Rush County Sheriff's Office

08/31/2026

Ok, Liebenthal community. We’ve had the radar trailer out for several weeks. Give us some feedback. Is it seeming to make a difference as a gentle reminder to slow down?

08/31/2026

📚🚲 OK, Rush County residents…we did NOT forget about the Back-to-School Party! 🎉

We know some of you have been wondering if we were going to have our event this school year. The answer is YES! We’ve just decided to make a few changes.

We’ve been busy taking care of other law-enforcement matters, and after some discussion here at the Sheriff’s Office, we decided that rather than holding the event at the beginning of the school year, we’re going to move it to the end of the school year and turn it into a big “Start of Summer” community event! ☀️🎉

Honestly, we think this will make the event even better. Instead of giving away bicycles and other items right before we head into the colder months, we want to send our kids into summer with a fun, safe and memorable day.

We’re hoping to make this year’s event even bigger than last year! We’re still planning on having:

🚲 LOTS of bicycles to give away
🎵 Music
🍔 Food
🎨 Hopefully a craft fair
🎉 Games and other fun activities
👮 Plenty of opportunities to hang out with your Rush County Sheriff’s Office family

We also wanted to be respectful of the other great events happening throughout our communities, including back-to-school events in some of our towns and upcoming events with our local fire departments. We don’t want to compete with those events—we want to work together and support one another.

So, NO, we didn’t forget! ❤️

We’re simply moving the event to the end of the school year so we have plenty of time to put everything together and make it something our entire community can enjoy.

Our goal is to kick off summer with a BIG, FUN and SAFE celebration for the kids and families of Rush County!

Stay tuned for more details as we get everything organized.

Thank you, as always, for supporting your Rush County Sheriff’s Office and for helping us make our community a great place to live! 🇺🇸

We’ll see you at the end of the school year! 🚲☀️🎉

08/26/2026

An Opportunity to Recognize a Member of Our Team

As your Sheriff, I want to take a moment to personally thank everyone in our community who has taken the time to recognize a member of my team since I became Sheriff.

Whether it has been a kind word, a message, a phone call, or simply taking the time to tell one of our deputies or communications staff that they made a difference—those moments mean more than you may realize.

Now, there is an opportunity for members of our team to be recognized at the state level through the Kansas Sheriffs Association, and it is you—the people they serve—who can make that happen.

If you have had a meaningful interaction with one of our deputies or communications staff, if someone has gone above and beyond for you or your family, or if you have seen one of our team members make a positive impact on our community, I encourage you to share that story.

You can nominate a member of the Rush County Sheriff’s Office directly through the Kansas Sheriffs Association:

Kansas Sheriffs Association Awards & Nominations

https://www.kansassheriffs.org/awards

Nominations must be submitted by September 2, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.

You don’t have to write anything elaborate. Simply share your experience, tell their story, and explain how that person has affected you, your family, or our community.

As your Sheriff, I want to say thank you for taking care of my team. They work hard, they care deeply about this community, and I am incredibly proud of the men and women who serve alongside me.

This is simply an opportunity for you to let them know that their work matters. ❤️💙

-Sheriff Knowles

The Kansas Sheriffs Association KSA focuses on providingsupport of legislation that assists law enforcement,scholarships for ...

08/20/2026

Welcome back to school La Crosse!

How many communities can say they have ALL of their first responder agencies with a true heart for the community? ❤️🚒🚑🚓

Here in Rush County, we are blessed with fire departments, EMS, law enforcement, and so many others who are constantly looking for ways to make our community safer, stronger, and better.

They don’t just respond when there’s an emergency—they’re out there thinking, planning, creating, and coming up with great ideas to serve our community. Sometimes they reach out to us with an idea, and other times they come up with something incredible all on their own.

This “Slow Down—School Is Back in Session” message is just one example. 🚸📚

It takes a special kind of community to have first responders who genuinely care about the people they serve. We may wear different uniforms, but we’re all working toward the same goal:

Protecting our community. Serving our neighbors. And making Rush County a better place to live. ❤️

We are incredibly fortunate to have the people we have serving Rush County!

