The Stockton Fire Department was called on Saturday, February 5 at 1:24 p.m. for mutual aid with the Woodston Fire Department. The Stockton firemen helped mop up after a yard fire at the Mike Townley residence.

There is a story in John 9 that tells of a man who was born blind. When he encountered Jesus, the Lord formed mud from his spit, put it on the blind man’s eyes, and told him to go wash them in the Pool of Siloam. When he did so, the man could see for the first time in his life.

PERFECT PEACE. As seen in Daniel 2, one thing King Nebuchadnezzar most certainly did not have was peace. He was the most powerful person in the world. He had conquered the mighty Assyrian empire which had ruled the Middle East for some 300 years. He also had decisively defeated Egypt in at least one battle. Then one night in Babylon, after he lay down to sleep, he started thinking about the future (2:28-29). After drifting to sleep, God revealed to Nebuchadnezzar in dreams what would take place "in the latter days." The dreams were of a man-like statue with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet and toes of iron mixed with clay. Each of these represented different kingdoms - the Babylonians, followed by the Medo-Persians, then the Greeks, and then the Romans. The image he saw was "terrifying" (2:31). It was so terrifying "that his sleep left him" (2:1). Probably the most terrifying part of the dream was the final kingdom of a stone that grew into a mountain and destroyed all the other kingdoms. This pictured the eternal kingdom of King Jesus. When his wise men couldn't explain the dream, Nebuchadnezzar commanded that they be "cut in pieces" (2:5). In short, the most powerful man in the world had no peace. Isaiah put it this way, "There is no peace," Says my God, "for the wicked" (Isa. 57:20- 21). In contrast, Daniel was a young man of genuine faith in Jehovah God and His coming Messiah (Jesus). He walked with his God and sought to live a righteous life. When the death squad came to kill Daniel, he calmly asked what was going on and then went and asked Nebuchadnezzar for time to understand the dreams. He then went home, prayed with his friends, and God revealed the truth. Despite the threat of death, Daniel had "perfect peace" because he trusted God (Isa. 26:3). Is it possible to be at perfect peace in 2022? Absolutely, if we savingly trust King Jesus!

Robert M. Wilson Co.

JESSICA AND CRAIG IWANSKI of Stockton were presented the Kansas Bankers Association Windbreak Award at the Rooks County Soil Conservation Annual Meeting held Monday, February 7th, at Plainville. (Photo Courtesy of Kyleigh Stice, Rooks County Program Technician)

(The following article is taken in part from the unapproved minutes of the February 1st regular meeting of the Stockton City Commission.) The first regular meeting of the month was called to order at 5:00 p.m., February 1st, 2022 by Mayor Reesa Brown with the following commissioners being present: Nathan Glendening, Jesica Kerr and Robert Becker. City Manager/ City Clerk Courtney Flower and Assistant City Clerk Kayla Hilbrink were also present.

KAREN MCMULLEN HAGEMAN AND PAT HAGEMAN were presented with the 2021 Kansas Bankers Association award at the Rooks County Soil Conservation Annual Meeting on Monday, February 7, at Plainville. (Photo Courtesy of Kyleigh Stice, Rooks County Program Techinician)

Four girls and four boys were on hand to compete in the annual St. Thomas Knights of Columbus Free Throw Contest at the Stockton High School gymnasium on Sunday afternoon, January 30th at 2:00 p.m.

We currently have 50 active reported cases of Covid-19 in the county and two individuals in the hospital due to Covid-19. Rooks County and USD 271 are following the KDHE guidelines.

It’s with great excitement that Jason Jackson has launched a Stockton sixth- through eighth-grade girls Mid America Youth Basketball (MAYB) traveling program. Their mission is to create future leaders, to play meaningful games, work to earn championships and have the opportunity to hang future banners on the high school wall.