After doing five of these biographical sketches, some preliminary conclusions can be drawn. So far, every single one of these men was “civic-minded,” i.e. involved in the civic affairs of the community. All were active in the G.A.R. and politics. George Benedick was very active in the Republican Party and served as Plainville Postmaster for eight years, a political appointment at the time; Henry Butts was a frequent delegate for Republican Party meetings and served as a county commissioner.;-George Coddington and Louis Thyfault were both active in the Republican Party and served as township trustees; and Davis Wyatt was active in civic affairs, as the reader will note.

The Kansas Highway Patrol is releasing its New Year’s Weekend Holiday Activity Report. The reporting period for the holiday ran from 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020 through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021.

The Kansas Department of Transportation announces approved bids for state highway construction and maintenance projects. The letting took place Dec. 16, 2020, in Topeka. Some of the bids may include multiple projects that have been bundled based on proximity and type of work.

The Rooks County Commission met with Mark Lowry of Heritage Group Insurance to review the bulk package insurance renewal for the County. The policy encompasses the buildings, autos, property, workmen’s compensation, liability, the law enforcement department and ambulance services. The annual cost went up over $54,000.00 due to the inclusion of new vehicles for the road and bridge department and the sheriff’s department after it joined with the City of Stockton. Property values also went up with an increase in value to the courthouse from 7.6 million dollars to 9.3 million dollars. The increase in the courthouse value was based on a replacement cost analysis by EMC. Also, the workman’s compensation trended up from 1.41 to 1.7 due to claims over the past three years. Lowry recommended that the County be more pro-active and put a safety series program in place, starting with the road and bridge department, and then the sheriff’s department. Lowry asked permission to meet with road and bridge supervisor Rich Bouchey about the program. Clerk Ruthmary Muir will also keep track of the COVID-related sick leave for the County for the insurance purposes.

The business portion of the Stockton Unified School District No. 271 Board of Education meeting held on Monday January 4th took place before the members participated in a KASB Workshop with Gary Sechrist and superintendent Bill Lowry.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Treasury Department, announced Friday, January 8th, that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) re-opened this week for new borrowers and certain existing PPP borrowers. To promote access to capital, initially only community financial institutions would be able to make First Draw PPP Loans on Monday, January 11, and Second Draw PPP Loans on Wednesday, January 13. The PPP is open to all participating lenders shortly thereafter. Updated PPP guidance outlining Program changes to enhance its effectiveness and accessibility were released on January 6 in accordance with the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Non-Profits, and Venues Act.

The Rooks County Commissioners approved the 2021 appointments during their weekly meeting held on Monday, January 11th. The appointments are as follows: 9-1-1 Fees, $.53 per line; ADA Representative, Greg Balthazor; Airport Commission, Bryant Muir and Leonard Bristow; Commission Chair, John Ruder; Community Corrections Officer, Greg Balthazor; Official Depositories, Astra Bank, Farmers National Bank, First State Bank, Solutions North Bank and Municipal Investments Pool of Topeka; Economic Development Representative, Greg Balthazor; Emergency Management Director, Butch Post; Local Emergency Planning, John Ruder; E-Waste Committee, Tim Berland; Health Officer, Dr. Jenny; Land Surveyors, Jerol De-Boer, James Meis, Darrell Christen, Rich Bouchey and Christopher Byer; E-Community Finance Review Board, April Brown, Kelli Hansen, Lisa Gilmore and Roger Hrabe; Mental Health Alternate, Gary Knight; Mental Health Representative, Scott Bennett; County Mileage Rate, $.51 per mile; Official newspapers, Stockton Sentinel (primary) and Plainville Times with the option of both newspapers bidding out large publications; Noxious Weed Director, Michael Klein; Northwest Kansas Juvenile Justice Board, Greg Balthazor and Danielle Muir; Northwest Kansas Planning and Development, Tim Berland; Northwest Kansas Community Corrections, Greg Balthazor; Senior Services Board, John Ruder; Solid Waste Committee, Tim Berland; and Work Force One, Greg Balthazor.

Janie Lowry is serving as president of the Hobart Homemakers FCE and inspires members to really live out the FCE mission focusing on self improvement, leadership and sharing educational programs with the community in an effort to better the lives of individual and families. From the presentation of a program to the Hobart Homemakers FCE, to her skilled direction of meeting agendas, Janie is prepared and professional. Under her leadership, they complete project goals and make contributions to KAFCE. Janie is serving as president of the Rooks County FCE Council, working to bond three individual clubs together to present important programs to the entire county, and has served on the Area EPC committee. Janie was a valuable member of the 2018 KAFCE State Conference Committee and created the table centerpieces and made quilted thank-you gifts.

Governor Laura Kelly announced January 5th, 2021, that the State of Kansas exceeded its goal to conduct 1 million COVID-19 tests in 2020, which was set by the Governor in October. “In October, we launched our Unified Testing Strategy with a goal of testing one million Kansans by the end of the year—and today, I’m excited to announce that we exceeded that number,” Governor Kelly said.

Agricultural producers and private landowners interested in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) can sign up for the popular program which began Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, until Feb. 12, 2021. The competitive program, administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provides annual rental payments for land devoted to conservation purposes.