Scott Pohl

Michigan law governing the sale of fireworks has changed since Independence Day last year. It used to be illegal to sell anything that exploded or left the ground. Such products can now be sold here, despite opposition from those with safety concerns. WKAR's Scott Pohl reports on what the change means to one Lansing business known for its fireworks.

At the end of our mild winter, there were predictions that 2012 would produce a nasty crop of mosquitoes in Michigan. For the most part, it hasn’t played out that way.

WKAR’s Scott Pohl spoke with MSU entomologist Howard Russell, who says it hasn’t been a bad year for mosquitoes yet, but that depends on your location.

Richard and Kathy Verlander have written a book about raising star athletes. Their credentials? Son Justin of the Detroit Tigers won the American League Cy Young Award and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. His brother, Ben, is a Tigers prospect. WKAR's Scott Pohl talks with Richard Verlander.

The long-shuttered Meridian Mall Theatres in Okemos are being renovated, and will become a Celebration! Cinema operation.
   
When Studio C! opens by the end of the year, the movie-going experience will include reserved seating and chef-prepared food options.

Marketing Vice President Steve Van Wagoner says the building will undergo extensive renovations.

Penn Jillette is half of the famous magic act Penn and Teller. Other magicians have criticized their act because they often show the audience the reality of how a trick is performed. That’s an act of sacrilege in the magic community, but audiences love it.

Jillette has become prominent with another act of sacrilege. He’s an outspoken atheist.

The St. Anne Luxury Lofts development in East Lansing has hit a snag.
    

WKAR's Scott Pohl reports that work has begun on a fifth story, when the city council had only approved four.
 

East Lansing Planning and Community Development Director Tim Dempsey describes the situation as a miscommunication between the city and developer Kris Elliott. When the city learned that work had begun on a fifth floor, it was made clear that the change required council's OK.
    

Some local entrepreneurs in need of start-up funding are turning to Kickstarter.  It's a website for raising those crucial first dollars that can get a project started.

NyShell Imari is a young poet from Lansing who needed to raise money so she could publish some of her work. To do that, she turned to Kickstarter.

“I was hoping to raise $700,” Imari says. “That was to go towards the publication and distribution of the book. Online, within the 30 days, I was able to raise $825.”

At Michigan State University, few names are as recognizable as that of Eli Broad.

Broad’s financial support of his alma mater is unmatched. In total, Broad and his wife Edythe have given MSU more than $60 million. Those gifts have primarily supported the College of Business, the school’s new art museum, and MSU’s partnership with Detroit public schools.

Forbes magazine estimates his net worth at $6.3 billion.

In a new book, Broad now tells the story of how he made his fortune.

Michigan State University and Sparrow Hospital in Lansing have added a new Center for Innovation to their three-year-old affiliation.

The new center will be devoted to researching how to improve the patient experience. A search for a director to lead the effort is underway.

Dr. Brian Schroeder is Sparrow's Chief of Medical Affairs. He says the hospital and MSU want to learn more about how patients perceive the quality of their care.

The Lansing City Council has a budget wrap-up meeting today, leading up to next Monday’s vote to finalize a budget for the coming fiscal year.

Hovering over the meeting is the recent news that Lansing’s two pension funds need an additional $3 million to meet their commitments to retirees.

WKAR’s Scott Pohl reports that while mayor Virg Benero is pushing to deal with the pension system now, one union leader doesn’t see the need for hasty action.

Michigan’s new law allowing motorcyclists to ride without a helmet is affecting insurance companies and agencies.  A major provision of the law requires a biker to add at least $20,000 of medical coverage to their policy.

That has led to new activity for insurance companies. WKAR’s Scott Pohl reports that the extra work doesn’t seem to be adding much to the bottom line.

Whenever Michigan resident Robert McGeorge used to ride his motorcycle across the Indiana state line, he would stop at the first rest area to take his helmet off, where it was legal to do so.

John Schneider recently ended a 24-year run as columnist for the Lansing State Journal.

To replace him, the paper called on Mark Mayes, who had been a reporter there back in the 90’s.

Mayes had left the paper to work for the Lansing School District for ten years. Now, at a time when writers are losing their jobs, he’s getting his back.

WKAR’s Scott Pohl spoke with Mark Mayes about how his column might be the same as Schneider’s, and how it might be different.

One of this year’s Michigan Notable Books is In Stitches, the memoir of Doctor Anthony Youn. He’s a graduate of Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine with a plastic surgery practice in Troy.

Youn grew up in Greenville, Michigan, the son of Korean parents in an otherwise all-white town.

In Stitches takes readers from his childhood through medical school and into his medical practice. Along with his book, he’s gotten attention for making numerous appearances on national TV shows.