First teachers receive city award of excellence

Two veteran Lawrence public school district teachers Monday were surprise recipients of the first Mayor’s Excellence in Education awards.

Frank Hoffman, a fifth-grade teacher at Cordley School, and history teacher Michael Ortmann of Lawrence High School received commemorative statues from Mayor Sue Hack. For the full story, see page 6B.

Higher education: Former KU dean headed to Florida law school

Gainesville, Fla.– The former dean of Kansas University’s School of Law has been named to replace Jon Mills as dean of the University of Florida’s law school.

Robert Jerry, 49, has taught at the University of Missouri since 1998.

The change is effective July 1.

From 1981 to 1994, Jerry taught at the KU School of Law, and he served as dean its from 1989 to 1994.

Jerry takes over as the college deals with fallout over racial issues, including the departure of associate dean Kenneth Nunn in 2000. Nunn cited an inhospitable climate for the college’s black faculty and students as the reason he left.

Mills announced last year that he was stepping down as dean of the Fredric G. Levin College of Law. He will remain a faculty member and continue to direct the college’s Center for Governmental Responsibility, which he founded.

Kansas university: Power out on campus Monday, including union

Several Kansas University buildings went without power for about an hour Monday morning.

Power was lost to about 20 buildings east of Strong Hall — including the Kansas Union — from about 11 a.m. to noon.

Todd Cohen, a KU spokesman, said a transformer that provides electricity to Chancellor Robert Hemenway’s house — The Outlook — blew. No damage was reported.

The Outlook and its guest house still were without power Monday evening, and Cohen said KU officials were still trying to determine whether the transformer could be fixed immediately or whether they’d need a power generator.

Accident: Lawrence driver killed when car overturns

A Lawrence woman was killed late Sunday when the car she was driving overturned several times north of Kansas City, Mo., the Missouri Highway Patrol said.

Billie J. Rhodes, 50, was ejected from her 1997 Ford Taurus when she failed to make a curve on a road just off Interstate 29 near Platte City, a patrol dispatcher said. The accident occurred shortly before midnight, the dispatcher said.

Rhodes was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no passengers in the car, the patrol said.