Wednesday, February 18, 2026

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News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

Students embrace Halloween activities

A black mechanical bat hung from the ceiling and flew around in circles as students shopped at the temporary Halloween Warehouse Superstore in preparation for Halloween next Thursday. From large afros to fake blood, the store housed many of the items students need to capture the Halloween spirit. Business senior Choey Sookthis, a saleswoman at the 115 E.

MICHIGAN

Candidate dotes on kids, tennis

Melvin “Butch” Hollowell may have many things on his mind since announcing his candidacy for secretary of state, but the Democratic attorney can rest easy when it comes to choosing a necktie. “My daughter picks out my ties every morning - she takes out a tie, lays it neatly on the bed and she says, ‘this is what you’re going to do today,’” Hollowell said laughing.

MICHIGAN

Police increase patrols for Halloween driving, parties

Halloween means parties, costumes, candy - and for some, alcohol. But before trick-or-treaters take to the roads, county law enforcement officials are warning drivers they’ll be out in full force to crack down on impaired driving this weekend. Agencies within Ingham County, including East Lansing, plan to increase police presence starting Friday.

MICHIGAN

Month raises awareness for learning disabilities

For the second-straight year, Gov. John Engler has proclaimed October to be Learning Disabilities Awareness Month in Michigan to raise social cognizance of this “hidden disability.”Learning disabilities affect a person’s ability to interpret what is seen or heard and then link that information with other parts of the brain.

MICHIGAN

Student group to host Meet the Candidates

Seven candidates running for office will stop on campus Wednesday night for a “Meet the Candidates” night. The event, organized by the MSU Student Voters’ Coalition, will feature candidates for 69th District state representative, 23rd District state senator and secretary of state.

MICHIGAN

City council to discuss traffic, lawn furniture

The presence of sofas, loungers, and other furniture on the lawns of East Lansing will be addressed at the East Lansing City Council work session tonight.Council members will look at an ordinance that prohibits the placement of inside furniture outdoors when not in use.But some students don’t understand the law’s relevance.

MICHIGAN

Fire officials remind U to check fire alarms

As East Lansing falls back to standard time Saturday night, city fire officials remind residents to change smoke detector batteries while setting back clocks. Fire Marshal Bob Pratt said that since most fatal fires occur at night, keeping a fully functional smoke detector is of tremendous importance. “Upwards of 80 percent of fatal fires occur between midnight and 8 (a.m.),” he said.

MICHIGAN

LCC includes same-sex in benefits plan

Lansing - Same-sex partners of Lansing Community College employees are now eligible for health-care benefits after a heated trustee meeting Monday. The health-care benefits were only available to married couples before five of the seven members of the LCC Board of Trustees voted in favor of changing the policy to include same-sex partners. Eligibility requirements now fall into the hands of the college’s three health-care providers, who have all submitted tentative definitions of “domestic partnerships” that include duration of the relationship and combination of assets. The meeting began with a public comment period where individuals voiced their opposing views on the policy. “I’m opposed to the institution extending benefits to partners of homosexuals,” Alaiedon Township resident Trevor Wagenmaker told the group, adding that his reasons were both moral and financial.

MICHIGAN

Posthumus announces plan for college loans

In his pursuit to become the state’s next governor, Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus on Monday unveiled a loan plan aimed at reducing the financial burden of paying for college. The program rewards students who obtain loans through the Michigan Higher Education Student Loan Authority by offering zero interest after 48 months of on-time payments.

MICHIGAN

Online enrollment for LCC courses begins

Online registration for courses at Lansing Community College begins today. Students who want to sign up for spring classes can log on at www.lcc.edu/banner. The site will be active 24 hours a day, seven days a week. About 75 percent of LCC students use the Web registration site because it often expedites the sign-up process. The site allows students to quickly add and drop courses and view open and closed courses. Also beginning today, students may register for classes with the touch-tone telephone registration at (517)483-9310, available seven days a week from 6 a.m.

MICHIGAN

Candidates sound off on issues

In the battle to become Michigan’s attorney general, voters will choose between two young but experienced contenders. Mike Cox, who is running on the Republican ticket, has 13 years of experience as a prosecuting attorney. State Sen.

MICHIGAN

Group takes action for cafe

After passing out hundreds of fliers and organizing a protest, the Wang family says they have finally gotten the attention of their landlord. On Saturday, the owners of Blue Note Coffee Café, 623 E.

MICHIGAN

LCC board to vote on domestic-partner benefits for workers

The Lansing Community College Board of Trustees is expecting to approve domestic-partner benefits for its faculty and staff members today. The benefit package for couples in same-sex relationships is included in contracts set to be voted on for all LCC bargaining units. Current LCC provisions entitle the spouse of a full-time employee to apply for benefits from three different carriers that offer health, dental and vision care.

MICHIGAN

Like butter

Lansing - Brad Fast and two children bundled in coats, hats and gloves slowly pulled a long wooden spoon through a charred kettle of boiling brown butter on Sunday afternoon. The trio revolved around the copper pot, avoiding the white apple-scented smoke emerging from the fire. “That’s it, now stir around the edges,” Fast, a general management senior and defenseman on the MSU hockey team, said to his boiling buddies.