From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Dec. 1, 1986:

• Twenty-five years ago, Santa Claus did not arrive in Lawrence via the roof of Weaver’s as he does today. Instead, the perennial old saint made his appearance in a horse-drawn carriage at the downtown Christmas lighting ceremony. Santa had been greeted by Mayor Sandy Praeger and numerous children. A few first-timers cried when they saw St. Nick, but most were happy to see him and did not hesitate to whisper their wishes to him. “I want a basketball, and a microscope, and I think I want a My Pet Monster,” said Duncan Brown, 8, who added that Santa probably already knew this because Duncan had written him a letter.
• If Santa had been thinking of visiting our western neighbors, he was going to have to cool his heels for a little while. The westbound lanes of I-70 had been closed earlier today for a stretch of about 360 miles, from Hays to Denver, due to wind, freezing drizzle, snow and blowing snow. A large storm had forced hundreds of motorists, driving home from their Thanksgiving holiday, to spend the night in motels, National Guard armories, and community buildings in western Kansas.