In an attempt to maintain their coolness factor, or become a "Cool City," local Michigan officials gathered Thursday at the Lansing Center for a community development workshop. The seminar, "Tipping to Cool: Next Steps in Linking Culture, Community and the Economy" is a continuation of the "Cool Cities" initiative began by Gov.
In the face of large money contracts from soda companies for exclusive "pouring rights" on campus, MSU continues to provide both Pepsi and Coca-Cola to students. More than half of all Big Ten universities have exclusive contracts with either PepsiCo, Inc. or the Coca-Cola Company, with some contracts totaling more than $20 million. But MSU will continue to provide soda from multiple companies, said Marta Mittermaier, manager for MSU Food Stores and the official in charge of beverage contracts. "This gives us more opportunities to meet our customers' needs," she said.
The Food and Drug Administration is considering a patch that increases female sexual desire and pleasure, but it's too early to tell who will benefit, said Elaine Plummer, spokesperson for manufacturer Procter & Gamble. "We hear from women loud and clear that there is this medical need and we are committed to answering that need," Plummer said.
Nell goes nuts when she's kept indoors. But when the 7-year-old border collie spied a pen of four nervous sheep in the Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education arena, she got down to work. Owner George Good swept an arc in the air with his arms, and with a "whooshing" whistle, Nell shot into the pen.
ASMSU's Web site has been inoperable for the past two weeks because its Web designer is awaiting information from ASMSU's staff, Student Assembly Chairperson Andrew Schepers said. He added that the Web designer has given a personal commitment to the Web site so it will be working by the first of the year. "It's awful that we don't have a Web site," Schepers said. The Web site has been awaiting improvement since October, when the Student Assembly passed money for a new Internet server. The Web site would contain information about representatives, passed bills and general activity of the student government.
As she prepares to hand out free blue books at Berkey Hall on Thursday afternoon, Michelle Beaujean, a psychology junior, watches another student go by.
The portion of Coolidge Road north of Grand River Avenue, which has been closed to southbound traffic in previous years, opened as a two-way road on Tuesday. Traffic can now turn off Saginaw Street onto Coolidge Road to travel south to Grand River Avenue.
Michigan hunters will have an easier time donating their game to the hungry if a recently passed House bill becomes law. The bill, introduced by Rep.
Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth was sworn into a new term Wednesday afternoon. The event marked the beginning of Wriggelsworth's fifth term as sheriff.
By Jennifer Dodyk Special for The State News Firefighters from the Lansing Fire Department stressed the importance of fire safety and awareness to middle school students at a yearly Christmas tree burning demonstration in Lansing.
Students might think twice about pulling all-nighters for final exams with the news that sleeping for five hours or less per night could cause weight gain, according to a psychiatry and behavioral sciences professor from Stanford University. Emmanuel Mignot, who conducted the study in connection with the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study, said the study included about 1,500 subjects divided equally by gender.
Students planning the Pow-wow of Love for February 2005 say raising funds is especially stressful this year because the event is being held a month earlier than usual.
This winter, a newly designed snow-removal plan is aiming to help students with disabilities effectively make their way around campus. The plan includes adding two new MSU grounds maintenance staff members and earlier snow-removal shifts.
Five men sat around a square table in the basement of the MSU Hillel Jewish Student Center, 360 Charles St., betting chocolate coins wrapped in gold tin foil. "I'm a seasoned veteran of dreidel," said Aaron Ellias, a James Madison sophomore.
U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, and former state senator Dan DeGrow, R-Port Huron, will be the commencement speakers for the fall undergraduate ceremony.
MSU graduate students who attend the advanced degree ceremony can learn from the struggles of South African Ambassador Barbara Masekela, said David Wiley, a professor of sociology and director of the African Studies Center. "She's a woman who is a veteran of the struggle for a free South Africa," said Wiley.
The Ingham County prosecutor appointed a new chief assistant prosecutor to fill the vacancy left by Joyce Draganchuk, who was elected to the Circuit Court.
The newly built City Center parking ramp and a more efficient bus system have caused an increased debt in the city's parking system, officials said. Although parking revenues increased from $2.8 million to $3 million between 2003 and 2004, the expenses are more than the city's parking income, said Joe Heffernan of Plante & Moran. East Lansing Assistant Finance Director Connie Larkin said the debt has increased over the last four years because there are more operating expenses for additional parking, including paying for maintenance and staffing the parking lots. "Service costs are the biggest problem," Larkin said. The city overbuilt the newer structures because it was cheaper than building more in the future, but it now owes several million dollars on the lot, she said. "In the past, we were always short parking when we were doing development and we certainly didn't want to end up with that problem," Larkin said. She also said less people are driving downtown due to a more efficient Capital Area Transportation Authority system. The addition of shopping at Eastwood Towne Center in Lansing Township and a lack of downtown business diversity slowed parking usage as well, she said. The parking system also loses money when the city collects for parking tickets because it goes to the courts instead, a system which Larkin said the city is working to change. East Lansing City Councilember Vic Loomis, who is on the city's parking task force, said a substantial expansion of parking on MSU's campus is another reason for a drop in cars downtown, but that all the factors have an impact. "All of them taken into consideration put real pressure onto the revenues of the parking system," Loomis said. Dan O'Connor, East Lansing parking administrator, said his department is looking at different technologies that could attract more downtown parking patrons. O'Connor said central pay stations that accept credit cards and cash are options for replacing meters. "We're trying to accommodate the customers," he said. Larkin said although the credit card system will be an added cost, it is a good service to provide customers and hopefully keep them downtown. Since money is tight, Larkin said the city is also considering privatizing the parking program. "We're going to work as hard as we possibly can to solve these problems and try to not create more," she said. O'Connor said the parking department is hopeful that the improvements will help bring drivers back. "Right now, we're holding our own," he said.