Greetings, Johnson County! Here’s another dose of positive, heartwarming things happening in our community.
We kicked off the new year with a resolution to ourselves and our readers by answering one question:
How can we share more good news happening in our community?
Twice a month, we’ll be sharing a collection of some of the happy news that came into our inboxes and across our social media feeds.
How to tell us your good news
If you have good news too, we’d like you to share that with us. You can do so in a number of ways. You can:
- Email us at stories@johnsoncountypost.com.
- Send us messages on Facebook or on X (formerly Twitter).
- Or comment at the bottom of this post.
And now, onto our latest roundup of good news!
BV North debate teams win state championships
Two high school debate teams out of Blue Valley Schools, including Blue Valley North and Blue Valley Southwest, took home state championships for their accomplishments in debate and forensics.
Congratulations to @MustangsBvn on winning the 6A 2-Speaker Debate state championship and @SWTimberwolves on winning the 5A 4-Speaker Debate state championship! 💙🏆💚
We’re so proud of these students and coaches for their hard work!#BVTogether pic.twitter.com/lO2KpctQOx
— Blue Valley Schools (@bvschools) January 23, 2025
Olathe North grad on Forbes 30 Under 30 list
Tobi Gbile, a graduate of Olathe North and a senior manager of collaborations at Gap Inc., is on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
BV West grad selected in MLS draft
Colin Welsh, a graduate of Blue Valley West, was drafted late last year into Major League Soccer.
Congratulations to Colin Welsh, graduate of @westjags, on being selected in last month’s MLS #SuperDraft 2025! 👏⚽️🤩#BVTogether https://t.co/MxTnmx4L1I
— Blue Valley Schools (@bvschools) January 24, 2025
Olathe teacher honored by Kansas Council of History Education
Winston Heilman, a teacher at Prairie Trail Middle School, was named the teacher of the year for elementary and middle school education.
Aspiria campus manager wins business award
The Overland Park Chamber of Commerce selected Occidental Management, which operates the Aspiria campus and the Overland Park Xchange, to receive the Business Hall of Honor Award.
The award recognizes businesses that have made significant contributions to economic development and quality of life in Overland Park, according to a press release. The chamber honored Aspiria with the award earlier this month at a luncheon.
Federal judge speaks at MLK celebration in Olathe
Senior U.S. District Judge for Kansas Julie A. Robinson spoke last month at a Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration on the campus of MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe.
Robinson is the first African American appointed U.S. District Judge for the District of Kansas.
3 JoCo students make SNHU dean’s list
Three Johnson County students made the fall 2024 dean’s list at Southern New Hampshire University, including:
- Jeffrey Cundiff of Lenexa
- Joseph Balikuddembe of Overland Park
- Janae Hlavacek of Mission
Leawood student makes Shenandoah dean’s list
Margot Herber of Leawood earned a spot on the Dean’s List at Shenandoah University for the fall 2024 semester.
Two dozen JoCo students make Missouri State’s dean’s list
Two dozen students from Johnson County earneed a spot on the fall 2024 dean’s list at Missouri State University, including:
- Elise Dahm of Olathe
- Libby Davis of Overland Park
- Maelyne Delerue of Overland Park
- Andrew Duwe of Lenexa
- Cassie Frias of Shawnee
- Amy Gotfredson of Olathe
- Addison Graham of Olathe
- Abby Hansen of Overland Park
- Jane Hansen of Overland Park
- Caleb Hernandez of Olathe
- Morgan Horn of Mission
- Adam Jones of Overland Park
- Will Lowry of Roeland Park
- Cameron McCarthy of Olathe
- Grace McConnell of Overland Park
- Spencer Mohn of Olathe
- Luke Ortega of Lenexa
- Kylie Overbaugh of Shawnee
- Jackson Ranck of Lenexa
- Tiera Sayles of Lenexa
- Sophie Shaw of Overland Park
- Alana Shields of Olathe
- Melody Wasco of Overland Park
- Mindy Welland of Olathe
