MICHIGAN
Capitol showcases Ten Commandments today
The Ten Commandments monument that cost Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore his job in 2003 will be on display today in front of the Capitol.
MICHIGAN
Week celebrates open government
Today marks day four of the nation's first Sunshine Week - a time dedicated to shedding light on the significance of open government for citizens and journalists. "The idea of public access to government information, documents, meetings and knowing how their tax dollars are being spent is a fundamental tenant of democracy," Sunshine Week Coordinator Debra Gersh Hernandez said.
MICHIGAN
MSU, E.L. police: Stun guns helpful, but not used often
Since recently receiving stun guns, officers in the East Lansing and MSU police departments say they aren't often used but are a good tool. Stun guns are weapons that look like guns but shoot prongs instead of bullets.
MICHIGAN
Credit card numbers exposed
Customers of the DSW Shoe Warehouse in Eastwood Towne Center in Lansing Township should be watchful of their credit card activity after the company's recent security breech. Last Tuesday, the company announced that personal information, including credit card numbers, was stolen from its database during the past three months.
MICHIGAN
E.L. organizations learn about orderly meetings
The East Lansing City Council has a set order. ASMSU's Academic Assembly follows a set philosophy.
MICHIGAN
Word on the street: What are you thoughts about public safety in East Lansing?
"I always see cop cars and fire trucks around, so it's obvious they're out working. There needs to be better security at night though, better lighting and more patrols maybe." Sarah Slama no-preference freshman "I'm a mentor on 6 East Akers and every time I've had to call the police, they've been really helpful - their response time has been really fast. Clark Llanzmzon political science senior "I was here for a few of the riots in the past, and then it seemed to me like the cops were pushing the students to do something.
MICHIGAN
Council to decide fate of E.L. rental properties
The debate about limiting rental housing will deepen today when a request to eliminate new rentals in the Bailey neighborhood goes before the East Lansing City Council. Under an ordinance passed last April, permanent residents have the power to petition the City Council to limit or completely restrict rentals in a designated area. Although this process, and the restrictions it dictates, is nothing new, some are concerned about how the council is using its power to add or remove properties from neighborhoods' rental restriction districts. "When the city created the overlay zones, the expressed intent was to create solidified single family neighborhoods," said Jeff Hudgins, co-owner of Hudgins Realty.
MICHIGAN
Greeks gather charitable donations
Several MSU fraternities and sororities will soon have some charitable landscaping done to their front yards. Within the next several weeks, at least 17 greek houses will have drop boxes for Volunteers of America, a Christian nonprofit community-service organization, installed on their properties.
MICHIGAN
Circuit court reverses E.L. speed limit change
The city of East Lansing was successful last week in pressuring state officials to return speed limits along Grand River Avenue and Saginaw Highway to their original speeds. The Michigan Department of Transportation, or MDOT, along with the Michigan State Police and State Transportation Commission raised area speed limits by 10 mph nearly a month ago after conducting traffic studies for about a year. East Lansing officials, angered by the state's decision, took the three agencies to court.
MICHIGAN
Senate passes bills to reduce spyware
The Michigan Senate took steps last week to prevent people from illegally installing spyware on people's computers without their knowledge. The legislation, which passed unanimously on Wednesday, would make it a crime to install spyware software on a person's computer and punishable with up to four years in prison and a fine of $10,000 for violations. The bills now move to the House of Representatives for consideration. Richard Wiggins, senior information technologist for MSU's Academic Computing & Network Services, said spyware software is common and can have several effects on a person's computer, depending on what the creator of the spyware wants to find out about a computer user. "There's tracing to see what Web sites you like to visit, and in other cases, it may take over parts of the browser and throws things up on your screen," Wiggins said.
MICHIGAN
Tsunami used as local teaching tool
Leann Matta's twin 8-year-old girls, Anastasia and Ibtisam, read the paper and watch television news each day. Anastasia Matta, a third-grader at Scott Elementary School in DeWitt, said she initially found out about the Dec.
