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News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

West Nile virus still problematic as public concern dwindles

Jennifer Toland
September 21, 2005

Researchers say not as many people are paying attention to the West Nile virus, despite findings that it caused two recent Michigan deaths. "There's less enthusiasm compared to the last few years," said Jon Patterson, veterinary pathologist at the Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health at MSU. "People realize West Nile virus is here and we have to live with it," Patterson said.

MICHIGAN

Mayoral candidates suit up for election

Kris Turner
September 21, 2005

The ballots have been ordered and the city of Lansing is preparing for another election season. City Clerk Debbie Miner said the city is ready to handle the voter turnout, even if it is greater than the city has projected. "It is going to work out very well," Miner said.

MICHIGAN

Outdoor Circus brings sense of nostalgia to Lansing

Before Tetyana Synovyat launched herself 100 feet into the air at the Cole Bros. Circus on Tuesday, she stiffened her muscles and pressed her legs flat against the cannon's floor. The petite projectile's legs were locked, arms were tight and mind was focused. After a deafening boom from the human cannonball launcher, she detangled herself from the safety net and was again backstage, prepping for a motorcycle tightrope stunt later in the show. "You feel like you fly," the 9-year Cole Bros.

MICHIGAN

Traffic system aims to accelerate rescues

Kris Turner
September 20, 2005

With the push of a button, Lansing-area emergency vehicles can clear traffic by switching a stoplight from red to green. The Lansing Regional Emergency Vehicle Pre-emption System Project, which will be finished next year, works by sending a signal from a strobe light mounted on an emergency vehicle to a sensor placed on a traffic light.

MICHIGAN

Local speaks about gender on 'Oprah'

Kris Turner
September 20, 2005

A Lansing woman who has run for several political offices was featured on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" last week because of her gender experiences. Melissa Sue Robinson, who is transgender and was born male, said she was asked to take part in a special segment on identical twins who have sex changes by a producer of the show. "Somehow they found out about me," she said.

MICHIGAN

Update: E.L. firefighters help with relief

As East Lansing Fire Marshal Bob Pratt drove on Sunday down a residential street in Bogalusa, La., a city that Hurricane Katrina devastated with high winds, he tallied the damaged houses. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight; eight out of 10 houses on a random block have tarps on roofs," Pratt said on his cell phone, as he sat by his partner, East Lansing Firefighter-Paramedic Dawn Carson.

MICHIGAN

Motorcycle memorial

Muskegon resident Dave Johnson looks on during a memorial speech for veterans of all wars classified as missing in action or prisoners of war at the seventh annual Michigan Remembers Run on Saturday. Johnson, a veteran of the U.S.

MICHIGAN

Judge strikes down abortion ban

Jennifer Toland
September 19, 2005

Members of a pro-life group, MSU Students for Life, will work to voice protest to an abortion ban that was struck down last week in Michigan. "We are trying to educate our members so they can have more knowledgeable discussions with people who may not know that much about it," said Ken Curell, the president of Students for Life and international relations junior. The Legal Birth Definition Act, passed by the Michigan Legislature in June 2004, was declared unconstitutional by U.S.

MICHIGAN

Pedaling police to monitor crowds

Margaret Harding
September 16, 2005

As MSU police see it - two wheels are better than four. And they're putting that policy into practice during home football games for the first time this year during home football games with the MSU bike police on patrol "They're able to get into places our vehicles can't," MSU police Sgt.

MICHIGAN

Officials: Free-roaming felines shouldn't be fed

Kristi Jourdan
September 16, 2005

Just like when Garfield the Cat tried to mail Nermal to Abu Dhabi, East Lansing officials are trying to eradicate a city wide cat problem. The city's feral and "free-roaming" cat populations are steadily on the rise because of food left outside to feed the feline floaters. Jamie McAloon-Lampman, Ingham County's Animal Control director said the cars are a problem. "Feral is a cat that's never been held by a human being.

MICHIGAN

Closing of Union Beaner's affects workers

The Beaner's Gourmet Coffee location in the Union closed before school started and remains closed after the franchise owner developed "a very serious personal issue," said Union Director Jim Sheppard.

MICHIGAN

Local bars scrutinize out-of-state IDs

Margaret Harding
September 16, 2005

Local bars are on the look-out for out-of-state IDs, especially after receiving information listing the number of MSU students that are actually from outside of Michigan. The Responsible Hospitality Council has created a list of the top ten out-of-state pieces of identification bar employees have noticed and passed it around to all the council's members. "We want to make all the establishments aware that if you see an out-of-state ID, there's a good chance it's fake," said Joe Goodsir, president of Rick's American Cafe, 224 Abbott Road, and director of the executive committee on the council. Goodsir said that there are 1,094 MSU students from other states that could be 21, and he said he also knows the breakdown of how many students are from each state. "If you're working and you see eight IDs from Arizona, there's only seven that are possibly from MSU," Goodsir said.

MICHIGAN

E.L. food co-op widens selection

Jennifer Toland
September 15, 2005

An East Lansing store offering a variety of organic produce has expanded its products to include more than just pesticide-free vegetables. The East Lansing Food Co-Operative, 4960 Northwind Drive, will now carry bread, cheese, pastries, cookies and black magic brownies, which all come from an Ann Arbor deli.

MICHIGAN

Study finds hearing loss in youth

Jennifer Toland
September 15, 2005

A new study being conducted at Purdue University shows that people who listen to loud music on headphones might be damaging their hearing. Robert Novak, director of clinical education in audiology at Purdue University said they are researching the sound levels produced by iPod and MP3 music players at their clinic. "We are seeing young people that have a head start on the hearing aging process," Novak said.