Interim Police Department Chief Ellery Sosebee was picked by Mayor Andy Schor to serve as the city’s next permanent police chief following former Chief Daryl Green’s retirement in July. The city’s Board of Police Commissioners is expected to approve the selection this month. The City Council also authorized Schor on Monday to sign Sosebee to a longer, three-year contract. The national search for a new permanent fire chief is expected to be finished early next year.
Patriot Front in Lansing?
At least one sticker advertising for the Patriot Front was spotted on a street pole in Lansing this week. The white supremacist group is reportedly known for espousing racism, antisemitism and intolerance under the guise of preserving the “ethnic and cultural origins” of their ancestors.
Lansing Mayor Andy Schor, local police officials and other elected leaders gathered at City Hall to call for an end to rising levels of gun violence in the city. The Police Department has tallied 24 homicides this year, up from a record-breaking 21 homicides recorded in 2020. Last year, the city also tracked 81 non-fatal shootings and 465 gunshot reports. As of this week, a relatively consistent 81 non-fatal shootings and 421 gunshot reports have been recorded by authorities.
Young boy injured in apparent shooting
Lansing cops said a 12-year-old Lansing boy was found on the sidewalk on the 3800 block of Maybel Street with a gunshot wound at about 5 p.m. Friday (Dec. 10). The boy was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A preliminary investigation suggests it was a drive-by shooting orchestrated by two other young men in a metallic blue sedan. Those with any information about the incident have been asked to contact authorities at 517-483-4600.
The Meridian Township Zoning Board of Appeals approved a variance that greenlights the national grocery retailer to build and open a 13,500-square-foot store near Northwind Drive and Grand River Avenue at the current location of Golden Wok. The company reportedly plans to demolish the existing commercial center to accommodate the new construction. The plans also still reportedly require a site plan and building permit review.
Longtime former Lansing School District Superintendent Dr. Richard Halik, 78, died Saturday (Dec. 11) after a brief battle with cancer. Residents remembered Halik as a compassionate colleague and friend who cared about local children and families — once convincing the district to rent a school on Genesee Street to the Black Child and Family Institute for only $5 a year. Wainwright Elementary School was also recently renamed in Halik’s honor.
Lansing cops crack down on speeding
Lansing cops have been assigned to monitor speeding and reckless driving in certain high-traffic areas of the city through February as part of a new initiative from the state Office of Highway Safety Planning. Over the last week, officers assigned to that specific detail in the city of Lansing have stopped at least 165 drivers, issued 178 tickets and given out only 20 warnings.
LCC receives largest donation ever
Thomas and Patricia Zuhl donated $250,000 to Lansing Community College — marking the single largest cash donation in the college’s history. The cash is set to be used to support more scholarships for international students, enhanced study abroad programs for local students and to help the college’s faculty “globalize” their curriculum to attract more international students.
Meters for on-street parking in the city of Lansing will be free through Jan. 2. Mayor Andy Schor said the move is designed to help encourage more business traffic downtown.
Virtual harassment climbs at MSU
A “steady stream” of more than 500 complaints of relationship violence and sexual misconduct were reported to Michigan State University’s Office of Institutional Equity during the 2020-’21 school year despite most students not being on campus, reports the Lansing State Journal. Many of those reports were reportedly linked to a rise in virtual harassment — like Zoom bombing, where people interrupt online classes or meetings with profanity and hate speech.
Okemos to pick new mascot
The search for a new mascot to replace the Chiefs at Okemos Public Schools is down to 10 candidates: Badgers, Bears, Coyotes, Eagles, Grizzlies, Ocelots, Ospreys, Otters, Owls and Wolves. A student committee will narrow the list down later this year and district officials expect to have a new logo identified by spring break in mid-April.
Women’s soccer launches in 2022
Local youth club Cap City Athletic was accepted into the United Women’s Soccer’s Midwest North Conference and is in the process of assembling a team that will compete next summer. The new pro-am soccer team decided to launch after the region’s last women’s team, Lansing United, suspended operations at the close of the 2021 season. Tickets will be free for one year.
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