Registered

Cami Keitel, Allen Community College's Vice President for Student Affairs, has been in the position for just over a year. She's arrived at an interesting time. A critical one. Allen’s fall enrollment has fallen by about 30% over the past 10 years, and almost 10% in the last year alone. That, along with an organizational restructuring at the college, make hearing from Keitel — and understanding her...

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It's an opportune time to shine a light on a serious and pervasive problem in our communities, no matter how uncomfortable it makes us. In this week's episode, Alondra Exiga and Allie Chrisman of Hope Unlimited talk about their work, why they're so passionate about it, and what we can do to create a culture that rejects violence.

Iola Middle School students have been working hard to have each other's backs. That's the purpose behind Aevidum, a student organization that started here in 2019 and promotes positive school culture and mental health awareness. Aevidum means "I've got your back" in Latin. In this week's episode of Registered, IMS eighth graders Finley Nelson and Jim Olson join school counselor Stacey Crusinbery t...

Cody Haviland is a school-based mental health therapist with Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, where he’s worked since 2015. He splits his time between the Humboldt and Chanute school districts. September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, so we wanted to speak with Haviland about what he sees in our young people today. What are some of the underlying issues affecting teen mental health?...

Maureen Olson and her family came to Iola in 1995. Almost immediately, she began managing the Iola Drive-In and the Iola Theatre. Maureen left those positions in 1999 to become the director of Christian ministry at Iola's First Presbyterian Church. She later attended Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa and was ordained as a minister at First Presbyterian Church in Yates Center in 2014. In this...

Marv Smith came to Iola in 1966. He retired from 46 years of teaching at Iola High School in 2012 but continued to coach cross country until the pandemic. If you account for his years of coaching track and field, football, cross country, and his time in the classroom, he touched the lives of thousands of students. Marv is a local legend and hard to introduce. Hard to write about. He means many thi...

Last month, Gov. Laura Kelly announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services had approved Kansas’s new Community Supports Waiver. The waiver will expand home and community-based services to 500 Kansans for up to $20,000 per year. It's a major expansion of an effort to keep individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with their families and integrated in their commu...

In this week's episode of "Registered," we speak with Iola High School principal Scott Carson. Big changes await IHS students when they return this fall. First, a statewide ban on cell phones will be in effect. Second, the school is moving away from assigning Chromebooks to each student, instead allowing students to have access to classroom Chromebook carts on an as-needed basis. The two changes w...

Kale Godfrey is 19 years old and has already completed his first marathon. But he’s not stopping there. Kale has already signed up for his second marathon this fall and has completed two half-marathons. The 2025 Iola graduate wasn’t always a runner—he joined cross country for the first time his senior year. But in the span of just a few years, running has changed Kale. It’s changed his attitude, h...

SAFE BASE is gearing up for another summer full of fun, learning, and unforgettable field trips. The free summer program for K-8th grade students in USD 257 starts June 1 and runs Monday-Thursday through June 25. In this week’s episode of “Registered,” SAFE BASE director Angela Henry speaks about what she loves most about her work, the impact SAFE BASE has on the community, and her hopes for the p...

Mark Peters is one of three new Iola City Council members sworn in this January. But Peters has been here before—he represented Ward 4 before stepping down in April 2024 to care for his late wife. In this week’s episode of “Registered,” we speak with Peters on what motivated him to return to City Council, what he hopes to accomplish, and what concerns him about Iola’s future.

Taelyn Mathews is a school-based therapist with Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center. She’s based in Iola Middle and High Schools and has a master’s degree insocial work. As the school year ends, it’s a good time to check in with Mathews about what she’s experienced this school year—her first in USD 257. What are students struggling with? How does she help? It’s clear Mathews is a therapist who d...

It’s tornado season in Kansas. To help get prepared, we spoke with Jason Trego of Allen County Emergency Management on what to do if a storm approaches, and how to make sure you and your family are safe no matter what rolls our way this season. Trego is Allen County’s Emergency Manager. Part of his job, which he describes as 90% preparation and 10% action, is to make sure Allen County residents ar...

