Midwest

Shipwreck hunter finds luxury steamer that sank in Lake Michigan in 1872

Published

1 month ago

February 19, 2026

Shipwreck hunter finds luxury steamer that sank in Lake Michigan in 1872

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Researchers have discovered the wreck of a luxury steamer ship that sank in Lake Michigan in 1872, they announced Friday.

Shipwreck World, a group that works to locate shipwrecks around the globe, announced the find last week, crediting a team led by Illinois shipwreck hunter Paul Ehorn. Ehorn, 80, says his team discovered the wreck of the Lac La Belle roughly 20 miles offshore between Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin, in October 2022.

He added that the announcement was delayed because his team planned to release three-dimensional video of the wreck along with the announcement, but weather prevented access until last summer.

Ehorn told The Associated Press he has been searching for the Lac La Belle’s location since 1965.

LONG-LOST SHIPWRECK RESURFACES ON JERSEY SHORE AS OFFICIALS WARN AGAINST DISTURBING THE RUINS

Sailboats move on Lake Michigan as a blue supermoon rises above Chicago on Aug. 30, 2023. (Getty)

“It’s kind of a game, like solve the puzzle. Sometimes you don’t have many pieces to put the puzzle together but this one worked out and we found it right away,” he said. The finding left him “super elated.”

Ehorn said he was able to narrow down his search thanks to a clue from wreck hunter and author Ross Richardson. Ehorn declined to say what the clue was, but Richardson told The Associated Press that he had heard of a local fisherman who pulled up an item specific to a steam ship in a “certain location.”

According to an account on Shipwreck World, the Lac La Belle was built in 1864, in Cleveland, Ohio. The massive 217-foot (66-meter) steamer ran between Cleveland and Lake Superior but sank in the St. Clair River in 1866 after a collision. The ship was raised in 1869 and reconditioned.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS RETRIEVE FIRST TREASURE ITEMS FROM $20B ‘HOLY GRAIL’ SHIPWRECK OFF COLOMBIA

The ship’s final trip began when it left Milwaukee for Grand Haven, Michigan, in a gale on the night of Oct, 13, 1872, with 53 passengers and crew and a cargo of barley, pork, flour and whiskey. About two hours into the trip, the ship began to leak uncontrollably.

The wreck of the Lac La Belle was found off the coast of Wisconsin. (iStock)

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The captain turned the Lac La Belle back to Milwaukee, but waves came crashing over the vessel, extinguishing its boilers. The captain ultimately ordered lifeboats lowered, and the ship went down stern first.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on X: @Hagstrom_Anders.

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Detroit, MI

Retired Detroit sergeant faces new sexual assault charge involving 14-year-old victim from 2002

Published

6 minutes ago

March 27, 2026

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Retired Detroit sergeant faces new sexual assault charge involving 14-year-old victim from 2002

Updated on: March 27, 2026 / 12:23 PM EDT
/ CBS Detroit

An additional case, this one involving a victim who was then 14 years old, has been added to the sexual assault investigation against a former Detroit Police Department sergeant.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced the latest charges on Friday against Benjamin Martin Wagner, 68, who now lives in Greenville, N.C. He had retired from the Detroit Police Department in 2017.

The victim in the additional charges was 14 years old when the assault happened in October 2002 in Detroit, Worthy said. The prosecutor alleges that Wagner approached the victim, pointed a handgun at her, ordered her away from the location and then sexually assaulted her.

In this case, he faces charges of kidnapping, two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. An arraignment hearing took place Friday in the 36th District Court in Detroit. A probable cause conference is scheduled for April 7.

The woman is now 37 years old.

“She has lived with what happened to her for 23 years and has now bravely decided that she wants to be a part of holding him accountable,” Worthy said.

Wagner participated in a court hearing Thursday and was remanded to jail, one week after he was charged with 15 counts of kidnapping and rape in five separate sexual assault cases. All of those incidents happened between 1999 and 2003 in the northwest side of Detroit, with the victims being young women between the ages of 15 and 23.

The court dates for the earlier list of charges are April 7 for a probable cause hearing and April 14 for a preliminary exam.

Wagner joined the Detroit Police Department in 1989 as a police officer and was eventually promoted to sergeant. He retired in 2017 and moved to North Carolina.

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Milwaukee, WI

Truck drives in to Grace Coffee in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward overnight

Published

1 hour ago

March 27, 2026

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Truck drives in to Grace Coffee in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward overnight

MILWAUKEE — A truck drove through the Grace Coffee Co. in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward on early Friday morning, the owners announced in a social media post.

Due to the extensive damage that was done, the coffee shop will be closed until further notice.

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“We’re incredibly grateful no one was hurt, and we’ll keep you updated as we begin repairs,” the coffee shop said in the post.

TMJ4 reached out to the Milwaukee Police Department but have yet to hear back.

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Minneapolis, MN

Man dead, 2 others hurt in overnight shooting in Minneapolis

Published

1 hour ago

March 27, 2026

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Man dead, 2 others hurt in overnight shooting in Minneapolis

Police say two people were hurt and one other man died.

A homicide investigation is underway in Minneapolis after a shooting early Friday morning killed one man and hurt two others.

Minneapolis police were called to the area of East Franklin Avenue and Chicago Avenue at around 12:30 a.m.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS cameras caught more than 65 evidence markers scattered across the ground in the area and shattered glass at a bus shelter. Some nearby businesses also appeared to have some damage.

Minneapolis police are still working to determine what led up to the shooting and who was involved but investigators say first responders found the three men suffering from gunshot wounds.

One injured man is in his 40s, the other in his 50s, police say. Both were taken to a hospital by ambulance.

The third man died at the scene. His name and age haven’t yet been publicly released.

Police say early information suggests the men were on a sidewalk when at least one person opened fire, then fled in a vehicle.

So far, no arrests have been made.

Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call police at 612-673-5845 to leave a voicemail or email policetips@minneapolismn.gov.

“This is a tragic and deeply disturbing act of violence that has taken a life, and left others seriously injured,” MPD Chief Brian O’Hara said. “This kind of violence is unacceptable, and we are committed to identifying those responsible and holding them accountable.”

Minneapolis police investigating alleyway shooting near East Franklin Avenue

It comes less than 30 hours after another serious shooting along East Franklin Avenue, just a half-mile west of Friday’s scene. That incident left a man hospitalized with a potentially life-threatening gunshot wound. No arrests have been announced in that case either.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS is still working to learn more about this shooting. Stay with KSTP-TV for the latest updates on air and on the KSTP app.

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