Catch up with ELi's Reporting From this Week

Holiday season is upon us, as a tree lighting ceremony is planned for downtown East Lansing later today and MSU students will head home for Thanksgiving this week.

As we approach the holidays, the ELi team is staying busy. Catch up with our reporting from this week.

Emails show police chief, prosecutors, PR firm collaborated on controversial ELPD press release.

For more than a month, city officials have remained mostly silent about a press release that named two men arrested in downtown East Lansing on misdemeanor charges, only for information in the release to later be contradicted by security footage. Charges against the men have been dropped, but the press release and arrest are now the subject of a lawsuit filed in federal court – making city officials even less likely to speak about the incident publicly. ELi found emails coordinating the release through Freedom of Information Act requests. Read what we learned in Managing Editor Luke Day's reporting.

East Lansing faces crossroads on sanctuary city policy.

East Lansing passed a resolution declaring itself a sanctuary city in 2023, but with President Donald Trump's administration substantially ramping up immigration raids nationwide, questions have emerged about if the policy will protect immigrants or draw the federal administration's attention to the city. Deputy Editor Anna Liz Nichols spoke with a Michigan Immigration Rights Center employee about the crossroads the city finds itself at.

Erik Altmann is the mayor of East Lansing.

At this week's City Council meeting, the first meeting since the council election earlier this month, council voted 3-2 to make Erik Altmann the mayor of the city. Additionally, Chuck Grigsby and Steve Whelan were sworn in, and Grigsby was voted mayor pro tem. Read Luke's meeting coverage here.

Mark Grebner: The last Midwestern Hippie

For more than half a century, Mark Grebner has left his imprint on local and statewide elections – from the innovative voter lists developed by his political consulting company to his self-deprecating campaigns for county commission. Beyond his battles with local officials and memorable one-liners, Grebner has a long history of fighting for voting rights and against discrimination. Find out more in Reporter Dustin DuFort Petty's story.

Police Oversight Commission files complaints related to pepper spray incident downtown.

For the second time in a matter of days, a city commission skirted advice from a city attorney to take action on an incident where an ELPD officer deployed pepper spray from an unsafe distance on two men downtown. City Government Reporter Ayah Imran's meeting coverage explains why attorneys would prefer the commission wait to take action and why commissioners disagree.

Attorneys provide update on BWL "Franchise Fee" payments.

After a judge approved a final settlement in the "Franchise Fee" lawsuit last month, many residents have already received their share of the $7.8 million suit. Some, however, have not and class attorneys are working with individuals to ensure valid claims are paid. Learn what to do if your claim has not come through yet in Luke's reporting.

There are no city meetings next week.

City government will take a breather around Thanksgiving next week. No meetings are on the docket.

Tree lighting planned for downtown tonight.

There will be a tree lighting ceremony from 5 to 7 p.m. in the downtown Ann Street Plaza tonight. Newly selected Mayor Erik Altmann will push the ceremonial lever at 6 p.m., horse and pony rides will be offered and characters from Disney's "Frozen" will be present. Dustin shares information about tonight's festivities in his reporting.

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