’s opinion — Sharky’s will open its doors Monday. “Ready or not, we’re opening,” Lipe said. Lipe’s initial plan was to open Sharky’s at 112 S. Washington…

The timing may be a coincidence, with several Iola businesses opening (or reopening) within weeks of each other. But that activity also brings a palpable sense of enthusiasm, notes Jonathan Goering of Thrive Allen County.…

It took a few years longer than anticipated, but the owner of Sharky’s restaurants in Fort Scott and Nevada, Mo., soon will open a third bar and grill in Iola. David Lipe, who owns the…