The Rooks County Health Center staff was preparing for transition into the new hospital in a little over two months. RCH had been perfecting their transition plan and working with area emergency response agencies, the Kansas Department of Health and the local government to make certain all were informed of precise move details.

The Stockton Area Arts Council held a pizza party at Stockton City Hall on June 26 for everyone who volunteered their time and artistic abilities to the newest and most colorful addition to the town of Stockton. The Children’s Mural is truly a work of art and something in which everyone can take pride, as it did take a village to make this dream a reality.

Oil valuations for 2008 were up nearly $17.9 million from the year before, a 46% increase. The 2008 wheat harvest was running behind due to the devastating storms of a couple weeks earlier.

What Was Going On 14 Years Ago During the summer of 2006, children in Stockton were asked to take pictures and make suggestions as to what they would like to improve or see added to their town. That was how the Children’s Advisory Committee was formed.

For the past three Thursdays, Stockton and the surrounding areas had been hit hard by dangerous storms. The home of Janet Chesney and son John Page at the corner of Ash and South Fifth streets was crushed in Thursday night’s storm by a huge tree that was thrown on top of it. Janet and John were home at the time, as well as LINK worker Brenda Brady, who was visiting. When they decided it was time to get to the basement, they didn’t get there in time. The tree crashed through the roof, Janet and John were hit on the head and knocked down, and John was unconscious for a brief period. Both were taken to the hospital as a precaution and then released. Brenda was not injured.

The Stockton area was again hit with a severe thunderstorm. Not only did we experience the usual heavy wind and small hail, but the city of Woodston saw firsthand the fury of a tornado. It felt like a storm was brewing all day long as the air was heavy with humidity and it was hot at 90 degrees. That evening we received another inch and a half of rain and small hail being thrown at us by very strong winds. North and west of town was hit harder with enough hail to look like snow drifts on some wheat fields, taking care of the harvest for their owners.

The memories of June 9, 2005 came back over the previous weekend in May, 2008, with the arrival of strong storms on Thursday and Friday nights. While we were spared a tornado’s damage, straight-line winds and over 6.5 inches of rain brought their own brand of damage. Wind was measured at 90 mph in rural areas, with huge trees and powerlines falling into the roadways. However, Stockton was fortunate to never have lost power in the storm. The field at Tiger Stadium looked more like a swimming pool than a football field following the heavy rain. The county road was washed away from the culvert at N and 12 Road, just west of the John Hance residence. The spillway at the Woodston Diversion Dam was wildly rushing with flood water and debris.

USD 271 board members Greg Beougher and Randal Riffel presented diplomas to 27 members of the Stockton High School Class of 2008 in Commencement exercises for Saturday, May 17. The SHS graduate section was featured in this issue.

Over 150 people attended the Crossroads concert at the historic Nova Theatre on Sunday, May 4 for the benefit of the new county hospital, the Rooks County Health Center. The Christian singing group, Crossroads donated their time and talent to help raise money for the Era of Caring Capital Campaign Fund. This free-will donation netted $1,630 in contributions.

Freakish-looking hailstones, some measuring up to four-inches across, caused considerable damage to homes and vehicles, when a severe thunderstorm came in with a bang at around 10:00 p.m. on April 25, 2008. In addition to the dangerous and destructive hail, there was also driving rain, 60 mph wind and lots of lightning and thunder. A tour of Stockton the next morning revealed broken windows, including some in Main Street businesses; twisted trees and broken branches; dents and holes in siding; damaged roofs and broken windshields.