The Ann Arbor Independent Editorial Team 2253 posts 224 comments

by P.D. Lesko THE KOCH BROS. last week pulled $1.1 million in ads buys in the metro-Detroit marketplace. Well, not the Koch brothers themselves. They work through intermediaries. A powerful group funded by the Koch brothers pulled $1.1…

MICHAEL HENRY HAS served as the Chair of the Ann Arbor City Democratic Party since 2013. Prior to his 2013 election, he served as a co-Chair for two years. The Ann Arbor Independent was given documents and emails which addressed Michael…

LAWYER TRACY VAN den Bergh raised almost triple the money incumbent Judge Julia B. Owdziej raised for the August primary election. Van den Bergh raised $51,575 in cash contributions and $4,280 in-kind. She spent $38,532 and put in over…

by P.D. Lesko I AM AT  work on an investigative piece about money allegedly mishandled. I don’t want to give away too much, but suffice it to say the people involved would rather the story not be told. We’re all guilty of wishing we…

PAUL SCHUTT IS the co-founder and co-CEO of Issue Media Group—a Detroit based media company which creates a number of online magazines including Ann Arbor’s ConcentrateMedia.com. Schutt gave a late donation to mayoral candidate Christopher…

ALL OF THE candidates who ran in the August 5 primary election deserve our thanks for putting forth the time and effort to vie for elected office. It takes an enormous amount of work to campaign—from knocking on voters’ doors to attending…

WHILE THE ANN Arbor Independent uncovered and reported on inappropriate emails between AnnArborChronicle.com’s editor and publisher and Ward 1 Council member Sabra Briere, the fact remains that the online news site slated to close on…

by Stephen Lange Ranzini THE SALE OF United Bank & Trust to Indiana-based Old National Bancorp worth $173.1 million closed this past Thursday.  I am sad that any local community bank would opt to sell out to a mega bank.  Something…

ACCORDING TO CRIME data reported by the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department, between February 2014 and July 2014, the number of crimes reported per month almost tripled, rising from 141 crimes reported in February to 404 crimes reported…

by Donna Iadipaolo As of May 7, 2014, West Bay Exploration was responsible for 29.4 percent of the hazardous material spills reported to the MDEQ district covering Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Genesee, Gratiot, Ingham, Lapeer, Lenawee,…