Todd and Christie Henderson, Lawrence, announce the birth of twins, Katherine Jane “Kate” and Reed William. They were born Oct. 18, 2005, at Overland Park Regional Medical Center. Maternal grandparents are Phil and Judy Frick, Wichita. Paternal grandparents are Gary and Susie Henderson, Salina. Great-grandparents are Cecil and Mary Johnson, Vero Beach, Fla.

¢ Marquita “Mark” Christy, Lecompton, will celebrate her 80th birthday during an open house given by her children and grandchildren. It will be from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Dean and Jackie Christy’s Lecompton home, 303 North 2100 Road. Mark is retired from Hallmark where she worked for 30 years. She has one son, Dean Christy, and four grandchildren.

¢ Sarah Dinsdale, Lawrence, will perform in the Sterling College Symphonic Band Fall Concert on Tuesday. Dinsdale, a senior at Sterling College, is the daughter of Robert and Katherine Dinsdale. She is a Free State High School graduate.

¢ Elizabeth Morel and Jenna Sheldon-Sherman are among the 10 finalists for the 14th annual Excellence in Community Education and Leadership, or Ex.C.E.L., Award at Kansas University.

Two winners will be announced and recognized during the halftime ceremonies of the KU-University of Missouri homecoming game today.

Ex.C.E.L. awards provide annual $500 scholarships for achievement and leadership. Winners must work on a leadership conference during the school year in conjunction with the KU Student Involvement and Leadership Center.

Selection for the awards is based on leadership, effective communication skills, involvement in the KU community, academic scholarship and ability to work with a variety of students and organizations.

To be eligible, applicants must be full-time undergraduate students with an overall grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. Each student completed an application and participated in an interview.

Morel, a senior majoring in chemical engineering, is the daughter of James and Renee Morel. She is a Free State High School graduate. Morel has completed internships with Exxon Mobil Research and Engineering in Fairfax, Va., and a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates at Johns Hopkins University. She has volunteered with KidSci, a KU program in Lawrence elementary schools, and has worked as a New Student Orientation assistant at KU. Morel was named the 2004-05 Most Outstanding Junior in Chemical Engineering and a KU Woman of Distinction. She has served on the Watkins Scholarship Hall executive board for four years. She is a Kansas/Asia Scholar and a member of Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society.

Sheldon-Sherman, a senior in psychology and women’s studies, is the daughter of Jim Sherman and Jan Sheldon. She is a Free State High School graduate. Sheldon-Sherman represents KU on the Douglas County United Way board and directs KU’s Alternative Breaks program. She was named a 2004-05 KU Woman of Distinction and received the 2005 Women’s Recognition Award for Outstanding Woman in an Organized Living Group. Sheldon-Sherman is a member of Mortar Board and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. She is a Watkins-Berger Scholar.

¢ Sheila Meggison, Baldwin, graduated in October from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center.

She is a deputy with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

Meggison was among 60 new law enforcement graduates who received certificates for course completion and Kansas law enforcement certification from the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training.

The training course fulfills the state requirement for law enforcement training.

Classroom lectures and hands-on applications help train officers to solve the increasingly complex problems they face in the line of duty. KLETC is a unit of Kansas University Continuing Education.