A series of public hearings in May and June will allow self-identified “communities of interest” to make their case for inclusion in the redrawing of district maps for federal and state elections.
News
Prayer walks, worship nights, racial healing and more with House of Prayer
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What all started as college students praying and worshipping in a dorm room turned into the House of Prayer in East Lansing.More than a decade ago, Jessie Still, founder of House of Prayer, empowered college students to go beyond their dorm rooms into a more permanent space, which is how it all came about.“The mission and vision at the House of Prayer is to be a family of friends and followers of Jesus who stand with Him in the place of prayer who go with Him into the great harvest who make disciples of all nations.” said Rachel Nanzer. Nanzer says a lot of what the House of Prayer does is centered around its mission and vision statement. Members of the House of Prayer, do prayer at noon every weekday, host Bible study, worship nights, and they do evangelism and discipleship. Every second and fourth Saturday of every month are when the worship nights are held. “For me, the biggest draw was family.
News
Blue Owl flies on wings of optimism
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Blue Owl counter
With the slogan #hopeliveshere you can probably see how the optimistic approach has helped keep the business afloat. What used to be a place you could study, sip coffee, or see a local artist perform, Blue Owl Coffee, a local coffee shop in East Lansing, was not exempt from taking precautions alongside other businesses.“We haven’t had an event here since last February” said Adam Subora, assistant manager at Blue Owl. Subora has been working at the coffee shop since December 2018 and says he’s seen the full transition. Before the pandemic hit, Subora said, the shop would host events every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, sometimes on Thursdays and Saturdays. On some Sundays there would also be recitals so they were always packed.
News
Virtual kindergarten has been a struggle for throughout Michigan
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Michigan school enrollment fell by 53,000 students during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Of those students, 13,000 were in kindergarten.
According to Chalkbeat Detroit, Detroit Public Schools lost 2,719 or 5% of students, Lansing Public Schools lost 927 or 9% of students, Kalamazoo Public Schools lost 690 or 5% of students, and Traverse City has lost 552 or 6% of students.
The decline in kindergarten enrollment is concerning to teachers, principals, administrators, and parents across four districts in Michigan.
Principals say the slide is continuing
Gier Park Elementary in Lansing has grades Pre-K-3 and Principal Christopher Cadogan has seen decreases in enrollment. Photo courtesy Christopher Cadogan. “If we just look at last year, the 2019 to 2020 school year, we ended that year with 84 kindergarteners,” Cadogan said. “This year we’re at 75 and it’s not the end of the school year.”
Comparing this to the 2018-2019 school year, Cadogan said the school had even more students at 97 and you can really see the contrast between then and now.
Cadogan said kindergarten teaches developmental lessons and tries to provide students with the basic and foundational principles of reading and numeracy.
Article
MSU playing central role in vaccine distribution in Ingham County
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An individual arrives outside the pavilion to check-in to receive their vaccine. Photo by Kayla Richards. By April 13, a little more than 100,000 Ingham County residents, 42.9% of the county’s population, received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
At the heart of Ingham County’s vaccination effort is the Michigan State University Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education, which opened Dec. 21 for vaccinations. MSU works with the Ingham County Health Department, which receives the vaccines from the state, to administer vaccines via drive-through at the pavilion, eight hours a day Tuesday through Friday.
Lt. Dave Oslund, emergency management unit commander for the MSU Police Department, said the university works with the City of East Lansing and Ingham County’s emergency management unit.
East Lansing
East Lansing City Council, MSU anticipate return to meeting in person
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East Lansing Council anticipates return to in-person meetings.
News
Despite Obstacles, young entrepreneurs keep pushing
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In a new booming market, plant-based restaurant owners were forced to overcome obstacles to provide healthy food to their communities. Making their cities a better place is the gas that fills these entrepreneurs’ tanks. Vegan Taste Catering
Pr’Phec Hamilton, CEO of Vegan Taste Catering
Food isn’t the only thing made from scratch and lots of love at Vegan Taste Catering in Detroit.
Pr’phec Hamilton, 23, has worn many hats to ensure the vision of her business comes into fruition. She was willing to break all barriers to succeed, especially being as a young African American woman from Detroit’s east side.
Hamilton is not only the chef and CEO of Vegan Taste Catering, but the entrepreneur who was willing to get her hands dirty and become the contractor. It was a family affair. Hamilton and her cousin, Zachary Crawford, completely renovated the building that’s now home to not only Vegan Taste Catering, but Hypewhore Vintage and Current Art Studio, which is owned by Crawford.
Article
Michigan State opens student-only vaccine site
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The Michigan State Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education has had a drive-through vaccination clinic for a few months now, but the university created a student-only site. Students can now receive the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the MSU Pavilion. Students can sign up for an appointment on the Ingham County Health Department website. Appointments are regularly added. MSU Deputy Spokesperson Dan Olsen said appointments are booked all through next week.
News
Mason High School yearbook staff adapts to COVID challenges
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The Mason High School yearbook staff, and yearbook staffs across the country, have had to adapt to a new way of creating a book of memories amid being in a pandemic. With many school events and clubs being cancelled, it has been a challenge to chronicle this remote school year. Mason High School yearbook staff attends class over Zoom. Eric Haynie is the yearbook teacher at Mason High School. As a teacher, he has had to help his students find creative ways to create the yearbook.
Homepage Featured
Building Twentyone hosts Comedy for a Cause fundraiser
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Building Twentyone in Mason hosted “Comedy for a Cause” on March 4. This was a fundraising event for the teen center to support its programs and help with the costs to run the organization.
The event had a DJ, food, and the main attraction, comedian Joey I.L.O. The fundraiser was in-person, but people could also attend virtually. “You had so many different types of people in the room from different walks of life … to me, that’s what was so beautiful about the comedy that it was so organic and just all came together and there were so many people from different walks and to see them all laughing together, man, it was beautiful,” said I.L.O.
The fundraiser was bigger than what Building Twentyone Director Benjamin Schartow was expecting. There ended up being around 120 people in-person, and at least 30 people virtually. The event raised more than $17,000, according to the Building Twentyone website.
East Lansing
B.1.1.7 variant is spreading across East Lansing, creating urgency for vaccinations
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The B.1.1.7. U.K coronavirus variant is in East Lansing, causing concern this will lead to another spike or whether the vaccine can stop the spread.