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MICHIGAN

UPDATE: Stabbing victim's girlfriend, Connor McCowan's father testify in murder trial

Katie Abdilla
October 7, 2013

The autopsy and toxicology reports of MSU student Andrew Singler, as well as testimonies from Singler’s girlfriend Shay McCowan, were brought forward Monday morning in the trial of Okemos resident Connor McCowan. McCowan is on trial in Ingham County Circuit Court for allegedly stabbing and killing Singler on the night of Feb. 23 after a disagreement between the two went awry. He was charged with open murder and could face life in prison if convicted.

MICHIGAN

Improved safety to be focus of officials

Geoff Preston
October 6, 2013

As East Lansing moves toward a new phase of comprehensive planning and development, city officials are striving toward creating a safer and more diverse downtown that will entertain and retain students while they are at MSU and after they graduate.

FEATURES

Old Town Oktoberfest draws crowds to Lansing area

Derek Gartee
October 6, 2013

The smell of beer and the sounds of Bavarian bands filled the streets of Old Town in Lansing this weekend for the 8th annual celebration of Old Town Oktoberfest. Hundreds of people, including many students, gathered in downtown Old Town Friday and Saturday to embrace the longstanding German tradition.

MICHIGAN

Portion of Albert Avenue to temporarily close for construction

Simon Schuster
October 3, 2013

A portion of Albert Avenue will be closed from about 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday for construction, East Lansing officials said in a statement. City employees will be repairing sewer lines underneath a portion of Albert Avenue encompassing Gunson, Ann and Durand streets, according to the East Lansing Department of Public Works.

MICHIGAN

University Student Commission discusses couch burnings, party litter

Derek Gartee
October 3, 2013

MSU and East Lansing has had a bad reputation for couch burnings in the past, so this year, the University Student Commission plans to put in extra effort to eradicate the issue. The University Student Commission is a commission of MSU students who make proposals and suggestions to the East Lansing City Council addressing the problems students face. Their second meeting of the school year was Oct. 1, when members met to outline their initiatives for the semester. Issues included the rise in tuition costs and the continuation of party litter policy, but the main topic of conversation was couch burnings.

MICHIGAN

Trial of Okemos man charged with fatally stabbing MSU student continues

Katie Abdilla
October 3, 2013

The murder trial of Okemos resident Connor McCowan continued Thursday morning with additional testimony and recorded police interviews from the roommate of his alleged victim, MSU student Andrew Singler. Singler, a nutritional sciences senior, was fatally stabbed in his apartment Feb. 23 after he and McCowan allegedly had a disagreement over a series of text messages, culminating in McCowan showing up at the apartment. McCowan’s trial began this week in Ingham County Circuit Court.

MICHIGAN

Police: Student sexually assaulted in Chemistry Building

Katie Abdilla
October 3, 2013

A sexual assault reportedly occurred between 3 and 4 p.m. on Sept. 25 in the Chemistry Building, according to the MSU Police Department. A 20-year-old female student told police on Oct. 1 she met a man while sitting outside of Wells Hall Sept. 25. The man walked her to the Chemistry Building and allegedly assaulted her in a stairwell, MSU police said in a statement.

MICHIGAN

Poll: those under 30 tend to trust federal government more

A recent Gallup poll shows public trust in the government is at an all-time low, but, perhaps counterintuitively, those under the age of 30 tend to be much more trusting than those over 30, according to a study earlier this year from the Pew Research Center. At MSU, the trend seems to hold true according to some student political leaders. Lucas Joncas, president of MSU’s College Libertarians, said he thinks younger people tend to not pay as close attention to politics and policy as their older counterparts might.

MICHIGAN

New phone repair store opens

Brian Palmer
October 2, 2013

Students will have another option when it comes to mobile device repairs with Genius Phone Repair creating a new home on Grand River Avenue. The new business, which originated in Grand Rapids, deals with solving physical and hardware malfunctions and provides more options for student who have encountered phone troubles. Genius Phone Repair conducts mostly physical damage such as replacing cracked screens, button repairs, headset jacks, charger outlets and internal hardware and water damage. It is independent from all other carriers, such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint, though they work closely with one another, making the business unique from other options in the area.

MICHIGAN

Face Time: East Lansing City Council candidate Ben Eysselinck

Geoff Preston
October 2, 2013

Ben Eysselinck has been many places in his life, but he said as soon as he entered East Lansing’s Glencairn neighborhood eight years ago, he was “instantly in love.” Now, he wants to make his mark on the city by running for one of the four-year term East Lansing City Council seats that will be vacated by incumbents Vic Loomis and Kevin Beard after the Nov. 5 election.

MICHIGAN

Mobile app would pair drinkers with drivers

Simon Schuster
October 2, 2013

A new smartphone application will attempt to cut down on drunk driving by having MSU students get rides from an unlikely resource — their fellow students. Sobrio, which will begin offering regular rides this weekend, connects riders to drivers through the app’s interface.

MICHIGAN

Former roommate describes night of Singler's death

Katie Abdilla
October 2, 2013

A series of offensive text messages exchanged between Okemos resident Connor McCowan and MSU stabbing victim Andrew Singler kicked off McCowan’s murder trial Tuesday morning. “I have no problem finding you just to whoop your ass,” Ingham County Assistant Prosecutor John Dewane read, quoting a text McCowan sent to Singler the evening of Feb. 23. “Then you wouldn’t have a problem if I showed up at your apartment then, huh?”

MICHIGAN

Democrat Mark Schauer makes Lansing stop for 2014 governor race

Brian Palmer
October 1, 2013

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mark Schauer made clear his intentions to improve the budget situation for both primary and higher education and discussed his campaign strategies for the upcoming 2014 race in a Tuesday press conference. Schauer, who visited Riddle Elementary School in Lansing to celebrate an endorsement from the Michigan Education Association, is the Democratic challenger to incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. The MSU alumnus previously served in the Michigan House and Senate and was elected to one term in the U.S. House of Representatives before losing his seat in 2010.

MICHIGAN

Study: Freshmen commuters often feel disconnected from MSU community

Derek Gartee
October 1, 2013

Most freshmen are required to live on campus by the university, but there are exceptions to students who live with their parents nearby. Although this alternative often is less expensive, a study show there can be negative side effects. A study published by recent MSU graduates under professor Matthew Wawrzynsk show first-year commuter students are less likely to feel a sense of belonging in the MSU community.