$25,000 reward offered for info on Lac du Flambeau woman missing since March 17
Melissa Beson photo courtesy LDF Police Department
For information resulting in the return of Melissa Beson, 37, who has been missing from a Vilas County reservation since March 17, and/or the arrest and prosecution of anyone involved in Beson's disappearance, the Lac du Flambeau (LDF) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is offering a reward of $25,000.
'Melissa's family desperately wants to know where she is, and the Tribe is fully committed to helping its law enforcement agency exhaust every investigative resource to find her and bring her home,' said T.J. Bill, LDF Tribal Police Chief, in a press release.
Beson is a Native American female, 5'7', with a medium build, brown hair and brown eyes. She has numerous tattoos, including on her neck, arms and legs.
She was reported missing on March 23, 2025. The last confirmed sighting of her was on Monday, March 17, 2025, during the late afternoon. At that time, Beson was observed walking on Indian Village Road, near Wayman Lane, in Lac du Flambeau. When last seen, she wore red sweatpants, a black sleeveless shirt and a gray sweatshirt.
'The Lac du Flambeau Tribal Police Department (LDFTPD) remains steadfast in its investigation into Melissa's disappearance,' said Bill. 'Every lead, no matter how small, is being thoroughly pursued to find her. Authorities have searched relentlessly in the area where Melissa was last seen, as well as other areas of interest. LDFTPD Officers and assisting agencies have conducted grid searches on foot, have deployed high-tech drones and airplanes, and have searched using specially trained canines. To date, over 3,400 acres have been carefully searched.'
Based on the information his office has received, Bill told the Wisconsin Examiner two theories about Beson's disappearance have been pursued: she either walked out into the forest and became lost and is probably deceased, or she left the area and is living with other persons.
Besides the large-scale searches for Beson, coordination with other law enforcement agencies has been conducted regarding reports of Beson being in another community in the Wausau area, but follow-up investigations have yet to produce any information on Beson's whereabouts.
'The reward offered by the Tribe will be apportioned as deemed just by the Tribe, in the event, for example, multiple credible tips are received, which lead to the discovery of Melissa Beson and/or the arrest and charging of anyone responsible for her disappearance,' said Bill.
Employees of law enforcement and correctional agencies are not eligible to collect the reward.
Anyone with information regarding Beson's disappearance or location is asked to call the Lac du Flambeau Tribal Police Department at (715) 588-7717 or the Vilas County Sheriff's Office at (715) 479-4441.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Protesters March, Police Surround, and the Cycle Resets: Dispatch From L.A.
"They start shooting, I'm taking off," said Arley Washington, a protester I met on the bus, when he spotted the phalanx of police officers sealing off the corner of Los Angeles and Temple Streets. Protesters who wanted to block the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters had to walk around. Washington, who was downtown on an errand and figured the protesters could use some support, passed teenagers waving homemade posters reading, "Tearing Apart FAMILIES is EVIL" and "ICE out of LA," vendors selling Mexican flags from a pull cart, a half-naked man taking a bath in a fire hydrant, and walls of fresh graffiti riffing on some version of "FUCK TRUMP." On the other side of the 101, Washington spotted another line of cops and planned an escape route for when they rushed the crowd. "I got shot with a rubber bullet back in 2020 at the [Black Lives Matter] protests," he said, lifting his shirt to show a small dent in his gut. "The police, they were lined up and they were shooting far, like two city blocks; he hit me from that far." Law enforcement, including the Los Angeles Police Department and the California National Guard, were a lot closer than that on Monday—a few hundred lined every entry and exit point of Los Angeles Street from the freeway and Temple Street, forming a sort of box canyon for the 800 or so people who came to protest the ICE raids that happened in L.A. last Friday. The players were who you might call the daytime crew, each squad doing what they nearly always do at the protest du jour: cops standing stock still, saying nothing, and staring into the distance, while protesters chanted, waved flags, and reminded one another to stay chill. The crowd was chill, which absolutely no one who wants to claim L.A. is "a city of criminals," as Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said, is going to believe. They have cause not to believe it, based on what nearly always happens at protests when the night crew rolls in: looting and busting in cop car windows, not motivated by protecting immigrant rights, but rather any opportunity to engage in mayhem. If that's the loop we're stuck in—inroads made during the day eradicated before sunup the next—the peaceful protesters will stay at it anyway. They won't say it's OK for DHS to pull people from their cars, to pull them from their jobs—another reason Washington came down on Monday. "I'm Native American, and what's happening seems more racial, not just because you're illegal," he said. "I worked at a beach club over the weekend, like rich, very fancy. And the workers, some of them were illegal and they were asking the manager, what would you do if ICE came? They said, it's a private business, they could furnish a letter stating ICE is not allowed to enter the premises, and basically told the ones that are illegal, there are basements; to basically hide." Washington found a place in the shade to watch as the show played out: students reminding everyone to stay peaceful; a smiling grandma leaning on her walker; skater boys; scooter boys; people waving Mexican flags, American flags, an Israeli flag; a car with a smashed-in grill rolling slowly down the street with its radio blaring, "Fuck the police"; a young Latina offering bottles of