Friday, December 26, 2025

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MSU

Teddy bear fix-up

A green cast covered Barry's right leg Saturday afternoon. The teddy bear also wore protective plastic sunglasses for her lazy eye and a colorful Band-Aid covered one of her wounds. Sarai Garcia's stuffed animal went through a lot at the MSU/Mid-Michigan Children's Initiative, or MSU/MMCI's, Second Annual Teddy Bear Picnic, which took place off of Service Road, across from the Clinical Center. "She had a broken leg," the 8-year-old Lansing resident said.

MICHIGAN

Cook-off heats up city

Lansing — The riverfront buzzed with energy Friday night as the Lansing Board of Water and Light held its annual Chili Cook-Off. The cook-off, now in its 11th year, hosted 39 booths, with 1,500 gallons of chili served, said John Strickler, spokesman for the Lansing Board of Water and Light. Greeted by a warm and sunny day, visitors tasted chili, salsa and other foods at booths that wound along the downtown River Trail between Michigan Avenue and Shiawassee Street.

MSU

Organic farming

Ten acres of MSU's vast agricultural fields are reserved solely for growing organic food. The MSU Student Organic Farm, 3291 College Road, in Holt serves as a place not only to grow certified organic food, but research organic farming techniques as well, according to its Web site. The farm focuses on Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, in which the produce from the year-round farming is divided into shares and sold before the food is harvested. A share feeds up to about four adults and is not limited to one family, said farm manager and instructor Jeremy Moghtader. Shares are sold in spring, summer and fall and cost $460 per share, said Holly Markham, an environmental policy and anthropology senior, who works at the farm.

MSU

Strutting their stuff

Vinnie stomped the ground. The chestnut-colored horse was having his hooves shoed and shaped by farrier Kirk Lucas on Thursday afternoon at the west end of the Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education. Sparks flew as Lucas shaped Vinnie's new horseshoe.

MSU

MSU students graduate with more debt

Lonnie Moore expects to have about $40,000 worth of debt by the time he graduates in December. "Frankly, I see myself out of debt when they sell my body to science for dissection," the philosophy and history senior said.

MICHIGAN

Prison populations increase nationwide

The Michigan prison population grew by nearly 2 percent last year, continuing an ongoing trend that many legal experts say won't slow down anytime soon. The Michigan Department of Corrections report shows that Michigan's prison population of about 49,000 increased by 820 inmates — which is actually below the 10-year average before 2003 of 1,400 more prisoners each year.

MSU

Gas line hit, Olin evacuated

Construction workers hit a gas line Wednesday between 1:50 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. while working on the new parking ramp near Olin Health Center and Morrill Hall. Employees of Olin Health Center were evacuated, but there were no injuries, said Debra Dodd, spokeswoman for Consumers Energy. "The fire department thought it was best to evacuate the building since it was so near," Dodd said. No other buildings were evacuated, MSU police said. Consumers Energy officials were called to the scene to inspect and repair the damaged gas line.

MSU

Touring around town

Over the river and through the bike trails, MSU is home to acres of flower gardens, galleries full of one-of-a-kind artwork and dozens of ancient fossils — all for the public and all for free. This weekend, area officials hope to remind people of hidden jewels in their backyard as the Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau presents its annual "Be a Tourist in Your Own Town" event. Tracy Padot, vice president and director of marketing communications at the bureau, said about 15,000 people participate annually. "We hear tales that people haven't been to the Capitol Building since they were in fourth grade," Padot said.

MSU

Professor joins national board

For the next five years, MSU Professor Thomas Linsmeier's job will be to ensure financial reports from companies all over the United States are clean, clear and transparent. Linsmeier was recently appointed to the Financial Accounting Standards Board, a national body that creates and determines corporate financial reporting guidelines.