Michigan
CBS Chicago Vault: New Year’s Day diving in a frigid Lake Michigan with Bob Wallace
CHICAGO (CBS) — Every New Year’s Day as sure as noisemakers at midnight, the Polar Plunge makes the news in the Chicago area and beyond.
The Polar Plunge has been around for a long time. But back in the 1970s and 80s, a Chicago diving club had a different take on the general idea. They didn’t race into the water in Speedos and swim caps—they put on dry suits or wet suits, donned scuba tanks, and submerged themselves in the icy waters of Lake Michigan, no matter what the weather on New Year’s Day.
And in what became a New Year’s Day tradition for a while, the late reporter Bob Wallace used to go on that frigid dive too. For Channel 2 News.
The 20 Fathom Club practiced at the old Lawson YMCA on Chicago Avenue, and took open water diving trips everywhere from Lake Michigan to the Caribbean. The late CBS Chicago sound man and video editor Bob Gadbois, and cameraman Jim Mulqueeny, were both members. In the interest of full disclosure, the parents of the author of this digital story were also members of the 20 Fathom Club, but they never took part in the icy New Year’s Day dives.
Wallace, however, did so numerous times—the first of which was on Jan. 1, 1981. The dive always took place just south of Navy Pier, and on that particular New Year’s Day, the video shows overcast skies, but no snow coming down.
The water had turned murky from recent storms that New Year’s Day. Yet Wallace said divers were cavorting in the water “like bunch of playful seals.”
“I tell you, we practice here so that we can dive in places like Jamaica—and all those exotic places,” the late LeRoy Winbush, then president of the 20 Fathom Club, told Wallace that day.
Wallace didn’t put on any scuba tanks, but he wore a wet suit, fins, goggles, and a snorkel as he lowed himself into the water. He said after a while, it was “kind of fund, just like a summer’s day… in Antarctica.”
A year later to the day, Wallace returned for another New Year’s Day dive with the 20 Fathom Club on Jan. 1, 1982. Conditions were sunny that day, yet weather records indicate the highs were in the 20s. Wallace again put on a wet suit, and found the rocks just below the surface of the lake a challenge when trying to walk around.
But the event was growing by 1982—with about 20 divers out that New Year’s Day compared with 10 the year before. Some of the divers called it a perfect hangover cure for anyone who might have overdone it a bit on New Year’s Eve.
There is video in the CBS Chicago archive of the 20 Fathom Club dive on New Year’s Day 1983, which fell on a Saturday, but Wallace seems not to have joined them that year. Wallace did, however, return a year after that on Jan. 1, 1984—a day on which the video makes clear the weather was quite miserable.
Snow was coming down on New Year’s Day 1984, and the water in Lake Michigan was covered by ice. So the divers—and Wallace—had to go out a ways and find a hole in the ice at the end of the breakwater south of Navy Pier.
This kind of weather required some extra safety measures. The regulators for the divers’ scuba tanks were freezing up, resulting in a hiss of compressed air. A little hot water solved that problem—at least temporarily.
Also, Wallace accidentally broke off the ice floe the divers were all holding onto—making the diving hole even bigger.
But every time, a grand—if chilly—time was had by all.
Tom Izzo reacts to MSU’s season-ending loss to UConn in March Madness
Here’s what Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said reflecting after the 67-63 loss to UConn in the Sweet 16 in Washington, March 27, 2026.
Tom Izzo is in wait-and-see mode for Michigan State basketball’s next roster. But on paper, it looks as though the Spartans will have one of his most well-rounded groups ever.
Izzo and others, including Andy Katz of the Big Ten Network, expect Jeremy Fears Jr. to return to MSU for his fourth season, even though the All-America point guard turned heads of scouts with his scrimmage performance at the NBA Scouting Combine on Wednesday, May 14. He posted 17 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals with one turnover after measuring in at at 6-foot, 196.2 pounds with a 6-4 wingspan.
Fears told Katz in Chicago that his decision would depend on the feedback he gets during the evaluation process this week.
“I believe I’m a first-round talent,” Fears said. “A lot of players that’s in the first round [of mock drafts], I’ve played against or probably seen throughout the college [season]. But that’s a big thing, if I think I can get a first-round spot, I would love it.
