LONDON − The park rangers were "visibly upset" when they discovered the victim's remains in a grassy beauty spot near an ancient wall built by Roman Emperor Hadrian almost 2,000 years ago Prosecutors allege two men traveled to the remote UNESCO World Heritage Site in the wild undulating hills of northern England on Sept They brought a chainsaw and captured the killing in a grainy video Footage shown to the jury shows the outline of a figure wielding the tool as a weapon some in Britain are still heartbroken by the grisly murder The oldest tree in the world? Meet these hidden tree gems. defined as those older than 150 years in age in England could be between 1.7 to 2.1 million "It might be down to what trees symbolize for us," Cormack said heritage − all of those things are pretty intrinsic to the British national identity We're surrounded by history everywhere we go." "I know one gentleman who sprinkled his wife's ashes at the tree's base because it was such an important place for her," said Steve Blair, the manager of Twice Brewed Inn a family-owned pub and hotel where walkers often gathered for a meal and cozy pint by the fire before making the picturesque one-mile walk to the tree "When Sycamore Gap was felled it landed near where her ashes were sprinkled 'Act of vandalism': See photos of 200-year-old Sycamore Gap tree chopped down in England The inn in rural Northumberland long ago adopted a silhouette of the Sycamore Gap tree as part of its logo Blair said it's not yet clear how the tree's chopping down will ultimately impact his business in a reflection of the tree's enduring popularity as a destination he has a world map on the wall that visitors can put a pin in so he can keep track of from where Blair thinks there's probably a pin in every single country Massive amounts of Americans and Canadians People love trees: Saving 'Stumpy': How residents in Washington scramble to save this one cherry tree Sycamore Gap tree was also Hollywood-famous a heritage and nature conservation organization that manages the land around the tree says that when admirers visited it with their children they would often try to replicate the scene from the movie where the boy hides out under its stunning canopy "This wasn't just a tree," said Sarah Dodd a British lawyer who specializes in tree law Dodd said that cases involving trees do reach local courts fairly regularly But those cases tend to involve disputes between neighbors or acts of petty vandalism She said this one was different because a criminal prosecution was being brought by the Crown Prosecution Service a national agency that works with police and courts to keep the public safe Dodd described the Sycamore Tree gap investigation as "significant," with at least 15 witnesses Arbor Day 2025: What to know about the holiday celebrating trees It also includes cellphone data and messages a "trophy" wedge taken from the Sycamore Gap tree that has been examined by a forensic botanist and the grainy video shown to jurors which shows a figure who appears to cut at the base of a large tree One of the men accused of chopping down the Sycamore Gap tree − Graham − told police he had been framed as part of a feud The other − Carruthers − said he didn't know how to operate a chain saw Dodd said that a criminal prosecution in Britain for cutting down a tree is extremely rare as is the potential for any prison time for such an offense She said the case was probably unprecedented from a legal standpoint and "pretty extraordinary." Sycamore Gap: 'Princess Diana' momentEdward Hope agreed with that characterization He is a retired cop who has established a second career as a content creator on YouTube politics and local history in and around Newcastle a city in northern England that is about a 45-minute drive to the Sycamore Gap tree He has been documenting the incident as well as following the court case Sapling: White House replaces 200-year-old 'Jackson Magnolia' Hope said not everyone in Britain has been "shocked and outraged" by the tree's destruction. One of his recent videos titled, "Sycamore Gap Trial - Why It's NOT 'Just A Tree,'" alludes to that Hope said comments on his videos are "roughly split" between those seething with anger over the felling and those who don't see what all the fuss is about and question whether a high-profile prosecution is a good use of taxpayer money Remembering Diana: What happened when millions of stiff upper lips trembled with grief Still, the Sycamore Gap tree was far from Britain's oldest tree. According to the Woodland Trust that is a yew tree named "Fortingall," believed to be 2,000 to 3,000 years old. It stands in a churchyard in Scotland. The Visit Scotland tourist board says it may even be as old as 9,000 years old making it one of the oldest living things in all of Europe another case of an ancient tree meeting an early end made headlines in Britain apologized after a 500-year-old oak tree was cut down outside one of its restaurants in north London The company said it mistakenly believed the felling was necessary to prevent an accident But local authorities had described the tree as a "fine specimen" with centuries to live Nor is Britain the only country to grapple with a bizarre murder case involving a tree Logging: Trump's plan to cut down more trees faces a host of problems In May 1989, the attempted murder of a 500-year-old tree known as "Treaty Oak" in Austin, Texas, by a man named Paul Stedman Cullen gripped the nation and made worldwide news Prosecutors argued that Cullen sought to poison the tree using a herbicide as part of an occult ritual to dampen his infatuation with his counselor at a drug clinic Cullen was convicted of poisoning the tree and sentenced serve nine years in prison as well as pay a $1,000 fine The tree survived and today stands at the northeast corner of Baylor Street and 6th Street in Austin said the logo for the business he manages would not be changing though the Sycamore Gap tree no longer exists He said that when he visited the spot where the tree used to stand the last week of April he saw some small green shoots on the side of the stump that indicated it was still alive He said he's not sure the Sycamore Gap tree will ever grow back to be the tree it once was that if it does it will likely take several hundred years Blair said he hopes visitors will still come to look at what used to be there he said the most important thing is to find out why anyone would chop down such a special tree Daniel Graham tells court it was suggested he accept responsibility ‘because I have mental health issues’ One of the two men accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree has denied being responsible and said he was asked to take the blame because he had mental health issues was responsible for felling the tree next to Hadrian’s Wall He said Carruthers called it “the most famous tree in the world” and had a sentimental attachment to a length of string which he once used to measure its circumference were once good friends and are jointly charged with criminally felling the tree and damaging the Roman wall on which it stood On day four of their trial at Newcastle crown court gave evidence and accepted that his Range Rover car was used to drive to and from the tree and that his Apple iPhone was used to film its felling But appearing in the witness box for the first time Graham said he played no part and would have been in bed asleep in his caravan having taken sleeping pills The tree was deliberately cut down in the early hours of 28 September 2023 during the strong winds of Storm Agnes Prosecutors claim Graham and Carruthers were together on a “moronic mission” to topple it and later revelled in the resulting headlines 0:54Footage purporting to show moment Sycamore Gap tree felled seen in court – videoGraham said that on the morning it happened Carruthers rang him and said he had cut down the tree Graham told the jury: “I told him that he was talking shite They asked Graham to take the blame for felling the tree “because I have mental health issues Apparently they would be more lenient with me” Graham said they goaded him and told him: “Nowt will happen to you Graham has named Dalgleish as a suspect in the case DI Calum Meikle of Northumbria police told the court they had looked into claims about Dalgleish but were “satisfied that he wasn’t involved” asked his client if Carruthers had ever talked about felling the Sycamore Gap tree “He’d mentioned it but he mentioned a lot of things,” said Graham Graham said he recalled Carruthers talking about the tree in 2021 when Graham went to use some string and Carruthers said not to because it had sentimental value Carruthers laid the string in a circle and said it was the circumference of the Sycamore Gap tree “He told me it was the most famous tree in the world,” said Graham That was the first time Graham knew about the tree Knox said it was clear two people had been involved on the night – one person cutting down the tree and one filming I don’t know 100% who the other person was,” Graham said Under cross-examination by the prosecuting barrister Graham was asked if he was lying and changing his story Wright asked Graham why his dog did not go “berserk” when two people came into his yard and took his Range Rover the dog may not have heard and it would not have barked if it heard Carruthers’ voice Wright asked if it was a lie that Graham first knew about the tree in 2021 since he had reported a car being stolen from the Steel Rigg car park – used by visitors to Sycamore Gap – in 2020 Graham said: “Just because I know about the car park doesn’t mean I know about the tree.” At one point Graham said to Wright: “You might be a little bit more educated than me and you’re trying to make a fool of me.” The trial has heard that police have never recovered the chainsaw used to cut down the tree or a wedge of trunk that was removed in order to cut it down and was photographed in the boot of Graham’s Range Rover On Friday the jury was played a phone call Graham made to police a year after the crime in which he offered intelligence anonymously Graham can be heard telling police that if they were to visit Carruthers’ home He also said Carruthers had access to firearms – a handgun and an old shotgun Graham told the court he believed the “police did not do a very good job” investigating the crime are jointly charged with causing criminal damage worth £622,191 to the tree They are also charged with causing £1,144 of damage to Hadrian’s Wall The tree and that particular section of the wall belong to the National Trust The pair deny all the charges against them Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker By STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM A mysterious formation lurking deep in the ocean has been spotted just a few miles off the coast of Southern California Geographically known as Sycamore Knoll, the natural underwater structure looks like a bump pushing up from the ocean floor It has been studied by scientists for years, though recent claims by conspiracy theorists have suggested Sycamore Knoll might be an underwater 'alien base.' 