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 — The driver of a bus operated by the Capital Area Transportation Authority was killed in a two-vehicle crash on I-96 late on the afternoon of April 30 between the Okemos Road and Williamston exits Meridian Township firefighters arrived to find the rear of a semi-trailer and a "shuttle-sized bus" on fire and engulfed in flames according to the Ingham County Sheriff's Office They "determined relatively quickly that the bus was occupied only by the driver CATA spokesperson Lolo Robison confirmed the bus was operated by CATA an international public transit services company to assist with transporting some passengers CATA runs rural bus services in rural Ingham County as well as public bussing across the Lansing area "CATA and Transdev are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life of one of our drivers which impacts us at every level," Lolo Robison "Grief counseling is available today for those who need it We are cooperating fully with law enforcement during the still-active investigation." The sheriff's office said traffic was slowed because of an earlier crash involving a semi near the 109 mile marker Officials haven't released additional information about the crash Anyone with information is asked to called Sgt MORE: Will full scope of LPD lieutenant’s moonlighting ever be known? Records give glimpse of what happened I-96 westbound remained closed in the early evening hours but reopened about 10 p.m. There was a large public safety response to the incident with Meridian Township and Williamston police as well as Michigan State Police responding Ingham Township fire and the Northeast Ingham Emergency Services Authority on scene Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com 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 A Walk in the Park is an ongoing series from State Journal photographer Nick King who intends to explore Lansing area parks one hour at a time If you have a suggestion of a park he should visit Ferguson Park features diverse terrain situated on the banks of the Red Cedar River and next to the Sumbal Preserve natural area in Okemos Located at 4540 Okemos Road just east of the Okemos Road bridge the park is an excellent spot for nature walks or even launching a kayak for fun on the water Wildlife is abundant and park-goers will commonly spot geese For those looking for a more challenging experience rugged trail through the Sumbal Preserve's thick forests and wetlands The 20 acre preserve is on the natural flood plain for the Red Cedar River and is home to rare and threatened species The park is named after former township supervisor and real estate businessman John R Ingham County donated the park to Meridian Township Okemos' Ghulam and Sufia Sumbal donated 1.7 acres of land at the site bringing the total size of the park to 6 acres 20 acres adjacent to the park was added as the Sumbal Preserve The park has a nice-sized parking lot, seasonal bathrooms and is across Okemos Road from Wonch Park to the west — A driver who died in an April 30 crash on Interstate 96 in eastern Ingham County has been identified as Tondi Tripp Tripp was driving a "shuttle-sized" bus operated by the Capital Area Transportation Authority when it collided with the rear of a semi-truck about 4:15 p.m in the westbound lanes near mile marker 113 Meridian Township firefighters arrived to find the rear of the semi and the bus engulfed in flames CATA spokesperson Lolo Robison confirmed after the crash that the bus was operated by CATA which impacts us at every level," Robison said CATA was cooperating fully with law enforcement during the investigation Sheriff's officials said the investigation remained open Anyone with information was asked to call Sgt Sheriff's officials said traffic was slowed because of an earlier crash involving a semi near the 109 mile marker Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com ― A teenager was killed and two other people were injured after a vehicle traveling west on Interstate 96 near Okemos Saturday morning rolled several times in the median and landed in the eastbound lanes Ingham County Sheriff's Office deputies said they responded to the single vehicle crash near Meridian Road one of two backseat passengers who were ejected from the vehicle A 20-year-old passenger suffered critical injuries The 22-year-old driver suffered serious injuries Both were transported to a Lansing hospital by Northeast Ingham Emergency Services Authority staff All four people involved in the crash are from Troy MORE: Health officials warn of possible measles exposure at Lansing, Oakland County restaurants The genders of the other passengers and the age of the fourth passenger were not released by police The sedan was traveling west when it went off highway and rolled several times before coming to a stop in the eastbound lane The eastbound side of the highway was closed until about 11 a.m for EMS and Ingham County rcash investigators to complete an investigation Deputies said the investigation remains open Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call Deputy Stalzer at 517-676-8444 ext This story was updated to add new information — An 80-year-old Okemos man died and several others were injured after a semitrailer crashed into stopped traffic along Interstate 96 in western Ionia County during the evening hours of April 26 The Michigan State Police did not provide the man's name in its social media update Michigan State Police said on X the crash happened in the eastbound lanes “Preliminary information is that traffic was stopped at the construction zone when a semi failed to stop and ran into traffic,” the post said without providing the exact number of those hospitalized or their conditions The highway was shut down for the investigation The Michigan Department of Transportation said on X eastbound lanes reopened after midnight "This is a reminder that when you see the orange barrels prepare for slow-downs and remain focused on the roadway ahead," MSP said Contact editor Susan Vela at svela@lsj.com or 248-873-7044 GRAND LEDGE — Sebastian Blair and Jimmy Pignataro each pitched complete game victories to help the Wolves take control in the CAAC Blue with a road sweep over Grand Ledge James Poletes finished with a double and two RBIs and Henry Schnelker and Gabe Hart each tacked on two hits for Okemos (11-6 Gavin Wegenke and Kyle Smith each tallied two hits and Tory Nyquist had a home run for the Comets (12-5 Jerryd Scheurer struck out six and went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI to lead the Shamrocks in their 4-1 win Scheurer followed by going 2-for-4 with three runs and an RBI and Brady Leonard drove in two runs in the 11-1 five-inning mercy-rule win Jackson Fossitt struck out 16 and allowed just two hits while hurling a complete game shutout and Henry Bradford drove in three runs in the opening win for Leslie Easton Hawkins struck out nine in five innings while Bradford went 3-for-4 with