US adds 145,000 jobs; unemployment holds at 3.5%

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers downshifted their hiring in December, adding 145,000 jobs as consumer spending appeared to aid gains in the retail and hospitality sectors.

The Labor Department said Friday that the unemployment rate held at 3.5% for the second straight month, prolonging a half-century low. Hiring slipped after robust gains of 256,000 in November caused in part by the end of a strike at General Motors.

Still, the job growth has failed so far to put upward pressure on hourly pay. The pace of annual average wage growth slowed in December to 2.9% from 3.1% in the prior month, a possible sign that there is still room for additional job gains despite the decade-plus expansion.

The U.S. economy added 2.1 million jobs last year, down from gains of nearly 2.7 million in 2018. Hiring may have slowed because the number of unemployed people seeking work has fallen by 540,000 people over the past year to 5.75 million. With fewer unemployed people hunting for jobs, there is a potential limit on job gains.

The steady hiring growth during the expansion has contributed to gains in consumer spending. Retail sales during the crucial holiday shopping improved 3.4% compared to the prior year, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse. This likely contributed to a surge of hiring in retail as that sector added 41,200 jobs in December.

The leisure and hospitality sector — which includes restaurants and hotels — added another 40,000 jobs. Health care and social assistance accounted 33,900 new jobs.

Still, the report suggests a lingering weakness in manufacturing.

Factories shed 12,000 jobs in December, after the end of the GM strike produced gains of 58,000 in November. Manufacturing companies added just 46,000 jobs in all of 2019.

Manufacturing struggled last year because of trade tensions between the United States and China coupled with slower global economic growth. Safety problems at Boeing have also hurt orders for aircraft and parts.

US border arrests drop as focus turns to Mexicans

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The number of people arrested or stopped entering the United States on the Mexico border fell for a seventh straight month in December, with Mexicans making up a larger part of the mix, authorities said Thursday.

The tally helps explain why the U.S. has turned more attention to Mexican asylum-seekers as President Donald Trump seeks to highlight his dramatic moves to reshape immigration policy in his campaign for a second term.

The Department of Homeland Security plans to send Mexicans to Guatemala with an opportunity to seek protection there, a highly unusual move among developing nations seeking ways to curb asylum claims. Monday’s announcement drew criticism from the Mexican government, which has so far worked closely with the U.S. to address an unprecedented surge of asylum-seekers, many of them Central American families.

The Trump administration has begun a host of other enforcement measures, including a test in El Paso, Texas, to quickly determine asylum claims and flights to deport Mexicans to Guadalajara to discourage repeat attempts.

U,.S. authorities made 40,620 arrests of people who crossed illegally or who presented themselves at official crossings in December, down 5% from 42,651 in November and down 72% from a 13-year high of 144,116 in May.

Mexicans accounted for half of arrests and people stopped at official crossings, more than three times more any other nationality. 

No timetable for highway lights repair

Highway officials are aware the exits to Humboldt off U.S. 169 are not lighted, but gave no indication as to when they will be repaired.

That’s the short — and probably unsatisfactory answer — to a query sent the Register’s way from Humboldt citizens Doug and Linda Leonard. 

The Leonards said they noticed the lights had been out since the new highway opened. “It’s just hard to see the exits from the highway when you are driving up on it. I imagined it was damaged during construction, but we want to know if they will ever be fixed. It seems necessary for lights to be there,” Doug said.

Kansas Department of Transportation representative Darrin Petrowsky said the lines to the light poles were damaged during construction of the new highway.

“We do know about the lights being out and KDOT is currently evaluating the situation. We do not know if we will need to replace the lights, or when anything will be done at this time,” Petrowsky said. 

If you have a question you’d like the Register to answer, email us at news@iolaregister.com

Iola Middle School announces honor rolls

Iola Middle School has announced its second quarter honor rolls for the 2019-20 school year.

Principal’s Honor Roll (4.0 GPA)

Eighth grade — Korbin Cloud, Keira Fawson, Rio Lohman, Abigail Meiwes, Jaydon Morrison, Shelby Peters, Japheth Ruton, Kalibre Smith and Landon Weide.

Seventh grade — Maxwell Andersen, Elza Clift, Kaysin Crusinbery, Grady Dougherty, Makayla Dunne, Mariah Jelinek, Melanie Palmer, Ethan Riebel, Tavia Skahan, Caroline Toland, Madeleine Wanker and Kenleigh Westhoff.

Sixth grade — Madelyn Ashworth, Jensen Barker, Brennen Coffield, Bethany Miller, Briley Prather, Noah Schowengerdt and Henry White.