'Some refer to it as an anomaly while others believe it is an alien base,' a Redditor shared in another post this year. 'It's believed to be between two-and-a-half and three miles wide.' Sycamore Knoll sits about 2,000 feet below the surface and is located 6.6 miles off the coast of Malibu. It is located at geographic coordinates 34° 1'23.31″N 118° 59'45.64″W. While Google Earth images from 2014 captured detailed views of the formation, it appears to have been wiped from the platform as of 2025, adding more mystery about its origins. A mysterious formation lurking deep in the ocean has been spotted just a few miles off the coast of Southern California Sycamore Knoll sits about 2,000 feet below the surface and is located 6.6 miles off the coast of Malibu. It is located at geographic coordinates 34° 1'23.31″N 118° 59'45.64″W The formation, however, can be seen on other online mapping platforms such as a fishing charter app. Sycamore Knoll has been known for the past several decades but gained widespread public attention in 2014 when Google Earth images led to speculation about its structure, with some suggesting it resembled an artificial or alien base. The structure was also featured on the 'Fade to Black' podcast with Host Jimmy Church, who fed into conspiracies proclaiming it as not natural, but rather extraterrestrial. He speculated that it could be the biggest center of UFO activity found since Roswell, New Mexico, the Los Angeles Almanac reported. The National UFO Reporting Center has also received many reports of mysterious objects flying over the exact area as Sycamore Knoll, with some people saying they spotted craft emerging from the ocean. 'It looked like a massive, cathedral-shaped structure — multiple pointed edges all glowing brilliantly white, heading straight into the ocean,' one California resident reported to the UFO reporting site after seeing a mysterious craft in the sky. 'There was no splash, no sound... just a flash, and it was gone. 'It happened so fast — like a giant ship or object vanishing beneath the surface in an instant.' The X account Daily UFO, which has over 35,000 followers, shared a post about Sycamore Knoll in January, noting how Google Earth previously showed the tabletop formation and now it is blurred. The formation, however, can be seen on other online mapping platforms such as a fishing charter app (pictured) The natural underwater structure looks like a bump pushing up from the ocean floor , with a flat, table-like top Some have suggested that the Google Earth image 'isn't an actual picture, so there's nothing to blur,' noting that 'it's a digital markup of data. The 'blur' is just a lack of data.' Republican Congressman Tim Burchett also claimed in January that an admiral, whom he did not identify, told him about a UFO that was moving underwater at remarkable speed. 'They tell me something's moving at hundreds of miles an hour underwater.. underwater,' the Tennessee congressman told former Republican congressman Matt Gaetz who now hosts a show on right-wing news outlet One America News and I have an admiral telling me this stuff.' The renewed attention in Sycamore Knoll also comes days after a UFO expert who released a new video this week showing the infamous Tic Tac revealed bombshell theories about the phenomenon an investigative journalist and filmmaker known for his work with George Knapp on military-documented unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) has once again ignited public debate over UFOs - this time with newly released footage captured aboard the USS Jackson in 2023 made public this month after a multi-year verification process shows what Corbell and military witnesses described as a 'self-luminous tailless' craft rising from the Pacific Ocean While Google Earth images from 2014 captured detailed views of the formation it appears to have been wiped from the platform as of 2025 But Corbell insisted the new footage is far from an isolated event he said it fits a broader and increasingly alarming pattern: repeated sightings of intelligently controlled craft that defy known aerodynamics appear regularly in the same offshore military training zone and may originate from below the ocean's surface the 2023 incident echoes two other major military encounters: the 2004 Nimitz sighting and a lesser-known but well-documented 2019 event in which a swarm of UAPs surrounded ten Navy warships over multiple nights is not a standalone revelation but part of a growing body of evidence pointing to intelligently controlled craft - capable of transmedium travel (moving seamlessly through space and water) - that have repeatedly appeared over decades in the same region: Warning Area 291 an investigative journalist and filmmaker known for his work with George Knapp on military-documented UAP Newly released video taken on board the USS Omaha shows what has been described as a transmedium vehicle (that is a vehicle capable of traveling through both air and water) moving The 2023 release was supported by a new military witness: an active-duty U.S Navy combat information center (CIC) operator who claims to have seen the object rise from the ocean with his own eyes vetted the witness and aligned his account with radar data and FLIR imagery The Navy veteran tracked the object using the ship's high-powered SAPPHIRE FLIR thermal targeting system Radar detected four unknown targets in the area shooting off simultaneously without visible propulsion The comments below have not been moderated By posting your comment you agree to our house rules Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group ExpandThe Sycamore bench gets loud as they bat Friday On Friday, the Sycamore softball team headed down to DeKalb for a game between the two rivals, an 11-3 win for the Spartans Beyond the standout performances for players such as Sycamore pitchers Sawyer Valdez and Addison Dierschow and DeKalb’s Hunter Kriese and Alyanna Johnson, here are some other moments that were pivotal but potentially overlooked. DeKalb's Emma Hart makes a diving catch Friday, May 2, 2025, during their game against Sycamore at DeKalb High School. (Mark Busch) With a runner on third and no one out in the top of the first inning, Sycamore’s Addi Armstrong laced the ball into right center for what looked like a sure base hit. The junior right fielder dove and came up with the ball for the first out. The runner scored, but Hart prevented an extra-base hit with the effort. Something that proved essential after a single later in the inning likely would have pushed the Sycamore lead beyond 1-0. Hart nearly made another spectacular play going the other direction on a ball in foul territory, but it fell just past her outstretched glove. Sycamore's Addison Dierschow delivers a pitch Friday, May 2, 2025, during their game at DeKalb High School. (Mark Busch) The Sycamore starter had a lot of flashy moments in her eight-strikeout four-hit complete game, but a popout to second base early was just as important. Sycamore was up 6-3 in the bottom of the third. Dierschow got the first two hitters, but Izzy Aranda and Cassidy Cavazos hit back-to-back singles. That brought up Johnson, who hit a three-run triple in the first inning that put the Barbs ahead 3-1. Dierschow fell behind 3-1 in the count, but she won the battle, getting Johnson to pop up. She only allowed one baserunner in the final two innings of the rain-shortened game. Sycamore's Ben Anderson (3) gets a base hit during the game on Saturday May 3, 2025, while taking on DeKalb High School held at Sycamore Park District Sports Complex. (David Toney for Shaw Local News /David Toney) Baseball frequently is referred to as a game of inches, and Sycamore proved why in the bottom of the fifth. Up 2-0 on the Barbs, Ben Anderson started the inning with a grounder to shortstop Jackson Kees. The all-conference shortstop took an extra pump of the ball before firing a rocket to first, but Anderson beat it out. Adam Eder was up next and dropped down the perfect bunt. Kriese waited a second to see if it would go foul. It didn’t, and by the time Kriese realized that, his throw was late to get Eder. Luke Stubbfield came on to relieve Kriese and Carter Yoakum tested him right away with another bunt. Since 5-11 first baseman Paul Kakoliris was in covering the bunt, Stubbfield’s slightly high throw pulled 5-5 second baseman Nik Nelson off the bag at first, allowing Yoakum to reach to load the bases. All three would come around to score in the four-run inning as the Spartans led 6-0 after five. Those manufactured runs proved huge as the Barbs started rallying after a Nelson homer in the sixth. Sycamore's Jack Block (24) gets a base hit on Saturday May 3, 2025, during the game while taking on DeKalb High School held at Sycamore Park District Sports Complex. (David Toney for Shaw Local News /David Toney) Nelson’s homer made it 6-1 going into the bottom of the sixth. Sycamore coach Jason Cavanaugh said one of the things the Spartans track in the dugout is answering runs. And Bredlau added another check mark to the column. Bredlau entered as a pinch hitter for Yoakum with two outs and Jack Block on third. He hit a single up the middle to score Block and push the lead to 7-1. DeKalb scored three runs in the seventh inning and brought the tying run to the plate with one out, so the extra run proved to be huge for the Spartans. Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network Is "NORTH" The Best Surf Photography Book Ever Made? From Tubes To Turns, Jai Glindeman's Surfing is a Treat to Behold Gerry Lopez Goes Deep With Justin Jay On The Plug Podcast NewsAll NewsEventsBig Wave NewsWorld Surf LeagueEnvironmentalIndustryWave PoolsPosts List ‘He Was Such a Legend’: A Decade After His Death, Shawn “Barney” Barron’s Spirit Shines in Colorful Air Show Hawaiian Big Wave Icon Clyde Aikau Passes Away at 75 an underwater extraterrestrial hotspot off Malibu according to conspiracy theorists dating back to the salad days of the ‘50s and ‘60s yet still living up to its iconic reputation anytime a large south swell swings through town there’s something that’s been stirring up the tinfoil hat community an underwater feature 6.6 miles from the shore has been speculated to be a “UFO base” by conspiracy theorists We’re unable to load this content right now View directly on Instagram According to one UFO sighting Instagram account Sycamore Knoll has been “known to scientists for years particularly with speculation that it might be a hidden alien or government base Others suggest it’s simply due to incomplete data or Google Earth updates.” The coordinates of the oceanic feature are 34° 1'23.31″N 118° 59'45.64″W – go check it out yourself it has been mysteriously blurred out from Google Earth,” continued the conspiracy theorist IG “sparking questions as to why they felt the need to hide its location.” Per an account reported to the National UFO Reporting Center regarding a sighting at Sycamore Knoll: “It looked like a massive cathedral-shaped structure — multiple pointed edges all glowing brilliantly white It happened so fast — like a giant ship or object vanishing beneath the surface in an instant.” Experts have studied Sycamore Knoll in a more scientific manner, citing that it is anomalous. According to a study from 2018: “At the boundary between the Western Transverse Ranges province and Inner Continental Borderland of Southern California strain is partitioned across the sinistral-oblique Anacapa-Dume Fault system a pop-up structure 20 km west of Point Dume in the hanging wall of the north-dipping Anacapa-Dume Fault stands out as an anomalous bathymetric high along the Southern California coast.” Over on the highly credible Reddit thread dedicated to this phenomenon “Time to get a group of UFO hunting divers together.” We recognise you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore cannot grant you access at this time e-mail us at webeditor@tribstar.com or call us at 812-231-4200 Sycamore Studios announced today that veteran producer Jeremy Latcham (The Avengers Guardians of the Galaxy) will join the company’s upcoming animated feature as an executive producer through his Latcham Pictures banner The project marks Latcham’s first foray into animation Latcham Pictures’ Andrew Pace (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) will serve as a producer on the film Based on Ben Hatke’s #1 New York Times bestselling trilogy Zita the Spacegirl follows an adventurous girl who is propelled into a cosmic adventure when her best friend is abducted by aliens Zita’s unwavering determination to find her way back home and her courageous sacrifice for others transform her into an intergalactic hero including the American Library Association Notable Children’s Book a CYBIL Award and several Books of the Year awards including Kirkus and School Library Journal we believe in telling timeless stories that elevate the vision of our audience,” said CEO Christian McGuigan in addition to a deep understanding of how story shapes the heart We’re thrilled to have him help us bring Zita to life.” announced in December 2024 by Sycamore Studios CEO Christian McGuigan and CCO Timothy Reckart joins a growing lineup of IP-based animated feature film projects including Doctor Dolittle by Bob Barlen and Cal Brunker (PAW Patrol: The Movie Latcham is the producer of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Bad Times at the El Royale He serves as a senior advisor to the Wonder Project where he is developing and producing a slate of films with projects in the works at Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Latcham has an overall deal with Hasbro Entertainment where he is developing a D&D sequel and has projects set up at Skydance and Lionsgate Latcham served as SVP of Production & Development at Marvel Studios where he was an executive producer on Spider-Man: Homecoming Marvel’s The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy associate producer on Iron Man and co-producer on Iron Man 2 “Animation opens up a whole new storytelling toolkit and I couldn’t be happier to launch that journey with Zita the Spacegirl,” said Latcham “Sycamore Studios brings passion and a level of creativity that truly elevates the project and their thoughtful approach to storytelling makes them a perfect partner to bring Zita from the page to the screen.” Latcham is represented by Warren Dern and Kiley Wong at Sloane Offer The deal was negotiated by McGuigan and Barndon Milostan of Greenberg Glusker sycamorestudios.com We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorised as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyse how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyse the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customised advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyse the effectiveness of the ad campaigns ExpandThe Sycamore Chamber of Commerce welcoming Thompson Therapeutics and Mediation PLLC to its new location (Photo provided by the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce ) SYCAMORE – A Sycamore therapy clinic that offers therapy for mental health first responders and specialized group therapy for gender diverse and intersex adults recently reopened at a new location offers LGBTQIA+ individuals various mental health services including anxiety The Sycamore Chamber of Commerce welcomed Thompson Therapeutics and Mediation PLLC to its new location board members and community members celebrated the new location with a ribbon-cutting April 17 For information, call 630-297-7559 or visit thompson-tm.com. Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here ExpandSycamore's Sawyer Valdez (2) pitches during the game on Saturday May 3 while taking on DeKalb High School held at Sycamore Park District Sports Complex (David Toney for Shaw Local News /David Toney) SYCAMORE – After five games of a team-wide offensive slump, Sycamore freshman leadoff hitter Sawyer Valdez provided the spark the Spartans needed with his bat. And with his arm he made sure the offensive performance would stand up. Valdez drove in two runs and allowed three hits in 4⅓ innings on the hill to help Sycamore knock off rival DeKalb 7-4 on Saturday. “It feels good today,” Valdez said. “We came together and got the win today, which is something we need to start doing. And I think we’ll start doing that more.” DeKalb (16-7-1) trailed the Spartans (13-8) 7-1 into the bottom of the seventh when Brodie Farrell and Isaac Black started the inning with singles. Valdez, who came on to pitch in the third inning with the game still scoreless, walked Paul Kakaloris and was lifted for Henry Hamingson, setting up runners at first and second with one out after Farrell was picked off. Hamingson walked Evan Johnson to load the bases and Hunter Kriese walked to drive in a run, cutting the Sycamore lead to 7-2. Kakaloris came across on a wild pitch and Johnson scored on a dropped third strike. Nik Nelson came up with two on and one out representing the tying run, but Hamingson struck him out. Hunter Hoerchler came in and struck out Cole Latimer to end the game. “We’ve been slumping the last few games,” said acting head coach Jeremy Morton, filling in for Josh Latimer as DeKalb lost for the third straight time and fifth time in its last six games. “DeKalb-Sycamore, the temperature is always pretty high. Both teams want to win this game pretty bad.” Kriese started for the Barbs and carried a perfect game into the third. Ben Anderson drew a walk to break it up, then Valdez doubled with two outs to score Anderson. Davis Collie singled to score Valdez and the Spartans led 2-0 after three. Sycamore broke things open with four runs in the sixth. Valdez walked with the bases loaded to score Anderson, then Davis Collie singled to bring home Adam Eder and Carter Yoakum. Valdez came around on a wild pitch and Sycamore led 6-0 after five. Tyler Townsend, unable to pitch the last six weeks with an injury, made his first start for the Spartans. He had a two-inning limit, striking out three and walking two while not allowing a hit. Valdez came on in the top of the third and retired the first nine Barbs until Nelson’s home run was the first hit and first run of the game for DeKalb. “He’s definitely the player of this game,” Sycamore coach Jason Cavanaugh said. “He got the scoring started with a single to right field and then he came in to relieve today. He’s a freshman and he’s not afraid of anything. He’s absolutely not afraid.” The Spartans entered Saturday having lost four of five, scoring five total runs in those games. The performance against the Barbs was the most runs they’ve scored in a game since April 21, an 8-3 win against La Salle-Peru which was the last game of an eight-game winning streak. “We’ve gotten a few clutch hits here and there these last few games, but our bunting came through today,” Valdez said as Eder and Yoakum both reached on bunts in the pivotal fifth inning. “Our clutch hitting at the end, putting the ball in play we needed to, let us score the runs that we needed to get.” Collie had two hits and three RBIs for the Spartans. Valdez scored twice and drove in two runs, while Ben Anderson scored twice. Cavanaugh said in the last five games the Spartans weren’t really getting any help from Kaneland or La Salle-Peru, especially in terms of walks. He said part of that was not getting enough competitive at-bats. On Saturday, he said, the team did much better and that led to a resurgent offense. “We did a good job of fouling off a lot of two-strike pitches and getting the ball in play,” Cavanaugh said. “We certainly didn’t knock the ball around the yard. We’re not going to be able to do that. That‘s who we are as a team. We’re going to need to rely on a two-strike approach and getting the ball down.” four Sycamore pitchers combined to give up five hits over 10 innings in the win Bella Jacobs struck out 10 in four innings in the 10-0 Game 1 win with Cami Knox pitching two innings of one-hit relief The Spartans banged out 14 hits in the game but did not homer snapping a streak of 17 games with at least one home run Addie McLaughlin had three hits and scored twice Adi Armstrong and Ema Durst had two hits each while Faith Heil Durst and Brighton Snodgrass scored twice each Addison Dierschow pitched three innings of one-hit ball in the 16-0 win in game two Heil and