Monday, September 20, 2010

Marijuana Flavored Ice Cream? Move Over Cherry Garcia http://amplify.com/u/atfx

Marijuana Flavored Ice Cream? Move Over Cherry Garcia

One business minded entrepreneur in California is now making Ice Cream with marijuana as one of the ingredients. Good Idea?

Amplify’d from www.foxnews.com

Medical Marijuana Dispensary Offering Far Out Ice Cream Flavors

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. –  These days, you can get an array of ice creams flavors, from chocolate chip cookie dough to bubble gum and just plain old vanilla - but this one is pretty far out.

The medical marijuana dispensary, Creme De Canna, in northern California is now offering its customers pot-infused ice cream, San Jose Mercury News reported.

And proprietor Jonathan Kolodinski has been pretty creative with the flavors. He offers his customers half-pints of Bananabis Foster, Straw-Mari Cheescake and Triple Chocolate Brownie.

"It's been my passion to make medical marijuana not only highly effective, but deliciously amazing," Kolodinski told the newspaper. "I've wanted to bring my product line to the market for a long time."

He’s not breaking any ground here though. In fact, marijuana ice cream has been passed around between pot users since the 1960s, according to the report.

A pint of pot-infused ice cream sells for $15 and contains two to four doses, according to the label.

Read more at www.foxnews.com
 

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Bekins Van Lines Bad Movers? http://amplify.com/u/aqmv

Bekins Van Lines Bad Movers?

What is Bekins Van Lines online reputation? Don't know? Well I lay it out for you here.

Bekins Van Lines Hires New CEO; Admits They Are Lacking.

Bekins Van Lines, in my opinion, and I am not the only one, is one of the worst moving companies out there. J.D. Powers and Associates has ranked Bekins Van Lines sub-par for two years in a row. Bekins in fact has a very horrible reputation online. All you have to do is Google Bekins Van Lines and you will get several online watchdog groups and online reviews sites rank Bekins with horrible ratings.

Eopinions.com gives Bekins Van lines 1.5 stars out of 5. Pissed Consumer gives Bekins 3 stars out of 5. RateItAll.com gives Bekins Van Lines 1.5 stars out 5. MovingScam.com writes very unsavory reviews of Bekins and they are in fact on their blacklist of moving companies.

And there are several other sites similar to the ones above that give the same picture. I am in no way a fan of Bekins at all.

Over two years ago when I started my moving company I was named something completely different. I hadn’t even been in business six months when the Bekins agent out Fraser, MI tried suing me. What was the reason for the law suit: Easy! Money. These greedy bastards were being sued by a mini storage company that shared a similar name. So this Bekins agent sued me for the very same thing that they were being sued for. Now that irony!

These hypocritical losers thought because they had money that they could push me around and help there losing lawsuit.

und that this “moving company” (and I use that term loosely) had a horrible BBB report. That they have more

Well That didn’t sit right with me; so being as proficient as I am with the internet I did some searching. At first I just researched this Bekins agent, and let me tell you I found a lot of dirt. I found that this “moving company” (and I use that term loosely) had a horrible BBB report. That they have more complaints on them than other mover in Michigan. In fact the BBB fully admits that this mover is far above the industry norm for complaints based on size and volume. And THAT was just the tip of the iceberg.

I used this information and the internet and I made it known far and wide to be on the look out for this moving scam company.

Of course that led me into the research on Bekins Van Lines themselves. And from what I have found out the old adage of “birds of a feather flock together” really rings true. It is very apparent to me that Bekins Van Lines and the agent that sued me were definitely cut from the same cloth.

In September 2009 Bekins Van Lines hired a new CEO: Greg Hoover. From Bekins very own website on Greg the admit that they are a sub-par moving company and need to get “back to a position of prominence” that they once held.

“…hiring him shows that Bekins is serious about getting back to a position of prominence.”

It is bad when a moving company of this size knows and admits that they are not as good as they need to be and publicly say so on their own website. It is admirable that the recognize that something has to change…

Read more at www.professional-moving.com
 

Friday, September 10, 2010

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Movers Catch Child Molester http://amplify.com/u/9w0f

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The Fed Takes Bold Step To Curb Slowing Economy http://amplify.com/u/8jnc

Monday, August 9, 2010

Ka-Blewy! Moving Truck Explodes. http://amplify.com/u/8i8l

Friday, July 23, 2010

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Friday, July 2, 2010

When You Need The Best Williamston Movers http://amplify.com/u/7efo
The Best Greater Michigan Movers http://amplify.com/u/7e8z

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

What If Your Movers Are Losers? http://amplify.com/u/75l0

Monday, June 21, 2010

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Sunday, June 13, 2010

The Best Greater Michigan Movers http://amplify.com/u/6w00
Beware Dave Dunn Of Advanced Technical Moving http://amplify.com/u/6vzx

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Best Grand Rapids Moving Company http://amplify.com/u/6v24

Friday, June 11, 2010

Health Care Is Killing Employeers http://amplify.com/u/6uwb

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Mexican Teen Shot By Border Patrol Was On "Most Wanted" List http://amplify.com/u/6tms

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Moishe's Movers Want Lebron http://amplify.com/u/6tbf

Sunday, June 6, 2010

The Best Clio Michigan Movers http://amplify.com/u/6qbs

Friday, June 4, 2010

Moving Estimates The Key To A Stress Free Move http://amplify.com/u/6p6s
The Best East Lansing Movers Are U-Save Moving and Storage http://amplify.com/u/6oxy
"Stoopid is as Stoopid does" Protest of National Spelling Bee http://amplify.com/u/6oxu

Thursday, May 27, 2010

The Best Professional Movers In Saginaw http://amplify.com/u/6g4v

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Here Is The Story Of How U-Save Moving Came To Be http://amplify.com/u/5zmk

Monday, May 10, 2010

On The Road Again...Americans Are Moving Again, But Only Locally http://amplify.com/u/5xm0

Sunday, May 9, 2010

The "Poor" Move To The Burbs http://amplify.com/u/5x36
Iron Man No. 1...But No Record Holder http://amplify.com/u/5x1q
Kimbo Slice Not the Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread For UFC http://amplify.com/u/5x0m
New York Terrorist Linked To Taliban http://amplify.com/u/5wu8
Dark Chocolate Can Prevent Strokes http://amplify.com/u/5wu3

Saturday, May 8, 2010

When the hell did winter arrive? Did I miss spring and summer?

Thursday, April 29, 2010

4 Lansing-area law enforcement officers to be honored for heroism

LANSING - Four law enforcement officers will be honored tonight for their roles in an incident last year involving a barricaded gunman. http://bit.ly/bfRYya

Michigan appeals judge's ruling in deer feeding case

GAYLORD — State wildlife officials are appealing a judge's decision to throw out a case against a man charged under Michigan's ban on baiting and feeding deer in the Lower Peninsula.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment said today it would challenge a ruling this month by District Court Judge Patricia Morse that the ban is unconstitutionally vague.
Ken Borton of Otsego County was accused of illegally feeding deer from bird feeders.
He said he just wanted to feed birds. But DNRE Director Rebecca Humphries said Borton didn't do enough to keep deer away.
The department believes artificial feeding causes deer to congregate and spread diseases such as bovine tuberculosis, which has infected deer and cattle in Otsego and neighboring counties. http://bit.ly/cZNHkb

Canada offers $550 million for new U.S.-Canada bridge

LANSING -- The Canadian government has offered to pay up to $550 million of Michigan’s cost to build a proposed new U.S.-Canada bridge downriver from the Ambassador Bridge. http://bit.ly/aknjOb

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Workplace deaths about steady at 121 in Michigan

EAST LANSING — A new report says 121 people died from on-the-job injuries in Michigan in one year, meaning workplaces remain about as deadly as they were one year earlier.
Michigan State University released results today of the latest Michigan Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation. The deaths are for 2008, with 2009 figures still being tabulated.
The death count was 120 in 2007.
Study director Dr. Kenneth Rosenman says deaths are down since 1991's 171, but most deaths could and should have been prevented.
He says the deaths show the need for continuing education and possibly changes in regulations.
The study says the most dangerous industries in Michigan were agriculture, construction, mining, transportation and warehousing. http://bit.ly/9mmQfC

