BRIEFS

Blighted building to be Demolished Friday

The East Lansing eyesore at Grand River Avenue and Abbot Road is set to be demolished Friday, but a driver couldn’t wait.

Police D said the man crashed his vehicle into the building last Wednesday. The driver was taken to Sparrow in non-critical condition. Police allege alcohol was a factor in the driver’s misjudgment as he attempted to turn right onto Abbot from the westbound lane on Grand River.

The large, blighted brown building has been empty for decades. The building was to be replaced as part of a revitalization project for downtown East Lansing, but the deal collapsed in September when a former developer sued the city. For the time being, the property will be an empty lot.

Expect the demolition to block traffic from Abbot over the weekend, the city warns.

New MIP ordinance for East Lansing

Michigan’s Minor in Possession of alcohol law is undergoing an official change that will lower the penalty for first-time offenders from a misdemeanor to a civil infraction. That’s big news for East Lansing, which shares space with a university hosting over 20,000 students younger than 21.

The state law goes into effect on New Year’s Day. The City Council unanimously adopted a corresponding MIP ordinance.

Home game weekend crime update

East Lansing Police Officers issued 29 citations and made nine arrests over the weekend, which featured unseasonably warm temperatures and a home football game for the Spartans.

The bulk of the incidences were noise and alcohol violations with a healthy dose of disorderly conduct from overzealous sports fans, ELPD officials said. There were no major crimes, such as battery, sexual assault or robbery.

“It was pretty standard, but a home game with nice weather gets people going. Weather plays an important in whether or not we’re gonna have a busy night,” Deputy Chief Steve Gonzalez said.