Wednesday, June 6,2012

Union sets primaries against Dem commissioners

by Kyle Melinn

Commissioners Deb Nolan in the Okemos-based 12th, Brian McGrain in the East Lansing-based 10th and Carol Koenig in the East Lansing-based 9th all found themselves crossways with the Lansing Labor Council after at least three high-profile votes created a split within the commissioners’ otherwise congenial Democratic caucus.

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Wednesday, June 6,2012

New in town

Moe's Southwest Grill

by ALLAN I. ROSS

Last week, East Lansing got a taste of Georgia hospitality with the grand opening of Moe's Southwest Grill, an Atlanta-based burrito/taco/nacho franchise. The 12-year-old chain already has over 450 locations throughout the U.S., and is slowly spreading north, with only two other locations in Michigan so far.

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Wednesday, June 6,2012

The border

The Lansing Police Department's latest attempt to reduce crime in a jurisdictionally challenging corner of the city

by Andy Balaskovitz

It turned out to be 17-year-old Dennis Duane Gibbons Jr., who Tran said was attempting to break into the store from the roof. His point of access was the roof and the heating vent. Initial police reports said he died of exposure after he got stuck. Police at the time said it was unclear why Gibbons attempted to gain entry into the business.

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Wednesday, June 6,2012

Here's a good one

Democrats came close to having a primary fight over who gets to be the almost certain sacrificial lamb against Mike Rogers this fall. Then fate — in the form of a state Bureau of Elections’ ruling — intervened and saved everyone a lot of

by Sam Inglot

Michael Magdich, a staunch alternative energy supporter from Livingston County, hoped to oppose Lance Enderle, the Democratic nominee two years ago, in the August primary for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House in the 8th Congressional District. The winner would vie with Mike Rogers, the GOP incumbent with a ton of money, in the fall. Rogers trounced Enderle 65 percent to 34 percent in 2010.

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Wednesday, June 6,2012

Teachers' jobs safe — for now

Lansing's interim superintendent doesn’t see layoffs this coming year, despite budget woes

by Sam Inglot

Of the district's $175 million budget, 85 percent is paid to personnel expenses, Caamal Canul said on the "City Pulse Newsmakers" TV show, which means frozen pay and benefits for next year but no layoffs. Of the 85 percent, 70 percent is spent on teachers.

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Wednesday, May 30,2012

Candidate cries foul over last-minute switch

by Kyle Melinn

Moments before the 4 p.m. May 15 candidate filing deadline, Kathy Rodgers filed instead to run against Mitchell for the Democratic nomination for supervisor. With nobody else filing to run for treasurer, Leo Rodgers put in for the spot.

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Wednesday, May 30,2012

How local is local?

by Terry Link

This column tries to focus on “local” as part of the sustainability ethos, where we minimize our ecological footprint while strengthening our social fabric and sharing our economic prosperity.

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Wednesday, May 30,2012

Closing time on Washington Sq.

The good news is downtown Lansing is busier than it has been in decades, thanks to the combined efforts of merchants and City Hall. But not all the news is good. Reporter Sam Inglot spent chunks of early weekend mornings on Washington Square as well as ta

by Sam Inglot

I went to South Washington Square between Allegan and Washtenaw streets on two separate weekends around 1:30 a.m. The first night was a busy one. Around closing time at 2, a group of roughly 60 people formed outside of Club X-Cel. One drunk young man was shouting and strutting about the sidewalk as the group began to take notice of him. It was hard to tell if he was angry or just putting on an aggressive, alpha-male show for the gaggle of people. The situation had a “powder keg” vibe as people from other areas of the block flocked to check out the action.

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Wednesday, May 30,2012

Eyesore of the week

by Sam Inglot

This house in the Baker-Donora Neighborhood screams, “Not welcome.” It’s plain to see that the owner wants no one near as soon as you look at it. As if the three broken porch steps aren’t enough of a deterrent, a large piece of the beige-colored wood siding serves as a barricade to the porch entrance: It resembles a blank billboard as it blocks access to the main door, which is also boarded up with siding.

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Wednesday, May 23,2012

Subduing a hulk

Old Town's Walker Building goes from green to serene

by Lawrence Cosentino

The recent life of Old Town’s historic Walker Building has been a lot like the Hulk’s, only in reverse. When it was big and green, nobody noticed it. Now that it’s settled down and dressed in earth tones, it’s turning heads.

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