“Everyone is a reader. Some just haven’t found their favorite book yet.” — Anonymous Music teacher Mikaela Crotchett wasn’t a big reader until she came to Iola schools this fall. She soon learned she’d need…

This aerial view of the Iola Elementary School site shows most of the framework for the building is complete. Crews are attemtping to get the walls put up before the worst of winter weather heads…

Tuesday’s election results brought a bit of drama, with at least two races too close to call. The Iola City Council and school board will have some new faces in January, as voters made their…

Rulings on two key points in the controversy over administration of the Bowlus Fine Arts Center were made today by District Judge Spencer Gard. He ruled the center was left in trust to the school…

​​Service has always been important to Sofie Alexander. She credits her parents for setting a good example growing up in Kansas City. Later, when she attended DePaul University in Chicago, service learning was emphasized.  She…

Mandey Coltrane believes her experiences in the military and in human resources make her a good fit for the school board. “Both of those roles are about representing and working for someone else, not just…

John Wilson didn’t plan to be a teacher.  He grew up in Allen County and went to work with his brother after high school. “Then I just had this itch. I wanted to be a…

Robin Griffin-Lohman has always been fascinated by the power of words, and even more so when she read George Orwell’s “1984” in high school at Pomona. “I realized how language can be used to manipulate…

USD 257 Board of Education members Nancy Toland and Tony Leavitt learn about 3D printing from Iola Middle School teacher Chris Belknap. He teaches robotics and computer classes, and brought various items his students had…

A couple of improvement projects at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center  — something fun and something long overdue — took center stage at the Iola school board meeting Monday night. Director Dan Kays shared the…