Rewind the news, week of August 12, 2026

Lansing voters will get to consider, in the November election, a proposal that would amend the city charter to add a Citizens’ Advisory Healthcare Action Board. The board would review healthcare policies and suggest changes that could curb costs and improve outcomes for residents. City Clerk Chris Swope said the board would look into community health care from a variety of perspectives and present a plan to City Council, which would need to publish the plan. City Council, however, would not be able to make the changes, due to a wording tweak made during the meeting and explained by City Attorney Greg Venker. Venker said the published plan would be a pathway for changes, but the city cannot be the body that makes those changes. The city provides healthcare for employees but does not provide public health care. Ingham County does provide some healthcare options for residents. There are similar city charter efforts in East Lansing, Portage, Benton Harbor, Battle Creek and Kalamazoo; all led by the nonprofit Community Action Michigan. The efforts start with petitions; for Lansing, it was 7,000 signatures and then needing to get local approval to get on the November ballot.

There has been a noticeable increase in drug-related deaths in the Greater Lansing area, according to a report Monday from local medical examiners. There were 48 deaths in the seven-county region during the first three months of 2026, up from 35 at the same time in 2025. The counties are Clinton, Eaton, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Livingston and Shiawassee. This year is on pace to exceed last year’s 120 drug-related deaths, which rose in the last three-quarters of 2025, according to the report from University of Michigan-Sparrow pathologists. Ingham County is the most populous and had the most deaths, 20. All but one were determined to have been accidental overdoses and the other was inconclusive. Some of the deaths in other counties were determined to be suicide. If you’re in need of help with drugs, call the Mid-State Health Network at 1-844-405-3095 or reach out to county mental health services at 800-372-8460.

The number of cyclosporiasis cases is slowing in Michigan, and experts are telling the public that the worst may be past and that lettuce is back on the menu. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said last week that residents can return to routine washing of lettuce and salad greens because new cyclosporiasis cases and ER visits are declining. “As new data has emerged, our guidance has evolved to reflect the best available evidence, helping ensure that prevention recommendations are accurate, actionable and responsive to the changing situation,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the state’s chief medical executive, in a statement. The state has had 12,485 reported cases since June with most exposures in late June to early July. The majority of the contaminated produce is likely no longer available, according to the state.

Potter Park Zoo said Monday that its lion, Kota, has been euthanized. The 19-year-old lion recently changed behavior and was found to have a severe spinal disease, commonly seen in old large cats. The zoo now faces an expected but significant challenge. In the past year, it has lost three of its signature animals: Kota the lion, Vikentii the tiger and Doppsee the rhino. The zoo still has one rhino, red pandas and an okapi, along with many other popular animals. But losing so many headlining animals in one year is difficult for both keepers and the community. Like Vikentii, the death of Kota was not unexpected. Large felines with big and heavy heads often develop back problems in zoos, where they live much longer lives, said Dr. Ronan Eustace, Potter Park’s veterinarian, who is involved in a national study of all lion deaths in zoos. Eustace spoke with City Pulse earlier this year following Vikentii’s death. 
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When a popular zoo animal dies, it’s often not a surprise and something zoo officials have been working years to prepare for, said Hollie Colahan, the executive director of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson and chair of the American Zoo Association’s Animal Population Management committee. Colahan spoke to City Pulse earlier this year. “A lion over 15, we’d call that geriatric and flag that zoo as needing a new cub,” said Colahan, who has been head of the lion part of the AZA’s Species Survival Program. Surgery was not a viable option for Kota and staff moved to providing comfort and quality of life until the lion no longer responded, according to a statement from the zoo. Kota spent most of his life at the Potter Park Zoo, a rarity for a large animal at a smaller zoo like Potter Park because of breeding opportunities elsewhere. He was one of the oldest male lions in an AZA-accredited zoo and lived beyond the median life expectancy of almost 17 years. Kota was known for an unmistakable roar and was an ambassador for lions.

Ingham County residents have until this Friday to send feedback to ITC Michigan regarding proposed routes for a new high-voltage transmission line that go through parts of 15 localities over a 50-mile span from Oneida, south of Grand Ledge, to Sabine Lake, north of Fowlerville. In June, the Ingham County Board of Commissioners opposed four of the seven routes that would cut through Burchfield Park in Holt — which is the county’s largest park and attracts about a half-million visitors each year. Parks Director Tim Morgan told WKAR News that having a power line in the park could threaten his department’s ability to secure grants. ITC held public forums in late July to allow for feedback, but residents can also do so online here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ITCOSL2. The Michigan Public Service Commission is responsible for approval of the project’s final route.

UM-Health-Sparrow broke ground last week on its new $83 million Janice M. Granger Behavioral Health Building on North Pennsylvania Ave., on the site of the old Eastern High School just north of its hospital in Lansing. The facility will have 64 beds for adolescent, adult and geriatric patients, with 16 dedicated to children and adolescents. Officials have termed it the first dedicated behavioral health treatment facility for young people in this region and set a completion date of 2028. The facility will include a gym, a commercial kitchen, indoor and outdoor gardens and will support inpatient and outpatient programs. U-M Health-Sparrow earlier this year received an undisclosed eight-figure donation from the Alton L. and Janice M. Granger Charitable Gift Fund. The late Janice Granger, who passed in 2024, was a nurse regarded as a strong proponent for educational opportunities in Lansing.