Monday COLBY September 4, 2006 50¢

Volume 117, Number 140 FFFRREEREEEE PPPRRESSREESSSS Serving Thomas County since 1888 8 pages FRRREEEEEE PRRREEESSSSSS 8 pages FF PP

Council A peachy project Authorities to review codes capture By Patty Decker Free Press Editor Colby burglar The Colby City Council meets at 7:30 p.m. today in council cham- By Jan Katz Ackerman Two male suspects, a 14-year-old bers, 585 N. Colby Free Press and a 15-year-old, were arrested Franklin Ave. and transported to Greater North- with plans to dis- A string of burglaries in Colby west Kansas Juvenile Detention cuss a proposal was solved Fri- Center is WaKeeney. to update the day when a wit- He said the two teens, whose municipal code. ness called local names are also being withheld un- Should the law enforce- til after formal charges are filed, council ap- Armstrong ment officers. were scheduled for a hearing today. prove, the cost T h o m a s Following the hearing, Baughn could be $4,000, County Sheriff said Thomas County Attorney An- which City Manager Carolyn Mike Baughn drea Wyrick would decide how to Armstrong said is a reduction of said today a Col- proceed with the cases against the $2,000 from the normal charge. by resident boys. “It would cost less since the city called in a bur- M. Baughn “It looks like we’ll have eight to started the process in the early glary in progress 10 burglaries solved in and out- 1990s and never completed it,” she 3:29 a.m. Friday in the 2300 block side of Colby for both residential said. of North Range Avenue. and vehicle burglaries,” Baughn In addition, the council could “By the time the deputy arrived said. consider approving authorization to the suspects had fled, but they were “We are estimating the property advertise bids for a water utility arrested at 4 a.m. at a nearby resi- value at between $10,000 and truck and change order for pave- dence,” Baughn said. $15,000.” ment maintenance at the Colby Municipal Airport. The code enforcement officer, Doug Lewis, will also have a pre- pared report recommending that the New program council determine if the property at 505 S. Lincoln, owned by Michael D. Lewallen is injurious to the health, safety or welfare of people to help tax credits with homes in that neighborhood. The council will also consider By Jan Katz Ackerman approval of the Colby High School viduals must have checked on their homecoming parade route starting Colby Free Press most recent income tax return filed at Fike Park and going south on they want to participate in the pro- Franklin Avenue to Third Street, New computer software will help gram. then west on Third to Dennen Field. county officials figure tax credits “Basically the state will make the Homecoming is Friday, Sept. 15. offered by the state’s Homestead determination whether you’d have The league voting delegates Tax program. to qualify from the tax return?” will also be decided. The dele- Thomas County Treasurer Do- Steele asked. gates include Ken Bieber, mayor; nita Applebury told Commissioners “What I think is going to happen Armstrong, and alternate voting Ron Evans, Paul Steele and Ken this year is the state will do both the delegates are council members Christiansen a new software pro- evaluation letter and contact the Bev Eicher and Pat Mallory. gram developed by Nextech can county,” Applebury said. The delegates represent the city assist her in generating tax state- “But, next I think the state will do in the conduct and management of ments. away with the letter.” The state’s Homestead Tax pro- The commissioners approve pur- the affairs of the League of Kan- TISHA COX/Colby Free Press gram allows qualified individuals chase of the new software and told sas Municipalities, Armstrong Katelyn Schacher, a member of the Catholic Youth Organization at Sacred Heart School in Colby, said. having gross income less than Applebury to proceed with buying weighed peaches Saturday at the Thomas County Office Complex. The organization is was $27,500 to earn credits toward the it. All meetings are open to the selling fruit as a fund raiser for their service trip and convention as well as community projects. public. first half of their property tax. In In other business, the commis- They sold out Saturday. 2005, 59 people in Thomas County sioner approve purchase of a com- qualified form the program which puter for $910 to be designated for resulted in $10,729 in tax credits. election use only. “Right now, Homestead qualifi- Commissioners received a letter ers get a letter from the state that has from Thomas County Historical Expert says U.S. economy slowing down to be given to the county clerk and Society Board President Rex Van- WASHINGTON (AP) — The inflation under control. come down much from where they to a nationwide average of 6.44 per- compared with their taxes,” Apple- Horn. economy has slowed down. Gaso- The combination of higher en- were a year ago, but builders are cent, according to Freddie Mac’s bury said. He told the commissioners the line prices hit new highs in early ergy costs and interest rates put a starting to throw in attractive incen- weekly survey. Applebury said she and Thomas board members appreciated the ad- August. And the once-soaring hous- severe squeeze on consumer spend- tives such as free appliance up- Homeowners who got an adjust- County Clerk Shelly Harms hoped ditional $15,000 for the society’s ing sector is rapidly losing altitude, ing, which accounts for two-thirds grades. able rate mortgage in 2003 and 2004 the $500 one-time set up fee and $60 budget for 2007. raising concerns it could drag the of overall economic growth. The Q: If I bought a house in the last at around 4 percent could be facing user fee would be approved to make Sherry White, Thomas County whole country into