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NEWS

Sotomayor hearing examines nominee’s ability to be impartial

Kayla Habermehl
July 15, 2009

Questions about impartiality and previous rulings have been at the forefront of the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, which began Monday. Major issues U.S. senators on the Judiciary Committee have been grilling Sotomayor about include her stance on particular policy issues and her judging methods, said Bernadette Meyler, a law professor at Cornell Law School.

FEATURES

Knott plays summer concert series

Mallory McKnight
July 15, 2009

The Summer Concert Series continues with a performance by Ryan Knott beginning at 7 p.m. and ending at 9 p.m. Friday. The concert will take place at Fountain Square at the corner of M.A.C. Avenue and Albert avenues. Saturday night’s performers will be Against School Violence, at the Ann Street Plaza, also beginning at 7 p.m.

FEATURES

Wilde Play coming to Grand Ledge

Capital TheaterWorks, the resident company of The Ledges Playhouse, 133 Fitzgerald Park Drive, in Grand Ledge, presents “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde.

FEATURES

Gone Wired offers sit-down atmosphere

Krystle Wagner
July 15, 2009

Opening a cafe was never part of Colleen Davis’s plan. And yet five years ago, Davis opened Gone Wired Cafe. “When I was a student and a teacher, I would always go for places to study and to write and there weren’t any and I felt there was room for a cafe geared directly towards students and people who like to go to cafes to do their work,” Davis said.

NEWS

Sign of the times

Sean Cook
July 15, 2009

With the number of pets surrendered to the Capital Area Humane Society for economic reasons continuing to rise and the shelter almost always being at full capacity, it would seem there is little silver lining to be had for unwanted pets in the struggling economy. However, according to Samantha Eburne, president and CEO of the humane society, there is hope. “The economy has affected adoption in a positive light,” Eburne said.

COMMENTARY

Bathroom etiquette is serious business

Every once in a while, I’ve been known to enjoy a drink or two. I turned 21 only about a month ago, so saying that probably won’t shock many people. I’m still a little green to the MSU bar scene, but there’s something that’s already made an impression on me.

COMMENTARY

Lawsuit reminds students internet not anonymous

Even though people seem to believe the things they do on the Internet won’t be noticed or traced back to them, often they still can be. That’s what happened to two MSU students when some alleged alterations they made to a Wikipedia Web page was met with a libel suit that could end up costing them each $25,000.

NEWS

E.L. City Council votes for park renovations, approves parking hours request

Kate Jacobson
July 14, 2009

Two East Lansing parks will see renovations after the East Lansing City Council voted to enter a project agreement with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, or MDNR, to receive grant funds at its council meeting Tuesday. The East Lansing Department of Parks, Recreation and Arts applied for the grants in April 2008 for White Park, located in the northern part of East Lansing, and Hawk Nest Park, located on the corner of Buteo and Kiskadee drives. Two grants were submitted for property acquisition at White Park, which would total about $500,000.

NEWS

MSU construction on fast track to completion

Brittany Shammas
July 13, 2009

From giving 55-year-old Brody Hall a face-lift to outfitting walls inside Owen Graduate Hall with bamboo, construction crews have spent the first half of summer working toward a revived campus. University engineer Robert Nestle said summer construction is progressing on schedule and without difficulty, as several projects near completion and other large-scale projects break ground. “There’s no question things are slowing down some on campus, but there are several new projects that are moving ahead,” he said.

MICHIGAN

New law might permit electronic ballots for citizens overseas

Dan Luscombe
July 13, 2009

New state legislation might make it easier for Michigan residents serving abroad in the military to cast absentee votes and to have them counted in time for Election Day. Operation: Make Our Troops Count is a proposal that would allow service men and women abroad to receive absentee votes electronically via e-mail and then mail them to their local county clerk.

NEWS

MSU students sued for defamation on Wikipedia

Megan Hart
July 13, 2009

Two MSU students are named in a $25,000 lawsuit about reported defamation on Wikipedia. Ingham County Commissioner Mark Grebner filed a complaint statinig international relations junior Brad Dennis and criminal justice sophomore Anthony Giammarinaro made edits to Grebner’s Wikipedia entry in October 2008.

NEWS

CATA to receive $7M grant for additions to fleet

Zane McMillin
July 13, 2009

A bus shelter and pedestrian walkway near Akers and Hubbard halls might be the newest by-products of federal stimulus funding, if the project is approved by the public. Public forums will be held early this fall where people can voice their opinions on the matter, said Sandy Dragoo, chief executive officer for the Capital Area Transportation Authority, or CATA. The plans, which are not set in stone and are contingent on the outcome of the hearings, would be funded by more than $7 million in grant money awarded to CATA last week under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, she said. “We are having public forums as soon as school begins this fall,” Dragoo said.

COMMENTARY

Livestock regulation plan needs second look

The Humane Society of the United States’ fight for a few inches might be far tougher than one would expect. The national animal rights group has been lobbying the state of Michigan to give more room to certain confined livestock animals, saying that many don’t have room to stand up, lie down, turn around or extend their limbs.