Going pro twice, local BMX — or bicycle motocross — rider Greg Days has been racing since he was 10 years old. He went pro at age 17, but retired five years later to start a family, he said.
High-tech manufacturing holds the hope for Michigan’s economic future, according to a report released Wednesday by MSU, the University of Michigan and Wayne State University. As of 2007, advanced manufacturing employed more than 380,000 citizens, about 10.3 percent of the state’s workers. On average, they earned more than $60,000 annually, which still is increasing. By comparison, employees in traditional manufacturing jobs earned about $50,000 annually.
After speaking to a crowd of 7,000 Kiwanis at the 95th annual Kiwanis International Convention in Las Vegas last month, attendees voted Sue Petrisin into the international trustee position. She will serve a three-year term as a trustee and member of the governance and leadership education committees beginning Oct. 1. Kiwanis International is a service-oriented organization focusing on assisting children on a local and global scale.
As Attorney General Mike Cox and U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, are locked in a statistical tie for the lead going into the Republican gubernatorial primary Aug. 3, Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder has been gaining ground, according to a poll released Friday by Glengariff Group Inc., of Chicago. After surveying 500 voters across Michigan, the poll shows Cox with 26.4 percent of the vote, Hoekstra with 25.6 percent and Snyder with 20.2 percent.
Voting by absentee ballot in elections might now be easier for students living away from home. The Michigan Secretary of State announced Monday voters now can track their absentee ballots online.
For 14 days, more than 80 paddlers will travel 225 miles from Jackson, Mich., to Lake Michigan on the longest river in the state. They will pass through 18 counties, 158 townships and try to raise $20,000 for the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, or NKFM, on the Grand River Expedition, or GRE, of 2010.
Lansing political insiders expect one of two Republican candidates to be chosen as Michigan governor in November, according to a survey released Tuesday by The Capitol Caucus. Republican gubernatorial candidate and state Attorney General Mike Cox and U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, received 38 and 30 percent of the vote, respectively, according to the caucus’ report.
The sidewalks of Grand River Avenue were congested with merchandise from local businesses participating in the annual East Lansing Sidewalk Sale. Stores cleared out items from inside, placed them outdoors and put them on sale for area residents passing through downtown East Lansing to purchase Thursday. The sales provide a good boost to the local economy and highlights many of the downtown’s unique shops.
Michael Ronkin was chosen by the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, Federal Highway Administration and the Michigan Department of Transportation to hold a conference Tuesday through Friday at the East Lansing Marriott at University Place, 300 M.A.C. Ave., to discuss issues facing cyclists. The group embarked on an 11-mile journey Wednesday through the campus and city.
Zookeepers in Lansing and across the country will be honored with their own week next week. Potter Park Zoo, 1301 S. Pennsylvania Ave., in Lansing, will join the American Association of Zoo Keepers, or AAZK, and zoos and aquariums across the country in celebrating National Zoo Keeper Week July 18-24.
Mayors from across the state declared their support of Lansing Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero on Wednesday. Supporting mayors come from many cities, from Flint to Sault Ste. Marie, and included East Lansing Mayor Vic Loomis.
Starting over might be unimaginable for survivors of domestic abuse, but Naot footwear and Playmakers Athletic Footwear, 2299 W. Grand River Ave., in Okemos, are trying to make the transition a bit easier with the donation of 120 brand new shoes to MSU Safe Place and Eve’s House in Lansing. For a second year, Naot, an Israeli footwear company that has been donating shoes since 1991, will donate shoes and sandals to the victims of domestic violence who need assistance.
More than a month after the Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District ended his campaign for the seat, an East Lansing resident is attempting to take his place as a write-in candidate for the Aug. 3 primaries. With Kande Ngalamulume bowing out of the race June 2, Lance Enderle hopes to vault past Ngalamulume in the Aug. 3 primary and challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, for the legislative seat.
Michigan residents might be able to become tissue and organ donors by checking a box on their state income tax forms next year, if a plan proposed by Michigan’s Secretary of State is implemented. Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land recently proposed adding the option as a way to make registering for the Michigan Organ Donor Registry easier for residents. Currently, residents can sign up online or by asking at any Secretary of State office.
Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero and state House Speaker Andy Dillon, D-Redford, received formal endorsements for their Democratic gubernatorial campaigns throughout the weekend and Monday. Officials from Michigan’s 13th and 14th congressional districts chose Bernero over Dillon during a press conference Saturday, citing a recent interview with Fox News Channel during which Bernero defended the area’s automobile workers and those without jobs. The Dillon campaign received an endorsement from former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer on Monday.
Mid-Michigan residents walked Saturday at the Stroll East Lansing event of the Walking in Our Community series. The series is aimed at promoting walking as a form of exercise and getting to know local communities. There were one-, three- and five-mile trails that started at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road, and led participants through East Lansing’s downtown and residential areas, as well as MSU’s campus.
Residents of the Lansing area sorted through more than 100 varieties of wine and food samples from 15 different local vendors Saturday at Lansing’s Taste of Downtown. The inaugural event kicked off at 3 p.m. on South Washington Square in Lansing, and was hosted by the Lansing Principal Shopping District, or LPSD, with wine and food served buffet style accompanied by music from live local bands Third Coast Steel and Soulstice.
Transforming the former dance studio of Pin-Up Pole Dancing into a unisex boutique, store owner and MSU alumna Michelle Gross is attempting to bring New York street fashion to the city of East Lansing with Jeanologie XX/XY Boutique, 303 M.A.C. Ave., which opened last week. Jeanologie offers labels including Betsey Johnson, BCBG, Lacoste and Lucky Brand, but also features local designers, such as Niki Biki, a designer from Central Michigan University that has a line of one-size-fits-all camisoles. Gross plans to invite pieces from MSU’s apparel and textile design students into her boutique as well.
Although local residents will get a break from the 90-degree heat this weekend, this summer promises to be warmer than average. Saturday will bring highs in the low 80s under sunny skies. Sunday will be mostly sunny with highs in the mid 80s. Although temperatures will be five to 10 degrees lower than the past few days, people still should be cautious and monitor their hydration.
Hand-churned ice cream, music, sunshine and residents from across East Lansing were abundant Wednesday evening at the 36th annual Bailey Neighborhood Ice Cream Social. The event, which is sponsored by the Bailey Neighborhood Association and the Orchard Street Pump House committee, welcomed East Lansing residents to the Orchard Street Pump House, 368 Orchard St., to make ice cream and socialize with community members they otherwise might not have had a chance to meet.