Firestone recalls more tires

By MARTA W. ALDRICH The Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Firestone voluntarily recalled nearly 100,000 tires Tuesday because of a design flaw that causes the tires to crack; its third recall in the last six months. Most of the 98,500 recalled P205/55R16 Firehawk GTA-02 tires are fitted on the 2000 and 2001 models of the Nissan Altima SE. Firestone said it was not aware of any accidents, injuries or lawsuits related to the tires. A company analysis of tires consumers brought back for adjustments determined that overly wide steel belts could lead to cracking on their surface. While Firestone said its tests did not cause tread belts to detach, the company concluded that more adjustments may be needed. “Even though extensive testing shows these tires continue to perform adequately once the crack appears, we believe the safety recall is appropriate based on the frequency with which this cracking may occur and the fact that the crack starts on the inside shoulder of the tire and is not obvious to the driver,” said John Lampe, president, chairman and CEO of Bridgestone/Firestone. The company said it will mail notices to customers by March 12 and will replace the tires at no cost with new Firehawk GTA-02 tires in which the design problem has been corrected.

Get the runway ready

MSU’s future trendsetters will showcase their creative talents tonight in “Savoir Faire,” a fashion show designers say is more than the traditional catwalk strut. “Around my models, I’ll have about eight people that will watch them and act really weird, because they’re going to be monkeys wearing masks and throw T-shirts at the audience,” said Melanie Cumming, an apparel and textile design senior said. “I just have them go crazy, and it’s funny.” The MSU Student Apparel Design Association has worked at piecing “Savoir Faire” together since August, and students have acted as creative and promotion artists. “Everyone participated,” Robin Wallace, an apparel textile design senior and SADA president said.

Working exhibit inspires women

LANSING - “We can do it.” That phrase, used by the ficticious Rosie the Riveter during World War II to inspire women to take over jobs that had been vacated by men who were filling the role of soldiers, also touched Bonnie Krystoff nearly 60 years later. The teacher and photographer from Auburn Hills, Mich., created “A-B-C’s of Working Women: Women in Non-Traditional Work,” a traveling photography exhibit of women working in every job from archeologist to zoo biologist to help prove to the younger generation of girls they can do anything they want. “I want to draw (girls) into this because they’re the ones we want to reach,” Krystoff said.

New football recruit hails from Germany

MSU’s 2001 football recruiting class moved nearer to completion Monday after MSU head coach Bobby Williams announced the signing of another recruit.

All the world is a stage

By KEITAYA LOCKETT For The State News On Saturday and Sunday, the Kellogg Center Auditorium was filled with the lively sounds of African music as the MWENDO Black Theatre/Creative Arts Company presented, “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf.” The play, a choreo-poem by Ntozake Shange, is based on a collection of 20 poems and displays the stories of seven women as they encounter and experience love, relationships and life. Criminal justice senior Theresa Achusim was impressed with the performance. “It was excellent.

Freshman jumps to new heights

MSU women’s basketball freshman forward Julie Pagel isn’t used to losing. The former star of the 1999 Utica high school girls’ basketball team went 27-0 last year, leading her team to a state championship.

More prominence for Earnhardt

I have one question. Is the death of Dale Earnhardt not more important than a seminar or the growing availability of services available online?

Dean selection hits the Web

For Elaine Bush, it has always been difficult to contribute to decisions within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources - until now. Bush, director of Manistee County’s MSU Extension office three hours from MSU, is one of hundreds who can now help with the college’s dean selection process through a new Web site. Because her staff makes the trip to campus only once or twice a year, it’s convenient for MSU Extension staff to get involved without leaving their desks, Bush said. “I am really impressed that they are keeping us appraised of the situation,” she said.

