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Law expands aid for disasters
Michigan can now receive assistance from other states during an in-state emergency or disaster under legislation signed by Gov.
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Internships could be scarce
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.
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Plan offers money for city cleanups
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.
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Council will consider E.L. development committee
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.
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E.L. school board to hear students concerns about ban
East Lansing High School students will be exercising their right to speak to the school board at 7:30 p.m.
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City briefs
Church to hold MLK service tonightPastor’s United will be holding a birthday observance Tuesday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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Church to hold MLK service tonight
Pastor’s United will be holding a birthday observance Tuesday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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Class teaches lessons with The Simpsons
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.
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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.
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Proposal would double speeding fines in state
Lead-footed drivers beware. A recent proposal that would double fines for speeding in residential areas may give drivers an expensive incentive to slow down. The proposal was introduced last month by state Rep.
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E.L. looks at $695,875 in cuts
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.
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Annual plan decreases natural gas prices
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.
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City briefs
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.
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Senate decisions resume
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.
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GM opens half-billion dollar plant in Lansing
Lansing - Eleven years and a half-billion dollars in investments later, General Motors Corp.
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Police satisfaction down for youth
Results from the 2001 Traffic Encounter Citizen Survey show young people are not as satisfied with police officers during traffic encounters as older citizens.
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Building projects to develop office space in downtowns
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.
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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.
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Laws provide protection against domestic violence
A package of domestic violence bills will protect women in dating relationships.The 24-bill package passed into law last month by Lt.
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Hiring freeze limits student employment
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.