Nine Pembroke Hill seniors from Johnson County named National Merit semifinalists. Nine Pembroke Hill seniors from Johnson County were named semifinalists by the National Merit Scholarship Program. About 16,000 students, out of 1.5 million seniors across the country, have been recognized as semifinalists, representing less than one percent of high school seniors. Here is the list of this year’s National Merit semifinalists from Johnson County:

• Jared Cambier
• Sophie Hammond
• Ellie Hughes
• Cat Leal
• Patrick Panko
• Matthew Park
• Anna Stechschulte
• Ty Toney
• Honor Torrance

Shawnee Mission hosting training for parents on student mental wellness. The Shawnee Mission School District is hosting “Navigating Your Child’s Mental Wellness,” an event designed to provide adults with a navigation system of children’s mental wellness, help adults identify warning signs and offer resources if they think a child is at risk. The event takes place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25 at Corinth Elementary School, 8301 Mission Road, Leawood. Free childcare is provided. RSVP at bit.ly/smsdspeakup19.

Lenexa man found guilty on rape, kidnapping charges. Jurors in Johnson County District Court on Wednesday found Anthony Darryl Allen of Lenexa guilty on two counts of rape and one count of aggravated kidnapping. The victim had been living at the Lenexa Pointe Apartments in 2015, where she fled from Minnesota to get away from Allen, according to testimony from a witness. Police said Allen had been raping and controlling the victim for weeks before she escaped with the help of people who worked at the apartments. Allen is detained at the Johnson County jail. His sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 7. [Lenexa man convicted of rape, kidnapping charges after trapping girlfriend in apartment for weeks — WDAF]