40 years ago: Grateful father rewards Lawrence firefighters with generous donation

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for April 17, 1971:

  • The father of a young Bartlesville, Okla., man rescued by Lawrence firefighters during a recent fire gave the fire department a check for $1,000 in gratitude for their life-saving efforts. During the fire, the young man had been overcome by smoke and discovered unconscious by the firefighters, one of whom had taken off his air pack and placed it on the young man to help revive him.
  • The Theta Chi fraternity house, 1329 W. Ninth, had been the object of a recent foreclosure in Douglas County District Court. The building had gone on the auction block and was sold for $500. John T. Borton, one of the property’s four mortgage holders, was the only bidder; his attorney said that no decision had yet been made on the fate of the property.
  • The reputation of the Kansas Relays for “bringing out the worst in local weather” apparently dates back at least 40 years. On this date in 1971, long-time area residents were pointing out that the rainy forecast was “about normal” for Kansas Relays time. This was good news for local farmers if not for sports fans, as the drought-stricken area was three inches short of rain and badly in need of some moisture.