Auto dealers head to the Hill to lobby for exemption from financial overhaul

WASHINGTON – More than 100 auto dealers fanned out across Capitol Hill today to lobby to win an exclusion from the financial reform bill in the Senate, fighting a strict line from the Obama administration that their lending should fall under new oversight.
The dealers are talking up an amendment by Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., that would exempt auto dealers from a new consumer financial protection agency created by the bill. The White House said on Monday that it would oppose any effort to “undermine consumer and investor protection or that allow institutions to avoid oversight.”
Brownback and dealers said the exclusion would still keep auto lending from banks and finance arms regulated, that dealers already face a phalanx of federal and state laws.
“Why, why would we need to create duplicative regulations for auto dealers and regulate each dollar of each auto loan twice? The answer is we don’t … it’s simply going to drive up the price to the consumer.”
Brownback said he believed the Obama administration and the Pentagon were playing some politics with the bill by trying to sweep in auto dealers. The Department of Defense has backed the inclusion of dealers, citing car dealer scams targeting soldiers that military officials have said could affect the readiness of troops to deploy.
“They are painting all of us as unpatriotic, and that is just wrong,” said Ray Ciccolo, a dealer from Boston and Marine veteran. “Auto dealers go out of their way for veterans.”
Republicans and Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., blocked the financial reform bill from coming up for debate Monday. Senate Democrats have scheduled another vote for today, with both sides seeking compromise while hammering the other for not doing enough to stop Wall Street abuses.
Brownback said even if auto dealers were excluded from the bill, he would not support ending a filibuster or the overall bill, citing the sweep of the consumer protection agency among other objections.
Contact JUSTIN HYDE: (202) 906-8204 or jhyde@freepress.com. http://bit.ly/bq3HIm

Fund set for boy who got million Christmas cards

ANN ARBOR — A dying boy who got 1.2 million cards from around the world after saying he wanted to have one more Christmas is being honored with a cancer research fund at the University of Michigan.
Six-year-old Noah Biorkman died Nov. 23, 2009, at his home in South Lyon.
Today, his mother Diana Biorkman gave the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital a check for $75,000 for the Noah's Neuroblastoma Endowment Research Fund.
The money came from the 1,175,752 cards Noah got after his Christmas wish became known.
The neuroblastoma that claimed Noah's life is a juvenile cancer that develops from nerve tissue.
The family also has launched The Power of Noah Foundation, with merchandise sales and fundraisers to support neuroblastoma research. http://bit.ly/aWVO05

9 charged with plotting against US seek release

DETROIT — Nine members of a Michigan militia are returning to court to ask a judge to release them while they fight conspiracy and weapons charges. http://bit.ly/apNdi4

Trappers Cove blaze has residents in shock

Jared Sherwood was in a parking lot at Trappers Cove early Monday afternoon, looking unhappily at what firefighters had been able to save from his apartment - a garbage bag filled with waterlogged textbooks and a charred and wet computer. http://bit.ly/9sdSZ5

Monday, April 26, 2010

Lansing police officer says she was sexually harassed

A female Lansing police officer claims in a recently filed lawsuit that she experienced gender discrimination and sexual harassment over the last three years. http://bit.ly/byvOqq

Border cops find 9,000 Ecstasy pills on man's legs

DETROIT — Border authorities say a Michigan man driving into the United States was caught trying to smuggle thousands of Ecstasy tablets under his pants.
A customs agent says Nimat David had approximately 9,000 tablets duct-taped to his calves and thighs Saturday night when he crossed the Ambassador Bridge into Detroit from Windsor, Ontario.
In a court filing, agent Mark O'Hare says Nimat said two men at a Windsor casino offered him $1,000 to transport the drugs.
Nimat told agents, "I will give you everybody," a reference to any accomplices in Windsor. He was in custody Monday with no indication yet that a defense lawyer had been assigned. http://bit.ly/drAnKe

Police: Grand Ledge man to be charged after high-speed chase, crash

Charges are pending against a Grand Ledge man Michigan State Police say led them on a pursuit in Ingham and Clinton counties before crashing his vehicle into a utility pole Saturday. http://bit.ly/aw2Fgi

Lansing firefighters bring apartment blaze under control

UPDATED 3:30 A.M. -- LANSING -- Residents from as many as 41 apartments were displaced after a fire broke out at the Trappers Cove apartments on Jolly Road in south Lansing early this morning.
Parts of the roof collapsed on the three-story apartment building that caught fire about midnight.
Firefighters had the blaze under control by about 2:30 a.m. and were continuing to extinguish small pockets of fire as of 3:15 a.m., said Eric Weber, public information officer for the Lansing Fire Department.
Weber said at least 75 percent of the building was involved, causing severe damage, and winds added to the challenge of containing the blaze.
At 2 a.m. American Red Cross officials said they were planning to open a shelter, volunteer Tyler Vickers said, but it was unclear where. He said he wasn't sure exactly how many residents had been displaced.
Vickers lives in a neighboring building and said he was awoken by the flames.
Officials from the apartment management company, Edward Rose & Sons, were talking with residents to find available units within the apartment complex.
Brittany Brookshire sat in the apartment clubhouse at about 2 a.m., worrying about getting diapers for her one-year-old son as he lay wrapped in a fleece blanket.
Brookshire, 23, was taking an online quiz for her nursing class at Michigan State University when she heard the fire alarm. She grabbed her sleeping son, Braylon, and her cell phone. She thought about going back to grab her purse, but knew it wasn't safe.
"I gotta go get diapers and all that stuff," she said. "I don't have anything."
Brookshire said she planned to stay at her boyfriend's place for the night, and her mother was planning to come help.
"I've got finals next week, so it's just really bad timing," she said.
MSU student Shengnan Xie was working on her final presentation to defend her PhD thesis when she heard yelling and saw her neighbor's first floor apartment on fire, she said.
Xie, 27, said she grabbed her computer with her chemical engineering presentation on it, since it's due in a week.
"My apartment wasn't on fire. That gives me great relief," she said. "Hopefully I can rescue something after the daybreak."
Check www.lsj.com for updates.
UPDATED 2:30 A.M. -- LANSING -- Red Cross officials on the scene of a fire at the Trappers Cove apartments off Jolly Road in south Lansing estimate as many as 47 units have been damaged by fire, smoke or water.
At 2 a.m. Red Cross officials said there were planning to open a shelter, volunteer Tyler Vickers said, but it was unclear where. It was unclear exactly how many residents the fire had displaced.
Vickers lives in a neighboring building and said he was awoken by the flames.
At 2:30 a.m., flames remained visible from the three-story apartment building that has been burning since about midnight, and the roof appeared to be collapsing.
Check www.lsj.com for updates.
UPDATED 2 A.M. -- LANSING -- Firefighters are continuing to battle a blaze in a three-story apartment building at the Trappers Cove apartments off Jolly Road in south Lansing.
Fire officials initially entered the building where the fire started around midnight, but have since fallen back and are fighting the fire from a defensive position, officials on the scene said.
Fire officials said 75 percent of the building is involved, causing severe damage, and winds have added to the challenge of battling the blaze, officials said.
The building is believed to have 24 apartments, and flames remain visible from the third floor.
The Red Cross is on the scene assisting residents.
The apartment complex is located just west of US-127 and north of Jolly Road.
Check www.lsj.com for updates.
UPDATED 12:45 A.M. -- LANSING -- Lansing firefighters are battling a large apartment building fire in the 3100 block of Trappers Cove.
Officials say a multiple unit building is on fire.
Check www.lsj.com for updates. http://bit.ly/bVGcdq

Komen race for the cure: A race that everyone wins

Some of Cindy Krueger's supporters wore tiaras. Others wore feather boas. All of them wore pink. http://bit.ly/9Yi3dT

Lansing firefighters battling large blaze in early morning hours

LANSING -- Lansing firefighters are battling a large apartment building fire in the 3100 block of Trappers Cove.
Officials say a multiple unit building is on fire.
Check www.lsj.com for updates. http://bit.ly/aIngXT

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Lansing Long Distance Movers

U-Save Moving and Storage is here to make your move stress-free! We specialize in commercial and residential long distance moves. No move is too big or too small for U-Save Moving and Storage. http://bit.ly/btYtrs

Lansing Long Distance Movers

10% Off of your move when you book with us on the day of your quote!



