City Council
Council Increases Down-Payment Assistance Program for City Employees
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Who has been benefiting from this program? A Freedom of Information Act request brings the answer.
COVID-19
As Parking System Revenues Plummet, Lease with Georgio’s Pizza Amended (Again)
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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.
finance and taxes
How is the City of East Lansing Spending Money?
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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.
Ask ELi to Investigate
No, A Dead Poet Did Not Vote In East Lansing’s Most Recent Election
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Did Charlotte Brontë vote in the November 2020 election in East Lansing while residing at the Dublin Square pub? ELi’s Andrew Graham brings the answer and explains what it tells us about how Michigan’s voting system works.
COVID-19
Council Goofed on Covid-Related Law – But Now They’ve Reinstated a $500 Party Fine
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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.
East Lansing Policing
Your ELi: It’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in East Lansing
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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.
Ask ELi to Investigate
Ask ELi: Why is there a giant cross downtown?
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We get this question every now and then, so here’s the answer with the investigative backstory.
Center City District
Timeline of East Lansing’s Center City District Project
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Here’s a comprehensive timeline of East Lansing’s Center City District redevelopment, beginning with the press conference where it was announced.
General News
What Will Be the Big East Lansing Stories of 2021?
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Our staff compiles the top stories we expect to cover in 2021. But we can never know all that will happen — like, a pandemic — and that’s why we need your financial support.
Arts & Cultures
The Top Ten East Lansing Stories of 2020
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What were the biggest stories in East Lansing for 2020? ELi’s Publisher and Managing Editor bring you the top 10 list.
Your ELi
The Ten Stories That Meant the Most to Your ELi Reporters in 2020
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From ELHS closing due to Covid-19, to volunteers sewing masks to donate, to the Harbor Bay dealings, our reporters highlight stories they enjoyed bringing you in 2020. At this page, you can click on “play” buttons to hear individual recordings of the articles read by their own reporters!
Center City District
Episode 8 and A Special Edition of The ‘East Lansing Insider’ Are Now Live
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The team at ELi brings you the regular weekly pod and a special edition from Alice Dreger and Emily Joan Elliott on the refinancing of the Center City District bonds. Listen on.
Center City District
Who Really Benefited from the Center City Bonds’ Refinancing?
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Spoiler alert: the developers benefited. And now, with yet another of the deal’s financial protections for the City seeming to fall away, former mayor Mark Meadows is saying that “injunctive relief should be sought.”
Ask ELi to Investigate
Ask ELi: When, Exactly, is the Deer Cull?
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Following questions from readers about when the deer cull begins, if it hasn’t already, Andrew Graham got back in touch with the City to find out the precise dates.
Ask ELi to Investigate
Ask ELi: Will a Cell Tower Be Built Near Kedzie Street?
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An ELi reader shared a legal notice indicating that a cell tower is proposed to be built on the south end of the Bailey Neighborhood. So what would be going where, exactly? Andrew Graham finds out.
Development
Episode 7 of the ‘Insider’ is Live
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Andrew Graham, Alice Dreger and Emily Joan Elliott talk shop and decompress while discussing a whirlwind few days in East Lansing.
finance and taxes
Why Are East Lansing’s Water and Sewer Rates Higher Than Meridian Township’s?
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Several factors contribute to the difference in costs, but one main factor is the differing ages of infrastructure. Andrew Graham explains further.
Center City District
East Lansing BRA Advised to Refinance Bonds to Avoid “Considerable Headline and Reputational Risk”
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Who is the investor for the refinancing bonds? Mark Bell’s father. Again. And any chance of saving that $6 million in taxes appears to be evaporating.
Center City District
We Still Don’t Know What’s Happening With The Center City Bonds
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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.
finance and taxes
Going Green or Going to Lunch? The City’s Green Fleet Resolution in Action
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The City told ELi that its efforts to “go green” involved the use of GPS for route optimization. Documents received through the Freedom of Information Act suggest the GPS units were also used to monitor worker performance. Emily Joan Elliott reports.
General News
More on the Cost of Living Rising in East Lansing
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How does ELi cover taxes and finances in East Lansing? Publisher Alice Dreger explains.
General News
Join the ELi Team on Sunday for “Fun with FOIA,” a Live Conversation and Workshop!
