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Devastating fire leads to treasure trove of thousands of artifacts beneath historic tavern
Texas archaeologists uncover ancient king’s tomb in Belize
Texas archaeologists Arlen Chase and Diane Chase recently uncovered the 4th-century tomb of Te’ K’ab Chaak, the earliest ruler of Caracol, a major Mayan city in Belize. (Source: Caracol Archaeological Project; University of Houston)
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Archaeologists in Ohio are uncovering hidden pieces of early American history beneath the charred floorboards of a historic tavern.
The excavation is part of recovery efforts at the Overfield Tavern in Troy, about 20 miles north of Dayton.
In recent weeks, excavators from Ohio Valley Archaeology Inc. have been digging beneath the museum, which is the oldest building in the city.
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The structure was built in 1808 and served as a courthouse until 1811, when it was converted to a tavern. It’s been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.
A devastating fire in the early hours of Dec. 7, 2024, gutted the interior of the museum, though the original 1808 log walls remained mostly intact, according to the museum’s website.
Archaeologists are uncovering artifacts beneath the floorboards of the historic Overfield Tavern, one of the oldest structures in Troy, Ohio. (@OverfieldTavernMuseum via Facebook)
The fire was later ruled accidental by state fire marshal officials.
As an unexpected silver lining, thousands of historic artifacts have been found in recent months, with the help of both excavators and volunteers.
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Pictures from the site show volunteers sifting through dirt and rocks to recover the artifacts.
Chris Manning, executive director of the Overfield Tavern Museum, told Fox News Digital most of the recovered artifacts date from the early 19th century to the late 20th century.
Officials say an estimated 4,000 artifacts have been recovered since excavation work began beneath the historic museum. (Overfield Tavern Museum via Facebook)
“We did find several prehistoric artifacts that are obviously much older,” said Manning.
“Laboratory analysis currently being conducted will provide more information.”
Manning added, “I would estimate that the number of artifacts recovered is around 4,500, but again, we won’t know until the archaeologists complete their lab analysis.”
Artifacts included an 1817 coin found under the tavern’s floorboards, along with an 1846 coin.
The original 1808 log walls of the tavern survived the 2024 fire, allowing experts to preserve key pieces of the building’s past. (Google Maps)
Manning said excavators found evidence that the small log building attached to the rear of the tavern was constructed later than previously believed.
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“It may have been constructed a few years after the tavern, [and] we previously thought the small log building in the rear was about five years older,” Manning added.
“We also uncovered a substantial limestone foundation in the backyard that extends almost six feet underground. [It] was paved on the bottom with a layer of brick flooring.”
Excavation results will be analyzed in the lab before artifacts are cataloged and prepared for museum display. (Overfield Tavern Museum via Facebook)
She added, “Analysis is still underway, but it may represent an ice house or root cellar that was constructed in the first half of the 19th century.”
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Manning said she plans for the tavern to be fully restored by 2027, when the museum will reopen to the public.
“Select artifacts will be put on display eventually, once the museum is restored,” she said.
The Overfield Tavern restoration effort will offer new insight into Troy’s earliest years as a growing frontier community. (Overfield Tavern Museum via Facebook)
The dig took place during the same autumn months as a similar excavation in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Archaeologists and students from Millersville University recently unearthed the likely remains of the county’s oldest tavern, dating back to 1725.
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The National Weather Service has teams of storm surveryors in the field April 18 investigating several reports of severe storms and tornado touch downs across eastern Iowa, northwest Illinois and northeast Missouri.
According to the weather service’s website, windgusts of up to 60 to 70 mph along with teacup-sized hail and several tornadoes were reported April 17.
Many homes and outbuildings were damaged, trees were uprooted and power lines were downed in Lena, Illinois, where the most significant damage occurred, the site pointed out.
Very strong winds also were reported near Washington, Iowa, and Colmar, Illinois, where several outbuildings and grain bins were destroyed.
The weather service received reports of confirmed and possible tornadoes in the areas of Lena, Pecatonica, Shirland, Rockton, Roscoe and Capron.
The teams will be assessing damage this weekend into next week along with county emergency management teams to determine what types of storms occurred and their paths.
Dozens of power outages were reported, as well.
As of the afternoon of April 18, ComEd was reporting 85 active power outages across northern Illinois, down from 241 on April 17, and 6,751 customers affected, down from more than 18,000.
The bulk of those outages and the most customers impacted are concentrated in Jo Daviess and Stephenson counties.
The start of training camp officially marks the beginning of the 2026 WNBA season. The Indiana Fever were fairly quiet during free agency after successfully retaining most of their top-tier talent such as Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull, and Sophie Cunningham. Though they still managed to add a few solid pieces to further stack their depth.
