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News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

Same-sex partner rights debated today in court

Jason Worthy
August 16, 2005

A hearing to determine whether public employers can offer benefits to domestic partners is scheduled for today at the Ingham County 30th Circuit Court and proponents will hold a rally before the hearing. Triangle Foundation Director of Policy Sean Kosofsky said the benefits should remain legal. "I don't want to comment on possible decisions from the hearing, but we are expecting a positive outcome because the intent behind Proposal 2 was not to restrict domestic benefits," he said. In 2004, Proposal 2 was put on the ballot and was ratified as a Michigan Constitutional amendment defining marriage as being between a man and a woman. The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, is representing 22 same-sex couples who filed a lawsuit in March after Attorney General Mike Cox interpreted the amendment as barring the city of Kalamazoo from providing domestic-partner benefits in future contracts. Messages left at the attorney general's office were not returned. The court hearing, which would have been last month, was postponed in order for Gov.

MICHIGAN

State grant extends Northern Tier Trail

Daniel Thai
August 16, 2005

The city of East Lansing has received a grant to help fund an extension of the Northern Tier Trail. The $92,400 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources will help the city extend the trail about a mile farther north.

MICHIGAN

'Alien' author tours U.S. in motor home

Lindsey Poisson
August 15, 2005

Robert Farrell believes we're not alone in the universe. In his book, "Alien Log," Farrell said he relates his theories to the reader through a fictional story. "One day, I came to the realization that there was other life in the galaxy," Farrell said.

MICHIGAN

2nd Menna's Joint opens; Big 10 Burrito coming soon

Nick Pelton
August 11, 2005

Tonight, hungry students wandering Albert Avenue for something to eat will have a new option. Menna's Joint is opening a second location next to Harper's Restaurant & Brewpub, 131 Albert Ave. "We just needed to expand," owner Joe Conrad said. The opening at 7 p.m.

MICHIGAN

Groups take cell phones for needy

Daniel Thai
August 11, 2005

Instead of letting obsolete cell phones sit dormant in a closet or drawer after getting them upgraded, people can donate their phones to charities that give them to people in need. The Charitable Recycling Program, located in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., collects phones for emerging countries with economic needs for cell phones, marketing manager Jonnie Sullivan said. "We clean them all up and make them look nice and put new batteries in them," she said.

MICHIGAN

Police launch 2-week safety-belt campaign

Michigan law-enforcement officials launched a two-week effort Friday to enforce and educate the community about safety-belt laws. The East Lansing Police Department is among several Ingham County agencies that will participate in the campaign on Friday.

MICHIGAN

Parade celebrates African American heritage, diversity

Jason Worthy
August 8, 2005

Thousands cheered as they watched community members, from high school marching bands to government officials, march in downtown Lansing on Saturday in the sixth annual African American Parade and Family Heritage Picnic. Hosted by the Capital City African American Cultural Association Inc., this years' parade theme focused on diversity and the celebration of family heritage, said Micheal McFadden, event marketer and broadcast radio personality for WWSJ (1580-AM). "Family heritage is important, and whatever your ethnicity is, you should get excited about discovering your family history," he said. The Lansing Area African American Genealogical Society, or LAAAGS, had an informational tent that offered genealogy information. Mary Agnes Lipscomb, president and co-founder of the society, said the primary focus is to assist black people in researching family history. "This is very important because we need to know where we've been in order to plan where we are going," she said. Lipscomb said sometimes it can be hard to trace family history. "Our history wasn't always written down, and many relatives don't want to discuss the past either," she said.

MICHIGAN

City OK'd purchase of property

Kris Turner
August 4, 2005

City officials have tried blocking an attempt by a local rental-housing mogul to construct new apartments on Burcham Drive. The East Lansing City Council authorized City Manager Ted Staton to purchase a piece of property for $160,000, on which DTN Management Co. wanted to construct a new apartment complex, during its July 19 meeting, city documents stated. Although Deputy City Manager Jean Golden has said the city didn't want to get involved in a bidding war with DTN, the offer was still brought to the council by city administrators. "That was the offer from the seller," she said.

MICHIGAN

MSU student plans to run for E.L. City Council

As summer winds down for John Fournier, his campaign for a seat on East Lansing's City Council is just beginning to start. The political theory and constitutional democracy senior said he's been busy finishing up his paperwork to enter his name into the race and expects to have it submitted by Wednesday. Fournier has until 5 p.m.

MICHIGAN

CAFTA raises worry about Mich. jobs

Lindsey Poisson
August 1, 2005

President Bush's proposed Central America Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, passed through Congress Thursday by only two votes, expanding trade into six Latin American countries. Many Michigan legislators are concerned the newly passed agreement will mean fewer jobs in Michigan - much like the 24,000 Michigan jobs lost as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, said Rep.

MICHIGAN

City streets: Do you think they should legalize marijuana?

"They should legalize it, it's definitely not as bad as it's made out to be." Jeff Pink psychology senior "Yes, I don't think there's evidence that it does a lot of harm." Ashley Ballard psychology junior at Western Michigan University "Just imagine if the government made it legal, they could be making the money themselves." Randy Rivas residential building and construction sophomore at Lansing Community College "I have no definite opinion, there's a good and bad side to marijuana, just like everything else." Nicolas Hampton East Lansing resident

MICHIGAN

Pro-marijuana report released

Nick Pelton
August 1, 2005

An organization pushing for looser marijuana laws released a "Truth Report" in late July in an attempt to dispel the federal government's claims against the drug. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, wrote "Your Government Is Lying To You (Again) About Marijuana" as an updated response to a letter sent by a White House official in 2002 to every prosecutor in America to convince them to become more harsh on marijuana cases, NORML Senior Policy Analyst Paul Armentano said. "This is a policy on ideology," Armentano said about the government's attacks on marijuana.

MICHIGAN

Emerald ash borer beetle discovered in local tree

Mara Deutch
August 1, 2005

Trees now tagged with "do not disturb" signs can be found in many counties in Michigan to detect the emerald ash borer, spotted in a tree in East Lansing. The Michigan Department of Agriculture, or MDA, along with the Michigan Cooperative Emerald Ash Borer Response Project are "girdling" 12,000 ash trees in counties not affected by the emerald ash borer so they can detect and contain the insect, according to the MDA. "Each of those trees is 'girdled,' where they cut a band of the bark off the tree.

MICHIGAN

Candidates gear up for council race

Darrell Hughes
July 28, 2005

The City Council's filing deadline for the November election candidates is two weeks away, and council members are gearing up for the political battle. East Lansing Councilmembers Vic Loomis and Bill Sharp are up for re-election.

MICHIGAN

Buddhists celebrate first teaching

Jason Worthy
July 28, 2005

Saturday was the start of the Buddhist celebration Asalha Puja and the Rains Retreat, and many gathered at a local monastery to celebrate its commencement with meditation and ethnic food. Ajahn Khemasanto, the abbot at Dhammasala Forest Monastery, 14780 Beardslee Road in Perry, said the retreat is a time for monks to meditate. "This a special time for monks to take on special practices and be more strict in meditation," he said.