Professional Moving Labor Help

Local Lansing Moving Company

330-887-2834



U-Save Moving and Storage is here to make your move stress-free! We specialize in commercial and residential long distance moves. No move is too big or too small for U-Save Moving and Storage.

If You want caring professionals who will handle your belongings with the utmost care possible. We are your moving company!

We do local and long distance moves. Anything to make our costumers get the best of the best when they decide it is time to move.

The stress-free help that moves you forward. Qualified professionals here to make your moving day perfect!

Overall as Lansing's long distance movers we are proud to say that we have a pretty good reputation and we would like to see all our fellow moving companies try to achieve the same success. U-Save Moving and Storage strives to make sure each and every customer is completely satisfied when we leave their home.

  • Local Lansing Moving Company

  • Rates starting at $55/hr.

  • State Wide Moves

  • Long Distance Moves

  • FREE Moving Estimates.

  • FREE furniture assembly/dissembly.

  • NO Mileage Fees.

  • NO HIDDEN FEES.

  • NO EXTRA CHARGES.

  • Affordable hourly rates

  • Flat rate fees available.

  • Senior, Military and Student discounts.

  • No job too large or too small.

  • Residential or commercial.

  • Cleaning and Landscaping available.




As you probably noticed by our ad, we are not amateurs and this is not a part time job for us to make some extra money.

It is common knowledge in the moving business that it is very easy for amateurs and/or scammers to become injured and/or cause damage while moving large objects such as couches, appliances, china cabinets, entertainment centers, projection tv's, etc. U-Save Moving and Storage helpers handles these items daily and that is why we strongly feel that moving furniture/major appliances etc. should be left to skilled, highly trained professionals who work in the field everyday. We are not perfect, but we promise to handle your furniture/personal items as if they were our own.

Give us a call now and get an estimate right over the phone! Office 330-887-2834.

  • Local Residential Lansing Moving

  • Long Haul Relocation Service

  • Free In-House Estimate With No Obligation

  • Low Cost Rates, Best Value for Your Money

  • Experienced Team of Professional Movers

  • Clean, Professional Trucks and Equipment

  • Quilt-Pad Wrapped Furniture Protection

  • Professional Packing and Unpacking Services

  • Anti-Stain Stretch Wrap for Upholstered Furniture

  • Services for Loading and Unloading Rental Trucks

  • We Offer Senior & Veteran & Student Discounts

  • Local Lansing Movers




U-Save Moving and Storage is a professional full service long distance moving labor company. Why spend $500, $700, $1000 or more to move your possessions when it can be done for a fraction of the cost with the same or BETTER quality?

We’ve got strong backs, but our mental faculties are our most powerful attribute: We think before we move.

Being completely prepared is one of the characteristics that sets us apart from other moving companies. We protect your possessions, but we also guard against damage to door frames, stairways, banisters and railings. We take the proper precautions to avert any problems that might occur.

10% Off of your move when you book with us on the day of your quote!



Professional Moving Services

Local Lansing Long Distance Moving Company



u_save_moving_300_wide

www.usavemovingandstorage.com

330-887-2834

You Call. We Move. You Save!

Lansing City Council seeks input on mayor’s budget proposal

The Lansing City Council is inviting public input on Mayor Virg Bernero’s proposed $109.4 million budget for 2010-11.
A public hearing is set for 7 p.m. Monday, during the course of the Council’s regular weekly session, on the 10th floor of City Hall, 124 W. Michigan Ave.
For the budget year starting July 1, Bernero has proposed a four-day, 36-hour workweek for approximately 550 employees, not including police, fire and 911 dispatch services, to help resolve an approximately $12 million gap between revenue and expenses.
Bernero also has proposed closing Fire Station No. 3 on West Hillsdale Street, early retirement incentives for up to 100 employees, reorganization of some departments, leaving some positions vacant, and closing the Washington Park Ice Complex. http://bit.ly/baIvl5

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Moving the Pettersens to Jackson.

So about a month ago this great couple calls me up saying they found about me and my moving company from a flyer that I posted at a local coffee shop. http://bit.ly/bxk8Mf

Poll shows voters have interest in Fieger on Democratic ticket for governor

If Democratic voters had the chance, they would make Oakland County trial attorney Geoffrey Fieger their candidate for governor in November, according to a poll released Friday to the Detroit Free Press and WXYZ-TV.
Fieger, who gained fame as assisted-suicide doctor Jack Kevorkian’s lawyer and lost in a landslide as the Democrats’ candidate for governor in 1998, has hinted he might join the race.
But he’d need to move quickly, with less than three weeks left to collect the 15,000 valid petition signatures required to put his name on the Aug. 3 primary ballot.
The poll, conducted Wednesday by EPIC-MRA of Lansing, found that 28 percent of 400 likely Democratic primary voters would choose Fieger, who couldn’t be reached for comment Friday.
The poll showed House Speaker Andy Dillon of Redford Township with 20 percent, Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero with 13 percent and state Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith of Salem Township with 8 percent. Nearly a third of voters were undecided.
Fieger was the choice of 51 percent of Detroit Democrats and 40 percent of Democrats in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, where he nearly doubled the numbers of the second finisher, Dillon.
Fieger’s lead -- and the number of undecided voters -- shrank when those polled were given brief descriptions of the candidates and their backgrounds.
Fieger is most popular among voters ages 41-49. He’s preferred by union members, though he tied among them with Bernero -- 29 percent each -- when those voters were given more information about the candidates.
Bernero has received the most significant labor union endorsements.
Read Sunday's Lansing State Journal for more on this report. http://bit.ly/bivSz9

Charges in motorcycle club shooting dismissed

Criminal charges against a Lansing man accused of shooting three people March 14 outside an illegal after-hours motorcycle club on the city's north side were thrown out because witnesses did not show up to testify. http://bit.ly/cJ93hv

Friday, April 23, 2010

Bret Michaels hospitalized with brain hemorrhage

Bret Michaels, front man for '80s metal band Poison, is in critical condition in an undisclosed hospital and remains in intensive care, People.com reports.
The singer was rushed to the hospital Thursday night after complaining of an excruciating headache. Doctors there discovered bleeding at the base of his brain stem, and they're running tests to find the cause.
This is the second health scare in as many weeks for Michaels, 47, currently a contestant on Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice." He was forced to cancel an April 12 concert in San Antonio to undergo an emergency appendectomy.
Trump said in a statement today that he was “deeply saddened” to hear of Michaels’ condition. “He’s a great competitor and champion, and I hope he will be fine,” Trump said. http://bit.ly/cy3GuU

Detroit mayor fires 2 top appointees

DETROIT - Two of Detroit Mayor Dave Bing’s top appointees have been relieved of their duties.
Group executive Sue Carnell and Darchelle Strickland Love, who was tasked with special projects, have been removed from the mayor’s office effective today. Karen Dumas, the mayor’s group executive for communications, confirmed the firings, but would not comment further.
Carnell’s responsibilities included overseeing community relations, education, government affairs health and human services. This is the second shift for Strickland Love, who initially served as the mayor’s group executive for health and human services. The mayor reorganized his cabinet in December, unappointed Strickland Love as a group executive and put her in charge of special projects.
Carnell was paid $150,000 annually and Strickland Love salary was $135,000.
Neither could be immediately reached for comment.
The firings come on the heels of reports Thursday that officials from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, including director Pamela Turner and George Ellenwood, director of public affairs, want to retire from their jobs within the Bing administration.
Contact SUZETTE HACKNEY: shackney@freepress.com. http://bit.ly/cq8LWr

Schneider: Veterinarian says 'Beakman & Jax' cartoon misleading

When large-animal veterinarian Michael Thome phoned me to complain about "animal-rights propaganda" in the State Journal comics section, I thought he was joking. http://bit.ly/cbOllt

