It’s time to recognize some of Allen County’s businesses, groups and people trying to make the community a better place. Thrive Allen County will have its annual celebration at 7 p.m. on Friday. For the…

“Oh! Oh! I have an idea,” Angelito Young, a second- grader at Jefferson Elementary School exclaimed Friday morning. She quickly rearranged a series of plastic and metal cubes in a specific order, then held her…

​​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…

TOPEKA — Kansas public schools without a mask mandate report COVID-19 illnesses at more than four times the rate of schools where a face covering is required. The numbers of cases traced to COVID-19 outbreaks…

TOPEKA — A lawsuit filed by parents of children subjected to the Shawnee Mission School District’s mask mandate Tuesday evolved into a Kansas Supreme Court debate about due process rights, separation of powers, legislative authority…

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 high number of COVID-19 cases at Iola High School this week nearly triggered an automatic mask mandate for the building. IHS reported 14 students and staff tested positive for COVID-19 as of Tuesday. Under…