News

Michigan’s automotive industry shifts toward an electric future

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With Michigan housing several automotive manufacturing plants, the state looks to expand into the world of vehicle electrification. 

“If we want to continue to expand ourselves as a species, we need another way to power and transport ourselves around, a cleaner more sustainable way of doing it, because we’re just going to run out of gas at some point,” said Steve Radosevich, geometric modeler for Rivian. 

General Motors Co. is one of the manufacturers making Michigan a hub for electric vehicle production. The GM factory in Orion Township is  set to become one of the company’s main electric vehicle manufacturers. The plant, which originally produced Chevrolet Malibus and Pontiac G6s, will now build all-electric trucks. 

GM is also shifting its manufacturing in Detroit. The Detroit-Hamtramck plant, nicknamed “Factory Zero,” will construct electric variants of the Hummer, Sierra, Cruise, and Silverado.

News
Pie chart detailing the breakdown of East Lansing's income tax

Pandemic hinders EL’s new income tax; revenue still exceeds projections

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When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, businesses closed doors, restaurants stopped serving food and sporting events were put on hold. One thing that didn’t stop, however, was East Lansing’s income tax. In fact, the tax has done better than was projected. In 2019, East Lansing implemented a 1% income tax on residents and a 0.5% tax on non-residents. The tax was established, in most part, to address unfunded pension liabilities that were found by a financial review team.

Snow and ice cover the Moosejaw Sign
Business & Economy

Snowstorm buries small businesses in East Lansing, forces early shutdowns

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While some businesses hope to recover lost profits in the days preceding the storm, some businesses saw an uptick in traffic before the storm. Moosejaw, an outdoor goods store in East Lansing, saw 20-30 more people Tuesday preparing for the storm. Aaron Leonard, general manager of Moosejaw, said that the better business was expected. “Thankfully, we’re kind of affected positively by bad weather just because people need to prepare,” said Leonard. Despite the increased demand for winter gear, Moosejaw still saw slower business on Thursday.