As of yesterday morning, there were two confirmed Covid-19 cases, one hospitalization, and no deaths in the previous twenty-four hours.
Federal stimulus funds saved Michigan Medicine’s pandemic budget. The health system was “dealing with losses greater than $3 million per day in spring 2020 after being forced to almost shut down non-emergency care,” emails spokesperson Mary Masson. “Those losses contributed to the organization missing its fiscal 2020 target by $167 million.” A boost of $135 million in stimulus money in fiscal year 2020 and $266.5 million in fiscal year 2021, which ended yesterday, put it $339 million in the black.
Crews from the city and Michael Andrews Concrete were on S. Maple this morning to assess the massive blowout from last week’s water main break. “We’ll have it fixed up for you right quick,” one promised, but Maple may remain closed from Jackson to the Vets park lot for another six weeks. A formal detour is still being established, and cost estimates range from the mid to upper six figures. a2gov.org
Plans submitted for 561-unit housing development on Ann Arbor’s north side. Bloomfield Hills-based Robertson Brothers plans for “The Village of Ann Arbor” call for 320 market-rate rental apartments and 241 condos. The sixty-seven acre property, the last large undeveloped site within the city limits, would need to be annexed from Ann Arbor Township. The former gravel pit and landfill is now mostly forested, but part is a brownfield requiring remediation; ten acres would remain in woodlands. MLive (subscriber exclusive)
Beginning today, TheRide lifts capacity restrictions, and opens fixed-route and demand-response service for all travel. Face masks will still be required. It’s currently accepting comments on a fare change proposal that would trim fares on fixed-route service but greatly increase them on door-to-door Gold Ride service. TheRide
A suspect in a 2018 murder in Ypsilanti was found dead in his cell at the county jail on Sunday. Foul play is not suspected, but an investigation is still underway. Orlando Whitfield had been released on bond pending his trial. He returned to custody on June 22, five days after cutting off his tether. Whitfield was identified as a person of interest in the double homicide of a Detroit couple in their home on Monday, June 21. MLive
Saline and Chelsea join Dexter in lifting the mask mandate for children’s summer programs thanks to minimal community spread. “Should we see increases in community transmission or evidence of outbreaks, we may need to reinstate the mask requirement,” Saline school superintendent Steve Laatsch cautioned. The districts haven’t yet determined whether masks will be required for the 2021-2022 school year. MLive
The Hive Project purchases land previously owned by Henry Ford to found a center for art and innovation. The 215 acres and seventeen buildings that formerly served as a Ford experimental farm, and then Boysville, a school for troubled boys, is becoming a state-of-the-art space where tech, music, and nonprofits can come together. Founders John Goodell and Kim Tucker-Gray aim to transform the land into a “campus of art, innovation, and sustainability." The Observer’s Cynthia Furlong Reynolds has our story.
Peace Neighborhood Center closed for just one week during the pandemic, then went back to work taking care of its “family” with food, shelter, emergency stipends, summer camps, tutoring, and support groups. With anxiety and depression on the rise, they’re adding a “clinical arm” to offer therapy on site. Executive Director Bonnie Billups Jr. explains that this plan had been on his radar, but the pandemic “pushed it forward.” They aren’t trying to “reinvent the wheel,” Billups says, as many staff members are already licensed therapists. The Observer’s Eve Silberman has our story.
Three U-M gymnasts heading to the Olympics. Former Wolverine men’s gymnasts Sam Mikulak (’14) and Uche Eke (’19) will be representing the United States and Nigeria respectively in Tokyo later this month. U-M senior Cameron Bock will be an alternate. Mikulak has six United States all-around national titles, and competed in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics but has yet to pick up an Olympic medal. Eke is currently a graduate assistant coach to the Wolverine gymnastics team, and will be competing against his own students. Michigan Daily
Former Ann Arbor Skyline runner set a record but will miss the Olympics. Hobbs Kessler qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 1,500 meters last month with a record time for a high schooler of 3:34.36. He finished eighth in his semifinal heat on Friday evening in Eugene, ten seconds off his previous time, and will not advance to the finals. The seventeen-year-old turned pro last Thursday when he signed with Adidas. Detroit Free Press
Washtenaw County teens win grants to launch the after-school programs of their dreams. Generator-Z, an "ideas lab" sponsored by Detroit's Wilson Foundation, asked teenagers to come up with concepts for after school programs that nonprofits could use to create funding proposals. Generator-Z gave grants to seven organizations in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, including $64,000 to the Student Advocacy Center of Michigan to create a space where students will receive homework help and self-advocacy training. MLive
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