Emergency crews respond to crash on Lansing's south side

LANSING -- Emergency crews are on the scene of a two-vehicle crash that occurred in the area of Sandhurst Drive and Sunderland Road on Lansing's south side this morning.
Eric Weber, public information officer for the Lansing Fire Department, said the crash occurred at about 8:20 a.m. Details on what caused the crash were not immediately available, but he said the crash also resulted in one of the vehicles striking a garage in the area.
It's not clear at this time how many people were involved in the crash, Weber said.
Emergency crews are on scene. The intersection of Brisbane Drive and Sunderland Road is closed.
Check back with www.lsj.com for updates. http://bit.ly/cptGuO

Lansing children demonstrate how to think green on Earth Day

Tenaya Henderson (from left), Chontalice Hicks and Camryn Turner get their display ready on the differences between compact fluorescent and incandescent light bulbs Thursday at the Earth Day events at Lansing City Hall. http://bit.ly/d3q5yY

Thursday, April 22, 2010

GOP leaders renew attacks on White House over auto industry rescue

WASHINGTON – A day after the Obama administration hailed progress in the government-sponsored turnarounds of General Motors and Chrysler, congressional Republicans leveled fresh political criticism today at the administration’s aid to the industry.
The questions came as GM said today that the payback of $5.8 billion in loans to the U.S. and Canadian government allowed it unlimited access to $6.6 billion from bankruptcy escrows funded mostly by the U.S. Treasury.
Under the bankruptcy agreements between the Obama administration and GM, the automaker received $16.1 billion in cash that it could only spend by approval of the Obama auto task force. Any of that cash left by June 30 had to go toward paying off the original $7.1 billion in loans.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, asked Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to justify GM’s use of money from the escrow accounts to pay off the loans, saying the automaker and Obama administration gave misleading comments Wednesday that the money came from GM’s earnings.
“It is unclear how GM and the administration could have accurately announced yesterday that GM repaid its TARP loans in any meaningful way,” Grassley said in his letter to Geithner, referring to the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program. “In reality, it looks like GM merely used one source of TARP funds to repay another.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., accused the White House of strong-arming automakers last year into backing fuel economy standards of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 in return for keeping GM and Chrysler from collapsing in bankruptcy.
Issa asked the CEOs of nine automakers -- GM, Chrysler, Ford and the U.S. arms of Toyota, BMW, Volkswagen, Nissan, Suzuki and Honda – to turn over a bevy of documents about the talks with the White House and California officials that led to the agreement last May. The rules went into effect last month.
“It is unclear whether the Administration used leverage created by the possibility of a taxpayer bailout of GM and Chrysler to secure their cooperation and support for new fuel economy standards,” Issa said in the letter.
GM has not attempted to hide that the loans were being paid with other government money, but has said that paying back the loans five years ahead of schedule was a sign that the automaker’s worst days were over.
GM CEO Ed Whitacre said Wednesday that he told Geithner and National Economic Council Director Larry Summers that the government might recover all of the nearly $50 billion spent rescuing GM.
“We're paying back these loans early because we're making great progress and we have a great lineup of vehicles that are selling very well,” said GM spokesman Greg Martin. “We believe paying back the loans as soon as possible, with interest, is the right thing to do.”
The auto industry, led by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, asked the administration to set new fuel economy standards last year so that automakers wouldn’t face a patchwork of rules written by California and endorsed in a dozen other states. The Obama administration was also forced to act by a Supreme Court ruling requiring the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gases from cars and trucks.
The Obama auto task force in 2009 never seriously considered letting GM fail. It did closely debate whether to aid Chrysler, but decided letting it collapse would only worsen the recession.
“For years automakers made no secret of their desire for a national fuel economy and greenhouse program,” said Alliance spokesman Charles Territo. “The regulations finalized earlier this month eliminate the patchwork of conflicting standards and restore federal leadership on this important issue.” http://bit.ly/cyXmZa

2 men charged in Lansing slaying

LANSING -- Two men were charged today in connection to the killing of a 56-year-old Lansing man who was found dead at his southside apartment Monday. http://bit.ly/c8oq2E

Michigan Senate stalls over Granholm university appointments

LANSING — Action in the Republican-led Senate has stalled because of a fight over Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm's pending appointments to several university governing boards.
Republicans who hold the majority in the chamber were preparing to vote today to reject pending appointments for Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Ferris State, Grand Valley State, Michigan Technological, Northern Michigan and Western Michigan university boards. But Democratic Lt. Gov. John Cherry, who presides over the chamber, quickly adjourned proceedings for the day at the request of Democrats.
Republicans say rejection of the appointments is inevitable.
The battle over appointments relates to timing. Most of the appointments would not take effect until Jan. 1 and Republicans say they should be reserved for Michigan's next governor. http://bit.ly/9qcWym

3 Troy teens suspended for '10 seconds' fight

TROY, Mich. — Authorities say three suburban Detroit middle school teens who were involved in a fight game have been suspended. http://bit.ly/cREch3

Lansing encouraging numerous Earth Day efforts

Today marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a day to clean up and clean out but not necessarily to throw out. http://bit.ly/bYPnYg

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Texting ban clears a hurdle, more steps remain

LANSING — Legislators have taken another step toward outlawing the practice of using cell phones to send text messages while driving in Michigan.
The Michigan House passed a bill by a 89-19 vote today that includes some provisions of the texting ban. The bill now goes to the Senate.
Lawmakers already have approved the main bills in the package, but all must be finalized before they can be sent to Gov. Jennifer Granholm for her signature.
The ban would take effect July 1. A first offense would cost $100 and repeat offenses would come with a $200 fine. No points would be added to a driver's record.
Texting would be a primary offense, meaning police could pull over motorists for texting alone. http://bit.ly/dnPVOP

DeWitt bakery owner to appear Friday on 'Today' show

DEWITT - Linda Hundt, owner of the Sweetie-licious Bakery Cafe, is appearing between 8 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. Friday on the "Today" show via a live remote from the APC Crisco National Pie Championships outside Orlando, Fla. http://bit.ly/ci03w2

U-Save Moving And Storage Did A Great Job. Very Professional.

"Very Professional, polite and FAST!" That is how Joanna describes U-Save Moving and Storage and our service. http://bit.ly/d2PmyF

Grand Avenue reopened downtown after car-bicyclist accident

LANSING – Police have reopened Grand Avenue at Lenawee Street in downtown Lansing, which was closed briefly because of an accident involving a car and a bicyclist.
Emergency personnel took the injured bicyclist to the hospital. He had non-life threatening injuries, said Lansing police officer Phil Nardone. The accident occurred shortly before 1:30 p.m.
The driver of the car was a Cottage Inn Pizza driver.
Check lsj.com for updates. http://bit.ly/cpb9YU

Lansing woman sentenced for embezzlement

LANSING — A Lansing woman was sentenced to up to 12 months in the Ingham County Jail or stealing more than $100,000 in cash over several years from a Lansing Township optometry practice.
Lorraine Montalvo, 47, pleaded guilty in March to two counts of embezzlement of $20,000 or more. She was sentenced today in a Lansing court.
She worked for roughly 26 years a the office manager for Optometrists of Lansing.
Montalvo has told Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Paula Manderfield that when patients paid in cash, she kept the money for herself instead of depositing it.
She then spent the money at Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant, said Anna Plummer, an optician with the practice.
A restitution hearing is scheduled for May. http://bit.ly/a3yrRF

GM pays back government loans from US, Canada

DETROIT — General Motors Co. has repaid the $8.1 billion in loans it got from the U.S. and Canadian governments, a move its CEO says is a sign automaker is on the road to recovery. http://bit.ly/diaSHm

Medical marijuana shop a Lansing first

In a storefront in Lansing's Old Town, Darryl Brija waits patiently in a chair while Rochelle Harris checks his driver's license and measures out a quarter-ounce of marijuana. http://bit.ly/cJulOx

