As economic development director Roger Hrabe prepares for retirement, Rooks County is pleased to announce the appointment of Jeanine McKenna as his successor, effective February 1st. McKenna is currently working alongside Hrabe to familiarize herself with the department's responsibilities, and her official first day as director will be on April 1st.

At the Sentinel-Times, we pride ourselves on making sure every story—and every sermon— finds its proper place. Faithfully, week after week, we tuck those all-important church columns to the side of our pages, with a polite little note: “Continued on page…” so you can follow every inspiring word from Sacred Heart, First Christian, First Southern Baptist, and United Methodist Church.

Kansas experienced an unusually quiet tornado year in 2025, reporting only 30 tornadoes, a sharp decrease compared to the 76 tornadoes documented in 2024. The most intense tornado activity of the year occurred on May 18th, when 18 tornadoes were reported.

At the end of the Stockton USD #271 Board of Education meeting held on Monday, February 9th, the Board accepted the resignation of Kari Becker as first grade teacher at the end of the school year, Melissa Ard as the high school assistant volleyball coach, and to extend the deadline to March 15th, 2026 for the Superintendent’s contract.

The menus for the Senior Centers in Rooks County for the week beginning Monday, February 23, are as follows: Monday—Chicken strips, mashed potatoes and gravy, brussel sprouts, bread, peaches. Tuesday— Shepard’s pie, Scandivanian vegetables, bread, mixed fruit. Wednesday—Chicken enchilada casserole, beets, tortilla chips, tropical fruit. Thursday—Hamburger patty with lettuce, tomato, and onion, tater triangles, bun, fruit crisp. Friday—Fish sticks, cheesy broccoli, applesauce, brownie.

Humane Society of the High Plains, First Call for Help, Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas Inc., Ellis County Legacy Fund at the Heartland Community Foundation, ARC Park Fund, (non-endowed), Fort Hays State University Shotgun Team, and Neighbors Feeding Neighbors Food Security Fund.

It’s February – Are You Thinking About Tomatoes? It’s still nearly three months before Kansas gardeners begin to put tomato plants into the ground, yet it’s not too early for gardeners to set themselves up for a bountiful season. February is a good time to make important decisions on what seeds to buy.

At the Rooks County Commission meeting on Tuesday, February 10th, Adam and Ashley Comeau, and Colin Comeau, met with commissioners Tim Berland, Jake Prockish, and Tracy Rudman about their termination from the County's Neighborhood Revitalization program.

The Stockton Public Library received a special gift! Stockton is one of about 1,280 Carnegie Libraries across the United States that received a $10,000.00 gift from the Carnegie Corporation of New York in celebration of America's 250th anniversary!

At the Plainville USD 270 Board of Education meeting held on Monday, February 9th, after a lengthy discussion comparing two passenger vans for the District, the Board approved the purchase of the 2016 Dodge Ram for $33,550.00, to be funded from Capital Outlay. Before the purchase, they will ask about the warranty and note that there will be a $3,000.00 conversion fee for the middle seat to make it compatible for the District's use.