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News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

International wildlife refuge to be built

Aaron Johnson
January 17, 2002

Wildlife now has a safe haven between Windsor, Canada and Detroit.The United States reached an agreement with Canada to develop the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.The 5,000-acre refuge, located on the lower Detroit River, represents the first international refuge in North America, though several exist in Europe.Even though the United States and Canada maintain friendly relations, the refuge took a long time to develop and came about as the result of a common goal, said Scott Flaherty, spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Service.“Everyone was looking for ways to conserve and protect and keep the conservation values in the lower Detroit River in order,” he said.

MICHIGAN

State faces slowing economy

Lindsay Frederickson
January 16, 2002

Lansing - Economists presented a gloomy economic forecast for Michigan legislators Tuesday, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.“A slower economy and fewer jobs means less revenue,” said MSU economics Professor Charles Ballard.

MICHIGAN

Jacobson Stores, Inc. files for bankruptcy

Aaron Johnson
January 16, 2002

Jennifer Cousineau, a psychology sophomore, hasn’t lived in East Lansing long but already has established a firm relationship with Jacobson Stores, Inc.“I like it because it has a lot of designer brands that are hard to find,” the California native said.

MICHIGAN

Reaction to shortened public comment mixed

Lisa Satayut
January 16, 2002

When city council members abandoned a proposal Monday night that would have ended the broadcast of some public comments and voted on a new proposal, some citizens had mixed reactions.The council voted 6-2 to shorten the amount of time the public has to speak, hoping to end what some council members call “theatrics.”Community activist John Pollard said he is not happy the public is losing three minutes.

MICHIGAN

Internships could be scarce

Aaron Johnson
January 15, 2002

After experiencing one internship at Ford Motor Co., a second internship may be far from guaranteed for Bryce Roebke.“It’ll probably be much tougher to get one,” the mechanical engineering freshman said.

MICHIGAN

E.L. council vote could change U voting precincts

Shaun Byron
January 15, 2002

The East Lansing City Council will vote Tuesday on a change to the city’s voting precincts.The precincts needed to be changed once the 2000 federal census had been completed to reflect population changes in the city detected by the election commission.“Everyone in East Lansing will have a new precinct number,” East Lansing City Clerk Sharon Reid said.The city was forced to combine different precincts after the census because of population shifts and requirements made for boundaries to be real, or along actual streets and roads within the city.Along with the new precinct numbers, four locations would be added to the list of voting locations for this year.An attempt was made to keep the original locations, but areas like the Union and Case Hall would be removed.If the revision passes, the locations on campus will be Owen Graduate Hall, Akers Hall and Wilson Hall.

MICHIGAN

Stores battle books stolen for profit

Shannon Murphy
January 15, 2002

Derek Rodriguez spends some of his time at local textbook stores.But the East Lansing police officer isn’t buying books, he is catching people selling stolen textbooks.“Generally people are trying to sell back stolen books and say they are selling it for a friend,” he said.

MICHIGAN

Plan offers money for city cleanups

Aaron Johnson
January 14, 2002

Just a decade ago, the store fronts at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Larch Street would have deterred most families from stopping and spending an afternoon in the area.“It was literally adult entertainment,” said Darla Bowen, director of marketing for the Lansing Lugnuts.But the site, formerly polluted by leaking storage tanks and visual eyesores, now houses Oldsmobile Park, 505 E.

MICHIGAN

Council will consider E.L. development committee

Shaun Byron
January 14, 2002

East Lansing City Council will vote on a proposal to form a committee for the City Center II project Tuesday.If passed, the City Center II Project Development Committee will coordinate the project’s development and inform the East Lansing Downtown Development Authority and the Planning Commission of any progress.City officials say there are interested developers and businesses for the project, but have not made any official commitments.Councilmember Vic Loomis developed the proposal and will serve as liaison to the planning commission for the committee.He said both city center projects involve the public and private sector and the committee was developed with that in mind.“It will define the nature of the project, how large it will be, what will it entail and how to go about attaining the retail,” Loomis said.Loomis said if the council ratifies the proposal Tuesday, then the committee will meet on Wednesday or Thursday.“I think it is going to be ratified Tuesday night, at least at our work session, everyone was comfortable with it,” he said.Mayor Mark Meadows will serve as liaison to the East Lansing Downtown Development Authority for the committee.

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

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

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

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.