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

MSU students can buy Conan O'Brien tickets Wednesday

It's all a go-go for fans of Team Coco.
Conan O'Brien's Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour is headed to Michigan State University's Breslin Center on May 21 and Spartan students can buy their tickets beginning Wednesday.
Eric Branoff, a spokesman for the Associated Students of Michigan State University, told the Free Press today that MSU students (with student ID) can scoop up seats starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday. The special student pre-sale, $15 for MSU students (plus a $5 Breslin facility fee), will continue through 5 p.m. Friday.
Beginning at 10 a.m. Monday, tickets will be available to the general public as well as students. General public seats ($25, plus the facility fee) will be sold at the Breslin Center box office or through the venue's Web site: breslincenter.msu.edu/. Student ticket prices will remain $15 (plus the fee) and will be sold only at the box office.
Only 4,500 tickets will be sold for the Breslin Center show, though the facility holds more than 15,000. Branoff said that most of the tour stops O'Brien has scheduled are in smaller theaters and that his reps preferred a smaller audience for his MSU stop. Prices for the East Lansing show are "significantly lower than any of the other shows" on the tour, Branoff said. The late-night host's 30-city tour kicked off April 12, the same day it was announced he'd be bringing his show to TBS this fall.
"This is a way for ASMSU, as the undergraduate student government, to provide a low-cost event for the students to enjoy," Branoff said.
Comic Reggie Watts will open the show. Doors are at 6:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7:30. For more, go to http://teamcoco.com/ or http://asmsu.msu.edu/. http://bit.ly/bUNY2F

EPA announces $10.7M in Michigan cleanup grants

CHICAGO — Eighteen communities in Michigan will receive federal grants totaling about $10.7 million to help assess, clean up and revitalize former industrial and commercial sites.
U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Detroit, says the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency brownfields grants are designed to clean up contaminated properties and make them productive again.
The largest grants of $1 million each are going to Bay City, the Detroit-Wayne County Port Authority, Grand Rapids, Grand Traverse County, Leelanau County, the Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority and the St. Clair County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. Most of those grants will be used to provide loans for cleanup activities.
Grand Rapids is receiving two other grants totaling $300,000 to assess the presence of petroleum or hazardous substances at individual sites. http://bit.ly/cr5k2h

Audit: Park money used improperly for Bernero press conference, school

Lansing's park millage money was improperly used to pay for one of Mayor Virg Bernero's press conferences and to construct a walkway at Lewton Elementary School, where his wife is the principal, according to an internal audit done by the city. http://bit.ly/dc3C71

U-Save Moving and Storage, Professional Movers. A Professional Full Service Moving Labor Company in Lansing, Michigan, MI, Mich

U-Save Moving and Storage, Professional Movers. A Professional Full Service Moving Labor Company in Lansing, Michigan, MI, Mich: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Michigan OKs tax breaks for Flint, Detroit projects

LANSING - The state has approved tax breaks for a Michigan-based health care company's plans to create 1,000 jobs in Flint and a New Jersey-based information technology company's proposal that includes hiring 500 people in Detroit. http://bit.ly/cJrtJn

Volcano strands East Lansing tour group, Dart workers

EAST LANSING - An 80-member tour group from two East Lansing churches is expected to be stuck in Rome until Thursday because of the ash cloud from an Icelandic volcano.
In addition, two co-workers from Mason's Dart Container Corp are stranded in Germany, not expecting to get home until Saturday, a relative said.
The Italy tour group, led by the Rev. Mark Inglot, includes members of St. Thomas Aquinas and St. John Church and Student Center. They left for Italy April 8 and were supposed to return Sunday.
"Our group did get hotel rooms, so they're still comfortable," said church staffer Colleen Tinsey. "Probably they had to rush through all the different museums. Now, they have all the time they want," she said.
The Rev. Joe Krupp of St. John Church and Student Center said most of the communication with the group has been by e-mail because cell phone lines in Europe are jammed.
He said travelers have been divided in to high- and lower priority groups. Inglot, who is supposed to lead a confirmation service Thursday, was included in a high-priority group and may be home on Wednesday night. The rest of the travelers are expected Thursday, unless a new ash cloud that erupted last night drifts in the wrong direction.
Staci McCulley of DeWitt said her husband, Darren, and a co-worker are stranded in Frankfurt, Germany. She said her husband reports a group of Americans have formed somewhat of a "breakfast club" at their hotel in Frankfurt to help pass the time and share their frustrations.
After working for two weeks in Germany and Italy, Darren's return flight to Detroit was canceled Friday and rescheduled for today. However, the flights are still canceled out of Frankfurt and now his ticket has been delayed until Saturday at the earliest. http://bit.ly/90EiWv

Michigan lawmakers may address texting while driving

LANSING - Michigan lawmakers might take another crack at making it illegal to text while driving as early as this week. http://bit.ly/d309km

Pretty in pink: Downtown Lansing decked out in ribbons to support Komen race

For Insty-Prints owner Mike Bruce, Sunday's Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure hits close to home. http://bit.ly/dbGYRX

Monday, April 19, 2010

Meridian Twp. police seeking tips on weekend robbery

HASLETT -- Meridian Township police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at a Subway restaurant over the weekend in Haslett. http://bit.ly/9ZQZRj

Michigan tax rebel gets prison for false returns

DETROIT — A Michigan tax rebel who has inspired people to file thousands of false returns has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison.
Peter Hendrickson spoke eloquently but defiantly Monday as he blamed his conviction on lies by the government. Supporters in the courtroom applauded before they were scolded by U.S. Chief District Judge Gerald Rosen.
Hendrickson, an Oakland County resident, was convicted last fall of filing false forms over six years. He claims earnings are not wages and do not count as taxable income. Hendrickson is the author of a book on taxes called, "Cracking The Code."
Besides prison, the judge ordered him to pay the cost of prosecuting the case. The government says it has received thousands of tax returns that follow Hendrickson's philosophy. http://bit.ly/a4sXcV

Lansing considers inspecting rented mobile homes

LANSING - Rented manufactured homes in Lansing soon may face inspections because of concerns over their neatness and upkeep. http://bit.ly/bAXukm

Toyota agrees to record fine

UPDATED 9: 13 A.M. WASHINGTON — The government said today that Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor Corp. has agreed to pay a record $16.4 million fine for failing to properly notify federal authorities about a dangerous pedal defect.
The fine is the largest-ever penalty paid by an automaker to the U.S. government. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said by failing to report safety problems, Toyota put consumers at risk.
The penalty is connected to a January recall of 2.3 million vehicles with sticking accelerator pedals. The government says Toyota knew about the problem in late September 2009 and failed to report the defect within five business days, as required by law. http://bit.ly/b9vc8I

Michigan steel company reaches settlement with EPA

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — A Michigan-based steel company with two plants in Indiana has reached a settlement with federal regulators over hazardous chemical reporting violations. http://bit.ly/aMOhkV

Adopt A River in Lansing draws 500 to help beautify area

A muskrat swam silently upstream, and a couple of mallard ducks swooped in for a landing on the east bank of the Grand River, trees bursting into spring bloom all around them. http://bit.ly/cXWlH2

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Man, 32, charged in August homicides

A Delta Township man faces an April 29 preliminary exam on two counts of open murder in the August 2009 deaths of William “Billy” Beckett and Monica Moreno, who were found inside their burned home.
Paul Strang, 32, was arrested around 4 p.m. Friday and arraigned Saturday in 54-A District Court by Magistrate Laura Millmore, said Capt. Mike Yankowski of Lansing’s South Precinct. Strang is being held in the Ingham County Jail.
Yankowski said Strang was arrested without incident by the Eaton County Sheriff’s Department.
The bodies of Beckett, 25, and Moreno, 22, were discovered Aug. 8 after a fire in the one-story rental home they shared at 1509 W. Barnes Ave.
At the time, neighbors reported that they saw a man pull up to the house at about 12:45 p.m. and throw something through a front window, then leave in a gray or silver four-door car.
There also were reports of an explosion.
Police never have released the cause of Beckett and Moreno’s deaths.
Yankowski said Friday’s arrest was the result of a long-term investigation led by Detective Mark Lewandowsky.
“Our South Precinct detective bureau has been working countless hours since August to try to develop a suspect,” he said. “They were successful, and they were able to obtain an arrest warrant.”
Yankowski said police are not actively seeking any other suspects in the case.
Beckett graduated from Grand Ledge’s Sawdon Alternative High School in 2002 and worked as a flooring installer. Moreno attended Charlotte High School and worked at a Lansing Mall shoe store. http://bit.ly/cadhuP

