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News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

Affirmative action group disagrees with petition

Emily Bingham
February 20, 2004

A civil rights group filed a lawsuit Thursday against the State Board of Canvassers due to the wording of a petition aimed at banning racial preferences. The lawsuit was filed in the Ingham County Circuit Court and hearings will begin March 4. If the petition gathers 317,757 registered voters' signatures by July 6, a state constitutional amendment banning racial preferences in employment practices and public university admissions will be put on the November ballot.

MICHIGAN

Group to remain active despite Dean dropout

Alessa Thomas
February 19, 2004

After months of identifying supporters, registering voters and campaigning, the Students for Dean crusade came to an end Wednesday. Howard Dean officially announced he was dropping out of the race for Democratic presidential nominee Wednesday in Burlington, Vt.

MICHIGAN

Vietnam veteran status helps Kerry's campaign

Service in the Vietnam War, something that once elicited spite from many Americans, has become a source of credibility for John Kerry as he continues to surge in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. Kerry, the current front-runner in the race, discusses his Naval service during the war - as well as his activities after it - at nearly every public appearance. During a recent visit to Mott Community College in Flint, the candidate told the crowd he still counts on the men who served alongside him.

MICHIGAN

High-tech trade

Lansing-area recyclers might have a new way to keep Michigan clean. Freecycling, a system where people can exchange unwanted items - at no cost - through online postings, is getting attention as a way to reduce landfill trash from Ingham County and surrounding communities. "It's kind of like a garage sale where everything is free," said Aaron Liepman, the creator of the Mid-Michigan Freecycle Network.

MICHIGAN

Shoe store thrives on individuality

When Richard Liscombe first laid eyes on a Birkenstock shoe in the early 1970s, he viewed the footwear as "uniquely different." "The vast majority of people who saw them thought they were ugly," he said.

MICHIGAN

Bush campaign continues to grow

Alessa Thomas
February 17, 2004

Campaign supporters say the re-election effort for President Bush is in full swing, even though he doesn't have a definite opponent. Katie Allardyce, chairperson of MSU Students for Bush, said they have been working to recruit volunteers to spread Bush's message.

MICHIGAN

Taxes would hurt bar business

Although 4:40 p.m. would not typically be considered peak business hours for a bar, almost 20 patrons sat in The Peanut Barrel Restaurant at that time Monday - a few eating one of the establishment's hamburgers, some simply perched at the bar for a drink. Among the latter was Johnny Stewart, who sat reading the paper with a large glass of beer in his right hand.

MICHIGAN

Program aids tax filing

Accounting senior Maria Goodfellow sat at a long table in the basement of Student Services and furrowed her brow, punching calculator keys to add a sum on Barbara Boillat's 1040 income tax form. Boillat rocked her 5-year-old son, David, in her arms as she patiently awaited the results of her income calculations. "I have absolutely no clue about taxes," the Haslett resident said.

MICHIGAN

Billions in tax refunds might still be available

Student workers, take note: You may be eligible to receive a long-overdue tax refund. According to the Internal Revenue Service, nearly 2 million taxpayers nationwide who did not file a 2000 income tax return have until April 15 to claim as much as $2.5 billion total in refund checks. About 81,200 Michigan residents failed to file a return in 2000, totaling $96,031 in lost funds, according to IRS data. Taxpayers have three years to claim a refund owed to them, IRS spokeswoman Sarah Wreford said.

MICHIGAN

Lawmakers work for car booster seat law

Recently introduced legislation would modify the Michigan vehicle code to require children between 40 and 80 pounds and no taller that 4 feet 9 inches to use booster seats when traveling in a vehicle. The bills, introduced by state Sens.

MICHIGAN

Governor calls for forest certification

Gov. Jennifer Granholm is proposing a plan that would seek to certify all state forest land by the Department of Natural Resources. Certification could ensure that forest land is managed, preserve habitats and protect water quality. According to Matt Johnson, director of Granholm's northern Michigan office, the forest certification would aid in retaining Michigan jobs in the timber industry because many wood and paper consumers now are demanding that wood producers be certified. "The governor wants to send a clear message to wood-product consumers that the products they purchase are produced in an environmentally friendly and sustainable process," Johnson said in a statement. Granholm said her proposal would make Michigan a leader in forest-certification practices. "Through the certification efforts I am asking the DNR to undertake, Michigan would have the largest amount of certified forest land in the nation by the end of 2005," she said in a statement. Michigan currently owns about 4 million acres of forest land.

MICHIGAN

Electronics trends shift

In recent months, Judy Murphy has noticed a surprising trend spreading to several of her female friends and acquaintances. "I know a lot of girls into digital cameras," the biochemistry sophomore said.

MICHIGAN

Workers step it up

Gretchen Morr wears a pedometer around campus so she can monitor her daily steps. In an average day, she takes about 12,000 of them. "I wear it on top of my pants; it's black and it just blends in - it looks like a pager," she said. The interdisciplinary studies in social science senior works part-time for state Sen.

MICHIGAN

State alters tags to prevent identity theft

Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land recently modified the amount of information on disability-parking placards in order to protect motorists from identity theft. The placards, which formerly displayed the complete driver's license number of the driver, will now include only the first letter and the last three digits of the number.

MICHIGAN

E.L. Commission votes against rezoning spot

Don Jordan
February 13, 2004

After listening to nearly two and a half hours of testimony from the developers and the public, the East Lansing Planning Commission voted 4-1 against approving a recommendation to rezone a local abandoned property. The commission also voted 3-2 to approve a recommendation to grant Strathmore Development Company a special-use permit to redevelop the property as general office space. The recommendations are given to the city council, who will officially vote on the future of the property, located at 1427 W.

MICHIGAN

Police: Weather, ordinance keep E.L. streets quieter

Sarah Mcevilly
February 12, 2004

Cold weather and tougher penalties are the cause for a quiet city, East Lansing officials say, but all are expecting noise to increase again with the onset of warmer temperatures. But more than six months following the passage of amendments to East Lansing's noise ordinance, officials and students remain conflicted on the subject.

MICHIGAN

Citizens voice land concerns

Don Jordan
February 12, 2004

From her house's rear window, Alice Schehr's view is dominated by the hulking shell of the former Albert Pic Motel. The structure, which was converted to office use in 1983, closed its doors in 2000 and has sat vacant ever since. But Schehr said her problem isn't with the two-story eyesore, it's with the development proposed to replace it. Strathmore Development Company is petitioning the East Lansing Planning Commission to rezone the area to include retail sales.