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MSU

Students create work opportunities

When MSU alumnus Dan Redford first arrived on campus, his mind was made up: He was going to become a lawyer and get involved in politics. He soon joined a pre-law fraternity, eventually becoming its president, and even interned in the Michigan State Senate. But he soon discovered that law and politics might not be for him.

MICHIGAN

State to regulate wild pig population

One day, in the spring of 2004, Saginaw County, Mich., farmer Dallas Sutliff went to work and found 24 acres of his corn had been damaged — decimated by wild pigs. With property adjacent to a hunting facility that housed wild boars, Sutliff soon realized about 50 pigs escaped from the nearby facility and were responsible for the several thousands of dollars worth of damage to his crops.

MSU

Alumni create Michigan river news site

Despite being an admittedly poor fly-fisher, Andrew McGlashen still needed a fishing buddy, so he asked Jeff Brooks Gillies if he’d be interested in joining him. After driving home from a weekend fishing trip, the two came up with the idea for a website devoted exclusively to Michigan’s rivers. McGlashen and Gillies originally met as students in MSU’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, and they used the tools they learned there to launch michiganrivernews.com. The uniqueness of the concept is what McGlashen thinks makes Michigan River News stand out. “We’re the only ones writing just about Michigan rivers, which is a narrow focus, but we think it’s the right focus,” he said.

MICHIGAN

East Lansing businesses selected for grants

Residents of East Lansing showed how much they love their local businesses last month when they voted in Intuit’s Love a Local Business competition — enough times to earn the city $26,000 in cash grants. Intuit, a software company that aims to solve financial management problems of small- and mid-sized businesses, created the Love a Local Business competition to help support small businesses throughout the country. “Any way we can help the small businesses grow a little bit or get back on their feet is a win for us,” Monica Appelbe, Intuit’s public relations manager, said East Lansing was one of two cities in the country selected as competition winners in June. ”It’s great news,” Lori Mullins, East Lansing community and economic development administrator, said.

MICHIGAN

Local flash mob prepares to perform at music festival

Flash mobbing is an online sensation that has hit center stage in locations across the world over the past couple of years, and a local organization is preparing to make Lansing the next location to follow the trend. A flash mob organized by Meridian Entertainment Group will perform spontaneously at the annual Common Ground Music Festival in Lansing this week.

MSU

School of rock

Rock Camp, a week-long summer program for students ages 12-19, began Monday and will conclude with a performance at the Common Ground Music Festival in Lansing on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

Dena Elian ·
MICHIGAN

Celebrating with a Slurpee

In honor of the company’s 84th anniversary Monday, some customers who entered 7-Eleven, 918 E. Grand River Ave., greeted employees with, “Happy Birthday 7-Eleven.” Every year, 7-Eleven stores give out free Slurpees on July 11, and the public response did not come up short at the East Lansing location with a line that extended into the parking lot.

MICHIGAN

Deficit reduction might call for sacrifices

Whether the federal government is forced to default or a deficit-reducing plan allows for the raising of the nation’s debt ceiling, citizens ­— from students to the retired — could be forced to make sacrifices because of the federal government’s financial woes.

MSU

Study abroad continues to operate

University officials said today MSU’s study abroad program in Japan continues to operate smoothly despite a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit off the country’s northeast shore last week.

MICHIGAN

Former MSU instructor held hostage

For about four hours, former MSU instructor Steve Helderman was held hostage Thursday by a Grand Rapids man who shot and killed seven people the same day. The whole time, Rodrick Dantzler never took his finger off the .40-caliber handgun he used to kill his wife, child and eventually himself, Helderman’s brother Tom Helderman said.

FOOTBALL

Devoted Spartan remembered by friends, family

To those who knew him, no one was as devoted to MSU as William Faunce. Simply called Bill by his friends and family, the former MSU sociology professor and chairperson had a connection with the school from a young age, something he carried with him until his death from liver cancer July 3 at the age of 83.

MSU

Asian carp pose threat to Great Lakes

A study led by an MSU professor asserts that Asian carp could pose serious damage to the Great Lakes ecosystem if they spread across the region’s waterways. University distinguished professor in fisheries and wildlife Bill Taylor’s research indicates the voracious species of fish could threaten existing fish populations in the state’s lakes and harm water systems and various commercial and recreational fisheries. “You know it’s big when academics and the management community say we don’t need five more years of study,” Taylor said in a statement. Taylor worked with three other researchers from institutions across the country to study the effects of potential Asian carp proliferation, examining key assertions from policymakers along the way. Taylor and his research team disputed claims by policymakers who say electrical barriers are an effective means of preventing the fish from entering lake waters, among other things. The most notable of those electrical barriers operates in rivers near Chicago.

MICHIGAN

Food cart provides fast food alternative

Last week, Brennan Woods had a meal unlike anything he ever has had before — hand-squeezed sage lemonade, a burger made with tall grass beef, caramelized red onions, balsamic vinegar, organic greens, fontina cheese on foccacia bread — and he got it from a trailer. Woods, an MSU alumnus, first heard about Trailer Park’d “Slow” Fast Food, a nomadic local food trailer based in Lansing, from friends and was encouraged to try it. “It was pretty packed when I went there — there was a long line,” he said.

MSU

Colleagues remember late professor

Dave Closs still remembers when he first met Don Bowersox. Closs was an MSU undergraduate student when he started working with Bowersox on computer simulation games for conferences decades ago. Closs and many others in the academic community were struck by the death of the 79-year-old Bowersox at his Traverse City, Mich., summer home on Monday.

MICHIGAN

(SCENE) Metrospace to open social media exhibit

On Friday, an exhibit chronicling the effects of social networking in today’s society will begin its run at (SCENE) Metrospace, 110 Charles St. The exhibition, titled “Unfriended,” will be open through August 21 and features ten artists from both local and national scenes.

MSU

MSU Extension, southeast Michigan airports pursue clean fuels

MSU Extension is partnering with the Wayne County Airport Authority, or WCAA, to grow bioenergy crops to promote alternative fuels in aviation. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Willow Run Airport have begun growing, harvesting and processing biofuels to explore greener options for aviation fuel.