Senate bills would make insurance info public

Some lawmakers are working to make the confidential factors that influence the cost of car insurance public. A nonprofit agency - created to reimburse some insurance companies for providing coverage to injured people needing lifetime coverage after car accidents - is stirring up debate because some legislators say the group is keeping secrets from Michigan's residents. Michigan is the only state that provides lifetime coverage for personal injuries in car accidents.

Freshman Council to host informal dance

The Freshman Class Council is hosting an informal dance for all students from 9 p.m. until midnight on Saturday in the Union Gold Rooms. The council is a division of ASMSU, MSU's undergraduate student government.

Police briefs 04/02/04

No joke: Newborn wins LCC award

Lansing - Twelve hours after José Robert Gutiérrez first entered the world on Thursday, he got a free chance to prove he was no fool. In a hospital lounge, surrounded by news camera crews, the baby boy and his parents, Reneé and José Gutiérrez, were presented with a free year of schooling at Lansing Community College. The scholarship, awarded every April Fools' Day for the last 10 years, is part of the college's celebration of National Community College Month.

Poverty perspective

Next to the rock on Farm Lane on Wednesday, two heads popped out of a hole cut from a large box.

Convention addresses nursing standards

Lansing - A host of state legislators addressed Michigan nurses Thursday, saying they'll work toward improving working conditions for the profession.

Self-defense expert to instruct Sunday

Students concerned about personal safety will have the opportunity to attend a free self-defense seminar this weekend.

Google ogles e-mail

Two popular computer services - e-mail and search engines - are scheduled to combine with a new "Gmail" service provided by Google Inc. Announced Wednesday, the Web-based e-mail system would be free for users and offers 1 gigabyte of storage, more than 100 times the amount of rival free e-mail service providers. Gmail also would incorporate the Google search feature to sort through the about 500,000 pages of e-mail the system is expected to hold. Richard Wiggins, MSU's Academic Computing and Network Services Senior Information Technologist, said the new system could cause a "massive shift" in information technology, with millions of people switching to the new service. "Right now, anybody who is in the Web mail business is looking at the cost of online storage and trying to calculate 'What does this do to our bottom line?,'" he said.

E.L gallery to host Columbian fiber art

The East Lansing Public Art Gallery will host its first exhibit, the work of Nubia Y. Arcand, opening Sunday and running through May 11 at the Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbott Road.

Lansing community center hosts lunch

The Cristo Rey Community Center is holding a benefit for its senior program from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.

Lawmakers debate options for 'sin taxes'

As bills aimed at closing the state's budget shortfall by raising "sin taxes" make their way through the state Legislature, supporters for and against the bills are making their opinions heard. In the state House on Tuesday, a number of Republican legislators proposed amendments to the state's budget that would reduce spending, rather than raise taxes on cigarettes and liquor.

Community honors Chavez

Baldemar Velasquez, an ally and friend of Cesar Chavez for 27 years, spoke Wednesday of how he used to pick cherries in Traverse City and dreamt of organizing farm workers to fight for their rights.

City parking department budget expected to come up short; officials suggest creation of task force

After years of budgetary problems, the East Lansing Parking Department is bracing for another budget shortfall at the end of this fiscal year. At an East Lansing City Council work session on March 23, parking administrator Dan O'Connor asked that a special task force be created to find more efficient ways for the city to cut parking costs and increase parking revenue. O'Connor outlined a report of this year's budget as it currently stands and where the department expects to be when the fiscal year ends in June.

COGS could represent MSU-DCL

MSU-DCL College of Law students might soon receive both a voice and a vote in the Council of Graduate Students, if Provost Lou Anna Simon's proposed reorganization blueprint is approved. As part of Simon's proposal, which includes plans to further align programs between the university, the law school would act as any other college in the university, but would maintain financial independence.

ASMSU votes to increase budget for Funding Board

ASMSU's Student Assembly voted to increase Funding Board's budget by $10,000, echoing a similar move made in February when the same amount was given to Programming Board. "This really is one of the ways our constituents know we exist," said Patty Smith, College of Arts & Letters representative. Funding Board allocates up to $3,000 to registered student organizations.

Some 'U' computers infected by new virus

Academic Computing and Network Services was informed Wednesday by Merit, the university's Internet provider, that a few hundred on-campus computers might be infected by variants of the Gaobot virus worm, also known as Phatbot and Agobot. Only computers running Windows are susceptible to infection.

Police briefs 04/01/04

Group upset with recycling program

With just more than four weeks left in the semester, the Residence Halls Association and student environmental group Eco still are trying to iron out a plan to increase recycling in residence halls. Last semester, RHA Recycling canceled its contract with Waste Management under suspicion that the company was throwing away recyclables.

Students bring projects to state Capitol

Lansing - About 50 students from MSU, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University had an opportunity Wednesday to showcase their research projects at the Capitol. The first Michigan Undergraduate Research Forum brought the top-three research institutions in the state together to display the research conducted by undergraduate students. The program was opened with speeches from MSU Provost Lou Anna Simon, as well as university heads from U-M and Wayne State.

Carbon dioxide levels reach record highs

A greenhouse gas is showing up in the earth's atmosphere at record-high levels, and officials say global climatic patterns could be impacted in the future. According to a report released earlier this month by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's climate monitoring lab in Hawaii, carbon dioxide levels have reached record highs in the past year.