City offers support for East Village project in memo

City council members had a shorter meeting on the first day of summer but still managed to take the East Village redeveloping efforts a half step further into the planning process. The council passed a Memorandum of Understanding at its Tuesday meeting for the master developer of the Cedar Village overhaul and city officials. The document demonstrates the city's support of the East Village redevelopment plans.

State proposes Amtrak cuts

For the more than 600,000 people who used Amtrak trains last year to travel, possible state budget cuts for the upcoming fiscal year might end their way of traveling around the country. Celeste Shoulders, a supervisor in the Eli Broad College of Business, said she uses the Amtrak train about 30 times a year to visit family and friends.

Low-cost clinic needs $70K

A budget shortfall that left an East Lansing low-cost clinic reeling this May hasn't improved, and the 34-year-old clinic might have to close its doors in July. Local nonprofit Gateway Community Services, 2875 Northwind Drive, runs several programs, including a runaway shelter, a youth crisis intervention center and a free or low-cost medical clinic.

Police briefs 06/23/05

Student arrested for being verbally abusive to firemen

MSU student Scott Posthumus watched as his East Lansing home was ravaged by fire on Saturday. By 4 a.m., he had landed in jail, he said. Posthumus, a finance junior, was arrested early Saturday morning on charges of being loud, boisterous and disorderly, his mother Cindi Posthumus said. "I stood right there and watched the whole thing in disbelief," she said of the arrest. A faulty electrical outlet was the probable cause of the fire that started in the garage of the house at 404 Evergreen Ave.

MSU: Rep. needed on state budget committee

Members of the state House of Representatives and the Senate will soon meet with Gov. Jennifer Granholm in a conference committee to compromise on three proposed methods to fund the state's 15 public universities. But some MSU officials said past committees have been biased, and universities with members on the committees have received higher portions of the state's budget. For more than 30 years, many public universities in Michigan have been funded in ways that did not reflect their enrollment levels or the costs of academic programs, said Steve Webster, MSU's vice president for governmental affairs. Whoever controls the politics of the committee controls the direction of university funding, he said. As a result, Webster said there is a significant disparity in the per-student funding of universities across the state. MSU is funded at about $1,400 less per student than other research universities in the state.

Police briefs 06/21/05

City: Resident-student affairs damaged by stereotypes

City officials, students and local residents said a peaceful relationship among the three groups is being hindered by a lack of communication and city ordinances. Students and residents negatively stereotype each other, East Lansing's Deputy City Manager Jean Golden said, adding that once students and residents start socially interacting, those stereotypes will be broken down. "If I know you as an individual, I'm going to be much less likely to stereotype you when I see you on the street," Golden said. However, family community services senior Sara Johnson said it's hard for students and residents to be cordial. "The student population changes from year to year, so it's not the same students that are doing bad things," she said. But East Lansing residents aren't the problem, "it's the city," interdisciplinary studies in social sciences junior Starr Jones said. City officials are making it hard for students to have financial stability with charges such as paying a monthly fee to have a trash can, Jones said. "City Council is only interested with getting our parents' money," she said. East Lansing resident Jayme Theis, 27, agreed with Jones, and said the general vibe from residents is that they're trying to push students out of the neighborhoods. Theis said city leaders are aiding the residents by relocating students to the northern part of the city and by not allowing additional rental home licenses in the area. But City Manager Ted Staton said students and residents are misinformed. The city recently approved a rental-home license and hundreds of new apartment licenses for East Lansing, he said. Staton also said it is not true that East Lansing officials want students to move away from the city. "It couldn't be further from the truth," he said.

Olin offers free HIV testing to community

Olin Health Center and other local clinics will hold free and anonymous walk-in HIV testing for the MSU community for the National HIV Testing Day on Monday. Nicolle Stec, health educator for the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Olin, said it's an opportunity to educate people about HIV and options that are available for testing and counseling. During pre-test consultation, counselors at Olin will determine whether the patient should have a blood or an oral swab test.

E.L. department to hold public opening

East Lansing residents will have an opportunity to get a peek at the inner workings of the city's public works and recycling center this evening. The East Lansing Department of Public Works will hold a dedication ceremony from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Lessons in language for American life

Leslie Eubank sat at a desk in her home with 15-year-old Sean Seong on Thursday afternoon as an audio sentence played from the computer in front of them.

MSU works on robotic arm for breast exams

A robotic arm might replace doctors' hands in future breast exams. MSU's Department of Surgery and researchers in the College of Engineering are working together to develop a robotic arm that could give women living in remote areas access to breast exams. The technology is called telemedicine because examinations will occur over long distances, but human doctors will still play a significant role in the exam, said Ranjan Mukherjee, associate professor of mechanical engineering, who is leading the team building the arm. "It shouldn't sound like robots are doing it alone because that's not what it is," he said.

Prof to discuss women in Iraq

A professor from the University of Baghdad will speak about women's struggles in Iraq in a presentation at a local church Friday. The presentation, titled "Through My Eyes: A Woman's Struggle for Peace in War Torn Iraq," will showcase Professor Naba Saleem Hamid and other women's experiences in Iraq at 7 p.m.

Council member to hold party for EVE

A cocktail party to benefit the group End Violent Encounters, or EVE, will be held from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

MSU to admit fewer freshmen in fall '05

This year's incoming freshman class will be slightly smaller than last year, according to admission rates so far, but a smaller class doesn't mean it will be less diverse. Jim Cotter, senior associate director in the Office of Admissions and Scholarships, said they are confident the freshman class will be more diverse than last year. "I feel more students now look to MSU for diversity," he said.

MSU approves interim budget for 2005-06

An interim budget for the 2005-06 academic school year was approved Friday by the MSU Board of Trustees. The board voted to permit the operation of the university at its 2004-05 budget expenditure levels until next year's budgets have been established. Last year, the 2004-05 budget and tuition rates, which included a 2.4-percent hike for in-state students and a 5-percent increase for out-of-state students, were established at the board's June meeting.

2 arrested in apartment drug robbery

Two people were arrested and charged with an armed robbery that occurred in Chandler Crossings apartments early last week. The Bath Township Police Department is continuing its investigation into the incident. Jawan Laderdale and Frederick Lilly were arraigned on felony charges of armed robbery and possession of a firearm on Wednesday.

Higher ed funding passed

Michigan senators approved the higher-education portion of the state budget on Thursday that provides funding for public universities and colleges. Senate Bill 273, which now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration, might provide a total 1-percent increase to universities and a total higher-education increase of 3.1 percent, according to the Senate Fiscal Agency. MSU would receive an increase in funding by 0.6 percent, according to that analysis. Northern Michigan University and Wayne State University received significant cuts under the proposed budget. Senators also held a hearing on Thursday to look at another bill that might increase state funding by up to 5 percent. The bill, which was introduced in February, would increase state funding to K-16 by no more than 5 percent, or by an inflationary rate based on the cost of living, said Sen.

Intertribal tradition

George Boissineau, a carpenter from North Branch, waits for the grand entry at the Riverbank Traditional Pow Wow on Saturday afternoon.

Student charged with sex crimes

An MSU international graduate student was arrested by Michigan State Police on charges relating to third degree criminal sexual conduct on Wednesday. Luabeya Kapiamba, a 37-year-old male agricultural economics graduate student, was charged with having multiple sexual encounters with a 15-year-old Washtenaw County female, police said. The Congo, Africa, native was arraigned in a Washtenaw County district court on three counts of criminal sexual conduct on Thursday, police said.