The Court of Appeals Nominating Commission announced January 7th, 2022, the three nominees chosen to fill the upcoming vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael Buser. One of those nominees is Angela D. (Chesney) Coble, a former graduate of Stockton High School.

Come in and check us out!!! New books for adults are: • “There’s a Murder Afoot” by Vicki Delany (Large Print) • “Mimi Lee Cracks the Code” by Jennifer Chow (Large Print) • “Dear Santa” by Debbie Macomber New audio books are: • “My Darling Husband” by Kimberly Belle • “The Replacement Wife” by Darby Kane • “The Sorority Murder” by Allison Brennan Your library staff, Chris Sander, Crystal Dunlap & Beth Hazen.

Even though the 2021 K-5 Christmas concert was postponed until Thursday, January 6th, and the weather was bitter cold with a few inches of snow on the ground, that did not deter the Stockton Grade School students from giving their audience a very Merry Christmas program! Wearing their Christmas best in front of a packed gymnasium filled with family and friends the concert began with the fifth-grade band performing the musical number “iJingle.”

The call log for the Rooks County Sheriff’s Office for the week of January 3rd through January 9th reads as follows: Administrative Calls 274, 9-1-1 Calls 44, Criminal Cases 2, Miscellaneous Cases 2, Traffic Stops 8, Motor Assists 3, Arrests 2, Civil Papers Served 6, Animal Calls 2, and Average Number Of Inmates Housed For The Week 11.

We currently have thirty (30) active cases of COVID-19 in the county and three individuals in the hospital due to COVID-19. Rooks County is following the KDHE guidelines.

First Christian Church welcomed Bruno Mo Raes, a missionary from Brazil supported by FCC, to deliver our message on Sunday. Besides telling us the history of him and his wife Lucy’s journey as missionaries, he also enlightened us on how this journey was part of God’s pattern for his life.

GOD IS MY JUDGE. We've all probably succumbed to it. It's certainly seen in the Bible. For example, Mark 6:20 reveals that "Herod feared John." However, Herod's wife, Herodias, wanted John the Baptist killed because he told King Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife" (Mark 6:18). In the end, Herod ordered that John's head be lopped off. Why? Peer pressure. Peer pressure is real. But that's exactly why I so greatly appreciate Daniel. As a young man of perhaps just 15 years of age, Daniel, along with thousands of other Jews, was marched off from Jerusalem to Babylon where he spent the rest of his life. From the beginning of his time in Babylon, the peer pressure began. King Nebuchadnezzar wanted some of the Jewish young men to be taught the Chaldean language and literature. He even changed their names to honor Babylonian gods. But the king also prescribed that the young men be fed the same food and wine that he drank. However, for a reason that's not clear, "Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank" (Dan. 1:8). It no doubt was the best food of the day. It was good enough for the king. But Daniel didn't care what the king or anyone else thought. He only cared about what God thought. If the food was going to pollute his relationship with his God, then that was a hill to die on. And God honored Daniel's faith and faithfulness. God caused the king's chief of staff to respect and have compassion on Daniel. His diet was changed to vegetables and water and, again, God honored Daniel's faith by causing him to be in better health. The bottom line is that Daniel lived up to his name. "Daniel" means "God is my judge." And that's all that mattered to Daniel. Daniel knew no peer pressure. It seemingly never affected him because he knew in his soul that he was ultimately accountable to God alone. The question: Who is MY judge?

THE AFTERMATH OF THE FOUR COUNTY FIRE, DECEMBER 15, fanned by 100 MPH wind in Ellis, Rooks, Osborne, and Russell counties continue to bring tears in the devastating loss of farms and ranches. Stiff winds on the following Sunday afternoon blew white ashes across the blackened hills and valleys as far as one could see. Miles of barbed wire fences, attached to native stone and metal posts, hang in ruin or lay in ash filled ditches. Miles of electrical poles, broken and burned, swayed in the wind. Houses decorated for Christmas left in ashes. Stories of survival through the darkness, smoke, and raging fires continue to give gratitude for no loss of family, friends, and neighbors. From across the Kansas Heartland the immediate response continues with ranchers and farmers meeting needs by lending a helping hand in repairing water pumps, finding generators, bringing tanks for water, and 12 gage barbed wire fencing materials. Semi-trucks loaded with hay from across the region and other states continue to arrive for feeding the surviving livestock. Veterinarians assist in treating burned cattle and horses. Churches and community volunteers work tirelessly in hands on help and in collecting donations to meet a myriad of needs. Harsh winter weather conditions cannot defeat the Pioneer Spirit as farmers' and ranchers' faith carries them through to a brighter future. The need is still great. One immediate need is for volunteer truckers to transport donated hay. For donations contact Tanner Lyle, Paradise Methodist Church, 785-735-8024; Iva Meir, Natoma, 785-885-4404; Kasey Ulrich, 785-643-1951; Jill Gonzalaz, 785-445-9717; Matt McCune, Plainville, 785-341-2902; Brandon Hamel, 785-434-6280. For housing items: Kim Hoisington, 785-821-1074.

The Rooks County Health Department is NOT closing. It continues to provide all the services as it has in the past. The ONLY thing not continuing is the Medicare certified in-home health services, as was reported in the December 23rd issue of the Stockton Sentinel.