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Econ
Elected Officials Must Ask the Michigan AG to Launch an Investigation into SafeHouse
Local and county elected officials must ask Michigan AG Dana Nessel to investigate SafeHouse Center, its Executive Director and its Board of Directors. Here's why: purported public fraud by the non-profit.
On September 22, the…
In Public Statement, Eleven Elected Officials in Washtenaw County Chastise SafeHouse Center Board of Directors
by P.D. Lesko
Update 9/26/21: Ann Arbor Council member Elizabeth Nelson (D-Ward 4) signed the letter.
Efforts by the Executive Director and Board members of SafeHouse Center to hire a Miller-Canfield lawyer and conduct a quiet…
Alleged Assailant of Survivor Evicted by SafeHouse Jailed on $3M Cash Surety Bond
by P.D. Lesko
Jeffrey Dwayne Smith. Photo | The Ann Arbor Independent
On Sept. 19, Jeffrey Dwayne Smith, 47, of Flatrock, Michigan, was arraigned in 14A-1 District Court before Magistrate Elisha A. Fink. Smith was charged with one…
Ann Arbor Council Member Sends Open Letter to SafeHouse Executive Director Barbara Niess-May
by Council member Katherine J. Griswold, MBA, MSW
Hello Barbara Niess-May,
SafeHouse provides a critical service in our community. Per its mission: to provide safety, support, advocacy and resources for survivors of sexual assault…
SafeHouse Center is a “Dangerous Dump” and Survivors Say, “Enough is Enough”
UPDATE 1/22/22: Independent Investigation Confirms Allegations of SafeHouse Mismanagement: Executive Director Barbara Niess-May Resigns
September 17, 2021: Updated with additional audio clips, video and photos.
Update October 6,…
SafeHouse Exec. Dir. and Staff Retaliated Against Sexual/Physical Assault Survivors Who Spoke Out About Health and Safety Concerns at the Shelter
by P.D. Lesko
SafeHouse staff, interns and residents say it's time for Barbara Niess-May to be replaced.
When asked during a Monday August 30 interview why she'd contacted The Ann Arbor Independent about what multiple SafeHouse…
Staff and Clients Allege SafeHouse Center is Mismanaged and a “Racist, Toxic” Environment
UPDATE 1/22/22: Independent Investigation Confirms Allegations of SafeHouse Mismanagement: Executive Director Barbara Niess-May Resigns
NOTE: SafeHouse Executive Director Barbara Niess-May has alleged that there are unspecified…
Local Ann Arbor Landlord and Others Who Are Politically-Connected Received Millions in PPP Loans
by P.D. Lesko
In Ann Arbor, 57 businesses received PPP (Paycheck Protection Plan) loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration in amounts between $1 million and $10 million. Only one of the companies, Skysync, Inc., is…
Michigan Rep. Dan Kildee Introduces Bill to Extend CARES Act Benefits Through December 2020
by Ellie Nelson
Even as some states start reopening, there’s little sign the coronavirus pandemic — or most of its adverse economic effects — will end anytime soon. But the $600-per-week lifeline the federal government…
Money Runs Out Less Than Two Weeks After Washtenaw United Way Announces Small Biz Emergency Grants
With $1.29 million in funding, $1 million of which was donated by the Song Foundation, the Washtenaw United Way's Washtenaw Small Business Emergency Relief Fund ran dry just two weeks after the modest grants were announced. The United…