Wednesday, March 30,2011

Dispensary discrepancy

Questions arise over the operation of four medical marijuana dispensaries in Lansing

by Andy Balaskovitz

One medical marijuana dispensary in Lansing appears to be operating without the city’s approval, and three more may be in trouble if the City Council adopts a revised moratorium ordinance.S S Collectives, 1242 E. Grand River Ave., has been open for nearly two months, according to a manager, but evidently never registered with the city.

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Thursday, March 24,2011

Eye candy! of the week

by Andy Balaskovitz

Dale Schrader “got a kick” out of reading City Pulse’s “Eyesore of the Week” in the May 27, 2009, issue. That’s because two properties he bought ' 125 and 127 W. Grand River Ave. in Old Town ' were described by a neighbor as a “breeding ground for prostitution and drug dealing.

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Thursday, March 24,2011

A pool dilemma

What is the fate of Lansing Community College’s swimming pool?

by Andy Balaskovitz

LCC administrators figure it will cost between $4.3 million and $4.6 million to renovate the facility and bring it up to code, including satisfying the Americans with Disabilities Act and air quality standards. Those figures are based on the work of pool consultants, engineers and architects.

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Wednesday, March 23,2011

EMS in the red

The city of Lansing loses $1 million a year in its emergency medical service operations. But the question isn’t so much how the city will fix it, but if.

by Andy Balaskovitz

The city of Lansing loses $1 million a year in its emergency medical service operations. But the question isn’t so much how the city will fix it, but if.

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Wednesday, March 16,2011

A 1st glance

A survey of First Ward residents as four City Council candidates’ names are floated in this year’s race

by Andy Balaskovitz

Medical marijuana dispensaries and the “Mary Jane Mile.” Redeveloping REO Town. What to do with Groesbeck Golf Course?These are just a few of the issues brewing in Lansing’s First Ward, which broadly makes up the northeast quadrant of the city, from the Grand River to the west to about U.S. 127 to the east.

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Wednesday, March 16,2011

Playin' the Pedway

Can a street musician play on the pedestrian walkway downtown? Some local authorities say no

by Andy Balaskovitz

As snowy rain came down in 35-degree weather Thursday, a local street performer played folk music in a short-sleeved shirt to downtown passersby — in the covered pedestrian walkway connecting the Lansing Center, the Radisson Hotel and the parking ramp over the Grand River.

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Wednesday, March 16,2011

Where's the food?

In the suburbs, as research and a new map by MSU faculty suggests

by Andy Balaskovitz

For those who wonder if Lansing really is a “food desert,” two Michigan State University professors have something to show you.

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Wednesday, March 9,2011

Rich Michaels: '2010 sucked'

The out-of-work radio personality discusses life on unemployment and the bad blood with his former employer

by Andy Balaskovitz

Rich Michaels, the ex-host of “Michaels in the Morning” on WMMQ 94.9 FM, says his former employer is unfairly preventing him from getting another job and is forcing him into a circumstance he’s not proud of: taking unemployment compensation.

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Wednesday, March 2,2011

Still preaching

Despite facing felony drug charges, Fredrick Wayne Dagit helped his son set up a medical marijuana delivery service

by Andy Balaskovitz

Nine weeks in jail and pending felony drug charges aren’t keeping Fredrick Wayne Dagit from doing what he believes is his mission: medical marijuana.

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Wednesday, February 23,2011

The Snyder budget

Whitmer: Governor’s plans don’t match rhetoric

by Andy Balaskovitz

Wednesday, Feb. 23 — State Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer, D-East Lansing, says Gov. Rick Snyder was all about reinventing Michigan through shared sacrifices in his State of the State speech and on the campaign trail, but his proposed budget says otherwise.