Mich — The Ingham County Sheriff's Office has identified the woman who died after Wednesday's second semi truck accident on I-96 as 62-year-old Tondi Tripp from Okemos a semi truck and shuttle-sized bus caught on fire after crashing into each other on I-96 near mile marker 113 in Alaiedon Township Meridian Township Fire Department determined that only Tondi Tripp was inside the bus The Ingham County Sheriff's Office says the crash is still under investigation Anyone who may have witnessed this crash is encouraged to contact Sgt Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Neighborhood News Follow us on X Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook April was a busy month for the Lansing area restaurant and retail scene Ten new eateries and stores opened their doors Leslie's Cheesecakes' first stand-alone production facility and storefront the area's first Dave & Buster's in Lansing Township and D'Nulffos a small seafood and chophouse in East Lansing a fast-casual concept serving African-infused wraps sandwiches and other items near Michigan State University's campus Here's a look at retail stores and restaurants gained and lost in April The details: Sultan's West opened its doors on April 7 relocating from a storefront on East Grand River Avenue in East Lansing The property was previously home to Zaytoon Mediterranean Grill Learn more about Sultan's West on Facebook at "Sultan's West" and on Instagram at "sultans_west." The details: The small seafood and chophouse which shares space with breakfast spot The Morning Post Expect an ever-changing menu at the dinner restaurant with other options that currently include chicken and pasta dishes The space was once home to wood-fired oven pizzeria The Cosmos The Cosmos closed its doors at the property in 2022 Learn more about D'Nulffos online at www.dnulffos.com The details: Marcus Leslie's long-awaited expansion of his bakery to his own space has been at least five years in the making The business opened its doors on April 13 at a leased 3,200-square-foot building that will serve as a production facility and a storefront with walk-in customer hours The bakery makes about 500 cheesecakes a week for Meijer stores throughout the Lansing area and in Detroit and Grand Rapids It sells cakes in two Fresh Tyme Market stores and to individual customers Leslie spent five years growing the business from a small space at Lansing's Allen Neighborhood Center's Accelerator Kitchen Learn more about Mr. Leslie's Cheesecakes at www.mrlesliescheesecakes.com and on Facebook at "Mr. Leslie's Cheesecakes." The details: The Lansing area's first Dave & Buster's opened April 28 near the Eastwood Towne Center The 22,000-square-foot location has been in the works for more than two years an arcade and a full-service restaurant and bar The building has seating for up to 220 people and is expected to employ over 150 The location is the company's fourth in Michigan Learn more about Dave & Buster's at www.daveandbusters.com/us/en/home The details: Bombay Mahal Indian Cuisine opened April 17 in an approximately 2,000-square-foot building located where Oakland Avenue and Saginaw Street meet Owner and head chef Arosh Choudhury's Indian restaurant serves more than 60 dishes including popular items like butter chicken and tandoori chicken vacant for about three months before Choudhury leased it Learn more about Bombay Mahal Indian Cuisine at www.bombaymahalwi.com a New York City-based eyewear brand that sells prescription glasses opened a store in the Eastwood Towne Center on April 15 The 1,534-square-foot storefront was previously occupied by Francesca's Warby Parker opened its first store in 2013 The Lansing Township store is the company's eighth in Michigan Learn more about Warby Parker at www.warbyparker.com The details: Owosso-based coffee roaster and chain Foster Coffee Company opened a location in the city's downtown on April 25 The space was previously home to BlackDog Coffee Barna sold the business to Foster Coffee Company and announced plans to close it in February Foster Coffee Company established itself just over a decade ago and operates two other coffee shops in Owosso and East Lansing said his company has been interested in expanding and approached Barna about buying her business Learn more about Foster Coffee Co. at www.fostercoffee.co The details: La Mulata Restaurant opened its doors in an approximately 2,500-square-foot building on April 26 Owner and Lansing resident Yanelis Lopez said the menu is a mixture of Cuban and Mexican dishes Learn more about La Mulata Restaurant on Facebook at "La Mulata Restaurant." The details: MK Pho Asian Cuisine opened on April 22 Learn more about MK Pho Asian Cuisine on Facebook at "MK Pho Asian Cuisine."   The details: Lebua Thai Bakery & Market opened in early March The business offers to-go meals and Thai desserts Learn more on Facebook at "Lebua Thai Thai" and on Instagram at "lebuathaithai." Century-old former Lansing church to get $4.7M renovation as new MSU Child Development Lab Eaton County public safety tax will be decided May 6. Here's what you need to know according to an announcement on the restaurant's Instagram page about seven months after owner Taiwo Adeleye opened the business near Michigan State University's campus Adeleye didn't respond to a message left on Wednesday regarding the closure and a number listed for the restaurant wasn't in service this week Joseph Highway restaurant who answered the phone on Wednesday declined to cite a reason for the location's closure The company also operates restaurants in Lansing's Old Town and off West Lake Lansing Road Contact Reporter Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com Michigan State started the month of May by making a major splash in the college athletics world. The Spartans fired athletic director Alan Haller choosing to move the Michigan State athletic department in a new direction As MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz said in a release about his decision the Spartans are looking to adopt an athletics focus on fundraising and making tangible progress to stay ahead of the curve in the ever changing landscape of collegiate athletics This next hire for the university is going to be massively important The scope of the changes across the athletics landscape has been so large that the athletic department must be at the top of its game Michigan State will use the search firm TurnkeyZRG and create an advisory committee to look for its next leader With Guskiewicz looking for the next leader of Spartan athletics we compiled a list of some of the options he could be sifting through Bubba Cunningham (North Carolina)Arguably the most obvious choice on the list for Guskiewicz and MSU North Carolina AD Bubba Cunningham has multiple connections that link him to Michigan State Cunningham and Guskiewicz have a strong relationship from the MSU president's time in Chapel Hill Cunningham also is a native of Flint who went to college at Notre Dame FSU AD Michael Alford has ties to the region He served as the athletic director for Central Michigan before going to the Seminoles Starting as the CEO of the Seminoles Boosters helping lead FSU through the school's problems with the ACC A man who has done a masterful job leading the Noles through the name image and likeness licensing era and gaining donations paired with leading the charge for changes within the Atlantic Coast Conference Alford checks all of the boxes for a school such as MSU Allen Greene (Pitt)A finalist for the job four years ago when it was given to Haller Greene could make his way back into the mix Greene is tasked with undoing the financial disaster that is the Pittsburgh athletic department Given his past roles as a senior deputy AD at Ole Miss and Tennessee Greene possesses numerous qualities that align with MSU's needs One would think he will have interest in the job once again Despite not coming from a major university Konya is a candidate that checks all of MSU's boxes and could be a dark horse for the position Konya spent time at nearby Oakland University as the school's AD from 2014 to 2018 He also was the athletic director at Cal State Bakersfield and Northeastern University before planting roots in San Jose in 2021 Konya led the charge to build a $70 million athletic center funded by donors Martin Jarmond (UCLA)Another California athletic director He started his administrative career in East Lansing as an assistant AD from 2003-09 He was in the mix for the job four years ago but received a contract extension from UCLA to stay in Los Angeles Wetherbee has succeeded in one of the toughest athletic departments in Division I college athletics He came to Ypsilanti from Mississippi State where he led a marketing department that became the first back-to-back winner of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) Marketing Team of the Year he secured more than $20 million in cash and pledges to help upgrade athletic facilities EMU has generated six gifts of $1 million or more including the first seven-figure gift in Eastern Athletics history while also securing naming rights for several stadiums on campus Bartholomae has led Western Michigan for the past four years during which he has drastically improved athletic fundraising efforts and watched as the men's ice hockey program won the national championship Bartholomae was the executive deputy athletic director at Oregon State where he helped secure the funding for massive stadium upgrades Bartholomae and football coach Jonathan Smith also have a strong relationship Michigan State needs a fundraiser and a face of the athletic department so why not tab one of the two guys that have been the most prominent faces of Spartan athletics over the last three decades While this would make more sense for Dantonio over Izzo which could prompt him to want to do more in the athletic department Guskiewicz could use one of his most prominent faces in a headliner role while naming another internal candidate that could serve as a co-AD in more of a technical nature The lone candidate on the list that does not have athletic director experience Balk is a longtime personal friend of Guskiewicz; the two spent their childhood together Balk went on to get his law degree and spent 11 years as the chief development officer at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott He left his legal career behind in 2024 to follow Guskiewicz to MSU and become the senior advisor to the president on strategy and operational excellence Guskiewicz could turn to one of his most trusted companions Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on X @Cory_Linsner By Wells FosterPublished: May 2025 at 12:33 PM EDT|Updated: 16 hours agoEmail This LinkShare on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInEAST LANSING (WILX) - Michigan State University is facing financial trouble and its president says the school will need to “adjust [its] financial path.” President Kevin Guskiewicz sent a letter to the Spartan community Monday morning, saying the University has reached the “difficult conclusion that we [MSU] must adjust our financial path.” The President cited federal funding shakeups as a major reason for the change in financial direction federal changes are compounding our existing financial challenges including our ongoing efforts to balance the university’s budget,” Guskiewicz said in the letter “Over the past few years, we — like other peer universities, companies and organizations — have faced some difficult financial headwinds, with rising health care costs being of particular concern. As I shared at the beginning of my tenure I have made it a top priority to comprehensively assess our challenges and ensure our financial health.” Guskiewicz said university leaders will examine MSU’s finances in a “three-horizon time frame.” we have carefully reviewed college and unit budgets nonpersonnel expenses and enrollment trends/projections we have been evaluating our options for setting our annual budget this June Guskiewicz did not share specifics on what the changes would be but did say “hard decisions” would be made “The next few months of financial planning will be demanding and difficult for some in our community and we will need to make hard decisions that will