Fifth grade — Ruger Boren, Sophia Boyers, Sheridan Byrd, Caden Coltrane, Austin Croooks, Dally Curry, Ean DeLaTorre, Eli Dunne, Zoie Hesse, Keegan Hill, Brooklyn Holloway, Kinsey Jelinek, Abigail Jerome, Raidyn Keeler, Makenna Knavel, Alexis Lee, Elizabeth Maier, Madelynn McDermeit, Brock Michael, Emma Michael, Kale Pratt, Amos Rutoh, Kaydra Scheibmeir, Stasia Strunk, William Toland and Kaeden Vega.

 

Regular Honor Roll (3.0-3.99 GPA with no D’s or F’s)

Eighth grade — Piper Arnson, Emily Atwell, Daniel Boeken, Logan Brakel, Aden Cole, Rebekah Coltrane, Jacquelyn Fager, Justice Gile, Kendall Glaze, Kadence Gragg, Alexis Hannum, Christopher Holloway, William Jay, Samuel Karhoff Jr., Keaton Larney, Mac Leonard, Anna Lyons, Kennedy Maier, Madelyn McVey, Briggs Michael, Jenna Morrison, Cara Porter, Molly Riebel, Charles Rogers, Gage Skahan, Samuel Sturgeon, Hallie Sutherland, William Talkington, Damian Wacker and Jillian Ward.

Seventh grade — Kyndal Bycroft, Cortland Carson, Baylie Crooks, Reese Curry, Roper Curry, Keaton DePaola, Kelson DePaola, Harper Desmarteau, Brooklyn Ellis, Alejandro Escalante, Hannah Fleming, Braden Gile, Everett Glaze, Kale godfrey, Teanna Hamilton, Abbigal Hutton, Issac Jordan, Jordan Kaufman, Kealie Keller, Alana Mader, Lucas Maier, Shae McCain, Annemariee McCullough, Shaun McLaughlin, Maleigha Molina, Kyser Nemecek, LaPrincia Pulley, Kinsey Schinstock, Maya Shaughnessy, Hailey Stogsdill, Jacob Stokes, Emalee Thompson, Griffin Wesatervelt, Alyssa Williams and Logan Yocham.

Sixth grade — Mahysei Anderson, Parker Andres, NIckolas Bauer, Jayden Beene, Trapper Boren, Gretchen Boyers, Tessa Brutchin, Aniya Dodson, Mathew Drago, Stephanie Fees, Baron Folk, Braden Frame, MaHallie Genoble, Mylier Hageman, Brett Heinrich, Jakolby Hill, Chloe Hoag, Clash Hutton, Madison Kerns, Hayden Kelley, Payton Kern, Carly Kramer, Joel LaCrone, Keegan Lammey, Mason Lampe, Adrianna Lara, Lily Lohman, Kandrella McCullough, Kolton Northcutt, Aurora Parker Collins, Ayla Pryor, Michaela Riebel, Emily Robertson, Tayten Salzwedel, Briggs Sharon, Braden Stevens, Samantha Stogsdill, Andrew Streeter, Brandi Taylor, Brody Thompson, Raven Tomlinson, Issy Tyson, Isaac Velazquez, Faith Warden, Cosette Warner, Easton Westeloh and Marlee Westhoff.

Fifth grade — Nevaeh Barton, Kamryn Cox, Lilly Cruz, Beau Erickson, Sofia Escalante, Benjamin Fager, Lynsie Fehr, Addison Ferguson, Annabelle Fernandez, Isabel Folk, Kaydance Frame, Keegon Garner, Bailey Goble, Wyatt Harris, Benjamen Heiman, Weston Helman, Lillian Hirt, Brooklyn Hopkins, James Hunt, Keagan Johnston, Nicholas Kelly, Evan LaCrone, Jayden Leavitt, Deniver Logan, Abigal Lower, Areyannah Martin, Tripp Mathes, Lyndon McEnaney, Cassandra Moore, Alston Nelsoh, Melody Norman, Lainey Oswald, Cadin Peres, Broderick Peters, Madalynn Peterson, Gabriel Robertson, LaDayvion Rogers, Sarah Ross, Landon Shelton, Isabella Sigler, Aiden Smeltzer, Keysha Smith, Darrien Taylor, Trenton Thyer, Joshua Wanker, Zoe Warner, Kollyn Wilson and Nathan Womack.

Humboldt Middle School students recognized

HUMBOLDT — Humboldt Middle School announced its second-quarter honor rolls for 2019-20.

