Rewind: News from the last 7 days

The Michigan State Police have finished their investigation into the April 15 fatal police shooting of Isaiah Kirby by East Lansing officers. The investigation has been submitted to the Michigan Department of Attorney General’s Office for an independent review. The Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office has a policy of referring officer-involved deaths to the state and, in this case, also identified a conflict due to personal and professional relationships with Douglas Mielock, who was allegedly stabbed by Kirby shortly before the police shooting. When police shot him, Kirby was holding a knife and running in the direction of several officers, who fired three distinct series of gunshots at him. Kirby was days away from graduating from MSU. The Attorney General’s Office will make determinations about the next steps in the investigation, according to a statement from the Ingham County Prosecutor’s Office.

The owners of The Coral Gables restaurant announced Tuesday that they will be closing the storied East Lansing eatery and venue at the end of June. A Facebook post by owners Stuart Vanis, Anastasia and Grigoris Kimbouris, and George Tesseris, broke the news, calling it a difficult decision, citing two generations of ownership over the past century, including their own 58 years. The Gables has been “the setting for countless meaningful moments,” they said. “This place holds a special significance not only for our patrons but for our family and staff as well. Closing our doors is bittersweet, as we reflect with nostalgia on the memories while recognizing that the time has come.” The restaurant’s website notes that Coral Gables was originally built in the 1920s as a roadhouse and in the ‘30s and ‘40s Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra, and Duke Ellington played there, among many others. The building burned down in 1957, then was rebuilt, becoming a hangout for MSU students. In recent years, it has become a perennial winner in the Best Restaurant for Seniors category in the City Pulse Top of the Town Contest.

The Lansing Housing Commission has wrapped up construction on two downtown apartment buildings, Riverview 220 and Grand Vista Place. The apartment buildings will house more than 100 units and have cost around $41 million. Doug Fleming, executive director of LHC, said the new housing is part of a $200 million effort from the commission to boost local housing options. “We are so pleased to see these projects finally come to fruition. It’s humbling to have played a part in literally changing the city skyline and extremely gratifying to think of the positive impact these apartments will have on the lives of new residents.” Riverview 220 has seven market-rate apartments and 56 reserved for low-income residents, along with commercial space. Grand Vista Place, just south of Lenawee Street, has another 55 units that are considered affordable rate.

City of Lansing employees are now expected to be in the office more frequently. Lansing sent a memo on Monday telling employees that they should now work in the office, unless a manager gives an exception for an occasional day or a half day. The new policy could be seen as a way to nudge state government into doing something similar, which would have an outsized effect compared to the city’s effort. The city employs around 920 people, and the change would only affect around 43 of those employees, the ones that have pre-existing authorization to work remotely, according to Scott Bean, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office.

Ingham County Parks named their new mascots in a social media competition that ended this week. The mascots are a pair of stuffed animals, a skunk and an eagle, that will spend the summer touring the county park system. Plucked from a series of four names each, the winning names were Wildflower for the skunk and Sky for the eagle. Follow Ingham County Parks on their Facebook page @inghamcountyparks or Instagram account this summer to keep up with the pair.

Lansing’s Ovation had its first major opening ceremony, but it will be another year or so before the main stage is ready for the big lights. In the meantime, the Lansing Public Media Center and the offices for Ovation are open for business, which means anyone can sign up to use the rooms and equipment to produce their own videos, podcasts, music and more. The 12,000-square-foot building at 500 S. Washington is the initial phase of the Ovation plan and it gives a permanent home to the Public Media crew, who have shifted locations in recent years. They help people to produce their own material as well as content for the city and city’s public airways. The first phase was completed for about $3 million and renovated an existing building for the high-tech backbone that will support what is anticipated to be one of the area’s biggest attractions. The big show will be right next door, in what is now an empty lot. Large underground supports for the venue are expected to go in within days, setting the foundation for the 49,000-square-foot Ovation. That will be the centerpiece, expected to be a home-for-the-night for big-name touring bands in the main space (2,100 standing, 1,450 sitting) as well as hosting acts and performances in a smaller room for 250. The first full-fledged Ovation shows could be as early as August 2027 but the first-ever Ovation performance was done on May 29 by LVRS, a Lansing indie band, to accompany the initial ribbon cutting.

East Lansing City Manager Robert Belleman was placed on administrative leave at noon on May 27. A unanimous City Council voted to place Belleman on paid leave until the city can identify questions and hire the Thrun Law Firm for an outside investigation. The city has designated interim Fire Chief John Newman as acting city manager, according to Carrie Sampson, a spokesperson for the city. Belleman was named during a city council meeting in May by a current employee, who alleged harassment and abusive behavior in the workplace. Prior to placing Belleman on leave, the city council had voted to release an internal legal memo from the fall, when the employee made the allegations internally. That initial law firm investigation found no evidence to support the employee’s most serious allegations but did recommend training for Belleman and identified some workplace culture concerns. Employees who spoke to investigators said they did not witness any sort of sexual harassment, but many pointed to a strict boss. “Multiple interviewees reported that Belleman “has favorites,” “dresses people down,” and is stern or scolding—particularly toward women,” according to the report. “Although not substantiated as gender-based, this pattern could present future risk if it continues.” Belleman was hired in August 2023 following significant turnover in the city.

A 34-year-old man was killed in a multi-vehicle crash in Clinton County Monday evening, deputies say. The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash on N. Hollister Road in Duplain Township shortly after 8:30 p.m. When deputies arrived at the scene, they said the 34-year-old man from Elsie crossed over into the path of a car traveling northbound. Two other drivers were injured along with several passengers, according to deputies.