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An 80-mile crack splits Lake Erie’s ice as the lake nears a rare milestone

Lake Erie is almost completely iced over, and over the weekend, the frozen surface split open in dramatic fashion.
   A crack stretching more than 80 miles formed Sunday, running from near the Canadian side of the lake toward the Cleveland area. The break opened up after strong winds swept across the Great Lakes Friday and Saturday, pushing and pulling the lake’s ice as another blast of Arctic air poured into the region.
   The striking split isn’t unheard of when Lake Erie is heavily frozen. As winds shift or ease and temperatures fluctuate, large sheets of ice can drift, collide and separate, creating long, jagged openings across the lake.
    Those same winds also shoved ice toward parts of the shoreline, where it can pile up into ridges and create hazards, including the risk of property damage in vulnerable coastal areas.
    Will Lake Erie become 100% covered in ice? As of this week, Lake Erie was about 95% ice-covered, according to NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.
    Despite the bitter cold over the past weekend, the wind has helped keep some pockets of open water on the western end of the lake. Whether Lake Erie can “close the gap” and reach 100% coverage may come down to the next few days – especially if winds relax long enough for ice to spread and lock in.
   Lake Erie has reached 100% ice coverage only three times since record-keeping began in 1973.
   Ice coverage can also shape spring weather around the Great Lakes. AccuWeather is already predicting a cooler-than-normal spring in the region, and extensive ice can delay the arrival of shoreline warmth – especially for communities within a few miles of the water.

[Yahoo News]

Sandusky seeks redevelopment of Historic Boeckling Building & Pier

SANDUSKY, OH – The city of Sandusky is seeking to redevelop the historic Boeckling Building and pier after the Sandusky City Commission recently approved the city’s formal acceptance of the donated property, according to a news release.
   The Boeckling Building, 105 W. Shoreline Drive, originally was constructed in 1928 by George Boeckling to serve as the winter headquarters for Cedar Point.
   The building has been home to various businesses and offices over the decades, but it has been vacant since 2022. The site includes the pier and dock area that serves the Jet Express passenger ferry during the summer season.
    The donation originally was part of the 2021 agreement with Cedar Point and the City Commission approved entering into the finalized donation agreement July 14, 2025.
   “I want to thank Cedar Point for their partnership and cooperation,” said City Manager John Orzech in the release. “This is a historic building in a key location on our waterfront, and we’re ready to take the next step by finding a redevelopment partner. Our goal is to bring the building back into active use while maintaining access for the Jet Express and potentially future water taxi service.”
   The Boeckling Building site is identified as a major redevelopment priority in the Downtown Sandusky Master Plan, adopted in 2021.
   The plan calls for reinvestment and new uses at the site that strengthen the waterfront district, support walkability and create a more active connection between downtown and the water.
   Before the City Commission’s acceptance Jan. 12, the city completed due diligence at the site, including reviewing existing studies, Phase I and Phase II environmental information, evaluating existing conditions and completing a walk-through by the Building Official, the release said.
   As the city moves forward, the selected development team will be expected to lead all aspects of project planning and delivery and work through the city’s public approval process, the release said.
   The city expects proposals to be market-feasible with a clear, practical path to construction, align with the Downtown Master Plan and the city’s Strategic Plan, and reflect community priorities through additional public and stakeholder engagement.
   Redevelopment proposals are expected to consider public space, pedestrian connectivity to the surrounding walkway and pathway network, waterfront access with continued capacity for the Jet Express and potential future passenger ferry service, and prioritization of historic preservation.

[The Morning Journal]