photo by: Nick Krug

A firefighter walks past the scene of a fully-involved house fire at 1439 North 1900 Road around 4 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011.

photo by: Nick Krug

Crews respond to a fully-involved house fire at 1439 North 1900 Road around 4 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011.

photo by: Nick Krug

Crews respond to a fully-involved house fire at 1439 North 1900 Road around 4 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011.

photo by: Kevin Anderson

Ava Greene, center, carefully carries back her bucket of water In a relay exercise with other students from Cordley Elementary School to see how much water pioneers used in a day. Students from area schools learned a little bit about protecting water Thursday at the 4th Grade Water Festival at Clinton Lake Overlook Park.

photo by: Mike Yoder

Lawrence police officer Chris Wech demonstrates a defensive position on Sgt. Kirk Fultz for new recruits during a defensive tactics class Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011.

photo by: Mike Yoder

Crews with Kissick Construction Co., of Kansas City, Mo., continue to dig a deep hole below the Kansas River as they work Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011, on a new $25 million hydroelectric power plant on the north bank of the Kansas River. Construction is expected to take about two years to complete. The plant will operate in conjunction with the plant that Bowersock owns on the south bank. The new plant will produce enough electricity to power about 3,300 homes per year. The Kansas City, Kan., Board of Public Utilities has signed a 25-year agreement to purchase all the power produced at the plant that will be used to power homes and businesses in Wyandotte County.

Flower child: Juliette Lee-Ingham, 20-month-old daughter of Grace Lee and Chris Ingham of Lawrence, plays in the sunflower fields Sept. 9 off U.S. Highway 24-40 in Lawrence. Grace submitted the photo.