Rolling Stone's archive going online

NEW YORK - For the first time Rolling Stone is inviting its readers on the long, strange trip though the magazine's 43-year archive, putting complete digital replicas online along with the latest edition. But you'll have to pay to see it all. http://bit.ly/90hEQ9

Saturday, April 17, 2010

MSU student may be charged in fire

EAST LANSING -- Authorities said today they may seek charges against a Michigan State University student they suspect turned off a fire alarm system in a rental house shortly before flames destroyed it Friday.
The fire at 318 Elm Place. displaced 11r esidents, including the student under suspicion, and resulted in about $500,000 damge to the home and its contents.
East Lansing Fire Marshal Bob Pratt said when the fire began Friday morning, the home's smoke and fire alarm system went off , but the student turned it off. The student thought the alarm had mistakenly gone off and that's why he or she turned off the alarm, Pratt said.
He said the fire department is still reviewing whether to seek to charge the student with disabling a fire alarm system, a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $500 fine.
Pratt said the fire remains under investigation. He said investigators have ruled out a suspicious cause for the fire and believe it was accidental.
For more on this story, read Sunday's Lansing State Journal. http://bit.ly/cwvOp6

Michigan Democratic convention to nominate for key posts

Wayne State University law professor Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County prosecutor David Leyton got an early lift this morning in their bids for Secretary of State and Attorney General respectively when they got the endorsement of the powerful AFL-CIO.
The endorsement was just one step, though, on the way to today’s endorsement convention, which begins this afternoon.
Benson is facing Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey and Leyton is up against Richard Bernstein, a member of the Wayne State University governing board.
Both Benson and Bernstein, along with the labor endorsed gubernatorial candidate Virg Bernero, Lansing’s Mayor, were allowed to address the labor caucus this morning. Winfrey, Bernstein and gubernatorial candidate Andy Dillon, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, were not.
“I am an ally for your and want to work for you as your next Secretary of State,” Benson said. “We’re going to work hard because it’s time to win that seat back in November.”
Leyton said he would bring the tradition of long time Attorney General Frank Kelley back to the office. And his first job as AG would be to end the lawsuit filed by current AG Mike Cox challenging the health care reform bill passed last month.
“That lawsuit will not stand when I’m Attorney General,” he said.
Winfrey said she wasn’t upset at the lack of opportunity to address the labor crowd.
“It means nothing because people will vote how they want to vote. I’ve always been a supporter of labor,” she said, adding if she doesn’t win the endorsement when the full convention begins later today, she won’t continue her campaign.
“I’m a team player,” she said. “I won’t be a cry baby.”
The endorsements in the two races won’t become official until August when Democratic delegates nominate their candidates at the party’s state convention. But the early endorsement allows the winners to form campaigns and raise money with the confidence that they will be the probably nominee. http://bit.ly/cYjavE

East Lansing house fire displaces 11 residents

EAST LANSING - Meandering through a parking lot with a flat-screen TV in his arms, Trevor Montroy watched firefighters battle a blaze that engulfed his home. http://bit.ly/an5Tml

Friday, April 16, 2010

Duchess of York offers frank, funny message on MSU's campus

EAST LANSING -- Sarah Ferguson -- Duchess of York, ex-wife of Britain's Prince Andrew, mom, author, and self-made businesswoman -- captivated an overflowing crowd at MSU's annual Kaleidescope women's day with a frank and funny message of self-empowerment.
In her 2 p.m. speech, the Duchess offered women a half-dozen "nuggets" to help them live well. Among them:
• Give to others.
• Be grateful for what you have.
• Communicate, compromise and practice compassion.
Ferguson told the crowd that, at 50, she has found a way to be "completely and utterly myself" and enjoys it.
"Just to be Fergie-licious is fine," she said.
Read Saturday's Lansing State Journal for more on this report. http://bit.ly/cCzx2w

Michigan couple sentenced in chained teen's death

CENTREVILLE — A southwestern Michigan couple has been sentenced in the death of their teenage daughter who died in a house fire while chained to her bed.
St. Joseph County Circuit Judge Paul Stutesman on Friday sentenced Anthony Springer to 25-50 years for torture and 10-15 years for first-degree child abuse. Marsha Springer was sentenced to 225 months to 50 years for torture, and 95 months to 15 years for first-degree child abuse.
The Centreville couple was convicted in February in the Feb. 27, 2008 death of Calista Springer. Her father said the 16-year-old had special needs and the tethering was necessary to keep her from leaving her bedroom and their home at night.
Messages seeking comment were left with defense attorneys John Bush and Victor Bland. http://bit.ly/duszU4

Mich. man gets 10-25 years in indecent exposure case

MOUNT CLEMENS — A man linked to a 1994 rape and convicted on unrelated lesser charges has been sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison.
Forty-two-year-old Craig Gonser was sentenced Thursday by Macomb County Circuit Court Judge David Viviano.
A jury last year found Gonser guilty of aggravated indecent exposure and indecent exposure. Prosecutors say Gonser exposed himself to a 20-month-old girl in 2004.
Authorities say DNA evidence linked Gonser to a 1994 rape in Clinton Township for which another man, Kenneth Wyniemko, spent nine years in prison. Wyniemko was released in 2003.
The statute of limitations meant Gonser could not be charged in that case.
Gonser had faced up to life in prison. http://bit.ly/bNwcoT

East Lansing house destroyed by fire

http://bit.ly/asLihT

US, Canadian officials speak out for new bridge

DETROIT — Mayor Dave Bing, Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Canada's ambassador to the U.S. are expected to join other officials in support of a new bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. http://bit.ly/bQvA52

Police uncover suspected meth lab in Oneida Twp.

ONEIDA TWP. — Police found a suspected methamphetamine lab in Oneida Township, officials said Thursday.
According to police, Michigan State Police were assisting Eaton County Child Protective Services with a welfare check at a home on the 11000 block of Hartel Road.
A woman inside the home closed and locked the door in an attempt to keep the officers from entering, police said. She let them in after they identified themselves.
During a sweep of the residence, troopers found a 33-year-old man in the garage with a suspected methamphetamine cooking operation.
Police arrested the man for possession of suspected methamphetamine, marijuana and prescription drugs, officials said. He is being lodged at the Eaton County Jail. http://bit.ly/dsuURJ

Thursday, April 15, 2010

DeWitt school officials to address custodian's 'inappropriate' texting

DEWITT - DeWitt Public Schools' superintendent and the city of DeWitt police chief have scheduled a news conference at 6:30 p.m. to address inappropriate text messages sent to students by an employee of the custodial firm that contracts with the district.
"This is a one-time incident of a contracted employee who took a junior high student's cell phone and sent text messages to her contacts," said Kim Root, spokeswoman for the district. "He has been fired."
Last year DeWitt's school board voted to privatize custodial services to save money. It laid off 14 custodians and hired The district contracted with Grand Rapids Building Services.
Come back to www.lsj.com for updates. http://bit.ly/aYbdAV

Tips for selling your car

Sometimes moving is the best time to sell a car.  Which really just gives you one more hassle.  But by heeding the advice below you can take some of the pain out of the process.  Of course most of this advice does  not apply to near junkers and is only for those seeking maximum value [...] http://bit.ly/9m7H9T

Meteor explodes over southern Wisconsin (w/video)

