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MICHIGAN

Holiday to boost local business

Love is in the air, and various local businesses are catering to the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday. For candy stores, florists and restaurants, major holidays bring in a lot of business, said Steve Blair, an owner of Fabiano's Homemade Candies, 1427 E.

MICHIGAN

East Village residents concerned, optimistic about area's future

As East Lansing officials work to reform the East Village, some students living in the area are wary of the city's motives and the consequences of such a large project. According to city documents, plans for the area include creating buildings to house businesses, permanent residents and renters in addition to demolishing structures in place, including the Cedar Village apartment complex. "I don't know if it goes with MSU's campus," said Heather Kerver, a zoology senior and East Village resident.

MICHIGAN

Women business owners network at expo

Hundreds of local female business owners came together to exhibit their services for thousands of women at the Mid-Michigan Women's Expo, Friday through Sunday at the Lansing Center. While women shopped from booth to booth, listened to demonstrations and learned about health issues, business owner Diane Boulet said times have changed for women in business. "It's a lot easier now for women to own businesses," Boulet said.

MSU

Team grows, gains experience

In the six years since it was established, the MSU Polo Club has grown from a few players using a wooden horse for practice to almost 30 members with a stable of 15 horses at its disposal. Coach Tom Wisehart said the team began when the Detroit Polo Club approached the MSU Horsemen's Association and offered to help them form a team. "We focused on starting from the fundamentals and going from there," said Wisehart, who played polo as an undergraduate at the University of Connecticut.

MICHIGAN

State senator speaks with fired employees

Sen. Virg Bernero, D-Lansing, will appear today on the NBC's Today Show, ABC's Good Morning America and CBS's The Early Show with employees from Okemos-based Weyco Inc. The workers were fired for refusing to take a test that would have determined if they smoked outside of work. Bernero said he plans to introduce legislation that would prevent companies from firing employees who choose to smoke or engage in other legal activities on their own time.

MSU

ASMSU assemblies to stay separate

ASMSU officials decided at a joint meeting to pass its amended constitution Thursday to keep the two assemblies separate, despite one representative's plea not to. ASMSU's constitution is a blueprint of how colleges, minorities and progressive students are represented within its system.

MICHIGAN

Group holds date auction for wish

Eleven-year-old Rachel Wing said she wants to learn to do the hula and see the black sand beaches of Hawaii that her nurse told her about. With her Lansing room painted in beach scenes, her mother Chris Dennings said she tells Rachel every night to "dream of Hawaii." As Rachel enters the final phase of chemotherapy for acute lymphatic leukemia, her wish to go to her favorite island might come true as early as June this year.

MSU

Free AIDS tests offered

To participate in the fifth annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness and Information Day, the Black Student Alliance and the Lansing Area AIDS Network, or LAAN, are offering free testing in the Union's Multicultural Center today from 6-9 p.m. The day was created to urge blacks to "get educated, get tested and get involved" with HIV/AIDS activities in their communities said Philip Hilton, senior vice president of fund development and communication affairs at the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS. Hilton said statistics show that blacks have been disproportionately infected and affected by HIV/AIDS since the epidemic's beginning. "African Africans comprise 12 percent of the nation's total population and 54 percent of all newly reported HIV or AIDS cases," Hilton said.

MSU

Readers cram to 'Midnight'

This weekend, James Madison College students turned cramming into a collaborative art form. The MADhouse at James Madison College sponsored a marathon book reading of Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children" on Saturday.

MSU

UAB, Pink Floyd tribute band bring 'Moon' to Oz

By Daniel Thai Special for The State News On Saturday night, munchkins marched to the beat of Pink Floyd. More than 500 students came to the International Center as the sounds of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" meshed with the sights of Victor Fleming's "The Wizard of Oz" to create the "Dark Side of the Rainbow." Urban legends have been floating around for years about the coincidental occurrences of events when the album and movie are played simultaneously.

MICHIGAN

City, developers discuss ideas

A plan to construct a hotel in the redevelopment of the East Village is among many ideas being tossed around by city officials and the project's potential developers. Proposals submitted by four developers were discussed during a meeting last week, but a final decision was not rendered. The East Village area is bounded on the west and east by Bogue Street and Hagadorn Road, and on the north and south by Grand River Avenue and the Red Cedar River.

MSU

Bill drafted to create undergraduate minors

After more than four months of debate, ASMSU's Academic Assembly passed a bill Tuesday night to support academic minors. Academic Assembly Chairperson Dan Weber said having minors will provide undergraduate students with an incentive to work outside of their field of study. "Most specializations are too limited," he said.

MICHIGAN

Evaluations postpone 2 area trials

Two cases scheduled for preliminary exams today have been waived so the defendants can undergo forensic evaluations, court officials said. Forensic evaluations involve psychological exams. Claude McCollum, 27, is charged with open murder and criminal sexual conduct in the first degree in the Jan.

MSU

Terrorism conference to focus on crime law

Experts from across the nation and world are convening at the MSU College of Law for a conference on terrorism and international criminal law. The Journal of International Law is hosting the day-long conference, which begins at 9 a.m.

MSU

Muslim dinner offers music, comedy

Laughter, song and the aroma of Middle Eastern cuisine will fill the Hannah Community Center today. The Muslim Students' Association, or MSA, will host its fifth annual Eid dinner at 7 p.m.