Friday, May 1, 2026

Take a peek behind the curtain and test drive the NEW StateNews.com today!

Multimedia

FEATURES

Cover artists should not waste breath on criticism

While covering music - both local and national - you meet all kinds of personalities. There are the notoriously cocky musicians who think they are changing the face of music while simultaneously walking on the people who support them.

MICHIGAN

Yo-yo master performs at E.L. park

Paul Kyprie is no yo-yo.But he can do about 200 tricks if given one.From around the world and pinwheels to walking the dog and loop-the-loop, Kyprie, or Yo-master Zeemo, can do them all.About 75 children and adults attended East Lansing's Play in the Park on Tuesday evening to watch and learn Zeemo's famed tricks.Sitting on lawn chairs and blankets the audience watched Zeemo's tricks in awe and laughed at his jokes and puns.

NEWS

Calif. group fights U-M admissions

The recent Supreme Court decision to uphold affirmative action is now being challenged in Michigan as a group from California is starting an effort to fight the decision.On Monday, Ward Connerly, the chairman of the Sacramento-based American Civil Rights Coalition, announced his idea for the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative to a crowd on the University of Michigan's campus.

NEWS

Rapada steals show in 8-1 Lugnut victory

Lansing- West Michigan Whitecaps' left-handed pitcher Jon Connolly had a list of accolades coming into Monday's game against the Lansing Lugnuts.But his little-known counterpart Clay Rapada stole the show in Lansing's 8-1 victory at Oldsmobile Park.The Midwest League All-Star game starter Connolly (13-2) had been nearly untouchable this season, posting a 13-1 record with a 1.06 earned run average.

COMMENTARY

Nursing College working with 'U'

I appreciate The State News' interest in the College of Nursing and the nursing shortage. However, the editorial "Unhealthy cuts" (SN 6/30) requires clarification of facts. The College of Nursing has not downsized by reducing the number of students.

COMMENTARY

Learning to shop

Sending K-12 students to malls for field trips is a good idea as long as it's an appropriate group being sent, such as one that teaches students how businesses market their products. But field trips need to be more than entertainment - rather, infotainment. The Oakland Press reported for a Saturday story that some Michigan educators believe students can benefit from field trips to retail centers. "So much is required of the schools and students these days that any time spent away from the classroom would have to have a valuable academic purpose," Kay Cornell, assistant superintendent for instruction with the Royal Oak School District, told The Oakland Press. But students who aren't of the right age to appreciate the inner workings of the consumer-driven economy shouldn't be expected to grasp the value of hands-on education in the mall.

COMMENTARY

State legislatures too incompetent

In response to "Frist opposes gay marriage" (SN 6/30), Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., doesn't sound compassionate or conservative saying: "Generally, I think matters such as sodomy should be addressed by the state legislatures." Sorry Frist, but Michigan's legislature, as one example, seemed to not have the backbone to touch our state's outdated law that made oral and anal sex between adults, straight and gay, illegal. Yet the state Legislature can update its salary regularly. They meet three days a week and earn $77,260 a year.

MSU

Board gives highest honor to 10 professors

The MSU Board of Trustees approved the designation of 10 MSU faculty members as university distinguished professors. The title is the highest honor a faculty member can receive at MSU.

NEWS

Common Ground schedule

Tickets are available on a first come, first serve basis. Tickets ordered in advance cost $22 per day.

SPORTS

Sports briefs

'BasketBowl' tickets available on Tuesday Tickets for the "BasketBowl", the MSU-Kentucky basketball matchup at Ford Field in Detroit, will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday. MSU ticket manager Chris Besanceney said 50,172 tickets have been ordered through private sales to Spartan donors and season ticket holders.

FEATURES

Witherspoon keeps this dumb 'Blonde' alive

While Reese Witherspoon shines as the smart yet ditzy Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde: Red White & Blonde," her pursuit of Washington, D.C., does not quite measure up to Elle's fun-filled journey at Harvard Law in the first flick. The sequel tells the story of Elle Woods traveling to Washington to oppose future testing on animals after she finds the mother of her precious Chihuahua Bruiser is being used as a cosmetic test subject.

NEWS

Music, games on common ground

Lansing - What do you get when you mix a blues prodigy, some boys from down south, a Woodstock veteran, a side of Meatloaf and a dash of Hootie and plop it all in the middle of Lansing? The fourth annual Common Ground festival is set to take over Adado Riverfront Park tonight, with classic-rockers Boston and Larry McCray and Celtic musicians The Lash slated to kick off the weeklong festival. "We try every year to have a little bit of everything," Common Ground spokeswoman Melissa Steelman said. Steelman said the festival will include performances by recognizable acts such as The Allman Brothers Band and Joe Cocker, as well as lesser known acts.