IOWA CITY - Did you see it?
According to the National Weather Service, a fireball or very bright meteor was seen streaking across the sky from west to east around 10:04 p.m. David Sheets, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the meteor exploded over Iowa County in southwest Wisconsin at an elevation of about 24,000 feet.
The meteor was seen in northern Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and southern Wisconsin, but Sheets said the National Weather Service didn’t have much additional information on the meteor.
“We don’t really track meteors,” he said. “It’s not really weather.”
Robert Mutel, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Iowa, said meteors are not uncommon. Objects from space hit the Earth every day, Mutel said, but they are rarely noticed because they strike the ocean or are not visible because the time of day.
“This, really, is quite a common occurrence,” said Mutel, who did not see the meteor.
Mutel said the meteor was not part of a meteor shower, which occurs when rocks from the path of a comet are intercepted by Earth’s atmosphere in burn up.
“They can come at any time,” he said. “What you’re really seeing is extremely small particles. You must think, ‘Wow, that must be some big object.’ Most of them you see are grains of sand.”
However, Mutel estimated the meteor witnessed Wednesday night was probably closer to the size of a fist.
“I would’ve pegged it much bigger than that,” said Iowa City resident Lenni Kangas.
Kangas, 77, said he was sitting in his glassed-in family room at 10 p.m. when he saw the meteor.
“I just happened to look up and I saw this flaming object coming down,” he said. “It was very bright.”
Kangas said his initial reaction was the object was an aircraft in trouble, but then he realized it was going much too fast. The object appeared to be very close, Kangas said. In fact, Kangas thought the object impacted nearby.
Sheets said broken up pieces of the meteor started some forest fires in Wisconsin. Prior to the explosion, people along Highway 20 in Iowa reported a “sonic boom-type phenomenon” that rattled some homes. Mutel said that can be attributed to the meteor traveling faster than the speed of sound, which at sea level is 761 mph. Mutel said the meteor, despite friction from the Earth’s atmosphere, was probably traveling roughly 2,000 mph.
“The meteor is definitely going much faster than the local speed of sound,” he said.
Iowa City Police Sgt. Denise Brotherton said dispatchers took several calls from citizens who reported seeing the colorful fireball. Mutel said the colors could be attributed to atmospheric gases burning.
“When the gases get superheated, they glow in different colors,” he said.
Mutel said the meteor is essentially just a rock that’s been orbiting space since the formation of the solar system. There are basically two kinds of meteors, he said, rocky ones that look similar to granite and ones comprised of iron and nickel. Mutel said he didn’t know what this meteor was made of.
The next meteor shower is expected on April 22, Mutel said.
A sheriff's deputy in Howard County captured this spectacular video of the meteor from his dash camera... http://bit.ly/9TfZN5

Man arrested in shooting of child near Detroit drug house

DETROIT — Police say a 37-year-old man has been arrested in the shooting of a 2-year-old Detroit girl that stemmed from her father's attempt to buy drugs.
Police say Wednesday in a release that the man has been charged with two counts of assault with intent to murder, using a firearm during a felony and being a habitual offender.
Narcotics officers arrested him Monday night outside the drug house where the girl was shot last week. The girl's father initially told police he randomly had been shot at while driving along a Detroit street, but later admitted it was while trying to buy drugs.
His daughter was in the back seat and suffered a gunshot to her hip. It was not immediately known Wednesday if she had been released after treatment at a local hospital. http://bit.ly/90ImgC

MSU research forum shows work of 500+ undergrads

EAST LANSING — More than 500 students from all 14 of Michigan State University's undergraduate colleges are set to take part in Friday's annual University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum. http://bit.ly/cXIcZv

Lansing Lugnuts' Eat-A-Palooza a tasty home opener treat

The Lansing Lugnuts took to their home field Wednesday night for the 2010 season, while their fans sat in the stands with cold beer and hot dogs. http://bit.ly/dntlmn

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Dead man wins mayor's race in small Tenn. town

TRACY CITY, Tenn. - A dead man has been elected mayor of Tracy City, Tenn. http://bit.ly/b5QUle

Documents filed in Kwame Kilpatrick's probation case

DETROIT — Prosecutors are asking a judge to revoke former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's probation.
Findings of fact were filed Wednesday with Wayne County Circuit Judge David Groner, who set noon as the deadline for the documents.
Kilpatrick's attorneys also met the deadline. Spokesman Mike Paul declined further comment.
Prosecutors say Kilpatrick has "intentionally hidden assets ... lied to the court and fraudulently conveyed assets to others to avoid his obligation to pay restitution."
Closing arguments in Kilpatrick's probation violation case are set for Tuesday.
Kilpatrick resigned in 2008 and served 99 days in jail as part of plea agreements in two criminal cases stemming from a text-messaging sex scandal. He also was ordered to pay $1 million in restitution. http://bit.ly/dc6itJ

Fowlerville schools make $1.5M in budget cuts

FOWLERVILLE -- Fowlerville Community Schools will make cuts to student services next school year — including its band and art programs — as part of nearly $1.5 million in budget reductions the district's Board of Education approved Tuesday night.
The cuts, which also include the jobs of teachers, counselors, media specialists, athletic coaches and administrators, are needed as the district anticipates a $3 million deficit in its upcoming $25 million spending plan.
Continued drops in student enrollment and cuts in state per-pupil funding as well as rising retirement costs are expected to create the deficit. The district will eliminate band at the elementary level, offer fewer art classes, and a reduction in hours for media centers that will leave high school and junior high students with only three class periods to access their school libraries each day.
The board's vote was unpopular among some students and parents who attended Tuesday night's meeting at the Fowlerville High School media center.
"The whole point of coming to school is for education," said parent Nan-Marie Fox. "I think they are making cuts where it affects curriculum and children's futures. That is not the place to do it."
In addition to programs, nine teachers will be laid off along with counselors and media professionals. Administrators, including the assistant superintendent, curriculum director and technology director, will have their work hours reduced.
Four assistant athletic coaching positions will also be eliminated while athletic participation fees at the junior high will increase by $20 per student.
Superintendent Richard Heinrich said he recommended the cuts assuming the district will lose 100 students next school year in addition to decreases in state funding. He said he hopes all of his assumptions do not come to fruition.
"If some of these things change between now and the start of the school year, we may be in a situation where our position changes," Heinrich said. "I don't want people to feel like everything is hopeless."
However, even with the $1.5 million in approved cuts, the district will still need to realize another $1.5 million in savings to avoid a deficit.
Much of that additional savings is expected to come from employee concessions, as all of the district's bargaining groups — except the bus drivers — have expired contracts or will have an expired contract by June 30.
Prior to Tuesday's decision, the school board held two meetings in March to address public concerns about the district's financial situation.
While board President Mike Brown acknowledged Tuesday's decision was difficult, he said he was happy with the public input the district received.
As a result of overwhelming protest from students, parents and staff, the district's Performing Arts Center director position was not cut as originally planned. Instead, the position will be compensated next year at 75 percent of the current level. http://bit.ly/9NjwsX

Two Michigan school districts to share 1 superintendent

HUDSON, Mich. — Two southeastern Michigan school districts have voted to share one superintendent.
Morenci's board voted 7-0 to approve a plan to share Hudson Superintendent Mike Osborne. Hudson's board voted 6-1. http://bit.ly/cw70hw

March at Michigan Capitol celebrates right to bear firearms

No one ever cuts in front of Matt Savino in the line for movie tickets. http://bit.ly/92DeXJ

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Parolee accused of shooting Benton Harbor girl, 4

BENTON HARBOR — A 4-year-old-girl has been critically hurt with spinal cord damage in a shooting in Benton Harbor.
Authorities say 34-year-old parolee Donnell D. Williams was seeking revenge against a man when he fired six shots Friday. A stray bullet hit Zaniyah Anderson.
The girl is being treated at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo. She is partially paralyzed.
Williams is being held on parole violation and attempted murder charges. He was arraigned Monday in Berrien District Court. Another hearing is set for April 22. The jail had no information Tuesday evening on whether he has a lawyer.
The Herald-Palladium of St. Joseph said Williams was paroled Jan. 7 after serving 3 1/2 years in prison on a 2006 Kent County conviction for assault. http://bit.ly/asiu5O

Police believe man found dead near Fowlerville was homeless

HOWELL -- Livingston County sheriff's officials said today that the 70-year-old man whose body was found Monday on the side of a rural road had been estranged from his family for several years and likely was homeless. http://bit.ly/cjyrAE

Lansing-area death notices

• McCausey, Betty Lou, 75, of Grand Ledge, died Sunday. Memorial services 11 a.m. Saturday at New Life Assembly of God Church, Grand Ledge. Arrangements by Holihan-Atkin Funeral Home, Grand Ledge. http://bit.ly/a4UOcU

