Thursday, February 19, 2026

Take a peek behind the curtain and test drive the NEW StateNews.com today!

News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

Capitol Update

Sarah Frank
March 10, 2003

Legislators look for replacements in case of call to active duty As the threat of war increases, state legislators are working to create a constitutional amendment to ensure a replacement for any legislator called to active military duty. The resolution states the governor would appoint a temporary replacement for the legislator during his or her military obligation. The resolution also states that the replacements must be from the same district and party as the legislators they are replacing.

MICHIGAN

Lansing City Council to honor residents

Benita Mehta
March 10, 2003

Lansing - Three tributes for hard-working members of the Lansing community will take place at the 7 p.m. city council meeting today. The council will honor John and Judith Peakes for their work on stage productions at BoarsHead Theater, 425 S.

MICHIGAN

Zulu baskets set for exhibit this weekend

More than 150 Zulu baskets will go on exhibit and sale today. The baskets will be on display at All Saints Episcopal Church, 800 Abbott Road, today from noon until 9 p.m., and on Saturday from 10 a.m.

MICHIGAN

'U' members discuss MTV greek portrayal

Aaron Foley
February 28, 2003

Sitting among his fraternity brothers watching the debut of MTV's "Fraternity Life," Matthew Castel expressed his disgust at some of the scenes. "That's really disgusting," the electrical engineering junior, a member of Delta Tau Delta, said after a Sigma Chi Omega brother talked about defecating on the top of a toilet instead of inside the bowl on camera. Both "Sorority Life 2" and "Fraternity Life" debuted on MTV on Wednesday night.

MICHIGAN

Activists rejoice after court ruling on protests

Benita Mehta
February 28, 2003

After a Supreme Court ruling earlier this week giving protection to protesters from racketeering and extortion charges, some local protest groups are rejoicing at the decision. The case dealt with anti-abortion demonstrators that were charged with blocking clinic entrances, attacking doctors, patients and clinic staff and destroying equipment.

MICHIGAN

Weight Watchers tries to help curb obesity

Next week, Mid-Michigan will have the opportunity to weigh in and become more healthy. Weight Watchers is working with the American Cancer Society to launch the society's "Great American Weigh-In." Lansing's Weight Watchers center, at 500 N.

MICHIGAN

Students enjoy tour through Capitol

Sarah Frank
February 28, 2003

Lansing - As they walked through the Senate wing of the state Capitol, 25 elementary students gasped in awe at the massive beauty of the building's rotunda. "The rotunda is for us, the constituents," Capitol tour guide Dan Reynolds told the fourth-graders. "It's supposed to make us feel proud - does it make you feel proud?" With mouths open wide, the class stared up through the rotunda's wooden balconies to the high blue ceiling painted with gold stars and answered with a resounding, "yes." The students and teacher Bill Lenyz traveled from Nellie Reed Elementary School in Vernon, about 40 minutes northeast of Lansing, to attend the tour earlier this week. Sixteen capitol tours are led per day, and people have been touring the building since 1979.

MICHIGAN

Leaders offer solutions

Brian Charlton
February 27, 2003

Community leaders say they are looking at long-term solutions rather than quick fixes for the budget troubles in East Lansing Public Schools.Hampered by funding dilemmas, the Board of Education has been left with the duty of putting back together the pieces of the district's long-term puzzle."We can reinvent the schools," said Bill Donohue, secretary of the school board and an MSU communication professor.

MICHIGAN

State leadership celebrates Black History Month with music at Capitol

Joey Guillen
February 27, 2003

Lansing - With a choir swaying right to left behind her, 9-year-old Taylor Fowlkes belted out "Still I Rise" in front of a packed Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday. "I was nervous, then when I got into the middle part, I just got happy," she said. Fowlkes' performance was part of the annual Black History Month Celebration, which included dancing, a jazz performance and an appearance by Gov.

MICHIGAN

Granholm: Tax hike not a possibility

Joey Guillen
February 26, 2003

Gov. Jennifer Granholm has considered a long list of possibilities to solve Michigan's budget problems, but one possibility she will not consider is a tax hike. "The governor has made it very clear in every public briefing that she has no intention of raising taxes," Granholm spokeswoman Elizabeth Boyd said. Next week, Granholm will present a balanced budget proposal to offset next year's $1.7-billion general fund deficit.

MICHIGAN

Consumers spend, invest less

Sarah Frank
February 26, 2003

Consumers may be less confident to spend and invest during "sluggish" economic times due in part to a weak labor market and the looming war in Iraq, according to a recent consumer survey.The Consumer Confidence Index, a survey of consumer expectations and present conditions, fell to the lowest level since October 1993.

MICHIGAN

Study: One-fifth of drinkers aren't 21

Underage drinkers account for one-fifth of all alcohol consumption in the U.S., according to a recent national study.The study, conducted by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, reported youths between the ages of 12 and 20 years old amount to 19.7 percent of alcohol consumption in the nation.The study, which was released in Tuesday's Journal of the American Medical Association, said the total of underage drinking amounts to about $22.5 billion in sales.The results came from a 10-month analysis of three sets of data, including figures from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, which involved more than 50,000 people aged 12 and older polled in 1999.The article, "Alcohol Consumption and Expenditures for Underage Drinking and Adult Excessive Drinking," also used figures from several national and federal institutions."The value of this survey points to a huge problem that has been around for some time," National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism spokeswoman Ann Bradley said.

MICHIGAN

Activists to receive LBGT awards

Allison Lucy
February 25, 2003

History junior Ebon Pinson said a lot of people don't tend to understand lesbian, bisexual, gay or transgender people. "They have their own biases and prejudices," Pinson, founder and president of MSU Same Gender Loving Students of Color, International students and Allies said, adding the misunderstanding is the reason he spends so much time trying to straighten out misconceptions. "Many people don't understand that LBGT is a culture," he said.

MICHIGAN

Survey: greeks succeed

Aaron Foley
February 25, 2003

A survey of 500 of the Forbes Super 500 showed almost a quarter of its CEOs were members of greek organizations in college.MSU Greek Life adviser Amy Radford said when most students join a fraternity or sorority, they might not realize the benefits it might offer in the long run."Students tend not to see beyond MSU," she said.

MICHIGAN

eBay criticized for offensive language

The world's largest online auction house is coming under fire for allowing some racially offensive language to remain in its item listings.Last week, the National Alliance for Positive Action protested Internet auction site eBay and asked the company to stop listing items they believe are racially offensive and degrading to blacks.The alliance is opposing eBay's decision to continue to sell a number of books, card games, prints and musical compilations listed with or including racially offensive titles.Earl Ofari Hutchinson, president of the National Alliance for Positive Action, said he and several other groups are planning rallies to protest eBay and are requesting the company to either remove all offensive items or provide disclaimers on the Web site.Hutchinson said those items include cast-iron banks that are caricatures, described on the Web site using a racial slur and shown with large red lips, dark skin and rolling eyes."No response has been made from eBay," Hutchinson said.

MICHIGAN

Chess: Simply child's play

Benita Mehta
February 24, 2003

Lansing - The sound of chess pieces hitting the game board was all that could be heard while players had looks of intense concentration on Saturday during a children's chess tournament. The players were as young as 5 years old.

MICHIGAN

Capitol Update

Joey Guillen  and  Sarah Frank
February 24, 2003

State Rep. proposes changing distribution of public school funds State Rep. Mike Pumford, R-Newaygo, proposed what he calls a more fair distribution of cuts to public schools than Gov.