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The Ann Arbor Independent—First time in over 110 years the city has a locally owned weekly newspaper
WELCOME TO The Ann Arbor Independent. For the first time in over 110 years Ann Arbor once again has a locally-owned weekly newspaper. The last time our city had a locally owned weekly newspaper was 1902, when the Ann Arbor Argus-Democrat…
Interview: Ward 1 Independent Jeff Hayner Discusses Proactive Policing, Recycling and Lower Town
Editor’s Note: Ward 1 incumbent Sabra Briere was given the opportunity to participate in this interview and provide answers to these questions. She chose not to do so.
A2Indy: What are the two most pressing issues facing Ward 1 in your…
Police, Fire, Parks, Millage Funds & Pools Dinged By City’s IT Fund For Millions In Assessments While IT Projects Remained Uncompleted
MAYOR HIEFTJE HAS repeatedly told the public that the cost of police and fire service is a strain on the city’s budget. In a 2012 interview he said this about the city’s safety services budget, “...All the water has been wrung out of the…
Emails Reveal DDA Threatens to Cut Money That Funds Job of Council Member’s Wife
by P.D. Lesko
There are five solid votes on City Council to bring to heel the members of the Downtown Development Authority Board of Directors. Those are the votes of Sumi Kailsapathy, Jane Lumm, Sally Hart-Petersen, Stephen Kunselman…
19 Top-Level City Staffers Lose Car Allowances, Including Police Chief and CFO
UNDER FORMER CITY administrator Roger Fraser, the amounts paid out in tax dollars for cell phone allowances increased almost 95 percent between 2009 and 2012. By 2012, 196 of the city's 693 full-time employees had been given cell phone…
While Fire & Police Cut, Taxpayers Paid Over $1.5M Dollars For City Employee Cell Phones
In Ann Arbor, despite repeated cuts to services, cuts to police and fire, and hikes in fees for parking, parking fines, water, sewer, solid waste and city programs, cell phone allowances for city staffers, many of whom have desk jobs,…
Five Year Solid Waste Plan Reveals Single-Stream Recycling Not Meeting Critical Goals
BETWEEN 2010 AND 2012, Berkeley, California, Walpole, Massachusetts, Auburn, Maine, and Concord, New Hampshire, among other U.S. cities voted not to adopt single-stream recycling, or abandoned single-stream recycling, according to a 2012…
Readership of AA.com Plummets 75% According to Execs—Site Loses Another Key Staffer to the Freep
by P.D. Lesko
If the down-sizing and attrition continue apace at AnnArbor.com, Laurel Champion, former publisher of the Ann Arbor News, will be left to head the organization as Executive Vice President in Charge of, Well, Everything. Steve…
MLive Prez (Accidentally) Confims That AnnArbor.com Unique Visitor Count Has Plummeted By 643,000 Since July 2011
by P.D. Lesko
The history of the telescope is fascinating. This piece is not about that. However, it is about The Ann magazine's futile and ultimately disappointing attempt to give readers insight into AnnArbor.com using what amounts to a…
Interview: 22nd Circuit Court Challenger Michael Woodyard Pledges To Dispense Justice “Fairly.”
MICHAEL WOODYARD IS either Gandalf or Saruman, it just depends on whom you ask. He is challenging Judge Timothy Connors for his seat on the 22nd Circuit Court, a seat Connors has either warmed, or filled admirably, depending on whom you…