vspace in multicols text

Question

I'm using the multicol package, along with embedded images. A minimal example would be:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[a4paper]{geometry}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{mdframed}
\usepackage{multicol}
\usepackage{lipsum}

\newenvironment{Figure}
        {\par\medskip\noindent\minipage{\linewidth}}
        {\endminipage\par\medskip}

\begin{document}
\begin{multicols}{2}
\lipsum[1-2]
\begin{Figure}
        \begin{mdframed}
                \centering
                \includegraphics[width=\linewidth,height=1.5in,draft]{foo.jpeg}
                \captionof{figure}{Some small image.}
                \label{fig:Abb12}
        \end{mdframed}
\end{Figure}
\lipsum[3-4]
\end{multicols}
\end{document}

See paragraphs one and two in the left column: They're placed to the top and bottom of the column, which introduces quite some blank vertical space in between. Is there a way that I can push all content to the top, having the excess whitespace at the bottom (instead of showing up between the two paragraphs?) So my intended output would be like this:

| par 1 par1 | figure 1 |
| par 1 par1 | figure 1 |
| par 1 par1 |          |
|            | par 3    |
| par 2 par2 | par 3    |
| par 2 par2 |          |
|            | par 4    |
| here the   | par 4    |
| whitespace | par 4    |

instead of:

| par 1 par1 | figure 1 |
| par 1 par1 | figure 1 |
| par 1 par1 |          |
|            | par 3    |
| here be    | par 3    |
| whitespace |          |
|            | par 4    |
| par 2 par2 | par 4    |
| par 2 par2 | par 4    |

Answer 1

If you use \raggedcolumns you get the desired output:

Notes:

• The showframe package was used just to show the page margins. It is not needed in your actual use case.

Code:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[a4paper]{geometry}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{caption}
\usepackage{mdframed}
\usepackage{multicol}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\usepackage{showframe}

\newenvironment{Figure}
        {\par\medskip\noindent\minipage{\linewidth}}
        {\endminipage\par\medskip}

\begin{document}
\begin{multicols}{2}\raggedcolumns
\lipsum[1-2]
\begin{Figure}
        \begin{mdframed}
                \centering
                \includegraphics[width=\linewidth,height=1.5in,draft]{foo.jpeg}
                \captionof{figure}{Some small image.}
                \label{fig:Abb12}
        \end{mdframed}
\end{Figure}
\lipsum[3-4]
\end{multicols}
\end{document}