Eighth grade 

All A’s: Landon Bauer, Alexus Black and Alejandro Vargas-Garcia.

Teacher’s Honor Roll: Emam B’Hymer, Shaylea Brinkmeyer, Helaina Chrissikos, Natassya Goforth, Garren Goodner, Kenisyn Hottenstein, Sam Hull, Danica Modlin, Patrick Reeder, Byron Westbrook, Elizabeth White and Ashlynn Works.

Regular Honor Roll: Addison Bauer-Onnen, Rylan Covey, Shelby Daniels, Drayk Farrill, Stephen Leo, Bradley Lowry and Caden Vink.

 

Seventh grade

All A’s: Sydnea Bumstead, Colden Cook, Bailey Croisant, Gracie Dillow, Blake Ellis, Cassidy Friend, Aisley Galloway, Asher Hart, Jaryt Hess, Kyler Isbell, Shelby Shaughnessy and Avery Works.

Teacher’s Honor Roll: Sophia Barlow, Faith Coykendall, Teygan Ewing, Carsyn Galloway, Cooper Gillespie, Anna Heisler, McKenna Jones, Matthew McCullough, Logan Page, Annalysia Prock, Tymber Shultz and Cody White.

Regular Honor Roll: Shyann Bushong, Dayton Dawson, Chase DeMeritt, Jacob Harrington, Brylie Helm, Jenna Malloy, Elizabeth Neeley, Adrian Smoot, Kimber Smoot, Laken Splane, Gunner Stone and Chanlynn Wrestler.

 

Sixth grade

All A’s: Ricklyn Hillmon, Emmie Hole, Skylar Hottenstein, Laney Hull, Mark McCullough and Mason Sterling.

Teacher’s Honor Roll: Lillian Albin, Kalyn Baughn, Bailey Berkenmeier, Brooke Berkenmeier, Josey Ellis, Layne Ellison, Darryl Farrill, Luke Gibbons, Carol Henderson, Teghen Jaro, Taner King, Victoria Melendez, Lilli Reeder, Jayli Reno, Elizabeth Romine, Carson Russell, Rylee Woods and Kendall Works.

Regular Honor Roll: Harliegh Anderson, Matthew Bushong, Harper Dye, Anapaula Franco, Braxton Gray, Maxtyn Mueller, Avion Seamster, Creed Shannon and Tatum Tribble.

Marmaton Valley students earn honor roll distinction

MORAN — Marmaton Valley’s senior and junior high schools have announced their first semester honor rolls for 2019-20.

Dean’s List (4.0 GPA)

Seniors — Braden Allison, Allison Heim, Ty Scharff and Rachel Shaffer.

Juniors — Haylee Meiwes.

Sophomores — Alyson Ard, Garrett Henderson and Kendall Scharff.

Freshmen — Paulia Ard, Mary Brown, Kaitlyn Drake, Mallory Heim and Madison Lawson.

Eighth grade – LesLeigh Cary, Raveyn Kegler, Kody McVey and Payton Scharff.

 

Principal’s Honor Rol (3.51-3.99 GPA)

Seniors — Christopher McAloon and Julianna Sprague.

Juniors — Mykayla Ard, Kaylee Bekcer, Antonio Campos, Lexis Jones and Dorotea Smith.

Sophomores — Jenni Armstrong, Sara Harrison, Amberlyn Henshall and Cadience Cook.

Freshmen — Zach Allee, Katie Bigelow, Gracyn Bracken, Bryce Ensminger, Bailey LaRue, Dillion Mullinix, Kiersten Sander and Tayven Sutton.

Eighth grade — Janae Granere, Elizabeth Lewis and Cooper Schmidt.

Seventh grade — Michael Ard, Piper Barney, Kason Becker, Alexis Carman, Danielle Deer, Brayden Lawson and Ava Newman.

 

Honor Roll (3.0-3.5 GPA)

Seniors — Alec Cochran, Bailey Griffith, Bo Knavel, Christina Mynatt and Zoi Yoho.

Juniors — Alyssa Allison, Austin Gardner and Katelyn Morgan.

Sophomores — Kamryn Boyd, James Brown, Robert Cook, Dakotah Cox, Alexis Elam, Carissa Mattox, Autumn Simpson, Kira Stahl and Colten Woods.

Freshmen — Tristan Cary, Dylan Drake, Roslyn Houk, Joseph Kale, George Moore, Brynn Newman, Jefferson Spillman, Destinee Wade and Katrina Woods.

Eighth grade — Brooklyn Adams, Daniel Fewins and Zoe Sneed.