Durst had two hits and two runs each Charles East 8-2 but beating Cary-Grove 15-0 Natalie Naab and Ansley Ruh each had two hits Angelina Campise had three hits and Riley Cooper had two the Knights rolled to a doubleheader sweep including two-hit games for Preston Popovich and Aidan Whildin Whildin also scored twice and drove in a pair Kanon Baxley and Jack Frey combined on the shutout in Game 1 Trevor Lupella and Caleb Newton combined on a one-hitter in Game 2 Whildin added two more hits and Johnson drove in two runs Kylie Runkle scored twice as the Spartans improved to 12-3-1 on the year Marin Gautcher and Izzie Segreti scored for Sycamore Kruizenga and Lana Walker also had assists Shaw Local News NetworkShaw Local News Network provides local news throughout northern Illinois Expand“In My Shoes: Art for Hope and Healing from Mental Illness” art showcase will be held May 14 at Blumen Gardens in Sycamore SYCAMORE – The DeKalb County Mental Health Board and the Living Room at Ben Gordon Center will host the second annual “In My Shoes: Art for Hope and Healing from Mental Illness” art showcase in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month The free event will be held from 4 to 7 p.m Participants can share their mental illness journey Resources for people seeking support also will be provided Art submissions are being accepted through May 1. To submit a piece, email BGCEvents@nm.org. Boys trackGib Seegers Track and Field Classic: At Sycamore the Spartans won with 135 points with DeKalb in second place with 100 Corey Goff won the 1,600-meter run in 4:34.17 Crewe Bartelt and Aidan Wyzard won the 4x100 in 42.42 with Arhos Preston Picolotti and Colton Sharpness winning the 4x200 in 1:32.62 Dylan Weides set a PR in the discus with a toss of 47.06 meters Wyzard won the long jump (6.97) and Hodges won the triple jump (12.57) Jacob Barraza set a PR in the 800 in 1:56.78 to win Jayden Rogers and Anderson won the 4x400 in 3:25.46 Kaneland took third with 43 points behind Princeton (48) and Morris (57) Noah Cornell and Jackson Boryc won the 4x100 relay in 45.92 seconds for the Knights Sycamore scored 93 points to take third behind Harlem (115.5) and Boylan Catholic (106) Alyssa Stacy won the 100-meter days for the Spartans in 12.9 seconds Kennah Butler had a toss of 11.22 meters to win the shot and Sydney Fabrizius cleared 2.81 to win the pole vault Krista Cobb took second in the discus with a throw of 37.39 meters she set the school record with a toss of 38.91 Angelina Campise and Ellie Peck had the Knights’ two hits in the loss Eddie CarifioDaily Chronicle sports editor since 2014. NIU beat writer. DeKalb, Sycamore, Kaneland, Genoa-Kingston, Indian Creek, Hiawatha and Hinckley-Big Rock coverage as well. ExpandSycamore's Addison Dierschow delivers a pitch Friday DeKALB – Addison Dierschow left a pitch up and away to Alaynna Johnson, allowing the DeKalb designated player to slug the ball for a three-run triple to stake DeKalb to a lead early in the third inning The Sycamore starter retired 13 of the last 16 DeKalb batters, seven on strikeouts, as the Spartans came back for an 11-3 win in the rain-shortened rivalry game on Friday. “It feels really good. We are all really close with that team and we know how good that team is this year,” Dierschow said. “We all came in fired up and ready to go to play them and have it be a good game.” Rain started to fall lightly in the bottom of the fourth in which Dierschow still struck out the side. It started to rain more steadily in the top of the fifth, in which the Spartans (18-2-1) scored three times to break the game open. Adi Armstrong and Ellison Hallahan had RBI doubles in the frame. And by the bottom of the fifth it was raining hard, with Dierschow allowing just a walk. After the game became official after five full innings, the umpires called it due to the weather. “She started to hit her spots better,” Sycamore coach Jill Carpenter said. “When your team gives you that three-run cushion and you feel like they’re going to continue to do that for you, it allows you to settle down as a pitcher.” Dierschow got the first two DeKalb batters in the top of the first before Kennedy Latimer singled, then Izzy Aranda and Cassidy Cavazos drew back-to-back walks. That’s when Johnson hit her rocket just out of the reach of a diving Hallahan in left. The triple gave the Barbs (9-10) a 3-1 lead heading into the second after the Spartans scored in the first. Addie McLaughlin started things off with a single, stole second and moved up an extra base on an error. Armstrong brought her home with a sacrifice fly to right. “Our team is a really good offensive team, so I had full confidence in our lineup to be able to come back,” Dierschow said. “Even if things went bad, Bella Jacobs was warming up ready to go and I know she would have my back out there.” The Spartans took the lead back in a five-run third. They had three hits in the inning - RBI singles by Ema Durst, Kait Williams and Brighton Snodgrass. The Spartans also benefited from five walks and two wild pitches, plus a pair of DeKalb errors helped an unearned run cross the plate as Sycamore took a 6-3 lead. In the fourth, Durst launched a two-run home run to push the lead to 8-3. The Spartans have homered in 17 straight games. Carpenter said she was happy to see the team produce a big inning without a home run. “We’re not always going to win it on a bomb,” Carpenter said. “We need to be able to string a few singles together, things like that and make sure walks still matter, and wild pitches and take advantage of those when we have them.” In the fifth inning, Latimer was injured on a play trying to apply a tag to a runner at third. She hurt her knee and had to leave the game. DeKalb coach Erica Swan said she was proud of how her team persevered and how strong the Barbs played through the first couple of innings. “That kind of just took the wind out of our sails a little bit,” Swan said. “Just a couple things going the wrong way and struggled to come back after that. Overall, I think those first 2½, three innings I was really proud of the way we faced Sycamore.” The Spartans had 11 hits in the game. McLaughlin, Durst and Kairi Lantz had two hits each. Durst drove in three while Armstrong and Kait Williams had two each. Dierschow allowed four hits and three earned runs in five innings, walking three and striking out eight. Carpenter said she was happy to see her team not get down after falling down early to a young DeKalb team she said is going to be very good. “We’ve had to work from behind before and I don’t think there’s any sense of panic with this group,” Carpenter said. “We’ve proven we can come back when we go down. The offense just got it going, and when you do that it helps everybody settle down.” ExpandShaw Local file photo – Sycamore Dairy Ripple The popular ice cream shop announced on Monday SYCAMORE – A popular spot to grab ice cream cones fries and flurries won’t be open this year business owners announced in a Facebook post Monday afternoon “It’s with a heavy heart that we are unfortunately not going to be able to open this year,” the post reads “We are very grateful for the last eight years of being able to serve this community We look forward for great things to come in the future.” It’s not yet clear if the business will reopen Requests for comment by the business owners were not immediately returned Previously, Dairy Ripple was only open for the summer season. Customers could enjoy the drive-thru or sit at picnic tables across from the Sycamore Park District’s golf courses. The business advertised flurries and morning coffee as recently as Jan. 10 on its Facebook page, but until Monday, it had not posted since. The felled Sycamore Gap tree is seen on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland arrives at Newcastle Crown Court where he is accused of criminal damage after the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree - valued at £622,000 and £1,114 damage to Hadrian’s Wall Forensic investigators from Northumbria Police examining the felled Sycamore Gap tree A general view of the stars above Sycamore Gap prior to the Perseid Meteor Shower above Hadrian’s Wall near Bardon Mill The felled Sycamore Gap tree is removed at Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland A general view of the stars above Sycamore Gap prior to the Perseid Meteor Shower above Hadrian’s Wall near Bardon Mill It took less than three minutes to cut it down in an “act of deliberate and mindless criminal damage,” a prosecutor told jurors Tuesday Grainy black and white video of the tree’s dramatic felling on Sept 2023 in Northumberland National Park was shown to jurors in Newcastle Crown Court as the trial of two men charged with cutting it down got underway A single person was silhouetted against the unmistakable shape of the tree as a whining chainsaw tore through the rings that marked each year of the tree’s life The shaky recording showed the branches swaying in the wind and then the tree began to teeter followed by a loud cracking sound as it crashed onto the stone wall have pleaded not guilty to two counts each of criminal damage Prosecutors said that the value of the tree exceeded 620,000 pounds (around $830,000) and damage to the wall was assessed at 1,100 pounds (nearly $1,500) The tree was far from Britain’s biggest or oldest But its picturesque setting along a stretch of the ancient wall built by Emperor Hadrian in A.D 122 to protect the northwest frontier of the Roman Empire had attracted generations of followers The tree became famous after being featured in Kevin Costner’s 1991 film “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves,” and was a big draw for tourists landscape photographers and people snapping selfies for social media Graham and Carruthers were experienced with chainsaws and spent a lot of time together But their once-tight bond hasn’t survived their indictment saying his phone and vehicle were used without his knowledge He has implicated Carruthers and another man Carruthers denies having anything to do with the crime and said he wasn’t there “Each of them now seems to be trying to blame the other,” Wright said “That once close friendship has seemingly completely unraveled perhaps as the public revulsion at their behavior became clear to them.” Defense lawyers didn’t present opening statements Wright said that one of the men had expertly worked the chainsaw to fell the tree while the other used Graham’s phone to shoot video