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The Chronicle News

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Your trusted source for community news and happenings statewide.

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Building the Bridge: How MBSK 517 Is Connecting Lansing’s Youth to Real Opportunities | A Chronicle News Community Spotlight Feature
LANSING, Mich. — There’s a difference between telling young people to dream… and actually giving them somewhere to go. The My Brother’s & Sister’s Keepers Alliance of Metro Lansing, known as MBSK 517, is choosing the second. Through the launch of the Lansing Opportunity Hub, the organization is creating a structured, intentional pathway for youth to connect directly with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and organizations ready to invest in their growth. This is not just anoth

The Chronicle News
6 hours ago3 min read


WOMEN MAKING HISTORY 2026: Confidence as Currency: Shemeika Barney Is Dressing Women for More Than the Moment
Courtesy Photo: Shemeika Barney, owner of Meika’s Boutique N More in Lansing, Michigan, embodies the very confidence she inspires in others, creating a space where style, self-expression, and empowerment come together for women in the community. Confidence as Currency: Shemeika Barney Is Dressing Women for More Than the Moment There are women who follow trends… and then there are women who create spaces where confidence becomes the standard. In Lansing, Michigan, Shemeika Bar

The Chronicle News
Mar 242 min read


30 Within 30: Women Making History 2026 | A Chronicle News Community Recognition Campaign
This Women’s History Month, The Chronicle News proudly celebrates 30 extraordinary women whose leadership, courage, and commitment to community are shaping the present and inspiring the future. Across Michigan and beyond, women are building businesses, leading classrooms, strengthening families, mentoring young people, and advocating for change in ways that impact entire communities. Some lead from boardrooms. Some lead from classrooms. Some lead quietly through service, ment

The Chronicle News
Mar 222 min read


WOMEN MAKING HISTORY 2026 LEGACY FEATURE:Chronicle News Pioneer Carolyn Carter | The Quiet Architect of Legacy, The Heart Behind the Headlines
Courtesy Photo:Carolyn Carter Before the titles, before the legacy, before the lives she would touch… there was this moment. A young woman, full of light, already becoming who she was called to be. Silent strength. That is the phrase that comes to mind when I think of Carolyn (Hill) Carter. Not loud. Not attention-seeking. Not chasing recognition. But steady… faithful… foundational. Born on June 22, 1951, in Great Lakes, Illinois, to Willie L. Hill and Emma Garland, Carolyn’s

Yanice Y. Carter
Mar 214 min read


WOMEN MAKING HISTORY 2026: Dr. Frances D. Carter-Johnson | Founder, The Carter-Johnson Group, LLC | Policy Researcher | Educational Consultant & Dissertation Coach
There is a quiet kind of power that doesn’t announce itself. It builds. It studies. It finishes. And then… it lifts others across the same finish line. Dr. Frances D. Carter-Johnson embodies that power. A distinguished policy researcher, data analyst, and educational consultant based in the Washington, D.C.–Baltimore region, Dr. Carter-Johnson has built a career at the intersection of research, equity, and opportunity. Her work spans federal agencies, academic institutions, a

The Chronicle News
Mar 182 min read


WOMEN MAKING HISTORY 2026: Elyse Ribbons | Building Community, One Cup at a Time
Courtesy Photo:Elyse Ribbons, founder of Chengdu Teahouse in Lansing, is honored for building community through culture, tea, and connection in Women Making History 2026. Sometimes reinvention is not a setback. It’s an invitation. After spending decades living and working in China, Elyse Ribbons returned to the United States with a decision to make: how do you begin again? Her answer was both simple and powerful, create space. In 2024, she opened Chengdu Teahouse in Lansing’s

The Chronicle News
Mar 181 min read


WOMEN MAKING HISTORY 2026: Kiara Dumas | Redefining Purpose Through Vision and Faith
Courtesy Photo: Kiara Dumas, founder of Kingdom Mind Design, is honored in Women Making History 2026 for empowering women through photography, faith, and personal transformation. Sometimes purpose doesn’t arrive all at once. It unfolds. For Kiara Dumas, that journey has been one of growth, faith, and transformation. After nearly nine years as a dispute specialist in the tech industry, Kiara made the bold decision to step into a new chapter, one rooted in creativity, healing

