Rewind: News from the last 7 days

Lansing residents may vote early or drop off a completed absentee ballot for the Aug. 5 primary election at the REO Elections Office 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. today (July 30) and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (Aug. 2-3). The City Clerk’s Office reported that 15,000 voters have not yet returned absentee ballots and said they can use any of 13 drop boxes listed at lansingvotes.gov until 8 p.m. Election Day. For more information, voters can visit www.LansingVotes.gov or call (517) 483-4131.

The tri-county region’s three transit agencies — CATA, EATRAN and Clinton Transit — are offering systemwide free rides to polling sites primary day, Aug. 5. No ID is required for a free ride. Free transportation is also available to Ingham County residents who wish to vote early and to those in the tri-county area who need access to ballot boxes or to register to vote in person through Aug. 5. Voters can visit www.cata.org/vote, www.eatran.com or www.mybluebus.com for additional information regarding free rides.

East Lansing residents who were Lansing Board of Water & Light customers from April 2, 2019, through April 30, 2025, have until Sept. 2 to file their claim for their share of the $7.8 million that the city agreed to pay to settle a class-action lawsuit over a utility fee that was deemed an illegal tax. Distribution of the funds is pending a final settlement that Ingham County Circuit Judge Wanda Stokes could approve during an Oct. 10 hearing. Eligible residents can go to www.eastlansingelectricsettlement.com to submit claims with their contact information and street address, and get more information. Kickham Hanley, the Royal Oak-based law firm hired to administer the claims process, will also mail claim information to people who may have paid the fee, as well as release it on social media, according to the settlement agreement.

MSU Extension will lose $10.5 million and an unknown number of jobs due to tighter rules for who can access federal SNAP — Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — benefits. Changes result from new legislation that President Trump wanted. MSU’s Extension director, Quentin Tyler, did not say how many staff members will lose their jobs due to the cuts, calling it a “complex situation.” MSU Extension partners with the state Health and Human Services Department to provide SNAP-Ed to educate low-income families about healthy lifestyles.

The Women’s Center of Greater Lansing and Punks with Lunch Lansing jointly denounced Trump’s executive order titled “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets.” They called it an egregious misuse of federal power, rooted in political fearmongering, not evidence, public safety, or care for our communities. “This executive order is not a solution. It is a thinly veiled attempt to consolidate authority, militarize policing, and punish cities that prioritize dignity, equity, and proven, community-led interventions. We reject its framing of marginalized communities as threats and its cynical exploitation of safety as a political tool.” Their press release showed U.S. Justice Department of Justice regarding decreases in violent crime nationally and expanded on the theme that real safety comes from community, not crackdowns.

Leslie “Les” Lewis Brown, 44, a former Perry, Michigan, resident and a graduate of Perry High School, has been reported missing after a fishing trip in northern Michigan, Oscoda Township authorities said. He was last seen on or around July 12 while fishing with a companion near his home along Van Ettan Creek in Oscoda Township, the release stated. Brown’s longtime girlfriend reported him missing July 19 after she returned from downstate and found he had not returned from his trip. Anyone with information can contact the Oscoda Township Police Department at (989) 739-9112 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP (1-800-773-2587). The full story is at www.lansingcitypulse.com

Sarah Morlok Cotton of Belleville, the last surviving sister of the Morlok quadruplets of Lansing, died July 7 at 95. The sisters — Edna A., Wilma B., Sarah C. and Helen D. — were Lansing’s first quadruplets, born in 1930, at Sparrow Hospital to Sadie and Carl Morlok. They were the subject of a book called “Girls and Their Monsters: The Genain Quadruplets and the Making of Madness in America,” by Audrey Clair Farley.

Isaac Rene Gonzales of Lansing, 24, faces charges of assault with intent to murder and four weapons counts in connection with a shooting Saturday in the 3100 block of Turner Road. Lansing police said a 34-year-old man suffered a nonfatal gunshot wound and was in stable condition the following day. Police arrested Gonzales, a fourth-time habitual offender, at the scene.