east lansing

The East Lansing Art Festival celebrates its 50th anniversary this weekend

Steve Carmody — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:04:00 +0000

Up to 70 thousand people are expected to attend this weekend’s East Lansing Art Festival.

The festival marks its 50th anniversary this year. The festival started back in the mid-1960’s, when a group of local artists simply wanted to hold a small show along Grand River Avenue. It’s grown a lot since then.

Corinn Van Wyck is the festival’s director. She says organizers try to focus on the quality of art, not just quantity.

Improving fire protection in Ingham County by working closer together

Steve Carmody — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 18:01:01 +0000

Several Ingham County communities have taken a step toward creating a regional fire department.

Lansing, East Lansing and four other communities signed an agreement to begin implementing the first phase of the “Shared Services” plan.

Randall Talifarro is Lansing and East Lansing’s fire chief. He says getting local fire departments to work more closely together will improve fire protection to nearly 300 thousand Ingham County residents.

East Lansing moves on from City Center II

Steve Carmody — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:00:18 +0000

East Lansing city leaders are trying to decide what to do now that the city has decided to drop plans for a $105 million development project downtown.

East Lansing Art Festival takes to the streets despite construction

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

The East Lansing Art Festival is kicking off Michigan's outdoor festival season this weekend. Corinn VanWyck is the festival organizer. She says there have been a few changes to this year's festival because of construction going on in the downtown area.

"We've had to move the festival, slightly shifting it to the west and the north, so that has changed the footprint a little bit," she says.

Road closures can be found on the Michigan Department of Transportation's website.

East Lansing tackles major economic development project

Steve Carmody — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 05:01:01 +0000

A long stalled economic development project in East Lansing may get a push forward tonight.

The “City Center II” project has been in development for more than a decade.

This evening, the East Lansing City Council may decide to approve a pre-development agreement. The agreement would set in motion a review of the $105 million project’s finances.

Mayor Diane Godeeris likes the development plan that calls for a hotel, theater and additional retail space in downtown East Lansing.

“We’re trying to look at this comprehensively," says Godeeris, "and (we) hope that we can have something that’s new and exciting down there. But (we) want to make sure the risk to the city is minimal as possible.”

Godeeris says it would probably take several years for the ‘City Center II” project to become a reality, if the project’s financing backing eventually wins the city council’s approval.

Finding full federal funding for FRIB

Steve Carmody — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:05:00 +0000

Michigan State University officials are stepping up their efforts to convince Congress to fully fund a major scientific project on the East Lansing campus.

MSU was expecting the federal government to provide 52 million dollars for the next construction phase of the ‘Facility for Rare Isotope Beams’, or ‘FRIB’ for short. But the Obama administration is only budgeting $22 million.

Mark Burnham is an MSU vice president for government affairs. He says university officials are talking with influential members of Michigan’s congressional delegation , including the chairman of committee that control federal spending on technology.

"We have other members who are key important members of Congress, in both the House and the Senate, and so we want to make sure we’re working through the entire delegation," says Burnham.

Today, a state senate committee passed a resolution encouraging Congress to fully fund the FRIB project.

Charles Darwin - Rock Star?

The Associated Press — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:54:23 +0000

Michigan State University wants the world to know that evolution science pioneer Charles Darwin was a rock star first.

The MSU Museum on Sunday afternoon presents its annual Darwin Discovery Day and this year's theme is "Darwin rocks!" It also marks the opening of a new exhibit entitled "It Started with a Rock Collection: Charles Darwin, Geologist."

MSU expanding reach of medical research

Steve Carmody — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:34:25 +0000

Michigan State University’s Human Medicine program is expanding its research facilities far away from East Lansing.

Last month, MSU announced its buying the old Grand Rapids Press building. This week, developers say they hope to turn an old newspaper building in Flint into a home for MSU medical researchers.

Aron Sousa is an associate dean at the MSU College of Human Medicine. He says expansions in Grand Rapids and Flint, as well as Midland and Traverse City, reflect the communities’ needs.

“Both the college [of Human Medicine] and the university want to be more active across the state. We’re the land grant school for the state of Michigan. We take that mission and that history seriously," says Sousa.

MSU is ending some medical programs in Kalamazoo and Saginaw, to make way for new medical schools at Western and Central Michigan Universities.

MSU's Broad Museum faces unexpected construction delay

Steve Carmody — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:05:40 +0000

A new multi-million dollar art museum at Michigan State University will open months later than planned.

The Eli and Edythe Broad museum was supposed to be dedicated in April on the East Lansing campus. But Michigan State University officials say supply problems are affecting work on the building.

A university spokeswoman says the building’s specially designed glass windows are the source of the problem.

Lansing city council may consider sending golf course question to voters tonight

Steve Carmody — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 05:01:01 +0000

The Lansing city council may agree tonight to ask voters to decide if part of a closed city golf course can be sold. The land is being eyed for future business development.

The proposal to sell part of the closed Red Cedar golf course has been stuck in a Lansing city council subcommittee since last spring. Some council members said they wanted more information.

City Council President A’Lynne Robinson is optimistic the council can get it unstuck this week.

Lansing city council to discuss the future of an old golf course tonight

Steve Carmody — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:11:28 +0000

Lansing city council members tonight will discuss whether to ask voters to approve the sale of 12 acres of city park land for a future economic development deal. The mayor’s office wants to include the Red Cedar golf course as part of a multi-million dollar development along US 127.

The development is just speculative as this point, since the city has not settled on a developer or a specific plan. Bob Trezise is the president of the Lansing Economic Development Corporation. He supports making the land available for development.

“This is very neglected that shouldn’t be the way it is. Its many vacant properties. It’s a golf course that’s not a golf course anymore....nor is it even a park.”

The city council is being asked to put the potential sale of the old golf course on the ballot in November.

Here's an artist's conception of future development along Michigan Avenue in Lansing from the Lansing Economic Development Corporation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lBr8kz5wMg

Airport shuttle service to double number of trips with new route

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:40:30 +0000

A new airport shuttle between East Lansing and Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Interstate 96 will make twice the number of trips this fall. The new Michigan Flyer route will stop in East Lansing, Brighton/Howell, Ann Arbor and both airport terminals. If the federal government awards Michigan Flyer with the 1-point-5 million dollars it asked for, the route will be self-sustaining after the first year.

Ody Norkin is vice president of Michigan Flyer. He says the goal is for airport shuttles to run hourly.

"People come home to Detroit Metro Airport they don’t want to wait two hours especially if they’re in Washtenaw or Livingston only a half-hour or 45 minutes away from the airport," he said. "They’re not going to wait for the shuttle if we are operating only two to two-and-a-half hours."

Norkin says the new route will be successful based on current usage.

"We have a very high end product with brand new motor coaches that are attracting not only those who can’t drive or can’t afford to drive but also those who own vehicles and choose to set them aside either for environmental reasons or just because we’re so convenient.," Norkin said.

Prices on the new route will likely be the same as their southern route along I-94.

- Amelia Carpenter - Michigan Radio Newsroom

New housing complex to serve Detroit's senior citizens

Sarah Cwiek — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:08:02 +0000

Henry Ford Health Systems and two non-profit partners will team up to offer more long-term care options to Detroit’s senior citizens.

Henry Ford, Presbyterian Villages of Michigan, and United Methodist Retirement Communities are involved in the $35 million project on the city’s east side.

The complex will include affordable senior housing, assisted living units, and a Center for Senior Independence.