impact people we care about,” the letter states Guskiewicz ended the letter saying the University would provide more information in a “timely manner.” The announcement came the Monday after 10,000 Spartans walked across the graduation stage Subscribe to our News 10 newsletter and YouTube page to receive the latest local news and weather. Looking to hire people, or grow your business through advertising? Gray Digital Media is your one-stop marketing solution. Learn more we wrapped up an eventful academic year topped off with the graduation of more than 10,000 Spartans into the world to make their mark with every one of you contributing to make it possible I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together over my first full academic year at Michigan State launched several initiatives to make MSU an even greater talent activator including forming the Green and White Council to help us better prepare our students to meet workforce needs We continue to make Michigan State more accessible and welcoming from strengthening our partnership with Lansing Community College to working to create our First-Gen Center We have also bolstered our commitment to outreach deepening our engagement in the communities we serve as we navigated federal policies and directives that undercut our ability to advance our land-grant mission and continue essential research projects that make life better I want to acknowledge the continued dedication resilience and excellence you all bring to your work every day Your contributions drive our mission forward — in classrooms labs and student support offices; in our administrative units in every building; and by those who keep our campus safe I have made it a top priority to comprehensively assess our challenges and ensure our financial health I have looked closely at our budget model and the state’s appropriations formula and have examined stress points available reserves and forecasted operating budget trends With federal impacts exacerbating our financial situation, and as shared this spring I have also worked with university leaders to examine our finances through a three-horizon timeframe medium- and long-term efficiencies and savings we have reached the difficult conclusion that we must adjust our financial path Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Lisa Frace and her team will share with unit leaders needed action steps and appropriate measures to put the university back on a healthy financial track The next few months of financial planning will be demanding and difficult for some in our community and we will need to make hard decisions that will impact people we care about Our goal has been — and will be — to do our best to support our people while making the necessary strategic decisions for the long-term success of Michigan State University I know this letter may raise questions and concerns Please know that you will hear more from your college and unit leaders in the weeks ahead as we work to provide timely information to our university community and forge a stronger MSU Michigan State football is losing one of its top sack leaders from last year to a fellow Big Ten team Former Michigan State edge rusher Anthony Jones announced his commitment to UCLA via the transfer portal on Thursday. Jones entered the spring transfer portal after playing one season for the Spartans -- he transferred from Indiana last year Jones appeared in all 12 games for the Spartans in 2024 where he recorded 25 total tackles (four for loss) and two sacks during the 2024 season His two sacks would have been the highest of any returning player from Michigan State's 2024 roster This is the third straight season that Jones has entered the transfer portal He started his career at Oregon in 2022 before transferring to Indiana for the 2023 season He then transferred to Michigan State during last year's winter transfer portal Jones is one of two Spartans that entered the portal this spring and landed on another Big Ten team. Former starting safety Dillon Tatum announced his commitment to Northwestern this week as well Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5 as they extended an offer to in-state 2027 wide receiver Charles Britton III out of Belleville This is a recruit with tremendous projectability and upside in the next few years Britton announced the offer on social media last month Britton is entering his junior season at Belleville a school that won back-to-back Michigan High School state championships in 2021-22 Britton was not on those teams but has constantly been surrounded by elite talent such as Michigan Wolverines five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood In his sophomore season in 2024, Britton balled out, helping the Tigers to a 10-2 record, but losing in the Regional Final to Detroit Catholic Central. In 11 games last year, Britton recorded 39 receptions for 809 receiving yards and three touchdowns, per MaxPreps there is a ton of talent and potential in a guy like Britton Britton may be a tad bit undersized at the moment but has two full years of high school ball left to grow to a Division-I talent Britton has already brought in 17 total offers with several elite programs throwing their hats in the ring and Missouri are among some of the top teams but the Michigan Wolverines likely have a strong upper hand considering they already have Britton's former teammate The Wolverines already pulled in Belleville's 2025 four-star safety Elijah Dotson partially due to the fact that Underwood made a huge splash committing to Michigan Belleville has quickly turned into a feeder for the Wolverines and Michigan State has to do its best to combat that issue for them Many schools are scheduling visits for Britton to get on campus to make their pitch and the Spartans will need a higher sense of urgency to do the same It has been long enough that Michigan State has lost big-time recruits to other programs and must find a way to right the ship in the coming years TOM CAVANAUGH The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER At a recent Michigan State University Board of Trustees meeting the institution’s overseers promptly approved a peculiar agreement.  Associate professor of biochemistry Erik Martinez-Hackert would receive tens of thousands in federal grant funding to serve as the "principal investigator" on a research collaboration between the university and the for-profit That means he was working in his MSU capacity to develop a biomedical technology his private company could one day profit from It was far from the only time that Martinez-Hackert had requested approval for an agreement between his employer and his private company He’s sought the board’s blessing on seven since 2016 which is required by law and university policy to approve such arrangements the board has signed off on every single conflict of interest agreement presented to it the board has approved at least $24 million in contracts between the university and private entities tied to employees the deals were approved by a unanimous vote with no discussion The board chair and an involved administrator defended the process saying the entanglements with employee-owned companies are mutually beneficial and adequately supervised Experts on conflicts of interest said oversight of such agreements is crucial given that in public-private partnerships between universities and private companies the latter often gets the sweeter end of the deal.  A junior MSU trustee said he wants to learn more about the university’s process to make sure it's safeguarding against that dynamic said the ambitious newcomer won’t get far.  Some of the agreements voted on by the board are simple transactions they might assert that a conflict is justified because there isn't another way to do the deal or even that MSU is getting some sort of discount thanks to the relationships at play the university was looking to purchase a special type of English Horn Documents presented to the board say there were only two suppliers in the world: One was in Germany and the other was a local firm owned by a professor in the College of Music The professor ultimately agreed to sell MSU a horn for $8,800 despite the ostensive conflict of interests.  like when the board approved an employee’s request that his wife’s editing company be paid $2,260 to edit a handbook he was working on; or when a film professor got MSU to pay his son over $6,000 to draw storyboards for "key scenes" in a movie he was working on; or when an MSU farm manager once spent almost $20,000 in university funds to buy bales of straw from his brother None of those contracts mentioned a discount for the university or explained the necessity of contracting a family member Those rather straightforward arrangements represent a small portion of the deals that come before the board.  The majority are far more complicated scientific research projects where work and rewards are split between the university and private entities Some such agreements see money flow through MSU and then to a private company.  Martinez-Hackert’s deal is an example: A copy of his "conflict management plan" obtained by The State News though a public records request shows he applied for a federal grant through the Small Business Innovation Research initiative, which intends to help startups develop new technologies and "chart a path toward commercialization," and was established under the Reagan administration universities are often brought into the fold as subcontractors as was the case with MSU and Advertent Biotherapeutics.  Specifically, MSU was given $32,241 by the National Institutes of Health to provide the services to Advertent of producing, purifying and testing a novel protein that aims to prevent muscle degeneration. Bringing to market "therapies" that do just that is the goal of Martinez-Hackert’s company, according to its webpage.  The “principal investigator” tasked with performing that work at MSU he was developing a protein as part of his work at MSU then the "contract research organization" Myologica would test it on animals and then Advertent would analyze the data from those tests to measure its efficacy The conflict management plan stipulates that Hackert in his capacity as Advertent's "Chief Science Officer," would not be involved in analyzing that data but would receive "reports summarizing the results." It wasn’t the only time money flowed from MSU to an employee’s organization.  the most expensive agreement that the board has approved in the last 10 years was one such arrangement MSU sub-awarded more than $10 million of a U.S Department of Commerce grant intended to expand internet access across Michigan to Merit Network according to the board resolution approving the agreement MSU’s then-executive vice president for administration was also the chair of Merit Network’s board of directors.  where money flows through MSU to an employee’s organization What’s far more common are deals where money flows the other direction — from faculty members’ private companies to MSU Sometimes these arrangements involve an employee essentially paying the university to let them do work for their company in university labs or with MSU colleagues an employee's company will pay MSU for someone else at the university to do work for the company.  Both arrangements have been used by the diamond and crystal companies owned by electrical and computer engineering professor Timothy Grotjohn who has had 16 conflict of interest disclosures approved by the board over the last 10 years (Grotjohn did not respond to emails from The State News.) Grotjohn wore both hats: His company subcontracted $80,000 of a U.S Navy award to the university for assistance and then Grotjohn and a colleague carried out that work in their capacity as university employees according to contracts presented to the board A 2020 arrangement employed the other structure Grotjohn's company — Great Lakes Crystal Technologies — paid MSU to "develop a preliminary design" for new semiconductor technology Board documents stipulated that he would be kept out of that work and a different faculty member in his department would do it Experts on conflicts of interest have broad concerns about the implications of public-private partnerships in university research.  "There’s a lot of money to be made in trying to save lives and there’s a lot of harm that can happen when you have a financial interest," said Laura Schmidt a professor at the University of California who studies research conflicts of interest Financially interested parties can point to universities’ involvement in public-private research partnerships as suggesting a level of legitimacy and neutrality that can obfuscate the truth: Companies’ end goal in these agreements is to turn a profit from their discoveries a researcher of research ethics at the University of Colorado and an MSU alumnus argued that in public-private partnerships private companies often stand to gain more than universities That’s because while companies get the advantage of being able to claim an "impartial the universities’ only real gain is the revenue generated While that may be a permissible arrangement in some cases she said it’s important to ensure fee-for-service work doesn’t "detract from the universities’ functioning in any other way." Bero who has worked on conflict review committees She pointed to a case where a postdoctoral student conducting research was removed from a university lab so that a company could put a different postdoctoral student in the lab to perform testing on its behalf.  Bero has seen private companies' interests take higher priority than the university’s academic ones in more explicit ways She explained that when university researchers are contracted to perform testing for companies they often have to sign confidentiality agreements which can inhibit them from publishing research findings that overlap with the testing’s subject matter "That then gets into the whole issue of academic freedom and inhibiting somebody's career." robust conflict management plans and policies are a must for universities The National Institutes of Health’s guidelines are “still quite lenient,” Bero said she pointed to the NIH’s allowance of investigators having outside financial interests as well as the vague provision that there must be "adequate separation" between their activities funded by NIH and their commercial interests.  the prevalence of conflict of interest disclosures in MSU research holds with a broader trend across academia ProPublica reported that from 2012 through 2019 health researchers receiving federal grant funding reported more than 8,000 "significant" financial conflicts of interest has flubbed disclosing to journals his ties to companies whose commercial interests overlap with the research’s subject matter "Because these projects spanned extended periods and my involvement was relatively minor I unfortunately failed to update my disclosures at the time of publication," said Martinez-Hackert who also maintained that he contributed to the papers before his company was founded senior or first authors handle disclosure requests during manuscript preparation they did not request this information from me I should have communicated my disclosures regardless." Martinez-Hackert broadly argues the benefit of his involvement in public-private partnerships between MSU He said the "robust" oversight of MSU paired with his personal ethics prevent his competing interests from compromising the work and that such collaborations "bridge the gap between academic discovery and real-world impact." He's not the only one to offer a competing argument suggesting that these agreements benefit the university and the review process ensures that the university is usually getting a good deal a longtime professor and administrator in the College of Engineering who serves on the faculty committee that reviews agreements containing conflicts the benefits are there no matter which way the money flows. If MSU is paying a company for something it’s usually because that company has something MSU needs or can do something the university can’t If a company is paying MSU to do something he said that generates revenue the university can use for other things Voice also espoused a greater societal benefit to MSU’s financial involvement with these companies describing the deals as a way to make the work of university researchers materially beneficial to people a private company needs to bring it into the marketplace so people can use it we can get them into the marketplace," he said we don’t consider that part of our mission We consider it part of the MSU mission to benefit the public good." Issues could arise from the relationships between the university and private companies he insisted that the review process at MSU mitigates that risk Issues are handled through "conflict management plans," which establish firewalls and guardrails for employees working around conflicts Most conflicts are first resolved without going through the formal process Faculty can talk to their department chairs and deans and handle things within their college faculty do fill out forms to escalate the issue to the university’s Conflict Disclosures and Management staff in the Office of Research Regulatory Support Administrators in that office handle most agreements The rest are then elevated to the faculty committee Voice sits on He said they come from a diverse set of disciplines in various colleges and often bring in subject-matter experts to help them best understand the complex research agreements The university’s board then reviews some of those arrangements as state laws require only that they examine agreements where an MSU employee holds a financial interest in a company doing business with the university Trustee Mike Balow said that since he joined the board in January members have never challenged any of the conflict disclosures that administrators present for approval Balow said trustees' relative disinterest on the matter is borne out of a trust in the robustness of the process before it crosses to their desk though he hasn’t "been given any reason to get aggressive on it," Balow said he "wouldn’t rule it out one day." if he suspects companies are getting more out of a public-private partnership than MSU.  "It’s nice when private companies want to pay MSU to do research — my argument there is it has to be market transaction "The private company shouldn’t take advantage of MSU to be like 'well I shouldn’t have to invest in my own laboratories because I’ll just use MSU’s for super cheap.'" we’re going to charge you a fair market price because our lab’s time Former Trustee Pat O’Keefe said he once tried to make the board more closely involved in oversight of the conflict agreements but faced pushback from the administration and faculty The board is an elected group of professionals hailing mainly from business and law They don’t have backgrounds in scientific research let alone the highly technical matters at hand in many of the agreements Without subject matter experts like those available to the faculty committee O’Keefe said the board was often out of its depth and unable to truly evaluate the arrangements He also questioned what exactly each researcher’s financial interests were in the involved companies The agreements presented to the board only say if an employee’s ownership in a company is "greater than 1%." ‘they have a financial interest,’ but I need to know more," O’Keefe said When he raised questions about the deals in meetings of the board’s Audit O’Keefe said administrators didn’t know the answers or declined to provide them O’Keefe never once voted against approving a conflict agreement O’Keefe said doing so would have isolated him from the other trustees the rubber-stamp approval of conflicts was part of a broader pattern with faculty and administrators saying the board was overstepping when it sought to provide what he deems necessary oversight He made a similar argument amid his dramatic resignation from the board in 2022 "The administration never wanted to be questioned by the board," O’Keefe said and now the faculty senate is down your throat." but worries how long the new trustee’s hawkishness will last the more he felt unwelcome among the board and administration what a lonely place that is in the boardroom," O’Keefe said board chair Kelly Tebay defended the board’s current handling of the agreements saying trustees "take seriously our role in this process and are committed to vigorous and appropriate oversight." After the board approved Martinez-Hackert’s most recent agreement at its February meeting The State News asked Tebay why the board chose to allow the deal which included the professor working at MSU on a technology his private company could one day profit from She said she wasn't familiar with the deal which she voted to approve just an hour before adding that she’s "not sure what conversations they had." 6at7Oregon Photo by: Erica LeeSoftball Battles Till End in Season Finale at #3 Oregon5/4/2025 6:40:00 PM | Softball Photo by: Emily MartinEastern Sprints Another Showcase For Improving Crews5/4/2025 5:32:00 PM | Women's Rowing The building is located on 426 Auditorium Rd Michigan State University has dissolved the Neighborhood Student Success Collaborative (NSSC) after a year-long internal review found its functions had been absorbed by other student support offices across campus The closure took effect April 17 and included layoff notices for NSSC staff Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education Mark Largent said the NSSC was originally created in 2009 to foster collaboration between academic and student affairs particularly through its work in Neighborhood Engagement Centers MSU has developed more robust and centralized student support systems making the collaborative redundant “The goal from the start was that the NSSC would start the work draw the university’s attention to the necessity of doing that work “This is not to say that the work that (NSSC) has long been doing or promoting isn't important It has taken on centrality in most of what happens in the colleges with student affairs and with academic affairs in general.” Largent emphasized that no student-facing services housed within the Neighborhood Engagement Centers—such as CAPS identity-conscious programming or career services—are being shut down the functions that have gone on in those spaces still continue,” he said The decision to phase out the NSSC followed a review process involving Largent Assistant Dean Genyne Royal and former NSSC leaders “We found that the work that had been originally done in and led by the NSSC really has taken off and has been very successful,” Largent said He pointed to several newer or expanded initiatives that now carry forward much of NSSC’s mission, including University Advising—a centralized unit offering academic guidance across colleges—and the Multicultural Center.  He also referenced cohort-based programs like TRIO Student Support Services Dow STEM Scholars and the Vanderploeg First Generation Leadership Program all of which support students from underserved and first-generation backgrounds through academic guidance and mentorship once managed by a single staff member within NSSC is now handled by a team of four in undergraduate education as well as staff in student affairs and the Office of Institutional Research.  “It’s much larger and better resourced,” Largent said While student support remains a high priority Largent noted that student behavior has shifted post-pandemic and that demand for services inside residential neighborhoods has declined.  “The uptake of services in those residence hall spaces really never came back after COVID-19,” he said MSU is planning to open a new centralized Student Services with “Spartan One-Stop" on the first floor of the Hannah Administration Building this fall consolidating administrative support such as financial aid Largent said this change reflects a broader effort to meet students “where they are” in how they access services “More student support is always better than less student support,” Largent said what is the best way to arrange it and organize it and make it available to students?” Though specific details regarding staff transitions were not provided Largent emphasized the institutional impact the NSSC had.  “We’re national leaders in student support and student success because of the collaboration we learned how to do through the creation and operation of the NSSC,” he said “The NSSC really changed the institution for the better.” Share and discuss “MSU retires Student Success Collaborative as student needs evolve” on social media Michigan State University’s College of Engineering unveiled a new undergraduate technology engineering program serving as the college’s latest response to industry demand for practice-ready engineers “Technology engineering is a new engineering discipline and MSU is leading the way with this,” Janet Brelin-Fornari “While students have the core of choosing a concentration they can mix it with the new Smart Agricultural Systems minor and they can take the courses in that track as well to fulfill that,” Brelin-Fornari said “The industry has been so excited to get their hands on these engineers.” The new program will include courses in hardware cybersecurity robotics and automation and controls with the goal to "leverage hands-on real-world projects that integrate cutting-edge technologies with a strong foundational engineering mindset," the release says Brelin-Fornari said that with the engineering field rapidly changing due to advanced technology MSU has created the curriculum addressing the changes to make students “career-ready engineers.” “The students have a set of foundational courses that they have to take,” Brelin-Fornari said digital logic to understand what’s going on inside of a chip and the computer side.” With the skills and knowledge students can learn Brelin-Fornari said the program is designed to be hands-on “You need to know and understand the theory a big part of what we do is to apply that theory—but the theory needs to come to life,” Brelin-Fornari said we have hands-on opportunities in most of the courses within Technology Engineering.” The TechE degree program’s first graduating class is expected in fall 2026, with incoming students learning more about the program during New Student Orientation. Students can find more information on the Technology Engineering program through the College of Engineering’s website Share and discuss “MSU College of Engineering unveils new technology engineering degree program” on social media The college of Natural Sciences held its commencements ceremony in the Breslin Center on May 3 Amid the sound of the live wind symphony and the familiar call of “Go Green,” hundreds of College of Natural Science students crossed the Breslin Center stage Saturday afternoon closing one chapter of their academic journey and stepping into the next The commencement began with a welcome speech from Dean Eric Hegg their loved ones and the years of work it took to reach this moment “Today's ceremony represents the culmination of discipline intellectual work and creative imagination certainly no small accomplishment for many of you and your families here today,” Hegg said the degrees you have earned acknowledge your success and honors those who have encouraged it." a graduate nominated to speak on behalf of the class of 2025 he reflected on the transformation that happens over time—often quietly and with the support of others He credited the community around him for making those moments of growth possible.  reassuring us through our doubts and reminding us just how capable we were,” he said.  Abdel compared graduates to totipotent stem cells—blank slates with the potential to become anything in botany and plant pathology from MSU in 1973 urged graduates to use their scientific knowledge not only for innovation but for societal good Beachy acknowledged challenges facing science today—citing federal funding cuts and public skepticism—and called on the graduating class to be both informed professionals and active citizens.  He encouraged students to find purpose in their careers or beginning your own enterprise,” he said and bring that joy to the job every single day.” Among the crowd of graduating seniors were students who reflected on the years of hard work and sacrifice that got them to this moment.  who graduated in statistics with a minor in data science the day marked both a personal achievement and a launching point.  I have the knowledge to do something with it—to make an impact,” he said.  He’ll soon be flying to India for a data science internship where he’ll train in coding and project development he’s interested in socially focused data work like using analytics to study redlining and inequality Fellow statistics graduate Beau Belkowski said he was most proud of his consistency over the last four years Staying on top of his game all the way through four years of college was a challenge Belkowski will be returning to MSU this fall to pursue a master’s degree in data science.  said this day was one of the best of his life.  “I’m just glad I could be here with my best friends and my family,” he said “Just staying true to myself and making sure I came through it—I’m proud of that.” described a bittersweet feeling as she walked across the stage “It’s exciting because we did what we were supposed to do “I’ve made such good connections with people around me They’ve been with me for the past four years.” the moment held deep meaning as a first-generation college graduate Share and discuss “MSU graduates celebrate at spring 2025 commencement” on social media — Michigan State men’s tennis team fell to Mississippi State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday ending the Spartans season in the Round of 32 for the second straight year beat North Alabama in the first round on Friday This was MSU’s third NCAA tournament appearance all-time Mississippi State (23-5) advances to next week’s NCAA Super Regionals The Bulldogs took the doubles point after a back-and-forth battle on all three courts A 6-4 win for top-ranked Petar Jovanovic and Benito Sanchez at No 1 doubles over MSU junior Ozan Baris and freshman Matthew Forbes gave the Bulldogs an early advantage with both freshman Danial Rakhmatullayev and redshirt-sophomore Aristotelis Thanos and the brother duo of senior Max and freshman Mitchell Sheldon battling to 6-6 contests to head to tiebreaks Max and Mitchell Sheldon evened up the doubles battle with a 7-6 (4) tiebreak win at No moving Max Sheldon’s all-time combined wins total to 170 Rakhmatullayev and Thanos suffered a narrow defeat in their tiebreak falling 7-6 (6) to the Bulldogs’ 60th-ranked team of Nicolo Baroni and Benito Sanchez Martinez as Mississippi State took a 1-0 lead and Bryan Hernandez Cortes picking up a 6-3 forcing third sets in all three remaining singles matches The respective head coaches were very familiar with each other as Bulldogs’ head coach Matt Roberts was an assistant at Michigan State from 2009-2012 under former Spartan head coach Gene Orlando including during MSU coach Harry Jadun’s freshman season in East Lansing in 2012 Rakhmatullayev/Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) 7-6 (8-6) Dusan Milanovic/Michal Novansky (STATE) 7-6 (7-4) 0at4No Photo by: Emily MartinMen’s Tennis Concludes Season In NCAA Second Round In Loss To No 12 Mississippi State5/3/2025 11:17:00 PM | Men's Tennis 22 Spartans defeated by 12th-ranked Bulldogs after lengthy weather delay your Grand Ledge and Delta Township Neighborhood reporter — Thousands of Spartans walked into the Breslin Center on Saturday—getting their diplomas and reflecting on their years here at Michigan State University (The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story) It feels like a long time coming,” said Jaeda Loving Graduates like Loving were joined by family to celebrate they motivated me to go and do the same thing and we are a family—a Spartan family,” Loving said And a Spartan family is something that Ella Krause can echo Krause reflects back on her years and the times she’s overcome while in college “My freshman year started with a little bit of COVID stuff but we made it through—made some good friends by joining some organizations,” she said While plenty of graduates are from Michigan or nearby some came a long way and are the first Spartans in their family D.C.—really nice for them to come out,” said Nolan Thornell Thornell found the Spartan community after visiting campus And for incoming freshmen making the same choice as these graduates we thought we had all the time in the world Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website. For more news about MSU, go to the MSU Campus neighborhood page on our website. Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook solo shots by Jacob Walsh and Anson Arroz to overwhelm the Spartans 13-5 at Kobs Field in East Lansing Saturday afternoon Oregon pounded out 18 hits with two home runs by Mason Neville After putting up a string of zeroes Friday night, they scored in every inning but the second and third. For Neville, his pair of two-run blasts give him 23 on the year, tops in NCAA D-1 baseball. Starter Collin Clarke gave the Ducks six innings on the mound, four runs, three earned. He struck out five, walked two and allowed five hits. Most importantly, he settled down to pitch a scoreless 4th, 5th and 6th after MSU tied the game 4-4 in the 3rd.Oregon scored four runs on four hits in the top of the first, sending nine men to the plate then Hellman doubled down the left field line Drew Smith singled to left center to score Neville then stole second Burke-Lee Mabeus and Ryan Cooney followed with RBI singles Bats waking up today. https://t.co/ecOvb4ZAHU Collin Clarke walked the leadoff hitter in the first but the reliable double play combination of Molony to Cooney to Walsh erased the threat B1 | @Collin15Clarke works around a leadoff walk. Picks up first K and then gets out of it with a double play. #GoDucks Oregon 4Michigan State 0 pic.twitter.com/wLcfxLDzIe Michigan State tied the score with two-run rallies in the second and third Hot-hitting Ryan Cooney singled to center to lead off the fifth Chase Garate sent him to third with a perfectly-executed hit-and-run a single to right center to put runners on the corners That chased the Spartan starting pitcher Farquhar The reliever Viebrock gifted the Ducks a run by overthrowing first on a comebacker to the mound A slow roller to the mound scored Chase Garate for a 6-4 lead and an RBI for Hellman With the infield in Walsh bounced to second but the Spartans threw home to cut down Mason Neville for the second out A walk and an infield single loaded the bases but Maddox Molony flied out to left Clarke set Michigan State down in order in the fourth Ryan Cooney led off the fifth with a double up the berm in right Two outs later Mason Neville extended Oregon's lead to 8-4 with his NCAA-leading 22nd home run T5 | 𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐈𝐭!@masonneville_ hits one into the river. 2-run shot. #GoDucks Oregon 8Michigan State 4 pic.twitter.com/ERLWppY0zQ Clarke got the first two outs of the fifth on groundouts staying poised after Cooney bobbled a tough chance to induce a first-pitch popup to short his second inning scoreless since losing and then regaining the lead Jacob Walsh sent the first pitch he saw into the trees beyond the right field fence 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝Walsh follows Neville's lead and deposits one in the Red Cedar River. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/KyWZDXcyVc The Ducks practiced for playoff baseball in the seventh manufacturing a run on an infield single by Mabeus who stole second and went to third on a long fly ball to right by Cooney Chase Garate laid down a squeeze bunt to score him for a 10-4 bulge T7 | Carter Garate executes the perfect squeeze bunt. #GoDucks Oregon 10Michigan State 4 pic.twitter.com/QSYp87tLeF a fielder's choice and a groundout to second ended the inning the Ducks trading a run for three outs as the had the Spartans doubled up 10-5 with six outs to go Anson Arroz bashed a solo home run in the top of the 8th In the Spartan half they scratched out two singles but Umlandt shut the door with two ground balls each good for a fielder's choice followed by a flyout to end the inning The Pride of Sherwood has been a solid contributor in a versatile role for Mark Wasikowski Today's stint brought his season ERA to 2.08 © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands ","https://fansided.com/",{"alt":"6w","src":"6x","url":"6y"},{"type":"6v","value":"6z"},"link","Minute Media","https://www.minutemedia.com/",{"text":"72","url":"73"},{"type":"71","value":"74"},"All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands He has previously written for Duck Sports Authority and Athlon Sports where he covered 15 recruiting classes After putting up a string of zeroes Friday night, they scored in every inning but the second and third. For Neville, his pair of two-run blasts give him 23 on the year, tops in NCAA D-1 baseball. Starter Collin Clarke gave the Ducks six innings on the mound, four runs, three earned. He struck out five, walked two and allowed five hits. Most importantly, he settled down to pitch a scoreless 4th, 5th and 6th after MSU tied the game 4-4 in the 3rd.Oregon scored four runs on four hits in the top of the first, sending nine men to the plate Bats waking up today. https://t.co/ecOvb4ZAHU B1 | @Collin15Clarke works around a leadoff walk. Picks up first K and then gets out of it with a double play. #GoDucks Oregon 4Michigan State 0 pic.twitter.com/wLcfxLDzIe T5 | 𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐈𝐭!