Rewind the news, week of July 15, 2026

Ingham County is reporting 220 cases of cyclosporiasis, according to figures released by Anna Barna, deputy Ingham County Health Officer. Figures reported Tuesday from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, show 3,309 cases statewide, most concentrated in the southeast part of the state. Barna said Ingham County’s figures appear to be connected to its population, and recent cases are far higher than typical numbers for an entire year. State officials reported Monday that “while the investigation is ongoing, current results point to lettuce or salad greens as a potential source for this outbreak, although other food items cannot be completely ruled out. No specific type of produce, grower or supplier has been identified as the source.”

Some Lansing-area restaurants – including PetalPop Cafe and One North Lansing – have announced menu changes and other ways to help curb potential spread. National chains, including Taco Bell, are part of the investigation, and some locations have made menu changes, according to the Washington Post. Officials continue to caution customers and restaurants, encouraging more thorough cleaning of fruits and vegetables along with cooking as an alternative to raw produce..

Lansing and East Lansing are publicizing the availability of their cooling centers as a heat wave is expected to bring some of the year’s hottest weather this week, with temperatures in the mid-90s and heat indices in dangerous territory for many people. The heat wave is expected to last through Thursday with temperatures that could approach 100 degrees before the heat index. City halls, community centers and libraries will be open during regular daytime hours, along with buses, malls, community pools and other options. There are few late-night cooling center options, but several emergency homeless shelters are available. For specific locations and hours, visit LansingCityPulse.com or check with the respective city, county and township offices and websites.

Lansing City Council members have approved a six-month/182-day moratorium on new data centers in the city. The vote was 7-1 with Council Member Jeremy Garza dissenting. Garza is a union official and electrician; local unions have been among the few public advocates for data centers. Garza cited other developments like golf courses and marijuana grow operations, which also require resources like water or electricity. The city is defining data centers as “a facility, or group of facilities, dedicated primarily for storing, managing, and processing digital data through computer systems such as servers, networks, and other information technology structures.” The measure was introduced after the Deep Green data center proposal was withdrawn just before a major city council vote in April.

An employee was stabbed or cut with a sharp plastic object at a mental health facility in Lansing on Thursday, according to a statement from the Community Mental Health Authority of Clinton, Eaton and Ingham Counties. The incident happened at the Jolly Road Facility, 812 E. Jolly Road, around 2:30 p.m., and there was a brief lockdown. Lansing Police Department officers have a 28-year-old in custody, according to CMHA-ERI. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental or behavioral health crisis, please call Adult Crisis Services at 517-346-8460 or Youth Crisis Services at 517-346-8008 for immediate support.

The federal Department of Justice has sent letters saying federal election monitors will be used for primary elections in Lansing, East Lansing and Detroit. The move has been widely condemned by Michigan Democratic officials, including Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who described the federal move as “sowing seed of doubt” with no basis and by Lansing leaders. In a joint statement, Lansing Mayor Andy Schor and Lansing Clerk Chris Swope said: “Lansing, like every municipality in Michigan, holds open, free and fair elections and there is an established legal process to monitor elections here. If the federal government wants to send staff to watch how we do it, we are happy to have them view the process like anyone else. The City will gladly provide documents and information in response to all lawful requests. However, as Lansing voters and the observers of Lansing elections know, claims in the letter to Lansing about difficult or abnormal voting practices are simply false. There were no delays at polling locations, the qualified voter file is the list we use for all elections, and provisional ballots are always available as provided by law. Voting in Lansing is safe and secure, and there has never been a history or any indication of issues in our election process. But let’s be clear, Lansing voters will not be harassed or intimidated by election monitors from either the federal government or any other group.”

Jon Palumbo was picked last week by MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz as interim athletic director, replacing the departing J Batt until the university can hire a permanent AD. Palumbo has been serving as executive deputy athletic director/chief operating officer since he was hired from Georgia Tech last year by Batt, whom he had worked for there for three years. He is also now CEO for the fundraising side of the new Spartan Ventures. Palumbo said in a statement, “I’m honored to serve the university in this interim role, and I am grateful to President Guskiewicz for placing his trust and belief in me.” Batt starts in his new role at Kentucky on July 28.

Thanks to the efforts of an Old Town postal worker and an Eaton County commissioner, Vietnam War veteran Robert Haywood of Lansing has a new Purple Heart, stripes and bars to replace the ones that were recently stolen from him. Haywood was presented with the honors in a ceremony at the VFW National Home in Eaton Rapids Thursday by U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins and U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte. After the items were stolen in March, Haywood happened to mention the incident to his mail carrier, Adrienne Burns. She, in turn, posted her sentiments about it on social media and her friend, Eaton County Commissioner Nicole Christensen, took steps to figure out how the Purple Heart could be replaced.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham died suddenly over the weekend, according to his office. The South Carolina senator was one of the most influential of his generation, having sway over global issues and hitching his star to President Donald Trump. His office said in a news release posted around 2 a.m. Sunday that Graham had “passed away from a brief and sudden illness.” In a post to his Truth Social platform, Trump called Graham “one of the greatest Senators and people I’ve ever known.” Graham lived in Seneca, South Carolina, near where he spent much of his youth in his family’s Central pool hall that also doubled as a bar and liquor store. He spoke often of his rural upbringing in local stops prior to becoming close to Trump. Graham was often criticized in his home district in the rural Upstate, the most consistently conservative area of South Carolina, from both right and left sides, but he easily won his re-election campaigns. Graham was first elected to the Senate in 2002, when the military veteran and lawyer became known as a military supporter. Since clashing with Trump in 2016, Graham had become one of the president’s most reliable allies. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced that Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, will be appointed to fill the rest of his term, which expires in January.