Hoot to you too, Johnson County! Here’s our latest roundup of happy things happening around 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!
Young owl learning to fly
An Overland Park resident spotted an owl learning to fly and called the city’s animal control to try to get the little bird some help.
“This appears to be a natural situation with a young bird learning to fly, and no immediate intervention seems necessary at this time,” wrote the Overland Park Police Department on Facebook. “Thank you Animal Control!”
Kansas Teacher of the Year winners celebrate
USD 232 in De Soto recently welcomed all Kansas Teacher of the Year winners from surrounding school districts to recognize their achievement.
Leawood seniors get in some puppy snuggles
The Friends of KCK Animal Services recently partnered up with Town Village of Leawood to celebrate Love Your Pet Day.
“There’s something special about the bond between people and animals,” said Troy Florian, Executive Director of Town Village of Leawood. “The puppies brought so much joy and energy into our community. We’re already looking forward to our next puppy playdate!”
Golden Scoop owners are Ripple of Kindness honorees
The two sisters who started The Golden Scoop in Overland Park — Amber Schreiber and Lindsey Krumbholz — were named winners of the Ripple of Kindness.
Ripple of Kindness is a movement by SevenDays to raise awareness of efforts by locals to promote kindness and understanding in their communities. Read more about The Golden Scoop here.
Overland Park named one of happiest cities
The city of Overland Park was recently named the fifth happiest city in the United States.
A study by WalletHub gave Overland Park the ranking, showcasing that city residents “enjoy a quality of life that fosters joy and well-being,” city staff wrote in a recent newsletter.
Shawnee museum worker gets kudos
Kaitlyn Dickerson, museum assistant at Shawnee Town 1929, recently received a public service award for her contributions to the outdoor museum.
K-State students from JoCo graduate, earn honors
Several students from Johnson County graduated and/or earned honors in fall 2024 from Kansas State University in Manhattan. The full list can be found here.
Mission Hills native makes College of the Holy Cross dean’s list
Aidan Latz of Mission Hills was named to the fall 2024 dean’s list at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.
3 JoCo natives graduate from MWSU
Three students from Johnson County graduated from Missouri Western State University in fall 2024, including:
- Lenexa: Timothy Marshall Brech, Bachelor of Science in Education, Elementary Education-Early Childhood
- Overland Park: Elizabeth Louise Vaupel, Bachelor of Science in Education, Elementary Education
- Shawnee Mission: Camille Evans, Bachelor of Science in Nursing
2 JoCo natives make Hollins University dean’s list
Two students from Johnson County made the fall 2024 dean’s list at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, including:
- Keely Hood of Fairway majoring in English and Creative Writing.
- Emily Schoenig of Olathe majoring in Undecided.
Leawood native makes Millikin University dean’s list
Leah Flint of Leawood made the fall 2024 dean’s list at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois.
JoCo students make MWSU dean’s list
Several students from Johnson County made the fall 2024 dean’s list at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, including:
- Mitchell Mauk of Gardner
- Timothy Brech of Lenexa
- Nina King of Lenexa
- Paisley Mayo of Olathe
- Easton O’Keefe of Overland Park
- Brynn Sankey of Overland Park
- Spencer Sprenger of Overland Park
- Carlie Bradshaw of Shawnee
- Cooper Schreiber of Shawnee
JoCo students make MWSU president’s list
Several students from Johnson County made the president’s honor roll in 2024 from Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri, including:
- Jadyn Padilla of Gardner
- Harley Pruetting of Gardner
- Adam Ducey of Merriam
- Caleb Niehoff of Olathe
- Elizabeth Vaupel of Overland Park
- Blake Venneman of Overland Park
- Broc Worcester of Shawnee
JoCo students graduate from Emporia State
Several students from Johnson County graduated from Emporia State University in Emporia in fall 2024 including:
- Hannah Eileen Barrett of Lenexa, Kansas, B.S. in Education in Elementary Education .
- Cheyenne J Conrardy of Lenexa, Kansas, Master of Science in Health, Physical Education & Coaching .
- Macey Lynn Eichkorn of Lenexa, Kansas, Cum Laude Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance .
- Wendy Gonzalez Toledano of Lenexa, Kansas, B.S. in Education in Elementary Education .
- Mary L Hoopes of Lenexa, Kansas, Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in Fisheries and Wildlife .