“My dream is to play professional and play in the NBA. That’s for sure a big dream. And if not, then I’ll go back to college and try to work my way up and get that.”
The deadline for Fears (as well as incoming transfer center Anton Bonke) to withdraw from the NBA Draft and retain their college eligibility is May 27. Assuming Fears does return, he will give the Spartans a top-10 lineup and potentially better than that for the 2026-27 season – and a chance to chase the elusive second national title that Izzo has long craved.
“I think we got a good group with everybody coming back and bringing in a transfer,” Fears told Katz. “Just overall, a great group of guys and being able to kind of build what was started last year.”
Here’s a look at where MSU’s roster stands now”
Point guard
Starter: Jeremy Fears Jr., redshirt junior
Backup: Carlos Medlock Jr., freshman
Shooting guard
Starter: Jordan Scott, sophomore
Backups: Kur Teng, junior; Jasiah Jervis, freshman
Wing
Starter: Coen Carr, senior
Reserves: Kaleb Glenn, redshirt sophomore; Scott
Forward
Starter: Glenn
Reserves: Cam Ward, sophomore; Carr; Jesse McCulloch, redshirt sophomore; Julius Avent, freshman
Center
Starter: Anton Bonke, senior
Reserves: McCulloch; Ward; Ethan Taylor, freshman
Analysis
Versatility will be a premium for Izzo, particularly in the frontcourt.
He’ll be able to mix and match based on opponents, with the ability to move Carr around on the wing and power forward as MSU has done at times the past two seasons. The same goes for 6-foot-7 Glenn, who missed last season after suffering a June knee injury after spending his first two seasons at Florida Atlantic and Louisville.
Finding that right blend between the 2, 3 and 4 positions will be Izzo’s mission during summer workouts. Scott, who emerged as a starter midway through his freshman season, needs to find more consistency in his outside shooting and ball-handling to stay at shooting guard. But as he fills out his 6-8 frame, that could allow him to play more on the wing with Carr at power forward for an athletic lineup – particularly if Teng can build on his late-season 3-point shooting performance and improved defense.
Jervis will be the wild card and push all of them at shooting guard. The 6-4 incoming freshman and McDonald’s All-American took part in the USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team training camp earlier this month and was the New York Gatorade Player of the Year. And Avent, with his ability to defend multiple positions, also arrives with a chance to carve out a niche early in his career.
The addition of the hulking 7-2, 270-pound Bonke from Charlotte (via Providence and junior college) gives Izzo the low-block size he’s rarely had, and combining him with the outside shooting potential of 6-11 McCulloch at power forward would give the Spartans a chance to put one of Izzo’s biggest lineups ever on the floor. And after a wrist injury slowed his fast start as a freshman, 6-9 Ward has star potential for a breakout second season as a flexible option at both post positions – a transition demon in an undersized lineup at center or a bull-in-a-china-shop rebounder at the 4. Taylor, the highest-rated incoming freshman recruit based on pure potential, can take his time for much-needed development of his raw skills thanks to the veteran depth in front of him.
But this group will go as far as Fears can carry it, assuming he comes back and doesn’t emerge from the combine like Jase Richardson a year ago. Izzo long has likened Fears to Mateen Cleaves, who also flirted with the NBA after his All-America junior season in 1999. The addition of Medlock will give Fears the traditional backup he lacked last season, particularly after the injury to Divine Ugochukwu. Ugochukwu’s departure to LSU via the portal will give Medlock the spare keys to the car.
But the primary driver will be Fears, if he does not turn pro. And his goal as a returning captain, along with Carr, will be to turn all those versatile pieces into a cohesive unit and get Izzo and MSU back to another Final Four in Detroit.
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. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.
Arab American Michigan Senate candidate records confrontation
Abbas Alawieh, a Democrat running for a Michigan Senate seat, recorded a confrontation with a man at his Dearborn Heights campaign office
A man threw a brick at a Michigan campaign office Thursday and then proceeded to say he did it because the candidate is a “f****** Arab.”
Democrat Abbas Alawieh, who’s running for a Dearborn-based seat in the Michigan state Senate, detailed the incident in a press release. Alawieh confronted the individual who allegedly targeted his Dearborn Heights office and recorded the conversation he had with the man.