Last season the Fever made an impressive postseason run despite facing multiple injuries, particularly in the backcourt. The front office clearly prioritized guard depth as a result, as well as looking to upgrade at the power forward position.
The Fever brass aimed to shore up any defensive deficiencies on the perimeter in the draft by adding guard Raven Johnson out of South Carolina, who brings a reputation as a defensive stopper. As for bolstering the frontcourt, to play alongside, and even provide some relief for Aliyah Boston, newly acquired 6-foot-4 Monique Billings and veteran forward Myisha Hines-Allen fit the bill. Indiana also picked up another solid player in Tyasha Harris at the guard position to provide backcourt depth and relieve pressure on Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark.
As for the starting lineup, here’s who the Indiana Fever are projected to run with:
Caitlin Clark, Guard
This comes as no surprise, but Clark will look to lead the way for the Fever in one of the two starting guard roles. Coming off of a season riddled with injuries, her return is highly anticipated. In true Clark fashion, she showed positive signs of production during the FIBA World Cup qualifiers where she led Team USA in assists and points.
Clark is expected to return to form in 2026. She provides speed in transition, is a deep threat from beyond the arc, and is elite at setting up her teammates. The only thing standing in the way of a productive season for Clark is remaining healthy for the duration of the season.
Kelsey Mitchell, Guard
Re-signing Kelsey Mitchell was yet again the main offseason priority for the Fever and they did just that. Coming off of a career year, Mitchell will be a key component in the Fever reaching a championship. She averaged 20.2 points per game last season and carried the team on her back during Clark’s absence.
As a premier scoring guard, she complements Clark’s game well and when the two are on the floor together, they’re easily the most explosive backcourt in the entire WNBA. Mitchell has exceptional speed and is a gifted isolation scorer. Her ability to quickly cut and drive to the rim makes her a nightmare for opposing teams to defend and contributed to her earning a 2025 All-WNBA First Team selection.
Mitchell is one of the most dangerous clutch situation players in the league making her a stellar weapon for the Fever.
Lexie Hull, Forward
Entering her fifth WNBA season, all with the Fever, no other player on the roster has grown as much as Lexie Hull. Her steady development has made her a key piece and earned her a starting role in the rotation as last season progressed. Listed as a guard, her defense and versatility has allowed her to frequently fill the role of small forward. She impacts the game on both ends of the floor and saw career highs in 2025 in points per game (7.2), rebounds per game (4.3), assists per game (1.8) and steals per game (1.2).
Her impactful instincts even contributed to her being near the top of the WNBA in offensive fouls drawn last season. With her high-percentage shooting from beyond the arc, solid perimeter defense, and elite hustle, Hull fills the wing role nicely for the Fever.
Monique Billings, Forward
Heading into the 2026 season, the Fever desperately needed to add talented size up front to complement Aliyah Boston’s skill set. With the departure of veteran Natasha Howard in free agency, the Fever acquired their likely next starting power forward in Monique Billings.
Billings is a strong finisher around the basket, has soft hands, runs the floor well, and is adept at screening for guards. She can also defend multiple positions and is a more than capable rebounder. Billings checks all of the boxes of a needed component for Indiana.
Aliyah Boston, Center
After making WNBA history with a record contract, Aliyah Boston looks to continue to elevate her game. Boston has quickly ascended as one of the league’s biggest threats in the middle of the floor. What makes this season even more promising for Boston is the dominant performances she put on display during Unrivaled.
She’s in peak physical shape, faster and has worked on her three-point shooting – an area she committed herself to improving on in the offseason. The three-time All-Star has already established herself as a force on the block due to her combination of size and footwork. Her step-through moves have increased her efficiency in scoring under the basket.
Boston seems poised to have the best season of her career in 2026.
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Five people were shot and injured at an Iowa City pedestrian mall near the University of Iowa campus overnight, police said Sunday. Students from the university were among the injured, according to school officials.
The Iowa City Police Department responded to a report of a large fight in the 100 Block of East College Street at 1:46 a.m. early Sunday, the department said in a news release. Arriving officers heard gunfire.
Multiple victims were hospitalized, police said. Police confirmed to CBS News that one person was in critical condition, while the other four victims are stable.
University of Iowa President Barb Wilson said in a statement that three students were among those shot. None of the victims has been publicly identified.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Police said they are seeking information about five “persons of interest associated with this shooting.” The university also shared the request for information.
The pedestrian mall was closed for several hours and reopened Sunday afternoon.
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