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News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

New sushi restaurant adds to growing trend

As one walks down Grand River Avenue, it’s hard to ignore the ever-growing presence of a certain Japanese cuisine. With at least five sushi restaurants already established in the East Lansing area, another is about to join the pack of sushi options nearby.

MICHIGAN

Snyder, Schauer expected to compete for governor

While both of these men have served Michigan, Rick Snyder as the current governor and Mark Schauer as a state representative and senator, later serving as a U.S. representative, they are slated to face off as adversaries in the 2014 gubernatorial election.

MICHIGAN

City council discusses 7-bedroom apartments

The East Lansing City Council approved a moratorium at last Tuesday’s meeting to further discuss whether seven-bedroom apartments are a viable option for downtown development. In the past year, the city has received two applications for seven-bedroom, multiple-family-dwelling units. One is a set of townhouses, owned by Hagan Realty, Inc., 927 E. Grand River Ave., adjacent to Lot 11. The other is the space above the former Wanderer’s Teahouse, 547 E. Grand River Ave., owned by Perry Investment Group.

MICHIGAN

HopCat coming to E.L. Aug. 22

HopCat, 300 Grove St., will celebrate its grand opening in record-breaking style at 11 a.m. on Aug. 22. The Grand Rapids-based business has been collaborating with Short’s Brewing Co. to produce 100 varieties of beers that will be available on the 100-tap system, which will break the previous record set by Sierra Nevada and Cannery Row Brewing Co. in California last year.

MICHIGAN

DTN picked as developer for downtown Park District

DTN Management Co. is moving into downtown East Lansing, and no, it’s not just another student housing unit. By a unanimous vote Tuesday night at City Hall, 410 Abbot Road, the East Lansing City Council selected DTN Management Co. over Lurvey White Ventures as the preferred developer for the Park District project.

MICHIGAN

Plan B now available over the counter

Last week, age restrictions were lifted and Plan B will now be available for over-the-counter use. Women of all ages now will be able to purchase Plan B One-Step, an emergency contraceptive without any age descriptions or pharmacy visits. With health measures in mind, women’s reproductive health groups have been pushing for a more convenient way to receive Plan B since the early 2000s.

MICHIGAN

MSU police receives award from MADD

Among four other agencies, the MSU Police Department was recognized with the Outstanding Law Enforcement Agency Award, awarded by the Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD. The award, which recognizes law enforcement agencies that excel at removing drunken drivers from Michigan roadways, was presented at the annual MADD Lifesavers Award Luncheon in Troy, Mich., last week.

MICHIGAN

Future of Farm Bill remains uncertain with month left

A brewing battle in the U.S. Congress over a re-imagined Farm Bill coupled with the expected conclusion of boosted funding for food assistance programs could mean fewer meals for millions of Americans. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have sent proposed legislation back and forth for months, with no unified plan to speak of just one month from the present legislation’s expiration.

MICHIGAN

Locals take part in new hybrid golfing event

With strike pads, golf clubs and birdies in hand, young athletes in the Lansing area are taking up a new sport. Meridian Township Parks and Recreation is hosting their first four BirdieBall events, each one at a different park, with North Meridian Road Park hosting the Meridian Open Championship on Monday.

MICHIGAN

City Council to determine winner of Park District project Tuesday

A decision at tomorrow’s East Lansing City Council meeting could revitalize the underused buildings on the west side of downtown. After a summer of deliberation, the city council is set to recommend either DTN Management Co. or Lurvey White Ventures as the private development partner for the Park District project, formerly known as City Center II.

MICHIGAN

Whole Foods to open Okemos store in 2015

Whole Foods Market, the eighth-largest food and drug store in the U.S., will open a new location in the East Lansing area in 2015. Founded in Austin, Texas in 1980, with a staff of 19 people, Whole Foods will build its newest Michigan location on East Grand River Avenue, engulfing the space currently home to Velocipede Peddler, 2758 E.

MICHIGAN

Local festival features fierce bath tub races

The annual International Bath Tub Races held in Bath, Mich., is much more than a series of tubs on wheels flying down Main Street. For Bath residents, it’s war. The bath tub races, one event out of the many during the Bath Days Festival, was held Saturday, drawing a crowd of 2,000-3,000 spectators. JD Larner, MC for the event and a lifelong Bath resident, said the races, a beloved Bath tradition, began in the early 1980s. There are a few rules as to what a tub used in the race can feature.

MICHIGAN

Recent study shows major increase for prison costs

For years, when policymakers were asked how they would protect the public, the answer was to put more people behind bars. Although this policy applied to the entire nation, Michigan saw the effects more than most states. The effect was an explosion in prison populations and, in turn, an explosion in the budget for correctional facilities, MSU economics professor Charles Ballard said.