Poland honors professor
While many faculty members enjoyed turkey Thursday, Dennis Preston feasted on Polish pig feet. Preston, an MSU professor of linguistics, traveled to Warsaw, Poland to receive the Officers' Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland on Friday. It is the second-highest award given to non-Polish citizens for public service.
Student gets Marshall honor
When Doug Estry, associate dean for Academic Student Affairs in the College of Natural Science saw Bhooma Aravamuthan explain how DNA worked to a nonscience major, he said he knew the biochemistry and physiology senior was knowledgeable about science.
SUPER program awards McPherson for help
Members of the MSU Summer University Program: Excellence Required presented MSU President M. Peter McPherson with a plaque to commemorate his involvement. The SUPER program was founded in 1988 to help students transition from high school to life at MSU.
Full reorganization report presented to council
Tuesday's Academic Council meeting centered around liberal arts reorganization and the creation of a new residential college. Committee on College Reorganization Chairman Stephen Esquith presented the report on reorganization of the liberal arts and programs.
WEB ONLY: CATA services to change during holiday weekend
Several services will be adjusting their hours for the holiday weekend. MSU's Capital Area Transportation Authority bus service will end at 11:30 p.m.
Deer collisions up this season
Entering the second week of Michigan's firearm hunting season, state officials and insurance companies continue to caution motorists about deer on the road. The number of monthly deer-car crashes commonly begins to increase during fall months and peaks in November, but deer can present problems for motorists into early December, said Jim Rink, a spokesman for insurance company AAA Michigan. "Fall is mating season for the deer so they're generally more active
WEB ONLY: Lansing's Fire Dept. included in security grant
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security named Lansing's Fire Department as one of 15 Michigan fire departments included in a $776,500 grant.
Beaner's to open new shops in E.L., 3 southeast states
A local coffee shop chain is expanding into other parts of the state and country, opening in three southeastern states after operating in the Midwest for nearly a decade. Beaner's Gourmet Coffee, founded in East Lansing in 1995, is opening three locations in Mobile, Ala., Charleston, S.C., and Dacula, Ga., near Atlanta, said Michael McFall, president of the company. "The markets we're going into, like Mobile, Alabama, and Charleston, are really underserviced from the gourmet coffee perspective," McFall said.
Hall gives thanks, lip balm to soldiers
Beanie Babies, breath mints and lip balm will soon be making their way to military troops overseas. The items are included on a list of possible donations from Emmons Hall residents who are participating in Operation Gratitude, a national organization that has sent more than 36,800 care packages to soldiers stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Kosovo and the Korean peninsula. Meggan Willersdorf, the assistant director for Emmons Hall, said she found the program on a Web site and thought it was a great idea. "It gives residents an opportunity to volunteer - to give their time and effort," she said.
Groups debate use of extra student tax money
ASMSU relies on student tax dollars, and in turn provides services such as free legal advice and cheap photocopies to those students.
Mich. seat belt usage increases
Michigan had the nation's fourth-largest increase in seat belt usage during the last year, according to a report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released Tuesday. Statewide seat belt usage increased 5.7 percent between 2003 and 2004, jumping from 84.8 to 90.5 percent.
Weekend snow could create chores for 'U'
East Lansing officials are reminding residents that all sidewalks adjacent to their property must remain clear of snow and ice. The city will no longer issue warnings, but will immediately issue a ticket for failures to clear snow and ice. Owners or occupants of East Lansing residences must remove the snow and ice within 24 hours of snowfall and must use salt or another abrasive material on icy sidewalks within 12 hours of ice forming. East Lansing employees will open highly traveled main sidewalks so it is easier for residents to plow or shovel.
E.L. officials discuss rental redistricting
The East Lansing City Council will attempt to work out the kinks in another rental restriction district during its meeting at 7 p.m.
Debate continues over RU-486 abortion pill
A debate has rekindled about the safety of mifepristone, an abortion pill also known as RU-486, and whether it should remain on the market. In January, a young woman who had taken mifepristone died and anti-abortion activists say her death is linked to the pill.
Game illustrates real-life scenario
Using macaroni, beans and paper clips, the fate of an imaginary third-world country was decided Monday afternoon by a group of gaming enthusiasts.
ASMSU proposes student-only tailgate area
The 'Drinko' boards are now stowed away safely for winter and the despondency surrounding tailgating restrictions are lessening. But ASMSU is still working to keep tailgating excitement that was lost earlier this football season. MSU's undergraduate student government's Student Assembly passed a bill on Thursday to propose a student-only tailgate area at the Wilson tennis courts. Only tailgaters with an MSU student ID would be allowed to enter.
Officials give advice on holiday safety
Unlocked doors, flaming turkey fryers and icy overpasses aren't usually topics of conversation when students talk about heading home for the long Thanksgiving weekend. That's why local officials are working to get out the word on lesser-known holiday dangers. "Put in big, bold print: 'LOCK YOUR DOORS,'" East Lansing police Capt.
Lansing-area officials look to attract high-tech jobs
Officials from East Lansing and Lansing are moving forward with a program to attract technology-based jobs to the capital region. The Lansing Regional SmartZone will join 10 other Michigan SmartZones, which are geographic locations designed to attract technology-based companies by combining resources to create more high-technology jobs. The Lansing and East Lansing city councils both scheduled public hearings for December to determine the district's borders and create a Local Development Finance Authority, which will fund programs in the SmartZone.