• Kids enjoy Halloween taste treats at the Hive Library Friday.

  • Bill Peterson took this beautiful sunrise picture from his land near the Marais des Cygnes. If you have a photo you’d like to share, send it, along with your info, to Barbara at linncountynewsreporter@gmail.com. Remember, Out on the Gravel photos will be used for this years’ calendar! Keep an eye out for your chance to vote on our cover!

  • Band instructor Jeff Russell leads the PVHS Band at Tuesday’s board meeting sporting their new band uniforms.

  • 1-Stop is packed with friends and family who turned out to welcome Case Higgins home last week. 1-Stop owner, Sue Page, provided a free-will donation chili and soup supper to benefit the Higgins’ family

  • Case with his friend, Wyatt Haupt.

  • The Elevate baseball team meets the Higgins family as they arrive at 1-Stop for Case’s homecoming celebration. Case played with the team for four to five years before moving to racing.

  • Tanglewood Lakes dam holds beautiful fall colors this week. Thank you to Sean Swartz for the photo. If you have a photo you’d like to share it, along with your info, to Barbara at linncountynewsreporter@gmail. com. Remember, Out on the Gravel photos will be used for this years’ calendar! Keep an eye out for your chance to vote on our cover!

  • Travelers here don’t worry about their doors being dinged by cars parked next to them. The engine of the buggy, the horse, stood patiently waiting for his owners to return.

  • The 2026 Pleasanton Homecoming King and Queen are Anthony Sousley and Olive Skipper, joining them are crownbearers Waylon Marsh and Inez Easley.

  • he Mound City Historical Society, in conjunction with the Material Girls Quilting Guild of Linn County, held a quilt show at the Mound City Historical Park over the weekend. The raffle item was a patriotic quilt made and donated by the quilt guild. The lucky winner was Chasity Ware.

SPORTS

Pleasanton football falls to Chase County

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LINN COUNTY NEWS holtadam82@yahoo.com   The Pleasanton football team played their final regular season game as they hosted district opponent Chase County on Oct. 23.  Chase County was the one seed in the Jays district and a win over the Jays would ensure them... [More]

Jayhawk cross country qualifies boys’ varsity team and Meyer for State

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LINN COUNTY NEWS holtadam82@yahoo.com   It was a good day for the Jayhawk Linn cross country team as they traveled to the 2A Sub-State at Alma on Oct. 24. The Hawks did well as everyone of their boys’ runners placed in the top 21 to place first overall at the... [More]

Prairie View cross country competes at 3A Sub-State

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LINN COUNTY NEWS holtadam82@yahoo.com   Prairie View cross country brought their varsity girls’ team to 3A Sub-State at Fredonia on Oct. 24. The Lady Buffs ran in group A at Sub-State. The girls ran hard but none of them qualified for the 3A State tournament... [More]

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COMMUNITY

A short history of Halloween

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Every year on October 31 most American kids and their friends celebrate Halloween. They go out house to house to get candy. But do you know where the history of Halloween originated from? Let’s go explore the 2,000-year history of Halloween!  Over 2,000 years ago,... [More]

Case Higgins welcome home rally Oct. 22

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Linn County News Jackielcn1@gmail.com   Following an accident that occurred July 24 on an Oklahoma race track, Case Higgins is headed home and supporters are organizing “the best welcome home rally a kid could ask for.” Higgins was badly burned when his... [More]

Murder and Mayhem at the Fort

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Special Halloween Candle Lantern Tours FORT SCOTT, KAN. – Fort Scott National Historic Site will offer four special candle lantern tours on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, as part of its Murder and Mayhem at the Fort program. Tour leaders will share lesser-known stories of tragedy... [More]

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(Graphic sexual content in the following report.)

State Of Kansas

vs.

