Truck drivers from across the state will convene on MSU's Lot 89, the commuter lot, this weekend to test their driving skills and their dedication to safety at the 2004 Michigan Truck Driving Championship.
The defense attorneys for the two men charged with murder in connection to the Feb. 29 shooting in front of an East Lansing 7-Eleven withdrew from their case Wednesday. Hugh Clarke and David Feinberg, who were representing Hatarie Deamont McCorkle and Eric Charles Gordy, respectively, both cited a "breakdown in the relationships with their clients." Both McCorkle and Gordy were present at the Veterans Memorial Ingham Circuit Court in Lansing, and, standing in front of Judge Thomas Brown in their prison jumpsuits, acknowledged they would each need court-appointed attorneys to further their legal proceedings. Gordy, 35, and McCorkle, 29, both of Detroit, allegedly shot and killed Lansing resident Joseph Lavon Parker, 34, and allegedly attempted to kill Lansing resident George Edward Whitfield.
Lansing - Lansing officials are hoping a new ordinance will woo minority and women business owners to the city, but company leaders are unsure as to how much the measure will help to promote diversity. The Lansing City Council unanimously approved the Diversity Procurement Ordinance and its resolution Monday night, which will increase the city's spending on business contracts and supplies with women- and minority- owned businesses in Lansing. Councilmembers, Larry Meyer and Randy Williams were not present at the meeting. The council organized the Ad Hoc Committee on Supplier Diversity in response to several inquiries made by the Lansing branch's National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, as well as inquiries from local women- and minority-owned businesses. The city's business contracts and supply bids range from restaurant catering at important events to paper towel suppliers in the city hall bathrooms, committee Chairwoman Carol Wood said. "We're making every attempt possible to encourage women and minorities to bid on city contracts and supplies," Wood said.
Lansing - More than 30 people either testified or submitted an opinion card Tuesday at the Commerce and Labor Senate Committee's public testimony on the proposed ban on smoking in public restaurants.
The 7th annual Bob's 5K Run/Walk will take place at 8 a.m. Sunday in downtown East Lansing. The event, which will benefit the Listening Ear Crisis Center, will start at the corner of Albert Avenue between Charles and Division streets. Entry fee is $15 before the race, and $20 the day of.
The MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine will sponsor a presentation Thursday entitled "Beyond Disability: Optimizing the Physician/Client Experience" as part of the ongoing Diversity Education Series. The event will begin at 12 p.m.
A recent report issued by the U.S. Sailing Association shows a considerable decline in participation in sailing. The report detailed statistics showing 100,000 fewer sailors have enjoyed the sport every year since 1992. In response, the national governing body of sailing in the United States is aiming to restructure itself in order to promote further involvement by the public. However, the current decline in the public's interest in the sport does not especially concern MSU Sailing Center Director Ken Warshaw. "The national decline in recreational sailing is due to the emphasis placed on racing," said Warshaw, who has been with the center since 1997.
The fear of germs and worrying about safety is quite normal, but when fears and worries begin to interfere with professional, social and personal relationships, OCD Support Group of Lansing officials say people might have a condition called Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
Impression 5 Science Center in Lansing will host "Animal Super Saturday" this weekend. The event is part of their "Super Saturday"-themed events. "The Animal Super Saturday" exhibit will be open from 11 a.m.
Traffic will be restricted on Grand River Avenue from High Street to Pennsylvania Avenue for about two months. The City of Lansing Department of Planning and Neighborhood Development said the closure is required to accommodate sewer separation and road construction due to Lansing's Combined Sewer Overflow Separation Project. Businesses adjacent to the closed area still will maintain local access.
East Lansing was awarded a $24,500 grant from the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth Energy Office to help fund a new biodiesel refueling storage tank. The new biodiesel fuel, which is a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel, is an alternative fuel made from renewable resources such as soybeans.
With the fate of this year's $250 million deficit and next year's state budget on the line, lawmakers still are struggling to reach an agreement on Gov.
A U.S. Supreme Court decision that came down Monday upheld a Nevada judgment, stating individuals who refuse to give their names to police can be arrested, even if they have done nothing wrong. Michigan was not one of about 20 states with similar statutes to the Nevada one that sparked the 5-4 Supreme Court decision, but local officials say although they now have the right to carry out the court's policy, students still have nothing to worry about.
Due to a sanity sewer failure, Service Road located on MSU campus between South Harrison Avenue and Farm Lane is closed for two weeks.
The expansion of an existing apartment complex has many city residents concerned that a new development will bring traffic congestion, flooding and too many people to an area they say is already overly crowded. "There's already enough apartments surrounding our little neighborhood and now they want to add more," East Lansing resident Ann Chick said. Hollander Development Corporation submitted an application in April to expand the existing Deerpath Apartment Complex, near Haslett Road in East Lansing.
Lansing - July Fourth is, to some, the most patriotic of all U.S. holidays. It is celebrated to memorialize the formal separation of the colonies from Great Britain, which ensured America's freedom. However, many Americans observe another day of independence not found on most calendars. June 19, also known as Juneteenth or African American Emancipation Day, has yet to be recognized by legislators as an official holiday. Hundreds gathered in Lansing this past weekend for a three-day celebration titled "Beyond Emancipation - Toward Empowerment" to make a push toward getting legislation to make a holiday of Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when the remaining slaves in Galveston, Texas, were notified of their freedom after the Civil War. "Recognition is due," said Debra Plummer, chairwoman for the Lansing Juneteenth Committee.
Lansing - As one of the smallest racial-ethnic minority groups in Lansing, less than 1,000 American Indians make up the city's population.