Midwest

Kansas business man gives back to community amid cancer battle: 'Means the world to me'

Published

1 year ago

December 29, 2024

Kansas business man gives back to community amid cancer battle: 'Means the world to me'

A Kansas businessman is making spirits bright and continuing a 21-year-long Christmas tradition by helping provide meals to those in need – even while going through a battle with his own health.

“This has been such a special time, and we really couldn’t have done all of this without the community,” Shawn Holiday, co-owner and wife of Doug Holiday, said, describing their family tradition. “But our boys, this is all they’ve ever known since they were little.

Doug and Shawn Holiday opened the popular Lawrence, Kansas, barbecue spot in 2004 and that’s when they were first approached by the First United Methodist Church for help.

“Since 2004, we’ve been doing this on Christmas Eve. This is what we do. We come in, get the turkeys, clean them out, get them ready to be put in the smoker. If the weather’s bad, the boys and Doug will spend the night here to make sure that all the process for the smoking goes through perfectly,” Shawn Holiday said while explaining the process of getting the dinners ready.

HERE’S THE CHRISTMAS TOWN WHERE SANTA’S ELVES ANSWER THOUSANDS OF LETTERS

Doug Holiday and his family have served meals to the Lawrence, Kansas, community on Christmas Eve for 21 years. (Shawn Holiday)

This year marks their 21st year of helping prepare meals for the church. In the two decades since they began, Doug says they have cooked over 1,300 turkeys and fed more than 20,000 people.

“So that’s a pretty good record I think,” Doug said with a chuckle.

But this year has been harder than most on the Holiday family.

Doug Holiday, a three-time cancer survivor, was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the beginning of 2024.

“You just got to keep moving forward. I had a different kind of cancer in 2014 and we did the same thing. My boys chipped in… I got three boys. Now they’re all grown and they all come back and help. And it means a lot to me,” Doug Holiday said, choking back tears.

JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS, HUSBAND RECEIVES MIRACULOUS ‘GODWINK’: ‘COMPLETELY HEALED’

Doug Holiday, a three-time cancer survivor, is continuing a 21-year family tradition of giving back to the community, despite battling prostate cancer. (Shawn Holiday)

Doug Holiday has battled Non-Hodgskin’s lymphoma and melanoma cancer in the past.

Despite his health battles, Doug said this tradition with his family and the community is what he looks forward to most every holiday season.

“It means the world to me. It really does and makes it so special for me [sharing this with his family] I can’t describe it, it’s a very emotional time,” Doug Holiday said.

Shawn Holiday said the need for the meals continues to grow in the Lawrence community, and she is constantly amazed by the support they continue to receive each year for this event.

3 US CITIES THAT ATTRACT HOLIDAY TRAVELERS AND SPREAD CHRISTMAS CHEER

Biggs BBQ owners Doug and Shawn Holiday have continued a 21-year family tradition of cooking turkeys for the Lawrence community, despite Doug going through a battle with prostate cancer. (Shawn Holiday)

“It seems like the need keeps growing for the past few years. And so it’s really nice that everybody does jump in to help out the people that need it. I mean, we’ve had things in our personal lives that have, you know, gone sideways. But even if Doug is not feeling well, he would never let the community down,” Shawn Holiday said.

Shawn added that even their customers have joined in on the holiday giving through the years.

“We have customers that come in and drop off bags, and they bring in turkeys to donate for the community dinner. I mean, it’s a whole project that everybody does, and it really is an amazing experience,” Shawn continued.

The Holiday family has been collecting and cooking turkeys for the Lawrence, Kansas, community since 2004. (Shawn Holiday)

“It shows the amazing people that live in Lawrence, Kansas, and how everyone can get together and for one cause and help each other. And that’s what’s the neat thing about the whole thing. That’s what’s neat about Lawrence, Kansas,” Doug Holiday echoed his wife.

Doug shared that what makes this all even more special is that he has seen his three grown sons, Seth, Jacob and Ben continue to show up each year and continue the family’s tradition.

“All the boys have grown up. What is amazing is that when we first started this in 2004, it would take 4 to 5 hours probably for us to prepare the turkeys and get them ready for the smoker. And it’s taking less and less time now that they’ve grown,” Doug shared.

“It’s been very, very satisfying for me to know that my sons care and want to help. It’s something I look forward to every year.”

Anyone wanting to contribute to the community dinner can make donations to the First United Methodist Church of Lawrence, Kansas, or the American Cancer Society.

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Curto contributed to this report.

Stepheny Price is writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com

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Detroit, MI

Large police presence for an investigation on Detroit’s west side

Published

2 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Press Room

Large police presence for an investigation on Detroit’s west side

Police had not released details about the nature of the investigation

DETROIT – A large police investigation was underway on Detroit’s west side.

Update: 7-year-old boy shot multiple times, man killed in shooting on Detroit’s west side

The scene is taking place on Wednesday (June 24) near Burgess Street, not far from Outer Drive and Fenkell Avenue.

Police had not released details about the nature of the investigation.

Multiple requests for information from the police were pending.

Local 4 photographer Sara Schulz, who is at the scene, observed officers searching the area and appeared to be looking for evidence, including possible shell casings.