Shane Lonnie Martin

Case No. 2019-Cr-000210

Redacted Copy Affidavit and Application for Warrant or Summons

In the District Court of Linn County, Kansas

Sixth Judicial District

Arrest/Detention/Probable Cause Affidavit

State of Kansas 

County of Linn

Special Agent Ronnie Burk, 0f the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, being first duly sworn upon oath says:

1.) The following offense(s) has been committed in Linn County, Kansas:

Rape K.S.A. 21-5503(a)(3)

Aggravated Criminal Sodomy K.S.A. 21-5504(b)(1)

2.) The following person(s) are alleged to have committed said offense(s):

Lonnie Shane Martin W/M DOB-88 

This affidavit is based on the following facts:

Comes now, Special Agent Ronnie Burk, of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, of lawful age, who after being sworn on his oath states that the Affiant is now and has been at all times relevant as a certified law enforcement officer. During the course of said investigation, the Affiant has learned the following information, either from his own observations, discussions with witnesses and/or being provided the information from other law enforcement officers all which the Affiant believes to be true, to wit:

On December 23, 2017, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office (LNSO) requested investigative assistance from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) regarding a child sexual abuse investigation of a ten- year-old female victim, referred to as victim, disclosed to her mother that her step-father, twenty-nine year Lonnie Shane Martin, aka Shane Martin, “had his private parts into her private parts” and “butt” until “white stuff” would come out. Victim’s mother was also interviewed and stated that she confronted Lonnie Shane Martin, who stated “I did not rape her.”

After initial disclosure was made, the LNSO and Kansas Department for Children and Families (KDCF) conducted a forensic interview of victim. During the forensic interview disclosed that Lonnie Shane Martin would forcefully remove her clothing and put his private into her privates and her butt. Victim also disclosed that Lonnie Shane Martin would sometimes hold her legs back over her head to a point that she was afraid that her hips would pop out of socket. Victim stated that the incidents occurred multiple times in 2016 through 2017 until she got her first period. Victim further stated that Lonnie Shane Martin would do these things to her when her mother was at work and her brothers would be in another room. Victim said that when she tried to scream, Lonnie Shane Martin would place his hand over her mouth. Lonnie Shane Martin would also put “bag balm” cream on her privates after “white stuff” came out because she complained of pain. Victim correctly identified the private parts of a male and female as they correlated to her disclosure. Victim also described the “white stuff” as what gets a female pregnant. Victim confirmed that these occurred at the house that they lived at with Lonnie Shane Martin, Linn County, Kansas.

KDCF social workers also forensically interviewed additional siblings. The siblings did not disclose sexual abuse to themselves but did confirm that Lonnie Shane Martin would be alone with victim in her bedroom and on several occasions, they heard her scream.

Disclosure was made that Lonnie Shane Martin would threaten to take away toys and electronic games if any of the children said they would tell their mother.

After the initial investigation began victim moved to Oregon with her biological father.

Additional investigation occurred by the Oregon Department of Human Services and the Jackson County Child Advocacy Center. A medical examination of victim was conducted by Amy Montes, CPNP, who concluded, in her opinion, that victim had been the victim of sexual abuse, although there were no physical trauma evident.

Therefore the Affiant believes that probable cause exists to believe that Lonnie Shane Martin engaged in sexual intercourse with victim who was between nine and ten years old during the incidents, in violation of K.S.A 21-3503(a)(3). There is also cause to believe that Lonnie Shane Martin engaged in anal intercourse with victim during the period of when she was nine and ten years old.

Having sufficient probable cause that the two crimes have been committed in Linn County, Kansas, the Affiant requests that a warrant be issued for the arrest of Lonnie Shane Martin.

Affiant’s Signature

Subscribed and sworn to before me on Dec. 17, 2019, at 10:27 a.m.

Arrest/Detention Probable Cause Determination

The court determines from the above affidavit under oath that there is probable cause to believe that the offense(s) of Rape & Aggravated Criminal Sodomy – both off grid felonies has been committed by the person(s) named in the above affidavit and probable cause for the arrest and detention of said person(s).

Signed: 12-17-19, 1:19 p.m.

Bond: $250,000 c/s

NEWS

SPECIAL: Case filed in federal court alleges distribution, possession of child pornography

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Linn County News linncountynewsreporter@gmail.com   According to records accessed online through a federal case search site, charges were filed in federal court on Oct. 23, 2026, via a sealed complaint. Said complaint was subsequently unsealed following the arrest... [More]

SPECIAL: 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission sends names of nominees for district judge to governor

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TOPEKA—The 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission sent the names of three nominees for district judge to Governor Laura Kelly, who has 60 days to decide who will fill the vacancy. The judicial vacancy was created when District Judge Mark Ward retired Oct. 9.... [More]

Judge Ward retires, committee interviews new candidates

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6th Judicial District Nominating Commission announces interview schedule   TOPEKA—The 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission convened at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, to interview applicants to fill a district judge vacancy. The judicial vacancy was created... [More]

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