MICHIGAN
Area nature center to hold tree workshop
Woldumar Nature Center, 5739 Old Lansing Road in Lansing, will hold the first part of a two-part tree identification workshop at 6:30 p.m.
MICHIGAN
Mich. bill proposes steroid policy
At Okemos High School, student athletes know there is a three strikes policy if caught using performance-enhancing drugs, said Athletic Director Keith Froelich.
MICHIGAN
FDA panel looks into lifting ban on breast-implant corporations
A 13-year ban on certain silicone-gel breast implants might be lifted, but there is some disagreement among area residents, the government and national organizations on their safety. The U.S.
MICHIGAN
New student group rallies for LBGT rights at Capitol
A new organization aimed at working toward legalizing same-sex marriage kicked off its work by holding a rally at the Capitol on Wednesday. Students for Gay Marriage is a group dedicated to overturning the amendment in the Michigan Constitution that bans same-sex marriage.
MICHIGAN
Mich. pushes alternative sentencing
With U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics reporting the number of United States prisoners surpassing more than 2 million people, Michigan judicial departments are working to offer more creative sentencing. Some states have been pushing judges, prosecutors and community members to create community program alternatives for would-be prisoners who are nonviolent and first-time offenders.
MICHIGAN
City officials caution student subleasers
While a majority of students leave MSU and East Lansing during the summer, some who take classes or work in the area will be left to fill the rental vacancies. Rather than sign a new housing agreement, some students move into apartments already locked into a yearlong lease.
MICHIGAN
Word on the street: Was it hard to find a summer job?
"I just got fired from my other one, so it's time to start looking." Justin Cherwinski economics senior "I've had more than 50 interviews.
MICHIGAN
Legislators attend Capitol rally
A year after one of the largest pro-choice rallies was held in Washington, D.C., pro-choice groups from across Michigan gathered at the Capitol to urge legislators to support women's reproductive rights. Women and men spent the day speaking to their legislators and making signs and then joined a rally where they listened to speakers talk about pro-choice issues. "We need to reach pro-choice candidates and get them to run and send anti-choice legislators back to their districts where they belong," said Rebekah Warren, executive director of MARAL Pro-Choice Michigan. The master of ceremonies for the rally was Nancy Skinner, a self-proclaimed liberal radio host from Illinois.
MICHIGAN
2004 sees rise in anti-LBGT crimes
A report released Tuesday by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs reports that, although crime rates in general are declining, violence against lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender people are still on the rise. Both nationally and in Michigan, the number of anti-LBGT crimes increased by 4 percent in 2004.
MICHIGAN
Council to decide if MSU staff can use parking
A $90,000 parking agreement between the city of East Lansing and MSU might be approved at tonight's City Council meeting. About 100 MSU faculty and staff could be displaced into East Lansing's parking system while a parking ramp to be located near Morrill Hall is constructed. "At peak times, we are at about 59 percent capacity," said Dan O'Connor, East Lansing's parking administrator.
MICHIGAN
Jewish center offers meals for Passover season
For Jewish students participating in Passover this week, the Hillel Jewish Student Center, 360 Charles St., is offering lunch and dinner every day during the eight- day celebration. "It is difficult for students who do observe it, while living in dorms or on campus, since there are such strict dietary rules," said Jennifer Bloom, president of the Jewish Student Union.
MICHIGAN
Lansing park to host WalkAmerica event
The 36th Annual WalkAmerica event will be held at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the Louis F. Adado Riverfront Park in Lansing. The walk is held by the Lansing Division of the March of Dimes and is intended to raise money for babies who are born premature. Opportunities at the event include a canine competition, in which dogs are judged as walkers cross the finish line, a spirit station with refreshments and a family fun area. To register or for more information, visit www.walkamerica.org or call (800) 525-WALK.
MICHIGAN
Community center to hold talent program
East Lansing's Youth Action Team and Prime Time Seniors' Program are hosting the Vegetable Soup Variety Show from 6 p.m.
MICHIGAN
Area safety council to offer driving class
The Lansing Area Safety Council, 3315 S. Pennsylvania Ave. in Lansing, is offering the National Safety Council Defensive Driving Course from 6 p.m.
MICHIGAN
April flurries halt spring landscaping event
By Lindsey Poisson Special for The State News After weather conditions forced a community landscaping event to be postponed Saturday, East Lansing's Community Relations Coalition still went ahead with a field day inside Bailey Community Center. Liza Walter, 7, sat eating pizza with her mother after spending close to an hour riding a tricycle, coloring a large paper banner and watching a magician do card tricks. "My favorite thing was drawing on the poster," Liza Walter said.
MICHIGAN
Absentee voting laws in other states similar to Mich. bill
In Las Vegas, citizens can vote two weeks before Election Day in a shopping mall, and in Iowa, voters can cast a ballot 40 days early in a grocery store.
MICHIGAN
Cleanup volunteers drag trunk, bikes from river
Kim Snook's Haslett High School biology class couldn't believe the things they saw pulled out of the Grand River or found along the banks on Saturday - bicycles in good condition, a large trunk, a bone and a coat. Snook brought her class to the Adopt A River program to clean up the river and its banks and trails. She said the event tied in perfectly with Earth Day on April 22 and a recent class unit on humans' impact on the environment. "I think they see the effects down here more than in the school," Snook said. About 300 people braved dropping temperatures and sleet to participate in the cleanup, which is in its 11th year, Adopt A River coordinator Jennifer Rostar said. "It's amazing that people were willing to come out even with the bad weather," Rostar said, as she watched the shivering volunteers attempt to get warm under the Shiawassee Street bridge. The event was held one day after Earth Day and about a week before Arbor Day on April 29.
MICHIGAN
Area unharmed after spring snowfall
Although the unexpected snowfall left many people shivering this weekend, on the roads and in the fields there were few problems, police said. The almost 3 inches of snow that covered the Lansing area this weekend was not a local record, said Walt Felver, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Grand Rapids branch. That record is held with 11 inches of snow on May 9, 1923, Felver said. About 2.9 inches of snow accumulated in the area as of Sunday evening since Saturday, Felver said.
MICHIGAN
B.R.A.D. program observes 5th anniversary
After her son died on his 21st birthday in 1998 from alcohol poisoning, Cynthia McCue sent birthday cards to her son Bradley's friends as they turned 21. "It was very difficult for them," she said.
MICHIGAN
New store keeps 7-Eleven layout
With the same frozen slush machines, store setup and paint scheme, the 24/7 convenience store, 210 Michigan Ave., remains very similar to 7-Eleven, the store it took over. Ami Bhatt, manager of the new store, said this is partly because it only has been open for a couple of weeks, since April 5.