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News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

New clothing company opens doors in E.L.

A new apparel store near the corner of Grand River Avenue and Abbot Road hopes to offer a unique twist on footwear to the East Lansing community and its visitors alike. Shoe and clothing chain VILLA had a soft opening Sunday, and will have its grand opening celebration this weekend. The East Lansing location is one of four new VILLA locations in the Midwest.

MICHIGAN

ROTC cadets test their skills with water training

The IM Sports-West swimming pool saw a team in a different uniform jumping from the diving board as several MSU ROTC cadets attempted to complete the Combat Water Survival Test on Tuesday. The test, which is required for cadets before they enter their final year of ROTC, consists of a three-meter blind jump from a diving board, a 10 minute continuous swim, five minutes of treading water, a 15-meter full equipment swim and an equipment ditch.

MICHIGAN

MSU police officer trains, works with double the dogs

By the time MSU police Officer Gary Heckman brought in Clyde, one of his two German Shepherds in the K-9 unit, the abandoned building located slightly north of Mason, Mich., was littered with carefully-hidden narcotics and detonation-free explosives. Clyde, 6, is specially trained in tracking, aggression and sniffing out explosives. Every other Wednesday afternoon, officers in the unit travel to both indoor and outdoor locations to train their dogs, aiming to strengthen their specialties.

MICHIGAN

WKAR-TV content usable on Xbox 360

A new app from PBS will connect Xbox 360 owners to content from MSU and Mid-Michigan’s public television station, WKAR-TV.? WKAR-TV broadcasts localized content as well as popular programs from PBS, for whom they are the local affiliate.?

MICHIGAN

Wilder will go straight to trial in assault case

The man who admitted to committing four sexual assaults in East Lansing earlier this year will go straight to trial, according to his attorney. Oswald Scott Wilder, 26, was expected to appear for his pretrial Monday afternoon in Ingham County Circuit Court before Judge Rosemarie Aquilina.

MICHIGAN

Family and friends remember MSU student as loyal, genuine

Ever since he met his group of friends while living in Bryan Hall nearly three years ago, applied engineering sciences senior Jared Kavinsky has remained the glue that held them all together. Psychology senior Michelle Rizor, who remained friends with Kavinsky after meeting him in Bryan Hall, said he immediately drew people in with his positive attitude and loyalty in friendship. “A lot of times in college, you meet people and form relationships with them, but they’re not very deep,” Rizor said.

MICHIGAN

Lansing City Market Harvest Fest draws crowds

Featuring miniature horses or llamas and face painting, the Lansing City Market was an interesting scene Saturday. The festivities were a part of the sixth-annual Harvest Festival at the city market. The goal of the event is to engage the public and teach them about different farms in the area, as well as introduce people who aren’t regular market customers to what the market has to offer, Lansing City Market Manager Heather Hymes said.

MICHIGAN

Volunteers clean up Red Cedar River

The surface of the Red Cedar River Sunday morning was flat and still, betraying little of what was underneath. Shortly after, waders were pulled on, canoes entered the water and grappling hooks were deployed. Ripples spread across the tranquil surface as more than 50 MSU students began to exhume the contents of the river’s murky bottom. The biannual Red Cedar River Cleanup has been a longstanding tradition from the Fisheries and Wildlife Club, club president Kirsten Johnson said.

MICHIGAN

MSU Museum showcases portraits of workers throughout the world

A photo exhibition by French photographer Gilles Perrin will showcase portraits of workers across the world at the MSU Museum and allow viewers to develop a form of social exchange with those workers. The exhibit, running at the MSU Museum until January 12, 2014, is a body of art that has about 25 years of time and effort behind it. Perrin has traveled around the world for more than a quarter of a century with his wife and collaborator Nicole Ewenczyk, taking portraits of thousands of people.

MICHIGAN

Students promote use of locally grown foods in campus dining

Two student groups interested in sustainable farming and food systems collaborated on Thursday to host Food Day at MSU and promote the use of “real food” on campus. More than 3,000 events were held nationwide as part of a broader effort known as the Real Food Challenge. MSU events were hosted by Ecological Food and Farm Stewardship Club and the sustainable agriculture and food systems specialization.

MICHIGAN

Living City: Scuba diving in the Red Cedar

During his freshman year, natural resources recreation and tourism junior Keven Sircher took a scuba diving class as an elective. Little did he know the elective would later become a passion. He is the co-founder and president of the MSU Scuba Club. “It’s just good people hanging out with people with similar interests,” Sircher said. “We like to go to cool places, do cool things, and just have a good time.”

MICHIGAN

East Lansing offers Halloween treats downtown

Downtown East Lansing was transformed into a Halloween wonderland on Thursday evening, complete with superheroes, princesses, monsters and candy. The shops along Grand River Avenue opened their doors for trick-or-treaters during the city’s annual Great Pumpkin Walk. To provide the city’s children with a safe trick-or-treating environment, more than 50 local businesses passed out treats to the children clad in costumes.

MICHIGAN

MSU looks to showcase Spartan lifestyles

A new campaign from MSU aims to tell the story of MSU’s alumni, students, faculty and staff around the globe. MSU’s Department of Communications and Brand Strategy is creating a new documentary called “360.24.” The department is calling on individuals to take a video or photo of a moment in their day on Nov. 6.

MICHIGAN

Laying the Groundwork

As East Lansing officials look back on a week of public participation to help plan the direction of the city for the next five years, the question now is what comes next. The comprehensive planning week aimed to provide the public with opportunities to work with city officials to discuss and plan how they want the city to look economically and structurally.