From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Dec. 17, 1914:

• “Smoking by the police officers while on duty will probably be prohibited in the future as the result of a consultation between a committee representing the W. C. T. U. and Mayor Francisco yesterday afternoon. The ladies came to the mayor’s office and complained that it surely was not a good example to see a police officer after a boy who had been violating the law by smoking cigarettes, who himself was smoking a cigarette. The chief complaint of the women was that the officers smoked cigarettes and as there was such a ban on cigarettes it did not make the best of appearances. Mayor Francisco heartily agreed with the committee on this matter and told them that he did not think any of the members of the police force smoked cigarettes. The ladies say they have seen the officers smoke them while on duty. The Mayor will get in communication with the chief of police soon and the officers will be asked to refrain from the cigarettes entirely and it is probable that they will be required to refrain from smoking at all while on duty. ‘There can be no objection to the officers smoking,’ said the Mayor, ‘but I think it is better that they don’t smoke while on duty.’… Mayor Francisco says that he is always glad to receive any committee and discuss any point that they want changed in the management of the city affairs.”
• “Lawrence, with the entire state of Kansas and most of the other middle states, is experiencing a real touch of winter. The temperature for the past several days has been hugging zero and the storms continue. Last night at about 10 o’clock the temperature began to rise steadily and the snow began to fall gently, and continued until about noon today…. The clouds broke away this morning and for a short time it appeared as if the sky would be clear, but the snow continued to fall while the sun shone. According to the old sign, ‘Snow while the sun is shining it will snow tomorrow.’… The storm in the west seems to have spent its force and the trains which have been late for the past few days are again running on schedule…. The weather forecast gives very little encouragement of a break in the cold wave for several days and it is probable that the snow which has fallen will stay on the ground until after the holidays with a good chance of more snow to come. The remarkable thing about this cold wave is its staying qualities. It is unusual that a cold wave at this time of year should stay so long. The weather up to this time during the fall was exceptionally seasonable. Extremes go together and it is possible that the winter may be an exceptionally cold one.”
• “The Union Pacific is prepared to give instant battle to blocking snow drifts on the Kansas division this winter. After the experience of two years ago when train service was totally abandoned for long periods on account of snow drifts the Union Pacific intends to be ready to move snow plows and equipment immediately. All the snow plows, stationary and rotary, have been repaired this fall and there is more equipment ready this winter to buck the snow drifts than previously. While no great preparations have been made, the Kansas division officials had all their snow equipment in the shops before winter.”
• “In descending the stairs in her home by a misstep, Mrs. R. E. Rice living at 1223 Vermont street fell the entire length and sustained a painful gash in her forehead. While considerably bruised, no other serious injury resulted from the fall.”