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News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

MSU alumnus receives nomination from Obama

The civil service success of MSU alumnus Richard Cordray, who recently was nominated to the position of director of a federal agency, could inspire current MSU students looking to serve the public. On Monday, President Barack Obama announced his nomination of Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB.

MICHIGAN

Michigan Flyer could expand bus routes

Michigan Flyer customers potentially will have twice as many opportunities to catch a bus in East Lansing come fall. Michigan Flyer, an airport shuttle service providing shuttle trips between East Lansing and the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, plans to add a new route to its schedule this fall.

MICHIGAN

E.L. officials hope to integrate hybird car fleet

East Lansing officials are planning to start integrating hybrid vehicles into the city’s car fleet in an attempt to further follow through on plans to reduce the city’s carbon footprint. Officials are seeking to begin a green shift they hope will snowball in coming years, beginning with exploring the possibility of purchasing three hybrid vehicles this year to take over for vehicles that are up for replacement, Public Service Administrator Angela Mabin said. The efforts follow a vehicle cost comparison submitted to the East Lansing City Council at the end of June, which measured the total cost of purchasing and operating hybrid vehicles compared to traditional gas-powered vehicles.

Josh Mansour ·
MICHIGAN

Rally gangs up on bullies

After watching her children become victims of the same bullying that affected her as a child, Lisa Freeman decided to do something about it. In 2005 she created Abuse Bites, a nonprofit organization dedicated to stopping the abuse of both people and animals.

MICHIGAN

Outdoor film festival begins in E.L.

East Lansing resident Sherrie Baidoon and her two children, Caroline, 13, and Nicholas, 10, enjoyed a movie in the park Thursday at the first night of the Moonlight Film Festival at Valley Court Park, 400 Hillside Court.

MICHIGAN

State Legislature could set 48-month limit on welfare

Welfare-limiting legislation approved by the state Legislature last week has some worried the safety net currently in place to protect Michigan residents — including people with disabilities, victims of domestic violence, children and recent college graduates — no longer will be there to catch them when their income falls.

MICHIGAN

State to regulate wild pig population

One day, in the spring of 2004, Saginaw County, Mich., farmer Dallas Sutliff went to work and found 24 acres of his corn had been damaged — decimated by wild pigs. With property adjacent to a hunting facility that housed wild boars, Sutliff soon realized about 50 pigs escaped from the nearby facility and were responsible for the several thousands of dollars worth of damage to his crops.

MICHIGAN

City council approves downtown apartments, denies alcohol license

After a brief statement from departing City Manager Ted Staton regarding his resignation, it was business as usual for the East Lansing City Council at Tuesday night’s meeting. The council voted 3-2 to deny an application from Dino Cascardo to allow sale of packaged beer, wine and spirits at the East Lansing BP gas station, 504 Michigan Ave.

MICHIGAN

East Lansing businesses selected for grants

Residents of East Lansing showed how much they love their local businesses last month when they voted in Intuit’s Love a Local Business competition — enough times to earn the city $26,000 in cash grants. Intuit, a software company that aims to solve financial management problems of small- and mid-sized businesses, created the Love a Local Business competition to help support small businesses throughout the country. “Any way we can help the small businesses grow a little bit or get back on their feet is a win for us,” Monica Appelbe, Intuit’s public relations manager, said East Lansing was one of two cities in the country selected as competition winners in June. ”It’s great news,” Lori Mullins, East Lansing community and economic development administrator, said.

MICHIGAN

Local flash mob prepares to perform at music festival

Flash mobbing is an online sensation that has hit center stage in locations across the world over the past couple of years, and a local organization is preparing to make Lansing the next location to follow the trend. A flash mob organized by Meridian Entertainment Group will perform spontaneously at the annual Common Ground Music Festival in Lansing this week.

Dena Elian ·
MICHIGAN

Celebrating with a Slurpee

In honor of the company’s 84th anniversary Monday, some customers who entered 7-Eleven, 918 E. Grand River Ave., greeted employees with, “Happy Birthday 7-Eleven.” Every year, 7-Eleven stores give out free Slurpees on July 11, and the public response did not come up short at the East Lansing location with a line that extended into the parking lot.

MICHIGAN

Deficit reduction might call for sacrifices

Whether the federal government is forced to default or a deficit-reducing plan allows for the raising of the nation’s debt ceiling, citizens ­— from students to the retired — could be forced to make sacrifices because of the federal government’s financial woes.

MICHIGAN

Former MSU instructor held hostage

For about four hours, former MSU instructor Steve Helderman was held hostage Thursday by a Grand Rapids man who shot and killed seven people the same day. The whole time, Rodrick Dantzler never took his finger off the .40-caliber handgun he used to kill his wife, child and eventually himself, Helderman’s brother Tom Helderman said.

MICHIGAN

Food cart provides fast food alternative

Last week, Brennan Woods had a meal unlike anything he ever has had before — hand-squeezed sage lemonade, a burger made with tall grass beef, caramelized red onions, balsamic vinegar, organic greens, fontina cheese on foccacia bread — and he got it from a trailer. Woods, an MSU alumnus, first heard about Trailer Park’d “Slow” Fast Food, a nomadic local food trailer based in Lansing, from friends and was encouraged to try it. “It was pretty packed when I went there — there was a long line,” he said.