After almost four months of bartering on salary and benefit items, the chief negotiator for the Lawrence district teachers said an agreement was near. He was Dick Swindler, chief negotiator for the Lawrence Education Assn.

The Douglas County Planning Council on Services for the Aging agreed to a county commission proposal cutting the council’s board of directors and turning total control for appointing new members over to the county commissioners. The council had experienced serious turmoil of late and a number of people in the program had resigned. It appeared a 10-member board would be much more workable than the 20-member unit which had been in place.

Inflation and an unusually large number of claims were the major reasons for a planned 25 percent rate increase in the state’s group health insurance plan the coming year.