@masonneville_ hits one into the river. 2-run shot. #GoDucks Oregon 8Michigan State 4 pic.twitter.com/ERLWppY0zQ 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝Walsh follows Neville's lead and deposits one in the Red Cedar River. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/KyWZDXcyVc T7 | Carter Garate executes the perfect squeeze bunt. #GoDucks Oregon 10Michigan State 4 pic.twitter.com/QSYp87tLeF 6at4Oregon Photo by: Erica LeeSoftball Grounds #3 Oregon in Series Opener5/3/2025 12:30:00 AM | Softball Kaelin Cash sends on off the light post in left, a no doubter gives us a 1-0 lead!#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/J4FKCJsuBj Sydney Doloszycki clears the bases with a three RBI double to center! We lead 5-0 in the second over #3 Oregon!#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/cEACbqAWzr Academics reporter Hannah Locke joins the show to discuss federal threats to MSU research from U.S who spearheaded a database in October 2024 which flagged more than 3,400 grants funded by the NSF that "promoted Diversity and Inclusion (DEI) or advanced neo-Marxist class warfare propaganda."   Share and discuss “The 1909: MSU professors on research hit-list” on social media EAST LANSING — Caleb Shermoe fell backward, hit his head on the pavement and died after being punched in the face during an altercation outside a restaurant in January a judge ruled there was enough evidence for the man who punched him to proceed toward trial on an involuntary manslaughter charge Evidence presented in a preliminary hearing indicated David Gaines Jr. Shermoe fell backward and hit his head on the pavement outside Raising Cane's on East Grand River Avenue in East Lansing Shermoe died several days later from blunt force trauma 18 altercation were visible on video presented in court by Ingham County Prosecutor John Dewane A video shot by a bystander showed Gaines lunging toward Shermoe and punching him in the face MORE: Ex-LPD Lt. who mowed lawns on city time sentenced; concerns raised over ‘lack of remorse’ Dewane argued that Gaines was the aggressor and assaulted Shermoe twice first by shoving him and then by punching him about 30 seconds later Gaines also told people around him to turn off their phones and said he was going to "knock him out," before the punch was thrown Defense attorney Dustyn Coontz described Shermoe's death as a tragedy but suggested Gaines was acting in self-defense and couldn't have foreseen that punching Shermoe would lead to his death He said Shermoe was highly intoxicated and was acting aggressively 54B District Judge Molly Hennessey Greenwalt disagreed saying Gaines "traveled a significant distance Any self-defense argument is for a jury to consider Coontz said Shermoe's death was a tragedy but didn't necessarily result from a criminal act and we look forward to a jury being able to weigh all of the evidence Gaines is free on bond as the case moves to Ingham County Circuit Court Involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison upon conviction Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLANSING (WILX) - The man accused of fatally attacking a Fowlerville man will stand trial the Ingham County Prosecutor’s office told News 10 faces one count of involuntary manslaughter for an assault in January that led to the death of a 20-year-old from Fowlerville Gaines assaulted 20-year-old Caleb Shermoe outside of an East Lansing restaurant on the 300 block E Grand River Ave just before 1:30 a.m Shermoe would be taken to U of M Health Sparrow for his injuries The case was bound over to the Circuit Court on Thursday READ MORE: Lansing man facing charges for death of Fowlerville man in East Lansing assault More than 1.4 billion Catholics are mourning the death of Pope Francis the 266th leader of the Roman Catholic Church.  ELi spoke with two leaders of East Lansing’s St They discussed the impact Francis had on the 2,000-year-old church and their thoughts on the future of the faith “He was a bit of a dark horse in the last conclave,” said Father Gordon Reigle “I wasn’t aware of him until he came out as pope He was the first Latin American pope [which was] a beautiful thing to have someone from the southern hemisphere Reigle has been in the priesthood for 20 years and a pastor in East Lansing for nearly seven “The Lord always sends whoever you need at the time,” he said We had two huge theologians back-to-back [and Francis] was a non-theologian He had a much more informal style which appealed to a lot of people and maybe connected in ways the predecessors didn’t.” Father Riley O’Shea is the Parochial Vicar of the parish and is one of those who felt connected to the pontiff “Pope Francis has always kind of been the pope,” O’Shea said “I remember when he was elected [because] I was in college That was about [the time] I started considering the priesthood “Just having someone who is this model of servant leadership He could have basically anything he wanted as a pope and just realizing [that] he was not self-seeking but rather self-giving.” When asked to describe the works of Francis’s papacy O’Shea highlighted his ability to build bridges with other faith communities “He wanted to see unity amongst not only Christians but amongst everyone really.” the media began speculating about the next man to sit in the seat of Saint Peter ELi asked Reigle and O’Shea to contemplate the future “I don’t know what tomorrow brings,” Reigle said “We have an unstable world and you don’t know what is going to erupt next What a brilliant surprise to have a Polish pope You needed someone who grew up under Communism to battle Communism And that’s what he did in a bloodless coup.” He said that most popes over the last 2,000 years had been from the Italian peninsula or Central Europe “may the Lord give you the person you need You don’t know what the great pastoral challenges will be.” O’Shea is looking for qualities similar to those held by Francis “Certainly someone who’s [a] servant leader,” he said “We [don’t] need people who are in it for themselves but are seeking the greater good of the church and of the world Someone who’s unabashedly proclaiming the Gospel “Pope Francis certainly was a man of the Gospel He preached the Gospel of Christ and we need someone who doesn’t shy away from the truth of the Gospel; someone who’s very clearly articulating what the truth of the gospel is and the truths of the faith.” Reigle and O’Shea are both unsure about who the next pope will be.  “I don’t claim to have a forecast of vision,” O’Shea said 33 people in East Lansing become Catholic at our Easter Vigil Just welcoming them into the Catholic Church…that was quite a privilege to usher them in through the sacrament of baptism.” “Recently in the news,” Reigle said, “the Catholic Church reached the mark of 1.4 billion [members] We’re starting to see people in the younger generation…there’s an aimlessness that Gen Z and the late millennials are struggling with They’re looking for something to give them truth and meaning DONATE NOW! Get our E-mail Newsletters Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Threads Subscribe via RSS Subscribing to an RSS feed requires an RSS browser plugin or the use of a news aggregator app or website This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The Spartans and Blue Devils have had many battles over the years in the Champions Classic and NCAA Tournament Michigan State welcomed Duke for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in a heavyweight bout between ranked opponents The Spartans got the best of the Blue Devils the season prior This shocking victory ended the season for Duke which featured one of its most stacked rosters of all time with top recruits Zion Williamson The Blue Devils set their sights on avenging their loss from the season prior and got out to a hot start Mike Krzyzewski’s squad took a 16-point lead into halftime dominating the turnover margin and leading the points-off-turnovers battle 12-4 in the first 20 minutes Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo made adjustments to cut the deficit to single digits in the second half The Blue Devils’ best players rose to the occasion against the Spartans Duke guard Tre Jones played all 40 minutes of the game Izzo and Kzyzrewski squared off on two occasions after this game Coach K ended his career with the advantage over Izzo Michigan State fell to 5-3 after the loss but rebounded well to close the regular season 17-6 and clinched a share of the Big Ten Championship the Spartans were never able to get a chance at putting together the national title run many had thought they would as there was no postseason held in 2020 due to COVID-19 TIM MARSHALL one curiosity lingered as I waited for U.S How this weekly miracle comes out every week — and has done so since 2001 — is a tribute to the folks on this page and the many who came before them I’m glad to contribute a few tricks I’ve learned from 55 years in journalism all over the map EAST LANSING — A construction worker fell approximately 40 feet from US-127 near Trowbridge Road on April 28 when the beam he was cutting broke loose and the beam landed on him,” city spokesperson Carrie Sampson said in an email which mentioned that the worker had fallen to railroad tracks below the highway She said the East Lansing Fire Department received a call about the incident at about noon Monday “We don’t currently have any additional information about his injuries,” Sampson said The Michigan Department of Transportation is rebuilding US 127 in a multi-year project from Interstate 69 in southern Clinton County south to the southern Ingham County line An MDOT spokesperson did not return messages from the State Journal about the incident Phase 2 of the rebuild began this year between Interstates 96 and 496 Crews are rebuilding the southbound lanes of the freeway along the 3½-mile stretch between the two interstates essentially mirroring what they did last year on the northbound side Contact editor Susan Vela at svela@lsj.com or 248-873-7044 Since shortly after the East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Commission (ELIPOC) was formed in 2021 the presence of a rift between ELIPOC members and the police department they oversee has been evident ELPD and ELIPOC have had disagreements over police officers’ handling of particular incidents, interpretation of police policies and access ELIPOC should have to resources like body-worn camera footage.  However, a recommendation made by CNA a nonprofit research and analysis corporation contracted by the city said that relations between ELPD and ELIPOC should be improved Leaders from both ELIPOC and ELPD have previously said they wish to improve relations between the two bodies.  But recently, ELIPOC Chair Ernest Conerly wrote an email to City Manager Robert Belleman raising concerns about Interim Police Chief Jen Brown’s behavior at a meeting earlier this year Brown said she thinks some members of the commission “hate cops.” Meanwhile commissioners continue to question ELPD leaders’ evaluation of the department’s own policies and willingness to hold officers accountable The discussion at the March 5 meeting centered around two different incidents: A joke made by an ELPD officer to another officer that the commission views as “hate speech” and an officer’s treatment of a man who may have a disability during a traffic stop.  