Michigan State University Art and Art History professor Susan Bandes has run a student project this year examining notable architecture in East Lansing. The focus has been on homes and businesses built between 1940 and 1970.
The summer movie season is upon us. Soon we will be inspired by the feats of cinematic superheroes, and clutching our seats in fear as we watch the world’s demise. Entertainment reporter and film critic for MLive.com and TheGrandRapidsPress, John Serba, helps Current State's Emanuele Berry sort through the many films of summer.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently released a massive study that analyzes health care in counties across the country and ranks them based on health data. The data shows some noteworthy findings about health disparities across 83 counties in Michigan. For instance, two neighboring counties, Wayne and Washtenaw, have very contrasting health outcomes.
MLive's Lansing beat reporter Angela Wittrock joins Current State every Monday for a rundown of the latest news about the local economy, business and development. Today, she talks with Current State host Emanuele Berry about how Lansing will balance its budget, the proposed Kewadin casino project and more.
Paper-cut, or Jianzhi, is a traditional Chinese art activity in which people use different papers to cut various characters. Putting paper-cuts in red paper has always been a tradition for the Chinese Spring festival. This photo features Nezha, a popular character from a very famous Chinese legend story, Fengshen Yanyi.
China’s economic and political growth has been well documented. However, limited attention has been paid to how rapid development has dramatically impacted the nation's cultural life. Organizations in both China and the U.S. are working together to preserve and share China's "intangible" heritage and build cultural ties.
Allen Martin graduated with a bachelors' degree from the MSU School of Journalism in 2012. He was most recently a sports reporter for WLNS-TV in Lansing.
Allen (Al) Martin is joining WKAR as the host of “Sports Talk 870.” Al’s passion for sports journalism stems from his own experience on the court. In high school he played basketball. In college he translated his love for the game into the field of journalism. Al joins Current State's Emanuele Berry to talk about his connection with sports journalism and the future of “Sports Talk 870.”
Today on Current State: Michigan’s health disparities across 83 counties; Lansing’s business news with MLive’s Angela Wittrock; an oil boom in Jackson County; China and U.S.’s mutual efforts to preserve Chinese intangible cultural heritage and new WKAR “Sports Talk” host Allen Martin.
A huge crude oil field was discovered near Brooklyn, MI four years ago. Jackson County leads the state in oil production.
Credit Kevin Lavery / WKAR
Operations VP Tim Baker oversees West Bay Exploration's drilling in Jackson County. The company wants to build two deep wells in the area to bury wastewater brine that's pumped up with the oil and natural gas.
Credit Kevin Lavery / WKAR
Tanker trucks load brine, oil and natural gas at oil processing stations scattered across the county. As many as 40 trucks travel local roads every day, which has local residents concerned.
Credit Kevin Lavery / WKAR
Irish Hills resident John Bancroft looks out over the Raisin River. Last year, an empty brine truck overturned at this site, causing fears of a much more damaging spill in the future.
Michigan has made huge investments to develop alternative energy sources such as wind, solar and biomass. But like the rest of the country, Michigan is still a primarily fossil fuel-driven economy. Crude oil is big business in Michigan, especially in Jackson County. In 2012, more than 1.2 million barrels were produced there, which is three times more than any other county.
