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

Dr. Rose Bellanca was hired as the president of Washtenaw Community College in 2011. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, university presidents, on average, stay in their jobs 8.5 years. With a total compensation package that…

The A2 Indy’s Ann Arbor Locals to Watch in 2014 were: Dr. Jeanice Kerr Swift, Dr. Matthew M. Davis, Council Member Sally Hart Petersen, restaurant entrepreneur Sava Lelcaj, Council member Jack Eaton, County Commissioner Yousef Rabhi,…

THE REDISTRICTING THAT pitted Rep. John D. Dingell, Jr. against Rep. Lynn Rivers caused many bruised feelings when Rep. Rivers lost. To his credit (and that of his wife, soon-to-be U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell) the pair worked mightily to win…

AAATA’S FORMER CEO Michael Ford was hired because he had experience with light rail. In the end, he was unable to do little more than spend money on staff time, studies, marketing and consultants aimed at determining when and how the WALLY…

SINCE NOV. 9, The Ann Arbor Independent has filed multiple Freedom of Information Act requests in an effort to disseminate public records about the shooting of 40-year-old Ann Arbor resident Aura Rosser’s Nov. 9 shooting. The newspaper…

by Rob Smith IN A REPORT released on Dec. 10, the Foundation for Individual Right in Education concluded that the University of Michigan and EMU are  “red light” institutions when it comes to free speech on the campus. In fact, of the 12…

by P.D. Lesko At their annual retreat last week, Ann Arbor Council members shared what they want Ann Arbor city government to focus on, and how the members, who are politically divided, can work together to get the job done in the coming…

Lyft and Sidecar have described their services as “ride-sharing.” They’re not taxi companies, or even a driving service - instead, they provide “marketplaces” where drivers can offer their services and users can get a ride. Lyft even goes…

I originally thought this paper was going to be a more balanced paper than the Ann Arbor News, and was looking forward to reading it. I would like to say how disturbing the Darren Wilson op-ed was to me. In a country that is being…

by P.D. Lesko FOR TWO YEARS, Ann Arbor Public School officials and members of the Board of Trustees have been hemming and hawing, discussing and studying the pros and cons of later start times for the district’s sleep-deprived teens. In…