The Superintendent of Schools for Geary USD 475, Dr. Corbin Witt, has announced his plan to retire July 1, 2019 after the 2018-19 school year.

Witt told JC Post they were talking about contract extensions and he wanted the Board of Education to understand why he didn’t want a contract extension. “So I just told them I’m going to plan to work out this current contract which goes through July 1, 2019 and then I was going to retire. That was what I told the Board so that they would know why I was not wanting my contract extended.”

Witt was hired to serve as superintendent of schools in April of 2014 and officially began work in that position on July 1, 2014.  He sent a text message to school district employees on Tuesday informing them of his decision to resign for the purposes of retirement on July 1, 2019. He indicated that for about six months he had been considering retirement.

Witt, 52, noted he is close to the 85-point requirement and would be able to retire . “Try something different, do something a little bit different for the next several years was something that my wife and I had been talking about. So we decided over the weekend that I’d go ahead and let the Board know and move forward.” The 85-point requirement is a combination of years of experience and age. When July 1, 2019 arrives he will have reached that mark since he will be 54-years old and have 31 years of experience working in education.

During the next year and a half Witt noted priorities for him in USD 475 will include keeping the new high school project on track and working on the Board of Education goals.

The D.E.L. Motors dealership at 1737 North Washington in Junction City will be closed temporarily for a switch over to a new automotive partner.

The owner, D.E. Lacer, said they will temporarily shut down, for probably two or three days. “I’m going a different route. I’m ending my partnership with Russ and Ilene Briggs. It’s been a great run. I learned just tons from Russ and Ilene, great people. I’ve just found a different road to take. It’s going to free up a little time for me.”

Lacer said he has accepted an offer with Flint Hills Ford of Manhattan, his son Joshua Lacer will be brought in to oversee the store, and D.E. Lacer will continue to be an operating partner. “Business will go on as usual.”

The temporary closure will allow for the computers associated with the Briggs Auto Group to be  removed along with the telephones, and new inventory will have to be purchased. “We’ll continue to have a small service department, we’ll continue to have a recon department, so really the public won’t notice much of a change. The showroom will be renovated.” Lacer also noted that Junction City product Brett Barker will also be involved in the operation.

The Dorothy Bramlage Public Library attempted  expansion efforts are moving forward.

Susan Moyer, Library Director, said it will be a quiet effort for a few more months. They have created steering, public relations and building committees. “We’re taking our steering group now and hopefully pretty soon we’ll be able to announce some campaign leadership to go along with that committee.”

That group will begin preparing a plan to push into the community to start asking for private donations for the project. “The project will stay in a quiet phase throughout the spring, and then it will launch into a bigger public phase. ” That would probably occur in May or the first portion of June.