Bitter Cold Prompts Closings, Blackouts

INSIDE SALUTE TON Wrestlers TOPEKA, KAN. Hometown of earn top LaNona honors at Stithem regionals. Holton Recorder subscriber for 50 years. CServing the ackson ounty ommunity for years See sports pages. Volume 154, Issue 7 HOLTON, KANSAS • Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021 20 Pages $1.00 Bitter cold prompts closings, blackouts By Brian Sanders The polar vortex — a for a few days.” Record cold temperatures gigantic, circular, upper-air Cold weather continued and wind chills caused by a weather pattern in the Arctic to rear its head over the polar vortex that moved into that circles the North Pole — weekend, with overnight low the Midwest last week has is a normal pattern that usually temperatures in the negative caused more than just snowfalls tends to keep the coldest single digits made worse and school and govern ment weather bottled up near the by wind chills and snow on closings — it also prompted North Pole with help from Sunday and Monday. Those electrical and natural gas the jet stream. But there are temperatures prompted companies to advise customers instances — this past week in residential energy and natural to back off power and utility particular — when some of gas customers to turn up the use to alleviate already- the vor tex breaks off or moves thermostats in an attempt to stressed utility companies. south, bring ing unusually cold stave off the cold temperatures. The worst of the cold weather with it. But with the increase in weather, which hit northeast The cold weather associated heater use came a record high Kansas on Mon day and early with the vortex began to move demand for electric power Tuesday, brought regular into north eastern Kansas late from the Southwest Power temperatures down to about 15 last week and would eventually Pool, which coordinates a to 20 degrees below zero and move as far south as Mexico, it power grid in 14 states and wind chills that got as low as was reported. provides the City of Holton minus-40, along with demand In northeastern Kansas, with part of its power load. for electricity and natural gas the vortex brought negative SPP officials issued an alert While his friends opted to take sleds down Pride Hill yesterday afternoon, 13-year-old that stretched the limits of single-digit overnight on Mon day morning that the Landon Hernandez of Holton hopped aboard a “kiddie car” and rode it down the hill for what utility companies could low temperatures and the demand for electric power some free-wheeling fun. Students at all three Jackson County schools had a snow day provide — and, in some cases, occasional utility disruption, had well surpassed the pool’s yesterday due to extreme cold temperatures that morning, although the sun made an controlled power outages. such as a broken water main capacity for supply. appearance and warmed things up enough for some fun in the snow. But there is some light that Holton City Manager Ker- With that alert came a Photo by Brian Sanders at the end of the tunnel, win McKee said occurred on directive from SPP’s grid according to the National Thurs day, Feb. 11, in the 100 operator to implement Weather Service. While night- block of Dakota Avenue. “controlled interruptions time low temperatures tonight “I know there have been of ser vice” to prevent more (Wednesday) and tomorrow some resi dential lines that widespread and uncontrolled City awarded $600,000 to are expected to be in the single have been rup tured due to power outages — a first in digits — above zero, that is — freezing, because we’ve been SPP’s history, according to high temperatures are expected getting calls to turn off their executive vice president and to start rising back into the 30s water while they get repaired,” chief operating officer Lanny purchase new fire truck by Friday and into the mid-to- McK ee said Friday morning, Nickell. upper 40s, and possibly high er, Feb. 12, not ing that the cold By Brian Sanders don’t know how we could have has height ened the challenges as next week begins. weather was “not getting better Continued to Page 12 Replacing the Holton Fire paid cash for a new fire truck any our rural com munities face Depart ment’s primary fire engine other way.” when it comes to community has been identified by Holton city Holton is one of 32 Kansas development — making as- officials as a priority in recent com munities that will divvy up sistance like this more important years, although the projected cost a total of $13,864,149 in CDBG than ever.” of a new fire engine has been funds for various projects that McKee said the CDBG award Chief Gakle retiring after 40 the main obstacle for the city to will benefit low- and moderate- would help the city cover at overcome. income persons, prevent or least half of the cost of a new On Thursday, Feb. 11, Kansas eliminate slums and blight or fire engine to replace the fire years with Holton Police Dept. Gov. Laura Kelly announced that resolve an urgent need where department’s cur rent “first-out” Holton will receive $600,000 local resources are not available firefighting vehicle, a truck with a in Community Development to do so, it was reported. 65-foot aerial ladder that has been Block Grant (CDBG) funds Gov. Kelly called the CDBG in the city’s employ since 1999. from the Kan sas Department pro gram “a powerful tool” for At that time, it was reported, of Commerce’s Community improv ing Kansas communities, the city paid about $335,000 Development Division to help the revitalizing essential for that fire engine. Nowadays, city purchase a new fire truck. infrastructure and maximizing McKee said, it is likely that a new “We are truly appreciative to economic opportunities. fire engine with a taller ladder have been selected for CDBG “I am glad to see Holton being would cost upwards of $1 million funds,” Holton City Manager recognized,” the governor said. — if not more. Kerwin McKee said of the “Over the past several months, governor’s announce ment. “I the (COVID-19) pandemic Continued to Page 12 Preschool, LOB talks continue during Holton B.O.E. meeting By David Powls to contract with the Greenbush and two more sections of Preschool plans for the next School Resource Center for an half-day preschool could be school year continued to be a optional virtual learning pro- “squeezed’’ into the annex top topic for the Holton school gram next year for students in building on the elementary board when it met for its regu- the district. school campus, if necessary. Holton Police Chief Gale Gakle (shown above) is retiring after more than 40 lar February meeting at 6 p.m. Regarding preschool plans The number of kids that years with the Holton Police Department. Gakle began his career as a dispatch- Wednesday, Feb. 10 at the for next year, school officials could be served with five er with the department before serving as a patrol officer. Gakle was appointed high school library. said they will wait until after teachers and 10 sections was chief several times during his career. Photo by Brian Sanders The board meeting, original- preschool screenings are held estimated at up to 150 (up ly scheduled for Monday, Feb. here March 5 to determine from the current 103 or so in By Brian Sanders for me to move on to the next He worked for Boyd 8, was postponed to Wednes- how many district families will the program). It’s been a little more than chapter of my life.” Construction for about a day due to cold weather. be seeking preschool services Board member Dena Swish- 40 years since Gale Gakle Holton Mayor Robert year, then found himself laid At its meeting, the Holton for their kids and what direc- er said she would be more in- joined the Holton Police Dieckmann congratulated off again due to a slowing in school board approved a mo- tion the district should take clined to favor expanding the Department as a dis patcher. Gakle on his 40 years of available construction work. tion on a unanimous vote (7-0) to accommodate all the kids preschool program if there Since then, Gakle has service to the city and his But rather than looking for to increase the district’s local in the district. The preschool were no other choices for moved up the ranks in the retire ment. something else to do before option budget (LOB) authority program is currently set up to families in the community, but department, serving the “He’s been an asset to the construction jobs started up from 30 percent to 33 percent. include four teachers and eight there are other choices, it was Holton community today as city,” Dieckmann said. again, he took a chance on Also at its meeting, the (half-day) sections of kids. noted. its chief of police. A native of Excelsior another line of work. school board approved a mo- HES Principal Randy Fox “I’ve loved working here,” Springs, Mo., Gakle didn’t “I just happened to be tion on a unanimous vote (7-0) said a fifth preschool teacher Continued to Page 12 he said. “I probably wouldn’t give a lot of thought to a living next door to the chief have done this job in the big career in law enforcement of police at that time and city, because here, you can when he was a young man, made friends with him,” get to know people.

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