From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for March 23, 1916:

• “A petition is now being circulated in Lawrence asking the city commissioners to remove the ban on firecrackers imposed by a recent ordinance, and permit the town to indulge in the orgies of an old fashioned Fourth of July this year. The petition is said to urge that the patriotic spirit of the ‘old time’ Fourth of July has been missing since the ordinance was placed on the city’s books that prevents the time-honored form of celebration. The petition, it is said, is circulated by former dealers in fireworks, and the loss of profit from the absence of sales may be a factor as well as the decline in patriotic spirit.”
• “The paving of Locust street, long deferred through necessities presented by the weather, will be pushed from now on by the contractor. The first sign of activity was the appearance of a large gang of men on the north side this morning to begin the laying of concrete curb and gutters. But even though work has commenced, the big problem which has bothered officials of the city is as yet unanswered. This is the question of inducing the interurban to stop hauling freight long enough to allow the concrete base of the pavement to set hard under the track.”
• “Farmers in the southwest part of Douglas county are interested in the activity in the oil leasing business in the neighborhood of Overbrook across the line. Oil and gas men from the southern part of the state and elsewhere have been active in the Overbrook neighborhood for several months past and have secured leases on much of the land thereabout. It is said that the trend of the oil and gas finds further south leads the experts to believe there is a supply in the Overbrook region.”
• “Approximately four hundred Kansas University students will receive degrees at the annual commencement on June 7, according to an announcement made this morning…. Just now the chief question in regard to the festivities of commencement week, are centered in the question, ‘Dinner or no Dinner?’ which translated means, that a decision will be made in a few weeks on whether there will be an alumni dinner on alumni day, June 6. Heretofore, there has been the big University dinner which has been given the knockout blow by a ruling of the state auditor that money paid by the seniors to pay expenses to this function, cannot be legally paid out of the state treasury.”
• “Alfred C. Eastlake, a sophomore medical student at the University, has resumed his class work after ten days’ treatment for his eyes. Eastlake was stricken blind suddenly March 11 and remained so two hours. Overstraining the eyes was the cause according to oculists.”
• “The residence of G. W. Reeves at 923 Connecticut street was damaged by fire this forenoon, when clothing hung too near a stovepipe blazed up and communicated the flames to the building. The fire department was called out and succeeded in putting out the fire before a great amount of damage had been done. The loss was roughly estimated as in the neighborhood of $150. It was covered by insurance.”
• “Practice for an archery contest for K. U. co-eds in May was started yesterday. The trophy for which they are competing, is offered by B. F. Gustafson. Ella Hawkins, champion of last year’s contest, is the archery coach.”