Kalli Sanders holds her daughter, Grace, in her arms in spite of the frequent back pain she has suffered since giving birth.

Photo by Philip Heying Lawrence Journal-World

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Louisiana National Guard Lt. Ronald Brown, Jr., RIGHT, talks with businessman Calvin Stewart on Thursday at Stewart’s restaurant in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. The last units of the Louisiana National Guard, which came to town after Hurricane Katrina in August of 2005, are pulling out Sunday.

Bill Haber/AP Photo

Dancers participate in an art performance titled “Zebra Cross” during rush hour on a street Friday at the main business district in Jakarta. Choreographed by Indonesian artist Bobby Ari Setiawan, the performance promoted traffic safety and respect for pedestrians, especially in crosswalks.

Dita Alangkara/AP Photo

Kurt Wilson, of Fenton, Mo., who works four hours a day waving in a Statue of Liberty costume for Liberty Tax, takes a break at the Brentwood, Mo., office. Wilson’s wife didn’t want him to take the job. “She thought it was beneath me,” he said.

Laurie Skrivan/St. Louis Post-Dispatch Photo

Tanner Chapin, 19 months, enjoys the day with his Aunt Deb, Lawrence. He is the great-grandson of Jim and Betty Chapin, of Lawrence, who submitted the picture.

Janet Harris holds a picture of her late stepson, Eric Harris, at the railroad crossing where his vehicle was struck by a train in September 1998. “It took me about a year before I was able to cross any railroad tracks,” Harris said. Crossing arms and lights have been installed at the crossing since the accident.

AP Photo

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Chevelle Brockway, 6, of Lawrence, enjoys pancakes at the American Legion pancake feed in this March 6, 2005, file photo.

Journal-World File Photo

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President Barack Obama walks to the Oval Office on Friday after arriving on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington.

Gerald Herbert/AP Photo

Marsaw, 9, plays with a family cat Thursday outside the home of Curt and Deborah Sleeper in Festus, Mo. The sleepers have put the house, built in a cave, on eBay as a backup in case they can’t meet a large payment due on the property.

Tom Gannam/AP Photo

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A U.S. soldier shakes hands with an Iraqi child during a routine patrol Friday in central Baghdad, Iraq. U.S. President Barack Obama will announce Friday that he plans to withdraw the bulk of U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of August 2010, but wants to leave tens of thousands behind to advise Iraqi forces and protect U.S. interests, congressional officials said.

Khalid Mohammed/AP Photo

Heather Vespestad and Shawn Ng

Carl Lisher and Jordan Ferguson

Joshua Robert Guilfoyle and Amanda Lee Brixey

Katie Schwyhart and James Newell

Kellen Selk and Robbie Johnson

Derek and Andie Nye

Workers place partially assembled electronic cigarettes in a tray Feb. 19 at the Ruyan factory in Tianjin, China.The battery-powered products, which resemble real cigarettes but produce a fine nicotine spray absorbed quickly and directly by the lungs, are gaining ground in America, Europe and China, which is home to 350 million smokers.

Greg Baker/AP Photo

Dan Kerling, left, a member of Olathe Troop 315 and Heart of America Council Wood Badge staff, awards the Wood Badge woggle, beads and neckerchief to John Richards, center, and Robert Lawrenz during a ceremony on Feb. 2 at the Scout Cabin. Richards is Scoutmaster and Lawrenz is assistant Scoutmaster of Baldwin Boy Scout Troop 65. Wood Badge, developed by the founder of Scouting, Lord Baden-Powell, is Scouting’s premier training course for adult leaders.

Photo courtesy of Joe Bollig

Judy Ross, left, an early childhood educator at Head Start, received the Douglas County Child Development Association Early Educator of the Month award for January 2009. Carolyn Kelly, right, director of Community Children’s Center/Head Start, nominated Ross for the award. Ross was honored Feb. 13 and has been a Head Start teacher at Kennedy School for 15 years.

Photo courtesy of Anna Jenny

John Richards, scoutmaster of Baldwin Boy Scout Troop 65, foreground right, demonstrates traditional brain tanning to Scout Ben Foster, back right, and Amy Wintermantel, left, a Baker University assistant professor, on Feb. 2 at the Scout Cabin.

Photo courtesy of Joe Bollig

the Southwest Junior High chess team placed first in the K-9 section, by earning 16.5 points, Feb. 7 at the Topeka Collegiate tournament. Back row, from left, are Jacob Magnuson, Michael Ndoro, Venkata Malladi, Nicholas Shaheed and Andrew Galbraith; front row, Andrei Elliott, Luke Lesslie, Eddie Loupe, Vinnie Barker and Eric Wang.

Photo courtesy of Allyn Elliott

Making a buffalo stampede in celebration of Kansas Day Round-up, from left, are Sam Kelemen, Logan Durland, Alec Burks, Douglas Hale and Baylor Bowen on Jan. 29 at the First United Methodist Childhood Center in Lawrence.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Struble

Lisa Oliver, right, a home early education provider, received the February 2009 Douglas County Child Development Association Early Educator of the Month Award. Lisa Zwiener, left, DCCDA claims specialist, nominated Oliver for the award. Previous winners of the award, not pictured, include Rachel Torkelson, owner and director of Pyramid Place Daycare in Eudora, October; and Stephanie Struble, of Kid’s First Preschool, September. Oliver received the award Feb. 12 at her home.

Photo courtesy of Anna Jenny

Jamie Hutchison Kennedy, sixth-grade team leader and global studies teacher at Wichita Collegiate School, was named Distinguished Teacher of the Year by the Kansas Association of Independent and Religious Schools (KAIRS). She was honored Feb. 9 at a KAIRS awards banquet in Topeka. Kennedy, formerly of Lawrence, attended Hillcrest, West Junior High and Lawrence High schools and graduated from Kansas University in 1978. Her teaching career began at New York School, followed by more than 20 years at Wichita Collegiate.

Special to the Journal-World

Preschoolers prepare to eat “grub” at the Kansas Day Round-up on Jan. 29 at the First United Methodist Childhood Center in Lawrence.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Struble

Polly Miranda, left, and Diane Karpowitz display their Western wear at the Kansas Day Round-up on Jan. 29 at the First United Methodist Childhood Center in Lawrence.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Struble

Staff at Lawrence Orthopaedic Surgery PA “Go Red” Feb. 6, in honor of national Go Red Day, sponsored by the American Heart Association. Back row, from left, are Janice Paslay, June Morrall, Andrea Rector, Karen Healy, Emily George, Tina Plaice, Katie Elsbury, and Carol Ryan; middle row, Peggy Locklin, Brenda Billings, Corrine Rice, Kamie Wise, Denise Orth, Ginger Heere, Dena Johnston and Zac Turner; front row, April Herbster, Jackie Guilfoyle, Jeremy Zimney, Ben Timson, Jennifer Narcomey and Debbie Kent.

Photo courtesy of David Freivogel