The Chronicle News
Mar 181 min read


WOMEN MAKING HISTORY 2026: Dr. Terra DeFoe | Architect of Impact, Strategy, and Service | A Chronicle News Community Spotlight Series
Courtesy Photo: Dr. Terra DeFoe, Founder of De’Cole & Associates, is honored in Women Making History 2026 for her leadership in policy, civic engagement, and community impact across Michigan and beyond. Some leaders seek recognition. Others build impact that speaks for itself. Dr. Terra DeFoe is firmly the latter. As Founder and Managing Partner of De’Cole & Associates, Dr. DeFoe has spent decades shaping policy, empowering communities, and creating pathways where barriers on

The Chronicle News
Mar 182 min read


WOMEN MAKING HISTORY 2026:The Lucas-Perry Powerhouse: A Legacy Rooted in Love, Built on Excellence | A Chronicle News Community Spotlight Series
Not just a family. A formation. Not just success. ;A standard. Grace in their posture. Precision in their work. Power in their presence. They don’t just carry a name, they expand it. They don’t just enter rooms; they redefine excellence. The Lucas-Perry women refined. Respected. Revolutionary. There are families…and then there are institutions disguised as families. The Lucas-Perry legacy is one of those rare, powerful stories where love didn’t just endure, it multiplied… int

The Chronicle News
Mar 174 min read


WOMEN MAKING HISTORY 2026: Rhonda Stokes | Owner of Rhonda’s Reflections Salon | A Chronicle News Community Spotlight
Courtesy Photo: Rhonda Stokes, owner of Rhonda’s Reflections in Lansing, Michigan, is redefining beauty through a commitment to healthy Black hair, strong branding, and empowering women to embrace the fullness of their crown. For more than two decades, Rhonda Stokes has been helping women rediscover the beauty and strength of their natural crown. As the owner of Rhonda’s Reflections Salon in Lansing, Michigan, Rhonda opened her doors in 1999 with a passion that began long bef

The Chronicle News
Mar 172 min read


WOMEN MAKING HISTORY 2026: Corean Canty| Founder of Speak More Human | Co-Founder of Shift to Play | A Chronicle News Community Spotlight Feature
Courtesy Photo:Corean Canty, founder of Speak More Human and co-founder of Shift to Play, helps leaders and organizations strengthen communication, culture, and connection by empowering people to find and use their authentic voice. Some leaders build businesses. Others build movements in how people think, communicate, and show up in the world. For Corean Canty, leadership begins with one powerful idea: OUR VOICE MATTERS. A seasoned communications strategist, speaker, and peop

The Chronicle News
Mar 112 min read


WOMEN MAKING HISTORY 2026: Ali Bennett Builds Community Through Grassroots Giving | A Chronicle News Community Spotlight Series
Courtesy Photo: Meet Ali Bennett, Founder and CEO of Grassroots Giving, launched the Lansing-based initiative in 2023 to help first-generation entrepreneurs connect with the resources, knowledge, and community support needed to build sustainable businesses. In every generation, there are people who recognize that the systems around them were never designed for everyone to thrive. Instead of waiting for change, they begin building something new. For Ali Bennett, that moment ca

The Chronicle News
Mar 113 min read


WOMEN MAKING HISTORY 2026: Ashlee Willis: Creating Spaces Where Leadership, Community, and Opportunity Meet
Courtesy Photo:Ashlee Willis, Founder and CEO of Michigan Premier Events and Ms. Lansing 2026 – Candidate for Ms. Michigan Corporate America, has spent the past decade bringing organizations, leaders, and communities together through meaningful, professionally curated events across Michigan. For Ashlee Willis, leadership begins with connection. As the Founder and CEO of Michigan Premier Events, Willis has spent the last decade helping organizations across Michigan bring their

