Protesters duel over bombings

Armed with colorful posters, bullhorns, a 15-foot banner and a number to call in case of arrest, about 50 people marched on Friday to protest U.S.-led bombings in Afghanistan.Ten feet behind them, about 20 protesters marched in support of the bombings.The two groups marched from the Union to the FBIoffice at 2911 Eyde Parkway.“We’re trying to show those who oppose the war that terrorists will not respond to a peaceful resolution,” said Marc Stemmer, a political theory and constitutional democracy sophomore.

U challenged to donate

College competition has moved from fields to hospitals with a new program designed to promote blood donation among students. “Points for Pints,” created by the American Red Cross, is in its first year and is placed during the 2001-02 NCAA men’s basketball season. MSU is one of 19 schools participating in the blood drives and contending for an award based on the amount of blood donated between Nov.

CommUnity meets for its talks on ending racism

Lansing - The Unity in CommUnity Forum met Sunday and welcomed new members from Grand Ledge, DeWitt and Haslett. For four hours, more than 50 people divided themselves into different rooms of the Union Missionary Baptist Church, 500 S.

Police briefs 01/22/02

Officials debate governors Internet access initiative

Lansing - Gov. John Engler’s New Year’s resolution is to provide Michigan residents with fast, stress-free Internet service through thousands of miles of government-subsidized broadband cables. “The governor believes very strongly that Michigan needs to be positioned as a high-tech state that has the infrastructure it needs to draw businesses and investments,” Engler spokesman Matt Resch said.

Farmer Jack begins construction near E.L.

The former site of Pro Bowl East has been vacant since August. But the spot at 2757 E. Grand River Ave.

Lansing cuts citys budget

Lansing Mayor David Hollister announced Thursday that $1.5 million will be cut from this year’s budget.The budget cuts were largely a result of a decrease in state revenue sharing payments and also due to losses of current-year city revenue, Hollister said.The cut includes a hiring freeze on filling vacant city positions, deferments on vehicle purchases, a reduction in general administration expenditures and a reduction in supply and expense accounts by 10 percent, Hollister said.The deferments on vehicle purchases will mean 16 police cars are purchased instead of the intended 24 and the elimination of one fire truck purchase, said Robert Swanson, city finance director.Hollister also said the cut includes a recapture of city grant match funds for a major police department grant worth $125,000.No actual programs were cut and the only administrative actions made were ones to lower the total city budget, Swanson said.The 2001-02 budget ends June 30, and the new policy will take effect July 1.“It’s basically a straight-line budget,” Councilmember Sandy Allen said.

Smoking ban goes to board

Lansing - Tom Bramson worries that a proposed smoking ban in Ingham County could lead to a ban that would empty his business, the Nuthouse Sports Grill , by about half. Ingham County’s Environmental Tobacco Smoke Task Force Committee approved a resolution this week that would ban smoking in all public and private work sites.

Churches honor civil rights leader with blood drives

Leaders of the Diocese of Lansing Office of Black Catholic Ministry don’t want money for Martin Luther King, Jr.

Campus briefs

Professor to discuss reggaeReggae music will be the focus of a lecture presented by James Madison College and the Department of Political Science. Harvard University sociology Professor Orlando Patterson grew up in Jamaica and is familiar with the music’s impact on Jamaican culture. A grant MSU received in 2001 from the Freedom Project is funding Patterson’s visit.

U considers fall break

Some MSU students refuse to rest and relax until they get a fall break from school. The University of Michigan Board of Regents decided in December students will get a two-day fall break during October.

Internet shopping provides incentive for college saving

A new service is trying to keep college-bound families shopping online without breaking the e-piggy bank.Upromise, an online-based service, gives families the opportunity to put money away for college every time they buy toys, gasoline or even a new car.

Agriculture research gets $2.8 million

Dairy cows experience stress like the average person - and MSU agriculture researchers were able to milk $2.8 million from the Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems to study the effects of stress on farmers’ bovines at the genetic level.“We’ve identified over 18,000 unique genes in cattle and we have those on hand right now,” said Paul Coussens, director of the MSU Center for Animal Functional Genomics. Coussens is the primary investigator in the set of studies.

Group hosts competition for best legal essay

The Violence Policy Center will award one student $3,000 in the first “Alexander Hamilton Second Amendment Student Writing Competition.” Contestants must write an article, essay or law review about the Second Amendment and the decision of the U.S.

Physicist brings universe to U

Although the weekend is approaching, Sarah Lockwitz can hardly wait to attend Brian Greene’s lecture about the elegance of the universe. “I’ll have to break a hot date to go to it, but I think it’s worth it,” the physics freshman said. Lockwitz met the Columbia University professor of physics and mathematics on Tuesday when he visited her Physics 193H class. Greene will discuss his best-selling book, “The Elegant Universe,” tonight during the first McPherson Professorship lecture.

International wildlife refuge to be built

Wildlife now has a safe haven between Windsor, Canada and Detroit.The United States reached an agreement with Canada to develop the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.The 5,000-acre refuge, located on the lower Detroit River, represents the first international refuge in North America, though several exist in Europe.Even though the United States and Canada maintain friendly relations, the refuge took a long time to develop and came about as the result of a common goal, said Scott Flaherty, spokesman for the Fish and Wildlife Service.“Everyone was looking for ways to conserve and protect and keep the conservation values in the lower Detroit River in order,” he said.

Restaurant changes ownership

An old East Lansing restaurant is being sold for the second time in three years. Jerry Norris, Jacquie Norris and Robert Smith, owners of Hobie’s Restaurants, 930 Trowbridge Road, have reached an agreement with Dave Baker, a Holt resident, to sell the 34-year-old restaurant. Baker has worked in restaurants for years but this is his first time owning one. “I wanted to be in the restaurant business,” he said.

Highway renamed to end confusion

As a way to reduce confusion along the U.S. 27/U.S. 127 corridor, the entire corridor will now be known as U.S.

Plan seeks to reduce aquatic-life nuisances

Michigan is starting a program that would help reduce the introduction and spread of foreign aquatic species in the Great Lakes, Lt.

Police briefs 01/17/02