The Shawnee Dispatch / Sara Stites

Recent stories

School tax may face harder fight: By Sara Stites; August 3, 2005; After convincing residents to vote for renewing Johnson County’s quarter-cent school sales tax, lobbying groups then must convince them the measure is worth going to the polls.
New lunch program takes aim at obesity: By Sara Stites; August 3, 2005; Even for the school district dietician, it’s not easy to stop at a single Otis Spunkmeyer cookie when they come in packages of three in the De Soto High School cafeteria.
Board eyes next bond project plans: Preliminary designs weighed for new Nieman Elementary, plus addition to Hocker Grove Middle School library; By Sara Stites; August 3, 2005; Two Shawnee Mission USD 512 schools that celebrated 50th anniversaries this year are nearing the front of the queue for a renovation and an all-out replacement.
SM, teachers at impasse: By Sara Stites; July 27, 2005; After failing to agree on a contract with its teachers, Shawnee Mission USD 512 plans to file impasse paperwork with the state by the end of this week.
Sunflower developer announces KU, KSU: By Sara Stites; July 27, 2005; The designated developer of the Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant announced agreements Wednesday with the state’s two largest universities that the developer says will be a boost to the state’s year-old life science initiative.
Wreck victim upgraded to serious: By Sara Stites; July 27, 2005; A 2005 De Soto High School graduate’s condition was upgraded this week from critical to serious, but she remains hospitalized at Overland Park Regional Medical Center because of injuries suffered July 8 in a motorcycle accident.
Landmark De Soto motel sign soon will be history: By Sara Stites; July 27, 2005; In 1951, Dean Weller was 26 years old, married with two children and had only $12,000 to replace a cornfield with a motel he couldn’t get a loan to build.
District moves to restore local option: Shawnee Mission board takes advantage of new option in state law; By Sara Stites; July 27, 2005; Kansas’ new school finance plan opened the door for districts to increase local funds, and Shawnee Mission USD 512 wasted no time stepping through.
Board hires associate for North: By Sara Stites; July 27, 2005; With five young children of his own, Mickey Masterson knows a thing or two about patience. Masterson plans to bring as much of that trait as he can to his new position as associate principal at Shawnee Mission North High School.
High school youth makes mark in jazz: By Sara Stites; July 27, 2005; Sean Giddings’ fingers flicked over the grand piano keyboard, and his head bobbed from side to side during a Sunday afternoon concert at The Sweet Life at Rosehill.

Recent photos

Mill Valley High School senior Michael Kowal sported a velet crown after being announced King of the school's prom Saturday night at Cedar Creek. Queen Jessica Heuback (center) was congradulated by a friend.

Blooms on a magnolia tree are the one of the harbingers of spring.

ter egg hunters take a break to enjoy some of the candy stashed within eggs at Gum Springs Park.

The Hanson family - Keith carrying four-month-old Ian, 2-year-old Seth and Carrie - lingers to look for eggs after the crowd dissipated from Gum Springs Park in Shawnee.

Three-year-old Swapna Patel emerges from her age group's field after participating in Shawnee's Easter Egg Hunt Saturday morning in Gum Springs Park.

Full photo list

Talking points

Do you think it’s worth it to shop on “Black Friday?”

“I didn’t go, because I knew there would be crowds and I didn’t want to deal with it. But I did see some things I wanted, and I thought I’d go get them the next day.”

— Walter Bramlage

More responses