Wednesday, October 2, 2024

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

News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

City briefs

Summer flea market looking for vendors The East Lansing Spring Flea Market is open from noon to 4 p.m., Sunday on the corner of Albert Avenue and Charles Street, east of the Marriott East Lansing University Place, 300 M.A.C.

MICHIGAN

E.L. elementary school may close to help slash budget

East Lansing School Board members expect Spartan Village Elementary School to close this fall.School board member Barbara McMillan said she suspects the school, located at 1460 Middlevale Road, will close due to budget cuts.Children attending the elementary will be displaced to other schools in the district,The administration delivered 72 recommendations last night to the board to help cut the budget by $3.5 million.Already, 108 part- and full-time employees have been laid off from the East Lansing School District.Spartan Village resident and Lansing Community College student Tendisai Mazhangara was at the elementary school Thursday evening to enroll her 4-year-old daughter for kindergarten, but the school was closed.Mazhangara said she heard about a month ago that the school’s closing was likely.“That would be terrible,” she said.But the board has not yet taken official action on the school’s closing, McMillan said.It is expected to pass the budget by June 10.“Monday we have a public forum and we won’t make any decisions,” McMillan said.Enrollment in the school has dropped from 400 students to just 90 resident students within the past few years, school district Superintendent Tom Giblin said.The rest of the school’s population is made up of school-of-choice students.“Spartan Village is a very special school but we are backed in the corner with a lot of issues,” he said.

MICHIGAN

Loss of parking may cause drop in business

Planned road construction on Valley Court in May could damage businesses that depend on the parking.Valley Court will be closed all summer, leaving customers at Crunchy’s without a place to park, said Dave Milligan, the establishment’s owner.“That is where most of our parking is and our (customers) won’t even be able to get to our parking lot,” he said.The construction will take place directly behind the restaurant, 254 W.

MICHIGAN

Bill to seek advisory council for drug study

Concern that Michigan’s kids are overly medicated and conflicting reports of Ritalin as a positive or negative treatment for Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder have caused lawmakers to take a closer look at patterns in Michigan schools.“It was brought to our attention that there has been a dramatic increase in use among children in the past 15 years,” said Dale Hull, spokesman for Rep.

MICHIGAN

DNR to provide refunds

Outdoor sports enthusiasts will be asking the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to fish into their pockets. A $1 fee increase was accidentally charged to 5,000 fishing and turkey license holders. The extra fee has DNR Director K.

MICHIGAN

Retailers anticipate summer sales increase despite trends

Chocolate rabbits may not have been an Easter sellout, but retailers are expecting sales to pick up. Three out of every four Michigan retailers are projecting increased sales for April and June. Retailers are remaining positive, though March profits were not as high as expected, said Larry Meyer, president of the Michigan Retailers Association.

MICHIGAN

U tests river for bacteria

As some students walked heads-down to class Monday, Betty Wernette-Babian was dropping a small glass bottle down the side of the Farm Lane bridge.The MSU sanitarian pulled the yellow line up, complete with a new sample of yellowish Red Cedar River water.“It’s got a muddy appearance but that’s natural for this river,” she said.Wernette-Babian takes samples weekly in three places on the MSU campus - Farm Lane, Hagadorn Road and Kalamazoo Street - which are then sent to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for E.

MICHIGAN

Austin declares secretary of state bid

Lansing - The newest Democratic candidate in the secretary of state race announced his intentions to run Friday. State Board of Education member John Austin announced his intention to run for secretary of state - for the second time.

MICHIGAN

Officials to discuss parking fee increase

East Lansing city officials will debate a possible raise in parking fees tonight.The extra 10 cents per half-hour would pay for the entire parking system budget for the 2002-03 year.City officials say daytime parking numbers have fallen in the city while parking has remained stagnant in the evenings.Another factor are the debts new parking facilities have left the city.The Charles Street Garage totaled $12.5million in construction costs.

MICHIGAN

Small businesses may see sales increase

Small businesses can expect a business boom according to the Small Business Association of Michigan. The report, released last week, cited optimism in owners and a decreasing amount of good help as signs that businesses can expect more sales.“Sounds good to me,” said Ray Walsh, owner of Curious Book Shop, 307 E.

MICHIGAN

Bill to deter student solicitations

Rep. Tony Stamas, R-Midland, would like to see a bill he sponsored concerning the right to deny Freedom of Information Act requests for student information reach the governor’s desk before the Legislature leaves on recess. The bill, which passed out of both chambers but returns to the House for approval of Senate changes, would attempt to decrease the mounds of unwanted solicitation that high school students have to sift through. “Parents and students need protection from that bombardment,” said Sen.

MICHIGAN

Earth Day Fest brings speakers, bands

Earth Day Fest invaded Ann Street Plaza on Sunday to raise environmental consciousness in the East Lansing community. E-day, in its ninth year, was sponsored by the East Lansing PRIDE Team and East Lansing merchants. It raised an awareness of environmental concerns that generally are overlooked, showcased gadgets to improve health and materials on the proper way to recycle. Teri Parks, owner of Bohemian Barber, 223 M.A.C.