Not long ago content on Lansing Community College’s TV station centered on reruns of basketball games and still shots of billboards. Today, it has a new name, new program lineup and partnerships across the community. Best of all, it has Nicole Sclafani, producer and station manager, who embodies the bubbling energy of Mid-Michigan beginning to vibrate with the beat of a new economy. If it’s important and especially if it’s fun, know that LCC TV The Link plans to be in the middle of it.

Yes, volunteers are integral to creating a thriving downtown ... but what about economic development? We talk grants, small business, job creation and more in Part 2 of our four-part series, The Recipe For Thriving Downtowns.

Truckers, road kill, gallons of coffee and who knows what else will accompany a team of Lansingites during their race against eight pockets of the social media world to a media/techie/idea/networking conference in Austin.

East Lansing resident and student Nikki Schippel is working to revitalize Lansing’s historic Westside neighborhood. This week, she tackles the issues that face many older urban communities—transportation, gentrification and identity.