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Monday: A slight chance of drizzle before 9am, then a slight chance of showers between 9am and 10am. Cloudy, with a high near 50. East northeast wind 6 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Monday Night: Showers likely, mainly after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 43. East wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Link to the National Weather Service radar.

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Inside the Journal
Page 1 – Top news stories, weather
Page 2 – Features, Obituaries, State news, Public
Notices
Page 3 – Community & Library Calendars
Page 4 – Recent Local News
Page 5 – Local News Archive

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Emergency services update: Fire chief reports fire ban complaints

The Linn County fire chief has implemented burn bans on days where strong gusts and dry foliage could make open fires difficult to control. He said he has received complaints about the frequency of the bans. (Wix file photo) By Charlene Sims, Journal staff LCJeditor@icloud.com MOUND CITY – Linn County Fire Chief Randy Hegwald told the Linn County commissioners during his weekly report on Monday, Feb. 23, that during the recent open burning ban, he received complaints from la

Charlene Sims, Journal staff

Commission, attorneys discuss Tanglewood case but make no public comment

The president of the Tanglewood Lakes Owners Association pressed the Linn County Commission for information on the TLOA's lawsuit on Monday. Instead, the commission went into a closed-door session with attorneys before emerging with no comment. (Journal file photo) By Charlene Sims, Journal staff Lcjeditor@icloud.com MOUND CITY – The Linn County Commission recessed behind closed doors on Monday, Feb. 23, to discuss with attorneys any subsequent steps that can be taken in the

Charlene Sims, Journal staff

Commission debates future of economic development program

The Linn County Commission discussed the possible dismantling of the county's economic development program during Monday's commission meeting on Feb. 23. (Journal file photo) By Charlene Sims, Journal staff lcjeditor@icloud.com MOUND CITY – The Linn County Commission heard the possible ramifications of dissolving the county’s economic development committee and not hiring an economic development director at its meeting on Monday, Feb. 23. County Counselor Jacklyn Paletta had b

Charlene Sims, Journal staff

La Cygne police chief to add new full-time officer, adds new vehicle to fleet

The La Cygne Police Department added this SUV to its fleet earlier this month. (La Cygne Police Department Facebook) By Roger Sims, Journal staff linncountyjournal@icloud.com LA CYGNE – The La Cygne City Council was not exactly unanimous in supporting a plan earlier this month by Police Chief Zachary Mathies, who asked to add another full-time policeman to his force. Frustrated by the inability of the department to hire someone qualified to be the “Community Development Offi

Roger Sims, Journal Staff

2024 SEPTEMBER 400 x 400 Linn County Journal.jpg

• Tom Brownback

• Vickie Elaine Smith

• Larry Wayne Snyder

• Marty Leach

• Edwena Bastion

For recent local news, go to
page 4
by clicking here.

La Cygne to change method of paying utility bills; cold surge bumps up natural gas pricing

La Cygne City Hall is transitioning to a new software system, and that will effect how some customers pay utility bills for the next couple of months. By Roger Sims, Journal staff linncountyjournal@iclould.com LA CYGNE – La Cygne residents who pay their utility bills by automatic payment will need to make some adjustments over the next two months or so. The city is in the midst of transitioning from one software system to another, so those who normally pay with the automatic

Roger Sims, Journal Staff

Regional Health Challenges Highlighted in New CHC/SEK Study

Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas this week released a report on health challenges facing residents in its service area, which includes Linn County. (Journnal file photo) Press release PITTSBURG, Kan. — The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK) has released the results of its 2026 Community Health Needs Assessment—a detailed look at the biggest health challenges facing people in Southeast Kansas and Northeast Oklahoma. The organization conducts this

Press release

Pleasanton council approves cost to plan water plant repair

The Pleasanton City Council has approved hiring BG Consultants Inc. for $30,000 to plan and oversee the replacement of the roof over the filter and clarifier systems building at the city's water plant. It will also provide funds for the engineering firm to study providing a secondary water source for the city. (Journal file photo) By Roger Sims, Journal staff linncountyjournal@icloud.com PLEASANTON – Pleasanton’s engineering firm got the green light to begin planning the roof

