Sherman Lewis, one of the greatest Michigan State football players and a former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, died on Friday, May 15, an MSU spokesman confirmed. He was 83.

Lewis, an All-American running back for the Spartans and a longtime assistant coach at MSU and in the NFL, had been in an assisted living facility in recent years according to reporter and historian Tom Shanahan.

“Sherm Lewis is a Giant in his death as he was a Giant his life,” former MSU star and College Football Hall of Famer Clinton Jones told Shanahan.

Born June 29, 1942 in Louisville, Ky., Lewis arrived at MSU to play for Duffy Daugherty in football and to run track for the Spartans and became a captain of both teams. In 1962, Lewis earned honorable mention All-American honors and second-team All-Big Ten, then a year later was a first-team All-American and the 1963 Football News Player of the Year after rushing for 577 yards on 90 carries catching 11 passes for 303 yards. Lewis ran for 1,566 yards and 23 touchdowns, was a Big Ten champion in the long jump and 300-yard dash. He was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.

Lewis played professionally with Toronto of the Canadian Football League (1964-65) and the New York Jets (1966) of the AFL before returning to MSU as an assistant coach from 1969-82 under Daugherty, Denny Stolz, Darryl Rogers and Frank “Muddy” Waters. He then went on to an accomplished career coaching in the NFL, spending nine seasons with San Francisco from 1983-91 and helping lead the 49ers to three Super Bowl wins while serving as a mentor to Roger Craig as running backs coach and then Jerry Rice and John Taylor as wide receivers coach.

In 1992, Lewis became offensive coordinator in Green Bay, a role he held for eight years from 1992-99. Lewis helped Brett Favre, former MSU star Andre Rison and the Packers win the 1996 Super Bowl. He was the first Black offensive coordinator to win a Super Bowl title.

Lewis was offensive coordinator for two seasons in Minnesota (2000-01) before spending his final three seasons with the Lions, including his last two as offensive coordinator from 2003-04.

Over 22 seasons in the NFL, Lewis’ teams compiled a cumulative 219-131-1 record. He was passed over twice for the MSU coaching job, first when Waters was hired in 1980 and then again in 1995 when the Spartans hired Nick Saban.

“Sherman Lewis was a true Spartan legend,” former MSU star Jimmy Raye, who also coached with Lewis and in the NFL, told Shanahan. “His legacy extended beyond the football field, where his electrifying play gained All-American recognition. He was the first player from the segregated South to play a substantial role for coach Duffy Daugherty and the Spartans. …

“As a mentor and lifelong friend, he set the standard for many future Spartans players and coaches to come. REST IN LOVE my brother.”

Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.

Subscribe to the “Spartan Speak” podcast for new episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

A wildfire several miles north of Two Harbors, Minnesota, has grown to over 370 acres, according to officials.

In a Saturday morning update, the Minnesota Incident Command System says the Stewart Trail Fire is 0% contained, but firefighters are working to establish a containment line with heavy equipment such as dozers, as well as handlines. Crews worked on containment overnight. 

MICS says numerous aircraft — helicopters, scooper planes and a single-engine airtanker — helped fight the fire by dropping water and fire retardant. 

Crews determined overnight that the fire size is 376 acres.

Video posted to social media shows the wildfire scorching trees and structures along Highway 61. The flames can be seen near Betty’s Pies, which was among the businesses evacuated. 

Evacuations have been ordered in an area between Two Harbors and Castle Danger. More evacuation details can be found on Lake County | Fire Safety & Evacuation.  

Authorities have closed Highway 61 at County Highway 2 in Two Harbors and at County Highway 106 in Castle Danger. A detour has been set up for those who need to travel around the area. 

Gov. Tim Walz issued a statement on social media Saturday morning. 

“We have a number of agencies responding to help communities with the ongoing wildfires up north, including the DNR, MnDOT, and DPS,” Walz said. “Grateful to all those stepping into harms way to keep their neighbors safe.”

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for 15 counties in parts of central and northeast Minnesota due to extreme fire risk. The affected areas include Cass, Crow Wing, Aitkin, Carlton, St. Louis, Pine, Otter Tail, Wadena, Grant, Douglas, Todd, Morrison, Mille Lacs, Kanabec and Benton counties. It remains in place until 9 p.m. Saturday.

“When fire risk is this high, it’s important to be careful with anything could spark a wildfire,” said Mike Warnke, DNR wildfire administrative supervisor. 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County prosecutors filed charges Friday against a 20-year-old South Kansas City, Missouri, man in connection with a road rage shooting earlier this month that left a 19-year-old woman in critical condition.

Around 12:30 a.m. on May 4, Kansas City police officers were dispatched to the area of U.S. 71 Highway and E. 31^st Street after the department’s ShotSpotter system recorded the sound of gunfire in the area.

As they responded, a separate call came into 911 dispatchers reporting a shooting. Police eventually located a shooting victim, later identified by family as 19-year-old JayLee Gross, in the passenger seat of a 2021 Kia K5, suffering from a gunshot wound to her head.

According to court documents, the driver of the Kia told police that he and Gross had just helped a friend fix a flat tire on the highway and were attempting to get back on to northbound 71 to go home. The driver told police that as he attempted to merge, he could not get on the highway without pulling out in front of a dark-colored Ford Fusion.

The driver told police the Ford started to drive aggressively, getting back in front of the Kia and brake-checking it. After exchanging words, the driver of the Ford took an exit ramp from the highway. As the car was exiting, the driver of the Kia told police he heard the sound of several gunshots and glass shattering.

Court documents reveal that the driver of the Kia turned to ask Gross if she was OK, and that’s when he noticed she was unresponsive and suffering from a gunshot wound to her head.

Using city traffic cameras and vehicle VIN databases, detectives eventually identified the driver of the Ford Fusion as Jamahn Tatum.

After gathering evidence and conducting surveillance, KCPD gang squad detectives arrested Tatum on Thursday, May 14, and brought him in for questioning.

During the interview, Tatum admitted to owning a Ford Fusion but initially denied involvement in the shooting. As police revealed they had tracked his car at the scene, court documents state, “Tatum stared off for a moment before taking a deep breath and sitting back in his chair. After a brief moment, Tatum then asked, ‘What are we looking at right here? Deadass bro, this s*** for real, for real is self-defense.”

Tatum eventually admitted to firing the shots toward the other vehicle, repeating his claim of self-defense, saying that if the driver of the victim’s vehicle knew how to drive, “none of this s*** would have happened, I promise you.”

When police asked Tatum why he didn’t contact police, he told them he didn’t think it was serious until he read about the incident the next day and saw that Gross was in critical condition. Police then asked Tatum why he didn’t contact police once he found out how serious it was, to which Tatum said he was scared. Tatum told detectives that he felt bad for the victim, but reiterated he felt he was antagonized by the victim’s driving.

On Friday, prosecutors charged Tatum with first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon by shooting at a vehicle resulting in injury.

Tatum remains in custody at the Jackson County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond.

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If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.

Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.