The top news in northeastern Johnson County communities and Prairie Village this past year touched on a variety of topics, big and small.
From the local roots of a young woman killed in the nation’s capital city to Merriam’s first grocery store in several years and other local redevelopment efforts, here are the 10 most-read stories of 2025 in northeast Johnson County:
Popular eatery closed over unpaid taxes
State officials seized the Salty Iguana in Prairie Village and other assets — including bank accounts, on-site cash, business inventory and more — due to more than $100,000 in unpaid taxes, according to a Kansas Department of Revenue press release.
Salty Iguana in Prairie Village shut down, assets seized over $100K in unpaid taxes
Malpractice case won against AdventHealth
An Overland Park man whose wife died by suicide won $5.7 million in Johnson County District Court when a jury found two medical professionals at a Merriam hospital were at fault for the woman’s death due to medical negligence.
Overland Park man awarded $5.7M in medical malpractice case against AdventHealth Shawnee Mission
Grocery store coming to Merriam
Trader Joe’s intends to be the first grocery store to operate in the city of Merriam in more than half a decade as part of a $102 million redevelopment effort at the site of a former county library.
Trader Joe’s to be centerpiece of $102M redevelopment at old Merriam library site
Mission Hills attorney charged
A Missouri prosecutor has filed felony charges against Mission Hills attorney Peter E. Goss stemming from a wreck near Lone Jack last September that killed Lee’s Summit resident Kevin Wilson.
Prosecutor files felony charges against Mission Hills attorney Peter Goss stemming from fatal wreck
PV candidates skip Post forum
Half of the 12 candidates running for Prairie Village City Council this year organized their own forum with the group PV United and didn’t attend the Post’s.
6 Prairie Village City Council candidates say they won’t attend Post’s forum
Fairway Houlihan’s gets new life
A new restaurant planned for the former Houlihan’s at the Fairway Shops got the green light, including public incentives to help renovate the space.
Fairway moves ahead with new restaurant at long-vacant former Houlihan’s
Prairie Village Shops affected by fire
More than a dozen businesses were without power one morning at The Shops of Prairie Village following a fire in a basement electrical room at the retail complex off Mission Road.
Basement fire at Prairie Village Shops leaves 16 businesses without power
Old grocery store sees movement 20 years later
A local developer wants to revamp the long-vacant Wild Oats building in Mission. The Mission City Council pushed forward a funding agreement for potential public incentives with local developer Dan Carr of Kansas City, Missouri-based U.S. Federal Properties Co.
Developer envisions new life for former Wild Oats grocery in Mission, vacant for nearly 20 years
Prairie Village ponders monkey ban
The city of Prairie Village is considering banning all monkey species — with one potential exception.
Prairie Village explores banning monkeys. What about the one that already lives there?
More housing at old fast food spot
The site of the old Wendy’s across the street from the Mission Gateway project will soon become more apartments.
Local developer buys now-closed Mission Wendy’s to build more apartments
The life and legacy of SM East grad killed in DC
Sarah Milgrim, a Johnson County native and graduate of Shawnee Mission East High School and the University of Kansas, was one of two people killed in a shooting outside a Jewish event in Washington, D.C.
