Citing trouble with modern laser equipment used for determining elevations, the engineering firm and contractor responsible for laying an interceptor sewer in south Lawrence were facing a problem: About half a mile of the new sewer line had been installed at the wrong grade. Although the discrepancy was only a matter of inches, it was crucial that a solution be found for the error.

City officials and representatives of Big Bob’s Used Carpets, 738 New Hampshire, were meeting in court for a hearing on whether the city’s sign ordinance was constitutional. As had been reported earlier, the city was claiming that the red, white and blue stripes on the side of the building comprised an illegal sign, while the store’s owner said it was simply a three-toned paint job.

An ongoing dispute between neighbors at the Holladay Manor Trailer Court, 827 Walnut, had resulted in a 48-year-old man allegedly shooting a 33-year-old man in the chest with a .22-caliber revolver. The younger man was in fair condition at Lawrence Memorial Hospital and the older man was being held in the Douglas County Jail on charges of aggravated battery.