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News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

Black lights, security help catch fake IDs

Tara May
May 16, 2002

It’s not as easy as it used to be for underage students to sneak into East Lansing bars. Technology and increased interaction between community bars and the East Lansing Police Department means tighter security. Black lights check for problems with licenses and ensure the hologram on Michigan licenses is real, The Peanut Barrel Restaurant general manager Eric Skusa said. “It will pick up discrepancies,” he said.

MICHIGAN

Professor appointed to city council

Kurt Ludke
May 15, 2002

Friends, family and supporters of an MSU professor waited for more than three hours to see the newest member of the Lansing City Council sworn in Monday night.Saturnino Rodriguez, or “Nino” as he is called by friends and fellow council members, was officially sworn in for the at-large council member spot left open by the resignation of Lou Adado.An election will be held in November to permanently fill the seat.

MICHIGAN

Families to determine whether to exhume childs body

Antonio Planas
May 15, 2002

Ingham County Medical Examiner Dean Sienko revoked a court petition Monday to exhume the body of a 13-year-old boy who authorities believe may have been switched with his friend. Sienko said the body will be exhumed with the consent of the victim’s family members. “Upon further review, we decided we don’t have to go through the courts,” he said.

MICHIGAN

Michigan Pride to host march, rally

Andrew Fifer
May 13, 2002

After months of doubt, Michigan Pride will have its 14th annual Gay and Lesbian Pride March.The event, scheduled for June 15, became an uncertainty in January after the organization experienced budget cuts and a New Year’s Eve benefit was canceled, Michigan Pride spokeswoman Sarah Mieras said.“Never have we said in 14 years that this may not happen,” she said.The organization budgeted $72,000 for this year’s event, but only raised $62,000 prior to March 12 and owed $4,500.When the fund-raising campaign began, Michigan Pride targeted $15,000 as a goal.

MICHIGAN

Eatery opens shop in E.L.

By Katie Byrne The State News A new restaurant rounds out the soon-to-be completed City Center Project with its non round bagels. Cos

MICHIGAN

Rezoning manufactured housing gives schools, city officials hope for profit

By Katie Byrne The State News In a move to rezone a manufactured housing development to bring more students and taxes to East Lansing, city officials say “everybody wins.” Bob Owen, East Lansing’s planning and zoning administrator, said building 453 single-family homes on 278 acres currently zoned for manufactured homes would reach a broader market. “This will be more attractive for first-time home owners,” Owen said.

MICHIGAN

Families await judges decision to exhume body in possible mix-up

Antonio Planas The State News A judge will decide whether or not to exhume the body of Kyle Karp to determine if he was switched with his friend Thomas Schneider. The decision is scheduled for today, but Ingham County Medical Examiner Dean Sienko said he thinks it will be postponed. Sienko is currently conducting an investigation on events that occurred the night of April 6, 2001, when a drunken driver killed Karp and Schneider, both 13-years-old, as they were walking home from a skate park on Lake Lansing Road.

MICHIGAN

Billboard inspires residents to donate to fund

Kendra Snyder
April 26, 2002

Lansing - Sharon Banks’ eyes welled up with tears as $100,000 was donated to the Helping Other People Excel Scholarship Program. “I was a HOPE scholar without the name and it’s rough when you don’t know if it’s possible,” said the Lansing superintendent at a campaign kick-off on Thursday.

MICHIGAN

Day lets high schoolers try on government roles

Lindsay Frederickson
April 26, 2002

Lansing - By simulating House and Senate sessions, high school students voiced their opinions about issues facing Michigan legislators in the 53rd annual Michigan Youth in Government Conference. Twice each spring, more than 700 students from 130 high schools around the state converge on the state Capitol in this YMCA-sponsored program.

MICHIGAN

City briefs

Kendra Snyder
April 26, 2002

Summer flea market looking for vendors The East Lansing Spring Flea Market is open from noon to 4 p.m., Sunday on the corner of Albert Avenue and Charles Street, east of the Marriott East Lansing University Place, 300 M.A.C.

MICHIGAN

U debates what to do with elementary building

Shaun Byron
April 26, 2002

MSU administration hasn’t made a decision on what will be done with the Spartan Village Elementary School building if it closes next year.The university owns the building and shares in the cost of running the facility with East Lansing.East Lansing announced it may close the building this week.“We have got to cut $3.5 million - without closing the school we have to find $430,000 somewhere else,” Superintendent Tom Giblin said.Chuck Gagliano, vice president of housing and food services said the announcement was a surprise.“This whole thing has come up fairly quickly and I am not really sure what use we would have for it,” he said.

MICHIGAN

E.L. elementary school may close to help slash budget

Shaun Byron  and  Kurt Ludke
April 25, 2002

East Lansing School Board members expect Spartan Village Elementary School to close this fall.School board member Barbara McMillan said she suspects the school, located at 1460 Middlevale Road, will close due to budget cuts.Children attending the elementary will be displaced to other schools in the district,The administration delivered 72 recommendations last night to the board to help cut the budget by $3.5 million.Already, 108 part- and full-time employees have been laid off from the East Lansing School District.Spartan Village resident and Lansing Community College student Tendisai Mazhangara was at the elementary school Thursday evening to enroll her 4-year-old daughter for kindergarten, but the school was closed.Mazhangara said she heard about a month ago that the school’s closing was likely.“That would be terrible,” she said.But the board has not yet taken official action on the school’s closing, McMillan said.It is expected to pass the budget by June 10.“Monday we have a public forum and we won’t make any decisions,” McMillan said.Enrollment in the school has dropped from 400 students to just 90 resident students within the past few years, school district Superintendent Tom Giblin said.The rest of the school’s population is made up of school-of-choice students.“Spartan Village is a very special school but we are backed in the corner with a lot of issues,” he said.

MICHIGAN

Loss of parking may cause drop in business

Shaun Byron
April 25, 2002

Planned road construction on Valley Court in May could damage businesses that depend on the parking.Valley Court will be closed all summer, leaving customers at Crunchy’s without a place to park, said Dave Milligan, the establishment’s owner.“That is where most of our parking is and our (customers) won’t even be able to get to our parking lot,” he said.The construction will take place directly behind the restaurant, 254 W.

MICHIGAN

Bill to seek advisory council for drug study

Lindsay Frederickson
April 25, 2002

Concern that Michigan’s kids are overly medicated and conflicting reports of Ritalin as a positive or negative treatment for Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder have caused lawmakers to take a closer look at patterns in Michigan schools.“It was brought to our attention that there has been a dramatic increase in use among children in the past 15 years,” said Dale Hull, spokesman for Rep.

MICHIGAN

Retailers anticipate summer sales increase despite trends

Shaun Byron
April 25, 2002

Chocolate rabbits may not have been an Easter sellout, but retailers are expecting sales to pick up. Three out of every four Michigan retailers are projecting increased sales for April and June. Retailers are remaining positive, though March profits were not as high as expected, said Larry Meyer, president of the Michigan Retailers Association.

MICHIGAN

DNR to provide refunds

Shaun Byron  and  Aaron Johnson
April 25, 2002

Outdoor sports enthusiasts will be asking the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to fish into their pockets. A $1 fee increase was accidentally charged to 5,000 fishing and turkey license holders. The extra fee has DNR Director K.