🌱 University Safety Fund Proposed + Police Release Shooting Details

Welcome back, Lansing-East Lansing. I'm here in your inbox today to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on around town.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: Areas of low clouds; chilly. High: 35 Low: 25.
• Sunday: Cloudy, a snow shower; chilly. High: 36 Low: 28.

🏠 If you're a real estate agent in Lansing-East Lansing, of course you're looking for a way to stand out from the crowd and attract new clients. We can help you do that with an exclusive sponsorship in the Lansing-East Lansing Patch newsletter. Click here to learn more.

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

1. State Representative Samanth Steckloff (D-Farmington Hills), who serves as the chair of the higher education budget subcommittee in the Michigan House, presided over a hearing attended by the public safety chiefs of three Michigan universities on Thursday. During the meeting, officials discussed a proposal to establish a $100 million state public safety fund that state universities could use to improve and maintain security on campuses. Of the proposal, Police Chief Ray Hall at the University of Michigan-Flint said, "Making a decision over do we put new cameras up in a hallway or do we hire a new faculty member? That’s a tough [...] balancing act for any institution, so ongoing sustainability is something we certainly would be an advocate of." It is unclear where the funding would come from at this time. (WKAR)
2. Michigan State University police have released details from the Feb. 13 campus shooting as officials continue their investigation into the tragedy. Details released included a two-page letter found on the shooter's body, a timeline of the shooting on campus, and details about 911 calls and police communications from the incident. From Feb. 13 through Feb. 14, Ingham County 911 reported it received 2,100 phone calls, which includes 1,450 911 calls; during the press release, police provided a map charting each 911 call on campus according to when it was placed. (WSBT-TV)
3. The East Lansing City Council is expected to make a decision on the proposed $2.5 million renovations at Valley Court Park during the council's meeting on Tuesday, Mar. 14. The council will need to make a final decision on Tuesday despite the city's Planning Department recently losing several staff, including the head of the department who is planning to leave next week. The Planning Department received the grant that will fund the renovations and is therefore in charge of the project, and it must submit a "fully executed grant agreement" in order to use the money by Wednesday, Mar. 15. (East Lansing Info)

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 11

• Lansing Record And CD Show At Quality Inn University (10:00 AM)
• ELPL 100th Birthday Celebration At East Lansing Public Library (11:00 AM)
• 4th Annual Lansing Bourbon Fest At R.E. Olds Transportation Museum (4:00 PM)

Sunday, March 12

• Meet The Makers: Celebrating Women-Owned Businesses At Capital City Market (12:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Capital Region International Airport announced that Delta will be upgrading the aircraft that serves the airport. The larger and more efficient CRJ-900 aircraft will give passengers at Lansing airport better, more comfortable flights. (94.1 Duke FM)
• The East Lansing Public Library will continue to offer free and confidential counseling for the community throughout the rest of March. Counselors will be available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. (ELPL - East Lansing Public Library via Facebook)
• Bring home your new furry best friend during The Paw-cat-emy Awards adoption event! All adoption fees are 50 percent off today, Mar. 11, at the Capital Area Humane Society. (Capital Area Humane Society via Facebook)
• Join The East Lansing Public Library for the "Backyard Birds and Beyond" program on Mar. 20 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Program host Greg Bodker will share his bird photography and stories, including tips on how to bring birds to your yard. (ELPL - East Lansing Public Library via Facebook)

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday! I'll be back in your inbox soon with another update.

— 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.