Safe travel a holiday priority

Motorists traveling on Michigan roads this Thanksgiving should be wary of a number of potential dangers, officials say.About 800,000 people are expected to make use of the state's highways and byways beginning today, and drivers are advised to use caution while traveling, said AAA Michigan spokesman Jim Rink."There are a lot of cars on the road, so you want to give yourself a lot of time, especially if the weather is not cooperating," Rink said.

NASA funds 'U' research project

By Joshua Carr Special for The State News A team of MSU doctoral and graduate students and professors are hoping to help NASA search for life on other planets by studying soil and bacteria on Earth. The MSU research group, at the Center for Microbial Ecology, is one of the 16 teams that makes up the Astrobiology Institute of NASA, whose sole purpose is to search for life on other planets.

Presidents use radio to discuss budget crunch

Presidents from the state's two biggest public universities will discuss Michigan's budget deficit and its effects on higher education tomorrow via the airwaves.MSU President M.

Students, legislators to discuss cuts

Students and legislators will discuss how statewide budget concerns will affect higher education at a public forum hosted by the Coalition of Labor Organizations at MSU.Coalition chairman Wayne Cass said nine Lansing state representatives and senators were extended invitations to answer questions about how public universities will be affected by budget cuts.The coalition created the forum in response to Gov.

Prestigious scholarships granted to 2 students

When Jared English found out he had been awarded a prestigious international award, he was elated."I couldn't believe that I had won," said English, an international relations and finance senior.English was one of two MSU students who will spend the next two to three years in England.

School campaigns for donations

MSU students and area residents don't have to spend a lot to give a lot, according to the MSU School of Social Work.

Council addresses alcohol issues

East Lansing City Council members will see a presentation on the American Campus & Alcohol Project during their 7 p.m.

'Silver Bells' shines

Lansing - As the crowd finished its countdown from 10, the towering White Spruce before the Capitol transformed from a dark silhouette against the late November sky into a brilliant, blazing beacon of holiday cheer. Seconds later, fireworks exploded over the Capitol dome, and the crowd cheered.

Police briefs 11/24/03

Police investigate day-long feud

MSU police are investigating a series of fights that stemmed from a racially charged remark exchanged between friends in Snyder Hall on Thursday. When an 18-year-old white student couldn't reach a friend on his phone at about 2:30 a.m., he uttered a derogatory comment to a 17-year-old black student, sparking a day-long feud - which included a knifepoint threat - MSU police Sgt.

Event shows funding woes

Concern of statewide budget cuts hung heavy at the 28th annual AutumnFest on Saturday morning as festival participants encouraged visitors to support programs that could be eliminated. The celebration of natural resources and agriculture was held at the Pavilion for Agricultural and Livestock Education and featured more than 60 booths of MSU groups, Michigan crop growers and agricultural research organizations.

Iraq policies debated

A group of faculty members hope to raise concerns about MSU President M. Peter McPherson's role in the economic development of Iraq during a speech Monday at the Union. The Open Faculty Forum, formed in September, consists of about 40 faculty members, Associate Professor of English Scott Michaelsen said.

Online sales soar this year

With the holiday season sneaking up on shoppers, online retailers are projecting a 29-percent increase in online sales compared with last year, officials say. David Berkowitz, spokesman for the online research firm eMarketer, said the company is predicting online sales to reach $17.8 billion in the fourth quarter and is projecting continual growth over the next few years as Internet use increases. "Each year, the rising uptake of broadband is making it even easier for people to quickly and conveniently go online," Berkowitz said.

WEB ONLY: 'U' disappoints in blood donor challenge

In contrast to the football game that proved victorious for the Spartans on Saturday, the students of MSU were defeated by Penn State this year in the 10th annual MSU-Penn State Blood Donor Challenge. The group only collected 1,633 pints of blood throughout the MSU community in conjunction with the challenge, far below the 1,990-pint goal for the American Red Cross. The 35 drives, beginning on November 5 and concluding last week, were conducted on campus, throughout East Lansing and at the Red Cross Donor Room, 1800 E.

Capitol update

U.S. House approves debated Medicare bill The U.S. House of Representatives passed a Medicare bill Saturday that supporters say will provide about 1.5 million Michigan residents with access to prescription-drug coverage. The final roll call was 220-215 and the bill is now awaiting a U.S.

Group gathers food for banks, kitchens

MSU and Michigan Harvest Gathering are hoping that football fans will save some food after tailgating this Saturday, especially the canned and non-perishable kind. From 8 a.m.

LCC gets $1M to add fuel-cell program

Lansing Community College students soon will be able to learn about fuel-cell energy, a field in need of employees that utilizes cells to convert hydrogen into electricity and other forms of alternative energy.LCC received a $1 million appropriation from the federal government Monday to set up the alternative-energy program.Because of the small amount of pollutants emitted by the cells, they are looked at by some as a possible solution for pollution problems created by automobiles.The school previously had earned a $250,000 grant from NextEnergy, a Michigan group dedicated to furthering alternative energy.

Man embezzled from church, police say

East Lansing police say Kevin Schaibley, 24, embezzled nearly $150,000 from the Ascension Lutheran Church, which he served as treasurer.The Lansing man was arrested and charged this week, East Lansing police Capt.

PBS terrorist film to show Monday night

The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies will present the PBS documentary "Terrorists Among Us: The Jihad in America" on Monday.The film details investigation of journalist Steve Emerson about the existence of terrorist groups in America.The film will be played at 7:30 p.m.

Web site to help evaluate lead poisoning

Determining the lead-poisoning risk level of children in the United States can now be done over the Internet, as MSU researchers developed a predictive Web site that aids in the process. The site allows users to enter contributing factors of lead poisoning, including the child's address, housing condition, family history of lead poisoning and socioeconomic status, and provides the user with a risk-assessment evaluation. The Web site already has gained acceptance from various Michigan lead-poisoning awareness groups, including the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, a group that supports the coordination of lead-poisoning prevention and testing services for children in Michigan. "The ideal result would be that medical clinics use this as the means of deciding who should be tested," said Stan Kaplowitz, MSU professor of sociology and one of the Web site's creators.