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News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

City to install stop signs at deadly intersection

Darrell Hughes
June 9, 2005

City Council members decided Tuesday to OK the installation of a four-way stop sign at a neighborhood intersection where a young boy was hit and killed by a car about a year ago. But some say the stop signs aren't enough and want further review of the intersection once the signs are put in. During the council meeting, several residents complained that the intersection at Forest and Fern streets, which is a part of the Glencairn Neighborhood Association, has a steep hill that attracts young children to the area. Nicole Ellefson, president of the neighborhood group, said that the first-grader who was killed, John Ropp, was playing on the hill, and the accident was not due to an irresponsible or speeding driver.

MICHIGAN

Storm causes blackout in Lansing area

Lindsey Poisson
June 7, 2005

High winds and rain bombarded the greater Lansing area Sunday night, creating power outages for many residents and local businesses. At least 11,500 local customers lost power, said Consumers Energy spokesman Tim Petrosky. About 187,000 homes and businesses throughout the state experienced Sunday-night blackouts. The outages resulted from "violent weather moving through the Michigan area," which caused high winds and tree branches getting tangled in power lines, he said. Electrical engineering senior Craig Tucker said his condominium on M.A.C.

MICHIGAN

Committee to lobby state for university funds

Mara Deutch
June 7, 2005

MSU students with depleting bank accounts due to tuition now have more support in preventing a tuition increase or even lowering it. The Green & White Political Action Committee is an independent committee not affiliated with the university. The committee will give the money they raise to state policy makers who support MSU, in hopes of persuading them to provide more state funding for the university, said Gary Naeyaert, an organizer of the Green & White PAC. The committee also provides necessary information on its issues or goals to state legislators to show them how state funding benefits students, Naeyaert said. If the group is successful in making its voice heard at the Capitol, it would be beneficial to students. "We hope it means an end to double-digit tuition increases that'll hit every student in their pocketbook," Naeyaert said.

MICHIGAN

New traffic light to help with E.L. study

Darrell Hughes
June 7, 2005

Some student and city pedestrians might have noticed a ticking countdown when crossing one East Lansing intersection. The Michigan Department of Transportation, or MDOT, along with MSU's Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering is conducting a survey to see how well pedestrians respond to a traffic light that visibly counts down seconds until the light turns red. The new light, called a Countdown Pedestrian Signal, has been placed at the intersection of M.A.C.

MICHIGAN

Homeless shelter might close in June

Daniel Thai
June 7, 2005

Kevin Freeman, who has been homeless since March, said he's on his way to getting back on his feet thanks to the New Hope Day Center, but soon the facility might close. "(The shelter) has been such a godsend and such a blessing," he said. The 31-year-old said he uses the homeless shelter for meals, employment help and a place to relax. On July 1, the shelter, 430 N.

MICHIGAN

High gas prices encourage alternatives to cars

Nick Pelton
June 6, 2005

As gasoline prices continue to rise, some East Lansing residents have turned to biking instead of driving. East Lansing resident Herb LaCross rode his bike to his job at Sparrow Hospital for the first time Friday, and he plans on continuing to bike to work as long as he can. "I just don't want to spend any more money on transportation," the 58-year-old said. LaCross has always ridden his bike for fun - he rides seven to 10 miles a night with his wife Sally - but he got the idea to ride to work during the national Bike-to-Work Week, which was May 16 to May 20. Although saving money on gas was one of the main reasons LaCross is starting to bike to work, there are many reasons biking is better, he said. "When you're riding a bike, you can see everything around you," he said.

MICHIGAN

Music producer balances studio with family life

Darrell Hughes
June 6, 2005

Gregory Pelloski was a full-time MSU student in his mid-20s, married and starting a family, when he decided he had to prioritize and provide a substantial life for his family. Pelloski is now the owner of Mark of the Beast Productions, 945 Pierce Road in Lansing, a music studio that records for upcoming area musicians. MOTB Productions gave Pelloski, who goes by the hip-hop moniker "The Beast," the opportunity to take care of his family, but there was a trade-off. He knew his education was as important as his family, but Pelloski did not want to give up what he loved - making music.

MICHIGAN

High school students compete for employment

Mara Deutch
June 6, 2005

This summer, some high school students will be finding jobs for the first time. And for students in the East Lansing area, finding employment often means competition with college students. "While (college students) are out getting jobs, we're still in school," said Katie Snider, a 17-year-old East Lansing High School student, who has spent the past two weeks looking for her first summer job. Although the job hunt can be difficult for some, other students say they've had success with retail jobs, which hire at age 16. "I put in my application, and I was called within a day," said Ashley Kelley, a 16-year-old East Lansing High School student who works at Weathervane in the Meridian Mall.

MICHIGAN

St. Johns man rides cross-country for diabetes

To Willie Taylor, everyone has a selfless ability waiting to be revealed, and at age 44, he said he has discovered his own. Taylor will use his endurance biking ability when he embarks on a two-month ride from St.

MICHIGAN

Volunteer officers join local police

Kris Turner
June 6, 2005

Gary Rutherford fulfills his childhood dream each time he mounts a motorcycle and helps to police area communities as a volunteer officer in the Ingham County Sheriff's Department. "When I was a little boy, I thought the most impressive thing in the world was to be a motor officer," he said. Rutherford and Kurt Bagner were sworn in as part of the sheriff's department on May 25 and are the first volunteer motorcycle officers to join the county's police force. Both men carry guns and have the power to arrest individuals, despite their volunteer status. "As you get older, you start to appreciate the things around you, and at some point in your life, you want to give back," Rutherford said.

MICHIGAN

Family Aquatic Center offers families cool fun

Darrell Hughes
June 2, 2005

East Lansing residents who want to chill out on warm days can do so at the Family Aquatic Center starting Friday, despite rumors of its closing. The summer water park, located at 6400 Abbott Road, offers various water slides, such as the drop, tube and youth frog slides.

MICHIGAN

E.L. sees decline in summer revenue

Darrell Hughes
June 2, 2005

Several businesses along Grand River Avenue, from clothing shops to restaurants, say they have noticed deep declines in sales compared to last year, and the economy isn't to blame. Some store managers said area businesses are too dependent on students, which causes a dramatic shift in profits when students leave in the spring. "Our biggest customers are students," said Dustin Bosscher, manager of Moosejaw Mountaineering, 555 E.