JoCo Notes: SM East wins fifth straight girls tennis state title – Shawnee Mission Post

The 6A State Girls Tennis Tournament was held at the Blue Jay Tennis Complex in Junction City, Kansas, on Oct. 13 and 14. 

Junior Ishya Bhavsar got the silver in singles, falling to Blue Valley West senior Sarah Yan in the championship.

Junior Macy Garwood placed fourth in singles, losing to Olathe Northwest senior Ella Novion. 

In doubles, East seniors Kathleen Schmidt and Abigail Long took home the title, defeating senior Saraphina Wambi and sophomore Maryam Wambi from Blue Valley Northwest.

East seniors Katherine Murphy and Eleanor McDermed, placed third in doubles, beating Olathe Northwest juniors Hannah Carney and Riley Terhune.

Andrew Gibbs coaches girls’ tennis at East. 

🗓 Public meetings Thursday

• Johnson County Board of County Commissioners at 9:30 a.m. [View agenda]
• Johnson County Board of County Commissioners Committee of the Whole at 1 p.m. [View agenda]
• JCCC Board of Trustees Meeting at 5 p.m. [View agenda]
• Roeland Park Ad Hoc Historical Committee Meeting at 6 p.m. [View agenda] 

🚀 Post’s top Wednesday stories

1. Former USD 232 teacher charged with criminal sexual conduct requests to be off house arrest
2. JoCo Notes: Reports say Travis Kelce buys Leawood home
3. Read Johnson County candidates’ responses to the Post’s questions
4. Medical emergency led to crash on I-435 in Shawnee, causing rush hour snarl
5. The Other Place, pizzeria and bar, to open in former Italian Delight next month

Other local news

• Iowa man convicted in Prairie Village killing. A Johnson County jury found Michael Balance, 60, of Des Moines guilty of second degree murder in the death of 70-year-old John Hoffman in 2021. [KCTV]
• Lenexa distillery offers special seasonal release. For the first time ever, Union Horse Distilling Company is offering a special handcrafted Bottled-in-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey for the holidays. [Kansas City Business Journal]
• KC on Lonely Planet’s list of “Best Cities” to visit. Kansas City was one of 10 cities around the world the travel site recommends people travel to in 2024, along with others like Paris, Montreal and Prague. [PR Newswire] 

📸 A thousand words

Flowers planted in beds at the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens attract pollinators on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Photo credit Kaylie McLaughlin.