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News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

eBay criticized for offensive language

The world's largest online auction house is coming under fire for allowing some racially offensive language to remain in its item listings.Last week, the National Alliance for Positive Action protested Internet auction site eBay and asked the company to stop listing items they believe are racially offensive and degrading to blacks.The alliance is opposing eBay's decision to continue to sell a number of books, card games, prints and musical compilations listed with or including racially offensive titles.Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of the National Alliance for Positive Action, said he and several other groups are planning rallies to protest eBay and are requesting the company to either remove all offensive items or provide disclaimers on the Web site.Hutchinson said those items include cast-iron banks that are caricatures, described on the Web site using a racial slur and shown with large red lips, dark skin and rolling eyes."No response has been made from eBay," Hutchinson said.

MICHIGAN

Chess: Simply child's play

Benita Mehta
February 24, 2003

Lansing - The sound of chess pieces hitting the game board was all that could be heard while players had looks of intense concentration on Saturday during a children's chess tournament. The players were as young as 5 years old.

MICHIGAN

Capitol Update

Joey Guillen  and  Sarah Frank
February 24, 2003

State Rep. proposes changing distribution of public school funds State Rep. Mike Pumford, R-Newaygo, proposed what he calls a more fair distribution of cuts to public schools than Gov.

MICHIGAN

Bio fuel creators could get tax break

Sarah Frank
February 21, 2003

Michigan could soon take advantage of its natural resources and jump on the alternative energy bandwagon, due in part to legislation approved in the state House on Thursday.The bill, introduced by state Rep.

MICHIGAN

E.L. approves golf course design

Brian Charlton
February 21, 2003

A new upscale golf course is set to attract golfers to the East Lansing area. The East Lansing City Council approved an overall site plan of Eagle Eye Crossings, a 232-acre 18-hole golf course, which will soon be an attraction in the Northern Tier, between State and Stoll roads, west of Chandler Road.

MICHIGAN

Small group of Lansing residents protest council

Benita Mehta
February 21, 2003

Lansing - John Pollard said he thinks Lansing City Council is in desperate need of a change."This is by far the worst city council in the past 30 years, or maybe in Lansing's history," said the Lansing resident, who has been attending meetings for about 20 years.Pollard is organizing a recall to remove city Councilmembers Geneva Smith and Larry Meyer - and he's gathered about five dedicated supporters.Pollard said the recallers are not happy with the entire city council, but are targeting Smith and Meyer because they're the only two council members who are able to be recalled at this time."I don't have anything personally against them," he said.

MICHIGAN

Families get help with taxes

Benita Mehta
February 19, 2003

Lansing - A new tax assistance program announced on Tuesday will help low-income Lansing area residents file tax returns. Low-Income Tax Assistance Program volunteers, mostly MSU finance students, will spend time with area residents to make sure their taxes are filed correctly and they receive the proper refund.

MICHIGAN

Street lights added in E.L.

Sarah Frank
February 19, 2003

The city of East Lansing and surrounding areas are beginning efforts to make the Northern Tier community safer for pedestrians and residents, starting with street lights. Lights were constructed along the stretch of Abbott Road between Lake Lansing Road and the Clinton County line last month and were turned on over the weekend, East Lansing City Manager Ted Staton said. Staton said the new street lights were part of a plan to increase safety on the roadway ever since the land north of Lake Lansing Road came into the city. Staton stressed the importance of the lights and wondered when they will be added north of Clinton County. "The volume of traffic out there just requires it," he said. Two female MSU students were hit by a car in the area, one of them killed, while walking along the unlit streets in October.

MICHIGAN

Unpaid taxes could be trouble for The Dollar

Benita Mehta
February 18, 2003

Lansing - The owner of The Dollar Nightclub is not responsible for the $80,000-$90,000 owed to the city in back taxes, council members say. Lansing City Councilmember Brian Jeffries said the person who owns the property The Dollar stands on, not the club owner, is in debt to the city.

MICHIGAN

Tracking system monitors international students

International students who have crossed the planet to seek an education at MSU will now have their personal information traced wherever they venture - and available on the Internet.On Saturday, the Immigration and Naturalization Services, or INS, released an updated tracking system allowing faster access to information on foreign college students.SEVIS, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, will now have a quicker version of long-standing procedures requiring colleges to monitor the academic status and address of foreign students online.SEVIS requires colleges to forward personal information - such as an international student's failure to enroll or arrest record - to a national computer database.

MICHIGAN

Impression 5 offers learning, fun experience on Saturdays

Beth Clute
February 18, 2003

Lansing - Children can try combine playing with bubbles and learning at a science exhibit at the Impression 5 Science Center inLansing on Saturdays. The exhibit will explain the phenomenon of bubbles - including why they pop in the air and how they form. Visitors at the center, 200 Museum Drive, will be surrounded by bubbles and adults and children can explore the opportunity to discover the mysteries of the soapy concoctions. "We have different programs every Saturday to promote hands-on activity and this Saturday will be the Phil Ginotti Super Bubble Mania Saturday," said the center's interpretive program manager Erik Larson. The Phil Ginotti Super Saturdays are made possible through contributions made to the center in memory of Ginotti who was a past vice president of the center.

MICHIGAN

Cause for fire killing twin boys unknown

A fire Monday afternoon on Martin Street in Lansing killed 2-year-old twin boys, Lansing fire Capt. Marvin Helmker said.Firefighters responded to a fire call on the 1600 block of Martin Street and when they arrived they saw "heavy fire coming out of a second-story window," Helmker said.Firefighters first searched the house for residents inside the home and found the twin boys dead in an upstairs bedroom.

MICHIGAN

Capitol Update

Joey Guillen  and  Sarah Frank
February 17, 2003

Children's Caucus will address quality of life Rep. Michael Murphy, D-Lansing, and three fellow Michigan legislators will co-chair the Children's Caucus in order to "protect and promote children's interests in the Legislature." Gov.

MICHIGAN

Stabenow's wedding is small, family affair

Chad Previch
February 17, 2003

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow kept wedding plans to marry her former staff member Tom Athans private. The small, family ceremony took place in Lansing on Sunday, a spokesman for Stabenow said. Stabenow will keep her last name and not hyphenate it.