Veterans now can receive in-state tuition at Michigan’s public universities, the organization representing the state’s 15 public universities announced Friday. MSU joined the list of colleges offering the benefit of in-state tuition for all veterans about a week ago, said Mike Boulus, executive director of the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan.
The U.S. Department of Education is hoping to eradicate some of the misunderstanding around ways to pay back student loan debt with a new outreach program designed to teach graduates about more affordable options when paying back their loans. In a statement released this week, the department said it will be ?sending emails about loan payment options to about 3.5 million recent graduates.
Several environmental films will be screened at the East Lansing Film Festival, and MSU officials and local community members will be speaking about the films in a panel discussion on Saturday. The films being shown are “Trashed,” about the impact of littering; “More than Honey,” about the importance of honeybees and “Food for Change: The Story of Cooperation in America,” about food cooperatives.
Students might not to have to serve their jury duty during college semesters if the state Senate approves a new state bill the House OK’d last Wednesday. Rep. Kevin Cotter, R-Mount Pleasant, introduced the bill, which would let full-time college students postpone duty until the end of the school year.
As East Lansing Mayor Diane Goddeeris adjourned the city council meeting on Wednesday, the sun set on a city council that has had a varying legacy. On Wednesday, the council finished the mandatory five-year code review as part of the comprehensive plan, passing five ordinances to finish the process. It’s the group’s last meeting before newly-elected members Ruth Beier and Susan Woods fill the seats of Kevin Beard and Vic Loomis, both of whom chose not to run for reelection.
Okemos resident Connor McCowan was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison Wednesday morning for the murder of MSU student Andrew Singler. McCowan was convicted of second-degree murder last month for fatally stabbing Singler, his sister’s boyfriend, during an argument on Feb. 23 that came to physical blows. Singler, 23, was left with two wounds in his heart and arm. Defense attorney Chris Bergstrom asked Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Clinton Canady III to remain lenient on McCowan’s sentence. Bergstrom maintained McCowan acted in self-defense that night, fearing for his life after Singler struck him in the head.
If it wasn’t for Jeff Nardone, professional writing sophomore Emily Cervone would not have come to MSU. The MSU alumnus, also the adviser for Grosse Pointe South High School’s weekly student newspaper “The Tower,” saw Cervone’s writing abilities when she was a staff writer for the paper and encouraged her to study at MSU. “He was just so vibrant and passionate about not just teaching journalism, but life,” Cervone said. “I learned so much in that class — how to handle people, handling deadlines, just like a regular job.”
Following a second-degree murder conviction, Okemos resident Connor McCowan will be sentenced Wednesday morning. After an argument between two friends turned violent on the morning of Feb. 23, McCowan, 19, fatally stabbed MSU student Andrew Singler, 23. It is possible McCowan could receive life in prison. Given McCowan’s lack of prior offenses, his attorney, Chris Bergstrom, said he plans to ask the judge for the lightest sentence possible.
Lansing voters have approved a proposal to decriminalize recreational use of marijuana within city limits, according to unofficial election results from the Ingham County Clerk’s Office. With all 43 precincts reporting, about 63 percent of voters approved the initiative, which would allow the use, possession and transfer of less of less than one ounce of the drug when on private property for those 21 and older.
Ruth Beier and Susan Woods were victorious in their bids for seats on the East Lansing City Council, according to unofficial counts from the Ingham County Clerk’s Office. With all 17 precincts reporting, Beier took the lead and secured a spot on the council with 1,231 votes. Woods came in a close second to claim the other available seat with 1,085 votes, defeating candidates Ben Eysselinck and Sam Artley by more than 500 votes.
Student voter turnout in East Lansing local elections is historically dismal, and there’s scant evidence to suggest Tuesday’s East Lansing City Council election will be any different.
Legacies can be a tricky thing to discuss. It’s hard in a community of different viewpoints for a consensus of what a public servant means.
Many fall weekends are marked by the influx of cars onto MSU’s campus: tents are erected, grills fired up and tailgates opened. It’s an eagerly anticipated ?ritual close to the heart of MSU football. But many tailgaters might be unaware of the mark they leave on MSU’s landscape.
A committee of consultants working on East Lansing’s Comprehensive Plan update met with the public and officials on Monday evening to display potential future developments ?involving main attractions across the city. A few of the suggested changes included ?re-engagement with the Red Cedar River to make the walk more pleasant, larger senior community housing and increase in parking options.
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow came to Lansing Tuesday to discuss new economic opportunities for the state’s agricultural industry while dealing with issues related to climate change. Stabenow, the chairwoman of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, hosted U.S Sen. Ron Wyden, chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in Lansing earlier this afternoon at a forum with many of Michigan’s agricultural leaders.
After a slew of robberies on and off campus during football weekends, police prepared for more than typical tailgating citations prior to Saturday’s game. East Lansing had eight reported unarmed robberies on Sept. 14, the day of the football game against Youngstown State, according to East Lansing police Capt. Jeff Murphy.
A popular Lansing night club known as The Riverboat was shut down by the Lansing Fire Marshal’s Office Wednesday evening. On Wednesday night, The Riverboat was playing host to a Halloween costume party for college students ages 18 and older, according to the company’s website.
Numerous students and community members combed East Lansing streets Sunday morning to clean up the trail of plastic cups, leftover food and trash left behind by partiers and tailgating Spartan fans. Community volunteers met downtown at 10:30 a.m. Sunday to take part in a neighborhood cleanup event hosted by the Community Relations Coalition, or CRC, the morning after the MSU football team’s win over the University of Michigan.
City officials quietly repealed an ordinance preventing panhandling this month in the wake of a recent federal court decision. The ordinance was repealed as a part of the East Lansing City Council’s code review that concluded during the council’s Oct. 15 meeting.
When it comes to the art of fighting, it’s more of a dance. Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art combining dance and fighting moves, was invented by slaves in Brazil during the colonial period and disguised as a dance to keep it hidden. Kevin Hendrickson, a personal defense professor at MSU, teaches Capoeira at IM Sports-Circle every Wednesday.