Jeffrey Brown takes office as a new at-large member of the Lansing City Councilman on Jan. 1. He was elected even though many specifics about his background stayed private — and they remain that way. Efforts to find out more about him have been hindered by Brown himself, who hasn’t returned calls from City Pulse since before Election Day. What is on the record is his connection to several unsuccessful home healthcare businesses and that he filed for bankruptcy in 2015, apparently costing employees tens of thousands of dollars in income. more

Project Censored isn’t alone in drawing parallels to a century ago, of course. The pandemic above all has expanded journalistic horizons, as a matter of necessity. To a lesser extent, the threat to American democracy — part of a worldwide trend of democratic backsliding — has done so as well. more

General Motors plans to build a $2.5 billion battery cell production plant for electric vehicles in Delta Township that could create 1,700 new jobs in Lansing through 2026. more

At least two dozen unvaccinated employees at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the Accident Fund were put on unpaid leave this week. more

At-Large Lansing City Councilman Peter Spadafore said he plans to nominate Third Ward Councilman Adam Hussain to take over as president. more

State legislation would create new misdemeanor and felony charges for those caught threatening or assaulting health officials. more

Peanut Shop owner Tammy Melser, whose family has owned the downtown Lansing nuttery since 1960, announced her retirement on Facebook after more than 45 years of working there. She’ll stay on staff through December, then make room for the new owners Adam Seyburn and Aaron Larvick, of Okemos, who said they plan to keep the business running in the same way. The new owners also plan to eventually launch a website for The Peanut Shop for online orders. more

At the end of August, Erika Lowe was caught by surprise when a customer congratulated her on receiving a $15,000 grant from Ingham County’s share of federal COVID-19 relief dollars. more

Weekday copies of the Lansing State Journal as thick as 80 pages weren’t uncommon in 2001. more

“They misapplied the law,” said Liz Abdnour, a Lansing lawyer and self-identified “lifelong Democrat voter” who filed the proposed recall petition language against Betz late last month. more

Deon Butler of Detroit told lawmakers at a recent hearing that public schools failed him. Butler, who is dyslexic, said his memories of school are traumatic.  “I would always be the … more

Ingham County Health Officer Linda Vail said she is “troubled” and “perplexed” by a recent increase in COVID-19 cases across Ingham County — a statistic that also bears out statewide. more

The Village Lansing was one of two nonprofit groups that put in a bid during the county’s first round of applications. It was formed in 2019 by Erica Lynn and her husband, Michael Lynn Jr., and works to reduce gun violence among middle and high school students (and ages 18-25) by “welcoming them to a safe environment and supporting their needs,” according to its application. more

The needs of nonprofits reflect the times. The LMTS Outreach Center at the corner of Holmes Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard is home to a food pantry and a Career Clothes Closet where job seekers can find lightly used clothes for interviews and new jobs. more

Animal shelters and adoption centers everywhere are grappling with a wave of “pandemic puppies” — dogs drafted into service as companions for humans in the isolation of 2020. After a year and a half of constant companionship, the pups are a bit older, struggling with separation and, in many cases, given up for adoption as their human caregivers leave the house, get tired of them and go on with their lives.  more

Each year, the holiday season highlights areas of need within the community. Organizations offer help not only during these especially difficult times, but throughout the whole year as well. These seven organizations are local nonprofits that provide a variety of resources ranging from food and housing to education and financial services. These nonprofits were also kind enough to support this year’s annual nonprofit issue through their advertising. more

The two finalists — whittled down from an initial field of 20 applicants — are Interim Lansing Police Chief Ellery Sosebee and Jason Matson, a captain at the Bakersfield Police Department in Bakersfield, California. more

An ordinance amendment from City Councilman Brandon Betz could expand the cannabis industry in Lansing next year by eliminating the cap on the number of marijuana growing facilities, microbusinesses and consumption lounges that are allowed to open within city limits. more

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has collected into a permanent  database the names of more than 500,000 residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 — in addition to untold thousands of their close contacts — since the pandemic struck last March. more

This year’s State Capitol Christmas tree is a definite Eye Candy, per the oohs and aahs of the spectators and participants at the Silver Bells 5K in downtown Lansing over the weekend. The 63-foot spruce tree chosen for the grounds of the State Capitol was donated by Carla Fletcher and her family. more