Roger Sims

Procedure for placing help-wanted ads questioned by county clerk

Linn County Clerk Chasity Ware asked county commissioners to clarify policy on placing help wanted ads. (Wix file photo) By Charlene Sims, Journal staf f lcjeditor@icloud.com MOUND CITY – Linn County Clerk Chasity Ware brought up a question on Tuesday, Feb. 17, about employment ads in the newspaper and which departments were responsible for the cost. Ware said that when they received an invoice and she was asked how it needed to be paid, her first thought was that it should

Charlene Sims, Journal staff

Commission discussed maintenance of HVAC units

Failure of these two heating units at the 4-H Building on the Linn County Fairgrounds spurred a conversation by the county commission on the contract for HVAC maintenance. (Roger Sims / Linn County Journal) By Charlene Sims, Journal staff lcjeditor@icloud.com MOUND CITY - After a lengthy discussion on Tuesday, Feb. 17, County Commission Chair Alison Hamilton said that she would like to go out on a second opinion on replacement or repairs for the two heating units at the 4-H

Charlene Sims, Journal staff

For recent local news, go to
page 4 by clicking here.

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Matters of Faith by Dr. Bascom Ratliff
For more Matters of Faith columns, follow this link.

Those we meet while walking with Jesus

Matters of Faith By Dr. Bascom Ratliff Pastor, Beagle, Fontana and Parker United Methodist Churches Scripture: Mark 1: 40-44. Jesus heals a leper. Mark 5: 25-34. A woman is healed after touching Jesus’s garment. Matthew 19: 14. Jesus welcomes children. Today's message is a call to us to welcome and embrace the modern-day lepers and marginalized people in our society. There are a number of Bible verses that tell of Jesus encountering diverse individuals who are ill, poor, or i

Dr. Bascom Ratliff

Country Notebook by Rogene 'Jeannie' McPherson
For Country Notebook articles follow this link.

Opinion: Sisyphus in Kansas – Republican’s efforts to restore confidence in voting system appear ill-fated

Kansas Rep. Pat Proctor, R-Leavenworth, is running in the Republican primary for secretary of state. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) By Sam Fogelsong Kansas Reflector opinion Kansas Rep. Pat Proctor, R-Leavenworth, is running for Kansas secretary of state with a stated focus of restoring confidence in elections. His ill-fated plan to achieve this goal recalls the struggle of the Greek mythological figure Sisyphus. Sisyphus angered Zeus by betraying his trust and the

Roger Sims

Opinion: As Kansas considers restricting food and medical assistance even further, think of those in need

Sen. Renee Erickson, R-Wichita, follows floor action at the Statehouse on Feb. 5, 2026, in Topeka. (Photo by Grace Hills for Kansas Reflector) By Rebecca Phillps Special to the Kansas Reflector I recently read about Senate Bill 363 , which would add complications and hurdles to Kansans receiving Medicaid and food assistance. Sen. Renee Erickson, R-Wichita, introduced this bill. It’s been discussed by the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency. First of all, KanCare is diff

Kansas Reflector opinion

More Local News

Prairie View's Honor Flight program recognized, family makes annual donation

Capt. Laura Steenbergen presents a U.S. Flag to PVHS Honor Flight sponsor Aaron Law, from left, and program "guardians" Abigail Alvarez, Jercey VanDyke, Cecillia Brockway, and Mia Covell. (Roger Sims / Linn County Journal) Journal staff report Army Reserve Capt. Laura Steenbergen presented a commemorative U.S. Flag to students from Prairie View High School's Honor Flight program on Tuesday, Feb. 17, following the girls basketball game. The flag, folded military style and enc

Journal Staff Report

County planners recommend zoning change, permit for motocross operation

Young motocross competitors on the track owned by Emily and Eric Thies during an event in 2023. (Journal file photo) By Charlene Sims, Journal staff lcjeditor@icloud.com MOUND CITY - A motocross track on about 40 acres northeast of Trading Post received the recommendation of the Linn County Planning Commission to change its zoning from Agricultural to Commercial during the commission’s meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 10. The commission also voted to recommend the operation receive a

Charlene Sims, Journal staff

Engineer outlines plan for replacement of Pleasanton water plant roof

An engineer with BG Consultants Inc. met with the Pleasanton City Council on Wednesday, Feb. 11, to discuss how to make repairs to a roof in the city's water plant complex. (Roger Sims / Linn County Journal) By Roger Sims, Journal staff linncountyjournal@icloud.com (Correction: In the original version of this story, Jason Hoskinson's name was spelled incorrectly. We regret the error.) PLEASANTON – An engineer’s assessment of the Pleasanton water plant is that city officials h

