TEG
Monday, January 4, 2016
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PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING
FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1895
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Structure Fire Destroys Home
Good Evening
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Our thoughts are with
the Bedolla family.
WWW.EMPORIAGAZETTE.COM
KTA
I n c i d e n t
Taser Used
at Emporia
service
area
By Jessie Wagoner
[email protected]
An early-morning structure
fire was reported around 4 a.m.
Monday at 2001 Morningside
Drive. When fire crews arrived
on scene the home was engulfed
in flames.
At 9 a.m. this morning they
were still on scene battling hot
spots. Mutual aid was still being
requested four hours afterwards to
help put out hot spots.
Law enforcement officers used
a Taser on a man to subdue him
and transported him to Newman
Regional Health following an incident at the Emporia service area
on the Kansas Turnpike Friday
evening.
Kansas Turnpike Authority
Director of Communications and
Marketing Rachel Bell says the
KTA dispatch center received a
call from the manager of the service area at approximately 7 p.m.
Friday. The caller requested assistance from Kansas Highway Patrol
Troopers as there was a man at the
service area acting strangely and
becoming aggressive towards employees.
“They had a customer that was
acting very strangely so our troopers responded,” Bell said. “Once
they got there he continued to act
very weird and do some things
that were just not normal.”
Troopers responded to the
call and attempted to talk
to the man involved. The
individual was unresponsive
Please see Fire, Page 3
Please see Incident, Page 3
Duane Henrikson/Special to the Gazette
The Emporia Fire Department works on a structure fire at 2001 Morningside Drive on Monday. No one was in the house at the time of the fire.
Cathryne Scharton and
Brandy Nance
[email protected]
Kendra Johnson/Gazette
A fire was reported at 2001 Morningside Drive early Monday morning. The residence is a near-total loss.
A l e x
By Jessie Wagoner
[email protected]
J u a n
stopped and I broke down. I said ‘not
my Alex, I’m in Mexico and I’m not
even there.’”
Students and staff are still reeling with the news of Bedolla’s
passing. Last week the school was
open for students needing support. This week teachers return
to school Monday and students on
Tuesday. There will be additional
counseling support available for all
in the coming days.
“I think next week will be really
tough honestly,” McDonald said. “Alex was very loved and well known in
Community
invited to
meet new ESU
President
B e d o l l a
the school. He probably touched just
about everybody’s life. So it will be a
tough week for everybody.”
McDonald said when she first
met Bedolla he was a shy ninth grader that preferred speaking in Spanish and didn’t have a lot of friends.
However, she had the privilege of
watching Bedolla grow and blossom
throughout high school. She attributes much of his success and development to his passion for running.
“He started running track and
When students return to Emporia High School on Tuesday there
will be one special student missing
— Alex Juan Bedolla. Bedolla, a
senior at EHS, died at his home on
Dec. 30.
Bedolla’s guardian and sister-inlaw, Amanda Ortiz, said that 17-yearold Bedolla recently purchased a
new-to-him car and was working on
the car in the garage of the home. It
was a cold day and Bedolla left the
Please see Bedolla, Page 3
garage doors down, not realizing
that the fumes would overcome him.
Once Bedolla was found, slumped
over in the car, attempts at CPR were
unsuccessful.
Ortiz said that Bedolla usually
spends Christmas break traveling
to Mexico with his brother Rudy
Bedolla to visit their parents, who
still reside there. This year, Bedolla
decided to skip the trip to focus
on other things — taking his ACT,
working extra hours at KFC and
working on his car.
“Everyone is on vacation in
Mexico now; Alex stayed behind,”
Ortiz said. “He just took his ACT.
He was ready to graduate, ready to
go to college.”
Photo courtesy of Michelle Kraus-Huber
“He was just an all-around amazing kid,” Ortiz said. “I know every- Friends and family members of Alex Bedolla took part in balloon
body says that about their kids but,
releases in memory of Alex on Thursday. Classmates wrote notes to
honestly, he was an amazing kid. It
Alex and released them via balloon.
wasn’t just me that thought that but
it’s coming from everybody. All his
friends, all his teachers, his coaches,
everybody just thought he was an
amazing kid.”
As word spread of Bedolla’s
death, his friends attempted to notify teachers. Tara McDonald, ELA
teacher at EHS, has taught Bedolla
since ninth grade and considers him
“like my son.” McDonald was actually on a mission trip in Mexico on
Dec. 30. When she crossed the border and turned her phone on she
quickly realized something horrible
had happened.
“I had spent the day in Mexico
and we were crossing the border
and I turned my phone off of airplane mode and there was 32 missed
calls and 100 missed texts,” McDonald said. “When I heard my heart
By Jessie Wagoner
[email protected]
Gazette file photo
Alex Bedolla, a senior at
Emporia High School, died Dec.
30. Bedolla was passionate about
running and planned to run
cross country in college.
Image courtesy of Michelle Kraus-Huber
VOL. 124, NO. 158
Alex Bedolla was an accomplished runner and student. This image shows his numerous cross
country and track medals and his EHS letter.
The community is invited to attend
a welcome reception for Allison Garrett,
Emporia State
U n i v e rs i t y ’s
17th president.
Kendra Johnsen/
T h e eve n t ,
Gazette
organized by
the Emporia Allison
Area Chamber Garrett, 17th
of Commerce President of
and Emporia Emporia State
Main Street is University,
from 4 to 6 p.m. begins her
Thursday a