and photos of the act and the fallen tree As they returned to their homes afterward in Graham’s Range Rover Carruthers received a video of his young child from his partner and replied “I’ve got a better video than that,” Wright said the only people in the world who knew the tree had been felled were the men who had had cut it down,” Wright said “And the only people in the world who had access to the video were the men who had filmed themselves in the act of cutting down the tree: the defendants Graham and Carruthers.” As news broke about the tree later that day the two sent texts and exchanged excited voice messages “I think it’s gonna go wild,” Carruthers told Graham It wasn’t just a discussion about the news of the day “This is the reaction of the people that did it Carruthers forwarded a Facebook message by a man who had criticized the tree vandals as “weak people.” though he used an expletive in place of “stuff.” Carruthers replied that he’d like to see the man “launch an operation like we did last night Wright said that a combination of cellphone data surveillance cameras and license plate readers indicated Graham’s phone and car headed toward Sycamore Gap A wedge of wood that was cut from the tree to drop it in the proper direction — as a professional lumberjack would do — was taken from the scene as a “trophy” and never recovered Photos and video on Graham’s phone showed a wedge of wood in the back of his vehicle A forensic botanist said there was a “very strong evidence” the wood in the photo was a chunk of the Sycamore Gap tree While police found chainsaws where both men live they haven’t found the one used to cut down the sycamore Nor can they definitively say who operated the saw and filmed the act encouraged or caused the damage to happen is as guilty as the person who actually used the chainsaw These men were in it together from first to last.” Thanks for visiting Dressed in a fluorescent yellow jumpsuit in February Chris Steininger leans into the open passenger's side window from which the driver smiles lifts his wallet and asks "What's your dog's name?" "She's a cute dog," says the driver as the traffic light turns green and he drives off The brief transaction is one of several in a typical day for Steininger who has called West Sycamore and South High streets in the Brewery District his "workplace" since October His version of "paycheck to paycheck" is a daily calculus of face-to-face persistence balanced by the generosity of strangers And Molly has been critical to his balance sheet Steininger's life story reveals vastly more than the fleeting image many see as just another panhandler The parade of motorists daily knows none of it His health struggles began at 15 when he was diagnosed with a large hole in his heart for which he underwent open-heart surgery What should have been joyous turned tragic when he was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm Motorists will never see the large scars across his scalp They'll read only his simple sign: "Please help!! He had been living off of Social Security benefits for several years until he failed to provide receipts to prove how he was spending the money His last "real" job: "I was working for DoorDash (at age 42) when my engine blew up and I was stranded." He's been panhandling since Steininger is savvy enough to know that his year-old pit bull grabs the attention — helping him pay their bills and possibly find him a job in security: "If it wasn't for her People feel more for animals than they do for people." One woman handed him a White Castle bag: "Do you guys want food that can feed both of you?" "I'm in a Catch-22," he tells a Dispatch reporter "It takes two to three weeks to get a paycheck." That time wouldn't allow him to pay his $60 to $80 daily rate to live in a Westerville motel "(Ohio) Job and Family Services looks at this as a 1099," he said of his "job," referring to the IRS form to report earnings from self-employment But Steininger considers his nonemployee status to be real "I need to report my income in order to get food stamps," he said squarely on the edge of the so-called benefits cliff executive director of the Columbus Coalition for the Homeless: "If they were to make a little bit more money they don't qualify for other resources … so people avoid making a little bit more money." There are about 600 single adult men in Columbus seeking homeless shelters and unable to get in But Steininger has no interest in being on such a waiting list. And by federal Housing and Urban Development standards, "if they're paying for a hotel, they're not technically homeless," Sears said. There were 2,556 unhoused people in Franklin County in January, up more than 7% from a year ago, according to the Community Shelter Board's latest survey. "This individual is one of many I've come across," said Sears, noting how some live in their cars or storage lockers. "He's just kind of sustaining. He's really struggling." The business of being homeless can be harsh and unforgiving, especially when temperatures drop below freezing. Steininger does his best to be respectful of those who might yell insults at him. A security guard working for Grange Insurance has tried to get Steininger and Molly to leave, even though he's on a public sidewalk. Asked why by a Dispatch reporter, the guard, who declined to be named, said: "I've seen the dog out here in brutal cold. I feel for the dog." Patricia Watters is a cashier at the Sunoco across the street and has mixed feelings about Steininger: "It's not that I'm not compassionate. But there are those who are a lot worse, and I don't see anybody helping them." She became quiet when she learned about Steininger's medical history and misfortune. A large family, complex relationships. Marred by destructive behavior; fueled by self-sufficiency"There've been times in the cold when I've made $40. And other times when people's hearts open up, and they give a little more," Steininger says. He's had humane officials visit, concerned about Molly, who happily wags and tail and accepts pets. "I try to take care of my dog and more sure she's warm and fed," he said. One woman offered to buy Molly for $350. He declined. "She came back and said, 'I'll give you $800,'" he said. "I told her, 'She's my life.' We've been through a lot together. I couldn't betray her like that." Steininger's own life story is even more complicated. He is separated from his wife of 21 years. He is a father of seven children, ages 7 to 21, and three grandchildren. A 1997 graduate of New Albany High School, he struggled through early adulthood with substance abuse, scores of traffic tickets and minor misdemeanors and a complicity to commit theft charge out of Licking County in 2003. He said his parents kicked him out of their home for not following rules. "My parents felt that what you put into life you get out of it," he said. "(If) you don't live by my rules, we want you out." He said he has no desire to live at home. His father is the CEO of a large company, according to his LinkedIn profile. "Why would I want to live there?" Chris Steininger said. "I'm 47." None of Steininger's relatives returned calls from The Dispatch. What one person considers a struggle or crisis, another may see differently or be in denial about, Sears said. "You don't come out of crisis in a day … it takes time," he said. "He may not consider it a crisis," Sears said of Steininger. "And that may be part of what sustains him. But his kids are growing up without him. Something is not as it should be." Steininger concedes that a good day for him is when he makes enough cash to cover costs: "And I can take a day off and go and spend time with my kids and do stuff." He said that happens once or twice a month. Northern Columbus suburbs reporter Dean Narciso can be reached at dnarciso@dispatch.com. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Daniel Graham claims Adam Carruthers admitted cutting tree down and wanted him to take blame because he had mental health issues I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice One of two men on trial for cutting down the Sycamore Gap tree had a “fascination” with it and thought it would make a good trophy, Newcastle Crown Court heard on Friday Adam Carruthers had a “strange interest” in the tree Mr Carruthers, 32, and Daniel Graham, 39, each deny two counts of criminal damage to the Northumberland sycamore and to the nearby Hadrian’s Wall which was damaged when it came down in September 2023 On the fourth day of their trial Mr Graham said his co-accused had spoken of wanting to cut down the tree beside the Roman wall keeping a piece of string in his workshop to measure its circumference and ordering a chainsaw he said was “big enough” for the job Mr Graham also told the court his co-defendant rang him the morning after the tree was felled and claimed to be the person responsible He claimed Mr Carruthers asked him to take the blame for the crime “because he had mental health issues” and would be treated more leniently drove from Carlisle overnight during Storm Agnes to the Northumberland landmark The court had already heard the men sometimes worked together and had experience felling large trees Richard Wright KC put it to Mr Graham that Mr Carruthers had “a fascination” with and a “strange interest” in the tree saying: “He talked about it in the sense of it would be a good trophy.” Graham replied: “I suppose so, yeah.” He said he remembered Mr Carruthers ordering a big bar chainsaw and saying it was big enough to cover the circumference of the Sycamore Gap tree He also said his former friend had mentioned the tree in 2021. “He laid this string on the floor, put it in a big circle, that was the circumference of the Sycamore Gap tree,” Mr Graham told jurors. “At the time I didn’t know of the tree… He told me it was the most famous tree in the world.” Mr Graham said Mr Carruthers had used the string to measure the tree’s circumference. He said he first realised his Range Rover had been taken out that night when he saw it had been moved the next morning. He said it was not unusual for him to leave his phone in the vehicle overnight because he “liked to get away from his phone” after a day at work. He told the jury other people could use his iPhone, including people who worked for him who used it to connect to the internet as a hot spot. Earlier, the court heard that Mr Graham made an anonymous call to the emergency services’ 101 number, saying his former close friend was