Roger Sims, Journal Staff

Parker council approves bid for City Hall roof replacement

By Roger Sims, Journal staff linncountyjournal@icloud.com PARKER – Pending confirmation that the contractor will remove the old roof material, the Parker City Council on Thursday, Feb. 12, voted unanimously to hire H&S Roofing from Mapleton to tear off and install a new metal roof on the City Hall and city maintenance shop for $17,075. The council originally looked at hiring a contractor to install that roof as well as replace siding and the roof on the Parker Community Cente

Roger Sims, Journal Staff

High school sports

State wrestling update:

Here are the medal winners in the state wrestling tournament on Friday and Saturday. We will have complete stories on Monday:

Prairie View, Class 4A tournament in Salina

Girls: Shawna Case, 155 pounds, 2nd place; Lexi Freeman, 130, third place;

Kinley Stone, 145, fourth place

Boys: Gunner VanNorman, 120, fourth place

Jayhawk-Linn, Class 3-1A in Hays

Girls: Alayna McCarty, 120, third place

Boys: Denton White, 138, second place; Landon Higgins, 113, fourth place;

Tanner Holt, 120, fourth place

Basketball substate

Girls:

• Jayhawk-Linn 47 vs. Baxter Springs 18

• Pleasanton 14 vs. Norwich 45

•. Prairie View 19 vs. Burlington 57

Boys:

•. Jayhawk-Linn 36 vs. Baxter Springs 44

•. Pleasanton 47 vs. Fairfield 28

•. Prairie View 32 vs. Burlington 73

Blu-Jays to play for substate title on Friday

Pleasanton's Garret Conley goes up for 2 points against Fairfield on Saturday in the semifinal substate game. (Photos by Billy Roudybush / Journal contributor) By Billy Roudybush Journal contributor The Pleasanton Blu-Jays boys team will play for the Substate No. 1 championship on Friday, March 6, after beating a scrappy Fairfield team, 47-28, in the semifinal. The Class 1A Division I game will be played in Madison, which is about 10 miles west of Burlington. Game time has ye

Billy Roudybush, Journal contributor

Lady 'Hawks cruise to a win in first substate contest

The Jayhawk defense boxes in a Baxter Spring player in the quarterfinal substate game on Thursday, Feb. 26. The Lady 'Hawks' defense has limited opponents' scoring to an average of less than 23 points per game. (Photos by Billy Roudybush / Journal contributor) By Billy Roudybush Journal contributor The Baxter Springs Lionesses came roaring into Mound City on Thursday, Feb. 26, with the hope of tripping up the No. 1 seed Jayhawks in the Class 3A substate. However, the Lady 'Ha

Billy Roudybush, Journal contributor

Prairie View wrestlers qualify for state 4A tournament

Prairie View wrestler Gunner VanNorman pins an opponent. VanNorman took third place at the regional meet and will complete at state this Friday. (Prairie View Buffalos Facebbook) By Roger Sims, Journal staff linncountyjournal@icloud.com Prairie View will be sending two competitors to the Class 4A State Wrestling Championship tourney on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27-28. The wrestlers qualified for the state meet after picking up medals in the regional meet at Paola on Feb. 21.

Roger Sims, Journal Staff

Five Jayhawk wrestlers set sights on gold at state meet

The Jayhawk-Linn wrestling team heading to state on Friday includes, from left, head coach Brett Kramer, Denton White, Landon Higgins, Tanner Holt, Layne Goodison, Brady Felt, and assistant coach Jared Avery. (Submitted photo) By Roger Sims, Journal staff linncountyjournal@icloud.com Jayhawk-Linn will send five wrestlers to the boys Kansas State Class 3-1A Wrestling Championships tournament at Fort Hays State University on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27–28. The ‘Hawks’ grapple

