From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for July 14, 1988:

• Douglas and Shawnee county commissioners were working to clean up the growing mess along the scenic River Road drive northwest of Lecompton. Shawnee county commissioners were in agreement with Douglas County that illegal dumping along the road needed to be stopped and the current trash cleaned up. Douglas County Commissioner Warren Rhodes and several Lecompton township residents had approached the Shawnee commission today to ask for help in removing at least 50 truckloads of trash in the ditches and to ask officials for a cooperative effort to patrol the area in the extreme northwest part of Douglas County. “You can’t believe the monster we have out there,” Rhodes had told the Shawnee county commissioners. “It’ll probably cost us at least $1,000 just to dump it all in our landfill. That doesn’t include getting it out of there. It’s just totally out of hand.” According to township residents, the road had become a popular spot for people to discard old appliances, televisions mattresses, household trash, and even cars.
• Clyde Foley Cummins, a Nashville entertainer and Kansas University alumnus, had been chosen as the featured entertainer at the Douglas County Free Fair, scheduled for August 2-6. Fair organizers were also promising a week packed with such events and activities as 4-H project displays, a petting zoo, livestock auction, horse show, and barbecue cook-off, in addition to the demolition derby, carnival, and nightly free entertainment.