Mad dash for surplus

Dan Dudley hates to admit he's a "salvage rat," but he's lined up with about 25 other people by 7:15 a.m.

WEB EXTRA: Bricks on the block: Spartan statue memorabilia for sale

Some of the MSU Surplus Store's most recent acquisitions are bricks from the base that the original Spartan statue stood on for more than 60 years. The bricks have been available at the store for a week and about seven have already been sold — one of which went for $200, store manager Ruth Daoust said. The statue, which is the largest free-standing ceramic sculpture in the world, was moved inside the new stadium expansion this past summer to protect it from the elements.

1st over-the-counter obesity pill to be considered by FDA

Help may be on the way for the millions of overweight and obese Americans. In an 11-3 vote, a Food and Drug Administration health advisory committee recommended the approval of an over-the-counter weight loss pill. The FDA generally follows the outside panel committee recommendations. The pill, orlistat, would be the only FDA-approved weight loss medication available without a prescription.

Police briefs 01/26/06

Rogers to speak in Williamston on Friday

Congressman Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, will speak in Williamston Friday as part of a series of speeches this week outlining his agenda for the Republican House members. Rogers is outlining his principles as part of his bid to become the new majority whip, the third ranking position in the Republican caucus. The speech will focus on the institutionalization of poverty and his vision to reform the system based on Republican values. Rogers will take questions from the audience after the speech, at 10 a.m.

Law could prevent online stalking

A new law prohibits a person from annoying or harassing someone else online without disclosing their identity. The law, intended to prevent cyberstalking, is causing some to worry it will limit freedom of speech online because of its vague wording and difficulty of enforcement. The law extends an existing telephone harassment law and is part of the Violence Against Women Act.

Lansing goes to the Super Bowl

The chaos and celebrations accompanying Super Bowl XL in Detroit are attracting Lansing cab and limousine companies to the heart of the action. The game is Feb.

Committee preps for tournament

By the time March Madness comes, students and community members will know exactly what to do and expect if a disturbance occurs — if all goes according to the Celebrations Committee's plan. About 30 university, city, student and community leaders met Wednesday as the newly revamped Celebrations Committee to discuss how they could implement recommendations made by an independent commission that reviewed the April 2-3 disturbances.

Folk club's focus evolves

No longer does the MSU Faculty Folk Club focus on dinner dances and teas. More than 80 years after its inception, the club's activities include touring nuclear reactors and Spartan Stadium. The Faculty Folk Club has evolved from its days of solely social events to include education, scholarships, charity and volunteerism as major aspects of the organization. The roughly 260 members of the club are mostly spouses of MSU faculty and administrators, although faculty and administrators themselves are welcome to join.

Word on the street

Do you think drinking games create a noise problem in East Lansing? "What accompanies drinking games is loud music.

Looking to the top of the state

By Caitlin Scuderi Special for The State News Being from a small town hasn't stopped Ian Mattoon from setting big goals. From high school debate to joining MSU College Republicans, Mattoon keeps setting his political goals higher.

Innovations: Working wheezes

Name: Dr. Ken Rosenman, adjunct professor Department: Medicine Type of research: Occupational lung disease, including work-related asthma, scarring in the lungs and connective tissue diseases. Date of research: Rosenman started his research in 1988, and his projects have been ongoing since that time. Basics of the project: "We're looking at the causes of lung disease and how exposures at work might contribute to it," Rosenman said. He has about seven projects underway, looking at different causes of occupational lung disease. Asthma — one of the aspects of Rosenman's research — is one of the more common work-related diseases, and about 15 percent of people with asthma develop it from their work environment, he said. People can develop asthma in the workplace by interacting with a certain animal or product on a daily basis, depending on their occupation, Rosenman said.

Police briefs 01/25/06

Delegation visits Lansing

By Trey Scroggin Special for The State News Emerging out of the former Soviet Union, Moldova, a small country located northeast of Romania, has had a rough time as a republic.

Silver, gold meal plans begin in fall

When students sign up beginning this week to live on campus next fall, they will have two new meal plan options from which to choose.

Agriculture college to offer specializations

Two specializations will be added in fall 2006 for majors within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, after being approved by Academic Council on Tuesday. A natural resource recreation specialization was created through the department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies. Agronomy, or the science of soil management and crop production, will be offered by the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. It will take 17-20 credits to specialize in natural resource recreation and 15-18 for agronomy. The specializations will create better job opportunities for graduates of the college, committee Chairman Michael Schechter said.

E.L. man to seek court re-election

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Michael Cavanagh of East Lansing announced Tuesday that he's running for a fourth term in 2007. Cavanagh, 65, has been on the court since 1983 and is the longest-serving justice currently on the court. "I still have the energy," Cavanagh said, adding that he's a "young 65." This is the last time he will be able to run for re-election because people cannot seek a judicial position past the age of 70.

MSU prof returns to India for quail project

By Erin Atkinson Special for The State News MSU professor Sam Varghese will return to South India on Friday to study the effects of his educational work with tsunami victims. Varghese, an animal science professor, has been aiding tsunami victims since learning his hometown of Kerala, South India, was affected by the 2004 storm.

Coalition works to gain school funds

A proposal which would guarantee yearly funding increases equal to inflation for all public schools, including community colleges and Michigan's public universities, has received significant support from voters across the state. The K-16 Coalition for Michigan's Future has collected about 300,000 signatures supporting its proposal, according to the group's spokesman Ken MacGregor. The number of signatures required for a proposal to appear on the November ballot as a ballot initiative is 254,206.

Disabilities focus of IM project

Laura Hall looked around the myriad of athletic equipment in motion at IM Sports-West's fitness center Saturday afternoon. The second-year social work graduate student, who uses a wheelchair, had never exercised using the center's facilities before. "I never thought they were accessible," she said.