Three and out
State representative Jeff Irwin figures his chances for winning a third term this November are good. “Ann Arbor is a pretty Democratic town,” says Irwin, a former Washtenaw County commissioner first elected to the...
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New Balance
Sep 1, 2014 | News |
More than twice as many people–7,073–voted for Taylor as for any other candidate. Sabra Briere was second in the four-way race, with 2,971 votes, followed by Steve Kunselman’s 2,448 and Sally Hart...
Read MoreSave or spend?
Aug 18, 2014 | News |
When Washtenaw County closed the books on 2013, it recorded a $3.9 million surplus. Now the question is what to do with it.From her perspective, “it needs to go into reserves,” says county administrator Verna...
Read MoreFour for Mayor
The August 5 Democratic mayoral primary marks the end of one era and the start of another.After an unprecedented seven terms, John Hieftje is retiring undefeated. Since 2000, he has faced ten opponents in primary and general...
Read MoreThree Critical Council Races
The drama of who’s running for city council began in March when Bob Dascola went to federal court to get a place on the ballot and climaxed in June when Dascola won his case and Leon Bryson abruptly ended his campaign.That...
Read MoreHop on the Bus
Aug 1, 2014 | News |
Following a successful bus millage vote in May, 2014, the AAATA (the new third “A” is for “Area”) is drastically increasing route miles and hours in four phases over the next four years. The first phase...
Read MoreRunning for Judge
Julia Owdziej was in the middle of a phone interview about her campaign for probate judge when her other phone rang. She politely excused herself. A few minutes later she came back on the line and said, “They’re...
Read MoreIs Bigger Better?
It looks like Will Hathaway and his mom, Mary, will finally get what they’ve dreamed of for years: a park on top of the underground Library Lane parking structure next to the Ann Arbor District Library. “My mom has...
Read MoreMore smarter cars
Jul 13, 2014 | News |
The number of Ann Arbor cars and light trucks equipped for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication is about to triple.The high-tech gear required for vehicles to communicate with one another about their location, speed, and...
Read MoreOil in Scio?
Jul 10, 2014 | News |
Standing at the corner of Miller and West Delhi roads, Dagmar Moore points to an array of pink flags dotting the green field to the northeast.”That’s where they’ll go,” she says. “Oil derricks with...
Read MoreBreakthrough
The tumors were gone. A month earlier, scientists at the Pfizer laboratories on Plymouth Road had begun dosing mice bearing human tumors with a new kind of cancer drug. Now technicians examining the mice could feel nothing...
Read MoreThe Reinhart Legacy
From the mid-1980s through 2012 the horse race to watch in Ann Arbor real estate was between the Charles Reinhart Company and the Edward Surovell Company. “Every January, the numbers would come out,” laughs Steve...
Read MoreThe Coleman Era
A “Farewell Mary Sue” party in mid-March pulled out all the stops. Jeff Daniels introduced President Coleman to the crowd at the Michigan Union–faculty, staff, regents, and a lot of students. Regent Andrea...
Read MoreReasons for Hope
“By law we have to pass a balanced budget by our last meeting in June,” says Ann Arbor school board trustee Glenn Nelson. “This year that’s June 25.”To get there, the board will have to close a...
Read MoreSmall-town Heroin
Jun 19, 2014 | News |
Three or four years ago, Saline mayor Brian Marl recalls, then police chief Paul Bunten told him that Washtenaw County officials were alarmed that “heroin is becoming more prevalent” in the county. Until then, Marl,...
Read MoreTransit Triumphant
Jun 3, 2014 | News |
“I was shocked by the margin of victory,” says Ecology Center director Mike Garfield. “I thought it was going to be close,” says Garfield of the May vote on a 0.7-mill tax to expand bus service in Ann...
Read MoreThe Honesty Policy
It begins with a mistake. A doctor botches an operation, misses something on an MRI, or fails to make a diagnosis. Medical lawsuits are nothing new. Doctors are human. They make mistakes, and injured patients expect to be...
Read MoreThe Faculty Strikes Back
“The secret bonuses blew me away!”That’s U-M history prof Juan Cole, describing his response to the news that a growing number of university employees–chiefly top administrators–are receiving hefty...
Read MorePensions Get a B+
May 7, 2014 | News |
“The overriding influence on the pension plan over the past five years was the recession and the stock market crash,” says city administrator Steve Powers.Nancy Walker, executive director of the city’s...
Read MoreUpcoming Events
- April 9, 2026 “Long-Form Improv Jam”: Hear.Say Brewing + Theater 8:30 pm
- April 9, 2026 James McMurtry: The Ark/University Musical Society Ypsilanti Freighthouse Residency 9:30 pm
- April 10, 2026 “Investigate Labs”: U-M Museum of Natural History 11:00 am
- April 10, 2026 Carillon Concert Series: U-M School of Music 12:00 pm
- April 10, 2026 Chime Concert: Kerrytown Market & Shops 12:00 pm
- April 10, 2026 U-M Museum of Natural History Planetarium & Dome Theater 12:00 pm