Wednesday 10/9/13

Page 1

Key position impacting students set to change

Dantonio, team prepping for Indiana

New official works with financial aid, admissions offices

Spartan defense looks to shut down Hoosier offense

statenews.com | 10/9/13 | @thesnews

campus+city, pG. 3

Michigan State University’s independent voice

CITY

OFFICIALS TO RE-EVALUATE POTENTIAL DEER POLICY By Geoff Preston gpreston@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn

Officials in East Lansing are looking to gather more information before opening fire on the city’s deer population, citing concerns over whether the population is in fact growing. The Department of Public Works did a survey in 2011 after a series of deer-related car accidents caused some residents to complain. At Tuesday’s East Lansing City Council meeting, the results painted a different picture. Environmental Ser vices Administrator Cat hy DeShambo and Director of Public Works Todd Sneathen spoke at the meeting and cautioned that more information is needed before any action on population control should be taken. “ T he deer-related car accident data is a little different than what we have had in the past,” DeShambo said during the meeting. “This is an attempt to backfill some space in the process. In order to put together a plan that is unique to East Lansing’s needs, we need more information.” “Our understanding now is what we had done (in 2011) was premature,” Sneathen said. “We don’t know what the population is, so we wouldn’t classify it as an overpopulation problem. “We are taking a couple of steps back from where we were, and tonight is to propose that we better define what the problem is,” he said. Meridian Township has implemented a deer hunt to help control its population, which DeShambo said was successful in the early stages. The council had previously discussed a plan similar in nature to Meridian Township’s, but took no definitive action on it. The city had previously run a 2011 survey soliciting resident feedback on deer in the city.

See DEER on page 2 u

Head coach Mark Dantonio Danyelle Morrow/The State News

sports, pG. 8

Murder trial tangles family ties Testimony continues surrounding stabbing death of MSU student By Katie Abdilla kabdilla@statenews.com THE STATE NEWS nn

On the drowsy morning of Feb. 23, it took mere seconds for an alleged scuffle between friends to become a tragedy. It took one text message to turn a brother into a protector, a move that blurred the line between self defense and intent to harm. In the two years that MSU student Andrew Singler dated Okemos resident Shay McCowan, he became a part of the McCowan family. He was like another son to Randy McCowan, and Singler and Connor McCowan were “like brothers.” Randy McCowan testified Tuesday, saying Singler became a part of the family, and even stayed at their home temporarily. He said he’d spoken with Singler previously regarding situations where he “disrespected” his daughter. But in the early hours of Feb. 23, everything changed. Singler and Shay McCowan argued in the hours before, with Connor McCowan caught in the middle after hearing about the argument from his sister. Connor McCowan drove to Singler and Shay McCowan’s apartment in Meridian Township at about 4 a.m., ready for a confrontation. Afterward, Singler was left with two stab wounds, in his chest and arm. This week, Connor McCowan is on trial for allegedly fatally stabbing Singler, and was charged with open murder. Family values Connor McCowan and his sister were close from the start, with him doing what he could to protect her. “He is my best friend,” Shay McCowan testified in Ingham County Circuit Court Monday, becoming emotional during her testimony. Throughout the relationship, Connor McCowan and Singler also became close. Randy McCowan, Connor McCowan’s father, called Singler a “big brother” and “mentor” to his son in court Tuesday. When the two wrestled, Randy McCowan said Singler always appeared to be the stronger of the two. When Singler and Shay McCowan argued, she often asked Connor McCowan to intervene and “distract” them from their

Danyelle Morrow/The State News

Alleged murderer Connor McCowan gets emotional during his father's testimony at his trial Tuesday at the Ingham County Circuit Court in Lansing. McCowan stands trial for open murder after the Feb. 23 killing of MSU student Andrew Singler.

