The organization of a land bank for the City of Stockton was one of the items on the agenda at the commission meeting held on Tuesday, August 1st. City attorney Joe Gasper was at the meeting to explain to the commissioners the premise of a land bank and the advantages to the City organizing one to help clean up old properties.

The Rooks County Free Fair kicked off a fun week for everyone with two exciting nights of IMCA Racing in the grandstand on Sunday and Monday evenings. So, even with two nights of the Fair behind us, there is still plenty to see, do, and eat for the remainder of the week.

Come support the Rooks County youth at the 4-H and FFA Livestock Sale on Friday, August 11th. The event will be held at the Sutor-Blauer Arena at the Rooks County Fairgrounds. The Buyers’ Hospitality Hour will begin at 5:00 p.m. with the sale to start promptly at 6:00 p.m. Market Lambs, Market Steers, Market Goats and Market Hogs will be sold. If you have any questions, please call Tom Benoit at 785-839-4378 or 785-7373874 (cell).

At a special USD 271 Board of Education meeting held on Monday, July 31st, the school board members voted to hire Danielle Berland as the junior high head volleyball coach with a vote of yes five (Jesse Stithem, Daphne Plumer, Chad Sterling, BJ Hoeting, and Stephanie Niblock) no one (Thelma Berland abstained), and one absent (LeAnn Dix). They also approved the bus driver salaries as discussed.

Twelve-year-old Hunter Townley is on the fast track, or should we say, “flat track,” in making a name for himself in the world of motorcycle racing. Hunter brought home the checkered flag on June 24th at the Dodge City Raceway Park on the 3/8-mile track in the 250 am and 0-249 cc classes when he participated in the Xtreem Flatrack Races.

The Kansas Department of Commerce has awarded Rooks County Healthcare Foundation (RCHF) $200,000 in Community Service Program tax credits to help build another daycare center in Rooks County. The program provides a 70% tax credit to qualified donors in rural communities.

At the City Commission meeting on Tuesday, July 18th, the commissioners had several items on the agenda, starting with the $5,000.00 donation presentation from the Stockton Rodders, Inc. to the Rooks County EMS. Representing the Rodders were Dean and Libby Kester, and accepting the check for the Rooks County EMS were EMS director Megan Niblock and EMT Jim Prockish.

The Rooks County Commission first met with emergency management director Butch Post at their Tuesday morning meeting on July 25th. Post has several forms for the commissioners to sign. He also informed them of the upcoming LEPC meeting on Sunday, July 30th.

After lottery jackpots for Powerball and Mega Millions cumulatively approached $2 billion this week, millions of people across the country lined up at convenience store, grocery and gas station counters hoping to hit it big.

The Rooks County Free Fair begins this Sunday, August 6th, with a few changes in the lineup for the week, starting with the grandstand entertainment. This year’s Fair will kick off with the Terry Goesha Memorial Hobby Stock two-day show featuring IMCA modified, IMCA hobby stock qualifier heats and sports compacts on Sunday night, August 6th.