Arts & Entertainment

20th Annual Mid-Michigan Women’s Expo

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The 20th annual Mid-Michigan Women’s Expo was a celebration of women, entrepreneurs and bringing people together. There were over 300 businesses with products catered to women, including healthy eating. One of the businesses at the event was Vitamix, a company that manufactures blenders for restaurants and every day consumers. Every booth at the event showcased their products, ranging from cakes, hair styling tools and jewelry, but Vitamix promoted something bigger. 

“Love hearing stories about how we changed people’s lives, that they’ve gotten healthier, they’ve beat their healthy obstacles etc.,” said Nancy Spruiell, a Vitamix demonstrator. Spruiell said the blender also helps parents get their kids to eat fruits and vegetables. 

“Raising healthier kids, that’s a huge thing these days, especially with the way they make our food these days,” Spruiell said.

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Williamston High School fights the vaping epidemic

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Michigan made history as the first state to move toward a flavored nicotine vaping ban on Sept. 4, with other states like New York, Massachusetts and Oregon following shortly after. 

With an increase in vape-related deaths being reported across the nation, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) with the help of her Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun concluded that underage vaping constitutes as a public health emergency. 

Under Whitmer’s orders, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued rules detailing the ban, including the prohibition of flavored nicotine products in stores and online and misleading marketing strategies claiming the products are “safe.” Whitmer also ordered the Michigan Department of Transportation to outlaw vape advertisements on state billboards. 

Timeline of the 2019 Michigan vape ban. Graphic by Claire Heise. “As a governor, my No. 1 priority is keeping our kids safe,” said Whitmer in a statement on Sept.

Grand Ledge
Grand Ledge area women meet to knit as part of the Crafting with a Cause group. They work on items such as blankets for those in need.

Group knits together Grand Ledge community

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Cheryl Mulder started Crafting for a Cause in fall 2016 as a way to give back to the Grand Ledge area. Group members spend their time around a large table knitting and talking with one another. They started off making hats and other items. Their finished products go to multiple area charities.

News

Meridian Township adds an -s to Family Winter Sport Weekend

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Meridian Township’s Parks and Recreation department expanded this winter its schedule of Family Winter Sports Weekends. What once was a program held in one weekend spans multiple weekends.

“When we first started out 18 years ago, we try to do just one big weekend,” said Mike Devlin, one of Meridian Township Parks and Recreation team specialists, “Now, every weekend we have something going on.”

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FCC rule changes and senate bill threaten to cut funding for HOMTV and other stations

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When Deborah Guthrie and Brandie Yates started the communications department in Meridian Township in 2012, they predicted that cable companies were going to switch their model from cable to satellite. This model would mean stations like theirs, HOMTV (Haslett, Okemos and Meridian television) were going to lose money. Now it looks like their prediction is coming true. The dark future they saw is coming true due to the legislation that has been passed and is on its way to being passed that will have a large effect on their funding. The FCC is working to push through rule changes that will affect the relationship between local access stations and cable companies.

Article

Okemos School Board of Education welcomes two new members

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Following the midterm election, Okemos residents will welcome two new faces to its Board of Education. Voters elected newcomers Mary Gebara and Katie Cavanaugh, while also re-electing Dean Bolton and Vincent Lyon-Gallo. Both newcomers said they are excited to join the board and serve their respective terms. Gebara beat out candidates Adam Candeub and Michael Kieliszewski for one of the three, four-year term positions. According to WILX, the NBC affiliate in Lansing, Gebara received the most votes in the race with 4,419 or 30 percent of all votes. “I’m very excited (to join the board), I worked hard, so I’m really happy that I won and I’m anxious to get started,” said Gebara.

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Building a community with Matt Mulford’s ‘artists of Keller’s upstairs’

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Williamston has all the markings of an American small town: historic buildings comprising its downtown section, local family owned restaurants, a bridal shop, a glass blowing studio and the local hardware store. Nestled above the affairs of the main Williamston strip on Grand River is a somewhat unknown plaza that even local Williamston residents may pass by: Keller’s Plaza, home to “Williamston’s hidden gem” as nearly all of the Plaza’s shop owners called their little hideaway. Keller’s Plaza is home to a small candle shop Mud Country Candles, a small party store, a glass engravings shop called the Glass Fox, a dance studio, and Peculiar Perspective’s. Matt Mulford runs Peculiar Perspectives, a studio and art gallery at the top of the landing on the second floor of the plaza, along with Tony Steele. Mulford and Steele’s friendship and passion for art goes back years Mulford says.

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Meridian Township Planning Commission examines 2018 goals

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On a day where there were no public remarks, no new business to attend to, and no old business to come back and discuss, the Meridian Township Planning Commission used the time during its monthly meeting on Sept. 24 to review each of their goals for this year. “I think it’s very important, it’s something we should have tackled earlier and it’s easy to get away from that mission because throughout the rest of the year we had projects, we have somebody coming in for a special use permit or a planning unit development or what rezoning or whatever,” said Peter Menser, the principal planner at Meridian Township. “So, you get caught up in all your official business and sometimes you don’t get a chance, or you know it’s hard to hold a volunteer group here until now, its 10 p.m, just to talk about policy stuff, but on a day like this when the agenda is pretty empty it’s a perfect opportunity to start tackling stuff.”

The commission went through each of the goals it adopted on Jan. 8, 2018, spending time discussing the steps it might need to take, to accomplish its goals.

Article

English language learners find resources at East Lansing library

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Rosana Souza was searching for a place to help her Brazilian sister-in-law to improve her English. Souza’s sister-in-law, Hilda Pamplona, moved here to visit and to communicate with more people. Pamplona is not alone. According to a report from DATA USA, in 2015, 8,206 (16.9%) of East Lansing citizens are non-English speakers, which is lower than the national average of 21.1%. Such a small group is not ignored by the city.

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East Lansing community votes on income tax

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The City of East Lansing held its meeting for the 2018 East Lansing Income Tax Ballot Proposal on June 20 at the East Lansing Public Library. City Manager stressed the urgent need for this tax because of multiple financial difficulties the city is experiencing. Some community members expressed worries about the proposed tax, and city official highlighted the need for more community input and turnout at the voting booth. Voting for the policy begins Aug. 7.