Rewind week of Oct. 28, 2026
The Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) announced plans Tuesday to engage Delhi Township residents in a process for a potential data center. LEAP is partnering with Lighthouse Sustainability, a data center development group focused on “environmental stewardship, energy affordability and community benefit,” to gather resident input on how to develop Holt Economic Opportunity Park, the identified site. There is currently a moratorium on data center review in Delhi Township. It expires in April 2027, giving LEAP plenty of time to hear residents’ concerns and considerations, LEAP President and CEO Bob Trezise said. The proposed data center approval process promises no increases in utility bill costs for residents and no added emissions, along with a clean power supply and on-site batteries, to limit reliance on the power grid. At a news conference on Tuesday, Trezise emphasized that a project is not yet planned and the current proposal is only the process. The 423-acre site is surrounded by RSDC of Michigan, Pratt & Whitney and a couple of housing complexes, and is not yet zoned for industrial use. A rezoning application would be submitted if Delhi Township residents want to move forward with the plan. LEAP has not named a potential end user, but Trezise said companies are interested.
Everett High School Principal Amy Boyles has been named Michigan’s 2027 High School Principal of the Year, recognizing her leadership and commitment to student success. “Amy Boyles is an incredible leader who puts her heart into everything she does,” Superintendent Jessica Benavides said. “Her passion for student success and genuine care for students, staff and families shine through in her leadership every day. She has brought meaningful change to Everett High School, making it a stronger and better place for everyone.” Since becoming principal in 2021, Boyles has strengthened school culture, supported educators and expanded student opportunities. According to her nomination, annual office discipline referrals declined from more than 2,000 to fewer than 400, while Everett’s reported graduation rate reached 95 percent. Her work has expanded access to Advanced Placement and Pre-AP coursework, college visits and cultural experiences. Selection committees evaluated instructional leadership, innovation, school culture and community engagement. An educator with 25 years of experience, Boyles will represent Michigan in the national High School Principal of the Year competition, bringing recognition to Everett and the Lansing community.
Woodbridge Group, a Lansing auto supplier, filed notices last week that it intends to lay off 100 people after losing a contract. The layoffs are described as temporary with a date of Dec. 18, according to WARN notices filed with the state. The company is located on Pierson Highway near the GM Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant.
An Ingham County man has been hospitalized in Athens, Greece, after falling ill while on a cruise, according to a GoFundMe fundraiser. The fundraiser for Michael Veresh is being promoted by GoFundMe in addition to being hosted on the site. According to GoFundMe, Veresh became acutely ill on the island of Mykonos and was airlifted to a hospital in Athens. The fundraiser says the hospital required an upfront payment before performing emergency surgery, and his appendix ruptured during the delay. It states the surgery then became far more complex because of a severe internal infection. In an update posted Oct. 25, Michael says his inflammation levels are dropping quickly and that he has a hospital discharge date of Oct. 27. He also says he is being treated for a blood clot from a previous IV site, which extended his stay. Thanks to donor support, he says he has secured the rest of his stay and his flight back to the U.S. He plans to fly home on Nov. 2 if all goes well. The effort aims to raise $30,000 and had raised around $13,000 as of Monday evening.
A major Internet outage on Wednesday, Oct. 21, led to MSUFCU, and many others, shutting off its website and other digital services. The credit union restored activities by the next day. The outage was largely driven by companies and Internet providers opting to cut their services while a longstanding, but recently revealed, vulnerability was patched. The peak of the outage happened around 10 a.m. Wednesday and around 18% of major websites went offline, according to a monitoring service Oh Dear. “It’s our job to alert when sites go down, but we haven’t seen this many go down at the same time,” Oh Dear said on their blog
Mike Polisky has been named Michigan State Deputy Athletics Director and Spartan Ventures CEO. “This is a critical time for our department, and Mike’s leadership will be vital to our championship aspirations,” MSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Dan Bartholomae said in a statement. Polisky will be in charge of strategic priorities, revenue opportunities and optimizing operations. In his role as Deputy AD, he will serve as the primary sport administrator for the football and men’s golf programs and will provide strategic leadership across various units in the department. “College athletics is entering one of the most transformative periods in its history, and I believe Michigan State is uniquely positioned to lead in this new era,” Polisky said, in a statement. Polisky and new MSU football coach Pat Fitzgerald worked together at Northwestern for Polisky’s 11 years at Northwestern. According to State News, “(i)n May 2021, just a few days after (Polisky) was promoted to athletic director, he stepped down amid allegations involving Northwestern’s cheerleading team. A federal lawsuit filed by a former Northwestern cheerleader alleged that Polisky and other officials ignored her reports of groping and sexual misconduct involving cheerleaders. The lawsuit was dismissed in August 2024 without a settlement payment.” Spartan Ventures is MSU’s name-image-license vehicle and was launched this summer with $100 million seed round by Greg and Dawn Williams.
Eaton County officials reported Wednesday evening that a 42-year-old Clarksville man was found unresponsive in his Eaton County Jail cell on Tuesday in an apparent suicide. Officials attempted resuscitation; the man was declared dead at a hospital. “All information related to the incident will be provided to the Medical Examiner to assist with the investigation and determination of the official cause of death,” according to a statement from the county. “The Sheriff’s Office also recognizes the impact this tragedy may have on the staff members who work each day to care for and supervise those in our custody. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this loss and resources will be made available to them. If you or someone you know is struggling with or has thoughts of suicide, help is available 24/7, regardless of your circumstances. Call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or chat at chat.988lifeline.org.