photo by: Mike Yoder

Justine Burton, Lawrence, founded StopGap, which assists kids aging out of foster care. Burton works out of her home, where she is photographed with her dog, Grizzly, Friday, Dec. 16, 2011.

Dr. Kipp Van Camp, an inventional radiologist in Topeka, airs his thoughts on health care through a radio talk show called "Doctor's Orders." Van Camp recently wrote a book "Misdiagnosis: A Practicing Physician’s Case Study in Health Care Reform."

photo by: John Henry

Major C. Edwards Jr., of Lawrence, makes his first court appearance in May 2008 at the Douglas County Jail in the case of the 2006 shooting of Anthony Vital. Edwards was charged with premeditated first-degree murder but in March 2010 pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in a plea deal that would shave four years from his prison sentence in exchange for his testimony against his co-defendant at the time, Durrell Jones, 24, of Kansas City, Kan. He is now scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday.

photo by: Mike Yoder

Tory Runnells, Lawrence, works a Christmas day shift at the FastLane Conoco, 1414 Sixth St.., on Sunday. Runnells, who opened the shop, said it was a little slow early but picked up at mid-day. "Batteries have been popular," Runnells said.

photo by: Mike Yoder

Jazmine Dillon, 8, left, takes a lick of mashed potatoes as her and her mother, Tammy Bevens, Lawrence, enjoy a Christmas meal at the annual Lawrence Free Community Christmas Day Dinner at First United Methodist Church. "It's fun," Bevens said about the holiday shared meal. "I've been coming since my daughter was a year old."