From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Dec. 24, 1970:

• According to an Associated Press article on the front page, at the time the Journal-World hit the streets, Santa Claus had already taken off from the North Pole and was headed toward the American border. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police had cleared all air paths for him and lifted the speed limit.
• If the National Weather Service in Topeka was to be believed, there was no chance of a white Christmas – not only for Lawrence, but for the whole state of Kansas. There were, however, cold temperatures forecast as a mass of cold arctic air was dominating the state.
• Last-minute shoppers were out of luck, as the local department stores, discount stores and major drugstores were all planning to close at 6:00 p.m. and not open at all on Christmas day. Even convenience stores were planning to be closed on the 25th. Only one supermarket, the “S and W,” was planning to stay open until midnight on the 24th and open again on Christmas Day.
• The Commonwealth movie houses in Lawrence, which included the Granada, the Varsity, and the three Hillcrest theaters, ran a full-page advertisement for the family-friendly shows running during the holiday week. The movies included “Rio Lobo,” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Gone With the Wind,” and “Scrooge,” a new musical version of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” starring Albert Finney.