Seventh grade — Ty LaRue, Lily Mynatt and Ryan Pugh.

Pelosi, McConnell stand firm on impeachment

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said today she knows ‘’exactly when” she’ll be transmitting the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, brushing back Democratic comments that the time has come to start the Senate trial.

Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol she had no concerns about the anxiety some House and Senate Democrats are showing over the standoff with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell about the terms of the delayed trial. It’s now more than three weeks since the House impeached Trump on charges of abuse and obstruction.

“Same thing I’ve said before,” Pelosi told The Associated Press as she entered the Capitol. “We’d like to see how we’re going to proceed, and then we’ll know who to send. I have an obligation to my members, especially those on the committees, to do justice to their work.”

Asked later as she headed for a morning meeting if she had any concerns about losing support from Democrats for her strategy, she said: “No.”

Pelosi told reporters, “I know exactly when” she plans to send the impeachment articles over, but, “I won’t be telling you right now.’’

One top lawmaker, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told CNN today “it’s time” to send over the charges. But shortly afterward, he tweeted that he misspoke: “If the Speaker believes that holding on to the articles for a longer time will help force a fair trial in the Senate, then I wholeheartedly support that decision.”

The standoff over Trump’s impeachment trial deepened this week as McConnell said there will be “no haggling” with Democrats as Pelosi demands for more details and witnesses.

McConnell said on Thursday if Pelosi and House Democrats are “too embarrassed’’ to transmit the articles of impeachment, the Senate will simply move on next week to other business.

“They do not get to trap our entire country into an unending groundhog day of impeachment without resolution,” McConnell said as he opened the Senate.

McConnell’s Senate majority has the leverage Republicans need to launch Trump’s trial toward swift acquittal of the charges, but Pelosi’s reluctance to transmit the articles of impeachment leaves the proceedings at a standstill.

What started as a seemingly minor delay over process and procedures is now a high-stakes showdown between two skilled leaders facing off over the rare impeachment trial, only the third in the nation’s history.

McConnell, who met with Trump late Wednesday at the White House, suggested last month it would be “fine with me” if the House never sent the articles. More recently, he has drawn on the Constitution’s intent for the Senate to have the ultimate say on matters of impeachment. He scoffed that Pelosi has ‘‘managed to do the impossible” by uniting Democrats and Republicans who want the trial to begin.

“There will be no haggling with the House over Senate procedure,” McConnell, R-Ky., said Wednesday before meeting with Trump at the White House. “We will not cede our authority to try this impeachment. The House Democrats’ turn is over.”

Trump tweeted Thursday that “Pelosi doesn’t want to hand over The Articles of Impeachment, which were fraudulently produced by corrupt politicians like Shifty Schiff in the first place, because after all of these years of investigations and persecution, they show no crimes and are a joke and a scam!” Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., led the House impeachment inquiry.

Three weeks have passed since the House impeached Trump on the charge that he abused the power of his office by pressuring Ukraine’s new leader to investigate Democrats, using as leverage $400 million in military assistance for the U.S. ally as it counters Russia at its border. Trump insists he did nothing wrong, but his defiance of the House Democrats’ investigation led to an additional charge of obstruction of Congress.

Senators from both sides are eager to serve as jurors for Trump’s day in court. The trial will be conducted in the Senate, where Republicans have a thin majority.

The impeachment timeline is complicating the political calendar, with the weekslong trial now expected to bump into presidential primaries. Several Democratic senators are running for the party nomination.

Returning to Washington from the campaign trail, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told reporters she was confident in Pelosi’s plan.

“I have no doubt that she will get this right,” Warren said. ”Some things are more important than politics, and the impeachment of a president is certainly one of those. No one is above the law, not even the president.”

Another 2020 hopeful, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said: “Those articles will come over here for a vote in due time.”

The showdown is expected to be resolved this week, lawmakers said.

Pelosi wants McConnell to “immediately” make public the details of his trial proposal, according to a letter to colleagues. She wants to know how much time will be devoted to the trial and other details about the “arena’’ before announcing her choice of House managers to try the case in the Senate, according to Democrats familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.

“Sadly, Leader McConnell has made clear that his loyalty is to the President and not the Constitution,” Pelosi wrote to colleagues late Tuesday. She said the process he is outlining is “unfair.”

The confrontation over a Senate trial had been building for weeks. But McConnell gained ground when he announced Tuesday that he has support from the majority of senators to start a trial structured like the last one, against President Bill Clinton in 1999. Those proceedings also began without an agreement on witnesses.

