Members and supporters of the Douglas County Kids Voting committee gather in St. Paul, Minn., to receive the Kids Voting USA Jim Batten Media Partnership Award. The national award -- given to a news media professional or entity for exceptional service to a state or local Kids Voting program -- was presented June 21 to Dolph Simons III and the Journal-World during the national Kids Voting USA convention. From left are Emily Bradbury, of the Kansas Press Assn. and executive director of Kids Voting Kansas; Paul Stuewe, Lawrence High School social studies department chairman and member of the county committee; Chris Heller, president and CEO of Kids Voting USA, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Ruthi Rapp and Julie Love McCurdy, county committee members; and Dolph Simons III, the Journal-World's operations manager and longtime chairman of the Douglas County Kids Voting committee.

From left in foreground, friends Miranda Howard, 5, Katie Norris, 7, and her brother Steve Norris, 10, look for a spot to watch the Fourth of July parade in downtown Lawrence with their parents Moriah Howard and Shawn Norris. The Lawrence residents took in the parade as part of their July Fourth festivities.

Dinah Lovitch, Lawrence, portrays Lady Liberty on a Fourth of July parade float. The parade was July 4 in downtown Lawrence.

Laurie McLane-Higginson, Lawrence, carries her dog Gertie during a Fourth of July parade in the Old West Lawrence neighborhood. The OWL parade was July 4 before Lawrence's downtown parade.

Nancy O'Connor, nutrition educator at the Community Mercantile Co-op, gives a presentation to students in the Jobs in the Arts Make Sense program. The students are, from left, Damien Hill, Michael Martinez and Barbara Reliford. Students in the JAMS program took a field trip June 25 to the Mercantile, 901 Iowa, where they learned about nutrition and enjoyed lunch.

Students in the Jobs in the Arts Make Sense program eat lunch at the Community Mercantile Co-op. From left are Sam Whitchurch, Justin Jalali, Jasmine Revley, Latoya Sweets, Mark Watson, Cathy Ledeker, Michael Martinez and Samuel Shelton. The group toured the Mercantile on June 25.

Ardis Comfort, Te Holmes and Betty Kappelman pose for a picture during the Senior Tea at the First United Methodist Church. The event was May 4 at the church.

Four generations of the Goans family, all of Lawrence, are shown in Buford M. Watson Jr. Park. Pictured are, clockwise from center, Mildred and Bob Goans, Laura Quackenbush, 4, Mike Goans, Lisa Quackenbush, Kirk Heinz, Julie Goans-Heinz, Mark Quackenbush and Michael Quackenbush, 6. The family was celebrating the Fourth of July in the park with their dog Pearlie. They participated in a Fourth of July parade in the Old West Lawrence neighborhood.

Edna Webb and Norma Elliott visit during the Senior Tea at First United Methodist Church. Glenn Kappelman is pictured in background. The tea was May 4 at the church.

Family members, from left, Marua MacDonald, 4, her mother, Lori MacDonald, Lawrence, and brother Spencer, 7, wait for the Fourth of July parade. The parade went through downtown Lawrence.

From left, Adam Van Oort, 5, his father, Doug, and his brother Jake, 7, pose for a picture in Deerfield Park. The three practiced batting, catching and throwing on June 29.