On Wednesday, March 18th, Vance Westhusin, retired General Manager of Midland Marketing Coop, Inc., was inducted into the Kansas Cooperative Hall of Fame, recognizing a career marked by leadership, innovation, and a deep commitment to the cooperative system.

District Magistrate Judge Richard Flax retired Monday, April 6, after serving 29 years in Trego County of the 23rd Judicial District. The 23rd Judicial District is composed of Ellis, Gove, Rooks, and Trego counties.

At the March 31st regular meeting of the Rooks County Commission, they met with Plainville Mayor Tom Nuckols, councilman Travis Dixon, and city clerk Jim Mesecher about the Spring 2026 Kansas Department of Transportation cost-share program for a possible joint project to resurface Section Line Road from K-18 to Mill Street in Plainville. Dixon noted that the City owns the east side and the County owns the west, which is why they were at the meeting to talk to the commissioners.

The community held its breath for nearly three months — and the wait was well worth it! William Lloyd Baughman burst onto the scene on Wednesday, March 25th, at 9:54 a.m., arriving a little ahead of schedule thanks to a planned C-section. Tipping the scales at a healthy 7 pounds, 2 ounces and stretching 18.5 inches long, William wasted no time charming everyone around him. His proud parents, Lyndsey and JD Baughman, chose his name as a heartfelt nod to cherished family traditions — a fitting start for a boy already making his mark.

With no rain in the forecast for the week, the Rooks County Commissioners extended the county-wide burn ban through Tuesday, March 31st, when they would meet with emergency management director Adam Bryant to revisit the weather conditions to determine another extension or to lift the ban.

A special meeting of the Stockton Unified School District No. 2871 Board of Education was held on Tuesday, March 24th, with board members Chad Sterling, Spencer Hilbrink, Andy Muir, Jessy Maddy, Ginger Riffel, Amanda Atkisson, and superintendent Angela McCollum present. Board member Michael Carpenter was absent.

It was a busy March for fire departments across Rooks County, with Stockton, Plainville, and Woodston crews responding to a string of calls — some dangerous, some unexpected, and at least two that shouldn’t have happened at all.

The Kansas Department of Transportation will resume work this week on a portion of U.S. 281 in Osborne County.

Choosing the right plant for the right place is crucial to introducing new plants in the garden this spring. “Know the water needs of the plant and the water availability of your landscape,” Kansas State University horticulture expert Matt McKernan said.

A Plainville man already facing a charge of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree from a 2024 case is being held in the Rooks County Jail on a $50,000 bond after his arrest on Saturday, March 14, by the Plainville Police Department. Six charges— five of them felonies— were filed on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, in Rooks County District Court after a police report against Jeremiah M.