Catch Up With Our Reporting From This Week
Catch up with ELi's reporting ahead of the Nov. 4 election.
Campaign season has all but wrapped up and voters will be electing the next two East Lansing City Council members in a few short days.
Catch up with the latest election news and more in ELi's reporting from this week.
How East Lansing City Council candidates made and spent money.
Pre-election campaign finance reports showed that Steve Whelan and Liam Richichi had a large fundraising advantage heading into the final weeks of campaign season. Read this reporting from Managing Editor Luke Day to find out how candidates made their money and how they spent it.
Candidates give one last pitch to voters at ASMSU forum.
Each of the candidates stated their case to be elected at an Oct. 22 forum held by the Associated Students of Michigan State University. Candidates were asked several specific questions, many that surrounded housing and the city's relationship with MSU. Read Reporter Dustin DuFort Petty's coverage of the event here.
SNAP benefits to halt at the end of the month, East Lansing food assistance groups respond.
With the federal government's shutdown entering month two, President Donald Trump's adiministration has directed the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to hold up the distribution of funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The move will impact 1.4 million residents statewide and many locally. In response, local food assistance groups are anticipating a surge in demand for their services. Get the full story in Deputy Editor Anna Liz Nichols' reporting.
An East Lansing resident's advocacy has brought greater accessibility awareness to local government.
If you attend East Lansing City Council meetings regularly, you'll probably recognize Alexander Bowles, who is often at the meetings. What you may not know is that Bowles has become an important advocate for increasing accessibility in East Lansing, and has even provided advice to city staff about how facilities can be improved. Learn more about Alexander in City Government Reporter Ayah Imran's story.
East Lansing marine veteran builds military community through barbershop.
James Robert Beaubien, owner of Spartans Edge Barbershop in downtown East Lansing, regularly offers discounted haircuts to fellow military veterans. But for Veterans Day this year, he and other barbers in the shop will be offering free haircuts to vets throughout the day. Read about Beaubien, his journey from the marine corps to owning two businesses, and how he's giving back this Veterans Day in Ayah's story.
Peace Education Center to celebrate 50th anniversary.
Today, the Peace Education Center in East Lansing will celebrate 50 years of operation with a fundraiser and concert at University Lutheran Church in East Lansing. Read about the history of the center and its current goals in Dustin's reporting.
East Lansing Insider Podcast: Analyzing ELPD use of force data.
This week, the East Lansing Insider podcast looks at East Lansing police use of force data, as ELi Managing Editor Lucas Day and Deputy Editor Anna Liz Nichols speak with Cedrick Heraux, a professor of criminal justice and sociology at Adrian College. Heraux sat on the study committee that helped created the city’s police oversight commission and has analyzed data and reports regarding ELPD use of force. Listen to the full conversation here, or on streaming services like Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Meet the Press: Help ELi Write Our Next Chapter.
To kick off our end of the year fundraising campaign, ELi is hosting an event at (SCENE) Metrospace in downtown East Lansing from 6-9 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 6. The night will feature food and refreshments, (optional) karaoke and the opportunity to meet the ELi team. The event is free to attend, though we ask those interested reserve a ticket ahead of time.
Get ready for Election Day with the ELi election guide.
Unsure how to vote on Tuesday? No problem, read feature stories on each of the candidates, their responses to questions poised by ELi and about a pair of candidate forums in our election guide. The guide also covers a millage that voters will decide on during this election.
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