Matt and Olivia Heffner, Overland Park, announce the birth of their son, Declan Heffner, born Oct. 7, 2004, at Menorah Hospital in Overland Park. Maternal grandparents are Phil and Sue Cantrill, Overland Park. Paternal grandparents are Michael and Donna Heffner, Lawrence.

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Sarah Dinsdale will visit New York City during the 2005 interterm session with a group of Sterling College students. She is the daughter of Robert and Katherine Dinsdale, Lawrence. The trip is a combined effort between the theater and art departments at Sterling College, Sterling, in conjunction with the Musical Theatre course.

The first week of the interterm is spent studying the history of musical theater and how musicals are developed and produced. The second week, Jan. 10-16, is the trip. The students spend the final week doing research on musical collaborative teams, giving reports and completing critiques on the shows they have seen. They also will be required to keep a journal reflecting on their experiences in the culture of New York City.

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Seventh-graders Roy Wedge, Central Junior High School, and Nate McFadden, South Junior High School, earned medals in the K-8 Division of the Pan-American Scholastic Chess tournament Dec. 27 in Wichita. Wedge placed sixth and McFadden placed seventh.

Wakarusa Valley School third-grader Owen McFadden also earned a medal in the K-5 Division, finishing 19th.

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Kristen Ann Hoelting, Lawrence, graduated with distinction from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Kearney. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing in December.

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Joshua Goeke, Lawrence, made the dean’s list during the fall semester at Southwest Missouri State University by maintaining at least a 3.5 grade-point average.

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Chelsea Chaffin, Eudora, and Timothy Haynes, Lawrence, made the fall semester dean’s list at Bethel College in North Newton by earning at least a 3.7 grade-point average.

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Emerson College has named Skye-Laurel Riggs, Lawrence, to the Who’s Who List of Exceptional Graduating Seniors from American Colleges. She was chosen based on her scholastic excellence, strong leadership, solid citizenship, service to college and potential future achievement. Emerson College is in Boston.

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Sheila Partridge, daughter of John and Marlene Partridge, Leavenworth, has been named to the dean’s honor list at Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa, by earning at least a 3.67 grade-point average. Sheila is a graduate of Tonganoxie High School.

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Sarah Howard, Lawrence, received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln during commencement exercises Dec. 18.

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Travis Heck and Elizabeth Redeker, both of Ottawa, received bachelor’s degrees from Pittsburg State University during commencement exercises Dec. 17.

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Emporia State University has announced area students who earned degrees during the fall semester. They were Andrea Irick and Dawn Shuck-Huddleston, Baldwin; Sherry Moffitt and Sarah Rahija, Eudora; Michele Lubbers, Debra Riley-Huff, Phillip Samuels, Anna Shilts and Jodi Soules, Lawrence; Lauren Gantz and Ann-Marie Koerner, Lecompton; Valerie Barkley and Justin Lloyd, Ottawa; Lindsey Abbott, Perry; and Kayla Bennett, Reann French and Cheryl Laster, Tonganoxie.