EDITORIAL: WCC President Owes Taxpayers an Explanation
DR. ROSE BELLANCA, in following popular president Dr. Larry Whitworth, had no easy way to blaze her own presidential path. She had two strikes against her. First, she is one of a minority of community college presidents in Michigan and the…
At Washtenaw Dairy, the “Thank You” Letter Box is Always Overflowing
by John Briggs
THE THANK YOU notes to Washtenaw Dairy, for donations of donuts and coffee and ice-cream and ice-cream bars, pile up. Co-owner Jim Smith puts the letters in a cardboard box as they come in.
“We put them in the box, and…
County Employee Credit Card Records Show Las Vegas Trips, Stays at Luxury Hotels Curtailed
by P.D. Lesko
In 2013, The Ann Arbor Independent published articles detailing county employee stays at Las Vegas casinos, resorts and 4-star hotels at taxpayer expense. Analysis of 3,600 credit card charges made in 2014 show no trips to…
Restaurant Inspections Reveal Even Ann Arbor’s Priciest, Well-Known Eateries Cited By Washtenaw County Health Dept.
IT’S EASY TO conclude that pricey meals and national media coverage might guarantee that a restaurant would be free from the most serious violations of a state’s restaurant health code. In March 2014, New York’s Per Se, with its $310…
Michigan Leads Nation in Loss of Payroll Employment
IN AUGUST 2014, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 35 states and decreased in 15 states and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-month increases in employment occurred in California (+44,200), Florida (+22,700), and Texas…
Oct. 1 Public Hearing on Proposed New Tax for County Road Repair
A PUBLIC HEARING for residents to comment on a proposed half mill tax hike is scheduled to take place on Oct. 1 at 6:45 p.m. The hearing will be held during the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners’ monthly meeting.
County homeowners…
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Open Letter to Council, DDA and AAATA Boards
An Open Letter to City Council, DDA and AAATA Boards
In the photo below is the view of the boarding location (de facto bus bay) for AirRide on Fifth Street across from the Library. Note the new $8.1M Blake Terminal in the background and…
LETTER FROM THE EDITORIAL BOARD: New Members
The Ann Arbor Independent’s Editorial Board is pleased to announce that it has added two new members. Ms. Natalie Wright, an Ann Arbor resident, is currently a second-year student at Washtenaw Community College and the editor of the…
Huron High Among Growing Number of American High Schools Without Student Newspaper
by Micaela Stevenson
HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM matters. According to studies done by the American Press Institute, students who have participated in journalism programs during their high school careers will score higher on the ACT as well…
Digital First Media, Publisher of “Washtenaw Now,” Weighs Sale of Assets
THE ANN ARBOR Independent reported that the Heritage Media Group, owned by Digital First Media shuttered the A2 Journal and pulled out of the Ann Arbor marketplace shortly after The A2 Indy was launched in October 2013. Out-county…