After showing a downturn of 295 fewer court cases filed in Rooks County from 2021 to 2022, for the second straight year, those figures have increased— 84 in 2023 and 227 in 2024. Figured obtained by the Sentinel show 1,091 court cases for 2024.

Oct. 31— Barb McLaughlin was featured in an article as the new Stockton Housing Authority Director. Peter George “Petra” Molhmann (1953), LeRock (LeRoch) Joseph Brin (1933), Lester Louis Burton (1940), Kori Bigge (1975), Paul Leroy Lowry (1929), Diana Fea (Smith) Simoneau (1948), and Delmer Henry Thibault (1935) passed away. The-Stockton Lady Tigers volleyball team was crowned the Regional Champions after defeating Lakeside.

The first annual Stockton Area Chamber of Commerce Gala was held on Saturday, January 25th, at Reds Venue. The Las Vegas-themed night was filled with good food, awards, lots of fun, and connecting with other community businesses.

The Heartland Community Foundation is kicking off its 9th annual Match Month in February—a chance for Ellis, Rooks, and Trego counties to invest in their communities and build a lasting source of local funding. More than just a fundraiser, Match Month strengthens the region by ensuring nonprofits, schools, and community projects have the resources they need for years to come.

Governor Laura Kelly announced last Friday, January 31st, that Rooks County is among the 24 rural Kansas communities that will receive a share of nearly $10.9 million through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to assist with community development projects. “The Community Development Block Grant program continues to be a vital resource for our small and rural communities that are in critical need of infrastructure and institutional improvements,” Governor Laura Kelly said.

The Kansas Silver Haired Legislature (SHL) is a unicameral (one-chambered) legislature composed of 125 representatives. All representatives are registered voters 60 years or older and elected from their county of residents. The SHL provides an education experience in the policical process and provides an opportunity to identify areas of concern for older adults in Kansas. The SHL develops bills and resolutions that are presented to the Kansas Legislature and the Governor as recommendations for state policy.

A minor earthquake was detected in Rooks County last Thursday, January 23, the Kansas Geological Survey reported. The 2.6-magnitude quake was recorded at 7:58 a.m.

The first order of business for the Rooks County Commission at their weekly meeting on Tuesday, January 21st, was a meeting with Deanna Hammerschmidt with the Heartland Community Foundation. She was present to talk about the organization’s annual fundraiser campaign, stating that donations would be matched twofold during this period. Last year, the commissioners donated $5,000.00. In the previous round of outgoing grants, the Plainville Fire Department and the Rooks County Golf Course received funds from the Foundation. The organization covers the counties of Rooks, Ellis, Phillips, and Trego.

The Stockton Grade School Spelling Bee, held on Thursday, January 23rd, went 19 Rounds, with seventh-grade student Corbyn Glendening spelling the winning word “outcome” to claim the title of this year’s contest. Bryah Stithem was the runner-up.

Since the one-cent sales tax for the Stockton City Pool went into effect, the goal was that the tax would be between $13,500.00 to $14.500.00 a month, which would more than cover the bond payments for the pool with any extra funds set aside in a special pool fund.