EDITORIAL: Freddie Gray, Aura Rosser
A KNIFE COST both Baltimore resident Freddie Gray and Ann Arbor resident Aura Rosser their lives. In Gray’s case, Baltimore police officers alleged that the small, spring-assisted pocket knife Gray was carrying was illegal. The debate over…
City Employee Placed on Paid Leave Used Homophobic and Racial Slurs, Threatened to Beat up Co-Worker
Update: The original article stated that John Swantek had been put on leave Dec. 4, 2015. The correct date was Dec. 4, 2014.
by John Ball
Click here to download a copy of the AFSCME Discipline Report and pay records for John Swantek.…
Ann Arbor Police Chief John Seto to Retire in July 2015
by John Ball
Earlier today, Chief of Police John Seto announced his intention to retire from the City of Ann Arbor Police Department in July. An exact retirement date has not been identified.
Seto has worked for the Ann Arbor Police…
EDITORIAL: Ann Arbor SPARK Numbers Games
SINCE 2009, ANN Arbor SPARK and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation have come under intense criticism for misleading the public concerning the number of new jobs created. From the Detroit Free Press to the Lansing State Journal,…
A2Politico: But, Soft! What Hare-Brained Budget Allocation Through Yonder Fiscal Prudence Breaks?
by Bryan Kelly
IT IS OPEN season on the public purse. Budget negotiations for the 2016-2017 fiscal year are nigh. The City Administrator’s plan has been submitted to City Council. In the current forecast, a $1.7 million deficit in the…
THE FOODIST: When the Faraway Import is More Climate Friendly Than the Product Produced Locally
by Ari LeVaux
THE QUESTION OF how far food should travel between where it is produced and where it is consumed has become a frequent matter of passionate debate. The popular rule of thumb is that the more local the food, the better it…
Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto: Ypsi Community High School STEMM Academy Team Goes to Robotics World Championships
by Donna Iadipaolo
WHAT SETS YPSILANTI’S robotic “Team 66” apart from other robotics teams in the area may not only be its diversity, but also the fact that it comes from a “STEMM” school.
Many people may be familiar with the push for…
EDITORIAL: The AAPS Debt Millage Vote
THIS PAPER ENDORSES neither political candidates nor millage/bond proposals. We ascribe to the belief that an educated readership doesn’t need to be told whom or what to vote for. The Ann Arbor Independent educates readers on the issues.…
Riding for Recovery: Dawn Farm Raises Money to Offer Treatment (and Hope) to Those Fighting Addiction
by Stavi Tennebaum
THE DAWN FARM 6th Annual Ride for Recovery took place Sun., Apr. 26, along Stony Creek Road, at the organization’s headquarters in Ypsilanti. Over 350 participants paid a $35 registration fee to walk, bike and run in a…
Council Members Kept in Dark About Specifics of Sweetheart Deal for Staffer Who Resigned
by P.D. Lesko
IN JANUARY 2015, City Administrator Steve Powers told Council members that Building Dept. staffer Ralph Welton had resigned. Council members took that to mean that Welton had left the employ of the city and its payroll.…