Spartan Newsroom (https://news.jrn.msu.edu/category/news/)
Toni Watters is a loving mother of four and devoted wife who lives in East Lansing. Recently, her faith has been tested while she tries her best to provide her family a loving and stable home. This photo essay explores Watters unyielding faith as she perseveres through the trails of life, finding out just how strong faith and belief can take you.
As a fourth-round selection – pick No. 112 to be exact – becoming the highest-paid wide receiver in the National Football League is a pipe dream.Â
Three years of hard work, dedication, and being a sought-after teammate guided Amon-Ra St. Brown to ink a four-year, $120 million contract extension, including $77 million guaranteed, becoming the highest-paid receiver in the NFL.
Tom Izzo and his family have been a part of the Lansing community for over three decades and continue to have a large impact on the city. One of the main events that the fund hosts is the annual Izzo Legacy 5K race, which occurred this year on April 20. East Lansing resident Joseph Darda came in first with a time of 15:56.5. According to Izzo Legacy executive director Raquel Izzo McDonald, initial counts show that the event raised over $40,000.Â
A series of revisions to the legislation governing the East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Commission (ELIPOC) were enacted during a recent City Council meeting in East Lansing, Michigan. The measures sparked debates and concerns from residents and officials. The March 19 meeting featured a flurry of discussions ranging from police oversight to rent control regulations and legal conflicts. The revisions to the ELIPOC legislation were suddenly introduced during a prior meeting on March 5, taking both commissioners and Council liaisons off guard. The modifications sought to define the commission’s responsibilities, notably its disciplinary authority over individual East Lansing Police Department (ELPD) officers.
Just under a month into spring, Michigan State football returned to Spartan Stadium for its Spring Showcase. Led by new head coach Jonathan Smith, as well as a plethora of his coaching staff and transfer players who now call East Lansing home after some time at Oregon State, the team was eager to take the field and play in front of the Spartan faithful. New starting quarterback Aidan Chiles, a sophomore who transferred from Oregon State to follow his head coach Jonathan Smith, talked about what it was like to get his first taste of what Michigan State football is all about.Â
RURAL MORTALITY: The gap in death rates between urban and less healthy rural areas has widened, USDA figures show. Rural hospitals are reducing services and communities are having trouble recruiting and retaining health care providers. We hear from the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department and the Michigan Association for Local Public Health. By Anish Topowala. FOR MICHIGAN FARM NEWS, SAULT STE. MARIE, IRON MOUNTAIN, MARQUETTE, BAY MILLS, CHEBOYGAN AND ALL POINTS.
FREE PRE-K: The governor is pushing to expand free pre-K programs for 4-year-olds. We hear from the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential, the Wayne Regional Education Service Agency and a Wyoming legislator who is enthusiastic about its potential benefits. By Sophia Ceru. FOR GREENVILLE, WKTV, DETROIT AND ALL POINTS.
LAW ENFORCEMENT MENTAL HEALTH: Law enforcement personnel and other first responders face mental health problems from the demands of their jobs, and there are growing resources to help them. We hear from the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association, Police Officers Association of Michigan and Frontline Strong Together based at Wayne State. By Anish Topawala. FOR DETROIT AND ALL POINTS.
ORGAN DONORS: More than 6,000 Michigan residents so far have taken advantage of a 2023 law that lets them check a box on their income tax returns to be designated as an organ donor. A pending bill would mandate organ donor education for 9th graders. Ohio and Illinois have higher rates of organ donors among new drivers. We talk to Gift of Life and to lawmakers from Pittsfield Township and Berkley. Other sponsors include legislators from Grand Rapids, Detroit and Eastpointe. By Owen McCarthy. FOR DETROIT, LANSING CITY PULSE, GREENVILLE AND ALL POINTS
CHILD LABOR: Federal and state agencies have been taking action against employers who hire underage workers following news reports of child labor abuses at a Kentwood company and elsewhere. Pending legislation is intended to crack down on illegal child labor and protect whistleblowers. We hear from the lead sponsor from East Grand Rapids, Michigan Immigration Rights Center in Grand Rapids and federal and state labor agencies. The other sponsor is from Muskegon. For business and news sections. By Alex Walters. FOR CORP! GRAND RAPIDS BUSINESS, WKTV, LANSING CITY PULSE AND ALL POINTS.
SWIMMER’S ITCH: Researchers from U-M, Hope College and Calvin University have designed a new system to relocate infected mallards from inland lakes where they cause swimmer’s itch. We talk to the Larks Lake Association in Emmet County. Other participating associations are at Higgins Lake in Roscommon County, Crystal Lake in Benzie County and Cheboygan County’s Black and Douglas Lakes. Ducks are being relocated to beaches on Lakes Huron and Michigan. By Alex Walters. FOR PETOSKEY, CHEBOYGAN, TRAVERSE CITY, HARBOR SPRINGS, CRAWFORD COUNTY, CLARE COUNTY, BIG RAPIDS, GLADWIN COUNTY AND ALL POINTS.
