From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for May 7, 1915:

• “London. — The giant steamer Lusitania of the Cunard steamship line, carrying over 1,300 passengers including Alfred Vanderbilt and scores of wealthy Americans, has been sunk off Old Head Kinsale by a torpedo. The vessel went down at 2:33 o’clock this afternoon. Several steamships are hurrying to the aid of the vessel. The passengers on board the Lusitania are believed to be saved.”
• “Preparations are being made to lay sod in front of the city hall. Two new flower beds were built there recently and the city hall folks want to further beautify the terrace by making it a solid mat of bluegrass. The grass has been worn out in places by people cutting across the pavement. Wm. Hayter, the caretaker of the city hall, says that the first man who cuts across the newly laid sod wants to look out for he is not putting the grass there to be trampled on. The sod is being laid under the direction of Mr. Hayter who is more or less of a landscape artist. He has succeeded in digging all of the dandelions off the parking and says they will stay out. He will not be behind the times with anyone.”
• “Little by little the officials of the town are succeeding in getting the majority of the people educated to the traffic regulations. Most of the auto drivers have sufficiently learned the regulations to keep in their place most of the time. The improvement is mostly noticeable on Massachusetts street…. The motorists as a class have proven very adept pupils and are learning rapidly to keep on the right side of the street and turn the corners correctly.”
• “The collection of poll taxes will begin in Lawrence on next Monday. This collection has been postponed thus far this season on account of the exceptionally hard winter and many of the men of the town had nothing to do and had no means of earning sufficient money to pay the poll tax. ‘We wanted to give the men a chance to get a little ahead before we began this collection,’ Commissioner Holyfield announced this morning.”
• “Up to date Kansas has escaped killing frost and the weather man says he has reason to think that Kansas may get by this time. He says the indications are that the thermometer will rise slightly although the temperature will remain cool for a few days.”
• “Inquiries have reached the office of the county clerk concerning the necessity of a fishing license as well as a hunting license. If any such law exists neither the county clerk nor the county treasurer are aware of the fact so it is not likely that any prosecution or arrests will be made on such a charge.”