Gas prices decrease, future prices weigh on Middle East

For the first time this year, Michigan motorists are paying less for a gallon of gasoline than they did in 2000.The cost of self-serve regular gasoline plummeted 7.1 cents to $1.47 - nearly three cents a gallon less than during this week of last year, according to a AAA Michigan gas study released this week.AAA spokesman Jim Rink said a slowing economy is helping motorists save at the pump.“If the economy continues to slow down as it has been, then the overall world oil market will probably feel that and respond by lowering prices,” he said.However, there is evidence indicating that gas prices could rise again, he said.“The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will be meeting in March to talk about production cuts, and if that happens, that will increase gas prices,” Rink said.

Police briefs 02/21/01

Not all gun owners are extremists

On behalf of Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners, I would like to commend the businesses which are barring the petition circulators who are trying to overturn the new concealed weapons law that our elected representatives passed. Our members are law-abiding gun owners, and many are offended by the actions of this small band of extremists.

Affirmative action not for everyone

This letter is in response to Ashley Bell’s column on the “benefits of affirmative action,” and how it is beneficial to everyone (“Affirmative action is beneficial to everyone,” SN 2/20). I myself am a white male, and believe I have been shorted by the concept of affirmative action. Applying to almost all major universities in the state with an extremely good high school GPA, ACT score, plethora of extracurricular activities and early application dates got me accepted to almost every school that I applied to, save one.

Put Earnhardts death on Page One

As auto-racing is the second most popular televised sport in the nation after football, I was surprised to see The State News coverage of the tragedy at Daytona 500 buried on page 2 of the sports section on Monday.

U can find summer on campus with innovation

Have any of you caught yourself in that hazy hallucinogenic summer daydream during class, counting down the days until spring break?

Greeks to lip-sync in support of Sparrow

Members of the greek community will be lip-synching their hearts out for Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital Coaches for Kids as part of the “MTV Fundraising Night” tonight at the Auditorium. The money raised from the event will be given to the hospital for its effort to construct a new children’s wing. Jackie Kim, co-chairwoman of greek week, said she’s hoping the annual event will attract the community’s interest. “Everyone’s going to be performing, hoping that their friends and the community will want to come watch them,” the nutritional science senior said. The event is open to the public with admission costing $3 or $2 with a canned good.

Spartan walk-on players feel fortunate for a chance to play in Big Ten

They don’t receive much playing time, if they get any at all.They didn’t earn scholarships, instead applying for financial aid like most other college students.They weren’t even known to all the players on the team.They are walk-ons; players not recruited by college coaches, but who have the ambition and skill to secure themselves a position on the team.And while most will never know the glory of throwing a game winning touchdown, as South Carolina Gamecock Erik Kimrey did in 1999 as a walk-on quarterback, or recording a last second sack as Notre Dame walk-on Daniel Ruettiger - a.k.a.

Law schools work to recruit

February is National Minority Law Student Recruitment Month, and local law schools are hosting several related events.The National Black Law Student Association, which has a chapter at MSU-Detroit College of Law, is holding its Midwest Region Convention today through Sunday at the Kellogg Center.

Racial profiling analysis entails more than data

A newspaper analysis of Michigan State Police traffic stop data fails to tell the entire story of why minorities are more likely to be searched by troopers, a department official said. According to a Detroit Free Press study of 2000 police data, black and Hispanic men were about 2 1/2 times more likely than white men to be searched involuntarily.

Latest bombings will only enforce stereotype

Hypothetical question: What would you do if you had an area of the world seething with religious differences, military conflicts and resentment toward the United States?If you said launch an unprovoked air strike and kill a few people, then you totally agree with our president and government.The decision of our government, along with Britain, to send 24 warplanes to attack radar and air defense sites south of Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, was hugely misguided.This attack killed a woman, Ghayda Atshaan Abdullah, and a man, Khalil Hameed Alwash.

Eliminate

While it is unfortunate Lansing Community College may eliminate six programs, it is an understandable move. Early this month, LCC President Paula Cunningham recommended the elimination of six of the college’s programs.