The Coffey County Republican

The Coffey County Republican www.coffeycountyonline.com A place to get updates on this week's stories, breaking news and upcoming features. Published on Thursdays.

Interact with the news, ask questions, and be a part your community newspaper. The official newspaper of Coffey County, the cities of Burlington, Gridley, New Strawn, LeRoy, Lebo, Waverly and Hartford; Lebo-Waverly USD 243, Burlington USD 244, and LeRoy-Gridley USD 245.

06/08/2026

Confidence is increasing in a line of storms moving quickly east across the area this evening. These storms will be capable of producing widespread damaging winds, especially across north-central KS. Be sure to keep an eye on the weather this evening, particularly if you've got outdoor plans.

05/31/2026

85 years ago today, 5/31-6/1/1941, 12.59 inches of rain fell in Burlington, Kansas, the greatest 24-Hour Rainfall ever recorded in the state.

05/29/2026

Final Score 13-6! Congratulations Wildcats on 3rd in the State!

05/26/2026

Burlington baseball continues what has already been a special 2025-26 school year.

The Wildcats advanced to the 3A State Baseball semifinals Monday with a 5-3 quarterfinal victory over Frontenac at Blue Valley West High School, improving to 24-2 on the season.

Burlington showed poise throughout the afternoon, answering every Frontenac push before breaking the game open with a three-run sixth inning. Mason Collins delivered a key RBI single during the rally while Case Birk also drove in a run to help create separation late.

Brody Garland was outstanding on the mound for the Wildcats, striking out 10 over six strong innings while allowing just one hit. Burlington also showed patience offensively, drawing six walks in the win.

Aydan Winters and Brayzdn Spring each collected two hits for the Wildcats while Collins finished with two RBIs.

The Wildcats now head to the final four after also making a memorable run to the 3A state basketball championship game earlier this school year, continuing one of the best all-around athletic years in the state.

Burlington will face Girard (22-5) in the 3A state semifinals Wednesday at 5:45 PM in Manhattan.

05/26/2026

3A State Baseball Quarterfinals Recap

Silver Lake 1, Council Grove 0

Silver Lake pulled off the win behind a dominant shutout effort on the mound to advance to the state semifinals. Jax Ross delivered the game’s lone RBI with a second inning double while Kipton Kruger and Dayne Johnson combined to shut out top-seeded Council Grove. Johnson closed the door in relief as the Eagles moved on to face Russell/Victoria.

Russell/Victoria 3, Colby 0

Max Evans was electric on the mound with 11 strikeouts in a complete game shutout as Russell/Victoria advanced to the semifinals. Evans also helped himself offensively with an RBI triple while Walker Middleton and Sam Thielen each added RBI doubles in the win.

Girard 6, Jefferson West 1

Girard used a big middle innings surge to pull away and punch its ticket to the state semifinals. Kam Smith, last season’s S*K 3A Pitcher of the Year and an Arkansas commit, struck out nine over 5.2 strong innings (topping 100Ks this season) while Robbie Bruning added two hits. The Trojans broke the game open in the fifth inning and will now meet Burlington in the semifinals.

Burlington 5, Frontenac 3

Burlington rallied late to eliminate Frontenac and advance to the semifinals. The Wildcats broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning behind RBI hits from Case Birk and Mason Collins. Brody Garland struck out 10 on the mound while Aydan Winters and Brayzdn Spring each collected two hits in the victory.

3A State Baseball Semifinals
Wednesday at K-State

Silver Lake vs. Russell/Victoria — 3:30 PM
Girard vs. Burlington — 5:45 PM

05/22/2026

Media Release – May 22, 2026

Bear struck north of Iola.

On May 22, 2026, at approximately 4:15 a.m., the Allen County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single-vehicle accident on West Virginia Road, east of Old U.S. Highway 169, five miles north of Iola. The driver of the vehicle, Justin Mines, reported that he had struck a bear. Mines reported wearing his seat belt and being uninjured.

The bear, severely injured, was found a short distance away and, with the assistance of a Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks (KDWP) Game Warden, was euthanized. Any questions involving the bear should be directed to KDWP.

# # #

05/22/2026

2026 State ⚾️ Quarterfinals.

05/20/2026

Local officers honored with Clinical Save Awards

The Coffey County Emergency Medical Services honored two Burlington police officers with Clinical Save Awards during the agency’s annual EMS picnic held at noon today.

Sgt. Randy Stuart and Officer Dustin Shepard received the awards in recognition of separate life-saving incidents in which their actions helped save the lives of community members.

According to EMS officials, Sgt. Stuart was recognized for saving the life of a community member on Oct. 23, 2025, while Officer Shepard was honored for saving the life of a community member on April 9, 2026.

The awards were presented by Jesse Presley, director of EMS, on behalf of Coffey County Emergency Medical Services.

A Clinical Save Award is an emergency medical services and healthcare honor presented to first responders, dispatchers or citizens for life-saving interventions. The recognition is typically awarded when immediate medical care restores a patient’s vital signs and allows the person to survive without permanent neurological deficits.

Recipients are recognized for providing immediate and effective care, demonstrating exceptional clinical judgment and contributing to successful patient outcomes.

Chief Mike Roney congratulated both officers on the recognition.
“We are extremely proud of Sgt. Stuart and Officer Shepard for their quick actions and professionalism during these emergencies,” Roney said. “Their commitment to serving and protecting our community extends far beyond traditional law enforcement duties. These awards reflect the dedication all of our officers have to helping others in critical situations.”

Roney added that all officers with the department respond to medical calls while on duty, with the exception of calls at nursing homes and assisted living facilities, unless requested by EMS to assist.

05/20/2026

🏆 CONGRATULATIONS to John Rolf on becoming the Three Rivers League Champion in Javelin!

John claimed the league title with an impressive throw of 151'4" — an incredible achievement and a testament to his hard work and dedication this season. 💪🎯

Way to represent and bring home the championship, John!

05/20/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lyon County Fire District #5 was requested via the Kansas Division of Emergency Management to respond to southwest Kansas for multiple on-going wildfires. LCFD #5 responded with a task force consisting of Olpe Fire, Coffey County Fire District #1 (Lebo and Leroy), and Osage County Fire District #3 Melvern/Olivet.

Crews were initially assigned to monitor hot spots around the perimeter of the Herman Ranch Fire. A large grass fire developed and began moving quickly towards the town of Meade, Kansas and crews were redirected. While crews were fighting the fire, conditions deteriorated rapidly and units were advised to get to safety. Heavy brush truck 5542 experienced an unexpected mechanical failure. Multiple attempts to start it were unsuccessful. The crew abandoned the vehicle as the fire was quickly approaching. A fire unit in the response line immediately stopped, loaded the firefighters, and transported them to safety. There were no injuries to either firefighter. The truck sustained significant damage and will likely be considered a total loss.

We extend our sincere gratitude to the firefighters of Kiowa County and the Minneola Fire Departments who acted quickly and courageously to ensure the safety of our personnel. This incident underscores the extreme risks Kansas firefighters face while working to contain fast moving wildfires under volatile conditions. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the firefighters, ranchers, and residents in the area who have been affected by the fires.

LCFD #5 will not provide any additional comment at this time. All inquiries related to this incident should be directed to the Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Greg Zumbrunn
Fire Chief
Lyon County Fire District #5
Hartford/Neosho Rapids, Kansas

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Burlington, KS

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