cold water ("It's the least I can do"); an anti-fascist (his sweatshirt said so) handing out energy bars; people covering their faces in bandanas, in a luchador mask, in ski masks; boomers holding signs with overcomplicated messages; and 200 or so people shouting directly at the National Guard soldiers on the steps of DHS, none saying or doing anything in return. It was clear they didn't need to respond. Nothing was getting out of hand; there were no altercations whatsoever. And, yet… "I look too Mexican, I'm out," said Washington, just before a message passed through the crowd that police were going to declare the gathering an unlawful assembly, meaning anyone who didn't disperse could be arrested. Within 10 minutes, 80 percent of the people had bailed. "Run!" people shouted. Most did, from the dozens of cops who began pressing into the remaining crowd, shooting off flash-bang grenades. The newly arrived night crew protesters did the opposite. They got right in the cops' faces, shouting what they always shout: "Kill yourself" and "All cops are bastards," and, in one case, a disheveled man keening, "I will never forgive you!" over and over. The rest of us ran—you want to avoid rubber bullets, which a young man doubled over by a light pole did not manage to do. I asked him where he was hit. "In the nuts," he squeaked and doubled back over. Ten minutes later, the day crew had been replaced by the night crew, who had apparently been staging themselves on Temple Street. They came in homemade riot gear while shouting that this is what they'd come for, they took out their cameras and changed the picture as the rubber bullets began to fly. The post Protesters March, Police Surround, and the Cycle Resets: Dispatch From L.A. appeared first on
Miami Herald
9 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Popular gas station could catch a break as feds move to drop lawsuit
A few very popular gas stations have loyal followings in various parts of the United States. Wawa and 7-Eleven are two of them, and Sheetz is the third. While 7-Eleven is primarily known for its Slurpees and Wawa for its subs and sandwiches, Sheetz offers a variety of made-to-order food, a coffee shop with Sheetz Brothers Coffee, and (in some locations) even a beer cave. The gas station is also generally open 24/7 in most areas, so you know you can count on Sheetz at any hour. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Sheetz has, however, been facing some legal problems lately. Specifically, the gas station was being sued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The lawsuit against the company was initiated in April of 2024 under the Biden Administration and has proceeded through the court system. Now, however, Sheetz may catch a break. That's because on Friday, federal authorities moved to drop the case. Sheetz was being sued by the Biden EEOC for racial discrimination. Specifically, the case was based on a legal theory called disparate impact. Under this legal theory, a company can be held liable for discrimination if it puts a facially neutral policy in place that has a disproportionately negative or disqualifying effect on a protected group. In this particular case, the policy that Sheetz put in place was a prohibition against hiring anyone who failed a criminal background check. The EEOC under President Biden found this policy to be discriminatory against multiracial job applicants, as well as against Black and Native American applicants. The agency determined this after finding that 14.5% of Black job applicants failed the screening and were denied employment, while Native Americans were denied at a rate of 13%, and 13.5% of multiracial job seekers were unable to gain employment with the gas station. Related: DoorDash accused of purposely misleading its customers "Federal law mandates that employment practices causing a disparate impact because of race or other protected classifications must be shown by the employer to be necessary to ensure the safe and efficient performance of the particular jobs at issue," Debra M. Lawrence, an attorney for the EECO, said in a statement at the time. Lawrence added that even when the company proved the rule was necessary, "the practice remains unlawful if there is an alternative practice available that is comparably effective in achieving the employer's goals but causes less discriminatory effect." The EEOC moved last Friday to drop the case against Sheetz, filing its motion in a federal court in Pennsylvania. The agency cited new executive orders put in place by the Trump Administration directing the agency to deprioritize the use of disparate impact discrimination when deciding which anti-discrimination cases to pursue. Related: Beloved Mexican restaurant closing iconic location after 63 years Dropping the case is part of the administration's broader effort to change how civil rights claims are handled - this includes going after Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, terminating EEOC workers, and redirecting agency heads to implement his agenda. It does not necessarily mean the lawsuit against Sheetz will be unable to proceed at all, as a Black worker terminated from his job at a Pennsylvania Sheetz filed a motion in federal court Thursday to intervene in the case and move forward with a class action lawsuit, independently of the EEOC. In its motion, the EEOC also asked the court to delay dismissal of the lawsuit for 60 days to allow potential plaintiffs to intervene. Still, without the federal government pursuing the case, Sheetz may stand a better chance of resolving outstanding claims quickly through settlement or fighting accusations of wrongdoing made by private plaintiffs. More Restaurants: Beloved Mexican restaurant closing iconic location after 63 yearsMajor restaurant chain quietly closes several locationsIconic restaurant closing its doors after 32 years It's undoubtedly better not to have the full power of a government agency against you when you're being sued, so the EEOC's motion to dismiss likely comes as a welcome relief to the popular gas station. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Long Island neighborhood named New York's best place to live gives locals new swagger: ‘Why not us?'