four RBIs in the finale Carson Moore hit a walk-off home run in game one to help the Trojans notch a Flint Metro League sweep over Clio Cy Thompson finished with a team-best four hits Austin Blaha tallied a home run and Jackson Valasek and Ryan Maier each picked up a pitching win for Owosso India Fitzpatrick went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and Gianna Naccarato had a triple and three RBIs for the Comets in the opening game of their CAAC Blue sweep of Okemos Tomia Geter struck out nine while earning the opening win while Shayla Kiser earned the victory in the circle in the second game Naccarato led the offense by going 3-for-4 with a triple and four RBIs and Jade Queen and Adyson Fulton each went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs Mattie Honsowitz notched 13 strikeouts in game one and picked up the victory and went 2-for-4 in game two as the Shamrocks split the nonleague twinbill with Webberville Lily Sandborn went 4-for-6 with three runs scored and Gracelyn Rockey pitched in three hits and three RBIs for Portland St Sophia King and Alexis Gregory each notched a singles victory for the Blackhawks in a tie with Onsted Dansville shot its best round since its program restarted four years ago but fell short in its CMAC matchup against Perry Anthony Pawlowski had a round of 41 to lead Dansville ALAIEDON TOWNSHIP — Hidden in a nondescript office park near a "MILK" sign outside the dairy industry's mid-Michigan office is part of a national headline: an Okemos Social Security office that is being closed The Social Security office that is set to close hasn't been used by the public in a long time The office previously was used for Social Security hearings but those almost entirely moved to online with the pandemic Barrett's office confirmed the site was closing The building technically is not even in Okemos or Meridian Township; it's in neighboring Alaiedon Township but does have an Okemos mailing address Social Security Administration locations in Lansing and Owosso, where most people handle their business, are expected to remain open. The Okemos building hasn't appeared on official Social Security Administration location lists for several years said there is space for four tenants at the building and the Social Security Administration renewed a lease about a year and a half ago Clark said they were paying $25 a square foot and he offered a five-year extension at $18 or $19 a month because keeping tenants is usually more profitable than finding new ones But they declined and didn't seek the lower rate "I'm happy to play my part in reducing the government's costs," Clark said He bought the building in 2021 and said the Social Security office was always kept highly secure He has only been inside the office once and it was about three weeks ago by happenstance He was in the common hallway with one of the Social Security workers "I was happy to see it wasn't all '80s," he said Martin Commercial manages the property and Clark said he hasn't seen any official notification from the government or Martin about a lease termination but he is expecting it because of the soon-to-expire lease The location was named as one of several Social Security Administration offices to be closed by what is known as the Department of Government Efficiency A DOGE tracker says the closure of the Michigan location Contact Mike Ellis at mellis@lsj.com or 517-267-0415 — Schuler Books will reopen in a new storefront at the Meridian Mall next week marking the Grand Rapids-based independent bookseller's third move in Okemos stood outside the new events space inside its next storefront The 30,000-square-foot store looks unrecognizable from when Bed Bath & Beyond occupied it Gone are the rows of cash registers and the white linoleum flooring that filled the space before the big box retailer closed the location in 2023 was filling up fast with wood bookshelves that will hold an estimated 60,000 titles Workers wheeled boxes filled with books from the space just across the hall in the mall Schuler Books occupied the 24,000-square-foot storefront for two decades The new mall space is just a bit smaller than Schuler Books' flagship store in Grand Rapids and the expansion may be proof of the continued popularity and success of bookstores in the Lansing area. In the last four years, the area has welcomed Deadtime Stories Books & Gifts to REO Town and Hooked to the Red Cedar development off Michigan Avenue Why are bookstores having a prolonged moment Bosscher said there are probably many factors but a surge in reading during the COVID-19 pandemic was one of them "People were spending a lot of time at home looking for hobbies they could do anywhere and reading became one of those," Bosscher said "And people have become more attached in the last few years to the physicality of books." Schuler Books has been planning its expansion in Okemos for a year now Customers familiar with the store will still be able to enjoy its gift section but the store will feature an addition as well which has a raised stage in one corner and room for up to 150 seats as one of the reasons expanding was a good idea Last year the company held 168 events across its four locations The space will be a designated spot for author meet and greets and signings story times and book fairs that didn't exist in the store's previous location across the hall "We didn't have this at all," Bosscher said We have a space like this in our Grand Rapids location When we made the move we decided to put a little priority on this space existing in the new space." The store will likely carry a slightly larger inventory as well Meridian Mall General Manager Adam Hodges said management is "thrilled" Schuler Books is moving to a larger space within the mall "It's an addition of over 6,000 square feet which should enhance their offerings to our vibrant community," he said "The upgrades and improvements are a testament to the success of our shopping center." 