Rewind the news, week of July 22, 2026

Early in-person voting starts this weekend, with hours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Lansing, and now there are bounce houses involved. There are eight proposals for Lansing voters, as well as primary elections for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Michigan Senate and Michigan House candidates. The Lansing Elections Office (701 W. Jolly Rd.) and Foster Community Center (200 N. Foster Ave.) are each hosting bounce houses, weather permitting, to encourage voters to come out; check online for specific hours and dates. Absentee votes have already started, and the primary election is on Aug. 4; early voting offers a similar in-person experience.

The federal Centers for Disease Control identified sources for the outbreak of cyclosporiasis — including Taco Bell and lettuce bags sold at Walmart and their popular supplier — but on Sunday said the tests were a false positive. Testing for Cyclospora is difficult and experts “re-reviewed” the samples, according to the update. “As of July 19, 2026, there are no confirmed positive sample results for product testing for Cyclospora,” the CDC said in its update, referring to federal Food and Drug Administration testing. “FDA has notified Taylor Farms and continues working with the firm to ensure product implicated in this outbreak has been removed from the market.” Testing continues, with Michigan reporting more than 6,500 cases since the outbreak began in late June (the state usually gets around 50 cases a year). Ingham County is reporting 393 cases.

Michigan was blanketed by a thick campfire smell for days as particulates in the air reached hazardous levels last week, much higher than the 2023 and 2025 summer smoke. Like before, this year’s smoke was caused by Canadian wildfires. The smoke has eased up but remains in the very unhealthy to unhealthy range for the Upper Peninsula and unhealthy for sensitive groups in mid-Michigan, including the Greater Lansing area, according to a forecast from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy’s MiAir division. “High pressure will settle over the region on Wednesday and Thursday, bringing dry conditions and gradually warming temperatures as the week progresses. Under this warmer, dry setup, there is potential for increased smoke formation, so we will issue another forecast update on Wednesday to refine expectations for smoke for the rest of the week. Despite the dry pattern, cooler surface and upper‑level temperatures should help keep ozone levels from rising above the Moderate range through mid‑week,” according to the EGLE forecast. There may be stray smoke in the coming days, and it is difficult to forecast smoke more than 48 hours in advance, so the state will be issuing another update on Wednesday. Visit lansingcitypulse.com or subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed.

The Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL) will hold hearings at 10 a.m., Friday, Aug. 1 and 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4 at its REO Depot location at 1201 S. Washington Ave. to give its customers a chance to respond to its proposals for rate hikes. The proposed increases are for 2.1% — or an average of $2 per month — for residential electric customers and 2.39% to 3.34% depending on average usage — or about $1 a month — for water customers. Commissioners are slated to vote Monday, Aug. 11 on whether to approve the increases, which would go into effect in October. “The proposed increases are attributed to rising costs tied to inflation, aging infrastructure and the increasing cost to maintain reliable utility services,” said BWL spokesperson Amy Adamy in a statement.

The wife of the former Michigan Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield was sentenced on Monday to probation, community service and a fine. Stephanie Chatfield had previously pleaded guilty in Ingham County’s 30th Circuit Court to one felony count of Embezzlement from a Non-Profit, $200 to $1,000, according to a statement from Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office. “Proximity to influence does not grant immunity from accountability, and no one can use their nexus to power to unlawfully enrich themselves,” Nessel said in the statement. “Mrs. Chatfield was a willing participant on the Peninsula Fund gravy train, enjoying a lifestyle funded by money meant to support public welfare.”

U-M announced Monday that its athletic director, Warde Manuel, will step down at the end of 2026. The announcement follows the university’s release of a summary of an independent investigation from the Chicago law firm Jenner & Block into the culture of its athletic department. Football coach Sherrone Moore was fired last year after being arrested, he had been having an inappropriate relationship with a staff member and there have been other legal issues involving assistant coaches. The release stated that, on the one hand, “Neither the investigation nor the culture review found that misconduct was widespread throughout the department.” But on the other, “found that weaknesses in accountability, organizational structure, oversight, and reporting created conditions in which misconduct was not always addressed.”

No one was injured in a house fire Monday morning on the 200 block of S. Hayford Avenue, off of Michigan Avenue, according to a story from WILX. The cause of the fire was not immediately available, according to the report.

The Lansing Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) is highlighting two properties in a new online platform: the Kalamazoo Gateway site near downtown, where the Deep Green data center would have been, and the long-vacant F. Preuss Building in Old Town. Kris Klein, executive director of the LEDC, said additional sites will be added. The two featured properties were selected because of their visibility and redevelopment potential. The Kalamazoo Gateway site sits near several major downtown investments, including projects along the riverfront. Klein said recent development momentum makes it an ideal time to reintroduce the property to potential investors. The Deep Green data center proposal there was withdrawn earlier this year, and City Council recently adopted a six-month moratorium on new data centers. The Preuss Building, located at 308 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave. in Old Town, has been vacant for decades. Klein said the historic structure has deteriorated significantly, but the city hopes a developer can preserve the building while giving it a new purpose. “We’d like to see the existing building maintained, if at all possible,” he said, adding that preserving its architectural character would be a priority.
…

…
The relaunch is more than a website update, Klein said. “The goal is to get more eyes on these sites and the opportunities they represent,” he said. “We wanted a platform that we could update more easily and used to promote redevelopment throughout Lansing.” The website is part of the Build Lansing initiative to develop publicly owned properties within the City of Lansing. Property listings were previously hosted on the city’s website. Klein said housing is a major focus of Lansing’s redevelopment efforts. Mixed-use projects with commercial space and residential units are among the possibilities, particularly for the Preuss Building, while the larger Kalamazoo Gateway site could support multifamily housing, hotels, or other mixed-use development. The platform also aims to simplify the redevelopment process by centralizing information about environmental assessments and other tools that can help offset redevelopment costs, particularly for sites that require rehabilitation or environmental cleanup. Klein said Lansing competes with other legacy cities for investment but believes the capital city’s recent growth is a competitive advantage.