Architecture critic Amanda Harrell-Seyburn says: One glance at 722 Chestnut and it's clear that one of its character-defining features is a large front gable dormer stationed prominently on the roof. Gables are clever architectural features that increase light and useable space to an attic or loft area.

A new program starting today in the 55th District Court is an attempt by social service organizations and the court system to curb evictions by settling disputes between landlords and tenants outside of the courtroom.

Hoping to inherit political capital enjoyed in the '80s by their sacred leader, Ronald Reagan, Republicans are once again using this question as a way to gain an advantage on President Obama this election.

On July 30, 1973, labor leader César Chávez visited Lansing as part of a four-day swing through Michigan to gather support for a grape and lettuce boycott. In a speech at Cristo Rey Community Center on the north side of town, he broke the crowd up with a story about an elderly woman he met in Flint.

This presents a real problem for Michigan Republicans because a loss of Romney enthusiasm in 2012 could be catastrophic. Proposal 2, the collective bargaining constitutional guarantee that would throw in limbo every government reform Snyder and the Republicans have managed in the last 20 months, passes with a low GOP turnout.

Dear readers: As you may have noticed, we've received a spate of letters about "Savage Love," our new, frank and at times profane column on sex and relationships. Overall, we've heard from some two dozen readers, most of whom do not want it.

Major hotel chains are already interested in staking their claim to the Capital Gateway project, say the developers hoping to transform dozens of acres at the former Red Cedar Golf Course.

For decades, Lansing blithely bulldozed its historic buildings and neighborhoods to make room for freeways, urban renewal projects and bland architectural junk. The city is still behind the curve compared to other places — even East Lansing — that cherish historic urban fabric. This year, a new preservation group has found concrete (and brick and wood) evidence that the city is catching up slightly.

The sleepy 67th state House District is in slumber no more. Democrat House candidate Tom Cochran wound up and swung at Republican Jeff Oesterle where it hurt during the "City Pulse Newsmakers" program this week, by tying his opponent to the intriguing investigation into the Republican House speaker and the shady filing day switch-a-roo in Grand Rapids.

Good buildings are not only attractive — they also have good DNA. What is building DNA? It's the original construction essentials like superior craftsmanship and quality materials that hold up through standing neglect.