Dorothy Sherwood

Dorothy H. (Jones) Sherwood spent more than half of her life caring for others. On Sunday, July 28, 2019, Dorothy was called home to be with our Lord. She was 68 years old, Dorothy was born April 2,1951, at St. John’s Hospital in Iola, to Fred and Viola (Sicka) Jones. She spent almost her entire life living in Iola.

While being married to Dennis, whom she married on June 22, 1973, she soon began to babysit for friends and continued to do so until all four of her sons were in school full-time. Her work history was even in service to others. First working at Sonic Drive-In, Central Publishing Company, and finally at Wal-Mart and Iola Pharmacies. Although she was working, she began to deliver ”Meals on Wheels,” which she did for over 35 years until becoming ill in January of this year. Sometimes she delivered as many as three days a week, but most recently it was on Mondays and Tuesdays. She made many friends while serving them. She soon became a regular visitor to the area nursing homes, as well as Allen County Hospital. Her great love of others has already been missed when her regular visits ceased.

Dorothy loved everyone, especially her family and her St. John’s Catholic Church family. She enjoyed helping with whatever needed to be done at the church. She prayed regularly and knew throughout her life that God was always beside her.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Viola Jones; her father and mother-in-law, Ed and Donna Sherwood; son Todd; brother David; and other aunts and uncles.

She is survived by her husband Dennis of the home; son Aaron and wife, Jen, of Lawrence; son Brian and wife, Patty, of Coffeyville; son Adam and wife, Whitney, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., along with their sons Corban, Hudson, Griffin and their soon to be little brother. Also left behind are her brother Roy Jones and wife, Mickie, of Le Roy; sisters Marry Ruppert and husband, Gene, of Baldwin, Carol Miller and husband, Jeff, of Fontanelle, Iowa, and Brenda Cash and husband, Lonnie, of rural LaHarpe; as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30, Friday at St. John’s Catholic Church, Iola. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery, Iola. A Rosary will be recited 10 a.m. Friday at St. John’s Catholic Church. Memorial contributions are suggested to Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice and may be left in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com.

Robert Smith

Robert Lorraine Smith, age 79, of Iola, passed away Friday, July 26, 2019, at Ascension Via Christi Saint Francis Hospital in Wichita. Robert was born March 2, 1940, in Iola, to Nathaniel W. Smith and Mildred V. (Rogers) Smith.

Robert attended school in Iola. Robert worked as a painter for Alcorn in Chanute, and then he went to work for the pipeline, retiring from Southern Star Pipeline in 1987.

Robert and Lillian Howard were married Aug. 23, 1965, in Iola.

Robert liked to watch sports, western movies, Wheel of Fortune, The Price Is Right, and some other shows on television. He loved to cut grass and keep a beautiful lawn, and he was particularly fond of his weeping willow tree. Robert enjoyed sitting in the park and also at the river. He loved watching his grandkids’ activities. Robert was a very active grandpa. He enjoyed eating at Golden Corral, Ourr’s Family Dining, and China Palace. Robert was faithful in visiting his mom daily.

Robert was preceded in death by his father; and two brothers, Ronald Dean Smith and Nathaniel Smith.

Robert is survived by his wife, Lillian, of the home; son, Charles, Iola; daughter, Elizabeth Roberta Smith, Wichita; mother, Mildred Smith, Shawnee; grandchildren, Jayla Smith, Wichita, Cameron Victoria Smith, Wichita, Jayden Hale, Edmond, Okla.; brothers, Larry Smith, Missouri, Roger Smith; sister, Carmen Williams, Shawnee; Uncle Harvey Rogers, Iola; and a host of other family members and lots of friends.

A visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, at The Venue at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, 1883 US Highway 54, Iola. A funeral service honoring Robert’s life will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel, Iola. Burial will follow in Highland Cemetery, Iola.

Memorials are suggested to the American Heart Association, and may be left with Feuerborn Family Funeral Service.

Condolences for the family may be left for the family at www.feuerbornfuneral.com.

Scott McMurray

Scott W. McMurray, 32, of Salina, passed away Friday, July 5, 2019. He was born Nov. 10, 1986, in Wichita. He married Kacie Silcox on April 9, 2007.

