Lawrence’s plans for downtown development took an unusual turn when the City Commission rejected the developer it had worked with for 14 months and picked the local Town Center Venture Corp. as the developer of record. Pushed aside was Sizeler Realty of New Orleans. Town Center was given 90 days to work out a development contract with the city. The vote was 3-1-1 with Commissioner Nancy Shontz opposed and Commissioner Mike Amyx abstaining because of downtown business commitments. Focus was due to be on the 600 block in the downtown area.

The City Commission asked the local natural gas supplier to voluntarily accept most of a state agency’s rule limiting service shutoff to the indigent during the winter. The state policy leaned to leniency for the needy.

Ed Bassett, former dean of the Kansas University journalism dean, was named dean of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He currently was editor of the Salem, Ore., Statesman-Journal.