6 inventions that got their start in Lansing, including the gas-powered lawn mower Fretail Store to close its doors after dispute with Lansing Mall management About 85 employees are moving to the new space with Schuler Books said staff have been hard at work making sure the transition goes smoothly regular customers are excited about the upgraded store space "People have been poking their head in since we've started the move," he said "They're excited about some of the expanded offerings that we'll have with the events space We have a ton of regular customers and we love them." Bosscher said most customers simply want the new storefront to feel the same as the last one "The things that you know and love about our current space will continue to exist in the new space," she said she said the bookstore will reopen sometime next week An opening date hasn't been determined yet Hodges said a team of leasing agents is working to fill vacant mall storefronts though he declined to say whether a new occupant has been secured for the now-vacant space previously occupied by the bookstore Contact Reporter Rachel Greco at rgreco@lsj.com — Children at an Okemos Public Schools elementary school were let out early Friday due to a gas leak in the building An alert sent out by Ingham County Central Dispatch said Bennett Woods Elementary School released students at 12:15 p.m Hulett and Okemos roads unless they needed to use the roads to pick up a student The alert did not say when the gas leak would be repaired communications coordinator for the district said there was a smell of gas so school staff called the fire department Consumers Energy was on the site as of about 12:30 determining if there was a gas leak She confirmed students were sent home at 12:15 p.m Consumers said in a statement Friday afternoon that a contractor for the district "accidentally caused natural gas to be released into the school building which prompted the evacuation," spokesperson Brian Wheeler said Wheeler said firefighters turned off the gas to the building after the incident and Consumers staff would turn it back on once it was safe Zach’s mother: ‘When our congregation said in unison “We see you,” I thought my heart would burst’ LOUISVILLE — Last month on Baptism of the Lord Sunday, Presbyterian Church of Okemos engaged in a memorable and meaningful reaffirmation of baptism vows for one of its beloved members a transgender boy who was originally baptized at the church as a female We were acknowledging he was baptized with a different name The renaming ceremony was an important part of it,” said the Rev The congregation “was uniformly supportive and loving for Zach So many people expressed what it meant” in the life of the church “The church has been with Zach throughout his whole journey.” “You were first brought to the waters of baptism with a different name and we return today to remember God’s promises continue with you throughout all of your life,” Schrott told Zach that day “We gather around these waters as a community to mark your name change “He was baptized in the same church as a baby with the name his father and I gave him when he was born,” Zach’s mother said “and he reaffirmed that baptism with the name he chose for himself.” Baptism is “about becoming part of a community and being embraced by that community,” Schrott explained during the service “From the moment my son started his transition to becoming a boy over 11 years ago our church family has embraced him just as he is with their whole hearts and without hesitation,” Zach’s mother said ‘We see you,’ I thought my heart would burst.” associate for worship in the PC(USA)’s Interim Unified Agency and Zach picked the one in which the congregation would affirm to him It hit on the whole theme that Pastor Lisa was preaching about that baptism is not just an individual thing — it’s a relationship with the community,” Zach’s mother explained “The liturgy was really good at expressing that community.” the church’s coordinator of pastoral care and youth ministry said that during the service and afterward “I was filled with a sense of the Holy Spirit an expanded heart for what the church can look like and how welcoming and loving this church has been.” One example: a youth flipping through a church photo album noticed a picture with captions containing Zach’s former name What do we do about that?” the youth asked The captions are being updated with the permission of Zach and the family Zach told Mattern after the service how grateful he was especially because his older brother was home from college to share the experience “I was surprised the decision [to participate in the service] was made as quickly as it was,” Mattern said “I had put the bug in his ear a few weeks before and told him and his mom ‘You have all the time you want to make this happen.’ Within hours Mattern was taken by the volume with which the congregation delivered the “We see you” line and the way people said it was meaningful for them.” “I wonder for those in the congregation who have experiences in their families how this affects them and their acceptance and ability to articulate it for persons who identify as trans and LGBTQIA+,” Mattern said Zach’s mother said the family “wanted to share this deeply personal moment because right now the world is a frightening place for transgender people and many of those attacks are originating from within churches.” “We share the reaffirmation of his baptism to show a different way forward “If you are LGBTQAI and your religion is important to you but you are not embraced by your religious community as your whole self find another community,” Zach’s mother suggested “There are people out there who will see you Members of the congregation have been reading William Yoo’s award-winning book, “What Kind of Christianity.” Yoo described in his book how Presbyterian churches and leadership excused and protected slavery “wicked,” but noting at the time that it “looked and sounded like a church.” “I wonder in the future what we will look back on and see as wicked what now looks and sounds like what a church should do,” Zach’s mother said “What are churches doing right now that seem consistent with Christianity that later will seem abhorrent to Christians?” “So many people after the reaffirmation told us they had tears in their eyes They thanked him for doing this and told him how proud they were of him,” she said Most of the congregation “knows the science behind gender You either think God made people this way by mistake or you understand people are born a different way and you embrace that.” you have to decide if you will use your religion as a bludgeon.” he was writing a position paper as part of a school assignment He made the argument that “transgender kids need more legal protections,” his mother recalled She asked him to think about the arguments people might make against his thesis “What about the Christian argument?” she asked him ‘Pray the gay away,’ but at the time he was absolutely unaware of it,” she said “Every minute I don’t share this makes me panicked,” she said I don’t know who’s out there thinking they are not loved.” Use this form to sign up for any one or multiple blogs and/or newsletters at once If you would like to learn more about each The Okemos junior debated about spending this spring focused on training for football rather than play a spring sport But Okemos coach Brian Harrod urged Folino to give track another shot after his first experience with the sport last spring was plagued by a hamstring injury suffered on the opening day of practice That decision has proven to be rewarding for Folino and the Okemos boys track team who was voted the One North LSJ high school athlete of the week winner has been one of Greater Lansing's top sprinters in the early portion of the season He won both the 100 and 200 dashes at the Panther Invite on April 18 while helping Okemos edge Holt by a point for the team title Folino had a personal-best time of 11.2 seconds while winning the 100 and had a mark of 22.8 seconds to win the 200 it shows me that I've been holding myself back from what I really can do and how fast I really am," Folino said of his early success "Our first meet I ran an 11.5 and I didn't even know where the end of the finish line was I was just running it and I thought the finish line was closer and I slowed down and I ran an 11.5 I was nervous and I just shut it all out and ran I did great and I know I can do better."   