08/19/2026

Watch the video here
https://youtu.be/YBIDLjWoQCY

Back to School! 📚🐾

The Otis kids are back in school today, and we had SO much fun being part of their first day! 🎉

Thank you for letting us start a new tradition of visiting the first graders as they officially enter their first “number grade” and helping motivate them to learn, dream big, and be the best they can be. ❤️

We also got to read them a story—and they became the first kids in the entire world to hear it! 🌎📖

What an awesome way to start the school year! We can’t wait to see what these kids accomplish! 🍎✏️



https://youtu.be/YBIDLjWoQCY

08/18/2026

The last of the funds for air conditioners and fans were used today. We are happy we were able to assist our community with this. More programs for our community are coming soon!

08/14/2026

Ellie just wrapped up her first week of training! 🐾

We asked her to type up a training synopsis…

Let’s just say she’s still working on her “keyboard skills.” 😂

But don’t worry — she’s already mastering the important stuff: finding things, sniffing things, and making us look good! 💪🐕

Proud of you, Ellie! The best is yet to come! ❤️

08/13/2026

🚔🐾 BIG NEWS IS COMING TO RUSH COUNTY! 🐾🚔

Please join us in welcoming the newest member of the Rush County Sheriff’s Office family… K-9 Ellie! 💙

Ellie is a fun-loving, energetic 1-year-old Labrador Retriever who will soon begin serving alongside Sgt. Dakota Colhouer after completing her certification training. Together, they’ll be working to keep Rush County safer through narcotics investigations and search and rescue missions.

🐶 Ellie won’t just be another deputy—she’ll be another tool to help protect our community. Whether it’s locating illegal narcotics, helping find a missing child, assisting in the search for a vulnerable adult, or supporting neighboring agencies, Ellie will play an important role in serving the people of Rush County.

Even more exciting… this program comes at NO cost to Rush County taxpayers! 🎉

Thanks to the incredible generosity of Elendil Resources LLC and outside agency assistance, the purchase, training, and initial setup of our K-9 program are being fully funded without using Sheriff’s Office budget dollars or taxpayer funding. Their continued support of our Community Outreach Program and now our K-9 Program demonstrates an outstanding commitment to making Rush County a safer place to live.

📊 So far this year, the Rush County Sheriff’s Office has:
✔️ Executed 13 search warrants
✔️ Processed 80 misdemeanor and felony arrests
✔️ Seen an increase in proactive narcotics investigations and enforcement

Ellie’s arrival gives our deputies another valuable resource to investigate criminal activity while also providing life-saving search and rescue capabilities when every minute counts.

As always, our mission is twofold:
👮 Hold those who distribute illegal drugs accountable.
❤️ Help those struggling with addiction find the resources they need to change their lives.

We can’t wait for Ellie to officially hit the streets after certification! Be watching for training updates, photos, and plenty of chances to meet our four legged deputy!

08/09/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rush County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Death Following Welfare Check

Rush County, Kansas — August 9, 2026 — The Rush County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of an individual and their dog following a welfare check requested in Liebenthal by a concerned party yesterday.

Deputies responded to the location and discovered the individual and their dog deceased inside an RV located in front of the residence. A power cord was connected from the residence to the RV. Based on the condition of the residence, investigators believe the RV may have been being used as the individual’s living quarters.

Due to the condition of the deceased and the apparent length of time since the death occurred, the Rush County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).

At this time, there is no indication of foul play, and there are no concerns for the safety of the general public related to this incident.

The identity of the deceased is being withheld at this time as the Sheriff’s Office continues efforts to locate and notify the individual’s next of kin.

The investigation remains ongoing. The Rush County Sheriff’s Office extends its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased during this difficult time.

08/07/2026

🍪 What a pleasant surprise!! 🍪

A HUGE thank you to the LaCrosse Girl Scout Troop 11125! You girls are absolutely awesome! 💚💙

You definitely know how to brighten a Sheriff’s Office day! 👮‍♂️❤️ Thanks for thinking of us and for the delicious cookies!

Now, just one important request for my team… PLEASE leave me some Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies for when I get back! 😂🍪

I have a feeling these boxes may mysteriously disappear before I get there! 🤣

Thank you again, Troop 11125! You’re the best! ⭐️🍪🇺🇸

— Sheriff Knowles