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

IN OCTOBER, A year after his state had adopted a right-to-work law, Michigan Education Association President Steve Cook announced that his union had retained 99 percent of its members. That was a surprise. Right-to-work laws are…

NAP INVITES THOSE interested to join in one of these free events. There is no need to pre-register unless otherwise noted. If you have a large group (more than five people) that is interested in attending a volunteer stewardship event,…

by Joel Elconin LAST WEEK THE national media poured into Ann Arbor, Michigan to cover a protest over the recent events surrounding the school’s football team. The mainstream media portrayed the protest as some isolated event based on…

UPDATED:  The newspaper has filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain the names of all the participants at the Vinology event for Wendy Lawson. We have also filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain the name of the…

UNDER STATE ACT 283 of 1909, a local road millage may be levied by the county board without voter approval. The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners has scheduled an Oct. 1 public meeting to hear from voters before the BOC imposes yet…

WITH LESS THAN a week before the deadline to register, The League of Women Voters (LWV) is reminding all Michiganders that their voices are important and if they haven’t registered to vote yet, now is the time. The last day to register to…

by P.D. Lesko Since the hiring of City Administrator Steve Powers, compensation for city employees has risen sharply. In 2010, 13 employees earned six-figure base salaries. After three years of Powers’ at the helm, that number has…

DEMOCRAT PAM BYRNES is challenging Republican incumbent Rep. Tim Walberg in the 7th Congressional District, which covers much of the area between Lansing and the southern border of Michigan. The district runs from Coldwater on its western…

by Marjorie Winkelman PRAVEENA  RAMASWAMI IS an enthusiastic, energetic woman with sparkling eyes and a streak of bright purple through her dark hair. She is the perfect tour guide at the Thurston Nature Center Fall work-day, greeting…

AAATA is using the whole of the 3 block faces (5th, William, 4th) as de-facto loading zones, and creating a dangerous situation for traffic and pedestrians alike.  It is impossible to turn northbound on 4th off William much of time, and…