After weeks of drought, a brief but intense storm hit Lawrence, dropping the temperature by 20 degrees and dumping 1.41 inches of rain on the city. High winds rolled back a corner of the roof at the Safeway Supermarket in the Malls Shopping Center, wooden siding was ripped off one building at the Park 25 Apartments, and two Kansas Power and Light Co. poles were blown down, causing a major power outage to a large area including the police and fire headquarters. In spite of the severity of the storm, local residents were delighted to see the long-awaited rain, which temporarily drew attention away from the televised coverage of the College All-Star — Kansas City Chiefs football game.

Gary Dean Jackson, former assistant to the dean of men at Kansas University, had been ordered fired from his job by the Kansas Board of Regents. Jackson said that he had done nothing to justify his dismissal and that he had not been officially notified of his discharge from KU. University officials contested the latter statement, saying that he had been told in person and by letter of the firing.