The county reported eighty-two new Covid-19 cases, three hospitalizations, and no deaths in the 24 hours ending this morning at 10 a.m. The current two-week snapshot was unavailable at time of publication. Statewide, the pandemic killed more than 8,900 people in 2022, a decline from the previous two years but enough to make Covid the state’s third-leading cause of death, Bridge reports.
The city approved a three-year contract with the main police union, MLive reports. The contract allows the department to consider past infractions over a longer period when disciplining officers for misconduct, a change that city leaders hailed as an important step in holding officers more accountable. The Ann Arbor Police Officers Association won a new pay scale that allows its members to reach the maximum wage level in ten years instead of eighteen.
The city is seeking feedback on its planned unarmed response team. Members of the public can share their opinions at three forums this month, the first at 1 p.m. Monday at the downtown library. Suggestions will inform the final recommendation to city council about the formation and structure of the program.
A man robbed the Circle K gas station at Packard and Stadium the day after Christmas, MLive reports. A young man reportedly became incensed when asked for his ID while attempting to buy rolling papers, retrieved a handgun from his car and stole the papers.
The Wolverines ended a charmed season with a bitter 51–45 defeat at hands of TCU Saturday, the Michigan Daily reports. The Fiesta Bowl loss broke Michigan’s season-long winning streak and put an end to their dreams of playing in Monday’s national championship game.
Sources close to Jim Harbaugh believe he’ll take an NFL job if it’s offered, the Athletic reports (subscriber exclusive). A year on from his flirtation with the Minnesota Vikings, rumors are swirling about the possibility of Harbaugh taking a head coach role with the Denver Broncos or Carolina Panthers.
Five Michigan offensive linemen have signed “name, image, and likeness” deals with a financial advising firm, ClickOnDetroit reports. Several of the linemen are anticipated to head to the NFL next season.
A seven-story, 206-apartment building has been proposed as the last phase of the Beekman on Broadway development, MLive reports. The group behind the recent transformation of the Lowertown area with two previous rental buildings originally intended to have condos in the third, but lackluster pre-sales convinced them to shift to more apartments. The pivot will require city council to amend the zoning conditions.
A developer is interested in buying the U-M Credit Union building on E. William to replace it with a student-centric high-rise, MLive reports. Core Spaces previously tried to buy air rights over the neighboring Library Lane parking structure, but voters blocked that in 2018 when they designated the lot a future central park.
Developers aiming to build Ann Arbor Township’s first manufactured housing community won a legal round, MLive reports. The Michigan Court of Appeals reversed a local court’s decision that a 1975 order allowing a development at Warren Rd. and US-23 was unenforceable, sending the case back for reconsideration. The township has since rezoned the property, but the developers and property owners “have a site plan ready” should they prevail in court, Cynthia Furlong Reynolds reported in the September Observer.
A historic farmstead with roots in the county’s German-speaking past could be sold with new protections, MLive reports. Scio Township is taking steps to protect the Wild-Frey farmstead before they flip it to potential buyers, in an example of the “buy-protect-sell” model the township has recently used for other properties.
The Michigan-developed anesthetic ketamine is fast becoming a treatment for severe depression, Ken Garber reports in the December Observer. While the drug has been around since the middle of the last century, the first clinical trial on its use in treating depression wasn’t until 2000. Since then, practitioners have gradually started adopting it: In the last six years, the number of clinics using it has skyrocketed from around thirteen nationwide to an estimated 500.
U-M scientists announced a breakthrough in plastic recycling, MLive reports. In an article published in Nature, the team outlines how they used an electrochemical method to break down PVC, which is used in pipes and other heavy-duty applications, opening a path to future recycling.
Getting into U-M is no walk in the park, ClickOnDetroit reports. According to a list of both public and private colleges released by Niche, Michigan is the 61st-most difficult school in the country to gain admittance to.
Jenn Cornell Queen has been named the new director of the Ann Arbor Arts Center, ClickOnDetroit reports. Queen is an entrepreneur and newly-elected city council member representing Ward 5, and A2AC’s board chair said that she was chosen, among other reasons, for her “solid track record of fundraising for a range of nonprofit organizations.”
Former city administrator Tom Crawford has been named CFO of Ann Arbor SPARK, MLive reports. Crawford has been working under contract for the public-private nonprofit on a temporary basis since March, and recently agreed to a longer-term commitment.
Eastbound traffic on E. Ann between N. Ingalls and Glen will be detoured to N. Ingalls until Tuesday due to crane installation for a new nine-story development, MLive reports. The development is destined to be a hotel known as the Vanguard. Meanwhile, S. Fourth will be closed Mon.–Wed. Between Huron and Washington to establish a workzone for another crane at the Courthouse Square senior apartments.
A burst pipe at the City Club Apartments parking garage caused at least $10,000 of damage, CBS Detroit reports. Repairs could take weeks or even months.
The AADL has been named a “five-star library” for the fifteenth consecutive year, ClickOnDetroit reports. The library has received America Star Libraries' top rating every year since the organization created the rating system in 2008.
Ypsilanti kicked off a year of bicentennial celebrations on New Year’s Eve, Concentrate reports. Throughout the year the city will host events such as a time capsule unveiling, musical performances, a bus tour of Ypsilanti’s historic sites, and more. Follow the events on the bicentennial’s Facebook page.
A UPS driver came to the rescue of a prospective U-M student and his aunt when their car broke down, MLive reports. Donald Moorer not only arranged for a tow truck, but called his wife Brandy to keep the pair company until it arrived and then give them a tour of Ann Arbor. To cap it off, the Moorers invited the visitors to dinner at their Ypsi Township home–and then drove them home to Paris, Michigan.
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