MICHIGAN
E.L. group to host walk-a-thon at mall
The East Lansing Active Living for Adults program will host a walk-a-thon from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
MICHIGAN
Mich. Supreme Court to rule on beachfront-property case
What started as an argument between two neighbors has blossomed into a Michigan Supreme Court lawsuit that some say will affect the future of the entire state. The court heard opening arguments last week to decide where beachfront owners' properties ends and where public property begins.
MICHIGAN
Courts review security following Ga. shooting
Ninety-two weapons - including box cutters, a sharpened broom handle and two guns - were collected in January and February at the entrance to the Lansing City Hall. The City Hall screening has been in place for about five years, said Murray Britton, City Hall conflict security administrator. "The screening is considered a necessary part of what we're doing," Britton said. Lansing 54-A District Court is on the sixth floor of City Hall. Courthouses have been reviewing their security measures after Friday's courthouse shootings in Atlanta, Ga.
MICHIGAN
Chevrolet Blazer highest driver death rate in last 4 years
When drivers sit down in their Chevrolet Blazers, they might want to make an extra effort to drive carefully. According to a study released Tuesday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Arlington, Va., the Blazer had the highest driver death rate from 2000 through 2003 of all vehicles. There were 308 driver deaths for every 1 million registered Blazers on the road built between 1999 and 2002.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.