MSU ahead of schedule to eliminate use of coal by end of 2016

In a 2014 panel, MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon announced that MSU’s T.B. Simon Power Plant would nearly eliminate the purchasing and burning of coal by the end of 2015. As part of MSU’s 2012 "Energy Transition Plan," this would be the first step in a goal to completely eliminate coal use by the end of 2016. However, the end of coal at MSU might come faster than planned. Coal purchasing has ended, and the goal of eliminating coal use completely should be met with more than a half year to spare.

Diversity Career Fair to be MSU's largest event of spring semester

On Jan. 21 the Diversity Career Fair is being held at the Breslin Center from 2 to 6 p.m.

Detroit Public TV to announce partnership with WKAR

WKAR and Detroit Public Television will announce their partnership today, according to a press release.

Local reactions to the elimination of straight-ticket voting in Michigan

Students and representatives react to Governor Snyder signing bill eliminating straight ticket voting.

Winter weather expected during first week of classes

Regular snow is expected throughout the rest of the week, with 2 inches coming Monday night and throughout Tuesday. Wednesday gives a slight reprieve with only a predicted half inch of snow. The remainder of the week will have slight chances of snow showers.

For MSUPD, complaints against officers go largely unheard

This is part one of a three-part series examining dysfunction in the MSU Police Oversight Committee. Four. That is the number of times Deb Bittner said the MSU Police Oversight Committee, sometimes referred to as the Department of Police and Public Safety Oversight Committee, has met since 2012. Bittner has been on the committee since 2012 and has been the chair of the committee since August.

Lawsuit against MSU, terrorism threat and assault cases to watch

MSU student Sydney Gort was charged with two counts of making terrorist threats. She was was charged in November 2015 for a threat she allegedly made at the MSU School of Packaging just before Thanksgiving and another charge was related to a similar case from April 2015.

President Simon discusses future decision of possible WKAR-TV auction

With the future of WKAR-TV up in the air, affiliates of the station are thinking about outcomes that will come from the decision to send or not to send in an application for auction. At the Dec.18 Board of Trustees meeting, the board passed a resolution granting President Lou Anna K. Simon full authority to decide to file an application for the Federal Communication Commission auction or not.

A guide for filing for student aid

The application for Federal Student Aid became available Jan. 1. Here is a guide to follow on how to get the most aid. 

Planned power outage to affect East Lansing

A planned power outage was scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday and is affecting large parts of East Lansing. The outage was announced by the Lansing Board of Water and Light, according to an alert sent out Friday morning by the East Lansing Police Department. The power outage is expected to last 10 to 15 minutes. ELPD will be providing traffic control at major intersections and they are advising drivers to be cautious.

4 things to know before a decision regarding WKAR-TV is made

On Jan. 11, a public forum to discuss the possible auction of WKAR-TV will be held at 7 p.m. in room 147 of the Communication Arts and Sciences Building.

Valley Court Park might get ice rink, DDA hopes

The Downtown Management Board, Downtown Development Authority, city staff and residents of East Lansing have spent the last year discussing the possibility of adding a seasonal ice rink for East Lansing residents to use, according to a press release.

Back in East Lansing, bars are "electric" with excitement

As the MSU Spartans take on the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Cotton Bowl, the bar atmosphere in East Lansing is alive with the hopes of many local fans.

Mayor Meadows places friendly wager on Cotton Bowl

East Lansing Mayor Mark Meadows and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Mayor Walter Maddox have made a friendly wager for the Cotton Bowl football game between MSU and Alabama.  The two mayors have agreed that if the Spartans win, Mayor Maddox will fly a Spartans flag over Tuscaloosa City Hall for one day and wear green and white to the following City Council meeting. Mayor Maddox will also donate $50 to the East Lansing Educational Foundation – the charity of Mayor Meadows’ choice. If the Crimson Tide wins, Mayor Meadows will fly a Crimson Tide flag over East Lansing City Hall for one day and wear crimson and white to the following East Lansing City Council meeting.  Mayor Meadows will also donate $50 to the Tuscaloosa Pre-K Initiative – the charity that Mayor Maddox has chosen. “We at the City of East Lansing are so proud that the Spartans have made it to the Cotton Bowl and wanted to celebrate the team’s success this season with this fun, friendly wager,” said Meadows.

E.L. prepared for outages, icy roads and 30 mph winds

Freezing rain and icy conditions are in the weather forecast for mid-Michigan on Monday and Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Ice accumulations of one quarter to one half of an inch are possible by 5 a.m.

Severe weather across Southern states might affect Cotton Bowl travelers

As Spartan fans prepare to make the trip to Dallas, Texas for the Cotton Bowl national semi final against Alabama, travelers should be wary of harsh weather that has been striking the area for the past 

MSU will have to release athlete info to ESPN, court rules

A civil lawsuit between MSU and ESPN Inc. involving 301 student-athletes' crime records will end with the release of student-athlete information following nearly two months of stagnation.

Stores see mixed sales results for Cotton Bowl retail items

Stores selling apparel and memorabilia related to MSU’s recent Big Ten Championship victory and upcoming appearance in the 2015 College Football Playoff are seeing mixed sales results. The Student Book Store saw a substantial jump in sales, causing them to hire additional staff for the holiday season. “If we weren’t going to a bowl we probably would have sucked it up and not hired anybody” SBS assistant manager Mike Wylie said. Other stores haven’t enjoyed the same sales spike. Campus Street Sportswear manager Tom Tatum said people seem to be waiting to see if the team makes it to a national championship.

$35 million for Healthy Campus Initiative won’t go toward new IM facilities

Four takeaways from the Board of Trustees meeting

MSU's Board of Trustees met Friday to discuss various items from contracts to a new scholarship. Here are five takeaways from the meeting which show us what's to come in the MSU administration: 1.