Colby Principal to Move On
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75¢ COLBY Monday March 31, 2014 Volume 125, Number 51 Serving Thomas County since 1888 8 pages FFREEREE PPRESSRESS Colby principal to move on By Sam Dieter tors. He said after the meeting that Colby Free Press his contract will expire at the end [email protected] of June, putting an end to a two- year tenure at the school. Colby High School will be “I’m really going to miss the looking for a new principal after students and parents,” Walling- Jeff Wallingford’s resignation was ford said, adding that they were accepted Monday night. the best he has ever been associ- The Colby School Board voted ated with. to accept Wallingford’s resigna- Wallingford said he did not tion at its monthly meeting, while have a job lined up, and would not JUDY ROGERS/Colby Free Press extending the contracts for the A home burned to the ground early Sunday morning in Selden low right) brought eight trucks to the scene and fought the other principals and administra- See “PRINCIPAL,” Page 2 (above), near the school, although the exact cause of the fire blaze for about four hours. They stayed afterwards (bottom) is unknown. Firefighters from Selden, Rexford and Hoxie (be- to stamp out any lingering hot spots. Fire causes FIRE! Up in smoke A home in Selden burned to the power outage ground Sunday morning, although firefighters kept the blaze from A brief power outage darkened Farmers and Merchants Bank spreading to other buildings. parts of Colby along Range Av- downtown in some places. The fire, which engulfed a home enue for about half an hour Friday Power at Farmers and Mer- owned by Andrea Mitchell, was morning, causing traffic problems chants and The Bank went out, al- reported about 5:30 a.m. Sunday. as signals blinked off. though employees at Colby Com- Judy Rogers, a correspondent for Gordon Gilbert, assistant di- munity College, and the middle the Colby Free Press who was at rector of the city Public Works school and grade school campus the scene, said the house was west Department, said a utility pole did not remember any outages. of the Selden Elementary School. the near Kansas Department of The traffic lights along Range Fire crews from the Selden, Transportation shop along Range between College and Fourth shut Hoxie and Rexford fire depart- caught fire around 9:30 a.m., trip- down, and police had to direct ments responded, said Don Koer- ping a circuit that supplies elec- traffic at both at both intersections perich of Sheridan County Emer- tricity to areas along Range, from until the power came on at 10 a.m. gency Management. They had the around College Avenue to Fourth No accidents were reported to the blaze contained by 9:30 a.m. but Street, and from Range to around police. were still putting out hot spots that Mentlick Drive, and as far as the See “FIRE,” Page 2 Kansans rush to hit deadline By John Hanna for coverage. Associated Press But the Republican-dominated Legislature still was looking for TOPEKA (AP) – Counsel- ways to resist the 4-year-old fed- ors were dealing with a crush of eral health care overhaul cham- late requests for help from Kan- pioned by Democratic President sas consumers trying to navigate Barack Obama. the federal government’s online The law requires most Ameri- health insurance marketplace to- day, the deadline for signing up See “DEADLINE,” Page 2 Domestic case gets probation Small schools boost districts By Sam Dieter second incident, the victim was Colby Free Press described as a household member. By Heather Alwin are set by a formula based on en- The school offers elective fers a quality education. Students [email protected] These cases had been set for Colby Free Press rollment, not the number of stu- classes including home econom- come from as far as 15 miles trial early in the year, but court [email protected] dents who live in the district. ics and a shop program, which south or west of Russell Springs, A Colby man was sentenced to action was delayed until the plea Lamar Bergsten, principal and was brought back for this school he said. The school itself is in Wi- two years on probation after he agreement, under which the state For students, springtime brings superintendent at Triplains, says year. Triplains also offers five nona, on U.S. 40 about 30 miles was found guilty of domestic vio- dropped the battery charge from a focus on the end of this school students in turn can benefit from college-credit classes through a southwest of Colby, and the dis- lence and crimes against a former the second case. A sentence of six year, but for many area schools, it the strong community support partnership with Colby Commu- trict gets its name from the