ELPD and ELIPOC disagree about policy evaluation in incident where officer arrested man who may have a disability.  ELIPOC disagreed with the outcome of a complaint investigation by ELPD who was investigated for possibly violating the policy on interacting with people who have mental illnesses/disabilities during a traffic stop in March 2024.  a man was pulled over for talking on his cell phone while driving and failing to yield at a four way intersection Kingsbury initially believed the man was under the influence of alcohol registration and insurance after being given the opportunity The man was handcuffed and arrested within five minutes of the start of the interaction After being arrested and having his car impounded Along with traffic violations for talking on the phone while driving and failing to yield he was charged with refusing to provide ID to a police officer he said he could not find his ID after he was pulled over and was using a scan of his driver’s license while waiting for a replacement ID.  Commissioners who viewed the footage said the man repeatedly asked officers to slow down during the short interaction which they believe was a sign he may have a disability that made processing commands difficult.  the man wrote that the incident ended up costing him more than $1,000 in fees.  Commissioners were concerned because Kingsbury did not identify that the man may have a disability something that was apparent to commissioners who reviewed the body-worn camera (BWC) footage ELPD policy states that officers may have to extend the time spent on a call if they are addressing a person with a mental Commissioners were also concerned about Kingsbury’s demeanor during the call.  ELIPOC Vice Chair Kath Edsall noted that the commissioners who viewed the BWC footage of the incident noticed “within seconds” that the individual may have a disability that would explain the speech and processing challenges Kingsbury attributed to alcohol The policy ELIPOC believes Kingsbury broke says officers may need to provide more time when interacting with people with disabilities “in order to reassure the person Brown said the possible disability was not immediately clear to her when she spoke to the complainant and it took 30 to 40 minutes to identify that he may have a disability The man declined to disclose whether or not he actually has a disability Commissioners passed a motion expressing disagreement with the decision to exonerate Kingsbury at the March 5 meeting Edsall pointed out that Kingsbury was trained in CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) which provides information on working with people who have neurodivergent conditions she was unable to identify this individual as someone who may have a disability “Her contact time with that individual was less than five minutes—from the time she pulled him over until he was in handcuffs—which could be a violation,” Edsall said “Time spent on calls may need to be extended for those who have a mental disability Brown explained that this incident was reviewed by herself a city attorney and a psychologist—who declined to watch the video because they said it would be harmful to diagnose someone with a mental disability based solely on a video Edsall raised concerns about ELPD officers’ ability to identify when individuals may have disabilities She noted that the ELIPOC members who viewed the footage don’t have special training that would help them identify disabilities who are not trained other than as parents or people who work in the community or have been around others with disabilities he had sensory issues with the light and an inability to process the information being asked of him.” Brown noted that the department has since brought in two experts from the University of Michigan to provide autism-specific training for law enforcement officers The report also highlights that ELPD is passing out stickers that can be placed on vehicles to identify that the driver or a passenger may have autism.   Conerly joined the discussion and shared a personal anecdote about being pulled over by the state police and struggling to find his license or registration for 10 minutes and reassured me that nothing was going to happen because I was nervous,” he said why couldn’t she [Kingsbury] wait a bit longer?” Conerly spoke about the broader issue of patience and dignity during traffic stops I hope the conversation with the officer was about patience and grace because she didn’t show any,” he said “I can only imagine what she would have done to me if I hadn’t known where my documents were.”  Commissioner Amanda Morgan also had concerns about Kingsbury’s demeanor “The soundbite for me is that she [the officer] came off as authoritarian,” Morgan said “I heard that she presumed he had been drinking you can come off as authoritarian and belittling as a police officer one of the commissioners who saw the footage noted that the individual needed more time to process the situation and the video shows that the officer could have allowed for that.  “She [Kingsbury] spent a great deal of time after putting him in handcuffs chatting with other police officers on the street,” Root said “I think the discussion with the other officers might have been longer than her encounter with the person from the community It wasn’t that she didn’t have time or was rushed—it looked like a choice.”  Root clarified that the commission’s role is to evaluate whether a policy was violated “We’re not trying to be mean if we think a policy was violated,” she said “We’re trying to look at what the policies are The conversation ended with Edsall expressing concern about a pattern of mistreatment she perceives from ELPD officers “I’ve watched these videos on and off for three years rudeness and disrespect for the citizens of East Lansing and I want to make you aware that this is happening.” ELPD finds policy violation in comment made by officer that ELIPOC deemed as “hate speech.” Also at the March 5 meeting, ELIPOC discussed the outcome of an internal complaint that ELIPOC motioned to file at a meeting last year The complaint originates from September 2024 when the commission was reviewing BWC footage of ELPD responding to a house alarm that was accidentally triggered.  ELIPOC did not file a complaint related to the handling of the alarm call commissioners stumbled upon video of Officer Katey Harrison making a joke to Officer Jose Viera that the commission referred to as “hate speech” in its complaint “You can’t even read a license plate right,” Harrison said to Viera ELIPOC filed a complaint against Harrison at its September meeting and she received “verbal coaching” from Pride as a consequence Pride also sent an email that “reminded all sworn personnel to be cognizant of what is said when BWC’s are recording,” according to the complaint summary saying he was not offended by the comment and does not feel he has been discriminated against as an ELPD officer He also said he often jokes with his peers about English being his second language.  Harrison claimed the commission was wrong in calling banter among colleagues hate speech which she described as “disgusting and slanderous.” “This advisory board has proven its sole purpose is a cop-hating agenda and when it’s [sic] shows that we as officer[s] practice fair and equitable policing such as that alarm call… then the advisory refuses to respect that and instead seeks to attack another officer,” Harrison said “I feel like we’ve been asking this question for a long time—why do your officers feel we are cop-hating just because we ask questions?” “There is not a consensus that the entire commission is cop-hating,” Brown responded “There is a belief among our officers—including myself—that there are some individuals on this commission who strongly dislike the police.” Conerly stated that there’s a difference between private and public settings He said that unprofessional cultural humor is not appropriate in workplace settings including for law enforcement officers.  “I’m a Black man in charge of a school with a majority white staff,” he said “There is no way I’m going to build resilience to do my job if one of them remotely references anything derogatory towards me That’s building Stockholm syndrome—having sympathy for your abuser Do you think inappropriate cultural humor is what you want your officers to use to do their job?” “Culturally inappropriate behavior is not acceptable in any circumstance,” Brown answered “If the leadership believes this is a cop-hating organization how could ELIPOC reasonably believe there will ever be an opportunity for trust and accountability?” “When I have a conversation with the department I’m very careful about the language I select I say there are individuals on this commission who care about making the department a better place,” Brown responded “That doesn’t include everyone at this table but it’s important for our officers to recognize there are people here who are open-minded But there are individuals sitting at this table who do hate cops.” saying that commissioners who are more critical of the police are not less caring about the community She also said racial bias is baked into Brown’s perspective.  “That was the whitest statement I have ever heard,” she said “And I expect nothing less from the police because the police are a white system Conerly again addressed one portion of the complaint summary where Viera said humor can be a way to “build resilience in the face of hardship.” Conerly said many jobs outside of law enforcement can be traumatizing but using inappropriate humor to cope is not acceptable in a workplace setting.  been in 19 lockdowns where my kids couldn’t move and had to hide under tables but nobody seems to think my job is dangerous,” Conerly said Conerly went on to say that it does not make commissioners “cop haters” if they are critical of instances involving ELPD.  “It doesn’t make us cop haters when we push back on these same narratives,” he said “We can’t live in a community where the leader of our police department thinks we have cop haters on the commission—that is unsafe and people’s lives are at stake because of the work we do If folks are around here thinking that I’m a cop hater Here is a look at the Greater Lansing high school girls basketball Dream Team and all-area selections for the 2024-25 season PLAYER OF THE YEARMadi Uyl▶ School: DeWitt ▶ Accomplishments: The Grand Valley State signee and point guard was  one of 10 players in the state named to the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan's Best of the Best team and was a Michigan Sports Writers first team all-state selection in Division 1 2.4 assists and shot 48.3% from the field and 37.7% from 3-point range while helping DeWitt to CAAC Blue Uyl finished her career ranked fifth in DeWitt girls basketball history with 1,058 points ▶ Accomplishments: Bengel was a BCAM and Michigan Sports Writers first team all-state selection in Division 3 She helped the Pirates to an undefeated regular season that included a CMAC title and also a district championship ▶ Accomplishments: Black was a Michigan Sports Writers and BCAM honorable mention all-state selection in Division 1 2.1 assists and 1.9 steals for the Trojans ▶ Accomplishments: Dixon earned Michigan Sports Writers second team all-state selection in Division 2 and was an honorable mention selection by BCAM She contributed to Haslett winning CAAC Red and district titles and averaged 15.6 points ▶ Accomplishments: Johnson was named BCAM's Best in Division 2 and was a Michigan Sports Writers honorable mention all-state selection 2.1 steals and 1.6 blocks while helping the Vikings to CAAC Red and district championships ▶ Accomplishments: Kotowicz was a BCAM and Michigan Sports Writers honorable mention all-state selection in Division 2 2.9 steals and made 36 3-pointers while helping the Redwings to a runner-up finish in the CAAC Red ▶ Accomplishments: The guard was a BCAM and Michigan Sports Writers all-state selection in Division 1 and ended her career as the all-time leading scorer in DeWitt girls basketball history with 1,241 points 2 rebounds