Survivors include his wife, Kacie; boys, Trevor McMurray, Zachary McMurray and Wyatt “Linxton” McMurray; parents, Jim and Shelly of Iola; siblings, Benjamin McMurray, Dennis McMurray, Andrew McMurray, Valerie Gonzalez and Crystal Sicka; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Funeral services were July 11 at Ryan Mortuary in Salina. Casketbearers were Trevor McMurray, Zachary McMurray, Linxton McMurray, Dennis McMurray and Jim McMurray.

A celebration of life service is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church, 801 N. Cottonwood St.

Jackie Johnson

Jacqueline Jo “Jackie” Johnson, age 70, Burlington, formerly of Iola, passed away Saturday, July 27, 2019, at Coffey County Hospital.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at the Schneider Funeral Home and Crematory, Mound City Chapel. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to service time at the Chapel.  Contributions are suggested to the American Cancer Society.  Online condolences can be left at www.schneiderfunerals.com.

Event organizers should improve emergency plans

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Event organizers should review their emergency plans after the deadly shooting at a California food festival to see if they can make additional safety improvements as the peak of summer and fair season brings open-air environments that are notoriously difficult to secure, law enforcement experts said.

The weekend shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival left three dead — including two children — and a dozen wounded at the famous three-day event that attracts more than 100,000 people annually to the agricultural community in Northern California.

The festival included a perimeter fence, metal detectors, a bag search and police patrols. Despite those measures, 19-year-old Santino William Legan cut through the fence and, wielding a rifle, opened fire before three officers — in less than a minute — fatally shot him, preventing additional casualties.

“Anytime you put on a large event with a lot of people you’re always concerned, which is why we try to run a very tight, closed event where there’s, you know, controlled access,” Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee said at a news conference Monday. “Do we think about how we’re going to respond if something were to happen? I would say the answer is yes.”

Experts ticked off a list of ideal precautions: a perimeter fence — or even two — with roving police patrols, as well as drones, security cameras, social media monitoring, bag checks, metal detectors, limited points of entry and an “overwatch” police unit that monitors the event from a high perch.

Recommendations for an overwatch position and securing beyond the site of the event are similar to suggested improvements after another deadly festival shooting: In 2017, a gunman on the 32nd floor of a hotel fired into a crowd and killed 58 people in Las Vegas. It became the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. A review recommended securing high-rise buildings overlooking open-air venues, not just the festivals themselves.

“It’s not just OK to secure your perimeter and think you’re safe,” Michael Downing, a former Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief, said.

Still, officials said first responders and event coordinators need to balance safety concerns, costs and a welcoming atmosphere for visitors, noting that eventgoers likely do not want to be subjected to extensive screening with X-ray machines and metal detectors.

“You obviously can’t do an event that is set up like an international airport,” said Sheriff Tony Spurlock of Douglas County, Colorado, where the annual county fair is being held this week. “It’s not the kind of environment that we would set up magnetometers at every entrance.”

Brian Higgins, a former Bergen County, New Jersey, police chief, said controlling an event’s perimeter through technology and police is key to safety. Although a long line of people at a single point of entry can pose its own target, limited access means law enforcement can more easily see who is coming in and out — and with what.

“Just because it’s a family-friendly event doesn’t mean that something bad can’t happen,” Higgins said.

Although festivalgoers may notice increased security in the coming weeks, experts don’t foresee a major shift in safety protocols going forward.

“Events like this are occurring across the country every weekend and it’s up to those event coordinators to determine the extent to which they want to employ security features,” Craig Fair, deputy special agent in charge at the FBI’s San Francisco office, said at Monday’s news conference.

Experts praised the Gilroy Police Department’s precautionary efforts and quick response, noting that law enforcement there had taken many critical steps.

“If somebody’s that determined to do something that terrible, it’s going to be hard to stop them,” said Soraya Sutherlin, managing partner of Los Angeles-based Emergency Management Safety Partners.

Sutherlin said event planners should clearly label exits, with signs pointing people toward an evacuation route, and design a way for visitors to report suspicious activity either in person, over the phone or through an app.

Officials said there must be greater efforts to identify future shooters beforehand, through social media monitoring or other means.

