Same-sex partner rights debated today in court

A hearing to determine whether public employers can offer benefits to domestic partners is scheduled for today at the Ingham County 30th Circuit Court and proponents will hold a rally before the hearing. Triangle Foundation Director of Policy Sean Kosofsky said the benefits should remain legal. "I don't want to comment on possible decisions from the hearing, but we are expecting a positive outcome because the intent behind Proposal 2 was not to restrict domestic benefits," he said. In 2004, Proposal 2 was put on the ballot and was ratified as a Michigan Constitutional amendment defining marriage as being between a man and a woman. The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, is representing 22 same-sex couples who filed a lawsuit in March after Attorney General Mike Cox interpreted the amendment as barring the city of Kalamazoo from providing domestic-partner benefits in future contracts. Messages left at the attorney general's office were not returned. The court hearing, which would have been last month, was postponed in order for Gov.

Police briefs 08/16/05

Police briefs 08/16/05

UAB to entertain with student talent

On Aug. 27, the International Center will hold singing, dancing, magic and improvisational comedy in the University Activities Board's "Spartan All-Stars" show. The event is free to the MSU community and everyone featured is from the university, advertising junior and UAB spokesperson Tiffany Weber said. "It's called the 'All-Stars' because it features the talents of Spartans," she said.

Sparty's offers fair trade espresso

Sparty's Convenience Stores' coffee is now fair - to the last drop. Campus and local coffee shops now provide fair trade coffee due to consumer demand. Fair trade is an agreement between producer and purchaser that at least a minimum price per pound will be paid for certain goods.

State grant extends Northern Tier Trail

The city of East Lansing has received a grant to help fund an extension of the Northern Tier Trail. The $92,400 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will help the city extend the trail about a mile farther north.

Judge considers torture charge in death of Calif. fraternity pledge

Oroville, Calif. - A California judge raised the possibility that four fraternity members could be charged with torture in the death of a 21-year-old pledge, comparing the alleged hazing death to the torture of Iraqi prisoners by U.S.

City streets: How do you feel about the new student voucher program for football games?

"If you can't make a game, you should be able to sell your ticket." Nate Bohm 2005 graduate "I don't think it should be on their (ID) card.

'Alien' author tours U.S. in motor home

Robert Farrell believes we're not alone in the universe. In his book, "Alien Log," Farrell said he relates his theories to the reader through a fictional story. "One day, I came to the realization that there was other life in the galaxy," Farrell said.

Athlete to do community service, pay fine for DWI

An MSU football player was sentenced by the 54-B District Court on Friday morning to serve five days of community service and pay $738 in fines for driving while impaired. Aaron Alexander, a senior wide receiver, pleaded guilty to charges of driving while impaired and must now participate in a victim impact panel run by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Web site, a victim impact panel is a group of people who share stories about how impaired driving has affected their lives.

MSU students compete for oil jobs

Last week, seven MSU students had their business skills put to the test as they were eyed by oil company executives for potential jobs. They were some of only 46 students from across the country who were handpicked to participate in a weeklong program hosted by Shell Oil Company at the Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, Calif. But the week at the exclusive resort was no vacation, said MSU chemical engineering senior Peter Klemm. The students took part in Shell's Gourami Business Challenge, in which they were split into teams and given a case study asking them to develop a five-year business plan for oil production on the fictitious island of Gourami.

Officials question existence of racial profiling on campus

Walking home as usual after interning at the MSU Plant Biology Laboratories, 16-year-old Detroit high school student Brenten Williams said he was stopped by an MSU police officer. "I was walking toward the bridge near Abbot and Mason (halls) and a cop pulled up in a motorcycle," he said.

2nd Menna's Joint opens; Big 10 Burrito coming soon

Tonight, hungry students wandering Albert Avenue for something to eat will have a new option. Menna's Joint is opening a second location next to Harper's Restaurant & Brewpub, 131 Albert Ave. "We just needed to expand," owner Joe Conrad said. The opening at 7 p.m.

Game design becomes specialization at MSU

Video games will not only be a pastime for MSU students but also a degree specialization. Courses in video game design and development will be available for students to take in September as an introduction to a possible career. Brian Winn, associate telecommunication, information studies and media professor and co-founder of the program, said it's a four-course section that students can take in their junior and senior years.

Safe Place interns help abuse victims

Each year coordinators at the MSU Safe Place, a haven for victims of domestic violence, hire interns to handle services for the organization. Friday is the last day for this summer's interns, and 2005 graduate Hope Delecke and anthropology senior Kelly Nowicki said the experience at Safe Place will stay with them long after college. "After I graduate I plan to go to the Peace Corps and work in community health," Nowicki said.

Groups take cell phones for needy

Instead of letting obsolete cell phones sit dormant in a closet or drawer after getting them upgraded, people can donate their phones to charities that give them to people in need. The Charitable Recycling Program, located in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., collects phones for emerging countries with economic needs for cell phones, marketing manager Jonnie Sullivan said. "We clean them all up and make them look nice and put new batteries in them," she said.

MSU announces new contract with Pepsi

MSU fans attending events at campus venues such as the Breslin Center and Spartan Stadium can now choose from a variety of Pepsi products. The Division of Housing and Food Services and the MSU Athletics Department announced Wednesday a new contract with PepsiCo Inc. for all campus concessions.

Baseball field to be replaced

When Mark Collins watches an MSU football game, he pays attention to something many others might give little thought - the grass. Collins, farm manager at MSU's Hancock Turfgrass Research Center, was involved in growing the grass that now sits in Spartan Stadium and said the results give him a sense of pride in his work. "I expect this will be the same way," he said Wednesday, standing in the 4-acre plot of grass that will become the new home turf of the Lansing Lugnuts this September. The field, planted last September, is being grown by MSU employees at the turfgrass center, a 56-acre site south of the main campus. The new field to be located in Oldsmobile Park is part of a long-term arrangement by both the Lugnuts organization and the city of Lansing, which owns the ballpark.

Impact assists Gov. with podcasts

MSU students are helping Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who recently returned from Japan, prepare for another journey. This time her destination is the Internet. The governor released her first radio address and podcast this weekend through a partnership with MSU's student radio station WDBM (88.9-FM), the Impact. Impact Production Director Jeremy Whiting and General Manager Gary Reid head the team producing the governor's podcasts. "It's a great experience for a young student to get involved and know how broadcasting works on a professional level," Reid said.

Professor teaches class on spy technology

Kristie Macrakis described East Berlin in the late 1980s as a drab, black-and-white city, where the East German secret police operated behind the scenes. "It was kind of like 'spy city,'" she said.