From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for April 29, 1913:

• “Lawrence yesterday adopted the Commission form of government by a majority of 957 votes. The total votes cast in favor of the new form of government was 1,729 while there were 812 against it, giving a vote of over 2 to 1 in favor of the Commission Form. The new form of government goes into effect on May 1, 1914. A primary will be held in March of next year and the election of a mayor and two commissioners will be held in the following April. The new officers will take charge on the first of May succeeding the Mayor and Council system which has prevailed here since the beginning of the city.”
• “Perhaps no election ever held in Lawrence was reported as quickly as the one on yesterday. Half an hour after the polls had closed it was clearly evident that Commission would be carried by a goodly majority, in fact all the wards but one had completed the count by 6:30. It was a simple ballot and counting was rapid.”
• “V. H. Elliston of Weston, Platt County, Mo., has purchased the grocery and meat market at 846 Indiana street of J. L. Messenger and is now in charge. Mr. Elliston is an experienced business man and in physique looks as if he would make a valuable addition to the football squad.
• “The farmers have a new trouble. The chinch bugs are said to be the worst ever known. ‘I have lived in Douglas county since 1861 and the bugs are the worst this year I have ever known them.’ The bugs are so plentiful that they have invaded all the wheat fields and it is a fair guess that they will take the wheat. The farmers are much discouraged over the prospect as up to this time wheat has been looking the best ever known.”
• “The Vinland neighborhood south of Lawrence is experiencing an epidemic of rabies. Several well developed cases of the disease have been discovered there and one dog died of the disease. It is also stated that the diseased dogs bit several other animals in the neighborhood and much alarm is being felt.”
• “Figures compiled by Postmaster C. S. Finch indicate that the Parcel Post department of the Lawrence post office is one of the busiest departments located in the federal building. His figures show that on an average about 350 parcels are delivered from that office each day. Last week a total of 2,190 packages were carried and this was rather a light week. Of this number 417 went out on the rural routes and the remainder were delivered in the city.”