It takes 51 votes for agreement on the trial proceedings, and with Republicans holding a 53-47 Senate majority McConnell has a slight advantage if he can hold GOP senators together. Democrats are trying to peel off support from a few Republicans to support their demands.

McConnell, who has resisted calling new witnesses, expects a speedy trial that will end with Trump acquitted of the charges. He complained about Pelosi’s “endless appetite for these cynical games’’ and said it will be up to senators to decide if they want more testimony.

On the Senate floor Wednesday, Democratic leader Chuck Schumer promised he would force votes on witnesses, requiring senators to choose whether they want to hear from Trump former national security adviser John Bolton and others.

Some Senate Democrats have said the time has come for Pelosi to send the articles so the trial can begin. Pelosi has yet to choose House impeachment managers for the trial, a politically sensitive next step with many lawmakers vying to be candidates. But aides downplayed any riff between the leaders, saying senators are simply eager to have their say on Trump’s impeachment.

Police report

Vehicles collide

Vehicles driven by Thomas G. Weide, 51, and Staci Talkington, 50, collided Friday at the intersection of Neosho and South streets.

Iola police officers said Weide was northbound on South and Talkington westbound on Neosho when the accident occurred.

Neither was injured.

Door removed

Roy Riebel told Iola police officers Sunday somebody removed a door from a property in the 600 block of North Chestnut Street.

Burglary reported

Charelle Peterson told officers Friday somebody entered her residence in the 500 block of South Buckeye Street and took money.

Richard Ard

Richard Leon Ard, age 75, of Elsmore, died Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020, at Arrowood Lane in Humboldt.

He was born March 11, 1944, to James Mervin and Beverley Norene (Johnson) Ard in Iola. 

He married Shirley May Withers on Aug. 20, 1966. 

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Shirley; and other relatives. 

Survivors include sons, Paul Ard and Jeff Ard; and numerous other relatives. 

Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, in The Venue at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, Iola. The family will greet friends following the service. Memorial contributions may be made to ACARF or to the Richard Ard Memorial Fund, for his grandchildren’s education.

Dotson drops 20 as No. 3 Kansas routs Iowa State

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Kansas coach Bill Self grinned instead of perspiring following the No. 3 Jayhawks’ 79-53 rout over Iowa State on Wednesday night.

It proved to be a welcome change for the Jayhawks at Hilton Coliseum — where they had lost three of the past five meetings with the Cyclones, including a 77-60 setback last season.

“This was the only time I can really remember when we got out of here and we’re not sweating or like last year, they’re celebrating with four minutes left,” Self said.

Instead, the Jayhawks (12-2, 2-0 Big 12) closed the first half with a 21-3 run to build a 46-26 lead that would only swell in the second half.

Devon Dotson had 20 points, six assists and five rebounds. David McCormack added 16 points and seven rebounds. Ochai Agbaji had 16 points as well, but keyed a 10-of-19 3-point shooting effort by making 4 of 5.

“When they’re hitting shots, the guards have to go out, pressure them, so it opens up the lane for the big men so they’ve got more room and more space,” McCormack said. “That’s about every big man’s dream is when their guards hit shots.

Kansas shot 52% from the field while limiting the Cyclones (7-7, 0-2) to 34%.

“We had a pretty good game plan coming into it and for the most part, we executed and that led to our offense,” Dotson said.

The Jayhawks held star Iowa State guard Tyrese Haliburton to five points — 12 below his average. Rasir Bolton led the Cyclones with 12 points.

The defense shined most of the night after allowing the Cyclones to go 3 of 4 to start the game.

Iowa State’s struggled, which has become a trend in recent weeks.

“Defensively, we didn’t get enough stops,” Cyclones coach Steve Prohm said. “Then they physically kind of overwhelmed us on the 3 and in the paint the last eight minutes. That was the difference in the game.”

 

ROLE PLAYER

Kansas guard Christian Braun made 3 of 4 3-point attempts for the second time in three games. The 6-foot-6 freshman also had five rebounds and two assists while committing zero turnovers on 24:35.

 

BIG PICTURE

Kansas: The Jayhawks clamped down for the second straight conference game. They limited West Virginia to 32.2% shooting in the conference opener, then held the Cyclones 27 points below their league-leading scoring average.

Iowa State: The Cyclones were coming off a pair of two-point losses in their past two games — including an 81-79 setback in overtime at TCU. They dropped their third game at home this season and shot just 29 percent from three-point range.

 

UP NEXT

Kansas: Hosts Baylor on Saturday.

Iowa State: Hosts to Oklahoma on Saturday