“What’s the issue?” Alawieh asked the man at one point.
“You’re a f****** Arab,” the man who wasn’t identified in the press release or video said. “F*** you.”
In a statement, Alawieh said he and his team were meeting Thursday morning when they heard a loud bang against the wall of their office building. When Alawieh went outside to see what had happened, he saw a man trying to force open a locked door to the office.
“I asked what his issue was, and he immediately began hurling hateful, anti-Arab and Islamophobic insults at me,” Alawieh said.
The man had thrown a brick at a painting that included Alawieh’s name on the side of the building, the statement said.
Alawieh said he wants to ensure “every person, no matter their background, faith or name, feels safe, respected and fully at home.”
“I know Dearborn Heights and all of Senate District 2 as a welcoming community, and I am running a campaign on the issues that unite us, and to reject all forms of hate that divide us,” Alawieh said.
Alawieh reported the incident to Dearborn Heights law enforcement.
Michael Guzowski, the city’s chief of police, said his department is investigating a reported destruction of property incident at an office building on Van Born Road.
“This is an active investigation, and we are reviewing all available evidence to determine what occurred,” Guzowski said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Dearborn Heights Police Department at 313-277-6770.
cmauger@detroitnews.com
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Hello, is it an awesome event you’re looking for? Well, you can see some great options not in a pair of eyes or a smile, but in this weekend planner.
Here is a look at what you can do the weekend of May 15:
Acrisure Amphitheater Grand Opening
It’s been a long time coming, but finally, the Acrisure Amphitheater is set to welcome in its first guests with not one, but two shows this weekend.
It kicks off Friday with a grand opening performance by Lionel Richie. And then on Saturday, catch several local artists as part of the Community Celebration.
Click here to grab tickets while you still can.
Heritage Hill Tour of Homes
Saturday marks the start of the 58th annual Heritage Hill Tour of Homes, where guests can explore some of the historic homes in the historic neighborhood.
One of those homes includes the Voigt House, which was built in 1895 and has not been open to the public in 17 years.
For more information, click here.
Puppies on the Patio at Harmony Brewing
What’s better than a cold one after a stressful week? How about sharing a cold one with your best friend?
You and your dog can enjoy a frosty beverage this Saturday at Harmony Brewing Company with a Puppy Pool Party. There will be kiddie pools, activities for dogs and humans and plenty of aforementioned beer.
Click here to learn more.
WestFest
Spring is in the air and you can tell not by the pollen closing in on us, but by the fact that WestFest is happening for another year.
For more than three decades now, the carnival has served as a way for those living on the West Side of Grand Rapids to come together and celebrate the changing of the season. The funds raised by the event will also go towards servicing families of Sacred Heart Parish & Academy.
Details can be found here.
Creston Neighborhood Pancake Breakfast
On Saturday, the Creston Neighborhood in Grand Rapids is inviting the community to partake in its free pancake breakfast and resource fair.
The event will provide plenty of resources from local organizations, a chance for folks to meet their neighbors and also enjoy some delicious pancakes for free.
More information can be found here.
Butterfly Release in Paw Paw
A special memorial butterfly release will be held Saturday in the village of Paw Paw to help those deal with their grief and loss.
Attendees are asked to arrive before 10 a.m. That is when the memorial service will begin, followed by the butterfly release.
For details, click here.
The Kite Festival at Grand Haven
One of the most visually stunning events returns to Grand Haven State Park Saturday and Sunday with the Kite Festival.
It’s your chance to check out dozens upon dozens of kites soaring through the sky. The best part is that it’s completely free to attend.
You can get more information by clicking here.
Kalamazoo Toy Show
On Saturday, head on out to the Kalamazoo County Expo Center for this year’s Kalamazoo Toy Show.
Kids 12 and under get in free to check out some incredibly preserved antique toys like cap guns, action figures, Pez dispensers and more.
Details can be found by clicking here.
Prom with a Purpose
The signature event of the Momentum Center in Grand Haven is Prom with a Purpose and it’s back this weekend.
The event gives folks a chance at reliving the glory days with a night of dancing, eating and fun. The event helps raise funds for the Momentum Center’s initiatives.
Click here to learn more.
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