responsible for the crime. Mr Graham said they had been friends for about three years but he turned on Mr Carruthers when the Sycamore Gap investigation started affecting his business. He told the court: “My name is associated with my business and I started to have people phoning my business giving me abuse about the tree.” govt and politics"},{"score":0.637653,"label":"/society/crime/personal offense/assault"},{"score":0.635263,"label":"/family and parenting/children"},{"score":0.581733,"label":"/society/crime/sexual offense/rape"},{"score":0.581388,"label":"/business and industrial/business operations/business plans"},{"score":0.565342,"label":"/society/crime/property crime/robbery"},{"score":0.533533,"label":"/law court told","description":"Daniel Graham claims Adam Carruthers admitted cutting tree down and wanted him to take blame because he had mental health issues the Sycamore Gap’s tumble hadn’t been shown publicly but the shocking discovery of the felled tree in September 2023 reverberated across the U.K and caused a national uproar The black and white video of the majestic tree’s final two minutes and 41 seconds was introduced into evidence in Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday during the trial of two men charged with criminal damage for cutting the tree down and toppling it onto the ancient Hadrian’s Wall It offered a rare glimpse of a crime allegedly caught in action by an accomplice as the culprit cut into the beloved tree’s trunk on Sept An excerpt of the final 24 seconds of the cell phone video released by the Crown Prosecution Service showed a solitary figure silhouetted beneath the towering canopy The shaky footage shows the person in a struggle with the old tree leaning into the task as the saw whines and the wind crackles the chainsaw comes to a halt and the person steps back as the tree begins its fall The sycamore that had stood for about 150 years takes little more than five seconds to crash to earth The video was found on a phone in one of Daniel Graham’s jacket pockets an intelligence analyst with the Northumbria police Metadata put the location of the footage at Sycamore Gap prosecutors Richard Wright said Tuesday during opening statements Graham implicated another man and Carruthers who told police he worked as a mechanic and maintained properties But Carruthers denies having anything to do with the vandalism and said he wasn’t at the scene of the crime Prosecutors said they can’t say which man worked the saw and who filmed the act Both men owned chainsaws and the two sometimes worked together A video found on Graham’s phone showed them cutting down a large tree about six weeks before the Sycamore Gap incident “The place is much loved by many thousands of people,” Tony Wilmott a senior archaeologist with Historic England said in written testimony presented to the court The tree was not Britain’s biggest or oldest but its majestic canopy perfectly set in a gap along a stretch of the ancient wall built by Emperor Hadrian in A.D “Its unmistakable profile has been repeated in many media and because of this it has become totemic,” Wilmott said “It has become a place of marriage proposals family visits and even the location of ashes to be spread.” Thanks for visiting Footage shown in Newcastle trial of two men accused of chopping down tree on Hadrian’s Wall in September 2023 A jury has been shown footage of what prosecutors say is the moment the Sycamore Gap tree crashed to the ground after being felled by a shadowy figure wielding a loud A court heard that the video was taken on the Apple iPhone 13 of Daniel Graham one of two men accused of illegally cutting down the tree on Hadrian’s Wall It shows a silhouetted figure with a chainsaw cutting into a tree Loud chainsaw noise can be heard as well as the sound and sight of the tree toppling to the ground have denied being responsible for cutting down the tree which had stood in a dip on the wall since the late 19th century They also deny criminally damaging Hadrian’s Wall an intelligence analyst for Northumbria police was asked about the evidence she had collated in order to produce a timeline of events Sutherland told the court the tree-felling video was in the downloads on Graham’s phone and she had been able to get the coordinates of where it was filmed from the metadata She said the coordinates were for Sycamore Gap Court sketch of Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers Photograph: Elizabeth Cook/PA MediaThe jury was shown two sets of footage said to have been filmed in the early hours of 28 September 2023 The second had been enhanced by police to change the brightness and contrast Jurors at Newcastle crown court were also shown CCTV footage of a car said by the prosecution to be Graham’s black Range Rover being driven towards a car park near the Sycamore Gap tree They were also shown footage of it being driven away from the car park Earlier the court was read a written statement from an inspector of ancient monuments who said some of the stones on Hadrian’s Wall were damaged by the falling tree She said it was fortunate the tree was still in full leaf as the crown of the tree appeared to have acted as a kind of “cushion” The damage could have been “catastrophic” otherwise said the Sycamore Gap name was coined in the 1980s and over the decades it had become one of Northumberland’s most appreciated features “Its unmistakable profile has been repeated in many media and because of this it has become totemic,” he said family visits and even the location of ashes to be spread The place is much loved by many thousands of people.” Also read out was evidence from Alice Whysall Price a walker who took pictures of the tree at 5.20pm on 27 September some of the last to be taken when the tree was still standing Richard Wright KC said Carruthers and Graham embarked on a “moronic mission” to cut down in minutes a tree that had stood for more than 100 years He said the two men appeared to revel in the news coverage which soon began once it was known the tree was felled Messages talked about it going “wild” and “viral” This is the reaction of the people that did it The wall and the tree belong to the National Trust Graham and Carruthers deny all the charges against them 2025 at 4:30 pm CDTExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 21Sycamore's Addison Armstrong dives back into first as DeKalb's Cassidy Cavazos prevents the throw from getting into the outfield Friday Mark Busch Mark has won dozens of awards as a photographer and has several years experience delivering quality, informative and engaging photojournalism to the readers. To purchase photo reprints visit https://photos.daily-chronicle.com/. Twitter @Mark_R_Busch. Thanks for visiting said he was framed as part of a dispute and did not have the skills to cut down tree A man accused of felling the Sycamore Gap tree on Hadrian’s Wall told police he was being “stitched up” and did not have the skills to do it A jury at Newcastle crown court heard police interviews with Daniel Graham in which he also said he had no idea what he was doing on the night the tree was felled have denied charges of criminally damaging the famous tree and the Roman wall it stood on Prosecutors have alleged the pair travelled from Carlisle to Northumberland on a “moronic mission” to cut down the tree during Storm Agnes They are alleged to have driven there in Graham’s black Range Rover on the evening of 27 September 2023 They have been accused of filming on an iPhone the cutting down of the tree with a chainsaw in the early hours of 28 September The prosecution claims the two men took a wedge of the trunk as a trophy and later “revelled” in the headlines nationally and internationally about the loss of the tree Graham was first interviewed by police on suspicion of criminal damage on 31 October Court artist sketch of Daniel Graham (left) and Adam Carruthers. Photograph: Elizabeth Cook/PAOn day three of the trial, DI Calum Meikle of Northumbria police and a prosecuting barrister, Rebecca Brown, read out transcripts of interviews in which Graham denied having anything to do with felling the tree. He told police he thought he was being “fixed up” and mentioned a “fake profile” and a “pikey down the road” when asked with whom he was in dispute. Graham, a groundworker, said he was being “stitched up” and he knew who was accusing him. “It’s nowt to do with me and I don’t know who’s done it, but I know who’s put my name forward. I know who’s made the allegation … I know who’s done this to me.” He said he was being framed for the crime as part of a dispute with someone “stirring the pot”. Graham said he allowed other people to use his Range Rover. Asked if any of the chainsaws he owned could be linked to cutting down the sycamore, Graham told police: “They wouldn’t be big enough.” He said he did not have the skills to fell such a large tree. Asked how he would cut down the tree at Sycamore Gap, he replied: “I have never done a large fell, I haven’t been trained for that.” Graham told police he did not remember sending Carruthers a message saying “here we go” the morning after the tree was felled as the media picked up on the story. He replied “no comment” when he was asked who had cut the tree down and if there was a reason for it. Interviews with Carruthers were also read to the jury. He said he could not remember what he was doing on the night the tree was felled but there was a “good chance” he was at home looking after his new baby. Carruthers told police he had never felled a tree and thought chainsaws were “nasty things”, adding that he would rather “stick with spanners”. He said: “If someone said ‘there’s a tree and there’s a saw, cut that down’, I’d have a go but I’ve never done it.” The court heard that police had never recovered the wedge of the tree said to have been taken as a trophy, or the chainsaw used to topple the sycamore. Graham, of Carlisle, and Carruthers, of Wigton, are jointly charged with causing criminal damage worth £622,191 to the tree. They are also charged with causing £1,144 of damage to Hadrian’s Wall, a Unesco world heritage site. The wall and the tree belong to the National Trust. The pair deny all the charges against them. The trial continues. Prosecutors say the video was filmed on the mobile phone of Daniel Graham who is accused alongside Adam Carruthers of felling the Sycamore Gap tree Video footage allegedly showing the moment the famous Sycamore Gap tree was chopped down has been played to a