- Jordan Grace Walla of Lenexa, Kansas, Magna Cum Laude B.S. in Education in Elementary Education .
- Josie E Wilkens of Lenexa, Kansas, Magna Cum Laude B.S. in Business in Business Administration .
- Alyssa Wise of Lenexa, Kansas, Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies .
- Tyler L DeBey of Mission, Kansas, Cum Laude Bachelor of Science in Nursing .
- Emily Griffin of Olathe, Kansas, Master of Science in Special Education with a concentration in Teaching Of Gifted .
- Irina Honc Lamadrid of Olathe, Kansas, Magna Cum Laude Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in Healthcare .
- Alicia Barbara La Gatta of Olathe, Kansas, Cum Laude B.S. in Education in Elementary Education .
- Jessica Rose Morris of Olathe, Kansas, Bachelor of Arts in Language Literary Studies & Writing with a concentration in English, Technical & Professional Writing .
- Brett Michael Payne of Olathe, Kansas, Summa Cum Laude B.S. in Education in English .
- Angie Rawalt of Olathe, Kansas, Master of Library Science with a concentration in School Library Media .
- Abby Reese Starkey of Olathe, Kansas, B.S. in Education in English with a minor in Coaching.
- Ashley R Stecklein of Olathe, Kansas, Master of Science in Special Education with a concentration in High Incidence Special Education .
- Isaiah G Thomas of Olathe, Kansas, Magna Cum Laude B.S. in Business in Business Administration .
- Julia S Whitaker of Olathe, Kansas, Summa Cum Laude B.S. in Education in Mathematics .
- Douglas Archer of Overland Park, Kansas, Master of Science in Health, Physical Education & Coaching .
- Austin Michael Geise of Overland Park, Kansas, Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies in General Studies .
- Maria Fernanda Hernandez of Overland Park, Kansas, Cum Laude B.S. in Education in Elementary Education .
- Charles MacKinley Hower of Overland Park, Kansas, Master of Library Science with a concentration in Informatics .
- Dawn Miller of Overland Park, Kansas, Master of Science in Elementary Education .
- Paul A. Thomas of Overland Park, Kansas, Master of Library Science .
- Jiajia Zhang of Overland Park, Kansas, Master of Science in Elementary Education .
- Kendall Anne Decoursey of Prairie Village, Kansas, Master of Science in Instructional Design & Technology .
- Ali Anne Slaughter of Prairie Village, Kansas, Magna Cum Laude B.S. in Education in Elementary Education .
- Megan Kay Drey of Shawnee, Kansas, Master of Library Science with a concentration in School Library Media .
- Emma G Fox of Shawnee, Kansas, Bachelor of Science in Nursing .
- Adison Lytton of Shawnee, Kansas, B.S. in Education in Elementary Education .
- Eva Roberts of Shawnee, Kansas, Master of Science in Instructional Specialist with a concentration in Elementary Content .
- Molly E Stack of Shawnee, Kansas, Magna Cum Laude Bachelor of Science in Nursing .
- Casie Hittle of Shawnee Mission, Kansas, Bachelor of Science in Psychology .
- Rylan C Miller of Overland Park, KS, Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance with a minor in Coaching.
4 JoCo natives graduate from Missouri State
Four local students graduated from Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri, in fall 2024, including:
- Elise Dahm of Olathe graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
- Kylie Overbaugh of Shawnee graduated with a Bachelor of Science, Hospitality Leadership, Summa Cum Laude.
- Cameron Rippee of Olathe graduated with a Master of Business Administration.
- James Wilson of Olathe graduated with a Bachelor of Science, Chemistry.
JoCo natives make KU honor roll
Students from Johnson County made the University of Kansas honor roll in fall 2024. Click here for the complete list.
OP native makes Wyoming university honor roll
The University of Wyoming announced that Alison Faith of Overland Park made the president’s honor roll in fall 2024.
2 JoCo natives make California university dean’s list
Two Johnson County natives made the dean’s list in fall 2024 at Biola University in La Mirada, California, including Olivia Bertoch of Shawnee, majoring in Liberal Studies Elementary Ed, and Noel Ozias of Olathe, majoring in Psychology.
OP native graduates from Arkansas university
Adriana Athon of Overland Park graduated from Harding University in fall 2024 with a Master of Science in physician assistant studies.
