MICHIGAN
LCC to open campus near MSU
Students who are enrolled at both MSU and Lansing Community College will soon be able to have both sets of classes within one mile of each other.
MICHIGAN
E.L. works to finalize city's grant budget
Final expenditures for several downtown improvement projects are unknown, but city leaders said they're working on a more detailed budget. East Lansing received a $100,000 Cool Cities Neighborhoods in Progress grant, along with 13 other Michigan cities, about two weeks ago.
MICHIGAN
Hagadorn Road speed limits, lanes to change
To meet federal requirements on road width, Hagadorn Road will be under construction no later than Aug.
MICHIGAN
Mich. 1st to offer e-mail protection for children
For parents like Detroit attorney Talia Goetting, who worry about the e-mails their children are receiving, there is a new program in place to ease their fears. Michigan is the first state to create a registry to prevent certain spam e-mails from reaching a minor's online account. "I'd hate for (my daughter) to open something up at such a young age and be shocked," Goetting said, adding her 7-year-old daughter recently started e-mailing people. In 2004, the Michigan Children's Protection Registry Act was created to prohibit people from sending e-mail to children about products or services that are illegal for minors.
MICHIGAN
Commission meeting open to public debate
The independent review commission will hold a meeting from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday in the Executive Conference Room at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbott Road. The commission is reviewing the planning and implementation strategies to control spontaneous large crowd events, including the April 2-3 disturbances. The commission has invited everyone who has spoken on the issue in the past to speak at the Friday meeting, along with other individuals who want to voice their concerns, said Mayor Mark Meadows, chairman of the commission.
MICHIGAN
HIV tests advised for pregnant women
Pregnant women should make HIV screenings a routine part of their prenatal checkups, according to a report in Tuesday's Annals of Internal Medicine. The U.S.
MICHIGAN
Merit Award distribution might change
House Speaker Craig DeRoche, R-Novi, announced an economic plan on Thursday that included setting aside $1.5 billion of Michigan's tobacco settlement money for the Merit Award program. The money would be divided between 15 public universities, said Jason Brewer, spokesman for DeRoche. "Under the Republican plan, no politician will be able to touch the Merit scholarships," DeRoche said in a statement.
MICHIGAN
Forensics aid murder case
Death is a puzzle - at least when it comes to determining what causes it. With the recent discovery of two bags containing human remains in the Red Cedar River, the Ingham County medical examiner and a team of forensic scientists are trying to piece together the mystery behind the disassembled body parts. Police are waiting on DNA tests to confirm how many people's remains were recovered, said Sgt.
MICHIGAN
Officials: Avian flu vaccine will cover 2 percent of population
The government hasn't stockpiled enough of the only drug known to be effective against avian influenza but is in "aggressive discussions" with its maker to buy more, federal health officials said Thursday. Enough Tamiflu to treat 2.3 million people is in a national stockpile set aside in preparation for the next flu pandemic - a worldwide outbreak that influenza specialists fear could be triggered by the increasingly worrisome avian influenza in Asia. "There are simmering reports about China and Vietnam of people dying, animals dying," said Dean Sienko, medical examiner at the Ingham County Health Department.
MICHIGAN
Police, firemen battle for blood, encourage donations to fight shortage
Area police and fire departments are helping save lives in a different way this summer by persuading people to combat seasonal blood shortage. The American Red Cross is trying to counteract the 15 to 20 percent drop in blood donations across Michigan with its Fifth Annual Battle for Blood.
MICHIGAN
Business booms
Some local residents will travel hundreds of miles to firework outlets just to make sure their Fourth of July goes off with a bang.
MICHIGAN
7 new human cases of West Nile confirmed in U.S.
Along with rising temperatures, the rising activity of Michigan's mosquito population is also an inevitable part of summer.
