Monday, April 6, 2026

Take a peek behind the curtain and test drive the NEW StateNews.com today!

News | Michigan

MICHIGAN

Greeks have fun preparing kids for Halloween

Students from Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity volunteered Tuesday to carve pumpkins with local elementary school students.The event at Red Cedar Elementary School, 1110 Narcissus St., was one of several activities local greek chapters plan to do with area children.“It’s important to go out in the community and spend time with kids,” said Genevieve Webb, philanthropy chair for Kappa Alpha Theta.

MICHIGAN

States to stiffen DUI penalties

President Bill Clinton signed a bill Monday to set tougher standards for drunken driving. The new law requires states to impose a .08 percent blood alcohol content standard as the legal level for drunken driving by the year 2004.

MICHIGAN

Forum to discuss MIP, drunken driving laws

LANSING - The Lansing City Council will hold public hearings on proposed changes to its drunken driving and minor in possession ordinances Monday. The changes would increase penalties for each of the offenses, bringing them in line with new state laws. “Basically, we’re doing this because the state law, which has been changed within the last year or so, made some changes to the penalties,” said Councilmember Joan Bauer, chairwoman of the Public Safety Committee.

MICHIGAN

E.L. events coordinator to start U alumni job

After six years working for the city of East Lansing, the coordinator of the National Folk Festival will be starting her new job for the MSU Alumni Association today.Sharon Radtke’s duties will be similar to her previous job as East Lansing’s community events coordinator, but on a much larger scale.

MICHIGAN

Skatefest raises funds for local skate parks

LANSING - Skateboarders, in-line skaters, heavy metal bands and community members gathered Saturday and Sunday to help raise money for a Lansing area skate park.The event, Skatefest 2000, was held in a city parking lot on the corners of Kalamazoo and Cedar streets in Lansing.All the money was raised through the sale of food, T-shirts and other merchandise at the event.

MICHIGAN

School vouchers lack voter support

Dave Houston is looking forward to voting no on Proposal 1.Houston, a father of two children in the East Lansing School District, said the Michigan voucher proposal is too radical to pass, and he believes it will inevitably take money away from public school districts and hurt education in Michigan.“The proponents’ ads have been misleading,” Houston said.

MICHIGAN

EPA awards Lansing grant to redevelop polluted areas

Lansing’s Brownfield Redevelopment Authority received a $200,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to identify contaminated properties in the city.The money will help the agency find contaminated sites within the city that can be developed with some environmental improvements, said Tracy Carney-Miller, a development specialist with the Economic Development Corporation.

MICHIGAN

Couple awarded for aid to international studies

The East Lansing City Council discussed more than just plans for the city Tuesday, presenting the Citizens of the Year Award to Paul and Linda Roberts.The East Lansing couple was recommended as worthy recipients of the award by Stanley Wronski, president of the Greater Lansing United Nations Association.The award is given to the person or people every year who have contributed an outstanding accomplishment toward world peace and freedom.The Roberts have been avidly involved in international studies programs for MSU as well as cultural understanding and communication skills with other countries.Paul Roberts, who serves as the associate dean for international programs in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, has been with MSU and the MSU study abroad program since 1979.“Even though I am really honored to be presented with this award, I think there are many others who have done just as much if not more for the international program than I have,” Roberts said.Study abroad opportunities have expanded from one to more than 30 programs in the last 10 years since Paul Roberts started working in the program.

MICHIGAN

Debate skims affirmative action issue

As far as disagreements between presidential candidates go, students feel the discussion about affirmative action during Tuesday night’s presidential debate could have been louder and longer.Instead, it showed a difference in the candidates’ views without answering many questions.Republican Texas Gov.

MICHIGAN

Police arrest 5 U-M vandals

Several University of Michigan students were arrested early Thursday morning for trespassing on campus and defacing property with trademark blue block M’s.An MSU greencoat security member on watch-duty at Sparty on Wednesday night noticed a blue block M painted on the side of Spartan Stadium as well as five suspicious-looking males walking through campus, and reported it to the police desk, MSU police Detective Tony Willis said.At about 4 a.m.

MICHIGAN

U hosts environmental conference

The Society of Environmental Journalists hold their 10th annual conference in East Lansing this weekend, offering speakers and live tours of environmental landscapes and centers around the state. The conference, hosted by MSU, begins today at 7 a.m.

MICHIGAN

Police crack down on campus traffic violations

Crossing the street on campus may be getting a little safer.In response to concerns of students and other MSU community members about crosswalk and bicycle traffic safety, the MSU police department has stepped up enforcement on campus.“If the community is saying they’re concerned for their safety and that we need more enforcement at the crosswalks and intersections, we’re going to do that,” said MSU police Sgt.

MICHIGAN

Prices drop to clear out E. L. store

Jacobson’s department store is holding a storewide liquidation sale where everything must go. One week ago the new Jacobson’s opened in the Meridian Mall in Okemos, leaving behind a large surplus of office equipment and store fixtures at the old location, 333 E.