MICHIGAN
Bus drivers check more student IDs
Waiting for a Capital Area Transportation Authority bus in front of Berkey Hall, journalism senior Kristin Cain stood ready with a dollar for her bus fare. Cain said although bus drivers haven't required her to show her student identification in the past to receive a discount, many have begun requiring it recently. Cain said she lost her student card and will likely be asked to pay the regular rate, $1, instead of the 50 cent discounted fare. "It's ridiculous," she said.
MICHIGAN
MSU alumnus, sled dog team prepare for second Iditarod run
An MSU alumnus is taking on the "Last Great Race" - again. Beginning Saturday, Ed Stielstra and his team of 16 Alaskan huskies will traverse 1,150 miles of Alaskan terrain to run the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race for the second time.
MICHIGAN
Snow removal fines to continue
As students and East Lansing residents prepare to leave the area for spring break, city officials warn that the sidewalks around homes must remain clear of snow and ice, even if residents are out of town. According to a city ordinance, residents must shovel snow from the sidewalks around their homes within 24 hours of snowfall, or face an $85 ticket. "It is just really a deterrent," said Todd Sneathen, director of the city's Department of Public Works.
MICHIGAN
Proposed bill includes funding for overpass to be built on Farm Lane
Funding for road improvements in Michigan, including an overpass on Farm Lane between Mount Hope and Service roads could receive a boost if a bill passed through U.S.
MICHIGAN
DTN to prepare rebuttal against council decision
DTN Management Co., frustrated by the East Lansing City Council's rejection of a plan to construct five apartment buildings, might take the city to court in an attempt to overturn its ruling. The proposed plan included the development of five apartment buildings, along the 700 block of Burcham Drive, that would house 90 occupants. Representatives from DTN discussed the possibility of challenging the city during Tuesday's council meeting. "We feel entitled to an approving vote," DTN representative Allen Russell said.
MICHIGAN
Officials: Closure will not have long-term effects
Although General Motors Corp. officials announced Tuesday the upcoming closure of its Lansing Car Assembly plant, city officials and union members say the negative impact will be short-lived. The plant, which produces the Pontiac Grand Am and the Chevrolet Malibu Classic, is set to close in May - about half a year earlier than was expected. A new plant in Delta Township will open sometime late this year or early next year, and Lansing Car Assembly employees are likely to fill positions there, said Glenn Kirk, Lansing's director of finance. "We were hoping to be able to phase out the closing of the Lansing Car Assembly operation and dovetail that into the opening and start of production for the Lansing Delta Township plant," he said. GM spokesman Stefan Weinmann said the company made the decision in response to the company's sales, which have dropped more than 12 percent from last year's numbers. "We had to make a business decision based on our current situation, the current order intake and market performance," Weinmann said. The plant employees are represented by United Auto Workers Local 602 and UAW Local 652. "Every single (employee) is covered by the GM UAW agreement; they provide a very comprehensive safety net," Weinmann said. UAW Local 602 will represent the Delta Township plant, so many members are expected to move there from the Lansing plant, he said. The UAW Local 652 covers employees at three other facilities in Delta Township and Lansing, where workers likely will move. All Local 652 members at the Lansing Car Assembly plant should be able to find new jobs at area plants and facilities, said Michael Belsito, chief financial officer for the UAW chapter. "We have a very good chance anybody who is employed today will be employed in 2006 with the new and coming work we believe will be in the Lansing area," Belsito said. In the meantime, employees will receive unemployment and supplemental unemployment benefits for as many as 48 weeks, Belsito said.
MICHIGAN
U.S. life expectancy reaches record high
According to the latest data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, Americans are living longer than ever. Average life expectancy rose 0.3 years in 2003 to a record high of 77.6 years, according to the center. Women still live longer than men - an average of 80.1 years compared to 74.8 years - but the gap between the genders decreased for the 23rd consecutive year. The top 15 causes of death remained the same, except assault left the list and was replaced by Parkinson's disease.
MICHIGAN
Snow complicates area travel
A winter storm Tuesday created several problems for Lansing and East Lansing residents traveling in the area. As of 1 p.m.
MICHIGAN
Web site offers free credit report
Starting Tuesday, people can get a free credit report online, allowing them to see who has previously seen the reports and make sure all the information is accurate. Three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, charge about $9 for the reports but will now provide them once a year for free under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003. People can get a report from each company by going to www.annualcreditreport.com.