MICHIGAN
Clinic to close after 34 years
A local low-cost medical clinic that offered health care to 1,600 uninsured area residents last year will see patients for the last time today. On Monday, the Board of Directors for the nonprofit Gateway Community Services, 2875 Northwind Drive, decided to close the operation's doors immediately. Today's closing corresponds with the end of the organization's contract with East Lansing, said Stefanie Zin, executive director at Gateway. The clinic, which has been open for 34 years, has been in danger of closing since Gateway announced a $70,000 budget deficit in May. A June 17 fundraiser at the Hannah Community Center netted $13,000 for the clinic, but it wasn't enough to patch the growing deficit, said Andrew Lathrop, marketing and community relations director at Gateway. Zin said the clinic staff, which is composed mostly of volunteers, will work through July 8 to make sure charts, bills and remaining medications are all in order. "I'm really depressed about it," said Kacie Kleinhardt, a physiology senior who volunteers at the clinic.
MICHIGAN
City looks to attract seniors
If senior citizens are looking to move into college towns, they'll be welcomed with open arms to East Lansing, city leaders said. The city will soon offer independent living, assisted living and low-income housing to senior citizens, East Lansing Mayor Mark Meadows said. The proposed senior-citizen housing locations are in close proximity to Deerpath Apartments, 1290 Deer Path Lane, and the old Department of Public Works building, Meadows said.
MICHIGAN
Sports events spur Detroit cleanups
More than 1,000 volunteers from all over the metro Detroit area and as far away as Ingham County took to the streets of downtown Detroit on Saturday morning to tidy up, officials said. The All-Star Super Makeover was the first in a series of cleanups in the downtown area for July's Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Comerica Park and February's Super Bowl XL at Ford Field. "Basically, we see this as cleaning our living room," said Chris Miller, an international relations senior and event coordinator.
MICHIGAN
Chili cook-off raises $26K for charity
Downtown Lansing dished out thousands of gallons of chili, chili enthusiasts, two live bands and one mechanical bull Friday at the 10th annual Board of Water & Light Chili Cook-Off. The event featured at least 45 different kinds of chili and nine salsas for judges and the public to taste.
MICHIGAN
Summer festival promotes E.L. businesses
Although the ninth annual Summer Solstice Jazz Festival will fill downtown East Lansing with community interaction and live music, the event could also bring downtown businesses more money in the future. The Arts Commission, which planned the event, has several objectives: One is to expose people in the community to various forms of culture and art, said Ami Van Antwerp, East Lansing community events coordinator. Under a huge tent located on the east half of Lot 1 on Albert Avenue, Summer Solstice patrons will have two stages for viewing jazz acts. A musician who grew up in East Lansing, Carl Cafagna, will be playing in the festival with his group, North Star Jazz.
MICHIGAN
LBGT march to protest hate crimes
All over the world this month, the gay community is celebrating in many ways, from parades to floats to drag queens. However in Michigan, the lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender community plans to focus on a more serious theme this weekend - to protest for civil rights for all homosexuals across Michigan. The 17th annual Michigan Pride Weekend will concentrate on hate crimes, among other issues, officials said. Pride spokeswoman Sarah Mieras said, in Michigan, there is no law to prevent anti-gay hate crimes. "There has been in an increase in hate crimes in Michigan, and this year we plan to focus on ways to prevent these crimes, among other things," Mieras said. She said she predicts that about 15,000 people will participate in the civil rights protest at the Capitol on Saturday. "We plan to march from Grand River Avenue all the way to the state Capitol to protest fair treatment for gays and lesbians," she said. Mieras said the rally this weekend will celebrate the lives and achievements of the LBGT community.
MICHIGAN
City offers support for East Village project in memo
City council members had a shorter meeting on the first day of summer but still managed to take the East Village redeveloping efforts a half step further into the planning process. The council passed a Memorandum of Understanding at its Tuesday meeting for the master developer of the Cedar Village overhaul and city officials. The document demonstrates the city's support of the East Village redevelopment plans.
MICHIGAN
State proposes Amtrak cuts
For the more than 600,000 people who used Amtrak trains last year to travel, possible state budget cuts for the upcoming fiscal year might end their way of traveling around the country. Celeste Shoulders, a supervisor in the Eli Broad College of Business, said she uses the Amtrak train about 30 times a year to visit family and friends.