We’re taking a trip back to Detroit, where the Motown sound changed music forever.

During Black History Month especially, it’s worth remembering that so many of the artists who shaped modern music got their start right here in Michigan.

Today, The ’Gander’s Sophie Boudreau spotlights seven Black Motown legends, from Diana Ross to Stevie Wonder, whose hits still define the soundtrack of our lives.

Plus: 150 years after its disappearance, a famous shipwreck has been located in Lake Michigan.

Michigan gubernatorial candidate threatens to hang elected officials (Michigan Advance): Anthony Hudson, a Genesee County truck driver running for the Republican nomination for governor, has repeatedly threatened elected officials with “public hanging” for what he calls “treason,” including comments aimed at US Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Gary Peters and later at local officials during a Mason City Council meeting. His remarks have been condemned by Michigan Democrats as dangerous.

Man shot by Grand Rapids Police dies (WOOD-TV): A man in his 30s who was shot by a Grand Rapids police officer Wednesday night has died, police said, after officers confronted him while responding to a report of a possibly armed person on a bicycle. Michigan State Police are investigating the shooting, which occurred after officers said the man was bitten by a K-9 and allegedly produced a handgun.

Nearly 600 lbs. of meth seized at border (WILX): Canadian border officers seized nearly 600 pounds of suspected methamphetamine from a truck entering at the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron on Feb. 4, arresting a 29-year-old Ontario man on drug importation and trafficking charges. Authorities said the 266.4-kilogram haul is part of more than 616 kilograms of suspected meth seized so far this year from shipments coming from the United States.

The Supremes performed their final concert with Diana Ross in 1970. (Public domain)

By Sophie Boudreau

There’s no bad time to celebrate the magic of Motown—but it’s especially meaningful when Black History Month rolls around every February. After all, so many of music’s foundational artists were Black, and it’s impossible to separate the legacy of Motown from their contributions.

Michiganders are lucky to count the birth of Motown Records and the “Motown sound” among our state’s many accolades. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or a newcomer to the genre, take a few moments to honor seven Black Motown legends (and legendary groups) who created iconic music in Detroit.

The stern of the Lac La Belle showing one of her propellers missing. (USA Today Network)

By USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

For more than 150 years, the passenger steamer Lac La Belle had been missing in the depths of Lake Michigan. Now, one of the most sought-after missing ships has been found.

According to a Feb. 13 news release from Shipwreck World, a group that works to locate shipwrecks around the globe, the passenger steamer Lac La Belle was found by Illinois shipwreck hunter and scuba diver Paul Ehorn, among others.

Many have searched for the vessel for years before it was found upright and intact by Ehorn and his partner, Bruce Bittner.

Ehorn’s Lac La Belle discovery took place in October 2022, he told The Associated Press in an interview.

The announcement, however, was delayed because his other commitments kept his dive team from going back down to the wreck until last summer.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Karel Vega with stories from Sophie Boudreau and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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