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News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

City briefs

Lisa Satayut
January 14, 2002

Church to hold MLK service tonightPastor’s United will be holding a birthday observance Tuesday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

MICHIGAN

Class teaches lessons with The Simpsons

Erica Berg
January 11, 2002

The day is here when students can learn about religion through the animated eyes of Bart, Lisa, Marge and Homer from television’s award-winning cartoon, “The Simpsons.”The two-credit course, “Animated Philosophy and Religion,” offered this winter at Siena Heights University in Adrian, relates philosophical and religious aspects to themes and ethics explored in “The Simpsons.”“We know a lot about the show, which makes it easier to relate themes and ethics to the characters,” said Kimberly Blessing, assistant professor of religious studies.“For example, during one episode, Lisa is thinking about converting to Buddhism.

MICHIGAN

Secretary of State tries to shorten office lines with updated system

Students and residents may find the wait a little more bearable at the Secretary of State office with new technology. The Department of State began installing a $7.4 million computer system in branch offices Thursday. All branch offices should have the new windows-based technology installed by May. The offices were originally on a computer system that, in some branches, dated back to 1984, said Elizabeth Boyd, spokeswoman for the Secretary of State. “The technology we’d been using wasn’t even supported by the manufacturer anymore,” she said of the old disk operating system.

MICHIGAN

E.L. looks at $695,875 in cuts

Shaun Byron
January 11, 2002

East Lansing will be voting Tuesday to make cuts in the budget. These cuts may stop the East Lansing Planning Commission meetings from being aired on cable television until the next fiscal year. The city is making a total of $695,875 in cuts, which may eliminate overtime for the police department and delay plans for city sidewalks. The cuts were made because statewide sales revenue, which is given to communities in the state, is down, said City Manager Ted Staton. Staton said he thinks every item on the list will get cut.

MICHIGAN

Annual plan decreases natural gas prices

Aaron Johnson
January 11, 2002

Consumers Energy recently filed its annual plan with the Michigan Public Service Commission to predict natural gas prices for the upcoming billing year. The plan would fix the upper limit of natural gas at 35 cents per 100 cubic feet, a decrease from the 46.9 cents per 100 cubic feet rate ceiling for the current budget year. The proposed drop comes as a surprise to customers, who recently saw rates increase for the month of January, said Amanda D’Angelo, a international relations senior. “Yeah, it’s high,” she said.

MICHIGAN

City briefs

Lisa Satayut  and  Kendra Snyder
January 11, 2002

Student ‘perfect’ on admission exam After grading 391,000 ACT college admission exams from high school students around the county, 12 students in the nation discovered they can claim perfection.

MICHIGAN

Senate decisions resume

Lindsay Frederickson
January 10, 2002

Lansing - After a long winter recess, both houses of the legislature met Wednesday. Senators clustered around desks, chatted on phones and moseyed around the Senate chambers in a session meeting that lasted about 30 minutes.

MICHIGAN

Building projects to develop office space in downtowns

Shaun Byron
January 9, 2002

City officials hope East Lansing and Lansing will be taking care of some business. Both cities have been working to develop office space. East Lansing’s City Center project is nearing completion and Lansing has just laid the ground work for a new 12-story office complex in its downtown area. The Lansing complex development, slated for 2004, is being developed by the Boji Group of Lansing.

MICHIGAN

E.L. eateries excel in city health inspections

East Lansing is filled with individuals trying to make the grade - and the city’s bars and restaurants are no exception. Several East Lansing businesses and restaurants were found to be in “outstanding condition” during liquor license inspections this year. Inspectors found 11 of the 24 establishments to be exceptionally clean and safe, with careful attention to maintenance and cleanliness of buildings and equipment, said Howard Asch East Lansing code enforcement and neighborhood conservation director. “In some of these establishments, the inspectors found absolutely nothing wrong,” Asch stated.

MICHIGAN

Hiring freeze limits student employment

Aaron Johnson
January 8, 2002

As natural science majors across the university prepare to gain valuable field experience over the summer, many will find one of the more visible sources closed as the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Quality are under a hiring freeze. The hiring freeze affects all paid positions, including many summer assistant positions or internships, which can be vitally important to the agency, said Kelli Sobel, administrative services deputy for the DNR. “In a lot of our divisions (student assistants) are very, very important,” she said.

MICHIGAN

Court delays plan to limit medications

Shaun Byron
January 8, 2002

Mental health advocates and drug companies won a decision in Ingham Circuit Court Monday to push back a plan set forth by the Michigan Department of Community Health. Under the plan, a list of particular medications created by state doctors and pharmacists will not be available to low-income patients unless they show evidence they need the drug. Geralyn Lasher, spokesperson for the department, said they will appeal the decision. “If we are not able to move forward with the plan we feel there will be irreparable harm,” Lasher said.