Today’s Mystery Photo might be called “Spires Galore!” That might be the start for you to identify today’s mystery. See if you can, and then send your idea to ebrack2@gmail.com, and be sure to tell us in which town you live.
The most recent lighthouse presented to you to identify was recognized by several people.
Fran Worrall, Lawrenceville, says: “It’s the Port Isabel Lighthouse near South Padre Island, the last Texas lighthouse open to the public. Built in 1852 to reduce the number of shipwrecks occurring off Brazos Island in the Gulf of Mexico, the 72-foot structure was decommissioned around 1905. In 2019, the Texas Historical Commission gained custody of the site and since then has coordinated preservation efforts with the City of Port Isabel to maintain the popular destination’s heritage. In 2022, the lighthouse received a full-scale reproduction of its Fresnel lens, which brought it back to its glory days. Visitors to the area can climb to the top of the structure (via 75 stairs and three short ladders) to take in the sights of the South Padre Island beaches. A reconstructed lighthouse keeper’s cottage nearby serves as a visitor center and museum.” The photo came from Allan Peel of San Antonio, Texas.
Others recognizing it included: Dick LoPresti, Berkeley Lake; Jay Altman, Columbia, S.C.; Stewart Ogilvie, Rehobeth, Ala.; and George Graf, Palmyra, Va.
- SHARE A MYSTERY PHOTO: If you have a photo that you believe will stump readers, send it along (but make sure to tell us what it is because it may stump us too!) Click here to send an email and please mark it as a photo submission. Thanks.
Police building in Duluth named for former chief
The Duluth Police Department building is now known as the R.D. Belcher Public Safety Center, named for Randy Belcher, who was police chief for 38 years.
Chief Belcher retired in July 2022 after 46 years of service with the Duluth Police Department. During his tenure, the department grew from 16 employees in 1984 to a state-accredited agency with 91 members today. In 1984, he became the youngest serving police chief in Georgia and was the first Duluth police chief to graduate from the prestigious FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.
Under his guidance, the department implemented advanced technologies, including a robust citywide camera monitoring program, and launched several community initiatives such as Citizens on Patrol, the Citizens Police Academy, and the Youth Police Academy. His dedication to building partnerships earned him the Gwinnett Chamber Leadership Award for excellence in community-oriented engagement in 2017.
