For generations, the MSU Dairy Store has been a cherished place for the Michigan State University community and its alumni.
“I think everybody in town has come here as a kid and likes to bring their kids here,” Kate Brent, a customer of the MSU Dairy Store for 39 years, said while wiping the pink ice cream stains off her daughter’s face. “It has unique flavors compared to your standard ice cream shop.”
However, the past few years have brought challenges to the business, including a two-year pandemic shutdown that prompted a series of transformations.
Popular, local coffee chain Strange Matter fills the space left by Biggby at the MSU Student Union.
“I’m excited to have another non-MSU food option at the Union,” said Grace Densham, an MSU undergraduate. “I’m especially pleased with the fact that it is a small, local business. It was really sad to see Biggby go and be replaced by vending machines for so long.”
Strange Matter owner Cara Nader, understands the difference small businesses can make.
East Lansing was covered in a smoky haze during the last week of June due to wildfires raging through Canada, and the poor air quality forced organizers to reschedule the East Lansing PRIDE event from June 30 to July 22.
Since February, counselors from the Community Mental Health Authority (CMH) of Clinton, Eaton and Ingham counties have been offering crisis support at the East Lansing Public Library (ELPL). Community members who need support following the Feb. 13 violence at Michigan State University can stop by the library Monday–Friday from 12:30–5 p.m. for free counseling, with no appointment required.