“How do we figure out that he was an absolute ticking time bomb waiting to go off?” said Stephan Dembinsky, public safety director in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida. “Until we figure out how to identify them, we’re going to keep having these shootings.”

Max Falkenstien, longtime KU announcer, passes away at 95

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Max Falkenstien, the affable and silver-tongued “Voice of the Jayhawks” who brought Kansas football and basketball into the homes of fans for six decades, died Monday. He was 95.

The school announced his death in a statement. No cause was given.

Falkenstien did his first broadcast of a Kansas basketball game during the 1946 NCAA Tournament in Kansas City, where the Jayhawks played Oklahoma A&M. He took over as the play-by-play voice the following spring, and would hold the job for 39 years before switching to the commentator’s role in 1984.

“I’ve known Max since 1985, and back then, even being young in the profession, I quickly realized that Max was as big a part of the great history of KU basketball and football as the players and coaches were,” Jayhawks basketball coach Bill Self said. “He was an absolute joy to be around, and he will be remembered as an absolute treasure. He was loved by everyone.”

Falkenstien was a banker by trade, retiring from the Douglas County Bank in Lawrence in 1994. But his passion was broadcasting the Jayhawks, and fans across the country simply adored him.

He’s the only non-player to have a jersey — No. 60 — hanging in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse.

“He was one of a kind,” former basketball coach Larry Brown, who guided the Jayhawks to the 1988 national title. “When I got the job at Kansas, coach (Dean) Smith told me about all the great people at KU, the love they had for the school and for basketball. When you talk about those great people, and everyone connected with all that tradition, Max is one of the first people you think about.”

Falkenstien, whose father worked for Kansas Athletics for 33 years, was born and raised in Lawrence and enlisted in the Army Air Corps after high school. He earned a mathematics degree from Kansas in 1948, a full two years after he was on the microphone for his first basketball game.

Falkenstien also did TV play-by-play commentary for the Big Eight’s basketball game of the week in the 1960s and ‘70s, and for three decades he hosted football and basketball coaches’ shows for everyone from Pepper Rodgers and Mike Gottfried to Ted Owens and Roy Williams.

“Just the mention of his name will always make me smile,” Williams said.

His last football broadcast came in 2005, the Jayhawks’ win over Houston in the Fort Worth Bowl, and his final basketball broadcast came on March 17, 2006, when Bradley upset Kansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Over those 60 years, Falkenstien’s downhome voice broadcast games featuring the likes of Gale Sayers and John Riggins, Wilt Chamberlain and Danny Manning.

Falkenstien continued to sit courtside for home basketball games for many more years.

“His personal touch made every fan, player, coach and administrator feel like they were part of the KU family,” Self said. “I hope Max realized the positive impact he had on KU and everyone connected with it. He’ll be missed but his legacy will never be forgotten.”

Falkenstien is survived by his wife of 70 years, Isobel. The couple had two children, Kurt and Jane, along with three grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

7-time champ, Johnson, gets new crew chief

(AP) — On the brink of missing the playoffs for the first time in his career, seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson is moving on to another new crew chief in the hope of reversing a serious slide into irrelevance.

Johnson’s bid to snap a tie with Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for career Cup titles is on the backburner for now, the immediate goal becomes simply making NASCAR’s postseason.

Hendrick Motorsports on Monday made its second big shake-up in months atop Johnson’s pit box and replaced Kevin Meendering with Cliff Daniels. Daniels will call the shots starting with Sunday’s road course race at Watkins Glen International in New York.

“We have to act now,” Johnson said. “We don’t have any time to waste.”

Johnson won seven championships with crew chief Chad Knaus over 17 years before they split up after last season. Meendering failed to steer Johnson into victory lane, and the former champ is 12 points out of the 16-driver playoff field with five races left before the cutoff.

“We want to get back to our winning ways,” Johnson said. “We want to get back to winning championships.”

Johnson, who turns 44 in September, has 83 career victories but none since June 2017 at Dover and is mired in easily the longest losing streak of his career. He finished 15th in the No. 48 Chevrolet on Sunday at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania. He has just three top-five finishes this season and eight top 10s.

