Lindsey Witthaus has been selected as a Fulbright student grantee for 2008. Witthaus, who is among 15 students who received a Fulbright for study in Brazil, will conduct a demographic study of a rural community in Minas Gerais.

Witthaus is a 2003 graduate of Free State High School and plans to graduate from the University of Pittsburgh on April 29 with a Bachelor of Philosophy in environmental studies. She is the daughter of Jim and Marlene Witthaus, Lawrence.

The Fulbright Program is sponsored by U.S. State Department.

¢ Natasha Jenkins and Brandy Jones, both of Perry, were among 17 students nominated for the Newberg Outstanding Senior and Distinguished Senior awards at Emporia State University. The winners were announced Monday during Senior Week activities.

¢ Chad Hays is among 11 high school football players in Kansas who recently received the National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete award. The players will be honored at a banquet in May at Kansas State University. The senior quarterback and defensive back played for Uniontown High School, near Fort Scott.

His father, Frank Hays, and stepmother, Patty Hays, reside in Lawrence.

¢ Brad and Janna Cook, Overland Park, announce the birth of a son, Jacob Andrew Cook, born Jan. 14, 2007, at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park. Jacob weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces and was 19 inches long.

He has a brother, Hayden, 3. Grandparents are Dennis and Susan Garrett, Eudora, and Roger and Virgilene Cook, Clinton, Mo. Jacob’s great-grandparents are Marjorie Jenkins, Auburn; Mary Haller, Topeka; and Sally Cook, Clinton, Mo.

¢ Jeff and Jaime Peterson, Eudora, announce the birth of a son, James Daniel Peterson, born April 24, 2007, in Olathe.

His maternal grandparents are Kent and Linda Runyan, Pittsburg. Paternal grandparents are Dan and Linda Peterson, Burdick. Great-grandparents are Jim and Mary Stear, Pittsburg; Warren and Paula Fike, Ramona; and Myrtle Peterson, Herington.

¢ Rick and Faye Hale, Lawrence, announce the birth of a daughter, Kathryn Joan Hale, born March 30, 2007, at Overland Park Regional Medical Center.

Her brothers are Derek, 6, and Douglas, 3. Maternal grandparents are Terry and Margaret Stull, Storm Lake, Iowa. Paternal grandparents are Rich and Bev Hale, Bellevue, Neb.

¢ Amanda and Sarah Look, both of Lawrence, were named to the Dean’s List for grades achieved during the winter term at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill.

Amanda is a sophomore and also was named to the Dean’s List for the fall term and participated in the Repertory Theatre term. Sarah is a senior majoring in educational studies. Both are graduates of Bishop Seabury Academy and the daughters of Melissa Moore and Kurt Look, Lawrence.

¢ Several area students were selected to attend the Kansas Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities. They include Lukis Chenoweth, Ozawkie; Jennifer Goff and Loretta Ikenberry, both of Baldwin City; and Kathryn Sowders, Lawrence. The forum, set for June 12-16 at Washburn University, is coordinated by the Kansas Youth Empowerment Academy, a nonprofit organization that promotes and supports the development of youth with disabilities in Kansas. For more information, visit www.ksylf .org.

¢ Banaka Okwuone, Lawrence, was recognized for maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average at an awards program this month at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La. Okwuone is the daughter of Lillie Okwuone, Lawrence, and Francis Okwuone, Olathe, and the granddaughter of Rosetta Hart, Kansas City, Kan. She is a 2006 graduate of Free State High School and is attending Southern University on a volleyball scholarship.

¢ Angela Romero, Matt Avila and Joseph Chavez Jr. are the 2007 recipients of the St. John Mexican Fiesta Annual Scholarship. Romero and Avila are seniors at Lawrence High School, and Chavez is a senior at Free State High School. The scholarships are presented to deserving high school students of Mexican descent.

¢ Several area students were among the top 20 finishers in their grade level in Math Kangaroo, an international competition for second- through 12th-graders conducted March 15. Zachary Moore, Langston Hughes School, took third place among fourth-graders. Also finishing in the top 20 were Mason Dennelet and Emily Murphy, fourth-graders at Broken Arrow School, and sixth-grader Zhen Chen, Hillcrest School.

Second-graders with high scores included John Anderson, St. John Catholic School, 10th; Harrison Hughes and Calvin Yost-Wolff, Langston Hughes, 12th and 13th, respectively; Jialun Wang, Hillcrest, 14th; and Charles Sedlock, Quail Run School, 15th.

¢ Kristen Karlin, Lawrence, received a National Scholarship from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. The scholarship honors incoming students who have demonstrated exceptional academic performance and leadership. Karlin, a senior at Free State High School, will be a student in the university’s Carlson School of Management this fall. She is the daughter of Calvin and Janice Miller Karlin.

¢ Jonathan Pederson, Baldwin City, received the United States National Honor Student Award from the United States Achievement Academy. The award recognizes students’ academic achievement. Jonathan attends South Junior High School and is the son of Terry and Niki Pederson.