Folino won both events while running out of lane one The top seeded runners in track run out of the middle lanes That has made what Folino has done even more impressive to Harrod "We kind of knew (the talent) was there," Harrod said "We timed some stuff in the winter running through the hallways and he threw down some times where I knew he was going to be pretty special this year Some of the stuff he's done so far has even shocked me a little bit "He's kind of very raw and he's got some very good top-end speed and he's been able to run some people down in both the 100 and the 200 Folino is looking forward to what more he can accomplish as he continues to get used to running out of the starting blocks and settles in as a sprinter "(My success) gives me lots of motivation," Folino said "I 've learned this from football where you can never be satisfied with where you are Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com A 1-year-old girl from Ingham County is the latest in a growing number of people from Michigan — and across the U.S may have exposed others to the extremely contagious virus from April 4 to April 8 at multiple sites in Okemos including on the Michigan State University campus Anyone who was at the following locations on these dates and times may have been exposed according to the Ingham County Health Department: Measles is so contagious 90% of people without immunity to the virus from vaccination with the measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine or previous infection will become ill after exposure the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reported The virus remains in the air for as long as two hours after a person with the infection leaves a room People can be contagious four days before the telltale rash appears and up to four days after the rash starts Health leaders urge anyone who may have been exposed to monitor for symptoms for 21 days after the date of potential exposure or hospital emergency department to ensure precautions are taken to avoid exposing others “We are closely monitoring this case and taking it very seriously,” said Dr “Measles is highly contagious and can lead to severe complications pregnant individuals and those with weakened immune systems." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measles symptoms typically start within seven-14 days of exposure but also have been known to appear as long as 21 days after initial exposure and can include: How many measles cases have been reported in Michigan this year?The baby girl from Ingham County is the fifth person in Michigan to contract the measles this year As of April 10, there have been 712 confirmed measles cases in the U.S this year in 24 states — more than double the number of cases nationally in all of 2024 about 70% were among children and teenagers and 97% were among people who were either unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown More: Michigan's 1st 2025 measles case reported, likely exposing others at 2 Rochester locations More: Traveler with measles exposed others at Detroit Metro, Grand Rapids airports: What to know long-term disability and death in people of all ages So far this year, 79 people in the U.S. with confirmed measles cases have been hospitalized for treatment — that's about 11% of the 712 confirmed infections nationally. The vast majority — 65 of the 79 who were hospitalized — were younger than the age of 20 About 1 in 20 children with measles develops pneumonia. Roughly 1 out of every 1,000 children with measles infections will also have encephalitis Brain swelling from encephalitis can lead to convulsions Anywhere from 1 to 3 of every 1,000 children with measles dies from respiratory or neurologic complications from the virus People who contract measles during pregnancy also are more likely to develop pneumonia and be hospitalized The virus can cause miscarriage and stillbirth as well as trigger preterm birth and lead to lower birth weights The CDC has confirmed two deaths from measles in the U.S Make sure you and your loved ones are fully vaccinated with the measles Two doses are about 97% effective at preventing measles The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following when it comes to the measles A first dose for children at 12 months-15 months old with a booster dose administered between ages 4 and 6.Anyone born during or after 1957 without evidence of immunity against measles or documentation of having been vaccinated with two doses of MMR vaccine should get vaccinated The second dose should be given no sooner than 28 days after the first.People exposed to measles who cannot document immunity against the virus should get post-exposure prophylaxis — a dose of the vaccine to potentially provide protection within 72 hours of initial exposure or immunoglobulin within six days of exposure.The CDC changed its recommendations in 1989 from one dose of the MMR vaccine to two doses which provides longer-lasting and more robust protection People born between 1957-1989 who have had just a single dose of the vaccine may be at a higher risk of contracting the virus in an outbreak setting.Where can I get a measles vaccine?Ingham County residents can get an MMR vaccine at the health department’s immunization clinic 3 when entering the building and go to the second floor.) Walk in hours are: MMR vaccines also are available through primary care providers and pharmacies Medicaid and most private insurance plans cover the MMR vaccine at no cost Low- to no-cost vaccines also are available at local public health department offices Children eligible for the Vaccines for Children program also may receive the vaccine from a provider enrolled in that program at no cost. To learn more, go to: Vaccines for Children (VFC): Information for Parents | CDC The Oakland County Health Division offices in Southfield and Pontiac also have MMR vaccines available 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m In Macomb County, call 586-469-5372 or visit the Immunization Clinics webpage to learn more about vaccination services available (This story has been updated with new information.) Contact Kristen Shamus: kshamus@freepress.com Subscribe to the Free Press. One unforgettable night of community bonding through music Five musical groups will come together for a special collaborative concert on Tuesday at the East Lansing High School auditorium The performers include the Central Michigan University (CMU) orchestra and choir the Okemos High School (OHS) orchestra and choir and the East Lansing