Rewind: News from the last 7 days

Most MSU classes will be cancelled on Friday, marking the third year since the Feb. 13, 2023 mass campus shooting that killed three students and injured five others. University dining rooms and other functions will be open and there will be several opportunities for organized remembrances throughout the day. There are student support spaces, service/advocacy opportunities, a resource and support tent, luminaries and art materials. People are welcome to come near Beaumont Tower around 8 p.m., where there will be music, a moment of silence and ringing of the tower bells from 8:10-8:30 p.m. The tower, the MSU Union and Berkey Hall, will be lit in green from dusk on Feb. 13 until dawn on Feb. 14. A livestream of this will be available for viewing by Spartans and supporters around the world. For more about the day’s events, including times and locations, visit spartanstogether.msu.edu.

MSU trustees voted Friday and approved the demolition of IM West by a 6-1 margin. The iconic recreational center was built in 1958 and is the university’s largest. The university considers it to have “exceeded its useful life,” and the board’s resolution calls for the place to become green space. The demolition, which will cost $6.9 million and be funded by capital reserves, is still more than a year off, scheduled for spring 2027 and the indoor pool is expected to be open until January. The demolition has been discussed for years and twice in 2025 the board punted, first delaying and then approving a study, ahead of last week’s vote. Many of IM West’s features, including a natatorium, are expected to be part of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center that could open this year.

Former MSU running back Kenneth Walker III was named the Super Bowl MVP Sunday after a stellar performance that led the Seattle Seahawks to a 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots. Walker, in his fourth year with Seattle, ran for 135 yards on 27 carries and caught two passes for 26 more. He is the first MSU letterman to win the Super Bowl MVP, as well as the first running back of any team to capture the honor since 1998. Walker was a breakout star during his only year as a Spartan in 2021, winning the Walter Camp Player of the Year and Doak Walker Awards. He led MSU to 11 wins, including the Peach Bowl over Pittsburgh, and scored 5 touchdowns in a victory over Michigan.

Mike LaFleur became the second NFL head football coach to be born in Mount Pleasant, as he was given the top job with the Arizona Cardinals. And he is the second NFL football coach to be raised in his house, because his older brother, Matt LeFleur, is the head coach of the Green Bay Packers. They are the third NFL head coach-brother duo. This elevates Mount Pleasant into a somewhat rare category of having had two head coaches. According to a USA Today database, from 2025, of head football coaches since 1970, there were 15 cities with two or more head coaches. Mike LaFleur makes it 16. Chicago is the champ, raising seven head coaches. Mike LaFleur is the 12th head coach from Michigan, including Super Bowl-winning Tony Dungy from Jackson and Bob Hollway from Ann Arbor (a previous Cardinals head coach).

The State of Michigan has moved to ban smartphone use in the classroom, beginning with the 2026-27 school year and with some exceptions. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bill 4141 Tuesday, requiring school districts to develop policies to prohibit K-12 students from using phones, tablets and computers during instructional time, hoping to limit distractions and address cyberbullying. Also exempted are medically necessary devices and those used for special education programming or for specific lessons. Since the policy also allows for use during emergencies, Senate Bill 495 requires districts to create a protocol for when and how students can use devices during such events.

The Capital Region International Airport (LAN) was awarded a $7.8 million federal grant for new passenger boarding bridges, the movable tunnels that let you walk onto a plane. “Replacing our passenger boarding bridges is a necessary upgrade that directly supports the safety, efficiency, and reliability of our facilities for our tenants, airline partners and passengers,” said Nicole Noll-Williams, president and CEO of the Capital Region Airport Authority (CRAA), in a statement. She credited a bipartisan group of legislators for helping to secure the funding in the recent federal budget: Sen. Gary Peters and Sen. Elissa Slotkin and U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett. “This was a no-brainer, and I’m proud we were able to work together to get it done,” Barrett said, in the statement. Added Peters, “Michiganders need safe, reliable transportation infrastructure to get where they need to go, and our airports are a vital part of this.”

Lansing’s Code Blue status has been triggered until at least 7 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14. The city’s Code Blue declarations allow local shelters to have more flexibility during extreme cold or snow. Many public buildings – including the Foster, Gier, Letts and Schmidt community centers; libraries; and the Capital Area Transportation Authority Transportation Center in downtown – will be open during the day as well. CATA will offer free rides to warming centers and is running a 24/7 warming bus along Route 1 and some other locations. For more information, visit LansingMI.gov/coldweatherplan or call 211 (a city information line distinct from 911). Day shelters are available at Advent House (743 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.) and City Rescue Mission (2216 S. Cedar St. for women and children; drop-in center at 415 W. Kalamazoo St.). Overnight shelters are available at Holy Cross New Hope Community Center (430 N. Larch St.), City Rescue Mission’s drop-in center (415 W. Kalamazoo St.), Letts Community Center (1220 W. Kalamazoo St.) and Unity Missionary Baptist Church (500 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., families only).

Oneida Township Supervisor Rick Jones was arrested for drunken driving last weekend. He told news outlets, including the Lansing State Journal and WLNS, that he was only human and had cooperated with state police and was punished like others would have been. News outlets, including City Pulse, were not able to confirm the charges pending an arraignment. Jones, a Republican, is the former elected sheriff of Eaton County and served three terms as a state representative and one term as a state senator. He was elected supervisor in 2024.

Lansing police are investigating the shooting death of Vincent Beeman, 53. He was found in the 3900 block of Burneway Drive, after a medical call. Investigators believe he was injured and have not released an exact cause of death. The police department said Monday they did not have anyone in custody and are working to identify possible suspects. Anyone with information about the homicide is asked to contact the police department at 517-483-4600, or Crime Stoppers at 517-483-7867.

Two young children died and three people, including a firefighter, were injured in a Sunday fire in Jackson, according to Fox47News, and other media reports. The fire was on South Gortham Street and is under investigation by the Michigan State Police.