From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for March 26, 1974:

• The Douglas County Commission and County Civil Defense Director H. H. Belote agreed this week to transfer responsibility for testing the disaster siren warning system to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department. The decision was a result of the previous Monday’s test, which had come 30 minutes behind schedule. Belote, an anesthetist, had been called into surgery at Lawrence Memorial Hospital just before the test was scheduled to begin, causing the delay, he explained.
• Douglas County Treasurer Edythe Norman today delivered delinquent property tax notices amounting to $124,710 to County Sheriff Rex Johnson for the sheriff to try to collect. Norman mentioned that postage for the 1973 taxes had cost the county for $2,400 and advertising the delinquent notices had cost nearly $1,000. Postage costs were expected to be much higher next year because of a recent two-cent increase in postage rates. Meanwhile, the Kansas House of Representatives was debating a proposed constitutional amendment that would, if approved, make automobile personal property taxes collectible at the same time residents bought their license plates. The system in place had vehicle taxes paid on the same twice-yearly schedule used for real estate taxes.
• Bob Custer, chief pilot and director of operations at Lawrence Aviation Inc., said this week that the firm was out of gasoline and didn’t expect more until April 1. He added that a request had been filed with the Federal Energy Office for an emergency allocation that could carry the firm until April supplies arrived. Custer mentioned some good news for the company as well, stating that the number of commuter passengers to Kansas City International Airport had almost doubled in the past two months. Custer said he believed the high cost of automobile gasoline and new speed limits of 55 miles per hour were encouraging more people to commute by air.