Much of the front page today was devoted to the magnitude 8.1 earthquake which had struck Mexico City and the surrounding areas on the previous morning. Initial estimates of the human toll ranged from 230 to 1,000. (In the months ahead, the final numbers were legally reported as 5,000 dead, but this figure is still disputed as there were thousands missing who were never recovered.) Hundreds of buildings were also destroyed in the quake. President Reagan immediately sent a message offering full U.S. assistance.

Five men, each charged with 64 felonies in connection with the Culture Farms venture, appeared in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., to hear the charges against them. They were then released on bond.

The Kansas Board of Regents approved a revised plan for the new arena at Kansas State University. The original plan for Bramlage Coliseum called for 16,000 seats, but bids for construction were at least $2 million higher than the available funds. The new design called for a 13,500-seat arena.