🌱 Fenner Maple Syrup Festival + Shamrock 5K Expects 500

Hello, friends! It's me, Michelle Paul, your host of the Lansing-East Lansing Patch newsletter — back in your inbox with all the most important things happening locally.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: Rain mixing with snow; windy. High: 43 Low: 28.
• Sunday: Sunshine and some clouds. High: 47 Low: 30.

Interested in reaching our local readers with targeted messaging that drives traffic to your business? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. If that's you, then I invite you to learn more and secure your spot now.

Here are the top three stories today in Lansing-East Lansing:

1. The Fenner Maple Syrup Festival is returning once again to Lansing's Fenner Nature Center today, Mar. 25, at 11 a.m. The event celebrates Michigan's maple syrup and features maple syrup products, demonstrations, and a pancake breakfast. The program director at the center, Sam Ansaldi, said, “It’s been a festival that’s been going on for years — people bring their grandkids through here and kids through here, and it’s something that’s been going on for a long time — so there’s a great legacy with this festival." (WLNS)
2. The Michigan State University (MSU) student-run Tower Guard will be hosting its annual Shamrock 5K fundraiser this morning, Mar. 25. This year, the organizers expect around 500 people to show up and hope to raise $20,000 to go towards the Tower Guard's mission to provide funding for the university's Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities Program. The race will kick off at 10 a.m. today at the MSU Auditorium on Farm Lane and Auditorium Road, and the route will then continue down Red Cedar River, loop around Demartin Soccer Stadium, and come down Red Cedar Path before ending back at the auditorium. (WILX)
3. The Michigan Public Service Commission voted on Friday to increase residents' power company credit for power outages from $25 to $35. The new rule outlines how long residents must be without power and how many customers must be affected by a power outage to determine the outage credit received. For example, residents who lose their power for 16 hours when less than one percent of the utility's customers have lost power, then those residents will be eligible for a $35 outage credit. (WILX)

From our sponsor:

Today’s Lansing-East Lansing Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99% of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today’s Lansing-East Lansing Patch newsletter possible.

Today and tomorrow in Lansing-East Lansing:

Saturday, March 25

• The Job Search Accelerator Masterclass (Virtual) Hosted By Insider-Job-Hunting-Secrets - Ash Goel (11:00 AM)
• Moores Park Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt At Moores Park (2:30 PM)
• Spaghetti Dinner For The Benefit Of Juan Morales At Immanuel Community Reformed Church (5:00 PM)

Sunday, March 26

• Lansing Music Instrument Swap At Causeway Bay Convention Center (10:00 AM)
• Pick Your Project Parent & Child Workshop At Board And Brush (1:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• The LOVE Lansing Celebration is scheduled for Wednesday, May 17 at the South Washington Office Complex this year. Submit your nominations for awards by Mar. 31 at 5 p.m. Learn more and get your tickets by clicking here. (City of Lansing, Michigan - Government via Facebook)
• Looking for a great way to give back to the community? The American Red Cross is hosting a blood drive at the East Lansing Public Library on Mar. 30. If you're able to donate, sign up for a time here and use sponsor code ELPL. (ELPL - East Lansing Public Library via Facebook)
• Calling all fathers! Join the Lansing Housing Commission for Barbershop Talks at the Klassy Kutts Barbershop on the last Wednesday of every month from 3-5 p.m. (Lansing Housing Commission via Facebook)

You're officially in the loop for today! I'll see you around.

— Michelle Paul

About me: Michelle Paul is a Utah-based writer and photographer with a professional background in content management and registered nursing. When not working on projects ranging from photo editing to copywriting, they enjoy traveling, video games, and expanding their skills.