Saturday, April 11, 2026

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

Multimedia

MICHIGAN

Polls indicate support for Blanchard

Former Gov. James Blanchard is the preliminary favorite to become the Democratic Party’s nominee for Michigan’s 2002 gubernatorial election, according to a new poll.Blanchard led Michigan Attorney General Jennifer Granholm and U.S.

NEWS

Icers solidify rank in Ohio State victory

COLUMBUS, Ohio - One championship down, two to go for the top-ranked Spartan hockey team. MSU (27-4-4 overall, 20-4-3 CCHA) learned late Thursday night that it had clinched the outright CCHA regular season title following second-place Michigan’s 2-1 loss at Lake Superior State. Then, for good measure, the Spartans trounced Ohio State in back-to-back contests - 5-2 Friday and 7-2 Saturday - further solidifying their status as the nation’s elite team heading into March. “It’s a little different clinching a championship when you’re sitting in a hotel room than when you’re actually on the ice,” said sophomore center Troy Ferguson, who scored his third goal of the season Friday.

MSU

ASMSU calls on Olin to make RU-486 more accessible

After a detailed presentation, numerous public comments and five hours of debate Thursday evening, ASMSU has decided the abortion drug RU-486 should be more accessible to students.ASMSU’s Student Assembly approved the bill that calls on the university to make RU-486, also known as mifepristone, attainable through Olin Health Center.With the measure’s approval, supporters now hope to discuss the matter more extensively with Olin and MSU officials.“This is not an issue that can be corrected overnight,” Women’s Council representative Melanie Olmsted said.Meanwhile, ASMSU representative Mike Ehlers, who introduced the bill with Olmsted earlier this month, said he was pleased with the amount of deliberation the measure has already inspired.“That was our intention,” said Ehlers, a College of Social Science representative for the assembly.

SPORTS

Hoops team rallies for strong finish

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - One after another, the MSU men’s basketball team continues to stack up records. Saturday’s 76-57 win over Penn State (16-9 overall, 6-8 Big Ten) gave MSU’s seniors - Charlie Bell, Andre Hutson, David Thomas, Mike Chappell and Brandon Smith - their 109th career win, a new Big Ten single-class record. The old class record of 108 was held by two separate Indiana classes, the 1972-73 through 1975-76 class and the 1990-91 through 1993-94 class. “It builds a bond between these seniors that will never be broken,” guard Thomas said.

SPORTS

Offense skates circles around competition

COLUMBUS, Ohio - If you ask MSU head coach Ron Mason what the key factors have been to his top-ranked Spartans’ success this year, he’ll tell you it’s rock-solid defense and phenomenal goaltending. But it was MSU’s unappreciated offense that skated circles around the baffled Ohio State Buckeyes this weekend in Columbus. The Spartans tallied 12 goals in the two-game series - a total the team probably would be happy with during a normal four-game stretch. “There’s been different ways we’ve scored all year,” Mason said Saturday.

FEATURES

High school playwrights watch words come to life at festival

Fresh ideas and young talent came to the Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre stage Sunday afternoon, as six high school playwrights watched their works come alive in the 5th Annual Young Playwrights Festival.Oona O’Leary, an East Lansing High School senior, took first place in the competition for her play, “Gregorian Rants,” and received a $600 prize.“Most of my ideas come from little ideas, pieces of ideas, lines I could use,” she said.O’Leary wrote the play two years ago, revised the work last year and submitted it for the competition.Her play depicted God - who wore a tie-dyed T-shirt that read “God is Awesome” - in heaven, as all hell breaks loose around him.

COMMENTARY

Rape letter was very shocking

I’m sure I’m not the only one who will be compelled to respond to Michael Bochenek’s letter to the editor (“Rape accusation is very serious,” SN 2/22). I’m also sure that no matter what anyone has to say, it will not change his opinion, and that is fine.

COMMENTARY

U president should listen

Maybe it all started a few years ago with Bill Clinton. The nation got a glimpse of politics at its worst, when our then-president addressed the nation about serious and inflammatory issues, and didn’t actually say anything at all.

MICHIGAN

Fair provides healthy information, treats

LANSING - The music was soulful and the information was taken straight to the heart Saturday at the Gier Community Center. Participants at the Heart of Our Heritage Health Fair - an event that inform blacks of the risks faced by their community - were entertained by live performers at the community center, 2400 Hall St.

NEWS

Latin event spurs culture explosion

Friday night’s Latin Explosion “A fuego” was more than just on fire - it was an eruption of culture, music and dance.The annual event, held at the Auditorium, was a two-hour show with more than 200 people in the audience.

COMMENTARY

Taxed Books

While the elimination of the state sales tax on textbooks would be a nice gesture, the tax’s absence won’t make much of a difference. State Rep.

NEWS

Monster trucks bring in fun, screams

Rambo, Rap Attack, Black Stallion and Bulldozer -10,000-pound hunks of horsepower, rubber, metal and fuel otherwise known as monster trucks - rallied on campus this weekend at Breslin Student Events Center as fans looked on.

MSU

Rising costs concern greenhouse owners

Frigid temperatures and a looming gas price increase may be a concern for greenhouse owners, but MSU officials say rising costs are not going to leave them out in the cold.“We don’t have a problem with heating our greenhouses because we don’t pay for it,” said Dave Freville, MSU greenhouse manager.

COMMENTARY

Raise in bus prices is not a surprise

Well, we knew this was going to happen. When Capital Area Transportation Authority proposed taking over the MSU bus system not so long ago, students reacted by saying CATA would increase prices.