At the regular meeting of the Stockton City Commission held on Tuesday, April 7th, the commissioners approved Resolution 20-4 dealing with the emergency declaration for COVID-19 protocol. The commissioners also authorized employee exemption for FMLA as discussed and presented to them by city attorney Joe Gasper.

After two executive sessions were held near the end of the Stockton USD No. 271 Board of Education meeting held on Monday, April 6th, the board members voted to accept the resignation of band instructor Kayla Hockett at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. They also accepted the resignation of elementary secretary Deb Carsten, effective July 1st, 2020.

Once again, the Rooks County Health Department has confirmed its second presumptive-positive case of COVID-19 in Rooks County. The case was identified Tuesday, April 7, with testing sent to QUEST Diagnostic on April 6, 2020. QUEST Diagnostic, which is approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to perform COVID- 19 testing, found presumptive-positive results. These results will be verified by the CDC lab and will be treated as positive pending confirmation.The case is in Rooks County and the patient is currently doing in-home isolation, following the guidance of the CDC. The case is not travel related. Rooks County Health Department continues to work with the local partners and providers and KDHE to identify and contact people who may have come into contact with the individual while infectious and will monitor them for fever and respiratory symptoms. No further information about the patient will be released.

In an effort to protect the health of Kansans and prevent the spread of COVID- 19, Governor Laura Kelly, with the support of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT), is suspending sales of general nonresident turkey permits effective immediately. The suspension is made possible via Executive Order No. 20-21, signed Friday, April 10, by Governor Kelly.

A Natoma man escaped serious injury Wednesday, April 8th, in Rooks County. Patrick W. Hageman, age 59, Natoma, was north bound on County Road 25 at 6:50 a.m. in a 2001 Freightliner semi truck when he missed a gear and rolled down a hill on the driver side and coming to rest on the driver side.

The Stockton Fire Department was called to 1290 15 Road to help with a control burn at Joe Swaney’s that got out of control on Monday, April 6th at 2:45 p.m. Then on Tuesday, April 7th, the Fire Department was called to assist at the Jay Peace residence in Plainville to help with a grass fire that destroyed some out buildings. The probable cause of the fire was from a solar light battery malfunction. The last call for the week came on Thursday, April 9th when the Stockton Fire Department was dispatched to 1655 26 Road to aid in a vehicle fire at the June Brookhouser residence.

The State of Kansas closed March with total tax collections at $523.4 million; 1.6% or $8.6 million below the estimate. That is 0.3% or $1.4 million more than March of Fiscal Year 2019.

William Galloway made a stop in Stockton on Tuesday, April 7th during his cross-country bicycle trip to raise awareness for brain injuries. Fifteen yeas ago, Galloway was hit by a drunk driver. The accident resulted in a traumatic brain injury, making concentration difficult and causing seizures, which in turn makes it difficult for him to keep a job. Before the accident Galloway was a truck driver but can no longer pass the physical.