jury each deny two counts of criminal damage to the tree and the wall They are accused of driving from Carlisle to the Sycamore Gap where prosecutors say one used a chainsaw to fell the tree while the other filmed the act on a mobile phone On the second day of the trial at Newcastle Crown Court jurors were shown a video lasting 2mins 41secs that allegedly showed the sycamore being chopped down The grainy footage appeared to show the outline of a figure working at the trunk of the tree Police analyst Amy Sutherland told the court that the coordinates for where the video was filmed were for Sycamore Gap. Earlier in the trial, prosecutor Richard Wright KC said the video was taken at 12.31am on 28 September. Mr Wright had told jurors: “In simple terms, Graham’s phone was right there at Sycamore Gap as the tree was being cut down, and his phone filmed the tree being cut down. “The prosecution say whoever filmed the cutting down was as much responsible for the damage to the wall and the tree as the man wielding the chainsaw. They were in it together, and they were Carruthers and Graham.” The prosecutor said he understood Mr Graham’s defence was that his car and his phone must have been used without his knowledge to make the journey and record the felling. Mr Carruthers also denied having anything to do with the tree being cut down, Mr Wright said. Also on Wednesday, jurors heard that Mr Graham’s phone contained numerous Google searches for an earlier suspect in the Sycamore Gap investigation who was later released with no action. Ms Sutherland said that between 3 October and 5 October searches were made on Mr Graham’s phone for “Water Renwick” and “Walter Renwick Plankey Mill”. Mr Renwick was arrested on 29 September 2023 but was later told he would face no action. Earlier on Wednesday, the court also heard from an expert at Historic England on the impact on Hadrian’s Wall. The damage caused when the tree was felled was valued at £622,191 for the tree and £1,144 to the wall, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Historic England's Lee McFarlane told the jury the felling could have been “catastrophic” for the wall. She said while some stones of the wall were damaged, it was fortunate the tree was still in full leaf, as the crown of the tree appeared to have acted as a “cushion”. The court also heard a statement from the first police officer at the scene, PC Peter Borini, who arrived on he morning of 28 September. In a statement to the court, he said rangers were “visibly upset” at what they saw. He cordoned off the scene and took sawdust and bark samples, but could not find a wedge from the trunk that was removed in the felling process. The prosecution suggests this could have been taken by Mr Graham, who is from Carlisle, and Mr Carruthers, who is from Wigton in Cumbria, as a trophy. Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers kept a wedge of the felled tree as a ‘trophy’ Two men filmed themselves chopping down the famous Sycamore Gap tree before “revelling in” their infamy when news broke of the irreparable damage to one of the country’s most treasured landmarks Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers are also accused of keeping a wedge of the trunk as a trophy from the destruction of the tree in a dip on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland on the morning of 28 September 2023 The pair are alleged to have driven from Carlisle to the Sycamore Gap to chop down the tree with a chainsaw Prosecutors say one man cut across the trunk while the other recorded the act on a mobile phone They then sent messages to each other the next day about the story going “wild” and “viral” with prosecutors saying they were “excited” about what they had done Mr Graham, 39, of Milbeck Stables, Carlisle, and Mr Carruthers, 32, of Church Street, Wigton, Cumbria, are each charged with two counts of criminal damage – one to the tree and one to the ancient Roman-built wall which is a Unesco world heritage site Opening the trial to jurors at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday prosecutor Richard Wright KC said the Sycamore Gap tree had stood for over a century in the Northumberland National Park For live updates on the second day of the trial at Newcastle Crown Court - click here Mr Wright told jurors: “By sunrise on Thursday September 28, the tree had been deliberately felled with a chainsaw in an act of deliberate and mindless criminal damage.” The court heard Mr Graham and Mr Carruthers are accused of travelling together, in Mr Graham’s Range Rover, from the Carlisle area where they lived towards Sycamore Gap before parking, walking for around 20 minutes to the tree and cutting it with a chainsaw. Mr Wright told the jury: “Though the tree had grown for over a hundred years, the act of irreparably damaging it was the work of a matter of minutes.” On driving back, Mr Carruthers received a video of his young child from his partner, before replying “I’ve got a better video than that”, Mr Wright told the jury. Minutes later, the video was sent from Mr Graham’s phone to Mr Carruthers’s phone, he added. Jurors heard that a photo and two videos were found on Mr Graham’s phone from 2am that day showing a piece of wood next to a chainsaw in the boot of his Range Rover. “Not content with filming the cutting down of the tree or photographing the aftermath, the prosecution will suggest that the defendants took the wedge of the tree from the scene, perhaps as some sort of trophy,” said Mr Wright. The court heard that at the time Mr Graham and Mr Carruthers were “friends who were regularly in each other’s company”. Mr Graham lived in Carlisle and had a groundwork company called D M Graham Groundworks while Mr Carruthers told police during an interview he worked in property maintenance and mechanics. The trial heard data from cell sites and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras showed Mr Graham’s phone and vehicle were together, travelling towards Sycamore Gap on the night that it was felled, while CCTV footage from the Twice Brewed Inn captured vehicle headlights making a left turn towards the Steel Rigg car park, which is used by people visiting Sycamore Gap, at 11.55pm. A video recovered from Mr Graham’s iPhone was shown to the jury, with Mr Wright telling them it was “extremely dark” but that they would hear “the unmistakable sound of a chainsaw, and a tree falling”. The following morning, as the news broke, the defendants shared social media posts about it with each other, with Mr Graham saying to Mr Carruthers “here we go”. Jurors were played a voice note from Mr Carruthers to Mr Graham saying: “Someone there has tagged like ITV News, BBC News, Sky News, like news, news, news. I think it’s gonna go wild.” Another voice note from Mr Graham to Mr Carruthers said: “Jeffrey [a name Carruthers uses] it’s gone viral. It is worldwide. It will be on ITV News tonight.” Mr Wright told jurors: “They are loving it, they’re revelling in it. This is the reaction of the people that did it. They still think it’s funny, or clever, or big.” Mr Wright said in the following days “message after message” about the Sycamore Gap story were shared between them or screenshot and saved by Mr Graham, showing they were “gathering news of their infamy”. The court heard Mr Graham and Mr Carruthers’s “once close friendship appears to have unravelled”, with each of them now apparently blaming the other. Mr Wright said he understood Mr Graham will claim Mr Carruthers and another man are to blame, while Mr Carruthers will say he was not present when the tree was cut down. Mr Wright said: “Their once close friendship appears to have unravelled, perhaps as the public revulsion at their behaviour became clear to them.” jury told","description":"Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers kept a wedge of the felled tree as a ‘trophy’ which prosecutors claim shows the moment the "iconic" Sycamore Gap tree was felled Body-worn camera footage from the first police officer at the scene was also shown at Newcastle Crown Court The BBC's Emma Vardy talks through the footage shown in court and explains what prosecutors say happened on the evening the tree was felled The tree had stood for more than 100 years in a dip on Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland before it was felled in a "moronic mission" in the early hours of 28 September 2023 each deny two counts of criminal damage relating to the tree and the Roman wall Video by Sofia Ferreira Santos and Duncan Leatherdale More on this story. 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LONDON (AP) — There is a hole in the heart of the rolling hills of northern England “We’re still devastated by it,” said Catherine Cape I just don’t like looking at the space there.” Cape was among those keen to see the outcome of a trial that began Monday in Newcastle Crown Court as a jury was seated to weigh the evidence against two men accused of toppling the famous Sycamore Gap tree and damaging the ancient wall Prosecutors said the value of the tree exceeded 620,000 pounds ($827,000) and damage to the wall was assessed at 1,100 pounds ($1,468) The two-week trial opened with Justice Christina Lambert telling prospective jurors that the case was about a single tree felled by a chainsaw and that they would have to set any emotion aside if they were familiar with the incident “I am sure each and every one of you have heard about the case given the level of media interest which it has engaged,” the judge said Prosecutors haven’t said what evidence they have or what inspired the suspects to cut down the revered tree The list of witnesses included more than a half-dozen police officers a forensic expert and members of the Forestry Commission A criminal prosecution for cutting down a tree is rare and the potential for any prison time for such an offense — not to mention that the maximum penalty for criminal damage is 10 years behind bars — is possibly unprecedented said attorney Sarah Dodd who specializes in tree law “I don’t think anybody has got a custodial sentence for the illegal felling of a tree yet in the U.K.,” said Dodd who researched it and discussed the matter with colleagues “That’s on the table because of the gravity of the situation I think value and also shock of the nation.” But the way the tree’s graceful canopy filled the saddle in the hills along a stretch of the ancient wall built by Emperor Hadrian in A.D “I’ve never had so many conversations as I’ve had about