Election Central
That quote from a 2023 memo by then-deputy city administrator John Fournier has since become the unofficial motto for Ann Arbor’s new $5.25 million election center and studio space for Community Television Network.
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News
Youth Movement
Just before kick-off at the AFC Ann Arbor women’s May 19 soccer match against Kalamazoo FC at Pioneer High School’s Hollway Field, fifteen-year-old Izzy Sutton and two U-M students received formal recognition as female leaders and role models. Sutton, tall and athletic, was a 2023 Washtenaw County Young Citizen of the Year, and has won state and national service awards for her work, which has included raising money for bird and turtle rescue by selling her own line of notecards. Sutton has long called for eliminating single-use plastic water bottles at the Ann Arbor Public Schools, petitioning the school board and administration since fifth grade. Most end up in landfills and as trash in the environment.
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The Band Takes the Field
A new U-M dorm is rising on the Michigan Marching Band’s longtime home at Elbel Field, but director John Pasquale is over-the-moon happy with the new Elbel Field a block away.
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Starting Over
Sherrone Moore, promoted to the top job, is in some ways starting over. He’s got a new staff, a new quarterback, and an entirely new offensive line.
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What’s Next for AAPS?
A week after school let out in June, the Ann Arbor Board of Education voted to release a devastating report on the mistakes leading to a multimillion-dollar hole in the district’s budget.
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Explosion Aftermath
Shortly after 6 a.m. on Feb. 19, residents of the West Side were jolted awake by the sound of an explosion, followed by the wail of fire and police sirens. A small house at 701 S. Seventh St. had blown up.
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The Next State Rep?
Morgan Foreman handily won the Democratic nomination to replace Felicia Brabec as representative for Michigan House District 33—and she did it with half as much money as her opponent, Rima Mohammad.
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Mall Ambition
“Briarwood is now charging a parking fee for premium spaces—20 feet closer to the doors!” a poster wrote on nextdoor.com. “Really? A rip off!”
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Tipping Point
In July, the Michigan Supreme Court restored a 2018 law that raised the state’s minimum wage, expanded sick-leave requirements, and phased out the subminimum wage for workers earning tips.
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The Next Sheriff
Despite little sleep and no coffee, Dyer was “very excited” the morning after the election. “It took until late that night for the county clerk to determine the winner,” she says, and when she finally learned she’d won, it “was just such a relief!”
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Seeking Zero
In June, the Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations (OSI) celebrated the fourth anniversary of A2Zero. The $1 billion climate action plan, which aims to attain community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030, was approved unanimously by the city council after Ann Arbor declared a climate emergency in 2019.
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Ron Warhurst Goes to Paris
Ron Warhurst was a U-M coach for thirty-six years—cross-country and track. He was Big Ten coach of the year four times, won nine conference championships, and coached 129 All-Americans, multiple Olympians, and a winner of the Boston Marathon.
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Market Inflation
Grocery prices have climbed 25 percent since the beginning of the pandemic, and farmers like Robertello aren’t immune.
Read MoreClerk Contenders
Larry Kestenbaum was first elected clerk in 2004 by defeating the Republican incumbent, and he’s defeated every challenger, Democrat or Republican, since then.
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The Next State Rep
Felicia Brabec, who represents Michigan House District 33, is stepping down after two terms to prepare to run for state senate in 2026. That leaves the district encompassing southern Ann Arbor, the city of Saline, and all or portions of Pittsfield, Saline, Lodi, York, Bridgewater, and Scio townships open for a new representative.
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Election Switcheroo
By waiting until after the deadline to withdraw, McClary ensured that Lamelle-Sharp will be unopposed in the August 6 primary—and, given the heavily Democratic makeup of the county’s electorate, is all but certain to win the office.
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GMA Doughnuts
On July 3, hundreds of people thronged the intersection of S. Ashley and W. Liberty to watch a live segment from Good Morning America. But only one local business had a presence in GMA’s studio back in New York City.
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Selfie Studio
Similar photo booth businesses have been growing rapidly in South Korea over the last decade, according to Sean Lee, one of four partners in the company. They have four other locations, all in California, but their goal is to open Potobox shops in every state.
Read MoreWhy Does The Restroom Want My Phone Number?
Q. I think it is great that the city is providing public restrooms, but when I loaded the app on my phone I wondered why it required personal information and phone location.
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