From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Aug. 12, 1988:

Rainfall during the earlier parts of the summer would have been beneficial, but the area corn crop was “past help right now,” according to Jack Lindquist, Douglas County extension agricultural agent. Corn production was expected to be only 40 to 50 percent of normal due to dry conditions this year. “It’s already maturing. We’ll see an early harvest,” Lindquist said; however, he added that the projected yields were subject to regional variation: “Some fields actually have zilch, and some fields will be 90 percent of normal.” Some timely rains would still be helpful to the soybean and milo crops, he said.

At their upcoming meeting city commissioners were to vote on a resolution to start parking, street, and other improvements needed for the planned riverfront retail project. The Chelsea Group, an East Coat development group, was planning to build a $12 million factory outlet retail center at the Bowersock Mills & Power Co. complex on the southern bank of the Kansas River. The city had agreed to spend up to $3.5 million to build a parking structure, make street improvements, and extend utilities for the project. Commissioners this week were also considering several ordinances, including one to annex 44.32 acres northwest of Sixth Street and Monterey Way, and were considering site plans for an Amoco convenience store at 23rd and Louisiana, a Western Auto south of Gibson’s Discount Store on south Iowa, and an apartment complex on Fifth Street between Colorado and California streets.

Researchers in Atlanta this week said that despite the current “health craze” and awareness of the importance of exercise and healthy foods, Americans were still “significantly overweight.” Several current federal nutritional goals were not expected to be reached this year, including the goal of having less than 10 percent of U.S. men and 17 percent of women over the “significantly overweight” level. “There’s just been little change on that through the years,” said a doctor from the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. “It’s still about one-fourth of the country.”