This is the article from the GR press--
HASTINGS -- It was in Ypsilanti on the campus of Eastern Michigan University that the body of Laura Dickinson was discovered Friday afternoon in a dorm room on the fifth floor of Hill Hall.
In Laura's home town of Hastings, flowers and a condolence card were placed in front of the State Grounds Coffee House. Laura's family owns and runs the business which cancelled its holiday schedule of events and temporarily shut down to mourn the loss.
"It's been really hard on everybody," says Dray Huis. Huis works at a bookstore, just doors down from the coffee shop. Huis says he knew Laura, 22, from their days at Hastings High School, where she was active in music and drama. Huis says it was Laura who convinced him to perform in the school play.
"In the musicals, she was one of the first ones there and one of the last ones to leave," Huis said.
Many familiar with this family run coffee house say it's more than just a business, it's a gathering place, one of the few places in town that young people can call their own.
"They always catered to the teens of the town and you don't find that very often. A lot of businesses would shun children away for hanging around, but Bob just opened his doors and took everybody in," says Huis.
As the holidays approach, it's the family that will now draw on the support of the community, as everyone awaits official word on exactly what happened to their beloved Laura.
Police say the medical examiner's results could be available as early as Monday.
Visitation is scheduled for Wednesday at Girrbach Funeral Home in Hastings from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. The funeral is scheduled for Thursday at 11 a.m. at Thornapple Valley Church in Hastings.
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RIP LAURA. always and forver.