a recession. Fed’s campaign has been especially few years using an adjustable rate a jump to 7.5 percent to 8 percent their jobs more efficient. She said Branch Manager for the American Just where is the economy hard on areas of the economy that mortgage at a time when mortgage under the terms of their ARM. The people applying for tax credits un- Red Cross, thanked the county for headed? Here are some answers to depend on borrowing. Those in- rates were at four-decade lows, new mortgage rate is determined by der the Homestead program have to its continued support. frequently asked questions. clude housing; sales have been what do I do now if that mortgage the index the ARM is tied to, such bring all paperwork required to “I would like to express our ap- Q: The economy looked so good plunging in recent months. is about to get reset to a much higher as one-year Treasury bills, plus any Harms office to see if they qualify preciation to the commissioners for at the start of the year. What hap- Q: So is this a good time or a bad monthly payment? margin the lender is allowed to add. for reduced taxes. the office space you graciously pro- pened? time to buy a house? A: Experts say now would be a In the current rate environment, “Under the new program with vide to American Red Cross at the A: Gasoline prices climbed A: After a five-year housing very good time to move from an borrowers could be facing an in- this software, the state will send let- Thomas County Office Complex,” above $3 per gallon, leaving con- boom that had sellers firmly in con- adjustable rate mortgage to a fixed- crease in their monthly mortgage ters to the county along with infor- she said. sumers with less to spend on other trol, buyers are starting to have rate mortgage. payment of around $400 on a mation to help adjust the tax state- White works part-time as branch items. At the same time, the Federal more power. But real estate experts That is because fixed-rate mort- $200,000 mortgage. ments,” Applebury said. manager and has office hours from Reserve was raising borrowing caution that it may take a few more gages have been dropping in recent That pain could be reduced if the The is one catch to converting to 8 a.m. to noon. She oversees Red costs for millions of Americans. months before stubborn sellers start weeks. After hitting a four-year homeowner refinances to a fixed the state’s new version of the Home- Cross operations in Thomas, Wall- The Reserve pushed interest rates cutting their asking prices. high of 6.8 percent in mid-July, the rate now, when those rates are fall- stead Tax System. ace, Cheyenne, Rawlins, Gove and up to slow the economy and keep New-home prices also have not 30-year mortgage has now dropped ing. That catch is qualifying indi- Logan counties. brings country-rock to Colby By Tisha Cox Cross Canadian Ragweed will “We don’t care if they buy it or street Oct. 31. Colby Free Press take the stage at 8:30 p.m. steal it or whatever,” he said. “We Touring has been the way the Cross Canadian Ragweed Drum- want to get it out there.” band built its fan base. Colby will get a taste of what mer Randy Ragsdale said anyone Purple was their first record on “More than 250 shows a year isn’t some Oklahoma expecting country will be surprised. More than 250 shows a year isn’t un- Universal South. unusual,” Ragsdale said, “We’ve and Texas music “It’s not what you hear on the ra- usual. We’ve cut back some because of fam- The band has been prolific — re- cut back some because of family. fans already dio,” he said. “ leasing nine albums over the past It’s quality rather than quantity,” he know about. Many of the band’s influences are ily. It’s quality rather than quantity. several years. The band signed with said. Cross Cana- country, such as Waylon Jennings, Randy Ragsdale, Universal South in 2003, and its Ragsdale said his father, Johnny dian Ragweed and . drummer first release for the label was Ragsdale, is his idol, and helped will headline the The band has also been influenced “Purple.” Before that, the band re- coach the band. They used to prac- Celebration on heavily by southern rock, and has leased its albums on its own inde- tice in their living room, and he the Plains Satur- Neal Young covers in its set list. Canada, Grady Cross and Jeremy band out of Stillwater, Okla., and in pendent label, Underground wouldn’t let them go to a party un- day. Their latest singles receiving ra- Plato formed the group in the mid- 1996, started performing at the Records. til they had practiced. The celebra- R. Ragsdale dio airtime are “Fightin’ For” and 1990s. They all knew each other Wormy Dog Saloon there. Their first three albums were re- “He made sure we took it seri- tion will be at the “This Time Around.” He added XM from school, and grew up together. “That was the biggest music leased in Oklahoma, Texas and Ar- ous,” Ragsdale said. “Looking back Prairie Museum of Art and History. satellite radio has been a blessing When they got old enough, they scene going on out there in Okla- kansas, but records after that re- now we really appreciate it. He kept The gates open at 5 p.m., followed for the group, because its stations would drive to parties to play. homa,” Ragsdale said. ceived national distribution. us serious about the music.” by a barbecue for the first 800 tend to play just about anything Ragsdale said they kept their guitars Since, the band has hit the road Their next record is a two-disc For ticket information, contact people. The music starts at 7 p.m. available. with them. hard getting out the word about its live set recorded at Cain’s Ballroom the Colby/Thomas County Cham- with No Parking. Ragsdale and bandmates Cody In about 1995, they based the music. in Tulsa, Okla., which will hit the ber of Commerce.