Massapequa Park has got that swagger. The Long Island enclave is basking in the glow of earning the title of New York's best place to live in a US News & World Report ranking — with locals saying 'why not us?' It's some welcome attention after some unwanted association with the Gilgo Beach serial murder suspect and an ongoing fight to keep the local school's 'Chiefs' name and logo in the face of a state ban on Native American imagery. 'This is the place you want to start a family,' said lifelong resident Michael Cassano, owner of American Beauty restaurant in Massapequa Park Village. The Park — as it's nicknamed — is simply different because of the moxie and mettle of the upbeat, take-no-crap population of around 17,000, Cassano added. 'With that comes a pride — you see it in the fight to keep the Chiefs logo,' he said. 'Everybody is getting behind it, just how everybody gets behind this town for all sorts of things.' The neighborhood not only made New York's best but was among the top150 in America in the ranking, scoring high in quality of life categories. Both old and new residents said they weren't surprised, viewing the town as the perfect slice of Americana and great values, sitting pretty on the water east of New York City — which bombed toward the bottom 50 of over 850 rankings. Cassano's wife, Maria, 44, added that the South Shore area, where a median home goes for $746,500, per is one where 'we know each other's names.' She used the example of how the town rallied to support the family of slain NYPD officer Jonathan Diller as a vast majority of residents lined the busy Merrick Road out of respect for his funeral procession in the Spring of 2024. 'To see our community come together, that's a norm for us,' she said. 'I think this town brings families together.' The Cassano testimony paints the town in a much brighter light than what was seen after the 2023 arrest of lifelong resident and Berner High School graduate, alleged Gilgo Beach killer Rex Heuermann. Even that wasn't enough to dampen the good vibes in the village, which has since rocked back to normal since the worldwide press left First Avenue. The devastating news didn't deter Vinny and Allie Frazzetto, both 30, from closing on their home walking distance from the notorious Heuermann house last summer, either. 'The long-standing reputation that Massapequa Park has, the good schools, core values, and the wonderful community prevailed over anything else,' Allie Frazzetto said. Massapequa Park also scored high on public safety stats in the new ranking, as it is in US News and World Report's safest-ranked community in America for 2024. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman praised Mayor Daniel Pearl for doing 'an outstanding job' in other areas of residential needs. That's why both Frazzettos called it quits on Bayside, Queens, as they're getting ready to raise baby No. 1, whom they're expecting in September. 'I love that you have the opportunities that a big district would give you, but the feel of a small neighborhood,' Allie Frazzetto, originally of Garden City, added of Jerry Seinfeld's hometown. 'I feel like you get the best of both worlds.' Her husband, originally of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, said he's excited for his little one to have friends on the block to play with as he grows up, just like dad did in the early 2000s. 'We wanted the great school districts that Massapequa has, and we wanted the backyard, we wanted that next chapter of life,' he said. And Massapequa High School's baseball, softball, and both girls and boys lacrosse teams all won county titles this spring. 'We have winners and successful people. It doesn't happen by accident,' town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joe Saladino, a Massapequa grad. 'It happens because of tremendous support from the parents and the families. The community, and especially the school district. It reflects so well on everyone.' The Park is also home to a diverse range of blue- and white-collar walks of life that Rishi Matadeen, 43, a long-time manager at popular watering hole Johnny McGorey's, sees nightly. 'You could come off the LIRR and you could be in construction clothes…you come and sit down and you could sit next to a guy that works on Wall Street, who makes $400,000 a year,' he said. 'And there's no awkwardness…everyone feels comfortable here, so that's the beauty of it.' Matadeen was first 'a little shocked' to hear the news of being named No. 1 — but then it all made sense. 'You start to put things in perspective a little bit and realize you take things for granted,' he said. 'And you go, well, why not us, right?'
