Despite efforts by numerous local officials to raise Lawrence’s count in the 1980 federal census, the latest figures released by the Bureau of Census were still far short of what city and county leaders had expected. And federal officials said they expected little change in the totals – 52,003 for Lawrence and 66,949 for Douglas County.

A proposed shopping mall development here was passed back to the city-county planning commission for consideration. At stake was a request by Jacobs, Visconsi, Jacobs of Cleveland to rezone about 60 acres south of Lawrence for a regional mall.