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Fraternity fights to regain house
The Sigma Chi house stands empty and broken windows dot the building.The house at 729 E. Grand River Ave.
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Man-made damage to environment plays role in tree disease
Ash trees in the Midwest and Northeast are in danger of dying from unknown causes.Frank Sapio, forest health program manager of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, said a disease affecting the species is widespread throughout southern Michigan.“It is worse in urban environments,” he said.Sapio said a combination of other outside factors has been playing a role in some instances.“That doesn’t explain what is going on in the woods,” he said.The decline of the trees could be attributed to a disease known as ash yellow.“It is a very elusive agent, we don’t know what is exactly going on,” Sapio said.
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Housing remains stable despite Shaw Hall closing
Despite the closing of Shaw Hall this year, finding housing has not put anyone out in the cold.The number of students living on campus has not changed, said Angela Brown, director of University Housing.“Our house count has been consistent over the past years,” she said.Brown said the decision to close Shaw Hall was planned ahead of time so as not to leave students uncomfortable or homeless.She said the number of over-assigned halls is less than 20 and there are plans accommodate the students in them as soon as possible.“This is very similar to the work done in (Mason and Abbott halls) when they were closed a few years ago,” she said.But landlord Fred Bauries said he still had trouble finding students to rent to for the fall.“We found we had more difficulty this year than any year I can remember,” he said.Bauries said while he found leasers for all three of his homes, he blames the lack of interest on the recent economic slowdown and the construction of new apartments.“I think the appeal up there is the new construction, and (Capstone Commons) is something I would consider a 21st century dorm,” he said.Bauries said the developers have looked at the current market and have found success in the form of profits.But while more students might be living in apartments, Annette Irwin, operations administrator for the Code Enforcement and Neighborhood Conservation Department of East Lansing, said students are still leasing homes in the city.“That is the question that some of us are wondering, are they willing to give up the proximity to campus for items that are catering right to their needs such as Internet access and the clubhouse environment,” she said.Other types of incentives such as lawn care and parking might also be playing a factor in a student’s decision to live off campus, she said.But Irwin said this is not a problem for renters.“I suspect there will always be a part of the student body that wants to live in a home,” she said.Terri Clifton, vice president of property management for Crossing Place Student Apartments, 3636 E.
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Welcome Week celebrations quieter police say
East Lansing is seeing a downturn in partying.MSU and East Lansing police said Welcome Week celebrations and parties have become increasingly quieter, with fewer arrests and fewer problems.“It was extremely noticeable,” said MSU Sgt.
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Student senate offers textbook exchange
Students looking for a deal might find a book exchange has a very affordable price. The books are free. The James Madison College Student Senate has a book exchange at the beginning of every semester.
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Wireless store coming to E.L.
Students might be expressing themselves with a new cellular phone store in East Lansing.Cellular Express, 109 E.
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Pre-Recruitment sessions shed light on greek system
Students curious about greek life and its opportunities may want to attend information sessions to be held across campus today and Wednesday.The sessions will be held in various residence halls and at the Union and will focus on the Recruitment process later this month, and any questions students may have about the greek system.“The Interfraternity and Panhellenic Council executive boards will be presenting at these information sessions,” said Interfraternity Council President Josh Tudor.
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Maze carved from maize open for fall
“Welcome: Get Lost.” That sign greeted visitors to a 15-acre cornfield maze in Webberville Friday night. In fact, getting lost seemed the primary point of entering the maze at 3770 Noble Road.
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Skate park construction underway
Lansing - After enduring a three-year struggle to bring skating to Lansing’s Ranney Park, construction on the city’s 20,382-square foot skate park begins today. But the fight to bring a world class skating facility to the community will continue for at least another three months, said Pete Bosheff, president of the Lansing Area Skate, Bike and Recreation Foundation. The $713,000 project is still in need of about $100,000, which led Bosheff and other area skaters to launch a three-month fund-raising blitz, “Project Skate: Help Us Build It.” “Just because we have an account to cover the costs doesn’t mean we don’t have to pay it back,” Bosheff said.
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Online bookstores give U more back to school options
Students can’t walk to a bookstore in their underwear, but they can certainly surf there.Online bookstores have become an alternative way for students to shop for books.
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U aids in research for online resource
Students of all ages will benefit from the creation of “Michigana,” a proposed online encyclopedia of Michigan history and culture. The Michigan Humanities Council announced Monday that Dr. Nancy Nelson Knupfer was hired as the project planning director for the encyclopedia, which will be launched in about a year. A $50,000 grant was awarded to the council for the project from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Officers hope to better serve student groups
East Lansing Sgt. Nancy Hamilton spent eight of her 11 years with the East Lansing Police Department working with the canine patrol. Now she’s handling a completely different kind of animal - students. On top of her regular road-patrol duties, Hamilton will serve as the student alliance coordinator, a position created to improve relations between MSU students and police. “This is to try to get students familiar with officers,” Hamilton said.
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Plaza stores closed to make way for supermarket
The lanes will be replaced with isles of canned peas, and the shoes will disappear for magazines racks.Pro Bowl East, 2757 E.
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Airport may consider changing emergency plans
Representatives from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport agreed Tuesday to consider changes to its plan for handling families of plane crash victims.Directors from the National Transportation Safety Board and the airport testified in front of the state House’s Airport Review Subcommittee to discuss the emergency contacting practices.
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New deli hopes to feed profits by filling late-night cravings
Big plans are in store for a new eatery in East Lansing.The Big Ten Delicatessen, 101 E. Grand River Ave., is opening on the corner of Abbott Road and Grand River Ave.
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Click it or Ticket this Labor Day weekend
MSU police are planning to buckle down on drivers who don’t buckle up. Just in time for Labor Day travel, the Department of Police and Public Safety is participating in the statewide Click it or Ticket campaign, putting more emphasis on safety belt wearing. “We do it all the time, but we’ll be giving it special attention,” said MSU police Sgt.
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Bacteria could have tainted beef in many U freezers
The recall of more than 530,000 pounds of possible E. coli-tainted beef by the American Foods Group on Monday may worry some Lansing residents, but there are many precautions they can take to ensure infected meat is not eaten.The recalled beef, which was found to have E.
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Summer wanes for E.L. outdoor swimming facility
The lazy days of summer may have passed but a few days still remain for that last summer belly flop and soak in the sun.
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Election reform to be Byrums primary focus
This is the last in a three part series about the Michigan House and Senate reconvening. State Sen.
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Bill Knapps decides to downsize company
Bill Knapp’s Restaurants might be closing a location back home. Eleven Bill Knapp’s restaurants in Michigan and five in Ohio have closed because of a lack of customers. “Like any other restaurant, they looked at each location to see what the market is,” said Nick Thole, a spokesman for Bill Knapp’s Restaurants. Thole said in the majority of the cases, the company felt it would be good to pull back and let business matriculate to the others. Local Bill Knapp’s locations in Lansing, Okemos and Delta Township, however, are still safe, he said. “Right now I would say those restaurants are very strong for the company,” he said. Whether other locations will also close is still unknown. “I don’t know the future plans for the company, it is just an ongoing thing and they make the determinations on whether this is the right move,” Thole said.