Monday, January 12, 2026

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

Multimedia

MICHIGAN

GOP retains majority in Michigan House

Things weren’t looking good for the state House Republicans vying to keep their 58-52 majority over the Democrats.But after Tuesday’s election, the GOP prevailed - the Republicans still have 58 representatives in the House and none of the party’s incumbents, who weren’t term-limited, lost.Kendall Wingrove, press secretary for House Republican Communications, said winning the House majority has not been easy.“We worked extremely hard for two years in preparation for this election,” Wingrove said.

NEWS

Students explore Alaska

By JASON MUI The State News To some MSU students, conquering the brisk cold of Alaska is no sweat. Since 1995, several students have been conducting research in a program run by MSU’s Arctic Ecology Laboratory.

NEWS

Icers win 3-2 against Northern

No matter how good a freshman athlete may be, he is not immune to freshman mistakes.One of those blunders, by Northern Michigan rookie goalie Craig Kowalski, lifted MSU to a 3-2 win over the Wildcats at Munn Ice Arena on Thursday night.With the score tied 2-2, Kowalski fanned on a passing attempt during an NMU power play early in the third period, leaving the puck unattended in front of an open net.

MSU

Group protests U subcontractor

Several local members of the Michigan Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ Union formed a picket line Thursday in front of the Human Ecology Building. The group, which also picketed Wednesday, is protesting low wages and poor working conditions for nonunion workers by an MSU subcontractor, J & S Plastering. “We will be out here until this is resolved, but I don’t see it getting resolved today,” said Greg Brisboy, a business agent and full-time representative for Local 16 of the Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ Union in Lansing. Nonunion employees are currently earning an hourly wage of $12, Brisboy says, which is $10 lower than the wage earned by area union members.

SPORTS

Iowa looks for Big Ten title

This is the second in a series of Big Ten men’s basketball previews.Heading into Steve Alford’s second year as coach of the Hawkeyes, the team has the highest expectations of any Iowa squad in recent memory.Last year, Alford’s first after taking over for Tom Davis, the Hawkeyes went 14-16, their first losing season since 1994.But with steady senior point guard Dean Oliver returning, and a cast of talented newcomers, the Hawkeyes believe they can turn the team around and win the Big Ten.“We have a lot of new faces, and things are looking real good,” said Oliver, who last year averaged 13.6 points and 4.2 assists per game.

FEATURES

Nontraditional chef keeps kitchen in order

Chris LaBelle is the first to say he’s not the traditional chef.The 25-year-old prefers a beige Adidas cap to a huge, white chef hat.And the executive chef at Evergreen Grill, 327 Abbott Road, doesn’t bark orders at the people who work under him.“I don’t think of myself as their boss, though I guess I am,” says LaBelle, dressed in an old black shirt and green-and-white-striped pants covered in front by a small apron.

NEWS

Voter refusal raises doubts

Many students who say they registered to vote - and showed up to exercise their right - did not get to cast their ballots Tuesday.And several were enraged.“Two years ago when I first came to State, I registered to vote using my address at Wonders Hall,” said Josh Sommers, a business junior.

SPORTS

Women golfers follow through with win

A record-shattering day resulted in a tournament victory for the women’s golf team in Pinehurst, N.C., on Wednesday.The squad won the three-day Pine Needles Invitational by firing a 288 in the final round, breaking the school mark of 290 set twice last season.Pinehurst will be the site of the 2001 U.S.

NEWS

Bowl dreams on the line as Spartans face Purdue

Brad Lawing has been a college football coach for 18 years. So when the Spartans’ defensive line coach said current Indianapolis Colts star Peyton Manning and Purdue’s Drew Brees are the two best quarterbacks he’s ever coached against, people listen. Unfortunately for MSU (4-5 overall, 1-5 Big Ten), Brees is in town this week. “He does an outstanding job of getting rid of the football,” Lawing said.

SPORTS

Kickers advance in tourney

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The MSU men’s soccer team opened the Big Ten Tournament with a 6-0 first-round shutout over Northwestern on Thursday at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. The win advances the kickers to a second-round match against Penn State at 2:30 p.m.

COMMENTARY

Football letter missed point

This is in response to Steve Milkiewicz’s letter (“Football is not a leading killer,” SN 11/7). Steve, I think you need to look a little deeper into Greg Brown’s article about football as a national killer of children.

MSU

U looking for a few good minority aides

The Office of Minority Student Affairs has begun its minority aide selection process for the 2001-2002 academic year. Murray Edwards, the university’s senior coordinator for Minority Student Affairs, said minority aides play a crucial role for minority students living in residence halls. “Minority aides are undergraduate racial or ethnic students that live in the residence hall and are there to assist students in their transition to MSU by being a resource person for those students,” Edwards said. Minority aides often assist with students’ problems, issues and concerns by referring them to the proper resources on campus, he said. Candidates for the job must participate in a three-part process.

MSU

Freshman council adopts service program

ASMSU’s Freshman Class Council wanted to do something different this year. Hence the reason members agreed to organize “Adopt-a-Child,” a new program established within ASMSU, the university’s undergraduate student government. “We started the year thinking of something to do that would be different from any other class,” said Sarah Kane, a council representative and a member of its community service committee. In the newly founded program, the council has sent letters to more than 60 local businesses asking for donations of money and toys to ensure a happy holiday for several underprivileged children in the East Lansing area. “We sent letters to anyone we thought would be interested,” Kane said. This is the first year ASMSU has attempted such a program, and one representative said he thinks it’s about time the student government do so. “I think ASMSU needs to do things for the community and give things back to the children,” said Quinn Wright, a College of Communication Arts and Sciences representative on the Student Assembly. Wright built a foundation of the idea from a similar program - which also carries the same name - he participated in during his senior year at Ferndale High School in Ferndale, Mich. “It’s a great program, so I thought, ‘Why not?’” Wright said.

MICHIGAN

Sting targets video games

Minors can’t buy cigarettes, pornography or alcohol - and now the state is trying to ensure they can’t buy violent video games either.An initiative introduced by Michigan Attorney General Jennifer Granholm on Thursday morning encourages retailers to enact regulations preventing minors from purchasing mature video games.The Entertainment Software Review Board has a system to rate games on a scale similar to movies.

FEATURES

Author holds book signing

Put your best foot forward and reach for the sky - children’s book author Allison Stoutland is signing books Saturday at the MSU Bookstore.Stoutland, who is married to MSU offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, will sign copies of “Reach For the Sky” and “Put Your Best Foot Forward” from 11 a.m.

FEATURES

Little Nicky takes a different twist

“Little Nicky” doesn’t fall in the same category as other Adam Sandler films. The familiar element of Sandler’s character as the underdog is present, but Sandler’s Nicky uses new ways to make the audience laugh.