Roger Sims

Prairie View to send five to girls state wrestling tournament

Prairie View wrestlers, from left, Shawna Case, Kinley Stone, Michaela Miller, Lauren Steenbergen, and Lexi Freeman are headed to the state championship tournament on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27-28 in Salina (Submitted photo) By Roger Sims, Journal staff linncountyjournal@icloud.com Five Prairie View girls will be headed to the Kansas state wrestling championships in Salina on Friday, Feb. 27, after qualifying in the regional meet at Tonganoxie on Feb. 13 – 14. It will be a

Roger Sims, Journal Staff

State, Regional & National News

Kansas disaster declaration prepares state for World Cup visitor boom

Kansas leaders are preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, passing legislation to boost security and infrastructure ahead of the competition's arrival in June in the Kansas City area. A sign promoting the World Cup appears on Jan. 13, 2026, outside the Statehouse in Topeka, Kansas. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) By Anna Kaminski Kansas Reflector TOPEKA — The 2026 North American FIFA World Cup prompted Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly to declare a state of disaster emergency

Anna Kaminski, Kansas Reflector

Kansas Republicans force transgender bathroom restrictions into law, overriding a veto

The bill says people must use public bathrooms that match their sex assigned at birth. (Zach Boblitt / Kansas News Service) Republicans voted to override the governor's veto and put the restrictions into state law. It will require people to use bathrooms in public places that align with their sex assigned at birth. By Stephen Koranda Kansas News Service Republicans in the Kansas Legislature have forced restrictions on bathroom use by transgender people into state law by overr

Kansas News Service

With AI demands, can renewable energy be the economic future of rural Kansas?

Wind turbine farms sprawl across Gray County in southwest Kansas. Neighboring counties are trying to cash in on the growing industry. (Brian Grimmett) Western Kansas has the potential to capitalize on our region’s growing energy demands even as rural populations shrink. There’s plenty of land, wind and sun to be a center for renewable energy production. But skepticism is bringing these projects to a halt. By Calen Moore Kansas News Service There is a new type of farm spreadin

Kansas News Service

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Monday, March 2, 2026

Link to the National Weather Service radar.

Want to get the Linn County Journal's free email newsletters? Enter your email below and then click on 'Subscribe.' Be sure to put 'info@linncountyjournal.com' in your contacts so you don't miss a message.

Top Stories

Emergency services update: Fire chief reports fire ban complaints

Commission, attorneys discuss Tanglewood case but make no public comment

Commission debates future of economic development program

La Cygne police chief to add new full-time officer, adds new vehicle to fleet

For recent local news, go to page 4 by clicking here.

La Cygne to change method of paying utility bills; cold surge bumps up natural gas pricing

Regional Health Challenges Highlighted in New CHC/SEK Study

Pleasanton council approves cost to plan water plant repair

Procedure for placing help-wanted ads questioned by county clerk

Commission discussed maintenance of HVAC units

For recent local news, go to page 4 by clicking here.

Matters of Faith by Dr. Bascom Ratliff For more Matters of Faith columns, follow this link.

Those we meet while walking with Jesus

Country Notebook by Rogene 'Jeannie' McPherson For Country Notebook articles follow this link.

Opinion: Sisyphus in Kansas – Republican’s efforts to restore confidence in voting system appear ill-fated

Opinion: As Kansas considers restricting food and medical assistance even further, think of those in need

More Local News

Prairie View's Honor Flight program recognized, family makes annual donation

County planners recommend zoning change, permit for motocross operation

Engineer outlines plan for replacement of Pleasanton water plant roof

Parker council approves bid for City Hall roof replacement

High school sports

State wrestling update:

Basketball substate

Blu-Jays to play for substate title on Friday

Lady 'Hawks cruise to a win in first substate contest

Prairie View wrestlers qualify for state 4A tournament

Five Jayhawk wrestlers set sights on gold at state meet

Prairie View to send five to girls state wrestling tournament

State, Regional & National News

Kansas disaster declaration prepares state for World Cup visitor boom

Kansas Republicans force transgender bathroom restrictions into law, overriding a veto

With AI demands, can renewable energy be the economic future of rural Kansas?

Back to Top

DONATE
Follow this link for more information

For recent local news, go to
page 4
by clicking here.

For recent local news, go to
page 4 by clicking here.

Matters of Faith by Dr. Bascom Ratliff
For more Matters of Faith columns, follow this link.

Country Notebook by Rogene 'Jeannie' McPherson
For Country Notebook articles follow this link.