WASHINGTON — As the school year draws near, children and teens represent a ballooning percentage of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. as the youngest Americans increasingly venture outside their homes and are able to get…

Overdue fines will no longer be issued on children’s accounts at the Iola Public Library. Fines accrued in the past on children’s accounts have been forgiven, clearing 227 accounts, the library announced in a press…

Starting Monday, anyone in USD 257 can pick up five days worth of free breakfast and lunch meals until Aug. 6. The goal is to make sure everyone in the district has access to healthy…

Did you find a rock at the park and don’t know what kind it is? What about fossils?  If you would like to learn more about rocks, minerals and fossils, then dive into the geology…

NEW YORK — New York City has detected 38 cases of “pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome” — an alarming condition linked with COVID-19, claiming one young life in the Big Apple so far — Mayor  Bill de Blasio said…

Dear Carolyn: My 8-year-old shared that his teammate told the team he “only plays baseball so his dad will like him.” When you watch the kid play, it is clear he is desperate for his…

The abrupt and early end to the school year because of the coronavirus pandemic isn’t all fun and games for children. In many ways, it’s just the opposite, an Iola family therapist says. “I’ve definitely…

Dear Carolyn: My son, 11, has been acting up in school: not doing his homework, talking during class, picking on younger kids, getting detentions and just being an all-around brat. At home, he’s picking on…

Dear Carolyn: My partner and I have a wonderful (and wild) 3-year-old girl. We both work full time, and she attends a loving preschool. We live four to five hours away from any family. Lately,…

Santa and his elves aren’t the only ones working extended hours this month. Tracy Keagle of Humanity House is putting the finishing touches on what will be the eighth — and final — Santa’s Toy…