the Sycamore Gap,” said Dodd who plans to attend the trial as a once-in-a-career opportunity It’s captured the hearts or the attention at least of the whole of the U.K Even people that don’t really care about trees or would not really even think about it.” The grassy spot along the wall had been the site of first kisses wedding proposals and a place where the ashes of loved ones were scattered Cape walked to the tree on the first dates with her future husband They later watched their daughter take her first steps there And after her mother and sister both died in 2020 Cape met her brother-in-law and nephews there when they couldn’t gather indoors during the COVID-19 lockdown “The tree’s part of our Northumbrian identity It’s something that everybody grows up knowing about,” Cape said “For the people in the villages around the tree Dozens of shoots have sprouted from the stump Walgreens also withdrew its 2025 financial guidance which is expected to close by the end of the year Walgreens’ retail pharmacy business boosted its financials amid higher branded drug inflation and prescription volume The profitability of its U.S. Healthcare segment also improved, though the corporation was hit by a $3 billion impairment charge related to the waning value of primary care subsidiary VillageMD — the latest in a string of such charges. The market value of Walgreens — once a well-oiled drugstore colossus — has plummeted in recent years amid stagnating pharmacy reimbursement fluctuating consumer spending and massive legal payouts to settle its role in the U.S The challenges led Walgreens to try a pivot to health services including making hefty investments in medical chains that have failed to churn out the profits that Walgreens expected Walgreens was one of the worst performing stocks in the S&P 500 last year which has a history of carving up companies and slashing costs at divisions that remain to break up Walgreens into smaller entities especially in light of Walgreens’ significant debt it’s unclear what will happen to Walgreens’ healthcare assets including VillageMD and medical clinics Summit Health and CityMD “We remain in the early stages of our turnaround plan and continue to expect that meaningful value creation will take time enhanced focus and balancing future cash needs with necessary investments to navigate a changing pharmacy and retail landscape,” Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth said in a statement on the company’s second quarter results Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts Physician groups slammed Congress for allowing a 2.8% cut to their Medicare pay to go into effect Donald Trump’s first term as president was characterized by significant turbulence for government healthcare programs Here’s how some of the most influential industry groups responded to the Republican’s reelection The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines Thanks for visiting downtown with a menu that delves into the culinary world of pickles SYCAMORE – The owners of The Dirty Bird 815, a staple Sycamore fried chicken restaurant will soon open up a new food venture in the city’s downtown area “We’re not having any of the fried chicken or anything like that,” Smith said. “So we’re trying to keep them totally separate but still maintain quality at both places.” Smith said he and his business partners had been considering ways to expand their food business. They initially wanted to establish a new business elsewhere in Illinois before deciding to reinvest in the Sycamore community. “We know that if we go too far away and we’re not present owners, the quality can be affected,” Smith said. “Our thought was to start another restaurant close to home, where we could still maintain the quality and still be around.” The owners of The Dirty Bird 815, located 124 S. Maple St., in Sycamore, will soon open up a new pickle-focused restaurant around the corner from The Dirty Bird 815 in 2025. (Camden Lazenby) Smith said he hopes the new restaurant will be open within “the next couple of weeks.” “Of course with a name like Angry Pickle you’ve got to have pickles on the menu,” Smith said. “There are some pickle dishes that are going to be on the menu but I’m trying not to have everything be pickles.” Understanding that pickles – like olives or pineapple on pizza – can be a hotly debated food item, Smith said he hopes the menu he creates for The Angry Pickle will include “food for everybody.” “Not everybody loves pickles but hopefully we have enough food for everybody that everybody can find something on the menu,” Smith said. Sycamore-backed Walgreens posts improved Q2 as $10bn buyout advances The company posted a reduced net loss of $2.85bn down from $5.91bn in the same quarter last year Adjusted earnings came in at 63 cents per share ahead of the 53 cents forecast by analysts The earnings release follows Walgreens’ announcement in March that it would be acquired by Sycamore Partners in a deal that underscores private equity’s growing role in retail healthcare The acquisition offers a potential turnaround path for Walgreens which has struggled with persistent cost pressures and lacklustre performance from its primary care clinic division The company has responded by aggressively cutting costs and suspending its long-standing quarterly dividend earlier this year though retail sales at those same locations declined by around 3% Walgreens also operates nearly 3,700 international stores operations remain the group’s largest segment This quarter’s operating loss includes a $3bn non-cash impairment charge That’s a marked improvement from the more than $12bn impairment charge reported in the same quarter last year Walgreens withdrew its annual forecast and opted not to host an earnings call with analysts The company’s shares edged higher to $10.90 in morning trading Sycamore Partners’ acquisition of Walgreens marks one of the largest retail healthcare take-privates in recent memory and reflects increasing private equity interest in distressed restructuring-prone assets with embedded value in core operating segments Source: Yahoo Finance If you think we missed any important news, please do not hesitate to contact us at news@pe-insights.com Subscribe to our Newsletter to increase your edge through our newsletter you’ll receive weekly access to what is happening By signing up for our newsletter, you accept our terms and conditions as outlined under pe-insights.com/privacy-policy. One of two former friends on trial for cutting down the Sycamore Gap tree told a court his co-accused rang him the morning after it was felled and claimed to be the one responsible Daniel Graham said Adam Carruthers had spoken of wanting to cut down the much-loved tree beside Hadrian’s Wall keeping a piece of string in his workshop he had used to measure its circumference and ordering a chainsaw he said was “big enough” for the job He also said Carruthers asked him to take the blame for the crime “because he had mental health issues” and would be treated more leniently Prosecutors say groundworker Graham, 39, and mechanic Carruthers, 32, drove from Carlisle overnight during Storm Agnes to the Northumberland landmark in September 2023 The pair each deny two counts of criminal damage to the sycamore and to the Roman Wall On the fourth day of the trial at Newcastle Crown Court Graham was asked about a call Carruthers made to him in the morning on September 28 2023 He said: “It was Adam claiming he had cut down the Sycamore Gap tree Graham said Carruthers had spoken of wanting to cut down the tree in the past Graham said he remembered Carruthers ordering a big bar chainsaw and saying it was big enough to cover the circumference of the Sycamore Gap tree He also said Carruthers had mentioned the Sycamore Gap tree in 2021 while they worked on his father’s Land Rover Graham said he wanted to use a piece of string on the job but Carruthers said he could not as it was “sentimental” that was the circumference of the Sycamore Gap tree,” Graham told jurors “At the time I didn’t know of the tree … He told me it was the most famous tree in the world.” Graham said Carruthers had used the string to measure the tree’s circumference said clearly two people had been involved on the night – one person cutting down the tree and one filming Graham said he did not discuss with Carruthers who the other person was I don’t know 100% who the other person was,” Graham said from the witness box He told the court that after he and Carruthers had been interviewed by police Carruthers and a friend called Lindsay Dalgleish came to his home and stood on his driveway Apparently they would be more lenient with me.” Graham said he was not keen to take the blame and said no Graham replied: “They tried to goad us on (saying): ‘Nowt will happen to you He said he was not the one using his Range Rover or mobile phone on the night the tree was cut down, when both have been traced to Sycamore Gap. Graham told the court he first realised his Range Rover had been taken out that night when he saw it had been moved the next morning. And he said he also saw pictures and video on his phone that morning that had been taken the night before, including one of a chainsaw and a chunk of wood in a car boot, but told jurors: “I didn’t think much of it.” Graham said he and Carruthers were “best of pals” in September 2023. Asked by his barrister whether Carruthers had asked to borrow the Range Rover on this occasion, Graham replied: “Adam wouldn’t need to ask to borrow anything of mine. He was welcome to it.” He told the jury other people were able to use his iPhone, including people who worked for him who used it to connect to the internet via a hot spot. Earlier, jurors were told that a man believed to be Graham made an anonymous call to the emergency services’ 101 number on August 23 last year and named Carruthers as being responsible for the crime. Detective Inspector Calum Meikle, the officer in charge of the police inquiry, told the court he was “absolutely” certain that the caller was Graham, having checked the defendant’s phone records and seeing that the time of the anonymous call matched. The trial was told how the police investigation into the damage included people who had issues with the National Trust, and even a young boy who reported his brother. Mr Meikle said he looked into the claims about Mr Dalgleish, who has been named by Graham as a suspect during the trial, but was “satisfied that he wasn’t involved”. Thanks for visiting