three member of his household. months in jail was converted to a brings a focus on enrollment and common to small schools. nity College, allowing students to towns that combined to form one Christopher Gatz plead no year of probation for the battery the start of next year. Triplains has about 80 students graduate with a head start on their school district – Winona, Page contest on March 21 to domestic and intimidation cases under the Since Kansas allows students to in kindergarten through 12th college hours. City and Russell Springs. battery, intimidation of a witness plea agreement, while a year-long attend school outside the district grade and will graduate eight se- “We have a unique little place The Brewster and Triplains dis- or victim and stalking, all mis- jail sentence in the stalking case where they live, small schools niors this year, he said. Elemen- here,” Bergsten said with pride. tricts each have a four-day sched- demeanors. The court gave Gatz was converted to two years on around Colby – like Triplains, tary classes, the largest of which Bergsten said his district is ule with Brewster taking Fridays a total of two years on probation probation, to be served concurrent Brewster and Golden Plains – can is the second grade with 12 kids, sparsely populated, covering 662 off and Triplains taking Mondays. after finding him guilty of all with the other two terms. benefit if they attract out-of-dis- are combined, with two grades in square miles of Logan, Thomas three charges, which stem from In addition to the usual proba- trict enrollment. School budgets each room. and Wallace counties, but still of- See “SCHOOLS,” Page 2 incidents last year. He was also or- tion terms, Gatz agreed to have dered to have no contact with his no contact with his victim, who victim, described as a household was given an order of protection member in court records, who ob- from stalking on Feb. 6. He will tained a protective order against also have to undergo domestic Photo pro coming to studio him earlier in the year. violence treatment and evaluation In the first case, Gatz was and pay a $200 fine, $158 court Photography professional and Colby gradu- bring their own cameras and photos to join in media at Mesa University in Grand Junction, charged with domestic battery costs and a $60 probation fee for ate Ben Ramsey will be featured during the the demonstrations. Colo. after an incident on April 21. A each case. monthly Studio Friday this week at Colby Studio Friday is held the first week of each For information, contact art instructor Rebel second incident on May 3 lead to Gatz’s court-appointed attorney, Community College. month. The session will run from 9 a.m. to Jay at 269-7065. a second charge for battery and Heather Alwin, said he had no Ramsey will discuss camera adjustments noon and 1 to 3 p.m. in the art room at Fergu- another charge for intimidation comment on the case. Alwin was and settings and demonstrate portrait, still son Hall. of a witness or victim. The stalk- assigned to the case after Gatz’s life, landscape and action photography, both Ramsey graduated in 2004 with an associ- ing charge came from an incident first attorney, Laurence Taylor, indoors and out. Everyone is invited to come ate degree in radio and television. He is com- Dec. 18. In the complaint from the died this year. join in this free event. Participants are asked to pleting a degree in mass communications-new Page 2 Colby Free Press Monday, March 31, 2014 Area/State Weather Fire strikes Briefly The deadline for Briefly is noon the day before. Items submitted in the Selden home morning will be set up for the following day, space available. The deadline for Monday’s paper is noon Friday. See “FIRE,” Page 2 afternoon. The house and a shed next to it were de- Foundation needs help stroyed and the side of another shed was to buy pool passes charred, but no other buildings were dam- The Thomas County Community aged. The wind was blowing out of the south, Foundation is taking donations for a into an evergreen windbreak just north of the fund to give 10-day swimming passes house, which did not burn. The only other National Weather Service for the Colby Aquatic Park to kids who Tonight: Areas of blowing nearby building beyond the windbreak, Ko- get free and reduced-price lunches at dust before 8 p.m. Partly cloudy, erperich said, was a metal quonset hut across Thomas County schools. Send dona- with a low around 28. Windy, the street. tions to the foundation at 350 S. Range, with a northwest wind 20 to 30 A Selden ambulance crew and a Sheridan Suite 14, and write “Aquatic Park Pass mph becoming northeast 10 to County sheriff’s deputy were called to stand Fund” in the memo line.