Linn County News

10/31/2025

Blu-Jay season ends with bi-district loss

BY TONY FURSE

For a town which will openly celebrate All Saint's Day on Saturday, Olpe's high school football team, eighth-ranked in Class 1-A, put a Halloween-eve hex on Pleasanton Thursday night, scoring five touchdowns in the game's first 12:12 and going on to a 59-14 1-A bi-district win.
Pleasanton finishes its season at 4-5.
Both of the Blu-Jay touchdowns came in the third quarter against a mix of Eagle varsity/reserve defenders, senior quarterback Kamden Staton connecting with classmate Mario Davis on a 13-yard strike on the second half's first possession. Late in the quarter, Staton hooked up with junior Aiden Patrick on another 13-yard touchdown. On the night, Staton passed for 231 yards, connecting on 19-of-51 (yes! 51!) attempts.

Read the game's details, Coach Clint Johnson's insights, and the box score in next week's Nov. 5 Linn County News.

TONY ON THE ROAD NEXT WEEK: Anderson County or Meriden-Jefferson West at Prairie View.

This week's other Linn County football scores: Prairie View 48, Burlington 6; Troy 30, Jayhawk-Linn 8.

10/29/2025

Pleasanton Fire Chief speaks on ISO notification

By BARBARA PROFFITT

Pleasanton Fire Chief Jeff Wisdom reported to the Pleasanton City Council on Monday evening that he had received an email last Friday indicating that the city is officially in regression. This means that the city’s Public Protection Classification (PPC) has worsened, leading to a higher, less favorable number. According to information found online a regression indicates that the city’s ability to protect against fires has declined, resulting in a higher ISO rating and therefore higher insurance premiums for local residents and businesses.

Chief Wisdom then handed out copies of the packet he was sent, which indicated a change from an ISO rating of 5 to a rating of 10, and noted that he has 30 days to email back an acknowledgment of the regression in writing with the city’s intent to participate in the program and 60 days to submit a plan on how the city fire department will correct the regression with quarterly reports to follow over the course of the next year.

See the rest of the story at www.linncountynews.net

10/29/2025

USD 362 board accepts roofing, telephone system bids

BY TONY FURSE

Prairie View Unified School District 362’s board of education awarded unanimously bids both for a roofing and a telephone system upgrade at its Oct. 21 monthly meeting.

The roof is the first of a four-phase plan for replacement above the high school, this first one above the gymnasium and the former vocational-agriculture shop, now the art department.

J.B. Turner & Sons Commercial Roofing & Sheet Metal, Topeka, won the bid for the work at $505,337.24. Though not the lowest bidder, that being Blue Ribbon Roofing KC, Raytown, Mo., at $435,285.42, J.B Turner was the recommendation of Chris Johnson, Ph.D., district superintendent, who said that “the lowest bid did not receive the highest (Experience Modification Rating) safety rank” because “they did not come to a required meeting, and no bond was included.”

See the rest of the story at www.linncountynews.net

10/29/2025

Pleasanton council passes motion, gives hiring power to police chief

By BARBARA PROFFITT

During the Monday night meeting of the Pleasanton City Council, council member Aaron Portmann read a prepared statement regarding recent events and actions at the meetings held previously and then moved to have the city attorney draft an ordinance granting the power of appointment to the City Police Chief with the council’s approval. Mayor Mathew Young then spoke briefly regarding Portmann’s prepared statement.

Council member Rochelle Schreckhise seconded the motion on the table made by Portmann. The council then discussed the motion on the table, and several questions were asked of the city attorney, Jacklyn Paletta.

See the rest of the story at www.linncountynews.net

10/29/2025

Prairie View cross country qualifies two for State

Adam Holt

The Prairie View cross country team traveled to Neodesha on Oct. 25 to compete in a 3A Regional to determine who makes the 3A State cross country meet.

The Buffalos did well and the girls, as a team, placed fifth overall with a score of 115.

See the rest of the story at www.linncountynews.net

10/29/2025

Blu Jays’ Alvarez qualifies for State at Regionals

Adam Holt

The Pleasanton cross country team brought their best runner in Dominic Alvarez to Central Heights on Oct. 25 to compete in a 1A Regional.

