Textbooks might become a lot cheaper for students at MSU and across the nation if a bill in the U.S. Senate becomes law. The Open College Textbook Act, introduced in Sept. 2009, would provide one-year grants to universities and professors to produce quality textbooks that would be available for free online.
Based on past voter turnouts and filings for absentee ballots, about 1.7 million voters are expected to vote in Tuesday’s primary, according to the Michigan Secretary of State.
The Capital Area Transportation Authority, or CATA, will offer free rides to all customers with a Michigan voter registration card during regular service hours Tuesday, the date of the primary elections. Valid cards must be presented to the driver upon boarding to receive a free ride.
With magic tricks, blues music, free food and speeches from a variety of Michigan’s advocates for disability rights, the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, was celebrated Monday on the Capitol steps in Lansing. The ADA provides disabled citizens with civil protections that provide equal opportunities in education, communications, transportation and employment.
Although most still are in operation, some local hookah bars have watched their profits go up in smoke as a result of Michigan’s workplace smoking ban. The law prohibits smoking in public areas, but because more than 75 percent of sales are derived from tobacco products, hookah lounges such as Blue Midnight Hookah Lounge, 330 Albert Ave., are not required to cut smoke from the premises.
Burger lovers in East Lansing and at MSU have something to look forward to this fall. A franchise location of Five Guys Burgers and Fries will open in September at 623 E. Grand River Ave., replacing Take 2 Authentics, with construction beginning Monday, said owner Michael Abrams.
The Ingham County TRIAD Senior Prom provided dinner, dancing and live music for about 300 people who attended, and was sponsored by the nonprofit Ingham County TRIAD and Elder Law of Michigan, said Lansing police Sgt. Traci Ruiz, who organized the event and is the chair of TRIAD.
Going pro twice, local BMX — or bicycle motocross — rider Greg Days has been racing since he was 10 years old. He went pro at age 17, but retired five years later to start a family, he said.
High-tech manufacturing holds the hope for Michigan’s economic future, according to a report released Wednesday by MSU, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University. As of 2007, advanced manufacturing employed more than 380,000 citizens, about 10.3 percent of the state’s workers. On average, they earned more than $60,000 annually, which still is increasing. By comparison, employees in traditional manufacturing jobs earned about $50,000 annually.
After speaking to a crowd of 7,000 Kiwanis at the 95th annual Kiwanis International Convention in Las Vegas last month, attendees voted Sue Petrisin into the international trustee position. She will serve a three-year term as a trustee and member of the governance and leadership education committees beginning Oct. 1. Kiwanis International is a service-oriented organization focusing on assisting children on a local and global scale.
As Attorney General Mike Cox and U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, are locked in a statistical tie for the lead going into the Republican gubernatorial primary Aug. 3, Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder has been gaining ground, according to a poll released Friday by Glengariff Group Inc., of Chicago. After surveying 500 voters across Michigan, the poll shows Cox with 26.4 percent of the vote, Hoekstra with 25.6 percent and Snyder with 20.2 percent.
Voting by absentee ballot in elections might now be easier for students living away from home. The Michigan Secretary of State announced Monday voters now can track their absentee ballots online.
For 14 days, more than 80 paddlers will travel 225 miles from Jackson, Mich., to Lake Michigan on the longest river in the state. They will pass through 18 counties, 158 townships and try to raise $20,000 for the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, or NKFM, on the Grand River Expedition, or GRE, of 2010.
Lansing political insiders expect one of two Republican candidates to be chosen as Michigan governor in November, according to a survey released Tuesday by The Capitol Caucus. Republican gubernatorial candidate and state Attorney General Mike Cox and U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, received 38 and 30 percent of the vote, respectively, according to the caucus’ report.
The sidewalks of Grand River Avenue were congested with merchandise from local businesses participating in the annual East Lansing Sidewalk Sale. Stores cleared out items from inside, placed them outdoors and put them on sale for area residents passing through downtown East Lansing to purchase Thursday. The sales provide a good boost to the local economy and highlights many of the downtown’s unique shops.
Michael Ronkin was chosen by the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, Federal Highway Administration and the Michigan Department of Transportation to hold a conference Tuesday through Friday at the East Lansing Marriott at University Place, 300 M.A.C. Ave., to discuss issues facing cyclists. The group embarked on an 11-mile journey Wednesday through the campus and city.
Zookeepers in Lansing and across the country will be honored with their own week next week. Potter Park Zoo, 1301 S. Pennsylvania Ave., in Lansing, will join the American Association of Zoo Keepers, or AAZK, and zoos and aquariums across the country in celebrating National Zoo Keeper Week July 18-24.
Mayors from across the state declared their support of Lansing Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero on Wednesday. Supporting mayors come from many cities, from Flint to Sault Ste. Marie, and included East Lansing Mayor Vic Loomis.
Starting over might be unimaginable for survivors of domestic abuse, but Naot footwear and Playmakers Athletic Footwear, 2299 W. Grand River Ave., in Okemos, are trying to make the transition a bit easier with the donation of 120 brand new shoes to MSU Safe Place and Eve’s House in Lansing. For a second year, Naot, an Israeli footwear company that has been donating shoes since 1991, will donate shoes and sandals to the victims of domestic violence who need assistance.
More than a month after the Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District ended his campaign for the seat, an East Lansing resident is attempting to take his place as a write-in candidate for the Aug. 3 primaries. With Kande Ngalamulume bowing out of the race June 2, Lance Enderle hopes to vault past Ngalamulume in the Aug. 3 primary and challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, for the legislative seat.