Tony McReynolds: “My grandson, who is in the fifth grade in Venice, Fla., was upset because his principal wouldn’t allow recess outside due to the cold…it was 54 degrees!”.

At approximately 1:00 p.m. on Friday, January 24th, the Stockton Fire Department was called out to the Mongeau Farms, FLP west of town when a hay bale caught fire. The firemen worked the scene for the next eight and a half hours, losing 50 bales of hay.

Fort Hays State University recognized four graduates from Rooks County out of the approimately 1,014 graduates during its fall commencement ceremonies held on Friday and Saturday, December 13th and 14th.

THE GREAT ESCAPE. The 1963 film 'The Great Escape' is a classic war movie based on the daring 1944 escape from Stalag Luft III, a German POW camp holding over 11,000 Allied prisoners, including 7,500 Americans. British prisoners masterminded a plan to liberate 250 men through a network of tunnels dug 30 feet beneath the camp. Over a year, they meticulously constructed three 2-foot by 2-foot tunnels, humorously named 'Tom,' 'Dick,' and 'Harry.' After the Germans discovered 'Tom,' work intensified on 'Harry.' This audacious endeavor was a testament to the ingenuity and resilience of the prisoners, aided by some courageous anti-Nazi Germans. On March 24, 1944, 76 men crawled to freedom before a German guard discovered an escapee, halting the operation. Tragically, only three made it to safety, with the others recaptured or killed. Just as these prisoners sought freedom from captivity, we, too, yearn for liberation from the bondage of sin. However, our efforts, like digging tunnels, are insufficient to break free from the grip of our sinful nature. True and lasting freedom comes only through Jesus Christ. As Ephesians 1:7 declares, 'In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.' Jesus Himself promised, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free' (John 8:31-32). True freedom starts with being born-again spiritually. It then requires an ongoing, conscious submission to God's Word and will for our lives every day. Just as only a few of the escapees found true freedom, so too, it is only the relatively few who truly abide in Christ and embrace His truth who experience genuine liberation. Are you seeking a 'Great Escape' from the bondage of Satan, the burdens of sin, and the bounds of your own will? If so, you can find genuine, lifelong freedom in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:23-24 says, 'As soon as they were freed, Peter and John found the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. Then all the believers were united as they lifted their voices in prayer.' The leading priests and elders had just released Peter and John because they didn't know what to do with them or how to keep them from preaching about the salvation of Jesus.

8 slices white or wheat bread, crumbled 6 eggs 2 cups milk 1 onion, diced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard 1 lb breakfast sausage, cooked and drained 1 lb Colby cheese, grated 1/4 cup of butter Preheat the oven to 325. Put the bread in the bottom of a greased 9X13 baking pan.

.

Sept. 5— Daphne Plumer was featured in an article about the monster halibut she caught while on a fishing trip to Pelican, Alaska. Scott Bennett was featured as the new Stockton third-grade teacher. Cole Scheller, Sondra Folsom’s grandson, volunteered at the 2024 Sumer Olympics in Paris, France. Irvin Earl Goertzen (1926), Phyllis Cecilia Murphy (1940), Craig Alan Hitschmann (1960), Todd J. Van Schuyver (1978), Sheryl Kay Gaines (1963), and Ruby Belle Hageman Mosher (1928) passed away.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is encouraging farmers and ranchers in Kansas to participate in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) through a current Act Now signup. Producers who operate forestland are encouraged to apply at their local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Service Center by Friday, April 18, 2025.