The regional determines who makes the 1A State cross country meet and Alvarez qualified for the State meet by placing eighth at Regionals with a time of 18:16.

See the rest of the story at www.linncountynews.net

10/27/2025

The Commissioners meeting scheduled for this morning has been canceled due to lack of a quorum.

10/25/2025

Buffs grind on, record-setting night sets scene to capture district title at Iola

BY TONY FURSE

Despite recent off-field adversity, Prairie View's football team continues to grind on, as evidenced by their 52-20 Pioneer League runners-up and Class 3-A, District 2 championship efforts Friday night at Iola.
Buffalo generational talent Parker Schwarz had a night for the ages against the Mustangs, scoring four touchdowns, all of at least 40 yards in length, and racking up 422 rushing yards on 30 carries to set a school single-game yardage mark, breaking Terrell McKinney's 416 at Burlington in 1998.
Oh, and to boot, Schwarz also had his season rushing total rise above 2,000 yards and his four-year career mark just over 7,000.
The Buffs did have an early pre-Halloween scare, trailing Iola by 12-8 early in the second quarter, Mustang touchdowns set up by a 45-yard hook-and-ladder trickery and later by a 44-yard pass completion into a receiver's outstretched arms.
Read the game's details, Coach Joe Cullor's insights, and the box score in next week's Oct. 29 Linn County News.

TONY ON THE ROAD NEXT WEEK: A bi-district to be determined. In 3-A, Prairie View will host Burlington at 7 p.m. Thursday. Jayhawk-Linn and Pleasanton's opponents will be determined after tonight's Olpe at Topeka Cair Paravel Class 1-A, District 2 game. Pleasanton will be on the road, either to Olpe, Wathena-Riverside, or Jayhawk-Linn while the Jayhawks could be hosting either Pleasanton, Troy, or Alma-Wabaunsee.

This week's other Linn County football scores: Pleasanton 46, Erie 12 (Thursday); Jayhawk-Linn 34, Uniontown 0.

10/24/2025

Due to forecasted weather this event has been canceled.

Due to the forecasted rain this weekend, we regretfully will need to cancel our Halloween event. Please help spread the word.
Thank you for understanding!

10/22/2025

Former Zoning Administrator explains KORA requests

By BARBARA PROFFITT

During the weekly meeting on Monday, Oct. 20, the Linn County Commissioners heard from former county employee Darin Wilson who served previously as the Planning and Zoning Administrator. Wilson told commissioners that the KORA (Kansas Open Records Act) requests he had made were not done in order to harass the county clerk but rather in an effort of transparency in regard to what he called ‘procedural irregularities’ he had found in reviewing the minutes of recent meetings.

One of those issues he mentioned was that the budget itself was not formally approved, but rather a motion approving the budget review and allowing the chair to sign. Wilson noted several other items he had requested records on as well as issues his wife, former Deputy Clerk Darcy Wilson, had also sent KORA requests on.

See the rest of the story at www.linncountynews.net

10/22/2025

Pleasanton Council overrides mayor veto on firefighter appointments

By JACKIE TAYLOR

The Pleasanton Council met at their regularly scheduled meeting Monday and Councilman Aaron Portmann immediately read a prepared statement concerning Ordinance 2065 that Mayor Mathew Young vetoed that tried to take appointment of firefighters from the mayor and put it on the fire chief, then they would be confirmed by the council.

Mayor Mathew Young had vetoed a motion at the Sept. 29 meeting.

With that, Portmann contended that the mayor did not follow proper procedure with his veto in providing written objections to the motion; he said Ord. 2065 was “in effect as the mayor’s veto is invalid.”

See the rest of the story at www.linncountynews.net

10/22/2025

Snyder appointed Linn County Register of Deeds

By JACKIE TAYLOR

Following the retirement of long-time Linn County Register of Deeds Kristy Schmitz, the Linn County Republican Central Committee held a convention Sunday to appoint a new Register of Deeds.

Central Committee Chair Becky Johnson held the role call of committee people and 20 of 23 were present, more than enough to represent a quorum.

See the rest of the story at www.linncountynews.net