High School orchestra The idea for the concert first came in September from Keith Dodson they began planning what has become a bold musical experiment The show will bring together over 150 students from three schools performing together after just one combined rehearsal a practice session that is scheduled to take place just 45 minutes before showtime While learning new music quickly is nothing new for these students the sheer scale of this collaboration has added a layer of logistical challenges and excitement The directors credit their shared passion and a mutual belief in their students’ abilities to enjoy themselves and put on a successful show “There’s a lot of trust going into this,” Dodson said in a phone interview I personally know that Justin and David are exceptional musicians who can get the job done.” Rosin emphasized that the goal of the concert isn’t competition—it’s connection “I think that’s really healthy and important So much of society is focused on winning and losing but this is just about creating something together.” Rosin’s students will perform the unedited version of The Barber of Seville by Rossini along with Finlandia by Jean Sibelius—a poem whose themes of unity perfectly mirror the heart of this partnership.  CMU Director of Choral Activities Amon Eady will lead his choir in We Shall Walk Through the Valley by American composer Undine Smith Moore “It’s a song about peace and walking through the valley,” Eady explained and it feels especially relevant for this time in history.” He also noted how meaningful this experience is for the high school students pointing out that his CMU choir members were in the high school students’ shoes just a few years ago A few OHS singers participating in the concert will be joining the CMU choir as freshmen next fall Support for the project has extended all the way to the top with CMU’s director and dean of the School of Music fully backing the initiative and one that everyone involved hopes to see more of in the future it’s the spirit of collaboration—on the widest scale—that excites me,” Dodson said “I’m eager to see what the future holds for more partnerships like this one.” 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 James Poletes led the Wolves with three hits and three RBI and picked up the win in game two in a doubleheader sweep of East Lansing Sebastian Blair secured the game one victory with two RBI and Keagan Noble Jimmy Pignataro and Henry Schnelker each chipped in two RBI for Okemos Paul Van Dam finished with three hits and a RBI for the Trojans Colten McCaleb and Maddox Armour each notched victories from the mound to help the Bulldogs to a pair of victories over Parma Western Armour finished with three RBI and two doubles and Wyatt Ball chipped in two RBI for Mason BATTLE CREEK HARPER CREEK 2 / WILLIAMSTON 3 Ari Brooks and Kalli Ordiway each picked up shutout victories on the mound as the Greyhounds secured a pair of CAAC White wins over Ionia Ordiway finished with a team-best seven RBI and Ari Brooks finished with five hits and five runs scored for Eaton Rapids Bella Spitzley started both games for the Raiders allowing only one hit through two games and added on five hits and four RBI as Portland notched a pair of CAAC White wins over Olivet Bailee Fish picked up three hits and two RBI and Veda Smith tacked on three runs for Portland Aydin Sloan earned medalist honors for Perry with his round of 40 in a CMAC win Perry’s Alejos Torrez and Laingsburg’s Aydin Sloan each shot a 47 to finish tied for second The Aggies had their lowest score of their season in a loss to Bath Anthony Pawlowski shot a 46 to lead Dansville Gabby Hanover and Ava Hauser picked up wins at the top two singles flights in straight sets and the Bulldogs swept the doubles flights on the way to a CAAC Red victory over Fowlerville Emersyn Sturgis and Kate Boettger each picked up singles wins for the Redwings who swept the doubles flights for a nonleague win over Eaton Rapids Allie White and Leah Steffen each notched wins for the Greyhounds Kendall Lienerth scored a penalty kick goal for the Vikings in their league loss to Dansville Linden Ray had five saves as the Rams (0-3-2 0-2-1) played to a draw with Okemos in a CAAC Blue contest — A bridge project set to begin next month will close a section of Grand River Avenue between Okemos and Williamston for about 10 months The Michigan Department of Transportation plans to replace the bridge over the Red Cedar River Both the eastbound and westbound lanes of Grand River (M-43) are expected to be closed until early December The existing bridge will be demolished and a new bridge will be built in its place The roadside park on Grand River will be closed for the duration of the project The new bridge will have bike lanes and 7-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides Later phases of the project will include work at the North Meridian/Grand River intersection and the South Meridian Road/Grand River intersection township officials said Thursday in a newsletter That work is expected to be finished by February of 2026 Kicks off on Friday!Get home inspirations inside Meridian Mall Bart Loeb from the Home Show discusses how Michigan's best home improvement companies can answer your questions 2025Friday 11am-8pmSaturday 10am-8pmSunday 12pm-6pm For more information please visit MichiganHomeShows.com or call (734) 320-5322 Want to check out other Morning Blend segments? Visit the FOX47News Website Follow us on Twitter I'm your neighborhood reporter in East Lansing I'm so excited to be sticking around Mid-Michigan and telling stories in your neighborhood I've been following the ELPD's search for a police chief since it began nearly a year ago. And on Wednesday, I was at the Hannah Community Center as finalists for the position met with neighbors for the first time.The search began last spring, when then-Police Chief Kim Johnson resigned That was following an investigation into an internal complaint made against Johnson the city has narrowed its choices down to four following a national search In addition to her current position as interim Chief Jennifer Brown has spent time with Michigan State's Department of Police and Public Safety She says she hopes to maintain work that's already being done in the ELPD if selected for the permanent position "I will continue to focus on building relationships "Many of you who are residents here tonight." who served as a Chief of Police in Georgia says he emphasizes the importance of the community when it comes to public safety "I tell my staff all the time that safety is not something that we do for the community," Clark said "Safety is something that we achieve with the community." Earl Morrison has served in multiple leadership positions in police departments in Texas and agreed with the thoughts about the community's importance is that we serve you where you are and we know what that looks like the better I understand how to serve you and the better the police department