disagreements, she said in testimony. Shay McCowan said Singler never became violent until one fight last February, an incident she never reported to police. “We got into an argument, and it led to some pushing and shoving,” she said during court testimony. “He pulled a sheet over me and hit me so hard I had a handprint on my stomach for about three or four days.” Connor McCowan became emotional during both his father and sister’s testimonies, shedding tears as they spoke. Intervention gone wrong When Connor McCowan received a text message from his sister the morning of Feb. 23 describing injuries Singler had inflicted on her — injuries police said she never was treated for — his first instinct was to defend her. “I’ll f***ing knock his teeth out,” he said in a text message, according to phone records obtained by police. When Connor McCowan arrived at Singler and Shay McCowan’s apartment, MSU alumnus and roommate Tyler

Tracking the trial’s key players Connections between McCowan family, Andrew Singler run deep The younger brother of Shay McCowan. He allegedly murdered Andrew Singler in the early hours Connor MCCowan of Feb. 23.

Shay McCowan dated MSU student Andrew Singler for two years, living with him last Shay McCowan year.

Siblings

Friends

In a relationship

Fatherson

Roommates

The father Fatherdaughter of Connor and Shay McCowan. Roommates He said in emotional Andrew Singler testimony Singler was a pre-dental that Andrew senior at MSU and dated Singler was Shay McCowan. He died in "like another Randy McCowan the early hours of Feb. 23. son.”

Aho said he appeared calm. Aho tried to hold Singler back from lunging at Connor McCowan and was unsuccessful. Later that morning, Randy McCowan was shaken awake by his son, who

appeared frantic and distraught. Connor McCowan told his father Singler had struck him in the head three consecutive times, that he feared for his life and had “accidentally cut” Singler.

Tyler Aho

The former roommate of Shay McCowan and Andrew Singler, who drove Singler to the hospital.

At the time, Connor McCowan told his father he did not know the extent of Singler’s injuries. After Randy McCowan calmed his son

See TRIAL on page 2 u

To view video coverage from testimony in the McCowan trial Tuesday, visit statenews.com/multimedia.

planning

campus

University officials: Future of Spartan Anthony Hall in process of energy-friendly revamp Village area remains unknown for time “The majority of what is happening for the By Celeste Bott

By Justine McGuire jmcguire@statenews.com

cbott@statenews.com

The complex and campus

THE STATE NEWS nn

THE STATE NEWS nn

The fate of Spartan Village, an apartment complex close to campus that houses a combination of graduate students and families with ties to the MSU community, remains up in the air at this point, officials said.

Campus housing officials note the planned demolition date has “been out there for quite a while” The strategic plan for Residence Education and Housing Services, or REHS, slates the apartment complex for demolition as early as 2017 or as late as 2020 because the buildings are

Isabel Calder | sn

deteriorating. “The date has been out there for quite a while,” said Ray Gasser, REHS senior associate director. “I don’t believe it will be a

shock for a lot of people. It’s been talked about. If it’s closed in 2017, we can prepare all the residents See APARTMENTS on page 2 u

MSU is wrapping up energy conservation renovations in Anthony Hall that eventually will save money and reduce the building’s energy use by 34 percent. The changes are part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge. MSU is an educational partner in the challenge, with a long-term goal of making campus 20 percent more energy efficient by 2020. The project at Anthony Hall is projected to be finished by the end of November, with similar additions coming to other buildings on campus. Anthony Hall was chosen first because it offered a number of opportunities for energy upgrades, Infrastructure

project is behind the scenes. It’s not things the public would necessarily notice.” Kevin Durkin, Project manager

Planning and Facilities Managing Environmental Engineer Lynda Boomer said. “It’s a science building, and science buildings tend to use more energy than a classroom building or office building,” Boomer said. Anthony Hall houses MSU’s Meat Laboratory, the Department of Animal Science, the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and the MSU Dairy Store. Assistant Vice President of Operations Bill Latta said one change in Anthony Hall will include the installation of airquality sensors in the laboratory ventilation systems.

“Normally, the ventilation system in a lab operates by providing 10 to 12 air changes per hour, whether needed or not,” Latta said in a statement. “This will allow that rate to be reduced and have it increase air changes on an as-needed basis.” Latta also said the $7 million project should pay for itself in 10 to 13 years. Having better control over automated systems will help conserve energy, Project Manager Kevin Durkin said. “The majority of what is happening for the project is behind See ENERGY on page 2 u


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.