Man faces federal charges for swastika on Michigan synagogue

Advertisement

Advertise with us

HANCOCK, Mich. (AP) — A man has been charged in federal court with defacing one of Michigan's oldest synagogues with a swastika in 2019.

Read this article for free:


or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Subscribe and receive a limited-edition Free Press branded hat or tote.

Digital Subscription

One year of digital access for only $205*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles

*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional

$1 for the first 4 weeks*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
  • Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
  • Access News Break, our award-winning app
  • Play interactive puzzles
Start now

*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/06/2023 (1203 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HANCOCK, Mich. (AP) — A man has been charged in federal court with defacing one of Michigan’s oldest synagogues with a swastika in 2019.

A swastika was sprayed on the outside of Temple Jacob in Hancock in the Upper Peninsula.

Nathan Weeden, 23, of Houghton was indicted on charges of conspiring against rights and damaging religious property. He was released on bond Thursday following his arrest in Saline in southeastern Michigan. A not-guilty plea was entered.

“No one should be the target of hate because of their race, ethnicity, religion or any other status,” U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said.

A message seeking comment was left with Weeden’s attorney.

It wasn’t clear why there was a nearly four-year gap between the vandalism and the indictment. Totten spokeswoman Tiffany Brown said she couldn’t comment on charging decisions.

In 2021, a New Jersey man, Richard Tobin, was sentenced to a year in prison for conspiring to direct others to deface Temple Jacob as well as a synagogue in Racine, Wisconsin. Tobin admitted he was a member of a white supremacist group.

The construction of Temple Jacob was completed in 1912.

Report Error Submit a Tip

The Free Press acknowledges the financial support it receives from members of the city’s faith community, which makes our coverage of religion possible.

More Stories

Creatures’ comfort key to coping with loss

Maureen Scurfield 4 minute read Yesterday at 2:00 AM CDT

DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: Not long ago I lost my husband to illness at far too young an age. My spouse was a great guy, but I do want another one.

I just want to pass on a little tip. When my husband was dying, he encouraged me to bring home warm and loving pets to our acreage just outside the city. They were my saviours when my husband was ill.

Since he has died, they continue to help me keep warm, happy and affectionate. They were my greatest comfort in the later stages when my man was in too much pain to hold me or be held. The cats and the dog would welcome me home from the hospital and transfer their cuddling to me, giving me all the attention I needed, and I always felt so loved.

I have been dating a fair bit for a fairly recent widow because I’m ready to be held and loved, and I feel my husband and the pets saying, “Way to go.”

Tenants battling landlords find help in short supply from province

Scott Billeck 14 minute read Preview

Tenants battling landlords find help in short supply from province

Scott Billeck 14 minute read Yesterday at 6:00 AM CDT

For nearly three years, Quincy Houdayer and Avery Helm repeatedly pressed their landlord to address plumbing failures, water damage and other maintenance problems at their West Broadway apartment, with records showing some issues persisted until the couple turned to the Residential Tenancies Branch.

Emails and text messages between the tenants, Clearwater Management and the RTB reviewed by the Free Press document recurring leaks and flooding, periods without heat or hot water, concerns about mould and basement conditions and repeated followups from the couple seeking repairs.

“Most of the experiences we’ve had with them can be boiled down to, like, they either are very dismissive about it, they act like it’s not their problem… or they will just fully, blatantly ignore you,” Helm said, adding that the only way to get Clearwater to respond was to threaten going to the RTB, a provincial government agency.

RTB data obtained by the Free Press also shows 13 orders involving the three-building complex at 193-197 Furby St. in 2026 alone. All but one favoured the tenant, while the remaining order ruled in favour of both the tenant and landlord on different items.

Read
Yesterday at 6:00 AM CDT

Time to intervene on hubby and therapy ‘buddy’

Maureen Scurfield 4 minute read 2:00 AM CDT

DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: My husband has been going to a therapy group to work through some trauma in his past. He seems almost high when he comes home — always in too good a mood and plays his guitar for hours. He won’t come to bed with me either and doesn’t want to make love those nights.

I just found out from a female friend who also goes to this therapy group that one of my man’s exes turns out to be in this same group. She’s seen them at the café where some group members go after meetings for coffee. They usually sit as a group, she says, but my husband and this woman have started breaking off from the main crew for private talks at another table.

When I asked my man about her, he was indignant. He said, “I come home to you, don’t I? Isn’t that enough?” Now he claims he’s helping his ex talk through her trauma. That may be so, but he seems way too happy and smug when he finally comes home.

This ex was the first girl he ever had sex with. I know exactly what she meant to him — until she dropped him on his head. So what can I do? I can’t just ignore it and let it go. He’s my husband till death do us part, right?

White-supremacist highway sign casts pall on Steinbach city council campaign

Matthew Frank 4 minute read Preview

White-supremacist highway sign casts pall on Steinbach city council campaign

Matthew Frank 4 minute read Yesterday at 7:41 PM CDT

The RCMP is investigating a white-nationalist sign near Steinbach with racist messaging and alleged links to a known Canadian far-right group.

A sign hanging on a overpass at the intersection of Highways 1 and 12 read: “STEINBACH VOTES WHITE NOT BROWN,” according to photos posted on social media.

Also written was the name Nationalist-13, a men’s-only neo-Nazi group, also known as NS-13, primarily based in Hamilton, Ont. The Free Press couldn’t independently verify if the group is associated or who hung the sign.

“On Oct. 13, the Steinbach RCMP were made aware of this sign and have opened an investigation,” a spokesperson said in an email statement. They also said the sign has been removed.

Read
Yesterday at 7:41 PM CDT

Elder day care closure frustrates families

Carol Sanders 4 minute read 2:01 AM CDT

A day program that helps older adults in Charleswood stay connected to their community is closing at the end of the month, causing concern for participants and their families now trying to fill the void.

Kathy Brett James said her elderly mom was on a wait list for more than a year before getting into the Charleswood Adult Day Program this summer and said she looks forward to attending every week.

“It has been great for her,” James said. “She’s having conversations instead of being by herself all day.”

For more than 30 years, the program provided a welcoming place for connection, companionship and support for older adults and their families. It helped participants remain active, engaged and connected to their community while also providing respite and support for caregivers.

‘We know we’re not going to beat Mother Nature’: Ice prep begins at Princess Auto Stadium for Heritage Classic

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Preview

‘We know we’re not going to beat Mother Nature’: Ice prep begins at Princess Auto Stadium for Heritage Classic

Mike McIntyre 6 minute read Yesterday at 5:56 PM CDT

Derek King typically has ice in his veins.

But the Manitoban admits there may be a few more butterflies than usual as he prepares for the ultimate home game — the 2026 Heritage Classic between the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens.

“This is so exciting to be back,” King, the NHL’s vice-president of hockey operations and facilities operations, said Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s definitely going to be a fun event to be part of.”

Read
Yesterday at 5:56 PM CDT