and 2 steals and made 31 3-pointers while contributing to the Panthers winning CAAC Blue Kurncz ended her career ranked second in program history with 135 career made 3s ▶ Accomplishments: Metzger was a Michigan Sports Writers honorable mention all-state selection in Division 1 and helped the Rams capture a district title ▶ Accomplishments: Spicer earned Michigan Sports Writers and BCAM first team all-state recognition in Division 4 and helped the Eagles capture a state title ▶ Accomplishments: Thelen helped the Raiders to CAAC White and district titles and was named to BCAM's Best squad in Division 2 and was a Michigan Sports Writers second team selection Fowler: Guided the Eagles to a 27-2 record and their third Division 4 state title in five years and first since 2022 EAST LANSING — Police on Friday released the names of two people whose remains were found in a home freezer last fall and police were seeking information from anyone who might have had contact with them within the past decade The remains were those of Susan Barbara Weerawat East Lansing police said in a news release "The Ingham County Medical’s Office has advised ELPD that due to the condition of the bodies the cause and manner of death will be classified as undetermined," the release said the Ingham County Medical Examiner's office is still working diligently to complete the autopsy reports and the Michigan State Police Crime Lab is beginning its examination of the physical evidence." Police have characterized the case a double homicide and the only suspect is the Weerawats' son who died from suicide in July 2024 in the Detroit area The bizarre case became public after police disclosed in early November that remains belonging to two people had been found in a freezer in a home in the 1500 block of Wintercrest Street Police said they went there after a 911 caller reported seeing blood on the floor inside the residence police said the extended family of the dead couple has been notified "ELPD will continue to review the case, follow up on leads and provide information to the public when it is available," officials said Friday's news release. "ELPD will continue to investigate this case until all of the evidence is examined. Anyone who had any contact with Susan, Pramort or Jason Weerawat within the last 10 years should please contact ELPD Detective Jason Cotton at jcotton@cityeastlansing.com." Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInEAST LANSING (WILX) - The City of East Lansing is alerting residents that a Wastewater Recovery Facility has lost power which may result in basement flooding in the Flowerpot neighborhood The city says other neighborhoods could also be impacted The city sent the alert out shortly after 8:30 p.m The city is working with the Lansing Board of Water and Light to resolve the issue The facility is located within the city of East Lansing on Trowbridge Road just south of the Red Cedar River and the area of I-496 and US-127 Continue reading: PHOTOS: Heavy winds, severe storms cause damage throughout Mid-Michigan The Spartans have added a couple of impact transfers (hopefully one more on the way) and they're also bringing in one of the best recruiting classes in the Big Ten to supplement a team that made the Elite Eight and won a Big Ten title by three games last year Michigan State basketball fans have a lot to be excited about for the upcoming season there's yet another reason to be excited Michigan State is going to host Duke for a return game from the 2020 Champions Classic that was played in Durham (which the Spartans ended up winning) NEWS: Duke and Michigan State will meet this December in East Lansing, according to a source.Return game from the 2020 Champions Classic, which was played in Durham during COVID.https://t.co/vlgaSDTkDA This game will take place in December and it gives Michigan State a locked-in non-conference game outside of the Champions Classic The Spartans will also play Kentucky in non-conference play as part of the Champions Classic where Duke will take on Kansas A non-conference slate with Duke and Kentucky should have this team more than ready for Big Ten play Duke was one of the best teams in the country this past season with Cooper Flagg leading the way and they made the Final Four before losing to Houston thanks to an epic collapse Flagg will be gone but Duke will just replace him with another top recruiting class and some quality transfers Jon Scheyer has this program cooking much like Coach K did before him This rivalry has been one-sided for a while but getting home-court advantage should help this time around A home game against Duke in December is going to have East Lansing buzzing NEWS: Duke and Michigan State will meet this December in East Lansing, according to a source.Return game from the 2020 Champions Classic, which was played in Durham during COVID.https://t.co/vlgaSDTkDA It’s been nearly eight months since the committee appointed to review the East Lansing City Charter held its first meeting and so far the group has recommended 19 changes to the city’s guiding document.  As of the March 20 Charter Review Committee meeting there have been 18 changes recommended to specific chapters of the charter and another recommendation that gender-neutral language be used throughout the charter Charter Review Committee Chair Diane Goddeeris told ELi in an April 8 interview.  The committee will continue to meet twice per month through the end of June, if it stays on schedule the committee has reviewed 17 of the charter’s 20 chapters.  City Council will decide whether or not to put the committee’s recommended changes on the ballot for residents to vote on.  The city charter is East Lansing’s foundational document that provides guidelines on everything from the powers granted to City Council to how city government is structured and how local taxes are collected Goddeeris explained some of the highlights from the committee’s work so far.  Committee recommends changing swearing-in date for newly elected City Council members.  Goddeeris said one of the important recommendations is switching the swearing-in date of new City Council members to be done after the canvassing (vote counting) process is finished The charter change would ensure the city complies with state law.  a similar proposed charter amendment to delay the swearing-in date of new council members to allow for canvassing was rejected by voters which would create a lame duck period.  The recommended charter change from the committee would move the swearing-in date to the first scheduled meeting after canvassing is completed.  Goddeeris said the intent of this proposed amendment is to comply with state law, which requires time be given canvassing before new officials are seated, while avoiding lame duck periods for sitting council members. Right now, newly elected City Council members are typically sworn-in one week after Election Day It may take more than a week to finish canvassing after some elections.  explained that when she was on council there was a meeting scheduled when canvassing was not yet complete She said she opened the meeting and then quickly adjourned because council did not want to conduct business while seats were still in doubt.  Committee recommends future City Managers be required to live in or near East Lansing emergency succession spelled out more clearly Goddeeris said the committee is recommending a couple changes around the city manager position which is East Lansing’s top ranking employee.  One recommendation is to require future city managers live within 25 miles of East Lansing They would be given one-year after they begin their tenure to comply with the requirement.  this charter amendment would not apply to Belleman because he is already serving in the position.  Another amendment clarifies the city’s succession plan for the city manager if there is an emergency and no deputy city manager position in the city’s ranks.  the city manager would recommend an individual City Council would vote whether or not that recommendation is approved The deputy city manager would then take over atop city government if needed.  instead of having everybody have to come together there should be somebody that’s designated that will take over from that point until council takes action on what to do next,” Goddeeris said.  Committee recommends loosening requirements for petition-initiated referendum The charter provides a process residents can pursue a referendum, or change, to a local law by collecting signatures to trigger a vote. The committee is recommending that process be made easier.  residents can trigger a referendum by circulating a petition and collecting signatures from 15% of residents during a six-month collection window Goddeeris said that if the recommended charter amendment passes only 5% of resident signatures will be required and the allowed collection window will be expanded to 12 months.  The 5% figure mirrors the amount required to get a charter amendment placed on the ballot.  this amendment would ensure that the start of the review is not put off until later in the year Goddeeris said the committee has had discussions about transparency in city government and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests but are still figuring out how to address the topic in the charter.  There is not a transparency or FOIA section of the city charter with some guidelines scattered throughout the document The committee will be discussing how to best address the issue in the next couple months.  “We’re not exactly sure whether it’ll be a separate chapter a replacement chapter or in a preamble,” Goddeeris said “That’s what’s really on our agenda to be discussed coming up “We feel like it’s really important now that everyone has easier access to documents and information,” she added.  Committee still has a couple of months of work left Then decisions will be turned over to City Council The Charter Review Committee is scheduled to wrap up its review by the end June and then the recommendations will be turned over to City Council City Council will decide whether or not the recommended charter changes be passed on to residents to vote on. At the first Charter Review Committee meeting council liaison Mark Meadows explained the last similar review of the charter was done in the 1990s and voters approved all recommended changes during two different elections that did not have much else on the ballot Goddeeris said the committee has two more meetings dedicated to gathering public feedback The next public feedback meeting is on May 29 and is focused on chapters 15-20 of the charter The final is June 26 and focuses on the entire charter residents can email the Charter Review Committee at elcharter@cityofeastlansing.com.  For those interested in learning more about the charter review committee’s work, it has set up a website that includes its meeting schedule links to video recordings of the meetings and more.  The East Lansing Police Department recently identified the human remains that were found in a freezer this past November in Coolidge Townhomes which is a complex near some Michigan State University off-campus housing areas.  The two human remains were identified as 76-year-old Susan Barbara Weerawat and 72-year-old Pramort Weerawat, according to a department statement released April 11.   They were discovered after management saw blood on the floor of the residence and called 911 to report it The police found the bodies in the freezer on Nov who committed suicide in July of 2024 in Detroit It states that “the Ingham County Medical Examiner's office is still working diligently to complete the autopsy reports.” “The Michigan State Police Crime Lab is beginning its examination of the physical evidence,” the press release states.  