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Business booms
Some local residents will travel hundreds of miles to firework outlets just to make sure their Fourth of July goes off with a bang.
MICHIGAN
7 new human cases of West Nile confirmed in U.S.
Along with rising temperatures, the rising activity of Michigan's mosquito population is also an inevitable part of summer.
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Clinic to close after 34 years
A local low-cost medical clinic that offered health care to 1,600 uninsured area residents last year will see patients for the last time today. On Monday, the Board of Directors for the nonprofit Gateway Community Services, 2875 Northwind Drive, decided to close the operation's doors immediately. Today's closing corresponds with the end of the organization's contract with East Lansing, said Stefanie Zin, executive director at Gateway. The clinic, which has been open for 34 years, has been in danger of closing since Gateway announced a $70,000 budget deficit in May. A June 17 fundraiser at the Hannah Community Center netted $13,000 for the clinic, but it wasn't enough to patch the growing deficit, said Andrew Lathrop, marketing and community relations director at Gateway. Zin said the clinic staff, which is composed mostly of volunteers, will work through July 8 to make sure charts, bills and remaining medications are all in order. "I'm really depressed about it," said Kacie Kleinhardt, a physiology senior who volunteers at the clinic.
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City looks to attract seniors
If senior citizens are looking to move into college towns, they'll be welcomed with open arms to East Lansing, city leaders said. The city will soon offer independent living, assisted living and low-income housing to senior citizens, East Lansing Mayor Mark Meadows said. The proposed senior-citizen housing locations are in close proximity to Deerpath Apartments, 1290 Deer Path Lane, and the old Department of Public Works building, Meadows said.
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Sports events spur Detroit cleanups
More than 1,000 volunteers from all over the metro Detroit area and as far away as Ingham County took to the streets of downtown Detroit on Saturday morning to tidy up, officials said. The All-Star Super Makeover was the first in a series of cleanups in the downtown area for July's Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Comerica Park and February's Super Bowl XL at Ford Field. "Basically, we see this as cleaning our living room," said Chris Miller, an international relations senior and event coordinator.
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Chili cook-off raises $26K for charity
Downtown Lansing dished out thousands of gallons of chili, chili enthusiasts, two live bands and one mechanical bull Friday at the 10th annual Board of Water & Light Chili Cook-Off. The event featured at least 45 different kinds of chili and nine salsas for judges and the public to taste.
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Summer festival promotes E.L. businesses
Although the ninth annual Summer Solstice Jazz Festival will fill downtown East Lansing with community interaction and live music, the event could also bring downtown businesses more money in the future. The Arts Commission, which planned the event, has several objectives: One is to expose people in the community to various forms of culture and art, said Ami Van Antwerp, East Lansing community events coordinator. Under a huge tent located on the east half of Lot 1 on Albert Avenue, Summer Solstice patrons will have two stages for viewing jazz acts. A musician who grew up in East Lansing, Carl Cafagna, will be playing in the festival with his group, North Star Jazz.
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LBGT march to protest hate crimes
All over the world this month, the gay community is celebrating in many ways, from parades to floats to drag queens. However in Michigan, the lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender community plans to focus on a more serious theme this weekend - to protest for civil rights for all homosexuals across Michigan. The 17th annual Michigan Pride Weekend will concentrate on hate crimes, among other issues, officials said. Pride spokeswoman Sarah Mieras said, in Michigan, there is no law to prevent anti-gay hate crimes. "There has been in an increase in hate crimes in Michigan, and this year we plan to focus on ways to prevent these crimes, among other things," Mieras said. She said she predicts that about 15,000 people will participate in the civil rights protest at the Capitol on Saturday. "We plan to march from Grand River Avenue all the way to the state Capitol to protest fair treatment for gays and lesbians," she said. Mieras said the rally this weekend will celebrate the lives and achievements of the LBGT community.
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City offers support for East Village project in memo
City council members had a shorter meeting on the first day of summer but still managed to take the East Village redeveloping efforts a half step further into the planning process. The council passed a Memorandum of Understanding at its Tuesday meeting for the master developer of the Cedar Village overhaul and city officials. The document demonstrates the city's support of the East Village redevelopment plans.
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State proposes Amtrak cuts
For the more than 600,000 people who used Amtrak trains last year to travel, possible state budget cuts for the upcoming fiscal year might end their way of traveling around the country. Celeste Shoulders, a supervisor in the Eli Broad College of Business, said she uses the Amtrak train about 30 times a year to visit family and friends.
