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MICHIGAN

Senator: Michigan not likely to follow in New York's footsteps in gay marriage

Dena Elian
June 28, 2011

The streets of the Big Apple were lit up with images of the rainbow flag this past weekend as New Yorkers celebrated the legalization of same-sex marriage. The northeastern state is the sixth, but largest, state to pass the law. Shortly after being approved in the state Senate by a vote of 33-29 late Friday night, the news was announced and quickly became the trending topic of Twitter feeds. Comparative cultures and politics senior Sean Watkins was making his way into Manhattan when he heard the news, but it wasn’t long before he joined the celebration. “I was really happy for it,” he said.

MSU

Faculty member honored on Mackinac Island

Beau Hayhoe
June 28, 2011

MSU faculty member Gary Reid received the Michigan Association of Broadcasters’, or MAB’s, highest honor at the organization’s annual conference on Mackinac Island Monday night. Reid, who serves as a distinguished senior academic specialist in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media, received a lifetime achievement award for his contributions to the state’s broadcasting and radio industries. “I was actually stunned,” Reid said upon learning of the award.

MICHIGAN

Council set to approve downtown project

Ian Kullgren
June 27, 2011

The East Lansing City Council is slated to make a significant stride in a pair of development projects that will add to the downtown skyline. The council is set to approve the first of two mixed-use development agreements that would authorize construction of an eight-story, mixed-use building near the Ann Street Plaza, on the corner of Grove Street and Albert Avenue.

MSU

Local weather impacts crop planting, research

Josh Mansour
June 27, 2011

Working on the farm is notoriously tough, with agriculture students generally working on crop farms from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the summer, but the overabundance of rain has graduate student Erin Taylor and others working until sundown — sometimes as late as 10 p.m. — to get crops planted.

Britteny Dee ·
MSU

MSU offers children’s language camp

Britteny Dee
June 27, 2011

Last week marked the start of the MSU Community Language School’s language summer camps for kids. The Community Language School was created in 2008 as a part of MSU’s Center for Language Teaching Advancement.

MICHIGAN

Local police, fire departments battle for blood

Summer Ballentine
June 26, 2011

In the next few weeks, local police and firefighters are hoping to see as much blood as possible. During the 11th Annual Battle of the Badges, local police and fire departments compete against one another to have the most donors give blood to the American Red Cross in their name.

MSU

NASA funds student

Beau Hayhoe
June 26, 2011

Thanks to a recent grant from the NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship, MSU graduate student Vanessa Hull will be able to continue her research on endangered giant pandas.

NEWS

Summit promotes Africa investment

Rachel Jackson  and  Dena Elian
June 26, 2011

While fans of Irish singer Bono’s music flocked to Spartan Stadium for an anticipated U2 concert Sunday, fans of his humanitarian efforts convened in the Kellogg Center Auditorium for the Midwest Summit on African Development. MSU hosted the summit, which began Saturday, in partnership with ONE, an organization that works to fight poverty, and Bono helped create.

MSU

MSU excited to host concert

Beau Hayhoe
June 23, 2011

The university and surrounding areas continue to prepare for the arrival of Irish rock band U2 on Sunday, university officials said today. The band will play at 7 p.m.

MICHIGAN

Police ready for U2 concert

Josh Mansour
June 23, 2011

For the first time in more than a decade, Spartan Stadium will be hosting a concert event, leading many local police to stress the differences between this event and a typical football Saturday. This Sunday, U2 will be making their long-anticipated trip to East Lansing to perform, and MSU police Sgt.

NEWS

Drivers give time to help cancer patients

Alyssa Zandi
June 22, 2011

For Carol Kasuda, her involvement with the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program — a free transportation program for cancer patients who need to get to treatment — is very rewarding and worthwhile. Kasuda, who has volunteered since 1999, said she was out running an errand after retiring and noticed she was behind an American Cancer Society van for the program.

MSU

Train speeds lowered

Ian Kullgren
June 22, 2011

Student train travelers might have a harder time commuting to and from campus as speeds of a branch of track servicing East Lansing slowed last week, even though the train line that runs through East Lansing has seen record ridership this year. Maximum speeds on the section of the Blue Water line from Battle Creek, Mich., to Kalamazoo slowed to 25-60 mph, down from 79 mph previously, said Rudy Husband, a spokesman from Norfolk Southern Corp., the company who owns the section of track. The track includes several West Michigan stops and also is en route to stations in and near Chicago.

MSU

Researchers earn Clean Fuel grant

Beau Hayhoe
June 22, 2011

Researchers at MSU and the Michigan Biotechnology Institute, or MBI, say they plan to use a $4.3 million grant from the Department of Energy to further their examination of alternative fuel technology. Money from the grant will go primarily to researchers at MBI, a Lansing-based company owned by the university.

Josh Mansour ·
MSU

Skateboard Culture Finds home in E.L.

Josh Mansour
June 22, 2011

When interdisciplinary studies in social science senior Peter Croce first arrived at MSU, he was surprised by the limited number of students using skateboards to navigate campus.

MICHIGAN

The Smoke-Free Air Law has impacted East Lansing bars, restaurants

Ian Kullgren
June 22, 2011

When Michigan banned smoking in indoor businesses more than a year ago, Patrick Kent, owner of Blue Midnight Hookah Lounge, immediately saw his shop’s profits drop more than 15 percent. But the tobacco-based portion of his business still was thriving. Rather, Kent’s losses were more edible in nature: The new law outlawed the food service portion of his business, banning him from selling malts, wraps and smoothies in the same location as tobacco smoking.

·
MSU

4-H lets kids explore MSU

Jesse O'Brien
June 22, 2011

Lisa Campion was once an 11-year-old girl attending her first session with 4-H Exploration Days at MSU. Through five or six years with the 4-H Exploration Days program and her continued participation with 4-H, Campion learned about her love for environmental sciences, something that helped her decide what she wanted to do with her life. Campion, now 24, graduated from MSU in 2007 with a degree in environmental science and management and a degree in fisheries and wildlife.

MICHIGAN

Video game kiosk could threaten stores

Dena Elian
June 22, 2011

As Redbox progressively adds more video games to its selection of available media, the company could pose a threat to local video game stores. The movie rental kiosk company announced this past weekend that they will be making video games available to rent at more than 21,000 of their locations. Although movies will continue to be rented out for $1 a night, video games will cost twice that. Redbox is owned in part by McDonald’s Corporation and Coinstar Inc. Together, the companies have distributed more than 27,000 kiosks nationwide in locations such as grocery stores, retailers, drugstores, restaurants and convenience stores. Since its launch in 2003, Redbox, along with other new movie renting and streaming alternatives, have put a strain on the movie rental industry. Blockbuster, for example, has closed thousands of stores worldwide, and Hollywood Video has gone out of business. Tom Leach is the owner of Video to Go in the Frandor Shopping Center, in Lansing, a video rental store that once also carried video games.

MSU

Rehabilitated eagle nearly ready for depature, two new eagles arrive at MSU

Dena Elian
June 21, 2011

Last month, an injured bald eagle was rescued from the Saginaw River and was sent by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to MSU’s Veterinary Medical Center. Since then, the bird has been rehabilitating under the watchful eye of James Sikarskie, associate professor of small animal clinical sciences. Sikarskie was looking to send the bird to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden when they were in need of another bald eagle. However, the bird wasn’t quite what they were seeking and still is in need of a home. “There are so many eagles that Cincinnati wants someone younger who’s easier to tame down,” he said.