Greater Lansing Community News

High Schooler Lahari Raja Fights Food Insecurity in the Greater Lansing Area

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At age fifteen, Okemos High School Sophomore Lahari Raja has taken part in food drives in each of her hometowns. Her most recent is the annual Crunch the Hunger Food Drive, which is entering its second year. Her experience stems from her participation in her middle school’s food drive in Troy, Michigan, leaving her with the knowledge to implement one after moving to the Greater Lansing area. “I got to see what a difference one can of food makes. It left a huge mark on me and I think that’s what really got the gears moving,” Raja said.

East Lansing

Students take lead against gun violence

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Zoe Touray knows the reality of how gun violence can alter one’s life because she herself is a survivor. 

“I was already a very jumpy person before everything happened,” Touray said. “[Now] any little movement I have to look and see what’s going on.” 

As a recent graduate from Oxford High School, Touray has carried the trauma of surviving the Oxford shooting on Nov. 30, 2021. Since then, her parents have encouraged her to speak out and become an activist for victims of gun violence and the movement toward more strict gun legislation. 

Following the shooting, Touray was contacted by March for Our Lives, a youth-led nonprofit organization that aims to end gun violence. It is through the Michigan chapter of MFOL that Touray serves as a youth member and frequently speaks about her experience at different events. 

“They’re [members of the government] working on giving billions of dollars to schools for mental health resources, they’re working on tighter background checks and waiting periods for the age limit to buy a gun,” said Touray.

News

Buddy’s Pizza eager to open Okemos location

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They call it a pizza that started a style. And Detroit-style pizza has landed in Okemos. The location at 2010 W. Grand River Ave. marks the 20th location in Michigan. Known for its rectangular cut with a thick crispy crust, it’s no secret that the Detroit-style pizza is a big hit.

News

Planning Commission approves bank proposal

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The Meridian Township Planning Commission discussed plans for a new bank that if approved for rezoning will be located at the Meridian Mall in front of Macy’s. The proposal states the building will encompass 2,500 square feet, feature two drive-thru tellers and one ATM lane. The bank will also include 25 parking spots and two access driveways that will connect to the southside of Mall Drive. Construction will begin in 2021. 

The proposed location at 1982 Grand River Ave. Okemos, Michigan.

2020 Elections: Reporting Stories on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Voters in Okemos critical of social media role in voter intimidation

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First-time voter intimidation

The 2020 presidential election consumed social media platforms for weeks leading up to Nov. 3. Public diplomacy allows anyone with a social media account to publish an opinion or claim fact, and Okemos voters recognized the role this played in voter intimidation. The global pandemic caused 65 million people to send in their votes early via mail. Although this method decreases exposure to other people in the forms of COVID-19 and voter intimidation, the polarized social media posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter leading up to the election left first-time voters and MSU senior Abigail Scroggie frustrated.

Article

New large dog park opens in Meridian Township

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The entrance to the Meridian Large Dog Park, located at 1990 Central Park Dr. in Okemos, is open to residents of the township and non-residents. Online registration is now available for Meridian Township’s dog parks, including a new off-leash large dog park. The new park, which opened in September, is located behind the mall at Central Park South. The large dog park is for dogs over 30 pounds, while the small dog park, which opened June 2019, is located at Nancy Moore Park at 1960 Gaylord C Smith Ct., East Lansing, is for dogs under 30 pounds. About 100 dogs registered for the large dog park and 250 registered for the small dog park, said Parks and Recreation Director LuAnn Meisner. 

Annual park fee

According to a press release, owners registering their dog will pay an annual fee to maintain the parks’ high standards.

Coronavirus

Shoppers like spirit behind Spirit Halloween at the Meridian Mall

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A temporary store for a spooky season

The Spirit Halloween in Okemos takes over the empty Younkers department store in Meridian Mall from late August to early November, providing local residents like Robin Garrett and her family an opportunity to find costumes for her neighborhood’s socially-distanced trick-or-treating. Despite the curtailed Halloween plan, Garrett’s daughters were excited about the costumes they bought at Spirit Halloween. “I like it, the girls like it,” Garrett said. “We always go there, you’ll find us looking around.”

Spirit Halloween sets up in Meridian Mall as a temporary store each year. Photo by Kamryn Romano

In an article by the National Retail Federation, Spirit Halloween CEO Steven Silverstein said that even though Halloween looks different this year, a majority of the 1,300 stores nationwide are still open. 

Spirit Halloween has received criticism for its business model, and some wonder how they’ve survived this long.

News

Meridian Mall stores sustain sales amidst COVID-19

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The Meridian Mall Food Court entrance has the mall’s COVID-19 protective measures and protocols posted on it. (Photo/Isaiah Hall)

While there were challenges of operating a business during the pandemic, retailers in the Meridian Mall have been able to sustain their business because of its transition to new customer service approaches. 

“The closures also provided an opportunity for innovation,” said Stacey Keating, senior director of public relations & corporate communications at CBL Properties, the Tennessee-based company that owns the Meridian Mall. “Many retailers quickly launched curbside delivery programs and restaurants ramped up their delivery and curbside takeout options. “New delivery and curbside programs are continuing to evolve and we expect this to be a trend into the holiday season and beyond. As restrictions were lifted and malls reopened, we’ve seen traffic slowly build, and retailers have reported that sales are healthy and conversion rates are high.”

Shoppers have more cash

Businesses in the mall credit part of the reason why the conversion rates — the percentage of users who visit the mall who purchase goods or services — are high is that people have more money in their pockets, said Kris Vezino, Meridian Mall Sunglass Hut Store manager.

News

Gyms in Okemos exercise right to open

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Gyms take new measures

As Okemos residents and nearby college students dive into school and work, they are able to nurture their physical and mental health with workouts outside of their homes. Powerhouse Gym Okemos employee Katie Boncore said the gym is taking a multitude of precautions to remain COVID-safe. “The gym is currently enforcing the six feet social distancing rules with every other cardio machine turned off, markers on the floor and all machines distanced,” Boncore said. There are sanitation stations set up very frequently in the gym — these include hand sanitizers, buckets of wipes, spray bottles and towels. On top of that, Boncore said the gym is enforcing the governor’s mask mandate, along with the 25% capacity rules.