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News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

Melrose to combat identity theft with management changes

Melrose Apartments have undergone some management changes in response to allegations that an employee there used tenants' personal information to steal more than $100,000. Residents of the complex, 16789 Chandler Road, soon will be receiving a newsletter with tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft and the company no longer will accept credit cards as a form of payment, a Melrose spokesman said Wednesday. "The complex is no longer gathering that information so it couldn't be stolen," said Robert Kolt, spokesperson for Atlantis Campus Communities IV, the company that manages Melrose. Additionally, Kolt said, all the files with residents' personal information will be under lock and key.

MICHIGAN

Meeting focuses on budget

About 40 people attended an East Lansing City Council meeting and public hearing regarding the city budget Tuesday. Though the meeting was held on campus at the Union's Gold Rooms A and B and allowed for public discussion of the coming year's budget, no MSU students were on hand to address the council during the public comment time. During the meeting, the city's Human Relations Commission presented the council with recommendations for allotting the city's general fund money that comes from taxpayers. Although cuts in city projects were suggested in order to balance the city budget, the commission did not recommend an increase in property taxes. Due to an expected 2005 state budget deficit of $1.3 billion, local governments have received less funding.

MICHIGAN

ASMSU officials attend House Appropriations meeting

Lansing - Rifling through a budget lit by sunlight from a side window in the state House Appropriations room, Andrew Bell checked line by line to make sure higher education appropriations hadn't changed. Wednesday morning, Bell, ASMSU's director of legislative affairs, attended the first of four state House higher education subcommittee meetings to determine next year's Michigan college and university funding. "We're going to make sure we're not left out of anything, that nothing slips by us," Bell said.

MICHIGAN

Business as usual for reopened pizza shop

Gumby's Pizza recently reopened after a four-month hiatus, and while its manager says business is better than ever, some former customers aren't returning. The pizza shop closed in December when a water pipe burst in its building, 311 W.

MICHIGAN

Skater's paradise

Matt Wein stands tall in a land of giants. The curly-haired 12-year-old stretches to almost five feet next to his older skatepark friends, but he warns that his skateboard skills are separate from his height. On a recent late afternoon, he waited among the silhouetted crowd for another chance to frontside boardslide the angled rail posing in front of them. Wein skates almost every day with his friends at the Ranney Skate Park, 300 Frandor Ave.

MICHIGAN

Accused murderer of prof set to begin trial

The man accused of the November killing of an MSU professor will stand trial today, when a judge is expected to decide if he is not guilty by reason of insanity. Bramlett Hamilton, 36, is accused of killing his mother and MSU professor Ruth Simms Hamilton.

MICHIGAN

E.L. City Council meeting to be held on campus

Interested residents and students will have the opportunity to attend the East Lansing City Council meeting tonight in the Union as part of a public hearing to discuss the city's budget. The council is scheduled to discuss next year's budget, which estimates a 2-percent decrease from the last fiscal year, among other topics on the agenda.

MICHIGAN

Strong spring winds hit city

Wind gusts barreled through East Lansing on Sunday night at speeds greater than 40 mph, tearing down tree branches and damaging some residents' belongings. Scott Kramer said he was watching television a little after 9 p.m.

MICHIGAN

Volunteers cut hair to benefit Locks of Love

Tim Thatcher hasn't cut his hair in seven years, but on Sunday, he decided it was time for a change. The human biology junior had about 10 inches cut, and all of it went to the Locks of Love program. "I had been debating it and thinking about getting it cut," he said, adding that when he heard a Locks of Love event was taking place Sunday, he couldn't resist. All hair donated through the Locks of Love program benefits children under 18 years old with cancer or a medical condition that doesn't allow them to grow hair, and who can't afford a wig.

MICHIGAN

E.L. celebrates Earth Day

Amid an abundance of sunshine and warm breezes, East Lansing business owners and residents gathered to celebrate the city's annual Earth Day jubilee Sunday afternoon.

MICHIGAN

WEB ONLY: Hip-hop acts to be featured at Great Lakes Folk Festival

For the first time in its two-year history, the MSU Museum's Great Lakes Folk Festival will feature performances by hip-hop artists in its three-day lineup. Officials from the festival gathered at Hannah Community Center on Sunday to receive a $15,000 grant that will help fund an initiative called "Rap Music and Hip-Hop Culture," which will showcase the place of hip-hop in today's culture.

MICHIGAN

E.L. deli to close doors after 17 years due to rising costs

The owner of Sidestreets Deli will close his shop for good on Saturday, citing rising rent fees and competition from chain businesses as main factors in his decision. Deli owner Vinnie Bartalone said high rent in the city and rent hikes from landlord Cron Management made it impossible to continue his business at 605 E.