75¢ COLBY Thursday April 10, 2014 Volume 125, Number 57 Serving Thomas County since 1888 10 pages FFREEREE PPRESSRESS County discusses tech hire By Sam Dieter The $1,385 contract takes effect Colby Free Press May 1. [email protected] • Sent a letter to the U.S. De- partment of the Interior to say the The Thomas County commis- county would not participate in sioners discussed hiring a full- development of a resource man- time information technology agement plan being prepared by expert or a part-time contractor the Bureau of Land Management. Monday, but did not take any ac- The commissioners had already tion. decided not to participate. Their County officials at the meeting letter to the Tulsa field office said they often called tech support pointed out that the county already for the computer programs their has its own Natural Resource Co- departments use, only to be told ordination Plan. In the letter, the they should talk to the county’s commissioners said they hoped “IT” person. the bureau would attempt to be County Clerk Shelley Harms consistent with the county’s plan. got the costs for bringing on a • Reviewed a $38,400 budget part-time contract worker em- proposal from Transportation ployee from Ntronic or a full- Director Jim Harms. Most of the Tower gets spring coat time county worker: both would money in the proposal would go draw $50,000 a year, she said, to salaries for drivers, fuel and but a full-time employee would maintenance. cost another $30,000 in benefits Harms also proposed setting and overhead. Harms said that up a new garage for the van, and officials from other counties sug- gave the commissioners drawings gested Thomas County go with a he made of a floor-plan. The struc- full-time employee rather than a ture would be about 30 feet by 36 contractor. feet, including a wash bay on one In other business, the commis- side next to an office, storage and sioners: supply rooms. • Approved an annual agree- Right now, he said, he parks the ment with Greeley, Colo.,-based van outside at the noxious weed Computer Information Concepts office from October to March. for software to help run the pub- lic works and weed departments. See “COUNTY,” Page 2 Colby Art Walk an annual event Colby Community College Club pieces will be in the Law art instructor Rebel Jay and her Enforcement Training Center, students will put on the Annual while the Scale House will feature Spring Art Walk next week, from blown-glass beads and stained- 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 18, in glass creations. downtown Colby. College art students will be “There will truly be something drawing caricatures at several for every age group,” said Jay. places. A mime, balloon creations, “Some things you will see include caricature artists, food vendors artworks from the Colby area and and more will be available. surrounding counties displayed “We were so pleased with last in about 20 businesses in the year’s response to this event and SAM DIETER/Colby Free Press downtown Franklin Avenue area. are anticipating a larger crowd The painters from Eagle Sandblasting and Easter eggs will be hidden in the this year,” said Jay. “There is Painting (top) got a bird’s eye view of Colby as businesses for the kids and a Lego no charge to attend; the Colby they painted the side of the Colby water tower challenge, eggs to decorate and businesses have been so helpful, this week. The doorway leading into the bottom other activities for youngsters and the entire community has of the tower (above left) has been left open in in first through sixth grades will joined together to make this a fun recent weeks as this paint job takes place. be available in the basement of event. There will be lots to do and Workers (above right) have often been seen Sunflower Bank.” lots to see. repainting the outside of the tower. They have Art by area students will be “Come join us for a great family also put a couple of hoses through the bottom displayed at Nicole’s School of outing.” of the tower (right) to sandblast the inside. Eagle Dance. College students’ art will For information or to volunteer Sandblasting and Painting is a subcontractor for be on display in the Creation to help, call Jay at (785) 269-7065 Utility Service Group, the company which the city Gallery. Colby High Plains Art or 460-5459. of Colby hired to work on the tower. Republican challenges House incumbent By Sam Dieter daughters support his decision to run for “I’m a career educator,” he said, “and ity to cooperate and get things done. Huelskamp wanted the Special Nutrition- Colby Free Press office see he’s doing it for them. He said he’s a career politician.” Having talked with Republican leaders, al Assistance Program, or Food Stamps, [email protected] his plan is to take over the job for two Describing himself as political novice, he said, he has come away with the un- taken out of the farm bill, but LaPolice to three terms, unless he has an “over- LaPolice said he has followed Huels- derstanding that any Kansas Republican pointed out that the nutritional assistance A Republican challenger running for whelming mandate” to stay in Congress. kamp’s actions in the House, and disap- besides Huelskamp would be all but guar- program affects the whole country. Only the 1st District congressional seat against LaPolice is a veteran of the Gulf War proved of the congressman’s partisan be- anteed a seat on the Agriculture Commit- a handful of states and House districts U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp said he felt a who spent three years in the army and havior. He felt that Huelskamp is obstruc- tee. Ideally, he would like to be on the have agricultural economies, so few rep- “fire in my belly” as he decided to run. then went to the University of Califor- tionist and brags about it, and has under- Budget and Education and the Workforce resentatives would have an incentive to When he decided someone needed nia in Berkeley for an advanced degree mined the rule of law, getting kicked off committees as well. actually pass the Farm Bill bill without to unseat Huelskamp, Alan LaPolice of in education and school administration. of choice seats on the Agriculture and “Tim’s opposed to all government,” the food programs. Clyde said, he could not find anyone to Then he embarked on a career in educa- Ways and Means committees. LaPolice said. “I’m opposed to Tim’s The 10th Amendment – which del- back, even when he talked to other Re- tion, working as an English teacher for 10 He would be willing to buck the system government, and I intend to fix Tim’s egates all powers not specifically granted publicans. years and a high school principal for four in Congress, LaPolice said, but would government.” “I went around, they said nobody, in the roughest schools in Los Angeles. ultimately find allies and cooperate with As a result of Huelskamp getting See “HOUSE,” Page 2 they said nobody is going to run against After serving for a year as a school su- them. Over the course of his career, he kicked off the agriculture committee, him,” LaPolice said, “and they said no- perintendent in rural California, LaPolice said, he has always been willing to col- for instance, LaPolice said, the farm bill body could, and it was like a gauntlet they said, he moved back to Kansas and has laborate. He said he believes business passed in February included programs threw down.” farmed near Clyde for the last 10 years leaders will invest in the country just as that favor southern states, rather than crop He said his wife and three young with his father. soon as government leaders show an abil- insurance for farmers in the Midwest. Page 2 Colby Free Press Thursday, April 10, 2014 Area/State Weather County discusses tech hire Briefly From “COUNTY,” Page 1 or another park in the city, although he would The deadline for Briefly is noon the day before. Items submitted in the have to get permission from the City Council first. morning will be set up for the following day, space available. The deadline Harms said he has found the temperature inside Harms said he got estimates of $54,200 from for Monday’s paper is noon Friday. the van to be anywhere from 37 to over 100 when Cleary Buildings, $66,247 from Morton Build- he starts it, and once it took him two hours to ings, and $122,299 from Stephens Construction, County bus won’t run on Friday warm the van up to 60 degrees. but the building will have to be approved before There will be no Thomas County transportation bus service on Friday The garage also could be used as storage space he gets sealed bids. due to the loss of a family member. For information, call 443-9208. for the county, he said. It could be put in Fike Park Heartland, churches offer ‘Three Days’ “Three Days,” a dramatic musical production by Heartland Christian ‘Tweeting Troopers’ post tips School students and area churches, will be presented at 7 p.m. tonight and National Weather Service Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday at the school, 1995 W. Fourth St. Admission Tonight: A 30 percent chance HUTCHINSON (AP) – A central division. ber to increase, The Hutchinson is free, but donations will be taken.