Investigators narrow probe of Okemos woman's 1990 disappearance

A Livingston County cold case team says it has narrowed its investigation into the 1990 disappearance of an Okemos woman to five "strong" people of interest, and investigators are focusing specifically on a Lansing man and a Detroit man.
Mike Frayer, a member of the Livingston County cold-case team, said Monday that both the Lansing man and Detroit man match the description of men witnesses say they saw near the vehicle of Paige Marie Renkoski, who was last seen the afternoon of May 24, 1990, on the shoulder of westbound Interstate 96, about a quarter-mile east of the Fowlerville exit; and both men have a history of targeting women.
Police are not, however, close to an arrest, Frayer cautioned.
"Someone out there has the one link we need," he noted, adding that the team is "more optimistic" about solving the case since taking it on nearly one year ago. "I think we're making progress."
The team continues to work two theories: Renkoski's disappearance was a road rage situation that got out of hand, or a man impersonating an officer got her to stop. A third theory that someone may have tried to simulate an accident to gain access to Renkoski has been "pretty much ruled out," retired Westland Police Officer Joseph Morrow said.
Frayer said both people of interest — both of whom he declined to identify — also frequently traveled the I-96 corridor during the time Renkoski vanished. and "their personality issues" and "behavior patterns" raised red flags with the three-member cold-case team. Frayer said one of the men has a history of impersonating a police officer to get women to stop on the expressway.
That man has declined to speak to investigators.
Witnesses have described the man they saw with Renkoski as black and "extremely tall." All witnesses put the man at 6 feet or taller.
Those tips led to a description of a black male wearing a white shirt, tie, dark trousers and a dark, long coat. The man also was wearing glasses and had a three-day growth of facial hair.
On Monday, the cold-case team released aged composite drawings of men witnesses say they saw near Renkoski's vehicle. http://bit.ly/b40lnh

Man, 70, found dead on side of road

CONWAY TWP. - Livingston County sheriff's officials are working to reach family members of a man found dead Monday on the side of Sober Road north of Fowlerville. http://bit.ly/deeqYj

Monday, April 12, 2010

Police working to identify body of man found north of Fowlerville

UPDATED 2 P.M. -- CONWAY TWP. -- Livingston County sheriff¹s officials continue to investigate the discovery of a body on the side of Sober Road in Conway Township north of Fowlerville today.
Undersheriff Michael Murphy said they initially believed the victim was a Lansing-area man who lived in Eaton County. However, Eaton County authorities checked the address on the driver¹s license found with the body and discovered the person they thought it was no longer lived at the Eaton County address.
Murphy said authorities are now trying to determine if the 70- or 71-year-old man lived in the area where he was found.
Additional information about the victim¹s identity or cause of death remains unknown as of 1:30 p.m. today.
"We've been working it as a homicide until we can show any different," Murphy said.
Murphy said the man appears to have suffered minor head trauma that does not initially appear to be caused by a gun, knife or other instrument. He said police have not been able to determine if the trauma was caused from a fall, a punch or other means.
Murphy said the man was wearing jeans and a T-shirt and officials have not yet been able to fully examine the body.
Police said a passer-by called 911 Central Dispatch about 8:30 a.m. to report there was a man who appeared to be dead on the side of the road in the 10000 block of Sober Road, near Nicholson Road.
Additional details were not immediately available. http://bit.ly/bhNYKP

Police: Woman assaulted in Lansing in early morning incident

LANSING -- A woman was kidnapped at gunpoint and sexually assaulted early today in Lansing, according to police.
Lansing police spokesman Lt. Noel Garcia said that at about 2 a.m., a 42-year-old Lansing woman was walking in an alley between Kalamazoo and Hickory streets when she was approached by an unknown man in a vehicle.
Garcia said the man reportedly asked the woman a question. She reported not hearing what was said and leaned into the vehicle to hear him better.
The man then produced a handgun and demanded the woman get into the vehicle, Garcia said. The subject drove to the 1300 block of South Cedar Street, sexually assaulted the woman and strangled her until she passed out.
The victim was left at the scene, Garcia said, and she woke up partially clothed and ran for help. A resident on the 1400 block of Lyons Avenue called police.
Officers arrived and the woman was transported to a local hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The location of the assault was determined by clothing found at the scene, Garcia said. No suspects are in custody at this time.
The suspect is described as a white male in his 30s with a medium build and a deep voice, wearing a baseball cap and an unknown color shirt with jeans. The vehicle he was driving was described as a smaller white pickup truck, possibly a Ford Ranger or a Chevrolet S-10, with a blue stripe along the side, possibly six inches wide.
Police are urging anyone with information about the incident or the suspect to call Detective Kim Kranich at 483-4620 or call CrimeStoppers at 483-STOP. Anonymous tips can be sent via text message to 847411 (TIP-411). Begin your text message with LPD517, leave a space, then type your message.
Garcia said the suspect should be considered armed and dangerous. http://bit.ly/cU7PD8

Summit on violence searches for answers

In the wake of five homicides in the past month, about 150 Lansing-area residents gathered Sunday in search of ways to combat the spike in violent crime. http://bit.ly/beDy3n

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Live coverage: Lansing violence summit

http://bit.ly/aoZLip

Lansing police engage in standoff

LANSING - Lansing police spent 2 1/2 hours trying to convince people to come out of a Lansing home early this morning during what they believed was a hostage situation, police said.
However, once the woman came out and talked to police, they discovered no one had been taken hostage, Sgt. Eric Painter said.
Neighbors called police at about 1 a.m. today because they thought they heard a male and a female fighting at a home on the 800 block of Louisa Street, and one person reported hearing gun shots, he said.
When police arrived and knocked on the door, a 23-year-old male would not let police enter, which indicated a possible hostage situation, Painter said.
When the 17-year-old woman emerged 2 1/2 hours later, police discovered there was no hostage and there had been no assault, he said. The man had refused to let police enter because he and another man inside the residence were wanted on misdemeanor warrants, Painter said.
Police arrested the two men because of those warrants, but no arrests were made in connection with this morning's incident, he said. Painter said he did not know details about the warrants. http://bit.ly/c6fU2U

5 Tips for Executing an Easy Long-Distance Move

Moving far away is a big step, and it can be quite stressful. The key is to be organized. Here are some tips to make your long-distance move easier. http://bit.ly/bxusyw

St. Johns annual safety report shows decline in crime

ST. JOHNS - The St. Johns Public Safety report for 2009 shows that crime is on the decline in St. Johns. http://bit.ly/aRoTMS

Court pick to be made on Obama's terms

WASHINGTON - Emboldened by success the first time around, President Barack Obama is likely to pick the Supreme Court nominee he wants and let the confirmation fight proceed from there, putting huge emphasis on a justice who would bring a fight-for-the-little-guy sensibility to the job. http://bit.ly/95pLQF

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Hundreds gather for Tea Party Express stop in Lansing

LANSING -- More than 800 people have gathered this evening at the Capitol to welcome the Tea Party Express during its planned stop in Lansing.
Many holding anti-government and anti-tax signs, rally attendees awaited the bus, which is conducting a tour across the nation. Several speakers, including Attorney General Mike Cox, were scheduled to talk about the consequences of newly passed healthcare reform.
"Stop the healthcare reform. Throw the bums out of Washington," said Dan DeNike, 63, a Charlotte roofing contractor. "They're taxing us into oblivion."
The bus was expected to arrive at 7:15 p.m. but was running behind schedule.
Speakers also were expected to talk about Friday’s announced retirement by U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak of northern Michigan, who cast a crucial vote in favor of health reform. Tea Party Express members had vowed to target Stupak for defeat in the fall.
The Tea Party Express swung into high gear after Congress passed national health care reform legislation last month. Several parts of the bill, including a provision requiring everyone to obtain health insurance, have been controversial.
Organizers said they had been expecting hundreds to attend tonight’s event. A tea party event last year at the Capitol drew 4,000 people.
Check www.lsj.com for updates. http://bit.ly/ao2QdB
I nap for about an hour and the sunny, blue skys have turned dark...WTF!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

New And Improved Web Address

Before our web address was http://professional-moving.com and that is still a good web address to reach our website, but I have improved on it: Now our web address reflects our business name.

This solves two problems that we had with the old web address: 1) people got confused with our name being U-Save Moving but our address being professional-moving.com, and 2)It now will help our SEO for our company.

I have been trying to reach #1 on the search engine standings for U-Save Moving. I just couldn't achieve this and I believe because it was due to our web address. So I hoping that this solves this problem.

So our new and improved web address is: http://usavemovingandstorage.com.