Washburn University has announced its fall 2021 Dean's List honorees. To qualify for the Dean's List, a student must be enrolled in 12 hours of graded credits and earn a semester grade point average of 3.4 to 3.99.

CONGRATULATIONS to Cricket Schmidt! She is the 2021 RCH Employee of the Year! Cricket started in Admissions 10 years ago. She later worked in the Business Office and Materials Management. Earlier this month Cricket was named the new Human Resources Director. She has a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration and is currently working on her Master’s degree in Social Work. Congratulations, Cricket, on your award and your new position!

Rooks County Health Center recently announced those employees receiving Years of Service Awards. The employees are usually recognized during the hospital’s annual Christmas party, but due to COVID, they were unable to have it.

EXCUSES. Here's a second bite at Daniel chap. 1. Let's start by admitting that the list is endless. We all at times try to justify why we can't do what God wants us to do. Even children learn early to make excuses. That's perhaps why it's so refreshing when we come across someone who tackles things straight on and simply stands firm on spiritual convictions. In Daniel chap. 1, we find that many Jews have finally faced the music. Generation after generation of Jews had been rebelling against God for hundreds of years. Idolatry was the norm. Their kings and religious leaders were atheistic toward Jehovah God. Even though God had for centuries been promising His judgment for their unbelief, they persisted in flaunting him. It is now 605 BC and God's hammer has fallen. Many Jews were marched off to Babylon about 700 miles east of Jerusalem. Though most were pagans, there clearly was a godly, God-fearing, God-worshiping remnant among the rebels and young Daniel was on that list. King Nebuchadnezzar ordered that a group of Jewish boys be gathered together and educated in the language, laws, and literature of the Babylonians so that they might be made into Babylonians and serve in his kingdom. Nebuchadnezzar changed their location, their language, their labels (names), and also their "lunch." Daniel obviously was content with God's sovereign choice in moving him to Babylon and having to learn a new language. He didn't even mind the name change. He knew in his heart that he didn't worship the pagan "god" named Bel. But when it came to his new food, he didn't say it made him sick, that he didn't like it, or that he was allergic to it. He made no excuses but faced the issue straight on by essentially telling his Babylonian supervisor, "Your food will defile my relationship with my God. I can't eat it." Sin is sin no matter how small. Pleasing God is the only right choice. Thanks for standing, Daniel! No Excuses!

In Matthew 28:18, Jesus told his disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Imagine today if someone, maybe in some position of authority, made this statement. How would people react? Would people automatically accept the statement just because the person made it? Of course, we know that is highly unlikely. More than likely, people would react negatively.

Condolences to the McDowell family on the passing of Mary Elaine McDowell Lawson, age 70, of Hays, on January 16, 2022. Mary’s parents were Myron and Gladys McDowell and she attended school at Woodston and Stockton, growing up on the farm northeast of Stockton.

Dorothy Dibble will be celebrating her 96th birthday on January 28, 2022. Her family is requesting a Card Shower in honor of her special day. Cards may be sent to: Dorothy Dibble, c/o Parkview Care Center, 811 N First St., Osborne, KS 67473.

Mr. Trassel’s story is unique among those veterans highlighted so far. He was one of only a few Civil War veterans who came to Kansas who served in the regular federal army instead of a volunteer regiment raised by the states of the Union during the war. Before the Civil War started, the regular U.S. Army consisted of 16,367 men. The total number of Union troops during the Civil War was 2,128,948, while the Confederate States of America had a total of 1,082,119.

Thursday, January 20th Report: The Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas State Department of Education recently met with district administrators and county health officials to discuss the current Omicron surge. KDHE and KSDE shared updated recommendations for school districts. The Rooks County Team held a special meeting this week to review the recommendations. This document includes information regarding how Rooks County plans to proceed. As always, the goal is to keep students and staff in school in a safe and healthy environment.

In last week’s edition the picture caption for the FFA Job Interview team had the students’ names listed according to how they placed at the contest. The picture shows them as follows (from left): Zach Young, Jolee Sterling, Bodye Stithem, Brin Muir, Cappi Hoeting and Coryn Hahn.