and everybody else can serve you," Morrison said Shane Ginnan has spent time as a police chief in Indiana and mentioned that East Lansing intrigued him because he feels he can offer a lot to the department "If I see something that interests me and I feel like I can make an impact and I can bring my knowledge and my experience to that and make it better City Manager Robert Belleman tells me that the finalists will move on to their final interviews on Thursday and the city hopes to have an offer extended to their choice by the end of May Ray Mitchell has felt like his East Lansing boys basketball team has been playing its best over the past few weeks The Trojans rolled to a 63-36 victory over CAAC Blue rival Okemos in a Division 1 regional semifinal at Don Johnson Fieldhouse The win was the third straight by at least 17 points in the state tournament for East Lansing which has knocked off CAAC Blue rivals DeWitt Waverly and Okemos so far in its state tourney run to earn a spot in Thursday's regional final against Kalamazoo Central "I thought we played great," Mitchell said "I said a couple of weeks ago we're playing our best ball and I think it's showing People were asking my last game about playing a team three times and we've done that the last few games The last game we played against those teams we played our best ball "We want to be trending in that direction at the end of the year and I like where my team is at Cam Hutson had a game-high 18 points to lead the Trojans to a 19th straight win on Tuesday KJ Torbert added 11 points and JL Branson had eight points and seven rebounds for CAAC Blue champion East Lansing (24-1) The Trojans were boosted by a dominant first half in which they outscored the Wolves 30-8 That included holding Okemos (17-8) to just three points in the second quarter while earning an opportunity to capture a third straight regional title Thursday "That first half we just came out with a lot of energy," Branson said "We were talking about it in the locker room that we need to set the tone from the beginning and that's what we did at the beginning of the game." Mitchell thought his team was locked in defensively during its strong start "We came in with a defensive game plan and my guys executed that to perfection," Mitchell said "We know Okemos is a well-coached team and they have a lot of good players We knew they were going to make some adjustments and we just tried to focus on everything that we saw on film and really we wanted to correct our mistakes from last game They're a great team and I don't know how we held them to eight points (in the first half) More: Greater Lansing high school boys basketball regional schedule, results OKEMOS — Schuler Books will close its store at the Meridian Mall later this month to prepare for a move to a larger space inside the building The Grand Rapids-based company announced the move in March 2024 which has operated a location in Okemos for over 30 years will move from its current anchor space at the mall to one previously occupied by Bed Bath & Beyond The vacant space is located across the hall from the current bookstore "This move will give us a larger store allowing for expansion of the bookstore and the addition of a dedicated event space similar to that of our Grand Rapids store," Schuler Books Marketing Coordinator Alana Haley said in a release in March The bookstore's cafe will close on Wednesday, Jan. 15, "and begin the move across the hall," said a post on Schuler Books' Facebook page The bookstore will close at its current space on Jan "While our doors will be closed during this time we will keep you updated on the progress through social media," said the Thursday post you can still get books through our website shipped directly to your home or by visiting one of our other 3 locations!" A date hasn't been set for the store's reopening in the new space "but we’re committed to reopening as soon as possible," it said "We will announce the date as soon as we can and throw a party when we are ready to welcome you back in!" The company, which formerly also had a location at the Eastwood Towne Center in Lansing Township until 2018 Visit the bookstore online at www.schulerbooks.com New Italian restaurant opens in Lansing's REO Town Outdoor sauna park expected to open in East Lansing. Here are 5 things to know Schuler Books is preparing to move from its current location in Okemos' Meridian Mall The Michigan-based bookseller is taking over the space formerly occupied by Bed, Bath & Beyond - just across the hall SEE ALSO: Banned! 16 Books Not on the Shelves in Michigan Schools The bookstore's move is officially set to begin in January 2025 although no date has yet been projected for opening the new space to customers "Due to the unpredictable nature of construction schedules and inspections but we will be keeping our customers informed through social media and on our website," says Elizabeth Bosscher Bath & Beyond location will afford Schuler Books "a larger space allowing for expansion of the bookstore and café and the addition of a dedicated event space." The current location is expected to remain open until the new space - about 25% bigger - is ready to serve customers Founded in 1982 and based in West Michigan, Schuler Books currently operates bookstores in Grand Rapids, Okemos, Ann Arbor and West Bloomfield Gallery Credit: Scott Clow Schuler Books in Okemos is moving, but not far. Here's why the Meridian Mall bookstore is taking over a new location, and what it will mean to customers.\nRead More Schuler Books is preparing to move from its current location in Okemos' Meridian Mall The Michigan-based bookseller is taking over the space formerly occupied by Bed, Bath & Beyond - just across the hall SEE ALSO: Banned! 16 Books Not on the Shelves in Michigan Schools Founded in 1982 and based in West Michigan, Schuler Books currently operates bookstores in Grand Rapids, Okemos, Ann Arbor and West Bloomfield Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLIVINGSTON COUNTY (WILX) - Livingston County Officials have confirmed with News 10 that they are working with Washtenaw County detectives on a lead that may solve a 35-year-old cold case Paige Renkoski of Okemos disappeared in May 1990 from her car on I-96 in Fowlerville Buster Robbins from Lapeer County is charged with the 1989 rape and murder of Beverly Wivell Robbins is currently behind bars in Washtenaw County Just nine months before Renkoski disappeared Wivell was sleeping in her car in Canton Township when she was abducted Paige Renkoski stopped at a park in Canton before she disappeared the women’s cars were found running with their purses inside While Renkoski’s body has never been found Wivell’s body was found in Washtenaw County Court documents show DNA from a rape kit collected in 1989 matches Robbins Livingston County investigators say they are not ruling out Robbins as a suspect in Renkoski’s disappearance A judge ruled there is not enough evidence to send him to trial He remains