Today’s weather forecast is predicting cloudy skies with a few showers later in the day with a high of 45 degrees and a low of 35 degrees.

East Lansing City Council to select new council member Tuesday Jan. 17

Applicant interviews to fill a vacancy on the East Lansing City Council, following the resignation of former Councilmember Lisa Babcock, were conducted at a special council meeting, this past Saturday morning.

Mayor Ron Bacon, Mayor Pro Tem Jessy Gregg and Councilmembers Dana Watson and George Brookover took part in interviewing all five candidates: Nichole Biber, Abigail Tykocki, Noel Garcia, Mikey Manuel and Daniel Bollman.

Biber is a Michigan State University alum and librarian at Pinecrest Elementary School and said she has a passion for environmental sustainability.

If elected to the council, she said she would like to see East Lansing reap the benefits of comprehensive climate action. Biber also cited affordable housing, crime and safety and water infrastructure as other pressing issues facing the city that should be addressed.

Tykocki is an MSU alum holding degrees in theater and arts, entertainment and media management, and is currently employed at the university where she works in the Arts, Cultural Management and Museum Studies program.

Tykocki said she is most concerned about city finances, inflation and bigotry within the community.

Garcia, holding a bachelor’s and master’s degree in criminal justice from MSU, said if elected to City Council, he would hope to continue his work with the Independent Police Oversight Commission. Garcia said his main concerns are diversity and inclusion within the community, police and community relations and economic development.

Manuel is serving his second term with the East Lansing Parks and Recreation Committee and also volunteers with the East Lansing Environmental Stewardship program.

Manuel said the most pressing issues the city is facing are housing and environmental challenges, specifically the flooding seen in the community.

Bollman, an architect and University of Michigan alum, has participated in several planning and zoning related advisory boards and was a member of the Nonconforming Use Committee.

Bollman said affordable and inclusive housing is one of the biggest issues facing East Lansing.

The East Lansing City Council will reconvene today at the Hannah Community Center to decide which of the five candidates will serve on the council.

FINAL: Michigan State men’s basketball falls short of comeback, suffers one point loss to No. 3 Purdue

After dropping the game to Illinois 75-66 on the road this past Friday night, Michigan State men’s basketball returned to the Breslin Center yesterday afternoon for their most grueling conference game yet.

The green and white remained neck and neck with the Boilermakers throughout the game, ultimately dropping the game to Purdue 64-63 in the final seconds.

Head Men’s Basketball Coach Tom Izzo said that senior forward Malik Hall would be out against Purdue during his pregame radio show, and will likely sit out for a while after tweaking his previously injured ankle against Illinois.

Because of Hall’s versatility, it was clear that his absence would be damaging to the lineup and MSU’s schedule as Big Ten play begins to heat up.

Turnovers remained an obstacle for the green and white. MSU picked up eight by the end of the first compared to the Boilermakers’ five. It was expected that turnovers would be a concern against No. 3 Purdue, but eight was uncharacteristic.

MSU’s offense came alive in the final few minutes before halftime, with buckets from junior guard A.J. Hoggard, senior guard Tyson Walker, and freshman center Carson Cooper. Walker drilled a three with 8.5 seconds left on the clock, lighting a fire under him and shortening the Boilermakers’ lead to two.

After a feeble offensive performance a majority of the first half, MSU brought the momentum from halftime with them. They stole back the lead when Hoggard sank three just under two minutes into the second half.

In the final four minutes, Walker heated up, setting a season-high after hitting back-to-back three’s.

The Boilermakers followed suit, putting up five points to cut the Spartan lead to two. The next few minutes remained a back and forth affair, with Walker leading the charge.

After continuous timeouts from both the Spartans and Boilermakers, Walker was unable to hit the final shot, and Michigan State fell to Purdue 64-63.

Michigan State will return to their home floor on Thursday night to host Rutgers. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m.

Lansing Shuffle to bring food, music and games to Lansing’s riverfront

Shuffleboard is moving from your grandparent’s backyard to the heart of downtown Lansing.

Lansing Shuffleboard and Social Club will open its doors on Jan. 25th. The building that formerly houses Lansing City Market has been transformed into a venue that will comprise of seven restaurants, five shuffleboard courts, two bars, a lounge and a riverfront patio.

Development Consultant Kristie Ducorouble said Lansing Shuffle aims to bring the community together through food, music, drinks and entertainment – the same concept as its sister company, The Detroit Shipping Company, located in Detroit.

Lansing Shuffle hopes to host shuffleboard leagues that will have options to meet both weekly and monthly, in addition to hosting an open-play for those who want to take a more casual approach to the game.

The private lounge space inside can be rented out to host a variety of events, from business meetings to bridal parties.

Though the venue is expected to house seven different restaurants, four have been confirmed for opening day. Brown Dogs, which features American Cuisine, Osteria Vegana which will serve vegan Italian food, Yeti Kitchen, which has Himalayan street food and Irie Smoke Stack, a Caribbean BBQ restaurant will be open for business.

Lansing Shuffle is currently looking for restaurants to fill their last vacancies, but Ducorouble has a vision of Mexican cuisine and a healthy food option, which would be ideally sourced locally.

The grand opening of Lansing Shuffle will be hosted on Jan. 25., featuring food, drinks and a five-piece band for live entertainment.

Based on original reporting by Hannah Holycross, Melanie Soverinsky and Jaden Beard.