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Low-cost clinic needs $70K
A budget shortfall that left an East Lansing low-cost clinic reeling this May hasn't improved, and the 34-year-old clinic might have to close its doors in July. Local nonprofit Gateway Community Services, 2875 Northwind Drive, runs several programs, including a runaway shelter, a youth crisis intervention center and a free or low-cost medical clinic.
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Student arrested for being verbally abusive to firemen
MSU student Scott Posthumus watched as his East Lansing home was ravaged by fire on Saturday. By 4 a.m., he had landed in jail, he said. Posthumus, a finance junior, was arrested early Saturday morning on charges of being loud, boisterous and disorderly, his mother Cindi Posthumus said. "I stood right there and watched the whole thing in disbelief," she said of the arrest. A faulty electrical outlet was the probable cause of the fire that started in the garage of the house at 404 Evergreen Ave.
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City: Resident-student affairs damaged by stereotypes
City officials, students and local residents said a peaceful relationship among the three groups is being hindered by a lack of communication and city ordinances. Students and residents negatively stereotype each other, East Lansing's Deputy City Manager Jean Golden said, adding that once students and residents start socially interacting, those stereotypes will be broken down. "If I know you as an individual, I'm going to be much less likely to stereotype you when I see you on the street," Golden said. However, family community services senior Sara Johnson said it's hard for students and residents to be cordial. "The student population changes from year to year, so it's not the same students that are doing bad things," she said. But East Lansing residents aren't the problem, "it's the city," interdisciplinary studies in social sciences junior Starr Jones said. City officials are making it hard for students to have financial stability with charges such as paying a monthly fee to have a trash can, Jones said. "City Council is only interested with getting our parents' money," she said. East Lansing resident Jayme Theis, 27, agreed with Jones, and said the general vibe from residents is that they're trying to push students out of the neighborhoods. Theis said city leaders are aiding the residents by relocating students to the northern part of the city and by not allowing additional rental home licenses in the area. But City Manager Ted Staton said students and residents are misinformed. The city recently approved a rental-home license and hundreds of new apartment licenses for East Lansing, he said. Staton also said it is not true that East Lansing officials want students to move away from the city. "It couldn't be further from the truth," he said.
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E.L. department to hold public opening
East Lansing residents will have an opportunity to get a peek at the inner workings of the city's public works and recycling center this evening. The East Lansing Department of Public Works will hold a dedication ceremony from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
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Prof to discuss women in Iraq
A professor from the University of Baghdad will speak about women's struggles in Iraq in a presentation at a local church Friday. The presentation, titled "Through My Eyes: A Woman's Struggle for Peace in War Torn Iraq," will showcase Professor Naba Saleem Hamid and other women's experiences in Iraq at 7 p.m.
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Council member to hold party for EVE
A cocktail party to benefit the group End Violent Encounters, or EVE, will be held from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
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2 arrested in apartment drug robbery
Two people were arrested and charged with an armed robbery that occurred in Chandler Crossings apartments early last week. The Bath Township Police Department is continuing its investigation into the incident. Jawan Laderdale and Frederick Lilly were arraigned on felony charges of armed robbery and possession of a firearm on Wednesday.
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Higher ed funding passed
Michigan senators approved the higher-education portion of the state budget on Thursday that provides funding for public universities and colleges. Senate Bill 273, which now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration, might provide a total 1-percent increase to universities and a total higher-education increase of 3.1 percent, according to the Senate Fiscal Agency. MSU would receive an increase in funding by 0.6 percent, according to that analysis. Northern Michigan University and Wayne State University received significant cuts under the proposed budget. Senators also held a hearing on Thursday to look at another bill that might increase state funding by up to 5 percent. The bill, which was introduced in February, would increase state funding to K-16 by no more than 5 percent, or by an inflationary rate based on the cost of living, said Sen.
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Intertribal tradition
George Boissineau, a carpenter from North Branch, waits for the grand entry at the Riverbank Traditional Pow Wow on Saturday afternoon.
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Wineries gain popularity
The owners of Sandhill Crane Vineyards in Jackson gathered in their tasting room, swirling and smelling a dry red wine Sonata made from their own winery. "This is a retirement for my husband, his sister and I," said Alice Moffatt, co-owner of Sandhill Crane Vineyards.