behind bars without bond while prosecutors appeal the decision 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 MERIDIAN TWP. — Today's the big day for local lovers of books as Schuler Books prepares to officially open the doors to its new Meridian Mall location at 9 a.m. "Our shelves are full and our staff are ready to welcome you into our new space," Schuler Books said on its Facebook page "The first 100 customers in the store will also receive a free Schuler Books tote bag." There was a heart emoji in the message posted on the eve of Valentine's Day and an announcement that there would be a proper "expansion celebration" on Friday MORE: Schuler Books offers sneak peek inside new Meridian Mall store set to open next week This is the Grand Rapids-based independent bookseller's third move in Okemos The latest 30,000-square-foot store looks unrecognizable from when Bed Bath & Beyond occupied it and has wood bookshelves that will hold an estimated 60,000 titles occupied a 24,000-square-foot storefront for two decades 1/43East Lansing defeats Okemos in MHSAA D1 basketball regional semifinal .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Devin Anderson-Torrez | danderson-torrez@mlive.comLANSING MI –– East Lansing escaped familiar trouble in its MHSAA D1 regional semifinal opponent the Trojans jumped out to a large first-half lead and promptly took care of business A buzzer-beater from East Lansing guard Kelvin “KJ” Torbert sent his team into the half up 30-8 the game was anything but reminiscent of the conference rivals' previous two meetings East Lansing defeated Okemos 78-67 in double overtime the Trojans head to the regional final to face the Maroon Giants of Kalamazoo Central Related: See photos as Kalamazoo Central punches ticket to regional final in lopsided win over Lakeview The regional final will be played at Don Johnson Fieldhouse at 7 p.m MLive was there to document the action on and off the court on Tuesday night. To see photos from the game scroll to the top of the page or click this link Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Fourth-year Okemos tennis coach Karim Jelassi was fired on Friday for reasons unknown to him Jelassi said he was fired during a meeting with Okemos athletic director Ken Hintze and a human resources representative He said he was not given a reason for his termination and that he had not received any warnings or written notices about performance or conduct issues "It's the middle of the season," Jelassi said about the Wolves 10 in the state in Division 1 by the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association They had a chance that they could maybe win the state (title)." "Normally you finish the season and I can meet with (school officials) and we can come up with something or do something after the season (but) not in the middle of the season," Jelassi said When reached Wednesday about the tennis program's leadership change Hintze said the school district doesn't comment on personnel matters the program's junior varsity coach last year Gutierrez is a Spanish teacher at the school "He's a great guy and I look forward to his leadership and his positive outlook," Hintze said of Gutierrez At least one parent of a tennis player has sent a letter to Okemos Superintendent John Hood and the school board asking for Jelassi's reinstatement A change.org petition also has been created calling for his reinstatement Jelassi said he hopes Okemos officials reconsider and bring him back as coach "I know the kids miss me already," Jelassi said this is the middle of the season and the parents mentioned that too." OKEMOS — Mid-Michigan's only Peruvian restaurant will open its first stand-alone Tantay's leap from a shared kitchen in the Allen Neighborhood Center in the 1600 block of East Kalamazoo Street in Lansing to the 1,500-square-foot space at 2398 Jolly Road has been delayed months after owner Jose Aste was seriously injured in November 2023 Aste said the restaurant had been slated to make the move by January Aste stepped away from both the day-to-day operations at Tantay and running the restaurant's food truck to focus on recovery He started walking on his own again in April and the move fits with a deadline Aste set for himself when he first began the business "My five-year goal was to have a restaurant," he said Aste's injury and the setback that resulted were proof that his staff His employees ran the kitchen at Allen Neighborhood Center and the restaurant's food truck while he healed As he prepared on Monday to welcome customers to the new restaurant Aste said knowing how capable his staff is was reassuring Tantay's space in the Allen Neighborhood Center will close once the Okemos space opens will seat about 40 people and will operate with a fast-casual model The menu will include what Tantay is known for: authentic Peruvian dishes made with locally sourced ingredients ceviche and stir fry made with aji camarillo chili peppers "They have a wonderful spice to them," Aste said Lansing Barber College students hoped to learn to cut hair. They say they got clipped in a 'hustle' Moneyball Sportwear announces plans to close Meridian Mall store at end of the year The move from a shared kitchen to its own space has been a "colossal switch," Aste said He said he owes a great deal to the Allen Neighborhood Center "The incubator kitchen has been amazing because it was a home for us to build the business from an operational standpoint," he said The food truck also has been a learning experience Tantay's food truck will be open at American Fifth Spirits — Big Lots is closing four stores in Michigan the company said as it struggles with reduced revenue In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing the company said it plans to close 35 to 40 stores nationwide while opening three new outlets The company said it expects to have 1,392 stores at the end of 2024 continue to be negatively impacted by macro-economic pressures affecting our customers’ discretionary spending in the first quarter of 2024," the Columbus "The Company has incurred net losses and used cash in operating activities in 2022 The date of the closures was not announced Big Lots in June reported a net loss of $205 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2024 that ended May 4 and a net after-tax loss of $72.7 million Net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2024 totaled $1.009 billion a 10.2% decrease compared to $1.124 billion for the same period last year According to an overview in the SEC filing comparing the first quarter of 2023 the company also saw a 12.7% decrease in inventory and a $108 million or 9.9% decrease in comparable sales for stores open at least 15 months WLNS 6 News When deciding whether to live on the east or west side of East Lansing the biggest decision you'll be making is between the hustle and bustle or the calm and secluded History and social studies education junior Kat Paloyan lives near Hannah Plaza She said this side tends to be calmer.  