Stockton USD 271 will be offering early childhood opportunities for children three to five years of age for the 2020-2021 school year.

SAVING FAITH. Everyone in the world has one thing in common. We all have faith. For example, who opens a can of food and has it analyzed to make sure it's safe? No one! We just open it up with full faith that it's ok to eat. We do the same at our favorite burger joint. We unwrap the sandwich and inhale it. People in China recently had full faith that the exotic animals sold in their marketplaces were safe to eat, but we all know how that's turned out with the Coronavirus now spreading across the planet. Of course, this kind of universal faith has nothing to do with the faith that God gives to those who trust the Lord Jesus Christ. We call that faith "Saving Faith." What's vital to understand is that Saving Faith is not faith in ourselves to merit God's favor but absolute, dependent faith upon Jesus who died in our place. Also, Saving Faith always leads to Living Faith. For instance, way back in time, Noah had Saving Faith in the coming Messiah and therefore found grace in God's eyes. Despite the fact he had never seen rain, and though he had never seen a flood, yet, "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household" (Heb. 11:7). His Saving Faith led him to live out his faith. Abraham also had Saving Faith in the Promised Messiah and God told him to pack up and start walking, "And he went out, not knowing where he was going" (Heb. 11:8). He put feet to his Saving Faith and responded with obedience. The same is true of David. As just a teenager, he had Saving Faith and so went against Goliath saying, "This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand...that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel." All real McCoy Christians are no different. God opened our hearts to our utter sinfulness and gave us genuine Saving Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The result? We live out our faith by God's grace and for His glory!

Planning for the future is vital and families must take steps to ensure assets for the next generation. To support Kansas families through the process, K-State Research and Extension is partnering with the Small Business Development Center at Fort Hays State University to host the program, “Thriving Across Generations: Succession Planning in Rural Kansas” on Wednesday, March 11 from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. Registration will begin at 5:00 p.m. The event will be at the Fort Hays State University Memorial Union, 700 College Drive in Hays.

were (from left): Kate Hansen, 1st place, Sacred Heart; Sterling Dohe, 2nd place, Sacred Heart; Kaeleigh Klein, 3rd place, Plainville Elementary; and Theoden Hedding, 4th place, Plainville Elementary. (Photo by Kyleigh Stice)

Kansas Department of Transportation employees across the state were certified as Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) commercial drone operators on Friday, Feb. 14.

Hello from Topeka! We continue to hear bills and work bills from criminal justice reform to suicide prevention, protecting KPERS to allowing Kansans to itemize their tax deductions and take full advantage of the Trump tax cuts. We are hard at work vetting bills and finding ways to make our state work better for our families and neighbors.

were (from left): Kaydence Grebowiec, 1st place, Plainville Elementary; Brylee Horting, 2nd place, Plainville Elementary; Ruthie Voss, 3rd place, Stockton Grade School; and Rachel Dryden, 4th place, Stockton Grade School. (Photo by Kyleigh Stice)

Riener, sang The Star Spangled Banner prior to the Fort Hays State University women’s and men’s basketball games against Newman University on February 6. Pictured front row, from left are: Addie Struckhoff, Coryn Hahn, Taigen Kerr, Basil Powers, Jolee Sterling, Michel Smith and Faith Wallace; and back row, from left: Sierra Kester, Pitch Wonglappanich, Tierra Yohon, Deyton Bedore, Ellie Bellerive, Venessa Yakish, Savy Gray and Haley Ciarallo

Week of February 24