News Highlights from the Last 7 Days

Five people were assaulted and one person was stabbed at the Willow Vista Apartments in the 500 block of West Willow Street. The six victims, who are believed to be residents at the apartments, were hospitalized in stable condition. One person was arrested but hasn’t been charged. Police believe there’s no threat to the public.

In other related news:

A 48-year-old man was fatally shot at Reutter Park. Lewis Hill was was pronounced dead at the hospital. No arrests have been made, but the Lansing Police Department believes there’s no threat to the public. 

A woman was shot in the head in the 200 block of East Hazel Street. The woman was awake and talking when police arrived at the scene. She was hospitalized in stable condition. No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about either of the shootings should call the Lansing Police Department at 517-483-4600.

 

A woman charged with second-degree murder after her 4-year-old son drowned in Lake Lansing waived her right to a preliminary exam in 55th District Court. Claire Elizabeth Powers, 34, claimed her son was wearing a life jacket when their kayak tipped over on Lake Lansing in March 2022, but investigators couldn’t find one at the scene. Her son was retrieved from the water and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Her case is headed to Circuit Court. If convicted, she could face life in prison.

 

The Ebersole Foundation donated 80 acres of land to the Lansing School District to expand its Ebersole Environmental Education Center. The gift nearly doubles the size of the center. The land, which has a value of almost $1 million, is adjacent to the center’s current site in Wayland, about 75 miles west of Lansing between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. The foundation raised the funds from nearly 400 donors throughout the Lansing area. “The Ebersole Center started as a tent campground in the 1970s and today is a jewel in the Lansing School District,” center Director Benjamin Botwinski said. “The donation of this land increases the total size of our center to 238 acres, and the site features a 14-acre lake, many biodiverse environments including wetlands and mature forests.” The center also includes classrooms, a cafeteria, a conference center and dorm-style housing for 120 students traveling from Lansing for education programs. 

 

Michigan State University announced its full presidential search committee. Board of Trustees member Dennis Denno is committee chair, and Trustee Brianna Scott is vice chair. There are 27 additional committee members, including other trustees, undergraduate and graduate students, university faculty, support staff, alumni, athletic coaches and state leaders. The full list can be found at presidentialsearch.msu.edu. “The full search committee is reflective of the diverse voices and perspectives of those who care about Michigan State University,” Denno said. “Our commitment from the onset has been to ensure an inclusive process that leads us to a top candidate for the university’s 22nd president.” The committee will review the feedback it received through campus open forums and listening sessions to determine the characteristics and qualities the community desires in the school’s next president. It will also provide input on the position description and screen and interview applicants to determine which should be considered by the Board of Trustees.

In other related news: 

MSU held its spring commencement ceremonies Friday (May 5). 6,978 bachelor’s degree candidates were honored with a speech by Lisa Cook, a Federal Reserve Board of Governors member and MSU professor. 1,362 master’s degree candidates were honored with a speech by Jill Hruby, undersecretary for nuclear security in the U.S. Department of Energy and administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration. 466 doctoral degree candidates were honored with a speech by Anthony Fauci, former chief medical adviser to the president and former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “I do not believe that I am being hyperbolic when I say that the normalization and casual acceptance of untruths without our fiercely pushing back … can gradually lead to the erosion of the foundation of our democracy,” Fauci told graduates at the ceremony, referencing the rise of anti-vaccine and anti-science sentiments during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. “You are our best hope to counter this threat to our society. Do not hesitate to push back these destructive forces with all the strength that you can muster.”

 

J.W. Sexton High School debuted its new mascot. J-Dubbs, named for the late educator Jay Wesley Sexton, is a grey dog with a red spiked collar that includes a “JW” tag. Last year, the school received an $87,500 grant from the Native American Heritage Fund to change its original mascot, Big Reds, which was viewed as offensive to Native Americans. The Lansing School District Board of Education originally chose the Scorpions as the school’s new mascot, despite J-Dubbs getting the most votes in a community poll. The board reversed its decision and went with J-Dubbs after receiving backlash from community members.