After 34 years of dedicated service, Brian decided to hang up his NRCS hat. Who would have thought that a small-town farm boy from Norton could fulfill his dream of working with farmers and ranchers across the entire State of Kansas throughout his career? Brian began his journey in 1990 at Smith Center, then spent the following summer in Clay Center as a student trainee. Working summers between college allowed both NRCS and Brian to discover if they were the right fit for each other—and fortunately, they were. After graduating from Kansas State University, Brian was stationed in Washington, Kansas, as a Soil Conservationist. There, he managed a heavy workload of terraces, tile outlets, and waterways. Remarkably, for four consecutive years, the team staked and constructed over one million feet of terraces annually, even surpassing the two-million mark in one year.

The Rooks County Commissioners approved the 2026 appointments as follows: Commission Chairman, Tim Berland; Appraiser, Rhonda Morgan; ADA Representative, Jake Prockish; NWKS Community Corrections, Tracy Rudman; RCED Representative, Jake Prockish; Emergency Manager, Adam Bryant; Noxious Weed Director, Ray Swaney; Local Emergency Planning, Tracy Rudman; E-Waste Committee and Solid Waste Committee, Tim Berland; County Health Officer, Dr. Daniel Sanchez; E-Committee Finance Review, April Brown, Lisa Gilmore, Roger Hrabe, Doug Wiltfong; Mental Health Representative, Dan Kysar and Alternate Gary Knight; NWKS Juvenile Representative, Tracy Rudman and Danielle Muir; NWKS Planning & Development, Tim Berland; Senior Services Board, Tracy Rudman; Work Force One, Jake Prockish; Richland Fire District, Ivan Normandin, Tom Benoit and Kyle Benoit; Land Surveyors, Jerold De Boer, Christopher Byers, James Meis, Darrell Christen; Bank Depositors, Astra Bank, Plainville, Farmers National Bank, Stockton, Solutions North Bank, Stockton, Municipal Investments Bank, Topeka, and Mid America Bank, Palco; Rooks County Golf Course Board, Jake Prockish, Sam Jackson, David Reed, Brian Berkley, Kayla Hilbrink, Chris Teeter, Justin Prater, and Jacque Inglsbee; Official Newspaper, Sentinel- Times; and Mileage Rate, 63 cents.

On Tuesday, January 27th, Sacred Heart School helds its annual Spelling Bee. After six intense rounds of play, sixth-grade student Max Brewster emerged as the school campion speller by correctly spelling the winning word, 'fruit.'

Long ago, the Rooks County Historical Society increased the number of events offered for the general public. Visitors from near and far have enjoyed the Historical Society’s annual Cowboy Christmas Poetry Gatherings and the Haunted Museum.

A drone, also called an unmanned aerial vehicle, is a flying device that operates without a pilot on board. A person controls it remotely, and it can fly using software and sensors. The drone has become a vital part of Emergency Management and the Sheriff's Office, by being used to aid in search and rescue using thermal imaging, surveillance, and finding stolen property, mapping for crime scenes, vehicle accidents, and postdisaster documentation.

The Rooks County Conservation District’s 78th Annual Meeting will take place on Monday, February 9th, at 6:30 p.m. at the Stockton High School Practice Gym.

Monday—Chocolate croissant, cereal, pears, juice, milk. Tuesday—Cereal, cheese stick, banana, juice, milk.

The menus for the Senior Centers in Rooks County for the week beginning Monday, February 2, are as follows: Monday—Chicken patty sandwich, broccoli, bun, cinnamon pears, cookie. Tuesday—Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, bread, mandarin oranges. Wednesday—Ground beef vegetable soup, baked potato, bread, applesauce. Thursday—Oven-baked chicken, augratin potatoes, peas and carrots, bread, Ambrosia salad. Friday—Chicken ala king, California blend vegetables, biscuit, mixed fruit.

Washburn University is pleased to announce the students in its fall 2025 graduating class. These students completed their courses for certificates, associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees—678 total from Washburn University, Washburn University School of Law, and Washburn Institute of Technology (Washburn Tech).

Colby Community College honored 206 students for outstanding academic achievement during the Fall 2025 semester. To qualify for the President’s or Vice President’s Honor Roll, students completed at least 12 credit hours without any failing grades. The President’s Honor Roll recognizes 135 students who achieved a perfect 4.0 grade point average. The Vice President’s Honor Roll celebrates 71 students who earned GPAs between 3.75 and 3.99.