The Ann Arbor Independent - A locally owned newspaper in Ann Arbor

by Joel Elconin WITH ONE OF the most publicized head coaching searches ever coming to a conclusion, many pundits questioned if the University of Michigan may have overpaid for the services of Jim Harbaugh and his staff. Quite the…

OVER THE PREVIOUS six months, there were 2,328 crimes reported by the AAPD. In 2013, there were a total of 6,440 crimes reported by the AAPD to the Michigan State Police. In 2012, there were 6,836 crimes reported by the AAPD to the Michigan…

IN THE CITY of Ann Arbor, “property owners and/or occupants are responsible for removing/treating snow and ice on the adjacent public sidewalk,” according to local ordinance. Accumulation which has fallen prior to 6 a.m. must be cleared by…

THE MICHIGAN Department of Community Health (MDCH) today announced the recipients of Michigan’s Health Innovation Grant. A priority for Governor Rick Snyder and MDCH, this is the second year that Michigan has awarded these grants to improve…

LET’S BE CLEAR: In the U.S., Michigan and Ann Arbor crime rates are down. According to data gathered by the FBI, in Ann Arbor, about 1,300 more crimes, total, were committed in 2009 than in 2013. That means, at a minimum, 1,300 fewer people…

by P.D. Lesko ON DEC. 18, The Ann Arbor Independent turned to the National Freedom of Information Coalition and the Knight Foundation’s FOI Fund for financial support to fund an open records lawsuit against the City of Ann Arbor and the…

by Rob Smith THE MICHIGAN COUNCIL for Arts and Cultural Affairs recently announced that the organization had awarded $9.7 million to cultural organizations in Michigan. That’s up 27 percent over the $7.6 million in grant money awarded…

WARD 3 COUNCIL member Stephen Kunselman was first threatened with recall by a member of the homeless advocacy group MISSION. A few days later, the same member of MISSION who had announced at a public Council meeting the group was behind the…

The Ann Arbor Independent published a long list of stories that received quite a bit of attention from readers. Below, find links to some of the most compelling and popular articles published in 2014, based on the number of social media…

Julie Weatherbee—U-M IT Systems Trainer, wiles away Monday evenings on Twitter commenting on City Council mmetings. Julie Weatherbee is, in turns, clever, funny, acerbic, rude and politically nerdy. Twice monthly, she watches City…