The Chronicle News
Mar 102 min read


WOMEN MAKING HISTORY 2026: Judy Kehler, CPFIM, ACPFIM, Turning Strategy Into Human Impact
Courtesy Photo:Judy Kehler, founder of Kehler Strategy Group, brings decades of leadership, financial insight, and strategic vision to the work of building stronger organizations and communities. Some women do not just lead organizations, they help reshape how communities think, plan, and grow. Judy Kehler is one of those women. As the Founder of Kehler Strategy Group, Judy brings decades of leadership, financial insight, and strategic vision to the table. Her professional pa

The Chronicle News
Mar 92 min read


WOMEN MAKING HISTORY 2026:Rae-Kel “Lady Kellz” Moore | Certified Life & Encouragement Coach, Sister Tah Sister | A Chronicle News Spotlight Series
Courtesy Photo- Rae-Kel Moore, Owner and Funder of Sister Tah' Sister Some movements start with funding. Some movements start with a strategy. And then some movements start at a picnic table in the park, with tired mothers who simply needed space to breathe. In 2018, at Francis Park in Lansing, Rae-Kel Moore, known to many as “Lady Kellz,” did not set out to launch a movement. She was living her life as a single mother of four, balancing work, home, and the quiet weight that

The Chronicle News
Mar 42 min read


Chronicle News Community Spotlight-Suited 4 Success: More Than an Event, A Standard
Photo Credit-The Chronicle Media Group-Generations aligned. My son Liam Carter is standing among men who model confidence, discipline, and care. This is what community mentorship looks like in action. Last weekend at the Lansing Mall, something shifted in the atmosphere. It wasn’t just a workshop. It wasn’t just photo ops in front of a branded backdrop. It was a room full of men choosing to rewrite narratives. Young men showed up for the 2026 Suited 4 Success Etiquette Worksh

Yanice Y. Carter
Mar 13 min read


WE ARE BLACK HISTORY 2026: Oluwaseun “Sean” Sipeolu Founder & General Manager | Jollof Afro-Caribbean Lounge | A Chronicle News Community Spotlight
Courtesy Photo-Oluwaseun “Sean” Sipeolu, Founder of Jollof Afro-Caribbean Lounge, is building more than a restaurant in Downtown Lansing — he is creating a cultural home rooted in connection, ownership, and legacy. Some businesses sell products. Others create experiences. Oluwaseun “Sean” Sipeolu did not open Jollof Afro-Caribbean Lounge to simply serve food. He opened it to serve culture. Founded in 2025 in the heart of Downtown Lansing, Jollof Afro-Caribbean Lounge is more

The Chronicle News
Feb 242 min read


The Chronicle News 40th Anniversary Legacy Gala: Life, Love & Legacy
For four decades, The Chronicle News has amplified voices, honored culture, and preserved the stories that shape our community. On Saturday, June 6, 2026, we invite you to celebrate this milestone at the Michigan Room at Lansing Community College. The 40th Anniversary Legacy Gala will be an unforgettable experience featuring a locally owned business showcase, a vibrant mix and mingle reception, live music and entertainment, a dinner experience, and keynote remarks from Judge

The Chronicle News
Feb 231 min read


The Chronicle News Small Business Spotlight- Rhonda’s Reflections: Where Mastery Meets Mentorship
Photo by Chronicle Media Group-Rhonda Stokes, Master Stylist and educator, is the founder of Rhonda’s Reflections. Licensed since age 18, she combines decades of salon expertise with hands-on apprenticeship training, preparing the next generation of stylists for State Board certification and sustainable careers in beauty. When it comes to transformation, Rhonda Stokes does more than style hair, she builds confidence strand by strand. A licensed cosmetologist since the age of

The Chronicle News
Feb 112 min read


The Chronicle News Community Spotlight: Logan Taylor-Pain to Purpose, From Pen to Power
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when heartbreak gets a headset and a book deal — look no further than Logan Taylor. The author of In My Eyes: Searching for Self-Worth didn’t just turn her story into pages… she turned it into momentum. Logan’s journey isn’t about finding perfection it’s about finding truth. From navigating the messy, sacred terrain of self worth to standing tall as an indie author with something real to say, she’s proof that vulnerability is strength dres

The Chronicle News
Feb 112 min read
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