Divisions within East Lansing’s City Hall have led to complaints and resignations.
Investigation by ELi shows it’s been a rocky road to hiring a new city manager for East Lansing.
Material just released under the Freedom of Information Act shows the Metzger/Fabian family chose to redevelop their portion of Parking Lot #11 after being told the city would not continue to rent it for parking.
Internal communications reveal what’s been happening with the long-awaited Trader Joe’s store set to be built across Grand River Avenue from Whole Foods in East Lansing.
What’s the plan for 530 Albert Ave.? ELi explains the proposal, the opposition and the backstory.
The five semi-finalists’ applications raise a host of questions following investigative research by ELi.
Who has and hasn’t applied to be city manager? Why the chatter about moving city operations? And what’s going on with the independent investigation into the anonymous complaint? ELi brings you up to speed on these stories and more.
Weeks after being advised by Lansing’s deputy mayor that giving cash away to a local charity violates state law, East Lansing’s mayor supported another $5,000 donation by his city. And why did former city manager George Lahanas start two “nongovernmental” charities from City Hall?
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request turns up a surprising letter, and the vice president for developer ACD explains how a project would restrict who can rent there.
Mayor Pro Tem Jessy Gregg has said the matter is being overblown in importance, while records show Interim Planning Director Tim Dempsey has seen it as critical to understanding low staff morale.
ELi connects the dots on a surprise pair of agenda items.
Who’s leaving, who is back, and what did former employees say about why they left?
Why was “catastrophe” looming? ELi explains and tells you what happened with the latest refinance of the Evergreen Properties debt.
Superintendent Dori Leyko has provided ELi more information about the hiring process that was used.
ELi filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to obtain the applications, so members of the public can see them in advance of Council’s vetting and decision. What did the people who want to be seated on East Lansing’s Council give as their qualifications and reasons? Find out.
“I’m ready to give up, which I suspect is the point,” MSU biostatistician and ELPS parent Ahnalee Brincks told ELi.
Prices for parking at meters and City-owned ramps and lots may increase this summer. City staff is also calling for Council to consider a hike in fines for parking meter violations. Clay Oppenhuizen and Emily Joan Elliott explain why.
Following the murder of George Floyd, ELPS administrators vowed to undertake new efforts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Where does the district stand on meeting those goals?
A series of Freedom of Information Act requests from ELi show how some changes in the City’s workforce mean women are more represented as the highest earners. Emily Joan Elliott reports.
Council re-upped a policy that streamlines the process for restaurants to apply for expanded outdoor seating, but the big news about the City’s settlement in a FOIA lawsuit was buried in the consent agenda. Andrew Graham reports.
The City currently has 64 fewer employees than it did on Dec. 31, 2019 — and the departures have been most prevalent among Black employees. What else did ELi find out about changes in the City’s workforce?
What’s going on when ELi seeks a public record a source has told us exists yet the City of East Lansing claims there are “no records found”?
What counts as a “public record” when it comes to the cell phones, tablets, and computers used by East Lansing City Council members in the course of their work as elected officials? That’s the central question in an ongoing lawsuit here.
The DDA recently approved spending up to $40,000 of public money to install security cameras downtown. But even before installation, these cameras offer a look into the current state of East Lansing politics and policy on a number of issues. Alice Dreger reports.
Andrew and Chuck are joined by ELi’s Executive Director and Publisher Alice Dreger to delve into the overall issues of transparency in the City of East Lansing. Listen in!
ELi faces a persistent lack of transparency and thus an unnecessary uphill climb in our efforts to report on what your local government is doing — including with your money. ELi City Desk reporter Andrew Graham brings the story.
The DDA voted in favor of funding more cameras to be used by ELPD, but not before a lively discussion about privacy and how to welcome people downtown.
When an East Lansing Info reader saw chatter on social media regarding a trash truck causing damage to a neighbor’s trash cart, she wondered how often this happened. Here’s what we found out.
Under the current City Council and City Attorney, it’s gotten even harder for citizens to see the City Attorneys’ opinions. ELi’s Andrew Graham explains the struggle for transparency.
The Honorable Wanda M. Stokes sided with the City Attorney’s argument that the request was too broad but encouraged ELi to file a new request with more specific language. What else did Stokes have to say about the case?
Our Publisher Alice Dreger explains in detail what we’re doing to manage a conflict-of-interest problem in the City Council elections.
Emily Joan Elliott and Alice Dreger talk to Brian Wassom about freedom of the press. Elliott and Dreger then discuss how Dreger used the Freedom of Information Act to report on a major gas leak that occurred near her home.
