Right to Repair bills still being debated in Michigan House

House Bill 4673, one of two “right to repair” bills currently being considered by Michigan legislators, is intended to make it easier for farmers and their independent mechanics to get access to parts, documentation and important software needed to restore the expensive machines back to full functionality. 

Restorative Justice is on The Rise in Michigan Schools

When it comes to school discipline in the United States, punishments such as detention, suspension and even expulsion are nothing new – but in recent years, proponents of restorative justice have become hopeful that for the most part, they may soon be left in the past. Restorative practices – which Michigan schools have been required to consider as disciplinary alternatives since the signing of Gov. Rick Snyder’s restorative justice law in 2016 – focus primarily on overall harm reduction, and encourage schools to consider the full context of a situation when deciding on disciplinary measures. “It’s an approach to addressing conflict and misconduct that focuses on healing the harm rather than punishment, and that values accountability over exclusion,” said MacDonald Middle School Assistant Principal John Atkinson, who spoke about his school’s use of restorative justice at an East Lansing School Board meeting on Jan 22. “Rather than relying on just punishment, restorative justice expects those who cause injuries to make things right.”

Source: MacDonal Middle School

However, when it comes to how these amends can be brought about, schools have found that there is no one right answer. “It looks different everywhere, and I think that’s because a lot of schools have been shifting more towards restorative practices in general,” said Adam Brandt, an assistant principal at Eaton Rapids Middle School.

“That should horrify everybody in this community”: Lead found in water, dust particles in Okemos Public Schools

Parents and teachers expressed their concerns over the recent lead discovery found in several classrooms at Okemos Public Montessori at Central, an elementary school within the Okemos Public School District. Repeated testing found lead in both the drinking water and dust particles in various classrooms across OPM, and on Jan. 22 several teachers, parents, and community members spoke at the biweekly meeting of the Okemos Board of Education. A two-part test first took place on Oct. 19 and Nov.

Potter Park Zoo paves the path for accessible recreation in Ingham County

Potter Park Zoo, which is managed by Ingham County, has been paving the way for greater accessibility features for establishments and fostering an inclusive environment.

Located right between Downtown Lansing and East Lansing, the zoo has continuously been establishing programs and amenities that benefit anyone with any type of disability to take advantage of in order to experience the zoo at its fullest potential.

Lansing homelessness rates continue to increase, despite state decrease

LANSING, Mich.—There are at least 515 unhoused people in Lansing on any given night, according to a report from The National Allegiance To End Homelessness. Organizations like City Rescue Mission of Lansing and The Congregation of Every1 (COE) show that it takes a lot of people to help a lot of people. 

“Last year, we provided 365 meals every day. So that’s a little over 133,000 meals last year,” said Laura Grimwood, senior director of community engagement at The City Rescue Mission. For 113 years, The City Rescue Mission of Lansing has prided itself on providing “food, shelter, and hope” to those who need it most. They have a number of locations that offer a variety of services, such as a dining room on Michigan Avenue that offers food to anyone who may need it, a men’s shelter, a women’s shelter and The Outreach, which is designed to help individuals who may struggle in a typical shelter environment.

Major road construction in East Lansing may cause years of campus traffic

A new road construction project has been under work and officially unveiled to the Greater Lansing area, with major changes to be made to US-127 and Interstate 496 from early 2024 to late 2025.

These two roads are the main roads that run along the East Lansing-Lansing border and include some of the most common access points to get into both the East Lansing area and Michigan State University. This includes two exits that are frequently used to get to both Trowbridge and Dunckel roads, which run straight to Michigan State.

Young adults find it hard to avoid sports betting

Since 2019, one of the fastest-growing industries in the United States has been the sports gambling industry. According to the American Gaming Association, $119.8 billion was wagered on sports in 2023 across the United States. When the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018, the legalization of sports gambling across the country began. As of 2024, 38 states have legalized sports gambling. Twenty-eight of those states have also legalized online sports gambling. One of those states is Michigan.

Lansing Lions fans prove pride isn’t only about geography or records

The Lions still remain one of only four teams who have never made it to the Super Bowl. Their 2023 season was the closest the team had come to a championship win since 1991, falling only three points short of the Super Bowl. 

Despite their playoff loss, their fandom only seemed to grow in Detroit and other Michigan cities like Lansing. A fanatic sports town and college town, Lansing has some of the most passionate sports fans in Michigan. One Michigan State alumna Lindsey Fish has always considered herself a big sports fan, but she has recently become an even bigger Lions fan with this winning season.