The Stockton Schools Christmas Concert was held on Monday, December 16th. Starting the evening of music on a high note were four traditional Christmas selections from the sixth through twelfth grade band.

Fort Hays Tech/North Central is proud to announce the release of the 2024 Fall Honor Roll, celebrating the academic excellence and dedication of its students. This distinguished list recognizes students who have achieved outstanding academic performance during the Fall semester.

The call log for the Rooks County Sheriff’s Office for the week of December 16th through December 22nd reads as follows: Administrative Calls 307, 9-1-1 Calls 19, Non-Injury Accidents 4, Criminal Cases 3, Miscellaneous Cases 2, Traffic Stops 25, Animal Calls 4, Arrests 2, Papers Served 20, and Average Number Of Inmates Housed For The Week 9.

At the start of the Rooks County Commission meeting on Tuesday, December 17th, emergency management director Adam Bryant met with the commissioners to talk about the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) that is available. The focus of the grant is to help communities plan for and reduce wildfire risks by identifying high wildfire hazard potential, are low income, or have been impacted by a severe disaster within the previous ten years. Bryant has reached out to other counties about this grant to see if they have or will be applying for it. After a short discussion with the commissioners, they voted to have Bryant move forward with the CWDG grant application with Ellis County.

Private Pesticide Applicator Certification The Environmental Protection Agency has required each state to update its certification and training plans, which outline private and commercial pesticide certification in the state. To meet these objectives, the Kansas Department of Agriculture introduced House Bill 2607, which was approved by the legislature and made some changes to the private applicator certification program. Starting January 1, 2025, there will be three options for receiving private applicator certification. These include: Closed-book examination (still offered at the K-State Research and Extension offices) Attend an in-person training to obtain certification Complete online training hosted in CanvasPro (6 modules each with review and activities to complete) For more information, please contact the local K-State Research and Extension Office.

A $22,677.52 grant from the Beach Family Foundation will help Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas purchase two new mobile health stations, six Spot Unit Monitors, 16 Withings Blood Pressure machines, and contactless thermometers. This equipment, which measures and monitors an individual's vitals, will replace outdated mobile health stations.

With the New Year just around the corner, it’s time again for the Stockton Sentinel’s First Baby of 2025 Contest. And the Stockton merchants really stepped it up this year with over $500.00 in prizes for the little Miss or Mister, which includes many fine gifts of cash, merchandise, and gift certificates for Mommy, Daddy, and baby!

Sarah Meitner, Executive Director of the Heartland Community Foundation in Hays, was honored as one of 14 Rural Innovators recognized by the White House for their outstanding contributions to rural communities across the United States.

Misty Higdon has been dancing on air since she was ten when she first began taking dance lessons at Jackie Creamer’s Dance Studio in Hays. She was one of the first dancers when Jackie opened her doors, learning dozens of dance techniques and spending a few Christmases performing “The Nutcracker.” During her college years, Misty was part of the performance team at Kansas University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in Dance.