Hear the 911 call and learn what went wrong and right when a major gas leak erupted in a residential East Lansing neighborhood on June 3. Are the safety systems working?
East Lansing Council member Lisa Babcock says she obtained the same set of emails via FOIA and “found them deeply disturbing.” What do they show? ELi’s Andrew Graham reports.
East Lansing’s Study Committee on an Independent Police Oversight Commission will present its findings and recommendations to City Council today. Heather Brothers reports on the Study Committee’s final discussions, which included concerns over transparency and cooperation between a future oversight commission and the City, including ELPD.
City Council expressed interest in the ELPD budget, but then passed what had been presented. What can we discern in that budget about ELPD policing for East Lansing? Nick Sly reports for ELi.
A recent study of East Lansing residents’ attitudes on policing said it included 51 African American and/or Black respondents, but Dr. Cedrick Heraux discovered discrepancies after looking at the raw data. What did he find in his deep dive into the numbers?
When the City Clerk’s office declined to provide a list of people who pulled applications to run for City Council, ELi filed a FOIA request. What did we find out in addition to who might be running for Council?
Thasin Sardar, an Islamic Center Trustee, and Kelli Ellsworth-Etchison, a member of the Study Committee on an Independent Police Oversight Commission, responded to ELi’s report, while ELPD Deputy Chief Steve Gonzalez promised some reform.
After prosecutors dropped all the charges, Babcock questioned the “truthfulness” of one police officer’s report, the press release, and whether racial, ethnic, religious, or other biases played a role in this case. ELPD investigation found her complaint to be “sustained.” ELi’s Andrew Graham reports.
“The posture that is being taken tonight from the City Manager, to me, seems indicative of what’s to come for an oversight commission in how difficult things might be in this transparency quest,” said Study Committee member Kelli Ellsworth-Etchison. What’s going on?
Why did it take a month for the City of East Lansing to investigate a spill of at least 55 gallons of hydraulic oil, an unknown quantity of which went into a private storm drain? And what now?
Who has been benefiting from this program? A Freedom of Information Act request brings the answer.
The City’s parking system and some of the businesses that rent retail space from the City have been hit hard by pandemic-related shut-downs. A Freedom of Information Act response gives a window to some of the numbers.
East Lansing Info is making publicly available the register of all payments made by the City of East Lansing in fiscal years 2019 ad 2020. Tell us what you would like us to examine further.
The HRC’s discussion on Wednesday evening will likely involve ongoing concerns about police use of force, ELPD policies, racial bias in policing, and policing transparency. ELi’s Alice Dreger explains the context.
Ordinance 1496, which makes violations of public health orders punishable by a fine from the City of East Lansing, expired on Dec. 31, 2020, and Council forgot to renew it. They met today to fix that.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission of Mid-Michigan will host an event on television this evening. This morning, ELi reflects on covering news related to racial equity and justice.
One week away from a $2.4 million shortfall for the payment due to the bondholder, many questions remain unanswered. Not least, the $6 million question. ELi’s Alice Dreger reports.
The City will host a closed-to-the-public meeting this week to teach members of the City’s boards and commissions about the public’s right to open government.
Chickens aren’t the typical family pet, but they may have more to give your family than you think. ELi’s Heather Brothers gets the coop scoop from Dr. Marguerite Halversen.
Once a cash cow, parking fines and citations have fallen dramatically in 2020. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott takes a look at how those numbers have changed, now costing the City more money than it makes in fines.
A Freedom of Information Act request from ELi yielded a cache of informative documents regarding the Center City District and Newman Lofts. Andrew Graham unpacks them.
Which companies in East Lansing got big bucks from the federal Paycheck Protection Program? ELi’s Andrew Graham takes a look.
Following up on a tip from a City employee who thinks East Lansing’s vehicle policies waste tax dollars, ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott provides a look at the spending.
At the City of East Lansing, men hold two-thirds of the full-time jobs, and five departments employ only white people. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott reports.
This page archives the annual reports of the East Lansing Police Department.
ELi brings you the results of the school district’s survey of elementary, middle, and high school parents. What did they report back about the stay-at-home learning experience?
ELi’s Alice Dreger reports on what video from Sunday seems to show and how East Lansing Interim Police Chief Steve Gonzalez is seeing the protests.
How did the Downtown Development Authority ultimately decide to judge applications for one hundred grants of $2,500 each?
Internal emails give a glimpse into what led up to the Continuity of Learning plan that begins Week 1 today for East Lansing Public Schools.