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Join the ELi staff Sunday at 7p.m. for “Fun with FOIA,” a live conversation about our work using documents provided through the Freedom on Information Act and a workshop on developing your own FOIA request.
East Lansing Policing
East Lansing Says It Is an “Open Government.” The Reality Is More Challenging.
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ELi has frequently encountered issues with Freedom of Information requests, finding that requests are often incomplete and are answered at the last possible moment. Andrew Graham explains.
Ask ELi to Investigate
Ask ELi: How is the City Addressing Potential Lead in Service Lines?
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An ELi reader wanted to know what the City is doing about potential lead contamination in service lines. Andrew Graham brings answers.
General News
A Deep Dive on Center City District in Latest ‘East Lansing Insider’
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ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott, Alice Dreger and Andrew Graham break down what happened over the weekend and bring an in-depth feature on the Center City District bonds disputes.
General News
What City Laws Do ELi Readers Want Changed?
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Earlier in October, ELi asked what laws in East Lansing you, the readers, would like to see changed. Andrew Graham brings you the responses.
Center City District
New City Attorney Asked to Look at $6M Question of the Center City District Bonds
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A new review by ELi of prior meetings on the subject finds yet more evidence that this matter won’t be simple to sort out. See the key video clips now.
Center City District
Investors Interested in $29M East Lansing Bond Offer Must RSVP Fast
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Experts are describing the Center City District bonds as “hairy” and having “sharp edges.” What’s so weird about them? Alice Dreger unpacks it for you.
Elections
Did You Get Mail That Claims You Didn’t Vote?
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One woman received mail saying her Aug. 4 ballot hadn’t been counted, but the City Clerk was able to confirm that it had. So why did she receive the notice? The possible answers are surprisingly simple.
Development
Documents Show Harbor Bay’s Persistent Efforts to Change Deal
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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.
Ask ELi to Investigate
Ask ELi: Who Got PPP Loans in East Lansing?
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Which companies in East Lansing got big bucks from the federal Paycheck Protection Program? ELi’s Andrew Graham takes a look.
Center City District
East Lansing Bond Default? Not If Mark Bell Pays His Father $2.4M, As Required
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Why is East Lansing’s government poised to take on as much as $4.4M in debt when it doesn’t have to? The execution of the Center City District deal continues to baffle even experts.
Center City District
Meadows: Harbor Bay Started Asking for Age-Restriction Elimination Over a Year Ago
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Steve Willobee came asking for accommodation long before Covid-19, says former mayor Mark Meadows. Now the City has issued violation notices to Harbor Bay, requiring the tenants of the four illegal rentals be moved out.
Government
The City of East Lansing Decries Bias. Its Workforce Demographics Tell a Different Story.
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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.
Schools
Survey Says: ELPS Parents Want Improvement if Fall Involves Remote Learning
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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?
Schools
Stats Show Lack of Diversity in ELPS Faculty Ranks
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About 56% of ELPS students are white, while about 96% of the teachers are white. Students, parents, and School Board members talked to ELi about why this matters.
General News
Citizen Petition Demands East Lansing Police Officer Stephenson Be Fired
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Following release of police body cam video, citizens and at least one Human Relations Commissioner are demanding more action by ELPD, the East Lansing City Manager, and City Council.
Government
December Arrest Video Finally Released, As City Manager Seeks New ELPD Chief
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New developments in the shake-up at ELPD: videos from December are released, and changes are in the works.
Government
State Police Investigation Exonerates ELPD Officer with History of Bias Complaints
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City Council will pursue a Citizen Oversight Panel for complaints, and ELPD will look anew at “head stabilization” in light of injuries to two black men.
General News
East Lansing’s Public Health Is Threatened by Insurance Gaps
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East Lansing’s public health during COVID-19 is being shaped by our demographics and complex health insurance system.
Shifting to Distanced Life at MSU Has Not Been Simple
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The shift to online learning happened with little warning at MSU. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott brings this inside look at the rapid and monumental change at East Lansing’s core institution.
COVID-19
Senior Citizens Facing Unique Set of Circumstances, Especially in Nursing Homes
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At Burcham Hills, elimination of communal activities is one of the protections in place during the coronavirus emergency. ELi’s Emily Joan Elliott spoke to residents about their concerns.