As usual, competitors and spectators had a smashing good time during the jam-packed Douglas County Fair’s demolition derby. When the dust finally settled, Harold Guenther was manning the only still-operational vehicle. He won $470 in first-prize and heat money.

The city continued to wrangle over sign variance ordinances as several new signs brought protests about “distaste” from several residents.

A Lawrence state senator who helped draft a new state law to crack down on the growing for-profit big-bingo business in Kansas said a ruling in Shawnee County District Court virtually gutted the new law. Sen. Wint Winter Jr., R-Lawrence, had led the charge to deal with the issue but said the Topeka action would harm not-for-profit bingo operations.