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.
The Jolly Market, located at Jayhawk Linn High School, also saw large crowds this weekend. Vendors filled the main gym and commons area.
Mound City’s own Jayhawk Linn Junior High and High School marching band, directed by Rachel Wilson, plays patriotic music as they make their way through town.
Children scurry to gather handfuls of candy at the beginning of the parade.
Saturday’s annual Sugar Mound Arts and Crafts parade featured a patriotic theme, in honor of America’s 250th birthday this year. Grand marshals for the parade included local veterans who have participated in Honor Flight Network.
Tanner Holt and Alison Willard are Jayhawk’s 2026 Homecoming King and Queen. Left to right: Coralynn Bukkila, Landon Higgins, Aubreigh Summers, Dominic Alvarez, Queen Alison Willard, King Tanner Holt, Chloe Riley, and Rayse Dean. Crownbearers are Kyndall Cummings and Korbin Cleland.
Alison Willard, Chloe Riley and Coralynn Bukkila cheer in their Jayhawk Linn Homecoming candidate formal gowns after Willard was crowned queen.

SPORTS

Prairie View football picks up a big win against Anderson County

BY ADAM HOLT | October 21, 2026

LINN COUNTY NEWS holtadam82@yahoo.com The Prairie View football team hosted Anderson County on Oct. 16 and defeated the Bulldogs, 20-14. Not only was the win over a Pioneer League opponent but also a 3A District opponent as the Buffalos are now 1-2 in district... [More]

Pleasanton volleyball finishes regular season

BY ADAM HOLT | October 21, 2026

LINN COUNTY NEWS holtadam82@yahoo.com The Pleasanton volleyball team finished their regular season this past week with a home game against Kansas City Christian on Oct. 15 and a Three Rivers League triangular at Oswego against Central Heights and Oswego. At the... [More]

Jayhawk football falls against Neodesha

BY ADAM HOLT | October 21, 2026

LINN COUNTY NEWS holtadam82@yahoo.com The Jayhawk Linn football team hosted district foe Neodesha on Oct. 16 and fell to the Blue Streaks 58-20. The Hawks are in Class 2A District 2 and are currently the four seed with a 1-2 district record and a 3-4 record overall. Jayhawk... [More]

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COMMUNITY

Case Higgins welcome home rally Oct. 22

By JACKIE TAYLOR | October 21, 2026

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

October 21, 2026

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]

General Pleasonton Days set for this weekend

By BARBARA PROFFITT | September 30, 2026

Linn County News linncountynewsreporter@gmail.com This coming weekend will bring the annual General Pleasonton Days celebration in Pleasanton. The events kick off on Saturday morning with the annual parade at 10 a.m. with line up for the entrants starting at 9... [More]

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SPECIAL: To the La Cygne Community

Police Chief Zachary Mathies | June 17, 2026

To the La Cygne Community,

Over the past two years, your police department has worked diligently to strengthen and modernize public safety services while remaining committed to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and professional policing.

One of our first goals was creating a professional identity that is uniquely La Cygne. Today, our officers wear uniforms that are readily recognizable within our community, featuring our distinctive gray and black color scheme and La Cygne patches. Our patrol
 vehicles follow that same philosophy, proudly displaying our Swan insignia and providing a professional, highly visible presence throughout the city.

We understand that every dollar we spend comes from our taxpayers. With property taxes and municipal budgets often being topics of discussion, we have made it a priority to be responsible stewards of public funds. Between 2024 and 2026, we purchased three pre-owned
 patrol vehicles to replace aging equipment and improve reliability. By carefully selecting vehicles that were already largely equipped for police service, we were able to obtain all three for less than the cost of a single new patrol vehicle.

We also updated our duty sidearms through the purchase of quality pre-owned firearms while securing excellent trade-in values for our previous weapons. The total cost to the department was only $52, which was fully absorbed within our existing budget and required
 no additional taxpayer funding. Likewise, our holsters were replaced at no cost thanks to a donation from a neighboring law enforcement agency.

Technology is another area where we sought improvements without unnecessary spending. Much of the in-car technology had not been updated since its original implementation in 2018. Rather than purchasing all new equipment, we acquired refurbished laptops, vehicle
 mounts, and smart docking stations. These upgrades provide officers with improved access to information during traffic stops, calls for service, and criminal investigations while significantly reducing costs.

In addition to careful budgeting, we have successfully secured more than $60,000 in grant funding to purchase equipment and resources that may otherwise have required substantial budgeting. Every grant dollar received is a dollar that does not have to come
 from taxpayers.

Fiscal responsibility extends beyond equipment purchases. We have continuously evaluated call volumes, response times, and service demands to ensure officer staffing levels appropriately match community needs. This approach helps reduce unnecessary overtime
 and callbacks while also recognizing that officer wellness and family life are critical to long-term retention and sustainability. In addition to, lowering general spending amounts budgeted and fully maintaining control and responsibility over the budget entirely. 

Operationally, we have continued our High Visibility Patrol efforts, which have proven effective in reducing opportunities for theft and property crimes. Through proactive policing and diligent investigative work, the department has consistently maintained
 clearance rates in the upper 80 to 90 percent range.

Our proactive efforts have also contributed to increased enforcement of what are often classified as "society crimes," including traffic violations, city code violations, alcohol offenses, and drug-related offenses. Not every enforcement action results in criminal
 charges or punitive measures; whenever possible, we strive to educate, correct behavior, and prevent future violations before they become larger issues.

Everything we have accomplished has been guided by our department motto: Transparency. Ethics. Professionalism.

These are not simply words on a letterhead. They are principles that guide our decisions, shape our interactions, and define how we serve the citizens of La Cygne.

From the Chief: As I reflect on my two-year anniversary with the La Cygne Police Department, and my first stint as a Chief of Police, I want to personally thank the community for your support, patience, and trust. We have experienced our share of growing pains,
 learned from one another, and adapted our services to better meet the needs of our community. Additionally, thank you to the officers who have bought in, invested in this department and community, and make it all possible. 

While there is always more work to do, I am proud of how far we have come together.

Thank you for allowing us the privilege of serving La Cygne. 

Zachary Mathies

Chief of Police

La Cygne Police Department

913-757-2144 Ext. 301

NEWS

SPECIAL: FBI executes search warrant in La Cygne; no threat to public

By MICHAEL RONNEBAUM | October 22, 2026

UPDATE: FBI executes search warrant in La Cygne; no threat to public LA CYGNE, Kan. — The FBI executed a search warrant in La Cygne on Wednesday. La Cygne Police Chief John Marino said no one was injured and there is no threat to... [More]

Wade wins championship at State

BY ADAM HOLT | October 21, 2026

LINN COUNTY NEWS holtadam82@yahoo.com The Prairie View golf team traveled to Wichita on Oct. 19-20 to play in the 3-1A girls’ golf championship at Tallgrass Golf Club. The Buffalos took two golfers to the State tournament in Harley Wade and Grace Ray. Ray... [More]

Pleasanton explores forensic audit idea

By JACKIE TAYLOR | October 21, 2026

Appoints city clerk, deputy clerk Linn County News Jackielcn1@gmail.com The Tuesday, Oct. 13, Pleasanton City Council meeting was productive for city business as the council appointed a city clerk and deputy city clerk unanimously. Following several... [More]

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