Catch Up On Our Reporting From This Week

Congratulations to the Class of 2026!

This week, the ELi team took photos of Thursday’s East Lansing High School graduation ceremony and reported on other important developments in the city. Start your weekend by catching up with our reporting!

Advocates concerned about East Lansing’s handling of sexual harassment complaint. 

Last month, a city employee accused City Manager Robert Belleman of sexual harassment and other abusive behavior during a City Council meeting. The City Council voted to release the investigation into the complaint against Belleman and later suspended the city manager. Now, advocates are concerned that Belleman was only put on leave after the city employee spoke publicly, as the investigation was completed in November. Deputy Editor Anna Liz Nichols reported on the series of events.

Who should police the city? East Lansing debates Human Rights Commission’s future. 

Last week, the City Council introduced significant amendments to the ordinance governing the city’s Human Rights Commission. Initially, Councilmember Mark Meadows asked for the ordinance to be reviewed because he heard the commission planned to order the city to pay restitution, a power he said the body does not have. However, the ordinances on the table go much further than banning the commission from ordering restitution, as changes include stripping investigatory powers and exempting city officials from complaints the commission can review. Reporter Ayah Imran breaks down the proposed changes.

Photos: Smiles, hugs abundant at ELHS graduation.  

Thursday marked a milestone for East Lansing High School seniors, as the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2026 was held at the Breslin Center. Ayah captured the moment through photos. 

Planning Commission recommends downtown apartment, opposes rental district change. 

The East Lansing Planning Commission recommended the City Council approve a 12-story apartment proposed for downtown East Lansing. “The Howard” would house more than 700 residents and include space for two restaurants on the ground floor. With the Planning Commission recommendation in hand, developers will seek approval from the City Council later on. Reporter Dustin DuFort Petty covered the Planning Commission meeting. 

Citizen group pushing to switch City Council elections to even years. 

Around 6,300 residents voted in the 2025 East Lansing City Council race, a far cry from the more than 17,000 ballots cast during the 2024 general election. A group of residents are petitioning for a charter amendment to move city elections to even-numbered years, hoping to increase voter participation. This isn’t the first time there has been talk of moving council elections to even years. The City Council voted to initiate a resident vote on the matter in 2023, but the effort was blocked by the state before it reached ballots. Reporting Intern Lilly Williams reports on the proposed change. 

Roads Roundup: Expect closures on Grand River, Harrison and local highways this summer. 

There are a number of local road projects already underway, with more to take place later this summer. Expect a main stretch of Grand River Avenue to be blocked off entirely in a couple weeks and for traffic delays on local highways. Anna rounded up this summer’s major road projects. 

Michigan’s first licensed fully outdoor preschool to open in Lansing. 

Next week, the Fenner Nature Center will open the state’s first licensed fully outdoor preschool. Teachers will set up their “classrooms” each day, with spaces organized to be similar to normal classrooms – with more sticks and bugs. Lilly spoke with the preschool’s director about what to expect and how the school will address hurdles like adverse weather. 

There are four city meetings scheduled next week. 

Monday (June 8), the Human Rights Commission will hold a public hearing to receive feedback on proposed ordinance amendments. Wednesday (June 10), the Planning Commission meets. Then on Thursday (June 11), the Financial Health Review Team and Historic District Commission each gather. When meeting agendas are posted, they can be found here.

East Lansing Farmers Market to open for the season on Sunday. 

The East Lansing Farmers Market will hold its first session of the summer on Sunday, as vendors will be set up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Valley Court Park. The first 100 people to visit the market’s information center will receive a free reusable tote bag. Find out what else to expect in this press release from the city.

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