Dominique Tucker, a participant in the C-Tran program through Lawrence Public Schools, adds some of the ingredients for the chicken tortilla casserole he’s making at Blue Plate Dinners, 4931 W. Sixth St. C-Tran teaches skills such as cooking to students with mild to moderate disabilities.

Photo by Kevin Anderson

An overflow crowd watches the proceedings of the city commission hearing on budget cuts on a closed circuit television.

Photo by Philip Heying

Delaney Johnson, 8, prepares her project for the Douglas County Science Fair on Tuesday at the Douglas County 4-H Fairgrounds, 21st and Harper streets. The fair will be open to the public from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and from noon to 10 p.m. Friday.

Photo by Richard Gwin Richard Gwin

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward, center,and linebacker Larry Foote, right, cheer with the crowd at a rally after their Super Bowl victory parade in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2009. At left is head coach Moke Tomlin. The Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 to win football's Super Bowl in Tampa, Fla. on Sunday.

AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

Hugh Griggs, 2, and his nanny, Sarah Nelson, both of Lawrence, check out a ferret with other children Tuesday at the Prairie Park Nature Center. After an outpouring of community support, the City Commission decided Tuesday to back off the recommendation to close the center as part of a series of proposed budget cuts.

Photo by Richard Gwin Richard Gwin

Camden Schwarz, 4 Lawrence checks out a ferret with other children at the Prairie Park Nature Center on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2009. City commissioners voted to keep the nature center open amid painful budget cuts.

Photo by Richard Gwin Richard Gwin

Samira Ahmed Jassim is seen in a detention facility in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Jan. 27, 2009. The woman, nicknamed "Umm al-Mumineen," suspected of recruiting more than 80 female suicide bombers has been arrested, the Iraqi military said Tuesday Feb. 3, 2009, dealing a major blow to one of the most effective forms of attacks in Iraq. Iraqi military spokesman Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said the suspect had recruited more than 80 women willing to carry out attacks and had admitted masterminding 28 bombings in different areas.

AP Photo/Qassim Abdul-Zahra

Male African Lion cubs Shalom and Salam, whose names mean Peace in Hebrew and Arabic respectively, are seen as they were taken from their cage to receive vaccinations at the Ramat Gan Zoo, Israel, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2009.

AP Photo / Reuven Kastro