“We have great confidence in Cliff’s ability to win races with Jimmie and the team,” team owner Rick Hendrick said. “He’s a natural leader and tremendously talented from both a technical and communication standpoint.” ““familiarity with Jimmie and the No. 48 team culture will benefit us a ton. He will bring the spark that’s been our missing ingredient.”

The 31-year-old Daniels was Johnson’s race engineer on the 2016 championship team. He moved into Hendrick Motorsports’ competition systems group following the 2018 season and rejoined the No. 48 team as race engineer last month at Sonoma Raceway, a sign that potential changes were being considered.

“There was just such a spark that he brought,” Johnson said. “I noticed, outside people noticed, I think our fans have even noticed. Management noticed. It’s just something that we felt like we needed to pursue to give ourselves the best chance to make the playoffs and have a chance at eight this year.”

Meendering will remain with Hendrick Motorsports in a senior competition role. He got just 21 races with Johnson; Knaus had 604.

Daniels said he “picked up where we left off” once he was reunited with Johnson and believes the team is capable of making a serious push for that eighth championship. Johnson won a stage at Pocono for the first time this season and only the second time in the three seasons since NASCAR implemented the manufactured breaks.

“I also know I’m part of the problem on why the car hasn’t had the success it’s accustomed to having,” Johnson said. “I don’t think I am the problem. But I am part of it and part of the solution.”

Johnson and Knaus won their record-tying seventh championship in 2016. Johnson hasn’t been much of a factor over the last three seasons and was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round in 2018. Johnson and Knaus were partnered in 2002 when Knaus built the No. 48 team as part of a Hendrick expansion and made the playoffs in all 15 years of its existence.

Knaus is the crew chief for Hendrick driver William Byron this season. Byron is winless but 12th in the points standings. Hendrick drivers Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman each have one win this season.

Johnson has not missed NASCAR’s playoffs since the format was instituted in 2004.

“Being able to work with Chad and with Jimmie, the level of professionalism that this team has always had has taught me quite a bit,” Daniels said. “Just in procedures and flow and the dynamic that you need be operating at such a high level and to be successful doing that.”

Goodell, NFC title officials to be questioned

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Louisiana judge ordered that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and three officials from January’s NFC title game be questioned under oath in September about the infamous “no-call” that helped the Los Angeles Rams beat the New Orleans Saints in January’s NFC title game, a lawyer said Monday.

Attorney Antonio LeMon, who filed a lawsuit over the game that advanced the Rams to the Super Bowl, said he and league attorneys will pick a mutually agreeable date for depositions in New Orleans — barring any league appeals that might delay or cancel the questioning.

A league spokesman declined comment.

LeMon’s lawsuit seeks $75,000 in damages — to be donated to charity — over the failure to flag a pass interference or roughness penalty against Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman for his helmet-to-helmet hit on receiver Tommylee Lewis well before a pass arrived. The no-call came at a crucial point in the game against the New Orleans Saints. The Rams won and advanced to the Super Bowl.

State Civil District Court Judge Nicole Sheppard of New Orleans ruled earlier this month that LeMon’s lawsuit could proceed. She also ruled then that LeMon can request documents and ask questions of NFL officials. She said Monday that depositions should take place in September. She also set Aug. 22 for the next hearing in the lawsuit, according to LeMon.

Other suits dealing with the blown call have wound up in federal court, where they have failed. They included one long-shot effort to have the game or a crucial part of it played over before the Rams met the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, which the Patriots won.

LeMon, whose lawsuit alleges fraud by NFL officials, has crafted his lawsuit to avoid having it taken over by a federal court, in part by keeping the damages sought low. He said Monday that he intends for any money won to go to former Saints star Steve Gleason’s charity to aid people with neuromuscular diseases. Gleason was diagnosed with ALS in 2011.

Earthquake rattles Kansas

SOLOMON, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Geological Survey says a 3.1 magnitude earthquake has rattled central Kansas.

The quake was reported around 4:30 a.m. today about 5.6 miles southwest of the town of Solomon. No damage has been reported.

Scientists say damage is not likely in earthquakes below magnitude 4.0.

The Kansas Geological Survey says two other earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 3 have been reported this month in the state. They include a 3.2 magnitude quake on July 1 and a 3.7 magnitude quake on July 5. Both of those were in Rooks County.