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News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

Hockey player to receive congressional award

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers will honor MSU hockey player Ryan Miller with an award of congressional recognition today at MacDonald Middle School, 1601 Burcham Drive.The junior goaltender will accept the prize in front of eighth-graders, including his younger brother, Bryce Miller.“We’re both pretty excited,” Miller said.

MICHIGAN

Jaye begins life after expulsion

Former state Sen. David Jaye isn’t letting being unemployed get him down.“I am trying to get my life back together by doing things for my family,” the Washington Township Republican said.Jaye was expelled from the Senate on Thursday by his colleagues, who voted 33-2 to oust him.

MICHIGAN

Local zoo houses rare oryx

Two-year-old Gabby Kindig smiled when her mother, Barb Kindig, told her they were looking at a baby scimitar-horned oryx. “A baby,” Gabby Kindig said. The scimitar-horned oryx are a new exhibit at Potter Park Zoo, 1301 S.

MICHIGAN

Drivers beware: Officers in blue out to ticket U

With the holiday driving season in full tilt, police officers all over Michigan and the United States are gearing up for a strict implementation of the “Click it or Ticket” campaign.“My advice would be if you see a police officer, make sure you’re wearing your seat belt,” Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth said.

MICHIGAN

Budget Plan eases energy costs

Winter energy bills might not be such a shock with a budget plan.Consumers Energy introduced its Budget Plan this month for customers who didn’t like seeing high heating bills in the winter.The plan would take a customer’s annual energy cost and divide it into 12 equal payments.“The benefit for the customer is instead of seeing very high bills in the winter, it spreads it out over the warmer months so they don’t have any surprises,” said Jeff Holyfield, Consumers Energy spokesman.The typical customer will see a monthly budget of about $80, which Holyfield said is based on past energy usage and gas prices.Last year, 22 percent of Consumers Energy’s natural gas customers were on the Budget Plan and more are expected to enroll this year.“Nobody likes surprises with their budgets, and most students have to keep houses year-round,” Holyfield said.

MICHIGAN

Aquatic Center comes to E.L.

Residents still have time to shop for new bathing suits for East Lansing’s Aquatic Center after cooler-than-usual weather pushed back its grand opening. The center, 6400 Abbott Road, was approved by residents in November 1998 as part of a $3.5 million bond. The park was supposed to open Saturday, but weather is expected to be in the 60s with scattered showers, and chemical balancing of the pools still needs to be completed. The new opening is scheduled for 5 p.m.

MICHIGAN

Family dedicates garden

The life and passions of Barbara Hoopingarner will be seen by churchgoers every Sunday as they walk into the services.The Hoopingarner family dedicated a memorial garden at the University Lutheran Church, 1020 S.

MICHIGAN

Lansing officials oppose new gas line

LANSING - David Murray said Lansing needs a gasoline pipeline, but not at the risk to the environment and residents. And Lansing City Council members agreed the risk was too great, as they urged Lansing Mayor David Hollister to do anything possible to stop Wolverine Pipeline Co. from building a gas line through Lansing. “I think the first thing we need to do is take care of the environment,” said Murray, a Delta Township resident.

MICHIGAN

Workshops discuss status of hate crimes

The Michigan Alliance Against Hate Crimes convened Wednesday in Lansing for a conference discussing victim support training and the psychological impact of hate crimes. The conference featured a series of workshops and discussions highlighting the state of progress of combating hate crimes in Michigan. Saul A.

MICHIGAN

Council completes budget

After a month of discussion, the East Lansing City Council has finalized a budget that all members can agree on.Gary Murphy, the city’s finance director, said the biggest cut the council made was reducing major maintenance for remodeling in city hall - council members cut the $150,000 in half.The $75,000 from the remodeling was used for two purposes: $15,000 will be used to make a wetlands inventory for the Commission on the Environment and $60,000 will be used for a new police officer.“We did some creative financing,” Councilmember Beverly Baten said.

MICHIGAN

Lansing locals seek ward position

Three Lansing residents filed by the Tuesday deadline to run for the Fourth Ward council seat, replacing Kris Nicholoff.And they all had the last name of Smith.The Fourth Ward has jurisdiction on the northwest side of Lansing and all of the downtown area.Geneva Smith, who is also the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Lansing chapter, said she was asked by a “prominent group of residents” to run for the seat.

MICHIGAN

Artists to honor life of Malcolm X

LANSING - Jothan Callins and Lorenzo Pace grew up together in segregated Birmingham, Ala., and now they are spending the week educating Lansing community members about the life and legacy of Malcolm X. Callins, a jazz composer, and Pace, an artist, sculptor and author, are in Lansing as part of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz Public School Academy’s weeklong celebration of Malcolm X’s birthday. Malcolm X, whose Muslim name is El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was a civil rights activist who was assassinated Feb.

MICHIGAN

Eight to run for E.L. City Council

Eight people filed petitions for East Lansing City Council elections by the 4 p.m. deadline Tuesday, but Mayor Pro Tem Beth Schwarze was not one of them.Schwarze has been on the council since 1997 and was elected mayor pro tem in 1999.

MICHIGAN

FBI investigates possible robbery link

Though local authorities say it’s too early to draw a connection between a recent bank robbery and a previous one at the same location, an FBI agent stationed in Lansing believes the East Lansing bank that was robbed Thursday could possibly be connected to a November robbery. The Thursday incident marked the third time in six months the Michigan National Bank, 1390 W.