Doug Kerr launched a successful write-in campaign last fall to win a Ward 1 seat on Iola’s City Council. Sworn in this January, he’s now several months into his first term. Kerr and his family lived in Iola, moved away, and now are back. In this week’s episode of “Registered,” we speak with Kerr about his time so far on the Council, what he’s learned and what he hopes to accomplish. At the top of...

Jeremiah Ivy grew up in Iola. A 2008 graduate of Iola High School, he now works at B&W Trailer Hitches, is married, and has two daughters. Ivy was elected to his first term on the Iola City Council last November, so he’s still learning the ropes and getting up to speed. But he already has several things he hopes to address, and he seems determined to make the most of his time on the Council. I...

Allen sophomore Shania Charles is a leader on campus—she’s president of Student Senate, a captain of the women’s soccer team, Phi Theta Kappa president, and more. She’s also taken a lead role in organizing a World Food Fair planned for Friday, April 24 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. It’s a free event, and the public is invited. The idea came from Allen students as part of the America 250 project, a joint...

Donita Garner has been at Hope Unlimited for almost 30 years. She’s been the Child Advocacy Center Coordinator there since 2009. April is a busy time at Hope Unlimited. It’s both Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. As part of their efforts to commemorate these causes, Garner has been visiting with cities and counties across Hope Unlimited’s service area. Talking about...

Shawn Geffert is a fifth-generation farmer based in Humboldt. He’s the first to admit he didn’t always think he’d go into farming, but now that he’s found his footing, his innovative approach to the industry is notable: strip-tilling, pesticide reduction, and autonomous robots, just to name a few. But with high fertilizer and fuel costs, depressed markets, and trade uncertainty, now is a very chal...

Today is International Women’s Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women around the world. In this week’s episode of “Registered,” we speak with one of Iola’s most esteemed women leaders, Mary Kay Heard. Heard has served Iola in a variety of roles. A former business owner, she currently is chairwoman of Iola Industries and on the hospital’s community board. In the past, she has...

Amanda Holman has been the advisor of Iola High School’s FFA chapter for the last nine years. She’s watched how the organization has helped develop leaders and challenge young people to grow in new and exciting ways. This week is National FFA Week, a chance to celebrate the nation’s largest student-led organization and reflect on its impact. In this week’s episode of “Registered,” we do just that,...

Kyle Kessler is the executive director of the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas, an organization that advocates for the 25 community mental health centers across the state. In this week’s episode of “Registered,” we speak with Kessler about what he calls an “unwavering mission” to improve mental health outcomes for Kansans. Two years ago, Kansas was ranked dead last for ment...

Whether it’s the district’s Humboldt Promise program, the new Cubs Community Care Center, limiting cell phone use in schools, or improvements from a $17.5 million bond issue voters passed in 2022, Humboldt schools are rapidly retooling to meet students’ needs and prepare them for a changing world. At the heart of it is Superintendent Dr. Amber Wheeler, now in her fifth year at the district. The ch...

Seth Bolling practically grew up in Moran Locker, the town’s family-owned butcher shop and meat processing facility. Bolling is the fourth generation of his family to work in the business, so he understands intimately the beef industry and local agriculture. He has most of his customers’ phone numbers memorized. In this week’s episode of Registered, we talk with Bolling about the state of today’s...

Iola USD 257 Superintendent Stacey Fager has been in education his whole career. He came to Iola 19 years ago and has led the school district since 2017. Fager believes in public education and its importance to young people, communities and our society. He’s also clear-eyed about the challenges public schools face today. In this episode of “Registered,” we talk with Fager about a bill to ban cell...

Callee Kaufman is a health and wellness coach at Humboldt Fitness. Her approach to health is very different from what you’d expect from a personal trainer. In fact, she urges her clients to rethink everything they’d ever heard about health, exercise, their bodies, nutrition and more. In this week’s episode of “Registered,” Tim Stauffer speaks with Kaufman about her approach to wellness, her proble...