Each week, our People & Places column features an in-depth interview with a local resident, business leader or community volunteer.

As the year winds to a close, with the next decade beginning in a few short days, we're taking a look back at some of the interviews we've published over the last year.

We hope our readers enjoy this year in review, and remember if you have a person you'd like to see profiled in our People & Places feature, shoot us an email at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Here's wishing everyone a bright, happy New Year!

In July of this year, we had the opportunity to visit with the Lake Highlands trio known to many as the Cake Ball ladies. The Cake Ball Company, located just off Easton at Northwest Highway, has had a stellar year, as their business continues to grow in popularity. They were even featured on the nationally televised Rachael Ray Show as the "Snack of the Day" in November. Read all about the Cake Ball Company here.

In August, we sat sat down with the Vice President of the Dallas Park & Recreation Board and Lake Highlands resident, Joan Walne. Joan is a long-time supporter of all things Lake Highlands, and our community is truly better for having her here working hard on our behalf. Joan and her husband, Alan, have called Lake Highlands home for over 24 years, along with their two children and three grandchildren. You can read Joan's interview here.

Lake Highlands resident and Sudan missionary, Mike Congrove, works with e3 Partners - the group best known for its advertising campaign "I am Second" that reaches out with personal stories of hope, peace and fulfillment through the sharing of personal testimony. Mike's travels to the Sudan were the focus of his People & Places interview, as he shared his stories of helping the Sudanese to establish new churches in Africa. Mike and his wife Ali, along with their three children, are celebrating 10 years as LH residents in 2010. Read more about Mike and e3 Partners in Sudan here.

In October, LH Today landed an exclusive interview with Lake Highlands own Granger Smith, an up-and-coming musician currently climbing his way up the country music charts. The first weekend in November found Granger back home at the Boneyard for a local concert benefiting the LHHS academic booster fund "Wild for Cats" and the Wrangler Scholarship Fund. As a former Wrangler himself, Granger, entertained the crowd with his most recent hits from the album "Don't Listen to the Radio." You can read all about Granger, his LH roots and his current music career here.

Just last month, we had the chance to sit down with local author, Cindy Causey. Cindy is a Lake Highlands native and 1970 LHHS alum who, together with her husband, runs a local multimedia production company. Her passion, however, is writing and her two most recent books, A Hot Time in Texas and A Different Drum, were released this year through the Wild Rose Press. You can read all about Cindy, her books and her Lake Highlands connections here.

To read more of our LH People & Places feature articles, visit the "LH People" tab in the homepage menu for a complete listing of all our interviews, including regular columns from District 10 City Councilmemeber Jerry Allen.

Most recently, Councilman Allen detailed the new Bank on Dallas initiative, a soon-to-be launched program aimed at addressing the issues surrounding Pay Day Lenders and cash-checking businesses in our community. You can read this latest column here.

Watch for more in-depth interviews coming soon in 2010!