The circumstances surrounding the investigation, including whether anyone was injured or whether a shooting occurred, were not immediately confirmed.

Police are expected to provide additional information as the investigation develops.

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Milwaukee, WI

Cincinnati Reds Fall to Milwaukee Brewers, Get Swept at Home for First Time Since 2024

Published

3 hours ago

June 24, 2026

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Cincinnati Reds Fall to Milwaukee Brewers, Get Swept at Home for First Time Since 2024

The Cincinnati Reds fell to the Milwaukee Brewers 6-5 on Wednesday night at Great American Ballpark. With the loss, the Reds fell to 37-42 and still sit in last place in the NL Central, 12 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers. The loss to the Brewers marks the third straight loss for Cincinnati and means they were swept at home for the first time this season and for the first time since 2024.

Reds pitcher Rhett Lowder was given the nod to start on the bump on Wednesday night, and was able to get in a groove early, striking out two batters in the first inning, and one in the second.

Lowder Struggled in Third Inning

Jun 24, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Rhett Lowder (25) throws against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The wheels fell off for Lowder and Cincinnati in the top half of the third inning, as Jackson Chourio singled to left and William Contreras slammed a two-run home run to right-center. Lowder wasn’t able to shake off the home run and allowed another home run in the next at-bat to Jake Bauers as the Reds fell behind 3-0 in the early goings. Lowder finished the game with 5.2 innings of work, allowing eight hits, three earned runs, and six strikeouts.

The Reds’ offense was sluggish and woke up too late in the series finale against the Brewers. Cincinnati had a mix of strikeouts, groundouts, and pop flies in the first five innings at Great American Ballpark until the home half of the sixth inning. Brewers pitcher Shane Drohan was effective in his outing, allowing five hits and 0 earned runs in 4.1 innings of work while striking out five Reds batters.

Reds Were Able to Figure out Brewers Bullpen

Jun 21, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Chad Patrick (39) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Brewers pitcher Chad Patrick came into the game in relief and Cincinnati was able to figure him out early, as Noelvi Martin and Tyler Stephenson worked back-to-back walks. Blake Dunn stepped up to the plate and injected some life into Great American Ballpark as he connected on a slurve to right field for a double that scored Marte and got Cincinnati on the board.

With the score 3-1, Reds pitcher Sam Moll came into the game in relief and ran into trouble, allowing a triple, two walks, and a double in four straight at-bats, the latter of which scored three runners to make it a 6-1 ballgame in favor of the Brewers.

Reds Offense Finally Woke up in Eighth Inning

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart (27) flies out in the first inning of the MLB National League Central game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati on Monday, June 22, 2026. The game was scoreless after four innings. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Reds’ offense officially arrived in the home half of the seventh, as they chipped away at the Brewers’ five-run lead. Sal Stewart doubled on a sweeper to left field and scored when Eugenio Suarez connected for a double on a fastball down the middle two at-bats later. The bottom of the eighth inning proved more fruitful as Elly De La Cruz worked a walk and Spencer Steer homered 400 feet to dead center to bring the Reds within one.

The Reds had a golden opportunity to tie or win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Dane Myers grounded into a double play with the bases loaded with one out.

Cincinnati is off on Thursday before heading to Pittsburgh for a weekend series against the Pirates.

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Minneapolis, MN

$25 fine for St. Paul woman who assaulted agents at Minneapolis restaurant bust

Published

3 hours ago

June 24, 2026

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fine for St. Paul woman who assaulted agents at Minneapolis restaurant bust

A 28-year-old St. Paul woman who admitted in federal court to assaulting law enforcement officers during a protest last year in South Minneapolis has been ordered to pay a $25 fine.

Isabel Lopez was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge John Tunheim in Minneapolis after accepting a plea agreement to a lesser misdemeanor charge of assaulting, resisting and impeding a U.S. officer in connection with a protest that broke out while authorities were executing a search warrant that a crowd mistook for an immigration raid in June 2025.

Lopez was originally charged by indictment with three felony counts of assaulting, resisting and impeding officers and one felony count of obstruction of law enforcement.

Lopez faced up to one year in prison on the misdemeanor conviction, however, the defense and prosecution both asked Tunheim for no prison time. The prosecution requested one year of probation, which Tunheim turned down.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers from multiple federal agencies were executing eight search warrants in the Twin Cities on June 3, 2025, related to an investigation into narcotics trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking and related offenses.

The investigation began with the discovery of 900 pounds of methamphetamine in a Burnsville storage unit, with a street value of between $22 million and $25 million.

Shortly after a search warrant execution began at Cuatro Milpas restaurant on Lake Street, a crowd began to gather.

“The crowd appeared to be under the mistaken belief that law enforcement was present to arrest individuals illegally present in the country for immigration offenses,” the criminal complaint said. “This was incorrect.”

After recognizing the apparent misunderstanding, law enforcement explained the nature of the search warrant to the crowd, according to prosecutors.

As part of her plea agreement, Lopez admitted to hitting an FBI SWAT agent with her arms and closed fist, and kicking another agent. The officers were not injured. As law enforcement attempted to leave the scene, Lopez threw a softball at the back of a Hennepin County sheriff’s deputy.

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