The Ann Arbor Independent Editorial Team 2223 posts 224 comments

by Ken Coleman The Michigan AFL-CIO continues its call for a repeal of the state’s Right to Work legislation.  “The teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. remain at the forefront of our work, and Michigan’s labor movement reminded…

by P.D. Lesko Let's be clear, Restaurant Week is like a Vegas Casino: the House always wins. Over the years, Ann Arbor restaurant owners have pitched "savings" that in one year, in one restaurant, added up to a whopping $.50 cents, when…

DTE Energy, electricity supplier to 40% of Michigan, will start charging a peak-hour rate in March. “The residential rate is being changed to a variable Time of Day rate as a way to smooth out peaks in demand,” DTE says on its website. …

by Sam Killian Since Superior Township first joined the library district in 2007, the Library Board has been committedto expanding service in the area by building a third full-service library. The new 7,800 square-footfacility was built…

Ann Arbor SPARK announced that Tom Crawford has been contracted to serve as chief financial officer. Crawford brings to the organization a deep knowledge of financial strategy, human resources, and IT services in both the municipal and…

by P.D. Lesko AAPS trustees are presently embroiled in a public debate about, among other issues, whether members should be forbidden from communicating with each other electronically during open meetings. Seriously? D'uh. The Michigan…

by Susan J. Demas House minority leader focused on the future while recounting challenges this session during roundtable As the 101st Legislature ends and a newly elected Democratic majority gets ready to take the reins, outgoing…

Denise A. Waytes The Diocese of Lansing and the Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty filed a lawsuit on behalf of St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. John, Michigan against Dana Nessel, the Dept. of Civil Rights, and the Civil Rights…

by Ari LeVaux After the first big frost of the season, things got real at the farmers market. Buyers arrived, knowing it was our last chance for warm weather crops; I was there for tomatoes, and I felt like a big spender with my…

by Jenn McKee A stage musical based on a beloved film classic—like, say, A Christmas Story: The Musical, now being staged at Dexter’s Encore Theatre—can be a double-edged sword. Yes, it’s a known commodity, so people…