Rooks County continues to see a high number of new COVID-19 cases (65 over the last week) and still has a positivity rate of more than 40% this week. RCH reports they are still having difficulty finding receiving hospitals when patients require transfer to a higher level of care. With families gathering during the Thanksgiving holiday, we expect a further increase in the number of cases during the next two weeks and plan to modify our extracurricular activities to minimize the risk of transmission at a school-based event.

Overheard: “The month of November had a Friday the 13th, but I wasn’t scared about that. It’s 2020 that has me worried.”

Bill Fleming (Springfield, Mo.): “I probably read the Sentinel more thoroughly than people in Stockton.”

Willard Atwill: “I sure missed the Word Search in last week’s paper! I love doing them!”