In November, county voters approved a tax increase to pay for the zoo; previously, the zoo was funded by the city of Lansing. The millage will be for five years.
The millage is expected to generate about $3.1 million a year, which will make up the zoo's budget. It won't exceed 0.46 mills the first three years, which would add $46 in annual taxes for an Ingham County home assessed at $100,000 starting this December. The tax wouldn't exceed 0.41 mills the following two years.
East Lansing teachers Monday ratified a tentative contract agreement after voting on the two-year pact last week, Superintendent David Chapin said.
School board members now are expected to approve the agreement during their meeting April 23, finally ending more than six months of slow negotiations.
Chapin said the district's 235 teachers then will receive a 2 percent salary increase, retroactive to the beginning of this school year, and a 1.75 percent increase for 2007-08. That increase will drop to 1.5 percent if teachers' health insurance costs grow by more than 10 percent. Teachers still won't contribute to health insurance premiums, unlike their peers in many surrounding school districts.
Union members previously rejected a tentative agreement in November, and a state mediator was needed to reach the current agreement. East Lansing public schools teachers' union President Edwina Marshall said the contract was approved by a strong majority, but she did not give an exact tally.
Meanwhile, the school district offered a one-time severance plan available to eligible teachers near the top of the pay scale. Chapin said 16 teachers had elected to participate by the deadline Monday and will earn $30,000 over three years.
Thomas Joseph Mack is accused of killing 14-year-old Daniel Brock Austin. The shooting happened April 3 in an apartment where their foster parents' son lived.
Mack's attorney, Keith Watson, in requesting the tests Monday at a hearing in 54A District Court, said Mack previously underwent psychiatric and psychological counseling. Watson told Judge Charles Filice there were "legitimate reasons to question Mack's competency and criminal responsibility." After the hearing, Watson said many people have contacted him about Mack. "There has been an outstanding show of support and affection for this boy," he said.
Competency as well as criminal responsibility tests will be conducted at the Forensic Center for Psychiatry in Ypsilanti. No further court dates were set.
EAST LANSING - Mayor Sam Singh will sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement in a brief ceremony at 1 p.m. today at Urban Options, 405 Grove St. Under the agreement, East Lansing will strive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through a variety of actions, urge state and federal governments to enact policies and programs that will meet or beat the goal for the United States suggested in the Kyoto Protocol of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 7 percent of 1990 levels by 2012 and urge Congress to pass bipartisan greenhouse gas reduction legislation that would establish a national emission trading system.
EAST LANSING - About half of the public art sculptures in East Lansing will be covered with black sheets on Wednesday to demonstrate what a community would look like without a strong arts and cultural influence. The "Day Without Public Art" is an effort organized by the city and the East Lansing Arts Commission in response to the current state moratorium on state grants to arts and cultural organizations.
Sharon Radtke, East Lansing arts coordinator, said the moratorium will affect about 30 to 40 full-time jobs and an estimated 1,000 artists in the area and will take about $13,000 away from East Lansing's annual festivals. There will also be a Rally for the Arts at the State Capitol from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday and community members concerned about the future of arts and cultural events are encouraged to participate.
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