Adrian Ojerio of the East Lansing Police Department declined to provide further details on the case “this is an open case and the information provided in the press release is what we can release at this time.” The ELPD is continuing to review the case and follow up on any other leads until all evidence is examined It also urges the public to reach out to ELPD Detective Jason Cotton if they have had contact with Susan Share and discuss “Human remains found in East Lansing freezer identified as parents of suspect” on social media I'm your neighborhood reporter in East Lansing I'm so excited to be sticking around Mid-Michigan and telling stories in your neighborhood Mich — Firefighters responded to a fire outside Spare Time Entertainment Monday morning a trailer in the driveway between the bowling alley and the Quality Inn caught fire and spread to the Spare Time building The business was closed at the time and there were no injuries The cause of the fire is under investigation EAST LANSING — East Lansing is the sixth best college town in the U.S. The apartment search website and research blog looked at a dozen different metrics for 235 college towns before releasing their annual report ranking the best college towns in the country They were aimed at "revealing which ones offer the best mix of affordability and quality education," said RentCafe Marketing & Communications Specialist Aida Radmanestean in an email Radmanestean cited an 82% graduation rate at MSU and said a majority of its students receive grants or financial aid "Living costs are below the national average making it a more affordable option compared to many other top-ranked college towns," she said Sixty percent of East Lansing's residents are students "East Lansing is the perfect college-centered environment for learning and living," she said Michigan State's Tom Izzo gets bobblehead honoring milestone win Coalition presses Lansing City Council, Strategic Fund for transfer of incentives for EV battery plant Here's a look at the report's top 10 college towns: Find the full report here Some thoughts on baseball others being tired of cold and wet…”more games are lost than won…and why coaches get fired for the sake of Christian example Michigan…because the dark skies and intermittent rain really are more annoying here than they are at home where people probably have the time to read those thick Michener novels because they’re confined to their homes until Memorial Day I can truthfully say that in more than a decade of covering Big Ten baseball and coming to Michigan…I can’t remember there ever being one pretty spring day I’ve seen sunny days when it was 38 degrees and the wind blowing (from the north) at 20 miles per hour And the skies here aren’t just gray On a good day you could bag a limit of geese and the Buckeyes’ current 9-26 record we get noticed by those who cruise Google looking for something to read about Big Ten baseball Out of the blue on Thursday a Michigan State man (he had an MSU hat anyway) introduced himself at MSU’s McLane Stadium and said: “I read your columns to move the season back to play in warm weather to give baseball and baseball players a fighting chance “that a month ago this stadium had a foot of water on it from the floods is a proud sponsor of area sports on Press Pros I quote hall of fame manager Casey Stengel a lot because Casey lived in a baseball age where young players played to win baseball games The old man made a name for himself during his working days because he had good players with the New York Yankees But after taking over the expansion New York Mets in 1962 and he said: “Finding good players is easy Getting them to play as a team is another story.” And to those points I’ll make this corollary about what I saw earlier this week during a high school game between St playing out of the Midwest Athletic Conference Neither team’s starting pitcher came anywhere close to throwing 90 miles per hour They just threw strikes – pitched to contact and allowed the eight position players behind them to record the outs Neither struck out more than four hitters in the game and combined there were only five walks in the game The plate umpire called called a reasonable generous strike zone and the game lasted an hour and fifty minutes because there were a lot of 20-minute innings I think of that as I watch college games where pitchers try to impress pro scouts with velocity and infielders make a routine ground ball look like a Top Ten play on Sportscenter and I wonder how many college teams would have better records if they simply played like a good high school team Throw strikes…catch the baseball…half the strikeouts…and simply put the ball in play Your local Kaup Pharmacy proudly supports amateur baseball on Press Pros Magazine.com There are some interesting reader responses already to Jeff Gilbert’s Saturday feature on the firing of Cornerstone Christian basketball coach Babe Kwasniak by school administration alleging that he was not enough ‘Christ-like’ in his coaching methods Coaches with a personality like Babe Kwasniak wear thin in today’s culture and usually because of something other than not being enough like Jesus Christ none of us are because I know the New Testament and the scripture that reads “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It says nothing about how you talk to your kids during a timeout “I prayed for a 6’10” center to transfer in over the summer that gets more than four points and two rebounds a game I’ll be praying for a job this time next year.”  –  OKC basketball coach a similar action occurred in the early 2000s at Troy Christian when people got crossways with football coach Steve Hunsucker who beat #1 Covington in the 2002 playoffs that year and took the the fledging Eagles to a district final game with Hardin Northern some said because he had made football within his group of athletes a bigger priority than the mission of the school None of the principals are around anymore so it’s hard to quantify There are a lot of amusing stories about the conflicts between being competitive and ‘Christ-like’ and none better than the one attributed to former Oklahoma City University basketball coach Abe Lemons Once in the heat of a conference title race Lemons’ Oklahoma City University team lost a critical conference game and he was asked to have his team join the winning team in a post-game prayer the wife of the Dean of Students confronted Lemons and told him how impressed she was with his humility and faith after losing such an important game “I wonder if I might ask what you prayed about?”  she asked “You sure can,”  Lemons responded I’ll be praying for a job this time next year.” Koverman-Staley-Dickerson Insurance proudly sponsors the best sports stories on Press Pros Magazine.com © PressProsMagazine.com, All Rights Reserved. | Site Map | Terms of Use | Website Designed by Marketing Essentials. — Changes are coming to Michigan State University (MSU) Athletics Guskiewicz announced Spartan Athletics Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Alan Haller is leaving the university after a four-year tenure “I’m grateful for Alan’s leadership since I joined the university and appreciate the success our programs have seen under his leadership,” Guskiewicz said “He is deeply committed to this university and has led with honesty and integrity.” Haller was appointed vice president and director in September 2021 Spartan Athletics saw Big Ten championships for several programs men's ice hockey and women's cross country Several programs also made postseason appearances student achievement experienced success in the classroom with Spartan Athletics posting the highest cumulative GPA in athletic department in 2024 at 3.4324 Haller's last day with Michigan State University will be May 11 “This is a pivotal time for college athletics effective communications and community engagement are more important than ever,” Guskiewicz said “Our next athletic director will lead one of the nation’s more storied athletic programs a long legacy of academic and athletic excellence and Michigan State University is set to launch a search for a new athletic director in the coming weeks will serve as co-interim athletic directors during the search Michigan State University plans to use TurnkeyZRG and an advisory committee throughout the search process A car drives through a flooded intersection at Charles St The tornado warning and severe thunderstorm warning for Ingham County and Michigan State University campus have expired according to an alert sent out by the university.  The tornado warning for Ingham County and Michigan State University campus was initially in place until 6:45 p.m and later extended until 7:15 p.m. A severe thunderstorm warning was also in effect until 7:30 p.m according to the National Weather Service.  the university sent an alert announcing the termination of both.  The tornado warning for Ingham County and Michigan State University campus has been extended until 7:15 p.m A severe thunderstorm warning is also in effect until 7:30 p.m It is highly encouraged for individuals to take shelter in a nearby tornado shelter or the lowest part of a sturdy interior Individuals are also advised to stay away from windows People who are in a vehicle should move to the closest shelter location "Remain alert for a possible tornado!" the National Weather Service's alert said "Tornadoes can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms."  At least one power outage has been reported in downtown East Lansing on Grand River Avenue warning sirens continued to sound across East Lansing.   Stay with The State News for further developments severe thunderstorm warning expire in East Lansing” on social media The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled against East Lansing in a lawsuit brought over a franchise fee the city benefited from that was placed upon Lansing Board of Water and Light (BWL) customers in the city.  The ruling will return money collected by the city to East Lansing BWL customers but will cause financial stress for the city.  According to the Michigan Supreme Court opinion the idea for a franchise fee came in 2016 when the city was in the thick of its struggles with its pension debt Then City Manager George Lahanas proposed that BWL charge a franchise fee to customers revenue that would be collected by the city and added to its general fund City Council approved a 5% franchise fee agreement with BWL unanimously.  The city has been collecting about $1.4 million in revenue annually from the franchise fee attorney and East Lansing resident James Heos filed a class action lawsuit claiming the city implemented a tax on its residents the Michigan Supreme Court announced its agreement with that stance in a 4-1 decision.  The court ruled the city collected a “disguised tax” by charging it through BWL The ruling said the fee was not voluntary because BWL services almost 90% of the city without an alternate utility provider refused to collect the franchise fee on behalf of the city The city initially claimed the fee was not a tax but used towards maintaining the right-of-ways that BWL uses to provide electricity the money collected from the franchise fee went to the city’s general fund which the city can allocate as it pleases.  All five Michigan Supreme Court justices agreed the charge was a tax was due to his belief that the “taxpayer” in the case was actually BWL and the lawsuit came after the statute of limitations had expired.   Before City Council enacted the franchise fee in 2017 there were warning signs that the fee was illegal.  BWL staff expressed concern over the franchise fee being added In a November 2016 BWL Board of Commissioners meeting BWL General Manager Richard Peffley stated his concern the fee could be illegal In the agreement between BWL and the city that included the franchise fee there is language stating that the city “shall indemnify hold harmless and defend” BWL from liability The ruling brings an end to a legal battle that has been raging for nearly five years. In 2021, thousands of East Lansing residents were notified they will be included in the class action suit an appeals court overturned that ruling the following year The case was then sent to the state Supreme Court.  As that ruling was made nearly three years ago the amount owed by the city has presumably grown.  ELi reached out to the city via its media portal requesting an interview about what the financial impact on the city will be and how payments will be made Communications Director Carrie Sampson said city officials are reviewing the recently received opinion and will reach back out when they have more information.  We will continue to report on the fallout of the ruling when more information is known