or at least… it can be a little more quiet." The lack of hustle and bustle also pertains to days without sporting events Interactive media and game design senior Simon McElhoe lives in the Prairie View apartments on the west side of East Lansing "I get a lot of road noise because I'm on Grand River and a lot of people will walk from the neighborhoods like the Lansing side to the bars and it kind of sucks," McElhoe said.  McElhoe also had the experience of living on the Okemos side as he lived in a house on North Hagadorn last year He said that at times he misses the calm of Okemos.  "While North Hagadorn is like a major road… there aren't nearly as many students just walking around it all the time." Apartments on the Lansing side tend to be closer to campus and the life of Grand River McElhoe said this is something to consider when deciding where to live "I think if you're someone who really likes going out then living on the Lansing side so close to Grand River is definitely the move," McElhoe said McElhoe also noted that by choosing to live on the more condensed Lansing side he doesn't have to drive around as much.  I've been using (buses) way more this year than I did last year," he said "The only bus that ran by where I lived (last year) was one that I had to pay for." The buses he has access to now follow the 30 routes all of which are free because they travel on campus "Living on the east side feels a little further away compared to if you live right above campus or towards the more west side," Paloyan said.  it also comes with the cost of a longer commute Psychology junior Hannah Ajumobi said the distance can also make getting to campus harder especially if you are someone who prefers commuting on foot rather than driving is something that I don't love," Ajumobi said "The trail system and stuff is pretty good but it's still pretty hard to cross Hagadorn and stuff and the accessibility to campus isn't super great." the distance can put somewhat of strain on the social life of students which can be good for more privacy and more like being away from people," Palyon said Ajumobi ultimately prefers this sense of privacy as it is likely that you'll still have chances to interact with fellow students "What I like about it is the area I'm in is… my whole apartment building is students," Ajumobi said "So I don't necessarily feel too disconnected in that way It's just not as condensed as on (the Lansing) side." The accessibility to grocery stores is another benefit that comes with the Okemos side of East Lansing Okemos has a wide variety of grocery stores ranging from Meijer and Target for going to get groceries or going to anywhere it's more like a five to 10 minute drive instead of like a 20 or 30 minute drive because I don't have to go through campus to get to Okemos," Paloyan said.  where you decide to live has a lot to do with personal and lifestyle preferences.  "If the person I was talking to went out a lot more I would definitely suggest living more on campus or in Lansing," Ajumobi said who's more like a homebody and just values practicality and stuff East: Students discuss differences in living near Okemos or Lansing” on social media LANSING — An Okemos High School graduate was crowned Miss USA Sunday in Los Angeles a second lieutenant and military intelligence officer in the U.S graduated in the top 5% of her class at West Point who was named Miss Michigan in April and is the first active duty military officer to win for the Mitten state credited her family and her background for her success in the pageant "Service comes in many forms and my only limitations are the ones I accept," she wrote an unshakeable belief that has fueled my path as an Afro-Latina woman from a predominantly white to compete as the first active-duty Army officer in Miss Michigan USA." Cooper wrote that she wanted to use her win to uplift other girls of color “Other contestants may be drawn to pageants for their glitz and glamour but I see the stage as an opportunity to represent the many girls of color who often go unseen and unheard and to inspire others to free themselves from circumstances and perceptions about who they are.” Cooper is also a Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford Cooper played varsity volleyball at Okemos High School Voigt, who was awarded Miss USA in September 2023, announced her resignation in a statement on Instagram in May I strongly value the importance of making decisions that feel best for you and your mental health." Days later Srivastava, Miss Teen USA 2023, shared a statement announcing her departure because her "personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization." 2023 Miss USA pageant runner-up, Hawaii's Savannah Gankiewicz was crowned a week after Voigt's resignation USA Today reporter Taijuan Moorman contributed EAST LANSING — KJ Torbert has many things he wants to achieve on the basketball court The East Lansing junior star reached one of those goals Thursday And in the process he helped the Trojan boys basketball team further take control of the CAAC Blue race Torbert reached the 1,000-point milestone as East Lansing remained unbeaten in the CAAC Blue with a 78-67 victory in double overtime over Okemos Torbert had three dunks while scoring six of the 12 points for the Trojans in the second overtime period "Playing against your old team and having a 1,000-point night in your career that's a lot of motivation," East Lansing coach Ray Mitchell said but he kind of takes it to another level." finished with 21 points and followed in the footsteps of his father Kelvin in reaching the 1,000-point milestone when he hit a free throw with 3:43 to play in the third quarter Kelvin Torbert scored 1,978 points while starring at Flint Northwestern and earning Mr Basketball honors in 2001 before going on to play at Michigan State "It's a milestone I've been always trying to hit," said Torbert whose big night included hitting a buzzer-beating 3 just inside half court to end the opening half Torbert was among the many players to come through for East Lansing as it pushed its win streak to seven Saint Louis signee Cam Hutson finished with a game-high 30 points Kingston Thomas added 12 points and JL Branson finished with 10 for the Trojans (12-1 It was Hutson who sent the game to overtime after East Lansing trailed in the closing seconds of regulation after Christian Pickens hit a pair of free throws that gave Okemos (10-2 4-2) a 62-60 advantage with 6.5 seconds to play Hutson then scored off a baseline out of bounds play just as time expired to force overtime Hutson then made the go-ahead free throws in the second extra period "This is what high school basketball is about when you play your rival," Mitchell said Pickens had a team-high 17 points and accounted for the lone points for the Wolves during the first overtime period Sawyer Lick added 14 points and Christian Chiou finished with 13 points before fouling out in the closing seconds of regulation for the Wolves