The owner of the Vista Drive In, 1527 West Sixth, was optimistic that his restaurant would be able to re-open by the first of August. The local franchise had been closed since March 19, when a fire had swept through the business during the lunch hour rush.

Area wheat fields were ripe for harvest, but persistent rains were keeping farmers out of the fields. Unfortunately, the forecast was for a continued pattern of wet weather.

Recent national reports revealed that 20 percent of Kansas wells were contaminated by nitrate. This was the second-highest percentage in any U.S. state. Other pollutants, such as chlorides, fluoride, selenium, sulfates and manganese were also found in Kansas wells. Geologists said that groundwater was more susceptible to contamination in the eastern part of the state, where it is stored less deep in the earth.