Dear editor,  This is a “first” for me, writing to the Forum. I was captured by an article by Jennifer Tidd on the SAFE BASE trip to the Badlands. My great-granddaughter traveled with them. Her…

At about $45,000 a day, it was a good thing the special session of the Kansas Legislature did not extend beyond Friday night. Of course, you could say they should have taken care of business…

Kansas is suffering a double dose of despair from decisions made in Topeka. First, was the much-maligned income tax cuts in 2012 and 2013, which Gov. Sam Brownback promised would give the economy a shot…

It’s only been in the last 10 years that Kansas politics have gone from being competitive — that is, that a Republican could feel a Democrat breathing down her neck — to today, where the…

Dear editor, In a June 4 article in the Iola Register, “Humanity House Shares Vision,” it was reported that the Iola Area Ministerial Association (IAMA) was no longer planning to operate the longstanding food pantry…

Although it’s hard to break the habit, Magistrate Judge Thomas Saxton should not agree to seal the records regarding the alleged murder of Iolan Shawn Cook. Allen County Attorney Jerry Hathaway has requested Judge Saxton…

I’ve pretty much given up on the fight over guns.  It doesn’t seem to matter that, like me, an overwhelming majority of Americans object to our lax gun laws when our elected politicians are in…

Bill and Marjorie Mentzer are two of the friendliest folks you’ll find in Iola. They greet everyone with smile and salutation and seldom turn down a chance to help with church and community affairs. Much…

The very fact that Iola retailers feel the effect of an ordinance restricting the sale of tobacco products to those under 21 means that it is working.  Supposedly, the ordinance is making such a dent…

Rep. John Rubin, a Shawnee Republican, told the Associated Press he plans to abstain from voting during the special session called by Gov. Sam Brownback to deal with school funding.  Legislators earlier this year responded…