On Tuesday, December 15th, Sandi Rogers and Don McLaughlin were honored for their years of service at the last Stockton City Commission meeting they would be attending as commissioners. Rogers has served on the commission for nine years as well as holding the position of mayor for one year; and McLaughlin has served on the board for the past twelve years. Incoming commissioners stepping into the two positions are Adam Bryant and Jesica Kerr.

IN THE WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS, the RCH Auxiliary begins selling memorial lights in memory of a deceased loved one. All funds raised through the sale of memorial lights make it possible for a Rooks County resident or an RCH employee to receive a scholarship once they are accepted into a human health care program. The hope is that the recipient will later be in a position to ease the pain of someone’s loved one, find a cure for a dreaded disease or even save a life. This year, the Auxiliary created a presentation where you can watch as each name is read aloud. You can see the link at: www.rookscountyhealthcenter.com/tree-lighting/. There is also a book with each name listed available for viewing at the entrance of RCH. Several scholarship recipients are currently employed at Rooks County Health Center, Post Rock Family Medicine or Doctors Without Delay. These employees are pictured above: (from left) Brooke Foster, Cricket Schmidt, LaDonna Shetterly, Heather Shamburg and Courtney Casey. Several other recipients were not available for the photo.

Eastern redcedar Despite being native to the Great Plains, Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) escapes from shelterbelt and ornamental plantings have resulted in widespread infestation of range and pasture that often require management. It is thought that the tree was originally confined to ridges and bluffs, but is now found in diverse sites, ranging from rocky uplands to swampy bottomlands.

The year 2020 has had its ups and downs. Do not make it worse by driving impaired. The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) reminds everyone the holidays are a time when impaired driving crashes and fatalities are typically at their highest.

In this season of hope, faith and gratitude, we want to share our thanks and best wishes with all of you. We’re so grateful for the gifts of friendship and community that have made our year so special.

At the Stockton Board of Education regular monthly meeting, held on Monday, December 7th, the board members present discussed the Senior Trip. This year’s seniors do have the funds for a trip, but the question asked is if this is something the students want to continue to do? The junior class works the concession stands during the year to raise money for prom, the senior trip, caps and gowns, etc., but due to COVID regulations this year, the funds won’t be there. It was brought up that if a class wants to take a trip, they would have to do different fundraisers, and just not rely on the concessions. More discussion will be held during the next few months.

Our much anticipated Christmas feature, including Santa’s ‘Deer Ones will be in next week’s issue. Don’t forget to stop in on Wednesday morning next week to pick up your copy! This is our 24th publishing of Santa’s Deer Ones, now a Christmas tradition for many families.

Rooks County continues to see new COVID- 19 cases throughout the county. The absenteeism rate is at 6.7% above the baseline from 2019-2020. The positive testing rate has decreased slightly to 27.9% this week. We continue to monitor numbers closely.