I recently had the pleasure of traveling to Washington, D.C., New York and Chicago. As someone who spends most of his time in Detroit, it's only natural I make some comparisons between these big cities and our state's own urban cornerstone.
State data will become more accessible with a little help from Google. Google Inc. now is working to put 200 online databases from Michigan's Web site on its search engine. The makeover, which is free of charge, should make it easier for people to look up state information, such as road closings and statewide Michigan Education Assesment Program, or MEAP, scores on the search engine. "Our mission is to make as much information available to users as possible," said Katie Watson, a Google spokeswoman. The data is only available on the state's Web site. People often search Google for information on new state programs or what roads aren't open, Watson said. When people can't find it on the search engine, it reflects badly on Google, she said. "A big incentive for us was if this information wasn't available, it was the search engine's fault," Watson said. But when people perform a search on the state's Web site, they're sometimes bogged down with massive numbers of pages, said Kurt Weiss, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Information Technology. For instance, MEAP scores are spread throughout 25,000 pages. But using Google as a search option should eliminate that problem, creating more specific, user-friendly pages, Weiss said.
Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, part of Kaplan Inc., will host a free Law School Insider Seminar for prospective law school students.
A trial-like hearing will take place Sept. 17 in the case of Judge Beverley Nettles-Nickerson, who was suspended from the bench June 6 by the Michigan Supreme Court. Nettles-Nickerson was suspended with pay after a formal complaint was filed by the Judicial Tenure Commission on May 16. The complaint cited 10 counts of improper conduct by the judge, including allegations of fabricating evidence and making false statements.
With more than a year before the 2008 presidential election, the road to the White House is getting hot. After the third Democratic presidential primary debate Monday, pundits from coast to coast already have thinned the crowd of Democratic presidential hopefuls down to three: Sen.
Though it was signed into law last month, the jury is still out on the Michigan Business Tax, or MBT, for some Michigan lawmakers. The MBT is a step in the wrong direction for Michigan, Rep.
In response to Colleen Maxwell's article "5 compete to design museum" (SN 7/19), why did MSU bother to fly anyone in? The conceptual designs of these five architectural firms are nothing more than egotistical expressions of their own personal bias.
I am writing in response to "Recalls shouldn't be used as threats" (SN 7/23). For years, our governor and Legislature have mismanaged the budget, refused to make critical reforms and continued to seek tax and fee increases. Their failure to address the unsustainable level of teacher pensions and health care benefits results in millions of dollars being redirected away from the classroom every year. Their failure to expand school choice and increase educational opportunities condemns tens of thousands of children to failing schools. Their failure to stand up to the big labor raises the cost of doing business in this state.
For most people, traffic-induced headaches only last a few minutes, but for residents of East Lansing's Red Cedar neighborhood, the headache is never ending. Brendan Boyle has lived at 1256 Scott Drive for six years, and the road surface noise from the intersection at Interstate 496 and U.S.
The monthlong One Book, One Community program will kick off with an evening with Susan Carol McCarthy, author of "Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands." The event starts at 7:30 p.m., Aug.
Recent criticism of the Michigan Legislature for reducing state funding for higher education is wrong, as are claims that students are being gouged by the state. In fact, students benefit the most from the current policy of funding state universities partly through tax revenues.
Think the long nights you've spent with your face buried in your books at the library to get that 3.5 grade-point average are going to earn you honors at MSU? Think again. MSU's GPA thresholds have been raised, starting with students graduating in spring 2008. Instead of earning a 3.80 to graduate with high honor and a 3.50 to graduate with honor, students planning to graduate in spring, summer or fall 2008 will have to bump up their GPAs to 3.82 to receive high honor or 3.55 to receive honor. Those graduating in 2009 will need a 3.84 or a 3.60, and by 2010, the numbers will be 3.86 to graduate with high honor and 3.65 to graduate with honor. The GPA adjustments are made to keep the percent of those honored at around 20 percent - 6 percent with high honor and 14 percent with honor, said Ralph Putnam, chair of the University Committee on Academic Policy, or UCAP. The grades of the graduating class of students each year are used to determine thresholds for the following year. Putnam said the old numbers - 3.50 and 3.80 - haven't been adjusted in recent years to keep a consistent percentage of students honored. "Over time, GPAs have increased - whether that's due to grade inflation or better students," he said.
Daniel Ortega-Pacheco heard a bundle of stories about international students' struggles as an MSU International Students Association board member last year. Ortega-Pacheco, an agricultural economics graduate student from Ecuador, said Americans don't often understand the difficulties international students face. "What people don't see is these international students are running short on money, just like any other college students, they're homesick and they're miles and miles away from their families," he said. A series of meetings between international students and local businesses look to strengthen the connection between the business community and MSU international students. Led by the MSU Office for International Students & Scholars Director Peter Briggs, the meetings are part of the OISS effort to ease the struggles of international students coming to a new country, school and home. "We want to make sure our international students feel welcome here and that we improve some of the entry pathways for these students into more aspects of the community," Briggs said. International students contributed more than $90 million to Lansing's economy in 2006, according to the Institute of International Education. Last week's meeting was a brainstorming session between international students and CEOs of six local companies, he said.
The Summer Food Program for Children provides free breakfasts and lunches for children ages 18 and under.
MSU police are investigating an employee in the College of Education who may have embezzled about $19,000 while using a department credit card. In July, the MSU police department was notified that a 25-year-old female employee in the college embezzled about $19,000, MSU police Sgt.
Break out the pretzels and partisanship - it's round two of the Democratic presidential candidate debates. The Democratic National Committee will hold the first of six planned, DNC-sanctioned debates between the party's presidential hopefuls live from 7-9 p.m.
Prostitution should be legalized and destigmatized in the U.S. Out of almost 15 million arrests in 2005, an estimated 84,891 were for prostitution or commercialized vice, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
About 800 people packed into Schuler Books, 1982 W. Grand River Ave., in Okemos, on Friday night for the release of the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series, counting down until midnight when the first copy would be sold. The release party for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," by J.K.
East Lansing residents will have a chance to address East Lansing City Council members about the Avondale Square Neighborhood Development, also known as the Virginia Avenue project, at Tuesday night's work session. The session will be held at 7 p.m.