Late last fall, East Lansing resident Chris Galey was doing yardwork when he was approached by someone interested in purchasing his house. Galey knew he had some tax trouble, but he didn't know how bad it was. That day, Galey found his house was in foreclosure and his financial situation in dire need of help, which he couldn't afford.
One late night two years ago, a hungry Jonathan Dodge and a friend mulled over the inconvenience of calling a restaurant and inquiring about prices and specials - all while the Internet's speedy connections languished nearby. "We discovered an idea - how convenient it would be to browse menus and order online," the advertising senior said. Dodge gazed at his computer screen and devised a simple business plan: An online ordering service for hungry Web surfers. On Monday, Dodge and business partner Chris McAleenan launched www.simpledine.com, a Web site offering online food-ordering services for the MSU community. With a click of a mouse, ravenous computer users can skim through the Web site's selection of close to 20 East Lansing restaurants and place an electronic order. MSU's burgeoning Web surfing population made the area the "perfect market" for such a business venture, Dodge said. "The Internet is the quickest way to do things," he said.
More than 100 children, parents, teachers and MSU students gathered at a Lansing elementary school on Wednesday, serving and sipping soup from handmade bowls. Elementary students at the art-focused school crafted and decorated ceramic bowls for Pleasant View Elementary School's third annual Empty Bowls fundraising dinner.
With a heavy load of sweaters, blouses and pants slung over her arm, Lori Hornbeck shuffles around the first floor of the Hannah Community Center, ducking in and out of adjacent rooms. The Lansing resident was one of a dozen shoppers at the Classy Used Clothing Sale on Wednesday afternoon.
Capital Area Community Service is hosting its 14th annual Walk For Warmth on Saturday. Money raised will help pay the utility bills of low-income Lansing and East Lansing families.
More than five years ago, Vinnie Bartalone set his sights on buying and improving a popular East Lansing eatery. Now, the owner of Sidestreets Deli, 605 E.
A one-day Women's Safety & Self Defense Seminar will be hosted by The Michigan Athletic Club from 2 p.m.
A state House committee passed a resolution Tuesday that aims to amend the Michigan Constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. The resolution, introduced by Rep.
The Prime Time Seniors Program is hosting a used clothing sale at the Hannah Community Center this week. The Classy Used Clothing Sale will take place today through Friday from 9 a.m.
U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, could see some Democratic competition for his district seat.
If Gov. Jennifer Granholm's proposal to raise Michigan's Cigarette Tax by 75 cents passes through the state Legislature, Rose Schepis might join several of her co-workers in ordering smokes at a discount price via the Internet. Purchasing several packs of cigarettes at Campbell's Smoke Shop, 207 M.A.C.
Hearings are set to begin this week for an East Lansing woman accused of embezzling from an MSU sorority. Nancy Olsen, 53, is scheduled to appear at 1 p.m.
Local travelers hoping to hop a train bound for Canada this spring might face a longer trip. Amtrak is negotiating with the Michigan Department of Transportation to discontinue the Toronto connection of its international route - which includes stops in East Lansing and eight other cities - and restore a long-defunct line. If a deal is made with the department, the railway service - dubbed Blue Water and not used since the early 1980s - will depart from Port Huron daily beginning April 26. Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said, although a contract might not be signed until the end of the month, change was prompted by declining ridership on the Toronto-to-Chicago route in recent years.
The quaint house on the corner of Albert Avenue and Division Street used to be where Al Bay, president of the rowing team in the '70s, lived with his teammates.
The East Lansing City Council will discuss the necessity of all-trade inspections for rental houses and apartments in the city at its work session tonight. Under city rules, each rental home is given an all-trade inspection every ten years, no matter the condition of the house. The extensive inspections, which bring in plumbing, building, mechanical, electrical and fire inspectors to check the safety and efficiency of the house, are billed to the building's owner - often at a costly price. "Most of the houses are in good shape, and I can't personally see why we should put an expense on a landlord that has good inspections every year," Councilmember Bill Sharp said. Sharp estimated that an all-trade inspection could cost up to $3,000. With the proposed changes, all-trade inspections only would be administered under certain conditions.
As a first-time shopper at Elderly Instruments in Lansing, you might think you've come across a musician's Mecca. From one side of the main showroom comes a full-out assault of Sunburst Fender Telecasters.
Relatively high prices for prescription drugs in Michigan have left some residents and legislators seeking cost-saving alternatives. Buying pharmaceuticals from Canada, which traditionally has provided lower prices, is becoming a popular but controversial method for Michiganians to buy their medications.
Following a lengthy development period, Hot 'N Now Burgers is expected to open its East Lansing store some time in May. Building permits for the East Lansing Hot 'N Now, 403 E.
Bothe wee and olde assembled at noonday on Sunday to partake in medieval ribaldries at the East Lansing Public Library. The 11th annual Dragon's Faire brought more than 400 people to the event, which combined medieval sword-fighting exhibitions and dancing with children's crafts and bright green "dragon punch." Wide-eyed children stared and cheered as swords clashed in metallic exuberance as The Ring of Steel, a theatrical combat troupe, exhibited various types of fighting. The Dexter-based team, equipped with weaponry of all shapes and sizes, spoke to the audience about violence, chivalry and sword safety. In one segment of the exhibition, troupe Executive Director Chris Barbeau explained some of the tricks that moviemakers use to convey reality without putting any of the actors in harm's way. Barbeau has worked with many actors, training them to sword fight, including Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman for "Hook" and Bruce Campbell for "Army of Darkness." "Facial scars do nothing for our acting careers, let alone our chances with the ladies," he said.
A state House committee voted 3-2 Thursday to allow the House of Representatives a vote to override Gov.