Midwest
Shipwreck hunter finds luxury steamer that sank in Lake Michigan in 1872
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
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)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
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.
Read the full article from Here
Tears, prayers, songs and memories filled the Lancaster Elementary School parking lot June 2 as family, friends and fellow members of S.I.G. Youth Fraternity, Inc. gathered at a Blackout Community memorial to honor Pepe Sikisi-Belle Jr.
Sikisi-Belle, 22, was killed May 30 during a birthday party for his son at Center Street Park in Milwaukee. During the private memorial, loved ones shared stories of the Milwaukee man, who was known within the fraternity as “House Party.”
‘He was the life of the party’
The memorial was emceed by fellow S.I.G. Youth Fraternity member Juanie Johnson, who said he had known Sikisi-Belle, a father of three, since he was a freshman.
“I actually pledged him into [S.I.G. Youth Fraternity], so I’ve had the opportunity to work with Pepe since he was in ninth grade,” Johnson said. “Like we said, we’re here to celebrate his life. This is what we do when one of our members passes. Just remember that although he’s gone, he will forever live in our hearts.”
Several fraternity brothers remembered Sikisi-Belle as the ‘life of the party’ who regularly checked on friends and family.
Speakers said Sikisi-Belle’s fraternity name, “House Party,” reflected not only his outgoing personality but also the comfort he provided to others. One fraternity member described him as a sincere soul who was always there for those around him, while others recalled his playful side and said he was known for teasing and trolling his friends.
One of Sikisi-Belle’s fraternity line brothers was too emotional to speak during the memorial, so Johnson spoke on his behalf.
“They were like two peas in a pod. They gave me a headache,” Johnson said. “They used to always get in trouble together, but to know Pepe is to love Pepe. He was always the life of the party, the spirit of the party, and he used to call me every morning just to be like, ‘You good, bro?’”
Sikisi-Belle’s parents also attended the memorial and shared remarks about their son.
“I miss my son,” said Marissa Bopilo, Sikisi-Belle’s mother. “I know that he loves y’all very, very much, and he’ll live on with us for the rest of our lives.”
Bopilo said she hopes those responsible for her son’s death are brought to justice.
“He was the life of the party, and he was definitely loved by many,” Bopilo said after the memorial. “I’m hoping things move forward with the situation. I’m hoping that we get justice.”
Members of the organization blew out candles one by one in honor of Sikisi-Belle before closing the memorial with a song.
Sikisi-Belle died from multiple gunshot wounds
At 6:47 p.m. May 30, Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Center Street Park, 420 W. Clarke St., for reports of a shooting.
When authorities arrived, they found Sikisi-Belle dead from at least two gunshot wounds to his upper torso, according to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office.
A 25-year-old Milwaukee woman was arrested at the scene in connection with the shooting. MCSO said the woman knew Sikisi-Belle and was found with two firearms in her possession.
As of June 3, no criminal charges had been filed in the case.
Adrienne Davis is a south suburban reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Got any tips or stories to share? Contact Adrienne at amdavis@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @AdriReportss.
Minneapolis leaders are divided over whether to keep paying for ShotSpotter as the city weighs a new contract for the gunfire detection system.
A public hearing at City Hall focused on the technology as Minneapolis negotiates a new contract with SoundThinking, the company that provides ShotSpotter. Deputy Chief of Investigations Travis Riddle told the council the system supports gun violence strategies and can alert police no later than 60 seconds after shots are fired.
Critics at the hearing said the technology is not proven enough and argued the money could be spent in other ways. The proposed deal would cost $3.7 million through 2029 and would expand ShotSpotter into new areas of Minneapolis.
“We have actually had a contract with SoundThinking for their ShotSpotter services since 2014, and even with this technology for over 12 years now, MPD’s solve rates for homicides and non-fatal shootings were some of the worst in the country,” Council member Robin Wonsley said.
Council members pushed back on the long-term proposal and said they want a one-year deal instead. Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw disagreed with concerns raised by her colleague during the debate.
“In my opinion, and in folks I’ve heard from the North Side who have shown up here time and time again to say that we want this technology, we believe that ShotSpotter is a tool that the police use to save lives,” LaTrisha Vetaw said
City Council is set to take up the issue again on June 17. Minneapolis police are expected to return with a one-year contract instead of the three-year contract brought forward at the hearing.
by:
Gregg Montgomery and Kelsie Gibbs
Posted: / Updated:
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indy Parks on Saturday will unveil the restoration of longstanding fountains, a project almost two years in the making.
The fountains were already shooting water among newly landscaped walking paths on Wednesday afternoon at the Garfield Park Sunken Garden.
City planner and landscape architect George Kessler designed the Sunken Garden and the adjacent Garfield Park Conservatory, which was built in 1916 at 2505 Conservatory Drive.
Funds for the $3 million restoration project were part of an $80 million Lilly Endowment grant issued to Indy Parks in late 2022 for projects at 42 Indianapolis parks.
The Friends of Garfield Park, a group devoted to the south-side park, oversaw the project to restore the concrete walls and plumbing, and add color-changing lights to enhance the look of the fountains.
The group hopes to raise an additional $1 million for the upkeep of the fountains.
A news release issued Wednesday said a recognition event and a ribbon-cutting, free and open to the public, were scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday. Due to storms in the forecast, the event could be delayed or canceled.
-
Seattle, WA43 seconds agoSeattle mayor grilled over public safety, affordability, CCTV
-
San Diego, CA4 minutes agoAutomated license plate readers and public surveillance cameras are coming to Imperial Beach
-
Milwaukee, WI9 minutes agoFriends, family gather to remember gunshot victim Pepe Sikisi-Belle Jr.
-
Atlanta, GA16 minutes agoAs FIFA World Cup nears, some MARTA riders raise safety concerns after recent attacks on transit system
-
Minneapolis, MN19 minutes agoMinneapolis leaders split over ShotSpotter contract
-
Indianapolis, IN24 minutes agoWork completed on $3 million restoration of fountains at Garfield Park
-
Pittsburg, PA31 minutes agoPittsburgh Regional Transit starting to install new ReadyFare machines
-
Augusta, GA34 minutes agoFive Augusta Women’s Tennis Players Honored on PBC All-Academic Team – Augusta University
