2022 chemical engineering graduate at KU earns this prestigious fellowship

Amanda Hertel of Shawnee, a 2022 chemical engineering graduate at the University of Kansas, has received one of two $35,000 fellowships from Phi Kappa Phi — described by KU as the country’s nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Hertel earned the national organization’s 1897 Fellowship, which recognizes the top-scoring applicant in a STEM discipline. As the 1897 Fellow, Hertel will pursue a medical degree from KU.

“Amanda is a truly superb student with both great talent and a strong interest in the well-being of others. There is no doubt that she will be an outstanding physician,” Dave Darwin, professor of civil, environmental & architectural engineering, said in a news release.

Hertel has won numerous other awards while at KU, including the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Performance Award in Chemical Engineering.

New vendor for Olathe library cafe

Sweet Tee’s Coffee Shop has been chosen to operate the cafe at Olathe’s Indian Creek Library and will do the same at the new downtown library when it opens next year.

Sweet Tee’s serves specialty coffee drinks, smoothies, baked goods, snacks and ready-to-eat lunch items. It uses DogWatch coffee beans, which are roasted in Olathe.

The Indian Creek cafe is open from from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Park Street Pastry was the initial operator of the Indian Creek cafe in 2019 when that library opened in a former grocery store at 16100 W. 135th St. Operations were disrupted by the pandemic, and a city spokesman said Park Street has not been involved for some time. A full-scale cafe had not been available in the interim.

Tee Walker opened the original Sweet Tee’s in 2015 at 2063 E. Santa Fe St., according to the company’s website. Walker retired in the spring of 2021, when Karen Morris took ownership.

Gardner project won’t finish until 2023

The city of Gardner says construction on U.S. 56/Main Street will take longer than planned.

The timetable calls for all four lanes to be completed from Sycamore Street to Moonlight Road before the project shuts down for the winter. All traffic lanes will be open during the break.

The rest of the project, from Moonlight Road to Old 56 Highway, will be completed in 2023.

“The work initially set to be completed this winter had to be moved into a second construction season due to utility conflicts and adverse weather conditions throughout the project,” the city said in a news release.

Can you squash the competition?

Don’t forget to drive your vegetables!

You read that right. On the morning of Sept. 17, Lenexa will host its fourth Farm-ula 500 Veggie Race at the city’s Farmers Market, where competitors of all ages can build race cars made of vegetables.

Prizes will be given both for style and speed along a 16-foot track.

The entry fee is $5. Pre-registrants can pick up a supply pack from the Lenexa Rec Center starting Sept. 1 so they can start constructing their cars at home, but registration is allowed on race day if space permits.

Find details and a registration link by clicking the Farmers Market box at lenexa.com.

Air Show coming to NewCentury

Many people will be gazing upward over Labor Day weekend when the 2022 Garmin KC Air Show comes to the New Century AirCenter near Gardner and Olathe. The show will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 3 and Sept. 4.

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will perform, as will the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team, the U.S. Air Force A-10 Demo Team and the U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler Legacy Team.

New civilian performers this year include the Red Bull Airforce, U.S. National Aerobatic Champion Patty Wagstaff and Rob Holland, who took second place at the FAI World Championships in Poland.

Visitors also can see all kinds of military aircraft from the past and present, experience a virtual reality military mission and in a “Top Gun” moment, sit in the to sit in the cockpit of an F-18 for a keepsake photo. Also on tap: monster truck rides and STEM education activities for kids.

Tickets and a reserved parking spot must be obtained ahead of time at kcairshow.org.

The show is free for active military members and children 5 and under.