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MICHIGAN

Students cook for a cause

The rain drizzled down and fragrances of chicken and burgers filled the air as students and area residents tasted various hot-off-the-grill items Sunday to benefit a child support program. Members of Kappa Alpha Theta serve as student representatives for Court Appointed Special Advocates, CASA, of Ingham County and held a grill-off at Valley Court Field to raise funds for the program. CASA, a program that provides stable adults to help abused or neglected foster children in the court system, is Kappa Alpha Theta's philanthropy.

MICHIGAN

$5 million given to state for blackouts

President Bush authorized the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency to release limited emergency funds for Michigan to help cover some of the costs incurred by state and local government in responding to last months power outage.

MSU

Campaign renovates laboratory row

University officials are raising $15.3 million in private donations to restore three of MSU's oldest buildings while also creating a garden connecting the historical structures on West Circle Drive. Cook, Old Botany and Chittenden halls, located on the northeast part of campus, are three of the six buildings in laboratory row - an area with buildings dating back to 1888. Janet Kreger, director of major and planned gifts in MSU's Office of Development, said the fund-raising effort, or the Campus Heritage Intiative, is part of the five-year, $1.2 billion capital campaign.

MICHIGAN

Historical festival depicts old ways

By Corinne DeVries Special for The State News Presenters displayed weaving, spinning, papermaking and Native-American artifacts inside interactive booths at the Woldumar Nature Center, 5739 Old Lansing Road in Lansing this weekend. The American Heritage Festival portrayed aspects of life in time periods from the French voyageurs to the development of the automobile. "It's a festival to depict life without the luxuries we have today," said Trina Taylor, activities coordinator for the center. Lansing area clubs, such as the Muzzleloading Gun Club and the Model Railroad Club staffed booths at the festival which attracted about 2,000 people.

MSU

MSU-DCL addresses affirmative action

A legal analysis of the Supreme Court's decision regarding the University of Michigan's admissions lawsuits will be held today at the MSU-DCL College of Law. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled in Grutter v.

MICHIGAN

4-day exercise trains local firefighters

A team of 30 firefighters from East Lansing, Lansing and Meridian and Delta townships joined together in Delta Township on Thursday to finish a four-day long collapsed building training exercise.Fire hoses and axes were put aside in favor of power saws and nail guns.

MICHIGAN

Charter school legislation protested

About 3,000 supporters of the Detroit Public Schools system gathered around the steps of the state Capitol on Wednesday to protest a bill which would allow for the creation of new charter schools in Michigan.The protesters brandished signs and sang "We Shall Overcome" to make their cause heard.

MICHIGAN

'U' students celebrate Rosh Hashana

For many Jewish students at MSU, their Friday evening snack won't be pizza and pop but apples and honey. Apples and honey are traditionally eaten by Jews on Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year, which begins on Friday at sunset. "It symbolizes the sweetness of life and the hope for a sweet new year," said Kirsten Fermaglich, an Integrative Arts and Humanities professor.

MSU

Officials lobby for Civil Rights Act additions

It's a new campaign for an old concern. The push to add sexual orientation and gender identity to Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act has been introduced several times since the act's inception 15 years ago.

MICHIGAN

Charity renovated

A group of about 20 people visited the Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan on Wednesday to admire several recently completed additions to the local charity. Visitors enjoyed snacks and cider as they toured the facility, located at 121 S.

MSU

Students presented with research fellowship

Three MSU students are among the first to be awarded by the Department of Homeland Security's new scholars and fellows program - a program students and faculty say is a never-before-seen attempt to recruit researchers."Having those agencies fund students before they begin the forensic science program is very unprecedented," assistant forensic science professor David Foran said.

MICHIGAN

State fails water report

A clean-water report card, released by the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan, PIRGIM, gives the state a failing grade in clean-water enforcement.The report, released Sunday, found that most of the nine states surveyed failed to properly enforce the Clean Water Act - with Michigan as one of the worst offenders.

MICHIGAN

Gov., officials discuss jobs

Gov. Jennifer Granholm spoke to about 200 higher education officials Wednesday promoting strategies that encourage universities to research ways to boast economic and job growth in Michigan. Granholm stressed the importance of Michigan's colleges and universities in research and technology and using them to find ways to enhance the state's economy during her speech at MSU's University Club. "Universities have always had an essential role to play in our economy," Granholm said in her address. Officials from the state's 15 public colleges and universities, state business representatives and the state agency Michigan Economic Development Corporation recommended to use universities' research to help the state's struggling economy and unemployment rates. The recommendations work on ways to get universities involved with state government.