Shawnee Mission students clean up at state speech and forensics championships. SM East’s speech and drama squad took the 6A state title at this weekend’s championship competition, and students from across the district took individual titles. Bri Empson of SM West won the impromptu speech title and Julian Kuffour of SM Northwest won the Lincoln-Douglas competition. SM East’s team efforts were helped by first and second place performances by Aaron Berlau and Claire Evans in the oral interpretation of prose category. The Lancers also had second place finishers in dramatic interpretation, Luke Knopke, and informative speech, Lucy Brock. The Lancers finished the tournament, held at Olathe North, with 373 team points. Second place Washburn Rural had 331.
Colyer to sign K-12 funding bill that will provide $4.2 million in new funding for Shawnee Mission. Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer will be in Olathe this morning to sign the “fixed” school funding bill that reversed projected losses for Shawnee Mission, and will instead see the district getting an additional $4.2 million in state funding next year. Colyer will sign the bill at a ceremony at Olathe Public Schools’ offices at 9 a.m.
Investigators think propane tank started Merriam fire. Fire investigators say they believe a propane tank attached to a grill was the cause of a fire that did significant damage to the back of a Merriam home Sunday. [Propane tank likely to blame for house fire in Merriam — KCTV]
